Overnight in KL

My wife and I travelled back to KL last Wednesday as I had to submit my Statement of Case to the Industrial Court on Thursday. We left the island at 5:00pm as I had to work. My GM asked me to leave in the morning but I declined. He even asked me to come back to work on Friday but I also declined. The 24th of December through the 2nd of January were blackout dates for vacation so I need to walk the talk... and not talk the talk. Yeah, I know this is not vacation but you know-lah people... with their 'cibai' mouths.

My wife and I decided that we needed some coffee before we started the journey so we stopped by at the newly opened AEON Seri Manjung to get a hot Venti Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks. We parked on the rooftop and I took this picture. It looks like the balloon was tied to our car. Cute...

It rained cats and dogs on the way back to KL. We arrived at the Majestic KL at about 10:30pm. We then decided to catch a movie. We bought the tickets for Jack Reacher at the Gardens at 00:45am. Believe it or not, it was my first time there. I've never liked to go to that area as the traffic is just horrendous. 

On Thursday, I went to the Industrial Court to submit my Statement of Case (SoC). The 'Translator' was kind enough to check my submission and gave a tip. I had to amend my SoC . He then told me I had to have 6 copies made. Sigh... why wasn't this stated online in the checklist? I managed to find a shop that did printing and photocopying along Jalan Tun Perak and concluded my business for the day. I will have to be in court again on 22 January 2013.

On the way back to PLR we stopped by at heritage House to visit the nuffnang office as my wife had to collect her Veet hamper that she won for a contest that she participated in online. I hope those of you who read my blog will also support me and click on the nuffnang ads on my blog.

It was lunch time when we left Heritage House. We felt that it would be difficult to find a place to have lunch at lunch peak hour so we went on our way and decided to have lunch at the Sg Buloh R&R instead. I just had to have a Coney Dog and a Root Beer Float. My wife didn't understand why I liked A&W. I explained to her that it was not I was crazy about it just that it has memories for a Gen X guy like me when back in my days the only fast foods were A&W, Wendy's, McDota, Marrybrown, etc.

  

We then stopped again at Tapah where we had coffee and donuts. My wife took this picture of me with the 'giraffe stance.' Apparently, my wife says that I tend to stand like this pretty often. I never realised it till now. I guess it's just a subconscious reaction to adjust to my surroundings.

On the way back, it rained cats and dogs again. It was a really tiring trip for me. This is why we don't travel back down to KL if I have less than 3 days' break... Ipoh is a better place as it only takes 1.5 hours.

Ramblings for 20.12.2012

Today is 20.12.2012... there are a lot of speculations for this date which I think is just horse shit... but I shall commemorate this date with my ramblings...

If you look through your Malaysian FB contacts you will probably find that the most popular status updates are bosan (bored) and malas (lazy)... the two words I hate the most.

My wife used to use these two words frequently and it just drove me nuts... but now... try mentioning these two words to her and see what she says. It was a struggle to get my wife to see life differently but it has paid off. My wife has learnt that the price for enlightenment is frustration. Once you start seeing things differently, it gets very frustrating... even more frustrating when those you try to help just don’t want to be helped.

I used to lecture my wife on these two words. I told her... people who use these words have no direction in life. They are lost souls. She didn’t like it... we ended up arguing. But like all things we argue about, I would normally accede and just smile to myself with the knowledge that I will get to say ‘I told you so’ in the future... which I do.

Most of our arguments were about me correcting her... in every sense... her thoughts, her actions, her knowledge, everything... it was pretty daunting for her, I know... and she used to think that I was too practical. Actually, I’m not... I’m merely trying to keep her from making mistakes. One day, she got fed up and she retorted... Some people need to learn from their mistakes. I said I know... but why make those mistakes when you can learn from others’ mistakes? And her response was... some people will never see it till they make the mistake themselves... to which I replied... some mistakes are just too expensive to make. Today, of course there was my 'I told you so'...

Anyway, back to the laziness and the boredom... If you really look closely you will find that it is mostly Generation Y that makes such statements. That’s probably because they are born in a generation where everything is readily available for them and they take things for granted. 

Today, you Google for anything you need to know, and that too... most are too fucking lazy to Google. Back in my time, it was a bus ride to the library just to read up information... or pay through your nose to buy the books for the knowledge. Back in my days, the only good source of food knowledge was the Larousse Gastronomique and it would cost you around USD300 for the book now. Imagine what it cost back then! Today, just Google, and you have what you need to know... but still, today’s generation is lazy and ignorant.

I remember getting my wife a netbook... I set it up for her and taught her the basics. Then she asked me something and I said, just Google... she asked, How? I said, Google... she asks again, how do you Google? I just said, Google lah... man, she was pissed at me... she didn’t understand then, why I did what I did... I was pushing her out of her comfort zone... I was making her try and not be dependent on me. Today, she knows how to shop online without me teaching her... and she knows how to search for anything that comes to her mind.

How can one possibly be bored in today’s world? It is only possible if you do not know what the hell you want to do with your life... or if it stems from the other fucked-up word... lazy.

Too lazy to fucking do anything hence the boredom... too lazy to do anything hence getting fat and f-ugly... too lazy to do anything hence not succeeding in life then turning around and saying it is God’s will. If it is God’s will then we would not be presented with choices in life. If it is really God’s will then we would not need to think. God only presents us with choices... we choose... and if we choose wrong, God will yet again present you with choices and so on and on and on... in the hope that we will eventually make the right choice that will bring us what we seek in life. Life is about choices... choose and be responsible for your choice and make it happen.

Today’s world is a scary world. Society no longer wants to be responsible for their actions. They will blame everyone and everything EXCEPT themselves.

If lazy and bored exists in you then you are definitely doomed. Sorry, but these are the hard facts... the truth always hurts.

When I started to exercise to lose weight there were statements made that I should not be vain. I should just accept it. I just looked at the person and said... that is the most selfish thing I have ever heard a person utter. What makes you think that me losing weight is about me? It is not about me... it is about the people whom I love around me. It is about making sure I remain healthy to continue providing for them. It is about making sure that I don’t die on them. I still have my desserts, I still have my red meats and whatnots... just not as often as I used to. And... most importantly... to me.. I choose not to be fucking lazy!

I always try to inspire others by using me as an example but every time I try the first thing that comes out of their mouths would be... you’re differentla, you are a Resident Manager... or you’re differentla, you earn more... what the fuck? You’re God damn right I am different... I chose to be different... but wait a minute... I worked hard to get where I am... very hard... it wasn’t handed to me on a silver platter. I had a hard life as well... we used to have just rice with fish curry gravy... RM1 for the fish curry which had ONE piece of fish in it and we would add RM0.20 worth of gravy and the five of us would share that with rice and omelet.  Sometimes it was just rice with soya sauce.

I started working at the age of 10!!! I would take the bus... no 51 or 58 from Port Klang on Friday afternoon to Kuala Lumpur then take the bus to Sungei Wang Plaza to work in my aunt’s shop. I would stay with her and on Sunday evening I would take the bus back to Port Klang. I started working as a regular part time at the age of 15... on an average no less than 3 times a week... I still completed school. Yes, my life was just as bad if not worse than all of you... so, what's the difference? Tiu...

There was once I was sick for 5 days and I took medical leave... my VP of Operations called me... he was concerned because he has never known me to be sick. So, in that sense... yes, I am different... I choose to be different. THAT is the difference... I am committed... are you? I am committed to creating a future for myself and my family. Are you?

I remember my mom yelling at me everyday for not making my bed. Yelling at me to sweep the floor, mop the floor, hang the clothes out, fold the clothes.... you name it! Hell, I was lazy too... but I never did stay lazy... I chose to be different. I chose to CHANGE.

Bored? Hell, I was NEVER bored... I guess I am too imaginative to ever get bored.

Enough of rambling... for those of you who read this far, good for you. Just proves you’re not lazy... Hahaha... but definitely bored to read through my ramblings... Hahaha...

But for those who didn’t, shows you how lazy people are... even when you have a TRANSLATE tool, they won’t use it... then they wonder why they are monolingual and cannot compete in the corporate world... nuff said.

Losers make excuses, winners make things happen...

Car Trouble...

Last Sunday, as my wife and I were making our way back from KL to PLR we ran into some car trouble. It happened in Seri Iskandar, about 50kms away from Sitiawan. I was accelerating after the traffic light turned green when suddenly we heard an explosion. I quickly took my foot off the accelerator and started merging to the left lane. By then the back of the car was swerving all over. I pulled over safely and reversed slowly to a safe spot. Got out and saw the tire had exploded. I was already planning to have my tires changed as they were just over 2 years since I last changed them in Langkawi just before coming back to KL. However, I wasn't expecting the back tires to go first as they were in much better shape than the front ones which were pretty worn.

I brought the triangle out of the car and placed it on the road and proceeded to get the spare out of the car. Then lo and behold it starts to rain... tiu... my wife held the umbrella for me while I tried to unscrew the cap that held the spare in place. I turned and turned and turned for what seemed like an eternity  and till my hands hurt but it just didn't come loose. The thread of the screw was gone. The spare was stuck. It was now pouring... I went to the glove compartment and brought out the glove and tried again... then the 'equipment' came out... I tried using brute force to pry it open but it remained stuck. It's a Sunday. It's just after 5pm. The town is about a kilometer away but I doubt I'd be able to find a shop that would be open.

So after much contemplating we decided to have the car towed. I called the office to have them call our panel workshop. They happened to know someone who was coming from Tronoh and told me it will cost me RM120. I agreed and we waited. In the meantime the office was sending a car to pick us up. While waiting, my wife and I chatted... she was pretty impressed that for a 10 year old car, I still had all the 'extras' in the car. The spare tire, the jack, the gloves, the triangle and even a mobile hazard lamp. Of course la... I take driving very seriously. :)

After waiting for 80 minutes, the tow truck came. There was a slight problem. He had to tow from the front or the gearbox might get damaged. But we can't do so without changing the back tire first. The spare was stuck. So we had to swap tires with the front. But he only has one jack. My jack can only be accessed if the spare was removed. Alamak! So the poor guy had to improvise... in the rain. He had to use everything he had on his truck as 'stands'. After about 30 minutes, he succeeded in swapping the tires and the car came just in time to pick us up.

On Tuesday, the workshop changed my tires. They were closed on Monday. I wanted Yokohama C Drive 2 but they were not available in Sitiawan in the profile that I wanted so I had to settle for Continental CC5s. Tires, balancing and alignment came to RM1.2k. And on Thursday we took the car out for a drive and also cleaned it up. 

The CC5s have softer sidewalls compared to the Dunlops that I had. So, we have a softer ride now. I then gave my wife a lesson on tire pressure and what not... and most importantly, I thought her to care for our car. I am a firm believer that if you care for your car, your car in return will care for you. Never miss your servicing. Send your car for frequent waxing or do it yourself. Buy GOOD tires, and brakes... good does not necessarily mean expensive although it usually is. I NEVER EVER buy second hand stuff for my car... NEVER... I just don't have the confidence nor do I want to gamble with my life. But that's just me... and maybe that's why my 10-year old CBU car is in better shape than most 5-year old locally assembled cars.

Starbucks' Iced Caramel Macchiato

My wife and I love our Starbucks and we always have the Caramel Macchiato... either hot or iced but usually iced.

I have a problem with their standard for the Iced Caramel Macchiato. You see, the iced version comes in a 'to go' plastic cup with a flat cover. If your drink comes with cream they will use a dome cover. But they should be using the dome cover for the Iced Caramel Macchiato as well coz the caramel will always stick to the flat cover.

Our society is very task oriented. That's why no matter how many times I request for the dome cover, it will never occur to them to wonder why I always make such a request. Or maybe they just don't give a damn. It's so basic... you see the caramel stick to the cover every time you place the cover... but... the task is to make sure the drink is covered... so, as long as the drink is covered, who gives a damn if the caramel sticks to the cover right? Even if it means that I just spent 20 seconds piping the caramel in an orderly criss-cross fashion and it just got ruined by the cover... who cares?

This is what I mean... I took the cover off immediately after it was put on and yet there's caramel stuck to the lid. Please teach me how to stir this damn drink without making more caramel stick to the lid and without taking the lid off... real smart huh? This is what happens when we make 'blanket' standards... one standard to fit all regardless of the circumstances..

The Majestic Hotel KL

Following the 'durian fest' last Thursday, I had to go back to KL for work. I had been summoned to assist with the Grand Opening of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.  This is the flagship hotel for YTL Hotels & Properties and has been on the drawing boards for 18 years. About two weeks back, I was invited as part of the simulation team and was given a Junior Suite which my wife has blogged over here. This time round we got the standard room.

CLICK ON PICTURES FOR A LARGER VIEW

Panoramic view of the room from the entrance of the room.

Panoramic view from the corner of the window.

This is the view of the Grand Ballroom. It has a maximum capacity of 1200 persons but 1000 would be the comfortable number in my opinion.

My wife posing at the entrance of the hotel.

This is the ballroom shot from the stage with most of the part timers inside. We had a total of about 240 staff for this event. 40 were students from YTL-ICHM while the balance were a mix of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis (look at the center of the picture, they're all lined up).

Another picture of the ballroom before the dinner.

To make a long story short, the event went well... better than I expected but I must tell you that it's not easy dealing with 200 Bangladeshis and Pakistanis. You can vomit blood... and literally vomit if you know what I mean. :)

Jom Makan Durian

Jom Makan Durian or Let's Eat Durian. Durian (Durio) is known as the King of Fruits...  Jom Makan Durian was organised by TM's SME unit which I was invited to attend yesterday. It was held at Dimal Chalet in Gopeng along the Jahang River.

There were concerns whether I should eat Durian or not as apparently it was high in cholesterol... but doesn't seem so from the info below.

The venue was right smack in the middle of Kampung Jahang which is also an orchard. The road was very narrow, just enough for a single car to pas through. As you entered the village/orchard there are trees with durian hanging over the road. The TM team were very hospitable and friendly. They had baskets full of durian. There were trees with rambutan and also cocoa trees.

We arrived at 1130 hours.. on time and in line with the invite. The introductions were done and we were quickly given rambutans to start off as the appetisers.

This was quickly followed with the speeches and they then had a durian opening contest to kick off the event. They had almost everything durian. Durian fruit, pulut durian and bubur durian... durian with bread.

I love durian but not to the point where I would deliberately go out and buy durian to eat unlike others. For me, if it's there I would eat it... in copious amounts... otherwise, I am also fine without it. Unfortunately, I didn't have a lot as my wife was already giving me the looks as she was worried of the sugar content. I had only the durian fruit although the pulut was very tempting but since I was driving back to KL after the event, I had to refrain as the pulut will definitely make me sleepy. 

TM's GM for Perak with his welcoming speech.

The TM crew.

Yummy durian.

We left at 12:30pm as I needed to be in KL. The TM crew informed me that they have events quite frequently and that they would like me to join in on their other events. It seems they do golf, bowling and other activities... hmmm... bowling maybe if I have the time.

A lorry laden with durians on the way to KL... wife was driving so I managed to get this shot. It's durian season!!!