Shoes...

My friends, colleagues and subordinates have always admired my shoes... no, not for my sense in style but because my shoes always lasts me for years. My first pair of Timberland boat shoes that I bought with my first management bonus back in 1995, is still sitting at the back of my car as my spare driving shoes. I had its sole changed once. My second pair of of the same shoe which I bought in 2003, I still wear occasionally... pictured below.

I also bought a pair of Florsheim dress shoes together with the Timberlands back in 2003. Both shoes cost me approximately RM700 each then. I alternated the Florsheims with another pair of dress shoes I had then as my daily footwear at work until 2005. Mind you, back then I worked at least 12 hours a day and walked a lot. I still wear the Florsheims every now and then now, as pictured below.

Then sometime in July 2005, I finally succumbed to peer pressure and also my back aches and bought a pair of MBTs. The MBTs were the most expensive pair of shoes I ever bought at RM888 and were the most comfortable too. I wore the MBTs for work EVERYDAY then right through till April 2010. That's a LONG time. I then stored them away for awhile as I was moving to Langkawi and did not need to wear them yet. When I finally wanted to wear them again in October 2010, the soles had deteriorated.

When I got here in February, I wore my Timberland boat shoes for work but they were killing my feet with all the walking that I was doing so I bought another pair of MBTs online. They arrived in March and was I glad, as it really made a BIG difference. No more back aches and aching feet. However, in end September, one side of the soles gave way. It must be due to the weather... rain, sea sand, sea air, occasional sea water and what not. So that pair had the shortest life span of all my shoes. See the damaged sole below...

So, I needed a new pair of shoes. I still want a pair of MBTs but at USD249 excluding shipping, I am hesitant as I am worried it will only last 6 months again with the outdoor conditions that I am subjected to now. I'm very likely to get another pair but not for everyday wear here... and not yet.

I wore the busted MBTs till last week when I finally got REPLACEMENTS while I was in Ipoh.  Note that it is plural and not singular. These are the replacements that I got pictured below.

I was at Jusco in Ipoh with my wife and they happened to have this crazy SALE. These were going at 50% off and they were at RM199 a pair... now let's see how far this RM199 investment will take me... they're pretty comfortable and light but they have plastic soles so that's not too good for me.

How many of you have and still wear shoes that are more than 5 years old? My record is 17 years (Timberland boat shoes) and still counting...

Tune Hotel...

Tune Hotel Ipoh is my hotel of choice whenever I am in Ipoh, which seems to be about once or twice a month these days. Whenever I am in KL then it would be the Vistana KL. Of course I could stay at my mom's place or even at the in-law's but I chose to stay at the hotel whenever I am back in KL. When I made this decision I knew I would get 'flamed' for choosing to stay at the hotel. I knew what the usual 'statements' would be but to me I didn't make the decision at my whim and fancy. It was a calculated decision. For me, this was making sure that there was balance... this way I cannot be accused of spending more time at one place and not the other. If I stay at my mom's then the in-laws would be slighted and if I stay at my in-law's then my mom would be slighted. Hence, my decision... both are slighted. Hahaha... 

My wife and I had collectively agreed that if I had a break of more than 3 days then we would go back to KL and if it was less than 3 days, it would be Ipoh. It was logistically and financially prudent, for us at least. KL was 3.5 hours drive with toll vs 1.5 hours to Ipoh with no toll.

Anyway, back to Tune Hotel. I first stayed at Tune Hotel in 2008 when I visited Kuching. I found that it matched my needs perfectly. As I was in Kuching for sightseeing, it fit the bill perfectly. CHEAP, clean, comfortable and convenient. Essentially I just needed a place to have a good rest and shower as most of my time would be spent out of the hotel.

This is Tune Hotel Ipoh. Booking online, I normally get the rate of RM53.00 nett for just the basic room and fan. Towels, amenities, TV, A/C and wi-fi all cost extra. I normally pay around RM70 after adding A/C and towels. It's just 5 minutes away from Ipoh Parade. You have The Store, Pizza Hut, KFC, Watsons and 7-E just across the road.

The room in HDR panorama... click on picture for a larger view. 

The other side of the room in HDR panorama...click on picture for a larger view. 

The room is very basic as you can see from the picture but very comfortable and has a safe box. The washroom has a comfortable shower cubicle and a hairdryer. They have an ironing room on the 4th floor and you can get the keys from the reception. Parking is available in the basement.

If you are a regular and respond to their surveys, you get 20% off your next 2 stays. This will be valid for 30 days and your stays have to be at least two weeks in advance. I have never had problems staying with them except for this recent stay where the safe didn't work and the cubicle started to flood which they rectified immediately. TRY IT!!!

9 Months Later...

It's ironic how it just so happens that I decided to start blogging again and it happens to be exactly 9 months since my last entry here.

I'm back... this time maybe for good I hope but that depends entirely on my readers, if there are any. I decided to start blogging again and try to earn some extra pocket money. For those of you who do come here and read, please do some 'window shopping' as well by clicking on the ads above, below and on the sidebar. No harm in window shopping...

So, continuing from my last post... more about the MBA... 9 months after using OS X... there's no going back... it's just way too cool. Nuff said... no point in me trying to explain to you, just try it and you'll see...