Why is Kristine making such a face?
Was it because she tasted the new Heinz Mixed Vege Baby Food we bought?
Or was it because she tasted F&N's newest drink "Blazt"?
Yep, she hated both and decided to take it out on the sparkplug box
Bleeeaaaacccchhhh!
Why is Kristine making such a face?
Was it because she tasted the new Heinz Mixed Vege Baby Food we bought?
Or was it because she tasted F&N's newest drink "Blazt"?
Yep, she hated both and decided to take it out on the sparkplug box
Petrol Price increase
Sigh. Here we go, from RM1.52 per litre to Rm1.62 effectively midnight tonight. I can guess there are a lot of cars waiting in queues at the petrol station.
Within the last eigth years, the price has gone up from RM1.00 to RM1.62. It does not matter if the excuse that Government wants to wean the public from sudsidies, etc. Like the normal Joe Public, I am not concerned about the politics of it but rather, the increase. This is because it affects the lives of everyone.
Once the oil prices increase, others will follow suit. Suddenly, your plate of Assam Laksa costs more (where the ingredients are the same or less), your favourite teh tarik costs too much to swallow. These are the effects which you can "see". But there will be others which you cannot. And as usual, salaries will not change to reflect this, you can see how bad it will be.
With RM30, I used to fill my car up every four days. Now, it has gone to less than two days.
I can tell you this that in the next coming elections, no matter what Hot Air they have, they are not going to be very popular. And I know who NOT to vote this time.
Within the last eigth years, the price has gone up from RM1.00 to RM1.62. It does not matter if the excuse that Government wants to wean the public from sudsidies, etc. Like the normal Joe Public, I am not concerned about the politics of it but rather, the increase. This is because it affects the lives of everyone.
Once the oil prices increase, others will follow suit. Suddenly, your plate of Assam Laksa costs more (where the ingredients are the same or less), your favourite teh tarik costs too much to swallow. These are the effects which you can "see". But there will be others which you cannot. And as usual, salaries will not change to reflect this, you can see how bad it will be.
With RM30, I used to fill my car up every four days. Now, it has gone to less than two days.
I can tell you this that in the next coming elections, no matter what Hot Air they have, they are not going to be very popular. And I know who NOT to vote this time.
The Party that never was
Today was supposed to be a very special day for me. This is because we're going to take a competitor's system out of circulation. No, no. We are not going to kill someone. What this means is that we go and do the following:
1) Dismantle the system (after an installation, if need be)
2) Take it back to our office
3) Beat the shit out of it and then throw it into the waste trolley.
Ha. Ha. The last part was true if I was working in my last (and first) company. Depending on the model and the age of the system, we would have to decide whether to:
1) Get a buyer for it,
2) Use if for spare parts,
3) Replacement option,
4) As a show room "trophy"
Unfortunately, today's joy turned to despair as the customer forgot to mention to the Guards that we're to haul away the system. Thus, the PABX room was locked by the time we got there. Sigh.
1) Dismantle the system (after an installation, if need be)
2) Take it back to our office
3) Beat the shit out of it and then throw it into the waste trolley.
Ha. Ha. The last part was true if I was working in my last (and first) company. Depending on the model and the age of the system, we would have to decide whether to:
1) Get a buyer for it,
2) Use if for spare parts,
3) Replacement option,
4) As a show room "trophy"
Unfortunately, today's joy turned to despair as the customer forgot to mention to the Guards that we're to haul away the system. Thus, the PABX room was locked by the time we got there. Sigh.
Chinese Pigs
I was reading through a Forum and found this shocking incident that happened on the 26th July where staff at the Genting Hotel drew pig head cartoons on the Chinese Tourist's breakfast vouchers. As a result, these Tourists were quite pissed and staged a four hour sit-in.
Here is the news from News Straits Times:
Genting hotel sorry over 'pig' racial slur
KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian resort chain has apologised to hundreds of
Chinese tourists who complained after hotel workers drew sketches of pigs
on their check-in cards in an apparent racial slur, officials said on
Wednesday.
More than 350 tourists from China staged a sit-in protest for more than
four hours at the lobby of the First World Hotel on Genting Highlands hill
resort area on Tuesday, causing Chinese Embassy officials to intervene.
The tourists claimed the hotel's cafe workers made derogatory drawings on
check-in cards that they handed to the staff members during breakfast.
Several groups of families posed for local news photographers, showing
pencil caricatures of pigs' faces on their cards.
Pigs are considered unclean by ethnic Malay Muslims, who comprise the
majority in Malaysia, a multiracial society with ethnic Chinese and Indian
minorities.
Resorts World Bhd, a major leisure chain that operates Genting's casino and
several hotels, said in a statement on Wednesday that the dispute has been
'amicably resolved'.
'The misconduct of a few staff had offended a number of tourists,' the
company said.
Chinese Embassy officials in Kuala Lumpur, who travelled to the resort to
facilitate discussions between the tourists and the hotel, were not
immediately available for comment.
Hotel representatives 'publicly apologised to the tourists concerned, with
the assurance that severe disciplinary action would be taken against the
staff concerned and such an incident would not happen again', said Resorts
World, a subsidiary of Malaysian conglomerate Genting Bhd.
The company stressed that it 'values friendly relations with all Chinese
visitors and seeks their understanding that the irresponsible act ... is an
isolated and regrettable incident'.
Malaysia's deputy tourism minister, Mr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said the hotel
has fired three workers and given compensation totaling RM35,000 (US$9,300)
to the tourists.
These measures will 'restore the trust of foreign visitors in Malaysia's
tourism industry', the country's second-largest foreign exchange earner, he
was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama. -- AP
And here is the update where as usual, excuses were given, the Malaysian way:
Pig head on vouchers offends Chinese tourists
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-29 08:55
A pig's head drawn on the breakfast vouchers of 344 Chinese tourists in
Malaysia might have been to distinguish them from nonpork-eating Muslims
and was not meant to cause offense, the Malaysian consul general in Hong
Kong said Wednesday.
The tourists staged a protest Tuesday at the First World hotel in the
Genting Highlands resort. They wanted to express their anger about
the "demeaning" pig heads drawn on their meal vouchers.
Abdul Aziz bin Harun, Malaysia's consul general in Hong Kong, said the
incident was more than likely a misunderstanding.
"The summer has been a high season for Muslim travelers, my good guess is
the hotel staff were using the sketch to distinguish hala (Muslim) diners
from non-halal diners," Aziz said at the launch of a Chinese-language Web
site to promote Malaysian tourism.
"But as the hotel staff speak only English and Malaysian, while the
tourists speak Mandarin or Cantonese, communication has broken down,"
Aziz said.
The protest escalated into a scuffle when police and security guards
arrived with guns and dogs.
The incident was eventually resolved five hours later after the hotel
offered a letter of apology and each tourist between 50 and 100 Malaysian
Ringgit (US$13.37 and 26.74) in the presence of a Chinese embassy
official.
Malaysian Deputy Tourism Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the hotel had
fired the three workers involved in the incident.
"We are very regretful things have to happen that way because we value
very much Chinese tourists," said Malaysian tourism board director
Noridah Kamarudin.
Aziz said the incident would not tarnish Malaysia's image. "Racism is not
an issue there. It is an isolated case. It is not the policy of the
Malaysian Government or the hotel."
You can view the pictures from here
Here is the news from News Straits Times:
Genting hotel sorry over 'pig' racial slur
KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian resort chain has apologised to hundreds of
Chinese tourists who complained after hotel workers drew sketches of pigs
on their check-in cards in an apparent racial slur, officials said on
Wednesday.
More than 350 tourists from China staged a sit-in protest for more than
four hours at the lobby of the First World Hotel on Genting Highlands hill
resort area on Tuesday, causing Chinese Embassy officials to intervene.
The tourists claimed the hotel's cafe workers made derogatory drawings on
check-in cards that they handed to the staff members during breakfast.
Several groups of families posed for local news photographers, showing
pencil caricatures of pigs' faces on their cards.
Pigs are considered unclean by ethnic Malay Muslims, who comprise the
majority in Malaysia, a multiracial society with ethnic Chinese and Indian
minorities.
Resorts World Bhd, a major leisure chain that operates Genting's casino and
several hotels, said in a statement on Wednesday that the dispute has been
'amicably resolved'.
'The misconduct of a few staff had offended a number of tourists,' the
company said.
Chinese Embassy officials in Kuala Lumpur, who travelled to the resort to
facilitate discussions between the tourists and the hotel, were not
immediately available for comment.
Hotel representatives 'publicly apologised to the tourists concerned, with
the assurance that severe disciplinary action would be taken against the
staff concerned and such an incident would not happen again', said Resorts
World, a subsidiary of Malaysian conglomerate Genting Bhd.
The company stressed that it 'values friendly relations with all Chinese
visitors and seeks their understanding that the irresponsible act ... is an
isolated and regrettable incident'.
Malaysia's deputy tourism minister, Mr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said the hotel
has fired three workers and given compensation totaling RM35,000 (US$9,300)
to the tourists.
These measures will 'restore the trust of foreign visitors in Malaysia's
tourism industry', the country's second-largest foreign exchange earner, he
was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama. -- AP
And here is the update where as usual, excuses were given, the Malaysian way:
Pig head on vouchers offends Chinese tourists
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-29 08:55
A pig's head drawn on the breakfast vouchers of 344 Chinese tourists in
Malaysia might have been to distinguish them from nonpork-eating Muslims
and was not meant to cause offense, the Malaysian consul general in Hong
Kong said Wednesday.
The tourists staged a protest Tuesday at the First World hotel in the
Genting Highlands resort. They wanted to express their anger about
the "demeaning" pig heads drawn on their meal vouchers.
Abdul Aziz bin Harun, Malaysia's consul general in Hong Kong, said the
incident was more than likely a misunderstanding.
"The summer has been a high season for Muslim travelers, my good guess is
the hotel staff were using the sketch to distinguish hala (Muslim) diners
from non-halal diners," Aziz said at the launch of a Chinese-language Web
site to promote Malaysian tourism.
"But as the hotel staff speak only English and Malaysian, while the
tourists speak Mandarin or Cantonese, communication has broken down,"
Aziz said.
The protest escalated into a scuffle when police and security guards
arrived with guns and dogs.
The incident was eventually resolved five hours later after the hotel
offered a letter of apology and each tourist between 50 and 100 Malaysian
Ringgit (US$13.37 and 26.74) in the presence of a Chinese embassy
official.
Malaysian Deputy Tourism Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the hotel had
fired the three workers involved in the incident.
"We are very regretful things have to happen that way because we value
very much Chinese tourists," said Malaysian tourism board director
Noridah Kamarudin.
Aziz said the incident would not tarnish Malaysia's image. "Racism is not
an issue there. It is an isolated case. It is not the policy of the
Malaysian Government or the hotel."
You can view the pictures from here
Instructional Videos
Yes, these videos are a must when you need to learn new things. Videos like these are very effective as they combine both audio and visual information to the interested parties.
Here is one of them
Here is one of them
Sony Ericsson K750i
You know, after re-reading some of my own blogs, I felt that all photos taken by my Sony Ericsson T630 was crap. So, the SE K750i looks tempting but at the price of above RM1500, its too expensive. And also, since I like putting my mobile phones into protective cases, the slider on the phone would a problem.
When I bought the T630, I did not anticipate that I would use the camera function that muchy as I was only after the Bluetooth feature. Then again, I never thought I would start blogging as well.
Maybe I should take my Milo tin and sit at the sidewalk this weekend.
When I bought the T630, I did not anticipate that I would use the camera function that muchy as I was only after the Bluetooth feature. Then again, I never thought I would start blogging as well.
Maybe I should take my Milo tin and sit at the sidewalk this weekend.
System Installation @ Seremban
So, today, we had an installation in Seremban. Well, it wasn't an installation, more like an upgrade. So, my job was to bring the system, and wait for the GUY to install it for me. Yeah, it was a boring day. I felt like a bystander with donkey ears growing at the side of my head.
You see, this is a new system which the distributor makes sure that we, as the dealer, do not have the right tools to install it. We just buy the system from them, and then call them to install it for us (with minimal charges), although we know that those tools are meant to be given to us. So, without it, no one can actually support the system. I have had two very bad installation encounters with them because of their misinformed follow ups as their technicians are always busy, overloaded with other customer appointments. This leads to more delay and most of the time, I had to repeat the instructions to every tech who goes there. And its not fair to the customer. And they are asking themselves why their sales are going downhill every month.
On the other side of the coin, with the tool, they are afraid that every Tom, Dick and Harry would be able to service the system and thus "rob" the distributor of any revenue in terms of service charges. I know this because I used to work there.
You see, this is a new system which the distributor makes sure that we, as the dealer, do not have the right tools to install it. We just buy the system from them, and then call them to install it for us (with minimal charges), although we know that those tools are meant to be given to us. So, without it, no one can actually support the system. I have had two very bad installation encounters with them because of their misinformed follow ups as their technicians are always busy, overloaded with other customer appointments. This leads to more delay and most of the time, I had to repeat the instructions to every tech who goes there. And its not fair to the customer. And they are asking themselves why their sales are going downhill every month.
On the other side of the coin, with the tool, they are afraid that every Tom, Dick and Harry would be able to service the system and thus "rob" the distributor of any revenue in terms of service charges. I know this because I used to work there.
Before: The old system. We can't help much about the wiring, though
After, all the same capacity crammed into a little black box
Do you know what this is?
Yes, it WAS a street lamp before it got struck by lightning
Virgins
So, I had dinner with some of my friends at 1-Utama today and while we're discussing about stuffs, some things came to my mind. Throughout the whole evening, I was preoccupied with the following questions:
1. Why some people working in Virgin Stores are actually married?
2. Do "Extra Virgin" Olive Oil comes from them working on double-shifts?
3. Did they come from The Virgin Islands?
4. What do you call a gin (drink) that exists in virtual reality?
5. Why can't they join the "Mile High Club"?
6. Why do Virgin stores sell things that are related only to music and movies?
7. Is it alright to call a virgin "adulterated" after their first night of marriage?
Well, maybe I've been drinking too much sugared water on an empty stomach today.
1. Why some people working in Virgin Stores are actually married?
2. Do "Extra Virgin" Olive Oil comes from them working on double-shifts?
3. Did they come from The Virgin Islands?
4. What do you call a gin (drink) that exists in virtual reality?
5. Why can't they join the "Mile High Club"?
6. Why do Virgin stores sell things that are related only to music and movies?
7. Is it alright to call a virgin "adulterated" after their first night of marriage?
Well, maybe I've been drinking too much sugared water on an empty stomach today.
AEON FLUX
Remember this short animation brought to you by MTV years ago? Charlize Theron (Charlie's Angels) is Aeon Flux and I believe its coming soon. Go to their website for more information. But IMHO, looking at the movie stills, Ms. Theron looks a bit too fat compared to her PS2 and animation version.
I first saw this in MTV's Liquid Television in the early 90's and its quite nice. Aeon always die at the end of every episode and she never say much except in one episode which I can never remember. Still, the visuals and ideas are quite refreshing at that time.
The nice Playstation2 game trailer can be "downloaded" here. And they did a wonderful job at it too. Unfortunately, after watching this game trailer, I know for a fact that:
1) The live movie will definitely suck unless they continue with the CGI version.
2) I'll still never be able to get a Playstation 2 or 3.
I first saw this in MTV's Liquid Television in the early 90's and its quite nice. Aeon always die at the end of every episode and she never say much except in one episode which I can never remember. Still, the visuals and ideas are quite refreshing at that time.
The nice Playstation2 game trailer can be "downloaded" here. And they did a wonderful job at it too. Unfortunately, after watching this game trailer, I know for a fact that:
1) The live movie will definitely suck unless they continue with the CGI version.
2) I'll still never be able to get a Playstation 2 or 3.
The Automated Fly Trap-ONLY TYPE IN THE WORLD
Ha ha ha ha ha ha! This is so funny. In case it disappears, you can find it on eBay.com.my with the above keywords. It being sold by the member sweecheong123.
I liked the last part of his description:
I liked the last part of his description:
ps: we have a feedback from a buyer not from ebay.com:- we don’t place the electrical conventional device in the dining area anymore due to,
1) when flies are zapped by it, the sound is quite loud and do frighten the customers at time. Especially when more than one fly is zapped at the same time and it is also “like advertising to the whole world that we are flies infested restaurant”.
2) the worst reason is that when flies are zapped, it actually explodes, sending the flies carcasses in bits and its eggs flying all over the place and landing on foodstuff. Now they know why there were some complaints of stomach upset from customers.What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?
I got this from Will's Blog and its kinda interesting for a Sunday evening. Ther are others esp. the "How weird are you?" which is pretty weird because the questions were not that weird to begin with.
Saturday in AmCorp Mall
So, after the trip to Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, we stopped by AmCorp Mall for more stuff. And I got myself these Hotwheels die-cast toy cars:
Hotwheels Acceleracer: High Voltage, Vandetta & Burl-Esque
High Voltage (foreground) looks like a future Alpha Romeo while Vandetta (background) looks like a heavily modified Mercedes A-Class
From the back, they looked so, so powderful.
You know, it it was real (High Voltage), I would have gotten one.
You know, it it was real (High Voltage), I would have gotten one.
Saturday in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman
My Wife was looking for a specific cloth
We looked over here
We looked over there
We looked left
We looked right
Until we found it
And the rest does not matter anymore
Not even this
She paid RM24.00 for it
And when everyone heard that, some even lost heir minds
I saw what I saw
Vandalised: Her eyes were cut out and one of her teeth was blackened.
Now she looked more like a smiling mental patient
Sharing: So romantic
Fell: I turned my back and saw this guy on the floor outside Mydin
Many tried to help him until he wanted a chair
Stupid: This girl does not want to bother herself to help call the guy a taxi and instead tries to call her colleagues to do it, saying that she has to man the counter.
Ceremonial Kris?: Very unique & nice for a price of RM69.90
As I sat on the pavement and looked up.
I realised someone was not so fortunate
We looked over here
We looked over there
We looked left
We looked right
Until we found it
And the rest does not matter anymore
Not even this
She paid RM24.00 for it
And when everyone heard that, some even lost heir minds
I saw what I saw
Vandalised: Her eyes were cut out and one of her teeth was blackened.
Now she looked more like a smiling mental patient
Sharing: So romantic
Fell: I turned my back and saw this guy on the floor outside Mydin
Many tried to help him until he wanted a chair
Stupid: This girl does not want to bother herself to help call the guy a taxi and instead tries to call her colleagues to do it, saying that she has to man the counter.
Ceremonial Kris?: Very unique & nice for a price of RM69.90
As I sat on the pavement and looked up.
I realised someone was not so fortunate
BangkokBoi got Married
Well, what can I say? His was years ahead of schedule. Ha ha ha ha
Anyway, we're glad that he finally did this and at Thean Hou Temple as well.
I wonder if he is going to have a Female F1 Driver and two Best Men like what I did for mine.
It took less than one hour (less if he kept his mouth shut and followed procedures) and by 1045, it is done.
Anyway, we're glad that he finally did this and at Thean Hou Temple as well.
I wonder if he is going to have a Female F1 Driver and two Best Men like what I did for mine.
It took less than one hour (less if he kept his mouth shut and followed procedures) and by 1045, it is done.
The place has moved from First Floor to Basement
And its Automated too. Ha ha ha ha ha
Yes, I did this on purpose.
If you can see his face, his smile was like more like an Evil Smirk
James Doohan 03031920 - 20072005
Well, "Scotty" of The Original Star Trek series is gone. I kinda feel sad because he was such a professional. You can read more about him here.
James Doohan plays the Engineer Montgomery Scott in the Starship Enterprise which most of the time, manage to give the ship that extra boost.
Anyway, I di dnot become an Engineer because of him but because of the advanced technology in the 24th Century (Star Trek:The Next Generation) device called the Tricorder.
James Doohan plays the Engineer Montgomery Scott in the Starship Enterprise which most of the time, manage to give the ship that extra boost.
Anyway, I di dnot become an Engineer because of him but because of the advanced technology in the 24th Century (Star Trek:The Next Generation) device called the Tricorder.
Sticky ply for a fly guy
I was sitting on a table with the sticky flypaper, flapping dangerously about in the wind.
Then I spotted a fly that was still alive.
It was a funny sight but also a sad one.
The fly was trying to get itself off the sticky flypaper.
But it looked more like it was trying to hump the paper.
It was pushing itself up with its legs and behind it was an ex-fly which motivated him.
Then I spotted a fly that was still alive.
It was a funny sight but also a sad one.
The fly was trying to get itself off the sticky flypaper.
But it looked more like it was trying to hump the paper.
It was pushing itself up with its legs and behind it was an ex-fly which motivated him.
My thoughts were also on my Rm7.20 lunch, a plain fried rice with fried egg serve with Kickapoo.
I was upset that they did not add any chili to make it spicy eventhough I told them to.
But at least they remembered not to put in any prawns.
I was upset that they did not add any chili to make it spicy eventhough I told them to.
But at least they remembered not to put in any prawns.
As I was finishing my lunch, I was thinking of freeing that poor old fly.
Should I pick it up and risk breaking its legs?
Shall I cut a hold around its legs?
Or shall I use my fingers to flick it free?
Then another fly got trapped too.
All his friends were flying around them.
Maybe saying, "Ha ha. I told you so" as they fly-by
Yes, there were a lot of flies.
So I let them have some of my lunch instead.
This is an obscene picture.
The new Proton Savvy on the road
Guard House trick
I always hated it when the guards want to check on my car upon leaving the place. Its not so much of my opening the boot for them but on why they do it. You see, my car is full of stuff. From customer notes and floorplans, to cables, to loose items, to phone connectors, to toolboxes, to... well, you get the picture.
What I angers me was the way they examine each car. For you see, they did it because their Boss told them to. But they were not told why. So, at the end of the day, you have these dumbasses insisting on opening car boots and pretending to look for things that might resemble a nuclear bomb. (Yes, I have a Sony Sub-woofer that almost look like a bomb in there). Just as quickly as they open it, they slam it close, dissapointed because there were no dead bodies.
Most of the time, its like as if companies are paying these stupid Guards to peek into car boots, and try to damage them. Believe you me, I have so much stuff in there, even if I had stolen something, it does not even make a difference. (Unless I told them)
Anyway, I have a nice little piece of fibreglass bolted to my car boot and most of the times, stupid people (who do not drive cars), will think its part of the boot and therefore yank it open, breaking it. I will have to rush out of the car before that, which usually results in an ugly scene. It happened this afternoon and I really saw him doing it, so I had to yell at the top of my lungs to stop him from making me lose money for his stupidity.
There is one slight detail which not a lot of people know. The bolts which holds the fibre gets loose with time. But they did not realise this and when I showed them the "damage" they really freaked out because no one can pay me the RM450 for the damage. So, we negotiated down to RM100 and he began to look white in the face. Suffice to say, since the fibre did not break, I had my "fun" of making their hearts stop for a while.
What I angers me was the way they examine each car. For you see, they did it because their Boss told them to. But they were not told why. So, at the end of the day, you have these dumbasses insisting on opening car boots and pretending to look for things that might resemble a nuclear bomb. (Yes, I have a Sony Sub-woofer that almost look like a bomb in there). Just as quickly as they open it, they slam it close, dissapointed because there were no dead bodies.
Most of the time, its like as if companies are paying these stupid Guards to peek into car boots, and try to damage them. Believe you me, I have so much stuff in there, even if I had stolen something, it does not even make a difference. (Unless I told them)
Anyway, I have a nice little piece of fibreglass bolted to my car boot and most of the times, stupid people (who do not drive cars), will think its part of the boot and therefore yank it open, breaking it. I will have to rush out of the car before that, which usually results in an ugly scene. It happened this afternoon and I really saw him doing it, so I had to yell at the top of my lungs to stop him from making me lose money for his stupidity.
There is one slight detail which not a lot of people know. The bolts which holds the fibre gets loose with time. But they did not realise this and when I showed them the "damage" they really freaked out because no one can pay me the RM450 for the damage. So, we negotiated down to RM100 and he began to look white in the face. Suffice to say, since the fibre did not break, I had my "fun" of making their hearts stop for a while.
1,2,... split
I met one of my friends for an impromtu lunch today and she is getting on well.
Although the papers are yet to be drafted, it is so sad they have to end like this. There is no possibility of any recociliation as both parties have already started on their own paths and swept or threw away all the broken pieces. Both their life's goals are different too. As far as their children's future is concerned, once the draft is ready, their education is guaranteed. With one at growing 5 and the other at inquisitive 3, its not going to be easy.
Still, with some stories from her side, it is not that easy to take it all in.
But we both agree, this is the start of the same cycle and there is actually no change in him, except for the outer shell.
With that in mind, whatever appetite I had, was lost.
But on the other hand, we're invited to her place for gatherings and maybe some swimming too.
Oh well, life goes on, even if you have stomped on the brakes.
Although the papers are yet to be drafted, it is so sad they have to end like this. There is no possibility of any recociliation as both parties have already started on their own paths and swept or threw away all the broken pieces. Both their life's goals are different too. As far as their children's future is concerned, once the draft is ready, their education is guaranteed. With one at growing 5 and the other at inquisitive 3, its not going to be easy.
Still, with some stories from her side, it is not that easy to take it all in.
But we both agree, this is the start of the same cycle and there is actually no change in him, except for the outer shell.
With that in mind, whatever appetite I had, was lost.
But on the other hand, we're invited to her place for gatherings and maybe some swimming too.
Oh well, life goes on, even if you have stomped on the brakes.
The most wanted Man on Earth
Yep, that's me.
Remember the PABX installation yesterday? Apart from getting a sore back and thighs, I knew I had to go back there again today.
So, the moment I stepped in, everyone was literally all over me, because they don't know how to use the new phones. You see, although its the same brand and all, there are some subtle changes which the user has to be aware of. Although we did our best to make sure the new system works like the old one, some of the people won't be pleased. That is why, our policy is to spend at least some time (standby) with the customer after the installation to make sure they are familiar with the new system and how to use them PROPERLY.
Anyway, I was hoping I could get it all done before lunch but I hit a snag. At the back of the site, there is another connection box which connects to nine other phones I must connect. Somehow, that box is blocked by large cages (yes, cages) in the front. Rather than get into the cage (and looking like a stupid monkey) and using my tools to poke around, I decided its better to walk to and fro 18 times to connect to those phones one by one. Ok, I had to walk because the last time I was there, the staff accidentally locked me in during lunch hour.
Unfortunately, by the time I got things done, it was about a quarter past seven. While waiting for the Manager, I helped myself to many cups of Milo/White Coffee, (making my very own Neslo).
Twice the Sugar
Twice the High
Remember the PABX installation yesterday? Apart from getting a sore back and thighs, I knew I had to go back there again today.
So, the moment I stepped in, everyone was literally all over me, because they don't know how to use the new phones. You see, although its the same brand and all, there are some subtle changes which the user has to be aware of. Although we did our best to make sure the new system works like the old one, some of the people won't be pleased. That is why, our policy is to spend at least some time (standby) with the customer after the installation to make sure they are familiar with the new system and how to use them PROPERLY.
Anyway, I was hoping I could get it all done before lunch but I hit a snag. At the back of the site, there is another connection box which connects to nine other phones I must connect. Somehow, that box is blocked by large cages (yes, cages) in the front. Rather than get into the cage (and looking like a stupid monkey) and using my tools to poke around, I decided its better to walk to and fro 18 times to connect to those phones one by one. Ok, I had to walk because the last time I was there, the staff accidentally locked me in during lunch hour.
Unfortunately, by the time I got things done, it was about a quarter past seven. While waiting for the Manager, I helped myself to many cups of Milo/White Coffee, (making my very own Neslo).
Twice the Sugar
Twice the High
System Installation @ Jalan Sungai Rasa
Today is a Sunday. I keep telling myself that.
But the job must be done. The reason is that the customer is very busy from Monday till Saturday. And Sunday is the time where we can move about in the Office without bumping into their staff and make them drop whatever they're carrying.
The job was supposed to start at 10 in the morning but unfortunately, the "help" I was promised did not arrive on time. So, while waiting for him, I prepped the system, re-counted the phones and make a rough floorplan so that we know where the new phones are going to go to.
Everything should be finished by mid-afternoon but due to unforseen circumstances (OK, there were too much cabling to clean up) we worked until late evening. The staff who had the keys turned from being nice to woefully nice.
Still, tomorrow I have to go back there to complete the remaining extensions as the other part of the office was locked after five. Yeah, and also to teach the staff how to use the new phones as its a bit different from their current ones.
And today WAS Sunday.
But the job must be done. The reason is that the customer is very busy from Monday till Saturday. And Sunday is the time where we can move about in the Office without bumping into their staff and make them drop whatever they're carrying.
The job was supposed to start at 10 in the morning but unfortunately, the "help" I was promised did not arrive on time. So, while waiting for him, I prepped the system, re-counted the phones and make a rough floorplan so that we know where the new phones are going to go to.
Everything should be finished by mid-afternoon but due to unforseen circumstances (OK, there were too much cabling to clean up) we worked until late evening. The staff who had the keys turned from being nice to woefully nice.
Still, tomorrow I have to go back there to complete the remaining extensions as the other part of the office was locked after five. Yeah, and also to teach the staff how to use the new phones as its a bit different from their current ones.
And today WAS Sunday.
They're putting some flyover parts on the Federal Highway near the Subang interchange
The poor man standing has nothing to do, so he waves his itty-bitty flag around to amuse himself
Before:
The system is quite old and needs replacing, we figured the job would take about 4 hours, tops
Gaaaarrghhhh!
When we opened it, the wires came out looking like this. There goes our Sunday
After:
Ok, its not complete yet and just 9 more extensions to go.
But after 6 hours, we're too tired and the staff wants to enjoy what's left of her Sunday evening
Auto-Dialers or VoIP for Joe Public Part III
So, when do you actually need one of these infernal things?
It is not possible to have them installed in your Office for the reason no other than "just in case". Your Office must be making ENOUGH calls and to the right DESTINATION or else they would not be interested at all. Some of them would be asking you about your monthly phone bills and even taking a look at it. This is because the auto-dialer works when you make calls to mobile phones, trunk and International calls. So, even if you make about 1000 local calls, no one is interested.
But there are a few problems:-
1) Paying for the Bill
Everytime you make a call with the help of these VoIP companies, you are actually paying to two parties. Let's say you dial to a mobile phone number. The auto-dialer detects that number and uses the Terrokom line to call into their Gateway. At this stage, Terrorkom owns you. And when the call is through, the VoIP company owns you.
2) Cost of the call
Here is the problem. Even if your call does not go through, you still get charged, by Terrorkom. At peak hours, sometimes its quite difficult to get your call through. Say for example, at the third try, you succeeded in making the call but your first two tries have already been charged. Here is an example:
First successful call scenario:
Charges = Terrorkom + VoIP
Third successful call scenario:
Charges on First try: Terrorkom
Charges on Second try: Terrorkom
Charges on Third try: Terrorkom + VoIP
3) Reliability
Do not forget that these VoIP companies are riding on Terrorkom lines. So, during peak hours, if they do not have enough lines, (afterall, Terrorkom has their own "Loyal" customers too) your call cannot go through. And if the Internet connection is "slow", the quality of voice is affected as well.
4) Service
After years of "testing" these auto-dialers, a lot of customers has become wiser. Now, it is not the rates which attractes them but the service. Just think, when your auto-dialer is fried, see how many days it takes for them to comeover to take a look at it and perhaps charge you as well.
5) Equipment
Some companies would literally give you those auto-dialers for your lines. Some do not. And when those that do not, they would tell you a lot of things why you do not need them. Trust me, you NEED those auto-dialers. The reason is simple. When there are no auto-dialers, they would engage outsiders to reprogram your PBX system into becoming a big auto-dialer. This is fine if you like their services. But there will come a day where you do not want to see their faces anymore. See how long they will take to un-program (if ever at all) your PBX system. And if you're using ISDN lines, the cost of the auto-dialer is prohibitively expensive. So, at the end of the day, having the auto-dialer connected to your PBX is a better solution. If you don't like it, just unplug it and patch the cables back (OK, you still have to call outsiders in). So, there you have it. Unless you're making a lot of non-local calls, the auto-dialer is not for you. Some auto-dialers do come with a "bypass" switch which when things goes wrong, it will not route your calls. However, being easily fried, most of the time the switch is useless.
So, these are the pros and cons with VoIP.
But if your company has their own IP lines, then you do not need these unless you need to make fixed line calls intead of calling your branches.
It is not possible to have them installed in your Office for the reason no other than "just in case". Your Office must be making ENOUGH calls and to the right DESTINATION or else they would not be interested at all. Some of them would be asking you about your monthly phone bills and even taking a look at it. This is because the auto-dialer works when you make calls to mobile phones, trunk and International calls. So, even if you make about 1000 local calls, no one is interested.
But there are a few problems:-
1) Paying for the Bill
Everytime you make a call with the help of these VoIP companies, you are actually paying to two parties. Let's say you dial to a mobile phone number. The auto-dialer detects that number and uses the Terrokom line to call into their Gateway. At this stage, Terrorkom owns you. And when the call is through, the VoIP company owns you.
2) Cost of the call
Here is the problem. Even if your call does not go through, you still get charged, by Terrorkom. At peak hours, sometimes its quite difficult to get your call through. Say for example, at the third try, you succeeded in making the call but your first two tries have already been charged. Here is an example:
First successful call scenario:
Charges = Terrorkom + VoIP
Third successful call scenario:
Charges on First try: Terrorkom
Charges on Second try: Terrorkom
Charges on Third try: Terrorkom + VoIP
3) Reliability
Do not forget that these VoIP companies are riding on Terrorkom lines. So, during peak hours, if they do not have enough lines, (afterall, Terrorkom has their own "Loyal" customers too) your call cannot go through. And if the Internet connection is "slow", the quality of voice is affected as well.
4) Service
After years of "testing" these auto-dialers, a lot of customers has become wiser. Now, it is not the rates which attractes them but the service. Just think, when your auto-dialer is fried, see how many days it takes for them to comeover to take a look at it and perhaps charge you as well.
5) Equipment
Some companies would literally give you those auto-dialers for your lines. Some do not. And when those that do not, they would tell you a lot of things why you do not need them. Trust me, you NEED those auto-dialers. The reason is simple. When there are no auto-dialers, they would engage outsiders to reprogram your PBX system into becoming a big auto-dialer. This is fine if you like their services. But there will come a day where you do not want to see their faces anymore. See how long they will take to un-program (if ever at all) your PBX system. And if you're using ISDN lines, the cost of the auto-dialer is prohibitively expensive. So, at the end of the day, having the auto-dialer connected to your PBX is a better solution. If you don't like it, just unplug it and patch the cables back (OK, you still have to call outsiders in). So, there you have it. Unless you're making a lot of non-local calls, the auto-dialer is not for you. Some auto-dialers do come with a "bypass" switch which when things goes wrong, it will not route your calls. However, being easily fried, most of the time the switch is useless.
So, these are the pros and cons with VoIP.
But if your company has their own IP lines, then you do not need these unless you need to make fixed line calls intead of calling your branches.
Saturday in Mid-Valley
So, after finishing all the work, we went to Mid-Valley. Surpisingly, although there were a lot of cars trying to get in, we took a big round and went into one of the entrance, there were some vacant parking bays.
I met one of my friend, or rather, she walked up to me. I am not going to say much but she would make a baby very happy, looked a bit like Sarah Mickel Gellar and almost became my girlfriend. Anyway, she is still available, but you must have 5C's to qualify.
Secondly, remember the Laksa on the Second floor of JayaJusco? Trust me, its not the same taste as it was last year. This time, it sucked.
I met one of my friend, or rather, she walked up to me. I am not going to say much but she would make a baby very happy, looked a bit like Sarah Mickel Gellar and almost became my girlfriend. Anyway, she is still available, but you must have 5C's to qualify.
Secondly, remember the Laksa on the Second floor of JayaJusco? Trust me, its not the same taste as it was last year. This time, it sucked.
Remember the Shell Lubricant ad? This reminds me of the same guy, all beaten up and bloated, hiding his head somewhere in the garden
Yeah, someone threw Pampers on the rubbish bin.
Ok, actually I wanted to take some photos of the three "it" (men biologically trying to be a woman) but chickened out in case they can whack me.
At Carrfour, there is a new promotion from F&N
The drink promised to be something new and hip. Hence the youngsters here, preparing their dance routine
The drink is actually fizzy mango
More of them but we did not stick too long as we had some shopping to do
Dropped Pants
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! This just occurred to me when I was having dinner when Kristine's nappies fell:
You were having tea at your friend's house and then her Mom walked past the both of you to the back of the room. Something made you turn around to take a second look at your friend's Mom. Her pants have worked itself loose and fell to the floor. You want to alert your friend but how do you tell her?
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"Nia Ma Foo Latt"
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha [I know, I have a warped mind]
You were having tea at your friend's house and then her Mom walked past the both of you to the back of the room. Something made you turn around to take a second look at your friend's Mom. Her pants have worked itself loose and fell to the floor. You want to alert your friend but how do you tell her?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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"Nia Ma Foo Latt"
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha [I know, I have a warped mind]
Auto-Dialers or VoIP for Joe Public Part II
Why I hate these auto-dialers are quite simple:
1) Installation
Usually, when they install the auto-dialers, they do it without your knowledge because you do not matter to them. In the end, they will install as they please and this compromises the PBX system. So, most of the time, when the customer calls us for troubleshooting, it turns out to be the fault of those auto-dialers. You would have to have one auto-dialer per line and if the customer has 40 lines, you can guess the mess in there. And I hate messy cabling. Although the auto-dialers are designed to be stackable, they are not. They prefer to topple like Jenga blocks if you do not install some sort of mounting frame for them.
2) Lightning protection
Ha ha ha. Most of the time, these auto-dialers are installed "in front" of the PBX system and before the Terrokom lines. So, when there is a lightning strike or surge of some kind, these little buggers get it first. But the bad news are:
a) There is no dialing tone
b) Your phone bills went "up"
c) Sometimes your phone does not ring
d) You can't dial at all
e) No one can hear you or you cannot hear them.
Yeah, and the customer calls us first instead of them. Bastards
3) Cost
The cost of these little buggers are not cheap and the "VoIP" companies would only invest in
them if your phone bills are high. However, with everyone trying to outdo each other, the auto-dialers would come free. However, there are cases where we are engaged by the auto-dialer companies to re-program the customer's PBX system to divert your calls to their Gateway. I hate doing this because most PBX systems have some "customised" programming done and we have to get the customer to compromise a lot of things. In the end, we told the auto-dialer people to stop fucking up other people's Phone system and use the Goddamn devices instead. Which is also easier for the customer because if they do not like the first company, they can try the next one. Pity the first auto-dialer who went in there because they have to invest on the cabling for the auto-dialers.
4) Troubleshooting
Most of the time when we were called, the problem was usually because of the stupid auto-dialers. And also, because of the shoddy installations.
Tomorrow, I'll tell you when you need these auto-dialers.
If you see these, the place is quite old.
I was called to troubleshoot an incoming line. Found out some bugger screwed the wires so hard that it got cut.
Auto-Dialers or VoIP for Joe Public Part I
Look around your office, chances are, you would have spotted one of these infernal things. They are always stuck next to your Office PABX or near the Fax Machine.
And I hate them.
These small little boxes monitors the telephone numbers you have dialed. If the numbers are for local calls, they would ignore them. But once it detects a mobile phone number, trunk or International calls, the auto-dialer would "trap" the number briefly. It then uses the Terrokom line to dial into its own Gateway number and then inserts your outgoing number after that. It other words, it hijacks your call away from Terrokom lines and into its own line which then routes it to other places in the World via VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). So, in the end, you have a very cost effective telephone call.
And Terrorkom hates them.
But then again, it was their fault for not taking the VoIP step. All Hell broke loose when the Multimedia Act was drawn up which allows VoIP companies to enter into the fray. So, Terrokom can do nothing but join in or risk losing out on the diminishing piece of the lucrative Telecommunication Pie. Nowadays, you have a lot of companies approaching you, like some Insurance Salesmen with these services and each one promises the best rate and/or service in town. There are many tiers where the Big Fish are the main Telcos like Celcom, Maxis, Digi and Terrorkom who sell to ASPs or VoIP companies like Nationcom, Astiva, and RedTone to name a few. And then they sell to smaller fries are those Wartels and small booths catering for the foreign labourers from Indonesia, Pakistan, etc.
And I hate them.
These small little boxes monitors the telephone numbers you have dialed. If the numbers are for local calls, they would ignore them. But once it detects a mobile phone number, trunk or International calls, the auto-dialer would "trap" the number briefly. It then uses the Terrokom line to dial into its own Gateway number and then inserts your outgoing number after that. It other words, it hijacks your call away from Terrokom lines and into its own line which then routes it to other places in the World via VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). So, in the end, you have a very cost effective telephone call.
And Terrorkom hates them.
But then again, it was their fault for not taking the VoIP step. All Hell broke loose when the Multimedia Act was drawn up which allows VoIP companies to enter into the fray. So, Terrokom can do nothing but join in or risk losing out on the diminishing piece of the lucrative Telecommunication Pie. Nowadays, you have a lot of companies approaching you, like some Insurance Salesmen with these services and each one promises the best rate and/or service in town. There are many tiers where the Big Fish are the main Telcos like Celcom, Maxis, Digi and Terrorkom who sell to ASPs or VoIP companies like Nationcom, Astiva, and RedTone to name a few. And then they sell to smaller fries are those Wartels and small booths catering for the foreign labourers from Indonesia, Pakistan, etc.
This customer has 14 lines, and the nice auto-dialer people actually put up a frame for them
This is how its connected. The Terrokom line goes in on the left and comes out on the right and into your Fax or Phone system.
"The Curve" @ Jalan Kuching
I am not sure what they're going to do there but its quite a big road diversion. This is just about 100metres before the demolished Toll Plaza (if you're coming from the City, that is). But its a very nice curve which makes my morning more bearable. Ha ha ha ha.
"The Curve" on the way to Kepong. Ha ha ha ha
This was started two days ago
Well, I don't know what to comment but I am sure his fuel consumption and tire wear is going to kill him.
System Installation @ The Place
OK, we had another system installation today, this time at "The Place". I cannot understand why they called it "The Place". Last year, we had "The Curve". And years ago, we had places with stupid names where they put the "d" in front, like d'Putera just to give it some speeshial name.
But "The Place"? I think they ran out of names or rather, imagination. But in real life, I would say, they ran out of things to copy. So, you go to The Place with The Car and The Wife to buy The Lunch, and the crap goes on and on.
Anyway, we got this deal because we were referred from someone who got our names from another one whom we met & helped from the one who..... God, I lost count. Anyway, this guy got us to supply the system to his client, who turned out to be his sister. He pulls the cables, we install the phones. Simple, right?
Ha. Ha. No.
The first sign of bad news was when he called me up in the morning while I was making chocolates. He boo-boo'd on the cabling.
So, I told him, its not a problem because I've know the types of phones they will be using, so, its Ok. But when we arrived in the afternoon, I realised the type of boo-boo we had to clean up. Its like cleaning your friend's PC monitor of Tipp-Ex after their Delete key was spoilt. Yeah, stupid was the word.
Apparently, he skimped on the cabling by getting two phones to share on one 4-core cable. (It will work but in the long run, its going to be trouble). Each phone takes a pair of cable. But what he did was to mix up the four cables altogether for every table. So, a simple 2.5 hour installation turned out be more than 6 hours, where 90% of the time was spent on getting the stupid cables right.
So, instead of being sarcastic and emotional, we concentrated on the job on hand while he sits quietly in a small room, watching DVDs and eating his lunch.
Damn it. But the money is dem good, which balances the crap.
But "The Place"? I think they ran out of names or rather, imagination. But in real life, I would say, they ran out of things to copy. So, you go to The Place with The Car and The Wife to buy The Lunch, and the crap goes on and on.
Anyway, we got this deal because we were referred from someone who got our names from another one whom we met & helped from the one who..... God, I lost count. Anyway, this guy got us to supply the system to his client, who turned out to be his sister. He pulls the cables, we install the phones. Simple, right?
Ha. Ha. No.
The first sign of bad news was when he called me up in the morning while I was making chocolates. He boo-boo'd on the cabling.
So, I told him, its not a problem because I've know the types of phones they will be using, so, its Ok. But when we arrived in the afternoon, I realised the type of boo-boo we had to clean up. Its like cleaning your friend's PC monitor of Tipp-Ex after their Delete key was spoilt. Yeah, stupid was the word.
Apparently, he skimped on the cabling by getting two phones to share on one 4-core cable. (It will work but in the long run, its going to be trouble). Each phone takes a pair of cable. But what he did was to mix up the four cables altogether for every table. So, a simple 2.5 hour installation turned out be more than 6 hours, where 90% of the time was spent on getting the stupid cables right.
So, instead of being sarcastic and emotional, we concentrated on the job on hand while he sits quietly in a small room, watching DVDs and eating his lunch.
Damn it. But the money is dem good, which balances the crap.
Reminds me of some sacrificing altar.
Stab, stab, stab and all the blood flows to the pool on the right
The entrance to "The Place"
After walking around this place, I kind of start to like it.
Except for those stupid Ground Floor cafes which played the wrong songs
So darn hungry, by the time we finished, I stopped to buy some food on the way back to the office but they were too greasy
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