2023.12.25 Losing Focus

Eyesights, I sigh

Earlier this year, when I got a new Job, I realised that I have problems with my eyesight. Come to think of it, it more or less started last year and maybe, even months earlier. The issue was, when I was using the ASUS Laptop, it was quite a challenge to read the labels off the F4 and F5 keys. Both keys were important depending on the software I was using at that time. And silly old me was looking for the appropriate stickers so that I can tell them apart. Yeah, I haven't caught on yet.

It was not an issue during the last place of employment in Klang. But it became more apparent while was helping out in a Restaurant since I was leaning closer to the screen. Fast forward to early of this year when I got started with a new Job.

The young guy had to enlarge his monitor screen so that I can read the wordings.

Yep. There and then, I realised I needed a new pair of glasses. Being at the age where I am the prime candidate for multi-focal glasses, I was actually dreading the moment. This would mean having to adjust my vision to certain areas of the glasses for objects at different lengths. And the glasses could be heavy with the special lens or lenses. In the end, I could not fight this anymore.

Eyematic @Amcorp

I chose this shop because earlier in the year, I accompanied my Friend, Jefferey to get his new pair, which is to help in his driving. So, in March, I got the same type of glasses as him except that mine is for reading stuff within a one metre distance. And mine would shockingly cost close to about RM800 compared to his, which was a few hundred less. But it was so worth it.

For the first week or so, I needed my old glasses when I am not in front of a computer. And later, I discovered that the upper 1cm allowed me to focus on distances beyond 1meter. But it still took me a few days more to be leave my old pair.

The new frame (top right) comes with magnetic sunglasses clip-ons. I love the matte dark gray on the plastic.

Fragile is thy name

Despite the beautiful and light frame, it is prone to breakage. Nowadays, whenever possible, I would always opt for spring hinges. This would help a lot when I get knocked on the head, the glasses would still be intact. But it also depends on luck because if the frame is smaller than my face, one of the springs would be stressed and eventually, weakens. This is bad when you're sweating and looking downwards.

 

Sadly, less than 2 weeks later, the frame broke. It happened with I was cleaning it after a shower. Going back the shop, the guy was a little offensive saying that this would be the last time he's replacing the frame (Hey, this was my first post visit and I've never met him before). He did admit the lens guys not doing a great job which led to the lens stressing on the frame.

 

Then in November, the left frame broke. Weeks before, the plastic ends for both frame were starting to slide off. I am used to the metal being a single piece from the ends to the screws but this is just stupid cost savings and has nothing to do with design. The plastic holding the metal piece just broke when I accidentally warped it with my towel. Eventually, I had to glue both pieces together with epoxy and using a white plastic tube as splint. For the record, this was the second time I had to repair it.

 

And in last three days ago, the frame broke again, almost at the same place as the first breakage. You can see I tried to make it wearable using small slivers of masking tape. I did not think it was me sweating or the plastic ends slipping off (top right) which made it fall. I think the frame already broke and as a result, when I looked down, it became a victim to Gravity.

 

Deciding not to go back to EyeMatic, I went to The Pearl Hotel/Shopping/ Whatever. It was a confusing place with no Maps for the shops nor even an Information Counter. Despite going to all three shops, they either did nto have spring-loaded frame or were quite honest with me.

 

Why were the lens so special?

Of the three shops, the last one was quite honest as they were not familiar with the Pentax lens. Or rather, how it was made. The brochures which they showed indicated there are four regions of focusing areas which I would have to use when dealing with objects of different distances I suppose. 

I insisted that my current lens do not have those areas they were talking about because no matter how my eyes turned, there were only two. The upper 1cm was for objects more than 1 meter and the rest were for what it was intended for, reading and computer monitors below 1 meter.

This is also the time where I realised, I had progressive lens, I think.

 

Back to EyeMatic@Amcorp

So, I had to return to EyeMatic once again, dreading a potential shouting match with that guy. I was prepared to fork out another RM162 for the same plastic frames and its eventual failure in a few month's time. But in the end, it was not so bad. The original girls were there and I got a much better solution.

So, the new pair is similar to the ones I had before, which is metal and the dreadful nose bridges which will spawn green fungus. Still, it is blue in colour and I would be interested to see how long it would last. Typically, I would have to order new lens too as the new frames could not fit them. But the girl said she can grind the lens to fit the new frame. Worst of all, the new frame only costs me RM128 which was much cheaper.

In the end, I have Paid close to RM1000 but I get to see things up close and not look like an old man squinting his eyes out.