Lion Dance

This morning, we had to come in early and prepare for the Lion Dance. They're from a school which I have never heard before. The "experts" are rare and they're much much more expensive.

Hoo boy! We're gonna have a lot of fun!!!


The Lion Dance crew preparing for the event


Here they come! Into the main reception area.


The Big Big Boss


The Not so Big Big Boss


That's me (but the temporary cameraman screwed up)


The very dedicated percussion expert


No, this is not Iwo Jima. They're getting ready for the exciting part.........


Stop looking at me!


Yes, we're all Vegetarians


Dance of the Fireworks


After 30 minutes of fun, its all over.



Valentine's Day

Stupid Cat
What a way to start the Week. I accidentally stepped on the cat's tail and now I have its autograph on my right foot. Why must it lick its paws in front of the Fridge, I will never know. But suprisingly, for lunch and dinner, I had a wonderful time as the stupid cat was nowhere to be seen. I just hate it when it starts too rub my leg for food. The cat was naughty as well. It ripped a bag of Whiskas on Saturday night, and then on Sunday, swiped a fried chicken leg, took one bite and left it. Oh no, Ms. Cat, you can't fool me with those innocent, "Who, me?" eyes. It was you, you and you.

My Right Foot. (After more than 10 hours and numerous dabs of Savlon cream, its still not healed)

Valentine's Day
Ha ha ha ha ha. There are so many origins to this Day, that I am not going to bother much about it.
All I know is that some Saint with that name died in the hands of a Claud. From then on, every male on Earth, has been horribly cursed with performing Acts of Love such as buying mouldy chocolates, ugly flowers, ridiculous looking diamonds and other obscene pretty things at exhorbitant prices to satisfy the whims of the lady on that day for the rest of their miserable lives.
(Makes you wonder what they do for the rest of the 364 days)

Mind you, if it wasn't for Valentines' Day, those poor people working as Florists, Restauranteurs, Cadbury's, the Delivery Boy and even the Condom seller would not be driving Mercedes now.

Heh. This is what I got for my Wife and "arranged" it in a spot where she'll see it first thing in the morning

But on a serious note, everyone dreads Valentine's Day because its too commercialised, expensive, a rip-off, everyday is Valentine's Day, etc. But this is not an excuse if you had planned it properly. For example, if you need to buy a nice present, buy it weeks before and not on that day, make bookings as early as possible and so on. This is very more so with flowers. Buy them a day or two before and stick them in sugared water.

So, I hate to say this, but in general, those who complained were the ones who did remembered them on the very last minute and had to rush all over the town for it. This is also the same attitude as in how you view your loved ones as well; Taken for Granted.

They love you a lot and how you reward them, shows.

Handphone Shopping

So, what do you do when you have a new handphone? Yes, the usual stuff.

1) Throw away the manual
2) Charge the Phone
3) Transfer and update all your phone numbers
4) Customise the phone with pre-programmed ringtones and wallpaper
5) Connect with your PC for advanced customisation (more ringtones and wallpapers)
6) Search for the Manual as to why some features did not work
7) Buy accessories: Programming cables (if you do not have infra-red)
8) Buy accessories: Changeable covers
9) Buy accessories: Phone housing protectors
10) Buy accessories: Those LED flashers

Unfortunately, since its the thried day for the New Year, most of the shops were closed. And those that were open, did a roaring business. At Sungei Wang, there were a lof of people buying new phones, most probably because of the extra money (Ang Pow) and each stall sold about a minimum of 3 three phones within a 10 minute period.

And like me, I could not wait for the shops to open so that I can buy accessories for my new Sony Ericsson T630. So, after much searching, I got:

1) A plastic transparent wraparound with zip
This is a much better variation than those without those zippers because they are normally referred as condoms. I used one before and they're actually quite good, despite the name. However, in this case, the lady did not have a suitable size but one made for the T610, which was quite close. I was not happy because she kept forcing the phone in and the zip scratched the corners of the phone.

2) A Flashing LED sticker
I love this thing. The ones I had, were always either in Blue or White but I kept missing them, due to very weak glue. However, not a lot of people buy them now because its very easy for the Police so spot you using your phone while driving and without a handsfree kit at night. For me, its another reason to remind me how dangerous handphones are. You see, a LED needs 20mA of current to light up and this sticker does not need any power from the phone to light up.........

3) A Lanyward
Its just a fancy piece of cloth with the words Motrola or Ericsson and a small plastic clip with a nylon string for you to tie your phone. Great if you phone is light. But I bought it because I want to tie it to my Bluetooth headset which I kep leavein about for the last two days. However, because my Dad likes it very much, I gave it to him for his new Nokia 3120.

4) Things I did not buy
A programming cable for the Nokia 3120 which costs RM80 (with software)
There were no Blue replaceable covers for the Sony Ericsson T630
I can't find the proper Thunderbirds ringtone (like in the movie)
I forgot to buy a car charger for my Dad's Nokia 3120

But in the end, it was quite an outing because my Sister bought a lot of -censored- back to her place.

I tested the T630's camera



The Second Day

On the second day of the New Year which by now, if you're not married (and got lots of Ang Pows), been visiting your relatives and has not been caught setting off fireworks, you'd pretty soon find things are very boring. There are nothing worth watching on TV, and with the weird weather, half of the time Astro gives you the blue screen (no, it has nothing to do with Windows or Porn). And the weather is still hot and humid with the occasional slight drizzle which looked as if some bloated elephant was peeing from a plane.

FIRST CNY GUEST
Anyway, this morning, our plan was to go over to my In-Law's place for the annual CNY gathering after we finish with our first Guest of the year. It was nice to see him again as he's always never in one place due to the hectic nature of his work. Think of him as THE trouble-shooter in the World of Mobile Phones.

This is Aaron, which Kristine has taken a liking to him. The Casanova!


FRIED CHICKENS FROM THE CLOWN OF HOUSE
By the time we're ready to go, we had to stop by for some Fried Chicken since its a Pot Luck. Unfortunately, I have forgotten that The Colonel had packed his bags and left Bangsar since there are hardly any chickens left to slaughter in a place like this. So, I had to make do with McChicken from the House of Clown. One thing I really have to say about this is, Ronald MacDonald's specialties are Burgers and not Fried Chickens. Its not fun clowning around with the Colonel's Secret Recipe when you do not even know what the 11 secret Herbs & Spices are. The same goes to the Old Man; stop stuffing fried chickens into buns and such as you're not a Clown. So, take my word for it, they taste like some oily crap from the bottom which I don't even want to think about it. So, if you every tried the House of Clown's Hot & Spicy, the Jokes on you.

NOKIA GOING DOWNHILL?
Now, one thing about being in a group is that everyone has a Mobile Phone. Last year, the in-Laws were into Nokia and Samsung. But this year suprisingly, the majority went for Sony Ericsson. And one of my nephew actually has the elusive white T630. But ha ha ha, no one else had a BlueTooth Headset and someone realised that the fancy wancy K500 can't even have Bluetooth, much to their dismay. I am still not a fan of SE but so many discerning young people are using it, I think they got it right. And after taking a second look at the Nokia 6320, I was glad I did not get it. Even the 3120 looked better.

Speaking about which, I am sure many of you have seen the latest Nokia advertisement on the new models, the 7270 and the 7280. I think the original ad was done somewhere in Asia. Then, all of a sudden, the same ad was replaced with European models. What the heck. I know the phones looked more like a heavily decorated lipstick from Tron (7280) and the other one still looked like a leftover Motorola StarTAC model. And they still both suck. The changing of the ads could be a sign that the phones are receiving poor response and thus the decision to use Mat Sallehs in the hopes that all the Asian people would be fooled into buying the phones. Sigh. Going to Nokia's website showed most of the phones, even the latest ones looked dreadful compared to the competition. Does this mean that my slowly accepting the Sony Eriscsson is a sign Nokia is going downhill? Usually, when I need a phone, Nokia would first come to mind, but now, its not. Watch out, Nokia!



All the phones on display, the rest of the Nokias were in hiding, out of embarassment.


SLEEPING BEAUTY
With everyone gambling (I was not allowed to take photos if I wanted to celebrate more Birthdays) and watching TV, I was suprised Kristine was not affected by the din. In fact, she slept through it. So, I guess, she takes after me because I sleep better/comfortable if there are background noises. Tonight, I have to start playing CDs for her. Maybe it was also due to the fact that we played music to her while she was in the womb............



She was so happy, we cound't help it but stuck some soft toys on her.



Kong Hee Fatt Choy!!!!

Today is the start of a new Year, where we should work hard and face difficulties head on instead of chickening out.

So, in summary:

1) We had our Tea Ceremony and Kristine got her first Ang Pow from both of us and her Grandparents
2) I got off a lot of candid shots and even got to play some PC games.
3) I realised my Sony Ericsson can play Midi files so I spent nearly the whole day looking for nice songs before being caught for not helping looking after Kristine.
4) I still cannot get the BT Earpiece to talk to the T630 once the iPaq has dialed the number from its Addres Book.
5) My Sis showed me her business plan and the products are dem nice. So, I would have to help her in getting some stuff to launch her Website

Nothing much today, except for the unbearable heat which worries me as Kristine was quite hot.

The new Transforming Citroen C4

Where to buy the non-transforming version

Chinese New Year Eve II

Ok, by now most of the things have been done or rather, done me in.

My Dad decided to fetch my sister and since they're too tired to go anywhere, they decided to come home straight away. And Kristine has the pleasure of meeting her Auntie for the first time. I know she loves her to bits, but wait until Kristine starts leaking biological stuff........

Anyway, by 2PM, I have rushed down to SS2 to purchase the new Mobile Phones (Nokia 3120 for my Dad and Sony Ericsson T630 for myself). I have made the call earlier to Angie, who did her best to get me a White T630 but only the Black was in stock. Funny thing was, SS2 is usually a busy place and by the time I went there, it was like a Ghost Town.

Anyway, Angie is a very very good salesperson. We got on great like good old friends who have not seen each other since the previous life. She inconspicously and tactfully controlled the conversation the whole time, making you confortable and in no hurry to make any silly decisions. Which is great because at that time, there were a few other customers all peering at phones and at my purchase, which I really felt uncomfortable. Suffice to say, in the end, I got the phones, a protective zipped condom for my Dad's Nokia and also a Bluetooth headset, all for RM1360. I have to come back next week for my own condom.

So, why did I chose the T630? The history of my Mobile Phone ownership went like this:

1996: Motorola 7500.
Traded in for a 8700 because it sucks batteries. It had large screen and the flip looked cool

1997: Motorola 8700 because someone stole mine

1998: Nokia 7110
Ok, so the Matrix came out but what I really loved was the 1000 memory which can expand to 5000

2000: Nokia 5210
Left my Nokia 7110 at Sg. Wang's Teppanyaki and someone decided to keep it for me permanently.

2003: Nokia 7110.
For old time's sake but after a few weeks, I decided to keep it safe.

2003: Nokia 3350.
Well actually its Wife's because I kept dropping my Nokia 5210 5 times a week.

2005: Sony Ericsson T630.
I am not a fan of SE but due to budget constraint (Nokia 6320 was like selling for RM1500) I had to make do with a cheaper one.

The rest of the afternoon was spent locked in the room preparing both phones for the night. I got the T630 to dial from the iPaq's Address Book but I can't pair the headset because the instructions said "Switch on sequentially" which gave as much clue as looking for the lost City of Quoazocotl (Note: There is no such place). Still, the SE T630 did not disappoint me much as I never did have any high expectations. All I wanted was a colour phone, with nice ringtones and most importantly, a Bluetooth connectivity. Anyway, my Dad's SIM card is ready, the Nokia 3120 is ready, I just can't wait to see the look on his face during dinner tonight.........

The Nokia 3120, the Sony-Ericsson T630 and the Bluetooth headset


We thought the Lizard was dead and so did the cat. No until I move the slippers...

Chinese New Year Eve

Its going to be hectic. That's all I can say.

I was going to (or should be) clean the house yesterday afternoon after visiting a few more customers. But instead, I slept like a Pig, after promising my Wife I would only take a short nap. Nothing could even wake me up, even when SOMEONE tried to call me on my Mobile. Oink oink.

Yesterday was quite tiring for me because:
1) 2 our of 3 customers were closed for the Holidays, so I snuck past the guard and installed the phone
2) The first customer was open and I had a nightmare because a cute ex-staff was there (Think of a sweet little girl elfish smiling at you with a stabbing knife in her hand) and their maintenance guy was asking a lot of questions about the system and not really understanding my answer, depite my using of layman terms and sign languages
3) Then I rushed to Celcom and had another three events:
a) Met another ex-staff who asked me why GirlA did not invite me to her Wedding (because we were not so steady and it was for CLOSE friends only)
b) My brother's and my Wife's supplementary schemes were obsolete so I had to upgrade all our talk plans to Ezy, which meant signing and filling a lot of forms. Sign...sign...sign...
c) Just as I was about to leave, my friend called me and said his Dad lost his phone and he could not call Celcom (from his Maxis line), so I went back and gave my phone to the lady at the counter (whose looks could kill a Wild Board) to talk to my friend.
d) The SIM card number I chose for my Dad would have cost me RM500, so I had to decide on another lest conspicious number...........
4) I wanted to pick up the MacFarlane Robocop action figure which I had booked but they were closed for the New Year.


Anyway, right after this, I need to:

1) Wash our cars
2) Clean the windows
3) Tidy up my Sister's room (which became a big mess 5 minutes after she left as I used it as my second room)

And the schedule for the day is even better. I will have to fetch her from Puduraya and then take her to Low Yatt for some computer related shopping (which I can guess, would bt 80% shut) and then straight to our reunion dinner. All in one afternoon.

But on the bright side, at least I can go search for some handphones which I can give to my Dad.

Haih.

I found this from my photo archive taken during one wet night..............



CNY Shopping @ Mid-Valley

(Ramblings of madman with writer's block. Or was it Blogger's block?)

Well, by now you know that a lot of people would have done their last minute Chinese New Year shopping over the weekend. Sad to say, after all these years, we Malaysians still have this common trait of doing things the last minute. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you have tons of excuses, with the main one being time constraint.

Sad to say, it happened to us too. Ha. Ha. But this was because of my work schedule where my wife wanted me to go shopping with her. So, last Saturday was a no-no because by the time I got off work at four in the afternoon, going to Mid-Valley was like volunteering yourself to clean the cow shed, except this was pure suicide. I could imagine the jam there.

So, we planned to have the shopping done on Sunday morning, where crowd control is still minimum. Unfortunately, a few hundred other families thought the same thing too, except this time, we're 15 minutes ahead. But because of Sunday morning's ordeal where we only got an hours sleep due to Kristine's all night concert, you can see a pair of zombies trying to recreate the shopping list from scratch right in Carrefour.

Yeah, Careffour. I always forget to correct entrance to that place and usually ended up walking inside the long corridors of shops and booths which I called it the "Walk of Hell". Within a few steps, there would be bright cheery sales people coming up to you with offers of Credit Cards, Health Machines, properties, and other things. By the time you reached the entrance, you would be so distracted that you forgot why you went there in the first place. I wonder of these Salespeople were fed with Prozac............

Still, because my Salary was not in yet, Wife had to pay for everything and I was careful not to let my itchy hands wander off into the Toy section. Anyway, after almost 90 minutes of excercising with the trolley, it was time to put the expensive stuff in the car (by today's inflation standards, I mean) . And I hate this because by this time, the underground parking would be full and there would be a lot of stalkers. So, I did my usual and shook off about 4 of them. Then I did get the front-row pleasure of watching two of them fighting for a space as well, which was really ugly. Since I was not there earlier, I cannot tell who was in the right. But the winner took a risk leaving his car there because sometimes, there are sore losers................

I opened it up and I couldn't tell which nuts were better..........




Tour De Langkawi

You know, I can never understand why some people are so stupid. For example, look at Tour De France. It came to be when some Frenchmen decided that its more fun to have a bicycle race out in the open, all over France and block all traffic instead of cycling round and round in a velodrome. That was brilliant.

Then, some idiot copycat started the same thing in Langkawi, a small island up North famous for the killing of an innocent girl due to conspiracy and jealousy 200 years ago. Yes, there is no CSI at that time and even Sherlock Holmes wouldn't set foot in such a desolate place full of ogres and whatnots. But before she died, she pulled her last trick and cursed the island of Langkawi so that it will not prosper for Seven Generations to come. Serves them right.

However, Langkawi nowadays is also famous for a colour-challenged Eagle monument broken by some Madmen.

Anyway, back to the story of Le Tour De Langkawi . So, the race started in the island of Langkawi and ends up in Kuala Lumpur's Dataran Merdeka instead of going back to the Island. I pity those tourists who booked the hotel rooms there, just to see the cyclists go off (forever). Which brings up the question, why not name it Le Tour De Malaisie since the route has covered more than two thirds of the West Peninsula. This is stupid.

As I said, there are things beyond comprehension, beyond stupidity.

Just as soon as I came out of the Monorail, they have started. Shows how fast my FujiFilm S5500 was. Not!


Any moment now, they're going to drop the line for Malaysia's shortest Marathon


Now, with the traffic starting again, we have our very own Tour De Raja Chulan....


Ok, I was bored inside the Monorail on the way home and I could not help not thinking about Monkeybars and the Zoo...........



Friday Blues

This is just the very thing I was afraid of.

I have just been to a customer who is sub-contracting us to deal with their client's PBX. He knows nuts about the system and the way he dealt with it really shocked me. Suffice to say, in the course of Business, I have to make sure that everyone is on a win-win situation except myself, as I really have to re-install the whole system from scratch tomorrow. All those cables and programming are fun......... really.

Except for one itty bitty fact: The whole is in KL and (according to the AW Forum started by Klipschj) the roads would be closed from 11AM to 715PM for the Le Tour De Langkawi. That means I would have to lug my Super-Duper Heavy Toolbag via the Monorail.

To make matters worse, my Salary by cheque has not been cleared (most probably by Chinese New Year's Eve) so we can't go anywhere nor buy things for the New Year this weekend. This is really pissing me off and adding unecessary stress.

The Right Tool for the Right Job
This is my Toolbox since 1996. It is only opened when more serious jobs demands serious tools. (OK, I can't fit all these into my waist pouch)It can be used as a stool, kill people and even used to intimidate younger Technicians or irritating busybodies.



Weird Dream

Kristine gave us lot of sleeping problems last night and made me dream this:

I was in some area in Shah Alam, trying to make sense of where I was, because it seemed I made a wrong turn. So, there was one junction where the traffic light was not working and we have to drive carefully. I am not sure if I was in the right of way or not but I decided to rush behind the multi-coloured Volkswagen, the one from the ProJET advertisement last year. What resulted was a car-t-car confrontation between the Volks and another white car in a single lane.

So, the Volks driver, a fat Indian lady decided to reverse her car and the last thing I saw was the worn number plate *B* 343................

I am not sure what happened but hte next thing I know was that my beloved Satria was lying next to a big Monsoon drain, with the windshield, roof, bonnet and boot inside the drain. So I spent the rest of the day collecting the part, while desperately trying to call my friend on the mobile phone to look for the car as he was in the front of the traffic. Which as usual, he did not answer or when he did, the line was so bad and I had to repeat eveything thrice, which pissed me off.

I am not sure what the dream meant but sure as heck, I missed the opportunity to control my stress.

Scene of the aftermath: Kristine-7 Mommy-0
Disqualified: Daddy-for not helping



Acceleracers are in!

OK, I've just been to the shop at Amcorp Mall and the HotWheels Acceleracers are in. But they cost Rm9.90 a pop, (Because of the Foil trading cards, I was told) instead of the usual RM4.90 for a normal HotWheels car.


Whooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!


Lift me Up!

Imagine you just entered the lift with a few other fellow passengers. Since you felt that standing near the door is safer, you now have the unwritten responsiblity of closing the doors in case everyone inside else felt that the Lift is taking its time, and its all your fault because you're sanding there. But all is not lost because you also have the enviable position to close those Lift doors on other passengers who are running like mad towards you.

Anyway, back to the story. So, now you have to close the doors.

You press the button. But the doors are still open.

You press again. Nothing happens.

Then, the doors started to move and you felt so relieved that you decided to press the button again, in the hopes that the doors would close even faster.

But the naughty doors opened again.

After what seemed like an eternity, (Ok, 8 seconds) you do feel that everyone inside the lift is staring intensely at you, as if you had just broken something or killed The Colonel (of KFC).

Bzzzzzzzrrrttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The buzzer sounded and in a panic, you ran out of the lift, standing outside the doors lokking in while the lift doors closed on you.

Yes, this happened at 1255 at one of the Amcorp Tower lifts.

After everyone had got off, I decided to look at the buttons. Apparently, the Lift Serviceman from Shindler has a wicked sense of humour because the CLOSE & OPEN buttons has been changed to look identical. While on the other side of the Lift, the CLOSE & OPEN buttons were swapped.

All this while, the poor girl was actually opening the Lift doors thinking she was closing it.The buzzer came on because the time limit for the Lift doors to open are up.

This was quite similar to an incident a few years ago, where a guy kept opening the lift doors many times, not realising that he was pressing the OPEN button all the time.

MyKAD

Sleeping peacefully would be one of my Wishes for this year. With Baby, work and all, its nearly impossible. Anyway, at 6AM in the morning, I was woken up not only by the Alarm Clock, but my Wife and Mom also decided to join in the fun, creating a din enough to cause pernament deafness in an elephant.

You see, today is 1st of February, which is Federal Territory Day (read Kuala Lumpur or KL) and as such, we're not SUPPOSED to work. Which is also a great opportunity for me to apply for MyKAD . You can also read this hilarious and oft plagiarised article about MyKAD here.

I keep thinnking to myself, at 6 in the morning, no ONE and I mean, no one would be inside any building (7-11 does not count) at a time when there is no daylight. But by the time we reached the parkng lot, it was almost full. This is bad.

And by the time, we entered the building, there was already a queue, comprising of more than 60 people. Whoa. They must have heard of the Early Bird story. This is even worse.

Anyway, we waited until 8AM, when the doors were finally opened. We all literally stampeded into the hall, like civilised barbarians. All in all, we waited for more than one and a half hours just to get a small piece of thermal printed paper which informs you your turn to be horribly mangled by a Government employee. We were the lucky ones because a few minutes after we got our slips, there was an announcement stating that the numbers for the day have all been given out, which roughly translates to:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is an announcement. Welcome to JPN Petaling Jaya which is now a branch and the HQ is in Putrajaya. The numbers for the day have all been handed out from Counter #1 and there is none left. We have limited counters here and for those who are still waiting, please come back another day. If you wish to make an appointment, you may still queue for Counter #1"

In other words:

"Hello, you sad, sad people. Serves you right for not getting up early in the morning. We have run out of paper and the next place you can go to would be Putrajaya. I like to see anyone of you brave enough to make an appointment because there won't be one until August 8. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. So, get lost and stop whining to that balding gorilla in Counter #1"

All other unfortunate people were still queuing which spilled onto the parking lot.

When I got the ticket, the Baldin.... I mean, the nice person at the counter cryptically told me to come at 2PM. He was right because my turn came 26 minutes after 2 where all the staff came back from their lunch. And I was even luckier as I my number led me to the "Express" counter manned by one of the staff who decided to help their colleagues to speed up the day's process.

The procedure was basically like this:

1) Sit on the chair as ordered.
You would have to, because standing in front of a counter while there is a chair nearby, is a bit silly.

2) Put out your left thumb
You will be politely forced to put your left thumb on those red LED scanners which will be scanned into the database. If you cannot hold your thumbs still enough, the staff would do it for you, and you would be wondering how such a small sweet little girl has the grip of a Gorilla.

3) Put out your right thumb
This is to make sure you have a pair of thumbs and not toes.

4) Sit still for the camera
Make sure you are wearing dark clothes. (Its one of those Rules) If not, you will be forced to wear one of those antique smelly flea infested jackets, which by the time its over, I am sure every hair in your body has enough eggs to infest a city.

5) Give you best pose
Please remember that your picture would be on the card for a very very long time. So, try to look innocent. And to help you, there is a mirror in front so you can adjust your ugly mug (I was tempted to write the words "Gorilla" there). They will then take your picture with the state of the art SAGEM camera designed to make you look like someone else. There would be no flash but just yellow bulbs which I am pretty sure SAGEM did a lot of R&D and this is the best method for getting rid of Red-eyes and half-open eyelids.

Sad to say, she had to take my picture twice because the computer hated my first shot. But because I was friendly (not toooo friendly) with her, I got to see my picture. And what a sight. I looked more like a fattened-up POW as my 2-hour long beards are showing.

So, there you have it. In a nutshell, I have managed to help the Government to encode all my personal details into a piece of Smartcard which I can use for a lot of things except getting credit. For that, I would have to go to Shittybank.

But in reality, there are a lot of people applying for MyKAD now. This is because you do not have to pay for anything before 31st December 2005. Therefore, its not suprising to hear of stories like numbers running out and a lot of people, etc. This is the Final Year and like all Malaysians, we just love to do everything in the last minute.

So, in order to get your MyKAD application faster, here are some tips:

1) Go one day after a long Holiday ends as most people are still on leave.
For example, if the Holiday ends on Thursday, you KNOW a lot of people would take a long weekend, so Friday would be a nice time to go.

2) Go to a non-Busy place.
It helps if you can go oustastion and get it done because all the locals there have done it. Only those working in KL or those "migrated" to KL to work, have not done so. The further the better but do remember this fact when you need to collect the card after 90 days.

3) Disguise as an old fragile person
While we're fighting amongst ourselves to the Death for the ticket (OK, I made that one up) we still have respect for elderly people and they do give special priorities at the counter. After all, they have done so much for the Country and now, its time for them to enjoy.

Remember to throw away the disguise once you get your number because if they find out that you're not who you turned out to be.................

Escaped convicts

Just for a few hours today, my Wife and I escaped out of the house for some New Year shopping. After 5 hours, she got a nice haircut and some clothes while I got myself some pretty nice sore feet. Yeah, there was nothing much for me in Endah Parade at Sri Petaling, except for some Gundam models which I was not allowed to buy.

By the time we got back, Kristine has soaked the cot, nappies, towel, etc. Everything within her reach was decorated with her wee-wee, and tired out my Parents.
(I know other animals, esp. Dogs pee to mark their territoty)

So, I had no choice but to give her a towel bath. Now comes the fun part. Yep, more wee-wee into her new change of clothes. And by the time I got her into another set, she did it again.

Kristine about to show her appreciation for this morning's bath




Of Mustard pants and tea ceremonies

Today is a very exciting for all of us.

Kristine's poo-poo is now brownish, with consistency almost like that of mustard sauce. Yes, mustard sauce are great for that extra oomph on your Burger/Sandwich/Fried Chicken/Cornflakes/etc. But not Kristine's which is just plain yuck.

When I held her, she was happy and quite talkative, which I guess, was her way of distracting me while she poo-poo-ed into her nappy and out onto my pants. That was Part One.

Anyway, it was time for her bath, which was ok. She thoroughly enjoyed it and promptly rewarded me with some wee-wee (Tea Ceremony). There goes her clothes. And that was Part Two.

After a change of nappies and more clothes, Kristine and I had another Tea Ceremony. That was Part Three.

While I was trying to get out of my wet and soiled pants, my Wife told me that there's more Mustard to go round.....................

Coming!

Ooohhh................ yes

Oh, yes... yes....yes!

Its coming.......... its coming....its-oh
Oh yes! Oh Yes! Oh Yes! More........... ooooooooo mmmmmmmmm

Yeah! Oh yes! Oh Yes! Oh YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS! More! I want more!

YEEEAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
OH GOD!
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!

YES! Yes! YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!





And wondrous cool air flooded into the car.
Two hours of waiting and sweating while my Wife's Car's Air-con was being fixed. The bill came to RM165 which is, RM85 for the air-con hose (which resembled more like a heavy-duty garden hose used for whacking rats), RM50 for the "Original" air-con gas and remaining RM35 for service. MAybe I should not mention the word service as I have never seen a guy using a toothbrush to clean the air-con radiator. Ha ha ha. But seriously, this shop is great and there were a lot of customers. They actually did a very good job and would always show the customer the fault before getting approval to either replace or not at all.

After swearing for two hours, my AutoWorld T-Shirt has those funny white stains, which I surmised would be the dried salt from my sweat which has evaporated.......

Reverse Banging

I was passing by Bangsar just now, and an incident really irked me.

There was this guy in a Kancil, reversing without bother to look at the rear. It so happens there was a lady standing there, waiting to cross the road. So, he reversed his car and hit her. Already there were a few witnesses and this guy just sat there, looked at everybody and smiled his cynical smile.

I was nearest to his car and wanted to get him to come out an apologize. However, luckily I calmed down and my brain went overtime reassessing the situation:

1) The Victim had a big butt like a cow so the reverse 2kmh did not create any injury except a mild scream like those bad horror movies.
2) The Driver was a TALL fella who could deck me with one blow and also, the rest of the witnesses decided it was safer to just get a ringside seat.

Cheh.

Friends for Lunch

You know, its fun to have lunch together with your friends. Even more so when you have not seen his ugly mug for ages. So, after deciding the perfect spot, there is the problem of money.

Yep. Its the now all too familiar scene of everyone fighting to pay for the whole meal. Some do it because:

1) Shows he is the better person
2) Shows he is well off
3) So that you "owe" him the next time
4) There is a prawn hiding somewhere
5) He actually really really likes you
6) Because he wants to
7) Well, I don't know. Everyone's doing it

So, the typical scene would be like this

Him: Its my treat
You: No, no, its mine
Him: You paid the last time
You: Nope you did
Him: I pay, its just a small sum
You: No, I pay
Him: I pay
You: No, I pay
Him: I pay
You: No, I pay
Him: I pay

{Reverse psychology}

You: OK, you pay, then
Him: Er, I forgot my wallet, can you pay for me? I'll pay you back next time

(OK, I made that last part up. Because there won't be a next time. Ha. Ha.)

But in reality, its always like that. People just want to treat their friends or clients, etc. Some do it just for, you know, being nice, some with ulterior motives and some just for business.

But there is a difference when paying for a large group of people. In reality, the more friends you have, the person who pays for that meal, usually gets back more in the end. And no one would refuse to pay because the rest are already going for their wallets/purses. Really.

Friend: Haiya, everyone RM18.90, ah? Here, I give you RM20 la. No need to change.
You: (Smiling silently because you have 10 friends. So you got enough for a Movie ticket and a Subsidised trip to the Premium Toilet at Suria KLCC)

But for me, I am always the slowest to reach for my Wallet. Heh. Its always the case that when I was eating, all of a sudden, the guy would slap the moolah on the waiter's hand/dish. And I was like, "Huh?". Missed the chance, boyo

There's something about the Weather

Mr. Sun has been very hardworking for the past 2 weeks and its taking its toll on us. And just for tonight, Mr Air-con-Gas decided to go on strike and contaminate the environment instead. My voice has already gone funny from all those iced drinks but I can't help it. Its nice:


Recipe for Orange Sprite

1.5 Litre of Sprite (Have not tried Sprite ICE, though)
2 Fresh oranges
1 Liter Mug

1. Wash and then cut the 2 oranges into 12 pieces
2. Squeeze their juice into the Mug
3. Throw the squeezed oranges into the Mug
4. Fill the whole Mug with ice.
5. Fill the Mug with more ice.
6. Slowly pour the Sprite into the Mug.
7. Let the ice melt for a few minutes
8. Think how nice it would be if you added crushed mint leaves
9. Or even 5 table spoons of Kahlua
10. But I would stop at adding onions into it

Try it. In the near future, maybe I will share my CornFlake Sardine recipe with you

The Gift

She stared at me, with her beautiful eyes, as if she could not believe I was there for her. Her looks, so innocent yet full of wonder, betrays that of an eager young girl wanting something from me.

I see my reflection in her big brown eyes. Her eyes moved up and down, looking for something. My Eyes? My Lips? My Nose, perhaps? At last, after a few heartbeats, she has found it, and her face changed.

I guess her feelings welled up inside her that she grimaced. Trying to keep it all in, trying to control her emotions from being let out. Her eyes squeezed shut and her lips pursed tightly.

But, alas, finally, she had to let it go.

Brrooopphhhhlllllrrrrppppppp!!!!!

She created an aromatic Masterpiece from a 45 sen disposable nappy which I had changed moments earlier.

Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Oh, no, no, no. The fun goes on. As they say, what goes down must come up. Yep, all the Formula milk my Wife sneakily tried to feed her hours ago, are gushing out in torrents. You take the tissue and wipe one side of her mouth, it gushes out from the other side. Then you take another piece of tissue to cover that side, out it comes, from the other side. In the end, my Wife thought I was trying to kill Kristine with my hands when in actual fact, I was holding enough tissues to cover both sides of her mouth. But sad to say, I think I have killed a few trees in the process.

Her clothes was wet and I had to change her again. With the last button almost in place, out comes the Formula again. Yes, she hates Formula and I am not surprised as it takes a long time for her to digest them. Whoever invented Formulas must have hated their parents a lot. How else can you explain the perfect revenge plot?

While she smiled.

We cried.

And it’s the start of another exciting day with Kristine, who can turn into a mess from 0 to 4.5 seconds.

This was taken seconds before more milk flowed and spoilt the whole thing




HotWheels Obsession III

I was at Lot10 this morning to service a customer. On the way back, I passed through Isetan's Toy Department and noticed the "Buy 2 get 1 free" offer was still on................

So, I decided to buy 12 of them, which means I only have to pay for 4 sets cars (RM39.20). However, two Sales Assistants saw me drooling over the Toys, walked up and asked me which models I was looking for. Not being accustomed to being served, I decided to brush them off, saying I was looking for the Acceleracers (Not available in Malaysia). But once they started to show me a Treasure Hunt car, I was hooked. Damn!

In the end, I bought 12 cars, (RM58.80) which I can have another 6 for free. They even gave me a basket to carry all the HotWheels and helped me put them into the plastic bags.

Ahahahahahaha! I am so greedy!!!




Uncle Ho cares.............

This incident was based on the even last week where a VCD peddler was shot by an Enforcement Officer. A nearby innocent bystander was shot as well.

Click to the link for the hilarious article at TV Smith.

Yes to Uncle Ho. No to Censored Originals

Alarm! Alarm!

Just after 615am, the Security Centre called me up on my Mobile (How did they know I was awake?) saying Zone2 (Front door) was activated. So, I called up my other colleagues and tried to inform them about the incident.

The operative word is "Tried".

Because their phones were off and the guy on the other line did say my phone was the only one they could reach me. Cheh.

So, being a bit curious, I decided to go to the office to check things out. At 630am. It turned out to be a false alarm and since there is no point in going back home again to sleep, I decided to nap in the office. Except that I forgot the air-con was as quiet as a wheezing hippo.

Accident Incident

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Some threads are so dangerously funny. This was taken from AutoWorld.com.my. I do hope he (KariSeng) would still be alive next week or his nose grows an inch longer.

KNBCCB! I was tailgated by this ah beng in his wiralution on the highway.
the farker was so damn close to my backside. I was quite pissed that time,
so i tap on my brake slightly just to scare him a bit and hopefully back
off. mana tau the fella skill no good slam into my rear.

TLMCH! Before i could even go down to access the damage, this pariah dog
came rushing out from his car with a truncheon. he had pai kiah face with
golden hair type. he knocked my car boot with his stick then point at me
ask me to come out. this is not the first time i meet road bully so i had
in mind what to do. if i argue with him sure he belasah me.

i wind down my window slightly and told him in mandarin "got anything talk
nicely". the ciibai kia still shouting profanities. so nvm la, i got down
and told him its my fault, all my fault. I also said i will pay the full
damage and additional compensation for his time. When i quoted an amount
he cool down a bit but still shouted at me say why i purposely brake.
Knowing that he is an uneducated pig, i didnt argue just say sorry sorry
sorry while putting my hand around his shoulder as a friendly gesture.

As he was just beginning to calm down for the first time, i quickly draw
my other hand and stab his eye with my finger as hard as i could. kena
jackpot sial. haha he was screaming in pain in mandarin "oh my eyes oh my
eyes" haha tai sei raod bully. obvioucly he couldnt even stand properly
that time. i hop onto my car and drove off. my finger was wet though, i
think covered with some liquid, maybe his tear.

Original Thread here

Fatal Assumption

"Never assume because it makes an ASS out of U and ME"

Yeah, that's my problem. I always take things for granted or assume things would be so.

"I'm sorry, you have to collect a few phones today" my colleague told me this morning. Well, its routine stuff to me because of our on-and-off JIT (Just in Time) method of keeping stock.

So, I ASSSUME, nothing would go wrong. Driving all the way from Kepong to Shah Alam, I did not foresee any problems except for the fact that almost all cars are having fun overtaking me, even at the 50kmh stretch.

So, by the time I arrived and got though Security, I discovered a lot of Murphy's Law followers:

1) My ex-colleagues saw me and took me for lunch at the Shops behind RECARO and THULE
2) In my excitement, I forgot my Notebook in the car, and we had to turn back
3) When we arrived, I forgot I left my wallet in the car too. No, we cannot turn back this time because we spent nearly 20 minutes looking for a parking spot.
4) When we got back, the Logistics people misplaced our company's purchase list.
5) When I saw the "few phones", it turned out to be 5 BIG boxes, which I wished I had bought a THULE roof-rack for my Satria
6) Squeezing all the phones into every nook and corner of the car took me an hour instead of minutes

So, the moral of the story is, you'd really have to ask in details when your friends tell you things casually. This is the first danger sign which always caught me off guard.

HotWheels Obsession II

Now, this is another thing that is driving me crazy. These people actually buy the HotWheels cars and then modify them!!!

Kustom City Designs

Chojiro

Chojiro index

2004 Custom Car Show in Japan

HotWheels Obsession

No, this has nothing to do with those ridiculously fast Sportscars with obscene 6-digit price-tags.

It all started in December when I saw them with an irresitible offer of "Buy2 get 1 free" at the new"Toy Wiz" Toy Shop in Amcorp Mall. Four years ago, I only bought them when I had the time and money (if I was not splurging them on my failed electronic prototypes that does nothing but gives out smoke) . And unfortunately for me, the price has gone up to RM4.90 too.

Still, (RM4.90 x 2 = RM9.80 = 3 cars) it was too irresistible. Still, I decided to look at the windows where they displayed some "samples". Bad mistake.

ME: These cars are very different.
TW: Yes, some might not reach Malaysian shores for a long time.
ME: Really? So, how much for this one?
TW: RM4.00
ME: And this? And this? and that.................
TW: OK, RM10 for three.

So, but the time I left the shop, I got about RM20 worth of HotWheels cars and the Batmobile which I was told, "Might not reach Malaysian shore for some time... ha". If I had my way (and more cash) I would have bought averything and they "Might not reach the whole World for some time".

They are called Acceleracers aka World Race 2. They are different from normal Hotwheels cars due to the transparent wheels that comes in different colours and the rim designs are something what you see from an Enkei catalogue.


Whoooooooooo!!!!!




Termite attack III

The termite guy came and went. This time, they did a much better job as the one who came earlier was not so effective and he is the Supervisor somemore.

(This is what my parents told me after the termite guys told them.)

So, my Sister's room was not really affected as the termites started at the ceiling surface. Unfortunately, the kitchen was not so lucky. In two weeks time, they will return, along with a contractor to break open a hole in the ceiling for them to spray at the termites.

I'll bet dinner will taste more delicious after this.

Nose boogering

Well, what can I say?

Kiristine takes after me, especially in the nose section. Yes, she already has boogers. The dried up ones flap in and out of her nostrils everytime she takes a breath and exhales. I wonder when she will start digging her nose................

Ha. Ha. You cannot see her booger but here is something else I got....



Kristine is a Vampire Diva!!!

Its now 4:20 in the morning (Malaysian time) and for the past few days, Kristine has been sleeping like an Angel the whole day only to start her performance after mid-night till six in the morning. Just yesterday, I got off work early, finished my business so that I can catch up with Mr. Sandman.

Unfortunately, tonight, we got tickets to the whole front seats again.

So, its like routine now:

Wife, after BM feeding, supplements with Formula.
Kristine cries

Wife cradles, burps and conforts her.
Kristine cries

I woke up and comfort her
Kristine cries or calms down (usually)

Once she starts sleeping, I put her in the cot.
Kristine cries

I check her nappy for poo-poo and change them
Kristine calms down and then cries

I gave her back to Wife for more BF
Kristine enjoys the meal and then cries.

Mom wakes up, kidnaps Kristine away
I miss my Kristine and I cry

Chope! Thats my table!

So, I was in Mont Kiara today, after visiting a customer and I decided to celebrate the New Year with a visit to MacDonalds. (OK, I wanted to go to Burger King but it was too much of a hassle)

So, I put my stuff on a table, the Malaysian way of "booking" a space, i.e. I "chope-ed" first. Either that, or I have to bring all my tools to the counter and those nice weird people there would assume I was there to fix something. Anyway, I decided to try the Prosperity Burger which costs me RM8.88 and RM3.99 for a Prosperity Pal (OK, it looked cute at that time). By the time I turned around, some nut has moved all my stuff to another table.

Someone else has taken my table!!

Sitting there was a sweet young little European girl from the nearby International School, with those quaint innocent looks and sweet smile (with braces that looked more like it was designed to keep something horrible in) that only a mother from a lunatic asylum would love.

So, I had two choices. Either I poke her eyes out with my curly fries or I smiled back and move all my stuff to another table. Being a little but hungry, I chose the latter.

The Prosperity Pal, the Ox (I wanted the Monkey, for obvious reasons)


Oh, oh, the termite's nest have expanded


This is a different sort of bun, for only RM2.00


Hey, look! They also so natural orange flavoured air filters too



The Customer is always right

Rule#1: The Customer is always right
Rule#2: If the customer is wrong, see Rule #1

Being in a service industry is not always fun. Sure, the perks are great, like getting free food & drinks, talking to sexy customers, and even going to places where no ordinary people knew about. (I've been to the defunct Channel4's video vault) But there is always the bad side. You have to face customers who either came out half-way from a lobotomy job or who just happens to be the consecutive winner of the Village Idiot Award.

It is always frustrating to arrive at the customer's place only to find there is nothing wrong with the phone system, just like yesterday afternoon:

Me: Hello, you mentioned there is a problem with the phones?
Customer: Yes, we can't call out. But our clients can call in.
Me: OK, can you show me how you found out about this problem?
Customer: [Customer showing the problem]
Me: Ok, I know whats the problem. Have you called Telekoms about this problem?
[I was tired and wished this problem would just go away]
Customer: Yes, we have and they proved it to us that its working.
We just can't dial out using your phone system.
Me: Give me a few minutes to check
[Goes into the cabinet and fiddles for a while...... aha!]
Have you been using Centrex?
Customer: Yeah, we subscribed for the service because its cheaper than normal line
Me: Ok, can you tell me how to make a call using Centrex?
Customer: Easy. You just lift up the handset and........ dial.......a......."9"
[Suddenly it dawned on her]
Me: And followed by the telephone number (finishing her sentence)
Customer: Oops


And to think I drove all the way from Sungei Wang to Shah Alam just for this pleasureable experience. Argh.

Termite attack II

Damn it! Just after one and a half days, they're back again. This time, they have re-constructed thier nest, which is about 5 inches per day. More of them are dropping and dying onto the bed. Looks like really I have to convince Dad further.......

They have not only rebuld the nest, its 2/3 of the ceiling length now.



Greeting and Driving

Driving is a normal way of life in every country. But what happens when you notice you friend on the other car or on the side of the street?

Right. Give a honk and wave your hand, hoping they see you and wave back.

Now, try doing this in the dark.

How you happen/accidentally spot your friend, can be from various cues:

1) You were actually looking at that beautiful girl across the street
2) Some moron actually cut in front of your car
3) Stickers associated with Clubs/Forums like AutoWorld, SPOC and WPC
4) Some idiot donated butts for the goodwill of other road users
5) You happened to look up at the Bus...........
6) You were digging your nose and trying to flick the booger out of the window
7) Etcetera, etcetera

This happened on Friday night while I was on my way back and I happened to be enjoying the traffic crawl along the Motorola Bridge, towards Federal Highway. So, while I was digging my nose (see #6 above) and happened to see another red Satria on my right. It has a big SPOC sticker behind (later, I found out his nick was Epileather. Hi!). So, trying to be nice, I tried to wave to him. Unfortunately, I was talking to my friend on the mobile phone. So, while I was in the car, I was:

1) Honking the guy with my elbow
2) Waving my arm like an idiot while cradling the Mobile Phone with my neck
3) Searching for the car Mobile Phone charger because the battery is dying. Fast
4) Driving with my legs

In the end, I think he did saw me or rather, a bloated hunchback showing off his underarm hair collection .


Update [18.01.2995]
This is so embarassing as its a case of mistaken identity. The person was not Epileather but Adyzul. Sorry, guys

Thunderbirds are Go!

Heh. I just sat through the Thunderbirds (2004) movie .......... and thoroughly enjoyed it.

However, for the rest of the World outside UK (not Ulu Klang) its boring, stupid, campy, etc. So, its not a surprise to me that it flopped "outside" the shores. The movie even came to the Malaysian cinemas and left without a peep. But you have to understand this:

You see, like Judge Dredd of 2000AD (Starring Sylvester Stallone), Doctor Who, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, UFO, Space 1999, Sapphire And Steel are all products of British Television. So, anyone growing up in the U.K. or been there would have understood who or what they are. Any gaffs are usually spotted straight away and pisses the fans right off. Unfortunately, in the hands of the "Americans", making these movies, no matter how good they try, are usually faulted. For example, Judge Dredd NEVER did remove his helmet to show his true face. And the FAB1 is actually a Rolls Royce and not a Ford. (OK, Rolls Royce did not want their brand associated with the movie)

The irony was, I was never a fan of the Thunderbirds although I used to have the Thunderbird 2and the Space 1999 Eagle from Dinky Toys. Maybe because of the look of the puppets, which resembled more like talking dried fruit being strung up. But the designs of their vehicles were astounding. They looked so real, as if it could be reality in a few more decades.

However, in this movie, it was more of less aimed at the kids and not hard-core fans. And to be able to enjoy this, you'd really have to sit back, put your brain in your pockets and enjoy.

I don't care how others felt about the movie. So, F A B!!!!

A Faxing Question

Just last week, I had a friend who was trying to help me by buying some fax machines from us. So, I had to e-Mail the brochure to him. After trying 2 e-Mail addresses, (one was full) the brochure got through successfully. While thinking about the whole thing, some 0.5W bulb lighted up, because it would be very funny indeed if we actually did spoke on the phone.

Me: Hello, you need this model, right?
Him: Yes, that's the one. Can you e-Mail it to me? We need it asap.
Me: Um, I'm in the office right now and we do not have Internet facilities. Can I have your fax number so I can fax it to you instead?
Him: .........................
Me: .......................... Oops

[How can I fax it to him if he does not have a fax machine in the first place]

Poopy day

This is Kristine's third week and visitors are still coming; our Brother-In-Law and his wife who just rushed back from Singapore. Last week was my Mom-in-Law, 4th Sis-in-Law with her daughter, 7th Sis-in-Law and 6th Sis-in-Law (who rushed back from Singapore)

Kristine was doing her best achieving more than her usual quota today, and also drinking more B-Milk, almost non-stop. We kept changing diapers after diapers and I saw no point in injuring myself with the safety-pin, so....................

Termite attack

Just barely a week after the Pest Control guy came, the termites are at it again. This time, its at my Sister's room. I reported (to anyone who can hear my complains) that I hear their crunching noises a few days earlier. Apparently, the termite spray has got them on the run (from the Kitchen) and while looking for a new place, most of them fell on my sister's bed. Luckily, it was covered with a white bedsheet which my Wife noticed.

This is bad news. Lest year, it attacked my stuff, went for the Storeroom, then the Laundry room, the bathroom roof near my room, the Kitchen and now this. Sigh

Oh, look. Their nest is starting to take shape.


These jolly little fellows are still at it even after I used the vacuum cleaner on them



Wasabi poo-poo

Before I start, let's do some imagination.

Imagine you're in the bathroom, ready to brush your teeth.
(OK, I am assuming you are my good friend who REALLY brush their teeth)

Imagine opening the cap of the fresh and new tube of Colgate Toothpaste.
Imagine the horrible face you make when you squeeze out the toothpaste which is half solid and half liquid, with lots of bubbles.

Imagine if that toothpaste turns to green, as in Wasabi Green.

Got that?

Good. That is what Kristine's poo-poo looked like just now.

And for the sanity of the whole of Mankind, we will stop here and not imagine what it smells like


Ok, I had to take this as fast as I can before Kristine kicks or steps on it


Low Quality pictures

Ok, just to short not to tell you that I have degraded all the photos in here just to save precious storage space. The photos you see are linked from my website and there is a limit on how much space I have there. Sorry.

Monday Blues

The weekend went past me like a train with no brakes.

I am not surprised. All I could ever remember for the past two days were myself sitting in front of my Notebook and Kristine's crying.

Yeah, she cried almost the whole day on Sunday, denying us any sleep and gleefully pushing us towards the path of insanity. I am getting worried because she kept staring into walls and ceilings (while I used to only stareat the clouds). All those horror stories I have intentionally missed crept into my mind. But still, it did occur to me that Fatherhood is something I have to face, whether I want to or not. Sometimes when I sleep, I always worry that I would not be able to hear Kristine's cries since I have been told I am not a light sleeper anymore.

The result of the weekend has left me looking more like Jim Carrey being slapped repeatedly with a rotting tuna fish. Its a wonder how I got through Monday.

Kristine looking so a-peel-ing in my arms


Happy New Year

Well, 2005 is upon us. But there is nothing much to look forward to, except seeing Kristine grow. You see, in Malaysia, in 2005, the Tolls for the Highway will increase, and chances are, so would the petrol prices, which then triggers other price rises.

And this time, since the Government has cancelled the New Year celebration, I can finally sleep in peace. There were no Fireworks waking Kristine too. But seeing people enjoying themselves in Bangsar (from the TV), I guess "private" parties were on. I don't blame them because the Tsunami did not hit Kuala Lumpur. But then again, would they care? There were news of Tourists going back to the affected area as saying "Its not their problem". So, who cares? Right.

Tell that to all those who died

Anyway, yesterday, Steven at Toy Wiz was so happy to see me that I bought more HotWheels and he even ripped a collectors guide booklet for me. I wished he did not do that because it contained the two cars which I do not mind getting them for my nex trip. However, safe to say, I do not have to go to other places to look for Hotwheels anymore.

Yes, I am bored



New Toys II

Hee hee hee hee. More HotWheels toy cars. The ones out of the box are "used" and they're not available on sale in Malaysia........... yet. Gosh. I have so many cars to photograph for my Website soon.

All these for RM28.90 from Toy Wiz (Amcorp Mall)

Squish... squish... squish...

Woooooooo............. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Pump up the Milk
A pump up the Milk
Pump up the Milk
Pump it up a pump it pump it pump it

[Song: Technotronic's PUMP UP THE JAM]

Milk on Demand for RM79.00

Well, someone is going to be very happy tonight. Ha ha

Squish, squish, squish............. whooooooo!!!!


Failure to Plan is a Plan for Failure ...

You know, sometimes when you plan things in detail inside your head in detail, you'd know that some of the things would never come out they way you wanted it to be. But most of the time, that "some of the things" usually turn out to be "all the things". Anyway, I was thinking about taking a few photos of my Back to the Future II De Lorean to replace the wallpaper on my Notebook.

Since I only had the following tools:
1) A 100Watt bulb and a non-removeable fluorescent light
2) Cooking foil
3) Piece of White paper
4) Tripod

And a lot of things went wrong, namely from the battery in the camera going flat and also, lack of imagination, I decided to put Kristine's picture instead.

And don't get me started on the Batmobile. Its a very difficult subject to shoot since its a very long and dark car and also, its a magnet for dusts as well.

This is a toughie. Maybe I should not use macro mode.



How I wished I had this car in full-sized scale


Camera malfunction

Dammit! I don't know what's wrong now but my new FujiFIlm S5500 camera got something loose inside it. Then, when I switch on/off the camera there is s slight gear crunching noise. Haiyo.

This was how my FujiFilm 2800z "died" last March (2003)

Official Announcement

To whom it may concern,

On 18th of December 2004, at 10:03PM, Christine CHOW Kim Lam, weighing 2.75Kg, was born to the parents of CHOW Fook Cheong and Esther Kee Heng Kiau.

And as of 27th of December 2004, at 12:00PM, Christine CHOW Kim Lam is Officially and Legally recognised as a Citizen of Malaysia. Oh, yes, she can now terrorise the whole World with her screams, starting with Malaysia. Heh.

We will not be responsible for any broken hearts, soiled attire and mainly, broken appliances within arm's reach.


Yours sincerely,

Mr. and Mrs. CHOW Fook Cheong

Jaundice Alert!! Part II

So sad to say, Kristine's jaundice reappeared again today. I tried to get her into the Sun but she was screaming her lungs off and also, there wasn't much Sun this morning. Since I am already stressed out by this, my parents offered to send her back to the Hospital for more UV light treatment. The last treatment cost us RM900 or threabouts. Ouch

Since there is nothing much to do, here is a shot of what happens when hair, phlegm and other stuff get mixed in the sink trap for a few days. No wonder the water went away so slowly..........

Update:1330
Ok, the fear is over as the jaundice level was only 161 (via blood test), so the Doctor said everything is fine, and Kristine gets to come back home. Phew!

And as for me, Kristine rewarded me with a trail of half-digested breast milk all the way down to my legs,leaving a nice puddle there.

Kristine's Smile

Merry Christmas!!!

And for the first time, I gave Kristine a breath of fresh air in our garden after I bathed her, and she was so happy that she smiled.

Yeah, she smiled today, in fact, she smiled more than before. (Before that, her smile looks more like an evil snigger. Or maybe, it was an evil snigger after all, with all the poo-poos she let out.)

Me giving Kristine her bath for the first time


This was the best shot I got. Kristine smiles changes very fast

Hotel Assunta

You check into the beautifully decorated Hotel, where the friendly staff at the counter will assist you. After the registration, the Bellboy will take your luggage to the appropriate floor where you will be shown to your room. Your air-conditioned room would be fully furnished, along with the complementary TV, hot drinks, telephone and the usual wonderful view from the window. The bathroom would reveal a nice bath or jacuzzi and the staff would come as soon as you have placed an order on the phone. All this plus the pampering of an expensive Hotel. But if you need any medical assistance, if the House Doctor is not in, you would have to go to the nearest clinic or make an appointment.

Nice, eh? How about this:
You check into the clean and germ-free Hospital, where the friendly Nurses at the counter will assist you. After the registration, the Husband will take your luggage to the appropriate floor where you will be shown your room. Your air-conditioned room would be fully furnished, along with the complementary TV, hot drinks, telephone and the usual wonderful view from the window. The sanitised bathroom would reveal a nice shower and the sexy Nurses (ahem) would come every hour to check on both you and your baby. All this plus the comfort that you are medically safe. But if you need any medical assistance, its either the Nurses or wait for the Doctor to arrive in the morning.

Any difference?

No, I don't think so too. So, during Kristine's re-admission for her jaundice, I have been staying in the Hospital with my Wife for the past two evenings. We take turns sleeping to watch over her and trying to keep ourselves from going blind with the UV light. And in the morning, after a quick shower, its off to the Office again.

And today, Kristine was discharged. One good thing about the Hospital is that I think there is an option to rent the UV lights where we can continue the treatment at home. But knowing myself, things would break apart within minutes in my hands. So, I declined the offer. Anyway, her jaundice levels have subsided, from 257 to 156. But don't ask me how they know because I am sure there is no such thing as a jaundice meter, let alone a colorimeter for measuring the yellowness of the skin. Heh.

A Poo-poo in the hand is worth ..............

You know, when there are only the two of you in an elevator and someone lets it rip, you know its him because, he will have that innocent "Who, me?" on his face when you look accusingly at your friend. Its no point asking your friend to confess because:

1) Your Butt department will not fart without telling your Brain department
2) Ghosts do not fart

With that look on his face and those Bambi eyes, yeah, those Bambi eyes, he will be defending his "innocence" throughout the whole elevator trip. You know its him, he knows its him but the accusation it won't stick. In the end, both of you will have to deal with the bio-gas instead.

So, that was the same with Kristine. Just after her meal, she decided to give me her first present or should I say, her first biological present: A poo-poo in the hand. And she gave me that same "Who, me?" look after that. But suffice to say, I am quite happy, except for the fact that Kristine would do this after each feeding. And sometimes, after a nappy change too, which we have to start all over again.

This is what it looked like. More like creamed wasabi

Jaundice Alert!

Today, both Kristine and Mom are admitted back to the Hospital. We did notice the skin was a bit yellowish but then again, to us, it was normal. Only when my Wife brought her to see the Doctor, (since today was a scheduled follow-up visit) Kristine was confirmed to have Jaundice.

Funnily enough, the Doctor said Kristine was ready to go home despite my insistence of staying just another day in case it (jaundice) really developed. Yeah, everyone believed the Doctor except me.

Oh, well, I am going to go over there soon, after rushing back from servicing my customers

Update: 2045
OK, just came back to take my bath after fetching Mom home. She has to cook dinner (special Confinement Value Meal) for my Wife since the Hospital UV Sun Tan package did not include meals for her. After this, I am going back there, to spend the night with them.

Kristine hates the UV and the eye-patch we made for her. The moment we put her onto the bed, she knows it and would cry. (The irony is, she might be eagerly paying more for this 20 years later). The Nurse told us that although Kristine was fine, Jaundice would not be detected until after a few days for some.

Mommy trying to comfort poor Kristine

Slow motion Rally in Semenyih

"I'll fax you the map, its very easy to ge there"

Yeah, right. So, be warned, when people tell you these things. This is Murphy's Law at its best.

So, when I followed the Map, it was fine. Everything on the map was spot on, and with a 10 metre accuracy. However, what the Map did not say was, for the last 2 Kilometres:

1) There are no tarred roads, only rocks (big pebbles), water and yellow earth
2) The Building is hidden behind the hill
3) You either need a 4x4 or a lorry to continue further
4) The muddy road looked as if a herd of fat hippos tripped themselves all over the place last night
5) If you fall off, there is a nice lake for your swimming pleasure

So, there I was, contemplating whether to go back or not. I was choosing the former because the scenery was so beautiful and I was thinking of coming back the next day with my camera. Heh. So, just to make sure that its the correct path, i gave them a call.

Me: Hello, is this XXX company?
Her: Good Afternnon, this is XXX company.
Me: I was given a Map to your place and I am not sure if this is the route.
Her: [Decribing the route].... so, you just go straight on until you see the white building
Me: White building?
Her: Yes, you see it?
Me: Nope, by the way, its hard for me to cross this path as I have a problem with my car
Her: Haaaaa...........
Me: My car is so lowered I cannot cross the path
Her: Oh... Haaaaa...........

You know, at this time, I am very encouraged to go over the path and strangle her too

This is the one time I really regretted lowering my car as it will be like driving a Formula 1 car on a Rally course. So, for the next gruelling 10 minutes or so, I had to slowly maneuvre the path. I try to imagine I was in a Rally, but with time going sloooooooooooooowwwwly.........

With the Sun's rays reflecting from the whitish yellow earth, it was painful for my eyes and I cannot rest them as this would mean expensive repairs to my car's fibreglass. I can bet you, the lorry drivers are laughing like mad far far away. So, driving 1st gear and with the still wet mud, I can feel the car sliding into deep depressions (which is not so easy to get out of) and the rocks scraping the car underneath.

It was a horrible horrible track. But then again, the scenery with the bright sun, is wonderful. I have never seen such beautiful cliffs eroded by rain.

The mud is OK, but I am worried about looking underneath

This reminds me, I have not washed my car for months. Yes, months


This is what happens when you have a missing mudflap