English?

A bunch of politicians and self-appointed defender of Bahasa Malaysia is calling the Malaysian Rulers to rule that Maths and Science in schools must be taught in Bahasa Malaysia. They say, this is to defend the national language.

The problems starts with "Matematik dan Sains". That's Maths and Science in Bahasa Malaysia (BM). BM nowadays is nothing more than a systematic mispelt version of English. "Matematik" was Ilmu Hisab (which was probably from Arabic anyway). "Sains" use to be "Ilmu Alam". Even the word "isu" is from English. "Canggih" has long been replaced by mispelt "sofistikated" or it should be sophisticated. Other words (no pun intended): edisi (edition), kualiti (quality - used to be "mutu"), nasional (national), klinik (clinic), dokumen (document), projek (project), bajet (budget)... and the list goes on.

With so many English words in the Malay language, the language is essentially dead. That's sad. Mind you, I am all for a national language, but it must be preserved. Having it peppered with mispelt words doesn't give it any heart or soul. It's not that there are lack of words in BM that we have to borrow English words. Most words to exist in BM, but the English version just sounds better, I guess. Of course, in Science and Maths - a fair deal of words must be borrowed from "English"...

Idiots on Patrol

After suggesting to the committee here that is a good idea to have joint patrol between the residences and the police to enhance neighbourhood security, the committee has taken up the suggestion.

With one minor problem - the said patrol shall be carried out every Sunday morning at 10am.

This is the part that I go, what the eff. Why have a fixed schedule for patrol? Is there an understanding with the criminals that they will attempt crime only on Sunday morning at 10am to 11am? Fuck it. That's plain dumb. If the patrol is on every Sunday morning, criminals will just avoid our area on Sunday mornings only. Other times are fair game! Patrols must be random for them to be effective.

This is the result of amateurs trying to do a professional's job. I say, leave things to the pros, sit back and watch how it is done.

Ulik Kencana

I decided that I needed a good massage lately, and decided to drop by Ulik Kencana, SS14. Darn difficult to locate - as the shop is plain, and the sign board can blends into the background. Sounds like a shop from Harry Potter's stories.

Cost is RM 90 per hour, which is bloody expensive. Taipan charges RM 45 per hour. That's twice the amount. When querried, the gal said that included urut batin. That would be a fair amount to pay. Urut batin usually cost RM 50 extra.

Nothing sexy about the massage lady, Ayu. But her massage was really good - very relaxing. Downside is the place is without air-condition; so, it's a massage plus a sauna. I almost fell asleep during the massage. The urut batin was OK, just OK. Nothing fantasitc.

Will I return - I am not sure. It is a bit expensive and nothing too sexy either. Might return if I have some spare change and in need of a good massage.

The Legal Ah Longs?

I sent a cheque to pay one of my many credit cards, and the cheque arrived a couple of days late. Since the bank had a very good warning system, I got a SMS about late payment before I was fined. So, I have the opportunity to pay up, which I did.

Today - I got a phone call from the same bank. The sweet voice asked me if I would like to transfer cash from my credit card account to my bank account - at a very low rate of 0.75% per month. Or was I interested in a card with higher limit? How about refinancing for another credit card - that's credit transfer.

Was it a coincidence? Or they noticed I made one payment a few days late? The mind boggles. And yeah, the late payment - it was for an amount of RM 50 only!

Security or Safety?

Tough call when it comes to security or safety. Ideally, we want both. Was approached by a salesman recently - to upgrade the tint on my car with a secure tint. Apparently, it is very difficult to break - hence security.

My immediate thought - why happens if there is an accident and I need help? The secure tint might not be good. People might not be able to reach me. Then again, if the Fire Department can cut thru metal, they should not have problems with the tint.

Difficult to say is the tint good, but I am not installing it - but that's more for financial reasons!

Credit Card

Well, in my last post, I did say I like to pay stuff with my credit card. But there is a huge element of fraud. Most people have this irrational fear of fraud.

Firstly, unless we are negligent, fraudulent charges are usually covered by the bank. If we carelessly gift out our card number and details to any Abu, Raju and Ah Choong, then, the banks will make us pay for it. Fair enough. So, just be careful. Report a card missing ASAP, when you notice it.

Next, use a chip-based credit card. Those are one hell lot harder to skim or duplicate. The magnetic stripe only cards are bloody useless. Push your bank to issue chip-based cards.

Lastly- there is this CCV number, the three digit number embossed by laser onto the card body. This is usually on a white space of the plastic card, at the back of the card. Now, what I do is, cover this 3 digits with a sticker. Fraudsters need this 3 digits to make a online transaction. If they remove the sticker, you will know - report it. In any case, chances are - they rather remember the credit card details of another card without the sticker. Sometimes, close enough is just good enough - a silly sticker will make them want to fraud another card.

Duty Free Incident

Dubai Airport would be a fantastic place to do duty free shopping. Ah, the choice and the price. I did get a few items for myself and of course, my family. It would have been more shopping if it was not for the terrible check-in service provided by the ground staff for SIA. SIA should really look into this. As a group, we had no idea where to, transferred from counter to counter, which made it a pain.

Anyway, after my shopping, I was walking around the airport, near the departure gate. Suddenly, my a pretty gal from our travel group called out to me. She looked worried and angry. An Indian chap was talking to her, asking her for the receipt of goods purchased. The shopping was done one floor below.

This Indian chap, did look like the guy responsible for the trolleys. He wasn't security. He said something about computer error to me and he wanted to check the receipts.

In reality, he was hoping my friend Y could not produce the receipts. Y was already frantically searching for the tiny pieces of paper amid her shopping. She did Shop! Y said that when she had trouble locating the receipts, he asked for some money. This made Y angry. When I showed up, the guy pretended that all was OK and disappeared.

In hindsight, I should have asked him for his ID and made some fuss. When I returned to KL, I found out in Bangkok, there is a ploy to trick visitors. In the duty free shop, after shopping, the salesperson would offer a gift to the visitors - say, a box of cigars. Since it is a gift, thinking it is part of the purchase, the visitors will take it. Alas, the visitors will be arrested later and be charged with theft. Certainly, a sum of 500,000 baht will make the charges disappear. This was actually published in the New Straits Times.

In short - be darn careful when we do duty free shopping. Keep receipts. And ensure that all free gifts are properly labelled as "free gifts". Oh yeah - this is why I pay with my credit card - if I lose the receipts, the credit card will still have a record.

Dubai

I was in Dubai recently. Prior to arriving in Dubai, I had the mindset that Dubai is an expensive place. Did not bother to prepare cash for shopping. When I arrived in Dubai - ah, that's when reality dawns.

I was fortunate enough to have a travel mate who's been to Dubai many times. First stop after arriving at 3am - nasi mandi - a type of rice with meat topping, near the clock tower. It wasn't cheap - about RM 30 per person, but the food was great.

Next stop - shopping for cloth. Wow. That was great. Spent more than RM 1500 on cloth. Got enough for 10 shirts and some for my girlfriends back at home. It was cheap, generally about RM12 to RM 30 per yard. Yes, they still use yards. 100% cotton - which is great to wear but a pain to iron.

Making shirts were cheap too. RM 30 each. The best part is, it could almost be done overnight. Fitting was perfect, although the tailor (Prince Taylor in Bur Dubai), did insist I try one first before making the rest.

Oh yeah - I guess I forgot to mention - it was a business trip. Business was bad, and I will write more on why in the next blog.

The Prefect

The political landscape in Malaysia has changed a bit - with more weeds tainting the picture. Najib is now prime minister. That's OK. Someone has to be prime minister.

But what the heck - Dr. Koh Tsu Koon - voted out by the Penang people for a job badly done, is now the guy who will monitor the performance of the federal government of Malaysia. Can you imagine this? How lame can it be. I suppose the politicians just cannot take a hint - he bloody got voted out by the people.

On the night of the three by-elections, the buggers commented that people were cheated by the opposition and not see that BN will be bring development. What a clown. BN is outdated. Old ideas, about race and development. That worked when Chin Ping was in Malaysia. Hell, even the Queen of England is a gracious old lady by now. But yet, BN's marketing ploy remains unchanged. And for the record, when we vote for the opposition, we want change. We want performance. Lip service is so yesterday.

And the good news? In the Bukit Gantang by-elections, it is said that more Chinese supported PAS. It shows one thing clearly: Support for PAS is based on track record and performance - not race or religion!

A Hero

Here's a real hero - a fireman from Johor caught a woman who attempted suicide.

Always remember - there is a friend out there. Befrienders Malaysia can be contacted at 03 7956 8144.

Chinese? English? Bahasa Malaysia?

There has been a great debate on language to teach Maths and Science in Malaysia. I am no educationalist, but here's my two cents. Which language is the most efficient for Maths? That's my question.

In English, to count from 0 to 10:

Ze-ro, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Se-ven, Eight, Nine, Ten

It takes 13 (thirteen) syllables to do the count.

In Chinese, it would be:

ling, yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, qi, ba, jiu, shi
Very efficient with only 11 syllables. About 15% more efficient than English.

Now, in Bahasa Malaysia:

Ko-song, Sa-tu, Du-a, Ti-ga, em-pat, li-ma, e-nam, tu-juh, la-pan, sem-bi-lan, se-pu-luh.
My my. It takes up to 24 syllables just to count. That's almost double the amount in English and more than double if compared to Chinese.

So, you tell me - between English and Bahasa Malaysia - which is more practical? I say, it will be English. Chinese is not practical as not many Malays and Indians or non-Chinese (and some Chinese like myself) who can speak / write in that language. I cannot. In the business world, English is also more widely accepted.

Still wanna debate? Not patriotic? Always remember - being patriotic means making the other bastard die for his country. No point we all die by losing out when it is just counting from one to ten.

Happy New Year

Oh and time flies. It's 2009 and I am one year older. Still single and available. Might be getting desperate? Who knows.

A quick review of 2008. Managed to get myself out of Nible2. Got a better job. Still with H. Got a new buddie - Mandy. She's fun. Dating the both of them today actually. Hehehe. I leave the rest to your imagination.

Weight loss has been a failure, although I manage to slim down just a bit. Lost about an inch actually. Would prefer to lose at least 4 inches. More for health reasons than to look good. Why don't I bother to look good. Two reasons. First - the heart and kindness is more important. Secondly, as for guys, money makes a guy looks good. Forget the physical part. Hahaha.

Hmmm. What else? Did spend some time with my grandparents. Got a few things done in the house. Car is still in one piece. Manage to save some money in the second half of the year. Blew my budget big time for the first 6 months. Got my wisdom tooth out. That was a big pain.

Nett nett, 2008 has been a good year. Will have to make 2009 better! :)

Bank Review

Not talking about the financial disaster on which bank is better, but back to basics. A couple of days ago, I needed to buy a bank draft. Personally and for business, I bank with Maybank.

First, I went into Alliance Bank. After taking a queue number, I asked the cashier gal for the form. She gave me one. Complete it. Waited for more than 30 minutes before it was my turn. Guess what? She asked me for my account number. I said, I am not a customer. What the eff? She said that bank drafts are sold only to customers. I was mad. Firstly, I have already waited for 30 minutes. Secondly, the bloody form said I could pay by cash - meaning, I didn't need an account there. Thirdly, it is a paid service - meaning, I have to pay them or I have to buy it. The draft isn't for free. Buggered by Alliance. Long queue and super 'unfriendly' rules. Just imagine - I am not their customer now and they give me the shits. What do you think? I will sign up with them tomorrow? This could well be a case for the F-bomb.

Next stop was UOB. Singaporean bank in Malaysia. Worse still. Only one cashier working. So, the wait would have been long. Asked another office and guess what, the fellow hasn't got a clue if I could buy the bank draft.So, no UOB bank for me either.

Third - Hong Kong Bank. No queue. Super fast service but alas, they only sold it to customers. What the heck. Again, I have no idea why couldn't they be nice to non account holders. Last check, I have more liquid cash to loan out compared to some banks.

Finally, I went back to Maybank. Deciding to test them, I just completed the form to purchase the draft - didn't disclose anything that I have an account with them. I waited only for less than 5 minutes and it was my turn. No questions asked, just the money for the amount of the draft plus a fee. That's what I call being professional. Just simple business - demand and supply. No grandfather's story nor grandmother's requirements.

Nett nett, I guess I will stay with Maybank for some time to come. The rest of the lousy banks ( I like Public Bank too) can go F themselves. Imagine the irony of them, spending tonnes of money with marketing and promotions trying to get people to use their credit cards, and when you walk into a bank for a core transaction, they piss you off. Their marketing managers should really take note. Till then, my message to them is, F off!

Mandy, oh Mandy

Yup. Got Mandy to be my long term friend-with-benefit. Got her in bed, or rather, she led me to bed. Super horny gal with very sexy boobs... I think it is more than a C cup. I just enjoy seeing her enjoy herself during our xxx sessions.

As usual, I will keep our relationship discreet. Cannot possibly post every darn thing here. Hahaha. But will keep this blog updated.

The passing of Tuanku Ja'afar

I was in Melaka yesterday when I heard that Tuanku Ja'afar, the Yang Di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan has passed away. Sad news indeed. I grew up in Seremban - so, Tuanku Ja'afar was the Head of State since I was born.

Never making much of the headlines, but I could remember him from my school days. He would be present for some functions. In Convent (no, not where I studied!), he would be there when the school concert was on. It used to be a yearly affair a long time ago. Don't ask me how I got involved. I was still a kid back then, so it has nothing to do with chasing skirts. Tuanku Ja'afar was usually on time for the functions and he sure did take an interest in the schools.

Such is life. Some how, I will miss my Yang Di Pertuan Besar a lot.

No pic no talk

I was contacted by a gal recently on Skype. She wanted to chat. Guess she was lonely. Not entirely sure what her motivation was, but something puzzled me. She did put her photo on Skype. I had my usual pub photo there.

To digress a little, it is a picture of a pub Reading, England. It was a 'terrible' trip for me. Before Reading, I was in Acton, USA - that's near Boston - for only 2 nights! Then, off to Reading. Arrived totally zonked out, severe case of jetlag. And knowing my good colleagues there, the first thing they did was to take me to the pub! Not bad at all. Nice quiet pub, good beer and great lamb stew. Feel kind of guilty, when I am travelling for business and the priority appears to be pubs.

Anyway, back to this silly gal. She started complaining it was unfair that she showed me her pic and I was not being opened. Making an issue out of it. After a few minutes, we just said good-bye. People... pay attention. This is the Internet. I could have just shown her my grandfather's picture ( I would use the one taken in 1950 - he looks great back then), and she wouldn't have known.

In other words, stop being silly and go around asking people for pictures. Hell, it could be anyone. What more, looks can be very deceiving. Sure, everyone wants to look good. Every one wants a partner that looks great, but there are other stuff that's more important. Attitude, the outlook to life is very important.

In the most swallow way, some say pretty gals are good in bed? Huh? I think looks and skills are complete unrelated. I have met some pretty gals who happen to be limp fishes in bed. Not very good. And trust me... when it comes to skills - that's the really important one. Who cares about looks!

Be careful with what we wish for

Not too many moons ago, Malaysians were wishing for cheaper petrol. Wish granted, together with a stinky economy. The moral of the story? Be careful with what we wish for.

I am also very surprised to learn - not many know how the economy works. Yet, without a clue, they invest heaps in share markets, or in bonds. They have no clue how it works. No clue how others scam the system. And more would even scam the scam. That would be me.

I have manage to make some money out of the down turn. I sure hope to make more from the stock market. But the thing is, if one doesn't know how it works, please don't dump your money there. Any vendor (that's the guy selling stocks, your broker or a unit trust agent) would never say their goods are not good. It is their job to say they sell the best. So, be smart. Learn more, before you part with your money for good.

One of my friends lost more than RM 100,000 in the stock market. She bought Timedotcom shares when it was high and when the main shareholders - UEM was selling like no tomorrow. Now, she's stuck with them. I told her last year to just get rid of all her shares and keep cash. She told her friends, and my friends, that I was a nutcase. Told her again to sell it in February - she said she wanted to keep it because of some losses. I told her to cut loss and just sell. She didn't. In the end, by September, she asked me for some serious advice. I told her to sell. She did. It didn't go down any further, but at least she has some cash now.

I am no economic expert, but the signs where there. Reserve banks started to raise interest rates last year, signalling a overheated economy. That's the sign to sell. When the Reserve Banks cut interest rates - it means shit has happened. I am no expert, but I just listen to the governors. They may not be 100% accurate, but they sure know hell a lot more than I do, in terms of economics at least.

Nett nett - just be careful with what we wish for. It might just come true.

The other position vacant

It has been sometime since I've a long term friends with benefits. H has been very busy. I have started going out with M. Let's just say she's has a nice set of racks and super sexy. Always very horny. We've been groping and kissing a lot, but no cigar yet.

Still trying hard to get her in bed. For some reason, she's a bit worried. Suspect it has something to do with her ex - that is, not wanting a serious relationship but misses the sex. Same here. Will work on it and will keep all posted. Can't wait to see her again. The thoughts of her alone makes me hard and horny.

***

Some months back, I've posted about a gal pregnant with twins and she did return to her home. Gave birth to the twins about two months ago, but the babies did not survive. Both died due to heart failure and lung complications. Indeed, it is very sad. Now, I am wondering if abortion would have been better. Or was it better by just giving the babies a chance? But what chances would they have for a underage teen runaway mother? The mother is young and broke. Gosh - she ate poorly during her pregnancy - often surviving on instant noodles and some soya milk. Spent a fair bit of my money buying and sending her food. And she had really bad skin. I've no idea what it is, but it is like rashes and think and dark patches on joints.

Alas, there was only so much I could do, and indeed her other friends helped her out. I guess we must really educate out teens on pregnancy and tell them all about how to prevent it - including staying away from sex. That's bloody difficult, as I would understand.

This reminds me of a Australian mother. She said, she would rather her daughter have sex safely in her own bed, then to do 'it' in some back alley or a dirty toilet cubicle. Or get filmed in a budget hotel while enjoying sex. So, this mother would say, yeah - it sure is hard to consent her daughter (of legal age but still young) to have sex, but no point it making her have unsafe sex. Que sera sera.

Position Vacant

By position, I am not referring to a sexual one, albeit that position is vacant too, for the time being. That's for another blog entry.

Trying to hire an assistant and trust me, it is extremely difficult to hire. Firstly, with all the internet and websites for jobs, applicants just apply for any darn job they see, without any consideration. In short, the employers (me in this case) gets a whole load of garbage. I have technicians applying for the position of Sales Managers. What the heck. Unsure if they can sell at all, to begin with. They sure did not sell themselves to me very well - in the sense of selling their resume to me.

Then, there is the whole bunch with names all typed in lower-case alphabets. Sorry, but I would hate to hire someone who cannot even get their own names correct in a resume. Some just have a terrible command of English. Others change jobs in about 10 months. Fresh graduates are asking for RM 3500 per month. Gosh. For fresh graduates, it going rate is only RM 1800, depending on field that is. Some ask for huge sales commissions. I usual ask them for some penalty if they fail to hit the target. Imagine, asking for RM 3500 per month and a huge commission. What the eff.

When I call them, endless bozos (both males and females) would ask "Where is your office?" The first thing on their mind is location. Hell, I remember my interview with Motorola Penang. The HR Director asked me if relocation is a problem. I laughed and told him, if the package is right, I would bloody report for work the next morning! In other words, screw the location. The overall package is important. If it is just location, try the Pizza Hut or McD in your neighbourhood. They have jobs too. Just remember to ask "Do you want fries with that."

It's never easy to hire someone good. Miss the old staff I hired in Nible2. Took me 6 months to get them, and they were great. In case you are wondering, yes, Motorola Penang did make me an offer. Alas, it wasn't good enough.

Let there be light...

Emergency lighting at home is a matter of life and death. Imagine a fire and the power is out. This is even more critical if you stay in a high-rise building. Let's say, still no smoke. But you do not have a torchlight. Mobile phone can provide limited lights. Try this at home. Completely blackout the place (and close the curtains too! This is to simulate a total black-out when there is no moon).

Do it when you are in the bedroom. Let's see how long do you take to find your house keys and have the front door opened. Mind you, it can be dangerous. Stairs are a hazard and you can trip over a large variety of items. Nevertheless, it is a good practice, in case of fire or a disaster.

In general, I have a Maglite Torchlight with me. Usually in my backpack - so, it is with me when I work, when I drive, when I travel. I own a small AA cell type - good enough. Why I like Maglite? It is very hardy? I've sent it flying down one floor before, by accident and it survived. It has a spare light-bulb. It is very bright. It is reliable. The cheap ones are not so reliable. Too bad, Maglite cost a fair bit. And no, they will not float, but I suspect they will have some that will.

Having a torchlight alone won't do well. It needs batteries. Test them and have them replaced often. I found a reliable batter to be Panasonic's Alkaline Battery. Duracell and Energizer leaks very often - from my observation. I have no idea why. They use to be good - almost never to leak, but lately, it's just bad. And they start to leak at least 2 years or 3 years before expiry!

Another item I am planning to invest in - emergency light. Cost about RM 80 each. They will automatically come on when the power fails. Very useful when things go wrong.