Of Premium & Ordinary

How many of us are normally suckered into the word special - special offer, mee goreng special, burger special, special treatment - anything for them to get us into forking some premium over the ordinary stuff. I mean, a normal burger is RM2.00 but a special one is additional 50 cents.

For me, its OK if the premium paid was worth the difference, I mean from a plain old mee goreng, but with some extra ingredient it will transform into finger or fork licking good, so good that you need to have a second helping of a second helping, but what if when you have paid the premium then it taste the same as the 'normal' ones?

That happened to me last weekend. All the usual haunts were closed during dinner, so had to order dinner from the 'premium' diners/cafe in my area. What I meant by premium is that they serve the same food albeit at a higher price, up to double than the normal haunts. Granted that they do have a more posh outlook & premise, but food is food. Its not like we are ordering any cordon blue/fusion cooking, just the old plain dishes but the prices are tremendously high. Its ok if we having it in, but as a takeaway? A bit steep innit?

On another note, my watch battery almost died on me, displaying the 5-second jump since last week. So off to the shop where I bought it from for a battery change. Premium brand watch, premium battery change right? I don't mind paying for it but what got me was that the old battery was already leaking and could cause potential damage to my watch. I mean, for f**k's sake, buy a premium brand put la premium parts in it, not charging your customer and arm and a leg but outsource for the cheapest parts that you could find?

In the end, the bottom line is the profit & loss without the regard of perceived value of service or goods that the customer gets by patronizing or buying the products. Caveat Emptor!

Firework Extravaganza

With the school holidays and nothing planned to keep The Boy occupied, I decided to take him to the Malaysian International Firework Competition in Putrajaya. Set out from our house at 9 pm coz knew that it would be jammed packed with cars, especially when nearing the venue. It's held near PICC and true enough, we just beaten the rush as the traffic flow was quite light but with people stopping at anywhere they fancy, it constricts the traffic flow. The Boy wanted to go in the fun-fair where they had rides, so being a spoiling dad I obliged.

The thing that got me was that you have to pay for entrance at RM5/3 (adult/child) and then have to purchase tokens for rides min 2 tokens/person/ride @ RM 3/token. See how they milk money out of you? Preying on guilt that most parents have for not spending quite enough time with their offspring and have to make up by spending on them....(guilty as charged).

The firework starts at 10pm, with all the lights at the funfair plus the surrounding area being turned off. I didn't manage to get any good shot with my IXUS 55 plus haven't got a decent tripod to prop it. So the photos were taken mostly by The Boy, thinking that he could be a budding photographer in the future.

But managed to get some clip about it, as per below :

Transformer Quiz

Got this from screwboy's blog.

I AM
69%
BUMBLEBEETake the Transformers Quiz

Bumblebee

As an Autobot spy, Bumblebee is the ultimate robot in disguise. What he lacks in size and strength, he makes up for with courage. He enjoys the company of humans and would do anything for his Earthly friends.

Like Bumblebee, you are compassionate and your heart is pure. You want to be a leader and show some promise, but you have much to learn. In addition, you use technology when you need to, but you do not embrace the latest trends.

Feeling a bit melancholic ...

Her green plastic watering can
For her fake chinese rubber plant
In fake plastic earth.
That she bought from a rubber man
In a town full of rubber plants
Just to get rid of itself.
And it wears her out, it wears her out
It wears her out, it wears her out.

She lives with a broken man
A cracked polystyrene man
Who just crumbles and burns.
He used to do surgery
For girls in the eighties
But gravity always wins.
And it wears him out, it wears him out
It wears him out, it wears him out.

She looks like the real thing
She tastes like the real thing
My fake plastic love.
But I cant help the feeling
I could blow through the ceiling
If I just turn and run
And it wears me out, it wears me out
It wears me out, it wears me out.

And if I could be who you wanted
If I could be who you wanted,
All the time, all the time, ohhh... ohh...

How about this for a change

I have been wanting to post about the issue brought by the petrol station operator association with regards to the opening time of their petrol kiosk but somehow couldn't find the time to do it.

What I would propose is something similar to the above picture, where I saw during the course on my travels. The above petrol kiosk has no cashier or the usual shop, all the transaction was done through credit / debit card at the pump. No pump attendant, no issue about security, lower operating costs. Just four pumps, a forecourt and 24 hours operation. How about that for a change?

True, not all have access to credit cards, but in urban areas I would think most of us have at least one. With somewhat aggressive recruiting campaign that some credit card companies are employing, most of us would safely have at least one credit card in our name. Hence the solution could be given consideration.

One Doggy To Go

Had been ordering the same menu as the place where I always stop by for dinner up to the point that they know it by heart. But that wasn't the thing that caught me, it was the way that the order was relayed to the kitchen, ".. and plus one doggy to go.."

In my not so 'clean' mind and because the order comes from a girl, it sounded so nudge, nudge, wink, wink...hehe...maybe it was just me.... maybe this is what she meant ...

[ Image from here ]

As useful as a chocolate teapot

That's what I felt today. Didn't manage to get a sound sleep, what with the temperature & my car alarm blaring away very half an hour in the wee hours of the morning. Went to see the GP, being prescribed rest to let me recuperate.

The boy was not feeling well in school so I had to pick him up, not after he shot his class photos. Then off to the gynae for a checkup, and the baby is developing well. We could see a pronounced set of limbs now, and from the look of it he/she (hopefully its a girl) is going to be a lanky one.

After getting back from the checkup, fatigue sets in and I slept, and said something that I shouldn't...I'm sorry about it......

Should be better tomorrow & functioning as I should....

My Simpsons Avatar

Ada macam tak?

Temperatures Rising

I knew that it was coming, the impending signs are there, stiff joints and pains, raising core temperature, stuffy nose tract & eyes. So time to starve a fever, feed a cold?

That wasn't the only contributing factor to my rising temperature. On the way back today, near a petrol kiosk at my place, the left lanes were clear, indicators to turn left into the petrol kiosk on, rear view mirror clear, side mirror clear, initiating maneuver only to hear metal on metal crunching sound. Apparently a di*khead motorcyclist decides to swerve onto my left from my right despite me giving indication that I'm turning left. Now I'm left with a dent on the rear passenger door. His defense, none cause it was clear he was in the fault as witness by most. He meekly said that it was a small dent and he was hurt in the process. Serves you right, PDD 68 and what goes around comes around.

This is the second time this year I was hit by a motorcyclist. I don't want it to escalate into the third time, where it could inflict more injury to the rider. Loss of life is not something I would wish for, but at the moment of heat and anger, it was the only thing that seems to flow out of my mind. Rant over, calm under medication.....

Thinning Crowning Glory

During a weeding reception, had some remarks wrt to the condition of my thinning hair, from close relations. Usual reasons cited, stress at work, exposure to swimming & chlorine, etc... until someone pointed out that I've been swimming in the wrong gene pool.

Ouch...yela mana nak tumpah kuah kalau tak ke nasi....but my brothers did not show any signs of thinning pulak. Seems to me that they got the lucky draw on that as for me, I'm grateful with what I have, thinning & all.

Now where did I threw away the Yun Nam leaflet? ....

ps. One another note, I would like to clear the air about longan & mata kucing, as per highlighted here.

Blast from the past

Supergrass - Alright



We are young, we run green,
Keep our teeth, nice and clean,
See our friends, see the sights, feel alright,
We wake up, we go out, smoke a fag,
Put it out, see our friends,
See the sights, feel alright,

Are we like you?
I can't be sure,
Of the scene, as she turns,
We are strange in our worlds,

But we are young, we get by,
Can't go mad, ain't got time,
Sleep around, if we like,
But we're alright,
Got some cash, bought some wheels,
Took it out, 'cross the fields,
Lost control, hit a wall,
But we're alright,

Are we like you,
I can't be sure,
Of the scene, as she turns,
We are strange in our worlds,

But we are young, we run green,
Keep our teeth, nice and clean,
See our friends, see the sights, feel alright,

Are we like you,
I can't be sure,
Of the scene, as she turns,
We are strange in our world,

But we are young, we run green,
Keep our teeth, nice and clean,
See our friends, see the sights, feel alright.

Complete & Wholesome Again

The instrument of torture is complete & wholesome again! Wohoooo!!!! I'm also breaking in my new rubber/syiok absorption device...can't go the whole distance yet, 1/2 the distance with the same intensity for the first few sessions should do it.

After that, winding down with a pipping cup of Earl Grey, a pot of yogurt with JLH on the telly rounds up my day....

Why am I always hungry ?

Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry? Why am I always hungry?

It's not that I'm controlling my food intake gila-gila. In fact I've relaxed a bit about what I eat due the mrs. pregnancy. What I'm experiencing now is like whenever mealtimes are near, I MUST have food as soon as possible. When I'm full, I would get hunger pangs about an hour after mealtime. Then I need to have something again. Its like 'sympathetic' pregnancy syndrome but in reverse whereas The Mrs has lost her appetite and it went to me.

The Mrs. & The Boy told me that it looks like I've gained weight. But the weighing scale & measuring tape says otherwise. Could it all be only in my head? Hmmm...all I could think of now is food....glorious food...nothing but food...no wonder I'm always hungry...

Just Open Up & Say Ahhhh......

Sent The Boy for his dental checkup today. Never have I seen someone so enthusiastic to go to the dentist. In my case, I would conveniently forget about the appointment, even trying to hoodwink my parents. Not in this case. In fact, he was the one reminding me to take him to the dentist, " Dad, today's Saturday and you said that you are taking me to the dentist today dad"

So off we went to the dentist...he was not afraid or trying to talk his way out of it. In fact when our turn came, he walked and get on the chair willingly. I used to get my dad to promise me something after the trips like new toy or KFC, but he actually went on the chair on his own will....so unlike me or The Mrs....

So all he needs now is proper brushing to combat the caries formed, and if he feels that it hurts then another visit to the dentist is called for.

Happy 61st Birthday Dad!

The birthday boy & spouse with three masked partygoers - anak2 sape ni?

As usual, orang lain punya cake tapi orang lain yang tiup lilin....basah kek tu jadinye

My dad celebrated his 61st birthday on Tuesday. So we had a gathering for the family around my parents to celebrate the occasion. I got a cake for them, by that I meant that I paid for it. It was chosen by The Boy, based on aesthetics purely but apparently it turned out to be quite good.
Next time around there would be 5 candle blowers instead of the 3, lagilah havoc nanti....

Happy Birthday Abah!

Instrument of Torture

Imagine of loving and hating something at the same time. Its like :

• Thinking and planning for the session but not able to execute the whole plan
• Not able to be together yet unbearable to be apart
• Apprehension to meet but hating to leave
• Sessions that was tiring but leaving you like a million dollars afterwards
• Sweat dripping all over your body but felt re-energised after it
• Sessions that felt good but have to practice self restraint to prevent overexertion
• Pushing yourself to the limit but have to keep some reserve

Arghhhh…even thinking about it is killing me but due to the circumstances I would have to let it go…at least for the time being….it was ripped apart and parts of it taken away. ….Hopefully it can be better soon coz I kinda having withdrawal symptoms at the moment….oh how I miss those sessions…….