Tuesday 30 June 2009

The World's Smartest Accountant Works In Maxis Telco

Received this in the mail yesterday. It's a bill from Maxis Wireless Broadband service, which we had terminated two months earlier. We had settled the bill, in full.....or at least, I thought so, until I saw this.

It looked like I had made a typo error when making the online payment. Instead of typing RM239.25, I entered RM239.24.

And Maxis' accounts has decided that it is worth spending 30 cents in postage to ask for 1 cent in arrears.....hmmm.....

Well, they can ask all they want, but I don't plan to spend RM1 in online transaction fee just to pay 1 cent to them. :p




Saturday 27 June 2009

Choosing A Good Day To Die....

Before I start, this post might be offensive to some who are extremely serious and take themselves very seriously. If you are this type of person, please stop here and read no further.

If you are reading this second paragraph now, please know that I bear NO disrespect to the dead.

That said, it is very important to choose a right day to die if you wish your death to be noticed and publicised. It would be a tragedy if you don't.

Farah Fawcett-Majors, one of the original Charlie's Angels' cast, died at age 62 of cancer on early Friday morning (M'sian time). It was the same day that the iconic Michael Jackson left this world, too.

There was hardly any mention of her passing in radios, televisions, newspapers, blogs or forums. The world's attention was centered on Michael Jackson's death. The world was either too busy grieving for Michael Jackson or gawking at all the fanfare.

The most the late Farah Fawcett got was a cursory mention or two. Had she died a week earlier, she would probably have better media coverage than that.

So, the lesson I learned is, to choose wisely the day I want to die....or my friends & relatives might be too busy mourning the death of a celebrity. :)

May Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett rest in peace.

I had hoped that Michael Jackson might make it to KL in his tour concert. Looks like it's not likely to happen anymore. I shall forever remember Michael Jackson, the black boy that became the white man. *singing Black or White*

Tuesday 16 June 2009

Hokkien Speaking Volunteers Required For SPCA's TNR Education Project at Pulau Ketam

I am sure those of you who live in Malaysia are aware of the Pulau Ketam stray dogs that were abandoned in an uninhabitable island.

Rescuing those dogs is not enough. Educating the residents of Pulau Ketam on pet responsibility and neutering is essential to prevent history from repeating itself.

As such, SPCA, together with both the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK) will be embarking on a TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) education campaign at Pulau Ketam on 27 and 28 June 2009.

SPCA need some Hokkien-speaking volunteers to form street teams and walk through the village, approaching the villagers about the importance of neutering pets and strays, as well as responsible pet ownership. They have sponsors lined up to provide "freebies" to villagers like dog food, treats, etc. to encourage their participation.

If you can speak Hokkien and would like to volunteer, please email the PR and Education Officer, Shahrul Baharin, at annbandlow [at] gmail.com with your contact details and which date you would be free to volunteer.

Thank you.

Thursday 11 June 2009

Dewey - The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World



Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World is a true story about an abandoned, tiny, bedraggled, nearly frozen kitten in the night drop box of the Spencer Public Library which grew up to be an inspiration to the townsfolk.


I just finished reading it yesterday and I must say, I really love this book even though the ending made me cry.

Imagine, me a grown woman, sitting on a bench at a public clinic waiting for my mum's turn to pick up her hypertension prescription, weeping openly as I came to page #258. I just couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks when I read that Dewey was about to die.

A little girl who sat on another bench to my left walked over to me and sat down next to me. She kept looking up into my face as I snivelled away. I couldn't help it. I tried to control myself but the tears refused to stop.

Thoughts of how one day Blackie has to go, too, careened into my mind. Followed by thoughts of losing my loved ones one day as age & death claim them. I cried for Dewey, I cried for Blackie who is stil alive, and I cried for living human beings......extremely silly, isn't it?

Anyway, I am glad Vicki Myron and her friends thought to publish some of Dewey's videos in their website. Check out this handsome, inspiring orange cat here - http://www.deweyreadmorebooks.com/deweyvideos.php


Updates (Aug 11, 2011):
If you had enjoyed Dewey, you might like Homer's Odyssey.

Exciting Benefits for Selangor Citizens From Selangor Government

I don't think many of us know about these benefits as the Federal government has not given it much publicity in the media.

My sister-in-law signed up her mother for Mesra Usia Emas (60+ and Alive) so that she will get RM2,500 upon the passing of her mother. Below is a copy and paste of an Adobe file.


---------------article copied and paste from Adobe file------------
3 Exciting Benefits for SelangorCitizens!

1. TAWAS PROGRAM (NEWBORN BABIES)
Babies born 01 Jan 2008 onwards
eligible to apply to the Selangor Govt. for an account to be opened .
RM100 per year till 18 yrs. (Approx: RM 1,800)

CONDITIONS:
a) Either mother/father’s IC with code ’10’ in the middle or
b) Lived in Selangor for more than 10 yrs.

NEED:
a) IC of both parents
b) Baby’s birth cert & MyKid Card

2. TABUNG USIA (60+ & DEAD)
Upon Death- Those aged above 60 yrs who passed away from
Jan 2008-30 Sept 2008, his or her beneficiary can claim RM2,000

NEED:
a) Deceased must be Selangor state citizen
b) To present IC of deceased-showing Selangor address
c) To present burial permit
d) Present beneficiary’s IC (immediate family only)
e) Present birth cert of beneficiary

3. MESRA USIIA EMAS (60+ & ALIIVE)
From 01 Oct 2008 onwards –All Selangor citizens aged 60+
can register for Mesra Usia Emas Scheme, where upon death,
the beneficiary is entitled to RM2,500 for funeral expenses

REGISTER:
a) At ADUN DAP office, Selangor with 2 copies of beneficiary’s IC &
2 copies of the deceased’s IC

QUALIFICATION:
a) Those who stayed more than 15 years in Selangor can also
apply, but IC must show Selangor address (i.e. Those born in other states.)

PAYMENT:
a) Within 7 days, RM 1,000 to be paid
b) Within 90 days, RM 1,500 to be paid
APPLICABLE TO BENEFICIARY TOO

for further details please logon to:-
Wan Chee Wing
h/p:012-3957668
E-mail: wcwtteam@gmail.com

----------end of article---------

Those who are Selangor citizens and have yet to sign up, do so now! As for those of us who are not Selangor citizens, but would like to see our state government give such benefits...... well, we know what to do, right? No, I don't mean everyone moves to Selangor! :-)


Monday 8 June 2009

Spot Check at Uncle Lim's

"Darling, do you wanna conduct a spot check on Uncle Lim's today?" hubby asked at around 3pm yesterday. "Sure, darling."

I remember when my mum came to live with us five years ago, when she heard this question for the first time, she was puzzled. "Huh? Who is Uncle Lim?" We don't have any relatives with the surname Lim, not by a long stretch, so she had no idea who or what on earth we were talking about.

"Uncle Lim is our nickname for Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, mum." "Why do you need to conduct a spot check on him?", mum was curious. "Not on him, mum. Spot check on his staff to make sure they are working hard and earning their keep." By then mum was confused. "What has it got to do with you guys whether his staff is hard working or not?" "Because we are going to contribute to his coffers. Well, either that or we're going to take some small loose change from him." :-)

Five years on, and mum knew yesterday that she won't be seeing us for the next few hours when she heard that question yesterday. Although the original Uncle Lim has passed on to eternal peace, this "honorary title" has sinced passed to his son, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay.

One of the attractions for me in Genting is their Be A Star Karaoke. The dinner or lunch package is very reasonable (RM15++ and RM13++ respectively). It includes 2 hours' karaoke session in a private room, tidbits and dinner and soft drinks. Well, the food quality is not something to shout about, but we're not there for the food, are we? ;-)


While we were in the casino, one of their staff approached us with their Genting Worldcard Rooms Fair promotion. You "buy" one night and get one night free. Without a second's hesitation, hubby, using his Genting Worldcard, booked 2 nights' stay at Resorts Hotel for only 9 GP.

So, looks like this year, we celebrated my birthday in Genting, and we'll be celebrating hubby's birthday AND our 7th anniversary in Genting. I wonder if Uncle Lim would like to throw in a complimentary romantic candle-light dinner for us?? Lol... :-)

On a different note, I have been given two tickets to The Fairy Singer - Liu San Jie The Musical, compliments from Genting. (Thanks, Genting!!) My mum grew up around Huangmei Deow and San Ker musical movies and this performance, based on a Chinese musical movie in 1961, will be a special treat for her.



The story is about a lady called Liu San Jie who was well known for her great singing voice. She would always sing when she worked in the fields. Her songs were about the local landlords who repressed them with over-taxation. I understood from my late grandfather that at one point in Malaysian history, Liu San Jie's music was banned in this country. It seems that for some reason, the government at that time equated the Liu San Jie music with communism.

Anyway, I took the liberty to record the promotional video clip outside the Be A Star Karaoke to whet my mum's appetite. I hope Uncle Lim will not sue me for recording this. :-)



On our way home, we met with a 2km long traffic jam. Yeah, it's a sign that the holiday is over and people are rushing back to KL to work the next morning.

Saturday 6 June 2009

Before and After.....

This post is specially for Maneki Neko, who left this comment "I notice no photos of Agent 007 after one dry martini too many...?? :-)" in The Way You Sleep After....

Yes, Maneki, there is a photo, and here are the photos, before and after. :)



Thursday 4 June 2009

The Way You Sleep After.........

Received this in an email. Thought I'll share it here. Enjoy.


The way you sleep.....


After two beers....




After three glasses of wine.....




After four Kamikazes.....




After a few bottles of shared wine.....




After a few Magaritas.....(love it)




After two bottles of Jack Daniels....




And after an evening of two beers, three glasses of wine, four Kamikazes, Margaritas, and a bottle of Jack Daniels shared with those friends in Mexico.....



Wednesday 3 June 2009

Warzone Tower Defense is Addictive

I have been hooked on Warzone Tower Defense for the past few days. Yeah, that's why I haven't been updating my blog. :)

Warzone Tower Defense is a strategy online game. You are given a online map, in those graph boxes, and you have to build your own towers, maps and defensive structures. And as in any war, money is a concern, so you have to plan and build your defense wisely or you'll find yourself short of money just when you need the bombs as a last resort.

It's FREE, so if you have loads of time on your hands and not enough money to pass your time like a lady of leisure, give it a go. I'm sure it'll give you hours of pleasure. :)



Ok, got to go now. Have to plan my next strategy on how to make my enemies walk through my line of machine guns. :)