Cost Saving

Last Thursday I took a half day annual leave. I was thinking of having lunch at the Mc Donald since they have the special offer which is worth of your money. Actually I have so many things to do on that day and I don’ want to waste my time lining up with the rest in Mc Donald. I ended up at a coffee shop eating a bowl of delicious Laksa Sarawak! After the fatty lunch, I went to the Celcom shop, just next to the coffee shop. I was thinking of cutting of my internet line, for cost saving indeed. ‘Sir, you need to pay the balance of RM117.00 so that we can proceed to your request’. Damn it! I said to myself… what kind of service is this even the moment that you want to stop their service; they still want you to pay something! Lesson learnt! Never be a ‘Nice Guy’ when some one or some company is selling you their products. Do create tantrums and request extra services to make sure that a service is worth of your money. Yes, understand and apply your customer right! After that, I went to the CNI shop to do my monthly shopping. I’m surely getting my bonus this month. Not so much, but at least it can top up my monthly income.
My final destination was to MayBank. Actually I didn’t want to do this since the ASB gave me yearly bonus at the end of the year, but I have to since it is a loan basis. ‘Sir, you have to pay some amount to pay of the insurance’ ‘How am I going to pay it? That’s the reason I’m cutting of this loan because I have not enough budget to pay this every month!’ She kept quiet while I too, was hopping the fire alarm to trigger so that I can just disappear from there. I left after signing the agreement. Since It is just 1:20pm and I still have around 10 minutes from the parking coupon, I did some window shopping at the Sarawak Plaza. The last time I went there was last December when my brother Andy and I were searching for a train to be put under our Christmas tree. Sarawak Plaza really had a great make over. It looks bigger and more sophisticated!
I reached my car and found out 2 parking summons were on the front wiper! What? It’s just 1:29pm and why did they summoned me? I abruptly brought that pink sheets to the small counter where people pay tickets or buy parking coupons. ‘Kak, could you please check is this correct or not?’ I was nearly blown up but still have the passion. ‘Betul lah ni’, she answered back positively. ‘What? Camana boleh betul ni?’ It is just 1:30pm!’ I made my voice higher and recheck the time on my wrist watch. ‘Gosh, it’s 2:30pm’ I said to myself. Oh, I poked wrongly, I should have poked number 2, but I poked no 1 instead. ‘Sorry lah kak’, Bukan slalu bertemu saya pun’… immediately I went off from the booth! Another lesson learnt: Be careful when you are poking the parking coupon. Double check with the time and date to avoid summons!
Since my salary is 14% cut off by the company, I know that I am doing the right thing to cut of my monthly spending That night, since there was AF7 to entertain me, I was not lonely without the internet!

Mixture of Issues

I don’t have any idea what to write currently but I know that my mind love to works under pressure and it’s compiling something at this moment while I’m doing the typing. This morning I received a sms from kaban telling me that their company is lay-off few staffs already. Actually it is not my favor to jot it down in my blog but I obviously could not run away from this issue. Tonight our Minister of finance just announced the injection of RM60 Billions to support every states in the country in terms of the economic growth. It is a big amount but I do not know whether it helps to boost the growth or not because I’ve heard and read on TV and newspaper that US and the European country had injected hundred billion of dollars, earlier but there’s no signs of growth instead as if nothing happen and still there are people who are losing their jobs! I got pissed when some people asked me whether the company where I work got hit by this global issue or not. Are you dumb? Besides government sector, tell me which sector was not affected? Enough said. It’s going no where. Even the civilians are very cautious with their spending. As for me, my fiancé and I have been actively planting vages and fruits at the new house. For a starter, we have planted some daun cangkok, serai, empasak and a pokok of limau kasturi. Not for sale, but they are for our consumption only, in case there would be a recession.

Teaching Science and Mathematics subject in English is another issue here in Malaysia. Some people especially the grown ups do not want their children to study Science and Math in English. They surrendered a memorandum to the HRH the King last week. The PM who is the minister of defense only voice up in the last minute, requesting a fast decision on this matter but the minister of education wants the decision to be made slowly and wisely. Hmmmm… looks like this would become a never ending story to the students and this definitely would not affect us, but our pity children, the guinea pig! We have celebrated Independents over decades but I could not believe that our educations have not at its top conditions? I believe our syllabus is already comprehensive and comparable to the British standards. No syllabus is perfect to produce the genius and high IQ pupils but at least it is the guideline towards a higher education status. We already have professionals everywhere and that’s the living proof that the educations system is dependable. There are more important things compare to this unnecessary issue. Bully, problematic students, overage student whom is still weak in ABC and counting. Why don’t they spend their time to think about how to stop or at least minimized this ‘local’ universal issue? I want to take this golden opportunity to declare that the teachers may and can punish by canning or by any reasonable punishment to the naughty ones without being judge back by the parents.

Akademi Fantasia season 7 is on the air. There are 14 of them and 3 are Sarawakian. I have no favourite yet. Wait until the numbers of students drop to maybe 8 or 7 only then i cast my vote to the most eligible one. Currently there are a lot of playful and not serious ones and i hope they are voted out ASAP. My advise to the participants, no rediculous drama of tears dropping please unless sombody is dead amongst your family members. Please never say NO when English or difficult song is given to you, especially the song which you select your self earlier! I expect you to do your very best and flawless! Good pitching, right tempo, nice projection and perfect tones! When you cannot sing in the original key, please request to transpose to a half lower or a half higher key. No complaints from you after that unless you become sick then coma due to your own fault!

Tomorrow night I’m meeting an old ex-classmate who works in Dubai. He’s coming back for a short holiday. I don’t know where to bring him for makan2… C 1st lah.. Got to sleep now...

'Expected' Bad News

Today we received some 'expected' news, we are going to have a force unpaid leave or in other word it’s a 15% pay cut off every months! To me it is a big matter due to the loans that I have and some debts that I need to settle! Previously I was not bother about the current situation but today, now, I too was affected and I couldn't lie to myself that I wasn't worry but truly, I am now! I need to stop from being ignorant and start to take this seriously.

After work, I don't feel that easy, I tend to eat if I felt that way so I drove towards the King Centre and had a plat of Kueh Tiau. Infact I didn't enjoy it. I started to think a lot. There were figures in my mind, as if I can see it physically. My fingers do some simple mathematics on the table, yes; I was trying to recalculate my debts and loans. I was trying to take out the unnecessary ones. Astro, phone bill, internet, car, house loan, insurance, share loan... Which one is it?

I drove back without finishing my Kueh Tiau. I couldn't taste the ingredients which the cook adds into it... What happen to me? Were my nerves also being affected by this 'expected' news? I know my hormones were, as I can see that I’m eating out of my normal schedule.

I told mom about it that night. ''Lets grow some vages'', i said to her. That's a good starter since things at the markets are getting more and more expensive. I think it's worth it to do it since i will have the force leave soon. I'll grow some vages, long beans, some limau kasturi, fruits and so on... I must have a back up plan!

I need to sleep now though it’s early. I guess my brain is so tired after doing so many plus and minus calculations... I need to be more careful with my spending starting tomorrow onwards. Good night to all especially to those whom are having same situations like me.