Flying time

My oh my...how time flies.

A look at my last post and it was over a month ago! I suppose that's to be expected. I have other things occupying my interest now and blogging here is not really high up on my priority list at the moment. But, for the time being I'll still leave this blog here while I sort things out with the current project that I'm working on. And when the time comes, I'll announce it here and we'll see then where we'll go from there.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the school holidays which begin tomorrow! That's 2 weeks! That means more time to do the things that I want to do and it's a much needed reprieve from the daily grind of teaching.

The Fourteenth Letter

So, without saying them out loud (and without using your fingers to count), tell me what's the fourteenth letter of the alphabet? Just right off the bat, what is it?

It's the letter N.

Now, why am I thinking about this particular letter? Well, it's the start to a word that perfectly describes this blog's situation right now: Neglected.

I see my last update has been over a month ago. It's been slightly over two years since I first started this blog and in that span of time I've written just over 150 entries. Not exactly a wordsmith kind of scale by any means. But, I've made a few friends along the way, and a few bucks which made for some motivation. But, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to actually sit down in front of the computer to write here. Not that I don't have anything to say, mind you. There were many times where something happened and I told myself that I'd put that up in my blog but I just never got round to doing it.

So I'm just wondering - wondering if this whole feeling of wanting to blog will actually finally leave me.  I'll leave that to time to provide the answer.

A smoother drive?

Let me just say on the onset that I'm not a car expert. I can tell different models or makes of cars apart, but if you asked me how powerful a car was, or what year model a certain car is, I wouldn't be able to tell you. Neither am I an engine expert. If I took apart my car's engine, I might as well buy a new car as I'd never be able to put the engine back together. Oh, and one last thing - I'm in no way affiliated to any of the brands I'm going to mention later in this post, though I wish I was so that I'd get paid megabucks for it.

Okay, now that that's out of the way - let me ask in introduction what petrol brand do you use? When I first got my car about 9 years ago, I was a Shell user through and through. I guess it was because my parents used it and nothing else, so I was just sort of continuing the tradition. Yes, yes...lousy reason, I know but that's what it is.

But, then a friend told me about how Esso fuels were much better - your car had more power, and the drive was smoother. I didn't try it then and there, but I eventually did. And what did I find out? True enough the car responded better, and the drive was smoother. It was almost as if I had just had the car serviced. And ever since then I used Esso almost exclusively. But, just last week I filled up with Shell again as no Esso stations were open on my way to work, and the car was running dangerously low on fuel. And since I'd pass a Shell station on my way, so that's where I filled up. No perceptible difference...

until...

with the tank about half full, I filled up again at Esso yesterday. So, in my tank was half Shell, half Esso. I can't say whether the drive felt any different then, but just this evening, it did - quite perceptibly. The car was quieter, and smoother. I told my wife that it felt just like the first time I filled up with Esso.

So, here's the thing. Each fuel company promotes its own fuels saying how good they are and I suppose each adds their own special formula of fuel additive as well. But, I'm just wondering if mixing those two will actually give 'better' performance. My wife suggested that I try filling up using alternate brands next time. I suppose I'll try just to see if this continues.

Now, I must say that what I've said is just based on my observation and 'feel'. It'd be interesting to know if anyone else has a similar experience. Drop me a comment if you do or don't think that mixing different brands of fuel has resulted in better performance for your car.

It could be just that I'm imagining things.

Where has it gone?

Where has what gone you may ask?

Something known as "common courtesy". If you don't know what that is, then my point is proven: common courtesy isn't very common anymore. It refers to your etiquette, minding your Ps and Qs, and treating other people politely. But, increasingly I see this thing called courtesy becoming more and more uncommon.

A very common scenario: What do you do as you push open a door to enter or exit a building? As a lot of people are wont to do, they push open the door, walk through it, and let go of it - and in the process, smashing the swinging door right in the face of the poor soul who happens to be walking right behind them. How hard is it to just have a quick look behind you as you're opening the door, and if you see someone approaching, to hold the door open for them? It costs you nothing, and in return you may even get a thank you and a smile that's sure to warm you right up.

Another example, what do you do when someone kindly signals to you that they are giving you way to turn out from a junction? Increasingly, people just drive on without even so much as a glance at the person who offered the kind deed. Would it be so hard to just lift your hand and smile at the person for being so thoughtful as a means of thanks before driving off? I think not. If it hadn't been for him, you'd still be stuck where you were hoping for some break in the never-ending traffic.

I could go on but I think you can think of more examples yourself. I don't think any of us would like to live in a world where being polite and courteous had ceased to exist. That's why we need to

rock the boat
buck the trend
stop the rot.

Educate our young people on how to be polite and courteous. Don't just tell them, show them. After all, it's often said that action speaks louder than words.

Grilles, deadbolts, padlocks and alarms

When I look at the houses of today, I sometimes cannot fail to notice how different they are from those from about 25 years ago. For one thing, architects nowadays are more bold in their designs. So, while you still get the more conventional four-side box designs of old, you also get the more updated ones (which are essentially still boxy, but with more play of different box shapes) that look quite refreshing.

House designs aside, the other difference you're bound to notice is the security features that any typical house has nowadays. Grilles, deadbolts, and padlocks have become the norm rather than the exception nowadays. Twenty five years ago, you'd be hard put to spot a house with any of them. You just had bare windows and doors.

And it's not just grilles and deadbolts and padlocks, too. Closed-circuit television, and even motion sensors are becoming increasingly popular among house owners from my observations. I suppose nowadays some would consider an autogate, grilles, and a home security system the bare minimum to have for any house.

Of the three perhaps the most important is the home security system. So, I was curious and searched for one and I found HomeSecurityTeam.com. While they do not offer their services in Malaysia, the security system that they market is one many are familiar with: ADT Security System. While I'm not a subscriber of any of their products, I've noticed more than a few houses sporting the ADT logo on the alarm attached to the exterior walls. A look at their website says that they have been in operations since 1874 and have over 7 million customers worldwide. I suppose many potential customers would put their trust in a company with a reputation like that. I think I would put ADT Security high up on my list too, if ever I was looking for a dependable provider for home security systems.


This was brought to you by your friends at Homesecurity.com.

Noisy nuisance

Check your calendars and you'll know that Chinese New Year's just under three weeks away. As a kid, I enjoyed this occasion tremendously, and why not? I get to eat scrumptious food that I'd get to eat only once a year (since that's the only time that I actually get to eat some of my aunts'and uncles' cooking), but more than that there's the ready supply of fireworks! One of my uncles would be the supplier and my cousins, brother and I would rub our hands in glee over the precious loot. And we'd play to our hearts content.

But, it seems that some people nowadays are in an overly early celebratory mood. For the past couple of nights, I've been hearing the sounds of fireworks going off around the neighbourhood. Now, I wouldn't mind so much if it were already Chinese New Year because it's to be expected. But, the New Year's still so far away!

So, I find all these high-pitched whistles and mini-explosions a nuisance and an irritant - more so since these people seem to get itchy fingers past 9pm when Adelle's already asleep. Adelle's not especially fond of all these fireworks going off when she's awake, more so when she's asleep - they wake her up and disturb her sleep. So, whenever these things explode I'd stop whatever it is that I'm doing and wait and see... whether Adelle would wake up or not. If she does, then I'll have to go up and pacify her and reason with her saying how 'naughty' all these people are who play fireworks when it's not even Chinese New Year yet. Only when she's convinced then Adelle will go quietly back to sleep...until the next bang wakes her up, then it's the whole process again. It can be quite tiring - for me having comfort Adelle again and again, but also for Adelle because of her disturbed sleep.

I'm all for celebrating special occasions, but let it be done in consideration for others, especially if the celebration involves loud noises.

Expiration introspection

I was reminded again of our how mortal we can be just this morning when I was reading the local newspaper. Every day we read of obituaries, news of natural disasters, accidents, murders, wars, and I think I've read so much of all these tragedies that I have somehow grown somewhat desensitised to it all (which can be dangerous). I may think to myself, "Oh, it's another earthquake...how terrible", but promptly proceed to forget about it a few hours later.

But, something made me take notice of this particular news item. "Taiwanese Man Dies After Watching 'Avatar', the headline said. Apparently, the victim had a history of high blood pressure and having watched the movie, he complained of being unwell and by the time he reached the hospital, he was already unconscious. Eleven days later, the man died from brain haemorrhage, which the emergency-room doctor said could have been triggered by over-excitement from the movie.

What was meant to bring enjoyment, instead brought death.

I've personally heard numerous stories of people engaging in activities that they enjoy only to suddenly drop dead the very next second. I read as well of supposedly fit people like professional footballers suddenly drop dead in the middle of the game. I know this sounds like a morbid subject to talk about, but I guess sometimes it's helpful to have such reminders to actually slap me in the face and tell me that hey, you never know when you're going to leave this world so why not make every second that you have, count.

But even more importantly, make doubly sure that I know where I'm headed after that.

Not so funky

I've previously posted about what I think are the three essential characteristics that a restaurant should have in order to attract new patrons and more importantly, keep customers returning. I think this is especially important if the restaurant or stall was new. You just need to make that great first impression on the customer, and if you pass that hurdle, then chances are he or she may just come back and bring their friends even. Nothing makes a business prosper like word of mouth. People like what you offer, they'll come back, they'll tell their friends about it, and those friends will come, and tell their friends about it, and so on.

Well, this evening the whole family decided to try out a new eatery here just in Damai. We got to know about it because, one day, as we were walking to another restaurant for lunch a couple of doors away, we noticed this new place and started looking at their menu. The owner happened to be sitting outside and started talking, telling us how his restaurant's prices were good. From the menu, I thought the prices were pretty standard, but since the place looked classier (not the coffeeshop variety), then it offered slightly better value - the ambiance being considered.

So, I filed this at the back of my head (this was maybe a month or two ago) and finally today, we decided to check out this new eatery. And the place is called Funky Town. If you know where Maple Cafe is, then Funky Town is just two doors away...I think.


We decided to sit inside and what greets you soon after you go in is a whiff of something strange. I couldn't quite put my finger on what the smell was: it was a mixture of something damp, and cockroaches. Not very pleasant. But we later found out it was nothing of the sort. It was the remnant of the smells of one of their offerings: Fried Sambal Meehoon. Apparently, customers had complained about the smell (it was actually the sambal) and so they decided to take it off the menu.

So, anyway we look at the menu and my wife decided to go for the fish and chips, and I decided to try out their lamb chop. Order done, we sit down and relax and I check out the place. It had pleasantly dim lighting, soft background music, and with not many customers at that time, the place was cosy enough to have a decent conversation without having to stress your vocal cords.

The first surprise of the evening was when the fish and chips arrived in front of my wife in about 5 minutes - that was fast! Before Adelle or my wife could lay their knife and fork on it, I whipped out my camera and snapped a few pictures of the dish. Here it is:

Fish and chips - wish they were bigger

First impressions. The fish pieces looked a bit on the small side (as I'm typing this, my wife's eating some instant noodles saying that the dinner wasn't filling at all), but probably the size of the plate didn't help either. The amount of food didn't cover the plate adequately so it looked a bit empty. Perhaps they could have added a lettuce leaf of something together with the coleslaw just to fill in the empty white spaces, or use a smaller plate, or better yet increase their portions! So, presentation was not quite there.

Taste? My wife took the first bite and said, "Frozen dory". I knew what that meant as I still remembered the time we bought home some and attempted to make fish and chips. You see, frozen dory is more or less tasteless, and I suppose the batter didn't help add much to the taste. Luckily there was the tartar sauce. The chips were a bit soggy as well, and the whole dish was a tad on the oily side.

So, that's my take (or rather my wife's take as I only had a small bite) on the fish and chips. How was the lamb chop? Well, I'm still wondering. My lamb never arrived. After waiting for about half an hour (and my wife and Adelle were finishing the last bits of their meal), I see a plate of lamb chop come out of the kitchen window, the waiter takes it, and proceeds to give it to a group of young people seated next to us who came and ordered much later. It was then that I decide to ask the waitress (the one who took our orders) to check on my order and also another order of chicken wings that we had made. She goes to the kitchen and checks and never informs me what has happened.

I wait.

Twenty minutes later, my food still hadn't arrived. Food was coming out of the kitchen so I know the cooks were preparing food, just other people's and not mine. The order of chicken wings finally came and I decided to cancel my order. He apologised. When the waiter put the chicken wings on the table, I stifled a laugh. Before us was a small serving plate with two pieces of wings and nothing else. No garnishing, no sauce, nothing...just the two chicken wings sitting on the plain white saucer. Here it is:

The very airy plate of chicken wings

The three of us shared the wings, and though they were tasty enough they were not enough to lift my mood. Just then, my neighbour and his family walked in. I was almost tempted to tell him to find another place to eat but decided against it. Perhaps their experience would be more positive than mine.

Experience and training were clearly lacking in the staff: a lack of experience in handling a clearly disgruntled customer because of a huge mistake on their part (if I were the proprietor, I would have offered a free meal or if that were too much, offered a free side dish or something for the whole family. After all, you're new and you desperately want your customers to come again!); and a lack of training because an experienced staff would have noticed that my order wasn't filled yet even after so long. The restaurant wasn't very busy, so if the waitress who had taken my order had been alert she would have noticed me just sitting and looking at my wife and Adelle eat and would have checked my order with the kitchen.

Just before we got the bill, the waitress who took our order came and gave us something on the house - a pot of frozen yogurt. She offers her apologies saying that the kitchen had forgotten about my order. So, the yogurt was offered as "compensation"- a peace offering. My wife and Adelle ate some, and I was left the task of finishing off my "meal" while my wife went to pay for the meal. The person in-charge (who happened to be my wife's ex-student) asked my wife how I was and my wife's reply was, "Well, put it this way. A hungry man is an angry man."

The giant and the dwarf - the "peace offering" that was given
next to a standard-sized mug of water.

How apt.

My wife's ex-student went on to say that the kitchen messed up the order, and I suppose she may have apologised again. We walk out of the restaurant, and I was thinking, "Should I ever go there again?"

Maybe, maybe not.

Verdict:
Service - Below average (especially after they dare charge the 5% service charge!)
Food - So, so. Portion could have been better. My wife thinks Fish and Co. offers better value if you want fish and chips: a bit more pricey but a whole lot more tasty and portion is larger.
Value: RM12.90 for the fish and chips and RM4.50 for the wings - not the best value but not too expensive as well.

Update: Well, what do you know? It looks like my boo-boo wasn't a one-off thing. My neighbour whom we met at the restaurant also had a similar experience. Telling my wife this evening, my neighbour said that somehow the waiter/waitress had forgotten to punch in their order of fish and chips, so that dish didn't come out until the error was pointed out much later. They also ordered a lamb chop but this one came out fast. Must have been my order...

Tis the time for sickness

Not me, but Adelle.

I suppose it was just a matter of time before Adelle would get it. It's something that's not quite within our control as parents to prevent, more so if your child mixes with other children at a playschool or nursery.

Adelle developed a slight fever two days ago after coming home from playschool, but my wife and I thought nothing much of it. She had just developed a runny nose, but it was nothing serious so we just gave her some paracetamol (Adelle says this in the cutest way. Para-city-mall. She just has this thing about City Mall!) and didn't make more fuss about it. The next morning it was off to playschool as usual, but in the afternoon, my wife must have gotten a call from the principal because she messaged me saying that Adelle had a fever and asked me to take her home after I was done at work.

So, I got her home, got her cleaned up and rested. Then we took her to the doctor, and we were told that Adelle had two things bothering her. One was the flu and cough, and the other (which the doctor suspects is the cause of the fever), hand foot and mouth disease. Apparently, it's in season again.

Adelle had a few small red spots on her legs, and her bum. She also had an ulcer at the back of her mouth, so that more or less confirmed the doctor's diagnosis. She'd have to stay away from school for a week. So, I'm staying home till the end of the week to take care of her. But, you'd be hard pressed to say that Adelle was actually sick. She's still her active talkative self. Her appetite's taken a slight dent (must be the ulcer), and she uncharacteristically napped a few times during the day, but other than that, she looks quite normal.

Which is good.

I much prefer this to the whiny fussy side of her that can sometimes surface when she's uncomfortable or sleepy. Praying that there will be no complications from this episode of illness, and that it'll just run its course and go away quietly.

Music of the night

Right.

It's been like one month ten days since my last post, and I can already see the cobwebs around this page. I suppose that's the thing when the current year is coming to a close, and we teachers are off on the long year-end break. We slow down....really slow down. We stretch out our legs, cup our hands behind our heads, shake off whatever else that is niggling us, and...

relax. Just relax.

But, I just wish that this relaxation isn't interrupted at night. You see, every other day the garbage truck does its rounds around here collecting all the refuse from each road around the housing estate. The service is usually reliable, so that's nothing to grumble about.

What irks me though is the time it comes: right smack in the dead of night. That's usually between two to four in the morning. And when the garbage collectors come, four things happen:

1. Dogs howl: This is about the first thing you'll hear, as if in welcome of the approaching blue truck. The many dogs from various houses in the neighbourhood start barking one by one, starting with one from afar, and slowly coming closer, building up to a crescendo.

2. The truck growls: Soon after the first few dogs start barking, then you'll hear the garbage truck - a deep, almost guttural sound that seems to come from the very bowels of that heavy truck. And just for greater effect, the driver seems to enjoy stepping on the throttle a little longer before shifting, making that low growl turn into something like the stampede of tens of pigs.

3. The bins thud: Not just one thud, mind you. But, if there were ten houses on your street, then that's ten thuds. And let's not forget the dragging of these bins to the truck (the wheels on these bins don't seem to be very hardy).

4. The collectors chatter: These worthy men are quiet most of the time, but occasionally they shout out orders or chat, or laugh, or do whatever it is that normal people do for communication. It's just that it's in the middle of the night.

And what's the outcome of all these four sounds coming together? A racket that's bound to wake you (and maybe even the dead) up. But, thankfully it lasts for only a short period. And then, it's back to listening to the more pleasant sounds of the night: snores.

The Golden Rule

I'd say just about everyone thinks about money - from the poorest soul, to the world's richest person. It allows you to live comfortably, and it's one of the best motivators. How else do you explain you being willing to go through myriads of inconveniences (to put it mildly) just to get to that place called an office?

We're usually consumed by thoughts of how we can get more of it (either by doing more work, or by investing in something that offers good returns). But, how many of us think about how we can safely store it for use in times of need? I've been told that one of the best ways of doing so is by buying gold. Buying gold is often seen as a hedge against any sort of crises. The often given reason why buying gold is a good choice is that gold retains its value even when the usual monetary forms do not. After all, it's been used for ages!

And if you're like me, you would probably already have started a bit of that investment in gold - there's that gold ring that you may have as your marriage band, or that gold necklace that you wear round your neck, or those gold earrings. But, apparently you can also buy gold coins, actual coins made of gold, as a form of investment. These coins are sometimes referred to as bullion, but I think they refer to the same thing.

But, as usual, there's always the usual caveat: make sure you understand what your investment is all about and see whether it fits with your whole portfolio. Whether it be gold bullion or stocks, let your hard earned money do the working instead.

Doh! Nuts!!

I got burned.

Not my money, but my skin. Last Saturday, the whole family went for an outing with other church friends at Karambunai Lagoon Park, and the end result was that I was as red as a lobster and my skin was rather sensitive to the touch. Blame that condition on the banana boat ride (which was rather mellow this time round, as the boatman went slow because of the number of kids during our ride), and kayaking (about an hour's worth). But, now that I think about it, I guess the whole reason I did get sunburn was because I forgot all about slapping some thick white sunscreen on my body....

So, to prevent all the unsightly skin peel, I smeared some Johnson's cream (the one with vitamin E) all over the red parts. Now, if you've never known this, it really does work. Rub in the lotion a few times and it should work. After three days, the redness has more or less diminished and there's no sign of skin peeling anywhere. The wonder of it all...

Oh, also last Saturday Big Apple Donuts had some special offer: a 52% discount on their box of a dozen donuts. That basically means that you only had to pay RM13 for twelve donuts. Not a bad deal. So my wife and I went over to their outlet at City Mall, queued for about half an hour (!), and got our dozen. I think that day must have been their busiest for a very long time.

Wonderful (if, a bit pricey) donuts. Mmmmmm....

:)

Ouch!

The pest control people came over yesterday to treat the house with some pesticides to prevent roaches and ants. So, a few hours after they left, I did the mopping up just to clean up whatever residue was left. And that was when I got it...a crick at my left waist.

I thought nothing much of it at first, but as I was finishing up, I had extreme difficulty in even wringing the mop. I cleaned up and went up for my shower, and suffered some more. Taking my shorts off was a painful ordeal, so was reaching for the shower cream which was on the floor. So, rather than just bending down and picking it up, I had no other choice but to squat, slowly.

Dressing up was as painful. I had to sit down to do it, and even that act electrified my pain receptors. Ugggh! I tried stretching, thinking that it would help, but the pain was too much to bear. Thankfully, sleeping wasn't much of a problem, but when I woke up this morning, my left ear was feeling a bit numb and sore. I had probably stayed in one position for much of the night to cause that.

It's amazing isn't it? Just one tiny part of your body is at unease, yet it discomforts the whole body. But, I'm glad to say that the pain has subsided quite a bit since then, but it's still there. At least I can bend down at my waist now without having to howl in pain.

Which, in my book, means I should be fit enough to play badminton tomorrow!

15Malaysia

My wife showed me a couple of interesting short films just now and I must say I was quite impressed. Both had a rather strong message they wanted to send across, and the best thing was, both all had to do with Malaysia. If you didn't know already, there's a website showcasing 15 short films made by 15 Malaysian film makers and it's called 15Malaysia.

I haven't watched all the films yet, but the ones that I've seen (five, so far) deal with a broad range of topics, from public apathy, politics, to social issues and even religion(!), all told in our very own Malaysian context, so you'll find more than a smattering of Malaysian-ness in all these films.

That's not all. You'll also see quite a number of very familiar faces in some of the films. See if you can recognise the many Malaysian celebrities, all lending their talents and voices for these sometimes humourous yet very insightful commentaries on life in Malaysia.

Who knows? This nifty film-making project might even help the way we Malaysians see our true selves.

Go watch them already.

Swatting flies

We Malaysians love food, don't we? I think eating can easily be considered one of our most favourite unofficial pastime. But, having said that, we don't just gobble up everything that is laid before us. We choose, we pick, we select what is good and what is not. How else do you explain the fact that one restaurant can be bursting to its seams with customers when just a few doors away, the staff just spend their hours looking at the floor?

There has got to be something about that popular restaurant. I think it's all a matter of three very simple qualities:

1. Good food
The main reason you go to a restaurant or an eatery is to eat. You spend time, energy and money to get to a particular food joint and the least you expect is to get some good food in return. I mean, why bother going out for a meal if all you're going to receive on your plate is some crummy food which you could have cooked yourself is worst than your cooking?

2. Good service
The food served at a particular place can be the best in Malaysia (and some even say, Singapore), but if the service is horrible, then in my book, I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. How are you every going to enjoy the food if you're constantly getting frustrated by the inept staff that is supposed to attend to you?

3. Good value
You pay a certain premium for the food before you and you expect to be rewarded with a taste that is in proportion to or beyond what you have paid (although it is possible to get extremely delicious food at very affordable prices if you know where to go). Anything less, and the probability of you ever stepping into that restaurant decreases exponentially very quickly.

There you have it - three simple attributes for keeping your food business thriving. But, I'm sure you've patronised a number of eateries that don't quite achieve that mark. I know I have and there's one place in particular that I've visited not too long ago.

It's hard to say no to a delicious plate of chicken rice. And I'm always on a lookout for restaurants that offer great-tasting chicken rice with a decent price to boot. However, Jesselton Chicken Rice wasn't one of them. I've only ever visited that restaurant once, and that was more than enough. I had ordered a set which meant a plate of chicken rice with a drink, all for Rm8++.

The verdict: the chicken that arrived was cold, and not especially tasty. The drink, which was supposed to be some fruit juice, turned out just to be a poor syrup substitute. My wife's wasn't any better as well. If we had gone to a respectable chicken rice shop, we'd have gone out satisfied with spare change. We vowed that that would be the first and last time we ate there. And I thought, it'd be only a matter of time before this joint closes down.

When the whole family visited City Mall (where the restaurant was) yesterday for dinner, lo and behold, the prophecy has come true. The restaurant was dark, and on it's swinging doors was stuck a piece of paper which read "CLOSE" in red ink. Permanently,

I know I sound bad, but when it comes to food, I guess that's just the way it is. If your food tastes terrible, then people won't come. And when people don't come, well...it's just ta-woo-ying time (pardon my Cantonese. It's as bad as my Greek!) and an inevitable end.

p.s. Just in case you're wondering why the title to this post is "Swatting flies" - well, that's what ta-woo-ying means, and if my wife has taught me correctly, it refers to a situation where there isn't any work to be done. Hence, all you do is swat flies. :)

A talk with a stranger

I woke early this morning. Extremely early. It was even earlier than the time I'd wake up to go to school. And what would drive me to wake up at such an insane hour on a cool-sleep-inducing early Saturday morning? A photoshoot.

My cousin Alvin had asked me last week to help him out with a family photoshoot at Tanjung Aru this morning, and never having the experience of such a task, I gladly agreed. So, I got up when everyone else was still in dreamland and got ready and drove to Tanjung Aru. The shoot was at Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort and it was a blast. If you're interested you can check it out at my photoblog.

But, the reason I'm posting is that when we arrived, a lady was looking at the swallows which kept flying near the windows of the reception area. Then as we wanted to go to the garden grounds below, out of the blue she talked to me and said how amazing the birds were and how wonderful it was to be in Sabah. Not wanting to be rude, I said it was. Then she asked me if I was a guest and I answered that I was just visiting. I bid her farewell and thought nothing more of it.

After we were done with the shoot, we were leaving on our way up the stairs when we chanced upon the same lady again. Again she asked where we were from, and I guess she remembered because she blurted out the words 'KK'. Then, seeing that we were holding cameras she went on to ask questions about who we were and so on. And after talking about her life in British Columbia, Sandakan and Singapore (all in a span of 10 minutes!), my cousin and I found ourselves being persuaded about the benefits of becoming a yoga practitioner. By this time, all three of us were already sitting down. I guess my cousin and I were just being too polite. We actually wanted to go somewhere to review the pics we had taken, and so we 'endured' and made polite conversation with this lady. Towards the end, she gave me a photocopy of this supposed master, and asked me to read it. She even offered to possibly meet up in Canada if we ever headed over there.

We managed to excuse ourselves soon after and then went to Coffee Bean for some fake cool-air comfort and some ridiculously expensive drinks. That encounter with the woman got me thinking: she was basically hot-calling: strike up a conversation with anyone and introduce them to something that seems worthwhile. And she was doing it with all earnestness, too.

She's got guts.

A time to reminisce

I'm not sure about you, but sometimes I feel as if time seems to move faster nowadays; so much so, that sometimes life just becomes one great long blur. You don't remember what happened just a few days ago, let alone a few months back. Having said that however, I'm sure there are those moments in your life which somehow just stays in your memory, despite happening ages and ages ago. I have quite a few, but I'm not going to pour them all out to you!

I do have one thing to share though, and it happened more than 20 years ago, way back when I was still in my first years of secondary school. It was not a dramatic or a life-changing experience - nothing of that sort. Rather it was the more mundane act of filling in a form. Surprised? Let me explain.

Now, during my time here on earth, I have filled in many, many forms (as I'm sure you have, too), and I'm quite certain that there's still more to come. But, I don't remember much of anything about all the forms that I have ever filled - except this one a long time ago.

You see, what was so special about this form was that it was about the only form you'd ever find where it asked you this for this piece of information: your ambition. All the other forms had the usual details: name, address, occupation, and yadda, yadda, yadda, but I've never come across another form ever where it asked you what you'd like to be when you finish your education. And of course, as is normal with guys (at least those whom I know), I put soldier, police, fireman, Then, I think it was the second year when they gave the same forms, just to update the schools records, and I wrote the same things, just that I remember this time that I even put in musician!

And what was the outcome? I'm nowhere near any of those supposed ambitions, except maybe the musician as I play in the church music group. How differently I have turned out from what I pictured myself to be all those years ago. Such were the days of innocence.

I wonder what I'll write in now, if a similar form appeared and asked me of my ambitions. Hmmm...

Between the shoe and the sandal

I wonder who was the first person who ever wore a pair of shoes; and who invented them? I've searched the net and no ones seems to know. But, they are certainly a beguiling item. Imelda Marcos, the wife of the late Phillipines premiere Ferdinand Marcos, reportedly had over a thousand pairs of them. Most celebrities I'm sure have hundreds of them. Even I, myself, not exactly a shoe fanatic, have more than a pair of shoes. I have my work shoes, my sports shoes, my wear-once-a-week shoes, my...

And the fashions that shoes come in nowadays are just limitless! I mean just go to a shopping mall and you'd see several shoes stores. And in every shoe store there are at least a hundred different designs. And I'd say that that's just a conservative estimate! I remember a time some years back where platforms were all the rage. Now, those Converse All-Stars or their copies are quite the in thing. Or have they ever gone out of fashion?

I tend to buy shoes based on three criteria: the look, the comfort, and of course, the price. I'd say all three are of equal importance though I suspect some people may think that as long as a pair of shoes looks really good, then that's the only thing that matters. But, I say why kill your feet (and yourself) just for the sake of looking good, right?

Which is why a proper fit is important. I think one of the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever worn was a pair of Hi Tec walking boots I bought many years back. They just fit my feet so snugly, and they're a real pleasure to go around in. The cushion in these shoes are incredible. I still have them with me, but they're in really bad shape now. The soles are coming off though I suppose I could just bring it to the cobbler to have it stitched.

But, now I'm thinking whether there is a need for another pair of shoes. My sister-in-law is getting married in August, and it's going to be by the beach. So, what's the best bet? Shoes or sandals? Is there even such a thing as wedding shoes for men? What if it rains? Do I get boots instead?

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

But no harm doing a little reading up before buying, is there?

Gobsmacked

Has it really been two weeks? Boy. I guess the school break really was a break from any sort of brain work!

But, now that school's started again, I will have to dust off all the cobwebs that have appeared inside my head and get those juices flowing again...which is not a hard thing to do after what happened at work today.

Just before the holidays we had our mid-year examination as is the norm for many schools, and the two-week break was supposed to be time for us teachers to finish marking our student's scripts. I had already marked several classes that had their exams earlier, but for the later ones...like I said, my school-side of the brain took leave as well during the break so none of the papers were marked and I used whatever free time I had at school yesterday and today to finish off.

And I discovered a curious thing about one of my classes. I was marking their objective paper, and everyone of them except one, scored more half right. I would have been overjoyed, except that this particular class was one of the weakest, and their scores suggested that they were better than the best class in the same form which I also taught!

I was gobsmacked!

Could a miracle have happened? Could it be that my students in this particular class were suddenly proficient in English? Then I marked their essay paper and reality came crashing down - none of them could answer the paper properly.

Which begs the question - how was it that they were able to obtain such high marks for the objective paper? I know that teachers are supposed to think good of their students, but the first thought that came to mind was that they had somehow gotten hold of the question paper along with the answer prior to the test and distributed them during the examination. I couldn't think of any other scenario.

So, when I went into their class today, I confronted them asking if any of them had copied. None owned up. So, I decided to do a simple test. I took an clean question paper, and asked them to give me the answers orally . My reasoning was if they really understood the questions then they'd be able to give the correct answer - as was in their answer sheet. After all, it was the same question paper.

But, none were able to give correct answers for all. Out of the 7 questions I asked (seven consecutive questions where more than half the class got all correct), the most they could give me were two or three correct answers. So, what's a teacher like me to do?

I reprimanded them for cheating in the exam and said that I'll deduct marks from their score. That was the end of that.

Or so I thought. The plot thickens! :)

Back in the staffroom, I was talking to a colleague of mine when another colleague approached me and asked me if I had accused a class for cheating. I said yes. And she then proceeded to tell me that they hadn't actually cheated but that she had translated the questions and answers for them so that they could understand.

WHAT???!

I was gobsmacked again. I blinked at her, not knowing what to say or do.

Finding my voice, I asked her what I was to do with the marks. She didn't know. All she could say was that she was sorry. I told her then that I would stick to my decision of deducting the marks. She offered her apologies again and left.

My head was turning then. Not in a million years would I have thought of a teacher going to such lengths in helping a student during a school exam.

Well, now I know better.

p.s. But that still doesn't explain how all the students answers are all similar. Surely, they don't share the same brain as well, right?

Poetic amusement

Tonight's the night
The Red Devils play the Blue and Red,
And while no one quite knows
the kind of scoreline the game will show,
One thing's for sure
my dear footie fan:
That many a person, I assure
Will hurl abuse at that poor referee man

Come tomorrow
many will be bleary eyed,
'Cos fans in the world this side
will be dog-tired and mystified,
For how in the world
Could their team so strong
Be so humbled
by a side not quite on song

 (so they grumble)

So, be wary
my dear footie fan
the wrath of the win-deprived-sleep-deprived
brand of a man
for quick is his temper
and sure is his hand
to point a finger at you
and say, "Just shut up. Can?"

Enjoy the great football game that I'm sure it's going to be between Barcelona and Manchester United tonight. It's not often that you see two champions of the respective domestic leagues slugging it out on the same field for the greater glory that is the UEFA Champions League crown. Just in case you don't know, the match starts at 2.45 am local Malaysian time.

For me, I'll be dozing in my comfortable bed then.

You can tell me the results tomorrow...