Onward bound

It's 10 a.m. on the last day of 2018. The new computer is more or less set up. I have copied the image files that I want; installed LR and PS; and copied the Quran plus music files.

I should register for the Translator sites, but right now, my Jasmin photos are missing. I need to select photos for printing and display on the board. I promised Zairi I'd do it last week, but things got delayed. I'm glad I got this computer. It gives me the freedom to take care of things without worrying about Abah's files or K Ayu's crap. But with 3 machines recently used, it will take some work to sort out all my files.

It's a bit of a bummer to find that my monitor is much more damaged than it was a month ago. All that cat urine and moving around must have damaged the LCD cells. I could buy another second hand monitor, but I need to keep my spending in check until I earn more money. I have so much to catch up with in the freelancing department...

Well, we'll be one step ahead in the new year, right? Here's to a better 2019. Aameen!!

Commitment

I'm a bit worried, but it's a done deal... I got myself a new CPU to work on. Cost me RM1122 with 1TB hard drive and keyboard + mouse. Not exactly cheap, but I couldn't get a similar powered laptop any cheaper. This is like half the price...

It looks a bit funny, with fancy casing and all, but as long as it works fast, it will serve its purpose.

Why now? Because both Abah's laptop and my little tab are damnably slow. I do have the option of selling the tab, but it will probably be handy to carry around. Kak Ayu is always so anxious when I borrow the laptop. Takkan la I nak buang. As it is, I've spent so much money updating it!

I don't know why I'm going nuts like this... maybe because I've gotten nowhere with my writing and translation, or photo projects. AND I'm starting to not enjoy Grab driving. It felt so easy and natural in the beginning but now it feels more and more like a chore. Especially when I think about the damage done to the car...

It would probably be better to drive Grab on the side, 2-3 days a week instead of relying on it as the major income source. Being at the mercy of unknown passengers does get old after a while. I can't even plan for prayers, I don't know where I would be at any time. Even though it's a cash business, I can only put aside rm150 per day. Plus i spend too much on food when i drive around...

Oh well, let's see how it goes. Fingers crossed. Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim...

Here again..

Masa yang paling tak best adalah menunggu giliran di KKM KD.

Alhamdulillah hari ni dapat MO yang pandai sikit amik darah, tak sakit. Lepas drop rekod, makan kat kedai sebelah dapat decent price.  Tapi naik tunggu giliran, agak lambat dan ada anak siapa ntah terpekik terlolong macam aku zaman budak2 dulu.  Bingit sehhh..

Agak bosan pasal visual test tu sempoi gila. Apa pekdah pon tak tau la. Blood reading have been quite bad. Hrmph. Tak best.

Grab also giving me problems on top of my increasingly damaged car... so tak best.

Now considering to buy a used PC for photo processing purposes. Abah's laptop is too slow and the tab pun has limited disc space. I need something that can work fast and hook up to the big monitor. Used PCs are cheaper than new laptops. I really need to get ahead with freelance work by January. Saw a few potentials on Carousell... maybe I can korek some tabungs to buy one.

I'm happy enough with the tab for meeting minutes and simple excel files, but it lacks connectivity for photo processing. Actually boleh, I je yang tak produktif kat rumah... kan??

Everything feels uncoordinated and disorganised :( I need to get on top of things.

1.15 p.m. Discovered that everyone disappears for lunch at 1.00 pm, except for tge poor doctors and one lone pharmacist. Couldn't get meds first because I need to set appt so that they can calculate the amount of meds to dole out.

They'll only be back at 2 pm. It will take at least 30 minutes to set appt and get meds before I can go home. I need to pray and save meds before I can go cari makan, IF I decide to go drive... Hadoi... life can be so difficult sometimes.

I really should use the laptop to work on, but seriously tak best pakai that slow relic. Some more, not enough space to work on. Tak best bawak masuk bilik pasal shared resource tapi kat luar panas. Sigh. A decision needs to be made soon...

Cravings

Have not had a good Moroccan tagine for a long long time. Wonder where I can get some at a reasonable price these days...

Control measures

Diabetes is an expensive disease.

I used to be ok with buying my own medicine because it costed under RM100 per month. But now that I'm on insulin, the cost is much, much higher and I've resorted to going to the government clinic for my medication.

Following the spate of viral posts about people taking insulin which is not used and improperly stored, I was glad to see this instruction on my box label. At least people who do not make use of their free medicine won't get more until they learn to be more responsible.

And before anyone starts making a fuss about me using up taxpayers' money, please note that I paid taxes for many years too.

I'm glad that KKM is taking steps to manage wastage, and I'm glad that our public health system is there to help us with limited resources. Honestly, I wouldn't mind paying more than RM1 for the care that I get. RM1 is seriously too little to cover any costs.

Let's see what KKM's fee structure review says when it's revealed.

Annoying errors

I'm back at KKM Kota Damansara for my checkup and feeling quite unhappy with how the day is progressing. I woke up late and arrived at 9 a.m. My appt is at 10.00. I figured that it's better to be early than late.

Wondering why the person in charge had put my card aside, I asked the her if I was supposed to be fasting. I didn't want to ask directly why I was put on hold since she might take offence. Then she pointed out that I had not written my name on the appt card. Duh!! It was covered by the list of readings I was supposed to get during screening, so I didn't notice the empty form underneath.

After taking my blood sugar reading, again with the lancet pushing in so deep that it left a bruise, I went to eat. I had a laksam, a bergedel and a small piece of fish, plus ice water. Guess how much i was charged? Rm11.30. Stupid tiny piece of fish was charged rm6. When I protested, I was advised to check before eating. Well, no one came to write the bill and I had trouble even to order plain water. The staff kept people who wanted to pay waiting too. Kedai sebelah KMM - you are now on my boycott list.

Afterwards went back upstairs to wait for my turn and realised that I had forgotten to bring the reference letter from Dr Siti and all my records. Because I was too busy watching Oshin to prepare my stuff yesterday.

When my number went past, i was of course annoyed. Until i realised that i had not passed my reference sheets to the counter attendants. Another sigh... I'm not used to all this streaming and procedures.

They the attendant asked when I had my blood test done. Lucky it was in my calendar. Shouldn't they have all that shit already computerised by now??

It's past 11.30 and I'm still waiting for my turn. It's going to be another hassle explaining why i didn't have the reference letter with me. I thought I didn't have time to go get my documents. Turns out I could have gone home and back if I wanted to.

I already took yesterday off, it would be a challenge to catch up with collection this afternoon :(

Home day

It's 10.30 and I'm still in bed, blogging. I did have breakfast though. Had to since I jabbed insulin. Thank God my numbers are better now.

I was up since 4.30 a.m. sorting out the Asus tablet. I'm a bit annoyed because I couldn't install Google Play store and Microsoft store is just stupid. The Asus Gift app was also an annoying piece of shit.

Got a bit confused because the damn thing was supposed to be an android tab, but it's behaving like a laptop/ PC. Sigh. I guess the machine is confused too...

Decided to buy the Asus instead of the iPad air because
1) It's more current
2) More hard disk space
3) Has a keyboard
4) Has USB port
5) Easier to integrate with my other devices.

I'm still uncomfortable with Apple devices...

So far, its not too bad. MS Office works fine without requiring 365 subscription. I started on the meeting report already. Will probably do the rest on PC. The mobile versions of Words and Excel are basically fine, but the PC versions are much more powerful. So, probably best to use tab for updating and PC for major formatting/ editing.

I managed to install Dropbox and Google Chrome, which are crucial to file integration. Wish I could get it to install Google Play, but no luck yet. Tried to install the Kindle Reader but cannot. There is an annoying ambiguity between what is considered a mobile app and PC thingy, unfortunately.

Tried to install some apps and widgets but failed. Then i realised i should just use those on my phone. No point having the same thing on both devices. I should use the tab for writing and editing, personal management stuff can be done on the phone.

Guess I'll need to figure out how the 3 devices should complement each other. It will all work out, in syaa Allah... ;)
😎

What to do...

Yesterday I had an annoying passenger who kept moaning about everything. Her internet wasn't working la, her Grab not working la, she didn't have enough money la... on the way to Bangsar terpaksa singgah ambik duit. Then marah I tak jumpa the house when she was the one who gave the wrong address. Patutla Waze tak boleh nak search!

Most annoying was, she said it wasn't her fault, blamed me for getting lost and giving her a headache. Adoi... Semuanya orang lain yang salah.

Surprisingly I didn't lose my temper. I actually pitied her. A woman in her fifties moaning about losing something and saying, "habis la mak i marah". Like, hello... Aren't you too old to worry about your mom's nagging?

She was limping and complaining kaki sakit. Maybe seeking attention kot. But cannot tahan she gave me her phone WHILE I WAS DRIVING to see if I could fix her bloody apps. GEEZ!! Pakai otak la sikit, makcik oi...

Her phone looked like i had gone through Afghanistan or Gaza. It was probably jammed full of rubbish, but when I suggested that her phone memory was full, she denied it, saying "nothing wrong with my phone." Sigh. Sabar ajelah.

She was moaning about getting someone at Petronas or Maxis to help fix the phone. Mobile data dengan Wifi pun tak tau nak bezakan.... Orang explain tak mau dengar. I couldn't wait to drop her off.

My next passenger was a Bangladeshi worker. It was an easy cruise to Pandan Indah. AMAN DUNIA!

Stepping up

Just went for my follow up a few days ago and Dr Siti really was not pleased with my readings. Sigh.

Will need to step up and stop fooling around eating bad food. That said, the same night i missed dinner and ended up walloping large fries and Mc Chicken! Hehe...

Just discovered unsweetened Nescafe, which is a godsend... mana larat beli Starbucks wei... still struggling to kumpul duit ni. Projek lain belum jalan...

I don't  enjoy jabbing insulin, but no choice la. What to do?? At least I can adjust dosage according to my food intake. Nasib baik gomen bagi ubat free.

Now i need to increase exercise pulak. Maybe walk around the Landsite Operations while waiting for airport fare? Hahaha... have to be creative maa...

This morning's reading dah ok, 6.2. Hope I can keep it up. No more sweet drinks and desserts la. Huhu...

Everything comes at a price

At Klinik Kesihatan Kota Damansara. Delayed because i had to jab insulin, then eat breakfast before i left. Got here by 8.30 a.m. and I'm no 64. It was no 11 then. Went to fill petrol and came back. It was still at no 25. Now I'm trying to catch up with schedules and emails/ sms/ WhatsApp plus recording expenses while waiting.
If i learnt anything being self employed, it's to hustle because time is precious.
I'm considering to get an iPad instead of a new laptop so that i can work on the go...
I don't get many breaks though, unless it's an exceptionally slow day.
I hate having to wade through the public health system, but at one insulin pen per week, it's a pretty big financial burden for me. Hope i don't have to spend too long waiting today... i need to earn a living too :(
Update: got to register at 10. 15. MO checked blood pressure - 145/85. Much higher than usual. Stress menunggu and cannot work? Stress nak ter kenc tapi giliran dah dekat?
Sugar tinggi gila 3 hrs after breakfast.
I was then sent to take urine sample upstairs. Cannot tahan went to pee first.  Then they gave me a cup, i couldn't wee anymore. Facepalm! Now giving my system a few minutes to produce more wee.. lalalala.
In the end, got my meds just before noon. Went home to keep the insulin, had lunch, loaded washing machine, petang baru keluar. Thought about getting an iPad or tablet to work on while on the road. Kat rumah selalu conk out once i balik.
Went to OU and surveyed options. Asked Jonathan and he has one to sell also. Still trying to decide if I should buy. Would I actually be more productive? I'm afraid that it  would be a waste of  scarce funds...

Life as a Grab Driver

I've been driving Grab for about a week now, and I learned a few things along the way.

The first day was pretty nice, I started with a short trip sending someone from Flora to Damansara Perdana. Next I sent a pilot to KL Sentral. He was really nice and courteous - that was very pleasant. Then there were a few young students around KL. I sent a young couple to HKL because the girl had food poisoning; then a few Kedahans on a course in KL. Last I sent two Bangladeshis to Puncak Alam... They asked me to wait, but I went to pray Asar and Maghrib instead. Missed that fare, but no regrets.

Over the week, I've met complaining kids, very nice Malaysian students, someone who was late for his exam, etc etc etc.

And there were good and not so good days. Days when you constantly take wrong turns and get cancelled. Once I confused the 2 Pelangis and ended up where I was NOT supposed to be. Huge facepalm because 1) Pelangi Utama was just round the corner and 2) I HATE Pelangi Damansara's super high and thin illegal speed bumps that scrape the bottom of my Baby G...

Yesterday I took a few fares coming back from KL and went round the Bangsar jam a couple of times. Sometimes the pins were off. Sometimes people were somewhere far from their supposed locations (hate that); and sometimes Waze sends me round the world (supposed to be the "safe" route) and cost me my bookings. Sigh.

Also got stuck in a major crawl exiting Curve area and missed Asar although I started for home by 5.30 pm. I could have prayed in Mutiara Petronas but I was too focused on getting home that I forgot that option. A lot of face palms along the way...

One of the sweetest things was meeting someone going to KLIA2. KLIA2 is always welcome because it pays more. But this guy was also really nice and easy to talk to. It was nice being able to flirt for a bit. Man, I miss having a boyfriend. Sometimes I wish we could meet again, I think he would make a nice hang-out buddy, if not more ;)

Today wasn't so good, unfortunately. I was feeling off and I got cancelled so many times. There was this girl with a rather loud little boy. After going all the way out to Sentul, I decided to call it quits and headed home. Battery had gone flat and i had forgotten to bring my power bank along. Lucky the emergency cable was still in the car.

The money is not bad, but I need to get my 2nd part time work sorted out already. I need 2 part time jobs to make a decent living.

I'm quite worried because there are so many expenses coming up and the Zombie eats (and poops) too much. Lost my temper with Kak Ayu because she keeps saying she didn't have enough money even to pay a RM25 bill every 3 months. If you're not earning enough, find another job, for God's sake!! I can't keep paying for everything all the time. Man, sometimes I really wish I could hook up with a rich guy and get away from her. Except that I love the apartment so much more than she does :( Sigh.

Have spent more money sorting out the computer, buying insulin and more cat food... I'm haemorrhaging money OK!! Have been trying to minimize credit card use and any extra really bumps up the balance. Ugh. I also got a number of social meets and volunteer slots lined up so I won't be able to work or drive much...

I need to make things right again.

A New Life

After 7 years in GEC, I'm now back to freelancing...

I was supposed to finish some articles and start looking at some part-time work; but instead I've spent DAYS running around to organise the Sukaneka and more days getting Abah's laptop up to scratch. Kak Ayu has been using the machine, but have not got it organised nor updated Windows. The battery was damaged and had to be replaced... My netbook is seriously dying, as is my external monitor which got peed on by the cats. Bloody cats! Why do I even keep them anyway?? Anyway, I can't buy a new laptop until I sort out some kind of an income to live on ASAP.

Also spent HOURS getting the Lightroom set up and properly synced. There were 2 catalogs which needed to be merged and synced on the 2 machines. It's still a bit wonky because I need to reset the file locations. Right now, all RAW images are on Hard Drive because Abah's laptop doesn't have sufficient space and I'm hoping to get my own machine soon.

Only just managed to find my previous company registrations, have not called or emailed SSM to clarify some things. Finally changed my Unifi autopay details, but I still need to call TM to make sure they don't charge me twice for payment.

Still haven't done my mini projects or checked out my planned part-time stuff either. Sigh. Have been spending cash at an alarming rate, buying household stuff and food. Tried to work last night but of course didn't get much done. I HAVE to get cracking now. Wish me luck!!

Second Wave

After more than 4 years in this apartment, I'm starting to get new ideas for redecorating. Ironically, the ideas came in the OFFICE, where I should have been WORKING after my long break. I did not have many work ideas at home. Some, but not many, 

Thus far, I have procured a folding table for the work space and rearranged the hall slightly to make it more compact. Strangely, grouping the work table close to the sofa makes the space cozier and more conducive to working. A bulb died on the chandelier, though; and it's too dim anyway. I'll replace the bulbs with  brighter ones soon, insya Allah.

I was actually very concerned that I didn't have a space where I could work productively at home. With the office internet being so slow and jamming every time I visit a not-so-work-related site; it would be nice if I can catch up at home. It would be good for productivity because I'm often so tense and distracted in the office that nothing gets done. On the other hand, there are people to moan to, and get ideas from there.

The folding table is holding it's own. It's a bit shaky, but that's not a big deal as I only have a laptop and maybe a few books/papers to put on it. Plus a drink or two. The most important thing is that it can easily be stowed away when not in use. I want SPACE in the small working/ reading room. It can be a guest room as well, now that there is space to put the folding mattress. The fan can be easily placed on the floor, no problem.

I've had some ideas for jazzing up the bathroom. I'll need to make some measurements and scout for possible materials before anything can be done. I need cold hard cash too, something that is sorely missing right now. It can be done later, but perhaps before the year end.

Right now, it's WAYYYY past my bedtime and my eyes are feeling uncomfortable. I need to pray and fly to la-la-land ASAP. G'night folks!!

Demam PRU

Tengah kecoh2 nak mengundi ni, tengok2 calon kawasan sampai 4 orang... how to check their credibility la??? I really need to know who I will be voting for. Vote good people, not parties.

Anyway, Last week I saw an article that said BN was always bad, I could not bring myself to agree. I remember that I was once quite happy with BN's government. They ran things well. Our government still runs pretty well, despite the stupid scandals and corruption that is going on. We are still quite solid, although we are getting shakier by the minute. THAT is why we need a change. We cannot go on allowing mismanagement and theft to continue. We are at the losing end.

The price of goods are soaring like never before. Maybe the rich can say that cost of living in Malaysia is low; but for local Malaysians who do not earn much to start with, it's painful! I don't really mind paying GST, but right now, I don't see how it is benefiting us. Department budgets are being slashed. Hospital budgets, medicine, etc. etc. semua kena potong. So where has the massive collection of GST money gone to??? Takkan habis bagi kat BR1M kot?

I'm not sure where the money for MRT is coming from, but at least that is one real good step in the right direction. We should have developed our public train system ages ago. I hope the funding didn't put us in too much debt though. While I'm all for development and modern amenities, I do feel that development should not be funded only through loans and more loans. I don't want us to be saddled with debt forever. I don't want us to become like Greece or Spain... We need to strike a balance.

Right now, we need sensible leaders who will steer us in the right direction and implement prudent checks and balances that will keep us on a healthy growth track. Keep good people and kick out the rotten apples. Enough of hot air and racial sentiments already. No more racism, please. We need to be practical and realistic.  Malaysians need to unite and move forward. Let's go for it. MALAYSIA BOLEH!!!

Burying the dead...

Just came back from burying Little Kopi. I buried him by the river, behind the office.

A few weeks back, we saw that his eyes were badly infected and he had boils in many places. I wanted to take him to the vet, but i was already running late and I didn't have a cage handy. I knew from experience that he sometimes bites, so I didn't want to risk moving him without a restraining cage.

However it proved hard to find him in the coming weeks. i was ridden with guilt, thinking that he must have died alone, in pain and hungry. Suddenly he reappeared yesterday and I seized the chance to bring him to the vet.

Took him to Healing Pets and they diagnosed him with Cryotococcus infection, something almost as bad as sporo and possibly linked to FIV. It was like Jack's problem. I decided to put him to sleep. I was dry eyed this time. It's not the most heroic thing to do, but under the circumstances, it was the most practical option. I don't have the money or time to nurse a critically ill cat, while trying to keep him safe from my brats, and also keeping my brats safe from whatever he had.

At the end of the day, Allah knows best. RIP Little Kopi... I love you...

Pening kepala...

Maybe it's a norm for some people, but not me. Although I carry around a pack of Uphamol 650's, I seldom eat them.

Woke up with a dull headache this morning and it just carried on throughout the day... Sigh. Plus my boss dah masuk hari ni and I have a million things half done. URGGGHHHHHHH...

Kept dozing on and off around noon and crawling along the rest of the time. At 3 pm I had a bit of bran with milk + coffee, hilang kejap sakit kepala. Errmmm... was it caffeine withdrawal? I don't take THAT much coffee every day...

Or was it sleep deprivation again? Been sleeping rather late because for some stupid reason kept postponing until I shower at 1 a.m. and terhegeh2 nak semayang at 2 a.m. Last night tergolek tidur atas lantai lepas semayang... With the lights on. Which means I tak lena tidur. Again. Adoiii...

Maybe tonight I should have an early dinner outside, balik solat and tidur awal. No games. Esok awal2 nak breakfast with the girls and pergi shoot dekat FRIM.. After that should go home and sleep lah. And kemas my study before the cats rip my papers to shreds. Ouch.

Or look for Little Kopi and take him to the vet. He desperately needs help tapi dah berapa hari tak nampak si kecik tu :( 

Lost and Not Found

Have been rather distressed the past few weeks because some things went missing and never resurfaced :(

One was my small bunch of office keys. At least I didn't lose ALL of them! I remember using it to get stuff before the Bera trip. Can't remember using it after we came back because I left early most of the time. Have been hunting for it high and low to no avail :(

Then it was the small metal plate that goes on my handphone. I cut it from the old phone and used UHU glue to attach it to the new phone. Unfortunately the glue didn't hold and I had a hard time keeping the phone on the holder on the way to Frasers. Somewhere along the way, the disc disappeared and has not been found at press time. Today I tested one of the magnetic strips I got in Korea and that worked OK, so I'm using it for the time being.

Last night I found Little Kopi on the steps with broken eyeballs and abscesses all over. I went in to keep my food and forgot all about him. Felt guilty in the morning and wanted to take him to the vet. Then I realised that someone had borrowed the pink cage and never returned it. I brought the black cage but couldn't find him anywhere... The least I could do it to get him some medical attention instead of letting him suffer like that. Will try to find him again tonight, insya Allah.

I need to catch up with work but I had some indigestion which made me unnaturally sleepy this morning. Hope I can get SOME things done in the afternoon...

Post Bird Race 2018

Went for Bird Race again this year, saja suka-suka ikut Mr Phang and my 'uncles' gang. The 3 of them, Mr Phang, Tan Dek and Dr Karim formed one team and I registered for the Bird Photography contest. I felt a bit awkward if I joined the team because I would force someone out of the trio. It was good also because this year Bird Racers weren't allowed to drive around!! Photographers can. Hehe...

No luck in winning anything, though. The uncles suspect that they had been placed in the "Advanced" category and my photos were pretty lousy... I was so kan cheong trying to download the photos that I forgot the good shots and submitted the not so good ones. Oh well... Can always use them for NTTL ;)

I realised too late that I forgot to bring the SD card reader and the one on the netbook didn't work.  Nasib baik Mr Lee found me one I could borrow. I really should get the card reader fixed, it went dead after Bernard changed the motherboard last year. Sigh. So maa fan!

It felt really weird going to office this morning.... I wish I could stay home and sort out my super messy room right now. And have a closer look at my photos, of course. Life turns upside down if I'm away too much :(

We stayed in Sri Berkat because the uncles wanted it. It was much more expensive than staying in Silverpark, but our room was superb!! I got an upstairs suite right at the end. It had windows on three sides!! It was as good as Jelai for bedroom birding.  I loved it. I went up on Friday afternoon, Sali came up on Saturday.  She had to entertain herself for much of Sunday, but Hui Min was around, so ada gak kawan....

Going round shooting all day was a bit of a challenge, especially carrying the heavy gear. I'm SOO glad I bought myself a fast SD card and monopod just before leaving. The monopod is so much more portable and easier to adjust. While going round, we got a Large Hawk Cuckoo at close range. Too bad the shots were shaky. I saw a long-tailed broadbill, but didn't manage to shoot it... Lifer!! Got the pygmy wren babbler too. My green magpies were very grainy because ISO was 3200. Sigh. Will need to learn to fix that. And next time I go up, I should do Telekom loop instead of staying at the usual route. Tan Dek had it worse with walking around all day. He has told Mr Phang that it would be his last Bird Race.

This year got a little awkward because I had gone down to Jeriau with Roto. It rained so we headed back up. Then we had the cakes I tapaued from Secret Recipe earlier. Then I somehow got linked with the Taman Negara Boys... Erm... excuse me? I don't even know their real names, for God's sake. it was kind of awkward because we kept bumping into each other. It IS a pretty small hill kan... His team included his brother and a Datuk whose name I didn't know. Plus team II from Tmn Negara. Seriously, I didn't get their names, even. And the last thing I need is another pointless non-relationship. Now I start rindu my anak ikan again... Hisk!

Ok, time to get back to work... Need to head up the hill again soon. FH... Saranghae!!

To push, or not to push...

Last week, someone snapped at me for pushing him to do something. It was quite unexpected and rather annoying, to say the least. It feels like a dog has bitten his friend. Not nice at all.

Spent the last weekend sitting in front of the computer, forcing myself to find some usable shots to submit for a photo exhibition. Now my sifu is asking for more powerful shots on the subject... Adoi... Do I HAVE any more usable shots? I know I don't have many wow shots on this subject.

Hmm. Do I WANT to spend the night poring over photos again?? CAN I come up with something fantastic? I don't know.... Should I keep pushing? 

The Date Trap

We all take a chance every now and then.

Last week I befriended a stranger on FB. We talked for 2 days and then decided to meet up. Despite some misgivings, I thought it would be best to meet and see if we could click. We didn't.

I never had such a horrendous date, ever. We were supposed to have dinner, and maybe a movie later. Somehow I ended up buying movie tickets and the guy got some snacks.

Never in my life, had I thought that anyone could make my jobless, liar ex-boyfriend look good in comparison. This guy did. Amazing.

I should have figured from the very beginning that this guy was just looking for trouble. Some people should never be given the benefit of the doubt. I guess I was hoping that he wasn't really a big douchebag and I think he was hoping I wasn't really a square nerd. We were both wrong.

Only Hugh Jackman kept me in the cinema; I quickly ignored the guy after he got mad that I refused to cozy up to him and bodily removed his hand from my thigh. Needless to say, we never spoke after that utterly offensive date.

I have been quite zen about the stupid episode, after all, the "relationship" lasted all of three days.

But deep down, there is a sense of disappointment. I thought that MAYBE, I would finally find my halal travel buddy. Someone who got my back. Someone my dad won't reject. Someone I could really share a life with.

So I'm back to zero. Still, I am utterly thankful that I do have many real friends in my life. Maybe someday I'll find that significant other I am looking for. The one that I will have no qualms cozying up to and more.

Maybe it's third time lucky. Maybe the next guy will be the real deal. Maybe. Insya Allah... 

Small matters do matter

I'm hardly one to sweat the small stuff, but sometimes, small things do help make a more pleasant day overall.

Case in point - listening to music in the office. More often than not, I put on the headphones to drown out loud discussion by the other team. At one point, I broke the headphone jack and it stayed stuck inside the slot for a long time. So I bought a Bluetooth headset. It worked fine on the phone, but it refused to pair with the laptop. After a few months of inconvenience, I bought a wireless headset.

It worked fine, but it took up one of the 3 USB ports on the computer. I need one for the wireless mouse, and one didn't work very well. So if I needed to plug in the desk printer AND a hard drive/ flash drive, something had to be pulled out. It wasn't too bad, just a little inconvenient.

My old laptop was really breaking down and for a long time, it was hard to turn on. Once it was on, it worked fine, more or less. So at the end of last year, it really broke down. And I got a new machine. Phew! What a relief!

It helps that my IT guy set it up to be as similar as possible to my previous machine, so there's minimal trouble with finding files etc. Recently I tried to hook up the Bluetooth headset and it worked perfectly! So nice. So now no more turning on computer woes, and I have another USB port free. Plus the battery lasts A LOT longer than the wireless set. Hurray!!

Ready to go..

                                       Boots after the trek to           Cleaned and conditioned, 

                                       Setinggi Falls                        ready for our next adventure :) 

I don't know why I even bother to write this... No one wants to know for sure, but I do love having a pair of reliable, waterproof boots to trek in. I may be the only Malaysian dumb enough to actually wear Timbs into the jungle. They're heavy and expensive, most people trek in light sports shoes. The more enlightened will wear Adidas kampung which are cheap, light and damned effective. A lot of people who buy Timbs just wear them for show. You know, when you go jalan-jalan overseas or whatever. 

Mine have been immersed in the peat swamps of Borneo and Pahang, almost destroying the leather when I attempted to clean it. Thank God for Timb staff who advised me to use a leather conditioner on the dry, almost cracked uppers. I might buy some saddle soap for my next cleaning job. I use mild soap for now, but I could change to something milder. 

So far, these puppies have accompanied me to Korea and a few local destinations. They ARE rather heavy, but they really have a good grip on rocks and protect the feet well. Grip is super important to klutzes like me. And I know too well the frustration of having your shoes come apart while trekking, usually when wading up a river. I have to admit they cramp my toes a little, but they're much more comfortable now that I have broken them in. And they would have been lovely during my Lake District romps, especially the long, cold trudge along the railway track. My fabric boots were so wet and clammy, it really wasn't much fun. 

I'll always be thankful to the friend who donated them to me. I may never afford to replace them if this pair dies, but I hope we have many more adventures together before that day comes. :) 

"Wallet fatigue"

Just cleared Abah's phone bill because he's in Singapore and he already hit his credit limit... Because he doesn't clear his bill immediately, he waits until it's due on the 20th. Duh!! I used to pay his Celcom bill because of Makcik's issues, but now that she's gone, he should choose one line and disconnect the other. Come on la, it's not rocket science!! 

Paid cash for the cats' food and litter sand, will soon have to buy more groceries, and I'm trying not to be a beast to my sister... But I am quite tired of buying so many eggs in a month. If you want to live solely on eggs, buy your own boleh tak? I beli sayur semua tak reti masak. Asyik makan megi aja.... Megi and roti. Kalau aku masak pandai pulak makan ye? Dia suka instant food like fish fillets and nuggets. Yang tu cepat aja habis.

I did spend a lot on the Korea trip last year. My credit card charges are too high and I'm struggling to pay off everything. It doesn't help that I may lose my job. I've been looking at my meager savings and trying to figure out how I can save more. What should I do if I lose my job? What should my next job be?

Sometimes I feel so tired of all this shit. Why can't K Ayu find a better paying job? Why can't Abah help her a little? Why can't she pay me at least a little bit? I was planning out my expenses and I end up with so little pocket money. I used to have more disposable income because I was only paying Rm380 for the car. I only had one credit card. And I used to claim a lot for external meetings. Now I'm feeling more than a little pinched.

I hesitate to bully my sister to pay up because even reduced, my pocket money is still more than her salary (according to her lah). To be fair, I need more pocket money because I need to fill up the petrol tank. I pay for stuff - electricity, cat food, groceries... My lunch money is not a lot. I need to spend on eating out with friends and buying gifts every once in a while. I can't be waiting there with my mouth open for people to feed me...

Yet she is SOO calculative about keeping the house clean. If you have to be so picky about who washes a few fucking dishes or wiping the cabinets, at what point can we start spring cleaning the cupboards? Jam mati pun tak reti nak tukar bateri.... Semua tunggu I buat. I'm so tempted to leave. Go work overseas and let her learn to take care of herself...

Sigh. I need a rich husband. ASAP. Please? :P