My Green Thumb Sunday post this week.
Join
Do visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
06 July 2008
Strawberry season
It's strawberry season again. The fruits are 100% organic and they taste delicious. However, it's not the first time I am tasting the 'Fruits of my labour'.
My Green Thumb Sunday post this week.
Join
Do visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
My Green Thumb Sunday post this week.
Join
Do visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
02 July 2008
Recycling unwanted stuff
This morning a guy knocked on the door asking for scrap metal. I suddenly remembered that we had loads of junk in our backyard, most of it left over by the previous tenant including rusted pipes and a sheet of metal weighing more than a ton. I had been planning to take them to the tip in London road and I fortunate that someone took care of that for me.
Looking around the house, I suddenly realise that in less than two years, we have accumulated quite a bit of unused and unwanted stuff. These include old clothing that my children have outgrown and loads of other stuff. The problem is that they are taking up precious space in our small house. I am sure a lot of you face the same problem as well.
Listed below are some way of getting rid of unwanted stuff:
1. Online auctions sites.
The first one that usually comes to mind is eBay, the largest online auction site in the World. A great way of making money while getting rid of unwanted items. So far, I have sold baby clothes, books, toys and even furniture on eBay.
Recently got to know about another popular online auction site called eBid. The great thing about this site is that unlike eBay, you are not charged listing fees
2. Car boot and Garage sales.
Never tried selling stuff at a car boot sale though I would like to try it out at least once before I leave the UK. One man's junk can be another man's treasure. Someone who has tried it before told me that it was a fun but tiring experience. The British weather is the unpredictable factor here. Would hate to get caught in a chilly shower.
3. Classifieds.
You can also list up items on the local newspaper classifieds or online. Gum tree is a very popular free online classifieds service here in the UK. It was acquired by eBay in May 2005. You might want to put up your items under the category, "Stuff for Sale".
4. Charities.
If you can't be bothered with all the hassle of listing items for sale, posting, and so on, you can donate your unwanted items (in good condition) to various charities like the PDSA, Help the Aged, Age Concern England, Barnardo's, etc. Some of them will even pick up the items from your house. Contributing for a good cause does feel good. Not everything is nor should be, about money.
5. Others.
You might also want to consider joining the Freecycle Network. With the noble goal of keeping "usable items out of landfills." You join the discussion group for your area, (in my case it is the Coventryfreecycle under Yahoo! groups). Do note that everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages.
I had a huge hifi system I bought from a car boot sale for £3/. It was working great for sometime until the CD player suddenly stopped working one day. The tape and radio still worked but it was taking up too much space. I was about to drop it off at the tip when I remembered the Freecycle group. I was surprised to receive 2 emails only after an hour of posting up the "offer" message. It was taken by a lady studying in the University of Warwick.
Can you suggest any other ways of recycling unwanted stuff?
Looking around the house, I suddenly realise that in less than two years, we have accumulated quite a bit of unused and unwanted stuff. These include old clothing that my children have outgrown and loads of other stuff. The problem is that they are taking up precious space in our small house. I am sure a lot of you face the same problem as well.
Listed below are some way of getting rid of unwanted stuff:
1. Online auctions sites.
The first one that usually comes to mind is eBay, the largest online auction site in the World. A great way of making money while getting rid of unwanted items. So far, I have sold baby clothes, books, toys and even furniture on eBay.
Recently got to know about another popular online auction site called eBid. The great thing about this site is that unlike eBay, you are not charged listing fees
2. Car boot and Garage sales.
Never tried selling stuff at a car boot sale though I would like to try it out at least once before I leave the UK. One man's junk can be another man's treasure. Someone who has tried it before told me that it was a fun but tiring experience. The British weather is the unpredictable factor here. Would hate to get caught in a chilly shower.
3. Classifieds.
You can also list up items on the local newspaper classifieds or online. Gum tree is a very popular free online classifieds service here in the UK. It was acquired by eBay in May 2005. You might want to put up your items under the category, "Stuff for Sale".
4. Charities.
If you can't be bothered with all the hassle of listing items for sale, posting, and so on, you can donate your unwanted items (in good condition) to various charities like the PDSA, Help the Aged, Age Concern England, Barnardo's, etc. Some of them will even pick up the items from your house. Contributing for a good cause does feel good. Not everything is nor should be, about money.
5. Others.
You might also want to consider joining the Freecycle Network. With the noble goal of keeping "usable items out of landfills." You join the discussion group for your area, (in my case it is the Coventryfreecycle under Yahoo! groups). Do note that everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages.
I had a huge hifi system I bought from a car boot sale for £3/. It was working great for sometime until the CD player suddenly stopped working one day. The tape and radio still worked but it was taking up too much space. I was about to drop it off at the tip when I remembered the Freecycle group. I was surprised to receive 2 emails only after an hour of posting up the "offer" message. It was taken by a lady studying in the University of Warwick.
Can you suggest any other ways of recycling unwanted stuff?
25 June 2008
Preparing for trip to France
I have never been to France even though one of my sisters is married to a French guy. This is due to the fact that they are both Australians now. Anyway, sometime back we received a great offer from one of our friends to stay in her apartment in the beautiful city of La Rochelle in Western France. Of course we jumped at the chance. We met her today at the Coventry railway station before she left for her house in Paris and she handed over the keys to the apartment.
Malaysian are lucky because they don't need a visa to enter France, unlike citizens of other countries outside Europe, including Indians and Chinese among others. I am really excited as this is going to be my first trip to anywhere in France. However, I have to admit that I am a bit worried as well. We plan to drive there and the kids will be there with us. A major concern is that we will be driving our old Ford Escort and the place is nearly 645 miles from our house here in Coventry.
The car has never given me any major trouble till now and I would have to send it to a work shop for a complete servicing to ensure that we have a smooth journey to and fro. I would need to fix the air conditioning as well because it's going to be quite warm there.
Some friends have been advising us to learn some French - the most important being, "Parlez vous Anglais ? (pronounced as Pahr-lay voo ah(n)gleh ?) meaning, "Do you speak English ?"
Well! I have one month to prepare for the trip.
Malaysian are lucky because they don't need a visa to enter France, unlike citizens of other countries outside Europe, including Indians and Chinese among others. I am really excited as this is going to be my first trip to anywhere in France. However, I have to admit that I am a bit worried as well. We plan to drive there and the kids will be there with us. A major concern is that we will be driving our old Ford Escort and the place is nearly 645 miles from our house here in Coventry.
The car has never given me any major trouble till now and I would have to send it to a work shop for a complete servicing to ensure that we have a smooth journey to and fro. I would need to fix the air conditioning as well because it's going to be quite warm there.
Some friends have been advising us to learn some French - the most important being, "Parlez vous Anglais ? (pronounced as Pahr-lay voo ah(n)gleh ?) meaning, "Do you speak English ?"
Well! I have one month to prepare for the trip.
23 June 2008
Roses in Bloom
My Valentine's day roses are blooming again and isn't that colour wonderful. I have to say that roses are my favourite flowering plants for a number of reasons. First of all, the flowers are sweet smelling. They last long as well and the plants flower several times in a year. You also don't have to replant them every year as I have to do with some of my other flowering plants. Last of all, they are quite hardy and easy to propagate as well.
The two hybrid tea roses (one with yellow flowers and another with orange flowers) I bought at a car boot sale last Sunday are doing great as well.
My Green Thumb Sunday post this week.
Join
Do visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
The two hybrid tea roses (one with yellow flowers and another with orange flowers) I bought at a car boot sale last Sunday are doing great as well.
My Green Thumb Sunday post this week.
Join
Do visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
17 June 2008
Letter from a Petronas employee
Following the fuel price hike in Malaysia, one company in particular has become the target of the furious Malaysian public. The Malaysian oil company - Petronas. Some have even called a boycott of Petronas as a protest against the fuel hike.
Anyway, I recently received this forwarded email from a Petronas employee. SO what do you think?
-------
Dear all,
After reading all the chain mails and blogs, I feel called to reply, because of the relentless attacks and allegations -- most of which are inaccurate or baseless -- against PETRONAS.
PETRONAS' STAFF SALARY & BONUS
1) The salaries paid to PETRONAS' employees are not as high as people think. At best, they are just industry average. And these are not attractive enough for some who left PETRONAS to find work at other companies (mainly from the Middle East) which are willing to pay more. Why do they pay more? The oil and gas industry worldwide has been facing acute shortage of qualified or experienced personnel, so most companies are willing to pay lots of money to entice and pinch staff from their competitors.
Bonus? There has NEVER been a bonus amounting to 6 months or 12 months throughout the 33 years. On average, it is 2 months in the last 33 years. But don't ever think we don't deserve it. We more than deserve it. A lot of us work really hard, some in the most extreme of conditions. Those who have been to and worked in northern Sudan, for example, would testify that it's like working in a huge blower oven. Southern Sudan, on the other hand, is almost all swamps and mud. Imagine having to go through that kind of heat, or waddling in muddy swamps, day in and day out.
QUALITY OF CRUDE & REFINED PRODUCTS
2) Malaysia produces about 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day (and about 100,000 barrels condensate). Of this crude volume, 339,000 barrels are refined locally for local consumption. The rest is exported (and yes, because it has lower sulphur content it fetches higher prices).
Malaysia also imports about 230,000 barrels of crude oil per day, mainly from the Middle East, to be refined here. This crude oil contains higher sulphur and is less expensive (so the country gains more by exporting our crudes). In Malaysia, this crude is processed by PETRONAS at its second refinery in Melaka, and also by Shell at its Port Dickson refinery.
Different refineries are built and configurated to refine different types of crude. And each crude type yields different percentage of products (diesel, gasoline, kerosene, cooking gas etc) per barrel.
But most importantly, products that come out at the end of the refining process have the same good quality regardless of the crude types. That's why PETRONAS, Shell and Exxon Mobil share the same pipeline to transport the finished products from their refineries to a distribution centre in the Klang Valley. The three companies collect the products at this centre accordingly to be distributed to their respective distribution networks. What makes PETRONAS' petrol different from Shell's, for example, is the additive that each company adds.
PETRONAS' ROLE, FUNCTION & CONTRIBUTION
3) A lot of people also do not understand the role and function of PETRONAS, which is essentially a company, a business entity, which operates on a commercial manner, to mainly generate income and value for its shareholder. In this case, PETRONAS' shareholder is the Government.
In 1974, when PETRONAS was set up, the Government gave PETRONAS RM10 million (peanuts, right?) as seed capital. From 1974 to 2007, PETRONAS made RM570 billion in accumulated profits, and returned to the Government a total of RM335.7 billion. That is about 65% of the profits. That means for every RM1 that PETRONAS makes, 65 sen goes back to the Government.
Last year, PETRONAS made a pre-tax profit of RM86.8 billion. The amount given back to the Government (in royalty, dividends, corporate income tax, petroleum products income tax and export duty) was RM52.3 billion. The rest of the profit was used to pay off minority interests and taxes in foreign countries (about RM7.8 billion - PETRONAS now operates in more than 30 countries), and the remaining RM26.7 billion was reinvested. The amount reinvested seems a lot, but the oil and gas industry is technology- and capital-intensive. Costs have gone up exponentially in the last couple of years. Previously, to drill a well, it cost about US$3 million; now it costs US$7 million. The use of rigs was US$200,000 a day a couple of years ago; now it costs US$600,000 a day.
A lot of people also do not realise that the amount returned by PETRONAS to the Government makes up 35% of the Government's total annual income, to be used by the Government for expenditures, development, operations, and yes, for the various subsidies. That means for every RM1 the Government makes, 35 sen is contributed by PETRONAS.
So, instead of asking what happens to PETRIONAS' money or profits, people should be questioning how the money paid by PETRONAS to the Government is allocated.
CRUDE EXPORTS & FUEL PRICES
4) A lot of people also ask, why Malaysia exports its crude oil. Shouldn't we just stop exporting and sell at cheaper prices to local refiners? If Malaysia is an oil exporting country, why can't we sell petrol or diesel at cheaper prices like other oil producing countries in the Middle East?
I guess I don't have to answer the first couple of questions. It's simple economics, and crude oil is a global commodity.
Why can't we sell petrol and diesel at lower prices like in the Middle East? Well, comparing Saudi Arabia and other big producers to Malaysia is like comparing kurma to durian, because these Middle Eastern countries have much, much, much bigger oil and gas reserves.
Malaysia has only 5.4 billion barrels of oil reserves, and about 89 trillion cubic feet of gas. Compare that to Saudi Arabia's 260 billion barrels of oil and 240 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Malaysia only produces 600,000 barrels per day of oil. Saudi Arabia produces 9 million barrels per day. At this rate, Saudi Arabia's crude oil sales revenue could amount to US$1.2 billion per day! At this rate, it can practically afford almost everything -- free education, healthcare, etc, and subsidies -- for its people.
But if we look at these countries closely, they have in the past few years started to come up with policies and strategies designed to prolong their reserves and diversify their income bases. In this sense, Malaysia (and PETRONAS) has had a good head start, as we have been doing this a long time.
Fuel prices in Malaysia is controlled by the Government based on a formula under the Automatic Pricing Mechanism introduced more than a couple of decades ago. It is under this mechanism that the complex calculation of prices is made, based on the actual cost of petrol or diesel, the operating costs, margin for dealers, margin for retail oil companies (including PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd) and the balancing number of duty or subsidy. No retail oil companies or dealers actually make money from the hike of the fuel prices. Oil companies pay for the products at market prices, but have to sell low, so the Government reimburses the difference -- thus subsidy.
Subsidy as a concept is OK as long as it benefits the really deserving segment of the population. But there has to be a limit to how much and how long the Government should bear and sustain subsidy. An environment where prices are kept artificially low indefinitely will not do anyone any good. That's why countries like Indonesia are more pro-active in removing subsidies. Even Vietnam (which is a socialist country, by the way) is selling fuel at market prices.
PETRONAS & TRANSPARENCY
5) I feel I also need to say something on the allegation that PETRONAS is not transparent in terms of its accounts, business transactions etc.
PETRONAS is first and foremost a company, operating under the rules and regulations of the authorities including the Registrar of Companies, and the Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia for its listed four subsidiaries (PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd, PETRONAS Gas Bhd, MISC Bhd and KLCC Property Holdings Bhd.
PETRONAS the holding company produces annual reports which are made to whomever wants them, and are distributed to many parties and places; including to the library at the Parliament House for perusal and reading pleasure of all Yang Berhormat MPs (if they care to read). PETRONAS also makes the annual report available on its website, for those who bother to look. The accounts are duly audited.
The website also contains a lot of useful information, if people really care to find out. Although PETRONAS is not listed on Bursa Malaysia, for all intents and purposes, it could be considered a listed entity as its bonds and financial papers are traded overseas. This requires scrutiny from investors, and from rating agencies such as Standard & Poor and Moody's.
BOYCOTT PETRONAS?
6) The last time I checked, this is still a democratic country, where people are free to spend their money wherever they like.
For those who like to see more of the money that they spend go back to the local economy and benefiting their fellow Malaysians, perhaps they should consider sticking to local products or companies.
For those who like to see that the money they spend go back to foreign shareholders of the foreign companies overseas, they should continue buying foreign products.
FINAL WORD (FOR TODAY)
I'm sorry this is rather long, but I just have to convey it. I hope this would help some of you out there understand something. The oil and gas industry, apart from being very capital intensive, is also very complex and volatile. I'm learning new things almost every single day.
Appreciate if you could help to forward this response to as many contacts as possible to counter the subversive proposal out there.
Thank you.
Anyway, I recently received this forwarded email from a Petronas employee. SO what do you think?
-------
Dear all,
After reading all the chain mails and blogs, I feel called to reply, because of the relentless attacks and allegations -- most of which are inaccurate or baseless -- against PETRONAS.
PETRONAS' STAFF SALARY & BONUS
1) The salaries paid to PETRONAS' employees are not as high as people think. At best, they are just industry average. And these are not attractive enough for some who left PETRONAS to find work at other companies (mainly from the Middle East) which are willing to pay more. Why do they pay more? The oil and gas industry worldwide has been facing acute shortage of qualified or experienced personnel, so most companies are willing to pay lots of money to entice and pinch staff from their competitors.
Bonus? There has NEVER been a bonus amounting to 6 months or 12 months throughout the 33 years. On average, it is 2 months in the last 33 years. But don't ever think we don't deserve it. We more than deserve it. A lot of us work really hard, some in the most extreme of conditions. Those who have been to and worked in northern Sudan, for example, would testify that it's like working in a huge blower oven. Southern Sudan, on the other hand, is almost all swamps and mud. Imagine having to go through that kind of heat, or waddling in muddy swamps, day in and day out.
QUALITY OF CRUDE & REFINED PRODUCTS
2) Malaysia produces about 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day (and about 100,000 barrels condensate). Of this crude volume, 339,000 barrels are refined locally for local consumption. The rest is exported (and yes, because it has lower sulphur content it fetches higher prices).
Malaysia also imports about 230,000 barrels of crude oil per day, mainly from the Middle East, to be refined here. This crude oil contains higher sulphur and is less expensive (so the country gains more by exporting our crudes). In Malaysia, this crude is processed by PETRONAS at its second refinery in Melaka, and also by Shell at its Port Dickson refinery.
Different refineries are built and configurated to refine different types of crude. And each crude type yields different percentage of products (diesel, gasoline, kerosene, cooking gas etc) per barrel.
But most importantly, products that come out at the end of the refining process have the same good quality regardless of the crude types. That's why PETRONAS, Shell and Exxon Mobil share the same pipeline to transport the finished products from their refineries to a distribution centre in the Klang Valley. The three companies collect the products at this centre accordingly to be distributed to their respective distribution networks. What makes PETRONAS' petrol different from Shell's, for example, is the additive that each company adds.
PETRONAS' ROLE, FUNCTION & CONTRIBUTION
3) A lot of people also do not understand the role and function of PETRONAS, which is essentially a company, a business entity, which operates on a commercial manner, to mainly generate income and value for its shareholder. In this case, PETRONAS' shareholder is the Government.
In 1974, when PETRONAS was set up, the Government gave PETRONAS RM10 million (peanuts, right?) as seed capital. From 1974 to 2007, PETRONAS made RM570 billion in accumulated profits, and returned to the Government a total of RM335.7 billion. That is about 65% of the profits. That means for every RM1 that PETRONAS makes, 65 sen goes back to the Government.
Last year, PETRONAS made a pre-tax profit of RM86.8 billion. The amount given back to the Government (in royalty, dividends, corporate income tax, petroleum products income tax and export duty) was RM52.3 billion. The rest of the profit was used to pay off minority interests and taxes in foreign countries (about RM7.8 billion - PETRONAS now operates in more than 30 countries), and the remaining RM26.7 billion was reinvested. The amount reinvested seems a lot, but the oil and gas industry is technology- and capital-intensive. Costs have gone up exponentially in the last couple of years. Previously, to drill a well, it cost about US$3 million; now it costs US$7 million. The use of rigs was US$200,000 a day a couple of years ago; now it costs US$600,000 a day.
A lot of people also do not realise that the amount returned by PETRONAS to the Government makes up 35% of the Government's total annual income, to be used by the Government for expenditures, development, operations, and yes, for the various subsidies. That means for every RM1 the Government makes, 35 sen is contributed by PETRONAS.
So, instead of asking what happens to PETRIONAS' money or profits, people should be questioning how the money paid by PETRONAS to the Government is allocated.
CRUDE EXPORTS & FUEL PRICES
4) A lot of people also ask, why Malaysia exports its crude oil. Shouldn't we just stop exporting and sell at cheaper prices to local refiners? If Malaysia is an oil exporting country, why can't we sell petrol or diesel at cheaper prices like other oil producing countries in the Middle East?
I guess I don't have to answer the first couple of questions. It's simple economics, and crude oil is a global commodity.
Why can't we sell petrol and diesel at lower prices like in the Middle East? Well, comparing Saudi Arabia and other big producers to Malaysia is like comparing kurma to durian, because these Middle Eastern countries have much, much, much bigger oil and gas reserves.
Malaysia has only 5.4 billion barrels of oil reserves, and about 89 trillion cubic feet of gas. Compare that to Saudi Arabia's 260 billion barrels of oil and 240 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Malaysia only produces 600,000 barrels per day of oil. Saudi Arabia produces 9 million barrels per day. At this rate, Saudi Arabia's crude oil sales revenue could amount to US$1.2 billion per day! At this rate, it can practically afford almost everything -- free education, healthcare, etc, and subsidies -- for its people.
But if we look at these countries closely, they have in the past few years started to come up with policies and strategies designed to prolong their reserves and diversify their income bases. In this sense, Malaysia (and PETRONAS) has had a good head start, as we have been doing this a long time.
Fuel prices in Malaysia is controlled by the Government based on a formula under the Automatic Pricing Mechanism introduced more than a couple of decades ago. It is under this mechanism that the complex calculation of prices is made, based on the actual cost of petrol or diesel, the operating costs, margin for dealers, margin for retail oil companies (including PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd) and the balancing number of duty or subsidy. No retail oil companies or dealers actually make money from the hike of the fuel prices. Oil companies pay for the products at market prices, but have to sell low, so the Government reimburses the difference -- thus subsidy.
Subsidy as a concept is OK as long as it benefits the really deserving segment of the population. But there has to be a limit to how much and how long the Government should bear and sustain subsidy. An environment where prices are kept artificially low indefinitely will not do anyone any good. That's why countries like Indonesia are more pro-active in removing subsidies. Even Vietnam (which is a socialist country, by the way) is selling fuel at market prices.
PETRONAS & TRANSPARENCY
5) I feel I also need to say something on the allegation that PETRONAS is not transparent in terms of its accounts, business transactions etc.
PETRONAS is first and foremost a company, operating under the rules and regulations of the authorities including the Registrar of Companies, and the Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia for its listed four subsidiaries (PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd, PETRONAS Gas Bhd, MISC Bhd and KLCC Property Holdings Bhd.
PETRONAS the holding company produces annual reports which are made to whomever wants them, and are distributed to many parties and places; including to the library at the Parliament House for perusal and reading pleasure of all Yang Berhormat MPs (if they care to read). PETRONAS also makes the annual report available on its website, for those who bother to look. The accounts are duly audited.
The website also contains a lot of useful information, if people really care to find out. Although PETRONAS is not listed on Bursa Malaysia, for all intents and purposes, it could be considered a listed entity as its bonds and financial papers are traded overseas. This requires scrutiny from investors, and from rating agencies such as Standard & Poor and Moody's.
BOYCOTT PETRONAS?
6) The last time I checked, this is still a democratic country, where people are free to spend their money wherever they like.
For those who like to see more of the money that they spend go back to the local economy and benefiting their fellow Malaysians, perhaps they should consider sticking to local products or companies.
For those who like to see that the money they spend go back to foreign shareholders of the foreign companies overseas, they should continue buying foreign products.
FINAL WORD (FOR TODAY)
I'm sorry this is rather long, but I just have to convey it. I hope this would help some of you out there understand something. The oil and gas industry, apart from being very capital intensive, is also very complex and volatile. I'm learning new things almost every single day.
Appreciate if you could help to forward this response to as many contacts as possible to counter the subversive proposal out there.
Thank you.
14 June 2008
Neighbour's house burgled
Today evening we were sitting in the living room entertaining my wife's cousin who had just arrived from Newcastle, when there was a knock on the door. I opened it up to find a cop standing at our doorstep.
Apparently one of our neighbour's house two door's away, had been broken into. I guess it had happened while we were away in Nottingham. The policeman wanted to know whether we had seen anyone acting suspiciously. I replied in the negative and I was shocked to learn that something like this had happened in our neighbourhood, and in fact right next door. The burglars had entered the house though the back door which had been left open. The officer took my name and contact number, not sure why.
Left me wondering whether the burglars had gone around trying the doors of different houses. They might have even tried ours as well. Quite a scary thought even though we don't have anything worth that much in our house. I am definitely going to install one of those motion detector spotlights at the back of our house asap.
Apparently one of our neighbour's house two door's away, had been broken into. I guess it had happened while we were away in Nottingham. The policeman wanted to know whether we had seen anyone acting suspiciously. I replied in the negative and I was shocked to learn that something like this had happened in our neighbourhood, and in fact right next door. The burglars had entered the house though the back door which had been left open. The officer took my name and contact number, not sure why.
Left me wondering whether the burglars had gone around trying the doors of different houses. They might have even tried ours as well. Quite a scary thought even though we don't have anything worth that much in our house. I am definitely going to install one of those motion detector spotlights at the back of our house asap.
12 June 2008
Empty Coventry Ikea store
Just got back from Nottingham where I had spent the night together with the wife and kids. Had a wonderful dinner yesterday at our friend Amrul's house. Not many guys like cooking but it's a fact that some of the best cooks are men. Amrul happens to be one of them. He loves cooking. He has a nice kitchen fully furnished with Ikea furniture in the house he's renting. Our small kitchen looks terrible in comparison.
Talking of Ikea, we visited the huge Ikea store here in Coventry on Tuesday. Both my wife and I, are long time Ikea fans and if we had the choice (and money), we would equip the entire house with Ikea furniture and stuff.
Anyway, when we entered the store, we were shocked when we found that there was absolutely no one around - not even the store employees. It was like we had the entire store to ourselves. We did get to see a couple of other customers after a few minutes. But having got used to crowded Ikea stores in Malaysia, it was a big surprise. Made me wonder whether the Coventry store is making any money at all.
We also decided to try out the food here. The food was great and quite cheap. Reminds me of the days in Malaysia when we used to go to the Ikea store for food.
We had wanted to grab a few items but like usual ended up with a whole shopping cart load of items. Looks like more DIY time for me.
Talking of Ikea, we visited the huge Ikea store here in Coventry on Tuesday. Both my wife and I, are long time Ikea fans and if we had the choice (and money), we would equip the entire house with Ikea furniture and stuff.
Anyway, when we entered the store, we were shocked when we found that there was absolutely no one around - not even the store employees. It was like we had the entire store to ourselves. We did get to see a couple of other customers after a few minutes. But having got used to crowded Ikea stores in Malaysia, it was a big surprise. Made me wonder whether the Coventry store is making any money at all.
We also decided to try out the food here. The food was great and quite cheap. Reminds me of the days in Malaysia when we used to go to the Ikea store for food.
We had wanted to grab a few items but like usual ended up with a whole shopping cart load of items. Looks like more DIY time for me.
09 June 2008
MCS BBQ 2008
The Malaysian Coventry Society organised a BBQ party at Draycote Water Country Park last Saturday. We were supposed to bring some kuih-muih (snacks) but we were too lazy too cook and bought some chocolate cakes from Morrisons instead.
Being a vegetarian, there was not much I could eat but it was nice to meet up with other Malaysian families. My daughter made some new friends as well. My son was happily running around and I realised I haven't taken him out to any parks for a while. However, I had a tough time keeping him away from the BBQ fires. He was fascinated with the smoke and the sound of all the sizzling meat.
I had wanted to explore the park before going back home but the heavens opened up and we rushed back home. Maybe some other time.
Here are some pictures:
Being a vegetarian, there was not much I could eat but it was nice to meet up with other Malaysian families. My daughter made some new friends as well. My son was happily running around and I realised I haven't taken him out to any parks for a while. However, I had a tough time keeping him away from the BBQ fires. He was fascinated with the smoke and the sound of all the sizzling meat.
I had wanted to explore the park before going back home but the heavens opened up and we rushed back home. Maybe some other time.
Here are some pictures:
05 June 2008
Fuel prices stink
Fuel prices in Malaysia is set to rise from RM 1.92 ringgit to RM 2.70 (£0.425) a litre while in India it has increased to Rs 47.49 (£0.57) a litre (an increase of almost 5 rupees). Read the report in the International Herald Tribune here. Petrol prices are heavily subsidised in both countries.
Over here in the UK the prices are determined by the market. Got the shock of my life when I saw the prices at the nearby Texaco station near my house this morning - 116.99p. It is the highest since we arrived here in the UK.
As a student here, I am definitely feeling the pinch. As much as I would like to, I simply can't reduce my dependence on the car. I use it to send and pick up my kids from the nursery. We also have use it to go to the University. Of course public transport is always an option but we have to change two buses to get there, taking almost 40 minutes of our precious time and a day saver ticket costs £2.60. In the end, it is cheaper to take the car.
However we are resigned to it as it doesn't look like the fuel prices are not going to come down anytime soon. It might not even come down at all.
Over here in the UK the prices are determined by the market. Got the shock of my life when I saw the prices at the nearby Texaco station near my house this morning - 116.99p. It is the highest since we arrived here in the UK.
As a student here, I am definitely feeling the pinch. As much as I would like to, I simply can't reduce my dependence on the car. I use it to send and pick up my kids from the nursery. We also have use it to go to the University. Of course public transport is always an option but we have to change two buses to get there, taking almost 40 minutes of our precious time and a day saver ticket costs £2.60. In the end, it is cheaper to take the car.
However we are resigned to it as it doesn't look like the fuel prices are not going to come down anytime soon. It might not even come down at all.
01 June 2008
Pink flowers
Noticed a strange plant coming up all over the place. Uprooted most of them and I don't know why, left this one. Quite recently it started flowering - beautiful pink flowers. Like usual, I have no idea what this plant is. Now I am regretting cutting the plants. The amazing thing is that I have no idea where they came from.
Join
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
Join
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
The Hairdresser
Had my hair cut yesterday at my favourite saloon. It's walking distance form my house but I didn't know it was unisex as the place is packed with ladies, until I saw a sign offering discounts on haircuts for gents. There's only one guy there who deals with the guys the rest are all ladies and there's even a special room for the guys.
Anyway, noticed the discount for guys is still on (only £6/). The guy who cut my hair is really friendly and talkative. We got talking and I found out that he's been cutting hair on and off for nearly 46 years. He's been cutting hair even before I was born. However, he told me that he had worked in a car factory for sometime. He lost his job when the factory closed. But he was quite philosophical about it saying that it was part of Coventry's evolution. "It has been reinventing itself over the ages". He told me that the place had been famous for it's watches at one time and for silk at another until industrialisation happened and it became the auto capital of the UK.
No! I forgot to ask his name.
Anyway, noticed the discount for guys is still on (only £6/). The guy who cut my hair is really friendly and talkative. We got talking and I found out that he's been cutting hair on and off for nearly 46 years. He's been cutting hair even before I was born. However, he told me that he had worked in a car factory for sometime. He lost his job when the factory closed. But he was quite philosophical about it saying that it was part of Coventry's evolution. "It has been reinventing itself over the ages". He told me that the place had been famous for it's watches at one time and for silk at another until industrialisation happened and it became the auto capital of the UK.
No! I forgot to ask his name.
27 May 2008
Review of Socialspark.com
In case you haven't heard there is a new social marketing network on the web.
SocialSpark is the latest innovation from the same guys who brought you PayPerPost. It is similar to the latter in some respects in that it is an online market place where advertisers and bloggers come together. However, there are several features that makes Socialspark different from PayPerPost, or for that matter, from any other social marketing network on the web. More about that later.
After signing up, you go and add your blogs. In order to do this, I had to add the claim and the itk (IZEA ToolKit) Javascript codes. You can start taking opportunities (sponsored posts) as soon as your blog is verified.
Taking an opportunity was a bit confusing in the beginning but later found out that it was quite easy. After going through the list of opportunities available. A few seconds after you reserved the opportunity, you should receive an email from them informing that you have 12 hours to complete the opp.
I had signed up sometime back but this is my first SocialSpark sponsored post. One of the main reasons I didn't take any oops earlier was that I was scared of being Googlespanked again. For those who are not aware, Googlespank refers to Google (the leader in the web search industry) punishing websites, which they feel have not been complying with their standards, with a big fat PR 0.
Socialspark has done away with this problem by coming out with their own blog ranking system called "real rank", that takes several factors into account including traffic to your site. Furthermore, all posts will have in-post disclosures and all the required links in the sponsored posts will carry the no-follow tag - something that should satisfy Google guidelines and hopefully silence critics of sponsored posts. Other exciting features are the blog analytics and of course the social networking tools.
So if you are a blogger looking for a way to earn some money from your blog, I recommend that you check out SocialSpark.
SocialSpark is the latest innovation from the same guys who brought you PayPerPost. It is similar to the latter in some respects in that it is an online market place where advertisers and bloggers come together. However, there are several features that makes Socialspark different from PayPerPost, or for that matter, from any other social marketing network on the web. More about that later.
After signing up, you go and add your blogs. In order to do this, I had to add the claim and the itk (IZEA ToolKit) Javascript codes. You can start taking opportunities (sponsored posts) as soon as your blog is verified.
Taking an opportunity was a bit confusing in the beginning but later found out that it was quite easy. After going through the list of opportunities available. A few seconds after you reserved the opportunity, you should receive an email from them informing that you have 12 hours to complete the opp.
I had signed up sometime back but this is my first SocialSpark sponsored post. One of the main reasons I didn't take any oops earlier was that I was scared of being Googlespanked again. For those who are not aware, Googlespank refers to Google (the leader in the web search industry) punishing websites, which they feel have not been complying with their standards, with a big fat PR 0.
Socialspark has done away with this problem by coming out with their own blog ranking system called "real rank", that takes several factors into account including traffic to your site. Furthermore, all posts will have in-post disclosures and all the required links in the sponsored posts will carry the no-follow tag - something that should satisfy Google guidelines and hopefully silence critics of sponsored posts. Other exciting features are the blog analytics and of course the social networking tools.
So if you are a blogger looking for a way to earn some money from your blog, I recommend that you check out SocialSpark.
20 May 2008
African daisies and dahlias
Took my mother-in-law and the kids to the Furnace End car boot yesterday morning. My daughter obviously enjoyed herself on the bouncy castle and the merry-go-round.
Saw these African daisies on sale and got three plants for £2/. Hopefully they will later look as good as the pictures of the flowers I look in Cornwall.
My mother-in-law liked these miniature dahlias and bought two of them as well.
Took the pictures yesterday evening. I had wanted to post them up as part of "Green Thumb Sunday" but couldn't as I slept early yesterday.
Saw these African daisies on sale and got three plants for £2/. Hopefully they will later look as good as the pictures of the flowers I look in Cornwall.
My mother-in-law liked these miniature dahlias and bought two of them as well.
Took the pictures yesterday evening. I had wanted to post them up as part of "Green Thumb Sunday" but couldn't as I slept early yesterday.
16 May 2008
Trip to Marazion and St Michael's Mount
Marazion is said to be the oldest town in Britain and called Ictis during Roman times. Driving through the narrow roads was interesting. The sloping roads are too narrow to allow two cars to pass and cars have to give way to those coming from opposite directions at designated points. We had wanted to visit St Michael’s Mount. Unfortunately we were too late as the castle and gardens are only open till 5pm. However we were able to take some pictures of the island from the shore.
You can apparently walk to the island during low tide using the causeway.
Marazion
The plaque says:
You can apparently walk to the island during low tide using the causeway.
Marazion
The plaque says:
HIS MAJESTY KING EDWARD
Landed near this spot
April 19 1902
14 May 2008
Trip to Land's End Cornwall
Land's End is the Western most point on the British Isles. They have several undercover attractions including a Dr. Who exhibition but we didn't go to any of them. Instead we walked around.
Here are some pics of our trip there.
Penwith House. Artist's Gallery and End to End Club room.
The First and Last House, where the actual Land’s End point is situated.
On board the Confide, a trawler.
A circle of granite stones. You will find granite pillars all around Cornwall, remnants of pagan beliefs.
The cliffs
A panorama from behind the Land’s End Hotel. In the distance you can see the Longships lighthouse.
Here are some pics of our trip there.
Penwith House. Artist's Gallery and End to End Club room.
The First and Last House, where the actual Land’s End point is situated.
On board the Confide, a trawler.
A circle of granite stones. You will find granite pillars all around Cornwall, remnants of pagan beliefs.
The cliffs
A panorama from behind the Land’s End Hotel. In the distance you can see the Longships lighthouse.
12 May 2008
Water suitable for vegetarians
Was reading the info on the bottle of Tesco's Scottish Mountain mineral water: "V Suitable for vegetarians". Made me wonder - Are there any mineral water brands not suitable for vegetarians? - Just a short "thought of the day" from Hayle, Cronwall.
As today is a Sunday, here are my 'Green thumb Sunday' pictures:
Join
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
Took loads of pics today. Will post them up after I get home tomorrow.
As today is a Sunday, here are my 'Green thumb Sunday' pictures:
Join
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
Took loads of pics today. Will post them up after I get home tomorrow.
10 May 2008
Greetings from Cornwall
I am blogging this from Hayle, Cormwall Cornwall (thanks Ummi) right at the South of Britain (well almost). The journey which was supposed to take around five hours took nearly eight hours due to heavy traffic and road repairs. By the time we reached our destination, it was around 9 pm. Thankfully the days are long and there was still light when we reached the site.
BBC weather predicted a sunny day today. However it was overcast almost the whole day.
Today was the first time my son has ever seen the sea. He was really excited and ran towards the water but when the waves rushed in and soaked his feet with cold water, he rushed back towards me and hung on for dear life on legs.
I am able to access the net here, thanks to the 3 mobile broadband service and of course the guys from 3 mobile buzz. I am still testing out the 3 mobile broadband USB modem. Uploading pictures take a while but the surfing speeds are quite satisfactory. Having connection to the net has proven invaluable while checking for tourist attractions nearby.
More updates and pictures tomorrow.
BBC weather predicted a sunny day today. However it was overcast almost the whole day.
Today was the first time my son has ever seen the sea. He was really excited and ran towards the water but when the waves rushed in and soaked his feet with cold water, he rushed back towards me and hung on for dear life on legs.
I am able to access the net here, thanks to the 3 mobile broadband service and of course the guys from 3 mobile buzz. I am still testing out the 3 mobile broadband USB modem. Uploading pictures take a while but the surfing speeds are quite satisfactory. Having connection to the net has proven invaluable while checking for tourist attractions nearby.
More updates and pictures tomorrow.
08 May 2008
Busy and tiring day
It was a bright and sunny day today yesterday (just realised that it's 12:25 am). Decide to write one post before I go to bed. Here's a snap shot of a day in my life:
Sent of the kids to the nursery in the morning. My son fell down right in front of the entrance and cut his lips. few tears. Nothing serious though and he was OK after a few minutes.
Took my in-laws to the University of Warwick campus. Took some photographs. Left after having a cup of coffee at the Viva cafe. Forgot to bring my camera and took pictures with my Skypephone.
The ducks are enjoying the sun as well.
Dropped by the B & Q at Avis park and bought some blinds. It's now my favourite DIY store.
My mother-in-law wanted to buy a shoe and I took them to a shoe warehouse near my house. Spent quite sometime there.
Mowed the lawns in front and back of the house. Really tiring work. Covered in sweat.
Trimmed the hedges.
Picked up the kids.
Fixed the main blinds to the bay window in the living room with the help of my father -in-law.
Picked up the wife from the University.
Fixed the two smaller blinds on either side of the main one. Much faster this time.
Now I am dozing off as I write this. And that was my day.
Sent of the kids to the nursery in the morning. My son fell down right in front of the entrance and cut his lips. few tears. Nothing serious though and he was OK after a few minutes.
Took my in-laws to the University of Warwick campus. Took some photographs. Left after having a cup of coffee at the Viva cafe. Forgot to bring my camera and took pictures with my Skypephone.
The ducks are enjoying the sun as well.
Dropped by the B & Q at Avis park and bought some blinds. It's now my favourite DIY store.
My mother-in-law wanted to buy a shoe and I took them to a shoe warehouse near my house. Spent quite sometime there.
Mowed the lawns in front and back of the house. Really tiring work. Covered in sweat.
Trimmed the hedges.
Picked up the kids.
Fixed the main blinds to the bay window in the living room with the help of my father -in-law.
Picked up the wife from the University.
Fixed the two smaller blinds on either side of the main one. Much faster this time.
Now I am dozing off as I write this. And that was my day.
06 May 2008
Metal shed update
Someone left a comment on my 'DIY metal pent shed' wondering what the shed would look like if it was blown down (deleted because no name was given).
Well! I don't think that's going to happen because the shed is anchored to the ground with screws on concrete. As you can see from the pictures, there was already a brick floor in place left by the previous tenant. My guess is that there was a garage long time ago.
I dug some holes and used quick drying mortar mix for the purpose and fixed screw holders in it. The shed is fixed using the anchoring fittings that came along with the shed. I think it should hold.
It would take gale force winds to blow down the shed and of course, it definitely won't be a pretty sight.
Well! I don't think that's going to happen because the shed is anchored to the ground with screws on concrete. As you can see from the pictures, there was already a brick floor in place left by the previous tenant. My guess is that there was a garage long time ago.
I dug some holes and used quick drying mortar mix for the purpose and fixed screw holders in it. The shed is fixed using the anchoring fittings that came along with the shed. I think it should hold.
It would take gale force winds to blow down the shed and of course, it definitely won't be a pretty sight.
05 May 2008
DIY tool tips
As a budding DIY enthusiast, I am slow but steadily building up my collection of tools. One mistake I made in the past was going for the cheapest in the market. I now realise that I should have gone for the branded tools.
A good example are the cheap screw drivers I bought sometime back. I got blisters using them while building my shed and they are practically useless now after the heavy duty usage.
I also found out that branded names are not necessarily costly and that it's possible to get them at rock bottom prices during discount sales. I am now always on the lookout for some good deals on the net.
Besides the normal tools, like hammers, screwdrivers, drills, etc., another essential piece of equipment that every DIYer must have is a workbench. It must be robust, durable and adjustable. I found a good bargain for the Black and Decker Workmate WM825 on the on godfrey-diy.co.uk site.
At only £54.99, this is among the lowest prices for this great work bench. Easy to use and hight adjustable, it folds away when it's not in use. Would definitely love to have one.
A good example are the cheap screw drivers I bought sometime back. I got blisters using them while building my shed and they are practically useless now after the heavy duty usage.
I also found out that branded names are not necessarily costly and that it's possible to get them at rock bottom prices during discount sales. I am now always on the lookout for some good deals on the net.
Besides the normal tools, like hammers, screwdrivers, drills, etc., another essential piece of equipment that every DIYer must have is a workbench. It must be robust, durable and adjustable. I found a good bargain for the Black and Decker Workmate WM825 on the on godfrey-diy.co.uk site.
At only £54.99, this is among the lowest prices for this great work bench. Easy to use and hight adjustable, it folds away when it's not in use. Would definitely love to have one.
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