Posting Using E-mail

Just found out that I can post to my blog (for blogspot users) through email.
You can read about it Here.
(Added on later)
It takes a bit to appear. Still, its really convinient if you are posting from your handphone or internet enabled handheld.

Bills, Bills, More Bills and Fines

I was just pondering a comment that an acquaintance made today. He told me that "you must have saved a lot of money" and he based his assumption on the fact that both my wife and me were working in semi-government organisations in relatively "good positions". I was trying to point out without much success, that we were not exactly in the corporate sector and compared to what some people earn, our monthly salary is like peanuts.

I was just trying to find out where all our money went and a list appeared.

Of course there are the monthly bills: my house rent (thank God its cheap here in Kedah and I don't have to pay for the electricity), our car loans, payment on the yet to be complete house (they don't call it interest as it is a so called Islamic loan), insurance, telephone and credit card bills.

Having a baby has lowered some of our expenditures but at the same time included others. Our regular outings to Bangsar, KLCC, Mega Mall, One Utama and Sri Hartamas has been cut down considerable since Rahil joined us but she added other variables which are not exactly cheap, notable items include nappies and milk. We now make the occasional trips to Coffee Bean/ Starbucks/ San Francisco Coffee and rarely see movies if at all.

I knew that Credit Cards are bankruptcy traps but the allure of “buy now pay later” was too great and now we are still servicing the interest on some big purchases, which were absolutely necessary.

Then there are those unneccessary expenditures, such as Rm70 on the signal lights of my Wira, which recently popped out. MPPJ also slapped two parking tickets (RM50 each) both outside Subang Ria restaurant in Kelana Jaya. I also received a love letter (RM150) from the Kubang Pasu Police for overspeeding (102 Km/hr in a 90- Km/Hr zone).

Thank God! I don't smoke or drink (alcohol). I realise I save a load as compared to some of my friends.

That’s why we are really concerned whenever there is an increase of a few sen in the price of petrol, or sugar or toll rates. We haven’t seen a corresponding increase in our pay for ages. Anyway, that’s life I guess and the total amount we spend every month is like peanuts for some people. Some guys spend more than that in a single day. In fact there are people out there in Malaysia who can afford to buy a handbag costing more than RM50K and then use it only once or twice. There are also other people who give their kids a brand new Merc SLK on their 18th birthday.

I am just wondering how the clerks, driver and lower staff in our organization manage on their meager salaries while raising half a dozen kids when we can’t barely manage on our joint income with only one baby.

Blogger Goes Crazy

Just posted the blog about Rahil and Blogger went crazy. I got an error page when I clicked the "Publish Post" tab and on restarting everything, found that the post had been published more than 20 times. I spent a few minutes deleting the rest of them. Still wondering what went wrong. Now, everything is back to normal.

Crawling Baby Hidden Dangers

Rahil is now 7 months old and she has crossed another landmark. She started crawling (forward) day before yesterday. I am not sure if all parents are like this but somehow I feel that she is cuter, less troublesome, healthier, in other words - the best baby in the World.

Before this she had already started to crawl but backwards and then she would do some rocking motion and everyone would go "Goyang, Goyang".

Now that she has started crawling there are several things that we need to take care off. We can't leave her even for aminute unattended as we used to do before sometimes. I just took my eyes off her for a moment and she is in one corner of the bed and about to fall off. She also putting everything she can get her tiny hands on, into her mouth. Now we have to invest in a baby gate on top of the stairs and maybe one for the bed.

All short of horrifying thoughts get into my mind. What if she eats a cockroach? What is she puts her fingers into the electric outlet? and so on. Other parents tell me " this is nothing, wait till she becomes a teenager and you will be pulling your hair out". Just realised something. Thank you Baba and Ima.

Some Pics

UPDATED: 8 Feb, 2008
Textamerica is dead. Linking the pictures from my Flickr account.

After looking around, found that the free photo hosting service provided by TextAmerica.com is among the best. Setting up an account and uploading pictures is a breeze. Just uploaded some of my Phuket trip pictures.


Dusk at Patong Beach.

The (in)famous Bangla Road.
(Don't have the pictures anymore)


View from the James Bond Island.

Sweet and Sour Memories

Back in my office rested and filled with BFH (back from holiday) syndrome - relaxed, eager to share your stories, pics only to realise that there is a load of unfinished work piling up on your desk.

There was one incident in Phuket which really spoiled my mood. We were out shopping for souvenirs one afternoon and we happened to go to one of the alleys filled with shops in Patong. We were just browsing around one shop where prices were put up on all the items (a rarity in Phuket where bargaining rules). Anyway, we were picking different gifts for all the people back home and had even selected a wrap around skirt for my sister. I was looking at a small cute dress and asked the sour-faced lady attending us, whether it would fit a kid 1 year old. She replied with a rude "NO! People buy for 1 year older" and murmuring under her breath. We were shocked at her attitude - "What is her problem?" An old man came out and rudely asked us "want to buy or not?" and then we just left the things we had picked up and was going out when the old man commented "Go back to Malaysia! $*&#@" My wife then went mad and before I could stop her, retorted something which I cannot report here. Till now, I am still wondering what their problem was or how they knew we were from Malaysia. We were not tying to bargain (yet), we were there for about only 5 minutes and we were definitely not doing anything provocative. Anyway, I guess there are always some people around everywhere with a stick up their a@#$ and it was their loss not ours.

Overall the trip to Phuket was great and I would love to go back there again. You wish you could just lie on the beach reading a book and shipping coconut milk forever but then reality butts in.

Down by Patong Beach

Here I am again in the Pharmacy/ Internet Cafe blogging about my experiences here. My wife's off at the conference presenting a paper and I am here all by myself. I know, it sounds great roaming around by yourself in a foreign town. However, you realise that after 3 days here at Patong, there is nothing much more to see. Hotels, eating places, pubs and shops and more shops. I prefer to lie down by the beach but then all these people will come and ask you whether you want a foot message and you even have to pay for sitting on those beach seats or whatever you call them. In order to enjoy yourself, you have to go out of the place and explore other parts of the island.

Yesterday, we went for a half day tour of some Islands called the James Bond tour. This is because the highlight of the trip is to a small island where part of the James Bond flick - "The man with the golden gun" was shot. I was just thinking to myself, "I have seen more beautiful islands in Malaysia". However, the last stop at a Muslim fishing village was very interesting. Surprise! Some of the people there spoke Malay. Got some great gifts there which were much cheaper than in Patong beach. My wife got a nice bracelet of semi-precious stones for only 80 Bhats (about RM8). In Patong they were asking 300 bhats for it. You can also take 2 snaps of yourself holding a tame sea eagle (you have to pay 20 bhats). Will post mine later.

Coming back to the topic of shopping in Phuket - DON"T shop in Patong unless you are good at bargaining. You have to start at 30% of what they ask. As for T-shirts - don't pay more than 100 Bhats. For a nice suit (coat and pants), 300 Bhats is the best price.

Again food here at Patong is damn costly and getting Halal food is really tough. One guy working at a counter at our hotel took us to Laila Sea Food - a Muslim restaurant which serves real Malay food. However, be prepared to pay about 100 Bhats for a ride on the Tuk Tuk as it is away from Patong beach. They are Thai Muslims from the southern part of thailand - from Yala if I am not mistaken. The food is great and best of all they speak Malay. Talking about food has made me hungry.

More next time.....