Guest in the House

CTY is back here in KK from Teluk Intan and is staying in Jeff’s room since my elder brother James’s parents-in-law are here from Sandakan.

CTY will be staying with us until 11 January (Sunday) and then he, James and James’s parents-in-law will leave for Sandakan.

While CTY is here, James is travelling to KL on 8-10 January to meet up with his boss. So CTY will be quite free.

Before CTY came back to KK, I requested for his help to bring the car to the Perodua Centre to fix up the rear seat belts. I called the Perodua Centre or I thought was a Perodua Centre near my house, opposite DiGi Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd. HQ in Kolombong. The receptionist said they do not do such service at their centre. She gave me the phone number of the Perodua Centre in Bundusan Road, Penampang.

I was not prepared for what I was going to encounter. The receptionist told me the waiting list is until September and told me to call the Perodua Centre in Putatan.

When I told my colleague KK, he told me he read the following in the newspaper.

1. All vehicles are given three years to fix their rear seat belts.

2. Passengers sitting at the rear of vehicles have to put on the rear seat belts if the vehicle they are sitting on already have them. If they do not wear, then they will be summoned.

3. Passengers sitting in vehicles with no rear seat belts will not be summoned for these first three years.

4. The Perodua Centre can only install 20 vehicles per day! I wanted to swear when I heard that.

CTY suggested he goes to the Perodua Centre, obtains the seat belts and tries to install himself. But the receptionist at the Perodua Centre said this cannot be done. Sigh!

ODB – Why is Life So Unfair

Received this Discovery Series Bible Study entitled Why Is Life So Unfair? from Our Daily Bread (ODB).

I did not expect to receive it because I requested a copy after the deadline and therefore I thought that there would not be any left.

EPF

Recently there was a government circular out mentioning that everyone who contributes to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has a choice to reduce their individual contribution by 3% ie. from 11% to 8%.

For those who chose to maintain their contribution at 11%, they are required to fill in a form to declare their status quo. For those who wish to contribute 8%, they do not have to do anything.

I had prepared the forms to be signed by each employee without asking their preference because I thought everyone would want to remain at their status quo. Most people would prefer to contribute more actually and not less. But two people did not sign and so I had to prepare the forms all over again.

This has thought me not to presume anything. Everyone is different and each has the right to make their own choice eventhough I may not agree with it.

Dinner at Masakan Sedap

My sis-in-law’s parents are in KK from Sandakan.

Tonight we celebrated my sis-in-law’s mum (Mrs. Lu) birthday. Shirley Chew’s brother Donald Lee and his family, as well as his sis-in-law were invited to join us as well.

The menu is as follows.

1. Oyster Omelette. Quite a lot of oysters were given.

2. Aubergine Hotpot. This hotpot is one of their signature dishes. Although it did not look appetizing, look can be deceiving. This dish was temperature hot for quite a long time after being served. Tasted good as well.

3. Bean Curd Hotpot. A good mixture of seafood and veges.

4. Wet Butter Prawns. I specifically told the captain to write down for more sauce. The chef did give a lot of sauce. The prawns were fresh.

5. Honey Lamb. Quite tasty but some said too tough. Maybe so for the oldies.

6. Veges with Mushrooms.

7. Deer Meat with Ginger and Shallots. A mixture of tough and soft meat.

The children were sitting on another table and they had noodles.

Donald’s sis-in-law Evelyn works for a local architect’s firm and I have spoken to her on the phone before. We were not properly introduced when we first met at Wagamama Japanese Restaurant, Asia City Shopping Complex last year. This time we sat next to each other and got to know one another.

2009

I declare 2009 shall be for me …

A year of Breakthrough.

A year of Entering the Promised Land.

A year of Excellence.

A year of Overlooking/Not Dwelling on Small Stuff.

A year of Making a Difference.

A review of 2008

1. God has been even more real to me towards the end of 2008 than ever before. I hope to be able to make this as a stepping stone to something greater in 2009.

2. Relationship with family is no way at the level I have wanted to be at. This still needs more time to build up in 2009.

3. By the end of 2008 basically I was like sleeping five to six hours per night. This is way below my ideal of eight hours. I was tired but not sleepy. Age is catching up but I still want to sleep more in 2009.

4. I have been having problems in cutting down internet time but I am pretty sure in 2009 I will definitely cut down the hours to concentrate on doing something more worthwhile. (I also aim to cut out tv time completely other than during dinnertime)

5. I still have to get my rear moving in the exercise department.

6. My weight has been constant all throughout the year. I have been watching my food intake closely.

Dinner at Home

Chicken with Chinese Rice Wine

Grilled Chicken

Veges

Dinner at Home

Carrot Soup

Beef, Chicken and Lamb Satays

Satay Sauce

Vegetarian Dish

Kurma Chicken

Fried Fish

'Hoi Jit' and 'Yuen Tai'

Things I am Thankful for in 2008

I started of with an extremely memorable New Year. On the first day of the year my 103y.o. grannie felt sick and was in and out of the hospital. Subsequently she was called home by the Lord on 26 January. I thank God for the full life that she had lived. She was such a humble person and I have so much to learn from her.

There are so many things I am thankful for in 2008.

1. God – I am still a child of God and He is still real to me. I am still alive.

2. Family – No one has a perfect family and neither do I. But I still thank God for being part of my family unit.

3. Work – This year marks the 10^th year I had been with the company and I am glad that I still find my job a challenge.

4. Friends – For all my friends who have been standing by me through thick and thin; to meet up or in contact through emails with long lost friends; and for newly acquired friends.

5. Relatives – To meet up again with many of them at the beginning of the year.

6. Leisure

a. Holiday – to be able to go to Kuala Lumpur twice this year during Good Friday/Easter and Christmas periods for a short and relaxing trip with heaps of shopping and good food thrown in. And a big thank you to my great host.

b. Music – to be able to listen to The UK South Norfolk Youth Symphonic Band and The Kian Kok Middle School Concert Band.

c. Blog – to be able to continue blogging as a form of release for me and for your continuous support in reading it.

d. Facebook – to be able to meet up with new friends, old friends and not so old friends and esp. my most favourite high school teacher.

A Blessed New Year 2009 to everyone! Once again like last year, I like to emphasise to you to spend more time with God, it is worth doing it more than anything else in this world…

The Reality of Life

As the year is drawing to a close and a new year is dawning, I have two friends who have to make painful decisions in their life.

1. Mr. A found out that his wife has been cheating and lying to him. Although they have several kids, he is contemplating of divorcing her. Is he making the right decision? In situation like this, if you were in his shoes, would you give the wife a second chance?

As for me, if there are no kids involve, then I would not have any hesitation whatsoever to get out of the marriage. Afterall why stay in a marriage if your spouse has committed wrong against you? But of course it is easier said than done.

Since there are kids involve, then I have to think carefully because there are more lives involve than mine and I cannot be selfish. But would I stay in a marriage for the sake of the children?

Talking about not being selfish, I have a lot of friends who are staying in their marriage for the sake of being married eventhough they admit to me they wish they did not take this step in the first place.

2. Mr. B found out that his fiancée went back to her ex-boyfriend. End of story.

In this case, I would just get on with my life and glad that it happened now and not after getting married.

Sigh… Life is too complicated.