Things are expensive but do not get shortchanged when you eat out

We are a family of three but whenever we eat out we would like to "stretch" our dollar. As you know, Malaysia now is everything boleh; boleh naik tak boleh turun (can go up, cannot go down). I'm talking about the prices of essential goods lah! Even then, you can just sum up in general, everything seems to go up nowadays. No thanks to our tak boleh BN.

So, how to stretch your dollar then? Take for example, if you have a family of 4 and you would like to have a family meal outside, say...chicken rice or duck rice. Usually you will tell the uncle "4 persons eating", right? There he goes and make you a plate of juicy chicken with 4 rice. Now, have you ever wonder or come across more often then not, the plate of chicken supposedly for 4 persons is not-so-enough? Either you eat less and let your family eat more or you order 'add one more plate please'. So, the uncle got more business from you and you also spend more instead - over budget lah sometimes.

How about order half a bird straight next time and you know it is more than enough? In a way, everybody can enjoy the meal and it actually cost less because half a bird is about RM9.00 nowadays. BUT, beware though...you may also get shortchanged or cheated (more direct) if you are not aware how a plate of half a bird will look like. Is it this much or that much when the half bird is totally chopped down to pieces? Worse still if it is de-boned (boneless) will look a lot less on the plate.

I have had my experience in BM and Chai Leng Park and I felt cheated by these not-so-smart con men. When you cheat or con people, you are known as conman lah! No difference. Like I say, to stretch my dollar and at the same time give everybody at the table a sumptuous meal, I usually order half a bird, even for my family of three. How do we determine that the plate is not half a bird? Believe me at certain places, we will totally get our stomachs all filled up. With these con men serving, you are left with half filled stomach - not satisfied! And the portion on the plate, left me scratching my head. How on earth they want to cheat people like that just to make a few bucks? Malaysia boleh!

Another way to determine how big the portion to expect on a plate for half a bird is - buy one and cook it at home and then chop them into pieces and see for yourself!

Now, I want to know; if this thing happened to you, would you stand up and confront the fellow (chicken/duck rice seller) or shut up and walk away, not going back there anymore? Or spread it to your friends? Use the internet/email if you do!

Even our former PM is playing the ke-Tuanan thing....what a shame!

I have just commented in his blog...this is my view of his recent emphasis on the Tuan thing.

Tun Dr Mahathir,

This is the first time I come into your blog but certainly not the first time I wanted to say my share of opinion about you.

You might have been great to Malaysia in your 22 years 'managing' her but you have your fair share of flaws too in putting her in today's irony! And now, you are advocating Tuan here and Tuan there to your own race - sounding racial indeed.

Let me ask as a loyal Malaysian,

1. WHY TODAY'S MALAYSIA IS NOT WHAT SHE SUPPOSED TO BE AFTER 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE?
2. WHY MALAYSIANS CAN'T IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS BANGSA MALAYSIA?
3. WHY MALAYSIAN MUST BE CATEGORIZED AS MALAY, CHINESE, INDIAN, DAN LAIN LAIN?
4. WHY MALAYS WANT TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED AS TUAN?
5. WHY CAN'T UMNO LEAD MALAYSIA FOR MALAYSIANS REGARDLESS OF COLORS OR RACIAL IDENTITY? ISN'T IT BETTER THIS WAY?
6. WHY CAN'T UMNO POLITICIANS SAY 'KETUANAN MALAYSIA' INSTEAD? IF WE NEED TO DOMINATE, LET'S GO FOR THE WORLD STAGE!
7. WHY CAN'T YOU USE YOUR INFLUENCE TO 'SELL' MALAYSIA WHERE YOU ARE STILL ABLE? LEE KUAN YEW AND GOH CHOK TONG HAVE BEEN DOING SO EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T SEE EYE TO EYE IN MANY ISSUES PAST AND PRESENT.
8. WHY CAN'T YOU OFFER YOUR ADVICE OPENLY OR CRITICIZING CONSTRUCTIVELY?

During difficult times, we need a constructive and passionate leader to bring us up. Just look at what Premier Wen has gained in this difficult times in China? RESPECT. He has brought his heart to lend support and "save" his dying citizens in the earthquake disaster.

Tun Dr Mahathir, I pleaded with you to do what you are still capable of. Malaysia needed your pillar of strength as you needed her when your were unwell.

In our own backyard, we don't need to be Tuan nor Ketuanan Melayu but KETUANAN MALAYSIA BECAUSE WE ARE ALL PROUD TO BE MALAYSIANS. If we want to exert supremacy, conquer the world!!!

Tunku Abdul Rahman, we missed you!

My Water Woe

On April 26, I highlighted the water cleanliness at my housing area. The PBA (Penang water authority) men responded, came over and "trying" to fix the problem. Oh yeah, it was fixed in a way! You can read the rest of the story in my blog.

Today May 11, is about time to review the situation, exactly 2 weeks after. Now, if I refrain to be petty, it should be seen as acceptable. It is not "so bad" as a normal Malaysian would say. After all, who would give a damn to rakyat like me if not because we now have a new state government or coalition that emphasizes 'Ketuanan Rakyat'.

However, if I would stand up for my rights as a consumer who is paying for a service or product, then the water cleanliness in my area is still NOT ACCEPTABLE. Take a look at the pictures attached - it says everything.

The logic is that you just don't pay for something that is 'not in good condition' in a supermarket and be happy with it. It is just like your employer don't pay you well if you don't deliver a good job. But, in our case whatever the bill states, we have to pay in full, nothing short is acceptable. To add salt to a wound, the extra money spent on installing the water filter inside and outside of the house and changing the filters so constantly! I just wonder, how we could just drink water from the tap in those days and yet not feeling worried and not seeing filters everywhere, in every housing area. Everyone knows, dirty water is the main source to problematic health.

Hello, it's poor maintenance that leads to deteriorating of any first-class infrastructure. It is as simple as that! To the PBA, go out and do your work and make sure you do it bloody well and do it all year long. No shortcut and certainly not doing it once a year or act on complaint or worse still never done it at all.

To YB Chong Eng, that is what I have to say - my feedback after observing my filter for 1st and 2nd consecutive week. (I appreciate your concern anyway).

National Service or National Disservice???

From food poisoning to rape to death, is it not a national disservice (NS) to Malaysians? This has come to a boiling point. Take a look at the past couple days in the news, case of death of a young girl. What??? It is not something we just heard today!!! How tragic can it be....my heart goes to her family.

From the start, I know this is a failure of the nation from my point of view. This is just another "show" and money spinner by the powers-that-be. The millions of rakyat's money has gone to waste. It is easy to disguise as money well spent for the good of our children, for national integration, but for sure it is not going to work! After 50 years Malaysians are not seen as integrated. We are still identified by race, religion is still a sensitive national issue, politicians still playing the racial card, blah blah blah. Never ending. Hello, to integrate the young ones in mere 3 months, it remains an illusion.

Everytime there is an incident, it is treated as isolated case, no big deal - the 'do and cover-up syndrome'. You read the report in the news today, somehow it disappears from the radar day after tomorrow. How many cases are not reported, God knows. What happens after it is reported, only God knows too. The person that started this whole stupid NS thing says nothing! You know who.

I have a young daughter, whom may not yet knowing what NS is all about. But Hell Yeah, I wish NS will not see the light when it comes the next 8 years. Otherwise, I will fight till my last breath to stop her from being "taken away".

RPK, I stand by you for justice, to hell THEY go!

I was away on business assignment for the last couple of days, but certainly kept up to what is happening to all our justice defenders - of course from the BLOGS.

To RPK, I salute your guts for standing up against the powers-that-be. To me, you are definitely more 'powerful' than those morons, you-know-who. To all the YBs who stand up with the rakyat and got beaten up by the police, I salute you too. To the licensed mafia, I say to hell THEY go for good.

As if the rakyat do not know, it has happened once too many times. Like the famous 'copy & paste' features in computer software, here Malaysia is famous for 'do & cover-up'. We will never find justice in high profile cases. Every time there seems to be some "underhand" that works in favor to the powerful. How tragic!

The latest actions by 'you-know-who' to intimidate us bloggers will never be a success. We, bloggers will be around, longer, the celebrate the birth of Malaysia new government!

What if the federal government becomes opposition, what will happen to their wives' association?

Another folly, another laughing matter for the world!

Ever since the general election '08 concluded two months ago, I for one have been taking note of some of the "out of the mind" decisions taken by BN-related people i.e. ministers, MPs, party reps, the little napoleons and the suddenly very "brave" wives of former state governments. There you go, in Selangor and now Penang. When the beloved husbands are no longer running the office, the wives also close shop lah. But then again, we are talking about public or rather private sector donated funds.

To be honest to God, I have never had any inkling about all these states that have such associations "serving" charity works. It is all for the good cause in serving the needy - sounds very noble indeed. But I also know they accumulate faster than they give out! What??? I definitely do not know that these so-called wives' associations have so much $$$ in the bank, one is almost having 10mil!!! Another about half a mil. Yeah, of course we are talking interestingly about the richest state in Malaysia. No wonder you can see mansions owned by mere state councilors. The former state government even built bungalows for others who don't have the nose to build mansions.

Now, isn't it only right to pass the baton when you are no longer in-charge, moreover it is public funds? Same to public properties, right? Why do you need to transfer??? Sore losers? Come on, what are we showing to the world? What are we telling the foreign investors? That we are allowing people to make lousy decisions and get away with it? What??? What is our PM going to say about it? What??? Say nothing!

Let me ask a 'million dollar question' here. WHAT IF THE BN-LED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECOMES OPPOSITION, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO BAKTI'S FUND, INCLUSIVE ALL THE TRANSFERED FUNDS FROM THE FORMER & FORMER? As a loyal Malaysian, I'm just disappointed and feel sorry that this is again has to happen in Malaysia. How am I to tell my foreign guests? That my guests, you are now in Malaysia-boleh land!

Beware, the Almighty is watching your every move! And He has taken them back one by one.

A Cutie Named MiMi

If you are wondering who this cutie is, well, she is a four-legged doggy "seconded" to me while her owner (my neighbour) has gone for a one-day trip up north. As usual the ever popular destination for fellow Malaysians is none other than Haatyai, Southern Thailand.

We all love Mimi. She is such an intelligent dog. She understands Mandarin well, I guess so since her owner communicates with her in this language. Not bad, huh. She goes to the bathroom to do her "pee and pooh" - that's why I heard. So, since she will be with us for one day only, yep, I do anticipate her to show me the hygienic side of her. Up to this moment, while I'm blogging, she has not done so yet. So, I'm still wondering!

Back to her cutie nature; she will jump and stand on her two feet at the same time when we call out her name. She will show her sadness when her owner goes out leaving her home alone. Like the saying goes, dog is a man's best friend. How true it is...I never doubted this statement. Another cute side of her is...guess what...she plays with toys! What??? When I first heard it from her owner I felt quite hilarious. Hahaha.

I think she has endeared herself to my family as well. So, here I decided to post with her pic and you judge for yourself how lovable Mimi is. She is posing on our bed! When she sleeps, I notice that how she really enjoys a fan blowing directly at her. What a pampered life! We have grown to love her and treat her as part of a family as well.

While blogging about Mimi, I must highlight that there are not many indoor public places in Malaysia which are animal-friendly. We are clearly lagging in this department. I hope this will change in Malaysia one day.