Talk COrK with ah Jay

Happy New Year

2009-12-30T17:20:00.003+08:00

Hi Guys,

I have switched camps and have moved future posts to http://coffeehuemour.wordpress.com

Thank you for your continuous reading and support

kid-j

This airport ain't no 7-11

2009-12-18T19:04:00.005+08:00

'TEETEEEETTEEEEETTTEEEETTEEEET...'' as one of the 3 alarms that I set went off. I didn't sleep a wink that night I had an early flight to catch; furthermore was not sure if sleeping for 2 hours would make me feel worse.

Thankfully I had Bejewelled to keep me company, was up all night and set an all-time personal high score along the way, despite ending up with a panda-like facial appearance.

As we arrived at Soekarno Hatta International airport in the wee hours, 230am to be exact, we were greeted by a group of passengers lying on the limited benches outside the airport.

Truly reflecting the title of this entry, the Jakarta airport does not operate 24 hours a day, but at least it does 365 days. There was a man who tumbled off his trolley after he fell asleep on it, bringing the whole trolley crashing down.

It's common for international travellers to check-in 2 hours before the flight, but the doors only opened at 315am as the passengers doubled. Still plenty of time, as my flight was only lifting off at 500am, the first flight of the day.

The attendant at the check-in counter was so embarrassed as she had to ask the passengers, including myself to manually push our 'check-in' luggages down the conveyor belt chute as the belts were not yet operational at such an early hour.

The immigration officers were extremely friendly as they greeted us by our last names. Much to our disappointment, all the restaurants, shops and lounges were not yet open. Went through a total of 4 newspapers that morning and one of the local dailies carried a report that Jakarta airport was the second best in the world (in terms of no flight delays). Sandwiched between two Japanese airports, it still is quite an achievement although flight punctuality is usually influenced by the airline companies. Congratulations anyway, Soekarno-Hatta airport.

We became Starbucks' first customer of the day and I nearly won a Million dollars on the PC edition of 'Are you smarter than a 5th Grader?' Missed it by just one question..... sigh, if only...

Roti: An Indonesian Love affair

2009-12-14T08:51:00.014+08:00

Bread has been a staple food of many societies around the world since the ancient times. Over the years, we have seen bakeries mushrooming around our neighbourhoods and commercial squares. Where there's man, there's demand for bread..

Indonesians love their bread and the birth of designer-bakeries such as Breadtalk (owned by Johnny Andrean, of J.Co Donuts fame) has successfully carved out a new market and led willing Indonesians to pay a premium for bread.

Bread on the street costs a fraction of those in Breadtalk, yet there are always long queues at the latter's cashier counters. The creative bakers behind the glass pane have brought life to dull-and-boring bread.

Have you seen their mouth-watering spread?? I salivate upon entering the bakery as my nosebuds are teased by the aroma of the dough baking in the giant ovens.

Most people also wait for nightfall as most bakeries offer massive discounts or 'Buy 1-free-1' deals . Large crowds gather circle around the shelves like vultures, and fill up their trays with a gamut of 'Rotis'. Passers-by like myself are naturally drawn towards the bakery like magnets. (Check out the queue for bread)

The success of Breadtalk has led to many similar-concept bakeries sprouting up in malls the continent over. Designer bakeries and premium bread have been accredited with the revival of the bread business.

Then again, not every designer bakery manages to draw in the crowd like ants to honey. This bakery, altough a few steps away from Breadtalk illustrates just that. Today I learned and realized the importance and the power of branding and brand loyalty.

Waiters who can't wait

2009-12-12T09:33:00.003+08:00

Just as you step up to the menu stand, the waiter ushers you in and seats you in a nice corner; now that is good service.

How about when the waiter hands you the menu and immediately wants to take your order?? Just as your behind touches the cushion of the chair, the ever-attentive waiter hands you the menu, tells you the daily specials and immediately asks, ' Can I take your order, sir?'

How would you rate the 'waiters' on the comment card? 10 points for immediately ushering us to the table, but I find it plain irritating to eagerly want to take my order before my wife can even put her bag down.

It's understandable if we were immediately asked that question at a kopitiam. But for a posh restaurant?

Now, I ain't no regular, but even regulars need some time to browse through the colourful menu and be teased by the lip-smacking photos and description. Moreover, this is a newly opened restaurant.

At least the food was good and they offered a 20% discount. =)

Am still wondering if I should hav left a bigger tip?

kid-j

09-12-05 Jordan and Gene's "Pick up the Bride" ceremony - 2

2009-12-06T23:37:00.001+08:00

The rest of the pictures are up. I didn't post up all the relatives pictures from the tea ceremony, just in case some might not like it. As usual, click on the photos below to access full album.

Favorite picture of the day.
"Almost" a perfect shot! If only Rocky wasn't in the background. -.-"

To end the day... Ka-Ching! LOL!!!

Just remembered,
"Heng Tai" photos have to get from Jordan's relative.. :)

Calling it a night now. Hope you guys like it!

09-12-05 Jordan and Gene's "Pick up the Bride" ceremony

2009-12-06T20:14:00.001+08:00

Again more Congratulations to Jordan and Gene on their marriage. May you have a happy life, everlasting love, and a beautiful family in the future.

Click on the photo to view all the pictures at flickr album.
Look forward to next batch of photos! ;)

Psst... Jay, feel free to edit or add as you please. Lol!
Can I do this long term? Posting pictures of the gang here...
I'm too lazy to maintain blur's crib. -.-"

Neat Eaters

2009-11-24T12:50:00.010+08:00

One thing I realized since arriving in this crowded metropolis, were that the Indonesians were neat eaters.. (its no typo, i meant NEAT, not MEAT). I mean, they love their 'meats' too, but lets discuss that another day.

In Malaysia, we were (at least I was) taught to put all bones or 'unwanteds' on the table so that it doesn't interfere with our meal. You know how we just toss the devoured fish-head onto the table, or how we place that piece of squeezed lime on the table. But over here, NO ONE does that, whether it's chicken bones, or satay sticks. They just leave it neatly at the side of their plates.

Sheer coincidence?? But regardless if I'm at a local cafe, at the streets or in a trendy foodcourt, the scenario's the same.

No matter how overcrowded their plates become, they somehow still find a way to segmentize the items on their plates: edibles, bones, garnish, satay sticks.

And when they are done eating, the utensils are usually placed in this manner, crossed like the Jolly Roger.

kid-j

Brownies from Bandung

2009-11-20T19:50:00.008+08:00

I never thought that I would be revisiting Bandung again, especially so soon, since only having visited it a week ago. This time it was just a morning trip for business.

Bandung is well known for its factory outlet stores and very popular among the locals, especially over the weekend. Another thing that seems ubiquitous is 'Amanda's Brownies.'

During my first visit, I saw many places proudly displaying banners of 'Amanda's Brownies''. These stalls range from proper cafes to snack shops to roadside stalls to car-boot displays. This time around, we went to the original 'Amanda's Brownies bakery.

It took us many turns and macet(jam packed)-streets to get there, but doesn't bug me; I was not doing the driving. The fragrant aroma of Amanda's teased us to enter the premise immediately after alighting from the car.

I initially thought that I would have a cash-flow problem as it somehow occured to me that those being sold inside would be helluva expensive. I walked into the bakery with less than Rp50,000 in my paper thin wallet.

'What the ....?', it was even cheaper than those from the roadside. This time around, it only cost Rp22,000. The choices were aplenty and they carried flavors ranging from Original to Banana to Blueberry. Bought a box of Banana flavored brownies and am enjoying a slice this very moment. mmmmm....

Before leaving the shop, I just had to ask if those stalls from the roadside were also authentically Amanda's. The cashier confirmed their authenticity (that explains why they had the same boxes and plastic bags) but cautioned that those from the roadside were normally not so fresh and sold at higher prices. That; I could confirm, I had earlier paid Rp27,000 to a car-boot salesman during my first trip here and the expiry date was 2 days from date of purchase.

Drove past many streets before hitting the highway, there was a street that sold all kinds of fish, while another street had vendors selling all kinds of birds. Then, we drove past this sign..

--It actually reads, 'Adult shop' and advertised among others products like the little blue-pill, 'long-lasting cream'. --

They put up a sign without leaving any contact details or address......how to expect customers to patronise?

kid-j

Kiyadon Sushi

2009-11-18T09:32:00.009+08:00

Kiyadon Sushi has many outlets all over Jakarta, some are very poshly decorated (Anggrek Mall) while some are not (Senayan City).

Stomachs were rumbling and hadn't had sushi since arriving 2 months ago. We were ushered into the far corner of the bar, next to the conveyor belt. I never fancied sitting next to the belt as I always end up overeating because everything looks so good.

As customary as it is for me, I always tend to order Fried Rice (sorry didn't take pictures, gobbled it almost immediately). It's good...

They had 5 price tiers for their dishes:

-RP12,000

-Rp18,000

-Rp25,000

-Rp35,000

-Rp50,000

Never really saw anything from the lower priced tiers and most were from the Rp25,000 and Rp 35,000. With prices being so expensive, all I could do was sit and watch, like a kid watching the cars drive by on the highway.

--what bugs me is that for two pieces of thumb-sized 'Unagi Sushi' costs Rp35,000, while a big bowl only costs Rp56,000--

There was also this tad snobbish old man at the other end of the conveyor belt, who acted a food critic and wanted to show off to his younger counterparts. He was a chef's worst nightmare, complaining and bitchin about every dish that reached him, demanding to see the chef and what ingredients were inside etc. He would tell his friends that this was not the way it should be prepared, shouldn't be cooked like this, blah blah blah.

He even complained that a particular dish was left out too long, although I saw it with my own eyes, the chef prepare it for him just seconds ago.Sheeesh..

Guten Appetit old man

kid-j

Egg-stra effort

2009-11-16T13:43:00.006+08:00

As the weekend came to a close, I still had one more thing left on the agenda: grocery shopping.

The 10-item-list was made and off I went with wifey to Central Park Mall. Not like the list really mattered as we never really stuck to it anyway. We parked at the entrance next to Carrefour and grabbed a trolley from the shortest trolley-line, thus irritating the worker as his job was to neatly line the trolleys so that every line had equal number of trolleys.

One thing different about here was that they purchased eggs by the weight and not by the quantity or grades. Other than the size and differences in alleged proteins and nutrients contained, eggs are eggs.

Its an eye opener for me to see 'aunties and si-lais' selecting eggs as though they were selecting shoes for a wedding dinner. Understandable if it was vegetables or fruit.. but an egg??? come on.... --I had to take this picture when no one was looking, see, all the aunties took all the nice ones--

They pick up the egg, hold it against the light, shake it, look out for cracks and feces etc.

There were also some who had their children help out, and the 'Aunties' would point and describe to their children which egg they wanted. 'No, not that one.. yea, that one, the light colored one with a black dot.'

So much egg-stra work...

kid-j

Spas (the clean kind)

2009-11-12T12:38:00.005+08:00

Was checking-in and out of hotels in many major Indonesian cities for the past two weeks and want so badly to share my recent Spa-related funny with you guys.

At a hotel in Surabaya, I was bored out my skull and decided to look around the room for reading materials. Then I found this table tent card from Clark Hatch Spa.

It read among other packages, 'Erotic Massage.' No kidding, I rubbed my eyes in disbelief and looked again .....'Erotic Massage.' 'What the F**K?, I thought to myself, how can a world-renowned spa offer this type of services?'

Curious and now intrigued, I grabbed my phone and wallet and was ready to zoom out of the room.

But wait, let's check again to be sure. Rubbed my eyes, pinched my thighs and slapped my cheeks.

'eXotic massage, only RP400,000.'

Cheh..... luckily I did not go...

kid-j

Elevator etiquette

2009-11-09T16:00:00.003+08:00

It's funny how some people tend to keep tapping the elevator 'Up/down' button, eventhough it's already been pressed. I'm sure you have come across people doing that. Not sure if it will make the lift arrrive any faster, but I quote an old friend, 'Its just so that I have something to do.''

Despite commenting on this subject, I admit that I sometimes become one of these people and tap away when the lift never seems to arrive. Can't help it, but the button seems to call out to me ' Press Me!!!'.

Then there are also those who immediately step out of the elevator when the door opens, only to realise its not the floor that they wanted to go. They take 2 steps out, look around and quickly zoom back into the lift just as the door is closing. I don't know why, but I still do.

In contrast to those constantly stepping out at every open door, there are also those who do the opposite. Regardless if the elevator is heading upwards or downwards, they will still waltz in, push the button, then only notice its going the wrong direction.

I also hate it when the occupants in the lift do not have the courtesy to back further into the lift to allow more people to come in. Sheesh.. because of that, I have to suck in my beer belly and be very careful not to accidentally touch anybody and risk a 'molestation accusation.'

Another thing about people in elevators are their actions and conversations. I have seen golf fanatics practicing their putting skills, and women applying their make-up. Some people hook on their I-pods and sing along, oblivious to the fact that they are not auditioning for 'American Idol,' hence can do away with the hand gestures and facial expressions. Then there are those who yap away even though they are standing at different corners of the lift, yet they still feel its ok to continue, just like those 'aunties and si-lais' from TVB serials, who never know when to keep their mouths shut.

kid-j

Matahari Department Store

2009-11-05T17:56:00.004+08:00

The Indonesians are a friendly lot, and most of them are real hardworking and dedicated in making a sale.

Whilst shopping at Matahari department store, I'm always hounded by attentive employees eager to help you locate your desired item. Female staff cover the men's section and reverse for the ladies section, as a helpful male employee assisted my wife in shopping for maternity clothes.

I feel awkward wanting to buy boxer shorts, having the ladies follow me around, recommending various designs to me. This makes me shy to buy my size (I'm not tellin.. hahah) and often think.....''Hmmm, should I up-size to look good?.' hahha.. It was a grab-and-go experience for me.

kid-j

Sucky Hotel Bencoolen Singapore

2009-11-03T01:50:00.007+08:00

'its cheap and walking distance to Orchard road, let's book it,' were the exact words out of my mouth whilst trying to convince Mary to stay at Bencoolen Hotel in the city state. Its already depressing enough that a 1/2 inch thick stack of Rupiahs can only be converted to a few pieces of Singapore dollars, so hence the booking of a cheap hotel.

The toilet was as big as the room.. Normally if someone tells you that, it either means the toilet is damn big, or the bedroom area is damn small. In our case, it was the latter. The bedroom area had only space for one side table, and I'm sure that my fart could travel from the toilet to the bed area and still cause some damage.

We were provided with toilet paper, literally, it felt like paper and was so hard and rough on our behinds.. ouch..

Walls were paper thin and we could hear our neighbours... (nothing interesting though, just some coughs and tv watching).

Breakfast had 'eggs any way you wanted it' but no matter what you order, the auntie always gave you the same. Choices were limited and they had the audacity to charge SGD17 for buffet breakfast.... more like 'bLuff-et breakfast'.. ok, bad jokes aside...

Staff were unfriendly especially this lady who manned the morning shifts. See her face feel like slapping her la. Grrrrr. geramnya

Plus points are it has a mamak and 7-11 opposite and close to Orchard.

kid-j

Travel Summary: Jakarta- Surabaya Day 1

2009-10-30T13:00:00.002+08:00

Day 1
Booked a taxi but it did not arrive, was starting to freak out.

Hopped on a random cab in the wee hours to the airport.

Flight was full, bladder was full, but fortunately toilets were not.

Greeted by the Hot hot sun of Surabaya. It was only 8 in the morning.

A football field of taxis greeted our arrival. Never saw so many taxis in my life.

Explored Surabaya by night. Had dinner at a foodcourt.

Some keropok was blown of my plate by the fan.

Mourned the loss of my crackers..

Cest la vie, went back to hotel to sleep.

kid-j

Travel Summary: Jakarta- Surabaya Day 2

2009-10-30T12:59:00.004+08:00

Day 2 Had a shoe-shine. Shoes now nice and shiny. Hopped on a train to Malang (2 hours south of Surabaya) Train was not airconditioned, even the executive coach. 5 ringgit train ticket, 5-star service- buskers on guitars, shoe shining services, ice cold drinks, nasi goreng, otak otak, peanuts, you name it, they have it. This is afterall an 'Executive' train. Seriously. Train ride costs RM5 there, with numbered seating, but the same train back only costs RM1.50, free seating and even standing (on top of the train) Houses were really close to train track. I could touch them if I put my hand out. (Not that I did.) Well... just for a while, to take a picture. Took a trishaw to client's office. Lady with two baskets of kuih pleads with us to buy from her as business is bad. She says her kuih is really really good.

--pushy lady trying to sell us her kuih, although camera angle may lead others to think otherwise ;-)

Took a taxi. Meter reads Rp8000. Taxi driver tells us that minimum charge is Rp20k. He says its a new ruling from govt. Sheesh.. After work, hung out at a local dept store. Prices are much cheaper than Jakarta.

Jakarta vs Small town
Haircut (mall) :Rp25,000 vs Rp6,000
10 sticks satay + lontong: Rp20,000 vs Rp12,000
Laundry: Rp7,000/kg vs Rp2,000/kg

Had famous Sup Kambing Malang for dinner. Yummm..

kid-j

Travel Summary: Jakarta to Surabaya Day 3

2009-10-30T12:50:00.003+08:00

Day 3

Had fried rice, noodles, pancakes, waffles, fruits and toast at breakfast buffet.

Work.

Needed to pee.

Hold it in.

Arrive at next destination.

Sudden change of destination.. crap..

Hold it in again.

Arrive at new destination.

Rush in...... aaaahhhhhhhhhhh

Lunch with client. Rushed to airport

Still had 45 minutes to boarding. Went to airport lounge.

Paid the entry fee, then announcement asks us to board.

Quickly gulp down some drinks and food.

Fly home to Jakarta

kid-j

Diarrhoea in the big city

2009-10-23T12:17:00.003+08:00

D-I-A-R-R-H-O-E-A.... I don't think the average person can spell this word correctly.. neither could I, had to look it up to be sure.

From earlier entries, I mentioned that the tap water in this part of the world is not safe for consumption, and the general population relies on bottled water.

Now, who's to stop a few restaurant entrepreneurs from using tap water for ice and cooking, in order to keep costs down. No one that is.. Of course, this is no problem for the locals as their stomachs have been trained from young, but for the new comer, diarrhoea or a nicer term: purging, is one helluva bad experience.

My friend, who has been here for years, tells me that I am on the right path and this is the journey one will experience to be able to boast, 'I survived Jakarta.'

She tells me that diarrhoea meds were her best friend throughout her first year. For her, Diarrhoea was a weekly affair, just like church. Soon after, we will develop stomachs of sharks; capable of digesting almost anything.

ONE YEAR!!!... shit! this is only my third week here, another 49 weeks to go.. better stock up on toilet papers =)

kid-j

Live a long and healthy life

2009-10-19T15:14:00.006+08:00

Received an email containg the following attachment.

Even before the study was initiated, I considered myself a semi-pro at this. Now that its official, I'm doing it full-time and will sure as hell am on my way to a long and healthy life.

Guys, cut up those gym membership cards and join me; its positive effects rival that of a 30 minute workout.

This will certainly help close the gap of average life expectancy between men (currently 63) and women (66)

kid-j

'AIR' Quality in Jakarta

2009-10-19T10:56:00.007+08:00

Entering the 3rd week in Jakarta, I can conclusively confirm that Jakarta's 'Air' quality is terrible.

This goes for both the English and Malay/ Bahasa Indonesia version of 'AIR'.

Through some study by some research institute, published in some paper, Jakarta's air (English definitoin) quality was rated the 3rd worst in the world (after Bangkok and Mexico city). With the amount of dust and construction works everywhere, ladies and men get free make-up foundation when they wait for the bus or taxi.

No wonders
(1) No wonder nobody wears white
(2) No wonder the concept of sidewalk cafes and alfresco dining never got popular
(3) No wonder tissues are the best sellers in the supermarket, many pack sizes and scents

Enough about the English 'Air', and lets move on to the malay/ Indonesian 'Air'. For the benefit of the rest, 'Air' in Bahasa Indonesia/ Malay means 'Water.' A simple word with totally different meanings in the respective languages.

The European or Austratlian who walks into the local Indonesian cafe would be surprised and confused as to why airline tickets are sold so cheaply in cafes; and offered by airlines that they have never heard of (Air Limau, Air Kelapa, Air Soda).. hahah.. ok, bad jokes aside.. , back to the story

Before moving to Indonesia, we heard countless advice from friends and webpages alike, NEVER drink water from the tap. Its a bad habit that I have, especially in the middle of the night. Too sleepy to feel my way in the darkfor the water jug in the wee hours of the morning. Often, I enjoy filling my mouth with water during showers and spray it out, like a dolphin's blowhole... Mary lets me do it in KL, but here .. NO NO.. spoil-sport.. she means well..

No one boils water to drink in this part of the world and the filtered water/ mineral water business is lucrative. Mineral water is cheap too, a 20liter bottle, manufactured by Danone only cost RM4.

Everyone has those water-dispenser-machines at home, and ours overheated over the weekend... with the remaining of our drinkable water bubbling over and spilling all over the floor..... NOOOoooooooooooo

In an earlier entry, I also shared how they should publish a book, 'Changing the empty bottle for water dispensers for DUMMIES.' ..now, thats a book I would buy.

kid-j

Water dispenser drama

2009-10-09T22:14:00.008+08:00

Funny thing happened today.. Two university graduates couldn't figure out how to change the water bottles of a water dispenser. By the way, I live in a part of the world where tap water, even after boiling is not safe for consumption and the water dispenser business is lucrative.

Anyway back to my story, you know those big 20-liter bottle thingy where you have to flip it upside down. Well, the flipping was the easy part, relatively, but getting the bottle to lock into place was the hard part. Don't blame me, it was a 'virgin' experience for me.

The labels on the refill bottle mentioned nothing, while the Internet was no help either. I googled 'how to change water refill in dispenser' , many sites selling water dispensers popped up on the search engine but I still couldn't find what I wanted.

After a few tries; forcing it in by putting my weight on top, turning it from side to side, no success. Hear this, lugging this giant bottle on and off the dispenser is no Fun Fun. Thankfully the lightbulb (or some senses) came.

Went through the stationary drawer and used a pair of scissors to dig a small hole before flipping it over again, only to have some water squirt out on the floor, looking like a trail of my dog's pee (yup, my dog walks and pees). But who cares, the end results mattered most, success alas..

19 Oct: Just found out that there are special-caps created to prevent the water from spilling out and can only be activated, when pushed open by the nozzle of the water dispenser.

kid-j

Grocery shopping.... yay

2009-10-08T14:37:00.004+08:00

Grocery shopping, yay

I generally love supermarkets and the sight of Hero (local supermarket chain) and Carrefour really excites me.

Thankfully, both are a stone’s throw away. My apartment is situated right beside the trendy-but-yet-to-fully-open Central Park Mall (see stolen pic) , which houses Carrefour as its anchor tenant. And, there is a Hero supermarket at the ground floor of my apartment (haven’t shopped at Hero yet, so can’t comment)

The employees of Carrefour are generally courteous and polite. More importantly it is clean, well-organized and well stocked. The statement ‘Always ready to assist’ printed at the back of their uniforms actually mean something as they are very eager to help and please, unlike those in my home country. Sigh..

Mary enjoys shopping here as they have oodles of choices along with multiple packsizes. Smaller packsizes encourage trial and purchase for first time users like us and it also minimizes wastage, as we normally discard it if we don’t enjoy it.

Generally, the core packsizes of manufacturers are ‘refill packs’ for items like oil and facial tissue. I guess this lowers the overall product cost due to cheaper packaging materials, which then makes the product more affordable and appealing to the consumers. Eggs are priced based on weight and not by the tray.

The guys at the weighing counter are very polite and always gives service with a smile. The same goes for those manning the checkout counter. They also get very stressed out when you try to bag your own purchases. I guess it’s their work policy of not wanting their customers to lift a finger.

I still have not gotten used to the Rp, having to use a wad of cash in exchange for a few household items.

Kid-j

DVDs from top to toe

2009-10-07T18:52:00.002+08:00

Took a drive over the weekend to the famed Glodok district. Among its highlights, a huge market area with one whole floor of the complex dedicated to pirated discs. James Bond, Transformers, Iron Man, you name it, they got it.

Was dropped off on the wrong side of the road by our driver, and we had to literally inch our way across the busy-streets of Jakarta. Zebra crossings didn't help the situation as cars and bikes alike zoomed down the streets with total disregard of the pedestrians. After a few near-death encounters (ok, it’s exaggerated), we finally made it across to the DVD market.

It seems that this was a wholesale market and the general traders stocked up here. It was divided into a few sections (DVDs, audio cds, computer software) and soon enough, the hustle and bustle of a typical street market were met with the familiar scenes of the shiny optical discs, being purchased by the box loads. There were so many stalls and the discs were neatly packed from the floor up to the ceiling. (I thought momma was exaggerating. but I had to see it to believe it). The traders engaged in friendly competition by pulling you to their stores.

Prices are fixed, so it boils down to which traders are able to locate your desired title. They have ladders and step-stools to reach the top of the racks. The traders stock up on movies of all languages, but are generally low on American series. Another genre that’s highly popular were ..(HINT: rhymes with 'Corn').

DVDs go for 5000Rp (+-RM1.80, YES, including those that rhyme with 'CORN'), but the newer movies may not be of optimal quality, as I later found out. Anyway, this place is hot and stuffy; so dress accordingly and bring facial tissues (lots of it) and a portable fan, should you have one.

Kid-j

Rain & jams

2009-10-05T10:27:00.003+08:00

Can't stress enough that being stuck here in traffic is a daily and common affair. Was invited to a friend's villa in the countryside, only 50km out of Jakarta city. On a normal day, it would take about 45 mins, however it took us 3 hours to get there and another 3 hours back.. sigh...

It was a beautiful house in a resort called RancaMaya, nestled in the countryside. We had to pass by 3 security posts to get to the house.

Througout the journey , it was bumper to bumper and a 3-lane freeway, could easily become 6, sometimes more. I learned from this friend that the rule of driving here is, 'He whose kepala (car head) is in front, gets to go first.'' Well, that explains the interlane weaving, (like a needle doing a cross stitch) and the endless sounds of 'Beep, beep, horn, horn, screech.....'

another day down, only a thousand more to go... sigh..

kid-j

An hour behind

2009-10-03T09:39:00.003+08:00

After two hours on a budget flight, snackin on their last plate of fried rice , and adjusting to an hour time zone difference, my life was set to change forever.

I had taken up a job in another country; similar language, similar culture and similar shopping malls. Jakarta was rather similar to Kuala Lumpur in many ways. My first-hand experience with the locals revealed their friendly and hardworking sides. Even the security guards and toilet cleaners greet you with a simple ' Good morning or How are you'. But is 1 day too early to tell?

Traffic was horrible, motorists weaved in and out and you are able to grab a snack from the peddler in the middle of the road. cool.... Most of the cars here are Japanese-made, easily comprising 70% Toyota, and the rest mainly Honda, Daihatsu or Suzuki. Seriously, these are the only 4-makes that I seen. From that, most of it are either SUVs or MPVs. Despite the many rich and affluent folk in Jakarta, its just not worth getting a fender bender in the Jakarta traffic.

Still trying to get used to being a millionaire, literally. Every meal costs me tens of thousands and we must always keep some loose thousand dollar bills in our pockets for these helpful folk who always appear from thin air to offer a hand with your bags, or opening the door.

Well, that's all for now, update with some pics later.

kid-j

A&W Chicken Coney Dog

2009-09-27T12:35:00.004+08:00

The Coney Dog has existed and been perfected on the A&W menu for decades and it is as important to them as Big Mac is to Mcdonald's. A&W fast food joints are few and far from me but nevertheless I do enjoy a nice ice-cold mug of Root Beer topped off with a float under our hot hot sun.

As I flipped through the dailies, I couldn't help but notice this ala-wrestling-match- style FPFC (full page full color ) ad between the champion (A&W coney dog beef) vs the new kid on the block (A&W coney dog chicken).

I thought to myself, 'Wow! Finally the R&D guys at A&W has created something for a new set of target customers!!' As you may know, a sizeable amount of the Malaysian population do not consume beef, mainly for religious purposes (some chinese because they worship Kuan Yin, and the Hindus do not sink their teeth into this meat, as it is seen as a sacred animal, from which they obtain milk from, now how can they kill the goose that lays the golden egg... if you know what I mean)..

Anyway, back to the story, something for non-beef eaters.. wooohoooo.. wait a minute... upon reading the description of the newly-introduced product. It reads 7 inch chicken sausage served with onions and minced-BEEF sauce. Now, instead of being able to cater to a whole new set of hungry hot-dog fanatics, they are back at square one.

Great job, marketing and R&D team at A&W.

kid-j

Tesco's Q-buster (BUSTED)

2009-09-12T09:38:00.005+08:00

It has recently become a hobby for me to go around and spot inconsistencies in supermarkets. Here's one.

Was recently shopping for groceries at Tesco and among all hypermarkets, I always preferred Tesco. It is much more pleasant and cheaper to shop here.

But after pushing my trolley through every aisle and sweeping the necessary items into my trolley, it was time to pay for my purchases.

At the check-out counter, I noticed a signage hanging over every one of the 30 + counters stating that as part of their queue buster program, a new checkout counter would be open if there are more than 2 trolleys in front of

you.

Having said that, what do you think is wrong with this photo on the right? .... that's right, there's visibly more than 2 trolleys ahead of me, but still no new checkout lanes have opened.

Please take down the signs if you are not going to fulfill your promises.. no real harm done, but just a big laugh for me.

kid-j

Cicak aka House lizards

2009-09-07T22:48:00.005+08:00

The cicak (house lizard) is commonly found in most Malaysian households. Although mostly active at night, the sight of these finger-long reptiles really freak me out.

Cicaks are cold-blooded (literally), poops everywhere and lay eggs at every hidden nook and corner. Most of the guys that I know; macho-men or regular folk, share the same fear as me. I have to admit that my previous encounters with these reptiles ended up with me screaming and jumping up and down as though I was walking on hot coals, whenever they catapult themselves in my direction in a bid to escape.

I have tried the sticky lizard traps with food-bait placed at the centre, to no avail. Of late, I found a more effective solution. My dogs.. whenever I spot a cicak, I would invite my dogs into the house and sit them as such, so that they can spot the cicak on the wall. Then I throw a magazine/ slipper at the cicak, hoping that they fall to the ground.

If the cicak falls to ground, then my dogs, will scatter to catch it and they succeed 100% of the time. It makes a cheap 'toy' for them too, as they can fight over it for hours.

kid-j

Tower Tremors.

2009-08-17T15:16:00.003+08:00

Some friends just recently got back from the UK and rented an unfurnished condo. Was tasked with helping them put together some IKEA furniture... (something that i really enjoy doing).

They have already done some preliminary work and I had to help them to stand the 8 foot cupboard. Having already done some damage on the first failed attempt, I and another friend lifted it successfully with the couple.

It was sweaty and fun and I also left some sweat droplets on their cupboard base while I was tightening the hinges... sorry guys...

On the way down, I noticed the elevator stopping at every floor, with people entering and packing the elevator. Finally one man mentioned that they felt some tremors and decided to get to lower ground...

I didn't feel a thing the whole time I was up there, maybe it was caused by us moving the cupboards around.. c'mon, on a serious note, what puzzles me is why people still take the elevator when there is a potential earthquake threat?? or let alone, why do they evacuate and stand at the bottom of the building and not further away, what if it collapses?

Anyway, it was reported in the papers today that the tremors were caused by an underwater earthquake that struck western Indonesia yesterday. I'm glad nothing happened and thankful that there was no tsunami.

kid-j

Yum Yum at Bangsar Venicia

2009-08-07T10:54:00.006+08:00

Tucked away at the poolside of Bangsar Puteri Condominium, lies Bangsar Venicia. One will not be attracted by the signboard to this restaurant, cause as far as I know, there isn't any but that doesn't seem to be high on the priority list of the management as it is always packed during dinner.

We ordered the Sang Har Mee and it was really worth it. Full in flavor with plenty of gravy, it was served with 5 big juicy prawns. A portion for 9 pax costs only about RM85.00, which in my opinion is very reasonable.

Another dish that I enjoy is the 'Salted Egg Sotong'. Deepfried sotong, pan-fried with salted egg and curry leaves.. Goes very well with a nice bowl of steaming rice. Yummers...

Having patronised this outlet twice in the past 4 days, I must say that the quality of their food never fails to amaze me. The prices are reasonable, decor is non-existent and the restrooms are a tad far, but who cares, the food is good and that makes it all worthwhile.

kid-j

The Sushi King experience

2009-08-05T16:41:00.007+08:00

Felt peckish after a walk and stepped into a Sushi King outlet after a long time. Couldn't really recall why I preferred other conveyer-belt outlets compared to Sushi King.

Oh yea, price, quality and location are my main drivers for patronising a conveyer-belt-sushi outlet. Apart from location, Sushi King always loses out to the other chains, despite having been one of the pioneers of the industry. Prices are expensive and the quality of the food are sub-par comparatively.

Service was also bad as Hot Ocha took forever to arrive and it was always difficult to get the server's attention. Apart from that, there were uncleared tables left in unpleasant conditions, such as in the picture, where the pails and table cloth are strewn all over, while the server attends to other matters.

To any patron, the sight of uncleared tables with pails of half-eaten food is never acceptable.

Now I remember why I do not patronise Sushi King.

By the way, also managed to catch a photo of their current contest. As far as I know, the plural of 'Fish' is still 'Fish'. 'Fishes' is normally used when being referred to different kinds of fish. Anyhow, their communication message is inconsistent. The contest is named 'Count the fish' but the caption reads 'Count the Fishes.'

kid-j

Malaysians and the Mad Sale

2009-07-30T17:11:00.014+08:00

The average Malaysian would always jump for joy when they hear of a sale. No matter how bad the economy is, the fact remains that the Achilles Heel of many Malaysians is known by many names, inter alia, Member's Day, Clearance Sale, Mega Sale. Having said that, retailers across the nation would use any occasion as a basis of a sale.

I personally know of some people who would apply for leave or fake a flu to get the day off, just to attend the sale. If the bargains are really good, it is not unusual to see a crowd gathering at the main entrance even before the store actually opens.

I was at Jusco EquinePark today and was surprised by the busloads of people at every department. It was a working day, mind you. Employees of Jusco were seen holding mega-phones and announcing happy hour deals and crazy discounts at their relevant departments.

Due to the mad rush, many store shelves had to be continuously replenished. The scene at teh supermarket was no differ

ent as shoppers swept items into their trolleys, without hesitation. The crowd rivalled those at New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve and the ever-increasing number makes it difficult to select your desired item, let alone wait in line for the changing room and cashier. The line at the cashier was at least 3-shoplots long.

At the end of the day, happy, but tired shoppers could be seen resting their aching feet, guarding their purchases while their family members continued shopping.

kid-j

What's flushed down the toilet?? (should ideally always be flushed down)

2009-07-26T10:18:00.007+08:00

During one of my visits to a very very famous cafe serving specialty cakes..... ok, its ''Secret Recipe'' , I came across this sign in the washroom.

The sign reads 'Please do not throw toilet tissue into the toilet bowl.'' Now.. for god's sake, may I ask, what do I do with the toilet tissue after if, let's say I wiped some brown stuff from my @$$..... ;-)

If I don't throw it into the bowl, does that mean that I have to throw it around the bowl?? I would then be littering the toilet... then how in the world am I able to 'keep the toilet clean' as the second part of the sign suggests.

One way or another, patrons of this cafe in Kota Kemuning would tend to disobey the notice put up by the friendly manangement of the cafe.. ;-)

kid-j

Coffee on tap

2009-07-24T18:11:00.005+08:00

hear ye, hear ye..

White coffee has taken the nation by storm and this Ipoh product is found on almost every corner in Malaysia. I must say it is doing very well and managed to gain acceptance by all age groups.

Heres the thing, coffee being coffee, should always remain true to its original offerings and retains its original color.... black.

I recently discovered that my taps dispensed 'black coffee'.... NO, it doesn't have the aroma of Starbucks, nor is it piping hot.. It is the water that comes out of my water filter, when I conduct a 'back wash'. This is actually normal as the filter traps all the dirt and the final flow that passes through the many layers of stones and sand are safe to drink.. well, almost..

So however appetizing or tempting it may be, do not consume this, unless you want to suffer a great deal of diarrhoea and food poisoning.

Care to try??

By now, you should know my main point was never really about coffee right??

kid-j

Killer Fish, killed a fish

2009-07-24T17:56:00.005+08:00

Piranhas, derives its name from the tupi-guarani words of ''pira'' that means fish and the word ''anha'' that means devil. There we have it, the ''devil fish'' that feasts on flesh with its razor sharp teeth. Small in size but deadly in attack.

Anyway, today is not about piranhas, but rather the species that did this to one of my pet fish.

It was found dead, floating in my pond and I wish I had Jennifer Love Hewitt on my side to communicate with it, like she normally does on Ghost Whisperer. How it really died I will never really know. Except the suspects and other lifeforms in the pond are......... are you ready for it..... ...talapia..

Yes, this is the same harmless fish that we often see swimming at aquariums at our local coffee-shop.

Maybe they are just territorial or got bored and decided to gang up on the poor guy.

kid-j

Used-parts in brand new products

2009-07-15T22:50:00.009+08:00

'Super sale'/ 'Cheaper than others'/ 'Save more with us' , do all these phrases sound familiar. Giant hypermarket occasionally uses them in their advertisements.

Being a sucker for advertising, I was lured to a Giant hypermarket due to an advertisement promoting ceiling fans under the brand 'XMA' , at RM69.99 (almost half the price of the other basic fans)..'Wow, that's cheap' I thought to myself.

As I happily lugged the fans home (yup, plural, I bought 2) and thought I got a good deal, I was wrong, so wrong.. When the hired-electrician was installing the fan, he pointed out that all the parts inside the fan regulator (the box where you control the speed of the fan) were all used parts. I was shocked upon hearing this and am very very disappointed with Giant hypermarket for purchasing from these sources.

It is one thing to be cheap, but if the product is

made up of used parts, then they are no longer that cheap compared to their competitors.

So let me advise you, the next time you want to buy something,get the branded products and not the generic/ OEM ones, especially if it is electrical products.

Am still trying to get hold of them to hear their side of the story.

kid-j

All things big, i mean real BIG 2

2009-07-14T22:38:00.004+08:00

Just yesterday, I had some drinks with some ex-colleagues at La Bodega, Pavillion. It was a thrill for me as I had been cooped up at home for the past 6 weeks or so, minimising my trips to shopping malls to prevent unnecessary shopping expenditure... cheapo....

As we were all ex-beer guys, we naturally had to order some fresh brew to complement the occasion.

Apart from the regular sized pint glasses, we decided to treat our ex-boss to a giant glass of Belgian Hoegaarden. Check out the size of the glass in relation to my ex-boss' head (yup, the mat salleh was my ex-CEO) who came back to Malaysia for his summer vacation. The glass by itself is rather heavy and requires a buffed-up waiter to carry it. Add in 3liters of beer and the waiter can skip gym classes for the week.

It was a turn-off to see the waiters place a metal ladel into the glass. The metal would create a negative effect on the quality of the beer and furthermore scooping the beer into smaller glasses made it look like Cendol or Air Mata Kucing from the roadside. What a downgrading tool for a premium beer ;-)

Throughout the whole session, there was an 'Ipod-white' Lamborghini parked at the corner and I worried for the owner everytime lorries or speeding motorcyclists negotiated the corner.

Later into the night, some DBKL workers redecorated the sportscar with the dust expelled from their roadcutting equipment.. (thats them packing up in the top of the photo).

kid-j

All things big, i mean real BIG..

2009-07-14T22:29:00.003+08:00

My uncle recently felt generous and decided to buy the whole family dinner. He took us to GreenView Restaurant (near Rothmans roundabout) and had a feast. Duck, pork, noodles, soup, fish were all served but the highlight of the night was the 'Sang Har Mee' aka 'Big Prawn Noodles.' Green View has always been known for this dish, but it was the sheer size of the serving that surprised me.

You can tell its a Godzilla-portion by comparing to the soy-sauce bottle at the top right. The prawns were as big as a chicken drumstick.

Yummy....

kid-j

WD40

2009-07-10T10:44:00.001+08:00

'Creeaaaaak' goes the door as it swings open slowly, just like a scene from any horror movie.....'Pssssst, pssssst' comes the saviour to save the day.... no, its not superman, but my trusted canister of WD-40...

Having gained acceptance into most homes around the world, I think that this product is simply superb. Over the years, it has helped me open rusty locks, tackle tight screws, eliminate squeaky noises and clean dirt off the table.

Also recently, I got stuck in my room due to a sub-par-quality-lock coupled with shoddy installation. After unscrewing the lock from the door, I whipped out my WD-40 and the lock opens smoother than ice-skating.

Great stuff....

kid-j

Man Vs Wild

2009-07-06T15:13:00.001+08:00

Bear Grylls, the host of Discovery Channel's 'Man VS Wild' is one crazy nut.. and I mean craaazzy...

In the latest episode that I recently watched on Discovery Channel, he was seen squeezing elephant dung and resolving to drinking his own urine, both as an alternative for drinking water. Point to note, urine is made of 95% water and best to drink when it is fresh, otherwise it would become a bacterial breeding ground.

He was also seen feeding on a half-eaten zebra carcass. The presence of vultures are a sign that the kill is still fresh, hence minimal bacteria.

Is this one crazy dude or what??

I think if he joined Fear Factor, he would ace all the stunts and walk away with the 50G's easily. Nah, Joe Rogan ain't so stupid to invite him on anyways.....

Don't try these stunts at home, kids!!! Even if you have a stomach pump on standby

kid-j

MU on Michael Owen

2009-07-06T15:08:00.001+08:00

Great bargain and smart of Sir Alex to snatch one of England's top scorers and former boy wonder Michael Owen.

Having signed for the English Champions for almost half the salary, Michael Owen is able to contribute to the Red Devil's attacking power as long he is able to keep his fitness level up.

Will be exciting to see him play alongside Wayne Rooney.

Hopefully he features in next season's charity shield.

kid-j

Sucky service at Carrefour

2009-06-26T18:35:00.003+08:00

Today was a very bad day for me.. one of those 'Murphy's law- days'... I'll leave that for another day... This entry is about my misadventures shopping at Carrefour. Went to Midvalley for some household shopping at Carrefour. This experience proved to be my worst shopping experience ever.

Having just shifted into a new place, I was looking to buy, among other things, some floor mats. There it was, an attractive shelf-talker along with a wobbler with the words 'Murah' (Malay for 'cheap').. Naturally, the shelf-talker and wobbler achieved its objective and did attract me to take a look at the promotional items. These floor mats had a price tag on the shelf at RM2.90/ piece. Hmmm.. I need 5 pieces, so that would come up to RM14.50.., So grabbed 5 decent looking designs and dropped it into the cart.

Just as I was pushing my cart out of the aisle, there was an even bigger signage 'Towels and mats for sale- RM2.19/ kg.' Wow.. now that's a good deal, with prices so reasonable, how come Carrefour never advertised in the papers, that will surely give Giant and Tesco a run for their money. I found out why..... I took 8 pieces of floor mats and the weighed it at the scale of the unmanned counter, which showed 2.1 kg, ok.. 2.1kg x RM2.19 = RM4 something la.. damm cheap man... Ok, now all I need is to look for the for the employees to print out the price sticker and off I go.

The tagline behind the vests of Carrefour employees state 'Can I help you?'. I think this tagline needs relooking into. Firstly, I had to search high and low for an employee to print the sticker. When one was found, they had to find another colleague who was in charge of the section. Finally, when the section's employee was found, now came the problem of 'stupidity'. They operated the scale with the price set at RM21.90 per KG (not RM2.19/ KG as advertised), anyway, thats not the point.... yet. So the employee says to me ,' That would be RM45, Sir ,' startled; I asked him what was the selling price, and he took a look at the signboard and replied 'RM2.19 per KG la...' . 'OK' , I answered, so I asked him cooly, if it is RMRM2.19/ KG and the total is RM45, does that mean that the stack of towels on the scale is 20+kg. To my dismay, they (not just him, but a few more fellow Carrefour employees as well). Anyway, to cut the long story short, after 5 employees failed to convince me or rather admit their mistake in the price tagging; Mr. Supervisor was called. This man had style, had the bossy walk and wore a different-colored shirt (Black) from the normal low-level employees.

Even as a supervisor, his reply was and I quote, 'The price is RM2.19 per kg, and your total is RM45'. I questioned him as to how 8 pieces of cloth can weigh 10+kg... Suddenly it hit him that, hey its supposed to be RM2.19 per 100g. Without apologizing for the error, he wanted to walk off. I asked him for his name but he refused to tell me, brushing it off as a small matter and just disappeared into the crowd.

Seeing it is RM21.90/kg, I decided to stick to my original choice and proceeded to the cashier with the 5 floor mats at RM2.90/piece. At the checkout counter, I realised that these floor mats, although advertised @RM2.90/piece were actually RM4/piece. I reconfirmed the price with the cashier, but it seems that she wasn't trained to speak or acknowledge, only pointing to the price tag.

I am disappointed with Carrefour for resulting in these kind of tactics of misleading advertising. Shelf talkers indicate one price, but actual price upon scanning is 30+% higher and towels at RM2.19 per kg, is actually RM21.90/kg. I am sure a lot of customers wouldn't have noticed until they have paid at the checkout counter, only to be too lazy to file a complaint and refund. Additionally, don't stinge on employee training as they are your biggest asset.

To make things worse, there was a big sign inside Carrefour telling customers to call their Duty Manager directly should they encounter any problems. Believe me, I was calling him the whole time since the first employee up to the 5th employee came to serve me. But to no avail, the calls either went unanswered or out of coverage. Since I have some extra credit on my phone, I sent the Duty Manager an SMS, 'Encik Afiq, please call me back, customer complaint. TQ' . From the 10 odd missed calls and SMS displayed on Encik Afiq's phone, he still has not called me back.'

From now on, no more shopping in Carrefour for me, no matter how strategically located in Midvalley City it is..

Jusco just started its sale today, should have just shopped there and could have saved a lot of time....

Anyway, on the night of the incident, Carrefour's 'efficient' customer service called me..... at 11pm... didn't they learn it is bad manners and downright interrupting to call after sun-down. To add to my frustration, the lady, Miss Vanie asked me what was the problem, although I used the whole comment card, both front and back to highlight my dissatisfaction. She promised to revert to me the next day but never did.

I also posted my dissatisfaction on the Carrefour website, but until today have not gotten any reply.

kid-J

Looking through the window..

2009-06-24T01:04:00.002+08:00

Remember in the movies, when there was a scene of a poor boy looking into the bakery from outside, hands and face glued to the window, licking his lips while taking in every whiff of spice from the baker's oven. Or the kid at the funfair, watching from a distance, the other kids enjoying the ferris wheel and merry-go-round, wishing he could get a piece of the action too. I'm sure most of us have personally experienced this, not necessarily as the boy outside the bakery or the kid at the funfair, but in other instances, as an outsider looking in.

For most parts of my life, I was the baker, I was on the inside. Its funny how things can change overnight and the situations reversed. Some pastimes that I used to enjoy are now things of the past (well, at least for now) and can't help but envy those who are capable of enjoying them.

Sigh.... ;-(

Hope things will pick up in the coming weeks.

kid-j

Picture borrowed from http://digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/portrait-framing.jpg

Hannah Montana- Feel Good Movie

2009-06-21T08:31:00.001+08:00

There was much hype on the most popular teenager in the world's appearance on the silver screen this spring... Bigger than Transformers? Guess I'll have to find out when Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opens next week.

Hannah Montana, alter ego of Miley Stewart; both characters played by Miley Cyrus, leads a double life that only a few close friends and family members know about. Megastar Hannah heads back to her country home of Crowley Corners for some soul searching and reconnects with her past. Meanwhile, an investigative entertainment journalist is hot on her heels and tracks her back to Crowley Corners to dig out some dirt; literally, in some scenes.

Anyway, the show has some good songs, especially the song where Smiley Miley takes to the open stage and teaches the country folk a beat that would move their feet... 'Pop it, lock it, polka dot it, countrify then hiphop it.'.... man, i just can't get that song out of my head.... and the rhythm goes 'Boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap.' ..... The number 'Climb' also has very meaningful lyrics talking about the ups and downs of life and the challenges faced, as my wife pointed out to me.

Look out for cameo appearances and performances by Rascal Flatts, Tyra Banks and Taylor Swift, who lend their names to the already popular cast.

What can I say, I am a a sucker for these type of movies and must say it is one that I enjoyed, so did the other 50 people in the cinema aged 25 and above. =)

Flea Market at Amcorp Mall

2009-06-19T01:00:00.002+08:00

This coming Sunday will be my 4th week trading at the Flea Market at Amcorp Mall. It is a lot of fun and also a great avenue to dispose off unwanted items, while making a few bucks at it. As the saying goes, 'One man's junk is another man's treasure.' This saying is very much true and I believe it fully. As I have observed in the past weeks, almost anything sells, provided the right buyer comes along. I once had a neighboring stall which displayed dried up coconuts and rusty curtain hangers for sale. True enough, the latter was sold by noon.

The Flea Market takes place over the weekends, but it is always the Sundays that attract the crowd in droves. Amcorp Mall was apparently saved by its flea market as reported by The Star http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/1/24/central/3084552&sec=central , which later became an identity and recall factor of the mall.

We register our participation every Tuesday and tables are given out on a first-come-first-serve basis. Theres always a line of at least 10 people even before the registration time starts at 10am. And when it is my turn, there are close to 20 people waiting in line behind me. Some are dressed in their business attire, while some wait patiently in their T-shirt and shorts (like 'moi')

Throughout my experience, Mary and I have encountered veterans as well as newbies trying to make a quick buck at the mall, some plying their prized possessions and collector items. Being a newbie ourselves, we were allocated a trading spot at the 'much-sought-after LG floor after 2 weeks of trading. Much to the disbelief of other traders , we ourselves could not believe it either. Hope I get a good location this week.

One of the most general rules of business is 'Location, Location, Location,'' and true enough it determines how much we can sell. Our Junk (or merchandise, for a better sounding term) really moves when we were at Ground Zero (LG).

It is a genuinely fun experience especially if you have supportive friends and family who tend to pop by to keep you company. They even start the ball rolling and purchase a few items themselves.

This week, we may have a tad too much merchandise to display, so if you are free and hav nothing to do this Sunday. Get your @$$ off the couch and head on over, its directly opposite the famed A&W drive thru in PJ.

It is afterall, Father's Day and you might just find something interesting for papa.

Ikea Rocks

2009-06-19T00:47:00.002+08:00

Ingvar Kamprad was a man with a vision, having founded I.K.E.A (IK being his initials and EA being the first initials of his hometown and local parish respectively) which offers quality furniture at affordable prices. I simply love the innovation and creativity put in by their team of designers and they never fail to amaze me with their flat-pack boxes and 'space-saving' ideas.

What I am really impressed about IKEA , apart from the 99 cent breakfast, free coffee for members, members day discounts, etc is their customer service.

My wife ordered a set of kitchen cabinets the other day and upon founding some very very very minor faults with the product (which may or not be a manufacturing defect), our friends in IKEA decided to exchange the product for us. As a bonus, they not only replaced the defective part but gave us a completely new box, containing the other parts as well.

Good policy IKEA.. a happy customer always comes back for more.. at least I will..

King of Procrastination

2009-06-18T23:46:00.001+08:00

A long long time ago,way before Obama became the first African American president, way before PS3 was even conceptualized, way before mobile phones were the size of Yao Ming's sneakers (ok, the last one was kinda exaggerated), I had always wanted to start bloggin..

but as the title goes, I am the king of procrastination... alas, I got started.... it is indeed a big step for me, being overdosed with Vitamin L (Laziness), which can be harmful to our brains and leads us to the Kingdom of laziness, hence procrastination....