FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I went for a lunch with an old friend recently. Having a good time and caught-up with some good old days stuff that day. The thing that I am writing here is not about my good old friend or about the good old time stuff, but the manner how we are dealing with the ruthless or arrogant waiters or waitress who served us.

On this particular day, not only the waiter brought the wrong order, but he had refused to admit his mistake and responded to us in a very rude manner. I wanted to have my order changed and I wanted to see the manager. At this point my friend stopped me from getting the new order, but he let me see the manager. He said he will explain later on why he didn't want me to have my food changed.

At our request, the manager saw me and he apologised. He even offered me the new plate with the correct order, but my friend told him that we are okay with the present food. Since I was not changing for a new plate, the manager offered me half price for the food that afternoon. Not bad at all.

At coffee my friend told me that he was once worked as an assistant chef in one of the pubs in KL. He told me that he was in the same situation while working there. Being busy and tired, they, the people at the back kitchen did not like complains from the manager and most of the time the cook would spit in the replacement plate before being delivered to the complaining patron. I was shocked. Now I know why he refused to let me have my replacement order.

A lesson learnt that day. Do not let our food to be prepared at the mercy of other people who we do not come to term with.

Anyway, please enjoy this video, forwarded by a friend. You probably have seen it anyway.

HOW TO BEAT THE FUEL PRICE HIKE? GROW A LOT OF BANANAS AND SELL THE LEAVES

Once upon a time on one lazy Sunday afternoon, I asked the Mrs. to make some 'lepat pisang' and in response she asked me to go to Wing Yip to get some banana leaves. So, off I went to buy the illusive banana leaves, the item that is reserved only for the the rich and famous.

In Wing Yip, the banana leaves were sold in the vegetable section, hidden among the 'kangkungs' and the long beans. Grabbed a packet and straight I went to the cashier. The taste of the freshly steamed 'lepat pisang' to go with the afternoon tea is already in my mind. The cashier scanned the packet and looked at me. 'Sir, the price is £4.82, do you still want it' she asked. I almost jumped. The last time I bought banana leaves there, the price was between £1 to £2. This time the price was more than double. But without the banana leaves I won't have my 'lepat pisang' that afternoon. So I just closed my eyes and paid £4.82 (RM30) for 575 grams of banana leaves.

Back home the Mrs asked, 'how much?'. I replied, 'macam biasa je'. So I got my lepat pisang that day. I felt like eating the 'lepat' together with all the banana leaves when thinking the exorbitant price that I had paid.

But what to do. If you want something, you just have to pay for the price.

BLOGGING CROSSROAD

When I started blogging, I just wanted to write about the good old days and a few experience in trading in stock market. Only lately I started writing about some political situation in Malaysia, which I slowly found to be petty and boring. Issues brought by the opposition are petty, response by the ruling coalition are petty and highlights by a few bloggers are also petty. I don't have to add myself and my blog to the list and therefore I will try not to write about politics anymore.

God bless our country.

THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN. ACT 1 - KHALID IBRAHIM, TERESA KOK AND THEIR PIG FARM

Khalid Ibrahim and Teresa Kok had proudly announced the development of the biggest pig farm in the country, probably the biggest in the South East Asia. It is very clear that they are implementing the concept of ‘Malaysia Boleh’ that was incepted by Mahathir Mohammed quite some time ago, which made me wonder if there is any different between the BN and the PR. The pig farm is claimed to set an example for other states in Malaysia to follow. Wow, a grand PR vision, probably bigger than Vision 2020.

Well now it is clear that the first priority of the PR government is to have a mega modern pig farm and Selangor is taking the lead. Probably more to come when Anwar becomes the Prime Minister.

The play will become more interesting soon when the reaction of the local residence fell into deaf ears of the PR leaders. If they don’t listen, they too would become just like the BN, out of touch with the people.

The next time Teresa having a roast party, please don’t forget to invite Anwar Ibrahim, Khalid Ibrahim and all the Tuan Gurus from PAS. The more, the merrier. After all there are a lot more roast to come after the project is completed.

What a circus. A good show Pakatan Rakyat.

IT IS SNOWING IN APRIL

Last week we had just adjusted our watch to add one hour ahead, for the daylight saving time, which mean spring is already here. But today, yes.... today we have snow fall......... in April? Whatever happened to mother nature. It was not snowing in winter, but it is snowing in spring.




The tulips that came out are covered by snow. I hope the tulips will still be there tomorrow.

The front neighbour's children are playing in the snow. They must be missing the snow for the last whole year. Noticed the little girl with a pink teddy bear, she is cute.

A visitor came by in the snow. This shot is dedicated to Ms. Foxy who despised the 'musang'.

The view of the house from the backyard in snow.

This would be my final year enjoying the snow here.

KLSE, A VERY WEIRD AND STRANGE MARKET

Have you noticed the behaviour of KLSE lately? Noticed that there are a lot of companies with a good returns, but their share prices are cascading down. MAS has returned to the black, but its share is going down. Air Asia's profit and its fleets are increasing, but its share is going down. Even the house itself, the Bursa Malaysia Berhad has made 123% profit for the year 2007, but its share too is also going down. Likewise to all other profitable companies.

When the rest of the Asian's markets are going up, KLSE is going down. So, what is happening? Is it in any way related to the non-confidence of the government? The political uncertainty? Or Malaysia is no longer attractive politically and economically to the international financial community, which resulted the foreign funds just stop pouring in?

Or because everybody are busy reading Khir Toyo's blog?

A NON RACE-BASED POLITICAL CLIMATE IN MALAYSIA?

Politics in Malaysia has long been dominated by race-based political parties. To be cynical, probably Malaysia is the most racist country in the world where the racial difference and tensions are at the highest hierarchy where people are separated by their race-based political masters. The question now is whether we can have a true non race-based political climate in Malaysia, especially after the shocking outcome of the General Election 2008.

Well, first we have to categorize the percentage of certain ethnicity in a party to determine weather it is a race-based on not. I think we should agree that any party with more that 85% controlled by the specific ethnicity is categorized as a true race-based.

Now, lets have a look at the major political parties in Peninsular Malaysia.

• UMNO (100% Malays) – definitely race-based.
• MCA (100% Chinese) – definitely race-based.
• MIC (100% Indians) – definitely race-based.
• PAS (100% Malays) – definitely race-based, hiding behind religious ideology.
• DAP (more than 90% Chinese) – definitely race-based, hiding behind democracy and meritocracy ideology.
• PKR (probably between 50% to 80% Malays) – lower rank of race-based.

UMNO, MCA and MIC in the National Front admitted that race-based is good and they have proved that they can work together for a long time. They say they have served their race well, until recently proven by the elections result that they are no longer serving their people except for themselves. They are no longer in touch with the people.

The Alternative Front is also race-based. PAS has been saying that they would have the representatives from other ethnicity, while we know very well that the statement is just a mere gimmick. They are all Islam and of course all Malays. DAP is also trying to project that they are multi-racial, and yet their speeches campaign are still in Chinese. Democracy and meritocracy are just an excuse to break the Malays special rights. The alliance of PAS and DAP is actually a marriage made in hell. Sooner or later the cracks will appear and the internal squabble will escalate and hell would break loose. Just wait and see. For a start they just can’t agree on the Perak’s MB as yet.

The best bet is PKR. They are trying to be a non race-based albeit the fact that the majority is still the Malays. They have a term until the next General Election to prove that they are non race-based and to serve all the races. They can have a good start, with Selangor as the most modern state in Malaysia in their hand. Do not mess it up.

Despite all the fiery speeches that all Malaysians are one race and the PKR is serving all Malaysians regardless their race, can PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim guarantee that his party is a true non race-based political party? To have a true non race-based party, can he guarantee that the followings are met?

• The Prime Minister to be chosen from any race.
• The Malay Special Rights to be abolished.
• The Chinese and Indian vernacular school to be abolished and be replaced with a Malaysian school for all. Other than National Language, Mandarin and Tamil to be made compulsory subjects in school.

If he can’t guarantee these, just shut-up. He is no different from all those above.