Leaving with a bang

Well, whaddaya know...

Blogger is back to normal!

But a little, too little, too late.

I've started experimenting with Wordpress. I've decided to shift my blog to Wordpress.

This blog is closed down. See new version at: http://hastenministries.wordpress.com/

I'm glad it happened. So much better than this one!



So, was it a blessing in disguise?
Didn't something good come out from the bad?
Was it the devil's fault?
Should we blame Satan for everything that goes wrong?



I'll leave you with this.



Yes, it's rock and roll.
Yes, it's "Christian rock and roll".
Yes, the guys have long hair.
Yes, the guys don't look like guys on their CD cover.
Yes, this song's content raises many red flags.


A highly controversial band, with a highly contentious song...

Yet that is what people remember them for!



So, don't forget my new blog address:

http://hastenministries.wordpress.com/

Some will say it's the devil's fault...

There is a problem with Blogger.

The entire text editing toolbar is gone.

Can't bold the fonts.
Can't italicize the fonts.
Can't change font type.
Can't change font size.
Can't change font colour.
Can't put hyperlink.
Can't insert pictures.

Even in the "edit post" page, the fonts come out in HTML format.

Anyone knows how to overcome this problem, please let me know.

If the sticker says it's true, it's true!

4th training run:

35 minutes around Kepong Metropolitan Park. Early morning run, with a few short uphill stretches. Slight pain on both hamstrings for a day.

2 things I've learned:

1. Running early in the morning feels different from running later during the day. It's harder to stick to the plan when your body hasn't really "woken up" yet. Must get used to early morning runs before the race.

2. One round around Kepong Metropolitan Park takes 23 minutes.

Time left before Siemens Run:

6 days and 8 hours. Time to do equipment check.

The shoe is a sad case... Its soles have been sewn back before. And now, look...


Thought of buying a new pair. But I'd rather buy it after the race at the race venue. They usually have a specialized stall to sell running shoes at special prices on that day.

Went to Midvalley Megamall to check out shoe prices. Any decent pair of running shoes cost more than RM200. Really "good" ones go over the RM300 bracket. Some come close to half a grand. It's madness!

I'm very hesitant to buy commercial brands. You won't really know whether you're buying into its technology, or its marketing.

Nike has a wide range of shoes for every kind of sport imaginable. But its boon can also be the bane. Their shoe line is so diverse, you start to doubt whether or not they are for real.

They put a sticker on it, they say it's running shoes. They put another sticker on it, they say it's for some other purpose. They put a new name on the running shoes, the price goes up a few hundred bucks. Is there a real way of knowing for sure that what you see (and pay for) is what you get?

Same goes for Reebok. Once I bought a Reebok DMX. Supposed to come with some canggih feature that I can't recall anymore today. It's supposed to "feel different" than regular running shoes. It turned out to be true. It felt different!

It blisters my feet.

That's the thing about running shoes, you see. You can't tell whether or not the shoe is really for you until you've tried it on for a few long runs. They can say whatever they like. In the end of the day, they can just put a sticker on the shoe. Or put the shoe in a nicely crafted box. And pass it off as a "new, hebat, high-tech running shoe." When by right, it's actually a generic one that originally couldn't be sold off the racks.

You will "feel different" for a while. But it's all just psychology. Yoooou can't deny that your feet don't lie, and you're starting to feel it pain... Eh, I think some singer said something like this before.

Asics is "the only brand recommended by the Australian Institute of Sports". They put a tag on it. And the price flies over 350 bucks.

Puma doesn't have serious running shoes. They look like they are more in it for the fashion.

Umbro is big on football shoes. Not for running.

The only brand that seems to have reasonably acceptable running shoes is Adidas. Some pairs go for under 200 bucks. Light weight, good cushioning, soles look good, design looks not bad.

They have this new line of shoes called Adizero. It's their lightest shoe. Pretty impressive for its light-weightness. But can't say much about its cushioning for long runs. It makes your wallet light too.

I was hoping to find Brooks running shoes. But it seems like they've dropped out from the commercial market. Can't find them anywhere in Midvalley.

I trust Brooks more than any other commercial brand because Brooks produces running shoes, and running shoes only. My guess is that their specialization makes them less commercialized, and less likely to produce generic shoes, only to morph them into running shoes by putting a sticker on it.

But alas... Their specialization must've kept them off commercial shelves. Anyone who knows where to find Brooks, please let me know.

You see, buying a good pair of running shoes is a very personalized thing. What's important is buying the "right" kind of shoe.

What kind of arch does your foot have? Are you a flat foot, a normal arch, or a high arch?

Are you an overpronator, or a oversupinator? If you have an overpronation problem, your foot tends to roll inward when your foot is on the ground. Your inner part of your shoe wears off faster. If you have an oversupination problem, it's the opposite. Your outer part of the shoes wears off faster.

All this boils down to orthotics. Some shoes have special insoles, specifically desgined to manage the problem of lateral foot motion. It may not be a problem for a 1k run. Or 2k run. But over 10k or a half-marathon, you will definitely feel the problem. I am an oversupinator.

You walk into any Nike shop. Or Adidas shop. Or Royal Sporting House. Ask the shop assistant aka salesman. See if they have any clue on what you're talking about. My bet is, they have no clue. They will tell you which one is on promotion, and which one can discount.

My current Nikes are bought at Ipoh at RM150. That was many years ago. There was this shoe shop at Ipoh's Jusco called Kinta City. All Nike shoes go for RM150. Went there on Kit Soon's recommendation.

"What? You went to Ipoh... to buy shoes??"

"Umm... Yeah."

I need a short-term solution: The cobbler at Taman Selayang...


For only RM1, they are as good as new! Worthy for another 10k run.





Other gizmos I have...

A contraption to keep my specs on my face:


Lasik surgery: A few grand.
One-day contact lenses: 20 bucks per pair.
Geeky contraption: A little more than a green dollar bill.





A device to keep your car keys, photostat IC and some money with you:


Originally an mp3 carrying case for my Creative mp3 player. Strap it around your right arm, and you're good to go.

Nike has an arm strap specially desgined for that purpose.
Nike strap-on case: RM40.
Cetak rompak mp3 carrying case: A little more than a red dollar bill.





Definitely a lot cheaper than preparing equipment-wise for cycling.

No turning back

Finally made the deposit for NGV installation. After one big round of research, phone calls and personal visits to NGV workshops, here is how I came to my decision. My research may prove to be useful for you.

The first workshop I went to was Sugoi NGV Technology. RM3500, 60L, semi-fibre tank.

Why 60L? A 60L tank fits right at the back of my Proton Iswara 1.3's boot space. Any bigger than that, I have to sacrifice my spare tyre space. The next time I get a flat tyre, I can just cry on the road.

Why semi-fibre? There are 3 kinds of tanks. Metal, fibre, and semi-fibre.

Metal tanks are heavy. a 60L tank will be heavier than 60kg.

Fibre tanks are light. But the price of a fibre tank will make you go on a high-fibre diet for the next 3 years.

Semi-fibre tanks allow you to eat proper meals while feeding your car. It's lighter than a metal tank. A 60L tank will be around 50kg. In the long-run that kind of weight will make a difference.

So, the two unchangeable factors are the 60L volume, and the semi-fibre material. Based on those two constants, and RM3.5k as a benchmark, the research starts.

1. Gemari Auto Services, Batu Caves. "Nombor yang anda dail..." Out.

2. Juara NGV, Batu Caves. Same thing. "Nombor yang anda dail..." Out.

3. Suria Profesional Service, Batu Caves. RM4k, 70L, metal tank. Price more expensive, the size won't fit, and it's metal. Out.

4. Nice Network, Batu Caves. RM2998, 55L, metal tank. Price cheaper. But it's not a snug fit compared to a 60L. And it's metal. Out.

5. BMC-IB. RM3.2k, 55L, semi-fibre tank. Price cheaper. But not a snug fit. I won't mind paying a little bit more for a snug fit, and for making less trips to the NGV kiosk. Also, I don't like the name of the shop. It sounds more like a serial number. And the workshop is just a small one. Put on KIV.

6. Gas Emas, Batu Caves. RM3.3k, 60L, metal tank. Price is cheaper. Fit is ok. But it's metal.

The main thing is, I wasn't impressed with the workshop. It's only a small workshop, with enough space to service not more than 4 cars at a time. I can hear a gas leak coming from one of the cars. NGV installation is quite a high-tech procedure. Really unwise to entrust it into a small-time workshop that gives a bad impression of its skills. So, out.

7. Hijau MOG, Jalan Ipoh. RM3.5k, 60L, semi-fibre tank. Exactly what Sugoi is offering me. But...

There were no cars in the workshop. Why? Because they've run out of stock. No more tanks, no more casings, nothing! The workers got nothing to do. It says something about their business management.

Their new shipment of NGV tanks will come in 2-3 weeks time. But even when it comes, they have to service the cars that already made their booking before the petrol price hike! The queue will be really long.

It's not that they don't have customers. They do. But not having a single tank in your workshop? That's a bad case of mismanagement. Major.

Oh, by the way, remember the shop that gives "special price" to malays? Yah, this is the one. Apparently, the RM3.3 tank is the metal one. RM3.5k is the semi-fibre one. He wasn't really being "racist". He was just trying to sell me a better product. My bad. Sorry!

But still, I don't feel comfortable going there. If the offer is exactly the same, point for point, I'd rather go to Sugoi. Where the workshop is as big as a warehouse, and it looks more reliable. You don't want to fix an NGV unit for a slightly cheaper price, only to have it backfire and cost you a bomb to repair it. Reliability ranks high in my order of preference.

So, can put on KIV. But can say, quite "out" la...



So, in the end of the day, after pusing here, pusing there...

The winner is still the first shop I went to. Sugoi NGV Technology!

Paid RM500 for deposit. Installation date: 2nd August. Coinciding with my car's 1st birthday.

Excited. Counting the days. And hoping I am not a victim of marketing gimmicks again...

If your wife don't let...

3rd training run:

30 minutes. Battled the scorching sun, a long uphill run, and the same carbon-monoxide-spewing bus 3 times.

2 things I learned:

1. There is a big difference between running on grass and running on asphalt.
2. There is a big difference between running late in the evening and running at 4:30 pm.

As usual, inspirational tale for the day...

Rocky I:

Rocky Balboa loses the fight to Apollo Creed.
The fight was so close, Apollo only won by a split decision.
Apollo won the fight. Rocky won the hearts of many.

Rocky II:

Apollo Creed fixes a re-match.
Rocky's wife ends up in the hospital.
He has to cope with a re-match, a wife in hospital and a new-born baby.
Rocky won't train.
Rocky's coach can't get him to train.

Rocky's wife says one word.
Rocky Balboa gets back into training.
Rocky Balboa trains even harder than before.



3 things you can observe:

1. Rocky has a bigger fan base after a defeat, not a victory.
2. He still gets his apple at the market.
3. He still syok sendiri at the top of the stairs. But not so "sendiri" this time.

3 things we can learn:

1. Winning a fight is not everything.
2. Losing one is not everything either.
3. You need your wife's permission to win :P

Training updates

1st training run:

15 minutes, chest tightening, didn't want to collapse and die. Pain in legs for the next 2 days.

Two things I learned:

1. I am far from who I used to be.
2. Triple-storey, semi-detached houses in Kampung Bendahara cost RM280k only.

2nd training run:

25-minutes. Chest not tightening, no pain in legs.

Two things I learned:

1. One lap around the Amcorp Mall park takes 6 minutes.
2. There's hope!



Here's the inspirational training video for the day....

Rocky Balboa gets picked as a wild card to fight.

He fights Apollo Creed, the reigning champ.

Everyone thinks a no-namer like him will be lucky if he doesn't get killed.

He is just a replacement punching bag to make Apollo look good.

Rocky Balboa does not think so.

Rocky Balboa is far from fit.

Rocky Balboa starts training.



See if you spotted the following:

1. He gets an apple while running through the market.
2. He syok sendiri at the top of the stairs.

Two things you can learn:

1. You don't get apples when you run through a market.
2. Don't do a little jig with your hands on your hips at the end of an awe-inspiring run.

Resurrection

I'll be going for the Siemens 10km run.

The last time I exerted my body: World Championships, Geelong/Lorne, Australia. February 2006.

That was 2 years, 4 months ago. Zero exercise since then.

Time left to the Siemens run: 15 days.

Will it be possible to revive my old form within 15 days, after retiring for 850 days?

This will be quite an experiment...

My friend, a "sales & marketing executive of a top chemical plant in Malaysia", has this super canggih Nike transponder. You can put this gadget in your shoe. Link it to your iPod. At a click, it can tell you how far you have run, your best mile, etc. When you go home, you can download your run into your laptop. You can see what you did during your run - the distance, the timing, etc. You can even see your running trail on the Google map!

Then you can compare your stats against everyone else in the world who downloads their runs into the internet.

Jealous...

All I have is my old Casio digital watch. Strap modified, because already broken and no more stock...


And this video to inspire me...

Russian champ challenges retired American champ.
American champ comes out from retirement to fight Russian champ.
Russian champ trains in a high-tech lab.
American champ trains, old school.



Guess who wins!

If you're into minimizing petrol consumption...

Here's what you can do at the petrol station:

1. Pump petrol when the temperature outside is cool, e.g. at night or early in the morning.


When the temperature is hot, petrol will expand. When the temperature is cool, petrol will contract. If you pump petrol when it is cool, you will get more petrol per liter.

2. Do not squeeze the trigger of the petrol nozzle all the way in.


If you pump petrol in the fastest speed, some of the petrol will turn into vapour. The faster the speed, the more likely the petrol will vapourize. So, be smart. Pump slow. Don't pay for vapour.

3. Do not wait until your petrol tank is nearly empty before filling up.


Always fill up when your tank is half-full. The more empty air space in your tank, the faster the petrol can evaporate. If your tank is nearly empty, the remaining petrol will evaporate at a much faster rate. Therefore, you are "wasting" the last few liters of petrol that you have.

(I'm not quite sure about this tip. I think the weight of the tank compensates for the rate of evaporation.

If you always fill up your tank when it's nearly empty, you don't have to lug around half a tank of petrol all the time. Less weight = less petrol consumption.

If you always fill up your tank when it is half full, you will have less problems with petrol evaporation. But you'll have to lug around more weight in your tank. So, I guess this could cancel each other off.)

4. Do not pump petrol when the fuel truck is pumping into the storage tanks.


Petrol in the storage tanks may be stirred up. You may get some of the dirt that usually settles at the bottom of the storage tanks.

Here's what you can do with your car tyres:

5. Keep your tyres well inflated all the time.


If your tyres are not inflated properly, your car will have more friction with the ground. More friction = more force required = higher petrol consumption.

6. Pump nitrogen gas into your tyres.


Go to a car tyre shop and ask them to fill your tyres with nitrogen gas. It will cost a few bucks per tyre. It will improve your car's mileage, resist heat build-up and maintain the pressure of your tyres longer. You won't have to worry about keeping your tyres inflated for 6 months easily. This works best if your vehicle is a heavy one.

And of course...

7. Install NGV.


Even if you don't get the RM625 rebate, that "loss" will be covered within 2 months every year through savings.

Special price for Malays!

I called up an NGV workshop to ask for the installation price. I spoke in malay.

The guy who picked up is chinese. He must have sensed a chinese accent in my bahasa melayu. He started talking in cantonese.

"Sam cheen sam," he said. And he rattled on about other stuff in cantonese.

"Sorry ah, saya tak tau cakap cina," I said.

"Kamu melayu kah" he asked.

"Yah..." I said instinctively.

"Oh... Saya ingat kamu cina. Tiga ribu lima..."

???

He charges RM3300 for chinese customers. RM3500 for malays.

Hijau MOG Sdn Bhd. Along Jalan Ipoh, near Tesco Extra Selayang, heading towards Selayang. Don't go there.

* * * * * * * * * *

This happened to Mei Yee's colleagues:

An indian girl and a chinese girl went around together in a car to look for a car battery. The indian girl asked for the price. RM180.

At another shop, the indian girl asked for the price again. RM180.

The chinese girl got down. She spoke to the mechanic in chinese. The price: RM120.

* * * * * * * * * *

Which is worse... To risk getting sued for bringing bad publicity to a shop, or to let racist business people have their way?

I think it's the latter.

Hijau MOG Sdn. Bhd. has lost RM3k from me. And from Mr. Siva too. And Mr. Guna. And Mr. Raman.

He will never be visited by En. Noorhisham. And En. Azmy. And En Jasmin. And everyone else who reads my blog.

Let the buyer beware. And the seller, even more...

Bike shop hunting

I went bike shop hunting with Yuen Thern yesterday. It was great going with him. It will look really silly to mosey into a bike shop, with zero knowledge, and with nobody with you. It's like putting a "con me" sign on your forehead.

I drove, he navigated with the map.

First stop, KSH bicycle shop.

I think I found the bike that I want there. Merida 903. All in, RM3k.


The guy there is really friendly and helpful. He understands my needs as a beginner @ recreational cyclist @ triathlete wannabe. He gives very good advice to match my budget and purpose to the bike. His openness and willingness to relate makes me feel very comfortable with him and the store's product options.

I'd recommend KSH to first-time bike purchasers. Wong Chen Yeap. Boss, please give him a raise. Every other shop I went to after KSH pales in comparison.

Second stop, Bike Pro. Next time, I no go.

I poked around the shop. No price tag on the bikes. Nobody came to our assistance.

I asked the tauke if they have road bikes in the range of RM2k - 3k. He says, "Yes, yes we do... Just hold on a while, I have some things to do here... One of the boys will talk to you soon."

He was just writing some stuff in a log book. No boys came. Nobody gave us any attention. We were so totally ignored.

I heard people say before, that Bike Pro does not give much attention to low-end customers. If you are a high-end biker, then Bike Pro may be the shop for you. They concentrate on the big fish. Ikan bilis consumers like me don't matter. I guess they were right.

We walked out of the store. And I'm sure I'm never going back.

Third shop, Joo Ngan Son.

Heard that the shopkeeper is literally the son of Joo Ngan, some legendary Malaysian biker of old. Heard some good comments about that shop before.

The shopkeeper himself is a friendly guy. There were a couple of RM30k bikes in the shop. When I told him what I was looking for, he told me that KHS bikes around my price range will arrive within this week. He tried to persuade me to hang on a little longer until the bikes come in. He doesn't discriminate against ikan bilis consumers like me.

But unfortunately, he was occupied that time. He was servicing a high-end road bike. And its owner was standing nearby, in full cycling gear, looking quite cross at something. I'm sure the shopkeeper would've given me appropriate attention if he had his hands free.

He had assistants. A couple of young Malay boys, who clearly do not know their job. They can't quote prices. They have to refer to the boss every time I ask for a price. Almost every question I ask them had to be fielded to the boss. I felt kinda bad for distracting him all the time, because he looked kinda busy.

As I was leaving the shop, the boss actually waved and said, "Thank you, bro" with a smile. I'm sure he wished he could've been of better help.

It's true what they say. The shopkeeper is a nice guy. But he has to do something about his extra hands if he wants to keep a steady stream of customers coming.

Final stop, Bike Boutique.

Mei Yee moseyed in there before, and told me about the shop. She said the guy there, Daniel, was very helpful and he explained a lot of stuff to her. She said I would find the shop very interesting, and that I would like talking to Daniel too.

Plus, she said he is cute! But a little young... :P

It's too super high-end, man! The bikes there are untouchable! The most high-end bike shop of all! The bike-fitting service is cheaper though, at RM150.

I met the Daniel guy. He was a little un-chatty at first. But at the mention of Mei Yee, suddenly he became a few obvious notches nicer! He even offered me a second-hand bike, which is actually his very own, at a better price.

I wonder what Mei Yee did to him. Hmmm....

Maybe I should send her to every "male type" shop before I step in myself. I have a feeling it will work wonders.





Now that I think about it...





There's this NGV workshop in Batu Caves...

Of chickens, eggs and mammoth

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

The idea of church is no longer popular. Many believers do not see the point of coming any longer. What more for unbelievers.

Sometimes, I think the blame cuts both ways. People should be chastened if they are giving up the habit of meeting together. The church also should bear the blame if the idea of church is no longer relevant to people.

It's like this. I see a rascal on the street. Why did he turn out like that? I'll say because he never went to school when he was young. And he never listened to his teachers.

I go to school, and I say the students don't want to learn. They are not worth teaching. They just come and create problems. So, I say they'd be better off if they don't come to school at all.

Then when I meet a rascal, I say it's because he never went to school.

Who's to blame. The chicken or the egg?

We want people to fill the pews in church, But we don't want to admit that the speakers we put up there may be, at best, boring... Or, at worst, incompetently untrained. And we expect people to come away inspired and encouraged.

We want people to come to prayer meetings. But our prayer items are regulated in a way that misses the relevance of things happening around us, or to our own lives. And we expect normal Christians (normal, meaning Christians who don't usually pray only for the church and its ministries all the time) to come.

We want people to attend cell group meetings in homes. But we do it in a way where there is little or no difference as a church meeting. And we expect unbelievers to come in an feel at home.

We want people to be serious about coming for Bible study. But we do it in the same way over and over again. And we expect people from different age groups, different levels of maturity and different learning habits to find it useful and enjoyable.

There have been many instances when people come out from mainstream denominations to form their own churches. Many times, it is out of frustration. "Positive frustration", if you know what I mean. They want to come out, and start something new. Something better. Something that is only possible if it is done outside the umbrella of the mainstream denomination.

When that happens... Denominationalists automatically cast a prejudiced eye on such churches. Even if those "splinter-group churches, a.k.a. independent churches" could be doing better, when matched point for point and ministry for ministry... It's all considered "inferior" and assumed to be "wrong" in some way or another because of denominational prejudice.

I won't go into whether or not those "prejudices" are good or bad. I'm just pointing out that there is such a thing.

So, what's the moral of the story?

The moral of the story is...

Sometimes we cannot shake our heads at only one party.

We have to tepuk dada, tanya selera.

Which is it?


The chicken? Or...


The egg?

I'm using a picture of a funny chicken and a cartoon egg, hoping that it will break some tension in considering serious thoughts.

* * * * * * * * * *

One Sunday, I heard a speaker say this:

"We must not love mammoth."

*hee hee... snicker*

I know I'm bad... I shouldn't not make fun of one, small misspoken word. But I can't help but muffle a giggle...


Awww... I'm sorry, giant wooly elephant. I cannot love you...

*mmmph... giggle...* =)

Room for rent

Coming to work in KL? Looking for a safe, tidy house mate?

I'm putting a room out for rent.

This is the living room...


Dining table from Lorenzo. I mean, Tesco. Sofa chair, scavenged from downstairs.

Here's another view of the living room...


Curtains from... Giant. Not translucent. Privacy guaranteed.

If you wanna combat the petrol hike, my bicycle is up for sale. RM400, along with the helmet, front light, back light, bicycle lock and fluorescent jacket. Used only for a few months, during the wait for my Proton Iswara to arrive.

You can hang your clothes here...


No washing machine though. It's caveman style.

But don't worry, we have this device...


Got internet. Not so caveman, rite...

Here's the kitchen...


Equipped with fridge, rice cooker, thermo pot, gas stove and kitchen cabinet.

I cook at least a meal a day. Arrangements can be made if you want me to cook for two. My cooking, ala best.

Here's the store room...


You can store your bags and gadget boxes here. Got extra mattress and pillows for guests.

And of course, here's your room...


Can't quite show you the dimensions. A room with a view. It's easily 6 steps by 4 steps. I'm tall.

Here's the view from your window...


Can see the Petronas kiosk from here. We'll have long hours debating about NGV.

You can see the second hand car shop...


They auction cars every fortnight. If you are interested to buy your own vehicle to travel around.

You can also see a lot of trees... And my old car!


Nah, zoom in for you...


If you really need a vehicle to get around, but you don't want to buy a car... You can use mine. All it needs is a new battery, an alternator, its radiator fixed and a car wash. I'll help you fix it up good. Petrol's on you.

My place is in Selayang. Away from city life, quiet place to stay, cooling during the night. Accessible by Rapid KL bus. KL city and PJ is within reasonable driving distance.

Rental is at RM220. Not just for a room. It's for half a flat. Utilities and internet included.

Leave me a line if you're interested.

Gangster...

Today, I was lining up to change coins for a ferry ride. Mei Yee and Christine Siew was standing in line behind me. It was a very long line. I was getting near the front already. And suddenly...

One guy cut in, right in front of me!

I moved nearer to him, and stared him down from the side. Very closely. He dared not turn his head.

He changed RM20 worth of coins. He was not alone. He was making a ferry trip with a group of friends.

I looked at his friends. They don't look like they're from here. Possibly Chinese Indonesians. Young, rich-looking, wearing funky clothes. The guy who cut in was wearing a hood, and a t-shirt with a skull on it.

While waiting for the ferry, I stared at him from afar. The kind of stare that I give to truants, that says, "If you're gonna jump the fence, do it before you meet my gaze because you know I'm looking at you."

His eyes were darting everywhere. He don't dare to look.

Quite brazen, rite? You're not from this country, and you come and cut queue like you own the place.

Anyway, I was having a fun day. So, I let him off easy.

When I was sitting in the ferry, I said to George Lim, "I'm disappointed... That guy dared to cut in front of me! That means, I don't look gangster enough. Of all people he could cut, he cut in front of me wor! Surely, if I look really gangster, he won't cut my line, rite?"

Catharsis moment...

One of my secret dreams to to have a gang, where I can be gang leader. It's really fun! You'll feel like you're very big, just because of how you look and because you have a lot of people with you. As long as you are with your gang, you will not feel out of place. That will also mean you will not be uncool. I'm putting this in very small fonts so that you cannot read this secret easily, and so that if you are a teenager and you are reading this, you will feel assured that what you're going through is normal...

Anyway...

Being in last place is how the Lord Jesus teaches us to behave. Here's a music video that shows the top two things that irritate people: Crazy driving and cutting lines. And how Christians should deal with it.

Every "loser" in this video are members of a Christian rock band called Audio Adrenaline. Check out how the rambut panjang fella let people cut his line. Light-hearted and fun to watch!

Let's discuss!

Arguments I've heard against NGV:

Taxi drivers do it because it's their livelihood. They need to make a profit. So, to lessen costs, it is necessary for them to use NGV. You are a normal user. You don't need NGV.

True. But with the recent petrol price hike, the difference in price between 1 litre of petrol and 1 litre of NGV has become too big to be insignificant. We're not talking about a difference of 50 cents or even RM1. We're talking about a difference of RM2.07 per liter.

Even a normal user will benefit significantly cost-wise by using NGV.

Change your driving habits, not change to NGV. Drive less.

If I am a user that has been making a lot of joyrides, then maybe changing my driving habits may be the way to go.

However, my car is used only for necessary journeys. I can't "drive less" if I have to drive to get to those places, e.g. to work, to church, to Section 10.

Ok, maybe I can cycle to school. But my current RM0.3k bike is killing my posture. It won't do good for my minor scoliosis. To cycle without pulling my back out, I'll need a well-fitted RM3k bike. That will cost almost as much as an NGV installation already.

To church. Nobody else from church stays in my area. If I want to take public transport, I have to go to Terminal Putra, take an LRT to KL Central, then take the KTM to Kepong. The cost of travelling this way will be even higher than driving. And the time wastage will not be worth it.

Besides, you need to drive to get to Terminal Putra.

Section 10. Same as above. I'll still need to drive to Terminal Putra, the cost + the waiting is not worth it.

How will it affect the car mechanically?

It will lose some power. But I'm not going racing. It's purely for economical reasons.

How will it affect the car physically?

I will have to sacrifice boot space. That means, it may be less useful as a vehicle to shift things from place to place. I may have to hire a lorry next time if I'm going to shift out, or if I'm helping someone else to shift out.

It may be less comfortable if I'm taking 4 passengers for a road trip. Some luggage may have to sit with them on their laps.

I guess it's an unavoidable sacrifice that must be made. But I don't play golf. So, it may not be that bad.

There are too few NGV kiosks. If you run out of gas and you can't find an NGV kiosk, your car will be stuck and you're done for.

You don't have to throw away your petrol tank when you install the NGV tank. You can have both tanks running. You can switch to petrol anytime, and switch back to NGV anytime.

The Petronas kiosk just downstairs from my place has NGV. All I have to do is fill up on NGV when there's no queue, and keep RM20 worth of petrol in the tank for emergency use.

What if you shift out from Selayang? What if you come back to Penang for long-term? You can't rely on Selayang's Petronas kiosk forever. There are no NGV kiosks in Penang.

I'm sure I can find out from the taxi drivers where else NGV can be found in Selangor/KL.

With the recent petrol price hike, many private users will be installing NGV apparatus. It wasn't a need then. But it is becoming a need now. With an increase in demand, there will be an increase in supply. So, many NGV kiosks may spring up in the near future. It can't be too hard to imagine that Penangites will be running on NGV one day too.

But of course, this is an assumption. It still baffles a lot of people why NGV is so scarce if it's so much cheaper and it is environment-friendly. Maybe it's some conspiracy up there to make us continue to buy petrol. If everyone starts using NGV, what will that do to the oil industry?

Anyway, if my calculations are correct, I would've recovered my "losses" from installing NGV apparatus in around a year's time. I'm betting I won't get rich fast enough to buy a house elsewhere in a year's time. And I won't get posted elsewhere that fast either.

Worst case scenario, I may just uninstall the NGV apparatus. But that will not happen before the cost has been recovered.

If you can think of this, I'm sure everyone else would have thought of this before.

Yah. So... Just because nobody or very few people have thought of it, it is not possible for me to have thought of it? It's not conceivable for me to make a wise, pragmatic step because nobody or very few people have done it before?

If the demand for NGV increases, so will the cost of NGV installation and the price of NGV gas in the very near future. So, it won't be much of a difference compared with petrol.

Yes. But I'm betting it won't rise fast enough before I can recover my costs. RM2.70 per liter for petrol and RM0.635 per liter for NGV gas. It will take a very long time for the price of NGV gas to quadruple.

But of course, it is still conjecture. In Malaysia, you'll never know. Once they find out certain people have been beating the system, they may make a drastic policy change overnight. Or sometimes, in the same evening.

Ask the Singaporeans. Ask the Thais.

Let's count!

Pumped a full tank at the petrol station today. It came up to RM98!

Before the petrol price hike, a full tank costed around RM75.

That is easily RM25 more per full tank!

If I use one full tank per week...
I will be spending RM25 more per week.
That will be RM100 more per month.
That will be RM1200 more per year.

*wipe sweat*

Let's make a comparative analysis between petrol and NGV. If we use my Proton Iswara 1.3 as a case study...

Let's say a full tank costs RM100.
A full tank gives me around 450 km.
That means, if I run on petrol, I will be spending RM0.22 per km.

Now, if the newspaper source is correct (see previous post)...

A full tank of NGV costs RM12.
Let's say a full tank covers an average of 200 km.
If I run on NGV, I will be spending RM0.06 per km.

That is almost 4 times more cost effective than running on petrol!

Now, if I run on petrol...
Let's say I use up an average of one full tank of petrol per week.
That will be RM100 per month.
I will be spending RM400 per month.

If I run on NGV...
I will be spending only RM110 per month.
(If you count km for km, it will still come to the same thing).

This means, I will save RM290 per month!

Ok. Assuming that installing the NGV apparatus costs RM4000 (by generous standards)...
If I save RM290 per month on travel expenses,
The cost of installing the NGV apparatus can be covered in a span of...

14 MONTHS!

That means...

If my car runs on NGV tomorrow, whatever "loss" incurred in installation costs will be recovered in a little over a year's time. After that, it's all gain!

If I drive more, the "losses" will be recovered even faster!

The Petronas kiosk downstairs has NGV. After school hours, nobody lines up for NGV.

To NGV or not to NGV? Cast your vote...

Chia yew! Chia yew!

All newspaper quotes taken from The Star, 5th June.

"Besides an increase in petrol and diesel prices by 78 sen and RM1 per litre respectively, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also said new electricity tariffs were also going to be revamped for Peninsular Malaysia users beginning July 1." - Front page.

Three things come to mind.

The first:


Ok, I feel bad for him. Maybe it's not his fault. If someone wanted to send you to space, would you say no?

The second:


Please don't go up there. If they insist on sending you, please find some meteoric rock that can be liquidated into useful hydrocarbon compounds.

The third:

Electricity tariffs will be revamped by July 1? Why not by tonight? Efficiency is good. Acting earlier than expected, even better!

They did it during the dissolution of the parliament. They did it again for the petrol hike. Why not make this the third.

* * * * * * * * * *

"He (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) said the hike in fuel prices would cause a projected increase in inflation of around 4% to 5%." - N3.

"In Kota Kinabalu, Consumers Association of Sabah president Datuk Patrick Sindu said the price of goods was expected to increase between 10% and 20%" - N6.

Somebody will be right, somebody will be wrong. Or, Somebody may be lying, somebody may be making an honest mistake.

Or, maybe both can be right, because one is talking about Peninsula Malaysia, another is talking about Sabah and Sarawak.

But this statement below is the best:

"On claims that the fuel price increase would lead to inflation rising by 1%, (Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri) Khalid (Ibrahim) said the question was not the percentage but whether consumers have money in their pockets." - N8.

Totally "sao korna" the question, man! (Sao korna is a Hokkien phrase that literally means making a corner turn. In other words, it means to avoid a difficult question or uncomfortable situation)

Ok la, maybe I'm just choosing to see the bad side of things. Maybe he's trying to say the real problem is whether or not the rakyat will have money in their pockets, not so much about the projected percentage...

* * * * * * * * * *

"If not adjusted, the current income is definitely not enough for the average consumer. If people cannot cope, there might also be a rise in the crime rate." - Prof Datuk Hamdan Adnan, Fomca adviser.

This will hasten my turn to get robbed in Selayang. "Cina man pumping petrol! Let's get him! Get him!"

* * * * * * * * * *

There is no shortage of oil in the world and its present price level (US$135) was driven up by unreal speculation, said Malaysia Airlines managing director and chief executive Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

Asked what he thought was the fair value of crude oil at present, Idris replied: 'US$40.' " - N10.

Funny, we're not hearing anything from Ah Nua yet.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Poultry farmers have welcomed the Government's move to abolish the RM6 per kilo ceiling price for chicken." - N14.

What will happen to KFC? Nando's? Both my favourite chicken places!

It is indeed a sad, sad time...

* * * * * * * * * *

"Ong (Ka Chuan) said the Government had no choice but to increase the price due to the rise in global crude oil prices." - N8.

"Actually, I'm sure Pak Lah is going to lose the next election. If a supposedly informed citizen can overlook the worldwide situation on oil... Habislah. I'm of the opinion, he had no choice. Poor guy." - A.L., Sales and Marketing Executive, top chemical plant in Malaysia.

Kesian, kesian... Everyone also kesian...

* * * * * * * * * *

Natural Gas for Vehicle (NGV). No change. Prices remain at RM0.635 per litre - Front page.

Aslan (Hafizi Ahmad, managing director of Aslan Auto Services Sdn Bhd) said motorists who used natural gas could save up to 70% in petrol.

He said a full NGV tank which averaged at 17 litres was sold at RM12.

The amount, he said, could cover a mileage of about 230 km on highways and between 180km and 200km in town areas.

"The cost of installing the NGV apparatus ranges between RM3,000 and RM9,000, depending on the gas tank size." - M4.

Therefore, the pressing question now is...

To do this:


Or this:


Both about the same price.

* * * * * * * * * *

"When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.

Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, 'A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" - John son of Zebedee, Revelation 6:5-6.

Time to take heed of biblical prophecies.

You tipu me!

Petrol price is going up by August.

Anwar said if PKR wins, petrol price will go down.

BN came up with a less attractive, but more "reasonable" deal. They said if they win, petrol price will not go up.

Tipu wan!

There may have a separate tier for petrol payments by credit card. Credit card users may have to pay more for petrol, compared to cash payments.

There goes my anti-theft, cashless existence plan.

I told the auntie at the kedai runcit today:

"2013, wa khee eh see liao. Or lai eh. Wa kah lu kong. Mien lau lu eh. Petrol tan tiok khee! Lu siong sin wah..."

Translation:

"In 2013, I will run for elections. Sungai Ara seat. I tell you. I no need to bluff you wan. Petrol price will go up! You trust me la..."

Auntie said:

"Han lo! han lo!"

Translation:

"Ya loh! Ya loh!"

See. Instant rapport. What did I tell you. Honesty is the best policy. I no bluff you wan...

Faster take Tesco plastic bags to the nearest petrol station. Fill up! If bring Sunshine Square plastic bag, they give cheaper. Really wan, auntie...

Anti-burn out solution

A) Become a bike rider.

This one can't work out.

It is an expensive sport. From shoes to helmet, from aerobar to pedals, everything costs a lot of money. Bodily fuel prices may match car fuel prices. Can't wear sunglasses. Long cycling hours. And possible prostrate problems.

So...

.
Bye bye, bike... *sob*

B) Build a tuition empire.

Boring. Money may be good. But in the long term, I'll end up looking forward to the pay cheque only.

I mean, c'mon, honestly... How interesting can Math get? Even Add Math, for that matter. It's easy to teach. But it's a static subject. The only change you'll find is a change in the syllabus... When it gets watered down to become easier.

But if I manage a tuition empire... Different story lah.

C) Build a translation company.

Same as above. Money is not as good as tuition anyway. Human interaction, zero. I don't have the qualifications to back me up. And it's boring. So it's a quadruple whammy.

I may like managing it, though. But doing it... Different story.

D) Going to seminary / bible college.

This one can't work out either.

Too controversial. I go there, I lose trust from the local assembly.

GLO training school is good, no doubt. But it lacks accredition. I won't know whether or not I got it right anyway. I'll still feel as untested as before. And I personally feel any form of real education cannot be done inside a fishbowl.

Sorry la. I think GLO is a good training ground. But it does not fulfill what I'm looking for.

E) Concentrate on accumulating wealth and buy a house.

The methodology of this goal is the same as B and C. So, it will arrive at the same conclusion.

And it doesn't sound right anyway...

F) Get married.

I got to figure out the puzzle first. See previous post. Hehe...

That leaves me with one option...


Seriously thinking of doing a Master of Educational Management (MEdM).

Many things I'm not sure of. But a few things I'm sure:

1. If I'm gonna do it, I will do it in UM. For proximity reasons, and credibility reasons.

2. The course content must involve a dissertation / research. Getting a Masters without a dissertation means very little to academics.

3. The course content is very "my type". You look at the hyperlink above and see...

4. It will cost RM7221 over 3 semesters, for a full-time student. That will come up to RM401.17 per month. If I do it part-time, it will certainly cost more.

5. Scholarships are available only for full-time students. Either I make it on my own steam, or I wait for a government grant and do it full-time while on study leave.

6. The intake starts either in July or December.

What am I going to do with a MEdM?

Well, the main reason for now is to keep my mind off the dreariness of school. A short-term, anti-burnout solution.

After that, it may come in useful if I want to jump ship.