Happening Food Gallery at Penang Times Square

Food Gallery is touted to be the biggest food court in Penang with free WiFi. Initially there was much activity here, until some stalls left and the place almost became vacant. Now it is filling up with new stalls like nasi lemak stall, yong tau fu stall and steamboat stall. Tim Sum restaurant is undergoing renovation nearby and prefer to block up its space instead of sharing with Food Gallery. There is Astro on LCD TV installed with drinks, dessert, fruits and ice cream stall in the center. Food Gallery is run by the boss of Times Square and he hires mainly Nepalese to oversee the cleaning and selling of food.

Penchant for Nasi Lemak

I love nasi lemak, a traditional Malay dish that is popular here and commonly served in almost all the hotels in Malaysia. It is made up of rice flavoured coconut milk, topped with sambal ikan bilis or anchovies with sambal belacan and half of a fully boiled egg, painstakingly wrapped in banana leaves. Today, I had 2 packets for lunch which is a reprieve from the previous days of plain old Quaker oats. I try to eat healthily if possible as oats can help reduce high cholesterol. Life is easy peasy and I just paid more than $20,000 being 7% of my condo in KL called Rhythm Avenue in USJ 19

A Life of Abundance

It is a blessing to live the life of abundance. There is more than enough to last a lifetime provided caution in spending is not thrown to the wind. As long as I live within my means, there should be no problem in tiding through during retirement. With no children to support and their education to spend, I have more than enough savings as of today. Life is easy peasy with a dream job to work in a home office. It gets too cosy to the point of being lazy at times with the freedom to take frequent power naps in the next room.

Conmen on the Prowl

Just 2 days ago, I received an SMS supposedly from Bonuslink stating that I have won $19,000 from Shell. Being curious while apprehensive, I called the number given and was congratulated that I have won the money. The guy on the other side of the phone then quickly asked for my bank name and account number so that he 'can' bank in the prize money for me. Then what made me suspicious as I had expected all along was when he asked how much I have in my bank account. I refused to tell him and he persisted, saying that I will know how much I have made if there is a difference. I lied to him that I have only $1k and he sounded happy. Then he instructed me to go to an ATM machine and give him a call to teach me how to receive the money! What Balooney! Then I asked if he is a con man and to this he could not understand. So I ask if he is a 'penipu' to which he called me 'bodoh' and used an expletive which I responded in kind before hanging up.

Booked Ming Garden Restaurant for Christmas Eve

Last night, I booked a table for 10 persons at Ming Garden Restaurant, Penang Times Square during Christmas Eve on the 24th December 2014. My second sister who is doing her PhD in South Hampton together with her Caucasian boyfriend, also a PhD candidate will be coming to Penang for a week here for holidays, flying in from KL after having spent a few days there. The table for 10 persons cost $1,288 for an 8-course Chinese meal consisting of

1) Lobster with 2 Combinations
2) Double Boiled Superior Soup with Assorted Seafood
3) Roasted Suckling Piglet with Glutinous Rice
4) Steamed Goby Fish with Soya Sauce
5) Braised Goose Web, Sea Cucumber & Mushroom with Vegetables
6) Fried Assorted Rice with Scallop
7) Double Boiled Snow Jelly with Chinese Herbs in Coconut Shell
8) Twin Happiness

The actual number of diners will be exactly 7 persons, but I heard that my sister’s over 6-footer boyfriend is a very good eater, hence he can have double helpings.

Just Came Back from KL

I just came back from KL a few days ago and went with my family to Tan Jetty Thai Food eatery by the seaside on a structure constructed on stilts above the waters. Don't go there too early as it will be low tide and you can see mud everywhere. When it is later at night like 8:00pm, the tide will come in and cover the mud with stinky smell. However, the food there was cheap and recommended by my sister who was there and introduced by her church friend some time back. The trip to KL was fruitful and we clinched a new project in Malaysia. We bought some fruits in Tapah where we stopped for Baskin Robbins ice-cream. I bought a pomelo and 4 mangoes for $26.

Bought Rhythm Avenue USJ 19

Just 2 days ago, I paid $8,700 by cheque as 3% for Rhythm Avenue USJ 19, Kuala Lumpur where City Mall is just downstairs for rental income and self stay. The 616 sq. ft apartment is selling at market price for $315,000.00 and I bargained to $290,000.00 selling price. The owner is only 30 years old and is apparently upgrading to a landed property to build his family. I will rent out to my company for $900 per month and the maintenance charges are around $200 per month, which is on the high end due to the convenience of shopping and dining. There is Papa Rich, AEON Big, computer products stall, Cosway pharmacy, amongst its tenants downstairs. There is also a big Chinese restaurant on the second or third level. The LRT is under construction progress and this will fetch even higher price.

Woke up at 10:30am Today

I had a very good night's sleep and woke up at 10:30am this morning. My spouse was already watching Summer Slam of WWE life which ended at 11:00am. I managed to catch the last most exciting match between John Cena and Brock Lesner, of which the latter won. I am so proud of myself. The early days of hard work have finally come to fruition and I am now enjoying the fruits of my labour. I am beginning to enjoy lying in bed when there is nothing to do. And I have installed 100% sun block curtains in the room, so it is very cosy and dark without all the glare of the afternoon sun. In the meantime, I shall go back to nap again.

Laziness Prevails When There is Easy Money

My boss gives a lot to his family every month. He is a faithful husband and father. While we work as a team in the company, he will not forget to go back every year for Chinese New Year and have a grand celebration at home with his eldest daughter coming back from Melbourne. As a result, the youngest daughter is no longer working and apparently had resigned from Singapore General Hospital as a nurse. She has been celebrating life for the last 2-3 months already accompanying the mother to Australia every month to visit the sister. So much for laziness that prevails when there is easy money coming in without fail month after month while the poor dad slough it out every day and had to handle to many issues pertaining to work, when he should be retired and receiving allowances from his daughters. Being a rare gem, he refused to burden his daughters and preferred to be self sufficient.

Signed up for Star Walk 2014

Last night, I signed up for Star Walk for 3 persons including my youngest sister and paid $36 at $12 each. There will be a T-shirt given to identify the participants and will be held on 14th September next month. This is the first time I am joining Star Walk and need to practice at the gym downstairs to build stamina for the 7km walk, starting at 7:00am from Penang Times Square. There will be lucky draw prizes as usual and I hope to be able to win something. The main idea is to help me lose weight as I train for 1 month prior to the date. Well, in case I don't complete the walk, there will be a feeder bus to fetch the remaining walkers stranded and too tired to continue with the journey.

Just Walk to the Next Room

In the past 11 years, I don't have to commute to work and get stuck in snarling traffic jams for hours or wasting time to get dress up for work in another location. All I need to do now is just walk to the next room which is now my workstation equipped with a laptop, printer, fax and internet connectivity. I am certainly blessed with a home office to work right in the comfort of a home life. Also, I can take power naps when the need arises and work again when I am ready and in the mood. There cannot be found another better arrangement than this. And I thank God for my dream job to work in a small office home office, or simply abbreviated as SOHO.

Cheese Baked Fish at The Ship

Above is cheese baked fish in a scallop shell at The Ship along Jalan Sri Bahari in Penang. The cheese was simply ambroisia and infused with the fish for a sumptuous meal.


This is cheese baked spaghetti with chicken strips, tomato slices, julienne onions, lots of cheese and of course not forgetting spaghetti. This meal can be ordered from Max Gourmet Restaurant at the seventh level of Gurney Plaza besides Golden Screen Cinemas.


This was ordered from James Foo Western Food at Penang Times Square ground floor. The chicken chop was drizzled with lots of delicious gravy with cubes of carrots and onions. The food is reasonably priced and not too expensive.


The dish above was ordered at Uncle Albert's Restaurant at Straits Quay in Tanjung Tokong. The is a generous portion of potatoes and green beans.


The meal above was during lunch time at Uncle Albert's. The fish fillet was big with generous portion of fries.


The flowers on display during the opening day at James Foo Western Restaurant in Penang Times Square.

Transformers Age of Extinction

Sixty-five million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period, beings known as the Creators detonate many "Seeds", wiping out most life on Earth. In the present, a geologist named Darcy discovers a dinosaur corpse covered in a strange metal.

Four years have passed since the Battle of Chicago. Cade Yeager, a struggling inventor, and his friend Lucas buy an old truck to strip it for parts in hopes of sending Cade's daughter Tessa to college. Cade soon discovers that the truck is an injured Optimus Prime and repairs him. Meanwhile, Cemetery Wind, an elite CIA unit headed by paranoid agent Harold Attinger, has been tasked with hunting down the remaining Decepticons. However, he also secretly hunts down the Autobots. With the aid of the Transformer bounty hunter Lockdown, they ambush and brutally kill Ratchet when they found him hiding on a stern of an abandoned ship. After locating Optimus in Texas, the unit and Lockdown travel there and threaten Cade, Tessa, and Lucas. Optimus comes out of hiding and attacks the operatives, allowing Cade and his friends to escape. They are saved by Shane Dyson, Tessa's secret boyfriend, and after a lengthy chase they escape. However, Lucas is killed by Lockdown's grenade. Optimus rallies the last remaining Autobots: Bumblebee, Hound, Drift, and Crosshairs. Cade hacks into a drone he took from the attack in Texas, and learns that the remaining member of the Wreckers, Leadfoot was killed and that Cemetery Wind is working with a corporation called KSI. They decide to infiltrate KSI headquarters in Chicago for information.

Meanwhile, Joshua Joyce, the head of KSI, shows Darcy that he has perfected transformium, a codeable, molecularly unstable metal that the Transformers are made of. He has imprisoned Brains to decode dead Transformers' brains and utilize their data for the human-created Transformers. He shows Darcy his prized creation, Galvatron, who was created using data from Megatron's brain.

Once he infiltrates the facility, Cade finds the KSI scientists melting down Ratchet's head. Infuriated, Optimus and the Autobots storm the facility, break Brains out, and start to destroy it. Joyce stops them and explains that humans don't need Autobots anymore, as they can create their own Transformer soldiers. Disgusted, the Autobots leave the facility. Attinger forces Joyce to launch Galvatron and Stinger to pursue the Autobots. Galvatron and Optimus battle before Lockdown shoots Optimus. Tessa gets trapped and she, along with Optimus, are brought aboard Lockdown's ship. He locks Optimus in the middle of his trophy room, which also carries the Dinobots, legendary knights that Lockdown imprisoned. He explains that the Creators want Optimus back. Before he leaves, Lockdown gives Attinger a Seed, a bomb that can cyberform any area of land, giving Cade, Shane, and the Autobots time to board the ship. Cade and Shane save Tessa, and, with the help of Crosshairs and Bumblebee, are able to escape. Shortly after, Hound and Drift save Optimus and escape before Lockdown's ship enters deep space. Optimus and Brains reveal that Galvatron is Megatron reincarnated, and that he has been manipulating KSI to make an army and steal the Seed in order to wipe out humans and create more Decepticons. Cade warns Joyce, who retreats to Hong Kong with Darcy and his business associate Su Yueming to get a military extraction, thus betraying Attinger.

In Beijing, Galvatron activates by himself and corrupts all prototype Transformer drones to do his bidding. One of his minions shoots down the Autobots' ship. Hound and Bumblebee jump out and struggle to protect the humans. Knowing this, Optimus releases and tames the Dinobots. With their help, they destroy Galvatron's army. Lockdown then appears and uses a magnetic weapon in an effort to reclaim Optimus and the Dinobots. However, Optimus destroys it and proceeds to fight Lockdown. Cade tries to help but is held at gunpoint by Attinger. Seeing Cade in danger, Optimus kills Attinger, which allows Lockdown to gain the upper hand and impale Optimus with his own sword. Cade and Bumblebee distract Lockdown while Tessa and Shane take the sword out of Optimus, who proceeds to kill Lockdown. Galvatron retreats, vowing to battle Optimus another day. Optimus sets the Dinobots free before flying into space with the Seed, sending a message to the Creators to leave Earth alone and that he is coming for them.

Went to KL on Friday

I went to KL last Friday for the day and returned to Penang at night. We went there to collect a cheque, but alas, it was not to be. The client has no money and is waiting compensation from the insurance company. So, this will take months to settle for the balance payment. Money is difficult to come by nowadays with projects stuck with cash and owners not willing to pay for whatever reasons. I have to be more cautious now with my expenditure and I cannot afford to just splurge anyhow I like. I pray for prudence and to not dress up to get rich. Also collected 5 letters from home with a replacement Citibank credit card.

Inbox Dollars

As an aside, I was surfing around recently for some ways to earn money from the internet and came across quite a few good ones. But then again, it takes money to make money! This means that you have to pay for traffic to make money in the hope that some visitors will click and buy from your affiliate web site.

Anyway, introducing Cash Tasks, the latest way to earn cash rewards from InboxDollars. Everyday InboxDollars will list a collection of available tasks that can be completed for cash. These tasks range from identifying the content of a photograph, to translating phrases, to completing descriptions for products or services. Each task is presented with the number of opportunities to complete it and the earnings a member will be credited for completing the task. To earn the cash reward, the member must complete the task requirements and accomplish the entire task properly without submitting nonsensical answers or gibberish. Members will be notified they have completed the task once they have completed all the requirements for that task. A member's account will be credited the same day the task was completed.



The best part ---- every InboxDollars member is eligible for every task. As long as a task is listed on the Cash Tasks page it is possible to complete it and earn cash rewards. Note that some tasks have multiple activities, each of which can be completed for cash and there is no limit on the number of tasks or activities a member may complete. Once an InboxDollars member completes a task or activity and earns the cash reward, the task or activity is removed from the list of available tasks.

Members can see their cash earnings for completing Cash Tasks by visiting the InboxDollars Current Earnings page. Look for a summary of total completed tasks and total cash earnings for those tasks. Check the Cash Tasks channel often to see new tasks and more opportunities to earn cash rewards!

My Birthday Yesterday at Foong Wei Restaurant

I celebrated my birthday yesterday at Foong Wei Heong Chinese Restaurant at Sri Bahari Road in Penang. My parents, youngest sister and best friend came along. The dish above is four seasons consisting of stir fried scallops garnished with vegetables, honey coated fried chicken, spring roll and mayonnaise prawns. This dish cost $60 and enough to serve 5 of us.

Gold Choice Gourmet Coffee was open last month in Penang Times Square and they teach barrista classes how to serve gourmet coffee. They are a franchise business with several machines for coffee making costing in the range of thousands and easily 4 thousand upwards. I guess the boss must be quite weatlhy, because they close rather early compared to the surrounding places and by 9:00pm, it is already closed.

The above was ordered at Chinese Recreation Club where my friend is a lifetime member with no monthly charges. It is called green dragon vegetables stir-fried with garlic and garnished with stripes of red chilly. It tasted rather crunchy and soothe the palate.

This is one of my favourite dish - stir-fried egg with chunks of crab meat, dried scallops and water chessnut, garnished with julienned lettuce. Depending on who takes the order, the dish can taste as ordinary as fried egg or a gourmet dish with lots of crab meat chunks.

This is the first time I ordered and tried the Indian curry prawns with fried bun that was crusted on the outside. The bun was superb when dipped in the curry and the flavour melts in your mouth. The prawns were large and I think could be Tiger Prawns.

The food taken all together where we had our dinner at Chinese Recreation Club recently.

Vista Print and Their Great Holiday Gifts

Good news! Now Vista Print is offering 250 free business cards if you order now. Simply click on the banner below to see what I mean.



For the record, I am a sucker for all things free and will always look for discount vouchers to purchase items on the bargain. This way, I will save tonnes of money over the long run. After all, a penny saved is a penny earned, so they say. Just for your information, I collected a free umbrella from Allianze bank by clicking on the 'Like' button and entering my details for the free gift. It was easy peasy.

However, the collection took some time. I had to check a list of names with god forsaken places but could not find one. Finally, I approached an officer and she kindly checked my details on the computer and voila, it was found! Hence, I got my umbrella on the spot and signed a formed to acknowledge receipt of the free gift.

Likewise, you can also check out on the banner below:



Also, as they say, "No pain, no gain!" Therefore, in all the we do, we have to work hard at it to be successful and get rewarded in due time. Just don't give up and keep working at it until you find gold! You know what I mean. In the meantime, check out for more posts here.

Down with Flu

Just 2 nights ago, I vomited 8-9 times the entire night and my partner could not sleep due to the constant coughing. I went to 1 Malaysia Clinic in Penang Times Square to get medication for the vomiting and flu. The para-medic gave gargle solution, cough mixture, pills to stop vomiting and for fever. I am better now, but still need plenty of rest. Not sure if I can attend church this weekend and I have paid and sign up for a new program to make money online. The free ebook itself is already over 300 pages but the actual way to make money will use software to automate tasks and cost thousands of dollars.

Touch n Go Card

I got back from KL just 2 days ago and arrived after dinner at night. Then I went to my house to collect some letters before heading to my apartment to call it a day. I got a new Zing touch n go card from CIMB that is linked to my credit card. However, there were problems using it as it is not activated yet. For a start, you cannot activate it at the SMART tag lane and need to tap the card at the touch n go paying counter. When you exit, then only the money will be automatically deducted from my credit card. However, my colleague used his touch n go card instead without asking for some details first.

Had Dim Sum for Lunch

Today, after church, I had dim sum for lunch including 'ee foo' noodles at Macalister Road. This big restaurant is always packed with diners as they dish out free ice cream on sticks and you can take as many as you like. The bill is not that expensive either which is why it is so popular. The toilet is air-conditioned while outside is not. They are doing a roaring business every single day and I am glad the place is near my condo. There are a lot of choices to choose from and one will definitely be spoilt for choice.

Thank God It's Friday

Thank God, it's Friday! This is the end of the week and I look forward to the week ends and rest on Saturdays and Sundays. Just continued to play Solitaire and Minesweeper again to hours of entertainment. Playing computer games helps to de-stress and kills idle time. It was fun. I have stopped playing computer games for a long time already and now begin to pick up again. Just this month, I got an offer for USD 70 per month to list 4 links on my PR 2 website with monthly subscription via Paypal.

Disclaimer

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Went to KL on Thursday

I was in KL on Monday and came back on Tuesday so that my colleague can attend a meeting in the morning on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, it is back to KL to collect a cheque before coming back to Penang on Friday. There were 3 accidents along the North-South Highway when we drove back since it was raining and the roads were wet. We took the second Penang Bridge or Sultan Muadam Shah bridge which cost $9.00 per entry to avoid traffic jams. Last night, my friend treated us to James Foo Western Food Restaurant for RM 87.00 for 5 pax.

Vote for Ramkarpal this Sunday

I was supposed to go to KL tomorrrow, but it has been postponed to Monday, setting out at the wee hours of 5:00am in the morning since we have a interview at 11:00am. The reason we postponed is so that I can vote for my constituency for Ramkarpal, the third bachelor son of The Tiger of Jelutong, Karpal Singh who had recently departed for a better place. His whole family are lawyers and I hope to give a strong mandate to his son, his legacy of fighting for justice, freedom and corruption in high places. His son needs our vote and every vote counts. This is the least I can do for Karpal Singh, since he has done much for the nation.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 : Rise of Electro

Scientist Richard Parker records a video message to explain his disappearance. Later, he and his wife, Mary, are aboard a private jet hijacked by a man sent to assassinate Richard. With the pilot dead, the plane crashes.

In the present, Richard's son Peter continues to fight crime as Spider-Man. He pursues and apprehends Aleksei Sytsevich, who attempted to steal a truck containing plutonium vials. During the chase, Spider-Man rescues OsCorp Industries employee Max Dillon. While speaking by phone with Gwen Stacy, Peter sees a vision of her father, police captain George Stacy, reminding him to "leave Gwen out of it." Afterward, Peter meets with Gwen at their high school graduation ceremony, but insists he needs to keep his vow to her father and Gwen decides to end their relationship.

Peter's childhood friend Harry Osborn returns to Manhattan to see his terminally ill father Norman, CEO of OsCorp. Norman explains his illness is hereditary, and Harry is at the age where it first develops. Norman gives Harry a small device he claims contains his life's work. The next day, Norman dies and Harry is appointed the new OsCorp CEO. He humiliates the OsCorp board, which has been privy to Norman's secret biogenetic projects for foreign military powers.

Thinking that they have become friends, Max idolizes Spider-Man. While tending to some maintenance in an OsCorp laboratory, he loses his balance and falls into a tank of genetically modified electric eels. They attack him, and he mutates into a living electric generator. Meanwhile, Peter attempts to maintain a friendship with Gwen, but she reveals she may move to England for school. Before they can discuss it, Max wanders into Times Square and accidentally causes a blackout. Spider-Man attempts to calm him down, but the police fire at Max, making him lose his temper and attack. Spider-Man eventually stops him, and Max is taken to Ravencroft Institute.

The first symptoms of Harry's illness show, and he uses the device Norman gave him to deduce that Spider-Man's blood could help save him. He asks Peter, who has been selling photos of Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle, for help finding Spider-Man. Peter refuses, unsure of what effects the transfusion would have. The OsCorp board-members frame Harry for covering up Max's accident, and remove him as CEO. Harry's assistant, Felicia, informs him of equipment that could help him, so he makes a deal with Max (now calling himself Electro) to get him back inside the OsCorp building. There he finds a suit of armor and other equipment made by Norman, as well as venom from the now-destroyed genetically altered spiders. Instead of curing him, they transform him into a hideous, goblin-like creature.

Peter uses information left by his father to locate the video message in an abandoned subway station's hidden lab. Richard explains he had to leave because he refused to cooperate with Norman Osborn's biogenetic weaponization plans. Peter then hears a voicemail from Gwen, telling him she was offered the scholarship in England and is heading to the airport earlier than expected. He manages to catch her and professes his love for her, and they agree to go to England together. Electro causes another blackout, and Peter heads off to fight him. Gwen follows, and together they restore power and overload Electro's body, killing him. Afterward, the transformed Harry arrives equipped with Norman's armor and weaponry upon the Goblin glider. After seeing Gwen, Harry deduces Spider-Man's true identity and, swearing revenge for being refused the blood transfusion, kidnaps her. He fights Spider-Man at the top of a clock tower. Spider-Man subdues Harry, but despite his attempt to save Gwen, she is sent falling to her death by the collapsing gears.

Five months later, Peter has given up being Spider-Man and often visits Gwen's grave. Harry was sent to Ravencroft Institute for his crimes and is somewhat healing from his transformations claiming that "it comes and goes". His associate Gustav Fiers (the "man in the shadows" from the first film) breaks Sytsevich out of prison and equips him with an electromechanical suit of armor. Calling himself "The Rhino", he rampages through the streets. But a recording of Gwen's graduation speech inspires Peter to return as Spider-Man and fight him.

Celebrated Mother's Day at Fishing Village

I just came back from KL and stayed at Mandarin Oriental Hotel beside KLCC premier shopping mall. Using the 50% discount voucher for accommodation and 2 vouchers for upgrade, we paid only RM 510 per night with free birthday cake and free cookies, chocolate and milk for 3 sets. After that I stayed overnight at our Subang apartment before coming back to Penang. Then celebrated Mother's day the following day at Fisherman Village and ordered 1.3kg lobster thermidor, prawns, kangkung with sambal, steamed red snapper and sar hor fun with 2 coconuts for my parents and tea for us. Well, my spouse has signed the power of attorney letter for his daughter and will transfer the entire sale of the HDB flat to his second daughter, even before his retirement. Even though his CPF money is meant for his retirement spending, he is giving away the entire sum to his second daughter, rendering her useless and always think of how to squeeze from the father; instead of being creative in her job in a home office.

Going to KL in 2 days' time

I have printed some email messages for my boss this evening and prepared an invoice for payment. Normally I will email the invoice plus sending out a hard copy by post. Payment is due from a hotel in USJ. Another payment is in process from a club in Melaka. Well, in 2 days' time, I shall travel to Kuala Lumpur and stay at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, beside KLCC. Might visit a Singapore embassy for my colleague to sign the power of attorney to his relative to sell off an HDB flat in Tanglin Halt. Was online just now to check for microjobs and completed one. Paid blog posts are hard to come by nowadays.

Just Came Back from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

I was in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah end of last month for overnight stay there and traveled by Air Asia from Penang direct to the destination. There was an outstanding balance payment that can only be resolved on our visit there to discuss further. Our associates were unable to decide further on our behalf, hence we had to be there ourselves to see the court condition. Stayed at Celyn City Mall Hotel for RM 170 per night for a deluxe room with branded shopping outlets and restaurants within walking distance and next to the hotel. It was convenient to get our water and food. The buffet breakfast comes with nasi lemak, fried mee hoon, fruits, cereals, coffee or tea. The trip was good.

Buffet Lunch at Cititel Hotel

Today, we celebrated my dad's birthday at Cititel Hotel along Penang Road in advance since my youngest sister works and comes back from office around 9:30pm or even 10:30pm almost every day in her new job. She has to turn around a project worth 2 million dollars that was delayed for 6 months! Her team seems to have the lackadaisical attitude which explains the long delay while my youngest sister has to prove herself in the new job. She is a tough girl and her no-nonsense character makes her a valuable asset in the company. My dad is 77 years of age come this Tuesday on 29th April 2014. He is still relatively healthy except for some illness like peri-neuropathy and heart disease with eczema of the skin as he ages.

Just Came Back from Butterworth

I went for physiotherapy this afternoon at 12 noon at First Adventist Hospital for 1 hour and then had lunch there. Then came back for some work before headed to Butterworth for a meeting with a bumiputera developer and contractor. The office is quite nice, with laser jet printer in colour. There are 2 directors there who helm the company and they have just come back from attending an exhibition in Canton, China. Now Malay contractors are smart; they are willing to do business in China which is no longer viewed as poor unlike decades ago. After negotiating for some discount, I think we have a good chance to do business here.

Happy Easter Sunday

It started with Maundy Thursday, then Good Friday, Holy Saturday and then Easter Sunday today. Attended church today after 1 month of absence and it was good. There was acoustic worship, seated and watch a dance with accompanying music with lighted candles and decorations. Today is Jesus' resurrection, 3 days after being crucified in Golgotha, or the place of the skull. Indeed, Jesus is alive and will come back again for his followers and Christian children. And Jesus Ressurection power destroys Satan's hold on mankind.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Two years after the Battle of New York, Steve Rogers lives in Washington, D.C. and works for the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. while adjusting to contemporary society. Rogers, along with his S.T.R.I.K.E. team and agent Natasha Romanoff, is sent to liberate hostages aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. vessel from Algerian pirates led by Georges Batroc. Mid-mission, Rogers discovers that Romanoff has another agenda: to extract data from the ship's computers for S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury. Rogers returns to the Triskelion, the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, to confront Fury and is debriefed about Project Insight: three Helicarriers linked to spy satellites and designed to preemptively eliminate threats.

Fury, unable to access the encrypted data that Romanoff recovered, becomes suspicious about Project Insight. On his way to rendezvous with Maria Hill, Fury is ambushed by assailants disguised as police officers, led by a mysterious assassin called the Winter Soldier. Fury escapes, sneaks into Rogers' apartment, and warns Rogers that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised. Fury hands Rogers the USB flash drive that contains the data from the ship before being gunned down by the Winter Soldier, who escapes. Fury dies in surgery, and Hill recovers the body.

The next day, Rogers is summoned to the Triskelion by senior S.H.I.E.L.D. official Alexander Pierce. When Rogers withholds Fury's information, Pierce brands him a fugitive. Hunted by the agency, Rogers meets with Romanoff. Using data in the flash drive they discover an old S.H.I.E.L.D. underground base in New Jersey. There, they activate a supercomputer containing the preserved consciousness of Arnim Zola, who reveals that since S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded after World War II, HYDRA has secretly operated within its ranks, sowing global chaos in the hope humanity would willingly surrender its freedom in exchange for security. Rogers and Romanoff narrowly escape death when a S.H.I.E.L.D. missile destroys the bunker.

Rogers and Romanoff enlist the help of Sam Wilson, a former military parajumper whom Rogers befriended, and acquire his powered "Falcon" wingpack. After deducing that senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell is a HYDRA mole, they interrogate him until he divulges that Zola developed a data-mining algorithm that can identify individuals who might become future threats to HYDRA's plans. The Insight Helicarriers will eliminate these individuals around the world with their satellite-guided guns.

En route to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Rogers, Romanoff and Wilson are ambushed by the Winter Soldier and Sitwell is thrown into oncoming traffic. During the fight, Rogers recognizes the Winter Soldier as Bucky Barnes, his old World War II comrade, before being captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. They are rescued by a disguised Hill, who leads them to a hideout and Fury, who had faked his death. Fury plans to sabotage the Helicarriers by replacing their controller chips.

After members of the World Security Council arrive for the Helicarriers' launch, Rogers reveals HYDRA's plot to everyone at the Triskelion. Romanoff, disguised as one of the Council members, disarms Pierce. Fury arrives and forces Pierce to unlock access to S.H.I.E.L.D's database so Romanoff can expose HYDRA by leaking classified information. After a struggle, Fury shoots Pierce dead.

Meanwhile, Rogers and Wilson storm two Helicarriers and replace the controllers, but the Winter Soldier destroys Wilson's suit and fights Rogers on the third. Rogers fends him off and replaces the final chip, allowing Hill to take control and have the vessels shoot each other down. Rogers falls from the Helicarrier as it crashes into the Triskelion, where Wilson fights double agent Rumlow, who belonged to Rogers' S.T.R.I.K.E. team. Rogers lands in the Potomac River and is rescued by the Winter Soldier, who then disappears.

With S.H.I.E.L.D. in disarray, Fury destroys the last traces of his identity before heading to Eastern Europe in pursuit of HYDRA's remaining cells, under the cover of his apparent death. Romanoff appears before a Senate subcommittee and later gives Rogers a dossier on the Winter Soldier program. Both Rogers and Wilson decide to track down the Winter Soldier.

In a mid-credits scene, Baron von Strucker, at a HYDRA lab, proclaims that HYDRA has not finished its fight with S.H.I.E.L.D. before looking at two prisoners: one with superhuman speed, the other with telekinetic powers. In a post-credits scene, the Winter Soldier visits the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution.

Steamboat at Tapinluo

Tomorrow, I shall be going for a dinner steamboat meal at Tapinluo Restaurant in Penang Times Square. The soup was just ambroisia! Fried garoupa, salted fish, yam and bean curd skin are cooked together to make the broth and brings out the awesome flavour to whet your appetite for more. The secret is in the soup and the pot is charcoal heated, which brings down costs in an electric cooker or gas cooker. The traditional way of making steamboat certainly makes Tapinluo very attractive as a small restaurant right in the heart of Georgetown. It is opened from 3:00pm until 1:00am in the wee hours of the morning to cater to a wide variety of patrons.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Mr. Peabody is a talking dog who is the smartest being in the world. As a puppy, he was rejected by every potential owner, leading him to devote his life to science, athletics, and technological discoveries. One day, Peabody finds an orphaned infant and legally adopts him under the name of Sherman. He tutors Sherman through a series of adventures throughout history with the use of the WABAC, a time machine and his greatest invention. After narrowly escaping the French Revolution, Sherman starts his first day of school and falls into conflict with classmate Penny Peterson, who he innocently showed up in history class with his first hand knowledge of George Washington. Penny bullies and humiliates Sherman, insulting calling him a "dog" for being raised by one, which provokes Sherman into biting her. Peabody visits Principal Purdy about the matter, but is confronted by Ms. Grunion, a bigoted child and family services agent who threatens to reclaim Sherman if an upcoming home inspection is deemed unfit for him.

Peabody invites the Petersons over for a dinner party to mend fences between the children. While Peabody charms Paul and Patty, Sherman is left with Penny. Sherman reveals the WABAC to Penny after she calls him a liar about his first hand knowledge and they joyride in it, despite Peabody's warnings. Moments later, Sherman seeks Peabody's help to retrieve Penny, who refused to leave her engagement with King Tutankhamun in Ancient Egypt. Penny learns that she will be killed upon Tut's early death and is dragged to the wedding while Peabody and Sherman are trapped in a tomb. They escape and impersonate the god Anubis to call off the wedding. Their cover is blown at the last second, but they escape in the WABAC along with Penny.

With the WABAC low on energy, the three stop in Renaissance Florence to seek the aid of Leonardo da Vinci. While Peabody and Leonardo build a contraption to recharge the WABAC, Penny convinces Sherman to explore Leonardo's workshop with her and they bond by using Leonardo's flying machine without permission. They crash-land and Leonardo is thrilled that the machine worked but Peabody is angered by Sherman's disobedience. Returning to the present, Penny reveals Ms. Grunion's intention of reclaiming Sherman. An argument ensues between Peabody and Sherman while the WABAC draws near a black hole. They escape but crash-land in the Trojan War, where an upset Sherman runs away to join King Agamemnon's army. When Peabody and Penny come to retrieve him, they find themselves in the battle and Penny becomes trapped in the Trojan horse as it races toward to cliff. In a rescue attempt, Sherman and Penny are saved, but Peabody appears to have gone down with the horse and is presumed dead.

Desperate to save Peabody, Sherman and Penny return to the present minutes before Sherman returned the first time to get Peabody to remedy the situation. However, the present copies of Peabody and Sherman show up, along with Ms. Grunion. Grunion attempts to reclaim both Shermans, which causes them, along with the copies of Peabody to merge and disrupt the space-time continuum. Grunion makes another attempt at reclaiming Sherman, hurting him in the process, which causes an enraged Peabody to revert to his natural instinct and bite her. As Grunion informs police, Peabody, Sherman, and Penny flee to the WABAC, but are unable to travel back in time as several historic figures and monuments rain down into the present. The WABAC eventually crashes and Peabody is apprehended by Animal Control, who plan on euthanizing him for assaulting Grunion. Sherman protests by explaining that everything that happened is his fault and declares that he would rather be a dog as good as Peabody than a person. Moved by his speech, every historical figure concurs, including the Petersons. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Bill Clinton support Peabody's legal custody of Sherman and award him a presidential pardon.

When a vortex in the space-time continuum rips open, Sherman pilots the WABAC while Peabody handles the computations intending to travel to the future by a few minutes and undo the damage with success. The historical figures and monuments return to their respective times, with a smitten Agamemnon dragging Grunion with him, the latter swearing vengeance on Peabody. Although it appears Peabody and Sherman are lost, they return spontaneously as The Petersons look on and celebrate. Sherman, closer to Peabody than ever, returns to school where he has become a good friend with Penny. Meanwhile, time periods are contaminated with modern traits and Grunion marries Agamemnon.

Just Came Back from KL

I just came back from KL last night, having reached home around 2:00am in the morning. We started out at 9:00pm right after a late dinner due to work and printing of enquiries in the Subang apartment. Had a busy time in KL, traveling to 4 different places using our GPS installed in our smartphones to look for directions. We attended 2 interviews and hopefully, will get the projects in due time. I bought 2 bars of Cadbury chocolates and promptly put them in my hand bag for emergencies like lots of work and site visit and to kill off the hunger pangs during lunch hour. My colleague is just too committed to his work that lunch takes secondary place. He can afford to skip lunch to work, but not me.

More Work Today

Today I have lots of work and they must be completed within a certain time. I also have to go for my physiotherapy due today at the Adventist Hospital. Money is not easy to earn and comfort is the greatest killer of success. When you are used to comfort, it is not easy for you to dirty your hand and get down to doing real work. I also have been sleeping more now in my comfort zone, but it is my colleague who is a workaholic that gets things done, since helming the company some 11 years back. Yes, that's how long I have been working in the same company since early 2003.

Now in KL

I am now in KL, having arrived around 12:00 midnight last night by car, traveling from Penang after dinner. We stopped for a break in Bukit Gantang and Ulu Bernam for nature's call. There will be a meeting tomorrow with a big developer and also a school. I also hope to view the Main Place condo in consideration of renting it out if the amenities are good. The present place needs lots of upkeep and repair which is not worth our time since we come here once a week for a couple of days on average. Just pray and hope that my colleague will have some wisdom in managing the finances with positive net worth and not negative or zero!

Hazy KL

I came back from KL last night and it was very hazy. The haze level was above 100 and this is considered unhealthy due to open burning in several spots. 31 schools were closed in the Klang Valley area yesterday. Well, I just stayed overnight there, collected a cheque and then headed back home to Penang as soon as possible. I also bought a cheap mask for $1.50 each and wore it on the way back to Penang from KL to Tapah. Farmers are openly defying the authorities by burning the forests in Cameron Highlands for future farming and this contributes to more pollution and haze. As of now, I shall just stay indoors, read the news and check out on what's happening to MH 370 which mysteriously disappeared without any distress signals.

Opportunities to Make Money Online

I am pleased that there are several opportunities to make money online, albeit a little low. The tasks come now and then and you have to work hard. There is no free lunch on this planet earth, unless you are married to a millionaire! Or born with a silver spoon in your mouth, of which most of us are Not! Hence, with education and some hard work, we can make it by acquiring relevant knowledge and skills to arm ourselves with more opportunities online like writing gigs, blogging, image editing and more. We also have to keep our blogs fresh with new content to leverage on earning an income and make the internet our cash cow.

Rude Assistant

Last Friday, I went for my physiotherapy round at Penang Adventist Hospital under Sing Nee, my physiotherapist. Since I sort of like her service and besides being hinted to give ang pow, I gave her a twenty dollar ang pow quietly. Unbeknownst to me, her assistant, Carol did not fully go out of the room and saw my giving of ang pow to Sing Nee. Well, the following treatment, Carol came to the room to collect payment early while I was still undergoing treatment and when I went out, she said loudly fifteen and sniggered as if hinting to me to give her RM 15 ang pow for doing next to nothing. My one time ang pow to Sing Nee was a gesture of appreciation and nothing more. However, I noticed the treatment was different and less attentive after giving of the ang pow. The following up treatment, was fine but as I came out from the toilet, Carol colluded with another colleague to throw her shoes directly in front of me as if making a bold statement that she is serious in getting her $15 ang pow. I personally don’t deserve such rude treatment and will be going for many rounds to physiotherapy at Penang Adventist Hospital. If this one Carol wants to be downright rude, then may I suggest that she starts looking for a new job elsewhere. After all, I am a paying customer while she is just a paid staff and has no business to be rude to patients to harass me for her ang pow! I give to whom I like and should have the freedom out of appreciation and satisfaction.

Cards Against People

When I was small and still a primary school student, I have played different types of card games like Memory, Ginramy, amongst others. It was fun playing with my sister and mum and we all had a good time. Those were the days of carefree life. You might like to know that there is now a new game called Cards Against People which was created by a group of High School alumni as a party game for a celebration. It was financed through a global crowd funding website knowns as Kickstarter sometime in 2011. Just click on the link given to find out more information.

Going to KL Tomorrow

I shall be going to KL early tomorrow morning, setting out at 6:00am in order to attend a meeting in KL at 12:00 noon. I also went for physiotherapy this afternoon at The Adventist Hospital. My life has been pretty busy with work and more work. I am not complaining and it keeps me usefully occupied round the clock. I am a workaholic by nature since young and it is in our family genes. We sisters are always doing something useful either working or contributing to our local church. I hope my new book will be published by Millionaires Planet Book Publisher, some months later.

Housing Loan Fees

Tomorrow, I shall be meeting with the developer's lawyer to collect my S & P agreement signed middle of last year and to pay the lawyer $4,300 in legal fees for the bank loan from RHB for my second condo, The Wave - touted to be phase 3 project by Ivory Properties. It is very costly and my first condo's bank loan fees was borne by the developer, thus saving me thousands plus 5% discount of the unit during Hari Raya promotion for the bumiputera, of which I received gleefully. Now everything costs money and things are rather exorbitant now. When I bought the second condo, it was about $800 per sq ft which has now gone up to $1,100 per sq. ft.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

I went for MRI scan the other day for the pain on my left arm and it was diagnosed as supraspinatus tendonitis. In layman's term, it is inflammation of the tendons which join the muscles to the bone. I was inside the machine for like eternity, a wholesome 20 minutes hearing noises. It uses sound waves together with magnetic waves to form images slice by slice. Each slice takes about 2 minutes to form, so imagine the number of images made during the boring 20 minutes of lying down without any movement, other than breathing. The cost? A whopping $800 for the session of which I am going to claim from my one and only insurance company, Prudential. Still going for physiotherapy frequently for faster healing.

I Love the Internet

I love milking the internet - my cash cow since I signed up for my first broadband. Just the other day, I got S$15 for a 10 minute job and this converts to RM40 in my local currency. Still on the lookout for more online work such as this and preferably for long term ones that I can comfortably handle. As I work in a home office, it suits me perfectly well besides getting to take power naps in between work. My life is now blessed and a 180 degree-turn since I met my boss online, who is now my best friend. He started out as my website client, and then eventually employed me to work at home for his sports surfacing business.

Chinese New Year in Hatyai

I went to Hatyai during Chinese New Year 2014 with my mum and youngest sis. Dad stayed back and lived the life of a bachelor for the few days we were away. We departed by chartered van at 5:30am in the morning from our house and arrive Hatyai around 9:30am. Surprisingly, there was no one in sight, probably due to the bomb scare in Southern Thailand two days before Christmas. Hence, this time round during the festive CNY, there were hardly any tourists from Malaysia. Most prefer to stay put considering all the hoo-ha and revolt to topple the Ying Luck government.

VPN service

I just came back from lunch today which is a Saturday afternoon. Had plenty of work this morning doing printing and typing of quotations in Word and Excel format. Sometimes, I think my boss needs to hire an extra help and assist me in my work. Otherwise, everything piles up on me and when he is in a foul mood, then beware. You just cannot please everyone and never raise the expectations of your boss if possible. In the meantime, you can check out Disappear VPN service, which I happen to surf around this morning and to you click to check out more information. Tomorrow will be pun choy and free yee sang for dinner at Xuan Xin together with my family. We decided to book early to avoid the Chinese New Year rush where all tables will be fully booked by then. Also got some mandarin oranges in a big carton of box for the New Year.

Going to Hatyai

After my recent trip to Europe, I shall be going to Hatyai by bus during Chinese New Year with mum and youngest sis. We shall be staying for 3 days and 2 nights, departing at 5:30am in the morning when the chartered van comes to pick us up from our house. I plan to get some cosmetics and maybe some bras. As usual, we don't miss our foot massage at a place near the hotel. I hope and pray that Hatyai will be safe from the chaos in Bangkok to overthrow the government of Ying Luck. Chinese New Year is a time I stay with my family at their house since my spouse will be away for a couple of days. I just hope he gets back soon and continue the normal routine as always.