She's gone

She's gone...

A prayer needed - update 3

Phone calls in the middle of the night is always a nightmare. It's almost always never good news. I received a call at 3.30 am this morning. Lilibeth is on life support after her heart beat dropped drastically. For the first time, I cried after getting that phone call. I don't know what else to do but to pray and to seek for everyone to pray for her.

A prayer needed - update 2

Lilibeth is still in a coma when I visited her yesterday afternoon. It was her birthday. I wished her "Happy Birthday" and told her to keep on working on getting up. The doctor said that there is a high chance that she can hear us speak. She had a slight fever and her hands felt slightly cold. I did notice though that when they are held and lightly massaged, she seems more relaxed and her heart rate will slow down slightly.

Her hands and legs are have shown some slight involuntary muscle movements. We are taking that as a positive sign. No matter how small the improvement, we take it as positive as possible. She will be going through a small surgery to ease her breathing through her throat today. I feel sad for Aunty Maria for having to go through all this test. It breaks my heart to see her holding on to Beth's hands everytime and to see her eyes water when the other patients around moves out of the ICU unit into the regular wards. It's been 6 days. I'm really praying for a miracle to happen. I hope you all out there will pray for her to get well too.

A prayer needed - update 1

I rececived a call yesterday morning that Lilibeth has been transferred to KLGH for an emergency surgery to drain the fluids from her brain and to reduce the pressure. The surgery is a success and she's warded in the ICU unit for close monitoring. Praise the LORD and also the medical team from Kajang Hospital and KLGH for not giving up and working at such a speed. Now, we're just hoping that she will pull through this period and wake up from her coma by this week. I managed to drop by the neurology ICU ward in KLGH to see her. Her vital signs look good and I hope she gets lots of positive vibes.

Honestly, I didn't have very much faith with our govt. hospitals initially (can't blame me for that after seeing and hearing all the horror stories and long waiting periods there) but after seeing how they acted and took care of Lilibeth, I was indeed glad. I'm also very sure that a lot of these good things are happening because of your prayers and good wishes. I'd like to personally and humbly thank those who did. There's nothing more meaningful than a prayer in confidence for another person.

A prayer needed

I received a very sad news yesterday afternoon. A good friend of mine had a fit attack yesterday in her office and was rushed to the hospital. They did an MRI scan and found that she had a brain hemorrhage. It was something that had occured for quite a long time, it's just that she was not aware about it. Now she's in the Kajang Hospital ICU unit fighting for her life.

I need my dear friends and readers to pray for her health and to give her and her family strength to fight through this trial period. Every prayer counts and wish to thank you for doing so.

Reality of being a mature & responsible person

I was going through my bills last night and making payments out and realised that my overhead is actually damn high! I can't imagine that society's idea of being a responsible mature person means putting yourself into a huge pool of debts. I mean, think about it, here I am with a car loan, property loans, business loans, utility bills (at least 6 every month), car maintenance, credit card bills, insurance, gym membership, groceries, emergency cash, etc... wah!!!!! No wonder there is hardly any moolah at the end of the month for savings! It's kinda scary once we actually put everything out on the table. I tabik lah to those, after paying all the above and still have extra to spare for luxuries in life.

Indeed it is not cheap to live in KL anymore. Even if one is to compare the demography with other cities around the world like New York, London or Tokyo, one must not forget, we are only earning RM, not USD or Pound Sterling! So, compared dollar to dollar, so to speak, it is very, very expensive to live in KL.

So, here I am now mapping out on what options I have to reduce the overheads (which should be essentially short term), because nobody wants to alter their lifestyle too much, right? The next big thing is to try to pay up the property loans as fast as possible. Not easy, I know... but somehow this has to be done, especially when there is more than one to worry about.

Anyone want to hire part time???

At peace on Aidilfitri

Elow you alls!!! Firstly, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all my Muslim friends and readers. Minta maaf jika ada yang tersilap, tersingung and all the other "ter's' that you can think of lah. Hehehe... So, we start back zero-zero ok!!

Anyway, didn't do anything this Raya... no visiting, no merry making, nada!!! I packed my bags and went to an undisclosed place to recuperate from all the activities last 3 weeks (finishing up my client's house before Raya, entertaining the family from US, and generally from all the shit that life throw at me everyday). So, yes... it was a good three days of not doing anything except to vegetate, meditate, read, watch loads of DVDs and sleep.

Hope this euphoria wil last a lot longer than the previous one before I become this high strung, overworked, workoholic again. But at least I managed to do a lot of soul searching and also managed to map out what would make my life more meaningful. It's not easy to make peace with oneself for all the challenges that comes along in life. It's easy to get angry and blame all that shit at people, God and everything in general. But it's not so easy to forgive and to move on. Well, this 3 days thought me a lot about that. It taught me a lot about making peace with others, and more importantly, with myself. Now I am clear on how to move on with a clear head and without emotional baggages in tow. I have a lot of people to thank for that. More importantly, I have God to thank for showing me the way and by answering my prayers most of the time.

Well, enough of emo rantings.... I'll be posting pictures of the little circus troupes soon during our recent trip to Langkawi. They are a handful yet they are so adorable and I am already missing them terribly. Hope I'll be able to detach away from work next year to make a trip over to the States to celebrate one of the boy's birthday. So, watch out for this space soon.

Hiatus

Oli will be out of town for a few days. You guys be good ya! Muacks! Catch y'all next week!

Industrial Prostitutes

I know, I know.... lots of you out there have told me a zillion times that when we start a business, we have to take the good, the bad and the ugly. And trust me, after 5 years, I've seen lots of good bad and unfortunately, ugly (like Mdm W!!!! Ugghhh!!! Uweeekkkk!!!!!) What I can deduce out of the different portfolios I carry, there is this common trait I see which is quite disturbing. I'll call them industrial prostitutes. Why? Because there is this group of people who will make you do everything (and most of the time, more) and then complain that you've not one enough. Then, they will make sure that they squeeze you dry from any form of profit because they feel that no one in this world should make a profit out of them. And these people are unfortunately (and I'm very ashamed to say this) MALAYSIANS!!!! I've never encountered such issues with foreign clients. Be they for interior design consultancy or the freight forwarding business.

Case in point. I have this new client who have this urgent (take note, urgent!!!) cargo that is on it's way form Hong Kong via sea. They frantically was requesting for us to be their forwarding agent and they have no idea how to start. Fine. So, here we are trying our best to educate them, explaining to them the costs breakdown and what needs to be done and so on and so forth. Since it is an import cargo, we basically don't make anything except for a small agency fee. Guess what??? These jokers only want to pay us RM30 for all that running around, getting their import permits done, their tax cleared and their goods reach safely on their doorstep!!! GILER BABI WEH!!!!! Well, I told then that they can go shop around and the pricing is pretty much standard (of course, lah!!! Almost everything is charged back-to-back anyway!!) So, after haggling, and the shipment is almost reaching, these jokers start to panic and then said, fine, we will appoint you all. But MUST GIVE FURTHER DISCOUNT! Hapende lagi discount nak kasi if we are making a measly RM100 from this lot of shipment???? Clear from A-Z you know??? Not just clearing Delivery Order!!!! So stupeed!!!! Then, tell us that they want to apply for their import permit themselves (kononnya want to save money lah) Tak tau buat, pagi-pagi buta call people and disturb. Want free advice. Lepas tuh, bila dah buat salah, said want to charge me for the resubmission.

Is our Malaysian mentality of wanting freebies and haggling attitude getting out of control? If we are, then we should not be making fun of Singaporeans for being kiasu because I feel Malaysians have surpassed them on this matter. Malaysia Boleh!!! Yeah right! I shall quote Patric Teoh's blog on this matter that I feel really disgusted about our bad habits...NIAMAH!!!!

Buka puasa!

It's the time of the year again and it's always a welcoming sight to see so many stalls opened specifically catering for the breaking of fast. More so lah, for me who just can't resist a good ayam percik or the wide variety of kuih muih they sell out there.

Most eateries are also banking in on this season to start promoting their buffets as well. I've been out several times either to entertain customers or friends. By far, my fav places are still Mdm Kwan's, Nikko Hotel and Hilton PJ. The variety is great (too bad I don't take good pictures like Oliviasy) and the food's fantastic! As for the stalls, TTDI has a great variety of good food (not those selling for the sake of selling) as well. So, go out and try! You don't have to be "puasa"ing to enjoy these delicacies! Ayo.... all this talk about food is making me hungry.

The circus is coming in a weeks time!!!!

Geee..... how time flies!!!! Mom just called to remind me that 2nd sis, hubby and the circus will be arriving next Monday. So, we'll need the kickass truck to the rescue (Need to carry all that baggage mah). It's been like 4 years since we last seen each other face to face. More so, now with an additional 2 kiddies in tow from just one the last time we met. The entire 2 weeks agenda has been planned and I hope they will enjoy their holiday kaw kaw lah. Especially when she have to go through 23 hours of flight time with 3 screaming kids in a plane. That is certainly no fun, come to think about it. Well, we'll be off to Langkawi this time since 2nd sis has never been there. We'll be staying at the BonTon for a totally different experience. The last trip to KK (Sutera Harbour Resort) was a blast! And then, we'll figure out what other places we can bring them around, especially to keep the kiddies occupied. Any suggestions??? (besides Genting??? Urrghhh!!!) Those with kiddies? Your input please??? Shaz???

Kissed on the Ass!!!

Alright, my kickass truck was kissed on the butt a couple of days ago. To be specific, it was a kiss and blah. So, yeah, my car was officially molested. What I don't understand is, how can someone langgar my car in an empty parking lot??? To whoevah chicken shit yang langgar my car and ran away, I curse you with continuous diarrhea for 7 generations!!!!...Errmmm come to think of it, how to have 7 generations when you are constantly having diarrhea??? Hahahahaha!!! Anyway, constant diarrhea for 7 generation it is.

BTW, anyone know of any workshop who can knock out a chrome bumper?

High on Java

The mind is a wanderer today and it makes absolutely no meaning to be in the office trying to look focused and in control. I have decided not to be responsible today and resign to half a day of reckless caffeine and sugar indulgence. So, here I am at Starbucks, spending my daily meal ration on uncopious amount of coffee and patisseries. I'll relish my delights with recklessness and drown myself in a sea of drip brew Java. I will embrace the jitters of caffeine high like ecstacy. Ah....The love of Java. Thy shall immerse thyself in your aroma and envelope in a cocoon like blanket from your velvety flavors. I think I'll fly real high today....Wheeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

Dementors

Ever wonder why there are some people who are so negative??? These people will suck life out from everyone in a room the moment they enter. They are like dementors (these floating ghouls from Harry Potter) waiting to drain you out. Why are some people like that huh?

I happen to meet this "dementor" just now. Some supplier lah... He looks like he fits in the Adams family chart pretty well. When he speaks, OMG!!! The only thing my brain can register is,

"Can I get the hell out of this hell hole???!!!"

The whole experience is just MORBID!!!! Firstly, there's this lingering putrid stench of stale ciggie when he's around. Then, every word that comes out of his mouth is either F**k or M*c*uc*b*i. There is not a single positive tone in his voice and suggestions. After the meeting, I just felt like dropping everything and go home to mourn over my lost soul. Wonder how many of you people have experience these morbid dementors??? Eeeeeeeeeeee..... (Shudder)

Breaking down another wall...AGAIN!

The past 2 weeks was really an all expense paid trip to hell and back!!!! Not under MATTA fair summore! You see, I've this client who is so fickle minded that they have so far changed the entire structure of the house 5 times since we started working on it. Now that they have moved in, they have decided to pecah a few walls again!!!! Ayoooo!!!!!!!!! It's bad enough that they are rushing for Raya (which is impossible to achieve), now they want to demolish and rebuilt one section again!!!!! I mean, they are really nice people and they are willing to pay (which is a very very important factor). But still, I personally feel it's not worth the hassle of living in constant dust and noise (not to mention the risk of your valuables kena sapu by these workers) and you have to fork out lotsa $$$ for all these inconvenience. Anyway, my other projects are all delayed because of this massive home, which again is being broken down. I'm proud of my work here but I don't know when it will be finished with the rate we are going.

Next Year's Major Feat

After our "victorious feat" hiking up Sg Palas' tea plantation at Cameron Highlands, SP and I have this crazy idea to do the impossible (at least for sedentary people like me) :-P Actually, I should correct that sentence. It was MY crazy idea and I coaxed her into doing it with me. We will be climbing Mount Kinabalu early next year!!! Something I have to strike off my "List of things to do before I die" thingy, and it is also SP's spectacular goodbye trip before she head off to Toronto for the next 6 months (or possibly permanently) for her intense karnatic violin training. Some of you must be thinking, Cheh! Mt. Kinabalu only wat! So difficult meh??? For those who don't know me, well, um... if I have my way, I would not need to lift a finger to DO ANYTHING, let alone climb a mountain!!! So, yes, it will be one hellova feat for me. SP was so excited over this trip that she called another friend to join in. I pulak out of the excitement, gatal-gatal go and call this friend from the US and invited him for the trip. He said yes! So, there will be 4 of us trying to kill ourselves next year climbing up a mountain. One sedentary contractor Cina Apek, 2 forty plus women (who happen to be fitter than me) and an Ang Moh art curator who is a chain smoker. I can't imagine what's going to happen during that trip since we are such a motley crew.

Anyway, before we even GET THERE physically, we're all busy "training" at this moment. I've no qualms that SP will be in tip top condition since she power walks about 3 hours a day, couple with daily Yoga sessions. So is her other friend. Well, I started training last week by pledging to climb up and down the stairs of my condo (I live on the 15th floor) instead of using the lifts. I thought, ala... sure no problem lah doing this everyday. So, 2 days ago I started my so called training after work. It was late at night and I was dead tired. But nevertheless, the training have to start. So, I began climbing up the stairs from my basement 2 carpark all the way up to the 15th floor. At first it was ok until I reached the 8th floor, Suddenly, everything was a blur and all I could think off was Adibah Noor standing at the corridor with an Ogawa foot massager! "Macam diurut dengan tangan!" Bwahahahahaha!!!!! I did reach my floor that night but I was so out of breath and looked like some kangkung layu by the time I was at my front door. If 15 floors also want to die, how to go up 4000 plus meters lah.... hope Adibah Noor will be at the pit stop with her Ogawa foot massager at that time.

Budak budak 80's

I don't get these kids born during the 80's. What is it with these kids born during the era of Dynasty, shoulder pads and aeroplane hairdo that makes them so lazy and annoying??? You see, I used to have this young ciku as my sales who was a product of the 80's. He's so lazy to the point that he has excuses for every single task that is given to him. Things became worse when I found out that he would rather be sitting in the office yacking on the phone rather than be outside getting the business in. Talking to him requires one to brace him or herself because sooner or later , you will be wretching your guts out ala Regan McNiel from the Exorcist because he's just too stubborn to listen. Alang alang bodoh sombong nya lah. Anyway, the day he tendered his resignation, I was so elated that I almost called the caterers to celebrate. He thought that I would be dissapointed when he threw in his letter. Hah!! I was more than happy to ask him to pack his stuff and blah!

Now I've 2 young ladies, also from this twisted era. Same shit. They don't take the initiative to learn or even ask, if they don't understand. Then, they go bitching to the other staffs that they are not learning anything from this company.... yadayadayada.... Perhaps I may have been out of the circuit, but since when the hell has telepathy been the order of the day in our lives???? I can't read minds, period!!! You want something, ask! You don't understand something ask! Isk!!!! I hate babysitting these overgrown spoilt brats!!! If this continue, I'll probably be like this poor fella!!!

Out of spital

Ahhh... sis is finally out of the spital and that's good news. Even better news is that the surgeon managed to repair all the tendons on her fingers!!! It's so good to see her fingers move again even though she has to be in a cast for the next couple of weeks. Kudos to the doctor for doing a wonderful job!

Not so good news is while I was at the spital, my beautiful kick ass truck kena scratch liao!!! I don't know who is the stupid architect or contractor who design Pantai Hospital lah... the ramps at the car parks are so blardy narrow, it seems like every car that passes it would either scuff the front bumber or back wheel arch. @##$%%^%$!!!!! These architects must be die hard fans of tiny cars. I was already worried when I approach the ramp when I saw that it was seasonally stained with car scuffs. Nak reverse also cannot, because there was like a million cars behind me waiting to get their car scratched (breaking out in cold sweat during this time). So, no choice lah, my back wheel arch became the victim. BENCI!!!!! So today, my beloved truck kena masuk workshop to respray the scuffed part. Lucky thing the workshop people was nice enough to loan me their Kenari to move around.

Spital

Ayoooo!!!!! I've been so busy with a whole shit load of work, I'm going to be drowning pretty soon in either bales of curtains or paperwork from my shipping company!!! Thank God for this blog, otherwise, I can't seem to find any other alternative to release my tension (tak kan I go ranting my worries and frustrations to my staff, kan???)

Sis called yesterday and said that she's in K.L. I was kinda surprised over her unannounced trip. Anyway, she told me that she was here on emergency and she is in the hospital. Imagine my horror!!! She broke a tendon on her finger. Anyway, I was with her at the Radiology Dept. to wait for the MRI scan. Her right fingers are limp and she can't lift them anymore. Athritic Psoriasis can be such a terrible disease. She has already lost the feeling of 2 fingers. I hope they can save this third one. Her doctor said that she has to be referred to a hand surgeon and this blardy country only have 5!!! So much for Govt. incentives to curb our brain drain. Anyway, the doctor was based in another hospital so, we have to make separate appointments lah.

I called her today and asked how she was doing. She said that she was at the surgeon's office waiting for her X-rays to come out. The doctor wanted to analyse and see if he can salvage the entire hand rather than just repair the tendon. I'm really praying that some miracle can be done lah. She's been so damn strong over the entire 15 years or so ordeal. I just wish that there will be some medical breakthrough that will help her condition. There was this new medicine that was doing wonders to her but it's only considered preventive medicine and it requires self injection every couple of days (like diabetic insulin) and the cost is extremely high. She's very lucky that her company is picking up the tab. I cannot imagine how anyone who doesn't make a fantastic salary can afford the medication. There were some people who told me to seek for alternative medical remedies. But I don't know lah... can trust or not???

I hope she gets an appointment for the surgery soon. That means, next week I better keep myself free to ferry her as well as make sure all her makan minum in order during her recuperating period. Mom and dad will be away next week some more... pening... pening. Sob...sob....:-(

Something to reflect on

We definitely have it good... Idora, thanks for the ads.