Last Tuesday hubby had an appointment in SS2 & I not wanting to wait for him in a stuffy office, decided to walk around the block of shops / boutiques in SS2. I found a banner advertising manicure & pedicure, both for RM48 for first time customer. I decided to try since hubby would not be ready for another hour.
I was pleasantly surprised. Some of the good points about the place:
1. Comfortable solo sofa chairs with a running basin to soak your feet in
2. a huge LCD TV
3. rows after rows of O.P.I nail polish in every shade possible
4. Nail art designs tht are truly professional looking & not some lousy / cheesy looking nail art tht looks like the artwork of a 5-yr old drawing snowman / lop-sided snowflakes (though I do appreciate tht the "canvas" is truly small & may be a challeng for some - there's not much space you can paint on short nails)
5. Finally! A proper pedicure tht scrubs away your dead skin cells at the soles & the sides of the heels using pumice & followed by bath salts (the few I've tried so far only sticks your feet into some bubbly water with a bit of bath salt & wipe it dry, tht's all... and when asked to remove the dead skins, the generic answer is - need to add money... sigh...)
Not tht used to a guy doing pedicure & manicure though, but I must admit he's very good with the nailarts, so it doesn't really matter anymore. However if you're the type tht feels squimish abt having a guy handling your feet, there are women in their staff too. Just make sure you come prepared in open toed sandals & 1 - 1.5hrs to spare. If you go in pairs, I think the discount is even better.
Thursday 31 December 2009
Pullman Putrajaya
Last Christmas weekend, hubby & I stayed in Pullman Putrajaya using the free night stay voucher he got. Based on the name, I was expecting an ultra modern / minimalist / all straight lines & muted colours type of hotel. Boy was I way off the mark!
Not tht it wasn't beautiful. Far from it... It's majestic (in size) with traditional themes. It has several blocks named after different types of flowers... Let's see if I can remember most if not all of them...
1. Lotus (this is where the lobby, swimming pool, ballrooms, gym other than rooms are located) - in Chinese / Japanese theme
2. Raflesia (this is where we stayed) - in Sabah / Sarawak style with traditional motives on the pillars
3. Bunga Tanjung (this is where the 24-hour restaurant & also where we have breakfast is located. Of course it has rooms too) - Malay themed
4. Jasmine - Indian themed
These blocks surrounds a beautiful pillared clock tower, with a fountain at its base & overlooking a beautiful lake where a restaurant on stilts can be found. Beside the lake, there's an open air "amphitheatre", game rooms, children play room, bicycles for rent etc. There's also a Maritime centre next door (don't know wht's in a Maritime Centre; it's still empty at the moment).
It was a peaceful place to be in (but probably attributed to low number of occupants / the grounds is so big tht we didn't bump into many ppl). I think I see more cleaners & maintenance folks than guests; but it's no wonder considering the size of the hotel. It certainly needs an army to run / upkeep the place. The most surprising thing I found? dumbbells & yoga mats in the room's cupboard (no I didn't take them home... behave guys...).
Several down sides though:
1. I remembered I commented in Krabi tht Malaysian tourism's most successful area (better than our neighbours) is tht our staff has good command of English. The staff here (especially the night shift... Morning shift is much better) proved me wrong... They either take time to understand us / understand us but don't know how to reply / give us the wrong information (e.g. we wanted to know the room rates if we're a member of their chain of hotels & was told it's RM100++ but when we asked again in the morning, we were told tht it's actually abt RM250++!! Jeezz....)
2. It's a new hotel, yet the room had faulty security lock / things needing repair
3. Food is generally too salty. Other than tht, it's normal hotel fare with nothing to rave about. But hubby praised tht it's the first hotel he'd been so far tht managed to produce a proper half-boiled egg on the 2nd try! (other hotels keep giving him hard-boiled eggs because the chefs insisted the right time to cook a half-boiled egg is 3 mins & refuses to change the timing despite producing hard-boiled eggs everytime they cook it for 3 mins)
4. There's nowhere to go out for good food in Putajaya! Or maybe we don't know where to find them. We went to Alamanda Putrajaya mall & had our dinner there instead.
Overall it was a good & relaxing retreat. If you can afford the price, it's a good place to relax & do nothing! :-)
Not tht it wasn't beautiful. Far from it... It's majestic (in size) with traditional themes. It has several blocks named after different types of flowers... Let's see if I can remember most if not all of them...
1. Lotus (this is where the lobby, swimming pool, ballrooms, gym other than rooms are located) - in Chinese / Japanese theme
2. Raflesia (this is where we stayed) - in Sabah / Sarawak style with traditional motives on the pillars
3. Bunga Tanjung (this is where the 24-hour restaurant & also where we have breakfast is located. Of course it has rooms too) - Malay themed
4. Jasmine - Indian themed
These blocks surrounds a beautiful pillared clock tower, with a fountain at its base & overlooking a beautiful lake where a restaurant on stilts can be found. Beside the lake, there's an open air "amphitheatre", game rooms, children play room, bicycles for rent etc. There's also a Maritime centre next door (don't know wht's in a Maritime Centre; it's still empty at the moment).
It was a peaceful place to be in (but probably attributed to low number of occupants / the grounds is so big tht we didn't bump into many ppl). I think I see more cleaners & maintenance folks than guests; but it's no wonder considering the size of the hotel. It certainly needs an army to run / upkeep the place. The most surprising thing I found? dumbbells & yoga mats in the room's cupboard (no I didn't take them home... behave guys...).
Several down sides though:
1. I remembered I commented in Krabi tht Malaysian tourism's most successful area (better than our neighbours) is tht our staff has good command of English. The staff here (especially the night shift... Morning shift is much better) proved me wrong... They either take time to understand us / understand us but don't know how to reply / give us the wrong information (e.g. we wanted to know the room rates if we're a member of their chain of hotels & was told it's RM100++ but when we asked again in the morning, we were told tht it's actually abt RM250++!! Jeezz....)
2. It's a new hotel, yet the room had faulty security lock / things needing repair
3. Food is generally too salty. Other than tht, it's normal hotel fare with nothing to rave about. But hubby praised tht it's the first hotel he'd been so far tht managed to produce a proper half-boiled egg on the 2nd try! (other hotels keep giving him hard-boiled eggs because the chefs insisted the right time to cook a half-boiled egg is 3 mins & refuses to change the timing despite producing hard-boiled eggs everytime they cook it for 3 mins)
4. There's nowhere to go out for good food in Putajaya! Or maybe we don't know where to find them. We went to Alamanda Putrajaya mall & had our dinner there instead.
Overall it was a good & relaxing retreat. If you can afford the price, it's a good place to relax & do nothing! :-)
Wednesday 30 December 2009
Book Review: The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes
This is a LBD (Little Black Dress) Book, written by Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart. It's about 3 sisters with magical powers (Dee, Lizzie & Mare Fortunes - yes, tht's why the title "Miss Fortunes") whose parents were killed when they were still teenagers. Dee, the eldest, knew tht their parents were killed by their Aunt - Xan; who's also a powerful witch. Xan becomes powerful by "sucking" magical power out other witches / sorcerers.
Dee at the age of 16, packed her sisters & went in hiding to avoid Xan from killing them when sucking their powers too. Their latest hiding place is Salem Fork where Dee worked as a Bank Officer, Mare an employee in Value Video!!, while Lizzie stayed at home to experiment on turning straw to gold using magic (tht way, the sisters will not need to worry about money & pawning off their mother's jewelry to survive).
Somehow Xan found them in Salem Fork & even sent their "True Love" with hope tht the girls will sacrifice / willingly give away their magical powers in return for a "normal" life with their soul mates. Dee is paired with Danny James - who happen to hate witches / rather ppl who claim they have magical powers due to some tragedy in the past (but found out tht he's a psychic himself!). Lizzie with Elric, a powerful wizard who ended up teaching her how to control & make use of her magical powers effectively by proper channeling. Mare with Christopher Duncan aka Crash (go figure! a bike loving, rich mechanic with such a nickname...).
Unfortunately for Xan, the 3 sisters refused to remain in hiding any longer & decided to collectively fight against Xan. Naturally in the end, good triumphed over evil & everyone lived happily ever after (not without some sex scene thrown in).
You may think tht I gave the story away, but there's actually much more twists & turns not mentioned here. A good light read.
Dee at the age of 16, packed her sisters & went in hiding to avoid Xan from killing them when sucking their powers too. Their latest hiding place is Salem Fork where Dee worked as a Bank Officer, Mare an employee in Value Video!!, while Lizzie stayed at home to experiment on turning straw to gold using magic (tht way, the sisters will not need to worry about money & pawning off their mother's jewelry to survive).
Somehow Xan found them in Salem Fork & even sent their "True Love" with hope tht the girls will sacrifice / willingly give away their magical powers in return for a "normal" life with their soul mates. Dee is paired with Danny James - who happen to hate witches / rather ppl who claim they have magical powers due to some tragedy in the past (but found out tht he's a psychic himself!). Lizzie with Elric, a powerful wizard who ended up teaching her how to control & make use of her magical powers effectively by proper channeling. Mare with Christopher Duncan aka Crash (go figure! a bike loving, rich mechanic with such a nickname...).
Unfortunately for Xan, the 3 sisters refused to remain in hiding any longer & decided to collectively fight against Xan. Naturally in the end, good triumphed over evil & everyone lived happily ever after (not without some sex scene thrown in).
You may think tht I gave the story away, but there's actually much more twists & turns not mentioned here. A good light read.
Movie Review: Avatar
First the synopsis. People have discovered an expensive & energy producing element in the planet Pandora tht's inhabited by the Na'vi. The Na'vi has similar characteristics as the humans except tht its skin is blue & they are much larger in size. Planet Pandora's air is toxic to the humans & hence people can't survive on the planet without oxygen masks.
To better able to communicate with the Na'vi to ease the tension when humans set up mines around their planet for the precious ore (to the corporate miners) & the chance to study this new being in the interest of Botany / science; humans have developed a hybrid of Na'vi + human using the DNA combination of both species. The hybrid would be controlled via some brain wave connected to the hybrids - called Avatars.
Before the "hero" of the show appears on Pandora, there's a group of scientists who have set up a "school" where the scientist in their Avatars teaches the children of the Na'vi to communicate in English. However this school was shut down when the Na'vis lost their trust on the human race. They are nature loving creatures & can't bear to see the mines destructing their planet.
The hero's Avatar somehow stumbled into the Na'vis settlement under their great & sacred tree & through miracle / mother nature's guidance, he was accepted in the settlement to learn their way of life. At first his intention was to learn as much as possible to find ways to persuade the Na'vi in leaving their sacred tree because right under tht tree is a large deposit of the precious ore tht the corporation wanted. However as he learnt more abt the Na'vi, he began to love the nature loving race & the lines between reality vs. life through his Avatar blurred. He began to feel more like a Na'vi than human.
Driven by impatience to rid the Na'vi, force was used instead of the originally planned method of diplomacy. The Na'vi began to shun the hero lika a plaque for he has caused the distruction of their sacred grounds. However, he fought hard beside the Na'vis & in the end they triumphed.
In summary, I felt tht there are some moral msgs behind Avatar. It's a reflection of how we're destroying our own planet for corporate gains vs. the struggles of the few who protects Mother Nature fiercely. The cinematography is beautiful; but some may complain tht some of the scenes are too cartoony (especially when the trees lighted on its own... it looked a bit like Nemo scene with the jellyfish). I liked it... Hubby didn't.... So mixed reaction there.
p/s: I saw a movie review over some entertainment programme (can't recall the name) & they raised an interesting question - the movie is not showing the right demography... It consists of only "whites". What happened to the "blacks"? When this question was posed to the director, he said "In my movies they're 'Blue'...." :-p
To better able to communicate with the Na'vi to ease the tension when humans set up mines around their planet for the precious ore (to the corporate miners) & the chance to study this new being in the interest of Botany / science; humans have developed a hybrid of Na'vi + human using the DNA combination of both species. The hybrid would be controlled via some brain wave connected to the hybrids - called Avatars.
Before the "hero" of the show appears on Pandora, there's a group of scientists who have set up a "school" where the scientist in their Avatars teaches the children of the Na'vi to communicate in English. However this school was shut down when the Na'vis lost their trust on the human race. They are nature loving creatures & can't bear to see the mines destructing their planet.
The hero's Avatar somehow stumbled into the Na'vis settlement under their great & sacred tree & through miracle / mother nature's guidance, he was accepted in the settlement to learn their way of life. At first his intention was to learn as much as possible to find ways to persuade the Na'vi in leaving their sacred tree because right under tht tree is a large deposit of the precious ore tht the corporation wanted. However as he learnt more abt the Na'vi, he began to love the nature loving race & the lines between reality vs. life through his Avatar blurred. He began to feel more like a Na'vi than human.
Driven by impatience to rid the Na'vi, force was used instead of the originally planned method of diplomacy. The Na'vi began to shun the hero lika a plaque for he has caused the distruction of their sacred grounds. However, he fought hard beside the Na'vis & in the end they triumphed.
In summary, I felt tht there are some moral msgs behind Avatar. It's a reflection of how we're destroying our own planet for corporate gains vs. the struggles of the few who protects Mother Nature fiercely. The cinematography is beautiful; but some may complain tht some of the scenes are too cartoony (especially when the trees lighted on its own... it looked a bit like Nemo scene with the jellyfish). I liked it... Hubby didn't.... So mixed reaction there.
p/s: I saw a movie review over some entertainment programme (can't recall the name) & they raised an interesting question - the movie is not showing the right demography... It consists of only "whites". What happened to the "blacks"? When this question was posed to the director, he said "In my movies they're 'Blue'...." :-p
Tuesday 22 December 2009
Susan Boyle - Debut Album
I bought the Debut Album of Susan Boyle last Wednesday (16/12). I loved it. I asked hubby to guess, based on the voice, how old is the singer. He analysed "considering it's very youthful sounding but had a slight maturity especially on the lower notes, reckon the singer can't be teenage, so should be easily 25-28 years of age"... hehe.... boy how off the mark he was, but yes, I'd agree with him... She has such a youthful voice, no wonder there are parties who accused her of miming to someone else's voice. I chose to belief it's her real voice.
Verdict: Go get the album!
Verdict: Go get the album!
Movie Review: 2012
I had mixed reviews from friends & family on this movie. There's about a 50:50 split between people who liked it (& generally this group will also said tht it made them appreciate their family more & vow to spend more time with them) vs. people who find it too fake (not the cinematography / effects, but the storyline about how the whole world's plates are shifting at once). Most of them who fall in the 2nd group entered the cinema expecting something more factual / related to current climate change to the extent tht the line between facts vs fiction is blurred (like Da Vinci Code - the book, not the movie). To the extent tht it's something believable & can actually happen to us in the near future if we don't protect our environment. It was this expectation tht made their experience fall short of the mark.
Amazingly, the crowd for this movie was so huge even after 1 mth on the screen, tht hubby & I had a hard time getting tickets for the movie had we not paid the additional RM1 for booking fee. Anyway, I entered the cinema with very low expectation & I after watching the whole movie, I finally understand the commentaries of all the other movie goers. I'd say my thoughts on this movie is a bit of both the group.
Firstly the synopsis. It's about a young Indian "scientist" / some worker of a coal mine detecting the rise in temperature below the earth surface. He called a good friend of his from the US, who upon knowing the implication of the rise in temperature + some elements released from the sun & its interaction with the earth's crust + the timing of earth destruction, rushed back to the US & finally through some minister, sent the message to the US President. The US President then shared this information with the rest of the leaders of super power nations & collectively they build this craft called Arcs... similar to Noah's Arcs, but slightly less noble because tickets are sold at USD1bln per person, so only the rich can afford to board the craft... and maybe a few intelligent ppl with "good gene pool". They also had animals of various species male + female gathered into the craft.
As the story is building about powerful men & their vast resources building the Arc, alongside, it slips in the story of a divorced book writer who only published 1 book throughout his 30/40+ years of his life. His 2 children (1 son + 1 daughter) is living with their mother who remarried a plastic surgeon.
This writer stumbled upon the classified information tht the government knew about but did not inform the Public to avoid chaos - via a "madman". This so called "mad man" is the DJ of his own independent radio station tht provides updates on the condition of the earth & managed to develop a conspiracy theory tht the government of the world is covering up the truth from the people. Dismissing all this as gibberish / talks of a mad man at first, he finally believes it when he overheard the sons of a rich man saying "while we survive in a ship, you & your family will die" (or something along tht line). Tht's when he connected the dots & rushed to get his children + wife + new husband of wife all packed up in a limo just when the road is "falling" into molten lava & later board a small aircraft avoiding tumbling skyscrapers (this is the part where the 2nd group was complaining abt lack of realism... but the cinematography was brilliant).
Through sheer luck & lots of perseverance, they managed to reach Tibet / Mongolia, where the Arc was built & board the Arc. Along the way the group increased to include the mistress of a rich boxer (don't ask... long story), a young Tibetan monk & his grandparent & the brother to the Tibetan monk who worked for the past few years building the Arc. They managed to infiltrate into the Arc right at the point when the ministers were arguing about whether to open the Arc's doors to allow more ppl (including the Chinese workers who build the Arc) in. Finally sense of humanity won & the Arc doors were open to allow everyone on the platform outside to enter, just before the great Tsunami hits the Arc.
At this point I should mention tht the "Arc" is actually more like a submarine where it's all covered to allow water to come crashing from any direction and the fact tht the US president + the Italian president decided not to board the Arc, giving away their space to others. Reason? US president: because he's an old politician & wht's the use of an old politician when his seat could be used for a young & bright scientist for e.g. He misses his deceased wife & wanted to be with her anyway. The Italian president: because he entrusted his life to faith - he & his family were at the Vatican City praying for the safety of the ppl on the planet when the earth quake happened & the whole dome of St Peter's Cathedral came rolling down.
Needless to say, the family of the book writer survived this catastrophe & even regained love for each other. After many days, everyone on board looked out to the new earth with hope for a new beginning. The earth surface has re-aligned & the Himalayas is no longer the top of the world, replaced by Africa!
Overall an enjoyable experience especially in cinema screen - you need tht wide screen to really feel / enjoy the power of the tsunami, waves & earth quake. Don't expect too much of facts / a reflection of current realities & it'll be an enjoyable experience.
p/s: Makes me wonder what I'd do if / when the time comes for us to face such catastrophes.
Amazingly, the crowd for this movie was so huge even after 1 mth on the screen, tht hubby & I had a hard time getting tickets for the movie had we not paid the additional RM1 for booking fee. Anyway, I entered the cinema with very low expectation & I after watching the whole movie, I finally understand the commentaries of all the other movie goers. I'd say my thoughts on this movie is a bit of both the group.
Firstly the synopsis. It's about a young Indian "scientist" / some worker of a coal mine detecting the rise in temperature below the earth surface. He called a good friend of his from the US, who upon knowing the implication of the rise in temperature + some elements released from the sun & its interaction with the earth's crust + the timing of earth destruction, rushed back to the US & finally through some minister, sent the message to the US President. The US President then shared this information with the rest of the leaders of super power nations & collectively they build this craft called Arcs... similar to Noah's Arcs, but slightly less noble because tickets are sold at USD1bln per person, so only the rich can afford to board the craft... and maybe a few intelligent ppl with "good gene pool". They also had animals of various species male + female gathered into the craft.
As the story is building about powerful men & their vast resources building the Arc, alongside, it slips in the story of a divorced book writer who only published 1 book throughout his 30/40+ years of his life. His 2 children (1 son + 1 daughter) is living with their mother who remarried a plastic surgeon.
This writer stumbled upon the classified information tht the government knew about but did not inform the Public to avoid chaos - via a "madman". This so called "mad man" is the DJ of his own independent radio station tht provides updates on the condition of the earth & managed to develop a conspiracy theory tht the government of the world is covering up the truth from the people. Dismissing all this as gibberish / talks of a mad man at first, he finally believes it when he overheard the sons of a rich man saying "while we survive in a ship, you & your family will die" (or something along tht line). Tht's when he connected the dots & rushed to get his children + wife + new husband of wife all packed up in a limo just when the road is "falling" into molten lava & later board a small aircraft avoiding tumbling skyscrapers (this is the part where the 2nd group was complaining abt lack of realism... but the cinematography was brilliant).
Through sheer luck & lots of perseverance, they managed to reach Tibet / Mongolia, where the Arc was built & board the Arc. Along the way the group increased to include the mistress of a rich boxer (don't ask... long story), a young Tibetan monk & his grandparent & the brother to the Tibetan monk who worked for the past few years building the Arc. They managed to infiltrate into the Arc right at the point when the ministers were arguing about whether to open the Arc's doors to allow more ppl (including the Chinese workers who build the Arc) in. Finally sense of humanity won & the Arc doors were open to allow everyone on the platform outside to enter, just before the great Tsunami hits the Arc.
At this point I should mention tht the "Arc" is actually more like a submarine where it's all covered to allow water to come crashing from any direction and the fact tht the US president + the Italian president decided not to board the Arc, giving away their space to others. Reason? US president: because he's an old politician & wht's the use of an old politician when his seat could be used for a young & bright scientist for e.g. He misses his deceased wife & wanted to be with her anyway. The Italian president: because he entrusted his life to faith - he & his family were at the Vatican City praying for the safety of the ppl on the planet when the earth quake happened & the whole dome of St Peter's Cathedral came rolling down.
Needless to say, the family of the book writer survived this catastrophe & even regained love for each other. After many days, everyone on board looked out to the new earth with hope for a new beginning. The earth surface has re-aligned & the Himalayas is no longer the top of the world, replaced by Africa!
Overall an enjoyable experience especially in cinema screen - you need tht wide screen to really feel / enjoy the power of the tsunami, waves & earth quake. Don't expect too much of facts / a reflection of current realities & it'll be an enjoyable experience.
p/s: Makes me wonder what I'd do if / when the time comes for us to face such catastrophes.
Rich Son Poor Son
This was an advert some time back. I vividly remembered it because the message on filial piety was really powerful. So when someone sent it across to me, I immediately thought of sharing it in my blog. Made me feel bad at times... Am I being the rich son here?... Hope not...
A time for reflection during Christmas season.
Friday 11 December 2009
Snatch Thieves - Prevention
Refering to my earlier article on Snatch Thieves, here's some advice to keep you & your family safe.
It is not easy to identify snatch thieves or pick pockets. Each visit to crowded place, each 'accidental' bump from someone, each 'innocent' passer-by is a possible addition to the statistics of such theft. The chances of retrieving your possessions may be slim. The hassle is vast, but the prevention is simple.
Prevention
· Avoid carrying excess cash and displaying it in public. Bring just enough for your purpose.
· Use a purse or wallet instead of a big bag (sling or hand carry) best kept in a pocket which can be buttoned.
· If you have to use a sling bag, keep it in front of you so that you can keep an eye on it and hold it close. Make sure it is properly fastened or zipped.
· Do not leave your handbags in your shopping basket or trolley.
· Avoid being at over-crowded places or scrambling with others onto a public transport. Check your wallet or handbag immediately if someone jostles or bumps into you.
· Walk on the opposite direction of the road or against the flow of traffic.
· Avoid being alone in the dark, deserted areas or while taking the lift.
· While driving, do not leave your bags at the passenger seat of your vehicle.
· Keep windows and doors locked as soon as you enter your vehicle. Be wary of people around you, especially strangers.
If you are a victim of snatch theft
· Do not struggle or fight back if the perpetrators are after your personal belongings. Your belongings could be replaced but not your life.
· Attract attention by shouting for help.
· Take note of the appearance, race, license plate number, vehicle model, colour, etc.
· If the perpetrators are still at the scene, immediately leave the location for a safer place.
· Subsequently lodge a police report at the nearest police station and inform your bank and credit card company to have your ATM and credit card cancelled.
Source: Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation
It is not easy to identify snatch thieves or pick pockets. Each visit to crowded place, each 'accidental' bump from someone, each 'innocent' passer-by is a possible addition to the statistics of such theft. The chances of retrieving your possessions may be slim. The hassle is vast, but the prevention is simple.
Prevention
· Avoid carrying excess cash and displaying it in public. Bring just enough for your purpose.
· Use a purse or wallet instead of a big bag (sling or hand carry) best kept in a pocket which can be buttoned.
· If you have to use a sling bag, keep it in front of you so that you can keep an eye on it and hold it close. Make sure it is properly fastened or zipped.
· Do not leave your handbags in your shopping basket or trolley.
· Avoid being at over-crowded places or scrambling with others onto a public transport. Check your wallet or handbag immediately if someone jostles or bumps into you.
· Walk on the opposite direction of the road or against the flow of traffic.
· Avoid being alone in the dark, deserted areas or while taking the lift.
· While driving, do not leave your bags at the passenger seat of your vehicle.
· Keep windows and doors locked as soon as you enter your vehicle. Be wary of people around you, especially strangers.
If you are a victim of snatch theft
· Do not struggle or fight back if the perpetrators are after your personal belongings. Your belongings could be replaced but not your life.
· Attract attention by shouting for help.
· Take note of the appearance, race, license plate number, vehicle model, colour, etc.
· If the perpetrators are still at the scene, immediately leave the location for a safer place.
· Subsequently lodge a police report at the nearest police station and inform your bank and credit card company to have your ATM and credit card cancelled.
Source: Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation
What Has Happened to TGIF?
Maybe it's just the Garden's outlet, but did TGIF's quality just dropped?
Yesterday we were treated with a year-end team lunch at TGIF, Gardens. The starters were good, so no complaints there.
Since we'll not be working after the long lunch, I went ahead & order the Jack Daniel's half Ribs & shrimps. All I can say after eating it was tht the fries was good.... tht's it! Apart from the fries, nothing else is good.
1. ok the shrimp wasn't bad.... but not fantastic... so....
2. the sauce is soooooooo sweet..... it was so good & gooey last time tht 1 serving is not enuff & I wish for more... now I can't even stand the sauce on the ribs, let alone add the separate serving provided!
3. the ribs was a disaster... it was so over cooked tht the edges was burnt crisp hard (strangely it wasn't black... just hard. The rest of the ribs including the middle was so dry tht when I cut it, the meat comes out in dry floss. Even my mates looking at my plate, without even tasting it can tell it was really dry & over cooked.
Next was the staff... You'd think tht if we're paying so much for a meal, we'd at least be waited by staff who can at least speak understandable English! The one tht waited on us can't even pronounce the stuff on the menu. When he said, "let me repeat the menu", tht was all we understood... What he rattled after tht was total gibberish... We ended up staring at him open mouthed & just said yea... whatever... tht should be right. :-)
When the "Earl Grey Tea" ordered by a friend of mine came in the form of a "Cappucino", we called the captain who promptly took it to the waiter to check the order. Back came our good friend, bringing the same cup of coffee & insisted the coffee is tea, when 1 whiff is enough to confirm it's definitely not tea. My friend gave up & just accepted it. As she was stiring the sugar in, another waiter (presumably instructed by the captain) arrived with the tea...
Not tht I condemn the waiter... I'm sure he has best intentions at heart... but I think the problem is with the management - in sourcing for the right ppl for the right job. It's 1 thing if you're operating a road side seafood dai chao / mamak stall to have staff who can't even understand the customer; but it's an entirely different story for a restaurant tht charges abt RM50-60/pax (& tht's on a tight budget) to get such untrained staff.
For RM500 for 6 pax.... Don't think we can accept such quality.... It may sound snobbish, but really felt tht we're not getting our money's worth.
Yesterday we were treated with a year-end team lunch at TGIF, Gardens. The starters were good, so no complaints there.
Since we'll not be working after the long lunch, I went ahead & order the Jack Daniel's half Ribs & shrimps. All I can say after eating it was tht the fries was good.... tht's it! Apart from the fries, nothing else is good.
1. ok the shrimp wasn't bad.... but not fantastic... so....
2. the sauce is soooooooo sweet..... it was so good & gooey last time tht 1 serving is not enuff & I wish for more... now I can't even stand the sauce on the ribs, let alone add the separate serving provided!
3. the ribs was a disaster... it was so over cooked tht the edges was burnt crisp hard (strangely it wasn't black... just hard. The rest of the ribs including the middle was so dry tht when I cut it, the meat comes out in dry floss. Even my mates looking at my plate, without even tasting it can tell it was really dry & over cooked.
Next was the staff... You'd think tht if we're paying so much for a meal, we'd at least be waited by staff who can at least speak understandable English! The one tht waited on us can't even pronounce the stuff on the menu. When he said, "let me repeat the menu", tht was all we understood... What he rattled after tht was total gibberish... We ended up staring at him open mouthed & just said yea... whatever... tht should be right. :-)
When the "Earl Grey Tea" ordered by a friend of mine came in the form of a "Cappucino", we called the captain who promptly took it to the waiter to check the order. Back came our good friend, bringing the same cup of coffee & insisted the coffee is tea, when 1 whiff is enough to confirm it's definitely not tea. My friend gave up & just accepted it. As she was stiring the sugar in, another waiter (presumably instructed by the captain) arrived with the tea...
Not tht I condemn the waiter... I'm sure he has best intentions at heart... but I think the problem is with the management - in sourcing for the right ppl for the right job. It's 1 thing if you're operating a road side seafood dai chao / mamak stall to have staff who can't even understand the customer; but it's an entirely different story for a restaurant tht charges abt RM50-60/pax (& tht's on a tight budget) to get such untrained staff.
For RM500 for 6 pax.... Don't think we can accept such quality.... It may sound snobbish, but really felt tht we're not getting our money's worth.
Where Does Women's Money Go
I received this funny video the other day. I think they should do another 1 for handbags.... ;-)
And They Wonder Why There's So Many Snatch Thieves Around.....
I was given the following statistic & was appaled by the was our resources are being distributed.... Take a look at the police force for example:
It's bad enough tht abt 38% of the total number of police belongs to the "management" group, we have another 33% in a section called "Internal Security"?!? and a further 7.44% in Special Branch who basically are also being used for the "Internal Security". We're then left with slightly less than 22% to manage traffic (logistics), get drugs off the street so tht our kids are safe from such vices, investigate death cases (**wink**) & of course the safety of the general public...
So, do we need to ask why crime is rising? Cut the economic crisis bullshit & sorry excuse tht "our statistics is actually not tht bad... Philippines / Thailand registers higher crime rates" (**rolls eyes**)...
Now I know how my tax monies are being spent... Not to protect me on the streets, in the car (yea... they've started to attack cars too)... but to protect the "government"; which is of course "for the general benefit of the people" to prevent "huru-hara" (sarcasm...)
It's bad enough tht abt 38% of the total number of police belongs to the "management" group, we have another 33% in a section called "Internal Security"?!? and a further 7.44% in Special Branch who basically are also being used for the "Internal Security". We're then left with slightly less than 22% to manage traffic (logistics), get drugs off the street so tht our kids are safe from such vices, investigate death cases (**wink**) & of course the safety of the general public...
So, do we need to ask why crime is rising? Cut the economic crisis bullshit & sorry excuse tht "our statistics is actually not tht bad... Philippines / Thailand registers higher crime rates" (**rolls eyes**)...
Now I know how my tax monies are being spent... Not to protect me on the streets, in the car (yea... they've started to attack cars too)... but to protect the "government"; which is of course "for the general benefit of the people" to prevent "huru-hara" (sarcasm...)
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