Bye 2009

yeah, just a short farewell to 2009, and hello 2010..

2009;
you gave me time and a chance to learn..
no results though, but i believe i learnt quite abit

sadly, in few days time, you will perish
and whats left of you are memories...

i did not blog much this year..

goodbye. we'll not meet again. unless the time cycle starts all over again at year 0001.
then it is possible, after 2008 years, we'll meet again.. if only i live that long

the guide to spending your money wisely as a Malaysian

alright, what i am about to blog now is about 'what you should and should not spend your money on, if you're working in Malaysia'... an unofficial guide lah from my point of view... please comment, instead of 'shooting' me..

okay, lets begin.. a fresh graduate in Malaysia earns about RM1,800 to RM2,500 .. in Singapore, i found out that its about the same figure, but in Sing' Dollars ($) ..

direct comparison :
averagely, a Malaysian graduate earns - RM2,300
& a graduate working in S'pore earns - $2,300 (lets say its the same figure to make it simple)

a meal (let say, Lunch, comprises of Chicken Rice & Barli water) - RM5.50
a meal in Spore (lunch, of the same food; same drink) - $3.50

Take your "Total Salary" minus "Total Lunch Cost(a month)" = Savings... (assume that you only take lunch)

So, where will you be able to save more?? the conclusion is obvious right ?

Another example of pricing...
1) Perodua Myvi 1.3 EZi in Malaysia costs - RM50,000.00
2) Mazda RX-8 2.6 in the U.K costs - RM56,000.00 (10,000 pound sterling)
&
Lastly..
3) Chevrolet Camaro in the U.S costs - RM77,000.00 (USD 23,000)


question : consider the type of car you can get, with the amount of money spent... therefore, the question is 'to buy or not to buy a car, in Malaysia...' (after considering the higher living cost in the 1st example...)

so, i tell you whats cheap and value for money in Malaysia...
1. AirAsia Tickets (when they're on sale..)
2. Delicious food.. (you need to read the recommendations in forums or catch it on food prog. on TV)
3. erm... cheap what.. our Petrol is still considered cheap :)

and i think thats all

Hope you people benefited from that xD

my trip to Klang & Tanjung Karang

okey, read the title ? now enjoy the pictures... :)



and finally thats me fishing at a paddy field...

The Final Quarter of 2009

heyy peoples! wow, it has been way too long since my last post.... 22nd August... well, i think i've grown alot since then.. hahahaa!

as you all know, i'm doing my 3rd & final year now... IT AINT EASY you know !! been spending LOTS of time reading... and most of the nights outside for discussion... most weekends filled with plans already... hehehh.. i look forward to most of the weekends ^^

hmps... been hearing from my ex course mates about their jobs... most did not sound good... but well, thats life right... maybe they're new to it

coming up is my formative assignment deadline.... english research writing draft... mid term exams...

subjects taken this semester (Year 3, Sem 1) :
Global Operations Management
International Financial Management
Financial Reporting
English : Research Writing

huhu.. pray for me~

scholarship part 2

oh my dear blog, i wont abandon you ;)

alright, base on my previous post, hmm...

well, the results are out.. and i did not get the scholarship... i'm almost immune to scholarship rejection already..

whatever it is, i'm still going ahead with my 3rd and final year of studies to complete my degree.. well, at least i'm given an interest free loan instead :)

so, there goes siokjin down the drafted path for the next 1 year...

my convocation for my Associate Degree is tomorrow... haha.. convo this year, convo next year again... wait for pictures !

scholarship interview - 2009

eheheh.. i dont really think i could get it.. just trying my luck, who knows... :)

i'm in college now, and its weird... like i've been overseas for sometime.. how come everyone's wearing face mask yea? ahahah... maybe they're just trying to follow government's advice.. to prevent the spread of H1N1 . wonder when will they make it a law to wear facemask..

p/s : i'm still having my cough, and being in college feels like a contaminated specimen.. ahahahaha ! ssseshh

Nation is not managing its resources well ?

hi people.. i'm on sem break in case you dont know. i've been online like almost all the time.. googling and stuff lah, but blogging wasnt on my mind.. heh.. its not easy for me to recall the stuff i've gone thru, unlike those celebrity bloggers eg. kenny sia.. haha.. so i blog only when i have something in my mind..

okay, lets talk about malaysia's financial crisis okay.. although the country seems fine, but i'm sure they have 'ahem not-so ahem good ahem financial officers' running the central bank and overlooking the country's financial area... the current interest rate we enjoy when we save in the bank is only +-1%... so where the heck do we keep our money ?? (its no wonder investment scams are growing like mushrooms now)

okay, so savings interest is +-1% per annum & fixed deposit rate is 2.5% p.a at most (compared to the previous 3.7%)

economics theory ; when interest rates are low, the govt are encouraging us to do investment... so there should be plenty of funds available... but why the heck are people turning to 'ah longs aka loan sharks' if there are supposed to be lots of funds to borrow at a supposedly lower interest rate ?

whats more ? the country is taking this opportunity by offering Government Bonds (amanah Saham ; ASNB) at a slightly higher-than-normal-interest-rate to get people to start saving..

so in conclusion..
- low interest rate discourages saving ; in the contrary encourages investment
- supposed to increase money supply into the market (through commercial banks ; loans)
- but people are borrowing from loan sharks instead
- people with extra funds takes out money from bank to invest in investment scams as they offer attractive returns (eg. 5% return per annum instead of the current 2.5% pa fixed deposit)

whats the country gonna do about it ?

Future Pets - Mini Pigs

MINI PIGS

These are Pennywell miniature pigs raised by Chris Murray in Devon England.
These mini pigs are meant to be pets. They are a variant of a rare breed from New Zealand.
It is suggested that they always be sold in pairs so that they have a companion & someone to snuggle to.
They are supposed to be easy to house-train with good temperament.

I wonder if Malaysians will ever get to own one of these as pets ~

Sem Break !

yay ! for i am sick ??? heh

alright, my blog has been dead for quite some time now. reasons ? :
-exams ended on 10th July, 2009
-on vacation :P 14th July - 16th July
- sick from 17th July - now...

poor me.. i cant enjoy the chocs i bought from langkawi .. hahaha

its my 7th day being sick, doctor said i lacked sleep, which causes stress, which causes cough, which causes fever... i actually blacked out in the kitchen yesterday morning.. i think due to lack of energy as i hardly ate since the day i fell sick... found myself lying on the kitchen floor few minutes later.. thank god there was no blood and no brain damage :)

next was my final semester's result... i was seriously afraid that i might fail a paper or 2 this semester.. as we were hardly given any time for revision... the list goes on and on with excuses =P.. no prob now, i got 3 As and 3 Bs ... well unexpected.. and i couldnt believe it myself.. checked it more than 5 times and its real :D and not a dream

so, might be attending the convocation in a few weeks time... while i wait and search for options to further my studies and to fully complete my degree..

Food Allergies - Help !! I'm allergic to birds nest and sharks fin

i ate shark fin's soup yesterday, and as expected, i had an upset stomach an hour later.. my mum actually thinks its psychological... but after many times trying it, and getting the similar result, i believe i'm allergic to it..

foods that i'm allergic to & a NONO for me :
shellfish - prawns and crab.. once i ate it and got a swollen upper lip.. and i'll get itchy all over
sharks fin soup - i'd get an upset stomach
bird's nest - i'll get wheezing and asthma attacks..


most people i know are allergic to certain food. why ? heres an interesting article below :

What is a food allergy?

When you have a food allergy, your body thinks certain foods are trying to harm you. Your body fights back by setting off an allergic reaction. In most cases, the symptoms are mild-a rash, a stuffy nose, or an upset stomach. A mild reaction is no fun, but it is not dangerous. A serious reaction can be deadly. But quick treatment can stop a dangerous reaction.

Allergies tend to run in families. You are more likely to have a food allergy if other people in your family have allergies like hay fever, asthma, or eczema (atopic dermatitis).

Food allergies are more common in children than adults. About 7 out of 100 kids have them. Only about 3 to 4 out of 100 adults do.1 Children often outgrow their food allergies. But if you have a food allergy as an adult, you will most likely have it for life.

What are the symptoms?

Food allergies can cause many different symptoms. They can range from mild to serious. If you eat a food you are allergic to:
- Your mouth may tingle, and your lips may swell.
- You may have cramps, an upset stomach, or diarrhea.
- You may have itchy skin with red, raised bumps called hives.
- You may have a stuffy nose, wheeze, or be short of breath.
- You may feel dizzy or lightheaded.

Kids usually have the same symptoms as adults. But sometimes a small child just cries a lot, vomits, has diarrhea, or does not grow as expected. If your child has these symptoms, see your doctor.

Some people have symptoms after eating even a tiny bit of a problem food. As a rule, the sooner the reaction begins, the worse it will be.

What foods most often cause a food allergy?

A few foods cause most allergies. A food that causes an allergy is called a food allergen. Usually it is the protein in a food that causes the problem.

Eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, and fish cause most problems in children. Most kids outgrow allergies to milk, wheat, eggs, and soy by the time they are 5. But kids rarely outgrow an allergy to peanuts or fish.

Peanuts, tree nuts (like walnuts or almonds), fish, and shellfish cause most problems in adults.


information derived from : http://www.webmd.com/allergies/tc/food-allergies-topic-overview