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

McDonalds Promotion, July 2009 only !

Erm, i'm bored... and noticed that McDonalds is having a promotion, but you need a coupon to enjoy the promo.. problem is, you need to keep the coupons and its kinda troublesome..

so, i found this cool website (credits to http://www.goeatout.com.my/) that provides the downloadable coupon in jpg format :) all you have to do is print it out (in black&white) onto an A4 paper, and just use it at any McD outlets.. except for Genting & KLIA i think.. promotion till 31st July 2009

ps : i went mcd to try out their hotcakes (pancakes @.@), and yup, they accepted my miserable tiny black&white coupon.. but for me, the pancakes are so so only.. no complains since i have d coupon... else, its gonna cost double @$!@$!#@!!$

The McD GreatSaving Coupon :
http://www.freewebs.com/siokjinlim/FSI_PNSL.jpg
(to download it, right click the link and click "save target as")

note* this is not an advertisement =p .. i call this sharing

tips on asking the right question :)

Jack and Max are walking from religious service. Jack wonders whether it would be all right to smoke while praying.

Max replies, "Why don't you ask the Priest?"

So Jack goes up to the Priest and asks, "Father, may I smoke while I pray?" The Priest replies, "No, my son, you may not! That's utter disrespect to our religion."

Jack goes back to his friend and tells him what the good Priest told him.
Max says, "I'm not surprised. You asked the wrong question. Let me try."

And so Max goes up to the Priest and asks, "Father, may I pray while I smoke?"
To which the Priest eagerly replies, "By all means, my son. By all means. You can always pray whenever you want to."

*Moral of the story is... The reply you get depends on the question you ask. *


For example, if you want a vacation when still working on a project don't ask for the holiday; Ask: "Can I keep working on this project while I'm on vacation?"

incident at Kajang McDonalds

(at the counter)

me : refill please.. coke :)

McD staff : alright..

(after 1 minute)

McD staff : here you go..

me : *peeks into the cup and saw a baby cockroach swimming in my coke*

*shows disgusted face*

McD staff : *looks at me and asked..* yes ??

me : *points at the cup*

McD staff : *looks into it and GASPed* oops..

*gave me a new cup of coke* sorry....

me : *showed a wtf smile :) and checks the drink*

did i scared you ?? hahaha... anyway, if you dont to share your drink with swimming cockroaches.. better check your drink before you DRINK it :) even at MCDONALDS !

Life & Death.. something thats beyond our control

its a been terrible for me..feels like i've just taken a blow from some bastard.. my dad has 8 brothers.. and yesterday evening, my 3rd Uncle passed away.. he was my best uncle.. who loved me dearly... i loved him alot too, but didnt really expressed it.. till he fell ill bout a year ago.. that time, he could still walk around.. then later on, he fell quite ill, and his life was on the line.. not aware of his surrounding and the people around him... but till the very last day, if he's alright and all, i'm sure he'll be looking at me and smile a toothless grin ... i miss his smile...

he was the one who babysitted me when i was little.. my parents were most of the time working.. i spent most of my childhood days playing with him.. on weekends, he'd take me to the durian farm.. i'd always follow him, promising him i'd help.. but i'll end up disturbing him.. he taught me fishing, and injected the interest into me... till this very day... he was the first person whom i caught a fish with.. a red tilapia..

3rd uncle was a very soft spoken man, and loved his kids, and grandchildren.. and even me who is only his nephew..

and back to reality, an hour ago, i was in his very house, which i used to run around naked.... and there i saw him... lying in the coffin.. i imagined him smiling back to me.. his toothless grin... while i said my final goodbye to him.. my 3rd uncle... u'll always be a legend in my heart... always..

lots of love from your dear nephew, uncle ~

Handy Tip for those mobile or ipod that dropped into water

i received this email from my mum.. not sure why she sent this to me.... so i decided to share it with you guys. but lets hope our phone never touches water, and need not do this ! :)

Wedding in Style @ Penang

came back from penang last week.. on sunday actually.. 5 days ago.. me and my family took a long drive to penang for my cousin bro's wedding.. He's around 32 y/o and his wife is 29.. he owns a banglo and a Nissan FairladyZ ..

ok, enough with his assets.. hahahaha ! the last time i went penang (with my family), and we visited him too.. but at that time (bout 4 years ago), his mum was still around.. she's extremely good to me (& my dad) .. used to babysit my dad, being an older sis... also extremely good at cooking.. anyway, enough of all the introduction chapter.. lets juz skip to the wedding day :D

thats his puppy... gue$$ what they named him ??

@@@@@@@

CASH !! and we're all like "cash, come here come here" as though money has legs.. haha

had the wedding dinner just outside the house's compound.. not restaurant... weird huh.. i was told its the penang style :)

silver Nissan Fairlady - the wedding car

red Toyota Soarer - the 'Escort' car

*no picture* mercedes sports

my cousin used his fairlady to fetch his wife from Alor Setar.. which is about 1 1/2 journey from his house in Penang.. which is why, there is a "Need for speed !!" .. rumours (frm my sis) said that the cars were driven at 200 kmph and reached there in less than an hour.. wedding in style..

so, *no reasons needed*, he came back with his wife not long after.. and the picture above shows my nephew opening the bridegroom's door.. :)after they all chao-ed into the house... i grabbed the chance to have my photo taken with the Fairlady :D oh my lady... haha

there, the bride and the groom entering the house... *while i was taking pretty pictures of his car :P*

my parents

sister in law

giving angpau to nephew and nieces.. and me too !

the newlyweds and my family :)

Birthday Surprise & Tenji 5th June 2009

yesterday was a blast i tell u *winks* .. well the pressure was building... studies and what to do after finishing my studies pressure... soon, once i've graduated, its gonna be a sudden transformation... is that i'll suddenly become too old for many things.. so, now is the time for all the fun... to da max ^^

okay, lets go to the point :

1) li mei's birthday... hehe.. me and F4 (thats what we call ourselves) buddies planned a surprise for her. we decorated her car and gave her a bouquet of flowers :D well, altho it isnt something useful, but ... well, its sincere from us leh :D (pictures soon..)

2) then after class, with our empty stomachs after long lectures, we drove to MONT KIARA ... YES, I FINALLY GET TO GO TO TENJI @ Solaris Mont Kiara !

we took the supper package, cos they have promotion for it and all.. RM39++ from 9.30pm to 12.30am .. okay, let me stop here and let the pictures do the talking :)

upon arrival at Tenji outlet.. we were like Hungry Jakuns.. hahaha

haha. i went straight to the oyster counter... rumours said that they are palm sized... too bad they arent.. maybe a toddler's palm :D bahhh who caressss ... its so yummy. *drools*

next, i went to drop the order clips on the types of fishes they serve... salmon, cod fish... etc etc.. ate em all :D

oooh, and not to forget, the main drink for the night is the mini thai coconut.. they're just so sweet, fragrant and niceeeeeee... for me , it tasted too good to be true.. haha, mayb its artificial flavouring one... :P there were many other kinds of drinks as well.. even smoothies & ice kacang :D

miso, a variety of fish and clams (raw salmon, abalone slices, scallop.. etc unknown shellfish) and a bowl of ginseng soup..

later, one of the Tenji staff came over and joined us.. she introduced herself as Jacyntha Wong.. hhaha, will never forget her name as my english teacher is also called Jacyntha.. anyway, she's a sweet girl, 2 years my senior :) she brought us some special dishes : above, belacan crab & waffles with haagen daaz ice cream toppings.. how sweet of her :) but too bad we couldnt take any of the crab.. i'm allergic to it, and my friends were bloated already.. hahahahaha

and of course, we took a picture with her :) see how sweet she is :) she's the one on the bottom lefta picture of me, taken around 12.31am :P .. right after we were led out from the restaurant.. happy and satisfied :D

the promotion is on Lunch (weekdays only) and Supper (everyday) till June 30th 2009 .. so, my advice is to go ahead, you have nothing to lose.. its worth every penny !!! but its kinda crowded on weekends..

Assignments Deadline - the end of May 2009

well, i dont know what to post on my blog these days.. anyway, lets be grateful that this post confirms that the blog is still very much alive! :D

its approaching June, 2009 already ! that means your plans for the year should be half completed by now.. heh..

its also time for me and my coursemates to complete our assignments given to us at the early of the semester =x shhh...

been out 4/7 nights last week just to meet up with my group members to complete those work.. above are some pictures taken at Gasoline Serdang, which is facing the Mines Resort Lake..how romantic (with so many fishes and mosquitoes around)