Hope to change to facing East

I bought my condo in 2013 for about $900k and now it is worth $1.3M. But after discount, it is $1.1M. I hope to change my West facing block to East facing block overlooking the sea, and maybe the future cable car between Penang and the mainland. Somehow, east block is more popular and almost occupied compared to west facing block. I can seek the swimming pool but was advised by my partner to go for east facing units. He does not mind footing the bill for the legal change and all the paper work. So, yesterday, I called up my lawyer and texted him the unit numbers to be changed and hopefully, he can do so for me - afterall he is the brother-in-law of the developer himself.

Slept till Late Morning

Today I woke up at 10:00am and had a restful sleep. With the air con turned on and snuggling under my silk duvet, I had deep sleep and woke up twice for the nature's call in the wash room. My colleague had gone out to attend a meeting at 2:00pm this afternoon after coming back from doing bank telegraphic transfer or abbreviated as T/T for the balance payment of the tiles from China. He bought me 2 packets of banana leaf wrapped 'nasi lemak' with coconut flavoured rice, sambal anchovies and half of fully boiled egg. The meal whet my appetite and is a welcoming change as I had been having Quaker oats for lunch in the last few days.

Terengganu is Beautiful

I was in Terengganu 3 days ago and it has changed quite a bit, compared to my last visit 5 years ago. Recently, I only discovered that there is a Chinatown in Terengganu that reminds me of busy Penang. This place is as busy as a bee compared to the overall surroundings where there are hardly any vehicles. I got myself 2 fridge magnets for $10 in Chinatown and drove through the big arch decorated with very typical chinese motifs of dragons. Terengganu is beautiful and the freshly coated paint on the buildings makes them look spankingly new and well designed.

Nothing is Free

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.

God's Saving Grace

It is certainly by God's grace that I am where I am today: with a dream job to work in a home office and getting EPF (employees' provident fund) and SOCSO (workers' social security) which is like an insurance. I also have medical benefits, MCs and leave. Never in my wildest dreams will I imagine that someone from Cari website shoot me the first introductory email in a dating website and the rest is history. That someone became my website client, my boss and now my soul mate. We are now working and staying together while travelling almost every other week to Kuala Lumpur for business cum holidays. I have been to Genting Highlands more than 10 times already and have stayed in all the hotels there - Genting Hotel, Resorts Hotel, Highlands Hotel, First World Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and Awana Resort Hotel.

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.