Bad Food
If the food really sucks at an eaterie, would you go up to the counter and tell them at the end of the meal? My sister says that there are people who will do it and she tends to agree with them. She once complained that her food was too salty in a reputable restaurant and got a complimentary dessert for her efforts. Was justice served?
I was at a fast food joint yesterday and was in the process of ordering my coronary-baiting lunch. A man walks up and complained that the food was very different from when he had ordered it the last time. The manager pointed out the ingredients were exactly the same and has been for the longest time.
“It’s not good!” the customer protested.
“Are you sure you ordered the same item?” asked the manager, eyebrow raised.
A puzzled look sauntered across the man’s face which ended in an “Eureka” moment. He looked over to his friend and started explaining to the latter about the mistake he has made and what he should have actually ordered. He left the establishment not once looking back at the manager who was sporting a shit-eating grin. Guess who is eating a crow burger now?
How big exactly is the mind?
On the eve of my imminent relocation, I was forced to clear out the drawers and cupboards that I have filled up over the last 2 years. Little objects crop up in the midst of all the junk that can trigger big memories and feelings. A photo taken with a colleague at work, a plastic name tag from a long forgotten conference on some strange topic, a piece of metal from an old watch strap, warranty cards, handouts, flyers, hastily written pieces of post-it’s and the list goes on and on. Each item drags out on old emotion for dusting and perusal, only to be filed back within the nether regions of the mind. How big exactly is the space within? Will I evetually hit against a wall?
The long arm of Malaysian law
The local police force is corrupt. The incident that happened to me only strengthens my conviction in this infallible truth. My personal experience is of course trivial compared to what some of our politicians are going through right now but I submit that although small, it is symptomatic of a bigger disease that has a stranglehold on our law-enforcers. Rather than protect and serve, they steal and plunder from the common man. I wonder how they sleep at night and what they teach their children.
I was driving home along the highway when my car was pulled over by a few cops at a speed trap. I observed that absolutely all the cars were similarly stopped. This can only mean that all the cars on the highway that day were speeding. A coincidence? Seconds later an overweight policeman swaggered over and informed us that we were caught on camera driving over the speed limit. I protested that we had the car on auto cruise set at 110 km/H. He smirked and said that everyone had said the same thing. He then turned into a Physics professor and gave us an unconvincing theory about how the car will try to speed up when driving up an inclination even though it was on auto cruise. What really got my goat was this.
“Do you want to see the picture, since you TALK SO MUCH?” he said in a huff.
It seems that I have offended him by asking for an explanation. He was obviously in a hurry to get to his next victim and I was delaying him. Realizing that this whole conversation was going no where, I asked him about the price of the fine. He told me that he can either send the summon to my home address which will set me back RM (Malaysian ringgit) 300 or he can settle it on the spot with RM 50. Which option do you think I took?
I admit that I was not paying much attention to my speedometer but I did in all honesty set the auto cruise to the maximum permitted speed limit. I am even willing to say that I may have exceeded the limit at some juncture although I do not remember doing so. Was I wrong in abetting his demand for money? Yes I was but what other options do I have? Demanding to see the picture would have irked him more and he may decide to just send me the bill for RM 300. That’s 6 times more than what he was willing to settle for. Since I do not have access to the billions that Petronas (local oil company) is reported to have raked in since the astronomical rise of petrol, I took the easy and economical way out. So sue me!
What effect will this experience have on my perception of local law enforcement? To put it mildly, negative to the extreme. And since I am not in a charitable mood today, I will go on to say that they are a bunch of incompetent, greedy, dishonest, unprofessional human beings who are beneath even pond scum in the scheme of living things.
Life lessons from an ex-junkie
Had an interesting half an hour conversation with a reformed drug addict yesterday which really opened my eyes. He pointed out so many things to me that I would normally not think about. I just hope that the summary below does justice to the greatness of this man.
1. “To climb out of the hole that I was in, nearly ended my life.”
2. “Now that I am out, I learnt never to judge others. I have lived for a time surrounded by active users and when I see them, I never feel that I am better than them in any way. I know my roots and am fully aware that I do not possess the mental nor physical ability to change the world. I just want to help.”
3. “Never give money to junkies. I would rather buy them a meal if I am financially capable on that day. If they ask for bus fare, I will give them a ride instead. I know how their minds work seeing that I used to be one of them. They will just use any small amount of money to feed their habits.”
4. “All of us come from our mothers but more importantly I remember being born again when I finally stopped using”
5. “Everyday is a constant struggle to not go back to the habit. I have to work at it every single day of my life.”
6. “Life is so very different now that I am drug-free. No more living in constant fear of the authorities. No more shying away from the light. No more avoiding eye contact. Its just a huge burden lifted off my back.”
To this man who shall remain anonymous, I salute you!
Crazy and funny pictures of this thing called life
The point is not whether they are doctored or not. Its that they will make you laugh!
Must have barbeque accessories.
How to annoy the hell out of your neighbour.
Rubbing it in.
Happiness is a warm gun
Read this chilling report on how American gun owners are a bunch of happy campers.
1o ways the internet have changed me
- I no longer buy audio CDs
- I no longer sit in front of the TV
- I no longer have to read or purchase printed media
- I no longer need to indulge in real life social interactions – having this option is liberating
- I can now conceivably live from within my room
- I no longer need the phone to communicate with people I know
- Being alone no longer means being lonely
- Distance is now so yesterday
- I now have a lighter skin hue and probably less calcium from the lack of solar exposure
- My head now holds more junk then it ever did or was made for
The tooth fairy……..NOT!
One of my lower molar gave out on me last night. Of all things a tiny but rock hard guava seed was its undoing. Chewing through the soft bits of the fruit, I suddenly found pieces of enamel and filling. A good chunk of the tooth had crumbled away!
What I ended up with was a fractured tooth with a very sharp edge. It was like having a razor blade in my mouth whenever my tongue brushed against it. This afternoon I did something that I have avoided doing for the past 10 years. Go to a dentist.
I confessed my sin to her and she smiled bemusedly. I asked for local anesthesia like a nervous school girl and to her credit she did not burst out laughing.
In an attempt to appear calm and composed I laced the fingers of my hands together and placed them on my midriff. While she was digging away at my destroyed molar, I found my fingers dancing up and down with every stab. Truth be told, it was not that bad but having a metal instrument with a tapering end poking around the inside of my head is not my idea of fun.
After what seemed like an eternity of torture she declared that we were done. Like the proverbial bat I was out if that hell in no seconds flat.
“Don’t forget your appointment in 2 weeks time!” she trilled behind me. What a witch!
Panacea for the flu – Roots
After about 5 weeks, I am again in the throes of another bout with the flu and this time around to make things more colorful, I have an irritating hacking cough and a throat like sandpaper.
It leaves me with no option but to come to the conclusion that this year’s flu vaccine DOES NOT work. This is what I have resorted to.
Yes, roots. I have gone native. I am in the process of boiling the above concoction and will be downing the resultant “tea” in a very short while. Wish me luck people.
MyKad – of privacy and civil liberties
We Malaysians literally live by our IC’s or to give it its full moniker, “Identity Card”. Go to the hospital with your guts spilling out and they want to see your IC. Open a bank account and the IC is a must. Try registering a cell phone without an IC and it will all end in tears. How did a piece of plastic come to dominate every inch of lives?
With the defeat of the Howard government in Australia, the proposed Access Card was scraped to universal applause. Perhaps we should start questioning the validity of our own identification tag.
