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Downs & ups of a Monday July 28, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate, Thoughts & Scribblings , 21comments

It was one of those rare Mondays that I felt slightly more upbeat, slightly more excited. Very unusual of me, since I detest Mondays immensely. Well, I detest workdays in general, but Mondays are the worst.

So why the difference today?

Well today, I had planned on FINALLY going to the post office to claim my RM625 fuel subsidy rebate. I had met all the prerequisites (car insurance renewed, road tax renewed and wallet low in cash), so I was all geared up to get what I had been waiting for. I also referred to a good step-by-step guide on a hassle-free claims process :razz:

So this morning, I downloaded the claim form and filled it out, to save me some time when I reach the post office. Then at about 11:30a.m., I left the office, slightly earlier than normal, in the hope of beating the lunch crowd.

Hubby and I headed towards Queensbay Mall, and we walked towards the post office situated on the ground floor of the mall. I prayed that there would not be a long queue and that the entire process would take only a short while. As we stepped closer and closer to where the post office was, it looked like there really wasn’t a queue, but alas, we were faced with the one thing we had not prepared ourselves for. Here’s what greeted us at the door of the post office:

Shucks.

What a letdown.

So anyway, I tried calling the post office at 2:30p.m. to find out if the computer system is working, but I could not get through with the number provided on the Pos Malaysia site. Tried again and again and again and FINALLY I got through at about 2:45p.m. and the lady told me the system will be back up and running at 3p.m.

Of course, for someone who has been waiting so long for this, I wasn’t about to let this chance pass me by.  So later that evening, hubbs and I swung by Queensbay Mall again, and since I figured the wait won’t be that long, I hopped down while my hubby waited in the car.  There were about 10 people in queue in front of me and bummer of bummers…..NO NUMBERING SYSTEM.  So I had to stand in line and wait.

Thankfully the queue was moving quite fast, and after standing in line for about 15 minutes, it was finally my turn.  The checking, signing and taking my thumbprint took approximately ONE MINUTE, and then off I left with a receipt and RM625 in hand.

The inevitable call or not? July 22, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 17comments


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I recently made a call to the bank affiliated with my credit card, to request for a waiver in annual fee.  I am not specifically mentioning the name of the bank here, because I have had similar experiences with Citibank, HSBC and also Alliance Bank, so this really applies to all banks who charge an annual fee.

Anyway, formalities aside, after I was asked to verify my identity with the typical passcode and obligatory questions, I asked if they could waive my annual fee.  My backup plan, of course, was that if they said no, I would then threaten to cancel my card.

Turns out I didn’t need to do that, because the customer officer told me, after checking my account, that she would waive the annual fee for me since I had already made a minimum of 12 transactions in a year.

So then I asked her, “If I had not called up, would the annual fee be automatically waived?”

She said yes, but EVEN if it wasn’t, I could still call in and request for an annual fee reversal.  She didn’t sound exactly confident it would be waived, by the way.  (Actually in my past experience, the annual fee has NEVER been automatically waived before).

But anyway, I’ve been thinking… why do these “supposedly” consumer-friendly banks need to WAIT for customers to call in to trigger the waiver of annual fee?  Since it is already their practice to waive the fee when a customer has made a minimum of 12 transactions, why can’t they program this rule into the program’s algorithm?  I definitely know that is possible.  Is it because they want to earn some annual moolah from those customers who fail or forget to call up, either out of ignorance or just because they simply don’t care?

If the banks automatically waive the annual fee for customers that deserve it, they would certainly spare the customers the hassle of having to remember to call up to waive the annual fee, and at the same time, the bank would earn brownie points for this proactive service.  After all, it’s the relationship between the bank and the customer that counts.

For someone like me who uses the credit card as an instrument to facilitate payment of purchases, and not as a tool to overspend, all I need is a card, without the need to pay the annual fee.  Of course, for those of you who don’t mind paying the fee every year, you can just disregard my rant above.  Or perhaps I’d be better off just using the free-for-life credit cards, like the one I have from CIMB bank…

The raindrops on my head July 11, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 10comments


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It was raining cats and dogs and elephants and hippos yesterday, around lunch time.  I stopped by my favorite dim sum restaurant to buy some century egg porridge and other tidbits for lunch.  Unfortunately they had already ran out of the porridge, so I ended up with just one char siew pau and one egg tart. And since I had gotten drenched with my jeans wet through to my shin level, I might as well make the trip worth it by buying some organic tau foo fa (soya bean curd) from the shop next door too.

As I was approaching my car after making my purchase, I noticed the parking ticket man standing nearby, with an umbrella in his hand.  So I motioned for him that I was headed for my car and asked him how much.  On hindsight, I could have just walked to my car and drove off, because I was only parked for not more than 10 minutes, but my conscience would have pricked me so hard it would have bled.

Anyway, he told me “Empat puluh sen”. (40 cents was the rate charged every half hour)

I paid him and waited for my receipt.

But that fella walked away!

I called after him, and asked, “Mana resit?” (“Where is my receipt?”)

He said, “Oh, tak payah resit laaa..” (“Oh, no need to issue a receipt…”)

Eh???

Immediately, I retorted, “Tak payah resit, tah payah bayar la!” (“If you don’t give me a receipt, I don’t need to pay!”), and extended my hand to him, as if asking for my precious 40 sen back.

Hey, I was all alone, cold and wet, incredibly hungry, holding my lunch in packets AND I was rushing for a meeting.  I probably sounded a LEETLE bit angry, but I had every reason to feel that way.  Yes, it was only 40 sen, but it’s still money, right?  It would have been conveniently squandered by him, had I not put my foot down at that very instant and demanded for my receipt.

Of course he issued me one after that, but I wonder how many incidents of “40 sen tak payah bayar” he had actually escaped with.  I wonder how many people would actually insist on a ticket.  Times are certainly bad, and every single bit counts.

I’m sure that parking ticket man is well aware of that. But nobody should ever use dishonest means to make that quick buck.  Or that quick 40 sen.

Fishy spooky conundrums July 8, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 14comments


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Something spooky is happening to my blog.  I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t like it at all.  Last night, I noticed that at least three comments had mysteriously vanished from my previous post.  I am always very careful when moderating my comments, so there is no reason how they could have been accidentally deleted.

I am 100% sure they were there before because I saw those comments during lunchtime yesterday and I even responded to them.  There was a comment from Michelle saying that my shopping behaviour was clearly shown in the meaning of my name in that post.  And then I remember also reading a comment from Andie who said she might want to give this quiz a try herself, and I think there was also a comment from cc that it was quite an interesting quiz (I think) - did I miss out anyone?

Oh yeah, and I definitely know there was a trackback from Paris too, cuz I commented on her post when I saw it.

So, see? I ain’t imagining things!

I blame the bizarre behaviour on the latest Wordpress 2.5.1.  Don’t like it all that much yet.  It has a rather cluttered interface, and the color scheme has also changed to something less cooler than before, if you ask me.

Well, I hope this is the first and last of mysterious happenings on my blog, but just to be on the safe side, I’m gonna run another backup right now.

I gave the gift of life today July 2, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 20comments

I donated blood for the 8th time in my entire life today.  The last time was sometime in the year 2004, a few months before my wedding.  I normally make an annual blood donation whenever my workplace organizes a blood donation drive.  After that 2004 donation, I missed the following 3 years because I was pregnant in 2005, and was breastfeeding in 2006 and 2007.  In fact, I tried to donate in 2007  but when they found out I was still breastfeeding, I was unceremoniously shooed away.  Ah well.

So today, after I passed the “drop-a-droplet-of-blood-into-the-blue-liquid-and-wait-for-it-to-sink” test, and had taken my weight, the doctor took my blood pressure and inquired why there was a 3 year lapse from the last time I donated, at which I gave her the reasons as stated above.

Well, basically nothing much has changed since the last time I donated, except for the fact that the medical officers do not need to write the blood tag series and the name of the hospital in my blood donation booklet anymore.  It’s all sticker-based, which I totally dig.

Anyway, after that, I lied down on one of the beds and requested that they take the blood from my right arm.  I know the vein in the crook of my right elbow is more visible, and I didn’t fancy the idea of them poking around looking for it if I had offered my left arm.  Just in case.

About five minutes after the blood transfer began, I was done.  Just enough time for me to take a quick shot of my arm with my N73 too.  Clip here, clip there, and I saw a full pouch of my precious O +ve blood being carted away for good use.  I like to make the blood transfer faster by squeezing that sponge-like thingy they provide for us to hold real fast, just to let the blood flow faster.  Just cuz I am rather paranoid about having a metal object in me for a long time.  There was this guy who was lying there like forever, and complaining he was too tired to squeeze the sponge-like thing, so I think he was there for more than 20 minutes and the bag was still not full yet.  I couldn’t help laughing a bit when his colleagues teased him that his blood was so thick it was only good to make curry me. :P

So after the process was completed, I was given a cotton gauze to put over the punctured skin and asked to bend my elbow and close the area up.  Knowing me, after about 5 minutes lying there and not doing anything, I was ready to get up.  I gingerly opened up my elbow but just before I touched the cotton gauze, the medical officer said, “Jangan buka!”

Aiya…so lie down sammo lor….

Maybe they were concerned that someone who was able to produce a pint of blood in such a short time probably needed more time for the wound to close properly.  I’m sure it wasn’t because of “high blood pressure” as my friend jokingly commented.  I’d much rather like to refer to it as “high-pressured blood”. Hah.  Not the same thing, okay?

Had some very diluted chocolate drink after the blood donation and a curry puff.  I remember the food used to taste much better, but anyway, that’s not the reason WHY we donate blood, yes?

So if you are being wishy-washy about donating blood, ask yourself why not?  Some pointers for first timers though:

…and no, if you’re wondering, donating blood does not make someone put on weight.  Not if you eat normally after that.

Giddily pondering about.. July 1, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 10comments

Growing up means…

Driving Miss Competence June 27, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 18comments


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Last weekend, as we were driving back from the mall, we had an encounter of the fourth kind. Not an alien, but this one is a menace on the road and is a danger to everyone.

Yes, the nincompoop of a driver.

There the car was, right in front of us, hogging the fast lane, as if the driver and its passengers were having a field trip, admiring the surrounding view. My hubby, who was driving then, flashed the headlights once at the driver as a warning.

Nothing happened.

Flash again. Twice. Added a honk for effect.

I noticed the driver looking into the rear view mirror, but he did not indicate that he was about to switch lanes.

Then slowly, the car moved to the left lane and slowed down as we were approaching the traffic lights.

As we passed the car, I could not resist catching a glimpse of the driver.

And as soon as I did, I turned and smugly announced to my husband, “Hah! It’s a guy!”

:)

We have this understanding, my hubby and I. He seems to think that most women don’t drive as well as men. Of course I think otherwise, and never fail to pounce at every opportunity I have to make that fact known. But had it been a lady driver, I would have kept quiet la…unless of course if the car was a kancil, then I’d shake my head and go, “Haiya…kancil ma..” (sorry, Kancil drivers, it’s a case of one bad apple spoils the barrel here.)

Anyway, my hubby stands firm in his belief that men in general are better drivers than women. He goes, “Otherwise, how come we don’t see any women Formula One drivers?”

And I’d go, “But being a Formula One driver only means you can drive fast, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can drive WELL. Besides we women have far better things to do…” (like ogle at *certain* Formula One drivers, for instance)

So what say you? Do men or women make better drivers?

frugal is … as frugal gets June 23, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Memes & Tags, Thoughts & Scribblings , 12comments

I think frugality is an overrated word. What someone deems as frugal might not be the same in another’s dictionary. But in view of the increase in fuel prices, I definitely need to make concerted efforts to save save save, in addition to the steps my family and I are already taking. Just steering off course for a moment, the first time I filled up my petrol tank with Shell V-Power after the price hike, it cost a whopping RM112.99! Shell V-Power now costs RM3.15 per liter, by the way. And yes, hubbs and I still go for it despite it being more expensive because it is more efficient: a full tank can last us 1.5 weeks, give or take.

Anyway, I was reading Hijack Queen’s frugal tips, and thought I’d put my thoughts on frugality to blog too.

Toned-down shopaholic
Being a shopaholic by nature, it is difficult for me to curb the habit of doing a double take whenever I see something I like, like shoes, clothes, accessories, etc. But I am trying my best to only buy whatever is NEEDED, and not WANTED. It’s a fine line, if you ask me, but I try to use the SALE factor as a benchmark. If something is not on sale, don’t get it YET. When the sale comes along, if it is still available and it is still appealing, then get it. Often times, I have found that my interest in that particular product wanes after some time.

Bargains & discounts
Grocery shopping, on the other hand, is something that cannot be avoided. I do mine every week, and since I am endeavoring to cook more (stay at home to eat = no need to go out to eat = saving on petrol), I pounce on every bargain possible, even in the supermarkets. Just like last week, when I spotted fresh tenggiri fish on sale at 50% off in Jusco. Made a nice assam pedas fish curry too, which hubby gave two thumbs up for. I must add, however, that I will never ever sacrifice the taste of food for the price.

At every store that I shop, I never fail to ask them if there is a discount available for any credit cards or store cards. You never know where you might save. Some people don’t ask for fear of the hassle involved, but my skin is very thick when it comes to this, and at cosmetic counters, I will always ask for samples.

Killing 2 birds with one stone
I like to pride myself in being as environmentally-friendly as possible, and it is even better because by being that, I get to save a bit too. Since my boy is 100% on modern cloth diapers, I don’t need to stock up on disposable diapers now. I don’t even look at the price of Mamy Poko now whenever there is a sale. Also in the same vein as being environmentally friendly, I am also using cloth menstrual pads myself, so I don’t buy disposable ones anymore. A little bit of savings here and there goes a long way, you know. Besides saving moolah, it is also a healthier option.

Keep a tab on finances
I’ve also resurrected my expenditure spreadsheet. This way, I will be aware of how much I spend each month for each category of expenditure. In my bid to spend less, I have started using more cash instead of credit cards, especially for purchases less than RM20. Essentially the same amount of money is spent, but the theory is that if I keep seeing cash disappear from my wallet, I will be inspired to spend less.

Transportation
One of the tips to curb spending is to car pool. And hubbs and I are already doing that. We only have one car (so far), and since our workplaces are just across the street from each other, it makes sense to car pool.

Saving electricity
I’ve also consciously started saving electricity at home. Light not needed in the kitchen, switch it off. Can shower without the light, leave the lights off. My hubby even realized this as he asked me if I was saving electricity. Heh… Sikit sikit la…. In any case, all our bulbs are energy-saving ones, except for the fluorescent light in the kitchen. In the evenings, we don’t use the water heater, which is another means of saving electricity too!

Renovate my wardrobe
I have also recently embarked on a cost-saving fashion tip, by raiding my wardrobe for old clothes I can reuse and wear. By just adding a belt to an old outfit, it jazzes it up and creates a new look altogether. Buys me some time before I get a new one, and also saves money la. Some of my ensembles have received rave comments, actually :lol:

Contests
I enter contests almost every month, in the hope of winning something useful. I remember a few years ago I won 2nd prize in an Estee Lauder contest, which ensured I didn’t need to buy makeup and skincare for almost a year! Now that’s a whole lot of savings indeed!

Pampering treats
In my bid to become more thrifty, I am contemplating going for less facials, maybe once every 3-4 months or so, or maybe none at all. I intend to give myself mini facials at home, and well, of course the feeling is not quite the same, but there has got to be some sacrifice, no? Of course, I don’t even go for pedicures or manicures (the last manicure I had was a French the day before my wedding).

So well…if there are other ways or suggestions as to how much more frugal I can become, without losing my giddy self, please do not hesitate to let me know! And of course, I am tagging anyone and everyone who wants to share a tip or two! :razz:

A is for Apple iPhone 3G June 11, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 22comments

Have you heard?  Have you heard? :lol:

Come July 11, Apple will release its latest baby, the Apple iPhone 3G.  What’s even more unbelievable is that it will be twice as fast, and at a remarkable starting price of USD199 for the 8GB version (and USD299 for the 16GB), it’s gonna cost like half the price of what it used to cost.  With the petrol price hike and whatnot, this is very welcome news indeed.


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Here’s what it says on the Apple website:

Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again 

When my hubby was in Oregon on a business trip last month, I said no thank you to the iPhone, because I figured I would be better off with a Coach bag (or two) in the long run.  But now, with such a cool Apple iPhone being made available at an even cooler price, haha….I might just change my mind, especially after reading the 5 reasons to get an iPhone.

Anyone else wanna add on to those reasons to truly convince me?

Buckle up… or else what? June 10, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 14comments

Many years ago, a teenaged girl sauntered gingerly into the Road Transport Department in Ipoh early one morning to take her driving test. Feeling confident but a little bit nervous, she patiently waited for her turn. Name after name was called but still it was not hers. And then finally at about noon, she was called to take the wheel and perform the slope test. This required good leg control and balance of the clutch and gas pedal, driving the car up an incline, stopping at the marked position, applying the hand brake and then putting out a hand to signal that you’re done.

Nerves got the better of her and on her first attempt, the car slid backwards down the slope. Never mind, she thought. Everybody was given two chances to get it right. And whaddya know, she aced it the second time round!

Next she drove the car to the area where the parking tests were taking place. She had three tests to complete: The three-point turn, the L parking and the side parking. All of which she completed on the first attempt in no time at all. She could feel her confidence rising at that point. The end was in sight now.

She went over for the final task of the day: the road test. She got into the car, adjusted her seat, the mirrors, gave the test card to the examiner and they were off. She was a tad nervous too because unlike most of the other people taking the road test, this girl did not opt to bribe the examiner for an easy pass in the test. Most people feel the bribe is necessary, because according to them it is impossible to pass without bribing.

Nonsense, the girl thought, and she went about the works in a very clockwork manner. The gear shifting was smooth, and the halts were executed perfectly, without any jerks or “mati engine” incidents. Then finally the 15-minute-or-so ride ended. The girl pulled the car to a stop, and pulled the handbrake, feeling the excitement rising in her, expecting to get her driving license the very day itself.

Then the examiner looked at her, smiled and said she did wonderfully that day. The test card showed that she had passed all the relevant items. However, she forgot to do one important thing, which was to strap on the seat belt, and for that one single thing, unfortunately, the examiner had to fail her and she would have to retake the test all over again.

If you haven’t yet figured out, that girl was me, and I have never forgotten that lesson. Of course, I passed the test the second time round, and it goes without saying that the first thing I did when I got into the car was to strap on the seat belt! See? One can STILL pass without bribery!


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Anyway, I am very happy that the recent law states that everyone in the car needs to be seatbelt-strapped now. Driver, co-driver, rear passengers as well as babies, toddlers and kids. Before the imposition of this rule, some people even think of the act of wearing the seat belt as a move to appease the authorities. So you’ll hear people saying things like,

“Aiya, short distance only, no need to wear one la. Besides, there are no policemen around.”

Such is the sorry and erroneous thinking some people have.

And what about folks who claim that their kids and babies refuse to be in car seats? Well, it’s all the fault of the parents to begin with. Kids were trained and conditioned to think that they can get away with NOT being in car seats, so that’s how they behave now. Some parents, for their own personal reasons, opt to get cheaper car seats because they are unsure if their kids would want to sit in them.  Getting a branded, more expensive version would then be construed as a waste of money.

But then would you compromise the life of your kid with a cheaper model of a car seat which is not tested to withstand impact and collision? That’s just like buying something for showing off that does not even serve its function. Would you skimp on money just so your child’s ride in the car is unsafe? Why would anyone in their right mind buy all the lovely clothes and hi-tech toys for their child, but fail to provide for them in the one important aspect, that is safety in the car? Why??? And I tell you, these parents are the very same ones who would not think twice about spending an arm and a leg on designer clothes and perfumes. Priorities, indeed!

On the other hand, there are also parents who have no choice but to put the car seat in the co-driver’s seat in front, because they claim that baby will cry if left alone in the back seat.  However, they forget that this too poses a danger to the child if the front seat has airbags installed. What if there is an accident that triggers the expansion of the airbag? Will the excuse of the baby crying for fear of being left alone seem logical then? I read somewhere that the co-driver has the highest risk of all in the event of an accident. Are these parents willing to face this responsibility?

Oh, and as for folks who *complain* that car seats for infants and toddlers are too expensive, then I’m afraid the wisest thing to do is of course to NOT take your kids out for a ride in the car. Either walk or just don’t go out. I’m sorry, but the reason given that

“Last time when I was small, my father also never put me in car seat what…”

doesn’t hold this time round. There are certainly MORE cars on the road now, all moving at a much higher speed and when now there is a car seat invented to provide safety and protection to our kids, why are we choosing to shun that?


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Of course I could rant on and on about the importance of being strapped in whilst in the car, but I won’t. I just hope that the authorities would do a good job of enforcing this rule. Rather than putting up road blocks to check the tint levels on vehicles, I’m sure *business* would thrive even more if they started checking on the seat belt issue.

And while we are on this topic, why aren’t bus passengers provided seat belts (like those on the plane, at least)? I’m sure you’ll all agree that most buses move even more dangerously than cars?