No Laughing Matter

I bet my silence lately has been remarkable in view of what's been going on. I couldn't hold it in any longer. Today, I stumbled upon this lovely article: From The Star: More wheel power:

RESIDENTS of USJ and Subang Jaya took their crime prevention initiatives a step further by presenting two Kembara vehicles and four Modenas motorcycles to the police force recently.

Witnessing the handover were Deputy Internal Security Ministers Datuk Fu Ah Kiow and Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum.

USJ resident Patrick Tan raised the issue of a pay rise for the police and which the government had turned down.

“Why isn’t the police pay being reviewed in return for their services in providing higher security?” he asked.

His sentiments were echoed by Moaz Yusuf Ahmad from SS12 Subang Jaya. “We want better service from the police, yet they are not getting enough pay for it.

“Everyone, not just the police, will work harder if they receive better salaries,” said the Taylor’s College lecturer.

Mohd Johari, responding to the issue of police pay, said the salary cannot simply be raised as the country’s economy should be taken into consideration.

I wonder what they were thinking when they "simply" reduced everyone's salary without taking the country's economy into consideration.

Customer Service Review: Room Service Deliveries

Business: Delivering food from restaurants
Location: No. A-3-1, Jalan Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Website: http://www.roomservicedeliveries.com

The Situation:

On May 1, 2008, Room Service Deliveries released a new menu with updated menus from existing and new restaurants. I began to ask them for menus before May 1, when they promised they would send me the new menu the second it came out.

Come May, nothing was in my mailbox. I called them to ask them for it when I ordered food. They told me the butler would bring it. Did he? Nope.

A while later, I tried to order from them but their website was outdated, so I got frustrated and just asked for a menu. Did it come? Nope.

On Monday, May 16, 2008, I received an SMS from Room Service Deliveries telling me that I had received a new menu with coupons. Was there anything in my mailbox? Nope. So I called them again, and a nice lady named Ati told me I'd receive it at the latest by Wednesday.

Today, Thursday, I came home thinking I could chill and order room service. Could I? Nope. Because there was no goddamn menu in my mailbox. I thusly proceeded to call Room Service Deliveries and tell the manager in no uncertain terms that I, a customer, had repeatedly asked for a menu, which their business depended on, and I had not received it.

He sent me a menu within half an hour while I was in the shower. Just one. Apparently when I said, "Send me five so that if I lose one, I'll never have to ask for one again", he thought I was kidding. I wasn't.

I forayed down to the mailroom and pilfered the two copies that my neighbor got. Two. My neighbor. Right next door. Got two. I got none after asking for like 5x.

Plus points:

• Them peeps are always polite.

Minus points:

• Them peeps are also always stupid, and 1 unit of stupid = 100 units of polite, so they lose.

The Verdict:

I wouldn't depend on Room Service Deliveries as your only source of food. You'd probably starve before they got it to you, while your neighbor gets 4 free meals.

Back to Civilisation

So here's the sitch: This technology-addicted clean-toilet-loving drive-everywhere-preferred purebred city girl has officially gone hardcore camping and survived, with these people.

What do I mean by hardcore camping? I mean sleep on the ground, no tents provided, no basic toilet facilities other than a hole in the ground and a little shovel, army rations for food, and no soap because it's non-biodegradable (said the people who lit a bonfire for decorative purposes in Malaysia).

And yes, I survived it. Now, whenever people say that I am one of those people who can do these things, I can say, "Yes, that's right. I can do these things." Now, my backup plan of becoming a divemaster and living the simple life is truly possible. At least for 3 days 2 nights, anyway.

So begins the introduction of myself to "roughing it".

That's Enough, 2008

Family Guy fans will catch the reference.

So I'm MSNing Shazron, way over there in Chinese people land, and we've decided (well I did, with her agreeing) that we're all pulling through the worst of 2008. Seriously, the situation isn't as hopeless as it was a month ago, and you have to admit that. Progress towards the positive has been made, and yes, we're pulling through it. Also, the old friend Cat has begun emailing me and dear God I've missed her, and she's having a fabulous old time in Europe and that-a-ways. I think yes, things are getting better, which is great timing because this weekend will be my first camping trip ever.

But enough of the depressing bits. Sometimes those spam emails can cough up something funny, and I thought I'd share this with you:

Good on You, Sabah

It may be home to the most poor people in Malaysia (23%, Source: UNDP 2008), but Sabah still recognises the importance of the environment. Good on you, Sabah. It's so beautiful, I'd hate to see it go bad. From The Star: Sabah forest gains certification for sustainable management:

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's flagship Deramakot forest reserve received another five-year certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for its sustainable forest management.

The re-certification for the period between April 8, 2008 and April 20, 2013, makes the 55,000ha Deramakot the longest continuously-certified rainforest in the world since achieving the certification requirement in 1997.

You go, Sabah.

In other news, apparently we get a petrol subsidy after the price hike. From The Edge: PM announces restructured fuel subsidy scheme:

• Cars up to 2L, pick-ups up to 2.5L to get RM625 annual cash rebate; motorcycles up to 250cc get RM150; rebates via postal order from July 1, 2008.
• Cars above 2L get road tax discount of RM200; motorcycles more than 250cc, road tax discount of RM50.
  

And apparently it will be distributed via postal order. Apparently we get it when we renew our road tax. Sweet. I get a road tax discount. But I need it now, dammit!

And that's the news.