Ths Blog

This Blog

I have been neglecting this blog for quite some time now due to a few issuers namely as followers however I will be continuing this lifestye blog, but in a different manner.

• The Rising Cost of Living in General

From the time I started blogging, the general rising cost of living have been hitting us here in malaysia, harder and harder, with efforts to cut costs in our daily life, potential visits to restaurants and even kopitiams, have to be put off, what more visits to touristic place or even stays in Hotel. As such Food Blogging have been reduced, Holiday Tourist Blogging have to be curtail, it is time to reexamine the direction of my blogging.

• Retirement

At 46, I do have to make plans for retirement. I have all this while been working in the Service (Hospitality) Industry specializing in Food and Beverage, While it has been rewarding, I manage to earn a living for me & my family, It have not reward me in terms of wealthy especially for my retirement.

Sadly this is true with most worker in this industry, as we start with a very small basic, and depend on points (derive as the 10% service tax and does not have a retirement epf deduction) to make it up to a living wage. Our entire salary (inclusive points and tips) is taxable, but only the basic have a EPF deduction that both the employee and the employer have to pay.

Oh I am luckier then most as I manage to work my way up to management position where I only get a better basic pay but no points nor tips, but even then with close to 35 years working, by 55 I will only have around 300K in my Epf, I hardly able to sustain myself and my wife for 15 more years (say I knock off at 70) that is without further emergencies.

It look like I have to continue working till 60 or even 65, if some one still wants me or try to open a small business, in order to sustain my self. Which is what me and my wife is trying to figure out, and to see if my blogging can be adjusted to assist in my retirement.

• Car Problems

For the past few month car repairs have been taking priority,

My Car for the past 10 years seems to have a black hole in the engine consuming engine oil. After Service Any Engine oil will start disappearing after 1000k to 2000k, or one month. Esso / Mobile Engine oil will last for around 2 months. No Smoke from the Exhaust either, From Newspaper Advice to Mechanic Advice, I have change my engine valve seals (twice) and the piston rings (trice) but no mechanic is able to work out this problems. My last Mechanic advice me to change the engine (but no guarantees).

From the beginning of the year, my car have been testing my patience as well as my wallet, First, the mid engine gasket started leaking, then then fuel line ruptured, then it was the gear oil next, the breaks and shock absorbers (all4) have to be replace. Then came the tires. Well it all done now, hopefully and touch wood that it will last for some time before some thing else come. The good news is finally with this new Car Dr, the black oil problem have been fix and he some how manage to make my car more economical on top of it. A Tankful now last me up to 500km, instead of my usual 420km....... Could it be the Amoil engine oil he recommended or some of the extra gadget (relay) he plug in to my aircon?

• Work Issuers

I wont be discussing that here

• New Net Book

I just purchase a New Net Book a Branded one, more on this later

• New Credit Card

With all the rising cost, A Credit Card may not be a good idea, but then the need to have a emergency cash/money/payment method has overriding priority.

• Camera

My Fuji Pine Pix S700 flash cannot pop up any more, a visit to the camera shop say go to fuji for repairs and a e mail to fuji tech center in malaysia got no reply even after 2 weeks. Sad.

As Mention above, I will still be blogging, but in a different manner, this blog will be more on the technical, my rants, my outlook in life, movies and show I watch, software, apps and gadgets I use with Penang Food and Penang Tourism posting will take a step back and publish in New Blogs (to be decided later)

This is Penang - Introduction

This is Penang (tag) will be a series of photo essay showcasing Penang, Pearl of the Orient, Its Life, Its Food, Its Building, Its heritage from the eye of a Penangite.....

K.O.M.T.A.R Tower
Penang Tallest Building, Brain Child of Gerakan President and Penang 2nd Chief Minister Dr Lim Chong Eu. this tower houses the Penang State Goverment Office.

Mini Park at City Center, KOMTAR

Depavali Decoration at GAMA Supermarket

Moving House Again

@snapshots

My family will be moving from our current rented house to another rented house around 150 meters away, as my current rented house is due to be sold. Not much choice for housing in this area, however we manage to find a house that is in better condition than the current one, however at a higher monthly rental.

So this month will be busy at home packing and busy at work as well. I manage to get a couple of days off and have got a lorry and a paid a few person to move my things. An Electrician to reinstall my water heater and fan. To Install a new TV aerial. Hopefully I can reorganise my barang barang, and will be getting a few items to improve my house interior decorations, with some new furniture and putting up some of my photographs.

Frankly I am bored with all the moving in my life, My family move house 5 time before I was 18, (5 primary and secondary schools) as my father was a government officer, then in Europe while taking my course I have to move 6 times, due to my training, and during my working life, I have move to 6 different towns in 18 years due to job changes. (This is the first time I have to move house is not due to a change of Job) . The Last few moves have been a hassle, due to the increase in family members, and more thing to arrange like schools. After I got married and got a New Job, I just use my car, now at this stage in life I need a 10 ton lorry.

I would say that moving is the nature of my job, my career path so to speak, to move up, you have to seek opportunities out there, as there are very little opportunity in house in most places, or much much slower, There were practically no in-house training to speak off at the places I work at, actually it is me that have to give training to the staffs .

Especially at High Management Levels, when employed in this Hospitality industry, you are under “contract” for a period of time, which may or may not be renewed. And as you reach this area, there will be lesser job in the town/city you are in so, when your contract end and its not renewed, to get a job you have to move else where or even out of the country.

My History

I am born in Penang, brought up for the next 13 years in Perak (2 towns) and Kedah, and Return to Penang, and was place into my father’s alma mater, I was there for the next 5 years, and I went for my Diploma in Switzerland (Hospitality Studies), How I wish there were internet, wifi, blogging, digital camera, PDA, GPS those years as what adventures I want through will have filled up many pages in my blog, in my student life, my travels, study visits, training, the antics by my school mates in those 3 fun filled years.

On arriving back in Malaysia at 21 years old, I have been working in Restaurants and 2 star to 5 star Hotels, In Singapore, In Langkawi, In KL, In Cameron Highlands, In Kedah, but mainly in Penang. It has been a rough ride with many up and downs. While fulfilling, if I have known what I was in for, I definitely would not have chosen the Hospitality trade. Its long hours, mediocre pay, bad retirement benefits (EPF on basic salary only), Job hopping is a must, to get anywhere (I am in my 13^th Job in 20 years), poor social life is extremely frustrating and annoying. Business is not stable; consequently your Job is also not stable.

My Family

I am married, My wife is now a house wife, she was formally working in the restaurant industry, we have 3 delightful and extremely mischievous daughters. As this time, the Eldest is 11 years old, Number 2 is 3, and the youngest only 1. My wife understands my long working hours, so I consider myself very lucky to marry her, though I don’t get much time with my family.

My Parents, were both Government Servants, My mom retired very early to care for me and my elder brother, My Father now retire is in his 80’s and my only Brother is trained as a engineer, never married and now, also retired. All live in the family home somewhere in Tg Bungah, Penang

My Self

I am in my 40’s, trained in the Hospitality Trade, (the service industry) back in the late 80’s, and have been working in the hotel and restaurant trade in Switzerland, Singapore and Malaysia, close to 20 years. I work, weekends, public holidays and long hours every day (a min 10 hours), Not a careers one would wish for.

I am a gadget freak, I am self taught in computers, never had a proper lesson from day 1, except for some Basic coding on an IBM Main Frame.

I love to read, Any Fiction book will do, But I love Sci Fi, War, Technology Fiction, Fantasy. I use to Patronise those 2^nd bookstores in Macalister Road and later at the Penang Bazaar (Pg Road), when I was in my teens, Now with Wifi available, I have been introduce to the world of downloads and E books.

I also love to eat, I am way overweight at around 85kg, with a tummy of 36 inches now, (use to be 40 inches at maximum). Char Koey Teow is my favourite food, I use to indulge in a minimum of 2 plates a week when I was living on the island, Now it once a month, when every I visit mom and dad with my family, Char Koey Teow out of Penang Island do not taste just like Char Koey Teow at all, except for certain rare places.

Comments Policy on this Blog

Comments will be strictly moderated. Difference in opinions, Suggestions, Alternative & Corrections will be greatly appreciated as it enhances this blog, however foul language & put me downs will not be tolerate nor will it be publish , So please watch what you write in the comments, I prefer to err on the conservative side.

Comments with commercial web links will not be published so please don’t bother, unless you ask me very nicely, I may even put up a blog post on it, so contact me first. Comment with email address especially from those seeking help, will be replied to via e mail to the email address provide and the comments will also not be publish to protect the personal information.