Season II - D Housewives!

Oh, my was I excited to read in the papers that the second season of Desperate Housewives would be aired on 8TV tomorrow!

It has been quite some time since I last watch any TV series ( nope, I don't follow Wah Lai Toi, just don't want to get drag into it EVERYDAY. :P ) . My FRIENDS had ended for quite some time. And now I finally got my DH after a long wait.

Oh, and Channel 21 will air The Constant Gardener and The March of Penguins next month! Boy oh boy, can't wait! :P

Oh, and Gubra by Yasmin, our precious local director!

Oh, and also my darling dear's birthday is coming! Looks like it is going to be an exciting April. :)

Infringement

I guess my readers would be wondering why am I taking such long 'break' for putting up an entry? ( at least, Lydia did! Thanks! ) Well, I had a tough tough week last week, really tough and I would say the toughest ever since I set up my practise.

Not due to my job per se, but relationship with my client turned sour over things I thought is trivial. It was over some marketing drawings which as an architect, it is not under our scope of work. Well, this client called and asked for my favour to prepare this set of drawings (printed) for marketing purpose. Seeing that he had 'lost' his staffs and the urgency of the job, I told x I would do it with a reimbursable charges. Agreed. After printing the materials, x accepted it with a great smile.

A week later, x called again, now asking for soft copy. Well, soft copy now? Who on earth will give a soft copy to you without charging extra for the effort put on the material? I then proceeded to tell him (over the phone) that it should be reimbursed at a different rate.

TU.................................conversation got cut off!

And that is all. I was laughing over the phone as I thought this is very silly. Having to be a professional and adult, conversation got cut off like teenagers falling in love got upset and jealous pulak! I then tried calling him to explain why i need to charge higher for soft copy but to no avail. I then pursued to call x's partner (happened to be my friend) and explained to him the situation. He accepted the view and the next thing I knew was - both of them had a quarrel and put me in a very ugly light.

I am not upset for I knew I had done something right. Afterall, the reimbursable rate that i am about to charge won't even be enough to change his car's tyre I think. But I felt horrible for I made their friendship scarred and also ours perhaps .. sigh..

Soft copy should be charged accordingly. Any work is an effort and ideas and creativity is our 'bowl of rice' and a piece of paper won't be charged much but hey, after the information and thoughts, it is of different value. That is why there is an act for copyright rights for any default of infringement. We are afterall talking bisnes here (knock knock!). Yes, friendship is one thing, that is why my charges are peanuts. So why can't they just pay for the 'peanuts' but instead started to turn around and say that I am calculative?

I felt so horrible for work starts to appear difficult. I wonder if I can survive his relentless loudness in the meeting targetting at all consultants.

Being a scorpion myself, giving up is not in the picture for now! Though it costs me headache, losing of appetite, losing sound sleep etc etc....

grrrrhhhhhhh, life!

........................................

Today, me and hubby went to our regular Indian food at PJ (near University Malaya). I guessed most people in Klang Valley would have known this restaurant by now as it was published in the Star newspaper few months ago pertaining to the right of the name of new restaurant just next door using the same name as this popular restaurant but with a Sdn.Bhd. instead.

Man oh man, same name, same colour and style for the uniform, almost the same layout and interior decor! No wonder the earlier restaurant owner got so furious and the news went spread and caught the media's attention. But hey, the name is still there! Up and clear on the signboard! Why such infringement with no action? There is a law governing the naming of company - company act. So this act can be violated and manipulated just like that? oh, pay lor, things can ALL be settled with dollar and cents...

And so, we as the patrons paid not only for the food but as we entered and left the restaurant, we could see the waiters busy pulling customers " sini, sini!.............mari sini, ah, sini sini! (here, yes, it is here! ) Quite a sight I would say. :P

x x x x

I wonder when can we ever learn the word RESPECT with the right attitude...

Sepang

Ah yes, this is a valid F1 ticket and I was there with hubby the last Sunday at Sepang! Well, I was not that a fervent fan for F1 but guess what? This is my second time to the circuit to watch the race. I only push myself to watch it again because I knew hubby would like to go watch it live ( his first ) and ok, since the tickets are free, heh, why not?

I can't recalled much of my first visit but all I could remember was the loud vrooming of the engines and of course the rules were slightly different then. And not to mention the hot scorching sun and good gracious we ( me with 2 other friends ) did bring our umbrellas. Well, some mat salleh caught 2 birds in one hand! While watching the race, they sun bathe..hehe not too bad huh?!

Well, ehh hmm, this time around it is different. We were well shaded and I bet they got a better bomoh this time around. The weather was extremely fine, no hot sun and not a single rain drop as well! Blessed are the drivers! Otherwise, it would be like as David Coulthard's quote: 'having sex in sauna!' wow wee!

Actually, I don't know much about the game except a few of the leng chai drivers and also the ever famous Schuey. I really have respect for him because he could have just quit by now as he has already proven himself a champion. It is not easy to handle the stress if ALL eyes are there to watch you hoping that you will win again (or lose terribly!). Well, it was not a Schuey or Ferrari day again in Malaysia. But heck, I knew the game better this time having my own commentator - hubby sitting right beside me. :)

Now, a few tips for those who want to visit our 5 star circuit in Sepang:

1. They don't allow outside food or drinks because they are there to slaughter you with their RM5 mineral water. RM20 hot dog with kerepek lemau.

2. Bring your own tissue paper as there are no tissue paper available in the toilet shed.

3. The toilet is always wet so girls, wear your sport shoes not sandals.

4. If possible, don't drink too much as you really don't want to visit the toilet that frequent. Sorry for our disabled friends, it is already tough for us to go down the shabby steps on the slope to reach the toilet, so i guess the designer(or whoever) forget that some disabled friends would like to catch live race too...just too sorry. *shake-head*

5. Bring your radio set and headphone. You really don't know what the commentator is saying with the loud engine blasting non stop.

6. Get at least RM500 ticket so that you could see more 'critical' points of the race, the pit stop and the monitor screen (hopefully they will maintain the screen for the next race, it is already in such bad shape!)

or you might just as well stay at home watching it with your 'free' drink, visit your clean toilet anytime you like, order your favourite pizza or savour home cook food with air con in your very own living room.

VVRRRROOOM, go F1, you are still an adrenalin pumper! Love the speed! :) So visit again the next round? Oh yes, if the tickets are free (RM500, please!) !! :P

Bridge vs Bridge

Now, it is not easy sometimes working ALONE at home. Not that I am complaining but sometimes it felt rather awkward and afterall, human beings are social animal right?

We only order Sin Chew Jit Pot on Wednesday as nowadays the newspaper (Star) has got so many things to read and of course the usual thing that i will grab in the morning is my comic section. * he he* So it would be rather wasteful to order 2 in a day while time left for reading is so little...

And so feeling lonely and rather lost yesterday, I go thru the Sin Chew rather thoroughly and caught my eyes on the Kepong MRR2 bridge comment column. For all I could recall, the bridge took a long time to complete and was utilised less than 2 years and now closed for repair (whilst just a while ago, our lovely 'Sammi' said it is safe and sound. Contradicting as always. Now, it took MYR 238 million to build the golden bridge but for all I know, our Sammi invited a Brit consultancy company to 'supervise' and 'CONsult' the repair work. I remembered watching the news on TV whereby Sammi asked the Brit guy 'So, u think this would all be wokay, safe yah?' and the Brit guy said "YEAP, it would be safe then!". From the camera, we could see some guys mending the bridge la, 'huh! plastering only?' I thought. gulp.....

According to the columnist(guess the fact should be quite true la, otherwise he could be sued, heh?), a local contractor company named Bumi Hiway would be doing the job ( guess they are the original contractor) and will be supervised by this mat salleh la. The whole repairing contract involved repair work for 18 numbers of columns and would cost around MYR 18 million borned by the Contractor. All materials needed would be transported from UK and arrived in a week's time. The contract will last for 3-4 months ( so vague one ah? but ok, repairing work could be quite tricky, ok ok)

But less than 20 days, Sammi goes a big round and make new announcement :
1. The govt has decided to terminate contract with the Brit, and paid the company a whopping MYR 5,000,000!
2. Oh, they prefer Germans instead to be the CONsultant now.
3. Not 18 numbers but 31 numbers of columns to be repaired and it would cost MYR40 million to repair now. The best is this : Govt will pay!!!!!!!
4. The contract would take 4 months, starting end of February.

Q1 : Now, why all of a sudden? Why change consultants? The govt breach the contract meh? Otherwise why pay the mat salleh RM5 million for work that is barely started? Note the materials will only arrive in 7 days' time and minus the weekends...wow, that is surely a good sum of money for 'preliminary' work eh? Better than loan shark wo!

Atok, what do you think is the percentage of fees in UK ah? So good ah? I want to go there la like that.... :(

Q2 : What happened to the 1st Contractor? What happened to the work that he is supposed to pay and complete?

Q3 : Why govt need to pay for this? And not the initial Design and Built contractor which is suppose to guarantee that the bridge is fit and safe for end users?

Q4 : Why the govt is so frequent minded? What is the agendas now? Why aren't all factors be taken into account carefully and thoroughly before making decisions?! Govt rich ma.. Don't prray prray ah!

No wonder we need to pay extra RM0.30 per litre for fuel now. Not only that, we need to pay extra RM0.30 for a bowl of noodle (wah, need a litre of fuel to transport a bowl of noodle ah? 趁火打劫 ! )

Ok, I guess I am feeling better now after letting this all out! It is already past noon and here I am actively writing my blog and heck, I am a CONsultant what?! sigh.................what a mad mad world.

Well, let's enjoy another bridge just completed else where and already open for public! It is the world's tallest bridge in France. The length of the bridge is 2460 meters. Tallest point 343meter above ground. Cost : USD377 million.



What a photogenic manmade structure, love it! mamamia!

The Empty Promise

Watched this show with hubby the other day ( at home luckily ) - The Promise. It was heavily publicised both on the papers and the bill boards in KL about a month or so ago. To those who don't know, this is a very expensive movie, a collaborations of the Asians - Chen Kai Ge (Director from China), main actor (forget his name, sorry- A Japanese), another main role - 张东健 from Korea, Cecilia Cheung from Hong Kong. Saw some clips in the theatre before and the cinematography was indeed stunning. It took 3 years to complete the project etc etc. It was one of the movies nominated for Best Foreign Movie together with The Memoirs of A Geisha in one of the recent xxx award ( just too many awards giving thingy, sanguin can only remember one - OSCAR, :) )

And I was literally bursting into tears of laughter when I watched the whole show, oh yes, I did finished watching the show. Well, I am no critics but I just have to say this though I have sheer respect for all who put in the efforts.

1. Hmmm, since when did soldiers in war put on RED armour? I thought in war, the best is to camouflage oneself? Oooo, the costumes of these armies reminds me of Chinese Opera though....and if I am not mistaken, red is a very expensive dye. So much for armies huh..??

2. Has anyone any idea or recall that the King of China likes to stand on the roof? Not just that, he also bring his concubine together with him sama-sama stand on the roof. Never know that they love to do a manhole to get up to the roof top in any of the Chinese Architecture...must do more readings on this myself.

3. See, it must have been great standing on the roof, check the picture above, even out of the palace, she still loves to stand on the roof. And the roof is with balcony too! Would love atok to comment on this if he is free...ya tok?

4. Now this is a love story. Let's do a test. U r on top of the roof in a palace, u slipped and now hanging onto the roof eaves like a bat, lucky u somebody riding on a horse with full mask came to your rescue, end of the story.
A. You thanked him
B. You hugged him and kissed him, a gesture of appreciation
C. You immediately fell in love with him, elope and make out right away.... :P
D. Get to know him better, become friends and later fell in love, live happily ever after...

Oh yes, the answer is C for the concubine. Wow, even Jack and Rose did know a bit of each other before 'You jump, I jump!'. Wah Liao eh? Sure or not!

5. Now, what is the punishment do u think it would be like in China for assasinating your King?
~Beheaded..I guess hor?

Now, u r an entrusted General, knowing the law, u killed the King! Guess what is your punishment?
~Congratulations! You win a trip down to a resort to stay with the King's beloved Concubine. :P. This resort got nice blinds and it is very scenic wo! Fantastic, somemore got stream right in front of the chalet. No disturbance one, I guess the cleaner only creep in once in a while to clean up a bit of the mess la...and, u don't have to bring any luggage one, we got baju like u know, a bit like the Japanese yofu (simple kimono) for your daily usage la..not bad ler, all these are FOC!

6. I still recall that the cubical in the Silence of the Lamb is rather a complete cubical for Sir Anthony Hopkins, with proper bed, a wc also a chair or something. But in this case, they caged in the concubine in a big huge golden bird cage. Empty see thru type with a staircase. No wc, no bed nothing....err maybe I missed out that the staircase actually leads to a waterbed upstairs? with a flush down wc and a complete sewer line? ke ke ke

7. Oh, there was a human kind in the movie whom can run very very very very fast. They perhaps are related to Doraemon. But somehow in the beginning of the show, they are tired I think, they prefer to ride on a horse though the horse is slow but I guess in that way, he will be in a stylo mylo way when doing the stunt of rescueing the concubine ma! *shake head*

8. Best script of the year :

" General, we missed u! " (armies talking to the general after he eloped with the concubine)

" Without u, we are like children without parents!" ( what the ? :O )

and lots more, care to find out yourselves?

Well, I guess they should be nominated in the Catogory of Best Comedy or the Best Animation ...no joke!

At least, I like the 神. With the help of the special effects, she got a ring constantly circling on her gravity-defying-hair and also a chiffon 'shawl' like 嫦娥 ~ for those who don't know her, wait till the mooncake festival, u will see her on the plastic bag.

Sheer laughter, worth watching if you missed your Friends or Everybody loves Raymond for your piece of laughter of the day. :)

Words of the Angels

Just last Sunday, I called up Alex to say hi. He said he was about to call me as well (sure ah?). I then invited him over for dinner at Blinka's kitchen. Set, it was on Monday.

We invited Tengki over as well and we had wonderful time together. Chat and laughed away with Alex latest Fitness First romantic affairs. ke ke ke.....

Tengki then mentioned about my blog and about Dato's house. He was impressed with it and suggested that I should join the latest PAM's ( Persatuan Akitek Malaysia ) design competition. I was really flattered. :)

And today, I met another long lost friend Zamri, a 3D-perspective renderer over some job. He mentioned about the same bungalow as well. He saw some pictures kept in my previous office and he was impressed to see the finished job. ( He was the one who did the 3D rendering for us last time for the same bungalow, see below) Lagi-lagi pulak, he said he likes my design so far. Modern, boxy and nice. Wow! That is really really an encouragement for an amateur like me!

Competitions? I am not even sure I will join ( or aligible?) but for sure, all these angelic encouragement will be here to stay and will keep me steady in wading thru this line which is dominated by male counterparts!

Oooo, isn't life's like that? *blink-blink* When u r down, these angels will be there to lift u up! So sweet! :)



Above are Zamri's perspective rendering when How's bungalow was still on paper...Not much of change from the 'before' to the 'after' thanks to How for being such an accomodating client! :)