Of Old Age and Forgetting...

I am 75 + years old. It is normal for folks of my age to forget things. So to be on the safe side I tried to remember wherever I leave or put things but in reality it not always that possible. Many times when I left something like my glasses to go and have a shower. After the shower I would be looking around for those glasses. It happened with other items too. You just forget the instance you put it down. Had it be in the house it is all right, you can always take times to look around but what if it happens outside the home, it going to be a nightmare looking for it. In this posting I am going to related what happened to me just a few weeks ago [January 21, 2015]. As usual after all the bills had arrived I would go to the nearest payment places at Ampang Point to makes payment. I never like to keep bills and makes payment at the last moment to ensure a smooth living. On that particular day I went to Ampang Point to make payment. First I went to the Bank nearby to get some cash for making all the payments. I then went first to make the first payment of an Astro bill at the Maxis shop there. After that went to makes payment at the Telecom Point nearby where bills could be paid using the Machine there. Before doing that I went into the building and sit on the bench to get the relevant bills to pay there. I took out an envelope that contains all the bills to be paid that day and from the envelope took out three bills to be paid at the Machine here. Normally I would ask the staff there to help to make payment using the Machine so as not to makes mistake keying the relevant numbers of the bills. The staff there all the time would help me. So for today I approach the counter and ask them for help as usual but this time instead of helping me to make payment using the Machine the staff says she would give me a number and that I could make all the payment manually at the counter. My number was call-up and I went to make payment. It was done in mere minutes. I thanks the cashier and immediately left the building to make payment of another batch of bills that could only be paid at the Post Office at the Ampang Point mall. I took a slow walk and went to the Post Office there. Took a number and while waiting I look for the six bills to be paid there and found to my dismay it was missing. I decided to trace where I had left the missing envelope with the six bills. Inside the envelope were only bills and no cash so I was not that worry but still had to find it so that I could settle it that day.  Although I was not that well that day I still take the time to look everywhere. I went and ask at all the places that I had stop whether they had seen the envelope with the bills inside it but at every place I was told they had not. Had they seen it they would have kept it so that when the owner came back it would be returned. I continue to think and trace. I believe I had left the envelope on the bench at the Telecom Point since it was there I took the envelope out of my sling bag and from the envelope I took out three bills and pay it manually at the counter. After paying I then left the building and move toward the Ampang Point mall where the Post Office is without realising that I had left the envelope with the rest of the bills on the bench there. it was only at the Post Office that I realised the envelope with the six bills was missing. After exhausting all means of finding that envelope I went home and start thinking of how to get copies of the missing bills and get it paid later. There is no use fretting about this as at this age forgetting in mere seconds could happen. So as not to get depressed I forget about it and move on. Well folks at this age forgetting things have become a norm so it is wise to be just extra careful of things that one carry especially when going out. Ageing is like that and we have to take it as a fact of life and move on. 

Have a nice day.

You Made My Day...

Paying bills has been a monthly ritual. As soon as all the bills arrived I would go and pay it manually either at the Telecom shop or the Post office. To date I have not learned to pay bills Online. The reason I decided not to pay my bills Online and do it manually is that I would have to go out, drive and walk, window shop and meet people rather than just staying at home. At this age that is the best thing to do and it does keep me healthy too. In the past I would pay all the bills at the Telecom Point at Ampang Point but with effect from January this year the Telecom Point no longer accept Water and Astro bills but the Post Office accept all the bills. So from now henceforth I would pay all my bills at the Post Office. Just before 3pm this Tuesday afternoon I went to the Ampang Point Post Office to pay the bills. First I went to the basement to park my car and found it full with people waiting to find a vacant lot. I just decide to just move on and without much ado found one vacant space that no one seem to want to take. In fact there was a car waiting for another car to move out and does not care for the vacant lot nearby. I drive on and park my car at that vacant lot then went up the mall and walk straight to the Post Office on the first floor. Entering the Post Office I saw a large crowd but since I had the time I went to take a number. The number slip shows that I had to wait for at least half an hour before my number is called. I thought it all right since I had all the times in the world to wait and went to look for a seat to wait. But before I could do that a stranger hand me a number slip that show an earlier number as the one I got. I took it and thank him; I then give my number slip to another stranger and then wait. Just as I was about to take a seat my number was call. I went to the counter and paid all the bills. It looks like this is indeed my day. Everything went so smooth, from getting the parking space with ease and been offered an earlier number by a total stranger to pay the bills. Had it not been for all the happening during that last few minutes it would have taken me hours before getting all the bills paid. Instead all [parking and paying the bills] was done in record time of less than 15 minutes; a wonderful happening indeed. 

Have a nice day.

The Curry soup Yong Towfoo...

It was a beautiful Sunday in February. We decided to go for lunch at the Pavilion. I drove the Honda and park it at the basement and move on toward the main concourse of the mall. Although it was still early the place was already thronging with folks coming to enjoy their weekend in the cool comfort of the mall.  As it was early we decided to just do a little shopping at the Little Japan on the top floor. There were many people there too. We did a little shopping at the Daiso where everything there are sold at RM5.00 each and then move on to have lunch at the Food-court down below. Here too we saw folks queuing to buy their lunch. After browsing along we decided to go for the Yong Towfoo. It a self-serving joint where one selects the many spread of things Towfoo and then get the soup put in by the caterer. We ordered two bowls with the plain soup; the usual one we often ordered. After paying for it I waited while my spouse went to look for table to sit. The caterer place one bowl with plain soup on the tray and then I saw they put a curry soup on the other bowl which I did not ask. I told them that I had ordered plain soup for the two bowls. Realising their mistake they apologised.  In that few seconds I though why not I just take the bowl with the curry soup and not to make a fuss of it. I told them so and that made them happy.  Had I not taken it and adamant in getting the one with the plain soup they would surely incurred a lost but by my split seconds decision not to make a fuss of it and take it anyway did save the situation making it a sort of a win win situation of sorts for both parties. I took the two bowls and sat to enjoy it; my spouse the one with the plain soup and I the one with the curry soup.  I soon found the one with the curry soup that I am enjoying taste really go. I did not expect it to taste that good and for that I did enjoy that lunch. Had it not been for the mistake at the outlet I would not have known that the Yong Towfoo with the curry soup taste better than the plain one. Well it looks like a small incident like this and the split decision one made not only save the day at the outlet but it actually give one a new experience of tasting the Yong Towfoo in the curry soup. Well we can never tell the unexpected could turn out to be a beautiful experience in one's life.  

Have a nice day.

Beautiful People Beautiful Moments.

December 24, 2014 a day before Christmas I had decided to meet a Facebook friend whom I had only known in the virtual world. I always look forward to the day when I could meet some of my virtual friends in the physical world. It always nice to meet in the physical world the person that one had share thoughts and banter with from time to time in the virtual world. Facebook give us the opportunity to make friends in the virtual world thus a meeting in the psychical world would complete the friendships. Before Facebook, Bloggers would meet in the physical world over lunch or coffee. I love to meet those smart folks who could articulate well on issues been posted from time to time on Facebook. On that Wednesday I got the opportunity to meet one such person from the northern state of Kedah. She was on the way back from a holiday in Turkey and made a stopover for a few days in KL before going back to her home of Sungei Petani on Christmas Day. Earlier on the wall of her Facebook she posted that she was at Kinokuniya in KL  Knowing that she was in KL I send her a note asking whether she would like to meet. She replied that she would love to. So we decided to meet at the KLCC, a place that is easier to meet. So at eleven in the morning on December 24 we met. Since we were strangers and had only met  in the virtual world  I told her to meet me in front of the Cashier counter of the Kinokuniya book store and then would go for coffee at the Coffee Club on the mezzanine floor. The Coffee Club at Kinokuniya is a place where I would meet friends and strangers for coffee or a snack from time to time. While waiting there for her to arrive I notice an odd looking person at the Cashier counter. Read the full episode of the happening here [ I blog about this here ] Soon that stranger [Adrina Omar] arrived,  we shake hand  and left to have coffee  at the Coffee Club at the Mezzanine floor above. We  ordered hot drinks and snack. Found a nice table and sat down to chat. Since this was the first time we met face to face in the physical world there was plenty to talk about. While in the midst of the chat a familiar face [Shakirah Zain] a Blogger/Facebook friend suddenly appears smiling, a certain smile, a happy looks. I was surprised indeed to see her in that moment in time. She was with her daughter. We shake hands and I introduce her to the stranger who was with me then. She then told her daughter to take the next table and continue to chat with us for a while. I was sort of mesmerized with that beautiful scene been played in front of me in that moment in time. After a while she left and joint her daughter to enjoy their brunch. With that my new friend and I continue to chat on various subjects that comes to our minds. Adrina is loaded with knowledge and it made discussing history and current happening in the country lively. Shakirah an Accountant turns professional translator despite been a single parent handles her situation raising the kids on her own very well indeed.  Both women have  beautiful minds of their own and I always love to share thoughts and banter with such people. It does enrich my mind too.  I had completely forgotten about the happening at the Cashier's counter earlier before we when up for that coffee. It not always that one gets to be part of such happenings in one location in one day. Perhaps this is what Carl Jung said synchronicity!


Have a nice day.

The Happening..

Let me beginning this New Year with this beautiful story. It was a day before Christmas and I was waiting for a friend to arrive in front of the payment counter at the Kinokuniya book store at the KLCC. It was just after eleven in the morning and yet the counter was already thronging with folks queuing to pay for their purchases. While waiting I notice the queue was getting longer. In fact it had stalled while the one at the second cashier was running smoothly. I was wondering why. I took a second look and saw what look like a strange person trying to make his payment and the cashier seem to have some problems.  That person look odd; he dress funny in a two tone black trouser and brown shirt, the like of an Elf, that is not normally worn by folks here. It could be sort of a fashion dress of his own and rather shabbily dressed. I notice on his head or neck there is a growth protruding like some tumour. I believe others noticed that too. I look and saw that he does not look real in the row of people queuing for making payment.  He looks out of place from the rest; sort of weird.  He was standing right in front of the first cashier and making payment for a book with a RM50 note that look old and crumple. The young cashier was telling him that she could not accept the note but I believe he insisted on paying with that note; most probably he did not have any other. Soon the process of payment at the first cashier stalled and the queue became longer as the cashier was trying to find a way to solve this problem. She went to make a call perhaps to her boss while the second cashier was attending to the other queue. At that moment in time my intuition was telling me to do something to save the situation of becoming an embarrassment. In those split seconds I decided I could help. I then went to the counter and ask the second cashier how much the cost is. She looks at the monitor and said it RM30.00. I told her that I would help and ask the first cashier who was holding the crumple note to see me at the end of the counter.  She came over and shows me the old spoiled RM50 note. I gave her my RM50.00 and told her to settle the matter and that I am happy to help and I left the counter. With my friend who had arrived just minutes earlier we move on taking the stairway to the Coffee club at the mezzanine floor above and sat there to chat over coffee and later lunch. Since it was sort of a meeting of two strangers meeting for the first time the chat went on for almost four hours. I had completely forgotten about the happening at the cashier's counter that day not until I got home that evening while watching the TV. Anyway I was happy I did what I did; life is beautiful indeed.

Have a nice day.

The Plane and the Moon...

It was a beautiful Saturday morning November 15 and I was about to go out when looking at the sky I saw the trail of a plane passing by and on the other side I saw a half moon. It was a fascinating sight to watch at this early morning. Plane passes by daily at this part of the country en route to its destinations. In a split of seconds I thought that I should take a photo of both images but my DSLR with the telephoto lens was in the house and it would take a while to get the camera. As the plane was travelling fast it would just passed by in mere seconds. So I did not want to take a chance of missing this  golden opportunity to get such a shot. I had we me the new Nokia Lumia 735 with a better camera but had not used it to take distance objects. Anyway I thought I had to try. I aim the tiny camera to the sky and took two shots before plane went out of sight. I take a look at the viewing screen on the phone and saw the tiny image on one of the shot. I then edit it so as to get a closer look. I did it; I got both the plane with its white Wake trail and the moon. I was delighted to have got such a shot. I then posted in on Facebook for all to see and enjoy that moment in time. Here is that wonderful shot.

Have a nice day.

Stranger No More...

It was a beautiful Friday October 31st. My spouse had gone for a short holiday to Bandung, Indonesia with our daughter Lin. Alone I decided to go for lunch at the KLCC. I drove the Honda and parked the car at the usual level of the parking area and went up to have lunch at the Food Court there. I would always try to park my car at the same level and if possible at the same parking lot. It made it easier to find the car when leaving the place. To avoid the lunch time rush I decided to have an early lunch. Order an Ayam Penyek [Rice with Chicken] and sat down at one of the table facing the pool and enjoy my lunch. After that I went up to the book-store Kinokuniya upstairs and bought a few books there; then while my times window-shop in the mall. I felt I need coffee and look for a place to enjoy a good cup of brewed coffee. I soon found most of the coffee outlets were packed with people enjoying their coffee after lunch. I was desperate for a good cup of coffee and continue to look around for empty seat to enjoy my coffee but to no avail. I then try a new outlet that I had not been before. I saw an empty chair in front of someone and ask whether the seat is occupied. He reply with a no and said I may take it. Happy I sat down. Leave my bag there and order my coffee. We soon got into talking and in the process became friend....Stranger no more. He was having coffee while waiting for his daughter to finish shopping. He said that he is a businessman based in Brunei and frequent Kuala Lumpur too. His other half is in New Zealand with their son who is studying there. We chat on various topics that come to our minds while enjoying our coffee. It turn out to be a very beautiful meeting of two strangers in a cosy coffee outlet call the 8 ounce Coffee; in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's premier mall the KLCC.

While in the midst of the chat his daughter came and we continue to chat. I then ask her to take a picture of us using my cell phone. They then do the same with their thus we have pictures of all of us as seen in this posting. 

Have a nice day.