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it was all over in 2 mins.
dropped by the little-known post office at the shopping mall this afternoon. it was opened this year & not many shoppers know of its existence as it occupies a quiet corner on the 1st floor. took the money order form from the counter, filled in the personal details, didn't even have to queue as there wasn't one, & within seconds of checking my IC with the computer screen, i have RM625 in my hands.it's not a lot & yet it's a lot.it's not a lot because it only subsidizes to the tune of RM52 a month, or just 19 lit of petrol at today's price, which doesn't take you far but every little bit helps.yet, it's a lot because i've never in my dear life ever, ever made that amount of money in just 2 mins. just for filling a form & giving a thumb print.
so, should i be dissatisfied, or grateful to the govt's "kind gesture"?
my handphone rang while at work this afternoon. the ringtone was Canon in D & the caller was "home".the boy: hello, papa!
me: hello.boy: how are you?
i'm touched. he's never asked this before.me: i'm fine, thanks. anything?
boy: when are you coming home?
me: after work.boy: ok, got something for you.
me: ok, see you later.
boy: bye!
just one reason why it's great to be a parent.
Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him. psalms 127:3
after the movie yesterday, we had to pass the supermart on the way to the car park. it's like a recurring scene - expansive well-lit space, items neatly laid out & cashiers smiling albeit looking bored.. it's almost picture-perfect.except that there were few shoppers (browsers?) & absolutely no paying customers.that's not great news considering that this is the anchor tenant for the shopping mall. the locals are not surprised though. many had prophetically said that this mall has bad feng shui - something about the water cannons aimed outwardly. this is a far cry from the time it was opened to great fanfare 10 years ago. Carrefour was the 1st anchor tenant but it folded 3 years later. it was taken over by The Store, only to suffer the same fate years later.and now, Cold Storage aims to buck the trend. the car park may be nearly full but i suspect these are largely patrons of the cinema & games arcade. i doubt if the locals are going to buy groceries at those mont-kiara prices. besides, there are only a few expatriates in the area.
ironically, jusco which operates just across the road has doubled its floor space over the years & is doing a roaring business.
in medic-speak, i think the prognosis is grave & i give it 6 months, tops, before it goes belly-up.
took the boy to see Kung Fu Panda this evening. it was a weekday & there weren't many in the theatre. we were seated a good 15 mins before the movie was due to screen but the boy was restless. he started walking up & down the aisle, as if exploring for better seats & as if playing a game by himself.as i observed him, his antics made me realise that i was exactly like him at this age. i remembered when my parents took me to movies, i wouldn't sit still & even after the movie had started i would wonder around in the dark. a few times i couldn't retrace my steps & was "lost". i recalled having to sit at the side stairways till my father came looking for me.which is why i didn't restrain nor rebuke the boy. after all, he's just a chip off the old block.but he did remain seated throughout the movie.
that's the number displayed on my car's odometer. as of today, i've driven just over 100k km in my faithful 7-yr-old set of wheels. yeah, it's been to the workshop a few times outside of the usual service schedule for minor repairs, but by & large, it has been an extremely reliable work-horse.in a way, i'm rather pleased because i've never previously owned a car that has travelled that distance. that is not to say i've been changing cars in the same frequency as some youngsters change handphones. far from it, as i have neither the resources nor the inclination to indulge in that luxury. with some exceptions, i would say that if you take good care of your car, including driving it responsibly, it should serve you well. the same goes for my 5-yr-old nokia.
other than the occasional glitches, i've no reason to upgrade it, although i did cast more than a casual glance at the very eye-catching 6300 launched last year.that's why i can't really understand why my dear teen-aged daughter keeps bringing up the subject of changing her 2-yr-old still-functional phone to a more fashionable model - a nokia Express Music, i think it's called.
didn't we teach her the value of things & that we shouldn't be wasteful? now with the impending increase in fuel prices, the cost of living will no doubt escalate. which for me, means that the LCD TV & dSLR will have to wait indefinitely. everything will be gauged in its perspective & will have to go the full distance. suddenly, the idea of keeping the car for another 100k km doesn't sound outrageous anymore.
perhaps paul's encouragement to persevere & remain faithful is lost on her? or maybe she's just facing peer pressure?I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2Tim 4:7
