Monday, June 09, 2014

What does quality of life mean to you?

As someone who had moved from KL to Batu Gajah since 1995, having a decent house to live in and a clear passage (without cars parked haphazardly) leading to the house count as well. How many of the average houses or condominiums in KL or PJ can have the 'luxury' of clear passage almost daily? Anything that can reduce stress is important to me, and that includes no traffic jams and less chances of meeting obnoxious drivers and bikers. With less vehicles on the road, the air is comparatively cleaner in small towns too.

Tricia Yeoh's 'Push for a better quality of life' in The Sun certainly has a comprehensive list worthy of our government's attention.

http://www.thesundaily.my/node/255223

Even though I used to live in KL, having lived in a small town for so many years, and especially being a senior now, every simple errand seems a task.

Tasked with 2 parcels to send to Dubai, I had to consider whether to send them at a post office in PJ or in Batu Gajah. It was supposed to have been sent from KLIA when we sent off daughter, but Saturday was a public holiday. To take them back to BG seems silly, knowing that the parcels will have to go back to KLIA. Moreover, the idea of carting the two heavy boxes up the stairs of BG post office put me off.

The idea of posting them from the post office in Section 14, PJ means having to deal with finding a parking space near to it. Even though I knew post office opens at 8.30 am, I was there at 8.00 hoping to find a space. Believe me, having waited half an hour, none of those cars moved! But there was one vacant space next to the corner shop behind the post office, but with a cone indicating it has been reserved. But by who? Knowing that it was likely being reserved by a selfish hawker, I was not in the mood to find out whether he has the right to do so. I was more concerned with getting the job done. So I approached the regular newspaper man who sells newspapers at the same spot almost daily, about the reserved lot. He said it was being reserved by the guy who sells fruits but he won't be in so early. I told him about my fear that if I were to occupy it, he might do something to my car. He replied that 'we won't do such a thing'. So I moved the cone aside and parked my car so that I can carry the two boxes. While doing so, I asked the cleaner outside the post office whether it is open and seeing me with the boxes, she even opened the glass door for me. Next, I was relieved to see a pleasant young Malay lady manning the parcels counter. I was given two forms to fill in details of sender and intended recipient before the boxes were weighed to work out the charges. The charge for the first box was Rm225 and the second was Rm265! I had with me just over Rm400. Fortunately, Maybank is just across the road and I could use the ATM to withdraw some cash. Even this, I had anxious moments when the first ATM took a long while because it did not have sufficient cash!

Back in BG, when I checked my ATM slips, the most recent informed me that I had already made 4 free withdrawals in June and the next one will be chargeable. But besides what I thought were only 3 withdrawals, what made me worried was what appeared to be a missing Rm500! Could it have been a mistake when the machine showed it was out of order, and cash was dished out after I left it? A quick online check of my M2U account showed a reversal of Rm500 (because of the failed attempt) but which was shown as deducted (according to the balance) on the slip of my subsequent attempt. Thank goodness for that!

Link

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