Going wireless is not nessarily hasslefree

I know going wireless is something 'so passe' to most people. But for me, even with a router, I had been using cabled connection because its wireless function wasn't working and I had been putting up with it, until Stuart came along and wanted to use his netbook and iTouch. He was even more frustrated when my printer could not be used because the cartridge which came with it was detected as not genuine, though I had used it without problems before. Fortunately, our local photoshop has facilities for printing from pendrive content, which he needed urgently to print his boarding pass. It is one thing for me to put up with things, quite a different matter when friends or relatives wanted to use certain facilities which are taken for granted as being available in a modern home.

Last Saturday, I got a really pleasant surprise when I was presented with a new Asus notebook with wireless keyboard and mouse, as an early birthday present from my three children, with instruction to throw away all my old stuff and wires from my desktop! My wife was not left out, when she too was given an iPad as a belated Mother's Day present! The fact that it was a combined effort from them tells a lot of our relationships with them. Both daughters came back separately from Maastricht and Dubai, to help in preparation for their brother's wedding event and related functions. Both left on October 9: Cheng at 3.10 am and CY at 7.20 pm. We still try to be present on their arrivals and departures at KLIA, whenever possible, but CY's frequent trips during her company training required frequent use of airport taxis.

When we reached home in BG, my first task was to get the router's wireless function working. I tried myself without success and had to take it to the local computer shop. Ah Lam sorted out the router setting but the new notebook did not show wireless available. Fortunately, he found out it was due to a button which had accidentally disabled it. Then he found out that the adapter plug was damaged. I said I wanted a new one but he said the problem was because there are no new ones available as it comes with the router. He could not find an old one, so I was left to use it whenever possible until I find a replacement. I must say Mytec's Ah Lam in BG had been providing me with excellent followup service since I bought a couple of routers from him.
Link

Signposting in Malaysia still sucks

We were with our old friends from Leeds and promised to send them to Tune Hotel, near LCCT. Since we would be around KL, we were all invited to my son's second reception for his friends at the Italian restaurant Ciao. Many years ago, I had been to their old premises next to RHB building on Jalan Tun Razak, for lunch with one of their owners, James Khor who happened to be our lawyer for our housing projects and an eviction case. But I had never been to their new premises near the road entrance to Kg. Pandan. So I had to rely on Beng's description of how to get there. What I heard was 'after the round about...' which turned out to be the beginning of Maju Expressway, the way we came from Tune Hotel, after much trouble because of poor signposting. He had also suggested that we take that way to KLIA when sending off Cheng who was MC, after the dinner (her luggage was already in the car). The way from there to LCCT to drop off Stuart and Sarah, and then to KLIA, we had no problems with the signposting.

I challenge any one without (Satnav), who used the Maju Expressway (E20) for the first time, from LCCT to get to Jalan Tun Razak in KL, who can claim that he or she could rely on the signposting along the way. I was not alone. I even asked Stuart and Sarah for their opinions when faced with ambiguous and misleading road signs. Right from the beginning near LCCT, there were signs for Maju Expressway and Jalan Tun Razak! Yet when we came to a place where there were signs to Cyberjaya or Putrajaya, there were no mention. So it was, with Murphy's Law at work, we chose Putrajaya and ended up in Putrajaya of course! Here, for aesthetic rather than convenience, there were practically no U-turns and if you made a mistake, it meant going round the humongous roundabout! Anyway, relying on signs to KL, we ended up going into one Ayer Hitam tolled expressway. It was humiliating, while in the presence of foreign visitors that we Malaysians had to ask our way a few times to get back to KL!

I managed to get back to KL and used my past knowledge of old routes within to get through Jalan Raja Chulan, past Pavilion, towards Jalan Tun Razak and then towards Kg. Pandan roundabout. But just a mistake past the first turn into Kg. Pandan and into Maju Expressway, we were told at the toll plaza that there was no U-turn until Bukit Jalil! Even at that exchange, it was not a simple 'turn left to join a little roundabout and get back in the direction you came from'. It was a turn to get to a sports stadium and we had to rely on a guess to get it right, feeling doubtful for a few kilometres before we could tell whether it was a correct one!

We arrived around 9 pm, having missed Cheng's presentation and eating cold foods. I happened to be the host's father and I arrived late after driving from BG to KL, PJ to LCCT andback to KL, went round in circles in some unknown roads in the dark before I could find it.

The day before too I had been driving most times, taking Stuart and Sarah round, to Kuala Sepetang for a visit to a big charcoal factory and then dinner. We continued our chat after dinner (before the restaurant got crowded) to while away time for a visit to Kg. Dew to watch fireflies. I shall be writing on those two places later.

I forgot to mention Stuart told us about a Dutch lady they met while in Pulau Perhentian. She was in KLIA looking for LCCT. Nobody she asked could tell her how to get there and she got the impression it was just next to KLIA! She missed her flight as a result. On our way from PJ to Tune Hotel near LCCT, I pointed out to him that while on the common route to KLIA/LCCT, not even one sign showing KLIA has LCCT next to or below it. Had there been proper signs, they would certainly reassure travellers that they are on the right track. Even the first sign showing the exit from the highway to LCCT was in Bahasa style: 'Terminal LCC', why not the better known 'LCCT'?
Link

MBI ought to be ashamed of Medan Gopeng Bus Terminal

We were supposed to pick up our old friends from Leeds, Stuart Hirst and his wife Sarah (both retired lecturers of Leeds Metropolitan University), from Medan Gopeng at 1.15am early this morning. We arrived half an hour early and looked for them, having experienced before a bus from Singapore which was more than an hour earlier than scheduled.

We waited in the waiting area of the half-lit and rundown bus terminal. Both inside and out, the atmosphere was fairly dark and gloomy. No parking along the road exit was lined with big stones to prevent cars from parking, so crude and unsightly and pedestrians could even trip over them. It was a disgrace even by our Malaysian standard, eg. as compared with Batu Gajah's underused one. I know there is going to be a new bus terminal at the new development area in Jelapang and Medan Kidd is going to be improved upon too. But isn't maintenance of any existing bus terminal a priority regardless of whether there is going to be a move to another place? The impression I get is that it will be used in the current shameful state until the new terminal is ready!

Anyway, fortunately Stuart sensed the place they were dropped (actually a make-shift taxi stand) along Jalan Gopeng could not be the Medan Gopeng bus terminal and he walked 500 metres to it looking for us! Apparently, Yoyo the bus operator serving between Ipoh and KLIA /LCCT does not have the right to go into the terminal, which was why they had to drop off passengers along the main road.

Within a short period, this was the second time we had difficulty when dealing with foreign tourists arriving in Ipoh by coach. Earlier, Cheng's Brazilian friend who came from Singapore mentioned he will be getting off at Gopeng. How was he to know that the name could confuse us as to whether he meant Gopeng town or Medan Gopeng bus terminal? My wife and Cheng actually went to Gopeng town first to make sure he wasn't there before going to Medan Gopeng! Last night's confusion was due to our not knowing the actual drop-off point of Yoyo. Let this be a lesson to those with similar arrangement with foreign tourists or even local visitors from out of town.
Link

What is Beer to 7-year olds?

A number of 7 year old children were asked what they thought of beer:

'I think beer must be good. My dad says the more beer he drinks the prettier my mum gets.'
- Tim, 7 years old;

'Beer makes my dad sleepy and we get to watch what we want on television when he is asleep, so beer is nice.' - Melanie, 7 years old;

'My Mum and Dad both like beer. My Mum gets funny when she drinks it and takes her top off at parties, but Dad doesn't think this is very funny.' - Grady, 7 years old;

''My Mum and Dad talk funny when they drink beer and the more they drink the more they give kisses to each other, which is a good thing.' - Toby, 7 years old;

'My Dad gets funny on beer. He is funny. He also wets his pants sometimes, so he shouldn't have too much. - Sarah, 7 years old;

'My Dad loves beer. The more he drinks, the better he dances. One time he danced right into the pool.' - Lily, 7 years old;

'I don't like beer very much. Every time Dad drinks it, he burns the sausages on the barbecue and they taste disgusting.' - Ethan, 7 years old;

'I give Dad's beer to the dog and he goes to sleep.' - Shirley, 7 years old;

AND THE BEST RESPONSE

'My Mum drinks beer and she says silly things and picks on my father. Whenever she drinks beer she yells at Dad and tells him to go bury his bone down the street again, but that doesn't make any sense.' - Jack, 7 years.
Link

This is how our human mind works

We will analyze what this photograph represents to some groups of people.


After looking at the photo, read the following review . . .

- For young men, it is a nice ass. Only the most observant will define this as an ass crossing the street.
-The really observant will see the g-string.
- For older men, it is a respectable woman with a nice ass crossing the street.
- The perverts will imagine her as a naked woman.
- The wise men will ponder the presence of mind of the photographer in the face of such beauty and be grateful that it was shared with humanity.
- For half of the women, this is an ordinary woman who should not have left home dressed that way.
- The other half is wondering where she bought that blouse from.
- The wise women imagine the misery that this woman will face at 50 years old.
- Only children, the really decent church going ones and some priests will probably notice the dog driving the taxi!

Link