End of the rainbow

Taking a well deserved holiday.

Merry Christmas, Selamat Menyambut Aidil Adha and a Happy New Year to all my cyber friends..........

If you are in Kuala Lumpur, do not forget to check out the street deco along One Utama, you'd think that you are at Orchard Road!

And enjoy the annual fireworks on New Year's eve, put up by Ikano and the Curve. We usually view them from the balcony of our bedroom while the cats would all hide under the bed...

See ya next year.

Goodbye, Su.

After training the new maid for a week, Su (the senior maid) ends her career in our house today.

I usually bring in a new maid for the old one to train before she leaves, macam changing of the guards, for the simple reason I'm lazy to get into the works of showing where the garam and the gula are in my kitchen. Besides, Su already had a routine in place, hari Isnin sapu rumah, hari selasa vacuum, hari rabu mop, hari khamis sental the exterior porches, tingkap and pintu, hari jumaat tukar bedsheets, hari sabtu cuci fridge, hari ahad lepak! So, the new maid ikut saja lah senarai tugas tersebut.

Last night we went out for dinner, a farewell treat from Dilla for Kak Su.

This morning we said goodbye.
Tasya gave her an angpow, thank you Kak Su kemas bilik Tasya, basuh dan gosokkan baju Tasya.
Kak Su: Bye Adik, Abang. Kak Su mintak maaf banyak2 ya. Semoga jumpa lagi.

I took another quick trip to Port Klang.

Bukan ke Su sibrengsek tu suka purak2 pekak bila aku cakap dengan dia, and I often murmur to myself that I've never met a homosapien who actually took 5 whole minutes to make one small step forward when I called?
pastu apasal pulak aku nangis ni?
Uuuurrghh....

I hate goodbyes!

The Remisier and I.

My Remisier (the person who executes your trades at the stock market), Shirley, is the closest a person could get to me as far as my financial issues are concerned.
Not even my Banker, not even my husband!
She has been my confidante for the past 20years or so.

Each morning by 8.55am, the moment I switched on the PC, I got directly online with the Stock Broker.
I first scroll my account summary page, discussing and confirming with Shirley my exact position left from the trade done a day before.
Checked the Outstanding position, Margin Equity and pledging , balance of stocks available in the portfolio etc...

By the time the bell rings at the Bursa Saham within the next 5mins., I would have somewhat decided what I plan to do for the day. By then I will have the entire trading session going on live on my desktop, blinking figures in red and green....well, preferably green...The lists of most active counters, top gainers and losers , and my own hoardings will all be blinking, changing quotes by the seconds, for me to base my decisions on.

No 2 days are the same, my conversations with Shirley are often beyond comprehension to people other than us.

Yesterday, I caught up early with Shirley.

mama: Shirley, check my Ara*. Are the IPO for the REIT already in my account?
shirley: Yes, it's on the list and entirely paid for.
mama: sell the mother.
shirley: all?
mama: yes, all.
shirley:done.

In 2 seconds, my inbox was already blinking with the sell and matched order, stating the amount of shares I've sold in the open market.

mama:throw Ede*
shirley: How many?
mama: everything.
shirley: what price?
mama: give the buyer.
shirley: keyed in.....OK done!

mama: clear my Ica*.
shirley: it's in the retail account.
mama: it doesn't matter, sell.
shirley: give the buyer? OK, done.

mama: Dialo* is ex-div?
shirley: Yes, paid, 11%, you were entitled.
mama: sell dialo*
shirley: You've just bought last week during the cum.
mama: Within T+4?.Contra then!

mama: Rid of Tanama*. I'm tired of them!
shirley: this counter is only starting to move.
mama: I'll buy back later. Give all to the buyer.
shirley: ALL?? it will require 2 bids.
mama: clear whatever on the current buy bid and stay there as seller until finished.
shirley: roger.


It went on and on the entire morning.
By lunch break when we have the space to talk normally, Shirley called on my mobile.

Shirley: Puan MI, are you buying some properties again?
mama: Nope.

Shirley: Do you have informations that I'm not aware of?
mama: Nope. C'mon, I'm no Martha Stewar*.

Shirley: Do you plan to crash the market, then?? Please lah, have some heart, it's not easy for us to touch 1,100points, you know that!
mama: Hello?!? Haven't you heard of 'profit taking'????? Aaiyahh, I'll buy back later, mah!!!

And the day's index went down by 13.28points to 1,088.42points or -1.2% at the closing yesterday, the biggest one day decline since July 14th.
No Sir, Mr. Bursa Saham Chairman Sir, it's not my doing! I never touched your Blue chips!
I'm only an investor on the sly, who happens to be so free now that the school holidays are here...

Happy shopping.

Changing of The Maids.

If you have just recovered from a bout of vertigo, flu, migraine or PMS, take my word seriously, don't ever attempt to go to The North Port Jetty at Port Klang to collect your new maid. I did just that yesterday, and when I returned, I decked my aesophagus with a series of repeat medication plus my blood pressure went to a territory where it haven't been before!!!!.....

My previous maids were supplied by an agent. This time around, I thought I wanted to 'jimat' a bit and tried to arrange one myself with the help of a friend in Tg. Balai.

I found out that filling up The Immigration form is such a hassle that perhaps doing your own laundry from now on would be much simpler, if not for the metacarpal syndrome which you suspected that you could be suffering from..

Like, in order to 'qualify' for a foreign maid:-
-both you and hubby must be working - checked.
-total income must be more than RM3,000.00 per month - checked.
-you must have a child younger than 15 years old - uh huh, Imran will be 15 in 3months' time....

mama: I never knew that you are of any use to us until we have to apply for a maid, Imran!

Looks like this will be our last of a row of 19 maids, who have been hired and fired over a period of 26years in our household.
Unless we have another baby, which is completely out of the question,
or we have a sick parent, also very out of the question as I can never figure that my mother would consider staying with me even in her healthy state!

After a month of paper shuffling, medical tests, trips to the Immigration office, finally, I was to collect the new maid at the ferry terminal of the North Port in Port Klang.

The people sitting at the MPK had better pray hard that the Sultan of Selangor would forget about the existence of that piece of no man's land.

The moment you step out of the car and into the complex, you'd think that you are already across the straits in Tg. Balai.
It was so filthy , almost everyone talked loudly in the Indon accent.
The dangdut music blaring from a karaoke set, keretek cigarette smoke filled the entire airspace, the hostility and suspicion on everyone's face.....
I could sense that it was me who was the foreigner in my own country.
I was so embarrased to be there!!!...

After 'Ocean 2' safely docked at the jetty, we waited for another 30 minutes for Immigration clearance. It was enough for me to absorb the unfamiliarity of the surrounding. The tough life some human form have to endure in order to earn a living in a more prosperous neighbouring country. We are so lucky to be Malaysian, never mind the present highly criticised leadership, after all, President Bush is a lot dumber!

I hurried out of the complex with the frightened looking new maid in tow, my hair smelling of rokok keretek smoke, ear ringing with dangdut music, clothes covered with dust.

mama: and you expect the new maid to understand the concept that dirt is an 'allergen' in our house???? ...

sigh.....

The Road Last Travelled.

It was highly probable that I could be driving through that gate for the very last time yesterday.




For the past 5years, I was entering and leaving the compound with Ikram. Some mornings I would still be half asleep and in my tattered pyjama, waving unceremoniously to the guard on duty at the gate, from behind my wheels..



Alas, no more queuing here, waiting for the prince to come down from his airconditioned classroom.....

We left the premise at 4.00pm yesterday, after Ikram's last paper, with mixed feelings. Happy, sad, relieved and anxious that Ikram will henceforth start the new chapter in his life as an ex-student.

mama: so. we'll only be back for the result in April, eh, dude?

Ikram: Yeah, and I hope it will be one of the happiest moments in my life!

mama: OK, how about RM11,000.00 for 11A's!

Ikram: Uuh, I kinda messed up the Physics paper quite a bit. Can I settle for 10K with 10A's instead??...

mama: Nope, buddy, winner takes all...It's all or nothing at all!...

Ikram: Now is the part where I will have to tawakkal, right mother?

Right Ikram. I know you have done your best.

The object of my ramblings infront of his school building in his school uniform for the very last time......

And all the best to the parents, too.....