Clearing things up

I feel compelled to post this forwarded message on my blog. Since it relates to my employer. Have fun commenting!

PETRONAS' STAFF SALARY & BONUS

1) The salaries paid to PETRONAS' employees are not as high as people think. At best, they are just industry average. And these are not attractive enough for some who left PETRONAS to find work at other companies (mainly from the Middle East) which are willing to pay more. Why do they pay more? The oil and gas industry worldwide has been facing acute shortage of qualified or experienced personnel, so most companies are willing to pay lots of money to entice and pinch staff from their competitors.

Bonus? I have worked with PETRONAS for 12 years, and have NEVER received a bonus amounting to 6 months or 12 months. On average, it is 2 months. But don't ever think we don't deserve it. We more than deserve it. A lot of us work really hard, some in the most extreme of conditions. Those who have been to and worked in northern Sudan, for example, would testify that it's like working in a huge blower oven. Southern Sudan, on the other hand, is almost all swamps and mud. Imagine having to go through that kind of heat, or waddling in muddy swamps, day in and day out.

QUALITY OF CRUDE & REFINED PRODUCTS

2) Malaysia produces about 600,000 barrels of crude oil per day (and about 100,000 barrels condensate). Of this crude volume, 339,000 barrels are refined locally for local consumption. The rest is exported (and yes, because it has lower sulphur content it fetches higher prices).

Malaysia also imports about 230,000 barrels of crude oil per day, mainly from the Middle East, to be refined here. This crude oil contains higher sulphur and is less expensive (so the country gains more by exporting our crudes). In Malaysia, this crude is processed by PETRONAS at its second refinery in Melaka, and also by Shell at its Port Dickson refinery.

Different refineries are built and configurated to refine different types of crude. And each crude type yields different percentage of products (diesel, gasoline, kerosene, cooking gas etc) per barrel.

But most importantly, products that come out at the end of the refining process have the same good quality regardless of the crude types. That's why PETRONAS, Shell and Exxon Mobil share the same pipeline to transport the finished products from their refineries to a distribution centre in the Klang Valley. The three companies collect the products at this centre accordingly to be distributed to their respective distribution networks. What makes PETRONAS' petrol different from Shell's, for example, is the additive that each company adds.

PETRONAS' ROLE, FUNCTION & CONTRIBUTION

3) A lot of people also do not understand the role and function of PETRONAS, which is essentially a company, a business entity, which operates on a commercial manner, to mainly generate income and value for its shareholder. In this case, PETRONAS' shareholder is the Government.

In 1974, when PETRONAS was set up, the Government gave PETRONAS RM10 million (peanuts, right?) as seed capital. From 1974 to 2007, PETRONAS made RM570 billion in accumulated profits, and returned to the Government a total of RM335.7 billion. That is about 65% of the profits. That means for every RM1 that PETRONAS makes, 65 sen goes back to the Government.

Last year, PETRONAS made a pre-tax profit of RM86.8 billion. The amount given back to the Government (in royalty, dividends, corporate income tax, petroleum products income tax and export duty) was RM52.3 billion. The rest of the profit was used to pay off minority interests and taxes in foreign countries (about RM7.8 billion - PETRONAS now operates in more than 30 countries), and the remaining RM26.7 billion was reinvested. The amount reinvested seems a lot, but the oil and gas industry is technology- and capital-intensive. Costs have gone up exponentially in the last couple of years. Previously, to drill a well, it cost about US$3 million; now it costs US$7 million. The use of rigs was US$200,000 a day a couple of years ago; now it costs US$600,000 a day.

A lot of people also do not realise that the amount returned by PETRONAS to the Government makes up 35% of the Government's total annual income, to be used by the Government for expenditures, development, operations, and yes, for the various subsidies. That means for every RM1 the Government makes, 35 sen is contributed by PETRONAS.

So, instead of asking what happens to PETRIONAS' money or profits, people should be questioning how the money paid by PETRONAS to the Government is allocated.

CRUDE EXPORTS & FUEL PRICES

4) A lot of people also ask, why Malaysia exports its crude oil. Shouldn't we just stop exporting and sell at cheaper prices to local refiners? If Malaysia is an oil exporting country, why can't we sell petrol or diesel at cheaper prices like other oil producing countries in the Middle East?

I guess I don't have to answer the first couple of questions. It's simple economics, and crude oil is a global commodity.

Why can't we sell petrol and diesel at lower prices like in the Middle East? Well, comparing Saudi Arabia and other big producers to Malaysia is like comparing kurma to durian, because tese Middle Eastern countries have much, much, much bigger oil and gas reserves.

Malaysia has only 5.4 billion barrels of oil reserves, and about 89 trillion cubic feet of gas. Compare that to Saudi Arabia's 260 billion barrels of oil and 240 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Malaysia only produces 600,000 barrels per day of oil. Saudi Arabia produces 9 million barrels per day. At this rate, Saudi Arabia's crude oil sales revenue could amount to US$1.2 billion per day! At this rate, it can practically afford almost everything -- free education, healthcare, etc, and subsidies -- for its people.

But if we look at these countries closely, they have in the past few years started to come up with policies and strategies designed to prolong their reserves and diversify their income bases. In this sense, Malaysia (and PETRONAS) has had a good head start, as we have been doing this a long time.

Fuel prices in Malaysia is controlled by the Government based on a formula under the Automatic Pricing Mechanism introduced more than a couple of decades ago. It is under this mechanism that the complex calculation of prices is made, based on the actual cost of petrol or diesel, the operating costs, margin for dealers, margin for retail oil companies (including PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd) and the balancing number of duty or subsidy. No retail oil companies or dealers actually make money from the hike of the fuel prices. Oil companies pay for the products at market prices, but have to sell low, so the Government reimburses the difference -- thus subsidy.

Subsidy as a concept is OK as long as it benefits the really deserving segment of the population. But there has to be a limit to how much and how long the Government should bear and sustain subsidy. An environment where prices are kept artificially low indefinitely will not do anyone any good. That's why countries like Indonesia are more pro-active in removing subsidies. Even Vietnam (which is a socialist country, by the way) is selling fuel at market prices.

PETRONAS & TRANSPARENCY

5) I feel I also need to say something on the allegation that PETRONAS is not transparent in terms of its accounts, business transactions etc.

PETRONAS is first and foremost a company, operating under the rules and regulations of the authorities including the Registrar of Companies, and the Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia for its listed four subsidiaries (PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd, PETRONAS Gas Bhd, MISC Bhd and KLCC Property Holdings Bhd.

PETRONAS the holding company produces annual reports which are made to whomever wants them, and are distributed to many parties and places; including to the library at the Parliament House for perusal and reading pleasure of all Yang Berhormat MPs (if they care to read). PETRONAS also makes the annual report available on its website, for those who bother to look. The accounts are duly audited.

The website also contains a lot of useful information, if people really care to find out. Although PETRONAS is not listed on Bursa Malaysia, for all intents and purposes, it could be considered a listed entity as its bonds and financial papers are traded overseas. This requires scrutiny from investors, and from rating agencies such as Standard & Poor and Moody's.

Running out of petrol in Ong's car

This is story recollection # 2. Well this happened way before my previous posting. During my first year, when i went back to Klang a lot. Might have been my way of trying to manage my feelings towards Tomi. Or might have been that i have not found my place in church yet.

Ways to get back to UTP:

1. Follow someone who's driving back - most environment friendly. Risk of driver cancelling or postponing their journey back till odd hours. Might involve long waiting hours. Highly unrecommended when you have a deadline to meet - this my era where laptop computers cost significantly higher than desktops so we're not so mobile in that case.
2. Take the bus - most economical and convenient. Involves drop off at the main gate - 30 minute walk back to the hostel. Limited number of buses that pass the gate from KL. There's also the option to take the bus to Ipoh - i had to erase the iPod i typed - and take another bus to UTP where the last bus is at 6pm and the conductor still goes around punching holes on tickets and it was quite an experience first time getting on it. felt like i went back in time. where everything was black and white. nevermind the diversion.
3. Fly to Ipoh - and get someone to pick you up or take a cab from the airport. i am not joking. i personally went to send someone off who bought her tickets there and then, got on the next flight out and arrived at KLIA 30 minutes later. speaking of short flights. i was Kuantan bound, on air and i thought of un-fastening my seatbelts (can't say remove coz its not the word for it) when the pilot announced that we were landing soon. heck i only drank 2 glasses of juice! then followed by the sound of the cabin crew scurrying to finish cleaning up and collecting plastic cups before having to sit and strap themselves safe. sounds like im describing rats working really hard.

where was i? oh the trip. well it was option # 1, which involved me taking a nearly 2 hour KTM - Kesian Tambah Merana ride from Klang to Rawang - Transit at KL Sentral (15 minutes). where Ong - one of the few revered ones who owned a car during his first year. and passengers UTP-bound were Tuck Fai and me. Sounds like Bonnie and Clyde but trust me its nothing of that sort. I remember nicknaming him my babi. but it wore out after 2 years or so. so back to my story. Tuck Fai was early and getting comfortable bonding with Ong's younger siblings whom i've heard to be very fascinated by strangers. they were showing off their spanking new PS 2 - yeah, i'm THAT old to Tuck Fai while Ong was doing something but i didnt know what.

they came to pick me up from the train station. i remember. it was a nice day. not sunny - yeah i happen to live on this side of the world where occasionally cloudy weather is much appreciated. im speaking on behalf of those people who detest the sun. even to cross a small road would painstakingly open their cute little foldable umbrellas in attempts to shield themselves from the monster of the sun. i remember one really cute girl named Jia Hui i met in India who religiously wears a pair of rainbow coloured arm warmers that she claims can work both to shield her from the damaging sun rays or to keep her warm. she was initially known as just that. whenever people were trying to explain who Jia Hui was, they always impersonate that signature rolling up the sleeves and often the word "Colourful" pops up.

so anyways Ong mentioned that we would need to stop and get gas/minyak as soon as possible coz the tank was running low. He asked us to remind him of stopping at the nearest Petronas station - yup we are all loyal people just outside Rawang before we hit the highway. but being us, got into a talking frenzy and missed it. so we were on our way and the next stop was at Tanjung Malim, about 90 minutes or less away. Ong was driving a sleek white SLK - Small Little Kancil. so fuel consumption was quite efficient. but then again its a small car. but that's another story altogether.

then everyone started getting sleepy from the weekend's lack of sleep - from wanting to absorb KL as much as we could before heading back to that then-God forsaken place again. so Tuck Fai was assigned to remind Ong when they are nearing the petrol station. because the yellow warning sign was blinking just 30 minutes after we left Rawang. and Tanjung Malim was about another hour or so away. and being Tuck Fai we missed THAT stop again. and the next one was about 45 minutes away at least. Air condition was turned off and windows wound down in attempts to conserve resources.

Mid-way, we stopped at a rest stop to answer Nature's call and while waiting, Ong approached a nearby Fuel Tanker with a plastic bottle, hopeful that the driver would be willing to lend a hand by opening up the tank to give us a little petrol. of course he said no! and gave directions to the nearest petrol station known which was a diversion into Bidor town, and getting there involved us driving in the wrong direction up and down a few hills where lotsa prayers were muttered and Tuck Fai hoping that he doesnt need to push the car anytime soon.

We arrived at the petrol kiosk, not in time for the Petronas one but a Shell one - good enough. they are all the same anyways. one process engineer said that it was merely just a pump where any oil company drew their petrol from. probably some difference in its additives and that's it. We took the next exit into the highway and made our way back, thankful that everything went well despite the adventure. - this ending really sounds like im attempting to write for SPM. look at what Malaysian Education has done to me. for all essays there has to be an introduction, body and conclusion. hehe.

Grace's and Max's Car Hijack

I thought of writing a collection of short stories. just a recollection of what happened throughout these years that i had a good time retelling to others whenever i thought about it. great conversation pieces i tell you! well this one's about Grace and Max. here goes.

it was one weekday during our final year - i am checking Grace's blog as i write to see if she has written anything on it so as not to replicate and waste precious cyberspace.

it was one weekday during our final year. not sure if it was the second last or the last semester at UTP, when Max wanted to go to Ipoh - quaint little town with nothing much to do after 10 pm unless you're watching movies or going to the nearby pub area where the music attempts to tear your eardrums. that's not the story.

well it was one weekday again. when we managed to compress our classes into a 3 day work week and we have thursdays and fridays free to concentrate on our final year projects, go home or go on the usual tv series marathon that's so familiar to UTP-ians its part of our culture. that's not the story again.

Max wanted to go to Ipoh just to hang out. well that's the nearest place to get your mind of mundane or stressful things you face during uni life. im not sure what Max was stressed about. maybe he wasn't in this case. and Grace, being the shopaholic, just wanted to go to Ipoh to...Shop. well i didnt go on this trip, as i figured that the trip was not worth it and i might have been saving for another trip to Kuching for Rainforest World Music Festival in July or was it the time when i climbed mount Kinabalu or both.

to cut the long story short, Max rented a car from some malay guy. Grace followed him to Ipoh in the car. they went around shopping. Ipoh Parade i think. and before they came back bought a packs or a few packs of Claypot Chicken Rice which Ipoh Parade Food Court was famous for. besides the usual Hot Plate Mushroom Noodles.

o anyways. they were walking towards the parking lot, which was a few floors above the shopping mall itself. and they saw another car parked next to them, with 3 burly looking guys - all chinese gangster-looking out of the car and seems like were waiting for 2 of them to approach their car. being trusting, (thrusty is not even a word and i have no idea why i thought about it) they walked to their car nevertheless and was approached by one of the burly guys. here's a recollection of what happened from what i remember. Max and Grace, you're welcome to comment and make necessary alterations to my version.

Big Gangster: Is this your car?
Max and Grace: No, its rented, Why?
Big Gangster: This car has not paid the bank for the loan for more than 3 months
Max and Grace: Well, we dont know coz we don't own the car. and you have no proof of saying that
Big Gangster: Here i have a photocopy of the document. You both need to go to the police station with me to settle some stuff

*this incident followed close after a kidnapping incident where a Waja took off with a couple at the same shopping mall so both victims were quite wary. Max was in his Dusun Warrior mode and Grace in her Cantonese element throughout*

Grace runs into the car, locks the door and started shouting at the gangster through the closed window.

Max tries to settle things the Manly way. but there was one problem. He couldn't speak Cantonese, and the gangster can't speak proper english.

Back in the car, Grace called me from her mobile.

Ring Ring

Jamie: *shuffles to find her mobile between the pillows and the comforter*
Grace: Eh, i have a problem
Jamie: What?
Grace: Someone's threatening to tow our rented car claiming that the owner didnt pay the installments for more than 3 months
Jamie: Huh? Really? So how now?
Grace: The guy wants us to go to the police station. but I'm not sure if he's for real. all he showed us was a photocopied document
Jamie: Call the police then. Would there be a need for some of us to go up? I have Praise and Worship night tonight.
Grace: Yeah, if possible
Jamie: Ok call the police, Ill ask Yeefong and Thana whether they can drive up

im getting nowhere in this phone conversation. so i leave the rest of the story to be descriptive. well to summarize, there were 3 workflows going on simultaneously to solve this issue.

1. Thana and Yeefong decided to drive up to Ipoh. 45 minute drive. Woke Douglas up from his afternoon nap and dragged him along for "a sense of security" we promised that he didnt have to do anything except stand there and look scary just in case. that was before we met Ah Chuan.

2. Tomi went combing through the male student hostels (V5 and V4 in particular) in search for the owner of the rented car, based on Max's description. just to seek clarification on that matter and what happens after they go to the police station

3. My drummer was supposed to be Thana. and in her absence, i was desperately searching for one. was turned down by Josiah for being too abrupt. and Jesse said yes either out of courtesy or he decided it was an all or nothing showdown that night for him with the drums at church

4. Max and Grace were still there at the carpark trying to negotiate their way out while waiting for the police to come. he came plain-clothed. so it was difficult to determine whether he was for real or he was really helping those gangsters out so Grace didnt want to believe all that and decided to wait for Yeefong and Thana. and the police, seem to know those gangsters pretty well, left the scene

by the time the entourage arrived, Yeefong and Thana was greeted with a big burly man lying across the car bonnet like a mermaid and was looking bored, grace still in the rented car and max just standing around coz he ran out of ideas on what to do already. plus my packs of Claypot chicken rice were still in the car.

Yeefong, seemingly to have been accustomed to all these negotiations, talked nicely to the man and by that time, Tomi found the owner, also taking his afternoon nap in a room with a huge TV and PS 2 consoles, the owner said its ok for the Bank Repossessors - that's what they're called - to take his car and leave it there.

so they signed off, went for Menglembu Honey Chicken on the way back. and i am recollecting this story as close as i can remember. well there's also another story to this, if you dont mind reading.

Grace has a something with Rented Cars. seems like she's always jinxing it. here are a list of incidents that compels me to say so. and she agrees by the way. so no offense in that.:


Incident # 1
Renu and Grace rented someone's car to go to Ipoh for some hair treatment. They stopped at Pusing to pump petrol (i hear there are male pump attendants there who are twins and are good looking but i have never seen them). they stopped at the traffic lights, Renu wanted to adjust her seat and it went all the way backwards and got stuck there. So they had to send it to the workshop to get it fixed before making their way to the Hair Salon again.

Incident # 2

Grace and I, to the hair salon again with Nora and Fish. Nora did something i think to her hair. or was it Renu. in another rented car. i remember it was a white Proton Saga. then Fish took the car around Ipoh to run errands and when she came back quite late to the hair salon - but we were still not done anyways - she said there was something wrong with the car and she had to take it to the workshop.

Incident # 3
Refer to Grace's and Max's Car Hijack story - im still looking for the article on Grace's Blog

think i shall stop here. dont know if anyone reads this blog anymore. haha

My premolars extraction

This should be an interesting post. Well im taking time from waiting for my mask to dry and i should really be lying down and resting my face muscles instead of squinting in front of my faithful desktop in near-darkness and its kind of hot too and im anticipating mosquitos to be feasting soon. think thats about too much detail for just an introduction.

Well Christmas time is nearing. There was Hari Raya Aidil Adha on Thursday, which i used to spend time in the morning by bringing my housemates to Klang for an introductory or refresher course in Bakuteh. Heaven i tell you. have to try it out yourself really!

then it was my dreaded appointment with a dentist in Klang for my premolars extraction. my previous blog entries refer, i decided to go for extraction of all fours following Esther's suggestion as, i quote " You'll only feel the pain after the anaesthesia is gone" . i dont know if i have actually written about this. so braving myself after a measly meal of Chee Cheong fun - rice sheets and an assortment of vegetables such as Okra, Brinjal and Chillies stuffed with fish paste drenched in sweet sauce and Chilli at my favourite stall at Pandamaran - "cowboy town" its name dearly given for people riding on motorbikes without helmets - kids and grandmothers included. Brought along Jaron for moral support because i was too lazy to pick Esther up even though she agreed to hold my hand during the extraction.

well i waited for 40 minutes despite having an appointment. there was some commotion going on about some parent demanding that his kid's teeth was checked by the dentist even though she couldn't do anything or something like that. then it was my turn. and i got a whole mouthful of anaesthesia - pre injection. reminded me of those Difflam lozenges which i take when i have inflamed throat resulting from a viral fever or something. tasted like berries. bitter, numbing berries. then i waited awhile before the dr did her rounds of anesthetic shots - 2 shots per teeth. the bottom ones were ok, i told Dr. Yap. then she said, well it gets more painful for the upper teeth. and she was right. left me squirming and whining a little at every shot as i tried my best to remain as relaxed as possible. people always say that the more relaxed you are, the less painful needles are. so far it has proven to be true for my past experiences of taking blood tests, vaccination and this. it helps to take deep long breaths and try to think about anything other than the sharp pain that seems to go on forever.

then it was more attempts to stay relaxed as Dr Yap's dextrous hands pulled out my premolars one by one using the dental pliers and i didnt know which because i kept my eyes shut the whole time. she asked me to tell her if im feeling pain anywhere. at her first tug at the first tooth, i said there was a sharp pain, and she gave me another shot. soon after, i did not feel any pain. although i could feel the flesh tearing apart when each upper tooth was removed. i think i should spare my readers its gory details and send you a link
to the pictures i have taken instead! swallowed painkillers right after the procedure. had difficulty swallowing as my lips were numb and it felt like it was as swollen as someone having an allergic reaction being stung by a bee. or Will Smith in Hitch after he ate some shellfish. but Dr Yap reassured me that it was just how i felt, because when she showed a reflection in the mirror of myself, i still look like normal. weird how drugs can alter your mind. im being a drama queen of course!

i had to drive back before the anesthesia took over my physical body, with cotton gauzes on all four sides of my mouth, and before the stream of drool and blood drips from my mouth from me being unable to close and swallow. only to remember that i forgot to take MC for Friday so i had to drive back. when i was back home again the wounds were oozing blood like no tomorrow. Jaron was kind enough to help me change the gauzes till it was all finished. then i went to bed with a towel on my pillow from what Soo and Michelle said about waking up with a pool of blood and drool. it was that for my afternoon nap and the morning after. am i being too graphical about this? those who wore braces would definitely relate to this.

so now its cold food and drinks diet for me. i started eating solids only the next day. didnt want to taste anymore blood in my mouth so was extra careful about the recovery period. stocked up on milk and yoghurt and cleared my fridge of soya bean milk that was begging to be drank for quite some time already. but being me, hunger took over and i just came back from my cousin Julie's 21st birthday party eating Satay and what nots. so yeah. the wounds are itchy from recovering. and im looking forward to eating more tomorrow. and recovering fast before the festive feastings - such a nice ring to those words. bet it tastes and smell nicer too. and i need to stock up before i go for my next appointment with Dr Subra on Thursday.

So its adios and best wishes for the holiday season from me. premolar-less and all;p

Agape,
Jamie

Deck the hols

I stole this title from one of the shows on Discovery Travel and Living, or was it E!. cant really remember. just got back from a 5 month reunion of close friends. 6 people packed in a faithful secondary school pinafore blue Proton Saga with the license plate BCK 9290 - Sherrene Teh aka Mama Teh's property. Esther, Sherene Lee whom we still call as Cheong for the sake of non-confusion, Ah Joy and Joce. cant' believe we spent 7 hours in Jusco Bukit Raja. believe it or not. that place is packed with familiar faces, being the neighbourhood mall. people who see us walking together probably have the same thing in their minds - wah these girls are still hanging out together? haha. well in a nutshell, I Am Legend was like a future version of 30 days of night. go watch it yourself if you dont get what i'm saying.

Christmas shopping aside - which i have stopped as i bought quite a lot already. More of the excuse to replace all old "frumpy" looking office clothes from yesteryears at University and also overused ones from India. I use the word Replace because it is really good to go but i am holding on to it like a couple who didnt break it clean because my wardrobe has yet to be capable of having the luxury of 2 weeks worth of non-repetitive clothing at work. Guess i wouldn't need any motivation or encouragement from anyone in that area at the excuse of having a need to buy clothes. One thing i would like to note. my friends are crazy over shoes. and i dont want to look at a single shoe anymore for a very long time - think that is unavoidable since i work above a shopping mall but i will try my best - God help me. can still picture those shoes in my head, with them trying them out one by one. Joylynn was kind of tired and bored that she kept dropping shoes at her sister's feet when Sherrene was trying them one by one. think im just too tired to recall the experience. hope i dont have nightmares of shoes stabbing or attacking me when i sleep tonight.

well this can be considered as my shortest entry yet. there's a 3 day working week ahead of me. and thursday i will be going for my teeth extractions. Premolars are what they are called. count the fourth upper teeth from the middle on both left and right sides, count the 5th lower teeth from both sides and its what im gonna miss in a few days time. my sadistic Christmas gift for this year. maybe i should send them all to Tomi. Think he doesnt like the idea of me being so affectionate yet unhygiene. hehe. alright i will definitely update on that. there wont be much activity over next weekend except for recovering from the extraction. pray for no-fever. and a quick extraction-recovery process.

Luke 2:10-14. Peace on the earth, Goodwill to men. Will be putting up Soo's christmas tree and decorations at the PJ house tomorrow night. Will take some pictures to prove that i did it. Good night sekian, terima kasih.

backdated entry

i would like to apologize for missing out on my quota of 2 posts per month. that was because i was away at Sabah on business trip. well i was one of the organizers for a forum for process engineers. my initiative to help my colleagues in any event possible even if it means longer working hours to finish the tasks and such. i feel that i should grab any opportunity to go travel to as many places as possible at least once in 2 months. so far ive been to Kerteh, Terengganu, Kuantan Pahang , Genting Highlands and Kota Kinabalu Sabah. all fully sponsored as compensation for the work i have been doing helping out taking minutes preparing participant packs and overall event organization. Sabah was beautiful. and as for now i have yet to upload the pictures i have taken. for those who have yet to go there, please do because i name it as the most beautiful place in malaysia as yet. perfect for those who want to go for honeymoon. there are beautiful beaches, lush rainforests and a whole lot of activities for nature lovers. i stayed at Sutera Harbour Magellan

4 nights there i spent working with fun people organizing the forum and expanding my network among people in my huge company coming from all over the country. the best part was that there was an olympic-sized swimming pool which i made use every evening to do my laps. i only had time for 20 laps because of the forum agenda and i woke early the day i left just to swim and head to town to get souvenirs before my flight back to Kuala Lumpur. sunrise and sunset on the east of Malaysia - Borneo island is 1 hour earlier than back here in the west peninsular so it was bright at 6.30 in the morning already. first morning of the event there was this Pocho pocho dancing where Sabahans taught is this line-dancing type of exercise by the marina boardwalk at the hotel. it was so boring i nearly fell asleep while doing it. speaking of which i seem to have absolutely no problems at all falling asleep anywhere. just this week i actually fell asleep holding the handrails on the lrt on my way to work one of the mornings when neither one of my housemates went with me. talk about being lack of sleep. but its really good to keep up that habit. because during long journeys i get to fill up my time and feel energized after travelling as opposed to others who are tired and grumpy after long hours of journeys.

seafood is abundant at Kota Kinabalu - notice the present tense - am trying to convince everyone to make a trip there. so i had my overdose of lobsters and prawns and fish of all kinds. the last night i was there i went to this seafood place next to Promenade hotel. as custom to all seafood restaurants in Sabah, i quote Farhan saying that it was a mini Aquaria where different kinds of sea creatures - only after they are cooked that they would be called Seafood - an untested theory by yours truly. any debates arising? hehe. i'm still waiting for Ravi to send pictures over from his spanking new Sony DSLR which he used a huge part of his first bonus payoff to buy. perks of working for the company - enough said. he got carried away taking pictures of those weird creatures that it was only later that we noticed a group of fishes were swinging their heads left and right like crazy. Sza Sza said it was most likely because of the flash from the camera and Ravi just snapped another shot and yeah the fishes went crazy again. it was so funny that everytime i thought about that incident i write a mail to Ravi, CC to Sza Sza recounting the experience. i know it sounds sadistic but it wasn't intentional. i admit that im a real hopeful in trying to turn my life into a cartoon series. certain people acknowledge my "sense of humour" - notice the British spelling. And im not naming names to protect their image of not wanting to associate themselves with the lameness. haha

then i have to write about how i helped Esther's colleague - Chan Kah Heng - i hope i got the name right. propose to his girlfriend at the Smokehouse Grill behind Avenue K along Jalan Ampang. Esther was assigned to be the camera person. and she was supposed to also be members of the public who happened to have dinner there. and as part of the coverup, i was invited to join her for dinner - sponsored by Kah Heng, so as to not make his girlfriend - now Fiance suspect why Esther was eating alone at such a cosily romantic - i have to add quite dark place - i was squinting from not being able to see much because of my astigmatism and wrongly matched contact lenses. the place looked really a lot like Tomi's house only on a larger scale. its actually an old bungalow turned into a cosy restaurant with good staff who seemed to be there for ages. old wooden tables and candles and quilts and fireplaces and plush cushions. nice cosy place, food is good also. one has to order the alfredo pasta. its really good.

so back to my story, we ordered and they came and we were seated quite faraway that they didnt notice us. and at the cue where Kah Heng got up and went to the Grand Piano and started playing the song, i was supposed to bring a bouquet of roses while he sang and finished and Esther was capturing everything on video but the lighting was too dark and it was all good and no rejections whatsoever. i think if i actually could hear what they were conversing and the usual so-called anger/surprise over the proposal response from the girlfriend, i would have recounted the experience in a more personal way but it was more of me trying to go nearer to them while he was kneeling with the ring and trying to capture everything in Esther's brand new Sony cybershot - which Tomi decided against to buy and bought the Canon Ixus 70 instead but thats another story. so all is good. congratulations to them both. am sorry i didnt get to know Kah Hen's girlfriend's name. need to ask Esther about it.

so yeah that was about all the interesting stuff that happened towards the end of last month. this month's welcome present was the news that i would need to remove all 4 of my incisors upon Dr Subra's observation and all 4 of my adult molars within a period of 2 years when im wearing my braces. Esther said i might as well just get all 4 out at once since i will only feel the pain after the anesthesia wears off so id rather suffer for a week rather than extract 2 each for 2 consecutive weeks. hope my pain threshold is as high as Esther's. she said it wasnt so bad. that girl is a walking daredevil i tell you. haha. so im planning to extract on Hari Raya Aidil Adha which is on the 20th of this month, take Mc for the next day and 24th - Christmas eve i will take leave because ill be so caught up with the Christmas mood i wont want to go to work. i will also spend my time recovering by enjoying the comforts of being at home with my family and the remote control at my fingertips. on a lighter note, i changed my rubber bands to Red and Green just to suit the occasion. it looks really nice but will be temporarily horrible once i have gaps left by the extraction soon. all temporary. i keep telling myself.

alright i guess i have written enough already. i hope that my readers have not fell asleep or experienced eyestrain from reading this entry. sometimes it helps to increase the font size on your screen. you may go to View>Text Size> - Select own text size. for those who dont know. i usually zoom mine to 150% on Microsoft office applications for that very reason. just a suggestion to make this entry actually beneficial to my readers. else it would be just me retelling my experiences to you in an offline mode but theres always the Comment option where you can still have your say. no obligations whatsoever.

cheers to the season,

Jamie

Metal Mouth Confession

I'm blogging because i am obligated to update on past events ever since the not-so-popular Manage Your Money post. well, will prioritize events and attempt to keep it as short as possible so as to not waste the precious time of my loyal readers - which i can name only a few such as Davin, Fabian, Shireen and Nasa. Here goes.

First important event that happened was i got braces fixed on my teeth. It is under the directive of Mr Tomi Entaban, who requests for straight teeth prior to marriage. well, im just using it as an excuse. i happen to come from a deprived childhood - Teenagehood where all my close friends had braces during secondary school days and i didnt get them for two reasons, one being it was too expensive to go to a private Orthodontist and i was too lazy to wait for Government's help. so i am up to the idea of dedicating 2 years of my life to constant pain and discomfort and not to mention forgoing the experience of biting on an apple, guava or other items that require me to use my front set of teeth. and not forgetting increased frequency of brushing my teeth and longer mealtimes.

so lunchtime during work days is dedicated to only Eating, which takes up almost 1 hour of my time and i have to get back to the office 5 minutes earlier if i have a meeting right after lunch because i take about 5 minutes to brush my teeth and make my braces sparkly clean again. as weird as it seems. i actually enjoy brushing my teeth and keeping them braces shiny and food-free. so i dont really mind the hassle. but i have yet to get used to the embarrassment of brushing my teeth at shopping malls after meals should i be there for long hours in a day. so my new addition to a growing list of "items i cant leave home without" is a braces toothbrush - different from the normal toothbrush as it has a curved middle to fit the braces and its already fraying, showing the signs of frequent use and im attempting to prolong its lifespan by brushing lighter than i am already. also, an Interdental toothbrush which looks like a miniature milk bottle brush to clean between the brackets. and toothpaste of course.

then there's also the once-every-morning-and-night mouthwash and floss for braces - the normal floss just splits when i use them between the wires (obviously). to benefit the readers who have absolutely no experience whatsoever with braces or even knowing someone close enough to describe of their experiences, it actually looks like a finer version of those sparklers that kids burn as fireworks and all one did with it was to twirl it around and round and look at the flame until it forms an after-light in your eyes way after you took your eyes off it. hope i am making sense.

well about the cost, its RM5k for the entire treatment, which i paid RM1.5k during my first appointment and the remaining amount i pay RM200 every visit for the next 17months. the entire duration of treatment is about 2 years, depending on "how obedient your teeth are at moving" - i quote from Esther. i told the dentist to speed things up as "i wanted to get married in 2 years time". Why the large sum of money? well i happen to go to a renowned Orthodontist which is conveniently located right opposite my office. i was considering cheaper alternatives around Klang area but i opted for David Specialist Orthodontist because i didnt want to spend my entire saturday waiting around with a bunch of people at the dentist every once a month. at David's i can go during lunchtime and i can go every 3 weeks once to speed up the process.

wait i havent finished justifying why i needed braces. well according to the RM60 consultation that i paid for prior to fixing those braces, i begin by explaining that my front set of teeth is not aligned with each other. one with perfect set of front teeth are those that have both their upper and lower 2 front teeth rightly connected with each other where there would be a straight line from top to bottom. then there's my front set - upper and lower teeth actually slants forward instead of being adjacent to my jaw. then there's my left inner teeth which is not functionally correct in terms of having a right "bite". to explain, its like youre supposed to have interconnecting upper and lower teeth to grind food properly.

plus, all my adult molars need to be extracted. and the bottom two are actually growing horizontally into my current set of teeth. thats really uncomfortable even now so having braces on isnt much difference in terms of the pain that i have already been feeling ever since i was in India. those bottom two need surgery where, the dr explained, a flap in the flesh need to be cut and the teeth destroyed into smaller pieces before extracting the root out. it will cost me RM500 per tooth. so that will come from my ING insurance. meaning i can operate once a year because i am entitled to rm500 on dental per year. it is better than Esther's where its rm200 for dental and optical. funny how these people compensate their employees.

as i write, Soo is still recovering from a similar surgery, took her 1.5 hours to remove but the root was left in the mouth because it was just too difficult to get it out. and her mouth was swollen after the procedure and shes baby-fooding for the next week, meaning we all have to eat baby food as well since we split weekly groceries and shopping at my house.speaking of which,i save quite a bit on food after moving into the house at Taman Bahagia and not to mention healthier, giving me opportunities to perfect my humble cooking skills. i specialise in "cincai" cooking. trial and error for those unfamiliar with the terms. and am always looking for people who are willing to give my cooking a try. as cliche as it sounds "seeing people enjoying my cooking motivates me to cook more and better" haha.

i suppose thats about all i have on braces. between now and my next appointment on Nov 15th, i am attempting to eat as much as possible because post tightening, i will be unable to chew for about 1-2 days, leaving me really pissed and hungry from only filling my stomach with porridge and oats. i get pissed because im hungry and unable to eat anything else. well to conclude, this experience is making me really appreciate everything i eat. in terms of enjoying the experience of eating, despite my teeth being terribly inefficient in grinding food as there's a whole lot of treasure hunting in my mouth between a few mouthfuls of food since a whole lot will get stuck between the brackets - tiny metal things stuck to each of my teeth, except the 4 incisors - dracula teeth that may or may not be extracted, depending on "how well my teeth moves".

i still owe a blog on my recently started hobby of running. will keep that in my obligation list. if there ever was a term in the first place. so much for keeping it short and sweet:S