Observations at the Mall

Yes, I was sitting down on one of the benches facing the pay-out counters of Jaya Jusco at the One-Utama. This is the hot thoroughfare where people passed you by. You can observe them.

Then there are the others you exchanged kind words with.

First, there was this large Pakistani-looking chap with his son. The son was playing with a Transformer figurine that could changed into a vehicle, an autobot. He was imaginative, playing with the toy and moving its limbs while making child-like utterances. He then passed on the toy to me asking me to convert it into a vehicle. Obviously I failed as I am no good in these things. When his mother came, they told me they are off to see the show.

Next was a bunch of Filipino ladies sitting on the next bench. They spoke halting Englih with a Pinoy twang. One of them looks pretty. I do not know whether they were maids because they are pretty young and do look fetching. Then after meeting one of their friends, they left for the food-court.

Sitting quietly besides me was an old lady, perhaps in her mid seventies. She had a walking stick. Soon, she was joined by her husband, pushing a shopping cart with their weekly needs. He sat on the shoulder of the bench. I made way for him to sit but smilingly he declined, saying that they must be on their way. As they got up to go, I noticed both of them were having difficulty in walking, likely suffering from arthritis or gout.

Then there was this grandfather playing with his grandson. The boy was running ahead of him and Grandpa has a red balloon in his hand. I thought this made a pretty picture and amusingly too as if Grandpa was playing and not the boy!

I watched all kinds of people passed me by. Some were really well dressed. Great hair, make-up, nice dress and in stilettos! The others were mostly bland, youths in sneakers, sandles and mules. The office girls were in the usual office black. In my mind, I told myself, people do not really dress up in Malaysia. Most look like the average girl-next-door. Some of them dress real sloppy too. Sakit mata!

Yes, there was a cute scout girl and another lady in low heels. One of her legs was bandaged tightly about her ankle but she walked alright. And oh yes, there were a couple of girls with great legs. Long legs with their feet in attractive heels. A couple of covered-up Middle-east ladies was also seen shopping and so were some Caucasians.

Some of the shopping carts were really full. Strangely, in these so-called lean times, people can still splurge!

Great country,Malaysia.

Impossible to Give it a Facelift!

Proton cars are apparently known for their substandard quality control.

Till today, one of my back doors do not close properly though there is a nice "OK" approval decal on the side window screen.

If your car was built in the year 2000 and before, apparently there was a botched up work on the steel used to make the car. The anti-rust was so badly done that most of these cars yuo see on the roads are pocked mark with rusted roles on all the doors, bonnet and roofs!

And so I decided to get rid of the pock-marked bonnet and do some spot welding on the doors. The quotation came back.

To get an original Proton bonnet and do the spot welding, I would have to fork out RM2,600. The Taiwan alternative with spot welding cost RM2,450, a mere RM150 lower.

Since the car is hardly worth RM10K, adding RM3k on to give it a face lift is certainly fool-hardy.

Best option-let is rot and then touched it up occasionally and perhaps do a more extensive job before selling it.

Finally Got Promoted!

I wished to congratulate my sister who just got promoted after donkey years of dedicated service to the department.

We always thought it would be sooner than later.

Looks likes it is later but congratulations all the same.

Here's champagne for you! God Bless and good cheer!

Mall Days

Two mall days.

One day to lose my keys and the second day, attempting to retrieve them.

I stopped at a couple of places at One-Utama on Day 1. Two concourse seats,eating at McDonald's,seating at a Nyonya restaurant, a cinema seat in Hall 6 in the Tanjong Golden Village cineplex and a seat near the Shoe Section in Jaya Jusco.

Went on key hunt on Day 2. I asked at all the Customer Services Desk at these places and came to nought.

Looks like I may have to make key duplicates.