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Apparently I'm not as good at listening as I am at reading, speaking or writing. But I did it anyway...so gimme a job!

Pretending to be a Thai-Thai

So, I made it to the gym, at a time when only people with no jobs or are on holiday can make it to the gym. Or people who have the life of luxury..the illusive thai-thai. Reminiscent of Sweat Club days when I used to bump into these ladies, I walked into an almost empty gym. Parking was a breeze...even at Axis. And guess what? No beefy buffed up men in the weights area. Yipppee!!

Though feeling a little nauseous ( from the Puri I had this morning I'm guessing), I still managed to do my weights. Err...leg press, adductor, pulldown, seated row, chest press, flys, extensions and abs ( two sets of each) and shower all in under an hour. Not bad, huh? Anyways, a chance encounter with Kris brought back more memories of Sweat Club.( Kris being a former instructor of SC, now a PT with FF) Of the quiet atmosphere, the gossip and the HUGE shower cubicles.
( Double the size of those in Axis) Since Cali took over, its now the miniscule size of....well, if BH went in for a shower, he'd come out with his knees and elbows bruised...every time he turns, he'd probably hit the wall. It's THAT small. Working out when every one is just working, ah, the life of a thai-thai. Since I decided to have a facial after gym, wah...really felt like pretending to be one also lah.

Didn't help that facial was in THE shopping mall for thai-thai's, Bangsar Village larr...at 128 Fauborg. I got there early and decided that since I was in the thai-thai mood, I'd just do some shopping la. Walked into Warehouse, cos I saw this gorgeous dress in the window..walked out when I saw the price. I can pretend all I want, but I sure as hell do NOT have the bank account of a thai-thai.

Sothy's is wonderful though, for my make believe. My beautician, Vience ( I know, its a weird name) is very,very good at her job. When she massages my shoulders...fuah...BLISS!!! She must have been the emperor's masseuse in her past life. Can imagine her pampering some emperor who goes "Do it right or its off with your head!" Hence she got real good. The woman is good with her hands la...I felt sooo goood.Have not once been disappointed with Sothys. Always end up with a huge smile on my face. They are that good...my birthday is in December, hint,hint, wink,wink. Had another round of their chocolate facial. More more on that, read this.

And to top off the pampering, had my manicure done at the same time. My manicurist Jessie was free, so might as well lah. All I could think off was...can I come back tomorrow for another round? That was until the bill came, and there went my thai-thai fantasies up in smoke again. I guess I'll play pretend again next month...errr.....maybe next month and a half.

Thursday

It's another uneventful Thursday morning. Am wondering if it will remain an uneventful Thursday afternoon and evening. I love Thursdays, I get off work at 1, then I'm free to do whatever I want. Which usually means spending quality and quantity time in my favourite place, my bed. My bed is nice, it's warm, it's comforting, it makes me feel safe. No matter what kinda day I'm having, I can count on my bed to make things right. There are days when I don't want to leave my bed. Then there are days when I have to.

Most Thursdays after spending much needed time in my favourite place I head of to Axis, to join many other sweaty people punch air, in combat. Not this Thursday. This Thursday will be different. (Of late, so have my Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.) But, I still have to hit the gym. Why? Because according to some machine, I am obese. Not that I really believe that that's true. But it really doesn't hurt to go do some weights, now does it?

So, after 1 and after lunch, I will be off. It will be just me, the weights and my Ipod. Will not have a care in the world other than that, will do my circuit as best I can, ignore the stares from those beefy buffed up kinds normally grunting in front of mirrors and just get down to it. Just me, my weights and my Ipod......and then, I'll go for my chocolate facial. Ah, the icing for the day. That will be my Thursday for today.

My second rule of combat

My second rule of combat...if the instructor ignores and avoids all eye contact with you, bear down, work it, sweat it and just have fun. Do not ever imitate a cat and meow about it in class.

It was a weird class tonight at MML. I got there 20 past 6, wondering why the lifts from the basement weren't working. As I was climbing up the stairs, the lights went off for a while and more people were headed toward the car park than toward the gym...hmmm...power failure? Sure enough, the lights were out. Apparently someone in Damansara Heights decided to blow a major fuse.

Well, it was either stay and hope the power comes back, go to Axis or go home. While trying to make up my mind ( I'm so indecisive these days), I texted FBB about power failure...and solved the mystery of his malfunctioning auto gate. The power was out in his house as well.

I thought class would be cancelled. Unless FCI could sing all ten tracks ( he can teach without a mic, can he teach without music?), I'd have to go home. Diha showed up, so we hung out at the cafe outside the gym. After getting fed up of that, we decided to leave lah. Well, when I saw the jam in the car park, I changed my mind. Obviously everyone in the building was leaving at the same time, so the car park was a massive crawl. Might as well wait it out comfortably with a cup of tea.

By the time I got back to the gym, the lights were on again! Wah...TNB worked super fast. Must be some VIP who made a lot of noise. Things get done faster on the right side of the fence I guess. Anyways, class started just a little before seven, FCI waiting for more people to show up. After some minor griping about the "first time ever" small number of members in MML, we got down to it la.

Panjang was in class, but since there were just a few of us, he had his 10ft. Unfortunately, he doesn't know my first rule of combat. But, what he lacks in stamina and coordination, he makes up for amply with enthusiasm. Nothing like a bright eyed, bushy tailed excited newbie to make one feel excited about combat. Oh, and Steve was in attendance too. He always gets people in the mood, with his shouts and jump knees. He reminds me of Jack Black...must be the hair and his preference for black clothing. I wonder if Steve can do rock?

Was missing BH. He makes me laugh, no matter how crappy the instructor makes me feel. Also miss Brains For Codes...she's the only one who gets and laughs at my jokes of instructors who make me feel crappy. One good thing about MML though, the mirrors. Apparently I should look more into them to check my own technique before criticizing others...hmm, that worked out pretty well tonight.

Lazy hazy Monday

Am feeling ultra fatigued today and I just can't put my finger on it. My body doesn't ache like it should after a gruelling work out, but I'm so darn sleepy. I feel I can just close my eyes and instantly be zzzzzz-ing away.Yesterday's work out wasn't even gruelling. After BC with FCI in LM, Bh and I decided to do one set of legs, back and chest, two exercises each. Weights were my normal ones. Oh, but I was gasping for breath during BC...hmmm, must be the flu.

Haven't quite recovered from that I guess.Been blowing my brains and some blood out of my nose, which is constantly blocked. Sigh...think I'll skip BC tonight. After all, BH is not in town and Anneh wont be in class today. California and their launch of BC 32 beckons him...cis! Class just isn't the same without the usual suspects. I miss brains for codes.

Ipoh Road Yong Tau Foo

BH and I have one thing in common, one very important thing in common, we both love looking for good food. So, the last May Day public holiday, we decided to try out this famous restaurant which used to be in Jalan Ipoh. It's now in a bungalow in Segambut, near Jalan Ipoh.

Being a public holiday, the place was packed! Literally packed! PArking was a huge problem..but as our luck would have it, we found a spot, right in front. The setup is like a typical restaurant, if you ignore the fact that you are dining in what used to be someone's living room and dining room and the kitchen used to be a bedroom. Oh, the only things thats left original is the centre courtyard in the middle of the house, with a nice swing for kids.

The service here was super quick...better than Diner Dash expert players anyday! We got our food within 10 minutes of ordering...Overall, the Yong Tau Foo was good, msg was marginal. And there are options for side dishes as well, there's a rojak stall and a siew pau stall and some roasted chestnut thingy too. Wasn't expensive, costs about 80 sen a piece and it was good, so no complaints. Another place BH and I will probably go to again.

Read BH's review on Damansara Seafood Village when he posts it...thats another place we heard a lot about from blogs and decided to try last night. I'll reserve the food review for him. He's bettter at it mah!

Shopping...the skinny of it

Working in a mall has its advantages, I get to shop in my free / lunch time. Well, in terms of my $$ flow, this could count as a disadvantage. Anyway, recently, I have been window shopping a bit, looking for a pair of dress pants or working pants. Which is proving quite challenging.

Obesity and LM body fat machine aside, I'm not exactly fat nor am I thin. I'll admit, I'm stocky...short, a bit stout, muscular. I wasn't called "Thunderthighs" on the account of my slim svelte legs. Rather, I'm very well endowed, muscle wise in my legs. A legacy from a strong granny which worked out very well during my sprinting days. But these days is hell to find pants that these strong legs fit in.

See, it always fits at the waist, too small at the hips or fits at the hips, too big at the waist. For years I've been tortured, wearing pants that don't quite fit, having to alter them and still they don't quite fit. Jeans...OMG! What a torture! For years I was brought up to think that my body shape is "not normal" and that my legs are ugly, I am ugly, and normal is skinny...the type that fit in 501 ( women) jeans...those assless ones. I remember once, when I was 15, a salesgirl chided me on my weight and told me to lose some, just cos I couln't fit into a pair of jeans.

It was only on a trip to the US that I realised that this was wrong...we actually have Levi's specially made for "Asian sizes". To me, this meant...skinny, assless,bosomless ( for tops) and ultimately, shapeless. It was a joy for me in San Francisco, when I walked into Levis and lo and behold, found jeans that fit perfectly..even the length, was right. They have them in Short, Medium and Long! I found that my size is a 4S...pretty small by US standards...hehehehe.

But now, back home, I'm faced with the same problem again...finding pants that fit. I swear, I hate labels like g2000...made in Hong Kong, and doesn't fit. plus, they charge you quite a bit for stuff that the colour runs ( even after a few washes)..or stuff that tear at the seam...I have a few pairs, but I don't like wearing them. They too, don't quite fit. MNG...too long, no Asian lengths, the same with ZARA. Sigh, after spending so much, one has to send for alteration of length...not worth it at all.

Recently, I chanced upon Dorothy Perkins, found a pair, fit well, just right, and the right length. The price? 79 bucks, on discount. However, there is a catch...the material is thin, so my pants probably wont last very long.

I just wonder, when will the day come when fashion retailers that there are so many of us out there, the "in-between's" that are looking for the perfect fit. I could tailor clothes, but I don't know a good tailor and I'm not willing to spend as much. Ms Read and plus sized stuff is was too big and really, just covers up one's body. Where's the style in that? I don't have a problem above the waist...fit into an S or XS most the time. But below the waist? Aiyo...so unproportionate eh? But I will never, ever try to be a G2000 spokesperson, or buy into the whole "I have to fit into 501's to be pretty" thing. Hang them. If they think assless and skinny's beautiful, so be it. I think J.Lo and America Ferrera are beautiful...and I like my ass. Will work on it, so it doesn't slouch too much, but I like it..same goes for my legs. So there!
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Back to the Curve

Finally made it back, after BH's boycott ( gotta pay too much toll and then pay parking) just to get here. Yesterday was a semi-public holiday and so we decided to try an early BC class, the 6.20 one.This is BH's second attempt after the dengue and he actually managed to finish! The previous attempt was in LM on Sunday, where he could only survive to track 3. So I guess he is recovering very well. ( His appetite is back too).

Anyway, since FCI got a few comments from me, the instructor yesterday also will get some lah. I shall nickname him Not so Newbie ( NSN for simplicity). Well, one thing I didn't really like was NSN's lack of confidence. For one, he did not make much eye contact with members. That's probably because he turned off the lights from track 1. I don't get the idea. I mean, it does create focus on you on stage ( so members can see your techniques, provided of course you don't teach them ajaran sesat), but it also means that you can't see the members below, especially those who are new and are making mistakes with technique. I always thought that warm ups are a great start to teaching technique, the slower pace makes it easier...but if you can't see.....how to correct?

The other thing I didn't like was NSN takes on some "homeboy" persona on stage...yeah, maybe that's his style, but to me, it comes off as fake and insincere. Also, I think he's not comfy with this persona either, and it shows. I guess experience counts and helps inprove the instructors confidence and ease on stage. One other thing I noticed was NSN cheated at shuffling...big time. And with push-ups. Hey, male instructors should be a role model, push-ups on toes, please, especially easy tracks! And his body rips look like groin flicks...he aimed too low, and the motion was not straight forward, rather like an quasi upper upwards. It looked weird, and had me in stiches, literally.

Other than that, the rest was ok. BH was looking at me the entire class, realising I was making comments in my head ( especially the groin flicks part..we were both sniggerring). See, instead of going for FCI's class like I normally do, I decided to join him for this one. we still had a good workout nevertheless and we got to see people climbing up a wall. But seriously, bring back the instructors who do SAFETY CUES please....I wonder how many people go home with injuries these days.

My first rule of combat

Well, my first rule is, if there is a right leg forward, there will be a left leg forward. This means, if I've done 64 knees and countless elbows with my right leg forward and I'm out of breath, I'm in deep trouble. So, if instructor says "LEVEL THREE!!!!!" and I can hardly breath with my RIGHT leg forward, I'll stick to level zero lah....

Managed to barely survive last night's BC at MML, my muscles still aching from weights on Sunday. I think I'm getting too old for this or I'm just out of shape. Hmm, that's more likely the reason. As usual, my mind wonders off in class. Though last night I actually got visual cue's from FCI as I had an unobstructed view, so the wanderings were limited.

The crowd was less last night than before. Tall long limbed guy was in class. He's getting better at his coordination, but we all still give him a wide berth. There was a newbie, who didn't follow my first rule of combat, so he really suffered at track 8. Poor thing. Quite a few regulars were in as well, both MML regulars and FCI regulars. The latter being his fans who follow him just like the DIGI advert. It is sorta nice to see familiar faces, especially after such a long hiatus. I haven't been to the gym in a good 2 weeks. Sunshine was there too, looking a bit tired though, probably cos' she did pump before. Which brings me to another observation, Veron is back. thought she was GXM at Cali? Politics there getting too rough I guess...

Was missing Brains For Codes...we used to have so much fun talking about...I mean listening to FCI in class..., snigger, snigger, wink, wink. Betcha won't have as much fun down in kiasuland babe...

Rainy days and Mondays

Ok, so today is Tuesday and not a Monday, but it sure feels like a Monday. It is raining though, and the rain is preventing my dental chair repair guy from getting to my chair and repairing it, which is preventing me from treating my patient who is sitting in the waiting room and who is also prevented from leaving, by the rain. So I guess we all hate rainy days.

Rainy days....sigh

Me? Obese?

Yeah, thats what the body fat machine at LM said yesterday. After working out, BH decided to weigh himself, so I followed along. After his bout with dengue, he lost weight ( no surprises there). As for me, the machine claims I didn't gain nor lose, but my body fat was at 31% and according to their scale, I am OBESE.

Geez...I guess that makes anyone fatter than me...SEVERLY OBESE AND ABOUT TO DROP DEAD OF A HEART ATTACK AT ANY TIME!.

Yes, I'm mad. Yes, I'm upset...how can I be obese?

Hospitals

In the last 3 weeks, I have had to visit 3 different private hospitals. From my dad's cataract op to BH's dengue phase. So, here is what happened and a review of said hospitals

First up...Damai Service Hospital. Located in Jalan Ipoh, dad decided to get his cataract op done there as he was happy with the oplthalmologist (Dr. Joseph Alagaratnam) there. No complaints, the fee was reasonable, the specialist very nice. The hospital itself is small, not fancy, but adequate. This is one place where my dad actually enjoyed his food..they served him basmati rice, enough for two, so mum also had a good lunch. He said it was tasty..hmm..hospital food that taste good. More points for DSH. Since it was only a day stay and I had an exam on the same day, no pics lah.

Next comes UMSC, the private wing of UH, which stands for Universiti Malaya Specialist Centre. Mum has been a patient in UH for a long time. As a former gov servant, she gets all treatment and meds for free. But during a routine gynae check up, the specialist who was on that day discovered a mass. My mum has always had uterine fibroids, but it got pretty big. And for her age, that was not good. After CT scans and ultrasounds, the mass was discovered to be as big as a fist, had calcification's and was impinging on her kidney. So, A/P ( Associate Prof, lar, not anak perempuan) Eugene Leong decided it was in her best interest to have it removed. Unfortunately, if she were to do it under the gov list, it could only be done in August.

So after some deliberation, we decided to do it privately. Hence, the trip to UMSC on Thursday, the 5th. Must say, UMSC is very nice, the place ( currently at 10th floor Menara Timur UH) resembled a hotel. The cheapest bed is 150 bucks, 100 for the room and 50 for nursing charges a day. No food. As compared with Damai, the cheapest was about 50 a day, 3 to a room. Mum got a two bedded room. But the facilities were excellent, a few nurses very dedicated ( some a bit blur lah) and the surgeon, very good. Dr. Leong popped by everyday, at least twice to check on mums progress, sometimes he was even around late into the night and right after surgery, he let us go to the OR to see the uterus and mass. I have a pic, but since some of you would be queasy, I won't put it up. But food here ..not good. You have to order separately and it was bad. Food for visitors in the cafeteria is no better. UH food still sucks, is heart attack inducing and needs an upgrade.
The parking is weird too.Check out the pic of the Kelisa...barely fitting through one of the many turns in the main parking block. That lady must have been dreaming too, cos she slammed into the wall on the right.It was a planned stay, we planned when and also how to manage with mum there. Same with dad's op...so though we were worried about the outcome of both surgeries, we were prepared.
And everything seemed ok, was very tired from staying overnight with her on Friday and also running around to and from home to work and hospital. Was really feeling drained by then, so I was relying on BH to run around for me, which he did too. He really brought smiles to mum's face. Little did we know what would happen next.

On Saturday night, after seeing my mum in hospital, BH decided to follow dad and I home, to watch some footie with dad. Both being Liverpool fans, they enjoy matches together. His fever started that night. It was mild, so we thought nothing much of it. The next day, my mum was discharged, so after bringing her home, went to see BH who was by then feeling bad. He was having many aches and pains and his fever was still present. By evening, his face was flushed and he would throw up anything that he ate. We still didn't think much of it. Ironic really, since more than a month ago, he was working on a site that was festered with mosquitoes and I had told him to go straight to the doctors if he had the slightest fever.

We didn't realise it was dengue till Wednesday. The clinic he first went to just diagnosed viral fever and thought his fever didn't abate with meds, the doctor just gave him more meds. Wednesday was when a blood test was done and subsequently on Thursday which still didn't show the presence of dengue antibodies. But, his platelet count had dropped to 60 by then and the doctor diagnosed it was probably dengue and advised admission.

So, exactly one week after my mum was admitted, BH was admitted to Pantai Cheras for dengue. Not a nice place. He went to a 4 bedded, which costs 80 bucks a night but reminds me of GH, ie HKL. The food? Horrible. BH already had no appetite to eat and the food made that worse. The chicken smelt like it wasn't washed properly.

After 5 days in that "cell", BH was discharged. Still, he could barely eat. The most he could stomach was half a bowl of porridge. Most of the time, he would throw up whatever food he ate. The fever reached an all time high for him of 40.5 degrees and lasted the entire 5days in the hospital.

Anyway, BH is recovering now. He has lost weight and according to him, lots of muscle. Hence now, he wants to eat..what he can lar, appetite still not quite back yet. Yesterday we decided on Chilli' s and he has an Oldtimer burger...he finished most of it, yeay! Now I have a bigger appetite than BH, something thats very, very unusual.A visibly thinner BH about to devour the Oldtimer ( No gay innuendos intended)What's left of Oldtimer

So thats the whole story.DSH and UMSC get my vote. Pantai is crappy and expensive, but hopefully I don't have to visit anymore hospitals for a while.

Finally back

After many many moons of absence in the gym, I'm finally back. Went for BC last night , worked up a good sweat, and feel pretty good. Of course the jiggly bits are back too. What do you expect? Three weeks of no physical activity will do that to anyone. In the words of "Ah Loong", my Cadbury has melted. Oh well...

I did ponder about doing PT again...but I can't bear to part with something precious to me if I did...money! 1000 bucks of it is much loved and better spent elsewhere, right? So it looks like I'm gonna have to do it myself, the weights training I mean, but all in good time lah.

Last night's BC class was good, cueing by FCI was very good, wasn't very lost at all. But there are a few things bout him that I notice now and I hope if he reads this, he should take it in his stride and as an opinion. I think his technique has got to improve. For one, his jabs don't extend all the way, they look really short. Fast, but short. Uppers ok, but hooks sometimes look off too. Elbows not distinct enough, could not differentiate his circular elbow from his hook. And his roundhouse needs work, not enough "turnout" I think, so it kinda looks almost like a side kick, but not quite.

I know I'm no expert, but when it comes to technique, I think I got it down ok, so though FCI is a great instructor, technique wise there is room for improvement still. I like Peggy's technique, its good and of course Tracey...the master! But she doesn't teach combat anymore. Lilian's ok too, haven't been to Renee or Terrence's class in a while, don't know how they are doing.

Well, that's what I was doing in class last night, other than working out, being a busybody and thinking/commenting on FCI's moves to myself. What to do? BH not around, otherwise I really wouldn't be paying attention to any of this...too busy laughing. It will be a while before we hear "Aik" in the class and female shouts too. Hopefully BH and I can survive tomorrow's task...weights in LM!

The aftermath

BH is home from the hospital. Was discharged on Tuesday afternoon, once his platelet count hit 161. But I think they kept him in longer cos they were worried about complications. You see, normally, once the platelet counts start rising, they discharge, but in BH's case, he was still having on and off fever and his liver was still enlarged.

When he first came out, he didn't look like he lost any weight, in fact, he weighed himself and found he gained weight...which is weird, cos he hardly ate for 2 weeks and when he did, he would throw it up anyway. He looked bloated and sure enough, its all water retention. When the dengue was at its worst, his capillaries had leaked, causing fluid to accumulate. He had ascites, fluid accumulation in the peritoneal cavity ( tummy) and looked really rotund. Thankfully, it all drains over time, so after many trips to the loo, BH is finally looking like he actually was sick...thinner and less round than before.

Now, I can see BH's cheekbones...which were covered up by fat before. He keeps touching his legs, citing the loss of muscle mass. It's true, have to agree, he has loss muscle...has shrunk a bit and it will be a long time before he can gain back his mass. Hopefully the fat stays away...kekekeke. the jaundice is gone too. His appetite is slowly coming back and he is gaining strength everyday.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever really takes a toll on a person. though he is getting better, the loss of muscle mass, makes BH very weak and tire's quickly. Also, he gets cramps just climbing up the stairs. He said himself, suddenly he feels like an old man.

But BH being BH, he wants to jump right back to work...already working from home, trying to secure another tender. I suppose that means he's feeling better also lar...now I can finally go back to gyming. Already been 3 weeks since I last went for BC..

A simple strand of RNA

Been very busy and tired lately..BH came down with dengue heammorhagic fever last sat. Has been in hospital since the Thursday after...a whole week plus now of fever and chills. Why? All because of a simple single strand of RNA, enclosed in a capsule, that doesn't need to eat, doesn't have sex ( gender or action) but just replicates. The dengue virus, a tiny little fler but wrecks havoc even in the largest and strongest of men. And like all viruses, its uses our own bodies genetic material to replicate. Then if that weren't enough, this tiny little fler would cause your capilarries to leak and bleed, so your platelets have to go clog up the leak. And then, if your platelets can't cope, you bleed, lose fluids and go into shock. Untreated, 50% of people that go into shock die. There is no cure. No antiviral, no immunisation...just your own immune response to deal with it. Supportive treatment, ie meds for fever, iv fluids and blood if necessary are given once a person is hospitalised. But thats it. The rest is up to the person.

Its really a very stupid virus...if the host dies, it dies with it. If the host survives, its still dies. It's only hope is to replicate into sufficient amounts and hope that its accomplice, the Aedes Aegypti mosquito will transmit it into another host. Which apparently is working very well for this tiny fella, cos throw a stone into a crowd, and its likely you'll hit someone who had this disease before. I got it at 12. And spending time with BH in hospital, I met many other people who had it, are having it or know someone who had it. Even a few of my patients have had it.

It has been a trying time for BH, his family and me. We saw how the fever went up to 40.5 degrees, how he would shiver though he was burning up and how the rashes look, all over his hands and legs. At one point, his finger nails were blue and his platelet count hit 9 ( Normal is 150 and up) per mmol-9 . They had to give him plasma and platelets and following a Chinese remedy, my dad pounded papaya leaf and we gave him the extract to drink. His mums been cooking frogs with bitter gourd. Almost everyone in that same ward told us the same thing, that this would work and the night we gave it to him, his fever came down.

Right now, he's still in hospital, fever been coming down. Sometimes he gets mild fever, but otherwise recovering. Platelet counts went up , so now its just a matter of rest. It's actually very scary how a small, tiny little things could have brought down my BH...many times bigger, stronger and definitely smarter. Suffice to say, it was one of the scarriest times of my life so far..
So everyone, please get rid of any stagnant water and use mosquito coils at night. We still don't know where BH got bitten, but based on the stories I hear, it's endemic in the Klang Valley. Which means, its happening everywhere. You really don't wanna go through this and you really don't want your loved ones too either. This simple strand of RNA is trouble with a capital T.

On a more personal note, I hope all the drama is finally over. This past month has been crazy for me...starting with my dad's cataract op and an exam on the same day, to my mother having a mild cancer scare and surgery a week later, to BH falling sick a week after that. Thankfully mum and dad ok...now just BH has to get better. Then maybe I can rest.;)

Credit card companies...the loan sharks of the new millenium?

Yesterdays paper reported that a majority of the bankrupts enrolled in Bank Negara's programme to help them overcome debt were credit card defaulters. And many of them could not be helped as they did not have sufficient disposable income to eliminate their debt. When I read this, I wasn't surprised as any Tahir, Dasan and Hong can get a credit card these days. Just stroll into any shopping complex and it's very likely there will be a credit card roadshow / "promotion" going on, offering anyone a credit card. Even retirees...like my parents were offered. Whats next? School kids? Kindergarten kids?

The banks must realise that a majority of these people don't have sufficient disposable income to pay off any debt, but yet they push anyway. These days, even with an income of RM2500 or less, one could still get credit card approval with a limit of RM3000...where's the logic? It's simple...if you can't pay your dues, you pay the minimum, and then incur a 18% per annum interest on the balance...then, when you spend some more, you owe even more. And finally, you can't keep up with the payments and end up owing said credit card company or bank virtually your life, as you'd be working just to pay off the debt. So, one has to ask, who wins? I'm guessing, not the credit card holder.

I am writing this because just yesterday I got an annoying call from my credit card bank. This is the umpteenth time they are trying to get me in debt. First they offer a platinum...which I rejected. Then, they send me the platinum...twice! Both times expecting me to activate it, to which I promptly cut both in half. Plus, they incessantly send me "cheques" ( blank ones) which I can fill for any amount....with the tiny blueprint at the back stating the interest. Also yesterday, they offered me cash..on loan at "half the normal interest rate" to pay off my credit card bill. I recently spent xxxx ringgit. Quite a bit, but I always pay my dues before the due date, in full.And I intend to do the same this time. Being smart sharks, the company offered me xxxx + 88 ringgit to pay up this amount, at "half the normal interest rate". So, they hope that from earning zero interest off me, they would be able to earn "half the normal interest rate". Loan shark or what?

I have learnt the hard way about credit cards. I started with a clear card...when you have spending power all of a sudden, you lose your head. It's easy to swipe, you don't see the cash...and I was in debt. When I wasn't, I was spending most my cash paying it off. A friend gave me Rich dad Poor dad and I finally realised that it was a trap. Though now I have 3 cards, my clear upgraded to gold ( higher limit and I needed it for travel)...I only use one. One of the others I got free for life from the Malaysian Dental Association...so I keep that for when my current card expires and they want to charge me fees. The other came free with a home loan ( another loan shark tactic) which I got for my dad, for him in case of emergencies. But I have to wonder...is it just me, or are credit card companies and banks these days worse than the ah longs? They have an endless database of clients and I wonder...how many people will go bankrupt?

Note: Best friend..ie Brains for codes bf, swears this one particular bank ( an international one whose card I use) is the devil......the rest are all demons, but this one, the very devil himself. With their incessant tactics at getting me to owe them money, I'm beginning to think so too. Perhaps its time to claim my rewards and terminate the card.

The nation getting FAT

Malaysians are a lucky lot. Many contries in the world, don't have mamak stalls such at this...

open till the wee hours of the morning. By wee I mean 3/4 am. And its not just Mamak stalls...its any kinda food you want. Prawn mee ke, Nasi goreng ke or even Thong Sui stalls and eating places are open till very late at night. Is it any wonder then, that our people are getting fat? I bet in our parents time, by 11 pm they would have gone to bed, let alone be up at 3/4 am gorging on Maggi goreng. Times have changed.

It was just a few days ago that I read somewhere that though more and more gyms are opening up, people are actually getting less healthy. I guess its true, you are what you eat.

The pic above is a special Maggi goreng, fried with a special ikan bilis sambal which is very good. This is from a stall in Jinjang...yea, BH knows where to go for food allright.

Anyways, its amazing the kind of food we get, at any hour of the day. BH and his "food" blog is explanation enough as to why we both need to hit the gym more often...hehehehe.

The pain of pain relief

Before


During

After

If you are wondering what this is, it's called "cupping", a traditional Chinese method of massage and pain relieve,involving the use of suction cups, to remove excess "bad fluid" from affected areas. Ok, I'll confess, the during picture is an exaggeration of the procedure. The pain on BH's face is real, but it was during massage that it hurt. The cupping itself was not, it was just mildly annoying.

The next question on your mind, is why? Well, BH drives long distance quite a bit, and this leads to poor posture...due in part to a locally manufactured car with poor car seat design and him, having poor posture in general. So, after feeling cheated by a chiropractor ( some guy in BU who touched his back, then charged a consultation fee of RM100), BH swore never to see conmen again. In my opinion, chiropractors are quacks, no offense anneh. We were however, left with a dilemma...what now? Michelle, LM instructor in Cheras recommended Jenny, this lady she sees for massage. Apparently Michelle's husband, Tony, suffers the same problem as BH and has had a lot of relief from Jenny.

Hence the cupping and subsequent crop circle appearance on his legs. Later, his and my whole backs resembled Kansas corn fields. People looking at us probably would have concluded one of the following:

1) He is a wife beater
2) She is a husband abuser
3) They both thought themselves kungfu fighters got into and massive fights
4)Aliens abducted them and with weird sense of humour, decided to replicate their crop circles
on their backs, which means...
5) The aliens are coming!


It was fun while the marks lasted, it felt like there were bruises all over and they were tender. I for one, won't go back, I can't stand the pain...as for BH..well, his back's not a problem at the moment.

Certifiably addicted

Richard the Lionheart claims to be a hoarder, one who has stocked up years supply of toothpaste. I on the other hand, am a hoarder of a very different necessity and I think I need to check myself in for rehab....I'm addicted to lingerie...more specifically, to the shopping of lingerie. La Senza and Women's Secret are now my favourites, having grown out of Triumph and Wacoal. I really can't help it, every time I walk past these stores, I'll pop in, telling myself I'll just have a peek at whats new. Every time I walk out...I have a new shopping bag in hand and a silly grin on my face, planning my next purchase. I think, if I lined my bra's and tied them together, they would make an excellent floatation device in times of emergency ( padding floats). I'm not talking about life-vest sized, more life boat sized...My undie drawer is virtually spilling over.

It all began in Uni, when a friend confided "You think this is real? I invest in good bra's...not cheap ones,ok? I'm half Chinese, do you think they come naturally?" in relation to her ample yet unsaggy bosom. Since then, I realised what she meant, being half Chinese myself. But back then, there was more Indian in me, I was a whole lot chubbier and bigger, so it didn't really hit me yet, this realisation. After losing weight and shrinking, I discovered the maximizer...and many other versions of this.

To my delight, a friend bought me a gift of lingerie once, and I discovered Women's Secret. Then came LA Senza to Mid Valley...and out went Triumph, Wacoal, etc. These days, the temptation is harder to resist, with unbelievable sales at La Senza...50% plus an added 20% if you purchase 5 items in a single receipt. Guess who went and utilised the 70% discount? And a few times at that? Hehehehe.....Well, at least some people appreciate them..not just me and BH, obviously, but also friends who see me in the gym locker...it's always nice to have nice lingerie...and its nice to be a woman in them!

Unique Fisherman

A few Sundays ago, BH and I celebrated his dad's birthday with his family. The venue for the dinner was Unique Fisherman Seafood Restaurant, somewhere in Cheras. I was expecting your run of the mill seafood place. You know, typical Chinese makan place that serves seafood la. Instead, the moment we walked in, we were greeted by HUGE tanks that contained an assortment of sea life. Yea, life, not food...the fish were still swimming, the crabs, clawing.

I tell you, it was more fun and informative than Underwater World. No wonder the kids had their eyes wide open and were gawking at the tanks and its contents. BH and I were doing the same! Check out the pics.

Soon Hock fish...can you see the price? RM 128 perkg!!!


This is another Soon Hock...don't let the relative size of the pic fool you. This fler would have costs you well over a grand if you wanted to eat him!


Snow crabs....so called because of white appearance


More "affordable" Soon Hock....smaller ones la


Spider crabs...huge flers, will set you back a few hundred bucks..They look like alien life forms to me.


And finally...BH, enjoying birthday cake, with chopsticks...;)