Literally or Contextually?

Today I read some articles that pointed out that a lot of Christians have used bible verses too literally and that those verses often quoted are taken in the wrong context.   For example, Jeremiah 29:11 that says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  

Now, there is reason in the article's argument that the verse had to be read in the context of where the Israelites was at the point of time: in exile, in Babylon, in despair.   I can understand that.  However, it also argues that it should not be used for when we are having a bad day or when things don't go our way.  In a way that is also true but I believe that by saying we need to look at ONLY the situational context then we are limiting what is the WORD of GOD.  

Yes, God's Word should be read in context and should not be used in vain or for our own selfish gain but God's Word being GOD'S WORD should also be powerful enough for use to meditate on and used in more ways than one, right?  

So what if Jer 29:11 is used as a source of comfort, strength, peace and assurance?  Not only for the big things or "Godly things" but also to help us overcome the little struggles that we face in our daily lives.  I'd rather that God's Word be used to help and encourage Christians, especially those young in faith, to keep their eyes on Jesus, even if it means sometimes taking the verses literally.  

God works in all sorts of ways and in all sorts of manner... what is more important is that we keep clinging on God's Word and allow God's Spirit to work in and through us so that eventually we can truly get what God wants to say to us, in whatever context he wants us to understand it in.  Only then can the very Word of God be fully realized in our lives... don't you think so?

Club Bashing

I just don't understand why some people have to bash other person's club up for some reason or another.  It is understandable to not like another club because of rivalry but to go to the extend of publicly bashing another club when the opportunity arises is just not on.  It seems to me like their hatred for another club supersedes their love of their own club.   That is just strange to me.


Oh well. 

Awesome

I actually wanted to comment on this topic of awesomeness on Facebook but felt that it was not the right forum to address this issue.  So I turn to my good ol' trusty blog to give the world my 2 cents, partly because there is less traffic passing through my blog nowadays and partly, that's the purpose of a blog anyway: to voice my own personal opinion.  So here goes...

I noticed lately that a lot of people like to throw the word "AWESOME" around freely and on anything interesting that they see/heard/felt, e.g.

• This Tomyam noodles is awesome.
• You can come for my birthday? Awesome.
• Your guitar skills is really awesome.
• Wow, the new clothes from H&M looks awesome.

Well, NO. the noodles may be DELICIOUS, you may be HAPPY that someone is attending your birthday, your friend's guitar skills may be WICKED and the new clothes from H&M looks really COOL but those things are by definition NOT awesome.

Someone told me that awesomeness should be one of those few words that we should reserve for GOD because nothing and no one deserves it more that He does.  I wholeheartedly agree with him/her and since then I have not used the word awesome for anything except for God.  Look at the synonyms associated with the word awesome: breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful, amazing, stunning, staggering, imposing, stirring.  Does anything else deserve such accolades.  Even the things/beings he created: Grand Canyon, the Milky Way, my wife and my child... they may be beautiful and lovely to behold but when I use the word awesome with them, its more about me being in awe with who God is and what He has done.  I feel using it in any other context would just cheapen the word.

In fact, the Bible also says the word awesome belongs to God and God alone: “Dominion and awe belong to God; He establishes order in the heights of heaven." - Job 25:2.

So if you would, use the word sparingly... please, because only God is AWESOME.   

V for... ?

Wow... I just realized that this blog is almost 10 years old... its a sign of how technology has moved on that I hard blog anymore.

Oh btw, don't let the money-men fool you into spending loads on Valentine's day.  Valentine's day was a day to remember love's sacrifice.  So the best Valentine's day gift your can give is to give YOURSELF 100% to your loved ones every day of yours and their lives. 

So here's wishing you a great Valentine's day and more importantly a great beginning to a great weekend! ;)

Reboot

I need to return to my roots and use this blog more frequently as a place to reflect, review, recharge, renew and sometimes, react (though I actually have another place to just for that purpose!).


The only problem is I am not much of a writer.  Yes, I mused about stuff all the time but I am usually too lazy to put them down into words.  Oh well... lets see how long this latest effort will last, shall we? :)

Drinking water.

Don't know if this is true...

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs.
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion.
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure.
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack.

If its true, great! If not, well... at least I'm hydrated! :)

There's been some discussion on the Net about putting together a team that would defeat Barcelona. Here's my contribution to the cause:

Forwards:
Rooney Ronaldo Aguero
Midfield:
Modric Wilshere
De Jong
Defenders:
Coentrao Jones Silva Maicon
Goalkeeper:
Neuer

What if I have 161 million pounds in the bank?

What will you do if you have 161 million pounds? I really dunno man...

Barcelona 2011 = Football Masters

Its been 2 weeks since Man Utd lost to Barca in the CL finals. It still hurts but I have to admit, Josep Guardiola did an amazing job putting together a squad like that.

Some of the interesting things he did...

1. using a withdrawn striker like Messi pull midfielders and leaving central defenders with nothing to mark.
2. using 2 strikers (Villa and Pedro) as wide men to receive Messi's passes. Confusing both opposing full backs and central defenders and allowing its own full backs space to run up and down the sidelines.
3. finally, and this is a genius... using a defensive midfielder (Mascherano) as a defender. Having Pique as a lone central defender is no problem as Man Utd had deployed a lone striker and having 2 defensive midfielders (Busquets and Mascherano) in front of and beside the main defender allows maximum protection to the keeper.

Brilliant! Now if we can find a way to negate all that...

Missing dog

Lately I've seen so many Lost Pet posters springing up near my neighborhood and all over Penang. This got me thinking and I've come to a conclusion that the only way people can stop losing their dogs is to choose the right breed to keep as a pet. If you choose a poodle or a schnauzer or any other pure bred small dog, its gonna go missing if left unattended. "So what is your solution then?", I hear you ask... and here is my answer:

GET A MONGREL, and a FEMALE one at that.


If you treat them with the same kinda love and care (and yes, spaying them is part of caring for them) as you would a pure bred, you will have a loving dog who not only is loyal but have had all the bad genes bred out of it already. Try the yellow fur variety. They are so ubiquitous yet so cute and loving, and no one wants too kidnap them. They have absolutely no financial value to others. Give them a try... adopt a mongrel instead.

Really...

Getting there

2 more matches, 1 more final... you think we can do it?

Cross our fingers... hope the players are not complacent!

EDC

EDC stands for "Every-Day Carry. generally referring to small items or gadgets worn, carried, or made available in pockets, holsters, or bags on a daily basis to manage common tasks or for use in unexpected situations or emergencies. "

This is my ideal EDC in bag:

1. Benchmade Mini-Griptilian 556 folding knife
2. Leatherman Charge TTi multifunction tool with Bit-Kit (with sheaths)
   
3. Gerber pocket sharpener
   
4. Fenix PD31 flashlight
   
5. First aid kit
6. Emergency Space Blanket
   
7. 60m dental floss
8. Wet-wipes
9. Energy bar
   
10. USB card reader
    
11. Peanut stainless-steel lighter
12. iPod Nano 16gb MP3 player
    
13. Pentax W90 rugged camera
14. Zebra Sharbo X multi-pen
15. Moleskine XS notebook
    

This is my ideal EDC in pockets:

1. Casio PRG-130T multifunction watch/Seiko SKZ249K1 200m diver's watch
   
2. Samsung Galaxy S2 16gb smartphone
3. S-Biner #3 and keychain with house-keys, eGear Pico LED mini-flashlight, Sandisk 16gb flash drive & Gerber Shard tool
   
4. S-Biner #3 and car keys with ResQMe emergency tool
5. Fenix LD10 flashlight
6. Victorinox Moneyclip
7. Wallet
8. Coin pouch
   
9. Victorinox Climber or Huntsman SAK
10. Lamy 4pen multi-pen
    
11. Clorets mint tablets
    

Counting chicks

Why is everyone saying Man Utd have one hand on their 19th title when they still have so many big, big matches to play? Just look the fixtures below:

Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Uefa Champions League Man Utd v Chelsea, (agg 1-0), QFL1, L2, 19:45
Saturday, 16 April 2011
The FA Cup Man City v Man Utd, SF, 17:15
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Barclays Premier League Newcastle v Man Utd, 19:45
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Barclays Premier League Man Utd v Everton, 12:45
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Barclays Premier League Arsenal v Man Utd, 14:05
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Barclays Premier League Man Utd v Chelsea, 16:10
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Barclays Premier League Blackburn v Man Utd, 12:45
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Barclays Premier League Man Utd v Blackpool, 16:00

That's just way over-optimistic. Calm down guys...

Attendance

I just noticed that Germany's Bundesliga clubs consistently scores high for highest average attendance in a match. How come their clubs don't seem to be rated as highly as Spain, Italy or England??? Hrm...

Fabio oh Fabio!

How in the world did Fabio Capello turn from a world-class manager to a world-class loser so quickly?! Never have I seen someone become so inept so quickly before.

Chasm

1 night and the emptiness is felt.
2 more nights, can I stand the void?

Frus and alone

Its hard to ignore it when everyone seems to turn on you. All I have
is a cold gone bad. Why do all of you have to avoid me like so?

Epiphany

I just had an epiphany of sorts this afternoon: "That life is just not worth getting upset over... can do do... cannot do, leave it in God's hands... all things will some how work themselves out" and maybe its starting to work???

I don't want to jinx things though... So should I let the world know?

My nose is running away...

Cold, cold go away...
Let my nose clear up today... :(

My kinda watch! :)

I've just found out about Sony Ericsson's upcoming accessory product called LiveView. Its got to be the coolest gadget out there and as a lover of watches, I think this concept will take watches into a new dimension... merging another important equipment in our lives, our timepieces, with another, our phones. The amount of possibilities and functions you can add is limitless. I can't wait to see what developers can do with this concept! :)

I HATE APPLE!

As bad as Microsoft is, no other IT company makes life a living HELL more than Apple (the company, not the fruit... which I love). Its so hard to transfer songs from my comp to my iPod Shuffle! I thought I could use one of those iPod alternatives... but after I tried a few, all I got was I need to use iTunes to sync my music! I don't want to use iTunes to sync cos its so un-user-friendly. After a few tries, I gave up.

So now I am back at square-1 trying to install iTunes and restoring the stupid device's default setting and looks like I have to use iTunes again.

:(

Listening Ear

Radio stations I like to listen to:

1. BBC Radio 4 (News, Current Affairs, Arts & Culture)
   
2. BBC Radio 5 Live (News, Chat & Sports)
   
3. BBC Radio 7 (Comedy & Drama)
   
4. BBC World Service (World News & Current Affairs)
   
5. Classic FM (Classical)
   
6. RTHK Radio 4 (Classical)
   
7. RTHK Radio 5 (HK Opera)
   
8. Shonan Beach FM (Easy Listening, Jazz & Classical)
9. WNYC (News & Culture)

Updating...

For those of you who have been to my blog previously, you would notice that I've "renovated" my blog slightly to make it look fresher. I like it... and I hope you do too. I'll try to keep it updated as time permits.

I realise this is a good place for me to rant and rave about general stuff and it also keeps my written English from becoming rusty. Good eh? :)

Oklah... stay tuned and here's to a more updated 2011 :)

Bad Tune

Tune hotel just forfeited my credits in my account without informing me. This really sucks. The credit was also the result of me booking a room for my in-laws in KL without realising that Tune hotel require the person booking to be present for the stay as well. When I asked them why Airasia can book, Tune cannot... they say they are different companies with different policies...

Says a lot about the whole setup doesn't it... :P

I HATE TUNE HOTELS! >:(

Wishes do come true... kinda :)

I was reading my older postings and I found this wish-list that I wrote about 8 months ago... and I realised that I have actually fulfilled some of my own wishes! Not by much though... :/

So lets go through the list again...

Things that I want(ed):
1. High-end Desktop PC. - DONE. Not as high spec as I wanted but enough for now.
2. Watches - an Orient dress watch and the New Casio Protrek multi-function watch. - NOPE
3. Mobile phone - either a HTC or Nokia. - NOPE
3. Victorinox knives and tools. - DONE. Kinda...
4. Leatherman knives and tools. - DONE. I think this is more or less a YES. :)
5. LED TV and Home Theatre System. - DONE. Kinda... got a TV, not LED but good enough. No home system though.
6. Bicycle. - NOPE
7. Cheap and nice 2nd hand motorcycle. - NOPE
8. Landrover Defender! - NOPE

4 out of 8 (kinda) ain't too bad actually... :) Thank You Lord for your blessings and thanks wifey for letting me get them! :)

Dream...

Found my dream phone - the Samsung Galaxy S2!
It contains all the features and functions that I need or want in a phone! :)

Why is it so difficult for them to come up with a phone that has all the specs I need... All the phone I want sure have something I am not happy with.

For example:
SE Experia X10 - plasticky, Android 2.1 only, no multi-touch (expecting more from an SE phone!)
Nokia N8 - No user-changeable battery and its Symbian apps is limited...
Samsung Galaxy S - no flash
iPhone 4 - its APPLE
HTC Desire HD - too expensive
Acer - still waiting for latest release
Motorola Defy - Android 2.1 only, no 2ndary cam, battery life too short
Windows Phone 7 phones - too early to be stable

Nothing's perfect is it?

Missing you...

I miss her already. Not more than 1 hour away from her... how can I last a week? :/

Sighs...

Feeling a little low. Don't know why. Its okla. Will work it out somehow.

Hard

Sometimes its so hard to maintain the faith...

I had been wondering why Man Utd is so quiet this season. I wonder if the 25-man squad limite has anything to do with it???

On another note, if Man Utd do want to sign a playmaker to replace Scholes, will Mezut Ozil fit the bill?

Let it be

Rants today will become insignificant tomorrow

Just the kind of story I like

Just finished watching Princess Arete, an anime about a princess who is determined to set her own path in life rather than be tied down by her current life. Its a rather slow and ploddy movie but has much more greater potential as a series. She wants to travel and live among her people, to see how they build their lives and future with their own two hands. Really interesting. Its something I'd like to direct if I have the ability and finances to direct an anime series.

By the way, its one of my childhood dreams you know... directing my own anime series.

Do as He does

I was asking God 2 nights ago that if people don't change, change my perspective and behaviour towards them by being a reflection of God's love. Immediately, I began to worry if people would take advantage of me if I learn to accept people as they are and not struggle against them.

Then a picture came into my mind that people also took advantage of Jesus when he did not fight back. The Romans, Pilate, the priests and the Jewish people taunted him and took advantage of his humility and non-reaction. Christ was so focused on the long term goal of saving all of us that he was willing to lose his pride and our natural instinct to fight back.

What a revelation and comfort that picture gave me. If Christ can endure that kind of humiliation, knowing that God will work things out for us, why can't I?

Worrying times

Its time to worry when players DON'T want to come to your club...

I want...

lots and lots of money! It won't buy happiness but it sure will get you lots of lots of other stuff! :)

Wants & Ability

Things that I want:
1. High-end Desktop PC.
2. Watches - an Orient dress watch and the New Casio Protrek multi-function watch.
3. Mobile phone - either a HTC or Nokia.
3. Victorinox knives and tools.
4. Leatherman knives and tools.
5. LED TV and Home Theatre System.
6. Bicycle.
7. Cheap and nice 2nd hand motorcycle.
8. Landrover Defender!

Things I can afford...
1. Err.... None of the above? :/

If only...

If only I have Warren Buffett as my benefactor and gives me half of his personal wealth... then I'd get about USD 23b (GBP 16b) and I'd buy up Man Utd and give them the break they need now. It'll prob cost me GBP 3-5b but I think I'd make it all back real soon. Don't you think?

Tithes

2 weeks ago, I dreamt that I won USD200m playing blackjack in a casino. Yeah... it was so devastating when I woke up realising that I don't have that cheque in my hand! :/

If I had that much money (almost RM700m) what would I do with it?

Imagine, if I had that windfall... RM70m is supposed to be tithed then! Hahaha...

New Year

A new year with new resolutions:

1. Stay healthy and fit.
2. Grow spiritually and live a life of a disciple of Christ.
3. Attitude to work to change for the better.

One Year

Wow, Its been about a year since I got married. It has not been a bed of roses but what a journey it has been so far. Yes, it may have been only one year yet I am grateful that Su Yin and I have come out of it in one piece.

Whenever I feel discouraged, I will remember this song:

Your grace is sufficient for me.
Your strength is made perfect when I am weak.
All that I cling to I lay at Your feet.
Your grace is sufficient for me.

As for the next year, I am looking forward to see where God wants to take the both of us, and I am glad Su Yin is by my side all the way.

And the Reds go marching on...

Manchester United wins with 10 men. Rooney and gang brilliant.

World Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, a substitute at Real Madrid.

Heh. Funny how things are...

Watch Collection

Over the past 2 years, I have managed to get myself the watches that I really liked. This is what I've gotten so far:

2007:

Casio Protrek PRG-110T

2008:



















Seiko Sports 5 Diver 200m SKZ245

2009?

Happenings

These things happened to me last year:

1. I changed my job.
2. My sister gave birth and made me an uncle again... this time to a niece.
3. Got married to the most beautiful woman in my world.
4. Went to Bali for honeymoon... my first overseas holiday trip on my own.
5. Got a car with Su Yin.

This is what I want to achieve this year:

1. Remember my family's birthday.
2. Be more organised.
3. Be more healthy and fit.
4. Be more consistent in my prayer life.

Awesome

Through good and bad times... You are still awesome.

I am most grateful to you, Lord.

For my wife...
For my family...
For my job...
For my friends...
For my finances...
For my every need you've met...
And last but not least, for my life...

Amen.

God of all things

Don't just trust God for big things, big issues.
I realise that He is also a very meticulous and detailed God (Come to think of it, He is a melancholic, phlegmatic, choleric and sanguine all rolled into one. After all we are made in His image right?) and often its in the small things that He affirms His presence and love for us.

I thought I'd lost 2 of my pen drives yesterday. Very likely that I dropped them yesterday cos one of my pouch's zip was open. Then I thought maybe I'd look at a place in the office that never thought to look. Lo and behold, there they are! :)

Another lesson I'm learning... listen to your heart. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through it. Sometimes, it'll remind us of something that we may have misplaced or forgotten to take, it'll remind us to slow down and be more careful. It'll remind us not to say certain things. It'll remind us also of the good we need to do. I am so glad I don't have to walk through life blindly.

So remember, God is God of big and small and also, listen to your heart ya...

You know something?

This is rather belated but I am actually quite excited about my coming wedding.

And I can't wait to start my life with the girl whom I fell in love, and is still in love, with 6 years ago (wow... 6 years... felt like it was only yesterday!)

I've been thinking alot about it. Its exciting and yet I am also kinda nervous b'cos its a big, big deal starting a new chapter in your life together with someone who's been entrusted to you.

This can only work IF we do it together... with God. Its not something we can shoulder on our own.

Still... I can't wait for the journey to start. :)

Depending on You

I realise that its futile to do things using my own way.

Your ways are higher that our ways...

What truth!

The thing is... am I too late to realise this?

Ronaldo should go

I know this is difficult to say and its almost incomprehensible for a Man Utd guy to say it...

but Cristiano Ronaldo should go...

I really treasure his talents but if his loyalty lies elsewhere... he should go.

May I know the... err... time? Please?

Another light-weight posting... Humour me ok?

I was just thinking... what kind of functions and features would I like to have in a multi-function watch? Here goes...

Functions:
Barometer
Altimeter
Thermometer
Compass
GPS
Heart Rate Monitor
Chronograph
Time-keeping
Tide and Moon Graph

Features:
Electro-luminescence Back-light
Perpetual Calendar
Solar-Powered Battery
Titanium Construction
Water Resistance: 200M (with Underwater Buttons)

What do you think? Cool huh?

OK... back to earth...
Ho-hum...

Enlightenment...

Something happened tonight that gave me this insight...

that to many, I am just a clown... entertainment.

That's all I am good for.

That's all I am worth.

Let me ask you this question: "Will you still like me if I am not cheerful and funny?"

Probably not.

Why?

How is it that Man Utd is the champions of Europe but no one wants to sign for the club?

O_o'''

Is this the end?

Earthquake in China...
Cyclone in Myanmar...
Financial fallout everywhere...
Prices of petrol, rice and many basic necessities going up in every country.
Diseases increases - SARS, bird-flu...
Conflict on the increase...
Terrorism is so real...
Global warming...


Is the end of this world coming soon? What will happen if it is? What will happen to you? Where will you be? Do you have HOPE for life after the end?

Jesus is so real

If you ever doubted that Jesus is real and His name has power.... doubt no more!

My PDA fell on the floor a few weeks ago, after that the buttons on the PDA wouldn't work anymore.

Anyway, I thought I'd just pray over it to see if God heals not only people, but also inanimate objects. I told myself that I'd pray over it everytime I can remember. Silly I know but there's nothing to lose right? Moreover, it is very costly to fix it and I don't have the money to do so.

Well... nothing happened.

This morning, when I got up, I had this thought of praying for the PDA again. So I laid hand on it and pray again. This time, somehow I made an effort to focus on the words "in Jesus name".

After I prayed, I pressed the buttons again, not expecting much... and guess what? The buttons started to work. They were a little weird in the beginnning but after I did a refresh... it all worked as normal. I am just so jumping with joy that I just had to share this.

If it sounds funny to you, well it is... but my faith and belief that Jesus is real has leaped up a huge notch!

He is so real!

Finally... its in our hands

The suspense was so thick you can cut it with a knife.

1-1 after extra time... penalties!

Ronaldo misses, Terry misses... sudden death!

Giggs shoots... goal! Anelka shoots... saved by Van der Sar!

Man Utd are champions of Europe again!

Congratulations! you deserve it!

Perfect 10

Man Utd are champions again... for the 10th time! Congratulations!

Bring on the Champions League trophy!

Frustration boiling over

ARGHHHH!!!!

Tourism shutdownI

Hmm... sometimes I wonder if some ministers really think before they speak...

The tourism ministry is cancelling all federal sponsored tourism events... sheesh... do they really know what they are doing? Is the federal govt trying to gain back the confidence of the rakyat in those states or are they trying to push us away even further???

AO was mentioned in the Star yesterday as saying "On PKR, DAP and PAS’ decision to form Pakatan Rakyat, she said it would not last long given their different policies, unlike Barisan which had the same manifesto for all." Yeah... and that same manifesto allowed the opposition to take 82 seats in the parliament.... right... smart girl, she...

She also mentioned: “Politics is a marriage of convenience. Politicians can say anything they want to gain the people’s support." Right... I wonder what she is doing right now? This is what I call a serious case of the Foot-in-Mouth disease.

Is it me or is the govt's dealings with the rakyat getting from bad to worse?!

Don't get me started on the khalwat thingie... 'nuff said. Sighs...

Get back to work!

I was listening to the radio on my way to work and I realised something:

The people in the governing parties, especially the main one, is spending so much time bickering and jostling for power that they have begun to forget why they were there in the first place, i.e. to serve and work for the people who voted them in!

Everyday the news is filled with so-and-so should step up or step down in the parties... so-and-so should rule... so-and-so should own up... they should instead tell us how they are going to grow our economy, improve different aspects of our country and ensure a better standard of living for everyone.

So my call to all the people in the Government is this: GET BACK TO WORK!

Geram sahaja!

Bitter taste in my mouth...

I am so unhappy with an incident at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf tonight... here is the mail I wrote to the operations manager.

-----------------------

To the operations manager,

The bitter taste I have in my mouth right now is not only from the coffee I drank at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's (CBTL) outlet in Penang but also from the way they handled their business transaction. I have always preferred CBTL over Starbucks but now, I am taking my business elsewhere. Its not worth the price you pay to drink there.

My friends and I went to your outlet at Bellisa Row, Pulau Tikus, Penang for chit-chat after dinner tonight, thinking that its a comfortable enough place to de-stress (HOW UNTRUE THAT TURNED OUT TO BE!!!!!). We ordered 4 drinks and it was then when Izan, the staff at the till suggested that we take up the loyalty card for free since our bill is more than RM25. It seems that the RM25 would be added to the loyalty card and then deducted from it, thus giving the card for us for free. My friend Andy agreed to it and since the bill came up to be RM37.59, He paid RM50 for the whole thing but then he did not realise that the change he got back was only RM2.41. It was only when we looked at the receipt at the table that we realised that there was something wrong with the bill. Cos the bill said that he paid only RM15 by cash(with the RM25 in the card, this comes up to only RM40?!) and thus only entitled for a change of RM2.41. HUH?! Something is wrong here right? He should be paid RM12.41. We were confused cos we thought that we had paid extra for the card and that the staff did not explain the whole procedure clearly to us.

We went down to the counter to ask for an explanation. Not only was she not patient with us, when we asked her whether we had to pay for the card, she said "DUH!" Can you imagine that, you make a remark that implies that we are THICK and DUMB!!! That is so, so rude! Here am I, a hospitality marketing lecturer, trying so hard to drum into my students every week about the importance of customer satisfaction and quality of service, and here I found myself at the receiving end of a perfect example how NOT to treat customers! (Hmm... this will make a perfect example to give the students! Imagine, 100 students per semester... the power of word of mouth). The management trainee present, Kelvin, told us to take our seats and he will assist us with the matter later cos by this time I think we were attracting a lot of attention. Later, he come to talk to us and then we explained to him what was wrong and he said he will check. Ok, fine... maybe there is still hope.

After awhile, the outlet manager (can't remember his name but he did write down the name on the receipt) came up and again we explained to him that there was something wrong... he told us that he checked and there was no excess cash in the till. So he said that at this point there is nothing he can do for us. No apology, nothing to make up for the dissatisfaction. Nothing! I told him that since this is the case, we will make a complaint. He said that is our right but if we do complain, it will not get anywhere, that we will not get out money back and he will so confident about it! (Such arrogance!) They made a mistake, the staff keyed in a wrong figure collected and we come up short and here he is implying us that if we decide to take up a complaint, we will lose. Are you sure?

What is so upsetting is that there seem to be no recourse set in your SOP to deal with such issues. Any disputes cannot be settled immediately. It means that any staff can punch in a lesser amount and if we check later and found out that there is a short, then we the customers may be at fault! This is no local coffee shop... this is an international company! We go there expecting excellent service and this is what we get!

I am so, so upset for my friend Andy. Not only was the customer's rights NOT upheld but we were made to feel that our INTEGRITY is nothing. Because of the failure in your system to make sure that no HANKY PANKY can be carried out by either your staff or the customers, we, the customers, have to pay for it. It is obvious that CBTL do NOT seem to practice the concept of "The customer is always right". The outlet manager just refuses settle anything there and then. A RM10 dispute and he has to take 24-48 hours to settle? Is he not delegated to some authority to deal with this situation??? He just says that he will look into the matter.

This is what you put up in your US website:

	Customer Service At The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® we are dedicated to providing you with excellence in the products we sell, the services we provide, and the environments where you shop. We care about what you have to say about your relationship with us, the quality of our products, and your experience as a customer.

Obviously I begin to seriously doubt how true this is...

My friends and I are definitely going to pursue a formal complaint. We will also forward to you the receipt we obtained. I am also planning to highlight this incident with your parent company in the US.

From now on, CBTL will be 5 customer less and I do know for a fact how exponentially powerful word of mouth can be. All your efforts in drawing us to your business goes down the drain because of an incident like this. Initially, we were just seeking a simple and immediate recourse, hoping that we will get back the RM10 for our friend but now I don't really care for the money anymore. Your outlet manager dared us to complain and we will make sure that we do that. If this is not resolved satisfactorily, we will make sure that everyone we know, knows about this incident as well, then you will see how many customers you can afford to lose.

Sincerely,
Mr. Chen, a very unhappy EX-CUSTOMER

-----------------

Join me and make a complaint to the Parent Company in US here: http://coffeebean.com/Store-Comments-W238C163.aspx

as well as the the company in Malaysia here:
http://www.coffeebean.com.my/customer.cfm (look for the in-store issues email address)

My friends and I are going to pursue a formal complaint and I will let you know the outcome.
The aftermath of GE2008 has taught me something. The big guys can no longer ignore the little guy and push us around anymore. That we can decide for ourselves whether something is worth having. We may not get a resolution from them but we can definitely make them suffer. Its time we vote with our feet and take our business elsewhere.

From now on, CBTL has 5 less customer and I am urging anyone who is reading this to seriously consider boycotting CBTL (at least in Malaysia). I am telling CBTL that bad service and leaving customers with a sour taste will have adverse and severe consequences. See how the SMSes have affected the businesses of Nasi Kandar stores in Penang? It could very well happen to them too!

Shhhh....

Our dear LKS does not know how and when to keep his mouth shut does he?

His call for Perak DAP to boycott the swearing in of the new Perak MB is derailing all the efforts by BR, including his own son, to put up a united front against BN's onslaught.

He is just providing ammo for the govt to shoot down the new state govts.

Silly old man... :/

Working together

Been reading the alternative Malaysian news websites the past few days... it really opens my eyes to this other world that I have never realised... that the Malays in this country is actually very, very pissed with the federal Govt. and UMNO in particular.

That the regular Malay guy on the street actually don't mind working hard like the rest of us instead of relying on the crutch they have been on for a long, long time called the NEP.

Its really refreshing and endearing to hear that to them, the Malaysian Malaysia, is also their aspiration. What progress our country will make if we are willing to put our differences down and work for the good of the country.

Its only the people in power that wants to hold to power hiding behind the NEP. The ordinary guy just want to get on with life... like the rest of us. When the country suffers, all of us suffer regardless of race or religion...

Maybe divine intervention is needed? Hrm...

Let justice and integrity prevail. Amen.

CNY thoughts

Chinese New Year is here again and this is the year of the Rat.

Wow... this means that my mom is 60 this year... Gotta do something really nice for her.

This is also the last time I am celebrating CNY as a single...

Hrm... no more angpows for me.

Sien.

Sad

2 sad news this week affected me so far...

I will not say much on the first one but the second one I can...

I have lost touch with one of my former Swinburne housemate, Bari Yip, who is from Hong Kong.

Tried sending an email to him today but it came back with a failure message saying that the mailbox is unavailable. Sighs...

Sad.

Bridal clothes shopping

Choosing a shop to take pictures for our wedding is one of the most stressful activity ever...
Visited 2 shops in 5 hours... not good but I hope we can get this wrapped up quickly.
If not for my sake then for Su Yin's sake... she is also so stressed out.

I need strength

Heavenly Father,
I need Your joy to be my strength.
I need the Holy Spirit's guidance and counsel.
I want to seek and find You again.
Heed my cry Lord, incline Your ear to me.

Amen.

Guilty

Why is it that though its my decision to move on, there are some who think that I've done a great disservice and think it wise for me to feel guilty?

Have I really done something so wrong? Have I betrayed that trust?

Loyalty...

What's wrong with being a Man Utd supporter from Malaysia?

Happy New Year

New year, new beginnings.

Its going to be a challenging but exciting year for me.

There's going to be 2 major new chapters in my life.

One of them is happening soon, the other is happening later.

Just gonna commit both of them into God's hands.

Lord, let Your word be the lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.

So, here's my new year's resolution no. 1:
- Restart my walk with God - to read His word and spent time with Him consistently.

The meaning of success...

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.


Got this from somewhere... attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Meaningful... what do you think?

I think I love her

You know who you are...
Thank you for keeping faith in US.

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Dear God,

I am so glad that no matter how far we've fallen or how desolate we feel...

You are still God and You are true to Your word... and "underneath are Your everlasting arms".

Thank You, Father.

Random Ramblings Part 021107

1. End of the year is nigh...

2. I am not an eBay virgin anymore.

3. I only sleep 6 hours a day... despite my best effort to sleep more. Therefore, I am tired.

4. Raising a family is really, really TOUGH!

Boys and Girls

I dunno about you but I feel that there are lots of young people who worry about their face more than their hearts. They may look nice on the outside but inside leaves much to be desired. Sighs...

Pray

Lord,

Honour your servant's faithfulness...

Amen.

He is faithful

I found this song so comforting and encouraging...

It's called He Who Began a Good Work by Steve Green, written by John Mohr and based Philippians 1:6.

(chorus)
He who began a good work in you
He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
He'll be faithful to complete it
He who started the work
Will be faithful to complete it in you

If the struggle you're facing
Is slowly replacing
Your hope with despair
Or the process is long
And you're losing your song
In the night you can be sure
That the Lord has His hand on you
Safe and secure
He will never abandon you
You are His treasure
And He finds His pleasure in you

Thank you Father...

That sinking feeling

I don't know about you but I think there are some things that are worse than death...

Its like being alive and yet not living...

I will give thanks to Thee

Give thanks with a grateful heart.
Give thanks to the Holy one.
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ, His Son.
And now, let the weak say I am strong,
And let the poor say I am rich,
Because of what the Lord has done, for us.
Give thanks...

despite of and in spite of how I feel right now.

Give thanks!

Love...

• is patient
• is kind
• does not envy
  
• does not boast
• is not proud
• is not rude
• is not self seeking
• is not easily angered
• keeps no records of wrongs
• rejoices with the truth
• always protects
• always trusts
• always hopes
  
• always persevere
• never fails...

Thank you Lord, for reminding me of this again.

Raining

Its raining heavily now and the air is so cool. Wish I was at home... sighs.

Missing you

My dearest will be leaving for Kuching this evening to visit our friend Sarah's father, who is very ill. Its good that she's going back with the rest of her gang to be with Sarah.

Still... I miss her already. :(

Ball to feet?

If Man Utd manages to get the services of Carlos Tevez, it will be very interesting to see how a South American style of attacking play will blend with the defensive steel of a European defensive line, and how the rest of the clubs are going to cope with that.

Heavy

Lord, my burden is heavy but yours is light. May I exchange it for yours?

I cast all my cares upon You.
I lay down on my burdens,
down at Your feet.
If any time I don't know what to do,
I just cast all my cares upon You.

Quiet

Man Utd is very very quiet again after the shock signings of Nani and Anderson.

They were also very quiet before the signing of the Portuguese-based pair.
I wonder whom will they sign next?

Fishy

I was thinking of commenting on the Altantuya case but I wonder if the Gamen is reading my blog...

I wonder if I would be arrested if I said that the case smells like the a barrel of fish left in the sun for 2 days...

Hrmm...

Gay bomb anyone?

I read somewhere today that the US Department of Defense pondered on creating a bomb that would contain chemicals that would turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals, making them 'irrepressible' to their fellow soldiers. Thus, making them more interested in 'making love and not war'. Heh... :)

Angel?

Am I really an angel?

Sucks like lemon

This movie suck. 'Nuff said.

Death of a blog

I realised that there are dead blog links on my blog and on my browser's bookmarks folder.

Its kinda sad when that happens.

These blogs are going to fade slowly in oblivion, lost and lonely in the infinite space of the Web, with no one reading them any more.

Sad huh. :/

Recovering

I am currently recovering from flu. It was so bad that I ached all over and had a fitful night on Wednesday... drifting in and out of sleep.

It was so weird cos I had all sorts of weird dreams.

I hope I can be back to full health soon. I hate being sick.

Brazilian styled Man Utd

Looks like we are going to have a growing Portuguese-speaking contingent in Man Utd with the likes of Nani and Anderson joining Cristiano Ronaldo.

I really am drooling over the prospect of a South American-style attack and a European-style defence combining with great effect. I mean, its the best of both worlds.

I forsee Man Utd going for a 4-2-3-1 attacking formation in the near future. 2 central midfield strongman supporting the 3 attacking midfielders who will interchange with each other, using Rooney as the pivot.

Can't wait!

Weekend Summary

Eventful trip.
Fun time bonding and fellow-shipping.
Tired body.
Realisation, again, that I am blessed with a wonderful partner.

Good weekend overall.

Wembley Stadium Design - Bland and Generic?

Do you realise how the Wembley stadium looks so much like Arsenal's Emirates Stadium? The styles of each stadium looks so so similar.

They should take a look at new stadiums such as Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena or Beijing's new Olympic Stadium. Even the renovated Athens Olympic Stadium or Berlin's Olympic Stadium looks much better. As for older stadiums, have a look at Camp Nou and the San Siro.

Have they run out of ideas in making each stadium unique? I guess why the atmosphere at Man Utd's Old Trafford stadium is so different from its city rivals. Old Trafford was upgraded bit by bit, and so even after the renovations and expansion, it still managed to retain most of its character and uniqueness.

Oh well...

Chicken Breast

The Hokkien word for chicken breast is "Heng Kam Bak"... and don't you forget it! :)

Whome should Man Utd get for the next season?

A left-back = Gareth Bale?
A right-back = Micah Richards?
A defensive midfielder = Owen Hargreaves?
A left-winger = Nani?
A striker = David Villa/Fernando Torres/Dimitar Berbatov/Michael Owen?

Congratulations Man Utd!

After 3 years of waiting... Man Utd has finally won the Premiership title again!

It is no mean feat considering the quality of the opposition, especially Chelsea.

It took the whole team all of their skills, understanding and effort to be at the top this season.

The young 'uns came of age this year: Rooney, Ronaldo and even Fletcher... and the old ones, its was as if they found their 2nd wind and had a great indian summer: Van der Sar, Solskjaer, Larsson, Neville and especially Scholes and Giggs.

And of cos... the way Sir Alex put all these elements together, persuading Ronaldo to stay, recruiting Carrick to protect the back 4 and kept the team playing attacking, exciting football that sometimes put our hearts in our mouth, and other times lifting us up to "7th" heaven!

Lets hope they have enough in their tank to finish with a bang and end the season with a double. Here's to the next season!

New member of the family...

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... the latest addition to the Chen family!

I present to you... err...

(please ignore the lard of fat carrying her)

Urm... we haven't come up with a name for her yet (Edit: we finally came up with Ashe, which is a nice name). Yes, its a she and she's a Korat cat (at least we are 99.99% sure she is a Korat cat!).

Korat cats belong to one of the oldest breeds of cats in Thailand and apparently, they are given as a pair to newly-weds and prominent dignitaries as a symbol of good luck. So they are known as the "good fortune cat" in Thailand...

She's a beauty isn't she?

Depth of squad...

The problem with Man Utd this season isn't not having a great 1st team, its not having a good 2nd team. With a long, tiring league like the Premier League, you need to have at least 2 good first teams in the squad if you want to succeed on all fronts.

With 1 domestic league, 2 domestic cups and 1 European league to compete for, you need a really big squad, comprising of a good mix of youth and experience, with at least 2 players per position in the team. However, as with every big squad, the biggest headache is to make sure that everyone is happy and that morale is high. The cost of maintaining such a big squad is also enormous.

Unless Man Utd's owners can back the manager is maintaining a big squad and ensure that each player recruited are skilled, team players, an assault on 4 fronts is near impossible.

Now, if only Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Laksmi Mittal and Ingmar Kampard would be persuaded to buy Man Utd from the Glazers...

Too good to be true

They were poor. The very game Man Utd were expected to stand up and be counted for, they did not turn up. :/

At least Fergie had the guts to say that they were poor. Jose, you sore loser, learn from him will ya? :P

Oh well... there's always next season...

Now that Rooney's no longer ignorable...

Whom will be Man Utd's wild-card this time? Scholes? Carrick? Fletcher? Giggs? Even Ronaldo maybe? Hmm...

As for AC Milan, Man Utd have to watch out for Filippo Inzaghi though. That guy's a poacher par excellence... but I really hate the way he behaves on the field... whining and moaning, diving and asking for a yellow card to be issued to the opposition. That is just not cool, no matter how many goals you score. That's why I prefer Pele than to Maradona. I really hope Cristiano Ronaldo will start to lose those bad, bad habits soon.

Anyway, about 2 hours to kick off. Add oil, Man Utd!