Book: Life is an Open Secret - Ramadan Special
FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GET THIS BOOK FROM AUTHOR/PUBLISHER ZABRINA BAKAR
#5: IT’S RM 24.50 ONLY
While most motivational books cost RM 30 and above, this is one of the best motivational book around. It is not too preachy compare to other motivational books from today’s so-called Spiritual Gurus.
#4: THIS IS THE ISLAMIC VERSION TO THE CHICKEN SOUP SERIES
First there was Think About It, then You, Me and We, and now Ramadan Special. Need I say more. I have all of her books and I enjoy it. Each has their own strengths and is an ever-green read! Although her first book was published a few years ago, it is still applicable and relevant. I wonder what her next book will be. It will her fourth!
#3: SIS ZABRINA IS A GREAT WRITER
I like her chatty and down-to-earth style of writing. I love her stories. She really is THE Life Storyteller as she claims to be. Her stories may be simple, but it is very informative and a lot of lessons are embedded within the stories. Plus, she is published not only locally but also worldwide.
#2: THERE ARE 25 STORIES ON RAMADAN
Most think Ramadan as just another month for all of us to fast from morning till evening. In actual fact, it is more than that. It is really important for us to understant the true meaning of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The 25 stories are here to explain.
#1: I AM PERSONALLY ENDORSING THIS BOOK FOR THE ‘WHAT PEOPLE SAY’ PAGE
She did post a shout-out on Facebook seeking people to review this book before it goes to print. At the same time, I got a personal invitation from her asking me to read a few chapters and write a review. Since it was personally contacted, how can I refuse the offer?
Food: Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa @ Jusco Setiawangsa
International Nasi Lemak, anyone?
I gave Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa (Ampang Park) a bad review a few months back. I recently went to their outlet at Jusco Setiawangsa, and I actually enjoyed my meal.
No, it is not because I am hungry and that’s why I enjoyed my meal because when you are hungry, everything’s good right? This is my second time to the outlet and as usual, I had nasi lemak with ayam goreng.
I didn’t enjoy the sambal at Ampang Park but the sambal at this outlet is as close as you can get to the original outlet at Kampung Baru. Well, I was told that the recipe should be the same but I wonder why the Ampang Park outlet is slightly different. Is it because of my taste bud?
My bill comes close to RM 25 for a meal for 2 pax. Not bad, huh?
Internship @ AdExcel
Got this message from Facebook. Might as well announce it here as well:
If you are a blogger or have experience in online marketing, we would like to invite you to our internship program. It’s going to be a fun learning experience on social media, blogging, online advertising and new media marketing.
Internship is for about 3 Months, with allowance of RM500 per month, free lunch on Wednesday… plus a comfortable working environment with easy access to Mid Valley megamall and Gardens mall.
If you know anybody who is interested, please get them to contact me at darrenlee[at]gmail[dot]com . Thank you.
Best,
Darren
Don’t be skeptical. Darren is my boss when I was doing my part-time job at Astro’s Xfresh back when I was younger (2004). He really is a nice boss. If you are looking for an internship program, sign-up for this one!
All the best!
23062009 News Bite: Ah Long advertisement on taxis?
The Home Ministry has “declared war” on Ah Long who charge extremely high interests and use violent methods to collect their debts.
Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said all departments under his ministry have been instructed to work together to tackle the loan sharks.
[…]
“I met seven victims of loan sharks and was shocked when they narrated their experiences,” he said. One of the victims claimed he had borrowed RM3,000 from a loan shark but the amount ballooned to RM35,000, rendering him unable to pay the debt.
Syafique says: Great, the government is finally doing something about this issue. It really is very sad to see what these borrowers have to go through because they could not afford to pay these loan sharks.
By the way, any of you guys seen the loan advertisement on taxis? I was driving around Bangsar area and spotted a taxi that’s covered by a beautifully-designed advertisement offering loan services. The operator apparently is a registered loan operator (just like any Ah Long’s print advertisement pasted on road signs). At the back of taxi, there’s even a quick calculation on how much the loan should be paid back and the time frame. Should have saved the website and phone number for a personal investigation.
Is the advertiser an Ah Long?
Food: Fiske Steakhouse
THE PLACE WITH THE SYAFIQUE’S SEAL OF APPROVAL
Not that my seal of approval means anything, but, really, Fiske Steakhouse is a must-visit place if you happen to be in the Keramat area. It is hidden away from the main road, surrounded by other eateries. There’s a mix of Western and Eastern food. I have personally tried the Asam Pedas, but my favourite is their Western food.
This is my third visit and I’ve tasted their Steak, Chicken Chop and Special Burger, in-house style. There are plenty of items to choose from, so choose wisely. For example, there are a few types of Chicken Chop to choose from. I just had the normal chicken chop and I enjoyed it.
My drink of choice is their Oreo Ice-Blended and I love to end my meal with their Cheesecake with Ice-Cream! Do drop-by and enjoy your meal here. While some gerai might serve Western food, Fiske Steakhouse is slightly more upscale than a gerai and they have more stuff to choose from. Sometimes you might feel like you’re eating at a restaurant in an upscale mall because of the food they serve. Their staffs are also friendly, too!
INFO: Fiske Steakhouse, No. K4, Medan Selera AU2, Taman Desa Keramat. Call Nur Azlina Ahmad (017-3742109) for catering services.
An Open Letter to Secret Recipe KLCC
Dear Secret Recipe KLCC,
I went to your outlet just now. I am considered a regular as I would dine at your place almost every weekend. I usually go to your place for cakes and a glass of pepsi. I love your brownies with ice-cream, too. Not forgetting chocolate indulgence.
I have one thing to say regarding my recent visit, which took place a couple of hours ago.
I was not greeted by your staff when I entered your outlet. I do not mind that, really. I know there are other diners to be taken care of. I am, however, disappointed, for having to wait for several minutes for someone to give me the menu. There was a lady, dressed in black uniform, can I assume he was the Assistant Manager? She was at the cake counter, not doing anything. She must have seen me but why didn’t she took the initiative to give me the menu. She didn’t look friendly, too. Bad day, huh?
Then a boy went to me asking me if I have placed my order. Obviously not. I ordered brownies with ice-cream and pepsi. Not much, really, but I do deserve a better service. In fact, we, your customers, all deserve a better service.
This is not the first time this incident has happened. Similarly I had to wait for quite some time to place my order when I visited your outlet at Sogo.
Seriously, how can you make your brand international with unattentive staffs? Secret Recipe is one of the best brand around, but I am afraid these staffs will ruin your reputation. Please improve.
I still love you, Secret Recipe. I will still come back. If the service is still bad, I will still write an open letter to you via this blog!
Sincerely Yours,
Syafique Shuib
What happens when your car battery dies in the middle of the road?
LESSON #1: DON’T DRIVE IF THERE’S A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY, BUT IF YOU’RE TOO LATE…
I was supposed to meet my cousin from Singapore at Grand Millennium hotel this past weekend. As I reached Jalan Bukit Bintang, I noticed that the battery indicator light was blinking at the dashboard. I immediately knew I was facing trouble. I dropped my mum at the lobby, before making my way home. I did not dare to drive the car around and it was safer to go back home and have the car checked the following day. As I made my way to the Bukit Bintang area, I realized the radio was switched off automatically. That’s weird. That never happened before. I switched off the air-cond as well, just to be extra careful. I decided to drive slowly and was glad that I nearly reached home. The RapidKL bus infront of me was driving slowly. The bus made a quick stop, while blocking the single lane road. As soon as the bus picked up the passenger, I stepped on the accelerator but before I knew it, I could hear the car alarm and the car immediately stopped.
LESSON #2: IGNORE THE STARING AND IMPATIENT DRIVERS
There I was, in the middle of the road, stranded.
I tried to start the car a couple of times, but to no avail. It was my first time facing such situation. Usually I will be like one of the many drivers starring at a stopped car along a highway, while swearing under my breath, cursing the driver for causing the long traffic jam. On that fateful day, it was my turn. I was alone and had no choice but to get out of the car, while waving at the other drivers, asking them to go. One car honks at me. I just gave them a panic look, assuming they would want to help.
I didn’t know what to do. A night before the incident, I already had problem with the battery so I thought that this was the same problem, except the fact that the car decided to cause this problem in the middle of a road.
LESSON #3 : CALL YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY OR CAR MANUFACTURER (…AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBER)
I decided to call Mum first to explain to her that I am stranded in the middle of the road, meters away from home. I think I was screaming at her since she said, “Don’t scream at me. You’re stuck. There’s nothing you can do now. Go get help!!!!”
How could I possible get help? Everyone was mostly starring. I decided to be smart and called the number that’s on the top left corner of the windscreen. I seldom pay attention to the sticker, as I treat it as merely a decorative piece. You know, you just stick it there if there’s an emergency but you never assume that an emergency can always happen any time!
Since I drive a Proton, I assume they will never pick up the phone on a hot Sunday afternoon. I was greeted by a friendly voice. Before he gave me any instructions, he asked me about my details, the car’s plate number, the car’s owner, the owner’s IC number for verification purposes. It’s more like to make sure I am not driving a stolen car. After everything was checked, he instructed me to switch off the alarm which sounded very technical and complicated.
LESSON #4: GET HELP FROM STRANGERS
Half-way through the phone conversation, a motorcyclist wanted to help me push the car. I was still clueless since I do not want to be disconnected with the Proton man. However, the Proton Man told me that he will call me back after I have pushed my car to the side. I was also grateful since I was running low on prepaid as I could not bother to bring my postpaid phone. This is the time when a postpaid phone is handy.
Three men actually pushed the car. The reason? Well, it was not a straight road, we had to go slightly uphill and since I am already heavy enough, we need three people to push the car. It is even harder since it is an automatic car and the steering was half-locked since it was hard for me to turn the wheel.
LESSON #5: TO TOW OR NOT TO TOW
The friendly Proton personnel gave me two options: to tow the car to the nearest Proton Service Centre (my regular) or to tow it at the Proton HQ. Since it was a Sunday, the service centers were closed and he also suggested that I just tow the car home and tow it to the service center the next day. He was afraid that if I tow the car to the closed service centre, someone might do something to the car.
This was definitely a memorable experience and a great lesson. Just imagine if I got stuck along Federal Highway? I am surprised by Proton’s very helpful service and also the three strangers that helped me. I am very cautious of strangers but I notice their sincerity when they helped me. It has restored my confidence that there are still nice Malaysians out there!
LESSON #6: DONT’ DRIVE A PROTON
Kidding. Well, I had the car battery replaced last year and now I have to do it again? Where’s the quality, really? The battery costs below RM300, but just imagine if I have to keep changing every single year. Can’t they improve the quality so I do not have to face similar problem from time to time? I am supporting a national car here!
13062009 News Bite: What is wrong with the weather?
Air quality in parts of the country have deteriorated due to local peat fires in Selangor and forest fires in Indonesia bringing over haze to Malaysia. At 5pm Friday, Port Klang and Cheras recorded unhealthy API readings of 136 and 109 respectively. Shah Alam’s API reading went up to 120 from the 95 recorded at 11am. Overall, 21 areas recorded good air quality while 26 areas recorded moderate air quality readings. Other areas close to heading into the unhealthy quality range of between 101 and 200 include Kajang (100), Batu Muda (99), Petaling Jaya (93) and Putrajaya (92).
Syafique says: Ah, no wonder I am feeling sick. It has not been a great week and it affects my mood. I am not surprised if one person after another starts to get sick, especially with the unpredictable weather. This morning was a little hot and then it rained around 5pm - 6pm. Terrible. How long more do we have to endure this? I can’t stand this anymore. My advice: Drink lots of plain water!
09062009 News Bite: Another update on the Indonesian Socialite
AFP (via Yahoo! News) reports:
JAKARTA (AFP) – A medical examination of a teenage US-Indonesian model [Manohara Odelia Pinot] who claimed she was raped and tortured by her Malaysian prince husband, has confirmed she was physically abused, a forensic expert said on Tuesday.
[...]
“There are slash wounds on many parts of her body, especially on her chest. Some are still fresh,” forensic doctor Mun’im Idries told AFP.
“We are still examining her blood and urine samples because she said she had been given jabs,” he said adding that he also found an injection mark on her back.
Another update on the Malaysian Prince and the Indonesian teenage socialite that was reported from an international newswire. On the other hand, Malaysia newspaper reports on one thing, while the Indonesian media reports on another. Two opposing views and extremes. The Star reports:
Daisy Farajina, the 44-year-old mother of Manohara Odelia Pinot, denied accusation a day after it was reported that she was on the Interpol list of fugitives wanted by the French authorities. She claimed that the matter cropped up after she became “famous” because of her daughter’s predicament and that it was “pure slander”.
Ah, what’s really happening? So many stories. For me, it is better to focus on the abuse accusations than anything else. The medical report has been released so are we one step closer towards finding the real truth?
Something wrong with your Streamyx recently?
If you have been following me on Twitter / Facebook, I said that an insider told me that there will be a streamyx problem. Obviously, I was supposed to keep my big mouth shut until official words are out. I am aware of the technical difficulties that will happen but I did not expect it to be this soon! It was supposed to happen later in the month.
I am breaking the silence since TM has finally said something about this. Here are some information, extracted from TM website:
We wish to inform our Streamyx customers that Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) will be performing a network upgrading exercise from 11.00 pm, Friday, 12th June 2009 until 6.00 am, Saturday, 13th June 2009.
As a result, Streamyx customers nationwide may experience a disruption of service during the stipulated period. We would like to assure you that the service would resume to normal after this period.
Happy surfing, folks!
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