The sun is shining very brightly today. Even before 7 a.m., the heat can be felt already. Normally my mood followed the weather but I don't feel as bright as the sunshine today. For one, hubby is not around. He has other commitments and obligations to attend to. Then, there is this headache. It is not throbbing very badly but enough to make me feel uncomfortable. I have endured worst headaches than this because I'm allergic to panadol and pain killers. Normally it happens because I didn't take my meals on time. It will magically disappear after I've eaten something. Of course there are other causes as well which sometimes will go away if I sleep it off. This time, I started feeling it since yesterday. I think I have enough food and it is still very early for me to sleep it off again.
I also can't seem to stop thinking about something that has happened. I'm at a loss as to whether I'm being reasonable or not. What's the underlying reason if any. Because sometimes we do certain things as a reaction to some event or situation. I make a decision based on other surrounding factors that seemed to support my decision. When the surrounding factor crashed and crumbled, what was once a right decision can become a wrong one. I've asked myself what do I really want. There is some answer but I thought that 'want' could be very unreasonable depending on the circumstances. And if the surrounding factor crash and crumble again, I might not be able to handle it emotionally.
I'm normally a reasonable person but a human being nevertheless with feelings and emotions which can sometimes be difficult to manage. Should I just stay away and avoid anything that might cause emotional upheaval or do I be reasonable and schooled my heart to behave? I don't have the answer....
I have some tasks to do that I better handle now. At the same time, I hope I get the answer I'm looking for.
Sunflower gives the connotation of cheerfulness, bright, jolly, merry... you get the idea! However, if any content in this blog didn't fit the cheerfulness implied by its name, look at it this way... I'm putting down all the wretchedness, gloom, melancholy feeling in here so I can continue living up to the expectation of making the association to the sunflower.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Credit Card
I have 3 credit cards. All of them have no annual fee and I only use 1 actively where all my spending are within my budget. If the RM50 service tax is imposed, I might cancel all card in protest even though that would make my life difficult. Why should a reasonable card holder like me be charged service tax that would enrich the government's coffer on which they spent without care. Just look at the Auditor General's report.
It might be difficult for me if there's an emergency cases where I need extra cash like the time we missed our flight and has to buy a new ticket there and then. It will be so troublesome to pay for petrol at the petrol station if we didn't use credit card. It will be difficult to pay for online purchases. I heard they also impose service charges on debit card. Sigh! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
It might be difficult for me if there's an emergency cases where I need extra cash like the time we missed our flight and has to buy a new ticket there and then. It will be so troublesome to pay for petrol at the petrol station if we didn't use credit card. It will be difficult to pay for online purchases. I heard they also impose service charges on debit card. Sigh! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
Saturday October 24, 2009
RM50 service tax for card holders
A SERVICE tax of RM50 will be imposed on each principal credit card every year beginning Jan 1.
For every supplementary card, a RM25 service tax will be charged yearly.
The move to impose this tax is to promote prudent spending as the use of credit cards is extensive. The number of cards increased from two million in 1997 to 11 million as of August this year. They exclude the 285,000 charge cards already issued.
Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia secretary-general Datuk Dr Ma’amor Osman said it would encourage consumers to limit the number of credit cards they hold.
“Instead of having five or six credit cards, it will encourage consumers to reduce their cards to only one or two because it will be costly to pay service tax, interest, finance charges and so on,” he said.
Penang Consumer Protection Association president K. Koris said the service charge would not deter people from continuing to use their cards.
He added that the Government should instead re-look at imposing a restriction for credit cards and allow only those earning a minimum salary of RM5,000 a month to qualify for cards.
KPMG partner Ooi Kok Seng said the RM50 service tax would burden the lower income group but many would continue applying for multiple credit cards as they depended on the credit facilities.
He added that a significant number from the lower income group paid their credit card bills via installments and would not be able to write off the cards immediately.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce urged the Government to review the proposal as it would hinder domestic spending.
It suggested that the Goverment impose service charge on the second and subsequent cards.
Meanwhile, office clerk S. Siva, 48, plans to return eight of his nine credits on Monday morning.
“I definitely won’t be able to afford the service charge if I keep all my nine cards,” he said.
Siva said although he had nine cards, he only used one and only signed up for the rest after being told that all fees would be waived for life.
RM50 service tax for card holders
A SERVICE tax of RM50 will be imposed on each principal credit card every year beginning Jan 1.
For every supplementary card, a RM25 service tax will be charged yearly.
The move to impose this tax is to promote prudent spending as the use of credit cards is extensive. The number of cards increased from two million in 1997 to 11 million as of August this year. They exclude the 285,000 charge cards already issued.
Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia secretary-general Datuk Dr Ma’amor Osman said it would encourage consumers to limit the number of credit cards they hold.
“Instead of having five or six credit cards, it will encourage consumers to reduce their cards to only one or two because it will be costly to pay service tax, interest, finance charges and so on,” he said.
Penang Consumer Protection Association president K. Koris said the service charge would not deter people from continuing to use their cards.
He added that the Government should instead re-look at imposing a restriction for credit cards and allow only those earning a minimum salary of RM5,000 a month to qualify for cards.
KPMG partner Ooi Kok Seng said the RM50 service tax would burden the lower income group but many would continue applying for multiple credit cards as they depended on the credit facilities.
He added that a significant number from the lower income group paid their credit card bills via installments and would not be able to write off the cards immediately.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce urged the Government to review the proposal as it would hinder domestic spending.
It suggested that the Goverment impose service charge on the second and subsequent cards.
Meanwhile, office clerk S. Siva, 48, plans to return eight of his nine credits on Monday morning.
“I definitely won’t be able to afford the service charge if I keep all my nine cards,” he said.
Siva said although he had nine cards, he only used one and only signed up for the rest after being told that all fees would be waived for life.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Relief and Peace
One of the best thing in life is a sense of relief and peace after a hectic schedule. I'm enjoying that feeling now :) I also have tomorrow to enjoy before hecticness continue on Sunday. Enjoyment tomorrow = house cleaning + laundry + packing + grocery shopping. Who would've thought mundane chores can be so enjoyable ehh! It means I have free time. It means I don't have any important obligation to anyone but myself. Horayyy!!!
I have a last minute request to conduct training this week. I don't have the 2-days module for the topics requested so I have to do a bit of research for it. Beside, they have the material ready and I just have to deliver. The material is a mess. The arrangements made no sense but I have to make the best of it. I was given a free hand to modify as long as the content in the material was covered. The catch, I only have less than a day to prepare for it. It was quite stressful. Of course I want to give my best but with the time constraint, I have to be reasonable to myself. The night before the training, I make sure I go to bed by midnight since the training starts early.
I only plan for 1 day at a time or else I'll feel so overwhelmed. So after the 1st day training, I have to prepare for the next day. Feeling so tired, I fell asleep at 8:30 and woke up at 10 p.m. with a bad allergic reaction. Must be something I had for dinner. Inside my ear itches like crazy and I started sneezing. I took my medication but it didn't really work. Despite that, I still have to prepare my material. I tried to sleep at 1 but toss and turn till past 3 a.m. Sigh! I know the adrenalin will keep me going throughout the day. The sneezes stop but I have stuffed nose instead. Anyway, my participants enjoyed the training and I do hope they learn something too.
The week before I also have 2-days training which I have enough time to prepare. I impressed myself because that's the first training where I have to communicate in Malay fully and I managed to do it. Wow!!! I can't believe it myself. I did use English... very sparingly. The materials were prepared in English as requested. I was informed I can use dual language during the training but it turned out I have to translate everything to my participants including the pre and post test questions. This is not to say I have forgotten my root and pretend to not able to communicate in my own mother tongue but I'm so used to dual language that sometimes finding the right Malay word for something can be quite a challenge. Some more with the direct translation like deklarasi, reformasi, informasi and what not. It's not really helping isn't it?
My contract with a company who wants my exclusivity will end soon. There are pros and cons to it. I may not get the series of training that I have conducted and contributed to its improvement in future. Despite the presence of Madam Kucing who barks, I'd miss the program if I'm not given the opportunity to train. I could approach them in my personal capacity but Madam Kucing is one of the gatekeeper. She might not let me in. The good thing is now I'm free to conduct any training with any training organizations who require my service. I have to plan more carefully next year.
Anyway, I want to bask in this feeling of relief and peace for a while. It truly is one of the best thing in life. I'm thinking of communing with nature too for extra sense of peace but that has to wait for now. From Sunday onwards, hecticness awaits. For now.... PEACE \o/
I have a last minute request to conduct training this week. I don't have the 2-days module for the topics requested so I have to do a bit of research for it. Beside, they have the material ready and I just have to deliver. The material is a mess. The arrangements made no sense but I have to make the best of it. I was given a free hand to modify as long as the content in the material was covered. The catch, I only have less than a day to prepare for it. It was quite stressful. Of course I want to give my best but with the time constraint, I have to be reasonable to myself. The night before the training, I make sure I go to bed by midnight since the training starts early.
I only plan for 1 day at a time or else I'll feel so overwhelmed. So after the 1st day training, I have to prepare for the next day. Feeling so tired, I fell asleep at 8:30 and woke up at 10 p.m. with a bad allergic reaction. Must be something I had for dinner. Inside my ear itches like crazy and I started sneezing. I took my medication but it didn't really work. Despite that, I still have to prepare my material. I tried to sleep at 1 but toss and turn till past 3 a.m. Sigh! I know the adrenalin will keep me going throughout the day. The sneezes stop but I have stuffed nose instead. Anyway, my participants enjoyed the training and I do hope they learn something too.
The week before I also have 2-days training which I have enough time to prepare. I impressed myself because that's the first training where I have to communicate in Malay fully and I managed to do it. Wow!!! I can't believe it myself. I did use English... very sparingly. The materials were prepared in English as requested. I was informed I can use dual language during the training but it turned out I have to translate everything to my participants including the pre and post test questions. This is not to say I have forgotten my root and pretend to not able to communicate in my own mother tongue but I'm so used to dual language that sometimes finding the right Malay word for something can be quite a challenge. Some more with the direct translation like deklarasi, reformasi, informasi and what not. It's not really helping isn't it?
My contract with a company who wants my exclusivity will end soon. There are pros and cons to it. I may not get the series of training that I have conducted and contributed to its improvement in future. Despite the presence of Madam Kucing who barks, I'd miss the program if I'm not given the opportunity to train. I could approach them in my personal capacity but Madam Kucing is one of the gatekeeper. She might not let me in. The good thing is now I'm free to conduct any training with any training organizations who require my service. I have to plan more carefully next year.
Anyway, I want to bask in this feeling of relief and peace for a while. It truly is one of the best thing in life. I'm thinking of communing with nature too for extra sense of peace but that has to wait for now. From Sunday onwards, hecticness awaits. For now.... PEACE \o/
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
6 Weeks 4 Days
30th September 2009, my short-lived happiness of knowing I'm about to become 'Ummi' ends. We have hopes for only 15 days. By doctor's calculation, I've been pregnant for 6 weeks and 4 days. Why on earth they start the calculation from the first day of our last menstrual cycle is beyond my layman's understanding. For the 15 days, I've scoured forums and websites wanting to know more about the little thing growing inside me. Seems like I don't need the weekly updates of my feotus growth and the few bookmarks on pregnancy anymore.
Friends, family and doctors consoled me on our lost. Rationally I know Allah knows best and everything has been pre-ordained... but on the day of my miscarriage, after we return from the hospital, I cried anyway. I'm thankful hubby can spend his time with me throughout the whole event. He has an outstation appointment very early the next day. Instead of going off in the evening, he went very early the next morning. I initially told him I'd be OK. I didn't expect the flooding of emotional feeling overwhelming my whole being after that.
I'm very naive when it comes to pregnancy and things related to it. So I had no idea whether I should be in confinement or not. That night we went out to have dinner. Mom called to remind me not to eat food with a lot of liquid in it. Tomyam and soup is out of the picture. Luckily she called coz I thought hot soup would be good to warm me up. Then someone called and mentioned I should be in bed and not jalan-jalan. We went 'beraya' after the black pepper steak dinner. When we reached home, I did feel the shiver and wrapped myself up in blanket.
The next day I have a whole day briefing. I don't feel well but it is important for me to attend it. Remember Madam Kucing who barks? She'll bark to kingdom come if I didn't show my face. I shivered, had a throbbing headache and felt really bad the whole day. Some friends said I shouldn't be there but since I was there already, I might as well hold on for a while. Thank God the briefing ends early. I didn't wait for the tea break but goes off as fast as I could and while the traffic was still manageable.
Some say for miscarriages less than 3 months, there is no need to be in confinement. However, my body is telling me something is not right somewhere. I better do something about it. The next day, I called mom and MIL for some tips and make 3-days massage arrangements. My ex-colleague gave me the masseuse number a long time ago since I like to go for massages. Thank God she can come over. For a price of course. I felt much better after the massage and air kunyit *grimacing face as I recall the taste*. I had to make the air kunyit myself and drink it if I want to heal quickly.
This morning I had another round of air kunyit, the yolk of kampung chicken egg (courtesy of MIL) and some honey *grimace again*. I prayed I'll get better quickly. I have to conduct a 2-days training next week. I heard there'll be 40 pax... I can imagine the amount of energy required to talk for the whole session, I have to stand the whole day and there'll be a short session at night too. I just have to get better.
Please also pray for 'ummi' :)
Kun fa ya kun. I believe everything is in His hands... just like how I met and marry hubby. InsyaAllah...
Friends, family and doctors consoled me on our lost. Rationally I know Allah knows best and everything has been pre-ordained... but on the day of my miscarriage, after we return from the hospital, I cried anyway. I'm thankful hubby can spend his time with me throughout the whole event. He has an outstation appointment very early the next day. Instead of going off in the evening, he went very early the next morning. I initially told him I'd be OK. I didn't expect the flooding of emotional feeling overwhelming my whole being after that.
I'm very naive when it comes to pregnancy and things related to it. So I had no idea whether I should be in confinement or not. That night we went out to have dinner. Mom called to remind me not to eat food with a lot of liquid in it. Tomyam and soup is out of the picture. Luckily she called coz I thought hot soup would be good to warm me up. Then someone called and mentioned I should be in bed and not jalan-jalan. We went 'beraya' after the black pepper steak dinner. When we reached home, I did feel the shiver and wrapped myself up in blanket.
The next day I have a whole day briefing. I don't feel well but it is important for me to attend it. Remember Madam Kucing who barks? She'll bark to kingdom come if I didn't show my face. I shivered, had a throbbing headache and felt really bad the whole day. Some friends said I shouldn't be there but since I was there already, I might as well hold on for a while. Thank God the briefing ends early. I didn't wait for the tea break but goes off as fast as I could and while the traffic was still manageable.
Some say for miscarriages less than 3 months, there is no need to be in confinement. However, my body is telling me something is not right somewhere. I better do something about it. The next day, I called mom and MIL for some tips and make 3-days massage arrangements. My ex-colleague gave me the masseuse number a long time ago since I like to go for massages. Thank God she can come over. For a price of course. I felt much better after the massage and air kunyit *grimacing face as I recall the taste*. I had to make the air kunyit myself and drink it if I want to heal quickly.
This morning I had another round of air kunyit, the yolk of kampung chicken egg (courtesy of MIL) and some honey *grimace again*. I prayed I'll get better quickly. I have to conduct a 2-days training next week. I heard there'll be 40 pax... I can imagine the amount of energy required to talk for the whole session, I have to stand the whole day and there'll be a short session at night too. I just have to get better.
Please also pray for 'ummi' :)
Kun fa ya kun. I believe everything is in His hands... just like how I met and marry hubby. InsyaAllah...
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