Let's have lunch!

Recently, I sms-ed one of my friends I have known since high school days for lunch. Sms(es) were flying to and fro in an effect to something like this..
Me : U free for lunch today?
Her : Need to go to bank today, see you at (somewhere) at 12.15pm?
Me : Can make it 12.30?
Her : My lunch time 12 la.
Me: Ok then, see you later.
Her : So, how? Am I meeting you or not?
Me : Yes, see you at 12.15.
Her : OK. Btw, you are not an insurance agent, right? You shall not try to sell my anything, right?

Now, at this stage, my thoughts were of mixed reaction. What??? Do I sound like I have a different agenda other than purely asking a friend for lunch and catching up on each other's news? I was really *deng*.

Anyway, I came over it after a while. I looked at it at the brighter side i.e she regarded me as a good-enough friend to be direct, straight to the point.

Now, few days later, I was chatting online with a varsity friend, someone I haven't seen in these 10 years. It goes to something like this effect again...

Me : Want to meet?
Him : OK, lunch this friday?
Me : I'm fine. Are you asking me to go all the way to (somewhere) to meet you for lunch?
Him : No, I'm off this friday.
Me : OK. Is 1.30pm too late for your lunch?
Him : I'm ok, if it's more convenient for you.
Me : OK then. Meet at (somewhere)?
Him : Sure.
Me : Btw, I am back to work now.
Him : Oh, now I know why you want to meet...
A totally pissed me : What do you mean by that??

Now, just a matter of a few days lapse, I met with this crude reactions from my friends when I initiated a lunch meet. Well, in actual case, I really don't blame them. My friend (Him) told me he had had bad experience before. He thought it was a casual meeting with 2 old friends to catch up with old times, but nothing near to his expectatations, he found out they were in some network marketing and in the end had to spend few thousand ringgit to get rid of them.

As for myself, I had similar kind of experience before. A couple of friends called to ask if they can come and pay me a visit. I love catching up with friends, so of course I was delighted and say yes almost immediately. They came, they started to present me with their products after a little round of casual chat, and they went. No news from them since.

Now, I don't quite blame them as well, after all, I understand how tough life is making ends meet at this current times of price-hike-to-everything. And I do have an open mind to listen to new products or ideas. Say it simply, I like to 8.

But this norm had affected in people in such a way that they now became cautious of friends who sound eager to meet up, and in turn, affected me in such a way that seemed to tell me my friends don't really know who I am. Well, maybe they did, but they knew people do change with the change of time and environment.

Anyway, I do believe network marketing works only when you don't intend to make a living out of it. If I were in it to make money, then I would be trying to make money from my friends. And I won't be surprised friends would be staying away from me and I would lose all my friends before I can even finish the sentence "Let's have lunch".

On the other hand, if I believe in that product, used it for myself, and the effect is shown all over me, my friends would surely see the difference and ask me about it. Only will the business flourish and money pours in.

So, please don't ask if I am an insurance agent or network marketing business when I call you for lunch or gathering next time. If I have any purpose for a meet, I would upfront let you know so there'll be no surprises. And above all else, I cherish the sentimental values of my old friends, it's not likely I can find anyone easily who shared my past and understand what I say when I recollect the sweet old memories. At this age, it's a treasure to have a friend whom you know for the past 10, 20, 30 years, definitely.

Now, no wonder I get all these poor response from my friends when I try to initiate a gathering...hmm...

About Twelve 11

QUOTE:
“Twelve 11” by Loh Yin San

A tragedy of a magnitude never before seen in Malaysia had claimed 48 lives and shocked a nation. In unravelling the mystery surrounding the incident, Twelve 11 questions whether the loss of life and property could have been avoided. The aim is also to expose a legal loophole that begs urgent action in the call for justice.
UNQUOTE.

The tragedy which was talked about is the collapse of Highland Towers in 1993, Dec 11th.
Why the story was told after 13 years? That is because the fight from the victims' families came to an end only this year Feb at the Highest Court, and the Municipal Council got off scott-free. That's because there's this Act to protect them even they are the people to give the green lights of any developmental land projects. And why is there such an Act in place? That goes back to history back to the 1960's during the Emergency when there was a need to had that kind of law. It promised to be taken away when the Act was not needed anymore, but unfortunately, until now, it was still in place, and that is why MPAJ was found not guilty of negligence in this Highland Towers tragedy.



I was there on the day's screening of this winning entry of the
Freedom Film Fest 2006 run by KOMAS. Yin San made me proud and embarassed at the same time for her meaningful effort to help in bringing the plight of some people to a wider audience. Proud because she is my good friend I have known during the varsity days, (we do share a lot of our passions and interests), and embarrassed because I have done nothing much like these sort to contribute to the society before.

She contributed to last year's same event which was the winner as well, named "Clean Shit" or "Alice lives here". It was said that it helped in a way to Alice's struggle to stop her town Broga (near Semenyih) from being polluted with an incinerator plant. A well documented film does indeed help a lot, some way or other.

Good job, Yin San, and CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Twelve 11 screening

I'm proud to present to you the effort of my friend, Ms. Loh and her team, to her premier screening of the documentary on Highland Towers tragedy. It is named Twelve 11, and will be screened at the following date and time:

Venue : Taylor's College, Subang
Date : 30th September 2006
Time : 7pm-9pm, together with 4 other films

This is part of the 3rd annual Freedom Film Fest organised by Komas that runs between 29th September - 1st October. Admission is free.

For further details, please see the full schedule attached or call: Effa Desa 03-79685415.

Join me in showing our support to her...Hope to see you there!

Fun day for the children

We gave the children a treat for the weekend, took them up to Genting for a day's trip of fun and rides.

Things nice to do there:

1. Ride up on the cable car (NOT DONE, KT said it's a waste of money....bugger!)

2. Dip in the wet theme pool (NOT DONE, not enough time, lazy to get wet and bathe later)

3. Ride on the monorail (NOT DONE, queue too long initially, later it was raining and ride was closed)

4. Bumper car for the boys (CHECKED, uncountable number of rounds in there for them)

5. Ferris Wheel (CHECKED, nice, the children love it)

6. Merry go round (CHECKED, Chloe and Adrian absolutely loving it)

7. Take pictures (CHECKED, here they are)

8. Have a stroll outside or walk around outdoor theme park (NOT DONE, another time, when the price goes down)

9. Snow World (NOT DONE, KT said before might as well take us all to see REAL snow! How sweet, hoh? Then again, just need to be patient only la....)

10. Casino (CHECKED, KT was 100 bucks poorer)

11. Check out Mushroom Farm (NOT DONE, have to do that next time)

12. Sky fly (NOT DONE, KT tried that twice though, not cheap leh)

13. Eat outside instead of paying a hefty price for a plate of chicken rice at theme park (NOT DONE, we still was paying a hefty price for a plate of chicken rice, sigh...)

Have to get all the NOT DONE items checked the next round we are there again.

Blogger not found!!!

Somebody just tampered my page.. Wonder who I had offended?

A baby year

Another friend I know is having a baby. CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING A FIRST TIME DAD, CHAN YING WEI!!!!

This add on to the list who are expecting: Kok Lan, Shuo Ngoh, Suet Fong and Wai Yee(my cousin sisters), Sook Wei, Penny, Anita Yuen (my favorite artiste, whose husband is in my list of the-hottest-guy-in-the-world).

Congratulations to all of you for cradling a bundle of joy soon. Hmm.... shall I have join in the fun too?

Make sense?

Today I met someone rather, weird, I think.

I walked into a boutique shop, looking for chances to introduce myself. I had myself to blame as I tried to pose as a potential customer. Initially, I just started off innocently by commenting on a cute little white dress. It indeed looked cute, but she gave me a comment "That dress is not meant for you".

I thought it was pretty rude. Well, anyway, I tried to look in a different angle, that maybe I should appreciate her honesty and frankness. We had a nothing-so-special talk on the quality of that dress, and I told her I wasn't looking anything for myself anyway. (Thick skin, yeah I know). She asked me what I am looking for, I said it's for a girl who is about 20, blah blah blah.

OK, after showing me some of the other and affordable ones, and seeing my non-eagerness to buy, she started rattling about the different kinds of customers she meets everyday.

First she said the worst customers are chinese, followed by malay, and the angmoh. The best ones are from teh middle east. Though they wear thick black jedi uniform, inside they dress to kill and are all branded stuffs. She said these are the people who know the importance of dressing up and that's why their children are dressed up well too. Locals would never buy these kind of clothes to dress their children up.

In addition, she was saying those women, was not respecting the people around by just wearing their t-shirts and shorts with sandals. This would, in turn, teach their own children not to wear appropriately, and in the end, causes all the crimes and violence in this world. She claimed that that's where all these people comes from!(WTF!)

The world is very materialistic, she said. She instructed her staff, if customers don't have the budget, don't let them try on their clothes. And she would determine if the customer can afford to buy by just looking at what they wear etc.

Yeah yeah.. blah blah, I was getting REALLY irritated and disgusted! I loathe people who judge a book by its cover, and here right in front of me, was someone who speaks like she's talking nothing but the facts of life. I think she was trying to tell me "Don't fool around here, I know you can't afford to buy anything here, one look at you, I know who you are!". But of course, that was not exactly what she said, but I think she got the message across.

What a ****ed business owner!