Another trip booked

One cannot just let a cheap fare go to waste, so I booked us on my heavily discounted agent rate to Japan on All Nippon Airways in June.. ANA operates the Boeing Dreamliner 787-800 from KL to Tokyo Narita.. Let's just say the fares are so cheap that it'll be a crime to forego..

I know it's not the best time to go but there's no other suitable times given all the blackout periods, and his busy schedule.. so come what weather we'll just have to make do and plan around it..

This will be fun I guess.. as I have never been to Tokyo and he has never been to Japan.. so it'll be like both of us getting equally lost..

And a month later, we'll be going on a short domestic weekend getaway with the rest of the gang..

That should wrap up my 2017.. I know it's too early to say this but thanks to the shitty ringgit, it's gonna be quite expensive to travel much..

Goodbye ol' friend

No words can describe the shock.. I was more stunned.. You left so suddenly but it would also be your wishes to be kept low key..

I did not think much when you unfriended people in Facebook, we all do that all the time.. little did I know you have planned it all along.. I wasn't angry..

Nevertheless we grieve in our own ways.. Remembering that we were once sitting at the same table.. From blogging I knew you from, and from blogging this is how this will end..

Nothing compares no worries or cares

Regrets and mistakes their memories made

Who would have known how bittersweet

This would taste

Rest well my fabled friend..

Swim swim swim

Every week as I swim, I'd check myself in the mirror to see my tan lines, but then.. I can't help noticing I'm actually getting fatter..

Sigh.. is that because of age? Geez.. I really don't want to become "fat uncle"

I guess I need to swim more, weather permitting.. it's been raining daily! *gasp*

Malaysia - Passport Renewal

We Malaysians have it real good when it comes to passport renewal.. Apart from the fast process (1 hour) ie same day collection, some are able to also renew online which the passport will be ready for collection on next working day..

Our passport photo resembles what the Chinese call, "car head photo", literally translated to mean the photo you use on hearse vehicles, as it is a black and white headshot with absolutely zero touchups.. The officer will only adjust colour contrasts and tones, which they are just doing their job.. Can't fault them..

As my passport would have expired in July 2017, I had to renew it last January.. I couldn't renew my passport online as they say my thumbprint needs to be re-taken at an immigration office..

I took the opportunity to go during the Chinese New Year break on 31 January to renew my passport at the Jabatan Imigresen Negeri Perak (state immigration office) in Jelapang..

I did not go to UTC Perak in the city centre because it being a working day and I knew very well there will not be enough parking in the former Super Kinta building.. Also, I am terrified of the Ipoh morning rush hour traffic, it can be as bad as in Kuala Lumpur!

So I arrived around 7.45am and took my queue number, there was about 11 people ahead of me.. 15 minutes later, my number was called and I went up to the counter and surrendered my old passport and have my photo taken..

People have reported different situations here (working in a travel agency, I've seen quite many passports with different photos, some look really good, some look like the world owes them money):
- no smiling vs smile
- no glasses vs ok to keep it on
- look straight vs looking slightly higher than the camera lens

But one thing is clear, that you have to wear dark colour clothes, or else you can borrow those dirty jackets from the clothes racks that millions would have worn over the years.. which I fail to see the logic behind it (other than the background being white, because as you can see from my photo, my shoulders are barely visible! I was wearing a black polo tee)

After that, proceed to the cashier and pay the fee (RM200 for normal adult citizen).. from here on, the wait is just 1 hour for collection at the next window..

Being in a government building, there's not much things one can do, so everyone just sat there and stared at the window waiting for the officer to call names..

By 8.30am, they started dispensing the newly minted passports, one after another.. By 8.45am, it was my turn and I collected my new passport..


The result?

A horrible ugly picture.

That picture will stay with me for 5 years until January 2022 when it'll due for renewal..

Moan..

I can draw

I enjoy drawing ever since I was a kid.. but I decided I didn't want to make it my bread and butter because I knew that may kill the passion..

6 years ago I registered my own graphic design business to make money legally (in the eyes of the tax authorities and the bank, that is).. I declared all the money I make and paid the taxes.. It's not a big thing, just merely spending my free time designing for small business owners who can't afford hefty designing fees.. Having said that, I do not do work for free..

I was with Abric Berhad for a mere 2 months, but I hailed my employment there a success having been able to contribute to brighten up the newly renovated office in Solaris Mont Kiara.. My short stint also saw me qualified myself as an ISO9001 internal auditor (quality management systems)..

Till this day, I am surprised how I am able to achieve all that in such short period of time.. I quit before confirmation because I realised that job wasn't what I was hired for to do.. I spent every working day attending sales meetings which I fucking dreaded, doing powerpoints, going through raw excel data and not making sense of what the data means, sitting in the factory and engineering room doing nothing productive..

But I was able to convince the Chairman to let me make use of my working time to design wall graphics.. so I got to work..

And when my job was done, I left with dignity and contributed something to the company that I wasn't even in long for..

Sometimes when I am bored...

Then I will take selfies.. and I will keep taking until I am pretty satisfied..

So then, this is also a lame post because I am bored.. I rarely join class these days (except BodyBalance) so what I do normally is to just workout..

I go on turbo basis (ie non-stop working out) on a particular muscle group until I tire myself out and yep that's how my workout regime is.. I don't spend hours in the gym because research has shown that workout is less effective the longer you spend in the gym..

Also, I really cringe and can't stand those who orgasm in the gym.. those who "ahh ahh" continuously (as if lah people don't know they're working out..).. It's an annoyance.. Even with my headphones and music blaring loud, I can still hear them..

I wonder what's the point.. Can't they workout silently like the rest of the normal people?