FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE ON EBAY

 
I have had several successful transactions on eBay but my recent transaction left me utterly distressed. I bid for a DSLR and was successful. Then I made the payment using PayPal. These are the responses from the seller:

First email after payment had been made through PayPal

We hope you enjoy your purchase. Your payment has been received for the following
item:

Item title: Olympus USA EVOLT E-500 8 MP 2 Lens Kit 3 YR Warranty
Web Address: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7570781736
Item number: 7570781736

Second email after payment had been made through PayPal

Unfortunately we are unable to complete this transaction as the address on file is not a confirmed one. We will be refunding your PayPal payment shortly. If you would like this item shipped to your address in Malaysia you will need to pay via a Bank Transfer or Western Union.

As far as the three year warranty is concerned I do not believe it would be honored by your local dealer, but I am not sure.

As those of you who have traded on eBay and registered with PayPal would know, PayPal cannot confirm your credit card billing address if you are not resident in USA. The seller I am dealing with is a seasoned trader on eBay with a long record of positive feedbacks and he should know that when he offers his cameras for sale or auction "worldwide" he will have buyers from countries outside USA, like me, whose credit card billing address cannot be confirmed and if he doesn't want to take the risk then he shouldn't do business with us. Now I have to wait for him to refund me the USD944 that I have already paid him for the item.





 

THE PM'S MAGNANIMOUS GESTURE!

 

In the wake of the hullabaloo over the naked Chinese woman being made to do the "ear squat" by the Police, the DIGP's response to the public outcry and Deputy Minister Noh's "foot-in-the-mouth" press statement regarding disgruntled tourists, it was refreshing to read today's Star's front page piece entitled "PM applauds Nicol and family".
Many people have called on the Government to reward Nicol with a datukship, pointing out, probably with a tinge of wicked humour, that a certain Penang state resident who had swum across the English channel with a remarkably slow time was rewarded with a datukship. However, the PM has rightly pointed out that Nicol's achievement was as much to her credit as it is to her parents' credit because they must have made a great deal of sacrifice in nurturing the world squash champion. Pak Lah even compared "Pak David" with "Pak Sidek" and like Pak Sidek who was awarded with a Datukship for producing badminton champions in his children, it is only right that due recognition be given to Pak David. The Penang state government should give him a datukship. I'm sure Nicol will be most happy for her dad to receive this recognition. 

ANOTHER VERSION OF AN EMAIL SCAM!

 
It would appear that these people are getting more inventive and creative and their standard of the English language is also improving. However, their intelligence is still at the same low level. For the record I have reproduced the email in its entirety below.

I am Dr.LOUIS VON ZEUNER from Armenia, currently based in CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA.

I am the formal Secretary to Mikhail Khodorkovsky (M.K) the richest man in Russia and owner of the following companies: Chairman CEO: YUKOS OIL (Russian Most Largest Oil Company)
Chairman CEO:Menatep SBP Bank (A well reputable financial institution with its branches all over the world). I am convinced that your business dealing is suitable for the investment of US$50 million
(Fifty million United States dollars) deposited with a Bank in the Netherlands.

SOURCE OF FUNDS:
The documents of the above funds in question was handed over to me to be used in payment of an American oil merchant for his last oil deal with my boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Already the funds
have been deposited with a Finance Company in the Netherlands where the final crediting is expected to be carried out. While I was on the process, My Boss got arrested for his involvement on politics in financing
the leading and opposing political parties (the Union of Right Forces) led by Boris Nemtsov, and Yabloko, a liberal/social democratic party led by Greg or yavlinsky) which poses treat to President
Vladimir Put in second tenure as Russian president. You can catch more of the story on this web site.


http://www.openrussia.info/eng/download/Yukos-MBX-WhitePaper.htm

Or the daily mirror.

YOUR ROLE: All I need from you is to stand as the Beneficiary of the above quoted sum and I will arrange for the documentation which will enable the Finance company in the Netherlands transfer
the sum to you. I am assuring you that this transaction is hundred percent risks free. I have set out an agreeable percentage to any prospective partner, this is a legitimate transaction. Invariably you will be
paid 25% for your management fees.

Remember that the need for confidential handling of this transaction is very important for the fact that Mikhail Khodorkovsky is undergoing trial in Russia; it will be my greatest pleasure to do business with you.
Please reply this mail in the shortest possible time as time is of vital important. Please reply back to me on this email: vonzeuner005@fsmail.net or through my portable phone and fax numbers below.

Best Regards,

DR LOUIS VON ZEUNER

Tel: 00 870763970080
Fax: 00 870763970082


NB: YOU CAN READ MORE OF HIS ORDEAL FROM;
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0920791.html
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/may2005/nf20050517_1831_db016.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories

http://www.khodorkovskytrial.com/

DID NICOL WIN?

 
I was following the Live Score Board of the World Squash Open 2005 in the Hong Kong Squash Centre online and the score stood at 8/10, 9/2, 9/6, 8/7 in Nicol David's favour when the website went bonkers and a message "under construction" appeared. When I managed to get back the Live Score Board it was for the Men's Final which had not started yet. Therefore I assume that Nicol David is the Ladies' Champion even though I can't get the final score. The joke is that for the first game the Live Score Board gave the game to Nicol with a score of 10/8 but this was later reversed to 8/10 in favour of Rachael Grinham. It would appear that the people in Hong Kong were having trouble with their website. 

I'M A MILLIONAIRE!

  

Read the email I've just received and you will know why. This is the third scam email I am blogging to share with those who are interested and hopefully to prevent anybody from being conned into losing their pants. If you ever receive such an email, have a good giggle and then delete it. Don't respond to it and above all don't remit any of your hard-earned cash!

The National Lottery
Suite 179 1007
West/Zuld, L70 1NL
Zwolle Holland
(Customer Services)
Ref: DEUK/9383/8161/99
Batch: GI/SE12-59
Government Accredited Licensed lottery promoters.
International Promotions/Prize Award Department

Login to http://lottery.co.uk/res
We are please to announce you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the
national lottery held on the 23th November, 2005. All 10 winning addresses
were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international emails. Your
email address emerged alongside 9 others as a category 2 winner in this year
national lotto game draw
Consequently, you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of
£1,000,000 Dollars (one million pounds sterlings) only. In order to avoid
unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote your reference
number and batch numbers:
1,Ticket
2, Batch 7499-4206-5876
3, Ref: 739801527-Nll
4, lucky numbers 94-1-537-97-31-809
Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European
booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon. In
view of this, your £1,000,000 would be released to you by any of our
payment offices in Europe.
To file for your claim, please contact

Advocate Patrick cox
Telephone number +31 -6100- 234 82
Fax: +31-847-545-681
Email: bejeslawbejes@netscape.net
Bejes law & Associates
This will enable the office of bejes & asscociates to send the claims
application form (A4) to you the Beneficiary.you can confirm your winnings
when you LOGIN TO http://lottery.co.uk/res
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to
you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part
of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted
abuse of this program. Please be warned. Remember, all winnings must be
claim not later than Decmeber 8th, 2005, after this date, unclaimed funds
will be returned to the national Lotto
Good luck from me and members of staff of the NATIONAL LOTTERY.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs Maria Rooney
Online coordinator for THE NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.

HEART4HOPE

 

If you need a t-shirt or you can spare RM30, go to YvonneFoong.com, the blog of Yvonne Foong who is suffering from neurofibromatosis and who needs money to undergo surgery soon. If you are not in the KL area, Yvonne can post it to you if you are willing to pay for the postage. 

THE WHOLE COUNTRY IS WAITING TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE IGP & DIGP!

 

When the story and the video clip of the naked woman being made to do ear squats by the Police came out the whole country was shocked and there was a united and loud call for action to be taken on the people responsible for the humiliating and dehumanising way the poor woman was subjected to. The PM, in Malta , phoned the DIGP and expressed his shame and promised that "there would be no cover-up" and that the people responsible "would be taken to task". Now the DIGP has been quoted as saying that the Police did no wrong and that they were more concerned with finding the person responsible for taking the video clip. The DIGP's response is disgraceful, to say the least, after what the PM and the DPM have said about the disgusting method used by the Police to process the woman detainee and the shame it has brought to the country. Now the whole country is shocked by the IGP's and the DIGP's attitude and everybody is waiting to see what action the government is going to take against two of its most senior civil servants! How can the Malaysian public have any more respect for the PDRM with the two still at the helm? 

DID YOU KNOW THAT CECIL RAJENDRA WAS NOMINATED FOR THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE THIS YEAR?

 

If you didn't then go to http://www.sun2surf.com/artcile.cfm?id=11885 and read all about this local lawyer cum poet who has made a name for himself in the literary world but who is better known outside his own country than in it. To date Cecil has published 17 books of poems and his works have been translated into Japanese, Urdu, Tamil, Chinese, German, Tagalog, Danish and Spanish. Although Cecil did not win the Nobel Prize for Literature, the nomination itself was a great honour which unfortunately was not reported in the local press which is only interested in stories about people who swim across the English channel in one of the longest times or who has sailed around the world single-handedly but at a great cost to the country.
As a lawyer, Cecil is the Founder of Free Legal Aid and was in the forefront in fighting for the orang asli's right to own land. Under a law passed in 1954, the orang asli could not own land and it was only this year that the court gave them the right to own land. The "true sons of the soil" had been denied their birth right.
Cecil Rajendra is also the President of Human Rights Society of Malaysia.
Cecil does not write on human rights and social issues only. At present he is writing a book on Malaysia's strip-tease queen, the late Rose Chan. Those who are in their sixties, like me, remember Rose Chan well and will eagerly await the sale of Cecil's latest literary project! 

STREAMYX OR DRIPYX?

I am subscribing to streamyx, paying RM44 per month which entitles me to 60 hours of usage at 512 kbps. When I logged in just now and checked the speed this is what I got:

tmnet streamyx
Connection speed
64 kbits/s / 8 kbytes/s
The download speed is provided on a best effort basis.

There have been times when the speed is worse than what I am experiencing today. I have experienced 8 kbits/s / 1 kbytes/s before! What sort of a broadband speed is this? At this download speed, streamyx should be rebranded as dripyx! There have been so many complaints about streamyx poor download speed and yet nothing has been done about it. Why can't the authorities do something about this daylight robbery being perpetuated by streamyx on their customers? Why do they continue to allow streamyx to cheat their customers by providing substandard service? Somebody told me that Jaring is already offering fixed line broadband at a faster speed of 2 mbps. I haven't been able to find any evidence of this in the Jaring website. I am looking forward to switching to Jaring if they can provide a better service.

DEAD PIGEONS CAUSE FLU SCARE

 

Page 3 of today's Star carries the above headline, accompanied by a photograph of "the MCA Belakang Pasar branch chairman Ho Chee Meng holding a dead pigeon found along the main road in Bidor recently." In front of and very close to Mr Ho are five other dead pigeons. When I first saw the photograph this morning the thought that sprang to mind was that Mr Ho is either a very stupid man or he has very strong suicidal tendencies. When people all over the world are paranoid over avian flu and there have been innumerable warnings of a possible worldwide avian flu pandemic, the photograph of Mr Ho must be shocking to quite a lot of people.
On page 4 of the same Star the headline screams, "Please pray for me, says ex-minister." This is in reference to former state minister of Sabah, Datuk Conrad Mojuntin, who was reported making the appeal to reporters who were at his daughter's wedding. Perhaps the MCA official, Mr Ho, should also appeal to the reporters to pray for him. 

IS MY TELCO ROBBING ME BLIND?

I have been using the same Telco for my prepaid mobile phone for the past 7 years and recently I have been receiving sms at an average of 1 per day which goes like this:
RM0.50. Sarah (Female Age:18) is inviting you to be her friend. Reply YES-581 or NO-581. See her at www.AMS.ac/u/hizli87 STOP? Reply STOP FRND."
For several months I did not know the implication of such an sms. I thought that if I didn't respond I would not incur any expense. However, when I went to the local Telco office to make enquiries and to find out whether they could do anything to stop such sms being sent to me, I was shocked to be told that each time such an sms was sent to me I was charged 50 sen. When I expressed shock that I was being robbed blindly and my Telco was not doing anything to protect me, I was told that I shouldn't have subscribed to this service in the first place. I pointed out to the lady attending to me that I am a senior citizen in my twilight years and sending sms was not my favourite pasttime and that the rare sms that I have sent have been in response to friends' occasional sms which would be few and rare. I did not subscribe to any "pimping service" nor have I lent my phone to anybody who would subscribe to such a service on my behalf and apart from my wife, who never uses my mobile phone, I don't have any teenage son or daughter living with me. I asked her why my Telco could not protect me from such spamming and was told that they were powerless to do anything. I was advised to reply to the sms by typing "STOP FRND". I did as advised and received the following sms in response.
"Free msg. Your subscription to Friends Requests has been terminated. Thank you for your patronage."
However, this did not stop 2 more sms to be sent to me immediately thereafter, offering me the friendship of 2 female companions, each sms costing RM0.50. I wonder how many people using mobile phones have been plagued by this costly nuisance. My Telco insists that I, or somebody using my phone, must have subscribed to this service by sending an sms to the company. I denied vehemently that I had done such a thing and also I had never loaned my phone to anyone who would do such a thing. I asked them why they could not take the necessary steps to protect their customers from being victims of such blatant robbery and suggested that probably the Telco was in league with the "pimping" company to rob their customers.

NICOL WINS CAROL WEYMULLER SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP!

Nicol David (Mas) beats Natalie Grinham (Aus) 5/9, 9/6, 9/4, 9/3 (60m) in the Carol Weymuller Squash Tournament 2005 in The Heights Casino, Brooklyn, NY!
http://www.squashsite.co.uk/weymuller2005.htm

ANOTHER CON JOB VIA EMAIL!

If you have received an email like the one below, you would be wise to delete and forget about it. Above all don't respond to it unless you want to get conned into parting with some of your money!

Q-soft E Sweepstakes.
41-48 Drive Eland Square
West Copland 7721NL.
Ref No: QES-35187-22/05.
Serial No: 301133


Date: October 27th, 2005.

Dear Sir/Madam,

SWEEPSTAKE PRIZE AWARD INFORMATION.

This is to officially inform you of the result of our Q-soft Email
Sweepstakes draw that was conducted on the 26th day of October 2005. This
email address which was attached to Serial Number 301133 and selected by our
E-games Random Selection System (ERSS) has won you our sweepstakes program
in the general prize category. You have now been approved to claim a total
payment sum of USD$980,000:00 (NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND US DOLLARS
ONLY) as attaches to payment file Ref No: QES-35187-22/05. We are aware of
the surprises that do follow such a notification message based on the fact
that you have not purchase a lottery ticket from us, but be informed here
that it was a promotional program from our Q-soft company with the major aim
of introducing our services and the same time promoting the benefit of the
Internet usage.

These approved funds can only be claimed by contacting our assign payment
house. Due to the nature of this program, we ask that you keep a copy of
this notification message safe until your claim has been processed and
collected; as this is the only security measure that has been put in place
to save guild your interest. You can begin this claim now by contacting the
Payment house on email address: alkinsfin@katamail.com with your Complete
Names, Postal (Resident) Address, Telephone and Fax Numbers, Occupation,
Reference Numbers and the amount approved (Won) for the processing of this
claim. All funds not applied for after the 9th day of November 2005 will be
return back to us.

Felicitations as we do expect you to make better use of these funds.

Sincerely Yours,
Milkos Williams (Dr).
Q-soft E. Sweepstakes.
Email: qsoft@winning.com

***************************************************************************
Note: In accordance with the Q-soft Sweepstakes policy and regulations,
this notification is dispatched directly to the prize Winners only. If you
are not the rightful recipient and feel you have received this message by
error, kindly destroy any copy in your possession for you are not authorized
to read, print, retain or disseminate any part of it.
***************************************

CON JOB WITH A NEW TWIST!

If you have received an email offering you a share in a vast sum of money salted away by some deposed African dictator, you would probably have smelt a rat and refused to remit a certain sum of money ostensibly for legal fees in order to get your share released by the "authorities" unless, of course you are a moron or "mentally challenged" as the politically correct would like to say. Just the other day it was reported in the Star that a lecturer was conned of several hundred thousand ringgit in such a scam! Makes you wonder how one gets to be a lecturer with so little grey matter between the ears. Below is an email I have just received which is basically the same con job but with a twist.

Hello,

This offer might be strange, but is the wish of a dying 68 years old woman
who now realizes belatedly that there is more to life than mere acquisition
of cash{money} and fame. My name is Mrs. Jennifer Wilson a widow. My late
husband and I perhaps due to our aristocratic background and bad influences
lived and never cared for nobody or whose ox was gored, our motto was be
rich and famous and the world will be at your feet. I am diabetic and
recently diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The report is obviously not
good, several chemotherapy treatments have not helped either and the obvious
fact is that I have few days/weeks more on planet earth.

Being childless couple, I inherited all my husband wealth and our relations
are no good, as they are waiting patiently for my death to use all our money
for illicit and obscene business/things. Before my health deteriorated that
I am completely dependant on them for basic necessities I have done
charitable ventures within our neighborhoods and beyond and this angered
them as they wish to reap from where they did not sow.

Having come to the realizations of what life is all about-caring for
others. I have given legal consent and full authority to my
attorney-Barrister Dean J. Cooper of Springfield Consultants to immediately
disbursed all the money to people/charitable homes and the choice of
beneficiaries was done by sampling.Your name was luckily picked and I have
willed the sum of US$1,500,000.00{One Million, Five Hundred thousand U.S.
Dollars}only to you.

This money should be used STRICTLY for humanitarian/charitable cause.
Contact my lawyer immediately who will guide you on the modalities for the
collection of this money. His e-mail address is deanjcooper@netscape.net
Please quote my personal reference number for ease of
collection-law/chamber/solicitors/je/ws/WILL/9834520012 when reaching him by
mail.

I plead with you never to deviate from this agreement and I beg of you to
pray that my soul rest in peace.
njhhj
Thanks.

Jennifer Wilson.

SIRENS, THE BANE OF 21ST CENTURY!

Ten years ago whenever I visited my son in Chicago, I was deeply perturbed by the incessant wailing of sirens both during daytime and nighttime. I used to think how lucky we were in Malaysia where we could get by every 24 hours without hearing the highly disturbing siren screaming like a tormented banshee! This is no longer true today. Like the banshee we are tormented by the ear-piercing screaming of sirens both in the daytime as well as at night. Sometimes I wonder whether the ambulances or policecars charging down the road in the wake of their ear-piercing sirens really need to be in such haste and for whatever reason.
If you live on one side of a narrow road and an ambulance or a policecar comes screeching down the road with its siren switched on at its ear-piercing loudest, the reverberations of the high-pitch siren bouncing off the buildings will give you a headache long after the vehicle has gone past.
If you have been caught in a three-lane bumper-to-bumper traffic, sandwiched on either side by other vehicles and an ambulance or a policecar comes charging up behind you with its siren screaming in ear-piercing decibels, you can pee in your pants, and when there is no way in which you can move to the side for the ambulance or the policecar to pass you and the incessant siren keeps screaming as though in admonishment of your failure to give way, you feel like getting out of the car and walking off, leaving it in the middle of the road!
Isn't there a law that forbids ambulance or police sirens to be used above certain decibels? Shouldn't ambulance and policecar drivers be warned not to use their sirens indiscriminately? Why are our cities beginning to sound like Chicago?

BOOKSHOPS THAT WRAP UP THEIR BOOKS IN PLASTIC!

In today's Star, under StarBiz http://biz.thestar.com.my/bizweek/ "Popular opens sixth outlet in Penang", area manager of Popular Book Co, Leong Li Ching said that she "hoped the strong focus on customer service would help its second flagship store in the country remain competitive." I have been to this latest new Popular outlet in Gurney Plaza a few times since it was opened and I must say that like most other bookshops in this country, Popular finds it necessary to wrap their books, though not all, in plastic. I find this most annoying and "uncivilised". If you go to Barnes & Noble in USA, you will not find their books wrapped in plastic. As a matter of fact you could sit in their coffee-shop and browse through a magazine or a book at leisure and at the end of an hour or two or even more if you walked away without buying anything you would not be burdened with a guilt feeling that you had put their magazine or book at risk of being soiled. I don't understand how Popular Book Co can hope to "bank on its customer-oriented strategy to draw shoppers" when they adopt the anti-shopper attitude of wrapping up their books in plastic. Back in the 90's, Popular Book Co would have a browsing copy for customers to look through at leisure before deciding whether to make the purchase or not. Now that their books are wrapped up in plastic no such browsing copy is made available. Why doesn't Popular Book Co set the trend and refrain from the uncivilised practice of wrapping up their books in plastic? How do bookshops expect customers to fork out a hundred ringgit or more for a book when they can't see its contents. It's like buying a pig in a poke!

TMB HAS GONE MAD!

I have just received my integrated Bil Telefon & Multimedia dated 19 Sept 2005 from TMB which amounts to an astronomical RM829.08. I wonder whether I can sue TMB if I suffer a heart attack as a result of this bill.

In the past I have read in the newspapers complaints by unfortunate subscribers of the astronomical bills that TMB served on them for telephone usage that they claimed they never made. I didn't know that one day I would fall victim to TMB's billing department. According to the bill, it seems that I have been owing them RM60 every month for the rental of a ADSL modem since the day I subscribed to streamyx from 5.10.2004 and up to 19.9.05, amounting to RM688.44. If that amount has been owed since 5.10.2004, I wonder why they have waited for so long before making any effort to collect from me. In the first place I am subscribing to the cheapest streamyx package available, i.e. RM44 per month, and if I opted to rent a modem from TMB for RM60 a month I must be daft or crazy. In the second place I purchased an Aztech ADSL Modem from them for RM158 when I applied for streamyx installation and has been using it since then. After reading the A-G Report 2004 in the Star this morning and the nasty shock of the TMB bill, I think UMNO Youth and Khairy should not worry so much about wanting to extend the NEP for another 30 years. They should worry whether there will be any economic cake for them to share at all! When a giant of a company like TMB can't even prepare a simple integrated Bil Telefon & Multimedia properly what hope do we have for the future of our beloved country?

MALAYSIAN ROAD USERS HAVE GONE MAD!

Each time I am on the road I treat every other road-user as a stark raving mad moron who is determined to end my life. Malaysian road users, motorists and motorcyclists in particular, have gone mad. If you don't believe me, the next time you are at the traffic lights and the light is red observe what people will do. Motorcyclists will shoot out in defiance of the red light and motorists will make a turn even when the red light says that they shouldn't. If you are dreaming you will wonder whether you are doing the right thing staying stationary in obedience of the red light when others are moving on.
Double parking and sometimes even triple parking of cars are common on busy streets at markets and in commercial areas, especially in front of banks, and nobody does anything about it. The mata-mata doesn't seem to be around anymore and the reason that is always given is that the police are short-handed, that is except when the dignitaries are given outrider escorts. Nowadays there is blatant disregard for the law and we find motorists parking their vehicles at street corners as well.
Federal traffic police chief, Senior Asst. Comm. II, Datuk Gingkoi Seman Pancreas, was quoted in the Star of Wednesday, 28th.Sept., under the headline "No respect for traffic rules", as saying that "many Malaysian drivers only obey traffic rules and regulations when they see enforcement authorities, cameras and speed traps." He is right and the police, more than anybody else, should know better. When the law allows thousands and thousands of summonses to accumulate over a period of time and then finally decides to allow a discount if traffic offenders take steps to settle within a time frame, respect for traffic rules must wane. On Thursday, 29th Sept., Datuk Gingkoi was again quoted in the Star as saying that when the "amnesty" period for paying of summonses at discounted rates ended on 30th Sept the police would come down hard on the defaulters. Well if the police do not match their words with the appropriate action, Datuk Gingkoi will know why there is no respect for traffic rules.

JIUZHAIGOU TOUR 17.9.05 - 25.9.05

On 17th. Sept. the wife and I left on a 9 day tour of Jiuzhaigou, in the northern region of Sichuan province in China. Often referred to as "a fairyland", Jiuzhaigou, which means nine Tibetan villages scattered throughout the valley, is a primitive and natural tourist attraction. The beautiful emerald lakes, layered waterfalls, colourful forests and snow-covered peaks are a sight to behold. Our tour covered Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, Huanglong/Mounigou, Jiuzhaigou, Maoxian, Dujiangyen, Leshan and Emeishan.
We left Penang on the 0810 China Southern Airline flight on 17th Sept. for Guangzhou, a flight that took 3 hours 40 minutes, followed by a nearly 6 hour transit at Guangzhou before our connecting flight to Chengdu which took about 2 hours 20 minutes. China airlines are generally plagued by delays. On our return flight from Chengdu to Guangzhou, the delay was more than 2 hours and during the course of that time there were incessant announcements over the public address system informing passengers of delays for other flights. "We regret to inform..........due to aircraft relocation" became the standard announcement every few minutes. It sounded like a broken record. The hotels were good but Sichuan cuisine which is spicy and oily did not suit the taste of many in our group and we had to request for less or non-spicy and less or non-oily food every now and then.
We had an internal flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou which saved us many hours of arduous travelling by bus and the view from the plane as we were approaching Jiuzhaigou airport was breathtaking albeit a little scary. A window seat will afford you this breathtaking view if you are not squeamish about heights. Jiuzhaigou is as beautiful as the travel brochures claim it to be but be prepared for a lot of walking and climbing. However, there were several in our group who are in their late sixties (including us) and if we could make it, younger people should have no problem. We heard about typhoon Damrey on the day before our return but we were fortunate that nothing untoward prevented us from making our return flight safely.

THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE CHILDREN

This is the 21st century and the only reason why anybody should have children is because he/she has an unsatiable love for children. No other reason is valid. I wish my father had told me that half a century ago before I embarked on a life of adulthood. In the olden days it was drummed into the male of the species that it was his bounden duty to perpetuate his family lineage by producing male off-springs. I wish somebody could convince me why it is necessary and important that the family name should continue after I have expired.
A reason very often used in arguing in favour of having children is that in our old age we need our children to support us when we are no longer productive or look after us when we are ravaged by disease or old age. If that is the reason for having children, it is not only a selfish reason but also one that will definitely bring untold disappointment. Children today are too busy with their careers and their pursuit of wealth and material possessions that they have hardly any time for their parents. The better educated and the more successful they are, the less time they have for their parents.
Some newly married couples are apprehensive that if they don't produce any off-spring
people will start to talk and fingers will start to point accusingly! This is the 21st century and we don't need to prove to anybody that we can function biologically. Nobody should give a damn whether we are fertile or sterile! It shouldn't be anybody's concern.
Nowdays when I talk to young couples who are on the verge of taking that big step to matrimony, I can't resist advising them to give a lot of thought to the implications before starting a family. I always emphasize to them that the only reason for them to have a child is because they have a very strong love of children. We are living in very difficult times and having children is no longer necessarily a blessing. They must realize that they will give at least half of their lives to bringing up the child and when the child is independent of them, if they have the health and the resources to enjoy whatever there is left of their lives they will be very lucky. Married couples who opt to remain childless don't have anything to apologise for. Society is no longer the same and more and more people have come to look upon childless couples as people who have their heads screwed on to their bodies properly and not as screwed-up people!

IS LONGEVITY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE?

When you are my age, nearly 3 score and ten, whether longevity is an important issue or not becomes a valid question. Many contemporaries of mine are so concerned with longevity that they are constantly obsessed with their health. They may be very careful with their money with other things but where their health is concerned they do not mind splurging on expensive and seemingly worthless things. A neighbour of mine who is of the same age is very careful with her money but she does not mind spending a bundle on underwear lined with magnetic beads which are supposed to induce better blood circulation and bracelets of crystal beads which, she is told by the salesperson, will help to regulate her karma and contribute generally to her well-being if she wears them on her wrist. There are others who will spend lavishly on "health food" and other food supplements which they have been told will contribute to their good health and keep all the ailments of old age at bay.
I always tell people of my age group that as we grow older we become uglier and, as far as I am concerned, I would prefer to go while I still look good. Longevity is not what I aspire to achieve. Quality of life is more important to me. I would rather prefer to be able to enjoy every 24 hours that I have to the fullest and not worry about how many more 24 hours I am going to have. What is the point of living up to a ripe old age of 90 years when you have to spend the last 10 years in a horizontal position ravaged by disease or old age, relying on others to help you endure the misery and suffering for another 10 years? Of course we have no control over how and when we have to go; that is the prerogative of a higher being. However, we have reasonably ample control over how we are going to spend the next hour and if we are going to throw that hour away by dwelling on our obsession with old age and good health instead of going out and enjoying ourselves and be thankful that we have one more glorious hour to enjoy then longevity will be meaningless.

THE LANGURS OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, PENANG

If you, like a great many people in the state of Penang, are not aware of the existence of the langurs in the Botanical Garden, here are some photographs of the langurs. These photographs were taken during National Day week when the elusive langurs decided to oblige by coming down to ground level to feed on the hibiscus plants in the garden. As mentioned in my previous blog the langurs seldom come down to ground level, preferring to feed at the middle or top levels of the trees most of the time. While they will feed on leaves, flowers and fruit, their preference is for the small leaflets and it is this choosy feeding habit that makes them quite messy feeders, very often leaving a carpet of older leaves, discarded by them, on the ground below. Langurs are natives of Southeast Asia and India and because they have been seen in the Botanical Garden only in the last few years, many locals are still unaware of their presence. Most Penangites are aware of the "pesky" macaques but few know about the existence of the langurs.
The langur has a multi-chambered stomach which helps it to digest the leaves that it has eaten. In addition there are also bacteria in the stomach of the langur to help in the digestion of the food. After the langur has finished eating, it will sit around for a while to allow the food to digest. Langurs do not move around much because of their diet. They have to sit around and let their food digest. The life span of the langur is about 20 years.

SELAMAT HARI KEBANGSAAN!

HERE'S WISHING EVERYBODY A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL HARI KEBANGSAAN!

One of the rare times when a langur at the Botanical Garden, Penang, is on the ground but this one obliged in celebration of Hari Kebangsaan!

THE MONKEYS OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, PENANG

Residents of Penang Island have the tendency to take the monkeys in the Botanical Garden for granted. We often marvel at the way tourists fuss over the monkeys and are seemingly overwhelmed at the sight of these little creatures. Penang residents don't give them a second glance.
The macaque, the more common of 2 types of monkeys found in the Botanical Garden in Penang, can be quite intimidating. The macaques can be quite a nuisance because they have become less frightened of people through the years and also they have become quite aggressive because people have been feeding and taunting them. If you are with a child be wary because the macaque is inclined to charge at the child if she has food in her hand. I have personally seen a troop of macaques dashing across the path of a small group of children, snatch an ice-cream cone from one of the children's hands and vanish into the bushes even before the child knew that his ice-cream cone had been hijacked by the monkey. The macaques are particularly inclined to pick on women and children!


The second type of monkey in the Botanical Garden in Penang is the langur or the leaf monkey. In the wild they live in the middle and upper canopies in the forest. They are found in South East Asia and India. They do not communicate as much as the other animals but they use loud calls to keep the troops apart. The langurs do not move around much due to their diets, they usually have to sit around to let their food digest. These monkeys are more shy than the macaques and are seldom seen on the ground. In fact a lot of Penangites have not been aware of their presence in the Garden at all. They feed on the young leaves and flowers of some of the trees in the Garden and their feeding habit is characterized by their messy "table manners", leaving a carpet of unwanted leaves on the ground. However, these monkeys are shy and mild-mannered and not at all quarrelsome, unlike the macaques. On the rare occasions when they make an appearance, even the locals are fascinated by them. While the macaques are well-known for hissing and spitting at one another, there has not been any evidence of macaques quarrelling with langurs.

IS THERE A GOD?

"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson

PENANG WATER CRISIS?

According to today's Star, "China Press reported that Penang Water Supply Corporation general manager Datuk Liew Chook San dug a well in his house after three dams in Penang recorded low levels. Liew said he had dug the well as a precaution against water shortage as the water levels at the three dams - Air Itam, Teluk Bahang and Mengkuang - in Penang had dropped to 30% of capacity. Liew, however assured the islanders that there was enough water for them."
It would appear that Penang Water Supply Corporation general manager himself did not believe what he said when he assured Penang residents that "there was enough water for them" when he found it necessary to dig a well in his own house. I would expect him to warn Penang residents of the impending water crisis first if the situation was so serious that he needed to dig a well in his own house as a precautionary measure. How can Penang residents have confidence in the assurance of a general manager who doesn't believe in himself? This could qualify as the joke of the year!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1.Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure grief and move on.The only person who is with us our entire life is God. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: LIFE IS NOT MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF BREATHS WE TAKE BUT BY THE MOMENTS THAT TAKE OUR BREATH AWAY!

TV AD's

The thing that irritates me most about watching tv is the commercial break and I am especially irked by the bland and unimaginative advertisements that we have to put up with just so that we can enjoy sit-coms that become disjointed because of these advertisements. However, I was pleasantly surprised by 2 advertisements from Astro which are not only a welcome intermission but are, surprisingly, quite entertaining. I am referring to the advertisement for the Astro decoder at 50% discount where the poor son is the victim of a fearsome mother and a bullying wife ("Hello, Astro ah?") and the other one is about a group of friends watching a football match when the transmission suddenly goes off (Astro bill didn't pay ah?). Every time these two advertisements are aired, I find it easy to forgive them for interrupting my tv viewing pleasure. I feel that the people behind them have done a very good job, unlike the shampoo advertisements which are not only bland but also show no originality. I think the shampoo companies should ask Astro who conceived their advertisements for them!

SONGBIRDS AT SUNSET

I managed to get a Solitudes CD, Songbirds at Sunset, at Tower Records, Gurney Plaza for RM64.90. On the internet the same CD was offered for sale at USD15.95, not including postage. I thought it was rather pricey at RM64.90 and I thought it was so because of the limited demand for this type of music but according to the lady cashier they had sold quite a good number of these Solitudes CD's. I was rather surprised to hear this. There are 6 tracks with a program time of 63:01. "Like the warm hues of a setting sun, the lingering voices of songbirds glow in the company of piano, violin, cello and flute."
Track 1: Evening Air 12:08
Track 2: A Most Perfect Stillness 7:35
Track 3: Softly Into The Night 9:48
Track 4: Reminiscing 12:46
Track 5: Afterglow 10:37
Track 6: Deep Twilight 10:02

MUSIC TO SOOTHE THE MIND

As in their flight the birds of song
Halt here and there in sweet and sunny dales,
But halt not overlong;
The time one rural song to sing
They pause; then following bounteous gales
Steer forward on the wing;
Sun-servers they, from first to last,
Upon the sun they wait
To ride the sailing blast.
--Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)


I did not know that such music exists until my daughter-in-law in Chicago sent me a CD of Dan Gibson's Solitudes, Exploring Nature With Music. The title of the album is Songbird Symphony and I enjoy the 8 tracks and program time of 51:20 so much that I am writing this to share with others who appreciate music that is out of the ordinary. Visit www.solitudes.com if you are interested. For those of you unfamiliar with Solitudes, Dan Gibson, a world-renowned naturalist, founded Solitudes Ltd. more than 15 years ago. He used the beautiful sounds of nature that he had collected over a period of 50 years and magically blended them with music composed and performed by talented artistes. If you are in need of music to relax with or to destress you or to help you to sleep more peacefully, Solitudes will be what you are looking for.
Wildlife Species Featured
Track 1: Baltimore Oriole 8:24
Track 2: Hermit Thrush 6.19
Track 3: Scarlet Tanager, Pileated Woodpecker, Red Squirrel, Swamp Sparrow, Woodpecker (drilling), White-throated Sparrow 5:54
Track 4: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler 5:37
Track 5: Gray Catbird 6:24
Track 6: Veery, Gray Tree Frog 4:47
Track 7: Winter Wren, Common Crow, Magnolia Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Canada Warbler, Blue Jay, Ovenbird 6:53
Track 8: Wood Thrush, Canada Warbler 7:00
Listening Instructions:
For the most relaxing effect, this album should be played in a quiet atmosphere with the volume and tone controls set at a moderate level that is in keeping with nature's ambience.

FLOWERS OF HOTEL EQUATORIAL, CAMERON HIGHLANDS

All the photographs of flowers here were taken in the compound of Hotel Equatorial, Cameron Highlands. We drove up to the highlands via the Simpang Pulai road and found that the time saved was approximately one and a half hours as compared to the journey via Tapah. The road was more pleasant to travel on, too, minus the scary ravines we saw when we travelled via Tapah. We had not been to Cameron Highlands for more than five years and were surprised to see the vast amount of farming being done compared to the past. Today quite a lot of flower and strawberry farms come right down to the edge of the road. In the past, one would have to go off the main road and drive into one of the narrow off-roads in order to visit a farm. Now the flower beds are almost next to the road. In the hotel we read in the newspapers that the water sources in the highlands were quite polluted and when we expressed our apprehension about drinking water from the tap in the hotel to the staff, we were assured that the hotel water was safe because it was filtered.