london
I overslept. or rather, i woke early at 6am, and went online till 7am and went back to sleep. And when i next woke it was 10.48am. today i was on duty with foodchain. I was supposed to go to my friend in clapham after the foodchain for a shag.
when i was waiting for the bus, i saw a bike unlocked and unattended leaning on the road side near the bus stop. what was it doing there? I thought the owner was just gone away for a short time, because he or she left a cigarette pack and chocolate on the saddle. And there was a bracelet lying nearby.
My bus came and i took it. Its engine failed at the next stop, so we all have to get out. I forgot to ask for a ticket to give to the next bus driver and returned to get it. A lady who was boarding the bus asked me if i have also been in the other bus and i said yes, did she have a ticket to continue? she said she was there and the driver of the disabled bus told her to run and catch this one and so she did not have a continueing ticket. Anyway i said there is no harm in telling the driver and hope he will let her ride free. We boarded, she was ahead of me, and explained to the driver, the driver said u must have a ticket from that bus. I thought 'oh dear, she is not going to make it'. I gave my ticket and either he assumed it was for us both or my continueing ticket confirms what she said about the other bus, because he let us go through. It helps that there was a big crowd of people behind us waiting to board. I am glad to help her out in this way if it was a help.
anyway, while i was on the bus, the supervisor from the foodchain kitchen called me on my mobile phone, just after i sent a mobile txt message to the lead supervisor telling her to tell him that i will be late. i told him i was on the way and will be 15mins late, but in the end i arrived 20mins late and arrived at 12noon. Usually they want us to be there by 11am. Still,once he knows i m definitely going to turn up, he need not panic. I think I made good time, seeing I was so late starting, and there were all those mishaps with the bus. The kitchen wasnt ready with the food anyway so there was no delay in getting the food out.
I found i was paired with a driver who does not know this route i was given. She lives in Clapham Common, with her father, and is a law student and have a year to go, and even have a placement reserved for her with a city firm. This route was the longest route too, and i have to navigate. I can see it is going to be rather fraught this session.
Anyway we managed, I am a good map reader, it is just not as restful as if the driver knows the route. We returned very late, 3.40pm instead of usually 3pm. And i took her on a merry go round, because i did not know that the roads were one way, or dead ends or traffic jammed. The previous drivers i was with knew the way and avoided all that;. Still, i would know how to do it quicker next time.
I was feeling rather tired by at the end, so I called my friend in clapham to cancel our shagging session. Fortunately he was ok about it. (Its the first time i used my asda mobile phone to call someone. so cheap at 8p a minute. and it costs only 4p per txt message).So i took the bus back, and guess what? The bike was still there!!This is the second time I have seen a bike being left standing unlocked. What is going on I wonder? Have people got these bikes and found that they are difficult to ride, or the rainy weather gives them a head ache and so they give up and just abandon the bike? Or have these bikes been stolen and even the thief got fedup riding on them and gave up. These are not mountain bikes, but ordinary old fashioned bikes. This is a mystery to me..
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Friday, 28 November 2008
meat
london
I thought I shall forage in the supermarket for some food. I went out at about 8pm, and was in my local tesco, and saw pork loin 1kg reduced from £6 to £3. It is quite good value but I saw the man going round with his reduced sticker, and decided to just wait a bit. And when i returned to that section I saw he had reduced it to £1.80 so I promptly took it. There was a chinese lady also there taking items and asking him to reduce it, but he wont do it. haha. I assumed this was because they were not near their sell by date or he just did not want to be pressured. She managed to get a beef rump steak reduced from £4 to £1.40. She later asked me if i wanted it. I said, dont u want it? she indicated her basket showing she already had one. So i took it off her. Then i took another reduced item , diced beef from £3 to £1.05. I had not expected such a large haul of reduced meats when i started out on my foraging expedition tonight. I was expecting to buy chicken at the usual price, but this is even better because its been some time since i had pork, or beef. I know simon will love it.
There are still bargains to be had in the meat section if u go at the end of the day and hit it when they are actually reducing it. Mind you, it still cost £4.25 total,(out of the original price of £12) which for a family on a budget may still be rather a lot when they can buy a whole big chicken for that amount and the chicken would feed quite a large family. Whereas my beef and pork wont go very far. But sometimes one gets a bit tired of chicken. haha.
I do not know whether i was lucky or there is a trend to reduced cost of meats now. There was one time at the height of the price rises when bargains were rare, so much so that i stopped going to the supermarkets for bargains. I noticed the skimmed milk powder that i buy now has gone down from £1.90 for 454mg a few weeks ago to £1.69 now. So it looks like prices are coming down.
I have changed my eating preferences now. I have gone off milk, preferring to use powdered milk. They dont need refridgeration, and never goes off and last me a long time. And as far as i can see, there is no difference. I use them for my porridge and they are as good as fresh milk. Also i have discovered the delights of drinking tea without milk. How I could have drank tea with milk in the past...! I can only say it was an aberration. haha.
So that makes my life simpler, without having to bother with milk for my tea.
I like to make my life simple. And it seems making it simple also makes it much more fulfilling and delicious. This is not the first time i have discovered that making things simple enrich my life.
I thought I shall forage in the supermarket for some food. I went out at about 8pm, and was in my local tesco, and saw pork loin 1kg reduced from £6 to £3. It is quite good value but I saw the man going round with his reduced sticker, and decided to just wait a bit. And when i returned to that section I saw he had reduced it to £1.80 so I promptly took it. There was a chinese lady also there taking items and asking him to reduce it, but he wont do it. haha. I assumed this was because they were not near their sell by date or he just did not want to be pressured. She managed to get a beef rump steak reduced from £4 to £1.40. She later asked me if i wanted it. I said, dont u want it? she indicated her basket showing she already had one. So i took it off her. Then i took another reduced item , diced beef from £3 to £1.05. I had not expected such a large haul of reduced meats when i started out on my foraging expedition tonight. I was expecting to buy chicken at the usual price, but this is even better because its been some time since i had pork, or beef. I know simon will love it.
There are still bargains to be had in the meat section if u go at the end of the day and hit it when they are actually reducing it. Mind you, it still cost £4.25 total,(out of the original price of £12) which for a family on a budget may still be rather a lot when they can buy a whole big chicken for that amount and the chicken would feed quite a large family. Whereas my beef and pork wont go very far. But sometimes one gets a bit tired of chicken. haha.
I do not know whether i was lucky or there is a trend to reduced cost of meats now. There was one time at the height of the price rises when bargains were rare, so much so that i stopped going to the supermarkets for bargains. I noticed the skimmed milk powder that i buy now has gone down from £1.90 for 454mg a few weeks ago to £1.69 now. So it looks like prices are coming down.
I have changed my eating preferences now. I have gone off milk, preferring to use powdered milk. They dont need refridgeration, and never goes off and last me a long time. And as far as i can see, there is no difference. I use them for my porridge and they are as good as fresh milk. Also i have discovered the delights of drinking tea without milk. How I could have drank tea with milk in the past...! I can only say it was an aberration. haha.
So that makes my life simpler, without having to bother with milk for my tea.
I like to make my life simple. And it seems making it simple also makes it much more fulfilling and delicious. This is not the first time i have discovered that making things simple enrich my life.
being rich does not protect u from life
london
All those rich people staying at the oberoi and taj mahal hotels in Mumbai must have thought they are cocooned from anything that will endanger their lives must have got a big shock when they were confronted with a full scale assault by the terrorists and have people shot next to them. If all their wealth cannot protect them from this carnage, and in fact their money enabled them to afford to stay and eat at those expensive hotels and so actively contributed to their being there at that time, what is the point of being rich?
It did not help the chinese billionaire from being arrested for economic crimes by the chinese govt.
It used to be that the one thing that separated a rich man from the poor is that he can protect himself from danger to his family and person. hence the security gates and bodyguards and staying at luxurious hotels where it is assumed security is excellent.
One wonders why become rich? It seems to bring about a lot of extra trouble. I dont think being able to enjoy the occasional luxury, or even to be continously in luxury compensates for that. After a time, even luxury becomes commonplace and ordinary if u live in it all the time. It is the flipping from hardship to luxury and back again that makes u realise what luxury is worth.
My friend in chiang mai, thailand, I heard is having trouble with his Thai boyfriend, who has threatened him with violence if he does not give him money. So u can even get danger from ur loved ones. So what is so good about being rich then?
There is also the fear that friends are not really there for your own sake, but for ur wealth, or the lifestyle u can give them. Take that wealth away, and you find ur friends deserting you. What kind of life is that when u have fair weather friends or never sure if ur friends like u for yourself or for ur money?
And to cap it all even the rich in rich dubai with its man made beaches cannot escape the shit. haha.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5207225.ece
I think being rich is overated. haha.
Added
Anyone who have visited india has seen the stark contrast of rich and poor living side by side.I have often wondered why the poor never rise up in revolt at this. Can anyone who is starving look on with equanimity whilst the person next to him is throwing money around like water? This attack on the rich is very unusual. Usually the poor are the ones who suffer. Might it be the poor, the disaffected and the downtrodden had enough of their condition and are fighting back?
Add the fact that the muslim population in India is the poorest of the lot, and u have a very explosive mix.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/28/mumbai-amit-chaudhuri-india
All those rich people staying at the oberoi and taj mahal hotels in Mumbai must have thought they are cocooned from anything that will endanger their lives must have got a big shock when they were confronted with a full scale assault by the terrorists and have people shot next to them. If all their wealth cannot protect them from this carnage, and in fact their money enabled them to afford to stay and eat at those expensive hotels and so actively contributed to their being there at that time, what is the point of being rich?
It did not help the chinese billionaire from being arrested for economic crimes by the chinese govt.
It used to be that the one thing that separated a rich man from the poor is that he can protect himself from danger to his family and person. hence the security gates and bodyguards and staying at luxurious hotels where it is assumed security is excellent.
One wonders why become rich? It seems to bring about a lot of extra trouble. I dont think being able to enjoy the occasional luxury, or even to be continously in luxury compensates for that. After a time, even luxury becomes commonplace and ordinary if u live in it all the time. It is the flipping from hardship to luxury and back again that makes u realise what luxury is worth.
My friend in chiang mai, thailand, I heard is having trouble with his Thai boyfriend, who has threatened him with violence if he does not give him money. So u can even get danger from ur loved ones. So what is so good about being rich then?
There is also the fear that friends are not really there for your own sake, but for ur wealth, or the lifestyle u can give them. Take that wealth away, and you find ur friends deserting you. What kind of life is that when u have fair weather friends or never sure if ur friends like u for yourself or for ur money?
And to cap it all even the rich in rich dubai with its man made beaches cannot escape the shit. haha.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5207225.ece
I think being rich is overated. haha.
Added
Anyone who have visited india has seen the stark contrast of rich and poor living side by side.I have often wondered why the poor never rise up in revolt at this. Can anyone who is starving look on with equanimity whilst the person next to him is throwing money around like water? This attack on the rich is very unusual. Usually the poor are the ones who suffer. Might it be the poor, the disaffected and the downtrodden had enough of their condition and are fighting back?
Add the fact that the muslim population in India is the poorest of the lot, and u have a very explosive mix.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/28/mumbai-amit-chaudhuri-india
Thursday, 27 November 2008
dirt devil
it looks like something from the film Aliens, but I like it. Its actually quite a nice blue colour but the lamplighting makes it look so sinister. Who said pictures never lie? of course they can.london
I found this vacuum cleaner in the recycle bins a few days ago. I needed another one as my old one, which uses vacuum bags is not working very well anymore. This one is called dirt devil, and is bagless. It looked like the ones invented by dyson and appears to be developed by some competitor. I wanted this type of vacuum cleaners instead of those with bags, because they have better suction than the vacuum cleaners using bags; so I did not hesitate to take it home and tested it to make sure it works. The motor worked but It did not have very strong suction but better than my old one so i kept it rather than return it to the bins.
This evening, I had a good look inside it, took out the container, and saw that it was very dusty and there were instructions which said make sure u clean the filter when it is blocked. But the container with the filter was stuck and at first I could not unscrew it to get it off. So I decided to just knock out the dust and in the process I must have loosened it, because it came off suddenly and I saw the whole thing inside was clogged with dust. It has not been cleaned for ages. So I got rid of all the dust, and cleaned everything up and now it sucked dust up like nobody's business and is quieter too and light and so easy to move around. I am so pleased with this find. It may count to be as good a find as my sofa bed. haha.
6short sprints of 30secs
london
From studies of children playing, they say 6 short sprints of 30secs each is better than longer periods of exercising. It sounds easy to implement. I walk a lot, and it is no hardship to take short runs of 30steps. It would get me to my destination quicker, and I know it is exhilarating to do such short runs. I am thinking of having my haircut and would be walking to soho to my £5 barber there. I will do these 6 short runs and see what happens.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7706758.stm
Added 6pm
Well, I had my haircut, and brought beansprouts, dried vermicelli and black soya sauce fr chinatown, and got the gay papers and tried to sprint. I have found out why it is not a good idea for me. I am sure it is v good for the health, but it puts a big strain on my knees and feet. so i shall not do it but walk briskly instead. I passed the community centre where i used to do tai chi, and yoga, and went in to find out what their tariff is like now. I stopped going about 2yrs ago. It means fixed time to attend classes and that is something i am not keen on. I dont like to be bound by a timetable. Let me mull over this and see my way clear how to proceed. Either joining classes or impose a discipline on myself to do the yoga and tai chi on my own in my flat. Neither of which appeals but what other way is there?
From studies of children playing, they say 6 short sprints of 30secs each is better than longer periods of exercising. It sounds easy to implement. I walk a lot, and it is no hardship to take short runs of 30steps. It would get me to my destination quicker, and I know it is exhilarating to do such short runs. I am thinking of having my haircut and would be walking to soho to my £5 barber there. I will do these 6 short runs and see what happens.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7706758.stm
Added 6pm
Well, I had my haircut, and brought beansprouts, dried vermicelli and black soya sauce fr chinatown, and got the gay papers and tried to sprint. I have found out why it is not a good idea for me. I am sure it is v good for the health, but it puts a big strain on my knees and feet. so i shall not do it but walk briskly instead. I passed the community centre where i used to do tai chi, and yoga, and went in to find out what their tariff is like now. I stopped going about 2yrs ago. It means fixed time to attend classes and that is something i am not keen on. I dont like to be bound by a timetable. Let me mull over this and see my way clear how to proceed. Either joining classes or impose a discipline on myself to do the yoga and tai chi on my own in my flat. Neither of which appeals but what other way is there?
why does it not work like that?
london
This one from overheard in newyork makes me think.
Why do we need all the middle men to dispense charity?
We Require an Application and 3 Letters of Reference
Charity rep. with big water bottle of money: Give so that homeless won't go hungry, even a dollar helps!
Homeless guy in wheelchair: Give me some of that money, I'm homeless.
Charity rep: Sorry, doesn't work like that
.--Times Square-->
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/017077.html
This one from overheard in newyork makes me think.
Why do we need all the middle men to dispense charity?
We Require an Application and 3 Letters of Reference
Charity rep. with big water bottle of money: Give so that homeless won't go hungry, even a dollar helps!
Homeless guy in wheelchair: Give me some of that money, I'm homeless.
Charity rep: Sorry, doesn't work like that
.--Times Square-->
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/017077.html
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
bangkok airport closed
london
Simon was lucky to escape the closure of bangkok's airport by the yellow shirted militants who object to their democratically elected govt and wants to bring it down. The militants say they are for democracy. Nothing could be further from the truth. haha. Maybe the Thais realise now these demonstrators are not for democracy but against it. Simon caught the late night flight from the airport on monday bangkok time; they must have stormed the airport the next day. It is one thing to storm deserted govt offices , another to disrupt the airport like this.
Well simon has been lucky with his holidays. The most lucky one was going to phuket on boxing day, the day after the tsunami struck phuket island.
Obviously his soul does not want to be caught up in it. Well, my soul don't want it for him either. Though if he did get caught up in this, this one is just being stranded at the airport, and so not as drastic. It is frustrating, but at least no one died.
added 27.11.08
Looks like the second airport in bangkok is closed as well. I think the govt has no control of the army and so cannot ask them to remove the demonstrators by force.Or rather I should rephrase that to the govt has no support from the army. That is why the army which is in charge of security at the airport do not want to confront the demostrators and stop them occupying the airport.If the army had been doing its duty, it would have put the security of the airport first, and stopped the demonstrators before they ever got into the airport. The top brass in the army is biased against the present government. The demonstrators are anarchic,plainly, and so it is legitimate to remove them, by force if necessary and if some of them die, so be it. Otherwise this stalemate will go on and the country's economy is being ruined with the closure of the airports and loss of tourist earnings. I think the king should step in and ask the demonstrators to go away and let the govt rule. But he seems to be strangely silent. Does he realise that by his actions so far he has appeared to side with the PAD and it makes his rural/farming subjects feel he doesn't care about them. The class divide and wealth divide in thailand is deep. I daresay the king gets a lot of his support and is more comfortable with that class that predominate in urban centres of power like in bangkok.I dont think he has much support in the provinces and farmers as they are looked down on as belonging to a lower class. The snobbishness between Thais to other thais who they feel are lower class than themselves is not usually well known but nevertheless runs deep in the urban societies who look down on their country and provincial cousins. It has all been hidden, with a big underclass that is exploited and used to keep all prices (especially the wholesale prices like farm produce) low, and provides high recruitment from the northern poor provinces for thailand's sex industry. We all know that is what is keeping thailand's tourist industry going, the sex businesses. you may visit the country once for sightseeing etc, but nothing keeps u coming back like the chances for sex. That is my view as someone who has no axe to grind. i m sure many thais will dispute this view.I hope the Thais are not as bad as the chinese in China, (some of them anyway) who are very vindictive to people whether their own or foreigners who point out their shortcomings. I would like to hear what alternate views they have, and their reasons why they think this view is wrong.
Perhaps now that the very economy is threatened, perhaps he will act.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7751679.stm
Simon was lucky to escape the closure of bangkok's airport by the yellow shirted militants who object to their democratically elected govt and wants to bring it down. The militants say they are for democracy. Nothing could be further from the truth. haha. Maybe the Thais realise now these demonstrators are not for democracy but against it. Simon caught the late night flight from the airport on monday bangkok time; they must have stormed the airport the next day. It is one thing to storm deserted govt offices , another to disrupt the airport like this.
Well simon has been lucky with his holidays. The most lucky one was going to phuket on boxing day, the day after the tsunami struck phuket island.
Obviously his soul does not want to be caught up in it. Well, my soul don't want it for him either. Though if he did get caught up in this, this one is just being stranded at the airport, and so not as drastic. It is frustrating, but at least no one died.
added 27.11.08
Looks like the second airport in bangkok is closed as well. I think the govt has no control of the army and so cannot ask them to remove the demonstrators by force.Or rather I should rephrase that to the govt has no support from the army. That is why the army which is in charge of security at the airport do not want to confront the demostrators and stop them occupying the airport.If the army had been doing its duty, it would have put the security of the airport first, and stopped the demonstrators before they ever got into the airport. The top brass in the army is biased against the present government. The demonstrators are anarchic,plainly, and so it is legitimate to remove them, by force if necessary and if some of them die, so be it. Otherwise this stalemate will go on and the country's economy is being ruined with the closure of the airports and loss of tourist earnings. I think the king should step in and ask the demonstrators to go away and let the govt rule. But he seems to be strangely silent. Does he realise that by his actions so far he has appeared to side with the PAD and it makes his rural/farming subjects feel he doesn't care about them. The class divide and wealth divide in thailand is deep. I daresay the king gets a lot of his support and is more comfortable with that class that predominate in urban centres of power like in bangkok.I dont think he has much support in the provinces and farmers as they are looked down on as belonging to a lower class. The snobbishness between Thais to other thais who they feel are lower class than themselves is not usually well known but nevertheless runs deep in the urban societies who look down on their country and provincial cousins. It has all been hidden, with a big underclass that is exploited and used to keep all prices (especially the wholesale prices like farm produce) low, and provides high recruitment from the northern poor provinces for thailand's sex industry. We all know that is what is keeping thailand's tourist industry going, the sex businesses. you may visit the country once for sightseeing etc, but nothing keeps u coming back like the chances for sex. That is my view as someone who has no axe to grind. i m sure many thais will dispute this view.I hope the Thais are not as bad as the chinese in China, (some of them anyway) who are very vindictive to people whether their own or foreigners who point out their shortcomings. I would like to hear what alternate views they have, and their reasons why they think this view is wrong.
Perhaps now that the very economy is threatened, perhaps he will act.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7751679.stm
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
the heating is on
london
Just for my own records. I set the timer to come on about 5.15pm and I went to the tate britain to read the paper, and shortly after i came back, the timer turned the heat on. so i m glad the timer worked, because it is the first time i have used it. In the past i simply left the heater on all winter, controlling it by moving the thermostat up and down Now i shall let the timer control it.
But this means that I have broken my self imposed ban on the heating. haha. It is getting colder, but mainly because simon is back and I guess it is quite all right to experiment with it on my own, but not really feasible when there are others in the flat. Still I am pleased that i held out for so long before switching it on.
Just for my own records. I set the timer to come on about 5.15pm and I went to the tate britain to read the paper, and shortly after i came back, the timer turned the heat on. so i m glad the timer worked, because it is the first time i have used it. In the past i simply left the heater on all winter, controlling it by moving the thermostat up and down Now i shall let the timer control it.
But this means that I have broken my self imposed ban on the heating. haha. It is getting colder, but mainly because simon is back and I guess it is quite all right to experiment with it on my own, but not really feasible when there are others in the flat. Still I am pleased that i held out for so long before switching it on.
book now for airasiaX £99 one way london-kl
london
I just read in one of the online newspapers that airasiaX is taking bookings from 12pm today for £99 one way flights to Malaysia. So they really are going to start that service, all for £198 return all inclusive of taxes. It is such a great bargain. I read in a blog that their food is quite good too. you have to pay extra £7 for it. this would cover dinner/lunch and breakfast i think. A tip, go for the international option if u fly fr london, and the local option when u fly back. haha. the caterers would be local and it would be logical to assume the western food is better flying from london. I went in to book and realise when it came to giving my passport expiry date I found my passport expires 3 feb 09 and the first flight starts 11march09. Oh how bothersome. I could book for other months of course, as it covers flights till 24october 09 but I much prefer to go to msia during the colder months. Maybe i can book for october next year to visit malaysia, though that is a long time in advance to be booking a flight. and who knows whether that service would still be running. But all those who want to go and whose passport is valid, better get online and book your flight now.
John booked his with SIA for £705. hope he wont feel shortchanged by this. With the ringgit so strong re the £, i bet a lot of malaysians and southeastasians will be greatly tempted, especially when it covers the summer period in uk and europe. the only thing that might deter them is accommodation. It might be cheap to get here but if staying at a hotel for £80 a night can break anyone's budget. Even hostels in dormitories of 6-8beds can be £30(the YMCA near KingsCross station) or more a night. B&Bs can cost as much .Or you can pay less and have to stay a long way out. Makes me wonder whether i should offer my spare bedroom for £50 a night for 2 from malaysia. or negotiable for 3.Maybe give a free night for every 6nights they stay. My place would be more comfortable, no need to share with 4or 5 other people and can cook too instead of having to eat out all the time; and also very central.
http://www.airasia.com/site/gb/en/page.jsp?reference=london2008
For a take on the kl viewpoint have a look at this link. It has a link to the actual website of airasiaX showing the cost in ringgits. The fare of 499rg do not include tax, unlike the uk quotes. That bungs up the cost for malaysians to 1,387 which is £272. Dont you find it interesting? it is cheaper to book from uk.
http://howsy.blogspot.com/2008/11/ladies-and-gentlemen-welcome-to-kul-stn.html
added
Actually i have a think and realise that it is now late november, so it is not really that far away from 3feb09. it is time to renew my passport. i m glad this thing came to remind me of it.
added 8.50pm. I emailed paul telling him about it, and he wrote me saying he could not find any such fare even when he tried all the months when he went into the website i gave him. So it seems i ws one of the lucky ones who are able to book and my soul really do not want to go because even with this bargain price,and getting online to it in spite of the odds , i still manage to avoid booking it. I realise i could have booked because it only wants to know of the expiry date of my passport and i could give one 5yrs from now and apply for new passport later. My soul really do not want to go because right now I am rather glad not to go. Funny, isn't it? I much prefer to spend my money on a naturist holiday in europe this summer. when I read the article earlier today, I immediately entered the website. The time was 1.13pm. just after their 12noon start. That is why i was able to find those fares still available. I wanted to fly on 11march, the inaugural flight. it stands to reason that they will want a full plane for that and so will be offering a lot more of the seats at that price on that days flights. Try going on 11march. There are 2 flights on that day. u might find it still available. Paul tells me there are no more,maybe his soul do not want to go either. haha. so that he never asked for 11march. Well it is not surprising they went so fast. It is a no brainer to buy the tickets. Less than £200 return to kl from london!!!! its so cheap!!! I wont try again, as now I know my soul dont want to go, I will heed my deep underlying unconscious desire...i really do not want to go to malaysia. (not next year, maybe in jan 2010..maybe...)
I just read in one of the online newspapers that airasiaX is taking bookings from 12pm today for £99 one way flights to Malaysia. So they really are going to start that service, all for £198 return all inclusive of taxes. It is such a great bargain. I read in a blog that their food is quite good too. you have to pay extra £7 for it. this would cover dinner/lunch and breakfast i think. A tip, go for the international option if u fly fr london, and the local option when u fly back. haha. the caterers would be local and it would be logical to assume the western food is better flying from london. I went in to book and realise when it came to giving my passport expiry date I found my passport expires 3 feb 09 and the first flight starts 11march09. Oh how bothersome. I could book for other months of course, as it covers flights till 24october 09 but I much prefer to go to msia during the colder months. Maybe i can book for october next year to visit malaysia, though that is a long time in advance to be booking a flight. and who knows whether that service would still be running. But all those who want to go and whose passport is valid, better get online and book your flight now.
John booked his with SIA for £705. hope he wont feel shortchanged by this. With the ringgit so strong re the £, i bet a lot of malaysians and southeastasians will be greatly tempted, especially when it covers the summer period in uk and europe. the only thing that might deter them is accommodation. It might be cheap to get here but if staying at a hotel for £80 a night can break anyone's budget. Even hostels in dormitories of 6-8beds can be £30(the YMCA near KingsCross station) or more a night. B&Bs can cost as much .Or you can pay less and have to stay a long way out. Makes me wonder whether i should offer my spare bedroom for £50 a night for 2 from malaysia. or negotiable for 3.Maybe give a free night for every 6nights they stay. My place would be more comfortable, no need to share with 4or 5 other people and can cook too instead of having to eat out all the time; and also very central.
http://www.airasia.com/site/gb/en/page.jsp?reference=london2008
For a take on the kl viewpoint have a look at this link. It has a link to the actual website of airasiaX showing the cost in ringgits. The fare of 499rg do not include tax, unlike the uk quotes. That bungs up the cost for malaysians to 1,387 which is £272. Dont you find it interesting? it is cheaper to book from uk.
http://howsy.blogspot.com/2008/11/ladies-and-gentlemen-welcome-to-kul-stn.html
added
Actually i have a think and realise that it is now late november, so it is not really that far away from 3feb09. it is time to renew my passport. i m glad this thing came to remind me of it.
added 8.50pm. I emailed paul telling him about it, and he wrote me saying he could not find any such fare even when he tried all the months when he went into the website i gave him. So it seems i ws one of the lucky ones who are able to book and my soul really do not want to go because even with this bargain price,and getting online to it in spite of the odds , i still manage to avoid booking it. I realise i could have booked because it only wants to know of the expiry date of my passport and i could give one 5yrs from now and apply for new passport later. My soul really do not want to go because right now I am rather glad not to go. Funny, isn't it? I much prefer to spend my money on a naturist holiday in europe this summer. when I read the article earlier today, I immediately entered the website. The time was 1.13pm. just after their 12noon start. That is why i was able to find those fares still available. I wanted to fly on 11march, the inaugural flight. it stands to reason that they will want a full plane for that and so will be offering a lot more of the seats at that price on that days flights. Try going on 11march. There are 2 flights on that day. u might find it still available. Paul tells me there are no more,maybe his soul do not want to go either. haha. so that he never asked for 11march. Well it is not surprising they went so fast. It is a no brainer to buy the tickets. Less than £200 return to kl from london!!!! its so cheap!!! I wont try again, as now I know my soul dont want to go, I will heed my deep underlying unconscious desire...i really do not want to go to malaysia. (not next year, maybe in jan 2010..maybe...)
simon is back from phuket, thailand
london
It is lovely to have simon back. He got back this morning. He said the 2 weeks he was there flew by so fast and wished he could stay longer, but can only take 2wks off. He said he met someone , a norwegian who is the typical norwegian in that he likes to drink a lot. It was only later that he found out the norwegian is a v rich man, owning land and boats and businesses in norway and he is only 30yrs old. But he still stays in cheap lodgings, that was how simon met him. But later simon told me he saw the guy was talking to one of the girls who work there and she mentioned her crooked teeth, saying it is the reason why she thinks she dont get many customers, and he took her to a dentist and asked the dentist to quote how much the whole course of orthodontic treatment will cost, it will take a few years and 20,000bahts and he paid it straightaway and told the girl to get it done. It seems he likes to make these generous gestures picking and chosing his charity. I like his way of giving, if I ever get rich i would do it that way too. haha. Simon said he later found out the guy gave 100,000 bahts to a local school just like that without being asked.
simon went scuba diving and enjoyed it v much. He did not have the padi certificate, even though he had done it before. He did not have to do his initial training for long, as the lady instructor realise he has done it before, even though he had no certificate to prove it. he said the scuba diving sites in phuket were fabulous.
Its nice that he enjoyed his holiday so much and is back safe and sound.
I was reading a blog of a traveller who travels all over the world, and is currently in thailand and he wrote that he have to go to the usa to get away from thailand. he does not say why just that he had to get away or it will drive him crazy. I would love to know exactly what is the cause of it.
Thailand is a great place to visit, but i would not like to live there. I dont know his reasons but to me the foreigness of the people, which is an attraction when i m on a short visit, becomes too much if i have to live there all the time. rightly or wrongly, i always feel i have to pay for their friendship in money or in kind. I may be wrong to think this of a whole country of diverse people, but when u r a tourist in thailand, u only meet people whose livelihood is providing services to tourists, and expect to be paid for it. And i think after some time, that gets tiring.
In malaysia, that is not the reason why i feel restless if i stay there long and yearn for london or europe. It is the feeling that everything i like is forbidden. There is that voice in the background 'dont do this, dont do that'. maybe because i m gay and being gay is illegal in malaysia. It gets a bit boring after some time because the gay people who live there get affected by it whether they realise it or not. Once u live there a long time , you too will be infected. How lovely to be back in london, where i can be as gay as i like, or not and no one is bothered with what i do. haha.
here in london, i never get that feeling. When i meet people, i never feel i have to pay for their company in the future. Here, we meet and enjoy each other's company without monetary reward.
It is lovely to have simon back. He got back this morning. He said the 2 weeks he was there flew by so fast and wished he could stay longer, but can only take 2wks off. He said he met someone , a norwegian who is the typical norwegian in that he likes to drink a lot. It was only later that he found out the norwegian is a v rich man, owning land and boats and businesses in norway and he is only 30yrs old. But he still stays in cheap lodgings, that was how simon met him. But later simon told me he saw the guy was talking to one of the girls who work there and she mentioned her crooked teeth, saying it is the reason why she thinks she dont get many customers, and he took her to a dentist and asked the dentist to quote how much the whole course of orthodontic treatment will cost, it will take a few years and 20,000bahts and he paid it straightaway and told the girl to get it done. It seems he likes to make these generous gestures picking and chosing his charity. I like his way of giving, if I ever get rich i would do it that way too. haha. Simon said he later found out the guy gave 100,000 bahts to a local school just like that without being asked.
simon went scuba diving and enjoyed it v much. He did not have the padi certificate, even though he had done it before. He did not have to do his initial training for long, as the lady instructor realise he has done it before, even though he had no certificate to prove it. he said the scuba diving sites in phuket were fabulous.
Its nice that he enjoyed his holiday so much and is back safe and sound.
I was reading a blog of a traveller who travels all over the world, and is currently in thailand and he wrote that he have to go to the usa to get away from thailand. he does not say why just that he had to get away or it will drive him crazy. I would love to know exactly what is the cause of it.
Thailand is a great place to visit, but i would not like to live there. I dont know his reasons but to me the foreigness of the people, which is an attraction when i m on a short visit, becomes too much if i have to live there all the time. rightly or wrongly, i always feel i have to pay for their friendship in money or in kind. I may be wrong to think this of a whole country of diverse people, but when u r a tourist in thailand, u only meet people whose livelihood is providing services to tourists, and expect to be paid for it. And i think after some time, that gets tiring.
In malaysia, that is not the reason why i feel restless if i stay there long and yearn for london or europe. It is the feeling that everything i like is forbidden. There is that voice in the background 'dont do this, dont do that'. maybe because i m gay and being gay is illegal in malaysia. It gets a bit boring after some time because the gay people who live there get affected by it whether they realise it or not. Once u live there a long time , you too will be infected. How lovely to be back in london, where i can be as gay as i like, or not and no one is bothered with what i do. haha.
here in london, i never get that feeling. When i meet people, i never feel i have to pay for their company in the future. Here, we meet and enjoy each other's company without monetary reward.
4 venues in capdagde burnt
london
I am interested in anything that happens in capdeagde and this article which i read in the sunday times which i borrowed from the library yesterday is news to me. It is well known to us who go that capdagde attracts a lot of straight couples and quite a number of bisexuals,gay guys and gals who go there for sex. Isuppose one could combine the two and it seems ideal if that can be done and many have found capdagde ideal for it. Capdadge have always been very tolerant of such activities that is why I am very surprised to read that there was arson at the clubs and the article attributes it to nudist mullahs. And the burnings happen as early as april, with the latest in september. I had the impression when I was there more than 2yrs ago that anything goes in capdeagde, so it does not sound likely when the article speculates that it is due to militant nudists who resent the non naturist straights making it a sex den. I think it is more likely to be rivalry between the clubs or do u think it is for insurance purposes? After all it is easy to burn a tatty club down, get the insurance money and use it to renovate.
I have avoided those clubs when i was there; partly because the clubs are all straight places and are very discriminatory against the single male and also the entrance prices are ridiculously high. I think it may be club rivalry.
For the rest of us who dont go to those clubs, it wont affect our decision to carry on visiting capdeagde. I have stopped going for some time, but am thinking of revisiting it next year and camp instead of hiring a studio flat. Ah well, it does not matter really whether i can make it or not. I am quite easy about it. I realise I can live a naked lifestyle anywhere in the world as I can do it in my flat or where I happen to stay anywhere in the world. Once upon a time I wanted to live in a all naked place, but now I realise it is not desireable because it can get a bit dull living full time in those places. They are perfect for short stays on holiday.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5213341.ece
I am interested in anything that happens in capdeagde and this article which i read in the sunday times which i borrowed from the library yesterday is news to me. It is well known to us who go that capdagde attracts a lot of straight couples and quite a number of bisexuals,gay guys and gals who go there for sex. Isuppose one could combine the two and it seems ideal if that can be done and many have found capdagde ideal for it. Capdadge have always been very tolerant of such activities that is why I am very surprised to read that there was arson at the clubs and the article attributes it to nudist mullahs. And the burnings happen as early as april, with the latest in september. I had the impression when I was there more than 2yrs ago that anything goes in capdeagde, so it does not sound likely when the article speculates that it is due to militant nudists who resent the non naturist straights making it a sex den. I think it is more likely to be rivalry between the clubs or do u think it is for insurance purposes? After all it is easy to burn a tatty club down, get the insurance money and use it to renovate.
I have avoided those clubs when i was there; partly because the clubs are all straight places and are very discriminatory against the single male and also the entrance prices are ridiculously high. I think it may be club rivalry.
For the rest of us who dont go to those clubs, it wont affect our decision to carry on visiting capdeagde. I have stopped going for some time, but am thinking of revisiting it next year and camp instead of hiring a studio flat. Ah well, it does not matter really whether i can make it or not. I am quite easy about it. I realise I can live a naked lifestyle anywhere in the world as I can do it in my flat or where I happen to stay anywhere in the world. Once upon a time I wanted to live in a all naked place, but now I realise it is not desireable because it can get a bit dull living full time in those places. They are perfect for short stays on holiday.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5213341.ece
Monday, 24 November 2008
volunteers wanted
london
Any charity wants volunteers and foodchain is no exception. I received the newsletter asking for any member of foodchain to talk about foodchain to people interested in volunteering in the Volunteers Westminster fair on 4dec near me, in churchill hall, lupus st sw1.
I thought it is so close to me, it would suit me as it wont involve a long journey from my place. When I got more information from foodchain I googled it and got the website of the organisation.
http://www.volunteer.co.uk/uploaded/files/Volunteers%20poster.pdf
Anyone who is a volunteer of any organisation, or who wants to volunteer and want to know what is available can attend. If you do want to go, and a bit afraid of going on ur own, contact me via this weblog and we can go together if u like. It would be nice for me as well to have some company when i go. Though I would be interested in attending, alone if necessary, even without my going there as part of the foodchain organisation. It would be interesting to see what other volunteer charities there are. Some of them might interest me. Anything involving tai chi or yoga would interest me.
Any charity wants volunteers and foodchain is no exception. I received the newsletter asking for any member of foodchain to talk about foodchain to people interested in volunteering in the Volunteers Westminster fair on 4dec near me, in churchill hall, lupus st sw1.
I thought it is so close to me, it would suit me as it wont involve a long journey from my place. When I got more information from foodchain I googled it and got the website of the organisation.
http://www.volunteer.co.uk/uploaded/files/Volunteers%20poster.pdf
Anyone who is a volunteer of any organisation, or who wants to volunteer and want to know what is available can attend. If you do want to go, and a bit afraid of going on ur own, contact me via this weblog and we can go together if u like. It would be nice for me as well to have some company when i go. Though I would be interested in attending, alone if necessary, even without my going there as part of the foodchain organisation. It would be interesting to see what other volunteer charities there are. Some of them might interest me. Anything involving tai chi or yoga would interest me.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
another sunday with foodchain
london
It was only last sunday that i did a stint at foodchain. I did not intend to do another one so soon, but I got a phone call from the organiser on friday. She is short of one navigator for today, so I agreed, as i have nothing planned. I like filling in if they are short of a navigator. In fact, I wonder whether i could let them know that i m available for any shortfall, and I wont book any sessions with them and keep myself free for such an emergency like this. Anyway, the good thing about foodchain is that it is so flexible. Today is a very easy day because i was paired with a driver I had been with before. He knows the route and so I can just relax and let him do it.
I got lots of food to bring back too, because we were the last to return, and the supervisor asked me to take as much as i want. Well, that saves me cooking for at least 2meals.
And it started off rainy, and I thought we shall have to distribute the food in rain, but it all cleared up and it was sunny throughout.
I am glad there are people who are bothered to organise foodchain. It is a worthwhile cause. It seems it is only in London and no where else in UK or the world.
It was only last sunday that i did a stint at foodchain. I did not intend to do another one so soon, but I got a phone call from the organiser on friday. She is short of one navigator for today, so I agreed, as i have nothing planned. I like filling in if they are short of a navigator. In fact, I wonder whether i could let them know that i m available for any shortfall, and I wont book any sessions with them and keep myself free for such an emergency like this. Anyway, the good thing about foodchain is that it is so flexible. Today is a very easy day because i was paired with a driver I had been with before. He knows the route and so I can just relax and let him do it.
I got lots of food to bring back too, because we were the last to return, and the supervisor asked me to take as much as i want. Well, that saves me cooking for at least 2meals.
And it started off rainy, and I thought we shall have to distribute the food in rain, but it all cleared up and it was sunny throughout.
I am glad there are people who are bothered to organise foodchain. It is a worthwhile cause. It seems it is only in London and no where else in UK or the world.
2000watts a hour
london.
You all know I am very keen to keep electricity consumption to a minimum. This article says More helpful is research from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology that identifies the energy use each of us must stick to if we’re to keep the planet hospitable: precisely 2,000 watts.
As a rate of consumption, 2,000W would keep a two-bar electric fire running constantly, or 20 not-very-eco incandescent light bulbs. (Or, if you prefer, it’s the power you’d get from 22 humans trudging endlessly on a treadmill.)
Watts are like the rate at which water flows out of a tap. The total energy used is measured by timing the flow (how long the tap has been running at that rate). This gives the total amount of water in the bath, or rather the watt-hours for which your utility company bills you. Thus, over 24 hours, consumption at a rate of 2,000W totals 48,000 watt-hours (48 kilowatt-hours or kWh). In a year, as I’ve tried to explain rather desperately to my wife, that comes to 17,520kWh.
48kwh a day is rather a lot. I use average 5kwh a day, and I thought it was too much. Well, I am glad I am so successful in using so little power. I would like to use only 2kwh a day but if i wish to do that i shall have to switch my fridge off. It is ridiculous to me that the fridge should be using so much energy. I hear it switching itself on quite often. I think it is to defrost the freezer. I have put the setting of the cold part of the fridge to zero so I would hope it is not using energy for that. When the temperature outside the window is 0C, I see no reason to maintain a 1C temperature inside the fridge. (The setting is from zero to 5. It does not tell me what the temperature of the fridge is set at. I don't think it is very useful. What occasions would anyone use the number 5 setting? ) I think when the fridge was invented it caused our energy use to shoot up. And it altered the way we store foods, having more frozen foods instead of cooking and eating the foods daily. It also means less preserving of foods with the traditional methods of salt, or vinegar, or drying them.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5188314.ece
You all know I am very keen to keep electricity consumption to a minimum. This article says More helpful is research from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology that identifies the energy use each of us must stick to if we’re to keep the planet hospitable: precisely 2,000 watts.
As a rate of consumption, 2,000W would keep a two-bar electric fire running constantly, or 20 not-very-eco incandescent light bulbs. (Or, if you prefer, it’s the power you’d get from 22 humans trudging endlessly on a treadmill.)
Watts are like the rate at which water flows out of a tap. The total energy used is measured by timing the flow (how long the tap has been running at that rate). This gives the total amount of water in the bath, or rather the watt-hours for which your utility company bills you. Thus, over 24 hours, consumption at a rate of 2,000W totals 48,000 watt-hours (48 kilowatt-hours or kWh). In a year, as I’ve tried to explain rather desperately to my wife, that comes to 17,520kWh.
48kwh a day is rather a lot. I use average 5kwh a day, and I thought it was too much. Well, I am glad I am so successful in using so little power. I would like to use only 2kwh a day but if i wish to do that i shall have to switch my fridge off. It is ridiculous to me that the fridge should be using so much energy. I hear it switching itself on quite often. I think it is to defrost the freezer. I have put the setting of the cold part of the fridge to zero so I would hope it is not using energy for that. When the temperature outside the window is 0C, I see no reason to maintain a 1C temperature inside the fridge. (The setting is from zero to 5. It does not tell me what the temperature of the fridge is set at. I don't think it is very useful. What occasions would anyone use the number 5 setting? ) I think when the fridge was invented it caused our energy use to shoot up. And it altered the way we store foods, having more frozen foods instead of cooking and eating the foods daily. It also means less preserving of foods with the traditional methods of salt, or vinegar, or drying them.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5188314.ece
below 0C in london now
london
I dont have a thermometer, so I only know it is below zero because of the website link that i have put on my weblog. It shows a wintry scene, but it is clear outside. It is not even cold in my flat and I have not got the heating on. I haven't felt the need to switch it on even.
I feel very please about that. That is the reason why I dont have a thermometer. So what if it is below 0C, I dont feel cold, so I dont care what the thermometer says. I will rely on my own sensations whether I feel cold or not. The danger of relying on instruments is that they make u bias. You feel u have to switch on the heating because u assume it will be cold.
My flat used to be so cold in the past, that indoors I have my breath coming out in a mist. And even when I had the hot air heating on, it still felt cold. Why it should be different now I attribute to my upstairs neighbour laying a carpet over her floor. I had new neighbours and they replaced the hard floor covering of the flat above me. That insulated my ceiling. And this winter is the first winter since they moved in. The difference is startling.
To those people who live in flats, if you are tempted to take out your carpet, please don't. haha. Think of ur neighbours downstairs. They have to tolerate increased noise from above, but also lose their insulation.
I dont have a thermometer, so I only know it is below zero because of the website link that i have put on my weblog. It shows a wintry scene, but it is clear outside. It is not even cold in my flat and I have not got the heating on. I haven't felt the need to switch it on even.
I feel very please about that. That is the reason why I dont have a thermometer. So what if it is below 0C, I dont feel cold, so I dont care what the thermometer says. I will rely on my own sensations whether I feel cold or not. The danger of relying on instruments is that they make u bias. You feel u have to switch on the heating because u assume it will be cold.
My flat used to be so cold in the past, that indoors I have my breath coming out in a mist. And even when I had the hot air heating on, it still felt cold. Why it should be different now I attribute to my upstairs neighbour laying a carpet over her floor. I had new neighbours and they replaced the hard floor covering of the flat above me. That insulated my ceiling. And this winter is the first winter since they moved in. The difference is startling.
To those people who live in flats, if you are tempted to take out your carpet, please don't. haha. Think of ur neighbours downstairs. They have to tolerate increased noise from above, but also lose their insulation.
Friday, 21 November 2008
changing habits
london
I have the feeling that many people may not find it easy to change their habits of spending. So even though they realise that times will be getting bad, they still spend.
There was a tv program about downgrading. They asked people to change their shopping patterns and go to lidl, or aldi, rather than tesco or sainsbury, and ask them to tell us of their experience. One lady did so, and saved about £20 in her weekly shopping. And after 2wks said she went back to tesco, because she could not get used to it. So even though she is finding her food bill is rising when she shopped at tesco, she still cannot break her habit. Tesco must be hoping there are a lot of people like her.
Also in the program, a chef cooked a meal using the same ingredients bought separately at tesco and aldi. The aldi bill came to £30less. And the verdict from the 5 teachers who never shopped in aldi before was that they could hardly tell the difference. It is common sense really, it is not the ingredients that make a good meal, it is how u cook them. A bad cook will ruin any ingredient no matter how cheap or how expensive they are.
The Arabs also dont seem to be able to break their spending habit. Today's paper shows the £15million grand opening of a expensive hotel, needless to say it is the biggest and most expensive hotel in the world, whilst villa prices in the palm jumeirah is reported to be 40%down. I just have a thought, maybe rich people should carry on spending because they will keep businesses going and preserve jobs. I hope rich people will continue to spend.
I suppose it is difficult to change course and start being thrifty until the debts mount up so high that people are forced to economise or go bankrupt.
I have often wondered why people not take action long before hand. They must be able to see it coming, and start cutting down their spending. But they don't. Maybe they thought they are immune from the downturn, until to their horror some investment that they thought was safe, becomes toxic.
I find it easy to save but then, I have noticed I have done a lot of things in the past that require money. In those days, they were cheaper too and having done them, I dont really want to do it again; so I dont have any unfulfilled thing left in the world that I want to experience.
It is also easy to save when u are spending on yourself without family. When others in the family for eg children and wife dont pay the bills, they dont have any incentive to save. Also, children keep growing and need food and clothes. All I can say is I am just glad I dont have wife and kids. haha.
I have the feeling that many people may not find it easy to change their habits of spending. So even though they realise that times will be getting bad, they still spend.
There was a tv program about downgrading. They asked people to change their shopping patterns and go to lidl, or aldi, rather than tesco or sainsbury, and ask them to tell us of their experience. One lady did so, and saved about £20 in her weekly shopping. And after 2wks said she went back to tesco, because she could not get used to it. So even though she is finding her food bill is rising when she shopped at tesco, she still cannot break her habit. Tesco must be hoping there are a lot of people like her.
Also in the program, a chef cooked a meal using the same ingredients bought separately at tesco and aldi. The aldi bill came to £30less. And the verdict from the 5 teachers who never shopped in aldi before was that they could hardly tell the difference. It is common sense really, it is not the ingredients that make a good meal, it is how u cook them. A bad cook will ruin any ingredient no matter how cheap or how expensive they are.
The Arabs also dont seem to be able to break their spending habit. Today's paper shows the £15million grand opening of a expensive hotel, needless to say it is the biggest and most expensive hotel in the world, whilst villa prices in the palm jumeirah is reported to be 40%down. I just have a thought, maybe rich people should carry on spending because they will keep businesses going and preserve jobs. I hope rich people will continue to spend.
I suppose it is difficult to change course and start being thrifty until the debts mount up so high that people are forced to economise or go bankrupt.
I have often wondered why people not take action long before hand. They must be able to see it coming, and start cutting down their spending. But they don't. Maybe they thought they are immune from the downturn, until to their horror some investment that they thought was safe, becomes toxic.
I find it easy to save but then, I have noticed I have done a lot of things in the past that require money. In those days, they were cheaper too and having done them, I dont really want to do it again; so I dont have any unfulfilled thing left in the world that I want to experience.
It is also easy to save when u are spending on yourself without family. When others in the family for eg children and wife dont pay the bills, they dont have any incentive to save. Also, children keep growing and need food and clothes. All I can say is I am just glad I dont have wife and kids. haha.
Thursday, 20 November 2008
finding compatible friends
london
It takes effort and I know me. I won't want to make that effort. Right now, it is 4am, it would be rather nice to have someone to ring up to chat. That is the first thought. But on second thought, maybe not so good. haha. Once chatting, it might get boring. I think being on msn and chatting to strangers might be better. At least I assume so.I have not done it but the fact that msn or yahoo messenger or Icq or skype exists and have their adherrants speaks volumes about those means of communication. I can in fact see the attraction. You feel like chatting, so u switch on ur msn, or yahoo, and log on and get chatting to people.
I am not a chatty person, in that I soon get bored especially if I am chatting to strangers who for all I know may be telling me a pack of lies about themselves. haha. it might be a favour they are doing, because otherwise it would be a dull conversation. But as a basis for a long friendship, it would be doomed to failure. If u like that kind of relationship I suppose that would explain why those people like being on msn, or yahoo and why I don't.
Ah well, now i have thought about it somemore, my initial desire to have someone to ring up and chat is not such a good idea after all. Better to just write them an email and ask them for their news, if I am that interested in wanting to know what they are up to. I would prefer if they have a blog, but then not many people really desire to bare themselves so much by maintaining a blog. People can know quite a bit about u by reading between the lines of what u write on the blog.
Generally, whenever I think about friendships I wonder whether I should get some more new friends and I always come to the conclusion that I am glad with what i got. I am within that zone where I have enough friends to satisfy me and not too many where it becomes a full time job keeping up with them.
I think deep down, what I really want is a group of sex buddies; preferably a constantly renewing one so the numbers remain the same, but the people change. Sex buddies can be friends, but it is not necessary. haha. Friends remain constant, whereas that is not something I necessarily desire in sex buddies.
That is what i like about writing a blog, in the course of it, I clarify my thoughts. It is not finding compatible friends... it is finding compatible sex buddies. That is what i should be directing my attention to. Ah, its a nice way to while away the time and well worth pursueing as a running theme that is constantly playing in the background of my life.
It takes effort and I know me. I won't want to make that effort. Right now, it is 4am, it would be rather nice to have someone to ring up to chat. That is the first thought. But on second thought, maybe not so good. haha. Once chatting, it might get boring. I think being on msn and chatting to strangers might be better. At least I assume so.I have not done it but the fact that msn or yahoo messenger or Icq or skype exists and have their adherrants speaks volumes about those means of communication. I can in fact see the attraction. You feel like chatting, so u switch on ur msn, or yahoo, and log on and get chatting to people.
I am not a chatty person, in that I soon get bored especially if I am chatting to strangers who for all I know may be telling me a pack of lies about themselves. haha. it might be a favour they are doing, because otherwise it would be a dull conversation. But as a basis for a long friendship, it would be doomed to failure. If u like that kind of relationship I suppose that would explain why those people like being on msn, or yahoo and why I don't.
Ah well, now i have thought about it somemore, my initial desire to have someone to ring up and chat is not such a good idea after all. Better to just write them an email and ask them for their news, if I am that interested in wanting to know what they are up to. I would prefer if they have a blog, but then not many people really desire to bare themselves so much by maintaining a blog. People can know quite a bit about u by reading between the lines of what u write on the blog.
Generally, whenever I think about friendships I wonder whether I should get some more new friends and I always come to the conclusion that I am glad with what i got. I am within that zone where I have enough friends to satisfy me and not too many where it becomes a full time job keeping up with them.
I think deep down, what I really want is a group of sex buddies; preferably a constantly renewing one so the numbers remain the same, but the people change. Sex buddies can be friends, but it is not necessary. haha. Friends remain constant, whereas that is not something I necessarily desire in sex buddies.
That is what i like about writing a blog, in the course of it, I clarify my thoughts. It is not finding compatible friends... it is finding compatible sex buddies. That is what i should be directing my attention to. Ah, its a nice way to while away the time and well worth pursueing as a running theme that is constantly playing in the background of my life.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
no phone calls
london
I have been wondering why I dont get a lot of phone calls. In fact, I dont get any and rather wished I did. The reason of course why i dont get phone calls is because i dont call people nor encourage them to call me. I have forgotten why I have followed that route regarding the telephone... until I read this post and it reminded me.
http://notshady.blogspot.com/2008/11/minimizing-stress-its-about-you.html
It is a lament about receiving calls from friends who just want to gripe about their lives.
I now know why I dont encourage friends to call, nor do i call friends a lot because it can be rather disruptive to receive calls at awkward times. Now I know why I like writing and receiving emails.
Now I know why my life is so blissful. haha. Someone might say but if you dont welcome calls from friends in trouble and want a sympathetic ear, when you are in need of a friend, you wont find any. They may have a point. this blog says it.
http://sonobeus.blogspot.com/
This blogger could not find any man to accompany her to a wedding.
I dont really mind not having a friend to pour my troubles onto. For one thing, I dont really have any troubles that need a sympathetic ear, because I just deal with it rather than talk about it. And then I put it out of my mind and not dwell on it. If I have a friend who encourages me to talk about it, it will just make me dwell on it a lot and that is not a good thing. That is my opinion anyway, and so it is not an advantage to have a friend who encourages me to dwell on problems. Maybe that is why I dont encourage others to talk about their problems to me. I dont think it is healthy to just talk about it. Do something about it, if anything can be done, if not, than forget it, and let it sort itself out. haha. That is my way of dealing with anything that crops up. That is why my life is so carefree and no worries.
As for wanting a friend so they can accompany me... that does not apply, as I dont mind going on my own.
Added
I had a look online at my monthly telephone bill. I have changed my call plan to weekends and evenings free calls starting 17nov, the standing charge has dropped £4 to £16.99(which includes £10.50 for line rental). The calls made on the line last month came to £1.48. all of them simon's calls to mobiles and they are not included in the free calls. So total charge is £18.48. I read in a newspaper article that talk talk, my telephone provider is giving customers the option to increase their broadband speed to 24meg for £4 a month extra. It is not something I will be interested in. I just want a basic service costing as little as possible. The plan I am subscribed to is advertised as pay for free weekend and evenings and get free broadband. To me, I think of it as pay £6.49 for broadband and get free weekend and evening calls.I am happy with the tariff. In the past I used to pay £15 -£19 for the broadband alone. The speed was fast, but it was not much use to me. I am happier with this lower tariff.
I have been wondering why I dont get a lot of phone calls. In fact, I dont get any and rather wished I did. The reason of course why i dont get phone calls is because i dont call people nor encourage them to call me. I have forgotten why I have followed that route regarding the telephone... until I read this post and it reminded me.
http://notshady.blogspot.com/2008/11/minimizing-stress-its-about-you.html
It is a lament about receiving calls from friends who just want to gripe about their lives.
I now know why I dont encourage friends to call, nor do i call friends a lot because it can be rather disruptive to receive calls at awkward times. Now I know why I like writing and receiving emails.
Now I know why my life is so blissful. haha. Someone might say but if you dont welcome calls from friends in trouble and want a sympathetic ear, when you are in need of a friend, you wont find any. They may have a point. this blog says it.
http://sonobeus.blogspot.com/
This blogger could not find any man to accompany her to a wedding.
I dont really mind not having a friend to pour my troubles onto. For one thing, I dont really have any troubles that need a sympathetic ear, because I just deal with it rather than talk about it. And then I put it out of my mind and not dwell on it. If I have a friend who encourages me to talk about it, it will just make me dwell on it a lot and that is not a good thing. That is my opinion anyway, and so it is not an advantage to have a friend who encourages me to dwell on problems. Maybe that is why I dont encourage others to talk about their problems to me. I dont think it is healthy to just talk about it. Do something about it, if anything can be done, if not, than forget it, and let it sort itself out. haha. That is my way of dealing with anything that crops up. That is why my life is so carefree and no worries.
As for wanting a friend so they can accompany me... that does not apply, as I dont mind going on my own.
Added
I had a look online at my monthly telephone bill. I have changed my call plan to weekends and evenings free calls starting 17nov, the standing charge has dropped £4 to £16.99(which includes £10.50 for line rental). The calls made on the line last month came to £1.48. all of them simon's calls to mobiles and they are not included in the free calls. So total charge is £18.48. I read in a newspaper article that talk talk, my telephone provider is giving customers the option to increase their broadband speed to 24meg for £4 a month extra. It is not something I will be interested in. I just want a basic service costing as little as possible. The plan I am subscribed to is advertised as pay for free weekend and evenings and get free broadband. To me, I think of it as pay £6.49 for broadband and get free weekend and evening calls.I am happy with the tariff. In the past I used to pay £15 -£19 for the broadband alone. The speed was fast, but it was not much use to me. I am happier with this lower tariff.
Sunday, 16 November 2008
charity work
london
I went to do foodchain work today. It was at a different kitchen. It is in Battersea, rather than Tooting. The kitchen in Tooting is closed for renovation. The workers were all unfamiliar with this different kitchen so they managed well only being 1hr later than usual to start distributing the food.It is understandable that there is a disruption when a different kitchen is used. I was paired with a driver who is new. she and I did our round by 3pm. We were unable to deliver the food to 2 people because they were not in. So she and I got them instead. It was chicken pasta, fruit crumble and a cold salad. We got a lot of buns, because I did not realise we give them out for each meal. I thought it was one to a household. ah well, nevermind. When you rely on volunteers these things happen because volunteers dont do it often. Someone who is a regular paid worker will know what is what and realise that one bun goes with one meal. Later I read the menu, and it was mentioned that one bun is for each salad.
During our round, we crossed mitcham common, and it was lovely to look at with the colours of autumn. I used to walk in the woods when I lived in Streatham. I used to go to Tooting Bec Common. It was lovely to trample through the fallen leaves and kick them about.I decided to walk back by way of battersea Park, and got views of autumn leaves there as well as the river which was in full tide. But now I dont yearn to be living in the suburbs of london. I am glad to be living in central london now and just see the leaves litter the road outside my flat instead. Times change and my circumstances change too and at this time of my life I like the changes that have happen to me and am not nostalgic for olden days. I like living in the now and seldom yearn for the past. 'To me the past is the past, and though fun to live through it, there is more fun to look forward to in the future. That is how I look at life.
I know a lot of old people feel regret for the passing of the years, and look back with nostalgia and longing for what they were in the past. I don't. Thank goodness for that. Why go back and relive what i have allready experienced? I want new experiences.
I went to do foodchain work today. It was at a different kitchen. It is in Battersea, rather than Tooting. The kitchen in Tooting is closed for renovation. The workers were all unfamiliar with this different kitchen so they managed well only being 1hr later than usual to start distributing the food.It is understandable that there is a disruption when a different kitchen is used. I was paired with a driver who is new. she and I did our round by 3pm. We were unable to deliver the food to 2 people because they were not in. So she and I got them instead. It was chicken pasta, fruit crumble and a cold salad. We got a lot of buns, because I did not realise we give them out for each meal. I thought it was one to a household. ah well, nevermind. When you rely on volunteers these things happen because volunteers dont do it often. Someone who is a regular paid worker will know what is what and realise that one bun goes with one meal. Later I read the menu, and it was mentioned that one bun is for each salad.
During our round, we crossed mitcham common, and it was lovely to look at with the colours of autumn. I used to walk in the woods when I lived in Streatham. I used to go to Tooting Bec Common. It was lovely to trample through the fallen leaves and kick them about.I decided to walk back by way of battersea Park, and got views of autumn leaves there as well as the river which was in full tide. But now I dont yearn to be living in the suburbs of london. I am glad to be living in central london now and just see the leaves litter the road outside my flat instead. Times change and my circumstances change too and at this time of my life I like the changes that have happen to me and am not nostalgic for olden days. I like living in the now and seldom yearn for the past. 'To me the past is the past, and though fun to live through it, there is more fun to look forward to in the future. That is how I look at life.
I know a lot of old people feel regret for the passing of the years, and look back with nostalgia and longing for what they were in the past. I don't. Thank goodness for that. Why go back and relive what i have allready experienced? I want new experiences.
paedophile witch hunt goes on
london
This is another nail in the coffin of child care.If anyone is contemplating a career involving children, don't. No one in their right mind will want to work with children when their whole career can be destroyed like this.
The curious thing is that the judge, Lord Richards, who ruled that even unproven accusations can be kept on the record and held against someone preventing him or her from ever working with children in the future was himself subjected to trial by a woman who accused him of exposing himself to her in a train. He said the woman had mistaken him for another, though the woman was still convinced it was him. But because the judiciary do not follow this ruling that any unproven accusation can stop anyone from being a judge, lord richards is able to continue to be a judge and pass this ruling. the irony of it does not escape anyone but seem to have bypassed Lord Richards.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/16/do1607.xml
This is another nail in the coffin of child care.If anyone is contemplating a career involving children, don't. No one in their right mind will want to work with children when their whole career can be destroyed like this.
The curious thing is that the judge, Lord Richards, who ruled that even unproven accusations can be kept on the record and held against someone preventing him or her from ever working with children in the future was himself subjected to trial by a woman who accused him of exposing himself to her in a train. He said the woman had mistaken him for another, though the woman was still convinced it was him. But because the judiciary do not follow this ruling that any unproven accusation can stop anyone from being a judge, lord richards is able to continue to be a judge and pass this ruling. the irony of it does not escape anyone but seem to have bypassed Lord Richards.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/16/do1607.xml
domino day 2008
london
I accidentally tuned in to it on channel 5 yesterday night. It was fun to watch, though all throughout I just marvel at people spending time doing it. Such a lot of effort!! and after all that effort to bring it tumbling down. There is some great satisfaction in watching something u have built up so carefully brought down in a crash in seconds.
see a video of it here.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7730834.stm
There is actually a game using dominos, but it shows how insignificant it has been that I have no idea of it, only associating dominos with them falling. haha. But it seems the game is losing favour with people and domino clubs may become extinct.
I accidentally tuned in to it on channel 5 yesterday night. It was fun to watch, though all throughout I just marvel at people spending time doing it. Such a lot of effort!! and after all that effort to bring it tumbling down. There is some great satisfaction in watching something u have built up so carefully brought down in a crash in seconds.
see a video of it here.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7730834.stm
There is actually a game using dominos, but it shows how insignificant it has been that I have no idea of it, only associating dominos with them falling. haha. But it seems the game is losing favour with people and domino clubs may become extinct.
Saturday, 15 November 2008
compulsive obssessives
london 12C
History is full of these people for it is their meticulous obssessions that gets recorded and forms our history. The compulsive collectors gives us the huge museum collections of art and artifacts that we see today. And so on and so forth ad infinitum.
Matthew parris gives a account of the compulsive obsessive behaviour of a sheep dog in australia, and compares it to our compulsive obsessive behaviours that gives us history.
Those of us who are savvy will realise that it is not the only way to live life, but other ways of living life won't be recorded or recordable and each generation will have to come to discover those insights afresh; without help from past generations, with nothing in the past to inform them. In that sense, history is not helpful in determining other ways of living.
We can get some idea of what we are missing when we hear of the lives of the buddha, and other sages. There are other ways of living. But these sages collect nothing, and left nothing except what their followers wrote, so we never did get it and have to discover for ourselves. And the funny thing is that those who do find it, do not seem to want to pass it on. Or it is so intangible, and indescribable, it is not possible to pass it on.
I think it is because that saying we all have our own paths to enlightenment is more true than we realise. And those who have attained enlightenment knows that it is something that cannot be taught. Those who gain it will come to it on their own way and no one elses.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5157305.ece
History is full of these people for it is their meticulous obssessions that gets recorded and forms our history. The compulsive collectors gives us the huge museum collections of art and artifacts that we see today. And so on and so forth ad infinitum.
Matthew parris gives a account of the compulsive obsessive behaviour of a sheep dog in australia, and compares it to our compulsive obsessive behaviours that gives us history.
Those of us who are savvy will realise that it is not the only way to live life, but other ways of living life won't be recorded or recordable and each generation will have to come to discover those insights afresh; without help from past generations, with nothing in the past to inform them. In that sense, history is not helpful in determining other ways of living.
We can get some idea of what we are missing when we hear of the lives of the buddha, and other sages. There are other ways of living. But these sages collect nothing, and left nothing except what their followers wrote, so we never did get it and have to discover for ourselves. And the funny thing is that those who do find it, do not seem to want to pass it on. Or it is so intangible, and indescribable, it is not possible to pass it on.
I think it is because that saying we all have our own paths to enlightenment is more true than we realise. And those who have attained enlightenment knows that it is something that cannot be taught. Those who gain it will come to it on their own way and no one elses.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5157305.ece
Friday, 14 November 2008
chicken wings
london
I fancied some chicken wings and went today to the supermarket and bought some. they were expiring today and so they were reduced from £1.58 to £1.11. It was 1.15kg pack. They usually cost £1.38perkg. When u consider that a whole chicken of 1.3kg costs £2.49 in that same tesco, chicken wings when reduced like this is quite good value. Come to think of it, even without the reduction it is good value. And they are quicker to cook too unlike a whole chicken. i am quite conscious of the cost of roasting nowadays. Anything that cooks quicker will find favour with me. A lot of westerners don't like chicken wings. Simon says there is not much meat in them. haha. But i like them because when roasted the bones are crunchy and can be eaten.I noticed that some of the chicken wings in this batch that I bought have their tips cut off. The westerners dont like the tip. More fools they. The tips are very crunchy and can be eaten bones and all when roasted well.
The weather has been very warm. Last night the lowest temperature was 11C at about 1am. Now it is 13.3C. with the highest today 14.8C at 1pm. so it has been very pleasant without the heating. Hope it lasts throughout the whole winter. But the funny thing is the trees are shedding their leaves and turning yellow now. I think it means the weather will turn cold because the trees knows. In the previous week,they are green still, (after a cold snap which brought snow in some parts of london!)and now we get this warm spell. Now they are going yellow and falling, so I think we are in for some cold weather. so far i have resisted switching on my gas heater. I shall leave it off till simon comes back from Thailand. he will feel the cold after the warmth of thailand and that will be the time to switch the heating on.
Sometimes 'overheard in new york' website throws up something which I find particularly funny. Like this one.
In Which Case I Was Looking Forward to Spraying This Mace
Annoying fundraiser guy: Scuse me, miss, if I could have a second of your time.
(cute girl stops and takes off headphones)
Annoying fund raiser guy: I work for the Children's Rights Foundation and I'm collec...
Cute girl (interrupting): Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you wanted sex.--23rd St & 6th Ave-->
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/016920.html
I fancied some chicken wings and went today to the supermarket and bought some. they were expiring today and so they were reduced from £1.58 to £1.11. It was 1.15kg pack. They usually cost £1.38perkg. When u consider that a whole chicken of 1.3kg costs £2.49 in that same tesco, chicken wings when reduced like this is quite good value. Come to think of it, even without the reduction it is good value. And they are quicker to cook too unlike a whole chicken. i am quite conscious of the cost of roasting nowadays. Anything that cooks quicker will find favour with me. A lot of westerners don't like chicken wings. Simon says there is not much meat in them. haha. But i like them because when roasted the bones are crunchy and can be eaten.I noticed that some of the chicken wings in this batch that I bought have their tips cut off. The westerners dont like the tip. More fools they. The tips are very crunchy and can be eaten bones and all when roasted well.
The weather has been very warm. Last night the lowest temperature was 11C at about 1am. Now it is 13.3C. with the highest today 14.8C at 1pm. so it has been very pleasant without the heating. Hope it lasts throughout the whole winter. But the funny thing is the trees are shedding their leaves and turning yellow now. I think it means the weather will turn cold because the trees knows. In the previous week,they are green still, (after a cold snap which brought snow in some parts of london!)and now we get this warm spell. Now they are going yellow and falling, so I think we are in for some cold weather. so far i have resisted switching on my gas heater. I shall leave it off till simon comes back from Thailand. he will feel the cold after the warmth of thailand and that will be the time to switch the heating on.
Sometimes 'overheard in new york' website throws up something which I find particularly funny. Like this one.
In Which Case I Was Looking Forward to Spraying This Mace
Annoying fundraiser guy: Scuse me, miss, if I could have a second of your time.
(cute girl stops and takes off headphones)
Annoying fund raiser guy: I work for the Children's Rights Foundation and I'm collec...
Cute girl (interrupting): Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you wanted sex.--23rd St & 6th Ave-->
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/016920.html
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Western Union
london
there is a scam going on with people who want to rent flats. they get the advert in gumtree, or other websites, and the landlord says before he lets them view the flat, he does not want to waste his time showing it to people who are not serious about it, so he wants them to prove they have the funds. So he asks them to put money in a western union money transfer. He asks them not to send it to him but to themselves or to a friend and to send him a copy of the receipt so he can have the proof that they have the money.
It sounds dodgy right away, because no landlord that I know of will refuse to show the flat on the grounds that you cannot afford it. It should alert anyone to this scam. But it seems plenty of people have been fooled and lost money.The chap then forges an identity, and using the copy of the reciept,goes to any western union office anywhere in the world to cash it. It is an unregulated business.It is a excellent system to send money to people who have no bank account, but as we can see here, it is open to fraud.
In a way, if u r an observer of human behaviour, it suggests a lot of ingenuity by these crooks. It is like a human jungle, instead of an animal killing another for food, we have predators wanting our money. When you look at it that way, it is better than being killed. In the natural jungle, an animal that makes a mistake will not live to repeat that mistake. At least with us humans, all we lose is some money. haha.And we live and learn, at least some of us. haha.
I am sure there are plenty of others cooking up new scams involving the internet. That is the new jungle out there.
I have a website i like, mylongkang.com and recently the owner said it was hacked. He had strengthened his security, but I see now it has gone off and has been off for some time. I hope he has not been hacked again. Why do these people hack the website? How do they profit from it? These are new scams and it is difficult for us to figure out how money is made. Do you think the internet security companies are paying someone to hack into other people's websites so that they can sell more of their anti hacking software?
Humans are so devious, i would not be surprised if that is the case. After all the more viruses and trojans there are and more news of websites being infected the better the business of these security people selling anti hacking software.
I sometimes wonder why people pay to keep a blog. I know my friend who owns mylongkang.com pays for his.I know because the site now features bluehost.com and the cost $6.65 a month.But unlike before when he can get that price if he pays in advance for 2yrs, now he has to pay in advance for 3yrs. Maybe his 2yrs contract is finished and he is unable to commit to another 3yrs. Usually people continue because they have put so much effort into their blog, and they dont want to lose it. I hope the downturn in the economy has not made my friend unable to afford to continue paying for it. It's a lot of money to put up all at one go.
My blog is free and the security is very good. It does not break down as much as the other one i had before. I really dont know how blogger.com makes money from me. But since they allow me to use it without paying, I am not complaining. haha. why dont more people use it rather than pay a subscription? maybe I dont know the disadvantages because my website has so few traffic it does not matter. Maybe if ever i get more traffic, that is when i shall find out why. Who knows. But I am happy with this one because it is free and I dont have to bother with the technical difficulties of maintaining the website. If ever anyone hacks into it, they can sort it out.
there is a scam going on with people who want to rent flats. they get the advert in gumtree, or other websites, and the landlord says before he lets them view the flat, he does not want to waste his time showing it to people who are not serious about it, so he wants them to prove they have the funds. So he asks them to put money in a western union money transfer. He asks them not to send it to him but to themselves or to a friend and to send him a copy of the receipt so he can have the proof that they have the money.
It sounds dodgy right away, because no landlord that I know of will refuse to show the flat on the grounds that you cannot afford it. It should alert anyone to this scam. But it seems plenty of people have been fooled and lost money.The chap then forges an identity, and using the copy of the reciept,goes to any western union office anywhere in the world to cash it. It is an unregulated business.It is a excellent system to send money to people who have no bank account, but as we can see here, it is open to fraud.
In a way, if u r an observer of human behaviour, it suggests a lot of ingenuity by these crooks. It is like a human jungle, instead of an animal killing another for food, we have predators wanting our money. When you look at it that way, it is better than being killed. In the natural jungle, an animal that makes a mistake will not live to repeat that mistake. At least with us humans, all we lose is some money. haha.And we live and learn, at least some of us. haha.
I am sure there are plenty of others cooking up new scams involving the internet. That is the new jungle out there.
I have a website i like, mylongkang.com and recently the owner said it was hacked. He had strengthened his security, but I see now it has gone off and has been off for some time. I hope he has not been hacked again. Why do these people hack the website? How do they profit from it? These are new scams and it is difficult for us to figure out how money is made. Do you think the internet security companies are paying someone to hack into other people's websites so that they can sell more of their anti hacking software?
Humans are so devious, i would not be surprised if that is the case. After all the more viruses and trojans there are and more news of websites being infected the better the business of these security people selling anti hacking software.
I sometimes wonder why people pay to keep a blog. I know my friend who owns mylongkang.com pays for his.I know because the site now features bluehost.com and the cost $6.65 a month.But unlike before when he can get that price if he pays in advance for 2yrs, now he has to pay in advance for 3yrs. Maybe his 2yrs contract is finished and he is unable to commit to another 3yrs. Usually people continue because they have put so much effort into their blog, and they dont want to lose it. I hope the downturn in the economy has not made my friend unable to afford to continue paying for it. It's a lot of money to put up all at one go.
My blog is free and the security is very good. It does not break down as much as the other one i had before. I really dont know how blogger.com makes money from me. But since they allow me to use it without paying, I am not complaining. haha. why dont more people use it rather than pay a subscription? maybe I dont know the disadvantages because my website has so few traffic it does not matter. Maybe if ever i get more traffic, that is when i shall find out why. Who knows. But I am happy with this one because it is free and I dont have to bother with the technical difficulties of maintaining the website. If ever anyone hacks into it, they can sort it out.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
MAS global ticket sale
london
Outbound journey
Detail
MH1 Economy
London - HeathrowKuala Lumpur International Airport
Mon, 12 Jan
22:0018:20 (+1)
Inbound journey
Detail
MH4 Economy
Kuala Lumpur International AirportLondon - Heathrow
Sat, 31 Jan
10:4516:15
Adult:
1
GBP 430.00
taxGBP 306.60
(details)
GBP 736.60 each
Total:
GBP 736.60
Today is the last day to book online in the MAS global sale.
But as u can see, the tax is £306.60 return. It is a ridiculous amount to add onto the fare of £430 return.
The total add up to more than John's fare with SIA in March of £705 return; and it includes an extra flight from penang to Singaporeon on the way back.
So I was very glad that I can walk away from this offer. If it were about £460 return include tax i would have no excuse and have to buy it. As it is , I need not bother and its a relief because I really do not want to go to malaysia for a holiday. So the global sale is not really that cheap.
I thought maybe for malaysians flying from KL to london it will be cheap. What do malaysians think? is it cheap? For us in UK, the calculations below may be cheap for malaysians using the Ringgit, but when converted to £s, it is not very good because the exchange rate is so poor now.
Outbound journey
Detail
MH4 Economy
Kuala Lumpur International AirportLondon - Heathrow
Fri, 16 Jan
10:4516:15
Inbound journey
Detail
MH1 Economy
London - HeathrowKuala Lumpur International Airport
Fri, 30 Jan
22:0018:20 (+1)
Air fare cost
Rules
Type
Travellers
Net
Tax
Total
Adult:
1
MYR 2394.00
taxMYR 1980.00
(details)
MYR 4374.00 each
Total:
MYR 4374.00
£1=Rm 5.04 the latest tourist rate.
That means the sterling cost is £875.00
even on the most favourable rate of £1=7Rm about 2yrs ago, the sterling cost is £625.00 it is still not a good price. The tax is the one that bungs up the cost.
Well, isn't it lovely. My soul do not want to go to malaysia, and the airticket price is definitely telling me not to go. I always believe we call to ourselves what we want, and it looks like that is exactly what i am calling to me. haha.
I far prefer to use that money for 2 or 3 short trips(about 10days) to nudist places like capdeagde or ile du levant this coming summer.
https://book.malaysiaairlines.com/itd/itd/DoAirSearch?_originSelected=Airport.KUL&_destinationSelected=Airport.LHR&requestor=AirSimpleReqsPage
added 22.22.08 I was browsing in http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogger.html and he has very good low cost airlineflights links on his page, and i found airflights to bangkok for £419 return include tax. It is with ethihard airlines, and is for travel from now till mar09. I think it is rather good price. However, I don't really want to travel there for now, becauseof the horrendously bad exchange rate with the £ and also that it involves a changeover at the homebase of ethihard. Still, if ever i decide to go travelling in s.e.asia. i shall keep this website in mind.
Outbound journey
Detail
MH1 Economy
London - HeathrowKuala Lumpur International Airport
Mon, 12 Jan
22:0018:20 (+1)
Inbound journey
Detail
MH4 Economy
Kuala Lumpur International AirportLondon - Heathrow
Sat, 31 Jan
10:4516:15
Adult:
1
GBP 430.00
taxGBP 306.60
(details)
GBP 736.60 each
Total:
GBP 736.60
Today is the last day to book online in the MAS global sale.
But as u can see, the tax is £306.60 return. It is a ridiculous amount to add onto the fare of £430 return.
The total add up to more than John's fare with SIA in March of £705 return; and it includes an extra flight from penang to Singaporeon on the way back.
So I was very glad that I can walk away from this offer. If it were about £460 return include tax i would have no excuse and have to buy it. As it is , I need not bother and its a relief because I really do not want to go to malaysia for a holiday. So the global sale is not really that cheap.
I thought maybe for malaysians flying from KL to london it will be cheap. What do malaysians think? is it cheap? For us in UK, the calculations below may be cheap for malaysians using the Ringgit, but when converted to £s, it is not very good because the exchange rate is so poor now.
Outbound journey
Detail
MH4 Economy
Kuala Lumpur International AirportLondon - Heathrow
Fri, 16 Jan
10:4516:15
Inbound journey
Detail
MH1 Economy
London - HeathrowKuala Lumpur International Airport
Fri, 30 Jan
22:0018:20 (+1)
Air fare cost
Rules
Type
Travellers
Net
Tax
Total
Adult:
1
MYR 2394.00
taxMYR 1980.00
(details)
MYR 4374.00 each
Total:
MYR 4374.00
£1=Rm 5.04 the latest tourist rate.
That means the sterling cost is £875.00
even on the most favourable rate of £1=7Rm about 2yrs ago, the sterling cost is £625.00 it is still not a good price. The tax is the one that bungs up the cost.
Well, isn't it lovely. My soul do not want to go to malaysia, and the airticket price is definitely telling me not to go. I always believe we call to ourselves what we want, and it looks like that is exactly what i am calling to me. haha.
I far prefer to use that money for 2 or 3 short trips(about 10days) to nudist places like capdeagde or ile du levant this coming summer.
https://book.malaysiaairlines.com/itd/itd/DoAirSearch?_originSelected=Airport.KUL&_destinationSelected=Airport.LHR&requestor=AirSimpleReqsPage
added 22.22.08 I was browsing in http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogger.html and he has very good low cost airlineflights links on his page, and i found airflights to bangkok for £419 return include tax. It is with ethihard airlines, and is for travel from now till mar09. I think it is rather good price. However, I don't really want to travel there for now, becauseof the horrendously bad exchange rate with the £ and also that it involves a changeover at the homebase of ethihard. Still, if ever i decide to go travelling in s.e.asia. i shall keep this website in mind.
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Warning to gays going to malaysia. Penang is raiding gay parties.
london
I am really sad to read this in a blog. I was not aware of this until this chap wrote about it.
http://robbyaoi.blogspot.com/
which gave 2 links to newspaper articles about raids by police in penang on gay parties and arresting the participants. It is only as recent as 3nov 08.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/3/nation/2443064&sec=nation
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/15/nation/20080915150727&sec=nation
From the first article, it appears it is a private party organised via the internet and held in fitness centre. The 2nd article seems to be a raid on a gay sauna. Why the article say it is unlicensed is not clear to me. It may be this clampdown is a result of neither party paying bribes to the local police, or the police are clamping down on gay activities generally as a political decision. Either way it does not bode well for us gays.
It may be a coincidence that all these raids are in penang which was recently won by the opposition party. I do not know if the reason for the clampdown is due to the influence of its co-partners, the right wing Islamic party. Whatever the reason it is obvious the clampdown on gay activities have begun.
I think gay tourists going to malaysia should be warned that there is a clamp down in penang against gays. I dont know if the other states that has won the election recently from the ruling party will do the same thing. This is a sad state of affairs for us non muslim gays who before had been tolerated in malaysia. Gay tourists intending to go there be warned!!
added
I emailed the info to john G, in poole who is going to msia in march. He said it wont affect him as he wont be going to saunas, as he has made lots of contacts via the internet. It may hit the gay sauna businesses in penang, but whether the authorities will raid the gay saunas in kuala lumpur is not certain. Still, reports like this in newspapers will make locals very wary of going to these places and there will be fewer people going and so it will bring about a vicious circle of declining numbers. The internet is allready making inroads into these gay saunas as it is. Perhaps gay life will be more underground and rely on networking. It will be cheaper certainly than having to pay a entrance fee to gay saunas. Hmm, perhaps gay life in malaysia is not as bleak as I thought at first.
some people might even find it exciting to play this cat and mouse game with the laws of the country. the fact that i dont live there anymore will show that i m not interested in these cat and mouse games. My soul do not want it.
I have lived in london for so long, and so used to the gays being legal here and in europe, and my life takes being gay so much for granted that I dont even think about it much and being gay is no big deal here that i have forgotten there are places elsewhere in the world where gays still get harassed and arrested for living their gay life.
added 12.11.08 If you think Singapore mightbe better, read this.
http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=2330&viewarticle=1
It is not the crime, but the way sentencing is more lenient for those who use the homophobic defense that gays gets so upset about.
Gay bashing is common all over the world and not only in homophobic countries.
Here is an article about liverpool favourably reporting on its gay village whilst acknowledgeing there is a lot of gay bashing going on in that city.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/liverpool-a-city-that-is-finally-glad-to-be-gay-1015843.html
I am really sad to read this in a blog. I was not aware of this until this chap wrote about it.
http://robbyaoi.blogspot.com/
which gave 2 links to newspaper articles about raids by police in penang on gay parties and arresting the participants. It is only as recent as 3nov 08.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/3/nation/2443064&sec=nation
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/15/nation/20080915150727&sec=nation
From the first article, it appears it is a private party organised via the internet and held in fitness centre. The 2nd article seems to be a raid on a gay sauna. Why the article say it is unlicensed is not clear to me. It may be this clampdown is a result of neither party paying bribes to the local police, or the police are clamping down on gay activities generally as a political decision. Either way it does not bode well for us gays.
It may be a coincidence that all these raids are in penang which was recently won by the opposition party. I do not know if the reason for the clampdown is due to the influence of its co-partners, the right wing Islamic party. Whatever the reason it is obvious the clampdown on gay activities have begun.
I think gay tourists going to malaysia should be warned that there is a clamp down in penang against gays. I dont know if the other states that has won the election recently from the ruling party will do the same thing. This is a sad state of affairs for us non muslim gays who before had been tolerated in malaysia. Gay tourists intending to go there be warned!!
added
I emailed the info to john G, in poole who is going to msia in march. He said it wont affect him as he wont be going to saunas, as he has made lots of contacts via the internet. It may hit the gay sauna businesses in penang, but whether the authorities will raid the gay saunas in kuala lumpur is not certain. Still, reports like this in newspapers will make locals very wary of going to these places and there will be fewer people going and so it will bring about a vicious circle of declining numbers. The internet is allready making inroads into these gay saunas as it is. Perhaps gay life will be more underground and rely on networking. It will be cheaper certainly than having to pay a entrance fee to gay saunas. Hmm, perhaps gay life in malaysia is not as bleak as I thought at first.
some people might even find it exciting to play this cat and mouse game with the laws of the country. the fact that i dont live there anymore will show that i m not interested in these cat and mouse games. My soul do not want it.
I have lived in london for so long, and so used to the gays being legal here and in europe, and my life takes being gay so much for granted that I dont even think about it much and being gay is no big deal here that i have forgotten there are places elsewhere in the world where gays still get harassed and arrested for living their gay life.
added 12.11.08 If you think Singapore mightbe better, read this.
http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=2330&viewarticle=1
It is not the crime, but the way sentencing is more lenient for those who use the homophobic defense that gays gets so upset about.
Gay bashing is common all over the world and not only in homophobic countries.
Here is an article about liverpool favourably reporting on its gay village whilst acknowledgeing there is a lot of gay bashing going on in that city.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/liverpool-a-city-that-is-finally-glad-to-be-gay-1015843.html
another day of being alive
london
looking out of the window of my flat, i see blue sky, such a change from the last two days when it was raining hard. So hard that someone abandoned his/her bicycle propped against the wall under the railway arches in vauxhall. I saw it when i went to the tesco. I was sorely tempted to take it, because it was unlocked and it was a good bike. But it was raining and i did not fancy getting wet. That is the big disadvantage of riding a bike. You cannot ride and carry a umbrella. And that was all I got with me that day.
But today bids fair to be a lovely sunny day and that is the beauty of living here, in london. Such big changes from rainy to sunny in one day to the next. It makes me really appreciate good weather when it comes. Blue skies seem so ordinary if you get it all the time, but I have been to malaysia when the sky is hazy because of the smog and everything looks so grey so much so that now I am in london, I begin to appreciate the beauty of seeing blue cloudless skies above.
I enjoyed the last few rainy days. It is such a nice feeling to hear the steady pitter patter of raindrops outside whilst I am warm and cosy in the flat. To watch the raindrops coming down and pitting the puddles, and leaping off the leaf strewn road while staying dry indoors. And now to see a brilliant sun filled blue cloudless sky above is doubly delightful.
I get simple delight in just listening to the radio. It has been something that is always on in the background when I was growing up in Muar, malaysia, and to hear it now brings back childhood. And it was a happy childhood so memories of it makes me happy. I am very glad i found this radio/cassette/cd system and the loud speakers. Especially the loudspeakers, because i can now hear music without having to put on ear phones.
And with no one else in the flat except me, I can have it as loud as i want. haha.
I am hearing the news now, and I hear mention of the QE2 's last voyage. It has been temporary ran aground whilst in southampton, its home port. I have been on it long ago, (on a package costing £1000 flying to new york by concorde and staying 2nights at the Helmsley hotel in new york, and returning via the Qe2 to southampton)and there was a video showing on the bbc news where it was mentioned that the QE2 is different from the big cruise ships being built now in that it is narrower. So in the stateroom you can see out of both sides of the ship. Modern cruise ships are so big, and wide, you cannot do that anymore. I like that you can see out of both sides of the ship so am glad to have been on that ship rather than the modern ones. It makes people realise they are on a ship, and that is the whole idea isn't it? Who wants to be on board one of these big cruiseliners where it is so divorced from the sea, you get no sense that u are onboard a ship. The QE2 is going to the Palm Jumeirah to be converted to a hotel.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7720966.stm
Added 12.47pm.
I got back from supermarket shopping having spent £3.20 for a lot of vegetables and mince beef. I passed the old folks kitchen where they provide £2.20 meals (consisting of a main course and dessert) for people over 50. There were a number of them hanging about outside, smoking.
The thought occurred to me that even at that low cost, the meals are still more expensive then if they are prepared at home. My shopping will provide me with 7 meals. Granted I will not have dessert, but really dessert is a force of habit and a ploy by restauranteurs to make people spend money when they eat out (another ploy is to have starters). Its so ingrained a habit now to want to round off a meal with something sweet. By not having dessert a lot of people will at one stroke reduce the chance of getting obese, caries and diabetes. Shopping and cooking provides intangible benefits, by training the mind, and the body for manual dexterity and muscle coordination, and exercise if u walk to the shops.
looking out of the window of my flat, i see blue sky, such a change from the last two days when it was raining hard. So hard that someone abandoned his/her bicycle propped against the wall under the railway arches in vauxhall. I saw it when i went to the tesco. I was sorely tempted to take it, because it was unlocked and it was a good bike. But it was raining and i did not fancy getting wet. That is the big disadvantage of riding a bike. You cannot ride and carry a umbrella. And that was all I got with me that day.
But today bids fair to be a lovely sunny day and that is the beauty of living here, in london. Such big changes from rainy to sunny in one day to the next. It makes me really appreciate good weather when it comes. Blue skies seem so ordinary if you get it all the time, but I have been to malaysia when the sky is hazy because of the smog and everything looks so grey so much so that now I am in london, I begin to appreciate the beauty of seeing blue cloudless skies above.
I enjoyed the last few rainy days. It is such a nice feeling to hear the steady pitter patter of raindrops outside whilst I am warm and cosy in the flat. To watch the raindrops coming down and pitting the puddles, and leaping off the leaf strewn road while staying dry indoors. And now to see a brilliant sun filled blue cloudless sky above is doubly delightful.
I get simple delight in just listening to the radio. It has been something that is always on in the background when I was growing up in Muar, malaysia, and to hear it now brings back childhood. And it was a happy childhood so memories of it makes me happy. I am very glad i found this radio/cassette/cd system and the loud speakers. Especially the loudspeakers, because i can now hear music without having to put on ear phones.
And with no one else in the flat except me, I can have it as loud as i want. haha.
I am hearing the news now, and I hear mention of the QE2 's last voyage. It has been temporary ran aground whilst in southampton, its home port. I have been on it long ago, (on a package costing £1000 flying to new york by concorde and staying 2nights at the Helmsley hotel in new york, and returning via the Qe2 to southampton)and there was a video showing on the bbc news where it was mentioned that the QE2 is different from the big cruise ships being built now in that it is narrower. So in the stateroom you can see out of both sides of the ship. Modern cruise ships are so big, and wide, you cannot do that anymore. I like that you can see out of both sides of the ship so am glad to have been on that ship rather than the modern ones. It makes people realise they are on a ship, and that is the whole idea isn't it? Who wants to be on board one of these big cruiseliners where it is so divorced from the sea, you get no sense that u are onboard a ship. The QE2 is going to the Palm Jumeirah to be converted to a hotel.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7720966.stm
Added 12.47pm.
I got back from supermarket shopping having spent £3.20 for a lot of vegetables and mince beef. I passed the old folks kitchen where they provide £2.20 meals (consisting of a main course and dessert) for people over 50. There were a number of them hanging about outside, smoking.
The thought occurred to me that even at that low cost, the meals are still more expensive then if they are prepared at home. My shopping will provide me with 7 meals. Granted I will not have dessert, but really dessert is a force of habit and a ploy by restauranteurs to make people spend money when they eat out (another ploy is to have starters). Its so ingrained a habit now to want to round off a meal with something sweet. By not having dessert a lot of people will at one stroke reduce the chance of getting obese, caries and diabetes. Shopping and cooking provides intangible benefits, by training the mind, and the body for manual dexterity and muscle coordination, and exercise if u walk to the shops.
Monday, 10 November 2008
bon voyage
london
Simon will be flying off to phuket today. The start of his 2wk holiday there. I am happy for him and dont feel at all envious.haha. I just don't feel like travelling and the thought of the disruption and discomfort of moving about in a foreign country, even to thailand, which is a laid back one with lots of ready sex does not entice me at all. Maybe because I had 2 holidays allready this year, whereas this will be the only holiday that simon can take.
He changed all his holiday money when he booked the air ticket 3months ago, and just as well, because he got 62 Bahts for it then, whilst now it is more like 52bahts. Such a massive drop in the £ since then.
Simon will be flying off to phuket today. The start of his 2wk holiday there. I am happy for him and dont feel at all envious.haha. I just don't feel like travelling and the thought of the disruption and discomfort of moving about in a foreign country, even to thailand, which is a laid back one with lots of ready sex does not entice me at all. Maybe because I had 2 holidays allready this year, whereas this will be the only holiday that simon can take.
He changed all his holiday money when he booked the air ticket 3months ago, and just as well, because he got 62 Bahts for it then, whilst now it is more like 52bahts. Such a massive drop in the £ since then.
Saturday, 8 November 2008
ingenious lottery
london
There have been a slow down in property sales in Spain, and this male couple owners of a resort there have put up their property for sale via a lottery.
Tickets costs 25euros each , with a free ticket if u buy 4. the price of the tickets can be redeemed for stays at the resort before 1May 2009.
Its near where keith lives in torrevieja and where i was on holiday only recently.
Whoever wins it may find themselves saddled with running a holiday resort in the mountains which is not a place people go to in spain, because it is the coast that is popular. Keith says it is hot in the mountains in summer, which seems counterintuitive because we all have been to mountains and they are cooler. Perhaps keith is mistaken.
At first glance, it sounds like a fantastic dream to win this property. But the maintainance will be expensive.
Owning property can be a headache. I think those two who owns that property and spent all those years renovating it has come to realise it. However, i hope there are plenty of others who would want to own such a property, and buy the tickets so the present owners can achieve the price they want for it. As for me, it is not for me. I dont want the bother of owning property and having to earn the money to keep it going. Imagine having to stay there looking after guests!!! Trade it for my life now where I am free to do what i like and be a free person? No thanks. l am happy with my flat, where the maintainance is low, and I can travel all over the world easily as there are so many airlines flying from london and there is good budget choices. The freedom I have now... which is freedom from want and freedom to do whatever i like is so precious, it cannot be bought.
http://www.sanblasforsale.com/
There have been a slow down in property sales in Spain, and this male couple owners of a resort there have put up their property for sale via a lottery.
Tickets costs 25euros each , with a free ticket if u buy 4. the price of the tickets can be redeemed for stays at the resort before 1May 2009.
Its near where keith lives in torrevieja and where i was on holiday only recently.
Whoever wins it may find themselves saddled with running a holiday resort in the mountains which is not a place people go to in spain, because it is the coast that is popular. Keith says it is hot in the mountains in summer, which seems counterintuitive because we all have been to mountains and they are cooler. Perhaps keith is mistaken.
At first glance, it sounds like a fantastic dream to win this property. But the maintainance will be expensive.
Owning property can be a headache. I think those two who owns that property and spent all those years renovating it has come to realise it. However, i hope there are plenty of others who would want to own such a property, and buy the tickets so the present owners can achieve the price they want for it. As for me, it is not for me. I dont want the bother of owning property and having to earn the money to keep it going. Imagine having to stay there looking after guests!!! Trade it for my life now where I am free to do what i like and be a free person? No thanks. l am happy with my flat, where the maintainance is low, and I can travel all over the world easily as there are so many airlines flying from london and there is good budget choices. The freedom I have now... which is freedom from want and freedom to do whatever i like is so precious, it cannot be bought.
http://www.sanblasforsale.com/
Friday, 7 November 2008
high prices...is it really bad? I dont think so
london
All this price rises in electricity and gas has made me look more carefully at my usage. It has been a good thing. I found I am a low user, but the sudden increase in prices has made me want to make it even lower. I find it is in my nature to reduce my energy consumption even more, just so to get the satisfaction of taking command of my life, and at the same time reducing the profits of the company which supplies my gas/electricity. Even if the price of oil falls and the energy companies reduce their tariffs, I will still do as much as i can to save. Am I the only one to do this? A lot of people will say they dont want to do it, for fear others will get the impression that they are stingy, or tight fisted, or not generous. I dont get that, but of course that is why i am me, and they are them. haha. What you think about urself, determines what you are.
In the past, anyone trying to reduce their energy consumption will be thought of as poor. Some may try to justify it by saying they want to go green. The companies wont notice any drop in profits. In the past, the power company will find lots of other people will be increasing their consumption because it is so cheap.I too have been guilty of it.In the past, because the tariff was so cheap,I would simply switch on appliances and the gas heater without a thought. The only reason why I will switch off is because i dont like to waste. But now, even though my bills are still very low even after the price rises I still want to decrease it further. Why? Because it gives me enormous satisfaction to use less and decrease the company's profits.For other people, it might be they are forced to do so because of the huge and sudden increases in price over such a short time scale. At first they will find it is a hardship and resent the restriction, but later i think these people will find it a huge empowerment. They will revel in their ability to reduce their costs, while feeling intense satisfaction in being able to hit the power companies where it hurts them most. No sales, means no profits.
Take me for eg, I have not switched on the gas heater this time. Normally it would be on from october and burning gas, even though the weather is really mild. This year things are different. No more automatically switching it on. I have come to question my unthinking habit of doing what i have always done before.I hope many others will be doing the same. Not only in terms of gas or electricity usage, but also in their lives. It gives them a huge feeling of empowerment.
I have taken a hard look at the electrical appliances that litter the flat. The wifi (which enables the laptop to be used anywhere in the flat) had always been switched on 24hrs. That was the first thing to stop.It was using power all the time it is on. 'So I now switch it off when i am not using the laptop. I have always switched my laptop off so no change there.
The mobile phone charger... I have stopped it being plugged on and charging irregardless of whether it is fully charged or not. The mobile phone itself. I used to leave it on even though I dont use it, nor receive any calls from it. Now I switch it off completely and so the power never gets depleted and so I dont have to recharge it so often.
Next, I took a hard look at my landline phone. I was using a wireless receiver which needs recharging everytime i lift it off its base to make or answer calls. That was replaced with an ordinary phone.
As for the fridge, I noticed we hardly store food in there, so I have reduced the setting. I have changed my food habits, hardly using the cold compartment anymore instead using the freezer to freeze unused foods. And bringing out the frozen foods to thaw outside the fridge instead of thawing them in the microwave.
And in the past, I have kept the hall light switched on, (even though all my lights are energy saving bulbs and they dont use much electricity) now I switch them off.
All these measures dont make me feel I am penny pinching. It makes me feel very powerful, that I can change my world when I like.
Added 8.11.09 Inertia is a strong force that can stop us doing things. I have wanted to change my phone tariff from the free local and national calls anytime rate of £10.99 to a off peak rate of £6.99. But never did get round to do it till a cold caller from the company talktalk called me and told me my contract with them had ended and wanting to sell me a new contract, and instead I told her i wanted to change my plan, and so was referred to a contact number. I finally got to change it. I dont use that 24hr free calls much. I got onto it for the free broadband. Now this new plan is cheaper and I still have the free broadband. That £4 savings can more than pay for the calls we make.
All this price rises in electricity and gas has made me look more carefully at my usage. It has been a good thing. I found I am a low user, but the sudden increase in prices has made me want to make it even lower. I find it is in my nature to reduce my energy consumption even more, just so to get the satisfaction of taking command of my life, and at the same time reducing the profits of the company which supplies my gas/electricity. Even if the price of oil falls and the energy companies reduce their tariffs, I will still do as much as i can to save. Am I the only one to do this? A lot of people will say they dont want to do it, for fear others will get the impression that they are stingy, or tight fisted, or not generous. I dont get that, but of course that is why i am me, and they are them. haha. What you think about urself, determines what you are.
In the past, anyone trying to reduce their energy consumption will be thought of as poor. Some may try to justify it by saying they want to go green. The companies wont notice any drop in profits. In the past, the power company will find lots of other people will be increasing their consumption because it is so cheap.I too have been guilty of it.In the past, because the tariff was so cheap,I would simply switch on appliances and the gas heater without a thought. The only reason why I will switch off is because i dont like to waste. But now, even though my bills are still very low even after the price rises I still want to decrease it further. Why? Because it gives me enormous satisfaction to use less and decrease the company's profits.For other people, it might be they are forced to do so because of the huge and sudden increases in price over such a short time scale. At first they will find it is a hardship and resent the restriction, but later i think these people will find it a huge empowerment. They will revel in their ability to reduce their costs, while feeling intense satisfaction in being able to hit the power companies where it hurts them most. No sales, means no profits.
Take me for eg, I have not switched on the gas heater this time. Normally it would be on from october and burning gas, even though the weather is really mild. This year things are different. No more automatically switching it on. I have come to question my unthinking habit of doing what i have always done before.I hope many others will be doing the same. Not only in terms of gas or electricity usage, but also in their lives. It gives them a huge feeling of empowerment.
I have taken a hard look at the electrical appliances that litter the flat. The wifi (which enables the laptop to be used anywhere in the flat) had always been switched on 24hrs. That was the first thing to stop.It was using power all the time it is on. 'So I now switch it off when i am not using the laptop. I have always switched my laptop off so no change there.
The mobile phone charger... I have stopped it being plugged on and charging irregardless of whether it is fully charged or not. The mobile phone itself. I used to leave it on even though I dont use it, nor receive any calls from it. Now I switch it off completely and so the power never gets depleted and so I dont have to recharge it so often.
Next, I took a hard look at my landline phone. I was using a wireless receiver which needs recharging everytime i lift it off its base to make or answer calls. That was replaced with an ordinary phone.
As for the fridge, I noticed we hardly store food in there, so I have reduced the setting. I have changed my food habits, hardly using the cold compartment anymore instead using the freezer to freeze unused foods. And bringing out the frozen foods to thaw outside the fridge instead of thawing them in the microwave.
And in the past, I have kept the hall light switched on, (even though all my lights are energy saving bulbs and they dont use much electricity) now I switch them off.
All these measures dont make me feel I am penny pinching. It makes me feel very powerful, that I can change my world when I like.
Added 8.11.09 Inertia is a strong force that can stop us doing things. I have wanted to change my phone tariff from the free local and national calls anytime rate of £10.99 to a off peak rate of £6.99. But never did get round to do it till a cold caller from the company talktalk called me and told me my contract with them had ended and wanting to sell me a new contract, and instead I told her i wanted to change my plan, and so was referred to a contact number. I finally got to change it. I dont use that 24hr free calls much. I got onto it for the free broadband. Now this new plan is cheaper and I still have the free broadband. That £4 savings can more than pay for the calls we make.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
electricity/gas bill 1 aug-31oct08
london
I am posting it as a record so i can compare over the years whether my cost saving measures have borne fruit.
I used 426units (kwh) over 92days costing £61.91
average of 4.6kwh a day
(first 126kwh at 22.799p= £28.73
next 300kwh at 11.059=£33.18)
compare with my last electricity bill (1may-31july)
I used 448kwh over 89days costing £60.96
( first 123kwh at 21.599 pence= £26.57
next 333kwh at 9.860=£32.83)
average 5.0 kwh a day.
it is interesting that electricity bill have no vat.
I wonder what other people's bill is like.
John G in poole told me his electricity bill came to £4.30 a week for 12 weeks.
And his gas bill came to 0.68p a week for 12weeks. He did not give me the tariff.
It looks like his bill is rather similar to mine.
I know our electricity and gas bills are very low. But then, it is because we are both very sensible users and switch off appliances and lights.
And it is not a hardship at all. It helps that we dont have children. Children and young people wastes alot of electricity because they leave things on. Adults can also be wasteful, but at least they can be told off, and hopefully they will learn to switch off.
Added 7.11.09 just got my gas bill today. total £19.32 includes vat.
(I used 8units of gas over 95days, =253.49kwh at 7.259p =£18.40
plus vat 0.92p = £19.32)
compare with the last bill may-july09. total £17.98 include vat.
http://wwwcreatingmylife.blogspot.com/2008/08/gas-and-electric-bills-calculation.html
Added 12.11.09 I woke today with this thought. 'Why am I having the gas boiler on in the bathroom with its pilot gas light on using £20 worth of gas every 3months?' It is only used for hot water to brush teeth with. If I want hot water, i can boil a kettle. so i switched it off and the gas meter is now completely still.
I am posting it as a record so i can compare over the years whether my cost saving measures have borne fruit.
I used 426units (kwh) over 92days costing £61.91
average of 4.6kwh a day
(first 126kwh at 22.799p= £28.73
next 300kwh at 11.059=£33.18)
compare with my last electricity bill (1may-31july)
I used 448kwh over 89days costing £60.96
( first 123kwh at 21.599 pence= £26.57
next 333kwh at 9.860=£32.83)
average 5.0 kwh a day.
it is interesting that electricity bill have no vat.
I wonder what other people's bill is like.
John G in poole told me his electricity bill came to £4.30 a week for 12 weeks.
And his gas bill came to 0.68p a week for 12weeks. He did not give me the tariff.
It looks like his bill is rather similar to mine.
I know our electricity and gas bills are very low. But then, it is because we are both very sensible users and switch off appliances and lights.
And it is not a hardship at all. It helps that we dont have children. Children and young people wastes alot of electricity because they leave things on. Adults can also be wasteful, but at least they can be told off, and hopefully they will learn to switch off.
Added 7.11.09 just got my gas bill today. total £19.32 includes vat.
(I used 8units of gas over 95days, =253.49kwh at 7.259p =£18.40
plus vat 0.92p = £19.32)
compare with the last bill may-july09. total £17.98 include vat.
http://wwwcreatingmylife.blogspot.com/2008/08/gas-and-electric-bills-calculation.html
Added 12.11.09 I woke today with this thought. 'Why am I having the gas boiler on in the bathroom with its pilot gas light on using £20 worth of gas every 3months?' It is only used for hot water to brush teeth with. If I want hot water, i can boil a kettle. so i switched it off and the gas meter is now completely still.
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
the first black president of the united states
london
this is truly a historic moment, when we have the first black president of the USA. It took the mother of all financial crisis to make that happen. Hope that is not going to be the case for another black president in future. i wonder what will make the first woman to be elected as president.
Obama won by 80 states over the 270 he needs. Even so, looking at the map of the election, the mid west and the south of the country is still red.
this is truly a historic moment, when we have the first black president of the USA. It took the mother of all financial crisis to make that happen. Hope that is not going to be the case for another black president in future. i wonder what will make the first woman to be elected as president.
Obama won by 80 states over the 270 he needs. Even so, looking at the map of the election, the mid west and the south of the country is still red.
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