After so many heart aches and complaints, I almost jumped out of my skin on Sunday evening with shock - a good one, that is. The resort is unbelievably clean!!!! I went out for my usual walk and observing the situation on Sunday evening and found the resort compound, corridors etc were sprucely clean. It was such a pleasant sight. After living here for about 4 years, this is the first time I didn't have any complaints. My responsibility is made easier.
When I was in PJ, Zaidi, the supervisor SMS me complaining that the Ascot housekeepers just threw rubbish outside without putting them in plastic bags. His complaints turned into conflicts with them. I have called and talked to Chen, the Manager, to tell her staff not to dump apartment rubbish on the corridor and expect somebody else to collect and dispose them but seemed like it fell on deaf ears.
So, on Friday when I returned to PD, I took my usual walk and was so repelled with the scattered rubbish in front of certain apartments. The next morning I had a face to face meeting with Chen and handed her a note requesting her to check on her housekeepers' work and that the cleaners will pick only rubbish in plastic bags. She sent down her staff immediately and by evening when I walked around, it was clean. I was surprised and prayed it would stay that way forever.
Sunday was a surprise. Usually irresponsible guests would litter the compound, the car park as well as the corridor and walkway. It was hard work to collect and to dispose the mountains of rubbish and the tell-tale chaos would remain by evening and the next day. But this time, everything was pleasantly clean. No wonder I saw Zaidi still walking and checking the compound at 6.30 pm. I guess his army training helps him in his job.
Thank you Zaidi, the cleaners and Chen for your cooperation. I hope in future I don't have any reasons to complaint like before and I don't have to send emails to the Management Council members so often to report the appalling situations.
I hope my compliments to Zaidi, his boss and his staff will be an encouragement and they maintain the good work.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A sick child
Measuring Rania's height yesterday. She lost weight but gained in height. A good obedient girl who didn't fuss when being examined by the doctor. 200112.
I don't like seeing Rania got sick with cough and cold. She just got over one about a month ago and now she is suffering again. She rejected food and milk and looked so skinny - all hands and legs. Ika became impatient sometimes feeding her when she refused to chew and swallow her food and forced her to do so. She forgot that when a person is not well, she will lose appetite. She was more worried that her daughter looked so scrawny and cried when Rania rejected her milk and food once again. Poor Rania.
So yesterday (Friday 20 Jan 2012) Ika took Rania again to see her doctor in Bangsar. As expected, Rania lost weight but gained in height. The diagnose was that Rania has a slight infection on the left side of her lung. So she was put on a course of antibiotics and hope she will get well soon. Today, she is more cheerful and takes her food quite readily.
Rania was good and quiet when the doctor examined her. 200112
For the last few months when Rania, Justin and Ika suffered from flu and cough, I was able to resist it and came out well even though I stayed with them in PJ. But this time, my resistance has weaken a bit and caught cold and sore throat. What I fear most is the cough, for I know the coughing will attack and stay quite some time with me. I hate it because I suffer frrom reflux. I want to do my cataract surgery on the right eye but have to postpone it until I am really well.
Drinking lots of water helps to lessen the sore throat and the dry cough but I go to toilet so often at night. I am lucky for being able to fall off to deep sleep immediately. Only occasionally do I have disturbed sleep and forced to stay awake.
Chinese New Year is tomorrow. I am stiil angry and disgusted to read some Malay-hating mails. Why do the Chinese grudge the Malays so much? Don't they know that they get rich in this Malay country and we don't grudge them?They call the Malays racists but they were the worst racists ever. I can bet you if they have the power they would want to wipe out the Malays as the the Israelis do to the Palestinians and they will become the worst corrupted people on earth. I hate this attitude, 'I can hurt people but I don't want people to hurt me for I am above everyone else.' Disgusting attitude!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Income tax 2
I went to LHDN today and lost my way in spite of GPS. I am hopeless with this modern gadget. On top of that the traffic was horrendous because of CNY. Everybody is doing last minute shopping or going somewhere, I guess. I was on the point of returning home when I received a call from a LHDN officer who said I don't need to come to LHDN because everything is settled and I do have excess payment. The reason stated was that the last officer-in-charge, before he was transferred, didn't key in and checked properly. He apologized. I have not much time to digest this as I was concentrating on finding my way back home but received another blow when he said I still owe over RM4,000.00 from my old closed file. I wanted to scream!!
I thought I had settled all my dues a long, long time ago and I remember how I cried in front of the officers for being betrayed and lied to. Unfortunately at that time, all income tax was combined with husband's and a married woman didn't have her own income tax account. I was one of the unfortunate women who has been manipulated into thinking that everything was good and was well taken care of. I was too trusting and naive. Thank God, now married women are given the identity and privileged of their own account without being an appendix to their husbands.
But a word of caution though, love and trust your husbands but be mindful of your rights and your personal interests, for once you're betrayed it's going to hurt you for life.
l'll wait for the letter of demand from LHDN. Stupid me, I don't know what happened to my old income tax file - misplaced or I have destroyed it. So another lesson to be learned - never destroyed your old personal files, you may need them. Problem may surface some day, like I am experiencing now.
I told myself it doesn't matter anymore. After all it's only money. I can work a bit more to replace the loss but deep in my heart I curse the b@#$%d till the end of my days.
Once trust is given to you, NEVER betray it for betrayal will be the end of any honest relationship.
I thought I had settled all my dues a long, long time ago and I remember how I cried in front of the officers for being betrayed and lied to. Unfortunately at that time, all income tax was combined with husband's and a married woman didn't have her own income tax account. I was one of the unfortunate women who has been manipulated into thinking that everything was good and was well taken care of. I was too trusting and naive. Thank God, now married women are given the identity and privileged of their own account without being an appendix to their husbands.
But a word of caution though, love and trust your husbands but be mindful of your rights and your personal interests, for once you're betrayed it's going to hurt you for life.
l'll wait for the letter of demand from LHDN. Stupid me, I don't know what happened to my old income tax file - misplaced or I have destroyed it. So another lesson to be learned - never destroyed your old personal files, you may need them. Problem may surface some day, like I am experiencing now.
I told myself it doesn't matter anymore. After all it's only money. I can work a bit more to replace the loss but deep in my heart I curse the b@#$%d till the end of my days.
Once trust is given to you, NEVER betray it for betrayal will be the end of any honest relationship.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Income tax
Apa hal income tax ni? I came back to PJ from PD and received a pink letter from LHDN saying I haven't paid RM 651.42 as tunggakan. Macam mana ni? Maz has been doing my income tax and according to my account LHDN owes me some money. Now they say I owe them. It's so confusing. I have been paying my tax faithfully every year. The tunggakan is till 2008. I retired and not earning an income from June 2007. My pension is non-taxable, habis LHDN kata I owe them and sent a warning pink letter pulak tu.
I tell you, news like this can kill a person especially senior citizen with weak heart. It's a shock and upsetting for me. I am under stress. On top of that, to go to LHDN in Damansara Perdana is like going to a foreign country. Kat foreign country pun senang lagi cari jalan. Kat sini boleh gila cari tempat sebab signage tak tentu arah. I haaaaattte this. I curse whoever does this. Kenapa LHDN tak cari towkey kaya yang tipu account dan tak bayar cukai beribu-ribu tu? Sakitnya hati!!!
Tomorrow I am going to see them. I hope the GPS will take me there safely and doesn't cause further stress on me.
Anyway tak guna nak sakit hati pun. Mentimun tak boleh lawan durian.
I tell you, news like this can kill a person especially senior citizen with weak heart. It's a shock and upsetting for me. I am under stress. On top of that, to go to LHDN in Damansara Perdana is like going to a foreign country. Kat foreign country pun senang lagi cari jalan. Kat sini boleh gila cari tempat sebab signage tak tentu arah. I haaaaattte this. I curse whoever does this. Kenapa LHDN tak cari towkey kaya yang tipu account dan tak bayar cukai beribu-ribu tu? Sakitnya hati!!!
Tomorrow I am going to see them. I hope the GPS will take me there safely and doesn't cause further stress on me.
Anyway tak guna nak sakit hati pun. Mentimun tak boleh lawan durian.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Events of early 2012
The emerging 2012 should be a joyous time, looking forward to better days in the year. But in a short period of time so many things happened that didn't promise a glorious year. The cleanliness issue at the resort I live in somewhat resolved but created unhappiness among some people we didn't know. The Management Committee works hard and takes risks to make this place a better resort but unfortunately it was being sabotaged.
One of the apartment owners who owned a few units were not happy when a new parking system was introduced. He blatantly cut the chain of the bar to gain access where he wasn't supposed to be. He has been a pain in the a... for quite a while making difficult for us to impose some regulations in this resort. He acted as if the resort belongs to him and his gangster-like actions have caused us much problem. We would like to avoid legal action and try to persuade him to join the MC so that he understands our problems and work together to make the resort a better place. I approached him but arrogantly turned me down even before I finished talking.
The ho-ha about calling me names has been settled with a new supervisor who works together with his cleaners. I am happy to see the resort is pleasantly clean but come Chinese New Year there will be chaos and disorder again. I am ashamed to be a Malaysians where my countrymen behave like hooligans. Yesterday the supervisor and his man clean the pile of rubbish dumped by guests in front of my block. That area is supposed to be taken care by the Hotel staff but I asked him to clear the debris there. But today, the hotel workers blatantly dumped rubbish and coconut leaves at the same spot again. Instead of cleaning it they turned this spot into a dumping ground. It's such an irresponsible behaviour with a lazy attitude. When I sit at my balcony I hate to see the dump there. I hope the resort manager will talk seriously with the hotel manager whose staff is so irresponsible and lazy.
With the presence of a couple of new members who are action-oriented and assertive in the Council, there is much change but collecting service charges is still a problem. Many apartment owners owe the management thousands of ringgit in arrears. Without money there is very little we can do to upgrade the resort. Most of them are educated and hold prestigious positions but lack moral responsibility.
The security system also is so weak. The vice chairperson of the Council went to Singapore and left her Lamborghini car at the parking spot near her apartment. The next day her maid found the car has been tempered and the back screen was cracked by a stone. The mischief was done in the morning and nobody realized it. Damaging a Kancil like that can be a heart ache, what more when it is a Lamboghini. I feel so sorry and helpless that thing like this can happen during daylight. I hope she doesn't lose hope and ditch the Council. This is so unfortunate.
Finally, I gave up expecting the contractor who renovated my toilet to come and and repair the pipe leakage in my apartment. He got my money and refused to take responsibility of his work. This is a disgusting Malaysian work ethic. So I have to spend over a thousand ringgit to remedy the problem. The Malay repairman informed me also of some not so safe work the contractor did and I got to deal with it one day for safety reason. I felt so heartsick.
Keep on smiling Zuraidah. Life is short. Keep cool !!!
One of the apartment owners who owned a few units were not happy when a new parking system was introduced. He blatantly cut the chain of the bar to gain access where he wasn't supposed to be. He has been a pain in the a... for quite a while making difficult for us to impose some regulations in this resort. He acted as if the resort belongs to him and his gangster-like actions have caused us much problem. We would like to avoid legal action and try to persuade him to join the MC so that he understands our problems and work together to make the resort a better place. I approached him but arrogantly turned me down even before I finished talking.
The ho-ha about calling me names has been settled with a new supervisor who works together with his cleaners. I am happy to see the resort is pleasantly clean but come Chinese New Year there will be chaos and disorder again. I am ashamed to be a Malaysians where my countrymen behave like hooligans. Yesterday the supervisor and his man clean the pile of rubbish dumped by guests in front of my block. That area is supposed to be taken care by the Hotel staff but I asked him to clear the debris there. But today, the hotel workers blatantly dumped rubbish and coconut leaves at the same spot again. Instead of cleaning it they turned this spot into a dumping ground. It's such an irresponsible behaviour with a lazy attitude. When I sit at my balcony I hate to see the dump there. I hope the resort manager will talk seriously with the hotel manager whose staff is so irresponsible and lazy.
With the presence of a couple of new members who are action-oriented and assertive in the Council, there is much change but collecting service charges is still a problem. Many apartment owners owe the management thousands of ringgit in arrears. Without money there is very little we can do to upgrade the resort. Most of them are educated and hold prestigious positions but lack moral responsibility.
The security system also is so weak. The vice chairperson of the Council went to Singapore and left her Lamborghini car at the parking spot near her apartment. The next day her maid found the car has been tempered and the back screen was cracked by a stone. The mischief was done in the morning and nobody realized it. Damaging a Kancil like that can be a heart ache, what more when it is a Lamboghini. I feel so sorry and helpless that thing like this can happen during daylight. I hope she doesn't lose hope and ditch the Council. This is so unfortunate.
Finally, I gave up expecting the contractor who renovated my toilet to come and and repair the pipe leakage in my apartment. He got my money and refused to take responsibility of his work. This is a disgusting Malaysian work ethic. So I have to spend over a thousand ringgit to remedy the problem. The Malay repairman informed me also of some not so safe work the contractor did and I got to deal with it one day for safety reason. I felt so heartsick.
Keep on smiling Zuraidah. Life is short. Keep cool !!!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Indonesaian books
I took an opportunity to visit a bookstore in Pekanbaru, Indonesia during my last visit on 24-27 Dec 2011. I wanted to get book written by local indonesian as well as a book translated from English to Indonesian. Though the bookstore at Matahari Mall is small, I managed to get what I wanted. But I would like to see more academic books on psychology and counselling as a well as any books on the helping professions. Maybe I'll get this opportunity when I go to big cities like Jakarta if I go there again someday.
It is almost impossible for any Malay books from Malaysia to penetrate the Indonesian market, which is quite a pity. We could share a lot of knowledge and compare similarities and differences in our writing style, use of language, spelling etc.
I bought a book written by two teachers about their students' psychological, social and emotional issues. They are similar with what teachers are facing in our country. The writing style is simple and easy to read but they used a lot of Indonesianized English words. Though we used a lot of Malaysianized English words we tried to use Malay words or terms as much as possible. La Tahzan for Teachers by Irmayanti and Gita Lovusa is published by Lingkar Pena. Though the quality of paper is not very good, the book makes interesting reading and I do recommend teachers and parents to read it if they can get hold of it. The authors attempted to make analysis based on psychology theory on the cases presented.
Since I am trained in translation from English to Malay and had translated English book and articles, I was interested to read a translated English book in Indonesian language. I bought Hidup Optimal dengan Skizofrenia by Roberta Themes, Ph.d. For people who are really familiar with only Malay language will find difficult to understand the book. For Malay and English speakers understanding is not a problem but may take time to translate back the words into English. Quoting afew examples are pesakit/patient is used as pasien, psikiatris is psikiater, medical profesional is professional medis etc. I find thet they use a lot of English words which are spelt in Indoneisan. Sometimes I feel so strange reading in my familiar language, interwoven with Indonesianized English words. I bet for those who don't understand English will find it harder to understand the book. To me this is an easy way out to translate - pollute the original languaue. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka is quite careful about translating English words to Malay. Englishnized translation is used only if there is no suitable word to suit the meaning. I think this is the best way so that the words we have in our language are not forgotten or repalaced by English words.
On top of that, there are so many spellings and terminology which are different in Malay. For example Kelompok Rekan is Peer Group whereas it is Kelompok Rakan (or Rakan Sebaya) in Malay, Komunitas Pendukung for Support Group which is translated in Malay as Kelompok Sokongan Komuniti. To me, I really have to take time to read and to translate back to English in irder to understand what is being translated In Indonesian language. There are still some terms that I failed to figure out.
As a whole both books are good for light reading and also for references.
It is almost impossible for any Malay books from Malaysia to penetrate the Indonesian market, which is quite a pity. We could share a lot of knowledge and compare similarities and differences in our writing style, use of language, spelling etc.
I bought a book written by two teachers about their students' psychological, social and emotional issues. They are similar with what teachers are facing in our country. The writing style is simple and easy to read but they used a lot of Indonesianized English words. Though we used a lot of Malaysianized English words we tried to use Malay words or terms as much as possible. La Tahzan for Teachers by Irmayanti and Gita Lovusa is published by Lingkar Pena. Though the quality of paper is not very good, the book makes interesting reading and I do recommend teachers and parents to read it if they can get hold of it. The authors attempted to make analysis based on psychology theory on the cases presented.
Since I am trained in translation from English to Malay and had translated English book and articles, I was interested to read a translated English book in Indonesian language. I bought Hidup Optimal dengan Skizofrenia by Roberta Themes, Ph.d. For people who are really familiar with only Malay language will find difficult to understand the book. For Malay and English speakers understanding is not a problem but may take time to translate back the words into English. Quoting afew examples are pesakit/patient is used as pasien, psikiatris is psikiater, medical profesional is professional medis etc. I find thet they use a lot of English words which are spelt in Indoneisan. Sometimes I feel so strange reading in my familiar language, interwoven with Indonesianized English words. I bet for those who don't understand English will find it harder to understand the book. To me this is an easy way out to translate - pollute the original languaue. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka is quite careful about translating English words to Malay. Englishnized translation is used only if there is no suitable word to suit the meaning. I think this is the best way so that the words we have in our language are not forgotten or repalaced by English words.
On top of that, there are so many spellings and terminology which are different in Malay. For example Kelompok Rekan is Peer Group whereas it is Kelompok Rakan (or Rakan Sebaya) in Malay, Komunitas Pendukung for Support Group which is translated in Malay as Kelompok Sokongan Komuniti. To me, I really have to take time to read and to translate back to English in irder to understand what is being translated In Indonesian language. There are still some terms that I failed to figure out.
As a whole both books are good for light reading and also for references.
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