tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35792947848407628002024-03-22T10:41:37.114+08:00MCWK on Blogspot.comMusings and light-hearted tales of my hobbies (photography, cars) and anything else that warrants mention....Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.comBlogger307125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-85464090152899730902023-08-24T17:50:00.005+08:002023-08-24T18:41:06.340+08:00150,000km Preventive Maintenance Service @ GS Tay Honda Muar<p>It's been awhile since my last such posting. Just because I don't write about it doesn't mean I don't do my preventive maintenance service at regular intervals (in the case of my Honda Civic FD2A, it's every 5000km).</p><p>Covid-19 was relegated to the history books and "has been" memory (though there are micro-cluster outbreaks from time to time, so too early to completely let down your guard). Thus, since the beginning of the year, I've been busy on business travel quite frequently, now that international borders are all opened up. Thus, haven't had much time to drive around, so interval between preventive maintenance services have become even longer.</p><p>I usually called up and made an appointment in advance, as opposed to just turning up and trying my luck. Given that it took me around 1 hour to drive from my home to the service center, confirming the slot is very important to avoid 2 hours of lost time (remember, the journey back also takes 1 hour).</p><p>Recently, GS Tay Honda Muar started using WhatsApp to send reminders, as well as take service appointments. Thus, for this service, let's give this new system a try. As I arrived in the morning at 9.00am (give or take a few minutes), it was a lucky thing that I did make an appointment. It was quite packed today, as there was already a queue of cars lined up to the reception area at the entrance / exit of the maintenance building. In previous times, I parked along the road nearby and walked over to register, but then they always asked me to drive in, so this time I just went directly there. After a quick check on the checklist to confirm my car was registered for an appointment, the staff on duty checked out my car and I proceeded to the waiting area after signing off the "Walkaround and Diagnosis Sheet".</p><p>Besides the regular preventive maintenance, need to take care of a rather peculiar issue with my exhaust. When coming to a complete stop in D, the exhaust may start to give off a continuous rasping note, like a loose floorboard. Also happens when completely stopped in R, as when parking. It's not just noise - sometimes, the engine seems to vibrate as well, as though the exhaust is blocked. As soon as I shift into N, the vibration stops, and idling is smooth once more. Driving long-distance or hard (as in Italian tune-up) does not remedy this. My guess is could be related to the ignition system (plugs, coil) or sensor, hopefully nothing major.</p><p>The waiting area was, unsurprisingly, full, as out of the 11 seats, there were only 4 empty spaces. Truth be told, there were more unoccupied seats, but with bags and belongings of the adjacent person. And there were usually more at the showroom area, though those are normally used for discussions between the staff and prospective buyers. I found myself a seat and waited patiently, started to key in some note for this blog post to pass the time.</p><p>A quick glance at my surroundings. Majority of the folks were reading (good habit) on their personal electronic devices (handphone). One gentleman to my left was "old school" and was reading the newspaper (printed on paper). Just some annoying guys who were watching some video with audio on the speakerphone. But only for a short while, then back to the usual ambient background noise. I was the only one typing away on a laptop, so I'm also somewhat of "old school" myself. There was one other lady, which I guess was a teacher, who was busy marking a stack of papers. While waiting, I did witness 2 new owners collecting their new car, taking photos with the Honda Sales advisor and their new ride. One was a CRV, the other one not so sure (too many SUV's these days, all start to look the same to me).</p><p>After around 45mins, the staff called me up and ran through the cost estimate - always a good practice to avoid any nasty surprises. Besides the usual oil / filter change, today they would be doing some engine flush / aircon condenser cleaning / tire check. I normally don't skimp on preventive maintenance, which I consider as vital to avoid unexpected and even more expensive repairs in future, so I agreed with their proposal. Only concern for me is how long it would take....</p><p>Halfway through, the Honda staff called me up and advised to change the front brake pads (which were quite worn out), battery (which I can confirm is getting old as having some problem to start in the mornings) as well as aircon filter (close to the point of disintegration). I knew of all the above so they were not just pulling my leg. From experience, I know that the price of parts here were comparable to outside, just the labour cost will be higher than the generic workshop outside.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUzp_6jSlloIu87D814b1rTuF3UCApP3t3-wyWz02tNiG3dpSVus1I1rsrp65zP2e4xaHqTEKx-7cj6Tq7c8eJ7ozgCHW-Ics-qYOvtxX5PfS4fL41zjnkBzwq4-kfpsTynK9eINoXxilqBMLZM-zwOTWOaDiNsStU6FooTyfOSg8JuMBCVtG_dZwL3k/s3013/File_000%20(2).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3013" data-original-width="3013" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUzp_6jSlloIu87D814b1rTuF3UCApP3t3-wyWz02tNiG3dpSVus1I1rsrp65zP2e4xaHqTEKx-7cj6Tq7c8eJ7ozgCHW-Ics-qYOvtxX5PfS4fL41zjnkBzwq4-kfpsTynK9eINoXxilqBMLZM-zwOTWOaDiNsStU6FooTyfOSg8JuMBCVtG_dZwL3k/s320/File_000%20(2).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>At the end of the day, they did put the balance of 0W-30 Honda Fully Synthetic oil and the old aircon filter in the front passenger seat. I did ask them if they managed to resolve my exhaust issue - the good news is that they figured out it was related to the positioning of the pipe / resonators (if I understand the explanation correctly), but due to lack of time, they could not take care of it today. So, I guess I will have to get it done during my next preventive maintenance service at 155,000km. Which, from experience, could be 1 year later.... 😅</p><p>On the way back, to my pleasant surprise, seems to be some form of reverse-Schrodinger's Cat phenomenon - after checking the exhaust, seems there is much less sound / vibration when stopped in D / R. Didn't completely go away, but very much tuned down the noise level. Well, hope it stays this way until the permanent remedy! 🤞</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW76tjQ4hh25nT16xmOQecSi6kFmMuCmeW2PBeX17OBuZdYD4hQy9hJz7qBKdq8Ntr2uNeuwiuTErnYX_9U9wgjUYgN1laxaNPHaAI2nwHXgwRF45jlZPfDuPc7hlMjoSbWGtzG51MxRQb7phS9muVi6kIllyHMhtAUN9g8SrNrq1Q1dyj5immkqxhXk/s2779/File_000.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2779" data-original-width="2779" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW76tjQ4hh25nT16xmOQecSi6kFmMuCmeW2PBeX17OBuZdYD4hQy9hJz7qBKdq8Ntr2uNeuwiuTErnYX_9U9wgjUYgN1laxaNPHaAI2nwHXgwRF45jlZPfDuPc7hlMjoSbWGtzG51MxRQb7phS9muVi6kIllyHMhtAUN9g8SrNrq1Q1dyj5immkqxhXk/s320/File_000.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>All in all, another good experience sending my car here for service. Not sure if the staff are the same, but here the courtesy and pleasant nature of the staff has been consistent through the many years. This is what basically keeps me coming back here, even though it's roughly 1 hour (one way) from where I live. Well, until the next service then...!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-7863486306061441422023-08-20T00:03:00.006+08:002023-08-22T09:27:51.430+08:00HOPe & Fun 2.0 Charity Carnival day at Dewan MPHTJ Bukit Beruang - 19 Aug 2023 [DONE]<p>Seems that these are difficult times indeed - there seem to be quite a few charity events lately. Just a month after the <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2023/07/fund-raising-carnival-at-st-david-high.html">Fund-raising Carnival</a> at my old high school (St David High School), today there was the HOPe & Fun 2.0 Charity Carnival organized by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/agapecaremlk/">Agapecare Society</a> of Melaka, held at the Dewan MPHTJ Bukit Beruang.</p><p>H.O.P.e. by the way it is written, stands for "<u><b>H</b></u>elp <u><b>O</b></u>ther <b><u>P</u></b>eople <b><u>e</u></b>vent", and is the 2nd such event organized by the Agapecare Society, hence the 2.0. The first fund-raiser was held way, way, way back in 2006! Almost 20 years ago! 😲</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXVrAR0kQKmM65nXBivGiTwpOtlw4pT4iz0fJJQokRQpr585qE8x9qWaeoZt3qz-0W9JAuKNMwaziwhiKGo7omDeGloMb0XBS-gOjH722loThmdQQzAT4V7HDjE5fgBlx9xWMJEHZcyIRjeX24nF9VUDExbMzBlDc7Bg8YcNjxtFzgs8KRWYNvqAyzA4/s2000/352088185_740724381124523_8549605400550843509_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXVrAR0kQKmM65nXBivGiTwpOtlw4pT4iz0fJJQokRQpr585qE8x9qWaeoZt3qz-0W9JAuKNMwaziwhiKGo7omDeGloMb0XBS-gOjH722loThmdQQzAT4V7HDjE5fgBlx9xWMJEHZcyIRjeX24nF9VUDExbMzBlDc7Bg8YcNjxtFzgs8KRWYNvqAyzA4/w281-h400/352088185_740724381124523_8549605400550843509_n.png" width="281" /></a></div><br /><p>My family and I have a habit of going early, so we arrived roughly half an hour after the official start of the event at 10am. Public Service Announcement - even though it was a Saturday, currently free "weekend" parking was only given on Monday's and Tuesday's. That's right - for Saturday and Sunday, you still need to pay for parking either using the scratch coupons or SVP Smart Parking app (which seems to work reasonably well). There were parking bays in the hall area, however, they were reserved for the volunteers, so we parked outside along the row of shops nearby. Wanted to stay for up to 2 hours though (foreshadowing what was coming), things didn't quite go exactly as planned.</p><p>There were a couple of food trucks open for business just outside the Dewan MPHTJ Bukit Beruang - the one that caught our attention was the one from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cowrasa_/">Cowrasa</a> - selling milk, yogurt and ice cream! 😋</p><p>Going into the hall, noted a counter from Oriental hospital offering free basic health check and an assortment of pre-loved (fancy way of saying used / 2nd hand) clothes, books and other stuff for sale. Just like the recent carnival at St David, all transactions were via coupon / voucher, which we had also bought earlier to avoid wasting time in the queue. Even the stuff for sale AND food trucks were accepting only coupons as payment. Notably there was no queue today, so looks like many other people also followed suit. There were some tables and benches set up in the hall where we could sit down to eat. A few row of chairs were also arranged in front of the raised stage, where there were some dance and song performances by students and also senior citizens. The old folk were quite good, playing renditions of classic "oldies" like "young ones" by Cliff Richards as well as lagu keronchong melayu & baba nyonya on their guitars, ukulele, tambourine and beatbox.</p><p>The stalls outside boasted a small but highly varied selection of food and drinks, cookies, even one selling fresh satay. There were also some games booths and one selling potted plants as well. There was more space to stand under the tents, so was not so congested, though the crowd was not as large as the one at the St David event. Again, I was in "full emersion mode" so did not take any photos - need to kick back into blogger mode if I'm going to be writing posts such as this in the future.... 😅</p><p>First round of food (I purposely did not eat breakfast at home so that I could maximize food intake here) for me was some Nasi Lemak from Jasin, Siew Pau, fruit tarts. As we had time, walked around some more, and bumped into my ex-high school mate and ex-colleague. One hour into our arrival, the sky darkened, and it started drizzling. As time went on, it got heavier until it became a downpour. Fortunately, there was ample space in the hall for everyone to seek refuge from the unforgiving weather. We just found ourselves a bench near the stage and continued to watch some of the performances.</p><p>One thing to note - this hall was set up for badminton, so the lighting was arranged to evenly light up the center of the hall where the courts were. The stage was, however, practically unlit, so this did serious injustice to the performers, who were literally singing and dancing in the dark. Not sure if it was because the organizers did not turn on the stage lights, or just that there were none to begin with....</p><p>A quick time check - our 2 hours were up but there was no sign of the rain abating. It did ease off, though was still not possible for us to make it back to our car (lesson learned for future outings - do bring umbrella). So, with the last of our coupons, we bought a sizeable haul of milk and ice cream from the Cowrasa food court. Ice cream had to be consumed on the spot, and so happened by the time we finished, the rain had become a drizzle and we had our chance to leave after passing our unspent coupons off to someone.</p><p>Well, all in all, for a good cause, and although organized by Agapecare Society, there were no religious elements in this event so all were welcome to join and participate. If there were one thing I feel they could have improved - it was on the publicity. If it weren't for the fact that I knew someone from the organizing team, I would never have known about this event. A pity as all in all was a good effort and successful charity / fund-raiser in my humble opinion. Also a chance for us to give back to society and enjoy some quality family time together! 😀</p><p> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0Multi Purpose Hall, Taman Kerjasama, 75450 Bukit Beruang, Melaka, Malaysia2.2430889 102.27244612.2420168385875705 102.27137321639404 2.2441609614124296 102.27351898360595tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-42173707403352472352023-08-12T16:48:00.005+08:002023-08-13T20:45:20.033+08:001995 Toyota Prado Land Cruiser J70 / L79 (modified for off-road use) for SALE<p>By now, regular visitors to this site will know that I'm a long-term (perhaps for life) member of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/341808704098893">Puma 4x4 Club Malaysia</a>. A legal (as in registered with the Registrar of Societies Malaysia, registration number 1057-05-8) club of 4x4 enthusiasts and avid-nature / camping lovers. Many members sign up their spouse, family and friends, so not everyone owns or drives a 4x4 (which is meant to go off-road and into the wilderness, not like those Honda CRV, Proton X70 SUV's). Of course, not every adventure is a hardcore crawl through mud and rocks - most of the time, trips are relatively family friendly, though camping in the woods does mean basic facilities like toilets and such are done "one with nature" style.... 😀</p><p>There are 2 ways to get into this - one is to get yourself a nice (preferably used) 4x4 and upgrade / modify it as needed, or get a seasoned one that has already gone through some experience. For the latter, today might just be your lucky day. Long story short, the club just happen to have a modified 1995 Toyota Prado Land Cruiser L79 Model for sale. This is one generation earlier than my J90 Prado, which frankly, I have never actually brought into the woods myself.</p><p>Back to the L79 - it's a 2.8 inline 4 diesel. It's modified for functionality, having a winch up front which is useful for pulling others (and occasionally yourself) out of tight spots. The car is currently parked somewhere in Melaka for viewing of prospective buyers. I'm not familiar with this car, so don't ask me any questions about what's it like to drive, everything working or not - just posting here to help the club advertise. In case anyone is interested to view / enquire about the price, please call up KC Ang at 01 Seven 989161 Nine. As of today, the listed price on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/341808704098893/posts/815158643430561/?__cft__[0]=AZW-_rRqVOptZlmgqRUCxZRqD9qZo1ffL3tWFFAM68thDRbyzv-lKPscvGFYxFOujM4H5QU6oEnNsUVXI8NxoUjEn-bLz9uoK5NcbVR080QCRiNG25GlmKHs-ZGKg26w3WtU6npNKTS1mheLtjKBqfGk7LyulLhIvMcRywNmMrGpI628ndZQj6hBh-2QLOUdUXN1tlo61JAx7jRYcF-Zwq8H&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R">Facebook</a> is RM35,000 though it may change without notice in the future. It's more than the stock model, so the price is for the upgrades / modifications. Don't take my word for it - do check it out yourself if you are interested or you know anyone who might be.</p><p>Well, if you are interested to get into this 4x4, do consider signing up as a member and perhaps we can meet up face-2-face someday in the middle of the jungle...! 😂</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5KmqKKlSUJeiNM4itbTjOb3BztBNoqgzvEKHx1jgycUh3Hw-d-qd3gU3zRRL00QFzT2fQm7qAuzTSWDdaAs-cdrJ20OQCc5piA9-r7q9Jy-NurNGxT6IMNhPQDZYIDHsTg0sHFUCiv8zK4HnWjmPLc-oY1AU1pd8KgP2g7ED0Nzp8pJDav4guDHmB6o/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-11%20at%2019.52.47.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5KmqKKlSUJeiNM4itbTjOb3BztBNoqgzvEKHx1jgycUh3Hw-d-qd3gU3zRRL00QFzT2fQm7qAuzTSWDdaAs-cdrJ20OQCc5piA9-r7q9Jy-NurNGxT6IMNhPQDZYIDHsTg0sHFUCiv8zK4HnWjmPLc-oY1AU1pd8KgP2g7ED0Nzp8pJDav4guDHmB6o/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-08-11%20at%2019.52.47.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-77828626731215899362023-08-12T15:28:00.005+08:002023-08-20T00:06:16.733+08:00Patching a leaking tire at Ee Henn Trading, Taman Melaka BaruThe Toyota brand runs strong in my family (even before counting those rebadged Toyotas by our "2nd Local Automobile Manufacturer"). Due to some complicated storyline best delivered over a round of beer, latest one coming under my wing is a 1st Gen Toyota Fortuner. As I'm not particularly obsessed about SUV's, can only say a Google search identifies this one as an AN50 AN60 model. Though I could not really find what is the difference between the AN50 and AN60 - if anyone have any clue, do drop a comment below....<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTTIG1aAKCPeiNUs0cci6Mzta1rPoVfEXQBTSjRSnAG_I_fajkkxaguw-E-2jRcxVzMK4f7JGkhDO0bVOOPAgefkndWDc-ezA0u3qy3W0H6quU6FA9lz02-qr9IOU_yPMUUUJjpPRBSn-bo_gVMkSjE6R8PO5qQ_rA5arRzvmqq7HBHsD3Vo4PGUfYKk/s640/flat-tire-6660469_640%20_%20Watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTTIG1aAKCPeiNUs0cci6Mzta1rPoVfEXQBTSjRSnAG_I_fajkkxaguw-E-2jRcxVzMK4f7JGkhDO0bVOOPAgefkndWDc-ezA0u3qy3W0H6quU6FA9lz02-qr9IOU_yPMUUUJjpPRBSn-bo_gVMkSjE6R8PO5qQ_rA5arRzvmqq7HBHsD3Vo4PGUfYKk/s320/flat-tire-6660469_640%20_%20Watermark.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Exaggerated stock photo for illustration purposes only - not my actual car....</i> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Anyway, recently I came to notice that the front right tire was slowly but surely deflating over a short period of time. Specifically, in just less than 1 week, the tire pressure can drop from 220kPa to 160kPa. Public service announcement here - there is no real way to tell visually if your tires are under-inflated, even those "normal" tires (not run-flat). Unnoticeable if any differences in handling, at least at low, city-driving speeds. Wouldn't want to risk evaluating on the highway.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I always had in my mind (far, far in the back of my mind) to get it fixed. However, the combination of genuinely busy work schedule plus worry about the time it might take to get it fixed meant that I had put off the repair for several weeks now. So, the routine was to head to the nearest petrol station every week to "top-up" air. Occasionally, I have used a portable cigarette-lighter-powered air pump to fill up - however, that takes a very, very long time and is quite noisy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, today, after running some errands in town, decided to bite the bullet and get it done once and for all. At the advice of my wife, who had a recent positive experience, we stopped by Ee Henn Trading (the actual name of the tire shop) at Taman Melaka Baru, Batu Berendam.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEanTu8dKgfxIy-zwLdIDu6B9Nx1kwsi8nHyMdQsAimFy7Ypqm1MBN2f7S13uQXBcxf6V29Ta0As6kg-ixaKhsTmV-VQP0up-mG449OmnmKE4Pu8E5y1m64TvY8ECFfbUOdHowpUM9RCt-N0Z8OPpw2cxH6xooka99lz_YloEoQgByx5o12n1XBY6o540/s768/EeHennTrading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="768" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEanTu8dKgfxIy-zwLdIDu6B9Nx1kwsi8nHyMdQsAimFy7Ypqm1MBN2f7S13uQXBcxf6V29Ta0As6kg-ixaKhsTmV-VQP0up-mG449OmnmKE4Pu8E5y1m64TvY8ECFfbUOdHowpUM9RCt-N0Z8OPpw2cxH6xooka99lz_YloEoQgByx5o12n1XBY6o540/s320/EeHennTrading.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ee Henn Trading, right at the traffic lights next to the Hong Leong Bank</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Upon arrival, found there was just 1 car in-progress, and the boss was casually seated at the shop entrance. After alighting and giving a brief problem description, he got straight to work on my car. He jacked up the car on the right side, in order to remove the tire - since it was a "real" 4x4 (not like those pseudo city SUV's that were never meant to go off-road), the suspension had quite a lot of travel so it had to be jacked up quite high until the tire was completely off the ground. Once that was done, the tire was removed and inflated before submerging into the water tank, in order to trace the puncture. Sure enough eventually he managed to find the culprit - a really small nail roughly 2cm long and perhaps no more than 2mm in diameter. That would explain why the air loss was so slow....</div><div><br /></div><div>Having removed the nail, he then proceeded to patch up the spot with the tire patch kit, and in no time, the tire was fixed. All in all, it took roughly 15mins (to be fair, practically no queue) and cost RM10 - a fair price to pay in my humble opinion. Definitely a good experience here, and will come again in future.</div><div><br /></div><div>And - now I don't have to worry any more about my weekly tire inflation routine! 😀</div><div><br /></div><div>In this case, I gauged the risk to be low since I did not travel long distance or at high speed, and fortunately, nothing happened to my Fortuner. Of course, my advice is to always get your car fixed up as soon as you can, even though it may appear a small or benign matter, as until then, the risk and dealing with the consequences rest entirely on your own shoulders.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0Lot BB-371A & B, Taman Melaka Baru, 75350 Batu Berendam, Melaka, Malaysia2.2393943 102.25911272.2392602919724243 102.25897858954926 2.2395283080275754 102.25924681045075tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-89235610080222256552023-08-11T15:54:00.003+08:002023-09-08T17:47:44.042+08:00Upcoming Blood Donation Campaign @ Mahkota Parade, Melaka - 26 Aug 2023 [DONE]<p>Attention everyone! There's an upcoming blood donation drive @ Mahkota Parade, Melaka, on the 26 of August 2023 (Saturday). Jointly organized by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LionsClubsInternationalD308B1Malaysia">Lions International District 308B1 Malaysia</a> (not to be confused with the Lion Group, which is a totally different entity altogether) and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/341808704098893">Puma 4x4 Malaysia Club</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVLLiARkAzQcBd_VqzB1zyjSg-3-FzW9UrCuYUfoMtg89YIIaoWEsE0nEQ1eVkm_xJd-pT2HxDMp_pYo5gjp8bH-TmNCmNixo6iQgGxqtbEXvakEtDnJJ-9noNt2J9aonIzafLot638AOVYktRVAsR-USMgB9aKU32vD0ZqBZHmYGFkkKP5ON85Z55CQ/s1600/Blood%20Donation.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1131" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVLLiARkAzQcBd_VqzB1zyjSg-3-FzW9UrCuYUfoMtg89YIIaoWEsE0nEQ1eVkm_xJd-pT2HxDMp_pYo5gjp8bH-TmNCmNixo6iQgGxqtbEXvakEtDnJJ-9noNt2J9aonIzafLot638AOVYktRVAsR-USMgB9aKU32vD0ZqBZHmYGFkkKP5ON85Z55CQ/w283-h400/Blood%20Donation.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><p>Whether you are able and a regular blood, or interested to start, do drop by from 10am to 5pm. And help to spread the word to your family, friends and colleagues!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-88929454688679534482023-08-09T22:09:00.003+08:002023-08-12T22:17:15.301+08:00Dinner at Handmade Signature, MelakaIt's been some time since I've gone out around Melaka looking for something special for dinner. So happens that a friendly colleague from Ipoh was in town, so decided to re-visit Handmade Signature.<div><br /></div><div>It was a Wednesday, so usually there were less people going out to town to dinner. Then again, because of that, there were some restaurants and cafes that chose not to open, thus having dinner outside took a combination of planning, searching and a little bit of bloomin' luck to pull through.</div><div><br /></div><div>From the outside, it was easy to miss at first. In fact, that's exactly what happened to me, so I had to circle around for another pass and drive SLOWLY the second time just to be sure I didn't miss it again.</div><div><br /></div><div>For whatever reason, did not make any booking for this occasion, so just drove there straight after work. Fortunately, we arrived early, so we could secure a nice table (later as the evening progressed, the place did start to get a little packed, so it was good that we were ahead of the crowd).</div><div><br /></div><div>Having a look at the menu, decided to go for something I believe I had never tried before. Short description on the menu was "Salmon" and the full text read "Pan seared salmon served with sautéed baby romaine and honey baked ham; king oyster mushroom, cauliflower purée and balsamic reduction".</div><div><br /></div><div>When the dish finally arrived, was somewhat not surprised to find it was smaller than I had hoped for. Fortunately, we also ordered a pizza to share between us. Otherwise, would still be hungry.</div><div><br /></div>
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<div><br /></div><div>The plate above was a regular sized plate, so you can imagine why I feel the food-to-plate size ratio is approaching fine-dining proportions. Not sure if this has always been the same, but next time I'm here, will try something else other than the "main course" part of the menu....</div><div><br /></div><div>Handmade signature was still a good choice for those special group events such as birthday parties and other celebrations. Just be aware of what you're ordering and be prepared to pay more for sufficient food unless you have a group of light eaters.... 😅</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-36077106435812835772023-07-22T16:40:00.003+08:002023-08-22T09:27:03.171+08:00Fund-raising Carnival at St David High School Melaka - 22 Jul 2023 [DONE]There's a phrase in Malay, "<i>Seperti Kacang Melupakan Kulit</i>", which literally means, like a peanut forgetting its shell. In the context of my secondary school education, proud to say this does not apply! <div><br /></div><div>When I first found out about the (then) upcoming fundraising carnival to be held in St David High School, happy to find the responses from my fellow ex-schoolmates in our Whatsapp chat group. To be frank, there were only SOME of us who actively voiced their wish to join, and in the end only SOME actually did turn up (both on time and late).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHR4f1QjYPoc6fTC2soV1_l0N8Z4lWn7LxC1H6bFQGqPa_MOBiP5t9ym5OuhRc6t_5EUbfGTZKuqUBRYOLpFCAhxgZo-eDPq6Qkhj9DqYARy2fep4uorC2KOQItOJMqqCbFahc2KRgvdBErvn0eSohm6COyjzim9-q4r88EuAErfw7FZ7uVY1X4jv0vo4/s960/349309191_190980030115748_5019373416196164130_n%20-%20St%20David%20Carnival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="690" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHR4f1QjYPoc6fTC2soV1_l0N8Z4lWn7LxC1H6bFQGqPa_MOBiP5t9ym5OuhRc6t_5EUbfGTZKuqUBRYOLpFCAhxgZo-eDPq6Qkhj9DqYARy2fep4uorC2KOQItOJMqqCbFahc2KRgvdBErvn0eSohm6COyjzim9-q4r88EuAErfw7FZ7uVY1X4jv0vo4/w288-h400/349309191_190980030115748_5019373416196164130_n%20-%20St%20David%20Carnival.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div>The link to the event's Facebook page is <<a href="https://www.facebook.com/100069929228715/posts/pfbid037joLA5ssQRxdSGfSsYzb2szCQLnyHNd4f156ND5CrpBB1yZ1NbQ11qJmUQ2Trbrpl/?d=w&mibextid=qC1gEa">HERE</a>> </div><div><br /></div><div>I knew traffic would be bad, and available parking extremely limited - nothing changed since those days.... Sort of reminds me of the situation at Infineon on a rainy day.... My family and I arrived shortly before 9am, but by then it was already very crowded, with many students participating in the carnival as well as manning the counters and food stalls. Also on active duty were the teachers, but not from my time as those who had taught us earlier were all retired (yes, I know I'm THAT old already).</div><div><br /></div><div>As with most events these days, in order to ensure good fund management, all transactions were in the form of cash vouchers that could either be purchased beforehand or during the event itself at the appropriate counter. Very fortunately, I had purchased earlier, as there was a very, very long queue at the counter during that day.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F9i9NXIs6CBuGeZRIkjGcuoGjDLL9YHSGfVa6YyMPhmtEaS-gV9pkGf4Rx6Xv2ZMG0_BYb66Om8WUO39ikwUvOxMfAza6Oafdu-aPkXl05FAUxzykn5-HOTY5xifKufWSqgYRb9pPiAiEPMiKZexeujEIIvvYQ-ZxvstzSm5rZeo3GB1obVP8FHKhI4/s1280/a16cdcd3-8d78-48e0-b953-9f54d880bf10%20-%20assembly%20area.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F9i9NXIs6CBuGeZRIkjGcuoGjDLL9YHSGfVa6YyMPhmtEaS-gV9pkGf4Rx6Xv2ZMG0_BYb66Om8WUO39ikwUvOxMfAza6Oafdu-aPkXl05FAUxzykn5-HOTY5xifKufWSqgYRb9pPiAiEPMiKZexeujEIIvvYQ-ZxvstzSm5rZeo3GB1obVP8FHKhI4/s320/a16cdcd3-8d78-48e0-b953-9f54d880bf10%20-%20assembly%20area.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Right inside the entrance, there was a fire truck parked there on display, though it was gone before noon. Possibly some emergency calls.... The assembly area which was open-air during our time, was now fully covered with a high roof. There were several counters there, and highlight on display were the electric vehicles (EV's) from Volvo. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW145bCSyhqb7qD5uIeT2DMFcHecq9ZW48fb9eRWpm4KUjF_7_owjhWTZCoB_kk3TDo13oGxRvE5_FBPFk-MaQpaIJ_jYfGki4y1wbZGN83mO6sF2bL7Ed4v4ZC17QW_hQmh31G2hReD6GDLZQR5l8DxNZpkEsRuLHtenF5tA2KLtO5gsjJa1IYZdg9lw/s1280/25724703-dfef-481b-a3d2-275161b2af09%20-%20Volvo%20EV.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW145bCSyhqb7qD5uIeT2DMFcHecq9ZW48fb9eRWpm4KUjF_7_owjhWTZCoB_kk3TDo13oGxRvE5_FBPFk-MaQpaIJ_jYfGki4y1wbZGN83mO6sF2bL7Ed4v4ZC17QW_hQmh31G2hReD6GDLZQR5l8DxNZpkEsRuLHtenF5tA2KLtO5gsjJa1IYZdg9lw/s320/25724703-dfef-481b-a3d2-275161b2af09%20-%20Volvo%20EV.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The school hall where we had several memorable events back in the day (including our stage performances and debates) was used for jumble sales. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjzASkXozdI5PyA-yvqjRbHjCeuBa6GNJBSEYpdOjy3v2WLk_fFNY0FU4a9ades9xtrsgVQF0vwc4_72iMR3YJnEbi5Ot0_AjSjU9ySFTyaBaLzzg5VVRmbRm7xfZAblCHDaMTg0LiVi-xbUhpX4yJBgT8PBPbCKeWsU6HLPvVjP-C1mLFXbDaUICh4M/s1280/fc75ca2b-eabf-458f-ad4f-3716bdd34b5d%20-%20Hall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjzASkXozdI5PyA-yvqjRbHjCeuBa6GNJBSEYpdOjy3v2WLk_fFNY0FU4a9ades9xtrsgVQF0vwc4_72iMR3YJnEbi5Ot0_AjSjU9ySFTyaBaLzzg5VVRmbRm7xfZAblCHDaMTg0LiVi-xbUhpX4yJBgT8PBPbCKeWsU6HLPvVjP-C1mLFXbDaUICh4M/s320/fc75ca2b-eabf-458f-ad4f-3716bdd34b5d%20-%20Hall.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The food stalls were located at the school field. Unfortunately, in order not to damage the track / football area, the 3 rows of food stalls were placed very close to each other, leaving little room for the bustling crowd. We basically could not stop or walk slowly between rows, so I had to resort to multiple passes to identify what they were selling on both sides, and finally zoom in to the stall to buy something. There were limited seating and tables to eat (not everything was easy to eat standing up), so we ended up sitting at the stairs near the vocational classroom block (at least that was I believe they were from last time, not sure if they are still used for the same purpose nowadays).</div><div><br /></div><div>The students were really going out, to push sales of the food and drinks. I remember my Americano being prepared by a teacher, who somehow was over-enthusiastic when it came to adding sugar.... 😅 </div><div><br /></div><div>Not sure if it was part of the event, but there were a few students in full cosplay mode - and a few in cross-gender outfits as well. Possibly to promote the face-painting counter, there were a few students going around as well. Seems to be working, as the queue to that counter was even longer than then queue for the vouchers!</div><div><br /></div><div>The remove class block classrooms were used for games booths, where we could try our skill and luck (mostly luck) to win several small prizes.</div><div><br /></div><div>It did drizzle lightly, but that did little to dampen the spirits - the crowd was huge and did not thin down towards midday. Our ex-schoolmate group was supposed to gather at 11am, but somehow few came a bit late.</div><div><br /></div><div>Photos above taken by my friends, credit to them. Somehow this time I did not really take any, as was fully engrossed in the event.</div><div><br /></div><div>And a short post on the school's Facebook page on the outcome of the event with some photos can be found <<a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid024GaJibisZbE8h6wMN2veG8xNc7CsC3Pj8HEZwoXBLUPHHiexcYMsVdUSK75jxAs3l&id=100069929228715">HERE</a>></div><div><br /></div><div>My family and I had a good time. For my especially to see my alma mater once again, in better shape then when we graduated. Telling some old time stories to my kids about the time when I was their age. Unfortunately, we had to leave after noon, so I did not manage to meet some of my ex-schoolmates who came much later. Overall, was happy to have managed to attend. Congratulations to the organizing committee, teachers and students for making this a successful fund-raising carnival! Looking forward to the next such event!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0No. 1, 75150, Bukit Baru, Melaka, Bukit Baru, 75150 Malacca, Malaysia2.2208074 102.27511832.2197353220081091 102.27404541639405 2.2218794779918909 102.27619118360596tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-18850970169885584492023-03-31T20:34:00.084+08:002023-08-22T09:32:39.246+08:00Leaky roof repairs - Toyota Prado J90 [Fixed]Birds of a feather flock together - so the saying goes. This seems to be so very true, at least in the context of my poor old Prado....<div><br /></div><div>Starting from roughly half a year ago, things started to wrong, mainly <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2022/09/squeaky-suspension-aircon-ng-wiper-fail.html">wipers that could not turn off plus aircon that do not turn on</a>, followed by the most catastrophic occurrence of <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2023/03/catastrophic-external-coolant-leak.html">sudden coolant leak</a> earlier this month. Actually, to continue the story from the coolant leak, after swapping the busted thermostat coupling, my mechanic David drove my Prado J90 back to his workshop to do a thorough check up. Just in case some other component of the cooling system decided to throw in the towel. Since it's there, I asked David to fix the roof and take a look at the clutch, which I felt had started to slip intermittently, mostly while in 3rd or 4th gear.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, the details. The paint on the roof had visibly bubbled and popped out in several areas, most apparently at the front end. One particular spot was quite bad - roughly 1cm in diameter. I temporarily covered it with some car decal (cut out a small piece from an unused Puma 4x4 club decal😅). Since it was on the top of the car, and the Prado wasn't exactly low, I figured 99% of the time no one would notice, and the 1% of the time someone might have noticed, never came to my attention.... 😁</div><div><br /></div><div>David sent a few photos today - seems the roof integrity was compromised in several locations, even over the edges down the A pillars and sides. I was quite shocked, and it took me awhile to reply. Though the greyish sealing didn't look too conspicuous, due to low contrast against the maroon paint, I asked David to go ahead and respray the affected area - as I don't think the seals would do well for long against the harsh weather elements. Well, looks like my Prado J90 will be in the workshop for a little bit longer.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirEtpmn7hiWjKjNZq4e9UbrdYcVUE9vSrVtfZkVSI9FbQACoMKIPkItAIfuM2S01qHV3hXHud_VA4G5Oem0UYpaE9SPcj9Drxc0lOX7CC9QCslh9sd3jTeFpG3alq_O3UbSfSnrkluUmuzyNBfofe6E5QY2j8J7aZqtM8huz84o_qQgsrRBiCHnPK/s960/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-31%20at%2015.10.33.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirEtpmn7hiWjKjNZq4e9UbrdYcVUE9vSrVtfZkVSI9FbQACoMKIPkItAIfuM2S01qHV3hXHud_VA4G5Oem0UYpaE9SPcj9Drxc0lOX7CC9QCslh9sd3jTeFpG3alq_O3UbSfSnrkluUmuzyNBfofe6E5QY2j8J7aZqtM8huz84o_qQgsrRBiCHnPK/w400-h225/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-31%20at%2015.10.33.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINt71okef9SYcnPPDrE26MdtRl02D_Nz1UC7G0fMH4YTUFed8ajs5XQiayVatAwUVFM92YH945wUJMTE2uc6RRvOxY94-vosmdotycNJGLTWby2hemlvcmh6nBp9-ifqSxCp6InQ1JpsyBe7TY1I89exN3X_xEbVUepp5ra3IVfJ0C7AZ_7pQksbr/s960/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-31%20at%2015.11.00.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINt71okef9SYcnPPDrE26MdtRl02D_Nz1UC7G0fMH4YTUFed8ajs5XQiayVatAwUVFM92YH945wUJMTE2uc6RRvOxY94-vosmdotycNJGLTWby2hemlvcmh6nBp9-ifqSxCp6InQ1JpsyBe7TY1I89exN3X_xEbVUepp5ra3IVfJ0C7AZ_7pQksbr/w400-h225/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-31%20at%2015.11.00.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYckibu5gMtQtzx8hULMwEcxo2uL7Is782wVmjoQH7K7RztLb1adWaq9jPlHqZay0dSIOnbs3Lvqh7JBGGh_T3YXbUuOPeTp2vNS97SKBalvgQWX-8nXThDGH11mQ9iwZwTF6djoWT7FfzgSfqp1cHuIaftoeJahkD2c-u93QSso6-JaFt2HhMSTb4/s960/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-31%20at%2015.11.32.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYckibu5gMtQtzx8hULMwEcxo2uL7Is782wVmjoQH7K7RztLb1adWaq9jPlHqZay0dSIOnbs3Lvqh7JBGGh_T3YXbUuOPeTp2vNS97SKBalvgQWX-8nXThDGH11mQ9iwZwTF6djoWT7FfzgSfqp1cHuIaftoeJahkD2c-u93QSso6-JaFt2HhMSTb4/w400-h225/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-03-31%20at%2015.11.32.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I didn't get a chance to ask about the slipping clutch though. The feeling is that sometimes, after shifting into gear, you step on the accelerator and the car does not speed up, only the RPM rises. Letting off the accelerator and stepping again SLOWLY seems to help. I figured this could mean there might always be some degree of slipping, and invariably would grind the clutch away to complete destruction. Better to get it fixed now, rather than risk breaking down in the most inconvenient of time or place....</div><div><br /></div><div>Some people ask, how old is my Prado J90, and after hearing it's from 1997, the next common piece of advise is "go and get a new car-lah....". Hahaha, no thanks. I like what I have, and besides, I don't think anything you can buy new on the market today will still be as drivable 26 years later.... 😆</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, whatever it is, I really hope she gets fixed soon. For now, I'm using my daily 4 door (Honda Civic FD2A) whenever I need to ferry around some friends from work, though it's not ideal due to the extremely low ride height resulting in frequently scrapping the bottom when going over speed bumps (even when I'm all alone)....</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Will update again, hopefully once she's back from the workshop.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>[Update: 21 May 2023] My Prado's back! Roof is restored, and the unsightly blemishes / rust / holes are gone. Really unforgiving weather we have here in Malaysia, hope this keeps the rest of the interior from falling apart. Luckily we don't have snow, so we don't have to deal with rust as a result of salt they use on the iced roads during winter...! 😅</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-7026355605750421062023-03-04T17:31:00.004+08:002023-08-22T09:34:17.520+08:00Catastrophic External Coolant Leak - Toyota Prado J90 [FIXED]<div>Toyotas are known to be trusty and reliable. And I can vouch for this, backed by my own personal experience. However, no car is indestructible, and my trusty 26 year old Toyota Prado Landcruiser is no exception.</div><div><br /></div><div>One fine morning a couple of days ago, I had just parked my car in the company car park, ready to face yet another pencil-pushing day (or modern equivalent, since we've long since gone paperless and pencils were only used by old school die-hards like myself). As I walked out in front towards my office, there was a sudden gush of water coming out from under the hood, on to the floor below. If my Prado were a pregnant woman, I'd say it was time to rush to the hospital for a "happy birthday"....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I knew this could only mean one thing - coolant leakage. Or rather, based on the sheer volume of water, something must have burst somewhere. Since there was nothing I could have done, as things were still hot as I had just shut off the engine, I proceed on into the office. It was only in the evening, after office hours did I return to look into the engine bay.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Upon popping the hood, I confirmed that there was no visible remains of water in the radiator, and in the coolant reserve tank either. As there was just water and not steam gushing out earlier that morning, and my car did not overheat during the drive to office, I guess it just coincidentally happened while I was in the car park. Lucky nothing happened in between, as there was really no where convenient to stop along the way.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">None of the hoses looked ruptured or decoupled, so I called up my family mechanic, David to help come and take a look. As my car was INSIDE the company, did some alignment with security. Fortunately, security personnel were very nice and supportive - this wasn't their first experience.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">David came to take a look. After pouring in some water into the radiator, immediately a stream of water came shooting out from the side of the engine. Fortunately, it was the coupling that connected the thermostat to the hose. Fortunate, I say, as that was fairly easy to replace - provided the part was available in stock and nothing else was leaking. David ordered the part, but we had to wait to today to get it fixed, as it was raining every day. In fact, this morning it was drizzling, but we figured out we had to get it done today, as the company premise was less crowded on weekends. Plus, I didn't want to leave my car there any longer, as that would mean I'd take up 2 parking bays in our already-congested parking lot....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1QUP60DLW0iZUhllukf_y1vXu23szxxtBqReSyeJxtNA_MVNoo8i_TOiKitSt3bHPj3t2rd3xsyHllQgPB5w7HVpdXWRnksu159O9gRANdC39YRQPDL_sHP7uzDqu0z4AXakoZtFriWwMnIyfqjWi9DTZ-xtmhrbJGl_AxC_B93tcfOy2T-xZ129/s853/Thermostat%20exposed.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="853" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1QUP60DLW0iZUhllukf_y1vXu23szxxtBqReSyeJxtNA_MVNoo8i_TOiKitSt3bHPj3t2rd3xsyHllQgPB5w7HVpdXWRnksu159O9gRANdC39YRQPDL_sHP7uzDqu0z4AXakoZtFriWwMnIyfqjWi9DTZ-xtmhrbJGl_AxC_B93tcfOy2T-xZ129/s320/Thermostat%20exposed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hose to radiator and thermostat coupling removed (left arrow), revealing the thermostat (right arrow) above the alternator.</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was a quick job, removing the coupling which had a nasty ~2mm hole, as long as replacing the hose. Once done, David filled up the radiator with water. After starting, everything checked out ok - no sign of leaks elsewhere!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This wasn't the end of it - we still had to counter-check and fill up with coolant (as we only used water for now), and so David drove my Prado back to his workshop. Besides, it was time for the regular service maintenance. A word of advice to everyone - no matter which car you are driving, never skip your regular maintenance or use sub-standard / imitation parts. That's a false economy that will come back to bite you some day....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And there you have it, all done in just under an hour. A very big thanks to the management and officers of the company security for their help and facilitating the on-site repair operation. I will share my experience with my team and colleagues - in case any of them find themselves in an unfortunate similar situation.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-37444125156325953902023-02-19T18:03:00.120+08:002023-08-21T17:58:19.279+08:00First flight to Taiwan onboard EVA Airlines<p>With the world slowly coming out of the Covid-19-induced 2-year hiatus, international business travel has restarted. Thus, with great excitement, I embark on my first ever trip to Taiwan, be it on business or on holiday. This post is, however, not about the trip, but rather about the flight experience.</p><p>My flight to Taiwan was at 12.55pm. EVA Airlines only flew to one airport in Taiwan - the one at Taipei (Taoyuan International Airport). My limo pick up was at 8.00am. Ordinarily, it would not take 2 hours to get to the KL International Airport from my house. However, given that it was the school year end vacation, better to err on the side of caution. Fortunately, the trip there was uneventful, traffic was smooth and I arrived at KLIA in time to join my fellow colleagues. It was still early, so there was ample time to get some food after the baggage drop-off.</p><p>Note to self and any other travelers. The money changer rates here are not "competitive" - better to change your currency elsewhere if you have a choice.</p><p>Apparently, the aerotrains from the main terminal to the one where our flight was were functional - but it seems they were offline for repairs for some months prior. So, I was lucky that they were working normally.</p><p>[Update 3 Mar 2023] According to the news on the FreeMalaysiaToday portal <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/03/02/klia-aerotrains-suspended-after-breakdown-leaves-passengers-stranded/">here</a>, the aerotrains would be taken offline for an indefinite period after breaking down, leaving passengers stranded. Hmm, looks like have to test luck the next time I'm flying out of KLIA....</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyR4JtDuHPclbqUBjhOjButW3ciGdsnWzK5KmsHXF6pNjmbXu5ocWun4rdk2qrdpX_c8mcP0lmOVU4IGIRacx-k5EEirkqai6vVdNcuQHftdl507V9BGdJU7hYVrI6MVm6K07XWleQ6K2seBktefH8jKOTUAA-BIdMWk_cMeFJVMAMflgFRTuRI3Wk/s800/IMG_1026_S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyR4JtDuHPclbqUBjhOjButW3ciGdsnWzK5KmsHXF6pNjmbXu5ocWun4rdk2qrdpX_c8mcP0lmOVU4IGIRacx-k5EEirkqai6vVdNcuQHftdl507V9BGdJU7hYVrI6MVm6K07XWleQ6K2seBktefH8jKOTUAA-BIdMWk_cMeFJVMAMflgFRTuRI3Wk/w400-h225/IMG_1026_S.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I'm leaving, on a jet plane....</i> 😀</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>From the waiting area at the gate, I got a clear view of our ride, a Boeing 777-300ER. <a href="https://www.evaair.com">EVA Airlines</a> was a Taiwan-based airlines, set up in the 90's with it's first flight on 1 July 1991. The font and tail areas were in a bright green color, matching the theme on their website. Being a member of the Star Alliance, you could transfer miles to other alliance members as per your own strategy. Something I didn't really care for in the past, but in my current job function, will definitely have to take a closer look.</p><p>Onboard, economy-class of course, the seats were quite standard in dimension, with the typical display screen mounted in the seat in front. I got my favourite seating position next to the window. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a buzzing sound as the shutter was somewhat loose. Easily remedied by pulling it completely down. Back to the entertainment. Unfortunately, there were not many English shows to watch, as they were either dated or unheard of. I guess they catered more towards other audiences. I ended up switching off the display after looking through all the English options.</p><p>Malaysians flying to Taiwan do not require a visa, at the time of this post, though we do need to fill up the white immigration card, which is taken at the immigration counter upon arrival. As of now, there are no special Covid-19 related procedures to follow - no need to quarantine, self-test, although masks are required at all times during the flight except during meal time.</p><p>The flight was delayed by ~1/2 hour, possibly due to nasty weather conditions, as there were some spots with slight turbulence. However, most of the journey was smooth and uneventful.</p><p>The crew were polite and spoke good English + Mandarin. Blankets were not provided by default but I heard from my colleagues that you could request for one if needed. Which is a good idea, to avoid unnecessary waste of resources.</p><p>At the end of the day, I was happy with my experience on EVA Airlines, though frankly I would not take it on longer flights as there were no English shows to watch. Which is a pity, as otherwise I would have ranked this with the other airlines that I have flown on in the past. If only there were a way to find out what was on their entertainment menu in advance - as I'm really looking forward to flying on this airline again!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-12454621451775651662022-09-29T06:28:00.002+08:002023-03-06T21:52:42.745+08:00Squeaky suspension, aircon NG, wiper fail - Toyota Prado J90<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdb8OpPwNRo/YJfe6204REI/AAAAAAAAF10/uIaJa9xXMVw_3Aa3U9ItI2dMJ6sMOzonACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Prado.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdb8OpPwNRo/YJfe6204REI/AAAAAAAAF10/uIaJa9xXMVw_3Aa3U9ItI2dMJ6sMOzonACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h267/Prado.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Toyotas (at least those manufactured before 2000) have a reputation of having legendary reliability. For my 1997 Toyota Prado J90 Land Cruiser, I can very much vouch for this, as we have been been through much together, without ever breaking down in the middle of nowhere. Though I don't exactly go off-road (yet to take her out for an adventure with the Puma 4x4 Malaysia Club), we quite frequently take trips to the orchard / farm, hauling heavy stuff (furniture and large home appliances, stuff for recycling, bags of fertilizer) and occasionally driving to office. Especially useful if need to take many people, as the foldable 3rd row seats allow for flexibility. Not bad, so far at 420,000+ km, still going strong...!</p><p>Having said that, there are things that breakdown, as nothing is completely indestructible. Let's play a game - based on the observations / symptoms, try to guess what could the problem, and later I update once it's fixed. See how accurate (or totally way off) my estimates are....</p><p>Issue #1: Aircon system.<br />Symptoms: This didn't really stop working all of the sudden. Rather, over time, the cooling diminished, until today, it's just blowing air. It's hard to say exactly when, as when driving to office it's either early in the morning before 8am, or in the evening, so you never notice if its not working, unless its a hot, sunny afternoon during a lunch outing. The Prado actually has 2 independent aircon systems - the front vents taking care for the driver and co-driver, and the rear system for the middle and rear passengers. The one at the back could be working, but never really got around to checking. <br />My guess: There is a leak somewhere. Based on past experience, I believe the aircon guy uses a florescent dye with UV light to detect the leak. Depending on where and what needs to be changed, if is the piping then not so bad, otherwise the compressor or condenser will be costly.<br />Actual: To be updated....</p><p>Issue #2: High-pitch squeaky sound as the car is moving. <br />Symptoms: As the noise seems proportional to the bumpiness of the road.<br />My guess: I reckon it's the bushing. Again, in a multi-link suspension system, there are many, many bushes, and it's not so easy to see which ones are worn out. Replacing them is another story, as they can be stuck firm in place and take a lot of manual effort to push out.<br />Actual: To be updated....</p><p>Issue #3: The forward wipers. <br />Symptoms: As I understand it, one day, as my wife was driving, the wipers suddenly started and wouldn't stop. Stopping at a workshop, they make a quick fix by disabling all settings except high-speed. So, on rainy days, it's a bit of a chore, to turn on the wipers manually, then have to get the timing right to stop just as it's in the right position, with the wipers either fully stopped or at full speed. <br />My guess: The rear wiper is working fine, so most likely an issue with the front wiper stalk switch. At least its working, so driving on rainy days is still do-able.<br />Actual: To be updated....</p><p>Called up my trusty mechanic, David, who collected the car just yesterday. No hurry to fix, as it's after the annual harvest season, but good to get done as soon as possible. Will update here once done, and then let's co-relate my guessing and the actual.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-37602262486897532462022-08-06T10:50:00.122+08:002022-08-21T22:53:01.497+08:00Ad hoc day trip for dana at the BMSM Pa-Auk Dhammavijaya Meditation Center<p>One fine random Saturday morning (as things usually are with my family), we decided to take a day trip down to Dengkil for dana (food offering) to the Buddhist monks and Yogis at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dhammavijaya.dengkil/">BMSM Pa-Auk Dhammavijaya Meditation Center, Dengkil, Selangor</a>.</p>
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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChfJRNzJ85w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Marvin Chong (@marvin.chong)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>It had been more than 2 years since our last visit here - as you might well know (unless you were away on another planet), due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Usually, as Dengkil was nearly 2 hours from our home by car (subject to traffic conditions), we usually only came here on special occasions, such as the Kathina festival which marks the end of the 3 month Vassa (monsoon season retreat), usually around October or November each year.</p><p>The Dhammavijaya Meditation Center is located a short distance off the main road, along the Langat River. There is a large area beside the meditation center allocated for parking, though during festivals it can get filled up quite fast. There is some construction going on further up the river, as there are many trucks and lorries driving past - need to take care when parking your car.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChfKkNoJM14/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChfKkNoJM14/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; 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<p>I'm happy to note that the place was well taken care of. The devotees and volunteers made sure that everything was clean and maintained. Even during "off-peak" times like these, there were as usual some yogis on site in the middle of their meditation retreat. The caretakers were mostly local volunteers and foreigners from Myanmar, who ensured at least the there was enough to eat every day. Typically, there were only two meals per day - one early in the morning and one at ~11am. No food after lunch, though no prohibition on drinks. In general, the place is always open to public who wish to bring food offerings. Though there is no actual prohibition of meat, food is usually vegetarian and fruits with seesd removed.</p><p>After the chanting and short dhamma talk, devotees would line up to take the food prepared to the monks. Don't have to worry about offering what you brought or to offer to a specific monk - it's a gesture of offering from the common pool to the Sangha (Buddhist practitioners, i.e., monks).</p><p>Once the food offering is done, and after a quick blessing, the devotees and yogis adjourn to the common mess hall for a meal - pot-luck style. So, a good practice is to bring at least enough food in proportion to the people in your group (a little extra never hurts), so everything balances out in the end.</p><p>It's good to be back here after so long, though there are many new faces - even the monks rotate from time to time. Well, in a few months, it will be time for the <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2017/10/kathina-day-dhammavijaya-meditation.html">Kathina festival once again</a>, so my family and I will surely be back for our (almost) annual dana.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0Lot 850, Jalan Besar, Kg. Sg. Buah Luar, 43800, Kampung Bukit Piatu, 43000, Selangor, Malaysia2.8914928 101.7435682-1.4939673850122306 97.34903695 7.2769529850122305 106.13809945tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-63186885593190040832022-06-28T22:37:00.001+08:002022-06-28T22:37:33.311+08:00Inflation - paying more for the same cup of coffee<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fKlDNemSfdjUfka1eS5HLi9F5XisRbGY8NZnG9rvKOwvgqn_Ie9eE0HJQYKjmQB1MQE5kAl4FBmQhIax70Em9dQf1rI0HMheQwo1-0MBxNohlugRkgV0pxAeHrmZKVcuYu216iKCGA-7kWXo1URTf78wEI4fwMQ3o9fS8tU9HCBYe4H2zBrA3DiS/s600/jeremy-yap-jn-HaGWe4yw-unsplash_S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fKlDNemSfdjUfka1eS5HLi9F5XisRbGY8NZnG9rvKOwvgqn_Ie9eE0HJQYKjmQB1MQE5kAl4FBmQhIax70Em9dQf1rI0HMheQwo1-0MBxNohlugRkgV0pxAeHrmZKVcuYu216iKCGA-7kWXo1URTf78wEI4fwMQ3o9fS8tU9HCBYe4H2zBrA3DiS/s320/jeremy-yap-jn-HaGWe4yw-unsplash_S.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p>The 2-year nightmare that is Covid-19 is slowly thawing, as society gradually returns to normality. Over here in Malaysia, at least we're starting to go back to office. Just like vault-dwellers emerging from the nuclear shelters into a post-apocalyptic world (a bit far-fetched, but you can tell I'm a fan of the timeless classic PC game Wasteland and subsequent Fallout series). One of the glaring, distressing differences is that anything that isn't free or subsidized has gone up significantly in price.</p><p>Today's the first time I went out with some office buddies for lunch since coming back to office. Just a short walk from the main entrance of the company, to one of the usual joints patronized by many of the colleagues working here.</p><p>It turns out, a plate of fried rice with fried egg and large cup of kopi-o kosong (black coffee, no sugar, no cream), was RM7.00 and RM1.90 respectively. Hmm, can't recall the exact cost from pre-covid times, but I definitely know I'm literally paying more for the same cup of coffee.</p><p>To be fair, this is the one and only sample so far, so I definitely need to go out more often to collect more data.</p><p>Elsewhere, in the news, prices of food like chicken meat are also going up against the ceiling prices, until the government can't make up its mind to raise / remove the cap or not. For fuel that is not subsidized, RON97 is now at RM4.84 per liter. Almost no one uses that, as RON95 is still fixed at RM2.05 per liter (imagine how much taxpayers' ringgit are being used here). Subsidies do tend to distort and mask the true severity of the economic situation, so have to take note of the actual cost of living.</p><p>Unfortunately, the price hikes are unlikely to stop here. Though the prices of raw material like meat and vegetables are also on the rise, home cooked meals keep value-added costs to a minimum. Luckily I have a good wife / good cook, so meals at home are not only cheaper, tasty but also healthier than what one might typically get from outside. Ah, the advantages of working from home....</p><p>For those out there, are you having a similar experience and how are you adapting to the "new normality"?</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-47932446058038713492021-10-13T02:07:00.000+08:002021-10-13T02:07:09.098+08:00Inter-state travel allowed in Malaysia once again<p>After nearly 9 months since inter-state travel was banned in Malaysia, effective 13 Jan 2021, the restrictions have finally been lifted - with conditions, of course.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RtF1elgL-yI/YWXMRR55aFI/AAAAAAAAF7E/JVNFUGlAlsM5l3yxy4vQsHRzQO3t4taxQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RtF1elgL-yI/YWXMRR55aFI/AAAAAAAAF7E/JVNFUGlAlsM5l3yxy4vQsHRzQO3t4taxQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />From 11 Oct 2021 onwards, Malaysians are once again able to cross state borders (not counting the Langkawi tourism bubble which was open earlier <a href="http://www.motac.gov.my/en/media/release/pemakluman-berhubung-sop-gelembung-pelancongan-travel-bubble-projek-rintis-pulau-langkawi">since 16 Sept 2021</a>) and go everywhere as usual, except for areas under EMCO. This applies to fully vaccinated individuals above 18, which specifically means 14 days after the 2nd dose of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Sinovac, or 28 days after the single-dose Cansino or Johnson-Johnson. SOP still mandates wearing masks out in the open and all public places, though now there's some allowance for sports, recreation and dine-in. Based on experience, SOP's can be quite vague and also can (have) changed without prior notice, so always check often for the latest updates so not be caught non-complying. The announcement can be found <a href="https://covid-19.moh.gov.my/faqsop/pelan-pemulihan-negara/2021/10/teks-ucapan-yabpm-dsisy-10102021">here</a> on the Malaysian Ministry of Health Covid-19 website, though it's in Bahasa Malaysia.<p></p><p>For many, this is a welcomed release, to finally be able to re-unite with their families and loved-ones, or simply to travel for leisure and food once again. Traditionally popular destinations like Penang and Melaka are expected to be swamped with domestic tourists, even without Singaporeans, might be over-crowded and jammed this weekend. Good news to the food and beverage, accommodation and tourism players, as business will start to thrive once again.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FYo1ObZAb_k/YWXMzatmjzI/AAAAAAAAF7M/HEUT-1SUBzg2aFMd52_SoFJeHBhEleAZwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FYo1ObZAb_k/YWXMzatmjzI/AAAAAAAAF7M/HEUT-1SUBzg2aFMd52_SoFJeHBhEleAZwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />On the down side, besides the annoying the local residents with the influx of traffic, I for one am mostly concerned with the risks of exposure and spread of infection. It's bad enough that many people do not wear their face mask properly (if at all) in the past - can only expect this will become more rampant in the coming weeks. Some people have too much faith in vaccines - not forgetting that even fully vaccinated people may spread the virus to others, so I think it's very rude and inconsiderate for these people to behave the way they do.<p></p><p>Apart from the risk of spreading the virus, I'm also concerned on road safety, for two reasons. Firstly, there will be way too many cars on the road now. And secondly, some of these people have not been driving for a long time, or have been driving inconsiderately in the past months where there were very few cars on the road. I see many traffic offenders (not only motorcycles) overtaking on double lines, speeding, going against traffic, beating red lights, etc.. The authorities really need to step up on enforcement, and not pass the buck to the public to send photos, videos to them.</p><p>Lastly, hate to break the news to the local tourists, but many food sellers and restaurants have gone under during these difficult times. Your favourite Satay Celup or Char Kuey Teow may no longer be in business, so don't get your hopes too high when you go all the way in search of food.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MEQSHYW2nNo/YWXNfVu_q8I/AAAAAAAAF7U/uy0lqu3Y62UD11jxOrtohlZfqcK2AiizwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MEQSHYW2nNo/YWXNfVu_q8I/AAAAAAAAF7U/uy0lqu3Y62UD11jxOrtohlZfqcK2AiizwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />What are my plans?<p></p><p>Well, for starters, my priorities will be on transitioning back to work-in-office. We're starting off with a 2 shift weekly rotation first, and let's see how's the long-term plan (hybrid working model or full back to normal?). The kids will be resuming their classes too, also in a 2 shift weekly rotation - the challenge will be that these shifts are not going to be synchronized, so will require some effort and co-ordination.</p><p>I don't plan to travel yet - would rather let the initial crazy spike taper off and stabilize first. Also, to check if having more than 90% of the adult population fully vaccinated really helps to prevent another wave. And not forgetting to allow for more time to generate more statistics on vaccine efficacy - not all vaccines are equal in this respect, though all the approved vaccines in Malaysia are effective at preventing severe symptoms or hospitalization. Just hope that vaccines other than Sinovac will finally be accessible to the public ASAP....</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ftwZeKDZEcY/YWXOPgToq8I/AAAAAAAAF7c/4dq_qHqncdAKfYycoukZbQzTWCnqmKAgACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="600" height="201" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ftwZeKDZEcY/YWXOPgToq8I/AAAAAAAAF7c/4dq_qHqncdAKfYycoukZbQzTWCnqmKAgACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Eventually, will be able to slowly transition back to normality and restart some old interests and hobbies that have been put into stasis for the past ~2 years.<p></p><p>Well, to all of you, whether in Malaysia or not, stay safe and be well!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-67679344509472166622021-05-09T21:54:00.002+08:002023-03-06T21:52:56.080+08:00Does RON97 make a difference in a 1997 Toyota Prado J90 Landcruiser?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdb8OpPwNRo/YJfe6204REI/AAAAAAAAF10/uIaJa9xXMVw_3Aa3U9ItI2dMJ6sMOzonACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Prado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdb8OpPwNRo/YJfe6204REI/AAAAAAAAF10/uIaJa9xXMVw_3Aa3U9ItI2dMJ6sMOzonACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h267/Prado.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My 1997 Toyota Prado Landcruiser 2.7 - it still runs...!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Old cars, especially those made by Toyota, seem to have an extremely long life. While performance is nothing to shout about (excluding the real performance models like the Supra, MR2 and AE86 that never made the mainstream here in Malaysia), Toyota's are known and proven for high reliability.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My Prado as above still runs (of course, having taken over the upkeep and taking good care of it does help), of course with some squeaks here and there, but then don't forget that this is, after all, a 20+ year old car with 400,000+ km on the odometer. Not gone for hardcore off-roading like my buddies in the Puma 4x4 club, but I do use it for getting out for light field-work and also to transport larger-than-normal stuff that would not fit into a regular car.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, the 3RZ-FE 2.7 liter engine at its heart was designed for a min RON 91 fuel, which is way below the RON 95 minimum fuel sold at the pumps in Malaysia today. Those of you from "my time" and before will know, once upon a time, we did have RON 92, which was the cheapest fuel on the market, but was discontinued (possibly as Proton's with their Mitsubishi engines, needed at least RON 95, while my Honda Civic FD2A could live with RON92, see my post from 2008 <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2008/04/ron-92-on-fd2.html">HERE</a> and also <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2008/05/ron92-what-it-like-after-2-tanks-full.html">HERE</a>). So, as is general knowledge, there is no advantage to using fuel of RON higher than the engine was designed for. Or is it...?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since as long as I can remember, driving the old Prado I always had to be a bit careful when shifting or when accelerating at low RPM's. There is a tendency to jerk just as the clutch was let out completely when changing gears and stepping on the gas. Same goes when the car is in gear, then you let off the gas completely and then stomp on the accelerator pedal. I always thought this had something to do with the age of the car, so anyway, even consciously adjusting my driving style, it was nigh impossible to avoid the jerks, which seem to be coming more from the engine or exhaust rather than the transmission.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last weekend, went to my usual favorite Caltex gas station for a partial fill up. Normally I would always fill the tank up to full, but since the current COVID-19 pandemic had significantly reduced travelling, I only put in enough gas to go ~1 month between refueling. This was to avoid "stale gas" (will write another post on my experience on that topic soon). Back to the gas station. So happened that the pump that I was at could only dispense RON97, as the RON95 pump was under repair. Rather than drive over to the next pump or go to another gas station, I just decided to go with the RON97, which was priced at RM2.60 per liter. RON95 is currently capped at RM2.05. Partially filling RM41 worth of fuel (slightly overshot original target of RM40, hence round up to the next Ringgit), that get's me ~15.7 liters of fuel, as opposed to 20 liters if I had used RON95.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Starting up and driving away, I noticed that that the ride was now smoother and without the jerk at each gear shift. Also from complete foot off the accelerator to moderately depressing halfway to the floor, is smooth as well. After that, did some short driving around a few kilometers to confirm. Definitely not a placebo effect, and in the first place I was not expecting any difference.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once home, tried to do some research online, but majority of what turned up is the usual "no need for premium fuel unless you have a <insert high performance car of your choice>". Only one Youtube video which a helpful chap described a plausible explanation. For old engines, the carbon build up in the cylinders could have artificially increased the compression ratio, which may cause detonation / knocking under heavy load / high temperatures. Since this is Malaysia, where temperatures are anyway always high, the heavy load situation could be as encountered during the initial stepping on the gas pedal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Normally, I don't believe things without evidence. Here I have an observation, and am trying to find an explanation. So, where to go from here? Will continue to try out if this is consistent, until the next refueling run. Then, I could try to go back to RON 95 and see if the problem recurs (and then if RON 97 can eliminate the problem), therefore successfully being able to turn-on / turn-off the problem. If that is the case, then moving forwards there are only 3 choices - 1) Switch permanently to RON 97, 2) Revert to RON 95 and hope this does not impact the life of the engine, 3) Send in for cylinder decarbonizing and then start testing RON 95 again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At least for now, decarbonizing will need to wait, as due to travel restrictions I'm not able to drive down to Desmond's place @ KL Auto to get it done. If indeed this is the actual root cause. Will post further updates on the situation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Does any of this make sense? Anyone out there have any similar experience or opinions to share?</div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-89561930250068478442021-01-04T02:10:00.003+08:002021-01-04T09:42:10.236+08:00Covid-19 in Malaysia - the story so far (as of Jan 2021)<p>First post of 2021. As 2020 is now history, unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic is still very much a current issue and is even CREATING history as new records in daily new detection seem to be made almost every week. Looking at some available data, this has led me to several observations.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mETVlwTFL5k/X_H68_rIrKI/AAAAAAAAFsM/4ajyRHnEIeYldzxb0l_rGYjutkVihbnYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s873/Clipboard01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="873" height="317" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mETVlwTFL5k/X_H68_rIrKI/AAAAAAAAFsM/4ajyRHnEIeYldzxb0l_rGYjutkVihbnYQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h317/Clipboard01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Firstly, forgive the poor rendering above. At the top is basically what I keyed into MS Project, based on the start / end dates. And below it is a screenshot of the graph from FreeMalaysiaToday. I roughly scaled the two and lined up mid Mar'20 (when the MCO started) and end Dec'20, to see how the trend in new cases overlays with the xMCO phases. I've updated the <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/01/01/rmco-extended-until-march-31/">RMCO extension up to 31 Mar 2021</a>, as well as the <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/12/28/cmco-in-selangor-kl-and-sabah-extended-to-jan-14/">CMCO extensions for Selangor, KL and Sabah up to 14 Jan 2021</a>, as this is the latest information available as of today.</p><p>Secondly, a disclaimer, this is just my own opinion. I'm not an expert on the subject matter nor am I a politician, just an engineer looking at some data, and voicing my thoughts out aloud.</p><p>Now, the first vertical red arrow is where the number of confirmed new cases has dropped to nearly zero, somewhere in mid Jun'20. This is roughly the end of the 1st Conditional MCO extension. At that point in time, things were looking good, so declaring a phase of Recovery MCO (RMCO) for the next 3 months seemed like a logical move.</p><p>The second vertical red arrow where we start to see a rise in new cases, which shoot up somewhere in Oct'20. Remember the Sabah election, which took place end of Sept'20? This might be linked partially to the rising rate of new cases, but there must be some other factors at work too.</p><p>Now, some observations. Up until the end of the original RMCO (end Aug'20), there was no spike yet, so the RMCO could have been called off based on data. However, it was extended to the end of Dec'20 - perhaps to be on the safe side.</p><p>Also, the CMCO/EMCO/TEMCO started again in Mid Oct'20, in various states and locations. However, this time, the growth rate did not stabilize and continued to climb steadily. What could be the reason for this?</p><p>- People were tired of movement restriction and hence more lapses in SOP (evidently more people were caught during this time) by individuals and even organizations</p><p>- Sabah elections (though it is not clear through contact tracing how much of an impact this made to today's situation)</p><p>- Travelling allowed again + year-end festive season + school holidays</p><p>- More tests (even if the detection rate is the same, a larger sample size will result in a higher number of detected cases, for example, 10% of 1000 is more than 10% of 100)</p><p>So, clearly, whatever was done (or not done) towards the end of the 1st half of 2020 was clearly no longer effective. Perhaps this time, the government is actually not as strict as before, due to pressure to maintain the economy as well as the people's sentiments (eg, religious / social activities) or perhaps there are more positives as there are more tests now (especially for foreign workers). Whatever the reason, there does not seem to be any deep analysis as to what is the actual root cause based on available data. Without this, it is unlikely that the root cause of increasing daily new cases will be discovered and thus, effective corrective and preventive actions cannot be drawn up and implemented.</p><p>We should not just doing the same as before and hoping for the best - as the saying goes "doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different outcome is INSANITY". Extending the RMCO/CMCO/xMCO further with "generic" controls would likely be futile.</p><p>While we are waiting with hope for a <i>deux ex machina</i> (that is, the vaccine) - for one thing, implementing a successful vaccination program would be a challenge in itself and take some time till everyone is inoculated. And secondly, by the time this happens, we would have endured much more suffering and loss of life.</p><p>Well, hope everyone out there stays safe and healthy. Thanks to all the frontliners who are putting their best effort and lives on the line - let's all do our part and get through this challenge!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-80325382296816239722020-12-31T15:47:00.529+08:002021-01-03T23:34:27.242+08:002020 - A quick recap<p>It's the last day of 2020, the year that COULD have been the greatest year of my life. Indeed for all of us, this year brings a unique experience to all of us - and for sure, things will probably never be the same ever again. Managed to find some quiet self-therapy time to reflect on the good, bad and ugly:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6b2IrP-2NRM/X_B-kzAz3aI/AAAAAAAAFps/T8A8OZu6z0openqb2kWICjubigOrZbG_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/GBU.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6b2IrP-2NRM/X_B-kzAz3aI/AAAAAAAAFps/T8A8OZu6z0openqb2kWICjubigOrZbG_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/GBU.jpg" /></a></div><p><u>The Good (a.k.a. things that actually turned out right)</u></p><p>- D.I.Y. level up : with more than half of 2020 (March onwards) in lock-down mode (xMCO, or Movement Control Order, with various phases of implementation), all of the sudden you start to notice things starting to break down, possibly due to higher usage (since we're stuck at home). Thanks to online shopping services like Shopee and Lazada, replacement parts, tools and material were easily available. If instructions weren't good enough, there was always Youtube - either way, this year I managed to level up my Do-It-Yourself skills (or should it be Do-It-Myself instead?) from Noob level (changing light bulb, faucet diffuser) to more challenging (floor tile repair, <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/04/diy-spark-plug-replacement.html">spark plug replacement</a>, <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/08/diy-leather-car-seat-stitching.html">car seat stitching</a>). As an R&D person, I really like to do new things or do things differently, so this is the time where we have all sorts of new things to explore.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hl-WBVdyQrQ/X_B_D2JRL9I/AAAAAAAAFp4/B_FVCE0VxBQmf5bOnT6XRws8_Dy_QxSjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/DIY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hl-WBVdyQrQ/X_B_D2JRL9I/AAAAAAAAFp4/B_FVCE0VxBQmf5bOnT6XRws8_Dy_QxSjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DIY.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>- Mastery of WFH and WIO + SOP : Sorry, more 3 letter acronyms. Quite simple and standard actually, but for those who are not familiar, that's Working From Home, Working In Office and Standard Operating Procedure. Now, WFH-ing is highly dependent on the nature of the job. Fortunately for me, WFH-ing can be done almost as effectively from home or any other location as we're typically dialing in to virtual meetings even from the office anyway. Of course, depending on the quality of the internet connection (which has made it challenging at times, I must admit) and the degree of isolation from disturbances. Working in Office during these times are also different, as we have to adhere to the strict SOP for everybody's sake. Not that I am complaining, but still having to keep your facemask on at all times from 8am+ to 5pm+ takes some getting used to. The biggest complaint for me is the facemask strings cutting into my ears - which was solved by purchasing cheap silicone liners. Also, due to more flexible hours while WFH-ing, since we don't have to commute, and lunch was just a short excursion to the kitchen, wasted less time each day. The next level will be to do this efficiently, and to manage time well to ensure the right amount of time is available for other important things (other than work).</p><p>- (Unintentional) weight-loss : A few years ago, I took part in a mandatory executive health program by my ever-so-caring-about-employees company, and to no surprise, my BMI rating was "overweight". Again, another 3 letter acronym, BMI = Body Mass Index, or mathematically, is simply your weight (kg) / [ your height (m) x your height (m) ]. Based on my current weight at that time, I had to shed at least 4-5 kgs in order to fall below the upper spec limit of "healthy". Somehow, in spite of paying more attention to my diet and exercise, could never really achieve this. Until this year, somehow managed to lose 10+ kgs simply by eating at home and doing light exercises. A great contributor here is my wife, who's cooking style is biased towards healthy. Which is a change to the usual outside food that we find at the company cafeteria or nearby eateries. I'm glad to have finally managed to achieve my weight loss target. Of course, getting lighter does not necessarily mean being more healthy, so in the next health check-up I hope this does not come at a great "cost"!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EHKivMNLXA8/X_B-6_EteoI/AAAAAAAAFp0/uCbJqDNhzDcfo9Q1Jpp0f-tQ6lCDFI2PACLcBGAsYHQ/s602/Weight%2BLoss.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="602" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EHKivMNLXA8/X_B-6_EteoI/AAAAAAAAFp0/uCbJqDNhzDcfo9Q1Jpp0f-tQ6lCDFI2PACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Weight%2BLoss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><u>The Bad (or, things that really should not have happened, to stop happening or should never happen again)</u></p><p>- Lack of physical exercise : Almost like a contraction of the point mentioned above, since the MCO, my number of active hours / steps has dropped from roughly 1 hour or ~5000 steps per day to less than 10 minutes / 500 steps per day. This is because most of the time is spent sitting in front of my laptop, versus a typical day where I would walk from my car park to my office, getting food during lunch / break and face-to-face meetings with colleagues at other floors / other buildings. Really need to find a way to achieve an elevated heartbeat for cardio, other than getting into a heated online argument! :)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2fb1yJ7Jms/X_B_LvUJeCI/AAAAAAAAFqA/SgzvGDaO4VgH4bFcIgrauKR2RCoex3-FACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Lack%2Bof%2BExercise.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="380" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2fb1yJ7Jms/X_B_LvUJeCI/AAAAAAAAFqA/SgzvGDaO4VgH4bFcIgrauKR2RCoex3-FACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Lack%2Bof%2BExercise.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>- Keeping cars running : Cars are a basic need, given that public transportation does not really work well for me here in Melaka (other than ride hailing apps like Grab). Of course, this is when you have some place to go. During the MCO, the other interesting problem is keeping my cars running - after a couple of days the battery starts to discharge to a point where the car is not able to start. A real life-saver product I got online is the power-bank jump-starter, which enabled me to start my car without the hassle of connecting jumper cables and of course, requiring another car. Though this means I had to start and run my car for 15-20 minutes each week, and this does not go well for fuel economy (fortunately, fuel prices were coincidentally low during these months). Starting the cars and letting them idle wasn't sufficient, as you still should drive around a bit to ensure the moving parts are lubricated. Ended up driving up and down my street each time. Really inefficient activity.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDNm0c0-3zc/X_B_SYcRSzI/AAAAAAAAFqE/Hfqb2ReSHWgKnvp2fWzkI2tLmy-sgcqMACLcBGAsYHQ/s533/Jump%2BStart.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="533" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDNm0c0-3zc/X_B_SYcRSzI/AAAAAAAAFqE/Hfqb2ReSHWgKnvp2fWzkI2tLmy-sgcqMACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jump%2BStart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>- Eroding inter-personal engagement : I'm basically a people manager, so besides being in meetings with other people, I have my team to support as well. To me, the best engagement is in person, though given these times, we all need to stay apart and just contact online. As people are not quite used to video-calls, this means we're doing things via audio-only. Not everything is about work - and to build up strong inter-personal relations I feel we really need to be physically present. Before this, we could have gatherings and events on special occasions which was very helpful in getting the team to gel together. In my function, I used to have frequent business trips to engage partners off-site. With travel restrictions which would likely continue until end of 2021 or even through 2022, have to find a workaround to this. Anyone out there have any similar experience to share?</p><p>- Noisy office / home office : Ever since everyone is spending more time online, the office can be quite noisy when everyone is talking at max volume. Unfortunately, there are some colleagues who talk like the person they are talking to are at the other end of a football field. To circumvent this, I got myself a pair of Sony ANC (active noise cancellation) headphones, which helped out quite a lot. Still, I wish everyone would be more considerate in the office - though some wishes would never come true. At home, noise from the surroundings (garbage truck, gardener mowing the field, etc.) had the same effect, but at least here I could shut the windows and doors to block out some of the noise. On my side, definitely put in effort to be conscious about my own "volume" to make sure I don't speak louder than necessary, especially in the office.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ad9gi_jaGSU/X_B_abVvfMI/AAAAAAAAFqM/brKa4RSltoIt92sv-JiD4kHbziGifiChQCLcBGAsYHQ/s600/Noisy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ad9gi_jaGSU/X_B_abVvfMI/AAAAAAAAFqM/brKa4RSltoIt92sv-JiD4kHbziGifiChQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Noisy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>- "Office hours" : With the flexibility of working at home, somehow this has been misinterpreted as being available at any time. While most of the colleagues are considerate, sometimes out of necessity, the only time where all parties are "available" is way out of office hours for that given time zone. Working in a multi-national company with locations all across the globe make this an unfortunate reality. Someone might be dialing in at 5.30am while another colleague might be in at 9.30pm. If only the company were really flexible - but alas on top of this, we're still required to be "at work" during standard office hours. From my side, I make sure to invite for meetings during the standard office hours (excluding typical lunch break) or even proposing more reasonable meeting times when receiving invitations.</p><p>- "Annual Leave" : Two issues here - first, there is not much to do other than work and second, since there was no where to go, we end up working even while on annual leave anyway. Thus, as one of my friends has bluntly put it - annual leave is one of the most useless commodities of 2020. In the end, it boils down to planning and execution - planning when to take some time off and making sure I'm actually off when that happens.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HyHkwqfbps4/X_B_fvitRuI/AAAAAAAAFqU/CpuNLTlV_Xwg9SM8P9qtwaKKIDfi-o5iACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Annual%2BLeave%2BWasted.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HyHkwqfbps4/X_B_fvitRuI/AAAAAAAAFqU/CpuNLTlV_Xwg9SM8P9qtwaKKIDfi-o5iACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Annual%2BLeave%2BWasted.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><u>The Ugly (making the best out of bad situations)</u></p><p>- Grateful to still have a job : In these times, I'm really grateful to be still employed, which keeps food on the table for me and my family. Though we have to adapt our personal and working life, we need to accept this is the price to pay. </p><p>- New look : Avoiding unnecessary external contact - I have decided to defer my regular trips to the barber. Never had it this long before, even during those days before starting work, so this is somewhat of a new experience. For now, my hair is longer than it has every been, but it's important to keep it neat and avoid looking unprofessional. </p><p>- Further studies : I started my post-graduate studies before the MCO. This was at UTeM, so we had to attend classes after work (typically, 6.30pm to 10pm) several days during the week, which was a good experience for me as got to interact with other students from different backgrounds, and was preferred compared to distanced learning. Like I mentioned above, I like face-to-face engagement. Unfortunately, with the MCO in effect, learning now has transformed into a hybrid mode learning, where the classes were done online, even the exams. A new experience to learning for everyone, even those in the kindie and schools, but in the end, need to push through.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uVwyUWzZ96w/X_B_rMMPsPI/AAAAAAAAFqc/6jkMOxMIhiYW2GdyP4TXt2Ll3fqezNqawCLcBGAsYHQ/s430/Further%2BStudies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uVwyUWzZ96w/X_B_rMMPsPI/AAAAAAAAFqc/6jkMOxMIhiYW2GdyP4TXt2Ll3fqezNqawCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Further%2BStudies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>- Breaking out of routine : My life during the MCO is monotonously routine. Telco, eat, sleep. Of course, to break the routine, I engaged in some mini-DIY projects or repairs. The challenge really is keeping the work-life balance, as during this time the tendency (expectation) is to spend more time at "work", thus leaving little time to do something other than routine. There are many things to learn and to try - just a matter of setting aside the time and determination to do so.</p><p><br /></p><p>Well, that's my take on 2020 - the most unique year of my life (you should also be feeling the same too). At the rate that things are going (or not going), I foresee that the situation will not drastically change any time soon - and in the end, it might never revert to pre-Covid-19. As they say, this is now the "New Normal". We need to accept reality and to adapt to the times as best as we can. With these thoughts, I bid a fond farewell to 2020 and look forward to a great new year ahead!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpmvAV5XD_E/X_CAcBin7oI/AAAAAAAAFqs/C8hf9weXIDYQ8VJXIlWU6eLnGRgKjFI3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s310/2021-better-than-2020-happy-new-year-animated.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpmvAV5XD_E/X_CAcBin7oI/AAAAAAAAFqs/C8hf9weXIDYQ8VJXIlWU6eLnGRgKjFI3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/2021-better-than-2020-happy-new-year-animated.gif" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-46444288428094033892020-10-10T15:55:00.055+08:002021-01-02T16:07:14.161+08:00Bullshit jobs exist - and what I did to get out of one<p>Before starting, a short disclaimer - some strong language here, beyond what I normally write in my blog posts. However, if it's OK to appear uncensored in a local Malaysian news portal (more than once), then I guess it should OK for general consumption....</p><p>It's a typical weekend afternoon in mid October. Nothing to do, actually, little that can be done, other than to stay at home and wait out the RMCO (Recovery Movement Control Order) that is in effect throughout the whole country. As I recalled an article I read recently in a local online news portal, I thought it would be a good idea for a blog post, given my own personal experience.</p><p>In the above-mentioned article(which you can read <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/money/2020/10/07/are-you-in-a-bullshit-job/">HERE</a>), the author compared job usefulness during today's Covid-19 situation with the concept of "bullshit jobs" coined in a book published by the recently-deceased David Graeber, former professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics. Now, this was someone who seems to have much in common with Scott Adams (author of Dilbert). There is an uncanny amount of truth in their stories - take it from me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8DhOaA8xFME/X_AonTR_CiI/AAAAAAAAFo4/mLMWw1kVLF4DotxrI9eJgh71BLkXePOkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s549/BS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="549" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8DhOaA8xFME/X_AonTR_CiI/AAAAAAAAFo4/mLMWw1kVLF4DotxrI9eJgh71BLkXePOkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Aptly put, such a job is one where there is little or no perceived value add, and yet seem to exist in an organization. Example of this include being tied up in too many unnecessary meetings, official documentation (the bigger and more formal an organization, the higher the risk of this happening).</p><p>Apparently, this is quite a popular topic, as just a month before, K. Kathirgugan <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2020/09/22/do-you-have-a-bullshit-job/">shared his thoughts on the subject matter as well</a>. The quote from the book that really connected with me was "Those who work bullshit jobs are often surrounded by honour and prestige; they are respected as professionals, well paid, and treated as high achievers – as the sort of people who can be justly proud of what they do. Yet secretly they are aware that they have achieved nothing; they feel they have done nothing to earn the consumer toys with which they fill their lives; they feel it’s all based on a lie – as, indeed, it is.”</p><p>All this is data driven, as <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2015/08/12/british-jobs-meaningless">a 2015 survey by YouGov</a> found that 37% of British workers think that their job is "not making a meaningful contribution to the world". That's a little over one-third of the workforce, who either are excess baggage supported by the remaining 63% of the organization or who are only perceived at doing meaningless jobs.</p><p>The key word here is "perception", which is linked to job satisfaction. As those who are stuck with these jobs or roles as still paid and typically hold high ranking titles (at least from sound), knowing that one makes no difference is enough to put many of us into the mindset of change. I said "us" as I was among one of "lucky" ones myself a couple of years ago.</p><p>Now begins my story....</p><p>A couple of years ago, I somehow got reassigned to such a job. Naturally, I was not happy. For some time. Anger clouds the mind. Really. I was fortunate enough to have an unofficial advisor / mentor / friend, who was truthfully part of the reason for this mess, but in the end was part of the solution as well (more on this towards the end).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Trlese8eNw/X_AoyxEKJrI/AAAAAAAAFo8/YR4Pcq5rW2EuIL3lXSPuiiDdRPzNm8jpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s248/Step%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Trlese8eNw/X_AoyxEKJrI/AAAAAAAAFo8/YR4Pcq5rW2EuIL3lXSPuiiDdRPzNm8jpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Step%2B1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>When faced with such bad luck, the first step (hardest and I feel the one that took the most time) is to ACCEPT THE CHANGE. There was no turning back, no options, as this was not even my choice or with my consent. Somehow being part of an organization, the employer does have a final say in assigning jobs to the employees. Being stuck in this situation came with a flood of negative emotions (which would lead to self-destruct / downward spiral / self-fulfilling prophecy of doom, so the quicker one accepts the situation, the quicker one can move on to the next phase.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pNCMuaaRUnc/X_Ao9MwFqLI/AAAAAAAAFpE/YwRr6VhR_bQUA3Awtds-4nEbxMXwQ04NgCLcBGAsYHQ/s272/Step%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="272" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pNCMuaaRUnc/X_Ao9MwFqLI/AAAAAAAAFpE/YwRr6VhR_bQUA3Awtds-4nEbxMXwQ04NgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Step%2B2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>The next phase here is to ANALYSE THE SITUATION. Being an technical R&D person for 20+ years in the semiconductor industry by profession, by choice and by nature, strategic thinking and data-driven solution are part of our everyday life. Once I toned down my emotions (there was still strong drive within me, but at least now I could think straight, sort of like the Hulk in Avengers:Endgame), I could then piece together the facts:</p><p>- Is this new position really that bad?</p><p>- Why am I unhappy?</p><p>- What do I really want?</p><p>- What to do next?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uF-YzKNK1gw/X_ApJ7raleI/AAAAAAAAFpM/29mU8d9NmeMQ-GK4wiVh3-bFugcEmI87ACLcBGAsYHQ/s226/Step%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="226" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uF-YzKNK1gw/X_ApJ7raleI/AAAAAAAAFpM/29mU8d9NmeMQ-GK4wiVh3-bFugcEmI87ACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Step%2B3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>That last bit was the part where I brainstormed a dozen ideas, from the unthinkable to the impossible, and after doing so, allowed me to sort and plan out scenarios that could work out. Of course, these could work, or they could fail. Important is to BELIEVE that if you keep trying, you will eventually succeed. Even if it means trying the same idea more than once, unlike the cartoon where Willie Coyote, who has many, many ideas (sponsored by ACME?) but never could catch the Roadrunner. If I had given up even before trying, the situation could never have gotten better (after all, I'm a strong believer in making my own luck).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMafPQYB4OU/X_ApRgbG4mI/AAAAAAAAFpU/nU3zVaxgwaAUx_zdAYd-2hmmjq3H8Ek6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s288/Step%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="288" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMafPQYB4OU/X_ApRgbG4mI/AAAAAAAAFpU/nU3zVaxgwaAUx_zdAYd-2hmmjq3H8Ek6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Step%2B4.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>One thing to remember, if you are not the most unfortunate person alive, chances are YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In my then-current bullshit job role, I was not the one one, nor was I the first. Scanning the organization and taking a note of who was in this role before and who were my new peers enabled me to delve deeper into how the past colleagues managed to move onwards, and how my new buddies were handling the situation. As it turns out, there were only 4 of us in the local site (few others at various global locations), and we had much in common in terms of our thinking. In our small circle, we exchanged ideas, collaborated on work (though it didn't seeming add value, but doesn't mean it was easy), and supported each other through the hard times. To this day, we remain good friends - this is the only silver lining to the otherwise disaster story.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-68ApFOPtrjI/X_ApZ9jIXoI/AAAAAAAAFpc/8iP2dmcmlaYPfibsbI8f-gg2pmXh9ndEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s182/Step%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="182" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-68ApFOPtrjI/X_ApZ9jIXoI/AAAAAAAAFpc/8iP2dmcmlaYPfibsbI8f-gg2pmXh9ndEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Step%2B5.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Last thing to do, was to form a game plan and ACT. Visibly. I felt that people need to see that I existed and to hear my side of the story. Having the will and right mindset to change. I spoke to my unofficial advisor / mentor / friend mentioned earlier, to align that we are on the right frequency, and that my plan was to understand what this job was about, do it reasonably well, while doing all that was possible to transfer to another role in the company. That was a good plan, and it wasn't mine - glad to have had good advice, as otherwise who knows how much worse the situation could have gotten....</p><p>In the end, I did the following:</p><p>- Figured out the bare minimum expectation to remain employed and do what has to be done (doing extra is meaningless and thus extra resources would be best spent elsewhere).</p><p>- Further studies (night classes). Thanks to one of my new peers - better spend the energy to increase my skills and market value. At least for now, staying back late after office hours for the company's sake is a thing of the past.</p><p>- Considered what job I would rather be doing instead - otherwise, blindly applying for internal transfers I end up with yet another bullshit job.</p><p>- Actively pursue prospective new positions until successful. Good things will not come on their own.</p><p>For that last part - I made many attempts - some with no response from the hiring managers, others with informal interviews (but in the jobs went to someone else). Just as I was about to broaden my reach to external companies, a friend alerted me to an opening posted on the company intranet (I had been looking here weekly, not sure how I missed it), which was a 100% match to what I would rather be doing. Just didn't believe that such an opening would suddenly appear. Immediately, I applied and also made a few calls, and asked for details, support and recommendation. In the next few weeks, my application received a response, and following a series of interviews, I finally learned that my application was successful!</p><p>Today, in my new job, there is much more work to do, much more pressure from work - but, hey, at least now I have a real job! Some may call me crazy or stupid, but now I have the motivation to work at my very best once again!</p><p>I'm grateful that during this time, I made some new best friends, finally started my post-graduate studies. To sum up my short recap, I'm glad I could recognize my unfortunate predicament, set the right mindset and change. Hope there won't be another such disaster in my career, but if by chance it does happen again, at least I know I've made it out once, so I'll definitely make it out again if I have to!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Note: I've used some graphics I found on the internet to help illustrate some of my key points. None of this is for profit. If anyone holds any copyright and would like me to remove, do let me know.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-44947683805738604562020-08-29T17:40:00.001+08:002023-08-22T09:34:57.884+08:00DIY leather car seat stitching repair [FIXED]<p>Most of the times, DIY is a faster, cheaper alternative, provided you know what you are doing.</p><p>As the country is still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, it's a good time to learn new skills and do things yourself, in order to avoid unnecessary travelling and contact with external parties.</p><p>Thus, I decided to take care of a long-time outstanding issue with my car - a torn leather seat. This tear was on the driver's side - the side where I sit, so when I'm in the car I don't see it, and when I'm not in the car I definitely can't see it. Still, the adage "a stitch in time saves nine" keeps tugging my thoughts back to this, as I fear one day I will be left with an ugly gaping gash.</p><p>Last year, when I was in KL, I asked if anything could be done to fix it. The seat cover "expert" (subcontractor of Desmond @ KL Auto) said it was too risky to repair, as the leather was old and thin, likely to tear and thus the entire seat cover should be replaced. And since there was no way to match the passenger's side, he recommended to change both driver and passenger seat covers. Now, this would cost somewhere above RM2K, and even that, with a lower-quality leather material. Given that option, I reluctantly deferred the repair, and hope it would not get worse.</p><p>Now, having done a series of DIY's at home over the last couple of months, including <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/04/diy-spark-plug-replacement.html">replacing my own spark plugs</a>, I thought I'd have a go at sewing back the seat cover. The first thing that came to mind was to use the standard needle and thread from my sewing kit. However, on second thought, I doubted that it could be THAT easy. So, thankfully we have YouTube! :)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ilNVvAwahXM/X_Hc9bYknBI/AAAAAAAAFrc/Shmy5OmK-3In9j7aNhYN_X_iFmGj-b27gCLcBGAsYHQ/s533/Seat%2B1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="533" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ilNVvAwahXM/X_Hc9bYknBI/AAAAAAAAFrc/Shmy5OmK-3In9j7aNhYN_X_iFmGj-b27gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Seat%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I looked up a couple of videos on what actually needed to be done, and figured out I needed the right tools and equipment. My seat cover was not actually torn - it's just that the thread had broken and come undone. For this kind of sewing, a standard straight needle would not be able to loop through the leather (definitely not thin as described by the seat cover expert), hence I needed a hooked needle. And the standard thread for sewing cloth would not do either, hence I needed thick, waxed thread. Once again, I placed an order on Shopee and waited for the parts to arrive. As usual, delivery services are fortunately still working amidst the MCO (Movement Control Order) lock-down.</p><p>Looking at the seat cover, on the plus side, the material was still thick, especially at the edges where the material was folded. The holes left by the original stitching were still intact - thus I concluded that the existing thread likely snapped, and thus left this gap. Therefore, I would sew through the existing holes in the seat cover - this made it easier as I didn't have to make new holes (which would likely weaken the material) and also the holes on both sides would be lined up.</p><p>In spite of using the existing holes and waxed thread, the needle did not exactly glide through like a knife through hot butter. It was impossible for me to push it through with my fingers, hence, I had to use a pair of grip pliers (couldn't find any smaller one) to push the needle through. Slowly but surely, I got the job done, just like what I saw on YouTube....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w30asatsAZY/X_HeqCOKd9I/AAAAAAAAFro/i1EH1wahDVUjOl-44QCokQDhRbQQiMvhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s533/Seat%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="533" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w30asatsAZY/X_HeqCOKd9I/AAAAAAAAFro/i1EH1wahDVUjOl-44QCokQDhRbQQiMvhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Seat%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I made sure that each insertion went in and out of the right holes, and after an intense 30 minutes or so, I finally finished the last stitch. The interesting thing about this technique is that we only use a single thread through instead of dual threads, and we tie the new thread to the old threads on both ends.</p><p>Here's what the final outcome of my latest DIY repair project turned out:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E48YHq9bZ9w/X_Hh5fLg3DI/AAAAAAAAFr0/eeA2jW0smS0qKmXV439WgBI26ec6psTgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s533/Seat%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="533" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E48YHq9bZ9w/X_Hh5fLg3DI/AAAAAAAAFr0/eeA2jW0smS0qKmXV439WgBI26ec6psTgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Seat%2B3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>The tweezers here is what I THOUGHT might work for pushing the needle through. Ended up it was too weak and had no grip on the needle, so I had to use the pliers instead. Lucky it looked OK, and was sturdy enough that it didn't unravel or turn out looking worse. Otherwise it would be a classic case of <i>tikus membaiki labu</i> (a Malay proverb that literally means "Mouse fixing a pumpkin"). Well, only time will tell if this will hold (and since I don't drive around that much these days, this will take some time to find out for sure).</p><p>Now, not shown here, on the right side of the driver's seat, the cushioning was worn out due to excessive rubbing getting into and out of the car. Yes, that is on my list of D.I.Y. TO DO. But that will be a story for another time....</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-18999071764499859062020-05-04T15:02:00.000+08:002020-05-04T15:02:23.198+08:00MCO Phase 4 - May the 4th be with youToday is not only Star Wars Day, but also marks the start of the ambiguous CMCO (Conditional MCO) as declared by the Malaysian authorities.<br />
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Starting off on a lighter note, Star Wars Day was coined as a result of "May the 4th" sounding very much like the common phrase most spoken by Jedi and non-Jedi alike in the Star Wars Universe. It's the equivalent of "Live Long and Prosper" which is most spoken by Vulcan and non-Vulcan alike in the the Star Trek Universe.... Let's not get started on the Star Wars vs Star Trek thing! Star Wars Day was first celebrated officially <a href="https://o.canada.com/technology/internet/its-star-wars-day-may-the-4th-be-with-you">in 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema</a>. Why in Canada and not US? Go figure....<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1x03eOvYYIs/Xq-8rhC1DyI/AAAAAAAAFbI/iFlzkqnWCH8doD2zwgHamfLTTtPCe9JZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Clipboard01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="808" height="481" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1x03eOvYYIs/Xq-8rhC1DyI/AAAAAAAAFbI/iFlzkqnWCH8doD2zwgHamfLTTtPCe9JZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Clipboard01.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, back to more pressing matters. As we are midway through the <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/04/mco-phase-4-3rd-extension-holding-on.html">4th phase of the Movement Control Order (or rather, the 3rd extension)</a>, due to immense pressure coming from businesses and certain quarters to "cut some slack" and open up the country one again.<br />
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There are two main driving factors behind this:<br />
1) Economic pressure: Loss of income from businesses and employment<br />
2) Health consciousness: Interesting how many people get caught flaunting the MCO by jogging, playing golf, badminton, etc.. Who says Malaysians do not care about health and exercise...?<br />
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Hence, in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, the Federal Government has generally initiated a <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/05/01/conditional-mco-declared-to-ease-lockdown/">Conditional MCO with some relaxed conditions from today onwards</a>. With this, there are certain relaxations, such as the number of passengers in a car, and the allowance to go out for non-contact sports. However, Ramadan Bazaars and <i>balik kampung</i> (going back to home town to celebrate Hari Raya) are strictly forbidden.<br />
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Now, generally, businesses are allowed to restart, not requiring approval, but subject to certain conditions. This includes spacing out of tables and registration of dine-in customers for restaurants. <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/04/29/air-cond-servicing-plumbing-allowed-during-mco-without-miti-approval/">Air con repairs and plumbers do not need MITI approval</a>. To its credit, the Majlis Keselamatan Negara (National Security Council) has published official SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) on it's official website, which you can find over <a href="https://www.mkn.gov.my/web/ms/sop-pembukaan-semula-ekonomi/">here</a>. SOP's for 26 ministries (including Petronas and the NSC itself) are listed, along with the date of update.<br />
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The local governments on the other hand (remember, Malaysia has 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories (Wilayah Persekutuan - Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya), have <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/05/04/states-take-different-steps-to-easing-mco-restrictions/">each their own interpretations of what can and cannot be done</a>. Hence, you should check carefully with your local authorities before leaving the safe confines of your home.<br />
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Well, the entire nation is now divided into two camps - one looking forward to restarting ASAP, and another preferring to err on the side of caution. After all, symptoms of Covid-19 only appear after ~14 days, and its still possible for asymptomatic patients to exist (carriers who themselves show no signs of infection). With the number of daily cases in the double to low tripled digit figures, the decision to open up the country now could go either way. What's your opinion? In any case, let's hope for the best, and May the 4th be with you!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-28516137804107575602020-04-26T21:56:00.106+08:002021-01-03T22:39:41.582+08:00DIY spark plug replacement<p>They say "Necessity is the mother of all invention", perhaps Necessity had another child named "DIY"!</p><p>In spite of being somewhat of a "car-guy", I must admit I don't have much actual hands-on experience up to now, as most of the tinkering and mods are done by the professionals, of who I make a quick shout out below:-</p><p>- Desmond's team @ <a href="https://www.klauto.com.my/">KL Auto</a> (and various subcontractors) - just about everything else</p><p>- Leon's team @ <a href="https://quicksave2u.com/home/">Quicksave</a> - tires and rims</p><p>- David Low @ Melaka - our trusted family mechanic for standard services and repairs</p><p>- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Honda-Gs-Tay-Sdn-Bhd/178612515519215">GS Tay Honda Muar</a> - where my Honda Civic gets preventive maintenance work done (in spite of being well over the warranty period)</p><p>Now, back to the story....</p><p>I noticed that one of my cars was getting harder and harder to start, and lately, the engine sputters and dies off. This was happening at an increasing frequency (which was alarming and down-right dangerous). The first time this happened, I checked my ignition cables, and found that one of them was badly damaged, to the point where the inner copper core was visible. At this point, I would not risk driving any long distance until I fixed the problem. Not good - but fortunately, Desmond has a spare set and DHL-ed it to me. Changing the cables was fairly easy and straight forward. Of course, in order to avoid connecting the wrong cable to the wrong spark plug, do change one cable at a time, as I did.</p><p>Now, this time round, the cables were still good, but the familiar symptoms began to recur. As it was again risky to drive up to KL Auto for a check, plus we're in the middle of the MCO (Movement Control Order) lock-down, I figured out that it could be the spark plugs instead. Hopefully....</p><p>This time round, I tried something different. After extensive checking on spark plugs (believe me, there are many variations out there depending on your car, so getting the wrong ones would be disastrous), I ordered some through Shopee and waited patiently for them to arrive. A good thing that online shopping still worked, though the courier service was a little slow given the current circumstances.</p><p>When the parts finally arrived, I got out my tools and popped the hood. Though the procedure was easy, this was the first time I ever did it myself. Having taken out the first plug, I noticed 2 things. Firstly, the tip of the spark plug electrode was almost worn out completely. Instead of a cylindrical shape, the old plug was now resembling a concave cone (like the back side of a Herschey's Kisses chocolate). Secondly, from the screw threads right to the tip, the plug was blackened. This indicated that there could be something else wrong besides the plugs. Take a look at the photo below - the old one is on the left, next to the new one on the right.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ec-P55vJHsk/X_HWPCeoW5I/AAAAAAAAFrQ/p4mxgMq9WcYjd5sztegRDL9e0OSgTOzfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/DIY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ec-P55vJHsk/X_HWPCeoW5I/AAAAAAAAFrQ/p4mxgMq9WcYjd5sztegRDL9e0OSgTOzfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DIY.jpg" /></a></div><p>Anyway, I managed to swap the old plugs out and screw in the new ones in under 15 minutes - being very careful to screw in the plugs so I won't damage the threads and also risk under / over tightening them.</p><p>Once done, I turned the key to on and then fired her up. I was extremely relieved that the engine came on and idled smoothly once again. My first DIY spark plug replacement successfully executed!</p><p>Though I knew there's more to fix than I could DIY, at least I got her up and running again. Will plan a trip down to KL Auto as soon as this MCO is lifted so the experts could take a look.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-2309539990332483102020-04-25T19:23:00.001+08:002020-04-25T19:23:45.533+08:00MCO Phase 4 (3rd extension) - holding on for a little while longer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The end of the Movement Control Order (MCO) was in sight, and, unsurprisingly, once again, the finish line has been <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/covid-19-malaysia-extends-movement-control-order-may-12-12670228?cid=h3_referral_inarticlelinks_24082018_cna">moved back by another 2 weeks</a>. The 3rd extension brings into effect MCO Phase 4 from 29 April 2020 to 12 May 2020. Yesterday, the Phillipines has also followed suite and <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/covid-19-philippines-coronavirus-cases-manila-lockdown-12673878">extended the lockdown of Manila until 15 May 2020</a>. Quite similar to Singapore's <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-singapore-circuit-breaker-go-out-alone-coronavirus-12665458?cid=h3_referral_inarticlelinks_24082018_cna">extension of the "circuit breaker" ending from 4 May 2020 to 1 Jun 2020</a>.<br />
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As i blogged my thoughts <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/04/mco-phase-3-businesses-getting-restless.html">two weeks ago</a>, businesses were already getting restless due to the long stretch of inactivity, with running costs to upkeep it's dormant workforce eating into their reserves. This further extension further aggravates the situation, though many manufacturers (particularly those from the automotive manufacturing industry) have quickly converted their production lines to manufacture face masks, ventilators, and other relevant health equipment. This has a two-fold benefit of both generating income and keeping their workforce productive.<br />
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Unfortunately, this latest extension crosses into <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/covid-19-coronavirus-muslims-ramadan-lockdown-12672954">Ramadan, the fasting month for Muslims which started yesterday (24 April 2020)</a>. Life just got one level tougher for our Muslim brothers and sisters, though most of them are very positive and take this as form of divine challenge to strengthen their resolve. In order to ensure social distancing, the usual Pasar Ramadans (food bazaar) are not allowed this year, and the government is working hard to enable and online solution for the traditional food sellers.<br />
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Now, this is somewhat of a relief to me and my family. Prior to the announcement, we were thinking of how to handle going back to work when schools were to remain closed (the government would make a separate announcement when schools would resume, 2 weeks ahead of the starting date). This meant that while parents like us go back to work, the kids would have to be at home, as day care and baby sitter functions are not likely to resume. My company had already planned to split the workforce into 2 alternative shifts rotating weekly between working from home and being in the office. This extension buys us some time, though ultimately the day will come when we have to face this issue and find a solution.<br />
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Somehow, we have gotten used to the life staying at home, and also working from home (WFH)as well. Can't say the same for others, as I still observe some people taking regular morning and evening walks around my housing estate. I hope that they do not get arrested by the Police, a real risk as there have been many cases in Malaysia daily. Having limited detention space, the authorities also consider a fine of RM1000 for those violating the MCO rules.<br />
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Speaking of WFH, just to add to my recent thoughts which you can read over <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/03/practical-working-from-home-wfh-in-2020.html">here</a>, as long as the telcos are kind enough to stick to their commitment of daily free data (which is sufficient to carry out teleconferences and file access online), working from home is "manageable". I use this term, as in my own experience the quality of the connection is intermittent - sometimes, impossible to do anything in real-time (like voice and desktop sharing). I'm using the wireless broadband from my phone as a WIFI hotspot. Especially challenging when you present your desktop, and try to speak and scroll around all at the same time. Your own mileage might vary, and if you have a wired connection, I guess you should be luckier than me. I use roughly 1 Gb of data per day, so for a typical 4-week month, that comes up to ~20 Gb. <a href="https://www.soyacincau.com/">Soyacincau.com</a> has put up a good comparison of the free data + extras offered by the major telcos in Malaysia over <a href="https://www.soyacincau.com/2020/03/26/malaysia-telco-covid-19-mco-free-data-access-services-comparison">here</a>. On the bare minimum, all of them offer 1 Gb of free data per day from 8am to 6pm (enough for doing work during regular office hours). For most of them, either it's automatically given or a one-off request through their app or SMS. Maxis is the most troublesome, as you have to use the app to apply each day after midnight. For those with kids in school, YTL has a good offer of a 40 Gb / month free data plan for 60 days (check it out <a href="https://ytlfoundation.org/learnfromhome-depreciated-2/">here</a>). And for those "big kids", Telekom is offering a good deal (RM59/month for unlimited data) to those pursuing tertiary education at selected institutes of higher learning (read more over <a href="https://www.unifi.com.my/studentpack">here</a>).<br />
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In any case, with everyone using the Internet, I guess this is somewhat expected. All the more reason for the world to speed up on the adoption of 5G technology (US and Huawei better get their act together and align once this is over). In the mean time, entertainment companies such as Netflix are <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/19/21187078/netflix-europe-streaming-european-union-bit-rate-broadband-coronavirus">reducing their bitrates of their streaming services</a>, since the "width of the pipe" is not going to get bigger any time soon. Youtube has also <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/20/21187930/youtube-reduces-streaming-quality-european-union-coronavirus-bandwidth-internet-traffic">followed this move</a>, though I'm not sure if Europe alone is sufficient since America and Asia are also likely to consume high volumes of data.<br />
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As businesses become more restless, people are also becoming increasingly uncomfortable, as it looks like Hari Raya this year will be a anti-climax of a celebration after a month of fasting. The government is also working to restart the economy by gradually relaxing the controls that are in place. For several days now, the number of new confirmed cases in Malaysia has been in dual digit figures, though it is still to early to lift the MCO completely.<br />
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Even after this is done, it is certain that we will not go back to the life as before - there will definitely be long-lasting or even permanent changes to our social and travel aspects of life!<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-70900421814260757282020-04-16T13:09:00.000+08:002020-04-16T18:48:56.975+08:00"No connection dinosaur" - new high scoreIronically, after my telco shortly before lunch today, my internet connection suddenly went spotty. Instead of giving up and going downstairs to eat (still at home during this <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/04/movement-control-order-2nd-extension.html">MCO phase 3</a>, after all), I tried my luck again at another game with the monochrome T-rex on my Chrome browser.<br />
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This is not the first time playing this game, but only since these few weeks do I see this very often (due to the intermittently poor connection to the Internet via wireless hotspot connection). Not sure if this is due to the telco infrastructure (both Digi and Maxis give similar results) or if my house is poorly located.</div>
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Today, I managed to break my <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/04/having-bit-of-fun-with-no-connection.html">old record from 2 weeks ago</a>, and reached a new high score of 4162! 😀</div>
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Yep, a cactus in the face ended my run (again). Haha, either I am getting more patient, or getting better with more practice. Maybe I have to find some different hobbies to get through this lengthy home-isolation due to MCO. Any recommendations?</div>
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Well, for any of you out there who are in the same boat as me, perhaps you too have become increasingly proficient in this game...! 😁</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-19745317685034343352020-04-15T14:43:00.000+08:002020-04-15T14:43:19.454+08:00MCO Phase 3 - Businesses getting restlessIt's 15 April 2020 - Melaka Historical City Day! It's a public holiday for us in Melaka, to commemorate the <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1223/">declaration of Melaka as a historical city by UNESCO in 2008</a>. Interestingly, this was inscribed together with George Town, Penang, but somehow it's only a holiday in Melaka. For the rest of Malaysia, instead of going back out into the world (and into the office, for most of us), instead today marks the start of MCO (Movement Control Order) Phase 3. This extension is from 15 April to 28 April 2020, and is expected to be a step up in terms of measures and controls implemented during the month long "Stay at Home" initiative.<br />
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For businesses, in principle only "essential" supplies and services are allowed to operate (this itself with some degree of ambiguity) with the approval of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Ironically, MITI takes care of the approval of "Internal"/local business activities too. As businesses are not allowed to cut pay, force staff to take unpaid leave, retrench / lay off staff, there is increasing financial pressure to remain in business through this MCO period.<br />
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For my company, being a multi-national semiconductor manufacturer, some of the departments which are not limited to that in Malaysia are able to operate (sometimes with reduced activities) by "Working from Home" (WFH). Of course, we have a manufacturing plant here, which I just realised <a href="https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20200414PR201.html">also supplies parts for ventilators</a>! So, for the respective production staff, work goes on....<br />
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However, many businesses in Malaysia are not in such a situation. From the start, there have been concerns from businesses on how to stay afloat. The key focus points / grouses:-<br />
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1. Cost-avoidance: Appealing to defer rental, <a href="https://says.com/my/news/bank-negara-offers-6-month-deferment-for-all-loans-here-s-an-faq-with-the-details">loan repayments</a> and other costs during this period<br />
Coming from: Most SME's, typically in hand to mouth situation<br />
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2. Continued payment: Argument here is that the monthly payments are in fact a division of cost across the entire year, hence should be paid even during this time<br />
Coming from: <a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/04/07/school-bus-operators-willing-to-negotiate-with-parents">School bus operators (though they are open for negotiations)</a>, day care centers<br />
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3. Allowed to work: The strict requirements, including limited workforce and measures (sanitizing, social distancing) are no deterrent to several businesses who seek to restart activities to offset fixed costs<br />
Coming from: Manufacturing, <a href="https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/oil-palm-plantations-mills-resume-operations">Agricultural sector</a><br />
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4. Government bail-out: Citing loss of income, appealing to the government for aid<br />
Coming from: <a href="https://www.malaysia-today.net/2020/04/04/taxi-drivers-companies-see-earnings-plunge-90-during-mco/">Taxi Association</a><br />
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As the prolonged MCO has shifted the economy back to first gear, it is crucial to have a plan to restart the businesses as soon as possible to minimize the effects of recession. Of course, the challenge is to clearly define which business could resume operations, and how to enforce this effectively.<br />
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Our company management has already drawn up some elaborate plans to ensure social distancing and the necessary precautions can be taken once the MCO is lifted. Still too early to deploy, as the end of the MCO series is not yet in sight, but good to know we have a very proactive management team!<br />
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Initially, MITI did announce that barbers, hair saloons would be allowed to operate, much to the surprise of the community. Unsurprisingly, most Malaysians did not understand how this sector of business could qualify as essential, and also how social distancing could be maintained (eg, while having a hair cut). <a href="https://www.malaysia-today.net/2020/04/11/barbers-tearing-their-hair-out-over-being-allowed-to-give-haircuts-during-mco/">Even the association of barbers themselves refused to go back into business, even though it was apparently allowed</a>. Better to stay safe and healthy rather than take the risk! Eventually, this was retracted by the government.<br />
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On the other hand, there are many, many businesses that seek to restart, as there were so many applications to the MITI website over <a href="https://application.miti.gov.my/LOGIN">HERE</a> that it <a href="https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/04/583874/miti-website-inaccessible-due-heavy-traffic">crashed shortly after opening on Monday (13 April 2020)</a>. I don't have a breakdown of the applicants, so it could be a mixture of essential businesses which still needed MITI approval, or simply those who wished to try their luck.<br />
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Not everything is bleak and disastrous. For certain businesses, namely e-commerce (Lazada, Shopee) and logistics (DHL, FedEx, Grabfood, Food Panda), the MCO has temporarily put competition on hold and causes a surge in clients. Some are even <a href="https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/579226/amid-mco-lazada-begins-selling-fresh-produce-cameron-highlands">adapting and evolving their businesses to the current situation, such as Lazada</a>, which has started to sell produce from Cameron Highlands which would otherwise go to waste. With Hari Raya just around the corner, <a href="https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/asia/malaysia-bans-ramadan-bazaars-to-contain-covid-19-outbreak/">the annual Pasar Ramadans are no longer allowed to operate this year due to the CoVid-19 situation</a>, however, the <a href="https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/579909/online-ramadan-bazaar-terengganu-year">authorities are offering support to business owners to go online</a> so that they can continue to sell food during the Puasa month - a yearly phase where there is a significant potential for income.<br />
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The only risks now are running out of inventory, hitting bottlenecks in the supply chain (ie, not enough delivery channels) and compromising quality of service. For now, people are switching because they have no choice - whether or not these business make a lasting positive impression and experience to permanently secure their new customer base is entirely up to how they perform in these times.<br />
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For us, I would say our manufacturing is somewhat affected, but we still manage to continue where our business partners, situated in other countries, are allowed to resume operations. Example, those in China are cautiously back to work, while on the other hand those in Philippines are basically in the same boat as us.<br />
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Are you a business owner who would like to share your experience in these troubled times, or perhaps you are a wage-earner like me who is dependent on the employer to bring us through?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3579294784840762800.post-87170383023640278072020-04-11T14:00:00.000+08:002020-04-11T14:01:34.730+08:00Movement Control Order - 2nd extensionAs officially announced yesterday at 4pm, the nation-wide MCO (Movement Control Order) here in Malaysia has been extended for a second time for an additional 2 weeks. This means the end of the MCO has been extended from 14 April to 28 April.<br />
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Even before the announcement, judging from the daily new confirmed cases alone, it would be a real surprise if the MCO would be ended as planned.<br />
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Extending into the 3rd phase of MCO will not be a case of "more of the same", as this state of economic stasis cannot be sustained indefinitely. As essential supply chains are disrupted, its only a matter of time before food, medical supplies and other consumables run out.<br />
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The definition of "essential" remains somewhat ambiguous. <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/04/10/haircuts-hardware-and-laundry-services-now-allowed-under-mco/">The government has published a list of permitted industries, and those that were not listed would be allowed to appeal from Monday (13 April)</a>. However, this then opens up a can of worms, as there is little transparency of how such appeals are handled. Also there will be some bad-hearted parties who will object that approval is given to some. Thus, I expect this list to be somewhat dynamic (not counting exceptions) so do check the official government websites and sources for the latest info.<br />
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The key problem statement is how to resume daily functions with adequate controls without compromising the social distancing and other necessary measures. Besides restarting essential supply chains, businesses cannot afford to continue paying their staff for doing nothing. As they are not allowed to take any measures such as terminating staff, closure remains the only realistic option, which will then leave people jobless instead of just short of income. This sadly would be a real case of killing the goose that lays the golden egg. On the other hand, businesses like day care and school buses are insisting that they still be paid in full throughout the MCO period. So, everyone is being pressed and doing their best to stay afloat in these difficult times.<br />
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As of today, this is a tough challenge which no country has a clear solution. With the reopening of Wuhan, China today is taking the first steps into uncharted waters, and I hope China will be successful and that we can all learn from the experience.<br />
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One thing is clear - everyone, from the leaders down to the common folk like us, has to do their part and act responsibly, if we are to overcome this global pandemic.<br />
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Every day, there is still news of people arrested and fined (as space in detention is fast becoming a bottleneck), their numbers far exceeding the confirmed cases. I also observe inconsiderate people in the neighbourhood still going for morning and evening walks, and even stopping to chat with anyone they bump into. No doubt they share the same shallow thinking with the <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/04/03/another-man-arrested-for-jogging-at-penang-park/">doctor and engineer who was jogging in Penang</a> as well as the <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/04/04/cops-arrest-mbsa-councillor-3-friends-playing-badminton-during-mco/">Shah Alam City Council member and friends who were playing badminton</a>. Perhaps the police should start patrolling rather than just set up static road blocks...?<br />
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Back home, how does the news of extension bode for us? Well, the kids are getting started with their online lessons, though the teachers are the ones with the most challenges - having to master online teaching tools. Most of the lessons are a form of watching online video lessons followed by questions. Haha, for now, the videos are not of the teachers themselves, but some 3rd party. Not like what I've seen on social media for China, where some videos are starring the teachers themselves. But I don't blame them - even for me, presenting a Powerpoint slide online is no problem, but live (or even recorded) video feed is a completely different and new experience. Unless you are a seasoned vlogger on youtube, you'd probably keep comfortably off-screen....<br />
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For me, life during MCO is quite routine, occasionally starting my car to break the monotony. <a href="https://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2020/03/practical-working-from-home-wfh-in-2020.html">Working from home is still possible</a>, and major telcos like Digi and Maxis are kind enough to offer free data daily from 8am to 6pm, which is sufficient to get a day's work done. The network speed can get slow at time, making teleconferencing a choppy affair. With the extension of the MCO to 28 April, I hope the free data plan offer would also be extended accordingly - otherwise, will have to incur a bit of cost. It would be interesting to calculate the daily cost of working from home versus the usual working at office (factoring in costs such as refueling and parking)....<br />
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Well, the first MCO clamped down on our daily lives and started us working from home. The second MCO (14 day extension) limited our movement to within 10km of our homes and with valid reason only. Let's see how the next two weeks go along in the 3rd episode of the MCO trilogy - hope we start to see the light the end of the tunnel (as Donald Trump aptly puts it) or maybe we'll see yet another extension - but even then, life after this pandemic will unlikely to be the same as before!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p> © Copyright 2007~2023 – All rights reserved </p>
<a href=”https://marvinchong.blogspot.com“>MCWK on Blogspot.com</a></div>Marvin Chonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10092943990492611595noreply@blogger.com0