BBQ at Chong FC and Sim BL

It was a Friday, then end of a long week at work. Just as I was about to shut down my company-issued laptop and call it a day, I received an invitation to a BBQ, organized by the Chong FC and Sim BL at their home.

Coming straight from the office, I was much out of place wearing my working attire, while everyone else was dressed casually. Fortunately, it was a cool night, so I did not have to suffer like a snowman in the middle of summer.

Yum, yum - so many choices - which one to pick first...?

A round table discussion without a round table, and for some, without a chair

Plus, to be honest, it was a pot-luck dinner, which I felt a little uncomfortable attending empty-handed. Nonetheless, I was happy to be invited as a guest, and to meet up with many old friends, some of whom I had not seen for years.

One of whom I speak was Swee Heng, who left Vishay two years ago to join another nearby semiconductor manufacturer. He came with his family, and I will surely remember his son, who was so tired he slept through the entire BBQ!

Also present was Lim KS, who also left Vishay quite recently, to join a solar panel manufacturer also in the vicinity of Melaka.

Note too the presence of Chea Thin, who left way back in 2008, but decided to return some years later to rejoin the team. She's in the picture below sitting next to Amelia, all listening attentively while Chong Wee Kiong tells his tale. We're just missing the campfire and guitar.... :)

Chong Wee Kiong captures the attention of the group with an intriguing tale, while in the background, another forum takes place

The majority of the crowd was the Vishay Sensor / IRDC team. Ironically, as of late, I was joining more of the activities organized by them, instead of the Optocoupler / SSR team - perhaps it's because the former group was made up of many pioneers who were in since the acquisition by Vishay....(?)

By the way, in case anyone was wondering up to now, these photos were taken on a iPhone 4 (not 4S), where they were touched up and resized too before uploading here via my laptop. Sorry if they appear rather grainy and over-saturated (even going beyond the extremes of Ken Rockwell). Photography skills a bit rusty - have to brush up a bit after a long span of laying dormant....

It was definitely good to have the opportunity for all of us to meet up outside the office. It just goes to show that whatever differences or challenges faced at work, off the corporate battlefield, we are all friends. Considering the fact the people practically spend most of their waking hours each day at work, it's no wonder that the general work and social environment at the workplace has a great influence on our feeling tone.

Well, always great to see friends, and I eagerly look forward to our next event, most likely, the Mid-Autumn / Moon Cake Festival that marks the middle of the eighth lunar month.

RON97 goes down further to RM2.60 - 5 Jul 2012

With the price of crude oil currently below USD90 per barrel, it's a much welcomed move from the authorities to reduce further the price of unsubsidized RON97 at the pumps to RM2.60 per liter.

This is a further reduction on top of the RM0.10 drop effective beginning of last month. Of course, RM2.60 per liter is still significantly higher than the subsidized price of RON95 which is currently holding flat at RM1.90 per liter.

This bodes well for owners of foreign-registered vehicles (due to Government sales restrictions) and high-performance cars like the Honda Civic Type-R and Suzuki Swift Sport (of course one may argue that the price of fuel is relatively negligible compared to the cost of these cars anyway). And of course too, to those of use who drive *normal* cars who choose, for whatever reason, to refuel with RON97. :)

Your experience and vehicle needs might vary, but previously, I had no issues running my Honda Civic FD2 on RON92 when it was available for sale some years ago.

Well, regardless of the price per liter of fuel, we should always make it a habit of driving sensibly and in an economical manner. For those of you who are thinking of getting a car, do include fuel efficiency as one of the factors for consideration, as in the long run, the savings will be substantial.