I need a Pigging Break

I really wonder if working 5.5 day week is ancient? Think again... yours sincerely here is still working on alternate Saturdays. I really need those pigging hours now that I wake up before sunrise and do not go home way after the sun has gone to sleep.

The need to make sufficient to see our kids and parents have a decent life is eating us up. This morning's chat with my "friendly" mamak stall is still... well, "friendly."

How much do we pay for a plate of plain rice now? It used to be RM1/plate. Two weeks ago it was RM1.30/plate. I was told it has gone up to RM1.50/plate now. All these while I thought these flers are using the 15% broken composition where the price is fixed at RM16++/kilo.... why the increase? My teh tarik has gone up 20sen... my nasi lemak has gone up by 20sen to RM1/=. My telur mata kerbau has gone up to 80sen each!

That aside, broth with some chicken in it is RM3.50 for a miserable bowl! Makes Bubur Mc.D to be quite value for money if you take the ambiance into consideration! A night's out at hawker centre can cost a family of 4 some RM40/-. While a dinner at a cookout restaurant goes for slightly above RM50/- sans drinks. Which I told my kids, we save on drinks we can eat better stuff.

Last night, took my MIL out for her birthday dinner... cost me RM141.00! But it was a meal worthwhile for 4 adults and 2 kids. I noted that they did not charge the 10% and 5%. Co-incidentally when I reached home, TV was showing news that eateries with turnover below RM3 million would not be entitled to charge the 5% Service Tax now! YIPPPEEE!!! But sheeesh.. they did not say when? They only mentioned that those eateries must now "APPLY" to have it exempted! So? Do we now boycott eateries that charge 5% Service tax?

Prior to all these increases, I really do not mind paying the 10% and 5%, but it becomes significant when your meals are going by hundreds.... so I guess in a little way, we save by eating at small eateries that do not charge 5%. So, next time when you pay your dinner bill, please check for the 5% and demand to see the letter that they are entitled to charge the 5%! If all of us do, I think Shahrir's ministry will be inundated by complaints... haha

For all my industry, I think I will take this weekend to be my pigging break. Gonna sleep in late! Laze the entire Saturday... visit the park for some exercise and do a round of detox.... sigh... drinking olive oil is YUCKY!

Serene Weekend?

For me it was. Quite a relaxing weekend actually. I got to rest my weary body after a weeks' toil and hard labour... it was quite refreshing that I could wake up at 8am and resume my weekend 1 hour of brisk walking... yeah.. yeah.. getting old.. cant jog no more. Walking is by far the best for me to shedding some unwanted kilos.

It has been a drag to resume after procrastinating for the past two months or so. Before that I have gone on a 1 year of exercise of 4 times a week and it has brought some good to my body... start seeing muscles firming up.. though the kilos hardly went away due to my heavier intake of food but heck... life is lived ONCE. Anyway the exercise regime stopped when I came down with a bout of serious stomach flu a few months back and since then I have been lazy indeed.

Sunday was great to walk in the park and after an hour's walk, you really feel like you want to plunk yourself down on the sofa as my lead laden legs refuse to budge no more. It was terrible really but I guess thats the price one got to pay to get it back into the shape you wanted it to. I guess the whole body will ache for the remainder of the week but I am now more focused to start gym again as my upper body really felt lethargic.. aching legs without aching arms does not seem right. So, I am hitting the gym this evening after work. One hour on the threadmill and another hour on weights should put me to a good night's sleep tonight!

While things seem to be quite right for me, it was quite tumultous really for the leaders of our country as Tun Dr. M and PM Abdullah traded barbs on a Sunday. While I have to admit PM Abdullah failed to retain 2/3 in Parliament would have been a failure in the eyes of the power vultures in UMNO, it is certainly good for democracy and Malaysia as a whole and I failed to understand why Tun need to be so caustic in his remarks of the current administration. It is fair to say that BN suffered great electoral loss but its not like PM Abdullah has failed. It was in fact a collection of issues that failed Abdullah.

Well, this post is not about politics. Its about me trying to regain some measure of control over my health. Sometimes, we just need to be aware that as we age, we need to be more conscious and listen to our body more often as it sends out signals that sometimes its just not well. Sigh...talking like an old man...