Saying No
It's not easy to say No. Among others, it requires
Wisdom
Knowing why is crucial
Diplomacy
Doing it right is critical
Tact
Knowing what not to say is important
Guts
Especially when it is to be uttered at the wrong time
And then I got interrupted and I forgot what I wanted to say. That's why it's important to know HOW TO SAY NO and WHEN to say it.
Sigh...
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Moving House
Moving House
After agreeing to extend the lease of my current place for another 2 years, the new landlord (he acquired the shophouse from the former landlord, who, for personal reasons, had to sell the place) reneged on his part of the verbal agreement.
The landlord told me that his wife wanted to sell stuff at the shop space below and use the flat above as her "office". Initially, he said he would give us three months to look for a new place (i.e. move out by Aug 06), then when we called him again regarding paying HIM for utilities, he said that he wanted us out by the end of contract (i.e. mid Jul 06). This left me with no choice but to look for another place to stay. And fast!
So, the viewing began. After viewing enough houses and getting enough of uninhabitable places at exorbitant rental rates, my housemate and I decided to bite the bullet and go for a slightly more expensive place. The environment is a vast improvement over the current place, the place is about twice as big, the air is fresh and crisp, and the house is bright and airy. The rent is higher, of course, but it is just a tad more than what I would have to pay if I were to rent a place that is of the same floor area now. Go figure. I did and I reckoned this is a good deal. I guess I'll just spend less, travel less, eat less lavish stuff to top up the rent. (Fortunately, it is not really *that* bad.)
Just an aside: I only recently figured out that there are houseowners who actually rent their flats out to foreign workers. A three-room flat (68 square metres) on top of a shophouse (where I am putting up now) can command a price of $1200, accommodating 12 foreign workers. Don't ask me how but according to a four-room flat (91 square metres) owner, she used to rent her flat to 8 foreign workers (in name, but in reality, it's more like 16). What they did was: Morning shift sleep in house, evening shift work outfield; evening shift sleep in house, morning shift work outfield. Basically, the house is used by workers from 2 shifts. And she used to collect about $1300 for the place.
I've visited the place and it really looked like a refugee camp. How could almost everything be in shambles? Even the sides of a porcelain squatting toilet pan were shattered. The wall tiles cracked and hung precariously off the ceiling. And she tried to rent the place to my housemate and I for $1100. We both freaked out.
For posterity's sake, I'll briefly mention another case of a flat co-owner who backed out after the other co-owner, a 80-plus year old woman, said she wanted to go back to her place (to die?). And to make up for this unexpected twist of events, the housing agent sent us to view a house whose occupants left an oil-slick in the kitchen, and they left their house stinking so badly I could smell it 3 units away. I ticked the agent off and told her that I won't even rent the place for $300. I'd rather die homeless in the streets!
We've even checked out flats from commercial property management companies. The properties were not bad at all and better still, their rents are very reasonable. But our desired place (the rent is what we are paying now) did not have vacancies. So, we dragged ass till we simply had no time to leave bum prints on the ground any more.
Anyway, this flat that came along was a god-send. It just came on the papers for the first time, we were the first caller and we nailed it. Although it could do with a fresh coat of paint, some of the switches and handles are in need of replacement, and new SCV points needed to be installed, the landlord agreed to foot the bill for most of these (painting labour is on us, the tenants, but what the heck!).
In all, we're pleased with our new place and it gave us a new "lease of life". The landlord is a pleasant lady and who knows, one of us might end up owning this place in the end.
Sometimes, it is really true that "when god closes a door, he opens a window". In this case, I think he closed a shutter but made available a whole new world outside.
Afternote: Just last Saturday, I saw that the shophouse landlord had posted notices to invite rental for the entire shophouse. What a failure. Or is it henpecked, spineless amoeba? If he feels our rent had been very low, then discuss rental adjustments. Why evict us? But thankfully to him, we've found ourselves some place that is really great for living. And may I wish him no success in getting anyone to rent that place. May he pay finance instalments in vain for the next 100 months before he finds a willing taker! (I wonder if this AT LEAST matches the Arabic curse "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpit" in terms of viciousness!)
After agreeing to extend the lease of my current place for another 2 years, the new landlord (he acquired the shophouse from the former landlord, who, for personal reasons, had to sell the place) reneged on his part of the verbal agreement.
The landlord told me that his wife wanted to sell stuff at the shop space below and use the flat above as her "office". Initially, he said he would give us three months to look for a new place (i.e. move out by Aug 06), then when we called him again regarding paying HIM for utilities, he said that he wanted us out by the end of contract (i.e. mid Jul 06). This left me with no choice but to look for another place to stay. And fast!
So, the viewing began. After viewing enough houses and getting enough of uninhabitable places at exorbitant rental rates, my housemate and I decided to bite the bullet and go for a slightly more expensive place. The environment is a vast improvement over the current place, the place is about twice as big, the air is fresh and crisp, and the house is bright and airy. The rent is higher, of course, but it is just a tad more than what I would have to pay if I were to rent a place that is of the same floor area now. Go figure. I did and I reckoned this is a good deal. I guess I'll just spend less, travel less, eat less lavish stuff to top up the rent. (Fortunately, it is not really *that* bad.)
Just an aside: I only recently figured out that there are houseowners who actually rent their flats out to foreign workers. A three-room flat (68 square metres) on top of a shophouse (where I am putting up now) can command a price of $1200, accommodating 12 foreign workers. Don't ask me how but according to a four-room flat (91 square metres) owner, she used to rent her flat to 8 foreign workers (in name, but in reality, it's more like 16). What they did was: Morning shift sleep in house, evening shift work outfield; evening shift sleep in house, morning shift work outfield. Basically, the house is used by workers from 2 shifts. And she used to collect about $1300 for the place.
I've visited the place and it really looked like a refugee camp. How could almost everything be in shambles? Even the sides of a porcelain squatting toilet pan were shattered. The wall tiles cracked and hung precariously off the ceiling. And she tried to rent the place to my housemate and I for $1100. We both freaked out.
For posterity's sake, I'll briefly mention another case of a flat co-owner who backed out after the other co-owner, a 80-plus year old woman, said she wanted to go back to her place (to die?). And to make up for this unexpected twist of events, the housing agent sent us to view a house whose occupants left an oil-slick in the kitchen, and they left their house stinking so badly I could smell it 3 units away. I ticked the agent off and told her that I won't even rent the place for $300. I'd rather die homeless in the streets!
We've even checked out flats from commercial property management companies. The properties were not bad at all and better still, their rents are very reasonable. But our desired place (the rent is what we are paying now) did not have vacancies. So, we dragged ass till we simply had no time to leave bum prints on the ground any more.
Anyway, this flat that came along was a god-send. It just came on the papers for the first time, we were the first caller and we nailed it. Although it could do with a fresh coat of paint, some of the switches and handles are in need of replacement, and new SCV points needed to be installed, the landlord agreed to foot the bill for most of these (painting labour is on us, the tenants, but what the heck!).
In all, we're pleased with our new place and it gave us a new "lease of life". The landlord is a pleasant lady and who knows, one of us might end up owning this place in the end.
Sometimes, it is really true that "when god closes a door, he opens a window". In this case, I think he closed a shutter but made available a whole new world outside.
Afternote: Just last Saturday, I saw that the shophouse landlord had posted notices to invite rental for the entire shophouse. What a failure. Or is it henpecked, spineless amoeba? If he feels our rent had been very low, then discuss rental adjustments. Why evict us? But thankfully to him, we've found ourselves some place that is really great for living. And may I wish him no success in getting anyone to rent that place. May he pay finance instalments in vain for the next 100 months before he finds a willing taker! (I wonder if this AT LEAST matches the Arabic curse "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpit" in terms of viciousness!)
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Hardship Tour
Hardship Tour
1. After a 5 hour flight and another 5 hour bumpy bus ride, I knew I had bought the wrong tour.
2. I was nearly thrown off my bus seat on the second day when the bus when negotiating a particularly treacherous bend.
3. The views and sights were extraordinary. So was the difficulty in getting to see them.
4. Blogspot is banned in China - Go figure.
5. I am tanned.
6. Average day = 8 hours of bumping in the bus.
7. Food glorious WAIT! GORY food. Not good. Except the fiery Sichuan steamboat meal where they served pigs' large intestines, duck intestines, and duck blood "tofu". Yum! Fear factor? Bah!
8. Temperatures toggled between 7 and 40 degrees. Experienced my first heat wave in Yichang, one of the cauldrons of China. I am truly and wetly humbled.
9. Peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, and watermelons are in abundance, but not sweet enough yet.
10. Same old dishes meal after meal after meal...
1. After a 5 hour flight and another 5 hour bumpy bus ride, I knew I had bought the wrong tour.
2. I was nearly thrown off my bus seat on the second day when the bus when negotiating a particularly treacherous bend.
3. The views and sights were extraordinary. So was the difficulty in getting to see them.
4. Blogspot is banned in China - Go figure.
5. I am tanned.
6. Average day = 8 hours of bumping in the bus.
7. Food glorious WAIT! GORY food. Not good. Except the fiery Sichuan steamboat meal where they served pigs' large intestines, duck intestines, and duck blood "tofu". Yum! Fear factor? Bah!
8. Temperatures toggled between 7 and 40 degrees. Experienced my first heat wave in Yichang, one of the cauldrons of China. I am truly and wetly humbled.
9. Peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, and watermelons are in abundance, but not sweet enough yet.
10. Same old dishes meal after meal after meal...
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Period of Absence
Period of Absence
I'll be travelling in China from 10 - 21 Jun.
In the course of my travel, I'll be blogging wherever I can. However, I am not too hopeful that this would be at all possible.
I'll be in Jiuzhaigou and cruising down the 3 Gorges Dam.
More when I return.
I'll be travelling in China from 10 - 21 Jun.
In the course of my travel, I'll be blogging wherever I can. However, I am not too hopeful that this would be at all possible.
I'll be in Jiuzhaigou and cruising down the 3 Gorges Dam.
More when I return.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Top 10 Questions
Top 10 Questions
(In no order of merit)
1. Can a person smell his/her own BO?
2. Does a drunk know s/he is drunk?
3. How do you make a Down syndrome's sufferer feel "up" (i.e. happy, high-spirited)?
4. If the brain feels no pain, then why do people suffer HEADaches?
5. Are dogs plain forgiving or absolutely amnesiac?
6. Why don't oppressed characters in shows or movies speak up?
7. How do we know we don't know what we don't know?
8. If there is a fleeting moment when the intercourse is enjoyed, is it still rape?
9. Who discovered milk?
10. When a human being stop being, is s/he still human?
Answers: Option A By Al
1. Sadly, too often, no.
2. Yes, but we/they don't care.
3. I'm sure there are porn sites for that.
4. You'd know better than I would.
5. I'd bet on amnesiac, but I'm a cat-person.
6. That question has caused me no end of frustration.
7. We don't. We're just screwed.
8. It's always rape. Haven't you heard of Katherine McKinnon?
9. See answer #3.
10. I vote no.
Old Whig | Homepage | 06.03.06 - 3:05 am | #
Answers: Option B By Quinsy
1. Yes they can!
2. Yes, they do know.
3. Pop Prozac?
4. Cuz it's HEADache. NOT BRAIN ACHE.
5. They are Amnesiac. Or just too lazy to remember. Unless they get rewarded with doggy treats and a back rub.
6. They do speak up... only during the last few episodes when the produces are tired of dragging the stories.
7. We know we don't know what we don't know when others talk about it and we realise we're CLUELESS.
8. It is still rape cuz the person did not consent BEFORE the intercourse.
9. Humans. They discovered milk and called it milk.
10. Yes. Still human.
Quinsy | Homepage | 06.05.06 - 9:03 am | #
Answers: Option C By Probligo
1. I can smell my feet after being in boots for 12 hours - without taking the boots off. Does that count?
2. Yes, when I pass out I can't drink any more.
3. Try asking - I am sure they could tell you. Seriously!
4. Didn't you know that they are contagious?
5. Have dogs got enough brain that they have anything to forget?
6. Ditto to Al.
7. Anyone with more brain than a dog could work that out.
8. Intercourse is not rape. Rape is not intercourse. Oxymoron.
9. Cats.
10. Say what? Ain't nothin after bein'.
probligo | Homepage | 06.09.06 - 11:38 pm | #
(In no order of merit)
1. Can a person smell his/her own BO?
2. Does a drunk know s/he is drunk?
3. How do you make a Down syndrome's sufferer feel "up" (i.e. happy, high-spirited)?
4. If the brain feels no pain, then why do people suffer HEADaches?
5. Are dogs plain forgiving or absolutely amnesiac?
6. Why don't oppressed characters in shows or movies speak up?
7. How do we know we don't know what we don't know?
8. If there is a fleeting moment when the intercourse is enjoyed, is it still rape?
9. Who discovered milk?
10. When a human being stop being, is s/he still human?
Answers: Option A By Al
1. Sadly, too often, no.
2. Yes, but we/they don't care.
3. I'm sure there are porn sites for that.
4. You'd know better than I would.
5. I'd bet on amnesiac, but I'm a cat-person.
6. That question has caused me no end of frustration.
7. We don't. We're just screwed.
8. It's always rape. Haven't you heard of Katherine McKinnon?
9. See answer #3.
10. I vote no.
Old Whig | Homepage | 06.03.06 - 3:05 am | #
Answers: Option B By Quinsy
1. Yes they can!
2. Yes, they do know.
3. Pop Prozac?
4. Cuz it's HEADache. NOT BRAIN ACHE.
5. They are Amnesiac. Or just too lazy to remember. Unless they get rewarded with doggy treats and a back rub.
6. They do speak up... only during the last few episodes when the produces are tired of dragging the stories.
7. We know we don't know what we don't know when others talk about it and we realise we're CLUELESS.
8. It is still rape cuz the person did not consent BEFORE the intercourse.
9. Humans. They discovered milk and called it milk.
10. Yes. Still human.
Quinsy | Homepage | 06.05.06 - 9:03 am | #
Answers: Option C By Probligo
1. I can smell my feet after being in boots for 12 hours - without taking the boots off. Does that count?
2. Yes, when I pass out I can't drink any more.
3. Try asking - I am sure they could tell you. Seriously!
4. Didn't you know that they are contagious?
5. Have dogs got enough brain that they have anything to forget?
6. Ditto to Al.
7. Anyone with more brain than a dog could work that out.
8. Intercourse is not rape. Rape is not intercourse. Oxymoron.
9. Cats.
10. Say what? Ain't nothin after bein'.
probligo | Homepage | 06.09.06 - 11:38 pm | #
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