Friday, September 26, 2008
White Rabbits and Melamine
I think I might have consumed too much White Rabbit sweets when I was young that if it contained melamine, I could keep my shit now to make kitchen cabinet tops.
China Scare
The recent China scare has made everyone gone bonkers. My Mum doesn't want to buy any food stuff made in China and have cleared all China canned food from the cupboards. There goes the dried fish and black beans, one of my favourites when I eat porridge. My sister brought home the "rabbit" milk sweets last year that is from the banned list. That was the family's favourite sweet. I used to eat it by the dozens when I was young. My sister in law threw everything including shoes and clothes made in China.
Seriously, who knows what's in those stuff made in China? I begin to wonder what's in that dried fish that softens the fish bones that you can eat through it. Maybe the clothes made in China contain some kind of synthetic that causes eczema? I looked through all the toys that I've brought and wonder if the paint contains lead. It's bad enough that half of them has got to go even before the little one sees them ever since his eczema problem started and now the China ones have to go too.
But heck, what's not made in China? Even Nike shoes are made in China! Does this mean it's only safe buying stuff not made in China? Which only mean the expensive, branded stuff? Which leads to bigger inflation? Which means our salaries will not suffice? Sigh.....
Seriously, who knows what's in those stuff made in China? I begin to wonder what's in that dried fish that softens the fish bones that you can eat through it. Maybe the clothes made in China contain some kind of synthetic that causes eczema? I looked through all the toys that I've brought and wonder if the paint contains lead. It's bad enough that half of them has got to go even before the little one sees them ever since his eczema problem started and now the China ones have to go too.
But heck, what's not made in China? Even Nike shoes are made in China! Does this mean it's only safe buying stuff not made in China? Which only mean the expensive, branded stuff? Which leads to bigger inflation? Which means our salaries will not suffice? Sigh.....
Friday, September 19, 2008
Blek...Phooey......
The book says "babies can learn and imitate you as early as two months old. Try putting your tongue out."
OK, so I thought him how to put out his tongue.
"Here, boy, your toy."
Out comes his tongue.
"Look, Mummy's tongue is out."
Out comes his tongue.
"Go to sleep, it's 3am in the morning."
Out comes his tongue.
But who thought him how to spit?!!!
"Say hello to auntie..."
Phoeey.......
Phoeey.......
"Let's sing a song. This is my song, lalalala....Elmo's song.."
Phoeey.......
"Hello Khyentse boy....."
Phoeey.....
And he spits in his sleep too. I hope this doesn't go on when he's older. It's not going to be funny anymore then.
Monday, September 15, 2008
No closed room??
I've just e-mailed the company that I will be joining in October. Asked them:
If there was any refrigerator? Yes......
YAY!
If there was any closed meeting room that I can use? No....they're all glass doors.
SIGH!
I guess this is the Malaysian working scene. Not many companies will think of nursing mothers or sick employees. I had to paste newspapers over the glass doors in my old office and use the storeroom at the head office.
If there was any refrigerator? Yes......
YAY!
If there was any closed meeting room that I can use? No....they're all glass doors.
SIGH!
I guess this is the Malaysian working scene. Not many companies will think of nursing mothers or sick employees. I had to paste newspapers over the glass doors in my old office and use the storeroom at the head office.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Oopss! I did it again!
Last year, I resigned and joined this transportation company that I thought I would work for till I pensioned. This year, I resigned. Yes, that fast. I guess I should have learned more about working for companies that offers 'free' stuff to people before I joined.
When I first joined, I received two Kilometrico pens and a stapler without bullets. There's no coffee, tea or Milo in the pantry. They only supply you with water. Need a cuppa? Get it from the other office that you're sharing space with.
They said I have annual leaves but I cannot use it until I get my confirmation in six months. I have to use unpaid leaves if I needed to take any. And what happens? The calculation of unpaid leave is very expensive which by Labour Law is wrong and should be the lesser amount deducted.
I cannot claim if I travel for a seminar, to see clients or anything that I do for the company unless the destination is more than 80km away. I cannot claim for the trip to the airport even if it is during wee hours in the morning when I need to travel overseas for work.
The 'free' tickets for staff travel cannot be used during weekends, public holidays, school holidays, etc etc....You can only travel during off peak periods. Infant below 2 years of age can travel for free BUT you have to pay the administrative charge to add an infant name onto the travel ticket and the charge is more than what you have to pay for the staff ticket.
You can only nominate 10 people to use your staff ticket once a year on 31st December. If you had an additional family member in the middle of the year, sorry, you'd have to pay full price for this person.
On the employee handbook, it says the notice period you have to serve when you resign is 1 month but when you sign your offer letter, it says 3 months.
Your boss can only approve an early release in terms of the number of days. No matter what, you'll still have to pay for early release. Although the company handbook says there's such a thing as an early release, don't bet on it because the HR policy says there's no such practice.
As soon as you resign, you cannot use your remaining annual leaves anymore. If you have an emergency, you'll have to take unpaid leave that, again, costs more than an annual leave. The calculation is such that when you are paid, it is the least amount and when you have to pay back, it's the most amount. Nevermind the Labour Law because their interchangeable company policy is more important.
Your last salary will be paid upon the company's terms and it can be a few months late even if Labour Law says it shall be paid on the last day. This is because HR makes you sign a clearance form that says they have to check from their insurance company on any excess on outpatient treatment or hospitalisation even if you've given them all the receipts and have not gone to the hospital or even if you've not visited any doctor in the year. And the insurance company may take few months to reply, which you have no say and control of.
Their salary slip is computerised and you can only view yours through the intranet every month. This means you have no access of your last salary slip since your login ID will be terminated on your last working day and it is in their hands to give you a copy or not. This also mean that you cannot check if their calculation on your last salary is correct.
Can I also say that the newspaper reports are wrong? The CEO declared bonus last year which came out in the newspapers but I haven't seen a single cent of it till today.
And what about the free tickets that they give away? Well, it's easy because the zero price flights will be the ones that you won't want to take, say 6.30am in the morning that you have to get to the airport by 4.30am which only means waking up at 2am to take a cab or the bus to the airport. Or, the 8pm flight that arrives at sleeping time at your destination. How do they cover the profits on these zero priced seats? The prices on the peak period flights are increased of course so make sure you book the peak period flights before they have their zero priced tickets.
You've got the zero priced tickets? That's really great! But you know if you cannot travel on the far into the future dates, you better be prepared to lose whatever airport tax that is refundable because the administrative charge to refund you the airport tax will definitely be more than the airport tax itself.
Although I did not receive much increments and bonuses in my previous company, I didn't write about them when I left because at least they were genuine and had good practice. Many people would have trusted this recent company that I just left but it's just too bad that they make their staff feel cheated.
When I first joined, I received two Kilometrico pens and a stapler without bullets. There's no coffee, tea or Milo in the pantry. They only supply you with water. Need a cuppa? Get it from the other office that you're sharing space with.
They said I have annual leaves but I cannot use it until I get my confirmation in six months. I have to use unpaid leaves if I needed to take any. And what happens? The calculation of unpaid leave is very expensive which by Labour Law is wrong and should be the lesser amount deducted.
I cannot claim if I travel for a seminar, to see clients or anything that I do for the company unless the destination is more than 80km away. I cannot claim for the trip to the airport even if it is during wee hours in the morning when I need to travel overseas for work.
The 'free' tickets for staff travel cannot be used during weekends, public holidays, school holidays, etc etc....You can only travel during off peak periods. Infant below 2 years of age can travel for free BUT you have to pay the administrative charge to add an infant name onto the travel ticket and the charge is more than what you have to pay for the staff ticket.
You can only nominate 10 people to use your staff ticket once a year on 31st December. If you had an additional family member in the middle of the year, sorry, you'd have to pay full price for this person.
On the employee handbook, it says the notice period you have to serve when you resign is 1 month but when you sign your offer letter, it says 3 months.
Your boss can only approve an early release in terms of the number of days. No matter what, you'll still have to pay for early release. Although the company handbook says there's such a thing as an early release, don't bet on it because the HR policy says there's no such practice.
As soon as you resign, you cannot use your remaining annual leaves anymore. If you have an emergency, you'll have to take unpaid leave that, again, costs more than an annual leave. The calculation is such that when you are paid, it is the least amount and when you have to pay back, it's the most amount. Nevermind the Labour Law because their interchangeable company policy is more important.
Your last salary will be paid upon the company's terms and it can be a few months late even if Labour Law says it shall be paid on the last day. This is because HR makes you sign a clearance form that says they have to check from their insurance company on any excess on outpatient treatment or hospitalisation even if you've given them all the receipts and have not gone to the hospital or even if you've not visited any doctor in the year. And the insurance company may take few months to reply, which you have no say and control of.
Their salary slip is computerised and you can only view yours through the intranet every month. This means you have no access of your last salary slip since your login ID will be terminated on your last working day and it is in their hands to give you a copy or not. This also mean that you cannot check if their calculation on your last salary is correct.
Can I also say that the newspaper reports are wrong? The CEO declared bonus last year which came out in the newspapers but I haven't seen a single cent of it till today.
And what about the free tickets that they give away? Well, it's easy because the zero price flights will be the ones that you won't want to take, say 6.30am in the morning that you have to get to the airport by 4.30am which only means waking up at 2am to take a cab or the bus to the airport. Or, the 8pm flight that arrives at sleeping time at your destination. How do they cover the profits on these zero priced seats? The prices on the peak period flights are increased of course so make sure you book the peak period flights before they have their zero priced tickets.
You've got the zero priced tickets? That's really great! But you know if you cannot travel on the far into the future dates, you better be prepared to lose whatever airport tax that is refundable because the administrative charge to refund you the airport tax will definitely be more than the airport tax itself.
Although I did not receive much increments and bonuses in my previous company, I didn't write about them when I left because at least they were genuine and had good practice. Many people would have trusted this recent company that I just left but it's just too bad that they make their staff feel cheated.
Salary Unfairness
My house was just sold off to a buyer who can't read, write nor speak in English or Bahasa. His education was till Std. 6 or maybe none at all since he can't speak, read or write. And his salary for being a car mechanic - RM4000.
My Taiping neighbour failed his SPM and didn't continue his education after that. His salary is supposedly RM7000 to RM8000 now.
There must be something wrong with the education system or maybe we shouldn't have spent any time chasing after higher education. Sigh......
My Taiping neighbour failed his SPM and didn't continue his education after that. His salary is supposedly RM7000 to RM8000 now.
There must be something wrong with the education system or maybe we shouldn't have spent any time chasing after higher education. Sigh......
Buy Toys?
Playgro Teether Squeek Book = RM15.00
Simple Dimple Musical Pull Toy = RM25.00
Lamaze Turtle Tucker = RM32.00
and his favourite toys?
Plastic egg container = free when you buy a dozen eggs
Out of tune plastic musical toy = RM13.00
Astro monthly guide = free with Astro subscription
And to think that my excuse for not doing school homework was "my dog chewed it up", now my excuse for not working can be "my kid tore it apart" - just like the Astro guides.
Simple Dimple Musical Pull Toy = RM25.00
Lamaze Turtle Tucker = RM32.00
and his favourite toys?
Plastic egg container = free when you buy a dozen eggs
Out of tune plastic musical toy = RM13.00
Astro monthly guide = free with Astro subscription
And to think that my excuse for not doing school homework was "my dog chewed it up", now my excuse for not working can be "my kid tore it apart" - just like the Astro guides.
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