Narrowband.org

2009 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix

Posted by narrowband - 15/10/09 at 08:10:24 pm

Having attended last year’s first-ever night F1 race, I was thrilled that I could make it for this year’s event as well.

Continue reading 2009 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix…

Pimp Dad

Posted by narrowband - 09/10/09 at 01:10:00 pm

Many months ago I needed to see a commissioner of oath for my application of certificate of good conduct from Wisma Putra. You can easily find such offices on either first- or second-floor of a shop lot. So I walked in to one of them and saw a 50-something man who would help me with my statutory declarations and stuff. He was also one of the partners who opened that office.

We chatted for a while, before I proceeded to show my documents. After getting the forms stamped and signed, I realized I had left out another set of documents that needed verification. I decided I would settle that the following day. I could go either go back to him, or to another place. I therefore did not fix an appointment with him.

When I went to a nearby coffee shop for my lunch, I saw him again so I invited him to join me. Things became less formal. We talked about what I’d be doing in Australia and about life in general. And then he related that his daughter also graduated from Australia, and was currently working in Malaysia. He said he didn’t really understand his daughter (who was, btw, single) well, and asked me how do young people think.

I offered him my views, albeit briefly. It was after all, over lunch and inappropriate to speak about things at length I guess. So that was it, not a single indication that I’d see him again after that day. The following day I decided to go back to him again because it was convenient. He was very happy to see me, a warmer reception compared to the day before.

He knew why I was there so it saved me the trouble of explaining. After we were done, he charged me only a minimal sum, much less than what I should pay. Then came the interesting bit. He said something like this; “I see you look like a nice guy. Do you think you can do me a favor? Make friends with my daughter, or introduce some friends to her because she’s at home most of the time and I’m worried she’s no friends”.

He said if his daughter were to expand her circle of friends, it was better to do it through people that we know, rather than strangers. “I now know you already mah”, he added. I honestly didn’t know what to do. He didn’t charge me the full amount for his services, and now he was asking for a strange favor. He then handed me a piece of paper with his daughter’s name and email written on it. “Damn,” I thought, “want meh…”

He said there was no obligation to his favor, just try to make friends and see how it works out. I said I understood, and that I’d see what I could do. As I was about to leave, he stopped me and guess what, he showed me a photo of his daughter on his handphone! I felt it was not very right and for some reason I tried not to look at the picture. But of course, it was shown to me like that already, and I wasn’t blind, so I saw.

What do you think? Since he was willing to show me her pic, obviously she had to at least look ‘OK’ right. It was a photo of her with her pet dog. Quite cute also lah. Both the dog and her. Anyway I left the place and immediately sent my friend an SMS saying some guy just pimped me his daughter. But you know what, it’s been about a year now and I have not followed up with that ‘favor’.

Feeling guilty as I might (for accepting a discount), I certainly didn’t promise anything. It’s probably better to let that girl find and make her own friends. What if she found out her dad had been ‘helping’ her? Sometimes such help is indeed of no help at all. She was 2 years younger than me. I didn’t think her dad should be too alarmed about her still staying single.

The Legend

Posted by narrowband - 06/10/09 at 03:10:12 pm

My N95 has come a long way. It was bought shortly after its release in early 2007, and has become a part of me ever since. The phone was my organizer, alarm clock, camera, multimedia player, portable storage device, GPS receiver, web browser… you name it.

Continue reading The Legend…

That H1N1 Thing

Posted by narrowband - 05/10/09 at 10:10:38 pm

Not too long ago, I found myself coming face to face with the H1N1 virus that hit our shores like a wave of tsunami. I didn’t think that I, or anyone close to me, would come even remotely close to contributing to the alarming statistics that, at that time, was still on a very steep northerly trend. I was in Singapore when when I was told that Sis had fallen ill.

Thinking that it was one of those seasonal attacks, she was taken to our family doctor where she was given antibiotics and other meds for her persistent cough. When her condition did not improve, she was brought to a nearby hospital for an X-ray. The doctor there suspected that she had bronchitis, which startled me, who was 300km away from home at that time of course.

My family never had such medical history! How did this bronchitis even come about? I later learned that the hospital (medical center, hospital, same, no?) did not have anymore rooms for Sis, especially the single ones because her condition was contagious. An attempt at warding her in another neighbourhood private hospital was futile because it was also full house. Luckily a third attempt paid off – a private facility which was not too far away from home.

Because of the fever that came along, we were told that it could be dengue. The various diagnosis that cropped up in a span of just 3 days began to worry me. Then suddenly I received an update saying her fever had subsided. Thinking that she was already warded and that she’d have sufficient medical attention, I actually heaved a sigh of relief. And then the next day came the bombshell. ‘Pneumonia’ was by no means a small word! A quick check on Google with keywords ‘pneumonia’ and ‘h1n1′ only returned frightening results.

In view of the escalating numbers of H1N1 infections reported by the papers, not to mention the number of fatalities, I was worried sick. Within 3 hours after receiving that phone call, I hopped onto the next available MAS plane home, the last of the day, and the most expensive I had ever taken, plagued by anxiety and, believe it or not, fear. I was actually very afraid. I had never been that scared in my life before.

I applied for an emergency leave, and spent the remainder of the week shuttling between home and the hospital where Sis was warded. By then it had dawned upon us that it was actually H1N1 that we were dealing with, but since her infectious period was already over, the question of quarantine did not arise. She responded well to the treatment and the (mild) pneumonia that was detected earlier had gone.

And the fever did not return throughout that period. Her condition improved. By the 10th day or so she was allowed to return home. But because of her weak immunity she was given a further 1-week M.C. to recuperate. Thinking back, I was pretty sure god heard me when I said my silent prayers in my flight seat the night I flew home. Sis has now fully recovered, and everyone else in the family is as healthy as a bull.

Search

Recent Readers