There are two men who started working, acquired credit cards and promptly became a bankrupt with unpaid $30,000 debts.
One is the son of my husband's church friend. Until today, many years after bankruptcy, he is still paying that $200 a month to AKPK(a body that helped the bankrupted save up money to clear debts). He happened to marry a lady that did not mind that he is a bankrupt. She owned the family house and any capital items.
The other is the elder son of my neighbour in the Klang valley. He owns the loudest car in the neighbourhood. Other than that, he is rather unassuming and quiet. He is single and faithfully pays AKPK monthly.
Friday, November 8, 2019
(1191) Unattended shopping cart
I was sitting in front of Kentucky Fried Chicken on a bench. Three be veiled ladies decided to buy KFC and walked in, leaving their half loaded shopping cart behind.
Personally I have not seen something like that happening in the Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya supermarkets. I suppose this is a small town. Out of curiosity, I watched to see if anyone would walk off with the cart. After all, it was left right next to the exit in a rather public place.
One woman looked at the cart, looked at the few tables next to it, glanced at me... She did not leave until five minutes later. I guess if I was not sitting there eying her, she could have walked off with it easily. Once she is out of the building, she could move the content into her car boot. No one could stop her then. How would you prove ownership then, anyway?!
Personally I have not seen something like that happening in the Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya supermarkets. I suppose this is a small town. Out of curiosity, I watched to see if anyone would walk off with the cart. After all, it was left right next to the exit in a rather public place.
One woman looked at the cart, looked at the few tables next to it, glanced at me... She did not leave until five minutes later. I guess if I was not sitting there eying her, she could have walked off with it easily. Once she is out of the building, she could move the content into her car boot. No one could stop her then. How would you prove ownership then, anyway?!
(1190) Vegetarian pow
There is a vegetarian movement among the Chinese speaking folks in different communities. From friends I heard that there were two shops in Melaka that offered free vegetarian meals at lunch. Each patron has to serve himself or herself, at the end of the meal wash his plate and cutlery. For those who do not need charity, there is a donation box for whoever who wants to pay.
My mother was very taken with the vegetarian pows from Melaka. The fillings were made from vegetable source, wheat flour was kneaded with water into dough. The dough was wrapped around the fillings, then the finished product was steamed.
Another shop in Kampar, Perak was famous with vegetable pows too. A missionary would buy 20 frozen ones to take back to Kelantan. One has to book by phone a day ahead to reserve such delicacies.
Just the other day I bought and consumed a curry vegetarian pow, it costs $1.60. It tasted fair.
My mother was very taken with the vegetarian pows from Melaka. The fillings were made from vegetable source, wheat flour was kneaded with water into dough. The dough was wrapped around the fillings, then the finished product was steamed.
Another shop in Kampar, Perak was famous with vegetable pows too. A missionary would buy 20 frozen ones to take back to Kelantan. One has to book by phone a day ahead to reserve such delicacies.
Just the other day I bought and consumed a curry vegetarian pow, it costs $1.60. It tasted fair.
(1189) Mirroring relatioships
There is a rule I learn in family relation: the relationship between grandma and mum is often reflected in the relationship between mum and daughter.
Fiona rebelled at age 18, she defied her mum to marry her husband. As a result she was the only one among her siblings who did not go to college. Of course at this point I must be fair and state that the mum was dictatorial and difficult to live with. Fiona has three children, the first one is a girl called Emma.
Emma was a late bloomer but by age 35 she owns a music school. She is not close to her mum and somehow the two just never see eye to eye about anything. Now that Emma expects a first child in December, I wonder whether it is going to be a boy or a girl. Unless Emma shapes up and builds better ties with her mum, history would repeat itself, she would cry over the hurtful actions of her beloved daughter, just like her mum cried over hers.
While I was living in Silver City, my back door neighbour Sheila has a parallel experience with Fiona. Sheila too married her husband over heavy objections of her mum. Even in later years, each has no civil words to say to the other. She too has a elder girl who lives to bring her heart aches. Sheila's husband was wise, he sent her out of town to live with some relatives as soon as the girl reached 17 years old. After pre-university, the girl went to study in another country.
Now I see almost daily my land lady's interactions with her only daughter. Here too, the mum finds faults with the daughter. The daughter chooses to see the mother in not flattering lights. It went back to the grandmother loving only the sons. Sad to say the sons were spoiled and both came home to depend on the old mom while the sons were in their 50s. Mom planted and sold vegetables at age 80 to support the sons. My land lady supplies rice, her one sister pays for electricity and water bills, the other sister would give the mother $30 every month. Thanks to the state welfare system, the old lady gets $150 for her household monthly.
Fiona rebelled at age 18, she defied her mum to marry her husband. As a result she was the only one among her siblings who did not go to college. Of course at this point I must be fair and state that the mum was dictatorial and difficult to live with. Fiona has three children, the first one is a girl called Emma.
Emma was a late bloomer but by age 35 she owns a music school. She is not close to her mum and somehow the two just never see eye to eye about anything. Now that Emma expects a first child in December, I wonder whether it is going to be a boy or a girl. Unless Emma shapes up and builds better ties with her mum, history would repeat itself, she would cry over the hurtful actions of her beloved daughter, just like her mum cried over hers.
While I was living in Silver City, my back door neighbour Sheila has a parallel experience with Fiona. Sheila too married her husband over heavy objections of her mum. Even in later years, each has no civil words to say to the other. She too has a elder girl who lives to bring her heart aches. Sheila's husband was wise, he sent her out of town to live with some relatives as soon as the girl reached 17 years old. After pre-university, the girl went to study in another country.
Now I see almost daily my land lady's interactions with her only daughter. Here too, the mum finds faults with the daughter. The daughter chooses to see the mother in not flattering lights. It went back to the grandmother loving only the sons. Sad to say the sons were spoiled and both came home to depend on the old mom while the sons were in their 50s. Mom planted and sold vegetables at age 80 to support the sons. My land lady supplies rice, her one sister pays for electricity and water bills, the other sister would give the mother $30 every month. Thanks to the state welfare system, the old lady gets $150 for her household monthly.
(1188) White mice
When I was in college I spent many all night studying sessions in the science building. The computer labs were on the first floor. There were psychology labs in the basement. A few times graduate students would take me down to see their lab white mice. On the surface, each mouse looked alike. But when you really observe carefully, each is unique.
One could have a long tail, significantly longer than all the others. Another has a bigger head. The third has a pointed nose. A fourth one has longer fur, enough that we all could see it. Of course each one was tattooed behind its ear a special number. Since they only run in mace, no medication was given to any of them; I asked what happened to them when the series of experiments end. Do they get sold? Are they allowed to breed? A high school mate of mine went to Vietnam and ate rat meat sold on the roadside.
My pals were appalled! The very idea! Eating my mice. How dare you? I was surprised that they become attached to their experiment animals. Unless further experiments were planned as continuation, they were put to sleep using chloroform. That was the last time anyone brought me to see their darling mice.
One could have a long tail, significantly longer than all the others. Another has a bigger head. The third has a pointed nose. A fourth one has longer fur, enough that we all could see it. Of course each one was tattooed behind its ear a special number. Since they only run in mace, no medication was given to any of them; I asked what happened to them when the series of experiments end. Do they get sold? Are they allowed to breed? A high school mate of mine went to Vietnam and ate rat meat sold on the roadside.
My pals were appalled! The very idea! Eating my mice. How dare you? I was surprised that they become attached to their experiment animals. Unless further experiments were planned as continuation, they were put to sleep using chloroform. That was the last time anyone brought me to see their darling mice.
(1187) Forbidden actions
Quite a few years ago, I was sitting next to Lake Zurich in Switzerland with my youngest child and a few friends. We were admiring the peaceful and beautiful scenery that country is famous for. As a few wild ducks flew in the park and swam near us, I said these were good specimens for making into Peking ducks, in Cantonese while licking my lips.
My hostess shushed me. She told us not to think about it. Even saying about it would get me in prison and deported. Apparently the Swiss are very fond of their wild birds. Every autumn they would capture each swan and duck and transport them like VIP to some warm haven down south in another country. Then in spring on the right day, the birds would be transported back to the lake.
I suppose saying something with malicious intent to wild birds is akin like not standing up during the national anthem was played in Thailand. Visitors beware!
My hostess shushed me. She told us not to think about it. Even saying about it would get me in prison and deported. Apparently the Swiss are very fond of their wild birds. Every autumn they would capture each swan and duck and transport them like VIP to some warm haven down south in another country. Then in spring on the right day, the birds would be transported back to the lake.
I suppose saying something with malicious intent to wild birds is akin like not standing up during the national anthem was played in Thailand. Visitors beware!
(1186) Holy Ghost
The year was 1984. It was a few weeks before I accepted Jesus as my saviour and lord. I was boarding in my boss Davis' house that summer. Mrs Davis dropped me at the Duke's for fellowship night on Friday.
Charlie Duke was an astronaut on Apollo 16. He was leading a life group in New Braunfels, Texas. I remember I was the only member under the age of 45. That year I just graduated from college.
As I was a omnivorous reader, I went through just about every book in Davis' bookshelves. The last one was rather strange: it talks about the holy ghost in olden English. I didn't really understand much about it and I stopped at page 3 the night before the meeting. At the meeting, an old man asked the leader's permission and he gave a prophesy," Someone in this group is reading a book that is about the holy ghost, it is wrong in doctrine and should be burnt!"
I was struck and confessed immediately, producing the slim volume from my back pack. I said sorry to God and handed the book to my leader, telling him that it belonged to Mr Davis. Later in the meeting, another old man shared that he prayed that his brother (who was an alcoholic) would go to church with him. He specifically asked that the holy ghost could continue to work in the unbelieving heart until he could not be at rest or at ease, that he will be compelled to enter a church and return to God.
Within the summer, such prayers were answered. Looking back, I saw the power of the holy spirit working in that little group. My pastor just gave a really clear sermon on the holy spirit last Sunday, hence it prompted memories to return.
Charlie Duke was an astronaut on Apollo 16. He was leading a life group in New Braunfels, Texas. I remember I was the only member under the age of 45. That year I just graduated from college.
As I was a omnivorous reader, I went through just about every book in Davis' bookshelves. The last one was rather strange: it talks about the holy ghost in olden English. I didn't really understand much about it and I stopped at page 3 the night before the meeting. At the meeting, an old man asked the leader's permission and he gave a prophesy," Someone in this group is reading a book that is about the holy ghost, it is wrong in doctrine and should be burnt!"
I was struck and confessed immediately, producing the slim volume from my back pack. I said sorry to God and handed the book to my leader, telling him that it belonged to Mr Davis. Later in the meeting, another old man shared that he prayed that his brother (who was an alcoholic) would go to church with him. He specifically asked that the holy ghost could continue to work in the unbelieving heart until he could not be at rest or at ease, that he will be compelled to enter a church and return to God.
Within the summer, such prayers were answered. Looking back, I saw the power of the holy spirit working in that little group. My pastor just gave a really clear sermon on the holy spirit last Sunday, hence it prompted memories to return.
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