June 21, 2008
Two years ago when we were considering which fixed-rate mortgage deal to go for, there was this “financial adviser” recommending us to take a 2-year deal, instead of a 5-year deal that we are interested in. He even showed us a prediction, from Royal Bank of Scotland I believe, on the trend of the interest rate, that it would be heading down. But of course we knew that he has some vested interest in trying to get us to go on the 2-year deal, as then we might be looking for him again in two years time for “advice” when the deal ends, rather than in five years time. Hence more commission for him, you see?
It’s now just over two years into my mortgage. Looking at the news on the current mortgage rate, I’d say we’ll need to shell out 2% more per annum if we were to take out a mortgage now! And that hasn’t even included the higher mortgage arrangement fees borrowers need to pay, and the higher equity they need now to secure good rates!
This so called “financial adviser” makes me laugh. I’m proud not to have listened to him, and my friend is certainly very pleased to have taken my advise rather than his. Perhaps I can call myself financial adviser too 
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June 14, 2008
A bloody big bug hit on my glasses while I was cycling home this afternoon. A sudden knee jerk reaction caused me to try and flick the bug away. But I touched my glasses as well and so the whole lot got flung away onto the cycle path. My heart sunk immediately. The power of my glasses is around +5.0. Without my glasses I’m almost blind. And that proved to be the case. It seemed to take me forever to find back my glasses, although I saw where the glasses had landed roughly. After searching for perhaps only 1 minute I think I already started to panic. In fact I had even thought about calling W for help, despite her being miles away at home.
I found the glasses eventually, after 3 minutes? But one side of the glasses was broken, with a big crack in the middle. For a while I was relief to know that I could still wear it and cycle home. But what was initially a relief slowly turned into anger. I started cursing my luck while I was cycling home, and I couldn’t stop thinking, had I not this, had I not that, then I wouldn’t have ended up with a pair of broken glasses. Shit happens, big deal, get over it. But isn’t that also normal human reaction? I think the question is how quickly we can get over something. Like other things taught in Buddhism, I guess it takes skills. The more skillful we are the better we can react to circumstances?
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June 10, 2008
Just got news from W. We both passed the practical driving test! You have no idea how the driving test has tortured me in the past. To a point where I’ve given up trying to get a driving license. Until W demanded that I should get a driving license, so I can pick up the kids, and her of course, in the future, drive somewhere for holiday as well la di da. To be honest I’m no big fan of driving. And I’m glad that less people drive nowadays for various reasons, petrol prices for one. Anyway I’m really pleased that both of us have now got this out of our system. Got us worried for a few days.
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June 4, 2008
Turns out that the beer hall my Greek friend brought me to yesterday was one of the best beer hall in Munich. It’s called Augustiner and is located on the main shopping street between Marienplatz and Karlsplatz. The place is huge, biggest western restaurant I’ve seen by a mile. Beer can be ordered in one litre mug. Because the mug is so big and heavy, a German sitting next to me taught me the German way of drinking from this type of mugs. Basically you hold it in such a way that the mug will rest on your wrist when you drink. Interesting way to drink, but not without logic, according to that German, as after a few drinks people understandably become dizzier and weaker. So lifting the mug alone can become hard work
Tonight we are going to another beer hall, called Weiss Brauhaus, for dinner. It apparently serves very good food. My brother suggested me to go to Hofbrahaus as well. Will see.
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May 31, 2008
He’s probably the world’s first ex-Prime Minister to become a blogger. This is his blog, which is maintained of course not by him, but someone who is good in this business. Apparently his blog has just reached one million hits! Credit to him, I don’t think there are many bloggers, if any, who can get so many hits in less than a month by just plain blogging (no fancy videos, no flesh flashing pictures etc). Looks like he’s still relevant in Malaysian politics after years of stepping down as a Prime Minister. And he definitely has his agenda behind all this blogging, to bring down the existing PM. Is it in all Malaysian’s best interest that he does this? I doubt it. Mahathir of late is not his usual self. A lot of things he has done in the past when he was Malaysia’s fourth PM has come back to haunt him. In much the same way as Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe who has done some great things when he came into power, remaining in power for too long has corrupted him. Both are now scared of being exposed and punished for what they have done wrong in the past, thus want to cling on to power for longer, albeit in different ways. For Mahathir’s case, he certainly wouldn’t want the opposition to get into power, as that means that Anwar will become PM, and he’s doomed, for what he has done to Anwar back in 1998, sending him to jail on grounds of sodomy.
Malaysian politics is getting more and more interesting by the day. Follow it from here, it’s like a best-seller
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