Warlord's Armoury

Home Sweet Home - KL Skyline

2012-01-28T11:30:00.000+08:00

Day time and this is the typical view seen from the balcony of our 17th floor house. So far, the view is quite nice. One that permits us to watch the fireworks from KLCC on National Day, New Year, etc..as long as there's no new high rise development in between of course.

Do not look down though. 17 - 4 = 13 floors difference to Level 3A where the pool and garden is located. Scary enough for those afraid of height!

Home Sweet Home - In Progress (Part 1)

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000+08:00

I've been writing some Status Updates in FB recently on Moving Out phases from our current rented house to our new own house. Till now the phases has not been completed but at least for now we have moved on our own about 30% of the total belongings in the house using the Inspira and FIL's Alza. The final move is planned somewhere in February but the date is still not confirmed yet.

The pictures below were taken when renovation of the house has just started. To date, the renovation work has already been 90% complete. Just waiting for the kitchen cabinet; which was delayed due to Chinese New Year.

This house; which is our very own 1st house (previous houses were all rented ones), is a 1,313 ft2, 4R 2B apartment located at the 17th Floor. We've been living in an apartment all these while but this will be our first time living as high up as this. The highest we've done before was at the 4th floor. It takes some getting used to when it comes to this much of height, but I figure that we will manage sooner or later. Safety is priority and that is why the grills are already in place; especially when little Aqilah is expected to start walking this year.

This is the Hall + part of the Dining section. 2 smaller rooms + 1 washroom are on the right while 2 bigger rooms + washroom are on the left

The Master Bedroom. This room is in fact larger than the hall in our current house

Destined to be Syiqah's room in the future. She is planning to have a Pink theme inside

Aqilah is to have this room to play and grow up starting this year. Toys and entertainment stuff will be 'stuffed' here for both girls to share

The 2nd Master Bedroom which is planned to be our Guests Bedroom. Some house owners opt to get a unit with 3 bedrooms + 1 extra hall instead

The Dry and Wet kitchen is to be separated with a Glass Sliding Door. The table tops have been completed here

Okay..enough for now. Perhaps further updates will be made after the renovation has been completed and after we've totally settled ourselves in at the new house.

C ya!

Catching Syuru'

2012-01-26T11:00:00.000+08:00

Woke up one morning and was wondering what to do after the Subuh prayer. Grabbed the trusty Nikon camera then and started walking and wandering in the dark to snap some pictures. Could easily be mistaken as a suspicious guy that time but luckily there were no policemen around. Hehe.

My location that time was somewhere around 300km from the nearest beach where I can see great sunrise, but nevertheless, I managed to capture Syuru'; that period of time that we would usually miss due to still sleeping or too busy rushing to work.

Perhaps next time you wake up early in the morning and does know what to do like me, try for yourself to catch Syuru' at your place. It could be one of the most beautiful thing happening to you that morning.

'Don't Blind Me' - Thrash Can

2012-01-25T16:52:00.001+08:00

Took this picture near the food court at Nilai 3 some time ago but I am still guessing on what does the writer of the phrase wanted to say actually.

Question is...in what way can the Tong Sampah be blind? Because of rubbish being thrown everywhere and the sight makes it blind? Or since people did not put rubbish properly inside the bin, the rubbish got stuck in its 'eyes'? Or...it carries other meanings?

Let me know your thoughts guys.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! - Here Comes The Dragon!

2012-01-21T23:38:00.000+08:00

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my Chinese readers out there...Kyle, Janice...hope all of you had a great holiday!

For me, this is another year where I did not drive back to Johor. Wanted to but there are things to be done here in Kuala Lumpur...both on work and family matters. Furthermore, I just can stand the traffic congestion associated with all Chinese New Years. Horrible! More horrible than the jam encountered during Hari Raya. A work colleague reported to me just now that she took 3.5 hours just to drive from KL to Tanjung Malim. A normal journey would only take 1+ hour at the most. Terrible!

There was a year where me and family went back to Johor for the CNY holidays. We returned to KL on the last night before work started, but at 2 am, I was still stuck in a stand still traffic jam at Seremban when actually I've started driving from Batu Pahat at 8am. We cut off the journey to KL and decided to spend a night at a hotel in Seremban instead (and yes, miss work the next day. Luckily my boss that time did not mind).

2012 is the year of the Dragon. Those born this year are dragon babies then. I was a dragon baby. Back in 1976. According to the Chinese, Dragons are said to be born leaders. Very influential. Aggressive at times. Lots of positive sides on being a Dragon that many Chinese hope that they will have their children to be born this year. To me, some of the said attributes and qualities are in me while some other qualities are exactly the opposite. Hehe! I won't reveal here though on what's true and what's not, but I can safely say that I am 60% a dragon. The other 40%? A mix of animals perhaps? Hehe!

One thing that I will miss when going through Chinese New Year here in Keramat is the absence of fireworks display. It's serenely quiet here..especially when many of the neighbours has gone back to their hometown.

Not if I am in Batu Pahat right now.

I imagine Batu Pahat right now as a warzone. Tracer fire. Flares. Explosions. Rockets. Machine gun fire. A CNY eve in Batu Pahat will never be as quiet as it is now here in AU3, Keramat. I am not sure though whether that warzone environment is something I should miss. Hehehe!

Alright...time to stop and sleep. Got to go to office tomorrow. Done with that and family matters take place. Lots to do but yup, there's no happy ending without great work up front!

See ya and happy holidays!!

p/s: My mom mentioned a theory: Weeks before CNY, it was hot like a desert, but come CNY, it will always rain. Guess what?? It is raining now outside and yes, it was very hot for the past few days. Another surprise...this cycle happened in so many years already. How can that be...I mean scientifically?

Post Friday Prayer Query: How Many??

2012-01-20T15:00:00.000+08:00

Friday prayer completed. Alhamdulillah.

I am just wondering though on...

How many sandals, flip flops and shoes got stolen at the mosques all around Malaysia just now after the Friday prayers?

p/s: That is one of the reason why selling sandals, shoes and flip flops is a never-ending business! Hahaha!

DRB-Hicom in Proton - Wish Come True or Nightmare?

2012-01-19T23:45:00.001+08:00

A few days back, we were informed by the mass media that DRB-Hicom has taken over the 42.74% share of Khazanah in Proton; Malaysia's first car manufacturer. This, unsurprisingly gave rise to lots of opinions; both positive and negative.

On a milder tone, many have hoped that DRB-Hicom would give lots of new directions and ideas in making Proton a more trustworthy and dependable national brand. Some swallowed the news in a negative perception that the changes made hereafter would cause Proton to lose direction and eventually succumb to fierce competition in the open market; being victim to too many changes in policy and strategy.

Proton's Marketing and Customer Service wing; Proton Edar was also reported to have voiced out their worry on the recent change in shareholder. I am somehow sceptical on why Proton Edar have to worry about the change? Their main reason of worrying was that there will be a risk of profit reduction when DRB-Hicom took over a big chunk of the shares.

I am seeing Proton Edar's worry as a way to say that they don't want to move out of their comfort zone. They've so used to taking customers for granted. They've so used to doing things very slowly with the 'Tak Apa' attitude. They've so used to saying that "You are not our only customer. We can get thousands more like you easily!". They've so used to lots of complacency that the end result is a hoard of Proton-haters.

Most importantly, I hope that with DRB-HICOM's influence, Proton would not have to take 1 month just to deliver a can of CVT oil from their headquarters in Shah Alam to Ulu Klang; a mere 40km distance of driving.

p/s: Up to now, it has already been 2 weeks since the first time they told me that the CVT oil has been ordered and is only waiting for delivery. Can you believe that?

A Manchester United Story - The Return of Scholes

2012-01-17T23:08:00.001+08:00

Firstly, before I proceed to write longer I must say that I am a fan of Manchester United football team. I am not a fanatic though. I don't stay up at night to watch all of their games. I don't even know some of the names of their current players or the result of their latest game. However, I must say that I still follow the happenings in the team. At least in the knowing on whether they've won or lose the Cups that they've used to win so many times.

I went through life as a teenager with names like Keane, Neville, Cantona and May lining up the first eleven of United's matches. Back then, United was also famous for its young boys; who contributed strongly to the titles that they won especially when United won the Trebles.

My favourites that time were these boys: Beckham, Giggs, Scholes and Solskjaer.

Beckham. Still young in this picture

Paul Scholes

Ryan Giggs

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Beckham was very well known for his deadly free kicks. Giggs - amazing dribbles and dashes. Scholes - superb crosses and goals from outside the penalty box. Solskjaer - the baby face assassin a.k.a super sub.

Those days were gone as one by one, the boys grew older and were replaced with younger players. That is why the recent return of Paul Scholes; who is going to be 38 years old this year to the squad is something controversial. Many have criticized Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to get Scholes back in the team. The inevitable question thrown to him was "Can the 38-year-old Scholes make a difference to the team when in the last season he was with MU, he only scored once?". Yes, just once.

Not known to some, Paul Scholes has not been known as the top scorer in MU. He was best given the role as a playmaker. His passes and crosses were his greatest asset actually. That's the reason why Scholes was absorbed to the team, to again revive the role he was known to perform the best before.

Scholes silenced critics by scoring against Bolton recently; a game where MU won 3-0...similar to what Henry did when he re-joined Arsenal a few weeks back. It is still too early to judge on him based on that 1 goal alone, but I do believe that Scholes will be able to fill the gap in MU's midfield hereafter. He may not be scoring as what many would have hoped for, but I am sure that he will be there in most of the assists that turn to goals.

When Beckham's popularity is none but a dusty star that made any idea of a comeback to MU rather impossible, I am actually hoping that Sir Alex will consider taking in Solskjaer back to the team. This however is another move that will never materialize as Solskjaer already has his share of glory - as the Manager who has finally brought the Norwegian club, Molde to win the Norwegian League cup after 100 years! Glad to hear that really!

Solskjaer - in Manager role at Molde

So, with Scholes teaming up with Carrick, Evra and the rest, will Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal succumb to United in the race for the title?

The path remains open...and the fittest will survive!

Garrett PopCorn for me!

2012-01-11T22:57:00.001+08:00

Kerepek Pisang & Kerepek Ubi - among my favourite snacks to accompany those rare moments of watching movies at home. Can't stop easily once started. Very addictive. Very traditional. Very Malay.

Even when Cathay and Odeon operated their cinemas in Malaysia during the 80s and early 90s, Malaysians took nuts, kuaci (melon seeds) or Twisties to be munched slowly while enjoying the show. The snacks sold that time were still very Malaysian in nature.

When TGV and GSC started to dominate the cinema business in our country, we were re-introduced to Pop Corn - the Western movie-snack that needs no introduction actually. Pop Corn is not an alien snack in Malaysia since I remember that I have started to enjoy eating them since I was in kindergarten..back in 1982. However, Pop Corn sold back then was not as tasty as what is sold at TGV or GSC. You'll be able to find corn that failed to 'pop' easily in each of the packs sold; albeit by accidentally grinding your teeth over them. Something that is not so pleasant to do.

My view on Pop Corn has basically remain that way until the day I decided to buy a small (medium) bag of Pop Corn from an outlet in KLCC - Garrett PopCorn. The outlet was opened in KLCC in November last year and ever since has attracted droves of people there. There will always be a beeline of customers in front of Garret's at KLCC every time I went there to fetch Wifey from work. The aroma from the outlet alone was very enticing but that time I was still wondering on why people got attracted so much to Garrett.

So, one fine day I have eventually made the decision to try this Garrett PopCorn for myself. There were several flavours - Plain, Buttery, CaramelCrisp, CheeseCrisp, etc. and frankly I did not know at that moment of which flavour should I try first. As I saw that most of the guys in front of me bought the CaramelCrisp flavour, I made my mind to choose the same (with just a faint idea on how it would taste).

My first reminder for first timers - do not feel terrified with the price. If you think that a small paper bag of PopCorn will only cost RM5, you are in for a surprise. A small paper bag of Garrett PopCorn costs RM16! Hmm...don't worry though because a small paper bag of Garrett PopCorn is actually big enough to be filled with PopCorn for two persons. They then have denominations for Medium, Large and some other larger proportions that can fetch a price of more than RM100. More than RM100 for PopCorn? Believe it.

What was the verdict for my first ever bag of CaramelCrisp PopCorn from Garrett?

The taste is comparable to what is sold at the TGV and GSC cinemas, BUT...it's taste is so very much richer. Caramel coated each fluff evenly and you won't find any of those un'Popped' corns inside. The only drawback is the sweetness. It is very sweet that you will need to have a bottle of water to thaw down that sweetness in your mouth. For those who don't like too much sweetness, then the Chicago Mix, Plain or Buttery Flavour would be better I guess.

For now, you can find Garrett PopCorn in Malaysia - a business originating from Chicago in 1949; at KLCC and 1 Utama. The latter is its latest outlet in Malaysia. For your information, we still have not finished the Medium bag of Caramel PopCorn that we've bought more than 4 days ago and surprisingly those PopCorn remains fresh till today!

You Give Proton a Bad Name!

2012-01-10T16:00:00.000+08:00

I've read comments in several automotive forums and blogs that portray obvious negativity towards Proton's Customer Service quality; especially on how the Service Centres handle complaints or work requests from its customers. Sluggishness, rudeness, irresponsibility and lack of trouble-shooting skills were some of the notorious ones with Proton's Service Centres.

I was not a Proton user at the moment I heard those feedbacks. I was more on a positive note back then in assuming that those were just isolated cases that cannot be generalized to carry the image of Proton Service Centres as a whole. Those feedbacks were perhaps mere over-retaliation towards expectations that were set too high. Drive a Gen-2 but expect to be treated as though we drive a Ferrari...something like that.

I am a Proton user now even though the car I am using now is not entirely the brainchild of Proton. Sincerely, I have no problems at all with the Proton Service Centre that I went to for the car's 1,000 - 30,000km service intervals. They were transparent, quick, friendly and ever helpful. Thumbs up to them!

One day, my Inspira was found to have a CVT oil leak from a loose drive shaft seal (resulting from the accident that I had at the end of last year). The guys at the Service Centre successfully fixed the loose seal without additional charge, but unfortunately they don't have the CVT oil at hand to top up the reservoir. The S.A informed that they can order it for me but it is going to take some time. They did not keep stock of it since they have not encountered much Inspira yet going after the CVT oil replacement (CVT oil replacement is only done every 100,000km and there are not many Inspira reaching such a high mileage yet).

They've suggested a couple of nearby Proton Service Centres when I told them that I need to top up the oil fast. Fine enough for me.

The guys in the first centre that I've contacted informed me that they've just finished their last stock of CVT oil a day before and they were in the midst of ordering new stocks. Not my luck I guess. I then contacted the second Service Centre. My call was first answered by a lady who then passed me to another lady. This 2nd lady did not understand my problem either and finally, I was handed over to a guy...who I assume was the centres S.A after a 2 -3 minutes wait.

Here is a simplified dialogue between the S.A and me that afternoon...

S.A: Sir, what is your current mileage?

Me: That's around 30,000km

S.A: Why do you want to change your oil this early? It should be done at 100,000km

Me: You see...(I was then busy explaining how the leak happened and that it was fixed at my usual Service Centre)

S.A: If that's the case I suggest that you go back to that Service Centre and get the top up to be done there

Me: That Service Centre does not have the CVT oil. They can order it for me but it will take some time. I need to top the oil fast. As such, they've suggested your Service Centre among others for the top up to be done

S.A: I am sorry sir but I suggest that you go back and ask them to do it for you

Me: But, do you have the oil with you now?

S.A: Yes sir, but you will need to book an appointment and we will need to check everything from the beginning to see whether that is the problem

Me: The Service Centre has fixed the problem. You only have to top up the CVT oil. Is that very hard to do?

S.A: Sir, you are not our only customer. We have lots of customers to attend to! (This sentence has succeeded to piss me off)

Me: It seems that you are rejecting service from being given to a potential customer. Am I, a walk-in customer not important to you?

S.A: I am sorry sir. Our procedure is already like that. I suggest that you come back to your Service Centre to fix it for you (Their procedure is like that? Then how come I don't have such problem bringing my car to be serviced at the usual Proton Service Centre with just a call a few hours before I arrived?)

Folks, I have used a Hyundai and and a Naza/Peugeot before and sincerely I have never been rejected by the Service Centres when I came for a service/repair request. The work requested was not an Engine Overhaul that is technically difficult and time consuming. My request was just a top up of the CVT oil. Something that can be done in 1 1/2 hour at the most (if air bleeding and temp. stabilization is needed). I called that Service Centre at 12 noon on a weekday (not on a Saturday when Service Centres were naturally jam-packed with cars) when they have another 5-6 hours before they close. I did not call them at 4pm and ask them to do complete the job on the same day ya!

I am now convinced that some Proton Service Centres did hire people with lousy PR skills and technical skills. It is such Service Centres that gave Proton the bad name. Such Service Centres definitely has a very long way to be par (if it ever will) with Toyota and its renowned Customer Service excellence culture; something that Toyota has been proud of not only in Japan but in virtually all its Customer Service centres around the world.

Proton cars are clearly getting better and better each year (their latest Proton Exora Bold is a clear example) but I am in doubt over the progress of its Customer Service.

70's TV - The Stripes, Blocks & Tuuttss

2012-01-09T17:25:00.000+08:00

Some time ago, when not all houses have a TV set and when TV sets were just big black or brown boxes of electronic gadget that aired programmes for just 9 -12 hours a day (Yes, some young readers here might not believe that TV programme those days started earliest at 12 noon and ended at 12 midnight), the following images were common.

These images can be seen before the TV channel started to air their programmes and also after they've ended their programmes at midnight. These images were usually accompanied by the familiar yet never ending 'Tuuuuut' sound.

We might have seen this one...in the earlier stages where TV sets were mostly called 'Black and White' TV. Haha..I bet many of you out there have not seen this one. This image is very 'Old School' really.

Then, we have this one. Multi-coloured and multi-shaped; specially used for Colour TVs. The 'Tuuttt' sound was still there though

This one meanwhile is still around but it is almost extinct already. You can still see this before TV9 started their daily programme. My friend, Manal told me about it and yup, I checked that as true indeed that TV9 still uses this image.

To me when I was a kid and to many of us even to this day, these images and 'Tuuutt' sound means only one thing: The TV program has not started yet (better do something else then like sleeping, playing or listen to radio). Not many of us actually know that these images are actually called 'Test Cards' or 'Test Patterns' and they have a function and not just for show. The first one above is called a Multiburst Test Card. Next is a Philips Test Card and the last one above is an EBU Colour Bar Test Card. The cards, in its original form were physically paper cards placed in front of the cameras.

Test Cards/Patterns are used for calibration, alignment and matching of cameras and camcorders so that downstream signal path can be fixed and calibrated. These days, most TV stations have used the digital signal generators that eliminates the use of these Test Cards for signal calibration. That is why it is becoming harder for us to see such images anymore on our TV screens.

Technology is increasingly making these images a thing of the past, but the TV sets, in its latest plasma/LCD form remains relevant to the life of humans in this world. Question is, how long will it remain that way? The Internet and Mobile Media Technology partnership is a real threat to the very existence of TV sets I would say.

One day, people may need not even the slim 42" plasma TV in their home because all they need is a 7" mobile tablet that functions as their personal phone, TV and Internet media...all in one!

Syiqah's 1st Day @ School

2012-01-06T11:29:00.000+08:00

4th January 2012 marked the beginning of another era in my eldest daughter's life by entering the real-school environment - the Primary School. She is in Standard One this year when it seemed like yesterday she joined Kindergarten. Time flies. No doubt.

Similar to most other parents, I was back in school last 4th January to see with my own eyes on how the day goes for my daughter. There was no problem waking her up for school that day. There wasn't so much passion in her eyes to go to school (perhaps she doesn't have the idea yet on how it is going to be) and yet there weren't signs of rejection either. Neutral and calm I would say.

Reached the school in less the time taken to cook Maggi mee, there were already lots of people there. Kids and parents alike. The morning session in the school combines Standard 1, 4, 5 and 6 while the afternoon session grouped Standard 2 and 3. So, obviously the morning session is expected to be busier than the afternoon session.

There was no Standard 1 kid crying scene to be found as far as was seen unlike the day when I was in Standard 1 where some of my friends back then was found crying and to the extreme; clinging to the school fence with the teacher and parents patiently consoling them - not wanting to go to school. Hahaha! I guess that kids nowadays were already given good exposure on being partly independent when they were in kindergarten.

The day started off with the school assembly. Ouu..it was like ages since the last time I was in such situation especially in Primary School. School assemblies in the Primary School was the place that made me famous...since I was prone to faint during the school assembly. My school teacher that time; Arwah Cikgu Asiah (Al-Fatihah) was a really nice lady. She would always be beside me offering her own drinks and bread for me to eat everytime I fainted in school while massaging my forehead (I was actually having low blood pressure when I was a kid).

School assembly is never complete without the singing of 'Negaraku', the recital of Doa and Ikrar and...unfortunately lengthy speeches from the teachers. Kids nowadays are lucky though that they got to sit in the assembly. It wasn't like that decades ago when I was in Primary school. We got to sit in assemblies only in special occasions...not every time. I've fainted in many assemblies but that does not change the rule in the school assembly. Everybody stands except the teachers...and sometimes me. Hehe!

Syiqah and her friends then went on to have their activities in the class. Both Wifey and me decided to stay until after Recess though. While waiting, we had our breakfast with meals from the school canteen itself. I bought Mee Goreng with Telur Mata and Wifey bought Nasi Lemak. The taste of the food that we bought was not bad at all. The Mee Goreng that I had was much better compared to my usual bowl of Mee Goreng during my Primary School days. The huge difference though was price. My bowl of Mee Goreng was only 20 sen back in 1983, while the bowl of Mee Goreng here in Syiqah's school canteen is RM1.00 (without Telur Mata). That was why 50 sen was enough for me 23 years ago!

We went home after Recess and came back to fetch Syiqah from school at 1pm. Syiqah is supposed to start using the school van only on Friday (today) so we have to send and get her to/from school ourselves for the first 2 days. Fetching her back from school was highly difficult since Transporters and parents alike came basically at the same time - 1pm. The place was congested so bad for the first 15 minutes and only subsided after 1.30pm. Stampede? Close.

When asked on how was school, Syiqah told us that it was fun (since they did not do much else apart from colouring pictures!). Syiqah got acquainted closely with a girl named Khadijah...similar to what she did with Alya when she was in Kindergarten. It is usual for her to get closely acquainted to only one friend for the first few days. She will only get more friends as time goes on. That, was actually my style when I was in Standard 1. Slow starter but in the end, well liked by everyone. Chewah!!

Well, I am glad that everything goes well for her for the time being. There are of course many things that she needs to get familiar and used to e.g. how to handle herself in the toilet, buying food/drinks at the canteen, etc. but InsyaAllah she can do it all by herself soon. Mistakes and errors will be common in this early stages, but as we all know...

We learn from our mistakes because life is a journey where the sun does not shine all year round!

Come see some pictures of Syiqah's 1st day at school then...

Back to Primary School for me...this time not as a student but as a parent. I am feeling old already

...but I was not alone for sure as there were lots of parents there and many of them were 1st timers too :)

Syiqah was calm when her parents was still thinking on so many things

School assembly. Mental torture with seemingly endless speeches. Hahaha! Maybe not for the kids, but for an adult like me to be reminded again and again on the school rules and regulations...it IS a mental torture

Try to spot Syiqah in the midst of uniformity. No prize for the winner though. Hehe!

Syiqah posing in her new classroom environment. Not much different actually from her kindergarten environment in terms of looks, but reality is it is going to be a battle zone for her throughout the year

Syiqah said that first day of school was fun...partly due to the fact that they spent most of their time colouring and drawing in class. The mental challenge has not started yet!

Syiqah seen marching for her first ever Recess in the new school; watched closely by Wifey

Happily getting herself a bite on the Chicken Nuggets fried by Wifey early in the morning for Recess

...while parents crowded the sidelines to watch and entertain their kids

p/s: Parents just can't escape that natural instinct to protect and give the best to their children, right?

Proton Inspira - Post Wheel Upgrade Fuel Consumption

2012-01-04T16:00:00.000+08:00

Many Proton Inspira owners who are either young or young-at-heart would love to spend some of their savings or salary to upgrade the wheels of their ride. Frankly, for those who wanted to change the looks of their Inspira, the wheels/rims upgrade would be the most basic modification possible. The catch? It might not be the cheapest work to accomplish though. Haha!

Naturally, owners would want to get the 18" wheels as it is already proven that it looked great on Lancers and Evo Xs. The only obstacle that might deter owners from doing so would be the price factor. 18" rims might not cost so much different from its 17" siblings, but the tires will be. For frequent travellers, that means a huge investment awaits every 1 or 2 years for tire replacement alone. Yes, tires wear out but rims don't.

Another factor that needs to be considered is the effect of changing the wheel size to Fuel Consumption. Fact is, wheel size upgrading will most commonly be followed by the enlargement of tire width. The original 205mm width of the Continental CC5 rubbers will most probably be upgraded to 215mm or 225mm. Besides from looking good on the Inspira, the wider tires help to improve handling and traction through increased contact of rubber with the tarmac.

The downfall of that on the other hand would be the increase in Fuel Consumption. This is because when more rubber is in contact with the surface of the road, rolling resistance increase.

I've just upgraded the wheels from the standard 16" alloy to 17". I've studied the Fuel Consumption difference and here is what I've got for the reference of all Inspira owners out there.

Distance covered: 40km

Average speed: 100 - 110km/h

Weather: Dry

Stoppages/braking: Minimal ( < 10 times or 5 mins in 40km)

Fuel Consumption (205/60R16 tire): 13.8km/L

Fuel Consumption (225/45R17): 12.2km/L

Fuel Consumption difference: 11.6% increase

I believe that the Fuel Consumption would be much higher for 18" wheels; which is usually fitted with 235/45R18 tire. Nevertheless, the wealthy would not bother about this as they have ample resources to get the car moving the way they want it to.

So, for those who wanted to upgrade the wheels of your car, please be prepared for the increase in the running cost of the car as well. It is simply not cool to get nice wheels for the car, but can only buy cheap, unknown tires when it comes to the time for replacement.

Whatever it is, Safety must come first OK!

The Letter 'W'

2012-01-03T22:40:00.001+08:00

This...

is the letter 'W'

that we are all too familiar with.

But somehow, somewhere I've started to spot this new font for

the letter 'W' . It is something like this...

Hmm...

wonder where have I seen it before...

HEHEHEHE!

Proton Inspira: Modify-Make Up & Accessories (Final Phase)

2012-01-01T11:30:00.000+08:00

With the end of 2011, the modification done on the Inspira can be said to have entered its final phase. Other (if any) modifications hereafter will most probably be minute ones although there are lots of other areas where major modifications can be done.

To me, major works stop here. What is more important hereafter is to maintain them. Safety, performance and looks. Annual or Bi-Annual projects in the future will surely focus on maintaining the tires, engine parts and the paint work. Those alone will surely use up quite a sum of money. Well, it's no use creating something great but failed to be maintained really.

Alright, to re-iterate the modification items, things that were added in April-Sept 2011 were the pseudo Evo X spoiler, vortex generator, larger exhaust tip, door visors, sill plates, brake & accelerator pedals, front Apexi Strut Bar, rearrangement of the rear plate number and 3D CF stickers front and rear.

The following meanwhile were items added from Sept 2011 onwards...

3D Carbon Fibre sticker for the side pillars. Done at Brothers for around RM70 LH & RH side

Cute, little MIVEC emblems also bought from Brothers at RM25/piece

Side plate holder for Inspira brought from Rainbowmotorsports at Kepong. This is actually not a perfect fit item for Inspira as claimed because some modifications were needed to install it. No cutting or screwing of the front bumper was done though. Only 3M double sided adhesives were used together with some spongy material to close the gap on one side of the plate with the bumper. The use of the Side plate holder is legal as Evo X also use such arrangement. Price for the holder alone is RM100

This is the latest and also the last addition to the Inspira for 2011. I personally call this thing a 'Mini Diffusers'. While original Evo X diffusers are 6 big fins underneath the rear bumper (where double pipe exhaust tips can be fitted), the Mini Diffuser is actually a Vortex Generator for Perodua Kancil. Instead of being installed on the roof, the lightweight VG was installed there using double sided adhesive tapes (with some minor cutting of the VG's edge). So, instead of having 6 fins, I got 9 mini fins instead. The best part of it is that I've never seen anybody...in any car did this before. Hehehe!

The hardest part actually was to search for the Kancil's Vortex Generator. Tried looking in Mudah, Lelong and many accessories shop in KL but failed to find one. Managed to eventually secure a unit from an accessory shop at old Batu Pahat town with a price of RM45/piece

Okay, I don't initially plan to stick the 3D CF sticker on the side mirror covers, but I was 'forced' to do so after the RH side mirror was damaged by a stupid English bloke at AKLEH.

The replacement OE side mirror from Proton came unpainted, so instead of sending them for painting, I decided to cover it with the CF stickers. Does not look bad at all anyway. The cost of applying CF stickers to both the side mirrors was RM70.

The biggest addition to the Inspira both in appearance and cost were the 17" wheels and tire. I've finally upgraded the 16" wheels to 17" with the combination of pseudo Enkei Racing GTC01 rims (Hyper Black colour) with original Goodyear 225/45R17 Excellence rubbers. With the 225mm width and 45% profile, the Inspira's centre of gravity has been successfully lowered without changing the Lotus Suspension system while at the same time widening up the track to make the car look poised for more aggressiveness.

The change from 205/60R16 tire to 225/45R17 tire has scraped off a little bit (some would not even notice) of the ride comfort yet it compensated that with better handling and steering feedback. I am still evaluating the impact to Fuel Consumption though. Will come back with the results after the evaluation was done.

Anyway, the 17" arrangement did enhance the sporty image of the Inspira.

Finally, with all those additions here is the Proton Inspira...before and after...

BEFORE: Chrome grill, centre mounted front plate number, 16" wheel, no CF stickers

BEFORE: Smallish exhaust tip, no spoiler, horizontal rear plate number, empty roof, thin track width

BEFORE: No CF stickers, no spoiler, 16" wheel - tall stance

AFTER: Side front plate number holder, blackened front, CF stickers

AFTER: Evo X spoiler, tall rear plate number arrangement, mini diffuser, vortex generator, larger exhaust tip

AFTER: 17" wheel, lowered stance and Evo X spoiler

Dusk @ Batu Pahat

2011-12-31T23:07:00.001+08:00

Hmm...haven't really got the time to wander around snapping pictures just for fun recently especially taking pictures of dusks. Finally, I got some time here in Batu Pahat just for that purpose. These pictures most probably won't win any photography awards, but is a joy for me to view somehow :)

Brick & Steel

Light & Shadow - A Perspective

Two Worlds Apart

Orange Dusk

Shadow Art

Tangled in The Dark

Language Of The 8 Year Old

2011-12-26T23:04:00.000+08:00

Illustration purpose only

Location - Apartment Parking Lot

Boy A: Hoi Babi, ko lambat nak mampus bodoh!

Boy B: Alaaa...rilek aa bangang, lambat sket pun nak kecoh giler

Boy C: Eh bodoh, sudaaa la. Lambat mcm babi pun takmo ngaku lagi

The rest of the conversation...I don't have the guts to hear them anymore. Those boys...they are not confused teens. They are 8-9 years old boys. Still in Primary School Standard 2 and 3.

When I was their age, I don't remember the most evil boy in school calling their friends 'Babi' casually. That guy only did that when he was super angry. But these boys...they consider 'Babi', 'bodoh' and 'bangang' as perfectly normal, polite words to use.

I am sure that their parents never taught them that way (and their parents don't know that they speak like that in public), so where in the world they have the notion and guts to speak like that?

TV programs and movies don't use the word 'Babi' in conversations and dialogues as well?

Inherited? From siblings? Or...parents? Without them knowing that they've 'taught' them to speak like that?

'WOW'...USD5.4 Million Offered to Me!!

2011-12-25T17:07:00.001+08:00

Scam emails and Internet frauds - a common issue that is still somehow successful in misleading the unwary. It is really, very really strange on how some people can put their trust on these strangers who they've never met before.

How can we believe that a stranger will want to give us 30% from USD18.5 million? Yup, that's easily USD5.4 million..equals to RM16+ million by just helping them to transfer their money from Africa and invest it here? Yes, yes..it doesn't make sense at all...yet there are many people around the world (and that include Malaysians) who fell prey to such schemes.

I've been putting posts here in my blog before on attempts by some unknown individuals/organizations to get my e-mail password by sending scam e-mails from so-called Gmail Admin and also YouTube which prove to be dangerous especially to youngsters. It has been proven that nothing happened by ignoring them. So, ignore I will.

I received yet another email today from someone who claimed to be the wife of a deceased African VIP who wanted my help to transfer their money here. Hey, they wanted to transfer USD18.5 million and they will give me USD5.4 million just for helping. Oooh...tempting!! Haha.

Well, I'll let you read the e-mail first...

There are of course some questionable matters in the letter actually. Firstly and foremost...a farmer in Zimbabwe having cash amounting to USD18.5 million = RM54 million? It would have been more convincing if Nkala was a precious stone businessman. Hmm...perhaps they've never thought of that yet.

Secondly, they claimed to have got my address (e-mail?) from South Africa Information Exhange (S.A.I.E). Hmm...wonder when did I deposited any information to S.A.I.E? In fact, I only know about the existence of S.A.I.E when I read the above email from Nkala.

Frankly, from the above two facts alone, it can be concluded that the email from Nkala is yet another form of Internet fraud. Anyway, just for the sake of checking I've searched in the Internet for S.A.I.E and unsurprisingly, here's what I've got from them...

..and here's a similar email captured by S.A.I.E. They've changed the name from Nkala to Madiba. The rest of the sentences are generally very similar to the email that was sent to me too. Copy & Paste with minor modifications? Ooh..you are too lazy even to do a clever fraud I believe.

And so, another attempt to mislead a wise and clever Malaysian failed. Do try again though...I would love to see who you will be next time. President Mugabe himself? Hahahaha!

Folks, if you do find that your friends or relatives got accidentally hooked to things such as this, STOP them immediately before it's too late. A halal Rezeki is earned my friends. It did not come easily like that.

Inspira's New Shoes - Wheel Modification

2011-12-24T18:00:00.000+08:00

I am currently working on the final phase of the modification work on the Inspira. The final phase is focused on the wheels section; of which there are three modifications items in mind for that section alone.

First will be size upgrading of the wheels from 16" to 17". 18" would be very interesting as the Inspira looks real nice with those big dishes, but taking tire maintenance cost into account (new 18" tire cost at least RM600 a piece!), the 18" wheels has to be forgotten. This first task is already done and the chosen wheel is similar to this...in polished black scheme. Never thought before that the colour scheme managed to make the black Inspira look more aggressive.

Next up will be the tire. Those surely need to be upgraded as safety allows no compromise. This unfortunately has to wait till next week since there is a delicious promotion for the 225 45R17 Goodyear Excellence tire at my workplace. Buying a tire 4 times lower than its market price (without sacrificing quality) is simply too great to be missed! For the time being, I'll just have to be real careful with those second hand tires which only have less than 40% of tread on.

Finally, I am trying to get some nice disc brake covers in red or gold to complete the 'garang' look of the car.

Oh no, I am not going to invest on skirtings though. Too much downforce is not nice for Fuel Consumption. Enough of those from the big Evo X spoiler.

Will post the final result when everything's done then.

Maintaining the Nokia E71

2011-12-24T00:03:00.001+08:00

Sit tight in front of your TV set for at least an hour these days and most probably you'll be seeing IPhone 4S battling the market with their promos against the likes of Samsung Galaxy Tab. Phone? Tablet? Yes...it's the era of smartphones still but technology has expanded so fast that my Nokia E71 can start to be considered obsolete already.

I've started using the Nokia E71 back in 2009. Wifey bought a grey one while I use a black unit (I like the white one actually but can't afford to use it when my work environment those days were full of carbon blacks). Since 2009, I did not face any major problem using the phone. No problems in making and receiving calls, SMS and MMS and no problem in using its WiFi capability for short bursts of info search in the Net. The built-in camera is also good enough for daylight picture taking. In fact, many of the pictures here in Warlord's Armoury were taken using the phone's camera.

As time goes by and like any other electronic gadgets out there, performance started to deteriorate over years and problems started to surface. Fortunately for me, none of the problems were close to serious e.g. Internet browser hang up when downloading 'heavy' pages or Internet browser 'exiting itself out' in the middle of use. I don't consider those problems serious since it does not happen all the time. Sometimes, they just happen without reason. Furthermore, none of the problems are related to the call/text messaging system itself.

One problem however is serious to me and that is the obvious reduction in standby time after 2 years. Out of the box, the E71 can survive for 3-4 days before needing power recharge, but now it can only stay alive for 12-16 hours only. This is actually a perfectly normal problem for all battery-operated electronic gadgets out there. After some time, the battery just does not have the ability anymore to store charges as long as it was before.

So, it is now time to change the battery. The Nokia E71 uses this...

the slim BP-4L battery pack which is also used in Nokia's E series brothers e.g. the older E63 and the newer E72. The challenge lies in getting the original unit out there as there are a lot of imitations in the market. The imitations are usually sold much, much cheaper. Comparatively, the original unit is usually sold at RM50-60 a piece while the imitations costs buyers just RM20-30. Anyhow, the price still does not guarantee that it is the real unit since imitations can also look like the real thing...minus the quality.

OK..you're asking me on why am I still with a phone that uses the ageing Symbian system when phones nowadays are using the more capable Windows and Androids system?

Well, the E71 still works well for me, so why change eh?

When The Blood Go Upstairs...

2011-12-21T21:59:00.001+08:00

Woke up in the morning to go to work as usual, but there was that noticeable giddiness accompanying my moves. Not significantly obvious, but enough to make me felt uneasy. Nevertheless, despite the constant pinging in my head that I need to rest at home and seek medical advice I went to work.

The first 30 minutes at work was fine. Sort of...since the giddiness was still there. As time moved on, the giddiness escalated into nausea and that urge to vomit became more apparent. Urghh!!

Something has definitely gone wrong and I decided that to visit the in-house doctor after completing a few routine tasks.

"Don't tell me you're pregnant? HAHAHA!", the Doctor replied after being informed on the symptoms that I had. Hmm...still got time to joke around eh, Mr. Doc? He then proceeded to check my pulse. Normal. Next up, Blood Pressure check. He did that once and frowned. He did it twice and wrote the numbers on a piece of paper.

140/110.

"That's not very high...right Doc?"

"A year ago, you got your Diastolic Pressure at 90. The last check made showed that you've got it to 100 and now it is already 110. Young man, the normal Diastolic value that you should get is somewhere around 80 only. This is waaay above that already!"

Speechless. That time, the Doc was not joking. He asked me to take some pills and instantly asked me to rest and then go back home. He also asked me to check my Blood Pressure tomorrow morning before starting work.

Back at home, I found this chart in the Internet. So, it is confirmed now that my Blood Pressure level is at Stage 2 of Hypertension...just a little bit lower from making me liable for an Emergency Treatment.

Hmm...time to change something in my life I guess. Less salty and oily food. To start an exercise program. It is still not too late.

InsyaAllah...

DAP's Ramasamy IS NOT The Warlord!

2011-12-16T11:30:00.000+08:00

Firstly, Ramasamy IS NOT Warlord

So, Ramasamy is not the author and owner of Warlord's Armoury!

Hairil 'The Warlord' Rizal has no connection to Ramasamy...

or Karpal Singh.

I have no relation whatsoever with DAP too.

HEHEHEHE!

Levitation

2011-12-15T15:30:00.000+08:00

From Google

Tool + Skill + Timing + Subject + Creativity = Cool Picture

All In A Day's Work: Motionless Beauty

2011-12-14T15:30:00.000+08:00

I was roving around Sunday Pyramid last Monday with Syiqah after buying her school books. The intention was just to bring Syiqah somewhere so that she won't feel so bored staying at home with us away at the workplace. It happened to be the replacement day for Sultan Selangor's birthday, so I thought that instead of aiming a place smack at the heart of Kuala Lumpur, going to the Pyramid is a good choice - if it is done before 12 noon. Well, if it is done after noon, then you'll have a headache in finding a parking space.

We walked past the Marrakesh section right after we emerged from the parking lots and saw a glass box. There was an Acer laptop inside, hung by several thin strings. It was a gimmick to emphasize its lightness. I did not bother though since I don't have any plan to replace my netbook. My current Samsung netbook is small and light enough for me. The empty glass box did not attract much attention anyway.

Several hours later, we came to the point again but that time the place was a different scenario altogether.

There was already a small crowd gathering around the glass box. Wondering what they were looking at, we came closer and found...

Pretty mannequin or pretty lady? Syiqah thought that she was a mannequin. Me? No doubt from the beginning that there's a real lady in the box and yeah, I am right. How in the world can I be so sure? Hmm...mannequins are not made with chicken pox marks on the legs. Hehehehe!

Unlike the guards at Istana Negara, the ladies have to stand motionless in there for just 15 minutes before being replaced with another lady. It is interesting to me on how easy those girls earn money for the day...

Step 1: Dress and make up to kill
Step 2: Stand in there with their best looks
Step 3: Pretend nothing is going on outside the box
Step 4: Job finished in 15 minutes

No need to think hard. No need to act smart. Need no sweating armpits. Need no workplace politics and yet...earn money from a 15 minutes job. Well, they are professional models anyway and being that, they are trained to do the job in a multitude of situations - including this one.

Well, they have to thank Acer for giving such a rare job opportunity to them through the promotion of Acer's latest offering - The Aspire S3.

8 Years of '3 Chocs, 3 Roses' :)

2011-12-13T21:31:00.001+08:00

13.12.11 - Today is our 8th Anniversary as husband and wife. Can still recall the moment when my right hand was held tight by Wifey's father for the Akad Nikah. The world suddenly became blurry and there weren't any other sound except the words uttered by Acik Raman who is now my FIL. When the doa was recited right after that, the world become normal again. There are sounds around me and there are colours everywhere. Pheuhhh!

That was 8 years back folks.

It's 2011 this year and yes, we've been married for 8 years already. Blessed with happiness for the majority of time (I would be lying if I say that we don't have those sad, disappointing and angry moments), 2 happy kids (so far...don't know this will add up or not. Hehe) and great family from both sides, all I have to say is Alhamdulillah! Alhamdulillah! Alhamdulillah!

It is never easy being a husband and it is never being easy too being a wife, but with deep understanding and acceptance of each other's strengths and weaknesses, the shared life will InsyaAllah be something that you will want and cherish till the end of your life. This is what we believe and I believe that every successful marriage practices the same principle.

My hope is simple. Many, many more years of great adventure and happiness...till death do us part.

Amin!

p/s: Wifey stayed below 50kg after 8 years. Me? Took more than 8kg of weight since 2003. Hehehe!