GPS system - all you need to do is drive

Bought my first GPS system (model GPS Bay 3303) some 2 weeks ago from Courts Mutiara in PJ and I don't have any regrets at all. In fact today I've just bought another 2 sets for my sister-in-law and for a friend.

I paid RM 399.00 for the set (50% off normal price of Rm 799). It is definitely one of the the best investment I've made in a long while.

Source of screen shot : GPS Bay website

In my line of work, I see least 15 new clients (prospects) in various parts of Selangor . Normally I will get the prospects to fax me a location map to their office, but a map is a static thing, and if you missed a turning, that's the beginning of your nightmare.

With the GPS system, if you've missed a turning despite all the voice instructions that it gives you, it is intelligent enough to re-direct you back to the correct path by giving new directions to get to your destination.

Today I visited a kindergarten in Bukit Rimau with the address "Jalan Sg Congkak 32/51D in Bukit Rimau". I keyed in the road name into the GPS Bay 3303, and I arrived at the location without having to ask for phone directions from the client. Save time and money. That's what I like.

There are some newer areas which are not on the map, like Jalan Mahkota 7/4B in Putra Heights, but in cases like that I key-in some nearby road name and start from there.

It is very easy to install the unit on your windscreen; it has a holder which can be adjusted to your liking. Once you register the unit with MapKing, the provider of the maps (you can get the staff at Courts to do it for you), you can use the GPS to guide you back home form the store! The instruction manual is easy to follow, and the rest is through experimenting and getting used to the voice telling you to "please slow down"!!

It is recommended that you hide the unit when you park your car in public areas.

Renew road tax the easy way

I don't know about you, but I am very happy with the online renewal of Malaysian road tax through MYEG Services

You don't have to leave your house, and queue at the Road Transport Department office, or the Post office. They charge a service fee of 6% on the road tax amount, and a delivery fee of RM 6.00, all in I had to pay RM 8.75 for the service. Compare this to engaging a runner, I need to pay at least Rm10, or if I go there myself, I will save the Ringgit but I will be penny wise, pound foolish, because the 1 hour or so at the queue will cost me some Rm 50 or so (petrol, toll, and the opportunity cost of earning my keep)

You need to have a valid insurance policy, and you must renew your road tax within 7days of the expiry date.

I had an insurance policy that is valid from 28/8/08-27/8/09, but I only logged in to the website on 4/9/08 to renew my road tax, so I could only renew for 6 months which means it is now expiring on 3/3/09. So I am now renewing my road tax for the 2nd 6 months of the insurance period.

And the best part is, in Sep last year, they helped me process the full amount of Malaysian fuel rebate of Rm 625 and banked to my bank account.


Another thing, you don't have to produce the registration card to renew your road tax, and that was my main reason I chose the online renewal in the first place. I couldn't find the registration card, and after 8 days of searching, I somehow 'listened to*' the advertisement on the radio, and went home and logged on to the site. Never looked back.

* Listening is not the same as hearing.

Free drinks for your birthday

It's just 4 days into the new year 2009, and we have celebrated 2 family members' birthdays - Jan 2, and Jan 4. One of it happen to be mine.



If you fancy Chinese fast-food, try the Wong Kok Char Chan Teng Hong Kong restaurant chain. They offer a free jug of Birthday milk tea (teh tarik) to go with your meals. The jug can fill up 10 tall glasses. No kidding.



Just produce the IC or Birth Cert of the birthday girl or boy and party with 6 persons or more. Minimum spending only $30. Reasonable food prices, palatable food. We had light meals : Yong Chow fried rice, fried Hor Fun with fish and ginger, baked chicken wings with cheese, fried 'Sui Kow', 2 plates french fries and ice cream for the kids. The bill came up to $55.

The Wong Kok restaurant chain can be found in major shopping malls. We had ours at IOI Mall in Puchong. You can also go to Pavilion KL, Sunway Piramid, 1 Utama, Leisure Mall, South City Plaza, Caesar's club in SS2 and Brem Mall in Kepong. Also Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Mall in Malacca, City Square in Johore, Batu Pahat mall and Holiday Plaza in Johor.



The cake is from Cake Sense bakery, opposite IOI Mall in Puchong Jaya

Time for reflection. Merry Christmas, and looking forward to an eventful new year 2009

Selamat Hari Raya 2008

Tomorrow October 1, 2008 Malaysians celebrate the Hari Raya 1 Syawal AidilFitri. Wish everybody 'selamat Hari raya'.

The one thing that is synonymous with large scale celebration like Hari Raya, and Chinese New year, is the migration of people from the city to their hometown.

For a few days in a year, the roads in KL will be devoid of traffic, while the smaller towns will be jammed-packed with the return of the 'migrants'. The smaller towns are not built to cope with the massive population, so you can expect shortage of petrol (already in the news recently), long queue at the ATM machines when the returnees cashout their savings, long queue at the popular (and not so popular) food stalls. The air of festivity can be seen at the smaller towns , rather than in KL!

So join the crowd and see you in Melaka!