Disappointing aircon service

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I am a person who is very particular with my time. And others. The clinic opening times start at 8am. I would be at my desk usually by 745am. In the afternoon, I would return after lunch hour at 2PM by the dot. Latest at 205PM depending on the traffic heading towards my workplace. The respect towards time extends to family occasions, school reunions, appointments and such. Of course, living in Malaysia, I still need to accommodate those who follows the Malaysian time. However, the most I could tolerate is 30 minutes late. After that, usually my internal punctual Hulk would start fuming.

I requested an aircon service recently. I asked if the company did weekend services. They said they do. And so I made an appointment for 2PM. One week in advance. I sent the location of my house via Whatsapp the day before as a form of reminder that we have an appointment the next day.

The day came.

I was already in my hijab by 2pm. At 230pm, there was no sign of them coming. So, I sent a Whatsapp asking if they are coming after all. They said they are ‘on the way’. Being the husnuzon person that I am, knowing that traffic can be wild over the weekend, I gave them the grace of time for another 30 minutes. An hour passed and there was still no sign. Sarcasm took over. I asked them, ‘on the way dari Siam ke?’ They arrived promptly after that.

The employees were a lady and a man. They sauntered into the house without an apology for being late. I was beginning to doubt if they actually knew what they were doing because of all the servicemen that has come to my home, none of them needed to take my blinders off. Yet, they had to take my blinders off. I was still being kind and let them be. Because maybe they needed this experience to be better at their job. It took them nearly 90 minutes to service ONE AIRCONDITIONER. The airconditioner was making noises as they were assembling the unit and they kept fiddling with the screwdriver to GOD KNOWS WHAT! Then they tried to blame the previous servicemen. Excuse me, the unit wasn’t making any sounds before you guys came. On top of that, I caught them VAPING inside my house!! While working!!! IN MY HOUSE, WE DON’T SMOKE OR VAPE!!

My inner Hulk could not take it anymore. I was still able to remain civil and calm. I did not raise my voice and told the lady grimly, “tutup je balik benda tu, saya rasa awak tak tahu awak buat apa. Saya bayar awak untuk servis yang awak dah buat”. They reassembled the unit. They preferred QR as a method of payment. I asked for a receipt or invoice. They could not provide it on the spot. The lady said Monday. I gave them time till next Tuesday. Let’s see if they could follow up on that. If they fail to do so, I am going to make a formal complaint.

For not providing an invoice.

For being late.

For vaping in a customer’s house.

Sabar goes a long way

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Sabar goes a long way. Not necessarily refraining from anger. But from other ranges of emotions such as disgust, sadness or even joy. Sabar tames the heart to just hang in there a minute and let the events unfold properly. It stops you from making premature decisions that may or may not work in your favour.

Swimming class update

Posted in Everyday Life, Parenting, Family and Relationships by

My daughter successfully attended her swimming classes two times in a row. And she did not cry. She pushed through. She has yet to be playful, but she is less nervous and is listening well.

Her sticker chart played a small role in this. You know those potty training techniques where you get a star for every successful attempt? The same concept applies here. She gets a sticker to put on her chart after every swimming class.

But there is a catch.

I need my own sticker chart, too. I also need to do something I do not really enjoy. That means swinging the kettlebell. Urgh, the motivation to do that on top of my 10K steps is daunting. But since I am setting an example to my daughter to persevere through the hardship in attaining a new skill, I did just that. So now we are on a 12-week programme of swimming and swinging kettlebells.

Another contributing factor to her wanting to keep going is that she is under a different coach this time. Still a male coach, but as my daughter describes it, he says things more slowly and clearly. The previous coach was nice but a bit too fast, so she finds it hard to follow. Either way, the coaches at this centre are better than the one she learned from previously. She described the coach at the previous swimming centre as ‘aggressive’.

I was there, and I could see why she deemed it ‘aggressive’. Back then, she was only 5 years old. She didn’t really understand the concept of ‘kiri’ and ‘kanan’. Since her coach back then was a Malay gentleman and the only exposure to teaching she got at 5 years old in kindergarten was from gentle, female teachers, it was easy to see why the sudden ‘loud’ art of teaching seemed off. I did not force her to return to the lessons at the time. I felt that she still had time to learn. The fees were non-refundable. So, my RM500 were burnt.

This time, at 8 years old, I did not give in to her not wanting to go swimming. As the fees were also non-refundable. Plus, she is growing up, and she will be coming of age anytime. I wish for her to learn how to swim before she gets her period and enters the phase of teenage years. It’s because once she gets there, I am sure that I will be dealing with a little monster version of myself. Just slightly extroverted.

I look forward to her progress in swimming soon.

House loan settlement

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I wished I had made better plans, earlier, to settle my house loan. I had thought that house loans are something you religiously pay off until you get old. This is until I had an epiphany. Influenced by certain life events surrounding death. Why wait till you’re old to have it all paid off when you can do it earlier. Death waits for no man and does it not relief your loved ones from the burden of carrying that debt once you’re gone?

I began to become serious with paying my debts as I stepped into my 40s. It started with my car loans, my ASBF and as of recent, my housing loan. I allocated a certain amount of money every month that goes into my lump sum fund. Combined that with my dividends, my initial target of getting it all done by early 2028 was cut down to just this month.

I went to the bank branch where I set up my loans and asked for the final amount, hoping to clarify the total figure I would need to settle. Apparently, it is not the same as the ones they put online, which was a bit surprising to me. This discrepancy is because there are other fees included that are not explicitly mentioned on their website, such as processing fees and administrative charges that can accumulate over time. So, after calculating my projected payment and considering these additional costs, I settled the amount over their teller counter, feeling a sense of relief that I was finally taking a step toward closing this chapter of my financial obligations.

Just last week, I received the residual amounts of my insurance. I don’t really know what it is called. Now I am just waiting for the lawyer to call me regarding the geran and all.

Honestly, it feels great to live simply. I am also toning down on getting new clothes, bedsheets and books. This is because I recalled a hadith I came across on reels. Narrated by Jabir bin ‘Abdullah : The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned bedding and said: There should be bedding for a man, bedding for his wife, and third for a guest, but a fourth for the devil. This is not to say that we need to provide one for the devil. But it goes to say that if we have something in abundance, the extra is wasteful if not used appropriately. Shaitan loves sins like these. Which is why zakat is always reminded onto muslims. Through zakat, Muslims cleanse their wealth, protect it from mismanagement and nurture a heart of compassion, generosity and social responsibility.

I still have other small commitments scheduled at certain months of the year. Things like car insurance and road tax, life insurance, spotify and property-related taxes. Of course, this blog also comes with it’s price that I pay every 2 years for the hosting and it’s domain. Otherwise, life is good for the basic needs to eat, sleep and loving others.

Love your family, but live for yourself

Posted in Everyday Life, Ponderings & Personal Development by

Once upon a time, there lived a man who tirelessly worked day and night to provide for his family. His dedication enabled him to accumulate significant wealth and purchase luxurious items for his children. With his fortune, he confidently sent his kids to prestigious schools and treated them to incredible holidays. The man believed wholeheartedly that he was doing everything right by shielding them from life’s hardships.

Time has passed, and his children are now adults. Living a sheltered life has shaped their personalities, leading them to perceive many aspects of life as toxic and misaligned with their values. They now view tasks requiring grit and resilience as challenges that push their boundaries, which they mistakenly see as threats to their mental health. Constructive advice from experienced individuals is often dismissed as condescending and disrespectful of their autonomy. Patience and resilience have become uncommon virtues. It would be surprising if they truly grasp the importance of delayed gratification.

Soon, the wealth passed on from the man to his children is depleting. The kids, unaware of the immense effort that went into acquiring this money and these possessions, treat everything as mere pocket change to be squandered or discarded. Gifts of expensive watches are carelessly sold off, houses are up for grabs, and gaming units are auctioned at a bargain. The man reflects, “What’s the point of saving millions in my bank account and working hard day and night, only for my kids to squander it and sell when they need quick cash?” Had he known this earlier, he would have chosen a different path, refusing to sacrifice his own life for such foolish gains.

Witnessing this first-hand made me realise something. I believe there is a Chinese saying that goes 富不过三代 (fù bù guò sān dài), which literally means “wealth does not pass three generations“. It means that the first generation creates the wealth, the second generation increases the wealth (due to education and building on their parents’ systems and connections), and the third generation- maybe due to decadence or decline- leads to bankruptcy!

While I love my kids, I should teach them how to fish instead of giving them all the fish. It is ok to build on their savings accounts, but keep some of the salary for myself to enjoy as well. I should not withhold myself from the simple joys of life, especially when I can afford it. Go for that movie, buy those pretty jeans and eat that nice steak. Enjoy the coffee and plan for staycations. At the same time, I should teach my kids to be resilient when facing the hard stuff of life.

Recently, I enrolled my daughter in a swimming class. The coaches are Malaysian Chinese. I am fine with that. And I want my daughter to be fine with that too by stepping out of her bubble. Schools have been so segregated nowadays that you hardly see any non-Malay students in Sekolah Kebangsaan. I am hoping that frequent, tiny exposures to people outside her race would make her feel more accustomed to them one day. I understand that learning to swim is already a challenging feat. What’s more, having to learn to communicate with people that you rarely see and interact with daily. I put good faith towards the adults there to help her feel at ease with her lessons and also welcome her into their bubble. It is still a bit hard for her at the moment. She has been saying that she doesn’t want to go, but I am instilling some motivation into her to try her best.

I am teaching her how to fish at the moment. I am not sure if my pep talk is working. She looked like she was holding in her tears. I hope that she can persevere through these 12 weeks of learning and come out as a strong swimmer and with a positive outlook on life.