Bright sparks ...

Once in a way my family comes across a bright spark..real bright I would consider.

Most of my family members are/were average achievers. We went up step by step on the academic ladder and found jobs to make us self supporting. In recent times one or two bright sparks . A number of years ago we had an all A's scorer in the PMR exams - I for one thought it was a fluke shot but came the SPM results he had all A's too! He was chosen to attend a pre U course that would eventually take him to Germany where he stayed many years to persue the basic and Masters degree programmes.

Then another bright spark appeared.. a girl who made no bones about getting all A's in her PMR. As expected she also scored all A's in her SPM. I call her bright because she had been in the science stream and wanted to do economics on the side. No school I know offers that kind of combination , so she did her economics privately and scored an A too. And her chosen subject in Uni was definitely something related to economics. And she graduated with honours from an American University. During her summer break before the final semester, she did a practical at a local establishment and she had just been called to be on the payroll of the same estabkishment . This young lady hadn't had her head buried in the school books alone. She also watches movies, reads widely and plays the piano during her free time.

Now I see another bright star in the horizon. She also scored all A's in her PMR and does well in Arabic of her level. Soon she will be sitting for her SPM and I pray that she get the results she's working so hard for...

There is always something to learn every day..

About five weeks ago on the way to my class I had a flat tire. After having it fixed, I continued on my journey but after driving a short distance my car suddenly lost power - so I manouvered it to the side of the road. It stopped and refused to start again and I had to tow it back to the workshop. Unknowingly, that was the beginning of many changes yet to come!

I had planned to keep my 9 year old car because basically it is comfortable and trouble free. But that episode in my life made me think if I should actually change my car. It took the workshop many days to get to the bottom of the problem. Apparently after having the timing belt changed, the timing went out of sync. The timing belt cover had also frayed and the bits that fell on to the timing belt had caused the valves in thee engine to bend and the engine to shut down down. Four weeks later and RM 4600 poorer, I got my car back - fairly in good shape but leaving me lacking in confidence to drive it long distance alone. 

So me, Ben and Allen went around to look at prospective purchase. First we went to Toyota but the reception there was rather lukewarm so we left. Then my son suggested looking at a Nissan, and we were so warmly greeted I decided to stay and find out more about the cars there. And I fell madly in love with the Almeira. I figured that even with the extra trimming, I could still afford the monthly payments given a loan of 80 %. No one seems to want my car so I am having it traded in. Once I made up my mind, there's no turning back. Though I adore my car's registration number of JFU 49, I love the earlier registration number of JET 3000 much better. So I made the necessary arrangement for the changes. First to get the old car inspected at PUSPAKOM. I am not one to pay a runner just to make things easy for me.  I have the time, there is no reason why I shouldn't be doing things myself..after all PUSPAKOM is just a few minutes drive away. As it turned out, being the owner I did not need to make an appoinment, so I arrived at PUSPAKOM at around 7.30 am and mine was the fifth car in line. During the inspection we not allowed any where near the car, the car was left at a specified spot and I waited until it was driven out of the inspection area . By 9 am and after having paid RM 25, JET 3000 received the all clear to move to a new body. 

The following  ( 4th Oct) I went again to JPJ with Farah ( the sales rep) to get the new car registered with JET 3000 and the old car issued with a new road tax and grant. For these I had to pay an extra RM 210 plus another RM 200 for the new grant. I learned that these payments could be made only in one mode either in a cheque or cash. This took only minutes on condition that all paper work was in order.

So now all is set for the arrival of my brand new Nissan Almeira  that will set me back RM 870 monthly. Oh well, I am sure it will be worth it. Just in a day of two...