The Old Barber Shop

Remember these old barber chairs? Accompanied Other Half and Son for their haircuts today. Yup! The males in our house still go to the traditional barbers for their haircuts! A place which is slowly being replaced by the new and swanky hair salons which have gained so much popularity in the last decade or so. I wonder too whether establishments like the one in the picture still exist in the big cities. Many of the younger generation (and I supposed some older ones too) prefer to have their hair cut in the 'newer' establishments, most of which are unisex.

 

I remember in my younger days, Mum and Dad would tell bros that boys must go to the barbers where as hairdressers were for girls. Well, those lines have crossed today. I have friends who would not even dream of sending their sons to get their haircut from these traditional barber shops.

 

When we were really young, my first recollection of barbers was that of a barber on bicycle. There was this barber who would come by in the afternoons on his bicycle. I can't really remember how we would know he would be coming but it was quite amazing to watch him work. He would have this box which he carried around on his bicycle, and out of that box would appear a stool for his customers to sit. His bicycle would be one of those with a really big seat at the back.... like the ones that my grandfather used to cycle to tao rubber.

 

Haircutting was done al-fresco style. And it was a whole neighbourhood affair cos the boys would soon be waiting for their turns. Then when bros got bigger, the barber of the bicycle barber stopped coming. That was when Dad started bringing them to the Indian barbers. A haircut was only 50 sen back in those days! These days a haircut at the Indian barber is RM8 for adults and RM6 for school kids. Son still qualified, apparently for the student discount. Cheap and clean.

 

Which brings me to this point.... Unisex hairsalons are expensive. But I guess these days, guys want to do their hair too, colour it especially. Not sure whether guys are going for the other stuff like technical rebonding but I am sure some are trying the curls too. Places where to cut one's hair used to be clear cut last time. Guys go to the barber. Girls go to the hairdresser. In English we learned that too... What do we call guys who operate the hair salons today? Definitely not barber, right? I guess hairdressers have also assumed a unisex trait today... Evolution? And there is a new term - hair stylist, even though sometimes all they do is just cut hair.

 

As for me? I still prefer to go to the hairdresser for women only.... but that too is a dying business. 8(

The 404s in Our Lives

If you are regular surfer of the Net, a 404 screen is one which you would have occasionally come across. It basically means that while your computer was able to communicate with the intended server, the page that you requested could not be found. And that means your surfing experience has been interrupted. It's kind of annoying, this 404 thingy.

But if you come to think of it, 404 is not confined to the cyber realm. Our lives are dotted with 404s too...

404 Page Not Found is very irritating. It is annoying because your anticipations are dashed, especially so if there is very little info on the subject that you are looking for. Then as you peruse the list and come across its accompanying brief, your hope hits a high because you think you have it! You click the link and the infamous ERROR 404 - PAGE NOT FOUND appears. That's when frustration hits cos it's like having a candy in your hand and not being able to eat it. It can be likened to coitus interruptus!!! LOL!

We get different responses for 404; from both ends of the spectrum, the extreme nonchalant to very violent. Some people treat it as a minor inconvenience and move on. Others go hopping mad and there might be occassional slamming of the mouse or banging of the keyboard. Of coure in very extreme cases, the something gets smashed. In life too, our responses to the 404s that appear can be similar

But there are those who have turned the 404 ERROR into opportunities. At some point, someone came up with this idea of turning the 404s into something that benefits. And they turned it into a creative exercise....

... of branding. In Batman lingo, this reminds us the whole paraphernalia world of Batman and Robin, in a way, maintaining presence even in an adverse situation, sort of an omni presence in the virtual world, popping up every now and then to remind, a marketeer's dream of perpetual marketing.

Sometimes, a 404 come with a humor injected...

... sometimes carving out a silent smile or even a chuckle or two. And they help to reduce the frown, lighten the tense moment. Life needs to be like that sometimes. In the face of adversity, smile or laugh at it.

Funny... how everything is related, from the sterile computing world of signals to real life. Even the workings of the tech world mimics our biological world. And like it too, there's the opposite effect as well.

Not all about 404 is negative. 404 can be a nice thing too...

This is an old photo from and old post... Order No 404 - Chicken-ala-Forestier, found at the former RKC Restaurant. It used to be a favourite among many club members. The restaurant has since then ceased to operate from the club, making many members reminisce about the good old restaurant. So 404 can be a good thing too... and rightly so too, cos sometimes by either coincidence or act of providence, you are spared of worse because of its appearance. Sometimes when 404 appears, it makes you pause and realign your priorities. 404s can be a second chance, or new lease. It pauses us, not quite in the deadlock way, but to prod us to move in another direction... sort of like a dead end but not quite one that is totally dead.

In the virtual world, a bump is called a 404. In the real world, it is known by many other names.... adversity, trials, tribulations, problems, worries, fear, torment, agony, distress, difficulty, trouble, etc, etc.... the 404s of life.

Prius C

I learned about hybrid cars many years ago but back then it was not available here. Protection for our local car has resulted in the government imposing hefty taxes on imported cars. Then when they did become available about 3 years ago, it was prohibitively expensive. Believe it or not, trying to go green in Malaysia is not exactly easy. There are so many taxes in place to protect our local car industry that I feel we are getting the shorter end of the deal. Proton has been around since 1987. For more than 20 years, we've had to pay more for less. And the end doesn't seem to coming....8(

I was convinced even more so to do my part for the environment after listening to Jane Goodall on TED. And 2 years ago, the government announced a temporary tax break for hybrid cars below 2000 cc. This will end in 2013 if no more extension is given or I suspect, if Proton starts producing hybrid or electric cars. Then, early this year, a new but smaller Prius C was launched. A few months ago, I found out that the local Toyota Service Centre is now able to service the car. Before that, the nearest centre was in Penang. We test drove both models and decided to get the smaller Prius.

 

Okay, what I like about the Prius C. It comes with lots of cool stuff. The first which goes without saying is the fuel consumption. One tank easily lasts me for the whole month, and even beyond. No more going to the petrol kiosk every week. Don't like the fumes at the petrol kiosk. Prius C meets the stringent California emission laws too. So I know I am getting more for less. I know the extra paid for the car will never quite make up for the fuel but it's nice to know that I am reducing my carbon footprint. Anyway, I find it amazing that it's 36-litre tank can get me all the way from JB to Alor Setar (almost 800 km)!

The second is the smart key system. It took some getting used to, but to be able to just walk up to the car, open the door, press a button and then start driving is quite, quite convenient. No more rummaging through the pockets or handbag for the key. The car is super silent too. The only way you know that the engine is up and running is the dashboard lights up. There is no familiar roar of the engine. If you listen hard enough, you might just notice a silent whirring sound. The car glides almost very silently under low speeds of below 40 km. If you are on foot, you might just hear the sound of the wheels crunching the gravel on the road. Many a times, I see my students being startled in the morning when they realize that a car was coming up behind them. Lol!

And locking is just as easy. One swipe or touch on the door handle and the car locks. Keyless entry has been around for quite some time but it's usually found in the more expensive cars. We used to eye it in the Nissan Latio 1.8 a few years ago.

The dashboard is cool too. I learn that my driving style is generally quite economical but there is room for improvement. It has all these charts, graphs and information to tell you that you are driving right (or wrong). I find myself trying to improve my scores very often. Driving becomes like a game cos the charts keep score - you get instant gratification. People go for that these days, the instant thingy.

The sound system is good too. And the best thing is I can plug in my iPhone and listen to whatever that I've stored in them. Current flavour is TED. I've learned new stuff like liquid metal batteries, birth control, how an engineer repaired his own heart, releasing creativity, the Arab Spring and even the uniqueness of the tissues that make up a male anatomy. LOL! And they are delivered by the best in the world, MIT professors, thinkers, movers and shakers of the world! I know I will probably be moving on to something else soon but to be able to plug in and learn while I drive. This morning I listened to Jamie Oliver talk about food. Awesome!

Safety wise this small and compact car comes with 7 airbags. So I guess that makes it safer than most cars, The space at the back seats is quite narrow but that should be quite okay with me since most of the time, it's for me to drive to work and to be my gal's driver. BTW, it's silent only when it runs on electric mode. At higher speeds, you hear the engine sounds. It took some getting used to, pressing the Power On button and not hearing the whir of the engine. When you power up, the electric motor kicks in, hence the lack of an engine roar.

The Prius C is a compact car but it's zippy enough. We actually tested its bigger bro, the Prius V but settled on this because we thought the latter felt sluggish, though it comes with even more cool stuff. Price wise there is quite a hefty difference too.

One more thing I learned from the salesman... in towns away from the bigger cities like KL or Penang, Prius C doesn't sell well. It seems people still want size for the amount paid for the car. Spending more for the environment - still a long way to go.

Lunch on A Saturday...

Been meaning to do this for a couple of weeks but something always came up... or I forget.

Grilling our lunch! 8) I was given this mini electril grill by a friend but have not used it till now. So, this morning, we went to market and bought some stuff for lunch. Chicken, brinjal, pineapple, capsicum, long beans and okra. Kids did not like the brinjal, which meant that the adults had to finish them. Grilled pineapples are delicious though.

Salad... we're in a salad mode these days. This had a whole load if stuff in it, baby romaine, red and green coral , apple, pineapple, jackfruit, blueberry, strawberry, honey tomatoes, zucchini, walnut, raisins, a dash of maple syrup and some other stuff. Dressing was a mix of French dressing and Heinz Salad dressing. And we threw in the leftover from the grill - chicken and capsicum into it. It made good pre-dinner with some muesli fruit and nut cereal thrown in! 8) Have to eat more healthily. This morning I bumped into a friend who told me that she needs to go for a triple bypass. And she's only a few years older than me. 8(

Found the grill to be quite useful. Cleaning is easy as the oil and juices all flow into the container which can be easily washed. Not much 'splashing' of oil takes place too as the cover can be closed for quicker cooking. The plate itself just needs a few good wipes and it's clean. Good for small family meals, especially with my kids who are small eaters. Might do ribs if we are up to it one of these days.

Fooling Around With Bento 4

Bento is a database app by Filemaker. A year ago, we bought it because I wanted to be able to build my own database to make my work easier. Thinking that Bento might be the answer, we bought the app. But I wasn't able to do much with it cos It was rather limited. And so, I left it there, sitting in my iPad, untouched after the initial tries.

For no reason, I fiddled around with Bento again a couple of days ago. That was when I found out that the old Bento was no longer available for the iPad in the App Store. Filemaker had decided to sell Bento 4 for iPad as a new app; that means no free upgrades for the existing Bento owners. 8(

A quick read-up of the new Bento was promising. Words like 'standalone', '4-star rating', 'aiming for the heavens', 'completely redesigned', etc, etc were glitzy enough to make one think that the product must be good. Of course, when I bought the first Bento, the marketing lines were glitzy too.. So, this time I was more sceptical. Anyway, I had a little extra time at work today because the students had to go for some ceramah... and after fiddling with it, have to say that the new Bento 4 is a vast improvement from its older sibling.

Yup... many of the descriptions are true this time. The interface is easy to use. Also, being written for the iPad HD retina display makes viewing a really pleasant experience.

I decided to build my class database as part of my fiddling around. Must have something meaningful to do to learn meaningfully. I had to build everything from scratch since I couldn't find a Malaysian sample to work from. Over the last 2 years, I have found the iPad to be a more constant and consistent work companion than my Record Book, Register, workbooks, etc. Those books don't follow me everywhere but my iPad does, well, almost everywhere. As a result, I can now do quick reviews regardless of where I am. The iPad has become a teaching tool which has made my work easier. If at all our MOE wants to look into improving teaching practices, it should start looking into developing apps for us. Tablets are marvellous teaching aid and tools, but with the proper and right stuff.

Being the class teacher of one of the most problematic classes in Form 5 means I have to deal with a high rate of absenteeism. And one way of keeping this problem in check is to hound my students unceasingly; which means that my records must be easy enough for review to enable quick action. Quick action here refers to Warning Letters being sent out on time and as soon as the criteria is met.

What makes this Bento nice is you can have tabs. This particular tab above is mainly to keep track of the attendance so that Warning Letters can be sent out ASAP. When you have a class of students where at least half of them have a penchant of skipping school, monitoring the letters can be quite a headache. By this time of the year, it's at Surat Amaran 2 for some. I have actually been using the spreadsheet, Numbers to keep track of students' exercises as well as attendance.

It's unfortunate that Bento on iPad does not print. It would be another icing if it has a relational function too. But that would mean that Bento iPad can truly stand alone, and not be the stripped down version of its famed sibling, Filemaker. And if that happens, how would Bento 4 for Mac sell? Business sense rules in the end... So I guess, I'll have to wait for those features to be added. Eventually, it will come to the tablets.

Right now, Bento iPad is awesome enough to make people salivate for the desktop version. And that costs $29.99.

Well, this is a different sort of Bento for a change. I used to prepare all these bento sets for my kids to take to school. One container with many goodies. This Bento is like that too... it contains enough goodies for people to build personal databases.

Anyway, till July, Bento will be offer at $4.99. After that it'll be $9.99. An error of a purchase which turned out to be a fun learning experience.

Koi Japanese

Nah... this is not about fish, though there was a piece of salmon involved. This Japanese restaurant is located on the second floor of the New Wing of Gurney Plaza. And it's got a nice view of the eating alley between G Hotel and Gurney Plaza if you are seated beside its windows.

The place was empty when my kids and I walked in. It was still a little early for lunch. Decor was simple and nice.

Kids below 12 get to eat for free. They had a few sets to choose from. Daughter chose this for a simple reason - nuggets and gooey egg! She likes her eggs gooey.... with the yummyness of the yolk oozing out as you take a bite.

Son's Chicken Teppanyaki. For an extra RM4, you get rice, miso soup and dessert (which were 2 pieces of watermelon) thrown in. The teppanyaki was okay. I realized this. With Japanese food, the sauces make the food appetizing and brings out the flavours, especially when taken with warm rice.

My order of Seafood Teppanyaki. The vegetables were nicely fried. The salmon ended up in my gal's stomach. This was not too bad. I guess being rather hungry impaired my judgement somewhat. But I think I'd give it a rating of 3.5 out of 5. One plus point though, this restaurant gives one a vantage point from which to observe the comings and goings of the crowd in Gurney. You could sit and sip your tea, and enjoy the view.

Price wise, I found it to be reasonable.

Blogging and Change...

Blogging is actually good exercise for the brain. It makes you think and process your thoughts. And in the process you are often forced to reflect, in other words one is forced to put to use the 3 domains of learning - psychomotor, affetive and cognitive. Of course the latter 2 will emerge more refined from repeated blogging exercise. Writing is easy if you are used to it but down right hard if you have not been squeezing the juice out from your gray matter. So it helps to keep your mind sharp because when you write you analyze, synthesize and produce. Creative flow is one of many outcomes, as a result.

Blogging is good too because it helps us remember. One night as we were walking along Gurney Drive with Son rambling about eating ribs, I told Other Half that we had visited one of the ribs restaurants at Gurney. He had no recollection whatsoever of our visit. When we got back to the hotel, I checked my blog and true enough we did visit the Chicago Rib House quite some time back. Sometimes I am reminded of the good times I had, friends lost, moments and trips when I take a trip back into time via my blog. Memories can be altered as time goes by but we can recapture some of those moments again via writings done at the time of those moments.

I have learned too that blogging can change the world... well, maybe not spectaculary but it can have an impact. It creates awareness, allows us to share our experiences and rant. Even 9-year-olds can have an impact, as did this little girl who blogged about her school lunches. And her blog not only changed the composition of school lunches but also raised enough funds fo build a kitchen in a country far from her homeland. Check out her blog... Never Seconds.

Boy! Could we do with such kind of impact in our school canteens in Malaysia. The food that our kids eat at our school canteens are not only fattening but not balanced. Sometimes, I think canteen food contribute too to the problem of obesity in out young, cos they're mostly high in carbo. Vegetables and fruits are hardly ever seen.

In the aftermath if Bersih 3.0, the blogospere was filled with articles of individual experiences. It was mind numbing in the sense that you cannot no longer contain information or determine their form factor. So while there may be efforts to misinformed, generally the truth usually prevails. Blogging is more of a sharing of personal experiences. Because of that, it's easier for the reader to identify or even sympathize.

Blogging and change... change happens at different fronts, the personal as well as the public spheres. And I think that is good for us.