HCFoo's Blogyard

Recently I've been complaining too much about everything. So better talk about something light like World Cup.

The World Cup is getting more exciting. So does my social life and my relationship with my sibling.

I have been meeting up with my close friends and not-so-close friends regularly to catch up with our favourite matches. There were even secondary schoolmates which I seldom spoke to back in those schooling days but found a common topic recently which you know, is football!

My sister, a huge football fan too, recently have been spending quality time with me watching matches on the weekend at my place. In spite of staying far away from my place, she travelled all the way to watch her favourite teams play with me.

I truly believe that football not only bring nations together, it also brings relationships closer.

I am frustrated with the service offered in UM main library. Even though the library will be closed in 30 minutes, the librarians will start switching off lights and computers and ask students to leave.

I was particularly mad yesterday when one of the librarian purposely switched off the main power in one of the computer lab specially for postgrad. I was on my way out when suddenly the lights were out. Some students were doing their work and of course whatever they were doing or typing, all the data were gone! So rude! At that time, it was just 7.45 pm and the library will only be closed in 15 minutes. Or at least, the librarian should inform the students to save their data as he will close the main power. Even the promoters at shopping centre doesn't chase customers away 15 minutes before their premise is closed so that they have time to pack their stuff and switch off lights.

I've sent an email to the head librarian, the head of customer service and QAMU (Quality Assurance Management Unit) to complain about the matter.

Selamat pagi,

Saya merupakan seorang pascasizwazah ingin melahirkan perasaan kecewa tentang layanan yang diberikan kepada para pengguna di Makmal Komputer B.

Semalam (pada pukul 7.40pm, 21 Jun 2006) setelah diumumkan bahawa perpustakaan akan ditutup dalam masa 30 minit, seorang pustakawan (yang tidak akan saya nyatakan nama di sini) telah masuk ke Makmal Komputer B yang dikhaskan untuk pelajar pasca ijazah. Dengan nada yang tinggi, pustakawan tersebut memberitahu bahawa perpustakaan akan ditutup pada masa itu (sedangkan pengumuman mengatakan akan ditutup dalam masa 15 minit lagi). Saya mula meninggalkan bilik tersebut. Ketika saya melangkah keluar dari bilik berkenaan, pustakawan tersebut dengan sengajanya menutup suis bekalan yang terdapat di dalam Makmal Komputer B. Ini bermakna semua maklumat dalam komputer yang sedang digunakan oleh beberapa orang pelajar yang masih berada di dalam bilik itu telah hilang kerana suis bekalan elektrik telah ditutup tanpa pengetahuan mereka. Paling mengecewakan, pustakawan tersebut membuat seperti dia tidak sengaja berbuat demikian.

Para ketua pustakawan sekalian,
Ini bukannya kali pertama pustakawan berbuat demikian untuk "menghalau" (rasanya tidak berlebihan untuk saya mengatakan demikian) pelajar walaupun masa tutup perpustakaan belum sampai. Pustakawan harus bersikap lebih profesional dan Perpustakaan Utama Universiti Malaya harus menyediakan perkhidmatan yang baik kepada para pengguna. Seperti masa tutup yang dijanjikan iaitu pada pukul 8 pm, perpustakaan UM harus menyediakan perkhidmatan sehingga waktu berkenaan. Masa 30 minit (atau 15 minit sekalipun) sebelum masa tutup bukannya masa untuk pustakawan berkemas untuk pulang. Seperti pasar raya, promoter tidak akan menghalau pelanggan keluar 30 minit sebelum premis mereka ditutup dengan alasan mereka ingin mengemas barang atau menutup lampu untuk pulang.

Universiti Malaya ialah sebuah universiti bertaraf antarabangsa dan begitu juga dengan Perpustakaan Utama yang merupakan gedung ilmu dan tempat yang paling akrab dengan pelajar. Diharap para ketua pustakawan sekalian akan mengambil langkah yang sewajarnya untuk menyediakan perkhidmatan yang terbaik untuk para pengguna.

Sekian, terima kasih.

Finally I have received calls and sms from Canon as soon as I placed a call to one of the customer service rep, Ms Lai (thank you!) and an email to the marketing department (Ms Ang, thank you too!).

Thanks to philters for the advice.

I am happy that they did take immediate action as I need the camera urgently for my field work. I'm not sure if their server was down the other day when I sent an email to their helpdesk. They claimed they did not receive my email.

Seriously there is still room to improve at Canon especially on machine repair and customer service. I'm not a photography enthusiast like my sis (who prefers Nikon) but I want an efficient service when my camera break down (as I need it for my job).

Disappointed with Canon

I have waited for my camera to be repaired for two weeks now (as promised by the customer service rep) and I still do not see the camera is ready in their "machine repair status " website.

I've sent them an email asking about the status of my camera but there was no reply or whatsoever. So my conclusion, slow service and slow respond by Canon. I think I wouldn't be so particular about this if I don't need to use the camera.

I was rather disappointed with the services at Canon. I went to the branch in Shah Alam and had to wait for 15 minutes before it was my turn.

I know my IXUS II was rather outdated but I knew many people who's using the same model having problem with the display LCD as well. It was pretty frustrating because the screen is totally blackout. I was told by one of the customer service rep to wait for two weeks. Until now, even after 9 days, I couldn't see any changes to the status of my camera. I tried to login earlier on but the website was down.

I went to Nikon a week earlier to service my Sis's DSLR and I must say that the services offered there were so much better. I didn't have to wait for my queue and their service was fast (plus the reception is very friendly)! I was told to wait for 15 minutes for sensor-cleaning but they never keep me waiting for that long. Moreover, it is free.

I love the IXUS camera but I hope Canon can improve on their services (they need to learn to smile, too!).

Scratch-n-win scam gang spotted again @HSBC, PJ

It was such a coincident that my friend (a scratch-n-win victim) saw the same group of youngsters again yesterday outside Public Bank (Damansara Jaya branch) using the same tactics to lure potential victims. It seems that this company, Techligent Sdn Bhd, is desperately increasing their activities in PJ, either to increase their profits for refunds or they intend to make big bucks before closing down the company (and reopen another one). The supervisor, by the name of Ah Teng, was seen together with the other young staff again after my friend saw her the day before outside HSBC Bank, PJ.

Again, people, please be aware of anyone approaching you outside the bank. They could be the scratch-n-win scammers!

Things to do when involved in scratch-n-win scam
Scratch-n-win scam
The Star: Report scam to tribunal

My friend who were cheated by the scratch-n-win scam just called and said she's seeing the same group of people outside the HSBC Bank, Petaling Jaya branch just a couple of minutes ago. She came out from the bank and the same "scam gang" from Techligent Sdn Bhd (based in Penang and was said to be previously known as Zunich) is spotted outside the bank doing exactly the same thing, knocking on people's car and looking for the next victim.

So, inform your friends and relatives about this scam and be aware when being approached by people outside the bank. Another source told me that this scam is currently operating widely in Wangsa Maju and Kuantan as well. The last time I heard, a victim was conned RM8k.

As for my friend, who were being cheated RM4k, received a call from Techligent Sdn Bhd and said the cheque for refund is ready today. However, they refused to pay extra RM200 for lawyer fees. If they really refund the money to my friend, the court case (7th July, 2006) will be closed.

AXN Asia: Something To Cheer About
First time lucky

So my blog about winning sports merchandise from Samsung Sports World is in AXN Asia's Sightings. It doesn't matter about the embarassment of mistaken the prize for something else.

The Star: Do we still care about local sports news?

Below is the full (and unedited) version of my blog in The Star.

Everyday, foreign sports news monopolize our sports section.

I've always been passionate about crossword puzzles. That's why I've been trying to incorporate crosswords into the national syllabus and hope to produce an alternative way for students to grasp knowledge.

I have been using the same tool to teach my students, and so far the results have been amazing. My students did improved on their spelling and able to memorise terminology, vocabulary and facts (although there's no scholarly research being done to prove it yet). It can be used on both high achievers and under achievers, depending on its usage and sets of questions. Hence, I've been running workshops for teachers to guide them on crossword construction and how to use it in their classrooms. So far, I have been receiving good response from teachers and parents.

So, in order to apply this to students, I'll be running a series of workshops from this month end to August. Subjects include Bahasa Melayu, English, Science, Mathematics, Sejarah, Geografi and Kemahiran Hidup. This one-day workshop will be conducted in University of Malaya at the Faculty of Education. Time and date will be notified soon.

Schools, teachers parents and students who are interested and want to know more about this workshop, please contact me @ 012-3720 858 or email to me at wowmedia.pj@gmail.com.

I told myself I'm not going to blog about politics anymore. But I felt guilty if I do not say something about Dr M vs Pak Lah issue.

I'm a pro-government and will always be. At the same time I also support leaders who are bold enough to come forward and enlighten the government. And Dr M is one of the very few people. I'm totally agree with Dr M when he said that Pak Lah has dismantle many of his projects. However, isn't that what happen to most of our government policies and projects in the past, too? Whenever a new minister takes over the leadership role, old policies will be abolished and new policies will be introduced to the rakyat.

However, there is one thing that the government and rakyat should never forget, Dr M's Vision 2020. Ever since Pak Lah take over the PM role, we are almost forgotten that the vision ever exists. Pak Lah and his ministers never ever really mentioned about Vision 2020, except during the recent Ninth Malaysia Plan.

We are not focusing towards our goal anymore. We only worry about tomorrow, if the government will ever raised the fuel price, tax or electricity rates. Pak Lah said we will focus on the Ninth Malaysia Plan, but trust me, most of us are not well-informed of the plan. And how about the 4.8% inflation rate? Since we are expecting a higher electricity rate this month, the the inflation rate will definitely increased to more than 5%. Are we just going to sit and wait or the government is going to do something about it? We no longer have short term solutions and long term goals.

I want to see something concrete being done by the government and not focusing on less important thing like anti-smoking or budi bahasa campaigns. Solve the AP issue, explain the scrapped bridge to Singapore project, inflation issue, improve national sports, etc. Your ministers said they are behind you back, so make them help you to solve the many issues facing by our country now. Also let us know your vision.

It was an unbelievable match between Nadal and Federer. Although the first set was disappointing, it didn't last long when Nadal came back on the second set and punished Federer with the same result, 6-1. Then the rest was history.

This final match at Roland Garros is not as nail-biting as the match at Rome Open. I would say that Nadal had an easy win over Federer due to his many unforced errors. So, how come Federer can't seem to beat his compatriot? Is it because of Nadal or the clay court? Perhaps the answer is in Federer himself.

Vamos Rafael! Nadal is unbeatable on clay. I'm looking forward to his matches on grass, which he has a lot to improve on.

Being a fan ever since Roberto Baggio played in the World Cup 1994, I will continue to support the Azzurri. My bet is on the Italy to play to the final.

Everyone is talking about World Cup. Even people who knows little about football or its players. My mind is on football too but my heart is at the French Open.

Many tennis fans including myself are expecting the battle of the century in the French Open final between Federer and Nadal. As a Nadal supporter, I definitely hope Nalbandian will conquer Federer on the clay court today. Seriously, I couldn't handle the pressure anymore watching Federer and Nadal playing in the final for the fourth time this year. Eventhough Nadal has the advantage based on their head-to-head series, I believe Federer is very confident and ready more than ever before to take on Nadal if they play in the final.

Hopefully Nalbandian will put up a good fight against Federer and I'll have a peaceful night watching the opening ceremony of World Cup. As for the match between Nadal and Ljubicic, which followed after that, I'm pretty confident that Nadal will have an easy win.

Last week was the first time I really sit down and watch the show Samsung Sports World on AXN channel 17. The hosts were analysing the World Cup teams and I find it pretty interesting. Then there were contests with attractive gifts. I thought one of the prizes was a trip to watch the World Cup quarterfinal. I didn't really listen carefully and I decided to join all three contests on their website.

Yesterday, while waiting for dinner, suddenly I was awaken by the announcement of my name on the show. My sister was with me. And I told her I could be the winner of a trip to watch the World Cup quarterfinal. However, I still wasn't sure what I have won and decided to wait for the repeat at 12 midnight instead of online and check the result.

So, the truth is, I have won Samsung Sports World merchandise and no World Cup trip. There is only a party and all paid expenses to Club Med Bintan to watch the quarterfinal. The contest is still open and I've submitted my entry last week. Now, I'm still not sure what merchandise I have won but at least I have something to cheer about before the World Cup starts tomorrow.

Blaming employers for hiring people with proficiency in Mandarin is not the right way to tackle unemployment issue in this country.

Instead of labelling Mandarin requirement as discriminatory, our politicians should take action and encourage the learning of the most widely-spoken language in the world.

I truly agree that we should prioritize Malay language and English. However, Malaysia, after gaining independence for almost 49 years and all races living under one roof, we are still not learning each other languages. How many Chinese know how to speak Tamil? How many Indian able to speak Mandarin? And how many Malay know how to speak Mandarin and Tamil? How about Chinese and Indian who can speak fluent Malay language?

How can we talk about globalisation, peace and harmony when we are making excuses of not learning each other languages?

The Star: Report scams to tribunal
Scratch-n-win scam

Here are the procedures of what you can do if involved in scams:

1. Go to Consumer Claim Tribunal (Tribunal Tuntutan Pengguna), Ministry of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs, at 16th Floor, Plaza Place, The Mall, Kuala Lumpur or at your nearest location.

2. Make sure you have all documents (4 sets of photocopies of receipts, contract, credit card, typewritten descriptions of the whole senario, photos of products "won", etc, if any) ready before you go to the Consumer Claim Tribunal.

3. You will be required to fill in 4 copies of Form 1 (Borang 1). In these forms, you can claim the total amount that you have paid for the scam plus a maximum of RM200 for miscellaneous claims.

4. After paying RM5 for the processing fees, you will be given Form 2 (Borang 2). The officer will advise you to post a copy of the documents to the defendant through registered mail. You will also be given a court hearing date on the same day.

5. Kindly proceed to your bank (if you use credit card for transaction), fill in a dispute form and inform the bank about your situation. While it is not likely the bank will do anything to stop the transaction, at least you have inform your bank about such merchant who is involved in the scam.

6. Attend the court hearing.

Another friend of mine took action and she got her money back. While it is not guaranteed that you will gain back your money, at least you have done your part to inform the authority and bank about such scam involving the irresponsible company.