Anne Healy (Pastor Healy's wife) was right when she spoke at last Sunday's service. The sermon theme was on Mother's Day and somehow there was connection to finding love. She mentioned how important it was to wait for the right person to come along to become your life partner. She shared about her own story, how before meeting Pastor Healy she was previously engaged but the engagement broke down along with her relationship with her then fiance. A friend said to her, "I'm very glad this relationship broke down and this ended." She was very distraught and did not understand why her friend had said this. Her friend explained that she felt the man was not right for Anne. Her friend felt that the man was not Anne's "spiritual match". Those two words struck me on Sunday. It kind of summoned up my whole life. It explained why things are the way they are. It seems I have never found my "spiritual match". And whilst this revelation dawned on me, it also made me realise that I myself may not have been a good "spiritual match" for anybody either!!
So what does this mean? How does one 'gauge' this spiritual level? What do we use to measure or compare? Being a Christian man seeking a Christian woman as a life partner, I should be able to provide spiritual support for my partner. But what "spiritual level" should she be? Should I be seeking a life partner with "spiritual level" equal to or less than myself? Or how would things work if the woman has a spiritual level "higher" than myself? Would I still be able to lead spiritually? Does it work the same way as for example: income or education? Will discrepancies in spiritual levels cause conflict or awkwardness as it may for the two examples? Hmm...
Do any single guys reading this, ever think about this matter? You might want a life partner and hope to find her soon. But have you thought whether you can provide for her spiritually as well as physically and emotionally etc? I do not feel I am spiritual enough to be honest. Nor do I feel I am rich or intelligent. What does that mean...?
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
21 March 2012
07 March 2012
Finally sorted!
Been getting up extra early the past few mornings, mainly due to starting work earlier than usual and having to get lunch and snacks prepared before heading out to the gym. Usually lunch prep happens after I get back from the gym, but that was not possible on Monday and Tuesday of this week. However, it was worth it in the end as Nelson passed his driving test, as mentioned in yesterday's post. This morning I went to the gym as well but did not need to get up quite as early, just 5:55AM. Got up, had my protein shake, quickly packed my stuff and then went to get fuel along the way to the gym. Did my workout and managed to get home for 8:10AM. Plenty of time for the plumber to arrive. Around 8:45AM somebody chapped my main door. I looked through the peephole and saw a man with his head down. He had a beanie hat on. Didn't quite look like a plumber. I opened with curiosity, already thinking in my head of how to decline the man if he asked for "a few minutes of my time" to tell me about some charity etc. With the door open I could see him holding a box with Amazon on it. He said he had a parcel for me. Ah yes, my Swiss Gear laptop bag!! =D I was happy to sign for it then opened the box to find what you see on the above link. A nice blue and black backpack with lots of great padding, openings, compartments and a good quality feel to it. I look forward to using it to carry my laptop down to Grantham in Lincolnshire to see Ian and Leanne. =)
The plumber guy came at around 8:50AM and sorted the toilet out for us. Without going into too much detail, he was a nice guy, Neil, who could not replicate the faults I was telling him about, but seeing the video on my phone (HD 1080p quality!) he understood the problem set about rodding the soil pipe then later fit a new U-bend for us. Neil left about 11:20AM, I cleaned up a bit, hoovered, then had lunch. I was soooo hungry!! The cost was not cheap, but I was glad to pay for peace of mind and an actual professional who has been on the job for six years. Everytime he left the house to go to the van or to get the parts he would explain to me where he was going etc.
The day didn't end there. Plumbing job done, lunch was rushed, then off to work. Finished work at 4PM and went to watch "This Means War" at 6:30PM. After that went to Tesco to buy a few things to bring down for Ian and Leanne. I'm soo looking forward to the wee break down to see them. Get to relax, not have to drive also! Not taken a wee break away since going to Dublin back in Dec 2010! Life has been all about work work work!!
Lesson of the Day: All work and no play makes G a dull boy!
The plumber guy came at around 8:50AM and sorted the toilet out for us. Without going into too much detail, he was a nice guy, Neil, who could not replicate the faults I was telling him about, but seeing the video on my phone (HD 1080p quality!) he understood the problem set about rodding the soil pipe then later fit a new U-bend for us. Neil left about 11:20AM, I cleaned up a bit, hoovered, then had lunch. I was soooo hungry!! The cost was not cheap, but I was glad to pay for peace of mind and an actual professional who has been on the job for six years. Everytime he left the house to go to the van or to get the parts he would explain to me where he was going etc.
The day didn't end there. Plumbing job done, lunch was rushed, then off to work. Finished work at 4PM and went to watch "This Means War" at 6:30PM. After that went to Tesco to buy a few things to bring down for Ian and Leanne. I'm soo looking forward to the wee break down to see them. Get to relax, not have to drive also! Not taken a wee break away since going to Dublin back in Dec 2010! Life has been all about work work work!!
Lesson of the Day: All work and no play makes G a dull boy!
02 March 2012
Unprofessional
Cat comes back from Singapore tomorrow. I would have loved to have the bathroom fixed up before she came back, but that will not happen anymore. As I mentioned on the just two weeks ago we were waiting for Plumber Three to come up to check the wee leak in our bathroom. He did actually show up the next morning, came up to check out the U-bend, told me we need a new one and that he will also rod the pipes to remove any blockage. This was a Tuesday afternoon he came up and he told me quite clearly that he would come back "next Wednesday or Thursday" as he was quite busy right now. He said, "give me a call or text on Tuesday night to remind me and we will arrange a time for me to come up to get the work done. I know you're a driving instructor, so you won't have to re-arrange lessons to accommodate me. I live nearby (said the place) and can come in the later hours of the day." And with that he left, without quoting any costs or whatever. I was pretty pleased that he came up finally and we even had a chat about the Christian brother who referred him to me. I told him that he was recommended as "reliable and competitive in price". He was happy to hear that.
Tuesday finally arrived, this was three days ago now, 29th Feb, Leap Day. I texted him in the evening around 7PM nicely saying I was asked to remind him to come up Wednesday or Thursday to fit a new U-bend and to rod our pipes and I asked if he was still available to come up. No response. So I copied and pasted the message and sent at 11PM. Nothing again. Wednesday morning (yesterday) I called him. First attempt: mobile said the number was temporarily unavailable. Second attempt ten minutes later: it rang and he picked. He sounded distracted. He said he got my text messages from last night but didn't get to reply. Then he said he did not tell me he was coming up Wednesday or Thursday. It was Thursday or Friday. I said he did tell me to text him Tuesday for Wednesday/ Thursday. He denied it, then said, "Well I'll call you tonight or Thursday morning and tell you when I can come up. Ok. Bye." What the heck!! I was actually very angry when the call ended like that. He didn't hang up on me but I was angry because of his denial. I was also angry that he did not seem to care that we waited over a week for him, only for him to shrug me off like that. And you know what?! Up until this very moment he has not called me back at all. In fact, being the douchebag that I am, I actually gave him a call yesterday around 2PM. I called his number, it rang a few times then he diverted me to his voicemail. I didn't leave him a message but texted him once more asking what time he was coming up. Nothing. Na-da. Silence. =(
So I have resorted to going for a professional plumbing company. I have spoken to them already on the phone. They told me how they can send workmen out by 08:30AM the next weekday morning. That is amazing service. I have no doubt about this reputable company and I look forward to dealing with them this once and trust they will get everything done once and for all. Money, is not an issue. Peace of mind and TRUST is of the utmost importance. I will update y'all with good news once the job is done.
Lesson of the Day: If you want a job done quickly and properly, use PROFESSIONALS. Don't just jump to referrals, cos although they might be "good/ reliable" to one person, they might not treat you the same!!
Tuesday finally arrived, this was three days ago now, 29th Feb, Leap Day. I texted him in the evening around 7PM nicely saying I was asked to remind him to come up Wednesday or Thursday to fit a new U-bend and to rod our pipes and I asked if he was still available to come up. No response. So I copied and pasted the message and sent at 11PM. Nothing again. Wednesday morning (yesterday) I called him. First attempt: mobile said the number was temporarily unavailable. Second attempt ten minutes later: it rang and he picked. He sounded distracted. He said he got my text messages from last night but didn't get to reply. Then he said he did not tell me he was coming up Wednesday or Thursday. It was Thursday or Friday. I said he did tell me to text him Tuesday for Wednesday/ Thursday. He denied it, then said, "Well I'll call you tonight or Thursday morning and tell you when I can come up. Ok. Bye." What the heck!! I was actually very angry when the call ended like that. He didn't hang up on me but I was angry because of his denial. I was also angry that he did not seem to care that we waited over a week for him, only for him to shrug me off like that. And you know what?! Up until this very moment he has not called me back at all. In fact, being the douchebag that I am, I actually gave him a call yesterday around 2PM. I called his number, it rang a few times then he diverted me to his voicemail. I didn't leave him a message but texted him once more asking what time he was coming up. Nothing. Na-da. Silence. =(
So I have resorted to going for a professional plumbing company. I have spoken to them already on the phone. They told me how they can send workmen out by 08:30AM the next weekday morning. That is amazing service. I have no doubt about this reputable company and I look forward to dealing with them this once and trust they will get everything done once and for all. Money, is not an issue. Peace of mind and TRUST is of the utmost importance. I will update y'all with good news once the job is done.
Lesson of the Day: If you want a job done quickly and properly, use PROFESSIONALS. Don't just jump to referrals, cos although they might be "good/ reliable" to one person, they might not treat you the same!!
28 January 2012
Cheaper Vodafone
Just before the new year I was talking about getting a new mobile phone in my upcoming upgrade. I had always had my eyes on the Samsung Galaxy SII as I wanted to stick with the Android operating system and definitely need a faster phone as my HTC Magic (which is now two-and-a-half years old) is now very old, very slow and definitely lost all of it's magic! The last time we looked at this I had considered getting the phone through another 18-month contract or buying a sim free handset and getting a cheaper tariff from Vodafone. So this morning I called up Vodafone to discuss my upgrade options. They offered me the Samsung Galaxy SII for FREE if I took a 24-month contract with them at my current tariff of £36/ month. So that meant £864 over two year. That's a lot of money AND two years is a long time! Who knows what will happen to my phone then? I wouldn't want to wait two year before any upgrade options become available. OR if I took an 18-month contract at the same monthly cost I'd have to pay £64 for the handset. I tried to ask for the handset to be free, played the loyalty card reminding them I've been with them since 2006. But no, the system said No. Haha! An 18-month contract was reasonable, but I was not happy to pay the extra £64. The customer service agent (who shall not be named), then advised, that I could take the sim-only contract for only £10.25 a month which will give me the exact same quotas: 600 Anytime Minutes, Unlimited SMS and 500MB data. And I could buy the handset sim-free elsewhere. He said a lot of people are doing that these days as it seems the cheaper option out there. I was so glad to hear this. £10.25 a month would save me £309 a year on the tariff alone. All I'd have to do it get myself a sim-free handset and then the phone is all mine and I'd have much greater flexibility with it, like being able to use it in other countries like Singapore for example. Haha!
So I am happy to say that from midnight tonight my new lower tariff will kick in and I will start saving money. =P
Seats are taken
Earlier on the week mum and I logged on to Emirates website and we picked our airplane seats for our trip to Singapore. It was very exciting indeed, especially when also considering whether our seats will be too close the toilets, too near the back or if we're up the front just behind potentially crying babies in their baskinets that hang from the wall. Haha! Our seats are sorted for now. Any changes can still be made later I suppose. We didn't pick our meals though. Want to be surprised by what they offer us on the day. I quite like my airplane meals from my previous flights. Everything was quite yummy. Haha! So.. seats are sorted and we will be flying in August. But that won't be my only visit to the airport. I will be taking Cat to the airport in a few weeks time when she flies over to Singapore to see Nick again. It wasn't that long ago that she complained it was too far away before she went over for her well-deserved break and to sort out wedding stuff etc. But now it seems not long at all. Not only that, once Cat is back then the time will countdown till her BIG DAY on 16th July! My my! My sister getting married!! Things are going to be so difference once Cat is married and migrates to Singapore. The house will be occupied by mum and I and we will miss her. Must treasure all these moments that she's here with us. Must treasure the meals that she cooks, must treasure when she cleans the whole bathroom, must treasure all the reduced priced goods she gets from supermarkets for the family, must appreciate all the baking she does. For it won't be long before these things will no longer exist. Where there will be one less person to ask me about exercising, about protein shakes, who sends me funny pictures on Whatsapp or share funny jokes with me. My wee sis all grown up...
So I am happy to say that from midnight tonight my new lower tariff will kick in and I will start saving money. =P
Seats are taken
Earlier on the week mum and I logged on to Emirates website and we picked our airplane seats for our trip to Singapore. It was very exciting indeed, especially when also considering whether our seats will be too close the toilets, too near the back or if we're up the front just behind potentially crying babies in their baskinets that hang from the wall. Haha! Our seats are sorted for now. Any changes can still be made later I suppose. We didn't pick our meals though. Want to be surprised by what they offer us on the day. I quite like my airplane meals from my previous flights. Everything was quite yummy. Haha! So.. seats are sorted and we will be flying in August. But that won't be my only visit to the airport. I will be taking Cat to the airport in a few weeks time when she flies over to Singapore to see Nick again. It wasn't that long ago that she complained it was too far away before she went over for her well-deserved break and to sort out wedding stuff etc. But now it seems not long at all. Not only that, once Cat is back then the time will countdown till her BIG DAY on 16th July! My my! My sister getting married!! Things are going to be so difference once Cat is married and migrates to Singapore. The house will be occupied by mum and I and we will miss her. Must treasure all these moments that she's here with us. Must treasure the meals that she cooks, must treasure when she cleans the whole bathroom, must treasure all the reduced priced goods she gets from supermarkets for the family, must appreciate all the baking she does. For it won't be long before these things will no longer exist. Where there will be one less person to ask me about exercising, about protein shakes, who sends me funny pictures on Whatsapp or share funny jokes with me. My wee sis all grown up...
18 January 2012
Super skint!!
I am now officially super skint!! Booked the return flights to Singapore last night. I'll be flying with my mum to attend my sister's wedding banquet at the end of July and it will be a gooood two weeks! Whoo-hoo!! Now that the dates are settled it is time to really start saving for the spending money and to cut out all luxuries between now and then! Can I do it? Can I revolve my life around work, gym, cinema and church? I will try!! =D
So exciting!!
So exciting!!
13 April 2011
Must get back on track!
It's funny how something as simple as a text message received after a long day off work can really brighten up your day, even though it's quite dark outside. Haha! Finished work at 9pm last night with a deep sigh of relief. The last two lessons of the day were very tough and really pushed me, but I thank God for sustaining me throughout. Only the day before did a second pupil pass in the new car, of which I am very delighted and owe all thanksgiving to God for His grace. One must not get complacent, boastful or arrogant. Every good thing comes from the Lord (James 1:17), the same with text messages and positive stuff =)
Need to get myself sorted out man. Been doing sooo many hours since the start of April. This week I am on the road for 54hrs inclusive of breaks and stuff and sometimes I feel it is consuming up all my time, all of my life. The late finishes (averaging 8pm-9pm) means I cannot get to bed early enough next morning to get up for the gym and so it has been quite frustrating when I sleep in, but I know my body needs it. I cannot start my lesson earlier either, again, because of the late finishes. I must set aside at least two nights of the week where I finish around 6pm. Most likely gonna be a mid week (Wednesday) and definitely a Saturday as well.
Haven't been to the cinema in ages either. Only been once in March to see "The Lincoln Lawyer". Definitely not getting my money's worth from last month's subscription. There are three more movies I want to watch this month, besides "Scream 4" with a buddy. They are "Source Code", "Limitless" and later on "Fast & Furious 5" (which I thought was originally titled 'Fast Five'). Really hope I can catch these movies before they disappear off the big screen.
I've decided to take my birthday off work. Have already booked a full body massage and a wax at the Men's Store. Will be a different therapist doing the massage this time as Stephanie will be on holiday. Ah well, at least I'll still get a pamper session and chillax.
Also this morning I called Greens and spoke to Ally. I want to restart personal training sessions again. These half-hearted attempts of mine really frustrate me. I'm really falling behind in my fitness goals and this truly sucks. So I will discuss with Ally what I want and we will agree goals on the consultation meeting next Wednesday morning 7am! Boo-yaa!! =D
Need to get myself sorted out man. Been doing sooo many hours since the start of April. This week I am on the road for 54hrs inclusive of breaks and stuff and sometimes I feel it is consuming up all my time, all of my life. The late finishes (averaging 8pm-9pm) means I cannot get to bed early enough next morning to get up for the gym and so it has been quite frustrating when I sleep in, but I know my body needs it. I cannot start my lesson earlier either, again, because of the late finishes. I must set aside at least two nights of the week where I finish around 6pm. Most likely gonna be a mid week (Wednesday) and definitely a Saturday as well.
Haven't been to the cinema in ages either. Only been once in March to see "The Lincoln Lawyer". Definitely not getting my money's worth from last month's subscription. There are three more movies I want to watch this month, besides "Scream 4" with a buddy. They are "Source Code", "Limitless" and later on "Fast & Furious 5" (which I thought was originally titled 'Fast Five'). Really hope I can catch these movies before they disappear off the big screen.
I've decided to take my birthday off work. Have already booked a full body massage and a wax at the Men's Store. Will be a different therapist doing the massage this time as Stephanie will be on holiday. Ah well, at least I'll still get a pamper session and chillax.
Also this morning I called Greens and spoke to Ally. I want to restart personal training sessions again. These half-hearted attempts of mine really frustrate me. I'm really falling behind in my fitness goals and this truly sucks. So I will discuss with Ally what I want and we will agree goals on the consultation meeting next Wednesday morning 7am! Boo-yaa!! =D
03 April 2011
Tuition Vehicle
My new car which will be used as a driving tuition vehicle around the east and west end of Glasgow. No more using a lease vehicle from a national franchise, so will no longer have the back up of a national driving school. I am truly "independent" now. No more franchise fees to pay - Yay! No more reporting mileage to head office weekly - Yay! No more free tyres from Kwik-Fit for punctures - No! No more new car every 32 weeks - That's ok la! No more livery/signage all over the car - Yay!
Truly my own boss. Only accountable to the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) and to God. Here we go!! =D
08 March 2011
By His grace
It was nice to spend time with God. A time of worship to Him and looking through my guitar chords and playing some old yet so meaningful songs. The songs that stir up nostalgia of the days of "young adults" group in the church. The young faces who used to be around. Most of them are gone these days. Moved on to 'bigger and better things'. Only a few of us are still here. I'm one of them. God has been so faithful to me all these years. There is nothing negative I can say about God. He is just so gracious and generous with His mercy. The best companion I will ever have. Though He is a close friend, I must not forget his Sovereignty and His power over us all. His omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent self overshadows all things in this world. =)
Hurdles
An update on the business plan. The car was sorted out last Sunday. I pick it up this Thursday! Oooh!! Excitement indeed! That was the biggest hurdle to overcome. No more leasing at least! Next biggest thing is car insurance. That has been taking slightly longer than expected and with limited free time during office hours it does resort to looking at stuff and applying online in the evening, like this evening. Getting the cheapest quote for the right cover will be coming to an end soon. Found the cheapest price so far tonight, something similar to my personal insurance premium when I was with elephant.co.uk before becoming an instructor. It's good as a consumer we get to compare prices and inform prospective companies of a cheaper quote you got elsewhere, therefore kicking off a price bidding war! Haha! Hoping for some great results like on Price-Drop TV! Lol! Once insurance is sorted out I'll most likely be looking at getting the accessories for the car like L-plates, possible roof box, decals/signs, and later sorting out my new stationery for the stuff I will be using and keeping. Will no longer be allowed to us franchise related stuff you see! Haha!
'Breasts'
It has just gone midnight and I will be going to bed right after this. Gym is on the menu early morning again. Tomorrow will be back and shoulders because I left out shoulders this morning whilst working on chest. Now my pecs are worn out. Haha! I remember Nick used to call them his 'breasts'. LOL! So yeah, I had a pretty good 'breast workout' this morning! =P
Going to bed tired but with a smile on my face. I thank God that when one has gone, another comes along. Must keep praying and seeking =)
Hurdles
An update on the business plan. The car was sorted out last Sunday. I pick it up this Thursday! Oooh!! Excitement indeed! That was the biggest hurdle to overcome. No more leasing at least! Next biggest thing is car insurance. That has been taking slightly longer than expected and with limited free time during office hours it does resort to looking at stuff and applying online in the evening, like this evening. Getting the cheapest quote for the right cover will be coming to an end soon. Found the cheapest price so far tonight, something similar to my personal insurance premium when I was with elephant.co.uk before becoming an instructor. It's good as a consumer we get to compare prices and inform prospective companies of a cheaper quote you got elsewhere, therefore kicking off a price bidding war! Haha! Hoping for some great results like on Price-Drop TV! Lol! Once insurance is sorted out I'll most likely be looking at getting the accessories for the car like L-plates, possible roof box, decals/signs, and later sorting out my new stationery for the stuff I will be using and keeping. Will no longer be allowed to us franchise related stuff you see! Haha!
'Breasts'
It has just gone midnight and I will be going to bed right after this. Gym is on the menu early morning again. Tomorrow will be back and shoulders because I left out shoulders this morning whilst working on chest. Now my pecs are worn out. Haha! I remember Nick used to call them his 'breasts'. LOL! So yeah, I had a pretty good 'breast workout' this morning! =P
Going to bed tired but with a smile on my face. I thank God that when one has gone, another comes along. Must keep praying and seeking =)
01 March 2011
Termination letter
I typed out the letter of Franchise Termination last night. Printed, signed and sealed. Sent it away this morning. It should reach the office tomorrow through the pre-paid First Class envelope. I cannot stand the franchise fee anymore. I know I won't be able to live on this way, getting charged over £200 every week regardless if I'm earning or not. On top of that, there's around £80 of fuel input a week. Roughly £280 a week out regardless if I have lessons. Which roughly, using cheapest lesson rates, translates to fourteen hours of work a week required to cover the weekly outgoing costs. This also means I only start seeing profit on my fifteenth hour of tuition, which is roughly midway through Tuesday or even Wednesday morning! Half the week where I don't get profit. Nuht! No way man!
So I hope the four weeks notice will take effect once the letter is received. If so, it should mean the franchise agreement will be terminated in the last few days of March. Time to really get into gear (pardon the pun) and start looking for another car. I want to go for diesel engine now. Trying to save on fuel if not anything, especially if I do high mileage over a year. Going for a more robust engine means it is more tolerant and harder to stall compared to the petrol engine, which can only be a good thing for certain pupils! :)
Cars
Cars in mind at the moment (purely based on higher MPG and positive instructor car reviews):
Ford Fiesta TDCI (50.4mpg)
Hyundai i10 (67.3mpg)
Hyundai i20 (55.4mpg)
Mazda 2 (55.4mpg)
Seat Ibiza (55.4mpg)
Lease or buy?
Another question to ask is: Should I lease from another company or buy the car outright?
Pros and Cons flying all over the place.
Lease
Lease means I pay something around region of £80 a week (as opposed to £205) and get a car that is fully taxed and insured with dual controls and readily replaced should it ever be off road for more than 24hrs. Thankfully it has never happened with my tuition vehicles, but you never know eh. Lease minimum term is 7 months and this can go up to 12, 18 or 24 months contract. The longer the contract the cheaper the weekly fee.
End of term options could include buying the car from them or extending the lease on the same car and getting even cheaper weekly rate. By then would the car be knackered? Would I want to keep the car for longer? Or exchange for another one?
Lease also means I would be tied down to the contract terms for the number of months that I sign up to. Is that a good idea? What if I go for a career change midway through the lease term? Breach of contract would mean penalty or at least paying the rest of the 'unspent' weekly charges to fulfil the contract.
Buying outright
Buying the car outright would mean a big financial investment and the aim to make back the money through giving lessons and making profit someday in the future. For a while I will still be recouping the money after the purchase. I'd like to buy the car outright rather than on credit or finance plan to avoid accruing interest.
Buying outright means I am not accountable to anybody anymore besides the DSA and DVLA. If I have scratches to the car, I won't have to pick up the phone to report the damage like I currently have to do and may have to do if the vehicle is leased. On the bad days when I can't work I won't be paying any franchise fees or any lease fees. No earning with no output is not quite so bad you see. Not that I'd want to sit on my ass cos I'd still have the car to pay off or balance off shall I say. But who apart from God knows what the weather might bring eh? Or what my health will be like?
Buying outright has it's cons. It will be my own car. Ultimately my pride and joy. Currently the previous few cars I've used have suffered damage to the alloy wheels (kerbing front-left tyre whilst pulling in), burst tyre, replaced tyres about four times, bumps and dents through parking, and unknown scratches which happened overnight. If these things happened to my own car I'd freak out!! I think I'd be totally gutted if my own car was revved very highly or if it went into a pothole. These things happen to my car now, but I know ultimately it is not my car and so it doesn't hurt so much - besides my backside when the car bumps up and down! =P But yeah, if it's my own car... oh my goodness I might just... oh, I don't know. Let's just say I'll be very protective of my own car. So will my blood pressure go up if I taught in my own car? Will I be more readily to use the emergency brakes whenever I sense an inch of 'danger'?
So many things to consider. When buying outright I'll need to sort out my own road tax and car insurance. I don't think my five years Elephant.co.uk insurance will be valid for business use so I guess I'll have to start building up a new business no claims then. Haha!
So I hope the four weeks notice will take effect once the letter is received. If so, it should mean the franchise agreement will be terminated in the last few days of March. Time to really get into gear (pardon the pun) and start looking for another car. I want to go for diesel engine now. Trying to save on fuel if not anything, especially if I do high mileage over a year. Going for a more robust engine means it is more tolerant and harder to stall compared to the petrol engine, which can only be a good thing for certain pupils! :)
Cars
Cars in mind at the moment (purely based on higher MPG and positive instructor car reviews):
Ford Fiesta TDCI (50.4mpg)
Hyundai i10 (67.3mpg)
Hyundai i20 (55.4mpg)
Mazda 2 (55.4mpg)
Seat Ibiza (55.4mpg)
Lease or buy?
Another question to ask is: Should I lease from another company or buy the car outright?
Pros and Cons flying all over the place.
Lease
Lease means I pay something around region of £80 a week (as opposed to £205) and get a car that is fully taxed and insured with dual controls and readily replaced should it ever be off road for more than 24hrs. Thankfully it has never happened with my tuition vehicles, but you never know eh. Lease minimum term is 7 months and this can go up to 12, 18 or 24 months contract. The longer the contract the cheaper the weekly fee.
End of term options could include buying the car from them or extending the lease on the same car and getting even cheaper weekly rate. By then would the car be knackered? Would I want to keep the car for longer? Or exchange for another one?
Lease also means I would be tied down to the contract terms for the number of months that I sign up to. Is that a good idea? What if I go for a career change midway through the lease term? Breach of contract would mean penalty or at least paying the rest of the 'unspent' weekly charges to fulfil the contract.
Buying outright
Buying the car outright would mean a big financial investment and the aim to make back the money through giving lessons and making profit someday in the future. For a while I will still be recouping the money after the purchase. I'd like to buy the car outright rather than on credit or finance plan to avoid accruing interest.
Buying outright means I am not accountable to anybody anymore besides the DSA and DVLA. If I have scratches to the car, I won't have to pick up the phone to report the damage like I currently have to do and may have to do if the vehicle is leased. On the bad days when I can't work I won't be paying any franchise fees or any lease fees. No earning with no output is not quite so bad you see. Not that I'd want to sit on my ass cos I'd still have the car to pay off or balance off shall I say. But who apart from God knows what the weather might bring eh? Or what my health will be like?
Buying outright has it's cons. It will be my own car. Ultimately my pride and joy. Currently the previous few cars I've used have suffered damage to the alloy wheels (kerbing front-left tyre whilst pulling in), burst tyre, replaced tyres about four times, bumps and dents through parking, and unknown scratches which happened overnight. If these things happened to my own car I'd freak out!! I think I'd be totally gutted if my own car was revved very highly or if it went into a pothole. These things happen to my car now, but I know ultimately it is not my car and so it doesn't hurt so much - besides my backside when the car bumps up and down! =P But yeah, if it's my own car... oh my goodness I might just... oh, I don't know. Let's just say I'll be very protective of my own car. So will my blood pressure go up if I taught in my own car? Will I be more readily to use the emergency brakes whenever I sense an inch of 'danger'?
So many things to consider. When buying outright I'll need to sort out my own road tax and car insurance. I don't think my five years Elephant.co.uk insurance will be valid for business use so I guess I'll have to start building up a new business no claims then. Haha!
22 February 2011
Crossroads
"Seeking You as a precious jewel, Lord to give up I'd be a fool, You are my all in all..."
These lyrics are resounding inside me right now.
Today during lunch break, in the times of quietness I had time to think to myself. I thought back to a telephone conversation had this morning as I made my way out to start work. The conversation was offering me a chance to "further" my role as an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor). The job involves tasks related to driving and road safety but takes me out of the car environment into classroom environments. Would only be feasible if I were an independent driving instructor as I should be affliated with another driving school company. I wasn't asked for an answer right away as it is already known that I am considering taking that path. However, this opportunity will definitely take me out of my comfort zone. After all, public speaking is not my strongest point, nor is my favourite thing to do. The role will definitely be much more challenging than teaching pupils on a one-to-one basis. Imagine twenty-to-one in a classroom per lecture. Oh man! I agreed to sit in on a couple of lectures and see what it's like first before agreeing to anything. And in the back of my head, I know this is something to commit to God.
I'm at a crossroads right now. I am not exactly sure which direction to head. Things are quite uncertain for me right now and I find myself resolved to living each day as it comes and I know this is not the best way. Certainly not my usual style of doing things. I like to plan and know what I'll be doing. Even if not in detail, then at least a rough idea. But right now I don't even have a rough idea.
Do you 'work to live' or 'live to work'?
The above question gets asked a lot. My answer has always been 'work to live'. However, when I put in so many hours each day, each week, and I don't see the fruits of my labour, then am I really making a living out of it? Is it slowly turning into a 'live to work' situation? We all work for one reason - for money. Money as income to use towards a future with marriage, getting your own home, car, children etc etc. Money is not the be all and end all, that's right. God is the most important treasure we can possess. This blogpost is not about the love for money. It is merely saying that we enter into a job usually to make money and when we change jobs we usually aim for a better income. Right now I don't see much of a difference financially a year after being an instructor. In fact, the hours put in are much more than before, yet the income is not very different. The winter break icy weather really affected the transport industry and brought the country to a standstill. The self-employed instructors were sobbing quietly in the corner when nobody else noticed. Ok, I remember I ranted and raved on this blog. A fat lot of good that did! Haha!
I moaned to another driving instructor friend earlier this evening and he empathised with what I was saying. He understands this self-employment business is not easy. Things can be good one minute and turn bad the next and there isn't much help with it. The income is quite unsteady. I told him about complating further training to get additional entitlements onto my licence to enhance my job prospects. I would really love to find some form of stable income. Long distance driving does not put me off. The hours could be long but would get better pay in the long run. They say as an instructor you are "your own boss" and you "control your own hours". No you don't! Tomorrow I work 10am and finish 9pm. Finish so late because I need to cater for pupils who finish work and can only do evening lessons. If I took the "control your own hours" literally I'd say, "No, I do not work after 5pm". But guess what? That would cut my income by a third every day, every week, every month. Once my "hands stop, the mouth stops eating" (Chinese saying often said by a close friend). So in a way, I am controlled my demand! Sick!! On top of that, after I finish 9pm I then get home around 9:20pm and have to do admin, do lesson plans to get ready for the next day's lessons. And I log on to Facebook/ Skype/ MSN cos I want to chat to friends, look at pictures, watch Youtube etc. Before long it's 10pm and I should be in bed to catch my eight hours of sleep before the gym at 6:30am! Oh, it's a hard-knock life!
So back to the time today when I was alone thinking about stuff. I don't want a job purely for money. I don't want to go for a job just to avoid problem pupils. I don't want a job for status. I can find such jobs anywhere I suppose, but ultimately I hope to find a job where the Lord is. So I asked today in the car park, "Lord where are you? I'll go where the Lord is."
These lyrics are resounding inside me right now.
Today during lunch break, in the times of quietness I had time to think to myself. I thought back to a telephone conversation had this morning as I made my way out to start work. The conversation was offering me a chance to "further" my role as an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor). The job involves tasks related to driving and road safety but takes me out of the car environment into classroom environments. Would only be feasible if I were an independent driving instructor as I should be affliated with another driving school company. I wasn't asked for an answer right away as it is already known that I am considering taking that path. However, this opportunity will definitely take me out of my comfort zone. After all, public speaking is not my strongest point, nor is my favourite thing to do. The role will definitely be much more challenging than teaching pupils on a one-to-one basis. Imagine twenty-to-one in a classroom per lecture. Oh man! I agreed to sit in on a couple of lectures and see what it's like first before agreeing to anything. And in the back of my head, I know this is something to commit to God.
I'm at a crossroads right now. I am not exactly sure which direction to head. Things are quite uncertain for me right now and I find myself resolved to living each day as it comes and I know this is not the best way. Certainly not my usual style of doing things. I like to plan and know what I'll be doing. Even if not in detail, then at least a rough idea. But right now I don't even have a rough idea.
Do you 'work to live' or 'live to work'?
The above question gets asked a lot. My answer has always been 'work to live'. However, when I put in so many hours each day, each week, and I don't see the fruits of my labour, then am I really making a living out of it? Is it slowly turning into a 'live to work' situation? We all work for one reason - for money. Money as income to use towards a future with marriage, getting your own home, car, children etc etc. Money is not the be all and end all, that's right. God is the most important treasure we can possess. This blogpost is not about the love for money. It is merely saying that we enter into a job usually to make money and when we change jobs we usually aim for a better income. Right now I don't see much of a difference financially a year after being an instructor. In fact, the hours put in are much more than before, yet the income is not very different. The winter break icy weather really affected the transport industry and brought the country to a standstill. The self-employed instructors were sobbing quietly in the corner when nobody else noticed. Ok, I remember I ranted and raved on this blog. A fat lot of good that did! Haha!
I moaned to another driving instructor friend earlier this evening and he empathised with what I was saying. He understands this self-employment business is not easy. Things can be good one minute and turn bad the next and there isn't much help with it. The income is quite unsteady. I told him about complating further training to get additional entitlements onto my licence to enhance my job prospects. I would really love to find some form of stable income. Long distance driving does not put me off. The hours could be long but would get better pay in the long run. They say as an instructor you are "your own boss" and you "control your own hours". No you don't! Tomorrow I work 10am and finish 9pm. Finish so late because I need to cater for pupils who finish work and can only do evening lessons. If I took the "control your own hours" literally I'd say, "No, I do not work after 5pm". But guess what? That would cut my income by a third every day, every week, every month. Once my "hands stop, the mouth stops eating" (Chinese saying often said by a close friend). So in a way, I am controlled my demand! Sick!! On top of that, after I finish 9pm I then get home around 9:20pm and have to do admin, do lesson plans to get ready for the next day's lessons. And I log on to Facebook/ Skype/ MSN cos I want to chat to friends, look at pictures, watch Youtube etc. Before long it's 10pm and I should be in bed to catch my eight hours of sleep before the gym at 6:30am! Oh, it's a hard-knock life!
So back to the time today when I was alone thinking about stuff. I don't want a job purely for money. I don't want to go for a job just to avoid problem pupils. I don't want a job for status. I can find such jobs anywhere I suppose, but ultimately I hope to find a job where the Lord is. So I asked today in the car park, "Lord where are you? I'll go where the Lord is."
04 January 2011
Bust but blessed
Today was meant to be a busy day with five driving lessons between 11am and 9pm, but I ended up only having four because my 4pm pupil forgot her lesson was today and was in the other side of Glasgow. If only I knew then I would have went home between lesson two and lesson four as that would have provided a big gap between 3pm-6pm. So I ended up driving to Maryhill Tesco and parked there to update my diary and make rearrangements. Fortunately I will be paid for the last minute cancellation, but that's not the point, is it? =P I will share about something that happened during that break in Maryhill carpark soon.
Weight
I had a look through my phone on New Year's Day and saw a post-it note file which I have on my front screen. It charts my weight which dates back to 30th December 2009. Apparently then I was a healthy 193.6lbs / 88.0kgs. I thought I was pretty big then, but 1st January 2010 I dropped down to 192.4lbs / 87.1kgs. Not sure of the reason for the wee drop, could be water content or whatever. Usually I weigh myself first thing in th morning after morning emptying of bowels. Haha! Don't want any interference from overnight dinner or anything else =P I continued noting down my weight and found a gradual increase through the year in particular from May onwards when I started my personal training with Ally at Greens Gym. My highest recorded weight was on 1st December last month when my weight was 216.8lbs / 98.3kgs. I'm weird, I used to hate being heavy but nowadays I like being heavy because to me it means I am training properly and my weight is more related to increase in muscles than increase in fat which was why I was around 16 stones back in 2003 (roughly 224lbs!). I started a major weight loss program which entailed burning much more calories then I took in and cut food down tremendously. Dangerous approach to dieting but it helped me lose almost three stones over six months. At the "end" of it I was very thin and looked unwell to some people. Some commented that I should not lose anymore weight otherwise I'd just disappear. Lol! The funny thing was, I felt quite happy having reached the goal of losing all that flab and to be able to keep it off. I found myself having more options when I went clothes shopping and even joined the masses in picking up medium-sized clothes and actually found then fit me!! How cool was that! A downgrade from XL-sizes!
However through time I started to realise I dieted in an unhealthy way and I should make sure my body receives the necessary nutrients and stuff. There were signs my body saw which showed me it wasn't doing so well. Signs like, in the past I used to feel warm and get heated up very easily. My cheeks would glow and I would break out in a sweat very easily. Sometimes it's due to embarrassment but other times cos of small movements etc. But my body would be quite cold and I didn't sweat as much. Ok, fine, sweating much is not a desirable trait, but the coldness was not good. It meant my core was not as "well" as before. I guess I wasn't feeding it as much as I used to. I wasn't putting in the right coal into the fire sort of thing. There were also times I'd get "the shakes" when my body was low on sugar and my hands would get a bit shaky but I chose to ignore those signs and just ate the same small amount of food just enough to survive in.
Nowadays I really enjoy my food. I can eat anything and most things will get burnt away by my higher metabolism. The secret to this: exercise. I have become a fitness fanatic and I love it. I really do. I find my passion is in health and fitness and I always look for ways to improve myself. Sometimes I think if I weren't a driving instructor I would like to be a fitness instructor. I know I am not a great model for being a fitness instructor, but I know if I put as much time into training as I did for becoming a driving instructor I'd definitely get there. I am quite glad that I have achieved my personal goals of wanting to bulk up from my skinny days. I now look to increase my weight rather than lose it, provided I see muscle rather than fat at the mirror. My body has never been in better shape but that takes hard work and does not happen overnight. I still have lots more to do but seeing results thus far really pushes me to try harder. I have lost a training buddy Nick who has left for Singapore to work. We used to do 300 Workout together at Greens gym. We used to spot each other and share tips as well as spur each other on. Now I need to find somebody else who'd train to the same level. Any takers? =)
Money
Earlier this evening a friend said they read my previous post and asked if business was bad this week. I told him business had been pretty crap since the first heavy snow fall back in 28th November. Since then I've had numerous cancellations, some on my part, some from the pupils themselves. I've suffered seven driving test cancellations by the DSA, one of which happened right on the doorstep of the DSA test centre! Some pupils who had their test cancelled had them rescheduled to mid-Feb so decided to take a break from lessons until after the New Year, so I am in the midst of getting in touch with them now and trying to get them back on track so their skills don't drop and also my income of course. Being self-employed has its perks but also has it's ugly side. You are pretty much at the mercy of the weather. This year's "winter weather" came far too early. It's usually due to arrive in January / February time, not end of November!! Ah well, I guess I have to just buckle up, tighten my belt, tighten my fists and ride the storm as they say. Let's just hope it won't be a snowstorm.
Last night I was updating my finances and actually realised how badly affected my numbers were in the month of December. Times like these I really detest being part of a franchise of a national driving school. Actually, any franchise would be bad cos that is basically paying rent. However, being part of this big driving school means they do not have any compassion to let instructors away with paying the franchise during this bad weather. True they have two weeks of no paying franchise each year by default, but what about the other weeks when instructors cannot earn? What about a discount or have it waived off? No, they offer a discounted franchise only to be claimed back from you in upcoming months. What's the point? I know an amazing instructor who also holds a franchise business with seventeen cars working around Scotland. Last year's cold snap he waived the franchise fee from his franchisees for two weeks. How amazing is that! He's not such a big national school, but he has a big heart! That's what matters in times like these. =) My contract ran out with this national school and I am not looking to continue it. Truth be told I am not seeing any benefits of being part of this school. The car is nice but I know I can hire another one much cheaper elsewhere cos the logo's do not win me business, it is word of mouth. So I am in the process of considering either leasing a car elsewhere or buying car outright and be completely free from paying anybody anything when I cannot work. Decision should be made by springtime. Time to pray and research =)
My initial holiday plans to Singapore for a church brother's wedding in December looks as cold as ice for now (pardon the pun!). My figures do not look as handsome as they once were, and with franchise to pay, personal bills to pay, I don't think I'll see any significant growth until springtime when the flowers start growing as well. But what can I do? I know if I were to book for December I really should start looking around mid-end January right? That's when I hear there will be January sale discounts and stuff. And of course with trips, the earlier the booking the cheaper in general. Hmm...
Vodafone
So back to my item of sharing from above. God knows what's on our hearts, he really does. Cos although I am not happy with my finance at the moment, He provided me with some help. I was sitting in the car sorting out my diary etc when my phone lit up whilst on silent and the call was from 08080600832. From previous experience I somehow knew it was a call centre call but wasn't too sure which one it was. So I picked up the call and held phone to my ear without saying anything. Was thinking if this were a cold calling agent I'd waste their time as much as they'd waste mine, cos I've had a fair share of these calls before. Sometimes a missed call which you call back and get cut off or they give you funny answering machine service. Anyway, I held on silently for five seconds before an agent introduced himself and said he was calling from Vodafone to discuss with me about my current contract as I am due an upgrade soon. I totally forgot my 18 month contract was due to end soon. So I listened to what he had to say and he asked me if I were happy with my current handset (HTC Magic) and I told him I was very pleased with it as it was my first time using Android and it is so good to use, everything so convient with Google etc. He then told me he could offer me my current tariff (600 Anytime minutes, Unlimited texts, Unlimited mobile internet and Stop the Clock) for half the price on a 12 month contract, if I were to keep the phone. The first nine months would be £17.50 a month and the last three would be back to £35 a month because my contract was not due to finish until mid-Feb. That sounded amazing! However, I was also quite interested to know if I could get a new handset, another HTC phone. He searched on the system for me and said the latest HTC handset is HTC Desire HD and if I were to get that on an 18 month or 24 month contract I could get the phone for free, but the tariff is back to £35 a month. I thought about it for a short moment.
I could hear my heart telling me to go for a new flashy shiny gadget. I could hear my head telling me to save money as my HTC Magic is working perfectly fine! I could hear the background noise of the Vodafone office in Manchester. In the end I opted to go for the 12 month half price line rental and it takes effect as of midnight tonight according to Oz on the phone. So I thank God that my February bill will now be £17.50 and I get the full benefits of my normal tariff without costing me anything. My phone's working fine, minus a few nicks from accidental drops but everything is hunky-dorey. One year will pass by really quickly and I will have saved £192.50 through the year. Once I hung up I thanked God for this blessing. I am very glad I chose to receive this blessing rather than go for a new gadget. =)
Weight
I had a look through my phone on New Year's Day and saw a post-it note file which I have on my front screen. It charts my weight which dates back to 30th December 2009. Apparently then I was a healthy 193.6lbs / 88.0kgs. I thought I was pretty big then, but 1st January 2010 I dropped down to 192.4lbs / 87.1kgs. Not sure of the reason for the wee drop, could be water content or whatever. Usually I weigh myself first thing in th morning after morning emptying of bowels. Haha! Don't want any interference from overnight dinner or anything else =P I continued noting down my weight and found a gradual increase through the year in particular from May onwards when I started my personal training with Ally at Greens Gym. My highest recorded weight was on 1st December last month when my weight was 216.8lbs / 98.3kgs. I'm weird, I used to hate being heavy but nowadays I like being heavy because to me it means I am training properly and my weight is more related to increase in muscles than increase in fat which was why I was around 16 stones back in 2003 (roughly 224lbs!). I started a major weight loss program which entailed burning much more calories then I took in and cut food down tremendously. Dangerous approach to dieting but it helped me lose almost three stones over six months. At the "end" of it I was very thin and looked unwell to some people. Some commented that I should not lose anymore weight otherwise I'd just disappear. Lol! The funny thing was, I felt quite happy having reached the goal of losing all that flab and to be able to keep it off. I found myself having more options when I went clothes shopping and even joined the masses in picking up medium-sized clothes and actually found then fit me!! How cool was that! A downgrade from XL-sizes!
However through time I started to realise I dieted in an unhealthy way and I should make sure my body receives the necessary nutrients and stuff. There were signs my body saw which showed me it wasn't doing so well. Signs like, in the past I used to feel warm and get heated up very easily. My cheeks would glow and I would break out in a sweat very easily. Sometimes it's due to embarrassment but other times cos of small movements etc. But my body would be quite cold and I didn't sweat as much. Ok, fine, sweating much is not a desirable trait, but the coldness was not good. It meant my core was not as "well" as before. I guess I wasn't feeding it as much as I used to. I wasn't putting in the right coal into the fire sort of thing. There were also times I'd get "the shakes" when my body was low on sugar and my hands would get a bit shaky but I chose to ignore those signs and just ate the same small amount of food just enough to survive in.
Nowadays I really enjoy my food. I can eat anything and most things will get burnt away by my higher metabolism. The secret to this: exercise. I have become a fitness fanatic and I love it. I really do. I find my passion is in health and fitness and I always look for ways to improve myself. Sometimes I think if I weren't a driving instructor I would like to be a fitness instructor. I know I am not a great model for being a fitness instructor, but I know if I put as much time into training as I did for becoming a driving instructor I'd definitely get there. I am quite glad that I have achieved my personal goals of wanting to bulk up from my skinny days. I now look to increase my weight rather than lose it, provided I see muscle rather than fat at the mirror. My body has never been in better shape but that takes hard work and does not happen overnight. I still have lots more to do but seeing results thus far really pushes me to try harder. I have lost a training buddy Nick who has left for Singapore to work. We used to do 300 Workout together at Greens gym. We used to spot each other and share tips as well as spur each other on. Now I need to find somebody else who'd train to the same level. Any takers? =)
Money
Earlier this evening a friend said they read my previous post and asked if business was bad this week. I told him business had been pretty crap since the first heavy snow fall back in 28th November. Since then I've had numerous cancellations, some on my part, some from the pupils themselves. I've suffered seven driving test cancellations by the DSA, one of which happened right on the doorstep of the DSA test centre! Some pupils who had their test cancelled had them rescheduled to mid-Feb so decided to take a break from lessons until after the New Year, so I am in the midst of getting in touch with them now and trying to get them back on track so their skills don't drop and also my income of course. Being self-employed has its perks but also has it's ugly side. You are pretty much at the mercy of the weather. This year's "winter weather" came far too early. It's usually due to arrive in January / February time, not end of November!! Ah well, I guess I have to just buckle up, tighten my belt, tighten my fists and ride the storm as they say. Let's just hope it won't be a snowstorm.
Last night I was updating my finances and actually realised how badly affected my numbers were in the month of December. Times like these I really detest being part of a franchise of a national driving school. Actually, any franchise would be bad cos that is basically paying rent. However, being part of this big driving school means they do not have any compassion to let instructors away with paying the franchise during this bad weather. True they have two weeks of no paying franchise each year by default, but what about the other weeks when instructors cannot earn? What about a discount or have it waived off? No, they offer a discounted franchise only to be claimed back from you in upcoming months. What's the point? I know an amazing instructor who also holds a franchise business with seventeen cars working around Scotland. Last year's cold snap he waived the franchise fee from his franchisees for two weeks. How amazing is that! He's not such a big national school, but he has a big heart! That's what matters in times like these. =) My contract ran out with this national school and I am not looking to continue it. Truth be told I am not seeing any benefits of being part of this school. The car is nice but I know I can hire another one much cheaper elsewhere cos the logo's do not win me business, it is word of mouth. So I am in the process of considering either leasing a car elsewhere or buying car outright and be completely free from paying anybody anything when I cannot work. Decision should be made by springtime. Time to pray and research =)
My initial holiday plans to Singapore for a church brother's wedding in December looks as cold as ice for now (pardon the pun!). My figures do not look as handsome as they once were, and with franchise to pay, personal bills to pay, I don't think I'll see any significant growth until springtime when the flowers start growing as well. But what can I do? I know if I were to book for December I really should start looking around mid-end January right? That's when I hear there will be January sale discounts and stuff. And of course with trips, the earlier the booking the cheaper in general. Hmm...
Vodafone
So back to my item of sharing from above. God knows what's on our hearts, he really does. Cos although I am not happy with my finance at the moment, He provided me with some help. I was sitting in the car sorting out my diary etc when my phone lit up whilst on silent and the call was from 08080600832. From previous experience I somehow knew it was a call centre call but wasn't too sure which one it was. So I picked up the call and held phone to my ear without saying anything. Was thinking if this were a cold calling agent I'd waste their time as much as they'd waste mine, cos I've had a fair share of these calls before. Sometimes a missed call which you call back and get cut off or they give you funny answering machine service. Anyway, I held on silently for five seconds before an agent introduced himself and said he was calling from Vodafone to discuss with me about my current contract as I am due an upgrade soon. I totally forgot my 18 month contract was due to end soon. So I listened to what he had to say and he asked me if I were happy with my current handset (HTC Magic) and I told him I was very pleased with it as it was my first time using Android and it is so good to use, everything so convient with Google etc. He then told me he could offer me my current tariff (600 Anytime minutes, Unlimited texts, Unlimited mobile internet and Stop the Clock) for half the price on a 12 month contract, if I were to keep the phone. The first nine months would be £17.50 a month and the last three would be back to £35 a month because my contract was not due to finish until mid-Feb. That sounded amazing! However, I was also quite interested to know if I could get a new handset, another HTC phone. He searched on the system for me and said the latest HTC handset is HTC Desire HD and if I were to get that on an 18 month or 24 month contract I could get the phone for free, but the tariff is back to £35 a month. I thought about it for a short moment.
I could hear my heart telling me to go for a new flashy shiny gadget. I could hear my head telling me to save money as my HTC Magic is working perfectly fine! I could hear the background noise of the Vodafone office in Manchester. In the end I opted to go for the 12 month half price line rental and it takes effect as of midnight tonight according to Oz on the phone. So I thank God that my February bill will now be £17.50 and I get the full benefits of my normal tariff without costing me anything. My phone's working fine, minus a few nicks from accidental drops but everything is hunky-dorey. One year will pass by really quickly and I will have saved £192.50 through the year. Once I hung up I thanked God for this blessing. I am very glad I chose to receive this blessing rather than go for a new gadget. =)
01 January 2011
New Year's Resolutions
Happy New Year to you all! Hope 2011 brings along lots of blessings and good times. And for those who haven't gotten to know God yet, I hope you will do so soon =)
I've had a pretty lazy day today. Slept quite late last night, well in the early hours of the morning, I think around 3am after coming back fromm Aaron's place. We played Risk towards the end of the night played through the countdown. We counted down together, we wished each other a Happy New Year then refocussed back on the game. Lol! I haven't played Risk for two years or so and it took a few rounds to get warmed up again. However it was fun and I received lots of tips from veterans Aaron and Vince. At the end of the game another two players felt too tired to play as they had work next day so they waved the white flag and we abandoned game. At that point I was on my assault and was told I was on a good run to win. It was fun to see but I know I didn't do it all on my own as I received good advice and also some good throwing of the dice (thank You God!). Before I left Aaron's place I was shown how the game Axis & Allies works. Pretty complicated at the start but I started to understand it better and may join in for a game one day =)
Devotional time
Got up at 10am, did my devotions and the first devotional passage of the year rerived from Ephesians 5:10 "and find out what pleases the Lord". I found this to be particularly apt for me as I shared in my previous post that I want to enter into this year doing what is pleasing to God and to live a life that makes Him proud. The sharing passage that followed on from this verse reminded us that the Ephesians did not have the New Testament put together back then. They only had one or two scattered letters in some churches which guided them on how to please God. They learnt how to please God mainly through 'trial and error'. Whereas today, we have the whole Bible that shows us God's heart and what he wants from us and guides us on how to live to please Him. So therefore we should treasure these moments of spending time with Him and seeking Him every day and only then will we get to know Him more. =) When we spend time with God we know His will and we will avoid grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)
For the rest of the day I had lunch, then went down to clean the inside of my car. Dusted it and cleaned the foot mats and hoovered the car. Cleaned all the windows and topped up the necessary fluids etc. Also unclogged my windscreen washer jets as well. Ended up moving some of them too far up and too far down and sprayed all over the place when testing them out. Lol! I think I have corrected them now. Haha! Then I went back home to clean the handheld hoover and did some ironing. After that was done I managed to finally sit down and show mum my pictures and videos from Dublin. Relived some good times =) Then I felt very tired and went to bed for a nap. Bad idea. Was only meant to be one hour from 8-9pm but when I woke up it was 10:20pm and Cat was already home from work. My alarm didn't go off for some reason. Then I checked my phone and I had it set for 09:00 instead of 21:00. Nooooo!!! =P
New Year Goals
Anyway here I am blogging before I get ready for bed. Just want to share some points of the things I want to do this year. Set myself some goals and hope I can achieve them.
Dieting
I will avoid sugary stuff as much as possible. No more carbonated drinks, not even 'fresh orange and lemonade' and no more Appletiser. I used to order Appletiser each time I'm eat out, but that has to stop now. Choose fruit juice, tea or just water =) Too much sugar is not good for the body. I will get enough sugars from fruit, veg and even protein shakes. Haha! No chocolate and no more sweets. Had my last chocolate truffle last night at Aaron's place.
Work/Save
I want to work hard and save hard this year. I know in the past year there were times I was complaining when I was so busy doing driving lessons and been on the road for like 13-14hrs in total working under the blistering sun. I had so looked forward to a break then. However, when this winter freeze came along I was left stranded at home sitting on my ass paying rent and getting nothing out of it. So it made me think, I should treasure every hour of work I can get in the three seasons of the year. Cos when winter arrives I should not expect the same level of busy-ness. That is the season to take a well-deserved break, just like in the past week in Dublin. It's nice =) I will need to save hard for a few reasons: potential trip to Singapore/Hong Kong in December, bad weather again next winter, and ultimately to save enough capital for a good deposit in hope of moving out one day =) So no more unncessary expenditure from now on. Will try to live on a budget as best as I can now. Made my final purchase two nights ago. Before the VAT increase. Now awaiting delivery. Will share once it arrives =)
Sleep
Definitely need to sleep more, especially on the morning when I want to get up around 6:15am to go to the gym before work. Gym between 7-9am weekday mornings are the only times I can go to the gym cos I usually work during the day. So sacrifices need to be made and that would mean I need to crawl out of bed each morning and head to the gym for an early workout. Not so bad once you're in the car, but it's just the initial waking up and actually getting up that is the greatest hurdle. So I need to try to get to bed by midnight every night with no exceptions. Ok, maybe it'll be ok on Saturday nights as I don't need to get up so early on Sunday mornings. But generally I should be in bed midnight latest which is still pushing it because I would then average six hours of sleep, assuming I fall asleep right away. Lol! So this new "change" will mean I set myself a time of 10pm when I need to head home if I'm out. I need to watch what I'm doing now, where I spend my time. Need to be disciplined. It also means if I finish work 9pm I should just head home and do my admin and get to bed. Hmm... might be difficult to do but it's a must. Body will need time to recharge, especially after my workouts. Sleep is under-rated.
Training
I want to try different training styles at the gym. Try new routines and continue to improve my physique. Each month I will focus on two areas of my body work on which means I will make sure they are worked on as part of every workout that I do along with other muscle groups of course. For the month of January I would like to target my shoulders and my abs. I want stronger and bigger shoulders and I want to tuck in my gut and make those abdominal muscles more visible. Cutting out sugar and fats will help with that too. I find my middle and rear deltoids are under-developed compared to my front detoids to will pay particular attention to working them.
Fearless for God
This year I want to "step off the boat" for God. I want to overcome fears and be bigger and bolder for God. Especially in terms of serving. I feel there are certain things that need to be done within the EM and beyond but certain fears have held me back from putting my hand up and taking on the role. I find myself shying away from certain things. However, at the recent Christmas party I was very much inspired by somebody who stepped up to a challenge. It was something unexpected but he didn't show fear. He might have been nervous but he certainly handled things pretty well from what I could see. And so if he could do it, assumingly without knowing God for long, then why can't I? I have known God for longer and know He will deliver me through these challenges, help me over certain hurdles big or small. So why don't I push myself and be fearless for God? Yep, I want to be fearless for God. Maybe not fearless in other stuff, but in terms of serving I should be more up to for saying, "Yes I'll do it!" =)
I've had a pretty lazy day today. Slept quite late last night, well in the early hours of the morning, I think around 3am after coming back fromm Aaron's place. We played Risk towards the end of the night played through the countdown. We counted down together, we wished each other a Happy New Year then refocussed back on the game. Lol! I haven't played Risk for two years or so and it took a few rounds to get warmed up again. However it was fun and I received lots of tips from veterans Aaron and Vince. At the end of the game another two players felt too tired to play as they had work next day so they waved the white flag and we abandoned game. At that point I was on my assault and was told I was on a good run to win. It was fun to see but I know I didn't do it all on my own as I received good advice and also some good throwing of the dice (thank You God!). Before I left Aaron's place I was shown how the game Axis & Allies works. Pretty complicated at the start but I started to understand it better and may join in for a game one day =)
Devotional time
Got up at 10am, did my devotions and the first devotional passage of the year rerived from Ephesians 5:10 "and find out what pleases the Lord". I found this to be particularly apt for me as I shared in my previous post that I want to enter into this year doing what is pleasing to God and to live a life that makes Him proud. The sharing passage that followed on from this verse reminded us that the Ephesians did not have the New Testament put together back then. They only had one or two scattered letters in some churches which guided them on how to please God. They learnt how to please God mainly through 'trial and error'. Whereas today, we have the whole Bible that shows us God's heart and what he wants from us and guides us on how to live to please Him. So therefore we should treasure these moments of spending time with Him and seeking Him every day and only then will we get to know Him more. =) When we spend time with God we know His will and we will avoid grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)
For the rest of the day I had lunch, then went down to clean the inside of my car. Dusted it and cleaned the foot mats and hoovered the car. Cleaned all the windows and topped up the necessary fluids etc. Also unclogged my windscreen washer jets as well. Ended up moving some of them too far up and too far down and sprayed all over the place when testing them out. Lol! I think I have corrected them now. Haha! Then I went back home to clean the handheld hoover and did some ironing. After that was done I managed to finally sit down and show mum my pictures and videos from Dublin. Relived some good times =) Then I felt very tired and went to bed for a nap. Bad idea. Was only meant to be one hour from 8-9pm but when I woke up it was 10:20pm and Cat was already home from work. My alarm didn't go off for some reason. Then I checked my phone and I had it set for 09:00 instead of 21:00. Nooooo!!! =P
New Year Goals
Anyway here I am blogging before I get ready for bed. Just want to share some points of the things I want to do this year. Set myself some goals and hope I can achieve them.
Dieting
I will avoid sugary stuff as much as possible. No more carbonated drinks, not even 'fresh orange and lemonade' and no more Appletiser. I used to order Appletiser each time I'm eat out, but that has to stop now. Choose fruit juice, tea or just water =) Too much sugar is not good for the body. I will get enough sugars from fruit, veg and even protein shakes. Haha! No chocolate and no more sweets. Had my last chocolate truffle last night at Aaron's place.
Work/Save
I want to work hard and save hard this year. I know in the past year there were times I was complaining when I was so busy doing driving lessons and been on the road for like 13-14hrs in total working under the blistering sun. I had so looked forward to a break then. However, when this winter freeze came along I was left stranded at home sitting on my ass paying rent and getting nothing out of it. So it made me think, I should treasure every hour of work I can get in the three seasons of the year. Cos when winter arrives I should not expect the same level of busy-ness. That is the season to take a well-deserved break, just like in the past week in Dublin. It's nice =) I will need to save hard for a few reasons: potential trip to Singapore/Hong Kong in December, bad weather again next winter, and ultimately to save enough capital for a good deposit in hope of moving out one day =) So no more unncessary expenditure from now on. Will try to live on a budget as best as I can now. Made my final purchase two nights ago. Before the VAT increase. Now awaiting delivery. Will share once it arrives =)
Sleep
Definitely need to sleep more, especially on the morning when I want to get up around 6:15am to go to the gym before work. Gym between 7-9am weekday mornings are the only times I can go to the gym cos I usually work during the day. So sacrifices need to be made and that would mean I need to crawl out of bed each morning and head to the gym for an early workout. Not so bad once you're in the car, but it's just the initial waking up and actually getting up that is the greatest hurdle. So I need to try to get to bed by midnight every night with no exceptions. Ok, maybe it'll be ok on Saturday nights as I don't need to get up so early on Sunday mornings. But generally I should be in bed midnight latest which is still pushing it because I would then average six hours of sleep, assuming I fall asleep right away. Lol! So this new "change" will mean I set myself a time of 10pm when I need to head home if I'm out. I need to watch what I'm doing now, where I spend my time. Need to be disciplined. It also means if I finish work 9pm I should just head home and do my admin and get to bed. Hmm... might be difficult to do but it's a must. Body will need time to recharge, especially after my workouts. Sleep is under-rated.
Training
I want to try different training styles at the gym. Try new routines and continue to improve my physique. Each month I will focus on two areas of my body work on which means I will make sure they are worked on as part of every workout that I do along with other muscle groups of course. For the month of January I would like to target my shoulders and my abs. I want stronger and bigger shoulders and I want to tuck in my gut and make those abdominal muscles more visible. Cutting out sugar and fats will help with that too. I find my middle and rear deltoids are under-developed compared to my front detoids to will pay particular attention to working them.
Fearless for God
This year I want to "step off the boat" for God. I want to overcome fears and be bigger and bolder for God. Especially in terms of serving. I feel there are certain things that need to be done within the EM and beyond but certain fears have held me back from putting my hand up and taking on the role. I find myself shying away from certain things. However, at the recent Christmas party I was very much inspired by somebody who stepped up to a challenge. It was something unexpected but he didn't show fear. He might have been nervous but he certainly handled things pretty well from what I could see. And so if he could do it, assumingly without knowing God for long, then why can't I? I have known God for longer and know He will deliver me through these challenges, help me over certain hurdles big or small. So why don't I push myself and be fearless for God? Yep, I want to be fearless for God. Maybe not fearless in other stuff, but in terms of serving I should be more up to for saying, "Yes I'll do it!" =)
13 May 2010
God's timing is impeccable!
(Post taken from http://my-gracebook.blogspot.com/)
This morning I received a phone call from a pupil who had to cancel his driving lesson originally scheduled for 12pm-2pm. I finished my morning lesson then went home for some lunch and to do some chores etc. At 1327hrs I received a call from an 0845- number. I picked it up and was greeted with an automated message from Lloyds TSB Fraud Prevention Team. The message was saying they detected some unusual activity with my Lloyds TSB Mastercard which were made recently and they needed me to verify these transactions. The message listed out these three:
1) 13 May 2010 (today) £1119.18 - Made at a Travel Agency / Tour Operator in Israel - 1.26pm UK time
2) 8 May 2010 (last Saturday) £6.04 - Made at Miscellaneous retail store in the US - 11.05am UK time
3) 6 May 2010 (last Thursday) £34.99 - Made in UK online merchant (Play.com)
After these three recent transactions were read out I was presented with two options: Press 1 to confirm I made these transactions. Press 2 to confirm that one or more of these transactions were not made by myself or Press 3 if I was unsure about any of the mentioned transactions.
I pressed 2 and got through to the operator after a two minute hold. The operator asked if me I had made any of these transactions. I advised I only recognised the Play.com purchase. The other two mentioned I had no knowledge of those activities. I told her especially the £1119.18 transaction which was made in Israel. I said there was no way I could have done that if at 1.26pm UK time today I was still hoovering around the house. So there was no chance. The operator said I might have made a purchase recently which might have only processed through now at 1.26pm UK time. I said to her that the activity was for a travel agency tour operator in Israel. I told her I have no holiday plans at all this year and that it was definitely not me. She said the transaction was declined so nothing will be done about that. She also verified the £6.04 transaction from last Saturday. I advised again I did not make that transaction either. She will now put a trace on that transaction and find out where and how it was made.
The operator asked me I understood what was happening here. I told her I understand there was fraud happening and although I sound calm, I am sure it will all sink in later. Picture this, I was at home minding my own business, doing chores etc when suddenly this kind of phone call brings this sort of news! It was a bit alarming, aye. The operator told me she had blocked the Mastercard now and will arrange for a replacment one to be sent out. Any monies removed from my account as a case of fraud will be reimbursed into the account. The PIN will not be changed as that was not compromised, the card details must have been cloned from elsewhere.
After I hung up I went to tell my sister about it as she got home from being out. I still have the piece of paper which I used to jot down the details of the transactions hence I could be so accurate. But man, this is definitely scary thing. My household has been so cafeful with our confidential letters and documents and we shred everything we do not want. So it cannot be ID fraud by people searching in the bins etc. It could only be information cloned from a non-secure website when I was using it to make purchases with the card.
Once the initial shock passed I reminded myself of God's way of working. His ways are well and truly beyond our comprehension. There I was a bit disappointed with my lesson cancellation, but that meant I was at home to receive the all-important call. If I were working I'd certainly miss the call and there might still be illegal transactions happening as I type this. But no. By God's grace and mercy the card is now redundant and I will get a new one. Will have to be careful of how I use this one. I thank God so much for His protection.
Guys be careful with how and where you use your credit or debit cards, especially for online purchases. Make sure the website is a secure site (you can tell if web address begins with https://)
This morning I received a phone call from a pupil who had to cancel his driving lesson originally scheduled for 12pm-2pm. I finished my morning lesson then went home for some lunch and to do some chores etc. At 1327hrs I received a call from an 0845- number. I picked it up and was greeted with an automated message from Lloyds TSB Fraud Prevention Team. The message was saying they detected some unusual activity with my Lloyds TSB Mastercard which were made recently and they needed me to verify these transactions. The message listed out these three:
1) 13 May 2010 (today) £1119.18 - Made at a Travel Agency / Tour Operator in Israel - 1.26pm UK time
2) 8 May 2010 (last Saturday) £6.04 - Made at Miscellaneous retail store in the US - 11.05am UK time
3) 6 May 2010 (last Thursday) £34.99 - Made in UK online merchant (Play.com)
After these three recent transactions were read out I was presented with two options: Press 1 to confirm I made these transactions. Press 2 to confirm that one or more of these transactions were not made by myself or Press 3 if I was unsure about any of the mentioned transactions.
I pressed 2 and got through to the operator after a two minute hold. The operator asked if me I had made any of these transactions. I advised I only recognised the Play.com purchase. The other two mentioned I had no knowledge of those activities. I told her especially the £1119.18 transaction which was made in Israel. I said there was no way I could have done that if at 1.26pm UK time today I was still hoovering around the house. So there was no chance. The operator said I might have made a purchase recently which might have only processed through now at 1.26pm UK time. I said to her that the activity was for a travel agency tour operator in Israel. I told her I have no holiday plans at all this year and that it was definitely not me. She said the transaction was declined so nothing will be done about that. She also verified the £6.04 transaction from last Saturday. I advised again I did not make that transaction either. She will now put a trace on that transaction and find out where and how it was made.
The operator asked me I understood what was happening here. I told her I understand there was fraud happening and although I sound calm, I am sure it will all sink in later. Picture this, I was at home minding my own business, doing chores etc when suddenly this kind of phone call brings this sort of news! It was a bit alarming, aye. The operator told me she had blocked the Mastercard now and will arrange for a replacment one to be sent out. Any monies removed from my account as a case of fraud will be reimbursed into the account. The PIN will not be changed as that was not compromised, the card details must have been cloned from elsewhere.
After I hung up I went to tell my sister about it as she got home from being out. I still have the piece of paper which I used to jot down the details of the transactions hence I could be so accurate. But man, this is definitely scary thing. My household has been so cafeful with our confidential letters and documents and we shred everything we do not want. So it cannot be ID fraud by people searching in the bins etc. It could only be information cloned from a non-secure website when I was using it to make purchases with the card.
Once the initial shock passed I reminded myself of God's way of working. His ways are well and truly beyond our comprehension. There I was a bit disappointed with my lesson cancellation, but that meant I was at home to receive the all-important call. If I were working I'd certainly miss the call and there might still be illegal transactions happening as I type this. But no. By God's grace and mercy the card is now redundant and I will get a new one. Will have to be careful of how I use this one. I thank God so much for His protection.
Guys be careful with how and where you use your credit or debit cards, especially for online purchases. Make sure the website is a secure site (you can tell if web address begins with https://)
16 January 2010
Ode to my (former) car
From the day I took you home,
Not even one year old.
I was proud to take you around,
I am sad that you are now sold.
You have seen my laughters,
You have seen my tears.
You've taken me to church camps,
shopping trips and even IKEA.
Skye was the further place we've been,
Six hours was long enough.
Never once suffered a breakdown,
For this I thank Him above.
My sidekick when serving in church,
The bearer of all the weight.
Never had it let me down,
Sometimes more reliable than a mate.
So here we have it,
It is time to say goodbye.
I will remember all the good times,
And I promise not to cry.
I hope they keep you nice and clean,
With polish and wax applied.
Don't forget to toot the horn
Whenever you pass me by.
(6504)
15 December 2009
Ten days till Christmas!!
Wow!! Been a very busy few days for me leading up to Christmas this year. It's not that bad, really, but I just feel I run out of time to do stuff so quickly!
So what has been happening? Been so busy with working part-time at the HR job, finishing 12:30pm each weekday. Then I give driving tuition usually from 2pm. Tonight I had a driving lesson at 7pm-8pm!! This morning I changed my gym. I finally decided to make a move and leave Glasgow University Gym, Stevenson Building, for Greens Gym at Finnieston. Sure, the monthly fee is a lot higher than the Uni gym charged, but for the extra £11.15 a month I get access to free parking anytime I attend the gym. I get better opening hours that does not run according to term time. I get access to many more machines, weights and equipment which means I won't have to queue to wait for my turn. Cleaner lockers and showering facilities and also poolside jacuzzi spas!! Ooooh!! Have never been in one before! Might have a shot before trying the hot tub in the English Ministry New Year retreat! =D (P.s. did I mention, by me joining Greens now, I don't have to pay any monthly fees until 1st Feb! Almost two months free use of a gym!!)
Yesterday I went Christmas shopping after work. Went to get a present for the person I drew out of the Secret Santa hat. No - he is not my Secret Santa, as my Secret Santa is the person who picked my name. Dunno why, but there is always confusion when people ask, "Who is your secret santa?" and the answer usually given is the name of your "target person" whom you're buying for. Nah, get it right people! You're Secret Santa is the person buying you the present! You shouldn't know who it is, or else...where is the fun in that?! Lol! Anyway, I hope the person who I bought the present for likes the thing I bought :)
I also went to get birthday present and birthday card for next Sunday's birthday dinner at Di Maggio's for Henry Woo's birthday. He'll be 20 and he is pretty excited about having his first birthday dinner in about five years. Hope it'll be a gooood one for him! Di Maggio's will be mobbed with Christmas dinner patrons, but hopefully our birthday celebrations will crowd out the Christmas dinner people, especially when we sing Happy Birthday to Henry!! Haha!!
Yeah, so lots of birthday presents to get, dinners to attend. Kerry's 21st birthday dinner was on Sunday, twenty-four of us went to celebrate with her at Duck Bay Marina restaurant in Loch Lomond. The drive through the fog wasn't easy, but the celebration made it worthwhile. Kerry was happy and appreciated everyone's presence :)
So plans for tomorrow... Work till 12:30pm. Driving lesson 2pm-4pm. Out to town for a while. Dinner and catch up with friends at China Blue 7:30pm till roughly 10pm I think? Then home to snoooze, I hope!
Thursday... Work till 12:30pm. "Avatar 3D" right after work perhaps? The movie is about three hours long inclusive of trailers. After the movie I'll probably do some reading in Starbucks again. Or maybe just a library instead, which opens till 8pm on a Thursday. Will try to save my pennies now as all this going out, socialising and shopping is damaging my numbers. Lol!
Friday... Work till 12:30pm. Driving lesson 1:30pm-3:30pm. Gym at 4pm, hoping to attend Body Attack class at 5:30pm for an hour, then might jump into jacuzzi for a wind-down! :D
Saturday and Sunday will be busy too. I'm expecting worship practice on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday I'll be playing guitar for Boon in EM for the EM Christmas Carol service. The Sunday School kids will join us too, so it'll be extra busy and we hope it'll be very entertaining. After church - collect all remaining New Year retreat camp fees from people! Then there's Henry's birthday dinner at Di Maggio's, booked for 6pm!! Oooh!! What will I wear? =O
(5862)
So what has been happening? Been so busy with working part-time at the HR job, finishing 12:30pm each weekday. Then I give driving tuition usually from 2pm. Tonight I had a driving lesson at 7pm-8pm!! This morning I changed my gym. I finally decided to make a move and leave Glasgow University Gym, Stevenson Building, for Greens Gym at Finnieston. Sure, the monthly fee is a lot higher than the Uni gym charged, but for the extra £11.15 a month I get access to free parking anytime I attend the gym. I get better opening hours that does not run according to term time. I get access to many more machines, weights and equipment which means I won't have to queue to wait for my turn. Cleaner lockers and showering facilities and also poolside jacuzzi spas!! Ooooh!! Have never been in one before! Might have a shot before trying the hot tub in the English Ministry New Year retreat! =D (P.s. did I mention, by me joining Greens now, I don't have to pay any monthly fees until 1st Feb! Almost two months free use of a gym!!)
Yesterday I went Christmas shopping after work. Went to get a present for the person I drew out of the Secret Santa hat. No - he is not my Secret Santa, as my Secret Santa is the person who picked my name. Dunno why, but there is always confusion when people ask, "Who is your secret santa?" and the answer usually given is the name of your "target person" whom you're buying for. Nah, get it right people! You're Secret Santa is the person buying you the present! You shouldn't know who it is, or else...where is the fun in that?! Lol! Anyway, I hope the person who I bought the present for likes the thing I bought :)
I also went to get birthday present and birthday card for next Sunday's birthday dinner at Di Maggio's for Henry Woo's birthday. He'll be 20 and he is pretty excited about having his first birthday dinner in about five years. Hope it'll be a gooood one for him! Di Maggio's will be mobbed with Christmas dinner patrons, but hopefully our birthday celebrations will crowd out the Christmas dinner people, especially when we sing Happy Birthday to Henry!! Haha!!
Yeah, so lots of birthday presents to get, dinners to attend. Kerry's 21st birthday dinner was on Sunday, twenty-four of us went to celebrate with her at Duck Bay Marina restaurant in Loch Lomond. The drive through the fog wasn't easy, but the celebration made it worthwhile. Kerry was happy and appreciated everyone's presence :)
So plans for tomorrow... Work till 12:30pm. Driving lesson 2pm-4pm. Out to town for a while. Dinner and catch up with friends at China Blue 7:30pm till roughly 10pm I think? Then home to snoooze, I hope!
Thursday... Work till 12:30pm. "Avatar 3D" right after work perhaps? The movie is about three hours long inclusive of trailers. After the movie I'll probably do some reading in Starbucks again. Or maybe just a library instead, which opens till 8pm on a Thursday. Will try to save my pennies now as all this going out, socialising and shopping is damaging my numbers. Lol!
Friday... Work till 12:30pm. Driving lesson 1:30pm-3:30pm. Gym at 4pm, hoping to attend Body Attack class at 5:30pm for an hour, then might jump into jacuzzi for a wind-down! :D
Saturday and Sunday will be busy too. I'm expecting worship practice on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday I'll be playing guitar for Boon in EM for the EM Christmas Carol service. The Sunday School kids will join us too, so it'll be extra busy and we hope it'll be very entertaining. After church - collect all remaining New Year retreat camp fees from people! Then there's Henry's birthday dinner at Di Maggio's, booked for 6pm!! Oooh!! What will I wear? =O
(5862)
05 December 2009
Three weeks till Christmas!!
I find it hard to believe that there are only three weeks left till Christmas, well twenty days to be precise. Where has the time gone?? It's almost time to look back at the previous year and count upon all the blessings that God has given me. The up's and the down's, the good and the bad. I won't have time to review everything tonight as it is 7:40pm on a Saturday night and tonight I want to spend time sorting stuff out with my notepad and arranging the publications and magazines and re-organising my life basically.
So much has been happening since my last post on the 28th of November. In fact, that "Lanty David" actually contacted me through Google Talk whilst I was at work. It came through on my phone and "he" (I actually thought it was a she from the xxxxxxx left at the end of the emails) persisted in asking if I was interested in going ahead with the deal (re. "Beware the launderers!" post). I told him I didn't want a bankers draft, but would much rather a personal cheque or payment through Paypal. He said he didn't have those alternatives. I told him that there was a lot of money involved and that I did not feel comfortable with it considering all the news about money laundering. The result - he went silent. And never chatted back!! Lol!
So...back to square one. The car is still parked on the street not from my house. The new tax disc came though - £82.50 bought me vehicle duty until 31 May 2010. So basically I have taxed my vehicle for nothing but simply to put it on a UK road. It's unfortunate I do not have my own driveway or an off-road carpark, otherwise I would declare my vehicle SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) for 12 months and save myself some money. My Autotrader advert runs out this Monday (7th December) and I don't think I'll renew it. Has caused me more problems than I anticipated - funny phone calls, weird emails etc. Just crazy and more hassle than it's worth. Autotrader advert was £35!! Paid that and it has bought me nothing! No progress whatsoever!
Ah well, at least the driving tuition business is going well. So far so good. Enjoying myself and it seems my pupils are having a good time too. Took on my fourth pupil this morning. Not a complete learner. He is experienced in manual and automatic transmissions. Initially had thought it would take a while to teach the clutch, but surprisingly he did quite well, especially in finding the biting point and we didn't stall once! :) After the lesson I went to Tesco, grabbed breakfast oats and some lunch. Then went to church meeting after that and came home around 6pm. It's time to unwind, since it's a Saturday night. But no. I have stuff to do. Must get on with it.
Tomorrow... gonna wash the car, take mum Chinese shopping, go to church, go to the gym, then chill ooot! Finally! =D
(5734)
So much has been happening since my last post on the 28th of November. In fact, that "Lanty David" actually contacted me through Google Talk whilst I was at work. It came through on my phone and "he" (I actually thought it was a she from the xxxxxxx left at the end of the emails) persisted in asking if I was interested in going ahead with the deal (re. "Beware the launderers!" post). I told him I didn't want a bankers draft, but would much rather a personal cheque or payment through Paypal. He said he didn't have those alternatives. I told him that there was a lot of money involved and that I did not feel comfortable with it considering all the news about money laundering. The result - he went silent. And never chatted back!! Lol!
So...back to square one. The car is still parked on the street not from my house. The new tax disc came though - £82.50 bought me vehicle duty until 31 May 2010. So basically I have taxed my vehicle for nothing but simply to put it on a UK road. It's unfortunate I do not have my own driveway or an off-road carpark, otherwise I would declare my vehicle SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) for 12 months and save myself some money. My Autotrader advert runs out this Monday (7th December) and I don't think I'll renew it. Has caused me more problems than I anticipated - funny phone calls, weird emails etc. Just crazy and more hassle than it's worth. Autotrader advert was £35!! Paid that and it has bought me nothing! No progress whatsoever!
Ah well, at least the driving tuition business is going well. So far so good. Enjoying myself and it seems my pupils are having a good time too. Took on my fourth pupil this morning. Not a complete learner. He is experienced in manual and automatic transmissions. Initially had thought it would take a while to teach the clutch, but surprisingly he did quite well, especially in finding the biting point and we didn't stall once! :) After the lesson I went to Tesco, grabbed breakfast oats and some lunch. Then went to church meeting after that and came home around 6pm. It's time to unwind, since it's a Saturday night. But no. I have stuff to do. Must get on with it.
Tomorrow... gonna wash the car, take mum Chinese shopping, go to church, go to the gym, then chill ooot! Finally! =D
(5734)
28 November 2009
Beware the launderers!
I should be in bed now, but thought I should warn you all of something first.
I advertised my Ford Focus on Facebook, on this blog and on Gumtree. All for free, and all with no response from any interested parties. So I thought I would try Autotrader since that is a big name in the vehicle sales industry, both private and trade sellers use this to advertise on it's magazine and website. The advert cost me £35 and would give me one week in Auto Trader Scotland magazine and two weeks in the Auto Trader website. I paid for this last Sunday (22nd Nov) and hoped for the best.
Monday lunch time I received a missed call from an 0208 number and so I called it back. Turned out to be "The Motorist Guide" who saw my advert on Auto Trader and offered to send me a magazine through email which will give me tips on how to sell my car etc. So I said yes and gave him my email address as it was free and there is no ties involved.
That afternoon I received another call, this time from an unknown number. The caller was a guy who said he saw my car was for sale and said he was interested in it, but the price was so high. I mentioned to him that the price had went down from £4000 to £3500 and that I spent a lot of money getting the body work touched up etc. He said the price was still too high and that he only needed the car for one day. That he only wanted the car for a hit a run. To play his game I said to him that it would take more than a day to get all the paperwork sorted out. He said again that he only needed the car for one day, for a hit and run, then said, "Bang! Bang!" and hung up!! How crazy was that?! After the call ended I just sat down and prayed to God, asked Him to protect the sale of the car as there are many dodgy people out there.
Two days later, 24th November, I received this email:
"Goodday,My name is Lanty David,
I will like to know if your car is still available for sale..i am okay with all informations posted with the ads..but i will like to know the followings..
1,the present condition of the Car?
2,your reason for selling it?
3,Your final asking price ?
I will like you to get back to me so that we can proceed with the transaction..i wait your reply soonest..Regards.Lanty xxxxxxxxxx"
To which I replied:
"Hi Lanty, thank you for your interest in my car. I have a question to start with though. Where did you see my ad? Now to answer your questions:
1) Present condition: Excellent condition, but WET! It has been parked on the street under the Glasgow rain! I spent £600 getting the body work touched up at the Car Care Centre three weeks ago. And bought four new tyres from Costco, costing £228. Have all receipts with it.
2) Reason for selling: I am a qualified driving instructor with the AA and have been given a tuition car with my franchise, therefore I do not need this car anymore as I'll use that car 24/7.
3) Final asking price: £3500, originally £4000 after I spent so much money on it. But had to drop it down due to lack of interest. I feel if the price is any lower it would do this car injustice if you check out the condition of it.
If you're interested we can arrange a meet up for you to check it out? Let me know if you're still interested. Cheers, Gordon"
The next day, 25th November:
"Hello , Thanks for getting back to me,and am very happy that you still have it for sale.
This car is what I have been searching for quite some months now before I finally got yours.Regards the price,i will offer you £4,100 for it and i will like to know much about the car. So i will want you to please email me it's full details and the reason why you are selling it,also when is the m.o.t expires.
Please i will want you to get back to me with these answers so that we can proceed from there.. Really I based Kompehenger here in Denmark were i work as a Mechanical Enginer but originally from Wales(My Dad is from Wale and mum from Oslo Noway).
If you can get back to me as soon as possible i would be glad to wrap everything up in a short while so that i can take the possession of the Car .I will be willing to pay you with a Uk banker's Draft which will clear between 3-4 days in any Uk bank of which i have a shipping company that will come for the shipment of the Car .
So if you are ok with this kindly get back to me so that we can conclude the transaction on time. Best Regards.
Lanty xxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
To which I replied:
"Dear Lanty,
As I mentioned earlier, the reason for selling this is car is because I am a qualified driving instructor with the AA Driving School and have been given a tuition car with my franchise, therefore I do not need this car anymore as I'll use that car 24/7.
If you were interested in buying this car, £4100 sounds like a very good offer. However, I have never used Bank Draft before. Would you be able to pay me through Paypal instead then? There is more protection through Paypal for both you and me.
Also, what information are you looking for about the car?
Silver Ford Focus LX
5-Door hatchback
Registered July 2003
I bought it on 14th June 2004 after one owner
Has now done 28,000 miles
1.4L Manual Petrol
Full Service and MOT history
Brand new Michelin tyres
No Pets, No Smoking
(Taxed till Dec 2009, Service due May 2010, MOT due July 2010)
Please get back to me about payment. Thank you.
Gordon"
The final response from Lanty...
"Hi,
Thanks so much for your kind of lovely mail and As for the payment i will ask my Bussines Accosociate to issue a Certified Uk Bank Draft of £9,500 and once u get the cheque u are to get The Cheque deposited into ur bank account and once it clears u deduct the cost of the Car which is £4100 u deduct £200 am willing to give u for ur efforts and the western union fees.U are to help me wire the balance inform of a cash via western union the same day u get the cheque to my shipper and in just 2 or days after my shipping agent will come down to ur location for the pick-up right thre at ur location.
Pls i will need the following ful datas from u.
Name....(to be on the cheque)
Full Address.....
State....
Postal Code....
Country.....
Telephone number...(Cell,Office,Home,)
Pls i will really be glad if u could get the balance wired the same day the cheque clears ur account cos am highly sure that once my shipper get the balance from u is going to come down to ur location in just 2 or days after for the pick-up.as soon as you provide me your info i will give you a call on your number so we can talk better.
Thanks"
Well well well! After reading these emails, what are your thoughts? So dodgy, right? Totally crazy!! Do they think I'm some sort of ignorant guy who is money-hungry and will do anything for lots of money AND help them with criminal activities too?? I mean, all these signs shows something dodgy is going on. First of all, the grammar is horrible. "Lanty" if that is their real name is in Denmark where they drive on the opposite side of the road to us. So why would they want my right hand drive car? Secondly, throwing in random information about parents from Wales and Norway wins no favour from me as "Lanty" did not even answer my question of "Where did you see my ad?". So yes, the biggest sign of dodgy business was when I said my final offer would be £3500 and I was then offered £4100. Not only that, but then later told I would receive £9500 in the form of a UK Bankers draft of which I would deduct £4100 for my car, then a further £200 for my troubles and transfer the rest of the £5200 to another account for them. Like NO WAAAY!! Fortunately as part of my work at HR I have had training on fraud, money laundering and how to spot the signs of it happening. And if this is not a clear sign, I don't know what is!! I mean, even Western Union has been in the news in recent years of having being used for money laundering and illegal activities by criminals. Hence the reason I suggested Paypal instead as that is more highly regulated and is a safer way to make transactions with protection.
So, I imagined to myself, what if I agreed to this. Gave "Lanty" all my details, waited for the Bankers cheque, cashed it in, deducted my share of the money, transferred the rest to the "shippers" then sit and wait for them to appear at my door to pick up the car. I think if that happened, the people who turns up at my door will not be "shippers" but will be like police or the FBI or Interpol! Hahahahahaha!! Picture that! Your friend, Big G, on BBC 24 News, on local newspapers, on the internet! Name black listed amongst the financial industry for money laundering. Who would believe me for that I was an "innocent party" eh? Lol!
Take care guys, especially when selling things online. It has not happened when I sold things through eBay before, but this time weird stuff is happening. What's this world coming too?
(5641)
I advertised my Ford Focus on Facebook, on this blog and on Gumtree. All for free, and all with no response from any interested parties. So I thought I would try Autotrader since that is a big name in the vehicle sales industry, both private and trade sellers use this to advertise on it's magazine and website. The advert cost me £35 and would give me one week in Auto Trader Scotland magazine and two weeks in the Auto Trader website. I paid for this last Sunday (22nd Nov) and hoped for the best.
Monday lunch time I received a missed call from an 0208 number and so I called it back. Turned out to be "The Motorist Guide" who saw my advert on Auto Trader and offered to send me a magazine through email which will give me tips on how to sell my car etc. So I said yes and gave him my email address as it was free and there is no ties involved.
That afternoon I received another call, this time from an unknown number. The caller was a guy who said he saw my car was for sale and said he was interested in it, but the price was so high. I mentioned to him that the price had went down from £4000 to £3500 and that I spent a lot of money getting the body work touched up etc. He said the price was still too high and that he only needed the car for one day. That he only wanted the car for a hit a run. To play his game I said to him that it would take more than a day to get all the paperwork sorted out. He said again that he only needed the car for one day, for a hit and run, then said, "Bang! Bang!" and hung up!! How crazy was that?! After the call ended I just sat down and prayed to God, asked Him to protect the sale of the car as there are many dodgy people out there.
Two days later, 24th November, I received this email:
"Goodday,My name is Lanty David,
I will like to know if your car is still available for sale..i am okay with all informations posted with the ads..but i will like to know the followings..
1,the present condition of the Car?
2,your reason for selling it?
3,Your final asking price ?
I will like you to get back to me so that we can proceed with the transaction..i wait your reply soonest..Regards.Lanty xxxxxxxxxx"
To which I replied:
"Hi Lanty, thank you for your interest in my car. I have a question to start with though. Where did you see my ad? Now to answer your questions:
1) Present condition: Excellent condition, but WET! It has been parked on the street under the Glasgow rain! I spent £600 getting the body work touched up at the Car Care Centre three weeks ago. And bought four new tyres from Costco, costing £228. Have all receipts with it.
2) Reason for selling: I am a qualified driving instructor with the AA and have been given a tuition car with my franchise, therefore I do not need this car anymore as I'll use that car 24/7.
3) Final asking price: £3500, originally £4000 after I spent so much money on it. But had to drop it down due to lack of interest. I feel if the price is any lower it would do this car injustice if you check out the condition of it.
If you're interested we can arrange a meet up for you to check it out? Let me know if you're still interested. Cheers, Gordon"
The next day, 25th November:
"Hello , Thanks for getting back to me,and am very happy that you still have it for sale.
This car is what I have been searching for quite some months now before I finally got yours.Regards the price,i will offer you £4,100 for it and i will like to know much about the car. So i will want you to please email me it's full details and the reason why you are selling it,also when is the m.o.t expires.
Please i will want you to get back to me with these answers so that we can proceed from there.. Really I based Kompehenger here in Denmark were i work as a Mechanical Enginer but originally from Wales(My Dad is from Wale and mum from Oslo Noway).
If you can get back to me as soon as possible i would be glad to wrap everything up in a short while so that i can take the possession of the Car .I will be willing to pay you with a Uk banker's Draft which will clear between 3-4 days in any Uk bank of which i have a shipping company that will come for the shipment of the Car .
So if you are ok with this kindly get back to me so that we can conclude the transaction on time. Best Regards.
Lanty xxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
To which I replied:
"Dear Lanty,
As I mentioned earlier, the reason for selling this is car is because I am a qualified driving instructor with the AA Driving School and have been given a tuition car with my franchise, therefore I do not need this car anymore as I'll use that car 24/7.
If you were interested in buying this car, £4100 sounds like a very good offer. However, I have never used Bank Draft before. Would you be able to pay me through Paypal instead then? There is more protection through Paypal for both you and me.
Also, what information are you looking for about the car?
Silver Ford Focus LX
5-Door hatchback
Registered July 2003
I bought it on 14th June 2004 after one owner
Has now done 28,000 miles
1.4L Manual Petrol
Full Service and MOT history
Brand new Michelin tyres
No Pets, No Smoking
(Taxed till Dec 2009, Service due May 2010, MOT due July 2010)
Please get back to me about payment. Thank you.
Gordon"
The final response from Lanty...
"Hi,
Thanks so much for your kind of lovely mail and As for the payment i will ask my Bussines Accosociate to issue a Certified Uk Bank Draft of £9,500 and once u get the cheque u are to get The Cheque deposited into ur bank account and once it clears u deduct the cost of the Car which is £4100 u deduct £200 am willing to give u for ur efforts and the western union fees.U are to help me wire the balance inform of a cash via western union the same day u get the cheque to my shipper and in just 2 or days after my shipping agent will come down to ur location for the pick-up right thre at ur location.
Pls i will need the following ful datas from u.
Name....(to be on the cheque)
Full Address.....
State....
Postal Code....
Country.....
Telephone number...(Cell,Office,Home,)
Pls i will really be glad if u could get the balance wired the same day the cheque clears ur account cos am highly sure that once my shipper get the balance from u is going to come down to ur location in just 2 or days after for the pick-up.as soon as you provide me your info i will give you a call on your number so we can talk better.
Thanks"
Well well well! After reading these emails, what are your thoughts? So dodgy, right? Totally crazy!! Do they think I'm some sort of ignorant guy who is money-hungry and will do anything for lots of money AND help them with criminal activities too?? I mean, all these signs shows something dodgy is going on. First of all, the grammar is horrible. "Lanty" if that is their real name is in Denmark where they drive on the opposite side of the road to us. So why would they want my right hand drive car? Secondly, throwing in random information about parents from Wales and Norway wins no favour from me as "Lanty" did not even answer my question of "Where did you see my ad?". So yes, the biggest sign of dodgy business was when I said my final offer would be £3500 and I was then offered £4100. Not only that, but then later told I would receive £9500 in the form of a UK Bankers draft of which I would deduct £4100 for my car, then a further £200 for my troubles and transfer the rest of the £5200 to another account for them. Like NO WAAAY!! Fortunately as part of my work at HR I have had training on fraud, money laundering and how to spot the signs of it happening. And if this is not a clear sign, I don't know what is!! I mean, even Western Union has been in the news in recent years of having being used for money laundering and illegal activities by criminals. Hence the reason I suggested Paypal instead as that is more highly regulated and is a safer way to make transactions with protection.
So, I imagined to myself, what if I agreed to this. Gave "Lanty" all my details, waited for the Bankers cheque, cashed it in, deducted my share of the money, transferred the rest to the "shippers" then sit and wait for them to appear at my door to pick up the car. I think if that happened, the people who turns up at my door will not be "shippers" but will be like police or the FBI or Interpol! Hahahahahaha!! Picture that! Your friend, Big G, on BBC 24 News, on local newspapers, on the internet! Name black listed amongst the financial industry for money laundering. Who would believe me for that I was an "innocent party" eh? Lol!
Take care guys, especially when selling things online. It has not happened when I sold things through eBay before, but this time weird stuff is happening. What's this world coming too?
(5641)
07 November 2009
**Car For Sale**
(click on car for more detailed pictures)
I'm selling my Ford Focus LX as I prepare to start my driving tuition business and will have another car to teach with.
This car was registered July 2003 and has done less than 28,000 miles in it's lifetime.
Ford Focus LX
Silver
Registered 2003
Mileage 27,979 (VERY LOW!!)
1.4L Petrol
Manual Transmission
Five-door hatchback
I am the second owner
Very well looked after under my care. There are plenty more years left in this faithful hatchback. Suitable for all age groups: student road trips or family grocery shopping. Five doors give ease of access to the back.
Service and MOT carried out annually with all receipts and garage stamps.
- Bodywork has been touched up this week
- Brand new Michelin tyres today (7th Nov)
- Road Tax will be renewed in end of November
- Service due May 2010
- MOT due July 2010
Asking price - £4000 ONO
Interested or have any questions? Contact me to discuss. :)
(5323)
02 November 2009
Hallo-weekend
Pumpkin Party
Ah! Had another eventful weekend, full of food and laughs.
Saturday I went to the Car Care Centre to get an estimate for work to fix the bump, scratches and tipp-ex marks on my current car. Over a year ago the local Ford garage, Reg Vardy, had quoted me around £1100 to get the work done, minus the tipp-ex marks. I took the estimated costs sheet and said I'd call to book the car in for the job when I want it done. I ran away and never ever went back. I just continued using the car as it was. And though it was not aesthetically pleasing, it was a very healthy car, with less than 28,000 miles on the clock to date. Being an -03 registered vehicle, it is a very low mileage car, with an average of only 4666 miles a year. With the date of me getting my tuition car drawing closer (19th November!!), I thought it was about time to get the car fixed up and looking pretty so I can sell it once I get my instructor business running. There would be no point in keeping, insuring, taxing and fuelling two vehicles. What's more, there are limited parking spaces spaces outside my flat, so why add to it? =P
After leaving the Car Care Centre with an agreed three-figure cost, I went to get my hair cut at See Woo. Then I drove around the southside of Glasgow, leaving from Shieldhall test centre and visited the nearby surrounding areas, taking in the different roads that I may be teaching in and having a better idea of where I would be teaching particular manoeuvres etc. Only saw three other driving instruction vehicles in my 2+ hours drive. South side is just huge! Decided to pack it in after 3pm and head to Tesco for a pumpkin. Pumpkins were sold out!! =O Since this was my first time going to a pumpkin party and potentially carving pumpkins, I had no idea they were so popular or that they would be sold out. Morrison's had none. ASDA also had none! Booo! I guess it is like looking for a chocolate selection pack on Christmas Eve, or even Christmas Day itself. NO CHANCE! Ah well!
The Pumpkin Party took place at Roxane and Yin Ru's flat. Though guises where not the main point of our gathering, where two or three Chinese people meet together, there will be food!! We had a wide variety of food to enjoy: crackers, cheese, pasta, salmon, Jaffa cakes, chicken, ribs, rice, pumpkin soup and dessert was toffee cake, toffee and chocolate apples, pies and ice cream! [No, this time I did not have a taste of everything! Haha! Back to more healthy eating approach now.] Had a good time meeting new people as well as catching up with older faces from Edinburgh (William and Alan came to visit). Played "seven level pig" card game which was fun as well as 'challenging' in the fact that you have watch who you speak to. Haha! As for pumpkin carving? Gordon Li carved the big pumpkin with only small cutting knifes. The pumpkin was alight with a tealight candle and burnt throughout the night. Wilson Siu later carved the smaller pumpkin which arrived later on in the night when some visitors popped by. Here is the picture of the father and son pumpkins. Haha!
James' birthday
Yesterday was James' 26th birthday and he was wanting dinner at Nando's restaurant at The Quay. Dinner was at six, so we hung out at Ming's place first before making our way to the restaurant. I dropped my car off at the Car Care Centre on my way to Ming's place. Cat gave me a lift which was cool, cos the persistent rain was not stopping. There was an estimated 45 minutes wait for a big table in Nando's, so the seventeen of us went over to the bowling and arcades part of the leisure park. Few people played bowling, DDR, shooting games, basketball as well as those robotic arm machines where you win prizes. And I managed to win a HUGE Chupa Chup lollipop! =D The wait for our table didn't seem so long whilst we played our games and before long the seventeen of us were squeezed on our extra long table with our lovely HOT HOT food! Extra Hot chicken for me! Ooh la la! After the half chicken I was still hungry, so ordered another half chicken. This time Mango and Lime to give my tastebuds a rest. Haha!
I didn't take that many pictures through the night cos was busy stuffing my face and hands were a bit dirtier than usual. However, Henry and Ming quite a lot, so you can see them through their Facebook. We got James surprise cakes for his birthday and it felt like the whole restaurant was singing Happy Birthday to James as there was long another table nearby who were celebrating a girl's birthday. We were so noisy at one point cheering and shouting etc the manager went up to the other table and said they were to keep the noise down as there were other customers. Lol! I could see the manager stressed from the extremely busy day. =P
Had a great laugh and was good to hangout again after church =)
Ah! Had another eventful weekend, full of food and laughs.
Saturday I went to the Car Care Centre to get an estimate for work to fix the bump, scratches and tipp-ex marks on my current car. Over a year ago the local Ford garage, Reg Vardy, had quoted me around £1100 to get the work done, minus the tipp-ex marks. I took the estimated costs sheet and said I'd call to book the car in for the job when I want it done. I ran away and never ever went back. I just continued using the car as it was. And though it was not aesthetically pleasing, it was a very healthy car, with less than 28,000 miles on the clock to date. Being an -03 registered vehicle, it is a very low mileage car, with an average of only 4666 miles a year. With the date of me getting my tuition car drawing closer (19th November!!), I thought it was about time to get the car fixed up and looking pretty so I can sell it once I get my instructor business running. There would be no point in keeping, insuring, taxing and fuelling two vehicles. What's more, there are limited parking spaces spaces outside my flat, so why add to it? =P
After leaving the Car Care Centre with an agreed three-figure cost, I went to get my hair cut at See Woo. Then I drove around the southside of Glasgow, leaving from Shieldhall test centre and visited the nearby surrounding areas, taking in the different roads that I may be teaching in and having a better idea of where I would be teaching particular manoeuvres etc. Only saw three other driving instruction vehicles in my 2+ hours drive. South side is just huge! Decided to pack it in after 3pm and head to Tesco for a pumpkin. Pumpkins were sold out!! =O Since this was my first time going to a pumpkin party and potentially carving pumpkins, I had no idea they were so popular or that they would be sold out. Morrison's had none. ASDA also had none! Booo! I guess it is like looking for a chocolate selection pack on Christmas Eve, or even Christmas Day itself. NO CHANCE! Ah well!
The Pumpkin Party took place at Roxane and Yin Ru's flat. Though guises where not the main point of our gathering, where two or three Chinese people meet together, there will be food!! We had a wide variety of food to enjoy: crackers, cheese, pasta, salmon, Jaffa cakes, chicken, ribs, rice, pumpkin soup and dessert was toffee cake, toffee and chocolate apples, pies and ice cream! [No, this time I did not have a taste of everything! Haha! Back to more healthy eating approach now.] Had a good time meeting new people as well as catching up with older faces from Edinburgh (William and Alan came to visit). Played "seven level pig" card game which was fun as well as 'challenging' in the fact that you have watch who you speak to. Haha! As for pumpkin carving? Gordon Li carved the big pumpkin with only small cutting knifes. The pumpkin was alight with a tealight candle and burnt throughout the night. Wilson Siu later carved the smaller pumpkin which arrived later on in the night when some visitors popped by. Here is the picture of the father and son pumpkins. Haha!
James' birthday
Yesterday was James' 26th birthday and he was wanting dinner at Nando's restaurant at The Quay. Dinner was at six, so we hung out at Ming's place first before making our way to the restaurant. I dropped my car off at the Car Care Centre on my way to Ming's place. Cat gave me a lift which was cool, cos the persistent rain was not stopping. There was an estimated 45 minutes wait for a big table in Nando's, so the seventeen of us went over to the bowling and arcades part of the leisure park. Few people played bowling, DDR, shooting games, basketball as well as those robotic arm machines where you win prizes. And I managed to win a HUGE Chupa Chup lollipop! =D The wait for our table didn't seem so long whilst we played our games and before long the seventeen of us were squeezed on our extra long table with our lovely HOT HOT food! Extra Hot chicken for me! Ooh la la! After the half chicken I was still hungry, so ordered another half chicken. This time Mango and Lime to give my tastebuds a rest. Haha!
I didn't take that many pictures through the night cos was busy stuffing my face and hands were a bit dirtier than usual. However, Henry and Ming quite a lot, so you can see them through their Facebook. We got James surprise cakes for his birthday and it felt like the whole restaurant was singing Happy Birthday to James as there was long another table nearby who were celebrating a girl's birthday. We were so noisy at one point cheering and shouting etc the manager went up to the other table and said they were to keep the noise down as there were other customers. Lol! I could see the manager stressed from the extremely busy day. =P
Had a great laugh and was good to hangout again after church =)
This week
So this week I will be car-less for a few days and will rely on public transport. In fact, I have bought myself a one week bus pass for £10.25 which will last till next Saturday. With a single bus journey at £1.15 a shot, I will have to take nine journeys to break even and start to really get my money's worth. That will come in handy as I plan to continue going out to Starbucks to read after dinner on week days. And I'll have a Core Team meeting at church tomorrow as well. As for the gym... well maybe a visit on Wednesday. Will be inconvenient to get to the west end on buses, so may arrange a ride from Cat, or just go back to Starbucks to read instead. Hope to finish reading the Highway Code tonight and continue reading Instructor Techniques and Practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Gonna be a busy week this week. Looking forward to a less eventful or at least less costly weekend next weekend. Will need start saving my pennies again, especially after the car repairs =)
(5249)
22 October 2009
AA start date
Just off the phone with the AA. Denise confirmed she received my franchise pack around midday. Great news! Whilst on the call with her I checked the Royal Mail tracking site which said my package was still getting delivered! Lol! Ah well, it got there anyway!
So, I paid my deposit and an admin fee and I am now booked in for the AA instructor conference on 18th and 19th of November. Because I will be travelling down from Glasgow, and the conference starts 10:30am on the 18th, there is no way I could make it down on the Wednesday morning to start in time. So they have arranged for me to stay another night at their assigned hotel, which is most likely to be the Horthorpe Hall where the conference takes place too.
The website for the place is http://www.hothorpe.co.uk/ and first sight it looks quite plush! =D
For Wednesday and Thursday I'll have all meals and lodging provided. For the extra Tuesday night, I'll only have lodging provided and will have to sort out my own meals! Gong jiy mein!! Haha!! Nah, most likely gonna have meal in hotel or something and claim that back through expenses. I'll need to sort out train travel as well and Denise mentioned a short taxi trip from Market Harborough station to the place. So exciting!
I wonder if it would be easy to travel to Leicester Cineworld from my place of stay? =P
(5124)
So, I paid my deposit and an admin fee and I am now booked in for the AA instructor conference on 18th and 19th of November. Because I will be travelling down from Glasgow, and the conference starts 10:30am on the 18th, there is no way I could make it down on the Wednesday morning to start in time. So they have arranged for me to stay another night at their assigned hotel, which is most likely to be the Horthorpe Hall where the conference takes place too.
The website for the place is http://www.hothorpe.co.uk/ and first sight it looks quite plush! =D
For Wednesday and Thursday I'll have all meals and lodging provided. For the extra Tuesday night, I'll only have lodging provided and will have to sort out my own meals! Gong jiy mein!! Haha!! Nah, most likely gonna have meal in hotel or something and claim that back through expenses. I'll need to sort out train travel as well and Denise mentioned a short taxi trip from Market Harborough station to the place. So exciting!
I wonder if it would be easy to travel to Leicester Cineworld from my place of stay? =P
(5124)
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