I deployed my plum blossoms tree on 18th Feb. I on the lights 24 hour. on the 21st Feb, when I came in in the morning, it's still shining fine. But in the afternoon, the bulb blew, and there's no more lights. Sigh.

I dismantle the thing, and find that inside, the power cord is connected to a transformer, which output to the bulb and a motor tat rotates a filter on top of the bulb. The bulb is arranged in a strange way. It's tilted to 1 side. That was why the lights in the tree is brighter at the bottom. The bulb is only shining at half the optic fibers below cos of the tilt.

Anyway, I bought a replacement bulb and place it upright and the tree is beautiful again. As i was preparing to leave the ofc after awhile, i notice a burining smell and find the transformer overheating. I off it and went off.

Next morning, when I went back, I on the lights again. The transformer is cool, so I thought I'll check back after awhile. I forgot. I was engrossed in work when I heard pop sound. I check out the tree and find the motor is not moving and the bulb is not lighted. There goes the transformer. I hope the motor is still working, but I'll never know until I replace the transformer...

So now the tree stands without it's shining lights.

I was shopping in Chinatown on the early early 16 Feb, Wednesday, morning. At 3am. Yes, I am looking for cheap stuffs. For those who do not know, 16 Feb 2005, Wednesday, is the 1st day of the Chinese New Year. Few weeks before the CNY, there will be alotta stalls in Chinatown selling new year stuffs until the 1st day of CNY. Therefore if u go in the wee hours of the 1st day, the sellers will be trying to get rid of their last stock as there would be no demand for those stuff for another year. I wanted to buy a artificial plum blossoms tree. A small tree normally cost abt $100. But my budget is less than $30.

Anyway, I was walking around the streets looking at the stuffs there. I spotted a nie plum blossoms tree. Let's call it size 4. The bigger the number the bigger the tree. Anyway, the seller quoted me $78. It's quite cheap, but still outta my budget, so i rejected him. The man ask me to give him a price that I am comfortable with, but I can't bring myself to say $25. Too embarrassin. So I just walk off.

Then I spotted another stalls selling tree. They have 3 sizes. Size 1, 2 and 3. They cost $28, $38, $48 respectively. Size 1 looks pretty small. I am more insterested in size 3, but I thought I'll settle for size 2 as it's closer to my budget. I bargained for $25. The seller refused to settle for less. Only when I tried to leave, do he offer $35. It is still over my budget.

As I am prepared to leave empty handed, I saw another stall, selling a size 5 tree at $48. This is the cheapest so far and i saw an old couple bargaining with the seller. They don't look very interested though, but the seller said that he just wanted to get rid of it and he's prepared to take a lost. He offered them $38, they refused and walk away. I walk up to the seller and offerred him $25. He tried to get me to buy it at $30 and we settled at $28.

I bring it to my office building and left it in

Sigh. This CNY has not been very kind to me. At least in the luck department. Lost $60+ in 2 mahjong sessions. May not seem like much to some pp, but it's very much to me... :(

Anyway, to happier stuffs. Went Jerry's house for a pot luck on the 12th, Saturday. I prepared Potato Gratin, which I learned from Weiling. I had planned on leaving house at 9:30am and reach his place at abt 10am. But I watched too much TV and ended up leaving house at 10am. So I took a cab. As it turned out, I am too early. Michelle(Jerry's wife to be) was still sleeping and Jerry is working. Poor Mich. :P

We made the mistake to put the potato gratin in a plastic microwavable container in the oven to bake. the container deformed and there goes 1 nice tub of potato gratin. I seems to have put alotta cheese into it and the cheese is finished pretty fast and Stan have to go buy more. Stan is the 2nd to come, followed by June and Huishan. Huishan came with 1 big draq up of the Da Xiao (Big Small) board. Coolz.

Ended up prepare 2 big containers of potato gratin. The 1st is pretty watery. again. I wonder what went wrong. Is it because I added too much cheese or I did not draing the potato enough... But the 2nd container is pretty presentable. But most importantly, Every1 likes it. :)

Happy Chinese New Year to all readers!
恭喜发财 万事如意
龙马精神 心想事成

Customer service

My friend, Diana, subscribed to a M1 line. She has been with M1 for a few years, and for the last year she has been out of contract. I had heard of quite a number of instances where other service providers will send a voucher for mobile phones to people whose contract with them are expiring, in the hope that they'll buy a new phone with them. And hence, sign a new contract, hereby tie-ing themselves in for 2 more years.

One day, Diana told me that she's thinking of switching to Starhub as they sells the model of phone that she wanted for about $200 cheaper. I told her to try sending an email to M1 telling them that her line is currently under no contract and that she wanted to get a phone with starhub that is cheaper and ask whether they can match it for her. They waited about 3 days befoe calling her. They told her that the model of phone that she wanted is out of stock and that they cannot do anything.

she went to Starhub to subscribe to a new line and cancel her M1 line that evening.

I thought it's very bad customer service by M1. Either they have a very lousy people in customer service or they do not care if their subscriber switch provider. No doubt they have no stock for the phone, but they could have at least try to entice her with offer for another model. Or better still, offer her a phone voucher. But nothing. They told her they cannot do anything as the model is out of stock. Only that. They took 3 days to reply, so I will assume that the customer service officer in charge of calling my friend would have enough time to speak to the relevant people if he(she) do not have the authority to give discounts.

Actually it doesn't make much difference to Diana whether she subscribe to M1 or to Starhub. She just wanted to get a new phone. I was just disappointed in M1. They used to provide better service. Nowadays they seem to have gone big-headed. They have no strength at all compared to the other 2 mobile srevice provider. They are not cheaper than their competitor and they got no special identity. And now, they do not seem to care for their existing customers.

I have about 1 9 more mths to run on my contract to M1. I may just cancel it at the end of it if nothing attractive pops up by then...