Quality of Life - KL vs Perth

It's funny how each and every time I visit Australia, I resent Malaysia more and more. It's not the people I resent, but the quality of life we get dollar for dollar. And people sometimes wonder why I choose to visit Australia, time and time again. So, here is my attempt to rationalize why I say the quality of life there is of higher quality. I will try my up most best to compare apple to apple and orange to orange. But where it differs, the content or logic is the same.

I'll start with McDonald's. I usually have the Sausage McMuffin with Egg set in Malaysia. It cost RM7.80 tax excluding. In Perth, I took the Bacon & Egg McMuffin set. Both comes with a hash brown and coffee or tea. And that only cost me AUD$4.95 WITH tax.

Cars are so darn cheap there. A Toyota Altis 1.8G would cost us approx RM119,000 whereas the Ultima Sedan, which is what Australia calls it, is, get this, only less than AUD$40,000 with full leather trim. That's a whopping 79,000 difference, dollar for dollar. My most recent trip, I saw a Ford Focus which sells for RM120,000 here in Malaysia for A$20,000. Oh, did I tell you there isn't any toll? I didn't? In KL, you just can't get by without going thru toll plazas every now and then, here and there. Oh, and in shopping malls, parking is free. And in some part of the city, free parking is also available albeit only 1-2 hours. Free parking in KL city? Hahahahahahahahaha .....

Here's the cruncher, petrol, which our dear Malaysian Government tries so very hard to convince the locals who knows no better. Petrol prices fluctuates according to the market. During my most recent trip, the most expensive I saw was AUD$1.43 per litre and the cheapest was AUD$1.41 per litre. When you shop at supermarkets, like Woolworths for example, you get 4 cts off petrol too, which we paid AUD$1.39 when we fill up the car one day. In Malaysia, a producer and net exporter of oil, we previously paid RM1.92 per litre. And recently, a hike which yten puts our petrol at RM2.70 per litre but reduced 2 weeks ago to RM2.55. Oh sure, economics comes into play and all but at the end of the day, I'm just showing how we pay so much but get so little. But I so resent the government for saying, "We are still amongst the cheapest you will pay for a litre of petrol. Here you pay RM2.70 but in Australia, you pay RM4.29 (AUD$1.43 x 3 exchange rate)". What a load of crap.

There are stuffs that are more expensive there too, but you get so much more back because of the excellent infrastructure and support to the people by the government. I've a colleague who wonders what's so good about visiting countries like Australia. He doesn't like to travel unnecessary. And he'd rather travel to Asian countries where he can speak his mother tongue language. And that is fine. But one has no right to comment on the negatives of going to somewhere he or she have never been before.

We make do with what we earn here in Malaysia, but to those who haven't been elsewhere, you haven't been living. It's really an eye opener. And to think that I've only just begun. Where next? After all, according to Bukit Bendera UMNO division chief, Datuk Ahmad Ismail, we chinese are squatters and do not belong here in Malaysia. So, why stay? I'd rather spend my money elsewhere when your own countrymen do not see us as equal.

Warbook @ Facebook

I'm addicted, that's all I can say. My lover, who initially introduced, taught & assisted in the growth of my hero, is now just as addicted after I showed him the tricks of the game. I have to admit, I spend most of my time on the internet mainly on this game. It's available on either Facebook or Bebo.



All you have to do is find and add the Warbook application and visit here for tips and strategies. WARNING : Don't play this game if you don't know when to rest and when to play.

The good thing about this game is that it is real time. And there is a strategy to playing it. Even a code of conduct amongst the alliances. Facebook, ahhh, I forgot how I got started on Facebook. And the moment I did, someone said to me, "Finally, you are on Facebook". Huh? Facebook only mah. Tried many applications I have, but Warbook is by far the most interesting of them all. Fleet Command? Slayers? Werewolf? They're all child's play when compared to this.

So, try it for those who hasn't and has time to spare. But please don't ignore my above warning. It is addictive once you get the hang of it.

Korean Drama Series

I never did really understood why Korean dramas were making headlines in most parts of Asia. Sure, the women were good looking. But are the series itself worth watching? Well, I found that out in my recent trip to .... Korea, nah, Australia.

Having some time waste in between all the appointments and rest and meals, my god sis started me off with a new series which she have not seen herself, Full House. Main cast were Song Hye Kyo who played Han Ji-Eun and Rain playing Lee Young-Jae. I must say. It was truly entertaining. Almost every emotions you can think of is felt when I watch it; love, hate, sad etc. But what I love most was humor. "What?" They love saying that and add that with some funny facial expressions, they were really funny. I could not wait to watch the next episode after anothers It was addictive.


Full House meant a home built and filled with love in the series

Next up, she recommended to me, Coffee Prince, a series she has watched twice and making it thrice when she watched it again with me. A tomboy, who fell in love with a guy who taught she was a he. And despite reservations, he decided to go all the way even though he thought she was a he. Wah, I also cried a few times in this series. And I think anybody would have fell in love with Eun Chan, the female lead character played by Yoon Eun Hye.



I then watched 200 Pounds Beauty. Well, the point is made. She has given me another series to watch and also a list of other recommended series. All in due time.



FIGHTING, I first noticed this word used when watching Full House. It was a way for the lead actress to psyche herself up when things are down. Then the lead actor added his own to it when he tried to cheer her up. AZA AZA FIGHTING. Then FIGHTING was again used in Coffee Prince, and then again in 200 Pounds Beauty. Then it occurs to me that it is probably used in most Korean series or amongst Korean themselves. How interesting.

Forah, I have you to blame or thank, for getting me addicted to Korean series. Time I may not have to watch it just yet, but I will eventually. And sis, AZA AZA FIGHTING!