Updates

Ok. . . some of this I have covered already, some I have not.
Rather than looking back at what I have posted I am writing some simplified versions of updates here.

First:

I have a Long Term Social Visa pass for Malaysia. This allows me to work anywhere and live in Malaysia. I must renew it one time per year for 90RM.

Second:

I have been wanting to get out of town or stay in a hotel that has amenities like a hot tub, sauna, etc.

Siew and I went to Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang. On their site they advertise a sauna, jacuzzi tub, swimming pool and a private beach.

They do have these things. However! Here's a list of stuff wrong:

No complimentary breakfast
No information provided about check-in or out times
No information provided about amenities
No direction given to get to amenities
Private beach access is kind of hidden so you really have to hunt for it
The sauna and jacuzzi tubs are hidden inside of a spa, with no obvious signs that say you can use it for free
The hotel hallways smell like a wet basement, as did the car parking
Car parking area is dark and no signs really show the way to go up
The room was run-down
The tub dripped constantly
No water provided
Water boiling kettle was not as clean as I would like
Hotel staff came to our room and demanded to be let in to spray for bugs, then walked away when they didn't really understand me
Hotel spraying for mosquitoes a little TOO vigorously and without warning, it looked almost as though the whole place was on fire!

I ca not think of anything else now. That is a lot I know, however, I worked in 2 different hotels for a couple of years total.

Third:

When I went to the monthly meeting for ELS I was told, after the meeting that they have less students this month and that I could only work as a sub for a teacher who needed certain days off.

I was not happy about this and started applying for other jobs.

I landed an interview for a place in KL. I had previously contacted someone else, also in KL, about a potential job.

So, we made a rush trip to KL. Siew's wonderful friend Pei Tze allowed us (Siew, her mother and I (and later Siew's sister)) to stay with her for the weekend so I could attend my interviews.

The first place is a brand new place trying to compete with companies like ELS. Their initial offer sounded good. 1000-1300usd + accommodation allowance. However! During the interview the owners offered me 3200 without accommodation. When I said that is not enough they went up to 4000 without accommodation.

Apparently because I am from the USA, but living in Malaysia already and do not need a visa, I do not need extra to live in a higher living cost city like KL. Nevermind the costs involved from moving to KL at my own cost.

Seriously, if I were from the states they would have given me, perhaps, 4500-5500. But because I am in Malaysia already, they offered me less and would not help me with moving expenses? For a start-up company?

Later they said they would go as high as 4500 but they could not offer more than that.

Honestly, 4500 would be ok if I was already in KL, or alone. However, I am not alone and I am not in KL. That is not enough.

The second place is a tuition center catering to international school students. They said they would pay 4000-5000 for a full-time teacher and that I could make more if I wanted by offering private tuition and that they would help give me contacts for this. This sounds good.

Finally they said that they, for now, want a part-time teacher only. Again, if I was in KL I think I would take this as I could have more private tutoring and make more.

I am not in KL.

I turned them both down.

Fourth:

One of my data harddrives died.

My step-father, he runs his own pc store, sold me a Western Digital harddrive for 65$ about a year ago. When I bought the drive, 65$ for a 500GB drive was cheap. I was looking for more data storage room so I thought it would be ok if I only used it for data back up and then removed it from the computer.

Western Digital drives are NOT known to last long. They do not bond the magnetic data material to the platter the same way that Seagate does so the data tends to flake away, literally.

When I went to WD's website I found out that the drive was no longer under warranty. I could get it under warranty only if I could show a receipt with a date of purchase that affected the warranty.

I thought that would be no problem for my parents to manage and scan and send to me. Boy was I wrong.

I contacted WD about the drive and they kept feeding me support information that had NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING!

Mom and her husband sent me this response to me asking for a receipt for the drive:

"Marty says a customer sold him that drive, he didn't really want it but it was like $20. He says you were there and he asked you if you wanted it and you said sure. I had wondered about it since we don't buy Western digital HD's because they are too flakey. Glad you got it to work. Get yourself a Seagate, they have the best warranties in the business.

Love,

Mom"

This shocked me. I was NOT there when this happened. Marty contacted me later and offered the drive to me for 65$. When I asked where it came from he would not tell me!

Luckily I used Google and found that CHKDSK /r would resolve the problem. It did resolve it, but I need to buy another harddrive to dump this data onto. I don't want to do that until I have a full-time job again. For now it is sitting safely in storage.

Fifh:

While I was in KL ELS called me. Ei Leen, the bitch, called me and asked me if I was coming in to get my books. I asked her what for?

Her response was that she put me on the schedule for 3 hours (each day).

I was livid at this point. She specifically told me that she would NOT have me work this month except to sub. Then she changes her mind, without informing me ahead of time, and puts me on the schedule.

Then she rudely asks if I am coming to get the books or not. I said no, I am not.

I had quit.

I feel bad that I quit, I do not want to be jobless, but I do not need to tolerate that kind of shit anymore. They, obviously, need me more than I need them.

Sixth:

I managed to get ahold of three games I have been wanting to play.

Fallout 3

Dead Space

Left 4 Dead


Ok. I am not going to describe these games. If you want to know, go to the links and read.

I love the other Fallout games, so I have been looking forward to the newest one. I have to say I am really really impressed with it so far.

Dead Space is amazing. It has beautiful graphics, a very unique interface, amazing ambiance, and a rather interesting plot. It is really good! I really really like this game. This is one of the best games I have ever played. Seriously.

Left 4 Dead is fun, however it is not the game that these other games are. This is a twitch game that can make you jump when you are attacked by 15-25 (something like that, it's a large group and they come too fast to count!) infected all en masse. It is great fun!

Seventh:

I had another job interview here in Penang today. It sounds like something I might like, and I saw three of my former students there.

If they pay is right, I think I would like that job.

I have another job interview next week with a college. They want me to do a 15 minutes presentation on anything I choose. I guess they want to see how well I speak and in front of others. I am not totally comfortable with this to be honest. It makes me feel out of my league. We will see how it goes.

Otherwise I need to, and maybe I should on top of a job, look into private tuition. I can go back to IT work now if I can get a job doing it, but the pay will not be as high so I do not think I want to do that. I want Siew and I to have comfortable lives, and part of that involves a comfortable savings account to make things more secure for us.

Wish me luck!