When your drain is stuck...

Mr Muscle Drain DeClogger - what can I say other than "IT WORKS"!!

Had problem with the kitchen basin for a couple of months where the water will flow out to a certain point, get congested then drain out very very slowly.

I tried the KIWI KLEEN DRAIN CLEANER. For it to be really effective, the pipe have to be empty of water.. so it means you have to do it early in the morning before anyone have a chance to use the tap. But it didnt help.

My father then tried to clear the congestion by removing a portion of the pipe to clean it but to no avail. We then complained to the developer and a plumber did the same as my dad but in a more professional way.

Still the problem persists...

I was at a loss cos we are having a new year party soon and the basin have to work!!

My mother was apprehensive about using any acid or corrosive products cos once she poured a whole bottle of acid into the toilet bowl and it basically exploded with a loud bang... Guess following instructions are not my mother's strength.

Anyhow I was at Sogo supermarket looking for a product for this problem and the only thing they sell is this Mr Muscle Drain Declogger... Just love the shape of the bottle. Super cute...

Bought it and it was quite easy to use. You can even use it when the basin is full of water.

For me since the pipe was not really flowing, I poured the entire bottle into the pipe. Then waited 30 minutes. Then I poured the hot almost boiling water. It didnt flow smoothly.. so I boiled another pot of water. This time, the water went down so fast!! Amazing!!

For minor clogs you only need to pour in half a bottle and wait 15 mins only.

At last! Problem solved! So the time you have a blocked drain / pipe just get yourself one Mr Muscle. I got it for RM11.90 at Sogo but I saw the same thing in MyMydin at RM9.90 only.

IKEA RM25 mirror

Was at IKEA to buy some mirror for the new house... been living without mirrors for more than 10 months it's about time to get me some.. The reason why I dragged my feet was cos I didnt really fancy the thought of having to drill, hammer etc the wall to install the mirror.

Lo and behold, IKEA have a solution.. Mirrors secured by double sided tapes!! Good! Save me the trouble... or so I thought...

It was all plain and easy... clean the surface, make sure it's dry and secure the double sided tape.

All was well and good for just a few days cos these mirrors start to drop like ripe durians... at night! Imagine the loud noise when any of them fall.. First they'll fall on the countertop then bounced off before landing with a loud noise on to the floor.

Some I'm lucky and it doesnt shatter but once my dad cut his toe as he was not aware of the broken pieces in the morning.

I bought 2 sets, meaning I had 8 pieces and so far only 4 are still on the wall.. One kept sliding downwards so I replaced the tape with stronger ones.

So IKEA thanks for these reasonably priced products but could you please EITHER:-

a) make these mirrors smaller hence lighter OR

b) change your double sided tape supplier... cos the foam of tapes as well as the adhesive are really inferior quality.

Tropic Thunder

Rainy season in back... with vengeance!

Living in a tropical country has its pros and cons...

I can easily name 3 setbacks:-

1) Flashfloods are so real.. it used to be a thing of the past for a few years since the implementation of SMART tunnel.. but now it's back again...

Guess maintenance is not our Malaysian forte.. Hope there wont be any more untoward incidents..

2) Leaking roofs

Again blame it on poor maintenance, the place where I work sometime will have leaks.. pretty bad ones too cos apparently the drainage system on the roof could be clogged by dried leaves, plastics etc.. thus causing the water not being able to flow off the roof in time...

Since moving to a new house, I again faced this problem whenever there is heavy rain.. Why cant developer build better house with quality plumbing, tiles, roofs and enough electrical sockets?

3) Falling trees

My friend had the unfortunate of waking up to find his car damaged by fallen tree over the night of heavy rain.

When he checked with his insurance policy, it turned out that act of nature is NOT covered. When checked with his condo, apparently the tree were outside the condo compound and it belongs to the local authority DBKL. When he checked DBKL's website the claim is not that easy to prove... cos you have to prove negligence on DBKL in maintaining the trees.

Hence it means he have to bear the cost of repair himself... Just changing the side mirror alone costs RM480 since this is the new MYVI and used hand ones are not available yet... PLUS he still need to fix the dent on the side of the car top...

CONCLUSION
So the next time you park your car during rainy season (which are usually during the year end of November and December in KL), just take a few seconds to check out the location... no old weakening suspiciously leaning trees, not potential flashflood sites and no signs of leaks...

Well at least be thankful that we do not have snowstorm or sandstorm.. Just rain water... Plenty of them of course...

Receding gums n red spots on face

2 SIMPLE BUT USEFUL TIPS:-

BRUSHING TEETH
Tilt the brush at a 45° angle against the gumline and sweep or roll the brush away from the gumline.

This may seems very trivial but the I had receding gums and just changing the way I brush my teeth actually help to stem this problem.

I mean why not try this simple method first before considering soft-tissue graft surgery.

APPLYING FOUNDATION
After years of applying foundation, kind of forgot that the proper way is to apply it from top to bottom so that you do not block the pores.

No wonder sometimes I get red spots on my face...

Eyeliner - Liquid, Pencil or Gel?

Never been one to use make up before, I now swears by it.. meaning I hardly leave home without makeup... except occasionally when I need to rush out for a short while.

When that happens, I'll be wishing I dont bump into anyone I know... cos somehow there's the self conscious feeling like as if you're not wearing any clothes ;p

Anyhow I have tried a few brands and would like to give my 5 sen opinion on them.

1) Shiseido Maquillage eyeliner gel

RM75 and comes with an applicator brush.

VERDICT: only the brush is good. The gel smudges too much and too fast.

2) Cyber Colors

RM39.90 comes with a brush too but I did not like the brush as it is round tip.
VERDICT: better lasting power than Shiseido but it's not waterproof. So dont swim with it.

3) Chanel Waterproof eye liner

RM95 and comes with a sharpener at the back (cool design)
VERDICT: it is waterproof but not oil-proof meaning it does smudge at the end of the day since our eyes do excrete moisture and oil...

Tips:- To prevent extreme smudges first apply the liner then apply eye shadow on it.

FINAL VERDICT

So far all the eyeliner gel which I have bought smudge. It's a matter of how much. The best is Cyber Colour, followed by Chanel.

Perhaps for people like me who suffer from oily lower eyelids and like to smile or laugh with eyes tightly closed, to prevent smudges from top eyelid to bottom, the best would be liquid liner.

I have recently bought one from Shiseido Maquillage RM95 (refill RM40)... been working like a charm.. Should have gotten this product from the very beginning. Two thumbs up for it!!

Buying property, getting divorce.. being sued?? Gulp..

At one time or another we will need to engage in the help of lawyers.. especially when it relates to property.
Other times are when there are breach of contract or God forbid we get into criminal law trouble.

Lawyers are also needed in cases where there is death (distribution of assets) or getting a divorce.. but in these last 2 cases a different set of laws are applicable for the muslims which are the syariah laws.

So how do you know which lawyers to look for since the practice of law is so extensive... surely a lawyer does not know every areas of laws.

Well so far we have engaged these lawyers for help and find their services commendable:-

Areas of practice: Conveyancing (meaning sales or purchase of property / loans with banks)

Armiy Rais - 2 branches (Puchong and Damansara Perdana)
Contact Person: Mr David Soo 012-3827152 / 012-9166679
note: fast service and reliable. They can give instant quotation.

Areas of practice: Civil Litigation (meaning you want to sue someone or defending a suit)
previously I suggested Rommel and A Nagarajan (Jalan Tun Perak, KL) but now am looking for a new lawyer for this kind of suit. Will update when found.


Areas of practice: Divorce
R Paranjothi and Associates (Batu Caves area)
Contact Person: Ms Selvi 012-3669196
note: service may be slow but price is reasonable


Note that there is a standard way for computating the legal fees for conveyancing matters. That being said, there are many firms giving discounts even though it is strictly against Bar Council's rules.

You can also save on the fees in cases where both parties share lawyers. It is not encouraged but this method can really save a lot of money if both parties are genuine buyer/seller.

But the legal fees for all others matters depend on the lawyers, their level of expertise, experience and difficulty of the case.

Normally lawyers will not state a maximum amount because they can never predict the outcome of the case. Everything is usually 50-50. Bear in mind that even if you win a case, the other party have a right to appeal.

Another blog which is quite helpful is http://legal-malaysia.blogspot.com/ but I find their legal fees to be standard. Then again, sometimes what you pay for is what you get. But for the firms which we have listed above, we have tried them and they are good and get the job done.

Loose Powder

So far I have tried and tested 4 brands of loose powder. My ratings are as follows:-

1) Shiseido
I am now using my 3rd jar.. meaning I really like this product. I have very dry skin but at the end of the day this product did not dry it out further.

Only 1 shade - white / translucent RM135 for 18g.

2) Shiseido Maquillage
The powder itself is good but I find the applicator too small... very cutesy.

The difference between this powder and the other Shiseido powder is this has a subtle shimmer to it.

It's good except it's pricier cos even though Shiseido translucent powder is RM135 (18g). For Maquillage you pay less but you also get like 8 or 9g only. So in the end it work out to higher price per gram.

Shade - pinkish white only.

3) Chanel
I cant wait to finish using this product cos it's a bit drying for my skin. Not only that I find the applicator puff too harsh for my skin. Anyhow I just learned that the best way to apply loose powder is to use a large bristle face brush.

But it is cheaper/gram compare with the other Shiseido powder. About RM150 for 30g.

It comes in 3 shades.

4) Maybelline
Well perhaps it is not fair to put this in considering the price factor but after using this powder TOGETHER with Maybelline's foundation for less than a month, I noticed my face started to crack whenever I smile...so I immediately gave both of the products away.

Plus the size of the applicator puff is really too small.

Shade - light beige only.

CONCLUSION
Sometimes a product efficacy depends on the users' skin age etc.. So what might work for me might not be good for you.. At the end it depends on your budget too. For me once I finish my current Shiseido loose powder, I might try Ettusais or Cyber Colours loose powder (cos it's more economical).

Price
Maybelline $
Chanel $$
Shiseido $$$
Maquillage $$$$