Sunday, December 04, 2005

"The one with moving into a new phase, and the power of numbers..."

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It's sometimes irritating to realise that all those capital these wealthy tycoons achieved nowadays are based on the ruthless power of numbers. And often, the idea they parade isn't as complex as mixing chemicals and yada yada - but reckonly simple yet crucial. The PLUS highway for instance. Something as simple as maintaning long broad kms of roads - privatization brings in the big bucks. Let's do a simple math calculation; if each car was charged RM1.50 per entry, and there's an average of 10,000 cars passing by each day (to and from), this gives a total sum of RM15,000. Multiply that by 30 days per month, we get a grand total of RM450,000. Imagine this might be the minimum they expect - the numbers of cars on the road are skyrocketing at the moment; and God knows that highways charge by the distance of travel.

PLUS can earn as little as RM1 million per day. Imagine per year.

I blame the 40-minute long wait at the bottle-neck cramp near the Sungai Besi toll on PLUS. Period.

Yesterday was an eventful fun day. Haven't had one in quite sometime. Had lunch with Chris, Lie and Claire in Mid Valley (again, seriously, they don't have any other malls in KL?) which was full of their latest on-goings in life. Claire's comtemplating in her brave new venture in banking, and Chris's conversed on how life has been quite different for him now that he's progressing upon a new phase in life. By the way, Mid's having these Christmas extravaganza going on - all courts filled with white stages of christmas trees, and shining lights. Kinda a celebration of what's to come. At least for Lie; she's dying to be home with her family this coming festivities. Oh, and GameCon was on yesterday - 'conveniently' positioned opposite another star exhibition; the Education Fair 2005. Ironic.



But at least both were filled with people. Well, maybe because GameCon charged RM15 per admission while the Education Fair was free. Hmm...

Talking about differences; Prof Kathy's open-house was also a part of my daily itinery yesterday. It's rather interesting because this'd be an opportunity for me to get to know her better. I mean, it's kinda hard in our education systems nowadays to bond with our lecturers. Ask any obedient average student and they'll often tell you that most of their mentors are unapproachable, and that they find it hard to engge in convetional conversations with them. I'm by personal experience, has been blessed with great and understanding mentors; Dr. V, Dr. J, Cik KB...and now Prof Kathy.

I've always regarded her as exuberant as a mother than a supervisor. It's just that aura that surrounds her - reminds me so much of Ibu Fatimah Abu Bakar of AF fame. Really. Anyways, the set-up was everything like the open-houses I've attended back in my undergraduate life - only this time it was different. The atmosphere's a bit more matured in a sense, less wild but nevertheless still fun. Only in a more fullfilling way. Yeah I'd miss the funny fun times my friends and I would spend on our social gatherings back in UMS, but yesterday's gathering kinda paves on how things are gonna be in the future. When you've ventured off from that previous phase in your life and on with another. And because that previous phase was exhirilatingly special doesn't mean this new one won't promise you the same. Only, it'll come in a different way. Somehow, believe me when I say this. I have a good feeling about this new world I'm stepping into.

I pray to God that all my friends all over to be going through the same great feeling I am, as we all grow up from adolescence into adulthood.

Mom's coming back from UK tommorow, and I'm picking up Andi from UKM later this evening. Somehow, life has been pretty eventful this weekend. Wonder how it'd be next week? ;-)

-JeP

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