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7 Reasons and Memories of Labor Day

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Appreciates the International Worker Day 





There was an article in Wechat few years back depicting China's labor Day. There was not many impressive words in it, but, there was a strong picture in it about an old lady wearing a farmer hat in a tea plantation showing scarred both hands.


So I thought to myself What if I could have my version of appreciating labor day in Malaysia. That will be so cool right ? Their work make our life better and has been underrated and under appreciative from the public.



To the young readers, you might not understand about the importance of labor day before you enter the workforce in Malaysia. However, it is equally important to know beforehand all the rules.








Road Maintenance officer



1. EIGHT HOURS A DAY



To be honest, workers in Malaysia generally follows the Asian way. we do not clock in on 08.00 in the morning and clock out on 17.00 pm. Most of us work more than 8 hours and compensated with overtime pay !


It always compensation come first. As if we had a choice ? It is significant to know an employee should work 8 hours a day and no longer. In the event work more than 8 hours, the employee should be compensated. 


The image depicts road maintenance is undergoing it is important the worker has to work odd hours completing the road before dawn.



garbage disposal operator in Malaysia
Garbage Disposal Contractor




2. Public Holiday on May 1


This is just another normal working day for some people. The best part is those who work on labor day get compensated as much as triple the pay. For those white collar, they get a mandatory day off.


There was a story about there was one boy asked by class teacher what he wants to become, his answer is a garbage man because they work just one day in a week. We always thought job pick us for our skills and our academic performance. Some jobs out there are just pure dedication and spirit of volunteer.






3. The Extra Miles



The rainy day is causing havoc on Pavilion roof top dining area. Worker are tirelessly cleaning up the mess before anyone slip down. Lots of workers dispatched to the scene some of them were not scheduled to clean the area.








4. Enforce Public Order


Without them, the supposed public parking lot is home parking with no charge. 3 Officers in suit are recklessly sending out penalty bills to those luxury sedan owners without parking ticket on the windscreen. 


Do not forget we have problem finding parking lots right ? Start appreciate their excellent deeds






5. Crisis


Malaysia is not safe from water and drought crisis. Who are going to water all the plants in the city ? Without a proper measures, all the beautiful flowers withered quickly before the next rainfall. What is more scary is that, we may need to regrow the plant in the city with more taxpayer money than hiring someone water the flowers








6. Huge Impact on Environmental change


No one understands about environmental impact than the generation millennial. We are expose to so many wicked consequences of human throwing plastics the wrong way. We may have plastic ease our life, but, it certainly destroying those who think plastic is a food and clogging our drain system causing lost of millions in taxpayer money



Due to the sheer hard work of this uncle, though this uncle does not collect plastic, he is more fond on collecting carton boxes and styrofoam. But still, it helps the environment in a very meaningful way







7. September is labor day 


In fact, Asian people are surprised some countries celebrates labor day in the month of September.
Most of the restaurants in Malaysia is open for business to serve the demand of good food particularly the McDonald's.


During labor day, the service associates in any restaurantin Malaysia will receive a heavy workload due to the surge of customers. In the end of the day, they are compensated with special day rate in their salary at the end of the month




Perhaps, One day you will learn to show gratitude towards them in many ways for their sacrifices. If you did not share it out today,  today is not the day you started appreciating them. (Not seriously) Happy Labor Day to everyone !











First Time User Airbnb in Malaysia

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Airbnb is more like a choice. 



The consumer choose in the free market. Recently, there was an article bashing Airbnb stealing business of budget hotels in Malaysia. Yes, the few business operators are very angry because there were fewer guests in their hotel. The summary of the article is the expenses of tax, employee salary and utilities bill are higher compared to setting up a room with Airbnb. 



It was absurd to say Grab and Uber took all the taxi business in this beloved country. The same goes to Airbnb and the hotel industry. I prefer the newspaper or the complainant to use more formal word from "stealing" to "slowing down". I believe there are lots of Malaysian and tourists love to stay at budget hotel due to strategic location ?  



It is not a rocket science the accommodation demand is pretty much upward unless there would be an outbreak anytime soon even that is not stopping the ever-growing demand.. Airbnb might have solved the ordinary people's unused inventory. Perhaps, Airbnb is just taking it deserved market share.  










Airbnb is such a decent app to try out ! There are lots of possibility in it. I guess the right thing to do with it is exploring new territory and keep it under budget. I never visited Ipoh before, so I thought to myself it open up a chance to use Airbnb.



I could just find any budget hotels located at Ipoh but, the walk-in rate is vary and it could be fully booked. Budget hotels were sometimes not listed in major travel website due to it ratings. Hotel always synonymous with luxury room for family and group.



The truth is for tourism industry in the world particularly Malaysia, the agency namely booking.com or expedia get special room rates for group tour. Anyone book with them always come in a package like "more than one person". The main point are what if I am travelling solo and what if I like walk-in ?


 The industry has been favoring group tour since the beginning. It is like you are buying bulk, I will see you cheaper. If you just buy one of those, you are gonna get rip-off price. Those are the standard operation procedure for 4 stars and 5 stars rating hotel.



Then somehow a solution to those "YOLO" (you only live once) travelers that would be homestay or budget hotel. To be honest, most of them do not really offer breakfast and not listed widely on Internet.


Beside luxury resort, high rating hotels and budget hotels, we could choose a much more simple, transparent and fun way engage our accommodation needs in the year 2017. Airbnb does not charge us more than it should and the rate determined by the host. Furthermore, we get the chance to engage a conversation with the host rather than in a position of being a guest getting a conversation with an associate with company code.



Most of us could utilize Airbnb app as if our core purpose is to spend quality time connecting with the local and learning their culture rather than accepting all the unnecessary service provided by the hotel such as breakfast and room service. We get the chance to get our breakfast at nearest restaurant and wash our own cloth with local detergent rather than expensive laundry service from the hotels.


If you are planning on using Airbnb, a quick reminder we might need to bring our toothbrush and toothpaste.


You might ask question like "How to pay to the host through Airbnb" ? A suggestion to all Malaysian who wanted to try Airbnb is using the available payment method which is Paypal.


I am planning to use Airbnb as much as I can in the future of my endeavor on next unexplored territory in Malaysia. For instance, Melaka and Sarawak.


You could try sign up and earn travel credit too ! Here is the link >> Airbnb Sign Up Now








Visit Ipoh & Join Starwalk 2017

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Visiting Ipoh, Perak for the first time in conjunction participating Ipoh Starwalk 2017.





I cant stop thinking of participating in a marathon. It was my 2017 resolution to join Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2017. However, the marathon pass sold out in just 4 days. To be honest, I even miss the early bird pass. I have tried calling all the charity groups soliciting for marathon pass but there was no return call.



No SCKLM 2017, no problem. Putting all focus on Ipoh, Perak instead. Hope get to mingle some good Ipoh folks there. One of the reason why I really into Starwalk because the event is organized by Thestar, one of my favorite English newspaper of all time. Second is New Straits Times.




Starwalk 2017


It is relatively a short distance. Anyone could finish the race It is shockingly only cost RM13.00 per person.


I never been to Perak's Ipoh before. As a Malaysian, I am really curious what is happening on other state. I believe we should carry a self-imposed duty to be more understanding the people living in Malaysia.


Starwalk definitely not just an ordinary marathon due to the size of sponsors and support from the state authority.


In this trip, accommodation and transportation is done by Airbnb and Grab.


There will be another review of the marathon event. Stay tuned !