Jotashield Flex

     The last paint product I launched was Jotashield Flex, my last paint formulation before I moved to marketing. I launched in the Asian countries I was responsible of although personally I wouldn't have launched it in tropical environment but due to corporate pressure, I had to launch.

My product was featured in this Malaysian magazine

     Technically, this product is good with crack-bridging ability. It suffers though on dirt pick-up resistance especily in tropical climate. It may attract dirt more due to its lower Tg, the glass transition temperature of the binder which is a key component of the paint.

How To Get Away With Murder

     I just finished this series on Netflix entitled "How To Get Away With Murder", which is very catchy. Until now I am still wondering how Netflix can air this kind of series. The title alone is suggesting a negative message to the audience.

The series that perplexes me 

     I know the content is about fighting for justice for the underdogs and hiding the truth in order to protect the innocent who happened to be at the scene. It is a noble objective but the lies and hiding still annoys me. I understand they were trying to portray fighting for justice in this cruel imbalanced world where the moneyed and powerful perpetrate their crimes over those who have no means to fight. I believe a better title would have made the series less offensive. 

Yee Sang

     Yee shang or Yuu sahng or lohsang, however you say it, it all means prosperity toss, a Chinese New Year must do among the Chinese be it in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong or China during Chinese New Year which I had experienced many times with my Chinese friends in Malaysia.

An eating ritual I did when I was in Malaysia

     It's a tradition during Chinese New Year. They do it even before the Chinese New Year date. The recipe is full of ingredients that will usher in luck and prosperity, they believe. They toss it as they believe the higher the toss, the more prosperous you become. It is common during Chinese New Year although the taste is not, the sweet-salty sauce makes it not bad for the palate.

Filinvest

     I acquired my condominium in Manila through Filinvest while working in Singapore. There was a time I did AirBNB but I have stopped after my stroke. I prefer long-term rental to minimize the hassle for me.

     I religiously paid it through Filinvest and I paid it fully in 2020 to reduce my worries since I am no longer working. I am chasing Filinvest for the title of my unit. This week it created a website for clients like us to access them and communicate with them as well as get updates, a laudable move in this era. I was asked to register but I couldn't, only later to find out that the telephone number registered with them is still my Singapore number. I told them to update accordingly. It is with this communication with them suddenly they informed me my email is also not the one in their system.

 

     How on earth my email cannot be registered with them when it is the one they use to communicate with me? I still have no logical explanation as to how they can come up with this. Either they are plain stupid or lazy to check on the details. I have no patience with people who never use their brain for such simple matters, pure common sense.

A Stranger In My Own Land

     I loved working in Malaysia for almost twenty years the most. I learned to be independent there and grew professionally especially working with a global Norwegian paint company as a paint chemist. I feel connected with my ex-colleagues, even now that I have completely retired from work. I love them so much.

My Jotun colleagues in a farewell dinner they organized when I left 

     Malaysia seems to be my second home that I know it very well in many ways. Thus coming back to my hometown after many years of being away feels so much strange and I am still struggling to fit in situations. Each morning I do my daily walk meet people on the road who recognize me but I don't know them nor remember. Not that I don't know them but they look so different thirty years ago.

Smoke-Free Municipality

     Once you enter Alangalang, my hometown, you will see this board reminding people that smoking is no longer allowed.

Reminder to the public

     This ordinance is exemplary and laudable, beneficial to the health of the public. However, this is my first time to hear a complete smoking ban. In Singapore where I used to work, which for me should be a model for implemennting "no smoking", they have smoking spots all over the state and rooms in shopping malls and buildings catering the need of the smokers.

     This complete ban opens opportunities of irresponsible individuals to smuggle cigarettes especially in the barangays where police presence is absent. The ingenious Filipinos will find a way to bring in cigarettes discretely because there is a market. This is a mistake of the municipal government for not foreseeing the influx of illegal activities related to the cigarette smuggling. The intention is right but it lacks the foresight of possible issues related to the ban.

Beautiful Day

     These last three days has been sunny without the rain that has been with us since Christmas. We had a cold and gloomy New Year.

What a Beautiful Day

     It is still cold now but at least the rain has stopped, praying it will be for good. It has been damp and wet and cold for several days that I just wanted to curl in bed.