Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by ernie ball

Childcare for both working parents

ernie ball — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 10:54:32 +0800

Hi guys and girls,
Looking for constructive ideas on how to manage this situation.
I am married, 2 young kids, 3 and 1 year old. Don't ask why the age spread is so little, life happens in spite of your plans.

Both husband and wife (both late 30s) is working engineers with meeting well into late evening. Wife is WFH and employer have no sense of work-life boundary. Husband is working in office full time, used to work late but due to kids, no choice have to back on time to fetch the kids to and from school. Definitely in the bottom ranks in the office with no career advancement. Lucky to still be employed. No parents living together so have to manage the kids ourselves.

Since the kids come out, we are overwhelmed with childcare and work.
Children is thankfully enrolled in childcare facility, so our day really starts at 6pm when the child is back home.
We have hardly any time to cook food, so most dinner consists of packed food. I know, we are not parents of the year.
We tried catering but as we live quite far from town, not much choices and those who serve our area, their food is really bad - imagine sending us economy rice leftover dishes.

When the child is sick, we have totally no back up. So wife would try to take care of the sick child and work at the same time. This also badly affect her work.

One side parent is fighting with cancer, so unable to take care of the kids (live across the country)
Another side parent wants their own life, don't want to take care of kids. It's their choice, unable to convince them to help.
We live in Penang, do not know any after work hours nanny arrangements. I know we could hire go to house nanny in KL but those services don't really serve Penang.

Any idea how to deal with this situation?
1. Find time to cook for child.
2. Rest time and errands time for husband and wife sometimes. -how to find someone to take care of the child sometimes? Someone paid. Relatives helps but we don't really have much relatives around. Both of us are immigrants in Penang. To clarify, we are Malaysian, but hometown out of Penang.

Transfer money from US to Malaysia

ernie ball — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 09:58:11 +0800

Hi guys, looking for help here ..
I am working in US based company who gives us shares, and usually I sell the shares and directly transfer the money into my Maybank account with SWIFT(at the banks' buying TT rate). I decided to HODL for some time, now I have around 100+k USD to transfer back, so now the exchange rate spread will have some impact to the amount I'm getting.
I tried transferWise, but not able to receive money if the account is opened in Malaysia.

Asking all sifu here, what is the best way to get the minimum spread when you transfer back money into Malaysia?

I needed it to pay for my house, as the shares are at ATH I don't feel like HODL it much longer, in case you're wondering.

Thanks for your help!

Car that can disable front passenger side airbag

ernie ball — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 08:27:12 +0800

Hi guys, having a new family member, was considering to purchase a new car to ferry this guy around, most of the time alone.
Need to get a car that can disable the front passenger airbag so can put the child seat in front. Any new car in Malaysia that still have this function? Below 100k car, preferably.
I know how unsafe it was, but it will only be for short trips running errands, and only for those times when partner is not available.
Thanks in advance!

<WTS> Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

ernie ball — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:47:50 +0800

Item(s): Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 for sale.

Package includes: Original accessories as in box (phone, user guides, charger, USB cable), 2 quality casing as in picture, 1 glass type screen protector (attached)

Price: RM700.

Warranty: til April 2017 (locally purchased, Thorus set)

Dealing method: COD in Penang Island only.

Location of seller: Penang Island

Contact method/details: PM.

Age of item: ~5 months

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Item(s) conditions: Like new, please inspect before purchase.

Picture: [attachmentid=7525896]

Reason for sale: Needs cash

<WTS> m43 Pana 20mm f1.7

ernie ball — Sat, 24 May 2014 15:26:42 +0800

Item(s): Panasonic H-H020 Lumix 20mm f1.7 ASPH for micro 4/3 mount cameras

Package includes: Lens, pouch, manual, box ( full set )

Price: RM850

Warranty: None left, 7 days personal warranty.

Dealing method: COD at Penang island ( Tesco Extra Sg Dua or Tesco Penang ).
Please PM me to get further info.
Postage can be arranged (Poslaju) but not recommended.

Location: Penang

Contact method/details: PM
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Item(s) conditions: 10/10 view before comment

Picture:

Reason for sale: Seldom use as faster lens available

PCV valve connection

ernie ball — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:24:52 +0800

Guys, I need your help. When installing an aftermarket open pod filter for carb cars, some adaptors doesn't come with a PCV intake hole. The accessories shop guys told me its ok to just install a breather filter into the pcv intake, but some googling turn out that if we didn't connect the PCV hose properly the blow-by gases will deposit unburnt gasoline into the engine chamber, diluting the engine lubricant, which is harmful to the engine.

I plan to install an open pod air filter for my kancil just to play around, but i fear that without proper ventilation my engine chamber might suffer in the long run. I got an idea to plug the PCV outlet into a vacuum line with a t-joint, but is there any adverse effect in doing that?

Anyone who installed an open pod filter before who can help me?

Prodigy 7.1LT Directwire Need help

ernie ball — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:15:06 +0800

Hi, I have this prodigy 7.1LT, and I'm not exactly clear how to properly configure it to suit my need...

I only listen to 2 channel audio all the time, so there's 4 unused channels, but I have multiple amps which I hope I can wire to all of them without using a splitter ( because it decrease audio quality) for example, amp A is connected to channel 1-2, amp B is connected to channel 3-4, amp C --> channel 5-6.

FYI, i'm using a tube amp for my headphone, an ATP3 for normal listening, and a micro hifi which I listen to when I'm in the mood. It's troublesome for me to physically connect the correct plug everytime.

I know with Directwire you can wire the outputs as you like, but I don't really know how to do it, mr. google didn't help much, either.

Bottom line: I wanna make rear/side/centre channels all produce the front speaker output but I don't know how....

Help, anyone?

[addedon]March 30, 2007, 5:05 pm[/addedon]nobody got any clue?