E5. The colours of Putrajaya

  The pictures during the cruise at Putrajaya lake.

 

 

 

FN4. Is Debit Card really safe?

Not really.  I've gone through a bad experience last weekend when my bank account was hacked or in other word my debit card was used by 'somebody' in US.  Was I in US last weekend? I wasn't in US nor in Ulu Selangor, I was the whole day watching korea drama at home.

Here is how they (the hackers) operate;

1.  Clone the debit card (most probably)

2. Set up merchants to enable charging your card.

3. Charge many many times from the account in small amount each time.

4. Repeat the above process many times more.

The result;

As you can see in the above snapshot of my account debit, two charges amounting RM20++ have been 'successfully' transacted.  It was done on the same day, and looking at my available balance, there are some more in 'float' but again the amount is not so substantial each time.

What to do (in my case);

1. I immediately transferred the available balance to another bank's account which does not use debit card.

2. I reported to the bank by phone.  This is where I realised that the transactions have been done many many times just like trial and error and eventually some transactions managed to pass the supposedly strict safety procedures.  

3. Go to the bank's counter and fill up a so called 'disputed transaction form'.

4. Wait for the outcome of the investigation.

Have I done enough?

Well basically I am a little sceptical and phobia on using debit card and in fact I don't apply for any replacement card for now.  Maybe I am going back to withdrawing money from the counter.......oo dear.

FN3. Vietnam Dong

 This is the time to decide whether to exchange RM with USD and use USD to buy VND in Vietnam or directly buying VND in Malaysia.  Here is what I gathered;

1. Exchange rate from my money master (MMM)

1 mill VND = RM152 (buying), RM163 (selling)

Say I want to buy 4 mill VND, it will cost me;

RM163 x 4 = RM652

Yup, I use the selling rate because MMM is selling VND to me.

Keep this in mind, for comparison later.

Source: My Money Master

So I will have 4 mill VND in my hand now.  Let's use method 2.

2. Buy USD

With the USD I have, I will use to buy 4 mill of VND in Vietnam.  If I buy USD I will get;

(Rate: 1 USD = RM3.27 (wow the USD is strengthening ha))

RM652/RM3.27 = USD 199.4

Source: My Money Master

3. Buy VND in Vietnam using USD

(Rate:1 USD = 21200 VND)

21200 x 199.4 = 4227033.6 VND

Source: The state bank of Vietnam (SBV)

4. The difference.

I wouldn't call this profit as yet, but look,

Item 3 - Item 1 = 4227033.6 - 4000000

= 227033.6 VND

Now I would call this profit.  How much is this in RM?

0.2270336 x 163 = RM37

meagre...meagre...............

Hmm.....does it worth the trouble?

The good news is that USD is widely accepted in Vietnam, but again, will it be convenient to buy t-shirt using USD?

Decision decision....

F6. East Coast Duel

Picture from Google street view:  who said not beneficial?

Its not about politic or about safety, Google street view is here to stay.  This is the recent picture of our destination, copied from GSV cause I don't have the long shot at that time.

Oo ya, I am talking about our recent food tour around east coast, to be exact at Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu.

Tanjung Lumpur, Kuantan

MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! In actual case the Merdeka was shouted more than three times in the year 1957.  That was Malaysia's Independence from British. 

 This time is not about independence from anyone but from having to stick to just one or two restaurants.  We headed southwards from Kuantan on Jalan Tanjung Lumpur to find a rather unique restaurant.

The location is exactly opposite Yayasan Pahang entrance.  It is fully decorated with everything merdeka and everything Malaysia flag colours.  Lively, and not to mention, we had to queue to get our seats. 

So I asked the Kuantanians, whats the favourite here.  Unfortunately there are too many, being east coast, you will find kerabu, nasi minyak, gulai ayam kampung, even roti canai.

After that long wait for the seats, we have to endure another wait, for the foods this time.  I have chosen nasi minyak (oily rice), the norm in Kuantan, with gulai ayam (chicken curry) and becoming among the first to get my order.  The rest will have to wait especially the roti canai.

Rice, Canai, Chicken........what aaa....

Finally...............

My nasi minyak with chicken wing.

Mountain?

The kerabu.

Meaty ha....

Bird-eye view of the food variety.

Atuk....wait for us.

Yummy yummy where is mummy.

Thats plenty of chicken folks.

It is not all about food only, there is a section for playing dam haji, I have a feeling I could beat them in a good day, or can I?

Keropok losong, Kuala Terengganu

 On the completey opposite direction heading north, keropok leko is becoming more popular.  Not that we don't have it here in Klang Valey, its about locality and about quality.  So we tried our luck at the place where keropok was born, Terengganu.

As you drive out from Pulau Wan Man, you will have to go through a sub-urban area called Losong.  Yes that remind me of something like Keropok Losong.

  That is what I mean by the place where the keropok popularity takes place.

There are just too many shop outlets selling keropok like crazy.  All visitors to KT must surely stop by in this area, so did we. 

How does the keropok losong taste like?  Oo dear........

Ok ok time to judge between Kuantan and KT.

The winner this time is......

Bravo.....