TRUE FITNESS membership query

I was at TF Taipan today, enquiring on their membership.
I was interested to join TF albeit being off my normal route. I was formerly with FF.

The first membership consultant (cute & fit chinese girl) was really nice, till the point:

1) she won't let me have the paper where she penned all the details of the membership plan. the paper was p&c, but, i asked for a copy of the membership plans she was explaining. wanting to view it also have to play tarik tali (paper). i'm annoyed, but still patiently discussing
2) having no choice but to mentally remember all the membership plans she explained, i wanted to leave, go for lunch, think about it first. i most definitely am not going to sign up on my first visit. but b4 i could excuse myself nicely, she became pushy, she said, "why you want to make it so hard, 1 step make it into 5 step?". By now, i'm really not in the mood, is this how they treat their potential member? I would not let myself being pushed. I made my exit.

went for lunch... during lunch, i reached a decision. i need to try it out 1st.
it is not on my route.
i know there's a 5 yr anniversary promotion, and the 7 day trial.
At least, that's what i read on the net.
So, a trial for a week would do me just nice, after a week, i'd know whether it is bearable or not.
Despite not feeling very keen on it, i went into TF and asked again, specifically saying i just want the trial.

out came another consultant (malay guy, tall and slightly chubby, looking somewhat out of place in a gym). i thought, this might be nicer, and i couldn't be more wrong:

1) he went on explaining the whole thing again. despite i explained that i have just been there, and i know the rates and all. and i just want to get the trial so tht i can see whether going way off my route is workable or not.
2) i patiently waited for him to finish his marketing. told him the reason why i needed the trial again. he said, "tak bole la macam ni, kalau u nak fit, u kena la committed". he kept on saying things like that... trying to make me feel like i'm so fat that i really need to join immediately and be committed (probably trying to pummel my self esteem by repeating it over and over again so that he can sell me more years). while he was trying to bludgeon my self esteem, i couldn't help thinking, man, u could use some workout too. in any case, real world is not as simple as a commitment to go to the gym, unless u happen to work in a gym.
3) finally, when i was adamant that i'm still just going to go for the trial and see how it's going to be, he said, it's only valid when u sign on as a member now. i'm starting to get really annoyed again. why would i want to request for trials if i have already signed on?
4) so, down to my last straw i asked how about the 7 days trial. he just stood there glaring, shaking his head, saying no. so i made my exit for the second time.


I would say, you'd deal with the management/sales rarely. so you might be able to close an eye to that,but, they will inevitably make it or break it. imagine having problems with your membership, and these are the ppl that will not hear your concerns. I would also say that, you'd need trials before signing. a week's trial is a good time frame to reflect whether u should make the investment or not. but they wouldn't let me, despite the advertisement on their website. isn't that "false/misrepresentation"? Any lawyers?

my review/conclusion:
1) equipment and space is impressive
2) location is not so good, for me, not sure whether i can work it out. no chance to try working it out.
3) staff is definitely BAD (especially the malay guy). the chinese gal just need some more experience, pushing is not the only mode. both failed, him terribly. hiring and training staff like that reflects poorly on management too. are they too blinded by commi$$ion$ that they chose not to listen and not even trying to give better service. as sales ppl, they did not listen, and did not try to offer viable solutions (in this no solutions offered at all). i was in sales too, once. management will always try to push you to push... but, some ppl will buy when u give them time to consider. knowing a potential member has done his homework, has contacts. all she had to do was to offer me a trial, had she done that, the story would probably ended differently, and better for all.
4) i will still consider it, after closing an eye. if i do sign on, it will either be with the chinese girl, or some one else. they do sales, they have to be a bit pushy, but, there's a line when push become shove. maybe i was not in the mood to entertain their "pushiness", or maybe they just pushed the wrong buttons and it became shove. but, i'm definitely not going to sign on for long term contracts without first being able to try it out.
5) i think majority of the local consumers lack the will to stand up for their rights. When the majority condone being pushed around and simply voice their frustration in to the air, the rest will get treated poorly too. Most, now know their rights, but, simply do not stand up and demands for it.
6) they are not ETHICAL and their advertisement is a GROSS MISREPRESENTATION.

Asus EEEpc user review (plus abit of CQ40 & CQ20)

I've just had it for a few days. Already fed up with it. No longer using it. Nah, it may be ultra portable... but, it's also ultra slow and mighty hot.

PROS:
small n light

CONS:
slooooooow
hot
windows & antivirus


conclusion:
waste of time buting a netbook. might as well get a decent compaq cq40 or cq20, free dos... and install ubuntu on it. yes cq series can install xp (i've done it) but, requires work, a lot of it. if you are unable to figure it out in the 1st place, netbook suits you. but, if you insist windows on cq20 or cq40, i'd strongly suggest you go for a genuine windows vista.




author is currently using:
C2D 2.2 compaq v3000 series laptop dual boot vista & ubuntu (for a year plus now)
AMDX2 3.0 self build desktop dual boot ubuntu & xp (less than a year upgrades)


p/s:

I've installed Windows XP for those CQ40 bought at RM1500 at Tesco. I'd say that those CQ40 are a steal! Great Bargain! Better get those than a netbook.

New Honda City test drive review

Few months ago, I had the pleasure to test drive the new Honda City.

I'm sure many will say it looks gorgeous. It is beautiful in my eyes. And that's why i wanted to try it out. After all my current ride is aging. Not that there's anything wrong with the current ride. But, the City is really sexy!

So, i took the test drive in three different seats, as the driver, the front passenger, and the backseat passenger.

The build quality is Honda usual. Love the seats, the fabric, the backseat can recline... although i have those. But, on a low/mid range sedan? That's new. There's nothing much not to like about the new city. The paddle shift is a bit stiff and there's a slight lag in the response. But, i don't see myself using it, after all... there's sufficient torque and pick up at the lower speed, in my opinion.

This is me looking for a day to day vehicle. Not looking for top speed above 170km and such things. I don't drive like that. Not many will. I don't understand why some forums have people wanting to know the top speed and feel disappointed when it's locked at 170km. So, my main priorities are... NVH/comfort, FC, ride and handling (pickup & cornering).

How did the new Honda City fares:

Noise, vibration, heat (NVH)/comfort: 4/10 (Fails)
FC: unable to confirm
ride & handling: 8/10 (Pass with flying colours)

Now, the City fails the NVH cause I deem it to noisy for my ears. For a brand new RM90k vehicle, I am disappointed that they didn't insulate the cabin well enough... or is it just the engine is simply too noisy? For the moment, I'll stick to my faithful ride... although the City is really tempting.

p/s:
the civic 2.0:
NVH: 10/10
FC: don't care
ride: 10/10
handling: 10/10

E71 user review

So, it's been almost two months since i've been using Nokia E71. What can i say. It has pleasantly surprised me.

I'm one of those people, that like to fiddle around with their new toy. For the first week, i did a lot of things. The most vital is of course to install the Nokia PC Suite. I had gone down this familiar path before, installing it on my Compaq (Vista) laptop, for my better half N95 8gb.

My decision to buy Nokia again is mainly due to it being able to be recognized by Ubuntu, and Nokia ability to become mass storage when plugged thru USB. I noticed this when plugging spouse's N95 to transfer some audio video files.

Back on track, after installing PC Suite, I did a full back up of the phone. Then, flashed it to the latest firmware. There onwards, is the fun time!!! I installed lots of games and apps... whatever i could get my hands on... til a point when it just won't install anymore.

There's a bug. I simply can't install anymore apps/games, be it in .jar or .sis . Apparently, something, did some damage to my phone/memory card. Formatting my card and upgrading it to 8gb, still doesn't solve the problem. Finally, i flashed the firmware again, and it works!

So, now my e71, is running on the latest firmware with a 8gb memory card, without any glitch. Yep! It works brilliantly with Ubuntu. I can always load files with no problem.

Oh yeah! In the first few weeks, I did have some trouble with the tiny keypad. But, after a while, i noticed that i have gotten used to it, and it has not been an issue since. It's just a matter of getting the hang of it. But then, my fingers are not that huge. Though, a quick survey among both gender, with differing finger sizes reveals that eventually, the keypad is not an issue.

To date, there are 3 E71s being used in my immediate family members, 2 male user (steel grey & white steel), 1 female user (black). A testament of how E71 is a great phone to have.

Final words:
PROS: A great phone. Outstanding. Maybe I should buy 2 (office & personal use?)

CONS: Symbian interface could have been better (like N series). Battery life averages 2-3 days of normal use, I was hoping for more I guess.

Now, I can't wait for the N97...

I started using mobile phones, some time in the mid 90's. The first was a Motorola. Bulky, it has a flip on the keypad, and antenna that can be pulled out to make it longer. Then, came the Matrix and the Nokia cool slider phone. But, it was awkwardly shaped, making it very difficult to carry. And the battery life was miserable at best. But, those big bulky gadgets have one thing in common. They kept me connected and did what they were supposed to do without any problem.

Fast forward few years, 2003, the phones got much smaller. They packed more punches. Battery life much more realistic. They even come with colour screen and bluetooth. But, man, they were so much problem doing what they were supposed to. At that time, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola were dominating the market. All of them have troubles. Most notable were “hang” issues where you have to unplug the battery to reset the unit. I even have the problem of frequently being disconnected during calls. Yep, those were my phone being difficult.

Year 2005, I am still using Nokia. They were the most appealing to my taste. Plus, they come out with new models so fast that most of their still current models can be had for lesser than any other makes. Not that the other makes were less appealing... they just have less models, and tad more expensive. Nokia got variety. Still, the phones were having problems doing what they were supposed to do. Maybe they were trying too hard to cram all applications into smaller package. Reliability was a major issue then. Symbian were, in my opinion, seriously not up to the task.

Early last year, I finally succumbed to the temptation of going off the Nokia and Symbian path. I went towards the Windows Mobile path. Boy, I thought Symbian and Nokia were bad, Windows Mobile was even worse. It was neither good at being a phone nor was it any good at being an organizer. It sucked. Many times I find myself writing on paper rather than on my device. However, it does have some plus points. But, better than Nokia? Most probably not. In my opinion, both have their strong points... but, still fail to deliver what that they were made for, mainly to make/take calls and messages. I missed my mid 90s phones so much.

After buying myself the O2 atom exec, I bought N95 8gb for my better half, for her birthday present. It was the most stable phone that I have ever encountered. Sure, it had some problems initially, but, they were always easily solved by upgrading the firmware. I had to upgrade the firmware only twice before my spouse said it did not have any “hang” or “disconnected” problem. That's a major improvement compared to older Nokia models... some had no improvement whatsoever despite numerous firmware upgrading.

Eventually, mid last year, I went back to the basics. I bought one of the cheaper Nokia phones. One that do without the fancy screen and camera, without bluetooth and et cetera. I took the path of downgrading my gadget to the surprise of my friends and family. After all, I have always kept up-to-date on my gadgets.

What a pleasant surprise. The no frills phone, did what it was supposed to do, BRILLIANTLY! However, there's this stigma. I'm not sure whether this applies elsewhere, but, in my circle, successful people do not use cheap phones. If they do, they are not successful enough, some thing just isn't right, like watching a CEO using a national car.

With the very pleasant surprise, I cautiously begin to trust in Nokia again. And finally, two weeks ago, I bought E71 for myself to replace my one year plus O2 atom exec.

MY STORY: New parents and the stroller

Yes, it's not a typo. I meant to say "stroller" as in baby stroller. You know, the thing with wheels that you use to take your baby out with you on a walk and such.

When we were younger, before our firstborn, we went shopping for a stroller. Not knowing what type of stroller that we should buy... we went searching high and low for the sturdiest stroller that we can find.

We finally settled on a Chicco stroller that comes with a car seat/carry system for newborn. It sets us back RM1.5K. It has all the bell and whistles available. It's big, sturdy, with good wheels... and some sort of suspension on the wheels. Man, it feels good pushing it around, like a tank of all strollers.

After a few months using it, reality sets in. It's a great stroller, it does everything it's supposed to be. But, it's huge, it's heavy. My wife, as most Asian women are, a tad on the small frame. The weight of the stroller is her main concern especially when loading/unloading the stroller from the vehicle. It's no easy task for her.

My main concern is on the space it occupies. In the boot, it takes most of the space, leaving little for anything else. And, it'll only fit in the boot of the SUV or the wagon. Luckily, we drive big vehicles... otherwise, i wonder how can we ferry it around.

Now, onto the second child... we're seriously considering buying the Maclaren Quest. At 5.5kg, it's very light, and still be able to recline the seat. Though it's not for newborn as it can't fully recline to accommodate newborn sleeping position, we were hoping that our 3 year old will be able use it, and the Chicco will be used for the newborn. Of course they will have to swap stroller later...

Word of advice for new parents, the weight and bulk of the stroller matters.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Reader

This movie was highly rated by most people. I doubt it will be a success among the local movie-goer though. It's too heavy... if you're looking for some movie to distract and entertain you for few hours, this might just not be the best choice. It's definitely for adults, or people who are trying to understand life... people who enjoys a heavy story.

It's different, not many people make movies like this anymore. The storyline is solid, you have to do some thinking yourself to understand the writing between the lines. Overall, it's OK.

But, I'm just looking for something to keep me entertained. It didn't manage to touch my feelings, didn't entertain me. I don't really know why I wasted my time watching this.

My benchmark would be The Dark Knight. To me, it has everything I need. The score is Excellent! The storyline exceptional! Heath Ledger played Joker at a whole new level! Action... etc...

If The Dark Knight gets 9.5/10 from me, The Reader gets 5.5/10.