My home minister rescued a stray kitten on June 30 after a car nearly ran over it outside our apartment.
My mum, who is afraid of the hyperactive kitten, named her June, after the month, while the home minister and our daughter preferred comot (smudge), as she was ‘dirty’.
We compromised. So, say hello to June Comot.
Initially, we wanted to put her up for adoption, but friends who saw her photograph begged us to keep her as “she is just too cute”.
The little rascal has grown on us and bullies our older cat, Elsa. We are likely to keep her, and Elsa, while initially upset, now looks after her as if she was her own.
However, the little one spent the next few days tearing up the house.
On Monday, she ‘destroyed’ my internet connection – and inadvertently opened my eyes to Unifi Care’s efficiency.
My sister messaged me at 3.19pm: “Did you pay the internet bill? There is no service.”
“Of course”, I said, adding a tried and tested, sure-fire way of dealing with all manner of technical issues adopted by software engineers, aeronautical engineers, steely-eyed missile men and call centre personnel, the world over.
“Turn it off and back on again, after a minute.”
Usually, that normally works. Unfortunately, this time, it didn’t, and my daughter had to use her mobile data to finish her school project.
I did not think much about it, but at 4pm, there was a message from Unifi Care via WhatsApp, saying it was awaiting my response.
Not knowing what it was, and wary of scams, I ignored the message until I got home to look at the router.
It was still dead, so I replied to Unifi Care with a question mark. It responded that it was Maya, Unifi’s digital friend and that it had detected that my line was down and filed a report on my behalf.
The next day, at 9.45am, just as I was about to leave my apartment, the Unifi technician called to say that he was coming over after 10am.
As I was rushing out, my sister attended to them. She said they quickly established that the problem was inside the house as there were no issues with the main box.
That was when we discovered that June had chewed through the internet cable.
The two technicians only laughed as June tried to prevent them from changing the wire. One of them cuddled it to keep it away.
The technicians solved the issue, and now there is internet at home … until June wants another snack!
Most businesses get heat for poor customer service, but in the past four months, I have had three instances where they were efficient and courteous.
I tweeted about my good experience with Unifi and laughed at its automatic response: “I am truly sorry for the unpleasant experience that you have encountered. Kindly follow us and DM your account details for further assistance.”
It came as no surprise that that was their default response. I have seen countless tweets complaining about their service, but they have a satisfied customer in me.
UNICEF CALLS ON CHILDREN TO TAKE A SHOT AT LIFE
Unicef Malaysia launched Picture My Rights #aShotatLife, to raise awareness of children’s rights and the issues that affect them. The contest is a platform for young people (ages 13 to 24) to share their creativity, courage, and optimism, to help change the world around them.
There are five themes – dignity and a fair chance, survival and development, education, protection from violence, and participation.
The campaign is from July 17 to Sept 20 and encourages young people to post their masterpieces on Instagram with a caption and the hashtags #PictureMyRights and #AShotatLife. Those without an Instagram account, or who have private accounts, can submit their photos via email to mediakl@unicef.org.
WRITE FOR REFUGEES
Fugee School, a leading institution in refugee education, in collaboration with BeED – experts in innovative technology solutions for education – are thrilled to announce its ground-breaking , ‘Write for Refugees’.
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity invites passionate and qualified educators to contribute their expertise in crafting well-documented lessons for Fugee School’s new curriculum.
The competition is from Sept 4 to Dec 29 and offers a total cash prize of RM18,000. Participants will use the BeED platform to design and house their lessons, and training and support will be provided to ensure a seamless experience.
PASAR WARNA WARNI
If you feel like having a special treat, head to Central Market for the #pasarwarnawarni, a colourful and fun event that celebrates the cultural diversity of Malaysians.
There will be cultural performances, traditional games, and a bazaar from today until 8pm tomorrow.
MAK YONG KELANTAN
For more cultural treats, visit the Independent Art Stage at Merdeka Square tonight (6pm-9pm) for a Kelantan Mak Yong presentation by Mak Yong Cahaya Matahari Group in collaboration with Pusaka, Galok Bedikir by Cultural Artists & Cultural Combo of Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
There will be batik workshops and many more activities.
MAPLE APPLE BUTTER
Apple butter is a great way to transform a bad batch or glut of reduced-price apples into something truly delicious. This thick puree stores well and is impressively versatile. Spread on toast, serve as a condiment alongside roast chicken, pork, or potatoes, and use it to flavour cocktails, or even to fill homemade pastries or doughnuts.
A MI MANERA
‘The Blacklist’ ended last week, and what a ride it was! It ran for 10 brilliant seasons, and I am going to miss it.
The final episode, ‘Raymond Reddington: Good Night’, was brilliant and emotional. Dembe’s speech was just wow. And what a song, at the end, by the Gipsy Kings.
James Spader certainly did it his way.
Until next week, stay safe.
