Fixed favorite loafers make a happy me

Have you ever got a repair done on your shoes?

The other day, I sent a pair of loafers to the local cobbler for some fixing.  I've only worn them for a couple of months and the soles were already giving way, coming off, sort of.  My fault, really.  I only 'discovered' the shoes, still in the box, the other day.  They've been in the closet from last year!  That's the problem when you buy too many pairs of shoes at one time and you sometimes lose track of them. Oops!

Driving with your shoes on also reduces the lifespan of your shoes, believe me.  That's why I drive wearing slippers but I digress.

Here in Malaysia, cobblers still operate in five-foot ways just outside shops as in the picture below.  These cobblers are usually immigrant Indonesians but of late, I've noticed local retired Malay men operating the business.  This professional in the image is parked outside a bank located in a row of shops.  You'll find cobblers at their station from as early as 10 in the morning and they close shop when office-workers finish for the day.  The repair job is normally done the same day.  You send your shoes in the morning and collect them later in the afternoon.  Easy-peasy.

Cobblers like him can be found everywhere in every housing estate as well as in the older parts of the city. However, we do have the more professional cobblers operating in shopping complexes, which I've had the chance to use just once - why pay more when you can get just-as-good or even better service at a better rate from mobile cobblers.

The loafers that I sent needed some gum-work to hold the soles in place.  I don't think epoxy is being used but plain old reliable shoe gum.  The shoes came back not only with soles in place, I noticed there was stitching all around and very well done too.  Good job!  I was one happy customer.   Now, my boots next.

Children Full of Life - A Must-watch video

If only teachers across the world are like Mr Toshiro Kanamori who truly understands what teaching children is all about and who certainly made a positive difference in the lives of his students.

This is a must-watch video, especially for teachers. Thanks to Pandabonium who allowed me to 'borrow' it from his site.

"In the award-winning documentary Children Full of Life, a fourth-grade class in a primary school in Kanazawa, northwest of Tokyo, learn lessons about compassion from their homeroom teacher, Toshiro Kanamori. He instructs each to write their true inner feelings in a letter, and read it aloud in front of the class. By sharing their lives, the children begin to realize the importance of caring for their classmates."



I don't know about you but I had to stretch for tissues. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Google doodle for Teacher's Day

Google honours Teacher's Day today with a Google doodle. How cool is that!

Happy Teacher's Day!

These Boots are Made for Walking..

Now who says cowboy boots are for cowboys only? A visiting colleague from the U.S. just walked into the office with the most rugged-looking pair of cowboy boots, and I know he isn't a cowboy. I don't know, he probably is back home, being from the state of Texas.

I think cowboy boots not only are they good to look at, they will surely provide many years of wear and feet protection. Not sure if they are suitable for our climate though but I have seen people wearing them here and they look great too - both the wearer and the boots. Are you a boots person?

Wait, let's get retro a little with this Nancy Sinatra classic, These Boots Are Made for Walking. Enjoy!

Teacher by day, hooker by night

The other day, this article in the papers caught my attention, Teacher by day, hooker by night, which got me wondering, is it anyone's business what one does for a second income?

In New Zealand, a primary schoolteacher has been found out that she moonlights as a sex worker. What's interesting is that she can't be dismissed because the current Labour-led government has made prostitution a lawful and legitimate occupation.

To penalise somebody holding down a second job that is constitutionally lawful can be seen as a violation of that person’s civil right.

Apparently, this is the first of such in the country whereby a schoolteacher is involved though two years ago there was a case of an Auckland policewoman who got into trouble with her bosses for moonlighting as a sex worker at a top massage parlour. She earned up to $500 a night working in the parlour, on top of taking home at least $43,000 a year as an officer.

The policewoman got her job back.

So, what do you think? Should the primary schoolteacher be allowed to stay on as a schoolma'am?

Job vacancies

Unemployment has always been a concern everywhere. I know that some local graduates are still jobless probably still waiting for that dream job, if ever there is one. I wonder if the job below would do in the interim.