Chambering

 Meet En. Rizal :)

After almost half a year of break, I thought I needed to do something good instead of being a log at home. I applied for several chambering positions and was called for an interview. So the interview was scary and I seriously thought I screwed up. Surprisingly the next day, I received a call from one of the partners, which eventually became my master, asking when I would like to start. :)

The view from the 22nd floor

So chambering began soon after that. Now, a month plus into it and its no way near fun. It seems that never-ending workload and stress is the norm of the 'legal' line. Of course there's the good and bad about having a office in the middle of busy KL. The good part: its easy to meet clients, to go to the court, and I have a nice view out of the office (minus the traffic), but the bad part: parking charges are exorbitant, heavy after work traffic and the distance of my office from home. I have to travel around more than 80km a day to and back from work, unless on days which I take the LRT, which still need a 25km drive to Bukit Jalil. Besides that, my alarm clock rings at 5.30 every morning and only be back at home around 9pm (if there's no last minute work, that is).

My 'temporary workplace' for about a month

We had a Christmas and farewell lunch for Peter, who had just left 2 weeks ago (and I got his room! :D)

But the positive thing about this place is: the staff and other chambies are nice and we get along very quick and well. The LA may have been torturing me non-stop, but hey, its still a learning process for me, albeit quite a steep one. Most of my friends are finishing their pupilage soon, and I still have many many months to go.. :(

Craft Crews Detailers' Studio review

I bought my first Groupon coupon a couple of months back, and finally got to redeem it last week. It was a promotion for a full car detailing package at Craft Crews Detailers' Studio Puchong inclusive of claying, tar removal, polishing, 2-layer waxing, window cleaning, dashboard treatment, engine bay detailing and quick detailer worth RM575 (ya ke?) for RM98. I thought it was a steal and decided to give it a try.

I added 2 other treatment: a 4-door handle coating (RM25) and interior sterilising and deodorising treatment (RM25). The interior sterilising is a nice addition, as it eliminates nasty smell and germs.

My appointment was at 9am and i arrived there just before they opened for business. Lucky me, i was the first they attended to and the whole process took 2 hours, but the keys were returned in slightly over an hour and half. Quite quick i must say! There were several workers on duty, and the boss in charge was a friendly chap, making the visit a pleasant one.

The result:

When my car's clean, I'm happy! :D

I love how water beads after waxing.

Location: Bandar Puteri Puchong.
Address: No.10-G, Jalan Puteri 2/6, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Malaysia.
Operating hours: 9.00am to 8.00pm.

Verdict: Satisfied customer, I am. Definitely going to return as a full paying customer and give my ride a full wax treatment soon, when my next pay goes in.. :D

Proton Saga FLX SE first impression

I was with my brother around Puchong Jaya the other day and we passed by a Proton showroom where this shining red Saga FLX SE caught our attention. So we decided to drop by and check it out.

 

 

 The 'fire red' FLX SE test drive unit

The red on the new FLX SE is brighter and of a redder tone compared to the pre-FL SE's brilliant red which looks more like maroon. The red car in brochures looks awful, but in real life, it looks pretty good (maybe because the test drive unit comes with those stripes?). There was another unit in solid white in the showroom. Touched here and there, noticed that the build quality and fittings feel notably a little better compared to my car. The main differences of the FLX SE compared to the standard FLX is the 1.6 IAFM engine mated to a CVT transmission, two-toned bodykit, and leather seats.

I own a pre-FL Saga SE and i could spot several differences between the new and my old SE. The new one has a darker interior tone (tempest grey) which gives the interior a more classy feeling, darker coloured aircond vents, leather wrapped handbrake lever (pre-FL SE doesn't have this), and two features i would love to have on my car: radio unit with USB and steering radio controls and rear powered windows. On the outside, side mirrors now comes with turn indicators, 15-inch rims (nice!) with 195/50 Continental rubbers and smoked rear LED combi lights which complement the looks. The two-toned bodykit is more like a love-or-hate thingy, but it seriously didn't look that bad in flesh. Quality of the leather hide feels of a higher grade too, compared to the old SE.

  
 

 

Another white unit in the showroom. Looks clean.

The SA at the Puchong branch was friendly, and gave a short test drive to see how the 1.6 CVT delivers. I've never driven a car with a CVT before, so the drive was interesting to me. At low RPM range, the transmission feels a little jerky, but once pushed along a straight empty road, it accelerates effortlessly. But honestly it didn't have much of a punch, I would have expected the 1.6 would feel more powerful compared to my 1.3 Saga with a slushbox. Perhaps the test drive unit's engine and transmission is still tight until a couple of regular service intervals. The SAT feature is interesting too (at least to me), as it mimics a conventional auto gear changes but it still feels smoother compared to a torque-converter autobox.

The 15-inchers with lower profile tyres didn't feel any rougher compared to the standard Saga's 14-inchers. I went through several small potholes and humps along the brief drive and it feels as comfortable compared to my pre-FL SE. I heard that the suspension system had been revised to match the new shoes (not too sure about that), so expect a more enjoyable uphill run up to Genting mated with its new 1.6 engine and CVT. :)

My bro gave it a thumbs up! haha

My verdict: 7.5/10 stars. It is so far the best Proton Saga you can buy today but i would love it to have more power. It comes only with CVT (there's no manual FLX SE) and retails OTR for RM49,499 (white) and RM49,849 (fire red). Waiting list is expected to be around 1 month, but knowing SAs, they will promise a short delivery time to lure customers and you will have to wait for ages until it actually arrives.