What to do when your kitchen sink is chocked?

What to do when your kitchen sink is chocked?

Two bowl kitchen sink. The middle small one is for spoons, forks and other small items...or for sponge bob...!!!! square pants...???? neh neh neh neh neh.....

all the 3 join into one kitchen sink drain pipe which ended at the cup.

From the cup the drain pipe ism join to the main kitchen drain pipe that goes underneath the tiles.

A hole in front of the cabinet that also leads to the kitchen main drain pipe.

But there no access to the main kitchen drain hole.

It is underneath one of the loose tile.

It is dark and smelly in there. A potential coakcroach and mosquito breeding place. Suggest that you regularly spray this hole and the front hole with insecticide. Now see my sketch of the whole picture....

........and now the tips on how to clear the choke........

What to do when your kitchen sink is chocked?

You need not impulsively call a plumber, who will only scissor your pocket, or cut your throat or perhaps even kill you with a bomb…..!!!!!

Here are some tips. Try them outn first, if you cannot fix it then call me, “The Choke Buster”.

I will give you my name and contact later. I’m not important, but it you who is very important, as you are facing the problem, and fighting your war with “The Choke”.

First before we go to the tips, let’s us discuss the signs and symptoms of a choke.
water drain out very slowly.
If you pour lots of water in one sink, it come out in the other sink. This signs is for kitchen with 2 sinks, side by side.

Threat this tips like First Aid tips.:-

Use the plumber’s pump to pump the choke away from your kitchen sink.

If step 1 cannot work, then go down to the bottom of your kitchen sink. Unscrew the cap of your kitchen sink’s pipe. You will find lots of things got choked in this cap. Normally, it is because of hairs and toothpicks, which are the main causes of all chokes. I will try to provide pictures later on, if available. Otherwise, you can explore the ‘behind the scene’ of your kitchen sink to find this cap.

If step 2 cannot work, then, you have to explore further, to see where does the water go to from this cap. Normally, the water will flow up again from the cap, into another drain pipe. This pipe will bring the water to the main drain pipe of your house. In step 2, we are at the drain pipe of the kitchen sink. This step is a lillte bit difficult, but, I am telling you it is worthwhile, though, this exploration may be very smelly.

This main drain pipe is normally underneath the kitchen cabinet, and can be very far away from your kitcchen sink. This depends very much on the design of your kitchen. In one of my case, it was only about 1metre away, but, I had to sweat myself out to find it, as it was hidden underneath the one of tiles.

I discovered it because I saw a small gap on the floor at the front of the kitchen cabinet. I cleared all the stuffs in the cabinet at that area, but found no drain hole. This hole is also the drain hole that leads to the main drain pipe, to drain all water out from the kitchen floor. Every kitchen must have this, so that we can drain the water out when we wash the kitchen.

I almost gave it up. But I thought, I might as well clean the tile in that area, as all the stuff are out. While wiping the tiles I found out that one of the tile is loose. I lifted it out and found the drain hole.

It was very dark and smelly in that drain hole. I shone my torchlight into the drain pipe and found that it was blocked or choked by something that looks like a piece of cloth. I put in a stick to find out that it was hard and was about half-a-metre deep. I stirred the choke and discovered it was thick.

I get a pail ready beside the drain hole, and start digging out ‘The Choke”

You want to know what “The Choke” was?

It was not a piece of cloth or newspaper, but it was a thick layer of fat.

Yeah…it was a thick layer of animal fats, accumulated over 5 years, since the time of the previous owner of the house.

Obviously, the previous owner never have explored until that far, where I was exploring.

After clearing the fats, I close everything back and tested the kitchen sink, and everything was back to normal.

It was very unbearable, as the smell really stink. Imagine, keeping animal fat for 5 years plus additional wastes that got stuck in between the fats…!!!

But I swear it was wothwhile, because the plumber will easily charge you S$200 if not more.

Good Luck. May ALLAH make things easy for you in all your affairs, because, only ALLAH can change all affairs, from difficult to easy, and vice-versa.

...........and just the same as above ......

our body and spiritual system may also get choked.

As we are created by ALLAH the Almighty GOD and the Greatest and the Most Clever, he has already supplied us with the tips on how to overcome the choke of our physical body and our spitual soul.

1. Read the Quran. This is a kind of breathing exercise if you look it from the scientific view. From the spiritual advice of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, reading Quran will pump away the Choke of the satan who are running in our body via our blood vessels. After we have pump the satan out from our blood vessels, the tendencies of getting a high cholestrol blockage is very slim. However, we read and memorize the Quran, not to become a Hafeez, or an alim but rather reading the Quran is the commandments of GOD, and memorizing it is the way of life, shown as example to us by Prophet Muhammad.

UEFA 027 – Benz & Katowski

UEFA 027 – Benz & Katowski


My next outing was a group dinner with Mr Benz, Mike, Yakhzan, Seo and Moon to an Expo. I could only recalled that there were fashion shows and loud music. There were many youngsters. As usual, in such functions there were free beers and soft drinks, as Europe is the land of wine and distillers.



Despite his name, Mr Benz did not drive, but he took public transport. As such, we had to leave the premises by 9pm to catch the last bus. Mr Benz was one of the many authors of the Leica Service Manuals.


Mike Clissold from Atlanta US, was doing training with me. Mr Yakhzan from Israel was doing Electronic Distance Meter (EDM). Mr Seo and Mr Moon were from Korea, doing training of levels. There were a few more guys but I had forgotten their names.


The third outing I had was dinner with Mr Olaf Katowski at his house. He lived nearby in Balgach with his friendly wife Helga.

Olaf was about 50. He was one of Leica’s technical consultants who were the Leica project partners I mentioned earlier. He was a specialist in Leica’s Wild TM3000 motorized theodolites, which was also used in the manufacturing industries for setting up of electronic and robotic machines.

I admired his garden so much that I requested him to take this photo of me with the background of the vast open space infront of his garden. Olaf must have cleverly cjosen the best location where there is no other house infront of his house.

I must tell you that I am dreamin to live in his kind of house. In fact, it became one of my ambition to migrate to Switzerland, though I know it was a crazy impulsive thoughts and dreams. Anyway people says dream are free, so why not.

Here in his living room, Olaf and Helga spent his late afternoon chit chat with me, after the steak dinner. The deco were very simple and natural. I like his book case. If I am not wrong, Olaf has no children. I wonder what he is doing now, after 14 years since I met him in 1994.

This is the furnace area, also as simple as the living room. In fact, it is in one corner of the living room.

Olaf came very often to Singapore and was with me, for many midnights in the MRT tunnels doing inspections, adjustments and modifications to the setting up of the TM3000.

This is the bulky TM3000 which I guess was about 5 kg.

My function in the tunnel monitoring project was the technical support, e.g. alignment of the TM3000 to hundreds of prism targets mounted on the tunnel wall, ceiling and floor.

It sound simple, but, I tell you it was challenging, as everything is digitally controlled by joy stick.

Precision instruments are best handle with fingers for accurate pointing. It became unbearable because the 5kg TM3000 was mounted at a height of about 7 metre on the wall of the tunnel.

I was squinting and squirming with my neck bend following the contour of the top curve of the tunnel, in order to get a view of the prism through the telescope.


The main players were my Sales Manager, William and his technical executive, Mr Akram. Both of them launched the TM3000 with tailored software for the monitoring. Olaf was to make sure that both the TM3000 and the software run perfectly well for commissioning.

This is a group photo of the Leica team from Sinagpore, Malaysia and Indonesia at the Leica Expo in Singapore. I think it was in 1994. From left is Anwarisanto, Joe, William, Zimmermann, xxx, Helen, Francis, Ricky, Adam, Busroni and Max.

And this is Akram, who was the Tunnel Engineer, working very closely with Olaf ensuring the TM3000 was functioning properly before the monitoring project was commisioned.

Akram was so close to me that we did went out together for dinner and lunch. Even after office hours we do meet. We were so close that I visited him at home and get to meet his mother, brothers and sisters.

He also came over to my house for dinner and after that we took a double decker bus No 23 to Masjid Angullia, where Akram and I used to attend religious activities. After prayer, we walk across to Mustapha Centre and had our Naan dinner there.

We did not stop there. I went with him to several art gallery in support of his brother's painting activities. His brother was a famous painter who passed away recently in 2007.

We were so close that we used to confide our sorrows and had religious discussions at a wide scope of thoughts.

When his sister took up agency for a health products from US, my family and I patronised them.

Unfortunately, after Leica, Akram took up a job in Turkey in late 1994. He returned to Singapore sometime in 1996 and off to Australia to pursue his degree in Land Surveying. He returned to Singapore again in 1998 and worked at the Changi Airport MRT project as a resident Surveyor.

He left that job in 1999 to join Leica once again as a Consultant. He was sent to Leica factory in Switzerland for a year, but when he returned once again to Singapore in 2000, Leica had reshuffled their set up in Singapore and there was no need for a local Consultant anymore, and Akram was retrenched without any benefit, as he never start work. That was the same year I left Leica.

I was always present to bid him goodbye and in welcoming him home. I met Akram several time in 2000 until he took up full time job helping his sister with promoting the health products.

Drafted on 07.04.2007

First Edition on 03.05.2007 at 0038 hrs

Second Edition on 21 August 2008 at 0059 hrs

At Woodlands Avenue 5

At the Pier

This Saturday morning, I was at the tip of the matured reclaimed land in the southern shore of Singapore. It was bright and sunny that I needed the ultraviolet sunglass to protect me eyes from the scorching sun. I was tired, but I dare not sit on this chair as it does not look stable enough.

I was leaning against the steel railing observing the ships and boats at the sea. There is this jetty here for a medium size junks and ferries.

On my right is the other jetty for smaller ferries and boats. Further still to my right is a very long jetty catered for the even smaller ferries and boats. Apparently, the destinations are mainly Batam. I noticed also that the waves are very mild here within the jetty area as there is a long concrete wall build underneath the jetty, that stop the waves from coming. So you see that the ferries and boats do not rock too much.

If you are wondering, my wife and I was on the third level of the jetty pier. That is why I could see a lot of activities going at the jetty. This level is called the "Roof Garden". It looks like a stadium isn't it.

At the first level or ground floor, is the entrance to the jetty. Passengers has to buy tickets from the counters and go through Singapore Immigration before we can go to the jetty.

But before all that, you may need to change money or buy some petty requirements or even to have some light snacks and drinks or perhaps also some souvenirs from Singapore.

Most of the paswsengers are Indonesians. This morning there were many Singapore students who were perhaps going on a study and/or voliunteerism tour to Batam.

Opposite the pier are trees and bushes.

Wherease, the shore alongside the pier are well kept and nicely decorated.

Drivers need not worry, as the parking coupon area are available alongside the main road leading to the pier. Compare to the nearby Central Business District (CBD) area, the parking charges here is cheaper, only 50 cents for half and hour. In the CBD is one dollar for half an hour.

Surprisingly during the day, the carparks are full. This picture was taken much earlier, on the 29 April 2008. At that time, I had an afternoon job assignment to examine the ground features at the pier.

If you are still wondering, I am talking about the new Marina South Pier, which is newly built at the southern tip of the reclamation area.

Apparently, Marina South Pier has replaced the Clifford Pier, which is not used anymore for ferrying passengers to Batam and other southern Islands of Singapore.

THE CONSTELLATIONS

The Quran Chapter 85
THE CONSTELLATIONS

In the name of ALLAH,
the Beneficient, the Merciful


By the heaven with its constellations
By the promised day
By the witness and that which is witnessed
Slain be the men of the Pit


The fire abounding in fuel
When they sat around it
Watching what they did to the believers


They took vengeance on them for no reason
except that because they believed in ALLAH
The Almighty, the Praised One
The Sovereign of the heavens and the earth
Who witnesses everything


Those who persecute the believers
men and women and do not repent
Shall suffer the chatisement of hell,
the chatisement of burning



But those who believe and do righteous deeds
Shall have gardens with flowing rivers
That is the great success


Stern indeed is your Lord’s vengeance
HE is surely the ONE who originates
HIS creation and re-creates them


HE is All-forgiving, Compassionate,
Lord of the Throne, the Glorious,
Performer of what HE wills

Have you heard the story of the warriors
Of Pharoah and Thamud


Yet the disbelievers persists in their denials
But ALLAH surround them all


This is indeed a glorious Quran
Insribed on a well-guarded tablet.

006-1e The Cave 18:25 - They slept in the cave for 300 years ! ! !

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 25.

And they stayed in their cave three hundred years andadd nine.

Commentary by Jalalain.
And they stayed in their cave 300 years.The calculation of 300 years was based on the countingsystem during the period of the Men of the Cave, which was based on the solar calendar. And when interpreted to the lunar calendar used by the Arabs, an addition of 9 yearsis necessary.

Commentary by Muhammad Asad.
And some people assert that they remained in their cavefor three hundred years, and some have added nine to that numbers.

Muhmmad Asad wrote in his footnote that Abdullah Ibnu Mas'ud, Qatadah, Tabari, Zamakhshari and Ibnu Kathir had their views noted in their marginal explanatory remarks oftheir commentary of the Quran, that this verse has connection with verse 22.

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

So they stayed in their cave 300 hundred years, and some add 9 more.

[My understanding is that, 300 years in solar calendar would amount to 309 in lunar calendar. As this history was carried forward from the Christian sources, the narrationwas calculated based on Gregorian solar calendar, which when interpretated with Islamic lunar calendar is 309 years.]

======================================================

UEFA 026 - Zimmermann

Dave was so nice and caring that he looked for me in my hotel room the night of his arrival. We had dinner in the Heerbruggerhof restaurant and chit chat of his first experience in Switzerland.

Next morning we had breakfast together and then walked together to the factory. In the evening I did not see him. He told me later, that his instructor brought him to see his house. They had dinner there.

There were quite many evenings that he was out with the German and Austrian instructors. It was perhaps due to his nice and friendly character.

I was also out in 2 evenings with my own circle of contacts. The first one was with Mr Zimmermann. He was the Regional Sales Director for the Far East, encompassing Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Korea and Japan.

He had been to Singapore several times promoting the sales strategy of Leica Instruments and participating in trade Expo. During those visits we used to talk, as my sales manager brought me along to lunch and dinner with him.

Mr Zimmermann was a very professional executive. He was about 35 and looked more like an actor than a Sales Director. He was an ardent football fan, but I do not remember which club.

The first instance he sat with me during lunch at Leica's canteen,then he call for coffee and introduced me to some of his friendsin Leica. We chat for quite some time.

This is not picture of the canteen, but, just to show that Zimmerman was here in Singapore to help promote our sales strategy during the Expo.

In another instance, Zimmermann invited me for a luxurious dinner at a cozy village restaurant nearby Heerbrugg. After that, he brought me to a club It was near to Austrian border and it was a quiet village pub. He must have been a regular as many people there knew him.

There was no music, but, only the humming of whispers. They chat in low voices. There were no shouts and no shrieking sound. It was so much different from our pubs in Geylang area in Singapore.

This picture above showed the response at our Expo in 1996 where Leica had a bridge in the Expo to depict its philosophy as project partner.

I was always involve in the many Expos Leica had in Singapore.

Zimmermann was comfortable chatting with me that night, though I only had coke. He asked for my comments about the hotel and training.

I took that opportunity to mention about my bad experience with the Mr Jungker, the training instructor and Mr Mueller, my Division Manager in Singapore.

He replied that, it will slowly change, as Leica is also changing its global sales approach.
They are adopting and paving a friendlier approach to users, customers, agents, representatives and competitors. Likewise, the factory environment was also changing towards the same direction.

Thus the proud leader of surveying instruments was turning into a helpful project partner.

As Leica was changing I was changing too. Maggie Lim said in the Gold Breakfast Show, just the other morning, that changes come into a person during his/her midlife crisis. I am not sure if I was going thru that. But I had other reasons than just midlife crisis.

It was related to GOD. During that time my spiritual situation was stirred-up with some philosophical attitude and human relation. I was upset that GOD did not fix things with flying colours in my life.

I was asking why did HE left me neglected and unattentended by almost everyone, when HE knows exactly that I cannot withstand such pressure. That was the time I always tell people that I went thru some kind of a depression. I was depressed thinking of my unreligious behaviour towards GOD.

Have you seen this guy before? Guess who? Sorry no offer for recognising and finding him.

=+=+=+=+=+=+ to be continued =+=+=+=+=+=+

395 words

Drafted on 07.04.2007

Edited on 03.05.2007 at 0039hrs

At Woodlands Avenue 5

005-9c The Cave 18 : 23 - 24 - Do not be over-confident

Translation, Commentary & Explanation of Chapter 18 Al-Kahfi.

Literal Translation of verse 23.
And never say of anything, "Certainly, I shall do that tomorrow."

Commentary by Jalalain.
'ghadan', the last word in this sentence means atime in the future.

Commentary by Muhammad Asad.
And never say about anything,"Behold, I shall do this tomorrow."

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
Nor say of anything,"I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow."

Commentary by Muhammad Taqiuddin & Muhsin Khan
And never say of anything,"I shall do such and such thing tomorrow."

======================================================

Literal Translation of verse 24.
Except, "if God wills it". And remember your Lord. When you forget, then say,

"May my Lord shows me nearer to this Truth."

Commentary by Jalalain.

Except by saying, "if God wills".

Which means that we surrender the execution of the matter in the hands of God.
And remember your Lord. If you forget, meaning if youhave forgotten in the beginning and then realize it later, and Al-Hasan said that if you are still withinthe same incident, then, say,

"May my Lord guide me to a nearer truth than this."

Which refers to the story of the Men of the Cave,to show the truth of my prophethood, and Allah didshow the Truth.

Commentary by Muhammad Asad.
Without adding "if God so will" And if you forget, thencall your Sustainer by saying
"I pray that my Sustainer guide me, even closer than this, to what is right."

Muhammad Asad wrote in his footnote that, according to almost all commentators, verses 23 & 24 was primarilyaddressed to Prophet Muhammad, who, on being asked by the pagan Quraysh as to what really happened to the 'Men of the Cave', is said to have replied,

"I shall give you my answer tomorrow."

As usual, the Prophet was expecting revelation from God to answer them. However, revelation was temporarily withheld from him in token of God's disapproval.

In the second instance, this exhortation expresses ageneral principle addressed to all believers. That is, we must always say "if God so will" when making promises and/or commitments.

Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

Without adding "So please Allah!"

And call your Lord to mind when you forget and say,

"I hope that my Lord will guide me closer than this to the right road."

Verses 23 & 24 are parenthetical. We must never relyon our own resources as much as to forget God. If by any chance, we do forget, we must come back to Him and keep Him in remembrance, as did the Companions of the Cave.

In Geometry, the perfect circle is an ideal. Any givencircle that we draw, is not so perfect, that we cannotdraw one closer to the ideal.
So in our life, there is always hope of drawing closer and closer to God.

[My understanding is that, God is telling us, not to be over-confident in making promises and commitments, without asking for help and guidance from HIM.]

=================to be continued=====================