When the TV stops functioning on Beijing Olympics Closing Day

I started carying a mobile phone 12 years ago back in 1996. In all these years, I think my father had called my mobile phone less than 5 times. Let me recall..

• While I was sleeping in my room, he called once (from the land line in the living room) to make sure I am waking up to go for annual prayers at mom's resting place on Cheng Beng the "Chinese All Souls Day"
• While I was having Sunday brunch with friends, he called from home to tell me that my abandon new house has been broken into
• Some years back, he called to say the astro machine wasn't working properly
• Some time ago...he called to complain that the astro remote wasn't working...Again
• Yesterday, he called (while I was meeting Uthaya, my former class monitor whom I have not met for 18 yrs) to 'inform' that the TV is not working!

Yes..he only calls from home..cos he refuses to carry our numbers with him for emergencies *sigh* And he doesn't carry a mobile phine himself. Neither can he remember our numbers by heart.

And so..the TV broke down on a very important day - the day of the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony. The Sony manual says that when the Standby light indicator blinks it means.."there is a problem with the TV" but it doesn't say what's wrong. It only says to contact your nearest service centre but...there is no contact numbers of any service centre. Hmm..

May be that's their tactic to encourage us to replace the damn TV. Sending it for repair means a few days without a TV and it will probably cost a few hundred bucks and most importantly it means missing the Closing Ceremony.

So..my father decided to buy a new one. He knows..what's out there ..cos he's been eyeing them. And..what's most interesting is..he doesn't need to carry any cash nor credit card with him. That's because both his daughters owe him money!

so..what happened was..the son in law chose the best deal in town - the latest Philips LCD ...and he nods his head....daughter pays...rush for dinner...and rush back home..son in law helps to fix new tv...and everyone gets to watch the Olympics Colsing on a brand new TV.