After 6 pm

2010-04-21T20:50:00.001+08:00

What's with the authorities?

So, they started installing parking meters around the block right now. Is the state that poor now? Instead of bringing law and order, it's causing more jams around the area. People start parking outside the parking box or anywhere else that does not require them to pay. Some even went to the extent of parking in the middle of the road!

One morning, I saw some authorities issuing summons to those vehicles parked nicely in those boxes but did not put some coins into the parking meter. It was early in the morning, and most likely those are some USM students who has parked their cars throughout the night. The most amazing part about this is that those who didn't park properly, who are causing road blocks and jams, didn't get a fine. Malaysia memang boleh!

2009-12-22T22:38:00.000+08:00

Year End 2009

No, I've not lost my passion to blog. I just got too busy, with travelling, with work and of course poker on Facebook. I picked up poker during my last trip in KL, where Sunshine's brother was playing it day in, day out. Yep, the game was contagious and addictive, easy to learn and immediately stuck to you. And definitely bad for you. You lose contact with all your real friends and everyone seems to be talking to you through instant messages.

To recap of what I have been doing for the past three months, nothing much happened in October. Just going to work, very hectic with lots of escalations. It's like I just suddenly got appointed to Escalation Manager. Every possible issue will just fall on my table. And everybody just wants to speak to the manager. Like I have magical abilities to solve every escalation that could possibly occur.

Then came November, also filled with escalations, and I realised that these customers are not angry with my team. But, it was some other team's inefficiencies. So, why am I still tolerating those customers screaming at my ears? Well, it's just how the company works. My title, my job description and my pay just does not seem to balance.

Finally, I was sent to Singapore SITEX for a week at the end of November. Away from the office. Woo... hoo... It was tiring, but at least I don't get agitated customers for a week. Start of December, I was sent to KL PIKOM. And the following week, I took my break to Krabi, Trang, Songkhla and HadYai, Thailand. I had an awesome time, which all could be seen in my Facebook, if you know who I am.

And so, a couple of days more to Christmas. And a week and a half more to a brand new year. I'll drop by to post a little bit more. That is, if I'm not too busy pokering.

2009-09-28T21:17:00.002+08:00

Thirty One

Today, I turned 31. It's the 3rd weekend this month that I am in KL, somewhere I didn't expect to come that often. But, this trip, it's just a pit stop, I'm on my way to Chiang Mai tomorrow. I've spent the whole day shopping in KLCC today, pretty much enjoyed it and had the experience of taking the LRT.

The first weekend I was here for the Matta Fair. Went home without a sale, it was pretty obvious that we were going to go home empty handed. On the second weekend, I was in Singapore, COMEX. Then, last weekend, I was down in KL again to celebrate Chloe's 1st birthday. And now again, I am in KL. I think it's too much of a KL to swallow.

Woke up pretty early this morning, had McBreakfast in Subang Parade, before catching the LRT to KLCC. We wanted to do some shopping or maybe get myself a birthday present. As I wasn't a shopaholic, I got bored after a while. Finally, we went to Secret Recipe, wanted to get myself a piece of cake. We ended up eating the famous Irish Lamb Stew, too full to eat the cake. So, no cake for me this year.

Well, I am happy with how the day went. In fact, I am very happy as I am on leave for the rest of the week. No worries, no stress, no work. Isn't it wonderful?

Happy Birthday to me.

2009-09-03T22:21:00.003+08:00

Matta Fair, PWTC, 4th - 6th September 2009

I'm in KL again. Of how much I hated KL, I'm back again in just a little over 3 weeks. And I have another schedule to KL end of this month. Well, KL is pretty cool, all the big shopping malls, selling all those top notch brands. I just came back from KLCC, I took this picture with my mobile. Can't believe my crappy handphone could capture this.

So, the real reason I am here this trip is for business. We have some displays at the Matta Fair. I'm not sure how, but the bosses wants us to be there. So, there I'll be. And keeping my fingers crossed, I hope to bring home some unbelievable results.

This morning, I was in a plane with 2 blind persons. It was amazing and I was startled, they were totally blind, yet, they are flying from Penang to KL. Even my mother in law, all capable, would not attempt to take a flight by herself. Well, I must commend that MAS staffs were very hospitable to these 2 persons. They accomodated them very well. I was impressed. However, there was a funny part, when I was collecting my baggage. The blind persons, of course, could not collect their bags themselves and needed help. Yes, the MAS staff was helping to locate their baggage. Then, the staff asked one of the blind person after matching the barcodes, "Here, this is your bag. It's with a pink ribbon, right?" I almost fainted when I heard that. How on earth would a blind person know what color or even if the bag has a ribbon? She touched the bag and feel it all over to confirm it was her bag.

I'm waiting for Lisa now. She's coming over to visit me since I am in KL. Awesome!

2009-08-31T20:39:00.002+08:00

Observe

It's been raining cats and dogs in Penang and Taiping lately. Just the other day, as I was leaving office to get to the other side of the football field to my car, it started raining. Heavier drops with each step I take. I was halfway through to my car and was considering if I should turn back to get an umbrella. But, it's going to be the same if I turned back or walk straight ahead, I'm still gonna get wet either ways. I decided to walk faster or perhaps run.

Then I saw someone with a big enough umbrella for two and asked if it's okay for me to tag along with her. She looked at me and said ok. Just my luck, my saviour for the day. I knew this girl, the hi-bye sort of acquintance. I thanked her profusely.

As we walked across the road towards the carpark, I asked her where did she park her car. I was a bit nervous and anticipating the worst that she parked her car at the other corner from mine. The carpark is really huge. Seriously, it's like 3 football fields. Then she answered, "Oh, just near to your car." I was surprised with this answer as this girl I hardly knew, knows which car I drive and knows where I parked that day. And she continued, "I'll walk you to your car, don't worry." as she pointed at my car. I was stunned, speechless.

I've been observed by her. I didn't even know that. This incident just made me feel a little bit insecure. Who knows who else has been observing me, knows every detail of what I ate for dinner or what brand of shampoo I use. Better keep your eyes opened and look around you. Maybe someone is watching.

2009-08-22T20:41:00.002+08:00

KL Trip

Well well... I never really liked KL. But, somehow I made it there last weekend, and it's not for business. With AirAsia, seriously, now, everyone can fly. Though the flight was slightly delayed, still it is a very convenient way to get from Penang to KL, in less than an hour.

I spent almost a day in Pavillion. And look what I found there? Yours truly, Sunny Side Up. Nothing much to do or anything in particular to buy, just walked around with Sunshine and Egg. Hmm... I'm not a very shopping kind of person, but I survived the day.

Next month, I'm going to Singapore for work again. Looking forward to that. And after that, a trip to Chiang Mai for my birthday. So anticipating for that too. All in all, life is good for me.

2009-07-31T17:58:00.002+08:00

Conscience

Have you ever wondered if there's an ultimate right and how do you differentiate it from the wrong? Which is the absolute right? Or should I ask, who holds the last say to which is right and which is wrong? I guess it all boils down to your own conscience. We normally will perceive the right to our own interest. At the end of the day, if it is to our liking and benefits ourselves, then that will be the ultimate right.

2009-07-12T15:08:00.000+08:00

Ugly Sight

You don't get to see this very often, and I'm sure you don't want to see this very often too, unless you are a surgeon. I managed to get the picture of my surgery from Dr Karen, who took it during the operation. Gross, I know. She was removing the bits and pieces of the ruptured cyst. I couldn't believe that it was such a big hole.

As the months passed by, Duphaston is not working well with me. Or should I say, my insides refused to co-operate with me. The cyst recurred after just a little bit over two months. That was a horrifying surprise, after going through the pain and agony of an operation, only to find out it grew again. To suppress it further, I was injected with Zoladex, which needle was as big as a test pen. I joke you not! It was seriously that big.

All I'm asking for now is to get better. I just want to feel well and not having to worry when I'm going to get the pain attack again. Cause, when it comes, it hurts so bad, I feel as though I'm going to die.

My 4 months of Duphaston is extended to 6 months now. My next check up will be in September. I hope it's cleared by then.

2009-05-24T18:28:00.002+08:00

Routine

Looks like I am on auto-pilot mode again. Seems like routine, work 9 - 6, weekdays. I wanted more, wanted to do more, there's just so many other things in life than this. I kept thinking to myself, if only I could strike it rich, then I possibly don't have to go to work anymore. I am very sure that life is not all about work only.

Somethings for me to look forward to next month. Another PC Fair in Singapore, which I am scheduled to attend. And Phuket trip right after that.

All I want is just peaceful work, stress free. I don't want to be worrying so much, and take work a little bit easier. I'll just do whatever I can and whatever that is beyond my control, I don't want to worry so much about it.

I am sure that life is good. This life is not about worries!

2009-05-11T13:28:00.002+08:00

No work

It's replacement holiday for Wesak today and my opportunity to make some extra bucks with triple pay. But, I am not at work. My alarm rang at 7am, I woke up to turn it off and went back to sleep. I refused to go to work.

After being on the operating table and knowing that life could be so short, I began to think differently. Life is not all about work and making lots of money. There's definitely more to life than this. I can't deny that money is important in this life. But, we should take it easy with life.

Life could be more interesting that just your job. Live it!

2009-05-09T12:58:00.004+08:00

Up and running

After hybernating for one month, I am now up and running. Went back to work and it's busy as usual. I am embracing the workload as it kills time. It makes the weekday seem to pass so fast, which is a good thing.

I've slept so much in the last month, that I feel my bones have harden and my brains are dead. Can't blame me on this, I was recuperating from the endometriosis surgery. Right now, the wound is healing, though sometimes there's some fluid oozing out.

I am so craving for KFC or a Spicy Chicken McDeluxe or any sort of chicken now. With my restricted diet, I practically only ate a whole loaf of bread last week as I went back to work in Penang and didn't have my mother in law to cook for me. I lost another kilo in a week by just eating bread.

I'm back in Taiping for the weekend. I think I'm going to start eating chicken today.

2009-04-21T13:48:00.000+08:00

How Did I Do That?

As I haven’t got anything else better to do, other than sleeping and eating, I wondered to myself, how did I lose 4kgs in 2 weeks? Seems like I am having a good life, just waking up to eat and go back to sleep after that. With this kind of lifestyle, I should be growing fatter.

I’ll wake up around 10am and have cereals with milk and a cup of milo before taking my meds. After that, I’ll go back to bed. My mother in law will wake me up around 1.30pm for lunch. She cooks pork porridge for me as I have a very restricted diet now. I can only eat fish and pork. No chicken, no eggs, no other seafood besides fish. Just like a pig, I’ll go back to sleep after lunch, only to wake up around 6.30pm and get ready for dinner. I’ll keep awake after dinner to watch some tv and then sleep again by midnight.

So, I should be getting fatter, right? This is puzzling me. When I tried to lose weight by swimming and eating less, I still weight the same or gained a little. And now, eating and sleeping like a pig, I am losing it? It does not make any sense to me.

2009-04-16T12:18:00.002+08:00

Away

For 2 weeks, I've been staying home. I'm on 1 month medical leave. I've lost 4kgs in those 2 weeks.

What happened 2 weeks ago was that I had a severe abdominal pain. Even after I went to visit the doctor who prescribed me with meteospasmyl and some pain killers, it didn't relieve me of the excruciating pain. Instead the pain got worst especially when I move.

So, I went on to consult another doctor, who after listening to my symptoms and pressing my stomach, suggested that I do an ultrasound. He thinks that it’s not about my intestines, but my uterus.

We went to Srigim to get the ultrasound done. The doctor wasn’t very friendly and after checking, he suggested that I have an operation immediately. Apparently, there’s some fluid which he couldn’t be certain if it’s blood or pus below my uterus, which is causing the pain. That’s a little bit too much to take.

We left Srigim to get a second opinion. With some recommendation, we went to Island Hospital. Same ultrasound done and same outcome. I have to be operated. Somehow, Dr Karen made it easier to digest. So, I was admitted and getting ready for the surgery. It went well.

Hence, I am back in Taiping recuperating.

After the biopsy, the doctors gathered that it was a chocolate cyst, endometriosis. As scary as it may sound, it has been removed entirely from my uterus. It's the part in the red circle, just below my uterus. I have to take Duphaston for 4 months to control the disease now.

To all women out there, let me share with you on some signs and symptoms of endometriosis:
1. Period pain of recent onset or worsening of menstrual pain
2. Pre-menstrual spotting
3. Heavy, irregular or painful periods
4. Pelvic pain during intercourse
5. Infertility
6. Painful bowel movement during menstruation
7. Fatigue, exhaustion and low energy

If you got any of these symptoms, I’d strongly recommend that you visit a gynae as soon as possible. Don’t think that this could not happen to you, because endometriosis is a very common disease.

2009-03-31T21:38:00.001+08:00

Staying Alive

My cubicle in the office is layered with dust now. I haven’t been back for some time, it feels like an eternity. Everyone at work is feeling the heat or are de-motivated. Most are afraid of losing their job or keenly applying VSS. But, I for one have got a million and one things to do. I keep thinking if this is all worth it? Cos, if you are holding tight to your job, then you will automatically assume the jobs of those who left. Your title and pay remains the same, and the only increment you are getting is your job description!

At this moment, I’m trying to take one step at a time. Every job comes with its own fair share of problem, pressure and stress. We all keep complaining about how damned our jobs are, but we forget to realise that someone else is facing a million times worst situation than ourselves. If you have a roof on your head at night and a decent meal for dinner, then do count your blessings.

Stop complaining. Get back to work and do the best you can. It is seriously not worth it for you to be worrying about something you can’t control. Times are bad? Fix what you can control. Stay strong, I believe we’ll get through the bad times.

I could take the easy path to go back to Taiping and live a simple yet comfortable life. But, there are dreams that I am chasing for. And that’s what’s keeping me strong. Set your dream, then you’ll see the path that will bring you there.

2009-03-26T12:38:00.004+08:00

Apple's iPods

I've always fancied the latest gadgets in town. Most of the high tech electronics are expansive and more often than not are impractical, built as toys for the rich. So, we poor people only get to look at these gadgets through magazines and the wonderful world wide web. Somehow though, I managed to get a few iPods in my hands. To date, I have owned 4 different iPods. My very first, was the 1st gen 256MB iPod shuffle, then I got lucky again and won myself the 1st gen 1GB iPod nano. I actually won these two iPods from some contests at work. When I was in Singapore sometime last year, there was a promotion for foreigners, all I needed to do was show them my passport and an official receipt of any purchases made in Suntec for the amount of more than SG$ 300, then I am entitled to purchase the 2nd gen 1GB iPod shuffle for SG$ 20 only. I totally did not need it, but the price was irresistibly cheap. So, I just bought it with no hesitation. Till today, it’s still upwrapped in the box.

Last week, AMEX sent me the all new 4th gen 8GB iPod nano. Cool or what? The touch and feel of it was totally awesome. During the weekend, I was busy loading iTunes v8.0 into my notebook so that I can start using the nano. To earn this nano from AMEX, all you need to do is be the first 100 to spend RM 3,000 in the month, promo ends in April. So, start planning if you need to do any big purchases, do it on April Fool’s day with your AMEX. You might just be the lucky winner like me.

Well, I’ve given away the first shuffle to Ivan after I won the first nano. I’m looking to give away the nano now. And also the second upwrapped shuffle is looking for an owner too. I’m good with the latest nano! I feel as though I could load in any songs without end. And I just need to shake it and it will skip to the next song. I also can view the display in portrait or landscape mode depending on how I position the nano. I give it five stars. Now I'm eyeing the iPhone 3G.

2009-03-24T11:28:00.001+08:00

60 Earth Hour - 28 March 2009, 8:30pm

I think we all should come together to do our small part in making a big difference to mother earth. All it takes is just 60 minutes, turn off all your electrical devices this coming Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30pm. This one hour of darkness may or may not change the world ultimately. But at least, lets show our side of being a real human and support this move. I voted earth! Have you? Click here to register and show your support in this fight against global warming.

2009-03-16T18:18:00.006+08:00

Two and a half hours of sleep

That was all I got last night. The last day of PC Fair is normally the most tiring one. As the show ends, we need to pack up all our display units and arrange for it to be sent back. All has to be done immediately as they will tear down the booth that night itself. If we miss anything, then that’s it, you won’t be able to find it the next day as the hall will be totally empty.

I went back to the hotel at almost midnight, called room service for dinner. I ordered Oscar’s Club Sandwich, a triple decker ham, cheese, bacon and tossed iceberg lettuce, served with string potatoes at the price of SG$ 28.25. Ridiculously expansive, but I was too hungry and tired to go looking for food elsewhere.

How about counting some money for starters? After dinner with the kiosk boys, Clifford and Alex came up to sort out the orders sheets for the day. We did pretty well. Look at how much cash they were carrying. Approximately SG$ 22k, was in my room last night. That’s around RM 52k. It’s fun to see so much cash lying on the floor.

We finished work at almost 3.30am. After I had my shower, went to bed at 4am. And just before anything else, morning call woke me up at 6.30am. Catch the flight back to Penang and came straight back to the office to work. I’m brain dead now.

2009-03-14T02:38:00.007+08:00

Another Singapore Trip

Can I have the window seat please? I always ask for the window seat whenever I get the chance to fly. And looks like I've been flying to Singapore for work once every quarter.

Picture from clockwise: Above the clouds of KL, almost landing Singapore, big Sony Bravia LCD (I think it's 40", but can't confirm cos I'm no good with sizes), king size bed in my hotel room where I'll be sleeping for 5 nights.

All these luxury you'll think at first glance, but do you know that all this comes with a cost? Coming here for work is really hectic, the lack of sleep and non-stop work. So, I think all these luxury is a compensation. A really nice big bed, which I can hardly get 8 proper hours of sleep per night. The bed is super comfy, I wished I had one at home. I practically had to climb up the bed as it's really high. And those super soft pillows. All the tiredness of the day seems to dissolve on this bed. I could fall right to sleep as my head falls on the pillows.

At this hour, I've just finished my work. There's just too much of manual work which is very tedious and needs absolute precision. There is no room for the slightest mistake, which will make all the accounts go wrong and that would need me to do it all over again.

I've completed my work for the day. Goodnight, Singapore and Malaysia. I need the rest to survive tomorrow. And the bed is calling me. :) xoxo

2009-03-09T20:38:00.001+08:00

Spice Garden @ Penang

I don't see no spice in here! As I was almost bored to death in Penang last weekend, I decided to take a trip around Penang, to get to know Penang a little bit more. Believe it or not, for the past six years I've been working in Penang, I haven't been to most of the tourist attractions. To me, Penang is just a place that I go to work.

Well, the Spice Garden is a far drive up to Batu Ferringhi. With the winding road, I almost vomited by the time I reached there. Entrance is RM 14 without a tour guide, and if you need a tour guide, that's RM 22 per entry. This place is like some jungle tracking route. It's not a place I would recommend to others, except if you tell me that you like the greens. Yes, it's very green in there. But contrary to it's name, I don't see much spice in there. Maybe, I went in without a tour guide, therefore, I don't know which is the spice and which is the ordinary tree. Aloe Vera is a kind of spice? I saw it in there.

The above picture is taken from a hanging swing in the middle of the garden. Nice place to hang out on an afternoon with a book. But, to pay RM 14 for that seat? I think I'd rather stay home with a cup of coffee on one hand and the book on the other. Hence, I am the indoor kind of person and the lack of knowledge of where to bring you about Penang.

2009-03-06T17:38:00.000+08:00

What am I going to do this weekend?

It’s supposed to be the happiest day of a weekday today. It’s Friday, something that every working person have desperately waited for, for the last four days. But, this weekend is going to be something totally different for me. I have nothing to look forward to. Sunshine is going down to KL today, so I won’t be going back to Taiping. I’m stuck here alone. Well, I’ve got plans till tomorrow afternoon, I’ll be at work. And after that, I have totally no idea what I’m going to do. Maybe I’ll stay indoors to hibernate, reserve all my energy for my Singapore trip next week.

2009-03-03T18:38:00.004+08:00

Focus

Very often we lose focus of the direction we have set in our lives when we get too drowned in our daily routine. When it seems that we are flying on auto-pilot, we stop thinking and continue life day in day out the same as yesterday. This is what is happening to me, suddenly I am so needed here, there and everywhere. Till I don’t even know how to prioritize what I should be doing, not to mention forgetting my ultimate goal in life.

Many of us, in fact, I’m sure ALL of us, has got something that we have been dreaming of, but how many of us are privileged or lucky enough to realize that dream? Cos, most of the time, there are many other more important things in life that needs our immediate attention, that we forget about those dreams eventually.

So, this is the question I have been pondering. Work is just a job, why are we putting our all into it? Yes, economy is bad and everyone is trying to hold on tight to what they’ve got. Is it all worth it in the end? What happened to your dreams? Are you chasing them, or letting it fly away? Cos, when you miss the chances in life, there’s not going to be a second chance.

Stop for awhile. Remember your dreams as you sail along this life. Let’s try to get it, in this short moment we have here. At least, if you die tomorrow, you know that you have given your best shot here.

2009-02-24T19:08:00.004+08:00

Blind or just plain stupid?

I was having supper at one of the mamaks downstairs last week and spotted this car, parked right smack in the middle of the road. The driver was not waiting in the car, he just left the car there and went away.

I think he was an imbecile to have parked the car like that. Look, there was no car at the side of the road, and he could have just parked properly. Sometimes, I just don't understand why there's these kind of people here. Totally no sense of consideration. #@$ker!

2009-02-21T07:58:00.002+08:00

Sunrise from my balcony - Something to wake up for every morning.

As my alarm rang this morning, I quickly got out of bed to capture this. I've been watching the sunrise right in front of my crib for sometime now. But, didn't know how to set the camera to backlight, so I couldn't take a picture till today. I had to wake Sunshine up to teach me how to use the camera.

2009-02-20T23:18:00.008+08:00

Wine holder

As alcohol is not one of my favourite consumptions, wine and liquor is definitely not in my list of most liked or enjoyed drinks. Hence the limited knowledge I have about this subject. Eve gave me a wine holder for my so called house warming party (I meant for it to be a CNY party actually). Thanks, Eve, I really liked it, though it isn’t a house warming party and there is no need for a present.

I knew that we shouldn’t leave a wine bottle up right as the cork would dry up, making it almost impossible to open it if you’ve left it for years. So, people came up with the bright idea of the wine holders.

I was trying to use the wine holder, but hadn’t the slightest idea how to do it. My first try was to slant the bottle 45 degrees on the holder and it looked fine to me. So, I left it for display on the TV cabinet. Until Ivan and Sunshine came over on Sunday and saw how awkwardly I have positioned the bottle.

We tried repositioning the bottle, but still were clueless. Till Sunshine did some act of balancing and made the bottle hold up at 90 degrees. Stupid, I know, it took us some time to figure that out. Thanks again, Eve, it was some kind of a tricky game you gave my family!

So, people, this is the right way to use the wine holder. Just in case you are as puzzled as I was. The bottle of wine was courtesy of Audrey, also a present for the house warming.

2009-02-11T22:18:00.001+08:00

Sleepless in Seattle... oops, I meant Penang.

Maybe age is catching up.

I used to go to bed by midnight on work days and I could fall asleep almost instantly. Then, when my alarm rings the next morning, I would snooze and snooze and snooze and snooze till the very last minute that I think I could get ready and make it to work on time.

Now, I would go to bed by midnight, but I would be tossing and turning (that’s one reason I needed a bigger bed). When I look at the clock again, it’s almost 2am. What was I doing in the 2 hours on bed? My mind could not stop thinking, hatching plans of getting a little richer and how I could make tomorrow a better day for myself.

In between my sleep, I would wake up hourly. Am I having insomnia?

I’ll jump out of bed immediately when my alarm rings at 7.30am. No more snoozing. With much anticipation that it’s going to be a great day, I face it heads on. Yes, go though the jam and all. Park the car and walk 2 football fields to my office cube. Still, trying to maintain my optimism for the day.

But, of course, work is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. Most of the time, work is full of frustration and stress. Work is just something that you do to earn some money to carry on with life. So, I try to keep a positive mind in the hope that the day will end faster than it seems. With a lot of things on hand, time can really speed up.

The case is different when it comes to the weekends. I go to bed around midnight and fall right into a deep sleep. As if I could sleep on forever, until Sunshine’s alarm rings at 9.10am. Since I am not working, I would like to continue sleeping. Unfortunate for me, Sunshine wouldn’t turn off his alarm and will just let it snooze. He could sleep through it as if he’s sleeping in a cave. He’d let it snooze till the afternoon if he didn’t have to wake up. It’s so irritating with that Chinese weird song. (Dear, if you are reading this, I ultimately hate your alarm tone!)

So, no, I don’t have insomnia. It’s just work pressure!

Oh, and just for the records, I did 32 laps just now. I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight!

2009-02-09T21:08:00.001+08:00

Chap Goh Meh

While all the girls were busy throwing oranges down Penang bridge, I was trying to capture this beautiful view from my crib. How lucky I am to get to enjoy this awesome view. Look at how the moon is illuminating the sky and shining over the island. Tonight marks the final day of the CNY celebration, which is also the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day. I wished I had a better camera to capture the full moon tonight. But this is the best I could do with my Panasonic FX8. Maybe I should invest in a proper dSLR.

2009-02-08T00:08:00.002+08:00

Cheers

I never really understood what drinking is all about. I am not a very good drinker, practically one glass and I am a goner. I remember when I was in Perth, when alcohol was dirt cheap, all my friends drank almost everyday. And they only had to serve me some juicer with only 0.05% alcohol, then it's goodnight to everybody.

Til today, I still sucked at drinking. I tried, but my body just couldn't take it. From my experience, first of all, the taste itself is bitter. I just don't understand why some people can drink every other day like some daily ritual. Secondly, it's expansive. A can of Carlsberg is approximately RM 6 and a Heineken could cost RM 9. While a can of Coke is less than RM 2. When you start a drinking session, some people can down 5 to 6 cans. That's alot of money which could buy me a really decent meal for 2 to 3 days.

I'm not sure, maybe people drink for the after feeling. Well, I do like the after feeling myself. When I start feeling a little bit light headed and couldn't see the road straight. And suddenly there is totally no worries to think about, but the moment of happiness. So, I think most people drink for this reason, to drown away all the sorrows in the world.

Cheers!

2009-02-03T19:15:00.004+08:00

Something grander than CNY : Pai Ti Kong 拜天公

At the stroke of midnight, red fire-crackers could be heard and beautiful fireworks could be seen decorating the night sky. The atmosphere felt much much grander than CNY itself. I was busy clicking away, trying to capture the amazing fireworks. Though we didn't have any fire-crackers or fireworks, many people from the neighbourhood were putting on theirs as if there was a competition of whose fireworks is the best.

This celebration was to worship the Jade Emperor, who saved the many Hokkiens in some cosmic battle long long time ago. Til today, the Hokkiens offer the sugarcane to the Jade Emperor for saving them. I'm not sure if this tradition is another kind of ceremony for prosperity. But by the look and celebration of it, it surely sounds like something that all Chinese respect more than CNY.

This picture shows the burning of gold as an offering to the Jade Emperor in front of my house last night. Though I never really understood the meaning of this festival, I joined in the fun of offering those gold to the Jade Emperor. Maybe, he will bring me more fortune in this year of the Ox.

2009-02-01T14:08:00.000+08:00

Yee Sang 鱼生
Of all things the Chinese will do, just in the hope of getting wealthier and perhaps bring in some good fortune for the new year, yee sang is something not to be missed.

Just for the fun of it, some friends gathered to enjoy the yee sang at 168 coffee stall, our favourite kopitiam in Taiping, today. Of course we all hope for prosperity and good health. Maybe, after tossing the yee sang, our luck may lean to the brighter side.

2009-01-31T21:38:00.000+08:00

Hokey Pokey

You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about, you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, that's what it's all about.

I think this is a common picture that crazy friends will snap and post it in blogs or facebook. And so, that is what we did during CNY. As usual, every CNY, when all the family members are back, Sunshine's family will pose in front of the house for a family picture. But there is something more to this picture. If you'd realise, we all have the same kind of flip-flops from Scholl. It all started with me, when I got myself the first pair from Hadyai last year. Then, when we all went to Hadyai again, everyone wanted a pair each.

The CNY break is almost over. All the crazyness and noise from the nieces and nephews finally left and I'm happy that it's peaceful and quiet again.

2009-01-28T19:08:00.000+08:00

I've got a job!

As much as I dreaded and hated waking up at 7.30am to get ready for work, I am thankful that I have a job. I bounced out of bed when the alarm rang. There in the headlines of The Star today shouts, "80,000 lose jobs in US and Europe, Iceland govt collapses". I doubled my thankfulness for having a little cube to come to work. I was very sleepy this morning as I reached Penang at 1am this morning. But, after a nice hot cup of coffee, I was fully charged to start the day. When everyone else is still busy celebrating CNY happily, there I was handling customer escalations. I was on the phone practically from 9am till 7pm. I didn't even have the time to eat or pee. I tripled my thankfulness, that this job really needs me.

Now, put the crap aside. Who am I kidding? I wished I was busy gambling or drinking on this third day of CNY. My hope of becoming a millionair with some friends by trying our luck on some lucky numbers last night vanished when those supposedly lucky numbers weren't very lucky for us afterall. The only right strike was Sunshine's 7. So, maybe it's gonna be a good year ahead for him. Which is good, so he can go earn more money for me.

So, no matter how thankful I am about this job, I still wished there was a miracle in my path of life that is going to make me so filthy rich, that I can wake up anytime I want and not having to come to this stinking work! The part of being thankful is just a disguise to soothe my emotional feelings at this moment. I've got a job and some out there are hungry and shelterless tonight.

2009-01-25T21:28:00.000+08:00

To all the lonely people out there.

It's CNY eve where everyone is supposed to be home, feasting with their families. Then maybe later tonight will be drinking sessions with friends who are back to the same hometown. I had a simple dinner with Sunshine's family. Nothing much, but it was the "whole family getting together eating on the same table" kind of feeling. This is the second year I am having this reunion dinner here. However, this is something that not everybody can have or have the chance to experience.

I remember when I was with my own family, that we never really had everyone sitting on the same table at the same time to have dinner. Dinner is ready, but everyone seems to like eating at different hours and eating by themselves. I have totally no idea where papa is. Nor, do I know where the rest of the family is. So, I would be eating with myself or maybe my aunt.

Thinking back, it isn't a very nice feeling back then. Where when it's supposed to be a family time, we had family members, just that they forgot to come home for dinner. So, I am lucky to be here now.

And to all those, who have no home to go back to, or those who "forgot" to go back for the reunion dinner, I totally understand. Remember this feeling. So that when you have your own family in the future, make sure you have all your kids back for dinner. Make it statutory for them. It's a feeling that I think everyone in this world deserves in thier lifetime.

2009-01-24T16:38:00.000+08:00

Journey home.

Gurney Plaza was filled with people last night. I guess it was the last minute shopping or maybe those who are back to Penang wanted to see Gurney's new wing. The new wing looks like those big shopping malls in KL, filled with branded boutiques. But, I didn't have anything to buy. Or, I didn't see any clothes to suit my liking. So, no new red clothes for me this Chinese New Year.

Driving past the Penang bridge at almost 10pm, I saw the massive jam. The turning to the bridge from Bayan Lepas wasn't moving. And there were cars lining up almost up to Gold Coast. I wondered what time will the jam dissolve. From my place, I could see the bottleneck towards the bridge and I saw brake lights all the way. Until it was almost midnight, there were less red lights. Then did I decide to start my journey home.

I left Penang at almost 1am. Surprisingly, there were still many cars on the road. I was very sleepy, so I turned on Linkin Park to full blast to keep me awake. I enjoyed the 10% rebate on the toll for travelling after midnight. There were not many speeding cars. Most were driving at 110km per hour or less. I reached Taiping at 2am.

2009-01-23T17:00:00.001+08:00

Happy Niu 牛 Year!

With the moo moo here, moo moo there, here moo, there moo, everywhere moo moo... Everyone is in the holiday mood again because it's the chinese "niu" year. And because it falls on a Monday, everyone is getting a long weekend break, some may even continue through Friday. Me and some friends at work are busy checking the traffic online and predicting what time would be best to get out of Penang. Most of us are planning after midnight or maybe tomorrow. I'm sure traffic at the bridge is going to be insane after 6pm today. But some say it wouldn't because most people had already taken the day off and left last night or taken half day off today and left after lunch. Either way, I am not taking the risk of getting myself in the jam. I think midnight will suit me best.

Happy Chinese New Year, everybody!

2009-01-21T23:08:00.000+08:00

One million cars and nine traffic lights to go.

That is what I have to go through every morning. I hate being caught up in the traffic, it makes me feel so restless as there is nothing I can do when all the cars in front, at the back and my left and right are not moving an inch. I just want to scream out of my lungs when every traffic light turns red just a few seconds before it’s my turn to go.

For the past one month I moved to my new crib, I had to travel a little further to work everyday. What used to be a 10 minute drive has now become a 30 to 40 minute drive. And if ever an accident or a breakdown happens on my route, it could take up to an hour. Imagine that! Penang is becoming like Kay El. The only thing that is keeping my sanity in those horrifying drives is Linkin Park’s Minutes to Midnight blasting.

So I wonder, how could anyone keep in the positive mood every morning when seems like the traffic jam is causing a bad start for everyone? I’m not sure if anyone enjoys the traffic jams? I think creepy crawly traffic jam is number one in my hate list! Will anyone come up with a warp machine in the next couple of years? Or else, I’m gonna need to go to Japan to look for Doraemon.

2009-01-19T18:47:00.002+08:00

Sometimes

I wonder what am I doing here? No, no, it's MOST of the time. Everyday at work seems like a junction, and every second you got to make a choice whether you want to take a right turn or a left turn. Try as I might to think straight and do the best I can, seems like there's a stronger than gravity magnet pulling me back. Is it time to move? Surely it's time to get out of this comfort zone. If I don't try, I will never know what beholds on the other side.

2009-01-15T16:08:00.006+08:00

It's hurting so bad.

I am trying my best. I am not sure if anyone else feels the same way too. But the best that I am trying here is leading me to too much distress. Is it worth it? Their in-efficiency is a problem to me. Their simple-mindedness and total lack of responsibility is getting on my nerves. What is wrong with them? I so hate people who preaches X and practices Y.

Self-centeredness is killing me too. When all they think about is their own self interest, and to hell with others, what is the meaning of being another human in this world?

Why can’t people have a little bit more sense of responsibility? Why do they like to cause so much hurt to others, knowingly and not knowingly? Is this world really a bad place to be in? I believe it’s more of the people who is making it like that.

What is wrong with a little bit of sharing and caring? Add that with a little bit of understanding and tolerance. Why can't we all live happily together? Why can't we make each other's life something to look forward to tomorrow? Why isn't everyone striving to make this world a better place to live in? It is afterall their home.

I think I am having a bad day. Shutting down now.

2009-01-10T12:18:00.002+08:00

20 and counting.

I pushed myself to a 20 lap last night. Surprisingly, my arms didn't feel like it was going to fall off. I am happy that I did the 20 laps. It's like something that I look forward to at the end of each day, besides Gossip Girl. I'll increase the laps gradually.

I figured this swimming improves my sleep as I slept like a baby last night. I am a very light sleeper, I can hardly fall asleep just with the clock ticking. I'd have to use a digital clock. The slightest sound would awaken me. I would wake up from my sleep every now and then in the middle of the night. But last night, I slept all the way through. I figured I have burnt all the excessive energy I had in the swim, which is something good.

2009-01-07T13:32:00.003+08:00

Getting in line.

I am very proud of myself last night. I took the effort to go for a swim. It was really a herculean effort on my part. I could not remember when was the last time I actually swam. I could not even remember when was the last time I took some time for some kind of exercise. Hence, the shape that I am in right now.

For the past 6 years, I lived just opposite PISA. And never have I ever been to the swimming pool. The very 1 time I stepped into PISA’s swimming pool was more than 10 years ago, when I went to see Kah Soon’s polo competition. Hang on, was it PISA or PSC? I think it’s PSC. That means, I have never been to PISA’s swimming pool, when all it took me was less than 5 minutes to get there.

So, since the new place I am staying now comes with a swimming pool, I willed myself to do a 10 lap last night. I did, and right after that, I felt as though my arms were falling off my shoulders. Papa threw me into the pool when I was 9. Believe it or not, I swam everyday. And at that age, I picked it up pretty fast. Unfortunately, without proper and further guidance, I was just swimming for the fun of it. It would have been different if I was encouraged to join some swimming competition. With the rate that I was swimming 7 days a week, more than 3 hours a day, I would have been in the junior swimming team for Malaysia back then.

I might go for a swim again tonight. Looks like I am getting in line with the right things this year. More good stuff coming my way.

2009-01-05T19:01:00.002+08:00

Lazy days are over.

I wanted to start this post (the first few for this year) on a positive note. Upon checking and updating my facebook, I realised many people were ranting about going back to work today. Yea, the past 2 weeks, many workers were clearing their annual leaves or companies were closed to cut down operating expenses. I had my fair share of not waking up at 8am and drag myself to work. I kept work out, though I was not doing anything else.

So, getting back to routine today was a little bit more difficult than ever. It's not like the ordinary 2 days weekend break, and you come back to work on a Monday morning. I'm sure everyone else is feeling the same way I was. Throughout my journey from Taiping to Penang this morning, I made a mental note to myself that this is going to be the first official working day for year 2009, therefore, I have got to make this a good one, so that the following days for the rest of the year will follow suit.

The day ended well. I'm going home now. I hope everyone else had a great day today too. Go home now, and rest well. We've got another day to deal with tomorrow.

2009-01-01T14:38:00.001+08:00

Bigger is better. Biggest is best.

Funny how I used to sleep in a single bed, and could make do with that small little space. Now, I got a queen sized bed, but I am fretting that I don’t have enough space. Silly, I know. Seriously, the bed feels small. Or was it because my room now is smaller, and comes with a bigger wardrobe? I don’t have a CRT TV in my room anymore (planning to get a wall-mount LCD somewhere in the near future). So, how come my bed still feels small? Should I move that bed to the other room and get myself a king sized bed instead? That is going to reduce the already limited walking space in my room further more. And not mentioning burning another hole in my pocket. Any sponsors?

2009-01-01T00:08:00.005+08:00

Happy New Year 2009!

This was the spectacular view from my sanctuary just a few moments ago. There were many places spotted with fireworks at the strike of midnight. This picture was taken facing Queensbay. Of course Queensbay didn't want to miss out the fireworks too. The more I am loving this place! Being so high up has it's own perks. It's cool up here.

Happy New Year 2009 to all! It will definitely be a better year.

2008-12-31T14:28:00.003+08:00

Last Day of 2008…

was the first day I had my own moment in my own house. I stood at the balcony overlooking the lights of Bayan Lepas area. Straight ahead, I could see Butterworth. I really like it. As I was lying down on my bed, I was counting aeroplanes taking off and touching down. It was really an awesome feeling. I finally made it to having my own place which I can proudly call home.

Looks like I will be home tonight for the countdown. I’ll either watch CSI on AXN or Gossip Girl on my notebook. With the anticipation of a bad traffic crawl, I definitely want to stay in. Not going back to Taiping tonight as I’m on duty tomorrow, earning myself some extra cash.

xo xo

2008-12-30T18:38:00.000+08:00

Cravings

I've made it to work today and lasted the whole day, after one whole week of break. I don't know why, but something inside of me does not feel right. I am feeling pain and a little bit uneasy. But there is no one I can relate it to, and no one would really understand too. I'm really trying hard to move on. A little bit more time, that's all I need.

2008-12-29T17:18:00.002+08:00

2008 coming to an end

Another 2 more days and 2008 will just slip away. I've been on leave for the whole of last week. Haven't done much or gone anywhere for the holidays. Christmas was just like any other ordinary day. Taiping was kinda dead. I wonder where all the people went, cos normally there will be alot of out-station cars during the holidays in Taiping. Is the economy that bad that everybody is staying put at wherever they are, so no one is coming back to their hometown anymore? Petrol price is at RM 1.80 per litre now. Hey, where has everyone gone to?

I've finally moved to my own place now. It's a neat place. I have all the space to myself and don't have to worry about anyone messing up my bathroom. And I can walk around the house naked too. It comes along with a nice night view as I am living on the 27th floor. I am feeling ecstatic about it. Just that for the past few days, I had many guests, so I don't have my own quiet moment. I am going back to work tomorrow as I haven't got anything else better to do. I still have 5 more days of leave which I will see if I can make it to New Zealand next year.

With all of this, year 2008 has been good to me. I've earned enough to make myself a decent living. Of course I'd wish to be making more money next year. I am grateful that I am still holding my job. I am also grateful that I have more than enough to spare. And here's wishing all of you, another great year ahead and may you all have more achievements than this year to brag about!

2008-12-07T20:08:00.005+08:00

Christmas 2008

When I was in Singapore last week, there were Christmas decorations in the streets already. It's like another month to Christmas, but the streets were lighted with christmas trees and candy canes. Isn't it abit too early for it? I feel that sometimes all these celebrations are too commercialised. It's just another avenue for making money. Hey, I even heard Chinese New Year songs on TV already!

Ritz-Carlton also started with it's decoration, with this big Christmas tree erected at the entrace of the lobby. Beautiful, it's nice. Unfortunately, you won't find this kind of decos in Malaysia. Here, it's just going to be another public holiday, without much of a celebration though.

Even in the office, I am seeing a few Christmas trees around. Every department have it's own Christmas tree, except for mine. We used to have a big Christmas tree. I think we've run out of space to put it up. Am not sure if we are going to put it up. I won't be around, have taken leave on the last 2 weeks of the year.

2008-12-06T13:08:00.000+08:00

Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park

2008-12-04T20:08:00.003+08:00

Congratulations, baby!

A very good friend of mine is finally giving up his bachelorhood to get married. Another mixed feelings that I am having now. But first, I have to congratulate him. Congratulations, baby! May you live happily ever after with lots of cute, chubby kids like you.

Well, till now, it's almost 2 years that I myself am married. I don't see any difference before and after marriage. 3 years ago, it didn't occur to me to get married. But I am living the life that I didn't want to now. So, what is marriage really all about? Beats me.

Maybe marriage is just part of the plan. Having kids and a family will complete the circle. I'm not sure if I am ready for this. But, when will you know if you are ready? People last time could handle a dozen kids, I'm sure I can survive one. Ah, I'm not young anymore, maybe it's really time for me to plan one. Then, what's life going to be like with the kid running around the house like a little monster? That will be another mystery to unfold.

2008-12-04T19:20:00.005+08:00

The sweetest thing

They are the sweetest thing on earth, Bryan and Sarah. Bryan's turning 5 and Sarah is 2. Oh God, they are so cute. They were up in Penang last week, just before I left for Singapore. There's also Adrian, but I don't have a decent picture of him. Adrian is 1. He is so chubby and cuddly. Well, I love all of them so much. Those are Raymond's kids, the loveliest ever!

2008-12-02T18:02:00.009+08:00

Look what I found

I was sent to Singapore last week to assist SITEX. It was fun travelling by myself, all the peace and quiet. My first stop was to check-in to Ritz-Carlton. Yea, baby, I had the whole big room to myself in THE Ritz-Carlton. I even requested for a king size bed. As I arrived early, the room wasn't ready yet, so I decided to have lunch. Called Ivan, and he asked me to have lunch in Shangri-La. How about lobster for lunch? I'm not really a seafood fan, but if you serve me a lobster every once in a while, I think I can handle it. I enjoyed my lunch for about an hour.
Did you know that Sunny Side Up is not just an egg? I found this drink in The Line, the restaurant I was having lunch in in Shangri-La. It's a concoction of Belvedere vodka, Malibu, Galliano, passion fruit essence, orange juice and whipped cream. Looks so refreshing, and it costs SG$ 17 ++.

After lunch, I headed to Singapore Expo to start work. This time, our booth is divided into 4. So, we only got quarter of a booth. I think the storeroom is smaller than my bathroom, but I got to make do to have 2 scanner boys and 2 cashier girls with Clifford and myself stationed in there. Also, we had to make some space for the flyers, boxes of water and empty boxes for the system. Nothing else! With the small booth that we got, setting up was pretty fast. Alex and Taufiq set up the systems, while I set up the scanners and charging terminals.

The next morning, the real day, I started with breakfast at the Greenhouse. I had my sunny side up with a toast, some cereals and coffee. Eek... the coffee sucks. Hey, stupid me again. It didn't occur to me to ask for tea instead. I asked for coffee for all 5 days I had my breakfast there. Stupid me indeed!

I didn't have any good coffee in this trip, come to think of it. We used to have Starbucks everyday previously. What was I thinking? Maybe I had too many things in my head. But, I found this really delicious drink in the hawker stalls that I have dinner with the kiosk boys at night. Tea Chino. I think it's made of fresh cow milk with tea. I craved for it every night after that.

2008-11-21T11:10:00.002+08:00

People these days

Last night, as I was opening the gate to enter my house, I heard someone shouting. I turned back to check out what was happening. As it was quite dark, I had to search around to locate where the shouting came from. I saw an old man holding his bicycle. He was frantically screaming at someone who was reversing the car to his direction. I thought that the car was really going to bang into the old man for a second.

No, there was no accident. Thank God! However, it amazed me that, the person who was driving the car, didn't even have the courtesy to get down of his car to apologise to the old man. He just drove away like nothing had happened. What is wrong with people these days? Is it that difficult to just get off the car to check if the old man was ok? That would take less than a minute. Furthermore, they are neighbours.

I guess people these days just don't care for others. Did you say hi to your neighbour this morning? Or, have you ever stopped to talk a little to your neighbours? People in the city these days are just too engaged with themselves. I bet you don't even know your neighbour's surname, let alone knowing if your right door neighbour is a drug dealer and your left door neighbour is an armed robber!

2008-11-19T18:13:00.003+08:00

More money to spend

When the government increased petrol price to RM 2.70 in June, it caused an uproar. Everyone hated the government so much. I was one of them, as I travel back and forth Penang - Taiping weekly, of course I felt the pinch. Then gradually and slowly, the government decided to ease our burden, dropping the petrol price 10 - 15 cents every now and then. Petrol price right now is RM 2.00 a litre. So, a full tank would cost from RM 115 previously to RM 85 now. With that, I have RM 30 more to spend on other things. Awesome # 1.

Not too long ago, the government decided that we pay less for our EPF contribution. From 11% to 8%. So, I'll have a couple of hundred ringgit more cash to spend every month. Awesome # 2.

And awesome # 3 is there's going to be toll discount up to 10% and an additional 5% for the loyalty programme starting 1st January 2009. As I'm a frequent user of the North-South Expressway, surely I applaud this move.

With all the savings, I'll be able to buy more stuff. Isn't it awesome? I even came up with the plan of buying some expansive electrical goods using installment plan with those little savings I'm going to have. Like almost every credit card is offering interest free installments.

But the problem with awesome # 2 is that I'm gonna have less money for when I am old and haggard and don't have the ability to work to earn somemore. What is going to happen to me then? Will the government spare the aged some money?

And you know the catch with awesome # 3? You got to travel between midnight to 7am to enjoy the 10% discount. I'm not sure if this plan was a good move and certainly I don't want to know who approved it. If it's a short distance, eg. Penang - Taiping, then if I start my journey sharp at midnight, I'll reach Taiping by 1am. That is ok to me. But for someone who is going to start their journey at midnight from Penang heading to KL, that's going to be a 4 hour drive. That person is going to reach at 4am? Isn't it insane? Is it worth your consciousness for an RM 4 savings? I think that's gonna cause more accidents as the driver is going to feel so sleepy and lose the concentration to drive carefully. Come to think of it, are they serious about this? Seriously?

I think I will apply to continue paying 11% contribution to my EPF, so that I could live a few months longer when I'm old. And maybe what PLUS can do to make this 10% rebate worthy is to provide free coffee at rest areas or petrol kiosks along the highways during those times. Maybe this time caffeine will save some lives.

2008-11-03T19:01:00.003+08:00

Less than a year ago...

I posted about the mixed feelings I had when I heard about my friend's father was diagnosed with cancer. At that time, I really hoped that he'd fully recover with all our new age medicine and technology. Then, off and on, I'll hear a little about him. And when I met him in Gleneagles where I had my endoscopy done around three months back, he's aged tremendously. Still, I wished him well.

Never did I imagine that he will succumb to the illness. So, I heard last week that he has passed on. I still pray him well in heaven. I paid my last respects. Though we are not as closed as we used to be, I still hope God will give them the strenght to carry on.

2008-10-23T18:50:00.002+08:00

Today

Apart from being very excited that I am finally getting my own place, I am kinda frustrated with life. And that is a choice I have to make, to keep feeling that way, or let things go and turn around to maximise this life. My conscience mind tells me that the latter is of course the better choice. People keep saying that life is short and that we should enjoy it to the fullest. Is that true? What do they mean to enjoy life to the fullest? Come on, most of us are normal people. We have to work our asses each day, just to make enough money to pay for the home loan, car loan, lifestyle... and the list goes on. Work is from 9am to 6pm, maybe 7pm. At my age, who would have the energy to go out partying? But wait... partying? Will the balance in my bank account remain positive, or am I going to owe my credit card for another month?

Yes, everyone longs and dreams for a better life. But when we are young and strong, we have to work hard to earn enough money for when we are old. Then when we are old, we are too frill to actually enjoy life. Oh, life is so unfair!

This is just my thoughts. Come on, let's be positive. Life can be great. It's just how we look at it!

2008-09-14T23:42:00.008+08:00

I love the nights and the lights

Two weeks ago at this time, I was in Singapore. This time, I had the opportunity to go out with some friends and we took some pictures. The night view of Singapore is really pretty. All the lighted tall buildings, shows how advanced Singapore is. And the best thing about Singapore is it's cleanliness. This picture was taken from The Merlion. Beautiful isn't it?And another picture of The Singapore Flyer. We were lucky to get this picture as earlier when we reached, they've turned off the lights. Just when we were packing to leave, they suddenly turned on the lights.

One week ago at this time, I was in Jakarta. We got some really nice night view of the city too. These pictures were taken from The Penthouse in Wisma Bakrie, where Eric had his wedding dinner. Awesome view. But unlike Singapore, Jakarta isn't a very nice place to be. The traffic jams were deadly. It took 1 to 2 hours of traffic jam to get to anywhere. We were lucky as Eric provided us with a driver who chauffered us to anywhere we wanted to go. If you are not a local, I don't think you'd be able to drive there. People there are ruthless!

Here's the busy streets at night. Yea... I love the nights and the beautiful lights that lit up the city.

2008-08-17T12:13:00.002+08:00

Coffee or tea? Stupid me!

For the past three weeks, I have been having lots of coffee. Reason for that was because I had to attend a three weeks meeting offsite and they have been serving coffee free flow. Coffee has always been my choice of preference over tea.

Unfortunately enough for me, they served bad coffee in EQ. It really sucked. But I kept drinking it. It's like auto. Then on the last three days of the meeting, I decided, no more bad coffee for me. So, I made tea. I was surprised that the tea was good.

And it suddenly dawn on me that, sometimes change can be good. Sometimes you just need some change, to taste something better. And if you keep doing what you are doing, you will be getting what you've always been getting!

2008-07-20T23:12:00.002+08:00

Motilium makes me hungry

2 weeks of Motilium and I've gained 2kgs in weight. No joke. This medication is making me hungry all the time. I'm craving for food almost everytime of the day. My friends think I'm pregnant for my never ending obsession of food. So, 2 weeks of Motilium is over. Doctor prescribed me with Pariet now. I'm not sure if it will give the same effect. If it is, then it's not going to be good. I gotta control myself. Good thing that there isn't anymore junk food in the office now.

2008-07-12T11:37:00.005+08:00

This is the game that is depriving me from many hours of sleep each night. Once you complete a tour, you will want to try the next and the next and the next. And when you look at your clock, it's already 2am! I'm in the Pro Tour now. Pretty much self explanatory with the cover picture above, this is a racing game. Each time you complete a tour, you get a brand new car and unlock the next tour. It tests your skills on controlling the car and drifting. I can't wait to finish work and go home to play this game!

2008-07-06T18:51:00.004+08:00

Endoscopy

As scary as it may sound, I went to get mine done anyway. I went to get myself admitted in Gleneagles Medical Centre on Friday and had the procedure done the next morning. I wanted to make sure that my stomach is going to be alright, cause the gastric is just giving me too much pain every now and then. When I went there in the morning, I didn't expect to see so many people. But, yes, there was SO many people, young and old, all trying to get some treatment for something. As soon as I was admitted, they gave me this band with my name and the doctor's name on it as well.

First I had to go get a blood test. The nurse was very young and she's good. Just one shot and she drew enough blood out of me. No bruises after that. Then they sent me to my bed. The hospital is like a hotel, you get to choose what sort of room you want. I didn't want to sleep alone, so I asked for a room with 4 beds and I want people to be in there. Then there was nothing else for me to do. I just sat on my bed and waited for the doctor to come see me. And when he came, he gave me 4 punctured holes on my arms. He couldn't find my veins. And when he finally did, he left this tube in me. It was very annoying as it limited my move. I couldn't play PSP after that. When I sleep I had to make sure I don't press myself on it, it's gonna hurt. I slept well that night. Just that the nurse came to inject me with some medication before I sleep and very early in the morning.

I couldn't remember the whole ordeal of the procedure as I was knocked out. First, they sent me to do an ultrasound. That wasn't anything as they just scanned my stomach from outside. 5 minutes and it was done. After that, they sent me to the scope department. A trainee (I guessed) was instructed to prepare me. I think he was bullied by the senior nurses. They instructed him like he was a small kid. Well, he was serious, didn't smile at all. He explained to me the details of the procedure and what are the medicines that he's feeding me with. I was made to lie down on my left. When the doctor came in and sprayed more of the the anesthetic to make my throat numb and put something into my mouth so that it remained open, that is all that I could remember. When I woke up, they were pushing me back to my room.

There wasn't anything wrong with my stomach, besides finding a polyp and getting it removed. But they found some tiny stones in my gallbladder. He gave me some medication for my gastic, Controloc and Motilium. I'll have to go see him again in 2 weeks. I hope I don't have to suffer the pain anymore.

2008-06-27T14:53:00.007+08:00

I completed the game last night. It is a totally awesome game and I would strongly recommend to those who owns a PSP. It's a short game, should be able to complete it in less than 10 hours. I played the easy mode. Will try out the more difficult modes after this. Completing the game will enable you to unlock some treasures. I'm getting there.

When I first got the PSP, I started off with this game. Then there was this part that I just couldn't get through. The one that I had to double jump in the Jails of Tartarus. So, I started playing Patapon and started liking it. I gave up GoW. But, I was determined to finish this game no matter what. I died many times. And last night was a very victorious night for me, as I managed to beat Persephone. Also, I managed to get through a few levels in Patapon.

I'll try to complete Patapon before moving on to Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.

2008-06-17T19:25:00.003+08:00

Changi Airport

Shopping again! Everytime we go to Singapore, we will definitely get something expansive from the airport. This time, I told myself that I won't buy anything, no matter how tempted I am. Miu Miu and I decided to wake up later and not join the rest to the airport at a much earlier time. So, we arranged to meet at the lobby by 8.15am for breakfast before heading to Changi. We missed breakfast, which is a good thing, cos we will have to rush to the airport, check-in, then head straight to gate E3 to board the plane.

However, after clearing customs and having our passports stamped "Departure", there starts all the shopping! Just as you walk through the custom's gate, there's Gucci, waving it's "Sale" banner! No, no, I am not going in there! So we walked further. Someway, somehow, the liquor store was like a magnet, pulling us into it's direction. Then I saw this 100 years limited edition black label at a very affordable price, SG$ 49 only! Without much hesitation or thinking twice, I grabbed a bottle and headed to the counter to flash my credit card for that purchase. There are only 4000 bottles sold in Singapore. Apparently the Johnnie Walker logo on the bottle is made of real gold.

2008-06-13T22:24:00.003+08:00

Fountain of Wealth

Here's the picture of the Fountain of Wealth at night, from my room. It's not very clear, but this is the best I could take, haven't got a proper camera. Since I am here for work, I haven't got the time to go other places, except for dinner at night, late at night, as we finish at 10pm. But right now, I am back in the room, calling for room service. I am just too tired from standing the whole day. After I clean up and have my dinner, I still got some work to do.

2008-06-11T23:05:00.005+08:00

Singapore again

Aha... I'm in Singapore again. Happily, I am. Got a good view from my room. Singapore's Fountain of Wealth. Took this picture with my 5310, 2.0MP camera.

And another picture of Singapore's night view from Al Dente Trattoria, where we had dinner. Had a quick dinner as we were very tired and headed back to the hotel right after that. No drinks tonight.

2008-06-08T18:43:00.002+08:00

Petrol from RM 1.92 to RM 2.70? Insanely insane!

I just went to fill my gas tank last night, as I wasn't insane enough to line up with the rest on Wednesday night. When normally I pay RM 70 - RM 80 for a full tank, last night was the record high of RM 115! That's approximately a 50% increase. I am speechless!

Everyone, everywhere, every media is talking about this hike. I'm gonna need to pay averagely RM 150 more per month on petrol. Maybe I should just take the bus back from Penang to Taiping every weekend.

2008-05-31T15:36:00.004+08:00

Busy

This is the normal thing that people would say when there are no updates or hello. This is true for me. I have been particularly busy making lots of money, that is. My last update in February, somewhere during Chinese New Year. Till now, I'm richer by a lot!

Besides making lots of money, I was as usual, busy with work. A couple of PC Fairs in Singapore and KL and some travelling. Somehow, HadYai is the favourite place this year. I've already been there twice earlier this year and am going again. They've got cheap massages, good food? Some shopping for some really cheap fake stuffs.

The worst thing that is happening to me is gastric. Damn, it hurts so bad. No more coffee for me. I try not to take spicy food too. Practically, I'm just eating bland food, like no taste. Drinking just horlicks (apparently people say it's good for gastric), milo, water and soya bean. Can you imagine that? No coffee? Well, the pain is just too intense, I just want to get well.

On top of that, I've got some really neat gadgets to play with. I made Sunshine buy me the PSP. Awesome, ya! The graphics is really good, much better than the GBA. I'm busy with God of War: Chains of Olympus and Patapon now. Also, I just changed my handphone from N73 to the 5310 XpressMusic. I know it's a downgrade, but when I saw the 5310, I knew I just gotta have it. It's 1/3 the size of the N73. That was the ultimate reason I got it.

Okay, I'm going to get busy with Facebook now.

2008-02-16T10:02:00.008+08:00

Jammy Jam on Public Holidays

This is also one of the very reasons I want to work on public holidays, so that I don't get into those snail crawling traffic jams. Look, I even had the time to take some pictures of the horrible ques, cos the traffic was at a standstill. This picture was taken on Chinese New Year eve, where everyone was rushing home for their family reunion dinner. Everyone wanted to get out of Penang and head home to their respective hometown. Whenever there's a public holiday, Penang bridge will be so jammed pack. It could take more than an hour to get from Bayan Lepas to the other end of the bridge. AWFUL!!!

After CNY, everybody come rushing home to start work again on Sunday night. And this time, it took me 1 and a half hours to get from Bukit Tambun to Penang across the bridge. It was almost midnight, yet, there were still so many cars. Unfortunately some reckless drivers had to get themselves into some accidents which caused the jam to be even worse. Look, I'm at the smart tag lane to the bridge. Yet, the que was at a halt. Some inconsiderate drivers without the smart tag was queueing on this lane, then they will cut in to the touch and go lane. Of course nobody from the touch and go lane would give way. PBSB should do something about this. Maybe baricade the smart tag lane 100 meters before the toll booth. So, those without the smart tag who drives into this lane will get caught at the toll booth and be fined RM 1000 for their stupidity of not understanding that they are at the fast lane. It's supposed to be fast and not hold up by their lack of brains for not having a smart tag, but being on the smart tag lane. I'm sure this fine will definitely scare the shits out of them and the smart tag lane will operate as smooth as it's meant to be in the first place. And guess what? There were no jams on Monday morning. I guess everyone decided to come back on Sunday night. And hey, I'm at work today!

2008-01-19T11:16:00.007+08:00

Wan Dala... Wan Dala...We should all be damn grateful for all the things we have. I was in Siem Reap on 13th - 16th January, and I had a really mind blowing experience there. The thing that struck me the most was the kids, probably less than 5 years old, were carrying their much younger siblings and begging for a dollar from the tourists. It wasn't a very pleasant sight. From there, I started to think to myself, on how lucky I am, for all the things that I've got.

Apart from that, we visited the Wats, which were magnificently structured. Each step that I took, I kept wondering how these people managed to build the temples before civilization without any modern technology to carry the heavy blocks of stones. Amazingly the stones were just stacked on top of one another, and yet they stand majestically til now. You won't be able to imagine the precision here. Also, the carvings on the walls were so beautiful. You'll keep imagining how'd they do it.

2008-01-01T00:01:00.000+08:00

Brand new year 2008

A totally brand new year ahead of me. I'm very sure it's going to be a really good one. I think to myself, what have I done last year? Nothing much to shout about. But this year, I'm going to make a difference. I want to have a more meaningful life. I will try to blog more often, as with this, I can document my life.

A little bit about my current state now. I have not mentioned about my second nephew, Adrian. He was born on September last year. Oh, he is as cute as Brian. He looks like Brian, in fact! I've not seen them for quite sometime already. Hopefully I will catch them during Chinese New Year next month. Brian is 4 years old already. And Sarah will be 2 this May. So miss them.

I'm still at work in Penang. Looks like this is going to be my carrier here. Let's see... it's been 5 years, I'm still in the same company. Not bad, eh? I'm trying to make each day that I go to work more meaningful now. Besides making lots of money, which is the ultimate aim, I want to make a difference too. How? I don't know, I'll just do it as it comes.

Next week, I'll be going to Siam Reap with Sunshine and some other friends from Taiping. They chose to go there because we're flying AirAsia. They made the booking last month, which was very cheap, so everyone wants to go. I'm aiming to go Japan end of this year.

You know, life is good when you start thinking that it is really good. Look at it, I have clothes to wear, a car to bring me around, a place to stay, enough money to spend, I'm healthy, I'm capable of earning and make a living for myself... This world has been good to me. So, I am damn thankful for everything that I have! You should too.

2007-12-29T16:45:00.000+08:00

Counting down to 2008

Day in, day out, and another year passed. Still wondering what is the meaning of this life? Feels like just another ordinary life in the world. I hope 2008 will be another smooth or not better year for me.

2007-12-25T15:44:00.001+08:00

Christmas

I woke up early this morning and headed for work. Feels like just another ordinary day, minus the traffic jam on the bridge. I chose to work today. Or else, I wouldn't have anything good to do either, might as well come to work.

It is really hot outside. The sun was burning into my skin as I went out for lunch earlier. I guess getting the sun once in a while is ok. Oh, I went to see a doctor yesterday cos there's some rash on my skin. According to the doctor, I am allergic to the sun. Hmm... it is really weird. How on earth?

2007-12-22T12:30:00.000+08:00

Santa's Coming to Town

Three more days to Christmas. I've been working non-stop since 26th November, inclusive of Saturdays and Sundays, for the past 4 weeks. Wa-hey, I'm at work still today! My shift will be over at 3pm. I'm getting my day off tomorrow. Guess what? I'm working on Christmas too.

Everywhere is so Christmas mood now. Last week, when I was in Singapore for the Road Show, there were Christmas carol performances and Alvin & The Chipmunks came out with a Christmas Soundtrack too. Last night, I went to Queensbay with Lisa, and there were carols at the atrium too.

I'm not really into the Christmas mood yet. Well... what do you actually do during Christmas? Go for mass, exchange presents... Nothing much or big for me, as I will be at work. Feels like I haven't got much to look forward to this holiday season. So, the big question is what is this whole life about? Truth is, life is all about choices. And you choose which path you want to take. Life can be totally awesome, depends on how you want to see it.

2007-12-22T11:24:00.000+08:00

Mixed Feelings (Part II)

A few blogs ago I had the title "Mixed Feelings". But I didn't elaborate more of what actually I was feeling that time, other than my amazement of that humongous 747 that flew me from Penang to Singapore. Cos at that I time, I was really having this mixed feeling. I heard the news about one of my very close childhood friends' father had cancer. It was scary, I didn't know what to think and write. Well, time made us drift very far apart eventually. We didn't keep in touch right after I left to Australia. All that I could do is to pray for him, so that he does not need to go through the pain and agony of the desease and chemo. I hope he'd be able to battle this and gets totally well.

2007-12-20T10:45:00.000+08:00

St. Regis

I had the opportunity to dine at St. Regis on the last day of my Singapore business trip. The hotel is not officially opened yet, but Ivan invited us for a simulation dinner. It was so prim and proper. Miuz and I were just after work, so we weren't dressed for the occasion. Well, I didn't have any proper clothes at that time too, even if I had the chance to go back to Fairmont to change. St. Regis looked so luxurious and expansive. When we reached, it was pretty late and it was closing. We were practically greeted by every staff who passed by. It's like "wow", they were so friendly!

The name of the restaurant is Les Saveurs. We don't even know how to pronounce that. It's a French name, if I'm not wrong. I took pictures of everything I ate that night.

This is Amuse Bouche, salmon and prawn tartare with yuzu dressing. It tastes so good. The portion was very small as it was just a simulation. It made me crave for more.

Next we were served with some bread. I chose the bread lovosh and bread stick. It came with a very nicely shaped butter that looks like a Christmas tree.

They served the soup while we were enjoying the bread and butter. Pumpkin soup, butternut squach with crab soup.

The main course was Cod Rossini. Look at the picture. First layer was foie gras, then the cod and a piece of potato. Feels like the foie gras just melts in your mouth!

Lastly, the dessert. Chocolate. It was so good. Of everything I ate above, this was the most heavenly!

If you had the opportunity, go to St. Regis for a nice dinner. Pamper yourself. I think once in a while, we all deserve to enjoy life. Dinner at St. Regis was really satisfying. Especially when we were having crappy food for the past few nights.

2007-12-15T18:17:00.000+08:00

Yakun Kaya Toast

We've been having breakfast at Yakun Kaya Toast for the past 3 days. A cup of coffee, 2 half boiled eggs and 2 pieces of toasts costs S$ 3.90. The place seems to be full most of the time, not only for breakfast. A decent meal to start the day, as Miuz and me seems to miss breakfast at the hotel every morning.

I think I'm going deaf already. Our booth had to be right smack beside the stage and the speakers are blasting right into our ears. Awesome isn't it? We always have big blasting speakers beside us for almost every fair. Miuz has been talking to me and I had to make her repeat herself a few times before I could absorb what she was telling me. I think I need to check my ears when I go back.

Alvin and the chipmunks were here earlier. They were so cute that all the kids were crowding around them to take some pictures. Of course I didn't miss out the chance to have a picture taken with them. They were just so cute and cuddly. Santa was here too with his Santarinas.

2007-12-14T01:58:00.000+08:00

Mixed feelings

This was the wing of the plane that flew me to Singapore two days ago. It was a really huge plane. I think this wing must be 30 meters long. Normally we fly on the smaller planes. I have always wondered how a plane can fly. And the size of this plane really amazes me. Humans are so brilliant. Thanks to the Wright brothers we could fly from one end to the other side of the world. Isn't it just so awesome?

So, here I am in Singapore now, running a Christmas Sale in Funan with Miuz. First day of sale is quite promising, we broke the egg. I'm sure it's going to get better tomorrow. I know it will.

2007-11-29T22:22:00.000+08:00

It's been a while

Nope, it's been a really long time I haven't been updating my blog. For all I know, no one has been visiting this blog. For the past four months, I've been at work. No, my life is not all work and work alone. Though most part of it is. Let me try to recall what I have been doing.

August, was a pretty busy month. We ran two PC Fairs. Therefore, I spent much of my time in the office. I am thankful to have this job. Seriously!

Then in September, my birthday month, we went to Macau. With AirAsia, everyone can fly. It was Guangzhou - Zhuhai - Macau. The holiday turned out to be totally awesome. Especially in Macau. We visited The Venetian, currently the biggest casino in the world. I got my birthday present there. Ten thousand Hong Kong Dollars! I didn't gamble or bet my luck on any table. I picked it up from the floor. No joke! My luck wasn't on the table, it was plainly on the floor. Here it is, the 10,000 chip I found on the floor. Don't believe it? Yea, I could hardly believe my luck myself. But yeap, we cashed it out and flew out of Macau the next morning!

Last month, I ran a Road Show in KL with Irene. So, I was busy with work again. Feels like just yesterday. But, here I am at work again, for another PC Fair. If you are reading this blog, you should know by now, that I really love my job! Did I mention that I got awarded for my outstanding performance and lasting contribution for Q3FY08? I wouldn't trade my life for anything else. I am having a good life. Works good. And I also have a husband who seriously loves me with his life. What more is there to ask for? I love my life and I am damn grateful for all the things that I have and accomplished.

2007-07-20T12:21:00.000+08:00

Secure In God's Love!

Nothing can get between us and God's love. - Romans 8:39 TM

Opinions are powerful things! They either build us up or tear us down. They create a ceiling above which we cannot rise. That's why it's important to get God's opinion of you and stick with it. If others disagree, so what? You wouldn't be so critical of yourself or so conscious of the opinions of others - if you really knew how God felt about you! He made up His mind about you before you sinned. So when you sin, repent. Then dismiss the guilt, for guilt is the product of doubt; it denies you the benefits of God's grace.
Stop running from person to person looking for love. Just open your Bible; it's a living love letter, a statement of intent from a Father who wants nothing but the best for His children. If you doubt that, read this: "Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There's no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing...not even the worst sins listed in Scripture...None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that... nothing can get between us and God's love" (Romans 8:35-39 TM).
"But I fall so far short," you say. We all do! Yet nothing you've done has changed God's mind about you, and nothing ever will! His love remains; it's unconditional, constant and guaranteed: "His mercy endures forever" (Ps 136:1 NKJV). God's love for you is set in concrete; it has no cut off point! And that's the foundation you can build your life on!

Soul Food Bible Readings: Joel 1-3, Matt 26:26-35, Ps 118:10-18, Pr 15:31-32

2007-05-30T11:51:00.000+08:00

Rolex: Oyster Perpetual Date Submariner

Take a closer look at the picture. It's no ordinary piece of paper. It's the warranty card for a Rolex I bought for Sunshine on his birthday. He's been dreaming to own a Rolex for a very long time. So I thought this would be the perfect gift. And since I could afford it, I made his dream come true. Swiped my card for SGD 7,000. I thought it was a good deal, so with no hesitation, I bought it.

Prior to the purchase, I did some research. It's quite a substantial amount that I am investing on a wrist watch. It's like I did it again, when I bought my Omega from Changi Airport in 15 minutes two years ago. This one, I had to consider and save for a couple of months. It was properly planned. Initially, I had my eyes on Explorer II. That costs approximately RM 13,000. But when I went to visit Woo Hing (the sole distributor for Rolex) in Penang, they sold it for RM 15,000. If only they were nicer to me, maybe I would have bought it. But, maybe I didn't look like a potential buyer, I only wore a shirt and jeans. Not exclusive enough to them, maybe. Fine with me, since I was going to Singapore, I'll have a look around there.

So, when I was in Singapore, Alex took me to the shop. Lee Chay Watch Co Pte Ltd, and the lady was very pleasant. She showed me a few Rolexes. And she recommended the Submariner. It was more expansive than what I had budgeted for. When I compared the Explorer II and the Submariner, I was already drowned by it. By far, the Submariner got me. And I decided on it. SGD 7,000 which was approximately RM 15,400.

When I presented the watch to Sunshine, I guess he must be the happiest person on earth at that moment. I was happy that he was so happy.

2007-05-12T15:00:00.000+08:00

Zelda: A Link to the Past

I'm hooked to GBA again. So far, I've completed 2 games, Zelda: The Minish Cap and Mario & Luigi: SuperStar Saga. This time, I'm playing Zelda again, A Link to the Past. I didn't buy it, instead I borrowed from Sunshine's niece. She got addicted to GBA when she saw mine and got her dad to buy her one too. So everytime they come back from KL, she'll ask me to teach her how to play the difficult parts. Games are very addictive. Right after work, I will go home to play til late at night. I just can't put it done once I'm on it. Maybe some of you won't understand the pleasure we get here. It is the satisfaction of killing all the baddies and completing the game. Here, once again Link is set to save Princess Zelda, he's got to switch between the light world and the dark world. One thing I don't like about this game is that all the soldiers thinks that Link was the one who kidnapped Princess Zelda. So, whenever Link bumps into a soldier, he has to put up a fight with them. It's quite tiring as there are soldier almost everywhere. I've played almost 40% of the game and so far, I'm enjoying it. If you've run out of GBA games and haven't tried this, I'd suggest for you to get this game.

2007-04-14T19:56:00.000+08:00

Bali

Earlier this month, I went to Bali. Nothing to shout about, but it's a pretty nice place to go. This picture is taken with my N73, not bad I would say. I was on top of one of the temples there and the scene was so beautiful, I just had to capture it. Besides the scenic landscapes, I also enjoyed the shopping. It was fun bargaining with those people. But I was confused as the currency ends with a lot of zeros.

2007-01-01T13:38:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year 2007!!!

A new year ahead as 2006 passed. To sit back and reflect, time keeps ticking and it does not wait for anyone. If you have missed it, it is gone. If it stops, it will mark the end of humankind. So, don't look back. Instead, live the present to the fullest, life is too vulnerable to worry about the past or future. And most importantly, your life does not depend on other people's perception of you.

2006-11-04T14:11:00.000+08:00

Saturday shift

I'm on duty today. Reluctantly I came to work. It's not that bad, one more hour to go. Thank God there weren't much issues and escalations. In fact, I think I like working on Saturdays. I cleaned my cubicle, threw away alot of rubbish that has been collecting dust. And I realised that there's alot of things in my drawer that I have forgetten about. Strange that we always keep things that we don't need. Maybe that is why people came up with spring cleaning before CNY, so that you can clear all these stored things. You'd be surprised to find some weird things and can't even remember how it got into the drawer in the very first place. Then, I did some call obs. I'm sure the reps must be hating me now, being tapped on a Saturday. But hey, it's still work, gotta maintain professionalism all the time. So I made some OT by dragging my butt here today. Will be driving back to Taiping after work. To be on a positive note, at least I was productive today. If I didn't come to work, I'd be having breakfast at this time. Imagine that.

Without realising, it's already November of 2006. We've got less than two months to yet another year. Haven't blogged much about my life here. There hasn't been much interesting stuffs happening in my life too. Oh, just for memory's sake, I celebrated this year's birthday in Pangkor. Just wanted to leave work and go away to relax. So we decided to go to Pangkor. And relaxed we did, cause there is totally nothing else to do in Pangkor. I would not recommend Pangkor as a holiday spot, unless all you wanted to do is sit by the beach. The beach wasn't very fancy and clean too. Nah, don't go. Pulau Redang is abit further, but it's worth the travelling there.

Gotta get back to work now, to wrap up today's numbers.

2006-09-20T19:19:00.000+08:00

Naked bus or naked lorry?

Can you guess what vehicle this is? Looks like a naked bus or lorry. Hell, it sure can run as it is not fully built. Powerful, I myself could not catch up with it while I was driving a Vios.

Took this picture last Monday morning as I was driving back from Taiping to Penang with my new Sony Ericsson K610i. Not so new actually, was a birthday present from Sunshine. Early birthday present actually, as my birthday is only next week. And I've been using the phone for more than a month now. I hope he surprises me with another real-on-the-day birthday present. That would be sweet.

A little bit of catching up here

Well... haven't been blogging for more that a month. COMEX came and went. We did really well. I am happy, but still not up to boss's expectation. Of course, or else we wouldn't improve if we are just satisfied with what we have done. To succeed, we must always excel further. But hey, this is my first PC Fair. Through all the stresses and pressures, I've learnt and grown. Right after COMEX, flew down to KL for a seminar with Ron Kaufman. It was fantastic, opens the eye and have a better understanding of serving customers better. One simple rule, you have to give in order to get back. It's true.

2006-08-08T20:57:00.000+08:00

PC Fairs

This is the fourth month into my new role. And it is a really crazy job. 9 to 6 just breezes through and 3 months just passed without me noticing it. Is this good? I think I am addicted to my job. Or have I become a workaholic? I come in at 9, and before I even realise it, it is already time to log out. Sometimes I feel 8 hours of work just isn't enough for all the work that needs to be done. Well, last month, I practically worked 9 to 8 almost everyday.

Work never seem to end. Now, everyone is busy preparing for PC Fair. And it is back to back. This weekend we have PIKOM in KL and end of the month it's COMEX in Singapore. Everybody is so stressed. Boss told me that there are pimples popping out of my face last night. It is a good thing with so many things to do. Rather than just sitting in my cube and staring point blank at my notebook, wondering what's for dinner.

With all of this. I am so looking forward for a break after these fairs. If possible, I am taking one week leave. Still unsure of where I want to go. I have Korea and Taiwan in mind. Then, I am also thinking of going to a beach or island. I need to chill out. Just relax and no thoughts of work at all. Maybe Pangkor then.

2006-07-17T19:56:00.000+08:00

Monday

I am sure any working people hates Mondays. It sure is a little bit more difficult to wake up on a Monday. I, for one, so hate Mondays too. I have to wake up 1 hour earlier as I need to travel back to Penang. And then I won't be seeing Sunshine for the rest of the week til Friday, if I don't work on Saturday.

Time at work seem to pass so fast. I've been working 9 am - 8 pm almost every other day. What to do? Commission is not so attractive and OT is the only extra income I can make. Even if I finish at 6 pm, I'll still be in office til late.

Today, I felt a little bit more energetic in the afternoon. I cleaned my cube. I threw away a lot of my 'harta karun' collected since day 1 of my life here. I even found PC Fair orders dated 2004. I threw everything into the confidential trash bin. My cube looks so good now. I also compiled a file for the new hire who will be coming in next week. I'm trying to standardize some stuff here. It feels like there is no guideline to work properly. Since I am a coach now, and I have the say to what is to be done, I'll make it right. No more flying papers around.

Time at work seems to be faster than I know. Before I realise it, it is already time to log out. And then the week will just pass by just like that. Work is all I do. Makes me think... is that all there is to life? I'm sure there is more than just work. No, my life is not screwed. I love my job!

2006-07-10T18:26:00.000+08:00

Penang Public Holiday

Because it was some big shot's birthday, I get to earn RM 300 today. Because of that too, there was no jam on the bridge and no jam throughout coastal highway. I guess most people are sleeping comfortably at home cos it rained. It rained so bad that the roads was flooded. Flooded as in the waters were 8 - 10 inches high (I think). I was quite worried that my car was gonna get stuck in the middle of the road in the flood. It must have rained throughout the night in Penang to cause that flood. For awhile, I wished I was at home all cuddled up on my bed. But the inspiration to come to work was the triple pay I am getting for sacrificing that beauty sleep. And not forgetting the extra OT for working 9am to 8pm and lunch in. Today has covered my expenses for my rent, petrol and toll for the month.

Yesterday was a totally different weather. It was scorching hot in Taiping. The temperature must have been 60 degrees outside, or maybe 75 degrees. It was so humid, I had my shower without the water heater (can't remember when was the last time I did that). I spent the rest of my day in the air con room.

Oh, I dragged myself out of bed at 4 am to watch the closing of the 2006 World Cup in Berlin. I so wanted France to win. I just didn't like the Italians. I totally disagreed when Zidane was thrown the red card. That Italian started it. Winning with penalties does not really show how great the team is. It's more of a fluck shot to me. I so hated the Italians to win. Final score after the penalties, France 4, Italy 6. Ptui!

2006-07-08T14:48:00.000+08:00

The best answer yet

This job requires me to do some hiring. I am ashamed with our future generation, and they call themselves fresh grads. So, the first step before the interview is the screening process. Next I will call them, just to talk to them, to listen to how they talk over the phone. I think I've done this for 50 or 60 candidates. Then there was this one candidate I had to call last week.

Me: Good afternoon, can I speak to Ken please.

Ken: Yes, this is Ken.

Me: Hello Ken. I am Sunny, calling from [Company X]. I got your resume and I understand that you are looking for a job as an ISR.

Ken: Yes.

Me: Okay, so why don't we start off by you telling me a little bit about yourself?

Ken: Er... isn't it all stated in my resume already?

Me: (Surprised to get that for an answer) Very well, if that is the case, I will call you again if you are selected. Thank you and have a nice day.

2006-07-06T19:15:00.000+08:00

No update?

This job is really taking all my energy and time. 9 - 6 just breezes through, feels like there is not enough time to do anything. I must say that it is a challenge, a really big one. I've learnt alot in the past one and half month in the job. Managing people isn't an easy task. Nevertheless, I grow from there, more responsibilities and decisions to make. I love this new job!

2006-05-29T20:32:00.000+08:00

Sarah

The latest edition to the Ong family. Bryan has a baby sister to play with now. She is so small and has Bryan's features.

2006-05-29T20:19:00.000+08:00

100 days

How fast time flies? 25th May 2006 was papa's 100th day anniversary. Raymond, Ivan and I went back to Taiping to offer prayers for papa. May his soul rest in peace. I am still saddened with the fact that papa has passed on and still am trying to accept the reality that I won't be able to see him and talk to him anymore. I pray that he has gone to a better place. I pray that he is reunited once again with mummy.

I understand fully that I have to move on. But many times I caught a tear flowing from my eyes when I think of papa. Maybe it's because the family situation is so screwed up that it is very painful when there are many things that are left unclear.

2006-05-12T16:08:00.000+08:00

Another three hundred dollars day

Yeap... all hyped up to come to work today. Slept at 10.30 last night, don't know why, I was just so sleepy and dozed off while watching that new Korean series on ntv7. Since I was promoted, I think I am sleeping better. Previously, I did see a doctor for insomnia and was given some prescription. The reason for my sleepless nights was work pressure. Not to say that I hated my job, it pays well. But it was hard work. It's all about the numbers. Now, it's over. Now, I have to coach the new hires to produce the numbers for me.

Feels like its a working Saturday today. Only half the team are working because it is Wesak. Top 15 reps get to work. Today, my first assignment was to check the promo bundles and cross sell for next week. Then, had an interview. Finally, someone who could speak proper English. I was so relieved. He didn't sound very aggresive, but he was very creative in overcoming objection. We did a role play, he practically passed. He's hired.

Other than that, I got myself a few hundreds of vouchers to go shopping. If only they gave cash. So, I will be going to Ipoh this weekend. I'm going to see Bryan. I so miss him, he is the cutest boy in the world. I love him... Hmm... I can buy him some stuffs too, since I have so much vouchers.

2006-05-11T18:41:00.000+08:00

Moving on

It is a totally different role. I am busy hiring people to join in this team. But, I am met with disappointment most of the time. What is wrong with the new generation of fresh grads? The resumes looked so good, but when they came in for a face to face interview, they could hardly utter a proper sentence in English.

Let me give you some examples here, while screening phone interview:

Me: When will be the earliest date you can report for work?

Candidate 1: I not think I can make it on 15 May, maybe on the June can.

Me: When will be the earliest date you can report for work?

Candidate 2: Erm... Cannot so soon, all my transportation in KL, must arrange first.

I am not sure if I am supposed to be frustrated or laugh my head off with those replies.

2006-05-08T18:49:00.000+08:00

One productive Sunday

I woke up at 6.45am yesterday. I am so proud of myself for making RM 200 on a Sunday. Yea... we had some kind of a training at work. It was scheduled on a Sunday as that is the only day available for all departments.

I was in Taiping, so Sunshine drove me back to work. The training was conducted in another site. It is pretty boring. The only thing that kept me going was the money. Heheh... being in sales, it's always about the money.

The training was a backup plan. As the company loses alot of money in case an emergency happens in the main plant. So, they took us to the second plant to continue our work. I'm not sure what I learnt from the training, I don't care. All I know is my notebook is working fine and I manged to get a few test calls successfully.

But hey, I made RM 200. Did I mention anywhere in my blog that I so love this job? I do!

2006-05-01T12:36:00.000+08:00

Sleeping beauty

I wasted yesterday. I practically slept the whole day. Woke up around 9am, went for breakfast with Sunshine and his family. It was a lazy day. After breakfast, we went to check out the new Naza Sutera. Don't really fancy it. We went home and I went back to sleep. Tried as I might to wake up at 3.30pm. Had lunch, it was all prepared. Took my medication and went back to sleep. When I opened my eyes again, it was 7.30pm. I announce myself, Sleeping Beauty!

Hence, as much as I hated it, I dragged myself to work today. It's Labour day, it's triple pay day. If I stayed home, I will continue my sleep. If I stayed home today, I will end up in a very bad traffic jam on Penang bridge coming back from Taiping tomorrow morning. So, I came to work. And I am so proud of myself for my achievement to wake up at 6.45 this morning.

If I didn't work today, I would be shopping. I've got heaps of shopping vouchers to spend. The expiry is nearing. But because of the RM 300 that I am making today, I had to skip that. So, I gave Sunshine my vouchers and he is taking his parents shopping in Penang today.

2006-04-27T18:55:00.000+08:00

I am hired

I am so excited, I don't know how to contain it. I got the job. I AM HIRED! I will be looking into a bigger picture of the organisation. Consider this a career move.

2006-04-25T18:35:00.000+08:00

All the good things

Haven't heard from me for some time? I was in the midst of some depression. There are alot of things to think and needed immediate attention. But where am I? Still in square one.

Many wonderful things did take place in the one month while I was away from this blogging world, trying to connect myself with the real world. For instance, I won myself an iPod nano. Though it is only 1GB, it is more than enough. I got a shuffle before this, and that is only 512mb, even that is more than sufficient. I got this nano in one of the contests ran by the company, for selling some anti-virus product. Top 3 gets a nano each. I AM lucky # 3!

I was also down in KL for 3 days for PIKOM. We broke records again, it was unexpected. We got a bigger booth this time, still it was full, jammed packed. People are just not getting enough of us. All of us came back with smiling faces for the great acheivement. Of course, the management were proud of us too.

Oh, another thing, I went for an interview. Changing position. I really hope and pray that I get it. More of it is for my own improvement. If I get the job, there will be a vast scope of new things to learn. I feel so excited about it. Will only know if I get it by next week. Keeping my fingers crossed.

2006-03-31T17:07:00.000+08:00

Cameron Highlands

Our annual trip up in Cameron last week. There isn't anything in particular that is attractive up there, we just went because we needed a break. Just to relax.
Picture taken in front of Boh Tea House with Panasonic FX8.

2006-03-27T19:37:00.000+08:00

Death

Death is a point of no return, there is no turning back. Since papa's sudden death, I feel that I have changed somehow. My perspective of life has definitely altered. Eventhough you are strong and healthy, when the time arrives, there is no escape. I feel that life is so fragile, so meaningless.

2006-03-21T16:02:00.000+08:00

Scare the shits out of me!

I was driving back to Penang from Taiping this morning. As a very cautious driver, I adhered to the speed limit of 110kph. Halfway of my journey, there is this one big heavy lorry who was trying to overtake another lorry on the left. Being a fully loaded lorry, I think it was going at 70 or 80 at most. So, I slowed down. And suddenly, there was a loud bang out of no where. One of the lorry tyres exploded causing me to panicked and hit my brakes. The emergency brake caused Sylvester (my softoy) who was sitting at the back seat without the safety belt to fly to the front. It really scared the shits out of me.

Moral of the story: Don't drive too close behind a lorry and never use tayar celup.

1. Don't drive too close behind a lorry - You don't have the visibility of what is happening in front of that lorry. He could hit the brakes anytime, causing you to step on the emergency brake. Especially if you are fetching kids, make sure the safety belt is secured.

2. Never use tayar celup - it may be much much cheaper, but is your life that cheap too? The four wheels are the only contact between your car and the road. Use reasonably good tyres. Do not procrastinate if the tyres needs a change.

NEVER COMPROMISE ON ROAD SAFETY!

2006-03-16T17:43:00.000+08:00

Relek la

I am staring at NATK, in search of some inspiration to blog. She's logged out cos she's too frustrated with her customers today. Hell, I am equally as frustrated. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to blog about my customers, so I am unable to share their ludicrous antics. What I can say here is that business is really bad. Both NATK and I didn't participate in the recent PC Fair in Singapore. Hence, we are doomed, as our scores are looking like a sinking Titanic. So, everyday NATK will MSN me telling me how stressed she is as she is getting heaps of pressure from her boss. And me, the relek one, keeps assuring her that tomorrow will be a better day. But, the truth is, I am lying to myself too. Business is seriously bad. Then again, I learnt, that even if I am so stressed out, I will still need to do this job. So just relek la. Right or not?

This is my new motto at work: Relek la. It works... try it! You will feel much more motivated dragging yourself out of bed in the morning. Cause you know that it is going to be a relaxing day.