2senWorth_of_toTs

coffee, not the cups

2010-10-04T22:41:00.002+08:00

just saw this in facebook. tot i will share. don't know the origin.

life is like a cup of coffee - author unknown

a group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. conversations soon turn into complaints about stress in work and life. offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite.

he told his guests to help themselves to the coffee. after everyone had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said

"if you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. while it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of all your problems and stress.

be assured that the cups add no quality to the coffee. in most cases, it is just more expensive, and in some cases, even hides what we drink. what all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup. but you consciously went for the best cups... and then you begin eyeing each other's cups to see who had the best one.

now consider this... life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. they are just tools to hold and contain life. and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. sometimes, but concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee.

savor the coffee, not the cups!

the happiest people don't have the best of everything. they just make the best of everything".

- live simply (how ar??) -

- speak kindly -

- care deeply -

- love generously -

poor little rich

2010-10-04T22:32:00.002+08:00

i was just told that it is apparently accepted by the ones married long enough, and have seen enough.... that you have two choices :

1) poor and he loves you

2) rich and he fools around

then tell me, should all girls not go for rich men while they are young and desirable?

should they choose one poor, and nurture him till he is rich... only to find him in someone else's arms? and then you are suppose to accept it?!!

i think not.

unconditional love, is there such a thing?

2010-09-13T00:09:00.003+08:00

i suppose a mother's love is unconditional. no matter what the circumstances are, the mother will love the child (barring the exception where mothers love themselves more)...

how about pets? i used to know of a dog which would do anything for M&Ms... which is why i "used to"... M&Ms are not good for a dog's health... that dog's love was not unconditional... it was food based.

how about children's love for their parents? I think the love is stronger the other way round (parents' love for children are stronger than children's love for their parents). it's true until they grow up and become parents themselves. then children appreciate their parents more!

friend's love? if you think about it, it's not really unconditional. there was a story, prologue section of the "the al-chemist" (if i remember correctly, though not word for word) which was about a beautiful boy who looked at himself in the lake every day, admiring himself. when he died, the lake wept salty tears. when it was asked why it loved the beutiful boy, the lake replied "beautiful?"... it did on cry for the beautiful boy, but it cried because it thought somebody who thought it was a wonderful lake has passed on...

i think most would like people who brings the best out of ourselves. those who sees the good side of ourselves. i suppose it brings out more of the good side... ?

expectations

2010-09-12T11:04:00.002+08:00

i think this has been one of the major topics mentioned in this blog. it keeps coming back to haunt me!

sometimes before one has anything, one's expectations are not high. and one even claim to have no expectations whatsoever. does it stay the same?

never!

once one has something, there is "attachment". why? because it now belongs to you. there will be expectations. and love is not "unconditional". then there is suffering.

so nice

2010-09-11T15:32:00.003+08:00

so nice to just read, sleep, play luminex, do ironing, sleep.... whenever..... with no awareness of time....

how to run the race

2010-08-07T21:29:00.004+08:00

i have learnt

1 that nobody really wants the truth. most wants to hear the good stuff.

2 to appear positive is a big plus... whether you are or are not really positive...

3 to gain people to your side is easy. just look for their achievements, no matter how small, no matter how inconsequential, no matter how much they were suppose to have achieved that in the first place, and rain praise! (which is why most people find it acceptable to be doing only 40% of what they are suppose to be doing... since expectations are so low)

4 to gain credit for other people's ideas, just listen hard, paraphrase and say the same thing to as many different people as possible and the idea becomes yours.

5 just ask questions. look at the situation and question. no need to follow up. no need to do any real work. just ask as though you are going to do something about it. in meetings of course. that is when you are being watched!

6 say what other people want to hear

7 forward other people's worksheets so people think you did work

8 follow policies quietly and religiously as the management would have thought long and hard before deciding on them and we should trust management (even when they come out with very "interesting" policies after having thought long and hard..??!!! $%#$@#$)

9 work only when the work brings you visibility

10 delegate the rest of the work

any other tips for all those running the race?

why am i here?

2010-08-07T21:26:00.002+08:00

why? i asked a good friend of mine. i am disgusted by the way people work here. the politics. the nonsense. the fakeness.

and he said, because you wanted to learn their ways.

thank you for the reminder.

for i did. i said i wanted to learn their ways. do i?

yay! comments! :)

2010-07-12T23:45:00.002+08:00

spurred on by a bff... yay! i am superly happy that i have received a comment on my first blog post since... the dawn of iphone (?)

i am actually trying very hard, to think of an entertaining topic for my beloved readers (yes, there is more than one). however, the only topic that keeps coming into my mind is work!! horror of all horrors... i have become a workaholic!!!!!

or have i? (am i in denial or am i just an optimist :))

i am not thinking about doing work. i am just thinking about whether my work means anything. i am not particularly fond of my existing work environment. i am working (very hard actually). but i am being held back by my fellow colleagues. it is an internal war i am fighting. what is at risk? my reputation. my client's happiness (which, by the way, is very important to me).

joining my current company, i felt like i was dropped into the middle of a war zone. i had an AK47 and a M16 in my hands. i then dropped the AK47. a month later, i dropped the M16. i held a parang in my hands. i was accompanied by an aspiring rambo. handcuffed by the artillery people. received 1 swiss knive and 1 torchlight. and told to enter battle.

why am i in this battle? it is actually a suicide mission! why am i not commissioning the next available sampan out of this battlefield?

is it ego? am i concern about people saying that i left because i could not handle the fight?

it is curiousity? am i just curious how far i can go once the booby traps i have painstakingly set are all in place?

is it stupidity? knowing all i know, i decided to stay on and belief that good will prevail?

is it worth it? i don't really know. actually i really don't think so. not that i am going to practise what i have learnt so far in this company. i did learn alot. learnt what not to do when i have a company of my own! not that i need to prove anything to the people out there. which is only necessary if i am planning to work for another company. perhaps it is a need to prove something to myself? nope. pretty sure i am pretty capable by now. then why?

why?

i am back!!

2010-07-11T19:16:00.003+08:00

with new insights...

i have gone from big company.... to small company.... to very small company.... now in a medium size company

what is the difference?

big companies have systems, policies and procedures for all activities. they may not be good systems, policies and procedures. but they have them.

big companies tend to hire very ambitious people. these ambitious people tend to be smart in a small picture way. maybe not so smart in a big picture way. and universally selfish. everybody is working towards their own goals, which unfortunately, more likely than not, are not congruent with that of the company.

so, in big companies, you tend to get a lot of very smart people (not necessarily wise people) working very hard to achieve their personal agenda, very often at the company's expense, which I suppose is why companies tend to be in their glory years for limited period of time ie. when it is actually led by the owner(s)/ founder(s) ... and in time, succumb to different management styles which may result in short term and unsustainable results, which serves only to put certain people in the limelight.

enough said...

too busy

2010-07-11T19:05:00.004+08:00

dear blog, sorry to have neglected you... however, i have re-entered the rat race. so now, i have more excuses to not do stuff that i should be doing with my life!

how easy it is to say i am too busy... too busy for my family, too busy for my friends, too busy for my tortoises, too busy to start my own business, too busy to invest, too busy to go to gym, too busy to blog, too busy all the time...

i shall resolve to not say that anymore. and proud to have proven it by going to the gym today! AND blogging! wow my first post since.... forever!

time flies when one is in between jobs

2009-10-29T22:40:00.002+08:00

there goes thursday. soon the weekend will be over. and i will be starting with my new job. will i get a parking lot? *shucks*... the essentials one should ask for when at an interview :

1) must one come into the office everday?

2) will there be a parking lot alloted?

3) will it be a nice looking new laptop or an old chunky one?

4) will it be cold in the office?

5) will i have to wear a suit??? (horror of all horrors... actually, no 3 might be a bigger horror...)

too late. so, will just have to make the most out of the next 3 days. by doing N-O-T-H-I-N-G!

last day

2009-10-28T09:42:00.003+08:00

after 4.75 years working in one company, contributing (and i am not going to be modest about it) a fair bit to its growth, putting in time and effort, and of course, learning alot (and i am thankful for that) from my ex-bosses... it is time to move on.

to greener pastures? that i am not sure. not sure if it's green. and according to a friend-client, not sure it there is a pasture on the other side of the fence! (so much for encouragement!!)

anyway, it felt very funny yesterday. when leaving the company, i felt so insignificant, so dispensable, so identity-less, so goal-less, so unwanted. despite having contributed (i think) significantly... thank goodness i have good dose of self esteem!! otherwise, i think it is not unlikely to sink into depression!

then i wonder, is that how all retirees feel? after having spoken to one would be retiree, i think it is really not wise to pour heart and soul into a job. why spend your prime earning so much money for other people? (again, the having my own business mantra) why not earn all that for yourself?? i suppose it's the risk-reward factor. whether one is willing to face the uncertainties, etc etc.

i sidetracked. i was saying i spoke to a would be retiree (and i think i should be speaking to more would be retirees to understand this further). and i hear alot of anger, frustration and worse of all, fear.

anger because the person was so committed to the job, contributed so much to the establishment, yet upon retirement the offer to extend on a contract basis was without fair compensation and with additional scope. anger because one has given his all, and yet, in the end, not only was not appreciated, but was to be taken advantage of, when possible!!!

frustration because there is little option out of the problem.

fear because of the uncertainty. uncertainty of what the future holds. where income will come from.

i think many of us do not see this. because we are at our prime. we are at the age where we are made to feel wanted and important. because of the effort and commitment the establishments require of us. and many of us succumb to the game. many fulfill these expectations and some, exceed these expectations. why? because we are trained to. from a very young age, we are trained to seek approval. and that is what we do day in-day out. even when it is clear we are doing a good job, just because our bosses do not seem happy with us, do not credit us, "do not pass the doggy treat", then we doubt ourselves, our ability, and feel sad or disappointed.

i think i should speak to more retirees. might motivate me to do the right thing. no matter how uncertain that might be at this moment. i believe it should result in more certainty in the future.

and another... canon in d

2009-10-25T22:02:00.000+08:00

canon - wow...

2009-10-25T21:35:00.000+08:00

canon in d (classical)

2009-10-25T21:21:00.000+08:00

canon - still my fav

2009-10-25T21:08:00.001+08:00

it's really not that difficult...

2009-09-13T13:27:00.002+08:00

i have been speaking to a number of people over the past few weeks. this is because i am suppose to make a decision which would affect me quite significantly over the next two years.

i spoke to one who don't know me well, and don't know the background of the decision i am facing. this person gave examples of how he makes his decisions. which is to increase the probability of success in everything he does. he chooses the path which is most likely to work well. which may or may not be what the person wants to do most... (then again most people don't know what they want to do most!) and which may or may not end up a success.

then i spoke three who seem to have achieved alot for their age. both said they would have chosen money and exposure. one said "life is a journey".... not so much about the destination...

i spoke to one who know me pretty well. he asked if it is aligned to my eventual goals. if not, don't do it! why be distracted (?)...

i spoke to a very good friend who knows me, and who knows the details of the decision to be made. she said she fear for me should i decide to undertake the new journey.

then i went to a new age shop which sells new age book. i saw this book which says fear it, then do it anyway (!)

thanks to this decision, i had possibly the 8th or 9th headache in my life... SIGH... real case of itchy backside, looking for trouble when there were none...

however

2009-09-11T11:11:00.003+08:00

the previous post was written in march 2007. now it is sept 2009. i am now working harder. somehow, work always finds me (sigh!)

anyway, i am now a "manager" working like a rep. "manager" is alot of work. so, now i understand why i hear stories of people wanting to stay as a rep. plus, there is always a feeling of being undervalued, taken for granted, etc...

i am no closer to owning my own business. which is of nobody's fault other than my own. as always, procrastination gets me nowhere.

so now, i am again, contemplating....

stumbled upon a draft!

2009-09-11T11:01:00.001+08:00

i was just scrolling through the files in my external hdd, when i stumbled upon a draft posting for my blog.... so, here goes....

i was sitting down with some ex-colleagues many moons back… and conversation, inevitably, revolved around work. How the too-stupid-to-live clients could not provide the much needed information on time; how bosses couldn’t have been more demanding; how subordinates should never have applied for the job; how interpretation of the latest standard is such a bitch; how life will equal work for the next century or so…

and I thought to myself, how lucky I am to have moved out of the industry.

Sure, I can’t bitch about work like before (I suppose bitching about work and a lot of other people give one a sense of superiority and it might even feel like the job is so tough it provides job satisfaction!!)… not to mention not being able to climb the so ever glamourous corporate ladder; wear that office suit which lends an air of importance (really??!) - when we are really just feeling poor due to the super low pay and exploited due to the super long hours…

but now, I get to see the sun, I have time to meet up with friends at decent hours, I’m not always the last one to appear at a gathering, i have time for gym, for tennis, I’m more patient with my family members, I have time to read, I can just lie around and do nothing on a Sunday morning…

bliss… :)

let’s think about job prospects, higher pay, respect and recognition … another day. After all, I didn’t want a job where people will think “wah… so smart”… I wanted a job where people will think “lucky bitch… so much time for all that… no need to work ka???”, alternatively, “wah… so much marni one… somemore no need to work like dog”…

not quite there yet… but feels like I’m on the right track…

p/s : some people out there might not agree… well, that’s too bad. Live with it!

teoh beng hock

2009-07-19T07:08:00.003+08:00

an innocent victim in the game of malaysian politics?

who is teoh beng hock?

“Such political games have caused the loss of life of a bright young idealistic DAP member,” said Lim, who is also Chief Minister of Penang. (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/16/nation/20090716171346&sec=nation)

Teoh Lee Lan, 29, red-eyed and teary-voiced, was praying in Hokkien while gazing with sorrow as Teoh’s body, resting in a metal casket, was loaded by morgue attendants into the Nirvana Memorial hearse for his last ride home.

Older brother Teoh Beng Kee, 33, had to comfort a sobbing Soh Cher Wei, the ashen-faced girl who was to have been the blushing bride of the DAP political aide today.No comments or autopsy report was issued by morgue officials.

Earlier in the evening, Daniel Chong, assistant to Selangor state executive councillor Ronnie Liu, told The Malaysian Insider that he last spoke with Beng Hock on Wednesday, when they talked about Beng Hock’s plans to take up law studies.

The next day, he got a call informing him that the political secretary to DAP’s Ean Yong Hian Wah was found dead just outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters in Shah Alam.
http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/teoh_beng_hock_begins_last_journey_home.html

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/17/nation/4339811&sec=nation
"He said some people could not take the psychological pressure when being questioned and investigated."

Is there something wrong with the way investigations are being carried out? investigations should result in truth, not duress.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/16/nation/20090716171346&sec=nation
"Selangor exco’s aide falls to death"

falls to death?? what are we? retards???

"Since Tuesday, the MACC has raided the offices and service centres of several assemblymen, including Ean Yong and Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San.
Others under investigation are Teresa Kok (Kinrara assemblyman), Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan), Dr Cheah Wing Yin (Damansara Utama), Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing) and Hannah Yeoh (Subang Jaya)."

"DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the MACC should stop its “political persecution” of Pakatan Rakyat members, especially DAP leaders and members, that does not serve the interest of fighting corruption."

i wonder who was the one who initiated this investigation? based on accusation raised by whom? based on accusation with what proof? does MACC thoroughly investigate all accusations??? if that is the case, i have some for them to investigate...

everybody has to remember that it is not a racial game. it is a political game. politician playing the racial card. remember 1969? it is also a political strategy to gain and keep power. it is only by playing the racial card, they can survive. we have to respect our fellow countrymen and save our beautiful country from the hands of evil retards...

attitude

2009-07-18T21:33:00.003+08:00

10th July 2009 was truly a memorable day. so many things happened. not that i was suprised.

as i mentioned, there was this event in a sub-suburban hospital. and since i have agreed to help source for breakfast (as mentioned, there can be no event if there is no food... what no tea time??? that would be the biggest crime you can commit here in malaysia on government premises - if you challenge this statement, i dare you to name one government event where no food was served), i decided to call this lady whom i know makes nasi lemak - Kak R.

i told Kak R, i needed some kuih (cakes/ snacks). 60 pieces of curry puff, and perhaps another 2 type of kuih. so i asked her what type of kuih is she planning to make. she says "tengok dulu ler, kalau ada mood, kak akan buat" (let's see, if i have the mood, i'll make some).... what in the world made her think i would wait and see if she has the mood to supply?? and what if she decides she is not in the mood???!!!!

so i thought, fine. if she is not interested in the business, i should not force her. afterall her family members are probably quite comfortable making money in ways our government encourages.

so, i asked "Kak R ada buat mee siam kan?" (Kak R makes mee siam?)... she says yes. i asked if she has plastic fork (which can be purchased at any convenience store nearby, i'm sure). she said no!! but she has plastic spoon... so i asked if she thinks it would be a good idea to eat mee siam with plastic spoon? she says yes!!

o-m-g ... i could have vomitted blood at that point in time. i cannot tolerate such absurd level of laziness. complacency. lack of ambition.

so i said. i don't take mee siam with spoon. so, forget about the order. i will find something else.

so i did. then i was looking for drinks. i went to a very established (or so i thought) con-venience store, bought some drinks and asked the boys behind the counter if they sell paper cups. one of the boys (let's call him ahmad) behind the counter said no, the other boy (let's call him ali) looked around the store and said, there is only one stack of about 10 cups left. i asked if there are any more in the store room. without blinking an eye, they said no. this is in a store which is supposedly established, and sells drinks to walk in customers.

not one to give up so easily, i walked into another store. a branch of this "established" convenience store. i asked if they have plastic cups. fatimah, without blinking an eye, says no.

so i drove on, to an esso station. i walked into a brightly lit, well stocked "on the run" store. this is the station opposite IOI mall. i looked around and it was obvious, there were no paper cups for sale. i decided to try. so i asked ah chong sitting behind the counter. he says they do not have paper cups for sale. but he will ask his lady boss, ah lian. ah lian says, she does not have any cups for sale. but there are some cups which are used by customers buying coffee from the shop's dispenser. she offered to sell those to me. i was so happy! i took 20 cups from her. from now on, i will be buying from "on the run" opposite IOI mall.

that is the sort of attitude we are breeding. complacency.

think about it. why else would our currency be weakening compared to our neighbours? we are not competitive... therefore, not in demand. i will not be buying from Kak R even if hers is the last nasi lemak stall on earth. imagine that happening at a country level...?

chivalry

2009-07-18T18:46:00.004+08:00

chivalry... is dead (well, pretty close to being dead)

on the morning of 10th of July 2009, there was an event in a hospital in the sub-suburban-countryside kinda place.

i was dubbed into buying breakfast (there can be no event if there is no food), by my not-exactly-mensa-material-principal whose name i shall endeavor not to reveal.

so there i was, carrying a couple of bags of food and drinks, when one of the lab staff walked past. he said "wah! banyaknya benda" (wah! so many things) without any intention what so ever to help. "untuk mana tu?" (for which place - as he has to determine if he will have a share)

i tot chivalry is dead.

then i went downstairs again to help my colleage carry some boxes upstairs. i walked up to the lab and was confronted with a closed door. out of nowhere a voice said "need some help?" and he promptly took some boxes from me and opened the door. thank u to dr k. that was the upside of the day... knowing that such people do exist in malaysia - the country trying to appear progressive, but with degenerating values and definitely less than third world attitude.

to prove a point

2009-07-18T09:52:00.003+08:00

in my previous jobs, i liked the nature of the job. i just don't feel it is worthwhile slogging my life away, working late, working weekends, working the prime years away.

then, inspired by a friend's dad who said "getting vss was the best thing that has ever happened.... and wished it happened earlier".... i thought, that's true! why work for another person when you are at your prime? when you are most energetic? when you have the drive? when you are testing your limits?

also, i like the idea of growing a business. having ideas implemented and seeing how those ideas make magic. growing from a sole proprietor to a conglomerate! (yea yea, big dreams....i know, but one can dream...)

so i found out, that growing from small business to big business is not easy. may not always be a good idea. one thing is for sure. if you wanna grow, you have got to grow it fast! can't stay medium for too long. why? because there are people who would like to work for small companies. then there are people who like to work for big companies. there are people who like to work for medium size, fast growing companies. but there are none who like to work in medium size companies which are planning to stay medium forever (unless you are the boss, coz then you have no choice!).

it's all exciting, growing... making more money. but is it yours? well, you are paid to do the work. yes, but one can work only within working hours. one do not have to go that extra mile. why go that extra mile? one can do whatever one is expected to do. why do all the extra?

for the excitement of seeing this endeavor grow. because it is not your nature to sit tight and do just "what's necessary"?

but at certain points, it doesn't look like it's going to happen. everything seems stagnant. push on? but is it worth the effort? no doubt on ability to do it. (so "modest".... sigh)

maybe it's time to move on. to just earn more money. rather than grow something.

if i wanna grow something, maybe i'll just try planting another cactus. this time, give less tlc. promise not to water it to death. maybe i'll get a cactus farm! recreate a desert landscape!!! (yea yea, big dreams....i know, but one can dream...)

or maybe i'll take advise. start small. make sure it's doable. start with a taugeh farm?

see? not fickle. just analytical.

fickle

2009-07-17T23:28:00.003+08:00

fickle minded, am i?

i suppose i am in some situations, like what to eat?? mainly because i am not particular and would like to ensure it is something other people in my company would also enjoy.

in other situations, it is merely because i verbally express my thoughts as i make my decisions. i suppose then i would seem fickle, as we all would go through the pros and cons of all options before deciding on one.

then again, i would like to ask, do you always know what you want?

also most times, decision is easier said than done, made than executed.... sigh*

rat race.... let's take another look

2009-07-17T09:25:00.003+08:00

a few years back, i was running up the many flights of stairs, together with many others, up a building where we have all heard of cheeseland...

at every level there is an exit... to the unknown. and one day, i decided to have a peek.

well, it has been four and a half years since that peek. i have learnt alot from all that has happened. no regrets whatsoever.

however, i have also learnt why so many run up the stairs. it is for the certainty. the certainty that you are going somewhere. as oppose to being in one place for a long long time. with no certainty that we would get anywhere. even if there is no doubt on capability. limited by current "dimensions".

so, let's relook at climbing those stairs. looking for ladders. looking at options.

if i were a boy...

2009-06-17T00:43:00.003+08:00

it's funny how... (actually not very funny how... )

a guy is opinionated/firm, and a girl is bitchy/ stubborn

a guy is hardworking, and a girl "must be sleeping with the boss"

a guy is aggressive, and a girl is bitchy (again)

and it's sad how this perspective is perpetuated by mostly women, and some men.

how shallow, narrow minded, petty and insecure is that?

is it meant to be?

2009-04-28T23:22:00.002+08:00

hmm... what should i have for dinner tonight? .... maybe fishball noodles. i drove there, and behold!! a parking spot right in front of the shop!! i am meant to be eating fishball noodles tonight!!

have you heard of stories where people who are not very ambitious and not very smart make it good in life. and the story was, they were lucky! somebody approached them, they happen to be at the right place, at the right time!

the chinese also have a saying.. if it's yours, it'll be yours... if it's not yours, it will never be yours...

what do you think? is it true? if it is full of obstacles, then maybe it's not meant to be? that things should never be that difficult? that if it is difficult, then maybe it's not meant to be?

if something is meant to happen, does it mean everything will just fall into place?

if it's not meant to be, and you fight for it, will it succeed for a short while, then fall apart again because it was not meant to be?

is this considered as leading you to the answer? :) ... ok, i shall stop leading you. what do you think? is there such thing as fate and is it pointless to fight it? ... that's leading again!!

do you believe that somethings are meant to be, and some things are not?

have we forgotten again?

2009-04-01T20:29:00.002+08:00

have we forgotten (again)? the people who fought for us? our rights? our country? the people who fought for transparency? for fairness? the people who wants the country to heal and be the competitive, progressive country it can be if not for mismanagement?

where are they? they are behind bars... suffering... forgotten...

who would fight for us again? if we forget so easily, the people who are brave enough to come forth with the truth...

why are we not asking the right questions? sometimes, it takes a little bit of pressure from everybody to make things work. do we not owe these people that (at least)?

just ask one question : "what happened to him? the one who fought? why is he behind bars whilst the crooks run free?"

our apathy is sickening.

win-win

2009-03-22T11:12:00.004+08:00

unfortunately, not many ppl are aware of the win-win concept. you win, i win, everybody's happy.

Some ppl out there think that other ppl's exists to fulfill only their needs. which is a rather stupid tot. why would anybody want to do that?

i want my own business. the have business one has to sell. so, i joined the sales line. it baffles me, how individuals deemed smart (now, deemed only intelligent - and they are different!) by most other ppl, are in fact, soooooooooo stooooooooooooooopid!!!

low price, yet benefits in kind, good product, excellent service. non-profit organization isit? u do ler, so smart. u can get everything provided there is a margin to feed the b-i-k, the cost of the product, the cost of labour, the holding costs, and cost of running around, the cost of feeding everybody (yes, it's an industry practice), etc etc... yet when there is a new product equivalent of a ferrari, they compare the price of that product to another product which is equivalent of a proton saga. then? drive ler proton saga!!! cannot think meh??? stoooooooooooooooooooooooooopid ka?

sigh. ok, i'm done ranting. work goes on.

ideas are not unique

2009-03-22T09:57:00.002+08:00

there has been many times when i tot i had a brilliant idea... nobody would have tot of it...

and then, i was proven wrong. the idea was executed, announced, published!!

goes to show, everybody has ideas. what most ppl don't have, is the courage to execute the idea.

faster and faster and faster... what's happening ar?

2009-02-08T11:12:00.003+08:00

watched a movie yesterday...a feel good movie :) with my good friends may, hy & de. then at yam cha, i was saying (as i have many times before), how nice it would be if there is no handphone and internet. pace would be so much more enjoyable. don't you think?

the above was a draft posting, which i did not have time to work on. and just the other day, i read in TheStar that one of the writers was given an assignment, that is to switch off her mobile and computer for one week (or was it one month?)... anyway, the result was : pace was slower, there was better quality of life, and the mobile and computer? not really that necessary really!!!!

a normal telephone was adequate, there is just less redundant calls, msg, etc

we should try that! maybe i'll try that!... then I suppose I will have to inform all my clients. hmmm.... wonder if it'll work.

traffic

2008-11-15T11:55:00.003+08:00

i don't understand why or how can town planners or whoever is in charge of planning the network and size of roads, and the approval of development of housing area/ residential buildings can make the same mistakes over and over again?

i don't understand why we have to pay toll to use roads which leads us to a bottleneck and hence, horrible traffic, only closer to home?

i don't understand how anybody with some working grey matter would approve buildings which would house hundreds of people when there is only a two lane access road?

i was almost certain peas for brains was just an expression...?

i have a wonderful idea. we, the road users should be able to decide on a route. which these very brilliant road planners will have to drive along. there should be check points along this route where they need to park, and get down from their cars to scan their finger prints. and this has to be performed daily starting from 8am and 6pm. Check points must be reached within a certain time frame. And for the planners who don't reach within the stated time frame, their salary should be deducted, along with that of their superiors.

we'll have no traffic... or at least not such unreasonable ones.

i don't understand...

alexandria... about 5 months back

2008-11-02T19:47:00.002+08:00

7 June 2008.... so perfect! :)

raya @ sherry's

2008-10-29T18:02:00.002+08:00

a gathering of sorts... old friends... good friends... so nice....

sherry & arnil

teik lee, lena, allan (left to right) and pei sze (standing)

movie nite out

2008-10-29T17:48:00.003+08:00

with my beloved friends... arcade before movies... (btw, the blur effect is intended!)

training for ski trip

aspiring drummers

what is love?

2008-10-11T20:24:00.006+08:00

according to kenny who watched "dog fell in love with cat" (!!), love is...

when cat like flowers, dog will pick flowers from garden for cat

when cat like to eat chicken drumstick, dog will feel sad if cat don't get to eat chicken drumstick

dog will feel sad when cat is bored and lonely

... so simple.

10 years later....

2008-10-08T21:01:00.004+08:00

we were in restoran hong lim, SS15 when i asked :
"what do you think you'll be doing in 10 years' time? what would you have achieved by then?"

hy answered :
1) don't HAVE to work, but will have no money problems
2) might be doing some form of volunteer work
3) married, hopefully to a guy as devoted to his girl as wall-e is

yj :
1) would have started working
2) would have reached senior management level

ey :
1) working for fun
2) married with kids (two)
3) wake up at whatever time i want, can take my own time to talk a walk before going to do whatever i want to do
4) have time for my kids when i get back from work

mc :
1) have a very nice single storey bungalow/ semi-d with a lot of land, a corner lot single storey terrace also can
2) a dog, or two (need not be a beagle)
3) not much work, but a lot of money
4) work comprise of approving/ not approving something
5) would have backpacked for 6 months
6) would gone bald

tf
1) still playing psp
2) still playing wii
3) see the world
4) debt free

me
1) ceo of own successful company
2) able to dictate my own time
3) have a villa in bangkok
4) hopefully my very exclusive club for very-active-old-people-with-a-life will be up and running

funny how this question is answered in a more cautious manner than it if it was asked 10 years ago... and how the answers are preceeded by "i should be" or "i think" or "hopefully" instead of "i want to be" or "i am going to be"

funny how being older seem to mean we have shorter time... when we actually didn't know how much time we would have had when we were young (i mean a lot of ppl die young... especially the talented ones)...

or were the answers affected by the fact that the previous goals stated were not achieved? not realising that it is neither due to lack of opportunities nor lack of ability, but lack of courage and lack of will power/ discipline...?

Zahir

2008-10-01T10:46:00.003+08:00

paul coelho writes with insights so striking......

quoted from his book - Zahir

..."I heard people speaking in the name of freedom, and the more they defended this unique right, the more enslaved they seemed to be... slaves to luxury, to the appearance of luxury, to the appearance of the appearance of luxury. Slaves to a life they had not chosen, but which they had decided to live because someone had managed to convince them that it was all for the best. And so their identical days and nights passed, days and nights in which adventure was just a word in a book or an image on the television that was always on, and whenever a door opened, they would say:
"I'm not interested. I'm not in a mood"

How could they possibly know if they were in the mood or not if they had never tried? But there was no point in asking.; the truth was they were afraid of any change that would upset the world they had grown used to. "....

.............

wrong incentive structure brings wrong results

2008-09-29T09:49:00.005+08:00

doesn't take a genius to figure it out. but i think this is one of the most common and biggest mistake one can make.

received a message from my dear friend Andrew.

"Dear Friends,

Some of you may know that my brother's dog, Turbo, was brutally murdered 2 weeks ago. 2 masked men armed with parangs came over to my dad's house. One jumped over the fence, grabbed him and passed it to the 2nd armed man standing guard outside. By then, Turbo was barking very loudly and making a lot of noise. The man hit Turbo several times with the butt of his parang to shut him up. He eventually succeeded. We suspect he was beaten to death at this point.

The Malay Mail covered this story which was published on Wednesday, 24 September 2008. You can view it here ---> http://turbovong.blogspot.com

Alvin has also spoken to other reporters. We will update the blog as more newspapers cover the story. The 2 men who murdered Turbo were hired by Vet-Fine (M) Sdn. Bhd. The Sepang Council outsources the catching of stray dogs to this company and pays them RM 145 per dog. They are going around stealing legitimate dogs for the money & ransom. The SPCA has confirmed this. Also, instead of putting the stray dogs to sleep humanely, they put them in a gunny sacks, tie it to a tree and then beat the dogs to death.

As a show of arrogance, they perform this @ the cemetary next to the SPCA. When the SPCA tried to stop them, they were threatened by parang-weilding thugs.

Last financial year, Vet-Fine (M) Sdn. Bhd. declared a turnover of RM 3+ mil. in revenue. Please spread the word around; especially to dog lovers. "

which genius, i wonder, decide to pay RM145 per dog. unless, the true intention is to just get rid of all dogs? why would anybody want to do that? i am sure most of you would be able to figure out the answer to that.

how crooks walk free, heroes incarcerated...

2008-09-24T09:54:00.005+08:00

isn't it funny, how we would allow crooks who steal our money, discriminate against us, play us against each other, mismanage our resources for their own benefit, lead us to a decline, lie to us... walk free?

and isn't it sick how we would just sit by and watch while these same crooks incarcerate our heroes, read the newspapers, whine about it endlessly during mamak sessions, and do little else?

isn't it sad, how we would conveniently forget about this a few weeks later when something more exciting comes up to distract us?

isn't it ironic, how a few years later, we would say to each other, we don't know how things come to this stage?.... how our family would suffer... and where we should migrate to?

illusion of harmony

2008-09-13T12:22:00.004+08:00

malaysia rights harmony? multiracial illusion wealth disparity real? beneficiaries policies all?? selected supporters logic isa force sensitive understand competitiveness decline long-term trend leaders? newpapers truth?? freedom drain talents unappreciated management rich resources money politics sad

sensitive issue

2008-09-11T20:46:00.002+08:00

a sensitive issue is an issue that one do not wish to understand and also do not wish other people to understand because of the potential change, should the issue to be discussed and resolved.

tho, it's true, sensitive issues should be discussed carefully (ie. think before one speak). it's not true that not discussing it would preserve peace and harmony. it would only preserve a situation that a party is not happy enough, but perhaps not have the courage to bring up; and a situation where one party is happy with, know it's not right or fair, and obviously, would not want to bring up! so, it becomes a "sensitive" issue.

it would be left to simmer, and one day it would boil over.... and the whole house will be burned down. sad... but true.

what are you doing later?

2008-09-10T15:00:00.003+08:00

"what are you doing later?"

i have been getting this question lately... and i find myself answer "dunno... dinner with friends maybe? nothing much really"...

should i be doing something more constructive with all the time i have?

on hindsight, i'm actually quite happy to be able to give that answer. quite different from times when i had so little time i had to plan what i want to do when i am driving/ in the shower/ walking from destination A to B/ eating... a nice change from feeling like i am chasing after the seconds at every moment. and i was always late! (now, not always late... but i suppose a big improvement from before, when it seems that my time is the most precious in the whole wide world!)

also nice to be able to spend time with those who matter. and not just feel guilty about not being able to do so.

nice to not feel that doing nothing is a waste of time. because it is actually quite nice to be able to do nothing at all.

read. it is nice to have some time to read. read stuff that are not must reads.

worth it?

2008-09-09T10:04:00.004+08:00

the more money we earn, the better our lives would be. we can afford a big house, maid(s), the car we want, maintain hobbies, eat well, et cetera...

is that true? i suppose to a certain extent. but when do we stop? how much is enough? it's so easy to get use to having more money. so difficult to adjust to having less. how much unhappiness do we tolerate until we say enough is enough? how far do we push ourselves?

i suppose we would wonder why how some ppl do it? earn so much, work so hard, stay so happy, stay so healthy, look so good? do we know of such ppl?

i suppose all those are a little bit difficult to quantify. only we would know if we have earned enough and feel happy enough. i suppose we are the only ones who can define the limits. everybody has a price. i suppose as long as we have not submitted the letter/ argued with our partners/ argued with our bosses/ questioned by the stakeholders/ been fired!, it would mean expectations of both parties are still being met, we are still delivering, money is still too good to be given up.

nobody should be telling you what to give up. because it is your decision to make. but make the decision before something critical is given up eg. your soul! do that, or perhaps manage stakeholder's expectations (lower it!)

what can friends do? i suppose support is essential. understand the that time to meet up would be less. understand that sometimes, work would not allow yam cha, understand that juggling work, family and friends are not easy. create no pressure from this end? that's what friends are for. (alittle bit of whining should be allowed tho! ;) )

sen wise or foolish?

2008-08-31T20:40:00.004+08:00

we were at a very popular kopitiam franchise in USJ, taipan... we ordered a basket of curry puffs...

it arrived...

in the basket... costing us RM2.60 (before tax), were 2 very very extremely small curry puffs which did not taste fantastic... nor looked fantastic...

why why... why would anybody order that ever again?? ... why would anybody allowed that to remain the menu. whatever happened to value for money??????

ho chi minh

2008-08-05T07:53:00.004+08:00

waded through 1 feet of boogerized water, weaving through bikes and cars and buses, in the rain, covered in a plastic sheet, to get to rum and raisin ice cream...

had super yummy vietnamese fare consisting of a variety of rice cakes, pho ("fer"), vietnamese coffee, beef steaks, wan tan noodles (ok... that's chinese) with humongous wan tans, sanwiches with beefy floss, ....

checked out the hcm post office which was super huge and had telephone booths which are air conditioned! and nice looking tiled floor...

swam in ocean, ate yummy fresh sweet steamed? crab on Vung Tau beach, then ate (again) yummy food in a beautifully landscaped place overlooking the sea... called binh an ("peace")

ate yummy fresh shrimp on rice flour cake fried in lots of oil, sitting on short short stools

saw handicapped ppl made amazing looking lacquer ware with egg shells! and mother of pearl...loved the USD3300 partition.... so beautiful!!!!!!!!!!

waddled through a tiny tiny tunnel, used by guerilla during vietnam war, which resulted in achy thigh muscles for the subsequent 3 days

massage and pampered from head to toe in an amazing spa called dragon's nest, under very trained and practised hands... with rosemary scented oil...so nice...

met nice new friends sim (from hcm) and rie (from japan)

had vietnamese fare in Gold Fish with waiters who were speaking to us in japanese, and we (malaysians) replying in vietnamese and japanese, together with a pretty japanese girl who speaks to waiters in japanese and to us in english.... so globalised...

so good...

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-04T20:45:00.002+08:00

pls help look for dog. owner is very sad.

http://ujinyee.blogspot.com/2008/07/jd-is-missing.html

lost in Melaka. last seen taken by chinese man in blue kancil.

air so fresh

2008-07-25T08:14:00.003+08:00

it's nice looking out from the balcony, fresh air, light drizzle, green green trees, misty faraway.... (though it might be haze!) so rare nowadays.

i remember a time when i would wake up in the morning. my mom would take us (monster and i) to the garden opposite my house. we would walk around the garden, smell the fresh air, poke at the snails and touch-me-nots, surrounded by tiny sunflowers....

all that, no more....

road trip

2008-07-17T20:31:00.000+08:00

this is an interesting road trip. inspiring...

http://www.bybike2malaysia.com/

what is it that women look for???

2008-07-05T09:36:00.004+08:00

gosh... if i'm a man, i would have just retreat into a cave in the remotest lands in sarawak and meditate. that would have been easier than being a man in places where are there are women. because then, due to basic instincts, i would then fall for one, and have to figure her out!! figure out what she's looking for, what she's thinking of...

then again, a man don't really have to figure the woman out. i suppose if it's that difficult, it's not meant to happen?? afterall, most of the men out there probably have not done so! or is still in the process of trying?? or have already figured out that it is never going to happen.. ?

or are there are men out there, who would like to claim to have figured us out?? :)

mclaren

2008-07-03T19:36:00.003+08:00

i'm racing my virtual mini cooper... because my brain is doing it's daily debate with the rest of the organs as to whether i should go to the gym.

my virtual mini is now ranked number 8. it's climbing very painstakingly slowly... but surely! :) it's a very very boring game. not unlike those rpg games where upon a click of the mouse, little graphic martial arts person walk up to another little graphic martial arts person, slash/ kick/ punch the fella and then u wait. u wait for the other little graphic martial arts person to retaliate. and it goes on and on as u progress through the various levels.... in search of ... i dunno... a sword maybe???

does not require thinking really. no difficult hand eye coordination kinda maneuver... just clicking and waiting for pages to load...

but i want my mclaren. so i play...

self employment... means working for me... why not?

2008-07-03T18:48:00.003+08:00

i have always wanted my own business. for as long as i can remember. i wanted to see my ideas come to live. even if sometimes it seems a little bit out of this world. (though nowadays my ideas are more grounded... i think i only get out-of-this-world kinda ideas when i'm stressed out, or when i have no time to pursue them)...

then just a couple of days ago, i met this fella who seems pretty knowledgeable. and so i ask the question that i have asked a couple of hundred ppl... "knowing what u know now, if u are brought back to x number of years, when you were still working for another person.... would you have quit corporate world, and do your own business? or would you have stayed on?"

he says he would have still made his exit. because he does not like the politics one has to face when in corporate. he would also have left because he wanted the work life balance he has, the freedom to choose how hard he work. but he says... to be rich... the certain route will be to work higher management in corporate world. then invest the money saved in properties. due to low likelihood of a business surviving nowadays...

sounds reasonable.

but i still want my own business. time to re-read blue ocean strategy...

anyways, business and investment is not mutually exclusive rite? all the wise ppl out there... what say u?

dunno ler...

2008-06-28T18:33:00.004+08:00

it's possible to feel void. it is not really nothing. very tangible if you ask me. is void made up of atoms? even though it is nothing? so it is particles of nothing?? but if it's particles, then it is not nothing. can void break? i suppose if it's particles, it can... sort of break. so even if you can quite see it breaking. u can possible hear it breaking? or feel it breaking. Though "it" cannot be used to describe nothing. because, nothing is not there? dunno ler...

this is a feeble attempt to appease my very dissatisfied readers, who rained me with complaints that there is no new posting in my blog. ppl, i'm having blog block. can't think of anything i want to write about. which would not result in me being then rained with endless string of questions. horror of all horrors.. *shudder*

i think i'll just wait for the blog block phase to pass. need to live the hermit part of my live as was once predicted by some silly magazine for my horoscope. escape to some mountain. do some soul searching and meditation. live simply. without wants. dunno ler...

this posting deserve a whole new category "extreme crapping'". dunno ler... tot my ability to crap peaks on saturday mornings. looks like saturday evenings must not be underestimated.

flow away

2008-06-14T16:59:00.003+08:00

going with the flow... i suppose by definition one is not suppose to think? it's simply doing what one feel like doing. regardless of consequences. and anyway, some consequences are self imposed. and probably would not exist if one don't let it exist. would it not be good if life it just cut up into little chapters that are not related to the others. would that not allow one to have many lives? different ones which are not connected. and therefore, should there be consequences, these are at least limited in terms of impact to one little chapter? i would say yes, it is possible. only if various factors in the little chapter is not quite connected to the other chapters. but they say the world is small. so connected we are nowadays, it is a little bit more difficult to have separate chapters. then again, life is short... too short to be pondering. till that happens, carpe diem

vista nightmare...

2008-06-09T22:50:00.002+08:00

this is how amazing my tech support is...

my complain : i have vista phobia. i am afraid to turn my laptop on. coz it would be slow and it would hang. and nothing works. and it's asking me a lot of questions....

HsinYee Chik: hihi
Poh Chin Leong: hi hi!!!!!!!!!!!!
HsinYee Chik: where r u? starbucks?
Poh Chin Leong: home
HsinYee Chik: gotten ur laptop oredi?
Poh Chin Leong: yeap
Poh Chin Leong: the vista one
Poh Chin Leong: (nail biting emoticon)
HsinYee Chik: fixed?
HsinYee Chik: hahah..
HsinYee Chik: can u go thru these steps?
HsinYee Chik: http://www.techsupportalert.com/make-vista-run-faster.htm
Poh Chin Leong: ok
HsinYee Chik: install this.. and run this.. it wud improve in disk defrag.. (sends file over)
HsinYee Chik: runs mch faster than the windows one
(You have received 1 file from HsinYee Chik.disk-defrag-setup.exeOpen (Alt+Shift+O))
Poh Chin Leong: running defrag
Poh Chin Leong: i'm reading the steps and falling asleep
HsinYee Chik: how can?
HsinYee Chik: u sure?
HsinYee Chik: gee
HsinYee Chik: u mst put ur laptop on weekend overnight in my hse liao
HsinYee Chik: hahahah
Poh Chin Leong: sleepy
Poh Chin Leong: tears running down my face
HsinYee Chik: ok do tis
HsinYee Chik: open one browser
HsinYee Chik: click on tools-> windows update
HsinYee Chik: let it open to the windows update homepage click on search updates
HsinYee Chik: something like tat
HsinYee Chik: install the Service Pack for vista
HsinYee Chik: ok la
HsinYee Chik: maybe watch video how to improve wont make u sleep
HsinYee Chik: http://www.pcworld.com/video/id,745-page,1-bid,0/video.html
Poh Chin Leong: lol
Poh Chin Leong: (lol emoticon)
Poh Chin Leong: u are amazing
HsinYee Chik: i wish i can take the compliment
HsinYee Chik: but i cant..
HsinYee Chik: am sure ppl wud be sleepy
HsinYee Chik: hence ppl put video
HsinYee Chik: hey.. maybe youtube has similar thing

my friend.... so amazing. teng kiu hsin yee!!! *muacks*

anticipating poverty

2008-06-09T22:22:00.003+08:00

with the recent increase of fuel price, i am anticipating poverty, so i am spending less. suppose to anyway. but as usual, things you can't do, you wanna do more! so i think i am about to go for a very damaging round of retail therapy... sigh... somemore naf naf got sale...

then when the credit card statement comes, i would not even have marni to buy ubi. so have to plant ubi. and i don't have very green fingers, as a cactus has died in my hands, though it is from overdose of tlc (don't water the cactus till it turns transparent)... then i suppose i'll have to go on involuntary diet!! where i can lose some weight. and fit into the naf nafs that i will buy during retail therapy. yay!!

as i have said, everything happens for a reason. in the end, it's gonna be alrite

everything happens for a reason

2008-06-08T11:25:00.003+08:00

we have to believe in that... because we can't see the whole picture yet. we just have to believe that everything happens for a reason. and that in the end, everything will be alrite.

just leave me in a cave....

2008-06-04T16:56:00.004+08:00

i have not cyberly whine for some time now (though my closest buddies do get regular dosage of my whining, the real thing) so here goes...

i just wanna be in a cave... and the whole world must be in the same situation. no internet. no phone lines. must have fire though coz i don't take raw food. and everybody must be in caves. because i am kiasu.

i'm sure that will slow everything down. hopefully destruction of Earth will also be slowed down. and i won't be having a laptop. which also means i can't drown my laptop. nor somehow infect it with trojans, worms and what nots... nor resort to turning on the scary vista home basic fujitsu laptop which drives my crazy...

currently i have (thanks for my hy and jc), spybot search and destroy, hijack this, bitdefender, ad-aware, ad-watch, disk-defrag... i'm ready for war!!! or not... actually... i just wanna retreat back into a cave.... with everybody... and a stove.

oh... hy just proposed a new solution. plenty of TLC for da laptop, apparently, helps!! hmmm... gotta get a second opinion.

why lie dat?

2008-06-01T11:03:00.003+08:00

often, we encounter people who act differently from the masses... or rather, differently from how we would have acted. and often, we wonder why. why did they turn out that way. if we have bothered to probe, there is almost always a good reason...explanation as to how it happened...!

could be parents, background, friends, financial condition, health condition,... and host of other reasons why someone might not be as you have expected. sometimes, after understanding, it doesn't seem so weird anymore... coz you might have turn out that way under such circumstances as well.

imperfections is beautiful?

2008-05-30T23:35:00.004+08:00

"artistry is in the imperfections of the shot"

... i like that... it was an article about lomography, featured in the TheStar a couple of days back.

and i do think imperfection is beautiful. it is what makes us human. and it is these little faults which makes us who we are.

and luckily, there are those who describe faults as "endearing"!! true, i suppose. when one it too perfect, it can be pretty boring!!

simply beautiful

2008-05-28T02:21:00.005+08:00

daniel and le sze got married 25 May 2008. was a beautiful wedding. two beautiful ppl with beautiful character got married in a beautiful hotel, attended by beautiful ppl, had beautiful food and beautiful music.

it is very easy to see that daniel is well loved by his friends. everybody just want to see him happy. the claps and cheers he received when he and his beautiful bride walked into the ballroom is a testimony of that.

it seems if you want to know the true character of a person, just look at how their friends treat them. it is not the quantity, it's the quality. if one have many true friends, then da fella can't be all bad. it has been proven time and again that we ought to be wary of ppl with no good friends. of course that does not mean one cannot change. it's just a good measure of one's character... i think!

danny... here's to many many more beautiful moments in your journey with le sze~

limitations? wat's dat?

2008-05-22T20:47:00.003+08:00

i have been told... today... and a couple of million times before... that thinking too much will cause no action to be taken. and yes, i do agree.

that's why nike says "Just do it!". which i also agree.

but sometimes, "Just do it!" has proven to be a not-so-wise idea. and sometimes, brain re-acts to fast! one just start thinking before you can just-do-it. (that's just an excuse, you say?)

then i suppose one alternative is to remove limitations which can be resolved (so they are not really limitations to begin with?)

for example, should you go into a business venture? what are the limitations? money? can find. time? you have plenty. just make time. so? just think, if time and money is not an issue will you do into it?

then you can... "Just do it!"

do you ever fall in love with someone else?

2008-05-18T09:29:00.003+08:00

or do you fall in love with you when you are with that person?

or do you fall in love with the you that the person sees?

or do you fall in love with who you think the person sees you as?

"chim" (deep) le?? ... LOL... most inspired on weekend mornings. a plus is tomorrow is a public holiday! yay!!

have to find a dress coz danny's wedding's dress code is "formal"!!!!! help!

baby number one...

2008-05-16T11:57:00.004+08:00

out of thirteen.... yay!!! congratulations to selina and yean.... a very pretty ng shu lynn. arrived on 11 May 2008....

tinting

2008-05-12T10:45:00.003+08:00

was just talking to M and she had this cute little analogy which i just have to blog about. apparently, if we were all cars, M would be the one without tinting; D would be the one with Vkool and I am suppose to be with Vkool with reflection!! (is there such a grade of Vkool??!!)

LOL

super farni my darling friends. i suppose if there is any goss i am not sharing, it would be for a very good reason?? factors to consider might include impact if any?, the smug look my darlingest friends have if they are told they are right?!, etc

anyways, a very entertaining analogy....

i wonder if sel has given birth???

life's like a box of popcorn in the cinema

2008-05-03T20:40:00.004+08:00

in the dark, you wouldn't know if you are getting an exciting, brown, caramelly, crunchy one... or a plain white, not even buttered, so don't mention the caramel, fluffy airy bit.

life is such. one minute boring. the next, unpredictable but interesting.i suppose it's good that there are suprises from time to time. otherwise, i would have sprout mushrooms or start rotting. maybe even sprout a rafflesia. which by the way, takes 2 months to bloom. then die in a day. and it only stinks when it's dying.

i guess i should stop whining about being bored. that would probably bore ppl to death. and friends are not obligated to entertain me. though it would be nice if they do...

so now, i'll whine about how spontaneity seems to have diminished as age catches up. so it is pretty difficult getting friends to gather for a simple dinner at a moment's notice. a friend said that happens when ppl get hooked up. there is no longer a need to hunt. so there is no longer a need to go out to the field. another friend said that it might be because ppl have been there, done that. nothing is exciting enough to entice one to go out anymore.

i say, it would be nice just to know that we are still capable of going out at a moment's notice. being spontaneous, i think requires effort. sometimes, you might not feel like going through the trouble of picking out a nice outfit, plying on the layers of shu uemura, driving there, parking, smiling, doing the hi-how-are-you-what-do-you-do conversations... but sometimes, these moments are the ones that lead to the caramelly crunchy bits in life. you'll never know when it is coming....

looking for wishes...

2008-04-28T00:53:00.004+08:00

boredom has set in... yet again. recurring. chronic. terminal!!!! aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggghhhh can't see a pattern. nor a trigger. so meaning no hope of cure in sight...

then... friends came in the picture and have prescribed a treatment... and my boredom has been diagnosed to be, apparently, unique!!! now i have been given, what is called, a wish list. i suppose i'll just have to figure out what i want to do before i die..! and in this cute little book, there is a sticker which says..."If in doubt, follow your heart". but i think i have somehow managed to analysed everything to death, and right now seemed a little bit incapable of doing just that.

so, ppl, need your help. if i have ever said i want/ wish for something (material/ otherwise), pls refresh my memory...

p/s: i do remember i wanted a lamborghini.... and a superbike.... and very recently a silvia... lol :)

super photogenic babe

2008-04-27T12:19:00.003+08:00

sebastian in action... charming all the "che ches" and "ko kos"... ready to be hired for advertising jobs. understand basic english + malay such as "show us your gigi"... and "where is your nose?"

fun fun fun

2008-04-27T12:09:00.001+08:00

HPC event... fun fun fun

Empress Orchid

2008-04-27T11:27:00.003+08:00

a must read. describes the life of the last empress. the loneliness. how trapped she is.

everything does come with a price. firstly, are you willing to pay? and the thing is, you won't know and you can't choose the installment plan. payment might last a whole lifetime... and sometimes you can't back out...

then i suppose one should always "play hard"... might as well maximise utility of whatever it is one have decided to "pay" for...

fun sunday drive

2008-04-22T01:11:00.003+08:00

warm afternoon, smell of burning rubber, sexy sounds of engines revving... we were tearing down the tracks in sepang's south circuit... or rather fabian, eric and kenny was anyways...

so got a roller coaster like ride in a modified-for-track-beemer (fabian's), subaru (eric's) and a yellow car (kenny's) - which was most interesting :) ... apparently, "raw" is the word to describe it...

didn't get to drive (*pout*) and what's more, missed alvin's lambo ride!!!!! (*cry*)

was a hpc event... wanna drive next time....

http://www.hpcevents.com/instructors.htm

Lost In Tokyo

2008-04-18T11:10:00.001+08:00

by

Tokyo Boy

15 April 2008 : It all happened so sudden. As I was shopping in Zara at Osaka's premier shopping district, Shinsaibashi, my passport went missing. I had bought a nice short sleeve blue shirt with white collars earlier, and I may have misplaced my passport there. It was kept in a black money pouch including approximately around MYR 1,500 in various currency notes.

When I realized it went missing, approximately an hour later, I went searching around the area speaking what limited Japanese I know about lost passport but unfortunately it didn't turn up. Had left my number with Zara's sales clerks as well as my tour guide's number in case it turn up. At the back of my mind, I was wondering how to arrange my presentation to some super VVIPs on the coming Thursday since I suspect I will be stuck here awhile.

It was very strange after the initial search. Keeping calm, I contacted the following :

1. Malaysian embassy - For procedures on getting an emergency travel pass.
2. The tour guide - To inform him on my predicament and seek for advice. He had later called up the tour bus to check if I had left it in there as well as the hotel so they could check my room.
3. International SOS - To check on hotels in Tokyo (near to the embassy) for availability at reasonable rates. So far they are the best as they were willing to call up the hotel to check the availability while the rest of the numbers I called later just tell me the hotel's number. The hotel I decided was based on their recommendation.
4. American Express Global Assist - Can't help much because I'm not a Gold Card holder.
5. OCBC Platinum Hotline - Can't help much either though they gave me a list of hotel numbers. Mentioned that they are more in tune with Malaysia & Singapore at the moment.
6. Citibank Global Collect Call - Rejected the collect call. No idea why. Maybe I will cancel their card soon.
7. Parents - They both panicked a little and they gave me numbers for my foster brother as well as another friend who's working in Tokyo. I met them both later. Also they checked on my travel insurance and I could claim up till RM 5,000 for inconveniences. Was pondering how many extra days I should stay.
8. Some office colleagues - To rearrange appointments and get them to fax my passport copy over.

I'd probably spend quite a bit already on phone calls which I would claim once I'm back. After losing my passport, didn't really felt like I wanna shop anymore hence, I just hang around Starbucks till the rest of the group finished their shopping.

That night me and the guide went to one of the police box and reported the lost item. They were very friendly, patient, and efficient. Unfortunately they can't issue the report which I need for the embassy to issue me the certificate, cause all I got was a report number. I argued a bit with the guide though he insisted that this is their procedure. Back of my head, I suspected he didn't know much as because I had already asked the embassy that only Police Stations can issue the report while Police Boxes are just small outposts (macam pondok saja). However I couldn't win this argument as since the guide said everything is fine. Next time I'm gonna insist more on doing it my way. Skipped dinner because of this.

16 April 2008 : I still packed my bags and wanted to follow the group to Kansai airport. The Malaysian guide mentioned for me to stay here in the hotel to which now I insisted to follow cause at the airport I could at least have a lot of transportation facilities should I need to go to Tokyo, as well as baggage storage where I can keep my huge bag. If I hadn't went there, I would need to lug my stuff from the hotel which was very heavy unless I took a cab which would be very expensive. He did help a bit by getting me the consulate number in Osaka as well as the MAS office in both Tokyo and Osaka (which I had asked for earlier as I need to change my flight).

During this whole time, most of the calls and arrangements I did myself which made me wonder how helpful the tour guides are. I had checked the Net the night before on all the necessary procedures (as well as see if I could go to Universal Studios should I stay in Osaka). And most of the phone numbers I had already retrieved. So I was wondering if it was anybody else who was less capable, how would they feel if the guides were found wanting in situations like this.

Later I said goodbye to my colleagues at the airport who were all concerned (or not since I am able to converse a little). Some of them asked me to buy more stuff though for them. Later I would book myself a domestic flight to Tokyo which costs RM 600 for that 1 hour trip. I had wanted to consider the Shinkansen but I don't want to lug my luggage around too much hence I chose the flight.

Arriving at Tokyo's Haneda airport, I bought a couple of phone cards and continue my research calls. The airlines had confirmed that they can change my ticket for a nominal fee including switching my outbound flight from Narita instead of Kansai (the fee was around RM 360) which was great. The lady over the line, Nakayama, was so helpful and efficient that I told her I wanted to meet her and thanked her personally.

I also called up a list of hotels to check on availability and all them were fully booked. This were the USD 100 range of hotels around the Shinjuku & Shibuya area (the embassy is in Shibuya). Finally I settled with the original hotel proposed by the International SOS which was Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku at around USD 235 per night (insurance claimable after all).

Then I called up the embassy again to confirm the procedure. I had already gotten most of the documents ready including the landing confirmation from the MAS office (god bless Nakayama-san again), but they insisted on a police report. To which they recommend me to go to the Shibuya Police Staion and make one. Back of my mind I knew I was right then when I argued with the guide. Also I arranged to meet up with my friend, Roy for dinner later that night as I would need him around to talk to the police again.

Finally, I took the train to Shinjuku, lugging my 30 kg luggage up the stairs, down the elevators, passed thousands of people during rush hour, and across a few kilometers before reaching the hotel.

After resting a bit, I made my way to Shibuya, and met up with Roy. We went straight to the station and explain to the cops my predicament. Again they were friendly and helpful though they found it strange why would I need to make another report. Still I got what I wanted and I was to collect it the following morning.

Roy, was my parent's friend's son and he had went to Japan 15 years ago on the same Youth Exchange Program that I went. He's now working in Tokyo having married a Japanese and had a child of 8 months. He also stays near Disneyland. He took me to one of the more famous Ramen place in Harajuku and it the food was very good. So much so we both had second helpings. We discussed a lot of interesting things and would compare Japan with the rest of the world (especially Malaysia) on the differences in culture, work environment and so forth. All in all we both shared similar thoughts.

After our dinner he went home, and I went to Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo in Roppongi to get a T-shirt for my colleague. I also bought some pins for my team since I had went there a few nights before and they weren't able to make it at all. One thing though, everywhere I passed by there's bound to be a Starbucks cafe, and I think I had at least one cup almost everyday I was in Japan.

17 April 2008 : Early morning I got up and went to the Police Station again to collect the report. Then I got my passport photo taken on the way to the embassy. At the embassy I met Kobayashi-san, the guy who I spoke over the phone. He was a great help as well, and manage to get my certificate done in the same day (I had heard it would take at least 4 working days). Then again I was very detailed in filling up the forms and he was surprised as most people just write lost passport while I give a blow-by-blow account of what happened.

While waiting for the certificate I left the embassy and went to three different areas, all via the trains & subways. They are :

1. Ginza - To pick up the RM 300 brushes for HY's dad at this place called KyuKyodo.
2. Asakusa - To visit the birthplace of Tokyo and buy 2 souvenirs for my colleagues who requested me to help find (which I knew can only be gotten in this area). Also took some pictures so I could go back and show them what they had missed :)
3. Akihabara - Actually I only wanted to spend my 3-4 hours time here as this is where all the electronics stuff are sold including Japanese animation, DVDs, and other high-tech curios. In the end I got to spend only half an hour here and bought myself a 2 GB SD card which was only RM 33! I think it should be cheaper than Malaysia (last I checked was around RM 50). Could have bought more stuff but had to rush back to the embassy later to collect my certificate.

It was raining on the way back, but finally I got my certificate to go home! I had also confirmed my flight on the following day at 1.30 pm from Narita, Tokyo (god bless Nakayama-san) and she had faxed the itinerary both to the embassy and my hotel. All in all, things went perfectly fine except that I was tired from all the walking.

That night I met up with Ryuji, my foster brother. He's a year younger, already married, and currently have his own shop business selling alcohol from all over Japan. His wife is one of his employees and only 18 years old! He took me to dinner at Shinjuku in the Red Light Area (called Kabuki-cho here), and we drank beer while having various seafood dishes including one large shrimp, catching up on old times as well as what's new in both our lives.
Later he would take me around the area to enquire about the services on offer. As explained by him, it is against the law for prostitution which meant intercourse, hence the services offered are more on petting & kissing basis, which costs around RM 500-600 for 1-2 hours (depending on duration & place). It seems there are a lot of escort services as brochures were openly displayed. Most of the ladies were of early twenties though there were some places that specializes in women of other sizes. All in all we had an interesting night.

Later I went back to Hard Rock Cafe again as I got a few SMSes to get more t-shirts & magnets. I think I spent over RM 700 there already which I'm going to get back from my colleagues later. On the way back, I had another cup of Starbucks.

18 April 2008 : I had already packed my bag the night before so I woke up at around 7 am and caught the 7.50 am airport limo bus (RM 100 for one way trip). It was a 2-hour journey so I slept most of the way as I only slept at 4 am the night before (due to all the packing).

Now I am at a Starbucks cafe typing this missive thinking if I should have stayed another day. Then again, I am already tight on the dough and should not spend any more (it's really expensive here on the basic necessities). That and I'd probably need to work over the weekend to get some stuff done.

Ja mata aimasho!

under the sakuras

2008-04-15T19:25:00.003+08:00

by

poh chin (trying to see it from M's point of view)

are you my best friend? i asked my best friend. she responded "i guess so... are you mine?" ... SIGH. such is my very emotionally detached but very observant best friend. she's very different from me. so they say opposites attract. not that we are lesbians or anything. both are absolutely positively straight. she's not sensitive enough to survive as a lesbian. i am too much a romantic to be one.

anyway, her lack of emotional detachment also makes it a little bit difficult to confide in her. she'll probably analyse it and try to give me a solution (a very guy-ish side of her) and what i need is more of a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to me and someone to be on my side... to agree that things are tough... to agree that life's not fair... to let me be weak... to take care of me... (this is probably where pc will say "you need a bf" and i suppose i don't mind one, though the idea of having one which remotely resembles the men in my family freaks me out totally!!)

just got back from japan. missed the hours i spent under the sakuras... in the parks... doing absolutely nothing. only in far far away places, far away from everybody who finds it so easy to depend on me... that i will be able to rest. really rest. do nothing. think nothing. and sleep!! yes, i am finally able to sleep... early too! and alot! love the carefree feeling... love finding myself. because that is what i am. a romantic carefree being who loves the idea of love.

back home... i feel lost. why? because i am not really me. i care, but it hurts to care. so i try not to care. but it also hurts not to care. so i feel lost. somebody will have to figure this out for me. why is it so difficult to not care for somebody who does not care for oneself?? why should anybody? but i do. why is it that i have to take care of someone who is suppose to take care of me? cause i care, i suppose. so the problem is because i care?

pc says

"you should care because that is you. you might end up hurt or disappointed if you care, but you'll be happy! (sounds unlikely, but i really think so).

if you don't care, you'll be unhappy with yourself for not caring, you'll be unhappy because is so not you, you'll be unhappy because you are failing to detach yourself, and on top of that because you fail to really not care, you'll still end up hurt or disappointed."

with best friends like those, who needs enemies really. she has a weird kinda logic. but it works. so i suppose i'll just care.

somebody get me out of this melancholy mood... please... ?

change

2008-04-14T02:09:00.003+08:00

i need a change. in what i don't know. i just know i need a change. i suppose i'll just do what i might not normally do and see what happens from there. yes to whatever i would say no to, and no to whatever i would say yes to. for a week. and see what happens. other than in work, of course. i can't say "no, i won't sell to you" (!!)... lol

why can't i just say i need to get out of comfort zone?

then again, this may be just a phase. due to withdrawal symptoms. M has not been around for 2.5 weeks. and therefore, also missing would be T and D. then again, my bestest hangout buddy is just back from japan. i might get out of this bored-shitless state and not feel like a change afterall. or i might not. or maybe this is all just from an inflated level of cholesterol due to my one week stint in sabah. cholesterol induced change... hmm... or maybe not. why bother to know? i would normally find out. so now, i won't!

i know my friends say i am a little bit rebellious at times. but rebelling against myself??? that's new.

ok. that's enough. i have always bragged that i can sleep anytime. but since i slept at 9pm. and accidentally woke up about an hour back, i don't know if i can sleep. maybe tv would be a good idea. i know M would advocate that.

black hippo

2008-04-10T02:07:00.004+08:00

i met the b%#$* of the year today. an obesed pea-brained she-blob of lard who totally spoiled my evening. thankfully i am able to limit her impact to a whole 1 hour. what a total waste of 1 hour.

anyway, why? well, she once again, highlighted that respect is truly earned. i suppose there is a certain amount of respect granted by default if one has a title, designation, is old, etc.

but that is easily lost. how? by talking about something without throughly understanding it, by trying to assert authority via the most ridiculously menial way possible, by not respecting other ppl, .....

Saturday night post

2008-04-05T22:24:00.003+08:00

by

Snicker-stained fingers, by *Snicker*

Writing has always had a profound effect. Somehow I find putting thoughts into unspoken words is so much more effective than saying it aloud. Possibly it is the shroud of anonymity, a barrier that is so safe, you could write anything, and not wonders if it’s coming out right.

Then again, a command of the language is a major discouragement to many people. I’ve seen those that wrote a perfectly innocent sentence, only to spark off a row and arguments, to the extent of getting personal.

SO what happens if out of the blue (or green, or pink) you’re asked to write something, anything. All of a sudden, the train of thought slips the mind, right? That’s what I face now.

I’m sitting in my bedroom, AC turned way down low, so low that it can freeze balls and grow icicles. And the web’s tuned to a radio station from back home, making me feel nostalgic and homesick all at the same time. And I’m munching on a Snickers bar (ad alert!) at 10pm at night, just so I feel less sorry for myself for wasting my Saturday night away. Not that there’s much to do anyway. Cable’s not exactly entertaining me at present. The web’s a good distraction, though I’ve seen what I want, read what I missed. So what’s next?

Oh, I’m getting a new toy soon. No revealing here, cos it’s going to be featured on my site. A good distraction, though somehow I can’t shake that nagging feeling that it’ll be shelved in no time once I’m bored. I deserved it. Who cares? That’s why we work so hard. I quote from Eureka “Life – Dream = Job”. I’m doing a Job alright. But I’m living it up, so it’s not that bad a job. Can’t figure out the dream part though….

growing old is no fun

2008-04-05T21:45:00.002+08:00

a friend said "growing old is boring affair"

i think we grow old all the time. have been doing that since the coming into this world. but why does it get boring after awhile?

let's look back a little bit. what did we use to do for fun? when we were babies, i suppose our parents provided adequate entertainment. when we were teenagers, we do what we can do without a car.

then we get our drivers' license :)

that was the beginning of a whole new world.

we go out. we meet friends. we interacted.

then some fall in love, get married, have babies. now, that, is again, another whole new world. ppl stop going out. coz they have fulfilled their subconscious goals to perpetuate their genes.

then some who still want to go out will feel bored. coz no "kaki".

so, ... we are not bored because we are older. we are bored because not many ppl go out anymore.

Short Words Lunch

2008-04-01T02:22:00.005+08:00

by

Terence Fu (trying to see it from PC's point of view)

I was busy minding my work today when my bestest friend HY buzzed me out for lunch. She was looking for a place to munch that is near a Baskin Robbins (due to today being the 31% off day), and her not-really-but-kinda-woulda-perhaps-unlikely-unsure-quite-unclear-however-fence-sitter-have-no-idea-what-I'm-typing-now boyfriend, TF would pick us up. The crime scene was at Marmalade Cafe in Plaza Mont Kiara.

TF was late. Me & HY was damn hungry. We ordered food. I can't wait. I picked out an Oreo cheesecake. We were suppose to share. I ate more than a share. Our food came. Mine was a Deli burger. HY had a salad. TF had some salmon thingy with beans. HY ate TF's broccoli. I ate more cheesecake. TF said the salmon thingy was very filling. I did my nails. I told HY & TF to blog for me. (This is a blog from TF by the way). Oh and the bill came to about RM 102.

It was a really hot & sunny day and HY was melting when we left the cafe. She mentioned about being the only one carrying an umbrella in Australia during her earlier trip there. I look cool in my Gucci shades.

TF wanted to buy Baskin Robbins ice-cream for his sales team. Me & HY wonder why no one from our company buy us ice-cream. The queue was seriously long but a good samaritan gave TF her number and cut short our waiting time by half (which is from 2 hours to 1 hour). There were two 'leng luis' which we observed. One had 'lui yan mei' while the other is just 'lui yan' though both are quite pretty. I think I'm pretty too. Oh HY is pretty too as well.

Finally after TF bought his 7 flavors we shoot off for our offices. The 7 flavors were - World Class Chocolate, Rainbow Sherbet, Macadamia Nuts & Cream, Chocolate Chip, Bananas & Strawberry, Rum Raisin, and Tiramisu. I did not had any.

where have you been?

2008-03-27T20:41:00.005+08:00

Part 1 by
i'm Jason - the thirtysomething who doesnt give a f#*k

Things in LIFE you’ve missed… recently…

or have not picked up…

or even worse...

..have not heard of.

Steve Aoki @ Zouk – Cause the party was rocking it made me feel like I was 21 again.

Lomography – whats photography without lomo?

Collecting Records – Its shows that you care and that you’re not a cheapskate pirate stuffing your iPod.

The Beach – its not a club dumbass. White sandy beaches, soaking in the sun, the warm breeze. EVERYONE needs it.

Sneakers – Vintage, Collaborations, Limited Eds. Time to get it cause you’re not getting any younger.

Vinyl Toys – they’re not gay. Cricket is gay. Rugby is gay. Vinyl toys rock.

Nu Rave, Electro breaks & Electro Clash – nothing beats bootlegs from the 70s, 80s and 90s with that electronic edge! Get with it!

Don’t get it?

I say.. stop being pretentious. Stop acting your age. Do whatever you feel makes you happy or satisfies your soul. Why give in to your peers and be so influenced and driven by your career… cause if you do.. you’d end up like my uncle Steven. You see.. my uncle Steven is rich.. so rich he didn’t have the time to get married. Now he’s old and alone…sad.

My point?

Well.. I often ponder and amaze in wonderment… how people can be so ignorant to amazing things in life that they tend to twiddle by looking contented, telling everyone they’re contented and thinking they’re contented but in the end.. they just not… so what do they do? They complain. Why they complain? That’s easy.
All my blabber would sum up to – Passion.

nice cool breeze

2008-03-23T02:27:00.002+08:00

this morning, at approx 130am, hopped into may's car, wound down the window, felt the cool cool breeze in my face, smelled the fresh fresh air... at that moment, felt hope. for what? i don't know. but i was sure it was hope. and certainty that everything is going to be alrite.

young chikus

2008-03-22T11:15:00.002+08:00

"wah... young ppl nowadays very confident and less willing to listen to seniors (not old ppl, but ppl more senior than them in a company!)... they have been exposed to more things and seem to know everything!

i suppose then it is very obvious that those are the young chikus. because old farts would know better than to "shine" too soon. sometimes, it is just better to lay low and keep a low profile. recce the scene before doing anything too outstanding. afterall, it is better to go for sustainable "shine" than to "shine" awhile then kena "shoot to death" by the other old-er farts.

anyways, another friend's input was that young chikus probably have no idea how much they do not know! and so, will tend to be a bit more confident than the ones which have been shot.

then again, there are some chikus out there which are rightfully confident! the amount of stuff they know!!! it's amazing. i suppose attributable to google....

anybody wanna share stories?? young chikus joining them? any young chikus wanna share stories about how insecure the old-er farts seem to be? :)

still very sore...

2008-03-16T10:00:00.003+08:00

"a little bit" is an understatement...

it seems that the defeated in the recent general elections were openly sore in the very beginning, with the exception of Koh who retreated in a very dignified manner. then there was a change! they have acquired some PR skills. They assumed the same strategy as Koh and accepted defeat (supposedly). Many of the defeated was protrayed in the media as graciously accepting defeat and then vowing to be effective watchdogs.

it seems they have finally figured out that the loss is definite and that there is nothing one can do till 4 years later. and till then, they will strive to make life hell for the winners.

i think we have to stand by our choice. that does not mean we don't question. but we question base on what we see with our own eyes. we should not trust local media. we should not trust the sms-es we receive. we should not panic when the share market falls (afterall, it is known to over-react)... what when half of it is probably owned by the defeated or their cronies.

we should stand by our choice. give it a chance. changes to not happened overnight. some had 50 years to make changes. look where they have brought us. i say help them help us. highlight issues. provide suggested solutions. in light of all the news things which need to be managed, i think they need all the help they can get.

it seems the local media is keen to stoke racial tension. in the guise of responsible reporting? (if they know the meaning of those words)... "the half truth, the manipulation and nothing like the truth" is probably their motto.

the possibility of not practicing NEP... which is known to be a sensitive issue. should be reported better. if they are responsible they would know it can possibly stoke racial tension (if not for the very educated people in the affected places). so, if they were reporting responsibly, they should provide a clearer background - what NEP comprise of, which part of NEP would not be practised, how these practices would be phased out, what are the pros and cons, what the people think, etc.

local media.... SIGH

still a little bit sore...

2008-03-16T09:54:00.002+08:00

who are the trouble makers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYUlAIvjs7o

http://www.jeffooi.com/2008/03/utusan_and_bernama.php

local media... i have nothing to say...

live from old town kopitiam...

2008-03-10T22:45:00.006+08:00

we are sitting here in old town kopitiam, doing a post mortem on the elections...

watching the broadcast of elections results was an interesting experience. results which were favourable to the parties which probably owned the tv station was announced first. unfavourable results were not released till much later.

the commentators... they are another joke. their comment was that areas where the opposition parties won, are areas where there were substantial number of voters who did not turn up. these commentators further said that these are probably people who are confident that the ruling party would win, and therefore decided to stay home and not vote!!!

it seems certain people "tak insaf"... as a matter of fact, "bertambah angkuh"...*sigh*

as far as i know, i have heard ,first hand, from a number of civil servants that they would not be able to vote for opposition because there is a serial number on the ballot paper. and they do not wish to jeopardise their chances for promotion. which made me think... could the opposition have won by a bigger majority?

what is a serial number doing on the ballot paper anyway?? isn't there a better way to prevent phantom voters???

thepapers again have sided certain parties. apparently selangor "fell" to opposition. i say, selangor was "won over"... but who can blame newpapers when i heard they have licenses which are renewable yearly!!?

i think those who said "we are shocked!" or "we didn't know what happened..?!!" ... are stupid. afterall, big changes like these are hardly ever sudden. if the person has been doing his/ her job, the signals would have been there. they would have been forewarned. they would know that this is coming. obviously, then, somebody's not doing his/ her job.

then newspapers were also hinting that there might be re-allocation of funds which were originally allocated for states now ruled by the opposition. is that a threat? well, i think the rakyat is done being bullied. we will just have to standby our voted representatives and help them help us!

It was said that the uneducated ones in the kampungs in sabah & sarawak were bought at the price of RM50 (and that is quite cheap.. RM50 for 4 years of exploit of states so rich with natural resources!!), the rakyat is sure that with mismanagement, these resources will soon be squandered.

i suppose the internet played a major role in this election. what next? do you think the govt will ban that?? of course if they were to do a self evaluation, they will realise that they are the very reason why this change took place.

many victims of the elections have displayed "sore loser" traits...

with the exception of Koh Tsu Koon... who appeared to have retreated like a gentleman and some sense of dignity.

generally, we are all very happy to note that democracy is healthy and alive... to a certain extent.

if anybody says "saya pantang dicabar", my wise friend, hy, replies "baik balik rumah"!

marriage...

2008-03-05T12:04:00.006+08:00

how is it like?

to be married?

for the unmarried, how do you envision it to be? married life?

a good guy friend said " erm, less hair, more tummy, milk stained shirt...."!!

"oh, i've always been a homely guy. but must keep somtime open for friends la. kenot 100% family, wife and kids. no friend kenot la."

do u think u'll laugh more? do u think u'll be more lovey? how do u think it'll be diff?

"dunno leh. depends on the kid's character. I might enjoy father hood, or i may become a grouch. who knows. kids can be devil incarnate if they want to."

what if no kids? will u think about adopting?

"if no kids, then it's wife and me. i suppose we'll need to keep spicing things up. must have personal interests and common interests loh. i'm not sure if i'm the adopting kind. i'd rather settle for a dog."

will there be ill feelings? if no kids? blame each other kinda thing? u think?

"can't blame God's will. but can try to get professional help. who knows, maybe been doing it wrong, rite?!"

another victim of my interrogation said...

"no, i wont stay at home more."

but got kids? then how? babysitter?

"yup.....that's the trend now"

so not much diff from if single?

"even u r married with kids....i believe u need a life of ur own as well

more lovey dovey? still like dating? do u think u'll need more space instead??

"nope.....worse, if have kids ur love will be devoted to the kids oredi. no more between u n ur partner... a couple definitely need private space besides kids

so u'll set aside time to be just u and him?

"if not the relationship gets distance"

if no babies how? will u adopt?

"no... basically....kids will eventually come useful...in long term... no dogs too (if no babies)"

useful???

"as company.. also entertainment at times!! hahahaahhaha"

ic ic :)

a married friend said...

"apple and durian"

???more interesting? more secure? what talking u?

"mmphh... none of the above. I mean cannot compare single life with married life... it's like apple and durian. Apple is single life. it's predictable. sweet on outside and sometimes inside. if sour inside... from outside cannot tell. will still look sweet. as for durian, it's thorny... but harmless. it's tough when you see it. once you open it.. it's where you enjoy it. but marriage... everyday you have to open the durian."

???

"and have to touch a few thorns... then only enjoy the fruit. everyday there will be challenges. thorns are challenges. especially when you have kids. cause it's no longer about you. it's always about the daughters, when they are sick, the visiting in laws, own parents.... etc. different career path. no time for each other. different priorities. different way of bringing up kids...etc... but once you overcome that... you get to taste the durian. but you can't taste the durian without hurting yourself before opening the durian...got it?"

i think so... no more time for u and partner?

"oh yes... definitely no more time... if you make time for your partner.. you will feel guilty"

wouldn't it be like a business liao? friends would have time for each other... then if friends get together and do business together, they probably have less time to do stuff like before... but both will be working towards a business objective, but doing different roles or handling different projects... but not as fun as when they were just going for mamaks??

"mmphhh.. yes, if you put it that way. cause once you 'entered' the business, you have no choice but to make it right... it comes naturally to make it right... the expense of each other. it's like... this time I sacrifice.. the next will be your turn"

actual is different from how it is envisioned to be? looks like getting married is like setting up a business... partnership. employees are the kids. which you have to invest in. it seems that husband and wife will work on different roles, quite independently... to achieve financial goals?? (in asia, it seems like that is the main goal)...

your tots?

make sense wor...

2008-03-05T11:54:00.000+08:00

not nuts about this guy. but he's got all the right points.

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-8665011592312376468&hl=en

independent news?

2008-03-03T08:12:00.003+08:00

whatever happened to that? i have just read thepapers this morning. and i am utterly disgusted at the manner in which the daily blatantly supports a particular party... during the campaigning period!!! it does not take a genius to figure out who owns the daily. whatever happened to independent news reporting. makes you think... can u believe in what you read in the papers anymore??? or it's just a brainwashing tool...? (duh)

i suppose i stopped believing the papers long long time ago. however, due to lack of a good alternative, one can only read the papers and try to figure out what they are trying to distract you from. when the papers talk about a whole new scandal, you have got to look back and see if the previous one was resolved. if not, there is probably a politician involved. then if there are rumours being highlighted in the papers, they are probably slowly easing the idea into your head. so that when the truth is admitted, you don't reel in shock and/or disgust.

if it is not the abovementioned, then they might just be trying to brainwash you to think what they want you to believe.

makes reading the papers alot more challenging, don't you think?

environmental disaster

2008-03-01T12:56:00.002+08:00

is what the campaigning process has been reduced to. the amount of posters printed on material which i can only hope is re-cycleable is unbelieveable! where do they get all that money?? (duh)

i wonder where are all these people all those years before election? why can't they make their appearance earlier? start serving the people (if that is their real intention) earlier?

if i am serious about being a candidate and making politics my career, if i am serious about serving the people and the country, i suppose i would have "mingled" earlier. started helping the people earlier (no matter how small the deed). make known my stand on the many issues much earlier. people are not blind.

the money going to the posters could have been more wisely spent. imagine winning the seat without a single poster?! imagine winning because the people have faith in you and your ability to lead. imagine winning because the people want you to win and not because they have no other choice!? what an honour that would be...

i think it is sad if on election day, votes are casted due to the number of posters hanging on the trees. if people standing in the booth don't have a single clue who the people listed on the paper are. if casting is done at the toss of a coin...

not inspired

2008-02-24T11:38:00.004+08:00

i wanna blog. but i seriously have nothing to write. i wonder how come i had so many things to write when i first started blogging. i don't work well under pressure? pressure to blog has stifled my creative streak?? or there is simply nothing exciting happening at the moment?

i suppose there is nothing happening which i wanna write about. plenty of stuff in my mind now. half of which have been brought up a million times before. so, to not risk being labelled boring, and to spare my friends from having to entertain the same topic of discussions a million times a year, i have decided not to blog those tots.

then there are the kind of things which would probably get lots of questions. which i am not sure if i would like to entertain. such as? the line above would probably get lots of questions. which i would not like to entertain. :)

there are a lot of things which i should be doing at the moment. so, maybe it's just coz there are a lot of things i'm suppose to be doing other than thinking of what to blog about. and considering my inability to multitask (which i am trying to fix at the moment), not knowing what to blog is kinda... expected...?

vote wisely...

2008-02-23T10:58:00.002+08:00

this is farni... have to share

Heaven or Hell?While walking down the street one day a Malaysian politician is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and he is met by an angel at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says the angel.

"Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.""No problem, just let me in," says the man."Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.""Really, I have made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Yang Berhormat"I'm sorry, but we have our rules," says the angel.

And with that, the angel escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.Everyone is very happy and dressed in the finest batik there is. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then indulge themselves on LOBSTERS, caviar and the most expensive food there is. Present together is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes.They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises. The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where the angel is waiting for him."Now it' s time to visit heaven."So, 24 hours pass with the Yang Berhormat joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and the angel returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."The Yang Berhormat reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I am better off in hell."

So the angel escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder."I don't understand," stammers the Yang Berhormat. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning, just like you did during an election...... Today you voted."

vote wisely..

more dubai

2008-02-07T13:38:00.000+08:00

there are no drains here... i suppose that's not needed in deserts. :)

lamb, garlic cream dip, chickpeas cream dip, bread, olives, goat cheese, lamb....lamb brain, lamb tongue...

just learnt about UAE which has 7 states - dubai, ajman, sharjah, ras al-khaimah, fujairah, abu dhabi and umm al-quwain.

no potholes..

it's really rather nice spending chinese new year in dubai. got to know my sis in law better. turns out she's a pretty darn cool chick. she's does the farniest impersonations. knows alot about labels. makes a mean tiramisu. cooks yummy food. have superb sense of directions... yea... pretty darn cool chick.

dubai has a cool place next to the creek. which has floor to ceiling windows. i love floor to ceiling windows. just like the ones at the vineyard yuen brought me to in Yarra Valley. it was luuuuuuurrrrvvvllyyy. the ones at the creek was also lluuuuuuuuurrrrrvvly. had a great view of the yatchs. the creek. the city skyline. amazing. beautiful. :)

existence is relative!

2008-02-06T20:46:00.000+08:00

how much you exist depends on how much you matter to other ppl... i think.

have you ever been far far away from your friends and family, surrounded by ppl whom you supposedly know, but whom you know would not be affected at all if you disappear from the face of the earth the very next second..? all your sudden disappearance would amount to would be a few minor inconveniences?

you will then feel like you don't exist.

which i guess is the reason why many ppl have a real fear of ending up alone.

i lost my train of tots. or rather i forgot. coz this posting was inspired in bkk. that was last week...

dubai... surreal

2008-02-06T14:36:00.000+08:00

it's surreal. it's almost like one stepped into another world. a fantasy world. the playground of the filthy rich.

the cars (like car magazine - only they are on the road). the villas. the people. the kite surfing. the beautiful beaches. the indoor ski slope. the palm. the growth rate. the rate at which things are being built. it's simply amazing. it's so fast.

i tot to myself. where have i been?? what is holding me back? why am i not here? i suppose it's true. if you have not seen it, you would not know what you have been missing. then i tot. i want these. all these. then i tot. do i really want these? would it make me happier? then i tot. do i really not want all these? or am i just thinking that i don't want these because i am not sure if i can get them? then i tot. how to be contented again?

someone told me that comes with age. when i get older, i will know how to be contented. so i should just go for it now. but what if i chase and chase and chase, and in the end realise that i have been chasing nothing? i can hear it now. why think so much. just do it laarrr

scared ma. what if chase wrong thing?

can one have it all? family, friends, love, money, cars, kite surfing, lurrrvvvly clothes...???? must prioritize and balance to make sure no regrets. must chase and not worry about regret. must know how to be thankful, so can learn to be contented. yet must not complacent. so many things to keep in mind.

note to self : start multitasking.

back to dubai. dubai is nice. lebanon food is yummy here. al hallab is anyways. cars are beautiful. being here makes one feel like it's possible. to be travelling around in the cars that one tot one will only see in car magazines. the rate at which buildings come up. one would think you just have to put a pill in the ground and water. buildings sprout like taugehs. so fast. makes one wonder what would happen if dubai stops building? where are they going to find people to occupy all these buildings when it's all completed?? if artic melt, what would happen to palm? can it float? the size of the villas and the grounds. they must have buggies to ferry servants to and fro servant quarters and villa. i think sell grass also will be darn loaded liao.

everything is so different. it's a different world. would it be my world? will keep you ppl posted :) now have to go out for breakfast...

thirties

2008-01-24T17:47:00.000+08:00

ok.... graduating soon. from thirty to thirties. i say, it's a little overated. do i feel more self assured?, do i know better what i want?, which then should contribute to an increase in level of sexiness??!... gee... i'll like to think so! :)

i suppose one thing is certain. after being alive for 30 years, there are alot of things which i have figured out i would not want. alot of things which i have figured out would or would not work. it's a little bit like work. you stumble a little bit in the beginning. then hopefully learn from experience and work better after that... with a whole lot more variables though... which has a far far more significant impact on one's future. which means there are a lot of things that you just can't figure out. which means i should have not written this posting.

but i missed crapping. so...

anyways, i suppose sometimes one can think and figure things out. but sometimes, one just have to go with the flow. gamble alittle. lose a little. and win a little :) i suppose it's ok coz life's not permanent anyways. nothing is permanent. what are we holding on to? what is holding us back? just enjoy it when you have it. so you don't say "what if" when you have to let it go.

exciting start

2008-01-24T17:22:00.000+08:00

the year started with a bang...

against a table...

on which my laptop was rested...

together with my cup of latte...

so, my laptop drowned. which explains why the blog had nothing new for the past few weeks.

they say with the good, comes the bad. the good side of this?

i was reminded, yet again, the amazing friends i have.

hy who comforted me when i was holding the laptop letting the latte drip... or rather flow out of my laptop... who told me not to turn it on, but to keep it dry and preferably cool place (we didn't want to be growing any type of mushroom)... most importantly, the one who told me it might be possible to save the data from the hopefully protected hardisk.

tf who brought the tiny set of screwdrivers to hy's place, without which my hardisk would not be able to be removed and most importantly, the one who successfully remove the piece of very precious plastic? from the laptop.

mc who provided them with emotional support and entertained hy's parents while they work on my laptop.

where to find????? yep. feeling lucky tho' i now don't have a laptop.

at this moment, i am using a mac, in a printing studio, blogging, while waiting for some name cards, bunting, and CD covers to be printed. tomorrow, it's off to bkk for some hardcore kuli work. then a week and a half later, it's off to dbx for some good old quality time with family.

till i get back.. see u ppl feb 12.

melancholy no more...

2008-01-06T13:53:00.000+08:00

the melancholy feeling i get during the xmas-new-year period is over!!!! woo hoooooooooo

it's now the raring-to-go feeling... which is alot better i think.

before forming resolutions, was feeling, once again, like a piece of floating styrofoam. But with some new objectives in mind, it's a piece of floating styrofoam with a tiny sail stuck in the middle. at least can control direction a little bit lor...

just finished a jigsaw. it's funny the many ways different ppl do up a jigsaw puzzle can reveal so much about the person. how they work, how they think. playing boardgames with another person can be so insightful.

looks like we might be getting another paid photo job soon. but in order not to jinx it, shall not blog about it until it's done. :)

looks like we are on track. hope you ppl are too! as u would have noticed, i have nothing to write. so, just crappin' away wasting cyber space. thank goodness, it is limitless.. is it? gosh... imagine if virtual space can run out. i'll be a luxury virtual space agent, selling premium space. ok. really crappin' now. so, i'll spare u ppl and i'll go find something to do...

bubai ujin

2008-01-06T13:43:00.000+08:00

ujin is going to munch on greener grass over the other side of the fence...in a field called vietnam...

bubai! we will visit. pls prepare accomodation, food and spending money! :)

2008

2007-12-26T00:47:00.000+08:00

another year has gone by. can't say that any of my 2007 resolutions has been achieved. so, here's another attempt at some of them...

1) to be top financial consultant (translation - sell insurance, funds, will writing, tax planning etc etc. i'll be so good, i might not wanna sell even if you wanna buy!!! KAKAKAKAAKAA)

2) to get 4 paid photo jobs

3) to bE_goTTen (not gonna explain,... but no procreation involved)

4) ski trip! (woohooooooooo....)

mErrY xMas!!~

2007-12-25T12:42:00.001+08:00

lighten up

2007-12-23T11:46:00.000+08:00

a good friend said "wah... looks like your site is getting a little bit sensitive nowadays..." !!! so, to lighten things up,

a gathering!!! yay!! at may li's... saturday...29th december 07... 20:00 till late... for pictionary and abit of catching up. bring some snack/ drinks which would not involve washing up as there is no maid at the moment! babies are welcome... but they bring their own drinks!

1) terence - vodka
2) may li & poh chin - cups
3) poh chin - fruitcake
4)