Christmas on Orchard Road

It's been more than a month since my last posting. I've been busy, travelling and sorting out year end issues (which reminds me...I gotta work from home tomorrow on Xmas day, sigh).

I'm currently faced with a most complicate issue that goes back in history for about 4 years, so can you blame me for having a lack of enthusiasm?

In any case, on my last visit to Singapore early this month, I was fortunate enough to witness the twinkling Christmas lights and pretty holiday deco of the famous Orchard Road. I stayed in Meritus Mandarin Hotel, smack in the middle of Orchard Road, and right next to Takashimaya.

Here, I attempted to take a few night shots, most of which, sadly, turned out blur as I had no tripod to keep the camera stable. With slower shutter speed, and wide exposure to capture the lights, no way it could have turned out any better. Here are some better ones...

For Money, or...?

I had quite an extraordinary day yesterday. I later mulled over the numerous sentiments I felt...

My company organised a Finance Community seminar, in conjunction with the Hari Raya celebrations. During the seminar, we shared highlights and successes of the Finance community in the last quarter. My Finance Director, Mike, commemorated the event with his presence.

The seminar was ended with a slightly different flavour this time... a group of executives from Std Chart (SC) was invited to share with us the basics of foreign exchange : the Ringgit's co-relation with the economy's trend. This group of executives arrived in a fashion of their own...all dressed in 3-piece black suits, and then they clipped and clopped their way in on the laminated floor. Wow, talk about an impressive-seeking entrance!

When the time came for them to speak, not 10-minutes had gone by when the laptop battery decided to take a break from all that finance terminologies. One of the speakers, JT, an economist with SC, (whom I thought was pretty cute) carried himself well speaking about forex in a hall of strange faces. It wasnt long before a backup laptop was fixed up, but not before JT "instructed" one of our senior Finance management to move the whiteboard upfront! JT could NOT be more than 30 years old really.

After the seminar, a makan-makan Hari Raya was served; there was yummy lemang, satay, satay sauce, mee jawa, and lots more. Out of the 4 SC personnel who came, 3 of them had to rush off to catch their flight back to KL, with JT alone leaving for Singapore the next morning.

I was quietly enjoying my second helping of lemang with satay sauce when JT approached, declaring that he was having the best beef rendang he had ever tasted. Well, of course, Malaysian local food is a class of its own!

Shortly after that, another colleague of mine joined us. During the ice-breaker conversation of who came from where and a bit of career history, JT mentioned that he liked the slower pace of Miri life. He went on to say that he loved going to his "holiday houses" in Bali, Australia, etc (I think I kinda shut off at that moment), blah, blah, blah, and he lives in a semi-D in Singapore. Show off? Nevertheless, I was impressed (with his financial position), and started to ponder about my own predicament.

Owning just one house sucked me dry! Then I took this job in Miri with a paycut...was I going in the wrong direction? Having said that, things havent been so bad since I came. Pretty good work-life balance, you take some, you give some. All I need was one house, I didnt need so many all over the world anyway. I think I'm ok.

I recollected this exchange to a colleague this morning. He thought JT was trying to impress me...was he? JT did ask me to join him for a drink, which invitation I had to turn down though. Perhaps his many properties didnt catch my attention the way he planned. Should it?

Glory of Angkor Wat

It was a spectacular sight, the magnificent ruins rising up to the heavens...rising at 70 degrees steep. The temple's grounds are vast...


...and it's sculptures were impressive...ancient and detailed.

Sunset at Phnom Bakheng Hill... with beautiful life budding within the old ruins.


There I was, standing in the present, looking through the doorway of yester-years.
A little girl with her Energizer bunny shies away from the scorching heat.
*I was sweating like a pig in the sauna*.



Stone hedge in Siam Reap?

Lovely sights, great photographic opportunity...but sadly, poverty plagues the local people. It'll take many years and much great effort before the people can be economically more developed. In the people's effort to achieve development, the authorities should preserve Cambodia's authenticity in every aspect.

He...

He turned up unexpectedly, all the way from Kuching. Last time we met was a couple of years ago, I can't even remember exactly when.

He has...matured. Less hair on his crowning glory, much lesser on the top, otherwise he still looks the same. Tall, tan, trim with a pair of twinkling slit eyes and a generous smile.

He's still as sweet as before, soft-spoken and gentle...said I'm beautiful that night...wow, it's been a long time since a guy told me that.

He was a perfect gentleman, always has been...you see, he's a vegetarian (for religious and health reasons)...because the religious reason was there, I had to behave too (dem! haha).

He is passionate about his religion...I had vegetarian dinner 2 nights in a row because of him...

He brought me to meet some friends and associates of his, comrades pursuing similar beliefs. Nice bunch of people...they said I look "different...pretty", ...2 compliments 2 nights in a row? wow! what's going on?

He gave up a life of material things, and came back home from Japan to drive this humane effort 10 years ago. But it was great, to get to know that "other" side of him...the side he so passionately believe, to help the poor and the less fortunate.

He came, and then he left 2 days later.

I wish him all the best in his noble efforts.

The Empire

Ok, he's not part of The Empire...he's my boss!
And these...are my talented counterparts. Talented in shaking their boogie! Phewit!

Ok, ok, I'm getting to my point...Nah, these are photos of the spectacular Empire Hotel & Country Club...but their service has LOTS of room for improvement...I mean LOTS of room!

To love and to cherish...

...till death do us part.

Now doesn't that sound familiar? That usual phrase we often hear when a couple exchanged vows of matrimony.

Well, it's corny, and sugar-coated...life isnt all "happily ever after" like the movies. It's a conscious effort to work at that relationship, more so after marriage as it can get stale after the first few years. And usually, one party works harder at it than the other, sadly.

Ever heard of the "7 year itch"? If your marriage makes it through happily until the 7th year, your marriage is safe. True? Far from it. Wait till that sexy b*tch comes along and seduces your husband, because 7 years later, your husband would be having more money than when he first married you. $$ is a sexy quality in men, for many young girls...A guy friend recently insists there's truth in that. I don't deny it one bit.

All conditions are impermenant, you just have to try and make sure that the changes are positive, that you adapt to them and come out the winner either ways. Stay on top, that's the key.

When parents split up, the kid will suffer more emotional trauma than you can ever imagine.

When the father keeps a mistress, or has an affair, again the kids will feel the scar it leaves on their lives.

And sometimes, when death really do us part, and the other one remarries, the situation should be handled with utmost care, or all hell can break lose. Remarrying is ok, but the approach with the children should be delicate.

When I was little, I used to believe that all marriages were made in heaven, that one day everyone meets their first love, and will get happily married and that's the end of the story...until I grew up. Of course, there are a few people who actually married their first love...

Harsh realities of life, all of the above I've either seen (with friends and relatives) or personally witnessed the effect of it one way or the other. Thank the Lord Buddha that I always managed to stand by my principles, although there were a few times when the devil cast its spell of temptation and knocked me out silly...ok, ok, so I might have had to smack myself back to the righteous path a couple of times, but I pride myself in being able to do so...in the end. Not that I didnt slip a couple of times, but many I know have easily fallen full into the arms of the devil's temptation and lost their way.

Personally, I've witness so many marriages crumbling because there wasn't enough substance in the relationship to begin with. Lust or love...be careful which is which.

Merdeka!

Merdeka day can mean different things to different people.

On 31st August 2006 at almost 1pm, I received an sms from a fellow buddhist of the dharma. I was informed that the Venerable Chief K Sri Dhammananda had passed away peacefully at approximately 12.45pm that afternoon. It was also Merdeka for the Chief Reverand, freedom from suffering in his old, ageing body...

Let's transfer our merits to him and wish that he may be well and happy, wherever he is.

Here are 2 websites showing photos of the eulogy in memory of the Chief at the Vihara Temple and the funeral at Nirvana Memorial.

http://www.jeffooi.com/
http://www.oonyeoh.squarespace.com/

May the Blessings of the Triple Gem always be with us all.

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu!

The Jewel of Sarawak

Last weekend was one of the most unique weekend for me. I explored Gunung Mulu National Park.

There are only 2 ways to get there - you can either take a bus (or drive up) to Kuala Baram from Miri town followed by a boat ride up Sungai Baram to Mulu, or catch a 20-minute fokker plane ride from Miri airport to Mulu airport. With the new Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) airline, it's really affordable and highly recommended compared to the 4-5 hour bus & boat ride.

Mulu National Park, which is as large as Singapore, is denominated by three main mountains - Gunung Mulu, Gunung Api and Gunung Benarat, covered with green madness. Gunung Mulu is the second highest mountain peak in Sarawak and holds one of the most spectacular limestone cave systems on earth. But I didnt go there for the forest. No, Mulu's main attraction lies deep beneath the surface, hidden in the forested slopes of these mountains.

According to our tour guide, Mulu has the world's largest chamber, with a capacity to hold about 40 Boeing 747s! 4 main caves are open to the public, namely Lang Cave, Deer Cave, Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave.

On our first day, we explored the Lang and Deer Cave. Lang Cave was founded by a Berawan hunter who had gone boar hunting one day back in the 1970-s. There were so many wild boars there that he kept the place a secret for many years, because coming home successfully with a boar each time he went hunting made him look good with the women. After much prodding by the other men, Lang finally revealed the secret spot, and so they named the cave after him, and opened it to public in 1985.

The cave was spacious and well-lit with yellow lights. As we made our way down the cement pathways and plankwood walkways, the chambers looked like it was held up by frozen melting cream pillars.

The Deer Cave was something else. Its vast magnitude caverns makes it the largest cave passage known to man. Standing inside it, you'll feel so tiny and wonder what else there is in those dark corners where no light could reach. As we made our way inside, there is a stretch of walkway that is strewn with a thick layer of "guano" (bat's droppings). The wiff of "guano" embraced us, so we held our breath (or breathed through our hanky or something). At the end of the passageway, we came to the Garden of Eden, where the Shower of Eden lies, allowing rich green vegetation to thrive. We had to be careful as earwig insects (they sting) infested the hand railings deep in this cave, and the bats love them. At the southern entrance of this cave, Abraham Lincoln's profile is etched in the rocks, guarding the entrance. Deer Cave is also the home to many species of bats. Around 5-6pm, they'll circle outside the entrance of the cave before flying off into the skyline in a long black line.

We then had to rush back to the national park ranger house as a storm was on its way. We walked back so fast our legs hurt, but we made back on time. Later, just as we sat in the boat back to our resort, it poured frogs and beasts (since there's no cats nor dogs there!)

The next morning, we visited Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave. On our way to these caves, we made a stop at a Penan longhouse settlement. Their living conditions were extremely basic with no proper sanitisation system (but they did have Astro). They laid their colourful handicrafts out for sale on the wooden flooring covered with plastic mats, and their little children with runny noses and tear-streaked faces were running around playfully without a care in the world.

After a 10-15 minutes stop, we made our way to the Wind Cave. By boat, it took us about 15 minutes on the Sungai Melinau to reach the entrance of the Wind Cave, so named because of the cool breeze you feel as you walk along the narrow passageways. Its rock formation was magnificent here.

We then took the boat to the picnic area near to the entrance of the Clearwater Cave. I think I must have climbed close to 200 steps through the forest before we reached the Clearwater Cave's entrance. Reminds me of the steps to the Batu Caves temple back in Selangor! After huffing and puffing, Clearwater Cave proved a worthwhile effort when we witnessed the crystal clear stream flowing out from deep within its walls.

Outside at the picnic area, you may dive into the inviting but icy cold clear pool.

We had a 3.30pm flight to catch back to Miri, so we had to make our way back to the resort quickly to be able to have a "mandi kerbau" before we head to the airport.

All in all, it was a great experience.

Adventures of the wild

The count down of my next adventure is down to 6 days!

Next Saturday, I'll be exploring the wilds of the Borneo jungle heading towards the wonders of Mulu Caves. It's exciting as I've heard good reviews about Mulu from friends who have made the trip there.

Suddenly it hit me last week, that I am no where near being physically fit to face that tropical challenge. I've not been going to any gym since May when I moved to Miri. Since then, I've only had a few chances to go for a jog or two in the park or Piasau Garden, and a class or two of aerobics.

Uh-huh, the company gets an aerobics instructor in every Mondays and Thursdays for a workout session for employees in one of our facilities hall! It's a really good gesture by the company to uphold work-life balance for its employees. Sadly though, the quality of the aerobics instructors here (apparently from the best fitness center in Miri) are nowhere close to Fitness First's instructors. But it'll do for a little sweating session, if you aren't too fussy.

For fear that I will be totally knocked out ("KO") during the jungle trek next weekend, I am in a frantic haste to get my stamina up to a reasonable level. But in 1 weeks time? Hahaha, fat hopes, ya?

Last minute or not, I'd better try lah...

Postcard Perfect

This was one of the pix my friend, Direktionless, took during our travelling days to NZ. Taken with an analogue SLR camera, colour tone was clear with just the right amount of lighting.

I don't own an SLR, only a point & shoot, but for a beginner like me, should be good enough.

Now this one below I took during my Pangkor trip, with the hot afternoon sunlight on my right. I can't remember what setting I used after trying out this & that, but it turned out ok in the end.


I need to learn up how to take good night shots, sharp focus with all the right light tones...

Pix on Blog

Finally, I find the time to experiment uploading photos into my blog.

Been wanting to do this since I started writing, but never had the time to try it out.

This is one of the sunset pix I took in Pangkor in April this year when I took my mom on a 3D2N holiday in Pangkor Beach Island Resort (formerly Pan Pacific Beach Resort). I was experimenting with the many functions of my Canon Powershot A620, and with photography angles during this sunset period. Not bed, eh? Photography...something I intend to learn up.

I try to take my mom for a holiday somewhere at least once a year. It's her golden years. She deserves the best in return for the all her sacrifices to raise my brother and me all those years.

In 2002, I took her to Melbourne; in 2003, we went to Penang, 2004 to Cameron Highlands, last year Beijing, and this year Pangkor.

There is just one more thing on my mom's list of things to see before she can proclaim that she's seen all she wants to see...snow. She wants to step on real snow.

My uncle in Melbourne has invited me to come over and visit him again. I am planning to bring my mom to Mount Buller this time. Not sure when exactly my financials would allow me to materialise this plan, but soon I hope.

Hmmm...just tried three times to add in another pix, but cannot seem to figure out how. It keeps getting attached right next to the sunset one above...how to I paste it somewhere else? Can't even "cut & paste" it...

Ah, shucks! 1 pix wud do for now. Can someone tell me how attach more than 1 pix in places where I want them to be?

Ahoy there! Pirates or Foe?

Last weekend, I paid an unexpected visit to the cinema in Melaka. In fact, I paid an unexpected visit to Melaka!

It was last Tuesday when an old friend, CK, contacted me to ask if I was going to be in Melaka last weekend. He was going down to Melaka with some friends for a day trip just to "makan-makan" before he makes his way to Melbourne next month where he's being transferred to.

Coincidentally, I had earlier bought tickets to fly back last weekend, as I was hoping to make a trip back to Melaka with another girl friend. She couldn't make it at the last minute, so I was thrilled when CK offered me a ride back.

Once we arrived in Melaka, they dropped me off at my home and went on with their "makan-makan" journey. In the afternoon, I joined them for a movie in the good ol' GSC cinema, the only cinema left standing in Melaka. The old theatres were either burnt down or went bankrupt during the VCD/DVD era.

The first Pirates movie was great, where I thought Depp gave one of his best performances. He played Jack Sparrow really well, he was hilarious!

And Bloom? I thought his character, Will, was overshadowed by the entertaining Jack.

In this second effort to capture the hearts of movie lovers, it was no different. Jack still overshadowed Will in more than one scene.

Talented actors aside, the plot was not as catchy as the first one was. The octopus scenes were too draggy, and some "hellefares" characters in the first episode tried to make a comeback without much success. Several times, just when I thought a scene was about to be over, then I was dragged back into it.

But, ooh, I loved the little romantic "twist" this second movie offered with Elizabeth Swann. Two men, whose similarities was as close as the next galaxy was to earth, were both attracted to Elizabeth. Unknowingly, even to herself, Elizabeth was also attracted to them both...until the compass showed her the direction of the thing she wanted most... and pointed to Jack! Ooh, and the Kiss of Betrayal, which only she and Jack knew...but which Will merely saw, without realising the betrayal element within.

It was disappointing that the movie ended so abruptly, without a convenient point like the first one had. By the time the third sequel follows, we would all have forgotten the details of this story.

Nonetheless, Depp was still entertaining as Jack. He has progressed from a stiff young actor in 21 Jump Street eons ago, to a talented actor who could successfully portray unusual and diverse roles seemingly effortlessly.

I will be waiting anxiously for the third sequel to be released. Perhaps I might have to jog my memory by watching the Dead Man's Chest all over again on DVD when the third sequel is released.

My memory space is getting smaller by the day. Wouldn't it be great if I could just store my memory on a thumb drive, and plug-in when I needed that memory? Just like the octopus who could keep his heart locked up in a little chest...

Onboarding Experience

It's been exactly 2 months since I reported for duty for my new job in Miri. I can finally take some time off to share my bitter-sweet onboarding experience.

This whole week, I am attending a course on introduction to the oil & gas industry for non-technical staff. So I am away from office, and have no access to my emails until today, when TM sent their contractor to fix up my streamyx connection. But alas, a quick check of my mailbox today showed that I have failed to act within the deadline on 3 emails that came in late Friday nite and Saturday morning. I guess I will have to deal with the consequences when I return to work next week. I hope I will not be hanged for it as it involved the budgets for approval by our Partners. [wish me luck!]

My boss assigned me a "Buddy" from my first day at work. It's a system in place where an existing staff is assigned to you to help you get around and get settled in in everything from your IT logins, to your stationaries right up to eating places and recommended housing areas to rent a house. Yes, Jeffrey was a great Buddy, and he still is a great buddy today...a good friend you can turn to in times of need.

Apart from Jeffrey, my other colleagues have also been real pals in helping me to fit in workwise and social-wise. They are genuine in their friendship, and I enjoy their company as much as they enjoy mine. They are a bunch of people who are comfortable to be themselves at all times, thus making me feel at ease. This is also true of my current boss, who, apart from being a loud and forceful leader (very chinaman-like actually), he is also a truly caring boss who "protects" his staff in everything.

Why, just the other day, when my shippers wrongly billed my company a whopping RM16k for 2 containers of shipment for my personal effects of 14-cubic meters and a car of RM8k each, my boss came to my rescue unexpectedly. My HR counterpart had suggested that the RM8k differential portion would be deducted from my July and August salary (I am only entitled for 1 container, you see), and this had made me jump out of my chair with furious rage as I did not even see the alleged "approved quotation". My boss had calmly assured me that I would not have to pay for any differential amount, and asked me to reply to the HR email and to cc him. He personally spoke to the HR "big man" and sorted it out for me the next day. ...I assume it IS sorted by now, since HR did not get back to me asking me to pay such and such sum.

My 3-months quarter review is up soon, but looks like I have not achieved much since I joined. I am still trying to decipher the PSC concept (production sharing contracts), the process of certain areas, the focal points I am supposed to refer to, and my role in the whole process.

I have almost finished settling in into my newly rented house, except for my books and clothes which are still packed in my luggage and stacked up on the study table. I will do that when I have the mood...I guess :)

Infrastructure in my house has finally completed with Astro being the last to be installed this evening. Aah, bliss in my own haven of escapade. My friends and my boss have been bugging me to have a house-warming since last month. I have verbally agreed, but I am extremely lazy to actually put it into action. Well, maybe in 2 weeks time, since I'll be too busy getting some stuff and planning some outings with my friends this weekend, and I wont be around next weekend.

In a nutshell, the whole onboarding process has been both bitter and sweet for me. This is my first time relocating to a far away place from home to work...but it is my first step for bigger things to come. I hope in 2 years' time, I will have another onboarding story to tell...a much more exciting one in a truly foreign land.

Time...

Time used to be so strict, so tight, back in KL, when life was such a hasty rush everyday.

Time was almost a luxury, hardly having the privileged to be enjoyed slowly.

Time didnt permit me to lie back and read a book every night, as I would be "oh-so-tired and exhausted" at the end of each day.

Time was spent mostly on the road, travelling between the home and the work place, often caught in the snail-paced traffic jams. If it rained that evening, that's the end of your evening!

Time was also used mainly to work in the office till the sun has set far below the horizon before finally starting the long journey home.

Time always ran short on weekends...Saturdays whizzed by as the sun would be blazing through the late afternoon sky by time I got off work.

Time seemed even shorter on the weekends which I have to spend two hours driving on the North-South highway to get back to my hometown. By the time I got home, the sun was ready to set in a few hours time.

Time is almost unfair to me on Sundays, when I have to make my way back to KL in the evenings.

But now...

Time seems to treat me more gently and generously in this little town of Miri.

Time seems to stretch longer here, as the sun rises up earlier and sets earlier each day, so we all start the day earlier too.

Time is not wasted on the road for travelling, as most destinations are reachable within 15 minutes.

Time permits me to have extra hours each night, so I can read myself to wonderful dreams with my fiction books.

Time lets me go for evening jogs in parks, and serene walks in lush greenery or by the tanned sandy beaches.

Time gives me the opportunity to have meals, or go watch movies, or explore the colourful "pasar malam" with new friends found. (Of course, it would be just divine if I could have all these AND have my family and old friends around here with me too but then...). As the saying goes, "you'll need to let go of some things to make room for new, better things to come along".

Time lets me savour life here better, promising a better quality of life.

Time...however, only makes up 24-hours of each day wherever you may be...and each day passes by quickly all the same.

(I turned a year older recently, and realise that I've been here for 1 full month...already!)

Time...can you slow down? Let your grains of time slide down the hour glass just a little more leisurely?

*Here's a lovely piece I'd like to share*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author - Dr. David L. Weatherford

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
'Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music

Before the song is over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seashells

It's been almost a month since I started work here at my new place, and so far, I find it to be a wonderful place to live a quality lifestyle...but I do miss a little bit of the huge choices of shopping in a hypermarket. Apart from that, it's great!

Saving 2 hours in a day of travelling to and from work is terrific! I get to go and do my shopping after work and get dinner, then get back home for a hot shower, and still have time for tv and a few chapters of my fairytale book before bedtime. The night seems longer here, perhaps because we start off the day earlier as the sun rises and sets earlier too.

Today, the seashells got turned over by the tide.

Our Finance director, Mike, announced that my immediate boss will be leaving end of this year for a cross-posting at a yet-to-be-determined place. His replacement, will be my ex-boss, Andy, whom I had worked for approximately 5 years ago. Back then, I was reporting to my manager who reported to him.

Several years have gone past, so I hope Andy hasn't changed his management style, as much as he had changed his viewpoint about family, spirituality and people.

Only recently did I realise how complicated his personal life was a few years ago. Instinctively, I did feel he was calling out for "help" back then, but I could not be sure and did not pursue it as I didn't want to seem "nosy". However, I am glad that somehow, he has managed to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel, and is now pretty much back on his feet.

Hence, I look forward to an exciting 2-year stint with Andy again come this September. This time, I am sure things will be much more exciting than it was back then, as we are both now part of the oil drilling operations, not just an accounting servicing center for processing transactions (yuck!).

My current boss is a tough man, so he deals with our Partners fabulously well, as he bull-dozes his convincing recommendations. Andy has a completely different style, more soft-spoken and less "rough". Perhaps that is where I can render my services? ...to help him bull-doze our way through consistently(*haha*). We'll see...

Anyhow, I welcome a familiar face in my new career challenge in an otherwise foreign land. Besides, he has grown to be more than just an ex-boss these last few months. He has become a friend to me, someone I can confide in and trust; and also a mentor, someone who is armed with advice and a helping hand.

Here's to another enjoyable and succesful journey!

Oh, gotta go be on my move now. I tumpang someone, so no choice. My kereta only coming end of this month!

%^$#&* takes a freakin' 1 month to ship my things coz they "missed the last vessel"...what the...

oh well...

Work Hard, Play Hard

Today is officially "Work Hard, Play Hard" day in my company....unofficially, it's called "relax & lepak" day for everyone in the office. It falls on the 3rd Friday of every month. So everyone is like working for the first half of the day only.

Wow! This company is really serious when it says that it upholds the "Work-Life Balance" motto.

So there are two activities in the afternoon today, bowling and a woman-networking session on embroidery.

I'm going for the embroidery session...not that I'm such an "embroidery" person, but going more for networking purposes, to meet new people. Besides, apparently, this lady giving the demo on embroidery, has a fantastic sewing machine which can produce professional looking embroideries effortlessly.

Ok, so it's embroidery...

This morning, we had our monthly "team learning" session on work and non-work topics. The non-work related topic this morning was "Will Writing", which was presented by a representative speaker from Rockwills. It was interesting and enlightening as she answered numerous queries from the floor, about the dos and don'ts, about how the distribution of estate works in the absence of a will, and on specific scenarios brought up the audience.

This has been a pretty interesting 2-weeks in Miri so far.

What am I going to spend my time on this weekend? Beats me!

Saving that 2-hours each day travelling on the road makes a heck lot of difference! Those of you who always wish that they could get quality life with more quality time with their families? You don't have to wait so long, or go so far as to migrate to another country...You can get just that right here in Miri! If you are lucky enough to get attached to the right company which pays you well enough?

I rest my case...

The Hunt for October

Right, I meant the hunt for a house, but that didnt sound like an interesting enough title.

It's been more than a month since my last posting...maklum lah, I had no access to internet, being in my barely furnished new home.

This is my 2nd week here in Miri. So far, the weather is hot (so hot!), the colleagues are nice, the boss is demanding but hilarious (thank goodness), the work is new & complicated, and the house hunting was tiring.

All in all, I'd say that my first 2 weeks here have been pretty good generally.

After much effort of looking at a never-ending list of dilapidated houses for rent, or houses in dodgy-looking surroundings, and also dreaming of staying in one of the nicer-looking ones (which fetch freakin' expensive rentals), I finally found a decent-looking one with an affordable rent in a safe enough looking neighbourhood. The owner was even kind enough to agree to renovation on the downstairs bathroom i.e. to change the squatting toilet to a sitting one, and to add a hot water shower.

It's also partly furnished, so I dont have to spend much money buying much furniture, except those which I want or need to make living there more comfortable.

I will be living quite closely to my office, an estimated 5 minutes drive away, and it's about 15 minutes drive to the city center. In Miri, anything is within 10-15 minutes drive. Exceed 15, then it's considered "very far".

I like it that we start work earlier and could go off earlier too if work permits. The sun is up bright & shiny by about 6.15am, and the day is pitch dark by 7.15pm. So the day starts early for everyone here in Miri.

Rise & shine to a hot & sunny day! Hmmm...it really is very hot here.

Hillock - The Continental Cuisine

Well, Hillock ain't exactly a very "canggih" name for a restaurant serving continental French cuisine.

So, in French, it's called Lafite. The French restaurant in Shangrila Hotel.

I was given a farewell dinner treat last night by my previous manager, Eugene, together with another staff of mine (who also used to work for him). When we walked into the hotel, I was expecting to go towards Lemon Garden, the very yummy (but quite pricy also) buffet cafe there.

I was quite taken aback when he walked towards Lafite! Gosh, it was going to cost him a "bomb".

Arriving at the entrance, the waiter showed us to our table which was set in a dimly lit, romantic background. The restaurant was set to give the illussion that it is round in shape.

I almost fell off my chair when I saw the prices on the food menu. Only the appetizers and starters had double digit prices. Most of the other mains had 3-digits prices!

So "hak hei", didnt know what to order. So we both used Eugene's choice of the main as the ceiling benchmark, and went for items priced cheaper than his.

We ordered 3 mains (the salmon, scallops and cod fish) and shared amongst us so we could taste all of it. Eugene also called 2 portions of lobster salad and 1 portion of escargot for appetizers, and a bottle of Chateau wine to wash it all down with.

The food was heavenly, especially the scallop and cod fish, cooked to perfection.

It was also my first time eating lobster! (so "kesian", isn't it?) And the escargot....mmm, so yummy!

All in all, it was a memorable dinner experience for me, and the most expensive one ever too...I think the total bill easily came up to more than RM1k for the three of us!

Upset! (update)

My boss finally spoke to me yesterday, after 2 whole weeks of silence, and two reluctant stretch of his lips (with a "humph" sound) when I attempted two "Hi!"-s and flashed him my irresistably contagious (or so I thought) smile during that period...my effort to warm-up the terribly cold situation but in vain.

On Monday night, he sent me a mail asking me to see him on Tuesday morning, telling me that he was going off to Manila on another business trip on Wednesday, therefore he wouldn't be able to say goodbye on Friday, my last day here.

This time, reality has sunk in, and he knew he had to accept my decision and be a big boy about.

Behind closed doors, after I ran through with him the handover notes I had prepared earlier, he again repeated that he was disappointed with me and that I probably already know that (how not to know, when he's telling me like the 3rd time AND also repeating it to my staff). However, he seemed sincere when wishing me all the best, and even gave me some "tips" about what I should do or bring along when I relocated.

I told him that I would be going over-the-sea (heh heh). Nevertheless, it is a foreign land to me, with people of a slightly different culture.

In any case, I am glad that my boss finally simmered down, and has come to terms with my decision to move on.

He, on the other hand, is still trying to find his sense of direction (in this group of companies or elsewhere), an effort I sincerely wish all the best to him.

Cats' Poo-poo

Dear Aunt Agony,

Does anyone hate the smell of cats' poo as much as I do?

I can't stand it! They poo at any part of the ground that has sand or earth!

They poo at the little portion of ground in front of my house. They poo at both sides of my garden patch near my porch.

In the process, they leave their footprints all over my newly built and newly painted garden wall as well.

NOW I know exactly what my mom felt when she got their poo all over her garden back home. NOW I understand why she always scare and chase them away when she finds them sleeping underneath the car in our house porch.

Aaargh! The stench that reached my nose last night the moment I opened my car door, after I parked into my porch, it's horrendous! The evening rain that soaked the poo further made the stench worse.

I plan to either plant some grass or place large, rounded pebbles in my garden patch...but I'm afraid the poo will look even more disgustingly obvious if I did that.

So, do you have any brilliant idea how I can keep the cats from poo-ing in my garden? Please help.

Yours desperately,
PH

How Important is it to Try & Mend the Bridge?

After the upsetting episode with my boss last Tuesday with regards to his initial refusal to agree to my early release request, he is still not on speaking terms with me today, although he has subsequently changed his mind and agreed to release me after I kicked up a fuss.

Perhaps it is that I kicked up a fuss and insisted that I needed that 1 month's notice period and nothing longer (and that I had clarified with my HR Manager about my rights to exercise the option of paying off the company salary in lieu of notice), that had caused him to refuse speaking to me....I had "dropped his water face" ("jatuhkan air muka"-meaning damaged his ego).

You see, I kind of lost all my respect for him the moment he was utterly rude to me by making the remark that "it was my problem and not his" that I wouldn't have enough time to sort my things out if I didn't get release within 1 month's time. Yes, astonishingly rude, I had thought.

He even had the cheek to add that it was my problem also because I didn't check with him first on the best date to start on the other side!

Yes, we had mutual respect when it came to our professional relationship, but it never occured to me that it had extended to my personal life, that I had to check with him on the commencement date to start my job elsewhere. I went on the grounds that as long as I gave "reasonable" notice period of 1 month, there should not be any issue.

Last Friday morning at 7.50am, as I was driving to work, I received a call from the SAP Project Manager, Chu. Apparently, he had received news of my resignation, and had called to wish me all the best, and to tell me that he appreciated my support and consistency in carrying out a job well done during the 6-months SAP implementation project last year.

Chu is a man of patience, and one who can always see the positive aspect of things, no matter what the situation. He makes a skillful project manager, always able to look after that tender ego of everyone, and then to pull everyone onto neutral grounds for less heated discussions to come to a mutual agreement.

He advised me to try and mend the bridge with my boss, to put behind me whatever words had been exchanged by my boss.

Indeed, I had never experienced such childish reaction from my previous bosses before, and the words he said to me was uncalled for and plain rude. But Chu had a point...my boss had total faith in me to let me lead the project team almost single-handedly, and then he rewarded me with a promotion. This promotion was one which I had indicated to him I expected, or I will not take up the offer to lead the new team set-up to run the SAP system.

Now, my boss probably feels the "world" will think that his key staff had betrayed him, after all that he has done for me. Although he himself has resigned and is tentatively leaving in June this year, my earlier departure had made him look bad.

Even though my boss had thrown careless remarks a few times, asking me to look for a job elsewhere (for whatever unexplainable reasons), Chu thought that that was a small flaw in my boss. He may say things he does not mean because he has a temperamental character.

Both my future boss and Chu, the SAP Project Manager, feels that I should put my feelings of hurt behind, and try to patch things up with my boss before I leave.

I might try to ask him out to lunch some time next week, but I don't know yet for sure if I will do it.

I always thought it most important NOT to burn the bridge when you leave a company, as the corporate world is a small place. But when you are faced with a temperamental boss like mine, even if I tried to mend things between us, he might just end up taking the pie and splatting it right into my face!

So, how important is it to try and mend the burnt bridge? THIS particular burnt bridge.

You tell me...

An Insightful Weekend

Now is the Ching Ming period, where families pay their respects in memory of their loved ones who had passed away.

Last weekend was no different for me. My family and I went up to Ipoh, with an uncle (Uncle Albert) who had coincidentally, made a trip down to KL from Melbourne just last week.

We stayed at my aunt's place, Uncle Albert's sister-in-law whose husband (Uncle Albert's brother) had passed away about 15 months ago. We had a lovely time, as everyone was joking and relaxing, and talking about old times.

My "Khoo Ma", i.e. my father's cousin sister, had had a mild stroke about 2 months ago, and since then, she has been recuperating in her sister's house in Teluk Intan. On the day we arrived in Ipoh, she was scheduled to return to her house in Pasir Pinji accompanied by her sisters and a newly hired maid. So we all spent the afternoon there, cheering up the place with chatter and laughter, and went on to have dinner together (a RM600 dinner spent by Uncle Albert).

Uncle Albert is a self-made multi millionaire. He studied for his Accounting degree in Australia, by virtue of my dad's sponsorship back in the old days. After graduating and working in Malaysia for 3-4 years, he migrated to Australia with his wife and his firstborn child. This was about 25 years ago, and he has never looked back since.

He started work in WP as an accountant, and worked his way up the corporate ladder quickly. In the process, he was exposed to numerous areas such as Treasury and Corporate Planning. After 15 years in the company, he opted for an early retirement at the age of 47 years old, because he did not want to relocate to Perth from Melbourne, a place he had grown to be familiar and comfortable with. By then, he was already the top 5 highest rank personnel in the WP group of companies.

They granted him a golden handshake, of which he slowly invested in properties he used as assets to generate income for his growing business in providing luxury serviced apartments.

Today, his net worth easily comes close to an estimated AUD10 million or more.

Having an uncle as a classic example of someone who had "made it", I asked him what he thought about my decision to make my big move over to Miri, leaving my family, friends and house behind to start over a new life. Many well-intentioned friends have voiced out their concerns and questioned my sudden decision to make such a big change to my life. So much so that sometimes, second thoughts seem to be trying to penetrate my already-made-up mind.

I was delighted to see and hear Uncle Albert's response to my announcement to him about my move to Miri. He was genuinely excited for me, and thought that this is such a great opportunity for me to make a change in my life, a change for a better, more exciting future!

He didn't see this as me having to leave everything behind. Instead, he saw this as me just re-arranging my current plans to fit my new environment. I will not be losing the friends and family I already have, but instead, I will be making new friends and my family will come over to visit me (as well as me going back home).

My house is an investment, as it is, whether or not I live in it. Even if I don't rent it out now, I've got a friend who was going to help me take care of it. Perhaps 4-5 years later, if the time is right and I so decide, I could sell it off with an almost certain capital gains return, as it is a landed freehold property.

If I later decide to rent the property out and a few years later, find myself returning here to work again, but the tenants did not take care of my house as much as I would have liked them to, Uncle Albert argues that by that time, I would be able to afford either to renovate the property again into a nicer, better condition than it is now, or do minimal repair works, then sell it off. Again, landed freehold properties' value are much more certain to appreciate with an almost constant demand for 2nd hand properties in a good, mature area.

Having heard all these from an expert in real estate, someone who had made his millions by buying properties, earning income from them, and then cashing out on the appreciating value, my doubts are no longer there.

He also ensures me that he KNOWS the company in Miri will be good to me (due to the close relationship of WP with it), and that I will not regret this move. If he had not been relocated to Perth, he affirms that he would have stayed on in WP and he is certain that he would be equally as financially sound and happy as he is today!

This has been a really insightful weekend for me, learning so much about my father's family history during the chatters of my relatives re-living the past, discovering my Uncle Albert's life account to success during our journey, and also receiving sound advice and encouragement about my decision to pursue a whole new life in an entirely unfamiliar land.

Simple Lessons Learnt in Life

When did u ever read and memorise the clauses in your employment contract, in preparation of the possibility that one day you might need to exercise it?

Hardly ever.

Lately, I have learnt that the clauses in your employment contract is so important, that if you were ever put in a spot during the course of your employment, your employment contract clauses supersedes the Employment Act, should there be any conflicting clauses.

In any case, the proper flow of documentation is always very important, even when you are tendering your resignation. I've learnt my lesson well this time, and the next time I sign an employment contract or write a resignation letter, I will approach it from a totally different perspective.

Life is a never-ending learning tool...you experience many things along the way, some pleasant and some not so pleasant. As long as we take along the lessons learnt, and make sure we don't make the same mistake twice, it's an enriching experience.

Important note :
By the way, i was just called into my boss' room...apparently, i "misunderstood" him, that he was actually agreeable to my asking for a mth's notice & setting off my leave...I spoke to my HR manager this morning abt it, so she went to talk to him.

Now he said I misunderstood him, ok whatever he says...I'm very sure that wasn't what he said yesterday as I can very well count, altho my Engrish is not as good as his! 4 and 5 weeks is not the same, but i'm not gonna argue with him abt that now!

Upset!

As I write this post, my blood is boiling and fumes are eminating from my ears!

My current boss just pissed me off, yet again. He informed me that he cannot grant me that 1 month's notice period, and instead is only granting me 6 weeks. Probably I can't set off my leave either!

I told him I need to go off earlier, so that I have enough time to sort out my own things before I relocate. He said "that's just too bad, not my problem"! Well, then I'll pay the company off for my notice in lieu, and he said that THAT wasn't an option either.

It's not? Says who? It's clearly stated in my letter of employment that I will have to serve 3 months' notice period, or repay the company the salary in-lieu of notice. So, I can pay off the whole 3 months' notice period and give 24-hour notice if I so wish!

What crap! I didn't say the above in so many words, but my displeasure was splashed all across my pretty (or not-so-pretty, then) face.

This company has caused me lots of grievances throughout my 2-year tenure. It is a blessing that I am finally leaving this crappy hole for a possible bright future (I hope), and yet, my boss cannot even be professional enough to take my departure in good faith.

It could be my imagination, but it seems as though he is displeased with me for being able to find a better job elsewhere, instead of being happy for me. It's like, he is angry with himself for not being able to find another job after he tendered his resignation last July '05, but he is taking it out on me.

My instincts tell me that he is doing this to me, because he is just being sour grapes to the whole circumstance...at my expense.

After fuming and ranting about all this, I have still not blown my top (publicly in office) yet. I still wish I will be able to leave in good faith, to leave quietly and on mutual terms.

It would be horrible to leave otherwise. In my entire career path, I had always left my jobs on good terms with my employers, and I hope this will not be any different.

A New Adventure Awaits

My anxiety of embarking on a whole new adventure, of starting over a whole new life, is becoming significantly stronger as the days go by.

My sleep at nights are not sound, my mind active with the list of things to do or buy for my current house, so that I can quickly settle in these next three weeks, before I begin to pack for my inevitable relocation to Miri in early May.

I was hopeful for my friend, who had gone there for an interview just two weeks ago, to make it there with me. Together with a friend, we could conquer any new challenges the new job and new life presented us. Sadly, just this morning, I received the upsetting news from my friend via email that she had failed the interview.

What happened?

I had thought that she would have fared well, as she had thought the interview went fairly smoothly. Perhaps she was not meant for this job after all, as I always believe that things will work out the way it is meant to happen. Your own karma will lead you to the unfolding of your eventual future. Cause and effect.

This morning, she does not want to take my call, nor is she replying to my email, as I wish to get more information of when she knew of the result of her interview, and whether she know which part it is that they felt she didn't fit. She wrote in her email that perhaps it is a blessing in disguise for her that she failed the interview, as she is hesitant to leave her family behind. However, she was really excited when she was there for the interview...

Perhaps, it is also my own karma that has determined that I try this challenge on my own two feet.

In any case, I hope that I will be able to fit in there easily, and find many, many new good friends and colleagues there, with a good boss to top it of. The most important, I hope that my mom will be able to adjust to this new arrangement fairly quickly and easily. That, to me, means half the battle is won.

Wish me luck, k? ;)

Opening Ceremony of my Cosy Home

Too many episodes have taken place the whole of this week, so much so that writing about my move into my new house has taken a secondary priority.

Last weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), was spent moving into my newly-readied humble abode, and shopping for the little necessities. It was a back-breaking exercise, but one which was thankfully helped by four other friends (Debz, backwards...forwards, Spot and snowdrop). It was pretty hard for me to believe that my possessions in my tiny little room (of 9 years) took 5 car trips to be moved out to my new house! Actually, the count will be 6 trips soon, as I still have a few other things I need to pick up this weekend, which just couldn't fit in anymore then. Amazing what rubbish you can "collect" over the years!

Up till today, I have not started unpacking (too darn lazy!). Except for my working clothes which my mom helped me unpack to be hung in my wardrobe, everything else are in boxes, plastic bags and trays lying on the floor of the rooms. In short, it's currently a total mess.

The official move-in date was last Saturday, 25 March 2006. I was glad when my mom agreed to do the "opening ceremony" together with me, i.e. accompanied me to stay on the first night. It felt a little bit spooky to live in a house full of echos...maklumlah, my house is practically void of furniture except for one "kesian" dinning table set!

Once moved in, my mom and I went shopping on Sunday. I bought water filters, water purifiers, sliding door and window curtains, floormats, a non-stick frying pan, household detergents, groceries and a queen-sized bed (which came to a total of almost RM1k!). I also just found out yesterday, that it costs almost RM150 to purchase a full set of cooking gas to fit my stove!

Anyhow, I have been spending most of my nights there alone these weekdays, and it is beginning to feel like a real home to me, so cosy and it's all mine! (well, technically, it's still the bank's for another 20 years or so, haha). But it feels so good to own something which I have achieved out of my own sweat and blood. No help from my mom this time...except perhaps the renovation portion, which if possible, I will not borrow from her either. (She is currently my back-up plan if I am really short though...*sigh* my contractor has just informed me that his invoice is on my table for my further action...)

I'm still not used to having to climb up and down so many flights of stairs, again and again when I forget something. It's so tiring! It's been 11 years since I moved out of my old double-storey semi-detached house in Melaka into the current single storey terrace house we are living in. So there hasn't been any stairs to climb or to mop for so long!

Well, I am gradually trying to make it cosy, gradually because I have no more cash to buy furniture or decorations. So when Spot recently got me a house-warming gift of 2 pretty lamp shades, I was most delighted about it as I had planned to get 2 of these as well...now I've got them, yay!

I'd love to have my friends over, but I am too embarassed of the state it's in right now. Unpacked things lying on the rooms' floor with barely any furniture, isnt exactly a pretty sight. But eventually, this will get better...eventually.

So here's to my gradual growth of my cosy home!

The Dating Game

This afternoon, I had lunch with a very old friend. The last time we met was for lunch about 4 months ago.

I "dated" this guy back in my young audit days, during my first job. "Dated" in inverted because I am not sure if I could call it that. I was young and naive then...I'm still young, not as naive, but would like to claim that I am still innocent (*hehehe*).

Anyhow, he was my colleague (office romance, yikes!), so we had to keep it really hush-hush for fear of starting a raging rumour, which could be really damaging for both of us. So, it went that we dated mostly during weekends, and sometimes had dinner together on weekdays when we bumped into each other in the office (2nd shift after leaving clients' place!). As I did not have my own transport then, if he was at a client's place not too far away from where I was, he would give me a lift home too.

Sms between the different service providers were unheard of at that time (I was using 017, still am, and he 012, still is). Instead, we had long daily email exchanges whenever we were out on different jobs. I remember how eager I was to plug-in and dail up back to the office's mail server each day, anticipating an email from him.

On top of that, we had frequent intranet messaging whenever we were both back in the office. The audit department was huge, so it was always difficult to know who was in, and who was out. We didn't even know the names of half of our colleagues! Whenever he was in the office, he never failed to look me up in the neighbourhood network, and we would be "chatting" away secretly (and he could be sitting in the next cubicle to me!).

During the course of all the above, we talked, laughed, debated, argued or just enjoyed each other's company in silence. He, however, made no gesture to indicate that he was interested in me "that" way.

Silly me, isnt it? If he wasn't, he wouldn't be spending so much time with me, duh!

After "dating" him for about 4 months, he surprised me by buying me a soft toy for Christmas (not that I celebrate Christmas, or liked soft toys very much)...hmm, now where did I keep that toy? I know from his friends, and he told me himself, that he had never done that before, but he just wanted me to have it (the toy).

I found him to be a very complicated man at that time. He is about 5-6 years my senior in age, and had had a difficult path working his way to get a university degree. He worked for a few years right after finishing school to save up money, before he could enrol himself in a local university for an accounting degree. I admired his perseverance and sense of dedication when he had set his mind to achieve something. I liked the confident way he carried himself, the mature way he reacted to solve problems or issues at hand.

And yet, I could not understand that other side of him, how he painstakingly analysed situations in so minute detail, how he came to conclusions of his own based on that analysis, and how he stubbornly stands firm to his conclusions, whatever else you might say about it.

When we were dating, he was already into his 30s, so he had seen so much more of life than I had. I tried to understand his unwillingness to talk about certain things, but I couldn't. Perhaps I was not mature enough to comprehend what was going on in his mind, and so I drifted away from him. Or perhaps, we were just not meant to be...

For a few months after that, I did not hear from him much. When I did, his voice was cold, and he distanced himself. I asked that we put that episode behind us, and it was several months later that we became friends once again.

Thereafter, he proved to be a wonderful friend. He was there for me when I cried about work stress, he provided a shoulder to lean on when I needed to complaint about things, and he was also there for me when I just needed company to go watch a movie or shop for something.

He was even there in a jiffy when I called him one late night after work, right after my car spun one and a half times on the road when it skidded in the heavy rain. My knees were like jelly, and I could not possibly get myself home. He kept calling me on the phone on his way there to reassure me, and he took me home safely...in my car (which miraculously, only had a scratch and dent on the bumper, phew!). Then he took a cab back to where he had parked his car...such a sweet, sweet guy.

Presently, he has this teacher girlfriend for almost 3 years. He still isn't marrying her yet, "no fixed date" he said this afternoon. But we have grown out of each other now, and I can see how our relationship has changed from one of young attraction, to pure and strong frienship. We've seen the best and the worst of each other, but our friendship has remained strong although we see each other about 3 or 4 times in a year only. Now that I will be moving to Miri, I would be lucky if I could meet him once a year.

This is one of my dating games I will always remember with a smile, and a warm, fuzzy feeling in the depths of my memory.

Living in the Present

I love this poem from the first time I read it on a bookmark many, many years ago.

It's so true to the teachings of the Buddha...i.e. be mindful.

It's a lovely piece to share.

***********************************

SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

****************************************

I Quit

I did it! I just handed over my resignation letter to my boss!

I think he sensed it coming, as I made sure my "body language" did a lot of hinting. Last week, when he was pounding on me on some remeh-temeh stuff on the phone from Manila (during his business trip), I almost wanted to scream at him that "I quit!". Instead, I had to hold my tongue, and decided to give a subtle hint, that I needed to "discuss something" with him, when he gets back.

This morning, before our weekly Tuesday morning update meeting started, I reminded him again that I have something to discuss with him at the end of it...just so that he is prepared.

Besides, I think he saw the little white envelope peeking out of my vibrant red Ambank diary I use to jot down my notes in meetings. He's a cunning guy, he could guess what was coming.

He had this disapproving and upset look on his face. He said he was disappointed that I am leaving so soon, after all the training I've gone through...

Geez, then why did he say things like asking me to look into the Recruitment page of the newpapers last year end? He also indicated that it was almost not realistic to expect any job transfers when I asked during my appraisal...then, telling me that if I want to leave, I should start looking around in 6 to 12 months time.

Hey, if I want to leave, I will do it at MY convenience when an opportunity arises, not at the company's convenience!

He asked where it was, and I said I prefer it to remain confidential until I get started there, but that it's "over the sea" (*hahaha* It's true, ain't it?). Then, I told him a little white lie when he asked whether the pay offered is better, and I said yes...well, yes, the basic pay, EPF, and all other benefits ARE better, except the allowance portion. As I mentioned in my earlier write-up, I will be taking a few hundred ringgit paycut per month if I compare the total annual cash package (basic, EPF, allowance and bonus only)....one which I am quite sure will be temporary for a year at the most.

I also indicated that I will do my best to keep everything up-to-date as long as I am here...You see, I requested that I leave in 1 month's notice period where officially, I have to give 3 months' notice. If they don't agree to waive the 2 months' notice, then my new employer is willing to pay off the salary in-lieu of notice.

I am trying to save my employer's money by getting that waiver, if possible...such a good employee I am, aren't I?

*Karkarkar*

The Angel of Death

Today, I received news of two people being taken away by the Angel of Death.

My Gee Ee (mother's second sister), and a good friend's father, both passed away early this morning.

My Gee Ee has been ill and paralysed in a wheelchair for the last 6-7 years. Her health has been deteriorating ever since she had her second stroke a few years ago. My cousin and her husband, have been diligently taking care of her daily needs, answering her calls in the middle of the night for food or water or nature calls, bathing and feeding her.

It is a tantamount task to nurse and care for an ill and completely dependant elderly. She herself, has been asking for relieve from her suffering for a very long time. When my cousin informed us last weekend, that my Gee Ee has been warded in the ICU, we all knew that her time has come.

My Gee Ee has been in and out of the Putrajaya Hospital umpteenth times, it's like her second home! Once, her heart even stopped beating completely for almost a full minute but the doctors managed to revive her.

She used to have a bubbly personality, always laughing and cracking jokes. But the last time I went to visit her with my mom, right after the Chinese New Year, we saw that she was no longer herself. She had become withdrawn and quiet. She had lost her spirit to live, and she was "seeing and talking" to lots of "people", some dead and some alive.

At last this morning, she has been released of her suffering, of facing the days and nights in a wheelchair, not even being able to lie down to sleep. With bed sores and swollen legs, with shortness of breath, wearing adult pampers and taking medication after medication, these are the daily sufferings she no longer has to face.

My good friend's father?

He caught a bad case of pneumonia in less than a week ago, and was put under intubation. This morning, he passed on peacefully.

It's Ching Ming period starting today. The actual day is on 5 of April, but the period starts 10 days before and after. Call it superstition, but some believe that the Angel of Death roams our earth during this period, and it will take the weak spirited away to another place.

May both their beings be at peace, and may they pass on to a better place.

*Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu*