Selamat Hari Raya Eidul Adha
From Pak Uda & family
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
22.12.06 - I Finally Said It!
It was last Friday that I finally managed to tell my boss that I was leaving. It was 15 minutes before 1pm, he called me to his room. I then thought to myself that this was the best time for me to break the news.
As I knocked and entered his room, I asked him....
Me: Ada apa doc?
Boss: Eh u minat tak nak pergi conference? Overseas!
Me: Huh? Conference?(Dalam hati: Amende bos aku merepek time time camnih?) Conference apa doc?
Boss: I got an invitation to go to this annual conference in Vienna, Austria. I went last time, so I thought I would like to nominate you to go this time....Its a good opportunity, very interesting, u get to meet so many interesting people from all over the world.. bla bla bla.....(he went on rambling about meeting a lawyer from Singapore)... bla bla bla....
Me: (I felt a bit weird about his timing but somehow I sensed his plot of trying to divert me from what I was about to say) Hmm, menarik tuh... bila conference tuh, doc?... But I have to discuss this with my wife....
Boss: Well, u have to write a paper and present it during the conference. Surely u boleh punya. Takkan tak boleh kot?
Me: Huh? Write and present a paper at an international conference?! (Biar betul boss aku nih!!) hmmm....
Boss: Alaaaa, takyah fikir lagi. Nanti I nominate your name, ok?
Me: But when will this conference be held?
Boss: Sometime in the middle of next year.
Me: (Ok, here's my cue!) Well, I might not be around in this company by that time, doc!
Boss: Huh? Why?
Me: I got a job offer recently.
Boss: ......... (there was a brief silence) Aku dah agak dah (He mumbled)....(He then started to fiddle around his laptop, opened his mailbox.) (He then took off his glasses, wiped his eyes. I noticed they were turning red. Is this guy about to cry??? No way!!!)
Me: Well remember last time u told me to think about my future and career options. Well I took up your suggestion and started to look for other options....
Boss: So where are you going?
Me: Petronas
Boss: Well, I think you better go for it. Its a good offer I'm sure. Anyway, its a good company. U'll have better exposure. I can't stop u from leaving.
Me: Well, doc. It is a good offer. Rezeki anak2... I intend to tender my resignation on 26.12.06.
Boss: (He then turned to his laptop and started to show me this video clip in one of the attachment sent to his mailbox) Haaa you tengok ni, kelakar betul....(he then started to laugh out loud, as if trying to cover his feelings).
Me: I've been meaning to tell you this news since yesterday but u were busy.
Boss: Its ok, I somehow suspected it was coming sooner or later. So how long is your notice period?
Me: 2 months. I should be leaving by end of February 2007. Unless you can release me earlier.
Boss: I ingat nak mintak u extend until March 07. Boleh?
Me: Eh mana boleh doc. By 1 March 07 I need to report at the new place.
Boss: Oklah. I'm not going to release you earlier. Eh why don't u join me for Solat Jumaat.
Me: (Sensing that I didn't have much choice, I had to agree) Ok.
Boss: I nak gi ambik wudhu'. See you downstairs.
Me: Ok, doc.
That was it. It was a huge relief. After exactly 2 years and 3 months at this company, I finally informed my boss that I was leaving. He somehow knew about it. Either this guy had 6th sense or someone had already leaked the news to him. Anyhow, that part is done now. I'm glad it went well, although I was surprised about the overseas conference offer which came out of the blue as if he had sensed that I was about to tell him that I was leaving and tried to bribe me with this opportunity. To me, it was just one of his "sandiwara" ploy. A red herring, trying to deflect any proposition that I was about to say to him, with a view that the discussions will steer to another direction.
Working with him for the past 2 years plus, I know almost all of his trickery. This man is a master negotiator, I must admit that. Very skillful and sly at times. But this time around, he can't fool me....
There's nothing to negotiate anyways....
I've already made up my mind...
It was last Friday that I finally managed to tell my boss that I was leaving. It was 15 minutes before 1pm, he called me to his room. I then thought to myself that this was the best time for me to break the news.
As I knocked and entered his room, I asked him....
Me: Ada apa doc?
Boss: Eh u minat tak nak pergi conference? Overseas!
Me: Huh? Conference?(Dalam hati: Amende bos aku merepek time time camnih?) Conference apa doc?
Boss: I got an invitation to go to this annual conference in Vienna, Austria. I went last time, so I thought I would like to nominate you to go this time....Its a good opportunity, very interesting, u get to meet so many interesting people from all over the world.. bla bla bla.....(he went on rambling about meeting a lawyer from Singapore)... bla bla bla....
Me: (I felt a bit weird about his timing but somehow I sensed his plot of trying to divert me from what I was about to say) Hmm, menarik tuh... bila conference tuh, doc?... But I have to discuss this with my wife....
Boss: Well, u have to write a paper and present it during the conference. Surely u boleh punya. Takkan tak boleh kot?
Me: Huh? Write and present a paper at an international conference?! (Biar betul boss aku nih!!) hmmm....
Boss: Alaaaa, takyah fikir lagi. Nanti I nominate your name, ok?
Me: But when will this conference be held?
Boss: Sometime in the middle of next year.
Me: (Ok, here's my cue!) Well, I might not be around in this company by that time, doc!
Boss: Huh? Why?
Me: I got a job offer recently.
Boss: ......... (there was a brief silence) Aku dah agak dah (He mumbled)....(He then started to fiddle around his laptop, opened his mailbox.) (He then took off his glasses, wiped his eyes. I noticed they were turning red. Is this guy about to cry??? No way!!!)
Me: Well remember last time u told me to think about my future and career options. Well I took up your suggestion and started to look for other options....
Boss: So where are you going?
Me: Petronas
Boss: Well, I think you better go for it. Its a good offer I'm sure. Anyway, its a good company. U'll have better exposure. I can't stop u from leaving.
Me: Well, doc. It is a good offer. Rezeki anak2... I intend to tender my resignation on 26.12.06.
Boss: (He then turned to his laptop and started to show me this video clip in one of the attachment sent to his mailbox) Haaa you tengok ni, kelakar betul....(he then started to laugh out loud, as if trying to cover his feelings).
Me: I've been meaning to tell you this news since yesterday but u were busy.
Boss: Its ok, I somehow suspected it was coming sooner or later. So how long is your notice period?
Me: 2 months. I should be leaving by end of February 2007. Unless you can release me earlier.
Boss: I ingat nak mintak u extend until March 07. Boleh?
Me: Eh mana boleh doc. By 1 March 07 I need to report at the new place.
Boss: Oklah. I'm not going to release you earlier. Eh why don't u join me for Solat Jumaat.
Me: (Sensing that I didn't have much choice, I had to agree) Ok.
Boss: I nak gi ambik wudhu'. See you downstairs.
Me: Ok, doc.
That was it. It was a huge relief. After exactly 2 years and 3 months at this company, I finally informed my boss that I was leaving. He somehow knew about it. Either this guy had 6th sense or someone had already leaked the news to him. Anyhow, that part is done now. I'm glad it went well, although I was surprised about the overseas conference offer which came out of the blue as if he had sensed that I was about to tell him that I was leaving and tried to bribe me with this opportunity. To me, it was just one of his "sandiwara" ploy. A red herring, trying to deflect any proposition that I was about to say to him, with a view that the discussions will steer to another direction.
Working with him for the past 2 years plus, I know almost all of his trickery. This man is a master negotiator, I must admit that. Very skillful and sly at times. But this time around, he can't fool me....
There's nothing to negotiate anyways....
I've already made up my mind...
Friday, December 22, 2006
Saying Good-bye
How do you say goodbye to your employer in a gracious manner, aside from the usual letter of resignation? Do you just leave the letter in your boss' documents tray and hope that he will call you to his room.
Or do you find the right moment to meet your boss in person and tell him straight to his face that you are leaving? How do you prepare yourself in telling your boss?
The problem for me is that I had been wanting to tell him myself and submit the letter afterwards. But he's been very busy and had even asked me to do so many things the past couple of days. I want to find the right timing to sit down with him and break the news.
But that moment has been rather elusive at the moment.
How would you do it?
How do you say goodbye to your employer in a gracious manner, aside from the usual letter of resignation? Do you just leave the letter in your boss' documents tray and hope that he will call you to his room.
Or do you find the right moment to meet your boss in person and tell him straight to his face that you are leaving? How do you prepare yourself in telling your boss?
The problem for me is that I had been wanting to tell him myself and submit the letter afterwards. But he's been very busy and had even asked me to do so many things the past couple of days. I want to find the right timing to sit down with him and break the news.
But that moment has been rather elusive at the moment.
How would you do it?
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Fatherly Love
Every morning, whilst passing through my normal route to work, I would come across an old Chinese man by the roadside corner on his old boon siew made, kapchai motorbike apparently waiting with his daughter for the bus to her workplace. I would think that he would then head home or to work after seeing her off on the bus.
This wet morning, I saw them again, waiting together at the same spot for the bus. For some this might be a usual common sight.... But to me, it shows a father's love.
He must love his daughter so much so that he wouldn't even allow her to wait alone by the roadside. I wouldn't blame him judging by the increasing trend of snatch theft and muggings against women. Sometimes it can make a difference between life, death or suffering...
Never take things for granted... Life is short in this world, make the best of it!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Passion for your Job
Are you passionate about your job?
Do you enjoy what you are doing now?
Do you wake up every morning, feeling excited to go to work?
Do you take every challenge that comes at work with utmost optimism and enthusiasm?
Do you go home satisfied with what you have done for the day and look forward for tomorrow?
Or is it the other way around...
What should a person do if he says no to all the above questions?
Symptoms of an early mid-life crisis???
I hope not....
Are you passionate about your job?
Do you enjoy what you are doing now?
Do you wake up every morning, feeling excited to go to work?
Do you take every challenge that comes at work with utmost optimism and enthusiasm?
Do you go home satisfied with what you have done for the day and look forward for tomorrow?
Or is it the other way around...
What should a person do if he says no to all the above questions?
Symptoms of an early mid-life crisis???
I hope not....
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Cerita Ceriti
Aku dapat cerita ini daripada salah satu email yang dihantar kepada aku baru-baru ini.... Penulisnya tidak diketahui. Ceritanya macam diambil daripada buku Chicken Soup for the Soul. Ia membuatkan aku berfikir tentang kehidupanku selama ini....
Sekumpulan alumni yang mempunyai kedudukan dan tahap yang tinggi dalam kerjaya mereka membuat perjumpaan di rumah professor yang mengajar mereka di Universiti dahulu.
Mereka berbual-bual dalam berbagai topik dan perbualan itu bertukar kepada rasa "stress" atau takanan yang mereka hadapi di tempat kerja ataupun kehidupan mereka.
Professor mereka masuk ke dapur dan kembali semula dengan sebuah teko besar berisi kopi dan bermacam jenis cawan dan gelas. Ada yang diperbuat dari porcelain, plastik, kaca, kristal. Ada yang kelihatan biasa dan ada yang kelihatan mahal.
Professor itu menyuruh mereka menuang sendiri kopi tersebut. Setelah semua anak muridnya mengambil kopi masing-masing, professor itu berkata:
"Jika anda semua perasan, semua cawan yang cantik dan mahal telah diambil meninggalkan cawan yang biasa dan kelihatan murah. Adalah keadaan yang biasa anda semua mahukan yang terbaik dalam hidup anda tetapi itulah punca kepada masalah dan "stress" yang anda semua hadapi"
"Apa yang sebenar anda perlukan adalah kopi, bukan cawannya tetapi anda sendiri telah memilih untuk menganbil cawan yang terbaik. Dan lebih teruk dari itu, anda memerhatikan cawan yang diambil oleh orang lain."
Kehidupan adalah kopi, kerjaya, wang dan kedudukan anda dalam masyarakat adalah cawan tersebut. Cawan itu hanyalah alat untuk mengisi kandungannya iaitu kehidupan. Kehidupan tidak berubah hanya alatnya yang berubah. Kadangkala kita terlalu fokus kepada cawan yang kita pegang hingga kita gagal untuk menikmati kopinya.
Nikmatilah kehidupan yang ada...
Aku dapat cerita ini daripada salah satu email yang dihantar kepada aku baru-baru ini.... Penulisnya tidak diketahui. Ceritanya macam diambil daripada buku Chicken Soup for the Soul. Ia membuatkan aku berfikir tentang kehidupanku selama ini....
Sekumpulan alumni yang mempunyai kedudukan dan tahap yang tinggi dalam kerjaya mereka membuat perjumpaan di rumah professor yang mengajar mereka di Universiti dahulu.
Mereka berbual-bual dalam berbagai topik dan perbualan itu bertukar kepada rasa "stress" atau takanan yang mereka hadapi di tempat kerja ataupun kehidupan mereka.
Professor mereka masuk ke dapur dan kembali semula dengan sebuah teko besar berisi kopi dan bermacam jenis cawan dan gelas. Ada yang diperbuat dari porcelain, plastik, kaca, kristal. Ada yang kelihatan biasa dan ada yang kelihatan mahal.
Professor itu menyuruh mereka menuang sendiri kopi tersebut. Setelah semua anak muridnya mengambil kopi masing-masing, professor itu berkata:
"Jika anda semua perasan, semua cawan yang cantik dan mahal telah diambil meninggalkan cawan yang biasa dan kelihatan murah. Adalah keadaan yang biasa anda semua mahukan yang terbaik dalam hidup anda tetapi itulah punca kepada masalah dan "stress" yang anda semua hadapi"
"Apa yang sebenar anda perlukan adalah kopi, bukan cawannya tetapi anda sendiri telah memilih untuk menganbil cawan yang terbaik. Dan lebih teruk dari itu, anda memerhatikan cawan yang diambil oleh orang lain."
Kehidupan adalah kopi, kerjaya, wang dan kedudukan anda dalam masyarakat adalah cawan tersebut. Cawan itu hanyalah alat untuk mengisi kandungannya iaitu kehidupan. Kehidupan tidak berubah hanya alatnya yang berubah. Kadangkala kita terlalu fokus kepada cawan yang kita pegang hingga kita gagal untuk menikmati kopinya.
Nikmatilah kehidupan yang ada...
The Waiting Game, Part II
I received an email from the HR Dept of the prospective company last Friday:
KEPUTUSAN TEMUDUGA
Encik Pak Uda,
Merujuk perkara di atas, dimaklumkan bahawa tuan adalah di dalam senarai calon simpanan.
Pihak kami akan menghubungi tuan sekiranya terdapat kekosongan jawatan yang bersesuaian dengan kelayakan dan kelulusan tuan.
Jika tuan tidak menerima sebarang maklumbalas dari pihak kami, maka permohonan tuan dianggap tidak berjaya.
Sekian, terima kasih.
The waiting continues...
I received an email from the HR Dept of the prospective company last Friday:
KEPUTUSAN TEMUDUGA
Encik Pak Uda,
Merujuk perkara di atas, dimaklumkan bahawa tuan adalah di dalam senarai calon simpanan.
Pihak kami akan menghubungi tuan sekiranya terdapat kekosongan jawatan yang bersesuaian dengan kelayakan dan kelulusan tuan.
Jika tuan tidak menerima sebarang maklumbalas dari pihak kami, maka permohonan tuan dianggap tidak berjaya.
Sekian, terima kasih.
The waiting continues...
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The Waiting Game
A famous Malay saying goes, "Penantian itu satu penyeksaan"..... That waiting is like a torment.
In my case, the waiting game to know my fate, on whether I can cross the fence to greener pastures, started since the last 2 weeks. The HR people there said that they will revert to me in 3-4 weeks time. And for the last 2 weeks, my dad, my friends would ask me, have you got the offer? Not yet, I say.
A fellow friend who went to the interviews together with me, have been calling and following-up with the HRD. But until today, no offer letter is out yet, even for him. We got verbal confirmations that we have been accepted but nothing in black & white. Not good enough I say...
I was rather anxious about the situation at the office last week that I planned to quit this week. Tawakkal I said to myself, as I was confident that I would get the offer soon. But, several friends advised me that it was more prudent that I wait till I get the letter. Anything can happen they say.
Well, I knew that. Its just that I wanted to end my term here as soon as possible rather than spend another month. Mind you, I have to serve a 2 months notice before I can join the new place.... The passsion here is gone, I'm numb already. All the sensations of being passionate about your job are gone, thanks to you know who.
I know a respected academic who left, simply because she could not stand this person. And she left owing the company thousands of ringgit (due to her bonding agreement) and without any job secured at the point of resignation. She admitted that it was a kamikaze thing to do but she was indeed traumatised by the treatment she got and just could not stand the person any longer. I feel sorry for her but felt that her actions were rather extreme. She must have been traumatised to the max!!!
In the past, I also thought of resigning several times when the boss caused me problems. But I persevered, knowing that I've had enough of jumping around and have an important mission to complete - my masters degree.
But when an opportunity like this comes, at a career defining moment, I have to make my decision. And my decision is to leave when the time is right, at the right package and to the right organisation. I pray my decision this time will be correct....
And the waiting continues...
A famous Malay saying goes, "Penantian itu satu penyeksaan"..... That waiting is like a torment.
In my case, the waiting game to know my fate, on whether I can cross the fence to greener pastures, started since the last 2 weeks. The HR people there said that they will revert to me in 3-4 weeks time. And for the last 2 weeks, my dad, my friends would ask me, have you got the offer? Not yet, I say.
A fellow friend who went to the interviews together with me, have been calling and following-up with the HRD. But until today, no offer letter is out yet, even for him. We got verbal confirmations that we have been accepted but nothing in black & white. Not good enough I say...
I was rather anxious about the situation at the office last week that I planned to quit this week. Tawakkal I said to myself, as I was confident that I would get the offer soon. But, several friends advised me that it was more prudent that I wait till I get the letter. Anything can happen they say.
Well, I knew that. Its just that I wanted to end my term here as soon as possible rather than spend another month. Mind you, I have to serve a 2 months notice before I can join the new place.... The passsion here is gone, I'm numb already. All the sensations of being passionate about your job are gone, thanks to you know who.
I know a respected academic who left, simply because she could not stand this person. And she left owing the company thousands of ringgit (due to her bonding agreement) and without any job secured at the point of resignation. She admitted that it was a kamikaze thing to do but she was indeed traumatised by the treatment she got and just could not stand the person any longer. I feel sorry for her but felt that her actions were rather extreme. She must have been traumatised to the max!!!
In the past, I also thought of resigning several times when the boss caused me problems. But I persevered, knowing that I've had enough of jumping around and have an important mission to complete - my masters degree.
But when an opportunity like this comes, at a career defining moment, I have to make my decision. And my decision is to leave when the time is right, at the right package and to the right organisation. I pray my decision this time will be correct....
And the waiting continues...
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Bug Season & The Domino Effect
Yep, its officially Bug Season. All sort of bugs and viruses roaming around out there. My son, Eimran being the victim of the Kawasaki bug. The name indeed sounds a bit amusing (coz its similar to the motorcycle brand) but the sickness is definitely not for me and my wife who had sleepless nights worrying of his illness. Alhamdulillah, that episode is over.
Then, our dear daughter Humaira got the diarrhea bug which caused her to vomit and pass motion several times. But she recovered quite fast after that. Then it was Ihsan's turn to get the diarrhea bug. Poor Ihsan, he lost his weight a bit but now has fully recovered. The Domino Effect seems to be true for my kids, when one gets sick the rest will most likely get infected....
The same thing also happened to several colleagues at the office, whose children got struck by the diarrhea bug & high fever. Which is why I concluded that there are nasty bugs out there. So, better watch what you're eating, wash your hands and slow down on the nasi himpit and rendang. And take good care of your kids as they are the most vulnerable ones.
I suppose kids getting sick is part and parcel of being a parent...No two way about it! My parents also went through the same thing with my 8 siblings, and I just have 3. I am truly amazed at how my parents managed to pull that off!
Makes me thinking whether to have more kids! That one needs to be answered by the Home Minister, Mak Uda....hehehe...
Yep, its officially Bug Season. All sort of bugs and viruses roaming around out there. My son, Eimran being the victim of the Kawasaki bug. The name indeed sounds a bit amusing (coz its similar to the motorcycle brand) but the sickness is definitely not for me and my wife who had sleepless nights worrying of his illness. Alhamdulillah, that episode is over.
Then, our dear daughter Humaira got the diarrhea bug which caused her to vomit and pass motion several times. But she recovered quite fast after that. Then it was Ihsan's turn to get the diarrhea bug. Poor Ihsan, he lost his weight a bit but now has fully recovered. The Domino Effect seems to be true for my kids, when one gets sick the rest will most likely get infected....
The same thing also happened to several colleagues at the office, whose children got struck by the diarrhea bug & high fever. Which is why I concluded that there are nasty bugs out there. So, better watch what you're eating, wash your hands and slow down on the nasi himpit and rendang. And take good care of your kids as they are the most vulnerable ones.
I suppose kids getting sick is part and parcel of being a parent...No two way about it! My parents also went through the same thing with my 8 siblings, and I just have 3. I am truly amazed at how my parents managed to pull that off!
Makes me thinking whether to have more kids! That one needs to be answered by the Home Minister, Mak Uda....hehehe...
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Trials & Tribulations
Alhamdulillah, after spending 5 days at PUSRAWI Hospital, Eimran was back home last Sunday. My family was reunited again. I was so glad that this Kawasaki episode is over. Dr K requested that Eimran sees him again for an echocardiogram this Saturday just to ensure the side effects of Kawasaki fever does not affect Eimran.
The past week has been very testing for me. My eldest son was sick at the hospital, leaving my daugther Humaira & baby son, Ihsan at home yearning for their mother. My daughter especially missed her mother very much. She insisted that she be allowed to sleep at "Rumah Kospital" as she calls it so that she can be with her mother and brother. Ihsan did not sleep well the first night my wife was at the hospital as he was accustomed to being breastfed before sleeping. Though he could not say it, from his eyes, I knew Ihsan was searching for his mother. Alhamdulillah, he did not cry the whole night.
And fortunately for me, my maid was there to take care of him during the 5 days my wife was at the hospital. Only during the last night before Eimran was discharged, Ihsan slept with me. I had prepared his milk before sleeping knowing full well that he will wake up in the middle of the night. Well, he did wake up three times and I was fully prepared!!! hehehe....
And this morning, Humaira was complaining of stomach aches and having diarrhea. Oh no, not again!!! Kasihan anak2ku... Beware people! Some nasty bugs & viruses are roving around these days. Kids seem to get infected first... Even an office mate had to tak EL on Monday as 2 of her kids were down with fever and bouts of diarrhea. 'Tis bug season....
Anyway, I'm glad that Eimran is back home. Nothing pleases me than seeing my family together again in one house. Now, we have to take care of Humaira's diarrhea problems.... And I'm sure these trials and tribulations as parents will occur as a test of our patience....There is hikmah in all this, I always tell myself... As a father, I have to be strong as my family depends on me.
May Allah bless my family and rid us of all these nasty bugs and viruses....May Allah grant us strength and patience to endure the trials and tribulations. Only Unto You dear Lord, we pray and depend for our health, safety and blessings. Only unto Thee we seek Your forgiveness.... Ameeen!
Alhamdulillah, after spending 5 days at PUSRAWI Hospital, Eimran was back home last Sunday. My family was reunited again. I was so glad that this Kawasaki episode is over. Dr K requested that Eimran sees him again for an echocardiogram this Saturday just to ensure the side effects of Kawasaki fever does not affect Eimran.
The past week has been very testing for me. My eldest son was sick at the hospital, leaving my daugther Humaira & baby son, Ihsan at home yearning for their mother. My daughter especially missed her mother very much. She insisted that she be allowed to sleep at "Rumah Kospital" as she calls it so that she can be with her mother and brother. Ihsan did not sleep well the first night my wife was at the hospital as he was accustomed to being breastfed before sleeping. Though he could not say it, from his eyes, I knew Ihsan was searching for his mother. Alhamdulillah, he did not cry the whole night.
And fortunately for me, my maid was there to take care of him during the 5 days my wife was at the hospital. Only during the last night before Eimran was discharged, Ihsan slept with me. I had prepared his milk before sleeping knowing full well that he will wake up in the middle of the night. Well, he did wake up three times and I was fully prepared!!! hehehe....
And this morning, Humaira was complaining of stomach aches and having diarrhea. Oh no, not again!!! Kasihan anak2ku... Beware people! Some nasty bugs & viruses are roving around these days. Kids seem to get infected first... Even an office mate had to tak EL on Monday as 2 of her kids were down with fever and bouts of diarrhea. 'Tis bug season....
Anyway, I'm glad that Eimran is back home. Nothing pleases me than seeing my family together again in one house. Now, we have to take care of Humaira's diarrhea problems.... And I'm sure these trials and tribulations as parents will occur as a test of our patience....There is hikmah in all this, I always tell myself... As a father, I have to be strong as my family depends on me.
May Allah bless my family and rid us of all these nasty bugs and viruses....May Allah grant us strength and patience to endure the trials and tribulations. Only Unto You dear Lord, we pray and depend for our health, safety and blessings. Only unto Thee we seek Your forgiveness.... Ameeen!
Friday, November 03, 2006
Exam Results & Exit Plan
My final exam results were out yesterday. Alhamdulillah, I passed both papers. Thats enough for me. I just want to finish the last stretch of this "academic marathon". My class starts this weekend. I'm glad that I am entering the final lap. Hopefully, I will complete this journey and graduate next year.
In the meantime, I am still waiting for "the letter of offer" - my ticket out of this place. The HR staff there it seems, had just came in from the long Raya holidays. It seems that the HR Dept of that company will take about 2 weeks to 1 month to issue the LO. Layers of approvals required, typical of this company. I just have to be patient.
My final exam results were out yesterday. Alhamdulillah, I passed both papers. Thats enough for me. I just want to finish the last stretch of this "academic marathon". My class starts this weekend. I'm glad that I am entering the final lap. Hopefully, I will complete this journey and graduate next year.
In the meantime, I am still waiting for "the letter of offer" - my ticket out of this place. The HR staff there it seems, had just came in from the long Raya holidays. It seems that the HR Dept of that company will take about 2 weeks to 1 month to issue the LO. Layers of approvals required, typical of this company. I just have to be patient.
Eimran & Demam Kawasaki
Anak sulungku Eimran masuk hospital Selasa lepas. Doktor K di Pusrawi bilang dia harus masuk hospital, demamnya sudah lama bangat - 2 minggu tak kebah-kebah. Sampai naik bingung & risau papa & mamanya. Mula demamnya seminggu sebelum Raya. Pergi ke klinik biasa, diberi ubat biasa namun kesihatannya tidak kembali seperti biasa. Demamnya tidak surut, malah makin bertambah kepanasannya. Papa & mama mulai risau & bingung. Demam apa ini yg tidak bisa surut? Selalunya kalau diberi ubat biasa, dia akan kembali sembuh selepas 2-3 hari. Habis kuberikan madu asli Khaula Iran (antibiotik asli) namun tiada hasilnya.
Habis 3 klinik dikunjungi sebelum dan selepas Raya namun tiada hasil positif. Ada doktor yg kata tonsilitis, ada yg syak demam denggi hinggakan aku terpaksa berkunjung ke Pusrawi utk membuat ujian darah Eimran sehari sebelum Raya. Kasihan anakku, habis lengannya dicucuk jarum utk diambil darah. Uratnya halus, terpaksa dicucuk 3 kali. Menangis dia kesakitan. Namun aku terpaksa merelakan demi kesihatannya. Hasilnya negatif denggi, platelet nya normal. Bingung sih! Sakit apa ini?
Justeru, papa & mama beraya dalam keadaan suram, risau kesihatan Eimran. Namun Raya diteruskan. Ubat siap dibawa bekal untuk balik kampung. Namun demam tidak surut. Kelenjar dilehernya mulai bengkak. Lalu papa mama ambil keputusan utk berjumpa Dr M sekali lagi utk kepastian, apa punca sebenarnya demam Eimran ini. Bagi aku, demam itu hanya simptom, punca sakitnya perlu dikenalpasti. Dia sarankan aku bawa dia ke Pusrawi sekali lagi jumpa Dr K, pakar pediatrik.
Dr K pun pada mulanya tidak pasti, tapi pada hari ke-3 Eimran berada dihospital, Dr K memberikan diagnosis bahawa Eimran terkena Demam Kawasaki... Haaaa.. demam Kawasaki? Apa benda itu? Yang aku tahu Kawasaki jenama motorsikal! Iya, jangan hairan.... memang ada penyakit namanya Demam Kawasaki, hasil penemuan doktor Kawasaki dari Jepun . Pergi cari di Google, nescaya akan jumpa.
Simptomnya demam berpanjangan, bengkak kelenjar - sama seperti Eimran. Ubatnya mahal - 500 satu botol. Harus diberikan 4 botol sehari selama 3 hari, sama dengan 6000 lemon. Hatiku lega insurans syarikat yg tanggung. Kalau tidak bisa surut demam & bengkaknya, Dr K harus mengambil sel kelenjar di tengkuk utk dianalisa. Harapnya tidak perlu. Aku kasihan melihat Eimran dicucuk, dibelah... Cukuplah kesakitannya itu!
Ramadhan & Raya bagiku kali ini, memang benar-benar menguji kesabaranku sebagai seorang bapa. Eimran anakku ini sudah tegar keluar masuk hospital sejak umurnya 2 tahun. Institut Pediatrik, KBMC, Ampang Puteri & Tawakkal semuanya sudah didiami.... Alhamdulillah, dia sembuh dari semua penyakit acute nya. Aku berdoa sentiasa tiada penyakit kronik yang tersembunyi.....
Sebagai papa aku harus tabah & berusaha untuk mendapatkan rawatan terbaik untuk kesihatannya. Aku bersyukur kerana syarikat mempunyai insurans perubatan yang lengkap. Kalau dulu aku kerja dengan firma guaman, semuanya harus ku tanggung sendiri. Apalagi kad plastik lah jadi sandaran, Visa & Mastercard jadi penyelamat. Itulah kerja sebagai peguam, namanya glamour hebat, gajinya mungkin tinggi sedikit, tapi bab insurans kesihatan memang tiada dalam faedah pekerjaan. Itu semua harus ditanggung sendiri. Tanya semua peguam, semua sama. Lalu aku berhijrah sebagai "in-house lawyer" - faedahnya cukup untuk membantu aku sekeluarga pada hari-hari seperti ini. Mungkin gaji aku tidak sehebat teman-teman peguam yg lain, tapi aku bersyukur semuanya ditanggung beres.
InsyaAllah, aku sentiasa optimis dalam semua keadaan. InsyaAllah Eimran akan sihat tak lama lagi & kembali ke rumah. Dia anak yang cekal. Aku sentiasa mendoakan kesejahteraan keluargaku, isteriku & anak-anakku. Semua ini cobaan sebagai ibubapa. Mungkin Tuhan mahu mengajar aku agar lebih sabar. Extra-credit agaknya. Moga aku & isteriku lulus ujian ini...
Anak sulungku Eimran masuk hospital Selasa lepas. Doktor K di Pusrawi bilang dia harus masuk hospital, demamnya sudah lama bangat - 2 minggu tak kebah-kebah. Sampai naik bingung & risau papa & mamanya. Mula demamnya seminggu sebelum Raya. Pergi ke klinik biasa, diberi ubat biasa namun kesihatannya tidak kembali seperti biasa. Demamnya tidak surut, malah makin bertambah kepanasannya. Papa & mama mulai risau & bingung. Demam apa ini yg tidak bisa surut? Selalunya kalau diberi ubat biasa, dia akan kembali sembuh selepas 2-3 hari. Habis kuberikan madu asli Khaula Iran (antibiotik asli) namun tiada hasilnya.
Habis 3 klinik dikunjungi sebelum dan selepas Raya namun tiada hasil positif. Ada doktor yg kata tonsilitis, ada yg syak demam denggi hinggakan aku terpaksa berkunjung ke Pusrawi utk membuat ujian darah Eimran sehari sebelum Raya. Kasihan anakku, habis lengannya dicucuk jarum utk diambil darah. Uratnya halus, terpaksa dicucuk 3 kali. Menangis dia kesakitan. Namun aku terpaksa merelakan demi kesihatannya. Hasilnya negatif denggi, platelet nya normal. Bingung sih! Sakit apa ini?
Justeru, papa & mama beraya dalam keadaan suram, risau kesihatan Eimran. Namun Raya diteruskan. Ubat siap dibawa bekal untuk balik kampung. Namun demam tidak surut. Kelenjar dilehernya mulai bengkak. Lalu papa mama ambil keputusan utk berjumpa Dr M sekali lagi utk kepastian, apa punca sebenarnya demam Eimran ini. Bagi aku, demam itu hanya simptom, punca sakitnya perlu dikenalpasti. Dia sarankan aku bawa dia ke Pusrawi sekali lagi jumpa Dr K, pakar pediatrik.
Dr K pun pada mulanya tidak pasti, tapi pada hari ke-3 Eimran berada dihospital, Dr K memberikan diagnosis bahawa Eimran terkena Demam Kawasaki... Haaaa.. demam Kawasaki? Apa benda itu? Yang aku tahu Kawasaki jenama motorsikal! Iya, jangan hairan.... memang ada penyakit namanya Demam Kawasaki, hasil penemuan doktor Kawasaki dari Jepun . Pergi cari di Google, nescaya akan jumpa.
Simptomnya demam berpanjangan, bengkak kelenjar - sama seperti Eimran. Ubatnya mahal - 500 satu botol. Harus diberikan 4 botol sehari selama 3 hari, sama dengan 6000 lemon. Hatiku lega insurans syarikat yg tanggung. Kalau tidak bisa surut demam & bengkaknya, Dr K harus mengambil sel kelenjar di tengkuk utk dianalisa. Harapnya tidak perlu. Aku kasihan melihat Eimran dicucuk, dibelah... Cukuplah kesakitannya itu!
Ramadhan & Raya bagiku kali ini, memang benar-benar menguji kesabaranku sebagai seorang bapa. Eimran anakku ini sudah tegar keluar masuk hospital sejak umurnya 2 tahun. Institut Pediatrik, KBMC, Ampang Puteri & Tawakkal semuanya sudah didiami.... Alhamdulillah, dia sembuh dari semua penyakit acute nya. Aku berdoa sentiasa tiada penyakit kronik yang tersembunyi.....
Sebagai papa aku harus tabah & berusaha untuk mendapatkan rawatan terbaik untuk kesihatannya. Aku bersyukur kerana syarikat mempunyai insurans perubatan yang lengkap. Kalau dulu aku kerja dengan firma guaman, semuanya harus ku tanggung sendiri. Apalagi kad plastik lah jadi sandaran, Visa & Mastercard jadi penyelamat. Itulah kerja sebagai peguam, namanya glamour hebat, gajinya mungkin tinggi sedikit, tapi bab insurans kesihatan memang tiada dalam faedah pekerjaan. Itu semua harus ditanggung sendiri. Tanya semua peguam, semua sama. Lalu aku berhijrah sebagai "in-house lawyer" - faedahnya cukup untuk membantu aku sekeluarga pada hari-hari seperti ini. Mungkin gaji aku tidak sehebat teman-teman peguam yg lain, tapi aku bersyukur semuanya ditanggung beres.
InsyaAllah, aku sentiasa optimis dalam semua keadaan. InsyaAllah Eimran akan sihat tak lama lagi & kembali ke rumah. Dia anak yang cekal. Aku sentiasa mendoakan kesejahteraan keluargaku, isteriku & anak-anakku. Semua ini cobaan sebagai ibubapa. Mungkin Tuhan mahu mengajar aku agar lebih sabar. Extra-credit agaknya. Moga aku & isteriku lulus ujian ini...
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Of Ramadhan, Self Restraint & Rezeki
Some people just don't know the meaning of self restraint and regard for other people's feelings. I would've thought that in this blessed month of Ramadhan, we are encouraged to exercise self restraint in all aspects of our daily life.
It was just recently that my colleague and I have been discussing and somewhat praising this person, who we shall refer to as Sharif Dol - Gangster Kampung Dusun, for his unusual self restraint during Ramadhan. For the first 3 weeks of Ramadhan, Sharif Dol somehow did not bite people's head off, scream and scold at people unnecessarily (well, at least not at me), make cynical snide remarks about our work, ask us to do unnecessary stuff and other annoying things.
However, yesterday, on the last day of work before we all take our Aidilfitri holidays, we were proved wrong - that old habits die hard. Sharif Dol, struck after a 3 weeks hiatus. He basically crashed into my room and loudly said in front of 2 of my colleagues: "You ni PEMALAS! I suruh you call mamat tuh, you suruh Chombi pulak" (bukan nama sebenar). "Now I want you to call mamat tuh sekarang and pass the line to me!" Sharif Dol then left...
There was an eerie silence in my room. As if a tornado just struck leaving behind its wreckage. Everybody in the room were flabbergasted!!! Shocked to the shell! I was left dumbfounded. I just didnt bother to retaliate although I usually reply or relataliate for such unnecessary outbursts from Sharif Dol.
The story goes like this: Sharif Dol earlier asked me to find the number of a certain mamat and asked me to call this mamat (since when I am his secretary?). Since I did not have the person's number, I went to see Chombi (bukan nama sebenar)as she would keep this mamat's name card (which was given earlier to Sharif Dol). Since I was at Chombi's place (bukan nama sebenar), I said can you help me to call this mamat and pass it to Sharif Dol. Being colleagues, she said ok, as she normally does numerous times before. And then suddenly, about an hour later Sharif Dol struck at my room.... He basically accused me that I was lazy and passed the job to Chombi, when I was supposed to do it myself!
I was severely dissappointed with his latest antic, even though I was not surprised of his capability of being extremely brutal & blunt. I was dissappointed that he chose to scold and humiliate me in front of 2 junior colleagues, made a extremely insulting remark that I was PEMALAS. Implying that I was incompetent in front of the two. My pride was shattered for a while...
Luckily the 2 colleagues understood. They both knew the unreasonableness and brutal capabilities of Sharif Dol. It was an unnecessary. The thing he asked me to do could have also been done by Chombi. It made no difference whether I made the call or Chombi did. In fact Chombi volunteered to help me. In then end, when I did get the mamat's number, he wanted it to be made at my place using my phone (as if he doesnt have a phone )to be passed to him.I just couldn't figure out the reasoning behind such move. After talking with the mamat, he didnt have the courtesy to even say thanks to me for making the call. He just said - "Ok, now you make sure you follow up after this!"... and left my room.
Well, enough said... This latest antic of his further solidified my resolution in moving forward with my exit plans... Sharif Dol is simply incorrigible. I have had enough of his antics and bad temperament. I do not deserve to be treated like this. It just stunts my personal career development, as I had observed with some of the senior managers here. His word is the law, comply with it. You are either with him or against him. That arbitrariness is the order of the day and dissent is not tolerated. There is no more creativity and freedom to make decisions around here. Everything is subjected to his law, and no other.
For me, I always believe in rezeki and that there are always better options out there. All I can say at this moment is my plans seem to be in place. I was surprised at the speed of the developments that have been happening for the past 3 weeks since the start of Ramadhan. 3 interviews within the span of 3 weeks, 2 confirmed job applications. Maybe, this was fated by the Almighty in this blessed month of Ramadhan. Maybe this is the answer to me & my wife's prayer for a better future for our family.
I expect to hear something from the other side after Raya (Plan A), as they had promised. After all, I have completed all 3 stages of the long and tedious interview process. If that doesn't happen or the offer is less favourable, then I may resort to Plan B which also seems to be in place. They have called me last week and I told them I need more time as I am also applying for another place. The person indicated to me that its my choice but they will have to decide soon. I told them I understood their predicaments and will indicate to them whether I am interested or not 2 weeks after Raya.
Meanwhile, I have already prepared the points for farewell speech, all kept safely at the back of my mind...
Some people just don't know the meaning of self restraint and regard for other people's feelings. I would've thought that in this blessed month of Ramadhan, we are encouraged to exercise self restraint in all aspects of our daily life.
It was just recently that my colleague and I have been discussing and somewhat praising this person, who we shall refer to as Sharif Dol - Gangster Kampung Dusun, for his unusual self restraint during Ramadhan. For the first 3 weeks of Ramadhan, Sharif Dol somehow did not bite people's head off, scream and scold at people unnecessarily (well, at least not at me), make cynical snide remarks about our work, ask us to do unnecessary stuff and other annoying things.
However, yesterday, on the last day of work before we all take our Aidilfitri holidays, we were proved wrong - that old habits die hard. Sharif Dol, struck after a 3 weeks hiatus. He basically crashed into my room and loudly said in front of 2 of my colleagues: "You ni PEMALAS! I suruh you call mamat tuh, you suruh Chombi pulak" (bukan nama sebenar). "Now I want you to call mamat tuh sekarang and pass the line to me!" Sharif Dol then left...
There was an eerie silence in my room. As if a tornado just struck leaving behind its wreckage. Everybody in the room were flabbergasted!!! Shocked to the shell! I was left dumbfounded. I just didnt bother to retaliate although I usually reply or relataliate for such unnecessary outbursts from Sharif Dol.
The story goes like this: Sharif Dol earlier asked me to find the number of a certain mamat and asked me to call this mamat (since when I am his secretary?). Since I did not have the person's number, I went to see Chombi (bukan nama sebenar)as she would keep this mamat's name card (which was given earlier to Sharif Dol). Since I was at Chombi's place (bukan nama sebenar), I said can you help me to call this mamat and pass it to Sharif Dol. Being colleagues, she said ok, as she normally does numerous times before. And then suddenly, about an hour later Sharif Dol struck at my room.... He basically accused me that I was lazy and passed the job to Chombi, when I was supposed to do it myself!
I was severely dissappointed with his latest antic, even though I was not surprised of his capability of being extremely brutal & blunt. I was dissappointed that he chose to scold and humiliate me in front of 2 junior colleagues, made a extremely insulting remark that I was PEMALAS. Implying that I was incompetent in front of the two. My pride was shattered for a while...
Luckily the 2 colleagues understood. They both knew the unreasonableness and brutal capabilities of Sharif Dol. It was an unnecessary. The thing he asked me to do could have also been done by Chombi. It made no difference whether I made the call or Chombi did. In fact Chombi volunteered to help me. In then end, when I did get the mamat's number, he wanted it to be made at my place using my phone (as if he doesnt have a phone )to be passed to him.I just couldn't figure out the reasoning behind such move. After talking with the mamat, he didnt have the courtesy to even say thanks to me for making the call. He just said - "Ok, now you make sure you follow up after this!"... and left my room.
Well, enough said... This latest antic of his further solidified my resolution in moving forward with my exit plans... Sharif Dol is simply incorrigible. I have had enough of his antics and bad temperament. I do not deserve to be treated like this. It just stunts my personal career development, as I had observed with some of the senior managers here. His word is the law, comply with it. You are either with him or against him. That arbitrariness is the order of the day and dissent is not tolerated. There is no more creativity and freedom to make decisions around here. Everything is subjected to his law, and no other.
For me, I always believe in rezeki and that there are always better options out there. All I can say at this moment is my plans seem to be in place. I was surprised at the speed of the developments that have been happening for the past 3 weeks since the start of Ramadhan. 3 interviews within the span of 3 weeks, 2 confirmed job applications. Maybe, this was fated by the Almighty in this blessed month of Ramadhan. Maybe this is the answer to me & my wife's prayer for a better future for our family.
I expect to hear something from the other side after Raya (Plan A), as they had promised. After all, I have completed all 3 stages of the long and tedious interview process. If that doesn't happen or the offer is less favourable, then I may resort to Plan B which also seems to be in place. They have called me last week and I told them I need more time as I am also applying for another place. The person indicated to me that its my choice but they will have to decide soon. I told them I understood their predicaments and will indicate to them whether I am interested or not 2 weeks after Raya.
Meanwhile, I have already prepared the points for farewell speech, all kept safely at the back of my mind...
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Ihsan...
This is Ihsan, my youngest child. He's 10 months old now, already learning to stand on his own two feet. Getting very active by the day, crawling all over the place when he is awake. Even when everyone else is asleep at night, he would play on his own in the dark. Then, he would cry to get attention from his parents. His tired mother would then just gave him milk, with a hope that he will fall asleep. Sometimes he goes to sleep, sometimes he goes crawling around again and plays chak chak with his dad, to his mother's ire.
It just soothes my heart when he greets me at the door whenever I got home from work. He would start to try to wriggle himself from the arms of my wife or bibik, and extend his body and arms, asking me to hug and hold him. I obliged all the time and would be warmly greeted with his glee and smile. It just sooths my heart and my mind by holding him and playing with him. All the agony from the 1 hour traffic jam that I had to endure going home and all the troubles in the office are somewhat forgotten...
This is Ihsan, my youngest child. He's 10 months old now, already learning to stand on his own two feet. Getting very active by the day, crawling all over the place when he is awake. Even when everyone else is asleep at night, he would play on his own in the dark. Then, he would cry to get attention from his parents. His tired mother would then just gave him milk, with a hope that he will fall asleep. Sometimes he goes to sleep, sometimes he goes crawling around again and plays chak chak with his dad, to his mother's ire.
It just soothes my heart when he greets me at the door whenever I got home from work. He would start to try to wriggle himself from the arms of my wife or bibik, and extend his body and arms, asking me to hug and hold him. I obliged all the time and would be warmly greeted with his glee and smile. It just sooths my heart and my mind by holding him and playing with him. All the agony from the 1 hour traffic jam that I had to endure going home and all the troubles in the office are somewhat forgotten...
Monday, October 16, 2006
Freedom....
At last.... I finally finished my last academic chore today, a group assignment for my statistics course. I am fortunate to have excellent group mates who each diligently contributed in finishing it. Its not something easy to do when all of us are busy working people. To brother Zul (KDEB), Bro Fizri (Redmax Corp) and Bro Othman (RTM), my utmost gratitude. Hopefully Bro Fizri who left for Umrah yesterday will remember to pray for us all in front of Baitullah. I also indebted to my sister Izzah for helping my complete my stats assignments.. ;) Without her, I wouldn't have managed to get good marks for my individual assignments... That goes to show that with teamwork, difficult things become easy as the burden is shared....
Anyway, my last paper (Statistics) was last Saturday. Thank Allah Almighty as I managed to answer most of the questions. Not an easy thing to do for a law graduate who used to shun math related subjects (which was why I took up law in the first place!). Anyway, I think stats is actually an interesting subject (with the right lecturer, tutor and practice). As for the other paper, I am pretty confident of my chances since it was a qualitative subject (reading subject). Me like those!!!
In my current situation, I'm not expecting much... Just hope to pass and maintain my current CGPA. Finally, my mind is "free"!! No worries about classes, assignments, presentations for the next 3 weeks, albeit a short one! Thereafter, my last semester will commence. I can't wait to finish my masters and graduate next year!
At last.... I finally finished my last academic chore today, a group assignment for my statistics course. I am fortunate to have excellent group mates who each diligently contributed in finishing it. Its not something easy to do when all of us are busy working people. To brother Zul (KDEB), Bro Fizri (Redmax Corp) and Bro Othman (RTM), my utmost gratitude. Hopefully Bro Fizri who left for Umrah yesterday will remember to pray for us all in front of Baitullah. I also indebted to my sister Izzah for helping my complete my stats assignments.. ;) Without her, I wouldn't have managed to get good marks for my individual assignments... That goes to show that with teamwork, difficult things become easy as the burden is shared....
Anyway, my last paper (Statistics) was last Saturday. Thank Allah Almighty as I managed to answer most of the questions. Not an easy thing to do for a law graduate who used to shun math related subjects (which was why I took up law in the first place!). Anyway, I think stats is actually an interesting subject (with the right lecturer, tutor and practice). As for the other paper, I am pretty confident of my chances since it was a qualitative subject (reading subject). Me like those!!!
In my current situation, I'm not expecting much... Just hope to pass and maintain my current CGPA. Finally, my mind is "free"!! No worries about classes, assignments, presentations for the next 3 weeks, albeit a short one! Thereafter, my last semester will commence. I can't wait to finish my masters and graduate next year!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Its time to crack my brain again!
This week and next week will be very very hectic. For my brain that is... I have to sit for 2 final exams this semester, the 1st being the Strategic Management paper this Saturday (7 Oct 06) at 2pm and the 2nd paper, Quantitative Decision Making (not my favourite subject!) the following Saturday at 2pm. Wish me luck people as I really need it. Have not had time to really sit down and read thoroughly. I suppose I will have to have my "cooking utensils" handy to "cook up" a good answer but I doubt I can do so for QDM as its a math subject. Yes, its math.... and I thot I could get away from math related subjects....
Then there is the 2nd interview next week which I have to attend. It was a pleasant surprise when the HR staff called me yesterday afternoon. Didnt expect it to be so soon as they had indicated that they'd call me after Raya. Need to prepare for that one too. I really hope and pray that I will get this one as I've always wanted to join this company.
I've also gotten calls from a job hunter but I am not so keen on that (some obscure telco company). Dont think I want to be in that industry though. And then there is the option of retreating into the academic world as a lecturer, something which my father has persistently encouraged me to do since I graduated. Perhaps to follow his footstep. My alma mater called me up few days back asking me to fill up their application form and submit a.s.a.p. It seems that my CV did get through to the Dean. But now I am not sure whether I really want to become an academic at this point of time in my life, eventhough at the back of my mind, I would want to teach one fine day when I have enough knowledge and experience. I feel that I still have the energy and motivation to remain in the hustle and bustle of corporate world. At least for the next 5 years.
My exit plan seems to be in place so far. Man proposes, God disposes...
This week and next week will be very very hectic. For my brain that is... I have to sit for 2 final exams this semester, the 1st being the Strategic Management paper this Saturday (7 Oct 06) at 2pm and the 2nd paper, Quantitative Decision Making (not my favourite subject!) the following Saturday at 2pm. Wish me luck people as I really need it. Have not had time to really sit down and read thoroughly. I suppose I will have to have my "cooking utensils" handy to "cook up" a good answer but I doubt I can do so for QDM as its a math subject. Yes, its math.... and I thot I could get away from math related subjects....
Then there is the 2nd interview next week which I have to attend. It was a pleasant surprise when the HR staff called me yesterday afternoon. Didnt expect it to be so soon as they had indicated that they'd call me after Raya. Need to prepare for that one too. I really hope and pray that I will get this one as I've always wanted to join this company.
I've also gotten calls from a job hunter but I am not so keen on that (some obscure telco company). Dont think I want to be in that industry though. And then there is the option of retreating into the academic world as a lecturer, something which my father has persistently encouraged me to do since I graduated. Perhaps to follow his footstep. My alma mater called me up few days back asking me to fill up their application form and submit a.s.a.p. It seems that my CV did get through to the Dean. But now I am not sure whether I really want to become an academic at this point of time in my life, eventhough at the back of my mind, I would want to teach one fine day when I have enough knowledge and experience. I feel that I still have the energy and motivation to remain in the hustle and bustle of corporate world. At least for the next 5 years.
My exit plan seems to be in place so far. Man proposes, God disposes...
Monday, September 25, 2006
Puasa @ Work
Its the 1st day of puasa at work. And I had to attend a meeting this morning, Deans Council Meeting. Its one of those "hyper-boring sampai nak muntah" meeting which can last up to 4-5 hours. Luckily I didn't puke! But I managed to doze off for a couple of nano-seconds (or so I thought!). The handwriting in my minutes book however, seem to indicate that it was more than just a couple of nano-seconds. Hopefully the Chairman did not catch me dozing off but I doubted it as he was the closest person to me and had asked me to repeat the decisions at the end of the meeting (kantoi giler!).
Also my boss, my "beloved" boss took leave today. So I will be rather free to decide on my own destiny for the rest of the day!!! In any case, I hope this day will end soon. Can't wait for buka puasa.... ;)
Its the 1st day of puasa at work. And I had to attend a meeting this morning, Deans Council Meeting. Its one of those "hyper-boring sampai nak muntah" meeting which can last up to 4-5 hours. Luckily I didn't puke! But I managed to doze off for a couple of nano-seconds (or so I thought!). The handwriting in my minutes book however, seem to indicate that it was more than just a couple of nano-seconds. Hopefully the Chairman did not catch me dozing off but I doubted it as he was the closest person to me and had asked me to repeat the decisions at the end of the meeting (kantoi giler!).
Also my boss, my "beloved" boss took leave today. So I will be rather free to decide on my own destiny for the rest of the day!!! In any case, I hope this day will end soon. Can't wait for buka puasa.... ;)
Friday, September 22, 2006
Ramadhan is Coming!
Today, Friday 22 September 2006 or 29 Syaaban 1427, all the astrologers (ahli falak) will be busy at their respective points throughout Malaysia to try to catch a glimpse of the son of the moon ("anak bulan") and determine whether the millions of Muslims in Malaysia will start fasting.
And during tonight's news, the Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja (a person who to this day has outlasted almost everyone in Malaysia in his unenviable position and whom I always look forward to see on TV when I was small!! still do too!!) will make an announcement as to when Puasa will start. Well, as far as I know it is an open secret that Puasa has been determined to start on 24th Sept using the rukyah method (whatever that is! sounds like rocket science to me!). They always give a one day grace period for people to start buying their kurma & prepare for buka puasa!
Friends have also started forwarding via email catalogues and brochures for kuih raya for the past couple of days. I even got a Concorde Hotel Ramadhan buffet flyer stuck to my wiper yesterday! Car companies have also started to promote their cars for Balik Raya campaign (so that people can balik kampung with their shiny new car)....And certain supermarkets have started airing Lagu Raya! Talk about advanced marketing...
I even had friends who had shopped for their baju raya 2 months ago!!! Well, can't blame them as even the tailors have stopped taking orders! For me, who has not bought anything for my baju raya, I suppose I will have to either buy a ready-made one or wear last year's baju raya...hahaha.
Everything is so commercialised now! Its now all about fufilment of material and worldly satisfaction.... buka puasa, baju raya, kuih raya, langsir raya, perabot raya, kereta raya, hari raya, konsert raya, jualan hari raya, kad raya, lebuh raya (nak balik kampung!) and all things raya...
Lets not get carried away folks! No doubt those things will be there. But lets not forget the true meaning of Ramadhan. It is a spiritual journey..... It is meant for serious self-reflections of our past deeds and for us to seek forgiveness from our Creator for our misdeeds & foolishness. Its a time for us to get closer to our Creator and speak to Him. It is a time to test our patience and emphatise for the less fortunate. Its about curbing our excesses, being moderate & humble human being. It's also a good time to rest our stomach as most illnesses originates from the stomach. At the end of this trial period, we are expected to have "cleansed" our soul and emerged refreshed and pure. Thats why we celebrate Eidul Fitri (Fitrah being root word, meaning pure).
So lets be moderate in our eating, spending, shopping and whatever we do so that we can reap the rewards of this blessed month. That also means I have to stop back-biting about my boss... Darn!.....
To my dear family & friends...Selamat Menyambut Ramadhan... Ramadhan Mubarak....Lets begin the journey of Ramadhan with the right intentions!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Word for The Day: Condescending
con·de·scend·ing (k
n
d
-s
n
dng) adj. - Displaying a patronizingly superior attitude| Adj. | 1. | condescending - (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension superior - of or characteristic of high rank or importance; "a superior officer" |
Related words:
arrogant, belittling, big, contemptuous, disdainful, domineering, haughty, high-faluting, high-flown, high-handed, high-hat, high-headed, high-nosed, hoity-toity, imperious, lofty, overbearing, patronizing, pompous, priggish, proud, purse-proud, sniffy, snippy, snobbish, snobby, snooty, snotty, stuck-up, superior, toplofty, uppish, uppity, upstage
Antonyms:
approachable, friendly, humble....
An interesting link: http://www.powerfreaks.com/powerfreaks/google.html
What a Hectic Weekend!!!
Thank Goodness its Monday! hahaha... I didnt expect myself to say that, but I am glad the weekend is over and it is Monday, the start of new week, a fresh beginning. Why? Well.... Last weekend was very very hectic.
I was hardly at home last weekend. Been busy with discussions, classes and burning the midnight oil to complete my group assignment & presentation. Then I had 3 consecutive classes starting from Saturday afternoon, followed by the 2nd class on Sunday morning and the 3rd class at 2pm. By 6.45pm Sunday, the longest series of weekend classes I ever had was all over. Thank God!! And my endless gratitude to my dearest wife for understanding.... My kids did not get the attention of their father for the past 2 days. :-( Fortunately for them, their atuk & nenek's house is just next-door, who were more than happy to entertain their antics.
Luckily, I was not involved in the convocation this year. Phew!! Otherwise, I would have had a nervous breakdown managing between the three things. My office mates & my staff have been busy working on the preparations for the last couple of months. I am sure this year would be fine if not better considering that they used the same big venue and the same set of committee members.
And then there was the Arsenal vs Man U game last night... The Grand Slam Weekend they call is as there was another big game involving Chelsea vs Liverpool which ended in the Blues winning by 1-0, thanks to a sublime strike from Drogba (that guy looks as strong as a Mongolian ox!). I was relieved that Arsenal finally won their first League game. This season has seen the worst of starts for the Gunners. But they proved that they still have it in them, even without certain key players. I hope they continue playing like this and with more conviction in their style of play.
What an eventful week and weekend it has been!! And to to top it off, I was called for an interview last week, the first since I actively started floating my shares in the job market. It was indeed a pleasant surprise as I had not expected such a quick call-up by this corporation which is known to have a lengthy recruitment process. Well, it doesn't matter. Finally, my prayers are answered. I need to start doing my preparations as it has been 2 years since I last went for an interview. I hope to do well in the interviews. My family will depend on it. I hope this will be the turning point of my career. InsyaAllah....
Thank Goodness its Monday! hahaha... I didnt expect myself to say that, but I am glad the weekend is over and it is Monday, the start of new week, a fresh beginning. Why? Well.... Last weekend was very very hectic.
I was hardly at home last weekend. Been busy with discussions, classes and burning the midnight oil to complete my group assignment & presentation. Then I had 3 consecutive classes starting from Saturday afternoon, followed by the 2nd class on Sunday morning and the 3rd class at 2pm. By 6.45pm Sunday, the longest series of weekend classes I ever had was all over. Thank God!! And my endless gratitude to my dearest wife for understanding.... My kids did not get the attention of their father for the past 2 days. :-( Fortunately for them, their atuk & nenek's house is just next-door, who were more than happy to entertain their antics.
Luckily, I was not involved in the convocation this year. Phew!! Otherwise, I would have had a nervous breakdown managing between the three things. My office mates & my staff have been busy working on the preparations for the last couple of months. I am sure this year would be fine if not better considering that they used the same big venue and the same set of committee members.
And then there was the Arsenal vs Man U game last night... The Grand Slam Weekend they call is as there was another big game involving Chelsea vs Liverpool which ended in the Blues winning by 1-0, thanks to a sublime strike from Drogba (that guy looks as strong as a Mongolian ox!). I was relieved that Arsenal finally won their first League game. This season has seen the worst of starts for the Gunners. But they proved that they still have it in them, even without certain key players. I hope they continue playing like this and with more conviction in their style of play.
What an eventful week and weekend it has been!! And to to top it off, I was called for an interview last week, the first since I actively started floating my shares in the job market. It was indeed a pleasant surprise as I had not expected such a quick call-up by this corporation which is known to have a lengthy recruitment process. Well, it doesn't matter. Finally, my prayers are answered. I need to start doing my preparations as it has been 2 years since I last went for an interview. I hope to do well in the interviews. My family will depend on it. I hope this will be the turning point of my career. InsyaAllah....
Friday, August 25, 2006
Lessons from Surah Al-Mu'minun (The Believers)
1. Successful indeed are the believers.
1. Successful indeed are the believers.
2. Those who offer their Salât (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.
3. And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allâh has forbidden).
4. And those who pay the Zakât .
5. And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts)
6. Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame;
7. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors;
8. Those who are faithfully true to their Amanât (all the duties which Allâh has ordained, honesty, moral responsibility and trusts etc.) and to their covenants;
9. And those who strictly guard their (five compulsory congregational) Salawât (prayers) (at their fixed stated hours).
10. These are indeed the inheritors.
11. Who shall inherit the Firdaus (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Corporate @ Keparat Lessons: Leadership Through Example
My Tyrant Boss was late again this morning. He came in at about 10 am. (Our office hours starts at 8.30am). He had no outside meetings this morning. He is simply late. He has been late for the past couple of weeks. The Little Bird (his PA) said Tyrant called this morning to say that he is coming in late. The Little Bird said "Takpe... (Dalam hati: Take your time! ... in a sarcastic tone!)....
If I or anybody else were to call or sms saying that we're coming in late, the Tyrant would ask us 1001 questions why and preach to us about the virtues of punctuality.... then he would preach to us again when we come into office... on the same thing....
The thing that ticks me is that the Tyrant is a person who does not tolerate people coming in late (not even for 5 minutes) but when it happens to him, its ok. Just fine and dandy.
The Tyrant is a also "leader" who would scold his managers like hell and ask them to justify why they are late. He would belittle them like small kids and start saying that since he can be early, why cant they. They should change their habits, implement them in 40 days, wake up and leave early from home, manage their personal affairs properly, work smart... bla bla bla....
The Tyrant would also make it a point to ask the Little Bird to call and check up on whether I am already in by the time he arrives or asks my colleague on the same. This practice on checking up on his managers seems to apply to others as well. Then whenever he meets us, he would give a lecture on the importance of being punctual, need to show good example, change habits, bla bla bla....
No doubt punctuality is a good virtue. I am also late sometimes. But for a person to preach virtues, he must walk his talk. He must come in early to preach to people about being punctual. Otherwise, he has lost the moral ground to preach and advise people. Its like a thief saying to others don't steal! His words will no longer have moral legitimacy. Masuk telinga kanan, keluar telinga kiri..... In the end, people will cast doubts on his leadership... being a leader is not easy, you gotta lead by good example.....
My Tyrant Boss was late again this morning. He came in at about 10 am. (Our office hours starts at 8.30am). He had no outside meetings this morning. He is simply late. He has been late for the past couple of weeks. The Little Bird (his PA) said Tyrant called this morning to say that he is coming in late. The Little Bird said "Takpe... (Dalam hati: Take your time! ... in a sarcastic tone!)....
If I or anybody else were to call or sms saying that we're coming in late, the Tyrant would ask us 1001 questions why and preach to us about the virtues of punctuality.... then he would preach to us again when we come into office... on the same thing....
The thing that ticks me is that the Tyrant is a person who does not tolerate people coming in late (not even for 5 minutes) but when it happens to him, its ok. Just fine and dandy.
The Tyrant is a also "leader" who would scold his managers like hell and ask them to justify why they are late. He would belittle them like small kids and start saying that since he can be early, why cant they. They should change their habits, implement them in 40 days, wake up and leave early from home, manage their personal affairs properly, work smart... bla bla bla....
The Tyrant would also make it a point to ask the Little Bird to call and check up on whether I am already in by the time he arrives or asks my colleague on the same. This practice on checking up on his managers seems to apply to others as well. Then whenever he meets us, he would give a lecture on the importance of being punctual, need to show good example, change habits, bla bla bla....
No doubt punctuality is a good virtue. I am also late sometimes. But for a person to preach virtues, he must walk his talk. He must come in early to preach to people about being punctual. Otherwise, he has lost the moral ground to preach and advise people. Its like a thief saying to others don't steal! His words will no longer have moral legitimacy. Masuk telinga kanan, keluar telinga kiri..... In the end, people will cast doubts on his leadership... being a leader is not easy, you gotta lead by good example.....
Monday, August 21, 2006
Happiness, Felicity, Blessedness, Bliss.....
Finally, I'm back in the blogging world after 3 weeks of technical glitches which almost led to the demise of this blog. Several conspiracy theories were hatched (such as my blog was sabotaged by Zionists for showing the Qana tragedy picture) but luckily, after resetting my templates several times, I managed to get this blog back on track.
Anyway, I woke up early this morning, 5am to be exact. Felt really fresh. Never had that feeling of a good night sleep for quite some time now. Most of the time my nights are a mixture of 2-3 hours of sleep, followed by a loud wailing cry of my daughter Maira at 3 am, asking me specifically to prepare her "susu botol". Then I continue sleeping for another 2 hours and then followed by another round of loud wailing cries by yours truly Maira, asking for "air kosong" at 5 am. Then I'd continue sleeping until either my handphone alarm rings or my wife wakes me up for subuh. Then we wake up, perform solat, dress ourselves, prepare Eimran for pre-school. And then off we go to work. That is the normal weekday routine, 5 days a week , almost 52 weeks, for the past few years of my life.
Anyway, I've now come to a stage where I need to reflect on my life. What have I done for the past years and where am I heading for the future? I am now at a cross-road, a junction where have to decide on which road to take next. Its will be very important decision as my wife and kids will be depending on it.
I've compared the achievements of my friends. Some have made it and are successful, some are at the same level as I am whilst some are relatively in the same position as they were the past couple of years. But, when I look at it, what really determines whether you have achieved in life, and in society? What is it that makes people feel satisfied of what they have become? Is it the money, house or car that they own? Their position? Their influence & role in society?
Lets face it. I am not really happy at my present workplace. Its far from my home where I have to endure 2 hours of heavy traffic daily. Then, my boss is a tyrant ("Little Napoleon" I call him) who has more mood swings than a lady pregnant with sextuplets! Its sometime difficult to talk to him as he gets emotional and temperamental. The work is also getting pretty mundane and boring where I have to sit in soo many meetings and take down the bloody minutes. (Imagine that almost 50% of my time is spent in long meetings just to jot down issues that are being discussed over and over again).
The company is also not doing well financially, where the bonus was pathetic last year. But this is unavoidable as the core activity of my company is not really a money spinner. We had to beg with the holding company in order to justify why we deserved it!! (FYI: holding company did not declare bonus for last year as they have been in the red for the past 10 years!!) And then the bombshell came when we were told that there's going to be a management change soon where a another entity will be taking over the company... Sigh!....
One thing good about this company, is that the colleagues that I work with are a nice bunch of people. They are very supportive among colleagues. I have basically no complaints about them. Also there's not much politicking among staff as they seem to be united against one common enemy - "Little Napolean The Tyrant".
And so I decided that I need to move on, since tanda-tanda besar dah muncul (as compared to "tanda-tanda kecil & besar kiamat" I learned in primary school!). To me all the "tanda-tanda" are already present. There is no point for me to be here anymore, I no longer have the passion which I used to have. To me, having passion in work is very important in order to achieve a satisfactory working life. I do not think I will go anywhere here. The most that I can go is becoming a Senior Manager. Even the Tyrant boss suggested that I relook at my plans and suggested that I should consider better options. With that coming from the Little Napoleon, no doubt it is "the time" to move on. My journey with this company is about to end...
I started to review and revamp my resume, updated a few items and start sending it to my network of friends. Some have been kind enough to forward to me tips on vacancies. I also started applying through Jobstreet though I doubt how successful I will be using this medium. So hopefully someone from the HR Dept of these places I've applied will be calling me soon. Need to brush up on my "interviewee" skills.
Coming back to the reflections I made of my achievements and others, I came across this Net article on Happiness. Then it struck me that what I am really looking for is HAPPINESS.... No matter what you do, no matter how much you earn, no matter how educated you are, it all depends on whether you are happy with your life.
The Introduction to the article was very enlightening indeed. It had me seriously thinking, of what i really seek for in my life... Here it is:
The article then goes on to explain further about the subject. Pretty interesting read. I hope to finish reading the whole article soon. So the relevant questions for me now, what will make me a happy person? What type of job will make me a happier person? I've always said to myself, one of the most satisfying thing that I can achieve in my career is to work and earn a living doing the things that I enjoy most doing and having time with the people that matters most to me - my family.....
And the journey continues....
Finally, I'm back in the blogging world after 3 weeks of technical glitches which almost led to the demise of this blog. Several conspiracy theories were hatched (such as my blog was sabotaged by Zionists for showing the Qana tragedy picture) but luckily, after resetting my templates several times, I managed to get this blog back on track.
Anyway, I woke up early this morning, 5am to be exact. Felt really fresh. Never had that feeling of a good night sleep for quite some time now. Most of the time my nights are a mixture of 2-3 hours of sleep, followed by a loud wailing cry of my daughter Maira at 3 am, asking me specifically to prepare her "susu botol". Then I continue sleeping for another 2 hours and then followed by another round of loud wailing cries by yours truly Maira, asking for "air kosong" at 5 am. Then I'd continue sleeping until either my handphone alarm rings or my wife wakes me up for subuh. Then we wake up, perform solat, dress ourselves, prepare Eimran for pre-school. And then off we go to work. That is the normal weekday routine, 5 days a week , almost 52 weeks, for the past few years of my life.
Anyway, I've now come to a stage where I need to reflect on my life. What have I done for the past years and where am I heading for the future? I am now at a cross-road, a junction where have to decide on which road to take next. Its will be very important decision as my wife and kids will be depending on it.
I've compared the achievements of my friends. Some have made it and are successful, some are at the same level as I am whilst some are relatively in the same position as they were the past couple of years. But, when I look at it, what really determines whether you have achieved in life, and in society? What is it that makes people feel satisfied of what they have become? Is it the money, house or car that they own? Their position? Their influence & role in society?
Lets face it. I am not really happy at my present workplace. Its far from my home where I have to endure 2 hours of heavy traffic daily. Then, my boss is a tyrant ("Little Napoleon" I call him) who has more mood swings than a lady pregnant with sextuplets! Its sometime difficult to talk to him as he gets emotional and temperamental. The work is also getting pretty mundane and boring where I have to sit in soo many meetings and take down the bloody minutes. (Imagine that almost 50% of my time is spent in long meetings just to jot down issues that are being discussed over and over again).
The company is also not doing well financially, where the bonus was pathetic last year. But this is unavoidable as the core activity of my company is not really a money spinner. We had to beg with the holding company in order to justify why we deserved it!! (FYI: holding company did not declare bonus for last year as they have been in the red for the past 10 years!!) And then the bombshell came when we were told that there's going to be a management change soon where a another entity will be taking over the company... Sigh!....
One thing good about this company, is that the colleagues that I work with are a nice bunch of people. They are very supportive among colleagues. I have basically no complaints about them. Also there's not much politicking among staff as they seem to be united against one common enemy - "Little Napolean The Tyrant".
And so I decided that I need to move on, since tanda-tanda besar dah muncul (as compared to "tanda-tanda kecil & besar kiamat" I learned in primary school!). To me all the "tanda-tanda" are already present. There is no point for me to be here anymore, I no longer have the passion which I used to have. To me, having passion in work is very important in order to achieve a satisfactory working life. I do not think I will go anywhere here. The most that I can go is becoming a Senior Manager. Even the Tyrant boss suggested that I relook at my plans and suggested that I should consider better options. With that coming from the Little Napoleon, no doubt it is "the time" to move on. My journey with this company is about to end...
I started to review and revamp my resume, updated a few items and start sending it to my network of friends. Some have been kind enough to forward to me tips on vacancies. I also started applying through Jobstreet though I doubt how successful I will be using this medium. So hopefully someone from the HR Dept of these places I've applied will be calling me soon. Need to brush up on my "interviewee" skills.
Coming back to the reflections I made of my achievements and others, I came across this Net article on Happiness. Then it struck me that what I am really looking for is HAPPINESS.... No matter what you do, no matter how much you earn, no matter how educated you are, it all depends on whether you are happy with your life.
The Introduction to the article was very enlightening indeed. It had me seriously thinking, of what i really seek for in my life... Here it is:
"According to Webster's Third New Intern
Some students of educ
(1) Wealth.
(2) Rank and position.
(3) Educati onal achievements (Academic and Honorary Degrees).
(4) Fame (i.e., in politics, arts, sports, science, etc.).
(2) Rank and position.
(3) Educ
(4) Fame (i.e., in politics, arts, sports, science, etc.).
The article then goes on to explain further about the subject. Pretty interesting read. I hope to finish reading the whole article soon. So the relevant questions for me now, what will make me a happy person? What type of job will make me a happier person? I've always said to myself, one of the most satisfying thing that I can achieve in my career is to work and earn a living doing the things that I enjoy most doing and having time with the people that matters most to me - my family.....
And the journey continues....
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Bloggers Beware!
The headline in The Star caught my eye this morning. I was anxious to know what it was all about since t'was only 2 days ago that I started blogging. Lepas ni takleh nak blog la, i thought.... It said that the PM warned bloggers who spread untruths and slander on the Internet will face the law. Such a stern warning from the No. 1 man in Malaysia.... Well, I suppose he is feeling the heat from all the various comments made by certain bloggers about his administration, his famous son-in-law as well as the people at "Level 4". No doubt, Pak Lah and his government has been under the spotlight and has had its share of criticisms. And now it seems, the Government might be controlling Internet content. But Lim Keng Yeak, the Minister in charge stated that how could the Government control and censor the Net when it had pledged not to in promoting the MSC. So we have 2 contrasting views here..... As to which viewpoint will prevail, I suppose Pak Lah and Keng Yeak will have to decide in this morning's Cabinet meeting.
As for the me, I suppose I can still blog on as long as I am mindful of what I write. But should the Government decide to control the Net and its contents, I would think that it would be a tedious task and a rather unpopular one, both locally and internationally. We'll wait and see tomorrow's headlines.....
The headline in The Star caught my eye this morning. I was anxious to know what it was all about since t'was only 2 days ago that I started blogging. Lepas ni takleh nak blog la, i thought.... It said that the PM warned bloggers who spread untruths and slander on the Internet will face the law. Such a stern warning from the No. 1 man in Malaysia.... Well, I suppose he is feeling the heat from all the various comments made by certain bloggers about his administration, his famous son-in-law as well as the people at "Level 4". No doubt, Pak Lah and his government has been under the spotlight and has had its share of criticisms. And now it seems, the Government might be controlling Internet content. But Lim Keng Yeak, the Minister in charge stated that how could the Government control and censor the Net when it had pledged not to in promoting the MSC. So we have 2 contrasting views here..... As to which viewpoint will prevail, I suppose Pak Lah and Keng Yeak will have to decide in this morning's Cabinet meeting.
As for the me, I suppose I can still blog on as long as I am mindful of what I write. But should the Government decide to control the Net and its contents, I would think that it would be a tedious task and a rather unpopular one, both locally and internationally. We'll wait and see tomorrow's headlines.....
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sadness in Qana, Lebanon...My heart is crying for this man..... To lose a child is the worst thing that can happen to a parent... Such senseless killing..... Estimates say 57 lives were lost, 34 children...
I can't imagine the sorrow... Even thinking about it makes my heart weep....
How can the world watch and let this happen and do nothing?
May God grant strength to the Lebanese people.....
Muqaddimah.... The Beginning...
Finally I decided to blog.... Why you may ask? Well, I must say that I was introduced to this world of blogging by my friends at my workplace.....
At first, I thought it was almost sacrilege that someone would publish their innermost thoughts and feelings on the Net. Its like writing a diary of your personal thought and let other people read it. I mean wouldn't you go bonkers if your sister or brother were to have read up your diary? (The last time I wrote in a "real diary" was about 14 years ago! Those were the days!).
I mean my diary was a private notebook which stored private thoughts of what happened to me on a daily basis. Its a place where I stored my feelings, frustrations, anger, dreams, ambitions and innermost thoughts. Its where I can "let go" and just write anything I want without other people knowing about it. And thats what I thought about blogging, initially.....
When I heard about it, I thought about these people surely wanted cheap publicity and attention.... but after looking at several blogs set up by my friends as well as on the Net, I now know that blogging is not just an online diary. Its more than that.... its a medium of expression... expressions of the human mind....
And so I said to myself, maybe I should start writing again like I did with my trusted diary last time... To start expressing myself again, my thoughts of what is going on around me and the world at large. To perhaps re-discover myself, what I seek from this temporal life. But in doing so, I don't think I can just "let go". In this medium, I suppose people may read my thoughts. So there has to be some self-restraint and mindfullness. Which is why I decided to name my blog as it is...
Finally I decided to blog.... Why you may ask? Well, I must say that I was introduced to this world of blogging by my friends at my workplace.....
At first, I thought it was almost sacrilege that someone would publish their innermost thoughts and feelings on the Net. Its like writing a diary of your personal thought and let other people read it. I mean wouldn't you go bonkers if your sister or brother were to have read up your diary? (The last time I wrote in a "real diary" was about 14 years ago! Those were the days!).
I mean my diary was a private notebook which stored private thoughts of what happened to me on a daily basis. Its a place where I stored my feelings, frustrations, anger, dreams, ambitions and innermost thoughts. Its where I can "let go" and just write anything I want without other people knowing about it. And thats what I thought about blogging, initially.....
When I heard about it, I thought about these people surely wanted cheap publicity and attention.... but after looking at several blogs set up by my friends as well as on the Net, I now know that blogging is not just an online diary. Its more than that.... its a medium of expression... expressions of the human mind....
And so I said to myself, maybe I should start writing again like I did with my trusted diary last time... To start expressing myself again, my thoughts of what is going on around me and the world at large. To perhaps re-discover myself, what I seek from this temporal life. But in doing so, I don't think I can just "let go". In this medium, I suppose people may read my thoughts. So there has to be some self-restraint and mindfullness. Which is why I decided to name my blog as it is...
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