This was a blog entry I typed out on June 24 2008 which I wanted to post back then but forgot:
I have had a very profound revelation bestowed upon me today. Of the 15 years I have been online, chatting with and making new friends, of surfing the net hoping to find the something which will make my life a little bit better, building my life around corresponding with friends and family via emails and lately friendster and onward to facebook, website names which have yet to find itself into the English dictionary, I can confidently say that today is the actual turning point of my life.
I have been contemplating a career switch into sales this past year after finding myself behind a desk full of paperwork in a dead end mundane job chasing the illusive dream that someday I will make something out of this ‘career’ I have landed myself in while ranting about how good the ‘benefits’ are here to my friends and family.
The actual fact is that, behind the scenes, when they turn off the lights at night in the fancy 20th floor with a view of the kl tower, I’m just a helpless broke with pennies to my name instead of the millions of dollars I have been chasing all this while. I guess they were right when they said that the more you chase something, the faster and further it runs away from you.
The power-point slide shows the grand canyon and a little caption below it which reads “The more you plan your life, the more you’ll miss the chance of destiny hitting you.”
Today I found out that one of my friend from my hometown had cancer. I don’t know the seriousness of the cancer, I also don’t know whether she will live or leave in weeks or months to come but I have learnt something today.
That the way I have been living my life has been totally upside down. Today I vow to unlearn everything I have learned about living my life for the past 31 years. I have been conditioned, mostly by my peers to consider this phrase:
“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t lose/had nothing to lose?” or “If money wasn’t an issue, what would you be doing in life?”
Phrases that makes me consider what would I do in MY best interest if nothing was in my way in life. What I would do for myself that will enhance my standard of living… social status… creature comfort… family… etc.
What if I totally change the phrase I was taught to live by and now it reads:
“HOW WOULD I LIVE MY LIFE IF I ONLY HAD 24 HOURS TO LIVE?” How would you life your life if you knew you were going to die tomorrow? Would I still think of my own benefit at the expense of others?
I would want to share everything I know, all the knowledge and wisdom that I possess, with the people I know will benefit from it.
I won’t think of what’s in it for me when helping other people.
I now realize that, often we think more of ourselves than of others. Perhaps this is one of the primal instincts of mankind. To look out for their own above all else. Our pursuit for material gains and creature comfort makes us put up a limit when we’re suppose to consider other people’s welfare.
Slowly we develop a mindset that reminds us often that no matter what, we have to look out for our own first. Our actions and decisions got us to where we are today and we are the masters of our own destiny. Therefore we cannot blame anyone else for our plight or predicament, if we are in a rut and if we’re fortunate enough to be bestowed with the riches and luxuries which life can offer us, we have to count our lucky stars and we deserve everything we have ever worked for and the less fortunate are where they are because they did not work hard enough or make good enough decisions to ensure that their lives are better than what its supposed to be.
Today I shall rid my mindset of all poisonous and selfish thoughts and genuinely care for people. I will think of their benefit because when people win, I win!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
I believe! Yes I can!
Maroon 5 is playing on the radio now and I'm feeling totally relaxed on a Friday afternoon. Not because the week is rolling into the weekend, cos it really doesn't make a difference to me anyway. Its a kind of calm confidence coming over me.
A quick check showed that I haven't updated my blog since June, it's November now and that makes 5 months already. So many things had happened since then. My untimely exit from the workforce (yet again) in September and the passing of a good friend in October.
I've just embarked on my Real Estate career and what I feel like saying is, right now the road ahead is still very long. However, I have built a strong foundation by choosing the right company to start out with. Eventhough I have not sold any property yet, I would like to thank Reapfield Properties for providing me with a strong foundation to start in this business (eventhough I had to pay for the training), I feel that its all worth it. I mean, which person ever gained from something that was given out for free, right?
Unless it was a lashing, then the person would have gained a heartache and a plan to get even!
I'm still not very sure about my direction moving forward towards the future, at least I'm taking the first step there and know that all's well ends well (as far as the movie title goes).
All my 8 MBA subjects ends at the end of next year, that is if I consistently take 2 subjects per semester from Jan all the way to July and end with 1 subject at the end of the year. After that I have to plan and start on my thesis. Like I anticipated from the start, it ain't easy but I'm now halfway through it, I won't stop now! I hope that the me reading this 2 years from now when I'm finally an MBA will know that I'm a fighter and not scared to fight all the way to the end. I know that I will be proud of what I have achieved!
By then I would be well footed in my Real Estate biz too. Right now I am struggling so much. My opportunity cost this 3 months I am out on my own is more than 10 thousand ringgit, which is alot in today's economy. I know that I still have to find a job right now to ensure that I can still comfortably drive my car and comfortably live in my condo. That is besides having food on the table everyday and pay for the bills.
I will pull through these tough times! I imagine myself laughing heartily at this blog entry many years from now when I'm financially stable. I know that all my efforts won't go to waste. My motto, "Every step I take brings me closer to the realization of my goals and dreams" still holds true and strong in my mind and soul.
As my good friend Stanley told me some time back. Don't worry about what you don't have now. Whether you win or lose, you will know when you're in your older years.
Obama had taught me that, no matter who you are, black, white, yellow, tall, short, skinny, fat, if you think you can, you can. I believe! Yes I can!
A quick check showed that I haven't updated my blog since June, it's November now and that makes 5 months already. So many things had happened since then. My untimely exit from the workforce (yet again) in September and the passing of a good friend in October.
I've just embarked on my Real Estate career and what I feel like saying is, right now the road ahead is still very long. However, I have built a strong foundation by choosing the right company to start out with. Eventhough I have not sold any property yet, I would like to thank Reapfield Properties for providing me with a strong foundation to start in this business (eventhough I had to pay for the training), I feel that its all worth it. I mean, which person ever gained from something that was given out for free, right?
Unless it was a lashing, then the person would have gained a heartache and a plan to get even!
I'm still not very sure about my direction moving forward towards the future, at least I'm taking the first step there and know that all's well ends well (as far as the movie title goes).
All my 8 MBA subjects ends at the end of next year, that is if I consistently take 2 subjects per semester from Jan all the way to July and end with 1 subject at the end of the year. After that I have to plan and start on my thesis. Like I anticipated from the start, it ain't easy but I'm now halfway through it, I won't stop now! I hope that the me reading this 2 years from now when I'm finally an MBA will know that I'm a fighter and not scared to fight all the way to the end. I know that I will be proud of what I have achieved!
By then I would be well footed in my Real Estate biz too. Right now I am struggling so much. My opportunity cost this 3 months I am out on my own is more than 10 thousand ringgit, which is alot in today's economy. I know that I still have to find a job right now to ensure that I can still comfortably drive my car and comfortably live in my condo. That is besides having food on the table everyday and pay for the bills.
I will pull through these tough times! I imagine myself laughing heartily at this blog entry many years from now when I'm financially stable. I know that all my efforts won't go to waste. My motto, "Every step I take brings me closer to the realization of my goals and dreams" still holds true and strong in my mind and soul.
As my good friend Stanley told me some time back. Don't worry about what you don't have now. Whether you win or lose, you will know when you're in your older years.
Obama had taught me that, no matter who you are, black, white, yellow, tall, short, skinny, fat, if you think you can, you can. I believe! Yes I can!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Has it really been 3 months already?
Has it really been 3 months already? Last week my cousin sister sent me an email asking me to update my blog. Today I noticed that I haven't updated it since Mar 20, almost 3 months.
I can't believe that I have been so engrossed with work and life so much to the extent that I have failed to come in here and express myself and let go whatever feelings and emotions which I have built up for so long and allow myself to slowly be eaten up by the everyday stresses of working and living in the city. Also many things has changed and happened in the 3 months I have been away. Earthquake in Si-chuan China and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar killing scores of people and more prominently back home, the fuel hike from RM1.92 to RM2.70 per litre of unleaded petrol. Whats worst, coming soon is the increase in electricity rates.
The only thing which I haven't heard is increasing is my salary and those of my fellow Malaysians. But being the peace loving and god fearing Malaysians we are, many of us (me included), life still goes on. I guess it's nothing new around here. The fuel price has been hiked many times in the past and look at us, we're still standing on our two feet.
On the 1st of April 2008, I have also moved into my own apartment, the one which I bought in 2004, completed and went through the key handover ceremony in Dec 2006 and had been rented out all this while. Finally the 'Malaysian dream' of mine of having a house and car of my own has 'materialized'. Now the only thing which is left to do for me is to work hard and make enough money to live happily in it.
I'm not one to complain much because my office is 10km away from where I live and I ride an old motorcycle to work everyday. My fuel usage, before the hike used to be RM70 per month and parking fees another RM10 per day. Now it's about RM100 (est) per month for fuel and the same RM10 for parking under the shade.
Driving would cost me about 5x more with the jam and extorbitant parking charges (RM8 per day!)Guess I've got nothing much to complain about. As for the quake and cyclone victims, I make sure I set aside some money (saved from not driving my car to work)to make donations every month. Its my own way of giving back and repaying my 'karma'.
Well, one thing which doesn't really make sense to me in the days after the 'aftermath' of the fuel price hikes. People are still driving around in their big ass gas guzzling cars as if the hike never happened. I'm not pro government or anything, just being sensible. All the calls for 'ubah gaya hidup' by our PM has probably yet to settle into our lifestyles or has fallen on deaf ears.
Things as simple as leaving half an hour or an hour earlier to work everyday constitutes the lifestyle change our govt has been encouraging us to do. Also I guess our mindsets has to change as well. When I say 'we' or 'our', I am including myself in the equation because I am also a member of everyday Malaysians angry at everything which dramatically alters our lifestyle. I am a rakyat too.
The world economy, global oil prices increase, greenhouse gases, depleting ozone layers, open burning for land clearance, earthquakes, floods, cyclones and hurricanes are all beyond our control as human beings, but our own mindset is. Small things like not driving like an F1 driver on steroids during rush hour traffic while trying to look like James Dean or leaving the house in Klang at 8:45am trying to reach the workplace in KLCC at 9am.
Other things include, not being a scrooge when it comes to servicing the car when it's scheduled to, which is every 5000km if you're using normal engine oils and around 7000-10000km if you're on da good stuff, like Mobil 1. I admit I used to be in that category as well. Doing this in the long run actually results in a worn out engine and higher fuel consumption. The other thing is tyres. I see many cars on the road with less than 20-30% thread left on them and many looking like Kojak's head (botak!). Cmon lah, are new tyres more expensive than the lives of the passengers you carry in your car? 'Fuel saving' tyres actually (if you inflate it right) does give you more mileage for the fuel you pump in your car.
The last thing I would like to share here is, because of the recent fuel hike, some opportunities have arise to make some good profit. The if you're looking for business opportunities, the sale of EPS fuel savers, fuel saving sticks, fuel additives and the likes of it to save from 5-25% on motorists' fuel consumption, you can write me an email at davegeh@gmail.com. There is always 2 sides to a coin. Even the chinese word for crisis (weiji) contains 2 characters, signifying both 'danger' and 'opportunity'. When you're in a crisis situation, take a look at the situation from the inside when you're in it, then step 'outside' of yourself and look at it in another light... there might be opportunity to be gained out of it.
I can't believe that I have been so engrossed with work and life so much to the extent that I have failed to come in here and express myself and let go whatever feelings and emotions which I have built up for so long and allow myself to slowly be eaten up by the everyday stresses of working and living in the city. Also many things has changed and happened in the 3 months I have been away. Earthquake in Si-chuan China and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar killing scores of people and more prominently back home, the fuel hike from RM1.92 to RM2.70 per litre of unleaded petrol. Whats worst, coming soon is the increase in electricity rates.
The only thing which I haven't heard is increasing is my salary and those of my fellow Malaysians. But being the peace loving and god fearing Malaysians we are, many of us (me included), life still goes on. I guess it's nothing new around here. The fuel price has been hiked many times in the past and look at us, we're still standing on our two feet.
On the 1st of April 2008, I have also moved into my own apartment, the one which I bought in 2004, completed and went through the key handover ceremony in Dec 2006 and had been rented out all this while. Finally the 'Malaysian dream' of mine of having a house and car of my own has 'materialized'. Now the only thing which is left to do for me is to work hard and make enough money to live happily in it.
I'm not one to complain much because my office is 10km away from where I live and I ride an old motorcycle to work everyday. My fuel usage, before the hike used to be RM70 per month and parking fees another RM10 per day. Now it's about RM100 (est) per month for fuel and the same RM10 for parking under the shade.
Driving would cost me about 5x more with the jam and extorbitant parking charges (RM8 per day!)Guess I've got nothing much to complain about. As for the quake and cyclone victims, I make sure I set aside some money (saved from not driving my car to work)to make donations every month. Its my own way of giving back and repaying my 'karma'.
Well, one thing which doesn't really make sense to me in the days after the 'aftermath' of the fuel price hikes. People are still driving around in their big ass gas guzzling cars as if the hike never happened. I'm not pro government or anything, just being sensible. All the calls for 'ubah gaya hidup' by our PM has probably yet to settle into our lifestyles or has fallen on deaf ears.
Things as simple as leaving half an hour or an hour earlier to work everyday constitutes the lifestyle change our govt has been encouraging us to do. Also I guess our mindsets has to change as well. When I say 'we' or 'our', I am including myself in the equation because I am also a member of everyday Malaysians angry at everything which dramatically alters our lifestyle. I am a rakyat too.
The world economy, global oil prices increase, greenhouse gases, depleting ozone layers, open burning for land clearance, earthquakes, floods, cyclones and hurricanes are all beyond our control as human beings, but our own mindset is. Small things like not driving like an F1 driver on steroids during rush hour traffic while trying to look like James Dean or leaving the house in Klang at 8:45am trying to reach the workplace in KLCC at 9am.
Other things include, not being a scrooge when it comes to servicing the car when it's scheduled to, which is every 5000km if you're using normal engine oils and around 7000-10000km if you're on da good stuff, like Mobil 1. I admit I used to be in that category as well. Doing this in the long run actually results in a worn out engine and higher fuel consumption. The other thing is tyres. I see many cars on the road with less than 20-30% thread left on them and many looking like Kojak's head (botak!). Cmon lah, are new tyres more expensive than the lives of the passengers you carry in your car? 'Fuel saving' tyres actually (if you inflate it right) does give you more mileage for the fuel you pump in your car.
The last thing I would like to share here is, because of the recent fuel hike, some opportunities have arise to make some good profit. The if you're looking for business opportunities, the sale of EPS fuel savers, fuel saving sticks, fuel additives and the likes of it to save from 5-25% on motorists' fuel consumption, you can write me an email at davegeh@gmail.com. There is always 2 sides to a coin. Even the chinese word for crisis (weiji) contains 2 characters, signifying both 'danger' and 'opportunity'. When you're in a crisis situation, take a look at the situation from the inside when you're in it, then step 'outside' of yourself and look at it in another light... there might be opportunity to be gained out of it.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Funny vid - Doggie humps his passed out master!
Never a good idea to pass out in public...
Courtesy of LiveLeak.com
Public Holiday! Its the birthday of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W
First of all, I would like to again congratulate Datuk Ong Tee Keat for being promoted to the position of Transport Minister of Malaysia by the PM!
The last week was really hectic, running here and there like a mad person plus the erratic weather. I really dunno whats happening to the climate nowadays, it never rained so much before, especially this time of the year. Now it practically rains everyday!
Besides the deadlines of my Human Resource Management and Challenges to Management assignments drawing nearer and nearer, I have recently found something new to stir my interest in making money (although I don't have any to start with.) and for once, it doesn't involve Insurance policies, Unit trusts, Multi-level marketing, Stocks and bonds, talking to strangers, cold-calling, bugging my family members to buy worthless things from me or God. (Thank goodness it doesn't involve the last 2!)
But like I said, if someone were to pre-qualify people to join in this program to make huge bucks, then I will be the first one that person will DIS-qualify as a prospect. This is because it involves an initial capital outlay of about RM30,000 and above. The whole week this term has been revolving in my head "Rich man getting richer game".
You'd think you finally 'cracked the code' and found the secret of how the rich becomes richer and the poor (that includes me for now) becomes poorer and poorer and how we wish a guy in a green suit with a feather on his cap riding a white horse would come along and drop sacks of gold coins on our front porch. Lo and behold! Lesson learnt: The rich became richer by using money. Period. After cracking my brain for many hours, weeks, days, months and years, I still can't think of any other way besides, well, robbing a bank (too risky), marrying into money (too sleazy) or conning rich old ladies (too cheap).
For the rest of you who do have money, you might want to check out this neat little investment strategy called 'Land Banking'. While driving home after dinner with my dearest in Pudu, I heard an ad on LiteFM on UK Land and the tagline was really catchy. "...consistently outperform every other investment instruments..." Wouldn't you think they would have at least some data to support what they blurt out on national radio?
In land banking you may find terms like Capital Preservation (Protection?), Capital growth (14.4% compounded and 22% simple interest) and things like 'land in the path of development' and seeking to double your investment in 4-6 years. For those who have attended introductory seminars in Land Banking, will find it very familiar and much so for those who have actually invested in Land Banking products, will find it very familiar plus highly rewarding and enjoyable! What it means in idiot terms (for people like me) is, 100-200% ROI in a couple of years! Impossible? I doubt so.
I'm a critic, but I'm also an optimist and an opportunist. When something good or bad comes along, I always like to play Horatio Cane and snap on my rubber glove and pretend I'm in a shoot of CSI: Miami although my head not always senget like his. We have to question whether good really is good and bad really is bad or good really is bad or bad really is good, right? There is a seminar on Land Banking coming up at Walton International (one of the major Land Banking players in Malaysia) at their 8th floor Wisma Genting office in KL on Sat 29th March 2008. If you're reading this and curious to find out more, do drop me an email at davegeh@gmail.com . We could make arrangements to meet up and go listen to what they have to say.
Monday, March 10, 2008
THERE IT CAME AND WENT! TSUNAMI?
Congratulations Datuk Ong Tee Keat for your win in P100.Pandan (Selangor) in GE12, 2008!
There it came and went. The general election that would go down into the annals of history (although I doubt that it will ever go into the history books for the newer generation of Malaysians whom we groom to take over our country to learn)
The one called the mother of all general elections, the tsunami wave of political change, people’s power and the most prominent one being, the dawn of a new Malaysia. Glued in front of the television with a bottle of Carlsberg from the nearby kopitiam and a bag of giant groundnuts till the wee hours of the morning waiting expectantly for the result of the 12th general election, I must admit that I, like millions of other Malaysians, were anxious and extremely curious about what the results would be like. Will the ‘giants’ rule another day or will the underdogs be given a chance to prove their worth, to walk their talk after 50 years of the ‘ruling coalition’ dominance.
Today, 2 days after the ‘tsunami’, I must admit that I’m still in a daze about the outcome. I must also admit that, I am one of those who actually bought in to the words of our PM advising us to “be thankful for what you have” and see no reason or rhyme to actually go against anything which I consider good. Life really was good for the past 5 years since the last election in 2004.
I actually was thankful for what I had, and even more thankful for what I didn’t have to go through, things like war, hunger, unemployment, sleeping on the street, foreign occupation and scarcity. After a while, it dawned upon me that, if I was living in Indonesia, as a Chinese (being the minority there), in face of a multitude of adversity and uncertainty, I can still have for myself if I work hard enough, enough food so that I wouldn’t die of hunger, a roof over my head so that I wouldn’t have to live out on the street and enough money in my pocket, so that I wouldn’t have to go beg others for it.
No matter who is in power, that person or group would still by all means do it’s best so that they do not run the country into the ground as they themselves live here too with their families and friends all around them. Who in their right mind would want chaos in their own ‘house’? This very thought had empowered me to adopt a wider take on politics and the economy which I would normally not really give a thought about.
Congratulations to the ruling coalition MP in the constituency which I had voted in for 2 general elections (P100.Pandan, Selangor), Datuk Ong Tee Keat (BN-MCA). Yes, I voted for him in 2004 and 2008, but only because he is a humble, hardworking, dedicated and caring person who have really listened to us and served us throughout the years. His banners and posters doesn’t even bear his honorific title, just his humble name. I have deep respect for him because he is walks his talk.
In the state assembly in my area, I would like to congratulate first time assemblywoman, Ms. Jenice Lee Ying Ha (DAP) for her impressive win in this area. The previous state assemblyman had really left many of us who have actually entrusted our vote to him utterly disappointed and frustrated for his lack of participation and presence, something we had wished he would have done something more about in the last 4 years or so. It is no surprise why he didn’t seek re-election this time around. Ms. Lee, we know you’ll dedicate yourself to doing a much better job and not let us down.
Although I can be considered a 2nd generation Pandan resident, buying a property here shortly before the 2004 general elections, I have lived in this area since 1999 after returning from studies overseas. It’s a really nice place cozy place to call home if you can forgive the lousy traffic jam that seems to centre around the MRR2 as you come from Cheras (Tesco Cheras) to the Pandan Indah flyover. Places of interest here include Steven’s Corner in Pandan Indah, ‘Mini-Genting’ an elevated stretch of road in the vicinity of Bkt Teratai where couples go to be close to each other while enjoying a great view of KL city especially at night. The night market and a wide variety of food outlets at Tmn Muda/Tmn Putra commercial centre (famous for it’s Buffet style Chinese mixed rice) is also famous amongst city folk.
Also equally famous here is the lake in Pandan Perdana where avid joggers, anglers and leisure seekers enjoy their morning and evening walks or just to relax and leave the hectic world behind. Pandan Indah is also home to MPAJ’s HQ. The night markets around Pandan Indah, Pandan Jaya and Taman Maju Jaya (Pandan Perdana) is also as famous and popular as those in Tmn Connaught, Seri Petaling and Damansara Utama.
I love this little spot on the map and hope that it remains beautiful, peaceful and lovely for as long as it can. It’s the way we like it and would like it to be for our future generations. All we hope for those we have entrusted our votes to is to keep it that way and possibly bring changes you deem necessary to make our lives better, both as residents of Pandan and as citizens of Malaysia.
There it came and went. The general election that would go down into the annals of history (although I doubt that it will ever go into the history books for the newer generation of Malaysians whom we groom to take over our country to learn)
The one called the mother of all general elections, the tsunami wave of political change, people’s power and the most prominent one being, the dawn of a new Malaysia. Glued in front of the television with a bottle of Carlsberg from the nearby kopitiam and a bag of giant groundnuts till the wee hours of the morning waiting expectantly for the result of the 12th general election, I must admit that I, like millions of other Malaysians, were anxious and extremely curious about what the results would be like. Will the ‘giants’ rule another day or will the underdogs be given a chance to prove their worth, to walk their talk after 50 years of the ‘ruling coalition’ dominance.
Today, 2 days after the ‘tsunami’, I must admit that I’m still in a daze about the outcome. I must also admit that, I am one of those who actually bought in to the words of our PM advising us to “be thankful for what you have” and see no reason or rhyme to actually go against anything which I consider good. Life really was good for the past 5 years since the last election in 2004.
I actually was thankful for what I had, and even more thankful for what I didn’t have to go through, things like war, hunger, unemployment, sleeping on the street, foreign occupation and scarcity. After a while, it dawned upon me that, if I was living in Indonesia, as a Chinese (being the minority there), in face of a multitude of adversity and uncertainty, I can still have for myself if I work hard enough, enough food so that I wouldn’t die of hunger, a roof over my head so that I wouldn’t have to live out on the street and enough money in my pocket, so that I wouldn’t have to go beg others for it.
No matter who is in power, that person or group would still by all means do it’s best so that they do not run the country into the ground as they themselves live here too with their families and friends all around them. Who in their right mind would want chaos in their own ‘house’? This very thought had empowered me to adopt a wider take on politics and the economy which I would normally not really give a thought about.
Congratulations to the ruling coalition MP in the constituency which I had voted in for 2 general elections (P100.Pandan, Selangor), Datuk Ong Tee Keat (BN-MCA). Yes, I voted for him in 2004 and 2008, but only because he is a humble, hardworking, dedicated and caring person who have really listened to us and served us throughout the years. His banners and posters doesn’t even bear his honorific title, just his humble name. I have deep respect for him because he is walks his talk.
In the state assembly in my area, I would like to congratulate first time assemblywoman, Ms. Jenice Lee Ying Ha (DAP) for her impressive win in this area. The previous state assemblyman had really left many of us who have actually entrusted our vote to him utterly disappointed and frustrated for his lack of participation and presence, something we had wished he would have done something more about in the last 4 years or so. It is no surprise why he didn’t seek re-election this time around. Ms. Lee, we know you’ll dedicate yourself to doing a much better job and not let us down.
Although I can be considered a 2nd generation Pandan resident, buying a property here shortly before the 2004 general elections, I have lived in this area since 1999 after returning from studies overseas. It’s a really nice place cozy place to call home if you can forgive the lousy traffic jam that seems to centre around the MRR2 as you come from Cheras (Tesco Cheras) to the Pandan Indah flyover. Places of interest here include Steven’s Corner in Pandan Indah, ‘Mini-Genting’ an elevated stretch of road in the vicinity of Bkt Teratai where couples go to be close to each other while enjoying a great view of KL city especially at night. The night market and a wide variety of food outlets at Tmn Muda/Tmn Putra commercial centre (famous for it’s Buffet style Chinese mixed rice) is also famous amongst city folk.
Also equally famous here is the lake in Pandan Perdana where avid joggers, anglers and leisure seekers enjoy their morning and evening walks or just to relax and leave the hectic world behind. Pandan Indah is also home to MPAJ’s HQ. The night markets around Pandan Indah, Pandan Jaya and Taman Maju Jaya (Pandan Perdana) is also as famous and popular as those in Tmn Connaught, Seri Petaling and Damansara Utama.
I love this little spot on the map and hope that it remains beautiful, peaceful and lovely for as long as it can. It’s the way we like it and would like it to be for our future generations. All we hope for those we have entrusted our votes to is to keep it that way and possibly bring changes you deem necessary to make our lives better, both as residents of Pandan and as citizens of Malaysia.
Click on the link to access the websites of Datuk Ong Tee Keat (MP for Pandan) and Ms. Jenice Lee (ADUN-Teratai)
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Strange Experience in KLCC
I was in KLCC after work yesterday to pay my Maxis Broadband bill at Menara Maxis, and since I rode my motorcycle to work, I had to park in the basement motorcycle park like everybody else. The parking fee alone cost me RM1.50. Well, that wasn't the strange experience I had. :")
While walking towards the escalator that leads up to the linkway between Suria and Menara Maxis, right in front of Auntie Anne's (I think), I suddenly had this 'spinning sensation' and lost my balance. It was as if the floor was all wobbly and stuff under me. It felt like walking on balloons, if you know what the feeling is like. And as I fought my way to stay upright these few seconds, up ahead was a security guard and I had to literally cling on to his arm to prevent from falling down.
Well our friend was of cos startled by what 'grabbed' him from behind. (Arm I mean) that he asked me to go take a sit at the nearby eatery bench. I told him that I was fine, I just felt the ground wobble under me as if there was a minor tremor right here in KL.
Later when I went in to the Maxis centre and told the girl across the counter about my little 'experience' a few mins ago, she told me that, KLCC was built with some 'Japanese technology' which incorporates a bubble at the bottom of the structure which allows the entire building to sway from left to right according to the wind speeds...bla...bla...bla... What a great bedtime story, she almost put me to sleep!
When I reached home later that night I pondered to myself was it my extreme schedule and lack of sleep that made me lose my balance right there in Suria? Or was it something else that happened in that 10 or so seconds that the ground went all vertigo on me. If it was fatigue, then how come from the carpark all the way up to the mall everything seemed fine for me?
Of late I've been keeping a really tight and busy schedule, with activities occuring every single second of the day, from work, to my studies, to my relationship to things like 'planning for a brighter future' reflections and step by step action taking. Nothing happens till you take action right? I think I remember Tony Robbins saying, Planning without action is a waste of time, or Dreaming without taking action is the beginning of delusion, or something along that lines.
Today, sitting in my office cubicle at 9am in the morning, down with flu, a bad cough and an even worst headache, I'm reflecting if I would make it out 'alive' in 2 years time. But like I promised myself time and time again, No regrets!
While walking towards the escalator that leads up to the linkway between Suria and Menara Maxis, right in front of Auntie Anne's (I think), I suddenly had this 'spinning sensation' and lost my balance. It was as if the floor was all wobbly and stuff under me. It felt like walking on balloons, if you know what the feeling is like. And as I fought my way to stay upright these few seconds, up ahead was a security guard and I had to literally cling on to his arm to prevent from falling down.
Well our friend was of cos startled by what 'grabbed' him from behind. (Arm I mean) that he asked me to go take a sit at the nearby eatery bench. I told him that I was fine, I just felt the ground wobble under me as if there was a minor tremor right here in KL.
Later when I went in to the Maxis centre and told the girl across the counter about my little 'experience' a few mins ago, she told me that, KLCC was built with some 'Japanese technology' which incorporates a bubble at the bottom of the structure which allows the entire building to sway from left to right according to the wind speeds...bla...bla...bla... What a great bedtime story, she almost put me to sleep!
When I reached home later that night I pondered to myself was it my extreme schedule and lack of sleep that made me lose my balance right there in Suria? Or was it something else that happened in that 10 or so seconds that the ground went all vertigo on me. If it was fatigue, then how come from the carpark all the way up to the mall everything seemed fine for me?
Of late I've been keeping a really tight and busy schedule, with activities occuring every single second of the day, from work, to my studies, to my relationship to things like 'planning for a brighter future' reflections and step by step action taking. Nothing happens till you take action right? I think I remember Tony Robbins saying, Planning without action is a waste of time, or Dreaming without taking action is the beginning of delusion, or something along that lines.
Today, sitting in my office cubicle at 9am in the morning, down with flu, a bad cough and an even worst headache, I'm reflecting if I would make it out 'alive' in 2 years time. But like I promised myself time and time again, No regrets!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The annual dinner!
STAR CRUISES ANNUAL DINNER 2008 AT SHERATON HOTEL SUBANG JAYA
OSCAR NITE!
Picture 1: Dave, Adrian (back), Gerrad
Picture 2: Adrian, Gerrad, David
Picture 3: Jesse Wong & David Geh
Picture 4: Ting Shin, David & Susan
The theme of the night was the 'Oscar Nite'. Come to think of it, these people in charge of organizing annual dinners must have shared the same the same party planning handbook or Annual Dinner for dummies handbook, cos as far as I can remember, I've been to so many 'Oscar Nites' already.
I think what I could say about the entire nite was, the buffet style food was nice. The main spread had a mix of western and some asian delights. The pasta 'station' was something different. I mistook it for an omelette station, I didn't really go near the salad and fruits station cos me and my fellow drinking kaki colleagues were busy down at the beer 'station' helping ourselves to watered down carlsberg.
After 3 drinks we still found ourselves sober with a sickening aftertaste of watered down beer and lots of water. Reminded me of ribena with too much water in it.
The show lined up for the evening was great, especially with Colin Kerr, the Cruise Director for the SC fleet as the MC. The 'showgirls' performances especially the belly dance one was extremely entertaining. It got people running from one end of the ballroom to the other end to avoid being chased by the transvestite belly dancer. The scene could be described as altogether hilarious, chaotic and enjoyable.
All that aside, I guess the highlight of the evening was the lucky draw event. There was like 2 dozen digital cameras up for grabs, home theater systems, plasma and lcd televisions, handphones, overseas trips and the grand prize was a Dell Latitude notebook. What I got? An electrolux electric toaster! I still wished it was a 32" plasma telly.
Personally I think that the highlight of the evening for most of us (guys) was the very very rare chance to see their fellow (female) colleagues dress to kill for the evening. Some were even hardly recognisable in their make up, hairdos, glitter and bling. It was a truly great evening.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The weekend that was 16-17/2/2008
Barely making it out 'alive' from a whole weekend of attending lectures for my MBA class, at least now, lying comfortably on my bed with the airconditioning on full blast and wrapped tightly in my comforter like a popiah, I can gladly say "THANK GOD IT'S OVER!", well at least for this month. I still got 4 projects to worry about for the whole of March till the middle of April.
The 2 subjects I am taking this month is Human Resource Management as well as Challenges to Management, in which classes were held on saturday and sunday respectively. I'm pretty happy glad that i'm in a very nice class with excellent coursemates, all 13 of them.
The lecturers fot the 2 subjects were great too. You'd expect the local faculty to be below average when it comes to teaching an MBA class right? Well, the 2 lecturers we had were seasoned pros. I reckon they could even teach the class with their eyes closed and hands tied behind their backs.
The HRM module lecturer was quite lively, he encouraged feedback and gave alot of industry based examples but his overall style was still alot of spoon feeding. The CTM lecturer really blew us away. The class was more like an American MBA program session. Alot of debate and exchange of ideas flowed freely the whole day. Alot of us which were used to being spoonfed were caught unaware and it took a while to respond to this new 'experience'. I must admit that, although I have pretty much 'seen it all', this new experience I had pretty much blew my socks off too.
Overall, it was a great weekend, although I only got to see her on saturday only. We went to Thean Hou Temple last night after dinner near Tawakal Hospital. All the lanterns were lit up and it looked very beautiful. There were even illuminated paper lanterns of the 12 animal zodiac signs with a giant rat lantern in the courtyard. Spent some quality time together and had a great evening there although there was so many people around. We left around midnight.
I really regret not being able to spend more time with her during the weekends, now even more so that I'm attending classes for the MBA program. And if thats not enough, work is taking alot of my energy during the day and when it comes to going home after it all, I hardly got any 'battery' left in me. Nevertheless, I'll try my best to make time for her. Life is all about striking a balance between work, relationship, future, commitments, spiritual enrichment and also to live life. This is my commitment for 2008! There will not be any achievement with contentment without a little sacrifice and hard work. This is what I live by.
The 2 subjects I am taking this month is Human Resource Management as well as Challenges to Management, in which classes were held on saturday and sunday respectively. I'm pretty happy glad that i'm in a very nice class with excellent coursemates, all 13 of them.
The lecturers fot the 2 subjects were great too. You'd expect the local faculty to be below average when it comes to teaching an MBA class right? Well, the 2 lecturers we had were seasoned pros. I reckon they could even teach the class with their eyes closed and hands tied behind their backs.
The HRM module lecturer was quite lively, he encouraged feedback and gave alot of industry based examples but his overall style was still alot of spoon feeding. The CTM lecturer really blew us away. The class was more like an American MBA program session. Alot of debate and exchange of ideas flowed freely the whole day. Alot of us which were used to being spoonfed were caught unaware and it took a while to respond to this new 'experience'. I must admit that, although I have pretty much 'seen it all', this new experience I had pretty much blew my socks off too.
Overall, it was a great weekend, although I only got to see her on saturday only. We went to Thean Hou Temple last night after dinner near Tawakal Hospital. All the lanterns were lit up and it looked very beautiful. There were even illuminated paper lanterns of the 12 animal zodiac signs with a giant rat lantern in the courtyard. Spent some quality time together and had a great evening there although there was so many people around. We left around midnight.
I really regret not being able to spend more time with her during the weekends, now even more so that I'm attending classes for the MBA program. And if thats not enough, work is taking alot of my energy during the day and when it comes to going home after it all, I hardly got any 'battery' left in me. Nevertheless, I'll try my best to make time for her. Life is all about striking a balance between work, relationship, future, commitments, spiritual enrichment and also to live life. This is my commitment for 2008! There will not be any achievement with contentment without a little sacrifice and hard work. This is what I live by.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2008 IN PENANG!
GONG XI FA CAI! HERE ARE SOME CNY PICS TAKEN ON MY SISTER'S DIGICAM ON THE FIRST DAY OF CNY 2008
Us cousins.
From left to right: Sheena Geh, Gary Geh (bro), Pamela Geh (sis), Tracy Lynn + youngest son Joshua Lye, David Geh (me!), Karen Geh.
Front row: Clement Geh & Cheryl Geh
This pic was taken in one of our relative's (Uncle Soo Hay's) house in Jesselton Heights, Penang on 7/2/2008.
Above pic: My immediate family! My bro's 17 and he's taller than me!
Left to right: Bobby(dad), Teri (mom), Gary(bro), Pamela(sis) and David(me!)
The 5 of us again, this time taken in YMCA Penang's multipurpose hall right after the photo session of our Geh Clan's first gathering. The 'Geh' surname has a clan, don't play play huh!
Seated version.
Siblings!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
RM9.6 million jackpot anybody?
Earlier at lunch I was told by a fellow colleague from another department that a regular guest on one of our cruises who happen to be a junket as well had passed away on the first day of chinese new year of some disease. He told me that this person almost literally lives on the ship as he's up there and out at sea almost 6 days in a week and spends most of his time at the 'entertainment centre'. He's also well known to be a high roller and friendly to almost all the crew onboard.
Well, the reason for him telling me the story of this man's passing wasn't because he wanted to tell me how much sympathy he felt for the deceased, but for the regret he is currently carrying around in his heart for missing the opportunity to purchase the 4D/Toto number of the dead person.
Although I occassionally get the itch for gambling and trying my luck at four digit numbers, I however don't enjoy making use of dead people's 'lucky' numbers. Be it the number of their automobile, mobile numbers as well as maybe death certificate numbers. My take on the whole four digit number and afterlife thing is, if the guy is 6 feet inside the ground, lets leave him to rest in peace.
But the fact that yesterday's draw was a special chinese new year one, and the first prize money pool (which happened to be the dead guy's handphone number) came up to be RM9.6 million, I guess every person who was close to him or even knew who he was had a small reason to wallow in self pity and enjoy the privilege of blaming him/herself for not putting some money down on that number to enjoy a slice of that prosperity pie.
Anyway, it wasn't that bad after all, at least we had something to chat about over lunch. We were daydreaming about what we would do if we had 9.6 million bucks in the bank. Would we resign tomorrow and go relax on some remote beach in Hawai'i, wouldn't that be awesome!
Well, the reason for him telling me the story of this man's passing wasn't because he wanted to tell me how much sympathy he felt for the deceased, but for the regret he is currently carrying around in his heart for missing the opportunity to purchase the 4D/Toto number of the dead person.
Although I occassionally get the itch for gambling and trying my luck at four digit numbers, I however don't enjoy making use of dead people's 'lucky' numbers. Be it the number of their automobile, mobile numbers as well as maybe death certificate numbers. My take on the whole four digit number and afterlife thing is, if the guy is 6 feet inside the ground, lets leave him to rest in peace.
But the fact that yesterday's draw was a special chinese new year one, and the first prize money pool (which happened to be the dead guy's handphone number) came up to be RM9.6 million, I guess every person who was close to him or even knew who he was had a small reason to wallow in self pity and enjoy the privilege of blaming him/herself for not putting some money down on that number to enjoy a slice of that prosperity pie.
Anyway, it wasn't that bad after all, at least we had something to chat about over lunch. We were daydreaming about what we would do if we had 9.6 million bucks in the bank. Would we resign tomorrow and go relax on some remote beach in Hawai'i, wouldn't that be awesome!
Monday, February 11, 2008
The MAD Rush Back 2 The City
Last Sunday, 10th February 2008, 2-3 million Malaysians and I were stuck on the North South Expressway for about 8-10 hours trying to get back to work the next day in the city from various parts of Malaysia, mine being Penang island. I left my parent's house in Tanjung Bunga at around 3:30pm and reached KL at a little past 12 midnight! Now if that ain't a jam, I don't know what is.
Spending 8.5 hours on what normally would be a 4 hour journey from Penang to KL is something maybe I'd not want to try again next year. However it definitely taught me a lesson or 2 in time management. I reckon the best lessons in life are learnt when you put your hand in the hole or when you get burnt trying it out for the first time. But wait a minute, this isn't my first time getting caught in the jam going back to KL, I remember back in 2000 and 2001 when I was driving a much smaller car and still being subjected to the same congested experience.
Well, in spite of all the chaos, I guess I must really thank my lucky stars that I had arrived at my destination in one piece and blessed with the ability to go to work early the next morning. The side effects of sitting in the car for almost 9 hours was the fatigue and tiredness which really took a toll on my health.
That aside, the week long break in Penang was well worth the trip back. I managed to unwind and set my direction straight as I charge forward into 2008. For many of us chinese, I guess that the year haven't really started until after the festivities of chinese new year. It is when the real 2008 starts, after the feng shui master's predictions, the exchange of red packets, the long mahjong sessions that stretch into the night, all the food and the reunion dinners and after all the hampers has been opened.
However, a day after the long trip, here I am back by the window on the 20th floor writing this entry while hoping and praying that this year would be much different in terms of opportunities, experience as well as social wise and career wise. And I also hope that the fatigue would eventually wear off by tomorrow and I would be in top form again.
Spending 8.5 hours on what normally would be a 4 hour journey from Penang to KL is something maybe I'd not want to try again next year. However it definitely taught me a lesson or 2 in time management. I reckon the best lessons in life are learnt when you put your hand in the hole or when you get burnt trying it out for the first time. But wait a minute, this isn't my first time getting caught in the jam going back to KL, I remember back in 2000 and 2001 when I was driving a much smaller car and still being subjected to the same congested experience.
Well, in spite of all the chaos, I guess I must really thank my lucky stars that I had arrived at my destination in one piece and blessed with the ability to go to work early the next morning. The side effects of sitting in the car for almost 9 hours was the fatigue and tiredness which really took a toll on my health.
That aside, the week long break in Penang was well worth the trip back. I managed to unwind and set my direction straight as I charge forward into 2008. For many of us chinese, I guess that the year haven't really started until after the festivities of chinese new year. It is when the real 2008 starts, after the feng shui master's predictions, the exchange of red packets, the long mahjong sessions that stretch into the night, all the food and the reunion dinners and after all the hampers has been opened.
However, a day after the long trip, here I am back by the window on the 20th floor writing this entry while hoping and praying that this year would be much different in terms of opportunities, experience as well as social wise and career wise. And I also hope that the fatigue would eventually wear off by tomorrow and I would be in top form again.
Friday, February 08, 2008
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR TO ALL!
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR (RAT) 2008!
GONG XI FA CAI! SING NIAN KHUAI LE!
NIAN NIAN YOU YUE, WAN SHUI RUE YI!
It's chinese new year again! Same shit different year right? As usual it's hoped that (like every other year) things will be much better than the outgoing one. I, like everyone else, hope for the same thing for myself and my family.
Well this year it's pretty much going to be different, not by chance but by planning on my part. I heard it somewhere and it's stuck permanently in my head for some time now. "If it is to be, it's up to me!" Sound catchy? Well this year, besides finally moving into my own apartment (bought, not rented), I'm finally taking the crucial step to start my MBA program with the Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) which offers its MBA program in conjunction with the University of Hertfordshire, UK. Before this I was contemplating between one from a local university college, the University of East London, RMIT University and this one but finally settled for this program because of it's catch phrase, "100% assignment based!" I was sold!
So, I'm going back to the classroom almost 9 years after I graduated from uni with my bachelor's degree. I reckon the time was right and if it ain't now, I don't know when is. We'll always be busy with this and that and there always will be something important coming up that tends to 'steal' your time away from pursuing your dreams and I thought to myself, if I made this my priority, then maybe I'd be busy with this instead of the small things which are both NOT important and NOT urgent.
I know this year is not going to be easy, a 1k a month mortgage and a self sponsored 30k MBA program as well as payments on the car loan, groceries, traveling, income tax, provident fund, insurance etc. I can say that I'm pretty much 'tied-down' for the year or for 2 years at least. (The MBA program runs for 2 years)
About Chinese New Year... the whole week leading to cny was really fun cos I was in Penang since the beginning of the month. Normally I don't enjoy the grind of cny. To me every single year, like the year before is the same thing over and over. Since Kevin went to Abu Dhabi earlier last month, I had wanted to take over his flight ticket to Sarawak to have a CNY with a difference, far away from the familiar routine I go through every year but too bad his ticket was for 20 days and I only could take off max 10 days from work.
As with the 'what ifs', a vacation somewhere far would be a nice change, I reckon. Chinese new year to me is like this, the night before cny, we will all gather in my uncle's place, my dad's eldest brother. The reunion dinner dishes has been the same every single year since I was a little kiddo. Green curry, my fav lor bak, some veggies, kiam chai boey soup, tu tor th'ng soup
Then there's the 1st day visiting relatives routine. Only I think this year is abit different in a sense that, most of us (my cousins and i in our generation) driving from one relative's house to another in black MPVs and V6ers. This year there's a fully tinted black Toyota Harrier, brand new black Toyota Wish, a black Honda Stream, then there's my dad's silver Hyundai Sonata, uncle Tommy's Waja, uncle Richard's black Wira and uncle Johnny's Gen2. If you had seen our convoy rollin' up and down the northern part of Penang on CNY I reckon you'd say it was like something out of a Mafia movie.
This year was particularly hot. I remember sweating like a pig in my new Valentino short sleeve shirt. That, was made worst by long lost cousins and uncles offering you Carlbergs and red wine at 12 in the pm out in the porch of some long lost uncle or auntie's semi detatched house.
That aside, all the ang pows made it all worth the effort.Almost a hundred bucks for a few hours of visiting, how's that for a profit. Hehe... Anyway, all that red packet and money comes with a message attached. And it reads clearly "THIS YEAR IS THE LAST YEAR YOU'RE GONNA GET ONE FROM ME!" and guess what? I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get another one next year! WAHAHAHA!
It's like this when it comes to red packets during chinese new year. When you're not married yet u get as many as you want as often as you want. When you get hitched, everyone comes to your big day and gives you a darn big packet for being the king of the day, everyone remembers you as being officially MARRIED! Then guess what? You get to give their kids when you go on your cny rounds once a year. But you get glitch back. Nada, Zero...
The strategy for getting back what you give out every year? Make babies! Make many and make em fast! Then when you got one to go around on the first day of cny to show off, you automatically get back 1 for every 1, 2, 3, 4 or as many as 6-10 if you're unlucky to meet some relative with that many children. Or if you feel broke for the year, you could always give a silly excuse like you in-law's cat died so you only can give out mandarin oranges this year. How many mandarin oranges can you give out until someone finds out that you're a cheapo broke dude? You might get banned from reunions after that.
Alright, this is the end of the posting. I don't want friends complaining I write long grandfather stories. Till next time!
GONG XI FA CAI! SING NIAN KHUAI LE!
NIAN NIAN YOU YUE, WAN SHUI RUE YI!
It's chinese new year again! Same shit different year right? As usual it's hoped that (like every other year) things will be much better than the outgoing one. I, like everyone else, hope for the same thing for myself and my family.
Well this year it's pretty much going to be different, not by chance but by planning on my part. I heard it somewhere and it's stuck permanently in my head for some time now. "If it is to be, it's up to me!" Sound catchy? Well this year, besides finally moving into my own apartment (bought, not rented), I'm finally taking the crucial step to start my MBA program with the Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) which offers its MBA program in conjunction with the University of Hertfordshire, UK. Before this I was contemplating between one from a local university college, the University of East London, RMIT University and this one but finally settled for this program because of it's catch phrase, "100% assignment based!" I was sold!
So, I'm going back to the classroom almost 9 years after I graduated from uni with my bachelor's degree. I reckon the time was right and if it ain't now, I don't know when is. We'll always be busy with this and that and there always will be something important coming up that tends to 'steal' your time away from pursuing your dreams and I thought to myself, if I made this my priority, then maybe I'd be busy with this instead of the small things which are both NOT important and NOT urgent.
I know this year is not going to be easy, a 1k a month mortgage and a self sponsored 30k MBA program as well as payments on the car loan, groceries, traveling, income tax, provident fund, insurance etc. I can say that I'm pretty much 'tied-down' for the year or for 2 years at least. (The MBA program runs for 2 years)
About Chinese New Year... the whole week leading to cny was really fun cos I was in Penang since the beginning of the month. Normally I don't enjoy the grind of cny. To me every single year, like the year before is the same thing over and over. Since Kevin went to Abu Dhabi earlier last month, I had wanted to take over his flight ticket to Sarawak to have a CNY with a difference, far away from the familiar routine I go through every year but too bad his ticket was for 20 days and I only could take off max 10 days from work.
As with the 'what ifs', a vacation somewhere far would be a nice change, I reckon. Chinese new year to me is like this, the night before cny, we will all gather in my uncle's place, my dad's eldest brother. The reunion dinner dishes has been the same every single year since I was a little kiddo. Green curry, my fav lor bak, some veggies, kiam chai boey soup, tu tor th'ng soup
Then there's the 1st day visiting relatives routine. Only I think this year is abit different in a sense that, most of us (my cousins and i in our generation) driving from one relative's house to another in black MPVs and V6ers. This year there's a fully tinted black Toyota Harrier, brand new black Toyota Wish, a black Honda Stream, then there's my dad's silver Hyundai Sonata, uncle Tommy's Waja, uncle Richard's black Wira and uncle Johnny's Gen2. If you had seen our convoy rollin' up and down the northern part of Penang on CNY I reckon you'd say it was like something out of a Mafia movie.
This year was particularly hot. I remember sweating like a pig in my new Valentino short sleeve shirt. That, was made worst by long lost cousins and uncles offering you Carlbergs and red wine at 12 in the pm out in the porch of some long lost uncle or auntie's semi detatched house.
That aside, all the ang pows made it all worth the effort.Almost a hundred bucks for a few hours of visiting, how's that for a profit. Hehe... Anyway, all that red packet and money comes with a message attached. And it reads clearly "THIS YEAR IS THE LAST YEAR YOU'RE GONNA GET ONE FROM ME!" and guess what? I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get another one next year! WAHAHAHA!
It's like this when it comes to red packets during chinese new year. When you're not married yet u get as many as you want as often as you want. When you get hitched, everyone comes to your big day and gives you a darn big packet for being the king of the day, everyone remembers you as being officially MARRIED! Then guess what? You get to give their kids when you go on your cny rounds once a year. But you get glitch back. Nada, Zero...
The strategy for getting back what you give out every year? Make babies! Make many and make em fast! Then when you got one to go around on the first day of cny to show off, you automatically get back 1 for every 1, 2, 3, 4 or as many as 6-10 if you're unlucky to meet some relative with that many children. Or if you feel broke for the year, you could always give a silly excuse like you in-law's cat died so you only can give out mandarin oranges this year. How many mandarin oranges can you give out until someone finds out that you're a cheapo broke dude? You might get banned from reunions after that.
Alright, this is the end of the posting. I don't want friends complaining I write long grandfather stories. Till next time!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
KLIA to the U.A.E
I haven't sent anyone of my buddies off at the airport for a long long while, I reckon since 1999 when I was still in uni. Well back then friends come and go everytime summer break rides in with it's 40 degrees celcius heat.
Well last Sunday was one of the rare times I get to send a close close buddy off at the airport bound for Abu Dhabi, UAE. Dude, I know you will only be there for 3 months and like we told ourselves, with MSN and stuff like SKYPE, far away doesn't seem very far away after all, since keeping in touch isn't hard at all. But you know lah, sometimes when we get caught up in the grind of our daily lives, the simplest of things often gets done the last, or worst, forgotten!
Anyway, I just wanna say that I'm both happy and proud that you got such a nice 'surprise', the opportunity of a lifetime even before the year of the rat began. Congratulations, man! This cannot in any way constitute as luck at all because I know that you have worked hard to be where you ended up in today, even if it's in a desert town far far away from the comforts of everything you ever know or love.
I've always knew you had it in you to come this far and much further than you could possibly imagine because all there is in you is the virtues of pure hard work, sacrifice and determination, not forgetting, knowing when to have fun while you're at it.
Well, do keep in touch, mate! And while we're at it, thanks for all the good advice that came from you all these years. It has helped me align my direction when i lose focus sometimes.
Well last Sunday was one of the rare times I get to send a close close buddy off at the airport bound for Abu Dhabi, UAE. Dude, I know you will only be there for 3 months and like we told ourselves, with MSN and stuff like SKYPE, far away doesn't seem very far away after all, since keeping in touch isn't hard at all. But you know lah, sometimes when we get caught up in the grind of our daily lives, the simplest of things often gets done the last, or worst, forgotten!
Anyway, I just wanna say that I'm both happy and proud that you got such a nice 'surprise', the opportunity of a lifetime even before the year of the rat began. Congratulations, man! This cannot in any way constitute as luck at all because I know that you have worked hard to be where you ended up in today, even if it's in a desert town far far away from the comforts of everything you ever know or love.
I've always knew you had it in you to come this far and much further than you could possibly imagine because all there is in you is the virtues of pure hard work, sacrifice and determination, not forgetting, knowing when to have fun while you're at it.
Well, do keep in touch, mate! And while we're at it, thanks for all the good advice that came from you all these years. It has helped me align my direction when i lose focus sometimes.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The 50th blog entry!
i like this comic (above) copyright of jeroen of www.kartoen.beI'm popping the bottle and pouring some champagne to celebrate my 50th posting on Blogger.com!
"...i've received some encouraging comments from those who have dropped by and read my blog and I would really like to thank them for taking the time to read the stuff I've written here. Someone complimented me a couple of days ago about how well written this blog is. I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I believe that there's much more room for improvement and I will keep improving myself..."
Here I am sitting in my 20th storey cubicle in Wisma Genting while staring out of the window at a gloomy Friday afternoon. It's 2:40pm now, I'm counting down another 1 hour and 20 minutes till 4pm when I am finally go home. Today is dress down and leave early day, a day everyone looks forward to like the highlight of the week.
And as I ponder upon my activities for the coming weekend, the long term planner in me is busy at work scheming in the backgroud on what I should be doing in the long run to escape the monotony of the daily grind I go through as described above.
After chasing him for 17 days for the monthly rental due to me, yesterday I finally got him on the phone only to hear him say that he'll be staying till the middle of march before moving out. Initially he said he would not be paying me any more rental cos he wanna use up his 2 months deposit paid to me initially, then it got me pondering... stay for 2.5 months more but, 2 months deposit and won't be paying me anymore rental. Something not right here somewhere, so I texted him back and told him that he should be paying me another half month rental. Unless he will move out by the end of february.
He replied saying "No problem, I'll move out at the end of feb". So here I am left in sort of a quandary.
I have just been staying in my current place for about 2 and a half months only and although it's an old dodgy place full of rats and cockroaches and lizards, but I'm slowly getting the hang of staying here. It's really convenient and peaceful. On one hand, I wouldn't mind staying put where I am for a couple of years before I move to another place, and on the other hand, I've got my own apartment, which I have to pay roughly a thousand bucks every month for which is going to be vacant in another 1.5 months.
Another thing which is bugging me is, I recently came across this MBA program in Communications and PR from Limkokwing University which caught my interest. I was seriously contemplating MBA programs during the first half of 2007 but after landing this job, the plan slowly took a back seat as I didn't really have much time to do anything else after the grind of the 9-6 I was putting myself to for the past 6 months.
Now that I'm kinda settled down here plus the office move from Pulau Indah (Westport) to Wisma Genting in the middle of the city, I am left with alot more time to pursue whatever I had put on KIV before, and one of them included my MBA plan.
I remember telling my friend SK in Penang back in 2006 that one of my 2007 new year's resolutions was to embark in a MBA program. Look at how time flies? It's 2008 already, exactly 14 months after I shared with someone my new years plans for the past year, I'm yet to fulfill it!
Maybe the main obstacle back then was my financial situation. Not that it has improved dramatically now, I'm still broke as hell. While the funds from my EPF will help out a little and inch me a little bit closer to my dream, I still have to work my butt off to find the other 60-70% of funds to pay for the program fees.
So right now what I'm contemplating is, should I move in to stay in my own apartment in March or sell it off and use whatever money I can from it to upgrade myself with an MBA degree so that in the long term, my job prospects would be better and (possibly) I could aim to buy a much bigger house or drive a much bigger car because of the opportunities it presents me.
Not that I'm complaining about my situation now, but I will be turning 31 this year and I don't want myself to be stuck in a dead-end job with no prospects for the next 10-20 years whining about missed opportunities and watching my friends and peers wheeze by me in their flashy BMWs and Mercedez Benz talking about how successful their lives has become and me ending up snuggled cosily in the 'Middle class' cradle thanking my lucky stars to be alive and talking about how I made do with less to put my kids through school and university.
On a lighter note, this is my 50th post on blogger! I'm giving myself a pat on the back, maybe not so much for a job well done, more towards for being able (and consistent) enough to write 50 entries from 2006 till today. I know some of the entries are short, some are only pictures and a little message, some are nonsense and a little humour, but most of it are close to my heart, and I guess this one is no different either.
Thanks to blogs we get to express what we tend to keep deep inside us. If not for writing in them, we'll all probably be walking time-bombs just inching closer to blowing up cos we are unable to express our feelings.
Till next time! Thanks for reading and visiting my site...
"...i've received some encouraging comments from those who have dropped by and read my blog and I would really like to thank them for taking the time to read the stuff I've written here. Someone complimented me a couple of days ago about how well written this blog is. I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I believe that there's much more room for improvement and I will keep improving myself..."
Here I am sitting in my 20th storey cubicle in Wisma Genting while staring out of the window at a gloomy Friday afternoon. It's 2:40pm now, I'm counting down another 1 hour and 20 minutes till 4pm when I am finally go home. Today is dress down and leave early day, a day everyone looks forward to like the highlight of the week.
And as I ponder upon my activities for the coming weekend, the long term planner in me is busy at work scheming in the backgroud on what I should be doing in the long run to escape the monotony of the daily grind I go through as described above.
After chasing him for 17 days for the monthly rental due to me, yesterday I finally got him on the phone only to hear him say that he'll be staying till the middle of march before moving out. Initially he said he would not be paying me any more rental cos he wanna use up his 2 months deposit paid to me initially, then it got me pondering... stay for 2.5 months more but, 2 months deposit and won't be paying me anymore rental. Something not right here somewhere, so I texted him back and told him that he should be paying me another half month rental. Unless he will move out by the end of february.
He replied saying "No problem, I'll move out at the end of feb". So here I am left in sort of a quandary.
I have just been staying in my current place for about 2 and a half months only and although it's an old dodgy place full of rats and cockroaches and lizards, but I'm slowly getting the hang of staying here. It's really convenient and peaceful. On one hand, I wouldn't mind staying put where I am for a couple of years before I move to another place, and on the other hand, I've got my own apartment, which I have to pay roughly a thousand bucks every month for which is going to be vacant in another 1.5 months.
Another thing which is bugging me is, I recently came across this MBA program in Communications and PR from Limkokwing University which caught my interest. I was seriously contemplating MBA programs during the first half of 2007 but after landing this job, the plan slowly took a back seat as I didn't really have much time to do anything else after the grind of the 9-6 I was putting myself to for the past 6 months.
Now that I'm kinda settled down here plus the office move from Pulau Indah (Westport) to Wisma Genting in the middle of the city, I am left with alot more time to pursue whatever I had put on KIV before, and one of them included my MBA plan.
I remember telling my friend SK in Penang back in 2006 that one of my 2007 new year's resolutions was to embark in a MBA program. Look at how time flies? It's 2008 already, exactly 14 months after I shared with someone my new years plans for the past year, I'm yet to fulfill it!
Maybe the main obstacle back then was my financial situation. Not that it has improved dramatically now, I'm still broke as hell. While the funds from my EPF will help out a little and inch me a little bit closer to my dream, I still have to work my butt off to find the other 60-70% of funds to pay for the program fees.
So right now what I'm contemplating is, should I move in to stay in my own apartment in March or sell it off and use whatever money I can from it to upgrade myself with an MBA degree so that in the long term, my job prospects would be better and (possibly) I could aim to buy a much bigger house or drive a much bigger car because of the opportunities it presents me.
Not that I'm complaining about my situation now, but I will be turning 31 this year and I don't want myself to be stuck in a dead-end job with no prospects for the next 10-20 years whining about missed opportunities and watching my friends and peers wheeze by me in their flashy BMWs and Mercedez Benz talking about how successful their lives has become and me ending up snuggled cosily in the 'Middle class' cradle thanking my lucky stars to be alive and talking about how I made do with less to put my kids through school and university.
On a lighter note, this is my 50th post on blogger! I'm giving myself a pat on the back, maybe not so much for a job well done, more towards for being able (and consistent) enough to write 50 entries from 2006 till today. I know some of the entries are short, some are only pictures and a little message, some are nonsense and a little humour, but most of it are close to my heart, and I guess this one is no different either.
Thanks to blogs we get to express what we tend to keep deep inside us. If not for writing in them, we'll all probably be walking time-bombs just inching closer to blowing up cos we are unable to express our feelings.
Till next time! Thanks for reading and visiting my site...
Friday, January 11, 2008
Life is a Highway!
Barely reaching home, I’m all restless wanting to go right back to my pad, fire up the notebook and start typing away again. I wonder if this is what they call hypergraphia. Oh my goodness, my dream was to become a famous writer, not a famous quack who couldn’t stop writing! I guess this is born from all the emotions and feelings buried deep down inside just exploding to come out.
Maybe all there is to say has been poured out, and there’s nothing left to say, then maybe I’ll be one suffering from writer’s block. How’s that for a change?
Ever feel that urge to just pour everything out at once? What you feel at work, your family, your friends, your neighbors or even about stuff like politics or the economy or just simply your radical views about the weather, the climate change thingy.
If you ask me, this may very well be one of those days. Not only do I feel like I’m suffering from acute hypergraphia, I think I’m suffering from acute anything that has hyper tagged along with it. I spent an unusually large amount of time at the gym today, having being absent for almost 1 month. I think I’ve been away so long that I couldn’t even recognize the face of my group exercise instructor anymore. When he went about his usual welcoming the newbies routine and asked first timers to put up their hands, I was almost compelled to do so. After an unusual 2 hour work out, I then adjourned to the pasar malam next door and walked some more.
I don’t know what got into me but if it was a jogging spirit, it couldn’t have picked a worst body than the lump that I am.
Anyways, my thoughts of the day. Of late, I have been checking out profiles of my childhood friends whom which I have lost contact with some for more than 15 years. Many of them are in Australia and Singapore, places which I have stayed in before for many years before deciding that at home in a more familiar surrounding is fun too. So here I am, 2008 and turning 31 years old in Kuala Lumpur.
Not that it’s crappy here or anything, but the fighter in me is slowly waking up and trying to hint at me that there could be more to life that the comfortable routine I am putting myself through right now. I don’t know if it’s a form of self sabotage or the likes but every time I get comfortably settled down somewhere, I pluck myself up and relocate somewhere else for the sake of doing it. Then later on when I’m visiting a friend in his/her beautiful house, I start to envy how settled down they are and their ‘beautiful’ lives.
Don’t I have a chance at it too? I guess I do but for the past 5 years I chose to live (literally) like a nomad, shuttling between Singapore, KL and Penang constantly. My car doubled as my bedroom most of the time and when I wasn’t working the daily grind, I would be on the road traveling.
Now I’m contemplating if, at 31 I should put myself through that ‘experience’ again. Come to think about it, if I take another 10 years do be on the road, traveling and staying at places I had only wished upon during my childhood, the worst it could get is, I get settled down at about 40!
Life is a highway right? Or that’s what they sing about all the time. I guess I’m one of the suckers who got sucked into all that hype. So I guess in situations like this, it’s not that awkward to be saying “Now kids, don’t try this at home!” How corny!
Well a crossroad is a crossroad. When u ride up to it, there’s probably only 2 choices you can make there and then, go left or go right, or if you’re lucky enough, you get to go straight ahead and choose to exit at the next one. Anyway you choose to look at it, sooner or later you have to choose. Its been 2.5 hours since I turned on the pc just now and thank goodness my little hypergraphia binge is slowly wearing off.
I still feel like saying a lot more, but thanks to the magic of blogs, I can still come back tomorrow when the craving starts and I start to write a whole load of crap again. So hope to see all of you here again soon!
Maybe all there is to say has been poured out, and there’s nothing left to say, then maybe I’ll be one suffering from writer’s block. How’s that for a change?
Ever feel that urge to just pour everything out at once? What you feel at work, your family, your friends, your neighbors or even about stuff like politics or the economy or just simply your radical views about the weather, the climate change thingy.
If you ask me, this may very well be one of those days. Not only do I feel like I’m suffering from acute hypergraphia, I think I’m suffering from acute anything that has hyper tagged along with it. I spent an unusually large amount of time at the gym today, having being absent for almost 1 month. I think I’ve been away so long that I couldn’t even recognize the face of my group exercise instructor anymore. When he went about his usual welcoming the newbies routine and asked first timers to put up their hands, I was almost compelled to do so. After an unusual 2 hour work out, I then adjourned to the pasar malam next door and walked some more.
I don’t know what got into me but if it was a jogging spirit, it couldn’t have picked a worst body than the lump that I am.
Anyways, my thoughts of the day. Of late, I have been checking out profiles of my childhood friends whom which I have lost contact with some for more than 15 years. Many of them are in Australia and Singapore, places which I have stayed in before for many years before deciding that at home in a more familiar surrounding is fun too. So here I am, 2008 and turning 31 years old in Kuala Lumpur.
Not that it’s crappy here or anything, but the fighter in me is slowly waking up and trying to hint at me that there could be more to life that the comfortable routine I am putting myself through right now. I don’t know if it’s a form of self sabotage or the likes but every time I get comfortably settled down somewhere, I pluck myself up and relocate somewhere else for the sake of doing it. Then later on when I’m visiting a friend in his/her beautiful house, I start to envy how settled down they are and their ‘beautiful’ lives.
Don’t I have a chance at it too? I guess I do but for the past 5 years I chose to live (literally) like a nomad, shuttling between Singapore, KL and Penang constantly. My car doubled as my bedroom most of the time and when I wasn’t working the daily grind, I would be on the road traveling.
Now I’m contemplating if, at 31 I should put myself through that ‘experience’ again. Come to think about it, if I take another 10 years do be on the road, traveling and staying at places I had only wished upon during my childhood, the worst it could get is, I get settled down at about 40!
Life is a highway right? Or that’s what they sing about all the time. I guess I’m one of the suckers who got sucked into all that hype. So I guess in situations like this, it’s not that awkward to be saying “Now kids, don’t try this at home!” How corny!
Well a crossroad is a crossroad. When u ride up to it, there’s probably only 2 choices you can make there and then, go left or go right, or if you’re lucky enough, you get to go straight ahead and choose to exit at the next one. Anyway you choose to look at it, sooner or later you have to choose. Its been 2.5 hours since I turned on the pc just now and thank goodness my little hypergraphia binge is slowly wearing off.
I still feel like saying a lot more, but thanks to the magic of blogs, I can still come back tomorrow when the craving starts and I start to write a whole load of crap again. So hope to see all of you here again soon!
Friday, January 04, 2008
The week that was
Friday finally! Other than dragging myself out of bed at 8:30am in the morning and speeding down the kesas highway at 120km/h to work in the rain on bald Michelin tyres, I guess the rest of my day went pretty well.
Today was also to be the last day I will be going to work in the cruise terminal in Port Klang, 50+ km from my house, paying RM13.20 in toll charges daily and an average of RM15 for petrol. All those traveling for the past 6 months had really taken it's toll on my health, but nevertheless, the beautiful sea and port view, ships sailing by, sound of the waves always leaves me with a refreshed feeling and a renewed perspective of things everytime I think about it.
I took some great pictures of the team with my handphone, without me inside :( toiled for half the day like a labourer carrying boxes, had a good lunch with the boss and the rest of the team members and pretty much enjoyed the whole of today (my last working day at Port Klang). I know I'm gonna miss this place but I know that everything that happens, happen for a reason. And I do believe that good reason outweights bad when it comes to moving to the city to work.
Going to work in the city ain't so bad after all (I hope...) as many say that it's both fast paced, fun filled and challenging. 3 words which are seldom used together unless it's for going to a Keanu Reeves movie or running a marathon. Today I'm not very sure I can take another day of cramming in a crowded LRT train commuting to work in downtown Kuala Lumpur everyday with a few hundred thousand people. It brings back really unpleasant memories of my life in Singapore a few years back.
It's not that I hate public transport... I HATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT! How's that for a statement? Well, since it's convenient for me, living just 15 minutes away (walking distance) to the lrt station, I'm gonna give it a shot for the sake of trying and if it sucks eggs just as I had anticipated it, then I'll stick to riding my rickety old motorcycle to work every morning. I don't mind all the traveling on the road plus all the dangers thrown in, but at least I get to travel alone, not having to smell somebody's foul body odour beside me.
I don't know why but today suddenly I had a tingling urge to find out more information about Px2, a large payment processing enabler. Not that I have never heard of it before, but the idea bulb in my head suddenly blinked on as if possessed and shone a bright shiny yellow light in my head. The little birdy in my head told me that if I could come up with an idea to emulate the business model of this company, maybe I can propose it to a company which has the resources to kinda duplicate this company.
Naturally when I get these kinds of sudden idea binges, what I'd do first is to research the alternatives, as well as pros and cons to this company and it's product. Looks like I have dug up quite alot of dirt as well as gold nuggets based on this idea alone. Well, seems like whoever reads this might have the slightest clue what I am talking about, don't worry, it's for me to refresh on in time to come and understand what was going on in my head at the time, as in this time. What I can say after reading through the overload of information on the internet is, it's a good idea and the thing with good ideas are, most people come up with it and sit on it after that. I have learnt after all this years that, to succeed, you must TAKE ACTION and TAKE ACTION NOW!
Today was also to be the last day I will be going to work in the cruise terminal in Port Klang, 50+ km from my house, paying RM13.20 in toll charges daily and an average of RM15 for petrol. All those traveling for the past 6 months had really taken it's toll on my health, but nevertheless, the beautiful sea and port view, ships sailing by, sound of the waves always leaves me with a refreshed feeling and a renewed perspective of things everytime I think about it.
I took some great pictures of the team with my handphone, without me inside :( toiled for half the day like a labourer carrying boxes, had a good lunch with the boss and the rest of the team members and pretty much enjoyed the whole of today (my last working day at Port Klang). I know I'm gonna miss this place but I know that everything that happens, happen for a reason. And I do believe that good reason outweights bad when it comes to moving to the city to work.
Going to work in the city ain't so bad after all (I hope...) as many say that it's both fast paced, fun filled and challenging. 3 words which are seldom used together unless it's for going to a Keanu Reeves movie or running a marathon. Today I'm not very sure I can take another day of cramming in a crowded LRT train commuting to work in downtown Kuala Lumpur everyday with a few hundred thousand people. It brings back really unpleasant memories of my life in Singapore a few years back.
It's not that I hate public transport... I HATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT! How's that for a statement? Well, since it's convenient for me, living just 15 minutes away (walking distance) to the lrt station, I'm gonna give it a shot for the sake of trying and if it sucks eggs just as I had anticipated it, then I'll stick to riding my rickety old motorcycle to work every morning. I don't mind all the traveling on the road plus all the dangers thrown in, but at least I get to travel alone, not having to smell somebody's foul body odour beside me.
I don't know why but today suddenly I had a tingling urge to find out more information about Px2, a large payment processing enabler. Not that I have never heard of it before, but the idea bulb in my head suddenly blinked on as if possessed and shone a bright shiny yellow light in my head. The little birdy in my head told me that if I could come up with an idea to emulate the business model of this company, maybe I can propose it to a company which has the resources to kinda duplicate this company.
Naturally when I get these kinds of sudden idea binges, what I'd do first is to research the alternatives, as well as pros and cons to this company and it's product. Looks like I have dug up quite alot of dirt as well as gold nuggets based on this idea alone. Well, seems like whoever reads this might have the slightest clue what I am talking about, don't worry, it's for me to refresh on in time to come and understand what was going on in my head at the time, as in this time. What I can say after reading through the overload of information on the internet is, it's a good idea and the thing with good ideas are, most people come up with it and sit on it after that. I have learnt after all this years that, to succeed, you must TAKE ACTION and TAKE ACTION NOW!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Happy New Year 2008, so far...
WELCOME 2008! THANK YOU 2007 FOR ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE PRESENTED TO ME!
1st Picture: Bright lights from a lighthouse2nd Picture: If you turn this picture 45 degrees to the left it's actually a picture of the banks of the Birmanian Lake, this picture can only be taken once a year with the right camera angle, right lighting and right tide.
All photos are copyright of it's respective owners.
WELCOME 2008!
Wow, what a year 2007 was. I managed to achieve almost all the goals which I had set myself out to do last year with an exception of one or two. It looks like some of the things which I had left out in 2007 would have to be credited into 2008 for me to push for it's achievement or to make right. One of the more significant resolution I made in 2007 was to lose weight significantly, but in the end, as of 31/12/2007, I'm as round as ever! So much so that, when I was sitting in front of the television one day back in Penang watching a gourmet show having a beer with my dad, he turned around, took one look at my belly and said "My goodness, you're as fat as that chef on tv!" and just as he was saying that, the fat bald chef on tv turned around and looked straight at me as if he knew we were mocking him... or me, for that matter.
I sat there grinning from ear to ear, patted my belly and took a sip of my beer and continued watching the fat bald chef take another bite of some friend exotic asian food. At the back of my mind I was slowly trying to figure out what happened in the 12 months I had been going to fitness first and all that membership fees I have been paying them. Perhaps it was the MacDonald's or KFC down the road which I have been frequently going to after exercise sessions.
I don't know if I dare to make anymore new year's resolution that involves a certain degree of pain which I have to undergo so that I gain approval from my peers and family members, but taking another look at the full length mirror in the bathroom, I'm seriously reconsidering my options. Lose weight or lose weight! Now let's see which shall I do first...
Is it just me or I suddenly feel quite depressed talking about new year's resolutions. Let's change to another topic shall we? I made quite an amazing discovery when I went back to Penang last month. I tend to get kind of 'electrocuted' everytime I come in contact with something with metal element in it, like the tap in the kitchen, my dvd player, door knobs, my car door, even house keys. Now I don't really know how to explain this phenomena, but I did ask my dad briefly about it, cos he used to work in a factory where they manufacture stuff in a cleanroom environment. He told me, my body has got extra electrical charges, or was it electrostatic and the only way I can prevent myself from getting these mini electric shocks is to 'ground' myself. I asked, How? With a brown ground wire attached to a metal surface?
Now if one end of the wire attaches itself to a metal surface to channel out all the surplus current, where does the other end go? I dread to even think about it... My bee-hind? God almighty! I'd rather have surplus electricity and enlist in the X-men! Wouldn't that be cool? An electrifying fat beer drinking cussing word swearing dude.
Ok, about the new year... I drove 5 hours from Penang to KL on 31/12/2007 so that I'd make it in time to be in KL to welcome 2008. New year this time around was a little different, special and one I might remember for a while. This was the first time in the many years I had celebrated new year's in KL parked by the side of the highway with a thousand other cars just to catch a glimpse of fireworks going on in KLCC and the infamous Bukit Bintang area.
We caught a glimpse alright, also drenched in the rain as it was pouring! Nevertheless it was worth it I guess. After that, it got better, the rest of the night was spent in some mamak bistro in ampang having a roti naan and watching the new year's concert 'live' on astro, thanks to the mamaks.
To someone special to me, I know you sometimes sneak around and read my postings here as well... hehe.. I would like to say, thank you for the best new year's present you had given me. You may not realise it, but it's what I have been waiting for all this while. However, right after that, because of your doubt, I suddenly doubt alot of things myself.
I know it's tough, but you have to be confident as well. Let me jot that down, one of my new year's resolution is to have a higher degree of confidence! So that I know that if I fell tomorrow, I fell holding my head high. Life is a journey and it's the journey which is worth going through, the destination is not as important.
To end this post, I would like to tell the world that, like me, the new year's resolutions you make this new year need not be a continuation of the ones which you have made last year or the previous years or a repeat of what people are making. It could be as simple as wanting to enjoy all the emotions and experiences which you didn't get to experience in 2007. How's that for a resolution?
Let's say you didn't really experience happiness in it's purest sense in 2007 cos you were going through a bad financial crisis, you could jot down Happiness in 2008 as your resolution. Try maybe... understanding... or a clear mind or maybe peace and serenity.
To my dear readers, Happy 2008! Shalom!
I sat there grinning from ear to ear, patted my belly and took a sip of my beer and continued watching the fat bald chef take another bite of some friend exotic asian food. At the back of my mind I was slowly trying to figure out what happened in the 12 months I had been going to fitness first and all that membership fees I have been paying them. Perhaps it was the MacDonald's or KFC down the road which I have been frequently going to after exercise sessions.
I don't know if I dare to make anymore new year's resolution that involves a certain degree of pain which I have to undergo so that I gain approval from my peers and family members, but taking another look at the full length mirror in the bathroom, I'm seriously reconsidering my options. Lose weight or lose weight! Now let's see which shall I do first...
Is it just me or I suddenly feel quite depressed talking about new year's resolutions. Let's change to another topic shall we? I made quite an amazing discovery when I went back to Penang last month. I tend to get kind of 'electrocuted' everytime I come in contact with something with metal element in it, like the tap in the kitchen, my dvd player, door knobs, my car door, even house keys. Now I don't really know how to explain this phenomena, but I did ask my dad briefly about it, cos he used to work in a factory where they manufacture stuff in a cleanroom environment. He told me, my body has got extra electrical charges, or was it electrostatic and the only way I can prevent myself from getting these mini electric shocks is to 'ground' myself. I asked, How? With a brown ground wire attached to a metal surface?
Now if one end of the wire attaches itself to a metal surface to channel out all the surplus current, where does the other end go? I dread to even think about it... My bee-hind? God almighty! I'd rather have surplus electricity and enlist in the X-men! Wouldn't that be cool? An electrifying fat beer drinking cussing word swearing dude.
Ok, about the new year... I drove 5 hours from Penang to KL on 31/12/2007 so that I'd make it in time to be in KL to welcome 2008. New year this time around was a little different, special and one I might remember for a while. This was the first time in the many years I had celebrated new year's in KL parked by the side of the highway with a thousand other cars just to catch a glimpse of fireworks going on in KLCC and the infamous Bukit Bintang area.
We caught a glimpse alright, also drenched in the rain as it was pouring! Nevertheless it was worth it I guess. After that, it got better, the rest of the night was spent in some mamak bistro in ampang having a roti naan and watching the new year's concert 'live' on astro, thanks to the mamaks.
To someone special to me, I know you sometimes sneak around and read my postings here as well... hehe.. I would like to say, thank you for the best new year's present you had given me. You may not realise it, but it's what I have been waiting for all this while. However, right after that, because of your doubt, I suddenly doubt alot of things myself.
I know it's tough, but you have to be confident as well. Let me jot that down, one of my new year's resolution is to have a higher degree of confidence! So that I know that if I fell tomorrow, I fell holding my head high. Life is a journey and it's the journey which is worth going through, the destination is not as important.
To end this post, I would like to tell the world that, like me, the new year's resolutions you make this new year need not be a continuation of the ones which you have made last year or the previous years or a repeat of what people are making. It could be as simple as wanting to enjoy all the emotions and experiences which you didn't get to experience in 2007. How's that for a resolution?
Let's say you didn't really experience happiness in it's purest sense in 2007 cos you were going through a bad financial crisis, you could jot down Happiness in 2008 as your resolution. Try maybe... understanding... or a clear mind or maybe peace and serenity.
To my dear readers, Happy 2008! Shalom!
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