A Colleague's Mentality

Side note: "As her soul rises to the heavens, misty dews and rain droplets accompany to soften her journey. The rakyat mourns a compassionate and charismatic mother. A great lady finally home." - Tribute to Datin Seri Endon Mahmood


I reached work at 7:30am this morning because I need to get ready for a meeting at 9:00am. Met a senior colleague telling me that my boss has asked our accountant to brief him on the renewal of a tenant. A few minutes later, this accountant colleague came to me. Conversation went like this....

Colleague: I came to work this morning, there was a note on my desk, saying that Mr Boss wants me to brief him on TenantName's renewal.
Me: Shouldn't be a problem what. Just check the tenant file lah.
Colleague: He (the boss) is longer here what. The tenant also masuk before I came here. Why I have to brief him?
Me: He just wants to know the details lah.
Colleague: He knows where the filing cabinet is what. Check himself lah!

What a way to respond to a director's order. Hehe.... this director has just got himself involved with our work since the past month, of course he's not up to date with tenancy information bla bla bla. That's why he asks for update, knowing very well he wouldn't know where to look in the 50-odd pages of the Tenancy Agreement. I think what my director ask is totally normal, why must my colleague act up?

It's like the boss saying, "Secretary, please make me a cup of coffee." and the secretary replying "You got hands and can walk what, go make yourself lah." I think it's too common that in the white-collar industry, we do not work according to the terms in the contract. Surely we'll have to do odd-jobs for directors. If we were to reply "Eh, you siao ah?! My contract didn't say I need to be involved in preparation of Annual Dinner. Go find someone else.", that's the end of the job.

Sigh... sometimes unwritten terms in contracts really make a person seems to be underpaid. :)

Age Goes Up, Memory Goes Down

I just came back from helping a 65+ years old tenant with some issues on his work. A work that could take about 5 minutes to help complete took half an hour due to missing of papers and items that was just being used by him this morning. They appear to be anywhere, from under the phone, to under the desk, to accidentally putting it in a bag. I'm not complaining, but I dare not think about myself in the future being in the same position.

I'd probably start with forgetting where I put my glasses while it's already on my face. I hope until the day I die, my mind will still be not so bad in where I place things. While I am forgetful now, especially on tasks I'm supposed to do, I don't want to face misplacing something I kept just 2 minutes ago.

Hope all of you will have good memories even in old age.

Earliest To Work Ever

Disregarding special events and work trips that I had to make in the past, this is the earliest I've ever been to work on a normal office scheduled day. My previous jobs all required me to reach the office by 10:30am, 8:30am, 9:00am, 8:30am and 9:00am respectively. So today I clocked in at 6:57am, which is usually the time I am just waking up. Due to some circumstances at home, I have to be at work this early. My usual time to reach work will be anywhere between 45 minutes before to being late up to 15 minutes. Haha...

I work on the 5th floor of the building along with two other staff. Level 4 is the main office with about six staff. I've heard from a Level 4 staff that when he used to stay back past 8pm, there was always 'somebody' walking about the office, opening doors and closing doors but no one to be seen. Office haunting is rather common in Malaysia, with another story at a friend's place whereby at a certain time, water will drip out of the water cooler. That company's workforce also leaves before the water start dripping out.

Back to the story. Nature calls, not the waterfall type, but the volcano type. So, took the toilet key and headed to the male toilet. Of course I was already aware about stories of toilet haunts, but by 7am, come on, I don't think I'll face anything. And to cut the story short, I really didn't face anything except hearing water taps turning on on the floor above me... err... should be below me actually since above me is an empty floor. Hehe... now that's scary to think about it again, since the sound came from the top. Aih.. nevermind.

So, what can I do two hours before work officially start? Well, work! Completed some work and stuff, and also blog this thing. Only complain I have is that all office buildings in Malaysia have their own preset aircond hours, and until 8:30am when the cool air will start blowing in, I'd have to be contented fanning myself with a flyer. They should really put a standing fan in here. Sweating. :(

It's gonna be a hectic morning today, cannot afford to smell sweaty meeting belardy important potential clients. In Back To The Future 2, Michael J. Fox.... oops, Marty McFly went to the future and had this suit which can dry him when wet. I'm sure that suit can fan him when he's sweating too. Now, what year was that?? Can't wait for that suit to be in the market. :D

No Motivation To Work Today

For some unknown reason (sure got reason wan lah, except haven't found out yet), I'm rather lazy to do any work today, though I know I must. Feeling tired yes, but it's not a physical tired, it's more towards the lack of motivation leading to this tiredness. So, let's analyse why I am actually not in the mood to do any work today.

Several reasons that I can think of are: -
i) Monday Blues - I hardly get Monday blues. Monday is a good time to start working to finish up what I can until the weekend. Unless of course, there's something that I did not complete doing during the weekend that made me not want to start Monday. What could it be?! Perhaps two chores that I know I did not complete, which are cleaning of two rooms and searching through clothes I've kept in bags.

ii) Incomplete Work - Uncomplete or incomplete?! This is a quite common thing I face sometimes. The more work that I have yet to complete, the more I don't feel like doing any work because I don't know where to start first. Let's see. Do I have uncompleted work? Yes, four of them. Actually five. One will take about 5 minutes (editing and faxing). One about 20 minutes (call, and another call). The other three also will take 10 minutes top. So, well, then I guess it's not that, since I don't have a problem to start anyone of them, provided the motivation comes.

iii) Raya Approaching - Today is the 13th day of fasting, and that's another 17 days to go. I know some people are already in the celebration mood, but I don't think I am there yet. Would be about 10 days to go before I'd be in the mood, since by that time it'll be 7 days before raya.

iv) Tired due to Fasting - Ya, right! It's only 11am.

v) Disturbed Peace - Nothing in the news is that horrible today to affect me today. Driving to work is also non-eventful.

vi) Boredom - Hmm... I think this is it. There's no great event that's gonna happen at work today. Tomorrow there will be, but not today. Therefore since today's work will only take about 1-2 hours of my time (plus another 1-2 hours of self-empowerment to do some extra work for the company), I can afford to delay starting any work. Just hope the delay won't bring to contentment of relaxing that I end up not doing any work at all.


Sigh.... low productivity day today.

Different Meaning Of Life To Different Culture

As a reminder, I have worked in a semi-government company, in a project situated in a village in Kedah, and in a commission based company, and corporate company. What I have experienced in terms of people there is interesting.

Semi-Government
People here are a happy bunch. There's way too much slack time when there's not really a project being undertaken. As long as there's delivery of work, the workers can practically do whatever they wish (within the boundary of appointment letter). Similar to government workers, they can take some time off to smoke, have a drink at the cafe, chit chat with colleagues at their cubicles, etc. Most departments are quite laid-back, while some departments are always on their toes at all times, where they don't really get to slack much at all and occasionally have to stay back everyday (for about a week).

The government benefits bestowed upon them is good. Pay is only satisfactory or below satisfactory, but workers utilise the benefit fully. The strength of this type of company is the family-environment within departments. The weakness, one of the reason that made me not want to continue, is the "laid-back culture". At 40 years old, yes, I'd like that, but not at 24 at that time.

Flexible working demand, average to low salary, most are in satisfied level (that can lead to complacency or loss of drive on life). Travelling within Malaysia is a norm. Travelling overseas is a luxury. Prefers cafe or economical food. Fast food is acceptable. Restaurant eating is a luxury (as compared to Accenture / Ernst & Young that finds is a norm). Hardly ever go to Starbucks or Coffee Bean.


Village People
No, not the group that sang YMCA! Working in a village, be it in a government sector (ministry of agriculture), or own business of paddy fields and fish/prawn rearing, life is simple. Average income is RM400 - 600, from admin staff to accounts executive. Works according to government hours, start work at 7am and leaves by 4pm. Paddy field farmers, according to how many relung they own gets about RM8,000 - RM20,000 per half year (that's as little as RM1,300 to quite a lot at RM3,300 per month!!), usually a family business, so the per month salary is further divided by at least 2 person. Works from 8am to 12pm for four months, and from morning till evenings for two months, and repeat.

Strong family-type amongst colleague, and very strong family bond for farmers. Pushes children to finish up to SPM and then work, or to STPM and then work. Pushes children to get a stable job with the government. Usually difficult to obtain job in corporate sectors due to not having strong command of the english language. Nevertheless, entire families are a happy bunch.

Long after-office hours for family, low pay, most are in happy level. Travelling within Malaysia is acceptable, usually just travel nearby on motorcycle. Travelling overseas is a luxury (and usually not needed other than going to Makkah). Eating at home is a norm. Eating out (be it kedai kopi) is expensive. Fast food is a luxury. Restaurants and hotels is ridiculously luxurious
(and they don't even have the feeling to do so.) Basically, their needs is very very simple. Will NOT touch Starbucks or Coffee Bean.


Commission Based
Most start-up workers are young people between the age of 18 - 25. Due to it being commission based and no or a salary as low as RM400 per month, most only buy motorcycles. Fast food is a luxury, usually will eat economic rice or skip lunch totally, to eat at home after work. Unhappy lots unless they're hardworking and even hardworking ones needs to have the skill to sell.

Average, not sad and not happy, but always worrisome people. Low pay, hoping for commission, therefore hoping for sale. Usually between unsatisfied people, due to constant rejections to selling. Just an example, how would you feel like having to walk from one factory to one factory hoping to sell cartons of Uncle Toby's to their boss to give their workers? As mentioned, prefers to eat at home. Practically wants to save as much money as possible. Due to the non-constant salary, during good commission, usually throws away the commission celebrating or buying something expensive. Vicious cycle of unhappiness and happiness.


Corporate Sector
NO slacking! If you're required to work 8 hours, you WORK 8 hours. Being monitored silently by bosses, and those who don't perform are transferred around the company, to initiate a decrease in motivation to make the person quit on his/her own.

The only place with worker's burn-out, and the ones totally making full use of their annual leave and MCs. From executive levels and below (not managers and above), 30% are satisfied, 50% are unsatisfied, and 20% are always checking "careers" section in the newspaper on a constant basis. The company ranges from small IT company of 5 people, to a huge corporation like Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Workers generally hit above RM1,800 salary mark. Looks forward to weekends to partaayyy... or go out socially with friends, or stay home play Playstation 2 which is affordable (for single people). Sundays to rest to be healthy to face another week. During weekdays, the house is practically a hotel, to go home, eat dinner, do some homework, sleep and stary work again.

Mostly unsatisfied lot. Average to good salary (but only compared to non-corporate, but if compared against work load, it's average to bad salary). Travelling within malaysia is a norm. Travelling overseas is semi-luxury (nearby can lah). Fast food is a norm. Restaurants is a norm for BIG 5 company workers, who can afford Delifrance and Dome quite often, but for non BIG 5, restaurants are acceptable. Starbucks and Coffee Bean is also acceptable or a norm. Eating at home is a luxury!! Haha... serious! With the time left after work, there's hardly time to prepare and cook, unless it's maggi mee or nasi goreng, or rice and one dish.


In summary
Life is on a scale balance. It's USUALLY emotions vs workload vs salary. Workload little, salary little, emotion okay to happy. Workload a lot, salary a lot, emotions not happy to okay. Workload a lot, salary little, emotions sad.

The KEY to workload a lot, salary a lot and happiness a lot is to be really hardworking. That's why workaholics enjoy their work, and usually end up in managerial positions and later have lots of money. Rich Workaholics = Donald Trump & Bill Gates. Rich Workaholic who really prefer to be at work than home = Hugh Hefner. Workaholic who knows when to have fun = Richard Branson. These people are either hardworking, or have courage to initiate things they believe in, which 95% of the world population does not have.

Personally, for me, I cannot be hardworking for 7 hours (minus lunch) in a day. MAX total hardworking-ness is 3 hours in the morning. After lunch, no mood liao.

About Taxis

Since I started driving, I hardly ever take the cab to anywhere. Yesterday was my first trip in a cab (for a few years already) and I took the chance to question the driver on things I've been wondering about.

First of all, I asked about the looong queue for gas at Petronas that I always see. According to the driver, the gas is 60-70% cheaper as compared to petrol. A cab's full tank will take about RM50 worth, but gas will only cost about RM18. However, a cab's full tank can last for an entire day (520km) but you cannot fill up the gas to maximum capacity of the tank due to danger of expansion of the tank (from the gas heating up). So, it's a 4-time gas fill-up per day at RM4-5 per fill up, that lasts 130km.

Questioning him on whether it's a waste of time lining up. Seems that it's usually about a half-hour waiting in line for gas, to which he said at least it gives him some rest. Ookayy then, two hours per day on lining up is okay for him. But really, the save in fuel cost is what made him keep to gas.

I also inquired about the 'rental' of taxis. All taxi drivers RENT the taxis from taxi company on a daily basis. Some companies allow for 'rent and buy' which means, they will pay rental for the taxi and in five years, the taxi will be theirs. The problem is, while the vehicle will belong to them, they cannot use it as a taxi. It will be converted to a normal car, and if they still want to be taxi drivers, they will need to rent another taxi.

"Rent and buy", though it sounds good, is really not good at all. It's about RM44 per day, but maintenance of vehicle is up to the driver (ie tyre change, engine check) and they will need to pay the rent every single day of the year. This means that if they take leave for Hari Raya for 10 days, they need to pay RM440 in that 10 days.

"Pure Rental" is aboutRM65 per day, and they only pay on days they use the taxi. Maintenance is borne by the company. The driver I was with yesterday believe that pure rental is more cost saving, and I think so too.

So, a taxi driver starts the day on a full gas (not full lah, but maximum gas capacity) and rental of RM65. If the driver starts at 8am, he would probably break-even (on the rental) within 4-6 hours, depending on the distance and traffic. In traffic, the money move slowly, but it moves! Just to tell you all that there is cost incurred for 'time' and not only distance, and I believe this is fair to the taxi drivers, though it may not seem fair for the passengers.

Okay, let's say he gets break-even at 3pm (additional hour is due to waiting for gas twice). Then he'll need to break even his gas of RM18 which can be done in 1-2 hours. So as bad as it goat worst, a taxi driver will start earning at 5pm! That's like... err... you work from 8am to 5pm only to break-even, and then the next four hours, if they're lucky they will earn RM40 to bring home. According to this taxi driver, he generally break-even at 1pm, and by 2pm he will purely drive to earn money. At the end of the day at 9pm, he would take home anywhere between RM30 (bad day) to RM120 (good day). Putting that into average calculation, he can take home RM75 daily, which brings to RM1,500 per month working from 8am to 9pm.

Life of a taxi driver.

Bloody Political Idiots

I don't generally write on politics, but when I read craps that shows the weakness of a political system, I just have to vent it out. To children, a politician goes into politics in the first place to help the rakyat. In reality, some (not most) of them go into politics to close more business deals and sama-sama makan.

In the news today (12th Oct 2005)
1. 50 years old man in Johor grazed one of three motorcycles carrying 5 youth. At a traffic light, they attacked him, and ran away with his car keys, 3 credit cards and RM200 worth of cash.

2. A boyfriend left his girlfriend in the car at Juru R&R to go to the toilet, two men went into the car, drove off, picked up a third and raped her in the car only to leave her at Sungai Petani.

In the news today also....
Cabinet fighting over usage of "Jabatan" and "jabatan".

Utter nonsense!! Furthermore, 2006 budget gives a lot of advantages to businesses and police workforce. Why reward the police when criminals are getting braver? Doesn't it show that the police are slacking?!

Gone are the days when robbers struck only at night, or kidnappers waiting at secluded area before pouncing on their victim. Crime is done in broad daylight. I myself am not comfortable with taking out Kit Kat bar from a grocery store, and here we have brave criminals doing it in public!! Hello?! Something wrong with the Malaysia system?! Someone's gotta revamp the entire country's system.

Let's hope Najib will use his knowledge as Minister of Defense and create something to defend the rakyat from internal criminals, not only foreign attacks.

As for now, rakyat will have to fend for the rakyat, and even that is not happening. Pity the rakyat, but F**K YOU rakyat too! Arseholes who just turn a blind eye to crimes in front of their eyes. Come on rakyat, just do a Con Air. If you have to hurt or even kill to save someone's life, sanity or life-time emotional peace, you have my full support.

Makes me feel like running for Prime Minister. Hahaha.... I'll be the first to get killed in a hush hush operation by unhappy 'big powers'. As I have always believe since Std 5. There is REALLY NO JUSTICE IN THIS WORLD. It's just a word to hide the truth.

Planes Of Existence

My Opinion Entirely....

Imagine four pieces of transparency, and we print the letters A to D on different sheets. Now imagine we place one piece of white paper with a stickman drawing facing upwards. Lastly, we place transparency A (T-A) on top of the white paper, and transparencies B to D below the white paper.

The stick man in the figure is you.
T-A = Real World
T-B = Spirit World
T-C = Djinn World
T-D = Other planes (may be more)

Nearly all of us are currently at the position of the paper mentioned above. We can only see the real world. Spirit world can see its own world and the real world. Other planes of existence can see some other planes, but not necessarily in alphabetial order. For all we know, the Djinns cannot see the spirit world, but can only see its own world and the real world. And, some spirits in the spirit world cannot see other spirits in their own world. Other planes is purely subjective and I will not discuss them.

What I'd like to discuss is this. The travelling mechanism to a different plane of existence lies within individuals. Why is it that someone on the death bed can start talking to 'people' we can't see? Why does someone in a coma and being resuscitated can actually see him/herself being revived on the operation table? Why is it that someone driving on a deserted road in Sungai Limau in Kedah can stop at a night market to purchase some food, only to return home and the food is actually leaves, and the night market ceases to exist? How can we really say that someone who can see things we can't as 'insane' and should belong in a mental hospital?

God created four main 'objects' in the human body, which are i) soul ii) mind iii) brain and iv) body. The soul is connected to the body and the mind to the brain. To me, the brain's main function is to delegate tasks to the successful running of the body, and to stimulate thinking. The mind is what stores information we see, and may think on its own. When the soul exits the body, (there is still some linkage from the soul to body), but the mind and the brain works very well together still. People in coma can have great brain activitiy due to what's the soul experiences outside the body. Anyway, this paragraph will be discussed in a new post. The only gist I wish to take out from this paragraph is the power of the mind (not the brain).

Okay, back to topic. The mind, during extreme fatigue or malfunction can drop the soul into another plane of existence. That's when we see shadows, movements or voices that generally should not be there. This happens unconsciously. How about consciously. Why are there psychics, why are there bomohs, and how about voodoo witches?! I have absolutely no answer to harm-causing magicks, but as to their ability to converse with the other world, I still put it to their mental ability. Their mind. Belief and faith are the fuel to a mind's ability. In the real world, we can easily see that faith led to the creation of the light bulb. Faith and belief too brings an individual to experience things that the common man (who don't have enough faith or belief) can't.

People with telekinesis (ability to move objects with the mind) has 100% belief that the objects can be moved. If we can put as much faith and belief that we can make that pencil move, as MUCH belief as we have about pushing it with our fingers, then it will move. But billions of people cannot do it due to that doubt. As long as there's doubt, "aiyah, where can one!??" then it won't happen. The power of the mind. We can follow the steps of that ghost show "Candyman", on total darkness with only one candle, look into a huge mirror and say candyman three times. If you are bloody scared enough while doing it (amazing where you find the courage to actually do it huh?!) then you will experience something. If you are doing it with ridicule, nothing will happen. Fear also contributes to the fuel of planes travelling.

There is a thing called sleep paralysis. It usually means that you are awake, but you can't move. Most people who complains of "a ghost sitting on my chest when I awake" would probably experience sleep paralysis than really a ghost sitting on their chest. Believe it or not, if you have a mirror on the ceiling, you'll see yourself with your eyes closed. Your soul and mind are awake, but not your body. You can look right, look left, you feel like you're turning your neck, but your head is not moving. The ONLY thing you can make your body do, is to breath strongly. That's the only difference you can change in your body during sleep paralysis. You can feel as if you're moving your fingers, but your real body is not moving at all. This is the first step or highest level in the spirit world (in which you won't see other spirits).

Should you experience sleep paralysis, do not panic. Ya, right!! Most people WILL panic waking up and not being able to move. If you can sooth yourself, relax and enjoy the moment. Try moving your hand to your face, you will feel yourself moving your hand, but your hand won't reach your face. Nothing you do physically will reflect in what you see. Then, try to 'float' out of your body. Don't worry, you won't die. But that's easy for me to say, huh?? Since fear will trapy you in. What you will feel is like an electricity flowing through your entire body, before you will float out. If you do float out, you will hover on above your body, slowly turn and you will automatically look down to your body. At this stage, you can experiment moving about the room. At an advanced stage, you can travel outside your room, outside your house, practically, anywhere. But remember, there is always a Law of Nature that prevents you from doing something you know at heart is not a good thing to do. Therefore, you will not be able to peep on someone taking a bath. Share with me if you have experience out of body.

If you have never experienced sleep paralysis, and would like to try it, go to bed at night, free of stress and fully calm. Lie on your back and with only the sounds of your breathing, tell yourself that your body will fall asleep, but not you. You will slowly enter this dream-like situation, something similar to those times you are dreaming and you KNOW you are dreaming. Then you'll wake up, but really, it's your soul only waking up, not your body. Then go through that electricity feeling. Me? I've been in tons of sleep paralysis, both by accident and created, and have faced the electricity feeling (more like semut-semut / buzzing feeling on entire body), but it's not a common thing to feel myself floating out, and fear will pull me back. :P Means, I've never truly floated out. :-(

Good luck.

p/s: A little bit out of topic. Crap. Am supposed to relate to cases of others who gone to the djinn world and spirit world (with being able to see spirits). Ended up talking on how to achieve high-level spirit world entrance. May or may not restart the topic in times to come.

Being Civilised Is A Losing Battle

The topic was mentioned in a phone conversation I had with an old friend of mine. I think it'll be alright to repeat the story here since no one will know who he is anyway. It's a scary world to be in when, in a secured environment, you get yourself into an event that crumbles your entire trust on the so-called secured environment.

Anyway, I will tell the story directly what happened to him, to show how some management are purely interested in keeping a place calm and happy-looking, no matter what the cause. I usually will filter names of places or people in my blog, but today's post, I will filter only to a certain degree as you will see.

In respect to the establishment of this so called secured and friendly environment, I will not disclose to you that it happened in Suria KLCC. My friend, a guy dude in long-sleeve and tie was out to lunch with his girlfriend, also dressed in working attire. Moving into their path are three punkie looking teenagers (say about 16 - 19 years old) and just as they were about to pass each other, one kid extended his arm to touch my the girl's breast. There was no contact, but they laughed once they have passed by.

My friend got pissed, well, who wouldn't be?! He turned around and asked the kids to apologize. One of them (leader I suppose) challenged him to a duel outside. So begins a battle of words, with the other kids joining in saying "Don't you try to find trouble with us". As typical in Malaysia, which I hate, everyone else is just ignoring what is going on and going about their own business. The kids suddenly backed off, but my friend was not satisfied that they didn't apologizse.

What made the kids back off and head the other way is because the security guard is coming from behind my friend. In hoping that the security guard saw what happened and maybe apprehend or take some actions against the kids, he (the guard) instead held tight to my friend's shoulders and said "Don't find trouble here!". I can imagine my friend's feeling when he heard this. All sense of security, all walls to protect the innocent just crumble. My friend instead lashed out at the guard about what happened and typical for someone who don't want to be blamed, answered "Oh, I didn't see anything. I just noticed you shouting, so I thought you're causing trouble."

Ended up seeing the security manager. Under law, the intention to molest is punishable by the court. This is a serious issue, and if you readers think that it's childish to report such thing to the management, imagine if it happened to your girlfriend or wife (for male readers) or happened to you (for female readers). So, the security manager, whose main intention is to keep a calm and peaceful environment, just took down reports (which we know will go into the dustbin anyway) and left it at that.

When my friend inquired about the security cameras, so that they can appropriately apprehend the kids, this so called multi-million dollar shopping complex which I will again, not disclose to you all that it's Suria KLCC, does not have proper security camera zonings. From the horses mouth, he mentioned that some of the cameras are static, and does will not cover every inch, or even meters of the shopping complex.

There you have it folks, a beautiful illusion of security, until it is breached. And peace is to be enforced, without regards to who's wrong or who's right, just as long as there's peace and quiet. Hope this will not happen to any of you.

I am a psychopath

One of the most famous 'baton-passing' theme is the "I am" theme, which practically requires the blogger to write a series of "I am...." to somesort of a confession to anyone in praticular. Most will start an "I am" from young until their current age, in which they will confess things they do to their parents, bla bla bla. Some examples I've seen are like: -

I am the girl who locked you in the toilet in Std 4.

I am the man who left you for another woman.

.... and some craps like that. I will not write anything like that about myself, but it brings to a very interesting idea. Since tomorrow is the first day of fasting month, I will now release all the demons of insanity and morbid-ity(?!) from my mind, muahahaaha..... I banish you from my mind for a few months! Oh yeah, selamat berpuasa to all.

Beware: The following confessions are very graphical in nature and very grotesque. Those under 18 please seek your guardian's or watson's advice. Please seriously obey this advice for your own good.

For friends who know me personally, who knows the cheerful and friendly personality that I have,.... well, I have absolutely no idea how you will take the following conjurations of my mind. Just be thankful its not real. :P


I am the brother who bit off your hamster's head after watching 'V', laughing and running off to the mirror to see blood oozing out from my mouth and the hamster's head still throbbing on my tongue. I am the brother who then spat the head at you and used the hamster's body as a paintbrush to paint a beautiful red dress on your art block. I am the brother who sat on your head, and made you lick that wet 'paint', and said "Yummy, it's delicious".

I am the child who found it humourous stepping on young yellow chicks, to hear the sweet sound of crunching bones, giggling out loud as I chase more of them around. I am the child who picked up each and every crushed chick and poured their blood on unhatched eggs in the coop. I am the child who also poured leftover chicks' blood into chilli sauces' bottles at home. I am the child who gladly poured the chilli sauce for grandma and grandpa eating their chicken.

I am the son who smashed your car windows with a tennis racket. I am the son who placed broken pieces of glass in your shoes and loafers and smiled with glee at you jumping in pain and falling over the fence and broke your arm. I am the son who, while you were in the hospital, played campfire with all the papers I found in your briefcase. I am the son who was so happy when you got fired and stayed home with us for a few months. I am the son who slashed your tyres when you got a new job. I am the son who got to know a good friend of yours, a magician who can make people disappear.

I am the teenager who spat and blew my nose in your burger bun when you complained that the burger is not warm enough. I am the teenager who added my pee to your soda when you asked for a refill. I am the teenager who, with my friends, pushed, kicked, slammed and robbed you off your wallet and car after your dinner. I am the teenager who left you with a small token of gratitude by leaving a kitchen knife sticking out your thigh. I am the teenager who after that vanished like ninjas, being trained well by the magician.

I am the young man who tried to steal the exam papers for my finals, but was caught by you. I am the young man who sneaked into your office after the finals and burned all the answer sheets. I am the young man who dumped eight dead dogs into your yard for revenge. I am the young man who was not satisfied and proceeded to hit your ailing parents during their morning walk. I am the young man who drove over them again and again until I could not see anymore through my tears of laughter.

I am the man who applied for a job at your company but was given a low pay. I am the man who sent your clients to those who are worthy. I am the man who sold your contacts and information to earn what I am suppose to get, you worthless piece of rubbish! I am the man who paid girls to give you a call to your home to your wife. I am the man who got you tied up with a girl who eventually dumped you after your divorce. I am the man who ruined your marriage, just as you deserved. I am the man who made sure you don't remarry when I had my friends castrate you while you were so drunk, trying to escape anguish and depression . I am the man who mailed your your dried up testicles, pierced with rusted screws. I am the man who will never be humiliated by you ever again.

I am the boyfriend whom you decided to cheat on, just two months into the relationship. I am the boyfriend who made your lover disappear. I am the boyfriend who fed you soup, with the meat and personal parts of your lover. I am the boyfriend who convinced your parents that you had a sudden urge to go overseas looking for a job. I am the boyfriend who instead kept you locked in my home, to do to you as I wish. I am the boyfriend who kept my promise that I will not rape you in captive, or have anyone do that to you, but I never said I will not mutilate you. I am the boyfriend who carved your cheeks so that your teeth shows without opening your mouth. I am the boyfriend who bought a drum, but no drum sticks, and guess where I got those drum sticks from, you armless hag! I am the boyfriend who ensured your symmetry by also removing your legs, leaving you looking like a thin turtle. I am the boyfriend who got tired of you, who brought you to a lake in town, and watching in awe at how you try to swim with just limbs to your elbow and knees, until you sank and never come up for air again. I am the boyfriend, who celebrate your watery grave by scattering the bones of your lover, after my friends and I dined deliciously on his entire tasty meat.

I am the convict who tried to bit your nose off, how dare you try to cuff me! I am the convict who sang the national anthem in court when asked for my plea. I am the convict who struggled and manage to sink my knee deep into the stomache of that woman, and why was she wearing that maternity dress for?! I am the convict who laughed and laughed in captive until I am declared an insane and do not belong in prison. I am the convict who managed to fool all of you into thinking that I'm insane when I'm totally sane, with only lust for the dark. I am the convict whose destiny was set, to live in utter fascination with vices, sins and evil.

I am a psychopath, without empathy or remorse in what I do.

Who Is Shanna Hiel?

This post is in the category of diary, as it is a personal experience I had.

One of many overdue post I have yet to write is about my experience in the hospital during my wife's delivery which takes about 4 days and 3 nights. What I experienced I would consider it a "memory dream", that is, every night I will dream of other people's memories. These dreams are very not related to me, therefore I am seeing things through the eyes of others. Without fail, at least three memory dreams I had per night for two nights there.

Yesterday's dream however, is a mixture of fantasy and reality. The dream seems so real because it includes everyone in my current life, from my wife to my baby, to my mother and one of my siblings. Maybe the dream happened due to our (my wife's and I) anticipation of Flight Plan, but then again, I do not think about it at all. Nevertheless, this post will just account the details of the dream.

My wife and I are actually married in 1998. Go figure. I was just 19 then. Current time is now, 2005. We actually had a daughter who was taken from us, maybe when she was a baby or toddler, who knows. At this current time, we have already accepted the lost of our daughter. Here's where 'fantasy' comes in.

We are staying in a house. Funnily, we have never been able to open one single room in the house, which is actually the common toilet of the second floor. We can never remember when it was opened last. We are also very friendly with our neighbours. I think we have about three or four neighbours who are very close to us, and comes in and out of our house as if they're part of the family, and we do the same to their house. One neighbour was a huge man. I never liked him. He is the one I suspected who took our daughter.

This 2nd floor common toilet have been tried to be opened before, so that we can change the door since we can't find the key, but nothing can break the door. Even a hammer or axe have been tried but it cant dent the door in any way. The only way I guess, is to find the key for it, and the key looks like those steering wheel / computer lock kinda key.

It just happened that one day the huge neighbour passed away. Before he died, he asked me "You still think that I took your daughter?!". That got me remembering that we once had a daughter. And from my thinking, if he is currently having our daughter, it will be a matter of time before she will be out of drink or food if he has her locked up somewhere. So began a frantic search in his house for some kinda key.

One the fourth day of his death, I got frustrated that I broke planks by planks of his personal cupboard, and I did find a key attached by glue to the bottom of the cupboard. Rushed back to my house with the key and tried it on the toilet door. As you would also expect, the key worked. Found our daughter turned face down in the bathtub filled with water up to about 5 inches.

I carried her out while shouting "ambulance" many times. This part was so real. Neighbours and their children came out and the ambulance did come. I remembered holding her in while towel, and she has just stopped shivering but still unconscious. Then the dream jumped forward to when she's back home. While looking at her playing on her own, I asked my wife "How old is she now?" and my wife said "Born in 1998, what do you think?" and I mentioned "We married in 1998, means she's born in 1999 isn't it?".

Her name, as my wife and I recall is Shanna Hiel. I totally cannot describe her face, but to describe her in a way that I can, she has straight long hair right below the shoulders. Rather thin as how a 6 years old can be. Already potty trained as she did tell us how she learned it. Rather talkative and can speak in both english and malay. Seems to not hold a grudge on the huge neighbour as she thought he was her very protective father. She did show a swollen right jaw where he hit her. She was treated well, fed well, except that she's locked up to hide from us.

For me, I actually wished the neighbour was still alive so that I can kill(?!?) him. She readily accept us as her parents once more and said that she was too young to even remember. Yeah, and us being parents have somewhat already let her go from memory?!? She was given a tour of our baby's crib and toys. She particularly liked the musical twirling toy that sits on top of the crib. She enjoys playing with her younger brother.

I woke up this morning, seeing my baby sleeping next to me. It was surreal. I'm back in this time, but the dream was so vivid as it includes everyone else close to me instead of strangers. So, who is this Shanna Hiel really?! And why to such a detail on dreams? Most people forgets their dream the moment they wake up, or remember up to 30% of their dreams. I have had remembered dreams too, but never to such a detail. If you dream, there is no sound or voice, all sounds and voices comes telepathically (but in the dream you think you actually say or heard sounds lah). :P

Anyway, Shanna Hiel, whoever you are, hope you are happy with your family.


Update: My wife just asked me if I had a nightmare as I was crying in my sleep at about 6:00am plus. I guess that was the shouting for ambulance part (then again, people say full dreams happen in just 10-20 seconds) as I was most emotionally strickened then. Well, case will remain closed.

My Cheese Is Moved

This would be belong in the category of Rant, except that I have yet to do any categorizing on my posts.

For those who have read the book Who Moved My Cheese, you would know what I'm talking about. For those who have not, would not know what I'm talking about, obviously. :P Okay, in layman terms, I am now given a different job scope (actually, same, but more) and a change of scenery. Beginning Monday, I am no longer reporting to HQ where all my directors are, but instead reporting to the site office. Sounds good no? Not really. A simple list below would share what I might enjoy and not enjoy having to shift office.

My Gains
1. In my previous office, every three staff will be sitting in front of managers, therefore the manager will be able to see exactly what the staff does on the computer. I find this very de-motivating as I cannot work with the Hawthorne effect. I work better given the privacy to make my calls, do my work, without thinking that someone's criticising what I'm doing.
2. Closer to home. From the previous 30 minutes journey to work, and 45 minutes journey from work, now it will be a 15 minutes to and from work.
3. Buying DVD is a walking distance.
4. Less travelling for viewings of office spaces, since my site office is the main office I am trying to beef up occupancy. Save on petrol going to and from HQ to site office.
5. Free parking. At HQ, parking needs to be paid about RM100 per month, here, it's free since we're the landlord's management team. I do hope they don't take away my parking allowance though.
In Summary - I gain in finance (if my allowances remain intact) and in empowerment.


My Losses
1. HQ was a lot closer to KFC, McDonalds, Giant, RHB Bank, BCB Bank and Post Office. That's a all-in place for food, banking and groceries. Now, nearby banks are those I'm not an account holder of. It'll be more difficult to do my banking. Food places, sigh... seriously it'll be mamak food all the time.
2. Freakin' 45 minutes on my clock per day!! This one I am not happy about at all. I have to come in 15 minutes earlier and leave 30 minutes later as compared to HQ.
3. Add one more job scope, which is to manage a service office. I just hope the tenants are not those crazy ones who pick at the smallest thing.
4. Colleagues for lunch. Lunches with four other male colleagues will end up with a lot of knowledge sharing about real estate business and current trends. But now it'll be lunch with one male colleague who is an accountant (which I am not experienced in at all) OR one male friend who's a lawyer, OR ta-pau food and eat in office!! I really don't see myself eating with the two female admin staff.
5. Previously it was alternate Saturday working time. Now it'll have to be two working Saturdays, followed by one non-working Saturday, and then repeat.


Double-Edged
1. I had one marketing staff to help me in HQ. Now, I have TWO admin staff to help me in site office. I think I prefer marketing staff than admin staff eventhough there's two of them.We'll see how this goes.
2. Time-management. Running three bottom-line responsibilities is going to be a very scary thing. Money need to flow into the service office. Money need to flow into the building's office. And Money need to flow into my agency department (from deals on other office buildings). Putting a positive face for this one. The first will be the most challenging since it's the most expensive in terms of price per square feet.


In Conclusion
I have not made up my mind which job would satisfy me greater in the long run. If I deliver, then it's very transparent that it's my job because my ex-marketing staff has now been absorbed into another department. At least my bosses will know who to credit. If I fail to deliver, I have a lot to answer. But seriously, I do HATE the Saturday set-up. Will have a word to my boss on this issue. Hehe... the game begins.


Add-on: It's a good sign that today I am at 75% chance of closing a deal that will bring in at least RM15,000 into my company. More to come. Pray for me.

Of Supply And Demand: Glitters And Gold

This is a post based on small read-up, research and analysis that I have done before, as well as my own opinion from observations of the market, and the consumers. But I believe that I am more than 50% correct in my views.

Things of beauty have always been a consumer luring product, be it a diamond ring, cell phonesor cars. Truth be told, I purchase products on logic reasons (usage) more than attractiveness of the products, but here I will talk purely on the latter. Also, on the possibility of selling back the products for cash. Of course we know that cars prices drop about 20% - 30% in price the moment its bought from the manufacturer, but we'll talk on glitters and gold.

GOLD

Gold is an investment product. It is a controlled item. I'm talking about gold that's made of 99.9% gold and 0.01% urea. Kidding! I have totally no idea what the other 0.01% is made of. Anyway, if you purchase gold bracelet, you're actually paying for the real price of gold, plus the labour cost of handywork, shipping cost and trading cost. When you sell back the bracelet in dire times, you're selling back the real price of gold, or lesser depending on demand. What most consumers usually fail to request is the authenticity of the gold being 99.9%.

Most Malaysians in the 80s and early 90s are quite used to those aunties bringing around gold products in bags and selling it to women who wants to look rich. That's where that Mami Jarum come in. I have a very big doubt that it's at least 50% gold, if not just a gold plated product. Gold is anyone's market.

CRYSTAL















Crystal IS NOT an investment product. At least it won't be for the next 200 years or even 500 years because supply is greatly higher than demand. Worst of all, since perfect crystal can now be manufactured, there really is no value in crystal. That said, I deem it as a decorative product. Stones like the amethyst and onyx are from the earth, and I really have not much say on the ability for industries to create these stones, so we'll just stick to pure crystals.

Crystal is purely a mixture of silica and lead. That means, your crystal products is made from sand, or glass and lead. Why people buy crystal is because it reflects light better than glass and that the more lead there is in crystals, the more difficult it is to break into pieces. Pure crystals are about 2% lead.

Swarovski crystals have a higher carbon composite that makes them chip and not break. Swarovski crystals command a very high price than the common Jaya Jusco crystal vase because of handiwork, perfect mixture of silica and lead in its per inch square and that it's brand is highly recognised, same like Hello Kitty.

For consumers, I'd really suggest that crystals are used purely for decorative purposes, and never to purchase for future reselling. Don't think of "It's really nice. I'd like to keep it, and if there's financial problems in the future, I can sell it off." Pawn shops will hardly accept crystal products. Crystal is a seller's market, not consumers.

GLASS

Glass has no value. Purely for decorative purpose that 'must not' be touched. That is, if a glass product is made so nicely and it placed for decoration, we'd have to be sure not to have children play nearby. It can break so easily, and for adults who wishes to view the handiwork of glass products, they will leave fingerprints. Glass is a very common consumer's item, therefore it's purely a seller's market. Crap, I should not even talk about glass since it's a superbly common item.

DIAMOND

It is said that a diamond is the hardest material in the world. Since only diamond can cut diamond, I guess it is,... but since I did not conduct and read-up on the whether it's true or not, I shall just believe the rumour, coz' this is about supply and demand.

Diamond, though it can be sold to jewellers or pawn shops, its value will decrease dramatically. The only way a diamond's value will increase if you buy a large diamond to cut them into smaller pieces and sell them at a higher price, just as Secret Recipe sells higher per piece than a whole cake. Diamond has a high supply and high demand. Easily, as much as there are marriages in a year, that's nearly as much diamonds sold in the same year. Diamonds are also bought during chinese new years and special occasions.

Due to that, it's largely a seller's market, not a consumer market. To sell a diamond, it will be more than 30% decrease in price to sell back to jewellers, and up to 70% decrease in price to pawn shops. Why?? Easy.... all men would want to buy diamond rings/bracelet/nose ring/tongue ring/tiara from respectable jewellers such as Tiffany & Co, Kedai Emas Gagal, Poh Kong, etc... and not from pawn shops or friends.

Guy: Will you marry me?
Girl: Wow, is this a diamond ring???
Guy: Yes, it is!
Girl: From Tiffany & Co?
Guy: No, I bought from my friend Jack, who I dunno bought from where.

Not to condemn girls in general, but not many girls will actually be elated to receive a diamond that was bought at a bargain. Therefore, diamond will always be a seller's market. It will be also another 500 years before diamonds can be considered an investment product.

Diamond will remain a product of significance. Wedding ring. 50th Anniversary Necklace. Relationship Bracelet. When the significance run out from break-up or divorce, that's when they get sold.

IN CONCLUSION

To me personally, all that glitters are beauty enhancement. At least 85% of glitters are worn on the body by women. Some wear it for the beauty, some for status and some for prestige. It's greatly common that at big functions people ask about the glitters a woman is wearing, where it came from, the price, all for prestige. At business meetings and appointment, glitters tend to show the current financial status of the woman (or the family, or husband, or boyfriend, whichever). For pure beauty's sake, people will only look from far, and will not question about the make, price or even place of purchase.

Due to that, I think it's better to buy items for beauty at cheap places. Rather than buying earrings (ear stud size) from jewellers, might as well buy from normal shops that sells 25% of the price. For plasticy items, rather than buying from normal non-branded shops, might as well buy from Sinma.













Oh,.... that said, Sinma's product is getting more expensive since their brand is starting to be well-known. Looks like in time-period terms, Sinma beats Mydin, but since they're totally of different industry, I cannot justify this sentence. :)

Now, what's the real purpose of this post!?? Nothing I guess. It just serve as a reminder to me, who used to be quite interested in stone crystals (cut to diamond shapes). They look really nice as they bounce light well, and are great products to be placed behind glass casings, but that's as much as it is. I think I have enough, I should not purchase more eventhough they're sold cheap in Penang's bargain sites. Well, at least I didn't buy diamonds or higher carbonated crystals for decorative purpose. :D

Things You Learn From A Baby

Having had our newest member of the family for 1 month and 4 days today, there are several things that we can learn from a baby. Among those that I can think up right now are: -

1. Ninja Skills - Stealth
Once the baby goes to sleep, and before the baby plummets into deep sleep, they can easily be awaken by any sound at all. If they were to fall asleep in noisy places, this is not a problem, but in the bedroom, to get out of the bed and to the toilet or kitchen or whatever, you really need to practise your tip-toe skills and sign language between husband and wife. Interesting, and fun.

2. Reading Body Language
Somehow or rather, nearly all my friends I know who have babies says that the probability of babies releasing their pee during a diaper change astounds mathematicians. A pee takes about 10 seconds to complete. A day takes 24 hours or to be detailed is 86400 seconds. Let's say a baby pees once every 30 minutes, that's 10 seconds of pee for every 1800 seconds. We'll give a figure for length of time for a diaper change to 60 seconds. In layman terms, the probability of baby peeing during a diaper change is once every 30 diaper changes. But my friends, for our baby, it's about once every five diaper changes. Only logical reason is that a baby feels 'ahhhhh...' to pee not feeling a soiled diaper. Reading the baby's body on when the baby is gonna release is a skill to be mastered.

3. Understand Japanese-Created Characters Successes
Now we know why Hello Kitty, Doraemon and Sin Chan are a success in Japan and the world! They cute. What makes them cute is that their head size is equivalent or bigger than their body. Same goes for baby! Baby's head is at a 1:1 to their body, while us as adults are about 1:4 of our body, which makes us a lot less cute. :-( But then ah..... we also have Lat cartoon whose head is bigger than his body, however, Lat is not cute coz' of his porcupine hair lah.

4. You realise you have time
Besides doing personal stuff like taking bath, eating dinner and fixed deposit in the toilet, most of the 'home' time is spent with the baby, be it just be nearby to look at at every few seconds, or holding or soothing the baby. Now, how is it that I have time for all of these. It seems like as if I have totally wasted my 'home' time before baby came doing what ah?! I also can't remember liao.

5. He/She ain't heavy, he/she's our baby.
Why is it that carrying a 3kg laptop is quite tiresome to the body, but carrying or holding a 4.5kg baby is fine? Maybe coz' laptop is not flexible enough to mold into your hands while a baby is. Anyhow, baby's weight is totally ignored in the process of cuddling, soothing and the likes. Love conquers all.

6. Doing Things Efficiently And Effectively
With baby's tendency to start crying without a written notice or agenda, doing things like taking a glass of water, or brushing teeth, or switching on the lights and tv have to be done as quickly and as successful as possible, or else you'll end up only halfway before the baby cries to call for you again. Baby keeps us on our highest alertness and sharpens our basic skills.

7. How To Appreciate Your Wife
Besides the common appreciation of pregnancy, labouring and delivering, there's also....i) the separation, whereby the baby sleeps between us and how to sleep with your wifey lar? You will surely miss having your wife like you used to. ii) the time sacrifice, while I'm sleeping and not hearing when baby wakes up, my wife will wake up to sooth him, sacrificing her sleep to ensure my own sleep to go to work. iii) the body sacrifice, coz' when the wife is taking care of baby, there's a high tendency to neglect taking care of herself.


In conclusion, there's a lot of things a baby will teach us, and that's only during the baby's first month. There's more lesson to come from the little one, for sure!

Why Have I Forsaken Xanga?

I have wanted to move out of Xanga once, and now I really have done it. Why?! Why leave some of my xangian friends behind and move over to some other blog host?? For me, it's really simple.

1. Not User-Friendly Enough
While I have background in IT, at this current time of my life, I have already gotten that 'not bothered to learn something new unless interesting' character. I used to spend countless hours with a Warcraft printout of unit info and damages just to plan a strategy, but those days are over. Back to Xanga issue, I notice that Xanga does not have user-friendly features for me to click or change things on my website, while this one does, and very easily at that to change settings, format or whatever. No offense to Xanga, it's just a matter of user preference.

2. Need To Register To Comment
Lurkers or non-registered Xanga readers would need to register as a Xangian before they can leave any comments on my posts. Being very tired, as all of us are, in keying in information about ourselves again, and then having to think up new password pulak, and all that, I understand why some people (especially KB. :P) does not want to sign up to something new when they are not using it at all. Well, maybe Xanga does allow non-xangian to comment, but like I mentioned in point 1, I am lazy to look around for it.

3. Occasional Site Down
There are several issues where the site does down on certain occasions, and that's the only free time I have to want to post something. So, it somewhat does get on my nerves.

4. Photos need to be taken from another URL
Photos posted on Xanga need to be taken from another URL, unless you are a Xanga Premium subscriber. If you don't have your own photos somewhere else online, then you need to put it up somewhere to link it. This one allows you to upload your photos into its site, therefore saving tons of trouble having to find locating to store files.

That's about it I guess. I mean, though only 4 points, I think they're strong enough to make me pindah rumah. Anyway, I'm not saying Xanga is bad coz' one thing for sure, Adam Carruther (8tv Quickie dude) punya girlfriend is still in Xanga at www.xanga.com/kinkybluefairy. Since she's somewhat one of the popular bloggers in Malaysia, and she's still there, that says that Xanga is not bad at all. Like previously mentioned, it's just my preference. It's not business, it's personal.

I have transferred all my posts from my previous blog host to here, except that I did not bring along comments with me. The flooble (chat screen) will be brought over here in a couple of days. And changes to the layout will also change in a couple of days once I get used to the technicalities of layout management. I wonder if Eric from Casa Impian can help out with my layout designing.

Plain Musings #1

I'm putting #1 up there coz' I believe some time later in my blog life I will have more muses. Okay, I have absolutely no idea how to use that word muse. I think it comes from amuse, or whatever. And since I've seen it many times elsewhere (without taking the effort to find out what it really means and how to use it), I will simply use it as if I know what it means. So, well, here's my first musing.

In my previous post, while talking about Nursery Rhymes, I remembered other rhymes that to my opinion, is either downright cruel (I think I've wrote about this before) or is a terrorist intelligence hidden in a song. The cruel one, which I think I'm repeating myself, is the Three Blind Mice. A line of the lyric reads "She chops their tails off with the carving knife".... wah... hallo, children nursery rhyme talking about mutilation?! Also, while this may sound sensitive, I really find it peculiar for Intelligence saying that they've received reports of terrorist attacks, but to just let them happen. London was just attacked,... and luckily they did not blow up the london bridge. Or else some CIA or FBI or Scotland Yard Intelligence will say "Oh, we've known about it all along. It's been in the London Bridge nursery rhyme." London bridge is falling down, my fair lady. Duh... why make a nursery rhyme about that?! Others are okay like Yankee Doodle, or Pop Goes The Weasel which sounds good.

Lack of Vitamin D daily really brings up your temper. This year I think I have had several days (less than 5) in which I did not get hit by the sun rays as I stayed home from the moment I wake up until I sleep. Being stuck within four walls (or more) really really make me start to be restless. I don't know whether it's the lack of Vitamin D, or the lack of outdoor air, or just because I don't get to exercise my muscles much at all at home, but well, I'm quite sure this happens to a lot of people as well.

For my own personal actions, I find that from a series of actions that we repeat a day (not the unconscious ones like breathing lah!), such as farting, going to toilet, looking at the mirror, looking at the handphone, etc..... my top most repetitive action during the weekend at home is looking at the clock. Nearly every 15-30 minutes!! Why is that? Is it the dread that "Aww... have to go back to work tomorrow", or simply "I need to do something, what's there to look at to update my knowledge? I know! Let's update the current time in my head!". Aishh.... following looking at clock would be,... farting?! Let's see.. I've only done that 8 times today... hahah!! Cacat... no one calculates how many times they fart. It's ridiculous. I guess the other would be getting a drink from the kitchen.

Foodstalls I love are those where I can take my own food, EAT first, and then go to the counter and tell them what I took. Therefore, I can really pile up the meat, such as 3 scoops of sweet&sour fish meats and then at the counter, just need to say "sweet & sour fish". Foodstalls I totally hate are those that they take the food for you, and then when you say "tambah sikit", they add just another two pieces of sliced ladies finger, or three more ikan bilis. Wah-liao, just charge extra lah, give me another scoop. Gosh... let's see, in the past one month, this is the food price to what I usually take. That'll be white rice, fried beef slices, omelette, veggies. Nasi Kandar restaurant - RM6.50. Malay restaurant near my workplace - RM5.50. Maju Junction Mall - RM4.50. Food courts - RM4.00. In my opinion, the Maju Junction one has the best taste. Yeah, Maju Boleh.

Best advert currently is DIGI with Apek. First the scene was P.Ramlee type show where he said something to the likes of "Ya, dapat banyak untuk, boleh top-up prepaid!", then the Apek Idol "Saya rasa, package anda yang terbaik!", then the Apek Football can't really remember the lines, and lastly the AlleyApek "Maa... Sih!". The WORST advert has to be that motorcycle advert with the Malaysian group singing the background. I think the title of the song is Bomb or whatever.... it ends with this dude seeing the motorcycle moving past him and his girl, he stood up, looking all excited, and removed his glasses in as-if-gaya-lah way. Wah... really really bad advert man! Best motorcycle advert is where the indian guy was happy that girls were looking at his bike, and when one mat salleh was looking at it from behind, he drove away.

A cousin of mine used to recite "Aku Megah. Aku Gagah. Aku Makan Gajah." I think he would have forgotten this by now. That was in 1989. Another cousin sang Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice up to the chorus to my dad, just because my dad didn't say answer the hello's my dad gave. After he finished his chorus, he said "Hello?!" for the final time, and only then my father answered "Hello, Mr Jav please". 1989 too.

Lastly, there are some idiots, I mean people, who are blogging about their net worth. Hello?! What are you trying to prove? That you're rich?! I've seen a few of this 'net worth' posting of bloggers. Sadly, none of them even come close to the net worth at where I stand. Honestly, I do not know my real net worth, but simple calculations indicate that I have a net worth of more than four million ringgit. Read that right! RM4 Million Ringgit!How is that possible?!? If someone gives me RM1 million for my right arm, I will not part with it. Therefore, I know my right arm is worth more than RM1 million. Same goes for my left arm, my left leg and my right leg. That makes RM4 million. Just that alone has already gone over these bloggers' net worth I've read about. Sigh.... people with low net worth.

That's about it to my musings #1.

Baton Passing: Weirdest Behaviour

I've seen this 'baton passing' many times on other people's blog, but I never thought it will come to me. Nevermind that some batons are actually a series of specific questions to be answered, but no... this specific baton ask me to specify my five wierdest habits! That's such an open question! Thank you to HappyLagenda or Legendria for it.

Since my england is getting badder all the time, I've decided to look up the definition of 'habit', and it says: -
a. An unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition
b. An established disposition of the mind or character.

Alright then, it's either actions or even mental disposition. Meaning, thinking of KFC all the time can be considered a habit, no? Aish... england already badding, now have to use my brain pulak. Before I start, I will have to say that I DO NOT have a weird habit. It's totally natural to me, only weird to others. So I will write what I think would seem weird to others.

1. I like to remember, advice or apply life and motivation quotes from movies. While most good quotes should come from well-known people like Steven Covey, Theodore Roosevelt, Dr Mahathir or bin Laden, I totally still prefer to bring out quotes from movies or books, such as what I've written in previous posts before. "Freedoommmm.... - Braveheart" Haha.. no lar! Actually it's more to "Don't dwelve on the past, lest you forget to live. - Harry Potter 1" or "I love my life, I love my wife, and I wish you my kind of life. - Jerry Maguire's boss" and others lah, I malas to think of them now!

2. Walking while talking on the handphone. My Executive Chairman also does it, but not the other two directors of my company. My wife hates this habit of mine. Somehow or rather, walking aimlessly while talking on the handphone stimulates nerves and motors, thus pumping more blood to the brain for faster processing of data and making my england badder.

3. Eat, Drink, Eat, Drink, Eat. There are tons of articles and studies saying that one should eat their meal first, and then wash it down with their drink. I have this colleague who only orders food during lunches, and later drinks when she gets back to the office. I cannot! These people must have oily throats for all their food to go down easily. I need my drink to help the peristalsis.

4. Read in the toilet... eh wait, more than 50% of the world population does this. It's not a weird habit. CANCEL.... Again... Singing old nursery rhymes or old catchy songs in my head. Few months ago was "Loo loo, skip to my loo... skip to my loo my darling." Belardy weird song! Last month was "How much is that doggie in the window? woof woof." And last week it was "Kain Pelikat... la.la.la.la", and this week it's "This is the song that doesn't end... yes, it goes on and on my friend.... some people started singing not knowing what it was.... and they'll continue singing it forever just because.... This is the song that doesn't end... yes, it goes on and on my friend... some people started singing not knowing what it was... and they'll continue singing it forever just because... [repeat]". This song is a classic I tell you!! The best song to irritate your parents during a long journey in the car.

5. Lastly, I don't follow instructions. Yes, this is a habit, because I don't follow instructions very often. Be it electrical good's manuals, rules and guidelines of doing something... and even this email. I will NOT send this baton to five persons because I have not seen anyone running the 4x400meters where the runner breaks the baton into five and passing it to five different people. Think about it. Runner one passes to five others. The other five becomes twenty-five. Then the last runners will be 125 people. Just to run in the 4x400, each country would need to send a contingent of 156 runners. Also, the final lap of the 4x400 finals of the olympics will have 500 people running. Cwazee....

So.... this baton will only be passed to one person. Why I chose this person is because she have been hardworking enough to answer all batons passed to her. Not sure if she's done this, coz' if she has, then well, pass it back, I'll find another victim. The person in mind is KookyCookie who will jump with glee and prance around knowing that she gets this baton. She will prance around like the Prancing Whores in her Screw-Dia Cookierarie.

But wait!!! Being the long-winded fella that I am, I'm continuing this post. Gasp! I now will state THREE habits that I do find weird in others.

1. Eating Dhal. No... not Sophie Dahl! I'm sure many of you would love to see someone eating Sophie Dahl, but what I'm talking about is the roti canai and dhal. I have one friend who, after finishing his roti canai, will drink all the leftover dhal from the bowl. On another end of the spectrum, I have one friend who dips only 1mm x 1mm of his cebisan roti canai into his dhal. I can bet that even after eating 50 roti canai, there'll be more than 75% of dhal left.

2. Touching or caressing their shoes. Not many do this at all, but they exist. And usually you can find them at cafe's during lunches, where most business talks happen. What am I trying to say?!? Imagine this (because it really happens!!), two dudes in long-sleeves with ties sitting at the cafe chairs chatting. One dude crosses his legs (guy version of crossing legs please), and one of his hand rests at the sock area of that leg. Slowly, his hands will go towards his shoes, starts to rub it as if it's dirty, and then touch at the bottom of his shoes, not realising what he's doing. Unconsciously, he's CLEANING his shoes! And then he'll bring that same hand to his mouth to pull away some meat between his teeth, or brush his hair. Eeeewww... but hey, it happens!

3. Strangers looking at the food you're eating! This is not a weird habit, but a superbly irritating one! Try eating at any foodcourts in shopping complexes or restaurants, and you'll meet some people who just love staring at the food you ordered. They will stare from the moment the food leaves the waiter's hand, up until you put your first bite into it. Hello! People eating lah. Look somewhere else can or not?! Watchoo lookin'at, foo?! Aku bagi kang! Terajang kang, telanjang!


p/s: Please pray that my england will get gooder.

The Other Side Of The Interview Table

Today, I was given the priviledge to be an interviewer for potential newcomers to the company. Now, being 26 and having the director making me only other personin the room, interview dudes who are older than me, seems like a cool thing. But then, we're interviewing dudes for post of IT Executive, and since I'm the only guy with IT background, there's nothing to shout about.

So what did I actually learn during this interview?? I have been told to be intelligent and active if I were to go for a job interview. There's this guy who did just that. He's very vocal, giving opinions on questions, and talk a lot about his expertise. Somehow or rather, it turned from a "hmm... this guy is knowledgable" to "err... when will he stop talking?!" to "alright, this is downright irritating!". Okay, first of all, answer an interview question short and sweet and to the point.

Secondly, I learn that you have no choice but to squint your eyes when the sun shines directly into it. My director room's window faces the evening sun. His back is to the window, therefore, you know where the interviewee is facing lar. Poor dude have to squint his eyes during the entire interview that you can mistaken him as a sleep-walker answering questions in his sleep. Of course you don't expect him to say "Sir, can you shut the window?" Okay, this means, do not question the director unless requested to (usually at the end of interviews)

Thirdly, for men, marriage is a bonus. My director (and I, haha!!) thinks that one dude was suitable because he's married, therefore he knows responsibility. Quite bias huh? But I guess that is a bonus point for men!

Fourthly, when interviewee comes, you stay in room. When interviewee leaves, show him to the door. In other words, you're not keen to meet up with the interviewee, but when he does show up and finishes, escort him out! Macam security guard lah pulak.

Fifthly (okay, usually I hear up to thirdly only.... no more than that), most interviewee will clasp their hand in the other hand. This is to avoid shivering due to nervousness. Poor dudes all had their hands shaking. I think either my hands did shake during interviews, or I placed them into my pants pocket. Some will even bite their lips in between waiting for questions.

Sixthly, interviewers are very comfortable with interviewees who answers from the heart, not from the mind. This one dude answered to candidly with broken english and informal words surprises us to a point that we find him sincere. At least we know that there's no 'actor' behind the interviewee. Not easy to achieve this kind of easi-ness with interviewer-interviewee events.

Finally, I learn that we MUST discuss about the interviewee the moment they are done with the interview after we have thrown them out, I mean, showed them the door out. "So, what do you think?" "Boss, I think he forgot to zip his pants." "Really ah?!" "Ya lor, so means he do slipshot work, not complete." :P

Here are a few questions that was in my mind, but it didn't reach my mouth to voice it out. I guess the main reason for me not to bring out the question is to save my own skin.

Q: If our gay director make a move on you, how would you react?

Q: If you meet the director in the toilet peeing, and there's no place for him to pee, will you stop halfway and give him your spot?

Q: On your way in from the main door, you would have seen some of our colleagues. Describe our hottest colleague!

Q: Explain the difference between a server and a waiter.

Q: If our director wants you to write a private and confidential email, but you must not know the meaning of the contents of the email, how would you do it?

Q: Our old IT guy used to press the toothpaste for our directors in the mornings. What brand would you recommend?

Q: Is the sun shining in your eyes?! If you dare, ask my director to shut the blind lah. Dare not? Dare not?!

Q: How many computers did you see on your way in?

Q: Who wrote "Gone With The Winds?"

*sleeps*

How To Avoid A Slick Salesperson

Use lemon to wash off the oil and they won't be slick anymore. :) No seriously there are tons of slick salesperson in this world. The words they use to sell you products are really respectable (at least to me) coz' they're so full of confidence you just have to laugh in your laurels (whatever that is, since I england not good just follow what I have hearing before). Here are various example of salesperson from an innocent one to a bloody, I mean slick salesperson: -

Innocent Salesperson
(After showing the showhouse to the potential customer)
Dude: Sir, what do you think, sir?
Client: It's not bad, really. I'll go home any think about it first.
Dude: Sure, sir. I'll just give you my card, if you have any further question you can call me and I'll assist you further.

Stupid but Honest Salesperson
Dude: Sir, I think it's best that you look around more for other better deal, sir. Ya lah, I don't want later you come and scold me if you find better deal somewhere else. So, please go to that housing project over there, and over there... wait ah, I give you the address. Aiyah, I draw out the roadmap there lah. One thing they have there is that their toilet is nicer, bla bla bla, compared to ours which will flood if it rains, bla bla bla.

Bloody, I mean slick Salesperson
Note: This is the kind of salesperson that have peaced (nicer word for you-know) me off many times. Feel like giving a Level 5 Shin Shou-Ryu-Ken up their ribs.
Dude: .... and that's the whole beauty of the house, sir. Sir, please sit down, sir. So, which bank do you prefer sir? Oh, before that, congratulation sir. This is a wise investment. I will get a banker to talk to you while I fill up your purchase form.

What the *toot*?! Since when did I agree to buy the house?!? Anyway, the continuation of conversation will usually go like this....

Client: Actually, we're just looking around. We need to discuss first.
Dude: Sir, what's there to discuss. This is the best deal around. If you come back next week, you won't get the free electric gate already. Also, they say that the price might increase due to overwhelming demand. For all you know, you'll lose your dream home because all will be bought by then. Do you really want to risk losing your dream home? (look at the son) Adik, adik suka rumah ni kan? (look back at dad) See, your son already look at this as his home, probably already choose what room he wants.
Client: No, it's okay. I will come back.
Dude: Think about it, sir? I'll call the banker for you right now. At least see how this will be a good investment for your family.
Client: Actually, I have a meeting to go to. I'll give you a call if I'm interested. (Tipu only, just wanna go home.)
Dude: Sir, it's 5pm. I'm also leaving already. Perhaps I can follow you to your meeting, then I can discuss with my boss if your meeting colleagues are also interested. (I know you sure tipu to run away, now I wanna follow you, what you want ah?)
Client: It's a private meeting. How can you turn up in a private meeting?
Dude: Sir, I can wait outside until the meeting is over, then we can discuss more. Meanwhile, I get a banker to talk to you, okay?
Client: Bloody idiot!! I say I wanna think about it first, I think about it first lah!!
Dude: Sir, please don't get angry. I'm only trying to help you. I don't want to see you make a mistake by not getting this dream home. Later when you regret, I cannot help already because all the houses sold.
Client: SHIN.... SHOU-RYU-KEN!!
Dude: Arrgghh......
Game Voice: Client Wins. Perfect!!


"But I only want you to buy the house. "

In reality, not many can actually run away from slick salesperson and end up buying a mini-skirt and a tube-top eventhough the client is a guy. So, how do we go about avoiding one? Here are a few methods to try, and I will also put in my usual retord (retort? retard? aish... my england...) against salesperson who comes up and sit at your dinner table.


First Things First: Do not run away!
Do not excuse yourself to get money, get credit card, etc... in summary, do not try to run!
All salesperson know that if you say things like you need to get something to pay for the product, it means you're running away. They WILL follow you! Don't be crazy. Deal with them. If you run, they will chase. This is not really a method. The methods are below.

1. Question them dry
Client: So these vacuum cleaner can suck well? Like that turbo tiger on TV that can suck a bowling ball?? Can I have a bowling ball? Just want to test. What?? You don't have? How can I believe? Get me a bowling ball and then I'll see if what you say is true.

Client: Oh, this credit card free for life? So, even if I don't buy anything I still don't need to pay for the credit card until I die? Really?! Oh... good, can I have that in black and white, with your company's letterhead and director's signature? This is purely for legal purpose because sometimes we cannot just verbally agree. Or else I can say to you now "Can I borrow your wallet for a while? I wanna see how it looks like in the sunlight. If nice I will also buy. So I'll come back afterwards with your wallet, ok?" (info: If the credit card is free for life, it means you either have to spend a certain amout per month to have it really free, OR they will terminate your credit card once it expires. FREE FOR LIFE my belakang-tepi!)

Client: How much can this house be sold next time? Are you sure it'll go up 10% in just one year? Can I have documentations from your developer that their other projects manage to sell 10% extra? Nevermind, just get me latest transacted prices of houses from your developers.

In Summary: Make sure they prove what they say!


2. Shut their mouth
This is wits versus wits. You really need to be fast on your toes on this one. They will sell, and they will push you, you need to defend, defend and then push back and then they will shut up. When they shut up, you can leave (not run). One of the effective method that I have so far noticed having to work well is....

Dude: bla bla bla I'm talking nonsense trying to sell you my product bla bla bla
Client: Nevermind, I'll go home and think about it first.
Dude: Sir, you're making a mistake. If you go home and later want it, there'll be no more. And some more, this price is special only for today.
Client: Last week when my cousin met you, you say the same thing. Aiyah, the price will remain lah. I know. You want me to prove it, I come back tomorrow and ask you the price, want or not? Anyway, still a lot more empty lots, not a problem. If all finished, then tough luck lah. I don't cry over spilled milk.
Dude: Sir, most people when they go home, they end up not buying. Because they think too much of finance problem, and all that negative thing fill up their head. This is a good investment. Don't let your conscience later tell you otherwise.
Client: So, are you trying to tell me that this house is not good enough to win over my careful thoughts and analysis? Then that solves it. No need to think anymore. I don't want it coz' you yourself believe that I will not find it worth it.

Funny example lah... but nevermind. What I'm trying to say here is that if they ever say that you will change your mind if you go home, tell them that it means the product is not really worth it since they have already believed you would change your mind. A good product is a product you will still buy after careful consideration.


3. Be Stupid
Dude: So, I will call up the banker and prepare the house purchase? Hold on.
Client: Wah... it's really is a nice house lah. You sure bank will pinjam me ah? I'm not working wor....
Dude: Eh?! Actually no problem sir. Your wife is working right? And I'm sure you work before, so you can show your old payslip.
Client: Sorry, I didn't have payslip. Selling pirated VCD you think got payslip to show ah? My wife also no payslip to show. She works sending student to school in the mornings.
Dude: (Not wanting to lose this client). How about your parents, sir? They can help with downpayment and pay for you until you find a job right?
Client: I'm just waiting for police to give back my VCDs, then I start work again lah. My parents pension already, they not willing to pay for me.
Dude: Sir, the banker wants to speak to you.
Client: Hello? Ah... I want to buy this house. RM200,000. Can you loan me RM300,000 ah? Just put the house at RM300,000 lah. And then I want 100% loan. Need the RM100,000 to buy more movies for my VCD stall lah. Ah?? Actually, I already bankrupt lah. That's why sell VCD. But you banker sure know how to play around with the loan right? Hello? Hello?? Why he hang up ah?!


4. Sell something back
This is the method that I usually use (when I'm alone or just being sickening) if a bloody, I mean slick salesperson just come and sit at my lunch or dinner table without me giving them permission to join me.

Dude: Sir, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I am sellin.....
Me: Thank goodness it is. I'd surely don't wanna see your face ever again in my lifetime.
Dude: This product wil.....
Me: Will ensure that I will never ever see your face again? Nevermind, no need to buy also I will not see your face.

KIDDING.... no way will I talk like that unless I'm really peaced. :D Here's the real deal....

Dude: Sir, usually in the market price this pen costs RM20, today it's special only RM5 today.
Me: (I use a trusty Kilometrico at 40 cents, so usually I will take out my kilometrico pen and they go. Anyway, let's just say I am not using a kilometrico pen.) Okay....
Dude: And sir, let me show you a demonstration. See, this pen when you write and have some water smudge, the ink don't come off. Bla bla bla sell sell sell bla bla bla sell sell sell.
Me: Okay, why not we do this? I scratch your back, you scratch mine. I'm currently selling Life Insurance for . If you have a minute, let me explain my insurance coverage to you....
Dude: (Thanks me for my time and leaves....)

This works really well coz' insurance costs a whole damn lot more than a pen. I have done this twice and it works.... but please do study a bit about insurance so that you can use it back on them. I have also once try to sell back as a direct-selling person.

Sorry to those I've chased off, but I really don't need to have my peace disturbed when I'm doing what I need to do. If I need to shop, I will shop on my own.

Lastly, to all those who are involved in so-called selling of products for donation, the papers has already covered the issue. In an RM10 product, only about RM1-3 will go to the donation house. RM7 will be taken by the company hired by the donation house. If I need to donate, I'll go on my own, thank you. So.... STOP standing in front of ATM machines trying to stop a good person doing banking transactions!! You think just coz' they take money out of ATM, they want to BUY your product?! And what?? You make them feel like they're evil scum that after taking out RM100, that they don't even part RM10 for the needy,... oops correction, they don't part RM7 to your company?!? If I ever see any of you in front of ATMs again, so help me God, you'll feel the wrath of Shin Shou-Ryu-Ken that you can't even jump up and down Chun-Li like, to squeel Yatta!

Difficulties Of Not Having RM1 Coins

With the government taking back the RM1 coins and using RM1 notes again (back in the 80's), quite a lot of people are going to face difficulty. It will then be a provider vs consumer battle. That is, if service providers do not want to change their 'setting', then consumers will be the ones to suffer. If they do change, it'll be good for all. Here are a few parties who will feel the lack of RM1 coins, in my honest opinion.


Macro, Tesco, Carrefour, Giant and others
I sincerely believe these hypermarts will change their trolley locks (those that you need to put RM1 coins to release from other trolleys). This was not merely to actually lock the trolleys for security. I mean, stealing a trolley at RM1 is very cheap! The RM1 coins is merely a service cost for the workers to pull back the trolley from your car that's parked like 1 kilometres away. Anyway, back to topic, it now seems quite ridiculous to jam in a 50 cents coin into the trolley. Well, we'll see what happens next. For all you know, you'll need to change your RM1 notes for a token (normally used in video arcade centers), put it on the trolley, and later change it back to RM1 notes. I think this is the most cost saving way for these hypermart. But hey, why not... a Tesco token, or Carrefour token, for collection. Orr.... use TouchN'Go.... yea right!


Rapid KL and other related common transportation
I seriously doubt that machines in the busses will change towards something that you can insert a RM1 note into. Therefore it'll just go back down to accepting a coin as high as 50 cents only. Busses will make a longer stop due to double time of loading and more than double time of looking for TWO coins, therefore contributing to longer traffic, and so on and so on. This will be a domino effect to the traffic on the road. Too bad there.


Vending Machines
Not much problems here because before the RM1 coin was introduced, people are already conplaining of having to put in small coins to get a RM1.20 worth cup of Nescafe or Milo. It will just take longer to get your Nescafe, and the vending machine will actually earn less because most people are lazy to carry too many coins, like me! :) Carrying three RM1 coins was simple enough, than having to carry six 50 cents coin. Vending machines earnings will be affected. This will also affect some video arcade machines that hasn't changed to token-type coins.


Parking Meters in Low Yat Plaza
Hahahaha.... I personally singled out Low Yat Plaza because.... I have faced on five different occasions, a parking machine that does not accept ringgit notes! So, I usually have to go to my car, get some RM1 coins and use them instead. So let's see. First hour would be RM2.50 and additional hours are RM2 per hour. If you were to be in Low Yat for 4 hours, you need to pay RM8.50.... and on a machine that does not accept ringgit notes, you need to fork out eight RM1 coins and one 50 cents coin. I have done this on three occasions, the other two occasions I just go back up to their manned counter and have my ticket paid there. Anyway, these machines will be vandalised badly if they don't accept ringgit notes again, and instead ask for seventeen 50 cent coins. Hello?! No weirdo will carry up to seventeen 50 cents coins in their wallet.


Bank Negara
Let's see what Bank Negara will do with the RM1 coins that they will receive. It will add about a hundred or more tonne of 'metal' from the RM1 coins on their premises.


Counterfeiters
If they can easily fake a RM1 coin, they can easily fake other coins as well, but of course it does not justify the cost to fake a 50 cent coins. But what if they do?! Then in the future we'll have 10 cent notes and 5 cent notes too. :D


Question: It's already past 7th December, I still have RM1 coins, what can I do with them?
Good question.... here's a good answer. Several friends of mine have claimed that vending machines in some countries can accept Malaysian RM1 coins as their own 1 dollar coin. And some friends have actually gone to putting the RM1 coin, only to flush it out again. Some machines uses the First In, Last Out way of returning coins, therefore when you put in the RM1 coin, you'll flush out a 1 dollar coin. You can do that. Or.... you can just buy whatever the vending machine sell with your RM1 coins. I will not disclose the countries that accept our RM1 coin. It's up to you to fly around the globe and try it out.


Sidenote: If my grammar or spelling ends up being very atrocious in this post, it's not done on purpose. It just means that my england need repair one.