Of last week......

It was quite an uneventful week last week barring my second interview with a pharmaceutical company and also Mother's Day. The whole week was spent chilling out in various locations in Klang Valley with some friends that was free. Its boring but imagine you have nothing worth writing to capture a week. Sighs

Long Long Weekend

Long weekends, how often does it occur?..not much i guess butr when it does , it promises fun time and a broke wallet. With some interesting sales on such as the one by adidas and also Isetan , the thoughts of blowing some cash haunted me and luckily i managed to restraint from buying useless stuff. Phew! Ok, back to the weekend. Couple of friends came down from JB and being on leave until further notice, i joined them and hanged out around KL chilling out until late. Its quite hard nowadays to hang out in a big group as opposed with last time when everyone shared common timetables. But the one thing that prevailed was that everyone can blow a bigger amount of cash than last time. I guess sacrificing time for money is a fair trade and how i wish i can trade my time off in the next coming weeks for some cash. But for now, its late nights for me until further notice....

The City Life : Coffee and Books

I spend the whole afternoon simmering under the sun doing Malaysia's number one pastime, lepaking. More or less but for once there is a destination and also purpose..Borders KL and to browse and if possible read and digest some books for free ( Malaysian Style). The place is a haven for readers and the choice of books you can get here is enormous and puts Kino the Bookstore to shame. The reason why i left out MPH is because they carry some good books cheaper than these global bookstores. After browsing books after books, i settled for some marketing books which was Secrets of Persuasion by Roger Dawson ( MPH carries his books way cheaper) and Cold Calling Techniques ( That Really Works!) by Stephan Schiffman. I really spent my time reading and digesting these two books and once i get a marketing job, i'll get em cause they are that good! I just love bookstores and i think if i try and read every book available there i will take my first step to become a "Superhero" or "Wira Kota"...eheehhee...its just enormous!!..every bookworms' orgasmo or sorts...

Next thing to clear my head of books is drinking coffee at a joint that replaced McDonalds as the symbol of American Capitalism and Globalization, Starf$%ks. Oops , i mean Starbucks. (sorry)
Now, because the dude that came with me smokes, i have to forgo the comforts of the plush seats inside with air-conditioning for the sweet smell of fumes and sweaty exterior of Times Square. Sitting out there got looking at people of KL get by and got me worried that despite having superb infrastructure, the Malaysian society still has a long way to catch up in terms of mentality and conduct. There is something wrong out there and you can see it but you cant put to words. Actually i'm just lost for words for the toughts i have. Are we forsaking bigger things in life for the pursuit for material wealth? Or is it the rat race that actually consumed us and made us living life the way of the rat? ....Wanna know what i'm talking about? spend some time stoned with enough coffee and just stare to the pavements in front of any Starbucks in KL and you might just get what i mean.

Disclaimer: The writer of this blog do not endorse any psychotropic drugs or any sort of laced coffee. Drugs are bad. Nuff said.

Alive!

Wowee, being jobless has it bright brief moments too! After being a peon for months, i got a chance to re-live my lifestyle of a bum these few days by hanging out with old friends and also last night chilling out at Latte @ 8 which featured Roger Sanchez ( he's playing a set tonite at Sepang F1 circuit) and 2 local acts Pop Shuvit and Love Me Butch. It was a great time chilling out drinking some weird coffee + soy milk courtesy the creative people at Starbucks, listening to live music and of course enjoying God's fine creations ( if you know what i mean ;P) . I havent been doing these things since i graduated and working in a 24/7 environment dont help either. Being jobless has its perks once in a while and i'm gonna live every second of it!

Unit Trusts anyone?

First day being jobless feels good man. Waking up late , i start the day slowly with the thoughts of how the folks at office are doing. Smiling wryly, i think its not soo fun..hahahah...Then the next thing i did was to call up some close frens and to have lunch with the limited cash that i have due to my own doing ( gatal berenti kerja) but all was good in the neighbourhood when you stomach is full of Nasi Beriyani.

After chilling out the whole afternoon, i went out just now at night with another fren to attend a Business Opportunity Presentation by SBB Mutual. Its the same tactics used by MLM companies and insurance agencies keen on recruiting new downlines. The reason i was there was because a good fren of ours who is working there has some extra tickets and gave them out.
The place Eastin Hotel was a nice place and the talk they have is really good if you wanna get motivated by a couple of people that is happy they earn soo much money by venturing into SBB Mutual and is shouting to the world that joining the venture will make them rich too. Sheesh.

But all said and done, its an experience where i got to observe how sales people operate and what distinguished the good , the bad and the ugly. Its like going to the Safari and learning about animal behaviour, interactions in the wild and getting to the edge of being victims. Not bad for a jobless former banker ehh?

P.S: Want to be rich? Gimme a Buzz and I'll change your life!! :P

Freedom, Hope and Dreams

Today, i gave back my HID tag and walk out the doors of HSBC for one last time as an employee. It was a mixed feeling of sadness and also happiness at the same time. I was sad because i could have achieve the heights in the company with no sweat next year but i'm happy that i have found my calling. I have decided what i wanna become in the future. I want to be filthy rich with moolah to spend and drive my BMW with Bling Bling rims. hehehe.... It's gonna be a real struggle for me i believe in my hard work and potential and its gonna pay off one day.
Its sad to leave a company with such reputation and also to leave a department in which you are a pioneer member and you experience the hard times and good times and knowing that things are gonna get better just makes leaving abit harder.

I guess its normal when you have a comfy job and so secure about income, you will feel reluctant to leave for better oportunities. But i believe in the One Life philosophy where you only live once so if you wanna do something , do it and dont regret later that you didnt do it. If opportunity dont knock on your door, go find it and knock on its door instead. The road is paved with gold, but if you dont bend down to pick it up , the gold wont float up and go into your pockets.

I walk out the doors of the world's 2nd largest bank by market value with the pride of a young lion and full of confidence that with a lotsa sweat i will make it in my life, with His blessings.

Dark side of the moon

Its been more than a week since i wrote anything on the blog thanks to the 3pm - 12am shift which i worked throughout the period. During these time, i have gone on a roller-coaster ride from the resignation of my job to the trip down to JB to visit my late friend's grave. It has been eventful and and here i am writing the recounts of these events and its effects on me.
Resigning wasnt an easy thing, you give the letter and tell yourself that theres no turning behind but the not for the current employers that i worked for. Just when i was planning my holiday plan and a backup plan , the AVP offered me a fast track promotion to Assistant Manager if i stayed and at this moment, i'm waiting for the black and white on regards of this. Life is full of choices and sometimes when you are lucky, you spoilt for it ( this time i'm lucky enuff to get a taste of it). Its an open road, but i believe God will guide me through no matter what comes.

Just yesterday, me and some close friends went down to JB for brief vist to my late friend's to pay respects after more than a year since he left the world . It was a quiet trip which had a tinge of sadness and also closure. There was relief that we have lifted a burden which was to graduate from MMU as promised to him and also the sadness that he isnt around anymore. Life went on but took a different turn as the realization of how fragile life is and how death can affect negatively on the balance of things we took for granted. It was a hard way to learn a lesson of life but i have learnt its better to embrace it than trying to navigate it around or pretend it didnt happened. I have also learnt that faith in God is important not only in bad times but also good times. We have to remind ourselves that we are lucky that we have His love and no matter what He will be there for us. We are blessed and be thankful for it.

Keep on rocking the free world!!

Hmm..looks like its the time of the year again, graduation time for most people i know in MMU. I can see that alot of people are feeling nosltalgic and some the feeling hasnt sink in yet. Reminds me on how i feel last year when during my final exams back in august. Felt sad and yet happy that i will finally take a step to conquer the world outside. After 7 months down the road i didnt feel anything anymore. Life changes but we gotta adapt to it. Come May and i wont have a place to hang out in Serdang and no more laughters with close friends that will embark on their own adventures there on. I am feeling the heat a little now but i'll wait till it comes. So much has happen in 3 plus years and finally i am gonna officially graduate this coming august, 1 year after i finish my last paper in MMU. To all the funky people in MMu that is gonna convo with me this year, keep on rocking the free world as you have rocked in MMU!!

Makan - makan @ Marriots Putrajaya

Today was quite an adventure for Tuesday. I had to skip my work for like extra 1 hour than the given 1 hour and rush for a buffet dinner with friends at Marriots Putrajaya, a place i often hang out some time ago and boy it was worth all the trouble getting there. The food was great but most of all, the people that went. Its great meeting up with Dr. Ali , Dr. Mohan and Dr. Ahasanul whom all have taught me tricks of the trade in my course. By meeting them and exchanging ideas, i discovered opportunities and also fresh ideas. Its hard being the working grad but i wont be alone soon, as the jokers from the class of 2005 will graduate in a few weeks time and b thrown into the real world. People like David Ng (of roomart fame) and Peng Yew( sessionist terkenal) are already beginning to shine in their talents of conning people and music. I will take my time to shine and i know most if not all will in their due time.

I owe my knowledge gained in MMU partly to the cool lecturers that have trained me from Padawan to full fledge Jedi and now its up to me to be the Sith..hoor..hoor..hoor.... Had a great lunch and too bad i gotta leave early to go back to work otherwise i believe i will continue to hav more fun. To the good people of MMU Marketing Major past and present, i toast to our impending success ! Cheers!

Sunday jottings

First thing i heard when i stepped in the office this morning was that the pope has passed away. Not exactly the thing you wanna hear early in the morning on a Sunday and in the office (i hate my work) but did anyway. I may not be a Catholic but the the passing of Pope John Paul II is a loss to the cause of peace worldwide and also to cause of spreading God's love. There may be a lot of differences between ideologies but the pope did not let that difference to hinder his efforts to spread love and peace around the world. May his soul rest in peace with The Lord above and lets hope that the efforts put by this man inspire us to be a better citizen of the world and also continue our effort to spread God's love to each other.

Earth Rocking!!!

Thank God we are saved from doom caused by the 8.7 richter scale earthquake early this morning. I wasnt the many lcuky ones that felt the tremors but i dont think so i want to. Its quite disturbing that an earthquake that happened about 330miles from home can actually shake up KL. I am worried that if these things happen more often , our high rise buildings would be structually stable. This is because our buildings are not quake proof in design and the soil in Klang Vally is not so solid if any serious quakes were to happen. In a nutshell, we are all sitting ducks for major catastrophe to happen. Oh well, it can happen and it might not but these thoughts are substantial enough for someone to voice out and hopefully something can be done to save our individual asses if it happens in the future. We are quite screwed as we live in apartments and condos so if you are planning to book that fancy apartment in Bandar Utama think twice and if already own a fancy condo at Mont Kiara, God Bless you!!!.Peace and lets pray that the World is spared from more disasters.

Thinking out of the box: Superheroes style

I am inspired to write about creative thinking in this post today after i received my monthly newsletter from The Actors Studio and there is this article from Mark Beau regarding "superheroes" in his hometown of Penang. Who are these "superheroes" you may ask? They are no other than the "orang gila" patroling the streets near you. These people are "superheroes" because they do things we'd never do and we mere "orang biasa" wont understand them. But if you take a minute to observe them and their antics, you will be suprised on how the heck they can think of doing what they are doing. In creative thinking, we all are keen to come out with something new but it is hard to be "super different" because all of us are confined to our logic and decency. By oberserving TrafikMan and his fellow "superheroes" perhaps we can unlock the constraints of convention and think from a very different view. For artistic purpose only larr, dun go be a superhero yourself.

Support Malaysian Theatre, visit http://www.theactorsstudio.com.my/

An Easter reflection

Am i worthy of His love? is a question that most of us will ask some point or another in our lives. Why a sinner like me and you is loved by God and He is willing to forgive us for our sins. Its love thats why. Love for His children propelled Him to do what He has did for us. I have been enduring alot of hardship these days but whenever i think of what He has gone through for us, i felt ashamed that i cant even have patience and the faith in God that all will be well in the end. His story has inspired faith in my heart to love instead of hate and be patient instead of haste. It says it all and let us all reflect on ourselves this Easter and pray that we continue to receive His grace and unending love so we can share it with the world.

"When others we will not forgive,

God's blessings are denied;

We must forsake our stubbornness

And banish sinful pride."

Ground that is filled with roots of bitterness needs to be plowed by the grace of God.

Wrong display of leadership

Earlier this morning i witness a classic example of a weak leadership. Imagine your team being run down by the manager at 7am in front of new staffs. Not so motivational huh? the results are clear, attrition is high and despite the steps taken by the VP nothing mcuh seems to work and i guess its just too late for anything to be done to reverse the damage inflicted to the crew.

As a manager, we expect to see encouragement, we want to see guidance and examples, we need to see compassion and fairness and also we have to see a captain of the ship. If these qualities are missing, then expect mutiny or abandonment as loyalty is as good as dead. I have heard stories but none beats witnessing it yourself a humilation to people working around and with you. I may be an observer but i do have my principles and it has tested my patience. Its gonna be a bloody battle for all of us but i'm afraid the captain just steered his ship into the cluthes of doom.

P.S : I'm just venting out a censored and edited version of the article. The full article may not be suitable for Malaysians of all ages as we all cant think and need to be guided properly by the censors of the esthablishment. Up yours censorship board!

Afternoons & Coffeespoons

Waking up at 5.15 am in the morning is something i'm not used to do. Its hard to wake up in the morning but its even harder to stay awake after 1pm. Working in this shift has made me a coffee addict again after reducing my doses for the past year. I think i took like 3 cups of strong black coffee in the afternoon today and if it keeps up i might just end up with shivering hands one day. I'm gonna go cold turkey tomorrow and see how things go. At this point of time , i am sleeping awake and its just a matter of time before i shut downnn......zzzzzzzz.

A rough ride monday with a foggy tuesday ahead

Its been a tough day and i foresee a tough week ahead....all i got to say is :

"If some darker lot be good,

Lord, teach us to endure

The sorrow, pain, or solitude

That makes the spirit pure."

To you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. —Philippians 1:29

No trial would cause us to despair if we knew God's reason for allowing it.

A day at the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix 2005

Sunday, March 20 is an incident filled day on and off the track and it all happened during the race day. This year i was fortunate that i managed to get my hands on a Grandstand ticket worth RM700 for only RM150. This means after 3 years of watching the races from the sidelines of the Hillstand, i get to sit down properly under the shade. Sepang circuit today was happening and is crawling with people all over ( not forgetting the hot chicks around) and it was great to be there on a fine Sunday morning. At first, it looks like its a good day but it didnt and it became a nightmare for a good friend of mine.
The day turned into a gloomy one when the very car that my friend drove us to the circuit was stolen right at the carpark of the circuit. To make things worse, the car that was stolen is a 19 year old Nissan Sunny. Amazing huh, an old car parked beside a Satria and a Waja got stolen. Damn, I think the car thief is a stoopid one. With all the expensive cars available at your expense why must it be my transport home.Goddam it! i felt pity for my friend as he lost his working shoes in the car as well as a few racquets, a few can of beers (13 cans to be exact) and also brand new Ferrari cap and a Montoya Mclaren cap worth Rm 350. Its a sad day indeed and the thought that somewhere out there exists such dumb people that steals a Nissan Sunny instead of another Mercedes belonging to a rich guy that can afford a few Mercedes's anyway. All said and done, the only thing i can do is to pray that the cops can find his stolen car and that justice be done to the thief ( not the law but hopefully he dies a slow and painful death someday).
I may be a pissed man today but i can only imagine how my friend is feeling right now. Lets all pray for a good ending to this incident.

Phd at 24?

I did some catching up with my friends last nite. I met up with friends from high scool that i havent met for a very long time, some for years. Its good to be catching up with everybody and it seems that everyone is doing fine in their lives, most working and there is one that is doing his PHD now. Wow or what, at my age he is already doing his Phd and by a few years time he will have the title Dr in front of his name. These days people are getting smarter and they are achieving things young. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? I dun know but at least there will be a negative effect of burnout for some people ( like Owen in Liverpool last time). It will be subjective and the debate will stretch far but for now I'm proud that at least some friend of mine is doing the country and the society some good ( hope so ) by getting his doctorate researching on Fuel Cells ( holy crap i have no idea what it means). As for me , the time will come....one day.

Flip the coin!!

To leave or not to leave, that is the question i'm asking myself everyday. I have a job that pays quite okay for my lifestyle but the problem with it is I'm not learning anything at all. At my age and with my intellectual capabilities, i should be working my brain cells out on a job that has a steep learning curve and hopefully emerge a professional one day. Time is ticking now and i dont think i can wait anymore. But what can i do? apply and keep praying one of it succeeds. I believ i can and i can only hope and pray that I can see the way. Patience is indeed a virtue in situation like this and mine is running thin. My mantra ..

"When men closes a door, God will open another"

Faith and patience shall reward me...i hope.

Fatman Begins

Damn man, i need to lose my kilos and i need to do it quick. Since CNY, i havent been getting any decent workout as i have lost my previleged use of a gym and i need to source for alternatives. Why this fuss you must be saying? well, its like this, just now after work me and some homies went and do our cholestrol testing at South City Plaza ( the National Heart Foundation is having a roadshow there till Sunday) for just 10 bucks ( the nurses there are kinda cute too) and the test results shows that i need to work hard to keep my levels at where they are. Well, i needed a new motivation and i got it now ...to stay alive when i'm like Keith Richards' age!!