Paddle8

This month I celebrated my 31st birthday :)
Usually, my birthday will falls on a weekday and traditionally I will take a day off – mana tahu, this year, there was no escape for me as I have to be at Ningbo, China for my third sourcing trip with Leonardo :( Of all person, I certainly did not look forward in celebrating my birthday with Leonardo.

First of all – Thank You GOD, Praise To The Lord, Bless You GOD for all of your amazing blessings. For someone, who is averagely not that smart and have so much of flaws in me than anything else, You have indeed blessed my life very wholesomely in every corner, in every episodes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Yes Lord, Yes, Yes Lord. Amen.

I'm also most thankful for the people (parents, family, friends) in my life who are always certain of my own strength, who challenge me to be better every day, who give me the opportunities to create the life that I want for myself, who see what I am doing, help boost my confidence, work my strengths, find a niche, create self-esteem from within and have faith in my ability to learn my lessons, overcome adversity, letting me to experience in dealing with my indecision and make a difference in the world. And I know. I wouldn't be where I am today, and I might have stopped a hundred times, if it weren't for each and every one of them & GOD believing in me. They made my heart double in size, my perspective on life expand and grow, feel immensely loved, laugh louder than I've ever had, ask questions that challenged my understanding and relentlessly seek out the answers, jump up and sing, realize how much I thought I knew and how little I actually know, and sincerely wants me to be a better person.

It was also sweet to be reminded that I had received so many well wishes and so many wonderful cards in my early years. I had people that cared about me.

Moving forward - I will continue to strive better in every aspects. Let’s go back to the basics and simplicity of life. I will be more willing and continue to push myself beyond my everyday comfort zone. I hope to discover what I’m capable of, what I’m passionate about and who I truly am. When in doubt, take in all the information that I can gather. And then go with what my heart feels most strongly about.
Stay On Board – Have Faith :)
Make Good Better, Keep Going, All Is Well.
A year older now. New beginnings. Fresh start. Anticipating the new. I’m not exactly sure what kind of symbolism inspired me. But I was filled with the warmest sense of happiness and contentment…about life, about my loving parents & my Small Ham and friends. And I was once again humbled by how blessed I am; to be where I am today, to have what I have today, to have this LIFE today.
So here’s me wishing everyone a wonderful start to the month of July.
Love and sunshine to you all.
XOXOXO

Go Big or Go Home

This month is also the month where I celebrated my first anniversary with G13.
I feel like my current work life have thrown me back to my early 20s where everything remain uncertain and dark. My situation is just like the above picture – in pitch black and no way out. As quoated by Leonardo - maybe indeed I have make things difficult & complicated - and that is why I get sesat, masuk lorong yang salah and cannot find my way out. Low morale is no joke. It sucks your life force each waking day; and it affects the entire life’s dynamics. I am still struggling to make sense out of it. But I will manage it on a day-by-day basis.

1 Bad Combo

Random watsapp conversations with Stewart:

Stewart: wei
Me: yes Stewart
Stewart: my furniture buyer still vacant
Me: :)
Stewart: any recoomendation?!
Me: hmm, English buyer? G13 buyer? Hahaha. Fresh grad? Internal transfer? Promotion?
Stewart: G13 buyer reject liao. English buyer I reject. Bad experience. Internal no body wan. So cham
Me: i come back lah
Stewart: u serious?
Me: as SDD cum Consultant boleh kah?
Stewart: very funny. Buyer cum SDD can
Me: ok, close door
Stewart: Now buyer more critical, u chin cai first la. Buyer cum consultant. Can ah? I wan a replacement for furniture buyer la. That will up d morale aldy!! U consider?

And the conversations just end there :) I really want to rescue Stewart.
In my heart - I said 'Thank You' and 'I'm Sorry'. And I meant it.
Thank you Stewart for still considering me even though at times, I do screwed up things big time, back in those good old days, thank you for being there & always rescuing me all the time, thank you for being such a great parental figure and I’m sorry because I really wanted a SDD cum Consultant role :)
I am humbled, inspired and in awe of the way you rallied around all of the projects that I have undertaken, of your ongoing support, of what you have helped me to achieve and for bringing out the best in me all the time :)

CtrlAltDelete

Recently, G13 have established another subsidiary company that have the rights to form another retail format called the - G Express; a mini market format, something similar to the current players of convenience stores such as 7-11, Speed 99 and KK Mart. I don’t know what is going on with the top management but it was a hurried project. Have to rush for creating new supplier code, have to rush the suppliers to immediately sign back the legal papers, have to rush for creating store layout code, have to rush for creating item code, have to rush for delivery, have to rush for internal transfer – everything was a rush.

Then, as for me – on Thursday & Friday, I was on leave. I screwed the thing up because I forget to inform Isla to follow-up with the Finance guy on the new vendor code creation and I also forget to instruct the Finance guy to inform Isla once the code is done. So, it was all the way kelam-kabut on that Saturday morning. Because the newspapers & magazines cannot be scanned. Isla was already in panic mode. Leonardo ticked me off that I didn’t do a proper follow-up. The worst thing was Leonardo & Isla came back to the office on that Saturday morning to sort things out. I’m feel incredibly stupid. And guilty for causing trouble and problems to my boss. Leonardo have to clean up the mess that I have made. Celtic was trying to console me – saying that Leonardo was just too much. Everything was such a rush, in a hurry, no one can expect a perfect excecution, if the newspapers & magazines cannot be scanned, put it aside first, what's the big deal. The sales are not that gigantic enough to shake up the whole company’s P&L for a day. Let Leonardo do some work. Seriously, I hang my head in shame. I mismanaged the whole situation. I also need to take up the responsibilities. I hope after this case, Leonardo really can see that I can’t cope any much further. Up till now, Leonardo has yet to approach me on the Baldwin’s proposal. I believe for my position, Leonardo really need someone who can do it better than me. I am willing to let it go. I am willing to admit defeat. I really have tried my best.

China Champ

Thank You GOD, Praise To The Lord, Bless You GOD – this is my third working trip :)
Begining of this month, I drop by at Ningbo, China. Ningbo is the 7th city of China that I have visited thus far. It is not a commercial nor a tourism province but more of an industrial province. I was there with Leonardo to visit 2 Stationery suppliers showroom whom provide supplies to international retailers such as Tesco, Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Target, Woolsworth etc. It was fascinating. Stationery, of course is just a stationery at the end of the day but you get to see how these retailers keep on changing the packaging, the prints, the colors, the combination to come out with something new. To make stationery like a culture, moving towards a lifestyle concept. Again, Leonardo’s taste and mine are totally different, we are never on the same side, always on the other side; opposing each other – but nonetheless, I play it to Leonardo’s whim & fancy. Too tired to reciprocate & rebel :)

There was no direct flight to Ningbo, so we have to stop by at Guangzhou, there was also a delay from AirAsia which I felt that they did not handle the matter properly. The crew should have explain why and give us an estimated waiting time instead of having us sitting down not knowing how long to wait. Upon reaching Guangzhou, we had our lunch and do a local market survey in a local store, then it was on board the flight to Ningbo, which also have another delay. I even fell asleep and the funniest thing is that when I have woken up, I thought that the plane is already on mid-air – mana tahu, the plane is still grounded to the ground :) We haven’t even taken off yet. Ningbo is famous for its seafood and I ate a lot of seafood that week. It’s like my 1 year seafood supply consumption. I was a little bit worried. I didn’t want to end up like last year when I was holidaying in Kunming, Dali & Lijiang, China where I was down with food poisoning. I was vomiting lots, admitted to the local hospital which is very dirty (i will not complain about Malaysian hospital again) and was put on drips. I even ate raw prawns – small size shrimp which was soak in some Chinese alcohol. It taste fresh, cooling, like sashimi and good.; not fishy at all. What an adventure :)

Waku Waku

Word Of The Week – Blessed :)

I want to count my blessings for the week of 10th June – 16th June.
Thank You GOD, Praise To The Lord, Bless You GOD.

(1) I hear what I want to hear. Shelter 101 Project – Sri Permata Part 2 – I called up the agent and yes, the unit is still available. Unfortunately, we could not view the unit that week because the agent will not be around and we could not view the unit this week either because Pa & myself will not be around. Tentatively, we have set the new date on the 29th June @ 3.30pm. It will be the D-day. Nonetheless, I will still call the agent on next week Monday to remind him again. Crossing fingers, the unit will still be available.

(2) I’ve got my Mother’s Blessings. Finally, my mom consent to the purchase. We even hatched up a plan on how to get my Pa to agree with us as well. If my Pa still insits in purchasing a landed property, I can only afford a unit that is range from RM250K to RM350K. Anything more than that, Pa will have to help me with the down payment and also to contribute to the monthly installment. Otherwise, I will just buy the above unit. Pa did not gave me an answer. So, I will continue to pray that GOD will continue to work in him then :)

(3) Ping offered me a job – Events & Promotions – a role that I have always wanted. This role is very similar to the previous French SDD role. Planning promotion themes, planning promotion schedule, communicating with the stores, giving input on the assortment review, new concept development, new product development, have a say on what to advertise etc. Actually, during the M13 gathering – Ping did asked me whether I would like to explore other job role within the retail industry. I also share with Ping regarding my current work predicament and I say that I am willing to try. After that, I have a feeling that Ping will call me and I was just patiently waiting for Ping’s call and Ping did called. However, again, it was me who screwed up everything. I also have a feeling that my salary scale is a bit at the high side for this position and I know that Ping will have a difficulty in informing me about the news that I have been rejected. Thus, to relieve Ping from the pain & torture, I text Ping that I decline the offer due to the timing. However, the actual reason is because the English’s head office is very far. I have realized that it is not GOD or the external circumstances that is blocking me from progressing further – it is myself who puts up this wall in front of me. Because I don’t want to endure the jam, I don’t want to endure the long hours on the road, I decline the offer. Nonetheless, Ping did not reply my sms. I was expecting Ping to at least reply me with an acknowledgement of thank you and probably call me, asking me why. Thus, it still leaves me with a window of opportunity for future prospects, Nonetheless, GOD – please continue to bless me with such a job portfolio which is nearer to my house. I am truly humbled that I still have GOD’s favorability, assurance & confidence that GOD is still looking out for me after I have sinned so badly on last April. Well, the problem is with me. I refuse to take the bite. Stupid me! :) I pray long & hard, GOD gave me the chance and I didn't take it to open a new chapter which could have alter my everything.

(4) Job Swapping – since I arrive in G13 – G13’s Furniture Buyer; Baldwin have always asked me how’s it like working over there at the French and its perks. I have always suspected that Baldwin will leave one day to join Lee Nee & Jonas. Then several weeks back – Baldwin ask do we want to swap roles. Baldwin mention that 5 years on the job have given the necessary job satisfaction that Baldwin needed and Baldwin is looking for a new challenge and change. And I gamely say OK. Baldwin has spoken to Marcus (Baldwin’s boss) and I am sure Marcus has shared this information with Leonardo. So far, Marcus & Leonardo have yet to approach me and I can sense that Baldwin is showing some signs of desperation. I am also very sure that Leonardo can’t wait to remove me from the department. After hearing horror stories from Leonardo about me, I don’t think Marcus is keen on me either. Marcus could take any of the TCM (Training Category Manager) to replace Baldwin. I am such a failure. Aiyo, how come things end up like this? Will better days be ahead of me? Will I be able to rise again? Stewart can also confirmed that Baldwin have come and see Stewart for an interview :) Apparently, Baldwin rejected the offer. Well, for the time being – I will pretend don’t know; as though nothing have happen. The previous Sunday in the The Star newspaper – the Gemini zodiac have mention – should the planets argue for a career change, don’t ignore them. Tend to career plans, and the next few weeks should bring them to fruition. Aiyo, but I so screwed up both :) Will I end up with something good, worth-while, happy or nothing change at all?

GOD – even though nothing has been physically concrete yet as of today – this week, all of a sudden, I feel that there is a lift up from the gloom; especially for the past few weeks, it has not been a smooth sailing journey for me. Thank You GOD, Praise To The Lord, Bless You GOD. You are indeed mighty to save.

Lavista Express

Upgraded my running shoe to – Brooks Pure Flow 2 – now, flat feet Yingze is running happy :)
I tried it on, go for a run today and I have to say, it was indeed a good pair of running shoe. It was light, sturdy and I certainly can’t wait to play with them and go out on the road for the real test.

A Blessed Cycle Of Success

I want to count my May’s Blessings today – yeah, all of my date & content posting is in an upside down flow right now. Will try to re-align it back. Well, yeah – it was again the start of a brand new month. I want to thank GOD that I survived May :) There were so many things to do, Isla was away, I was in a mess, everything was in a kelam-kabut situation, so many shitty things happen. So, yeah for the month of May, I just want to Thank You GOD, Praise To The Lord, Bless You GOD for all of the happy adventures in May, the gathering of close buddies but most importantly, I have Survived and thanks to You for helping me to overcome the hurdles, to pick myself up again and to pull through everything.

Moving forward, I can see that the days are dark too. But I will learn to cope & manage somehow if people boo at me :) I will ride the waves yo :) When things seem to be out of control or indeed are out of control, I am just going to sit back and let the Divine Hand to take over. It’s not about being too laidback but I can see the more I try to control it, it only led to more self-sabotaging behaviors. I am destroying my very own self. I think I will just let go and trust the whole process. Learning to trust that things will fall into place and that everything will be all right. Learn to let go, live one day at a time. I certainly have no idea if I would make it but I think I will learn to find security in GOD'S arms. I’m ok one day and the next I’m not. I take note that relapse will occur. I just have to hold on to positivity. When things seem to be beyond our control, it will never be beyond GOD. And GOD has indeed been faithful, I cannot even begin to count the times when I was beyond blessed.

I think that life will be beautiful if we can learn to let go and just enjoy its beauty. The key to living in the moment is to not try to control things that might happen. The reality is that there are plenty of things that are beyond our control. The need for control often stops us from fully enjoying life. It is fine if things do not work out the way we want them to be. If we can do something about a situation, then try our best. If there is nothing we can do to change it, then let it be. In either case, GOD is always in control. Everything will be well in the end. If it’s not well, it’s not the end :) Counting my monthly blessings in this blog have make this blog a predominantly place for my positive thoughts.

Me, You & The Music

Another happy event that took place in the month of May is that Troy was down in KL for a visit :) We had a leisurely day out together. We went to Tropicana Mall, had our lunch at Sushi Tei, desserts at Zen for their famous crepe cake, then shopping at Kitchen & Nichii (where I bought 3 new tops), and finally grocery shopping at Aeon Big. It was just so enjoyable, slow tempo, we were there for each other, and I think the both of us were very contented when we parted our ways later in the evening. I’m honest when I say, at that moment, it was the happiest moment of my life :)

Troy is in the category of friends in my life that is the kind that I don’t get to see every day & talk to everyday but I know that I will never feel awkward with and never have to pretend to be anything less than my own self when we meet up again the next time.

They say nothing lasts forever; dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style – Sex And The City :)

Play, Pause, Rewind

One World Hotel, One Utama – (one of May’s happy event that was long overdue again) - initially, Miss Klein wanted to organize a small lunch gathering at Petite Millie’s that consists of Damian, Torres, Mel Jag, Trix, Wyatt, Reggie & wife, Celtic and myself. Then, mana tahu – this Trix invited the whole wide world and it turn out into another M13 big gathering. Miss Klein and myself have indeed been throwing some ideas around into organizing another M13 reunion. The first one that we had was way back in 2009, followed by another meet-up in 2010. So, to organize one for this year was certainly timely. Since Trix have made the announcements in watsapp – we have to change the venue to One World Hotel and have a lunch buffet instead. We certainly don’t mind with this impromptu thingy, it just that, if possible, we want to do it well and does it right. No last minute arrangement & rush. Luckily, Miss Klein manage to string up everything together at the very last minute and the guest list was not that long – my familiar gang was there – Miss Klein, Ping, Torres, Mel Jag, Trix, Reggie & Wife, Charis, Drew, Farah, Stella – while the rest were seniors whom I do not know. But this time around, the IT Department was very well-represented. The food was awesome, the atmosphere rocks, the catching-up was great :) Later on; Trix, Mel Jag, Torres, Reggie & Wife, Miss Klein, Angie and myself also have another second session :)

I have fallen in love with them all over gain :) These bunch of friends are definitely the coolest, quirkiest and craziest kind of people around. Ah, they always make me giggle and smile.

Looking at the pictures that was taken on that day and comparing it with the gathering pictures that was taken in 2009 & 2010 – I have indeed change a lot. I find the former; my features were more softer, I was more jovial, relaxed – looking at the present day, aiyo, my complexion looks so bad, I guess time, stress, work, life have hardened this face of mine. Sigh, we are all young once :)

The Four Horsemen

SKYTREX Adventure, Bukit Cahaya – this is so cool :) SKYTREX Adventure provides an organized outdoor 'eco-recreational cum educational' activity which will take the participants from tree to tree via a series of aerial obstacles suspended at 3 meters to 22 meters in the air. I was there together with Christy, Ramli & Clara. It’s a different kind of a jungle adventure where we experience the jungle’s nature from a height never reached before – via the canopy. It tested our agility, challenge our so-called fear, walk, glide and swing through the different obstacles in the sky; of course in total safety while appreciating the wonders of the Malaysian Tropical Rain Forest.

The circuit is divided into 3 levels – Little Adventure, Big Thrill and Extreme. We were actually extremely grateful that we took the Little Adventure as a warm-up session before we undertake the Big Thrill in the future. The heights can be scary :) and for sure, we will use more of our upper body strength. Before we took off, every participant will have to go through the initiation circuit before climbing. It is compulsory for all of the participants to learn how to use the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that the participant is wearing and will be trained to use the PPE such as the latch, hook, pulley etc incompliance with the safety system in place.

Little Adventure – this little circuit consists of 23 adventure challenges with difficulty level ranging from easy to difficult. The challenges are named after common animals behavior such as 'Rubah Terbang' (Flying Fox), 'Tulang Naga' (Dragon Bones), 'Jungkit Arnab' (Rabbit Flip-Flop) and many more. I just love the flying fox as I just hang myself up there, without doing anything, and it will just take me to the next point without having to use any upper body/hand muscles :) I get to enjoy the aerial view and feel the breeze. All of the obstacles end the activity with the '70m flying fox' which takes us across 2 lakes to the finishing point. The various challenges has guaranteed us - the less adventurous adults, busy but happy throughout the day :) The platform height is between 3m to 5m high.

The Chair Project

About a month or so – my Mom fell and twisted her ankle – domestic injury. Pretty bad, her ankle was swollen and she couldn’t walk comfortably. She even went to see a Chinese Tukang Urut or Sin Seh or Tit Ta. Now, what is very interesting is that during the 80s & 90s perhaps – many of these Tukang Uruts are actually an elderly man, working in a traditional Chinese Medical Hall where such shops are hot, full of traditional Chinese medical herbs smell, with stocks of provisions fill to its breams – but times have changed. Mom went to visit Osteo Care. It was like a modern clinic set-up, spacious, clean, air-condition and the people who are attending to the patients are all young professionals. I took a name card and this person has a qualification in Human Movements & Biomechanics. He calls himself a Consultant. Wow, how time has changed. Mom is getting better, still there is some niggling feeling. She has been putting lots of Chinese medicine on the ankle. We thought it was not that serious but the pain has been dragging for quite some time now. I have also been stepping up doing the house chores :) Not an expert, but manageable so far. See…I think now I have also move into another phase – taking care of my elderly parents. Understand why I need a house fast? But I also need to learn to be more resourceful, mindful, need to learn new domestic skills and not to over rely on them anymore longer. The reverse has happen :)

From Rail-To-Trail

Since the retirement of Mr. Jan Vet in December last year – the division have been without a Head for the past couple of months now. So, our new Head Of Department whom I shall called The General has finally arrived. Scottish, married with 3 kids, previous attachment was with German's Metro Cash & Carry in Ukraine :) The General decides to do a one-on-one session with all of the buyers – and I think I screwed up badly. The General feels that I talked to fast :) have a lot of thoughts going on in my mind that I need to express it all out. Of course, the month of May has been one of the most challenging months for me. I was bash from top to bottom, left to right. I was angry, frustrated, de-motivated – everything; all of the most negative energy feelings ever. I probably didn’t make a very good first impression where every buyer tries to stand up, raise to the ocassion and open fire. I was perhaps shooting blanks and acting like an idiot. I know that sometimes things go a bit wrong but that is part of the journey; of course. There was just so much work - I cannot keep tab of, ignoring them, forgetting them, kept getting distracted, thinking it might be better to do something else first, making things complicated perhaps, staring into the space sometime :) The work that needed urgent attention & excecution – was the mini BTS promotion, the Shah Alam Stadium Store Re-Merchandising, the opening of the new Kuala Selangor store, the unfinished 2013 contract, new item listing, monthly buying income etc. To top it off, Isla was away (balik kampung, back to East Malaysia). I have to do everything by myself. Luckily, Celtic & Pietro loaned me their assistants ocassionally. Thank GOD for that.  

I was so tired, burnt and worn out. I also feel that I didn’t have the support of Leonardo. I have always been align with my former superiors, always being on the same wavelength as them. Even the hardest to manage – Celtic; was also not that bad. With Leonardo, I really don’t see eye-to-eye on everything. I was so tempted to pick up fights with Leonardo. But I have to give credit to Rufus, Celtic, Iron Butterfly, Stewart, Felix & Snow Petrol. They just know how to manage me well, they know exactly which buttons to push me to get me to deliver better, they gently put me back on track, giving me gentle reminders, encouragements, incentives and helping me to visualize the possible results, warnings and possible consequences. With their leadership, they somehow makes me excel or have the right attitude towards new experimentation, learning new things, they didn’t judge, they don’t see that I am quirky, they just motivate me to work harder and just to enjoy myself. Sigh…can I change my Boss? :)

The General also did a SWOT analysis of the division. Yeah, now everyone knows what are our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats are – so, let’s see how The General wants to go about it to solve the problems and reinforce what is good. On the bad & silly impression that I have made – I can only say this - it is with passion, courage of conviction and a strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world, remembering that first impressions are not always correct, you must always have faith in people, and most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself :)

Urbanify

Shelter 101 Project – Pinang Heights – when I was in Mid Valley Shopping Mall a month or two back, there was a Home Fair going on. So, I came across the PKNS Booth who will be launching this new condominium unit in Section 18, Shah Alam. So, I registered myself, gave my details; the person attending to my enquiry said that I will be notified via email or sms when the launching date starts so we can see the mock-up model and make the purchase. Cheh…they also didn’t do any of the above. They just put up a half page advertisement in the The Star newspaper to annouce the launching date. I also couldn’t attend the launching as I also have to fly off to Ningbo, China for a sourcing trip :( Bummer. Again.

Darkness Fell

Shelter 101 Project – Bukit Raja – Sime Darby Properties – Qaseh >> nope, I didn’t manage to get it. Kasih tak kesampaian. I was hoping that I manage to get through the first round of the filtration process, then during the balloting process, it will solely based on luck. But to my own shock – I didn’t even manage to be selected during the first round process. I was really expecting it because I really thought that I was really qualified for this affordable home scheme. I was literally heartbroken, I was so sad, I felt my whole world came crumbling down. My face was twisted with frustration, black and had the inability to express any thoughts at all. It might have exceed my initial budget, the space is much bigger than I require, but I don’t have to pay for the maintenance fees, the sinking fund and the car park rentals over the long run. I know that I should not rush into such big purchases, but I somehow feel that time is not on my side. I called the Sime Darby Sales Office on a Saturday afternoon, and the voice on the other end told me that the balloting process have just come to an end. Bummer :(

First, my parents are getting elderly by the year. Getting up to the 5th floor is getting difficult for them. My Pa actually huffs & puffs now, compare to when he was much younger. Secondly, is the escalating house prices. The first 5 months of this year was pretty stabilized. Due to the impeding general elections, generally the prices did not fall drastically or being hike up drastically either. Many housing purchase transactions were being put on hold temporarily. Now, as the GE13 dusts have settled down, the housing market is back into active mode all over again. These days the prices have gone up unreasonably & unjustifiably. Luxury properties will see a downtrend as more people are talking more about affordable housing and mature markets. Thirdly, is the GST (Goods & Services Tax). It is yet to be implemented in Malaysia but if we pegged it at 7% like the Singaporean does – it really eats into the budget. And till now, I feel with GST – it is a mechanism that will help the government to increase its revenue but I do not see how it affects positively on ordinary people like me on our personal income taxation. Even in Indonesia, the Indonesians are already paying for GST but how does the Indonesian government actually manage & utilize its income funds remain to be seen. Mom have also ask me to call back the agent for the Seri Permata Part 2 unit – so I gave the agent two smses but no reply so far :(

Sigh…why is this being so difficult? Why is this getting harder?

Meatloaf & Macaroni Of Fashion

I know that this is way long overdue but I want to count my April’s Blessings. April has been a very unique month for me. This blessing that I am counting, that I am appreciate for, that I am grateful for is not something good that has happen to me – but a lesson well learned – Stay On Course, Be Faithful :) Yes, just these 5 words will do.

Design To Change

Close your tired eyes
Relax and then
Count from one to ten and open them
All these heavy thoughts will try to weigh you down
But not this time
Way up in the air
You're finally free
And you can stay up there
Right next to me
All this gravity will try to pull you down
But not this time

When the sun goes down and the lights burn out
Then it's time for you to shine
Brighter than a shooting star
So shine no matter where you are
Fill the darkest night with a brilliant light
'Cause its time for you to shine
Brighter than a shooting star
So shine no matter where you are... tonight
Woah, Woah, Woah

Brighter than a shooting star
Shine no matter where you are...tonight

Gaze into my eyes when the fire starts
And fan the flame so hot it melts our hearts
Oh, the pouring rain will try to put it out,
But not this time
Let your colors burn and brightly burst 
Into a million sparks that all disperse
And illuminate a world that will try to bring you down, but not this time

When the sun goes down and the lights burn out
Then it's time for you to shine
Brighter than a shooting star
So shine no matter where you are
Fill the darkest night with a brilliant light
'Cause its time for you to shine
Brighter than a shooting star
So shine no matter where you are... tonight
Woah, Woah, Woah
Brighter than a shooting star
Shine no matter where you are...tonight

A thousand heartbeats beat in time
And makes this dark planet come alive
So when the lights flicker out tonight
You gotta shine 
When the sun goes down and the lights burn out
Then it's time for you to shine
Brighter than a shooting star
So shine no matter where you are
Fill the darkest night with a brilliant light
'Cause its time for you to shine
Brighter than a shooting star
So shine no matter where you are...tonight
Woah, Woah, Woah
Brighter than a shooting star
Shine no matter where you are...tonight

-OWL CITY: SHOOTING STAR-

Fresh Code

Work Tales – honestly speaking, I am struggling, I am being overwhelmed, I cannot manage and I am not being able to cope. I wonder how Jonas used to deal with all of this. Moving aside the boredom & the routines that I have to endure everyday, I try to sustain that motivation, trying to do more, to deliver more, to contribute more, to achieve more, to accomplish more, to share more – but it seems more futile as my efficiency is not there, I am moving backward, I get de-motivated easily and lacking of sharpness :) Where did I go wrong? How I could get everything so wrong?

Nonetheless – first of all, I’m definitely keen to finish the season. I know that I need to have a change of job scope. Perhaps, it's the portfolio, not the industry itself. Procedurally; the team, the system, the process, everything is fine for everyone except for me. Perhaps, the problem is ME. I am keen to finish the season as high as possible, put together a very strong campaign as best I could, finish it off as strong as possible and going into the next season with good momentum. The question is whether there will be a next year? :) I’ve made some mistakes; I was incompetent in some areas. But I feel that mistake, everybody can make. To have the guts to own it? Unfortunately, not all has it, but fortunately I did. I will face Leonardo sooner or later and I know that it will be a very uncomfortable for the both of us because I have underachieved. Me; as a buyer, as an employee. We need to find out what the reasons are and then it’s for Leonardo, hopefully with me, to decide how to go forward. The point is that I have indeed underachieved; I have not delivered my best, given my best performance that I used to, I was not in my usual old form…and I have to take up the responsibility. Leonardo certainly feels that I have made the category even worse than before, the category have no clear direction, the category is even messier than before, it is in a much dire state compare to Jonas’s era. The ultimate decision is also both mine and Leonardo’s. Leonardo has to decide whether to make a move for another new buyer to replace me. It’s about making sure the department move forward and put right some of the things that were wrong this year.

Of course, it also fell below on my own expectations. I also wish that I could contribute a little bit more. It is indeed my worst disastrous season ever. All of a sudden, I feel that I am back into the very first square where I began to hate my life, hate working, hate people, hate everything. I felt that as an individual – I’ve just got worst and worst. I am going through the moment where everything is totally meaningless. These are the days when nothing seems to go right, and I am being overwhelmed by circumstances that I cannot control. A writer once said - If the outlook is grim, try looking up. And that is a little bit of truth in there - what are the problems in this world compared to the majesty of creation? We can walk into the office and feel trapped by the 'same-old-same-old' feeling yet if we look up to the sky, we realise that we have new blessings every morning. If our heart is in the right place, it will yield blessings that we may not even anticipate.

The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times...the best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi :)

OneFiveSix

Shelter 101 Project – Bukit Raja – Sime Darby Properties – Qaseh >> Thank You GOD, Praise To The Lord, Bless You GOD :) Searching for a livable house, in a right location that meets the budget is like a never ending race; and an infinite finish line. Sime Darby put on an advertisement in the The Star newspaper for affordable homes – 20 x 70 Double Storey House from only RM380K. This is done via the balloting system. They are only building 161 units. Completion date will be on April 2015. It’s bloody cheap for sure. No doubt, I have mention in my previous blog post that Bukit Raja is too inner from the convenient hub but this Qaseh houses is being built in the new area; across from the area that we saw. It will be near to the Klang Bus Terminal, Tesco Hypermarket, Giant Hypermarket, the Setia Alam Mall, the Setia Alam shop lots and the Setia Alam pasar malam location. Still not walking distance convenience to my liking but still accessible. So, I have registered online, prepared the documents accordingly – photocopies of 3 months of pay slip, Income Tax, EPF, EA Forms etc. I drove over to their Sales Gallery in Jalan Meru, drop off the envelope – so good luck A003381 :) When we were at the Sales Gallery, we saw the mock-up of the house and also their land master plan. Massive. Impressive. Lots of new housing areas are mushrooming up for sure, to meet the future demands, but they are sprouting even further away from the city.

Lord & Lady Frodsham

Shelter 101 Project - Sri Permata Part 2 – I have decided to let it go. I feel that I lost this race was because of a wrong sun angle :( It was a ready-to-move-in unit, everything fits in so nicely but I also think that it is also important to get the Father, Mother & Sister’s approval & blessings. After all, this will be our base for the long run, thus it is crucial that every family members must feel comfortable with it.

50 + 1 Rule

Iron Man 3 – it was awesome. I love the movie :) Robert Downey Junior again delivers a very solid performance as Tony Stark. The beginning of the movie was a bit slow but it gradually picks up the pace as the story line moves along. I love the conversation between Tony & Harley; a precocious 10-year-old boy. The Dora The Explorer watch (limited edition) was so funny :) Guy Pearce who plays the actual villain Aldrich Killian was simply amazing. Guy is one of those actors that are not really that blessed with Hollywood good looks but he is blessed with such an amazing acting talents & skills and inner charisma. When he is given the right script and character to play in, he will deliver it to even greater heights and his fictional characters will always be so memorable. A nice small surprise is when Pepper Potts also manage to get into one of the Iron Man’s suits. But the biggest surprise of all is Mandarin played by Ben Kingsley. His kingly performance gave the image to the whole wide world what a cold-blooded terrorist looks like, how he speaks, his threatening manners, his behavior, his cold impossible demands, his eccentricity – it was so altogether real. So believable. Ben Kingsley was so polished. But Mandarin was just a dummy; Mandarin is actually a British actor, Trevor Slattery, who says that he is oblivious to the actions carried out in his name. The Mandarin is actually a creation of Killian – I certainly didn’t see this twist coming. The cream of the cake is during the final scene where Stark summons each of his Iron Man suits, controlled remotely by JARVIS, to provide air support. That was so cool :)

I also get to meet up with Adrianna; a former Uni mate during the free movie preview. The only person that I know. Jo, Troy, Eloise was a no-show. Also manage to strike out conversations with random seniors & juniors of Murdoch University students. A great morning outing :)

Laman Grille

David Beckham retiring from football is not shocking - Alex Ferguson's retirement from managing Manchester United; that is shocking. He will be replaced by his fellow Scots David Moyes who is currently Everton’s manager. The icon has never given any indication before this about his retirement plans but it was good because he have retired in style this year as MU also sealed their 20th EPL win. So I hope that the next season, it will be Liverpool’s turn to shine :) After all, the Red Devils will be having a post-Alex Ferguson era and with any new leadership, there will always be a transition period. It’s just too bad that Alex Ferguson himself will not be there to witness for himself when Liverpool knocks Manchester United off their perch :)

Chup Chup Ke

Oh my gosh - I cannot believe it :) The month of May just breezes me through and now it’s already June! May have been such a busy month for me and I only manage to put in 2 blog post. It’s so pathetic since I have so many stories to tell. And yes, I still have lots of stories to spin out and I don’t know which one to dish out first :)

Ok, let’s start off with something light – Football. Besides the retirement announcement made earlier by Michael Owen & Jamie Carragher – the next unexpected announcement was from David Beckham himself. The 38 years old stylish footballer has decides to hang up his boots for good. He may not be the best player of all time, but he certainly was a good one, a champ in his own right and is somewhere up there with the rest of the legends. His career was fantastic, he played for some of the best clubs in the world – from Manchester United to Real Madrid, LA Galaxy and his last club; French based Paris St Germain. But my salutation to him is how he harness, manage & sustain the Beckham Brand. The Spice Boy has evolve so much, at one stage; even taking over from his famous spouse ex-Spice Girl Victoria Adams. His personality & hairstyles have so much of character in it. Now, the Beckham Brand is not about him alone, it has include his wife, his sons Brooklyn, Romeo & Cruz and his daughter Harper Seven. The Beckham Brand will not stop right here. As a matter of fact, it will grow even further collectively. Even little Romeo has a pet modeling project with Burberry. That’s the power of branding.