The Waiting Place

God has His hour and delay. Thus we wait.

Waiting is hard. We twiddle our thumbs, shuffle our feet, stifle our yawns, heave long sighs and fret inwardly in frustration. Why must I live with this awkward person, this tedious job, this embarrassing behavior, this health issue that will not go away? Why doesn't God come through?

God's answer: Wait awhile and see what I will do.

Waiting is one of life's best teachers for in it we learn the virtue of...well, waiting - waiting while God works in us and for us. It's in waiting that we develop endurance, the ability to trust God's love and goodness, even when things aren't going our way.

God is never in a hurry, but He's always on time.

ANYWHERE

You don't need to know where you're going if you know God is leading.

A day in choir

Wah, this Mr. Horton’s Secretary is semakin berani betul…Marcus email Mr. Horton’s Secretary to run the Leaflet PWP sales results…cc me in…so usually, in such a situation, this Mr. Horton’s Secretary (whether she likes it or not) she will have to loop me in as well…but this time around…Mr. Horton’s Secretary bypass me…then, when Marcus shares out the deck to everyone…and from there; I saw the sales results in one of the presentation slides…celaka betul…ok lor…if like that, I also can follow in Mr. Horton’s Secretary’s footsteps as well…I will also bypass her…usually when I’m being cc in…I will get the email copy but this time around got bypass pula…ok, she started this first…hahaha…

Reason To Sing

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.

The Psalmist points out two wonderful reasons to joyfully praise God in song and in attitude – His saving work in our lives and His ongoing faithfulness toward us.

Lord, You have done great things in my life.

Just A Second

How fleeting my life is.
Don’t just spend time – Invest It.

Princess Dowager Wilhelmina of Orange

What Is Wrong With Secretary Kim? - that's the title to a Korean drama which I was addicted to and following faithfully over the weekend...I'm not a big fan of the Korean drama series, still not now...but I have to say that this romance - comedy drama was funny, witty and certainly entertaining...revolves around the narcissistic Vice Chairman of a major corporation, Lee Young-joon, and his highly capable secretary, Kim Mi-so. Problems or romance arise when she announces that she will resign from her position, after working for Lee Young-joon for nine years. He later on develops strong feelings towards Mi-so after realizing that he might lose her. While she soon reciprocates Young-joon's feelings after realizing that he was a part of her childhood. Their past childhood stories and present romance was interwoven together very nicely indeed. The supporting cast was also a bunch of lovable people as well. It is indeed a very good watch plus the lead Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young have great on air chemistry and pretty good looking to watch too.

Dowager Hereditary Princess Louise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Liverpool 4 - 0 West Ham
First game of the new season...
Woo Hoo...
Hahaha...cannot be happy too early...otherwise, all will go wrong (touch wood).

Fabiola de Mora y Aragón

So, the OOS report is out…Uncle Andy suggested to bring it into the S&M meeting – just to reinforce that both Merchants & Supply Chain are crap…I also agree that the report will be value-added…however, I really have no idea on how to present it and jive into my presentation slides…so, THANK YOU GOD, PRAISE TO THE LORD, BLESS YOU GOD…that you put Marcus into the picture…Marcus notice that there were several complaints from the customer on the shortages from the FaceBook…so this insights will jive in perfectly with the OOS report…

And this Mr. Horton’s Secretary…lazy & selfish! She knows how to run the OOS report…probably lazy and don’t want to do it…and I suspect the story line goes like this…Uncle Andy ask Mr. Horton’s Secretary to run the report…she didn’t want to do the extra work…so she must have asked Uncle Andy to ask me to do it…and when I mention that I also don’t know how to run the report…Uncle Andy ask me to go and ask Tess (from I.T)…Mr. Horton’s Secretary kept quiet all this while.

And when I was on leave yesterday…Mr. Horton’s Secretary and her true colors come out in full blast…Mr. Horton’s Secretary’s observation (Marcus puji her lah)…she came out with the report + graph + commentary…she is smart…the chart shows the trending of the stock holding & stock ordering…identified that Supply Chain may have place the PO too late which cause late arrival & merchants have to prepare for the exit plan…no wonder that day, Mr. Horton’s Secretary was not to keen to learn or show any interest on how to run the OOS report because she already knew it in the first place and she didn’t bother or have no intention to teach me either…otherwise, her pattern is that she will want to kepo with everything…

So now, with her report…does that mean that she want to have a slot in the next S&M meeting as well…because usually it will be Marcus & myself who talk only…she is tenggelam behind the scene…once in a while, she will butt in lar...so, now Mr. Horton’s Secretary is finding the opportunity to surface balik up is it…sigh…yes I know…I should see her as a teacher not as an enemy…as a matter of fact…I learn more from her than from Marcus…but this teacher is not like Ursula, Stewart or Tommy…Mr. Horton’s Secretary will back stab…macam gaya Alice…adoi…

Marie José of Belgium

This Mr. Horton’s Secretary pun ada sikit Celtic’s punya bayang…Mr. Horton’s Secretary was telling Samuel & myself that it was her idea of doing a full page Fresh Press Ad on Friday…ye ke…I thought it was Rodrigo who push us to do it…and it was Rodrigo who design that format out…if I am not mistaken - Mr. Horton’s Secretary only email keluar the contents…hahaha…

Charles of Flanders Prince Regent

I know that when you are sitting in the middle…it’s much easier to turn to your right; instead of to your left…Marcus sits in between Mr. Horton’s Secretary and myself…so anything Marcus will bincang or highlight to Mr. Horton’s Secretary…I am the last resort…but hor…when it comes to clicking the mouse for other people presentation (during the weekly S&M meeting) or writing down the minutes…why I always kena one…adoi…

Elisabeth of Bavaria

Hahaha…Mr. Horton’s Secretary really tak boleh pakai…also not a true friend to Uncle Andy…this morning, I overheard Mr. Horton’s Secretary giving the heads up to Marcus regarding Uncle Andy’s plan to delegate the Weekly Competitor Review to us to do…she also cannot be trusted, she also have self-interest and is also selfish…

Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Uncle Andy is indeed very ambitious; surely wants to upstage Christopher…Nielsen presentation also want to revamp…yes, make it short & simple…now the presentation is too lengthy…most important, just update…in that particular month…which retailer won, in which category etc…all the details…all the nitty gritty part…everyone can read from the deck…

Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

Uncle Andy wants to revamp the Competitor Price Survey report…very good…now all of the Merchants just look at the report…but there is no call for action…anyway, I think all of the Merchants are not stupid; just ignorant due to the buying income factor…we need a Competitor Price Survey that calls for action…able to manage the price basket and strengthen the price perception of G13…the analysis got to convince the Merchants that there are indeed ways to drive sales and at the same time to secure the income…mix and match…the art of balancing…if The English can find the right formula to it…G13 also can surely do it as well…

Philippe Count of Flanders

Uncle Andy is actually recruiting…I don’t mind joining the Customer Insights Team…to learn about the retail market…analysis…understand the total retail business…FMCG strategies…but hor…this Uncle Andy is very blunt, point blank and straight to the point…I pula a slow learner…sure kena tembak every day…I know this is not an excuse to prevent me from jumping ship…hahaha…but I also want to continue to keep a close ties with the Merchants…if I am disconnect from them…I will become invisible…

Marie Henriette of Austria

Something is also not right here…Uncle Andy will be taking over the Customer Insights portfolio from Christopher…Uncle Andy’s style is…whatever can be outsource out…outsource it…what can be automated…automate it…to do only turnkey projects and not daily routine repetitive work…so, one of the Customer Insight’s responsibility is to churn out the Weekly Competitor Review on every Monday morning…it’s good that Uncle Andy already have the idea on how to run & improvise the department; to further make it better than it is…so Uncle Andy said that he wants to pass this task to Marcus’s team…meaning that either Mr. Horton’s Secretary, Samuel or myself will have to do it…what the…Uncle Andy then mention – J___ can do one, J___ is very capable…my foot lah…I am not going to do it…if Marcus does propose it to me…I will tai chi it back and ask Mr. Horton’s Secretary to do it…I provide Press Ad sales results…but it is Mr. Horton’s Secretary who daily provides the updates to the Merchants on the competitors leaflet and promotion strategies…and it is also Mr. Horton’s Secretary's duty to check & validate on every Monday morning – over the weekend…how many items that G13 win in the market and how many G13 have lost to the competitors…so Mr. Horton’s Secretary is actually the right candidate for this role…the both of them is testing water is it…hahaha…

Francis Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

Sememangnya, the both of them berkomplot behind my back…hahaha…what happen was…last year we had our LOL (Lock On Low) as our Marketing strategy for the month of August…so this year, we have a 50% off Merdeka Daily Specials…so Mr. Horton’s Secretary have been running reports on the stock cover days for the past couple of weeks now to aid the Merchants & the Supply Chain team…Uncle Andy pula suggested…to further reinforce that our Merchants is bad in their forecast assumption and the Supply Chain is clueless in validating the numbers – we got to run the OOS (out of stock) report…which Uncle Andy have informed Mr. Horton’s Secretary to do so. Then, mana tahu…on Monday morning…Uncle Andy pula ask me to run the report…hey, how come not Mr. Horton’s Secretary…somemore he requested twice…for the first time, I tolak and mention to wait for the report from Mr. Horton’s Secretary…then for the second time, I didn’t tolak…fine, I telan…I do…because I also know it’s important for me to learn to churn the report…but the both of them is really up to no good…hahaha…

What We Want To Hear

As human beings, we are prone to seek out information that supports the opinions we hold. Research shows that we’re actually twice as likely to look for information that supports our position. When we’re deeply committed to our own way of thinking, we avoid having that thinking challenged by opposing positions.

Lord, help me to seek and heed Your counsel. Even when it’s against my desires or popular thought.

God’s counsel is Trustworthy & Wise.

Front Porch Relief

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.

God often sends vertical help through horizontal means.

Put another way, He sends us what we need through the help of others.

God’s provisions are always greater than our problems.

Sweet & Bitter

Like chocolate, days can be bitter or sweet as well.

God – You are good and what You do is good!

Bitter days have value too. They make us aware of our weaknesses and they help us depend more on God.

God is good!

Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf

Certainly have to give some credit to Miguel on this…well, for this month…as it is 0% GST and 0% SST…before the SST is being implemented in the month of September…so, in order to drive trade...there was this 50% Merdeka Daily Specials…I truly believe that Trade Planning should drive this activity and bring everyone around…instead, I think we just miss the opportunity to step in and step up to showcase to the Merchants on our capabilities…instead, it was Miguel who step in and step up the level…got all of the Merchants around…got them to list down which item that have the investment buy and identify those items where the margin are deep dive which will be advertise during the weekends…not on the weekdays; so the competitors will not have the room to react…and put all of the item in a bigger picture via a calendar mapping…sigh…must learn from Miguel…and twice; during the session…Miguel raise the question – What does Marketing think?

It acknowledges the Trade Planning role…it goes just beyond the compiling role…where we can add value into the discussion...and twice…even though the question was directed to Uncle Andy, Mr. Horton’s Secretary and myself…Miguel was looking at me…so, I guess it was a hint from Miguel that this is how Trade Planning should play it’s role in the future…

Charlotte of Wales

It was also in the previous blogs that I stumbled into conversations that I have with My Source & Tommy…where both of them have informed me that Miguel thinks highly of me and likes me…now…everything is going down the drain…sigh…

Louise of Orléans

I was reading through my previous year’s August blogs…then, I stumbled into this…it was August 2016…when I was still in G13...Marcus told me that Marcus felt like a high-paid clerk…every day only doing compilation work…that was when Marcus was no longer doing the merchandising job but as a Trade Planner under Maximoff…well, that is how I am currently feeling right now…hahaha…and I assume that right now, Marcus no longer view it as a high paying clerical and administration work anymore…now it is a very meaningful work to Marcus…hahaha…I am going through Marcus's cycle...thereafter, I will compromised, adapt and be part of the system...hahaha...