When life puts you in an empty coach, make pictures!

district 9 and a half, originally uploaded by faz k.

All right - perhaps a rather lame attempt at that 'making lemonade from the lemons life gave you' line, but what the heck - I think you know what I mean ;)

Of course it's tough making your way along this world by yourself. We smile and nod when people tell us to 'chin up - you're never alone' yet wish sometimes they don't say these things. They mean well, and so do we when we find ourselves saying the same things to others.

I'm sure you've seen or at least heard of the slideshow that likens this life to a train journey. You get people come on board and sit with you in your train coach. They get off at their stops & other people board the train and join you. There are stretches of that journey when you're by yourself. That's ok. That's the 'me' time that you can use to hold a mirror up to see deep inside you. Have you been good travel companions? Have you shown interest in your travel buddy's journey? How much have you listened to the stories from other people in your train coach? Has it been a good trip from them too? Sure, you poke them a bit when their snores get too loud (it's an overnight train) but do you get rattled when they prod you because your snoring kept them awake some other nights?

When you're done looking into the mirror, put it down and look out the window. There's still a whole wide world out there to see. Your train's still on track, chugging along. Enjoy the trip, and make pictures as you go along. They're your memories.

Pic info: taken with my James (EOS 500D), 1/125sec, f4.0, 18mm focal length on my 18-55mm kit lens, ISO 200.

#2: Adding copyright information to your pictures

I've always thought I could only add copyright information to my pictures during post-processing. I've used Picasa & Lightroom for this purpose before. Now, thanks to the Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i/500D Companion by Ben Long I can now use Canon EOS Utility software that came with my 500D to store a custom copyright message in my pictures. This is useful for me to prove ownership of my images, especially the ones I share via my flickr, jpgmag & twitter.

I plugged James (that's what I call my 500D) into the laptop, using the USB cable, and powered on. The EOS utility window will launch. I suggest you go through these steps too:

From that first screen, click Camera Settings/Remote Shooting, & you'll see the window in picture #2.

Click on the tool button (it's about halfway down the window) - I've circled it in red.

In the Set-up Menu section, click on the Copyright notice entry.

Enter your information and click OK. I also configured the Owner's Name field, since I was there.

Mr Long advised that pressing the Menu button on the camera, navigating to the 3rd tool menu, choosing Clear Settings & pressing the Display button can confirm that we've set the copyright info correctly. I did that, and I saw my name displayed on the LCD screen.

After closing the application and unplugging James, I took a photo to check if the updated data would show in the info screen. I wasn't disappointed.

So hey - I learned something new today. Put in this info one time, and this way works for me fine. If this can be beneficial to other 500D owners, that's cool too.

Enjoy photography!

Serenity - or holding on to the ledge with one's fingertips as calmly as possible

Face From Angkor, originally uploaded by vincenzooli.

It's been a tough week, surprisingly.

I had been struggling with a new aspect of my work that involves marketing activities. I thought it would come natural to me, honestly I did. Did I overestimate my own capabilities? I'm not sure. One thing I AM sure is how much I love content design & development. I don't need to struggle to get the big picture before I work on a paragraph. I just know when to skim and where to scan for the right level of insight needed to be spot on. I'd see pictures in my head like multiple pop-up windows. But get me to make a phone call to confirm an appointment, the palms of my hands break into cold sweat. Oh dear.

Am I too complacent and just want to stay in my area of content development - writing articles, designing methodologies & approaches, reviewing processes etc - until I can't see myself doing anything else? I don't think so. I want to stretch myself more in that area. Developing structure and content in other medium, presenting ideas in different ways. Put me in a solitary cubicle with no one around me and I'd be happy. I'd be serene, even.

Then I saw this photo, and vincenzooli kindly gave me his permission to blog it when I wrote to him. I love his travel pictures. This one in particular, helped me to relax.

And today I wrote to my boss. First, an update. Last, a confession that I'm at loss to handle this marketing stuff. Not sure what she'll say to me - she'd probably sit me down & discuss this. She'd probably share with me her point of view. That'd be fine. I've been so comfortably expressing myself in writing the last two weeks I'm not sure if I can think and talk at the same time, though.

Wish me luck. In the meantime, enjoy vincenzooli's Face From Angkor.

Even I think things have gone too far, Pt 1

IMG_3745, originally uploaded by Faz K projects.

Dalam satu video baru-baru ini, seorang menteri:
- mempertahankan kemungkinan ada ikhtiar penapisan internet
- memaklumkan beliau hanya akan menjawab soalan tentang Merdeka 52 tahun sahaja
- menegaskan tidak akan ada tolak-ansur dalam memastikan pornografi kanak-kanak sifar

Dalam video ini, seorang menteri menjegilkan matanya sambil menggunakan nada suara yang sinis, menegur seorang wartawan yang menggunakan bahasa Inggeris dalam soalannya. Kesima aku. Sungguh tak sangka seorang menteri yang aku pernah hormati waktu kanak-kanak mengendalikan sidang akhbarnya sebegitu rupa. Sombongnya dia. "where were you educated? can't speak bahasa at all", "chakap oreang putey"... berjayakah pendekatan begini menimbulkan rasa hormat terhadapnya dan maklumat yang disampaikan? Hampas yang amat menghampakan. Kalau dia nak wartawan tu rasa segan, mungkin teguran secara lembut dapat menyampaikan maksud yang tersirat dengan lebih baik, kesan yang lebih mendalam. Contohnya: "Bukankah kita dalam sidang akhbar promosi Merdeka 52? Marilah kita gunakan bahasa kebangsaan hari ini.." Tak payah jegil-jegil mata, ya tidak?

Aku belajar dalam negeri. Dari St Teresa's Kindergarten Kuala Terengganu sampailah ke Universiti Utara Malaysia Sintok. Aku selesa berbahasa Inggeris - mak ayah aku dah biasa berbahasa Inggeris, Kebangsaan, loghat Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Batak (bapak aku lah) dan semua itu dengan harapan anak-anak mereka mampu bercakap untuk minta tolong kalau sesat di tempat orang - tak semua orang tahu loghat Terengganu, mak aku ajar masa aku belum akil baligh dulu.

Mujur mak ayah aku ajar kami sebaik mungkin. Kalau tak, aku mungkin jadi macam beberapa lepasan Universiti tempatan di lokasi sedikit luar Lembah Kelang yang bukan berasaskan pertanian yang duduk letaknya dekat-dekat rumah bapak saudara aku tak jauh dari hutan simpan Bangi. Aku pernah temuduga budak-budak lepasan U ini masa aku 'berkecimpung' (bergelumang sebenarnya) dalam dunia HR beberapa tahun lepas. Aku semak semua jawapan. Secara bertulis dalam borang yang bukan dalam bahasa kebangsaan tu - tak menjawab soalan. Secara lisan? Malang. Koyak rabak ayat dan perenggan masing-masing. Daripada geram aku rasa macam nak tempeleng depa, aku terus jadi tak sampai hati. Waktu aku tengok muka graduan-graduan tu, aku seakan boleh dengar dalam batu jemala tu bunyi enjin - dengar bahasa inggeris perempuan ni cakap-terjemah dalam bahasa kebangsaan-terjemah balik dalam bahasa inggeris-buka mulut-jawab. Sakit, aku rasa, duduk dalam bilik temuduga dengan aku. Aku tengok muka depa berkerut-kerut pun aku rasa sakit.

Mungkin aku ni emosi sangat. Mungkin aku patut ucap tahniah kepada menteri ni. Nak sangat semua orang fasih berbahasa kebangsaan. Nah, ambik. Berkoyan-koyan lepasan universiti tempatan sekarang tidak berbahasa Inggeris. Tidak mampu? Tidak diajar? Tidak pandai? Lebih mendaulatkan bahasa kebangsaan? Tepuk dada tanya selera.

Mendidih jugak darah aku, membuak-buak, waktu tengok video ini. Kemudian aku terkenang cikgu-cikgi yang berhempas-pulas ajar aku dari masa aku 4 tahun ikat rambut tocang dua sampai lah dewasa andartu sekarang ni. Kalau tak sebab depa bertungkus lumus pastikan aku faham semua bahasa yang depa ajar aku, tak boleh lah aku 'menjawab' masa konsultan mat saleh perli sahabat sekerja aku yang sama-sama baru macam aku masa aku mula-mula kerja dulu sambil sahabat aku tu terkebil-kebil macam ayam berak kapur. Tak bolehlah aku jawab balik mangkuk yang kutuk aku dalam bahasa jerman dalam keretapi masa aku assignment kat Munich dulu. Tak bolehlah aku tangkis ejekan staf hotel masa aku kerja kat Beijing beberapa tahun dulu.

Memang bahasa kebangsaan sangat penting. Sebahagian dari jiwa kita. Kita rakyat Malaysia; aku pun meluat beruk kalau ada cerita orang-orang yang tak pandai berbahasa kebangsaan tambah lagi kalau orang tu macam aku, ada cop 'rubber stamp' dalam paspot antarabangsa sejak kerja saja, bukan sejak masa belajar. Pokoknya, SEMUA BAHASA penting. Sudah tentu termasuk bahasa isyarat dan Braille, terutama kepada pihak yang memerlukannya.

Pada aku, keupayaan untuk berkomunikasi dengan lancar lebih penting. Dalam apa bahasa yang perlu sekalipun. Mendaulatkan bahasa kebangsaan tidak sepatutnya bermakna bahasa lain diperkecilkan. Tidak sama sekali. Itu bodoh sombong namanya.

Mungkin kita semua perlu jadi bodoh sombong. Eh tak, aku rasa tak. Aku tak mau. Mak ayah dan cikgu-cikgi aku tak ajar aku macam tu.

p.s.

BTW - aku tengok dalam kamus kesima = dumbfounded. Aku kira lebih kurang macam 'gobsmacked' lah tu. OK lah ya?

Even I think things have gone too far, Pt 2

_MG_3803, originally uploaded by faz k.

The question behind the question is, what am I going to do about it?

Vijay wrote on Eddie's wall that ultimately, what's sad is that we can go on ranting & nothing may change. I can't quite argue with that statement, because I feel the rakyat have been hurt & disappointed and I'm not sure if they can handle the frustration much longer without resorting to some sort of emotional detachment or even worse, apathy. What's the impact of that then? We'd all probably stop trying our hardest and best, and just walk around, existing rather than living, waiting for the next thoughtless decrees that are outcomes of improper planning; to be retracted later by someone of the higher power. The good cop bad cop ploy and the tail wagging the dog do come to mind.

On Saturday, I joined a reccy trip to Putrajaya to prepare for our PSPJ outing the next day. It was late afternoon when I snapped this photo.

First, I felt sheer delight in hearing the children's joyful laugh and seeing the colors around me. Suddenly, I was gripped by fear. Fear of being mediocre, unconsciously teaching the children around me that it's ok to just follow directions without knowledge of the destination and of the purpose being served. That the best thing to do is to never ask questions, never discuss things that could be considered as taboo. They might as well get lobotomized immediately after their birth - special package price, 2-in-1 circumcision AND lobotomy, no?

NO. NO WAY.

If things move this way our children will inherit a world full of mediocrity. And we'd be guilty of that because we allowed fools with consistent verbal diarrhea to invade our thoughts with senseless statements and directives.

That's when Vijay's comment re-surfaced. And I realised that nothing can change if I don't be the change that I want to see. I looked at this photo again and then I heard it - my wake-up call from indifference and hopelessness. I will strive to be good and do right. To add meaning to my life and the people that I impact. To have faith in my own abilities and continue learning to improve my strengths. So what if there are people in powerful positions, even ministers, who continue to blunder their way around. They can make all the stupid remarks they want. I have faith that at some point, way back perhaps, their intentions were good. I have faith that my friends and loved ones are smart people who will not follow blindly. So those people can carry on. So si Luncai terjun dengan labu-labunya. Biarkan, biarkan, bloody biarkan.

Maybe I will still rant once in a while, but I will definitely continue to fight the good fight.

Because change begins with me.

Kepercayaan. Faith.

_MG_3829, originally uploaded by faz k.

Millenium monument, during Floria 2009, August.

The obelisk-like monument has carvings on its body to depict the Rukunegara, or National Principles, which is based on 5 guiding principles.

In full, it's read:
MAKA KAMI, rakyat Malaysia, berikrar akan menumpukan seluruh tenaga dan usaha kami untuk mencapai cita-cita tersebut berdasarkan atas prinsip-prinsip yang berikut :

KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN
KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA
KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN
KEDAULATAN UNDANG-UNDANG
KESOPANAN DAN KESUSILAAN

The literal translation from Wikipedia follows:

NOW THEREFORE WE, the people of Malaysia, pledge to concentrate the whole of our energy and efforts to achieve these ambitions based on the following principles:

BELIEF IN GOD
LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY
THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION
THE RULE OF LAW
COURTESY AND MORALITY

I think the main key here is KEPERCAYAN. Faith. People of power can say whatever they want, sometimes they don't make sense to me. But they will never take away my faith in God and my faith in me.

Saudade, Vol 2

Based on A. F. G. Bell's book 'In Portugal', 1912 , one might make a strong analogy with nostalgia as a feeling one has for a loved one who has died and saudade as a feeling one has for a loved one who has disappeared or is simply currently absent. Like someone you love who went out for a walk along the beach and never came back; you long for every approaching shadow to prelude his or her return, I suppose.

Here's the idea that sparked my exploration into the difference and/or integration of nostalgia and saudade:

"From the beginning he'd consumed liquor only to get drunk. That was half of the equation. The other was the haunting sense that something fundamental to his happiness, his wholeness, been taken from him. When sober, he couldn't name it." [He remembers a trip to Lisbon with his first wife who is a fashion designer.] "...her buyer there...had taken the Parkers out for a night of fados. Fate songs. ... He asked the buyer what the lyrics meant, and the man explained , 'Saudade, my friend...the presence of absence.' "

SOURCE: "Cry Dance" (Kirk Mitchell)

Several days ago, a friend left a comment on this image on my flickr stream that said 'this is a powerful image'. I was curious to what that means - powerful in what way? To me, this image strikes at my core. I still feel like I'm been punched in the center of my chest whenever I look at this photo. But, almost like a glutton for punishment, I return to it repeatedly. Rather like getting injured in kickboxing practice to feel the external aches that match the agony of the internal lacerations.

This image describes the presence of absence that is inside my heart; the moment just before a tear breaks away from my eyelashes and drops onto my cheek; my memories of conflicts caused by past decisions that were taken purely out of urgent necessity.

I'm beginning to realize that this image does not only represents anguish, it also represents hope and growth.

Growth? Like roots to the trees, providing a base and nourishing nutrients: I'm reminded that I am responsible to continue living and learning. My own snapshot of the priceless value of BEING the change that I want to see in the world.

Hope? Like looking forward to the brilliant blue sky that will take over once the rain clouds are gone: perhaps the same being that feels and even inflicts pain (no matter how unintentional) can also brighten up and create joy in their own little corner of the world.

It's about how much we all need to continue fighting the good fight. We all need to be who we are (even if we're described as not soft-spoken and demure), be aware of who we want to be (maybe NOT demure *LOL*) and balance the exploration of these two paths in order to get the best combination of traits that'll help us on the journey to be a good human being.

It's about soldiering on, no matter how tough things may seem, and how bleak the situation looks. It's a reminder to me, first and foremost. It's about aiming for something and going for it, while at the same time accepting the idea that if it's not yours, it could be because someone else needs it more, or you're destined for something else; having faith that every step takes you closer to where you want to (and need to) go.

To me, that's what this image is all about. What does it mean to you?

*the photo's on my flickr stream, http://flickr.com/photos/fazk

How to go beyond 'Customer is always right'?

A friend of mine just quit her job. She was working in the consulting field like me also, and I know from mutual friends that she has been doing a good job at making her clients happy with all the deliverables she was responsible for. What I remember most from the last time we met were two things: one, the deepening furrow in the middle of her forehead that had not been there before. Two, her frustration with her clients’ demands. The poor thing would go on and on, ending every vignette with a resigned sigh, “what to do, the customer is always right,” in her soft, sing-song voice.

Naomi Karten, author of books on managing SLAs (service level agreements), managing expectations and closing communication gaps, mentioned a list that made sense to me in her article, What do Customers Want Anyway? on her website. When she asked participants to her seminars, they told her that when they are customers, they want:

1 to be taken seriously
2 competent, efficient service
3 anticipation of their needs
4 to be kept informed
5 explanations on their terms
6 follow-through
7 basic courtesies
8 honesty
9 to be informed of the options
10 feedback
11 not to be passed around
12 professional services
13 to be listened to (and heard)
14 empathy
15 dedicated attention
16 respect
17 knowledgeable help
18 friendliness

Read the full article at http://www.nkarten.com/mce.html#WHAT to find out more. I visit her website because after so many hours of Newsweek-, John Naisbitt-, Fortune-style of reporting, it’s a relief for me to read things in simple terms (remember list item #5?).

For many of us, we put on our own ‘I’m a customer now’ hat in order to feel for our customers and get in their shoes. My friend took it to the extreme! Wearing her ‘customer is always right’ cape, she let her clients’ issues and constraints limit her own thoughts and ideas. She contradicted herself; went against her own values. In the end, she got too overwhelmed and frustrated when things never moved the way they should have.

She asked me how I got through MY days. I told her that I quit the ‘customer is always right’ maxim a couple of years back. There are just times when all the thinking and feeling hats in the world will not help me get into the shoes of come of the characters I talk to. Honestly. No friggin’ way. When wearing that blasted hat didn’t work for me anymore, I decided to kill the frustration by looking at the situation from new eyes. I realised that whenever I decided to do the best I could with what I had, and do my best to go the extra mile when I could, a heavy load rolled off my shoulders. So I started going with that outlook more consciously. Things started to change. We started to understand each other better. I see my customers as more collaborative; they see ME as more collaborative. This view also influenced how I treat my colleagues and bosses, because they are all part of my work. The most important thing for me is, this point of view influences my behaviour in the way that I don’t have to tell my clients or my bosses that I have their best interests at heart. I don’t need to say it when I already behave it.

It worked for me – maybe it can work for some other people too. Try it – replace ‘the customer is always right’ with ‘I’ll do the best I can with what I have, and I’ll do my best to go the extra mile’. Think it now. Picture that in your mind now take note if your body feels any different. You’ve got to mean it though. Really mean it. And then, go back to the list of the 18 things customers say they want. If you’re more open and relaxed about those items, you’re off to a good start.

Good luck!

Do judge a bookstore by its services

Today marks the 3rd month anniversary of the special order that I made for Coelho's Eleven Minutes, from a certain bookstore that boasts its extensive collection, store size and its quality, with plans 'to take the book industry to greater heights.'

Hmph. Greater heights, konon.

Funny there is no mention about any commitment to offering help to customers. The only time the word 'service' appeared was in the franchiser company name.

That probably should have been my warning flag. A bookseller who appears to pay no attention to customer service sounds like an owner of an orchard who boasts about how large the land is and how the fertilizers he uses will take fruit orchards to the next level and fails to mention that he has no fruit trees planted there.

OK maybe I exaggerate. And digress.

Living next to the said bookstore provided me with the ample opportunity to make frequent visits there. In one of my visits 2 weeks ago I found out that my book has left the ship and arrived at the warehouse (somewhere is Port Klang I reckon, and not in Poughkeepsie, NY). Last week I asked the people in charge of special orders about the status of my book. Here's the reply:

"I don't know, miss. I have to check with the Ingram (as I heard it, and I found out later this entity is their warehouse) on the status of your book. I don't know about this because this was from the person before me" (who has quit already, apparently - maybe went to join the ingram)

I received a call from this person a day later. Here's what she told me:

"I checked with the Ingram, and they don't know what happened to your book. They lost it. All the other orders on the same day also gone."

Now that's interesting. It sounds to me like someone carried a bunch of books tied up in string from a ship down into the warehouse and told someone in the building, "hey, dude - I'm just gonna put this bunch of stuff here on the floor OK?" and left, walked off into the smoggy afternoon. The blinking 'Ingram' didn't know what happened to my book and the other books from the May 16 order batch.

I asked: "Did the book arrive or not?"
Answer: "I don't know Miss"
I asked: "What happened to the manifest? Someone signed for the cargo when it arrived, right?"
Answer: "I don't know, Miss. That's not our responsibility"

MISTAKE NUMBER ONE. IT IS YOUR BLEEDIN' RESPONSIBILITY. LIVE WITH IT.

I asked: "What do I do now? I want my book. What options do you have for me?"
Answer: "Do you want your money back, Miss?"

MISTAKE NUMBER TWO. This may seem like a logical answer to give; however, take note that this particular customer kept on dropping by regularly at the Information counter to ask for the status of her special order since the 5th week of placing it. Would that be the act of a customer who doesn't care whether her order arrives? I reckon not, Bubba. IDEAL ANSWER: I'm sorry to see you upset, Miss. I understand how sad it is when something you're waiting for doesn't arrive on time. I can place a re-order right now, and I'm sure my supervisor will be able to help out with something to compensate you with.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED -
I asked: Can you put in a re-order?
Answer: Yes.
I asked. Can you re-order right away?
Answer: I have to check with my supervisor first, Miss, cos right now he's busy with the sale at the concourse.
I asked: So you can't help me with this right away.
Answer: I can record if you want your money back.

I can't help it. I exploded.

"Do I look like someone who wants her money back or do I look like someone who wants her book and wants it NOW???"

Grrr grrr.

It's not about the bad news, Bubba. It's about HOW it was delivered. Let's go back to shooting the messenger. Maybe then we'll all care about how we deliver the news we need to deliver.

-Maybe King Leonidas had the right idea there, Bubba.

Image courtesy of '300' promotional photos

Raising the bar; an experience

Once upon a time, there was an all girls boarding school. Almost every girl (and their mothers) dreamed about completing their secondary school education there. It was the school for the creme-de-la-creme, they were told, and it would be such an honor to be an alum of that great institution.

It was 1988 when it happened. The announcement came as a shock to all the fair students there. A batch of girls would join the fourth formers. They were the best students from selected schools. Those 'form four barus' will make up 2 new classes. The 'form four lamas' were incensed. How could this be happening? What will happen to tradition? We waited 3 years, slogged through forms 1, 2 and 3 to become seniors in college and enjoy the privileges of being seniors, to be greeted with this abomination? What will happen to the quality of the thoroughbreds? When we design our sweaters to mark our arrival at the landmark year of Form 5, are we going to have 2 different designs to accommodate the form four barus? What's the purpose of bringing them in? Tradition will be ruined!

When the girls came in, the school organized a camping weekend on the college field (where else could we go anyway) to INTEGRATE the form four lamas and the form four barus. The form four lamas were more incensed! As the term went into full swing, the form four lamas were forced to eat humble pie. The form four barus gave a new definition to the word 'excellence' and 'all-rounder'. They easily made up the top 10% in all tests & term exams. Teachers loved them. Coaches wanted them in all the sports teams. Positions that many form four lamas thought they would inherit (club presidency, team captaincy) went to some of the form four barus. The juniors held many of them in high regard. They were considered role models.

It took a while, then the form four lamas realized that the situation was not going to change. They had better buck up or else they would forever stay at the level of mediocrity that they had mistakenly thought were their 'level best'. They made friends with the form four barus. They saw that the entry of their new friends helped to raise the bar. Standards got higher. As the weeks turned into months, the distinction of old and new was gone. The fourth formers worked together in inter-form drama competitions, inter-house dancing competitions, inter-school debates, sports and games, marching band practices and PPM debates. As the fourth formers became fifth formers, they integrated. They even bonded, somewhat. As they bid farewell to the college on their last days of the fifth form, they all felt sentimental and sad to to leave the venerable institution. They have learned to see the bigger picture; it was not about THEM - it was about THE COLLEGE.

Having learned what I had in those valuable 2 years of 1988-1989, I am sad to read of students protesting and handing over memorandums to force apologies out of the Selangor MB for announcing the possibility of opening up 10% of UiTM to non-Bumiputeras. Their bone of contention? Among others, it would deprive 10% of Bumiputera students of the opportunity to pursue higher education in UiTM. My goodness. Such flimsy arguments! Move on or stay mediocre.

Please.

One man army down

Wednesday June 25, 2008

Eric Chia dies of heart attack

By V. CHANDRASEKARAN

SUNGAI PETANI: Former Perwaja Steel managing director Tan Sri Eric Chia Eng Hock died of a heart attack at his Park Avenue Hotel yesterday. He was 74.

A maid called for help after Chia failed to respond when she tried to wake him up at 9am.

The hotel's panel doctor confirmed that the tycoon had died of a heart attack.

**************
Read more from The Star http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/25/nation/21651121&sec=nation


I was in the middle of writing Module 2 when I saw this news online yesterday afternoon. In June 2007, he was acquitted in the KL Sessions Court of committing criminal breach of trust 14 years ago. I was struck by his statement when the acquittal was announced. He told the press that the vindication came too late. He had already lost his family and was estranged from his children because the shame of the court case.

When I was a junior in UUM, I was part of the educational trip planned by the Management Executive Club (MEC). One of our stops was Perwaja Steel in my hometown state of Terengganu. We aimed to see the Big Kahuna of course, but we had been told earlier that regretfully, he would not be able to join us due to schedule conflict. We were welcomed warmly by senior managers of Perwaja Steel, who briefed us on the company and on their work. When I asked those 2 gentlemen about their experience working with the Tan Sri, their faces took on a different expression, like someone talking about their favorite uncle. They told me how he not only cared about the employees, but also about their families. They told me about the housing complex, the working and living environment, and how he accepted everyone the way there are. Race difference? WHAT race difference? All work for the same company, nationals of the same country, yes? Yes.

Then came the surprise. The Big Kahuna arrived! The helicopter landed and he joined us. Were we awed? You bet your bottom Ringgit we were. I watched the senior managers' faces, plus a few junior managers that walked in to join the session - they all looked relaxed, pleased to see their big boss. Quite different from the look of a boot-licker, I had noted. He welcomed us warmly and ushered us to our tea and kuih. Some wisecracking senior from our team pointed out to the Tan Sri that we also had a Terengganu-an in our midst (that would be me, of course) and the Tan Sri asked me their names and what my parents did. I told him they worked in KT general hospital. He then joked that he needed medication for his sore throat. I replied, perhaps out of nervousness until I forgot to put a clamp on my mouth - "Just go look for my parents in the GH and tell them I sent you. They'll help you right away!" Yep - I was indeed amusing in my youth.

Privately, I had asked him for advice. What would work best for us when we jump into the dog-eat-dog world after graduation? He looked at me and told me this: "My dear, you need to care about the people who work with you and care about your work. Just care." Noticing how we could chat easily, the same wise-cracking senior labeled me "anak angkat Eric Chia" until long after we returned from that trip. I didn't mind.

Regardless of what he was accused of, I choose to remember the late Tan Sri Eric Chia's warm, booming laugh. A happy man who loved his work and cared about the people who worked with him.

Farewell, sir.

Are we ready for each other?

I never thought the honeymoon period would ever end.
I always thought that whatever happens, I'll be able to cope.
I always thought that I'd never need to even THINK of adjusting to any change,
because whatever the change may be, I'd be able to absorb it painlessly.

Was I wrong!

The announcement came and my ears and eyes are still ringing from it.

2.70 Malaysian Ringgit per liter. Even my SLK would feel that hit.

I'm ready for the public transport. I've always unconsciously placed myself in rather strategic locations to be able to choose that mode of transportation. I'd walk out of my apartment gate, hop on the feeder bus of choice, and go. Either to an LRT station, or to another stop along the bus' route. Or I'd park my SLK at the park n ride LRT station and hop on the train with my touch n go card forever at the ready.

However, is the public transport ready for me? And the possible influx of commuters that could show their faces from tomorrow onwards?

Will the park n ride car park bays be enough for us?
or will we be faced with the operators shaking their heads and hands, with no answers to our frustrated question of "WHERE DO I PARK THE FRIGGIN CAR, THEN??"

Will the feeder buses be in excellent running condition?
or will we spend a good portion of the ride waiting by the side of road, covered in dust and grime, next to a bus that has the engine flap up, listening to the driver tell us about the 'engine being from Germany and no one knows how to fix it'? That was their stock answer a few years ago, just replace 'German engine' with 'German gear box'. Has anyone peeked at any of the bus depots? Looks like a graveyard for dinosaurs, nestled amongst kelapa sawit trees.

Will the bus pilots be fresh n timely fed n watered?
or will we continue to spend a good part of the bus rides waiting in the bus while he trots off to tapau his breakfast / lunch/ dinner / supper? Ya I know they gotta eat too, so dont diss me with the indignant remarks of me being human-rights unfriendly.

I'm ready for the public transport system.

ARE THEY READY FOR ME???

They'd better be.

The living must continue to live

It's been rather a turbulent month-and-a half.

So many emotional roller-coaster rides. They were all my choices though. No one twisted my arm behind my back or knocked me on the head to make me acquiesce. I realize that now. That helps to put things in perspective.

I don't really feel comfortable about moaning a break-up in a relationship with a guy while a few thousand miles away, mothers mourn the deaths of their babies and children screamed in pain at loss of limbs, amputated without anesthesia, in order for doctors to save their young lives.

I'm blessed. And I still have hopes.

So I leave you with the words of Martin Luther, quoted by Martin Luther King, Jr. -

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces,

I would still plant my apple tree.”

Lesson, quoted

While reading about chess moves last night, I came across this in SS Quah's blog and I'd like to share this with you all. Thanks, SS.

******************************

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry someone you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you wan t.

FOUR. When you say “I love you”, mean it.

FIVE. When you say “I’m sorry”, look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask “Why do you want to know?”

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say “bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

I'm about to go analyze some data now, so I'll come back to this later. Cheers!

...and HOW EXACTLY has patriotism among youth declined significantly?

Patriotism: "devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty."

- American Psychological Association (APA):patriotism. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved April 13, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/patriotism

*********************
Monday April 14:
2008 Govt study: Youngsters just ain’t patriotic By IAN MCINTYRE

BACHOK: A recent Government study has revealed that patriotism levels among youth in the country have declined significantly and if left unchecked, could lead to serious consequences for nation building.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the revelation has forced the ministry to re-look its policy on how to engage youth.

The Government has admitted it has lost the support of youths and has been unable to reach out to the technology-savvy generation, he said. “We need to adapt to changing needs and lifestyles. For starters, we need to re-instill patriotism in youths regardless of their ethnicity or religious backgrounds,'' he said during his inaugural working visit to the east coast state. Earlier, he held dialogues with youth department officers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the youth skills institute here.

Ismail said the ministry would now be “result-orientated” with a specific goal of restoring confidence among the young in the Government. This would include the ministry setting up its own blog as well as channeling funds directly to all youth associations, including youth-based NGOs in the country.

“We have decided to reduce bureaucracy. From now on, all funding for youth NGOs and associations will come directly from the ministry. “We would ensure the grassroots have funds to conduct activities for youths,” he said. Character-building programmes that instil patriotism are also needed to shore up support among youths, Ismail said.

*****************

I wonder, which specific parts of patriotism would be instilled into the youth, 'regardless of their ethnicity and religious background'. I'm sure the powers that be are aware that a patriot can also be described as a person who regards themselves as defender, esp of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal govt. Not my own words, mind you. Go ahead and dictionary.com it and you'll be able to see for yourself.

I'd like to hear the youths' point of view on what does patriotism mean to them. Do they have the same images in their minds as I do? Perhaps they also see that the opposite of being patriotic can be described by the words treacherous, backstabbing, faithless, miserly or selfish.

How would our youths view the 'result-oriented' specific goal of restoring confidence in the Government among the young, as quoted in the article? What element are we focusing on, to restore confidence in? I am too old to be naive, to young to be cynical. Even then, if I were to be asked to have confidence in a body, to re-instill patriotism in my heart, I want to see a body that's honorable, incorruptible, dependable, public-spirited, unselfish.

When I was in school, it was a tradition for the 5th formers to circle the dorm and school blocks at midnight on Merdeka day. When it was our turn, my fellow form-mates and I gathered at the netball court with our lanterns. At the stroke of midnight, we started to sing the National Anthem. Being rather far from each other, our voices sounded soft and reedy in the beginning. Then, somehow, they became stronger, and the words became clearer too, all the way until the end of the song. I don't remember much of what happened after that. What I do remember is, for the first time, I heard not just the voice from my voice box, but also the voice from my heart. I felt the words for the first time. And I knew then, if I need to drop everything to defend my country, I would, and I would defend my homeland even with my bare hands.

This is a love that goes beyond 'ethnicity and religious background', and I wish the MORONS would just stop using that phrase. For me:

Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku

Rakyat hidup bersatu dan maju

Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan

Raja kita selamat bertakhta.

Always.

Foolishness, thy name is the Malaysian education system

She graduated in the top 10% of her class, earning her a First Class Hons. Degree. Then she went off to the Promised Land – a premiere telecommunications company that is well-known in the country and the immediate surrounding areas. Shortage of salespeople, they told her, so in she went and began her 8-year bonding period with her employer. She’s in her 4th year now. Performance evaluation shows that she hasn’t been performing. Not meeting expectation, she’d told. A brilliant scholar, they told me, so I naturally I was curious. What a dynamic, pulsating brain she must have, I thought; limitless capabilities of processing logic, defining possibilities, designing multiple options for solutions to complex problems and all that shite. Her friend asked me to talk to her. I reminded her friend that she must be the one asking for help, but her friend insisted that I pop by for a chat. I had time on my hands, and I was only meeting MM much later for dinner, so I met up with the brain box for a chat. And what a chat it was…

Me: So, you’ve been here for almost 4 years, ya?
(She nods)
Me: How do you feel about this place?
She: I like it here. I want to stay in this organization.
Me: Right. What do you like about this place?
She: It’s a secure job. Lots of benefits. I can be sure of a good retirement package when I’m done with work.
Me: A – ha. How do you feel about your current role?
She: I hate it.
Me: What do you hate about it?
She: I’m not good at it. I don’t know how to be a salesperson. Every time I go for performance review I get a bad experience. I’m never meeting expectations. Every year I wait for a vacancy announcement in the technical area so that I can request a transfer but I never hear anything. I give up already.
Me: That sounds tough.
(She nods)
Me: You really want to go into the more technical line, huh?
(She nods again)
Me: So…what are you doing about it?
(She looks up, startled)
She: About what?
Me: About getting into a more technical line of work in this same organization.
She: Didn’t you hear what I said? I waited for the vacancy announcement every year and there’s none! It’s really not about what you know in here, but about WHO you know. How can YOU not see that?
(She reminds me of a lioness about to go hunting)
Me: Other than waiting for the announcement every year, what else are you doing about it?
(She remains silent)
Me: Did you discuss your dismal performance with your boss?
(She resorts to glaring at me)
Me again: Did you identify your own development plan? Did you propose action plans to your boss? Did you inform your boss what could be done to help improve your performance? What did your boss say about your continuous, consistently bad performance? What role are you playing in your sales team? What’s the purpose of you being there?
(Her ears are almost as red as her face)
She: It’s HIS responsibility to develop my career! I shouldn’t be telling him how to do his work!
Me: How would this look like to heads of technical departments? What would you think this would represent?
She: It would represent me being unhappy in my current work and I’d only be happy in a technical line that suits my honors degree.
Me: What if I tell you this picture could be representing something totally negative?
She: How can that be? I’m a techie, and so are they! They would know that a techie like me would be unhappy doing Sales, and that’s why I suck at it.
(I decided to move in for the kill. Better put this cretin out of her misery now.)
Me: What this picture is showing them could be this: you have no interest in learning something new. There is no flexibility at all in your behavior no initiative at all to venture into something new no creativity at all to discover how else to use the excellent brain that you’ve been given that helped you gain the best result in your exams. Rather than take the lemons that you’ve been given and make lemonade you sit and whine and handed over the power of choice to other people. They might be thinking how can I trust this person with the tough techie work in my unit if she can’t even handle Sales? How can I leave her to work independently and/or with the rest of the team like a well-oiled machine when at the slightest downturn she gives up everything and will in fact bring the whole team down?
( I didn't even pause. No comma throughout, just a question mark at the end)
She: How would you know anything? You know nothing about me! You have no idea what I went through!
Me: That’s right. I don’t. Then you tell me how wrong my estimate is about the kind of image that you’re presenting to head of tech divisions.
(She actually glowered at me then)
She: So what should I do then?
Me: What do you WANT to do?
She: Get a techie job.
Me: So, what are you doing about it?
She: You’re supposed to tell me that. Aren’t you some sort of life coach or something? Some coach you are, if you come here and ask questions and expect ME to come up with the answers.
Me: Now this picture is representing not only stubbornness but a preference for spoon-feeding.
She: So you're giving up too? Guess even you can’t handle someone like me, right? I knew that you were some bogus wannabe coach or something.
(I got up and looked at her. Poor kid. I'm not angry, just calm and relaxed.)
Me: I only work with people who want to work out their issues, who are ready for change, who are ready to release whatever inside them that are holding them back. People who recognize that if doing what they’re doing doesn’t give them the results they want, it’s worth to change what they do until they get the results they want. I show them the potential paths forward and they decide where to go. Until you are mature enough to know what I’m talking about, I wish you good luck and take care. If you need to talk, call me.
She: What makes you think that I would want to talk to you?
Me: Because surely you're not as silly as you make yourself out to be now, are you?

I thanked her for her time and walked out of the lounge area. At the lobby, I smoked a Gudang Garam while watching MM's car come up the driveway. I tossed the rest of the pack to him when I got in the car. He leaned over to kiss my cheek and asked me who I met. I paused for a bit, got a new piece of chewing gum out and popped it in my mouth.

I had met the typical output of the Malaysian education system, I told him.

He grinned. "Poor baby," he said. He kissed me on my forehead, pocketed the Gudang Garam pack, put the car in gear and drove me off to dinner. Yeh. Poor baby, I said in my heart, thinking of the young woman I left sitting in the lounge.

I think I have my own thought about this issue

I was watching the PRU 12 results program on TV last night and one academician, when asked by the moderator, "What do you do think about this?" He responded, "I think I have my own thought about this issue..."

As opposed to what? Having someone else's thoughts, perhaps?

I understand the stress of thinking and talking at the same time. The demands of being articulate at all time - aiyoh. So, I may be a bit mean or petty for having a bit of fun here, but please forgive me - I just will not resist the lure, this time.

So here's what I say.

I think I have my own thoughts about things too.

I think someone should take down the posters, now that the election is over.
I think the politicians who have now been forced down should take their families for vacation.
I think the warriors who lost the fight (and lucky enough to keep their heads) should sit down and write (handwritten, not berking computer-printout-ed) thank you letters to their teams who helped them on their campaigns.
I think these books are worth revisiting, even if just for shits and giggles - Jeffrey Archer's The Prodigal Daughter and First Among Equals.
I think the new-elects should grab copies of BBC's Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister DVDs and watch them. Turn the subtitles on to immediately increase your vocabulary.
I think scoring high marks in Sim City should be mandatory for town planners and town council officials. For aspiring castle-building city councillors, their practical exam should be the board game Notre Dame or the RPG Civilizations / Command and Conquer.
I think 4 years would be a good time to start doing some soul-searching.

I think it's time for me to get me an ashtray.
I think it's a good time to change to Marlboro Lights.
Oh, yeah.

I love you and I want to have your babies

There I was, my gym card in hand, waiting for the front office person to hand over my designated towels for my workout for the day. He turned around and looked at me (or rather, right through me, from the looks of it) very blankly, and asked:

"Towels?"

I looked deep into his eyes and said:

"No, I'm just standing here to tell you that I love you and I want to have your babies."

AS IF.

Cut back into real life -

I looked at him and nodded, gesturing to my gym card that clearly indicated my type of membership as a towel-deserving-dong-based-on-the-additional-26-ringgit-that-I-cough-out-per-month.

He gave me my towels and I thanked him with an extra sweet smile.

On the treadmill, I entertained myself with other options to answer his question of "Towels?"

1. No - one plate of chicken rice, please
2. No - I need a new gym card with Angelina Jolie's picture on it to replace mine
3. No - mee goreng mamak satu!
4. I dont know - what can I get if I show you my membership card?

and more, but I stop here.

Items on my todo list

Chautauqua today is about sharpening the saw; not the horror movie much favored by my friend, Bee - the saw here is our brain, or our soul, depending on how you want to see it. So here are my bookmarked pages, and I will get to reading them as soon as I can. In the meantime, feel free to click on the links because these gems of knowledge benefit everyone! :-)

An introduction to journal writing (why bother, and intimacy issues, among others)
http://www.diyplanner.com/node/878

The 5 types of blog posts that experts write (If you want to be known as an expert in something, you also have to know how present yourself as one. Bloggers who are known experts write in way that enforces that image)
http://www.pureblogging.com/2007/09/10/the-5-types-of-blog-posts-that-experts-write/

10 benefits of rising early (not just what's good about it, but also doable steps on HOW on earth to achieve it, too)
http://zenhabits.net/2007/05/10-benefits-of-rising-early-and-how-to-do-it/

Generating ideas for blog posts (Can you create a notebook full of potential blog post ideas? You betcha)
http://www.pureblogging.com/2008/02/07/blogstorming-generating-ideas-for-blog-posts/

What are you waiting for? Get clicking! :-)

Fire in the sky

New year's eve was an intimate affair this year. I accepted Ben's invite and we headed into KL at 6pm. Chris was already there, so he could clue us in on the best option to take to go into Jln Kia Peng, where Fred lives. By the time we got there it was 7:00pm, and the sky looked overcast - I thought it was pawang time and we all hoped the KLCC folks had had a good witch doc working for them last night :-)

We walked a bit to get dinner, and the mood at the hakka place was jovial. There was a group of Japanese people at the table next to us, and they celebrated their own countdown at 11:00 pm, going by Tokyo time, I suppose. After a lovely dinner of chicken, veggies and tofu with rice (it was fun watching Fred's uncle and his friend use the chopsticks, they were good sports!) we walked back to Fred's place. His uncle opened a bottle of the 'best German wine in the world' and we counted down the final minutes of 2007 and toasted 2008 at the patio. Granted, I had my lychee juice (Chris got me lychee juice, God bless his kind soul) in the crystal champagne flute, but hey, it's the thought that counts, innit?

My last view of fireworks display was when Ben and I caught the Merdeka 2006 show at the Curve. Fireworks kinda lost their appeal to me after that, and I wasn't expecting anything that would move me. I'm so glad to be proven wrong. The colours were beautiful and to me it really looked like they were sparks coming from the heavens (or Genting Highlands hehe).

Have a look at the photos, courtesy of William Cheng CC's collection on flickr.

Aren't they awesome?

Fred's uncle and his friend went out shortly after that. We changed into our shorts and sarongs and lounged about the pool, chatting about everything and nothing; basically just enjoying each other's company. So here's a record of our resolutions, just so that my friends can know that I do have a record of them somewhere ;-)

Fred: to graduate (finally) and finish his studies by summer 2008
Ben: to find a great job with the environment that suits him best
Chris: to enjoy the year and make it the best one yet
Faz: to be a great connector of people in her network of friends, colleagues and acquaintances

We got very familiar with the family kitchen (and their 3 refrigerators) and we left Fred's place at 5 a.m. It's Ben's birthday next week, so we'll probably get together again, just before Fred returns to Bonn, I suppose.

I have a good feeling about 2008. I loved 2007 - a bit of a roller coaster in the beginning, but in principal, 2007 was the year where I got healed. I loved being 35, and I'm so looking forward to turning 36 in April. I'm grateful for what I have, and this adds to the good feeling for this new year. Here's a big hug for 2007, and I've got the welcome mat rolled out for 2008!