Attack of the Trojans

ATTACK!!!!!!!!! Or more like INVADE!!!!!!!!!! That’s what it will sound like if I understood all those programming languages. This basically means that my computer got invaded by viruses, Trojan to be exact. Boy do I hate these viruses. If I so happen to meet the actual person who created this virus, I will SKIN THIS PERSON ALIVE!!!

I just started my blog last week. The first comment I got (which made me so pleased), came up with 1 pop-window. Then more than a dozen windows started popping up. Lo and behold the virus got hold of my computer and I literally panicked. Scream at my fiancée for help which he said it’s a virus though with a note of sweat (he’s had a bad experience with all these darn viruses). Thank God for Kapersky Anti-Virus, it’s contained but still can’t be erased. So, I could still blog but the feeling of being “invaded” and the possibility of losing all my wedding pictures made me bring the notebook to the “clinic”.

Each time I mentioned the word “ Bryan ” which was the guy whom I bought my notebook from, the notebook seems to “understand” that I’ll be bringing it for a thorough check and it immediately let me continue with peace, without the occasional “warning”. I’m not sure whether it’s such a coincidence that each time his name was mentioned the notebook goes all “timid” and sort of submissive. Damn! I thought I’m starting to go crazy! Maybe I’m just trying to ignore the fact that there is something seriously wrong with the notebook but can’t seem to accept that fact, since I just bought it not long ago. So after procrastinating for a couple of days, I decided, it’s time to bring it for a check. After prodding and poking, Bryan confirmed that there is Trojan virus and another God-knows what virus. Totally can’t be cleaned out. So he had to install another anti-virus software.

So now I’m praying hard that I won’t get another attack, which I know no way it will end like that, like a fairy tale with a happy ending. Just hoping that with extra protection, it can deter those viruses long enough while I blog in peace.

Weekend bliss

Good food, shopping and good company makes a wonderful weekend. Have just splurged on a dress for my wedding dinner. Though it has made a dent in my bank account but it doesn't stop me from indulging in food.

Was at BSCII on Saturday and since there has been a write-up on this particular restaurant name Banquet we decided to tried it. The ambience was very English like, the whole concept is all white-washed paint, rattan-liked chairs, marble-liked tables (since I've no eye for diffrentiating how real marble look likes, hence the word marble-liked), of course there's the high-society crowd there as well. But enough about that. It's the food that I'm aiming to talk about.

We ordered, spaghetti olio with red snapper, chicken casserole with wine and fettuccine with asparagus, beef bacon and courgettes. The portion was small and presentation was minimal. For dessert we ordered a chocolate tart and hot chocolate cake to share. Those 2 are to die for. Totally sinful. As we dig into the chcolate cake all the chocolate sauce ooze out and the sight is astounding. Really mouth watering. In overall I'd give the food a 6 out of 10 while the ambience an 8 out of 10. So after a full stomach, the ending of the day would be to enjoy it with a tweak to the brains.

(Top: Chicken casserole with wine, Below: Hot chocolate cake)

I've been having the time of my life. No I am not a compulsive gambler but the thrill of the sound of tiles knocking into each other, the anticipation to see whether the next tile is actually the one you're waiting for. Total bliss for me that is. I'm talking about mahjong. Not mahjong solitaire that you play on the computer but the actual mahjong, with all the papers, chips and table on hand.

You'll probably think I'm an old aunty addicted to mahjong. Well officially I am an aunt but I'm no old gal I tell you. Some might think it's a stressful game where you'd need to think of strategy but it actually keeps the stress of work lowered somehow. Why?? Because I don't play with $$. There are no $$ or any kind of denomination involved on the table.

Though I must admit with laughter and wine mixed with mahjong, things tend to get a little way off. Topic of conversation can go from serious to really ridiculous subjects ranging from topics on wedding preparation to brazillian waxing. This was one way to keep us awake as well since we played late into the nite. It's been a great way to relax this weekend after a taxing week. Let's hope that this "high" keeps me on my toes for the coming week ahead.

The Society Today

The latest news it seems, are about the next generation out there. Kids being canned because they don’t read out loud in class to a teenager being freed even after killing his teacher’s daughter reasoning being he’s a juvenile. What is the society coming to?

Do we blame parents for not knowing how to discipline their children or do we actually blame the society out there, the influence of television or peers? Sometimes it is much easier to put the blame on someone else when children misbehave. Watching too much television, an excellent scapegoat, peers, also another excellent scapegoat. It’s been known in the years back then, “to spare the rod, is to spoil the children”. But in the current society, it seems to have revolutionize to “to spare the rod, is to show love to the children”. Hence the rationale of being unable to decide makes adults also succumb to peer pressure, irregardless of their age.

Talking about peers, I’ve been surprised more of flabbergasted to see adults in their early 30s been influenced by their peers. I always thought that it only happens to kids or teenagers, they being still naïve or easily persuaded. Do you for one, lets say, take up a certain sport just because you have friends raving about how unbelievable it is or maybe you’ve seen a group of friends who engage a certain service and you too decide to use it too? I suppose it can be plain laziness of going around looking for other alternatives since friends have critically acclaimed about it. Or, it can also be not knowing where to research for other alternatives.

This topic will always be a favourite, cropping up once a while when there’s an issue with the society.

Going the extra mile

Angeline is a priority customer and she just got a call from her “certified $$ lender” inviting her to a talk but she politely declines as she’s busy on the given date. Henry who just called Angeline knows having an extra customer in the list would make a difference but who knows she turned him down. What does Henry do now? Tell his boss that most of the customers that he calls are either not interested or are busy on that date. But knowing his boss’s eccentric thinking, it would do him no good in telling him either so-called “reasons”. Why not, you ask? It’s the truth. But would his boss want to know the truth? Would YOU as a boss want to know the truth?

Sounds familiar? Sometimes you go the extra mile for your customers but they totally push you away. And if you don’t go the extra mile, you’re deemed to be a lousy sales personnel or customer service executive which basically spells out you’re a lousy employee in the eyes of your manager.

Again the question arises, do you tell your boss what has been transpired between you and the customer? You spend time with the customers on the phone, face to face more often than with your mother so doesn’t that count as knowing them better but NO, your boss thinks they are so much more superior to you; hence their ideas are “wonderful” and feasible. It doesn’t matter to them when customers have given their feedback. Goes in through one ear and out the other. What happen to “sharing” of ideas or “We’re always open to ideas or comments from our employees”? Or is it just a matter of comforting lies when you first step foot into the organization?
I do wonder at times how organizations win Best Employer of the Year award. What are they judge based on? Can anyone tell me how do these organizations win such an award?

How do you explain it?

The irony of actually explaining things to someone who’s either plain ignorant or too high up in the air has made life completely miserable. What a way to start a new blog you’d might think. But it’s been plaguing me like a disease and I can’t seem to shake it off, however I seem to pray or rant about it. The initial plan or starting this blog would be to write about celebrating my release from this so called international organization but my temper seems shorter these days to actually contain my impatience of still stuck working here. Hence the need to find a way to release it, ie through this blog.

So what should I do? Continue to be a point of “machine gun” practice for my bosses’ tongues due to their lack of understanding how the company works even though they’ve been here for longer or should I just bow down to their obtuse request just to show how I’m as capable as what they expect me to be? Then again, the obtuse request might be a turning point to cut down turn-around-time for certain procedures to accommodate customers request since customers are always correct and we’re dying for their business. All these questions but the answers vary from different circumstances.

Ever since my blogger friend mentioned about “signing on the dotted line” to sell my life away to the industry, I’ve been questioning whether is it ever worth it to work my ass off like every “responsible” employee. Why the “ “ is used you might ask? Well I might as well ask then, since when any of you out there has actually felt complied to work overtime with a cheerful heart or should I say without reluctance? Most would probably say I’ve been given the task, so of course I would need to do my best. If not I would be deemed as lazy or much less (those out there might shudder at the thought) as a mediocre worker. So would you actually follow your managers’ obtuse request or rather to follow the tedious procedures that has been set by the organization?

Anyway, working life never seems to be a bed of roses whether you’re working for yourself or for some organization. Just the reality of it hits you in the face once a while just to remind you that 4 or 5 figure you’re earning isn’t easy to come by.