First of all firsts

First day at work seems daunting but colleagues were very open and friendly which makes things less intimidating. It’s a first of all things to be actually working as a free lance consultant and can be rewarding where you actually dictate your own time as long as the work is done on schedule. Also another first of “camping” out at clients’ office during the project tenure. So, it’s another new discovery. Best of all I’m allowed to have free flow of internet access which I swear to myself I will not abuse my rights. Surprisingly I’ve managed to stay away from all my usual url haunts for the past few days.

One thing for sure that kept me away was because the amount of reading I had to do to catch up with the project as well as trying to finish up my part before the first dateline which I’m proud to say I’ve done my part so far. The only tasked that has yet to be actually done is getting screen shots of the system where I’m still waiting for after the UAT has been done. (Please excuse all the jargons)

Anyway, I’ve decided to update what has been happening so far here since I’ve been going MIA for a few days or weeks at time.

So nothing major to give account on so far. So have a great remaining week ahead. J

Boycott!!

“Dutch instructions on parking meters to be replaced: MPSJ” This is a title that bore right into my mind when I just glanced through it.

Get real people!!! Wake up!!! This thing has been happening for centuries. Life isn’t fair. When is life ever fair? How many times has this issue happen over and over again? Just because some idiotic person has decided to come out with a film on religion may it be something bad or good, some other even more idiotic fellow decides to stand up for their religion rights and put a stop to it by going all the way. One good example is shown right here in Malaysian waters. I mean for goodness sake!!! Before this, there was no issues of using foreign products and now right after the film is made companies in Malaysia like Mydin or MPSJ for that to say are downright boycotting Dutch products, instructions etc.

What about other religions?? Do they think that no one has made any caricature or jokes or even printed T-shirts of other Gods anywhere and make a fool out of it? It has happened. But I don’t see other religions banning products, writing in the papers about it all those. Rather they believe in praying or just being silent about it. Don’t believe, try looking at the pictures below? Or is it because our own country do not care about other religions other than what they think as the main one?

Really sick and tired of all these religious war. Why can’t for once people let all these religious things be a private thing and not a full blown war??!!! Damn!

Hail Storm in Malaysia

Quoted from " http://www.tornadochaser.net/hail.html" How does large hail form or why does hail form?
Updrafts within thunderstorms push rain high into the cloud where very cold air freezes it. Once frozen it starts to fall but gets caught in another strong updraft where it gathers more moisture on its way back up making it larger. If the updrafts are strong enough they will continue this process for long periods of time allowing the hail to accumulate more moisture and more moisture. In a severe thunderstorm downdrafts may act like a wedge and increase the intensity of the updraft. Updrafts can get so strong they even intrude into the stable stratosphere. When updrafts are this strong it becomes possible to suspend large hail for long periods of time further adding moisture to the hail, sometimes building it to incredible sizes. Updraft winds can be from 100 to 120 miles per hour when producing baseball and larger size hail.

To actually watch this happened in Malaysia’s climate and before my eyes was something I would never expect let alone believe but that was what happened when I was on my way back from my husband’s hometown, Seremban yesterday afternoon.

The journey, started as normal. The jam was terrible starting from town due to the strong wind and torrential rain pelting down heavily. As we passed the trees along the way, they all look threateningly about to come crashing down on top of us. That was how heavy and strong the rain and wind was. While we were almost reaching the toll we suddenly heard thunderous sounds of “things” dropping on the roof car. Then as we watched closely, we saw that it was small ice cubes. It was not as big as those that we can find in our freezers, more of like how ice-blended ice cubes looks like.

We were all amazed, more like stunned that we actually saw hail storm happening in Malaysia, in a climate like ours but when it started coming down really heavily, and started to chip the wind screen, I suggested we detoured and go find cover before our wind screen really cracked. So we ended up going to Jusco’s parking for shelter while we waited out the storm. Luckily it only went on for a couple of minutes but as much as it was an eye-opener and pretty exciting to a certain extent, the potential of what could really happen if a huge hail storm occurs actually came to my mind and it was quite a grim picture.

So, I’m still thinking of how in the world can a mini hail storm occur in our Malaysian climate and from what I hear this is not a first time, but still a first in front of my eyes. I wonder when actual winter will occur then?? Any chance you think?

New life

How does it feel to bring a new life into this world? I've been "hmming and haaing" over this question ever since I've gotten married.

Ever since I've gotten married my husband and I have talked about having kids soon but I'm not sure whether I'm up to it. Whether I'll be a great mum? Whether we're financially ready? Whether I'm brave enough to go through labour pains? So many questions to ponder yet somewhere inside my brain back there I have this inkling that I do want to have one but am scared of all the unanswered questions.

Having more exposure to the latest technology and making use of it like the internet and not forgetting my favourite channel in Astro, Travel and Living Health channel, I've been researching a lot of my questions on the net as well as finding out some answers on the tele. I'm not sure whether I'm ready after reading and finding out more answers but I guess I'm beginning to toy with the idea of having kids isn't that scary after all.

So keeping fingers cross that everything will be fine and less scary when the inevitable happens. So new life, new career in the line soon. God has been merciful and I'm hoping He will take my hand and lead me all the way. :)

Unanswered questions

Lately a lot has been going through my mind.

After the country's election, I wonder how the new politicians will be able to prove themselves, to able to prove that they're much better than the old government, whether the older government will find dirty tactics and ways to bring down the new government. After a few days I stopped reading the papers too. All I find inside are depressing news of how the old government are acting, being sour grapes. Even the new government aren't working among themselves. Power crazy maybe? Who knows? But it's a depressing news.

I felt exhilaration for a couple of days when I decided to throw caution against the wind and resigned without a job. This is the first for me, and it feels great. I thought that I would worry about how I will be able to find ways and means to pay for my commitments but surprisingly I did not have any niggling feeling at all. It came about when my manageress decided to be her normal self and act like the demented ever-barking dog she is. Not in the terms of barking orders but more of barking because she's not please about any single thing. In one word, I've had my patience worn thin when I'm being rebuked by someone for no particular reason. Thank God I wasn't the only one who wasn't in her good books. At least it didn't made things as miserable as it was but I really pitied all the uncles in my organization who have been pressured by her endlessly. One of these days I'm just worried a blood pressure in their body will burst and a stroke will occur. Unsurprisingly this has happened to numerous other parties but I guess management has turn a blind eye to it.

Yesterday was Good Friday and as I attended mass I was nearly brought to tears when I think back of how the Son of God has suffered intentionally for our sins, my sins. It has never gotten to me this deep. The vision of the movie, Passion of the Christ came into my mind when the sermon was given.

So, not literally being weepy but been thinking more and more of things happening around me, in my life. Some good and some bad. Nothing unusual about that I'd admit. Just feel a little hopeless at times how things come about. Maybe I should spent more quiet time with God and maybe a little practicing of what I've read in The Secret might help eh? I wonder how well it works?

Is it worth it?

After a long break during the Chinese New Year, I came back with new vigour and determination to work my ass off. I started to get the ball rolling for both projects. I’ve been busy travelling, visiting branches and it’s been a real eye-opener. What I meant in terms of an eye-opener meaning how things are run in this organisation. My job is to ease the burdens of these branches by being the eyes and ears as well as the voice to the management but I’ve been failing miserably in this aspect. With constant figures and feedbacks from the branches and having presented them to the management, they seem to be in denial how badly things are at the branches. Rather than figuring out how to lend a hand, the management prefer to find more faults with the branches which cause more anger and resentment among the employees at branches. Now I understand why my predecessors left the organisation and why I’m stuck in my current position now.

At times, a sense of helplessness overcomes me and I just feel moody whole day long, and it doesn’t help with the new dragon lady acting exactly like a dragon, forever breathing fire and snarling away. It makes me appreciate my previous boss, even if he lacks certain leadership skills.

Tell me, how do you actually succeed in being a better employee when you’re being screamed at for taking initiative to do things better and having your self confidence and effort being ripped apart when you try to get advice from a dragon lady? I’m lost for words as to how do I actually describe the scenario here. Even with constant stream of words of wisdom and encouragement from the Bible, I’m still at a loss here. I’ve never felt so helpless, useless and demotivated in my life. It makes me wonder whether getting pounded by verbal abuse everyday is worth every penny earned?

The past weeks incidents has got me thinking whether what I’ve earned so far in this organisation, will it be a waste to just throw it all away for the sake of my own health and happiness?

It’s time to sit back, pray, evaluate and find out what are my main priorities in life.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Yes. The year of the Rat is looming over us and it's coming in 5 more days. I always look forward to Chinese New Year every year as it's the time when my brother and sister used to come back from overseas during the uni breaks and we would all have great fun. Well, now it's different where now I look forward to go back to spend time with my parents and my siblings as well during CNY ever since I started studying and working in KL.

2008's CNY has been a pretty quiet one. Not much of festivities around. I don't feel there's much celebration in the air, probably due to the increase of price in everything, that everyone's watching what they spend this year.

Oh well, I still find it's a good time to catch up with friends and relatives. This year is no different. I usually go out with a bunch of friends in KL for a round of Yee Sang before going back home for CNY but since most of the gang are already not around, this year's lou sang is only with a small group, 3 of us to be exact. The remaining of the gang will be meeting up after CNY which will be great fun. We decided to go to Din Tai Fung which is located in The Gardens. Why we chose this location was by chance. I actually wanted to go there to check out the decorations for Mid Valley this year but it was disappointing. Not as what I expected it to be. I find Pavilion's decoration much better this year.




Anyway, we of course had our Yee Sang. Salmon Yee Sang to be exact. I was pleasantly surprised to find the service at Din Tai Fung pretty good. As they added the plum sauce, oil, and other ingredients, the waitress actually made several CNY wishes. I'm impressed with that.





We ordered a separate dish for ourselves, a-la carte as there weren't a lot of us, and we decided to keep things simple, so we had preserved mustard and pork la mien which tasted really fresh but the soup still had great taste, prawn and pork dumpling la mien which is also a remarkable dish. I decided to go against the norm and ordered a seafood udon. The prawns were really fresh and most succulent. Yummy! Since this is just like a pre-CNY dinner, not much photos of food here. Will upload more after we've had our proper yearly CNY dinner after we're all back from our hols. But do enjoy the pictures that I took at each of the malls that I managed to go. :)






So, a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year to you all!!! Enjoy your holidays. See you guys when I get back.