Loooong weekend

Thanks to the Hari Raya and all of us can enjoy a long weekend to unwind ourselves. I've been so busy with my new job and I haven't got time to update my blog for quite some times. Even though at times I do have some random thoughts that I wanted to share, I don't have the time to jot it down. Sigh...

Yea, I'm still settling down in my new job after 4 months..Wow...4 months, things have changed and I don't do the same everyday at work. I meet all the ad hoc request deadlines and get answers for people who are going for presentations... Indeed, this is a challenging job. No pain, no gain. Some times, I started to wonder is this God's plan. But, there's a reason why all these happen cos He allows it. I hope that I can learn as much as possible in this new place and I'm trying my very best to perform. Heavy workload, heavy responsibility, that's life. I can't be staying at junior level forever, I need to move on and do better...

Stop worrying...

"Worry pulls tomorrow's cloud over today's sunshine. You can't trust God and worry at the same time" said my pastor during today's sermon.

This advice really touched my heart and it hit me...

The art of communication

At this new workplace, I've started to monitor how people speak and communicate. One thing that I learned is the art of communication. Being a person who does not beat around the bush during a conversation, I'm pretty straight forward and direct when I want to get message transmitted. I go straight to the point and share my opinion.

Amongst all professionals, sales people are considered to have the best communication skills because they can twist and turn, finally you just get convinced and buy the product. I'm not saying sales people of not good, but I'm really impressed with them. My late father was a sales person and he could talk very well with all his clients with different races, from Indian to Chinese. I respect him. Yesterday, I learned a new jargon at work. Sales people that bring $$$ to the company are called ATM machine. Whoa..my late father was an ATM machine.

I find there is huge difference between an engineer and business graduate. Living example, engineer like me, I'm very rigid and most probably I studied too much of Math and Digital Electronics. Math only thought me if i manage to calculate the exact figure, I get full marks. In Digital Electronics, there were too many 1s and 0s, either 1 or zero, nothing in between. On the other hand, business graduate like Tengku Mahkota are very flexible. Things can fall in between, no right or wrong, most of the things are viewed thru reasoning. One of the advantages he has is his law knowledge.

Recently in one of the conversation with my superior, I was tested to provide insights on one of the research areas. He kept on banging the same word on my mind, finally my answers were like making sentences using that word. After the conversation was over, I felt that I was conned. Sigh... Since then, I've been very careful when I speak and listen.

Teluk Kumbar - Mini Genting in Penang

Our trip started with Pulau Tikus Wan Tan mee for breakie. Tengku Mahkota's trip back to Penang will not be complete without this Wan tan Mee. He craves for it whenever he comes back to KL. Finally, he found the difference between WanTan Mee in Penang and KL -->the noodle in Penang is so much nicer and Wan Tan mee comes with gravy on top and his favourite fried WanTan.

After some narrow roads all the way up the hill and passing by some chicken farms, we arrived in Teluk Kumbar. It's a tourist spot in Penang and it was my first time to be there. Thanks to Juliana & her bf. The road was so narrow and I respected the guts that Juliana had to drive her supplier all the way up with her manual car. Her bf shared with us that he once drove Kancil up and he could sense his Kancil panted non-stop after reaching the top of the hill. What's the interesting food up there? Thai Food. I was told the owner married a Thai lady. It's like a different world when you get there.

A group photo...

Tengku Mahkota really enjoyed his food. He said 'The trip is not wasted even though the road is narrow. But the food is GOOD!' So, thanks to Juliana and her bf for the dinner!

Tortoise

I love tortoise since I was little. I had this tortoise toy given to me by my most soft-spoken 3rd uncle. I remember there was a string attached to tortoise for me to pull if forward and backward. When the tortoise moves, its 4 legs waddles. I really enjoyed playing with this tortoise toy. Everytime after finishing playing, I would put it back to the box.

After I grow up, my mom bought me 2 tiny tortoise (real one) but their lives were short. One died after another. Sigh..I used to leave them in the living room and allow them to move around freely. Then, I would catch them whenever they went out of sight. My late father liked to tease me and remind me whether I wash them. I'm a clean and hygien freak, I bathed them and brushed their shell everyday to make sure they are clean at all time. But, I didn't manage to keep them for longer period.

A RanDOm shot

Study room

How to decorate the study room? I believe I'm going to spend most of my time here to practise my violin, work, messaging and surfing the Net...

Thanks to Kapitan Yap, I really love the pink and light blue which turned out to look more like purple. The combination of pink and purple reminds me of our wedding theme color...

I need to get an L-shape table, book shelf and chairs. Thank god that a closed sista in christ has decided to give us a sofa bed... Whoa...I can lie down and read my books and slowly crawl into Zzzzland...

Sleep

How many hours of sleep we need per night? How can a person works for at least 15 hours a day? I can't imagine how much strength this person has. He does not feel tired?

My usual routine on weekdays are going to bed by 10.30pm and get up at 5.50am or latest by 6am. Due to the heavy traffic jam, Tengku Mahkota and I leave for work really early. We're basically join the students on the road early morning. My body has worked in a way if I sleep less than 6 hours, I feel tired the next day. The worst thing is my body produces heat. As a result, both cheeks turn red and my entire body is very warm, but my hands and feets are cold most of the time. It's something like feeling feverish yet no where near fever temperature. I'm still trying to find out the reason. Anyone can explain to me?

So, if I don't have enough sleep, I can't think well and be efficient the next day. Hence, I truly understand that my body needs a balance between work and rest, I don't abuse it because I can't afford to get sick.

I'm not sure why I just don't feel like getting to bed tonight. Perhaps, it has passed my bedtime. Alright, good night and have a blessed weekend!

Reminders

Do you think everyone needs reminders?

Personally, I'm the kind of person who needs reminders. I need to get reminded or if there's something important that I need to remember, I'll jot it down before my mind gets distracted and I forget about it. Thanks to diary and auto reminders integrated into our Email application.

But, the question remains, am I not using my brain enough? Am I not fully utilizing it? At times, I can remember it even before my calendar's auto reminder alerts me. I notice I'm not good in words, but I can remember stories better because I change the stories into pictures. A picture speaks a thousand words! Yes, picture is better. I remember when I was in uni, my professor always asked me to draw the circuit out instead of reading it for more than 3 times. Once you get the figure out, it's easier to understand it and picture it. I totally agree with him.

Yes, I'm in the process of learning to fully utilizing my brain fully. In other words, I try to pay utmost attention when I'm in the meeting. I reduce my usual exercise in taking notes but staring at the person who's talking and change it to story. I'm still learning hard to train myself in this area. Determination is required.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Tengku Mahkota was on night shift started from Saturday till Thursday. His working was 8pm till 6am. Can you imagine how tired was his body everyday and he basically had to make rounds in the hospital in the wee hour whereas I tucked in the comfortable sheet?

Due to his night shift, we have adjusted our schedule. It started off on the first night that I sent him to work by 7.30pm. Then, I got up at 5.45am and went to pick him around 6.30am. It took us 10mins from his hospital to get to my office, that was the 10mins that we catch up with each other. Since the day was too young to go my office, we basically talked abit more until 7am. Then, he drove the car home to rest. We took turns to warm the bed. This reminds of the Indian waiters in my workplace, wherein since these Indians come from India to make money and they're on shift in 24 hour Mamak restaurants, two people will share a bed. When one goes to bed, the other goes to work and vice versa. I can't help but comparing Tengku Mahkota and I with the Mamak waiters. In the evening, he'll come and pick me from work and I drop him to work again.

I got myself really tired and went to bed straight. Yea, I miss the time when we read His words and pray for each other every night. It was really tough when I see him for that average 15mins in the morning and 25mins in the evening (due to traffic jam). What can we share more? Absence makes the heart grow fonder. One thing I'm really thankful is my lovely parents in law. Kapitan Yap got up 5.50am every morning to unlock the gates and doors for me. Permaisuri Yap also got to wake up early to see me going off to work, locked the doors and so on. In the evening, they waited for me to have dinner. One of the nights, I got home at 8.05pm due to massive jam, I felt so touched when I was told 'Let's have dinner!' I quickly changed to a short and had dinner. Thank god for a wonderful family I'm in and for having such lovely parents in law. :)

Bondage vs. responsibility

What's the first thing that come to your mind when the word 'bondage' is mentioned? Let me share about my first thought when I heard the word bondage. To me, it sounds like as if you're tied down by certain rules of game. It was one of the prayer meet when this word was mentioned. One of my sisters was advised to break the bondage from her previous idol or religion that she believed in. Yes, being a Christ follower, we're told in His word, Exodus 20:3 says 'You shall not have other gods before me'. In other words, we are only supposed to worship Him and Him only, not any other gods. This tells us that we have to stay focused.

This morning I heard a sermon in the church and pastor mentioned the word 'bondage' and I can't recall the the definition. But, I remember one of the words covered in the bondage definition is sin. It didn't hit me directly until I got home after the badminton game in the evening.

At workplace, we're given job descriptions before you decided you want to go on a job. After understanding the work portfolio, you're convinced that you would like to take up the challenge (assuming you have some work experience in this area or you're given an opportunity to take up the job). One thing that I can't deny in my every job that I was given is giving thanks to the Lord Jesus and I truly believe God puts me there for a reason like for better experience and moulding my character. Whatever happens, it's not by chance, but by His divine intervention.

We're given tasks to do at work, being a responsible employee, we will strive for our best to deliver. But, but, but... This is where bondage comes to play. But, we do not have bondage to force ourselves to work and work until we threaten ourselves, 'I'll get fired if I don't work based on what my boss thinks' or 'If I make the wrong decision, my entire division will get fired'. I believe this situation will happens if you have made an enemy to your boss and your boss would really want to fire you. Thus, he makes the decision solely based on a single mistake.

I would say most of the senior management people that I came across are pretty reasonable. They respect each other and everyone is treated fairly. No doubt, some people have different preference. So, we shall not put ourselves in a bondage. Nevertheless, all in all, give thanks and honour God.