Obvious Ad-Hoc Tendency at Workplace

It is a favorite trend in my workplace to come up with the eleventh hour announcements especially for meetings or project reviews. I just don’t get it what does it take to inform the subordinates about something coming up their way which needs their input. Of course some believes that most of us do work when we are under pressure. But it does not work that way all the time. We have stacked up workloads on our workstations. And out of blue, we need to toss all that we are doing now out of our mind and start working on latest task. This is not an easy feat! Last-minute work is not my call.

I am not a perfectionist yet when it comes to work; we need to manage our work frame efficiently. I find doing things at the eleventh hour does not reflect a good management of time and also it will impinge on the quality of work. Ad hoc meetings, project alignments, new decree or taskforce reporting comes at last minute which leaves us mind-boggled most of the time.

Three weeks back, we were given hint on the possible project review with a panel of managers has been on the plan. When the time comes, they will announce to us the agenda and requisites for us to prepare in advance. However, only yesterday we received the email notification to inform my project members that the review is on Monday?!! Can you imagine this? Mere madness! What is on their mind to afflict us with last minute assignment? Thank God I knew something like this will be coming unexpectedly which made my team to sit and brainstorm on our comprehensive Gantt chart and KPI for our review. Today makes me even moody and annoyed with the ad hoc style of our company.

We are into 3rd quarter of our financial year with my project taskforce which has taken a huge twist. It has been like we are on a bumpy road ride for the past few months with so many abrupt changes (and also absence of our capable project leader) and various technical glitches. I have already become so numb with all these setbacks. Challenging. Unexpected. Annoying.
At times it takes away my focus and makes me void. But I get up these days with a force and spirit to fight like a warrior. I see goodness in times of trouble.

Days of Countdown Begins

Just two months to go for the big day. I am already having cold feet and feeling edgy. All this while, I was very excited and have been hopping up and down with the agenda line-up. But as it gets closer, I can feel butterflies in the stomach and sleepless nights becoming a norm these days; simply because, this nuptial brings a lot of responsibilities and dedication for young women like me. Gone will be the days of my carefree, ignorant and take-it-easy life. I am a girl with easy-go attitude and don’t fuss around much. I live each day to the brim and follow my heart. ‘Carpe diem’ elucidates my way of life.

Of course, this nuptial will not change the person I am yesterday, today or tomorrow. I will be the same authentic self but with enrich qualities as in to fit into a real family life. This does not imply that I had not been one. I had been nurtured well by my parents but at the same time, I and my sister were pampered and overprotected till we didn’t had the full opportunity to express our maturity at times (it doesn’t mean we totally depend on parents, since I am rebel kid whom seeks my liberty every now and then). Even then life has taught me a lot in this challenging world. Sometimes my dad be in awe of his princess (definitely ME) by the way I handle things in life and my courage reminds him of himself when he was younger. Dad still can’t believe that his daughter has grown up into a young women and ready to jump into the next phase of life.

I, myself couldn’t believe that time flies and now it’s my time to walk up the aisle. I had been the one whom sits at the banquet table and witness the solemnization of newly wedded couples with joy. And didn’t really give it a thought what it would feel to be one! Now it does! Beneath the panache of the celebration, lies the essence of the significant day. When my other half ring a bell yesterday morning about the ‘day’ which is two months from now, I was in a bundle of nerves. Oh jeez! So fast! All I could do was to shoo him away to conceal my edginess. But at the end of the day, I could muster my poise and raise my spirits to say ‘C’mon girl, it’s the next phase of life for each and every one of us. Let’s not get too vexed about it. After all, it is a brand new excitement package waiting for us!



So, now I have officially been overtaken by wedding fever. With about 60 days to go, the countdown to the ‘day’ just seems to be flying by. I have already made arrangements for most of the big items for the day, I am yet to get my outfit, so it's a little bittersweet knowing that the excitement of searching for the perfect outfit is far from over. So, I decided to take a break from the frenzy of nuptial planning & have a little fun by counting down my other miscellaneous items that seem to be forgotten naively. I had always secretly hoped for a cozy and intimate affair. Only the closest, nearest and dearest all coming together and sharing the happiness in honor of our love solemnization. I can just picture it. Yet both of us being the eldest in both families, we are attach to strings of respect, dreams and love by our elders to make it a big celebration. It will no doubt be one of the best days of our life.

Are We Too Dependent on Technology?

Technology has become so entwined with all of us. We franticly live depending on technology and most of us would be more frazzled without it. If you’re without it, you’re disconnected. You feel like it’s a lifeline.” I realized that we are placing too much trust in technology instead of lifting our heads, looking around, and thinking for ourselves, when for almost 2 weeks my mobile was ‘sick’. In fact I had two mobile with two lines and yet when one of it broke down, I was feeling helpless which shouldn’t be that way. Before this, we were never dependent on mobiles 15 years back. How can these happen?

A sigh of relief and a big smile flashed across my face when I got my cell phone fixed with just minor repair. It’s just the same excitement I had when I got this mobile for the first time. But what astounded me the most was the large crowd swarming the digital mall where I fixed my phone! People from all walks of life can be seen brimming each and every booth negotiating for a best buy. Mobile phones, IPad, Bluetooth, IPod, notebook etc are some of the attractive gadgets up for deal! It was at this point of time, I am able to comprehend that latest technology are becoming a basic necessity in life these days. It looks to me like world’s fastest growing technology savvy people are growing in numbers and across all walks of life.

The latest gizmo that caught my attention is the fascinating iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab. I just couldn’t take my eyes of it. And acha was even rousing me to invest on this instead of Android, which make sense to me. Dad is always technologically savvy and keeps updated with the current advances in gadgets. He was the one whom I seek advice when I am purchasing laptops, phones, GPS, Bluetooth and even external hard disk. He is brand and quality conscious when it comes to investing on latest gizmo. Both of us came to the Digital Mall in the pretext of fixing up my phone but walked around to survey for iPad and Galaxy Tab. He told me not to rush in getting one since he will do some homework on which is the best value for money and use.


iPad vs Galaxy Tab

I nodded wholeheartedly and follow suit to get my Bluetooth (Saying bye to days of aggravating headset and welcome to wireless call receiving while driving). Finally I got my Bluetooth to replace my headset which is a bit of taxing since I have a knack for tangling all my headset and end up with only one functional earpiece (I am known to be a rough user back at home from very young). Ha, ha, ha…It is so ME!



Flashback: The famous girl for destroying all mommy’s exotic vases and household items when I used to dash across in the living hall as a kid. Ever since it has been my signature attribute when it comes to describing me to others. Dad and mom loves to bring this topic up to all those they know.

With a snap of a finger, we are all connected via various technology platforms and its use eases our daily life. For instance, take the case of fancy coffee machine dispenser. I have the pleasure of just getting my coffee or Milo or even tea with a click of a button. Coffee is a big deal at work. And to face the coffee machine breakdown is a panic on the rise for most of us since we are deprive from being caffeinated. It’s obvious that people like me need coffee to kick starts the day. One big question pop in my head, “Are we so dependent on that machine?” To be able not to depend much on it, I bought my own coffee beans and brew my coffee tailored to the taste and blend that I prefer. This is something that I can contribute on the effort to be independent. Nothing tastes quite like freshly brewed coffee made by self!


Thinking about the caffeine situation in the office made me wonder about other pieces of technology that we’re dependent on. We are sending emails, applying for jobs, e-filing for income tax, payment and banking via internet, etc etc etc. Data traverses networks and is converted to light, wavelengths, electricity and back again before it arrives at its destination. Do you know how an email sent from your phone is routed to its destination? What other things does technology do for us automatically that we don’t notice? What the heck, I can’t even remember my family and friends phone number — my phone does it for me. This is bad enough!

I freely admit that I am dependent on technology most of the times. Not in my wildest thought would I imagine how to do my job without a laptop. I know my job revolves around wet lab competencies but the real science is all about data analysis, integration, hypothesis and interpretation. To make sense of the whole project, I need laptop to work on the analytical software’s in the cloud of my laptop via the server. I heard from senior staffs and my dad, before the days of computers, office workers used to store their data with conventional filing and data entry via typewriter. Can you imagine? Oh gosh!

A Night to Remember

“Thank God it’s Friday (TGIF)” is a favorite expression for most of city dwellers like me. At the thought of Friday, out of nowhere, we all seem to feel energized and exuberant. That is what I call Friday’s magic!

Last Friday was the even special for me since it was a public holiday and to spice up things, I had a dinner date with my Hunny at Moven Peak bistro. It was a very fine place with great environment for an evening hangout. And yeah, delicious food on their menu too. The ambiance was heavenly with the fairy lightings and music to jazz up the night. Moven Peak Restaurant is a well known place in the town and the place was just so pleasant for an evening relaxation.



Food was definitely savory added with a good service by the waiter. We both had chicken chop dinner set. I just love everything about the Friday night especially spending the time with my loved one after a long time.
Indeed, a night to remember!

Excitement

I just got back from Ipoh a couple of days ago after line-up of meetings with vendors. Vig and I sat down and crunched numbers and finally decided on the approx number of guests and made some vendor decisions. Although we didn’t get the venue we wanted, my Vig has made a smart choice to get a better venue equipped with air-condition and connected to the dining hall. Much to my surprise, he even found a artistic decorator to transform the whole place into a something that we both dreamt off. Vig and I brought the decorator to the hall and we envisage the concept of decoration in detail. I must say even though we didn’t have a slightest idea on how to pull this off, we could scramble out our ideas bit by bit and form a big picturesque to the decorator. Vig and I can make a great wedding planner team! I would not forget to praise the decorator as he is talented, and so professional. I truly believe, this wedding would be a fête!



The time seems to be ticking away so swiftly. It’s like we are on the 2nd last week of September. I started to feel more jittery these days. I feel like I am on the edge of a mountain cliff. Acha did mention to mom that Nisha is a big independent girl, indeed and he is proud of me. I know I had been working on my WBliss Project for quite some time all by myself. Only when Vig and my mom tell me that they are awe-inspired by my silent capabilities, I knew my strength and I’m on the right track. I am doing what I can to my best ability.



It was a saturated weekends for me. I had not much of rest. Yet, I was energized. So far so good. The venue is very beautiful. We will be converting it into an elegant pavilion with chandelier, fairy lightings, flower pedestal and walkway. I am so excited, till I can’t wait! Wedding planning is so much fun! (Well, it is fun now that I get to make all the decisions). Hold on to your keyboards, you will be reading a lot about this. Just promise not to get tired of it.


It was so stressful before this but now it’s an absolute turnaround. To celebrate the countdown of a big and memorable event, Vig and I had a lovely dinner in a romantic ambiance. “Thank you Vig for being with me and making my life more meaningful”. One thing I am convinced is that I am not only a princess to acha but I will always be a princess (maybe Queen in future) to Vig.



Signing off with a smile, Nisha…

Twist of Fate

Two days ago, upon returning from Ipoh, I was down with mild fever and flu. Being a person whom hates the thought of gulping down odd tasting medicines down my throat along with multicolored shaped pills, I will try to avoid the possibility of visiting a doctor. At the first sign of feeling sick at my throat, I just had to go and get some medicines before it gets worse.

Dad had to drag me to the Reddy clinic (the one I frequently visit when I was younger as back then I was too vulnerable to flu bug...), which is not too far away. I have the privilege my company panel hospital which is SDMC (too far away) or any KPJ medical centers. But the hassle of waiting to get a GL letter and by the time I knock on the door of the consultation room, I would have developed the second stage of influenza which is why I rather go to any nearest clinic and later on claim on my medical bills. “What a Monday to start with”! That was how exactly I felt when I got up in the morning. Yet I had the pleasure of getting up late on a wet Monday morning.

The moment, I step into the clinic, I was relieved as the crowd was bearable. There were only 3-4 patients which will not take ages before my turn. I hate the sight of large crowd in the clinic since it makes me feel worse with the sickly tang that surrounds the enclosed area. It was just right before my turn, when the counter girl reiterated my name before it hits my attention. I was annoyed when she told me that the doctor will only see me in about half an hour’s time. I didn’t make much fuss since I was still feeling fine to wait a lil longer. Not long before into 15 minutes, my name was called by the nurse from the consultation room. As I walked in, to my surprise (I don’t know to call it a sweet or shocking surprise), the doctor is none other than an old friend of mine from university. We used to hang around the varsity café and hostel area and had lots of fun together. Never in my dreams, I would have expected to be diagnosed by him since I know he was a joker and vowed never let my health condition to be put into jeopardy…Ha, ha, ha. I don’t mean to be cruel, yet that was how I used to tell him.

5 minutes walking into the consultation room, we were exchanging greetings and asking whereabouts etc etc. We both laughed and he quizzed me, “You never thought you’d see me here right”? I was frank enough to admit. He checked my fever and had a quick look at my sore throat and assured in a nice manner that it will get worse if it’s not taken care. How encouraging can that be? (* sarcastically*). He, he, he. He scribbled some medications and we continued chatting about other friends. Can you believe that he can just flip his phone out and show me his Gf picture? That is him, Siva!! I can’t bring myself to call him Dr Siva yet I would give him the privilege of mentioning his hard work through his Dr Designation. As usual he made attempt to not give me an MC, (which he always loves to fool around) but I got mine easily. We promise to keep in touch by exchanging our numbers.

The joke of the day was, I vowed never to be diagnosed by any of my ex-uni mates whom are now doctors in hospitals. Yet, a twist of fate played with my decision. I and mom sat and laughed about it since she knows him well. Something I never thought off but it happened so quickly. It has been 4 years since we graduated and sweet surprises when you bump into ol’ friends, makes us walk down memory lane. And trust me; I did recall my fun days during the entire period. I would describe it in one word “ Madness”!

Live Love Laugh

LIVE FOR TODAY
Life is short. It’s always been my conviction to live life to the brink by making the most of every moment that comes my way, something that I keep telling myself and my loved ones. After all life is short these days when out of blue, I hear someone so healthy, no longer with us. This is the reality of life. We are granted with life once and we ought to seize it and make the most out of it.

LOVE FOR TOMORROW
Love can make a difference in everyone’s life. It is the best feeling to be loved. I absolutely LOVE my family, my soul mate, my doggie and my of course the life I’m blessed with. Life without love is meaningless. No matter how many things we can have in life, but to live a life without love can be torturous. I have seen children from broken family yearn for love, and people suffering in silence due to the emptiness without love. I am grateful to have a lovely close-knit family, a truly loving partner and my most genuine and loyal friends I am blessed with. They are there for me all the time.

LAUGH AT ALL YOUR YESTERDAYS
Laughter is the best medicine. Whoever said this, it is 100% true. How can any of us deny it? It’s the random moments in life that are often the most memorable. You know those times with close friends when you end up rolling around the floor, holding your tummy, with tears rolling down your cheeks as you try desperately to control your laughter?! Those are just the best times! Or the spontaneous moments when you end up laughing out of bolt (in your office with colleagues around in the next cubicle), totally lost all cos of the joke that your dad cracked last night?! I can tell you, this is just wonderful feeling and makes you feel joyful!
Life is a journey, an adventure and sometimes a whirlwind. So why wait? Make the best out of it!! And that’s what I believe and that’s what I tell myself and my loved ones again and again.

I want to live, a life that is worth living for.
I want to love, a love that is worth dying for.
I want to laugh, a laugh that can bring tears to my eyes.

One step at a time

Waiting can be nerve-cracking most of the time, especially when you’re awaiting a memorable event in another couple of months (with loads of work to be executed!!@#$%&).

Walking down the aisle can seem endless, loaded with challenges, confusion and at some point of time; we possibly will be faced with stumbling block. This is when “working out differences, getting on pretty well (i.e. what married folks say when they are having frequent talks and bonding time) and give-and-take, can iron out things neatly for what supposed to a happy, joyous journey. There is no single journey without ups and downs.



With this union, each day gracefully passes by with more challenges and it’s a learning curve. I waited for 4 years before I could confidently introduce my other half and officially declare my soul mate to my family. And I anxiously waited for the right time after 4 years of LD dating – I would be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I was in the “safe(r) zone.” To my surprise, dad was very excited and encouraging in the union. I know dad as someone very conservative and adamant when comes to selecting the right match for his daughters. We are his little princess whom he still pampers us and regards as babies till now. So, knowing his consent and how comfortable he was with my other half, I realized he trust in my decision and me. On the other hand, mom is more flexible and understanding. She fits so comfortably with by getting-to-know him with more confidence. All my life, I am grateful for being blessed with a wonderful family and not even a single day I regretted. My parents are my closest buddies and confidante since young. And now I am gifted with another beautiful soul into the family, not other than my ‘partner in crime’!


At that moment, I know I have made the right choice and parents saw me that I am a grown-up girl now. I feel the excitement as if I succeeded in the exams with flying colors across the bright blue sky! Above all this, I must thank God for giving me my love of my life and also a son for my parents. Family is important to me as I have grown up in a close-knit family and we shared a very special bond that outshines in my life.

Walking up the altar is a beautiful journey yet there is various essence need to polished and learnt along the way before we reach the destination. After a year of delay of our wedding plans, things finally kick-started last December. It started with both families meet up and getting to know session, things move on to look for auspicious date for our big day, our horoscope compatibility etc etc. The countdown now is 10 weeks to go, to our very first event, the engagement! Its ecstatic but freaking me out too. I would describe it a cocktail of feelings– fear, excitement, anxiety, and anticipation for the BIG DAY.

Sometimes stress tiredness and thoughts of – How on earth am I going to arrange a close-to-perfect event? How am I going to get things done on time? Did I miss out anything in the checklist? Checklists, things to do, time-lines, registries, pre-wedding party and there is plenty to go...Oh no!! My gut says, I can do it, which I believe so. I will take it one step at a time!

Remembering 9/11 after a decade

In the decade since September 11, 2001, thousands of survivors have walked the difficult path of recovery. After the World Trade Center terrorist attacks that unfolded in New York, close to 12,000 people emerged from the twin towers alive. Some of them moved forward anchored by faith, fortitude, or family. Others struggle with a healing process that remains painful, drawn out, and elusive.


How can we forget this day?

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and I have little to say, other than to honor the people who lost their lives in that tragedy. It’s been 10 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, something we all pause to reflect. Such horrible acts of violence are absurd. If we try to make sense of them by putting them into some sort of explanation, but at the end of the day, there’s little sense to killing thousands of innocent lives. And there is no answer to it.


And many of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news of these terrorist attacks on America. It was a shocking day for me. I was not old enough to understand the politics, but was at the age to understand what was happening, and the significance of the day. As we turned on the television, like the rest of the world, we were stunned by the events unfolding before our eyes. I was instantaneously overwhelmed by a mix of emotions I couldn't immediately process - shock, sadness, confusion, anger, fear.

'Did that really happen? That was the instant thought strikes my mind. It looks like a catastrophic scene in the Hollywood movies that more than often was seen picturize close to reality! In fact, many survivors witnessed the ghastly sight was as if hallucinating.




I recalled one of the survivors saying, "This is a day that will change your lives forever." Little did I know what she actually meant? Not only was America forever changed that day, but the worlds’ perception on the extremist group, its teaching and also their purpose of waging war against America. America is one of the world’s greatest countries with great technological advancement and practice laissez-faire thinking. Or else one would not have seen a Hindu, Japanese, Muslim, or even a Jew to be living as expatriate there with a reputable profession! It’s a selfish act to me.

It has been ten years now since the tragic and deadly attacks on the world trade center WTC in New York, and still it feels as if it was just yesterday it happened. No matter how many times we talk about it and yet we fail to understand, why did it happened? It simply tells us that the truth behind 9/11 has not yet been reached.



Today, we’d like to remember those lost in the terrorist attacks, the families that have suffered, and a nation that’s torn over this tremendous act of hatred. Whatever your political beliefs may be, we’d like to encourage each and every one of you to take a moment and remember what happened to US a few short years ago could happen to any other countries. With this in mind, I am ashamed with some prominent Malaysian bigwig being heartless in giving a piece of their mind in conjunction with Remembering 9/11. If you got nothing nice to say, please do not say it at all. It is very senseless to say that World Trade Centre’s twin towers came down nicely upon themselves and it looked more like a planned demolition than a collapse? Is it possible for our own government to strategize such conspiration in future? (The idea is spoken out loud & clear. This raised my eyebrow in doubt...I will be tight-lipped as it appears evident to me...Do you? ) Wait till someone lashes back to us when something horrible like this befalls upon us. It’s easy to shoot unkind remarks.

Thumbs up to ASTRO for lining up back-to-back programme as a tribute to remember the fateful day that changed the world for better or worse for which I don’t have an answer to it. I put everything else on hold as I was glued to my couch and my eyes welled up with tears feeling the pain, anger and sadness of fellow Americans on that day. Listening to shaky voice of survivors and victims’ families whom described the nightmarish experience was enough to make me understand that the pain is far from over. It was still there till now! For a person whom didn’t experienced it live, I was already in a rollercoaster of emotions, imagine those who lost their loved ones, wife who was separated from husbands, husbands lost their love of their life, mother, father, brothers and sisters even to the innocent children. One thing was definite; the tragedy brought the onset of a new sense of consciousness.
At the end of the programme, one thing was clearly understood; Ten years after 9/11, the survivors & victims have not healed—and the wounds still remain fresh! Only God will guide them through the void space for a new beginning.

Onam Vannullo!

September 9th, 2011. At the crack of dawn, we are overwhelmed with celebration of Thiruvonam.

Onam is a season in which everybody in Kerala or keralites all around the world is immersed by a strong bout of celebration. As we are aware, Kerala is a land of cultural richness. It’s a celebration of gaiety and cultural blend in which the entire community unite to commemorate the glorious past.

Of all festivals celebrated by Keralites, Onam is by far the most vivid and colorful one. The torrential monsoon which batters this land from the month of June to August retreat giving a relief to all to come out and take pleasure in the brand new sunlight and new spirit. Nothing comes without significance and so do Onam, which has its own myth of uniqueness.

A long time ago, the beautiful state of Kerala was once ruled by an emperor by the name King MahaBali. The King was greatly respected in his kingdom and was considered to be wise, judicious and extremely generous. Everybody was living in happiness and contentment during MahaBali’s reign so well that his kingdom became more prosperous than heaven.

The fame of MahaBali made the Gods of heaven ruled by jealousy to be threatened and that they conspired to eliminate him. The mother of Gods, Aditi approached Lord Vishnu, their chief (whom MahaBali worships) and appealed for the elimination of the king to curtail the power of the king. Lord Vishnu took the shape of a poor Brahmin called Vamana and approached the king pleading for alms; a piece of land (knowing the generosity of Maveli). The king offered to give the Brahmin whatever he asked. (Sukramuni - the guru of Mahabali - had warned the king of imminent dangers sensing the appearance of the dwarf Brahmin, which the king ignored) In return the Brahmin said that he just wanted as much land as could be covered by his three steps. The King was surprised to hear but agreed.

The Brahmin all of a sudden turned into the size of cosmic proportions revealing his true identity, Lord Vishnu. With his first step, Vishnu covered the whole of earth and with the other step he covered the whole of the skies. He then asked King Mahabali where is the space for him to keep his third foot. MahaBali with obeisance bowed his head before Lord Vishnu and begged that the third foot may be placed on his head. Lord Vishnu placed his foot on the head of the King, which pushed him to the nether world. Lord Vishnu was shaken by the benevolence of the great MahaBali and readily headed to Bali’s humble request that once in a year he may be permitted to visit his dear land that is Kerala. And after Vishnu placed his foot on the head of the emperor suddenly the Emperor was transported to his original abode.
As promised by Lord Vishnu, King MahaBali visits Kerala once in a year to see his dear people. According to the folklore, the king was believed to visit each and every home in Kerala. Out of respect for their former king, the people of Kerala recreate a happy and joyful atmosphere to please MahaBali. The celebration marks the homecoming of King MahaBali. Till today this celebration is carried out for ten days which ends with Thiruvonam.



I take pleasure in celebrating this festival of rejoice to honor King MahaBali with ‘my favorite Onasadhya! Mom made all the significant dishes and it was a feast which ignited my gastronomical sense! Happy Onam to all!
Aishwaryathintheyum, samridhiyudaeyum Thiruvonam aashamsikkunnu. Ellarkkum ente hridayam nirannja Onashamsagal!

Meetings, meetings & meetings

I hate meetings. So do the rest I believe so.
At the sight of email notifications concerning meetings make me sick in the stomach! I have become desensitized to bad meetings. I believe most of us dread at the thought of a meeting. Why? It is one of the activities that waste time and cause worthless frustration at work (besides performance appraisals and budget planning).
Each time I walk into meetings, only the first one hour will capture my attention. Beyond that, my mind gets saturated and goes blank! Most of the time, we are, stuck in a meeting that we don’t want to attend, thinking of all the work piled up on our desk, while we half listen to someone droning continuously about a topic you have no interest in. When the meeting finally ends, less than half the agenda has been completed and everyone gets out their calendars to block the next date for another meeting. Why are meetings objectives not met? Worse still, meetings were dragged for hours which leave us fatigued.

As it happens, meetings never seem to reach a consensus or come out with any clear decision at the end of the day! I just don’t get it. It left me wondering why people gathered in the first place. Some people spend most of their normal working day in various kinds of meetings, i.e. project progress meeting, town hall meeting, staff meeting, departmental meeting etc etc...

There are days when the whole week is fixed with meetings and the only time available to do my own work is either very early in the morning, before the first meeting is scheduled, or late in the evening when it’s past our working hours. For all you know, we end up sacrificing 40% of our working hours in meetings especially during peak season and most of the time, 50% of that meeting time is wasted. I hate to admit; far more often I had to work late in the evenings to make up for unproductive hours wasted for meetings. Already staying up after-work-hours is conflicting with my personal agenda. Worse still, there is no perks for us doing so (executives can’t claim for overtime). In the end, I had to forego more of my personal and family time just to catch up on work I would have otherwise done in the earlier part of the day.

Meetings are usually intended to provide the whereabouts of projects progress, new management decree, and financial reporting of the business entity. Of course meetings can be fruitful, only if they’re held for good reasons, are well managed, and last but not the least, consensus is reached on the purpose of meeting is absolutely necessary. A collective mind is beneficial when it help generate new ideas, provide solution if we bump into stumbling block situation, or even refocus our directions to be right on track in order to meet the goals established at the beginning.



However, one should bear in mind that, “Too many cooks can spoil the broth”! Unfortunately the belief of many heads is always better than one, may not be true all the time. Based on my personal work experience, after exiting the meeting room, I can go numb and mind boggled wondering what the conclusion at the end was! I would be left baffled for a moment.

I wish I can avoid meetings but it is part and parcel of my life. At times, my week will plagued with different meetings and my work (either wet lab or data analysis) would be foiled and it gets delayed which is beyond my means. I end up getting overworked and not able to manage my schedule as planned before. I rather convey the progress of project in a more appropriate manner that is through email or one to one session with my superior efficiently ( I express better in this manner and I am more focused and not disturbed by short, annoying conversation of others across the boardroom).

Each time I walk out of meeting room, I’m neither motivated nor energized. Instead I feel it took away my precious time working on my project which is a blot in my schedule and does not my day good thereafter. If possible not to have one, everyone will be relieved-except few who like to interfere other people jobs as an excuse for not getting on with their own. I am done with one meeting yesterday with my international collaborators and consultant and another one coming ahead for tomorrow’s slot; the biweekly progress meeting! Arrrggghhhh…(Btw, I realize that our foreign colleague keeps meeting on time and focused on the objective. They don’t crap on unnecessary issues and adjourned within the effective time)

Why do organizations allow such a continual waste of time and energy? Something to ponder. It’s time for a revamp of how meetings should be made to get the most out it.

Rush Hour Fever Kicks In

When Sunday emerged, I was already in blues, thinking about Monday traffic crawl after a long Raya break. My heart skipped a beat wishing for a smooth traffic so that I can shun unwarranted anxiety daily. The thought of Monday itself can fling us into mood swings, what more with the returning city dwellers post-raya holidays. The hitch of living in big cities is evident in this scenario. A choice we made and we have to live with it. I did and I am coping with it. But most of us (including me) need to vent out the frustrations from time to time, to make us feel better.

Much to my surprise, yesterday’s traffic was not so bad after all (with the all around famous Monday blues). I manage to reach home 6.30pm (I left off on the dot, 5.30pm) even by using the trunk road to avoid toll. Ha,ha,ha…I and my colleagues found a slip road which helps us to ease on our pockets. Ever since our office relocated from Conti-PJ to MTDC, we have been living on high expenses. The distance of travelling to and from office-to-home, made us suffer in silence. Money seems to be slipping off our hands to petrol, toll and maintenance of car almost every month. Relocation allowance was given for the first 6 months only! My parents quizzed me, “Sime Darby is a multinational corporation (a GLC with diverse businesses & huge profit right...) and how come they don’t have an own office tower? I can’t believe they relocate all of you’ll from a prime town to somewhere further for most of you all without allowance or transportation!” In fact to a certain extent, I agree from where they are coming from. My sis works in HP which was based in KL and later relocated to Damansara. What is more considerate of the HP management is to provide a bus and van for their employees to and from office to a central transportation hub, KL Sentral at two different intervals! Isn’t that very considerate for their own employees’ welfare? It is!

So, I have to live with it which is why instead of opting for public transport (KTM service sucks btw), I decided to drive even though the distance is far and the amount of stress incurred is unbearable. This is life after all. I didn’t make much fuss when I got to know that some of my colleagues drive from Klang which is 15km more than my distance and toll costs exceeded mine! Pheww..I am grateful when I hear some are not as fortunate as me. Yet, Sime Darby should take into consideration of their employees’ plight and work out a minimum monthly allowance (instead of implementing corporate social responsibility programme, which is meaningless).

It has been 9 months since I’m adapted to such after-work experience and still fighting with my patience to endure the traffic congestion which comes unpredictably(Ohh, I forgot to point out that my direction to work is opposite traffic flow but at times, I’m jammed for more than 3 hrs! Madness right?). A typical dilemma of every city dwellers! Therefore, a week of basking in the joy of traffic-less city, I am hit by harsh reality. Rush hour kicks in and so here I am today, setting out to battle the jammed up roads. Its 4.55pm already and I am glancing at the clock across me, every now and then just to catch a glimpse of 5.30pm. So near yet so far away! Tick tock, tick tock, chimes the clock faintly…

I'm drunk!

I found the picture attachment in my mail quite sometime back. It was rather amusing when I first saw the picture. The dog looks sober and his legs crossed held against the wall. What I like the most was those eyes looking at you with such a pathetic feel. Ha,ha,ha,ha...

Good one and I wonder was it real or photo manipulation! Either way, it made my day and the rest of you too!

Catch-22

Reflecting on August and I could recall how edgy I felt at that period of time.
I was engulfed by a sense of sullenness. This feeling has been there for awhile and it took quite some time for me to let go of it. You might be wondering what the hullabaloo is all about. No …Nothing about my completed annual appraisals, increment or bonus. The buzz I had been hearing about the windfall this year seems to bring buoyant feeling. I know I had performed to the best I could and whatever will be, it will be. I have no qualms about it at all.
August this year was rather a time for change in my project work plan which actually made me bump into a crossroad. As the cliché goes in and out all the time, ‘Life is not a bed of roses’ keeps flashing in my mind from time to time. How can we ever deny the fact? Just a year back I and my team struggled to get our project focus to be aligned according to the company’s value and goal; everything was smooth and shining in glory. And then comes a dilemma which was good enough to spark for another reshuffling. The issue is still in vague and waiting to be cleared by the rightful management team. Till then we are just waiting and for all you know, WAITING is PAINFUL and also discouraging. Hope for a promising upshot, did not put me and other team mate from moving on.



That’s not the end to my jitters. What do you do when your plans don't work out the way you want it to be? From young, I was taught to plan and work our way through it. I am advised to plan for higher academic program, a career, a family, relationships and a thousand other things throughout my life journey. Sometimes our plans don't work out. How do you deal with the predicaments encountered in life then? Somehow or rather, we should navigate through the life predicaments to our best. That is what I have encountered throughout my life. And I would never regret coz everything happens for a reason and it’s a lesson worth learning. Sometimes, the series of events unfolding unexpectedly makes me feel like I’m standing on the high-voltage power retention compartment! Yet, I would praise my ignorance to make me take things easy peasy!! (Mom says my nature of ignorance is just something none of them can understand! To me this is my unique nature and it helps me in certain scenarios) *Glee*


When all's said and done, August is a month that will be etched in my mind for giving me the opportunity to realize my perseverance and endurance in the face of uncertainty! I know I am one tough person but it needs constant reminder to get me going. “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”, a saying my dad loves to quote us when we was younger. It reminds me how he influenced me to be a bold, independent and tough person. And this what I am right now.
Way to go girl!

Malaysia Property Price is like on the Rocket to the Moon

Malaysia property market prices have shot through the roof quite significantly over the last couple of years, more than ever in major cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and JB. I believe so as investors, speculators and developers worked hand-in-hand to cause the frenzy which reflected in prices which have almost doubled in most places. Thus, the ownership of private property was out of reach of most fresh graduates establishing out in life.

Malaysia property seems to be one of the world’s most lucrative opportunities when it comes to investing in property and real estate. Whatever the situation be, according to the poll conducted by Malaysian property consultants, the circumstances of Malaysians is quite surprising though. If Europe and America are suffering from recession and struggling to climb up the ladder back to restoration, the scenario here is that, Malaysians have become richer than ever to invest their money in property and other lucrative business investment options despite the unrealistic, escalating cost of property? How can that be possible? Each time I come across a notice at public places or property for sale advert on newspaper, I would be left dumbfounded with the cost of property stated in bold figures; millions of value which sounds like a reasonable price. You can’t find a property with a decently reasonable price these days when you flick through the property sections in papers? It’s close to impossible. The first thing that struck my mind will be, does the property worth that value? It’s a bizarre phenomenon these days.



This perturbing apprehension has been running in circles in my mind for quite some time. Each time, when dad and I enjoy our day off after work in our living room, this topic will definitely pop up in midst of coffee break. My dad will strike a chord with a profound reminder that times are changing and it’s going to get tougher for my generation and years to come, it will affect the future generation. I understand where is coming from. As a government staff, he managed effectively to give us a quality life with all the necessities without disappointing us in any bit although he was the sole breadwinner of the family (Not to forget my mom is a wonderful housewife). It’s beyond our imagination but this is a terrifying picture but of the ultimate truth.

About 20 years ago, the population was 3 million but now it has reached at 5 million, an increase of 40%. Needless to say, property values follow the suit (The property price index has jumped from 33.3 points [1980] to 202.8 points [2010]). According to some studies, data shows that from 1990 to 2008, private home prices tripled, while household incomes only doubled. In a nutshell, this means private homes were significantly less affordable now than 20 years ago, since the rise in home prices had surpassed income growth by 50%.

For how long more can we see prices rocketing in Malaysia? House and apartment are being so pricey which slips out of the reach of many working and even middleclass Malaysians. Just yesterday, over my dinner date with my besties (Often this is a means to catch up with ourselves from time to time), we chatted about every other thing and finally ended up with the current dilemma that we all are hooked up with despite being in an established career for several years since we graduated. It looks like it’s not only me experiencing such impasse, but most of my friends and working colleagues too. Indisputably, it is very challenging for young working adults like us to invest in any residential property per say. These property speculators are not thinking about everyone. They are driving up the prices with their activities and making a neat profit, but they forget that someday their own children might not be able to afford houses of their own in the future, if prices continue to rise like this. The augmentation of this market has created an exploratory enthusiasm among many owners to make a quick profit in short span. It has been a trend to purchase house from the developer and later sell their homes for a profit and buy another on downturns. This is the cycle that has been going on for years.
Most property investment analysts concur that real estate blow-up is coming soon; possibly it could happen as early as 2012 or 2013. I had been keeping a regular tab on the property news every now and then, (inquisitive about getting my own property soon) expecting for a property crash soon which seem like wolf and sheep story. Although there have been growing concerns that the rising property prices is a bubble waiting to explode, the Malaysian government doesn't seem to think so which shatters the hopes of many. I can recall what my dad told me about the property crash of 1998? It only fully recovered after 12 years. History would repeat itself. It happened in the 1990s and would happen again or I believe so. But the question is when will it be?
Inevitably, purchasing of private homes will be a difficult feat for most of the young generation. For now, if the buying and selling continues, with the exorbitant prices awaiting any further government action, “what will then be the fate of the man on the street?” Maybe some of us can still bask in the temporary comfort of intriguing housing loan schemes like the innovative 5:95 (i.e. 5% down-payment and 95% loan) loan package and low interest rates of up to BLR-2%, mortgage repayment is increasingly taking up a bigger chunk of the average Malaysian's salary. Some 30 years ago it was possible to settle the housing loans within 10 years without asphyxiating ourselves. But is this still doable for today's borrowers? It is so dreadful to have loan tenures stretching 30 years or more! OMG! The kind of expression you get is” what the heck with repayment of the loan the entire working life? Do you think it is not too far-fetched to stretch your loan across 2 generation? One should not overlook that the average salary in Malaysia is only RM1500 a month and only a mere 15% of the population pays income tax, based on 2010 statistics.
I can vouch that till today, it is quite impossible for one to find a decent landed house for RM300, 000 in KL city. Can you believe that a house of more than 30 yrs old still fetch the price of a goldmine in KL? The reality start to hit me when I began to realize that even a decent 1,000 square feet private apartment located 10km away from the city centre would already cost that much. The only suitable example that rings a bell will be YTL's Sentul East developments like The Tamarind and The Saffron. These 2 residential properties were located in once upon a time stigma-afflicted area which is only a mere 15 minutes drive from the city with all the convenience. During its launch in 2008, the 1,000 sq ft units at The Saffron were sold between RM200,000 to RM300,000 but today, the prices is exorbitantly high which is at RM400,000 to RM500,000 - that's a rise of almost 100% in less than 3 years! Sentul East is so near to my housing area which I used to travel on that route to KL city regularly. Back in the 1990s, the place was underdeveloped and people hesitate to purchase a property there due to the stigma it possessed for a very very long time. People are willing to pay a premium price even considering that Sentul was once perceived as a "ghetto". But since YTL took over the place, Sentul was breathed into a sense of exclusiveness; where everyone is dying to get a hold of a place of their own here.



Even when the properties come with such exclusive tag, there were still buyers to grab it like hot cakes! How can they afford such overpriced properties? In fact, during one recent launch of The Amara in Batu Caves on March 2011, all the units were snapped up during the weekend despite having a per sq ft price of RM600 . A check on IProperty.com.my, one of Malaysia leading property classifieds, will confirm the overpriced prices of residential property in hotspots like the area surrounding KLCC, Damansara, Mont Kiara, Petaling Jaya, Duta and KL Sentral

Looking back at why such scenario taking place here is that , some entrepreneur purchase property for the sole intention of snatching chunk of profits in short span. According to some buzz, there are also companies from Mainland China that have taken advantage of the easy credit back home and come to Malaysia to purchase tens of units of private apartments at one go, preventing genuine buyers from getting them at more reasonable launch prices ( I got this from one of the real estate news bulletin). Besides, property developers are becoming insatiable to grab more profits by building deluxe condo units and also bungalows units for the elite class and foreigners. This is an obsession to rake in maximum profit out of each square feet of land from the rich parties. The upshot of flourishing real estate business is a collaborative effort and mutual understanding among property developers, banks (who lend more money and for longer tenures of up to 35 yrs), and support service providers (real estate agents, valuers and lawyers) whom are here to fill up their pockets with big bucks.

It takes a real concern for me to pen down this pressing issue which I believe is just not my own quandary alone. But I’m sure I’m speaking on behalf of many of us. I can feel the nod I will be getting for expressing this apprehension. My advice to the rest of the young working adults like me, I guess it’s valuable to invest on properties rather than getting the elite cars to show off em’( unless you’ve too much of cash flowing in). You buy a car today, and the value depreciates tomorrow. On top of it, you don’t live in a car for the rest of your life (or perhaps someday, we might end up being a gypsy or travelers whom live in their motor homes when ownership of property is beyond our reach! He,he,he). Just bear in mind that, while cars lose value the minute you drive them off the showroom, property is a good inflation hedge, appreciates in the long run and is something that you can pass on to your children.
I think it would be apt to end my article here with queries to ponder: “What do you think?” “Is the party over for the speculators?” “Will the bubble burst anytime soon or is it going to reach a plateau and slide or rise gradually?” With that note, I’m signing off :)

Savouring silence

A portrait of KL City for the past few days made me take pleasure in the beauty of silence. No maddening crowd. No honking of cars. A quick glance through KL city makes me wonder, where is everyone? Void and quiet. Something I crave for in KL for sometime. The silence is sublime if you know how to be grateful for a quiet mind.
This Eidul Fitr celebration sent everyone back to their hometown for their family gathering. A drive around KL city makes me understand where the surplus of folks comes from. Not here definitely. They are from smaller towns, outskirts of KL and other states (either North or South)!! This calls for the next question, why are they here? Simply because there are wide career opportunities lies in big cities like KL, Penang and Singapore. If only government can create job opportunities, establish industrialization or relocate several businesses to other states besides major cities, it will enable development in small suburbs as well as disperse congestion in saturated cities.

The 3 days Raya break made me cherish the quiet life of KL so much so I began to fret for the coming days when all the folks will make their way back to KL and life will be back to usual (full of traffic jams, noise and pollutions). This morning when I was driving to work, the roads were quite empty which made me tempted to take a slow drive to work. No rush hour issues, no rude motorist to cut into my lane abruptly and no unwarranted mood swings. A beautiful Friday morning which I savored the entire journey while listening to music on my radio. How I wish this was the scenario all throughout the year? It’s impossible unless some major festivals like Chinese New Year or Hari Raya drives out the whole city dwellers back to their hometown.



What I found a little unexpected, though, were the non-Muslims who also grasped this golden opportunity to take a whole week off to head back hometown. Even my office was quite empty today with turnover rate being low. Silence was accompanied by a light breeze of rainfall. Perhaps not surprisingly, I was sitting in my own cubicle with about 4 of my colleagues silently hitting the keypads of our laptops, indicating work in silence.



Silence pushes the mind as far as it would go, is undeniably true in my case today since I sank into my office chair at 7.30am, I’m working on my project report and monthly taskforce report. Hot coffee being the elixir for me to stay put here.
Natural silence is something we all look for in some point of time due to the escalating encroachment of city noise. There is simply too much noise, from the gadgets we rely on to define ourselves to the people we have to deal with daily. In public, at work and in our homes, the commotion is deafening, with seemingly very little of anything meaningful being said. So I seize the moment today and began to hear and bask in the beauty of nature such as birds chirping, rain droplets on the windowpane, and light breeze gushing through the tall acacia tree branches. It’s beautiful!


I had been an adoring admirer of Mother Nature. It can be the gushing sound of wave glistening under the moonlight or first rays peeping from the clouds after rain. Yes, I have experienced all these little moments with silence accompanying me. Silence is special simply because I can sit down and admire the panorama of Mother Nature in total silence and yet feel so contented. You don’t get to have a quiet moment all the time but its worth.

OMG! Its September already!!

Just yesterday I and mom was talking about how time flies (* Grinz* we both were looking at the calendar). It was as if, yesterday we walked into year 2011 and now we are in the 9th month of the calendar. I was looking forward to September since last month. Last month was full of surprises and frantic work schedule due to unforeseen circumstances that has been rocking my project team since July. More or less, I and my other team mates has come to accept the hasty departure of our team leader to his unit in Banting (his boss pulled him back there for some internal issues that created a storm recently). So, both of us being the young ladies and full of madness (sounds like some crazy scientist, indeed, he... he ...he...), we took the bulls by horn and steered the project without the actual leader by working our way through the every nooks and corners of our project. I can tell you, it was never easy as said by our consultant from NUS which painted a picture of ‘FOCUS’ to encourage us to move on in times of uncertainties. He told us that even when the building collapses, “you should be sitting upright in your lab bench while still pippeting the PCR cocktails without being distracted!” We burst into laughter and thought it sounded ridiculous (simply because a normal human being will definitely gets disturbed even by the slightest noise we hear). But it was just a metaphor. By the end of our discussions with regards to our project directions and deliverables, we were geared up in full force to do what has to be done and within our means. The excitement twinkled in our eyes even though, we know the journey towards it gonna be full of thorns. But at the looking through the bird’s view to the future, we are going to be grateful for the outcome.

What is even more exciting is the performance windfall which is due to be in this month!! I can’t wait for it since the last Friday’s Town hall meeting with the GCE speculates good bonuses coming in since 2008! Now, that sounds awesome. What else can be more comforting when you get rewarded in attractive monetary return? Most of us have grown up with the Pavlovian response in mind that says we'll do a good job to gain a financial reward. Its a motivation to drive us to work harder for my new FY 2011/12. Its a good start for a new beginning. This calls for celebration with my loved ones! Maybe a treat getaway or fine dining in a café bar! Keeping my fingers crossed!



September ring a bell for me to move forward with my ‘Project WBliss’. You might be wondering what’s the WBliss is all about? It is definitely my walk towards happiness and a moment of truth. I have just barely two months to execute my action plans. I am heading the team with my family as the committee members to help me manage the big event of my life. The core of the project is coming up with a checklist and what-to-do list for each of us. That has been done. Pheww! But the execution of each action is not an easy task. My best friend’s words keep knocking on my head all whenever I’m stuck with the plans. “ It is exciting but can be tiring and stressing at times when it comes to making choices/decisions” “Nothing can be perfect but it can come close to it”. So sit back and enjoy the ride while you can! To be frank, I have started to feel the excitement building up and yet jittery thinking how am I going to walk through the series of events. I keep my poise for the moment and will graze through it one step at a time!