Designated Hermitage

Time Goes By But We Stay Still...

2011-12-16T14:09:00.006+08:00

We finally come to the end of 2011...few more weeks come the year 2012..the final circle of the earth as what the Mayans' Calender predicted..

Friday, 16th Dec 2011 is my last day in office for the year 2011 and resume work 9th Jan 2012...3 weeks of holiday and the longest ever (so far) in my career... It's about time!!

What did I do in 2011???

Career
1. Sick Leave - None
2. Emergency Leave - None
3. Promotion - no comment
4. Salary Increment - no comment

Travel & Living
1. Marathon Runs - Energizer Night Race (11 Km), Malakof Run (8 Km), Unity Run (6 Km), Penang Hill Climb, Beach Run (6 Km) and the highlight was Penang Bridge International Marathon (21 Km)
2. Fishing Trips - Kerachut Beach (Penang), Teluk Nipah Beach (Pangkor) and Under The Penang Bridge
3. Travel - Langkawi and Pangkor Islands
4. Lifestyle - Beer Fest (weekend after weekend)
5. Accident - 3cm diameter mark on forehead

I'm now thinking of a little twist to the Travel & Living for the year 2012...I'm going for fishing! Running has been fun yet fishing is much more relaxing...I get to drink beer whilst fishing but not running!! I may as well join local fishing competitions..no one knows where your luck is until you try..kan..kan...moreover fishing prizes are known as pricy! kalau dapat pancing ikan karuk di laut mungkin buli menang 1st prize juga :-O

Right, don't ask how I got the 3cm diameter mark on forehead...it was shit that happened

I can't remember when was the last time I felt excited about going back to Sabah...I never did but this time I think there's something to look forward... it'll be a little different because I've got a task of being my Bro's best man...I guess I'd be his bodyguard?? saves for drinking?? Let's hope everyone enjoy...

Lastly, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2012

Sign Battle

2011-10-15T01:00:00.000+08:00

Just another boring math...

2011-10-12T14:30:00.006+08:00

Night Run @ Sepang International Circuit

2011-04-15T10:15:00.006+08:00

I'm feeling a little bit excited about this coming weekend!

Yay...I'm going to participate in the 11 Km Energizer Night Run 2011 (ETA 02:00:00) at Sepang International Circuit, 16 April 2011 at 20:00...Can you imagine how rare the opportunity is to run there?

My training regime is quite alright this year but that doesn't mean running 11 km distance is not a challenge at all...

I have successfully completed the recent 8 Km Malakof Run 2011 with an official time of 01:00:01 (ETA was 01:00:00) It was a disappointment due to s silly mistake as I did not maintain the running pace which then causes muscle pain (not cramp though)

So...it's Sepang International Circuit!! I'm expecting my whole body to be more aerodynamic to tackle each corner and turn...I may have to buy few cans of cold beer to minimize the possibility of overheating engine block (before and after race)...let's just hope Sepang International Circuit is ready to welcome me..hehe..

* Driving all the way from Penang to KL this time

Make Money on FB

2011-03-20T18:56:00.000+08:00

How does getting rewarded through sharing sounds like to you? Join #ChurpChurp today and bring more friends to the community!

LET'S START MAKING MONEY!!

CHURP-CHURP

DropBox File Sharing

2011-02-07T10:22:00.006+08:00

Hi peeps…

How many of you have heard of a file sharing host named DropBox? I’m pretty sure RapidShare, SharedFile and etc are common but they are nothing like DropBox….I’ve been using DropBox for almost a year by now…

It was recommended by one of our customers about 11 months ago…I needed to get a copy of their SQL database as well as the software application folder to reproduce the reported fault/bug at their end…at first, I was a bit skeptical of the security and managing the files but after a while of using the ‘service’ I kind of like it very much as it is very easy to use and organise.

Having an account with DropBox is like managing your own database; you can create and share folder with other DropBox users by inviting them to the shared folder...deleting files and removing access right are easy as a single click on the appropriate button!

DropBox Features

Apart from file sharing, DropBox offers services like File Sync, Online Backup, Web Access and Mobile Device Access (iPhone and BlackBerry)So after almost a year with all the satisfaction I’ve got using DropBox….it is highly recommended…

I think the highlight is a free 2GB free space for a free account and up to 100GB of space for paid account! I have so far tried the File Sharing service so if any of you guys have tried the others please do share…knowledge is power!

Cheers!

Thoughtful Decision Making

2011-01-30T13:00:00.001+08:00

Are You Qualified To Be A Cool Roommate?

2011-01-28T13:00:00.002+08:00

Good Start

2011-01-27T11:13:00.005+08:00

Let's start the year with a big YE YE..

We had our 1st 2011 company meeting (Penang) yesterday and timely when the CEO was here visiting the branch...

As usual, he updated us with the company's target and plans for 2011..apart from updates, there were also announcements being made publicly and privately....guess the private part is very obviously la kan..salary increment!!!

We were craving for salary increment which we would usually be informed in Sep 2010 (junior staffs were asking and as usual there were always a rumour or speculation to entertain your trust and confidence with the company) I knew there was going to be a very good news but I did not expect to be this good for me personally....I've been with the company for 5 years so I'm being rewarded with a one off bonus as well as an additional 1 day off per annum commencing this year (this gives me additional 2 days off per annum) This year I've been granted additional 5 days off thus making my Manager a little worry? I guess he is...he did mention this after the meeting that I have too many day off this year excluding the fact that I only work 4 days a week...moreover, I had been granted days off (twice) since the beginning of 2011 by the Management without my consent..haha...it is not that we have more man power at this moment though...coincidentally these 2 days off were given when the pay was triple!!! The Manager jokingly said, I have too much money (The truth is, the Management tries to be fair to each employees in order to have a balanced triple pay a year..or else some body may request to work during triple pay just to get ahead of others) Well I wish I have too much money but thanks to God am quite happy I'm surviving the wild world with my current financial status...How's the salary increment? let's put it this way...encouraging!

Can't wait for the Bonus! I'm thinking of installing additional strut bar to my sport car or perhaps I will save it for something much more relevant - Holiday & Traveling!

I thank God, my parents' prayer and of course I thank myself for continuing to work hard in life!!

*Now thinking of winning Jackpot this year! If this were to happen, 2011 will be the greatest year to date then

Designated Hermitage - 3 years ago

2011-01-26T11:43:00.005+08:00

The old Designated Hermitage - I miss the 'wel' in this picture..tagap eh tangan..six packs lagi..haha..

Let's Get Fit

2011-01-19T10:47:00.004+08:00

I've made a plan since last year that I will try to get better fitness and health in 2011..I've been surveying few available run events locally..so far I've just registed the 11Km Energyzer Run but if God's will..I will try to join each of these or more...

Energizer Night Race 2011: 11 Km - 16 April 2011 (Registered)

MALAKOFF Penang Run: 26 Km - 22 May 2011

Borneo International Maraton: Half Marathon - 1 May 2011

Standard Chartered KL Marathon: 21 Km - 26 June 2011

Kwong Wah Yip Poh (KWYP) Penang Hill Climb 2011 - 3 July 2011

Tanjung 10 Km Run - 2 October 2011

Kwong Wah Yip Poh (KWYP) Penang City Run - 16 October 2011

Guang Ming Bukit Jambul Hikathon - 23 October 2011

Penang Bridge International Marathon 2011: Half Marathon - 20 Nov 2011

Penang Starwalk 2011 - Date to be announced

Recently I had my first running training for 2011...I'm planning to buy a multipurpose watch so I can monitor my distance and time whilst running...temporarily I've got to live with my BlackBerry mobile application "Great Trainer"...it works fine and its first record was..I ran 1.45 Miles and a lost of 143 Calories within 21 minutes with average speed 5.4 mph...nice!

*Mau start intensif training suda ni tau..

11 years away vs 11 hours in Sandakan

2010-12-23T21:05:00.005+08:00

I'm now officially about 11 hrs in sandakan..the town where i grew up..i did not have many expectation but upon arrival i notice the used to be famous 'mamak' restaurant has gone array..my favourite was opposite the legendary Wisma Sandakan..it is now Restaurant Zakaria?? Since when si Zakaria ada restaurant di Sandakan..although the name and concept has very much changed i was tempted to try their foods..Habeeb was my favourite due to its steam chicken rice and fried mee..it was an utter dissapointment when i tasted Zakaria's fried mee..where did they learn to cook fried mee with oyster sauce..sorry but i did not even finish the food..too much oyster!

Later the day..I went to an actual habeeb and tried their fried mee..I guess they've changed the recipi as well after all it has been 11 years..Habeeb is no longer a favourite..sorry pakcik habeeb...

1 hour before dinnerIi drove to SRK Sg Manila and SM Bestari Elopura formerly known SMK Elopura but i wasn't able to go inside due to school holiday and their gates were locked.Ii could see from a far both have completely transformed..there are few new roads being built but i could only use the old roads I used and familiar with..

Tomorrow is going to be a tiring day..going to drive around to my known places and hopefullyIi wouldn't be dissapointed..hehe..

Farewell 2010 and Season Greetings

2010-12-17T13:41:00.008+08:00

8 days to Christmas and counting...most people are excited about Christmas but for me it’s just a normal day in a Calendar every year...the only different is I’d usually be in my home town Sabah..I may celebrate the Christmas with families or friends but this year...I’m sorry I’ll be celebrating Christmas with long-lost friends back in Sandakan...10 years of my life was spent in Sandakan and I had plenty of crazy friends back then...now after 11 years I’m going back to memory lane..honestly, I’m a bit excited about the idea of visiting Sandakan than others this year...the idea of not knowing what to expect is part of the excitement I guess...I’ve heard lot of stories about how Sandakan has developed...new interesting places..I could not resist the chances to meet up with long-lost friends as well as visiting my previous primary & secondary schools...I’m game for this!!

Looking back 2010....it is one hell of a ride...ups and downs are just part of the life cycle so don’t complain...I’d be lying if I do not have a moment I was worried about my life, career and future but I went through with open heart and huge hope I’d be just fine...I’ve got few highlights of 2010 but let’s just put them into one category- financial stability. I’m not rich as if I receive RM5000 monthly salary but I love to have an idea that life isn’t just about having lots of money or new stuffs...for me being ‘rich’ is being able to support yourself with your own expense without feeling guilty or regret of spending (spend wisely la ba..)

I was pretty cautious about work in the beginning of 2010...most probably it was just because previous year experience but I did quite well...gone through every obstacles as if I do not know what the word ‘give-up’ means to me...to challenge myself to be better than previous year is always the motivation to me although I do not have a ‘to-do/achieve list’ like most people...sometimes I felt I’m just a care-free kind of person and selfish but I love the idea of ‘mind your own business’...I had a conversation over this with a friend and I’m quite sure the friend may not able to digest this huge part of me into practice...I do not care things when they don’t matter and relate to me at all (as long as I’m fine and not disturbed) and as a reflector I will not do things that may affect people around me...fair game? helping others is different if you already knew it's not too much of help but taking care of others due to their own inability to reason life is just a waste of my time...

I do not hope for any big upheaval in 2011 but as always I will do the best of me to get the best for me...I’m pretty excited about my new mobile phone as it is so expensive for me yet due to its features, I believe it is timely to change and it's affordable for me...need to buy instant noodles supply of 3 months starting next Jan 2011..huhu..I’m flying back to Sabah on 18 Dec 2010, at 19:40 and expected to arrive at about 22:30 on the same day....will be in KK for few days before going back to Ranau then off to Sandakan just a day before Christmas also to attend friend’s wedding and etc..I’ll be back to KK for sure on 27 Dec 2010 to attend friend’s wedding and go to Tambunan as final place to visit...will decide in Tambunan either going back to Ranau or direct to KK before flying back to Penang on 2 Jan 2011...

I’d like to wish everyone a very wonderful Christmas celebration and a blast New Year 2011 party!!

May God Bless You

Penang Bridge International Marathon 2010 - RESULT

2010-11-23T10:36:00.004+08:00

Ye Ye...that's how proud I am to myself at the recent 21Km PBIM.

I was almost done at 9 Km check point on the Penang Bridge…but I guess it must be God's way of work...

The first 5Km was fine…I just ran the way I used to and when it was about to enter 7Km..I started to feel muscle pain building up on my calves…at this point me, Jew and Brandon were in the same pace and close to each others...I think the cold sea breeze brought life to my legs...haha…the pain slowly disappearing and I could run as comfortable as I can to my liking until I reached the 9Km Check Point on the bridge…Just after I stepped on the BIB detector and few steps forward…heavy rain begun to wet the face of Penang Island…It was heavy as water from your bathroom shower!!! Not even 1km afterwards, my muscle pain came back and it was definitely made me worried...I tried to control the pain but it became every runner worst nightmare …both my legs were cramped… I tried to fight it by walking on it and stretched my legs down a little bit but it wasn’t working…when an ambulance came in towards me (there was an aged man carried by 2 guys needed an attention) I slowly walked towards the ambulance and asked for help…I asked if they’ve got pain reliever…no they did not have on the van..I then asked if I could stop the run and hop in…no I could not...If I were to quit..I’ll have to wait at the road side (under the heavy rain) for the shuttle bus which may take few more hours after the run has actually ended…I then decided to stop, stretched my legs and slowly walking for almost 2Km when I finally managed to get the cramp controllable!! Although the rain was still pouring heavily…nasib la..

I continued running slowly and steadily until I reached the next 16Km Check Point…from time to time..I stopped running and just walking but for short distance…by this time, the walking was just making the pain to its worst so I shall not walk too much… I thought I already late for the ETA because both 4 hrs and 5 hrs pacers were running in front of me…I think it was about 4Km to go...I finally got pain reliever and this time I got my whole legs sprayed…thighs to ankle and it did the work pretty good…I could run faster and better although the pain wasn’t totally disappeared…I managed to chase the 5 hrs then 4 hrs pacers and finally to the Finish line with unofficial time of 3 hrs 10 minutes…I slowly walked towards the tents were medals were distributed and collected my Finisher Medal..It was damn tiring!! I could only blame the rain as it made the run more challenging and worse…

I now got the official time of 3 hrs 10 minutes!! Well Done Wel!!! I was 10 and about 27 minutes behind Jew and Brandon…I reckon I lost about 20-30 mins whilst nurturing my cramp on the bridge but I’m happy for being able to finish the run within the ETA…it’s my first time running 21 Km and first time joining PBIM…look forward to PBIM 2011!!

Penang Bridge International Marathon 2010

2010-11-18T13:07:00.005+08:00

Event: Penang Bridge International Marathon
Distance: 21 Km (half marathon, ETA 3 hrs 30 mins)
Date and Time: 21 Nov 2010, 03:00am

Ba ba wel…siapa suruh kau pandai-pandai daftar 21Km Penang Bridge International Marathon!?

I’m really not ready for it..either stamina or fitness but I know I will not let myself fail this task easily..

The strategy is..run 5Km within 30 mins then walk another 5Km (no time constraint)..repeat the same thing for the next 11Km to the finish line!!!

Visit www.penangmarathon.gov.my to watch the live telecast....

30's Gateway

2010-10-20T11:43:00.004+08:00

I’m now a year older…thank God!

I organised a decent party last Saturday and it was really a happy moment..coincidently, Jew’s cousin came down from KL so it was timely to hang out and catch up with him although it was the 2nd time I met him..few weeks before I bought a BBQ+Steamboat set which uses electricity and it serves us quite right these few occasions we’ve had…very easy to prep as long as you’ve got necessary ingredients ready in your refrigerator…to cut the story short..we had lamb, beef, chicken, asparagus and of course enough supply for beer...I'm so happy I've finally got a full Dragon Ball Collection (Original DVD) and it didn't take long for me to watch it until the end..Tangkiu to those who have contributed!!

sorry picture taken isn't that clear

The day after … me, Jew and his cousin went (drive) to Betong at the Thai-Malaysia border…it took us approx 3 hours to reach the destination due lost of direction…we departed from home at about 11am and arrived at Betong after gone through the Custom-Immigration check up almost 3pm…nothing much to say about Betong as it hasn’t got any tourist attraction for visiting…main objective to be in Betong mostly for socialising..FYI, most people could speak BM as they’re about 10KM away off Thai-Malaysia border…night life is quite alright (Strip Club and Karaoke Pub) but price wise isn’t that impressive…we had a good time there though…went back to Penang the day after and I straight away went to work as we arrived just before 1pm..it was tiring yet a great adventurous journey…

That’s it…latest update sudah tu..hehehe..right! once again, many thanks for all the wishes..cheers chaps!

Rumah Usang

2010-10-08T06:19:00.005+08:00

Wow..mimang macam teda update suda ni blog tersinta o kan..hehe..

These past few days or weeks I have been very lazy or it just a matter of time to pen down what’s in my mind kah tu..

Recently I’ve just bought a new baby…new baby that’s going to cost my monthly expenses...I decided to do this after many nights of thinking...it could be timely for me juga….with new baby it seems like my previous baby has been ignored for awhile…sorry but it just that I didn’t have much time these few day/weeks…too many activities mungkin tapi activity di rumah juga…emm..

Good news is I’m back to my diet regime…no more heavy supper (bulan puasa habis suda) even though KFC is always my 2nd choice after work…yet I could not resist beer…hehe..need to start practicing ni tau before Penang Bridge Marathon 21 KM….betul ba 21 KM??? I do not have the confidence to reach the finish line but it could be one of attempt that may turn to be another yearly activity in the future... I missed the Merdeka Run 6 KM recently due to heavy rain and sikit-sikit sebab moginum lewat malam..haha…

Recently I felt great about my current life…I managed to get things settled… couple of things I had thought about doing this year I have now achieved except winning a lottery…haha… there are many more though..so don’t get too excited but it’s not wrong to be proud of yourself as a motivational..I reckon this is a normal feeling for a man at my age bah kan…yet I’m not satisfied (tamak juga kenen tapi pandai-pandai lah ba) I have been surveying flight ticket to few other neighboring countries to ensure my previous target is achieved…it just a matter of money of course…looking at my availability I was thinking of flying to Vietnam at the end of this month but it’s too ambitious when there are plenty of things to be taken into account of monthly expense now..I could only say 2010 is one of my prosperous year so far...part of it comes from my earliest sacrifices as well..good for you wel!

Few more days will be another ‘year’ to the number…I do not hope for anything grand but I’d be happy to enjoy what’s given…if I were asked what would I wish to have for the ‘yearly’ celebration..I’d say the laughter we share when having a decent drinking+karaoke session…that means a lot than pricy present…I didn’t say I wouldn’t accept though if someone wants to give me a Microwave, 32 LCD Monitor or a DVD player…many thanks la..hehe. buli mau order kek yang cantik dan sedap macam ini ka?Haha!!!
I’m off for another long weekend (Fri-Mon) and I’m absolutely going to enjoy the break after working very hard these few weeks… it is what every each company/management would expects of a senior; dealing with critical issues without affecting your performance..fact is..non-stop of this could really affect your brain...really need more beer this weekend! Wait...October Fest!! Ye Ye...Cheers chaps!!

Kesian ni blog macam rumah usang sudah..sarang labah-labah banyak sudah..hehe..

Sad But True

2010-08-14T03:15:00.004+08:00

You know what...I don’t know what..haha..

Right…I may not blog about my life or shit these few days but I’ve been around reading some other blogs...believe me…I’m not much of a reader but when it comes to blog I read patiently..haha..perhaps online reading is more thrill than book??Who cares kan…bottom line is I don’t read…I used to read a lot of newspaper etc…but not anymore…I’m getting old to read newspaper…Bullshit! I just don't have much time to read it in office anymore like I used to...

I’ve recently attended a leadership course sponsored by company…well it was great…I really appreciated the opportunity and of course I’m now attached to this company….it is not a problem because I’m quite happy how the management has treated and is treating me…few may have known about this..I don’t understand some people like to be ‘Pak Turut’…pardon me...a stereotype person!! Yeah! That could be the right way to say it in English....I’ve kept my hair for almost 11 months and I love it!! Really, I love it and sad but true I have to cut it for the best interest of others…There you go! If only….I wish I could keep the hair long the way I just like it!!! I’ve never been reprimanded about it and nor been advised to do so…but as a good example one must sacrifice!!! I did notice someone has been 'following' me...yeah I’ve saw his picture with long hair yet if he were to keep his hair long why have to wait when the ‘master’ to do it…he even mention my name for an excuse when the manager questioned him for wearing a cap whilst working (cap is not an office attire guy's) so after much careful thought…I decided to do it..I had planned to keep the hair until the end of year 2010…huhu..I wish the person would have copied the other character of me instead of the hair style…does he lack of imagination and self confidence??

I’m not quite happy about it…reason is I dislike to cut hair as much I dislike to see a doctor…within 48 hours..I’m about to cut my hair short…problem is I don’t know what and how should I cut it…I’m not a follower nor a stereotype person…I always tend to create my own life and my own style...perhaps I may opt for something common this time..you tell me…I love my hair to look healthy and fully organized…I could end up with boyish hair cut again as that’s always work great on me..huhuu…

Any way...the whole story is about hair…yes! Sorry but I really don’t like a stereotype person…do and be what is best for you and not for others interest..I’m going to miss my hair a lot..a man has to do what he had to do though…

I'm flying to KL tomorrow to meet up one with Mr Brandon etc to celebrate his girlfriend's annivesary…didn’t have a chance to catch up with him recently but surely will have plenty of time at his home tomorrow..

I’d like to wish happy fasting month to all Muslim in the world…this is the month I really love a lot…I’ve got too many option for foods…happy fasting month!!!

Time for 100Plus

2010-07-28T14:14:00.012+08:00

REALLY?? That was the impression when I looked at the recent electricity bill. Let’s just say it is as expected but not as much as that!!! Si jew kali ni..haha…no worries, I should have known better when I bought and installed the air conditioner…is there an air conditioner that uses coins to be activated just like to pay to wash washing machine? That’ll be an awesome ‘tabung’..haha…

I finally fell sick last weekend...it amazed everyone in the office and of course it did make my Manager a bit worried…I’ve never really got sick that bad since the beginning of 2010 so that must be timely for me after 7 months…thanks to cold beer, I managed to get it controlled!!! I had a mild flu when I woke up on Thursday and it got worse when I came to work that day…the next day, it was the same plus sore throat and really give me hard time to work…gladly I had an invitation to a belated birthday party cum opening ceremony of a friend’s newly renovated restaurant somewhere in Batu Ferringgi on Friday…at midnight after work, I drove straight to the place and had couple of beers to clean up the ‘dirt’ ..haha…it did work ba…the next day, although I still had sore throat, the sneezing was off…went to meet new friend at Hard Rock Hotel Penang and ended up couple more beers at my colleague’s Rum Jungle Café (a decent place to drink beer with very reasonable price – RM38/bucket; I was given a discount as a token of appreciation though) just before Hard Rock Hotel…I had been planning to come to her place but the place is too far to reach and it’s not rational to drink and drive that far especially now, police road blocks are everywhere in Penang...later that night we went out for another outing…jajal budak-budak sekarang ni tau..kuat betul jalan..haha…we went to one of Jew’s regular karaoke pub (co-regular as the waiter is quite familiar with me already) and it was a great night hanging out with friends coming all the way from KL…lucky I was still in recovering state hence amount of beers was reduced...

Fairly good news…I’ve just registered for 6km Merdeka Run on 8th August 2010 at 07:30..it will be me and Jew with few hundred runners…it’s going to be a fun run so I have nothing to accomplish but I do plan to review my fitness level before I can confidently register for the Penang Bridge Marathon which is in November 2010..I have not been in training mode for more than 1 month but our recent camping trip to Pantai Kerachut looks promising that I can still endure such tiredness and pain…speaking of Pantai Kerachut, we walked for an hour on each journey go and return…it was a fun trip and no alcohol at that time (ada juga lihing tapi anggap saja minum sirap oren)

I might be a little tied up the next couple of weeks (approx 3 weeks) due to lack of manpower…one of the senior staff in Customer Service Dept (UK Office) has had to apply sick leave with unknown duration but most likely it may last for 3-4 weeks…after discussion we decided to work full 5 days a week instead of 4 days a week as we would normally do…not a problem though because there’s always an extra allowance if more days are covered *wink* The last time we had 5 days a week was in the middle of last year…sounds like plans may have to be postponed..huhu…FYI, we’ve got 2 seniors in UK and me in MY thus either me or the other senior (1 in UK at the moment) are not be allowed to have leave during this period until the other one returns…every shift has to have a senior to monitor and supervise..you’d understand why…

We’re 5 months shy of 2011 and few more month the number is increased (+1) I was watching The Vampire Diaries with Claire recently and I thought isn’t it interesting to be a new-school vampire…we were chatting the differences between old-school and new-school vampires…one that stands out is how this new-school vampire can go out during day with no hesitant at all…you’ll enjoy life more than anyone in the world and you’ll get a chance to redeem or repent yourself after 100 years of doing ‘very-bad’ thing to human despite the fact that vampire sucks human blood…if you have human pet that’ll be just fine…hehe…just a thought but it sounds very intriguing…this is a good timing to make a wish list for the ‘+1’ so people can plan cepat-cepat (saving and surveying)...am still looking for an ‘original’ DVD of Good Will Hunting, God Father Trilogy and few more…*wink*

Catching Up..

2010-07-07T05:16:00.006+08:00

Ba ok la….semenjak kebelakangan ini jumlah bilangan cicak yang menginap di rumah pun sudah semakin meningkat..mungkin begitu juga la blog saya ni kan…ada sudah sarang labah-labah..haha…

These past few weeks tiada juga yang interesting bah although I’ve just made one of my biggest decision in my life…sikit lagi tu duit dalam bank boleh sudah mahu masuk meminang ni..hahaha..mengkali la…bagus lagi enjoy kalau ada duit dalam bank..haha…

Recently we had a party here at the house..it was nice to meet kawan-kawan lama dan baru…it was great sampai polis datang singgah mahu join..haha..padahal sikit lagi kana bawah naik pick-up polis gara-gara telampau bising…nasihat dia...jangan kamu teriak-teriak kalau malam…kesian jiran mimpi yang bukan-bukan…haha..

I’m so happy that my room is becoming a better place to rest on these days regardless of day or night…the current electricity bill isn’t bad at all..I was a little surprised myself…the different was just well above RM3!!! If this thing going to stay that way…I’m more than happy to enjoy the air conditioning all the time...so far I’d say about 8-12 hours a day so…fingers crossed saja lah..

Damon, Elena a.k.a Katherine and Stefan

New recommendation…download The Vampire Diaries or buy the original DVD…worth watching…although the actor/actresses aren’t as hot as the Twilight’s but the story line kinda nice….the Salvatore brothers (Stefan and Damon) have lived over 140 years (1864) as vampire and they’ve got so many past stories that slowly come to them…the lady who turned them into vampire named Katherine is apparently survived the 1864 massacre although the brothers thought she had been buried alive or locked underground 140 years ago…another lady named Elena (Katherine’s resemblance – mimang lah bah perempuan yang sama) has gain some impression from the brothers because both of them have had an affair with Katherine in past (Elena is Stefan’s girlfriend in current year)…so begitu lah cerita serba sedikit latar belakang cerita dia, macam sejarah lepas berulang…also most probably Katherine and Elena are blood related… the series was first released in October 2009 and the most recent episode (Ep 22) was released in mid-May 2010…can’t wait the 2nd season…Katherine is back for vengeance…what would happen to Elena, the Salvatore brothers and the villagers...Could there be a love triangle…after watching The Vampire Diaries I felt bored watching True Blood..hehe

* Best juga kalau buli jadi vampire moden..buli keluar bersantai di siang hari..kesian vampire dulu-dulu...

Sad to be in love?

2010-07-02T12:55:00.004+08:00

A very touching video clip of a very beautiful song

Would you?

Cold Night

2010-05-24T02:01:00.008+08:00

It wasn’t my highest priority and not even close to the top 5 priority list this year but I couldn’t ignore the fact that it is a convenience…

After careful thinking...I finally made up my mind...pushed the others to the bottom and brought this matter into real action…I’ve been sleeping with door opened for a few nights…I woke up sweating almost every day…at some point I had to sleep in the leaving room…I just couldn’t stand the heat anymore…

I am now able to enjoy cold night sleep with my new Panasonic air conditioner...it felt great although I feel like I’ve just wasted an amount of money when there are plenty more debts to pay…now I need to reorganize my monthly expenses to make it up…

This is my first air conditioner ever in my life so am sure you would understand how proud I feel about myself… I was imagining if I spent the money on DVDs…I could have achieved 2000 copies of DVDs in a month!!!

I’ve spent more than I should have this month!!! Bought a new air conditioner and flight tickets back to Sabah this June 3….thankfully the fight tickets for a detour weren’t so expensive…well it was RM300 lesser than the usual journey I would have taken (Penang–KK) I bought return flight tickets Penang-KL-KK…I should have bought these tickets earlier!! The usual journey is currently well over RM1000…my mistake so blame me..huhuu..

Now I have to…no! I must cut lots of bucks in June and July to recover…I should be able to do it if things go as planned…fingers crossed and blessing from God…next thing I need to keep an eye is the electricity bill! We are lucky as the electricity consumption at the house we’re renting is way below expectation (perhaps it's an average)…I really hope the new air conditioner isn’t going to cost me ridiculous charges next month…we’ll see...hehe…

Am so going to enjoy my sleep now…imagining buying a big LCD screen for my Desktop and an additional sound system to enjoy movies in my room again! Shit! That’ll be nice…feel like watching movies at Cinema..got to control myself now…hehe..temptation ni tau..

Giant's "Lucky" Experience

2010-05-14T16:23:00.009+08:00

I'm not quite sure how to put this...shall I feel lucky about this or it was just another rare opportunity...

I was at Giant Hypermall half an hour ago shopping for some camping stuff...well the purpose was to find cheap fishing gears la...I finally bought a complete fishing gears which cost me just above RM80.00...once I've paid the goods and walked through to the exit I was stopped by this Chindian girl representing Oosis..she joked why I need to walk faster to avoid her as if I was running away from her..I was actually as I really dislike this kinda people who really persistent even after you've said you were not interested...

She then explained that their new outlet had just opened at Queensbay Complex and they're having some kind of promotion distributing vouchers for free...she explained further that I just need to fill up a simple form and pick 1 out of 4 sealed tickets....the vouchers are worth from RM100 - RM2988 and some others are discount vouchers up to 50%....we sat down and I filled up the form then answered 3 simple questionnaires then I picked 1 sealed ticket hoping to get the RM2988 voucher! I got a picture of Oosis Outlet without no details...the lady and her colleageus were wondering what it meant...I jokingly said did I just won your outlet?! That'll be awesome!! One of the guy then came and told me that I've won a 5 years royalty installment from Oosis...I didn't quite get it...by now I was surrounded by 3 fellas....the lady and I believed her senior explained to me what I've just won...I've actually won a FOC products of theirs amounting RM6600 and ready to be installed as well as delivered to me today plus monthly royalty payment from Oosis for 5 years time...Cool!

Apparently there will be another 4 sealed tickets and I have to pick 1 of these...before we go further on these 4 tickets...they explained that every month I will receive a checque from Oosis for 5 years time..the terms are, a picture of me holding the 1st checque with a smile and I have to pay RM6000 to accept the offer..a one time payment RM6000 as an acceptance of the offer...now it sounded not so great isn't it! Well nothing is free in this world...let's move to those 4 tickets..each tickets have got a number in it...they are 12, 8, 6 and 3 representing "lot"...they explained that these lot numbers will determined how much royalty payment I were to receive every month...Lot 12(>RM900), Lot 8 (>RM600), Lot 6 (>RM300), Lot 3 (>RM150) their follow up action was showing me pictures of people who have accepted these offers and been receiving their checques every month...the highest amount of money I saw was RM19xx as that person has won the Lot 12...they then explained further about the royalty payment that the amount of money could go higher depending on the accumulative revenue from all outlet in the state where I won...having said that they told me in Penang alone there are about 7 outlets and winners from Penang so far had received well above RM1500 every month....

I was thinking about it over an over again...and decided not to accept it..it wasn't an easy decision and wasn't easy to decline those 4 fellas...the Operation Officer at Queensbay's outlet came down to talk to me hoping I would accept the offer....he explained few options for me...I would have accepted the offer if I'm not in need of money right now...well I've just paid a deposit for booking and installing air conditioner into my room which cost me almost RM1000 (Grand Total) but this will only be available next week though...I was hoping to have it today but they couldn't make it today (workers fully occupied) also I needed money for next coming trip back to Sabah in June...although I have not bought a ticket as I blog!! (mau tunggu RM1000 baru mau beli kenen..ngok punya wel!!) If I were to have a very lucky day and win the Lot 12..how would the feeling be to have a checque totalling over RM1000 every month for 5 years coming to you without doing nothing???? Accepting the offer for a long term purposes could have been a great decision but I've had an experience to similar case or scenario..I rather decline such opportunity instead of risking my monthly financial allowances...what an offer!!!

3 Decades Life (Almost)

2010-05-11T05:28:00.006+08:00

I’ve been very quiet about my career life these days …I was reading my last year’s posts and I thought I had been blogging a lot of my work…my dissatisfaction towards professionalism at work etc…I guess it was due to unsettling environment but I’m glad it all paid off quite well for me…

This year seems to be prosperous for me…glad that we finally found appropriate candidates who are now my colleagues…my main responsibility is to enhance their knowledge, to supervise their work and ensure work performance is improving…although I’ve been getting higher acknowledgment from the management yet I don’t feel like I’m at that level yet…there are plenty of rooms for an improvement...being with the same company for almost 5 years now…is like being loyal to your other half…haha..I could see what I have achieved in those years...I thought of myself being fortunate for the opportunity I’ve been given and that drives me to prove to others that whatever you’re doing…make the best out of it…you got to love what you’re doing or else you’re just a slave earning money at the end of the month trying to enjoy your life…macam pakar motivasi pula kenen..haha..well, I’m not the best person to give speech of career but one thing I’ve learned from experience…never give up…it doesn’t matter what people say about you but it matters what you think of yourself…you got to believe yourself and treat every mistake as another chance to learn to get yourself ready for next challenge…do remember though to admit and accept your mistake…challenge yourself to do things you not good at is one of my best education in life…by the time I review myself for a self appraisal, I couldn’t believe I actually did what I could have avoided years ago….

Perhaps some of my dearest friends have heard of this part of my life…since childhood I’ve always hated English but amazingly every English teachers I’ve known were kind and fond of me (male and female)…mesti sebab saya cute mungkin masa budak-budak kan..haha…my father even bought this English Learning Kit for me but I never cared and always got scolded because I didn’t do anything with it…the kit was full of cassettes and exercise books…I always tried to be a passive student when it comes to English at schools yet the teachers always found a way to get me involved….perhaps it was an advantage of being a cute man-child at that time among female teachers…during my secondary school, I was the ‘green board slave’…I became the English teacher’s secretary to write on the green board…I guess my hand writing was one hell of a kind for a cute-man-child at that time…it was something like a calligraphy..orang dulu-dulu bilang tulisan sambung a.k.a tulisan doctor…tapi tidak juga jadi doctor..haha..I don’t think I could write the same way I used to cause dulu-dulu selalu tulis surat cinta jadi banyak practice la…haha…nowadays we use email, e-card and most common is text messaging to express our feeling...we’ve been modernised!! Shit!! Another reason I could think of why these teachers were fond of me is, my father’s reputation as a teacher (Penolong Kanan)…although I wasn’t into the thing with being the son of a teacher but I’m grateful of being one…hehe…

Having said the above, would you imagine someone like me who hates English as I dislike peanut ended up working with UK based company (UK and Oz based customers)…Bahasa Malaysia becomes the 2nd language…It was very difficult for me when I first joined the company…I was fortunate, the management willing to send me off to British Council Class for 2 continue courses: Business Speaking and English Pronunciation…at first I didn’t care much and thought I was just a lucky bastard but when I was made aware of the cost for these courses (over RM7000) I was more than a lucky bastard!! When I thought of it…it was one of my turning points that made me think of my job more seriously…at that moment I was assured that the company isn’t just a company to hire people but a company who would enhance and shape you to be an invaluable and credible person...neither bond nor contract were signed for me to accept this good deeds from the company…being with the company for this long, one could assume that I have nothing more to learn…well, that assumption is incorrect…I’ve got so many more to learn and the management has been very supportive enough to bring new challenge as per my seniority status…There were moments when I felt depressed (early years) and both CEO as well as the Tech Director approached me and spoke to me as if they were my friends...This has never changed except that the Tech Director had left the company to pursue his own family business…I may be in my safe zone now but I honestly never thought of that way as I have not quite achieved some other aspects…I’m just glad that all this years I’ve never gave up with what I have started….

How long I’m going to stay with the company? That’s one of the question I was asked recently by one of the Manager in the UK…I couldn’t really give definitive answer but I responded by saying something “as long as I’m happy..both responsibility and new challenges...”

Into The Wild

2010-04-30T04:04:00.010+08:00

The camping plan was a success…....2 days and 1 night camping trip at Teluk Duyung, Penang National Park

I, Jew and Hendry left the house at about 9:00 24 April 2010 to the nearby coffee shop called “Bali-Bali” for a breakfast…after breakfast, we headed straight to Penang National Park office at Teluk Bahang where most trails start off...it was already about 11:00 when we arrived at the Penang National Park office for registration….at the registration counter, I was told we couldn’t stay overnight at Pantai Kerachut no more…there were already about 80 campers at the camp site and it was more than the daily prohibited number…apparently there was a school program going on there…we were a little saddened but then decided to go to Teluk Duyung @ Monkey Beach…Looking at the trail map, it is about 2.2 Km distance of 1 and a half hour journey….Pantai Kerachut is about 3 Km distance of 2 hours journey…the entrance and its first 1 Km trail has now been developed….well, there was no office and nor trail built (tiles) 8 years ago…the journey began at about 11:30 and managed to reach Teluk Duyung less than the predicted duration…

At Teluk Duyung, there was also a school program going on as well so the camp site wasn’t empty…I think they’ve got about 30 students…we found a good spot to put up our camps as it has great access to the beach, sea and nearby bamboo shelter equipped with decent bamboo shelf and of course a place to do BBQ…it was about 14:00 when we had our lunch…I brought cooked rice from home so this helped to ease the lunch preparation... punya membuka selera lunch ni kali..makan nasi + sambal bilis dalam tin +ikan black bean (touse) + jagung dalam tin + beer…we spent the whole afternoon resting, chatting and did some small chores….we collected enough dried woods for the BBQ and fire at night before it was dark….the night before at home, I bought a crate of beer so me and Jew had already drank 12 cans off 24 cans…the other 12 cans were our main drinking water that afternoon at Teluk Duyung…whilst drinking and chatting, we observed those students making their lunch preparation….they spent hours to cook and finally at 16:00 they’ve finally got their stomach filled with food …there was another group among us at the Teluk Duyung camp site…we realized it was not an ordinary group later that evening when we were resting and swimming in the sea….looking at the flag, it looked like a PAS meeting…a secret meeting??

Just when it was about to get dark, we lit up the ‘ungun api’ I prepared earlier….it was awesome! I have not had the chance to do it as I used to when I was actively into boy scout during my early years…I still got the touch pula...hehe…we took turn taking bath and I really love having bath there…there’s a big gallon of water which was really cold and refreshing…it was night time after we had taken our bath and each of us did what we were meant to do…I did the BBQ, Jew with his instant noodles and Henry had earlier taking care of the fire and charcoal for BBQ and he kept our 'ungun api' to its best….we had instant noodles as appetizer followed by BBQ chicken wings along with our main course of 1 litre Chivas….desert would be dried fish in black bean (Touse) plus cigarettes…prior to dinner we had to go through a panic moment..I’ve predicted it was going to rain but we did not expect it was going to be that scary….Jew had to run for his camp when a strong wind came to the shore...we had to carry all the stuffs outside back into the bamboo shelter especially the BBQ set…thankfully it wasn’t long and we survived the ‘hurricane’…Jew’s camp almost thrown off by the strong wind…it was quite scary being at that situation…those school students were of course panicking and ran to save their own camps…we spent the whole night chatting about life...It was interesting night for us to catch up with each other…discussed couple other personal stuffs with a bottle of Chivas, 2 bottles of coke, some side dishes at a windy surrounding…a nice place to let your mind forget about work…I guessed we went to sleep at almost 2:00 the next day (Sunday)…personally it wasn’t easy for me as I kept hearing this wild/stray dogs wandering around looking for foods….I even heard the sound of bones being crushed in their mouth…the sound of their footsteps wandering around our camping site…I finally managed to get sleep when it was almost sunrise...but had to wake up early as the sun has gone high up heating my camp from the inside….huhu…

The next morning....we had instant noodles for brunch until 3 fellas arrived by boat asking us to empty the shelter for their oncoming customers whom to have a picnic there….we decided to pack all our stuffs and headed back…I think we arrived at the national park office at the predicted time of 1 hour and a half this time….spent almost an hour at the office’s porch...I even took a bath before we headed back home for an actual lunch at 14:00 that day…it was quite a tiring journey but I think we’ve achieved our objective...spending time together out of the ordinary (stay at home)….we have discussed and made another plan in near time soon to really go to Pantai Kerachut and this time we will make a reservation…hehe…

* I look a little darker since my return...