At the moment, the client requested a mock up and I have identified 3 competitors bidding for this project. And since I don’t have time to draw more than 1 PSD format, I will have to make this a competition. I will submit all the designs and IF I win the bid, I will be awarding RM 1,250 to the winner (upon first payment from client).

These are the details:

1. The title is Faces Of Malaysia. It’s a travel website for a travel agency that sells ticket for inbound tourism. Which means to say, they promote Malaysia overseas about the attractions in our country. (No e-commerce or online booking at the moment)
2. If you took/borrowed pictures from Flickr, please remember who they’re from. I don’t want to be linked to copyright infringement.
3. The design must have a Header, Highlighted content (animated jQuery slideshow, but you do not need to do any jQuery stunts here), Content area, Sidebar, Footer and a Search Form.
4. Colors can be used freely, but preferable if you could justify the design.
5. Corporate look based on Grid layout. So those who likes fancy background, please loosen your art sense. (I generally prefer sharp and simple designs)
6. You can submit more than 1 design.
7. Remember, IF I won the project using your design, you will be rewarded. RM 1,250 for a start. I could give more if I win big. But IF I don’t, sorry
8. The layout belongs to you in case I don’t use it.
9. Please use the attached PSD, it can be downloaded from here. (it’s based on 960 grid system)
10. The design must be unique, not from template. Automatic ban for life applied (for future projects).
11. Closing date is on 11:55pm Monday, 8th February 2010. You can submit in JPEG or PNG to me, edwin@laman7.com

How to design? Have a look at LiteTheme mockup, Laman7, Innobiologics. This is what I mean by corporate. You might also want to Google on Travel Websites and get some fresh ideas from there. Best, check out CSS galleries. Here are some sample, statravel.com, travelocity.com, holidaytours.com.my, seduniatravel.com and trafalgar.com.

So you can’t design? Well, help me promote. If I win this project, I will give RM 50 to the top 5 redirecting to this post.

Remember, I am thriving on IF I WIN. But with good designs, I don’t see a reason to fail. So all the best to participants.

ps: I will do one also. If they like my design, then I am RM 1.25k richer.

“How old are you Ed?” he asked.

“Why don’t you pick two digits and I’ll tell you if it’s right”, I replied.

“33 years old”, waaaa.. Do I really look that old? Anyway, I decided to probe this further. ”What makes you say that?” I asked genuinely.

“Partly because how you dress, how you carry a conversation, how you think and your position in the company”. He sat right next to me, slowly inhaling carbon from his cigarette.

“Sorry to disappoint you, I’m actually 26 going 27.”

He turned and distant himself. Took a closer look from top to bottom. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

Many think I’m in my 30’s. But it’s good. Helps me to convince people in negotiating a deal or do a presentation without interruption. Oh well, age is just a number.

ps: Tomorrow is big meeting for Laman7. Let’s hope I win this project

It’s 9 30 am and I was barely awake and eyes semi-opened. Everyone was at home. It’s a holiday for Wilayah Persekutuan. A colleague of mine called.

“Hey bro, are you coming to meeting at 10?” he asked.

“Dey thambi, today is holiday lah” my mouth reeked the smell of a morning breath. It wasn’t nice and I was still yawning & stretching.

“It’s only KL lah bro, do come to the meeting and don’t be late. We have a new CPE (Commitment Plan & Evaluation) for 2010. You must arrive at 10.” he hung up.

*Shit!* Tak cuti! Tidakkkkk.. I showered and got ready as quickly as I could. It’s been a while since I pushed Jenny to 170kmh. It does feel good when no one is on the highway. A normal 45 mins daily affair became a 15 minutes ride.

10:05 am, I reached office.

“Jom meeting bro,” I rang my peer’s extension.

“Bro, boss is on leave lah. So meeting cancelled,” he replied calmly.

Siaaallll.. I just wasted 12.5 liters of petrol for nothing. Anyway, it’s good to be in office. Even when they don’t really need me (I’ve met my KPI [Key Performance Index] by 400% last month). I am one darn efficient machine. Deep down I know, I was born for this job. I hope I don’t get bored before my time is up.

ps: Golf is the only thing I think of nowadays. I guess it’s true what they say, “Golf is like a drug, you’ll want more.”

I arrived shortly, thanks to fully charged Jenny.

I wore a black cap which I found on the rear seat (I have no idea to whom it belongs to) and took all the necessary equipments. Unlike other golfers who brings their whole set, I travel light, so 4 clubs is good enough.

Once I got the ball from the counter, I glanced through, searching for an empty spot. When all of a sudden a makcik screams from a far, FAHRIN AHMAD. Her high pitched scream forced me to squirmed my eyes in agony. With an eye open, I looked the other way around, wondering, who is this Fahrin Ahmad guy. (I’d be lying if I told you I don’t know who he is, well, I think I know).

“Eh Eh, buat tak nampak plak. Dah lama awak main golf?”

The next thing I know, she was standing before me.

“Kak, mana Fahrin Ahmad?” I asked her.

She stared at me, analyzing my face per dot inch. I didn’t know what to do, so I stood still while keeping an eye on her as she swindled right to left.

“Oh, salah orang!” and she left.

What the Faaaaaaaaaa….

Either that mak cik is delusional or she forgot her glasses. I think it’s the latter. Anyway.

ps: A silent reader of mine is getting engaged this March. I’m so happy for you babe, but that also means another soon-to-be-missed friend. Oh well

It’s a norm to roam floor to floor, introducing myself as a new addition to the company. Nothing much, just wanted to understand the organization as a whole before I lube my gears.

“You’re new here!” a lady who passed by said.

“Yes I am.” I replied quickly, I didn’t want to hold the lift any longer.

“What is your name?”, she asked

“Edwin”, short and simple, I replied, trying hard to end the conversation.

She stopped and looked at me from head to toe, as if something was wrong with my attire. With a finger pointed at me she asked, “Are you a muslim?”

“Yes, Melayu lagi“, I smirked generously.

I always get this question often. I used to be offended, but not anymore. I guess I am comfortable tossing my real name around.

“Sabah or Sarawak?”, with a confused face she asked and still pointing at me.

“Nope, born and raised in KL”. And there goes my ride to 11th floor.

“Owh. What a modern name!” she looked like she digested the info.

“Yup. In case you’re wondering, saya orang Jawa“, I added.

“That explains it! See ya around Edwin ”

The FAQ remains the same, am I a muslim/malay and either I’m a Sabahan or Sarawakian no matter where I go. That includes meeting clients. What to do, I guess my dad was way beyond his when he thought about my name. It’s late, so I’ll tell you how I got my name in my next post.

ps: Just got back from lepak with Blowie, Qiilans87 and Aenaz. Time to sleep!

Over at one corner, a man about my age lauded “ubat ini boleh sembuhkan kanser, kencing manis, darah tinggi, gaut, batu karang..“. He got me, so I stood there listening to his speech. I was actually looking for a flaw. I desperately want to see him fumble.

He went on and on about how effective the medicine is. Too me, it looked nothing more than like olive oil. Which we all know is good for health (also stated in the Quran). Until he paused. I quickly raised a question.

“Ubat ini ada kelulusan Kementrian Kesihatan tak?” I asked.

He replied, “Buat ape nak ikut depa, depa bukan tau ini ubat baik“.

Again, he got me. This is one tough ego to crack. He’s so confident about the effectiveness of his product that he dissed others. Now, wearing exactly like a pious muslim, shouldn’t he be humble and not mislead others? This is where my wicked mind kicks in.

“Abang, kalau ade orang mati, sape tanggung?“ Everyone in the crowd turned to me. I had a very good point. To some extend, I know I was being harsh. He’s trying to make a living and I’m denying his rights. But at the same time, I do not want others to be mislead.

“Mana ada orang mati makan ubat ni. Tak pernah dengar lagi. Lagipon, ajal maut kan di tangan Tuhan.” Nice come back, but still weak. Now, let’s crack the crowd, the air is a bit tensed, no thanks to my previous question.

“Haaaa… ape kata abang beli insurance. Saya ade jual!“, I grinned.

The crowd laughed horribly loud. I left instantly. I never had any interest in buying, I only wanted to share my thoughts. And I think, I’ve succeeded. It’s up to the crowd to decide, whether an RM10 bottle could cure cancer is worth the try.

But seriously, RM 10 to cure cancer? If it was, he’d be featured as man on the century!

ps: Had fun playing golf today, now off to futsal

Last weekend I went to the driving range with Mind. Our friendship go way back 15 years ago and we’re pretty much comfortable with each other. Considering both of us are beginners, we decided to settle at the corner. Far from superior golfers.

Mind was having problem getting the ball to go up, so was I. Our shots were inconsistent. Sekejap left, sekejap right,sekejap tak kene langsung. But we didn’t laugh at each other and put in more effort.

Out of no where an old timer lauded, “Dik, blajar pitching laa dulu. Kalau pitching tak lepas, jangan harap nak pukul dengan kayu lain. Golf ni bahaya kalau tak reti main.“

It wasn’t what he said that annoyed us, it was his tone. Pure sarcasm.

But we remained calm and continued with our remaining shots. At 50 balls, Mind decided to retire. I guess he lost his confidence to that old bugger. Poor guy, he wanted to practice, instead got a mental beating.

Yesterday, I revisited the driving range. I got the same spot. The old man was there.

I was no where near average. I was getting worst. My swing was off, so was the target. It was a poor sight. The old man said, “belajar pitching dulu, baru datang driving range“. Somehow what he said got me. Here I am, trying my best to land a good shot and there he was, being Simon Cowell of golf.

Another 20 shots, still, I couldn’t get it right.

That old man turned to me and said, “buang duit je kau main golf“.

This is it. This is as far as I’ll let anyone walk all over me (and my friend). This old fart needs a foot up his ass and I’ll gladly volunteer. I rolled up my sleeves, turned my cap the other way around, put the club on my back and held a ball in my hand. Deep inhale…

“Wey hitam, diam-lah.”

That was probably the rudest thing I’ve ever said in 2010 and I believe I was right in doing so. Sometimes old farts needs a slap on the head, even dato’ too. He turned around and pretended like he never engaged me.

Come on lah uncle, we come here to practice our swings. If our house is a 9 hole course, we wouldn’t even bother setting our foot here. So, pikir lah skit. Besides, whether it’s my money or dad’s, it’s our money. We can do what ever we want with it.

ps: I felt pretty bad telling that old man off. I guess we’re all bound by our eastern quality, hormat yang tua, no matter how westernize we think we are. Oh well, at least I didn’t throw the ball nor swing the club I was holding. Mental remarks cukup lah.

pss: To shut someone up, you only 3 words. Wey (some low-blow remarks), (what you want them to do)! Example, Wey Ayam, berak-lah! Trust me, it’s the quickest way to get out of confrontational talks.

psss: I didn’t teach you this and you didn’t learn it from me. Ok?

Over the past few years, I’ve made a new circle of friends, namely bloggers and twitter-ers. There’s Bongkersz, Aeropama, AzmanIshak, Kujie, Qiilans87, Icenyior, Kruel74, SembangKomputer, Tekong, Bat, Wfxyz and many more.

When I started blogging, I had one thing in mind; to make trivial things matter. Anything under my radar, I wrote. I stitched my ego and laced it with emotions. And I believe I’ve succeeded that.

But the more I write, the more I derailed from my original goal.

At some point it got too emotional, sometimes too geeky, often times, it doesn’t make any sense at all. I figured what the hell, I’m just doing this for fun. But later kinship got involved. What IF my kids read my blog? Wouldn’t it be awkward? Ok maybe that’s a little far off, but the possibility is still there.

Some even noted that I might find my wife amongst my reader. If kids were far off, this is wishful thinking.

Then I got involved, physically. I interact with people. Everyone knows who’s behind NH. This is where I got dull.

I lost my freedom to write about people. The more audience I gained, the lesser things I can write. Eventually it comes to a point where I am being cautious about what is written here. It got even worst when someone texted me, “Did you write about me?” or “Dude, if you’re mad at me, talk to me-lah, don’t go public”.

I became reserved, so are the people around me. That indirectly narrows down my exceptional ability to exaggerate on matters. I am now known as the bluntest knife in the kitchen.

When topics go down to zero, I turned to books, hoping to re-ignite my dying wicked thoughts. Unfortunately, it got worst when I knew I know nothing.

So the lesson learn here is, less is more.

I can no longer bitch about people. No longer walk all over them. No longer write the way I used to, unless, I change my game plan. But that wouldn’t be NH anymore would it?

ps: Remember, NH is just an alter ego.

On normal working days, I’d park my car around the office compound. Almost all the time I was greeted by the friendly Nepal guards, “Morning Boss”.

To be reasonably humble, you can’t just reply with “Morning”. You must initiate a short conversation. The routine is, “Sudah makan?”. Their usual response is “Sudah” and followed by a smile that stretches from ear to ear. The same question echoes whether I got back from lunch or meeting, without fail, I’d ask the same question and get the usual reply.

Over the pass 4 weeks, it has become a muscle brain for them. Even without saying anything, they’d say “Sudah” and I’d smile in return.

Today I arrived early.

I locked my car and walked towards them. From afar, they raised their hand, much like saluting Hitler. As I passed them, I asked my routine question, only this time, with a slight of improvisation.

“Sudah BERAK?”

“Sudah”, he answered confidently with a huge grin.

“Bagus!” with my hand covering my mouth, I giggled my way up the slope. PWNED!

It took him a few seconds to digest. By then, I was already at the main entrance. He turned and shouted, “BOSS, SAYA BELUM BERAK” and we laughed horribly loud.

ps: The guys smoking outside the entrance was rather puzzled when the guard shouted those impolite words.

pss: Tomorrow, I’ll buy them lunch, to make up for me ridiculing him.

It was lines of bulls. Smelly stinky and pointless.

So here’s a quote

Don’t ever let anyone, including me (the head honcho), stand in your way to determine your success. You were born to win. So do what you do best.

Those words echoed right down to my spine. I knew I had to get it off my system.

ps: Reading Mahathir’s delivered speech, 1997-1999. Whoever wrote the speech, sure is very intelligent. But it requires a charismatic person to deliver it. Funny, most of it being so humble. Maybe because we were at a down turn?

Of course, I am obligated to share and remind myself what are my goals

1. Get Married. People say, I’m picky and fussy about the whole idea of marriage. Some say I have commitment issues. Both of them are true. The idea of marriage may take a while for me to sink in and I pretty much want to be married to a special someone for the rest of my life. Unlike shopping for a pair of comfy jeans, which I can replace annually, I have to be picky when it comes to this. To whom, that’s the already another issue and I believe I do NOT need to justify why I choose a doc.

2. Have Great Little NH. If you didn’t get that, it’s having kids. I have a soft spot for kids. I have been in touch with my paternal side for as long as I can remember. Let’s just hope God grants my kids a great mom.

3. Financial Freedom. Like most of us, I do have debts. Car loan, business loan, personal loan, credit card and I am not ashamed to admit I do have problems managing my finance. But throughout this decade, I want to settle them all, except housing loans.

4. Finish What I Started. I have the tendency to get bored over the things I’ve initiated, e.g. reading a book. Half way through if I’ve figured out what the contents are, I’d probably stop. Similarly in other areas, start ups, projects, hobby, writing songs etc. So as part of the resolution, I want to see everything to the end.

5. Do Wonders to Malaysia. When I was in the UK, I was very much pleased with the whole system. It enabled me in many ways, I even had a company over there. But I went home instead, with every intention of contributing to my nation. To my dismay, I did nothing. I decided to re-visit this resolution. (Thinking of teaching night class for free. Imagine Engineers teaching Add Math/Physics, Lawyers teach BM/English.. wouldn’t that be great?)

6. Solidify My Existance. Particularly in academics and corporate. I plan to take up Masters this year at UTM KL and maybe pursue a doctorate degree. Areas I’m looking forward to is rather broad, but should be governed within Management, Islamic and International Business. And since I’m very much supervised by great bosses, I plan on capitalizing and learning as much as I could from them.

7. Be a Good Family Member. I know, throughout my entire life, I have been a pain in the ass. Everything must be done my way. My ego was so huge, I even cower people away. Those were unintentional mistake I’ve paved; to belittle others through intelligence and harsh words. But since everyone is pretty much grown up, I am slowly accepting the fact that two (or more) is better than one. I am extending this resolutions to my friends too.

Seven huge resolution is enough for the decade. The ideal outcome for all this effort is to become a better person.

“Engage your brain before putting your mouth in gear”

ps: I do have a new year and a quarterly resolution. For short and emergency goals

The game plan was different back then. I wanted to start a company (accomplished) and once I’ve settled down the ups-and-downs of business, I was thinking of getting married. Then do MBA to solidify my existent. Sadly, I managed to accomplished the first goal. And I am no where near the other goals.

Now it’s different. I’m back on the corporate ladder and couldn’t careless about getting married (not that I don’t care at all). I’m entirely devoted to realigning myself, back on the straight line. It’s rather selfish, but I know, it’s worth knowing yourself better, before understanding others.

After 10 years of fooling around, it’s time I get myself back on track. Goodbye 2009.

Goodbye Eddie. Hello Edwin!

ps: Will be writing about my decade’s resolution tonight.

As I scroll along the highlights, I found one GLARING point.

1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) will establish a corporate social responsibility fund totalling RM100 million as a start to finance community activities.

Do we really need a company to roll this idea? RM100 million is best used to fund other things like public transport or plantation sector.

The Government will establish the 1Malaysia Retirement Scheme to be administrated by EPF.

Weh, enough lah of this 1Malaysia thing! Sudah basi liau!

I know Najib has his utmost attention on making Malaysian a united nation and a prosperous one, but he has to keep in mind, too much of something bad enough (quoted from Spice Girls). If Brit pop does not excite him, consider Islamic way of wasatiah then.

ps: 1Malaysia? Shaddap lah!

During my deep slumber I was awaken by a call. With an eye open and face on the pillow, I answered. “Hello?”

“Ayah, ayah kat mane?”

She sounded like a teenager. Still trying to mend the puzzles, I replied, “Ye..?”

“Anis ni, ayah kat mane? Ayah tak balik ke semalam?” she asked.

I got out of bed in shock, making sure I wasn’t dreaming nor sound sleepy when answering the call. I took a breathe and thought about it.

“Saya ada anak perempuan?” I replied.

“Alah, Anis ni ayah. Buat-buat tatau plak”

“Awak salah nombor ni. Saya kahwin pon belom lagi.”

“Ayah, janganlah main-main”

Seriously, it was a pure WTF moment. I wasn’t sure what to reply especially she insisted I am her father. So it’s best do I what I normally do in the office, role-playing.

“Ok, nanti pukul 2 Ayah balik, bye bye”.

“Hmm.. Anis tunggu tau. Ayah janji Ayah balik ok. Mak ckp die janji tak marah”

Whom ever the dad is, be sure to get your wrinkled ass home by 2 pm. And be ready to get a whopping from your wife!

ps: Tiring trip from JB. Thank God it’s an automatic. I couldn’t imagine driving manual car and being stuck in traffic for 1.5 hours.

Now I find myself in my father’s study room, browsing through his books and assignments (dad is doing his PhD). It’s true what they say,”bile dekat-dekat tak pandang, bile jauh dikenang“.

To everyone, be safe where ever you are, in return I’ll do the same.

ps: Missing my 1 year old niece. Gorjes kid!

pss: Met Kujie (a fellow blogger)! Such a sporting mom!