Second to Minute

Free money

2009-05-27T21:57:00.005+08:00

What if, I say again, IF one day while at the ATM, the machine spit out RM3,000 instead of RM300? Logically, the first thing is to check your saving account balance, making sure that the extra "0" didn't come out from there. If the balance checked out, then, what would you do?

Return the extra to the bank? Take only RM300 and leave the balance RM2700 at the ATM? Or take the money and walk away? After all, it's not that you hold a gun and rob the bank. It's just some machine's mistake.

Still having a problem in deciding what to do? What if, I say again, IF the ATM spit out RM3 million? RM30 million? RM300 million?

Tough question, right? Especially if the amount is getting larger. Morally, it's wrong. Legally, I'm not sure. If you need guidance, check out the true story below.

Couple flees after $7.8m Westpac bank blunder

By staff writers

May 21, 2009 09:10am

NEW Zealand police are searching for a couple who have allegedly fled with millions of dollars that was accidentally deposited into their account.

The couple is understood to have received a $NZ10 million ($7.8 million) deposit after asking Westpac Bank for a $NZ10,000 overdraft, NZPA is reporting.

The couple ran a service station in Rotorua, according to NZPA.

"The individuals associated with this account are believed to have left New Zealand and police (are) working through Interpol to locate those individuals," said Detective Senior Sergeant David Harvey of New Zealand Police.

"Westpac Bank has recovered some of the money which had been inappropriately withdrawn."

He did not specific how much had been recovered and refused to confirm any other details about the case.

"At this time I am not prepared to disclose the amount of money involved, name the individuals or business involved, or discuss which country the individuals may be in right now."

Presenting........ Mr & Mrs Koh

2009-05-11T22:42:00.023+08:00

Updates:
The Dinner Part 1
The Dinner Part 2

This post is dedicated to my sister in law, Shin Hui and her hubby, Patrick, who tied their knot on 9th of May. Congratulations and warmest wishes from both of us.

The customised chocolate gift set

Pearl tiara

Cute

Pure joy

Cinderella piece

Fit perfectly

Adorning tiara

The satin veil of hapiness

"I dreamed of this day all my life"

Symbol of unity

and quite priceless too....

Knight in shining .....er, Vios

What's so funny?

Nothing but sincere blessing

"Special" breakfast prepared for the Groom

Yummy...

:-D

"Did he actually swallow that??!!!"

Hot?

Have a drink....

I bet my last dollar that was not Coke

The entourage of "Chi Mui"

and another

and another....

Give me angpow, not tissues

Listening to the "negotiation" outside her room

Sign the ~~death warrant~~ contract,

and you may kiss the Bride

"May this ring, bond our souls till eternity"

Here comes the Bride

Announcing, Mr & Mrs Koh

Just married.....

Their journey begins......

The Dinner Part 1

2009-05-10T22:27:00.000+08:00

The Dinner Part 2

2009-05-10T22:23:00.001+08:00

Amidst the cheers and jovial chats, there were many gorgeous ladies and charming gentlemen. All dressed immaculately, just for the occasion.

And there's even a hardsell Tiger beer salesman........

However, the ones who captured my attention were the kids. Here's my nephew (i think) who was charming and behaving nicely (at the beginning).

And his little sister, who was quite shy.

But once the ice was broken, the little guy sprang into action

From ultraman to monkey faces

Playful, active, and unpretentious

I laugh everytime I look at these photos

And this little angel

So innocent.......

Yet captivating

Shin Hui just couldn't resist

My niece

Safe and sound

Short update

2009-05-04T22:46:00.004+08:00

Last weekend was supposed to be a great weekend. Friday was a public holiday, and my boss was on leave since Thursday and he would only be coming in tomorrow. No work, long break, that's the wish of many corporate slaves out there.

However, things don't always go the way you wanted it to be. I received a call from mum (plus 3 missed calls from her too) on Saturday morning. Apparently dad hurt his back, badly. Long story short, I sent him to seek medication and after some traumatic (me) and painful (him) moments, the doctor gave the assurance that everything is under control. Nothing serious, thankfully, probably some nerve or back muscle problems. Relieve.....

But over the course, I noticed dad has became older and slightly frail. To raise this prodigal son of his must have taken some toll on him. Sigh, I really need to spend more time with him and the rest of my family.

Sink or Swim

2009-04-15T20:45:00.004+08:00

If you are close to me, you would have known that I quit my job last week, and changed to a new one this very Monday. I'm not going to say anything about my new place, simply because it's still too early for me to conclude. It's suffice to say that this is a "Sink or Swim" environment, with no time to slack nor any mercy to be given for any mistake, and strange enough, I actually love every minute of this unforgiving environment. Perhaps I have rest for too long.

The most interesting comment I got when people heard about my resignation was, "You got retrenched!!!??" Mind you, it was not from 1 person. Many people responded to the same way, my cousin sister included. Sigh..... Looks like times are really bad.

Since I will be super busy during workdays, I will theoretically, be super lazy in the weekends. Updates for this blog will be intermittent. And as my new company has this restricted policy for internet access, mean I am at the mercy of Streamyx's slow connection at my own place.

That's all for now folks.

Taiwan photos

2009-02-27T15:24:00.014+08:00

I was chatting with Hao Hao's mum earlier, when she scolded me for not updating this blog. Didn't know I have a fan. Ok, as promised, here's some sample Taiwan holiday photos Mrs Banana and I went during last December.

The bullet train from Taoyuan to Taipei

Borderline

Chiang Kai Sek Memorial Hall

A fishing village enroute to Yehliu Geopark

Dark and gloomy weather during the winter

The signature Egyptian Queen Head

Weird but naturaly shaped rock formation

7-Star Pond in Hualian. Finally, some blue sky.

The place is well known for its marbles

The entrance to Taroko George

The faraway temple. Notice the landslide on the right.

Having a coffee while appreciating the view

Shopping for snack at Jiu Fern

Guess what was Mrs Banana doing?

Yup, a Kun-Ming lantern. Similar to that those in Red Cliff.

Up up and away

Artistic roof decorations at the Wen Wu Temple

Chicken chop? Let me grab my knife.

Little steel lantern

How many mountains can you see?

A very scenic Sun Moon Lake

A pose at the Fisherman Wharf and Lovers' Bridge

Fisherman at work

How to get my bike out?

Taipei 101, the must-photograph icon for Taiwan

Happy 牛 Year!

2009-02-09T10:37:00.005+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! This is going to be a sticky post, always appearing on top of this blog, at least until the CNY is over. May the Moo Moo year bring good luck and plenty of wealth to all.

I nicked the Wallpaper design from here. Apart from the cute design and plenty of auspicious greeting, it also incorporates 己丑 [Ji Chou] (formal name for this year) into the head and body and 2009 in the eyes and nostrils. What a design!

Gong Hei Fatt Choy, everyone!

Gong Xi Fa Chai

2009-01-27T17:41:00.001+08:00

Best wishes from both of us!

Feng Shui Prediction

2009-01-23T10:33:00.005+08:00

I am not a superstitious person. There is no mumbo-jumbo in my office room nor in my house. My previous boss was quite a believer though, there were many things hanging from the ceiling, mini fountain, etc. etc. in the office.

But since the Chinese New Year is approaching, there's no harm in having a sneak peek of my prediction in the Ox-picious year. Thus, when the Sun paper featured a column written by a Feng Shui master today, I searched for the Snake sign to look into what's in store for me.

Here is the prediction.

"This will be a great time for you in terms of career as your contributions and efforts will be recognised. You will also enjoy promotions and salary increments which means that you might be busier this year. You will need to be careful of your health due to your tight schedule. Be careful of your elders' health and safety as well.

However, be vary of people who might want to tempt you into doing things that are against your conscience. There will also be others who like to spread gossip or talk badly about you this year. Avoid indulging in gossips yourself as you will need to be careful with your words and behaviour.

Many things will be going on behind your back and you might not always have the opportunity to defend yourself. You should be clear in your communications and avoid ambiguity. Pay more attention to your finances this year and it will save you from a lot of trouble in the future."

There you have it. My prediction for this year. In essence:

1) My boss will finaly notice me and evaluate my worth for the company. (Please don't notice me for retrenchment!)

2) I will be busier this year, with more things to do. (Since it has been confirmed that there is NO salary increment)

3) My health will be affected due to my tight schedule. (Wow, thanks a lot, Sherlock.)

4) Pay attention to my parents, my in laws and the elders. (Hmm, excuse me, what about the young ones?)

5) People will be jealous of me and will try their most evil way to get rid of me. (Suddenly, I feel like I'm a main character in some TVB drama/series.)

6)I am incline to beat around the bush and create a lot of confusion. (Eh?? I'm confused already)

7)Pay a lot attention to my finances. (Yup, I agree on this one. Credit card interest is way too high)

Sharing is caring. So, if you happened to be born in the year of 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989 and 2001 the same will happen to you. Maybe not to those in 2001, I doubt they are any 8 years old in the work force or have a credit card already.

):-D

2009-01-22T10:00:00.003+08:00

Try to decipher this ):-D

It's a cow with horns laughing loud!

Hahaha......

Btw, the company just announced the performance reward. Some are happy and many are not.

I think it's all depend on the expectation. If you have high expectation, then you will be madly dissapointed.

Is it fair? Distribution of the bonus is skewed towards the senior management, i think. Am I happy? Of course! Because I have never thought of getting a single cent before.

Copy Cow

2009-01-22T09:50:00.004+08:00

I sent out a mass email to my colleagues this morning, with the following message and the Cow wallpaper, of course.

Happy 牛(niu) Year, everyone!
Wishing you as healthy as an ox, as strong as a buffalo and as productive as a cow.
Gong Xi Fa Chai!

I sent it out on 9.03am. At 9.21am, a very obvious similar message (with the exact background color, picture, font, signature, etc) came back to me and the rest of the team. It was from Ronn, one of our GM. He wrote:

Happy牛 (niu) Year 2009!
Wishing you and your family a great year of niu as healthy as an ox, as strong as a buffalo and as productive as a cow.
Gong Xi Fa Chai!
Have a safe journey home visiting your love ones. Wishing all the Best of 2009.

What a copy cow. Perhaps he like my design very much.

Shortlisted Images for Chinese New Year

2009-01-13T10:43:00.006+08:00

Chinese New Year is less than 2 weeks away! Some of the shorlisted images I found on the internet to decorate my post for Chinese New Year. But ultimately discovered this.

I am still a newbie in web design and HTML stuff. Still trying hard to decorate this blog with other things for the CNY, so stay tune.

Bimbadgen Estate

2009-01-02T14:24:00.010+08:00

Here's some random shots I have taken at Bimbadgen Estate in Hunter Valley. It's a small winery, but excudes a charming and pleasant atmosphere. It was very unfortunate that all the grapes were harvested and the vines were empty. I would really love to shoot some juicy grapes dangling by its vine.

The winery has a cellar door and an award wining restaurant, and it's open for lunch and private functions only. Imagine having your lunch overlooking the beautiful vineyard while sipping a glass of wine. I was too indulged in my lunch that I have forgotten to take some pictures of the food. If you could afford it, you could charter a helicopter from Sydney to Bimbadgen just for lunch!

Sayonara 2008

2008-12-31T12:23:00.002+08:00

It's the last day of 2008, and I feel obliged to put in a few words. Heck, I started the year with the resolution post, and reminded myself about it again by the end of January 08. After that, I have totally forgotten about them. But rejoice, it's not a total failure! At least my financial goals have been achieved! Housing loans has been reduced to a more manageable balance (thanks to contribution from Mrs Banana) and I have managed to put aside some meager savings.

For me, my working life in 2008 has been a flat plateau, not much ups and downs. In other words, boring. I'm not complaining, but in the long run I need a push to go further. Maybe it's time to look for better opportunity.

Been to many places this year, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Taiwan and Assunta Hospital. Yeah, that was where Mrs Banana was hospitalised. Scared the hell out of me. Luckily it was nothing major.

Neglected a lot of friends and missed many parties and gatherings. Sorry about that mates!

Upset Mrs Banana many many many times, but she's still sweet. Sorry Honey, but computer games are also part of entertainment, ok.

Annoyed and taken for granted the sacrifice by the mum and dad and sis. Sorry lor.....

Thank you for the past 364 days, 2008. Sayonara.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-22T22:14:00.002+08:00

He didn't warn us

2008-11-20T09:37:00.006+08:00

2007 - Subprime mortgage crisis
(what prime? some robots from Transformers??)

March 2008 - Bear Stern collapse
(stupid fella, never heard of fengshui)
(why named after Bear. should change the name to Bull Stern)

Middle 2008 - Oil price soar
(aiyoh, oil price is a risk. my E class is a petrol guzzler. approve the petrol allowance increment for senior management only)

Early September 2008 - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
(i'm sorry, is it new burger from McD?)

Mid September 2008 - Lehman Brother, Merrill Lynch
(hmmm..... seriously, would it really affect us?)
(nah, it's still far far away)

Late September 2008 - AIG
(ohoh! the kiasuland people are queing up to cancel their policy)

October 2008
(shit. we could not meet sales target.)
(what happened?? i thought govt said our economy still strong??)

November 2008
(Where is the risk manager? why he didn't warn us?)
(Recession is coming! Cut cost. Cut training. Cut everything.)
(No bonus, no increment, no more new intake.)

December 2008
(Better axe the lousy risk manager)

The bracket represents the senior management's thought at the point of time. I hope their December thought will not be like that cause I'm the risk manager.

Why People Hate Consultants

2008-11-06T10:58:00.000+08:00

I rest my case.

Cruise away

2008-10-31T17:18:00.002+08:00

I'll be off to Singapore for this weekend. Yes, yes, I just came back from there not too long ago, but this time it is different. It will be on a cruise, baby. And best of all, the cruise fee is subsidised by the Company's Sports Club.

Wedding bells are ringing

2008-10-24T09:03:00.006+08:00

Congratulations to Peter and Sharon, and Chrislyn and Eu-Jin.
So far there's two, but I suspect more 'red bomb' are coming along :)

Update 24/10/08:
Just received another red bomb in the mail box. Congratulations to Yin Mei and Hock Wei too.

My sincerest apology

2008-10-16T16:58:00.007+08:00

I know. It's been a long while. Without updates. Not befitting with this blog's name. Second to Minute my foot! Nearly a month without a single entry.
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I am sorry.
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I was lazy.
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But more importantly, I was busy.
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Busy with work.
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At this place.

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Busy tasting wines.
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That come straight from the vineyard.
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Then I got myself drunk, with a sweet young thing sitting on my lap.
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I will post more when I am sober. Hick.

Silly questions

2008-09-08T17:37:00.005+08:00

If you work for Coke, can you drink Pepsi?

If you work for Proton, can you drive a Toyota?

If you work for KFC, can you enjoy McDonalds?

If you work for HP, can you use a Dell?

I'm not sure whether the staff of these companies are allowed to consume/use a competitors' products. Chances are these people won't, not because of restriction by company rules but because normally, they would be entitled for free products or hefty staff discounts.

Companies like Colgate, Unilever, etc. have lots of freebies for their staff. I know BAT gives monthly cigarette rations to its staff. I work for a property developer and if the same rules applies, where is my free house!!???

Tricked

2008-08-27T11:36:00.004+08:00

Context:
Yesterday, Uncle Cheong, who did the renovation for our house, came by and commented our car porch and front gate are in dire needs for some make over. Indeed, the paint at the gate had faded and the porch is defiled by black oily grime from our cars. At first, I tried to get rid of them, but all my rubbing and cleaning efforts were proven futile, these stains are meant to stay. After some time, I just leave them as it is. Later that night, while I was helping Mrs Banana with some laundry, we had this conversation.

Mrs B: "You know, I think Uncle Cheong is right. We need to repaint the gate and clean up the front porch."

Me: "I know...... But it'll cost money."

Mrs B: "At the very least, we need to clean the tiles at the porch. The black stain is an eyesore."

Me: "Can be cleaned one.... Just use the water jet spray, the powerful water should be enough to get rid of them."

Mrs B: "Are you sure?"

Me: "Of course! I borrowed a unit before and used it before to clean mum's porch. Moss, dirt, you named it, everything will be out in no time. Too bad I don't have one now."

Mrs B: "Don't really believe you. Hmmmm..... Let put it to a bet. If you could get rid of the black oily stains, I'll pay for the whatever water jet spray thingy".

Me: "Ok. It's a bet!"

She left the laundry room with a smile.

*Blink*Blink*Blink" [Deep thought] I was tricked! I have promised her to clean the porch!

Google Olympic Logo (Part 3)

2008-08-24T14:47:00.006+08:00

With such a grand and magnificent opening, I'll make sure that I won't miss the closing ceremony tonight. 16 days (or is it 17 days) of glory and it's time to close the curtain. Equally interesting is the Google Olympic Logo series, which ends with all the 12 Chinese Zodiacs, each bears a gold medal. Here is the final part of these remarkable logos:

Highjump - (Rabbit) Appear on 21 August.

Martial arts - (Tiger vs Monkey) Appear on 22 August. Everybody does kungfu fighting....

Baseball - (Chicken) Appear on 23 August.

And finally, the Closing Ceremony, with all the 12 Animals appear on 23 August.

Google Olympic Logo (Part 2)

2008-08-20T10:33:00.012+08:00

More Google Olympic Logo for the Beijing 2008. Looks like the designers are not confine to reuse the same animal from the Chinese Zodiac. Dragon, Horse and Rat have appeared twice already. And there's the cute and funny looking Rabbit, running animatedly on the track, which reminds me of the Rabbit and Tortoise story.

Ok, here's the Part 2 of the logo:

Badminton - (Tiger) Appear on 15 August.

Soccer - (Horse and Snake as the Goalkeeper?) Appear on 16 August.

Rowing - (Dog and a ???) Appear on 17 August.

Ping Pong - (Dragon) Appear on 18 August.

Swimming - (Snake) Appear on 19 August (Resembles Michael Phelps?).

Track & Field - (Horse and Rabbit) Appear on 20 August.

What else is missing? Chicken, I supposed.