tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11488969960116948902024-03-14T15:17:22.564+00:00Idamanserendipity ~ my favourite word :-)Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-36319501720546929482013-03-15T03:57:00.002+00:002013-03-15T03:57:48.439+00:00Happy birthday...Mum! Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-1134033514136404442012-03-15T01:41:00.002+00:002012-03-17T13:34:32.722+00:00Class of 2011My sisters and brothers of the class of 2011,<br />
<br />
Be humble<br />
<br />
You reap what you sow<br />
<br />
In a new place<br />
remember where you come from<br />
remember you come in what form<br />
<br />
Get familiar with the people<br />
you never know who can help you put up a great show<br />
you never know who can help your dreams grow<br />
<br />
It’s a battlefield<br />
so don't forget your weapons<br />
<br />
Write<br />
<br />
Be prepared to meet all sorts of people<br />
in all sorts of places<br />
<br />
Learn from the experiences of others<br />
especially when they are willing to share<br />
<br />
Ask<br />
<br />
Surround yourself with inspiring characters<br />
they may just inspire you<br />
<br />
In navigating the sea that is life<br />
every stroke of the oar matters<br />
<br />
When you do<br />
don’t lose sight of the purpose<br />
of why you do<br />
<br />
Take a stand<br />
but don't be afraid to stand corrected<br />
Get your voice heard<br />
but don't forget to listen<br />
<br />
Trust<br />
everybody<br />
or nobody?<br />
<br />
Go<br />
on road trips!<br />
<br />
Fight for your rights<br />
fight for what you believe is right<br />
You can't make everyone happy<br />
but try understand what's it like being in their shoes<br />
<br />
Remember the masks people wear<br />
remember the masks you wear<br />
<br />
Survive<br />
<br />
Appreciate the value of others<br />
and the value of yourself<br />
<br />
Don't underestimate<br />
what you can learn from others<br />
Don't underestimate<br />
what others can learn from you<br />
<br />
Do battle in war<br />
but remember those you protect<br />
and those who protect you<br />
<br />
Communicate<br />
even to those who can’t see you<br />
even to those who can’t hear you<br />
<br />
Go outside sometimes<br />
and do battle with the elements<br />
The wildlife ain't gonna eat you<br />
coz you're not on their menu<br />
<br />
Stay<br />
in other people's homes<br />
<br />
Fly kites<br />
before you fly away<br />
<br />
Partake in the simple joys of others<br />
It may make you smile too<br />
<br />
Eat<br />
together<br />
<br />
Dance<br />
(Even if it makes you look like horse with four left feet)<br />
<br />
Aim<br />
but know where to<br />
run<br />
hide<br />
and aim again<br />
<br />
Practice<br />
<br />
Practice, many more times<br />
<br />
Babies may cry when you sing<br />
but sing anyway<br />
<br />
Give<br />
Unconditionally<br />
<br />
Plan and prepare<br />
But be prepared to change and adapt<br />
But still create wealth<br />
<br />
Celebrate!<br />
In more ways than one<br />
<br />
Explore<br />
If you know where you’re going<br />
it’ll be easier to get there<br />
If you know what you’re looking for<br />
it’ll be easier to find<br />
<br />
Perform<br />
like it really matters<br />
<br />
Be prepared<br />
for<br />
surprises<br />
along the way<br />
<br />
But<br />
nail<br />
the<br />
performance<br />
nevertheless<br />
<br />
Embrace your results<br />
but promise yourself<br />
you will move on quick<br />
<br />
It's not too long<br />
it's not too short<br />
a time<br />
It's what you do with time<br />
<br />
Remember<br />
Treasure<br />
As time goes by<br />
<br />
But always<br />
be<br />
humble.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-52321479179595221672012-01-24T13:13:00.000+00:002012-01-24T13:13:04.060+00:00thankyoucomeagainA man sent a pair of shoes to a shoe shop to be repaired.<br />
<br />
World War II broke out soon after.<br />
<br />
Many years after the war, the man walks along that street again, and his eyes catches the shoe shop. He wondered…<br />
<br />
He decided to walk in and ask.<br />
<br />
The cobbler behind the counter pulls out a dusty record book from a drawer at the bottom of his work desk and asks, “What’s your name you say?”<br />
<br />
The man gives his name. The cobbler flips the pages of the record book, intently looking at the details within the decaying pages, and finally looks up and says...<br />
<br />
“Ah, here it is. It’ll be ready next week.”<br />
<br />
****<br />
<br />
Two friends went to a restaurant for lunch.<br />
<br />
After ordering food, they noticed that their cutlery was not clean. They took some time using the napkins to clean it.<br />
<br />
One of them then beckons a waiter over and says, “Could we have two glasses please.”<br />
<br />
“And makes sure it’s clean.”<br />
<br />
After a while, the waiter comes back with two glasses in his hands and asks, “Who was it that wanted the clean glass?”Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-44690641081332036122011-07-15T13:35:00.002+01:002011-07-15T13:35:45.163+01:00The Grandfather of ChangeTo be successful, three things:<br />
<br />
i. hard work<br />
<br />
ii. resourcefulness<br />
<br />
iii. stinginess<br />
<br />
Always remember that.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-49719704823448765292011-06-17T08:26:00.002+01:002011-06-17T13:38:52.246+01:00This used to be...my playground.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNeRSFCY3luUfqw_-bmIE6CgxkicHDJpj8qbQPjjbfLc6EyRlwgwyHaDdjI0A-6-KvD7KXZ8apQLgfaWqYQg2Q7NTFPg1QIJ7ycoFdVMEfxW0vpPKUXOGFKYF3qNscB2qlJYjZkKaIZw/s1600/Rio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="258" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNeRSFCY3luUfqw_-bmIE6CgxkicHDJpj8qbQPjjbfLc6EyRlwgwyHaDdjI0A-6-KvD7KXZ8apQLgfaWqYQg2Q7NTFPg1QIJ7ycoFdVMEfxW0vpPKUXOGFKYF3qNscB2qlJYjZkKaIZw/s400/Rio.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Well, not this one specifically, but something that is in the same league, perhaps numerous divisions down :-) <br />
<br />
About time I, we, started reading for fun again.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-2450601417361759942011-06-05T12:11:00.002+01:002011-06-05T12:38:10.469+01:00What an elder sees sitting...the young can't see standing.<br />
<br />
<br />
The uncle was on his back on the pavement with all four of his limbs somewhat frozen up in the air, his left hand still holding onto his plastic bag.<br />
<br />
I thought this couldn't be the first time he has fallen down.<br />
<br />
A gentleman rushed over to help him up. The grateful uncle dusted himself and stepped back onto the five foot way with the helping hand, trying to figure out the reason he fell. It was about 1.5 feet from the five foot way to the pavement he fell back on... steep enough to cause problems for some of us.<br />
<br />
I parked my car by that pavement and went over to him. I asked him if he was ok. He was still a little shaken.<br />
<br />
I dusted his back, as there was some dirt on him.<br />
<br />
"Very steep ah, uncle, this step?”<br />
<br />
He asked if his elbow was bleeding, as at his old age, he couldn't crane his neck to look. It wasn't.<br />
<br />
I asked if he was with someone, and he indicated that someone inside the supermarket was with him.<br />
<br />
I went back into my car, thinking how dangerous it was to fall like this, even more so for those of us who are more vulnerable, our elders.<br />
<br />
Do help people you come across, especially those who could use our help. There are so many obstacles out there that we need to keep a look out for each other.<br />
<br />
God protect us all.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-15759406752025033212011-05-17T05:45:00.004+01:002012-03-15T01:50:18.559+00:00A male gynecologist is like...an auto mechanic who has never owned a car. ~ Ms. Snow<br />
<br />
<br />
“It’ll cost you 27,000 ringgit.”<br />
<br />
No way!<br />
<br />
“But off the record, no receipts, I can do it for 15,000 ringgit. It’ll be as good as the original – in fact, I’ll use original parts for you.”<br />
<br />
That’s a saving of 12,000 ringgit I thought. My interest was piqued.<br />
<br />
“In the meantime, my advice is don’t drive fast, and certainly don’t take your car out of town. You never know when your gearbox will give in. In fact, you’re putting your life in danger everytime you drive the car.”<br />
<br />
That’s the conversation we had at the counter of a service centre belonging to an authorised network of a reputable foreign car manufacturer.<br />
<br />
“I’ve already changed for two other customers, who had the same model as you and the same problem. They’re very happy. Why don’t you go back and think about it. But you better be quick – I hope to hear from you within 2 days,” says the service assistant, sending us off with look of deep concern for our safety.<br />
<br />
My room-mate’s car was acting up. It jerked and took some time to engage when she changed gears on the automatic transmission. So when we dropped it off for its regular service, we asked the friendly service assistant to make sure he had a look at that problem and ‘sort it out’.<br />
<br />
We just didn’t realize that it would cost so much!<br />
<br />
*******<br />
<br />
We followed up that visit with some research on the internet and true enough, from around the globe buyers of this particular model had complained about its gearbox.<br />
<br />
As dusty as it may be, I put on my lawyer’s cap and decided to write a letter of demand to the outlet that sold my precious the car. It demanded an explanation for what we deemed to be a latent defect in the product sold, and at the same time it recorded our utter disappointment in them not responding to our calls for an explanation. <br />
<br />
Nearly a month later, a reply came, asking us to have the car checked at an authorised service centre. Funny I thought, an authorised centre is where we went to in the first place.<br />
<br />
Anyway, just for fun, we looked for another one which was a bit further away. We told them the background and asked that they do a check on the gearbox. A thorough 160 ringgit check later and we were told that the gearbox was absolutely fine, we just needed to change the gear fluid which was dirty. 120 ringgit it would cost.<br />
<br />
I was not angry. I had a feeling that this would be the likely outcome.<br />
<br />
I’m just pissed.<br />
<br />
Normally, I wouldn’t let something like this go. Unfortunately, the guy who very kindly offered us the 12K discount also has all our personal details, and god knows what more he’s capable of.<br />
<br />
Therefore, all I can say is, don’t get cheated!<br />
<br />
Don’t commit money, especially huge sums and at the behest of people who say you must do something as soon as possible. Always find out more about matters you’re not sure of, and a good starting point is the internet. Talk to those who may know more. In fact, I told a colleague this story and before I finished he told me it was most probably a fluid problem! <br />
<br />
Learn to ask the right questions.<br />
<br />
And learn to recognise a conman... :-)Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-75435651566685192132011-04-30T13:41:00.001+01:002011-04-30T13:41:01.178+01:00I'm a Scholar...Get Me Out of Here!<br />
<br />
<br />
Scholarships. Where one applies for financial support for one’s education and which usually comes with some sort of a compulsory service bond after successful completion of studies. Once the scholarship is granted, you spend the next 3 to 5 years studying (mostly) ((alrite, when you have the time)).<br />
<br />
*******<br />
<br />
I once had the privilege of being in the company of some brilliant scholars from various organisations who wanted my legal advice on a matter very dear to (their) heart. The idea was to present to the powers that be that brilliant scholars should not be bound by compulsory service bonds, because the organisations that gave them the scholarships are not in a position to give them jobs that make the best use of their intelligence and capabilities. <br />
<br />
Nicely put, but…<br />
<br />
“Wasn’t it clear when we signed the scholarship agreement that we would have to serve a bond?”<br />
<br />
“Well, we were young then, not yet even 18, and didn’t know that we were signing our lives away.”<br />
<br />
Wow. <br />
<br />
“If you want to leave, just repay the amount spent on you, it’s quite easy really.”<br />
<br />
“It’s a lot of money; they should let us go and consider it national service.”<br />
<br />
Haha! Of course! Getting much sought after scholarships then being let off from the service bond so that one can make much more money elsewhere is national service. <br />
<br />
Admittedly, there is a lot left to be desired on how the various organisations make use of these bright talents. But this is certainly not the solution - seeking to run away playing victim is quite pathetic actually. Quite likely they will continue to use the same solution for the rest of their lives when faced with similar situations. <br />
<br />
******<br />
<br />
Many high school graduates are now going through some form of scholarship application process, with assessments and interviews to face. At the end of it all, and I’m talking about 4 to 5 years down the road, remember your obligations. If for any reason you don’t want to serve your compulsory service bond, make sure you pay back the scholarship amount. There’s no shame in breaking your bond if you intend to pay it off. If you don’t want to be tied down to any organisation and don’t see yourself paying back the amount spent on you, then don’t take that scholarship which comes with a bond, please. <br />
<br />
On the other hand, not getting a scholarship is difficult to accept especially when you feel you fully deserve it. It’s tough, and it takes a big person to accept it, and move on. But there seems to be a certain trend emerging, going somewhat like this: <br />
<br />
You feel you deserve a scholarship and you get it – therefore the system works and you laud it.<br />
<br />
You feel you deserve a scholarship and you don’t get it – therefore the system doesn’t work and you attack it. <br />
<br />
I know I am generalising, but it is a dangerous mindset. I’ll tell you why, using a different setting but conveying the message nevertheless.<br />
<br />
I came across once in a business context someone who said that I should do all I can to help his company secure a contract to “help the community”.<br />
<br />
Most organisations are in business to make money. If I were to have my own business, that would be my aim as well. I was piqued to ask how is it that helping his company secure that contract translated to helping the community, as the profits would only accrue to his company and eventually line his pockets. The community may need ‘help’, but you are certainly not the conduit. I got an earful from the titled gentleman when I told him I couldn’t do anything to help his outfit. <br />
<br />
I have seen many who did not get the scholarship they feel they deserved, or were not successful in getting contracts that some would argue they should get to ‘help’, eventually thrive in whatever it is they do. They are able to go beyond the entitlement mentality – because whether it’s securing a scholarship or making profits, how we go about doing it is a measure of the people we are.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-8291849844256246692011-04-22T11:36:00.000+01:002011-04-22T11:36:34.255+01:00ANGKAT TALI!!About a year ago, I heard some screaming and shouting from outside my office window. Being on the 17th floor… it got me to look down. <br />
<br />
All the way down, I could see it – it was sports day at the school across the road, and the kids were doing the tug-of-war. It seemed like an entire class was battling another…<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
When it comes to sports where I work, there are numerous games that pit the different business units against each other. Last year, I thought I’d do the easiest event, so that I can finally say I did a sport in the years here. I picked the tug-of-war – well known to be a 'sukan rakyat' or community sport. <br />
<br />
The first day of training was intriguing. I was one of the first on the field, and there were four other unfamiliar guys there. They turned out to be military personnel who were to be our trainers, with the sergeant sporting the thick moustache being the head coach. <br />
<br />
Training by the military...? <br />
<br />
Day two, we had six men, and we had to pull against a tree. We lasted approximately 20 seconds against the tree before we ‘lost’ – one by one we started falling because we couldn’t keep up with a freaking tree that didn’t move! Possibly we were spent because we had to carry the tug-of-war rope that in itself was so heavy it needed three of us to carry it. Sergeant said we needed to move the tree to have any hope of winning...<br />
<br />
We had many challenges. It was difficult to get 10 people who actually wanted to be part of the team. It was difficult to get all down to train and it’s no wonder when one drop of rain hitting our window at the office would set off a train of “It’s raining, no training today!” <br />
<br />
Because we were quite hopeless at getting together to train, we decided that we’ll work on technique. We were told by sergeant that if we got our technique, and tactics, rights, it don’t matter how big our opponents were – we’d rumble them. <br />
<br />
Come competition day, we definitely stood out. We had no uniform, no waist support belts… and we actually looked puny compared to some of the other teams…<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we heaved to wins in our group fixtures, and qualified for the semis. Here our opponents had necks the size of our thighs, and had the looks (think Kamawas in Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa). They were heavier, and so we could only win if we applied our tactics better than them. <br />
<br />
Evenly matched, it was a long bout (we had come a long way from the day we lasted 20 seconds against the tree) but we eventually won 2-0 to qualify for the final.<br />
<br />
At the final, we were up against the biggest guys. Since we had cut down a team bigger than us already, we were quietly confident that we could cause an upset. Physically they win hands down; but this was going to be about technique and tactic and we were going to use our brains. We’ll need to bring them to a third pull and therefore we needed to tire them out in the first two pulls. <br />
<br />
In the best of three bout, the first tug was surprisingly not too exerting for us. We held on staunchly for a bit, before they pulled us over once they got some momentum going. <br />
<br />
Never mind. They surely won’t be able to last. We need to stick to our tactics. Hold like crazy, and then hit them on the counter.<br />
<br />
At the second pull, our tactics worked – for about 20 seconds before they annihilated us…<br />
<br />
*******<br />
<br />
Last year, in that school across the road, the class with the bulkier kids prevailed in the end…<br />
<br />
The lesson? <br />
<br />
Size does matter…!<br />
<br />
This weekend is the tournament for 2011. We have been training, sort of. The tree won within 30 seconds of our first battle against it, and training over the past three days was cancelled because of the rain.<br />
<br />
However, we’ve learnt our lessons. The boys are bulkier this time. Let’s see if those strategic calories we collectively gathered can be put to some good use... :-)Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-13085154478718129282011-04-11T12:09:00.000+01:002011-04-11T12:09:48.584+01:00There is no love sincerer…than the love of food ~ George Bernard Shaw<br />
<br />
<br />
If there’s one thing I love about my job, is that it’s capable of throwing up stuff that’s totally unexpected. At times, I have to do things I never imagined I would be paid to do. The adventure, the uncertainty, the adrenaline rush – you simply can’t make it up.<br />
<br />
Therefore, when the invite came:<br />
<br />
“Can you join the food tasting next Monday?”<br />
<br />
My answer was, “Of course!”<br />
<br />
You see, we needed a panel of experts to, well, taste the food that was proposed to be served at an event. A table of 10, and I was roped in.<br />
<br />
On said day, I was delayed to arrive and the appetizer and soup had been served and the food tasting panel was into the main course. <br />
<br />
As I quickly sampled through the appetizer and soup, I didn’t pay attention to the conversation swirling around at that moment. <br />
<br />
After I finished the main course of fish and chicken and having caught up with the rest course-wise, I was asked how it was.<br />
<br />
“The fish was ok, the chicken was… how shall I say it… leathery.”<br />
<br />
There was a stunned silence around the table.<br />
<br />
“You probably meant the chicken was gamey?” offered a colleague. <br />
<br />
Gamey? Is that a proper adjective for food?<br />
<br />
“Yea, gamey…”<br />
<br />
“And the fish was bad! All of us, all of us, thought so!”<br />
<br />
I looked at the plates around the table. Everyone had fish leftover, a couple had it nearly untouched. I looked at my plate. It was wiped clean. <br />
<br />
“Oh… yea, it tasted a bit funny I thought…”<br />
<br />
I looked at the form we had to fill up. For each dish we had to comment on taste, texture, look, amongst others. This was more difficult than my corporate finance paper darn it!<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I was sacked from the food-tasting committee soon thereafter, having represented my dorm house on the food committee in my college days notwithstanding :-(<br />
<br />
*******<br />
<br />
A number of months later, when a few people unavoidably dropped out of a food-tasting panel for another function, I was hesitantly roped in to make up the numbers.<br />
<br />
The pressure to perform was immense. <br />
<br />
Butterflies in my stomach did not help, but a good start always does: “The wantan’s too big; I think it would perhaps be more appropriate for it to be smaller in order for the diner to be able to put the whole piece into the mouth without having to bite a chunk of it and thereafter let the remainder fall into bowl or be engaged in the cutting of the wantan in the bowl of soup”. <br />
<br />
Then came the moment of truth, the main course and they looked at me for comment.<br />
<br />
“The vegetables look… tired.”<br />
<br />
A brief moment of silence. <br />
<br />
“Yes I agree! Chef, boiling them doesn’t work, sauté them perhaps,” chirps in a colleague.<br />
<br />
In the annals of my comebacks, this ranks at the top of my list, baby!<br />
<br />
I sincerely love food, George.<br />
<br />
*******<br />
<br />
I was told by a food connoisseur that when it comes to food, smell and colour come first before taste. Yes, even with food, love at first sight applies. The first two can and usually do determine your appetite. Good taste may not matter if the smell and colour let the dish down. <br />
<br />
Wait, that applies to humans too!Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-67192122074814183142011-04-04T11:57:00.004+01:002011-04-04T12:10:12.829+01:00Oh God let me win…but if I don’t win, let me make the other guy break the Olympic record.<br /><br /><br />I have a little book in which I write down intriguing quotes I come across. I read something today that I knew instantly should go into that little book. <br /><br />I’ve been filling up the book for 12 years now, and I have a good collection of quotes in there. Many of the more inspiring and amusing ones come from the world of or related to sports. <br /><br />I’m sure you’ll agree from the following…<br /><br />*******<br /><br />“Don’t count the days, make the days count.”<br /><em>Mohammad Ali</em><br /><br />“I was full of expectations for every single member of the team. Some of them lived up to those expectations, and the others exceeded them.”<br /><em>Sam Torrence on winning the Golf Writers Trophy for 2002 for Europe’s 15 ½ - 12 ½ triumph over America in the Ryder Cup at the Belfry in September</em><br /><br />“To use the old adage, the 31 year old looked capable of starting a fight in an empty room.”<br /><em>A comment on Roy Keane</em><br /><br />“What you achieve in life, echoes in eternity.”<br /><em>Liverpool banner at the Cardiff Stadium during the Worthington Cup Final on 2 March 2003 where Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-0</em><br /><br />“The difference between dreams and accomplishments is purely desire.”<br /><em>World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)</em><br /><br />“Twenty years ago or so, I was walking through Harvard Square in Cambridge Massachusetts, and I walked past a huge poster in a window. The poster looked like a scene from Chariots of Fire, there was a chap in a 20s or 30s running costume, breasting a tape and across the top it had a very American motto. It said ‘Oh God let me win.’ I sympathise. And across the bottom, it said ‘but if I don’t win, let me make the other guy break the Olympic record’.<br /><br />He did that, didn’t he?”<br /><em>David Davis, in his speech after losing the election to be Conservative Party leader to David Cameron, December 2005</em><br /><br />“I never predict anything, and I never will.”<br /><em>Paul Gascoigne</em> <br /><br />“A man who someday no doubt will orchestrate a hostile takeover of hell once he gets there.”<br /><em>Jim Ross, WWE Announcer, on Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman, at Summer Slam 2006</em><br /><br />“That day in March 1996 when you married her in this church, you won the greatest trophy of your life.”<br /><em>Rev. Jim Frazer to Darren Clarke, European Ryder Cup player, who lost his wife to cancer in August 2006</em><br /><br />“If I wanted to have an easy job I would have stayed at FC Porto – beautiful blue chair, the UEFA Champions League trophy, God, and after God, me.”<br /><em>Jose Mourinho, Chelsea manager</em><br /><br />“There’s never been a guy who has more fight in his heart and grit in his soul, he wears scars like badges of honour, he smells like smoke ‘cause he’s been through fire and dammit this is where he’s home and that’s in battle.”<br /><em>John Bradshaw Layfield on the Undertaker (before his match against Batista) at Wrestlemania 23</em><br /><br />“Any Champions League semi-final defeat is a killer but to lose in a penalty shootout is death by a thousand cuts.”<br /><em>The Sun, after Liverpool beat Chelsea 4-1 on penalties on 1 May 2007 (the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate)</em><br /><br />“I want to at least be in a position where I’m able to win.”<br /><em>Michael Schumacher</em> <br /><br />“We used to try and prove people wrong – but now we’re proving them right.”<br /><em>Alex McLeish, Scotland coach, after Scotland beat Ukraine 3-1 at Hampden Park in a Euro 2008 qualifier on 13 October 2007</em><br /><br /> “I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business but I was in the top one.”<br /><em>Brian Clough, Football Manager (1935-2004) – my personal favourite!</em><br /><br />“Occasionally, the train goes past and you must catch it because it will never come back, and that’s true even when it is passing at an inopportune moment.”<br /><em>Juande Ramos, quoting an old saying, on the night he quit as Sevilla manager for Tottenham Hotspur</em><br /><br />“I’m the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.”<br /><em>Bret Hart of the WWE</em><br /><br />“I was the equivalent of the first man on the Moon. He’s the equivalent of the first on Mars.”<br /><em>Mark Spitz, winner of 7 gold medals at the 1992 Munich Olympics, on Michael Phelps’ 8 gold medals at Beijing 2008</em><br /><br />"He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years so it's time we carried him on our shoulders." <br /><em>India batsman Virat Kohli summing up the feelings of a grateful nation, when they hoisted Sachin Tendulkar on to their shoulders and carried him around for a lap of honour at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai after India beat Sri Lanka in the final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final</em>Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-3820647156272387522011-03-09T06:30:00.004+00:002011-03-09T14:35:08.382+00:00Class of 2010My sisters and brothers of the class of 2010, <br /><br />Be humble <br /><br />You reap what you sow <br /><br />In a new place <br />Remember where you come from<br />Remember you come in what form<br /><br />Get familiar with the people <br />You never know who can help you put up a great show <br />You never know who can help your dreams grow <br /><br />Life is delicious <br />So make it delectable <br /><br />Write <br /><br />Be prepared to meet all sorts of people<br />In all sorts of places <br /><br />Learn from the experiences of others <br />Especially when they are willing to share <br /><br />Ask<br /><br />Surround yourself with inspiring characters <br />They may just inspire you <br /><br />When you do <br />Don’t lose sight of the purpose <br />Of why you do <br /><br />Plan and prepare<br />But be prepared to change and adapt<br />But still create wealth<br /><br />Give <br />Unconditionally<br /><br />Trust<br />Everybody <br />Or nobody? <br /><br />Remember the masks people wear <br />Remember the masks you wear<br /><br />Do battle in war<br />But remember those you protect <br />And those who protect you <br /><br />Communicate <br />Even to those who can’t see you <br />Even to those who can’t hear you <br />They are the ones who could help build the hut of your dreams<br /><br />Survive <br /><br />Fight for your rights <br />Fight for what you believe is right <br /><br />Appreciate the value of others <br />and the value of yourself <br /><br />Don't underestimate <br />what you can learn from others <br />Don't underestimate <br />what others can learn from you<br /><br />Fly<br /><br />Go outside sometimes <br />And do battle with the elements <br /><br />Cake yourself in mud!<br /><br />Go right to the top sometimes<br />And enjoy the view<br /><br />Paint<br /><br />Explore<br />But have a map<br />If you know where you’re going<br />It’ll be easier to get there<br />If you know what you’re looking for<br />It’ll be easier to find<br /><br />Stay<br /><br />Partake in the simple joys of others <br />It may make you smile too<br /><br />Dance<br />(Even if it makes you look like a bat out of a cave)<br /><br />Practice <br /><br />Practice, many more times <br /><br />Perform <br />like it really matters <br /><br />Be prepared <br />for <br />surprises <br />along the way <br /><br />But <br />nail <br />the <br />performance <br />nevertheless <br /><br />Celebrate!<br />In more ways than one<br /><br />Embrace your results<br />But promise yourself<br />You will move on quick<br /><br />It's not too long <br />It's not too short <br />a time <br />It's what you do with time <br /><br />Remember <br />Treasure <br />As time goes by <br /><br />But always <br />be <br />humble.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-40878801999738636232011-01-18T12:38:00.005+00:002011-01-18T16:27:01.199+00:00While her loyal sons are marching…On 18 January 1904, what I call the greatest school in Malaysia was formed with 18 boys.<br /><br />St. John’s Institution is 107 today.<br /><br />I enrolled in St. John’s in 1985, starting off in Primary 1, and left in 1995, having completed Secondary 5. Two times I nearly left, once to join a military college for Secondary 1, and then a private college for Secondary 4 and 5. Fate conspired to keep me at St. John's, and become a true-blue Johannian. <br /><br />St. John’s’ primary and secondary schools are housed in separate buildings. Having stood for such a long time, they are obviously haunted to the core. The primary school has a huge hall that no student must be in alone lest they disturb the mysterious guy who keeps jumping on the trampoline at backstage. The secondary school building, with its imposing red and white facade and finally basking in its rightful status as a listed building, is simply awesome – though haunted as well. All good schools are. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS3fTpeKw2xZekloN81doohMSR0b8TU1q8vOO91rC77te9JqAoqtbzivJn6-Wz0b1vKV7z33ig5Cl9Bn1xOvwlv025ursKsve2hxhI04q0-n2ThmvoBMy_ZsaWCAgC7Sg6NS45WQmLI4/s1600/IMG_1573.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS3fTpeKw2xZekloN81doohMSR0b8TU1q8vOO91rC77te9JqAoqtbzivJn6-Wz0b1vKV7z33ig5Cl9Bn1xOvwlv025ursKsve2hxhI04q0-n2ThmvoBMy_ZsaWCAgC7Sg6NS45WQmLI4/s200/IMG_1573.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563563017253284930" /></a><br />The school holds many memories for me. I spent 11 years of my life there, which is more than a third of my current whole life. <br /><br />Such was life at St. John’s that one just had to do stuff outside the classroom. A lot of stuff. I was a proud member of the Cadet Corps for my five secondary years. This Cadet Corps is believed to be the first in Malaya, formed in 1915. The pinnacle of my time in the corps was when we trumped our fiercest rivals to get the honour of the best cadet corps in the Klang Valley in 1994. The cadet expo held the next year together with our brothers in the Cadet Band also holds fond memories for we pulled off something major with limited resources and minimum guidance from anyone. I still rank the team I was part of then as one of the most efficient teams I’ve worked in.<br /><br />Being a member of the prefectorial board was also fun. I will always remember the raids we conducted, to go after friends who smoked and those playing truant. The story of some students jumping onto one bus, and prefects jumping onto the next bus to continue the chase sounded amazing the first time I heard it, and still sounds bizarre today.<br /><br />There were characters among the teaching staff at St. John’s that we would remember for the rest of our lives. From the man who, always for a good reason, passionately called nearly every student a coconut, to the lady who gave biology a new meaning to 15 year olds with her frankness, we had all kinds. <br /><br />Of course, we had good neighbours – our sisters at the all-girl Convent Bukit Nanas. There was a lot of exchange going on between the two schools, and it helped keep Jalan Bukit Nanas fresh ;-) A year or so after I left St. John’s, I asked a friend’s sister, a CBNer who was in the year below me, who in my batch was the most talked about Johannian at CBN. She started off by saying, “Definitely not you coz I’ve never heard your name”.<br /><br />A few years ago, I was a guest at a company annual dinner where the theme was 'back to school'. One of the senior staff lost a game of musical chairs and as punishment had to sing his school anthem. When he took the mic and asked, “Is there any other Johannian in the house!?”, without hesitation I rushed onto the stage to join him to belt out the best school song there is out there.<br /><br />I have never sung in public again, but the song is superb.<br /><br />I have a plaque in my office commemorating the school’s centenary in 2004. When another senior member of management entered my room not too long ago, being a Johannian himself, he launched into a friendly tirade about how great we are. The opportunity was too great to miss – I pointed out a colleague who studied at our greatest rivals and together, we attacked him mercilessly.<br /><br />Yet another time, when hosting a company event with about a thousand attendees, an opportunity came up for me to surreptitiously say that St. John’s was a great school. A surprising number of people cheered at that, of course outnumbered by the friendly booing – but after the event, there was an impromptu gathering of Johannians!<br /><br />Thousands of boys (and some girls) have walked through the corridors of St. John’s. The legacy of the school lives on in its sons and daughters. Many have gone on to serve and are serving the country with distinction in many fields, and included in this list is Malaysia’s current supremo. From my cohort, many are now successful in their own right, a few we occasionally get to read about in the newspapers and magazines, and I would say a more than average number are stars. A number have passed on, some tragically, and they are remembered.<br /><br />It’s obvious I’m very proud of my school. There’s something special about being a Johannian, and this feeling of pride seems to grow stronger as we mature. Johannians will always have a special bond with each other, and this transcends the years.<br /><br />I haven’t stepped foot into St John’s for a fair number of years now. I will visit soon. And this time I will bring my Convent Light Street Penang roommate :-)<br /><br />Until then, Fide et Labore!Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-72051164074385606002011-01-17T13:16:00.002+00:002011-03-09T06:34:33.687+00:00Man in the mirrorOne of my all time favourite songs - together with 'Home' by Michael Buble.<br /><br />Cept I never really knew what the lyrics said.<br /><br />Well, today, I decided to check it out... and here it is...<br /><br />*******<br /><br />I'm gonna make a change<br />For once in my life<br />It's gonna feel real good<br />gonna make a difference, gonna make it right<br /><br />As I turned up the collar on my favorite winter coat<br />This wind is blowin' my mind<br />I see the kids in the street with not enought to eat<br />Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their need?<br /><br />A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top<br />And one man's soul<br />They follow each other on the wind ya' know?<br />'Cause they got nowhere to go, that's why I want you to know<br /><br />I'm starting with the man in the mirror<br />I'm asking him to change his ways<br />And no message could have been any clearer<br />If you wanna make the world a better place<br />Take a look at yourself and then make a change<br /><br />I've been a victim of a selfish kind of love<br />It's time that I realize<br />That there are some with no home, not a nickel to loan<br />Could it be, really me, pretending that they're not alone?<br /><br />A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart<br />And a washed out dream<br />(Washed out dream)<br />They follow the pattern of the wind ya' see<br />'Cause they got no place to be that's why I'm starting with me<br /><br />I'm starting with the man in the mirror<br />I'm asking him to change his ways<br />And no message could have been any clearer<br />If you wanna make the world a better place<br />Take a look at yourself, and then make a change<br /><br />I'm starting with the man in the mirror<br />I'm asking him to change his ways<br />And no message could have been any clearer<br />If you wanna make the world a better place<br />Take a look at yourself and then make that<br />change!<br /><br />I'm starting with the man in the mirror, oh yeah<br />I'm asking him to change his ways, yeah<br />(Come on, change)<br />No message could have been any clearer<br />If you wanna make the world a better place<br />Take a look at yourself and then make the change<br /><br />You gotta get it right, while you got the time<br />'Cause when you close your heart<br />(You can't close your, your mind)<br />Then you close your mind<br /><br />With the man in the mirror, oh yeah<br />(That man, that man, that man)<br />I'm asking him to change his ways<br />(Change)<br />No message could have been any clearer<br />If you wanna make the world a better place<br />Take a look at yourself and then make the change<br /><br />I'm gonna make a change<br />It's gonna feel real good<br />Come on<br />(Change)<br />Just lift yourself<br />You know, you've got to stop it yourself<br />(Yeah)<br /><br />Make that change<br />(I gotta make that change today, oh)<br />(Man in the mirror)<br />You got to, you got to not let yourself, brother oh<br />Yeah, that man<br />(Make that change)<br />(I gotta make that make me then make)<br />You got, You got to move<br />Come on, come on<br />You got to stand up, stand up, stand up<br />(Make that change)<br />Stand up and lift yourself, now<br />(Man in the mirror)<br />Make that change<br />(Gonna make that change, come on)<br />(Man in the mirror)<br />You know it, you know it, you know it, you know it<br />Change, make that change.<br /><br />*******<br /><br />Yep, it still remains ;-)<br /><br />RIP MJ.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-11400833223525193552011-01-12T05:44:00.009+00:002011-01-15T07:42:30.919+00:00Together…over the oceans.<br /><br />On this day last year, I stepped foot on the beautiful islands of Maldives for the first time ever. <br /><br />As always, trips to faraway places bring sweet memories. <br /><br />If anyone tells you that the Maldives is amazingly beautiful and breathtaking, its people warm and friendly, its air fresh, its sea blue, that it’s paradise on earth – well I can confirm that it’s true. <br /><br />If you ask what visitors to Maldives do - you’ve got the concept wrong. In Maldives, one must perfect the art of doing nothing. Yea that’s right. We understood this clearly when we asked that very question a few days in to the guy who runs the resort on the island we were on. <br /><br />*******<br /><br />Part of doing nothing includes snorkeling. <br /><br />Having decided to call it a day of snorkeling, I began climbing up onto the boat. It was at that moment I felt my left contact lens sort of peeling away from my eyeball. <br /><br />I took off my goggles, and true enough, it had come off, probably because some sea water had come in contact with it and caused it to shrivel. <br /><br />I looked up the boat, and my three Maldivian snorkeling bodyguards were peering at me with concern. <br /><br />I couldn’t salvage the contact lens anymore - it was contaminated and couldn’t go back onto my eyeball. Never mind, I thought, I’ve got another pair, before dropping it into the sea.<br /><br />I continued lumbering up to the deck of the boat, and it wasn’t easy with my flippers and all. At the same time, I could hear some commotion on the deck.<br /><br />The moment I got on deck, I noticed there were only two people on deck. Where the heck was the other one??<br /><br />And then I saw the dude. He had dived over the other side of the boat… to save my contact lens!!<br /><br />*******<br /><br />If you were young at my time, you would know the Thundercats (come out with the movie already!).<br /><br />I loved it, although I actually had to go to Wikipedia a couple of years ago to finally understand the storyline. <br /><br />Anyway, I have this one black t-shirt with the Thundercats logo emblazoned on it. <br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_1SWCl0eDp8O4vrPCKMdtMWQjyccUUW9Mj5X-ty7ut88a431cibDTdNJwBtCPvJ9Sv190euPsBZgzKx5817YEm3KaEQ8oSYUdKMh2tip-kWEfNRryrXlnTVWuwziJc7sIL-9PzhIpAw/s1600/thundercats-t-shirt-540-p.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_1SWCl0eDp8O4vrPCKMdtMWQjyccUUW9Mj5X-ty7ut88a431cibDTdNJwBtCPvJ9Sv190euPsBZgzKx5817YEm3KaEQ8oSYUdKMh2tip-kWEfNRryrXlnTVWuwziJc7sIL-9PzhIpAw/s200/thundercats-t-shirt-540-p.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561176387460878002" /></a><br />With a t-shirt like this, you don’t need to say hello. People, men and women regardless which part of the world they come from, can’t help but smile, especially when you’re on an island where you get end-to-end in 7½ minutes. You’re like a shrink cajoling people to go back in their mind to a happy place. And they do… <br /><br />And when I wore this:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm0R8gXvNLrzko5HTZPv_SA1Kr5TpcJR-qvFq5bsV13odUl-VCzF9ZOxsDaAkhM0ikAGoYcvgfNYLI5VYLKuJSo9_o7h8X319SKDZ1pOouO0pQXP55XLASdpDKhwDry38ipI6jH_2jzw/s1600/black-superman-tee-shirt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm0R8gXvNLrzko5HTZPv_SA1Kr5TpcJR-qvFq5bsV13odUl-VCzF9ZOxsDaAkhM0ikAGoYcvgfNYLI5VYLKuJSo9_o7h8X319SKDZ1pOouO0pQXP55XLASdpDKhwDry38ipI6jH_2jzw/s200/black-superman-tee-shirt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561177647635141330" /></a><br />someone wearing this:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZwbJQrKTCarDq3CKuO2bNXl-Vo55fE8zGAeFsb3AedIdYBX8PWYxruB0Bmyl5z02cQDXGT-oaRaEZLmqM8RY5adO044iLILkYH952sr3xsfMMib8nLfQjbPa3_SfyPEdBHriskj3Emc/s1600/superman-tee-shirt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZwbJQrKTCarDq3CKuO2bNXl-Vo55fE8zGAeFsb3AedIdYBX8PWYxruB0Bmyl5z02cQDXGT-oaRaEZLmqM8RY5adO044iLILkYH952sr3xsfMMib8nLfQjbPa3_SfyPEdBHriskj3Emc/s200/superman-tee-shirt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561177264840863602" /></a><br />said, "Nice t-shirt." I said,"Yours too!"<br /><br />*******<br /><br />At the International Airport, while my roommate was checking out the souvenir shop, I was sitting guarding our bags. I couldn’t but overhear the conversation going on between an aunt and her nephew. <br /><br />"Do you love you mum?"<br />(I assume he said no, because I wasn’t looking)<br /><br />"Do you love your dad?"<br />(I assume he said yes - see conversation that follows)<br /><br />"You love your dad and not your mum?"<br /><br />"Do you know that your mum and I, we never saw much of our dad because he was working so hard…"<br /><br />"You hate your mum because she didn’t get you what you wanted?!"<br /><br />"I think your mum deserves an apology from you!"<br /><br />All the while, I was listening, thinking to myself that this aunt was doing a great job putting into perspective the little boy’s misguided hate towards his mum. The boy was crying yes, and the aunt was bringing him on a long guilt trip, but sometimes, kids these days need that. They need reality to slap them real good, kick them real hard, and make them sweat. <br /><br />And for goodness sake, your mum had brought you on a holiday to the Maldives!! <br /><br />*******<br /><br />Maldives though, is under threat of global warming – its beautiful islands could sink beneath the ocean within 100 years. They had a cabinet meeting undersea this one time in October 2009 to highlight the threat of global warming to their nation. I hear they have a youngish cabinet and hopefully they get to the depth of the issue soon. <br /><br />You see, I would like to go back there one day, and really hope the coconut tree we planted by the beach would not be growing out from the seabed instead…Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-30339361119607595892010-12-29T09:06:00.005+00:002010-12-29T09:16:09.484+00:00For last year's words belong to last year's language......and next year's words await another voice ~ T.S. Eliot <br /><br /><br />I recently attended a meeting and then had lunch with some fine old gentlemen. People who have done much, and achieved much. To put it into context, some of them have contributed so much to nation-building that I cannot imagine doing the same in 7 lifetimes. <br /><br />And to put it into further context – all that they have done can be jeopardised by a few idiots pointing laser lights onto the faces of our opponents on the football field. <br /><br />Muttaals. <br /><br />Some serious matters were discussed at the meeting and over lunch, but along the way, some morsels of wisdom – to me at least, to them it’s probably coffee talk - were shared by these mostly mid to late seventies statesmen. It reminded me that nothing beats experience. <br /><br /><em>On going up the corporate ladder</em><br />“There are many ways to go up...”<br /><br />and looking me directly in the eye…<br /><br />“… but not all are ethical.”<br /><br />“My boss set very high standards - even if it was a small amount like 3 ringgit, he would make sure he paid it back if the spending was of a personal nature – because it was the people’s money. But it’s not like that today.”<br /><br /><em>On local football</em><br />When I asked if they had followed the Asean Football Federation Cup final between Malaysia and Indonesia, among the first things said was “It’s painful to hear people talk about us and say ‘don’t behave like them’…”<br /><br /><em>On coffeehouse chains</em><br />“I don’t understand the young people these days, they’re willing to spend RM15 on a mug of coffee. What’s wrong with the RM1.50 ones?”<br /><br />To which another said, “They’re not being sold coffee; they’re being sold a life-style.”<br /><br /><em>On recent developments</em><br />“I started having this allergy recently. About 20 years ago.”<br /><br /><em>On youth</em><br />“You pamper the young too much. Give them responsibilities!”<br />(ironically, that was directed at me!)<br /><br /><em>On Myanmar</em><br />“We were brave enough to take risks back then.”<br /><br />I had strong views against certain things they said, but more of the time I was listening and making mental notes. <br /><br /><em>A man's age is something impressive, it sums up his life: maturity reached slowly and against many obstacles, illnesses cured, griefs and despairs overcome, and unconscious risks taken; maturity formed through so many desires, hopes, regrets, forgotten things, loves. A man's age represents a fine cargo of experiences and memories.</em> ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry<br /><br />:-)<br /><br />Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it. So, may you remember and be given the strength to not repeat what you should not.<br /><br />Happy 2011!Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-22551382879817377792010-11-17T09:31:00.002+00:002010-11-17T15:04:38.127+00:00Let our voice be heard!Dear Friends,<br /><br />Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to stand for the Student Voice and represent this class!<br /><br /><br />Firstly………<br /><br />If you vote for me I will help you to achieve all your goals and we will do it in a fun and orderly way.<br /> <br /><br />Secondly……<br /><br />I will include all of you as a team and we will achieve our goals together!<br /><br /><br />Thirdly………<br /><br />I will make the whole process a wonderful and enjoyable experience for all of us!<br /><br /><br />Fourthly………<br /><br />I will do my best to make us study hard and have fun at the same time!<br /><br /> <br />My Fifth reason is……… <br /><br />I will also include some sporting activities to keep us fit and healthy!<br /><br /> <br />My Sixth reason is …<br /><br />I will help you to become confident and creative in your work!<br /><br /> <br />My Seventh reason is …<br /><br />If you vote for me WE will make this class the best class in the whole school!!!!!<br /><br /><br />If I am elected…..<br /><br />I will know you all better and become close to all of you !<br /><br /><br />I wish all the candidates…<br /><br />All the BEST!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br /> <br />I am very lucky…<br /><br />To have such wonderful friends and an amazing teacher!<br /><br /><br />Yours Dearly.<br /><br />*******<br /><br />Campaign speech of an eight year old standing for a class election.<br /><br />She has my vote :-)<br /><br />And...<br /><br />I want her to be my speech-writer!Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-33817373689367259622010-11-12T12:23:00.002+00:002010-11-12T12:32:02.758+00:00Some mistakes are too much fun...to only make once.<br /><br /> <br />One evening, while waiting to get into an auditorium to watch a theatre performance with some friends, I got a call from a colleague who was to join us. I could barely hear her, as there was an alarm blaring at the background. She sounded that bit frantic. <br /><br />You see, there is a car park behind our office building. While pretty safe in the day, it gets dark and creepy at night. As she was making her way across the car park to get to her car, she saw some men hanging around the area, so she hurried. In fiddling for her car keys, she accidently set the alarm off and inexplicably lost the remote. So there she was, getting late for the show, alone in a car that wouldn’t start with its alarms blaring, in a creepy car park with men hanging around nearby, wondering if I could help.<br /><br />Together with another friend, I rushed to the scene in my car. It was easy to locate her car as the car park was almost empty. We went over and she emerged. She had found the remote and had shut off the alarm, but the car refused to start. I got the keys from her and tried to fiddle around, seeing if I could somehow get it to start, but it couldn’t work.<br /><br />“We’ll sort this out later I guess. You can follow us; we can still be there before the show starts”.<br /><br />“Err… there’s someone else coming,” she says.<br /><br />I looked at her, puzzled. “What for? We’re here.”<br /><br />“Well, I called him as well.”<br /><br />“Ok, you can tell him not to come. We got to catch the show. Don’t want to miss the start!”<br /><br />She makes a call, and then comes back to us.<br /><br />“He was on the way to Malacca, but turned around when he found out I was stuck… so he’s going to come here anyway.”<br /><br />Hmm… this sounded fishy. Probably a stalker I thought. I’ll handle him. So we waited.<br /><br />Soon enough, another car comes into the car park, and a gentleman alights.<br /><br />‘Looks decent’, I thought. But then again, so do all men. After some introductions, at which I did pretty well to keep my suspicions under wraps, the discussion was on what to do next.<br /><br />He offered to drop her home. I was having none of it.<br /><br />“She’s coming with us, we’ve got a show to catch. You can go back to Malacca. Nice meeting you.”<br /><br />I had spoken and that was it.<br /><br />As we reached the theatre, another friend who was waiting for us asked what happened.<br /><br />“I’ll tell you later, but thank god we reached there when we did!”<br /><br />*******<br /><br />To find out three weeks later that those two just started going out was…<br /><br />The good thing is they had a good laugh about it that night itself (and till today, still do). They even asked me to speak at their wedding.<br /><br />What are the odds of something of a similar genre happening to me again?<br /><br />Well, once every 7 years it seems!<br /><br />A few months ago, another guy told me that he was going out with someone, and to find that those two just started going out was…<br /><br />He told me yesterday that they are going to get engaged to be married. <br /><br />I’m not at liberty to share the details of the story, but suffice to say, one sequel is more than enough for me!Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-49479936377483618632010-10-28T12:57:00.005+01:002010-10-29T03:37:36.068+01:00One small step for a bachelor...one giant leap for a married man.<br /><br /><br />One of the biggest adjustments I had to make in my life after taking my matrimonial vows was converting my bachelor's pad into a couple's room. <br /><br />Let me put things in perspective...<br /><br />*******<br /><br />This happened a few years ago.<br /><br />I had to renew my car's road tax. For this, you needed the car's registration card, which in Malaysia, is pink in colour. <br /><br />I looked for it around my room, and couldn't find it. I looked for it around my office and couldn't find it. <br /><br />A few days on, after many hours of searching, when I was already driving with an expired road tax, I still couldn't locate that pink card!!<br /><br />One afternoon soon after, I told my mum I was going to the police station to make a police report.<br /><br />"Why??"<br /><br />"I lost my car registration card..."<br /><br />"How did you lose it?"<br /><br />"I don't know, I just can't find it in the room."<br /><br />"Oh... trying checking under the bed."<br /><br />Huh?<br /><br />I ran up to my room, straddled the bed, heaved the planks off and I couldn't believe the sight that greeted my eyes...<br /><br />More than half my stuff was under the bed! A short search later and I found that pink card.<br /><br />I asked mum, "When did you move my stuff??"<br /><br />"We cleaned your room about 3 months ago when you were away".<br /><br />Owh. <br /><br />And I had no idea...!<br /><br />*******<br /><br />Now that I've got a room-mate, everything is in place and of course so much neater - which means I've lost all bearings and can't find anything!Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-56014229781212501812010-09-30T13:27:00.003+01:002010-10-01T02:03:29.429+01:00The day the earth trembled..."We're used to earthquakes, two, three times every year. But this time it was different. Usually the ground moves sideways, causing no damage, or minimal damage. This time the ground moved up and down. The houses were lifted and then simply crumbled to the ground. It was like as if someone pulled the carpet from below our feet..."<br /><br />*******<br /><br />We were on the 17th floor and we felt the building tremble. And this was in Kuala Lumpur.<br /><br />Exactly a year ago today, the devastating earthquake struck Padang in West Sumatera, Indonesia. <br /><br />Two weeks later, I found myself in Padang, on a relief mission.<br /> <br />I was there for nearly a week, doing what we were sent there to do. <br /><br />I would send a report back to headquarters every night. This would be followed by my daily... err... musings. Which included these:<br /><br />Day 1 <br />- Teh telor* oh my goodness it's like milkshake. A night drink they say it is before laughing... <br />- Satay Padang is delicious! Altho they don't call it Satay Padang here... that would be weird.<br />- We sleep 16 men in one house. 5 are on their way back from Pekan Baru, and some sleep in the garden. So house is relatively quiet now.<br />- We all share 1 bathroom. For this reason and the point preceding, this place not suitable for my ladies.<br />- I'm still wide awake. Teh telor memang power.<br /><br />*teh telor means egg tea :-)<br /><br />Day 2<br />Without the benefit of teh telor...<br />- Our house has no fan.<br />- To those who wondered why my haircut was as important as getting my vaccinations: with two strokes of my 80 cents plastic hair brush, I'm ready to face the world.<br />- We had a meeting tonight to plot the distribution of aid tomorrow. They were doin mental calculations on total weight and total litres and total items... I kept very quiet.<br /><br />Day 3<br />- I was awakened at 3am last night, by a cat at my feet. No privacy I tell you.<br />- And the resident cockerel woke me up at the crack of dawn. Nothing romantic at all about that.<br />- School is back in session. They hold classes in tents. It feels like a sauna tho. When I reached there, they were on a break. In the teachers room, where the wall had collapsed, the kids were playing with a mannequin. They wrapped it in a batik cloth, and then carried the mannequin while chanting religious chants, as if it were a dead body.<br />- We had lunch today at a restaurant that had major cracks on its walls, had its windows shattered and floors cracked as well. <br />- For the first time in ages, I eat for energy. I can feel each morsel of food burn during the day. And we reach meal times famished. And we whack the meal like there's no tomorrow. <br />- The names of the places here will give lawyers like some of us nightmares. One place is called 2 x 11 Enam Lingkung. You actually call it that!<br />- I nearly fainted today. At dinner. The cendol in a glass. It was so sweet I nearly belched it out.<br /><br />Day 4<br />- The cat woke me up at 2.58am<br />- The most bizzare incident so far - the cook cooking his Indo-mee with ... coffee. <br /><br />HAHAHA!<br /><br />In his defence, it was dark.<br /><br />HAHAHA!<br /><br />Day 5 <br />No musings on Day 5 as things got a little complicated. We were about half-an-hour from our base late that night, after a long day out, when we were stopped by police. We were told that a few hundred metres down the road, a landslide had occured a few minutes prior, burying some passing cars. We had to take a 4 hour detour. <br /><br />A couple of weeks later, when everyone involved in the mission got together, one of my team members 'credited' me with saving all our lifes.<br /><br />"Thank god he insisted on eating good Padang fish head curry that night. It took us a while to locate one that had fish head curry, but we finally did. The time it took us all to finish the meal probably delayed us long enough."<br /><br />Hmmm... <br /><br />******<br /><br />I haven't been back to Padang since, but having seen the devastation caused by that one afternoon of terror, the people of Padang have a long way to go, years perhaps, before life returns to some semblence of normalcy.<br /><br />One elderly gentleman I met there said that he welcomed all aid, but he knew that the aid would eventually stop and that he needed to start rebuilding his life with his own hands, brick by brick.<br /><br />And he meant it literally.<br /><br />God bless the people of Padang.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-82235452064011545172010-09-20T13:48:00.007+01:002010-09-21T06:30:12.258+01:00About Young, The Restless...I've been with a particular four-letter acronymed NGO since its formation 10 years ago. I've been through a lot with it. <br /><br />And I have garnered an incredible amount of lessons from it. <br /><br />Today, as I was doing some work related to this NGO, I recalled some of those lessons... :-) <br /><br />*******<br /><br />The first one involves a close friend, someone who has been with me in the NGO from early on. <br /><br />At a meeting, we disagreed on how to proceed with a project. The disagreement got quite uncomfortable. We exchanged views, each time with the tone raising a few decibles. The rest of the meeting was watching in stunned silence. One pleaded for us to stop arguing. The verbal sparring got ugly. <br /><br />As we were getting nowhere, we decided to stop and simply disagreed.<br /><br />After which we had coffee and cakes prepared by his wife. <br /><br />It's not easy, these things, as professional discourse that gets nasty may be construed or unavoidably degenerate into a personal attack. <br /><br />I've seen it numerous times: people saying 'don't take things personally' before going on a personal rampage; or after going on a personal rampage, they say 'don't take it personally'. You've got to be careful, as not all relationships can take it, what more if the personal and professional nature of the relationship is intertwined.<br /><br />But if your intentions are right, and you are fighting for what you truly believe in, and you have others who fight for things with a similar conviction, than those could survive such violent clashes.<br /><br />Yep, and you can help plaster each other's verbal wounds over a hot drink, glad that the relationship is still solid despite. <br /><br />**********************<br /><br />It was at our annual meeting, seven years into our formation. We're a small NGO, still slowly finding our way, doing little things, and sometimes we get delirously happy with the little successes that come our way. <br /><br />At the meeting, a member gets up and demands change in the leadership. Demands that the younger members be given the opportunity to lead. Feels that it is time for fresh ideas to be injected into the society. That the leadership has been at the helm for too long.<br /><br />Up to that point, I've only read about these moments in the papers, or hear them over the news. Here, it was happening real time!<br /><br />He had a point. Leaders must not overstay their welcome. And yes, fresh ideas are needed, as someone who's been running the show for too long may hold the organisation back from progressing.<br /><br />Change is good, sometimes change is needed, but change for the sake of change because it feels like it's time for change - may not always work! <br /><br />**********<br /><br />This one is a little convoluted, but is one of my favourite lessons, which I have shared at numerous occasions with different people. <br /><br />A small debt was incurred by one of two new members in one of our programmes. <br /><br />The first one denied it, saying it was probably the second one. The second one also denied it, and was in tears as the other had said it could be her. <br /><br />Some investigate work later... and we found out that it was the first one. <br /><br />My big boss, a retired police officer, was furious. He called the first one, and over her continued denials (possibly she was too embarrassed to retract her denial), ripped into her. <br /><br />He then turned to me and said that she must be expelled from our NGO and never be allowed to return. I was taken aback, as the amount of money in question was not that much at all (not enough to even buy a small meal at your favourite fast food joint). <br /><br />He says when someone lies, they will be a liar for life. Because to cover your lies, you must continue lying. So the mind is tuned to lying over and over again. And it becomes a habit. She may only be 17, and it may only have been a small amount, but because of what she chose to do, she will forever have to propagate this lie with us. Being expelled from the NGO after having been welcomed into it just a few hours before is a harsh, harsh lesson. If she stops her lying habit, then it would have been worth the harsh action. It she doesn't, then it would have been good riddance. <br /><br />Some may disagree, but the principle here I still adhere to. <br /><br />*******<br /><br />At the end of the day, it's the people that matter.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-11366359223124940872010-09-03T16:23:00.002+01:002010-09-03T16:33:00.536+01:00Over the oceans...The past couple of days had been quite hectic, and stand out for my deprivation of sleep.<br /><br />So getting onto the flight this morning was something I was looking forward to, as it meant I could get a few hours of very welcome sleep.<br /><br />As I was settling in my seat, someone says. “Hey bro, how’re you doing?”<br /><br />I look up and it’s the elder brother of a friend of mine (yep, the same guy who emceed that friend’s wedding that I wrote about in my previous posting).<br /><br />“I’m ok! Where’re you heading to?”<br /><br />“Err… to the same place you’re heading to … I guess…”<br /><br />Well of course, we’re in a plane.<br /><br />“I’ll catch you later yea…” he says as he moves down the aisle.<br /><br />I must get out more often.<br /><br />*******<br /><br />This reminded me of something I said a few years ago.<br /><br />Guest: Hi, I don't think we've met.<br /><br />Me: I don't think I've met you before either...Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-41913149004516328472010-08-16T15:45:00.004+01:002010-08-17T04:20:26.562+01:00Beautiful warnings...It's been a cacophony of weddings this past month!<br /><br />The first two of three were interracial.<br /><br />The second one was of a friend I've known since I was five (who also happens to be one of three friends I've known longest in my life). The trouble with having your elder brother emcee your wedding is having things like this said about you:<br /><br />"My brother was not a particularly ugly baby, but my mum started having morning sickness after he was born."<br /><br />;-)<br /><br />A couple of Sunday's ago, I attended a third, very purple, wedding.<br /><br />I was seated beside an elderly lady, whom I discovered was related to the groom.<br /><br />From her eyes, I could sense she was one steely lady. Across the night she shared some lovely stories. How she had not even seen a picture of her husband, what more met him, before the day of their marriage. In fact, she had asked the equivalent of her bridesmaid to describe her husband to her on the day of the wedding itself, but when her mum found out, she was scolded.<br /><br />"Why? You have someone else to compare him to, is it??"<br /><br />She told me that the first words her husband uttered to her when he first saw her after the solemnisation of the marriage were words to the following effect:<br /><br />"Please accept me as your husband. I want to live my whole life with you and die in your arms."<br /><br />My goodness. What words.<br /><br />God is great, and his words did come true, as he died in her arms when he suddenly passed away at their new home, two weeks after retiring and having just moved to KL from Penang.<br /><br />The lady continued her stories and one thing struck me hard. She said she missed the old days when we were all much closer.<br /><br />"Nowadays, we're so busy with everything; we've got no time for family."<br /><br />"Whenever I see the younger ones, they always say 'How're you' and that's about it. Well, I say to hell with your 'how are yous'!<br /><br />"If that's all you're going to say to me, better not say anything!"<br /><br />I nodded in agreement with what she said. The younger generation is becoming like that.<br /><br />Aunty, I don't know your name, but the next time I meet you, you are definitely getting more than a 'how are you' from me.<br /><br />Ramadhan Mubarak. When Eid comes around and you meet your aunties and uncles, remember, something more than a 'how are you?' this year ok...Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-32708359513490944912010-05-24T16:42:00.000+01:002010-05-24T16:48:17.292+01:00The appearance of a disease is swift as an arrow...its disappearance slow, like a thread. <br /><br />~ Chinese Proverb. <br /><br /><br />A friend once told me that in Britain, if someone says "how're you doing?", the correct reply should be a "how're you doing?" as well. At least to the elders... <br /><br />I'm not too sure about that, but I practiced it for a while. I did it for a while here in Malaysia as well, but stopped because people didn't really get me. <br /><br />Anyway, today I met colleague whom I hadn't met for about a month. <br /><br />"How're you doing?" I ask. <br /><br />"I just had a stroke," he mumbled with difficulty. <br /><br />I was stunned. <br /><br />"When?" <br /><br />"3 weeks ago." <br /><br />He proceeds to show me how one side of his face is paralysed. He takes off his glasses and blinks, but only one eye blinks. <br /><br />"How come you're back at work?" <br /><br />"I can't sit still at home. I'm still undergoing treatment though." <br /><br />He explains that one side of his body was slightly affected, and he can't carry stuff with that hand. <br /><br />I've come across people I know who've suffered a stroke. But seeing this friend - it messed me up a bit. <br /><br />Back home, I wikiepedia-ed stroke. <br /><br />A stroke (sometimes called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)) is the rapidly developing loss of brain function(s) due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain, caused by a blocked or burst blood vessel. This can be due to ischemia (lack of blood flow) caused by thrombosis or arterial embolism or due to a hemorrhage. As a result, the affected area of the brain is unable to function, leading to inability to move one or more limbs on one side of the body, inability to understand or formulate speech, or inability to see one side of the visual field. <br /><br />A stroke is a medical emergency and can cause permanent neurological damage, complications, and death. It is the leading cause of adult disability in the United States and Europe. It is the number two cause of death worldwide and may soon become the leading cause of death worldwide. Risk factors for stroke include advanced age, hypertension (high blood pressure), previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), diabetes, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking and atrial fibrillation. High blood pressure is the most important modifiable risk factor of stroke. <br /><br />Goodness.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1148896996011694890.post-38379344657788317572010-04-20T11:46:00.000+01:002010-04-20T11:47:28.984+01:00I'll be ready...never you fear. <br /><br />When I wrote in my last post about the tree incident that happened a few weeks ago, it reminded me of this incident that happened a few years ago :-)<br /><br />*******<br /><br />"It's the block of offices after Baywatch..." <br /><br />This was not sun-drenched Miami, or wherever it was that the Baywatch we all know was supposed to have been set, but rain-drenched Kelana Jaya. <br /><br />"Did you just say Baywatch??" <br /><br />Apparently, this Baywatch is a food court. I was going to meet a friend at his office one evening after work and that was the landmark. <br /><br />******* <br /><br />I was walking back to my car that was parked along the road outside the block. As I was walking, I saw that a minor accident had happened. I figured out from the scene that the BMW was waiting to make a u-turn, and the souped up 20-year old Mitsubishi clipped the BMW when the driver tried to overtake the BMW at the u-turn. <br /><br />Very stupid. <br /><br />The passengers from both cars were already outside and there was a shouting match going on, but it was mostly in Mandarin. The BMW driver was a 30-something guy, and he seemed to have a 58-year old uncle as his passenger. The Mitsubishi had four boys, all in their late-teens. I walked past the commotion towards my car. <br /><br />I got into my car (Proton Satria 1.3GLS, manual tranmission, manual windows as well). Swung it around, and would have to pass the accident scene before I reached the junction to the main road. <br /><br />As I drove past the scene, I was bloody shocked to see what was going on... <br /><br />Uncle was holding one of the young boys, the driver presumably, by his throat! The boy's feet were nearly off the ground... and his friends seemed rooted by fear where they were. The BMW driver was screaming at uncle to stop (or egging him on, not sure)... but uncle was beating up the boy. <br /><br />This called for some intervention! I ground my car to a halt, just outside Baywatch, and jumped out. The screaming that was going-on attracted some of the Baywatch life-guards... eh I mean waiters, to come out and see what was going on. <br /><br />"Come-on!!!" I screamed at them before running to intervene. <br /><br />As we got closer and closer, I was thinking what we should do... we can't simply barge in and starting beating up uncle, can we? <br /><br />The best is just get in between uncle and the poor boy who was still being held by his neck. <br /><br />"Hoi!!!" I screamed while still running, to get uncle's attention. "Stop! Hoi! Stop!" <br /><br />Ok better tell the others that there's no turning back and we should just jump in .... <br /><br />Turned to face the Baywatch dudes just behind me... <br /><br />... and I saw nothing... <br /><br />... not a single person ... <br /><br />... oh wait, I can make them out, there they are... still just outside Baywatch eagerly waiting to see what I would do. <br /><br />Turned to the front again, and there was uncle, having let go of the boy, looking at me. <br /><br />He moved forward. I began to retreat. <br /><br />Then uncle gave a couple of flying kicks to the Mitsubishi (could have been my face). <br /><br />Then he cursed at the boys, before getting into the BMW. The driver got in as well, and they drove off. <br /><br />The four boys looked very relieved that uncle had gone away... last I remember they were looking for a lost slipper. <br /><br />I went back to my car, ignoring the Baywatch onlookers. As I drove back, I was thinking. <br /><br />It's not easy being a David Hasselhoff.Idamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02250513464010535731noreply@blogger.com0