2012 - 35 : Young people

i was watching X-Men First Class with my nephew on the HBO. Seeing him very into it, suddenly i felt the urge to tease him a little bit

Me : Mokyah, X-Men is boring. Let's watch something else....
Mokyah : But i like it......you wont understand.....young people are different....
Me ; What do you mean.....*i'm still young...do i? confuse*
Mokyah : A kid like me loved action movie....a young person like you might not really like action movie....i think..
Me : Oooooo....*sigh*

trolllololol.....

2012 - 34 : Dieting

When i was a kid, most of the food that i ate were homecook. My mom cook most the the meal that i took when i was a kid. We hardly eating out since my father only prefer homecook. Then i went to boarding school. All the food were, boarding school food, balance diet i guess but i cant tell for sure. When i was in college, the first two years, i was on meal plan and i didnt have much money. The food were not bad but after a while i was getting bored of the same western food (since i was on strict halal diet). i didnt eat much either. The next 2 years of my college life, i/my friends cook our own meal. Juggling between classes and study (and limited money), i just eat whatever to feed hunger.
When i start working, everything is different. A proper meal is a must and since you have the money and resources, there's no excuse for not eating or eating whatever. I tend to eat regularly a lot of thing that i'm not normally eat that much such as cake, fast food, oily deep fried goreng pisang, sweet drink....Then i hit me, i actually can get fat.
I did gain few kg since the past four years but nothing alarming. I still pretty much comfortable with my body. However, one thing that i noticed being a women it is hard not to complain about your weight (too thin, too fat, too normal) regardless how normal you are. So no matter how normal i feel, i still required to have a target 'ideal' weight so that i wont feel abnormal of being a women.
Since most of the people around me are having some sort of diet, i just make it up my own. All i did was, controlling my food intake. For example, not to drink more that 2 cups of sweet drink a day ( it's the hardest since i really craving for coffee at work). I allowed myself to take at most one fast food meal a week. On top of that i did some exercise. Since i quit aerobic class, i joined badminton but i always miss the session. Recently i started swimming. But i always felt extremely hungry after swimming. My point is i cant follow specific diet (atkins or whatever it is) and still eat whatever available but i can always control my food intake and exercise (no-name diet).
First of all, dieting is not starving ourselves to loose weight. I saw people around me doing it and it didnt work. It's all about eating healthy balance diet and exercise. If your target is to loose weight, you will loose weight by many means (starving, taking supplement, following specific "diet'). Unfortunately, u might gain the weight plus additional weight once you stop going it. It only work if you have certain deadline to meet.
But if your purpose to have a normal weight is to be healthy, we need to ensure that we have control over our diet. Dieting is not a short-term program, it is the lifetime lifestyle.

2012 - 33 : The "night"...mlm

So last Monday i came across a blog anti-MLM Aidid Muaddib. His language is very bitter and he just hate multi-level marketing. Something about his language and writing that attracted people to his blog. Reading through his blog can make any MLMians felt stabbed to their very core. If we filter all the bitterness, he did have a valid point and somehow we can tell that he did his research since he always have applauding reference and knowledge...meaning that somehow he has an established education background.
I dont really care about MLM before until somehow last year i almost got myself into joining an MLM. This was how it started.
A good friend of mine gave me a call asking me to accompany her to her friend (let called her A) raya open house on Saturday. So i went. She told me that recently she got into a business with her business partner A and their business was doing well. Meeting her friend A,a very nice and friendly lady, had a little talk about her business and told me how it helped her with her wedding expense (she's just get hitched) Her husband was also one of their business partner. After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, i got a little bit influence by financially independent ideology and the business seemed like an interesting idea to me. A told me that there will be a business conference the day after (Sunday) and invited me to join to get a better understanding. So i went.
Sunday morning, my friend picked me up to the business conference at Istana Hotel KL. She sponsored my whole business training expenses that day. At the conference i met other business partners B,C,D, E,F..... They were all highly motivated people. Talking about how the business change their life. The business seminar started. Then i hit me that this was what people called MLM (yeah...i was that slow...but excuse me MLM-virgin here...).  Everything seemed very good. They presented their product testimonial which seem like proven products. But the brochure looked a little bit off. With the spelling mistake, unconvincing cheap look.   Then they started to talked about the "business" organization and all the typical pyramid figure came into picture with all the fancy term for each level and how much they earned. The high ranking people in the organization were wearing fancy outfit with a very fancy title and 6 figure income (not included decimal point ok......they claimed). They were very friendly and asked me to visit their office the next day.
On Monday, i told Lina about the "business" seminar that i went. I was surprised when she seemed to be like well-expose to what i experience a day before. Her advice was "enjoy all the fun things. it wont hurt but be extra careful if you want to join". In the evening i went to their office. they have another talk that i somehow join and also they gave me one to one tutorial about the "business".
On Tuesday, i met with A and her husband with a couple more business partners. they taught me the calculation on how the "profit" flow.  At almost the end of the session, A's husband handed me a loan application form. Apparently to be less struggling business member you need to be at certain level of the pyramid where to be at that level you need to invest RM34k. He told me that he made loan for 10 years for that business about a year ago. When i asked him whether he has done paying the loan, he said " Why i need to repay the loan fast  when i can enjoy all the money". It struck me...."why do you want to be in debt for 10 years, when your earn up to 5 figures/ months".
So i didnt join because;

1. The product - for the Taiwan-made unknown product, the price is quite high compared to established brand. It wont survive the free market. How can i sell something that i dont believe in.
2. The loan - i wont make a long term financial commitment for stg that i dont believed in.
3. The money - everytime they say that the business is easy money, i always wondering who get hurt. 
4. The Mercedes/BMW - they showed too many "successful" leader in the "business" taking picture with Mercedes/BMW. I dont like Mercedes/BMW because it represent typical old, pretentious man. If it was Audi, i might consider...haha..jk..

i got nothing against MLM. But now everytime i met my friend, i felt a little bit awkward. I never asked her about her business and we just sort of pretend it never happened and talked like usual. 

2012 - 28 : Fight for your Right

So today i sent my car for basic standard service at COSE. Things were a little bit different at the COSE service center for better or worse. The usual receiving area has been closed to park all the fancy Lotus cars. The new receiving parking area is a little bit small and next to the service dorking area. I was a little bit lost as nobody came to assist me as i arrived.  Previously, as the customers arrived, we will get pass SA who will assist you to the parking.

Anyway, after asking around, i found out that  the i have to register my car at the receptionist area which was at the customers' waiting area. It was a little bit cramp in there as there's a lot of SA desks around. I told the receptionist that i came to service my car (as i already called for appointment a week before). She asked for my service booklet which i didnt bring with me. So i have to walked all the way to the parking area to get my service booklet from my car. 

Back to the receptionist, she gave me a number. I waited for a few minutes and the number was called. A SA was assigned to assist me. After verifying some of the info, we went to the car to check the car's condition. He estimated the service cost about RM270. It was high for standard basic service. After verifying with him, it turned out that he added some "un-basic"  service. I told him to take it out and his new estimation was about RM200. Dropped the key at about 9.30am, i was heading back to my office. He said that my car will be ready in 1-1.5 hours.

Around 12.40pm, i received a called from COSE to picked up my car. i was charged RM197.XX for the service. I went through the bill and asked them to waive the labor cost of RM66. The cashier looked confuse and i pointed out the 60 minutes express service. She told me that i wasnt eligible for the service as i didnt tell the SA beforehand. As i asked her for the term and condition for the service, she told me that she didnt know as she's only a cashier. WHattt THeee H****......

Watch out for this sign at selected EDAR service center

  She tried to call the SA in charge who was on lunch break at that time but she couldnt reach him. After a while the SA came. He told me that i have to tell him in case that i want the 60 mins express service. What a BS, the T&C are as below;

1) Basic service only - check!

2) Weekdays 8am-5.15pm - it's Monday morning okeyyy

3) Proton Model - daaaaa..obviously

4) No complain or special diagnosed - i dont ask for anything fancy. Just basic service

5) Applicable to 21 EDAR branches only - COSE included

6) 60 mins after the customers sign service order - it was almost 3 hours

Finally, he agreed to waive the labor cost. Yeah to me!!!.....

I was a little bit piss by their ignorance but the most important lesson is dont give up fighting for your right.

2012 - 24 : Just a little bit

This evening Razi dropped by to visit us at the office. He leave several months ago to pursue his career at a company in KL. He was like a brother to me, guiding me at work when i first started working. Even after i moved to a new group, i still referred to him if there's any issues. He's very expressive person and passionate with his work. Once in a while, we can hear his Terengganu accent slipping out, we did  make fun of it (especially tapa)  but he didnt even bother..haha....Letting him go might be a big lost to our company but i believed that he did what's the best for him. 

Work for a cause, NOT for applause

Live life to express, NOT to impress,

Dont strive to make your present notice,

Just make you absence felt.

2012 - 22 : Support

When you are about to make a big decision in your life and it is risky, you feel scared. Then you turn to someone for support. To lift up some of the "what if" inside your head. To tell you "it's okey" or "you'll be fine" or "you can do it" or just lend an ear to listen your concern/your excitement.

What would  you say to someone who letting go a Ferrari for a decent bicycle? It dont take a rocket scientist to tell you  that it is not a good deal but all i want to hear is " i disagree with you, but still i support you decision and wish you all the best".

That's support and it feel warm when we have one.

2012 - 21 : Adam and Hawa

Out of sudden alot of people around me are talking about this novel based tv drama, Adam and Hawa. Someone told me that there will be 80 episodes which equal to 4-5 months. It's too long but the storyline must be interesting otherwise ppl wont be so obsessed with it...So i decided to read the novel instead.

Adam is a casanova. Good looking, charming...u know..one of those guy...and ain is a young, innocent  with natural beauty temporary teacher at Adam's sister kindergarten. Adam is sort of like ain, and ain also sort of have crush on Adam (who doesnt..lol). One day they are caught for close proximity due to misunderstanding.  Ain's uncle force them to get married to spare the embarrassment to their family. Reluctantly, they do get married but ain is very furious of adam because he doesnt even defend their innocence.
Right after getting married, ain leaves to further her study in Australia where she met  her close friends Johan and Azie. She doesnt contacted adam at all for 8 years and she sort of thought they arent married anymore. When she gets back to after 8 years, she sort of have relationship with Johan. Her mom is not happy and told her to get back with adam but she refuses.
Then, she goes to Mecca for umrah with azie where she met adam. yeah..what a small world. adam told her that they are still husband and wife and want to 'reconnect'. She gets back and confront her mother. Then her mother verify that they are still married because adam still supported her financially during the 8 years apart. *how come you dont know your status?? Weird*
After that, adam and ain are sort  reconnect. but ain is still furious. keep on picking fight *DRAMA* all the time. at the same time azie and johan are having an affair. ain finds-out and decide to get back with adam. *no more choice*. get pregnant. confronting adam's ex-gf for trying to seduce adam. have a baby girl and live happily ever after.  

Proven cliche.....lol...

Adam & Hawa

2012 - 14 : The gift =P

Last night my group was having a dinner with Hasnizam at Pizza Hut Kota Kemuning. It was also the last day for Fadli at our company before starting his new job at Terengganu. So it was sort of 'TP4 reunion' cum farewell dinner.
I snapped few pictures around. Not the best camera but i'm glad that i've captured few great momenst with the camera....not great pictures either but great moments.
While doing so, Hasnizam popped a question "Tim, why dont you share all the pictures you took during our group activity with me?"...i was like..."i dont know you want it...hehe, btw we have something for you..'
Then, Asri handed over the present that i was working on for the last 2 months to him. He unwrapped the present , flipped few pages, smiling and said "i really like it"...

When Hanizam leaving about 2 months ago, we didnt give him anything. We felt that it was really hard to buy a proper "goodbye" gift for him. A few idea coming up but it is either too costly or too cliche. Then, i volunteered to design a photobook for him using photobook coupon that i bought from groupon. My colleagues helped out by collecting all the pictures from our 2011-2012 activities and also gave comments and suggestions for the design. it turned out to be very nice and everyone loved it. Actually, i will be nicer if it was in hardcover photobook....Well..anyway... Lina and Asri also asked me to reprint additional copy for them. I'm thinking about redesign and reprint for myself as well.
Afterall, it wasnt the most expensive present that money can buy but it content the precious memory that no money can buy... =P

2012 - 12 : Work vs Money

Between work and money, which one is more important?
Money is always important but since you'll spend almost half of your days at work on normal weekdays, the work is equally important. Otherwise, you will get old wasting your precious time  doing unimportant things.

2012 - 08 : Whattttt???!!!

Last week, this conversation took place between me and Nish....

Nish : I'm going to watch a movie
Me : Great....what movie?
Nish : An animation....the same producer as...that animation...the thing...what did you call it..the yellow thing...
Me : Whattt?
Nish : that little man....yellow....he's said "WHatttt???!!"
Me: Whattt? I dont know....
Nish : You know....common.....wearing glasses....yellow...small....the banana.....
Me : I'll never know...

Today, i saw this on Haslam's desk and everything started to make sense.....sooo cute....

The Minion from Despicable Me

2012 - 06 : Blank and random

I just cant give a suitable title for my entries so i just put the what i feel. All the blank and random things

One
Tomorrow, i'll be officially quit my aerobic class after 1 month. i've already made payment for 2 months which made me lost 1 month payment. it was supposed to be a fun and relaxing class but i just found out that i dont enjoyed it as much as i should. i just hate poco2 and repeatedly doing same movement/routine for four different 90 degree angle for 1 hour. my brain got tired and my body got bored.

Two
10 years ago, i told a friend that we will keep in touch. And it has been 10 years and i just realized that we never had a real conversation with each other. it just make me realized how fragile a relationship is. maybe if you cant keep the one that make you happy, you might just let it go so that you can give a space to the one that does.

Three
Incompetent person who does not letting his/her position because s/he afraid to feel less important. but little that they know, holding to it only make him/her a loser.

Four
Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.

2012 - 05 : Good Old Days

Sometimes i missed the old days....when the life was simpler. Where friends updated each other face to face rather then Facebook. People make time to make a good luck and congratulation card rather then e-card. Wedding invitation card was personally sending out to respective guests rather then open invitation on the Facebook.
I just miss the good old days.

2011 - 36 : Opportunity and Changes

"The biggest risk is not taking any risk...in the world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guarenteed to fail is not taking risk" - Mark Zuckerberg -

A lot of things around me are changing. the idea of changing scared me but the idea of not changing scared me more. I dont want to do what i did last year for the next 5 years. However,to change means taking risk, accept uncertainty and insecurity.

Opportunity comes and go and everytime it passed us by, we just stop and wonder whether we should grab it. To grabbing it means that we are taking risk to change for good or bad. On the other side, if we dont grab the opportunity, we will always wonder what will happen if we did.

I pray to Allah for giving me His guidance to make a right choice.

2011 - 22 : The 2 Things You Invest

After working for almost 3 years, i started to think about having side income by investing in something. i came across a very interesting concept of investing from a book "Why We Want You To Be Rich- 2 Men 1 Message - Donald Trump and Robert Koyasaki"

Generally there are 2 things that we can invest in;
1) Time
2) Money

If you cant invest your time, you might lost your money.

This 2 things describe what types of investor you are. There are 3 types of investors

1) Non-investor
Invest no time. Invest No Money

2)Passive Investor
Invest no time. Invest money

3)Active investor
Invest time. Invest Money

Based on the concept, below is my conclusion;
The key thing to be a successful investor is that you need to have money and spend time on it. The more time you spend on your investment, the bigger return will be. if i am looking for a side income, i need to find something that wont take soo much of my real job time. i only have about 3-4 hours of free time during weekday which mean i need to invest on sth that only require 3-4 hours of attention per weekdays. Well, i might already have something in mind!

2011 - 03 : Must Nego...nego...nego

Negotation is a process of discussing something in order to reach an agreement between them. is can be a long and painful process but being able to win a negotiation might be a very rewarding. having engineering background but working in procurement field, i felt like negotiation took too much time. i used to believe that if you could'nt afford the price offered, why even bother to buy it at the first place. i was having that mentallity till recently.
what happenned recenty is that i just realized what is behind all the price that i paid is the price that should not be there at the first place. the only way to get rid of all this crap is just by asking the seller to remove it..and the art of asking the seller to take off this crap is called negotiation. and by doing this this called negotiation, you get a cheaper price and it doesnt really cost anything to anyone..
why did the seller even put the addional crap price at the first place when they know that they will give a reduction once the buyer asking for it. if the real price is offered, there's no need to go through all the painful negotiation .
sometimes this crap price does not even mean anything that the seller willingly gave it to you before you asking for it. however, on the buyer side, we always think that we pay a good deal when we managed to get reduction ...of course through negotiation.
a couple months ago, i was planing to buy this widget. after did some research on the net i manage to determine the reasonable price level that i should pay which is around RM980-RM1000. i went to the store and surprisingly the price tag showed RM950. i was very happy that the price was RM30 below my lowest expectation. taking my time adoring the widget i was about to buy, the seller gave me aditional RM50 reduction. and believed it or not, i did even say a word about lowering the price....well..when i think about it...if i said stg, i might get a better deal. ..i might be happier but i happy still.

p.s: in business, you dont get what you deserved, you get what you negotiate. -Chester L. Karrass.

2011 - 02 : Alfredo Sambal Udang vs Spaghetti Ayam Sup

Tradition is defined as belief, customs and practice maintained by society. How a tradition starts? there's no specific tradition practiced in my family. we dont even celebrate birthday. i dont even know birthday is such a big deal to anyone till i was invited to my friend's birthday when i was nine. of course i know people celebrate birthday but i thought it should be a surprise such as other people will remember your birthday but you dont have to remember yours....huh..what a naive kid i was...
back to tradition, about 4 weeks ago, my sister suggested to start a tradition by declaring tuesday night as pasta day. basically we will be having pasta based dinner every tuesday night. the first 2 weeks we were having a very nice pasta. she even tried out the recipe that she got from cooking show and it turned out pretty nice. However, the last 2 weeks (which include tonight), the pasta started turning into a very unconventional meal. starting with alfredo sambal udang (alfredo with chilli paste shrimp) last week followed by spaghetti ayam sup. the left-over food started to mix around with our new-found tradition...it tasted weird but nice...and weird again.
the thing is, starting a new tradition need a preseverence and along the way we get creative and make it diverged from the conventional way. Changes is good but too much changed will crack you up.

PS: Change is inevitable....adapting to change is unavoidable

2011 - 01 : Prologue

Prologue is an opening to a story that establish the setting that give background details and others miscellaneous information. i called this entry PROLOGUE as this entry is the starting point to my journey of 52 entries in the year 2011. while listing my new year's resolution, i put 'write 52 entries in 2011' with the average of 1 entry per week. will i be committed enough...we'll see at the last week of this year.
about half of what i listed in my last year resolution became true. i was told about sth called law of attraction. if you wrote down things that you want most, i might come to you. i'll try to read more about law of attraction and might blog it someday. However, 'does it possible it is just fate'. meaning that when you are mean/fate for stg, you are prone to get attracted to it. it could be.
I believed that i was attracted to start blogging might be because i was meant to share whatever inside my head with the world. and i just cant wait.

p.s : a thankful heart is close to the force of nature.