i knew angie when she was 13 or 14 years old. most of my memories of angie were from those days when we were still partying and enjoying our carefree life - the sri aman girls with the east end boys (BB, La Salle, Sea Park).
my last recollection of angie was in 1989/1990 when she was still with SQ and she flew to perth, where i was studying. she was afraid of staying alone in the hotel room so, i accompanied her until the next day. we chatted until we fell asleep. of course, we met up when i came back to KL but, that was my special memory of her.
we lost touch after she went separate ways with my buddy. then through fb, we rekindle our friendship. little did i know that she had suffered from cancer for several years now. we spoke briefly when she was in KL this year and she sounded like the angie i knew from 20+ years ago. for her to go so young just show us that life is short and we should live it to its fullest; with no regret...
i don't know how she lived her life since we last met but i would like to imagine she led a meaningful life and from her beautiful family pictures, i truly believe she did.
so, fellow night birds, i leave you tonight with a quote;
People living deeply have no fear of death - Anais Nin
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Management Style
in the past 3-4 weeks i've witnessed contrasting management styles at my work place.
management style 1: complains a lot, cannot grasp the situation, leave it to staff to settle the issues, always blaming the customer for the problems.
management style 2: goal oriented, delegate decisively, get a handle of the situation immediately, make positive changes.
when he came in, he laid down (3) simple rules to his management team.
1. the customer is always right.
complain to him but not to the customer.
2. your boss is always right. do what is told.
any failure will be his responsibility.
3. remove 'no' and 'cannot' from your vocabulary.
take the challenge to overcome any obstacles.
through observations of both styles, one can see that a successful manager or person is one that continuously learning, improving. if one stop learning, that where he'll be stuck...frozen in time...it's not that 'older' manager was bad. he just couldn't grasp the situation his team is in. his methodology is old school, doesn't know the system, don't want to touch the technology.
that's the other point; if you want to lead then you better know your stuff otherwise, you're moving around like a headless chicken. even though you're not technically inclined, you should know how the work flows. then, you can spot any bottle-necks and provide solutions.
i'm glad to meet such people in our organization. that means we've the right people to move forward in the future. that also got me wondering, does that mean as we get older, nearing retirement, we become irrelevant? will my subordinates, present and future, think that i'm old school, redundant when i move to senior management?
well fellow night birds, good night and i leave you with comedian, Bill Cosby's sagely advice...i know i'll be thinking about this long and hard...
" I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby
management style 1: complains a lot, cannot grasp the situation, leave it to staff to settle the issues, always blaming the customer for the problems.
management style 2: goal oriented, delegate decisively, get a handle of the situation immediately, make positive changes.
when he came in, he laid down (3) simple rules to his management team.
1. the customer is always right.
complain to him but not to the customer.
2. your boss is always right. do what is told.
any failure will be his responsibility.
3. remove 'no' and 'cannot' from your vocabulary.
take the challenge to overcome any obstacles.
through observations of both styles, one can see that a successful manager or person is one that continuously learning, improving. if one stop learning, that where he'll be stuck...frozen in time...it's not that 'older' manager was bad. he just couldn't grasp the situation his team is in. his methodology is old school, doesn't know the system, don't want to touch the technology.
that's the other point; if you want to lead then you better know your stuff otherwise, you're moving around like a headless chicken. even though you're not technically inclined, you should know how the work flows. then, you can spot any bottle-necks and provide solutions.
i'm glad to meet such people in our organization. that means we've the right people to move forward in the future. that also got me wondering, does that mean as we get older, nearing retirement, we become irrelevant? will my subordinates, present and future, think that i'm old school, redundant when i move to senior management?
well fellow night birds, good night and i leave you with comedian, Bill Cosby's sagely advice...i know i'll be thinking about this long and hard...
" I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Big Question?
Melancholic,Uninspired,Restless,Impatient,Sad,Frustrated
i'm all of the above and more. what the !@#$% are we supposed to be doing here on this planet, in this lifetime? when things don't go your way, and the stress is getting to you, the 'big question' hits you hard on the head. rushing to get somewhere but...where? wakaranai...
life is like an endurance race, a triathlon, you got multiple principles and the course is long. at the end of your journey, you'll get a medal. in life, you'll meet your maker, God. instead of speeding down the autobahn, we need to pace ourselves in achieving our goal. we need to be patient, have self belief and trust in God. for those like me, who has strayed from His flock for so long, it's time have a conversation with Him once again. need to find my way...
well, fellow night birds, as i ponder my path ahead, i leave you once again with one of my favorite band, Pink Floyd...also, check out http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
i'm all of the above and more. what the !@#$% are we supposed to be doing here on this planet, in this lifetime? when things don't go your way, and the stress is getting to you, the 'big question' hits you hard on the head. rushing to get somewhere but...where? wakaranai...
life is like an endurance race, a triathlon, you got multiple principles and the course is long. at the end of your journey, you'll get a medal. in life, you'll meet your maker, God. instead of speeding down the autobahn, we need to pace ourselves in achieving our goal. we need to be patient, have self belief and trust in God. for those like me, who has strayed from His flock for so long, it's time have a conversation with Him once again. need to find my way...
well, fellow night birds, as i ponder my path ahead, i leave you once again with one of my favorite band, Pink Floyd...also, check out http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
i've made many friends throughout my life especially during high school up to uni. however, since starting a family and working, catching up with friends is something of anomaly. everyone has their own lives to live and affairs to attend to. some of my buddies are now;
commercial director
recovering (i hope) junkie
business owner in australia, living the good life
regional marketing rep
married to pkr/pas royalty. working for anwar now, i guess
chef/business owner
ferry operator in uk
construction business owner
4D runner & conman
semi-retired dj
however, most of us are struggling salaryman (サラリーマン), trying to get through the daily grind. during our time together, we were the best of friends. we partied (a lot), fought, cried (not that much), drank ourselves silly. the camaraderie shown then, was unmatched. nothing could separate us. the many different groups that we formed then...EEG, china boyz, red house, 6 gang, 4 holes (loosely translated in cantonese/english). our regular ponteng sekolah, weekend clubbing, midnight cycling,..sweet memories flooding back...
where are you now? what're you up to? are you doing ok? i still think of you and the memories we shared. i hope one day we can meet again and talk about ole times over drinks. that would be very nice.
well, fellow night birds, enough nostalgia for one night. i leave you with an excerpt from Queen's Friends Will Be Friends;
Its not easy love, but you've got friends you can trust
Friends will be friends
When you're in need of love, they give you care and attention
Friends will be friends
When you're through with life and all hope is lost
Hold out your hands, cos friends will be friends, right till the End
commercial director
recovering (i hope) junkie
business owner in australia, living the good life
regional marketing rep
married to pkr/pas royalty. working for anwar now, i guess
chef/business owner
ferry operator in uk
construction business owner
4D runner & conman
semi-retired dj
however, most of us are struggling salaryman (サラリーマン), trying to get through the daily grind. during our time together, we were the best of friends. we partied (a lot), fought, cried (not that much), drank ourselves silly. the camaraderie shown then, was unmatched. nothing could separate us. the many different groups that we formed then...EEG, china boyz, red house, 6 gang, 4 holes (loosely translated in cantonese/english). our regular ponteng sekolah, weekend clubbing, midnight cycling,..sweet memories flooding back...
where are you now? what're you up to? are you doing ok? i still think of you and the memories we shared. i hope one day we can meet again and talk about ole times over drinks. that would be very nice.
well, fellow night birds, enough nostalgia for one night. i leave you with an excerpt from Queen's Friends Will Be Friends;
Its not easy love, but you've got friends you can trust
Friends will be friends
When you're in need of love, they give you care and attention
Friends will be friends
When you're through with life and all hope is lost
Hold out your hands, cos friends will be friends, right till the End
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Time Management /Setting Priorities
family, friends, work takes up a good portion of one's daily activities. there's also 'me' time. with only 24 hours a day and so much activities to cover, it can get quite overwhelming.
averagely, one spends at work 9-10 hours and sleep about 6-7 hours; leaving 7 hours for family and 'me' time. gym takes 2-3 hours including shower and drive home. that means only 4 hours with the family. if you add dinner time, 1 hour, leaving a grand total of 3 hours with family.
how does one juggle with time to cover all bases. are we setting our priorities right? it doesn't seem logical that family gets so little of one's time when they're the most important aspect of one's life.
some people say "its quality not quantity". how to do quality when the brain is on 'off' mode after work? what's considered quality? doing homework, talking, reading together, play? especially for a non-discipline person like oneself, it's a struggle.
time management and setting priorities is a major revamp for 2009. starting with one's gym schedule. no more daily workouts - 3 times is the target:) that leaves 4 days for family activities. i think that's a good start..the result so far is an expanded waistline:(
tonight, fellow night birds i leave you with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche;
" he who has the why to live can bear almost any how"
p/s. let's find the 'why' in our lives then, the 'how' should come naturally...
averagely, one spends at work 9-10 hours and sleep about 6-7 hours; leaving 7 hours for family and 'me' time. gym takes 2-3 hours including shower and drive home. that means only 4 hours with the family. if you add dinner time, 1 hour, leaving a grand total of 3 hours with family.
how does one juggle with time to cover all bases. are we setting our priorities right? it doesn't seem logical that family gets so little of one's time when they're the most important aspect of one's life.
some people say "its quality not quantity". how to do quality when the brain is on 'off' mode after work? what's considered quality? doing homework, talking, reading together, play? especially for a non-discipline person like oneself, it's a struggle.
time management and setting priorities is a major revamp for 2009. starting with one's gym schedule. no more daily workouts - 3 times is the target:) that leaves 4 days for family activities. i think that's a good start..the result so far is an expanded waistline:(
tonight, fellow night birds i leave you with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche;
" he who has the why to live can bear almost any how"
p/s. let's find the 'why' in our lives then, the 'how' should come naturally...
Friday, April 3, 2009
Money - Get Me A Financial Planner, Sil Vous Plez
i recently asked a certain someone aka ngap, regarding our life together and why some people seem to lead such 'blissful' existence while ours' is so eventful (read: topsy-turvy).
i related to her regarding a work buddy who has 2 kids, wife's working, who probably earns more than him. i know because we get paid peanuts. does that mean we're monkeys? he saves (a lot) and provides for his family. he doesn't drive a fancy car and keeps it for up to 9-10 years. he did this the last time he changed from saga to honda city. he wear the same clothes and tie until it gets frayed. it's a good bet that he'll live a comfortable retirement, nothing fancy but good nonetheless.i truly admire him...in a non-gay sort of way:D (please, i'm not homophobic but, you know what i mean)
then, there's us. everything's touch-n-go. no savings to shout about, servicing two properties, kids expenses, household, insurance, maid...and the list goes on. we live month to month, hand to mouth. the future is still a blur. what kind of retirement will we have? i dare not even imagine. unfortunately for us, we're both true consumers. we love to spend, getting that endorphin rush (yes, it like going to gym except less strenuous) until cognitive dissonance sets in. we look at the 'things' we accumulated and wonder how to get rid or where to store them!? worse, m2 is kinda like us. she's likes to buy 'stuff'..a lot of stuff. oh me, oh my...
so, i constantly question myself, can we do what my esteem colleague is doing? living within our means. simple concept. implementation and discipline is the tough part. at this moment, we can say it's not possible. we've dived too deep into the abyss and the surface is beyond reach. this is the year of proper financial planning on my part - to secure our future...say this every year:) God help us!
p/s. there is also that estima or rx300 or crv in the showroom with my name on it;P muahahaha
anyhoo...I leave you fellow night birds with words of wisdom from operatic rockers, Pink Floyd...
MONEY - Pink Floyd
Money, its a crime.
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that they're
Giving none away.
i related to her regarding a work buddy who has 2 kids, wife's working, who probably earns more than him. i know because we get paid peanuts. does that mean we're monkeys? he saves (a lot) and provides for his family. he doesn't drive a fancy car and keeps it for up to 9-10 years. he did this the last time he changed from saga to honda city. he wear the same clothes and tie until it gets frayed. it's a good bet that he'll live a comfortable retirement, nothing fancy but good nonetheless.i truly admire him...in a non-gay sort of way:D (please, i'm not homophobic but, you know what i mean)
then, there's us. everything's touch-n-go. no savings to shout about, servicing two properties, kids expenses, household, insurance, maid...and the list goes on. we live month to month, hand to mouth. the future is still a blur. what kind of retirement will we have? i dare not even imagine. unfortunately for us, we're both true consumers. we love to spend, getting that endorphin rush (yes, it like going to gym except less strenuous) until cognitive dissonance sets in. we look at the 'things' we accumulated and wonder how to get rid or where to store them!? worse, m2 is kinda like us. she's likes to buy 'stuff'..a lot of stuff. oh me, oh my...
so, i constantly question myself, can we do what my esteem colleague is doing? living within our means. simple concept. implementation and discipline is the tough part. at this moment, we can say it's not possible. we've dived too deep into the abyss and the surface is beyond reach. this is the year of proper financial planning on my part - to secure our future...say this every year:) God help us!
p/s. there is also that estima or rx300 or crv in the showroom with my name on it;P muahahaha
anyhoo...I leave you fellow night birds with words of wisdom from operatic rockers, Pink Floyd...
MONEY - Pink Floyd
Money, its a crime.
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that they're
Giving none away.
Direction-less / I Need a GPS
have you ever had one of those days that you're moving along like a zombie, not really conscious of what's going on? for me...today was one of them.
this morning as i was driving m2 to kindy, i headed towards my office - the opposite direction. had to make a u-turn and as usual late for work. i was listening to LKY on bfm, imagining him spitting saliva into the mic;p
after that, i went to our distribution centre in bkt. jelutong. on the t-junction between batu tiga and shah alam stadium, i turned left to batu tiga, heading to klia - the opposite direction. i was still listening to LKY on the radio...
later in the afternoon when i went to pick m1 from school, wanting to goto nkve, i ended up in federal hwy - not really the opposite direction but you know what i mean. AND, LKY was still on the radio @#$%^&*...bfm repeated his interview during lunch-time. maybe i need a GPS for my car. battusai!
on top of that, it poured in the evening and work lasted longer than expected making me miss my workout. i only managed one class this week. i'm getting crankier by the minute....HULK SMASH!!! i need to sweat myself out of this lull. pump, combat tomorrow...hmm sounds like a plan:) but, the good news was LKY... was no longer on the radio!
was i really feeling like a zombie today or was it the LKY factor? a twilight zone moment there...
Note: LKY = (Tun) Lim Keng Yaik, former Primary Industry Minister not Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor; Battusai = Kenshin or Samurai X
good night fellow night birds...don't let the bed bugs bite
this morning as i was driving m2 to kindy, i headed towards my office - the opposite direction. had to make a u-turn and as usual late for work. i was listening to LKY on bfm, imagining him spitting saliva into the mic;p
after that, i went to our distribution centre in bkt. jelutong. on the t-junction between batu tiga and shah alam stadium, i turned left to batu tiga, heading to klia - the opposite direction. i was still listening to LKY on the radio...
later in the afternoon when i went to pick m1 from school, wanting to goto nkve, i ended up in federal hwy - not really the opposite direction but you know what i mean. AND, LKY was still on the radio @#$%^&*...bfm repeated his interview during lunch-time. maybe i need a GPS for my car. battusai!
on top of that, it poured in the evening and work lasted longer than expected making me miss my workout. i only managed one class this week. i'm getting crankier by the minute....HULK SMASH!!! i need to sweat myself out of this lull. pump, combat tomorrow...hmm sounds like a plan:) but, the good news was LKY... was no longer on the radio!
was i really feeling like a zombie today or was it the LKY factor? a twilight zone moment there...
Note: LKY = (Tun) Lim Keng Yaik, former Primary Industry Minister not Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor; Battusai = Kenshin or Samurai X
good night fellow night birds...don't let the bed bugs bite
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
