New Resolution - Follow up

Typical Malaysian mentality. It's been one month since I announced that I shall help preserve the environment by using my own container to take away my lunches. That has not happen yet. My excuse is that I have not found a right container! Lame.

Well..I try to compensate by refusing the plastic fork & spoon as there are spoons available in the office.

Meanwhile, am still waiting for a nice trendy container to fall from the sky....

Law of Garbage Trucks

by David J. Pollay
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood?
Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day?
Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels.
However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly he/she can get back her focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned itin the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened.I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station.
We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he startedyelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' And this is when my taxi driver told me what I nowcall, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.

So this was it: The 'Law of the Garbage Truck. 'I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets?

It was that day I said, 'I'm not going to do it anymore. 'I began to see garbage trucks. I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on. One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best.

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Teachers and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.

What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll be happier. So..

Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance , TAKE IT!
If it changes your life , LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy...
They just promised it would be worth it!

Back to the Gym

Thought I'd pen an update about this. I have re-joined True Fitness and planning a visit tomorrow. The last time I worked out in a gym was like at least 1 mth ago. Guess what - I only need to pay $112 a month now because I managed to get a Public Bank Card that allows 36 months instalment. And the card is Free for Life because I have some unit trust investment with them.

Well, you may think $112 x 36 months = $4032 is costly, I find it acceptable since I will get to enjoy the facilities (from all branches) for 3 yrs. After all $112 divided by 30 days is less than $4 a day ma.

I am extremely satisfied now because I have achieved all my intended objectives! Firstly, I am paying less then before (used to be $156). Secondly, now I can enjoy facilities from all branches i.e. swimming pool at the new Jaya branch and another the new branch coming soon at Pavillion (Bukit Bintang) - if I ever go there.

Thirdly, I get to stretch my payment to 36 months using my brand new Free for Life credit card!

Good value eh?

Surfing At Work

An article in yesterday's The Star says that - studies revealed that employees of today spend an average of one fifth of their working hours on internet activities. Activites may include personal blogging & facebook which is what I am doing now. Can't remember what other activities..there are at least 8 other cool activites - one of it is maintaining a cyber sports team - so cool!

One fifth - sounds fair to me. That's like 2 hours out of our average 10 hours work..hehe. Well, compared to wasteful meetings in the boardroom where everyone sits for hours trying to decide a few simple decisions....this is more satisfying right?

What Am I Doing Here?

My Horoscope for today says:

You may have been too tolerant in a certain aspect of your life recently, WSL. A family member or a friend may be a little less giving toward you than you are to him. If your tolerant attitude toward that person wasn't a problem for you, today it could really begin to bother you. Don't hesitate to do what you need to do to protect yourself and the people close to you...

Am not sure where this entry will lead to...am just trashing out my thoughts....

MK asked me once to think about "being in the rat-race". Well, I am not sure if I am still in the rat race. But I am definitely in a rush all the time. It has been a daily event - rushing to reach the office, rushing to reply urgent mails, rushing to finish urgent tasks in order to avoid serious delays, rushing to complete as much as I can before the day ends, rushing so that I don't end up staying too late, rushing to be home on time so that I can go for tai ci, etc etc.

Most of the time - we will all end up dead tired on Fridays - wondering what has happened in the last 4 days. Last night, my sister told me that she has yet found the time to sit down to indulge in the Durian Mooncake I bought for her on Monday, because she simply didn't have time. By the time she shuts down her laptop - it's normally already bedtime!

So, I am quietly thankful that I am at least able to have my evenings free from work. I finished the mooncake by Wednesday!

I am writing this in between work..the above was written about an hour ago. Hence, I've probably drifted through two different mood zones. Taken a second look at the Title of this entry - trying to re-capture my mood zone when I started this....

Hm...I guess I was in a dazed mode. Trying to reconcile? The purpose of my daily life?

• Priority No. 1 : To put money in the bank
• Priority No. 2 : To continue 'living' - what's life without sufficient $
• Priority No. 3 : To be a norm - everyone WORKS
• Priority No. 4 : To work to to be able to enjoy the other greater parts of life
• Priority No. 5 : To accumulate sufficient wealth - for retirement?

The Marrieds will probably have more priorities - to live happily ever after with partner. To provide a better future for children. To watch children grow up to become smarter & smarter by day - that's wonderful. Quietly hoping that they will not be a pain when they are adults - hehehe..

Back to my horoscope for the day....If your tolerant attitude toward that person wasn't a problem for you, today it could really begin to bother you. Don't hesitate to do what you need to do to protect yourself and the people close to you... ..

Some issues cropped these few weeks. Sorry I can't be too specific here. I witnessed the change of events, change in attitude, the way some things were handled...human behaviour, reaction towards a 'crisis'. I am beginning to wonder if this is really necessary - is this the real business world where all it matters is MONEY? While I am quietly thankful (Again) that I am not the victim to these circumstances, I can't help but feel sorry for the 'victim'. Is there really a victim? Or am I just being naive? Or should I worry that I will become the victim one day?

Another Quake

Thought I felt the building shook or was I dizzy? Or was it another quake. It was another quake indeed. CNN's news alert as follows:


"Two powerful earthquakes reported in Indonesia with preliminary magnitudes of 7.8 and 8.0. Tsunami alert issued."

Hope there will not be any Tsunami..

Patience

A guest si foo from Sarawak was at our class last night. He is 65 yrs old and had been practising tai ci for 30 over years. He spent almost an hour telling us the basics of tai ci.

One of the key thing is being in a relaxed mode. I am not sure how to put this in words..let me try. In terms of self defence, tai ci seldom retaliates. All it does is Neutralise the on-coming force and eventually if the opponent or attacker continues to insist force he/she will end up Receiving the force that was created.

The si foo says that we should also practice this in our daily life. It can be as simple as managing temper. His example was - if someone curses you, if we retaliate - a fight or more hatred will surely begin. However, if we choose to keep quiet and if possible say sorry to the angry person - the temper of the angry person will most likely die off.

This is very true indeed. I've been applying this to my bad tempered father. I used to argue with him when he gets overboard with his words...and we always ended up in a cold war. Recently, I tried a new method - whenever he gets into his nasty mood - I switched on my Silent mode and start counting from 1 to 20. Most of the time he will stop!

A friend told me that I was very very bitchy when I was working in the S firm. Really? Must be lor. Well, I chose not to blame it on the office. It's probably ego - I was at the peak of my career then.

Now..I am happy that I have toned down. Lousy drivers, Lousy customer service..I take all this with a Smile. Well, once in a while I still curse la.

My daily life is often surrounded by 'angry' people though. Just this morning, I had some problem with the parking pass. Someone must have made an error somewhere in the system. I was quite cool about it..knowing very well that it will be solved sooner or later. My colleague thinks that I should have scolded them, shouldn't be bullied bla bla.

Why..waste my valuable cells over such a small issue wor.

Convent Sentul Alumni Gathering

Today is the first gathering the PACS (Persatuan Alumni Convent Sentul). My school is 67 yrs old. Ms Navam an ex student & teacher of the school has been trying to start an alumni for as long as 30 yrs. She was in Class 54 (I think). She was one of my teacher and of course many many others. She is 60 somrthing now. Today she is very happy that her dream has finally come true. The committee members who made this happen were mainly from Class 70s. The turn out was out of ordinary. I belong to class 90. It's a pity that only a handful of us were there. There were many, in fact, loads from the 70s! Anyone from 80s and 90s were referred to as BABIES!

It was a great event. I enjoyed myself. The school looks much better n cleaner despite the fact that we can't locate any garbage bins. The smelly clogged drains are spotless clean now. I dare not visit the toilets though.

Our seniors thought us to cheer their way. Here goes:

Onion Onion put put put
Bawang Bawang tut tut tut
Onion tut Bawang Tut
Convent Sentul Very good!

If there were more representives from the BABIES..we would have taken the floor and share with them our way..which should be something like this:

err...Can't remember pulak. Hmm....I must salute the seniors for remembering theirs!

Well...we did sing our School Song. We were blank for a while..but managed to catch up after a few minutes. WELL DONE C'SIANS!!!

Didnt' manage to capture the main entrance..here's the badge from the canteen,,..where we had our daily assemblies

A view from the school hall...the volleyball/ basketball court & badminton courts
See? The drains are clean! We used to retrieve our filthy shuttlecocks & volleyball from these dirty clogged drains.

To join the alumni, please contact:

Baljit 019-2765391

Mangles 012-3287076

Dr Rajamani 016-6733126

Linkes 012-3116349

Kemaman

Was at Kemaman, Terengganu for a quick 2D1N business trip. It is located at the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Took the Karak & East Coast Expressway and it only took about 3.5 hours only! It was a very pleasant drive. The first day were meetings & site visits & empty talkings (chai talking in Cantonese). Second day was a 2 hour meeting and more hours of chai talking.

Was disappointed that I didn't get to go to the beautiful beaches although we stayed in one of the most beautiful resort :(

I will definitely make another trip, hopefully a relaxing one, stopping by all three states in the East Coast.

Here some pics I managed to snap for rememberance.

Vessel at the berth of the port
Kedai Kopi Hai Peng - Kemaman's most famous
The shop is decorated with lotsa antics like this

photographer tryong to be creative here..

too bored on the highway..ended up chasing the sunset