Reflections

On days when I look in the mirror, I see a reflection that is confident and poised. A reflection that smiles back and knows that life has been treating it with grace.

On other days when I look in the mirror again, I see a reflection that is slumped and uncertain. A reflection that no longer smiles and wanted to know why has life being unfair.

We bring out our own reflections, in different stages. Inevitably.

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You ain't leaving

The boss hinted that to me.

Right the other day when we were having a talk on business issues. The talk spiraled to certain staffing matters and then to recruitment issues.

She specifically said, "You know, I read this from an article, no matter which company you are working for, it's always best to stay there for at least 2 years. It's never good to job hop too often. It won't look nice on your CV." With a rather serious tone.

I wonder if she already knows that I am on the look out. ;)

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Happy Mother's Day

 

Just for mum.

Like no other.

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Koh Lipe, Thailand

I know. No one has ever heard of it. At least, none of those that I know. 'Where?" was the common question when I told people that I would be away for a vacation to Koh Lipe. It's pronounced as koh lee-pae by the way.

Here's where it is.

And those are the routes to get there. The easiest? From Langkawi. Just take a flight to Langkawi. Make your way to the Telaga Harbour. Board the speedboat and you'll reach the island in an hour. But beware that the speedboat service from Langkawi is only available during their peak season, which is from November to April. Other than that, you got to fly to Thailand, make your way to any of those islands on the map and board the speedboat from there.


It is a relatively small island. One hour to complete touring the entire island, on foot.

We had chosen to stay on Pattaya beach. Cause that's the area which is the most happening. The chosen accomodation : Sita Beach Resort and Spa. Just newly built earlier this year and considered as one of the most expensive resorts on the island, by the locals. But in fact, to us tourists, it's considered affordable, with only RM100 per person per night. Not only that, they've got top notch service. Imagine feeling like a royalty the moment you step into the lobby.

 

 

 

They've got buggy services to bring you around the resort. They have porters to carry your luggages. They respond to your requests very promptly.  They make cute little animals out of bath towels to welcome you. They provide showers and hoses at the entrance for you to clean up. They are all smiles every hour everyday. And you could grab as many bath towels when ever you go out to sea. Now this is how a holiday should be.

 
As you can see, there aren't any jetties on the island. You've got to constantly jump in and out of the tailboats to and from the island. The tailboats are what they use to ferry people around as speedboats can't make their way to the beach. That's another fun thing to do. The jumping in and out.


Unlike most islands, this is one which hasn't been polluted. The water is clear. The sand is white and soft. Corals and  fishes are abundant. If you are lucky, you'll get to see sea snakes and eels. It was a regret that none of us had an underwater camera. I would love to keep those pictures. We spent 2 days snorkeling under the scorching heat of the sun. You'll find tonnes of snorkeling packages on the island itself. Costing approximately RM150 to RM200 per tailboat. No worries if you can't swim, just let the boatman know and he'll use the float to bring you around. Nice chap.

 

Other than snorkelings, divings, kayakings, island hoppings and other water activities, there are other things to do on the island. There is this street within walking distance, called the Walking Street, where you'll find stalls offering tonnes of Thai food, seafood, snacks and bars. Massage parlours are aplenty, with prices as low as RM30 per hour. You'll find minimarts, a pharmacy, tatoo parlours, cafes, underwater accessories stalls, souveniers as well as bikinis stalls all along the street.

 

 

Beware of stray dogs and cats on the island. They don't bite and they don't attack. All they do is linger between your feet and sitting next to your tables in cafes and restaurants, waiting to be fed. The locals pay no heed to them. They are free to roam all over the island. That dog in the picture above is a rare breed. Or is it a wolf?

And finally, this is something that has not been posted up on Facebook, due to certain reasons.

 

Yes, I had been in a bikini. I figured that I got to try it at least once in a lifetime. Might as well do it when I'm still young and Koh Lipe is the perfect place to wear one. It is full of mat salleh in bikinis and no weirdo is gonna stare at you like they are gonna eat you. And besides, I went with an all female group. All the more the courage.

I do love the beach. Calm, peaceful and serene. Nothing but the waves and the stars.

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Paradise

I will be there in another 5 days.

Stay tuned!

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Superstition

Ever believed in a good luck charm?

There, the little something to be carried around to wade off bad luck. The little something that your elderly aunt would insist that you keep it close to you. You would most probably do it out of respect, rather than really believing that it actually works. Cause you'd might wonder, if it really did work, then why were there so many casualties happening around?

I have never believed in one. First, I'm not superstitious. Second, it didn't really have any effect, when I did tried to carry this something that my mum told me to. Cause I believed that everything that happens, do happen for a reason. And that if something was meant to be, it couldn't be altered no matter how.

Up until I found this, from the streets of a night market. A simple something that caught my eye. A something that I would put on everyday. An accessory. And why did I started to believe that it brings good luck? Because of the effect it had on me when I had in put on. Sounds stupid, I know.

Some might have known that I encountered hiccups in my job. With things not going my way, tasks not being done, quarrels among colleagues, mistakes after mistakes, my patience and temper had been flying out of the window. Some might have known how much I've been complaining and complaining.

But recently, days in the office went by rather smoothly. Not with without hiccups, but with manageable ones. Not so much mistakes. Tasks still not being done fully, but completed partly. Things beginning to go my way. The quarrels have toned down. The tempers have toned down.

I've tried to understand the string of events that happened. When I couldn't find the logic, I turned to un-natural forces. I realised that on the days which I had the accessory on, those were the days which went by with the least troubles. And on the days which I didn't have it on, those were the days which were the hardest to get by. Tried and tested.

Yes, you might think that I came up with the excuse to make myself feel better. Or maybe you  might think that I'm being foolish. Perhaps there was some reasonable explanation to all that has happened. But any how, the accessory has been sticking with me for some time now. If you see me at work, then you'll see it.

I change my perception on being superstitious. 

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Complete?

I once thought that I had it all. That I had been complete. And that I have no need for anything else. It was what most people told me. They envied. And it made me cocky.

The cockiness, had presently, subdued. I no longer hold on to the thought that I had it all. Like a ball, it is gradually rolling away. I began to see that what I used to have, is falling off, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Leaving empty spots on what was once a perfect picture.

They are still envying. But I am no longer cocky.

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Dreamer

There are things that I feel like doing. The more I think about them, the more I don't know where to begin. Or which to begin. In the end, I let it pass and kick myself for not doing anything. All I did was lay on the couch, stare at the wall, and imagined myself doing all kinds of things that pleases myself.

I really should begin some where. To make my own dreams come true.

This instant.

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Geram!

This week at work :

The big bosses are acting like kids.

The executives are acting like kids.

The assistants are acting like kids.

The 'kids" are, of course, acting like kids.

Am I the only one who is not acting like a kid?

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On the go

That's gonna be me, sooner or later.

There's a new boss in the office, replacing the previous one. She comes from an auditing background as well, and I feel more comfortable working with her. Like minds think alike. At least, she's more focused, more rational, more decisive, more efficient and much more of a risk taker. I begin to see some light on where the company is headed.

I've just been given new responsibilities. Due to the streamlining of the organization structure, I am to lead 4 departments now, as opposed to only just 1 when I was interviewed. While some of my colleagues have taken pity on me on the increased workload, I see it in a different point of view. I do have the authority now to control a large part of the organization. Yeah baby, bow to me before I approve your funds request! 

With the increase in workload, I've become more than a busy bee. People are looking for me all the time. My damn phone has never stopped ringing. The meeting schedules are endless. The amount of documents to review is piling higher and higher.  More issues to solve. More projects to implement. Call me crazy but I do enjoy the challenges. Not that being hectic and stressed up is something new. I'm a well trained professional.

We have moved to a new office. The place is much larger than the previous one. My room is much larger than the previous one. And I've got a window to it. I've always favoured some sort of scenery while I work. Although there won't be any hills or seaside to enjoy, but at least there would be some trees to look at. So these 2 weeks would be all about packing, unpacking and settling down. And coincidently, my room is painted in light green. Hah!

The financial auditors are coming in soon, for the previous year's audit. I am gonna have a fun time "torturing" them. It's pay back time!

I've not been hanging out as often as I used to. No more Friday night parties. No more Saturday night clubbings. Even the "yam cha" sessions have died down. Either all my friends are busy with their own lives or that I am getting tired. It's no longer appealing to crowd with people in the malls or simply just lepaking. I would prefer to lie in bed all day now and to catch Criminal Minds.

My friends are getting married one by one and my mum is getting more worried for me by the day. Nah, no rush mum. When it comes, it will come. I live by the no strings attached rule.

That's about what's going on the past few weeks. Will update again when something new happens.

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The 27th

Fui is officially a year elder.

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Stolen

The car. Parked by the road. It was there last night. It was gone this morning. It was dad's.

From the looks of it, the thieves smashed the window, unlock it, and drove it off. Without raising the alarm, without anyone knowing.

As the police report and the insurance matters were being settled, the blame game started.

"I told you there were suspicious people around, and you didn't listen..."
"I told you to install a steering lock and you didn't bother...."
"I told you not to keep so many cars but you insisted...."
"I told you to be discreet but you had to show off....."
"I told you to be alert but you had to be weary..."

As usual, it was all the "I told you so..." and the "I knew it...." It gets kinda annoying. If you didn't take any sort of action on your suspicions then, then no point in trying to prove something when things have already gone sour.

It's the solution and the support that counts now. And measures to minimize future unfortunate incidents. They just don't get the picture.

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Oops, sorry dude...

Yesterday, at the cinema, there was a little confusion.

It was "I am number four". We walked into the already darkened hall, looking for our seats. There weren't many people around for the early show, so there weren't any hassle in locating them. As we reached the designated row, we saw someone else in our seats.

"Excuse me, sir, but these seats are ours."
"Ohhh, my apologies."

They got up and retreated to a few seats away. We sat down. And then, they came back to us.

"Excuse me, but the seats are ours too." They showed us their tickets. D14, D15. Ours were D14, D15 as well. Same cinema hall. Same movie. Same time.

Oh-kay. So we brought this out to the ticketing guy to have it settled. Movie's starting in 5 minutes. If they'd printed it wrongly, they would have to get it fixed fast. The guy took one look at the tickets and smiled. "These tickets are dated tomorrow."

What? Whose? Ours or theirs? We each looked at our tickets again. Phew! It was theirs. What a relief. We thanked the guy, nodded to the other party (so, it's your mistake, not ours), and quickly head back into the cinema hall again.

As we walked away, we heard the the fella laughing, "Dated tomorrow? I bought tomorrow's ticket? And we came TODAY for tomorrow's movie?" And the girl he was with was obviously very not impressed.

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One year out

In between work and play, a year has gone by. Exactly a year.

It's been exactly a year since I handed in my laptop and my access card back. It's been exactly a year since I attended the very final party. It's been exactly a year since I walked out of Menara Milenium and out of EY. Yes, it is.

This past year have been all about letting go and adjusting to a new life. And up till today, exactly a year later, I believe that has been achieved.

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Chap Goh Meh

I've never attended any tossing-of-mandarin-oranges event before.

Back in those days, single maidens threw the mandarin oranges into the river, on the 15th day of the lunar new year, hoping that the gentleman who scoops them up, some where along the river, would be destined to be their future husband. These days, we find our own destiny. Single women write their names and contact numbers onto the mandarin oranges and throw them in the direction of the men of their choice. The men would eventually scoop them up, hoping that the woman that they called would be on the good looking side. Even if they didn't end up as lovers, they would still be friends.

This year, out of curiosity (and no, it's not out of desperation), I've attended one of those events at the nearby lake. It was full of people. Lovers enjoying the roses and the heart-shaped balloons. Friends enjoying the food stalls, the games and the wishing candles. Families were just there for the fun and the atmosphere.

The most crowded place was definitely the fountain side, where they had a stage for performances, lion dance shows and games. And so I jostled my way to the front of the lake to participate in the event. I'd planned to toss a few oranges, with my number on them, into the fountain and wait for some guy to scoop them up and contact me. Just like the age old culture, but with a modern twist.

What a disappointment it turned out to be. Entirely not the scene that I thought it would be. First, not many oranges were being tossed into the fountain. And I can clearly see why. The men were not outside of the fountain scooping them. They were in the fountain, picking them up. And the ones that went in were mostly middle-aged men, with huge bellies and their hair dyed gold. Second, they brought huge sacks with them to collect the oranges. For resale I presume. And thirdly, not only were oranges being tossed into the fountain, bananas were being tossed as well. Oranges representing females, bananas representing males. The concept was so wrong and it was a total eyesore.

If you'd want to know, I didn't toss my oranges in. This would be my first and my last time attending such an event. Enough for me.

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