Sabar is when you...

...try your best to cope when someone leaves you in a sinking boat.

A colleague left us in a hurry yesterday.X didn't even bother to drop by my office and say the usual stuffs.I didn't expect a thank you but at least say hola, I'm going now.

Gen Y disease...Nik said he had a staff like that too some time ago.He said these are the angry 'kids'.They blame the world for their inability to cope.And the office is in a real mess.My PA looks like she's having a nervous breakdown.I told her to sabar and hang on a wee bit more.The worst hasn't arrived (the auditors will come day after tomorrow and I'm sure there would be ugly things everywhere).

What can be worst than NOT having any support system? They can blame (me!) for everything but put anyone in our position, I doubt if it's going to be any different.

Well, another possibility arrived in the email this morning.Life goes on.I have loads to do once my term is up in May and I pray to God, no more admin work for me.I have enjoyed the beautiful stuffs while on this job(meeting wonderful people and linking with different orgs) but I don't think I'd want to be in the same sinking boat unless they give me tools to fix it. :)

Sabar is when you know it's time to move on. Haha.

Time out in Melaka

We were all dying to take a break from work and studies (Z) and it was a long weekend.

Let's get out of KL, said Nik.
Let's just lepak at Putrajaya's Pullman, I said.

No, he wanted out.
And we had reasons to visit Pakcik and Makcik (Datin not well, she said on the phone).Datin is like my foster mom.Yup..foster mom.I lived with her for about 3 months during my teaching practicum at Sharifah Rodziah.She didn't have to cook meals for me and 2 friends (living in another house near hers but she did) and we became close although time and distance got between us (I went to the UK then Australia in later years)But Makcik and Pakcik (or Datin and Dato') would try and visit me either in KL or my mom's place in Raub.Such nice people.

You don't forget nice people like that esp in their old age.

Yup, not in a good shape.Had she been well, I know she'd cook us special meals.So we bought her ikan bakar instead and some cheesecake (duh!)

Melaka is so progressive now.It brings back so many fond memories (of my times during APIPF with delegates from Thailand, Cambodia, US,Costa Rica..) Naik beca kena tipu mcm biasa (RM40 from Equitorial to the Fort.Jalan kaki 10 mins je.We walked back cos' RM80 can take us to Spore.Haha)

An evening with anak and menantu makcik was nice at Serkam Ikan Bakar.Again fond memories..gosh...I love this place.

Z, Nik and I having fun at Jonkers St.Depa ni makan cendol durian selamba je.The ice so soft kata Z.

Balik time we makan ikan masak asam pedas at Kedai Haji Senin yang dikatakan begitu femes dgn org2 penting negara.Haji Senin dah lama pergi and his kids yang take over.Mmg sedap, mak oii.

Balik jam terok.We have decided not to leave town again on any long weekend unless it's flying to an island, pre booked.

But it was still a break.I didn't use my brain at all. :))

Stranger than strange

As the office is busy in preparation of being audited end of the month, stranger than strange things happened.

One is related to my NZ alumni group (kita semua ber-facebook).It's a nice cosy group.Don't expect everyone having the same kepala, OK? So naturally..Msians being so politically alert, ada la mcm2 prefered politics and political parties.Some people think if we shout and scream at each other we don't love each other anymore.When you were younger ..didn't you gadoh with your tunang, bf/gf? You didn't stop loving each other, kan?

So something happened.Someone quit the group.Heboh satu kampong! People hypothesised why he left.Ada kata dia merajuk.Ada kata sebab postingnya kena censored.Maka of cos' I punya fav. topic ialah freedom of expression and internet freedom.So berlambak pulak discussions on this.Which I liked and enjoyed.It's nice to read people voicing their opinions.Bercanggah pendapat tak semestinya kita tak hormat org lain.

Two, I have to cancel my trip to Hanoi walaupun everything is set (paper's done) cos' of the auditing thingy.I need to be at the office.This is the second time I'm invited and twice I can't go in the 11th hour.Sangat sedih!


Three, uni. assembly today very da nice.My first of 3 already held.The best part I liked most was the recognition given to Dato Azmi (who's leaving to be DG of IDB's Research Division.It is said he's the first Msian to be offered the job yang gajinya sama dgn Obama.Peeweet.We are so proud of him.I hope he returns and be our next Rector.Dia ni halus budi pekertinya and very da humble.)

The other best employee of the month is our telephonist, Sabri or Sobry.Never knew matanya tak nampak.He's always prompt bila angkat telefon tak mcm org celik yang lain.Apparently he's a leader in many NGOs dan tukang baca tahlil dan lain2 kerja agama.Dia diberikan pakej umrah percuma ...waaaahhh..so touching, kan? He cried, terharu.

Kalau dia nak sambung apa2 extension, his popular phrase is" Saya cuba, InsyaAllah." The word "dengan izin Allah" is his usual kalimah.Lidahnya sentiasa basah dgn nama Allah.Takbir!

Dan hari ini, selepas 23 tahun bekerja menjawab dan menyambung panggilan2 kami, baru kami kenal siapa dia telephonist yang bersuara lembut dan very punctual ini.

Nampaknya our female Rector is doing well, yah? As long as she's surrounded and advised by good people, she should be OK.InsyaAllah.

Lunch hour at 40 something

Here I am, in between marking exam scripts and filling in claim forms.

At 40 something.

35 mins past 2 pm.

I think in hours and minutes now.

Sometimes I do not know what day it is.What month (with some exaggeration here).

I talk to rabbits and quails.Bibik is my best friend.Am I getting stranger or has the world changed so much?

Stranger things have happened.Like today.The guy I rang up for is the same guy I spoke with 3 weeks ago (rang him for my mom's medicine).I lost the 1st guy's no.My sister found the 2nd guy's.I rang him up thinking he's a different person.Bila jumpa, I said haven't we met before? Dia pun nampak terkejut. :)

And Msia is buzzing with bila election? question.

At 40 something, reaching the big Five 0, I don't really care.

For now. :)

Tapis Rouge

It's a French word for Red Carpet ('Tapis' is pronounced with a silent 's' ==> Taapiii Ruuj). It exists in other parts of the world (NYC) but with French cuisine.Here, Tapis Rouge at the Red Carpet, the Strand, Kota Damansara,you get fusion cuisine (the unromantic bit is this: to get there, you dressed in your best evening wear, will have to pass a kedai baiki kereta..haha..I thought it is so un-Parisian where there are glittering streetlights and lovers holding hands).

Anyway, I love the place (nice dining..small and cosy).My family (well..Nik and Z) took me out on a pre-bday dinner.Ada dinner-show.A relative who we fondly call Phua Chu Kang (satu, he's as funny as Phua Chu Kang.Two, he does look like Phua Chu Kang) did warn us..entah2 ada cabaret and tengok2 ada brothel kat belakang tu. From Zouk's wild gossip? I think the brothel bit tu a bit extremelah. :)

Memang ada cabaret-like show.Haiyooo..me tak biasa tengok Malay gals pakai so skimpy nari2 goyang2 semua. And there were only 10 of us in the audience..a talent scouting group, a group from Louisiana and us.But the singing and standup comedy by Phoon Chi Ho were good.Chi Ho's cockroach dances were funny.The 'salah parking' stint was even funnier (talking about men silap parking their dot dot and all the dance movements by Michael Jackson were to 'correct' the parking.Kelakar giler)

But food is good here and reasonably cheap.Just don't bring your mom and dad or even spouse to the cabaret show if they are the surau going type. Nanti pengsan! :)

Will working from home work in Malaysia?

A few friends and I were discussing this recently.We were all a bit skeptical it would work.Prof N said it didn't go that well in the West despite the huu haas. But I'd read nice glossy reports by a couple of O&G companies that these were their strength (for female employees esp. nursing moms).

The Msian government is about to introduce this, I think.Waahhh..even ELs are abused..now working from home pulak? I tried..it didn' work (tapi this without any guideline).I was 'working' from home during breakfast time.My better half started calling from downstairs, "Yo gal, you come and breakfast with me. I said," but I'm working from home". :))

No go.

Lesson to be learnt: do not turn your bedroom or your kitchen as your home office.It would nevr work.

And here's a funny story from my Rector as the group brainstormed on IIUMy Family blueprint:

A wife retorted to a friend, "This working from home is too much."
Friend: what happened?
Wife: My husband now brings home his work.This is really too much!

Kerjanya?

Jahit mayat!

Happy New Year

where I hope to indulge in my creative writing

to re-energise


to re-charge


to just laze around

to learn how to paint

It's the Gregory calendar.Happy new year anyway.Coming up will be the Chinese New Year. We had ours some while ago (Islamic New Year).

It's just another day for me (I get to sleep in and today, no need to go to pasar.Yippeee). For a country which is over-worked, we sometimes lose track of time. I haven't had a decent holiday for so long.

Let's define what holiday is. :)

At least for me.You can submit yor definition/s in the comment space.

1.a quiet time where you don't think about getting up early to be in the traffic jam to go to work.
2. you can go back to sleep after subuh prayer and can get up at any time you wish..with breakfast served at anytime you want.
3. you don't quarrel with your spouse or daughter about wanting to go here and there.Every one kinda tag along with where and what you want to go and do.Peeweet! :)
4. no phone, no ipad, no internet. Haha, dream on!
5...is where you can swim safe
6.be on a cruise and think of nothing
7.a good book to read

I'll get there, folks.When I do, I'll blog about it, OK?

Have a happy new year!