Too early to judge

Something I wrote at the airport last week.
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It's time to go back to Homeland after a week at a neighbouring country. How much I miss Homeland, but I miss my mom even more. Can't wait to get home.

Homeland neighbour is similar to Homeland. The weather, the races of people, the religions and I suppose the culture. However, it's not the same. Something feels different. I've always had a bad impression about this Neighbour country. These bad impressions came with my own experiences and also from the stories of others. Not only from Homelanders. But also from the Neighbourers. So, my heart dropped a bit when I found out that I have to spend the next few months at Neighbour country.

In my opinion the thing that everybody will remember most about a country is the people. In my case, this is true. That's why, I believe anyone who has come to Homeland will always remember the kindness & friendliness of Homelanders and maybe, maybe also will never forget the drivers :) Before this, I always feel that Neighbourers are unfriendly. That was the impression I got with my previous visits.

But I guess, this bad impression is about to change after the few days I spent at Neighbour country this week.

I don't know what happened to Neighbour country since last year. People that I met this week were nice & friendly. I always received smiles and found myself involved with a friendly chats with the hotel receptions, taxi drivers, cashiers at the shops and even with people in the quiet office. What has changed?

Maybe people of Neighbour country has changed. Or, maybe I was the one who has changed. And maybe the way I look at things around me has changed. When we look at things from different angles, we tend to see different things. Whatever or whoever changed, I'm glad it changed for the better.

Well, a week is still too early to judge. But first impression matters doesn't it? I really hope this impression lasts... It sure will lift up my spirit.

Good will hunting?

Interesting news I read on Yahoo! news today. Hmmm… I’m sure this is the first time I came across news about a man who seems uninterested in prize money amounting to $1 million.

Extractions from the news:

"MADRID, Spain - A reclusive Russian won the math world's highest honor Tuesday for solving a problem that has stumped some of the discipline's greatest minds for a century — but he refused the award. "

“Besides shunning the award for his work in topology, Perelman also seems uninterested, according to colleagues, in a separate $1 million prize he could win for proving the Poincare conjecture, a theorem about the nature of multidimensional space.”

I always thought that it’s a material world nowadays. Most people are blinded or at least blurred by money. I know I sometimes am. To find out there is still someone who can walk away from BIG money is refreshing. There’s definitely something that we can learn from this man.

Oh, you would like to know more? Follow this link please: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060822/ap_on_re_eu/
spain_math_genius

Hearing it all...

Anyone watched Pak Lah on TV last night? I didn’t, on purpose. Never liked political discussions. I stopped paying much attention to politics since what happened to DPM in the 1990s.

Anyway, I read ‘Hearing it all from Pak Lah’ on NST today. He has answered a lot of questions. On the 9PM, on his image, on his governing style, etc, etc… u should catch it. It’s on page 6-7 of Prime News.

Quoting Pak Lah’s answers…

‘People say I’m doing all these because of Khairy. After struggling in politics for years and having climbed the mountain to become Prime Minister, can I simply hand over to him. How can I do this?’

…he has a point that I can understand.

‘Just give me time… if I take the field in a football game, and after 10 minutes, I am judged for my performance, how can that be?’

… ok boss. Just don’t take toooo long.

As for me, my personal opinion towards Pak Lah has changed. I’ve grown to have more respect for him. I think he’s doing great as a PM. He’s a bit soft, but he has proven that he’s firm. And I like the way he’s balancing material and moral development. That’s what we want as we’re approaching our vision right? So, I can see our country growing under his governance.

Be reminded that our perceptions of his answers are ‘a matter of opinion’. Read it with an open mind, then perhaps we’ll be able to get to a sound conclusion.

Don't Quit!

Something to lift up your spirit…

Also one of my favourites ever since school times.

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When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but Don't You Quit!

Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up through the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems

to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night came down
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem the worst,

That You Mustn't Quit!
~Anonymous~

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Success is never final, failure is never fatal.
It’s courage that counts!
~Anonymous~

Selamat Jalan Jimi Asmara

Semalam terkejut betul bila kawan- kawan di pejabat beritahu 'Hani Mohsin dah meninggal'. Ya Allah! Memang terkejut dan memang terasa sedih. Hani Mohsin masih muda. Baru diawal 40-an. Hani Karmila pun masih di sekolah rendah. Sedihnya. Tapi, ini semua sudah takdir yang ditetapkan. Ajal pasti menjemput kita semua. Tiada apa yang boleh jadi penghalang. Tak kira muda atau tua, sihat atau sakit. Semoga kita semua sentiasa menyediakan persiapan untuk menghadapi kehidupan selepas mati. Dan, jangan lupa sedekahkan Al-Fatihah untuk Allahyarham Hani Mohsin. Semoga dia sentiasa di dalam perlindungan & kasih sayang Allah s.w.t.

Saya bukan peminat besar Hani Mohsin. Walaupun begitu, sudah cukup untuk merasakan sedikit kesedihan di atas permergiannya. Bagi saya, di Malaysia sekarang, hanya ada 2 orang pelakon yang sesuai untuk menjadi pelakon utama dalam filem romantis. Hani Mohsin M. Nasir . Saya tak mungkin dapat melupakan watak Jimi Asmara. Kawan- kawan yang sama- sama menonton filem tersebut tentunya setuju dengan saya, tambahan pula kami mempunyai memori manis berkaitan dengan filem itu. Selepas ini, hanya tinggal M. Nasir... terasa kehilangan besar dalam dunia seni tanahair.

Kepada seluruh ahli keluarga Allahyarham Hani Mohsin, saya ucapkan takziah.

Jimi Asmara tetap dalam ingatan.

Confusion? Maybe...

I was shocked when I logged on to my email today. I got 84 new and unread emails. This is the first time I've ever received so many emails in a day and it's more than just breaking a record. Apparently, all the emails I got were sent by a comment left by an anonymous person on my blog area.

I was so happy! Is my blog suddenly so hot and interesting that people care to leave comments? Wonderful comments! But, as I read through the comments, I'm pretty sure there are some mixed up with this 'blogger' network coz I feel that some of the comments are not relevant to my blog.

For example;
"What a great site, how do you build such a cool site, its excellent."
"Nice! Where you get this guestbook? I want the same script.. Awesome content. thankyou."
"Your are Nice. And so is your site! Maybe you need some more pictures. Will return in the near future."
"I say briefly: Best! Useful information. Good job guys."

Well, the last one confirmed that there was definitely a mixed up. *sigh*

I'll let the administrator know about this. We sure want the good words to go to the person who deserves it, right?

Until then, I'll enjoy the praises... it helps to boost the self esteem. *wink*

But, all the praises could really be for me, right?

Nahhhh...

We clicked!

2006 is the first year I got myself involved into consulting. So far I liked it. I learned most about patience, persistence, endurance, perseverance and how to maintain a calm face under 'torture'. I tell you, I'm lousy at all of the above. But, I got through it and now I can say that I'm quite proud of myself.

You don't think that I made it through the depression period all by myself, do you? No, I did not. For there is no 'I' in 'TEAM', I made it through the help of my amazing team members. I've never met a group of people that can all 'clicked' the first time they met. But, that's what happened and I'm so happy that it did. I was also lucky to get to work with a wonderful group of customers. They were kind, understanding & cooperative. Not all of them, of course, but I'd rather look on the bright side.

I've always thought that handling customers' requirements and expectations are the hardest part of being a consultant, but apparently it's not. At the end of the project, I learned the harder than hardest part.

Parting. Believe it or not, but try to imagine that you've spent six whole months, day and night with your team members. By now, they are no longer just team members, they are your good friends. The friends that had supported you, motivated you and kept you moving. Since we all come from different countries in Asia, we all have to go back. And saying goodbye was the hardest part because there will be a slim chance that we will ever meet again.

A friend told me that this is the part of consulting that I have to bear with, so get use to it. The truth sometimes hurt, but in this case I wouldn't get upset because of it. Our 'world' is so small. I'm sure we will meet again... someday.

To all my team members, I had a great time working with all of you. Hope our paths will cross again. Take care!!!