Today, 24th November 2009 is my girlfriend's birthday.
I make sure I woke up early, as early as 7am to call her to wish. She usually drive to work at 0630 from her house reaching her office at 0700. So just as she arrives at her office I called and wish her.
Then, without letting her know, I have made a flower + chocolate delivery arrangement from a florist near her work place to her office. This florist have an online catalogue where you get to see the bouquet of flower you want to send.
When I ordered the flowers, I also check out with the florist if they can add on chocolate together with the deliver and they told me they do, they can offer Lindt chocolate.
Next thing I need to make sure the chocolate is enough to go around the office. I know from our daily conversation, her office should have around 15 or 16 people. Hence, I told the florist that the chocolate need to have approx 16 pieces of individually packed chocolate for her to share with her colleagues and indeed they have it.
After that, I need to make sure that she is working today also. I don't want to send the flowers + chocolate to the office only to find she had taken a day off for her birthday. Good thing, everything went as planned. Actually, she would have gotten the hint that I will be sending something over like that as over the last week or so, I asked her a few times if she is taking leave today and she says it no point as it is in the middle of the week.
Then good thing is that nowadays banking can be so easy. I just need to log on to my internet banking to make payment to the florist which have a bank account in the same bank as mine.
As you can see, it is not easy to plan for surprises. Lots of details need to be attended too. But, internet have made things much easier. I do not need to leave my office chair to browse the bouquet that I want to send, I can make payments and all arrangements via phone and internet banking. In fact, I have not even met the florist or see for myself if the shop is a real shop. I only know that the shop is nearby to where my gf is working (but in a different block). I made payment to them just purely based on trust and faith that they will deliver as agreed.
At about 1030 this morning, I got a SMS from the florist that the flowers and chocolate have been delivered, almost immediately, I got second SMS, this time from my gf thanking me for the flowers and chocolate.
Anyway, Dear, I know you will read this posting, again, I sincerely wish you "Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns"
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Good Deligator
This morning as any other morning. I reach the office, sat down, start-up my laptop, check the e-mail box for new mails then, log in to our intranet where we can see our other colleagues if they were online.
Then, one of my colleague (Mr. Onion) was online. I think he was waiting for me to come online. The moment my new mail pops up on the screen, his message immediately followed. Mr. Onion is now in Singapore for some site audit, which I think will not be fruitful. Anyway, that is not my call. He wanted me to help him do some proposal work for a sales team member which I am not very keen to work with due to his 'slimy' attitude.
The 'slimy' I define here is that this person (Mr. Dead Eel) is really good in claiming positive credits and push away negative comments. I think in his dictionary there is no such word as "wrong" defined. Anything or any work who face difficulties or not going well is never involved with him. He always pushes everything clean and wash his hands off. His down line or people around him will get all the blame.
So back to Mr. Onion. He message me over the chat space asking me to help him prepare the proposal for Mr. Dead Eel. Good thing that I am now looking after a different country which is beyond Mr. Onion's reach and the potential or prospect there is so hugh that just by doing that one country is enough to keep me occupied for the next few years. I easily excused myself from doing the proposal Mr. Onion wanted me to help him do.
This Mr. Onion is well know to delegate his work. For site surveys, normally we will just go alone. Me and another colleague of mine (Mr. Long) use to go to site alone, do the observation, measurement and then come back to the office to prepare the audit reports and proposal. However, Mr. Onion never do it alone. He always must bring some other colleagues together with him. He will go to site and do simple photographing, crack some jokes, relate with the customer etc. All that need not to get the hands dirty. Pity that person who need to go with him, he will need to run up, down, left, right center to map down the whole plant.
When the boss ask him to explain the reason he need 2 people to go for any audit, his reason is being, he want to be more comprehensive and leave no stone un-turned. As if me and Mr. Long was always leaving or missing details in our audits. Rubbish!!!
He is so good in delegating his work. So, the moment he asked me to help him prepare the proposal, I immediately show him my "Skip" card (as the card game - UNO). I think he must be 'cursing' me now for rejecting his request.
The other thing he is good at is to pretend to be busy and work late when the boss is around. This is very obvious. Whenever the boss is in the office, you can expect to see him at 0815am in the office and he will not leave until 7pm. However, the moment the boss is not in town, he will only come in at 9.30 or 10 am and leave at 4 pm for his tennis game at 5pm.
OK guys and gals. I am sure you all might also have such encounter or have such colleagues that is good in delegating work. Therefore, sometimes, we need to keep some "Skip" cards in our pocket and use it as necessary. However, be careful when using the card. Make sure your card is able to skip properly. Don't forget, good delegator will have patience to wait for you to be free one day and come back to delegate to you the same 'assignment'.
Good Luck!!
Then, one of my colleague (Mr. Onion) was online. I think he was waiting for me to come online. The moment my new mail pops up on the screen, his message immediately followed. Mr. Onion is now in Singapore for some site audit, which I think will not be fruitful. Anyway, that is not my call. He wanted me to help him do some proposal work for a sales team member which I am not very keen to work with due to his 'slimy' attitude.
The 'slimy' I define here is that this person (Mr. Dead Eel) is really good in claiming positive credits and push away negative comments. I think in his dictionary there is no such word as "wrong" defined. Anything or any work who face difficulties or not going well is never involved with him. He always pushes everything clean and wash his hands off. His down line or people around him will get all the blame.
So back to Mr. Onion. He message me over the chat space asking me to help him prepare the proposal for Mr. Dead Eel. Good thing that I am now looking after a different country which is beyond Mr. Onion's reach and the potential or prospect there is so hugh that just by doing that one country is enough to keep me occupied for the next few years. I easily excused myself from doing the proposal Mr. Onion wanted me to help him do.
This Mr. Onion is well know to delegate his work. For site surveys, normally we will just go alone. Me and another colleague of mine (Mr. Long) use to go to site alone, do the observation, measurement and then come back to the office to prepare the audit reports and proposal. However, Mr. Onion never do it alone. He always must bring some other colleagues together with him. He will go to site and do simple photographing, crack some jokes, relate with the customer etc. All that need not to get the hands dirty. Pity that person who need to go with him, he will need to run up, down, left, right center to map down the whole plant.
When the boss ask him to explain the reason he need 2 people to go for any audit, his reason is being, he want to be more comprehensive and leave no stone un-turned. As if me and Mr. Long was always leaving or missing details in our audits. Rubbish!!!
He is so good in delegating his work. So, the moment he asked me to help him prepare the proposal, I immediately show him my "Skip" card (as the card game - UNO). I think he must be 'cursing' me now for rejecting his request.
The other thing he is good at is to pretend to be busy and work late when the boss is around. This is very obvious. Whenever the boss is in the office, you can expect to see him at 0815am in the office and he will not leave until 7pm. However, the moment the boss is not in town, he will only come in at 9.30 or 10 am and leave at 4 pm for his tennis game at 5pm.
OK guys and gals. I am sure you all might also have such encounter or have such colleagues that is good in delegating work. Therefore, sometimes, we need to keep some "Skip" cards in our pocket and use it as necessary. However, be careful when using the card. Make sure your card is able to skip properly. Don't forget, good delegator will have patience to wait for you to be free one day and come back to delegate to you the same 'assignment'.
Good Luck!!
Monday, November 16, 2009
One day trip to Singapore
Last Tuesday (10th Nov 2009), I did a one day trip to Singapore for a meeting with a customer. I took the budget airline which takes off from the Subang Airport, which once use to be an international airport for Malaysia.
The day started early. I woke up at 0530 and left home at 0630 for a 25 minutes drive from my house to the airport. This airport is very near and convenient. Rather than travelling for 45 minutes to the budget terminal to catch the 'other' budget airline which operates very near to the KLIA, this airport is merely 25 minutes away from my house.
The operator uses propeller plane series ATR turbo propeller plane. Hence, it seats only like 70 or so passenger. Normally the jet aeroplane will take about 40 minutes to reach Singapore airport, the propeller plane takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes due to the slower flying speed.
The plane also fly at lower altitude, approx 10,000 ft rather than typical jet aeroplane which fly at 30,000 or so feet. Hence, along the way on a clear sky, I can see container and cruise ships along the Straits of Malacca.
Unlike the conventional budget airline where you have to pay for your food and drinks, this budget airline does provide some muffins and a cup of fruit juice along the flight. No you cannot choose the type of fruit juice, but its better than nothing right?
The flight took of 10 minutes later than schedule, instead of 0820 flight, it only started boarding at 0820 and took off at 0830, hence when I arrive at Singapore budget terminal, it is nearly 10am already.
Then, I boarded a cab to my Singapore sales office in Gul Lane,which took me another 40 minutes and cost me SGD30. By the time I reach and settles down in the office, it is nearly lunch time and a supplier came along to meet me for a lunch. The meeting with the customer that was initially scheduled at 2pm had been postpone by the customer until 2.30pm as the customer had been delayed in the other supplier's place.
The meeting went on until 8pm, just in time for me to catch a taxi again from the office to the budget terminal to check in for my return flight which was scheduled at 10.25pm. I reaches the airport in ample time for me to check-in and have my fast food dinner.
On buying the dinner, I was lucky to win myself a free apple pie with my meal. In Singapore, they have this Mega burger which have 2 chicken patties instead of the normal one piece which they use to serve in Malaysia. Nice and hot from the stove.
Then, scroll around the budget terminal, bought myself a fridge magnet of the "Merlion" as souvenir. Boarded the plane and it took of as schedule. Arrive safely back at the Malaysia budget airport at 11.45pm and went straight to the parking lot to drive my car back home reaching home at about 12.10am.
For the whole day parking it only cost me RM18 which is much cheaper as compared to if I had taken a taxi from my house to the airport which will cost me RM80 for the return trip.
Overall, the trip was a very fruitful one. Although it is demanding, in term of timing, is like I have been on official duty for 18 hours but manage to cross 2 countries in a single day. Travelled nearly 900km in terms of distance within the same day and attended 5 and a half hours of meeting.
Well, that's my one day trip to Singapore for official meeting, which is rather common and I have done it a few times before.
The day started early. I woke up at 0530 and left home at 0630 for a 25 minutes drive from my house to the airport. This airport is very near and convenient. Rather than travelling for 45 minutes to the budget terminal to catch the 'other' budget airline which operates very near to the KLIA, this airport is merely 25 minutes away from my house.
The operator uses propeller plane series ATR turbo propeller plane. Hence, it seats only like 70 or so passenger. Normally the jet aeroplane will take about 40 minutes to reach Singapore airport, the propeller plane takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes due to the slower flying speed.
The plane also fly at lower altitude, approx 10,000 ft rather than typical jet aeroplane which fly at 30,000 or so feet. Hence, along the way on a clear sky, I can see container and cruise ships along the Straits of Malacca.
Unlike the conventional budget airline where you have to pay for your food and drinks, this budget airline does provide some muffins and a cup of fruit juice along the flight. No you cannot choose the type of fruit juice, but its better than nothing right?
The flight took of 10 minutes later than schedule, instead of 0820 flight, it only started boarding at 0820 and took off at 0830, hence when I arrive at Singapore budget terminal, it is nearly 10am already.
Then, I boarded a cab to my Singapore sales office in Gul Lane,which took me another 40 minutes and cost me SGD30. By the time I reach and settles down in the office, it is nearly lunch time and a supplier came along to meet me for a lunch. The meeting with the customer that was initially scheduled at 2pm had been postpone by the customer until 2.30pm as the customer had been delayed in the other supplier's place.
The meeting went on until 8pm, just in time for me to catch a taxi again from the office to the budget terminal to check in for my return flight which was scheduled at 10.25pm. I reaches the airport in ample time for me to check-in and have my fast food dinner.
On buying the dinner, I was lucky to win myself a free apple pie with my meal. In Singapore, they have this Mega burger which have 2 chicken patties instead of the normal one piece which they use to serve in Malaysia. Nice and hot from the stove.
Then, scroll around the budget terminal, bought myself a fridge magnet of the "Merlion" as souvenir. Boarded the plane and it took of as schedule. Arrive safely back at the Malaysia budget airport at 11.45pm and went straight to the parking lot to drive my car back home reaching home at about 12.10am.
For the whole day parking it only cost me RM18 which is much cheaper as compared to if I had taken a taxi from my house to the airport which will cost me RM80 for the return trip.
Overall, the trip was a very fruitful one. Although it is demanding, in term of timing, is like I have been on official duty for 18 hours but manage to cross 2 countries in a single day. Travelled nearly 900km in terms of distance within the same day and attended 5 and a half hours of meeting.
Well, that's my one day trip to Singapore for official meeting, which is rather common and I have done it a few times before.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monsoon Season
For the last few days, it had been raining almost every afternoon. Yesterdays rain was typically heavy with very strong wind.
When I went home I notice some of the roof of a tea stall had been blown out of its footings. Then, I even heard from my badminton friends that the Subang Skypark Billboard had also bow to the ground.
The climate had changed / shifted a bit from what I had noticed. Normally during the 9th month, the beginning of the Ninth Emperor Festival, the rain will start. However, this year, the rain only came after the 9th day.
Is this due to global warming causing all the climate to offset? Is it due to the El-Nino effect? Or are there other factors that causing this change?
When put into a forum, I am sure there will be tonnes of theories from various experts about this weather pattern shift. But, one this for sure, the low lying area will have the worse effect. Places in the East Coast have started flooding.
When it rains in the afternoon, from my office window, I can see a very wide and deep monsoon drain water start to build up to a mini river within minutes. That proves the forces of nature that nothing can contain it when it leashes its fury.
The roads are wet during this time with patches of water everywhere. So all of you out there, drive carefully. Have a wonderful journey...
When I went home I notice some of the roof of a tea stall had been blown out of its footings. Then, I even heard from my badminton friends that the Subang Skypark Billboard had also bow to the ground.
The climate had changed / shifted a bit from what I had noticed. Normally during the 9th month, the beginning of the Ninth Emperor Festival, the rain will start. However, this year, the rain only came after the 9th day.
Is this due to global warming causing all the climate to offset? Is it due to the El-Nino effect? Or are there other factors that causing this change?
When put into a forum, I am sure there will be tonnes of theories from various experts about this weather pattern shift. But, one this for sure, the low lying area will have the worse effect. Places in the East Coast have started flooding.
When it rains in the afternoon, from my office window, I can see a very wide and deep monsoon drain water start to build up to a mini river within minutes. That proves the forces of nature that nothing can contain it when it leashes its fury.
The roads are wet during this time with patches of water everywhere. So all of you out there, drive carefully. Have a wonderful journey...
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Gardening
Over the weekend, I have been a gardener in my house. I have helped my mom transfer her "money plant" from the previous small plastic pots to a new bigger pot. In case you have never seen a "money plant" this is how it looks like below. From the website, I came to know the scientific name of the plant is "Zamioculcus zamiifolia" (source: www.nparks.gov.sg/blogs/garden_voices/wp-cont).
In fact, one of the plant 'outgrown' its own pot until the plastic pot actually broke apart, exposing the roots of the plant. It looks like in a way the roots are telling to you - "Let me out of this small pot.... It is too packed inside here and I can't breath already... Let me out... "
So, over the weekend, me and my mom cleared out 2 bigger pots and transfer them to their new home. Now they are living happily in their new pots and hopefully they will not again outgrown and breaking their new home.
My mom have more 'green fingers' compare to me. Virtually everything she plant will grow beautifully and blossom with nice flowers. She like her plants so much that she make it a point to water the plants twice a day and catch the destroyer pest when she spots them. Also she have a timing where she will sprinkle fertilizers.
I am kinda glad that the new house my gf and I bought have a front area that can allow my mom to do her gardening. Also, I plan to leave the 2 quadrant circle of soil as it is for the ladies to make a garden. I am sure when we move to the new house, my mom will start her gardening extensively perhaps, more than what we have now in our house.
To all out there, Happy Gardening... Enjoy!!
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