Persistent Mom

My mom is a very persistent person. When she try a new recipe, she will just try and try until she gets it perfect and right.

There was once she was so into making "ang ku kuey", literally translate to red tortise, which is use for prayers, she had tried it so many times until she gets it right and now she can make near to perfect "ang ku kuey". Just in case anyone of you don't know what is "ang ku kuey" below is a typical picture of it.







She had attempted at least 3 times with changing the ingredient a few times until she gets it right.

There was once she tried to cook a type of Thai curry chicken, learning part of the recipe from my Aunt, she had experimented with it almost on weekly basis and she is still not getting it right. There must be some ingredient that my Aunt would have forgotten to tell her and hence, the curry tasted different.

Why I write this posting? It is because, when ever she experimented a new recipe, we will become her guinea pig. Just imagine eating not so Thai curry chicken every Sunday or try her disasterous 'ang ku kuey' so many times. At times, it turns out too hard, at times it turn out too soft, at times the 'ang ku kuey' don't even look like anything close to the picture above. Just balls of red dough covering the sweet yellow paste inside.

However, having said all that, I don't mind being her guinea pig. At least it will keep her occupied and keep her active. Good way for her to spend her time and if it was a good successful attempt, I have good food to eat.

Whenever we took her out for dinner and tried something new, e.g. japanese noodles - soba or udon, after a few mouthful, she will say "... I also know how to cook this at home what".. sounded like why you all spend the money to eat it outside whereas she can cook it at home for the fraction of the cost?

Therefore, when we go out for dinner, when we order something new, we (my brother, my sister-in-law and myself) will always tease her, see, you also know how to cook right. So eat more now and keep the taste in your mind so that you can cook it for us next time and we will end up having a good laugh.

Mom, keep up the curiousity and persistent and hopefully by the time we shifts to our new house later, we will have an oven to allow you to bake, instead of just steaming now and there will be more recipe for your to try out. Perhaps if you learn to make cheese cakes, marble cakes, over baked chicken, salt baked chicken, etc, I will be most happy to be your guinea pig.

Fully booked night

For this week, all the days after work is fully booked. Why I say that? Well, started from Monday, my futsal friends called, we played from 7.30pm to 9pm.

Then, on Tuesday, I joined my friend for a badminton game from 8pm to 10pm. Yesterday, which is Wednesday, normally it is futsal day, but yesterday I did not go for the futsal. Instead, I went to meet up with my friends for dinner as one of my friend is leaving back to the US and no one knows when will he be back here again.

Tonight, which is Thursday night, normally I am quite free. However, tonight I will be meeting my ex-housemate when I was in the UK. He is now working in our neighbouring country and he is back for a holiday and happens that he stays very near to my house. We will be catching up for the events that went by this year. Last met him is sometime before Chinese New Year early this year. In fact, we have a custom whereby normally one day before the Chinese New Year Eve, we, i.e. myself, this housemate and there is one more guy, the three of us will meet for a cuppa tea or meal.

Then, as usual, tomorrow night, I will be having dinner date with my lovely gf.

So you see, Normally I don't have so many activities at weekdays night. For me a typical weekdays night, except on Wednesday and sometimes Thursday I will play some sports, and Friday dinner. Monday and Tuesday typically I am free and lazying around at home after work. So happens that this week, all the weekdays night is occupied with activities.

Well, time to punch my card and call it a day in the office too...

Mom's Birthday

Yesterday (9th August) is my Mom's Birthday. She did not want to celebrate it, hence, there is no grand dinner, no birthday cake, no birthday song etc.

Yesterday in fact was just simple packed lunches for lunch and dinner so that she need not to cook. My day started early yesterday. I drove to pick my gf from her house to go for the volunteer work. Half way thru the work, she suddenly felt uneasy and hence, we left the place half way thru.

After sending my gf home, I came back to my house and took my shower and went to the temple to pray as yesterday was so happen to be the Birthday of The Goddess of Mercy - "Kuan Yin". This is a very old temple, which the reconstruction had taken place for a few years now but was not 100% completed, maybe due to financial constrains. However, the main buildings and perimeter walls have been fully completed and the architecture of the main building is really good. The painting on the ceiling of the main building is impressive.

After the prayers, I drove my mom to try some new fast food with a joint newly opened near my new house. This fast food chain have good food but it is a bit more expensive then its competitor. But no worries, not that we have it everyday, never mind a few extra dollars. Just something new for my mom to try. And I knew my mom appreciated it when she can comment that the food of this fast food is tastier then its competitor.

Then, we rested at home by just lazying around the house and taking the Sunday afternoon naps, by the time we woke up its already 1900 and its dinner time. Here again, I told my mom not to cook and we went out to pack some food for dinner. So, both the meals she need not to exert her energy, just resting at home for her birthday.

Again, the usual me, I did not wish my Mom Happy Birthday yesterday as I know she did not want to celebrate it due to the passing of my dad less than a year ago. So, I just can wish her in my heart and may all her wishes comes true... Happy Birthday Mom!! Many Happy Returns and May You Have All the Health and Longevity.

Learning at work

There was a Chinese saying, "Life until old, learn until old". The first time I heard this saying, I truly appreciated this saying. And ironically, I heard this saying from a very senior (in terms of age) person in my old company.

Therefore, in work, I always seek new things to do. I will easily get bored and tired with repetitive stuffs. That is one reason I have been interested with project and design works from the very beginning of my career.

Some might say, project also repetitive work, but I can tell you, not one single project is the same. Thru my 10 years of working experiences in project, I have never came across 2 identical projects. Each project is unique in its given way. It can be the engineering application of it, it can be the economical point of view, it can me from efficiency point of view etc.

I have side track from what I have in mind for this posting. Back to the learning. I have been using a Computer Aided Design software since day 1 of my working life. All the while I was only able to do plans and 2D views. This is not due to the limitation of the software, it is due to the limitation of my know-how to use the software.

I was planning to design the new kitchen of our house, hence, I was busy drawing the plans of the house and front view of the kitchen from various angles. I was really keen to learn how to draw isometric drawings from the day I learned to use the software.Isometric drawings actually gives you an almost 3D view of the drawing.

I have seen my colleague did it and I am sure he knows how to do it well. So without hesitation, today I ask him how do do that drawing and he showed me some new command and there I was happily drawing away the Isometric drawings.

Now, the lesson learn here are 2 main ones. First, never be too shy to ask for guidance. I always have this philosophy in me that I rather become a stupid person for one time by never be shy to ask someone to teach me of the things I don't know, then becoming a stupid person for a lifetime by being shy to ask. There is a Malay saying to this that is translated to be "If you are shy to ask for direction, you will lost your way to your destination." Even Chinese have a saying that translate to, "Direction of the destination is always beside the mouth"

The second lesson is the saying, "Life until old, learn until old".

Volunteer Work

Last Sunday, I went to an Outreach volunteer work near where I stay. Actually, I am not suppose to attend for this work as I only participate on 3rd Sundays with this branch.

The outreach utilize a Church area to organise their services. Again, basic medical and dental care are provided with 2 medical doctors and 2 dentist came to extend their services.

However, since this service is provided via a makeshift mobile setup, everything is down to the very basic. The dental chair is the common "lazy man" chair. However, the other setup e.g. vacuum, drilling with water jet etc are the custom build mobile unit type.

The setup is so basic that at times, the light provided is not bright enough that dental assistant have to hold a torch light to shine into the mouth of the patient.

However, one this that I am really impressed is that they never neglect hygiene factor. Everything single equipment are properly washed, sterilized and packed. This is one thing that is crucial as any contaminated tools / equipment will lead to serious negative consequences. Hence, it was not taken lightly.

The event started as early at 0730 and when I arrived, there were so many volunteers already in action already. By 0800, the morning briefing starts and it was adjourn for simple breakfast. Buns, fried noodles, vegetarian curry and some coffee.

Then patient started coming as soon as 0900 and the whole activity went until like 1000 and no more new patient waiting on queue. All the volunteers there were just sitting around and chit-chatting as there is nothing much to do.

Then, by about 11am, the doctors decided to leave since he had waited half and hour and no patient came along. So, we started cleaning the place and packed up everything. By 1230, the lorry came along to take everything away and the place were left as we came in this morning. There is even a group of volunteers sweeping and mopping the floor.

Well, its kinda nice to spend half a day a week to extend your arm to help those in need. Everyone there are all on volunteer basis, hence, you can see everyone there work with a wide smile on their face.

We took our lunch pack and headed home and by about 1245, I am home and taking my shower already. This weekend is the volunteer work in the other branch that me and my gf use to go, it should be another day of fun at the same time helping others.

Retirement Party

Well, yesterday my office had organised a dinner party to celebrate for 4 retirees. 3 of them are guys that retires at the age of 55 and another is a lady which choose to retire at the age of 50.

This is the first time in our company record that there is actually people served for approx 30 years and reaching retirement age. As usual, the retirees were requested to give a short speech and one of speech that hit me the most is when of them says ".... when I first join this company 30 years back, I was young like everyone of you there, and thinking retirement is still a long way to go. Who knows, here I am today, retiring from the company already. So fast, 30 years of working life just went by me."

It made me think myself, even me myself I have been working for 10 years already since graduating in 1999, leaving me with approx 25 years more before retirement. Anyway, for this 10 years, I can see myself change a lot. I had learn a lot of things, be it technical or not, useful or not and I am sure this will not come to an end so fast.

The road before I reach my retirement is still long long way and I will make full use of it to learn and improve myself.

Unreasonable Customers

This Saturday I will be working. Yes, you read correctly, working. As all my previous entries, I am working on a 5 days week company, however, this Saturday is exceptional.

This customer is really unreasonable. He is a facility manager for a reputable manufacturing company which would like to outsource one of their facilities and we are keen to take over.

However, it seem this exercise is so "secretive" that we are only allowed to visit the plant on Saturdays when the current operators is not working. To me this is not acceptable.

How can we who wants to take over the facility not able to see the plant in running condition and not allowed to talk to the operators? How can we evaluate the system performance of the plant if we are not allowed to audit a running plant? How do we know if the system is able to run or the specific equipment is in good running condition or not? How do we know what are the daily routine of the operators?

How can you invite people to submit a commercial proposal to operate a facility and not allowing them to know the situation of the facility? It is just like you are trying to rent out a house allow the tenant to view the house physically but not allowing the person to switch on and test all power point and taps to see if the electricity is available or water is connected or not.

This is a very unreasonable customer. The situation is made worse with the ignorance of our sales person who agrees to the customer's unreasonable request. I know sales is very important in the bad economic time, however, being a sales person, it will be your duty and responsibility to explain to the customer the viability of the action customer suggest and not blindly accept what the customer says and be a "Yes Man" all the time.

Another very unreasonable customer is the customers who like to call you at odd hours (odd hours here I define by after 7pm on weekdays) and on weekends. However, on Saturdays I understand as some companies does work on Saturdays, hence, they might not realise that their supplier do not work on Saturday when they call.

I do not understand what the customers are thinking to have call suppliers on odd hours and over weekends. What do they expect us, the suppliers to do at odd hours? Is the matter so important that you need to call people at that time and discuss about it? What will possibly happen if the call is postpone until tomorrow morning? Will the plant be shut down or the factory be closed?

What action can we take if you were to call during that time? 99.9% of the time, the necessary action only can be taken tomorrow morning when the business resume and no action is able to be taken from the time of the call to the next morning. So what is wrong with calling in the morning during working hours instead? Besides not getting your things done over the night, you would have also disturb the person's emotional mind as now he / she have this issue hanging on their mind until the morning. Is that the main intention? How would you like it if this happens to you?

Come on fellow customers, most of us are not for a 24 hours operating company. Hence, please be more considerate. Please do not think that with your few dollars paying to suppliers, the suppliers is obliged to entertain your request 24 x 7. Please respect people's privacy and personal time.

Therefore, to all out there, please be a little more considerate. Think before your put a request to your supplier or call your supplier. Take a peek at the clock or watch before picking up the phone.