Updates!!

Ok, a lot to update. Firstly, marriage things are almost complete. Left back all those official things like submitting forms etc, but that will be settled this Wednesday hopefully. Next step will be printing out invitation cards and sending them out. Too bad my wedding is scheduled at the same day as ex-KT 9899 10 years reunion, so I won't be able to join my schoolmates in KT. I *might* make a 3G call that day to see how the reunion is and to send my regards to other schoolmates. Damn I love technology haha.

A few weekends back Izma and I went for a picnic at Sungai Congkak. Went there with my younger brother and sister. It was an impromptu plan actually, so we didn't really prepare anything to go there. Just bring our spare clothes, towels, bought some snacks and off we go in the water. My younger brother sure looked frenzied, it's been ages since he went for a picnic like that. We snapped a couple of pictures, and in effort to get a good shot the camera had to be sacrificed with some splash haha. Thank God nothing bad happened to it, else I'd be cursing myself for not being careful.

	Stupid adik peeing behind some trees
Watching over younger siblings
	Jump!!
Our lunch, Sate Kajang Hj Samuri

It was a refreshing trip by the way, most probably because a few weeks earlier work had become a major issue to Izma and I. We found that the picnic do freshen up our mind and spirit, and it was a timely decision to go with the plan after all. We really went all out that day, doing water splash and all like some kids. But I guess this was what made us relieved, by letting our minds free from day-to-day problems. A second trip can be assured in the near future, maybe after our marriage.

On a more serious issue, what a way to welcome the 2009 by inciting Gaza conflict. I'm not gonna comment on this issue, because I'm sure most of you can get your information from local newspapers or television newscast. Actually I'm quite awed with the military technology used by the Israelis (no I do not condone the killing of Palestinians, so stop calling me infidel or traitor or whatnot). Only in the event like this can we see the latest military technologies being rolled out and tested in warfare environment. Things like Apache gunship are things of the past. We've already saw Apache in action in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, maybe a quick peek at Predator on the later. But the use of white phosphorus bomb and cluster bombs are something new. Although these are not latest technology, but we never see it in action due to international convention that prevents these to be used for the sake of humanity. I certainly was amazed at the image of cluster bomb in action, where one big bomb dropped multiple small payloads to a designated area. Sure does save cost and ammunition. But then, yeah, it was never a fair fight over there. Huge difference of military technology, and yet not many things have changed. It's their fight after all, I'm sure the same thing gets repeated in future.

Oh ya, before I forgot. My wedding ceremonies will be on the 28th of March (Izma's side) and 4th of April (my side). People, please come. Especially my four V4E-S1 cronies. I do expect some nice gifts though, am never shame to ask for anything from you guys. Things priced RM50 or above are greatly welcomed, thank you.

I'm currently staying alone at home. Everybody else went back to hometown on this 4-days holiday. I do have some works to be finished so I skipped going back too. This has been a perfect time for me to improve my cooking skills. Made sambal sotong on Saturday for dinner, nasi goreng kicap on Sunday lunch, sambal sardin on Sunday dinner and just now nasi goreng kicap improvised (with added cabbage & spinach). All those are edible as well as got some taste. I still remember my first attempt making nasi goreng, and I do remember I ate it  with full force since it had no taste at all. So I'm giving myself a pat in the back for the improvement and I'm sure to improve more in the future. Thanks to Izma for instructions on the sambal sotong. Oh by the way, I slowly started to get the meaning of secukup rasa etc. No more needing to know exactly how many spoons of salt do I need to pinch in. I guess experiences do come with mistakes, LOL.

This is a video of us, having fun by ourselves in Sungai Congkak..

I Understand Your Feelings..

I truly agree with this. Even more if the idiots are not your peers, but instead your managers.

Difference

First of all, Merry Christmas to all Christians. Save some of your presents for me :D

Today my company finished its working hours at 3pm. This is a normal thing for the company for every major holiday. I guess the top managements know that the staffs are no longer in working mood seeing that holiday is near. But still I have to wait until 6pm before I can go back since Izma's company finished its working hours normally. Feeling bored in the office with only a handful of people there, I decided to ask one of my colleagues (name not to be mentioned) for a drink at mamak downstairs.

My colleague, from now on to be known as A, is a Senior Application Developer. We chatted over our drinks for various topics, ranging from world's current economics condition to the company's environment. As we chatted, I analyzed him from the way he talked and his point of views. I can say that he shares many similar things like me. For instance, both of us worked with another company before joining our current company. Thus, our Senior Application Developer title comes from our experiences and not our seniority. He shares many ways of improving the company's environment. Some of them can be considered quite radical, something that most probably won't be approved by the top management.

But then he did have a point that left me pondering. If we are too scared to do something radical, is it because we are covering our own asses, we just don't want to move out from our comfort zone, or because we just simply don't care because things do look normal and functioning? As our conversation went further, I continued to find the similarities between us. It was quite interesting to find someone that shares our views with regards to our career path. I rarely find a programmer who, when asked about future career, answers something other than being a Senior Programmer/Developer. But then, with A, we did talk about our future career path. Are we already setting up our comfort zone settling with whatever we achieved or are we still actively pursuing our goal in improving ourselves?

It was a short 1-hour conversation, but it left many questions to me. How am I going to achieve my personal and career goals within this company? How am I compared to what I was 6 months ago? Most important of all, is this the right company to me?

The sea is just too wide, many things left unexplored..

That Time of Year Again

Thanks Izma, Azhar, Utopia Temple, GSC and JobStreet (in no particular order). Your remembrances are deeply appreciated. Thank you.

-originally posted on 9th Dec 2008-

My Favorite Weekend

This was, by far, my most unproductive weekend ever. The whole weekend was filled with me sleeping, attending wedding invitation (very reluctant to go, so lazy), and more sleeping. I mean, I don't know. I feel like I've become a lazy bum nowadays when it comes to week end. If Izma and I don't have any plan, then there I'll be. On my bed till 12pm (or until my mom nags me to shower, whichever comes first) then only come down for breakfast.

And this weekend Izma was not around. She needed to attend some team-building course at Genting. Whole family was not around too, they went to Nilai 3 to buy my wedding stuffs (which I, as the groom, didn't want to go LOL). How a big mistake it was to left me alone in the house. Locked the door, put down the curtain and here comes dreamland. I remembered before I was not this sleep-addict. Previously I would only sleep when I was very tired, but nowadays I can fall asleep at any time if there's nothing for me to do.

Well I guess my body needs its rest. Izma and I have been working our asses hard during the weekdays, so I think we deserve our escapade. Usually after work we'll head to our gym and have an hour of either cardio, work-out or a few laps of swim. It sure does feel good after all the sweats come out of your body. I used to think, "don't people feel very tired to go to the gym and do their work-out after a full day of work in the office". But as my experience, our body actually feels a lot refresh. Well maybe the hot shower does give some effect, but with all the toxins flow out of your body it does improve your health (and I feel my fitness level improved a bit, LOL).

This weekend I had a re-run of Puteri Gunung Ledang. Those who knows me surely know how I despise Malay movies (except Mamat Khalid's and a few more others). It is very rare to see me not cursing after watching any Malay movies. I'm sick of all those "I love you,  you love me, my parents not rich so your parents don't like it, your parents involved in an accident and need blood transfusion, my blood is suitable, I donate blood to them, they apologize and we are married happily ever after" plot. Sure I am very picky when watching Malay movie. But when it comes to the level I watched a re-run of a movie, you can be sure that I think the movie is damn good. I can't help to notice how beautiful it was the language and culture of ancient Malay history. Every action and words uttered contains a hidden meaning, spoken so softly as not to hurt the other's feeling. But at the same time, the true meaning of the words lies deep and can only be understood by few who listens carefully. Go watch the movie and see how the Bendahara, albeit having a moronic King, manages to obey the King's order while at the same time protects the interests and feelings of other people.

I find that this is a rare trait to be found in a person, and this is what I intend to learn. I mean, how could you not awed at how skillful the Bendahara was in arranging this so that all pieces fell down nicely and in place. This skill, when fully mastered, will give you a significant boost in your career as well as your life. Which is why in this movie I don't really like Tuah, because to me he was just a chess piece. The King is king, Tun Mamat is rook, Tuah is knight, but Bendahara is the true chess player. What good is a king when no one moves the pieces, right? This is what I always stress within myself, always think at least 5 steps ahead of someone before taking any action. It is not unusual to find me silently thinking all of a sudden when some action needs to be taken and I'm sure Izma has become accustomed to this.

Well I'm not a natural-born writer. I don't write good thing, even if you see in this post the points are all jumbled up. I'm not that gifted to arrange words to be a pleasant read, but I do hope whoever reading this gets what I'm trying to say. If it's too hard for you, just ponder on some quotes I took from the movie as to summarize this whole post. Overall, I would say Datuk Rahim Razali did a very good job delivering his act as Bendahara in this movie. I can really feel the wisdom within his character. And I do think Sabri Yunus' joke is kinda lame. Later.

"Kalau nak menurut, biar berakal. Kalau mengikut, biar pintar." - Hang Tuah

"Titah dijunjung, daulat disemat utuh." - Hang Tuah

"Jangan berangan meniti laut, takut airnya menjadi api." - Nenek Kebayan (Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah)

"Apa dengan tongkat rajawali ke mari?" - Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah

"Apakah nilainya seorang Tengku Mahkota kita berbanding dengan nyawa ribuan rakyat Jawa. Akan tetapi apakah nilainya ribuan rakyat Jawa yang bukan jajahan Melaka?" - Bendahara

p/s: I watched from an original CDs okay :D