Archive for the ‘Idea / Mind Hack’ Category

Summary – How “Periuk” and “Kerak” explain life

For those who may not recognize the superhero wearing the red mask in the previous entry, he is Flash Gordon, one of the superheroes in comics. He is able to move faster than superman (shown in Smallville).

Imagine, if we were blessed with the ability to move that fast, what do we do with it? I personally will be able to go back to Kedah on a daily basis, Maybe visit each country around the world one every weekend. Finished all my work around the mill in minutes. Wow if only…

Seriously… if I am able to move that fast, do you think I will be able to do everything? No… I will not.

There is a Malay idiom that says – “Lagi besar periuk, lagi besar keraknya”, hm I’m not sure what “kerak” is in English. Somebody who knows, please help. It is those burnt rice left stuck to the pot. But generally it means that the more you get, the more it will take from you.

For example, when I am a student, I was given a monthly allowance of RM220 per month. Inflation aside, I was able to enjoy my life even with only RM220. I am still able to go ice skating at Sunway Pyramid once in two weeks. Still able to eat “decent” food, and even gain extra kg.

I was thinking, hmm when I started working, and my salary is within the 4 digit figure. I will live like kings. 🙂 Now that I’m working, I really do live like King… King Kong hahah. (That was before you… dear <– meant for my wife eheh).

During my bachelor working years, to my surprise, I’m still living from paycheck to paycheck. Not much money to do that round the Malaysia trip I dreamt etc. Of course I had commitments like new bills, the cars, the saving for marriage etc.

The more money I get, the more bills I have to pay, I guess it is because our lifestyle adapt to the changes in our life.

This does not only cover financial changes. Apparently other thing as well, like –

  • the more paperwork I finished, the more will pile up by the end of the day.
  • my gmail inbox, it seems the more GB of storage I was given, the more spam I received.

Isn’t life weird?

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Summary – Blog as Therapy

Yesterday I visitted one of my friend’s blog. He thinks that his blog is not as good as everyone else’s. And that everyone else’s had either good writing skill or good information in each entry while his is about his daily life and thoughts.

As for me, the whole blogging community is like a buffet restaurant. You can eat anything from the wide variety of food served. I personally will avoid the fish, some may stuff everything in and some will only have that “bubur kacang”.`There’s just something for everyone. And if the restaurant only serve water (simply because everyone need water), then it wouldn’t be a great buffet restaurant now would it? 🙂

There’s really a fan for each category. Whether you write about movies review, your feelings, Islam or politic. There will always be someone out there who like to read it. To find them is totally another story.

However in my opinion, personal blogging is not meant for others to read. Most importantly, it is for you to write. The blog will be a place to let out our feeling. A sanctuary for us to say anything we want about anything. Some bloggers I knew even confess that they are cranky and babbling only in their blog. In real life, they were as cheerful as a cheerleader. This proved that blogging itself is a therapy session.. minus the fees

Conclusion – Never look down on your blog. It is the only corner you have in this world that belong to you. You might not notice, but you are so much livelier and happier with it.

————— Personal Note ————————–
I truly believe that there are a lot of mentally disturbed people out there. 12 years old killing an 11 years old by stabbing her 20 odds time, and when asked he said that he didn’t know why he did that. 12 years old for crying out loud. And this happened 5 years ago, in our beloved Malaysia.. If 12 years old is capable of such things… who can say the adults will be any better.The problem is too many emotion is kept inside. Too many things in the mind. With no way out… Hopefully blogging will help

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Summary – Another mind set that require some change, that “our opinion is the only opinion”

Some of my friends did ask me some questions. I graduated in Chemical Engineering from University of PETRONAS, so why didn’t I apply for a job in chemical plant or offshore oil rig. Instead I am working in a palm oil mill. They looked at me as if I had been a failure and that chemical engineering from PETRONAS MUST work in an oil rig, and nothing less.

We Malay, will have a long way to go to have a world class mind if this is the kind of mentality our graduates have.

What in your opinion is the definition of success? It is my believe that the answer is very subjective and it varies from one person to another. So why is it that we have to judge people using our own definition. Our understanding of the word “success” may not be the same way other people understand “success”

Parents in the early years of their children had told them the meaning of success is measured in term of career they will end up. They implanted the idea that successful people are those working as doctors, engineers and lawyers. In a way, this is quite a good method, because it will give the children some direction to work on. But the parents should in time tell the children to find their very own definition of success. please don’t raise them believing that if they are not lawyers, engineers or doctors, they are a failure. Don’t use the same definition of success to the children. They may not be lawyers but maybe they will become a businessman instead. “Datuk lagi” huhu

Anyway… Success for me is how you achieve what you aim. So what do I achieve with my current job?

  • My house is just 1km from my workplace. I have never experience traffic jam, tolls and road accidents (touch wood), I can have breakfast, lunch and tea with my wife everyday (of course dinner also), I can even go back to sleep during my lunch break comfortably on my bed,
  • I only answer to one person, which is the mill manager (no politics whatsoever), I knew exactly what should I do to be promoted, in term of requirements etc (I’ve seen some engineers that have worked so long but canot be promoted simply because no vacancy)
  • True that I may not get paid as handsomely as others, but look at what they’ve been missing. People are given each 24 hours a day, In the end it will all add up. Gain something and loses another.
  • The best thing about my work is that I enjoyed it. Isn’t this the most important things?

Anyone else have had experience alike? being force to believe in something?

————— Personal Note ————————–
My dad had also tried to suggest our future career. I’m supposed to be a lawyer, My second brother – an architect and my third – a doctor. We have no idea then what the job will require us to do, but it did in a way give us a sense of direction. So I’m not really against parent putting ideas in their children head. Because if not, it may soon be corrupted by fellow friends anyway. It’s just that the parents should be open minded and respect the choice their children took (of course only after they were able to know bad from good, “akil baligh”)

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Summary – A Japanese culture we need to follow

My brother once studied in Japan. And he told me interesting stories about the culture there. Believe me that not all of them is good. But one culture does fascinate me.

“When ever a Japanese eat at a street stall, and if he like the food, he will go meet the chef after he had finished his dinner and say “Your food is so delicious” (Of course in Japanese). The chef will obviously feel happier.”

This is one noble culture we should start practising ourselves. Don’t be shy to give appreciation if the person deserve it. Do we lose anything when we do that? No, in fact we gain a lot of things; new friends, better services next time and of course a smile.

Our culture however is very different.

“Since we are paying for the service, they were the one who must treat us like king. The chef must come and greet us. If the food is good, maybe we’ll come again. But if the food was not good, you just wait!!!”

————— Personal Note ————————–
I actually did apply this once in a while. Usually I will go to the cashier and say “the food is delicious I will definitely come back”. The cashier was so surprised she don’t know how to respond.Now aren’t we Malay were supposed to be famous for our courtesy (budi bahasa), Why was she so shocked?

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