Opportunity Cost I have to admit, I am rather picky reading regular blogs. Stumbled upon this particular one which I find myself quite enjoy reading. Leap Walking Giving breaks a lot of social norms, and cuts to the chase. It instantly makes you vulnerable to the things you really care about, and people take notice. Even better when you don’t expect anything in return. In a way, giving is a way to shut the voices in your head. A lot of people think they’re good people, but they also want to be successful. When is the right time and wrong time to give and get? Logic can be deconstructive as our minds play tricks on us. Giving helps you break that cycle, and keeps things in perspective. The original context if continue would lead to charity but I prefer to focus the bit in a more general form. If I were to reconstruct to fit into my own context, I would reword it like this : Giving made me vulnerable to the things I really care about, and people take notice. Expectation one way or rather is closely link to how much you give before reaching a tipping point. When is the right time and wrong time to give and get? Not using my grey cells to think can be deconstructive as it can play tricks on me. Not giving helps me break that cycle, and keeps things in perspective. I also realize in one particular segment of my thinking was in an idealistic model. Instead of learning it through my way, I had enlisted few with practical view to thrash it out with me to accelerate my learning curve. I guess, most of the things I don’t mind exploring and developing myself, but some, I’d just prefer to get up to speed because I don’t feel I want to taste the opportunity cost at the same level anymore. Almost , Done Thank goodness, we left one hour earlier than our unforgettable night. We wrapped up our work at 3 a.m. We may not have red bull to “motivate” us during the wee hours but on and off we ended watching youtube clips, that was hilarious. The best was of course, we came out covering more angles than the client expected and we weren’t shooting blanks. Ah, near the closing of the project. Relieved. Next stop would be India, if not mistaken on October, and heard chances of getting food poisoning is as good as guaranteed. Damn. Heart of Greed Was trying to test my credit card ( hence bought the DVD ) , if it was working since didn't use it for 2 years and they told me it was not activated !I have to say, i enjoy this show when it touches on so much on real life scenarios, the quotes somehow relates to me. Of course also one particular scenario that really reflects on what I did, looking at it, is like reviewing myself from an outsider perspective.Watched barely 14 episodes. So far, girl was gonna break his heart. Then, I stumbled into this in youtube.....Shucks, duno how many more to reach this episode...This was what happened when I chatting with my sis whom have watched the show. FT : omg... chong ka yan cry and disappointed moses.. Sis : Aiya, Moses is the silly one here FT : Ai..but's it ok...saw Youtube clip that she will be with Moses.. Sis : Well the 2 clowns deserve each other FT: Oi..dun la say like that la Sis : Aiya..u watch la, then u will agreeFT : DamnitBet, most reader wouldn't think I watch such shows. Haha Blank Warning Shots PEKAN: The Government might reconsider issuing rebates if the people did not appreciate its initiatives to help reduce their financial burden, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Najib, who appeared to be a bit annoyed, said the people must understand that for every litre, the price was subsidised 30 sen. He also said they have forgotten about the RM625 rebate given to owners with vehicles up to 2,000cc that was announced in June. “The rebate, if translated, will cost between 35 sen and 40 sen a litre. If the people do not appreciate the rebates, it is better for us not issue any more in the future. The rebate itself initially wasn’t exactly a brilliant issue to follow up after the drastic increase in fuel price. However, for whatever it is that has been communicated to the mass public, such a “warning or threat” just don’t reflect the proper think through of a good decision making. If the whole idea of giving out the rebate was out to reduce financial burden of the public, shouldn’t it that regardless what the public’s sentiment be, still continue, because “it was a good idea” ? Unless, the people didn’t appreciate because truthfully it was a lousy idea. That, is a different story. Maybe he should consider one thing, what about people who already taken the rebate but don’t appreciate it in the first place? Seriously, all this firing blank just make me laugh. E71 Some of the information can't be transfered from my old phone. Well, all my previous sms can't.I guess, it's a new beginning.Every beginning has an end. Every end has a new beginning. The Last Piece It was 2 months ago when I clearly remember I was at the office at 2 am. having pizza from learning, digesting, applying concepts we have no idea in the past couple of hours. Almost wrapping this whole thing up this Tuesday, we found ourselves another obstacle. Good thing is, we know what the obstacle is. Bad thing is, we have yet to find the creative way of “adjusting” our existing model that we have created. Well, at least, we still have 72 hours to come up with the idea. Gotta do plenty of research. This will be the final jigsaw piece that we all need to close off the project that many have praised has “game breaking and cutting edge” Where do I find the inspiration for my final piece ??? Getting Rid The Damn Phone Around a year ago, I wrote To Buy Or Not To Buy , so much has change in a year’s time. So many, has happen with the phone. Started taking pictures and having pictures in my blog on and off. But today was something I just couldn’t take it anymore. My phone was having white screens every hour. I got 2 important sms delayed for 7 hours which was supposed to inform me about my tele-conference. Great. 2 miss calls delayed from a key client, after 3 hours. I was suppose to have this dinner appointment but I couldn’t make it due to trapped in jam, and I can’t call out because my phone can’t read my memory card. Enough is enough. I can’t believe the first thing I am going to buy after getting pay hike is a phone. Phone has never been my priority. Damnit. I wonder what phone I should buy…. And I am in a rush…. Hmm…. Evaluating my 2 cents I always knew it was a gamble to be adventurous outside the comfort zone of my ex job. However, due to circumstances that I no longer could take it, I quit it, even in a hurry to pay my own ass out. Moving from one extreme end of skill set to another extreme end, was really a test of my adaptability. Fortunately enough, adapt, is one of the things I’m good at. Through the acceleration growth of my thinking and exposure, I felt I added a different dimension of myself compare to when I was a newbie, and similarly, I added a different dimension of edge to the company. So it was a relief of my decision making, and my adaptability of moving over when my boss gave me a letter today. “ You don’t have to ask, I realize you are an asset to the company ” Ah…. I finally figure out how much was my 2 cents worth. The great part is, I know, when I fully integrate my core skills and the new techniques, merging two extreme skill sets, I will become both creative and innovative at the next level. Ezam Statement : Reading beyond the obvious It’s funny when I see the headline from Malaysiakini : “ Ezam to Anwar : Show the 6 boxes of evidence ” Whose side is Ezam on ? "I have told the police I only had knowledge about these six boxes of evidence as I have seen it but I am not in the possession of it. Well, he proved that the six boxes of evidence containing corrupt practices exist "The person who keeps these documents is Anwar - so don't hide them," said Ezam Again, he demonstrate that the evidence exist. Ezam also claimed that Anwar handed out projects worth RM1 billion each to 15 bumiputera companies when he was deputy prime minister and finance minister, before ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad sacked him from the BN-led government in 1998. "These projects were given out under direct negotiations under the finance minister's (Anwar) instruction. Now he talks about open tenders, but when he was in the Finance Ministry, he gave (these projects) to cronies," claimed Ezam, who was also Anwar's former political secretary. This coming from the man who was with Anwar as political secretary, followed Anwar to PKR, helped freeing Anwar and back to Umno, and now blaming Anwar on a scenario when he was a former political secretary. Hmm…. "Abdullah told Azizah that he was a Muslim leader and he has never been cruel to anyone, what more to Anwar and Wan Azizah, when he knew their parents," he said, adding that Abdullah kept his word and freed Anwar subsequently Free Anwar ? From Jail ? I don’t remember Anwar getting from any pardon. I thought it was the court that freed Anwar ? What is being implied here ? "There has never been any leader who can fight corruption like Abdullah, including Anwar," said Ezam. I don’t know about the previous ones but comparison isn’t a good benchmark for competency. I bet most in the nation may not agree on his statement. I mean, no one is interested who is the best among the leaders, what we are interested is one who leads. Winner Takes All ? “ I don’t want this to be an unhealthy situation that it might create ” Freethinker : “ I understand, that’s why, I’ve been handling it in a very subtle way. ” Instead of letting my emotions taking over my decision making, I’ve been trying to build a more structure flow for my grey cells to process it. I also am getting better understanding the one critical element in life, that, even you are right, have all the support, but there’s element of obstacle, whether it would be a gung ho to achieve it at all cost or taking a step back…. This unique situation was a real testing of my patience and my tactical move and not letting my emotion to do the talking. Knowing I have more than 98% of the support against a minority, but what’s the opportunity cost ? As much as I wanted it, I realize the consequences and impact for the casualty may come at a price I’m not too happy even though I would get what I wanted. Weighting the opportunity cost and the calculated risk, I decided to step back. I guess, in life, sometimes, it’s all about the timing and evaluating the cost / risk that surrounds it. I mean, there has to be give and take, there’s no such thing as winner takes all.P.S : Had some good sweat today, loaded with gun and a leader who shouted :" How you identify your enemy ? They will coming from the bottom, just whack them when you see them, if you are unsure, whack them anyway !" Set Me Up Part 1: I was at the airport yesterday working minutes before I board the plane when my MSN popped up: “ You wanna hear some story ? ” “ Shoot ” “ I was at the ladies just now. Then, PC came in and asked me how am I ? ” “ K…” “ Then, she asked me if I got boyfriend or not ? I say no lo ” “ Err… K…..” “ Then, she asked why I don’t wanna get into a relationship. She say what about *freethinker*. He very nice guy. ” “ Oh My God.. ” “ Then, I told her, he younger than me…. And then she said it’s okay one. No problem one ” Hahahha…….man, I hope PC don’t go around asking other girls. Part 2 : My name was mentioned close to 30 times in the training with my SEA colleagues. I was like…. Oh …my….. “ If you don’t understand, you go ask “freethinker” there.” “ If you don’t have his number, I’ll give you. ” “ and…the numbers…. If anything, you know who to email….” “ Oh..and yeah… tomorrow morning, I’ll get him to present a case study.” Darn…. It was all over, left, right, centre….I’m sure my name was the most recognizable in the training already. I looked at the trainer.. “ Set me up huh ? ” “ Haha… now, did you regret coming over ? ” Jakarta So I was busy working when my assistant just pass me a copy of e-ticket.“ You’re flying Jakarta tomorrow ”“ What ? ”I thought my schedule is already quite tight, doubt I can make it. After some hesitation, finally decided, heck it, since my boss wants me there, might as well take this opportunity as my “mini break”.Great. I’ll have my mini holiday.------So my colleague saw something was at my pocket. He took it out.....and saw this Winnie The Pooh ish notebook. He looked at me." In my defense, I bought this from clinic while waiting and brainstorming idea "Then, he looked at me again..." You know what, I was asking about present gifts from ( someone ), and your name pop up. Then they say you're a flower teddy bear guy "" What ??!!!"Damn... and now he saw the Pooh notebook. This can't get worse..... My Strength Is My Weakness This is not the first time I heard this from my colleagues. When I had the opportunity of constructing an interesting model, the model was all good, but the problem was, it was designed in an unconventional way, no one else but me know how to move it forward, resulting I am the only one who had to work on it. Strength was the sophistication of the model, weakness was the difficulty of transferring the technology down for others to follow. In a similar case, I was also last minute dragged into a board meeting because they needed me on “site” to demonstrate the simulation. Great part was the participation of the meeting, the other way of thinking is, I can’t pass it down for others to modify. In moving up career ladder, it’s a double edge sword, it can be developed into a field of authority, at the expense of mastering more of the rest. But that’s a different story for another day… The same applies to my personal life. Heavy research nowadays from work have always requires me to utilize analytical thinking and synthesizing information for innovation purposes. The not so bright idea however is my inability to paralyze this skill from doing its wicked moment in my personal life. Due to this process of thinking, I can’t take things at face value, every single word could potential be interpreted deeper than it should. Sometimes, it’s strange how an almost simple sentence can just lock and drag my mood down. I presume, the one too many occasions I interpreted things deeper than I should is simply because I lack the comfort level or the certainty to give a reason for my brain to have a break. Well, that’s the challenge. Recharged Been lazy to get my ass out on Sunday when I’m all tired working full stretch from Monday to Saturday, well, at least Saturday was working at Starbucks… “ Oi, go lunch la ” “ Tired la… where to ? ” “ Trust me, you’ll love me to bits ” I mean, how am I suppose to interpret that sentence coming from… a guy ???!!! But I guess my friend really knew how to make my day….. and I have to say, I’m quite happy yesterday, for some reason that I didn’t manage to smile from ear to ear for the past 2 weeks. I guess, the word was “control”. I was trying to control my emotions. Some who have notice the change and lil bit of the story said this to me : “ I think you are just giving excuse to yourself. I don’t believe in what you said. ” I kept thinking it wasn’t an excuse, maybe I have reached the second stage of the self manipulation: Confuse . I thought I had myself convinced, maybe not convincing enough to others, hence resorting to confuse myself further before I do the last bit. Anyway, saw and heard some interesting stuff. Saw : Someone typing on a powerpoint a message. A message meant to be sent out via mobile phone sms. It has a lot of words and sentences. What caught my attention was the following : “ I still think of you the same. Maybe you haven’t change, just the relationship has change. ” I didn’t quite get it. I was asked if I could edit the message. “ I think you might want to remove that line… I don’t quite get it and it sounds kinda weird. ” Heard : “ What kinda guy are you interested in ? ” “ Simple requirements. He doesn’t need to be handsome, he doesn’t need to be rich. He just needs to be a good guy ” “ What is a good guy ? If you ask any guy out there, they’ll say they are….. ( pointing at me ), are you a good guy .” “ ( I look at the two ) Of course ” Innocent Until Proven Guilty. No Brainer So apparently the dudes have wrapped up on the investigation. Send the report to the chambers Authenticity of the medical report : “(It) looks the same, contents are the same.” It’s no brainer what the outcome is from the chamber. Unless some fellas really don’t have brain. Key words: Motive and consequences. I have always question the motive. Though not too related but in a similar fashion. What is the motive. Few may be quick to point fingers at certain individuals and in very confidently saying they are the culprit, but what are the motive ? Knowing what the motive is, would better understand how the sequence or consequences play out fit into the play. Every reaction causes the chain reaction of the next scene. We have a report that nobody deny it is not exactly wrong. We have people in power who knows what is at stake if the wrong scene starts to set in and most of all, we have the all powerful of people’s perception. In the game of perception, it’s blatantly clear who is in the upper hand. No matter what comes from the chamber ( Obviously….. ), “he” still wins. He knows it, the dudes knows it, the hospital don’t want to admit it and people in chambers would surely not fail to recognize it. I guess the only thing that could be the uncertainty in the chambers is, even the big one is under investigation now. So what kinda no brainer outcome are we not gonna get? Unless, someone thinks he has a better grand scheme of plan and decides to do the opposite, then he will realized, one thing, it will completely backfired and “he” will score a bigger win. Now, that’s a no brainer. What's for dinner ? The scene of a bunch of assassins playing paper ball while waiting their boss in Johnnie To’s The Mission is one interesting scene… Choosing what to eat for dinner for weekdays is one tough choices we always face ( including lunch ). So while we were busy working on our project, all our msn pops up, all being invited into a chat room. ( Each of us are just 2 steps away from each other ) “ What to eat for dinner” Then the leader started throwing out choices on the white board… 1…2……6 “ Now, everyone vote your choices and send to me in msn… ” Now, I wonder what’s for dinner tomorrow….. Equilibrium vs disequilibrium As I flirt with the darker side of myself lately, I came to realize from certainties, I now see the uncertainties. I also came to realize my flaw, on the specific issue, I have always been looking at it in a too micro level, taking a step back, going to places, I begin to question the missing view from the macro perspective. Why didn’t I consider all those factors before? Hmm…. By disrupting my routines, and having a new business partner, I am making good progress for the transition of myself. Then 2 close circle of mine “communicated” with me. One “ Send you this song, totally describe how you feel ” After listening it, not exactly how I was feeling then, but it kinda moved me. Damn it, bloody good singer… Two “ When you are in doubt, remember…… to fall back to the principle” It was a quote borrowed from another colleague whom we joked because the circumstances it was used then. But now, I realize how deep this words of wisdom is… to me. I'm a .... Close to wrapping up one of the projects, everyone to a certain extend felt relieve we have been able to pull through so far. I on the other hand have straightened up myself and being able to look at things more objectively. Someone asked a good question at me: Whether I’m a realist. I guess, it’s too broad to answer that. I’m a mixture of optimist, pessimist, realist and a practical person in the same body. In different scenarios and different context, I hold a very different view on things. Positioning how your mind thinks would create different type of reaction and consequences. I could be an optimist in one minute of one particular issue, and the other minute a realist at the same time. It all depends on the need of the situation. I mean… one size can’t fit all. On the other hand, I’ve channeled my focus on the my business scheme. Had dinner with my partner and were discussing the plausibility of the tipping point and moving into scenarios of the next horizon. I like the quote of how we ended our conversation. “ I wish you are the best person I ever known andlikewise I am the best person you ever known ” Maybe we are dreamers. The 3C s Somehow, I felt much relax now. Heard a good joke today. I’ve known of the popular 5 C’s : Cash, Car, Credit Card, Condominium and Country club that usually is used as benchmark to impress others. Then, my fellow colleague throw his team members a question : “ You know what are the 3 C’s that are critical to our occupation ? ” I was scratching my head….apparently, it’s ( in sequence ) 1) Convince 2 ) Confuse 3) Con P.S : I realized I tend to write short entries now, I wonder if this the blog’s new direction or simply. The only constant in life is change. The Radical Plan Usual successful ( or unsuccessful ) business scheme requires the thinker and the doer, the capital and the execution. I have always had the radical business plan, for some reason, I didn’t quite seem pushing for it. Then came along someone who trusts me enough with my capability to implement the radical plan. “ Let’s talk business here ” After talking for 2 hours or so on my model and his investment strategy, we came to realize we may actually make this radical plan work. With him handling the finance and I specializing on the risk, kinda a strong partnership. But then again, the idea is only as good as on the paper until you implement it. It’ll be very interesting to finally push my 3 year old plan into reality and to test my radical hypothesis that conventional perception can be defied. After The Drink I didn’t want to get a drink until friday for the obvious reason of not letting it affect my work…. Then, after having Japanese buffet with my foreign colleague, they decided to have a drink…. “ I guess this is sooner than I wanted. ” They say drinks could turn away sadness and sorrow temporarily. I never much believe it. After drinking few rounds of it, I didn’t feel I was any happier, in fact, it just amplified what has been bothering me. Near the end, the taste just became bitter. In fact, my fellow colleague was so concern he rang me few times on the phone while I was driving back, checking if I was in good condition to drive. I knew I was still in a conscious state to drive …. Today, “ Eh, FT, you look really down yesterday after the drink, I thought I was the one should feel worse…. ” The drink didn’t enlighten me, but I guess, I am finally ready to rectify the flaw in my operating philosophy. Time to reflect Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes you get to learn the easy way, while other times you gotta learn it the hard way. I guess I just dunno anymore….. or as plainly my reader Angel once told me face to face, “ Sometimes, some things you need to go through it yourself. ” Well, the next step, I’ll just have to take a step back… and reflect. Ensuring I don’t explode by suppressing the whole deal myself, I relate the issue to someone who best understands my situation. I told the guy who went to a bar recently with me ordering hot chocolates “ I need a drink. This time, the real one ”P.S : Thx PF for the sms'es, you know the whole "sister" thing is not practical right ? I mean, you can't expect me to be able to do it ? Cyrptic Message Give, Give, Give, Give, Give, Give, Give, Give, GiveI wonder who can decipher this hidden message...... Liars hiding behind the cyber curtain I just love Tunku Abdul Aziz’s piece, reminds me again how dangerous the web 2.0 can be… His Sunday ( today ) writing as below : FOLLOWING the electoral winds of change in March, a great wave of cynicism is sweeping the land. Whatever the government says is treated as a pack of lies by the blogging community which has arrogated to itself the role of the nation's conscience and arbiter of truth. This may seem absurd, and it is, when we know from painful personal experience that most of them who are trotting out opinions and comments on the website are least qualified to claim the moral high ground where truth, and the whole truth, is concerned.Mark you, I have the greatest respect for responsible bloggers, and they can be counted on the fingers of one hand. And it is not my intention to tar all with the same brush.Unfortunately, the World Wide Web seems to have attracted, and has apparently become a ghetto of sorts for, a growing population of the socially maladjusted who make a virtue of distorting the truth, scattering insinuations and innuendos like confetti on those who come within range. The imputation of improper motives to those they perceive to be fair game has been developed into an art form.The damage to the reputation of their victims is never given a second thought, and why should anyone object when we live in a democracy and they are well within their rights to hide behind the cyber curtain and level wild allegations against those whom they dislike for reasons best known to themselves?Blogging, as far as they are concerned, is not about fair comment; it is a licence to spread despair and disquiet, and to exploit the uncertain political times the country is going through.It is also about gaining notoriety; the blog is the only avenue they believe that is open to them to add a little spice and excitement to their otherwise sterile intellectual existence.As for the language used, it would be an act of great kindness to keep your maiden aunt from straying into your computer room every time you give in to your baser instincts, driven by an uncontrollable curiosity, to take a peep at the latest scurrilous and diabolical offerings on the devil's menu of the day.Unfortunately, they have become a staple for Malaysians who have grown disenchanted and largely disappointed with the haphazard and clumsy management of official information.Until now, and it is early days yet at that, we have been ill-served by a succession of information ministers whose special forte was regulation and control and what emanated from the ministry was nothing if not an insult to human intelligence.Is it any wonder then that the blogs, good, bad and indifferent, are apparently displacing the mainstream media, perceived at best to be mere propaganda tools?However, it is not such a clear-cut choice because, as far as I am concerned, it is a case of out of the frying pan into the fire.For all their claim of editorial rectitude, they are totally intolerant, and unreasonably so, of views that they believe are at odds with their own.You invariably run into a barrage of invective, impregnated with oodles of that good old Anglo-Saxon four letter word that provides a lifeline to those whose linguistic maturity has not kept pace with their physical development.Largely because of ineptitude, the government is playing into their hands, by default. A good example of this is the current spate of allegations against a key figure in government.He, instead of denying them promptly by giving as much information as possible to debunk them, and proceeding to sue the offending blogs for defamation, has allowed the matter to hang in the air.The upshot is a heaven-sent opportunity served on a silver salver for a massive round of rumour-mongering and damning speculation of guilt.It should have been made clear at the outset that as soon as the case in question had been disposed of in the high court, legal proceedings would be instituted.This is the only way to clear the air and restore public confidence in the aggrieved, much maligned individual concerned, as otherwise it would lend credence to the vicious rumours doing the rounds up and down the country.Bloggers must be reminded that they cannot operate outside of the law, and that they are accountable for all of their actions, comments and utterances which find their way into the public domain. Two can play the game, and this is something they often forget.That the government must develop a credible strategy to confront their lies has taken on renewed urgency because if left to their own devices, the stability of this country will be put at very considerable risk.Lies repeated often enough will develop a life of their own, and before we know it, they will acquire an aura of authority that will be impossible to counter effectively.The time for the government to act is now or it will forever govern in the dark shadows of unending lies by parties that care little or nothing for the peace, sustainability and stability of our country.I am a firm believer in press freedom, but with an important qualification. There cannot be freedom without responsibility. In the same vein, there cannot be rights without duties, and there cannot be accountability without transparency.I am afraid, judged by these basic criteria, many of the blogs in Malaysia fail the test miserably. That said, we all welcome views that differ from ours and are expressed in language that is temperate -- although many are under the impression that a person whose language is refined and restrained has no place in their scheme of things. Sometimes, I just hate to admit I agree with Andrew Keen. My Heart Sank I guess it’s ironic I wrote my previous piece as Nice Guys Finish Last, it is even more ironic when I had dinner yesterday, someone told me something which I ended up answering theoretically…... That is so funny. That is so funny… But I guess, I’m not laughing now. Well, sometimes I guess sometimes…. Sometimes…simple deduction is true : I am stupid. Nice Guys Finish Last Been experiencing accelerated growth in terms career which I’m constantly reminding myself on the high risk on the project I’m in, but at the same time, high risk comes with greater return. On a more personal level, in an equally pace, the level and context of thinking on personal issues, the exposure I had due to the breakup a friend of mine is experiencing, had me thinking. In one of the chats I had, someone just popped the “ Nice Guys Finish Last ” quote. Sometimes, one do wonder just how far, and how true is that statement. It doesn’t help when there’s actually a research confirming it : Researchers at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Great. Nothing beats having facts or in this case, evidence. This reminds me an interesting encounter I had recently when I was away in my hometown. My colleague and I were having dinner at this particular place. He was still not in his best mood, with so many conflicting thoughts racing through his mind after the breakup. Naturally, we ended up talking about relationships. Before we ordered the food, there was this girl who came to our table. She was wearing a uniform of those beer company ( I’ll nickname her as beergirl for easy reference ). Beergirl : What drinks do you want ? Guy 1 : Erm….. hot water Guy 2 : Orange juice Beergirl : Err…ok Guy 1 : Wait.. I think I wanna have watermelon juice. So, we had the drinks and we spend a good 20 minutes having seafood which at the end, we couldn’t finish. Guy 1 : ( Wave at the beergirl ) Can I have another watermelon juice ? Somehow, I think she may have find it weird, why these 2 jokers asking her who is on a uniform representing alcoholic drinks keep asking for some fresh juices…. So we chatted a lil again ( on the same topic ) and the girl suddenly came to our table. Beergirl : Want anymore juice ? Guy 2 : No thanks. Beergirl : You two foreigners ? Why eat here ? It’s very expensive the food. Guy 1 : Err… well, it’s near to our hotel. Beergirl : What you two do for a living After having some trouble explaining what we do….. and one way or another she mentioned how “dangerous” KL can be with all the rape and murder cases she saw in the newspaper. She even mentioned nowadays guys beat up their wife or girlfriends. Guy 2 : So, is it true, girls prefer bad boys ? Beergirl : Depends which kinda girls… Guy 1 : So… are you the kind that prefers a rich guy who may not treat you well, or the one preferring a not so well to do who would love you more ? Beergirl : I’d prefer the latter, at the end of the day, what’s the point if he doesn’t treat you well ? But…. I may be different, you may think what I say is a lil deep for my age… Hmm… she probably thought we two meet a lot naïve girls… She then saw the food we couldn’t finish, the crabs and some squids.. Beergirl : Why you guys don’t wanna finish it ? Guy 1 : Full already….. you want some ? Beergirl : Can’t eat now. I’m working. Guy 2 : We can tapau for you if you want…. Beergirl : Really ? We ended up paying the bill and tapau the food for her. It was interesting to chat with a 22 years old admin clerk by day, then a part time waitress by night, and whom shops grocery for her family on weekends because she wanna supports her family with her earnings. Somehow the 2 guys left the restaurant grinning. To quote the last sentence of the article from the research news : So maybe good guys don't always finish last. We went back to hotel. Went to a bar…. and ordered hot chocolates. Anak Syaitan Somehow, the team I am with, got me this lil nickname. Well, the deduction was …. I went to work in my hometown, but I didn’t drop by my parent’s and stayed in the hotel, hence….. the nickname. This guy got the same nickname as me… Anyway… 10 minutes ago while I was checking in, I saw there’s this box I need to fill : Car Vehicle / Flight No FT : Is this compulsory ? Receptionist : Err…did you come by flight or drive here. FT : Well, I…. flew here, but then, I went back home… and then parents drop me here. Receptionist : So.. you local ? Why you stay in hotel ? FT : I….. love your hotel. Receptionist : I see… the car is just those who drive here and just incase we notice the car hasn’t switched off the light, we’ll notify them.. FT : ….and the flight is for those fly here ? You have airplane parking here ? ( Obviously I did that to highlight how redundant that Flight No item was….. ) Receptionist : ( grinned )… no… that was not necessary at all. Time will heal all wounds? Sure enough it’s true. But the painful process isn’t as simple as using “time” as a measurement of “when” the pain will stop, when you understand, most of the “time”, it just moves slower than you ever wanted.It’s all the more painful when you see the whole process flash through in front of you as days go by.Breakups have never been pleasant. Seeing his’ breakup and how he deals with it, just shows, deep down how fragile we all are.From moving on or saving the relationship, meeting her again or severe all contacts, take a break or meeting new girls?There’s no real, full proof advice either.Sometimes I wonder, what’s the whole point of telling someone “ Time will heal all wounds ”, when to him, time takes eternally to move…Or maybe standing still…. To him. Thrown Into The Water I gotta say my workload is at the tipping point of stretching my ability to the max, both physically and mentally. Just at the tipping point, still manageable. I hope. With 4 projects full time, 2 projects part time, the team of three is feeling the tense of completing 4 major projects in 3 months….. Hopefully when the two new foreign resources fly in soon and another potential one joining the team, it can take some heat off from us. P.S : It’s starting to crack our heads what to eat at KLCC every weekday….. wonder what else we haven’t try… P.S : Flying off again on Sunday. To hometown for work. But….. stay at hotel. The “Stunning” Statutory Declaration Perception is one thing, truth is another, and manipulation is beyond the level. The whole sodomy saga had everyone thinking in just one angle. It could be the perception, it could be the truth and at the same time, manipulation. Then we have now the private investigator P Balasubramaniam making a stunning statutory declaration one day and retracted the next day. I wonder whether the content of it is “stunning” or the speed of a fresh statutory declaration is more “stunning”. What puzzles me is the level of “explicitness” between the two statutory declarations. One mentions a senior politicians’ name which now almost everyone with any grey cells know who he is, and the other plainly omitted on the contents. In short, it changed from black to white. Similarly to how I would digest the issue, the obvious impression is the perception it has created. Believing the perception is one thing, understanding the motive is another. Motive 1 ( Camp N ) If perception is true, why would such a drastic move is needed ( for 2nd SD )? Wouldn’t it backfired and create the perception it has now ? How would this motive helps ? Beats me. Motive 2 ( Camp A ) Done to create the perception. If assuming the latter SD report is true, the first was a decoy. In this case, private investigator just plays his role to achieve the perception. Things aren’t just as clear as black and white like many would want to believe. In reality, there are more than just two motives, and definitely more than just 2 camps.