Muse - August 31, 2016

Normally I try not to take trivial matters seriously, but when you add a stressful, demanding job in the equation you WILL get stung by it. No matter how much you try to stay mentally and positively strong.

*cue the waterworks*

But that's okay, because crying is not a weakness. It lets out all the frustration and misery so you can start afresh.

So at the end of the day, you do your job well because you signed up for it and all the credits belong to you alone. Never mind if your colleagues do not recognize your effort but knowing that you gave your hundred percent in it is all that matters. Know that you can proudly say that you have utilized every single tool given to you and do one hell of a job.

Celebrate Humanity

The 2016 Olympics is about to come to an end and life for the past 2 weeks have been pretty much all about swimming, gymnastics and badminton. It also reminds you to go to the gym.

Since becoming a fan of the Games, this is the first time I made a point to indulge in it as much as I could. I have my own TV and Astro decoder now so I don't have to fight for it like when I was still living with my folks. Hehe.

If you love watching the Olympics, chances are you'd watched this video before. Celebrate Humanity was a promotional tool during the 2000 Olympics. It tells inspiring stories of athletes, promotes various Olympic core values and asks the world to join and celebrate humanity.

The video is narrated by the late Robin Williams. Here's the transcript in English just in case as the subtitles are in Portuguese.

Pageant Predictions: Miss Teen USA 2016

Miss Teen USA 2016 is tomorrow, 11am 9am Sunday* if you're from Malaysia. It airs live on the Miss U App, which you can download on your phone, Miss Teen USA, Facebook and Youtube. Unless I'm allowed to stream it during church service, I don't think I'll be watching.

Predictions as usual:

Alabama - Erin Snow

Colorado - Alexis Sheree Wynne

Idaho - Kate Pekuri

Indiana - Lauren Boswell

Iowa - Hannah Marie Bockhaus

Kentucky - Christiaan Prince

Louisiana - Ellie Picone

Maryland - Amy Ingram

Minnesota - Sophia Primozich

Mississippi - Lauren Elizabeth Rymer

Missouri - Dallas Ezard

New Hampshire - Valeria Podobniy

New York - Natalia Terrero

North Dakota - Paige Mathison

Ohio - Olivia Turk

Oklahoma - Hellen Caroline Smith

Rhode Island - Malia Kalamani Cruz

South Carolina - Marley Marie Stokes

Texas - Karlie Hay

Utah - AbbyJade Larson

Vermont - Tammy Vujanovic

Virginia - Gracyn Blackmore

West Virginia - Cassy Trickett

*My bad, I converted wrongly

Muse - 20 July 2016

Source - onsizzle.com

This hits close to home because work has been mundane and stressful lately. I try to make it a point to leave work by 9pm in the event of too much work. My manager gave me a different job scope also, so until I am familiar with it I foresee many stay backs. I am also trying to improve on my time management, I promise.

So I try my best to vary the things I do lately:

1. Wedding is over, so we’re planning our honeymoon. We’re undecided between US and Europe but researches on hotels, flight tickets and itineraries are pretty exciting. Or maybe you can check back with me in a few months to see if it’s still exciting.

2. Finish my paint-by-numbers artwork.

3. I’m planning to take violin classes, which in turn I’d need to do some budgeting.

I have a lot more plans in store for myself, but I think these 3 items are enough for me to handle at this point.

Best of luck to me, yay :)

Half yearly update

Apologies again for leaving you for half a year.

It has been a whirlwind past 6 months and I will try to finish all of the posts I have been meaning to publish but didn't have sufficient time.

In regards to personal life, I got hitched on June 18, 2016. A year's worth of planning for a 5 hour event is mind boggling but we thoroughly enjoyed the process. Will definitely do a post for this.

As for work, it didn't go as well as I wanted it to so that was a pretty bummer week. But we have to pick ourselves up because the only way we can go is forward, unless there's a time machine I can borrow to go back in time.

I also managed to snag an interview for a position in the department I have always wanted to go to but didn't get the job. :/

This weekend will be busy with a wedding today, meeting my folks and paying our respects to my bridesmaid's late father tomorrow.

But with our wedding done and over with, I am hoping to continue and perfecting the things I enjoy doing and learning a thing or two.

Muse - January 15, 2016

Credit - canva.com

A brand new year means starting fresh once again. For majority of us, it's about performance review and bonus time.

This year, the boss require us to do a presentation of our past year achievements. There are around 90 of us so standing out is vital, because everyone wants to get the biggest bonus, no? But for some, it's also about being appreciated of the hard work you've done and it'll be nice to get rewarded. It depends on how you see things. 

Honestly, I hope I have made a good impression on the team even though this is my first year. Part of my job is to come up with innovative ways to increase efficiency and productivity. It's not an easy task suggesting ideas and having it rejected. But I have been procrastinating for so long and it has to stop sometime.

Here are some ways I have learnt to stand out at work:

#1 - Create your own goals and objectives. Different people have different goals so do the things you think you are capable of.

#2 - Believe in your idea. Draft your ideas into a proposal and think through everything before submitting it to your boss. Be prepared for the questions that will be coming. Show how passionate you are towards this idea.

#3 - Failure is a vital part of success. If your manager rebuffs your ideas, like mine did, do not give up. Either re-brand the idea or start anew. Easier being said than done actually, but you're not alone in this situation.

#4 - Brainstorm with people. Talk to colleagues, family, friends and even kids. Ideas can generate where you least expect it.

#5 - Be enthusiastic. Sometimes your boss may come up with an activity or suggestion that will increase teamwork within the team. Instead of fretting that this will potentially take your time away from completing your work, embrace it and show your boss (and yourself) that you are one hell of a multi tasker.

#6 - Do more than what your job requires. When everyone in the team does the same job, you will have to go one step further and do something different. It could be learning something new, doing your job in a different way, organizing an activity to encourage team participation etc

#6 - Progress is what matters. Start small and take baby steps towards your goals. 

Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort

The division I work in had a teambuilding last month at AVANI Sepang Goldcoast Resort. The hotel is about an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur, and is prominent for its rooms lined out to resemble a palm tree in the middle of the Malacca Straits. Think the Palm Islands in Dubai, UAE.

The news about the teambuilding was announced pretty late, and if rushing to complete all our work before we left was stressful enough, our bosses made it compulsory for all of us to participate in a lip sync competition. I lip sync to songs in the car all the time so I was psyched for this but performing in front of an audience was something I hadn't done in a very long time.

In fact I barely ate during the dinner before the performance. Nerves - 1, Yours truly - 0.

Nevertheless the four of us did splendidly. We didn't win but it was the effort, determination and teamwork that counts.

The Chicas team.

All of us from the Content Group division were segregated into different teams. This is the Maze Runner team, all decked in red.

Our first assignment. A tunnel made from natural green. A peaceful path many can't resist. Kudos to one of the team members who came here before so he knew where to go.

Second assignment. Beyond the first trunk lies the gateway of an alternative crisis route.

Final one. When you sit, you need to use your feet. When you move, body coordination is required. We thought it was the swings at first at a nearby playground but we didn't spot any other teams there.

We didn't win this one too, but it was the team bonding that matters.

After running around the hotel for an hour and a half, we all settled down for lunch and got our room keys. The villas were all located out at sea so some of us opted to rent a bike to cycle to their rooms and the rest opted to wait for a buggy.

I chose to walk under the sweltering heat, because a little workout never hurts. <cough>Show off<cough>

Jogging map courtesy of Huzack.

View from our balcony. Excuse the feet.

We were given the family villa which accommodates the 4 of us. This is the lounge which proved useful for the lip sync competition rehearsals.

The roof.

Second bedroom with twin beds and a balcony overlooking the sea and other villas.

Second bathroom with a shower.

Master bedroom with a king sized bed and another private balcony.

Obligatory master bathroom photo.

Bathroom goals. Unfortunately no one had the time to utilize the bathtub. 

View from the master bedroom.

I think we could have enjoyed the trip more if we weren't so busy preparing for the competition and if it was a 3 days 2 nights stay. Room was clean and spacious and breezy when the sliding doors to the balconies are opened. Breakfast was delightful and had a wide array of choices. The infinity swimming pool overlooks the sea, so does the gym. Unfortunately the Malacca Straits aren't known for its cleanliness, unlike the eastern part of Peninsular Malaysia so no crystal blue waters.

The hotel is pretty secluded too. There are a number of Malay restaurants next to the hotel overlooking the beach; otherwise a car is necessary to go to the nearest town for more food choices.

Will definitely come back someday. A short vacation is overdue.

The month that was

Source - tumblr

Finally there's a 3 day break in order to recharge and prepare for the new year. The past weeks were hectic enough that I'm going to stay home this weekend and do nothing :P

First off, I was on leave on Nov 19th to attend the opening of Ikea Cheras. Friends tell me I don't do anything out of the ordinary much so I thought joining a throng of citizens on a Thursday at a furniture store is a start. Then I queued for more than an hour at the cashier only to abandon the idea because I was running late to meet my wedding planner. Also I took the opportunity to visit my former working place and a dear friend. I was supposed to meet my ex boss for dinner but due to miscommunication, we met on Nov 25th instead.

Thanks to the steamed fish I had, I got sick on Nov 26th and was on medical leave. Unplanned leave meant more unfinished work that I had to finish the next day. I was feeling better the next day but the diarrhea continued until Dec 4th that I took a half day leave to visit the doctor. I still have phobia towards steamed fish until now.

The following week was a critical rush week because we had a departmental team building on Dec 9th and 10th. I came earlier to the office on that Wednesday to hopefully get some things done before departing. The next day I was back in office to continue before heading home for a much needed rest. Doze off while waiting for a show on TV and slept on the couch until the next morning.

Dec 11th was a public holiday but I went to the office, and I wasn't the only one. Tee hee. I had to get things running before a replacement for yet another public holiday on Dec 17th. It kind of sucked when your job requires you to finish everything before you go on leave. Just my luck there were so many things happening so close together. Also went to work that weekend.

Because the following week was, you guessed it, another public holiday x2. Dec 24th and 25th were the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday and Christmas respectively. Oh dear God, what is this. And I was taking additional leave on Dec 28th and 29th so that meant more overtime.

But wait, it doesn't stop there. Jan 1st was New Year's so I had 2 days to finish whatever I can in order to have a proper rest for the next few days. Good thing I got it all done by 6pm today and even had time for a discounted Starbucks. Yay!

Some day I'll look back and wonder how I survived all these.

Till then,

Happy New Year 2016 y'all!

For 2016

2015 will come to a close in a few days (wasn't it January a few months ago?), and I thought I'd jot some things down to do more for 2016.

Source - tumblr

1. Read more books. Unlike the year before, I was shopping on a budget at Big Bad Wolf's this time. Big Bad Wolf is an annual book sale event held in KL for roughly 2 weeks for 24 hours. And the event boasts of selling books discounted up to 95%! That's a bargain if you're trying to be frugal in the wake of the weak economy. I bought 3 books this year because I only had 50 bucks with me, and donated 2 to Astro Kasih Pediatric Ward, a corporate social responsibility program by Astro. Must.find.time.to.read.

2. Continue painting. I'm not an artsy person, but would love to be one. So I got myself a paint-by-numbers kit early this year and sadly, it's still in progression. *blames work again*

3. Write blogging ideas down. So many times I've got ideas on what to write - when I'm supposed to be sleeping. And sometimes I've something interesting to write but by the time I open Blogger I have a blank brain with zero interest to write.

4. Get to the gym. A vast improvement from last year. But still could use an improvement.

5. Read more news. I'll be 30 soon and it's high time (in my opinion anyways) to be more informed on the hard news happening around me.

6. Have more time for myself. I've been working overtime and on weekends way too much this year. If memory serves right, I've only left work on time less than 5 times this month alone. Looks like I've to work more on time management.

7. Be an asset to the company. New year calls for new KPI (key performance index). Let's see how innovative I can be this year and prove my worth to myself and well, the company.

8. Be a better person. This has been my resolution for couple of years now. Be kinder, be nicer, be a better friend and wife, appreciate the small things, be more patient and do more good deeds.

So, what are your plans for the new year?

It's Christmas!

Err mah God ... it's Christmas! Seasons greetings everyone and enjoy the rest of the weekend! xoxo, yours truly.

Source - tumblr

5 days till Christmas

Gone were the days of classic green Christmas trees and colorful baubles and lights. Until today, it didn't cross my mind that Christmas too can have themes! I've scoured some themes that you may like, so do share if you have your own theme =)

I know it's too late to change themes now, so keep these in mind for next year!

#1 - Monochrome Christmas. Decors consisting of white, black, an earthy color or just one color.

#2 - White Christmas. The whiter it is, the better.

#3 - Minimalist Christmas. You know the saying, less is more.

#4 - Vintage Christmas. The first Christmas tree I remember having had a lot of toys as decorations, similar to these.

#5 - Beach Christmas. If you live for collecting beachy decorations, use them during Christmas too!

7. Rustic Christmas. I've always associated rustic with burlap, beer barrels, tree trunks etc but I was being told by my wedding planner that rustic is also about incorporating lots of natural elements, materials and earthy colors into the decoration.

8. Go All Out Christmas. And if you're the ultimate Christmas lover, I'd say go all out with all the decorations and lights - in and outdoor!