Of balance, ownership and aliens

I always feel that life has a lot to do with balance.

You gotta balance work with personal life, balance the time spent among people you love, balance your hands on - hands off approach, balance your jokes with your values, balance your addiction to certain things, balance your decisions to always reach a win-win situation, balance your personal thoughts with your sense of professionalism, etc, etc.

It's not easy, but it's a constant requirement.

There are many things that could tip off the balance and ownership is one of them. When you feel that you want to own certain things, processes, responsibilities or success, it drives you to the desired result. That's when the lines of balance get smudged and crooked. It's not about your job - my job anymore, it's more of "what we need to do to get things right".

And that is often where I get into trouble.

When the total balance thingy is screwed, it brings consequences. Feelings change, doubts are raised, emotions are evoked, perspectives flipped over. And sometimes, it can also change your form of existence. You may no longer be a homo-sapient. You take on a totally new form. You become an alien.

When you're an alien, well.............................................then EVERYTHING CHANGES.

Of Kuching, work and Bing!

Having been in Kuching a while now, I've patrolled the streets and malls a bit in my effort to uncover secrets the town has to offer. Then on one night, I came across Bing! coffee, two shop lot rows behind my hotel.

This was my second visit to Bing!. Khai had brought me here during my first trip to Kuching a few weeks ago. We came to this outlet at first, but was told that their La Marzocco was under repair. A kind staff then suggested for us to go the their only other outlet located somewhere on the way to the airport. Khai wasn't entirely sure so the guy tried his best to give us the simplest of directions. And so we tried and we found the outlet. I ordered a Mochachino and it tasted nice, unsurprisingly since they use illy coffee.

Halfway through our drinks, one of the staff came over and asked whether we came from their other outlet and we said yes. Khai asked why and the staff said the staff we met earlier had called in to find out whether we were able to find our way. We said to ourselves "Now isn't that nice?" It always feel great to encounter such courteous and genuinely nice people in the service line who takes pride in making people happy! That was a big plus point for Bing! for me.

And so I was really happy to have found out that the first outlet I went to was just around the corner! I walked in and had another cup of Mochachino. The environment was great and the staffs seemed friendly.

I am now at Bing again for their coffee, WiFi and their comfy sofas. hehehehe. Naturally I would be at Starbucks but there are none within this part of Kuching town. The nearest one is in The Spring and it would cost me RM12 by cab, one way. Therefore I'm here.

Started working on site today doing room checking and all. The anticipation is building as opening day is just 6 days away!


Hmmm......hope I'll lose some kilos!

Of home and away

I have been away from home for a few weeks now.

It started from 1st Feb. with my trip to Kuching. I went back to KL on 6th Feb. After spending the weekend in KL I went to Penang on 9th Feb for 5 days. On the eve of valentine's day, I was on my way to KK. After a week in KK, I am now back in Kuching since Friday. I will probably be here until mid March.



I miss my bed and my pillows.

I miss driving my car.

I miss sitting on my sofa, watching dvds.

I miss Rock Corner.

I miss my friends back home.



Guess I'm just not used to traveling and being away from home too long.

That saying of "practice makes perfect" had better be right!

Of reader's digest, memorable interviews and snake massages

Reading has never been one of my hobbies. Well, not reading books anyway. I read books that are more commonly known as magazines aka FUN books!

Besides movie magazines, my other favorite item has always been Reader's Digest. Back in the early days, the first few things that drew my interest was its collection of "All in a Day's Work" jokes and also those footnotes jokes. Then, over the years, I came to love the real life stories which often centers on courage, hardship, perseverance and love. These stories are so heart-warming that I often find myself reading them with tears in my eyes.

The February 2009 edition I picked up while on the move the other day turned out to be one of the most enjoyable one yet! It has President Obama on its cover with that same, consistent smile of his (seriously, I think every photos of him smiling looks like it's a print out from the same master copy. It's that consistent!). I thoroughly enjoyed reading his interview. He came across as this antonym to what some people think America stands for.

Several pages before that, however, was an article that I definitely did not enjoy reading. The article's title read SNAKE MASSAGES. What the??!!!!! There were only few sentences in that article but its photo was more than enough to illustrate its point - 3 average size (which, by all means, could mean deadly!) snakes; one with black n white stripes, one with orange and red prints and one with long greenish brownish stripes that runs along its body, slithering on a person's body.

You call that a snake massage? I call it a death wish!

The article states the following:

".....a service designed to make your tensions slither away"

"The treatment consists of non-venomous snakes wriggling and hissing across the client's aching muscles and joints......"

"...many people find the snakes have a soothing effect"

Let me get this straight. Snakes wriggling and hissing across your body = a soothing feeling?

I would just die.

Okay, okay...you should know by now that I am not exactly fond of snakes. And no amount of Animal Planet's snakes-are-the-most-wonderful-misunderstood-creature-in-the-world programmes are gonna change my views.

I am obviously aware that they're loved by many in this world. It's just that for someone with a love for massages and fears of snakes, this article really do combine the best and worst of both worlds.

Definitely something to hiss about. Anaconda massage anyone?

Of language, friends and strangers

Heard from a friend today that I've got some not-so-positive reputation. Someone who hasn't met or know me (read: a total stranger) says that I choose friends, am a bit snotty cos I favor speaking in English than in Bahasa, and that I am a bit aloof.

It's ironic since I have recently answered a question in my tag post -

"What if people don't like you?"

" I have in me, the desire for people to like me, but I also know that in this world, there are people who will not like me, and I can accept that. I would, however, be saddened if the person who dislikes / hates me happens to be someone I like.

So, in this context, I am not deeply concerned that a total stranger has a negative pre-conceived notions of me. What's got me thinking, however is that someone I know, out there, thinks less of me and it could be a reflection of my less-than-good choices or actions.

But am gonna leave it at that.

Am glad that this was said to a friend of mine who was frank enough to inform me.

As for writing this post in English rather than in Bahasa, it's just my personal preference.

Don't judge me :)

Tagged by Sankai

This is my first post in bahasa melayu. Am not sure if it's gonna be the last.

TANDA TANDA

1. Tanda2 kamu badmood?
Saya tak rasa saya ada badmood. Ada masanya saya marah, segan, malu, bengang, suka dan sebagainya, tapi tidak badmood.

2. Tanda2 kamu marah?
Saya akan diam kerana itulah cara saya untuk meredakan rasa marah. Jika terlampau marah untuk diam, saya akan bagi tahu pendapat saya.

3. Tanda2 kamu sinting?
Gak tahu sih apa itu sinting!

4. Tanda2 kamu malu?
Bila malu saya akan kurang bercakap (sebab kebiasaannya terlampau banyak cakap!).

5. Tanda2 kamu sedang cemburu?
Hmm......sama macam bila saya marah - saya akan diam. Masa tuh saya akan ada banyak senario dan dialog dalam kepala, tapi takkan saya cakap. Semuanya disimpan dalam hati. Saya seorang yang senang rasa cemburu, tetapi saya rasa kita tak patut cemburu. Oleh itu, bila saya cemburu, saya akan diam sebab saya tahu yang rasa cemburu itu salah.

6. Tanda2 kamu sedang sedih?
Mata saya akan berair. Kalo bercakap, suara akan jadi lain. Saya memang senang rasa sedih. kalo tengok filem, sebaris ayat pun boleh buat saya sedih. Kekadang tak perlu ayat langsung pun.......tengok ekspresi muka pun boleh jadik sedih. Sangat menyedihkan kan????

7. Tanda2 kamu gembira?
Saya akan gelak. Gelak saya kuat dan berbunyi pelik. Saya nih memang pelik sikit orang nya. Sikit jer la.


APA

1. Apa warna baju kamu pakai sekarang?
Baju T warna hitam dengan tulisan PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX 2007. Saya suka pakai baju warna hitam sejak tahun 1999.

2. Apakah kamu termasuk orang yang suka shopping?
Ya, tapi tak selalu shopping, sebab duit guna untuk bayar bil, pinjaman dan hutang.

3. Apakah kamu percaya love at first sight?
Percaya. Saya selalu jugak experience love at first sight nih. Contohnyer masa saya tengok trailer Transformers. kali pertama saya tengok terus jatuh cinta. Baru baru nih, saya tengok trailer Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen pun jadik love at first sight jugak!

4. Apa yang ingin kamu lakukan sekarang?
Benda yang tidak baik.

5. Apa rasa dihati kamu saat ini?
Sunyi.


BILA

1. Bila pertama kali kamu dilahirkan kedunia ini?
6 haribulan Mac, 1975

2. Bila saat terindah dalam hidupmu?
Bila saya lihat mak saya menangis gembira.

3. Bila kali terakhir dimarahi ibubapa?
Rasanya masa di sekolah menengah, sebab mak saya lebih cenderung kepada menegur, bukan memarahi.

4. Bila kali terakhir ehem ehem ehem?
Hehehehehehheheheheheh...........................baru jer tadi.................tersedak bunyi ehem ehem ehem.

5. Bila kamu akan married?
Entah lah. Buat masa ini, getting married bukan keutamaan bagi diri saya. Saya gemarkan kebebasan dan pada saya, apabila seseorang itu berkahwin, dia tidak boleh pentingkan diri sendiri. Dia harus menjadi suami / bapa yang bertanggungjawab dalam segala aspek. Dan saya belum sedia untuk memikul tanggung jawab sebesar itu. Lagi pun, banyak lagi benda yang saya nak capai dan buat yang mungkin tidak tercapai, jika saya kahwin.


BAGAIMANA

1. Bagaimana jika ada orang buat kamu sakit hati?
Selalunya, saya akan diam. Akan tetapi, jika perbuatan orang itu membuatkan saya benci dia, maka besar kemungkinan saya akan benci dia bagi masa yang lama, atau mungkin selama-lamanya.

2. Bagaimana kalau ada orang cakap kamu lawa/hensem?
Saya akan rasa kurang selesa. Memang lah ada rasa seronok, tetapi selalunya saya akan rasa kekok, tak tahu macam mana nak respon.

3. Bagaimana jika ada teman kamu, meninggalkan kamu?
Saya percaya yang setiap individu ada hak untuk buat apa saja yang mereka suka. Tiada gunanya jika ada kawan yang berkawan kerana terpaksa. Saya harap semua kawan kawan saya berkawan dengan saya dengan rasa genuine, bukan buat-buat. Jadi, kalau lah betul betul terjadi di mana kawan saya meniggalkan saya, saya akan terima seadanya. Mungkin saya akan berusaha untuk tahu sebab nya, tapi saya tidak akan paksa.

4. Bagaimana jika ada orang tidak suka sama kamu?
Saya rasa, ada keinginan dalam diri saya untuk diterima / digemari semua orang. Walau bagaimanapun, saya juga sedar yang di dalam dunia ini, sentiasa akan ada orang yang tidak menggemari saya. Saya boleh terima kenyataan ini. Cuma, kalo orang yang tidak gemarkan saya itu adalah orang yang saya suka, saya akan rasa amat sedih.

5. Bagaimana jika kamu bangun kamu di kelilingi api?
Saya pasti akan panik!

6. Bagaimana jika kamu keseorangan?
Saya akan telefon kawan, tengok dvd atau pergi tengok wayang. Saya memang sudah biasa tengok wayang sorang-sorang.

Maaf Sankai, saya tidak dapat untuk teruskan Tag ini kepada orang-orang lain.....

Tapi...............saya tetap sukakan Tag!!!!!