New Test Machines!
Well, like the title says above.... The GI-D Scripting team have been allocated new test machines. Basically, they're new workstations. Specs are 2GB RAM, 3.4Ghz, with DVD writer!!! By far the best pc i have even used! And since everyone in my team has it, we're kinda happy. The work may be more demanding, but with stuffs like these, who wouldn't wanna work long hours? All of us scripters will have another pc for normal usage. The test machines are meant to test scripts. I can't say more as it's confidential la.... I was involved in formatting, partitioning and installing/imaging these new machines as the current scripters have their hands full with loads of scripts coming in.
It has been a tiring day, but getting used to it. Sleeping bout 12 :30am, getting up at 7:30am, reaching office at 8:30am, and start work at 9am. At work place, we can have free Milo, Nescafe, White Coffee, Tea, Mineral Water. There are microwaves, fridges, photostate machines,document shredder, faxs for our usage. I dunno why the heck I'm saying all this, but wat the hell, you people still read it without a fuss anywayz. I'll talk about our pool room and gym some other time....
First Day at SITI
Well, I can honestly sum up my first day at my new work place as "A Pleasant One". Met with most of my old friends while i was there last year as an Intern. Namely Bob, Ganesan, Thinagari, Dhillon, Jasbir, Christi, Radzi, Mangala, Mahes, Martin, Adrew and many more. It was really exciting to see familiar faces. Just glad they haven't forgotten me! Muahahaha...
The day started with an on boarding session with my kewl team leader, Alex Lee. He's understanding, polite, friendly and had really good leadership qualities. He's been in shell for 9 years now. I will not want to be in his bad books at all! Admire this man...
Followed by being introduced to the team members which consists of almost 20 people. Generally, they were all friendly and nice. Just that they have loads of work to do, thats why we never really had chance to socialize much. No wonder they hired me and the other new guys, they badly need people. Got to know the main tasks and processes of the Scripting team today. Was given a manual to read bout how to use its main software to create scripts. Pretty heavy on the first day, but coz i'm new, it's normal i guess. The guys tell me it's pretty easy once you've practiced and gained experience.
Oh well, it has been a tiring first day. But since i had a really long break, thats why i feel tired. Usually sleep in the afternoons, but can't anymore! Well, to earn money, we need to do what we have to do rite? Till my next post....
Engelbert Again!There's a write up about Engelbert Humperdinck's Performance recently at the Arena of Stars in the New Straits Times today (26th June). In the Pull-Out section "Show Time", Page 6. For all you enthusists of Engelbert, do read it. It all happen exactly how the writer reported it. And I was there!!!! (so so happy)
The Final Battle....The Last of the Samurai....An Outstanding performance by Ken Watanabe!
Algren learning the ways of the Samurai!
Ken Watanabe in Action!
Tom Cruise as Nathan Algren... Training to be a Samurai?
Lazy Sunday
Got up at 9am, slept after watching the Brazil-Germany match. Honestly, i thought both teams didn't play as well to their true quality and willingness to win. Guess there are too many soccer players who are too rich to play a bit more extra for their country, as they are handsomely rewarded by their clubs. Guess they are given specific orders not to get injured by not playing to hard and ambitiously.
The day started with my usual hot cup of white coffee. Then took mum to Giant to do some grocery shopping. While mum was ticking off provisions after she had taken them from the shelfs, i was busy looking for sausages, cheese and some freezer to fryer chicken premium cuts.
Came back, mum and sister cooked lunch. Mutton curry, Mixed vegetables (brocolli & Celery), and red bayam. As usual, it was really tasty and i had 2 helpings to myself. Totally love home cooked food!
Slept like a pig, got up at 5pm to get ready for mass. Arrived a few minutes before mass began at 6pm at the Assumption Church. As i sat in church, with my sister and her boyfriend, i realized there are so many good looking Catholic gurls. Thank God there are many available! Gosh, how i wish i had a girlfriend. Really miss having one. I guess some guys have all the luck. Just hope those guys know exactly what they have and don't take their girlfriends for granted. For those who had and lost one like me.....all we can do is cherish the good times and learn from mistakes we did.
Came back bout 7:30pm, still a bit sad from imagining not havin a gf, i sat down on the couch and switched on the tele. As dinner was ready, i took my plate, had the same food as lunch and watched what I felt was a great Movie, "The Last Samurai". Acted by Tom Cruise and the awesom Ken Watanabe! I recently watched Batman Begins, and Ken was as macho and kewl as he was in the last samurai. Couldn't get my ass off the couch. Watchin this movie, made me realize of my own background. One should never forget his or her past and where we come from, as it is what defines us. I guess I should stop feeling sorry for myself for not having enough allowance or my own car. We should be grateful for the food, shelter and other luxuries we are privilidged with. Only sacrifice and hardwork will get us what we
want. As for now, I'm happy for having what I
need. There is a difference,
want and
need. Who knows? In a few months, I can buy a comfortabel car and house. And then, maybe things will look up for my family. Being the eldest, I have responsibilities and having to set an example to not only my sister, but to my other younger couzins.
Tomorrow, I start work. Boy, time sure flies. It seems like only yesterday I was still in campus studying IT with my beloved friends. And tomorrow, it's off to work. Shell, a popular and huge International Company is certainly a suitable place to begin a career. I hope to secure a solid position and climb up the executive positions and of course, the income levels! Again, it takes a lot of sacrifice and hardwork. I forsee a lot of character building and learning will be taking place. Have to look at ot positively and hope, wherever I work, my job would help my family and me have a better quality and comfortable life.
EPF!!!
Gosh, I can't believe I'm about to work. I signed my contract with my Agents on friday (yesterday). I Start work on Monday with Shell Information Technology International, Cyberjaya on Monday as a Scripter, Programmer 1 position. Thus, I was told to get an EPF account. So today, it being probably the last Saturday where Government offices operates on Saturdays, I took the opppurtunity to get an account/membership number.
EPF at Jalan Gasing is pretty kewl, and comfortable. The officers are friendly and helpful. I queued up at 10am, and was attended to at 10:20am. Pretty fast! Very efficient and professionally done. Honestly, I was impressed coz i kinda assumed it would be like a typical government office where the queues would be long, the service slow & the officers always seem dull and rude.
The very fact I had to get an EPF membership number, hit me quite hard....that my days of relying on my parents are coming to an end, and I'm about to start a new chapter in my Life! The so called "Working Life!". Most of my friends are already working, and it kinda scares me as when i meet em, they always complain of long hours with no overtime pays. Bogged down with endless work and datelines to meet. I guess I'm just gonna have to start somewhere and get into the whole system of 'work and pay debts all your life' which almost everyone adopts.
I guess I'll just have to learn more about the "Rat Race" concept, and try looking for a solution to solve it. To those of you who are already out of it, or getting there, would you kindly share your secrets with me? haha, like most of us already have the answer.... So many people look for ways to have an enjoyable life, playing the lottery while praying and hoping to strike it rich and live comfortably. Well, most of us do not get so lucky. And there's also those who borrow money to start a business, which later end up in bankruptcy...all the more reason as 7 out of 10 new businesses end up being bankrupt within the first 3 years.
Oh Well, i've started to think too much and start blabbering about un-related subjects...haha. Just bored I guess. Till My Next post....
Bakthiar & Me
While I was at Genting last weekend, I bumped into an Old Buddy of mine, Bakthiar Hakim. We were classmates since form 4. Kinda lost contact after form 5. He was also our beloved class monitor. Very disciplined and soft-spoken. One of the guys i really respect and admire. Halim jugak!
Today, as I was browsing through my pictures collection, I came across a picture of both of us. Brings back memories. The Picture was taken while we were snapping shots for our school magazine. Yerp, we both were also in the School's Photography Club.
Picture taken when most of the school buildling was still in construction. Boy, does the school look Big and really Good now! Yeah, I was really skinny then! Guess when you're a state athlete, you can't put on much weight as you're always running and exercising...
These are some pictures of Engelbert Humperdinck. He's awesome! Natural born singer. Love live Engelbert! Those of you who wants to know more about this great artist, check out his website at www.engelbert.com
Engelbert Live
Engelbert1
Kuala Pilah Visit!
Since I'm scheduled to start work at Shell IT International - Cyberjaya next week, I drove down to Kuala Pilah with mum and sister today. This was because, I may not have the time to drive there when I start work. The purpose of the visit is to close my sister’s fixed deposit account there and of course, visit the place we miss dearly. I practically lived there for the most part of my life, so did my sister. So it was like a home coming thingy for us all.
Journey started about 10:15am from Sunway, and we reached Kuala Pilah about 11:45am. First stop was at Bank Pertanian. To our surprise, there weren’t any other customers there, so we had the whole staff attending to our transaction!
Once done, we then made our way around Kuala Pilah town, quite a few changes has taken place, like some shops we remembered have closed down, and new people took over. A new motel, modified and upgraded bus terminal, and more expensive cars seen on the roads are the new things we noticed while being there.
We headed to the Rest House about 1pm, where mum used to work as a waitress. But sadly, it was closed, it being a Tuesday. We totally forgot that the restaurant closes on Tuesdays. Nevertheless, we found out that the district library has shifted location near the rest house.
We had lunch at the park, had cool cendol, and siew yoke kai fan. Amazing how cheap the food costs there. ONLY 70 sen for a big glass of home-made soya bean with ice. Really tasty and Sweet!
About 2pm, we headed down to our former home, Kg. Gentam. Visiting my primary school was really a happy moment as it brought back memories. Have not been there since my early years in secondary school. Lots of changes have taken place. I spent a good few minutes looking at the field that actually got me involved in athletics and thereafter making me a state athlete. Our former home is still unoccupied, so we just took pictures from a distance as the main gate was locked, hope to post those pics once I’ve developed and scanned them. Yerp, I still don’t have a digital camera.
Then we decided to surprise a few old friends by visiting them. Aunt Annie and Mrs. Oliver. They were thrilled and happy to have us. They updated us with the latest happenings and the progress and well being of our small but strong catholic community in Kuala Pilah. Was really nice to have spent our time fruitfully in our Visit to Kuala Pilah. I was impressed with the new sports complex at Jalan Melang. If only they built it while I was still a young athlete there, I would have been a better athlete, perhaps even a national champion! Haha, just perhaps.
Leaving Kuala Pilah about 4:3o pm, we arrived at Ulu Bendol recreational park. We had time to dip our feet in the water and breathe the cool fresh air. It was much cleaner than the KL air, quite evident!
Making our way back to Sunway, we decided to visit my aunt Theresa. She made Putu for us, mum’s favourite. Aunt Theresa is my mum’s second eldest sister. Stayed a while, had tea and left about 6pm only to discover a tire was punctured. We headed to a workshop and bought a temporary second hand tire for only Rm20 and patched the punctured tire for Rm4. The spare tire apparently was a poorly patched tire. That’s why we bought a second hand tire. We were soon on out way to Sunway at about 7pm.
Reached home bout 8 something. What a tiring day, but it was a memorable and meaningful journey. We surely had an adventure!
The Engelbert Humperdinck Show!
I've listened to his songs a number of times now. Mum's a big fan of this Oldies Singer, Engelbert. So when he came down to Genting to perform on the 18 & 19 June 2005, I brought mum to watch him Live for the very first time. She was ecstatic! We stayed overnight at the First World Hotel, and watched him perform live on Sunday the 19th at the Arena of Stars. Mum’s friends also came along so we weren’t alone.
The show started at 8:15pm and ended around 10pm. I was mesmerized with the way this man could sing and dance at his age, he’s 68 this year! What a performer! He sang about 20 or so songs which included ‘Quando Quando Quando’, ‘A man without love’, ‘The Last Waltz’, ‘Ten Guitars’ and of course, the famous ‘Release Me’!
He joked too! Like how he said he made the long side-burns famous, not Elvis Presley! It was so long, that people thought he was on a hand phone all the time!
With about 12 people in his band, they played songs to a lasting memory. Mum and her friends were so happy, sang along to his songs, waving their hand from side to side. At these times, you’ll understand how much these older generations really loved Engelbert, he’s just that good! He has gifted us with such a great collection of songs, which I have grown to love to! Engelbert performs about 140 shows a year! For his age, does he ever slow down? Guess not! He says singing is his passion and keeps him going on!
The show ended, but people shouted “More! More! More!” So he came back from back stage and gave 1 last number, “My Way”. He sang it like how it should be, with passion, experience and electrifying stage presence! A standing ovation with thunderous applause followed. Engelbert was almost to tears as he said he never knew his songs has inspired and touched so many people in this part of the world. We continued to cheer as well as observed when he had difficulty leaving the stage, coming back from back stage 2 or 3 times to wave and air-kiss the crowd, collect flowers and shake hands with the front row audience.
I’m blessed to have had the privilege to see him live on stage; don’t know when else will I see him again. Truly a memorable and wonderful experience. I’ve heard his songs, seen him live, thus I will always remember the legendary Engelbert Humperdinck!
