Think different

Good bye

2007-05-13T10:21:00.000+08:00

I probably haven't mentioned this..
I love you all. Thanks, everyone.

I don't blog, but my cell is on. 012-292 5640. If you come by KLCC and I happen to be in office, let's grab a bite to eat. You can also write me: ahmad.zidni.mat@gmail.com

(There is only one chance to write again, that is if I become systems engineer like Vowe - because the work demands it, somehow.)

*Blogging ends with this line*

Lost Cause

2007-05-12T20:22:00.000+08:00

I have lost the drivers; my stories are just not worth sharing. If there is one thing the world can do without: it's me. Finally, the time has come.

This is the official announcement.

After 32,200 hits, many many entries (I have no idea how many), many many versions, I am putting this to a stop.

Thank you for visiting, everyone. :-) (I will leave this site as it is, perhaps coming by only to respond to shouts).

P/S: K.Long, perhaps you can get updates from dad's website. Or, I'll send you an e-mail about what's happening.

Bowling Alley

2007-05-12T18:30:00.000+08:00

We bowled for ST. I reached my average 130, but it's still frustrating. I know I could've done better.

Productivity

2007-05-10T20:13:00.000+08:00

Two economists were inspecting a trail of working ants, one holding a magnifying glass over a signboard held up by an ant over its head that says:

Productivity = Output / Input

I am sure you have seen this cartoon.

***

I'm floundering. I am not sure what is wrong exactly but I definitely cannot excel. Everyday is a struggle just to survive. The work schedule calls for personal time more than even the doctors. There are not as many seniors around to ask for help, and they're also busy and tied up with base businesses. I've heard enough of better offers, attrition, marginalization of local employees, resources and unit cost management, discontinuation of some support services within groups, downtime, leaks, and so on and so forth...

despite all that, my only focus now is...

to master the PLC.

Employee: Most Wanted

2007-05-07T18:11:00.000+08:00

Based on recent survey ( I forgot which one exactly ):

" The bachelor's degrees most desired by prospective employers are, in order:

mechanical engineering
electrical engineering
accounting
business administration/management
economics/finance
computer science
information sciences and systems
marketing
computer engineering
chemical engineering

Wachovia

2007-05-07T18:06:00.000+08:00

Somebody won Wachovia recently. Double hints from the picture.

Lumix

2007-05-06T20:32:00.000+08:00

A new digital camera I just purchased. Lumix I call it.

Photo Ops

2007-05-06T16:46:00.000+08:00

A few attempts at photography. An evening in Tulsa, Cyberjaya, lotus in the lake there,

The best of all, the lily I found.

Translation

2007-05-06T06:55:00.000+08:00

Can somebody translate this for me??

It probably means something inspiring / motivational type of words. Big words.

500 posts!

2007-05-05T07:15:00.000+08:00

This blogger reaches fortune 500! Well, I never thought of going blogger actually. I prefer to tweak my own codes, which may not be as sophisticated as this blogger of course, but enough for web presentation.

la la la... I'm troubled, but I'm happy.

Facebook

2007-05-05T06:38:00.000+08:00

Check out my Facebook. I think it's better than Friendster in many ways.

Astala'VISTA' Babe

2007-05-03T20:45:00.000+08:00

Among early reviews of Vista. Say... Home Premium. I don't know why anybody would go for Home Basic. Ultimate gives you everything, and Basic gives you... nothing. (quoting C|Net remarks).

One dude was so furious about how misleading the 64-bit portion is. View it here.

C|Net shows that some features may not appear because you do not have the latest and greatest hardware. The Senior Editor even recommends that you stay with XP for a while unless you're buying a new machine. Check it out here.

It is so obvious that Microsoft copies Spotlight, iPhoto, Widgets (Dashboard may not even be Apple's first but they raced to provide it to customers first), and so on.

Microsoft is doomed. But it's not the end of the world. Get a Mac.

Ageing Laptop

2007-05-02T06:05:00.000+08:00

After 4 years, this TiBook of mine begins to exhibit signs of ageing. The one off LCD and HD change were I think defect instead of deterioration. Then, two more items stood out:

1) Adapter failure. The A1021 65W power adapter is not a very smart design. The thick wire that comes from the plug is ingenious but the thin wire that goes to the laptop suffers great stress. I wish I had done this, but I browsed LY Plaza last Sunday for replacement instead.

2) My "Z" key spring is not bouncing back properly. Had my name been Sulaiman or Jamal, the S or J keys would've been in trouble. Come to think of it, vowels are more likely to be stuck right? Looking at the keyboard, the keys with more visible wear on the surface than others are: E, Y, U, I, O, A, H, N, and the space bar. (My space bar actually shows that I'm mostly right-handed.)

Yieahhh!!!! Oaahh!! You? Naah.

Hm. No wonder. 3 more characters and you can complete my password.

Some happenin

2007-05-01T17:33:00.000+08:00

I overslept this morning. After many many months. Yeah, I normally don't get enough sleep. Most of the time due to the hours for sleep I have left and sometimes due to some disturbance at work. My lady has been helping out a lot in overcoming this sleep trouble. Thanks.

I haven't written about daily happenings for a while now. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I've been too busy to notice things. Or perhaps I don't fully live and appreciate every moment. Whatever the reasons are, I don't feel like I'm in control anymore. I used to grab hold of everything that comes to me. I can handle them. Every inch. Every second. But nowadays, I just let some things slide. I don't try and control everything. Feels vulnerable but it takes some load of my brain.

Next up, I have some work to do in a remote location that'll put me away from home for about 2 to 3 weeks. Nice. And I have to cover 2 locations and not 1. Things in the office are still pending. Outstation work comes... that's like 3 to 4 people jobs that I'm trying to carry.

May Allah help me go through it.

Growing Up

2007-04-28T22:35:00.000+08:00

It's Alya's completion of another year! I couldn't ask for any sweeter sis. She's kind and helpful. You go, girl!

Actually it's also mom's and dad's birthday 4 and 8 days ago respectively but our family is not so big on this thing. But I wished them anyway. Subtly. Here to another year, hopefully better life and better time everyone! Dear Almighty, bless us, Amin.

Photo Management

2007-04-28T15:33:00.000+08:00

Finally I am committed to collecting ALL my photos in 1 location and back it up afterwards. I have close to 3000 in my iPhoto so far and this collection has not included anything older than the first bowling event in US, and anything newer than my Senior Project 2 presentation with Dr. Marcus Durham. I am not sure what the total is going to be but I have listed the events/themes and they turn out to be 47 overall.

I don't have a lot of memory, so these photos are going to help me.

Do you have any photos that have anything to do with me? Let me see them! Maybe you can go through my collection one day and pull out yours if there's any. Thanks.

Optical Powerhouse

2007-04-27T19:11:00.000+08:00

Does anybody know which is more superior,

Carl Zeiss or Leica??

Hang out

2007-04-27T12:31:00.000+08:00

Ihsan.. when can we hang out ...

like this: ( I need to borrow your Camcorder too, =p NTSC, right?)

Bruise? [edited]

2007-04-26T14:40:00.000+08:00

I've had this since Monday. It doesn't look normal. Not sure what it is.

Maybe it's a dark power inside slowly building its momentum...

Supportive

2007-04-26T12:34:00.000+08:00

I came across a card I received more than 2 years ago that says, in handwriting:

"Ahmad-

Like I said in my email - you are brave! Thank you so much for performing on international night. It really was entertaining - and that's the most important thing.

You did a great job and I really respect and appreciate your effort.

Best - Michael Berglund
"

Michael joined the Office of International Student Services after Bob Heath retired. The good part is, that card really helped me reversed all the terrible feelings I had after the performance. The bad part is, I never really got the chance to reply anything. I think I remember replying the e-mail and thanking him personally, but I never took the time to reply the card.

I'm not sure how to contact Michael. Perhaps I can browse the school e-mail list. I found the names here and here, including Cristina Dascalu, who taught me English once.

Michael, wherever you are, I thank you.

Quick Getaway

2007-04-23T21:31:00.000+08:00

Excellent skyline. Bright scenery.

Relaxing time by the beach.

Beautiful shore line.

The hard work pays off. Quite well. But I wish.... :'|

Outstation Again...

2007-04-22T20:13:00.000+08:00

Time flies. I was embarking on another trip again. This time over the weekend. It doesn't bother me any more. I guess I have to accept the fact that the job is taking a lot. I have to be patient for now.

Flying overseas...

I fully grasped the technicality of the situation this time. That why I enjoyed it. And the senior I was tagging with showered us with more info, free learning beyond our wildest dreams. Yeah. We could only dream of actual trainings. Forget about all those courses. We'll never get one. So it's heaven when the seniors are showing us the stuff.

Avidus Visitus

2007-04-18T00:11:00.000+08:00

Good news to dear readers, I am starting to recognize the most avid of guests by parking each person's name and thumbnail on the sidebar. Criteria are obvious- I don't have to announce them. I will steal the current thumbnail from the visitor's current blogs, assuming that it is the most representative, based on the author's conscious choice. The selection is final on who will and will not be posted, and thou shall have no right to dispute it unless it is a matter of life and death. Such cases shall be accompanied by a minimum one (1) solid evidence and two (2) justifications.

These blogs are alive only because A) Some people are interested to know what I want to write, no matter how crappy. Furthermore, K.Long wants me to update her from afar. B) Because I like to write and I feel like sharing my second layer with everybody.

Great Man

2007-04-17T22:34:00.000+08:00

"A great man shows his greatness," said Carlyle, "by the way he treats little men."

Hectic Hectare

2007-04-17T21:40:00.000+08:00

As work piles up and you've got more stuff to do with less time at your own disposal, you start realizing that:

1) You should enjoy every sandwich.

2) Take a moment to chat.

3) Stop and think for yourself for a while.

Kelana Jaya Ceremony

2007-04-15T21:18:00.000+08:00

En. Ridzwan's son was the groom, a wedding held in Kelana Jaya yesterday. To get there I needed the help of Iman, En. Ridzwan's favorite scholar among us five. Hazizi, k.Alin, and Iman were the only ones I know, of all the attendees.

"Sorang ke?" (Are you all by yourself?)

That question did not bother me. It used to. Now it does.

F1.. set.. go..

2007-04-15T20:34:00.000+08:00

I started to keep an F1 tab as soon as heard about Hakkinen. I'm not particularly impressed by Schumacher though. Honest. I don't know why. This season is fun. It's a little bit of mix and match as if it was planned even though it was obviously not. Raikkonen to Ferrari. Rookie Hamilton. Alonso to McLaren. Renault without Mild Seven and Alonso.

Raikkonen and Kovailanen are dedicated to finish. Alonso got Red Bull and Torro Rosso chasing from behind. Sato doesn't want to finish second. Coulthard is stallion-inside. Heidfeld reveals everything now. Scott Speed lives up to his name. Massa races against the time. Wurz would only get better. Webber sticks on the road. Trulli is being himself.

OK, I'm out. That's all I have.

Christopher Walken

2007-04-15T17:21:00.000+08:00

"Michael. Just hit menu."

"On the remote?"

"No, the menu with the Reds Lobster. Yes! On the remote."

You gotta love Christopher Walken.

I just watched Click. Finished reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Still playing SH Exa, which is all about Toma and Cyrille. ;)

Don't believe an engineer who claims he's busy. :P

v3000(t)

2007-04-14T21:44:00.000+08:00

Last Tuesday, after the KLIA trip, we set about another to Low Yat for the hunt of the right laptop. Dad's new laptop.

Core 2 Duo. Sweet.

I had influenced many friends to 'get-a-mac' but I couldn't convince my own dad. Sigh.

If You're Between 20 to 30...

2007-04-14T20:31:00.000+08:00

You have a lot to offer but you have very little to give, so you're miserable.
You have advanced beyond some of your colleagues but also behind some other ones, so you're uncoordinated.
You feel like time has long passed but you have more to go through, so you're anxious.
You think you have done many things but still not enough to call it a life, so you're restless.
You feel a bit too old for the young & adventurous but a bit too young for the settling adults, so you're clueless.
You have met several acquaintances from the opposite gender long enough to spot your significant other but not long enough to finalize what you really want and what you can offer, so you're lonely.
You have learned enough to be smart on your own but still not as wise to carry on, so you're clumsy.
You realize that you are experienced enough to trust your own guts but still not experienced enough that you still need guidance and advice from the elderly, so you're indecisive.

My own take... you can submit your own in the comments. Please do. This way, I know you're reading this blog.

Fly Away

2007-04-10T22:08:00.000+08:00

KLIA. 0730 hour.

I took a day leave for KakLong and AbgLong's farewell at KLIA. They were going to travel back to Loughborough, morning flight. You wouldn't believe how early we started - 0500AM. Although I needed the break anyway, since I worked both Saturday and Sunday last weekend, it's more important to be there for family. And for that, I had deferred my offshore trip.

I'll surely miss my nieces Arifah & Aida.

The Gathering

2007-04-09T22:36:00.000+08:00

It's not always that everyone is around.

Aizawa Medley II

2007-04-08T06:11:00.000+08:00

Albeit short, we appreciated the visit. Only memory remains. Hope she remembers us.

Aizawa medley

2007-04-08T04:01:00.000+08:00

You've probably read too much manga or watched too many anime series when suddenly, one of the characters appeared in front of you...

Nahh.. just kidding. That's Sakiko Aizawa, a 12-year old from Aomori. She stayed with us for about a week and boy didn't we know the term "language barrier" until it came about. Dad tried the hardest, being a good father he is, trying to communicate and all. CB knows some Japanese but I think he gave up half way, somehow. Alya already raised her hands up and went - it's not like she understands me. But on the contrary Sakiko seemed to trust Alya the most and she actually picked up some Malay, even more in English, and resolving to pointing phrases in the dictionary as an alternative.

We tried our best to accommodate and host her stay, testing out all kinds of food, shopping, soccer, etcetera. A lot of gifts and souvenirs exchanged, hers to all of us, and ours to her and her family. I was the only one who didn't get any gift simply because I haven't watched much anime lately, I know this for a fact LOL. I just hope she had a good time.

Go Global

2007-04-08T03:50:00.000+08:00

"We would like you to think global, and go global"
said one of the multinational corporation CEOs.

(But we'll only pay you local.)

How appropriate.

Behind the Ad

2007-04-06T19:06:00.000+08:00

You must have seen on employer's job opening ads phrases like:

Join our fast-paced team
Must be deadline oriented
Duties will vary
Seeking candidates with a wide variety of experience
Problem-solving skills a must
Good communication skills

The hidden truths inside those criteria:

Join our fast-paced team - we have no time to train you.
Must be deadline oriented - the job you take on the 1st day is 6 month behind schedule.
Duties will vary - anyone in the office can boss you around.
Seeking candidates with a wide variety of experience - you will need to replace three people who just left.
Problem-solving skills a must - you're walking into a company in perpetual chaos.
Good communication skills - management communicates, you listen & figure out what they want and do it.

I got it from somewhere (forgot the source again) and modified it a little. I used to not bother about all those Dilbert like, work satire at all. Now I'm taking all those seriously. LOL.

Zweihander

2007-04-05T21:00:00.000+08:00

I am thinking of retiring this blogger. Some time off. Let's wait for official announcement.

Cyrille.

Crescendo

2007-04-04T21:11:00.000+08:00

Thanks.

Long entry

2007-04-02T20:09:00.000+08:00

raw scribble: no accountability is taken whatsoever for clarity, grammar, and use of words - read at your own discretion

This round of troubleshooting stumbled upon my calendar before i could actually prepare myself for it. I completed one recently, when some issues came up and they needed a team to investigate. The issues remain outstanding; the investigation still calls for some follow-ups; things are continuously stacking up in the office waiting to be shoved off the table, and boom, this one came out of nowhere, although it had actually been planned for about 3 months. When you work for a big organization and the environment is super-challenging, particularly when some work involves 2 to 3 different parties, the timing is bound to hop on its foot one after another. It takes mighty effort to pull all these things together.

The first indication that the trip was going to be some sort of a woe was a taxicab swap. Two of the drivers I trusted were providing service to other client in one case and struck by a fever in another. This replacement guy asked what was the typical route the other drivers took, swept through a crossing bypass over to the other highway, and stuck right before the exit to federal highway. I almost went, "we're not going to make it my friend". But somehow, a little perserverance and patience pays well as the taxi cruised through the airport ten minutes before the time. In fact, I previously called up the airport to tell them I'm well on my way to check in and hopefully they wouldn't leave without me. No-show is trouble.

Familiar faces at the airport, namely Steve W, Hj Abraham Z, Nad K, and Iz A, calmed the ripple that was ignited by the stone (driver) dropped onto my watery surface earlier. I'm a water-bender all right. We were talking about the usual when Hj Suhaimi joined a little while later, skillfully without abrupting Abraham who was at the moment introducing her daughter who recently joined a local premium oil & gas company. Then we all had breakfast at the destination airport with KS taking Steve W's place. It's very interesting to mix field supervisory experience of 50 years combined and senior engineers of roughly 5-year each, in a conversation, to realize that mine was only 1.75, relatively miniscule, and to also realize that they were oblivious to it. Nad K, a chained scholar like me, only more senior, reminded of having a choice and not having a choice as a big deal, which I later translated to my logic bubbles as - I do have a choice. There may be some implications but I always have a choice. Nobody is going to tie me down just because of what I owe especially if the other end of the bargain was not kept and has not been kept. If it's not a fair deal, then there's no more a reason to honor it. Perhaps I should've snapped away from that kind of thought before it was going to ruin the journey. Then we all went separate ways, all carrying duties on behalf of the company, wondering if any of the efforts are going to be appreciated at all.

The first day, it was so blue. No, not me, the water was. It's a bit purple in color. No, maybe magenta. You'd feel like you'd want to swim in it but the rough surface reminded you not to. Wind was blowing as if it had not been blocked by anything whatsoever along its 1000km plus trip. It had not been indeed blocked by anything and that's as fresh of air as you could get at one time. It cleared the rusts in the head but only for a short while, thinking about the issues that's coming. 2nd day... dumbstruck by the whole case: more findings and things to be organized soon. Gosh. 3rd day, we were just solving whatever we could, stuck in the boat for half an hour due to an air transport coming in at the time. 3 rounds of going back and forth from the big island to the small island - I thought I've had just about enough. Tusirin the crane operator had a lot of laugh, easing out from the already stressed and unpleasant work environment. To smile and laugh during tough situations calls for a big heart.

I actually sobbed dry, no more tears, on the second day, heavily induced by the terrible things that I'm in. It may be not as terrible, but I think it is. It's a small crack that I'm in. Life is already going up, but there are junctions that have pained me. To be honest, it doesn't make me happy. Nowadays, as soon as I return, I normally don't talk as much as before. I simply can't describe the situation and I am not expecting anybody to understand it either. I know upfront that words would fail me. That's why I wouldn't want to talk about it. I've already tried and it all failed. I no longer have a peaceful sleep. That's painful, don't you think? Ever since I fall into this crack, and I'm going to start using those terms now, none of my sleep is merily identifiable as rest or peace. Well, no sleep is, come to think about it. No sleep is... until the final sleep. That's when you don't wake up anymore.

I saw a pair of dolphins when were stuck in a bot. Then tonnes of fishes, about 3 to 4 feet long each. All in a school. I don't see a classroom but they did line up just fine. I wish I could lower a net and work the crane to rally everyone last one of them - that's at least 10k on a boat for 10 minutes of work. I wonder if our marine level is up to that. Such a waste of opportunity. But on other hand, I was trying to imagine what it's like to be that fish for a while. Swimming in the ocean carefree, nothing to worry about. Maybe predators come around every so often but there is chance to fight and break away. If it's the end of it after you've given all you got, then that's your life cycle as you know it. Nothing to be sorry for. Or perhaps imagine what it's like to be the ocean itself, dances as the moon dances, slides away as the wind blows, enjoys the open air while basking under the sun. My Creator comes to mind, suddenly. Lord. I just hope I'll always remember You at all time. Your Greatness. Seen in your creations.

Maybe knowing a tiny bit of everything is frustrating. Maybe that's the dilemma. What skills do I have really? Is it the efforts that count or the skills? If I go somewhere else, am I going to be somebody? There's that dilemma isn't it - knowing and being a little bit of everything is like going invisible - you're nobody. I don't know which trade should I undertake. There are missing pieces here and there. Usability, design, networking, electrical, economics, recitation, ~~singing~~, multimedia, facilities, engineering, project management. I'm doing some of these and none of these. It's somehow induced by the crack that I'm in. I am assigned to a specific position, but I'm doing all the work for other functions, as always instructed. It's good exposure, I learn the business, but I lack the fulfillment for the original position, and it keeps me in a constant confusion. Is there a way to do what I would like to do? Then I can really unleash my potentials? Work the things as if it's not work at all? Isn't that more of a fulfillment on the job than whatever remuneration of the pay can really compensate.

To be continued... (or not.. )

Bonita. Picasa.

2007-03-30T09:21:00.000+08:00

I just noticed that Picasa actually collects all your blogger photos. Nice. It's much user-friendlier than Flickr, with 1GB limit, which makes more sense (compared to MB limit / month etc.).

Haywire Part Deux

2007-03-29T22:11:00.000+08:00

I haven't been this loco for a while. Loco in the context of not having the usual focus. Just imagine... I left my things here and there, tripping on something all the time, the steps, doors. This week has been nothing but: HAYWIRE.

Jump start

2007-03-28T21:28:00.000+08:00

I accidentally left the key inside Wira and drained the battery. Hj Mohamed Isnin helped me fire it up again a day after. Thank you, Haji Md.

To roll the car back one space took almost all of the power I had.

The vehicle weight is around 975kg, giving a normal force of approximately 9,565N. Add maybe 20liter of petrol (vehicle Gasoline with s.g. of ~0.737), the normal force becomes 9,710N. The coefficient of rolling friction is roughly 0.15, for ordinary car tires on rough tar road, summing the resistance force to 1,456.5N. The movement takes the minimum locus of 4.27m straight to the back for this is the also the length of the car. It took me roughly 7 seconds from start to stop. Assume wind and air resistance are negligible and the force (thus the power generation) to move my own body has not been taken into account.

That's merely a 888W feat but only for a few seconds. Athletes can pull 1000W I think, and for even longer duration. Strangely enough I didn't feel like my knee or my back was about to sprain or anything. Well, I might not feel it now, but 20 years down the road...

k750i part deux

2007-03-26T20:50:00.000+08:00

This is my attempt to act like the spokesperson of k750i.

Naah.. not commercial enough.

Referring to

2007-03-26T20:42:00.000+08:00

My sister k.Ngah has been writing actively in her blogs. I think you should read hers. Its wayy better than mine. Click.

Injury Notice

2007-03-25T11:35:00.000+08:00

Off the Job Injury
Date of Incident: 11 Aug 2006
Employee while engaged in a game of indoor futsal, lost his footing and sustained torn ligament of his left foot. This happened because of too sudden breaking while running fast causing a sudden shift in weight and therefore force on the leg doing the breaking.

Learning & Recommendations:
1) Longer warm-up activity as supposed to light jogging prior to sports activity.
2) Wear knee-support guards for running and breaking activities.

Sounds familiar? The above was an actual notice (no modifications have been made) passed around in circulation. The date was incorrect. There was no mention of the knee. If there is anything at all that anyone would learn, I hope it would be - careful when playing futsal.

Parody i

2007-03-25T10:03:00.000+08:00

Interesting iparody. The ending was... quite clever. I don't know. See it for yourself.

Made in Germany

2007-03-24T23:54:00.000+08:00

Torsten Gruening, a German facilities advisor, had made a comment on BMW & Mercedes:

"Over-engineered."

What's in store

2007-03-24T12:03:00.000+08:00

This file crawls all over your Mac OS X. It's the way Steve Jobs monitors the number of files you downloaded from iTunes Music Store and where you keep 'em. :P

Triple Glance

2007-03-24T09:24:00.000+08:00

I take it as a compliment. *Smiles*

A_Z Tag

2007-03-23T22:29:00.000+08:00

As if anybody would bother to read let alone comment this, here..

A is for age: varies
B is for beverage of choice: tea, hot chocolate
C is for career right now: engineer
D is for your dog's name: we only have fish
E is for essential item you use everyday: cellphone, laptop, glasses
F is for favorite TV shows at the moment: prison break
G is for favorite game: total annihilation, GT3, burnout, premier manager, halo
H is for home town: sg merab, bangi
I is for instruments you've played/play: trombone
J is for favorite juice: carrot
K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: those who purposely let the ship sinks
L is for last restaurant you ate at: Chop & Steak
M is for marriage: about time
N is for your full name: Ahmad Zidni Mat
O is for overnight hospital stays: last one during knee arthroscopy
P is for people you were with today: family
Q is for quote: what comes around goes around
R is for biggest regret/mistake: not telling
S is for status: miserable
T is for time you woke up today: 5.15am
U is for the underwear your wearing right now: erm.
V is for vegetables you love: okra.
W is for worst habit: worrying
X is for x-rays you've had: knee.
Y is for yummy food you ate today: chicken nuggets.
Z is for zodiac sign: Cancerous.

Shangri La

2007-03-22T23:19:00.000+08:00

Somebody quietly snapped a picture of me sinking in my thoughts. Nicely candid.

Whatta symptom

2007-03-21T23:08:00.000+08:00

"...It's like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you've got another idea before you've finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, but of course a third idea intercepts the second, and you just have to follow that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of impolite words that miss the point completely. Because you're trying really hard. It's just that you have all these invisible vectors pulling you this way and that, which makes it really hard to stay on task."

I know you'll laugh, because all this while it's been psychogenic, but I do really have this symptom. What is my problem?

I finally blurted it out. It is better to be consciously honest than unconsciously misleading. I told the appropriate personnel, that maybe I'm not super-efficient material.

Slide Loop

2007-03-18T23:30:00.000+08:00

I desperately wanted to be a kid again.

Help!!

Rempit saga

2007-03-18T21:12:00.000+08:00

I was just trying to help Alya with stick-shift WCG when the classical Benz broke down. To make it worse, there were Mat Rempits with their bikes hanging out by the MPI roads that we thought were empty. Malaysia is losing some productivity or output opportunity there.

Memory Jog Dial

2007-03-16T22:53:00.000+08:00

I have a terrible memory. During a recent troubleshooting trip at site, I had completely forgotten one of the items that needs to be checked. I can remember some exact info, like the minimum dew point of instrument air of 10 degrees below ambient (ideally -40˚C), or the date I backed up the iBook G3 I used to have on 6th of June 2003.

A few things..

Do while I still remember, right away
Jot something that crosses my mind, in case I need to refer to it later
Try to.. erm.. i forgot

My phone ~~rate~~ bills has increased dramatically over the last 4 months. I have to manage it.

Wait. Hasn't it?

Visitor from far east

2007-03-16T21:58:00.000+08:00

Beginning next week, our family will be hosting (or temporarily adopting) a Japanese student, Sakiko Aizawa, throughout her educational visit here in Malaysia. She's really looking forward to it, based on the descriptions written in the transfer form copy that was sent to us, and we couldn't help but rely on CB in case there was a communication breakdown.

Ihsan, perhaps you can supply us some vocab upfront.

The Opening

2007-03-15T20:22:00.000+08:00

The Excellence in Reciting the Opening "Al-Fatihah"

The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said that Allah (the Blessed and the Exalted), said: I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for

When the servant says: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds,
Allah says: My servant has praised Me.

The servant says: The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
Allah says: My servant has highly praised Me.

The servant says: The Master of the Days of Judgment,
Allah says: My servant has Glorified Me.

The servant says: You (alone) we worship & You alone we ask for help,
Allah says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

The servant says: Guide us to the straight way, the way of those whom You have blessed and not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray,
Allah says: All these are for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

Qudsi 8.

Certificate of Education

2007-03-14T22:17:00.000+08:00

I wonder how Malaysia ranks in the High School performance worldwide. I know flying Finns are number 1. Perhaps they finish all their homework.

By the way, Alya has scored 8As in her exam. Congratulations!

Her score of triple1 9 is better than mine actually :)

Custom Plate

2007-03-14T21:29:00.000+08:00

ZDN 1

My kind of plate. But I have to be part of the nation's artillery.

Confidence

2007-03-13T22:46:00.000+08:00

The most senior engineer in our group is Mr. Marwan Sahat. Don't be fooled by the serious look - he's most helpful, kind, confident, and he understands the technical issues and the company business more than some of the supervisors I know.

Quotable quotes: "If you want to turn things around, set a goal at the edge of reality and at the brink of fantasy." (as brought forth by the famous Idris Jala & Tony Fernandes.)

One of his stories that I remember is his own recollection of Mr. S J's style of management - technical issue is just like a black box where you understand what goes in and the expectation for what comes out. I don't necessarily need to know what happens inside.

"During good terms, technical folks are being overlooked. Only when crises arise do businesses turn to technical people."

Baby of the year...

2007-03-07T19:59:00.000+08:00

courtesy of AsfiZaidi (not sure where he got this from)

Actual Occurrence

2007-03-04T12:08:00.000+08:00

You know you're in a troubled company when you hear words like these:

We should plan for a meeting that discusses a roadmap to our strategy.

Big time. Better start looking for a new job.

Diversify

2007-03-04T10:04:00.000+08:00

I play football and futsal regularly. Not as regular anymore but I would without the injury. I play table-tennis and bowl occasionally. I also jog every week, especially if outstation stays on weekedays.

In some occasions, I have done short durations of golf (driving and not yet holes), tennis, badminton, squash, volleyball, handball, basketball, cross-country & road-relays, 4x200 (primary school), 800m (in SAS), shooting (M16 & styer), martial arts (red), and long-jump (in primary school). Not that I'm any good but it's really fun to experience and experiment all those.

I haven't tried rugby because my dad wouldn't allow it. Not that I have the build for it though.

I have no problem trying out things. Oil & gas included. Or not.

Household is losing ground

2007-03-03T21:15:00.000+08:00

Nice shirts. But they won't fit. Even the shirt I have feels tight on the neck. I've 'grown up'.

We were at Jusco, spending some of the vouchers I won earlier last month. Can you believe all these cost RM192.18?

Compare it with £ 20.93 in UK (courtesy of K.Long)

Road Builders

2007-03-03T12:25:00.000+08:00

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to decide which road has a lower general velocity when traffic volume increases. Would you say.. A? But if you want to be a rocket scientist, you can go ahead and measure the entrance velocity Ve, find the angle, bla bla...

Resultant velocity (Vr), which is original V (in green) + Ve, for A is less than B. B has an acceleration lane and smaller entrance angle, to bring Ve closer to original V, for a higher Vr.

It could be that adjoining road like B is more expensive to build (quality has been traded for cost management). Or due to the lack of planning, the vicinity of A has surroundings that prevent such design of B.

Example of A: KL-Seremban North-South expressway thru Sg. Besi
Example of B: Damansara-Puchong Expressway

Quotable Quotes

2007-03-03T10:05:00.000+08:00

"The 1st impression is... you're not that approachable."
- my other sis

"You illusionize (illude) well."
- office colleague

"Kaw kawnye tido. Rilek aa."
(One heck of a sleep. Take it easy (relax).)
- another office colleague at another work location

ex Oklahomans/Oklahommies

2007-03-02T22:53:00.000+08:00

A little gathering for those who went to a small school in Oklahoma:
back row- Hafiz, Azlin, Luqman (Harnee's husband) and me with Zharif (Maz&Bozord's)
front row- Seri, Sheereen, Harnee, and Maz (Bozord snapping the picture)

Freak.or.nor.meekly

2007-03-02T08:01:00.000+08:00

I have pretty much completed reading this book. I'm not exactly a fan of Levitt nor do I want to critic the work, but I'm suggesting you check out his work.

Vista 101. It's a whole new makeover of Microsoft's own software pioneering - an absolute transformation (except for the pioneering part.) Here's one interesting feedback.

Scott Adams' Dilbert creative illustration of engineering or engineers. Would engineers lead a normal life, or wouldn't they?

inspired by Vowe.net

New Edge

2007-02-28T22:36:00.000+08:00

Hello, I'm a Mac. And I'm a PC.

Picking Things up

2007-02-28T02:37:00.000+08:00

Live the day as if your last.

More Reminder

2007-02-27T23:24:00.000+08:00

Yanni - Love Songs
This song would remind me of the time I spent at the hospital. Right after the operation.

***
I have been told that "what you do" in the company doesn't really matter, but "how you do it" actually does. I also realized recently just "who you are" also plays a great deal in positioning yourself there. But on top of that, "what you have accomplished" actually plays a greater role especially when the buzzes that come from management is that they want to see results (even without appropriate direction or guidance).

The last advice I got from a senior was this: "Just do it".

But we are not in a sports industry. One more thing, getting results with minimal direction or guidance is seen as the "leadership" quality demanded - regardless of the people that have been bulldozed along the way or accountability for an even longer term (the mindset that somebody filling in my position once I go up shall inherit all the underlying troubles)

***
I am feeling an entirely different sense of exhaustion. I am too exhausted to even feel exhausted. Unsettled. I walked outside for a while for some breeze. A deep sense of loss. I don't wanna be asking "where are you?", but emphasizing "here I am" instead.

Tough luck

2007-02-22T10:21:00.000+08:00

Break... down. Down.

Some sort of Tag

2007-02-21T22:08:00.000+08:00

Busy days tomorrow onwards. I better get this one out of the tray quickly while I still have the time. I'm not going be tagging others so.. sorry it ends here and does not flow to 6 other folks.

So, 6 weird stuff. Here goes.

1. I wouldn't normally stash my cash in the wallet. It's a whole new group in the pocket.
2. I write with right but peel oranges or eggs and shuffle cards with left.
3. I'm beginning to like Economics even though my background is technical and engineering. (this is probably not so weird)
4. I don't normally set any kind of alarm anymore. Maybe an automated reminder every once in a while.
5. I like Macintosh computers. (again, not so weird, but different)
6. I have a greater than average sense of inferiority complex. (You don't wanna know) I have a weird sense of joke. I think I have great potential but I don't accomplish all that much. etcetera. (I think it's weird but not all that unique)

Schutzgrade

2007-02-20T21:47:00.000+08:00

Weekend Duty
Trip to office twice. One seems like a false alarm even though the issue has been rectified and the engineers just needed to support the causal finding. The other one is quite complicated to solve. Two senior engineers were called in to handle the situation. A little while later construction guy joined and the facilities supervisor arrived. All during the long break.

Ethics
Is it ethical to go around and go, "Your career is at stake. (Pointing to another person) Your career is at stake. My career is at stake," in order to motivate and get some 110% from the people? I don't think it's working.

Back Pain
Has subsided. Kak Nab pulled the "strings" and snapped some strands at the back. It's painful but at the same relieving. Sore but the uneasiness is pretty much gone. So now is a waiting game - see if the thing comes back.

If you search for Schutzgrade, notice there is an IP that comes with it. IP stands for Ingress Protection. gegen Staub (dirt, dust) und gegen Wasser (water). I don't know why I know this. Maybe engineering requires it.

I used to read labels when I was a kid and I always came across this word: zusammensetzung. And I noticed zusammenfasung too.

A Still Morning

2007-02-19T04:33:00.000+08:00

Here I am, at 4AM something, not being able to continue my sleep. I don't usually take care of my sleep so I guess it's fair if my sleep is not taking care of me. Does that make any sense? lol. I used to sleep at least 7 hours and I could go on and off, back and forth (deferring or moving forward several hours) and the sleep still accumulates. But not anymore. My bedtime nowadays has to be in between 12AM to 6AM. Otherwise, the rest/unit time rate simply wouldn't start.

My Fingers
I can actually type up to 80WPM with roughly 96 to 97% accuracy, depending on the keyboard response and the type of chair I sit on :P You can try it at TypingTest.com. And it's done without the little fingers working. I can touch-type but not the formal touch-type where each finger is assigned to a fixed number of buttons. Professional secretaries can go up to 120WPM if I'm not mistaken. Not sure how the accuracy is like.

My Back
It has been persistently giving me jolts in regular intervals ever since I returned from the US. Well, it had started much earlier, if I had to guess, during the time when I was moving my stuff a lot as a nomad there in overseas, but the pain has very much increased in its intensity over the last 24 months.

Perhaps there is a leak in a fusion reactor there. :P

The red area in highlight is where it is most painful. I'm not sure if that's the right diagram to use, I'm not a medical expert, ok.

I should take it easy.

"Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."
Ar-Ra'ad (13:28)

Rivalry ends

2007-02-18T15:22:00.000+08:00

Gee whiz. This phone has no rival. Position in its line: leader.

(Business, 3G, 3.2MP camera). Find out more.

How about this one then?

By the way, I'm getting new glasses.

The Feast

2007-02-17T10:46:00.000+08:00

Abg.Long & K.Long held an event, a gratitude to the Almighty, for their second child was safely born. Guest of honor: the orphans of Fuqaha'.

Pak Su Azhar (dad's cousin) explaining something to Abg Din (my cousin).

Look at the dark

2007-02-16T21:54:00.000+08:00

side.. and then you'll appreciate the brightness.

I'm a mess
Disorganized
Forgetful
Passive at times
Absent-minded
Couldn't care less
Drop things
Lack confidence
Unmotivated

I can be insensitive at times. Completely overlook things. It's a wonder how I survive all this while.

Lack of emotional intelligence.

Watch your back

2007-02-15T23:54:00.000+08:00

Only one person knows why I capture the following pictures:

Delicious.

Round Peg in Square Hole

2007-02-14T22:26:00.000+08:00

I was a terrible host. I couldn't go with the vibes. I was emotionally and socially slow. I was partially hungry.

I think my mind was somewhere else.

I obviously don't fit in. Like these trees in the middle of the hotel.

Break Away

2007-02-13T23:07:00.000+08:00

I'm taking a break for two days and two nights at Shangri-La, Putrajaya.

Sweet. I can literally jump from the bathroom straight into bed. :P Can't imagine when would I really need to do that.

k750i Medley

2007-02-12T21:38:00.000+08:00

If you wonder the kind of phone that I use.

I need to get an EOS. :P How much now?

A Tribute

2007-02-11T23:28:00.000+08:00

"The day.. the music died."
- Don McLean (on tragic accident in which a few rock & rolls mavericks were killed)

Now, change that to:

"The day... Alam Shah died."
- Hawking (on original Sek Alam Shah being moved to Putrajaya and renamed Sek Sultan Alam Shah afterwards)

More here.

Now what do I tell my kids? Which school did I go to?? Sek Men Sains Alam Shah?

Back to fitness

2007-02-10T21:10:00.000+08:00

Jogging. 2 rounds. Then I had a round of tea with Ir. Lamat, the process engineer. Bought tonnes of nasi lemak for the whole family.

It's Ridhwan's birthday!

"Ridhwan, let ayoh Cik show you how to use a Mac. Here is the Caps Lock button. LOOK, A LIGHT COMES ON."

Science in Islamic Civilization

2007-02-09T22:20:00.000+08:00

I finally made my way into the "Scientific Excellence in Islamic Civilization" exhibition after so many times walking right pass it. It's sponsored and endorsed by MOSTI. Arif came too and we were exploring the Astronomy section first before checking out the Biomed section, and later some replicas of Astrolabs, observatories, and instruments.

Then somehow our conversation with the host turned into an age-guessing quiz somewhere in the middle. There was also career talk thrown somewhere in there. As usual, I ended up being in my late 20s/early 30s while Arif fell into early 20s even though he's actually a year older than me. It's OK. I'm even used to people thinking that I'm already married.

In the humblest of my opinion, the show lacked details and applications that I wanted to learn about. Perhaps exhibition is not enough for details.

For those who are interested, the exhibition is still on until Feb 14, at the lower level Kuala Lumpur Convention Center.

Surgical tool in the early days. Is that an Allen key?

Niece II

2007-02-08T21:59:00.000+08:00

<- Niece no.2, Siti Aidah. Born 3.5 something kilos, she seems unbelievably healthy, doesn't she? (Born a quarter past 9AM, picture taken 7.11PM the same day)

We all visited K.Long at around 6.30, immediately after I returned home from work. Everyone was there except Muzani, whom I think was about to finish an exam or something.

Hospital Putrajaya was again the venue for K.Long. She was admitted the night earlier, the exact time of which uncertain because I was at work. I found out when my dad called to ask if I could send CB & Ashbi to the tuition place while he was visiting K.Long that night.

Hair Development

2007-02-06T22:38:00.000+08:00

I seem to be developing a natural cut starting through my temple and to the back as if this hair portion has been 'carved out' from its place.

I hope it's making me more handsome, and not older. ;p

SS1 Sg Way

2007-02-04T23:56:00.000+08:00

After the wedding ceremony, dad, CB and I ventured to PJ in search for dad's old teacher. The last time they bumped into each other was 30 over years ago. We ended up exploring the area around with the help of an outdated map (dad's reminiscence of the place in the early 70s), realizing that many things have changed, while locating Dato Hussein's place.

We passed by a house of that seems to be of Steve Jobs'.

Nah. It's not insanely great enough. =p

Jerks. 9600.

2007-02-04T23:42:00.000+08:00

It seems like we only gather when one of us got married. That could be discouraging for the frequency of the gathering, but on the other hand, encouraging for the frequency of the (wedding) events! :) I'm sure many and many more will follow suit. Jasin or Wan Azryn would have to go next. Ha-ha.

Counterclockwise from the right: Wan Azryn's gf, Wan Azryn, Izad, Zidni, Azim, Luqman, Syahill, Jasin, Jasin's gf.

Latest update:
Solehuddin - Drilling Engineer, Petronas
Syafiq Effendi - Production Operations, Petronas
Alifnor - UEM
Izad - Price WaterHouse Coopers
Azim - Perodua
Fitri - Project Executive, Waja Serangkai

From left -
Top row: Jasin, Irsyad, Fakarudin, Linoq, yours truly, FIR & SERI, Siam, Mamat, Meen, Azie, Fahmi & Abu.
Mid row: Syahill, Radzi, Ajis, Matyi, Izak, Gjoi, Koye, Ajim, W.Azryn, Yus
Bottow row: Luqman, Doyoq, Am, the board, Ahseng

Bachelorhood

2007-02-04T22:46:00.000+08:00

Speaking of bachelorhood, our batch had actually started up the "End of Bachelorhood" fund where the preceding groom shall pass over to his successor a collection of money from the batch right before the event. The current groom then adds his name to the board and repeats the above for the next candidate. Here's how the fund board looks like. So far 5 names have marked their names on it.

Izad: I can't donate like this. The content of the box is bare open! What if I want to donate just RM1.
Izad (later): I can donate, but then I can't fill up the gas for the ride home.
***
Izad (much later): It's like Tsunami relief.
***
Izad (much later, when choosing someone to hand over to groom, since Ikhwan couldn't make it): When need to have someone not very handsome, so the groom stands out. [laughter]

Izad is the master of condescending joke.

A New Start

2007-02-04T22:22:00.000+08:00

Cherish the good things in life. Two of my close friends, one from school and one from varsity, ended their bachelorhood in style.

Teambuilding

2007-02-03T23:35:00.000+08:00

Good and bad news as always. But the most important is to make full use of the current moment to build communication and team rapport across the organization. It is so true that we fail in our objective not because of the failure to initiate the effort, but the failure in the effort to maintain the initiatives.

Myself and Kaarthik (machinery engineer.)

Turn Around

2007-02-02T23:49:00.000+08:00

Conversations that I remember the content the most. I'm not sure why. Maybe because things really matter these days. And you really, really care.

Hm, but I can still feel the memory-deletion effect. It has slowed down but not completely. I have to cut loose some of the relation to the past, to enhance present, and guarantee future. I must.

Accountability as Freedom

2007-02-01T17:27:00.000+08:00

In the case of unfreedom, the constraints are imposed on us by the powers that be.

In the case of freedom, the constraints are imposed by us on the powers that be.

- Dr Anwar Ibrahim, honorary president of AccountAbility.
.

Job Requirement

2007-02-01T16:22:00.000+08:00

4 factors determining whether a not a job is high-paying: (rephrased from Freakonomics)

1) Abundance (supply) of able doers.
A job will not be high-paying if many are able and willing to do it, i.e. janitor, receptionist, etc.

2) Specialization
Rare and highly specialized skill is a valuable resource. Such scarce ability is worth more than other skills that are more available everywhere. (Example: neural surgeon vs. general practice)

3) Unpleasantness nature of the job
If a job is unpleasant, less people are willing to do it and thus a higher incentive has to be offered to attract doers.

4) Demand for services that the job fulfills.
If person A has a set of skill that can match the demand easier than person B of a different set of skills, person A is more likely to land a job than B, no matter how specialized B is.

So a prostitute may easily earn more than an engineer. Even though the engineer is more skilled and better educated (as usually defined), little girls don't dream to become a prostitute so supply of potential prostitutes is relatively small. The skills, although not exactly specializing, are applied in a very specialized context. It is very unpleasant due to the tendency of violence and the lost opportunity of having stable family. What about demand? Let's say an engineer is likely to hire a prostitute than vice versa.

Bear in mind that the inner working of the above was discussed within economy's context that is amoral. Therein lies the problem, isn't it?

Tribute...

2007-01-30T21:59:00.000+08:00

I have sponsored dinner for some folks close to where I live. Special folks. Hope they enjoyed it.

Haywire

2007-01-29T22:59:00.000+08:00

The best job is when you enjoy what you're doing. Full stop.

Difficult situation. But I'm grateful. Life goes on.

Fedex

2007-01-28T23:45:00.000+08:00

How do you top final-tennis on a big screen on Sunday.

Good job Federer. He is indeed betterer.

Another Pair...

2007-01-28T22:30:00.000+08:00

Congratulations Firdaus & Seri. May them both live happily ever after.

Erm,, when's my turn.

Chainsaw Needed

2007-01-27T23:15:00.000+08:00

Site survey to Sg. Buah with Abg Long, mom, and Asri. Below is an example of improper stance in chopping down a tree, especially when u have back and knee problems. Fortunately the heart is still good. Hopefully.