That In Between Feeling.

Since 30th January 2012 was my last day at work, I had a day's break to relax and rejuvenate myself before joining AirAsia X.

It was boring, so I called up another NGLer, Jiun Jie or better known as JJ, if he'd be free for a yum cha session. And like all other meet ups, this little plan grew bigger along the way. Eventually, we had a total of 5 people who turned up for this meet up - me, JJ, Danial, Milli and Najib at Nirwana Curry, Bangsar.

We had a great chat and from the reaction that I got, everyone was very eager to join AirAsia and couldn't wait to start the ball rolling. The whole meeting lasted about an hour.

On my way back, I met Syahid over a CBTL session in KL Sentral. This talk was a more enlightening one, as usual. We covered many topics, including the hollow feeling I have since leaving AMD - just one day earlier (well... I was still sad that I had to leave AMD).

Next up was meeting the NGLers from ASEAN - Tian, Jimmy and Darma from Indonesia, Poom from Thailand and Jej from Philippines. Visited their place in Mutiara Apartment, Brickfields! At least I have people to go to work whenever I take a bus to AirAsia  Academy. After lepak-ing at their place for about an hour, we went to Little India for dinner and the boys were quite stoked with the Indian food. Plus, the have already tasted briyani on the first day they arrived here - super cool eh?

And the day ended with preparation for the big day on 1st of February - the day I become part of the AirAsia Allstars family!

So here you go, We Are Augustines' "Chapel Song". The song that keeps me happy and depressed at the same time. Don't ask me why, I can't answer that. Sad case? I know.

Roger, Over and Out!

After all said and done, here comes THE day! The day to leave AMD for real. No drama, no hesitation. Things to be packed and my last journey home from AMD Cyberjaya.

They say action speaks louder than words... and I definitely agree! I was so touched by the love shown towards me by my colleagues - so many of them, that I had THREE different farewell gatherings in ONE day!

The first one was a lunch organized in Nando's, Alamanda Putrajaya by the Teletubbies Gang. To my surprise, the number of people increased from the initial 6 to 13! I was so glad and proud that a person like me can bring together a diverse group of people - different races, level of seniority and expertise. When my turn came to give my farewell speech, I just felt a jolt - a sensation I've never felt before, very strange, very nervy.

Clockwise: Amira, Julianna, Zamri, Johan, Mokx, Chia Ming, Asmah, Salina, Zaini, Aizat Bert, Aida, Aini, Ain Jaja.

My second farewell was a small gathering held in Padi House, Cyberjaya. This time it was a very small gathering which were organized by the people close to me since Day One. It was a meeting full of laughter and discussion about unexpressed love. 

Left to right: Syazli, John Cheok, Mokx, Chia Ming, Zamri

And then the final gathering - organized by colleagues who were in the night shift. The location - Padi House again - it seems like this place was turning into our fortress. As usual, there were tonnes of laughter and a bit later, Montha and her cousin sister joined us as well. However, due to time constraints, we didn't take any photos as I had to go to the office to grab all the photos as a remembrance of a place which has practically been my second home for the past 2 years and 9 months.

Left to right: Meor, Mokx, Hadi Mook

Left to right: Hakim Pokeng, Shela Mango, Ain Mon, Mokx, Nabila Magik

If there's one positive thing I can take away from my time in AMD Cyberjaya, it would be that I was able to reach out to everyone - regardless of race, religion, politics, seniority, department etc, etc. And the fruit of my labor showed during the farewell gatherings that was held for me. To be honest, I teared up reading some of the comments posted on my Facebook - that shows how much AMD means to me. I never did anything to impress anyone. I rather did things for my own satisfaction and made sure I gave my all, my best shot in everything - so that the results were not disappointing.

I can't never thank enough all the guys and girls who have helped me throughout my time in AMD and I'll forever be grateful and indebted to everyone of you. Thank you for everything, I wish all the best and success in life and in profession. 

And then, that moment came... at 11.55PM, 30th January 2012, my relationship with AMD came to an end. I shall miss AMD for a long, long time. Thank you for everything people. Until we meet again - take care, take care, take care.

This Employee Card is considered null and void.

 Goodbye for the last time. Bye AMD Cyberjaya!

P/S: Just like any other employee who is leaving an organization, I had one last hurrah as well. So here you go, my farewell email to all my beloved colleagues:

Dear AMDers,

30th January 2012 marks my last working day in AMD and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the support and guidance extended to me during my tenure, I will definitely miss AMD and my colleagues here.

I will be joining another organization this week in a new position and I’m really looking forward to the new challenge in that role.

It has been a wonderful experience working in this family for the past 3 years and I have really enjoyed it thoroughly. This experience will truly be memorable for years to come. I am definitely leaving with a lot of good memories which will be long cherished.

Thank you to the following people/teams: Michele Harle, Devinder Kumar, Boon Somchit, Salina Zain, Zaini Hussain, TH Tan, Dexter Ng, SAP CRM Support, RLKLite – L3 Others, Business – DistiOps & AIBOps, AMD Cyberjaya Toastmasters Club, AMD Cyberjaya ERT, Organizing Committees of the Inaugural Annual Dinner 2010 and AMD Cyberjaya Launch 2011, as well as The Wild Bunch! and The Cool Kids - who have all made my stay even more memorable, meaningful and merrier.

Please accept my utmost sincere apologies if I have offended any of you by any means.

Do keep in touch, by email: taneskumar85@hotmail.com (Facebook/Twitter) or by mobile #: +6012 925 7636.

Until we meet again, it’s been a pleasure working with all of you. I wish you all the very best in life - both in profession and in person, God bless and thank you.

Best Regards,

Tanes-Kumar N-Maniam | Mokx
SAP CRM | Sales & Marketing IT
o: +603 8316 3626 (e: 31626)
c: +6012 925 7636

B-O-O-M!

6264 met with her match or more like the Goliath - a HUGE one indeed. Bas kilang or what we call a factory bus!

The accident happened at Bulatan Dato' Onn, smack in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. A show stopper indeed, considering it was a weekend and the traffic was heavy in the city center.

Here's the end product of the duel.

The initial outlook was bad... so bad that I thought I got screwed up big time. My heart just sank, considering the car was less than 20 days old! To be honest, I'm just thankful for the outcome, nothing serious happened to me or my sister - and that's all that

matters! THANK YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST!

The front left side was gone - bumper, fender, bonnet, headlight and due to the impact the front right tire came out from the rim and the rim hit the road. But after further checking, it wasn't as bad as what I thought. The car moved smoothly after changing the front right tire with the spare one. The big relieve was all the injury to 6246 was just to the bodyworks and external parts - surprised that the chassis and engine was not affected by the impact.

The whole incident happened because the bus driver said the traffic light on his side "has not changed to red, it was still yellow". How dumb he can be, yellow means be prepared to stop la idiot, not speed faster!

And when I was at the Balai Polis Tun H.S. Lee to do the report, I was praying hard everything will go smoothly... and God send an angel in the form of Rizal. He's someone we refer to as "runner" here. He's from Tanjung Tokong, Penang and he came to help me because of my car registration has Penang identity, how awesome is that? True Penangite spirit indeed! He knew everyone at the police station, so much so, I thought he was running the show there. The IO officer, SJN Mazlan for my case meanwhile was very helpful as well.

Every injury needs to be addressed.

The bus owner tried to bullshit me by giving me another registration number, thank God I managed to jot down the actual number before the bus driver left the accident spot - BAP 7554.

And the whole chapter was closed when the bus owner made the report and the IO office and SJN Mazlan found out the bus has violated it's road tax and insurance requirements - ah, now I know the tactic of the owner. Rizal and SJN Mazlan work out the deal with him and everything was back on track. By 8.30PM, Rizal called me to send my baby to his workshop - all I hope is their workmanship is good and the parts are original. Hopefully, the car will be back to its original state by the end of the week. Let's wait and see y'all!

For now, my mind is back to my last day in AMD tomorrow and the farewell part. I'm going to be emotional, period! The whole week has been a emotional roller coaster ride for me! Bye for now, night people!

Bangsar HCS.

The title refers to Bangsar High Class Society, haha! That's how I felt, spending practically the whole day in Bangsar with Bob, Kumar and Elvina.

Started off with lunch at Devi's Corner, which serves proper Kerala cuisine. The food here is awesome! For some reason, there's always comparison between Devi's and Nirwana, but for me Devi's is always the winner! It's like my personal preference of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf over Starbucks :).

After that, it was tea time at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Bangsar Village II. It was another Pure Double Chocolate for me while the others enjoyed their favorites.

How I wish one day I could laze around Bangsar area and just enjoy the weekend, in fact I'm thinking of doing this every Saturday - just to spend time with my sister and close friends.

Time To Clear Up, It's About Time!

Finally, here I am - the last working Friday here in AMD.

And then it hit me that I need to clear up my work space/cube since it's the only suitable time I have before coming in on Monday and doing the customary his/byes and sending out the farewell email. I know I'll be down and sad on Monday, you can even call it depressing... but on the other hand as a grown up man (cheh, macho tak?), I know life has to go on! *sob*sob*.

So here's my work space/cube photo which I took as a remembrance before I leave AMD. Thank you for the memories, appreciate the spot! Though I've never sat here that often. You see, I'm a roamer, a gypsy of sort in AMD Cyberjaya and every one know about it! Let me count how many cubes I've sat before... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 2nd floor pantry, 3rd floor pantry... well, let's just move on, okay?

Well, the writing on the whiteboard says it all - "MOKX R.I.P 1985 - DEAD", it refers to my time here in AMD I guess :'(.

Every item on the table has tells a tale - the Coke bottles, the Salt Lick Bar-B-Q sauce bottle, the teddy bear, the Best Table Topics speaker ribbon and etc. I'm going to miss all the people and stories behind each and one item I took back home.

Whatever it is, I'm going to stick to the first poster on the side - "Keep Calm & Carry On".

Verdict's Out!

So here we go... after much consideration and requesting time time and time again, I have made my decision! And the decision is to leave AMD!

There are few reasons, on why I made such a decision - includes both push and pull factors:

1. My next job involves the aviation/airline industry and I love that area.

2. The other organization offers a promising career path and growth opportunities.

3. I've gone through a rigorous selection process and finally making a cut, and to throw away the opportunity just like that would be quite foolish.

4. Travelling perks.

5. Working in a new environment - more vibrant, open minded and straight forward.

6. There's just too many communication breakdown and cultural issues at the current place - damn, I miss working directly with the US managers/directors.

7. It's a non-IT job and that itself is a huge shoo-in.

It was about 2.30PM when I walked in to Michele's cube and informed her of my decision. I could see that she was disappointed with it but she understood where I'm coming from. I'll always be grateful to have an awesome director like her, one of the best!

It was also the day I publicly informed all my colleagues about my decision to leave and quite clearly some of them were upset - some because I'm leaving, while others because I did not inform them earlier. Well, on my side, I did not inform earlier because I wanted to make 100% sure that I'm leaving the company. I did not want to tell something which do not materialize and disappoint them or make others think that I'm just seeking attention.

Will I come back to AMD ever again? Well, for me, it's always a case of never say never! If the right opportunity opens up in AMD, I'll definitely be back - there's just too many attachments I have with this place, too many to mentioned. So let's see how in future.

If there's a song to express how I feel right now, then this must be it - Radiohead's "High and Dry".

Thank you to everyone who advised me and provided their insights during the process, I'm truly grateful. Appreciate it guys!

Extra Time (ET).

I'm supposed to tell Michele about my decision today!

I'm still confused, still contemplating, still undecided. So when Michele caught me on IM, I requested for one more day. Just ONE more day!

I told myself that I have to make the conclusion soon, by hook or by crook - no more delays and not to let any emotional attachments to screw up my decision making any more.

That's it! I'm came back to my Seri Kembangan house, locked my room and just thought about this. No more of "should I stay or should I go" argument within myself.

Yes, I still have a lot to achieve here. Yes, I have a lot friends. Yes, my pay and benefits are good. And yes, my performance have been rewarded accordingly throughout my time here. But then no, I could have changed the mindset and culture of the people ere. And no, I should did some things differently. One thing for sure though - I gave my best and all in everything I did here, nothing more, nothing less and I'm damn proud of it!

After all said and done, it's down to what I want. What's good for my future, my career and my growth as an individual in the society.

I can do this and I will do this - end off! Tomorrow will end all my confusion and decide the next chapter of my career.

Arghhh!

Another drive down to Kuala Lumpur and since it's the festivities, the journey was longer than usual. This time it was 6 hours! Pretty normal for me by now, damn!

I just wondered all the hours I've wasted on the road during the past 6 weeks - that's a huge

number! I know there's a saying which goes "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey that counts", but if this is the case week in , week out, then I have to find another option to travel I guess.

However, I have to admit that there's something which I love during all my journeys between Penang - Kuala Lumpur on PLUS - and that's the Menora Tunnel! The whole stretch just feels good, with it's corners, winding roads, the view, the trees and eventually, the tunnel itself, which I think it's a engineering marvel. Just the way the rocks which form the hill slope is cut and the road is build along the outer line of the hill.

The trees and vegetation on your way up to the tunnel.

Well, yet another slow moving jam due to the festivities.

The solid rock hill slope which had been cut, quite mind blowing.

The Menora Tunnel.

At least the Nasi Lemak Bumbung for dinner at the end of the drive compensated for some of the irritation I had due to 6 hours journey :).

Change Is Permanent.

Just another frustrating day, pretty much nothing to do. Called up Ananth and Amin and told them that I needed their advice regarding the options I have. I guess they could help me out since they have taken the step to leave AMD about a month ago.

Met Ananth and Amin to discuss about the dilemma I'm having with the decision making process related to my job opportunities. Both of them were awesome, dishing out great advises and speaking out their point of view. We spoke in a very detailed scale and thing became more clearer for me.

However, the discussion also got me thinking "Where did it all go wrong?". I wondered and tried to figure out where and how it all went wrong - especially the culture of the organization. How did it all change compared to 2009 when I first joined the company? Why people still build walls based on race, religion, skin color and politics - even after 55 years of independence? What's wrong with these people?

I'm not asking them to forget who they are, I'm just asking everyone to be treated equally at the workplace. I'm a great believer that everyone should be proud of what they are, what they are made of. But to discriminate others because of the differences, well, that's just dumb. If you are at a workplace, just judge a person based on his or her work. Not his looks or background. I just hope my next job does not have any of the same traces *fingers crossed*.

Moreover, let me make things clear - I LOVE AMD! Especially AMD Cyberjaya! It means so, so much to me - I wonder if I'll ever be able to get the same type of group of friends that I have here.

But sometimes change is inevitable I guess, like the saying goes - the only thing that's permanent is change.

I needed some time on my own, so apa lagi? Let's go do what the so-called #FAs do the best - sit by the seaside, check out God's creation and wonder, let the imagination run wild and lament on things that could have happened but did not.

What if?

The History Trail.

I thought it will be a typical Sunday for me... but it was not meant to be.

All started with a trip to eat briyani with my family at Little India - super tasty y'all!

Next it was a trip down to 1st Avenue and the mobile phone shops there attracted my attention. I really wanted a new mobile phone to replace the company's one - since I'll be leaving my current workplace soon. After much checking and bargaining, I ended up buying BlackBerry Curve 9360! Not bad of a phone for RM1060.00 with all the cool features I'm getting - more than sufficient for a practical person like me.

Yeap, I got the white one!

Also, the view from the parking was quite cool - with one part of the city and the sea in sight. So apa lagi? Take photos la!

My city y'all!

My crouching tiger, hidden dragon move.

And one advice guys, please don't fight your sibling a.k.a Godzillas, you'll end up injured like this.

On our way back home, my family wanted to drop by Queensbay Mall - which I was not really keen. So I dropped them off and just drove along the coastal highway and visited places I would visit when I was younger - the Fisheries Jetty in Batu Maung, the Bayan Lepas FTZ Industrial Estate and the Kompleks Kargo Kedua at the Penang International Airport. It felt so good to go back to places I'm fond of, simple places but which has a lot of meaning to a humble person like me.

1000KM.

1000KM - it only took me 5 days to reach the threshold for my first service and another 400+KM and 2 days before I sent in my car for the first service.

That's what happens if you drive forth and back to Kuala Lumpur on the second day after receiving the brand new.

Super impressed with Proton's Service Center in Bukit Dumbar - very efficient and fast, unlike some other service centers.

Later at night, it was a pretty normal activity when I'm back to Penang - meeting up with friends for teh tarik session at nasi kandar restaurants!

8 Hours - CNY Special!

Let me begin by wishing all my Chinese colleagues and friends - Happy Chinese New Year!

But c'mon, seriously... the traffic on PLUS is getting worse every festive season.

To sum it all up, here's a picture of what my eyes were constantly feasting during my 8 hours drive vs. the normal 4 hours drove to Penang:

The longest dragon dance ever!

Endless red lights flashing in front of me... maybe the drivers know red is the lucky color for CNY and decided to join in the celebration on the road itself.

But just like all nonsense in life, there's always the light at the end of the tunnel. So finally when I reached Penang at about 7.30AM in the morning, I had breakfast at this place called Dapur Pak Shaik Breakfast Shop - nearby the Bayan Baru mosque. And one thing for sure... the tomato rice was legendary. That's it. Period.

Stevia.

Met one of my ILC mates, Peter earlier this week and he said he was interested in a plant called stevia. Well, to be honest, I didn't know what the heck stevia was.

I was guessing it was plant green in color (huh? all plants are green in color, aren't they?)

Anyway, he was interested to increase his income with additional businesses on a part times basis to supplement his current income.

Then I remembered that one of my colleagues, Nazrul have done this before and knows a thing or two about stevia and I arranged for a meeting after office hours on Friday.

We met up and they talked and tried to figure out how to go about the whole process, from the start to the production or even manufacturing of the processed sugar. All this while me and Bert were making fun of them and chipping in with our nonsense every now and then.

Personally, I'm astonished to hear the number of people who are into the agriculture business e.g. stevia. Plus, I was pretty impressed with the plant itself - tastes sweet, minus the calories! Now that's something AWESOME, ain't it?

After much discussion, I think Peter is now really interested to get his hand dirty with this venture and I believe he should do so. Maybe I will do the same one day, when I have the time... and the money.

"In A Relationship"

So here's my Project 4 Toastmasters' speech:

Let's go back to year 2008, I just graduated from MMU Cyberjaya with not so bad grades, I was young, raring to go and of course I was fatter. Landed an internship stint with BMW and was flying high - organizing events - A1GP, MotoGP, hanging out with the rich guys who spoke about champagne, cigars and golf and enjoyed driving BMWs during weekends.

Then somethiing happened, early 2009 and there was a economy downturn, headcount was freezed and I had to go. I went back to Penang to rethink my strategy and I had 1 aim and 1 aim only - TO STAY AWAY FROM CALL CENTERS! Luckily, through my friend, I managed enroll in the INSEP programme. Then something beautiful happened - I met HER! During a time I was at the lowest point, tough times. I remember the second half 2009, personally, it was a very bad period for me. I've been out of job for 4 months, had about RM700 in my savings and my mom was in the hospital because one of her kidneys had stop functioning.

Met her side and they were convinced I was the right person. However, I had my own doubts if she was the right one for me and vise versa, but after 3 months or so down the road, I decided - YES! She has been my lucky charm. With her support, I've managed to accomplish a lot of things in my life.

Like any partner, she might be a little complicated to understand straightaway, but trust me, once I got to know her and I fell in love with her head over heels. And like any relationship, sometimes the problem is not from your partner but rather the additional baggages that comes with them, for examples your in-laws. I've had a few of those, but hey, if you really love your partner, then you got to live up to all of these right? Eventhough there might be issues and challenges along the way, but somehow, I tried to make things happen.

Now I know a lot of you here might say "Hey Mokx, come on la, stop lying. We know you're single okay? We are connected on Facebook." I know, I know. So let me tell who's the "she", "she" is not a person. "She" us none other than the three big letters plastered outside this building - AMD!

Why AMD?

The people! Like anywhere else, the people define the organization. And for me, I just fell in love with the AMD family. I remember very vividly from the day I sat down for an interview with TH Tan to the day I first met Michele in Austin. I'm grateful that I've had the chance to work some of the nicest people I know - Michele, Devinder, Boon, Salina and the list goes on and on and on. I was impressed by the knowledge and experience these people had but at the same time there were humble and very approachable. I've also made tonnes of friend and but if there's one person I have single out, that would be none other than Bert. Everything we did together proved a success. I consider most of you here as my close friends. I'm proud that I've always had your support and backing, especially TWB bunch and The Cool Kids. Michele and Salina, I can't thank both of you enough. You know, some of the guys here tease me that both of you are my "mak ciks", which means aunt. But I consider both of you more than that, you're my godmothers. You really took me under your wings and thought me a lot of things. I'm not sure how repay your faith in me, all I can say is a big thank you!

AMD also has been a place where my personal life transformed tremendously. For a young graduate who has lost his footing in his career. I had hit or created a lot of milestones during the past 2 years and 8 months I've been with AMD. From an intern to a contrator, then moving on to be ITA1 and and finally being promoted ITA2. Before I met her, I've never been out of the country or possesed a passport. All that changed in April 2010 when I was sent to Austin, Texas for KT for 3 weeks. Soon, many other milestones followed - my India trip, the Australia trip, my first house, my new car, 2 Spotlight awards, getting involve in charity work and countless "well dones" and "congratulations". Sometimes when I think back, so much has happened in the past 2 years that I would never have imagined in 2008, if you told me.

AMD also have helped me to grow up as a person. It has molded me to be more mature, developed my character and attitude. Thought me alot of things such as leadership skills, communication skills, anger management, to be straighforward, outspoken, to ask questions, to take ownership and view things from end-to-end rather than in a silo outlook. And the end product is that I've become more of an all-rounder. I've been part of all the major milestones that AMD Cyberjaya has had. Again, I'm very thankful for the opportunity given and the trust that has been shown. All these attributes will definitely be super useful in future.

So here's my advice before I go:

1. Leave behind your race, religion, status, political believes when you step inside that door. You're an AMDer and that's what matters the most.

2. Take ownership of what you do and do your best in everything you're entrusted to, no matter what is you title or position in the organization. You can make a change, trust me. Ask yourself what you can do for the company instead of asking what the company can do for you.

So just like any relationship in life, it has to come to an end. And this is my last speech as an AMDer. As many of you know, I'd be leaving AMD soon to join another organization. What do I hope? I hope that I'd be regarded as someone who gave his all in everything, a bulldog, a fighter - whether it's job related or otherwise. Someone who was sincere, loyal, passionate and trustworthy. Do I have regrets? I would say yes and no. No, not with the end product, because I believe the combination of challenges, weaknesses and incompetencies helped me to be where I am today. And yes, I have some regrets cause there are still a lot of unfinished business. The Finance Transformation project testing, RLKLite integration to SAP, Toastmasters presidentship and ERT membership. And maybe, just maybe I could have done some things differently along the way.

Having said that, if there's a right opportunity and I'm given a chance, would I be back? My answer would be a resounding YES! Until then, I'll definitely remember all the good and bad times, the ups and downs, and everything in between. With that, I would like to end my speech and it's only right if I do it with a bow. Thank you!

Counter Offer? Really?

Okay, I've just been offered another position within my current workplace - to report directly to my director, without all the fancy hierarchy between me and the management.

Now this is a tough decision - I should have just stuck to my guns and left without listening to any counter offers. But curiosity overwhelmed me and I just had to know what was on offer if I wanted to stay.

There's too many emotional attachments with my current workplace for me to just let go, unlike some other things. To be involved in almost all the milestones of the company from Day One, the offer just screams out for utmost consideration.

Now Mokx, go ahead and crank your brain up - think about it. So what are the options I have? Well...

A. To stay at my current workplace, being a direct report to my director but doing the same job, or

B. To leave to an industry I love and take up a whole new challenge.

I love the people in option A (e.g. my friends and my director) and for B, I love the industry. So I have a tough decision to make, DAMN!

I have a few days to decide. Hopefully, I can make the proper decision which will benefit my career and life.

Brand New Car, Same Old Destination.

6264's first journey to Kuala Lumpur - 2 days fresh out of the dealer's place!

The ride was awesome, way, way better than 598 and had a better feel compared to my sister's Myvi.

Definitely the first of many to come, that I can assure you!

Mags.

It's been a while since I bought my own magazines.

So when I followed my sister to the Popular Bookstore, I bought these 2 magazines:

To be honest, I hate long storybooks, especially fictional ones. Call me what you want - not creative, not a thinker, blah, blah, blah - but I don't have time for fictional stuff. There's more serious things in life for me.

6264.

Finally... I have my new car! Proton Saga 1.3 FLX - all I need is a basic car to move around, not something fancy.

And the registration number is 6264, not bad eh? The way I look at it - 6 (2+4) 6 = 666. Satanic weih, haha!

Anyway, I have a car now which allows me travel without any fear or worries of a breakdown during my journey - yeay! Thank you Lord!

Chocolate Cream Chip.

Another day, the same routine.

Knowledge transfer, transitions, pass down... call it whatever you like.

The highlight of the day was the Chocolate Cream Chip, a treat by my colleagues, Julianna and Wai-Yee.

Being a CBTL guys, I'd still prefer Pure Double Chocolate though :).

House Hunting.

Well, normal day at work - pretty much nothing.

But after work, went for a road trip (well, that's what I told myself) to Kota Warisan, Salak Tinggi and Nilai area to look for a house, in preparation for the new upcoming job.

Nazrul tagged along with me since he's very familiar with all these areas.

Managed to find a few interesting properties, hopefully, the owners will be kind enough to rent it to me. Staying in this areas will make my life wayyy more easier one I start the new job.

And the day ended with a good 'ol Nasi Goreng Kampung in Nilai... not bad!

"I've Got The Straight Edge"

So ladies and gentleman, here's my speech for Toastmasters meeting earlier today. Managed to present 50% of it, definitely felt scared to deliver the speech in front of the crowd and I think I pretty much managed to ruffle the feathers of the audience (at least 2 of them, I know... but who cares?).

Actual speech script:

Good evening fellow Toastmasters.

My speech today stems out of my personal protest against some of the frequently asked questions that is always directed to me. Questions such as “Do you drink alcohol?”, “ Do you smoke?” etc, etc.

So in line with that, my topic for today is “I’ve got the Straight Edge!”. Now let me ask the audience a question, how many of you know or heard of Straight Edge before?

I know many people actually assume that Straight Edge is related to a person’s sexual orientation but let me clear up your perception – Straight Edge is not what the majority think it is. Straight Edge is a lifestyle of choice. This movement exploded in 1980s as a protest against the experimenting and hippie movements of 1960s and 1970s, when the band Minor Threat, led by Ian MacKaye actually put out a track called “Straight Edge” in 1981. It was very straightforward and had its roots to the hardcore punk rock scene while maintaining self-control and conservative values. The song only lasted for 46 seconds but it was the inspiration for the subculture movement. It is based on simple rules – don’t drink alcohol, don’t do drugs, no promiscuous sex and don’t smoke. It’s a reaction to perceived out of control world, against the modern culture of pushing alcohol, tobacco and drugs to a person. This is not an organization – you just have to live it, a way of life. Ian Mackaye once told this about Straight Edge:

"I don't accept straight edge as a movement. Doesn't mean people who do are wrong or dumb. I see people as people. In my mind, celebration of an individual's right to choose his or her of like way of living. The problem with movements is that it movements starts to lose I think quite often sight of humanity or individual or human being."

And I totally agree with him 100%!

As the movement grew, it incorporated many other beliefs and ideas such as vegetarianism, religion aspects, anti-racism and the more militant stance through groups like Friends Stand United (FSU) and Courage Crew, known for their violence against drug dealers and members of anti-Straight Edge movement.

Personally, I came across this movement through punk rock music. When I was younger, I really loved punk and grunge music and like any other young adult in this room, Kurt Cobain was my hero. I listened to a lot of punk bands such as The Offspring, Green Day, Rancid, Blink-182, Sum 41 and Billy Talent. Let me clear one thing – Simple Plan and Bowling For Soup are not punk bands, they’re just lame. As I did more research on punk rock music, I realized that there was a movement which holds on to the beliefs that I hold on to yet it is really relevant at the current modern age. I first came across the term Straight Edge when I was 18 years old but didn’t really pay attention to it. However, about 2 years ago I decided that Straight Edge is definitely the lifestyle for me.

I’ve been asked why Straight Edge? Firstly because I wanted to be part of Straight Edge of its positive values – values like self-respect, loyalty and love. You can enjoy music and modern world while sticking to your moral values. I just wanted a normal life cause I knew I will not fit in the so-called party scene due to my background, culture and belief. I was not thought of these things, be it in my family, school or church.

Secondly, I realized all these influences were getting people into trouble and personally for me, I didn't have look far to get convinced. Some of the incidents that happened to my close ones were enough to get me in line. The first one would be the death of my grandfather due to lung cancer because he was a chain smoker - which was a big impact because he died at my family's place and practically me and my dad took care of him till his death. Then I had two my best friends who got into drunk-driving accidents - one guy is now permanently disabled while the other is dead. I've also had two family members who are part of the prison system due to murder cases and guess what? They were either high on drugs or drunk when they committed these human less acts. It gives me the motivation not to throw away my life by being a wash-out or druggie. We have seen how successful people, be it artist, businessman and sportsman getting involved with drugs and alcohol or drugs, which destroyed their career. Examples would be my hero, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Diego Maradona, Janis Joplin and Jimie Hendrix.

Thirdly is because I believe the current lifestyle that we have is bad enough. With all the pollution around us – the air that we breath, the water that we drink, the food that we eat and just the way our daily we live our life is unhealthy enough. I believe that I don’t need to add more misery to what is actually at its lowest compared to the earlier generation. And personally, with the current situation I’m in, overweight and a heavy eater – it’s just a matter of time before I get some kind of diseases. And I don’t want to fast forward the whole process by indulging into unhealthy activities further.

The fourth point why I chose Straight Edge is because I feel getting involved those activities burns quite a big hole in your pocket. Well, let’s do a simple maths equation – an average smoker buys 1 box of cigarettes per day, times that with 30 days in a month. That’s RM300.00 per month! Now when it comes to alcohol, all I can say is the costs is definitely higher – but to some, it provides a higher level of happiness. Personally, I would rather spend that amount of money on something else, be it on outdoor activities, music, movies, charities or travelling, rather than for a short-lived joy or satisfaction.

The last reason why I chose Straight Edge is very straight forward and simple – I just want to be different! I want to live a lifestyle which is different than 90% of the youths or young working adults out there… and at the same time be different than some who think that they are forced to stay away from such activities or products due to their religion or teaching. Yes, I admit, my religion and background is definitely a pillar in my life. But I made this conscious decision stay away from all these. I made the decision. Trust me, it’s not easy to stay this way. You must have a very strong willpower - especially when you’re around my age. You turn up to any event and 99% chances are you are going to find alcohol at the event. But this is the challenge I’ve prepared to face and I’m pretty much enjoying it.

So after all said and done, I'm not saying I'm better than anyone in this room. My conclusion is don't judge a book by its cover. Just because someone looks a certain way or is from a certain background, that doesn't mean they do what the rest does. At the end of the day, every book has its own storyline. And before I go, I would like to end my speech by reading out a quote from Straight Edge poster boy, Mr. Ian MacKaye himself:

"You just think about it. I don't actually question why, I might say why not? Give me a reason. All that matters really is what I do. Now if you're doing something self-destructive, I would step out of concern. But it's not for me to decide what people should do beyond that."

Melaka - 4 vs. 1.

So where should I start? Hmmm... it was a normal day at work. Stressful sometimes, stoner at other times.

But then after work was just tiring. I had to follow my dad to Melaka for one of his trips to visit his Melaka branch. I drove the first part of the journey, while I can keep my eyes open. Plus all I was thinking was how to get my Toastmaster's speech ready! I was going to talk about Straight Edge and I knew I can't screw up the only chance I have to impress the audience with this terminology.

Once we reached Melaka, I was super hungry. And the moment I stepped out from the car, I straight headed to the Chinese restaurant in front of me for dinner. I was at a place called Taman Seaview, Ujong Pasir and the restaurant people seemed quite stuck up (... good English though, I have to admit that!).

Once we were done with out dinner, we headed to the Melaka branch office. Ahhh! Now I had a window of opportunity to complete my speech. So I started doing my speech and finished it, feeling quite satisfied with the end product.

Wish me luck for the presentation tomorrow! It's been a while since I last presented a speech in front of a crowd. And to have such a serious topic, I definitely need all the luck I can get!

The Rabbit Guy & His Gang.

As usual, Monday was a boring day at work. Still boggled with testing issues, still micro manged by my boss and more annoyingly, still undecided about my future.

Having said that, the later part of the day was truly enjoyable! After such a long time, I managed to meet up with my close friends from university - Kishen, Sam, Ruben, Gobi, Tina and Murali. Just having them around and talking stories about the past and present is just bliss. Especially when you have one married person among the group - that makes the conversation more livelier!

We just went on and on and on about job, life and etc. Of course we were more focused towards job, since that's the source of our income and every one had their own views. The biggest debate was - money or job satisfaction? After much discussion and thought, what I got out of the whole conversation was money is proportionate to your job satisfaction to some level.

3 out of the 6 of us were moving to a new job or planning for a change soon. And to Sam, who'll be joining HP on Friday, congratulations! All the best at your new work place!

Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best, in our life and career!

New Eyes & Old Bus.

So finally I got my replacement "eyes" after living with blur vision for 1 week. Mocha frame, costs me about RM250.00! But hey, the company pays for it - so who cares! Not bad eh?

My new pair of eyes.

And again, it was the trip back to Kuala Lumpur. But this time me and my dad had to take the express bus because I brought back my 598 back to Penang to exchange with my new car. Since my new car is still 1 week away, decided to leave 598 back home instead of driving back and forth.

Luggage-rs.

And during the 4+ ride from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, I decided to read a book called "Akhirat", which was given to me by my dad. Quite a interesting book and covers how Al-Quran and the Bible talks about Nabi Isa or Jesus as the savior during end time.

And when we reached Kuala Lumpur, I was so impressed with the skyline that I just had to take a photo of it (even though I'm still using the crappy BlackBerry).

598 - The Last Journey.

So after being together for 3 years, clocking 100,000 KM, countless trips on the highway and tonnes of memories - here comes the day I have to let go of my first car, my dear Kelisa.

Since I booked my new car in Penang... because I want my car to have the Penang identity on the number plate, I had to drive back my car to Penang for the exchange.

But having said that, all things must change. Old must go (...sometimes).

Having said that, on Saturday the whole Penang was super windy for some reason. Felt like I was in Australia. Wind blowing everywhere!

Wind blooowwwiiinnng.

And later that night, my usual fare - Hilmee Burger, Jalan Tengah. The best Ramlee burger in the world? I can verify this!

Yes! That's the mayonnaise "bottle".

Jobs.

Well, that's what it is.

JOBS!

FAILURE!

Workflow error:

Connected to Integration Service: [int_svc_AMD_DEV].

Starting workflow [b_load_from_SD]

Waiting for workflow [b_load_from_SD] to complete

ERROR: Workflow [b_load_from_SD]: Could not start execution of this workflow be\

cause the current run on this Integration Service has not completed yet.

Disconnecting from Integration Service

Completed at Wed Jan 04 21:43:21 2012

Okay, that's how my day started... and ended.

Pretty much nothing to shout about.

Bye.

Brokenfields?

Well, well, well - every time someone asks me "Where do you stay?" and I reply "Brickfields", then I would get an awkward reaction from the other person. It's safe to say, on top of the weird expression they have on their face, they also tend to chip in further by making statements like "Oh, the place where it's full of prostitution!", "Macha's paradise I see", "Sure a lot of Indians there, you'll feel like home" or questions like "Eh, the prostitutes there how ah?", "That place teruk right?" or "I heard the crime rate there is super teruk, betul ker?".

So today, I decided to walk about a little bit around Brickfields (since I'm still on Annual Leave... but without a cause, without a purpose). So what I've learned about Brickfields? Like any area / city, the place itself is divided into 2 - the new and the old, the rich

and the poor, the modern and the traditional.

On one hand you have the Little India area, Jalan Rosario, Jalan Thambipillay, Jalan Padang Belia and Jalan Tun Sambanthan - all which still retains the old school feel to it. Government quarters build in 1960s / 1970s, rows and rows of Indian shops selling sarees and Punjabi suits, Indian restaurants serving authentic Indian food and of course, Indian video / CD shops blasting Tamil songs like there's no tomorrow.

On the flipside, just across Jalan Tun Sambanthan - the newly develop KL Sentral development area meanwhile offers a different outlook to the area. I walked along and found the whole place surreal, for once I felt I was away from the hustle and bustle of Brickfields. It was quite, clean and everyone there was much, much more decent and professional. There were definitely a cosmopolitan feel to it. Hidden between

those tall office skyscrapers were a few restaurant and bars - I didn't even know they existed till now! Should try out those places soon when I have a chance.

So after all said and done, I hope people don't just look at Brickfields as a "Macha area". There's more to the place than the vice activities and gangsterism. I admit those influences are still there, but Brickfields has a lot more to offer, culturally, economically and socially (YMCA, Society Of The Blind In Malaysia and Malaysian Paralympic Council)... and oh yeah, not to forget the biggest and most important land transportation hub in the country, KL Sentral.

So as usual, here's some of the photos I captured using my trusted camera again! I know, please stop laughing!

The Jalan Tun Sambanthan bus stand. Ada orang setiap masa, saya tak tahu kenapa.

Jalan Tun Sambanthan.

The modern side of Brickfields.

Skyscrapers everywhere, Christina Perry would love this place I guess.

AM: Airport / PM: PLUS.

Yo people!

Today was quite interesting! After "lepaking" at the express bus terminal yesterday, I was wondering what's next? And out of the blue, my dad asked me to follow him to the Kompleks Kargo Kedua at Batu Maung because he wanted to meet his customers.

Airports + planes + trucks, apa lagi? Follow la!

So with my trusted camera, *ehem**ehem*, BlackBerry Curve 8520 - here's some photos (please ignore the quality aight!):

Kompleks Kargo Kedua at Batu Maung

First plane I saw was AirAsia's - good omen?

And I worked out the ratio of local airlines' representation at the Penang International Airport based on the number of complete take-offs / landing cycles during the 1 1/2 hour I was there:

4 AirAsias = 2 Fireflys = 1 Malaysia Airlines!

Next up, I followed my parents to Seberang Jaya to settle some registration documents related to our family business. And on our way, I found this aunty selling my one of my favorite Malay kuih - Kuih Talam, woohoo! So I made my dad stop and bought 13 pieces... and I ate 4 of them! Best in the world? I think so!

And how did my day end? The exact same sad way my trips back to Penang end all the time - a boring, depressing drive back to Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. It seems like the PLUS highway has been my best friend for the past few weeks and will continue to be for the next two weeks. Somehow, I do like the 400KM drive because it allows me to think. It's like my own therapy!

So here I am, it's 4:44AM and I'm typing this all out at my so-called blog site. Tomorrow, or rather later today starts early for me. I'm tired and sleepy. Oh! Did I mention that I did a sub-3 hours drive back here? And it's a Perodua Myvi!

P/S: I know, I know, I need to improve both my photography equipment and skills. Damn!

B-U-M-M-E-R!

Pretty much a boring day for me.

Stayed at home and did some housekeeping, free up some space around the house.

Missed the Tomyam Fish Head Bee Hoon, so headed to Bayan Baru Market Food Court to have a bowl of wholesome goodness... and ordered Fried Oyster as a side dish (can't help it... especially when you're in Penang).

Later at night, drove my sister to Terminal Bas Ekspres Sungai Nibong - she was going back to Kuala Lumpur. For some reason, I love places like this - bus terminals, airports, ports etc. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because big boys like big toys eh?

I can practically just stand here and watch the buses go by for hours. Crazy? Yes indeed.

And it's 1:30AM now and I'm about to watch Arsenal away at Fulham on the tele. It's been a while since I watched Arsenal's game live. Maybe Thierry "The King" Henry's return to the Premier League reignited my interest. Damn! I just love him as a player!

So that's it guys, hope y'all had a great day as well. Signing off for now, roger and out!

Family, Food & A Cat.

First day of 2012 - arise and shine young man!

Well... it started at the same place where the New Year's eve ended - at the church. I was back at the church for the first Sunday worship of the year. And preaching was good:

"It's time to separate the law from the grace"

We all know that God is merciful and he treats everyone the same but we need to understand that his grace alone is not enough for us. In order to attain a higher calling, we have to follow the laws set, we have to be more disciplined and hold on to his word. Seems like there are many more areas I need to improve in my life.

After Sunday service, I followed my family for... apa lagi? Lunch la! We went to this shop called Kedai Makanan Vell0 Villas at Lebuh Penang. Okay, I have to admit - it was all worth it! The banane leaf food was awesome - especially the fish sambal. Home cook redefined! Entertainment was provided by none other than my 2 sisters - El Locos!

So here's the El Locos of my family! You know they're crazy just by looking at them!

Just when I thought everything was smooth sailing on the first day of the year, something heart wrenching happened. My mom found a cat which was injured and both the hind legs were practically useless. We tried to catch the cat and send it to SPCA once they're open in the morning, but that cat had different plans! It just ran away with all it's might into a small drain hole and hid inside - we tried to woo the cat out but it didn't work. We waited for another 30 mins in vain and still the small guy didn't come out.

That incident really disturbed me - I just can't understand how such things can happen. How would the cat feel? The pain it has to bear? Does cat have clinics they can visit? Do they consult their family or friends or someone they can share their pains? Damn! I'm so, so agitated right now!

And when I followed my family for dinner, I was not really bothered what's going on. I was not bothered that the burger and teh ais tasted like Heaven. All I had in mind was this small little furry guy and his fate. I hope God takes care of the cat!

Ready, Set, Go, Happy New Year 2012!

What's up people?

Let me start off by wishing all readers - Happy New Year!

So here we go - this is my first post here. I created this blog long, long time ago, but waited till now to start. Don't ask me the reason why cause I don't know the answer. Procrastination? Maybe. And it's 1st of January, 2012 - maybe blogging is one of my New Year resolution eh? What a coincidence.

I seriously thought blogging is not the right activity for me but when I watched my close friends and colleagues doing it, I told myself - "I can do this!". I hope to post on a daily basis (... I'll try, I know it's not easy!), if not, at least on a weekly basis. I'll keep things real, very streetwise. How I feel, what I see, my opinions, my thoughts, my ups and downs. For a person who only knows to express his happiness and anger in real life, I hope this blog gives the readers (yes, that's you!) a different perspective about me.

Why "Kites and Shanks"? I got the idea from "Lockdown", a documentary series on National Geographic Channel - which explores the lifestyle in prisons and jails in the United Stated (you see, I'm a big documentary buff). Inmates create "kites", small letters / notes to communicate between cells and "shanks", homemade weapons made out of daily household items to prepare for a fight or as a self-defense mechanism. That's how I feel about the purpose of this blog - a way to communicate / express what I feel and prepare myself for battles in a more intellectual level. Very serious eh? Haha, just joking. What you're laughing at? Beware! Well, let's see!

So, moving on - how did things go for me in 2011? Like any individual, a lot of things happened in my life during the past 365 days, too many to mention! Hmm, where should I start? As usual, God, my family and my close friends was my pillar of strength and stood by me throughout my ups and downs. Thank you guys! And after giving it much thought, here's the list of some accomplishments / highlights / milestones in my life for the year 2011 :

1. February: Traveled to India with the ILC boys. You know it's going to be crazy when it's with ILC. First outstation trip for us and we definitely learned a lot from our so-called "Motherland".
2. February: Promoted to IT Analyst 2 - well, well, this was a surprise!
3. February: 2 Spotlight Awards (just love the plague and certificate... and thank you for the cash!).
4. April: Bought my first house (and it's in Penang, yeay!).
5. April: Selected as the Lead Marshall for AMD Cyberjaya Emergency Response Team (ERT).
6. May: Certified in first aid by St. John Ambulance and in fire-fighting by Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia.
7. May: One of my closest friends from schooling days, a person I've known since I was 7 years old died in a car accident - R.I.P Narvin Raj. We attended SK Seri Permai and Penang Free School together and when I was younger, we even stayed in the same neighborhood. This definitely impacted the Frees from my batch, especially guys from Blackz Attitude. As a person, this event made me think about death even more.
8. June: Formed AMD Cyberjaya Toastmasters Club and selected as the Charter President.
9. September: Took part in one of the most awesome programme ever - the NGL Programme, met new friends from around the World and did crazy activities in the pristine jungles of Gopeng, Perak.
10. October: Spent more time on charity work - MyKasih Foundation, YAWA, World Hunger Relief 2011.
11. November: Finally made a breakthrough in my career, getting an offer in the aviation/airlines industry that I love! And I'm proud to know that I'll be working for a well-known, leading low-cost carrier in the World. I know the grass is not always greener on the other side, but hey, I think I should be taking the risks sooner than later (while I'm still young and can afford some mistakes in life). I will be starting at the new place on the 1st of February 2012, so please pray for me people, that everything will be fine and I'll hit the ground running from Day One!
12. November: Pop and Mom celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. God bless them and keep them safe, healthy and prosperous for many, many more years to come!
13. December: Traveled to Australia with Bert and his wife, Arene. Met Bert's sister, Kak Atika and her fiancee, James - both were definitely one of the greatest host I've ever met.
14. December: Changed my car (the process started in Dec '11, still WIP).
15. "Single" is still my relationship status (this is easy when you have an attitude and physical features like me).
16. The mother of all, I managed to reduce my weight by 24 kilograms! Still a long way to go before I hit my target, but I think I can achieve it in the first half of 2012 *fingers crossed*.
17. Spent lesser time on the idiot box and more time on books. Favorites topics include evangelism, afterlife (Heaven and Hell) and death.
18. Strengthen my support for Harimau Malaya and Harimau Muda teams. Cause hey, if you don't support your National and local teams, who will? Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil is now my favorite hangout spot (10 times during 2011).
19. Dived deeper into the Straight Edge lifestyle and I'm loving every minute of it.

So, to end my first post and start my blogging career eternally (... yes, I will never die!), here's a poem from Ella Wheeler Wilcox, an American author and poet:

"What can be said in New Year rhymes,

That's not been said a thousand times?

The new years come, the old years go,

We know we dream, we dream we know.

We rise up laughing with the light,

We lie down weeping with the night.

We hug the world until it stings,

We curse it then and sigh for wings.

We live, we love, we woo, we wed,

We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.

We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,

And that's the burden of a year."

So before I go, Happy New Year again! Have a great 2012 ahead, God bless all of you in your undertakings! And let's see if the Mayans were right about the end of the World in 2012!

P/S: Please feel free to comment about my my first post, all comments / criticisms are accepted.

Regards,

Mokx