“Wife’s diary vs Husband’s diary”

Sent by Teoh in my email today :

Wife’s diary vs Husband’s diary

WIFE’s DIARY

Sunday night – I thought he was acting weird.  We had made plans to meet at a cafe to have some coffee.  I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment.

Conversation wasn’t flowing so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk, he agreed but his mind was far away.  I asked him what was wrong – he said, “Nothing.”  I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset.  He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry.

On the way home I told him that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept driving. I can’t explain his behavior; I don’t know why he didn’t say, “I love u, too.”

When we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.  He just sat there and watched TV; he seemed distant and absent.

Finally I decided to go to bed.  About 10 minutes later he came to bed.  I decided that I could not take it anymore, so I decided to confront him with the situation but he had fallen asleep.  I started crying and cried until I too fell asleep.  I don’t know what to do.  I’m almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else.

My life is a disaster.

HUSBAND’s DIARY

Today Manchester United lost again. Damn!

50 Years Dinner Tommorw Night

What? Again? hahaha!

Well, this is the last one for this year I guess. Born in 1957, SDAR has come a long-long way since then, producing talented, dedicated and intelligent SDARians over the past decade. What makes the bond among us close would be a variant of other residential schools all over the country such as STF, SSP, TKC, SAS, & STAR.

The dinner will be held in the SDAR campus itself (Sg Gadut, Seremban). An expected crowd of almost 2,000 people will be attending this dinner, including ex SDARians,  ex Teachers, ex Staff, ex Principles, parents and also the current students and school administration.

The caterer (Kantan Tiga Enterprise) for the dinner is an exSDARian. So is the event manager (Dutamas Sdn Bhd) and the master printer (Arif Corporation).

Well, there is a lot more to tell, but I’m really2 tied up today. So, to be continued…

Limited Edition RAZR2

Its been quite a while since I dropped by Lowyat.net and suddenly today, there was 1 item that got my attention.

Well ok, I have to admit that there was more than 1, but the item below sits #1 on my list. Most probably because I was using this fone just before I got my current 9300i. The main thing I like about the Razr series is its thinness.

Its sexy, sleek, stylish and so easy to slip into your pocket. Just don’t accidentally drop it anywhere!

Motorola blings up RAZR2 for Raya!

by Vijandren Ramadass

Friday, 12 October 2007 01:33 PM

Motorola, Inc today announced a special edition of the new RAZR2, available in limited quantities, in time to celebrate the holiday season in style. The signature RAZR2 form factor has been re-imagined and reconfigured in the most luxurious materials – bathed in gold and clothed in snake-like skin, and includes a full suite of features and accessories for conscious consumers seeking a glamorous design.     This special edition of the RAZR2 has gone “lux” with 18k and 24k gold plated accents standing out against a luminous, black slate, vacuum metal finish. Decadent details, such as elegant pin stripes on the CLI lens, an engraved diamond-cut pattern on the sideband and a linear etching on the navigation wheel add to the edgy, yet chic, finishes of the device. With a soft-touch back, embossed with a snakeskin effect, the device even feels luxurious in the hand. As far as actual functions, the handset features clearer voice technology, improved interior and exterior buttons, Opera Mobile Browser 8.5, and a 2.0 megapixel camera. The phone also ships with a Bluetooth headset featuring matching gold ascents. If gold bling is your thing, this limited edition RAZR2 will be available exclusively at Motostore KLCC in November.

Should we blame the system?

Tomorrow will be the 5th day of Syawal. Though I’m still in Tampin right now, I just confirmed an appointment for tomorrow in KLCC after lunch.

After the long holiday and eating all the ’sinful’ food (the ones with high cholesterol & ultra rich in sugar), I still can’t get over this 1 conversation that I had with one of my cousins recently.

She was just informing of the current move by the university we both went to once upon a time (which she now works for on the administrative side if I’m not mistaken). Its a simple move, just to rename what was originally ’school’ to ‘faculty’ and now to ‘college’. Thus, if I was an IT major, there will no longer be ‘the school of information technology’ or ‘the faculty of information technology’ but will be known as the ‘college of information technology’.

So, I had no idea why she brought up the matter but as I just could never resist an opportunity to create a challenging conversation, I told her that “it does not matter what name you give to a faculty or school or college.

As far as I’m concerned, the university we went too had too much political cosmetics and up until today, I still receive negative feedbacks from employers and people in the job  market /corporate organizations regarding graduates from our university”

When she asked me ” Why? ” , I confidently replied “well, for starters, the majority of graduates from our university can’t even speak conversational English (for business) what more be a fluent speaker. On top of that, they lack soft skills, such as negotiation and building business relationships even though some of them graduated with good results”
I gave her the example of how one of my friends graduated with an MBA but is currently way too happy with just a desk job whereas most people with MBAs would either be in management or senior management positions OR better still, running their own business, earning 3 to 10 times more income.

Well, that final point really made her pissed off because I just came to realize at that particular point of time, she gave all these reasons on how our education system does not emphasize on the usage of the English language. More over, she told me that its not fair to say that those who do not master English will not will not do well in their profession.

At that point of time, I was no longer in the mood to carry on with the conversation because I realized that I had indirectly described her personal situation whereby she’s
just too happy with her current job (which if I’m not mistaken does not require a degree, thus she is not being paid a salary worth her degree but more to what she is worth as an employee).

At that point of time, another cousin who was over hearing our conversation blurted out “wow! its so easy to blame the system or any other party except our own self” to which caused my already pissed off cousin to tone down.

We never finished the heated discussion but just for the record, my intention was to create an awareness so that she might come up with ideas within a group of friends to improve the quality of graduates since she still lives and works on the campus grounds.

But then again, if all we ever do is complain on how we are being paid too little for the job that we currently do OR we should be promoted to a higher post OR you are not in the field of your choice, just think for a moment why there are people within your age group that are being paid 3 to 10 times more than what you earn but never stop having passion for their chosen profession.

And due to that passion and burning desire to do what interests them the most they would even do their job for free, thus eventually enabling them to reap the fruits of success over and over and over again throughout their entire life…

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

I just returned from the aidilfitri prayers.

On behalf of the drnaz.net advisorial team, I’d like to wish all muslims
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfirti, Maaf Zahir & Batin.

Exploiting students’ potential

I’m sure Mrs Jessie Ching has made a major difference in the lives of her students & ex students. Based on the article below, she’s the type of person who knows how to do things differently and exploit the individual human potential.

It was 3 years ago at a major academic event when I heard the speech from someone in the highest echelons of our local education system on how there was a need to expand on human capital. Money is of course a major ingredient to bring in all the expertise and infrastructure but without knowledge and proper understanding, all we’ll get are ‘robots’ who might be able to tell you the exact amount of rainfall in millimeter’s for the town of Jelebu in any given year or that the actual value of ‘pi’ is 3.1415926535 instead of just 22/7. But in actual fact, these ‘robots’ that we produce might not have soft skills or that personal human touch required to be more than just an ‘admin executive’.

On another aspect, they might be smart and obtain a high paying job  but might lack social skills. Thus, they might be just way too busy to spend time with old friends from school who to them might not be ‘important’ at this point of time.

But again, its those who see  not only the potential of others but way beyond that who will reap the fruits of success in life.  To Mrs Jessie Ching, I would like to have coffee with you one day and see what it is you do that gives you that ‘magic touch’.

Sunday October 7, 2007

She transforms rough diamonds to shining gems

YIP Jee Cheng, or Mrs Jessie Ching, 39, coaches her pupils in Primary Six class at Mayflower Primary to sterling performances.

Last year, every pupil in her class scored straight As.

Yip has a knack for spotting talent and potential. To her, the secret lies in understanding a child.

She tries to know them well – where they spend their time and what they do when they’re not in school.

Yip (left) getting her pupils to act out a scene in a picture composition writing lesson so that their writing becomes two-dimensional. Here, the pupils dramatise a scenario where a lorry driver meets with an accident, spilling the ducks he was transporting all over the road. — ST/ANN

She also makes herself available for chats with her pupils during recess.

Pupils share their blogs with her and she regularly reads their online diaries. She gets them to write a weekly journal on topics like “my family” or “my best friends” to find out more about their lives and what they think.

“Sometimes they write two pages, and I write double that,” she laughs.

She also gets them to choose their dream secondary school and fill in the application booklet at the start of Primary Five. She revisits the booklet after every test to show her pupils how much work they need to put in to reach their goal.

“This is to help them get in touch with reality,” she says.

She is also in close touch with their parents – they all have her cellphone number – and works with them to plan a timetable for the pupils.

“I get pupils and parents to agree on things like how many hours pupils should spend online and how many should be devoted to work.”

With these methods, she has created many success stories.

One pupil who excelled in Primary Five slacked in mid Primary Six. She showed him the class rankings and how he was lagging behind his friends, and also sent him to an external mathematics competition where he had a chance to shine and be motivated.

He bucked up and made it to Hwa Chong Institution.

Yip also spotted the leadership potential in a quiet girl, Carolyn Chan, in Primary Five two years ago. Carolyn was quiet but charismatic and showed a mature understanding of situations.

Yip spent time talking to her and encouraging her. Carolyn went on to become head prefect and netball captain.

Carolyn says: “During her Maths lesson, Mrs Ching used strategies to encourage independent thinking. Instead of giving us homework, she got us to set questions for each other to solve.

“I stopped hating Mathematics.”

“She also sensed I was shy, so, in stages, she asked more and more of me in terms of participating in discussions,” adds Carolyn.

“She believed in me and gently pushed me to face what I found hardest to do – speak in public.”

Asked about her secret in spotting and nurturing talent, Yip says she sees herself as a facilitator drawing out solutions from the pupils themselves.

She said: “Children are brilliant these days. Some may not be academically inclined but that doesn’t mean they cannot think. For a lot of children, the potential is there – it just takes someone to recognise it.” – ST/ANN

A 2nd Chance @ Life

Sunday October 7, 2007

Organ transplants give many a second lease of life

KUALA LUMPUR: Television celebrity Andrea De Cruz, former minister Tan Sri Sabaruddin Chik, student Muhd Fikri Norazmi and management consultant Lee Chen Hoe are people with different ages, interests and standing in life. But they all have one thing in common.

They have all been given a second lease on life through organ transplant operations. Now each one is able to lead normal lives, with some even getting the opportunity to start over in an exciting manner.

De Cruz’ story inspired lovers all around the region five years ago when her then fiancé actor Pierre Png donated part of his liver to save her life when she suffered liver failure as a result of taking slimming pills.

Now married to Png, De Cruz also has another chance in her TV career.

“After the fifth year, you have this new-found inspiration, new-found drive,” said the radiant 32-year-old actress who is eager to start a family soon through adoption.

Sabaruddin, the 65-year-old former Umno secretary-general, who suffered kidney failure in December 1998 and underwent a transplant in China a year later, brought Malaysia the first medal in golf at the World Transplant Games held in Bangkok recently.

An avid golfer, he still drives himself to play golf with “normal people.”

“I lead a normal, healthy retirement life,” he said.

Most Fifth Formers might dread the coming SPM examination but for 17-year-old Muhd Fikri Norazmi, it is a gift of life that has enabled him to sit for the public examination.

The first mechanical heart boy was once like Tee Hui Yi, buying time with the device.

He spent a few months at the National Heart Institute and was fortunate enough to find a heart donor in December 2005.

Today, he is not only healthy but is also able to participate in sports and games like other active teens.

Retiree Albert Gunaratnam, the longest living heart transplant patient in Malaysia, now tries to make the most of each day and live life to the fullest.

Gunaratnam is especially grateful for the ability to lead a normal life because nine years ago, he could not even manage simple things like lifting a toothbrush.

Management consultant Lee Chen Hoe is forever grateful for the kidney he got almost 11 years ago from an American engineer, C.H. Bender, who was declared brain dead after suffering a stroke in 1996.

His kidneys failed when his twin daughters were just two and a half years old in 1991.

He has now stopped celebrating his birthday but commemorates the transplant date instead.

Appreciating life more, he looks forward to each day, especially to be with his daughters, and is also active in charity work.

For 21-year-old A. Revathi, her world literally became brighter when she received corneas from donors in Canada and Malaysia.

Her vision had been deteriorating from birth and became so bad that she dropped out of school by 16.

She was diagnosed with keratoconus, a condition in which the cornea changes to a more conical shape compared to its usual gradual curve.

She went through a dark period when she felt helpless and depressed.

Since the operation, she can see clearly without any visual aid in her left eye.

Now she has taken control of her life and works as a clerk in her family’s scrap metal business.

ORGAN DONATION INFO

For more information on organ donations, contact the National

Transplant Resource Centre at 03-2694-2704/2705, or the individual centres:

> Ipoh Hospital (05-5222324/2533333 at ext 2324),

> Penang Hospital at (04-2002436/2293333 at ext 435)

> Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Batu (07-2231666 at ext 2751).

The national toll-free number is 1-800-88-9080.

SKALI to train fresh ICT grads

Attention all ICT grads who are still looking for a job !

Here’s a golden opportunity. Make sure you do not miss out on it . 

The Star : Friday October 5, 2007

Skali to put unemployed ICT grads to work

By STEVEN PATRICK

KUALA LUMPUR: If you are an ICT (information and communications technology) graduate and having a hard time getting a job, e-business specialist Skali has an offer for you.

It will train you and give you a job in the Managed Portal Services (MPS) project, which involves the maintainance and upgrading of the 102 state government and 471 federal government websites.

Skali announced that it was awarded the six-year project, which is worth RM258mil, on Wednesday and has openings for 4,000 graduates in its training programme.

Through the programme, called Spike (short for Skali Pioneers and Innovators in Knowledge Economy), the company hopes to help unemployed graduates further develop their ICT knowledge and become entrepreneurs.

“The trainees will undergo practical training in multimedia and business, programming, IT networking systems, and project management,” said Aimi Aizal Nasharuddin, president of Skali (also known as Alam Teknokrat Sdn Bhd).

During the first three months, the trainees will be paid an allowance of RM500 per month. Once they reach apprentice stage, they will receive salaries of between RM1,200 and RM4,000, depending on their level of skill and competency.

The training will be conducted at MPS support centres in Selangor, Terengganu, Kedah, Pahang, Johor and Perak, and has already started with a group of 300 graduates.

Applicants should surf to www.spike.com.my for more information.

Aimi said that at the end of the contract period, more than 400 companies would be set up to take over the managing of the government websites.

“The graduates we train will get the opportunity to become entrepreneurs because they will be encouraged to form those companies,” he said. Skali will also outsource other work to them.

There is an estimated 8,000 unemployed ICT graduates in the country, out of an overall 150,000 graduates in total looking for jobs.

According to Skali, the lack of working experience and “very bad English” are the main reasons why there are so many unemployed ICT graduates.

“If they sign up for Spike, we will be upfront and tell them where they are going wrong so that they can improve,” said Skali co-founder and group CEO Tengku Farith Rithauddeen.

The programme, he added, is also designed to push these graduates out of their comfort zone so that they will start to strive for themselves.

Not many Malaysian’s plan for retirement

This was the findings of a recent survey conducted by Prudential lately. In planning for retirement, 1 major aspect that needs to be looked into is your spending requirements or your expenses budget on a monthly basis.

From there you have to add in inflation factors to compensate for additional future costs over the years. Upon retirement, family commitments usually reduces as the kids are almost independent and your mortgage or car loans are normally settled in full. But as commitments go down, the need for healthcare might increase to aging and illness. So, this must also be taken into consideration.

However, there are people who overlook all these issues and spend off their EPF on buying a new luxurious ‘retirement’ car or unnecessary renovation for the family home or live above their means.

Please read below :

The Star : Wednesday October 3, 2007
Prudential launches RM5.5m ad campaign

By DALJIT DHESI

KUALA LUMPUR: Prudential Assurance Malaysia Bhd has launched its RM5.5mil advertising campaign aimed at enhancing awareness among Malaysians on the importance of retirement planning.

The campaign – “What’s Your Number” is a 10-week campaign beginning Wednesday and one of the core initiatives of Prudential is to heighten awareness amongst consumers on the need to financially plan and prepare for life after retirement.

Prudential’s chief officer for brand, communications and partnerships distribution, Thomas Wong, said the campaign was the result of a recent survey by the company which revealed that Malaysians were generally ill-prepared and did not pay strong emphasis on retirement planning.

The findings of the survey were released in August; the survey covered over 1,000 city dwellers across Malaysia and it was conducted to understand and get better insight into retirement.

“While Malaysians clearly know what they want to do when they retire, a majority are not actively planning for it. Only 34% of those surveyed are consciously putting money aside regularly for their retirement funds.

“To add to the issue, a startling 60% are unaware of how much they need to sustain their lifestyles post-retirement. With longer life expectancy, rising medical and general inflation costs, such ignorance is indeed worrying if it is not addressed,” he said in an interview.

Under the campaign, the company’s 8,000-strong agents would be provided with a retirement calculator as a tool to determine their clients’ retirement “numbers” based on different desired lifestyles.

They could also use this to help clients calculate how much they need to save for retirement, he said.

According to Wong, through this innovative tool coupled with Prudential’s global expertise in retirement planning, it has given the company an added advantage and niche over other players in this field.

He added through its existing range of investment-linked plans, the company was able to help customers achieve their retirement “numbers” and goals.

Prudential currently has a total of nine investment-linked funds, including one foreign fund that invests in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan) and four syariah-compliant funds. The total investment-linked funds under management as at June 30 stood at RM2.9bil and in terms of market share, it commands about 32% of the investment-linked business.

Wong said the campaign had also been successfully launched by the group in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.