Category Archives: Journal
Monday Morning With My Gadgets
Good morning world!
Just past 7 am and it’s still dark out there.
It’s Monday! I love Mondays, don’t you? I don’t have to rush today as I’ve submitted the prices I calculated on last Friday.
Friday is supposed to be the “light-day” for people. But for me, it doesn’t matter what day it is, the job must be done. It I could do it at that time, I prefer to finish whatever at hand. But there was an issue. Last month’s month-end-close issue. We made corrections in October. I decided not to take the figures into account but I needed confirmation from my managers.
“Yes! The logic is there, I agree with you.” The former Manufacturing Accounting Manager said to me. But it was not enough for me. My manager came to me when he heard my arrghhh in a loud voice. He was worried, thought something happened to me. It was just the work. I talked to him and he confirmed what I had in mind. I felt good then.
The thing with this product price is, it does not impact a few Euros but about 100 million euros per month just for this single project. Apart from that, I would not want to hear yet another email from the partner company about a mistake. So, I’m happy to get 3 okays from the former site manager, my manager and also my site-lead.
So now I can just take before rushing to take a fresh shower. Well, these are part of my machines. I am a big fan of Apple products now. My 15″ MacBookPro and my iPad2 are two of my best buddies. I got the former in September and last Saturday for the latter.
My weekend had been a blast. I cooked Italian and Kadazan food with pasta and “tanghoon” (Chinese style vermicelli). I baked cake and I made Italian espresso traditional way. OMG! It was STRONG! And the noodles salad was HOT!
Happy All Saints Day
Hello hello,
It’s All Saints Day. A day after the All Souls Day. The American just celebrate their Halloween. While other countries in Europe are having a public holiday today, we have a fabulous day working today (NOT!). It is the work-day-1 in our field; should be busy but I’m taking it easy today after a few days of having headaches from all the requests.
Lovely indeed to be working on this holy day 01/11/2011.
I’m sitting at the Lebkov again this afternoon. My mind is like a machine, non-stop working. But I just take an easy way out, blogging here and later continue my articles I’m working on.
No, I haven’t bought anything yet as there was a long line wanting to order. So, I find a space at the back and just take out my laptop. Two guys sitting next to my left talk about work in IT. It sounds like an interview is being held. Not sure as I don’t want to listen. On my right is a one-person table. A guy is having his bread while playing with his iPad. At my back, there are 3 guys drinking and drinking and I heard someone making several calls. On my far end left, at the back, there is a lady enjoying her muffin, holding a book. On the other side at the back, 2 young ladies speak German are also enjoying their bread while chit-chatting about life.
The music they are playing on the air is jazz. Nice to do some work, chit-chat with a company or two, read a magazine or paper, or just having something to drink or to nibble.
It has been a while I have not been to Facebook so I am lacking of what’s going on in the world. If you are curious about what I’m doing, well, I’m working of my new dot com. Nothing serious. I’m just missing putting my stuff online although I can do it here or elsewhere with a free service.
I wish you all a Happy All Saints Day.
I Got Some Good News
I feel like it has been ages since I last came in here. Ooooppsss!
It’s 12.28pm here in this part of the world. I’m sitting at a cafe called Lebkov where a lot of people are having their lunch here or working with their laptops or paperworks. It’s lunch time for me too. So, I left my desk at work and came here. It’s so convenient to work in a big building, where you can have access to the public transportation, restaurants, shopping complexes or people.
While having my vegetarian Thai soup and typing these words, I enjoy looking at the crowd out there. People are passing by on this left side of the cafe to go to their destinations: metros, busses, offices, post-office, shops, gym, car parks. You name it.
In August, I was sent an eye opener by God. Since then, I haven’t stopped from investing so much for myself and for my dreams.
In September, I got myself a Mac Book Pro, 15″, the best that is available. Then I plugged-in to several trainings available online. It made my day when I got a snail mail from Sutera Harbour Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Screening to the bottom of the letter, I wanted to jump. It’s my dear Malaysian girlfriend, Elaine, who is also living in the Netherlands but on holiday in Singapore and Malaysia for the last 1 year plus. Attaching to the letter was a 2-page paperclips on the Harvest Festival held in England in August. It was also an honor to see my name printed there as the organizer of the first Harvest Festival celebrated officially in Europe in 2010. I couldn’t help but grinning from ear to ear for having this great girlfriend.
On top of that, I received a package from the US. I can say now that I am a proud member of International Travel Writer and Photographer. It tickled me to see a big word “JOURNALISM” printed on my card. Gosh! I have never taken any journalism courses in college. I write what I feel like writing but if you ask me technical stuff that you have learned at college, you will just get a shy smile from me. 
Ah! Did I tell you what my other September news? I guess some of you know by now through my Facebook pages.
Well! I can tell you in a different time on that. Right now, I need to get back to my initial purpose of coming to Lebkov.
Stay tune as I shall be here often especially when God is sending me His Angels to help you all out there.
Down with
It has been the third week of my unfortunate health issue and the third day of lying on top of a mattras, covered by warm blankets. I wish to just jump up from this missery but I know right now I just have to put this thing down and say a good prayer. Forget the world.
A Good Friday Thought
As I lay down on my tiny clapped bed here in my tiny study room, my eyes are busy browsing the bookshelves in front of me, just a few inches from my feet. I can see colours and books that are sitting properly on the shelves. I try to read the title. Without my contact lenses, it will not be a success. Blur.
But I know what those books are about. Self motivation books such as Positive Energy and Intuitive Healing by Judith Orloff M.D. The books I bought 5 or 6 years ago when I was totally down with my life. Fire Your Boss by Polland and Levine. A book I bought in England when I had the tendency to do something with the inhuman former manager in a company I worked for 6 years with the salary as low as a cleaner’s pay while I worked 14 hours per day. I am glad for the book. It always gives me a sense of strength and powerful. This book and many others from my bookshelves have led me to where I am now.
My favourites are the two books that I cannot reveal the names as it is a rule for me as the books’ reader to keep it for myself as I am the Rules Follower. I did break the rule once though when I lent one of the books to my former supervisor. Because he was leaving the country to the United States for his other assignment, I told him to keep the book as a gift from me. I hope he has gone to the top now with the secrets I just handed over to him.
I love it when I get books as gifts. When I left the company I worked for 3 years ago, my lady manager gave me Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 habits of Highly Effective People. I’m not sure if I ever have finished this book and I’m sure, it gives me part of the ingredients to be successful. Not that I have reached the highest rank nor earned the highest income now (it is actually neither). But the bottom line is I am successful to be where I am now. I earn much higher than ever (for my own satisfaction) and I am a happy person with my little – but perfectly OK – accomplishments.
Thanks to all my mentors, be it in books, from the emails or in reality, I cannot thank my lucky star enough.
For that, I thank God for all these blessings.
Happy Good Friday. And Happy Easter.
A Day Before Good Friday
I had question marks in my head when I entered the office and one of my male colleagues was wearing black T-shirt with a big “I am the greatest!” at his back. It is Thursday, why is he treating it as if it was Friday?
The sun was shining out there but I was shivering inside the building in my long sleeves top and a bit-upper-knee-short skirt. I made mistake for wearing the skirt for I got 2 same questions from 2 different people in a 2 different time. “What does it mean?”
My sharp-tongued colleague asked me the meaning of the 3 Chinese characters printing on my skirt. Someone said to a Chinese colleague to read it for us (as if he could, he is more “Dutch” than a Chinese). He made excuses. I thought I was better than him as I could read and even write more of the Chinese characters. But I kept the thought to myself, didn’t feel like making his face down again. If you know what I mean.
The day went pretty fast. I did not go out during the lunch hour but was trying to finish up some work.
I had a follow-up meeting on the team’s social event planning for the upcoming months. It turned out, not as positive as I would like to imagine. It was a good thing I took a deep breath before we entered the room.
Whatever you do, wherever you go, whichever way you think, there is always someone who is not happy and negative about a lot of things.
Just because you want to keep your nails from ruining, doesn’t mean the climbing up the stone or making something with bamboo is not a good team building activity. I had no word to describe how this was really a childish behaviour.
I went back to the boss and told him that we were to stick with the plan. He was OK with it finally. He didn’t want to decide (although he DID without realizing it), as he had us to organize the team events. He might have his worries but I just reminded him, “It’s me!”. He turned from my face to his computer and said, “Yes, yes. I trust you!”. Thank you Sir!
Although it was a though day for me because my head was still aching, and I had to do a thousand-and-one thing in one day, I did make some people happy. I took EUR3.50 of 5 cents and EUR1.50 from other coins to the canteen for their change (so I get a note of EUR5), they were so happy and just kept saying. “It’s wonderful!” I just smiled and said “My pleasure!” and left the canteen with my takeaway mixed salad and a free hard-boiled egg.
I was blessed with some compliments and comments from my bosses. “Princess” and “my dear” by my new supervisor. “Angel” by my manager. And a “she was quiet this whole week but once she is out from her skin, she is delicious!” from Mr CL. Btw, he got his “Smile if you want sex!” photos I made in December last year, which surely made his day.
Thinking of my earlier thought, I think I need a copy of that black t-shirt from my colleague. I want to be greatest on this Thursday too. As tomorrow is public holiday. A very long weekend celebrating Easter. And I don’t have any plans yet.
Appreciated Thought
Ah! What a fantabulous day! I loved how it turned out to be!
Our first team lunch was a success. We had it at the Chinese restaurant, 10-minute away from our office on foot. With 2 tables and many different nationalities: African, Chinese, Dutch, French, Irish, Italian, Malaysian and Spanish. We had enough meal for all of us. While waiting for the dessert to come, I went to the middle, between the 2 tables and told them that due to the recent occasion, I would like to do something new by celebrating it, and not going to do the “traditional” way (buying cakes and inviting colleagues to eat together at the open space in the office). So, I handed out the Fortune Sweets to each of them. Later, I heard laughter and talks from them.
Someone has a secret-admirer or someone will soon strike a jackpot. I don’t know who gets what but I am so happy this works out.
Apart from that, when the bill came, I surprised them with “the Boss has something to say” (by handling over the bill to him). They all burst out laughing and I could see how our Boss was all smiling with his comments and jokes. “….. since it’s our first team lunch and we just finished our first quarter. I’d be glad to say that today’s lunch would be paid by YOU!”
It all ended well and we all had a terrific time. I am glad when in the morning I turned to 2 colleagues to ask their opinion of this simple idea of mine. One (male colleague) said, “People don’t care how it looks like, beautiful or ugly. They will appreciate all what you have done and are trying to do.”
Another one (a female colleague) was all jumping when I showed her what I planned to do. She is above 50 but she acts as if she was a kid, so excited to receive a gift. So, I went ahead with the idea. And it turned out GREAT!
No matter how small the gift is, or how cheap it looks like, but people appreciate it nonetheless. It’s the thought that counts!
Quiet Birthday
Twelth of April. It’s my birthday and I’m turning “tuttttt”. Not an even number so what I did was adding the first and the next number to get an even number. I am a perfectly happy person to celebrate my DAY of birth on this quiet and calm day.
My cousins arrived last night from London through Paris and arrival in Rotterdam. It was my day off today as I planned for us to go to see the vibrant colours of tulips, lelies and other type of flowers in the biggest Tulips Spring Exhibition in Holland. Unfortunately both my cousins were so tired that they slept the whole morning and only got up almost noon to get some food and drinks.
Later that afternoon we went to the shops nearby my home and guess what? The sport shop was having a clearance. All branded sport footwear and apparels were on 75% discount. I got myself a pair of sandals and a medium-sized windbreaker for less than EUR30. My cousins bought bags, Nike shoes and more. At least it made our days with the huge discounts for them to bring home as their souveniers.
