Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Friends come, friends go

I was shocked knowing that two female colleagues whom i am relatively fond of will be leaving for the State very soon.

A senior Venezuelan engineer will be leaving for Houston next Friday.

A Chinese Malaysian girl from Proposal Dept whom i met in the gym will be leaving for York in August as her husband has got a scholarship for his PhD studies.

Friends come, friends go, make new friends, remain in contact with some longtime friends...

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Accommodation Hassle

A Saudi engineer is having difficulty to get a luxurious apartment with nice garden even with the budget allocation of 1500 Pounds a month as he only looks for three month rent. He has run out his time because his wife and his children will be coming next week. He said: "My wife will kill me if i still cannot get a good place when she comes!"

His Saudi colleague spoke to me and looked for help.

I shared with him about the hassle I have in my present shared house. I gave a one-month notice last 15th of May but the houseowner said the notice should be given on the 1st and therefore i must stay until end of June.

Well, i didn't like to argue and agreed to stay until end of June.

Two days ago, unexpectedly, the houseowner asked whether i can move out end of this month since he has got people saw my room (without my knowledge) and they are interested in moving in the 1st of June.

I said: Well, although it is short notice, i will find out whether i can do so and i will let him know the next day.

He said: Oh, it's ok, you can let me know the day after the next day.

I had appointments for room viewing arranged yesterday evening and got one although it is far from town centre, which is at the other end of Bus 17, indeed it would be a long distance for me to go to work by taking two buses. I paid a down payment of 25 pounds as I didn't have much cash with me.

I went home and told the houseowner that i have got a place and i could move out end of May as he asked.

AS EXPECTED, he said: No, those people are only interested but they have yet to give me confirmation by the day after the next day. If they don't want to come in 1st of June, you have to stay until end of June!

Well, I have made down payment to move into another place end of this month.

I could give a ring to the coming houseowner that I could not move in because of so and so.

However, although it was only merely 25 pounds to burn compared with the 200 pounds of deposit that will be most likely refused to be refunded by the present houseowner if he insisted me to stay until end of June, for me, a word is a word that I have given my words to the coming houseowner. Indeed, I am not one who breaks the promise on any cost and am certainly also not a self-centered one who chooses to suffer others for self survival.

The Saudi colleague offered me the extra room of his apartment until 23rd of June when his family come. I laughed and told him that his offer should come yesterday instead of today.

Actually, quite a number of my colleagues are senior engineers sent from their respective companies. Therefore, most of them stay in a two-bedroom apartment alone.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Meditation

I feel good after having practised meditation for a few sessions. It makes me stay in focused, steady and calm.

Meditation helps us to neutralize our energy. Negative and excessive energy flows out from our body. We will be back to our inner neutral tranquility.

Copy Writing

Copy writings from a company and I like it:

"Creative without being unrealistic
Professional without being dull
Fun without being frivolous
Knowledgeable without being know-it-alls
Focused without being blinkered"

ai, money!

I've been feeling unstable mainly over the accomodation that does not make me feel comfortable. First, the house-owner who also lives in the shared-house has been a pain. He is not only uncivilized but also money-oriented. Before I moved in, everything was okay. But not long later, restrictions have been imposed gradually. Indeed, all five tenants in the house share merely one shower room and one toilet. Imagine when you have urgent natural call to do, but others have been taking turn and occupying the only one.

What to do? I can't afford or do not want to pay double to rent an own place. Most places at the range of my budget allocation are nasty. After having seen a few places, one would realize that how people have used housing property to make MORE money.

That was once I arranged a room viewing and I was delighted to see it was a bungalow. I got shocked immediately when i stepped into the bungalow. The whole house was re-structured into many rooms and one could only pass by through spaceless corridors along the cheap wood walls of those rooms that look like prison cells! In the mind of the house-owner, that is only the concern of $$$ making, and not also the quality of life of those tenants.

You will be surprised to see such significant number of people live in poverty. The gap between the established rich and struggling folks is big. I call the U.K. a very much capatalist country.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

The Peace of Mind

Anger, Jeaulousy, Pride, Thinking you are the best, Arrogance, Revenge, Greed, Lust, Lies produce negative energey and we will become sick in mind and body.

Be Generous, Caring, Forgiving, Understanding, Loving, Mediatate, Compassionate, and this will eliminate ego, then we will be genuinely happy from inside and be blessed wholly with the inner peace.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Work

It is human habit: Always not satisfied with one's present stage and desperates for something else.

When I was working for the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia, sometimes I got frustrated with the red tape of government operation and I wished to get a way out by being eager to go overseas.

Now, I am working abroad, but I have been missing my duties as well as my colleagues at the Japanese Embassy.

"Be gladful as long as you stay healthy and make use of what life has given to you!" ~ That's what I have learnt.

Stay Focused

I am sorry that I have been bothered by the outside wave and have yet to stay focused on things that I aim to do, including few writings on my excursions to Norway and the Switzerland. I wish to write my personal experience of working and travelling in the Western world for the benefits of the national growth of my motherland.

Friday, May 12, 2006

A season, A reason, A Lifetime

I have met people and made friends who are a reason and a season...

For me to my friends whom I fortunately have met and made, I wish that I am not a reason, and I will not be a season, but lifetime genuine friendship.

For the only one, I believe that I will certainly be more than a lifetime for him and me.

保護自己的寧靜與幸福

"保護自己的寧靜與幸福,是我們人生的一大目標,找到一個對的男人則不是人生一大目標。只有抱持著這種態度,我們才能夠開始去尋找一個能夠用健康、正常的方法關愛我們的人。"

Safeguarding one’s tranquility and peace of mind should be one of the main objectives in life instead of acting desperately to get someone.

自信與優雅

* 高雅、幽默、聰明、仁慈
* 多閱讀、多分享、多體會
* 待人有禮、溫和謙恭
* 說話語氣和緩、不急不徐
* 飲食細嚼慢嚥,是教養與優雅的展現
* 認真做事的女人最美麗
* 高跟鞋更顯出女人的高貴
* 乾淨的香味是女人優雅的風味
* 簡單的穿衣風格為你的優雅氣質加分
* 嘮叨與抱怨會讓你的優雅氣質扣分

奧黛麗赫本之所以是絕佳的優雅女人角色典範,不僅是她擁有的寬闊胸襟與氣度,也是因為她質樸不做作的風格使然。所以囉,在以上所提的優雅守則當中,如何學習其中的精神,而使其毫不做作地自然展現出來,才是真正的「赫本精神」。

Friday, May 05, 2006

Old Folk Homes

2005. 01. 20-21

I went to an old folk home that I have been visiting regularly in KL last weekends.

I cooked and cleaned the place at the old folk home. Most of the old folk homes including governmental-funded old folk homes, except private commercial old folk homes, are not well maintained.

I brought fresh soya bean drink as well as fruits for them. They were so happy. One of them told me shyly that they hardly have fresh fruits.

The old folk home that I visited regularly is located at a cemetery place in an isolated area in KL. The old folk home is at the first floor of the mortician’s shop. That place is sponsored by the funeral director. Their area of movement is limited to that particular floor, no garden or entertainment for them. What they can only do is lie on their beds and wait for the day to come perhaps. They are those abandoned by their family members, specifically their children. They are transferred by the KL General Hospital to the old folk home as they refused to leave the hospital after having been admitted.

When I was there, I saw a very old man who hardly walked tried to wash and cook the rice with his hands trembling. Those old folks have to prepare the food themselves. There is no permanent appointed staff to take care of them. An old lady whom I was told has mental problem is the only cook.

When I was cooking the lunch, I heard the old lady cook shouting in the toilet: “You have made the whole body full of shit. Quickly clean your body and I will help you to clean the toilet.”

When I came out from the open-air kitchen, I saw a naked small-sized and slim old man whose one led was cut moving himself difficultly on a wood roller from toilet to his bed. In order to take care of his pride of a man, I pretended of not seeing him although in reality my heart was aching. Another man whose right hand was cut went to help him by using his leg to push the old man back to his bed.

I plan to go there again tomorrow morning and cook a better lunch for them. What they served are normally canned food that are brought and stored by kind-hearted people. Moreover, the cook has to divide the limited food equally in order to make sure all of them are served.

I had been asked a few questions concerning about the medication they were taking. Fortunately, I have a few medical doctor friends and one of them was my closed friend during high school days, whom I can refer to.

2005. 01.20; 10 p.m.

I went there and cooked for them again this morning. I used miso to replace the salt. I was very happy seeing them taking a bigger plate for their lunch.

I saw a man without his right hand putting his plate on the table and ate the food directly from the plate with his mouth without using his only left hand. I guessed he was a right-hander and he might found inconvenient with his only left hand.

The very old man whose hands were trembling and had difficulty in movement worked extremely hard by walking around to serve the food and fruits to those who can’t walk and can only lie on beds. What I found sarcastic was that the very old man tried his best to help out whereas some healthier and younger old men chose to do nothing. That is so-called personality. Some people are hard-working whereas some are not.

Originally I didn’t take my lunch there. However, seeing them eating cheerfully, I guessed the food might be delicious and I also took some food there. When I was taking the food, my heart felt genuinely warm. I assumed their hearts were as warm as mine when they were having the food. That was my consolation and real gladness seeing them happy.
2005. 01.21; 4 p.m.

Coincidently, a news article on an old folk home that I had visited one and half year ago was carried by a local Malaysian newspaper. That old folk home is located in Bentong, Pahang, which is about three hours drive from KL. I helped to cut and wash the hair of the first two ladies from the right of the largest photo. I still remember that the older lady refused to let me cleaning her although she did not take bath for a few days as she was afraid of cool.