I am here!

Hi! Yah, I am still here. Not abandoning my blogs. Just been really busy since the last one month trying to get use to waking up at 6am and leaving the house by 645am to get to the new place. I think some might remember that the official working hours of the new place is actually 8.30am but they too practice pretty flexi hour. However, since I am currently carpooling with hubby, we need to leave home early so that he can be at his workplace by 8am after sending me off to my office! Yah, that means I am actually at the office by 7.30am and again, way before anyone else there. 

Initially, I will send him to work and then reach the office by 8.30am. Then during lunchtime, go and pick him up and he drive me back to work after lunch so that he will have the car and pick me up and go home after work. Then, after a week, we realised that not only it is too much of a rush but also very painful on the petrol cost! So, since one of us had to sacrifice, I decided I rather go to work early than rush around during lunchtime. 

As much as I enjoyed the quite time early in the morning at the office, I will be glad when we finally moved to our new place end of the month. Then babe will be using his bike since that is only about 10minutes from the new place. And as for me, I will see if I still want to go to work early:P

Anyway, that is it for now. Super lazy to do much blogging! Maybe when we moved to the new place and have more time...maybe.. :P

October 9, 2009 - HOROSCOPE!

My horoscope yesterday:

Your horoscope for October 9, 2009
The weightiness of the past few days seems to be lifting, and you will find that there is a slight breeze building up that will help to fuel your fire, Jen Lu. By having built a solid foundation, you have created a reliable launching pad from which to take off. Communicate what you have learned with others. Allow your opinion to be heard. A great deal of useful information will be exchanged.

I must say, this week has been a long but short week. Am I confusing you? Long because it seems that there are so much to learn and short because it seems that there is not enough time. It felt as if it has been decades since I joined this company but in actual fact only been less than 10 days. Well, today would be day-10 to be exact. How was it so far? Well, I can only say now I understand how this company can grow to 209,000 employees in over 60 countries! The group activities not only include business or profit making but also employee social well-being, safety and health as well as social activities.

I am involved in so many things on top of the daily activities that it is making me dizzy just thinking about it. But that alone would not have been a great task, challenging but not impossible to do since there are many guidelines from the group HQ. What irks me is actually despite being part of a big consortium, the processes and things are done, the daily task handling are still so primitive! And I can hear the exec keep sighing and banging her stuff around while going about her work (Not sure if this is for my benefit as the her new superior but definitely need to talk to her about that later).

I wonder if my manager is trying to 'cleanse' the department of oldies that simply cannot cope with the additional more challenging job requirement as part of a group. I seriously do not know but was informed on Tuesday that the prod planning manager is resigning. He has been with the company forever and decided to leave. The rest of us in the department are actually less than 2year-old and most are less than 1-year-old. Knowing my boss, he will most likely look for someone that have the drive and initiative to look for improvement to make things more efficient and effective.

I think we really need it. Looking at he complaints from customer the pass few months this year, some of the complaints are really due to really silly human error that if ever happen, should only happen once and not repeatedly!

Anyway, back to the horoscope, the weightiness lifting yesterday, how true. Because I actually see the light at the end of the tunnel getting brighter and brighter with each passing days because I can see some things that I can do in order to make things more efficient! Yar yar, I know, I am crazy. It just work but friends that knows me will know that I can never just lie still if I can see something challenging but improvement that is within my power or knowledge to do. I think that is why babe sometimes say I am being silly for being so passionate.... hehehe.....

Short talk: New place!

Just a short one! Too tired to update much. Started work at the new company since 1 Oct. Pretty boring first few days with not much to do. Basically, I am trying to absorb as much as possible from the manager that I am replacing before her last day. Hoping to be able finish the handover by next and then start hands on with her on hand for me to ask her questions if there is anything. Boss is starting to send me stuff to do starting with customer visit next Friday. At this time, I will reserve my comment to myself for now until I learned more because I got this feeling that I will start to recommend changes but I got this feeling that I need to think over carefully how to approach this so that people can accept this.
WISH they will speed up though! SO SLOW!!!!

On the good side, landlady agreed to waive the remainer of the year and let me just give her 2 months notice before vacant the place I am staying now so that we can find a place that is nearer to the my and babe work place now ^_^. Looking forward to move in Dec!! :P

2nd last day

PHEW! FINALLY, tomorrow is the last day of work at my current company. Immediately after that, Thursday will be my first day. And guess what, I have not start clearing my cubicle. I think I have a couple pair of shoes under my desk and some girlie stuff in the drawers! Oh, and also some containers and cups in the pantry. Hope I wont forget anything. Feeling kind of weird actually because till today, I am STILL doing work and STILL redirecting my colleagues to the new fella taking over the job.

Guess they are still trying to get use to not having JenJen around to ask question that they can get answer to almost instantly. And I can see the new fella is getting really stressed out now with the amount of work that he took on. I think he is already wondering what did he get himself into. I keep hearing him sigh and say "so much to do". All I can say is that I been doing it for more than 1.5 years. Just need some getting use to of course, all the 12 items in the list that our US boss told him he need to make sure he pick up and do.

Anyway, colleagues brought me out for my farewell lunch at Italiannies today. The food was so-so & nothing to shout about but we had great fun laughing and snapping lots of photos. 3 of us brought DSLR cameras and another a G9. We are slightly high and excited with the cameras and it being the 2nd last day for me. I think we were easily the noisiest crowd there. But who cares. We had fun. We can see the waiters and waitress had fun watching us making a fool of ourselves. HEHE!

Then, we walked around 1u for awhile to walk off our lunch and take some more photos. After that, of course back to office. That is where I got bombarded with lots of last minute questions from the guy (I call him puppy because he sit next to me and sharing my desk since the day he arrived from Taiwan like a lil faithful puppy!) and Merv also started to get worried.

Something that he said got me thinking because I was wondering why he is asking me all this questions that puppy should do. Turn out he is worried because they have been taking it for granted that I am here and based in the same office and it a simple matter of walking over to my cubicle if he need any information or do some brainstorming. In order word, took me for granted la! :P HAHA! But I am ok la. At least I know this people will FEEL the lost when I am not around. HEHE!

So, I sent my farewell email too already to the colleagues. Monday was emails to vendors and customers. And since Monday, been getting lots of emails, skype and calls asking me if puppy is taking over my job responsibilities, what is my role now. I think most of them expect either I got a promotion or transferred to another department especially since our co just bought over a company in Taiwan.

Some were pretty shocked when I said I resigned and last day is on 30 Sep! One vendor even go as far as asking me how come I NEVER mention to her that I am leaving. All I can say is that it is not my decision but my boss requested me not to mention anything to anyone of the vendors and customers yet till Monday. No idea why and not keen to ask as well because I might be shocked by the answer as usual.

A colleague who is the boss of the engineering department even ask if I am really leaving because he heard I resigned but thought I changed my mind because nothing seem to be different! I guess they are shocked because I still go about doing my work till well, today! But no choice. I simply cannot just let go like that la especially when I imagine my poor customers and vendors. Not to mention all the hardwork to pull in deliveries. So, while puppy work hard to download and assimilate all the information, I had to be the temporary firewall. HEHE!

YAR YAR! I am sot already with excitement! WOOHOO!!

Stupid stupid stupid

It is less than a week to my last day of work in this company and yet the COM still have the ability to irk and makes me feel like screaming at the top of my lung in frustration. Imagine this conversation among all the other members of the team and also a colleague from Taiwan that is going to take over my job scope:

COM: You are not suppose to contact end customer A.
Me: Yar but customer told us that we can contact his end customer A. He gave the authorisation to end customer A to communicate shipment with me.
COM: But this is not acceptable. You are not suppose to deal directly with end customer A. You should only deal with customer.
Me: BUT customer AUTHORISED and gave the permission to communicate on shipments related to this product.
COM: No. Can you guarantee that customer will not refuse to acknowledge the shipping arrangement made by you via the communication with end customer A. Can you be sure customer wont do this?
Me: ****PENGSAN AND 3-LINE". But COM, customer told me via EMAIL cc all the bosses that end customer A can deal directly with me.
COM: There is an email? Does the email cc his boss?
Me: Yes.
COM: Then it is ok.

ARGGH!!!!!

Case2, came meeting, same group of people:

COM: Lets have training 10am to 12noon today for him.
Me: Can we do this after lunch? I need to call customer for urgent shipping matter.
COM: Why do you need to call customer?
Me: Customer requested I call him once I have the final quantity for shipment today so that he can give me the final instruction.
COM: But shouldnt customer have provided you the shipping instruction earlier?
Me: Yes, normally they will but because this shipment is urgent and they need to know the final quantity so that they can make intelligent shipping priority to their end customer.
COM: No, this is not necessary. This is why I want to be in the training so that we can make sure no last minute things like this done. Send customer email to tell him the final quantity and ship tomorrow.

ARGGH!! ARRRRRGGGGGGGGH!!!!! First of all, customer said it is important and I have already promised customer that I will call him to let him know the final shipping quantity so that he can give the correct shipping instruction. Second of all, just because you are the boss does not give you the right to preach one thing and do another thing. What happen to 'think for the customer'???? Third of all, stop be so blardy unprofessional. Just because the candidate that I introduce for this job said that bosses need to be supportive and respect his subordinates AND you felt it is hitting a sharp arrow at you, it does not give you the right to be so idiotic and try to get at me at every opportunity.

I do not have control over what she will or will not say to you during interview. And so what if she said that? It is the TRUTH! BOSSES NEED TO BE SUPPORTIVE AND RESPECT HIS PEOPLE! JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT AND FEEL THAT SHARP SHARP ARROW SHOOTING & SHITTING AT YOU, not my PROBLEM!

Thank GOD I did not change my mind about leaving this stupid job. I think I am really stupid to let this get to me like this when my last day is 30 Sep! IF it was not for the benefit of the customers and my team members, do you think I will even bother??? This is not very nice of me BUT I hope whatever bad karma will go to you 100x worse than the way you treat your subordinate! STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID!

Crazy Old Man

I know I will be leaving all this behind in less than two weeks and I should not let it affect me. But it is pretty hard not to feel hurt and unappreciated when I been working hard to make sure that me resigning would not affect the team much. So, it is really upsetting to hear someone said straight to my face in front of other members of the team that he thought I no longer consider myself part of the team. And this is simply because I have not been keeping him in my email loop!

Really hurtful and irritating especially when I have done nothing but THINK of the team! If I do not consider the team, why the world do I bother to push the vendors so hard the last 2 weeks to pull in the deliveries so that it will not clash with the golden week holiday in China early Oct! In fact, in each meeting that we been having, I have been reporting improvement that the vendors were able to make in the delivery schedule after monitoring, pushing, begging and even threatening!

Did he think that the job just get itself done if I dont do anything about it. Did he think that if I do not put any effort to THINK of the team, things will somehow be ok? BLARDY IDIOT COM! And just because someone that I recommended for to replace me said during the interview that a boss need to be supportive and respect his people, I am automatically the prime suspect for such statement. Or perhaps I am the one telling my friend to say that to him? AGAIN, BLARDY SHALLOW COM!

To think that I actually have regrets for resigning from the company last few days. Talking to R about the potential that this company has and the career prospect, it makes me think perhaps I can reconsider my decision. But after today, it has reaffirmed my decision is the right one for me. No more doubt. Just a positive outlook of the next adventure in my career.

Sometimes I wonder, why the hell does the company do not do SOMETHING drastic already. How many more good people need to leave the company before anything will be done? Yar, it is easy to find a replacement but can the company be sure that the replacement will be as good as the person that they are replacing? And even if the person is, will he or she be able to work well in the team as we are now?!?

But I cant help thinking, did they dont even know how lucky they are to have this team? The few things that kept me going when I came home too stoned and tired to even cry is my husband, my friends and my team members! The only few regrets that I have about leaving this job is leaving the guys from my team to suffer. I hope and pray they know when to get out when things get too unbearable and have the strength to fight back. DONT LET THE BLARDY COM BULLY YOU GUYS!

I still cannot understand why God gave me COM though. Perhaps it is to make me look within myself, learn and know when to accept defeat. Perhaps it is to show me how 'unique' a boss can be. Or maybe so that I know myself better and push myself to higher level? Or it is simply to remind me of my goal to climb the career ladder?

Looking at the big picture, I know I have gained more than I lost. I can just imagine, 10 years from now, looking back into this chapter of my life, I will smile at my foolish optimism and naiveity.

Short talk: Desperation

OMG!!! I am so bored!! SOMEONE please rescue me!! It is not that I have nothing to do. I did all of it per usual but I think it is because I know that I will not be doing it much longer and hence, no challenge to make things better, i.e. now just keeping it at status quo, and hence, no challenge, no stress equals to BOREDOM! Life have no meaning la without aim and goal! I cant wait till it is my last day and I start at my new place!

SIGH!!!! I am actually FB-ing, FV-ing, MW-ing and YV-ing! All the -ing! And oh! BLOGGING! DAMN! Have not done this for awhile already. And I am also eating more than usual because I guess I am filling boredom with food? But even that is not curing it! HOW AH?? HELP!! Another 7 days of workday to go!!!

I know, crazy! Got pressure and stress also complaint. Dun have also complaint! But that is human nature la I guess :P

Short talk: Happy Talk :P

WeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! CLEAVER! FIGHT!

Guess what! Guess what!!! Something really exciting (and kinda scary too) happened while babe and I went to have bak kut teh for our dinner. It involves 2 big cleaver, a broom, big stone and a car! Oh, and 2 ladies! The story goes like this, babe and I were happily having our big bowl of bak kut teh at this place in Kepong called Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh (or in Mandarin it was actually Jia Jia Bak Kut Teh).

Half way through our meal, suddenly we hear this really loud honking. When we looked around, we realised that there was this red proton saga parked right in the middle of the road, blocking the other cars that is parking there from leaving. So, being the most natural reaction, the guy who is driving this old model of mercedes honked to get whoever the owner of the car to drive away. I think he must have honked for more than 15minutes and from the sound of the honking that is getting louder and longer, he is getting really impatient.

Suddenly, we hear this loud shouting from the 3rd floor of the shoplot! I think the Indian lady was shouting something about dont bug me. Go talk to the shop owner. And so on. She sound really angry and looks likes someone that has just been woken up from her sleep. That is what babe and I thought anyway, i.e. the long loud honking has woken her from a much needed sleep perhaps or a really bad day? Anyway, the car did stopped honking for a short while. Shocked from being screamed at for no apparent reason. I think he is also worried the crazy woman might just throw something down and damage his car.

But after awhile, he decided to start honking again. This time, the lady that runs the bak kut teh(BKT) shop came out and look around. She then too start shouting and this time from the road up the shop house! Apparently, the red proton saga belongs to the first lady that shouted from the 3rd floor! WOW! NOW we understand why she was shouting. The shouting match begins then and it start to escalate.

Suddenly, we saw the 3rd floor lady coming down the stairs and start to charge at the bkt lady! And to make matter even more dramatic, the bkt lady was carrying TWO big cleaver!The 3rd floor lady actually took some stick and tried to hit the bkt lady with it. I mean, this two women wa really going at it and really did seem as if they are going to hurt each other. The weirdest part it, no one except a Bangladeshie that is working there did anything at all.

By this time, the crowd has gathered, including those from a restaurant nearby! I saw the Bangladeshie made a phone call. And from the chaos, I was able to made out that he called the owner of the bkt shop. From the bits and pieces I heard, it seems that this has happened before! Anyway, after a while, the 3rd floor lady decided to go back to her place and start shouting from the balcony and have shouting match there. Some where, some how, the bkt lady decided to call the police. Shouted rather loudly and tell her kuli to call the mata (police in hokkien la).

The 3rd floor lady of course wont admit defeat. She too want to call the police. In fact, that is exactly what she did and had a loud conversation from her balcony in Manglish (Malay + English), I think for the benefit for the rest of us down here. At some point, she put down her phone and actually shouted at us, the customers and scolding us for supporting the bkt and eating there!

BKT lady got angry and started to shout at her again. And somehow, the thing got so heated that the 3rd floor lady started throwing things down from the balcony in her attempt to hit the bkt lady I guess. By this time, the cars that was being blocked by the red proton saga somehow managed to get out and move their cars away. If not, I am pretty sure those cars will have some dent by now.

Anyway, at first, she only throw those mini empty plastic flower pots. Then, suddenly as the bkt lady walk away, scolding all kinds of things at the 3rd floor lady, something really big and heavy landed at one of the table that is just 10feet away from me! Thank god the table was empty and the stone didnt hit anyone. It was actually a really big piece of broken brick! By then, people have actually left or moved table, leaving one corner of the bkt place empty.

I actually wanted to ask babe to lets go. But babe said she wont hurt anyone la. If she did, when she came down the first time, she would have went amok and hit the bkt lady with the broom or whatever she can grasp her hand on. I guess I agreed with babe on that point but sometimes when people anger boiled over, they might not know what they are doing. Anyway, we kept a pretty close eye on the 3rd floor lady to make sure that she is not throwing anything else that might hit us.

In the end, the reason for such fury was because she felt that because of the bkt doing business there, the customers are 'taking' her parking. In actual fact, since it is a shophouse, there is not reserved parking. I mean, any sane normal person would actually just move the car and parked in the space that was vacanted. No big deal right? If she wanted a reserved parking space, perhaps she should have looked for a higher end place to stay? Anyway, since I do not fully know what is going, I will reserve my judgement to myself. For all I know, something the bkt lady did previously provoked this resentment.

Babe and I certainly had some excitement and our adreneline pumping slightly. The drama and the hot bkt! What a combination :)

LONGG WEEKEND! YAHOO!

The smurf-song keep playing in my head!!! I cant get it out!! ARGGH!!! It keep on going 'lalalalala' over and over and over again. If you know the smurf-song, you know how irritating this is if that is all the music that keeps on going on like a broken record and you just cant turn it off!! GGRRR! This is all my babe's fault! He was teasing one day by lala-ing the song and since then, whenever I want to lala-ing, automatically this song will pop up!

ANYWAYYYYYYYY, today is Tuesday and it will be the weekend soon! I am going on leave this Friday for the pre-employment medical check up. Been given strict instruction to start fasting from 8pm onwards. Apparently it will be a very complete check up that will start at 9am and most probably only finish around 2pm. And it is at Subang Medical Center. I was told that I must remember to bring the letter from my new company or else I will have to pay RM500+ first and claim later. DEFINITELY will make sure I remember to bring the letter. No way la, RM500! Crazy!

And then it will be the start of a long weekend since Monday and Tuesday next week is public holiday. At first, babe and I thought we should go to Cameron Highland since we never been there before. Maybe for a 2night, 3 days stay. But in the end decided to forget about it because for one thing, it will be peak season and for sure there will be surchange on top of the normal price. For another, it will definitely be super crowded! We both do not like to go for holidays at crowded places.

So, what do we do then? I am thinking of baking up a storm and babe is thinking of bbq (AGAIN!). Babe and his bbq! He is going gaga over bbq-ing. But I dont mind. It mean that I can stock up on my smoked chicken again. Good for making salad. And bbq should be healthier than deep frying right? Anyway, up to him la as long as he clean up the bbq pit and balcony after that. Me, as usual, have to wash up la, what else!

So, I am thinking of baking but not sure if I will or not because might end up being super lazy and just decided to forget it la. I still have some three-layer pork and spare ribs. So might just roast that in the microwave oven again like I did for the Special Crispy Roast Pork. I dont want to grill or roast the sparerib as I think it is tastier if can smoke it on the bbq pit! Oh well, see how la. I guess most important is have fun! :P