The story so far....

Dear Bloggers,

Its been ahwile. My dedication to write..hmphhh probably at best be described as utterly inconsistent. As usual, the excuses are given..work, outstation, project, and and and..but somehow today I managed to gather up some quality time with me, my laptop, a stash of Mentos SourMix and some tunes blazing through this microscopic speaker of my feeble handphone, since it happens to be that my laptop speakers went bonkers. Note to friends, an outdated iPOD for a birthday present would be nice! (Hint!Hint!).

You know the 'ol saying of the elders, in faith in God, and thou shall prevail. Well, God has been very kind to me lately. The decision to buy my house was, kinda impulsive. I wasnt like going around scouting for places, compiling brochures, cross-referencing every details of loans, MRTA offers with location, price and affordability. Nope...it was kinda..damn, the wedding funds there, but errr..no girl..so..hmmmm, change my ride? Yeah kinda did that modified Honda Bullet thingy to catch some action, which was blurgh..and at minimum some action by minah rempits..that never prevailed. So, decisions, decision. Hot ride or your own pad?

Then it hit me, what if get the pad, paint the walls psychedelic pink, install rotating bed, mirrorball on the ceilings and smog the place with Mojo incense, then get the hot ride! Yup. Seems like a good plan. So a houselah. Decision decided.

So off thee went, into the Batmobile, breezing through LDP arriving at Taipan at which I approached Sime UEP. Called up a friend and ask for a walkthrough of the current existing projects that were going on. Sime UEP has custody of good locations, so it was an obvious choice for me to look there first for options. Apart for some additional incentives for staff purchase, the property appreciation for Ara Damansara and Putra Heights was far above 20%. Got hold of a list of available good units and off I was to view them.

So, brought 'lil sis along for the ride, looking at the houses along Putra heights and Ara Damansara. As the available, and affordable Ara lots were not attractive, we whisked ourselves to the far reaches of USJ, and set foot on Putra Heights. Browse through Laman Putra untill, ever so cooly my sister said, " Oh my God, Cantiknyeee!!!". At which my response was ok, take foto and show Dad.

Back home, showed Dad the brochure that entailed the layout of that particular unit, some fotos to get a better picture, at which Dad turns around and tells me, " How much am I willing to spend?". To which my reply was the whole wedding funds. An eyebrow was raised..proceeded by a grin. At this point, he was looking at that units largest build up size. That particular size had a nice guest room; which is obviously for him. He pointed out that when he started in life, he was scraping the barrel to sustain his income with family and house. So, looking sharply at me, why should I suffer less!

So, it was set. I went to Sime UEP, plonked in the deposite and there you go. Bought the house. As of to date not only did it take my wedding funds to get through the first payment, but totally exhausted the EPF account 2 and my fixed savings. Not to mention my current savings account was dried up...left barren like an empty well. To sustain myself, had to go through some tough times asking Dad for money to pay the toll and petrol..malunye!

But, so has it, just when I thought I had to brave the winter, in comes a memo from HR confirming the profit sharing from Conti global. So, as you know it a certain bonus would be paid out this month for the company's international profit! Whoahoooh! Alhamdulillah. God has ways to surprise you sometimes.

Which comes to a point, a man does not choose his destiny, he tries his best in life until finally his destiny appears before him. So, thats the new motto. The new vision. The new philosophy. As we near ourselves to the end of 2007, I can only mention the highlight of this year as much:

• Acat and Juan got married. All praise to God for finding my best bud happiness
• My cuz Weween's amazing wedding..best wedding event so far
• Bought the house. Bought the love shack.
• Acat being a dad for the first time.

So, being that I wouldnt know till when I would be able to write again, I wish all bloggers, Selamat Hari Raya AidilAdha, Happy Christmas Holidays and a smashing good year.

P.S. Sorry Juan. Didn't had it in me to talk bad about women. Who am I to say or judge people especially to the companion and equal of men.

This is the house that 'Jack' built

Dear Readers,

Aha! So just to update to you guys I am officially the owner of Lot no 42, Jalan Putra Indah, Putra Heights. Tis, ladies and gents, is my humble abode. I bought this house after Raya. It was, to some extent based on some frustration as well as a certain decision I decided I should take should I end up at 30 and single.

Ok, I'm not yet 30, but 28 going on to 29! I have saved up some money for a grand wedding, but alas a promise of granduer doesn't seem to attract ladies of this yore..I guess. So to Hell with them (for the moment) and I welcome this latest offerring (semua berkat rezeki datang dari Tuhan, kan?) with open arms. Alhamdulillah.
I have to admit that its kinda big even for guys that are just starting a family. Selalunye a simple 20 x 70 or 24 x 70 dah kire cukuplah, but I seem to push the envelope by purchasing a 29 x 75 size home! Tah ape nak buat with all that space..God knows. Actually there was a few options before this house, but the most important choice was that Dad was comfortable with the house. He had the last say. He would be an integral part of this house, so his comfort does come up as top priority in the decision factor.

As usual, the temptation of decorating memanglah teramat sangat. Gone are the car magazines, in come the interior design journals. I have been salivating over Pottery Barn catalogues on the bed and on the 'stool'. Nasib baik my cousin is an interior decorator, boleh mintak tips. So now I have a new obsession; taking photos of places and friends houses if I find some ideas that they have done tickles my fancy. Nasib baik dah upgrade memory card handfon! Just recently spent last Saturday with Acat and Juan, in which I asked Juan what was the colour of her cream coloured wall! Ideas, beb!

This house also managed to open up a new family routine in which my sisters demand that we try to meet up every weekend to discuss of this house punye decoration. Theres 2 reasons for this:

1. My eldest Nadya has also purchased a house, so throwing ideas around togather to work out the best solutions for each others property.
2. Should I still be single in the next 5 years.. then my house hold 2 purposes as a meeting/gathering/party location or as a romantic weekend excursion for my eldest should she want to get a way from it all. Applies too for little sis but she's got to get married first!

So, basically the theme is very cozy and very sexy as well. Hmm will go well with the 'player' ambience I was suggesting. Kire 'lovenest'lah! Haha. But sorry for my fellow bloggers there is a certain rental fee that I will be charging should you require such opportunities.

Most recently Raya came in and out so quickly. Nothing special happened. The normal sembahyang raya, visit kubur Arwah Mak, then off to big sis for the family foto. Which reminds me, the foto above showed the dangers of eating too much lemang Pak Ali..bloated siut. (or memang I have put on weight).

Oh ya, and to top the Raya event, nothing is complete without visiting my extended family, Acat's family. Here we have a foto of myself and the Rafali's. Hehe, dats a cute pic of Juan though!

Right, seems that the excitement of having a house and an empty canvas to decorate happens to engulf my available free time. I hope I am not boring you guys with future post regarding decorative decisions and all. Hehe..my own Pad! Whoahhh! Kire tis would be the only thing I could blog about memandangkan my savings are up to zero since I dish it all out on the house. So my finances need to be strictly monitored as well as some carefree/careless lifestyle must be changed. and ohya..the wedding funds have been sacrificed so potential dates..I guess a cozy stall would have to do..sorry.

Right..till the next post, all the best ya'll and live life to the fullest.

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

Hey, y'all! Firstly, a million appologise for not updating. Been really cought up with many things, both work and personal stuff, but hey! I'm here so...whats been happening? Lets start by saying thanks Acat for that coral pink shirt you left at my house few years ago, coz it kinda save me some time to buy a shirt for one of my trips to Slovakia. The photo you see before you introduces the drivers of Continental Sime Tyres!

So, point in question..I really need to hang out with my ol pals again! Hari-hari melepak ngan orang tua-tua nih..ends up I'm starting to refer to stuff by saying, "..during my time". Right preludes me to my point about facebook. Yes. I know much has been said and yadda yadaa but I just can't help but be totally and utterly addicted to it. To prove a point, heres my schedule in Lotus Notes:

• 8am to 8.30am - Check gmail, superpoke my frends, give a pressie to fren and update
• 10.30 - 11.00 - (X Me) at least somebody. Check out whats new.
• 12.45 - 1pm - At least write on someones wall
• 4.45 - 5pm - Play bubblewrap to destress and re-take an IQ test

Yes, and I quite stick to this schedule tightly..hehe. Ah well the life. Anyways, whats more important is that you get to check on what your other pals have been doin. Ok, heres a few interesting details:

• Elina Ismail (KTJ) was working with KLUE mag and now in Australia with Womens Weekly. Current her celebrity facebook frens include Daphne Iking, Hannah Tan, Marion Counter, Afdlin Shauki and Carmen Soo. So she my fren when rase gatal-gatal to hang out with the celebs.
• Johan Ting (KTJ) ditch a job as a software designer and enrolled into Berklee Music Inst London, and passed with flying colours. Currently performing at High Street clubs in London, frens with Colyn Bailey Ray and will be opening an acoustic concert featuring Take That. My pal if I want to expand my music horizons.
• Izlyn Ramli (KTJ) sister to my best mate in college, Izmet, is accountant-cum-singer who is frens with Amir Yusoff, Reza Salleh, Shaun Ghazi and Zainal Abidin. My pal for when I'm in need of tips when need to perform, for whatever reasons.
• Iju (Ezura) know her through my best pal Acat. At the moment current the best person to hook me up with chicks coz thats what she has nesttled in her quarters of friends.
• And Acat...Best Pal Ever!!!!

In short what can I say. I mean finding time to blog..then time to SuperPoke, werewolf bite and finish things off by totally obliterate my fellow frens pirates..thats the life.

I got something else to share with you guys but for the time being I'm a bit exhausted from trying to make this blog template work. Hope you like it and will update about my new 'baby' soon. Till then...bye!

Its times like these that you need a hug

Dear Blog/Bloggers,

I write to you in hope that I can find sanctuary from this whirlwind of events that has happened to me since 6 months ago. Choices are always there. And though I often mention of choices from a context of relationships, I falter before you as I must confess the inner conflict in my soul stems from decisions that I have to do for the sake of being competitive.

Yes, its those sad stories again of work. Do I have a life? People always seem to say this when all that gets me riled up is when I mention work. I guess people fail to understand my situation. I am directly in charge of 185 workers. And that was put to test 6 months ago.

I now can freely speak about this as last Monday, 30.07.2007 marked the final day of our retrenchment exercise. Yes you heard me right. It was my second retrenchment exercise. However this time the numbers were bigger. Total plant was effected and I was called in 6 months ago to re-evaluate the manufacturing output efficiency. Sorry to say that we are not up to mark.

Funny thing was, whislt I was spending time with the IR lawyers, I found some interesting cases. Then studies done by the NPE showed that across the board, through all comman industries we have a common problem...malaise.

NOT Malays, mind you..but the malaise attitude..that unfortunately, statistically corresponds strongly to our Malays. Short snippet.the old management did a big blunder with the union to allow the following; 80% output within actual working time and balance 20% remainder output within 4 hrs overtime. Thats a cognitive parody as capacity productive charts are based on the fact that output is counted within identified losses. That means, in 8 hours a shift, 15% losses is the current standard of losses due to set-up times, breakdowns, maintenance, breaks and material losses. That means, we dont blindly give an output figure to a worker. In actuality, output is counted after considering that 15% productivity deficit. However, rather than argue that additional output sans 100% be remunerated according to a higher multiplying scale, my workers argue to have money replaced by time.

This means, its not more money within working time, but rather more rest time to make same amount of money! More time to do WHAT! So to all wives/girlfriends out there, your lazy husbands are purposely defending their right to go back home late under the pretext of ade kerja..thats bullshit.

I just completed few months back this Performance Base Incentive scheme (PBI) that rewards the employee base on his output efficiency. That literally means, within his working time if he/she produces a minimal 5% additional output he will be rewarded very handsomely. So, he can go back with extra cash in the pocket, on time, pick up the kids, set the table, takes care of the dishes, shower, put on some cologne, light some candles then make amazing love to your wife!

But no..not our workers. We want more time. To do what? Smoke! So, thats general malaise for you. Funny, this problem is across the board. Toyota Malaysia is having similar problems as well as SmithKline Sterling and Beecham! Jadi not realli that badlah for me.

But here's an interesting snippet..NPE statistics backed by international surveys shows that the boon of the electronic industry in Malaysia dulu was due to a simple fact that our FEMALE employees (minah Karen) were more proficient! Yup. I am not kidding you. Well, that can be seen clearly by the fact that in Kelantan, most businesses are run by ladies. The most important fact was our female operators have the patience and tenacity to look into their everyday life at work and initiate improvements.

Ok, hang on. Dah wander jauh dah. OK. So total plant had 126 variable operators and fixed management retrenched. Dalam hati sedih, but one part rase macam they deserve it. I just have to gulp it down I guess. The usual happened; people callin in with their I ade family lah, wife to take care lah and, and and...Had to tahan and stick to the plan.

This retrenchment exercise was different though. 80% of the task was to restructure the factory for efficiency, but the remaining 20% was to remove benchwarmers. So, we were playing that fine line of sticking to the basic of LIFO (last in first out) and target termination. Kenapalah IR court tak banyak awek. Tulah awek-awek law nih. Life is not all Ally McBeal divorce case ok. There's more to law than to settle marriage problems. Tu dia, satu department semua org tua nuh!

I have mix feelings. When I was picked to be part of the restructuring team, I was excited and thrill. But as the months pass, frustration and anger over our countrymen's attitudes and fear that my team's proposed structure might fail!

The decision is made. Stick with it to the end Ahmad. Its times like this.. I just wished I had an arm around me, and a sweet caress from a cheek, as I hear a whisper from a sweat voice saying, "Sayang you know what? Today at work....." A short diversion from my beloved telling me of her qualms in life. Boy would that not take away all this burden.