As much as possible I try not to resort to plagiarism, but this article written by a coleague (I don't know him, but it's posted on the internal web blog) that is too good not to be shared. I won't copy the whole article but I'll just pick a few key phrases / points on this topic :
A good boss will usually rescue a bad job. Think about it - is it in the interests of the boss to leave you, multitalented you, languishing in something that is not fulfilling or value adding? No. In most cases, you can do a deal to fix it.
And a bad boss will usually destroy a good job. Who gives you a mandate? Who do you stress about all the time? Who writes your staff report? Who fixes you up with later moves? Yes...choose badly and you are in big trouble, my friend.
If I think through my career, probably the single biggest determinant of whether I was happy, productive, developing or duly rewarded was the boss at the time.
Oh tht is so... so.... true! I can't agree more! A lousy boss can be a nightmare to work with (or for...) even if the job is easy-peasy, the stress generated from & by these lousy bosses is enough to make you go bonkers..... I had an occasion when I was seriously contemplating resigning, not because I can't handle the work load, but more because I can't handle the boss.
There was another occasion where the workload was just inhuman! Working fr 7.30am - 12midnight / even 2-3am! Skipping meals & stress eating etc... Yet, because I had a really nice boss, it made the work still bearable.
What do you think?
Wednesday 29 July 2009
Wednesday 22 July 2009
Movie Review: Transformers
Last Sunday hubby & I went to Seremban 2 TGV to watch Transformers. I guess we had too high expectations after the first transformer movie.
Oh don't get me wrong.... I still liked the transformation fr car to robot & robot back to car thing. The cars are a beauty too. Unfortunately I don't find it as "fun" as the 1st movie.
Transformers became just another robot - with exception of the beloved bumble bee. The twin robots is quite irritating at times & the motorcycle robots are quite frankly - no identity, no character, no attitude. They became just another machine. Ironhide was cool but he only appeared here & there in bits & pieces.
The bad guys are all a bunch of ugly looking robots in the form of a crane (?!?), buldozer (?!?) etc & not the sleek fighter jet plane like the first episode.
The comedy are mostly fr the ppl & not the robots. Unlike the first movie where most of the comic relief are from transformers themselves. Thank God the irritating pouting "fish lips" is gone (a bit), but all the other parts are still "bouncing"... Maybe it's for the benefit of the guys.
All in all the movie failed to evoke any emotion. The 1st movie for example... when 1 of the autobots died, the whole theatre practically go "Oh no!!!" & we grieved for his demise. But here... even Optimus Prime's death did not spark a peep! How sad is tht?! It indicated tht the characters of the Autobots were not developed. They ended up becoming a machine "vowed to work with humans to protect Earth & mankind"...
Both hubby & I thought it was fortunate we didn't splurge to watch this on Signature @ the Gardens. Love the CGI, but not enough....
Oh don't get me wrong.... I still liked the transformation fr car to robot & robot back to car thing. The cars are a beauty too. Unfortunately I don't find it as "fun" as the 1st movie.
Transformers became just another robot - with exception of the beloved bumble bee. The twin robots is quite irritating at times & the motorcycle robots are quite frankly - no identity, no character, no attitude. They became just another machine. Ironhide was cool but he only appeared here & there in bits & pieces.
The bad guys are all a bunch of ugly looking robots in the form of a crane (?!?), buldozer (?!?) etc & not the sleek fighter jet plane like the first episode.
The comedy are mostly fr the ppl & not the robots. Unlike the first movie where most of the comic relief are from transformers themselves. Thank God the irritating pouting "fish lips" is gone (a bit), but all the other parts are still "bouncing"... Maybe it's for the benefit of the guys.
All in all the movie failed to evoke any emotion. The 1st movie for example... when 1 of the autobots died, the whole theatre practically go "Oh no!!!" & we grieved for his demise. But here... even Optimus Prime's death did not spark a peep! How sad is tht?! It indicated tht the characters of the Autobots were not developed. They ended up becoming a machine "vowed to work with humans to protect Earth & mankind"...
Both hubby & I thought it was fortunate we didn't splurge to watch this on Signature @ the Gardens. Love the CGI, but not enough....
Book Review: Affair by Amanda Quick
This is my second attempt of reading this book. Surprisingly it was quite good & I can't recall why I found it boring when I tried to read it when I was a teenager. Probably you'd need a certain level of "maturity" to appreciate the story. During teenage years, Mills & Boons / Harlequin was thought to be the best romance novels! Now if I tried reading them again, they're either "childish" / rather "shallow" in plot / content. :-)
I am 13 going on 30..... (singing to the tune of "I am 16" fr Sound of Music)... Anyways I'm digressing, so back to the topic.
This story was set in the times of Napoleon war, but set in London. It's about the lives of Charlotte & St. Clair, 1 a noblewoman whose step-father swindled away her inheritance & the other a bastard of a nobleman. To ensure she can keep a roof over her head & to provide for her sister, she realize tht she needs to enter a profession tht's unique (considering the limited options available for women in those days). She finally set up a business investigating the background of the men her "clients" plan to get married - to avoid them being straddled with a swindler / gambler / wife-beater etc. Life & business was quite good until 1 of her client was killed & she suspects it's one of the many suitors she investigated on & reported to her client. Possibly vengence for being rejected. With the in mind, she felt responsible to investigate & uncover the murderer.
At the same time, St Clair applied to her advertisement for her man-of-affairs to replace her current staff who's retiring. Of course it was just a front. He's actually quite a well to do chemist who's tasked by his maternal aunt to investigate on the death of his aunt's close friend. Guess what... tht friend is Charlotte's client who was murdered. St Clair's aunt believes tht her friend's murderer is Charlotte. St. Clair finally admitted to Charlotte his real identity when he's convinced she's not the murderer & they decided to co-operate to find out the real murderer.
Along the way, they managed to fall in love, but they didn't realize it. He proposed an affair since both don't buy in to the idea of marriage (due to their backgrounds - thus the name of the book) and finally they found tht they can't live without each other & got married after all.
But.... I'm jumping the gun. The marriage is after they've solve the "mystery" of the murder & even got Charlotte's sis & St Clair's step brother together too. Not going to reveal the murderer, don't want to spoil the fun - though it's predictable. Go read it!
I am 13 going on 30..... (singing to the tune of "I am 16" fr Sound of Music)... Anyways I'm digressing, so back to the topic.
This story was set in the times of Napoleon war, but set in London. It's about the lives of Charlotte & St. Clair, 1 a noblewoman whose step-father swindled away her inheritance & the other a bastard of a nobleman. To ensure she can keep a roof over her head & to provide for her sister, she realize tht she needs to enter a profession tht's unique (considering the limited options available for women in those days). She finally set up a business investigating the background of the men her "clients" plan to get married - to avoid them being straddled with a swindler / gambler / wife-beater etc. Life & business was quite good until 1 of her client was killed & she suspects it's one of the many suitors she investigated on & reported to her client. Possibly vengence for being rejected. With the in mind, she felt responsible to investigate & uncover the murderer.
At the same time, St Clair applied to her advertisement for her man-of-affairs to replace her current staff who's retiring. Of course it was just a front. He's actually quite a well to do chemist who's tasked by his maternal aunt to investigate on the death of his aunt's close friend. Guess what... tht friend is Charlotte's client who was murdered. St Clair's aunt believes tht her friend's murderer is Charlotte. St. Clair finally admitted to Charlotte his real identity when he's convinced she's not the murderer & they decided to co-operate to find out the real murderer.
Along the way, they managed to fall in love, but they didn't realize it. He proposed an affair since both don't buy in to the idea of marriage (due to their backgrounds - thus the name of the book) and finally they found tht they can't live without each other & got married after all.
But.... I'm jumping the gun. The marriage is after they've solve the "mystery" of the murder & even got Charlotte's sis & St Clair's step brother together too. Not going to reveal the murderer, don't want to spoil the fun - though it's predictable. Go read it!
Tuesday 21 July 2009
Arrghhh I give up
I tried all ways to align the text to the pix but & it appears fine on preview but got all scrambled worse than scrambled eggs when posted.
The perfectionist in me wants to re-do & re-do & re-do, but my practical side pulled the brakes... so pandai-pandai lar u all read... also malas to post the last 8 pix oledi
The perfectionist in me wants to re-do & re-do & re-do, but my practical side pulled the brakes... so pandai-pandai lar u all read... also malas to post the last 8 pix oledi
National Geographic best pictures of the year
Someone shared with me the National Geographic best pictures of the year. They are quite artistic & beautiful... some even very powerful (if you can use tht to describe a picture). These are my personal titles / comments for the pix... Enjoy...
Nature's Art 1 : Geysers
Is this really scenes from Earth? Is it even real? Looks like from a painting / something
Nature's Art 2 : Rocky Coastline
Looks like a painting
Nature's Art 3 : My caterpillar, My Leaf...
Wow! This caterpillar deserves an 'A' for the abstract artwork on the leaf!
Love Bites! Right.... Where Do I Start? ;-)
Nature's Art 4 : Northern Lights
"Abstract painting" on the sky.....
errr.... & the copycat on land.... (lake actually)
Nature's Art 5 : Trees, Trees, Everywhere Trees
The reflection on the water makes the picture of an otherwise normal wetland tree, look phenomenal!
"Moo"sic To My Horns....
How sweet... Moose kiss! caught on camera
Ah..... Beautiful confetti in the air!
must.... grab.... some....
Huggy... huggy...
There's no place like the comfort of mama's bosom!
Magnificent valcano spewing molten lava...
My forehead has some this morning.... ;-)
Children... Be on your best behaviour!!
We're on camera! 1.. 2.. 3.. snarl.....
Inspiration for Ice Age.....
Mid Air Courtship
"Ark! I twisted my neck... Must have been that new goose-feather pillow! Should have known better than using our own kind..."
I will follow her.... Follow her to where ever she may go....
"Talk to the flippers!"
(as in talk to the "hand")
Survival of the fittest
Wilderbeast to crocodile "Show-off! I know you can do the backflip... Don't need to rub it in..."
The Great Big Blue....
"Buuuuuurrrrrrrpppppp! Excuse me... Must be too much fizz in my plankton champagne"
Survival of the fittest
"I hate it whenever sardines swim off like headless fishies whenever I'm around! What?! I have BO meh?"
Pass the baton exercise...
Practicing for the Craneolympics
Nature's Art 1 : Geysers
Is this really scenes from Earth? Is it even real? Looks like from a painting / something
Nature's Art 2 : Rocky Coastline
Looks like a painting
Nature's Art 3 : My caterpillar, My Leaf...
Wow! This caterpillar deserves an 'A' for the abstract artwork on the leaf!
Love Bites! Right.... Where Do I Start? ;-)
Nature's Art 4 : Northern Lights
"Abstract painting" on the sky.....
errr.... & the copycat on land.... (lake actually)
Nature's Art 5 : Trees, Trees, Everywhere Trees
The reflection on the water makes the picture of an otherwise normal wetland tree, look phenomenal!
"Moo"sic To My Horns....
How sweet... Moose kiss! caught on camera
Ah..... Beautiful confetti in the air!
must.... grab.... some....
Huggy... huggy...
There's no place like the comfort of mama's bosom!
Magnificent valcano spewing molten lava...
My forehead has some this morning.... ;-)
Children... Be on your best behaviour!!
We're on camera! 1.. 2.. 3.. snarl.....
Inspiration for Ice Age.....
Mid Air Courtship
"Ark! I twisted my neck... Must have been that new goose-feather pillow! Should have known better than using our own kind..."
I will follow her.... Follow her to where ever she may go....
"Talk to the flippers!"
(as in talk to the "hand")
Survival of the fittest
Wilderbeast to crocodile "Show-off! I know you can do the backflip... Don't need to rub it in..."
The Great Big Blue....
"Buuuuuurrrrrrrpppppp! Excuse me... Must be too much fizz in my plankton champagne"
Survival of the fittest
"I hate it whenever sardines swim off like headless fishies whenever I'm around! What?! I have BO meh?"
Pass the baton exercise...
Practicing for the Craneolympics
Meet you at sunset!!
"Let's duel buster!"
A parent's love...
"Brrr.... I'm having a pink nose thanks to the freezing cold! Come to think of it, we have pink faces!"
There's about 8 more, but can't upload all at once.... Will upload more later....
Wednesday 15 July 2009
Shopping Madness!!
Sigh.... Most of my mishaps are with shopping.... With Arts & Crafts.... Now shoes!
Well, it's stale news but it happened sometime this mth. As usual I was waiting for hubby in the Gardens while he's receiving his hair treatment and as usual I browse around Isetan (since it's the "cheapest" shop in Gardens & I do like their fashion).
To cut a long story short, following are my shopping damage :
1. Snowfly heeled sandals (50% off) - I really need this
2. Steve Madden 4-inch heels x 2 pairs (50% off) - honestly this is a luxury... not something I need... but I love it so so much! It's just too pretty!
3. a bolero short sleeved jacket (70% off) - imagine RM130 original down to RM39! dirt cheap
4. South China Sea slacks x 2 pairs (Khakis & Blue @ 70% off) - original RM100/pc. Now RM30
5. beaded sleeveless top (20% off) - in all honesty, this is a splurge... I know I'll never pay tht on normal times, but I guess I was on a roll tht day & it was really-really beautiful!
I know I won't be able to make such shopping damage (esp. 1 & 2) if not for the "mantra" I kept repeating the whole time I was browsing / contemplating purchase... The "mantra" goes like this : "What is RMxxx when someone can buy RM4k for a purse!!!" / "This is not even 10% of RM4k & it's for xyz! Not just a purse..."
Fortunately I know how to pull the brakes for 1 occasion... because I managed to "convince" myself tht I'll just splurge this once to buy a nice Coach bag that I really liked but dare not even step foot into the boutique to check out the price. There's a clearance sale going on anyway, so I thought it'll reduce my shopping guilt if I know it was on sale... Lo & behold, the price tags says - RM3,988 / RM6,798 / RM4,555 on 50% off. :-O OMG... I wasn't even prepared to give 10% of the original value! What good is a 50% discount!!! So at least I had the sense to stop there & walked out without any further damage to my bank account. phew!
Well, it's stale news but it happened sometime this mth. As usual I was waiting for hubby in the Gardens while he's receiving his hair treatment and as usual I browse around Isetan (since it's the "cheapest" shop in Gardens & I do like their fashion).
To cut a long story short, following are my shopping damage :
1. Snowfly heeled sandals (50% off) - I really need this
2. Steve Madden 4-inch heels x 2 pairs (50% off) - honestly this is a luxury... not something I need... but I love it so so much! It's just too pretty!
3. a bolero short sleeved jacket (70% off) - imagine RM130 original down to RM39! dirt cheap
4. South China Sea slacks x 2 pairs (Khakis & Blue @ 70% off) - original RM100/pc. Now RM30
5. beaded sleeveless top (20% off) - in all honesty, this is a splurge... I know I'll never pay tht on normal times, but I guess I was on a roll tht day & it was really-really beautiful!
I know I won't be able to make such shopping damage (esp. 1 & 2) if not for the "mantra" I kept repeating the whole time I was browsing / contemplating purchase... The "mantra" goes like this : "What is RMxxx when someone can buy RM4k for a purse!!!" / "This is not even 10% of RM4k & it's for xyz! Not just a purse..."
Fortunately I know how to pull the brakes for 1 occasion... because I managed to "convince" myself tht I'll just splurge this once to buy a nice Coach bag that I really liked but dare not even step foot into the boutique to check out the price. There's a clearance sale going on anyway, so I thought it'll reduce my shopping guilt if I know it was on sale... Lo & behold, the price tags says - RM3,988 / RM6,798 / RM4,555 on 50% off. :-O OMG... I wasn't even prepared to give 10% of the original value! What good is a 50% discount!!! So at least I had the sense to stop there & walked out without any further damage to my bank account. phew!
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Formula For Success - Rise Early, Work Hard & Strike Oil!
I open my blog this morning with this quote (forgot the name of the "quoter") & recall the conversation I had yesterday with my boss.
In this age & time, there is no such thing as Rise Early & Work Hard to get to the top. It's all:
- Work Smart
- Work Hard only for the "right" people
- Have the gift of a gab that can charm birds from trees
- Polish / suck-up / feign interests during conversations that doesn't entirely got anything to do with you / your work - you know wht I mean... It's called "Network" by the "sucker up-per"
You might be wondering how did this "ranting" come about. Well, recently I was invited to a dinner involving all the "big shots" - VP, VP-1, Finance Mgrs etc. I was told this is to give us "exposure" & "chance to network" / "give a good impression for future job movements". In this supposedly "crucial" event I did :
1. Pretty well - I spoke to the first person I met during the dinner & went on explaining about wht I do currently & even wht I did in my past assignments in the refinery. What I learnt along the way. Though need to brush up on my reply to the infamous "Where you see yourself 10-years from now?" question.
2. Stumble - because when someone asks me "Wht are you doing?" I misunderstood him & told him the department I was attached to, without elaborating further.
3. Soar - or at least I thought I hit the right note with my discussion / contribution to the topic of Brazil's "disastrous" fuel price de-regulation & how Malaysia is unlikely to experience that mess / how M'sia is different in negotiations / treatment of de-regulation plans / the political background behind such plans etc. I also brought in my experience when I was based at the refinery to talk about the supply end.
4. Be a good listener - even if they're bragging abt their new "expensive" hse, their nice "expat pool" in S'pore (I called d pool by tht name cos' only expats can afford their own private pool in crowded / expensive S'pore), their horses tht they ship from UK to S'pore... roll-eyes... Like I said earlier most of us had to feign interest cos' most of us can't even imagine, let alone afford tht kind of lifestyle. Wht inteligent conversation can we contribute to this, but listen?
On an overall, I thought I did quite well.
Until I was later advised by my boss (because aparently she got feedback for my less than lustre "performance") that it's perceived as I'm a person who's too quiet, has no potential to move up the corp ladder & wonder why I was invited in tht dinner in the first place! My God! Just from my 1 lousy reply (refer to 2), I'm sentenced to Death Row! That was just harsh!
The guy who gave tht feedback to my boss (may I add tht it was done in front of the out-going & in-coming Finance Directors!!) was busy "sucking-up" to someone & fretting about the food quality of the dinner (cos' he's the organizer) tht he didn't even notice when I was conducting "inteligent" conversations (refer 1 & 3) & picked on the 1 freaking time I stumbled because he happen to be listening in.
In all fairness, my current boss was very nice. She didn't judge me / make me feel as if I was written-off. In fact she was sympathetic & empathize my situation (w/out even knowing abt 1 & 3). She just said, it's her responsibility then to ensure she develops me in this area. She even tried to console & tell me not to be de-motivated by all this. She's telling me this so tht I know & can work towards developing my networking skills.
I was really really thankful for that understanding. It's only after I left her room & the more I thought about it, the more angry / indignant I was with the "evaluation" I got fr tht guy. Bet he thought he was a saint tht didn't make ANY mistakes. Oh well.... at least this experience tells me that the Formula for Success is NOT brains / effort... It's our gab... (that also explains some of the lousy managers tht I can't figure out how they can climb so high - the power of suck-up!)
Bottomline. Agree I need to learn how to network properly BUT.... I will never ever stoop down to suck-up! Afterall, if you think about it... These ppl whom we're trying to "polish" are also employees... "Slave" to the company (albeit a highly paid 1), so there's nothing extra special to command tht respect (except those who earned it - like the dear Mike T. Then the conversations will be genuine - not suck-up materials).
In this age & time, there is no such thing as Rise Early & Work Hard to get to the top. It's all:
- Work Smart
- Work Hard only for the "right" people
- Have the gift of a gab that can charm birds from trees
- Polish / suck-up / feign interests during conversations that doesn't entirely got anything to do with you / your work - you know wht I mean... It's called "Network" by the "sucker up-per"
You might be wondering how did this "ranting" come about. Well, recently I was invited to a dinner involving all the "big shots" - VP, VP-1, Finance Mgrs etc. I was told this is to give us "exposure" & "chance to network" / "give a good impression for future job movements". In this supposedly "crucial" event I did :
1. Pretty well - I spoke to the first person I met during the dinner & went on explaining about wht I do currently & even wht I did in my past assignments in the refinery. What I learnt along the way. Though need to brush up on my reply to the infamous "Where you see yourself 10-years from now?" question.
2. Stumble - because when someone asks me "Wht are you doing?" I misunderstood him & told him the department I was attached to, without elaborating further.
3. Soar - or at least I thought I hit the right note with my discussion / contribution to the topic of Brazil's "disastrous" fuel price de-regulation & how Malaysia is unlikely to experience that mess / how M'sia is different in negotiations / treatment of de-regulation plans / the political background behind such plans etc. I also brought in my experience when I was based at the refinery to talk about the supply end.
4. Be a good listener - even if they're bragging abt their new "expensive" hse, their nice "expat pool" in S'pore (I called d pool by tht name cos' only expats can afford their own private pool in crowded / expensive S'pore), their horses tht they ship from UK to S'pore... roll-eyes... Like I said earlier most of us had to feign interest cos' most of us can't even imagine, let alone afford tht kind of lifestyle. Wht inteligent conversation can we contribute to this, but listen?
On an overall, I thought I did quite well.
Until I was later advised by my boss (because aparently she got feedback for my less than lustre "performance") that it's perceived as I'm a person who's too quiet, has no potential to move up the corp ladder & wonder why I was invited in tht dinner in the first place! My God! Just from my 1 lousy reply (refer to 2), I'm sentenced to Death Row! That was just harsh!
The guy who gave tht feedback to my boss (may I add tht it was done in front of the out-going & in-coming Finance Directors!!) was busy "sucking-up" to someone & fretting about the food quality of the dinner (cos' he's the organizer) tht he didn't even notice when I was conducting "inteligent" conversations (refer 1 & 3) & picked on the 1 freaking time I stumbled because he happen to be listening in.
In all fairness, my current boss was very nice. She didn't judge me / make me feel as if I was written-off. In fact she was sympathetic & empathize my situation (w/out even knowing abt 1 & 3). She just said, it's her responsibility then to ensure she develops me in this area. She even tried to console & tell me not to be de-motivated by all this. She's telling me this so tht I know & can work towards developing my networking skills.
I was really really thankful for that understanding. It's only after I left her room & the more I thought about it, the more angry / indignant I was with the "evaluation" I got fr tht guy. Bet he thought he was a saint tht didn't make ANY mistakes. Oh well.... at least this experience tells me that the Formula for Success is NOT brains / effort... It's our gab... (that also explains some of the lousy managers tht I can't figure out how they can climb so high - the power of suck-up!)
Bottomline. Agree I need to learn how to network properly BUT.... I will never ever stoop down to suck-up! Afterall, if you think about it... These ppl whom we're trying to "polish" are also employees... "Slave" to the company (albeit a highly paid 1), so there's nothing extra special to command tht respect (except those who earned it - like the dear Mike T. Then the conversations will be genuine - not suck-up materials).
Thursday 9 July 2009
Penang Trip & Mum's Progress
I was back in Penang from 1st-3rd Jul for training held at Evergreen Laurel. It was the hotel we had our graduation dinner....
Anyway, we started our journey by car after work at 6.30pm & arrived Penang around midnight - stopped at Tapah for dinner & strong tea to keep us awake. Struggled to wake up the following morning because I thought I was told that the training starts at 8am. Rushed through breakfast & sit myself in the training room only to find out at 8.30am, that the training is actually at 9am - sigh.... How come the communication so bad wan.... I could have slept an additional hour.
Fortunately the training ended on time at 5.30pm & I rushed home to have dinner with mum & dad. Mum just got discharged on 1st Jul & is still feeling the pain on her elbow despite the pain-killers. We also had to be cautious on the food we order so tht she doesn't take food that can aggravate wounds (the Chinese said - food tht got "poison"...) such as duck (#1 in the list), yam, chicken, eggs etc...
Day 2 & Day 3 is the same with the day starting with training followed by dinner with parent. Day 3 dinner we however had durian feast along Macalister road. We were so stuffed by durian & was so "heaty" that I got a headache.
Saturday, we went to the Balik Pulau stall tht my dad was talking about since the day he found out I'm coming to Penang. For RM15, we can eat all we want.... & all of them good quality.... D24 lar... Pig fat lar (sorry I didn't coin tht name, the seller says it's named so cos' the durian is so white like pig fat, but taste fantastic)... Red flesh... bitter sweet, sweet only etc etc.... Wah! By the time we finish I felt the heat up to my head again. Fortunately we walked to a coffee shop nearby & had "Ambla Somboi" - ahhhh..... It cooled me down & surprisingly elliminated my headache.
After stuffing so much durian & food in the past few days, I left Penang feeling a few pounds heavier & not craving for any durians at all (at least for this year)!
Sadly, had to leave on Saturday itself because we want some time to rest from the travel. Mum was naturally not happy & poor hubby got most of the "blame" for not wanting to stay longer, although I stressed tht it was both our decisions to rest before work on Monday. I guess it's the pain from her elbow making her crave for company. Fortunately Shen is going back to Penang the following w/end, so at least she has something to look fwd to.
Anyway, we started our journey by car after work at 6.30pm & arrived Penang around midnight - stopped at Tapah for dinner & strong tea to keep us awake. Struggled to wake up the following morning because I thought I was told that the training starts at 8am. Rushed through breakfast & sit myself in the training room only to find out at 8.30am, that the training is actually at 9am - sigh.... How come the communication so bad wan.... I could have slept an additional hour.
Fortunately the training ended on time at 5.30pm & I rushed home to have dinner with mum & dad. Mum just got discharged on 1st Jul & is still feeling the pain on her elbow despite the pain-killers. We also had to be cautious on the food we order so tht she doesn't take food that can aggravate wounds (the Chinese said - food tht got "poison"...) such as duck (#1 in the list), yam, chicken, eggs etc...
Day 2 & Day 3 is the same with the day starting with training followed by dinner with parent. Day 3 dinner we however had durian feast along Macalister road. We were so stuffed by durian & was so "heaty" that I got a headache.
Saturday, we went to the Balik Pulau stall tht my dad was talking about since the day he found out I'm coming to Penang. For RM15, we can eat all we want.... & all of them good quality.... D24 lar... Pig fat lar (sorry I didn't coin tht name, the seller says it's named so cos' the durian is so white like pig fat, but taste fantastic)... Red flesh... bitter sweet, sweet only etc etc.... Wah! By the time we finish I felt the heat up to my head again. Fortunately we walked to a coffee shop nearby & had "Ambla Somboi" - ahhhh..... It cooled me down & surprisingly elliminated my headache.
After stuffing so much durian & food in the past few days, I left Penang feeling a few pounds heavier & not craving for any durians at all (at least for this year)!
Sadly, had to leave on Saturday itself because we want some time to rest from the travel. Mum was naturally not happy & poor hubby got most of the "blame" for not wanting to stay longer, although I stressed tht it was both our decisions to rest before work on Monday. I guess it's the pain from her elbow making her crave for company. Fortunately Shen is going back to Penang the following w/end, so at least she has something to look fwd to.
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