Maybe. Just maybe.

Bladihel.

I know, I know. It’s not a nice word but I am in a faulty mood.

Last week was simply crap week at work. Fortunately, I have 3 cool friends whom by now are so used to listening to my constant griping without having melted earwax oozing out of their ears.

See, that’s how the universe works – the good and the bad, yin and yang or whatever it is that people believe about the balance between good and evil.

So work is crap. I can’t put it any other way. I am allowed to complain because I have done the necessary – talk to the boss, find other opportunities and not just sit quietly at a corner and do nothing.

I think it’s a cool philosophy (cewah!) – if you don’t like it, do something about it. Otherwise, you are not entitled to whine.

What pisses me off is the fact that the company is treating its staff like stupid zombies. Every company needs a re-org every now and then – no doubt. I have been here for 2 years now and have changed division 4 times!! It’s like changing (big) bosses every half year. Freaking funny, isn’t it? Did I mention that I have moved 4 times as well? Oh yes, I have. This time around, I am keeping my stuff in the boxes. Until someone can guarantee that it's my permanent workstation, my stuff will stay in the boxes.

What made me doubly upset is because my transfer is put on hold because of the 5th re-org. Yup. We are currently going through another round of freaking re-org. My boss assured me that it will not affect the transfer process but I’m not holding my breath. Transferring to a different division means that I have to obtain approval from the new boss(es). There is a possibility that it will not go through. I heard the new department focuses more on managing projects and I happen to have that little experience on project management, though not properly certified.

Now I am hearing that we might not move to the new department. The Dutchman and my boss are talking about it in the next cubicle. Oh crap. Now we have to join them in a meeting about the new department’s setup.


Updates after the meeting, 2pm.

Did I mention that work is crap? Well I can’t stress it enough.

Looks like the portfolio of the new department has yet to be defined. Funny that WE are supposed to propose to the management on what our functions would be. Bottoms up, people!!! Look at it any way you want.

Maybe I’m not able to see any good or positive outcome because I’m being bitter at the moment. Maybe somewhere, deep, deep, down, the change will do me good. Deep, deep, deep, further below the deepest layer there is. Maybe. Just maybe.

I also noticed that my section was not mentioned in any of the presentation slides. Maybe we won’t have to join them after all. Yey!

Oh but it was short-lived.

More surprise - an email was sent to all HODs while we were all in the meeting – it was an official announcement about our little section joining the new department, effective from July 1st. Received a copy from the SVP of Human Capital.

There you go.

Somehow I have a bad feeling that my transfer will not go through.

P/s: I was tagged by PerantauSepi on posting of old IC but I have no idea where mine is. Sorry babe :(

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Deli

Wishing you all the wonderful things in life.

Eh, you've already got them all - cool wife, great kids and fat cats! heheheh.....

Gift Basket from AZ Gift Baskets.

A Call for Celebration

Deli and I were at the kids’ school last Friday to see their teachers and to collect their report cards.

Frankly, we didn’t expect wonders from the kids. We did not promise them glittering presents if they do well in exams nor would we reprimand them if they don’t. If they do well, it’s a bonus for them. If not, then they know they’ll have to work harder.

As for us, we can only guide them with revisions and tell them to do their best. After that, the rest is up to them.

We know they are still children but it’s never too early to teach them about results and repercussions. One lesson down, a million more to go.

Sometimes I wonder if I have ample time to teach them a thing or two about life. Sometimes I do wonder if I have ever learn a thing or two about life myself. I still feel like I’m learning something new each day. Yesterday I learned that if I keep ordering gift baskets and pay them promptly every time, I stand a chance to be a preferred customer and get free muffins. Kidding, Millie!! Hahahah.

Anyways.

First stop was adik’s class. On the door of his class was the list of all Primary 1 students with their respective exam results and ranks. We ran our fingers through the tiny lines (and names) and found that adik scored A for every subject except for a B in BM Comprehension and C in Arts and Drawings. Not bad for a boy who couldn’t sit still for long!

Not only that – he ranked at number 5 in his class and the whole of Primary 1 and scored the highest marks in Science!

My oh my. My heart pounded so hard – with joy, of course. We were so proud of him. Especially proud because he used to suck in Science (in kindergarten) and because it was a standardized exam for all schools in KL. The fact that he did very well with no material reward ever promised to him, was beyond words.

Maybe we did teach him something after all. We are not crappy parents – yey!

Next stop – Primary 2.

A long queue and sun has started to shine brightly. We had to stand outside the class. It all seemed familiar. Oh maybe that was Deli, back in school – standing outside the class for being mischievous. Heheh.

We couldn’t find the Primary 2 exam listing on the classroom door. Deli walked for a bit and came back grinning from ear to ear.

Imagine our surprise when kakak ranked at number 3 in her class and the whole of Primary 2!

It was a shock to me because this girl spent more time reading Tin-Tin Adventure books than her school books during exam week!

I am not complaining – definitely not. Surprised was more like it. She scored all As and 2 Bs. And while all the kids were skimming through story books and jesting during the session – she was squinting her eyes and scratching her head, trying to find the answers to the exercise her teacher had assigned (to keep the kids occupied) for the day.

How can I not be proud of her? Which parent will not be proud to have a girl this smart? You tell me.

We took them to Splendid for lunch on Sunday. A treat to the kids for doing so well and for the parents for having such great kids.

That’s All I Can Say

I know it’s not suppose to matter. But it does.

You threw someone a glorious birthday party, you worked your ass off to make sure everything’s in order and that he would be surprised. He was surprised, alright. I've got pictures and vidoe to prove that.

Today, 3 days before the anniversary of the merry party, I overheard him said that he couldn’t recall the party at all.

At all.

Wow. That’s all I can say.

Many Happy Returns

Hapy birthday to Fah who turned 18 (you wish!) on June 3rd.

Yana, Dol and I surprised him with a basket of muffins. He wasted no time and reached for the biggest muffin in the basket and I've got a picture to prove it!

Fah stuffing his face silly.

The basket of muffins for Fah.

The muffin matched the shirt he's wearing that day.

All four of us headed to Seret Recipe for a hearty lunch. Good company but I can't say much about the food. Let's leave it at that.

To Fah - Happy Birthday, bro. Wishing you all the good things in life.

Walking Down Memory Lane

I’m bored. Quitting time couldn’t be here soon enough.

Yana asked if I wanted to join her for a quick lunch and I immediately agreed. At this rate, I will take up any offer including (bungee) jumping off the building. That’s how bored I am right now.

Here’s a recap of what happened last week.

What happened last Monday May 26th:

Story 1
Initially wanted to haul my laptop to the office but changed my mind minutes before I leave the house. When I got to the office, a colleague informed that my boss was on emergency leave. Darn. I should have brought the machine. At the very least, I could keep myself entertained with Burger Shop or Pet Salon.


Story 2
I forgot that BCA people have moved to the building across the street and there were just 3 of us left in the office. It’s so quiet. And empty. Sigh.

The empty office

Story 3
Got a message from a colleague - my boss asked me to move his stuff into one of the vacant room. I did as I was told but got stopped by the Dutchman’s staff, saying that they have reserved the particular room.

Called Property department and asked if I am allowed to carry on with the move. Got the green light to continue shifting my boss’ stuff into the room and relayed the news to the Dutchman’s staff. I saw her frantically making calls – probably to her boss. Got a bad feeling but continued on with the move anyways.

As soon as I have moved the last bit of the lot, I got a call from the Dutchman himself – trashing me with questions and accusations. I had to endure almost 10 minutes of his yakking. My ear almost fell from my head. Or melted. Or go deaf.

The property manager called and asked more questions. She asked that I remove all of the stuff from the room. What the *&^%??

Seriously. I am not paid well enough for all these. Especially the bickering and becoming the middle person for their endless war.

So I moved everything back to where they came from and refused to entertain the charade (for the day –sigh-).

The stuff I moved in and out of the room. Including the freakin' heavy white board.

Story 4
Yana called to inform that she has received the gift basket plus a basket of free muffins for us. Yey!

The free muffins. Yum!

The yey was short-lived when we tasted the coconut crush muffin. The coconut shaves tasted funny. Yuck. The coffee muffins were yummylicious - that pretty much even things out.

The gift basket is here but the birthday boy is not.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DOL!
Come back soon or we will eat the muffins. Hehehe.

What happened last Tuesday May 27th:

Took the day off to chauffer the kids around. The girls were in KL for a few days – their mum had a 3 days course to attend.

A few colleagues and I have arranged for lunch with Dol and embarrass him with loud singing of the birthday song. Hauled the kids to get a cake for the occasion and headed to MacDonald’s for brunch.

We then joined Dol, Fah and a few colleagues for lunch to celebrate Dol’s birthday. Lucky for him, no singing were involved. He was surprised to see me there, I could tell. Heheh. Cool.

Lunch at Bangkok Expresso.

After lunch, we headed to the cinema for a movie. It was 2.30pm when we reached the ticket counter and the only movie worth watching for the kids was Narnia – it’s scheduled to start at 2.30pm! Bought the tickets and ushered the kids into the movie hall. We fumbled for the seats and that was when I realized that we were 1 ticket short.

Lucky for us, there were not that many people in the theatre and the seats in front of us were empty. I wanted to get another ticket but couldn’t push the door open from inside the theatre. I kept praying that nobody will buy the seats in front of us or else, I will need to have adik sit on my lap. I made a mental note to pay the extra seat that we occupy, when the movie’s over.

It started to rain when we got out of the theatre. The kids agreed that we should leave straight away to avoid bad traffic. We made the right choice because by the time we reached home, it rained heavily. As I was letting the kids into the house, I realized that I have not paid for the extra seat like I planned to. Oh well. I’ll do that the next time I catch a movie there. Hehe.

Waited for Deli to get home before eating out for dinner at San Francisco Pizza. We were having so much fun that we didn’t mind missing Sindarella, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and Vice Versa on tv. Good food and good company – what’s there to miss?

What happened last Wednesday May 28th:

The kids wanted to stay home and keep themselves busy with PS2 and other games. I didn’t deny them the request because it meant that I could catch up on my reading as well. Heheh.

By the way, I have tossed Darren Shan’s book aside. I couldn’t bring myself to read beyond chapter 3. It didn’t catch my attention nor interest.

I managed to get A Thousand Splendid Suns and finished reading it in a couple of days. Now this is an interesting book. I still think The Kite Runner is better though. I hope Khaled Hosseini will write more books. I like the way he writes and how he describes everything. My mind would wander to create the surroundings that were described and I felt like I’m a character in the story. A character that observes the story being told.

Anyways. All of us went out for lunch and a bit (such an understatement!) of shopping at Alpha Angle. Along dropped me off at my place and hauled the kids to Tok Mak’s. We said our goodbyes and I saw my son, teary-eyed, trying his best to control his emotions and took his place as the co-pilot. He was after all, the only male in the car. We hugged for a bit. I could feel his arms around me. Strong and tight. I wish we didn’t have to let go.

When he buckled his seat belt, I saw him holding Leo (his stuffed lion) to his eyes to wipe off the tears and reached for the door handle. He didn’t cry. He closed the door and waved goodbye. I let him go with a heavy heart. I was proud at the same time. It was amazing that he managed to contain his emotions. I almost shed tears myself. It was not his first time being away but to me, each time felt like a first. He is still a baby in my heart.


What happened last Thursday May 29th:

I had to work on Thursday, much to my dismay.

I saw an internal job posting in the staff portal and sent an email to the hiring manager – whom I have known for quite a while.

I teasingly asked if I am eligible for the vacancy. The email communication went on from a simple question to discussions about the vacancy. I have not made up my mind about applying. I know for a fact that the position will lead to his chair in 2010.

Then, there was an email from my boss with some shocking news. The change in reporting structure – he is now reporting to the COO. We all know that they’re not on the same page about almost everything. Our portfolio has yet to be decided and God knows if we are needed at all. Our future in the company looks pretty much dim. Gloomy. Depressing.

The new shoes were not so kind to my poor feet either - just to add to my misery.

What happened last Friday May 30th:

Had a quick chat (a lengthy email prior to this) with my boss and to cut the story short, he is willing to let me go because he couldn’t guarantee that we’re needed in the division after this.

My boss and the hiring manager had a talk. My boss requested for a few things, the hiring manager agreed (pending approval from his boss) and we’re good to go. Paperwork will need to be done next week.

Meanwhile, please pray that everything will work out fine. Amin.


What happened last Saturday May 31st:

Attended a wedding and headed to Alpha Angle before making our way to BP to Tok Mak’s.

Deli decided that he should listen to his colleague and be a bit fashionable. Apparently, it means getting a new pair of shoes – the kind where it’s narrow at the tip. I told him that I think he looks gay wearing it. I had this perception about that sort of shoes. I won’t stop him from buying the shoes. He can buy and wear whatever he wants. He just needs to stand the pointing and teasing from me. Hahah.

Shoes - checked, now shirt.

We were looking for one that he could wear to formal functions and decided to stop by EIC. The mockery continued when Deli tried on a see-through shirt. A black, see-through shirt. How gay can you be? Hahahah.

Honey, please tell your friend that if he wants to be gay, by all means, go ahead. Just don’t influence the rest of the office!

I had fun laughing with and at Deli. It has been a while since we last had a date – just the 2 of us. The kids are a blessing no doubt, but I guess we still need some alone time to keep a healthy relationship. Once a while, it’s nice to have the house to ourselves and not worry when to pick the kids from school or the nursery. Or wonder if the baby sitter takes a good care of the kids, whom we know can be quite a handful to handle at times.

Let’s see if I can talk Deli into going for a trip for 2. Heheh.

Oh, the trip to BP took 4 hours! The congestion started at Nilai Memorial Park, all the way to Nilai exit. A lorry was on fire. The fume of burnt rubber lingered on till Seremban. Urgh!

We reached Tok Mak’s at 10pm to find our dear daughter eating dinner – rice and tom yam soup, accompanied by her Tok Ayah. Cute!

What happened last Sunday, June 1st:

Attended a wedding at BP. A pretty joyous one, if I might add. The food was decent - the kids had more than 2 helpings each of the corn soup. There was a zapin group, complete with mucisians and singers to entertain the guests. We stayed for a bit before moving on to Atok's place where the 'real' party was. Uncles and aunts shook hands, shared stories and teased each other, often unleashing laughters and kids played freely with minimum supervison.

Dafi - Tok Non's cat.

The zapin entourage.