The Missing Sound

It's cold early in the morning while the gentle breeze is blowing. The climate has changed, I guess. It's not the typical morning temperature.

Then...

Plak!... Plak!... Plak!... and it's getting louder..

then...

The distinct sound of Chinese music is floating in the air gently getting louder. I can see two silhouettes as if floating in the air. They are moving flawlessly. One is using a sword, and the other is a fan knife. Plak! ... Plak!.. Plak!... Its sound rhythms with the background music. I'm mesmerized, I guess coz I've slowed down or maybe stopped for a while.

But the sounds and silhouettes were in the past...

Today I came out expecting to hear and see them, however, the place is just empty. So I proceeded with my morning ritual contented with the humming sound of the cars passing by.

I missed the sound that poses as the marching music to sync everyone's movement..

Another Frustrating Day

When I woke up today, I felt very refreshed maybe because it's a beautiful sunny day. I was hoping that it will continue the rest of the day.

I received an email from the person which I expected to clear everything that caused some frustration. Unfortunately, some concerned persons still not persuaded.

My day is ruined!

They thought they were the experts, but then again when you asked what exactly in their mind, and how they're going to go about it, there are no definite answers. All i can hear was that's what i think!!!

Not good enough! If people think they can do and think better, they might as well be able to articulate and explain. Otherwise, they're just trying to get some ideas from other people that may come out during the discussion and argument.

The most frustrating part was people don't get it!!! Or well, they just play dumb!!!

When it comes to money people are very quick to jump into the wagon, but doing the dirty job people will just walk away! There's no easy way to get that big chunk of money if you don't do the dirty job!!!

When can we declare ourselves successful in life?

How many of us will ask such question?

Others may think that there's no point living when we declare ourself successful in life. There are lots of books suggesting on how to be successful in life. Yet, we have difficulties to recognize our own successful life, or won't even know we have reached such goal.

I grew up in a rural area, and we were told that we need to finish our studies, get some degrees and set some goals to be somebody someday. Is that goal defines success? Most likely, but not necessarily defining successful life.

After graduation, each one will look for a job to fend himself and become independent. Pursuit a career which someone may think suitable and can bring to the next level. In the process, someone may change career path to achieve the goal being set.

Back in my home town, most of us have very simple goal. Study hard, graduate and get some degree, then you can find work easily and be successful. Sounds easy! But in this real world, especially this information age, it's not as simple as it seems. The world is shrinking, and even the remotest place is affected by this advancement.

Each person has his own set of criteria to determine his own success. Though others think that a person is already successful, the concerned individual usually determines his own success.

As the person getting older, the measure of success is up. At times, we set different goals, achieved each one, then move to achieve a higher level. Therefore, we usually don't count successes we made earlier in life. And we may feel that we haven't achieved anything. It always boils down to contentment.

Once a person reaches his twilight years, then he'll start to ponder if he has made a successful life. He'll look back at the past years, the best and worst times and assess his achievements...

Does it mean I'm already in my twilight years? hmmm... just thinking...

So when to declare? That's up to the individual...

Different Actors, Same Result

It's been three months now when the company changed its owner. I was looking forward for lots of changes and activities as promised. Yet I'm still waiting for such things to happen.

After so much time waiting, it's clearer to me that company's direction will have the same result as the previous one except that the current actors are different. Any window dressing won't help. As time goes by, people's true color will always come out.

Bottom line is to manage people properly to get results. If everyone just talk without action, then everybody is just dreaming. If even a very simple task just to get the Yes or No from a client can't be done, then bigger task or complex task will surely fail.

Like most great things, usually everything starts small. I guess people has to learn this lesson...

What makes a good salesman?

I work as a technical guy and also coordinate with salesmen. Doing sales technical support, I have the opportunity to observe salesmen working when I go to meetings with them.

At times, I wonder why other salesmen can make and close deals compared to others. Why would these salesmen can close that deal? This question always flash in my mind when I go for meeting.

I sort of conclude that to be a good salesman, someone has to have some qualities:
1. Committed. This means that the person has conviction to make sales, not just for the sake of selling because that's his job, but commit himself to close the deal. I often went with salesmen and realized that they're not just ready to close the deal, but they talk uncommitted.

2. Understanding of the product. The person must have at least 80% knowledge of the overall product. If he doesn't even know his own product, how would the buyer expect to know the product?!

3. Understanding of market segment. He must know the market trend and his target segment, otherwise he'll be just talking to people nonsense.

4. Common sense. A factor that everyone has supposed to have, unfortunately common sense is not common after all.

5. Persuasive. He must be able to convince people. This quality usually depends on the other qualities stated above.

6. Honest. He can't promise heaven and earth to the potential buyer. He should be honest enough to tell people that the product has limitations. Every product has limitations, so it's not bad to tell the truth.

When I had a discussion with the boss few days back, I realized that they're putting the wrong sales people. These guys in sales post don't even have common sense to know what they're exactly supposed to do!!! They're just good at talking! No action , talk only (NATO) people! What a disappointment!!!

What's in history?

History is a record of past events. In modern times, different formats like writing, pictures, sounds and videos, but the olden days often it was passed orally or written by historians.

History helps us understand and learn things. It helps us develop ways to improve things based on the historical data, or avoid the pitfalls.

It's discouraging to know some people who don't want to review the history. Discussing such detail doesn't mean you want to criticize people. It's meant to understand the whole situation, and use it as reference.

If people will just forget the history and start all over again, then they're repeating history. Meaning these people are trying to do same things as the previous people did. Trial and error!!!

History serves as a guideline to build a blueprint for things to be done.

Lesson: Learn from the past.

On Detective Works

Hearing the word detective, we usually associate it with the police. What we don't realize that often we do our own detective works everyday. It's not as complex as the police investigation, but still we do it.

Detective work is synonymous to investigation. It entails gathering of data, proof and come up with the conclusion. Scientists, engineers and/or any other individual usually have to do some investigation.

Once a person hits a problem to achieve his goal, he will start investigating on ways to overcome the obstacle. He would start gathering data, come up with the necessary materials and eventually achieve his goal.

Common factors to achieve or wrap up an investigation: patience, persistence and perspiration.

Thinking as Entrepreneur

Technical people have different mindset as that of entrepreneurs. The fields are totally different. And I'm thinking of becoming an entrepreneur for quite sometime now. I thought it would be nice to break out from modern slavery.

I've discussed this subject matter with a best friend, and her inputs were quite invaluable. She's most exposed to this matter than I do. I would have thought differently without her inputs. It was discussed more on general terms, though I would have preferred to discuss it with her in details, but I felt pai sei.

I also contacted a very good resource person which I thought he might have some experience. He's my dad! Yes. I have to talk to him for an hour in a long distance call. But the cost is worth it.

After discussing with Dad the details, the pros & cons, the terminologies used and some formula I found that it's not as straight forward being entrepreneur. The subject matter becomes more complex when money is involved. Financial statement, profit and loss subjects made my mind whirling.

Not that I don't understand! I thought I've studied and understand all these things. But when I think like entrepreneur and having investors in mind, strategies and the best way to move forward, it's totally different from studying. I need to cover almost all things that I can think of to make things feasible. Getting your hands dirty changes your mindset compared to all in theory.

It's best to think these things over and over and over until everything is clear. But definitely I'll give it a shot. We'll see the next few days... The ball is in my court, and I have to play with it...

I'll keep my fingers crossed...

Necessary Documentation

Friday, June 22: Client's request status is in limbo. I literally refused to do the task because maintenance is not clear, therefore it's not mandatory to deliver the goods.

I asked the new person in-charged to show me the scope of the job, unfortunately she can't show any document. According to her, the previous employee didn't have it in a file.

Bingo!!!

My suspicion is confirmed that the person is not really doing the job. All wayang!!! No wonder when I tried to discuss those matters last time, they're illusive! They didn't have straight answers.

Documentation is always necessary when dealing in business. Verbal agreement sometimes work, but when there's a change of hand, definitely it will be difficult to implement what was verbally agreed.

I also thought that people who were taking over are very thorough. At least that's the feedback given to me. hmmm... These new guys were duped by the gal. Good at sweet talk, but not in deed.

I guess I need to be more careful with these guys. Most likely these are worse the previous ones... Just thinking....

Purpose of Meeting

People usually go for meeting to discuss issues and clarify things out. Unfortunately, there are bozos will just go to meeting unprepared just for the sake of having a meeting. End result, issues are still hanging, and they just wasted time!

When asked the outcome and conclusion regarding the issues, there's no single concrete answer! And still they still need to check some information. Really idiots!!!

Worst is they want me to go for the meeting and discuss the issues. Meeting again!!! These are useless idiots!

No wonder, they can fill pressure from the bosses.

Wayang wayang!!! These are the real pretenders!!

Issues in Computer Applications

We can find any type of computer applications from games to sophisticated application. Basically applications are for entertainment and tools to make us more efficient and need only little time to complete a particular task.

Sometimes it's frustrating to see some utility applications that take so much time to finish. When checking the codes, we can realize that coding caused the problem. Instead of letting the computer do the job, the programmer did the computer's job.

Often we heard programmers saying that the issues were due to old computer and can't process as much data as needed. In actual fact, it's the logic building and implementation are the issue.

These so called programmers are not really programmers by standard. They just thought they can instruct CPUs, and teach computers to think the way they think, then they are already programmers.

When can these people learn?!

Just asking...

What's In a Picture?

Everyday we see different pictures anywhere we go. It is used as a record on any event that we thought help us remember things. Whether it's a happy, sad or tragic moment. Anything that we would like to cherish and look back in the future.

Even in computers, we used images (pictures) to represent a particular function or objects coz as human beings we used to seeing objects rather than reading words. Icons representation in computers are preferred and seen as user-friendly compared to text-based information.

There is more than recording on events or locations. Different shapes and colors comprise a picture, but it may reveal things that we like, our mood & character and personality.

Most of us get excited or curious when we see somebody changed a picture that represent himself/herself. It's human nature! Often, speculation is drawn when we see something different, though it would be good to understand the premise of such changes. Otherwise, we may come up with the wrong conclusion. That's make life exciting, isn't it?

A picture paints a thousand words sums it all....

Rediscovering Self

In life, we chose some path that we thought it's the best to follow. Criteria vary from person to person. And path maybe chosen based on the person's perspective at the moment in time.

There are things that we ought to know, but opted not to know. For simplicity?! Or really just opted not to know at all?!!! I suppose it's the latter.

Well, simplicity is the best and could be a bliss. Not everyone will agree though. In this world that we live in, at times we would like to have the best. Who doesn't want the best?

But when we factor in people around us, things become complex, and simplicity diminishes if not really extinguished. This would be the time to think that we should have opted to know things that we ought to know.

Recognizing such reality often we need an angel to show us the way when we get lost. I guess I'm lucky to meet such angel. :D

Rediscovering self feels very refreshing. It's hard to describe a different feeling when you rediscover yourself.

Just remember that an angel will always come to guide and show us the way...

Inspiration

Each one of us, at least once, seek something to inspire us in our daily life. We try to make the most out of anything to enjoy. We do things that we thought may make us happy. We pursue things and dreams, and hoping and trying to achieve such things.

But sometimes when we pause, look back and think at times we ask "So what have I achieved?". Then we start thinking of a lot of things and different things. A lot of questions come into our mind, and sometimes everything seems confusing.

Adding to confusion maybe the environment and people surrounding us. Expectation from others may add weight to it. It's easier not to give in to these pressure of expectations. But when people start to emulate or make us a role model, pressure is heavier from within. We may not want to be somebody's model, but we can't prevent others to make us to be their model.

We become lost when we have a lot things in mind. So many things that may have happened that we wish it never happened at all. It's overwhelming!!!

Lost!!!

Inspiration! We need it to make everything back to what we wanna be, and where we gonna be!

Thanks to people that bring us inspiration. Someone may inspire us to help and see things clearly and show us the path that we've been seeking for.

Beauty, brain, honesty & frankness make everything perfect and irresistible and so beautiful.

Well, love is the best inspiration!!!

Facade

Facade is defined as a superficial appearance or illusion of something, or an artificial or deceptive front.

It's the facade we're seeing on people especially those that maybe in trouble but don't want to show it outright. Different personalities have different ways of portraying themselves. And each one has his/her own reasons in doing so. Maybe the obvious reason is that a person doesn't want to show the real thing.

Selfishness?!

If referring to problem or not a good thing, first analysis it may not be selfishness. Usually we clean up our own shit, and not to bother others to help the cleaning.

Often we associate selfishness with good things. As human beings it's our tendency to keep good things as we can. That's selfishness!!!

We may thought that by not sharing problem or bad things, we're protecting our friends from it. As if we're the heroes trying to save the world.

But taking a second look, the act of protecting others becomes selfishness!!! That's when we consider our friends' emotions. Friends are there to help and share the burden. Often we ignore them coz we're afraid that they'll get hurt somehow.

A true friend can see through behind the facade, no matter how good it is.

It's ironic and painful to go through the process. It could have been better if the facade was not put up in the first place.

The GA Series

The first time I watched GA series, the story line caught my attention. However I concentrated on doing something else, and thought of watching it again if I have the chance.

A very good friend so interested in GA series lent the DVDs that she has. Once I got hold of the copies, I watched it till wee hours and can't get enough of it.

What made the series ticked with me?!

The story line for each episode is very simple, however, it touched me. As if you were watching yourself captured in film. There's a weird feeling watching the show. Deja vu!!! At times parallelism could be in the scenario or the character him/herself.

Why not getting enough of it?!!!

Well there are situations that you think there's a solution to the dilemma being presented, however in the end it's hanging. Reality dictates that too often they live happily ever after thing is not the ending. Life sometimes is a struggle depending on how we deal with situations. And the series itself presented what life is all about...

I'm looking forward to watch the next episodes...

"I can be a surgeon and committed at the same time"... I associated myself to this character...

Rainbow Home

When I moved in to a new place, other occupants were not around. So I took the opportunity to take pictures of the difference places in the house coz I was alone.

After compiling the pictures, I realized that I'm living in a rainbow home. Hmm... I would rather call it a house than home. :P

I think what prompted me to take some pictures are the different colors, though I didn't take notice of this peculiar thing until I loaded the pictures to my computer. hahaha....

What surprises me most is the color of my room, and some more it has flowers though it's fake... :P Seems not a room for me... hehehe... Anyway, I have to stay here otherwise I become homeless and stay under the bridge....

Just thinking...

Literally soaked

When was the last time you got soaked in the rain?

Most of us don't like to go out when it's raining coz we don't like getting wet. When we go out during rainy days, we always bring umbrella or wear a jacket to protect us from the elements.

I went out cycling last weekend, and suddenly it rained. There was no shelter in a stretch of a kilometer, and I was literally soaked. Reaching the shelter, I realized that a lot of people and bikers were already in the shelter and there's no more room to squeeze in.

There was actually a limited space, but you will still get wet coz it was unusually heavy downpour. I decided to continue cycling coz there's no point stopping coz I'll get wet anyway.

Getting soaked in the rain reminded me of childhood days when you played outside while it keeps on raining. Going back home, taking hot bath and getting a warm dry clothes feels really good.

hmmm... What a refreshing feeling...

Virtual Holiday

Is there a virtual holiday?

A quick check with google, and amazingly there are a lot of places to go to virtually. hahaha... I'm thinking of a different virtual holiday... :P

I think it would be nice to take time off from online activities , and I mean it. That includes email activities, though it would be impossible to do that given the nature of my job. Hopefully there's not much messages coming to the inbox, otherwise temptation will be very strong.

I'll try to impose my will to be on virtual holiday as much as possible, and as long as I can. There's a lot of online activities that I may miss though. :(

oops....

I may exclude the blogging and reading of news from this holiday, otherwise if I get bored what else I'm gonna do?

If there's a will, there's a way...