The Greatest Asset...

As I sit at my desk counting down the days until my departure, I can't help but feel a tad reluctant to leave. Unfortunately, things have already been set in motion and February 26th is the day.

I have enjoyed both a fantastic & enriching experience with the people around me. They say the greatest asset in any company is its' people - I couldn't agree more. It has made me realize the importance of treasuring the people who work with you everyday and these people I have come to know have been absolutely top-class. Donnie, Anwar, Mimi, Alex, Elaine, Wendy, Simon, Lynn & Jayne - I salute you & I am indebted to your friendship & camaraderie. There are many more who have touched my life but it is these few that "courageously" had to put up with me day in & day out :-)

I am not bitter about the events that have transpired over the past month. I choose to see things as clearly & as optimistic as I can. But I shall take with me the lessons learnt from an awkward situation where good judgment & basic common sense were missing.

I believe that great leaders are not made.. they are molded. And there is a thin line in simply being a good leader & a great one. Good one's are competent with their product knowledge, great one's are competent with relationships - No prizes for guessing which of the two will inspire better growth. 

In a world that has become so commercialized, where the client is also now the product, it is essential that we are led by leaders who care - And not only for their own pockets, benefit or status! Great leaders inspire.. they represent pillars of strength.. an avenue of hope. Good soldiers do not necessarily make fantastic generals. Likewise a top employee doesn't necessarily make a first class manager. But strong leadership can be forged..  as long as the person is keen & has an open mind, who is not afraid to make mistakes, who learns from it, and who puts the interest of other above his own.

The Typical Malaysian Chinese... And Proud Of It!

Since it's the Chinese New Year, I thought I'd come up with some traits that truly make us Malaysian Chinese a one-of-a-kind:

1. You love to talk about food. You're already thinking about what to have for dinner 

while eating lunch. "I'm stuffed. What shall we have for dinner?"
 

2. You dive into a communal-style meal the moment the dish lands on the table only to 

hesitate at the last morsel of food on the serving dish.

3. You seize the opportunity to make a U-turn anywhere ... especially where there is a 

sign telling you not to. Well, so long as the cops aren't in sight. 

4. You slow down at an accident site to take down the car number plate, but won't step 

out of your car to help - the victim could be a robber! 
 

5. You make an appointment for 10am and conveniently show up a half hour 

late - Malaysian  time, what ... 

6. You pop open the wet tissue packet at the Chinese restaurant by squeezing the trapped 

air to the top of the packet before proceeding to smash your fist into it. The louder the pop 

the better. 
 

7. You have roughly six meals a day (breakfast, mid-morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, 

dinner and supper). Then there's the snacking - chips, cookies, kuih and the like.
 

8. Your accent and language style vary according to the race of the person you are 

conversing with. 
 

9. You exclaim loudly how expensive everything is, even though the item may in fact be 

going for a steal. "Wah! So expensive, ah? Hak sei ngor (Scare me to death)!" 
 

10. You "dis" our country all the time, but as soon as something good happens (like 

winning the AFF Suzuki Cup), you morph into a proud Malaysian. 

11. You like to eat chicken feet.
 

12. You suck on fish heads and fish fins.
 

13. You have a Chinese knick-knack hanging on your rear view mirror.

14. You love to sing Karaoke no matter the occasion.
 
15. Your hair sticks up when you wake up.
 

16. You'll haggle over something that is not negotiable.
 

17. You love to use coupons and/or vouchers.
 
18. You can drive around for hours looking for the best parking space.
 

19. You tap the table when someone pours tea for you.

20. You unwrap gifts very carefully, so you can reuse the paper.
 

21. You spit bones and other food scraps on the table.
 
22. You save grocery bags, tin foil, and tin containers.

23. You pick your teeth at the dinner table (but you cover your mouth).
 

24. You don't own any real Tupperware - only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed 

margarine tubs, takeout containers,and jam jars.
 
25. You have a collection of miniature shampoo and lotion bottles that you take every 

time you stay in a hotel.
 

26. If you are male, you clap at something funny and if you are female,you giggle 

whilst placing a hand over your mouth.
 

25. If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if it's 

midnight.
 
26. You starve yourself before going to all-you-can-eat places.
 
27. You own pirated VCDs or DVDs
 
28. Dinner always includes soup and you use a special extra large spoon just  for soup.

29. You bring oranges (or other produce) with you as a gift when you visit people's 

homes.

30. You fight over who pays the dinner bill.

So there you have it folks! The top 30 of my list. I hope it gave you a hearty laugh this 

Chinese New Year.

[This list was made just for laughs & it was in no way meant to be offensive :-)]

Choice or Chance?

One of the most sought after or talked about subjects during Chinese New Year has got to be about horoscopes & feng shui. Although I do believe in the energy properties of feng shui (in relation to the magnetic resonance of the Earth's energy flow - I wonder if I got that right), I can't say I'm a big believer in horoscopes.

I'm not saying this because the Rabbit year seemingly does not favor my animal sign, the Rooster, but it's just that I have a hard time consigning my life to someone else's prediction of how it's gonna turn out.

I'm a firm practitioner of self-navigation. I believe that our fate is not carved in stone. Despite the difficulties, and the situations surrounding us, from our birth to our current living conditions, man always has a choice. It doesn't mean that being born into poverty will condemn a man into poverty forever. Too many of us stay walled in by our very own perception. Sure... we all start off differently in life. Some are rich, some are lucky, some are good looking... but we're all on the same journey. The secret is not to compete with others, but to rise beyond what we thought we could be.

I for one will battle it out with whatever life has in store for me this year. I will not give up.. I refuse to surrender to chance.. I will make my own choices. And if it doesn't work out the way I want it to.. I'll just make some adjustments here and there in order to get to where I want. How about you?

Happy Chinese New Year!

The hot weather... the crowded streets... the smell of $$$... Chinese New Year is finally here again! Hahahaha...