An employee in an MNC

 I guess this is how it is in every MNCs

Because everyone there is just an employee

Management competing with each other

To earn even more money and borrowed power.

To control others under their eye

Waste productivity for their KPIs

Doesn't matter if it's of no real value

Just as long as they get their due.

The real performers are kept at bay

So that the superiors can claim that name

of achievements under his 'supervision'

Plagiarising contributions of individual persons

So, work, if you need the money, just be aware

Do your best during work hours, but don't ignore self care 

You're not contracted to work twenty four by seven

The company will still run without your presence.

May God guide and support you.

the 3rd time is for real

I feel like a drunkard at work today. Sent an email, with the wrong attachment.
So I resent the email with subject "... with correct attachement", and STILL attached the wrong file!

I had no choice but to send the 3rd email, this time with the correct file attached. And to differentiate the earlier email, I indicated in the subject ".... with correct attachment, for real".

I hope the recipient didn't think I was trying to be funny.

great day at the office is when...

.

- you come in, and there's no one around;

- you check your task list and there's nothing you can do (it's all pending other people who's not working today);

- you brought a good book to read;

- you can turn on music without earphones.



.

Hidden Food II

While having sandwich for lunch at MB's desk..


FUZZ
Eh? I thought we bought two bananas kan tadi?

MB
(Looking around her table...and then..)
.. oh ya.. I da sembunyikan kat belakang laptop.

FUZZ
=D Tak terlupa ke nanti?

MB
Tak. (illa masyaAllah), every hour or half hour before 3pm nanti, mesti I teringat. :p

impatience

Look at that.. I wonder how much they have to pay, to make that piece of promotion pamphlet, which they mail to hundreds of thousands of their customers, and I even got TWO copies. Must cost a lot... that thing which I normally trash right after I open it. It's hard quality paper.

Of course, that cost will go into the price that people pay, for purchasing that thing, including the costs of fat bonuses for their CEOs, meaningless or trivial but expensive overseas travels and stays by their executives, eksetera eksetera eksetera. That would also explain why some lesser known hardwares or softwares which may even perform at par or better - are much cheaper.

It doesn't matter that you have just bought an expensive server from them just 3 months ago, you still get these pamphlets telling you about their 'latest' servers. Companies are always finding ways to make more AND even more money - by constantly telling you, you need to change this and that - or that you cannot live without their useless items. This is simply GREED - they can call it 'growth' all they want.

And then, there is this issue at work - which has been pending like over a YEAR. And the company I'm dealing with.. is taking way too much time to respond. And it seems to me, that they are not able to provide to us, what we have requested for. Now, after many reminder emails, they are suggesting a teleconference to 'discuss' this issue. I have grown quite impatient with mindless meetings. What EXACTLY is the agenda of this meeting? Have they even decided if they can provide what we asked for? If they can't even provide what we ask for, which is the main requirement, then what is the point of this meeting? Arrgh!!

I replied like that to them.
Minus the 'arrgh!!'.

Perhaps this impatience is also triggered by a couple of events last few days.

I am feeling impatient with the ways of the world. I am feeling impatient with the ways of people who have total disregard for other's feelings. This 'feelings' part has nothing to do with that pamphlet or the email. It's some other separate events.

What to do?
Pray to Allah, to grant me, more patience.
This IS the ways of the world - it's not like we've never been told.
And.. astaghfirullah. I know I'm not perfect either.



BUT.. A.L.I.F!
AND Rus will be back tomorrow. My life can hopefully get back to normal routines. Although I do intend to have more hands on, in the kitchen from now on. No.. from after Hari Raya. These days.. I don't have much time to take care of the kitchen or do housework. I've been working, coming home only to go out visiting or to entertain our guests, except for yesterday - which is another story.

Yup.
p.s. (this is one way to stop abruptly.. when you suddenly have nothing else to say).

sketch on fax

I started my work life, during those times when email was NOT the main form of communication between one office to another. It used to be the fax machine.

One thing I miss about communications by fax, is the little cute drawings I used to receive on the fax messages from my counterpart in Japan. I'd cut them up and paste them on my document trays.

The precious trays, have been passed down to newer colleagues and by now, I CANNOT locate the trays :'(
I should have kept the trays myself.

The drawings were SOMETHING like this.. only much nicer - especially the hair part.

morning August sketch

8.55am.
I arrived at the office early today, like 20 mins earlier. These days, I do. MasyaAllah (dengan izin Allah)

I checked my emails, answered a couple. I opened by task list for today.....

NOTHING.
No planned task for today.
Zilt.
I should go home.. if only I have an abundance of annual leaves - I don't.


9.15am
Just now, when I came in, half the lights in office were off. Including the one above me. It was still bright enough to work, in fact it was kind of cosy. Then, when everybody else came in and the office bell went off (yes, we have a bell to mark the start of office hours, start of lunch hours, end of lunch hours and end of office hours - I think everyone loves the tune they play for end of office hours), someone turned on ALL the lights. It's much brighter. I think we are using way too many lights, thus electricity. More than what is actually required.


9.40am
I'm reading an email.. from a big well known IT company. The address shows Shenton Way.. heh.. everytime you see those kind of address you can guess they are expensive and one third or half of the charges we're paying for, probably goes to rent.


11am



ALIF! - Friday.. yes.

Business terms that amuses me

I am taking a mental break from this BIG, loooong, tedious system tests that I have to do. And I find myself thinking about WBS.. and BPR. Let me share my thoughts..

BPR
..stands for Business Process Reengineering. It sounds scary - but it's really just about looking into your daily tasks and seeing how you can improve it by working smarter and faster. I think smart workers do their own BPR every now and then. Other than that, they tell you which part of it, can be done by a computer system.

Big companies employ big consultancy firms to do this for them and the charged fee is like tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand. And the thing is, these consultants don't actually IMPROVE your tasks per se. They fly in from all around the world, come into your office and help you ask YOURSELF, how you can improve your own tasks. Oh, they also help you question your bosses, why you do what you do.

Then from the numbers they ask the company to gather, they do some superficial calculations of 'savings' in time, manpower, money - WHICH in most cases, do not reflect the real situation (just like how GDP does not reflect the real state of a country).

Reminds me of..(if you'd let me side-track a bit. No, you have no choice), my lecturer who does not like the word 'average'. He says average is not real. If I have one feet in scalding hot water like 100 deg Cel, and the other leg in an ice cold water - 0 deg Cel - it would have looked OK on the 'average'. But it's NOT.

I'm drifting away from my main topic.

My thoughts are.. if the BIG BOSS is sincere, smart and determined about improving, there CAN be improvement without having to pay thousands of dollars, just to find out how. Else, even at the end of the whole exercise.. nothing much will change. End of BPR.

WBS
I just learned this acronym/term, about last week. I was asked to manage this one project and then asked to prepare the 'WBS'.

"Sorry." I said, "What's WBS?"
"Oh.. that stands for Work Breakdown Structure"
"Wow. Ermm. Is that like our tasks list?"

And so apparently, it is. So that's another important sounding term for it.



I have nothing more for now - not any that I can recall easily.
It's not important. So, I won't bother.

waiting for the end of the day

great. more or less, finished work for today. i have so MANY things to do, personally.  but here I am in the office.. waiting for the end of the day.  
how precious time is wasted...

...

.....

...........


while i sit here in the office
waiting for the end of workday
I think about all the things
i have to do today

i need to go to the bank
i need to check on the house
i need to fetch the children
and get to swissotel

i want to take pictures
i want to download them
i want to put them on the web
to let you all see

i need to sort the things at home
i need to pack some of them
i need to label the boxes
the house is getting cramped

i need to check my emails
i want to check my cars
don't want another ticket
from michelle and maimunah

while all these things are waiting
to be done by me
I sit here in the office
being as patient as can be



....

I didn't say i'm a good writer.. :-\

two hours to go.
OH! and today is Friday.. aaah...

being green

The company has sent out an email to all staff, about the Green Transport Day campaign, which is to take place this Thursday. We have been asked to confirm our participation by clicking on one of the two buttons provided. For staff who usually come by car - "Yes, I will take Green transport!", and for those who normally commute by public transport - "Yes! I'm a Green commuter!"

Since I am driving, that leaves me with only one choice - "Yes, I will take Green transport!"........... Believe me, I have been hovering my mouse over that button for the longest time, but I have not been able to click it just yet. I have been trying to convince myself to participate. BUT what if I'm late that day?? ..and I usually am . And what a drag, to think of rushing to board the company bus, alighting at the crowded train station, squeezing into the train, spending 1.5 hours just to reach home, when I can reach home in approximately 20 mins, by car.

I know I sound selfish. :( But shoots.. what's the point of taking 'green' transport for one day and driving for the rest of the 364 days??

I'll be green in other ways. I think I AM being green in other ways :
- I do not waste paper - I think 10 times before printing anything. In fact i hardly ever print anything - I prefer softcopies.
- I re-use envelopes - especially those new ones sent by tree-killer banks who send LOADS of waste paper asking people to get into debt or more debt.
- Whenever I remember, or when it's not too late, I refuse plastic bags from shops.
- I have been conscious about energy usage at home. I didn't turn on the lampu lap lip last Raya in a bid to save energy. When equipments are not in use I switch off the main points, rather than have it on standby. I switch off lights in empty rooms.
- and...come to think it, other than the trip to work and from work - I DO try to cut down on using my own transport. I try to avoid having to travel long distances to meet friends (especially when petrol prices are increasing). AND I use unleaded petrol.


About Thursday, I am still trying to convince myself. Though on the other hand, I am also justifying the point of my actually doing it, IF I do it. Just like, what is the point of having a 'dinner with your family campaign - ONE day out of 365 days?? So, I still cannot click on that button just yet, or else I'll have to paint my car green, in order not to be lying.

BUT insyaAllah, I pledge to be green in most other ways, 365 days, consistently.

:-S

.

looking forward

"This year, has been bad for me, you know. Since late last year.. it's been problems. one after another. I'm just so stressed up," he said. Looking seriously stressed. You can almost feel it yourself.

Then I remembered what Aa Gym (again) said. So I told him, "You know we Muslims... we fast?"

"oh yes.. during Ramadan?"

"Yes Ramadan. Totally no drink, no food, during the day. Even kids can fast. "

"For one month right?"

"Yes, one month. You know one of the reasons why we can endure it? It's because we know, 7pm, will come. (InsyaAllah, provided the world don't end and/or we don't die - but I didn't mention this, didn't want to scare him or give him other ideas) So we bear with it, because we know it will end - we know there is something to look forward to. THAT is the daily goal, then whole month goal - is the festivities at the end of the fasting month. That's when we feel we have triumphed."

"Oh yeah.. that makes a lot of sense."

"Yes, so you should look at the end of it all. These current stressful stuff and troubles - it will end right?"

"Yes, hopefully around June"

"Good. So look forward to that, while you're tackling it."

"hmm... yeah... I should start planning for a break, a holiday."

"Yes, do that! Go pick a destination - print a picture and place it at your desk."

"Haha.. hmm.. yeah.. I may do that :D"

He actually looked more relieved, like a burden is slightly lifted.
I sure hope he feels better.

The abc's

Aspiring, I am.
Alarmed, I'm not.

Bored, I am.
Busy, I'm not. Not yet.

Cheerful, I am.
Childish, I'm not. I don't think so.

Dazed, I am.
Delighted, I'm not. Not so.

Equipped, I am.
Elated, I'm not. For now.

Finite, I am.
Fruitful, I'm not. Not this very moment.

Gracious, I am...trying to be.
Gorgeous, I'm not. Not like that.

Hungry, I was.
Happy, I am. Sort of.

I....should stop.


~madame blossom~


oh. .which reminds me of Dadha's tag.

Describe E.R.N.I.

E - evolving.
R - reasonable.
N - nice.
I - introspective.

Agree? :p

To find others eh.. hmm.. That's going to be quite tricky.

E - I don't have a friend whose name also starts with e. Ok, adalah.. Erwin, but he doesn't have a blog. Pass.
R - Raudha, she gave this to me. Rihana.. nah..not my friend. Pass.
N - ..... N2f!!, Nurfizah!
I - .. err.. I... I... Idham? He's not technically 'a friend', though he always calls us 'teman-teman'. He's our ustaz.. and he has no blog also. Pass.

doing it with love

Once upon a long long time ago, hubby and I were strolling on the streets in Gold Coast, Australia, when I noticed a trash truck slowing down. A man in t-shirt and denim jumpsuit, shades and headphones on, got off and walked to the beat of whatever he was listening to, towards the trash bin. He picked it up, emptied it and was on his way, still to the beat playing on his headphones. I remember thinking.. 'the way this fella does his job, it's like it's the best job in the world..' And seeing him also makes me think that the job of a cleaner, don't look bad at all! In fact, it looks like fun - how that man was doing it.

And I remember it to this day. And sometimes I'd be thinking.. imagining.. hoping..to see that kind of attitude, especially for the blue collared workers and the younger ones. Ada jugak ah I nampak.. kadang2 budak2 yang jual Ramly Burgers tu.. macam enjoy kerja diorang. That's good.

Cause u know.. every decent job is important. Kalau tak ada orang nak buat.. kecoh jugak jadinya. Imagine if nobody wants to empty trash bins or clean toilets. Boleh jadi national crisis...

You have to have some 'L-O-V-E' for the job you're doing . The determination to do the best you can, no matter what it is that you're doing. Cause every job we do, is for the benefit of another. Every job is an ibadah, when you do it with the intention to give the best, to the person receiving the product of your job. In the end, it will bring satisfaction to yourself. Especially bila kerja tu.. kita buat lillah, kerana Allah SWT - it's even more noble.

U know, I can sometimes see or even TASTE the difference in the food of a cook who loves his job, and the one who is preparing the food, just for the sake of earning. Serious!
U'll be able to see/taste it, especially if you frequent the particular foodstall.

Therefore we shud give our best in whatever it is that we're doing. And I'm not just talking about our jobs.. even our other tasks lah - apa2 pun. masak ke, mop rumah ke, kemas katil ke, cuci toilet ke... InsyaAllah, we'll be more contented and happy. I'm reminding myself too!!

There is a saying (which was quoted to be a hadith, but I really cannot find or confirm the source. One mentioned that it's from Imam Muslim - I cannot locate it. Then on another article it is said to be from Imam Tamadhi - whom I've not heard of so far, Imam Tirmidhi, I know. If anyone knows of the exact source of this saying, please inform me).

It says "Allah loves a person whom when he does a job, he does the job dilligently and to the best of his ability. " The arabic word used is 'amali tuqinah' which means 'does a job diligently and to the best of his ability'. Some arabic words are just so rich in meaning.

Allahua'lam.

Happy working!

can you please listen faster!

while I was typing an email to pink, i heard someone on the phone saying, "aiyah.. can you please listen faster!" Ok, that's weird. I don't know how anyone can LISTEN faster - i guess she meant, digest the information faster or respond faster or stop asking questions. OR I shouldn't care.

Then, there was this one time, when i heard someone said "I'm not being rude, i'm just saying that you're fat." I don't know if I heard that wrongly or if she mispronounced the words - anyway that's what I thought I heard.

And at that time, I was on YM with pink. So I was telling her what I heard. At the same time also, I was doing a repetitive task - closing all long pending problem logs in the system - with standard remarks like "Closed based on meeting dated XX.XX.XX". So I'm copying this remark, pasting into the system remarks column, save, close log window.

When it comes to doing repetitive things, I can work like robot, and fast. openLog-paste-save-closeLog. openLog-paste-save-closeLog. openLog-paste-save-closeLog.

But I was also on YM with Pink kan.. in my robotic-speed tu.. I accidentally copied the "I'm not being rude, I'm just saying that you're fat"
OpenLog-paste-save-'OOOH Shit!!'-closeLog. Eeeeshh!!..I was too fast to even stop myself. And in that system, there is no way to edit or delete the remarks. Bagus kan?

Sometimes, I think I should slow down.




Happy Thursday!


:)

death by scrabble

My life has been a rollercoaster this past 2 months, when it comes to my favourite gadgets.
1. lost my hp and olympus camera in KL. :(
2. came back and cannot find my smaller lumix camera after the children played with it. :((
3. got a new hp, after about a month, when hubby suddenly said, 'come let's go and get your new hp'. :D
4. And then I FOUND my lumix camera at home, stuck behind the daybed. :D :D
5. And then, I accidentally spilled water all over the laptop at the office. :(

All efforts to revive it proved futile:

fanning

dabbing

bbqing

dismantling

eating

i know.. not related. food are all fake.


The laptop is now just waiting for a qualified doctor/technician to declare it officially dead. I don't mind if they give me a desktop to work on instead or a 2nd hand laptop, cause it's my fault :(

Oh.. the title has got nothing to do with my laptop. No lah.. it didn't go dead because i played scrabble ke apa..

Just now I was looking for some short stories to read right after lunch, and I came across this cruelly funny story. Somewhat 'roald dahl'

Death by Scrabble - by Charlie Fish.
Charlie Fish probably plays scrabble all the time too.

enjoy.

my password

my office is very serious about ISM - Internal Security Management.

Every morning, I have to go through 4 passwords, just to get to my emails.

Not only that, these many many passwords that we have, must be regularly changed. some ONCE A MONTH! and some 3 months once. It's quite a chore to think of new ones. My colleague was saying that he's run out of passwords that he can remember, "I already used my father, mother, daughter, grandfather, grandmother's name, birthday all!".

*Of course, family names are actually not good passwords.

So anyhow, for me, I remember most of my passwords.
Except for the HRMS system.

Because I seldom log into this system. But everytime I did, I'd have to reset my password, because I just don't seem to remember it.

I decided to do something about it. The next time I reset my password, I recorded the new password, so that I can check later. But I cannot stick my password on my desk, it'll fail ISM. It has to be in a safe place. To remind myself, I indicated the reminder in the URL bookmark.

A couple of weeks later, I had to use the HRMS system. I remember I saved my pw somewhere but don't remember where. I click on my internet bookmark, and there it says 'HRMS system - check email-reference for pw.'

"Aaaahh..smart!", I thought to myself. =D

Went to my email inbox, under reference folder, found HRMS reset password

I opened the email.

When I saw it, macam nak ketawa jugak. In the email, it says 'Look in drawer under cards for password'.

I seriously forgot that I did that.
True enough, I opened my drawer, and there under the cards, was my password.

Macam treasure hunt pulak.

Hmm..I amuse myself, sometimes.

the stuff that we pack

to the tune of 'the wheels on a bus'..
here we go!
all together now!..

the stuff that we have, we pack pack pack
phone and files, we pack pack pack
ornaments and mugs, we pack pack pack
cause we need to shift.

but some are lazy, they tag tag tag
even the mouse! they tag tag tag
with paper so big, they tag tag tag
because they bo chap.

ok lah.. it's not meant to win any song award kan..

stuck in my head

Over the last week or so, I find myself, sometimes, singing that Boyz to Men's song - which to me is R-rated. the title slips my mind and I don't mind.

I would be at the office, happily doing my work and then I realise I'm singing that sick song... and I'll stop myself, almost slapping myself actually.
Once i did. softly la.

Apasal sey, aku nyanyi lagu ni??.. It's not even in my list of least favourite song. I don't think I've heard it recently on the radio.

And so I've been wondering - why the fish is this stupid song stuck in my head?!?!?!

THEN, just now I discovered how it actually got into this head of mine.

Everyday, in the office, the receptionist would normally play a CD over the company's PA system. (apparently she doesn't change the CD everyday or week or..) It's VERY VERY SOFT. If you're talking or walking - sometimes you don't even realise that some music is playing.

So over the last - i don't know how many days or weeks or months - the same instrumental CD of some popular songs were played. OVER AND OVER AND OVER again throughout the whole day. Yes, the office is that boring.

The amazing thing is - I didn't even realise that instrumental version of the song was playing at all! I totally didn't notice it until just now. It SUBCONSCIOUSLY or UNCONSCIOUSLY got into my head.

Isn't it amazing? Subhanallah!

AND SO, from this accidental experiment, I've concluded my findings. Information CAN indeed be put into our minds, EVEN if we are not actually paying attention to it. But in this guinea pig's case, it had to be repeated over a period of a few many many days.

So, instead of that, I think I should plug myself to the Quran recitations, and let it play over and over again - quite softly.. even if I'm not really listening to every kalimah. Hopefully it'll help with my needed hafalan and the more needed subconscious reminders. :\

DO try it at home! or in the office!
Or anytime, anywhere.



A.L.I.F!!!!
Alhamdu lillah it's Friday!!

rain

Yesterday, J at work, gave me some mooncake to try.. then suddenly
she shrieked, "EH! so MANY ants!!"
"Where?!" i asked.
And she pointed to a single lost ant.
This is what i call exagerration.
But she's cute.. in the office she laughs the most.



It was raining very heavily this morning. I had to walk a longer way to get to the car.
I'd rather walk a longer way or get a little bit wet or half wet, than carry an umberella-ella-ella-e-e.
(i know.. the song will probably be stuck in ur head for the rest of the day).

And so, I was late. If it was not raining, I may have been 5 minutes earlier.. but still 5 minutes late.
Hmm.. what's new.

Anyway, back to the topic of rain.. as it was almost literally pouring earlier in the morning. I imagined, how it must have been during Prophet Noah's time, when Allah SWT made the big flood. I mean like even now in normal heavy rains we had flash floods. So masa tu, Allah SWT made it rain so heavily from the skies and also let water out from the earth, so imagine how fast the flood would have consumed the whole land. Subhanallah.

Thereupon We inspired him thus: “Build, un­der Our eyes [12] and according to Our inspiration, the ark [that shall save thee and those who follow thee]. [13] And when Our judgment comes to pass, and waters gush forth in torrents over the face of the earth, place on board of this [ark] one pair of each [kind of animal] of either sex, as well as thy family - excepting those on whom sentence has already been passed; and do not appeal to Me [any more] in behalf of those who are bent on evildoing - for, behold, they are destined to be drowned!

Al Quran, Al Mu'minun 23:27

Will you then not consider?

p.s. my lovely hanaa is 10 today!

Totally moving

For almost 3 years now, we have been sitting in a 'temporary' place since this project started. Next week, we'll have to move back up to the 2nd floor.

Well, at least that will give me the needed 1 minute exercise at work every morning, walking up the stairs to the 2nd floor.

Sitting downstairs so far, has it's ups and downs. The 'ups' is that, the big bosses are all upstairs, so we are in a more relaxed area.

i can come in late EVERYDAY. Not that I WANT to.. but i've become complacent. But i do make up for it in the evening la, by going back later. Next week onwards.. Allah SWT help me.. I've been trying though.

Downstairs, lunch hour is any hour u feel like it actually - which is good. Because you should really eat ONLY when u're hungry and not because it's lunch time. oh man.. talking about lunch now, when I'm fasting... i'm hungrier. but insyaAllah can perservere. Down, nafsu, down!

ok, then the 'downs' of being downstairs, is that, i'm seated between the office main entrance and the big conference room. And I'm facing the walkway. Being in a Japanese company, they expect you to greet each visitor actually by bowing a bit.. saying hello or good morning or ohayo gozaimasu. It gets a tiring, disrupts my concentration, and it's irritating sometimes.

I have even contemplated coming up with a sensor device, that will play my recorded "hello" everytime someone walks pass. Brilliant idea right? I only have to look up and smile, if i'm not too busy.. or else, the person wud have thought that I said it and he responded late, so I have continued with my chat work.

But after further contemplation i scrapped the idea. Cause not only guests pass that way, my colleagues (still ok la), the tea-lady (still quite ok), the cleaner boy, the warehouse boy.. I couldn't risk them thinking I'm crazy. Plus what if they walked pass to and fro in a matter of minutes - and he hears "Hello".. Hello'.. then also.. what if 4-5 people all walk in a row.. the sensor device would have sounded 'hello, hello, hello, hello, hello" da macam record rosak and my 'smart' trick device wud have been discovered. Not good for my appraisal.

You can tell right, today, i'm not very busy (cannot say 'free').
Plus is pre-holiday.
Tomorrow Singapore National day mah..
No, I'm not wearing red.
No, I'm not wearing red tomorrow either. I think i DON't have any red t-shirts/shirts.

Yes, I'm bored.

Yes, I'm a bit sick.

Yes, I'm waiting for 5.20pm (cause i came in 5 minutes late today)

Ok.. i think i better start moving my stuff now.

InsyaAllah, I'm going to enjoy my loooooong weekend. And I hope u too. And maybe take some pictures in the toilet.. but before that.. finish my homework and hafalan.. insyaAllah. (da brpa kali aku cakap nak buat?)

*unplugged*