Rojak

It does not make sense, does it? Having Rojak as a title for my blog. What does Rojak mean anyway? (Well, that is if you have not tried this Malaysian/Singaporean delicacy.)

As found on The Coxford Singlish Dictionary, Rojak means:
A salad of mixed vegetables taken with sauce. Of Malay origin, it has been adapted by all races. In Singlish (or Manglish), it is used as an adjective, to describe something as being either eclectic, or just plain messy.

So what I meant to blog today is really just plain messy thoughts that I had over these few weeks.

To start things off, I am trying to push myself to blog at least once a week. This need determination and I do not really have much of it. Must try to pull myself together to make this blog a place for readers like you to frequent. (If I have any 'loyal' readers, that is.)

Some time last week, I went out on site to a International Language Training Center to do some maintenance and marketing work. When I arrived on site and tried to go to the office, I was greeted by a sign that reads:

TIDAK DIBENARKAN MASUK TANPA URUSAN

JIKA ADA URUSAN SILA KE TINGKAT 7

In English it simply means:

NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER WITHOUT BUSINESS

IF (YOU) HAVE BUSINESS PLEASE GO TO 7TH FLOOR

What the? Either way no one can enter that place, which is supposed to be their reception/office! Unbelievable! This is not any normal institution, this is the International Language Training Center! Oh gosh, it is either language teachers have no logic, or my language level is not that logical.

Anyway, had a business trip to the Malaysian East Coast last weekend. This was my first visit to the east coast and I saw a lot of interesting things. First of all, I just realised that there is a Kampung New Zealand (New Zealand Village) in Malaysia! And the best part is, they grow apples there! (Wonder if they are growing New Zealand apples.)

The other thing that impressed me was the oil rigs/refineries around the Dungun area. I just cannot describe it in word, just plain impressive. And the scenery lasted for almost one kilometer. Right after we passed all these seems-to-be-so-high-tech buildings, a host of kampung(village) houses greeted us. We had steam chilli crab for dinner that night.

A few words on the current affair. The AP issue has got into everyone's mind! But are we talking about Approved Permits or Ayah Pin?

My brain is basically dead now, and could not think of anything. So I am going to finish off my rojak here.

Till later.

Two Lights at End of Tunnel

I have just survived the worst few months of my career recently. Oh well, my career has just started a few months ago anyway, ha ha.

All right, I have to admit that I just went through the transition period where every rookie would have difficulties bridging the mental gap between the ideal academic world and the real working environment.

If that is not enough for me to handle, things took a turn for the worst. Nothing I did turn out the way it should be (or I thought it would be). I have the tendency to repeat stupid mistakes on an hourly basis, not being able to listen and to remember the instructions given, messing up the priorities of tasks, resulting in my boss basically losing it everytime I was in sight. However, I survived.

It took me almost two months to pull myself out of the slump and another month to regain my confidence so that I can work to my fullest capacity. Thankfully, things look better now and I can confidently say that I am no longer causing problem to my colleagues.

Now, after seeing me going through all these and not giving up, my boss has given me two words, which will help me in handling every aspects of life if I thoroughly comprehend and exercise these two words.

As found on dictionary.com, the two words and their explanation are as listed:

de·mar·ca·tion also de·mar·ka·tion
n. 1: The setting or marking of boundaries or limits. A separation; a distinction: a line of demarcation between two rock strata.

quanti·fi·cation
n. 1: a limitation imposed on the variables of a proposition (as by the quantifiers `some' or `all' or `no') 2: the act of discovering or expressing the quantity of something

In my own words, if I did not get the idea wrongly, when given a task or met with a situation, we have to demarcate and to quantify the task and/or the situation.

To demarcate the task/situation basically means to distinguish the various factors/conditions/circumstances of the task/situation and mentally listing these items accordingly. In short, I have to be able to pick out the ingredients being used to concoct the salad. That might include different vegetables and fruits, salad dressings, etc. Sometimes, we might have unconciously leave out ingredients such as olive oil which we thought was insignificant but was important in enhancing the salad. And experience will help us avoid ignorance.

To quantify the task/situation is to give weight to the factors/conditions/circumstances of the task/situation. Using the same salad sample above, it is to determine how much vegetables and fruits, salad dressing, olive oil etc. to put in the salad. Quantification needs more experience and thoughts given into the task/situation. It has a higher order than demarcation.

However, I hope to master these two words so that I will be successful in time to come. Wish me luck!