It feels just like a week ago when I last wrote my piece on 2008 year-in-review, and now it's already the end of 2009. How time really flies. If I had thought that 2008 was the year of change, 2009 would be the year of adaption, of re-adjustment.
By the end of last year, I made quite significant moves which impacted my finances, and by God I really underestimated the impact. I was hit hard, and now I wonder how 2010 would be like with no more crumbs in my saving. However, what irks me the most is that just because I work in a multinational ‘potato’ chip company, people assume I have money, when the reality is that I’m struggling just like any average Joe month after month to make ends meet. I seem to have developed the reputation of being the Uncle Scrooge of the family, and a temperamental one too.
“I do not get cranky when I am hungry, but I get angry when I am sleepy, and when people waste time and money.” - How to avoid annoying the dragon -
That last sentence was purposely constructed to rhyme, thank you.
Economic downturn was not kind to us. As expected there was no increment this year, and bonuses were smaller. However I still get to keep my job and I consider that a blessing considering the trend in the industry. And hey, we have a new Prime Minister who curiously seems to have a fetish with the numbers, particularly the number “1”. And Malaysian politics and socio-economy have gotten worse with all kinds of strange and quirky things happening in our beloved Bolehland, right under our noses, but enough of that for now; I don’t want to delve into politics in this post.
Not everything was bad though. I finished my Masters Degree, and scored a rather impressive CGPA by my standards. Of course, the weekends had been tough with classes, assignments, tests, exams, project reports and whatnots, but in the end I survived it, and it was well worth it. Convocation will be sometime next year, and this time my convocation photos will include my parents, wife and 2 naughty toddlers who will have to beat me at it within a 30 years’ timeframe. Good luck, children!
Expectations for 2010, to have more time and more weekends with my family, and probably making more frequent trips back to our hometowns. My firstborn would be in pre-school, and I guess my budget will be even tighter but I sincerely hope that 2010 will be the year of recovery. Hopefully the ‘potato’ chip company will be generous enough with increments and bonuses. I also hope to work on my temper a little, and do a lot more reading. I should start planning my career development, now that the annoying period called “furthering studies” is over. Maybe it’s time to demand for a promotion? (Boss, if you are reading this, take a hint will ya?). Or maybe I should start moonlighting… hum… I do have this particular idea… oh well… Now that I have time, the possibilities are endless!
Well, looks like I survived another year!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Dear Momi: Happy 4th Year Wedding Anniversary
I am never good with spoken words,That’s why I’m hiding behind this keyboard,
Today is our 4th wedding anniversary,
So I want to thank you for marrying me,
I know it must be hard to love someone like me,
I know sometimes I might be a little crazy,
I’m not soft enough to always be romantic,
I’m sorry if my words are always sarcastic,
I am not the smartest, nor am I the wealthiest,
I’m not the best yet neither am I the worst,
I caught you first and for that I was lucky,
I’m the most handsome beast that you'll ever marry,
Forgive me for forgetting important dates,
Yet I don’t remember ever being late,
Forgive me for all my odd infatuations,
Forgive me for not giving you enough attention,
I may not have all the money in the world,
But I always do my best for food on our table,
I’m sorry we can’t afford all the luxuries,
Or all those gold and jewelries,
I’m sorry we can only afford a small old apartment,
It’s still way better than living in the basement,
Thank you for being a terrific wife to a terrifying husband,
For loving this overgrown child who thinks he’s a dragon,
Thank you for being kind and being patient,
Even when I get angry for seemingly no reason,
Thank you for blessing me with beautiful children,
I hope they will be our ticket to Heaven,
Thank you for bearing our kids Jake and Alice,
If you don’t mind can we have another one, please?
Raising little dragons may be a little hard,
When they grow up they’ll likely to break our hearts,
But didn’t we do it the same to our parents?
Yet we hardly ever see them complaining,
So we’ll love our children nevertheless,
And will always provide them with the very best,
They can be noisy, cranky, and a little wild,
But watching them sleep and grow up makes it all worthwhile,
Thank you for showering me with love and devotion,
Even if sometimes I don’t understand your emotion,
Thank you for sticking with me through thick and thin,
I know sometimes you feel like giving me a kicking,
I promise you I will try harder,
To be a good husband and a good father,
Don’t worry if our life may seem a little low,
I promise someday I’ll get you a bungalow,
I have many dreams yet to come true,
Yet I’ll be happy to live them all with you,
I pray that we’ll stick together for the next thousand years,
And hope in the end it will be worth all our tears,
Finally, happy 4th year wedding anniversary,
I love you, and thank you for loving me.
p/s about that particular surprise ‘gift’ I got you… err… do you mind if we skip lunch until next payday? He he he…
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Television: Please, Can We Make It Back Home Before 9 PM?
Hi. I'm Ajie. And I'm a TV addict.
Case 1:
It was an evening at Sunway Pyamid, KL. I and another friend was there to meet with some girl friends, one of them someone I had a secret crush on (yes, you, my dear wife :p ). I remember waiting for them for quite some time, and it was getting late. My favorite TV show at that time, a Chinese serial called the Great General (I don’t know how many would remember this… Yong Man Kwong, rings a bell to anybody?) would start at 9 pm in a few hours time, and I need at least 3 hours to take the bus and train back home.
When the girls arrived, I remember fidgeting and secretly keeping track of time to try to make it back home before the show started, and I remember the meeting was cut short, even though the girl I liked just got there after enduring 3 hours of public transportation from her hometown.
Yup, I chose a TV show, over a potential girlfriend, and I went back in a hurry, but I no longer remember whether I was in time for the show.
Case 2:
It was one of the days when I was at home instead of outside, and my mom received a call from a relative. Somebody in the extended family died, and the place was at Jelebu, about 2 hours drive. The road to Jelebu had to go through Bukit Tangga, which was (and still) winding ala Akina of Initial D. Mama asked me to drive her. Alas, at 9 pm there was Foong Sai Yuk on TV, another of my favorite Chinese TV shows. What choice did I have? Being the ever obedient son, I agreed and off we went.
I remember it was a hot afternoon, and I expected that everything would settle down before nighttime. But something went wrong somewhere, and it was almost 7 pm when we actually pushed off from Jelebu. On top of that, we had a passenger who was a second cousin, and we had to send her home on the way.
She was no older than 17 at that time, and I made her cry and barf in the car when I drove at 100km/h down the hill slope to rush back. I remember Mama was so furious (or was it fear?) that she spewed out some pretty vulgar curses along the way. But I no longer remember now.
That time I made it just in time and caught the show, even after dropping that cousin off. I think Fujiwara Takumi would be proud. If you remember this, Ma, I’m so sorry. I hope we’ll never have to go through such incident again. He he he...
Case 3:
It was 9 pm. I was having a bad day, can’t remember why, but somehow we (read: wife) needed to pay a visit to our second home (read: Tesco) for some groceries, else my son would have nothing to eat the next day. Not only I was notified so late, but House M.D. will air at 10 pm! Again, I got into crazy mode. To cut it short, we made it in one hour’s time and I did not miss my show. However I pitied my wife who had to bear the brunt of my fury along the way. (So next time please plan ahead, dear wife!)
Case 4:
Jaya Jusco was having a club member’s day or something like that. Wife and I already went during lunch time, but we were in a rush so she wanted to go again after work, so at 7 pm off we went with our eldest son. I originally didn’t want to go, because Knight Rider was featuring my most anticipated episode: KITT vs KARR and after would be the latest episode of Heroes which I absolutely MUST NOT miss.
Woman being a woman, the trip took longer than I thought. And as the time went past 9 pm, anxiety hit, and the rest of the trip turned sour. I missed Knight Rider and had to watch it on crappy You Tube, and I missed 15 minutes of Heroes. That’s it, no more outing on Thursday nights!
Case 5:
AXN had a new show called Leverage, which I took to liking since watching the first episode. Aaaah…again, somehow Tesco trip cannot be avoided. By 8 pm I already got impatient, and my wife who originally wanted tomyam Pak Ismail had to settle for tomyam Juara Sulung instead; the latter perceived as the lesser choice for her but I personally did not care either way.
This was yesterday night, and it suddenly made me think about how attached I was to TV shows throughout my entire life. I recalled these events to my wife yesterday night over that tomyam and I realized that a lot of things I like in my life (other than geeky techie stuffs) involves fiction in the form of books and motion pictures. Perhaps unconsciously I sought them as a form of escapism away from day-to-day realities of life. More so in my working age now where life barely leaves me with enough personal space. TV time is about the only time in a day where it is truly my own, where I do not have to think about work, or family, or friends… at least until I have to fight my son for the remote control… sighs…
So please, everyone, you can bother me anytime you want during the day, but please, do not disturb my TV TIME!
Case 1:
It was an evening at Sunway Pyamid, KL. I and another friend was there to meet with some girl friends, one of them someone I had a secret crush on (yes, you, my dear wife :p ). I remember waiting for them for quite some time, and it was getting late. My favorite TV show at that time, a Chinese serial called the Great General (I don’t know how many would remember this… Yong Man Kwong, rings a bell to anybody?) would start at 9 pm in a few hours time, and I need at least 3 hours to take the bus and train back home.
When the girls arrived, I remember fidgeting and secretly keeping track of time to try to make it back home before the show started, and I remember the meeting was cut short, even though the girl I liked just got there after enduring 3 hours of public transportation from her hometown.
Yup, I chose a TV show, over a potential girlfriend, and I went back in a hurry, but I no longer remember whether I was in time for the show.
Case 2:
It was one of the days when I was at home instead of outside, and my mom received a call from a relative. Somebody in the extended family died, and the place was at Jelebu, about 2 hours drive. The road to Jelebu had to go through Bukit Tangga, which was (and still) winding ala Akina of Initial D. Mama asked me to drive her. Alas, at 9 pm there was Foong Sai Yuk on TV, another of my favorite Chinese TV shows. What choice did I have? Being the ever obedient son, I agreed and off we went.
I remember it was a hot afternoon, and I expected that everything would settle down before nighttime. But something went wrong somewhere, and it was almost 7 pm when we actually pushed off from Jelebu. On top of that, we had a passenger who was a second cousin, and we had to send her home on the way.
She was no older than 17 at that time, and I made her cry and barf in the car when I drove at 100km/h down the hill slope to rush back. I remember Mama was so furious (or was it fear?) that she spewed out some pretty vulgar curses along the way. But I no longer remember now.
That time I made it just in time and caught the show, even after dropping that cousin off. I think Fujiwara Takumi would be proud. If you remember this, Ma, I’m so sorry. I hope we’ll never have to go through such incident again. He he he...
Case 3:
It was 9 pm. I was having a bad day, can’t remember why, but somehow we (read: wife) needed to pay a visit to our second home (read: Tesco) for some groceries, else my son would have nothing to eat the next day. Not only I was notified so late, but House M.D. will air at 10 pm! Again, I got into crazy mode. To cut it short, we made it in one hour’s time and I did not miss my show. However I pitied my wife who had to bear the brunt of my fury along the way. (So next time please plan ahead, dear wife!)
Case 4:
Jaya Jusco was having a club member’s day or something like that. Wife and I already went during lunch time, but we were in a rush so she wanted to go again after work, so at 7 pm off we went with our eldest son. I originally didn’t want to go, because Knight Rider was featuring my most anticipated episode: KITT vs KARR and after would be the latest episode of Heroes which I absolutely MUST NOT miss.
Woman being a woman, the trip took longer than I thought. And as the time went past 9 pm, anxiety hit, and the rest of the trip turned sour. I missed Knight Rider and had to watch it on crappy You Tube, and I missed 15 minutes of Heroes. That’s it, no more outing on Thursday nights!
Case 5:
AXN had a new show called Leverage, which I took to liking since watching the first episode. Aaaah…again, somehow Tesco trip cannot be avoided. By 8 pm I already got impatient, and my wife who originally wanted tomyam Pak Ismail had to settle for tomyam Juara Sulung instead; the latter perceived as the lesser choice for her but I personally did not care either way.
This was yesterday night, and it suddenly made me think about how attached I was to TV shows throughout my entire life. I recalled these events to my wife yesterday night over that tomyam and I realized that a lot of things I like in my life (other than geeky techie stuffs) involves fiction in the form of books and motion pictures. Perhaps unconsciously I sought them as a form of escapism away from day-to-day realities of life. More so in my working age now where life barely leaves me with enough personal space. TV time is about the only time in a day where it is truly my own, where I do not have to think about work, or family, or friends… at least until I have to fight my son for the remote control… sighs…
So please, everyone, you can bother me anytime you want during the day, but please, do not disturb my TV TIME!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Ridiculous Fun: Suteki Da Ne
I came across this silly but absolutely fun sort of 'game' today, and since this blog is pretty much idle anyway, this will do for now. Enjoy! :-)
RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag 10 friends.
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!
IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
Jangan Bilang Tidak - Raffi Ahmad & Ayushita
(Never say never... apparently I'm no quitter...)
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Ku Merindu - Ella & Shah
(I must be missing my wife and kids... they are at my in-laws' for maternity confinement)
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
(I kinda like a girl who would just bottle it up... wahahaha)
HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
(Haven't got lucky for almost a month now! Damn maternity confinement!)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Mantera Beradu - Malique feat. M. Nasir
(This is a cryptic question, hence a cryptic answer)
WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Bawaku Terbang - The Fabulous Cats
(Yeah right, not gonna happen anytime soon :p )
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Tak Bisa Memilihmu - Sixth Sense
(Wahahaha... I'm repulsive!)
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Mahligaimu Dari Air Mataku - Lestari
(Building my life and career from my parents' sweat and tears... I love you guys)
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Tanpa - Sixth Sense
(I think about nothing all the time...)
WHAT IS 2 + 2?
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
(Hummm... I don't know the answer. You got me. I'm yours? Hahaha)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Lagu Untukmu - Meet Uncle Hussain
(How appropriate, a song for my best friend, except this is actually a breakup song...)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
How Far We've Come - Matchbox 20
(I've come quite far indeed... a long way to go still...)
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Warkah - Bau
(When I grow up I wanna write a letter... )
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Matahariku - Agnes Monica
(That person shines and brightens my day... right...)
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Time Is Running Out - Muse
(Boy, I must need to get out of it fast! Hahaha)
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Sampai Syurga - Faizal Tahir
(Yeay, excellent song, but please guys, recite Yassin instead...)
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST??
How To Save A Life - The Fray
(Well, I could have been an excellent neuro-surgeon, ala McDreamy... :p )
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Situasi - Bunkface
(I fear difficult situations...)
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Kembang Terhalang - Gamma
(I certainly don't think my growth is stunted in any way! Hahaha...)
WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Kiblatku - Hazami
(Great, Zohor is another hour away...)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Love Song - Sara Bareilles
(I'm not gonna write you a love song, guys!)
WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Suteki Da Ne - Rikki
(It's actually japanese for "Isn't It Beautiful", soundtrack for Final Fantasy X. The video for this song is my favourite. Look it up on YouTube.)
Let's see what songs are in your playlists, and please, don't cheat! IF you listen to dangdut, I won't laugh at you... Hahaha!
RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag 10 friends.
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!
IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
Jangan Bilang Tidak - Raffi Ahmad & Ayushita
(Never say never... apparently I'm no quitter...)
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Ku Merindu - Ella & Shah
(I must be missing my wife and kids... they are at my in-laws' for maternity confinement)
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
(I kinda like a girl who would just bottle it up... wahahaha)
HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
(Haven't got lucky for almost a month now! Damn maternity confinement!)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Mantera Beradu - Malique feat. M. Nasir
(This is a cryptic question, hence a cryptic answer)
WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Bawaku Terbang - The Fabulous Cats
(Yeah right, not gonna happen anytime soon :p )
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Tak Bisa Memilihmu - Sixth Sense
(Wahahaha... I'm repulsive!)
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Mahligaimu Dari Air Mataku - Lestari
(Building my life and career from my parents' sweat and tears... I love you guys)
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Tanpa - Sixth Sense
(I think about nothing all the time...)
WHAT IS 2 + 2?
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
(Hummm... I don't know the answer. You got me. I'm yours? Hahaha)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Lagu Untukmu - Meet Uncle Hussain
(How appropriate, a song for my best friend, except this is actually a breakup song...)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
How Far We've Come - Matchbox 20
(I've come quite far indeed... a long way to go still...)
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Warkah - Bau
(When I grow up I wanna write a letter... )
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Matahariku - Agnes Monica
(That person shines and brightens my day... right...)
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Time Is Running Out - Muse
(Boy, I must need to get out of it fast! Hahaha)
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Sampai Syurga - Faizal Tahir
(Yeay, excellent song, but please guys, recite Yassin instead...)
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST??
How To Save A Life - The Fray
(Well, I could have been an excellent neuro-surgeon, ala McDreamy... :p )
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Situasi - Bunkface
(I fear difficult situations...)
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Kembang Terhalang - Gamma
(I certainly don't think my growth is stunted in any way! Hahaha...)
WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Kiblatku - Hazami
(Great, Zohor is another hour away...)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Love Song - Sara Bareilles
(I'm not gonna write you a love song, guys!)
WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Suteki Da Ne - Rikki
(It's actually japanese for "Isn't It Beautiful", soundtrack for Final Fantasy X. The video for this song is my favourite. Look it up on YouTube.)
Let's see what songs are in your playlists, and please, don't cheat! IF you listen to dangdut, I won't laugh at you... Hahaha!
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