Finally after long, hardworking work on Friends for Sale! application on Facebook, am now the proud owner of Eddy Saw, well, don't look down. His networth is around $180,000, making him one of the more profitable commodity to be traded on Friends for Sale! application...
Chimpunk de DiGiBoy owns the Beruang...
A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her he asked, "Darling, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
She humbly asked, "What does it mean, Father?"He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
How about you? Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?
Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or a layoff have you become hardened and stiff? Your shell looks the same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart?
Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water, the thing that is bringing the pain, to its peak flavor reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better. If you are like the coffee bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and make things better around you.
How do you handle adversity?
Did my one and only formal presentation for the whole of Year 3, which is the International Finance module, under the supervision of Helen Riley. Grouped together with Edward Saw, Fer Lynn and also George Khoh, with 3 out of 4 of the group members being UWE's greatest procrastinators. (Note: Will not name who you all are, you guys should be aware =P. And yes that includes me)
Presentation was on the 14th of January, 9.30am to 10.00am. And when did we start our work? On a Saturday, the 12th of January. Yes, that's just 2 days before the dateline but what can I say? We work well under pressure, or shall I just put it as constructive stress.
Managed to scratch it off would be an understatement I'd say, well that was the initial thoughts before we went into the room 4B020 and presented and recorded by a video camera which was stored on VHS video tapes. Yep, you've heard me right. VHS Video Tapes. LoL. Which has been already phased out in Malaysia, but its still quite popular over here in Western countries.
The shock came after Helen asked whether we were sharing the same marks for each group members, in which after that came the marks. Stunned, amazed, shocked. Some of the words that were running in our minds after she announced the mark, a whooping 76% out of 100% (yeah yeah. though it constitutes only 10 marks out of the assignment's full mark of 50 marks, still is an achievement right?)
I think the camwhoring disease is slowly spreading, don't know why after we were talking with Fer Lynn about taking picture of our one and only time wearing formal at UWE in UK, both Ed and me went back to our own rooms and camwhored. LoL. And it turned out pretty nice too, so am just going to share two pictures at the end.
p/s: Going to get the other 2 pics from Fer Lynn and George Khoh. Be patient at the moment.
Edward Saw
Topher
Quote our lecturer: "Apparently Fer Lynn's holding a piece of paper, for those who haven't seen a piece of paper before"
Working last minute is akin to being run over by a high-speed train, as George had demonstrated
Since the current hype now is blogging about work, I shall hop into the bandwagon and post a little something on my previous workplace at Malaysia Airlines System (MAS).
Many would perceive that the working environment will be tough, hard to make friends and will not be enjoyable, simply because its a Government-Linked Company (GLC). Here's where the old saying comes in, "Don't judge a book by its cover". Really, you'll have to experience it yourself if you are to give passing remarks as all of the staff are really friendly and will not hesitate to go all out in helping you with something. It's still a dog-eat-dog in the corporate world, at least it has some humanity and warmth in it.
Knowledge is meant to be shared. Truely upheld, I've been also sent to the Integrated Financial Systems (IFS) training cum refresher course for Station Heads from the Asia region. An honour it is, because it is a training for high ranking personnels, and being an intern, it signals that you're placed on par with just as important as anyone else in the organisation, and as long as you're willing to learn, then you'll be able to learn.
IFS Training, Room 211, MAS Academy
The MAS Academy at Kelana Jaya
And well, after my 2 month stint, they even went to the extent of getting me a farewell gift which comprised of the MAS's souvenir set of a pen and a keychain. Well that's a little sneak peek at working life, hope you'd enjoyed reading it.
The farewell present
Well well. Finally settled the Financial Management (FM) test on Monday the 7th of January 2008, so here I am updating this blog on the Italy trip that took place from 26th December 2007 to 3rd of January 2008.
Overall the trip was well worth the £400 (est.) expenses that were incurred during the trip. The itinery was from Bristol (BRS) to Milan Bergamo (BGY) and then to Rome Ciampino Low Cost terminal. The stopover at Milan was practically due to the price differences of the airline ticket (Ryanair) which amounted to almost £40 extra if we chose to fly to Rome straight. Now what was in Rome? The answer was Anthony Lee Ming Kho, one of my coursemates when I took the Taylor's Business Foundation 2005, and we sorta agreed on visiting him when the mini Group 2 TBF Jan Intake 05 reunion dinner took place somewhere in August 2007.
Basically the whole of the Italy trip was visting the ruins of the Roman empire, getting to the churches and also a visit to the Vatican City and the Vatican Museum. The Vatican Museum was a pain in the ass though, a long wait of about 2 1/2 hours from 7.25am till 9.30am in the winter temperature of around 4-5 degrees Celcius really gets you worked up. Not to mention that we had to get up at 5.30am to take the Metro just to get there in time for the queue.
That's Mango and us being crazy on the bicycle (do you even call that a bicycle!)
Giolloti Gelato anyone? 7 scoops of ice-cream in less than 20 minutes...
Some Mummy from Egypt on display at the Vatican Museum
This one is dedicated to Ferlynn. A big building for Fendi alone...
Recommended Italian delicacies, simple and yet wonderful taste
The Vatican Garden, where only distinguished guests invited by the Pope could set foot in
The Roman Theatre
San Angelo Castle
Trevi Fountain
Piazza Republicca
Colloseum
Ancient Roman road
Italy's Independence Square
Posing at some unknown church...
Am back from Italy, landed on Ryanair flight FR8623 from Bergamo (BGY), Milan to Bristol (BRS), UK.
Well, updates on the Italy trip will have to wait, to make way for my Financial Management (FM) test which is on the 7th of January 2008 at 9.00 am.
Till then, stay tuned!
