*My Powers Are Waning*

My powers of recovery are waning, make no bones about it. I guess it comes with age. Do you remember how easy it was way back then to bounce back the very next day after an extreme sporting activity the previous day?

I’ve realized that it is taking me more than 24 hours to recover from paintball sessions these days. Back then I would be up and running the next day but today, a full 2 days after my recent paintball session, I’m still struggling.

The worse thing is the stairs really, it’s a killer. Climbing up or down makes no difference, my thighs feels like it is made out of bricks and my calves feel like they’re on the verge of ripping apart at the seams.

I guess I’m reaching the age where a good night’s sleep is no longer enough to get the lactic acids out of my body. Badminton on Wednesday’s would normally take me until Friday morning before I regain all flexibility in my body.

Maybe that’s why those of the golden generation prefer afternoon naps. It provides them an opportunity to recoup back some of the energy that had already been exerted earlier in the day. Nights are especially short after a long day.

I’ve read on the net somewhere that it is good to take a 45 minute nap during lunch to recharge the batteries. You may not feel tired but that maybe just your mind being too busy to even focus on your body’s needs.

The main problem is that my brain thinks as if nothing is wrong though my body is not quite up to speed yet. I’m lucky that I haven’t tripped myself in the hallway trying to catch a colleague to pass on a message. Until I recover I’m at risk of turning into an octopus with its tentacles in knots.

Until then, I’m going to try and get through today without looking like a fool walking around and stumbling over everything in my path :P

Cheers!!! :D

*When It Rains It Floods*

News either good or bad rather tends to come in bucket loads. It is either continues good news or just one bad news after the other. Some say its karma and some say life’s wheels are just like that.

Yesterday was one of those days where you are just bombarded with one thing after another. First, after what I thought finally being able to shake off the “fireman” tag I had earned previously, it came back to haunt me as I now have to put out another fire.

I continue to have problems with people answering my extremely simple questions. All I had wanted was a simple yes or no. If that was hard enough so I don’t understand why it is so hard for people to even just answer my question in the first place instead of taking me on a round trip across the globe.

Then news came to me a key member of my team has decided that it’s time to move on. At that point I was dreading the next IM or email that I was going to open. Was there going to be more news that would pummel me to bits? If that wasn’t enough I got stuck in traffic for 20 minutes when my house was only 2km away.

Some also forget that it is a deadline and not a dateline. There is a reason why it is called a deadline; you do not keep it you are dead (although not literally). People’s attitude to being on time is one of my peeves that if I had it my way you’d be out of the door faster than you can say the first letter in the sentence of your excuse.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been through something like this but I guess stress is part and parcel of the living. Just like if you know how to ride a bike it never leaves you no matter how long you leave it; stress and bad news are just the same.

I need to settle down, dust myself up and take it one problem at a time. It’s easy to become disillusioned when too many things come at you at the same time. Trying to resolve too many things at once tend to result in nothing getting solved.

The weekend couldn’t come at a better time for me to sort things out. I can always go back to my old tried and tested methods to work things out or there is another option;

I’ll just take it out on the next guy during my paintball session tomorrow ;)

Cheers!!! :D

*Keep It Private*

What is it with people and washing dirty linen in public? Do they do it on purpose or is it because in the heat of the argument, one forgets that there are other people around them who are privy to their discussions.

I find it shocking when people do it. I guess it is an ego boost when you win a rather public spat and believe that it gives them additional authority or powers to dictate matters. Sadly I disagree with such a view. There are certain things that must be dealt with in private.

I believe that washing dirty linen in public only exposes both parties to opportunities for other people to exploit. If you as the customer decide to have a right all slugfest between your 2 teams in front of me as your vendor, I’ll always be looking to take advantage of the situation.

Thanks to your rather public debate I know who wears the pants in the organization. I know how to manipulate a situation to my benefit. I know who to go to when I need something and I know who to pick on when I need to blame someone. I can only imagine an organization’s competitors having a field day noting down so many things while verbal assaults fly.

Keep internal stuff internal; it is internal after all. To your competitors and to your partners one should always put a single committed and consolidated view despite your disperse teams. Vendors and competitors are always on a look out to take advantage. It’s not cruel but just business.

I have known some customers who is forced to follow everything that their partner or vendor says because they’ve been taken advantage on. I know it sounds weird but it does happen and will continue to happen if one let’s their ego dictate their brain.

There are certain things that one can trash out in public and vice versa. Keep it private when it involves internal stuff and you’ll get everyone to toe the line with no questions asked.

Cheers!!! :D

*You Must Be Joking!*

You know that the whole thing is rigged when you see a headline like this:

Maybank wins banking services award

The people who voted must have hit their head rather hard. Customer service is not a Maybank culture as far as me and every other Malaysian is concerned. A slow day at the office and a headline like that pops up certainly brings a smile on my face.

Cheers!!! :D

*Jakun*

Jakun is a Malay word describing a person “over-reacting” to something that has happened to them. This can either be something new, cool and other “poyo” occurrences in which they choose to suddenly change from becoming a normal person into one that is “jakun”.

As a reminder to myself and also to everyone, here are a few things to avoid in order not to be labeled as a “jakun”:

Its 32 degrees in the middle of the afternoon, take off that new blazer or suit of yours.
Your new sun-glasses are cool but not indoors with poor lighting.
Ladies, your new bug-eyed sized sunglasses do not make you any prettier than you already are.
It’s just a road-side mamak, you do not have to dress as if you’re attending a dinner or a PVD show case.
It’s just Chilies, another eating place. No need to feel proud and lift your noses to the ceiling just because you’re eating there.
Other people drive cars more expensive than your house, no need to pause to make sure everyone looks at you when you get out or into the car.
Accidents and breakdown happen every single day, move on.
If you’re not sure on how to use the coffee machine, don’t act like you do and complain to the hotel staff when it doesn’t work for you. The 3-in-1 is right next to it so use it.
If it’s the first time for you, read the menu first before queuing. There’s a reason why it is called a fast food restaurant.
Stopping acting like you are the “it” thing/group. You’re paying what people pay for 2 meals just to sit and drink coffee at Starbucks.
Ladies, just because you’re hanging with a group of models or other pretty ladies doesn’t make you one if you’re not. Stop thinking you are.
Stop flashing your gold card at the groceries cashier, the fact that you have to use it instead of cash means you’re broke.

I could go on but than the post will be just pages upon pages with no end in sight. I guess you can say that “jakun” also equates to “poyo” or “gedik”. Examples of the latter would maybe a topic for the future.

So ladies and gentlemen, take it easy ya. Even when its something new take it easy with your reactions. You’re not fooling anyone trust me.

Cheers!!! :D