insights, thoughts, perceptions

start doing better as a banker

2011-11-09T23:00:00.000+08:00

I can't believe that time flies so quickly. It's already six months since I joined the world strongest bank.What I need to start doing BETTER in the coming months?

1. Be more self disciplined!
Knowing that I got to juggle between my studies and work. I would need to put an emphasis on getting my assignments done better. That means that I would need to spend more time reading cause the more I read, the more I understand the topic better and at a deeper level - this is so that I would be able to critically evaluate the assignment topic. Then I would also need to kick myself to be in the gym more often, and stop giving excuses of needing to get work done.

It means that I need to be more efficient at work.

2.Add VALUE!
I've got lots to learn, but at the same time lots to give as well. It feels that I need to add VALUE to my team/organisation in my own way. There might be 1001 things which needs to get done, but the reality is to focus on those which adds VALUE!

I'll have to put on my consulting hat more often, if not always so that I provide consultation services to my internal clients.

3. Make time for my learning
I realized that I've skipped a few trainings because I had to get work done. Reflecting on those occasions, I felt that I've shortchanged my own personal learning. At the end of the day, I need to make an effort & commit to attend trainings which I've signed up for - which means I have to manage my work & time better.

Immediate next step is to chart out the training courses that I want to attend, and plan it out for the coming year.

beavers are genius

2011-08-30T12:21:00.004+08:00

coaching for performance

2011-08-25T12:39:00.002+08:00

open space learning workshop

2011-07-18T23:31:00.001+08:00

talent development point of view

2011-02-10T23:47:00.005+08:00

Today had the opportunity to attend a talk on talent development. I had quite high expectations as the speaker had pretty impresive credentials. To be honest, I enjoyed the sharing of his personal experiences working in organisation and with organisations. However the point of view shared wasn't leading edge. It's something that i've heard, read or even had the opportunity to experience it myself - most of it based on my AIESEC experience.

1. Acceptance of strategy
True enough that most organisation come out with really awesome strategy but the sad thing is that most of the employees don't understand it. No one would read the strategy document if it's gonna be thick text book.

I could totally relate to this back to my @ days when I had the opportunity to implement, train and share about the strategy map. It's visual which makes it so much easier to understand. Also having the opportunity to train on our strategy - product leadership helped members understand what it really means.

Sadly, since I started working I've never experienced anything similar. The closest was a town hall and if you ask me if I understand what the strategy is - strategy? what strategy? we have a strategy? The point is that if employees don't understand the strategy, how are they suppose to align their daily work to the org's strategy? Thus aligning talent development efforts!

2. Rethink leadrship development
Wad glad that the speaker pointed out that leadership development is not about competency models, personality assessments and the typical leadership development models. I totally agree!!! Leaders who have a clear purpose and are true to their values have unlimited energy to create a better future. YES!!!

I totally can relate this to my NaLDS Germany experience. The whole conference was based on 4 areas - leadership, vision, values & empowerment. This is the best leadership development conference that I've ever facilitated. Throughout the conference delegates explored the topic of leadership, clarify their vision and values and developed a plan to make things happen. Sad to say that NLDS Malaysia was not even close to this :( though I've proposed it to be done, but wasn't able to gain buy in. Nevertheless, I was happy that I could do it again at APXLDS in India ;)

Another thing is that once individual purpose and values are clear, does it aligned to the organisation's? This has always been something we strive for in @ - alignment of personal goals to org goals. Then there is a question of should we not take in new recruits whose personal values contradict the org values? Of course not take them! Would be great to learn how to interview candidates and being able to assess whether there is alignment or not.

Again sadly since working, I've never gone through anything close to NaLDS. And what lots of organisation focus is on developing leadership competencies. It's not to say that one should not develop competencies, but before going there, focus on clarifying purpose and values.

3. Rethink succession planning
The speaker doesn't believe in this at all. He metioned that everyone should be given equal opportunity to be leaders instead of the selected successor pool or high potential pool. If you ask me, I would say you focus on talent who brings the most ROI. What was proposed by the speaker is to have employees volunteer their time to develop solutions to current biz issues and present it to senior management. From there one would be able to identify leaders who have developed the required skills and solve your biz issues without extra $$$

Interestingly Open Space Technology came to my mind. It has been proven again and again that it works but many who have not experienced the process are very sceptical. Sadly, many who I've talked to since I started working aren't too keen with the idea :( But I'm happy to discover and connect with the Malaysia Facilitators Association where OST is not a greek term for them and many are OST practitioners.

4. Chief Culture Officer
Culture is something that your people are doing when you're not watching. I totally agree that if you want to change the culture of an org, it has to be driven from the leadership team. How? Be role models!!! CEOs should not delegate the culture aspect to HR but can enlist HR to support

After the talk, it got me thinking about my purpose and values again. I shall spend some time to reflect on it and decide my next steps - would be digging up my NaLDS masterials ;)

1st MAFa conference

2011-01-31T12:46:00.005+08:00

2010 reflection

2010-12-30T12:32:00.001+08:00

I imagined that 2010 would be an awesone year! But things didn't really turned out from what I had in mind. However there were still some good suprises here and there which was really good ;)

January
Honestly I felt so sad that I had to leave my workplace especially when I've got true friends at work and a super awesome manager. However I knew what needs to get done and did not regret the decision till today. Amazing bangkok trip with J&J before I started at my new workplace.

February
Am shocked!!! Did i make a wrong decision? I've moved on but it seems someone haven't. A month of adjustment to the new workplace and building trust and personal brand. Enjoyed running a simple DISC workshop for the client.

March
I hardly had the time to blog the next coming months due to the heavy workload :(

May
Who would have thought diving would be so amazing? Love it love it love it!!!

July
Off to Vietnam to chair IGNITE :D

Oct
I'm being bashed up so much till I've enough of it! There is so much one can take this nonsense! You don't have to step on others to make yourself feel secure :(

Nov
Now it's official 5+2 in putracd. And very soon, we're expecting a little one to join ;) Congrats to Nicole & Emil for hosting us during your wedding

Who would have thought that branding it as a great place to work would turn out to be one of the worst place I've been. And it's all due to leadership :( But I guess it's true that research says that people don't leave their jobs, they leave their bosses!

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here

2010-11-22T20:27:00.003+08:00

Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you've read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read an excerpt. Tag other book nerds. Tag me as well so I can see your responses!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (plus all the others!)

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma -Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Inferno - Dante

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

The Law of the Garbage Truck™

2010-09-23T18:48:00.003+08:00

chairing ignite 2010

2010-07-13T12:02:00.010+08:00

When I got an email from Skit about chairing IGNTIE 2010, I wasn't sure whether I would want to do it. Reason for NOT chairing would be due to my work commitments. But then again, when I thought about the reasons of why I should chair - there are so much more! And in the end, as the title of states it clearly - I chaired IGNITE 2010.

It was good to have AIESECers picking you up from the airport. I was shocked by the amazing feat that they pulled off - carrying my huge luggage on a bike! Then spent the whole afternoon with getting to know AIESEC Vietnam a little better, and somehow we got into the topic of Belbin team roles, DiSC and psychological type. Was sharing what I've learned with Thu Ha, Sokmean & Van Anh - and they wanted to know more than the basic type debrief; and so I shared what little I know about cognitive dynamics & archetypes. They wanted more; but I guess I need to read up more and validate my understanding with my coach to ensure that I'm sharing the right stuffs :) Skit was excited with the curry puffs I brought for him. And thanks to Marcello for the awesome Italian pasta for supper(I even got the recipe from him as well). Initially I got a bit worried whether I would fit in and do a great job chairing as I've left AIESEC for quite sometime, but it seems that my worries are unfounded.

During the faci pre meeting, I felt something familiar - in the sense of living abroad with AIESEC. It felt so much like when I was an MC in Hong Kong. I could just relate to it so much, and it was nice to the Vietnam MCs welcoming me into their home. I enjoyed the afternoon running TtT sessions for the MCs - it just feels great that I'm contributing in my own way to their development.

The next 2 days were the National Planning Conference which I chaired as well. It was also during this time that I prepared for IGNITE 2010. There was so much to get done! I had so many ideas, but just so little time to get it done. But nevertheless, nailed it down one by one.

And then it was IGNITE! There were quite a lot of hiccups to the logistics for opening plenary. But honestly, we made the best of what we had in the short amount of time! Opening plenary was a blastz if I do say myself. The delegates were excited and energetic even after a whole day at DLD in formal attire. It was the latest opening plenary that I've even ran & attended - we started at about 9pm and ended about 11pm :)

My key learning as a chair
1. Always come prepared with loads of fun stuffs. Get an international to help you out with energizers. A techie with superb multimedia presentations & videos. Research on internet would definitely help you get started with some ideas
2. I need to lighten up! I know that I'm a control freak when I'm put in-charge. And that it something I need to learn to do better - developing my Extraverted Thinking as it's my inferior function
3. I still need LOADS of practice to be a SUPER CHAIR. It's totally a different skill set & experience compared to being a facilitator.

Challenges that I faced as a chair
1. Honestly, it was a really tough job to keep time! Seriously! Maybe cause I had to be so much more "Judging" than I usually am. But we managed to catch up in the end :)
2. Connecting with the delegates - it was not easy at all. I'm not sure whether it was the language barrier or the age gap :P But anyhow, I managed to connect with handful of delegates :)
3. As the OC team was a young bunch, I had to also somewhat oversee how things are run during the conference. I'm glad that they're open to ideas, and working together with me in dealing with many of the logistical issues :)

Most memorable memories of IGNITE 2010
1. Closing plenary - it was just a perfect closure to the conference with the songs and candle lights; and of course people crying :P
2. Every time when Cao gets played with - her teammates literally plays with her as if she's a toy :P (Btw all these happened behind the scenes, mostly in the faci room)
3. Watching AristoCats with Marcello when waiting for the delegates to arrive for Opening Plenary

Finally, thanks to the facilitators and delegates for such a memorable and enjoyable experience chairing IGNITE 2010 as an AIESEC alumnus!

diving, a new skill

2010-05-06T23:15:00.005+08:00

Tenggol trip Gen-Ys

I know that it does take me a lot of effort to learn a new skill especially when it requires using any/all my 5 senses. But I decided to give it a try! Diving has been on my to do list for quite some time, and now it's not anymore (Learning saxophone still is though).

Went through theory class where I PASSED the theory exam ;) Then took a day off to learn the skills in a swimming pool. Wasn't too hard but neither was it easy peasy as well! Then it was off to Tenggol island for 3 days, 2 nights.

Had 5 dives. The first 3 dives were mainly for me and other students to showcase our skills in open water. One of the biggest challenges even till today is to equalize the pressure when you go deeper in the sea. But anyhow, I PASSED and now am a Open Water Diver ;D The last 2 dives were leisure dives, and it was really really enjoyable. I saw a turtle, a sting ray and even a shipwreck!!! and of course lots of fishes (lots of clown fishes aka Nemo) and corals.

After just 2 leisure dives, I'm already planning my next dives! and I'm tempted to go for advanced certification as well. I want to be able to go for night dives :) Can't wait!!! I've even got some advice from a colleague who is a pro diver on other good dive spots & equipments :)

Being in Tenggol for 3 days was truly relaxing. I loved the atmosphere. It felt calm. Oh how I wish it could so everyday...

strengthsfinder & type

2010-04-26T18:18:00.003+08:00

I'm so excited that I read this article by CPP on how they relate StrengthsFinder & Type. After discovering positive psychology, I've been reading quite a lot about it; and an area of interest is on strengths. I've also been very much interested in personality psychology cause an INFP always do soul searching and genuinely wanting to help others find their way. And the article which I've just read combines both of my interest areas :D

It's just an article. It doesn't have the statistical evidence nor even in depth explanation on how they link both of these assessments. Will definitely write to them to find out (and hopeful that they would share the details).

From the StrengthsFinder perspective, one should focus on using his/her strengths as much as possible in order to be in "flow" - a state of mind where you're engaged & absorbed in the activity that you're doing. However Type has a different opinion. A Type practitioner would encourage you to flex your non preferences so that you would be able to call upon them when needed - this is known as developing your "developed self".

What I find interesting in this article is that it shares with you which non preference you could flex, and in what manner. For example, I would need to flex my Thinking preference. But then the next question is in what manner I could do so? The articles shares with me that I could learn to think critically what may be lacking and manage anxiety about not being close to everyone.

So far, I've got 2 other friends who have taken the StrengthsFinder assessment & have their Type profile validated by a certified Type trainer :) So let me share with you my finding of this super small sample size - almost ALL of our top 5 strengths correlate to the non preferences we're recommended to flex except for 2 (out of 15). Only wished that I had a larger sample size to cross check!

I've barely scratched the surface in understanding each strength, and how a person's top 5 strengths relates to each other - painting an overall picture of a person. I guess it will take lots of practice to be able to do that well. At least for Type, I'm able to share more than a person's preferences - painting a richer picture of a person using temperament, interaction styles, cognitive dynamics & archetypes ;)

Click here to read the article by Dr. Sarita Bhakuni

personality assessments

2010-04-23T20:59:00.011+08:00

So far, I've done quite a number of personality assessments online - which is for FUN! I hardly use these as reference, mainly due to its low reliability & validity. However, I've done some personality assessments which have been proven to be reliable and valid such as MBTI, DiSC, Harrison, StrengthsFinder & VIA-IS.

During my CEED in HK, I took the Harrison assessment to find out more about what type of jobs that would be suitable for me. And thanks to the consultant who went through the report with me, I had a better picture of what my next steps were. It also helps me confirm that being an engineer wouldn't be the best choice as well. Hence, I was quite firm (even with my parents) that I wanted to work in the area of Human Capital. And YES! my first job back in Malaysia was in a consulting firm helping clients with regards to Human Capital.

my DiSC profile

I've also been lucky to be certified to intepret the DiSC profile (I'm a CS) - my previous workplace's colleagues all are able to talk the DiSC language. Everyone was more than happy to share their DiSC profile with everyone else in the office as it would be easier (aka shortcut) in dealing with individuals of different personalities. I've also been fortunate enough to apply this knowledge - assisting a client in setting up an assessment centre :) However, I feel that there are some of us who would "pigeon hole" others, which should not be the case. But I guess, there needs to be more awarness & education on how to use these assessments ethically!

When a new manager joined the firm, she was very well versed with the Psychological Type model - most people know it as MBTI which is the name of a tool and not the model itself! Yes, even I myself found out about this not too long ago. I remembered training MBTI session during conferences & workshops previously in AIESEC and have always had a passion in this area. So it was indeed really cool to have an expert in the same workplace who is more than willing to share her expertise with me :) And this is when I started to buy loads of books on Type & type watch people. Then I also met my Type sifu (coincidentally who is my childhood & church friend's cousin) through my manager. And from there I asked him lots of questions as well.

So why learn Type?
1. For me, it's about getting to know myself better (I'm an INFP, always soul searching!).
2. I also wanted to learn how to train others on Type. There is so much to learn. With Type, one could debrief based on Temperament, Interaction Styles, Cognitive Dynamics & even Archetypes. I'm getting a bit better with Cognitive Dynamics; and still learning the rest :)
3. Also, I wanted to use it to identify Type profile of others - so that I know how to deal (manage, communicate, work etc) with them better.
4. I use Type to guide me in making decisions with regards to my career always - like a compass.

Ever since I discovered positive psychology, I felt in love with it :) And the two assessment which helps a person identify their top strengths are StrengthsFinder & VIA-IS. I've not fully leverage the results of both of these assessments much mainly due to the fact that I've not got the time to read the Character Strengths book which I got few months back. Though I've read Discover Your Strengths, StrengthsFinder 2.0 & Strengths Based Leadership, it seems that things mentioned are on a surface level. And yes, I've yet to draft an action plan in capitalising my strengths daily as well :)

All in all, it's sometimes fun to take these personality assessments online - just to see how inaccurate they can be :P However, I do wish to master some of the personality models & get certified!!! So the plan is to read, practice, get certified, continue reading & continue practising till I've reach the level of unconcious competent ;D

career direct profile

2010-04-19T22:58:00.006+08:00

Personality I.D. is a free, fun, fast and accurate personality profile sponsored by Career Direct®

- your personal profile type is Transition

As indicated on the graph above, most of the scores for this profile fall in the Mid-Range section of the graph. A single Mid-Range score normally indicates a mixture of traits from each end of the continuum for that factor. When there are three or more scores in the Mid-Range, it is unclear which behaviors will be most prominent. Since this pattern of Mid-Range scores falls outside the parameters for any of the sixteen standard Blended Profiles, a complete report is not available.

It is certainly possible for someone to be as flexible as this profile would indicate. However, for most people, this set of scores reflects a temporary condition or situation, rather than the individual's natural personality. Significant events, life changes, and periods of transition can temporarily mask the individual's ability to render a valid self-appraisal. If this is the case, some causes may be as follows:

Significant changes or transitions in key life situations such as career, health, relationships, geographic location, or finances.
Pressure to meet multiple expectations in the current environment.
A conscious or subconscious attempt in taking the assessment to be "everything to everyone."

Having this pattern of scores is not a cause for alarm. In fact, during situations as described above, a Mid-Range Profile is a very typical outcome. The passing of time usually gives the individual a clearer focus on his or her natural behaviors. Retaking the Personality I.D. Profile at a later date should provide more definitive and helpful results.

Source: http://careerdirectonline.org/personalityID/

mamak mee-ah!

2010-04-13T20:24:00.003+08:00

Finally, it's here! The long wait is finally over. I've watched Broadway Parodies Lagi Lah and it was such a cool musical. Was tempted to even watch it a 2nd time.

Anyway, after the long wait for Mamak Mee-Ah, it was finally here in April. After Broadway Parodies Lagi Lah, I was tempted to sign up for musical classes, and possibly audition for a musical like Mamak Mee-Ah. But I guess that didn't happen. Was thinking that it could be an interest/hobby which I need to start investing time - if I ever decide to take it up. Anyway, seems like I have lots of interest - and would need to nail them down one at a time, and of course decide which ones I wanna focus more on ;)

the first 4 days

2010-02-07T01:29:00.007+08:00

Yes, it's official that my status has changed from unemployed to employed! And I just started last Tuesday. Monday was a public holiday for Kuala Lumpur. Let's do a recap!

Day 1
Induction. Getting to know the basics! Got my new laptop and we went through sessions on lotus notes, HRMS, time sheet & claims. Was glad that they was also an office tour - at least I know where things are, and how to get around in the office. Also I've got a BUDDY on my 1st day, and the coolest part is that she has been briefed about it earlier. That's what I call structured! Got introduced to most of my colleagues and off for lunch. Was also briefed about the facilities in the office, and more importantly how to evacuate should there be any emergencies - this shows how much the firm values the safety of its staff! Later in the evening was a session on Performance Coaching & Development where I learned that I would be assigned a Coach very soon. I'm actually quite excited by the end of day 1 of all the new environment and the culture of the firm. I get a sense that the firm places great importance in its people and I love it ;)

Day 2
Lots of chats with my buddy on the state of the practice and what the firm has to offer. There are so many lotus notes databases which I need to go through so that I know where to get information in the future. Was surprised that some colleagues wanted to "tapau" lunch. I can't even remember the last time that I had to pack lunch, and even though how busy I was (especially on a client project), I would still take time to go out and eat. I found out it's a culture here! And I was thinking to myself that I wouldn't want to "tapau" anytime soon. YES! I've got my DISC profile and wasn't surprised to see the changes.

Day 3
Got roped in, to work on a client project! Way cool cause I'll be able to charge billable hours ;) As the deadline was next week, I had to work really fast & efficient. Hence, I couldn't believe that I got my colleagues to "tapau" my lunch! Well, we're really running on a tight schedule and walking out for lunch does take up quite some time, so it seems to be the most logical move to pack lunch. Anyway, note to myself is to go out for lunch as much as possible in the future.

Day 4
It's Friday, hence business casual attire. That means that I do not have to wear a tie ;D Had to pack lunch again, but it was a personal choice as I really had lots to finish before the end of the day. Highlight of the day was the monthly meeting in the evening. It was different! The theme was on risk management, and we had an organising committee of about 6 to run the show. Videos, Jeopardy and sharing by Executive Directors on risk management. Jan & Feb babies got a cupcake each! Went through the recent wins and the pipeline. Also, all new joiners were introduced. And we got our learning passport - an initiative to help us develop our learning plan with our coach. Really really cool stuff! The meeting ended with Yee Sang ;D and dinner at La Bodega to celebrate the recent promotions.

In just my 1st 4 days, I've got a very good impression of the firm. It seems that a lot more things are structured and in place here! For one, mobility in the region is happening! There are 5 colleagues who will be on secondment to the other offices around the region. There was a lot of talk at my previous workplace about mobility, but in my new workplace, it's HAPPENING! I can't wait for my turn as I'm missing working abroad.

Honestly, things are working quite well! One of the things I need to work on is to get to my HRA team better as well as everyone in the PI family :)

biological fun facts

2010-02-03T20:44:00.000+08:00

Enjoice! (okay the typo was deliberate sarcasm)

1. It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

2. One human hair can support 3 kg.

3. The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.

4. Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.

5. A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.

6. There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

7. Women blink twice as often as men.

8. The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.

9. Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

10. If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

Women reading this will have finished by now.
Men are still busy checking their thumbs.

so...can anyone verify funfact #3?

Source: Iman Hayat

top 10 ways to get rid of Gen Yers in your office

2010-01-27T23:27:00.002+08:00

Finally, the article which my colleague was tasked to write, is published in the papers! We had quite a few chats to decide on the topic of the article. And being Gen Y, we wanted the public to understand us (Gen Y) better because more often than not, people don't understand how we define the world! Therefore, we kinda decided that the article would be something on Gen Y. There has been quite a lot of research done by the organisation I used to work for. Compiling and rewriting the research into an article definitely won't work. It's just gonna sound boring.

Hence, we thought of some ideas to catch the attention of our readers. No 1, you MUST have a good headline! And it has to be twitter length :) Instead of giving advice on how to recruit, develop and retain Gen Y which is what you read about every other day; we thought it would be way cooler to share our thoughts of how to get rid of us from the workplace!

So we decided on a list - top 10 ways to do so! It wasn't easy to come out with the items. But when we thought of ourselves and what would irritate us at our workplace, the list just grew so quickly! It's amazingly easy to write about what both of us are looking for in our ideal workplace. Some of which we're thankful for, but most of it we're somewhat trying hard to fight for! It's funny when you think about it that we're advising clients on how to manage Gen Y when our current workplace ain't a role model at it sadly.

Anyway, if you decide to get rid of Gen Y in your office, you can get a head start with our list! http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/25/business/5530122&sec=business

a baby all grown up

2010-01-16T23:59:00.002+08:00

Today marks an important date in the history books of AIESEC-LC-TUC! It is today that they are recognized at the national level - awarded the Top Gun LC. When I got the news, I was thrilled that the baby LC is now all grown up. An LC which now sets the benchmark for excellence! Am also delighted to know that they grabed many other awards in various functional areas as well! Let's take a brief look at their achivements throughout the years :)

2004/05
An official protem LC

2005/06
a baby LC taking its 1st steps...

2006/07
Gained full status LC
1 award - Most Progressive LC

2007/08
2 awards
- Best Talent Management Team
- Best Finance & Admin Team

2008/09
8 awards
- Top Gun LC! :D
- Highest Performing TM Team
- Highest Performing ICX Team
- Highest Performing IM Team
- Highest Performing ER Team
- Highest Performing ICXer (Wing Onn)
- Best Exchange Management Team (ICX+OGX)
- 254 Campaign (ICX)

It just shows that anything is possible! Today, my baby LC is no more a baby anymore :) She is all grown up, and a role model to all. Thanks to everyone who has made this dream come true.

my definition of love

2010-01-08T17:30:00.001+08:00

What does love mean to you?

INFP - Love is the perfect place: quiet, peaceful and kind
INFJ - Love is in my mind, heart, and soul
ENFP - Love is mysterious, inspiring, and fun
ENFJ - Love is being consumed by my loved one
INTP - Love is just another idea
INTJ - Love can be analyzed and perfected
ENTP - I invent love in my mind first.
ENTJ - Love is enhanced by power, influence, and achievement
ISFJ - Love is a goal worth sacrificing for
ISTJ - Love is based on duty and responsibility
ESFJ - Love is based on serving others
ESTJ - Love is grounded on the rock-solid values of family, tradition, and loyalty
ISFP - Love is gentleness, nature, and devotion
ISTP - Love is action
ESFP - Love is savoring and reveling in the passions of now
ESTP - Love should always be exciting and stimulating

Source: www.lovetypes.com

work engagement based on type

2010-01-07T13:30:00.003+08:00

Read this article on Your Employees are Not Happy on the MBTI blog and it kept me thinking. It suggests that personality type does play a major role in knowing how to engage employees. As I was going through the list, it seems that see meaning in my work is at the top of my list. But as I reflected a little more, it seems that all in the list made sense to me as well. Hence, I decided that I should rank them in order. Perhaps you guys out there can share with me your type profile as well as your ranking list!

I'm an INFP, and these are my prerferences in order:-
1. need to see the meaning of my work
2. want flex time
3. want to change jobs internally
4. want more training
5. need more autonomy
6. need a pat on the back
7. need more direction and less ambiguity
8. need to see redundancy of efforts reduced
9. need more social interaction
10. just want to be in less meetings

reflection of 2009

2009-12-25T23:40:00.002+08:00

One year has passed and lots has happened. A time to reflect and treasure those unforgettable moments :)

January
I would never imagined that I would have made true friends at my workplace. It's unbelievable! Till today, we still meet up :) And recently, all of us attended Ming Yenn's wedding dinner. What I can say is treasure your friendships.

February
I've been very much disappointed about the poor leadership at my workplace; though keeping in mind that people are paid to be managers and not leaders! And finding out that research has proven that effective leaders understand their followers' needs which includes trust, compassion, stability, and hope. Hence I finally moved on which felt great! Shared my internship experience with TUC; felt different after so long of not sharing with a plenary.

March
My 2nd TUC LLDS faci experience. And this year it was an amazing experience as well! Thought that my 1st was a blast, but this year was equally cool. Again, diverse facilitators profile came together to make dreams come true :) Also got news of amazing growth of SWAP EPs raised!

April
Next up was OPS for my home LC. Another memorable experience as it happened with lots of help & support from Jamie & San San :) And finally, I got to clarify my type profile! It's official that I'm an INFP :D and I'm reading so much about type.

May
The Kuching story started! Being flown to Kuching for a client project. Very different experience compared to my previous client projects. And started to get type books and constantly reading them. It's also official that I'm not coaching the LC anymore; it's just that the EBs aren't ready for what I have to offer. I don't blame them, just myself for not having the patience & time to make things real for another term.

June
Reading work abroad stories of OPS delegates made me miss my work abroad experience so much. And being in Kuching just wasn't close to it. Started to give some thoughts about my path. MSc Psychology? Executive Coach? I love options! And if I could, I want it ALL :D

July
Am still in Kuching! Working like a zombie everyday. Honestly! And I dreaded it :(

August
Bye bye Kuching!!! Took almost 2 weeks to recharge. Met up with friends at IC'09 which is in Malaysia :) I can't believe that newies I met in Hong Kong as an intern are now in the MC! Also started to open up to better opportunities...

September
RIS - a promise made fulfilled! It was really really good to see all my OPS delegates at RIS again! And this time, they are the enthusiastic ones sharing their internship stories. Again thanks to Jamie & San San for pulling this off with me! Did a type workshop for the EBs using the problem solving model :)

October
I found the Malaysia Facilitators Network! A group of people who shared a common interest with me - facilitation :) IAF Certified Facilitator? That's an option I would nail it down!

November
Recently, articles in the business section caught my eyes. The very first one was on employee engagement by Roshan. I started to search for past articles on the science of building leaders, a series of articles he's been writing. I find that what he's written is common sense; but I guess common sense is not that common after all when you still notice that many organizations are comfortable in their ways.

December
Loved the type boot camp :) And finally, made a final decision to move on...

As I was reading my post on 2008 journey, it seems that 2008 was very much eventful as compared to 2009. But then again, it could be because that I've been overloaded with work. Can't wait for 2010 and very hopeful that things would be exciting again!

type boot camp

2009-12-17T23:55:00.005+08:00

I've missed the last boot camp, and am thankful that I can attend it this time around. It's a 2-day boot camp of self discovery based on type. And it's my very first formal type training. The one which came close to this was a MBTI session by a certified MBTI practitioner at the Golden Key Asia Pacific conference in 2004 - if not mistaken, that was my 1st encounter with type.

What made this boot camp different was the competent type trainer gave us TtT tips throughout the training. Having the opportunity to see a competent type trainer in action was a learning experience in itself. I paid attention to the words used and was jotting down notes all the time :)

Also, there were others like me; having the passion to train type in our own way. It was good to connect with this community. And of course there were participants who've learned about type but just want to learn more. And it's interesting that people are talking using the same language and are open to sharing their type profile :)

There is still so much more I want to learn about type! :)

the making of effective leaders

2009-12-07T19:43:00.008+08:00

I couldn't agree more with Dr Goh Chee Leong that there is a leadership crisis. Boomers are retiring and there ain't enough Gen X to step up, what more those with leadership qualities! Anyway, I like the framework shared on making effective leaders.

We sometimes tend to forget that there is a difference between a manager and a leader. And I'm sure we're all too familiar with the similarities and differences from our basic management classes. Initially, I was tempted to use the framework as a basis to understand & write down my thoughts of where do people who I've met (who are in the management team) stand. Then it got me thinking about myself. Am I that far off compared to them? Competence, Fairness, Integrity, Protection - do I actually have all these qualities when I was on a leadership role? or have a minimum level for me to move on.

Keeping in mind that people are paid to be managers and not leaders; and that's why their job title is HR manager and not HR leader, Finance manager and not finance leader, IT manager and not IT leader. That's kinda frustrating...

But then again, many organisations have these qualities embedded somewhere be it in their competency model, organisational values, code of ethics etc. The question is, are organizations effective in developing effective leaders?

seek meaning and significance in your work

2009-12-04T23:33:00.003+08:00

Read an article in the papers today about "How to keep workers motivated". And here is my response to it :)

I truly agree that human beings seek meaning and significance in their work. And the result of having meaning in your work is you'll be able to produce better results and more importantly you'll be committed to the organisation :) That's like on the wish list of every organisation - to have their employees being 100% committed to their work & the organisation.

I've always believe that one of the contributing factors of employees putting in effort in their work is because of they truly understand the significance of their work. They are able to see the bigger picture to what they do, does make a difference and impact! However, I also see that it's the management who needs to help its employees see that connection all the time. Then at the end of the day, we know that we're working not solely because of the financial rewards, but we know that we're making a difference/an impact to society :)

I honestly have not seen the management of various organisations I've worked with communicate the significance of their work. I'm not talking about CONSISTENTLY communicate. Not even communicating it. And then I've also seen why there are so many people who work in AIESEC full time even without getting minimum salary, being super damn committed. They would give their best and go all the way to get things done! I believe it definetely has got to do with communicating the higher purpose - the significance of your work to the society!

Sometimes I wonder, if this fact of communicating the higher purpose/significance of your work is an important factor in keeping employees motivated and committed, why does the management of many organisations not bother about it? Even in the one I'm attached with currently.

me and food

2009-11-30T20:02:00.005+08:00

What does food mean to you?

ISTJ - writes and documents recipes
ISFJ - cooks it for you and only for you
INFJ - creates a medley of fusion food
INTJ - creates a Food Science lab
INTP - Defines Food and creates new edible food
INFP - Creates food for the spirit
ISFP - selects only the best ingredients
ISTP - fries an Egg and eats it, done
ESTP - Starts a fancy restaurant and promotes it
ESFP - pArhTee !!!
ENFP - FOOD SHOW host
ENTP - mixes Chilli Sauce and Strawberry Milkshake...hey..you never know
ENTJ - Executive Chef of a 3 star michellin restaurant or bust
ENFJ - teaches a cooking class
ESFJ - Everyone's Mama's homecook food...
ESTJ - YOU SIT AND FINISH YOUR FOOD!

Source: Daniel Liew

my role in the world

2009-11-29T00:43:00.007+08:00

I've found my true calling, what's yours?

ENTJ - Wants World Domination
ENFJ - Wants to Save the world
ESFJ - Welcomes the world
ESTJ - Wants to Control the World
ENTP - Explores the World
ENFP - Wants to be loved by the World
ESFP - Befriends the whole World
ESTP - Lives fully in the World,
INTP - Defines the world
INFP - Be one with the world
ISFP - Lives in his/her own world
ISTP - Fixes the world
INTJ - Explains the World
INFJ - Foresees the World's future
ISFJ - Serves the world
ISTJ - Remembers the world

Source: Daniel Liew

employee engagement & retention

2009-11-04T20:14:00.006+08:00

I was reading an article by Roshan Thiran. You can read his article here. He shared that for an employee to be truly engaged with his work; one would need to consider 4 different aspects of his job and they are:-

drum rolls...
1. Purpose
2. Learning
3. Money
4. Fun

Case study 1 - Swiss Re internship, Hong Kong
1. Purpose
I truly enjoyed a sharing session by one of the business experts on how Swiss Re CSR initiatives are linked to its strategy. It got me thinking that the stuffs that Swiss Re does is more than just making $$, it's about making a difference. Only wished that I could have learned more about it.

2. Learning
Honestly, I was learning so much! The exposure to the latest technology and how a global organization works was truly an amazing learning experience. The really cool part is that even interns are trusted with many responsibilities. My managers are always open to listen to ideas, and encourages innovation.

3. Money
The salary was pretty okie, compared to other interns working in other organisations. I had enough to eat, a room to sleep, and had fun at outings! It's an internship, so my expectations are met :)

4. Fun
Of course it was FUN! I was working together with other interns; young people who I learn from as well. It was fun as I get to lead and manage regional projects!!! How cool is that?! :D

Case study 2 - MC CEED, AIESEC in Hong Kong
1. Purpose
Well, there is no doubt that I'm truly engaged with the higher purpose! I decided to do a CEED instead of extending my internship, or working full time in Switzerland. That just shows how much I truly believe in the higher purpose.

2. Learning
Definetely! I've learned so much about myself. And I'm constantly being supported by my peers in making my ceedership a great one ;) Learned a lot from the locals and internationals I'm working with.

3. Money
Sadly, the organisation doesn't have the capacity to pay a minimum salary. But because of the other factors, I felt that this was not a super big deciding factor. However, I wished that if only AIESEC would be able to pay competitively, then more of our members would work full time :)

4. Fun
Never ending!!! It was always fun! I can hardly remember the times that it wasn't fun. Hmm... only tasks that I didn't quite like; but then again it helped me realized what I would want to do in my career.

Case study 3 - current workplace
1. Purpose
I've got no clue! Honestly, no clue after 2 years! Been trying to find out, but haven't found it yet :(

2. Learning
Yup, been learning quite a lot. Especially when I get on projects. The learning curve is very steep indeed. And I get to learn different stuffs all the time. Got access to a really cool learning portal ;)

3. Money
Well, my friends are saying that I'm getting paid more than them. I would say that the amount of time & effort that I've put in, it ain't comparable.

4. Fun
Well, not much :( There might be sometimes, but hardly.

So the question is, where can I find an organisation which offers all 4?? I'm still searching for it! If you have any clue, please do share with me :)

found the facilitators network!

2009-10-24T22:07:00.003+08:00

I'm so excited! I just can't hide it :P

I found out that there is a Malaysia Facilitators Network! Cool ah? Never thought that it even existed. Why? Cause only recently, a group have started the processes of setting up the Malaysia Facilitators Association, My FA :)

There was a 1-day training on building our facilitation toolkit. And the main session is on World Cafe! I mean seriously, how many people at my workplace have even heard about this. And it was way way way cool to learn it from an experienced facilitator with her exposure and experience in this art of hosting.

So, I decided to attend this training. And it was good decision though I had to sacrifice my Saturday morning sleep in. I met so many awesome facilitators!!! People who were passionate about facilitating, and have so much exposure & practice. Art of hosting such as World Cafe, Appreciative Inquiry & Open Space Technology are common terms used. Honestly, no one I've met before today's training have even heard of these terms before. Or even if they did, it's very basic understanding. I felt alive, so alive that finally I'm connected with people who share the same passion & interest :)

And what more, I finally met a graphic facilitator! She shared with me tips on getting started, and even showed me her toolkit :) It's just amazing when we started chatting about harvesting conversation through graphic facilitation. I'm definetely getting my own toolkit soon, and start practicing this art.

Also, some shared their experience attending the recent International Association of Facilitators (IAF) conferences in Europe & Taiwan! WOW!!! I didn't even knew that it existed! And it made me wanting to register for the next IAF in Korea next year :D Just imagine, one could learn so much from others at this conference.

And I also found out about the IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator. What made it cool was that there is a list of core competencies for facilitators in which one would be assessed to be a certified facilitator! Am thinking, I should be working towards obtaining this certification.

Wah!!! I'm crazily high right now :) Would definetely take part in the next training, and possibly get more involved with this network of facilitators.

battery & solar panel

2009-10-12T23:11:00.003+08:00

"Introverts are like a rechargeable battery. They need to stop expending energy and rest in order to recharge. Extroverts are like solar panels that need the sun to recharge. Extroverts need to be out and about to refuel."
~Marti Olsen Laney

enjoyable ris sunday

2009-09-06T23:53:00.011+08:00

After getting off a client project, I finally got a team together to run Reintegration Seminar aka RIS. It has been almost 5 months after OPS, and close to 2 months that all OPS delegates were back from their 2 months international internship. It has been really good to read their blogs, and browse through their photos of their life changing experiences :)

We did talked about RIS at OPS; but I wouldn't imagine that we did it! It seems that all the delegates are still in euphoria, which is good; and have not gone to reverse culture shock yet. Or even they did, it was just a minor one. I remember mine was really really really bad! And I would say that it took me about 2 years to recover and move on. I guess that when you compare living abroad for 2 months and a year - that makes the difference!

It was really exciting to meet most of the OPS delegates at RIS again ;) It feels like it was a group of friends meeting after we've parted ways for some time. I'm of course happy that everyone remembered everyone else by name; as we've form this little collective of our own - connected because of our exchange experience.

I'm delighted to listen to all their stories. You can really feel their excitement when they're sharing. It felt the same when I just came back from my work abroad experience. It has been great training & meeting all OPS & RIS delegates. Thanks for the opportunity and an enjoyable Sunday ;)

do what you are

2009-08-30T23:38:00.007+08:00

Am at a crossroad again. I lose my way, I find my way, I go with it, and I lose it again ;) However, each time I get lost - the way becomes clearer when I manage to find it again ;D

"Do What You Are" - good book based on type ;) It covers personality type, temperament & cognitive processes in brief! It's like a summary if you don't want to go into too much details. And reading it has somewhat helped me find my way again. I can relate very much to the 3 INFP stories, and how these 3 individuals had an opportunity to use their dominant, auxiliary and tertiary functions at work naturally!

I love the list of popular occupations by category (creative/arts, education/counseling, religion, health care, organizational development, and technology) for my type. When I cross check it with my Harrison Assessment Career Guide report - the results are 99% similar! That's somehow a relief knowing that 2 different assessments are pointing to the same direction ;)

Now is to go through a reflection process in creating my personal career plan - there's even a chapter in the book to help me with that! ;)

enthusiasm

2009-08-10T19:42:00.003+08:00

"Enthusiastic people are the ones who actually get things done in this world. Enthusiasm is what turns any idea into reality. And enthusiasm is linked closely with happiness. "
— Roy Sheppard

2 years after my Hong Kong adventure

2009-07-20T00:01:00.000+08:00

It's exactly 2 years since I left Hong Kong! I still do miss the whole experience very much ;)

new seven wonders of the world

2009-07-19T16:53:00.009+08:00

My new seven wonders of the world checklist:
- Great Wall of China, China
- Petra, Jordan
- Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Chichen Itza, Mexico
- Roman Colosseum, Italy
- Taj Mahal, India (done! 2005)

The other Official New 7 Wonders of the World Finalists, which were nominated from hundreds of sites around the world:
- The Acropolis, Greece
- Alhambra, Spain
- Angkor, Cambodia
- Statues of Easter Island, Chile
- Eiffel Tower, France
- Hagia Sophia, Turkey
- Kiyomizu Temple, Japan
- Kremlin/St. Basil, Russia
- Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
- Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
- Statue of Liberty, USA
- Stonehenge, United Kingdom

Source: http://www.new7wonders.com/classic/en/n7w/results/

So far, I've only been to the Taj Mahal in 2005. Hmm... would have to start planning trips to these places ;) Anyone interested?

conferences, seminars & workshops - 2008 till mid 2009

2009-07-13T17:57:00.009+08:00

Seminars that I've been involved so far in 2009:
- TUC's Local Leadership Development Seminar (faci)
- Outgoing Preparation Seminar (agenda manager & faci)

Conferences, seminars & workshops to be done (tentative) in 2009:
- Reintegration Seminar (agenda manager & faci)
- Psychological Type (faci)
- Train the Advanced Trainer (agenda manager & faci)

Conferences, seminars & workshops I was part of in 2008:
- Winter National Conference, Hong Kong (chair)
- TUC's Local Leadership Development Seminar (faci)
- Future Lies in You conference (faci)
- Product Development workshop (agenda manager & faci)
- Train the Facilitator workshop (agenda manager & faci)
- Train the Trainer (agenda manager & faci)

Can't believe that I've been involved in so many conferences, seminars & workshops ;) and I'm lovin it so far! My way of giving back...

education in psychology

2009-06-14T16:31:00.002+08:00

During the past month, I had quite a lot of conversations with Cheng about enrolling for a masters in psychology. I've always wanted to enroll in the masters of applied positive psychology at Pennsylvania University; but knowing that it'll be some years in the future for me to afford it. The area of positive psychology which I'm most interested in is "strengths".

There are only 3 universities in the world which offers masters in applied positive psychology. Pennsylvania University (Penn) which I've mentioned, Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and a UK university. CGU offers subject in FLOW & Appreciative Inquiry by the authors themselves ;D I've read FLOW & Appreciative Inquiry and find it really interesting. Only downside to studying at CGU is that I would need to take so many credits in statistics; which I'm not that interested in now. At Penn, I get to study character strengths and virtues which I'm really interested. Also, I've read Authentic Happiness and trying get my hands on "Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification" which is written by one of the professors leading in the area of strengths psychology. And best of all, no statistics subjects! The UK uni which offers the masters program doesn't seem to appeal to me.

Anyhow, would be a dream to study at Penn ;D

my coaching path

2009-06-13T16:26:00.004+08:00

For the past few days, have been working around the DISC model. And it feels good that I'm getting better at it ;) of course with help from some friends! Probably a few more weeks, then I'll be somewhat a novice :P

I've also begun to typewatch these days and when I were to confirm a person's four letter code with my manager, I would get it correct most of the time. But then again, I feel it's kinda more like a gut feel. She says that I'm getting good at it though only started to pick it up recently, and that I should take my time to learn it. Guess, I'm just excited to learn new things & wanna get good at it super fast! Anyway, reading more materials on typewatching would help me refine my skills ;)

Sometimes I do ask myself, why I'm very much interested in personality psychology. One of the main reasons I concluded is that it gives me a shortcut to how to deal with various types of people. More importantly, how to work with them - understanding their strengths, limitations & motivations. I agree that personality should never be an excuse for a person to do/not do any task. Though, it would be great to leverage on a personlity's strengths! Since I've started learning personality type, I'm definetely much more aware of myself and how I should deal with people. For others, it's sometimes really sad to see that though they understand who they are, but not knowing what's next ;( And I do feel that I would want to help them out from this aspect. I've got quite some friends who have told me that I'm a good listener and more importantly, I don't judge ;) Recently, my bosses had a discussion with me about my career plan. And my manager suggested that I might want to consider executive coaching. We had some conversation on this; and it seems that this looks like the right path for me. There is a certification for executive coaching; and I'll probably take it up when I fulfill the main criteria - 5 years of working experience

Would I truly enjoy my work as an executive coach?
I'll probably find out in due time ;)

PS: I still miss running trainings especially in the area of leadership development! Maybe I should consider it as part time??

homely dinner

2009-06-09T22:02:00.003+08:00

Today & yesterday, had dinner at home ;) Yes, I helped cook dinner - to some extend lar; and it's not only help wash the dishes. After a whole month (where I was surviving on eating out - which is GREAT!), I got an opportunity to eat home cooked meals.

It isn't about the meal itself. It's about the team having dinner together. And it feels really really cozy ;) Enjoyed it lots!

missing my work abroad experience

2009-06-01T11:54:00.008+08:00

Few months back, was facilitating OPS, preparing students for their summer internship abroad. And today, I'm browsing their photos & reading their blogs on their life changing experience ;) It makes me miss my work abroad experience so much!

Being in Kuching for almost 3 weeks - though I'm being posted to work across the South China Sea, doesn't feel quite the same. One of the major difference would be having an interns community and locals who you could count on ;D It's one of the most powerful learning environment which has enriched my work abroad experience! And I do miss that quite a lot. Not many experienced what I had, and for that I'm really appreciative ;)

Anyway, can't wait to listen to them share their stories when they're back! A reintegration conference would definetely help in reverse culture shock & moving forward.

day 7: finally got to Spring without getting lost

2009-05-17T23:39:00.005+08:00

After sleeping so much the day before, I was awake at about 8+am. And so decided to send my clothes to the laundry. YES! Managed to, but can only collect it on Monday evening. Had breakfast and headed back home.

Tried so hard to do my e-learning but the page just wouldn't load :( Anyhow, took a nap & tried again and it worked! Manage to complete 1 1/2 course only. And decided to head off to Spring for shopping & dinner.

YES! Got there without getting lost ;D Went round and got a hard disk for work and also shopped for some groceries. There was also this cultural performance by the different native tribes in Sarawak. Had dinner at the food court & headed back home.

day 6: sleep

2009-05-16T23:26:00.000+08:00

Almost the whole day was spent sleeping. I mean really sleeping. I slept so much! But it was needed, if not then I wouldn't know how I would go through the coming week.

Then tried to send my clothes to the laundry but it was closed :( And somehow found the Pasar Malam. Thought would get dinner there but not much foodstuff was sold. Tried super hard to get pink guava also but can't find it. But the highlight was that we saw firemen in action. There were trying to put off a fire in this shop lot.

Left before the action was over as I was getting hungry. Went to Bla bla bla for dinner. Another place with good atmosphere also ;D Definetely coming back here again! Tried going to the Spring again and we finally made it, but sadly all the shops were closed :( So, I guess we'll try again tomorrow.

day 5: work mask of the day

2009-05-15T23:35:00.007+08:00

Finally, it's Friday! I'm so waiting for the weekend to recharge ;) And to kick start our weekend mood, we decided to share with each other our work mask for the day! Check it out below ;)

I only realized that I was a DC equal after drawing the graph

Left office at about 5:30pm which is the earliest throughout the whole week. And yes! Finally went swimming after days of holding it off. Felt really refreshing and what more, there was no one using the pool!

Went to Mango Tree for Thai dinner. Decided to drive to Spring. However, got really lost - but it's a learning process ;) It's all about the steep learning curve :P Was going around in circles and after about 1/2 hour decided to just head back home instead. Will try again during the weekends.

day 4: mission impossible

2009-05-14T23:44:00.008+08:00

Took Eve to her hotel to check out and send her off at the airport. And I found my 2nd Starbucks outlet in Kuching which is in the airport ;)

Cheng & I waiting for ...

and here comes Eve with her luggage

Highlight for the day was to complete mission impossible! It took longer than expected but the satisfaction was there. And because of this, didn't manage to go home in time to swim as it was already dark.

Anyhow, decided to have dinner at Tarrot Cafe on the way back home. Had seafood soup udon. Price was reasonable and environment was quite good ;)

Then headed opposite the road to Bing Coffee for an ice blended white chocolate. Seats were really comfortable. Cheng & I shared some stories and then headed back home to rest.

day 3: blackout rescue

2009-05-13T23:59:00.003+08:00

It's day 3; and it means that I've been in Kuching for only 4 days. My big boss needs to cut me some slack for still learning Kuching roads ;) Kuching laksa for breakfast!

We went to his favourite makan place in Kuching - Carvery for lunch. The atmosphere was really good, as if we're fine dinning. The food was quite good, something similar to Carnival in Damansara but the atmosphere is way better!

I was somehow benchmarked with someone else. To provide pick up & send off services to the airport. Wow! That's an expectation which I didn't expected. Well, if I really do have the time, I wouldn't mind actually. And since it was brought up, would definetely keep this in mind for the future ;)

Spring again! Went there for dinner. And we were just here yesterday ;) Went home shower & internet.

Got an SMS from Eve that there was no electricity in her hotel. And she's been in the dark for about a hour. Cheng & I immediately went off to her rescue :P She packed some stuff and slept over our place for the night. Sometimes I do wonder would I have done the same thing for others... I guess I would only find out when the situation arrives ;)

day 2: laughing out

2009-05-12T23:09:00.003+08:00

It's only day 2 - but it really feels that I've been here for a month. Even Cheng agrees with me on this! Hmm... could it be a sign that we're already homesick? Anyhow, I'll give myself sometime to settle into the new environment.

duck, assam fish, egg & vegetables for lunch

fresh cucumber juice

Had dinner at My Restaurant; a german restaurant. The food was pretty good; and it's well known for their german sausages. Didn't feel like having sausages, but would give it a try the next time. Am still lost driving around Kuching, but it's only day 2 rite? Possibly take the weekend to get around to familiarize myself with the roads and roundabouts.

Been laughing so much since I arrived in Kuching. It feels good to laugh and I miss laughing out so much. It somehow keeps you happy and positive in life ;) If only it were so everyday!

day 1: spring - feels like home

2009-05-11T23:58:00.003+08:00

Arrived at the client's place at about 7:20am. Quite early as office hours starts at 8am. Anyway, wanted to give a good impression to the client on the first day. Left office about 6+pm and had dinner with Jeff. He took us for Aladdin chicken. Food was pretty good.

Then headed to Spring - a shopping mall. I'm just excited when I saw Starbucks; and YES, I did get a green tea frap ;) All the shops in Spring are very much similar to those you would have in the Klang Valley, which made it feel like home. Eve & Cheng decided to have doughnuts at Big Apple and so we had our EPR expectations setting there as well.

After which, we drove home safely though we actually got lost! Thankfully, Eve sent me a detailed step by step SMS on how to get back though Jeff actually gave me instructions before I went off. Probably really exhausted and can't remember the instruction!

Also today, I drove the VAN the whole day! We got a Naza Ria to go around; and it'll take me sometime to get used to it. But anyhow, at least got a vehicle to get around ;)

day 0: exciting beginnings in kuching

2009-05-10T23:20:00.005+08:00

Haven't been to KLIA for quite some time. This time, I'll be on a client project for 3 months in Kuching. Somehow it feels like as if I'm going on an international internship (just that it's only across the South China Sea), but then again I get to be back home once every 2-3 weeks!

Arrived at the Kuching airport and was already excited for the journey ahead. Met with client and took us to our accomodation. We're going to stay in a town house. When we first arrived, I was already suprised and excited that the place was really really good! (will be posting a video of it soon). It's somewhat similar to the MC flat in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong just that it's much bigger of course. And what more, we have a swimming pool as well ;D

Drop off our luggage, and then went around town. Jeff was really nice to give us a tour around town. And even took us to the client's office. I was totally lost; but tried really really hard to recognize the roads. Key landmark is Ambank - it was mentioned like so many times that I thought it was like a state landmark or something :P Roundabouts - there are so many of them that we had to label them. House on the roundabout, cats on the roundabout, water fountain on the roundabout etc. Then there is also the Kuching's very own Low Yat Plaza.

Lunch at 'cheng'. The food is really 'cheng' though we had to wait for almost 45 minutes. And as soon as we finished, we had to leave cause others were staring at us, waiting for us to leave so that they could have our table.

Went to Boulevard for shopping, mainly groceries for our stay in Kuching. And then back home to catch some Zzz. Met with Eve & Jeff for dinner at this place near the cinema building. We had good seafood & chicken porridge. After which is back home to rest early to prepare for Day 1 of the project tomorrow.

Special thanks to Jeff for being such a good host ;D and to Eve for having Jeff take us around ;)

disc refresher

2009-05-05T23:38:00.001+08:00

It felt really good to attend a DiSC refresher!

This time around, more of it made sense ;) I've not got much chance to practice debriefing, and the refresher was a good way for me to refine my skill. Love the 2 full days of training!!! After today, I'll still need more practice to be good at it. And it's great to know that I'll get to apply it in my consulting project very very soon.

Recently have also been reading about type and learning to typewatch. I guess it would take me sometime to do it well; but I'm excited. One thing for sure is that I want to be able to typewatch is because it's a behavioural observation approach in dealing with different types. Can't wait to get it right! And much thanks to my manager who is willing to help me refine my typewatching skill.

And somehow after today, I've found out what my unique contribution could be for a youth organisation which I was attached with previously ;D

a new beginning

2009-05-01T21:49:00.002+08:00

A month in my new team ;) Feeling very alive!

haircut outing

2009-04-26T20:35:00.006+08:00

Jamie was sharing the other day that there is this really good hair stylist in Bangsar which I should try out. And how she label him good was because he communicates with his customers (in English) on the best way to style his/her hair. Basically it means that, you get to have good time ;) And because I've finally agreed to get my hair done by a professional; San & Jiann decided to tag along!

It's interesting when the person who washed Jamie's hair commented about our friendship - San, Jiann, Jamie & I ;) Why interesting? He was pretty surprised that we were neither colleagues nor even studied together. It was a student organisation which connected us all. He felt that our friendship is very genuine. Just imagine San, Jiann & I passing time with jokes while waiting for Jamie to get her hair done (took quite some time cause her dry hair needed treatment!). Usually, you'll have chats at cafes or mamaks, and even I myself am suprised that we can do it at the hair salon.

I know that we've been really good friends since university; but for someone who just met and observe us for a short period of time to tell us that - I guess it must have been really really obvious ;) and it's just not something you see everyday.

So who said a haircut outing can't be fun & entertaining when you have good company?

fun ops weekend

2009-04-05T21:58:00.002+08:00

The weekend was spent mostly on sharing internship stories; stories which go deeper than the usual inspiring ones. The kind of stories you hardly would share - and even if you did, not many would understand what it meant for you. Stories of cultural shock, reverse cultural shock, making tough decisions, trust, friendship and more. I'm very thankful for a life changing internship experience ;)

It was a really fun Outgoing Preparation Seminar weekend, preparing 11 students for their summer internship. And again, this time no AIESEC content except for a short 15 minutes on "Focus: Why internship?". Outgoing Preparation Seminar was focus on building intercultural competency and who best to facilitate the conference than people who have gone for an internship - Jamie, San San & me :) Well, the next time, we should definetely get current interns to be part of the faci team!

At the recent AIESEC-LC-TUC's LLDS, someone asked "What would you change in your AIESEC Experience?". And I said "I would want to go through the same AIESEC Experience I had with 2 additional items - LCP and DT PBOX in CEE". Sometimes I do wonder, how it would turn out if I actually went for a DT PBOX in CEE - there was this DT PBOX in Moldova for 2 months starting just after IC 2007!

infp & idealist

2009-04-03T19:47:00.000+08:00

Over the past weeks, had conversation on MBTI & Temperament with my manager. She's really good at it! I mean, she tells me things which are so way true - and she only got to observe me at work. Will be reading more on this and hopefully can pick this up! Read more about my type below:-

INFPs focus deeply on their values, and they devote their lives to pursuing the ideal. They often draw people together around a common purpose and work to find a place for each person within the group. They are creative, and they seek new ideas and possibilities. They quietly push for what is important to them, and they rarely give up. While they have a gentleness about them and a delightful sense of humor, they may be somewhat difficult to get to know and may be overlooked by others. They are at their best making their world more in line with their internal vision of perfection.

Living

INFP children often create their own fantasy world and live very much within it. They may daydream about what is important to them, and sometimes others wonder if they are in touch with reality. They often get lost in their thoughts and books, and may develop a special ability in communicating, such as writing. They are somewhat reserved, especially in new situations.

INFPs decide early on what is important for them, what is of value. They tend to rely on themselves for direction and are reticent to ask others for help. They would rather do things themselves, to make sure they are done properly. INFPs have found this to be both a strength and a curse. Depending only on themselves and being careful not to show mistakes to others is important. As teens, INFPs may have a bit of a rebellious streak. They may argue with those who hold different values than they do. They are also likely to have a small, close set of friends with whom they share good times. In the comfort of those close relationships, they can relax and are often quite entertaining, since they see the world in a different and special way. Their sense of humour is readily apparent. However, unless an INFP finds an appreciation for his or her uniqueness and personal values, he or she may feel like an odd person out.

When they set their minds on things, INFPs are not likely to give up easily, yet because of their outward gentleness, they do not show their determination. They may not take a direct path, but somehow they reach their dreams.

As young adults, INFPs may have some difficulty finding the ideal career and the ideal mate, in part because of that very word 'ideal'. They have a vision in mind of what they want, yet reality may not follow suit. They may make several starts and stops in their career until they find a comfortable place for themselves.

INFPs have a need for perfection in connection with their personal values. They become frustrated with those who dwell on trivialities.

INFPs need a purpose beyond the paycheck. They become burned out easily if their job does not fit their value system; they may not feel good enough about what they have achieved and, as a result, may undervalue themselves and their contributions.

In retirement, INFPs need to look back and feel that they have led a worthwhile life that has made a difference. They want time for a variety of activities, including travel. They may also be very attached to their family and enjoy special visits with them.

Learning

INFPs learn best in flexible situations where they know the teacher takes a personal interest in them. They like to be able to interact with their peers, but not too much so. They want to feel free to dig into subjects that are of interest to them. Having both flexibility and creativity rewarded is encouraging to them. While they may not enjoy deadlines, if they value the assignment, they will meet those deadlines. Deadlines may force INFPs to decide that their work is 'good enough' to turn in.

Subjects that hold a great deal of interest for them are learned readily. They will often do extra work in their attempt to learn as much as possible about something of interest. And they often read assignments carefully and them work their creativity into the given framework of the assignment. Thus it may appear that they did not pay careful attention to the details of the assignment in their reinterpretation. It is best if they have teachers who appreciate their unique approach and who do not hold them to the letter of the law.

Working

At work, INFPs contribute their creativity, their value system, and their ability to work with others. They are able to see the larger picture and how specific programs fit in. They do not dwell on the trivialities or the details. Their job must be fun, although not racous, and it must be meaningful to them. They need a strong purpose in their work. They want to be recognized and valued, without undue attention given to them. They may become embarrassed when make the center of attention. As a result, they may undersell their strengths in order to avoid being singled out and made to feel conspicuous. They would rather have their worth be noticed gradually over time.

INFPs like to work with cooperative people committed to the same values that they are. They can become bothered when they see others working at cross purposes, especially when conflict is overt. They do not like competition or bureaucracy. They need privacy. Calm and quiet appeal to them, as does time and space for reflection. People usually like working with INFPs even though they may not know them well.

INFPs are quite disorganized. But when tasks at hand are important and best done in an organized way, INFPs strive to do so. Practicality is not a driving force for INFPs. Things that traditionally belong together may not be placed together because the INFP does not see it as necessary. They have trouble finishing what they start because of their perfectionistic nature. When they do finish a project, they may not consider it done 'for good.' Projects can always be improved upon, revised, and reworked, and therefore INFPs find it hard to bring tasks to closure. Because they are able to visualize the finished product long before it is done, the actual completion is of less importance.

INFPs prefer occupations in which they can be involved in making the world better. Having their heart in their work is important to them. These occupations also allow for an element of creativity and flexibility. INFPs are particularly interested to be counselor, editor, education consultant, English teacher, fine arts teacher, journalist, psychologist, religious educator, social scientist, social worker, teacher, writer, and other occupations that engage their values.

Leading

The INFP leadership style is subtle, gentle, indirect, and inclusive of others. INFPs do not confront people head-on, but rather work with them and through them to get the job done. Their style is not an aggressive one but is highly persistent; only reluctantly do INFPs assume leadership roles.

They lead with their values in mind, and these guide them. They prefer not to take a hands-on approach with others but to allow them to achieve in independent ways. They are facilitative rather than directive. They encourage others by appreciation and praise. Critiquing others does not come easily to them.

INFPs seldom confront situations directly, in part because they do not like conflict. Whenever possible, they would rather wait for a situation to work itself out, since they trust that people will work things through. They do not like following all the rules and regulations, but they are not overtly rebellious. They seek to get things done in their own style.

Leisure

Leisure activities are very important to INFPs, but at times it is difficult for them to separate work from play. When a new leisure pursuit is found, INFPs typically do a great deal of research. They may read many books and make several phone calls to dig for information.

Many of the INFPs' leisure activities are done alone --- reading, listening to music, and gardening are some activities likely to appeal to them. Reflection time and the opportunity to make sure things are right are important. INFPs often enjoy leisure pursuits with loved ones as well. When they want to be sociable, they can be exceedingly charming and outgoing. Their flexibility, gentleness, and sense of humour can make them quite popular in social situations.

Loving

For the INFP, love is a very deep commitment, and one that is not easily attained. They have ideals, and therefore reality may be carefully scrutinized.

With their ideal firmly envisioned, the first date with that special person is carefully planned and prepared for, and often every aesthetic thing is taken care of. The flowers are in place, the right wine is ordered, and the proper meal is prepared.

INFPs may have difficulty sharing their feelings about others. They keep so many of those feelings inside that they may forget to tell their partner how much they love and appreciate them. They also need reminders of their partner's love.

When things go wrong in a relationship, the INFP takes it to heart but does not readily discuss it with others. They may not be willing to communicate to let others know how they are feeling. When scorned, they are very hurt and may overreact in an almost maudlin way.

Profile by David Keirsey

INFPs present a calm, pleasant face to the world and are seen as reticent and even shy. Although they demonstrate a cool reserve toward others, inside they are anything but distant. They have a capacity for caring which is not always found in other types. They care deeply-indeed, passionately-about a few special persons or a cause. One word that captures this type is idealistic. At times, this characteristic leaves them feeling isolated, especially since INFPs are found in only 1 percent of the general population. INFPs have a profound sense of honor derived from internal values. The INFP is the Prince or Princess of mythology, the King's Champion, Defender of the Faith, and guardian of the castle. Sir Galahad and Joan of Arc are male and female prototypes of an INFP. To understand INFPs their cause must be understood, for they are willing to make unusual sacrifices for someone or something believed in.

INFPs seek unity in their lives, unity of body and mind, emotions and intellect. They often have a subtle tragic motif running through their lives, but others seldom detect this inner minor key. The deep commitment of INFPs to the positive and the good causes them to be alert to the negative and the evil, which can take the form of a fascination with the profane. Thus INFPs may live a paradox, drawn toward purity and unity but looking over the shoulder toward the sullied and desecrated. When INFPs believe that they have yielded to an impure temptation, they may be given to acts of self-sacrifice in atonement. The atonement, however, is within the INFP, who does not feel compelled to make public the issue.

INFPs prefer the valuing process over the purely logical. They respond to the beautiful versus the ugly, the good versus the bad, and the moral versus the immoral. Impressions are gained in a fluid, global, diffused way. Metaphors and similes come naturally but may be strained. INFPs have a gift for interpreting symbols, as well as creating them, and thus often write in lyric fashion. They may demonstrate a tendency to take deliberate liberties with logic. Unlike the NT, they see logic as something optional. INFPs also may, at times, assume an unwarranted familiarity with a domain, because their global, impressionistic way of dealing with reality may have failed to register a sufficient number of details for mastery. INFPs may have difficulty thinking in terms of a conditional framework; they see things as either real or fancied, and are impatient with the hypothetical.

Career

At work, INFPs are adaptable, welcome new ideas and new information, are well aware of people and their feelings, and relate well to most, albeit with some psychological distance. INFPs dislike telephone interruptions and work well alone, as well as with others. They are patient with complicated situations, but impatient with routine details. They can make errors of fact, but seldom of values. Their career choices may be toward the ministry, missionary work, college teaching, psychiatry, architecture, psychology-and away from business. They seem willing and usually are able to apply themselves scholastically to gain the necessary training for professional work, often doing better in college than in high school. They have a natural interest in scholarly activities and demonstrate, as do the other NF's, a remarkable facility for languages. Often they hear a calling to go forth into the world to help others; they seem willing to make the necessary personal sacrifices involved in responding to that call, even if it means asking others to do likewise. INFPs can make outstanding novelists and character actors, for they are able to efface their own personalities in their portrayal of a character in a way other types cannot.

Home

As mates, INFPs have a deep commitment to their pledges. They like to live in harmony and may go to great lengths to avoid constant conflict. They are sensitive to the feelings of others and enjoy pleasing those they care for. They may find it difficult to reconcile a romantic, idealized concept of conjugal life with the realities of everyday living with another person. At times, in fact, INFPs may seem fearful of exuberant attainment, afraid that current advances may have to be paid for with later sacrifices. The devil is sure to get his due if the INFP experiences too freely of success, or beauty, or health, or wealth, or knowledge. And thus, INFPs guard against giving way to relaxing in the happiness of mating. They may have difficulty in expressing affection directly, but communicate interest and affection indirectly.

For INFPs, their home is their castle. As parents, they are fierce in protection of home and family and are devoted to the welfare of family members. They have a strong capacity for devotion, sympathy, and adaptability in their relationships, and thus are easy to live with. They are loyal to their family and, although they may dream of greener pastures, if they stray into those pastures they soon locate the nettles. The almost preconscious conviction that pleasure must be paid for with pain can cause a sense of uneasiness in the family system of an INFP, who may transmit an air of being ever-vigilant against invasion. In the routine rituals of daily living, INFPs tend to be compliant and may even prefer having decisions made on their behalf, until their value system is violated! Then INFPs dig in their heels and will not budge from ideals. Life with an INFP will go gently along for long periods, until an ideal is struck and violated. Then an INFP will resist and insist.

Midlife

At midlife INFPs may want to increase mastery of intellectual interests, perhaps taking advanced degrees in a chosen profession. They also may want to explore the sensual side of their natures, expanding their aesthetic appreciations to include physical sensory appreciations. Extending social activities and contacts may offer new horizons for INFPs, but they will have to guard against overextension psychologically, for before, during, and after midlife the vulnerability and sensitivity of the INFP will continue, and he or she can easily become emotionally drained.

Mates

The INFP questor probably has more problems in mating than any other type. Let us be mindful of the relative infrequency: about 1 1/4 percent, say two and a half million people in the USA. Their problem lies in their primary outlook on life. "Life," says the INFP, "is a very serious matter." Now when a person makes his life a kind of crusade or a series of crusades, then there's bound to be some taxing of the spouse. If the INFP takes the other tack, the "monastic" (and the same person can tack back and forth-now a crusader, now a monastic), the spouse will find himself again taxed, trying to draw the monastic out of his dark meditative cave.

The opposites of our crusading monastic seem well equipped for this alternating-phase taxation: ENTJ and ESTJ. Both are anchored in the real world with a vengeance. The ENTJ marshaling his or her forces toward distant objectives, the ESTJ administrating in a solid, dependable, and traditional way whatever is his or hers to administer. Both provide anchorage to a person who might otherwise get lost in meditation or in crusade. Selection of a mate of irrelevant form (e.g., an ISTP artisan or an ESTP promoter) would not be the wisest of tactics in so serious a business as life.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/infp.htm

why I always do not reject AIESEC-LC-TUC's invitations

2009-03-26T19:38:00.007+08:00

TUC's LLDS 2009 Facilitators

TUC's LLDS 2009 Closing Plenary

Was delighted to get an invite to facilitate at AIESEC-LC-TUC's LLDS this time around! It was a very diverse cool bunch of facis as well - double term EB, MC elect, LCP, intern & alumnus (tat's me!) ;) This year, the focus of LLDS is on leadership development; hence there was only 1 hour of AIESEC content.

This LLDS, I took care of the What is Leadership? and MBTI session. And of course organising the drinking competition as well. I felt that the delegates enjoyed the MBTI quite a lot as it relates to them personally. Even I myself had a great time!!! What more my manager gave me some pointers in making the session way cool ;) I felt great when Team'09 could relate to the MBTI types among themselves; and have started to learn to understand, accept and value diversity in their team.

Another thing I noticed is that 2 years in a row that the NLDS t-shirt from AIESEC-LC-TUC is on love & care - some delegates were wearing them during LLDS ;) And I'm so happy and glad that the LC culture is as such. It reminds me of AIESEC-LC-PolyU so much. And this is what makes AIESEC-LC-TUC very special compared to the other LCs in the country ;) Hmm... I should get one of those t-shirts soon :P

At the closing plenary, a video of AIESEC-LC-TUC's history was played. It's been so long since it started, and today I've seen this baby LC grown up so much ;) 2010 is just around the corner, and I can't wait for AIESEC-LC-TUC to be recognized as the LC with Excellent Culture living the 6 values, Excellent Performance, and Contribution to National Plenary. I'm excited that it's gonna be a reality very soon!

Why do you always not reject AIESEC-LC-TUC's invitations especially for sharing session? Hmm... it's just that special connection which I have with the LC... and it's kinda hard to explain. Honestly it's not easy! However, you may want to read of a story of how it only takes a term to make things real

note to self: It feels good that I've moved on from AIESEC ;) finally!

swap 2009

2009-03-25T19:58:00.008+08:00

I'm terribly excited to hear the news about SWAP 2009 (Summer Work Abroad Programme)! - an initiative I started during my MC CEED term in Hong Kong. There were quite many birds I was trying to hit with one stone and I manage to do so at a small scale; IBXP, OGX PBOX, X then LR, LR then X, X then 2nd X, X then LR then X again, LN and much more ;)

Here's the score thus far!

2007
Raised: 13
Realized: 12

2008
Raised: 35
Realized: 26

2009
Raised: 96
Realized: to be known by end of summer

In terms of growth, it's just amazing!!! Thanks so much to my MC 06/07 team mates, interns and members for your support in planting the seed. You have helped me Make Things Real!

field trips at work

2009-03-20T23:20:00.003+08:00

Field trips are the best! So far I've visited:-

water meter factory
bitumen factory
traffic cones factory
concrete products factory
highway construction site
coldroom
noodles packaging warehouse
palm oil mill

Can't wait for more exciting field trips at work!

mass career customization

2009-03-09T00:25:00.003+08:00

creativity, fulfillment and flow

2009-03-08T23:52:00.003+08:00

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

moving on... finally!

2009-02-27T22:43:00.010+08:00

People don't leave their job, they leave their managers!

Here's some good advice from the Wall Street Journal: How to Motivate Workers in Tough Times

Friendship with friends at work grow even stronger! And I'm very thankful to them for being very supportive ;D I mean, I couldn't ask for anymore! Thanks so much!!!

Anyhow, it's final that I'm moving on! It feels great ;) Exciting journey ahead...

dansing thru broadway

2009-02-21T23:58:00.002+08:00

Watched DanSing Thru Broadway! The opening Hello Dolly was good. I was quite impressed with the costumes & dance moves ;) I also enjoyed the title from Miss Saigon; that was pretty good as well. Also the title from Grease - loved how the actors & actresses were good at the song & dance moves! But the best I felt were the 2 titles from HairSpray. I guess also because I've seen it on TV and could relate to it better. Those were the titles just before the intermission. The 2nd half of the show just didn't quite pick up.

Was expecting The Phantom of the Opera to be really good as I've watched both actor & actress performed really well at Broadway Parodies Lagi Lah! but it didn't turn out quite so well :( The costumes this time was better of course; but the quality of the voices weren't up to expectation. I guess it could also be the AV equipment. Another title which was dissappointing was the one on Mary Poppins. I thought that it could have been better.

All in all, the show was quite good except for the fact that some singers' voices didn't come out so well; I guess it could either be the AV or possibly the singers didn't manage to control their voices. It was good, but I'm still much more satisfied with Broadway Parodies Lagi Lah!

followers’ four basic needs

2009-02-15T02:59:00.005+08:00

The most effective leaders understand their followers' needs. People follow leaders for very specific reasons. When Gallup asked thousands of followers, they were able to describe exactly what they need from a leader with remarkable clarity: trust, compassion, stability, and hope. To see more Gallup research on why people follow, click here.

In my Strengths-Based Leadership guide, for each of my top five Clifton StrengthsFinder themes, I was provided with a brief definition of the theme, strategies for leveraging that theme to meet followers’ four basic needs, and tips for leading others who are strong in that theme. Cool ah?!

my Strengths-Based Leadership report

2009-02-13T02:49:00.003+08:00

Gallup found that it serves a team well to have a representation of strengths in each of the four domains of leadership strength: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking. Instead of one dominant leader who tries to do everything or individuals who all have similar strengths, contributions from all four domains lead to a strong and cohesive team. This doesn't mean that each person on a team must have strengths exclusively in a single category. In most cases, each team member will possess some strength in multiple domains.

My top 5 strengths fall into the four domains of leadership strengths:

Executing
Arranger

Influencing
Maximizer

Relationship Building
Relator

Strategic Thinking
Learner
Ideation

siblings night out!

2009-02-11T23:59:00.003+08:00

I thought that it would be good to have a siblings night out - after all I used the excuse that we should be celebrating my sister's birthday ;) And so, all of us made it for dinner! Had dinner at Pasta de Gohan which was pretty good - I loved the pizza so much. Next stop was Old Town Kopitiam near home where we stayed till almost midnight.

What was cool is that we had an opportunity to really share and catch up. Though we might be living under the same roof, it's not that frequent that we have open conversations. For one, we're all now working and have busy schedules. Haha! It's true that even during uni days, we were busy with our own things... ;) but I guess we still somehow had more chats than when we started working.

The conversations we had were very open! which is indeed cool ;) We shared openly about almost everything. Now, I can't wait to organize the next one!

teaching, training & facilitating

2009-02-08T21:43:00.011+08:00

Today is my first time teaching the playgroup. Yup, it's my first time leading the class. It was different; something which I've not done before but am excited to give it a try! One thing I learned is that I need to be really really comfortable of not being able to be in control of how the lesson would turn out or at least how I imagined it to be. Even though I thought I was prepared, but I guess I'm still learning the variables in teaching the playgroup. At the end of the lesson, I think I did pretty okie for a newbie ;)

It also got me thinking of why I decided to volunteer to teach the playgroup in the first place. I've been teaching the lower primary class since I started form 6, and it seems quite a long time already. I guess I wanted a change and to pick up new skills - hence the decision to move over to the playgroup. Honestly, my 1st lesson was quite fun - I even enjoyed it!

Then it came to me that I've enjoyed teaching all these times - or at least most of the time! Teaching in church was one, then there was also teaching in school during my semester break - that was pretty satisfying as well. What more when I was given an opportunity to teach form 6 chemistry which is a subject I'm most passionate about during my form 6 life. Then there was also form 4 chemistry. One of the things which I didn't like about being a teacher is that I'm not able to teach ie. going into class as a relieve teacher - just making sure that the students are kept quiet in class. I even decided to swap classes with a teacher - where I get to teach English lessons while he went into classes as a relieve teacher!

Then there was also training! I've really enjoyed myself being a Course Assistant at Outward Bound - for both the children & youth courses. It was all about having fun while learning how to train them skills in the outdoor activities such as kayaking, abseiling, compass reading etc. I guess it was where I initially started to love trainings.

I then moved on with D'Jungle People with their kids outdoor programmes. That was also really fun! There is where I learned about experiential learning ;) And the best part of it is that I got paid for the programmes in which I was part of! They even trusted me to include me in one of their corporate programmes. That was truly an eye opener for me who just got into university!

Somehow, I bumped into AIESEC - and it was there where I started facilitating loads! In just my 2nd year, I was already facilitating leadership development conferences in Germany and Singapore. And my facilitation experiences just went on and on. Got invited to facilitate some conferences eg. Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan etc but just couldn't make it mainly cause of exams or work :( But nevertheless, having the opportunity to facilitate at a sub regional conference (OCSEALDS 05), regional conference (APXLDS 07) and international conference (IC 07) was an amazing experience.

When I started work in Malaysia - getting an opportunity to run workshops for clients and externals, and being invited to be a facilitator for a facilitation training never failed to get me excited! I'm very comfortable being able to call upon my skills in a very different environment.

And with all these thoughts of teaching, training & facilitating - I sometimes wonder whether I should make it my career ;) There have been many occasions where I had to train on the same topic with different audience as well as with the same audience; but it never gets to me that it would be repetitively boring. I guess each time I do it, I would somehow tweak it and improve on it - and most of the time I get really excited when it turns out really well ;)

I guess it's my calling? and I would want to try it out if it would be ever more exciting if I focus more on these areas at work. Let's see how things would turn out ;)

sharing X with TUC

2009-02-07T23:33:00.003+08:00

Was at AIESEC-LC-TUC's induction conference today to share about my internship. Here are some of my thoughts:-

Was just way surprised that there were about 70+ students who attended this 1 day conference. The LC must have worked hard to get these number of students! And definitely the brand is way better in the campus now. I was expecting way less - but it just shows how much an LC can grow.
The last time I shared about my internship to a plenary was in Jan 2008, about a year ago. At that point of time, I was very eager and excited to share! What more when there were I'm an AIESECer posters of me all over the campus ;)
Sharing my internship story today felt really different; I guess I've not shared the story for quite some time - hence it just felt different sharing it again to a plenary.
Energy level was somewhat low as it was after lunch - had an opportunity to make the session more interactive with participation from the audience.
I thought that it would be hard to have the magic to inspire - but I guess I still have it in me ;)
When I shared photo of my internship, and stories around it - it kinda brought me back to those memorable days in Hong Kong.
When I shared photos and the story of my surprise birthday party in Hong Kong, I just felt emotional; almost wanted to shed tears - but of course control lar! It kinda reminded me of the magical moment I had ;) Thanks Mindy, Jacso & Nadya and AIESEC-LC-HKBU!
The photo video was played at the end of the session. While watching it myself, I actually could view it as someone who has not gone through this experience - cool music and lots of photos of young people.
But then again, every photo which was shown is very special to me and that's why it was picked initially to make the video.
My last slide was "Ren Chang’s story is just one of the 4450 stories lived each year with AIESEC’s Global Internship Program. Ren Chang was a student just like you. Would you like to live a similar story?". I was relieved when the plenary responded to it very positively!
Something unexpected! The LCP shared with the delegates of me coaching the LC when it was a baby with appreciation and thanks.
It's gonna be a reality that AIESEC-LC-TUC would be the top gun LC by 2010 - something I believe would happen as there are many signs pointing to that dream ;)

ideas for action

2009-02-02T23:22:00.006+08:00

10 Ideas for Action for each of your top five themes

Maximizer

Ideas for Action:

Once you have identified your own greatest talents, stay focused on them. Refine your skills. Acquire new knowledge. Practice. Keep working toward strength in a few areas.
Develop a plan to use your most powerful talents outside of work. In doing so, consider how your talents relate to the mission in your life and how they might benefit your family or the community.
Problem solving might drain your energy and enthusiasm. Look for a restorative partner who can be your chief troubleshooter and problem solver. Let that person know how important your partnership is to your success.
Study success. Deliberately spend time with people who have discovered their strengths. The more you understand how marshaling strengths leads to success, the more likely you will be to create success in your own life.
Explain to others why you spend more time building on great talent rather than fixing weaknesses. Initially, they might confuse what you are doing with complacency.
Don't let your Maximizer talents be stifled by conventional wisdom, which says you should find what is broken and fix it. Identify and invest in the parts of your organization or community that are working. Make sure that most of your resources are spent in the build-up and build-out of these pockets of excellence.
Keep your focus on long-term relationships and goals. Many make a career out of picking the low-hanging fruit of short-term success, but your Maximizer talents will be most energized and effective as you turn top potential into true and lasting greatness.
See if you can make some of your weaknesses irrelevant. For example, find a partner, devise a support system, or use one of your stronger talents to compensate for one of your weaker ones.
Seek roles in which you are helping people succeed. In coaching, managing, mentoring, or teaching roles, your focus on strengths will prove particularly beneficial to others. Because most people find it difficult to describe what they do best, start by arming them with vivid descriptions.
Devise ways to measure your performance and the performance of others. These measures will help you spot strengths, because the best way to identify a strength is to look for sustained levels of excellent performance.

Relator

Ideas for Action:

Find a workplace in which friendships are encouraged. You will not do well in an overly formal organization. In job interviews, ask about work styles and company culture.
Deliberately learn as much as you can about the people you meet. You like knowing about people, and other people like being known. By doing this, you will act as a catalyst for trusting relationships.
Let it be known that you are more interested in the character and personality of others than in their status or job title. This is one of your greatest talents and can serve as a model for others.
Let your caring show. For example, find people in your company to mentor, help your colleagues get to know each other better, or extend your relationships beyond the office.
No matter how busy you are, stay in contact with your friends. They are your fuel.
Be honest with your friends. True caring means helping the other person be successful and fulfilled. Giving honest feedback or encouraging your friend to move out of a role in which he or she is struggling is a compassionate act.
You probably prefer to be seen as a person, an equal, or a friend, rather than as a function, a superior, or a title. Let people know that they can address you by your first name, rather than formally.
You might tend to withhold the most engaging aspects of your personality until you have sensed openness from another person. Remember, building relationships is not a one-way street. Proactively "put yourself out there." Others will quickly see you for the genuine individual you are, and you will create many more opportunities to cultivate strong, long-lasting connections.
Make time for family and close friends. You need to spend quality moments with those you love in order to "feed" your Relator talents. Schedule activities that allow you to get even closer to the people who keep you grounded and happy.
Make an effort to socialize with your colleagues and team members outside of work. It can be as simple as lunch or coffee together. This will help you forge more connected relationships at work, which in turn can facilitate more effective teamwork and cooperation.

Learner

Ideas for Action:

Refine how you learn. For example, you might learn best by teaching; if so, seek out opportunities to present to others. You might learn best through quiet reflection; if so, find this quiet time.
Develop ways to track the progress of your learning. If there are distinct levels or stages of learning within a discipline or skill, take a moment to celebrate your progression from one level to the next. If no such levels exist, create them for yourself (e.g., reading five books on the subject or making three presentations on the subject).
Be a catalyst for change. Others might be intimidated by new rules, new skills, or new circumstances. Your willingness to soak up this newness can calm their fears and spur them to action. Take this responsibility seriously.
Seek roles that require some form of technical competence. You will enjoy the process of acquiring and maintaining this expertise.
As far as possible, shift your career toward a field with constantly changing technologies or regulations. You will be energized by the challenge of keeping up.
Because you are not threatened by unfamiliar information, you might excel in a consulting role (either internal or external) in which you are paid to go into new situations and pick up new competencies or languages quickly.
Research supports the link between learning and performance. When people have the opportunity to learn and grow, they are more productive and loyal. Look for ways to measure the degree to which you and others feel that your learning needs are being met, to create individualized learning milestones, and to reward achievements in learning.
At work, take advantage of programs that subsidize your learning. Your organization may be willing to pay for part or all of your instructional coursework or for certifications. Ask your manager for information about scholarships and other educational opportunities.
Honor your desire to learn. Take advantage of adult educational opportunities in your community. Discipline yourself to sign up for at least one new academic or adult learning course each year.
Time disappears and your attention intensifies when you are immersed in studying or learning. Allow yourself to "follow the trail" by scheduling learning sessions during periods of time that will not be interrupted by pressing engagements.

Arranger

Ideas for Action:

Learn the goals of your coworkers and friends. Let them know that you are aware of their goals, and then help set them up for success.
If a team needs to be created, make sure you are involved. You recognize talents, skills, and knowledge in people, and that awareness will help you get the right people in the right spots.
You intuitively sense how very different people can work together. Take a close look at groups with divergent personalities and opinions, as they may have the greatest need for your Arranger talents.
Be sure to keep track of ongoing deadlines for your many tasks, projects, and obligations. Although you enjoy the chance to juggle lots of activities, others with less powerful Arranger talents may become anxious if they don't see you working on their projects frequently. Inform them of your progress to ease their fears.
Seek complex, dynamic environments in which there are few routines.
Take on the organization of a big event -- a convention, a large party, or a company celebration.
Give people time to understand your way of doing things when you present it to them. Your mental juggling is instinctive, but others might find it difficult to break with existing procedures. Take the time to clearly explain why your way can be more effective.
At work, focus your Arranger talents on the most dynamic areas of your organization. Divisions or departments that are static and routine in nature are likely to bore you. You will thrive when your Arranger talents are energized, and you will suffer when you are bored.
Help others see your far-reaching expertise by sharing your "what if" thinking with them. When they know you've identified and carefully considered all possible options and arrangements, they'll feel more confident.
You are flexible in the way you organize people, as well as in how you configure space. Figure out how you can improve workflow by rearranging spaces and/or procedures to maximize efficiency and to free up time for you and for others.

Ideation

Ideas for Action:

Seek a career in which you will be given credit for and paid for your ideas, such as marketing, advertising, journalism, design, or new product development.
You are likely to get bored quickly, so make some small changes in your work or home life. Experiment. Play mental games with yourself. All of these will help keep you stimulated.
Finish your thoughts and ideas before communicating them. Lacking your Ideation talents, others might not be able to "join the dots" of an interesting but incomplete idea and thus might dismiss it.
Not all your ideas will be equally practical or serviceable. Learn to edit your ideas, or find a trusted friend or colleague who can "proof" your ideas and identify potential pitfalls.
Understand the fuel for your Ideation talents: When do you get your best ideas? When you're talking with people? When you're reading? When you're simply listening or observing? Take note of the circumstances that seem to produce your best ideas, and recreate them.
Schedule time to read, because the ideas and experiences of others can become your raw material for new ideas. Schedule time to think, because thinking energizes you.
You are a natural fit with research and development; you appreciate the mindset of visionaries and dreamers. Spend time with imaginative peers, and sit in on their brainstorming sessions.
Partner with someone with strong Analytical talents. This person will question you and challenge you, therefore strengthening your ideas.
Sometimes you lose others' interest because they cannot follow your abstract and conceptual thinking style. Make your ideas more concrete by drawing pictures, using analogies or metaphors, or simply explaining your concepts step by step.
Feed your Ideation talents by gathering knowledge. Study fields and industries different from your own. Apply ideas from outside, and link disparate ideas to generate new ones.

my StrengthsFinder 2.0 report

2009-02-01T22:14:00.009+08:00

Your StrengthsFinder 2.0 results yield an in-depth analysis of your strengths — featuring a look at the nuances of what makes you unique. Personalized Strengths Insights will help you understand how each of your top five themes plays out in your life on a much more personal level. These insights describe what makes you stand out when compared to the millions of people we have studied.

Your Top 5 Themes

Maximizer
Relator
Learner
Arranger
Ideation

Maximizer

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Driven by your talents, you occasionally credit yourself with having a gift for seeing the unique talents that make people different from one another. You may have little patience for placing people into broadly-defined categories. Perhaps you describe individuals in specific and vivid detail. It’s very likely that you sometimes focus on the present moment and cause others to do the same. Perhaps you help individuals savor their successes or recognize their contributions. Because of your strengths, you might give yourself credit for being keenly aware of certain people's moods, motives, thoughts, or behaviors. By nature, you are quite determined to enhance your talents rather than waste time worrying about your limitations. You often experience bursts of rapid growth each time you can use your talents, knowledge, and/or skills. Chances are good that you might acknowledge your ability to detect specific configurations in events, data, or people's behavior. Perhaps you identify trends or potential problems before anyone else notices them. Sometimes you help people examine the consequences of taking action or failing to take action.

Relator

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Driven by your talents, you may welcome the questions or concerns voiced by people. You might listen compassionately to some and offer counsel to others. People sometimes seek you out because your insights are helpful. Maybe they appreciate the way you occasionally cause them to think in new ways. Chances are good that you are determined to share your knowledge and skills with people you coach, mentor, or train. Because of your strengths, you sometimes identify with people who share their ambitions, hopes, or intentions with you. It’s very likely that you occasionally make the complex easy to understand. Perhaps you have a gift for making the intricate seem simple. By nature, you might help people grasp elaborate or complicated ideas, processes, theories, or rules. Maybe you intentionally use easy-to understand words and phrases.

Learner

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Driven by your talents, you may treasure opportunities to absorb knowledge or gather ideas from forward-looking thinkers. Perhaps you read their writings, listen to their presentations, or ask them questions about the future they envision. When you can conduct experiments or participate in hands-on activities, you might have a better grasp of their innovative ideas. Chances are good that you sometimes investigate topics or explore issues to become more knowledgeable. Through ongoing practice, you may acquire additional skills or perfect specific techniques. Maybe few things please you as much as having mastered a subject that interests you. Instinctively, you relish reading about topics that fascinate you. People are not surprised to find you with your nose in a book -- that is, reading all the time. When a subject intrigues you, you review a wide range of printed materials. You glean -- that is, collect bits and pieces -- as much information as you possibly can about your areas of greatest interest. By nature, you customarily figure out what makes each person special. You talk to, observe, or study individuals who produce nothing less than excellence to identify what inspires them. Unquestionably, you prefer to associate with those who share your passion for taking something good and making it better. Once you understand what drives a person, you can motivate him or her to transform whatever was made better into something utterly superb. It’s very likely that you are grateful when your questions are answered, your studies yield new information, or your knowledge increases. You routinely deepen your understanding through conversations, the media, the Internet, books, or classes. You resist spending the majority of your time on topics that are not in line with your natural abilities. Instead, you choose to take advantage of your talents -- and by doing so, you consistently produce topnotch results.

Arranger

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Chances are good that you periodically recruit individuals into your work or study group. In some cases, you explain that you already view them as people of consequence -- that is, importance. Because of your strengths, you sometimes exhibit the ability needed to recruit individuals to your teams. You might think about the talent, skill, and/or knowledge you need to reach specific personal or professional goals. Pulling together the right mix of personalities or strengths might be one of your strong points. Instinctively, you may fondly recall the thoughtful attention given to you by a particular educator or coach. Perhaps this individual encouraged you as a youth. Consequently, you might have an easy time establishing rapport with people. Maybe others are attracted to your personable style or your optimistic outlook. By nature, you occasionally ask for assistance from your teammates, classmates, or coworkers. Perhaps you understand the importance of everyone doing what they do well. This partially explains why you figure out who is best qualified to work on projects requiring exactness, accuracy, and precision. Driven by your talents, you occasionally recruit individuals to join teams or work on special projects. You befriend people one by one to learn more about what they do well. Some may consider you a talent scout -- that is, someone who selects people of superior ability in a certain occupation, subject, or sport. You might collect the right combination of people with the talents, skills, and knowledge to do a specific task
with strength.

Ideation

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

Your Personalized Strengths Insights

What makes you stand out?

Chances are good that you are ecstatic -- that is, thrilled -- when you read about a novel concept or an original theory. Probably, the hope of discovering a new way of thinking motivates you to read a lot. You enjoy collecting a variety of information. You sense that one day you will find a proper use for it. It’s very likely that you frequently question whether others regard you as aloof or standoffish. Those who have this impression need to understand how hard it is for you to initiate discussions or casual conversation. Instinctively, you may be the person to whom group members turn for original thoughts. Perhaps ideas pop into your consciousness as soon as someone describes a problem or an opportunity. Because of your strengths, you are particularly skilled or knowledgeable about certain topics or activities. This partially explains your tendency to invent innovative or unusual ways of performing specific tasks. Maybe you grow bored when you are forced to follow the same series of steps day after day. Your boredom might become frustration when your suggestions for change are dismissed without consideration. Driven by your talents, you tune in to people and figure out what they are saying and thinking about you. You are acutely aware of how individuals regard you. You probably curry -- that is, try to win -- the favor of some and seek to impress others.

friends at work

2009-01-22T23:56:00.003+08:00

The last thing I would ever expect is to make close friends at the workplace. Hmm... well, it just seems to me that most would just put on a work mask. Anyway, work should be work rite?!

I recently felt really different - finding out that I do have true friends at work ;) Kinda sad that one of them left recently; but we still hangout at times. We share almost everything under the sun. But more surprisingly is that you can see & experience who your friends really are when you're going through a time of crisis! You get to see who are those who constantly offer assistance genuinely even though they are swamped with their own work! You also get to see those who could care less..

Guys, thanks so much ;) I truly value what we have - definetely more than just colleagues!

It all kinda started when all of us were off projects at almost the same time; and that we were all back in office ;) The few months after that just brought us closer somehow! It could be the marketing initiatives we were working on together or maybe the genuine interest of us listen actively to each other with empathy. It could be that we were not afraid to share with each other more about ourselves - the willingness to open up & show our short comings! And sometimes, I guess the breakfast & tea sessions also brought us closer. It's a combination of these and perhaps more!

I've learned to coped with losing a friend at work; and if we ever go our own ways in the future - I truly hope that we would make the effort to stay in contact ;)

Thanks Ching Li, Ming Yenn & Naz for everything thus far ;)

birthday dinner

2009-01-17T23:59:00.005+08:00

The gang celebrated my birthday this year at Delicious, Bangsar Village. Food was pretty good and I loved the dessert the most ;) Second round was at Murni! Thanks for organizing dinner and the presents.

This year, I got a shirt (striped) and MPH vouchers. Pretty nice shirt. The book vouchers came just in time as I'm planning to get Strengths Based Leadership.

Thanks guys!

pre birthday lunch

2009-01-16T23:29:00.003+08:00

This year kinda expected that it would happen (compared to last year where I was totally suprised!). I'm really happy that quite many colleagues turned up at Umaya for lunch to celebrate my birthday. Their presence just meant so much to me! Thanks ;)

the need to recharge

2009-01-14T21:03:00.003+08:00

For the past few weeks, so much is happening! And somehow I felt that I just need sometime to recharge.

Had dinner with Whitsney last night; and it's been postponed for some weeks already. But am really happy that we had the conversations ;) Thanks for reminding me of my true self, and injecting positivity. I felt that I kinda lost lots of positive energy & optimism the recent weeks. But after last night, I'm a lot better now!

Thanks so much for the conversations!

Would be taking a longer Chinese New Year break - and hopefully, a decision would be made ;)

"Poor leadership is an opportunity to shine even brighter!" - that's making things positive ;)

2008 journey

2008-12-31T21:36:00.006+08:00

I got a few friends writing about their 2008 journey as it seems kinda cool to reflect and put it down. So here goes!

January - super excited memorable month of the year!
Was in Hong Kong over the New Year. Celebrated it with friends from all around the world. Chaired WNCF which helped a lot in terms of coping with reverse cultural shock ;) BU members threw me a surprise birthday with presents! Thanks so much. The gang celebrated my birthday as well. My very own I'm an AIESECer poster all around UPM campus which was just crazy!!! Loved this month so so so much ;)

February - loads of reflection!
Had lots lots lots of reflection trying to understand myself better ;) Hmm... this led to me picking up the reading habit again. Well, what for? To find out answers of questions I have during reflection! Read Happier which was a good read, and moving to The Passion Test.

March - friends visiting & the team!
Georgi, Ricky & Phoebe drop by in Malaysia ;) Made me miss Hong Kong again. What more, finally AirAsia is flying direct to Hong Kong!!! A team without the leader and found out what's really happening :(

April - learning & development!
Super cool Talent Management training in Singapore - gave me an opportunity to meet up with Nicole, Rina, Shirley, Amy, Yasmine & Sharon. Facilitated TUC's LLDS which was just way awesome! Genting outing with the gang which was a cool break from work. Finally, I got my Authentic Happiness book! Closer to finding the answers...

May - outings!
Port Dickson outing with the gang - banana boat & bbq ;) Bukit Tinggi outing with the team - champions for the Xplore Race! Just scratch the surface of understanding myself using Gallup's assessment. Dug a bit deeper to what makes me tick at work.

June - reunions!
Finally, met up with San San after so long! The last time I met her was in Feb 2007 - more than a year ago. The 1st of many IKEA dinners to come... Hong Kong lost sheep visits Malaysia!!! Way awesome reunion with these guys ;)

July - sharing my @XP!
Started to get involved more with my home LC. Sharing my story to newies & sharing the putracd story. Absolutely loved the putracd story so much! Hope that we can all be in Malaysia to do it the next time ;) Also conversations with the LCP to coach my home LC.

August - thankful!
Reflected on so much I've achieved after 1 year back in Malaysia and am very thankful. Loved the inspiring news concept by Jarda and was a reporter! Got a lot more books.

September - conversations at work!
Conversations are really cool especially when everyone are open to dialogues instead of discussions. Learning to be in FLOW. Broadway Parodies Lagi Lah - reminds me of how much I missed theather classes ;)

October - putracd + 1!
At last, San San & Jason's wedding after so long! Deep reflection on work. Psychometric assessment craze build up - MBTI, DISC, StregthsFinder, VIA Character Strengths etc

November - trainings!
Attended trainings on leadership development & culture transformation. Co facilitated a faciliation workshop. Agenda manager for TtT! Crazy month of trainings!!!

December - crossroads!
Enjoyed dinner with Singsing & Megan. Superb awesome dinner with Egle - we just got so much to share after such a long time! Got shocked when I got the news. At a crossroad, but am leaning towards one over the other. Still trying to make a decision ;)

As I'm writing this post, it reminds me of so much of what has happened in just 1 year ;) Thanks to everyone who has made my 1 year excitedly eventful all the time! Setting goals for 2009 and need to put in effort in making sure that it becomes reality.

disc personality style profile

2008-12-31T21:14:00.004+08:00

Found out that this website gives free DISC reports. Apparently, it only gives you a short description only. Quite simple to complete and quite accurate! If you were to buy the 20+ pages report, it's pretty detailed ;) But anyway, would still stick to what I got from Thomas International as I know that the validity & reliability confirmed is high!

Anyone wanna try guessing what DISC profile I am after reading the description below?

Your Personality Style Description: Systematic and detailed, Ren Chang focuses on the process. Others see him as practical and logical. He tends to be sensitive to criticism, but prefers to internalize his emotions rather than expose them. Ren Chang likes to clarify expectations before undertaking new projects, because he works hard to meet the standards that are set for him.

A loyal friend, Ren Chang is patient and caring when attending to the needs of others. He is usually an even-paced individual who thrives in a peaceful, harmonious environment. He tends to be quite predictable, sticking with proven, reliable methods of dealing with situations rather than taking chances with a new, unproven approach.

Ren Chang is an optimistic individual. He is the type of person who loves exploring new places or things and a wide variety of experiences. He tends to display a natural charisma that draws others to his charm. Ren Chang is a very encouraging person; others are drawn to him because they find him inspirational.

Ren Chang would prefer things stay the same, rather than to risk a new venture (unless it is proven and true). He is typically peaceful and low key, and is usually seen by those around him as a good friend and listener. He tends to adopt a "wait and see" attitude about things, rather than taking charge of a situation, usually preferring to let others take the lead.

Source: https://secure.motivationalliving.com/freebie.asp

crossroad again

2008-12-25T17:15:00.004+08:00

Yet another crossroad!

Another point in time where I have to make a decision!

I guess the last toughest decision I made was about 2 years ago, deciding whether to go for an internship abroad or to start a career after university. Today, it pretty much feels the same! Given 2 choices, and I have to pick one.

The last time, I followed my heart! and it turned out pretty well :)

Let's see how it would turn out this time around.

dinner with egle!

2008-12-23T23:27:00.005+08:00

It was just way cool superbly amazing to have dinner with Egle ;)

I missed her so much! She was one of the first few interns who got super excited in getting involved in AIESEC related activities during her internship. We've facilitated a few conferences/workshops together and it's been great working together with her. She's just full of energy & passion in trainings ;)

We had Secret Recipe for dinner at KL Sentral, and that there was lots that we catch up! It's just amazing that we got so much to share with each other. Both of us went through pretty much similar experience - internship in HK and that we stayed in HK for a year, what it meant to be in reverse cultural shock, getting involved in AIESEC after internship but more importantly finding our passion and destiny!

Then an interesting topic came about - why we felt that we would not be super proactive nor even active anymore to get involve in AIESEC activites. I totally understood how she felt and where she was coming from, as I'm going through it as well. It's great to share with someone who truly understands :)

Anyway, she was excited when I shared with her that there could potentially be a few members running for President of AIESEC Hong Kong! It just got us really really excited and happy the more we talked about it! And we wish all the candidates best of luck ;)

Egle, thanks for making my day ;D

was just shocked

2008-12-10T23:01:00.003+08:00

When I got the news, I was just shocked!!! Totally! I never expected that it could happen TODAY! Anyway, am happy for her that she has decided to move on ;)

And since I'm attending a Integrated Marketing Communication conference for 2 days, we definitely would be meeting up to talk about it soon.

Anyhow, all the best my dear friend! I'm sure you'll find something you'll enjoy ;)

ways to use via character strengths

2008-12-06T12:47:00.003+08:00

Interesting article on ways to use my VIA character strengths ;)
http://www.viastrengths.org/Practice/Exercises/tabid/132/Default.aspx

dinner with singsing & megan

2008-12-01T21:59:00.003+08:00

Was really really cool to have dinner with Singsing & Megan ;) For a moment, it seemed that I was back in Hong Kong!

awesome ttt weekend

2008-11-30T23:03:00.005+08:00

What can I say? It was just an awesome weekend ;) My very first TtT!!!

At the end of the day, it was much satisfaction. I've facilitated many conferences; but facilitating TtT was just different in so many ways ;) It gave me the feeling that I was developing young people to be more confident of themselves as well as to be more aware of others around them. Anyway, now my home LC has the 1st batch of certified TtT members in the country. Lots of thanks to Jamie & Jasmine for making it a reality!

Attending a TtT does not turn you into a super facilitator; but at least it would give you a head start. The next thing to do is to practice, practice and more practice. But how? Just apply to be a facilitator of any conference in over 100 countries on the classifieds! Well, at least that was how I had the chance to practice ;D

Just the other day, Jonathan and I were sharing our experiences running TtT and that we were very much excited about it. We even agreed that once he's back in HK and that he's gonna kick start the TtAT, he'll get me involve as well ;) Same goes on my side that if in Malaysia there was to be a national TtT, I would also get him involved! We're practically crazy trainers who just can't wait to help others become trainers. Can't wait!!!

facilitating workshop

2008-11-18T10:20:00.002+08:00

My 1st time attending a full 2 days workshop on facilitation! Learned lots of theory which I'm already practicing all this time ;) But the coolest part was that I was facilitating the workshop during the breakout practice session.

ikea dinner again

2008-11-12T23:39:00.002+08:00

Yes, we had dinner at IKEA again. It was somehow good to meet up again though we've been meeting up quite often since the last dinner at IKEA. Love the Swedish meatballs!!!

San brought up a very good point that all of us are really close friends but we have not started sharing almost everything in our lives. It hit me - that it's true! Somehow there has always been a chemistry among us, and yes she's right that we don't really share about our life outside university much, nor outside work today.

I guessed no one questioned the status quo. I didn't know what got into me - but I just decided to openly offer to share whatever else that they wanted to know about me. You can see those surprised, yet excited faces with questions one after the other. Honestly, it felt good to actually pour out everything and knowing that these friends do not judge you ;) At the end of the dinner, it felt as if I've got nothing else to hide.

Well, I guess from now on - we'll be sharing lots more!

leadership development & culture/blse

2008-11-04T22:58:00.005+08:00

As usual, I'm always excited when I get to attend technical trainings. But what I realized from the past 2 days of training is that I was really "present" throughout! It really felt good to feel present; as if I was in flow.

I absolutely love the topics of the training this time around. It's because both these topics are something I can truly relate to. Leadership Development - ha! It was what I did for the past few years, in a few countries with friends from different countries. And I miss those times so much. I am thankful for all those great experiences - it was those which has shaped me to who I am today ;)

Culture - ha! It's something I've had much conversations on. It's amazing to know that there is a methodology and tools to assess and sustain culture. I think culture is all about emotion ... it’s all about perception and it’s all about what people see and what people feel... and it’s very hard to measure that! But somehow when you are shared with tools for culture review exercises & shaping the culture you want, it seems that it becomes a bit more easier - coming from someone who appreciates structures ;)

The highlight of the training was a debate on "Leadership is the chicken and Culture is the egg". I loved it loads! There has always been discussion about how these 2 areas relate but never on which came first. Does it matter which came first? Anyway, I've been always a firm believer that leadership shapes culture. It's a hypothesis I came out with and have tested it for some years - again and again it has been proven to be true!

Day 2 was focused on BLSE (Behaviour Led Strategy Execution). I've read quite some books on developing strategies, and deciding on one is not as challenging as executing it! Execution has always been a challenge. Recently, I flip through the Execution Premium, and read that one of the areas we should look into is culture. However, it doesn't really explain much on the how. BLSE has the answer!!!

There are 2 articles which are available to the public:-
1. Executing your strategy more successfully [link]
2. On best behaviour - Sound advice on strategy execution [link]

Though the idea behind BLSE is not something totally new to me, but having a methodology is just way cool to make things happen in a structured way! I love it! I'm definetely attending the webinar to find out more. The training was just perfect - though the one on Talent Management was the peak, but this is way better! Looking forward to future trainings especially on Diversity & Inclusion and Fast Track ;)

i miss...

2008-10-13T23:24:00.005+08:00

Met up with Hui Hui for dinner at Oh Sushi. It has been about a year since we last met. I thought that it would be awkward and that we wouldn't have much to talk about - but we were in the restaurant till we were informed that they were closing!

We shared mostly about our current jobs. Both of us have very different ideas to what consulting really is before we landed ourselves in the consulting industry. It turns out that we still love parts of it i.e. always challenging and learning! And we were quick to compare notes to what projects we were involved. We also shared our dreams of specializing in an area of our interest.

Then we were to quickly question ourselves whether consulting was for us or not? Hahaha... it's actually a good question, and I'm still searching for the answer. I've been reading quite some books on positive psychology and it has provided me with some directions. But I feel that I've not found out what I need to :( I always thought to myself of recreating/replicating my passion in AIESEC to my job but it seems that I'm not any closer than when I started a year ago. The question still lies - how do you make your job your passion? I miss working with loads of passion.

We were quick to change to topics around Hong Kong. Both of us agree that life in Hong Kong was somehow "free" compared to what we're experiencing today. I find that when I was in Hong Kong, I would have dinner plans almost every other day; and definetely plans for the weekends! Going out and meeting other interns excites me lots as I learn from them so much through conversations that matters. I miss having those meaningful conversations.

I felt that I've truly valued diversity so much and understood that it's something to be leveraged upon after Hong Kong. Today, it has triggered my interest in diversity management :) I saw that there's an e-learning on it; and possibly I would want to find out more soon! I miss working in an international team.

It was a good conversation, and probably we'll meet up again soon to have another one!

jason & san san's wedding

2008-10-11T23:01:00.004+08:00

Attended San San & Jason's wedding at Spring Valley ;) When I arrived, I was immediately "recruited" to be part of the OC team for the event! It has to do with lots of trust from your friends. And at the end of the event, all of us felt that it was as if we were organizing an AIESEC related event. We even had our post mortem in a hotel room and of course post celebration. To me, I felt that these friends are really amazing ones! Friends who you can depend on, friends who you are able to work so well with.

On the same table, were 2 foreign AIESECers. Andreaa, Romania (Georgi's NTT successor) was an LC member hosting San San during her internship. What a small world! Then they was Samantha, Hong Kong who was an EC-OGX of AIESEC-LC-HKBU - who was an intern in Malaysia previously during Jason's AIESEC years. It's amazing that I'm meeting an alumni from my hosting LC in Malaysia ;) What I can say is that "It's a small world after all".

Then there was the thing where everyone was expecting me to dress up for the wedding. Months back, went shopping and got myself something good. Almost everyone was saying that I should wear what I was wearing more often - as in the style! I never really bothered about dressing up really well cause if you wanted to; it does take up time to shop and what more it would cost $. Only now when I started working, I felt that I would be able to spare some $ to get more decent ones. Why now? Well, it was never a priority as I would rather spend on having good food or taking up new experiences in my university days ;) I guess I still help in this area but am comforted knowing that my friends are always there to provide FOC consultation services.

After today, it's official that putracd has a new member ;) So it's now 5+1. We are more than happy to welcome Jason to the family.

Enjoy the video!

reflections on ethics

2008-10-06T22:13:00.003+08:00

by Oscar Motomura

Reflections on ethics and the process of making things happen: effective implementation of solutions for critical sustainability equations.

If ethics is the choice for the common good (global reach and including all living beings):

1. Deciding to act small because it is more comfortable… is not ethical;

2. Deciding to hold back (your proposals, ideas and actions) because you don’t want to go against “the group” … is not ethical;

3. Deciding to doing the possible instead of trying to make the impossible possible… is not ethical;

4. Deciding to use just a part of your potential (to “save” it for self interest purposes) … is not ethical;

5. Deciding not to act, to stay silent, letting fear stay in the way… is not ethical;

6. Deciding to conform to the “letter of the law” instead of persisting on the path defined by the “spirit of the law” … is not ethical;

7. Deciding not to try because nobody tried it before… is not ethical;

8. Deciding not to pursue the perfection and conform to what seems “negotiable” … is not ethical;

9. Deciding to postpone bold actions again and again “waiting for the right moment” … is not ethical;

10. Deciding to “play the game” and pretend that you are not seeing the manipulations underway… is not ethical;

11. Deciding to live in the realm of ideas, diagnosis and theories instead of taking the risks and going for actions… is not ethical;

12. Deciding to act only when all is scientifically proven, even when the truth is self evident… is not ethical;

13. Deciding to reject all radically creative ideas (yours including) when the “traditional-not-
so-radical ideas” have not been working… is not ethical;

14. Deciding to reject every proposal that looks “idealistic” or “utopic” … is not ethical;

broadway parodies lagi lah

2008-09-28T23:00:00.003+08:00

It was just breathtaking! Didn't expect it to be just amazingly entertaining :D It has been few years since I last watched a theater production. The last that I could remember was when I was in university; and that was also because I was enrolled in the acting & improvisation class. As the performance was going on, it reminded me of how much I missed my theater classes and the public performances which I was part of. And then a thought came to me, of wanting to go on further to fine tune my skills (or learning everything from basics) so that I would be good and can start auditioning for musicals. It's gonna be lots of practice and time; but I can see myself enjoying it lots! Well, if I decide to, then would need to sign up for acting classes, dancing classes as well as vocal classes!!

Broadway parodies lagi lah was really entertaining. The title which I loved most is the Good Morning Towels & Bodoh! I was just taken a back when the composer manage to write a whole song about Good Morning Towels! That's just shows how creative these people are ;) And the climax of the whole show was of course their closing title Bodoh! I loved it so much because it uses the tune of Do-Re-Mi which is a simple, yet well known song among us; and turned it into something we all relate to ;)

Other titles worth mentioning are The Bomoh of the Bursa (sung to the music of The Phantom of the Opera), Under the Tree (sung to the music of Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid) and Aiyoh (sung to the music of Heigh Ho from Snow White). There were some other titles which were good as well; but I wasn't connected to it as much as these as I've never watched those other musicals before. Well, maybe it's time for me to start watching these musicals on DVD!

The money spent for the show is just worth it - every single sen! I wouldn't mind going for the 2nd time ;) Any takers?

reality tv

2008-09-27T23:10:00.003+08:00

Reality TV - many people are watching it today! My 1st reality show was Survivor Borneo, and from then on - I just got hooked watching season after season ;) I find it somewhat entertaining. Shows such as The Amazing Race, The Apprentice and Fear Factor then came - and I sometimes watch them as well.

Recently, I've found out about The Firm - our Malaysian version of The Apprentice. I never got around watching it on Saturday nights; but have been watching it online instead. I never thought that I would actually spend time watching it online! Well, guess that more organizations should start utilizing the Internet to cater for Gen Y ;) I'm guessing that there will be more TV shows online pretty soon!!!

Watching quite some reality TV has proved that the industry is making $ by focusing on the not so good side of human behaviour. Back stabbing is a commonly used word in these shows! Why not focus on the positive side of things? I'm guessing that viewers are more interested to watch the not so good side vs the positive side of things! There is so much footage; and the editors decide to pick those which are of "violent" in nature and amplify it. There are lot of "good" in people :) Only if a reality TV show would take the bold step in focusing on the positive side of things - the day would come!

Sometimes, it strikes me to want to actually sign up for a reality TV show. But then again, would the pros be balanced with the cons? My main concern is my image protrayed on TV. The producers would decide on your role - whether you're the bitchy one, the dumb blonde, the strategiest, the NATO etc. Would I want to risk in getting few minutes of fame on national TV and possibly labeled unjustly. I'm very sure that there is an amount of goodness in people even those who you consider as the villians of reality TV; they have their families & friends who love and care for them. But it's just to make it more interesting that they would need to label their contestants in a certain way to gain traffic to their network! Signing up and getting selected would definetely be an exceptional experience - but would reality TV be something I'll enjoy; that I'll never know till I've tried it.

To sign up or not - that still remains a ?

conversations, understanding, strengths

2008-09-26T18:46:00.003+08:00

For the past few weeks, it seems that having chats & dinners after office hours are where the conversations turn into idea generation sessions ;) It's good that we shared our aspirations and views in a brutally honest manner - and I really do appreciate these genuine conversations.

It's been almost a year, and my understanding of the organization is definetely better. You get to know how things work, and why things are done in such a way! You learn about the culture and possibly try your best to fit in.

You understand yourself well, and know where your strengths lies. It would be great to put them to work everyday so as to be in flow as often as possible! Now is the time to take up the bold step to offer your talent, and having others excited about it :)

wall-e & me

2008-08-28T23:45:00.005+08:00

After watching Wall-E, I felt really touched :) Reminded me of how much I love watching disney animated movies.

But what made this movie special to me was that I could relate myself to Wall-E so much. It was as if the story was about me.
- I collect lots of stuffs in my room, and have a hard time throwing it away even though I know that I might not be using it at all. But then again, you will never know when you'll need them in the future!
- He's committed to his job everyday! Same here ;)
- Then you have Wall-E watching the clip of boy meets girl, and imagining how it would turn out the same for him as well. Felt exactly the same ;)
- Using a magnifying glass to watch his Ipod - creativity!!!
- Excited about the world around us ;)

And then, Eve showed up, went through a roller coaster ride with Wall-E, both felt in love and lived happily ever after :D This is what my future holds...

Now, when would Eve show up?

presto!

2008-08-28T22:48:00.005+08:00

This is the best PIXAR short animation I've ever watched!

1 day 1 month 1 year

2008-08-21T19:20:00.007+08:00

Today - 1 day, 1 month, 1 year arriving back in Malaysia after a year long exciting adventure in Hong Kong!

Was treated lunch today by my client at a Chinese restaurant in the hotel. Had lunch together with 1 GM, 1 AGM, 1 Sr Manager and 3 Managers. It was quite a sumptuous lunch as we were served 8 dishes :)

Looking back, I would never have imagined that 1 day, 1 month, 1 year later I would be where I am today. I knew that I wanted a HR related career and had way low expectations to what I could be after a year, knowing that my studies are nothing related to business. But it seems that things worked out really really well ;) Like how I fast tracked within my organization and got to do some initiatives which I'm passionate about.

An adventure in a foreign land definitely helped me find my path, discover my passion and most importantly to see the world from another side. Sometimes I wonder, what would have happened if I didn't go to HK. Probably would be stuck as a product engineer in the electronics industry, struggling each day to meet deadlines. Wouldn't have meet many people, nor had conversations which matters. Nor learned about myself better and what my calling would be ;)

I'm thankful for everything which happened in my HK adventure.

Now I wonder - where I would be a year from today? what I'll be doing? Possibilities endless!

I guess I need to start drafting out a list of things to achieve for the following year ;) And put my mind to making it happen!

e-learning plan

2008-08-20T16:15:00.004+08:00

I've finalized my e-learning plan today! It would be 12 e-learning courses over a period of 1 year and it's part of the consulting learning curriculum ;)

I love it when it's structured. Also it's a prerequisite to attending classroom trainings. Best of all, rewards & recognition are tied to it as well ;D

inspiring news

2008-08-14T03:30:00.025+08:00

About a month ago, received a message from Jarda about his Inspiring News project. It was an invitation to be one of his reporters for the project.

"I am running a small project to re-connect my friends and family from all around the world around co-creating inspiring news broadcast from everyday events experienced on 12 August 2008. By doing so I would like to

- provide an alternative to current choice of news in media
- connect to people in different parts of my life to each other and re-connect with them myself
- inspire people to find beauty in an ordinary day

The plan is to have 100 people going through their normal day on that date, get inspired by something that happens to them (from small to big things) and send a sms, email, video or photograph to inspiringnews@googlemail.com which will serve as input to a news broadcast the next day.

You can find all the information on www.jardadokoupil.com/inspiringnews.html

I would love each of you to become reporter/spectator."

The first thoughts that came to my mind is that this is a way cool project :) It's hard to get inspiring news these days; or do we even get it nowadays? If you were to read the newspapers these day, most of the time you get reports of the bad stuffs which is happening all around the world. Sometimes, I wonder why so? Why not publish more inspiring stories?

There is definitely lots of inspiring happenings/events all around us; it's just that we might not take the time to recognize nor appreciate them. It would be good if we would have a daily boost of inspiring news - Aha! an entrepreneurial idea ;D

Here, you can find the pdf compilation of all the stories for you to download and read. Enjoy the inspiring news broadcast which happened at 7.30 pm GMT on 13 August.

i got mail!

2008-08-13T20:56:00.005+08:00

So excited to receive the DVDs from my brother ;) Will be posting up more photos & videos soon. Anyway, enjoy the video of the HK lost sheep first dinner in Malaysia!

sharing the putracd story

2008-07-27T23:00:00.013+08:00

Today was back in my home LC facilitating the newie induction conference. And it's like always that I get the @XP opportunities session - I have no clue why so? It could either be no one has better ideas to do the session or could be that I'm seen as the best person to do it or could be that there are no other session in which I'm good at :P But anyhow, this time I wanted to try something different. And so decided to tell the newies a story of about 5 UPM students who discovered and developed their potential through an international youth organization.

I've always imagined how it would feel like sharing our story to my home LC - the putracd story. And I would say that it turned out really good, just as I expected it to be. I liked how the whole session was designed - the story telling concept, sharing our stories using all 5 senses (though we manage to provide 3 only this time), nicole's video which sets the mood, and the closing statement of "They were UPM students just like you. Would you like to live a similar story?". It seems to me that the session was very powerful and definetely created the WOW factor in which we wanted! Special thanks to San San, Jamie, Jiann & Nicole for making it happen - without you guys, we wouldn't have created that lasting impact I've envisioned ;)

When the delegates were asked of their interest in going for an international internship, I was just taken a back when more than 90% of them raised their hands. Well, it will be pretty encouraging if it happens that 1/2 of them actually went on X in the future - and then you'll start to see the trend where it would be natural for every member to complete their @XP ;)

After the conference, we had dinner at F1. We were just sharing more stories with each other. And there was the topic about what did you regret not doing in AIESEC. The first 2 things which I thought of was DT PBOX in CEE and LCP. Then a few more started to pop up like AI and Steering Team. Then we started to wonder of the different possibilities if things worked out differently like what if I was LCP, or we were all selected to be VPs, or if I joined AIESEC in my 1st year. Possibilities are endless, but at the end of the day - am happy how things worked out ;)

sharing my story with newies

2008-07-21T23:28:00.004+08:00

I find it extremely challenging sharing my @XP with newies, and what more when you have a time limit. But I'm thankful for the time limit in some ways as it forces me to be precise & pick the best stories to tell ;) And so decided to pick 3 stories - APLCPM Taiwan, MC & internship, also because request from my home LC to share with members the integrated development experience.

I guess that the presentation went pretty okie; but not up to my expectations! I felt that this was the worst in comparison with the other presentations I did before - on my X & my @XP. I just felt that I could have done better, but don't seem to have a clue to how. Maybe I might have done better with less photos?

But honestly, I felt that I needed to understand what makes Malaysia's university students tick these days especially those who just entered university. Only by knowing this, then I could customize my presentation ;) Well, it's still a learning process for me - and I did enjoy it very much. Sometimes, the hardest presentations are the ones in which you need to make things seem simple but high impact! I've learned so much on how to explain almost all difficult/confusing AIESEC terminology in simple terms/analogies. Now would be learning on sharing inspiring stories with newies at AIESEC night and possibly at other events.

Let's see how things would work out at the newie induction conference on Sunday :)

youthopia, a legend

2008-07-11T07:57:00.006+08:00

youthopia, a conference which I'm proud to be part of in making it legendary. It's not everyday that you get to see a group of young people from diverse background who just work so well together organizing an event which would be remembered till today.

sunnybears, thanks for the great experience and having me part of the team ;)

ikea dinner

2008-06-18T23:41:00.006+08:00

It's been quite a long time since I met up with San San. The last time would be when I just started my career in Malaysia. There were occasions where we talked on MSN about meeting up; but somehow didn't manage to do so. After a MSN chat, some e-mails & a phone conversation, we decided to meet up together with Jamie & Jiann.

San San suggested IKEA as our dinner venue; and I was pretty curious what IKEA had to offer! Well, it's my 1st time to IKEA ever since it moved to its new premise out of 1Utama. Am very delighted to meet all 3 of them ;) It seems that they have had made visits to IKEA's cafe quite a few times and were recommending me the Swedish meatballs as a MUST HAVE! Hmm... initially I was thinking whether I would be full just by having meatballs? and more importantly whether the dish is as great as they described it.

Well, I just went with the flow and got the Swedish meatballs, and it was really good! I never imagined that meatballs could taste so great and that it was filling. We catch up quite a lot, and it made me smile when I remembered the times when we were all together in Uni.

And then we decided to go around IKEA, since San San wanted to be the tour guide and that I've not been around this new IKEA building ;) San San practically knows what the best deals are. Also because she got most of the stuffs for her house here. One thing which I noticed is that I didn't know that to have a bedroom makeover wouldn't cost you like way loads compared to installing kitchen cabinets. It just got me thinking that I might just want to have a makeover of my bedroom; to make it super comfortable ;) Anyway, I'll have to start with throwing out lots of stuffs which I've accumulated since university.

I was also happy that finally, I've found my pasta insert - that's the thingy which you use to cook pasta ;) I've thought of getting it for some time but didn't get around it. So now, it would be so much more easier for me to cook pasta with a pasta insert. And I can't wait to get started with it in July when I'll have more time experimenting in the kitchen ;)

me!

2008-06-04T22:29:00.000+08:00

5sc1 get together

2008-05-31T22:59:00.003+08:00

After for so long (about 8 years), we somehow decided to meet up ;) I mean the whole class! Met Pooi Chin at the Bukit Jalil swimming pool coincidentally on a Saturday, and she was sharing with me that she's planning on organizing a get together for the class since all of us have not met for so long! And so, the date & venue was decided - and everyone started to call, e-mail, SMS everyone else. Also, you'll get periodic emails informing you of who's coming, who's not and who's out of the country.

The date came, and we met up at Secret Recipe for lunch! About half of the class turned up which was way out of my expectations. Some I almost couldn't recognize but most of them didn't change much. Didn't get much time to catch up with everyone - like really catch up as there were so many; and that I was kinda being "warned" to move myself around cause the concept enforced was similar to speed dating! Got to find out a bit more what the rest were up to - and interestingly that we're all in different areas. Probably what we should do the next time is to take a proper group photo and compare ourselves with a group class photos :P just to see how much everyone has changed in terms of physical appearances.

Anyway, it was a good get together ;)