My Former Workplace

We traveled again through the last weekend. This time we drove about 600 kilometers to Sita’s house in the East Coast. I had an appointment with one of the Managers in my former workplace, the one where I retired from, and took the opportunity to spend time and a few days with Sita and family.

The drive, to and fro, was very pleasant. There was hardly any traffic and we had a very leisurely drive. Little Najla was excited when we arrived at just after dusk and at about breaking of fast time. (It is Ramadan now, a month for fasting. Read my previous posting on Fasting). Najla continued to play with us until late. We could see that she was straining to keep awake and refused to go to sleep. On our second night there, Ram took her to bed, switched off the lights while Najla continued to play and finally fell asleep. But when she awoke about 2 hours later she was screaming for her mother, apparently wanting to be fed.

I went to my former workplace alone. Ram decided to stay back in Sita’s house as I had planned to make a day trip. It’s a two and a half to three hours drive further north from Sita’s house and about 30 kilometers north of Kuala Terengganu. The drive to and fro was again pleasant. Not much traffic on the road. Has Ramadan got anything to do with this? I wonder……..

My last workplace is a technical training institute. I was heading it before I retired. The person who took over from me has also recently retired and another former colleague is now heading the institute, having been transferred there from the Education Division of the parent company. It looks like he too will retire from there.

The institute is located in an area of about 200 acres and consists of several buildings housing the various technical training workshops and centers of most of the engineering discipline. There are also hostels and living quarters for trainees. Courses conducted are mostly short courses in skill and management development meant for technical staff, technicians and engineers working in the various operating units and subsidiaries of the parent company. Concentration is on the oil, gas and petrochemicals engineering disciplines, although other skill development programmes like IT, languages and others are also included. I had a very pleasant experience working here and it was a good ‘round-off’ of my career having been involved in manufacturing, operations, safety management, project development and project management in my career progression. In the course of it all I was also involved in various audits, systems and procedures development, group skills identification and core skill competency development programmes, the results of which were tied up with the courses conducted at the institute. Hence, my final posting before retiring was a cap of all that I went through in my career. It was indeed satisfying especially where I felt that I was giving back the experience I gained to the younger generation in the company.

I had a noon appointment with one of the sector heads of the institute, specifically the Head of the Executive Technical Competency Development. I left Sita’s house early in the morning and took a leisurely drive to the place. I arrived at the gate of the institute half an hour early. There was only a lone, young, security guard at the guardhouse. He obviously did not recognize me and enquired where I was going. I told him of my appointment and he asked for my name and to wait while he made a phone call to the office of my host. He later told me that my host was at a meeting. I was to wait until the meeting was over and he was very abrupt. Soon after, his phone rang and I could imagine the conversation that transpired. He had immediately then requested me to proceed and even gave directions to which building and which part of it to go to. His tone of voice and mannerism belied his earlier stance when I had just arrived!! I was not even given a temporary entry pass, a normal practice for visitors to any of the operating units and offices of the company anywhere in the country. Or, was this practice no longer applied in the institute now, I wonder? It was applied when I was there!! He was truly a young man wanting in experience in dealing with the public. I was not looking for recognition nor special treatments. He could have been more polite in the beginning even though it was his responsibility to scrutinize external visitors.

As I parked my car in the parking lot close to the building that I was directed to, another security guard who was on his rounds of the sprawling complex on a motorcycle passed by, recognized me and stopped for a quick chat. Then on, anywhere I went to, I was greeted by all levels of staff that recognized me. All came to shake my hand and had small talk. In response I enquired about their general health, their work, their family and so on. After meeting my host and discussed what we had to discuss I went around to other parts of the complex to meet other staff and also made courtesy and ‘hello’ calls to my current successor and other managers. My current successor was chairing an internal meeting with his managers when his secretary (my former staff too) told him that I was there. He took a short break of the meeting so that they could meet me. Some even came looking for me having been told by others that I was around. Most regretted that I came in Ramadan as they could not serve me anything (I could have been overfed if not for Ramadan!!). Most of the ladies enquired about Ram, asked how she was coping with her eye condition and one or two of them gave something for me to take to her, a very nice gesture on their part. It had been six years since I left the place and memories flood back. It was indeed pleasant. I had planned for an hour there but ended staying for more than three hours with them taking me around moving from one office to another!! All these pleasant and instantaneous responses were a far cry from the first interaction I had with the guard on arrival. Entry point and front office staff provides first impression of the place. If properly handled visitors will feel more comfortable and welcomed. I was lucky though, as the welcome was so overwhelming that it overshadowed and drowned the first impression………..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

In Bintulu with the Grandchildren

Son Shaffik had to be away from Bintulu for about a week on work assignment. At the same time Air Asia had a promotion and we managed to get cheap tickets to Bintulu. Hence we ended up traveling to Bintulu while Shaffik went away for his work assignment. It was a trip we gladly took up as it has been quite a while since we spent time with the grandchildren.

Babang and Dedek were very excited when meeting us at the airport on our arrival. Babang even tried to help us with the luggage……. And we know his motive… ah hem…. I think the anticipation got the better of him and finally asked, when almost reaching the house, what it was we had in the big bag. I just nonchalantly replied that there are only clothing in the bag. Is that all? He asked and I replied yes, that’s all. He did not show any sign of disappointment though. I guess he has learnt not to take my answers seriously now!! Again he was very helpful when we reached the house. Not to prolong their agony of waiting, we opened the bags and let them have the toys and chocolates we brought for them. Even baby Haadieya Hasya was excited. So start the din in the house with the kids playing with their new toys…… baby Haadieya is now able to stand up by holding on to available supports. She will lift her hands up every time we pass by expecting to be picked up and carried. She is rather quiet though and not boisterous like the elder brothers. She smiles a lot and opened her mouth wide often almost every time when she smiles.

I spend the days sending Babang to his playschool in the mornings and fetching him back at just after noon. Dedek will follow most of the time. After sending Babang in the mornings, we will go for our morning exercise in the park by the seaside and again later in the evenings. The two boys would follow us and will usually end up playing with sand at the beach. One day, we sent Babang to his playschool without Dedek as he wanted to see his favourite cartoon programme. After our exercise we decided to have breakfast at one of the local cafes. On reaching home, Dedek as usual rushed to the car, opened Ram’s door and hugged her. He does this on our return whenever he does not follow us. But this time, he hugged Ram, then wiggled his nose and said:

Dedek: Dedek can smell something……
Tok Mi: What smell?
Dedek: Tok Mi got smell of something……
Tok Mi: Tok Mi smell of what?
Dedek: Haaa …. (With forefinger pointing upwards)….Smell of roti canai shop!!! (that’s the café we went to which was selling amongst the foodstuff, roti canai, a local delicacy, made of bread dough that is flattened thin and pan fried. It is usually taken with dhall curry. Dedek happens to like roti canai very much and can eat three pieces at one sitting!!)

We were indeed surprised. He must have a very strong sense of smell. We did not even have roti canai there!! Perhaps the smell of roti canai being fried stuck to our clothings…
So we think that is perhaps the reason why he kept hugging us whenever we return from an outing, to guess where we have been to….. heh heh…. difficult to keep secrets from this little guy……

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Little Haadieya......anticipating to be carried... 

Hi Tok Bah.... what are you doing? 

Hey guys, lay off please, this is my show... 

Ramadhan And Fasting - A Festival?

We are now coming towards the end of the month of Sya’aban in the Hijri calendar. In less than a week will be the month of Ramadhan, a month of fasting during daylight hours and a month of submission to the Almighty in prayers and similar related activities like reading the Holy Book, silent chants, recitals and meditation in glorifying the Almighty and The Prophets. Other activities include taking care of the less fortunate, giving alms, charity and other good practices. There are many things that can be done to glorify the month and all shall be in submission to the Almighty. If we have funds to spare then spend it for and in charity but if we have not, then spare our physical efforts for charity. I learnt that even giving a smile is considered charity.

I have been taught, from small, that the month of Ramadhan is a month considered holy for the disciples and that we should do all that I mentioned earlier as much as we can and as best we can. I was also taught that we should not take pride in our efforts and any good we do must be sincere without need for recognition. It was said that if you give with the right hand make sure the left hand do not know about it, meaning give and give quietly, no fanfare. When praying or doing other deeds too, do them quietly and not with the intention of getting noticed by other people. That is considered ‘riyak’ or ‘show-off’ which is seriously frowned upon.

Ramadhan, to me, is time for renewing efforts towards submission to the Almighty. A time to do more than, what is normal, in the other months. A time to change, to be a better disciple. Therefore things worldly are secondary to the spiritual. Indeed over the years of my growing up and growing old, these have been practiced by all good followers of the religion. However, in recent years I have seen a slow and gradual change in perspective to the month. It has slowly become a month of food festivities. It is like a food carnival. From about three weeks ago I noticed buntings and banners stringed up in strategic places, and advertisements in the local newspapers, of food festivals during Ramadhan, of special buffets at hotels and restaurants. All hotels will have breaking of fast food promotions and all sorts of attractions for customers. Open areas in housing estates, towns and crowded places will have stalls selling all kinds of cooked food, cakes, sweets, drinks and what have you for the breaking of fast. Special permits will be issued by the authorities for small time retailers, food sellers, to operate stalls in these designated locations, allocated by the authorities. It is as though fasting is for eating in merriment at the end of the day!! No more glory in spiritual achievement but good food in anticipation. Most will purchase more than necessary, when hungry, only to end up throwing away excess food, which is contrary to the teaching of the religion. This is a fact. It is not my imagination as I have time and time again seen these excesses. The small time food sellers, the restaurant and hotel owners or operators will be laughing to the bank, the customers, all and including non followers of the religion, are happy that a wide variety of food is made available for them and in between…..? the very essence of Ramadhan is lost in food……

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Over-exercise, is there such a thing?

I was working on this laptop when a talk programme came on TV. The topic for discussion was over-exercise or something to that effect. A medical doctor, a coach from somewhere and a fitness centre operator or owner was on the panel and a lady TV personality was the moderator. I thought this would be a good show to watch and decided to put the laptop on hibernate mode and sat infront of the TV to watch and listen to them. It was a half hour programme and the three speakers were prompted by the moderator to speak on the subject.

As the programme got underway the discussion got more and more intensive and at one stage all three were trying to speak at the same time. The doctor talked a lot on the medical aspect of exercise, its benefits and pitfalls and was very informative. The coach and fitness centre personaly were however off the mark at some points on over-exercise. Their views were clearly related to their line of work, one on how to exercise and the other on the application of exercise, although these do constitute proper exercise and how to avoid over or improper exercise. Proper exercise for pregnant women also got mention. The coach even demonstrated on the various so-called correct exercise positions. There were formulas thrown about amongst them and the optimum exercise times and frequencies were mentioned. Did I learn anything new at the end of the show? Nahhhh ……. nothing that I have not heard of before. No added value there…..

I have been exercising for years, although at certain times in my life frequencies of it dwindled but I return and regulated my exercise regimes each time. The internationally accepted practice is to do vigorous exercise at a minimum of 3x per week and for 20 minutes to half an hour each time. I do more than that, sometimes double the frequency and double the time too. By vigorous I think it means to work your heart rate to about 1.5x your resting heart rate, maybe a little bit more for those in late 30s or younger, but the heart rate should not exceed twice the resting heart rate. Another thing that I took note of was the need to warm up and warm down at each exercise session. For this I normally do some of the Tai-chi and until recently the Qui-Gong moves. It does help. I am also aware that the exercises I do do not end with me losing wait but were to maintain general health and well being. If it is to lose weight it has to be combined with controlled and balanced food intake. Take out more than put in so to speak. The erroneous perception by some when they exercise is that they notice a drop in their weight after exercising and assume that they are losing weight. But they should be aware that this drop is only temporary and cannot be accounted as a loss since what is loss is really water through perspiration and so on and will be put pack into the body in no time. What account really is the deficit in food intake against work out.

Having said the above, it really does matter to account the amount of exercise one does against the amount of food intake. There are many websites on the internet that advertise on weight loss programme, most claiming and even guaranteeing certain success rates. I refuse to be taken in by these advertisements. I stick to the principle that to retain and remain healthy and fit an exercise regime has to be followed and food to be balanced. Of course the food you take has to be proper. Minimise on the processed ones and try to go to the natural ones as best as possible, although I can pick some flaws in the natural foods in this age and with modern agricultural technology but that is something that can be discussed separately. For the time being make a start. Start or continue to exercise and watch your food intake, which is a good, if not the only, beginning to leading a healthy life and then refine the process as we go along……

Over-exercise, is there such a thing? Not in my book. Wrong and improper exercise maybe. Your body sends messages, take note of these messages............

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya