Hari Raya Aidil Fitri :)

It is just around the corner ... About 3 more days and it's Eid ... Eventhough I am no longer in the 'younglings' category - I could still feel the excitement in the air ...

In the office, there is only 4 of us in the room as the others have already took their early leaves for Raya. For my class earlier, there was only one girl who turned up for the class - out of 28 students in that particular DIM S1(1) class. Gosh - that is how BIG Raya is over here :p

Anyway, I would like to wish all my family, friends and Muslims all over the world - SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI & MAAF ZAHIR BATIN.

Hugs
everyone at BTS

Of Man & Woman

Surprisingly the issue that I thought would be 'boring' { yawn yawn }, on the other hand became quite a 'hot' topic of discussion :)

Well, I am not trying to say that man is bad, woman is good :p but just to highlight the practices that has been going on around world. Just to fulfil some of my social obligations to make this world a better place :)

In order to understand the issue better perhaps I should enclosed another 'clip' taken from this marvellous book. This particular chapter talks about the masculine and feminine cultures. It is said that in a highly 'masculine' culture, men are viewed as assertive, oriented to material success and strong. While women on the other hand, are viewed as modest, focused on the quality of life and tender. In a highly 'feminine' culture, both men and women are encouraged to be modest, oriented to maintaining a quality of life and tender. The ten countries with the highest masculinity score are Japan, Austria, Venezuela, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico,Ireland, Jamaica,Great Britain and Germany.

As mentioned in the book, masculine cultures emphasize success and socialise their people to be assertive, ambitious and competitive. members of masculine cultures are thus more likely to confront conflicts directly and to competitively fight out any differences; they are more likely to emphasize win-lose conflict strategies.

Feminine cultures emphasize the quality of life and socialise their people to be modest and to emphasize close interpersonal relationships. Members of feminine cultures are thus more likely to emphasize compromise and negotiation in resolving conflicts; they are more likely to seek win-win solutions.

Organisations can also be viewed in terms of masculinity or femininity. Masculine organisations emphasize competitiveness and aggresiveness. They focus on the bottom line and reward their workers on the basis of their contribution to the organisation. Feminine organisation are less competitive and less aggresive. They are more likely to emphasize worker satisfaction and reward their workers on the basis of need; those who have large families, for example, may get better raises than the single people, even if the singles have contributed more to the organisation.

culture and ethics

This is taken from a chapter in an Interpersonal Communication Book by DeVito ... I am sharing this to enlighten some issues on culture & ethics.

In his note, DeVito mentioned that women in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule, could not be educated or even go out in public without a male relative escort and when they do so, the women are required to cover their entire body in special garments.

For some of us, this can be considered as acceptable but to those who are not familiar with the culture may find it disturbing. As it is mentioned in the chapter, some practices would be judged unethical and even illegal in some countries. As shown throughout history - sacrificing virgins to the Gods, burning people who held different religious beliefs and sending children to fight wars are just some of the examples.


It is sad to note that even today, there are still practices which may be 'disturbing' to some, being performed or practised by certain cultures. Namely

• bronco riding - a practice where a bull's testicles are tied so that it experiences so much pain that it bucks and tries to throw off the rider
  
• clitoridectomy - whereby part or all of a young girl's clitoris is surgically removed so that she can never experience sexual intercourse without extreme pain, a practice designed to keep her a virgin until marriage
  
• the belief and practice that a woman must be subservient to her husband's will
  
• the practice of wearing fur - in some cases necessitating the killing of wild animals and in others raising animals so they can be killed when their pelts are worth the most money

So the argument here is - does anyone has the right to object to these practices as each culture has a right to its own practices and beliefs. Given your own beliefs about these issues and about cultural diversity in general, what ethical obligations do you have as a fellow citizen of earth.

It is a good exercise to start thinking about the cultural diversity that we have here in our own country. Perhaps we should view things in the lights of other culture to understand it better ourself.

( DeVito, Joseph A.(2004).The interpersonal communication book,Pearson Education, U.S.A )

what do you want?

A direct - straight forward question ... yet, we still fumble for the right answer. Why?

Is it because, we,ourselves do not know what we want in life? Or is it because there is simply too many things that we want? Or is it possible that we do not want anything? Or is it that the answer might be too ridiculous to fulfil?

Whatever the reason - yet, one still have to answer that dreadful question sometimes. Because you need to know what you want or else people simply cannot be bothered to play guessing-games all the time. Some of us are just unlucky enough to be born without the 'mind-reader' capability. Therefore, please communicate - there are 3 principal medium to choose from namely VERBAL/ORAL/SPOKEN; NON-VERBAL & WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. I could run a one-semester-long course on Technical & Communication English 1 that I am teaching at the university if you want but then I have to charge. But, the point is - communicate!

Good luck in getting your message across.

Better / Bitter Person

Well, there is this phrase that some of my closest family would use everytime we faces problems/hiccups/heartache in our life that simply would not go away. The phrase goes something like this - " Problems/troubles/ are challenges in our life and if we manage to overcome it, we would become a better person". I am not saying that it is wrong to say that. Sometimes or maybe most of the time - it is true. But there is also time when one just simply had enough AND simply cannot be bothered about it. Instead of becoming a better person, one would turn up to be a 'bitter' person. Bitter about life, bitter about people, and even bitter about themselves. Why? Because they simply had ENOUGH.

I cannot blame them sometimes. But not to say that it is a good move, neither. It is just that I can comprehend what they are going through. Think of it as a vacation - sometimes we desperately need one for our own good. So, be bitter ... but still, after sometime - trace back your steps. Take a deep breath and see the world with your newly found 'eyesight'.Hopefully this time around, the world that we see, is a much better one than before.

So, I would like to announce to the whole world - be bitter in order to become better ... later.

Holy Ramadhan

It's that time of the year again :) Ramadhan is here ... Only this time, we are fasting at a new building with new batch of students & staff.

This time around, at this new building - with the new environment and people - we are still adjusting ... Students are still not aware that the schedule has been changed to suit the fasting month. The staff here are still figuring out where to buy the food for 'buka puasa' and all ... Well, basically everyone is still adjusting in every sense of the word.

The working hours has been changed from 8.30 a.m - 5.45 p.m to 8.30 a.m to 5.00 p. for Monday till Thursday & 8.30 a.m till 4.30 p.m for Friday. Hopefully with this new schedule, we would be able to make it in time for ' buka puasa'. Today would be the first day to try it out ... we will see :)

To all my family, friends and all Muslims - Happy Fasting & May Allah bless us all.

Dearest Adil

This is dedicated to my dearest nephew :)

Dearest Adil,

Here are our prayers for you - in every single thing that you do, we pray that you would be protected from harm, sheltered from deceit, empowered by goodwill and hope and urged by enthusiasm & sheer will and all that you could be, would be all good and positive.

Life is a journey - so, just like any journey - it may be tiring sometimes, it might be fun sometimes, it might also be dangerous most of the time. Therefore, one cannot expect that life is a bed of roses - laid out for them - crystal clear of what you should do and what you should not. Sometimes it can get so confusing that right seems wrong and wrong seems so right. So, how do you cope? Look deep inside you and find the 'light' that would light your way and guide you to the right path.

We pray with all our might that you will be alright & protected from all harm. If you ever need us, we are just a heart beat away. You are never alone - you will always have us.

We love you Adil.

Take good care my dear nephew.

All of us in BTS

A bright star in heaven

A sad news to be shared - Ham Ham has left us yesterday.

Being the sweetheart she is, she looked as if she was sleeping soundly underneath her water bottle when I found her last night in her cage. The only thing that makes me sad is the fact that we didn't say our goodbye appropriately. That morning before we left for work, I saw her sleeping at the same spot. Thinking that I wouldn't want to disturb her slumber, we just left without saying goodbye. But I looked her way & silently said 'bye' in my heart as we were rushing to work. If only I knew that it would be the last time, I would have done it differently. But being the angel she is, I know she wouldn't want it the other way.

I pray that she is happy now wherever she may be - free of those warts on her back & that lump on her backside. She is as pretty as the day I brought her home from the petshop - or maybe even more :)

Take good care of yourself Hammy Hammy ... Eat well as I am sure there would be soyabeans and almonds - the most delicious ones especially for you. There will always be a special place in my heart for you. Watch over us - as I am sure the others are also missing you dearly.

We love you Hammy Hammy.

Farewell sweetheart.

Of winning and losing ...

The choral competition is over ... phew finally things are 'slightly' back to normal ... No more rehearsals ...

Generally, out of the 7 classes competing, I am proud to say that my 5-turned into 4 classes did quite well. One of the classes - DIM S1 (1) came out as the winner for first place, while the other 3 was somewhere between 4 to 6. They were disappointed for not winning the top three but I am quite pleased with their effort. They were so eager to please me, what a bunch of sweethearts ... I am quite touched to see their efforts ... I felt like a mother mothering all those 5 classes ... Gee, not only I have 21 kids at home - now I have like 120+ kids here :p I am very proud with all them :)

On the other hand, my health is improving - generally ... but for the past 2 days I have developed some kind of rashes on my neck. It is itchy & irritating - almost drive me crazy ... I have no idea what could have caused them ... It remains a mystery :p I do hope it would go as sudden as it appears though ... because I can't go around with these talcum powder+anti-histamine cream plastered to my neck for long. People might mistake me for being something else :p Pray that it will go away soon ...

As for the hamsterlets, they are doing great ... Hyperactive - as I can see them chasing after their mother for milk while the mother frantically ran & hide from them. They are growing quite fast ... Hmmm, soon I need to transfer them to another cage :p Yupp my house is turning into a zoo ... But I love it, wouldn't have it in any other way ...

Till later ... just remember that sometimes it is not the destination that really matters, it is the journey that counts.

A busy week :p

Today is the 11th of September 2006 - most likely, to those in US - today is a gloomy day as it is the anniversary of September Eleven ... the day the World Trade Centre became Ground Zero. Alfatihah to the Muslims who lost their lives in doing something that they believed in. And condolences to those who lost their lives to save others and those who were just at the wrong place, at the wrong time. May God bless their souls. May they rest in peace.

On the other hand, in the land of the livings, here in particular - in MIIT UNIKL - everyone would be having one hell of a busy week. It is the "Minggu Keusahawanan UNIKL" for most of the Degree Students and Activity Week for Diploma students especially those taking courses in English & Communication this semester.

I have 5 classes competing in Choral Speaking Competition among others. There are also Cultural Fest - where the students embark in other cultures from abroad in order to create a better understanding of cross-cultural communication. I just pray that things would go smoothly for everyone. I, for one, is still recovering from a terrible bronchitis infection. It had me coughing like a hag at night - sometimes I wonder if the movie industries would like to use my "voice+ cough-like-a hag" effects for their banshee.

Thank God it is not catching on any of my kids - or it would be hell broke lose for those 20 hamsters coughing & wheezing or an orange cat holding his tummy coughing like mad. :p My husband is doing well too, surprisingly :p It must be something that only aggravates me Hmmm scary ... But, the most important thing is I am doing much better now :) Thanks to those who pray for me & wish me well :)

Well, I better check on my scoresheet for the judges of that choral competition. Need to get it ready by today ... Till then, happy thoughts & love for a better world.

Goldie is a mom...again :)

My, my, my ... Goldie is a mom...again This time around, she has 4 tiny pink hamsterlets to take care of :) She is very protective of the tiny ones - everytime I went to have a look at those cuties - she would eye every movement I made :p I do hope this time around, the kids would survive as I couldn't manage to change the beddings, just yet. I, myself is not feeling so good lately, I am having this cough, sore throat - high fever thingy - on & off for the past 2 weeks ... The weather is not helping too :(

IF - by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make trap for fools
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn pitch-and-toss
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them : "Hold on"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you
If all men count with you, but none too much
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it
And - which is more - you'll be a man my son!

Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)

The poem above is a favourite of my husband and I. It totally inspire us to become better person, to appreciate life and to be wary of the challenges ahead.

The poem helps us to face the wear and tear of today's world. When we feel like giving up, all we have to do is to recite the poem silently and pray.

May God bless us all.

complaint letters via email :)

I am so pleased with myself :)

Normally in my country, people would complaint about the things that happened to them - and by right, they should forward a formal complaint about it to the authorities. But, being Malaysians, who are known for their 'generousity' & 'on the fence' attitude - the complaints would just 'wither' away (wasted) in the hot yet humid weather of my country.

But - not me - I actually wrote 2 emails today to forward my complaint. One to the Touch & Go - Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd about their poor service in Titiwangsa STAR LRT Station. The other one goes to Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri & Hal Ehwal Pengguna - it's like Consumers Rights Association. And I am thinking of writing to STAR LRT afterwards ... I had to enter my class earlier or I would have done so.

The reason why I did those - is not to agitate those company or those government body... My major concern is to make things better for everyone - especially when those services are paid for. Value for money - instead in my case this morning, I paid money in advance just to create problems for myself :p Which should not be the way, in any case ...

I religiously reload my Touch & Go card to go to work & to travel using the public transport for the past 2 years. I have been happy with the service until recently. And to make matters worse, today's incident is not the first time it happened at the very same location. They simply ask for it I guess :p

Anyway, I do hope my letter would help to contribute to the well beings of the public in general & to the improvement of services rendered here in my country.

May God bless us all.

Life's hiccups

"A life is made up of a great number of small incidents and a small number of great ones" - one of Roald Dahl's famous words that I hold dearly to my heart. And at this moment, how enlightening I find these words...

A person that mean so much to me & my family is going through a rough time ... this is definitely 'one of the great ones'...It can be a life-changing incident if it goes on... I feel for her,deeply - not just because I have gone through similar experience few years back or the fact that she is one of the closest person to us - but because - she is one of those pure-hearted individuals who feel for others. And what she is going through at the moment, she truly does not deserve.

If I have a magic wand, I would do everything in my power to make things better for her. Alas, I am but a human being who posses no such magical power. But I can assure her that she can have my shoulders to cry on at any given time & place. Our prayers & love are at your perusal my dear ...

We love you so much & no matter what the outcomes may be, you would never lose us - as we are part of you as you are part of us ...

May God be your strength when you need to trudge through this misery and we will always walk by your side to keep you company.

Hugs
your family at bts

nosey parker found in d new office

*sigh*
Just when I thought I have seen it all - the inhumanity, the stupidity & some of the ugliest scenes created by humankind, today I am in for a surprise ...

I have been waiting for my parcel from ebay msia by PosLaju - it was supposed to arrive yesterday. Just before I went for lunch today, I checked with the receptionist at the Ground Floor who told me that my parcel has been picked up by a representative from my former IIM's so-called office boy (Din). And it was taken yesterday afternoon - and it was rather ridiculous for him to miss my level ( which is level 20 ) since he is residing in level 25. But being a nice person, I gave him the benefit of a doubt.

Later, after lunch I tried calling for Din to ask for the parcel. I couldnt find his extension no. ( it's a new office so we are still getting used to it, as it is ). Then my husband came to my workstation with a parcel in his hand. He said he met Din at level 30 as he had some job to do there & Din passed him the parcel. The parcel was in a very bad condition as if it had been travelling halfway across the globe - which is impossible as it is posted from Port Klang. Then I discovered that it was torn & stapled back as if to cover the 'crime' done to it. It was so shabbily done that even a kid could know it was tampered with earlier.

So I wrote a complaint & send it to the lobby. Right after that, my HR officer called & said that she wanted to expalin to me what happened to my parcel. She said my parcel was somehow being mixed up with other letters & stuffs for this person in Level 27. That person was expecting something from MSI - another institution in our university (which is in Kulim, Kedah ), so what happened was - she simply tear the envelope thinking that it was for her from MSI. And that's it - no apology, not even a note to say that she had made a mistake or even a gesture of picking up the bloody phone & call me - using the office's phone line. Instead, my HR officer is explaining this on her behalf. What a rude person - and she's in Level 27 where the officers & so-called big shots are stationed. Gosh ...

I just hope that oneday she would learn her lesson. Sometimes being a nosey parker can be disastrous, especially when she's dealing with the wrong person - like ME!

Just watch your back nosey parker. I will be watching you.

nosey parker found in d new office

*sigh*
Just when I thought I have seen it all - the inhumanity, the stupidity & some of the ugliest scenes created by humankind, today I am in for a surprise ...

I have been waiting for my parcel from ebay msia by PosLaju - it was supposed to arrive yesterday. Just before I went for lunch today, I checked with the receptionist at the Ground Floor who told me that my parcel has been picked up by a representative from my former IIM's so-called office boy (Din). And it was taken yesterday afternoon - and it was rather ridiculous for him to miss my level ( which is level 20 ) since he is residing in level 25. But being a nice person, I gave him the benefit of a doubt.

Later, after lunch I tried calling for Din to ask for the parcel. I couldnt find his extension no. ( it's a new office so we are still getting used to it, as it is ). Then my husband came to my workstation with a parcel in his hand. He said he met Din at level 30 as he had some job to do there & Din passed him the parcel. The parcel was in a very bad condition as if it had been travelling halfway across the globe - which is impossible as it is posted from Port Klang. Then I discovered that it was torn & stapled back as if to cover the 'crime' done to it. It was so shabbily done that even a kid could know it was tampered with earlier.

So I wrote a complaint & send it to the lobby. Right after that, my HR officer called & said that she wanted to expalin to me what happened to my parcel. She said my parcel was somehow being mixed up with other letters & stuffs for this person in Level 27. That person was expecting something from MSI - another institution in our university (which is in Kulim, Kedah ), so what happened was - she simply tear the envelope thinking that it was for her from MSI. And that's it - no apology, not even a note to say that she had made a mistake or even a gesture of picking up the bloody phone & call me - using the office's phone line. Instead, my HR officer is explaining this on her behalf. What a rude person - and she's in Level 27 where the officers & so-called big shots are stationed. Gosh ...

I just hope that oneday she would learn her lesson. Sometimes being a nosey parker can be disastrous, especially when she's dealing with the wrong person - like ME!

Just watch your back nosey parker. I will be watching you.

DOG MASSACRE

Why is it sometimes it is so difficult for humans to be humane :( I read in a newspaper "The Sun" today, that 13 dogs were shot dead in their owner's compound in Seremban. They were not tranquillised or anything, they were shot cruelly.

What has become of us? Are we more savage than the animals themselves? How can the shooter himself sleep at night thinking that earlier that day, he had shot 13 innocent animals dead.

I am so upset that I bursted into tears the moment I finished reading the article. I can only utter my sincere prayers to all those unfortunate souls - and I mean the 13 dogs. I am sure they are now in Heaven being angel's pets.

As for those inhumane sickos, curses & scorns throughout your miserable lives.

I plead for all those who love animals - do take good care of your pets. Never allow any harm unto them. Don't let these kind of inhumane crimes occur in your area.

Be good to your animals, as without them, we are not human.

Hamsterlets all grown up :)

It has been quite some time since the previous post :p What can I say, I had the hectic & nerve wrecking Minggu UsahawanTekno and not forgetting, the Final Exam paper... which I had to prepare 2 sets for each subjects Bummer ... But hey, I survived !!! Heheheh

Just want to share the joy & pride of our home, the hamsterlets ... They are all grown up to cute & cuddly hamsters ... Blackie being the most adorable with her gorgeous fur & sweet face, Jacques Jacques Junior ( Triple J - that's what I call him ) sure live up to the name, Goldie a.k.a Doris is the friendliest - she would be the first to crawl up to your hand, Orangey a.k.a Boom Boom - fatso :p, Darth Maul grow up handsomely and finally the other white one - which I am having trouble to name her, she's a quiet one that kinda becomes one with the surroundings ... But all in all, they are a bunch of cute, cuddly, wuddly little angels who never fail to entertain us after a long hard day at work.

Oyen simply adores them. The moment they squeak, he would be by the side of the cage to ensure everyone is ok. Well, they are all my kids and I love them with all my heart. It is a gratifying experience to see them growing.

Till then. Cheerios.

another star in heaven :(

Work has kept me busy ... In 2 weeks time, my students of 120+ would be running their project -cultural fest & entrpreneurship week kinda thingy ... With the opening ceremony involving protocols n such, I am like total wacko for the past 1 week & 2 more to go ... :((

G.G is doing pretty well for a first-time mom, she simply loves & adores her kiddies ... Unfortunately, 1 passed away last night ... I think it's a she ... She was the smallest of them all & the weakest I guess ... Poor li'll baby ... G.G still tuck her in with d beddings & try to nudge her to move even after she has stopped moving. I almost cried seeing how much she loves her babies... Just hope & pray the other 6 would make it through. With 'sunday' ( yupp i named them according to d 7 days we have in a week) watching over them from heaven, I m sure they will do just great.

Till next time then ... love & peace everyone.

G.G is a mom :)

G.G is a proud mom of 7 ( as we left the house - more might be greeting us home later tonight :p) cute tiny li'll cuddy wuddly pink hamsters ... hehehe

Congrats G.G & Jacques Jacques :)

birthday wish :p

I am wearing my pearl necklace a.k.a my birthday gift to work today ... Why? Because I want to ... and maybe because I can?? :p or maybe just because .

Anyway, I still can't make up my mind to wish for specific birthday gifts from my friends & family ... Well, perhaps as I grow older, the less specific it gets ... hehehe Experience taught me to be less fussy I supposed LOL

But for sake of wishing, I would ask for the good of all of us here - on earth & beyond ... family - present, past & future, friends - present,past & future and all ... a safe world for everyone, a good health to appreciate life, a heart full of love to share the beauty of LOVE itself & a better tomorrow than today :)

Lots of love,
tatty

valentine is here again :p

Finally it works ... I managed to post pics of oyen & ham ham ... and i did it on valentine's day ... huhuhu the power of love ???

Anyway, work is as usual - hectic ... The only highlight of today would be d evening - as my husband went to see his team training for rugby ... hehehe it was raining quite heavily earlier so d field was quite 'flooding' ... the boys were practically swimming ... but it didnt bother them much & they proved to be quite good at d game ...

Well till then ... cheerios

p/s Long I hope u r delighted now ... the pics r finally there :p Hugs

oyen's pic

please miracle please ...

the pics - 2nd attempt

hopefully this time it works ...

back at work :(

In the other blog, yupp now i have 3 blogs to write to - yeay ... i wrote abt how i m miserable at work bcuz i m still worried abt my parents ... I also write abt my birthday wish where i wish for world peace ... strange but true ( my sis-in-law can verify this fact ) :p

My students r still anxious abt their tv news broadcasting ... my other group of students r busy with their entrepreneurship project ... and of course the one that worry most, would be me .. as usual :(

Oyen & Ham Ham & Jacques Jacques & G.G r doing well ... G.G scared me for the 2nd time when she yawned like gremlins recently ... jacques jaccques still refuses to grow up ... the smallest of them all ... Ham Ham still the most intellectual one among them all ...

To be continued ...

pictures of them :)

pics :)

The orange one is Oyen - Oren Ishii
The white long fur with blue eyes = Bona
The other two white ones = Mimo & Timo

Photoes of Oyen & friends

As promised, here r the photoes of Oyen ... In addition to that, here r some pictures of Oyen's friends... Mimo, Timo & Bona ... They r my friend's cat ... Enjoy :)