Long shot

Plaxo just notified that someone just deleted my address book from another computer. The only logical location would be the stolen ATEC. So whoever you are, PLEASE STOP for a while. I want my laptop back. Call me at 016-3730093. Please.

** No guys, am not going out of my mind. Just taking a reeeeaaaalllllyyyyy long shot here...

Topsy Turvy

This is insane... It's 3 a.m. and I'm still trying to understand my boss' comments that he want to be put forward during tomorrow's thingy. The thingy that starts at 9.00 a.m. tomorrow morning. And by virtue of the location which is dead center in town, I would be taking the train, which means that I would have to be out by 7.30 unless I want to be caught in a jam and arriving late.

Had to surrender laptop for reformatting yesterday afternoon. Which meant by the time I got it back it was 7.00 pm. By the time I set the Outlook, it was already 8.00. Had a few frustrating moments, but at least laptop runs properly now. Good thing Plaxo stored my address book, calendar and stuff, so I at least I got back half the data I lost. By the time I got home it was ten. Was so tired I couldn't be buggered to feed myself. Made do with calling P to whine and complain. Sorry, dear, that's what you get when you're nice to cranky people like me. Will make up for it, promise. Conked out on the sofa, dragged myself up to bed, then woke up because I was hungry... Saba ajelah. Ate whatever I could find in the fridge and now I'm blogging instead of reading the all-important comments I need to spew out tomorrow. This is like cramming for a test pulak. Or I got infected by tai-kor's modus operandi - working thru the night.

Bleargh... gotta go. Will get back to normal schedule soon, I hope...

I want my ATEC back!!

I'm slightly feverish and really cranky this morning. I hope the thief gets attacked by a swarm of bees so that he'll get the message and return my ATEC to me ASAP. It might be a cheap lappie, but I never had any complaints using it; I loved it from day one.

The HP is heavy and bulky, the display is grainy, speaker is unreliable and hard drive slams shut if I disconnect the power source. Some drivers weren't correctly installed, I need the fax and the guy who was supposed to fix it didn't bother coming to my office. And I paid an extra RM700 for the 'priviledge'. Cheez! I'm so going to return the HP and demand a refund today.

Zach is BACK!!

Alhamdulillah, that's all I can say... Zach has been miraculously returned to me and I am so, so glad to have him back.

Wanted to go get some breakfast this morning. Went to the gate and there it was - my car keys, tucked in the lock!! Went out and scanned the street; saw it parked a little further up :-D I could hardly believe what happened, I was shivering as I walked up the street. I tried the alarm; it wasn't armed, but it worked fine. Everything was as it was, my book, swim gear, tapes, etc were all there. There was no damage and no parts were missing. I took it home and started making calls. Later I went to the police station and reported it as found. Had a few other things to take care of as well.

There were 5 MPPJ parking tickets in the 5 days it was missing. All were in Damansara Jaya and Damansara Utama area. For the last 2 days it was sitting in Uptown; and the police didn't even notice. I wonder WHAT they were doing to trace the car!! For one thing, they did not really take the details of the car. They just took the car number and that was that. The sergeant I spoke to assured me that they had an APB(?) out, but I seriously doubt they did anything to find the car. Maybe there are too many cases for them to handle, but their lackadaisical attitude is making things worse. Because it's too easy to get away with crime, more people do it!

If the MPPJ computers were online and enabled to determine the car status as stolen, the car could have been found on Monday itself, when the first parking ticket was issued. I think this is a serious flaw in our crime prevention network. Departments do not "talk" to each other. In this age of computer networking and real time systems, I think something should be done to rectify this problem. I personally think this would help solve so many car theft cases in Malaysia.

I guess I'm just VERY, VERY LUCKY that the thieves were not hardcore criminals. They were probably college kids who needed some wheels and decided to "borrow" mine without permission for a few days. Or perhaps they were pissed that they could not find any cash lying around and decided the car was fair game. Could it be some frat initiation thingy of some sort?

I hope they'll realise that crime does not pay, and what they're doing is wrong. I would really like my laptop back as well. It's full of my personal notes, articles, databases, photos and whatnot. Plus my work was last backed up about a month ago. There's a lot of work articles and emails that disappeared with the lappie... It would really help to get the Atec back. Then I can sell the HP and use the cash for something much more important. Did they sell it or are they using it for their assignments? They should know that using stolen stuff or stolen money brings bad, bad luck. Tak berkat, siul!!

Am thinking of selling the HP and buying another ATEC. It's smaller and quite a bit cheaper, but guess I'd prefer to get the original one back, if that's at all possible. :-P More prayers for me? Sabar ajela....

My Real First Day Using Public Transport

I had allowed myself 3 days of cabbing around while I sorted things out. Now that things are relatively in order again, I figured it was time I checked out the public transport situation. So this morning I hitched a ride to the nearest bus stop and began a mini adventure.

8.30 a.m. Hitched a ride to bus stop nearest the house. Figured it's about 10 minutes on foot.
8.33 a.m. Got onto Putra feeder bus 901-A. 10 minutes later I was at the Tmn Bahagia LRT station. Excellent!
8.45 a.m. Hopped onto a train and stepped off at Taman Jaya station 15 minutes later.
9.00 a.m. Waited for feeder bus 905-A to PJ old town. Got one 8 minutes later.
9.15 a.m. Arrived at Old Town. Decided to stop by the wet market to buy stuff.
9.30 a.m. Already in the office. Good job!!

Things were really great this morning. God must have decided I deserved a break for being patient. It was kind of nice being on a public bus, listening to the driver chatting with this ah-so. Guess you take in more when you walk around and have the luxury of looking out the window while someone else does the driving. Not that I don’t care about my loss, but I have learnt that in times of distress, it’s good to look at the bright side of things and keep your spirits up.

When I saw my new lappie yesterday, I couldn’t help missing my cool silver ATEC. The new HP is technologically superior, but aesthetically a plain Jane compared to the other one. It’s like dating Brad Pitt for six months and suddenly finding yourself stuck with Mr. Bean… Yeah, yeah, lousy allegory, I know. The guys can repeat the scenario with Angelina Jolie or Jessica Alba, whoever…

And I really, really miss my baby Zach, which always took me wherever I wanted to go. I do leave him at the LRT sometimes, losing him altogether is not easy. I keep scanning all the white Satrias that I see on the off chance that it might be my Zach. I do hope that he would turn up soon; I hate thinking what they might be doing to him :-(

Just last night I admitted to Inas that I was starting to feel the anger after 3 days being in survival mode. What has our world come to when people think nothing of stealing valuable items which are necessary to our daily lives? Things that cost a lot of money and people work hard to pay for? I did not buy a car to show off, I bought it because I needed transport and I figured a Satria would last longer than a Kancil. I bought a laptop because our small office operates that way and the company sponsored a portion of it. As it is, I bought the cheapest one that fits my needs. And now I had to fork out extra to get another one. I really don’t need this financial setback, thank you very much…

You can see that I’m royally pissed with the culprits by now. I really hope these jerks will be caught and brought to task for causing trouble. The hudud method of chopping off a thief’s hand is starting to look like a very fair solution to me. If you risk losing a limb for stealing, I’m sure people would think more than twice before deciding that it’s fair game to rob someone of their hard earned belongings :-p

Taken by Surprise

Guess most of you have heard what happened on Monday. Thieves broke into my house and drove off with my car, laptop, IC and sister's handphone.

I had felt a little funny the night before while chatting with a friend in NL. So I promised to buzz her the next day, shut down, locked the glass door and went up to bed. I was so tired I fell asleep with the lights on and door unlocked.

I woke up at 4 am thinking that I had not prayed and there was work I didn't do during the weekend. My room was as per normal and I had no idea anything was amiss. So I got up and pottered about until around six. This was when K Ayu went downstairs and discovered the doors wide open and my car gone. She burst into my room and asked where my car was. Puzzled, I went down with her.

Downstairs, I switched on the lights and found her handbag. They had actually entered her room to get it!! Only my sister's handphone was missing; cash in a separate location was safe. My laptop was gone from the study table and my knapsack was on the floor. Everything was in my wallet except for my IC. I doubt they entered my room because my hp was still on my dresser. I'm so thankful neither of us were harmed in any way.

A strange calm took over; I started calling the police and informing others. Abah was out of range and Abang was in Singapore. Called/messaged friends and my boss, dealt with the police. By the time the photographer came and went, it was already midday. I still needed to make copies of my documents and send it to the sergeant, etc.

Went to PJ state to make a replacement IC, then went around trying to get things sorted out. By yesterday have managed to get most things under control. Am waiting for my insurance claim form and getting a replacement laptop this afternoon. Am doing OK with public transport for the time being.

Managed to get in touch with Abah in the evening and he immediately came over. He went to get some "ubat" to deter further break-ins and yesterday he took us to "revive the spirit". Being somewhat unused to these kind of stuff, I was pretty skeptical, but the lime bath did revive me quite a bit. Maybe it was some kind of "fortified aromatherapy", but if it works, I'm not complaining!

There isn't much hope of recovering my beloved lappie, and I really need one for work, so I've made the order and insya-Allah will get a replacement by this afternoon. Lesson learnt - never be so careless with my laptop in the future.

According to the police, based on my car model statistics, there is an 80% chance that my car will be found, sooner or later. So peeps, please, please, please pray that my Zach will be found soon and do keep a lookout for a white Satria 1.3 GLi manual BGE 4896.

Peeps, a million thanks for all who came back to me with encouraging messages and calls. Your support means so much to me and helped me be that little bit stronger to deal with this mess. Thanks to my boss, Cindy, who allowed me time off until I could sort things out. I feel really blessed to have so many wonderful people offering me help in my time of need :-)

Gifts

Certain things are like gifts – you don’t spell out what you want; you don’t force someone to give it to you and you ALWAYS say thank you, no matter if it’s not exactly what you wanted.

You may hint, you can ask – nicely, or you can whine. In any case, you don’t ask for more than the giver is willing to give. To hope for too much causes annoyance and pain. But you must always say THANK YOU for what has been received.

And it’s custom to always give something back - a gift in return, a hug or a kiss.

Dearest friends, you are among the most precious gifts to me. The camarederie, laughter and support that we share are priceless. You are all my source of inspiration and hope.

So here I say THANK YOU for being part of my life.

P/S: Happy (6 months) Anniversary to the D3katians and Tekadmons

What I've Learned and Learnt

Pinched from someone's email today. Thanks, babes. :-D

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"I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

"I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.

"I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it.

"I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life, but whom you have in your life that counts.

"I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes; after that, you’d better know something.

"I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.

"I’ve learned that it’s not what happens to people, it’s what they do about it.

"I’ve learned that no matter how thinly you slice it, there are always two sides.

"I’ve learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you’ll see them.

"I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you think you can’t.

"I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

"I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don’t know how to show it.

"I’ve learned that sometimes when I’m angry, I have the right to be angry but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

"I’ve learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance and I’ve learned that the same goes for true love.

"I’ve learned that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

"I’ve learned that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others; sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

"I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

"I’ve learned that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other, and just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

"I’ve learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of his actions. I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

"I’ve learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get further in life.

"I’ve learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours and I’ve learned that when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

"I’ve learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.

"I’ve learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.

"I’ve learned that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings, and standing up for what you believe.

"I’ve learned to love and to be loved."

I’ve learned

Hikayat Ikan Paus Bosan

Adeh... my opis aircon spewing warm air la... manyak panas ini hali. Dah la orang lain pergi attend seminars. Duduk sesorang kat opis ni nice gak... kalau aircon working!! Tak best la camni, nak buat kerja pun selllooowww. Tengah tunggu Anaz hantar listing untuk KLSD calls. Kalau aircon tak OK jugak by pukul tiga, aku balik buat keja kat rumah la jawabnya.

Human trapped in cat's body..?

If Jack was a 'dog', I can never be sure that Pseudo isn't a 'human' in cat disguise. If I had a digital camera I would have taken the photo of him stretched on my bed this morning with that little contented 'smile' on his face... (no, I didn't do anything to him) Did you ever see a cat smile? Or be so obviously jealous of any other cats or humans I'm close to?

I have no idea where he came from. One fine day he impersonated one of my other cats (hence, the name Pseudo) and wormed his way into my household. I'm sure he belongs to someone, he HAS been fixed, and he's very beautiful cat. He used to hang out elsewhere until I came home. Now he's there all the time, even when I'm away. He actually migrated for some dry biscuits and TLC? Maybe it's the TLC... :-D

Today Matters, Part II

... continued...

So… JUST FOR TODAY

… I will choose and display the right attitudes
… I will determine and act on important priorities
… I will know and follow healthy guidelines.
… I will communicate and care for my family
… I will practise and develop good thinking.
… I will make and keep proper commitments.
… I will earn and properly manage finances.
… I will deepen and live out my faith.
… I will initiate and invest in solid relationships.
… I will plan for and model generosity.
… I will embrace and practice good values.
… I will seek and experience improvements.

Why? Because Today’s
… ATTITUDE Gives Me Possibilities
… PRIORITIES Gives Me Focus
… HEALTH Gives Me Strength
… FAMILY Gives Me Stability
… THINKING Gives Me an Advantage
… COMMITMENT Gives Me Tenacity
… FINANCES Gives Me Options
… FAITH Gives Me Peace
… RELATIONSHIPS Gives Me Fulfillment
… GENEROSITY Gives Me Significance
… VALUES Gives Me Direction
… GROWTH Gives Me Potential

Just for today… I will act on these decisions and practice these disciplines, and
Then one day… I will see the compounding results of a day lived well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sigh… it’s kind of hard to distill a whole book into a two part blog. Each of the 12 points (also called the Daily Dozen) are elaborated on as a whole chapter in itself… If anyone is interested in reading the book, I’d be happy to swap it with one of yours.

Have a good week ahead, everyone :-)

Salty Mouths...

They all say, be careful what you wish for, it may come true.
I think I mentioned working in Johor not too long ago. On Wednesday my Dad mentioned a lecturer post opening in BP. Me, a lecturer? Dealing with young adults with all their confused issues?Moi? Telling kids about environmental management when I'm still learning and discovering how little I know with every seminar I attend? Yes, I'd probably make more money and save more due to lower cost of living. But to live 400 km away from my sayangs? Yuz works in Kerteh... but then he flies in on a pretty regular basis, and we all make a point to meet up when he's around. Would I be able to do the same? I can't even bear thinking about it :-(

Today Matters, Part I

I suspect it would take a number of intelligent musings and insightful observations before I can redeem my reputation following last week’s spate of reckless revelations (grin). Managed to stay put in the house during the weekend and finished a book I’ve been reading on and off for the past 3 months.

Book Title: Today Matters, by John C. Maxwell
About the author: John Maxwell is an excellent writer and motivator. A priest by training, his work has developed into motivation and leadership training that can be easily understood and applied by everyone. He doesn’t write endless theories; rather, he compiles a series of materials, quotes and examples to illustrate his carefully chosen points. His books are very readable and highly recommended. I’d like to share parts of this book with all of you.

Why today? The answer can be found in this poem “The Lifebuilder’s Creed” written by a man called Dale Witherington.

Today is the most important day of my life.
Yesterday with its successes and victories, struggles and failures is gone forever.
The past is past.
Done.
Finished.
I cannot relive it. I cannot go back and change it.
But I will learn from it and improve my Today.

Today. This moment. NOW.
It is God’s gift to me and it is all that I have.

Tomorrow with all its joys and sorrows, triumphs and troubles isn’t here yet.
Indeed, tomorrow may never come.
Therefore, I will not worry about tomorrow.

Today is what God has entrusted to me.It is all that I have. I will do my best in it.
I will demonstrate the best of me in it –
My character, giftedness and abilities—
To my family and friends, clients and associates.
I will identify those things that are most important to do Today,
And those things I will do until they are done.
And when this day is done
I will look back with satisfaction at that
Which I have accomplished.

Then, and only then, will I plan my tomorrow,
Looking to improve upon Today, with God’s help.

Then I shall go to sleep in peace… content.

… to be continued.

Wheels turn

I wonder why so many people think I’m ‘strong’ when more often than not I’m grasping at straws, trying to keep things together. I surround myself with excellent people, hoping by some miracle I'd learn what makes them tick. Without them I'd probably be even more lost than I already am... Only one person sees right through me. He's the one that can detect the sadness in my voice and in my eyes, even when I'm laughing. Once upon a time, I was trying to shore him up. Now he's the one pushing me forward. We'll never be together, but I'm glad my sixth sense told me to hold on to him as an ally. Maybe someday i can be as strong and successful as he is, for he's an admirable character for all his weaknesses. Someday, someday, someday. Despair not, for life is a journey, and as long as we have hope, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

In Search of the Gentle Giants

If anyone were to ask me, what kind of guy am I looking for; this would have to be the answer: A Gentle Giant.

What?? No, not Shrek, though he has many admirable qualities. And he was really cute when he was under that spell/ potion thingy, hehehe… A friend said recently, you want someone who will hold hands with you even when you’re old and retired. My cousin gets a foot rub from her hubby 20+ years after marriage. Bestnyerrrr….

I like tall, solid guys. Well, not necessarily very tall, but not shorter than me, at least. It’s depressing to walk with a short date, and I’m sure it’s not doing any favours for THEIR self-esteem either. Forgive me for being tall, it’s in the genes. And solid = feeling safe? Maybe it’s just a matter of perception, but I prefer hugging a tree than a twig, so to speak. He doesn’t have to be good looking. After all, I’m not much to look at either. Vain guys are kind of icky. As long as they wear clean clothes, take care of themselves and smell nice, enough la.

Religious values matter a whole big lot. No, I’m not looking for a square; I’m a little too liberal for that. Just someone who believes in God, does his daily requirements and avoids sinful things. Not too much to ask for, right?

Money and status? Well, a guy should earn enough to take care of his family, at least. I’m not looking for a rich man, just someone who believes in his work and is committed to it. Really, I’m not impressed with expensive cars, clothing, watches or handphones. I prefer someone who is practical and lives within his means, and allocates enough for the truly important things. And status is overrated. Who needs a husband who is so busy that he has no time for his own family?

But mainly, what I want is companionship; I’m tired of sleeping with the cat. Think about it, I earn enough to take care of myself, but I need emotional stability more. I want someone who will be with me through life’s ups and downs; someone who will hold me when something screws up and help make things right again. I don’t need a protector, I need a partner. Someone adult enough to make up his own mind, handle problems constructively and not excessively influenced by friends or family. Someone who will be a good father to his children, if there are any. Truly, a responsible husband is worth his weight in gold…

Last but not least, there is that unmentionable three letter word. Face it, in about ten years, we won’t even want to have sex. Well, not so much anyway. So that kind of puts some kind of time limit to my search, doesn’t it?

But what can I do about it? Dress up to the nines hoping to attract dates? Flirt with all the males that come my way? Sign up for internet dating and attract gatal married men? Tackle some slimy Dato’ with a condo and a platinum card? Tell the guy I like point blank that I want to marry him? Or just go on pretending I like sleeping with the cat and dream that someday someone will fall head over heels in love with me? If you find anyone more clueless about relationships than me, please notify the newspapers. :-p