Bits of Life at Pengerang

Yosshhh!! 2 more days and it will be a full 3 months of working in Pengerang! Bosses, please acknowledge my efforts and give me a handsome pay raise! Hahaha...

I met some new friends, local Chinese I am referring to. They are... hmmm... interesting. Their lives are simple and full with laughters, stupid jokes! There is even a place now, a restaurant actually, that gives me feelings of warmth and peace. I think I wanted to be there because I like that atmosphere, the food was quite nice though.

My bosses are Japanese, speak fluent Japanese (Of course) but poor English. Their English, or you may call Japlish, are really quite hilarious to listen to. Example, Reto(red) Colour, Speedboato(Speedboat), Ando(and), Ma(anyhow), Pleasu(please), and the list goes on... maybe you are not laughing, wait till you listen to their accents. Am listening to their conversations with each other day to day... just like I used to watch Japanese drama, which I still do now, and it is just damn funny trying to pretend not understand what they were saying. haha... After years of watching Japanese dramas and also the Japanese classes that I have attended during university years, can't help but to understand some of their conversations. (Gome! Ma, I still respect my bosses!) Hahaha...

Okay, now is the month of Ramadhan, Malay colleagues are fasting, workers too. The canteen become quiet, no long queues, just nice. I am liking it. Meanwhile I still hate the fact that I have to fight for nice car park spot every morning, because people still drive while Ramadhan right? Lolz... Lame!

Let you feel my work place, this is what I see everyday.

Signing off...

2 Weeks on The Job

2 weeks have gone and I wouldn't say it was a hard one. The work itself really feels kind of easy to get the hang of it. Now I can really tell what's the difference in productivity between someone who is totally new and someone with experience.

Everything was kind of expected so far. In fact a lot of flashes came back to mind and remind me what is the next step to take and the precautions for potential problems. Construction site always have problems, and solving problems is really what engineers like me have to do. The upside is I can get my job done pretty effectively. The downside is people start to depend on you and harbour high expectations from you.

I'm not genius or different in anyway while compare to others. I just know slightly more than others in terms of marine construction. I would say luck brought me here, to where I am today. I have never planned myself that way. I just followed what was given to me, and I kind of made my way here. I still doubt about my choice of career though. Despite all the upside my job gave me, the downside will always be there and I not sure that is really what I wanted.

Anyway, for the time being, I will just continue to do what I have always been doing, to have great faith in my abilities and to do what I am paid to do.

New Chapter in Life: New Job New Beginning

Well, instead of further study like I mentioned in my Preview of 2012, I changed job. The 23 of April 2012 was the last day of service to my company. 

It was my first company since graduation and I have learned lots to grow to a more mature engineer compare to 2 years ago. I joined this company on 17 May 2010 and gosh time passed so fast. I have since involved in 3 projects which exposed me to the fundamental of marine construction. The experience was awesome! Many thanks to colleagues whom had guide me throughout my time in this company.

About 3 months ago a new opportunity arose and I took it. As a result I will be starting my new job at 2nd of May. I will be working in Malaysia and this involve giving up my employment pass. It had certainly served me well for this past 2 years, enabled me to access Singapore easily. For the record, my passports only got stamped once by Singapore Immigration.

However, working in Malaysia also means a different kind of lifestyle. Not exactly new to me but this time it is more reassuring that I will be staying here far more longer. Hence I have bought my first ever car in my life! More about my car in future posts! ^.^

By the way, for the record as well, I have never bought any laptop in my life until one month ago. I've been using my company laptop LIKE A BOSS all this while haha! I'm changing company and of course the laptop has to go back to the HR, which it already did.

HP Envy 14 Spectre with HP X7000 Wifi Mouse and Beats by Dr. Dre! Also starring are my HTC Desire HD, Nokia Xpress Music 5130, and Samsung Monte.

Yes I did use 3 phones and in fact I have 4 phone numbers! Call me crazy but I really found them handy as I always moving around between JB and Singapore, and also to segregate my calls between personal and work. Don't be surprise if you only have one of my 4 numbers, because no body have all my 4 phone numbers. Mostly got one or two, three is very few! However I'm likely to reduce it to 2 or 3 starting next month.

I pray my new chapter in life will be better than ever if not awesome. 

Tokyo Love

 I came back from Japan about 12 days ago. What else i'm going to talk about if not Japan right?

Tokyo was where i went. A really... really awesome place! Everything just feels better!

The way people dress, the way people talk, the way people eat, the way people behave, etc, it was just awesome! The trains, the food, the architecture, etc, Tokyo was really an eye-opener to me.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing

Shinjuku

Tokyo Tower

Yokohama

Asakusa, background was Tokyo Sky Tree scheduled to open at 22nd May 2012

Meiji Shrine

Sensoji

Some of the stuffs you can't really depict from photos alone. You got to have videos. I have made one with my D7000 as well. Not recorded in the highest quality possible, which was quite sad cause i should have had. Never mind, i am all aspired to take better quality videos next time around.

Across Tokyo feat. Takashi Sorimachi's Forever

How's Life?

A week after i back to Singapore, feels like nothing changed.

The first day i cleaned my room for like 6 hours. I can still remember i was super tired but feel damn comfy sleeping in my bed.

The first day at work was okay. Had some meetings, had a lunch with big boss, which by the way was my first time.

Just wanna say... be cheerful and everything will turn out just fine!

The Tokyo Sky Tree

I'm going there very soon. ^.^

Getting Insured

Today i met up with a friend whom is an insurance agent. I was to get to know the insurance policies that are offered by the insurance company.

Well, it turned out quite fruitful and efficient. I called my brother and sister immediately after i was done talking to my friend. They very willingly accepted my proposal to get both my parents insured. We agreed to share the premiums and also the beneficiaries, which are the three of us as well obviously.

First payment is made and the forms are signed after my friend and myself explained to my parents the benefits of getting insured. My parents doubted the necessity of the policies but i believe it is a right choice.

At least today i have achieved a big step in ensuring part of the future of both my parents and among my siblings are taken care of. Medical bills can be quite a bitch!

Amid this CNY mood that are fading as i will be heading back to work soon, i wish everybody a Happy Chinese New Year! ^.^

Favourite picture for this year CNY Celebration!

Preview of 2012

Hi Everybody! I know it's a little bit late but i will assure you the following stories will not be a waste of time. :)

People usually talks about what happened last year when they stepped into new year i.e. best bits of 2011. However i'm going to skip that and do the opposite. Here's the preview of the year 2012 for me.

1. Moving back to Singapore

Yes. I will be back to Singapore for my third project in Keppel Tuas Shipyard early February. It's a very challenging project and i am quite delighted that i will be a part of it. I've been learning and it's been tough for me thus far. My new year resolution for work is that i must be humble and be willing to take advice. 

2. Going to the US

I have had quite an unusual experience obtaining the US Visa. In short, i will be at Kansas City for Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for my current project. Out of the 6 days, 2.5 days i will be in planes or airports. 1 day for FAT and 1.5 days free and easy. All are with co-workers of course. It is my first time there and it is work related but it certainly won't be the last since i'm having a 10 years multiple entry Visa. ^.^

3. Going to Japan

My Japan Visa is currently being processed. Like the US one but slightly easier, without interview, and it is free of charge as well. This trip however is not work related. I am going there alone for 7 days. I have a friend there who may able to bring me around. Well... going there anyway with or without anyone. Flights are confirmed. 

4. Buying a house

It is a new condominium located in Subang Jaya expected to complete end of 2014. Down-payment paid, loan approved, and going to sign S&P soon. The entire process is more tedious than i thought it would be. This house most probably is not for own stay. Maybe will sell maybe will rent out. Will see...

5. Just bought a 10-24mm Nikkor DX lens

I bought it for a week but yet to explore its greatness. This lens is a must considering the events that are going to happen this year. Not to mention the oversea trips i'm going to have, i actually have few friends going to tie the knot this year. Do expect some wedding related photos coming up later this year in my Facebook profile, or maybe here blogger. I think i will get a flash soon for proper wedding shoots. :P

6. Considering taking MBA

It is close to 2 years since i graduated from USM. The working life is not exactly broadening my perspective for life. I have not seen enough and i am hunger for more unique experiences. This is still at a very beginning stage, still not sure where to pursue MBA. Most probably i will take it full time and hence money is another issue i need to consider seriously. 

Some of you may have stopped reading the above and jumped to this photo. If you did please tick the "lolzz" below. Then i will know how exactly boring my writing is. Please comment as well if you think i look funny. Hahaha...

Is it a waste of time? Lolz...

Creating Great Memories

After watching 'You are the Apple of My Eye', can't help but recalled all the memories during my school days. They were so nostalgic and beautiful!

I realized that the beauty of life is life itself. You have to live in it and create great memories. Do awesome things! Do beautiful things! What kind of things is awesome and beautiful? Well you got to figure it out yourself. 

One day i'm going to dump my job and become a person i truly wanna become. Perhaps will go to a foreign land, if possible maybe i will get some odd jobs. Stay there for as long as possible, meet new people, and start creating great memories!

Does it sounds childish? Maybe... but what's so great about being a mature, predictable, dull person? I think i have done that enough. Should try to become silly and immature aka childish.

If we could possibly choose to stop growing up, would you want to?

This is not about Steve Jobs

The passing of Steve Jobs was a phenomenon although some people have deemed his contribution was overrated. There were other people with much greater inventions but never seemed to be appreciated as much as Steve Jobs does. He was good in earning our money and yet everybody respect him.

I do like one of its quotes though, which states;

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Live your everyday like it is the last day of your life. Do what you think that even if today was the last day you would ever live in this world and you would still do whatever you have planned to do today.

I realized i have failed in this respect. I still doing the same freaking thing i do everyday which wasn't really where my passion truly lies. Is it because i don't get to choose? Or just simply because i was afraid? Sometimes i think i have lost my direction in life. I was so tuned to work to the degree where i think i have forgotten my passion for other things in life. I don't feel the desire to do other things that much anymore. In fact, i don't know what i wanted to do exactly. I think i am losing it.

Where is my courage? I thought i was brave.

煎熬    李佳薇

Superb Vocal from 李佳薇

An August not to forget

The month of August 2011 is going to end in about 40 minutes time. Hope that i can finish this post before September come.

August was a happening month. I moved to Pasir Gudang at 10th of August. A day after i enjoyed a day off at 9th of August, National Day of Singapore. Settling down at this very industrialised town is okay. The first few days was awful. No transport, no internet, etc...

Things get better after that, company given me one old, rusted Iswara but who cares, as long as its wheels are rolling. Few days after that i registered Celcom broadband 3.5mbps speed with 6GB for monthly usage. Pretty smooth and hustle free. Nice. I can claim from the company as well because it is for work purposes too.

Ever since i came to Pasir Gudang, i went back to Singapore every weekends. Partly due to there is no entertainment around Pasir Gudang. Plus the fact that i'm not really familiar with Johor roads, is better to go back to some where i can take public transports to wherever i want to go and meet my friends.

This month is also special because LGM came down to NTU for the final round of FYSK-17. Although we didn't win but it was fun and it was great to be able to meet them and listen to them playing again.

This month going to end really nicely. With the last few days of the month being holidays, and the fact that i enjoyed off days and celebrated the National Day for both Singapore and Malaysia together at this month makes it even special.

LitleGras life is always the best! Wish this could last forever and ever.

现在的我

After a year working in Singapore, i will be backed to Malaysia again. Not for good but at least for 6 months, which is the period of the new project i am going to involve in.

The site is located in Pasir Gudang, not sure how is it though, never been there. Judging from my current scope of work, i can say i have move forward in my career. I have been learning new things on a on-going basis. It is quite satisfying, knowing i am on the right track.

However, sometimes, i still miss my life being a student, or rather i should say the life when i indulged myself in the sea of music, playing in a band, drumming. Such a great life it is.

I am thinking whether i should stop working for a year or two, then just join some band and play music. You know i can't really let go of the paycheck i am receiving every fortnightly, but then again what is the money for when you can't do something you want to do. For whom for what we want to be rich?

Having able to buy stuffs that you want, be it a car, a house, a branded watch or other any other expensive stuffs, does not really help in making you happy and contended for life. It is always a temporary effect, where you only enjoyed for a brief moment when your materialistic-ism being fulfilled. After the hormones disappeared, your happiness also vanished.

I need a reason for me to continue working on my career goals. Please give me one.



王力宏 - 需要人陪

I started working exactly a year ago today

 Today is May 17th! It is a public holiday in Singapore, Vesak Day. Well, today is also the day where i started working after completing my studies a year ago. A welcomed coincidence isn't it?

Generally i find myself love to work in marine environment. It offers some kind of thrill out of the routine boredom from time to time. What kind of thrill am i talking about? It is the thrill of unforeseen circumstances.

Myself about a year ago!

You know in construction line, schedule is of utmost importance. Basically a major determinant of whether a construction firm going to grasp a profit from a particular project. And for most of the construction projects on land, in my opinion, are quite predictable. However, it is not so in the marine construction.

Why do i said so? One of the factors that influence schedule are tidal change. The level of permanent structure is not going to change regardless of the tide. Therefore sometimes, for a particular work, there is only 3 to 4 workable hours in a day as the seawater level rises or falls. Hence, planning is an everyday job because tide levels are different in each and every hour everyday. Of course there are works that do not depend on tide levels, this is where the other hours in a day are used for.

Piling Barge

My company specializes in marine foundation works. Our works are highly dependent on machineries, as most of the machineries are huge. To name a few, piling barge, crane barge, material barge, jack-up barge, drilling machine, anchor boat et cetera. When there are so many plants and machineries around, breakdown of machineries is inevitable. This is the second factor that influence the schedule, in fact, a lot.

Many construction companies overlooked the importance of workers, thinking they could be replaced with another one anytime, causing their welfare poorly taken care of.  Perhaps it is because they are afford to lose their workers, but it is not so in my company, workers are rather important. Due to the fact that we got so many kinds of machinery, we need operators/workers to operate them. Project managers or engineers are not going to operate them, hence workers and their respective supervisors know best. They are in fact real skillful personnel, an important assets to the company. Some of the operators and supervisors actually earning a salary higher than engineers, and maybe project manager too.

DTH Hammer

Tackling the unforeseen circumstances, analyses the problems, thinking of a solution, planning the works, are everyday chores. I was very helpless at first, but now i started to get the hang of it. Under the guidance of my manager and fellow colleagues, operators and even workers. I am feeling quite good doing my job everyday. 

914.4mm OD Steel Pipe Piles with length from 32m to 45m

In my company, everyone has different expertise to offer, and i try to learn from everyone of them. I looking forward to gain an all round knowledge, and become a complete, highly capable personnel for the company. In return, hopefully, fulfilled my ambition and satisfaction in life by gaining a highly rewarding career.

Myself being melodramatic

We all used to be a student. We have friends around us that we usually hangout together with. Whenever you feel bored or something you can instantly grab your phone and send a text message or just call them out for something.

As time goes by, we grow older and we graduated and started working. We have less time for each other because we need to cope with the work stress and physical tiredness resulted from our job. Perhaps we could see each other during the weekends, if we feel like wanted to.

And then another stage come in, now is the time to settle down, it is almost time to start a family. At this moment you will meet your friends less and less. Most of the time you will be hanging out with your another half, life partner. When both of your partner and you also working, it is only logical to spend time together during weekends.

How about friends? Yeah we still hangout some time, just not as often, way less often. Can't help but feel pathetic having to write this post. Feelings struck when i tried to get some friends for lunch and i couldn't find any. Sorry about that.

p/s: i will still going out to meet a friend later in the evening. The situation is not as bad as you think but, i just wanted to depict the feelings i have right now.

Stress out

You know some time i do think my PM treat me not bad. But somehow or rather i easily feel annoyed by whatever he asked me to do. 

I mean for a boss to ask his man to work, give him a task, is perfectly normal. Sometimes we even heard about some unreasonable boss giving unreasonable workload plus bad treatment. Well, i don't really get this kind of treatment but i wonder why i got so fed up with everything he did. Even though it is just a very small issue.

I practically not afraid of him. Maybe don't have respect either. I don't know.

I threw my anger to him today, electronically. I mean, using email. Think i shouldn't have done that but i just can't resist myself.

Perhaps it is because no matter what kind of situations we are in, we still manage to find some bad stuff in it and complain. Just like in Singapore while everything looks pretty good already but you will still find lots of people complaining about stuffs, although it is much better than Malaysia already.

Perhaps we just won't get enough of everything we have had. We always want to be better, and in one way it make us suffer.

What is my problem?

I think most probably people who read my blog posts will probably realized that most of my posts revolves around my thoughts. Thoughts that are few could be able to understand, i guess.

At first i thought it is because i think too much, but after recently i thought to myself perhaps the problem could be also addressed as "obsessive". I realized i do obsess with a lot of things.

So is it being obsessive a problem? It sounds like it does. However, if you look at it positively, one could also say it is "passion", isn't it? When i obsess with playing drum i become good at it. But when it comes to relationships, i think obsessive could only lead to the bad side, negative. 

It is simple and make sense. Who likes to be obsessed by somebody else? It sounds like a stalker or a sex maniac. "Mutual" is the word for relationships. Okay now the problem is, how to control my "passion" for it? How to make it "mutual", so to speak?

"Actually i do like you but not very intensely." Like that? Or act like i don't really care when i really do? Is that the way? With all these being said, am i really have to learn to distract my thoughts with other stuffs? When all i really want to do is to think about her? How could i ended up driven her away? I do feel when i don't care as much, my feelings for relationships around me is better. When i really care about it, i will feel i have not done enough, and i will put myself in a difficult situation, making myself feel bad when things did not happen the way i wanted it to be.

Now don't ask or try to guess who is the "her". There's is no specific her because the scenario mentioned above does not happened for one time only. I don't know whether this is the true problem or not, but yet i got no better explanation to all that have happened. Perhaps you could give me an answer for that matter.

Perhaps the moment when i am thinking and blogging about this, it is already a problem itself, because usually ordinary man would not have such a thinking in the first place. They are steady and cool with almost everything, exaggeratedly.

Is that a problem? What is my problem?

Good Life

You know in this world no one can take care of your feelings. People don't really care about what they did to others and they don't consider how the other person thinks. 

Alright i know it sound harsh. They may consider but at the end of the day. Their own feelings are the most important things. They will take care of their own feelings even though it includes hurting you.

So you must stand up and protect your own! Why let them ruining your days? We wake up in the morning every single day thinking about life. We want a good one of course. So then we must take care of our own feelings.

If making other feels good and you feel goods too then that's win-win. If you being nice and your are hurt instead. What for being nice?

If hurting them makes you feel good, go ahead and screw them!!

64.97m above sea level

Henderson Waves was where it is. 64.97m is not the highest point, but it is the point where i stopped at. It is not high, so going down is easy. I have stopped looking for the truth and i'm on my way down. The scariness has gone. Apparently it wasn't that important after all.

The Fear!

I am scare! I can't calm myself down. I'm like watching an endless scary ghost movie.

I have discovered things that i shouldn't know. These things are so dramatic that it is unbelievable. And i have yet to discover all, which makes it even more scary! I don't know what is the truth exactly. The truth, however, is kind of predictable, but i am too scare to accept it being a truth.

I don't know what i should do. My heart pumping fast when i think of it. I feel a deep sense of fear. Fear that i have never felt before in my entire life. It keeps coming. I'm drowning inside it.

There are only so much i can tell. This is because as in somehow a silence promise has been made when i talked to the story teller. The story teller did not really ask or threaten me to keep it as secret, but i just know that i could not tell.

The story teller is like no other story tellers. She just present the tip of the ice berg for you. She then without doing anything, capable of manipulate your thoughts to discover more things. She will only tell when you ask. I have thought of not asking but i could not let go of the truth. I wonder why i want to know a truth that will scare the hell out of me?!

I feel sick. I feel nausea. I feel hot and suddenly i feel cold. Am i really sick or a ghost has got on me?

Pre-Holiday shoutout!

Well... Holiday officially started! I'm still in Singapore though. Bus depart tonight at 9pm.

You know i thought i was quite committed to my job already. Willing to work like no day or night for my company. I really thought i'm doing good enough. But as time passed by, apparently it wasn't enough. When you willing to commit more, the more they going to give. It will never stops. 

My superior actually expects me to do more. I mean WTH? You want more? I'm a human you know. I need rest and i need time for my own activity. Wonder why the culture of my company is like that. Why there isn't anything about Work Life Balance? A company can't strive if it provides its employees more time at home? I don't feel i rewarded fairly. It makes me less motivated. I mean who is going to appreciate your efforts? Who sees it? What is the point of working damn f'ing hard?

I really love spending time listening to music, watching Youtube videos and stuffs. Be it a music videos, a cover, or a review or know-how. It makes my day pleasant. Song heals man!! Listen to Tyler Ward. He's Great!

Light bulb on my ceiling

I took my E pass yesterday, which is great! Not that because i want to become a Singapore PR but because i feel i deserve it. Actually it will not affect me very much but still it just feels better.

2010 will come to end about 24 hours later. Thought i should at least write something to end this year entries. So probably you will find reading this post direction-less. 

One great thing for me is i will not be working during 1st and 2nd January. I gonna really have to think and plan carefully how am i going to spend these 2 days. My tripod has been hiding in its bag most of the time. Only brought it out twice for some try-outs. Nothing significant products yet. Think i will be doing something with my tripod this weekends.

My parents were having a hard time getting bus ticket for me. CNY tickets are being sold at an incredibly high price. Almost 3 times of normal selling price.

FYI i passed my BTT too. The next step is to go to Malaysia's JPJ and cut my Malaysia driving license, then go back to Singapore and convert my driving license. I will then free to drive on Singapore roads.

Gosh... I feel this post is damn pathetic and boring. That's all for today. By the way, Bleeding Love by New Heights is just awesome!!