Tuesday 31 August 2010

Lahirlah Kita SATU MALAYSIA!

Telah begitu lama,
Mata melihat
Telah begitu lama,
Lidah - lidah berkata
Telah begitu lama,
Telinga mendengar

Ku mendahuluimu,
benarkah aku?
Kau mendahuluiku,
benarkah kamu?
Mengapa tidak kita berlari bersama?

Berdiri berfikir bertindak sebagai satu
Bukan menolak resam
Bukan menolak asal usulmu
Semua untuk satu dan jelas satu untuk semua

Maka kami rakyat Malaysia berikrar akan menumpukan seluruh usaha dan tenaga kami demi mencapai cita - cita negara berdasarkan atas prinsip - prinsip berikut.

Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan
Kesetiaan kepada Raja & Negara
Keluhuran Perlembagaan
Kedaulatan Undang - Undang
Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan

Mengapa tidak kita berlari bersama

Berdiri berfikir bertindak sebagai satu,
Bukan menolak resam,
Bukan menolak asal usulmu,
Semua untuk satu dan jelas satu untuk semua

Lahirlah Kita SATU MALAYSIA!


Listening to lagu Satu Malaysia, Jalur Gemilang and all its alikes. Reminded me so much of the times before when I used to sell my life and soul just for training. Training to serve the state and my Malaysia as a rhythmic gymnast. 

If anything, I'm a proud Malaysian and definitely thankful, that I got the rare opportunity of carrying the Jalur Gemilang at international meets and competition. Those were the days when I didn't know what education is about, my head only had sports in it and Gold medals. 

Now that it's all gone, if anything, I'm forever thankful that I got to experience the best of both worlds. The sports days and having the chance to fight for Selangor and Malaysia, and afterwards, I'm now serving my company as an Investment Banker, a dream I never thought I could ever possibly achieve when I was younger. Yup, coz I never used to do my homework! :P

Saturday 28 August 2010

Why I never did Law

When I was younger I used to look up to these lawyers and their ability to speak well. There I was staring at them and secretly wishing I can be a lawyer one day. Little did I know, I can never survive in the law field - at least I say so now.

Past one week I had the opportunity to represent my firm in fighting for our legal clauses in the legal documents for one of the facilities - the GFA (General facility Agreement), a legal document that lay down all terms and conditions that are agreed by both parties, "seller" and "buyer" before it can be executed.

So there I was reading the freaking sleepy+makes no immediate sense to my little brain+thick stack of documents, at every sentence telling myself that their sentences do not make sense, or it's one of those sentences that if you were to write in your SPM essay, you'd get a big fat F. Seriously, one sentence in TEN FREAKING LINES, with NO COMMAS and NO FULL STOP! What the heaven?! I'd die if I did this for my degree, I swear! I'd probably be struggling just to pass my first year.


But that aside, one thing I loved witnessing in the board room, was the heated discussion and rebuttal that our lawyers and their lawyers had for each other. It just amazes me how brilliant they are, and how professionally trained and  intelligent that every sentence that came out of their mouth was. MOTIVATING really! 


I, on the other hand, was feeling so thankful as every minute passed by, and even greater a thankful feeling as every second passed. Not so much of how small I feel amongst these intelligent lawyers, but if anything, I was brought to one of the most important part that makes up the whole process, and I was allowed to comment and I WAS HEARD! That, is something I would never ever trade for anything else, be it money or bonus. I'm only an associate, but I was entrusted to make comments against Partners of one of the most known Law Firm in Malaysia.


An ASSOCIATE (aka Trainee) vs A big law firm's PARTNER 


Everyday I look forward to go to work. Everyday I am eager to get up and get ready for work. I miss work when weekend comes and I'm just so very thankful to Allah for He is so Great! Only He can feel this amazing flow of thankful and happy feeling in me when it comes to work.

Really, it's the AMAZING TEAM that I have at work, the TRUST that they have in me, the exposure that they trust me with and I don't know how else to mention the greatness of this all. It's just massive and I'm just so thankful everyday, it's no wonder I'm so in love with work, Alhamdulillah :)

Wednesday 25 August 2010

A New Ramadhan

It's not a De Javu anymore everytime Ramadhan comes. It used to be something very familiar and similar to the previous year whilst I was in London. EVer since I came back, every Ramadhan is different.

Usually, it'll be a Ramadhan filled with classes and lectures. However, last year was one kind of its own, when I spent my Ramadhan in the Hospital, everyday, for a month. I even deferred my intake for work so that I could care for my lil cousin brother in the hospital.

This year, I experience yet another new Ramadhan. This is the first time that I am celebrating Ramadhan and at the same time have started working. Long hours is not something odd where I work, so I found myself sahur-ing at the office the first day of Ramadhan, and presenting to our head at 7 am in the morning - when even the sun was not awake yet. The first few days of Ramadhan happened to be the few most hectic days at work, rushing for deadlines and finalizing a deal, hence the sleepover pyjama nights in the office! Everyday, we'd walk out to search for food for break fast and then get back to work, and then morning comes and it's BAU (business as usual).

I swear I looked like a zombie that needed sleep, but at the same time, was a happy one. All because I know, this kind of opportunity don't come too often and when it comes, might as well work my butt off. The  satisfaction I got was well worth every single minute I stayed awake. What more, I have an excellent team! So working hours come close to play time, especially when your team members are one who knows how to handle them pressure and stress. Things just work out excellently - even when things seem impossible at times :)

I'd say, it was indeed a test we were put through, as pressure and stress build up and the anxiety plus the eagerness to finalize everything to perfection. Ramadhan is not all about refraining yourselves from food, but also from all other unnecessary actions such as boasting, swearing, impatience and this time, it was definitely a good test for everyone. Alhamdulillah, everyone survived and kudos to the team, we managed to create a 250 pages book in 48 hours - a book that got the approval! Yum! :)

Sunday 22 August 2010

Continuous Sickness

I've just been diagnosed this new sickness - I don't know what it's called, but I just know it's related to work.

Since things started picking up, and work became more serious, projects played a significant importance, things have been nothing less than crazy! But somehow, I love it. Yes, that's the sickness. I'm super in love with work. It scares me sometimes.

Why? It's because, I get so eager to go to work every morning, I don't get em Monday blues. In fact, when weekends come, I miss going to office - A lot at times. Thankfully, family time beats working-on-weekends happiness. This weekend happened to be one of the weekends when I am not called to office. I miss it no doubt, but I've had an amazing time spending it with my family at home! Mum, dad, abang, lil nieces, cousins, movies and the list goes on.

So a colleague recommended Grown Ups to watch, and coincidentally daddy woke me up for a movie day out today. So I decided on Grown Ups. Might as well, since I don't get movie time come by my way that often. I was told that the movie was funny and it's an excellent break. After it ended, I did find the movie funny, and a light hearted comedy perfect for a weekend break. However, funnily, I actually caught myself thinking, "These days I'd prefer sleep, or work rather than a movie at the cinema. Anytime. Or just listening to music and doing some reading. It actually gives me a greater satisfaction!"

I'm weird I know. Sometimes, I don't even understand myself. I really want to know, what is it it in my system that's driving my adrenaline to love work so much, I'd do anything to have that opportunity to work. Probably part of it is because, I am easily pleased (even my Boss agreed) and I'm easily motivated (my whole team themselves told me this) and I'd have to say, I have one damn amazing team!! I love the things I learn from them but I just really don't understand that 'virus' in me. Is this a normal 'working' phase that everyone go through? Or am I the only weird one?

Whatever it is, I'm thankful to Allah that I'm so in love with my job. Alhamdulillah :)

Saturday 21 August 2010

One thing about growing up; you have less time for friends

It's been ages since Vy and I last met. So we've resorted to a relationship/friendship that feeds highly on BBM. Or as and when we're lazy to type, then we start punching in those numbers and calling. Like she said : "One thing about growing up; you have less time for friends."


What more when we're both super crazy in love with our work :) I can't help but remember darling's little story everytime...Her writing just amazes me all the time!
__________________

Once upon a time, there were 4 little girls. A, B, C and D.
A and B were best friends when they were 6 years old. They were the two shortest girls in the year, so that meant their friendship sparked at the front of the line during each assembly. Off they went, in their pigtails and high ponytails, running around the school and playing. They shared a brief friendship, because B’s parents cruelly took B out of the school and relocated to the UK.
A was devastated.
B too was devastated.
But they were too young to remember the details.
Years went on, and A met C. They hated each other because they were always competing to get the highest grade in school. It came to a point that it didn’t matter if they didn’t get no. 1. The crucial part was that they beat each other.
That hate slowly turned into love, and 11 years on, they have been inseparable best friends.
Meanwhile, B met D, and they too have their own story which made them become the best of friends.
Fate has a funny way of working because the two best friends were separated by distance.
There was a funny best friend switch; A and D were in London together, while B and C were in Melbourne.
D told A that her best friend, B knows of A. And D couldn’t wait to arrange a reunion when all of them were in the same country.
So, on one fateful day, after 16 years of lost friendship, A and B had their very own “Jejak Kasih” moment, witnessed by C and D (and many many other people, but that’s not the point).
From then on, the four of them; A, B, C and D embarked on a beautiful friendship.
And we all have to thank.
group
D, A, C, B
av
Duo 1: A and C
as
Duo 2: B and D
group2
The four of us finally; Alia, Me, Toots, Shura
OK, even I’m getting confused with all the As and Bs. Basically:
A: Me
B: Shura
C: Toots
D: Alia