Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur

All this while I wanted to write something here about Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur and originally planned to write about my traning days(yeah it was way back then haha) but due to coming home practically a zombie I find it a bit difficult to conjure up something meaningful. Hmmm maybe it's also just because I was too lazy to write haha.

Five months had passed and a lot had happened. Plans had changed and here I am now, sadly I wont be able to grace that very establishment anymore. I will now focus my attention to hopefully complete a Masters degree and ultimately be a lecturer. However I feel that a proper goodbye is in order and therefore I summoned my "rajin" self to finally write a piece about the hotel. In a way this is my very own tribute to a place that i can truly say that it was my home away from home. I was so attached that I had my very own favourite toilet haha Toilet number four hahaha

****

During my tenure at Traders, I had two status. First I was the "Trainee who everyone thought was a Permanent" and then I was the "Permanent who everyone thought was still a Trainee" haha So yeah I was a confused fella haha. Maybe it's the look haha as one guest told me when I told her that people usually say I look older, "Nah, East you don't look old..You just have that sophisticated look, that matured look" haha well A fresh graduate with a sophisticated look i guess maybe that was the cause for the whole confusion haha

I am grateful to have met a lot of different and unique characters during my time at Traders. Met new acquaintances and made many more friends. When I came back after a months worth of holiday, the moment that I step one foot on the compound of the building, I was instantaneously swept by a a sense of belonging. It really felt like I was back at my hometown after years in the city(figure of speech k haha). Hahah well I can't help being all sentimental. Imagine as you walked and someone shouted "Weh Is aku rindu kau"(not in a creepy way k haha). To be acknowledge is a great feeling so yeah I was ecstatic to be back with my friends, my family. Owh If your wondering who was that chap who missed me a lot and surprisingly he misses me a lot of times because he'll usually say that to me haha Well he's the person who has three unique names but people know him by another name, he's none other than Mr Yogi haha

Talking about making friends at Traders, try and guess who were the 1st few friends that I truly connected with. Nope it wasn't the FO staff neither was it the F&B staff. They were none other than the security personnel haha Min, Man, Chaudry, Full, Bed and occasionally Charles. During my 1st month of training, they were the ones that kept me company because i was stationed near them. Answering and attending to any of my queries and doubts. I'm not saying that the FO staffs weren't of any help at all. They do take some time to talk to me once in awhile but at the same time I understand that they're really busy with their work. I mean the hotel business is always run in a really fast pace. So yeah no biggie I understood the situation. Although that's the case, I do enjoy listening to all the seniors advice especially from Fahim. Somehow, underneath that playfull and cheery exterior, I do believe that he is a great senior because of all the advice that he is willing to give to the more junior staff but mostly to the female junior staff la hahhaa no la kidding.

Well back to talking about security, I'm actually feeling a bit sad because I won't be able to be there for Min's farewell. Min was the first person that I proudly treated as my 'brother' haha He just got that friendly personality but sometimes its hard to understand him because he speaks too fast hahah You could always depend on him being there to help you no matter who you are. I remembered one time, I lost my socks after Friday prayers. Apparently someone liked them so much that they might as well take them hahaha no la most probably it was an accident. Well anyways..When I got back to the hotel, I was thinking.."AIYA how la to work without socks". Then I saw Min and I told him what had happened. So I asked him whether Housekeeping got any black socks that I could borrow. Without any hesitation he said that I could borrow his extra socks haha What a life saver. Sigh I never got to repay his favour. So yeah, next time you come back to Malaysia bring your wife la and I'll treat you guys dinner haha

****

Once I was asked, "why did you choose the hotel industry?" I duly answered each and every time that it was because that I liked the idea of making people happy and also by the fact that I get the chance to meet unique and different characters. With each answer I was referring to the external customers i.e. the guest of the hotel but as I spent more time in Traders I come to notice that..Hey there are some weird characters internally as well hahaha and by weird I meant that in a good way ok haha.

So yeah if you haven't guessed it already, in the next section we will delve deep into the profiles of these weird characters hahaha Well I guess I'll start with the most hyper I suppose haha so yes that means you Maxine hahah

Maxine was the very first face that I remembered when I entered the HR office for my interview haha I still remembered it very clearly and initially I really thought that she was Yvonne and that I'll be having the interview with her haha. She had that annoyed look on her face most probably through the built up stress that she normally gets(she probably didn't know that she'll get more when I'm with her haha) and the same time she had the "who-are-you-suppose-to-be" stare haha I found out later on that she wasn't the "bengis" type haha and apparently she's the hyper type-far from what I've imagined hahaha She is one of the people at the hotel that I truly salute and respect. She has tons of patience when dealing with the staff, an attribute that is needed in her position. I managed to give her a real headache when I was there haha asking her all kind of questions about the system, about the hotel's procedure, anything that I could think of because I was really interested in learning more and to better myself. Being the great person that she is she provided me with great knowledge and humor too, mostly was laughing because of her clumsiness la and also those funny sounds that she tends to make in any given situation hahaha She really did inspire me to be a trainer/lecturer. Thank you

When I resigned, my thoughts were really directed to her because somehow I've grown accustommed to her presence that I've become close. To me she was really like a sister and her feelings mattered just as a family member's feeling did mattered. I felt that I've really let her down in one way or the other. After all the time that she spent in nurturing me to become a good hotelier but I'm really sorry that things didn't turn out to be more favourable. I'm Sorry.

****

Next I'd like to thank Ian for being my very first buddy there in Traders. Although he was then a senior of just three months, he was a great senior. He gave me a great experience of being left alone to face the guest all by myself and he also dumped all of his work to me like a great senior hahahah no la. Ian was a great buddy. He stood by me until he saw that I was capable enough to face the guest all by myself and he was patient enough to indulge in answering all of my questions haha. He went through a lot of changes since then. Being transferred around and finally settled in a spot that I saw him doing well in. Although there's a ton of stress that comes with job but I can honestly say that he has that natural ability to brush it of at the end of the day. I'm sure he'll do great there. Thank you

Now we come to my very first boss, well my supervisor la haha. Mr Keane Lai. The first time I met him was at the Front Office Back Office. I forgot whether it was for a tour or something else but all I can remember is him being scolded by the security and was told to move his car hahaha At that time I was not aware that he would be my supervisor so I just laughed it off(inside of course haha). He was one of the many colleagues that helped me to feel more at home there at the hotel. He showed to me that you don't really need to be to stressed out whena t work or else you'll die young hahah He also 'helped' in getting me to know more about the OPMS that the hotel used by giving me tons of his job to me hahahhaha no la kidding-kidding. Thank you

Then its the other Tai Ko at the back office, Mr Darrel Hor. My first impression of him was, "Fuyoh such gangster looking fella is a Service Leader" hahaha He was you know but I come to know that was just on the outside. Never would you see him explode err make it seldom haha because I just remembered the other day when he exploded like an atomic bomb hahaha Ahem..Anyways~

Darrel Notes(for old times sake)
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- Prefer to be called Darrel not boss and likes to eat banana. FORaja/301109
- Has a secret affair with Ian although he would vehemently deny it every time. FORaja/301109

Haha jokes aside, I spent one month helping(don't know if helped meuch haha) Mr Darrel(on purpose) with his work which to me seemed never ending. Naturally, I saw it fit to help him with the best of my ability because prior to the one month stint, through my observation -yes ladies and gentleman I did use my eyes and observe stuff haha- he was one of the good people at Traders. Good in the sense that, whenever it's possible he'll lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it. After a whole lot of sacastic remarks and "I'm-going-to-kill-you-stares" la..Hmmmm or was it just only directed to me..Anyone?? haha He's a great guy and he's would be a great manager. Goodluck Darrel and try not to sound like a kid when people contact you through your dect phone hahaha Thank you

****

Now, on to the team that made me enjoy life as a hotelier, well two of the team. The Concierge and the Traders Club. I've enjoyed myself the most when I was at both places due to the ammount of interactions one can get with the guest. I know that most people would most often than not pray that they don't have to deal with any guest or customer in their line of work. Their fears hightened with every word that comes out of the guest mouth and ultimately fearing the responsibility placed upon them with every guest request. To be honest, I was one of those people once and coming from an introverted background it was even nightmare for me haha We tend to create a mental picture of what would happen and at the end we will be fearing fear itself. It's like one of the motivational posters in one of the training rooms in Traders, the greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you will make one.

So yeah, I took it as a challenge and slowly, I began to enjoy having that space in time to converse with the guest and sometimes I feel that it was too short haha. You do sometimes feel like a tourist yorself when you delve into their own culture. Cultural exchange I guess haha. To know that you can help to make someone's day is very rewarding. Whether its by helping to give recommendations or even simply by cheering up the guest. I remember one time, I was having a conversation with a guest talking about the Petronas Towers and the KL Towers. Nearing the end of the conversation I asked him where to next as it was their last day in Kuala Lumpur. Kota Kinabalu being their next destination I asked him, "So are you planning to conquer Mount Kinabalu?". He duly said yes, thats part of the plan and carried on to ask me on the degree of difficulty of the hike. You see the thing is I've never even ever set foot in Sabah so yeah I was clueless but at the spur of the moment I simply said to him, "For a person as fit as you it surely wouldn't be a problem" and he immediately smiled from ear to ear and thank me formaking his day haha. To me, these were the special moments that I cherish during my time at the hotel.

Guest aside, the Concierge crew and the Traders Club crew really made me feel at home. Because somehow I do feel a strong sense of camaraderie whilst I was working there. These were the places that you need to have a great teamwork and where selflessness really matters because you need each other to support each other's back. It was also a very fun place for me. I've really enjoyed the company off all the staff there. Lets proceed in listing them in detail shall we haha. When I think of concierge one person stands out from the rest, its none other than the very talented Mr Fizzy Ezwan haha To me he was really made for the concierge position because of his bubbly character. He can always make me laugh with his "tidak tanya pun" and his general ability to make all the people around him feel at ease. Having saying that, fun and work is two different thing and he's good at both. When it comes to work he'll be one of the top performers. When I first came to concierge and wanted to buddy up with him, I was expecting him to be lax in his work ethics but I was suprised at the seriousness that he applied in making sure that he is doing a good job-with the occasional jokes of course haha Thank you

Next up is Mr Iskandar(the more huggable and cuter one) and Mr Yogi. The thing that both of them have in common is that they are both great seniors and that they will always find time to help the juniors in any way possible. I am greatful to have them as my seniors and to be able to ask them if there were any confusions. Haha talking about Iskandar, I still remember there was once a group of guest wanted to see me before they checked out but at that time I was on the afternoon shift so I wasn't there. So they asked at the Concierge counter to see "Iskandar" so the concierge called the other Iskandar. When he came to the group they said, "Not this one, the taller one" hahah Sorry Is. That's why I decided to use the name East there at Traders so that there wont be any more confusions haha Thank you

Owh ya there's one more event at Concierge that is worth sharing. I was at the concierge helping out as usual when I heard the news, at that very time a trainee had messed up doing one of the concierge task. Later on I was asked to help them. I asked Ben(one of the Service Leader) "Are you sure you want me to go? Not they said that trainees are not allowed anymore??" Then he just said that if its me then its ok haha they used to joke that I was the experienced trainee haha The thing that I want to share here is that in life there is a need for acknowledgement from the persons around you. It doesn't matter if he is your colleague, your boss or your employee. A little acknowledgement of their work wont do them any harm, infact it even may increase their job satisfactory which can lead to higher job efficiency hahah Kinda like Im writing one of my degree's essays hahha but it is really true so Thank you Ben.

****

It's no secret that Service Centre was the last place in my mind when I was to be posted and I'm sure you guys can see by the reaction and generally the condition of my face when I got the news that I was to be in Service Centre haha I was like OWH EM GEE(shout out to Samson haha). One thing that I need to clear up though. It's not that I dislike the place but its just that all my life I don't really like the telephone hahah I really prefer communicating to the person face to face. The first two days really stressed me a lot, I was like sweating, mistakenly pressing this and that..well you get the picture haha but I can truly say that the crew made it less stressful for me. Especially when I was with Liz, WeiWei and Xuan. Liz with helped by being cool and ever calm in handling any situation which brought me confidence too. WeiWei and Xuan helped by well being their crazy self haha By being wacky and crazy all the time made me feel that you can have fun too and that don't be so uptight hahah. Not to say that the rest did not help in making it less stressful but these three people made me think to myself, "Hey, it's not really that bad, just got to get use to it". Owh ya how can I forget my buddy at Service Centre, Ms Candice. I would like to say osrry because you need to bear with all of my repetitive questions haha and also sorry for sometimes being stubborn hahaha. Thank you

How can I talk about Service Centre without even mentioning their Tai Ka Jie Ms Diana Pang hahaha. The first time I met her was during my first orientation(first because I had two of them haha). She was handling one of the session. Ah yes the Tribe X story session. During that time I was totally oblivious to her ferocious nature hahahaha kidding-kidding. People tend to think that she would always eat anyone who works with her. I still remember when I was posted to her in Service Centre, my heart was going 100 beats per second hahaha To me its not that she likes to find faults in others each and everytime but it is the fact that she believes in everyone and that they can achieve even more with the extra effort. After being with her for a few days, my heart slowly beated at a regular healthy pace and I saw her face changed from being ferocious to a more cute and adorable Ms Pang hahaha I was at ease with her till the point that I can joke and tease her(which comes with a slap from her la haha) Ah~ yeah those were the days. BOSS!! THANK YOU FOR NOT SCOLDING TOO MUCH!!! hahah Thank you.

Another person that's worth mentioning is the General Manager, Mr Richard Cooke. The very first encounter that I had with Mr Cooke was quite err well awkward I guess haha I was on my way back to my training when I saw a Caucasian figure walking through the corridor. Not recognizing who he was I just flicked a smile to him and the same time a friend of mine acknowledged him and had small talks with him. Afterwards when I caught up with the friend, I asked him who was the person and apparently he's the new General Manager haha The thing is prior to me getting employed, the General Manager was Mr Brea. So yeah I was unaware of the change and it caught me off guard haha I always believe that a person can never demand respect but a person can command respect. Meaning respect is always earned and it is always mutual. The thing that made me start to respect him was during he's first introductory speech to the new intakes. No, it wasn't the fact that he is passionate about Arsenal that he spoke of the club as his religion haha it was these few words, "I do not like to swear and people who swear". I've always respect a man who sticks to his priciple no matter what(Even though he's an Arsenal fan haha)

Another awkward/funny encounter that I had was during one of my breaks. I went in TJ's(Traderian Joint/Cafeteria) just as usual and my eyes were solely piqued at the buffet line. Slowly digesting with my eyes the days meal one by one. As I neared the noodle and pastries section, my attention was suddenly derailed by a figure manning the waffle thing-a-ma-jig(I don't know what its called haha). I thought to myself, "Hmmmm since when do we have a giant of a man as a chef and caucasian too??" hahaha Yeah, you've guessed it, it was Mr Cooke. Apparently, the day was the day that all the Executive Members showed their appreciation towards all the staff by taking turns serving the meal. Honestly, the general atmosphere at that very moment was kinda awkward to me but with that said I understand and appreciate the sentiment shown by them. The thing that I regretted was..not having the chance to eat the waffle hahahha because I was to "segan" to approach Mr Cooke haha. I wish you all the best Mr Cooke in taking Traders to newer heights. Thank you.

****

Fate can be funny sometimes. It never stopped catching me off guard every single time haha. On my official last day in Traders, I was apparently signed up for the Traderian Talk which was conducted by the ever charismatic and ever smiling Mr Quay. As I sat for the talk, a certain melancholic feeling started to engulf me. It was like he was telling me things that I'll miss when I step out of the hotel. At the end of the talk he shook my hand and wished me luck and asked me to do my best. It was just like one of those family moments and I'm going to miss them. All of them..

It took me quite a while to finish this post..Guess I didn't really want it to end, I didn't want my time at Traders to be just a distant past. When I told Diana about my intentions of pursuing a masters degree, I told her that I made the decision with a heavy heart. Once she heard me utters those words she snapped and scolded me kaw kaw hahahah No la just kidding Boss. She disagreed with that cute smile of her's haha saying that I've only been at Traders for awhile so it is quite improbable that I would feel that way. Yes, I agree that it's only been a short stay but honestly and this is the truth, nothing but the truth, within the time that I spent there I fell in love with Traders Kuala Lumpur. There I said it haha and yeah it was that hard of a decision to make.

I've always enjoyed being the hotel's ambassador -albeit an unofficial one at that- when I'm around my friends. It always fill me with pride(pride without arrogance that is) when I get to share how great it was at the hotel. So before I end the post, I just hope you guys would allow me to be one of your GC members. Without the benefits of course haha Although I might not be worth as much as the Elite members but I'll carry on the good word of mouth.

Thank you and I'll miss u guys. TRADERIAN ROCKS!!!

Regards
Raja Iskandar Putera/THKL0876

*Closes Cashier*

*Presses F8*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!!!!!!

Trading in the Old for the New..Part 2.5

As i sit here in my room, bored as ever, A distant memory a blog came surging in my head haha. It's been awhile since I last wrote. Not really a surprise when you're working(well doing my training then) 6 days a week. Anyway, today I'm here to settle a long awaited debt and continue with the "People who had Influenced me section". I believe to the delight of my readers who can't really say anything more than "mmmmmmm", "yyyyyyyy", "wooooooooo" and anything that rhymes with it. If you're lost right now go and have a look at the shoutmix thingy haha.

So lets get to it. Next in the list of People Who Had Influenced Me are my friends, as the saying goes, "You are your friends". I think that's the saying haha well correct me if I'm wrong. To talk about all of my friends would take up a lot of space and seriously, I'm not a machine you know haha Soooooo today's post will describe four of whom I rate highest haha thy are namely Rong Hui and Rishi. Without whom I may not be as normal or close normal which ever is applicable haha as I am today. Lets analyze my relationship with them one by one shall we.

Rong Hui

Our friendship began during form one, we were in the same class. At first I wasn't really that close to him because being the introvert of the class, it was really a challenge for me to make new friends. Hmmmmmmm come to think about it, I don't even remember how we got close hahaha Sorry bro hahaha but one thing I remembered was the fact that last time I would ask him to teach me a bit of mandarin. I guess that's one of the factor that drew us closer. Slowly, I began to realize that we're not really that different of a person. Both of us were-yes I would admit it-shy guys, having similar interest such as anime/manga and football although he supports those sorry magpies hahaha(Cheer up bro, I'm sure thay can win the promotion to the Premier League this season) Usually we would really have these serious discussions about football in general as though we were professional footbal pundits hahaha It's hard to find someone with a football brain and as passionate as he is. We were like two peas in a pod haha

Rishi

Our first meeting was some sort of a comic moment. Imagine this, you're new to the University life thingy, you're getting acclimatised with the overwhelming(well it was to me ok haha) environment and meeting new people along the way. Then you meet this good(I meant it in both sense of the word haha) looking person and what did you do to start the conversation?? Make fun of the person's name of course!! hahaha

I gathered that his name was Rishigeysan from another new colleague beforehand.
The conversation was as follows:

Myself: Hey man, how are you? Nice to meet you.
Rishi: Hello, fine thank you and nice to meet you too.

(At this moment I've run out of ideas how to continue the conversation and so blurted out what I deemed to be a good way of ice-breaking which is to be funny)

Myself: Soooooo, what do I call you?? Gay??
Rishi: (laughs awkwardly) no. Rishi is fine

Awkward moment~~

It actually sounded a lot funnier in my head or so I thought haha Well awkward intros aside, Rishi made the list because I believe in him being a really special person. He taught me the values of friendship. He is one of the very few of my friends who believes in being selfless and not to judge people easily. He's not a person who is afraid to set things straight even if it's at the expense of me being wrong hahaha and that's why I can honestly say that he is one of my Bestest Friend. A person who never puts on a different face when dealing with different people and there are a lot of fakers out there.


You may ask, what in the world is this post about anyway. Well, it's a tribute, a tribute to two of my best friends who I can safely say had a hand in the development of the person called Iskandar. Friends who were always there when I needed them, friends who aren't afraid to tell me off and keep me grounded. Thanks guys for kicking me when I'm down...For laughter of course hahah No la..Thanks for being a friend to silly old me...

P.s There was suppose to be another person in the post but she killed the Big Bad Wolf so many times that she leveled up into another category..*wink*

The Week That Was to be Yours..

I should've kicked myself on last Tuesday for forgetting what day it was. My mind was too occupied with a lot of other stuff till i forgot that it was our special day. Sigh...I thought to myself...I screwed it up again. So I better think of a way to make it up to you.

Then, this was the time that I remembered a fact that you told me before. You said that it's been awhile since you had dinner outside of your apartment. So, I decided that, this month to celebrate our anniversary I'll make sure that you'll enjoy the whole week eating good food and I believe that I achieved that goal.

Tuesday
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Dinner at my house

Wednesday
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BQ SS19

Thursday
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Dinner at my house again haha

Friday
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D'Tandoor

Saturday
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San Francisco Steakhouse

Sunday
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Don't know but I'm sure you'll have dinner somewhere with your KK gang haha

I love you Darling. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!! haha

P.s - I know that it's a short post ok..haha

Trading in the Old for the New..Part 2

I'm back~ haha well just for awhile i reckon. Just stopped by to write a piece before i go M.I.A again. It's been ages since I did anything productive literature-wise. So here I am.

There's been a lot of changes since i last wrote. Training had passed and no more 9-5 classroom setting. The real internship had begun, before it was all about getting to know the organization and what it is about. Now, it's getting to know all about the market i.e. the guest and there are many faces to a guest Just as what Maxine(the FO trainer) told all of us before..

"You'll never quite be a true hotelier if you haven't gone through experiences with the guest, colleague and superior such as complaints"

Or something like that haha

I can safely say that I can really see myself working there at Traders. Time had passed and somehow I grew fonder of the hotel and people who at first seen as staff is now considered as friends and some I feel as though they are family. I know it would be a challenge for me to be taken in as a permanent staff after my internship days finish but it is a challenge that I would gladly take on. Because for once in my life I finally have something that I want to achieve. For now my target is that, to prove my worth to the organization.

I used to dream of following my parents footsteps and become a lecturer in a university but now I had found another option. I would still be lecturing people and training people. If you're still oblivious to what I am talking about..Well I'm talking about the option of being the person who replaces Maxine as a trainer haha Well that would be after she finds her dream man and open up her own hotel. So don't worry k Maxine(If she is reading la haha)

Well I guess here ends today's edition haha. So here's where FOIskandar(haha a man can dream right) logs off. *Pushes F8*

P.s- If you're wondering where's the "People who had Influenced me section" is..Well I'm saving that for my next post. So keep on tuning in hahah

Trading in the Old for the New..Part 1

Tomorrow I'll be starting a new life at Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur. A life that is bound to happen and one that I've been preparing for this past three years in uni. I do feel a sense of intimidation; Am I ready for the next step, Am I well prepared. My body feels all tingly as I write this post. A notion of what may come perhaps haha

Although I'm all jumpy about tomorrow, today's post has nothing to do with it. I actually want to talk about my experience and the people leading up to this point. I've gone through three educating and at the same time enjoying years at UniTAR. I can safely say that it was a great education for me. During the course of my education, I came across few individuals that had a hand in my development to a better person.

The first person in my list is a lecturer that I came to respect in every way, Ms. Haliza. The first subject that she ever taught me was Management Guru. You see, my transition from Pre-U to Uni itself was at a rather slow pace. I was getting used to the difference in education, examinations and and how to normally behave. Those who know me all throughout my schooling years would most likely describe me as a funny guy or a playful guy. Well Uni was not a playful matter. You need to know when to be serious and when to be funny. She was the one who brought me back down to reality. She was the one who made me be more focused and serious in my studies. Ultimately, she was the one who made me realise that it is not a great feeling to disappoint a person who had high hopes for you.

It was a presentation assignment given to all the students. Each students were assign a management guru that we need to present to the whole class. My guru was Henry Fayol, the name that I will never forget because I used to say to my friends, "Aiya why la I need to do Henry Toyol(no malice intended) haha". One fateful class, It seemed that the class will end without me having to up front to present. Honestly, I was not even remotely close to be prepared to present. So inside I was ecstatic that mine would be on the next class. As I packed most of my stuff into my bag, I heard a voice saying, "Iskandar, going home so soon? Lets hear yours" or something along that line.

My heart was beating like a car going 200km/hour. "I'm so dead", I thought to my self. I steadied myself and went upfront with a false confidence. Everyone else prepared mahjong paper for the presentation and being as unprepared as I was, I carried on to try and write the points that I could recall on the white board. Without even finishing the points I heard the same voice, but this time it's more in annoyance, more angry and with a hint of disappointment saying, "You are not prepared are you Iskandar?" and she continued with, "I didn't expect this from you at all Iskandar".

I'm SORRY...

The moment I heard those words it was like a dagger was thrusted through me. I've let somebody down. It was an ugly feeling and I was not accustomed to that very feeling. All my life, I strive to make everyone happy. In some ways, I guess that why I became the funny guy, the clown who is there to make people happy.

Back to the story. I took few deep breaths and utter a few words. Asking whether I could redeem myself in the next class. For a moment time stood still as I waited for her response. She said yes but at the very same moment those dagger of words came to my mind and It was with me throughout the week that I strive to be prepared for the next class.

The day of the class came and I made it a point to go see her first before class to help her carry all the stuff that she often brings to the class. It was out of selflessness and not polishing any apples. I went to class first and straight prepared the mahjong paper even before she came in to class. I felt ready, I was ready. Ready to show that her expectations on me was not to be such a waste.

I carried out the presentation with what in my opinion was the best that I've ever presented. I managed to answer all the questions that were directed to me by my peers. I waited at the end for the response from her...

It was a good presentation

I was happy with my presentation. Thrilled that it turned out well. When we got our carry mark, I had a feeling that my marks for the presentation would be half or less than the full mark. To my surprise I got full mark and till this day I'm dumbfounded by it.

This very incident in my life taught me to buck up and be serious when I needed to be. In another angle, It taught me that I was in the right field of work. A field with high expectation and a field where it is best to please people. The service field...

Ann, Satya, Me, Rishi and Ms Haliza

14 March 2009

Wooooooooo!!!! It's been a month since I last blogged and I finally have stuff to share. Well there were few things that should've been written here but due to the lazy culture of mine...err well you get the point la hahahha So here I am, being a bit 'rajin' hahaha plus I promised someone to write a post about what happened yesterday.

Anyways~~~ back to the point of the today's blog...Ahem..

HAPPY 1st YEAR ANNIVERSARY DARLING!!!!!

hahahaha we're already one Darling!!! In the past, I never would've thought that I would be so lucky to be able to be in a loving relationship let alone for this long..hahaha you know la me, I've always been casted for the supporting actor role...The funny guy who gets killed in a horror movie or something like that hahaha. But everything changed on 14th of March 2008, it was the day that you said yes and it's been a year now.

The Gift..
I've been planning to make something for Darling for our anniversary ever since the day that you said that you wanted something tangible...Something that you could hold and touch...So my brain was working 24/7 on what gift would be the best gift for my Darling. I finally came up with the idea of recording our love story..Which if those who already know what my Darling gave me would be shock to see how similar it is ahhaha Sorry no pics to be shown though hahaha eh wait got woh hahahah These are some of the pic that I drew in the gift.

Other than the gift, I actually planned another gift that didn't really materialized. On the 4th of March, me and Darling went to the Jason Mraz concert. I planned of sending Mr A-Z himself a request to dedicate the 'Sleeping to Dream' song to my Darling for our anniversary. I got the idea while surfing through youtube for his live vids (preparing myself for the concert hahah) You'll know what I mean if you click here. Well it's worth a try right. Unfortunately I couldn't really message him due to some complication which I couldn't really fathom..SIGH Well anyways..I spent the past week thinking of what write about in the gift. Thinking about our past, our story really made me smile hahaha we've been through a lot and it really made me cherish you more...

The Reaction..
Darling came to my house to pick me up. We planned to have dinner at William's just to try new things for a change..Plus we've heard about the good food there and not forgetting the portion there hahaha Well back to the story..Ahem..When I got into the car, Darling straight popped out the first gift hahaha Darling baked me a muffin brownie (that's what I think it's called la hahaha). Darling was all jumpy and hyper when she gave me the present hahahhaa It was w a cute sight to behold hahahah As usual I smiled straight..I loved the muffin and this is not me being biased at all..Then after I had finish one muffin she gave me another surprise...She made me a scrapbook of our love story..Sounds familiar right?? hahahaha I smiled straight when I saw it..I think I even laughed hahaha It was beautiful..At the same time I felt a bit..Well I felt bad because compared to her gift mine was below par and not in golfing term. I planned to give her the present after the day was over but she pestered me to give it then hahaha Sooooo there it was on her hand..She read it line by line and I think this was the most tear shedding gift that I ever gave to her hahaha She was crying hahah MUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Darling I really hope you like the gift..Couldn't really make it that nice...I don't have craft and creativity. All I can hope to do is to write beautiful words just for you...I love you Darling and more will come.....Here's to us...

P.s-Thanks to everyone who wished the best for us..Especially the one who managed to spread the news to the north pole hahahaha I can safely say that I love you (not the type that will make someone jealous la haha) to those who cared