My KL-Genting-Sunway trip...Day 2..to be cont'd

Day 2: 12 Nov (Genting)

The day before we went Genting, we approached one of the hotel staff to facilitate our booking of a transport that could ferry the total 13 of ours there. After much deliberation, we settled for a van which costs about $250 for the 2 way journey if I am not wrong. The staff promised that the van could accommodate 13 people but we said we may split into 2 groups: One following the van, the other taking a taxi. So he said why don't about 9-11 people take the van and the others take a cab. We said ok and paid in advance the night before.

On the morning itself, I had a wonderful meal of breakfast in the hotel. The usual nasi lemak, juices, fruits, porridge, bread, sausages, eggs.

After that, we waited for the van to arrive at 10am. When the van driver came, he said that the van can only take a maximum of 12 person. That wasn't what we agreed on. Feeling frustrated, we contacted the manager to speak to the driver. He even called up the staff who promised that the van can carry 13 people. Now we have 12 person as one of us wanted to visit his friend in KL. Does that mean that the extra one has to take a cab himself?

The whole commotion took about half an hour before the van driver was called off. A hotel lobby staff approached us and told us that he can get for us a 12 person transport at a cheaper price of $200. Shortly about 20 mins, the transport came and we finally were on our way to genting. The journey took about 1 hour, through the newly-built road which is less steep. The admission fee was $23 for unlimited rides on both the indoor and outdoor rides.




















We took some photos before we went for the rides...






























We started on a gentle ride called the 'cyclone'. It seems easy but I screamed the hell out of myself during the ride. The slope was so steep and we were moving very fast. Indeed, it was a warm-up for us.



























The next ride was called 'The space rocket', whereby you are brought up to a tremendous height and in a flash you will be under the force of gravity, descending vertically downwards rapidly. I chickened out during this ride as it was really towering compared to the one in Taiwan. Instead, I formed a group of three with patrick and Weiren to be the outcast and took the ferry wheel. haha. The ferry wheel took us for 3 rounds, ourselves bracing the shivering cold wind.















Eddie, Suran and Jian Wei in position for the ride.




















Up they go....

Free-falling!!!

After a taste of the space rocket, everybody was on high spirits, then we went on to the 'corkscrew roller coaster'. The ride wasn't as scary as I expected and it was the most thrilling ride I ever taken before; the only ride in Malaysia with 2 loops.













Next up, we went to the 'superman'. It costs Rm10 for 5 rides which didn't appeal very much for me and some others. Each cycle takes on 4 person, lying down like a superman as you fly around.























































Everyone was tired after the 'superman'. I was still active and energetic, burning with passion to go for the indoor rides but no one had the fuel to keep on going with me. Feeling hungry, we went for lunch at KFC as the rain came in!!! What a waste of time and money coming here.





























All the outdoor rides were closed due to the rain but we managed to hitch a ride on the spinner which left me spinning after that. So we left at 4pm heading towards the hotel.












For dinner, we had it at nandos which serves an appetizing spread of fries, chicken, together with different flavours of chilli sauce.

My KL-Genting-Sunway trip...Day 1

Day 1: 11 Nov (Departure)

It was a day I really look forward to after my ORD - a memorable fun trip with the specs in Braves 40 SAR. I woke up later than usual around 5.30am as I usually wake up at 5am to distribute newspaper. My father fetch me to golden mile complex in his prime mover, supposed to reach there by 6.20am as instructed but other than me and Ouyang, everyone came after that. Some even took their own sweet time having breakfast at beach road, opposite the complex and came strolling in at 6.50am. Everyone was ready at about 7.10am when the last guy came after 7am.

We choice grassland express as it is more comfortable, generous in the leg room/space provided. Heard from other people that if u are willing to pay more, some grassland buses come equipped with personal computer screens. I haven really experience one before, although my bus trips to genting and thailand were with grassland.

The journey took quite a while, with one stop at the usual yong peng. Arrived at Federal Hotel in KL around 12 plus, 4 star hotel. We waited about half an hour before the receptionist issued us keys as the hotel was almost fully booked. They had to spend some time clearing some of the rooms before we could occupy it.

I waited impatiently for my room to be cleared before I went up. To my disgust, when I entered the room, these are what I observed: used towel & bed sheet, no pillow, messy room. They responded aptly and cleared the room while we went around the vicinity of the hotel.

The first shopping centre we visited was Times Square, a prominent blue skyscraper with an indoor roller coaster. The shopping centers in Malaysia compared to Singapore is a bit different in the sense that our first floor is their 'G' or ground floor. And the ceiling of every floor is higher.
I brought 3 shirts in a boutique called 'Romp'. 2 trendy shirt that I normally wear and 1 that comes with a zip. Cost me a total of $60 - value buy. If it's in Singapore, it can easily costs up to $90.

Then we had dinner at Mr Tepannyaki in Bukit Bintan Plaza. Night time was free and easy where I revisited 'romp' to buy the 3 shirts. I wanted to buy the first time but time was tied and i don't want to be late. Slept early at 10pm to get adequate rest for genting the next day.

Patrick, Jian Wei & Suran

"We are starving, where is our food"?

Not again...

Monsoon season...
Rainy days...
Thunderstorm...
Intimidating dark clouds...

Having either one of the above means bad weather, equivalent to my swim classes being cancelled. Here I am, free to blog because my class today at 7.30pm has been canceled due to the bad weather. So, more time to blog, surf web, rest as I recline in my computer seat.

I hate the monsoon season when the weather is so unpredictable. You may be perspiring one moment and without you knowing, you are drenched in the rain. However, I notice that the rain goes away in about half an hour time. Meaning if it rains at 10am, the weather should brighten up around 10.30am.

By the way, where are the people who went KL with me carrying a camera but haven load the pics? I'm waiting for your pics so that I can start blogging on the KL trip. Probably all of u guys are busy working. Never mind, I will do a draft first then later add in the illustrations.

Hope u guys are coping well...

It has been a while since ORD and I have found myself a full-time job as a fulltime freelance swimming coach, home-based tutor and newspaper deliveryman. Sounds weird right? How can I cope with 3 different jobs?

The main thing that I am doing is teaching swimming to people of all ages, smallest being 2.5 years old, oldest being 50 years old. Classes are held all over Singapore, with my classes concentrating mostly in the West, the rest in Central, a few in Hougang, one in Tampines.

Location wise, some are private condos, some are public swimming pools. I prefer condos as the environment is more tranquil, scenic thus more conducive more learning. Public swimming pools are often crowded during this holiday school season. Anyway, those interested to teach swimming can contact me or visit swimpal.blospot.com for more details. Salary about $20 to $45 per hour.

I wake up at 5am every morning with my mother to distribute newspaper (straits times, zao bao, basa melayu, tamil papers, the new paper, my paper) in my neighbourhood. I perceive it as a form of exercise or simple 5BX for me. I have been doing it for almost a month. Quite tiring at first as u have to wake up very early. Salary is about $250 per month. I decided to give it all to my mom to pay telephone bills, water bills, electricity bills etc

Initially, u will be a bit slow but once u get the kick or it, for example which storey has lifts, which corridor can't lead to another, u will be faster. With my mom, we took about 40 mins to distribute 7 blocks worth of papers. My little brother will tag along on Sat to ease our burden, load as the straits times on sat is extremely thick, bulky. Moreover, some people only want papers to be delivered at weekends. So these explains the extra quantity of papers on weekends. Sunday papers are generally alright as there are lighter so my little brother would have to wake up from his slumber. Sometimes he just too lazy to wake up.

Speaking about tuition, I teach primary english maths science and upper sec chem physics and lower sec maths. My swim classes are in the morning, afternoon, some in evenings. so on evenings that I'm free I give tuition. So far I have been teaching mostly sciences in sec level. Salary about $15 to $25 per hour.

So this is how I am been keeping myself busy even in weekends while my peacock is busy preparing for her exams. But there are lots of free time in between classes to rest, so it shouldn't be much of a problem to me....

Back from vacation...

Hi guys! I just came back on Tuesday night a few days ago from my KL-Genting-Sunway trip. I was so busy these days. When i get the photos from my friends then I will blog about my malaysia trip. Keep in touch...

Rev It Up!

The biennial Singapore Motor show is back from 10-19 November 2006 to once again dazzle the crowds with an exciting display of automobile launches, concept cars and adrenaline- pumping stunt performances!

I really want to the show but I have no time. Come to think of it, I was the first time I was so fascinated about cars ever since I started learning driving. Cars of all models, makes, capacities, colours, design make me drool all over..here's my dream car: The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX













Cool design, turbo-charged engine, nice spoiler, more fuel efficient, lower emission, excellent cooling system, less air drag. As I mentioned, it my dream car. Its too expensive for me to own one.













Owning a Subaru is also fine. But the design I feel is not as cool as the evo.
Below are some of the more budget cars that I like also:












Mitsubishi Lancer











Toyota Vios













The Chery looks cute but its performance is underrated. People also say that its not that durable.

There was a article in the straits times regarding the modification of budget cars like the Honda jazz. More people are seeing this more like a lifestyle, hobby in the meantime up the performance of their cars.

There are lots of modifications available, from the adding of a simple spoiler to changing the exhaust. Some simple add-ons take the form of spray-ons or stickers which are pasted inside the vehicle. These things play a part in adding to the aesthetic value of the car - more attractive, vibrant.

However there are limitations to that. One can't modify the engine capacity, fit crash bar, install decorative lamps as directed by LTA.

A breakthrough in computing experience...

Introducing Windows Vista...innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. It is more user friendly, easer to use, better graphics (3d windows), better security, better backup options, better performance (boosting system memory)...Question is...Will it be stable? Shall I wait a few years before switching to windows vista?

How to make a Wind chime from your unwanted hard disk...

Interesting site for those who is bored at home. Why not spend some time making something useful out? Especially for those who are excited about making crafts or want to explore your hard disk!!!


http://halogen.note.amherst.edu/~wing/wingie/tech/hdchime/hdchime.php

Developing a razor-sharp memory...

I came across this intriguing article when I an article published in the Straits Times caught my attention. It was talking about tips to improve your memory work, by fully utilising the powers of your brain. Our brain is like a mini 'super-computer' - It can store numourous information which depends on how u manipulate it. If you do not exploit it, your memory will atropy with time. Like how your muscles work, your memory works best when u use it extensively.

The brain consists of 3 types of memory - sensory menory, short-term memory and long-term memory.

Sensory memory is closely linked to our involuntary needs. For example, the need to ea t when u are hungry, the need to drink when u are thirsty. The body will respond and send a stimuli to your brain, thus reminding you to perform those tasks.

Short term memory is like ram in your computer. Once there's no power, everything is erased. For the average human being, new information can be remembered up to a period of 24 hours. However, by the 24th hour, you would have forgotten 80% of the material fact, unless you transfer it to long-term memory.

Having understand the different types of memory, now it's time to know how to store information effectively. Some of the ways include creating creative sentences. For instance, use the technique to recall the rainbow colours. R,O,Y,G,B,I,V. This can be recalled with a sentence. Rainbow of yours goes bowling in valley. It is much easier tor recall a sentence rather than 7 words.

Another way is to use your visual imagination. List down the things u are going to do. Imagine yourself doing it. Example, you want to photocopy papers, buy breakfast, send computer for repair. imagine yourself waking up very early in the morning and banging on the doors of the photocopy shop. When it opens, you rush in to get your photocopying done, realising that you haven eat breakfast as you are hungry. Then, you went to buy your breakfast went home to surf the net, realising your computer is down. That's how u make your brain active....

Stop wasting time..

TIME is nature's greatest "force". Unlike the wind, it cannot be felt. Unlike the sun, it cannot be seen. Yet, of all nature's forces, time has the most profound effect on us.

Time remains constant, but our perception of it changes. When we focus on it, it slows down. When we turn our backs on it, it speeds up. This makes us think it is something tangible.

We arrange it, divide it up and give some to our friends. Sometimes we feel it is precious, at other times we waste it.

We give it the power to heal when we say, "Time heals all wounds". It can also kill, as when we live stressful lives because we "never have enough time". On a day-to-day basis, nothing is defined and redefined in our minds as much as time.

Herein lies our power. Because things are as we perceive them, we can choose to see time as a manageable commodity and live our lives according to that assumption. This is one of the secrets of successful people - they work at shaping those things that others think are uncontrollable.

Efficient vs effective
In discussing time management, some people argue that we need to use time more efficiently. Others claim: "Let's not worry so much about efficiency, let's be more effective!"

Efficiency means doing things right. Effectiveness means doing the right things.

Working efficiently is doing things with the least amount of wasted effort. Efficiency gets you from point A to point B via a straight line, while inefficiency makes you go round in circles.

Effectiveness means doing the things that yield results.

Many people, when learning about time management, ask the question: "Which should I work on first, efficiency or effectiveness?"

In theory and practice, the best answer is to improve your effectiveness first. It is much better to aim your sights at the result than to worry about the process. Too often, people get bogged down in the means and lose sight of the end.

Eliminating time wasters
Time wasters come from the people around you as well as from within yourself. Some time wasters are unavoidable, but can be reduced.

Identify the most frequent sources of time wasters in your day. Check yours against the list below. Many researchers find the same handful at the top of their lists, which indicates that these are problems common to most people:

• Scheduling less important work before more important work;
• Starting a job before thinking it through;
• Leaving jobs before they are completed;
• Doing things that can be delegated to another person;
• Doing things that can be delegated to modern equipment;
• Doing things that actually are not a part of your real job;
• Keeping too many, too complicated or overlapping records;
• Handling too wide a variety of duties;
• Failing to build barriers against interruptions;
• Allowing conferences and discussions to wander;
• Conducting unnecessary meetings and making needless visits and/or phone calls;
• Chasing trivial data after the main facts are in; and
• Socialising at great length between tasks.

Setting priorities
When setting your priorities, there are two famous laws to remember.

The first is Parkinson's Law. It states that work tends to expand to fill the time allotted for its completion. Parkinson's Law makes setting priorities twice as important. If you do not know what your priorities are, your other work will expand to fill in the extra time. It will take longer for you to accomplish less.

The second law of note is Pareto's Principle, which, in this situation, states that 80 per cent of your results comes from 20 per cent of your efforts. Another way to look at it is that 80 per cent of your business comes from 20 per cent of your clients.

Using a "to do" list
A list of "things to do" for each day and week is a valuable aid to managing your time.

A "to do" list organises your thinking and planning onto one form in the least amount of time with the maximum amount of efficiency. Such a list is especially helpful if it coincides with the record-keeping you already do for your company.

Your "to do" list should define a specific amount of time (if possible) for each activity. This will keep work from "expanding".

Your activities should be listed in order of priority. Work on tasks with high priorities first. In listing the activities, it is helpful to spell out the result as well as the process. Stating when, where and what you are going to do increases your chances of doing it successfully.

As the day goes by, check off completed activities and make any notes that seem relevant. In the evening, make out a new "to do" list for the next day and include any activities you could not complete the day before. Always save your "to do" lists for future reference and evaluation.

After a short time, you will find yourself handling a greater volume of work without increasing your stress. You will simply become more efficient.

Article contributed by Dr Tony Alessandra, a professional keynote speaker, an author and the co-founder of MentorU.com, an online e-learning company that provides training, coaching and mentoring. Website: www.alessandra.com

How to get noticed at work (for the right reasons)

Have you ever wondered why the boss notices other colleagues, but forgets that you exist, even though all of you work equally hard and produce similar results? If you thought that letting your accomplishments speak for themselves would be enough, it's time to throw modesty aside and do a little "self publicity" to get the recognition you deserve.

You can't remain the silent and invisible worker if you want to stand out in the crowded corporate landscape. Here are some ways to raise your visibility at work (without resorting to looking like a clown):

Conduct a self-assessment
Before you start promoting yourself, take an honest look at your own abilities by doing a SWOT analysis. Identify your own strengths and weaknesses and work on the skills you're lacking before your supervisor points them out to you. You could also enlist the help of a mentor who can advise you and see things from a different perspective.

Put a face to your name
People need to know who you are, what you're doing and how you're contributing to the organisation. Be physically present at meetings and discussions so that key decision makers can put a face to the work you've done. Get over your fear of speaking up in front of top management.

Assert yourself
Don't just sit in a corner and gripe to your colleagues after a meeting has ended. Review the meeting agenda and prepare to voice your opinions (with valid reasons) with the rest. However, don't talk for the sake of talking, people know rubbish when they hear it.

Make your achievements known
You produce good work, but your boss may have forgotten that. Remind him about what you've been doing with regular e-mail or verbal reports that include details about the targets achieved and future projects you're busy with. Again, make sure you have a real reason to correspond with your boss.

Take up the challenge
Volunteer for ad hoc projects if no one else puts up their hands. This is a good chance for you to demonstrate your leadership ability and even new sets of skills others never knew about.

Be a social butterfly
Don't think of office functions as a waste of time. Make the effort to know people from other departments or get to know casual acquaintances better. You can develop camaraderie with colleagues and make new contacts in this social setting.

Establish the right body language
If you blend in with your surroundings or don't act according to your seniority, it's time to polish your image. Your body language should communicate confidence and authority. The clothes you wear should be suitable to, or slightly above your rank.

Sail through your appraisal

WHILE it is generally accepted by both employees and employers that performance appraisals are necessary and valuable, they are often still a big source of stress and anxiety for employees and managers alike.

The stress of an upcoming performance appraisal may be worsened by an employee's own perceptions.

A critical mistake many employees make is to imagine the appraisal process as an adversarial one, in terms of "me versus management".

Another mistake is to consider it as a single event - "Judgment Day".

This kind of thinking misrepresents what the appraisal is really about and leads employees to adopt a defensive stance, which may have a negative impact on the review.

Employees and employers both play a part in shifting the focus of performance appraisals so that they are no longer a source of anxiety.

Appraisals should be thought of as an open communication between management and staff, enabling them to work together to develop the performance of the individual employee and that of their team.

In fact, performance appraisals should be considered a crucial part of an ongoing feedback and evaluation process, to allow employees to adjust their work behaviour accordingly.

Prepare in advance
The first step towards a more positive outlook is preparation.

To be effective, proactive and committed members of an organisation, employees should review their work regularly and consistently.

An important aspect of this is to be aware of job descriptions, responsibilities and performance expectations. These are the best indicators of how an employee's performance will be measured, so it is a good idea for employees to show they have a thorough knowledge and understanding of these.

This helps employees demonstrate how they have fulfilled, and even surpassed, work performance criteria.

If you find that your job description does not accurately reflect the day-to-day reality of your job, a performance appraisal is the best time to raise this. Your manager should be told of the need to rework your job description so that it matches the true nature of your position.

Employees who dedicate some time to preparing for their review will be able to show evidence of problem-solving abilities, communication and technical skills, and general achievements.

It is also a good idea to identify and reflect upon your future aspirations, and set clear short-term and long-term work goals.

By keeping these principles in mind, you will be able to conceive your performance appraisal as an opportunity - enabling you to showcase your efforts in ways that may not normally be afforded to you.

Discuss actively
Employees should remember their role in promoting positive, open dialogue with their manager.

Although management and human resource personnel are primarily responsible for creating an atmosphere conducive to open and honest communication, employees, too, should actively and assertively engage in discussion.

During a performance appraisal, you should try to accept and objectively respond to constructive criticism. You should also seek clarification when you are uncertain about your manager's reasoning.

You can also benefit from identifying some concrete initiatives to enhance performance in the organisation, as these will be much appreciated by the management.

Do not hesitate to identify anything that is stopping you from achieving your full potential, and be ready to ask for additional support if your work demands it.

Performance appraisals are an organisational responsibility. The key to minimising the stress that goes with them is to view appraisals as a stepping-stone on the path towards your long-term career development and success.

Article by Christina Lee, director of consulting services at DBM Singapore, a global human capital management firm that provides transition services to private and public companies, not-for-profits and governments.

Now is the time

Procrastination
Ever since I can remember, my mother was fond of saying: "Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today."

Procrastination is like a virus. It creeps up on you slowly, drains you of energy and is difficult to get rid of if your resistance is low.

Procrastination is a close relative of incompetence and a first cousin to inefficiency, which is why their marriage is taboo. These suggestions will help you conquer the "virus":

Give yourself deadlines
In moderation, pressure motivates. Extreme pressure debilitates. Set appointments, make commitments, write out your goals and develop the determination to succeed.

Do not duck difficult problems
You will face both difficult and easy tasks every day. Tackle the difficult ones first so that you can look forward to the easy ones.

If you work on the easy ones first, you might expand the time that they take to avoid the difficult ones waiting for you.

Many people put off difficult or large tasks because they appear too huge to tackle in a reasonable time frame. They feel that if they start and complete the "large" task at one sitting, it will prevent them from accomplishing any of the other tasks they have to do on that day.

The answer to this problem is to break all large or difficult tasks into their smaller sub-parts. Then, you can do each of the sub-parts of the larger project over a series of days, if appropriate.

Do not let perfectionism paralyse you
This is a problem that many sales staff have when writing proposals. They sit with pad and pen in hand, waiting for the "right" words to come out. What they are doing is avoiding the process of writing. Just get started. You can always go back later and polish the points you are unhappy with.

Because humans are so susceptible to procrastination, you must work at building up your immunity to it. Effective action is the best medicine.

Handling paperwork
Try to answer any correspondence immediately. Record your correspondence and leave the rest to your secretary, if you have one.

Even for other forms of mail that you receive, try to act immediately on whatever you can.

If you receive a magazine, peruse it and clip out articles you intend to read. Try categorising your reading material into three groups: articles you must read soon, articles you should read and articles that would be nice to read. Clipping the article makes it more accessible.

Naturally, there will be more than mail accumulating on your desk. Adopt a policy of picking up paperwork only once. This means you should not look at something and put it back down where you found it. It is much wiser to take some form of action on the item. Decide what to do with it and move it along to the next step toward completion.

Telephone calls
The telephone is, of course, one of life's greatest time savers. It saves time over writing letters, making trips and meeting people. It can also be a great time waster.

• To avoid spending more time than necessary in calling people back, follow these suggestions:
• Determine the best time of day for you to return calls;
• Prepare information in advance when you call back. You can pull files and gather documents that you need to answer questions. This is obviously a time saver for you;
• Curtail the length of your calls, when and where appropriate; and
• Be organised. List the questions or topics you wish to discuss and have them in front of you.

Relaxation and stress reduction
In your goal-oriented workday, you often deny yourself much needed periods of relaxation. Like a high-powered sports car, you can be very impressive at high speeds, but sacrifice distance, efficiency and physical integrity in the process.

Your body and mind are designed to work well if they are not overtaxed. Frequent periods of relaxation and stress reduction are important to the longevity of body and mind.

A coffee or lunch break should be used as a time to relax - and get your mind off the job - so that you are more effective when you return to work.

Change your bad habits
Managing your time efficiently and effectively will require some changes in your behaviour and thinking. These changes require practice.

Giant strides, when looked at closely, are made up of many small steps. In "overhauling" your management of time, you, too, need to take small steps.

Start doing those things that will make you a better manager of your time. After you have improved in one area, choose another and so on.

How about taking a moment, right now, to list the ideas you would like to implement? Circle or highlight the items of most immediate value to you in these articles. Then put them on tomorrow's "to do" list for action.