Stop Trying Hard To Please Everyone

I have a confession to make, and I'm doing this because I'm finally able to come clean and be honest with myself. So, what led to this? I have come to realize that I have been trying so hard to please everyone and appeal to people as a good friend (and hopefully a dependable one too). I constantly get on the better side of people, and by doing that, sometimes it works against my natural behavior (and eventually causes a conflict within myself). Sometimes being a diplomatic may seem as a good move to avoid conflict, but in the long run if I don't make decisions for myself because I'm too concerned if others might be offended, I might just lose myself in the process. It's the same advise I'd given to my friends, but somewhat unknowingly I fall victim to the very same scenario too. However, it's gotta stop. 

I am a good friend (probably better than I might imagine, I don't know), I am a good support too, I am opinionated, I am highly versatile, I am multi-talented with vast interest, I do crave for limelight, I love the feeling of winning, I dislike losing but I can accept it, I am very analytical, I do a lot of self reflection (in a matter of time), I feel a lot of emotions on the inside but I am scarily collected and calm on the outside, I can smile in the toughest time because that is the only way I can feel stronger, I often make a joke or a bad pun in serious situations to ease out any tension, I want to be someone's hero one day, and this is who I am.

Night Time is Bright Time

It is this time of night (approx. 1:00AM at the time of writing), that I spend time either learning some new stuff from the Internet (namely YouTube), or reflecting on what has happened earlier in the day or week (depending on how frequent the reflection happens). Yeah, I think a lot at night. Might not come as surprising to many people, since there are many out there who are like me.

It's funny (or weird) how only night time I feel at ease or at peace with my thoughts and that I can truly get things sorted out. I tend to be able to think better with an unbiased mindset and make certain life decisions. Yup, I make my decisions and choices after putting in some thoughts and risk calculation (or rather gut feel) there.

In fact, if I'm not too tired from all the work during the day, and the learning in the night, I can even continue my work or plan the work for the following day. It's not that I love the work or am a workaholic, it's just that I think it'll make life easier that way for myself. After all, I have the capacity to do so - stretch the limits right? Hahaha.

Many don't know or don't appreciate how important it is to do personal reflection (be it a particular day or time of day). I've learned much from my past experiences and others, that taking a step back to reflect back on what I've done and spending quality time with myself allows me to "observe" what went wrong and what went right, how did the interaction with someone else went, how do I feel about certain matters and why did I have feel that way. These are very important elements in every day life that many of us tend to miss out as we brisk through the days busily to achieve our goals.

My nights felt very bright, perhaps even brighter than day light itself, because I can see the "light" at the end of the tunnel after reviewing things. Sometimes, I managed to find the answers I'm looking for, sometimes I ended up with more questions. Sometimes, I recalled of certain past memories, while there are many other times I think of the possible future based on my current circumstances. There are even times I missed people who are at a distance, but I'll also look forward to meeting like-minded friends who I've yet to befriend. See how bright it is yet? =D

My Web Blog Article Got Published!

Well, technically only Part 1 of 2-parts blog was published. Still, it is an #achievementunlocked! So, what happened was I submitted my draft, had it reviewed and was corrected a few times over. Only took forever for that to end. Hahaha just kidding! It was a few times bouncing back and forth between myself and the reviewer. Once done, it was marked as ready for publishing and when the date arrived, it went online - on the corporate web forum! *omg so excited!*

The feedback those who read it were very encouraging! Of course, none of this would be possible if I hadn't had support from my friends and colleagues. Willing to try is one thing, having the courage to see it through is another. Oh, I can't wait for my second part to be published too!

Let me see if I can get permission to upload my web blog here, once both parts are out on the corporate forum! Hehe =D

P/s: I'm also writing a personal piece. Hint: It's about heroes! (but don't get your hopes too high on it!)

Writing is tough job, even if you know what your message is

Recently, I've been given the opportunity to write some articles for the company I'm currently working for. Embarking on this journey as a starting writer, I began to realize how difficult it is to construct professional-grade writing as it is very different than writing a blog like this. I've always thought that writing is just about the way one feels about a certain matter and how one communicates it as if he or she was speaking to another person. But I've found that there are more aspects to consider besides just getting the message out i.e. how does my message reflect me as a writer, will the readers understand what I mean, are my facts factual enough, etc.

I can construct the skeleton-structure of the article within moments, given I have the idea on the core message to relay to others. This is the easy part, and I think any seasoned writer would agree on that. Then, it comes to consideration of factors like language, readability, simplicity, purposeful and call-to-action-after-reading, This is where it gets mighty tough. One sentence may some times take what seems like forever to produce because I'm thinking and perhaps reconsidering writing it differently as I go. So, I "spit" out words on the draft with bullet points or mind-maps, to connect them much later. After spending some time doing that, now I have a cluster of words that I need to assemble into a sentence which I intended on much earlier. I don't know if I'm doing it right, but it seems to be working gradually for me. In between, I'll need to take a break, step away from my work, and to resume them when I have "fresh" eyes.

After hours of doing that, I think I might have just gotten one paragraph sorted out. Thereafter, comes more troubles - doubting the paragraph I had just produced, and the continuation to the next one. Repeat these, and before I knew it, countless hours have passed by.

In order to have something to write, one doesn't just think of an idea and produces a wonderful article. I have to ensure what I want to "say" is valid, has some facts to it and not just purely made out of my opinion or assumption. Some information may be common knowledge (e.g. drinking water is good for health), while some could be unique to certain industries or practices (e.g. consumption of RO water in long term may lead to health issues). This calls for conducting due research on the respective areas, and boy, can they be a pain at times! There's just too much information available on the Internet, and not all of them are true or accurate. I have to be very careful when reading articles and be wary of the sources of information.

At the end, I was able to put together a piece of work which I believed was ready for reviewing. It was no easy job. I had shown my draft to a few close friends, to get the initial feedback before I hand in my work to a professional. They gave me different but valuable opinions and insights on areas to improve. I had to carefully digest and reflect on their feedback. Long story short, I repeated some of the things I mentioned earlier, and another few days have passed by before I actually submitted the work.

I used to think it was easy for those who write books, especially when they have a series or sequels or both! I thought as long as one has sufficient experience and knowledge, it would be easy to write them down. Clearly, my perception is inaccurate and immature. I will now appreciate more when I read other people's work! To all the authors out there, you guys are simply amazing and thank you for sharing your stories with the world!

I Hate Funerals

I can't say enough how much I hate funerals. I know no one likes it. But I HATE it with a Passion!

So, why do I dislike it that much that I have to repeat the word 'hate' twice? Everyone knows funerals are to honor the passing of loved one(s) and pray that he/her may be at peace where ever the after-life is. However, it messes me up on the inside and because of that, I'll have another million questions running through my head!

Emotions are stirred up, tears slowly creep up and the body reacts to the solemn music and atmosphere. I'll try to hold it in as much as I can, but each time it gets tougher to keep them all in one place without 'exploding'. Then comes questions about my own life - purpose, meaning, legacy, etc, as I hear the life stories of the deceased and reflect on them.

Another reason for my loathe towards funeral is seeing a good person being taken away. We could use one more person like that, but instead of having one more, we lost one. Yes, some people have told me that I can stand in as a "replacement" of the good guy, until another one shows up. But, I'm no good-guy quality as the deceased was. It was natural for the departed ones, but it'll take me a lot more than just wanting it. And comes the debate of doing the right thing versus doing things right.

Long story short, I really despise funeral.

I'm A Generalist; I want to be a Specialist!

For as long as I can remember, I've been able to do so many things that catches my attention. I've tried, tested and know how certain things work (whether it's sports, scholastic, professional work, or even niche hobbies). But I hadn't had a deep interest in any of them. Thus, I only do a good job, but nothing great beyond that.

I've been a data entry clerk, waiter at a hotel, event management crew, break-dancer, rare stamps and coins collector, surveyor, sports "coach", champion school actor, runner-up rifle champion, team lead, 5-star Uber driver, volunteer at charity events, sales executive and many more. I've also slept on the streets, petrol stations and shopping malls. Why you may ask. That's a very good question actually. I guess I wanted to find out what is it that drives me to go on. Sometimes I even asked what inspires them to see if it could give me an idea.

I'm a Generalist. I had this mindset the very moment I realized that I can do anything that I set my mind to it. I developed my own methods, after much reading and learning of the current process of how things are done - applied them to my studies, work and personal life. They've been very helpful so far. However, comes the issue of my short span of interest after which I know how they work and when I find out that it's not what I want. This has been ongoing for years and years. While others are getting more focused into one (or a few areas) in work and in life, I think I'm too diversified. I believe that the reason I'm like that, may most likely be my fear of failing and that I'm doing all of this as a mere gesture of ensuring I have any general skills I need for survival purpose. Well, I think it's about time to let go of some stuff, make a decision and take a leap of faith - to be a Specialist!

On my journey to be specialist, since I'm been working as a consultant (fitting many roles, depending on the projects assigned), I'm still figuring which exact field I'd like to specialize in. I've recently completed a training with a certification (not participation ones) along with it. In addition to that, more questions have popped up in my head over the years, and it's being more specific too. I guess with more work and life experience, you'd get a better idea of the things you want or don't want. I need to also ask more experts about it, to make sure I'm on the right track as well. This transition isn't going to be an easy one! Wish me luck!

Keeping my fingers crossed!

End of Q1 2017

Man, time flies so fast, and I just realized that almost a full quarter of 2017 has just passed by! No kidding!

Looking back on things, a few things happened, and I'm glad at least I achieved a few good moments =) I've been pretty busy working on my career and at the same time ensuring that I enjoy life too. I even started a few side "quests" and can't wait to see the results of that by end of the year!

However, the question that still lies around is "Will I be able to identify my purpose in life, and what motivates me?" I know, I know, it's a 2-in-1 question but I'm greedy like that.

Well, all the best to me in finding the answer that! I'll keep "fighting" on, in any way that I can.

The Better One of Us

When she told me about how she felt with the way I talked with her, I realized that I should pay more attention to what I say, and how I said it. Sometimes the words I used have 'thorns' and they sting a lot. Words are more crucial as they 'beat' us and sometimes stay very long, in our emotional wavelength. Unlike physical wounds, the scaring from emotional wounds are very hard to heal.

I only knew how much it hurts to be on the receiving side, when I heard her sharing how she felt. At that time, I realized just how much of a jerk I am. Gratefully, she's someone who's better at understanding situation than I am. She knew I must be very stressed to be that way. She even knew that I'm the type that can't sleep well knowing that there's something unresolved or left unclear. So, she messaged me when she felt better (that's the best way to communicate right?) to clear things up. Knowing what went wrong, instantly gave me a sense of relief and at the same time, allowed me to think things through better. No, I didn't managed to sleep well because when I do something terribly wrong, naturally I can't sleep at all (it's like a curse, an atonement of which I must pay for, for a terrible act).

All this while, I thought I was rather good at communicating. But I think she's the better one. Between the both of us, she'll voice out when things aren't right. Sometimes, too straight out with me (like no-mercy kind of voice), LOL. I might not like it all the times, but I know it's necessary, and because of that I love her even more.

Oh something interesting which she told me - she's a Gemini. I don't usually indulge myself in horoscope, zodiac or superstitious kind of things, but when it comes to her, whatever information given, I'll put it to good use. So, then I went and research a little more about it. And guess what, it states that Gemini are the better communicators. Of course, there are many other things to read up about as well. The only other thing that caught my eye was that Leo & Gemini are awesome partners! =P I read enough, and that's all I need for now =D

We're Going to Big Bang Concert Malaysia in July!

Made one of the craziest decisions in my life. A few days back I received that "decision" in my hands, in the form of tickets! Yeah, the title itself was a giveaway!

We got our tix to the Big Bang Concert Malaysia!! #bigbangconcertmalaysia

A photo posted by Jeffro Ong (@jeffroong) on May 25, 2015

Felt like as if I had achieve some of the toughest mileage in my life. LOL. Nevertheless, the pair of tickets in my hands are like gold. Apparently, there are so many people wanting to buy, but the good and better seats were sold out in a matter of hours! Cheapest tickets were sold in less than an hour!

So yeah, although it's in July, but I'm very excited to be going to the concert. Moreover, I'm going together with her =)

Smiling For No Reason

Confession of The Heart

Never have I felt so nervous before. Come to think of it, it's actually my first time trying to confess to a girl. I'm known for being bold, in doing things without needing to hesitate much. However, for some reasons, I had to gather all my courage to do this. Not only had I to do it once, but 3 times, before I got through with it on my third try. The funny part is that I didn't succeed in the last attempt, but neither did I fail too =)

My First Attempt

After thinking it through a while, I figured I gotta have a plan. And so I plan to tell her after dinner. When dinner was over, I kept on thinking where and how to start. Guess what? Those thoughts never materialized. Because I hesitated, thinking of what'll happen next, the night just went by. Most of the time, I could only look at her with a smile, though she didn't noticed it. Of course, I would still have the casual chat, but the important message which I want to tell her, just couldn't come out.

So, The Second Attempt

The inner me was thinking "I couldn't possibly tell her during day time, it's out of a sudden anyways, and most definitely bother her work as well", and so I figured it would be best that I tell her over dinner. As we had our dinner, I constantly thought about the What-If's. By the time I knew it, dinner was over and so was the opportunity. You know that 1 bit of fear and doubt is actually quite scary? 'Cause it eats up all the courage in you. I had a full plate of courage, and yet, it was emptied right out with my own questions. That's me for being analytical whimp! *facepalm*

The Final Attempt

After thinking it through, I realized I had nothing to lose after all. But surely I would have gained something if it was all good. I silenced the inner-analytical-self for the moment. I had 1 goal and only 1 way to do it. It is "Now or Never!" I was going to do anyhow without bothering about the outcome. However, I was short on time. So, I sneakily got a rose and hid it in my car. to wait for that one awesome moment to give it to her.

When the time came, somehow doubt was starting to come out, but I ignored it and went with what felt right. I told her to hang on a moment as I have something for her, and whipped out the rose hidden at the back seat. Her eyes opened quite wide with a smile. And that's where, I became nervous *facepalm* Words didn't come out as I had planned and rehearsed. I was lost for words, can you imagine that? LOL indeed! We sort of laughed about it as I try and complete my sentence. And she's cheeky to interrupt at one of them as though she knew what I was going to say.

"We've been friends for some time now ..."
"Not long enough *laughs*"
"errr *ok she's got a point as well, dang, what now?* "

See what I'm saying? I trying to even asked her in a foreign language "Would you be my girlfriend?" and even that didn't come out right, despite me rehearsing it for a FEW days.

Anyways, I somehow managed to get through it without fainting off, but I didn't get the answer I was looking for. Of course, any guy would be looking forward to a "Yes", but getting a "No" would be a closure too. However, I got "Give me sometime to think about it ya. And thanks for the rose." I didn't really prepared myself for that answer though. As I bid her good night, I went back thinking "What does that even mean?" but after a while, it came to mind "Hey, she didn't reject me! *YES~!* Now, all I gotta do is wait for her answer!" I think it went well, even though with the slight hiccup here and there - at least there were smiles and laughter though, lol

This is probably one of the most difficult thing to do in my life!

*wipes cold sweat*

Made A Crazy Decision & Offer

I'm no fan of big concert nor do I fancy helping others to manage their finances. But, just somehow last night I made two surprising decisions. Friends who knows me would definitely doubt if it was for real. My family would think I'd gone crazy if they knew about it.

#1 I'm going for Big Bang World Tour Concert in Malaysia.
#2 I offered to create a Fixed Deposit placement account for someone.

Sounds crazy, right? But I guess it's a good crazy =) Haven't felt that sort of adrenaline-rush-like excitement. It's almost the same as the few other things I decided and went through with it much earlier this year - Singapore trip (Dec '15), Bangkok (Jan '16) and Koh Lipe (May '16). For someone who hasn't traveled (as vacation, rather than business trip) much in his lifetime, to suddenly have more than 1 planned for 2015-2016. I'm amazed myself.

This new self of mine, I'm liking it =)

Too Many Things To Do, To Little Time To Accomplish Them

Have you ever felt like there's just too many things to do but too little time for it? Well, you're definitely not the only one. I'm one of those who has a tonne of things to do, and when I want to do them, it always felt like there isn't enough time for it.

But the question is,

who set the deadline for the task?

For us working members of the society, we have after-work hours and weekends to do our personal things. For those of us who work over-time and/or weekends, we have even lesser time to do so. But here's what I found out, many people (including myself) have things to do but when the time frame is too short, they tend to postpone it to another day to do - in which could be a week or more away. However, if there's a bigger time frame, some would be puzzled as to do which things first and often this "planning of things to do" takes up half the day.

Sounds familiar? It has happened to me too. But I learned a few things from this:
#1. Prioritizing things - Figure out the urgency and importance of each thing/task. If you don't know how to differentiate the importance level between one task from the other, ask yourself this "If I don't this, what then?" If there's no impact, then's there's no real importance (and even urgency to it).

#2. Plan ahead - Plot your schedule and things to do over the weekend or even for after-working hours. Plan it for the next day, give you time some preparation for it, so that you can reduce the last minute items (preventing "Oh dang, I forgot this, oh well, another time-lah). "Well, I don't have time for it" Yea, you're busy. Who's not busy? It's even more essential to plan for it, especially if you've got things to do and they needed to be done, right? That way, you're actually making time for it (you'll get a feel good factor about it too) and it's much easier to sort out the things right?

#3. Do things, one at a time - Multi-tasking is a myth. What seems like people can do many things at the same time, is actually people doing switching of tasks quickly. And using the power of leverage on technology and/or people, of course (I'll explain more about this in #4. Anyone can do that, just not at the same speed. Most people get stuck here, because they want to do two or more things at the same time. But if you plan for it or you're already an expert at it, it's do-able. We'll come back to this at #4. Meanwhile, you can actually get things done once you figure out which thing is easier to do and which is more complex. Then, you can work out the "magic".

#4. Leveraging on technology and/or people - with today's accessibility to knowledge and experts, it's not that difficult to know what and who can help us. All we need to do is ask and/or push a couple of buttons to do so. While some people still prefer to wash their own cars, you can get other people to wash it for a fair price while you do your own things/chores. Another example would be washing clothes. Hardly anyone I know washes their clothes with their own hands (with the exception of some clothes requiring hand-wash). For most of our clothes, I think our washing machines can handle them. That's how people can do many things in a shorter period of time. Multi-tasking is a myth. Rather people actually just switch between things/tasks so quickly which made it seem as if they're doing it at the same time. If you have technology and/or people to help you, it's most certain that you can achieve/complete many things in a shorter time.

For things that requires your quick action, I believe that should be your priority. Do your best to clear outstanding items so that you can make room/time/space for more important things. For everything else that can be done in a slower pace, take your time and enjoy the process. The saying of Rome was done built in one day, makes a lot of sense here.

I've Fallen In Love

Words just can't describe how I feel at this moment. To think that I've actually talked about this since a long time, but at last I'm in this position. I've told so many friends how to go about it, that I thought it would be an easy-peasy thing for myself. I'll didn't expect myself to have a racing heart and fluttery stomach.

I didn't know at first, but with time I realize I had some feelings towards her and along the way the feelings grew stronger. We work together, ate together, we hung out together, we shopped together, we watched movies together. In a short period of time, we're pretty good friends. I think we could share a lot of things and not judge each other about it. We've got some pretty neutral opinion on things. What she liked, when shared with me, mostly I'll like it too - similar taste in most areas, whether it's food, music, ideas, or travel plans. Of course, there are somethings she doesn't like, but I like and vice versa too. Those are minor stuff. What's interesting is that, even the types of friends we have seem to be similar as well. We talked about our own friends (her own, and mine) and found out that while they are different individuals, they're practically the same type!

Initially, I thought coincidence was the keyword and that was all to it. Think it through again, there's just too many coincidence to be true. And in the course of knowing her, I noticed that I've changed, in a good way of course. But not because I wanted to, but somehow it was a natural change in which happened to me. I'm pretty much a boring person who only knew how to work - ask me anything about fun, and you'll probably get a list of things to do (that I've researched on the Internet prior to that; could even be outdated). I didn't think of traveling then, I didn't think of living life to the fullest (I sure say that, but I didn't fully understand the "quantum physics" of it). I started wanting more (besides the career advancement and financial freedom) of live. And moreover, I wanted to do with her.

She's special in so many ways. Her smiles and eyes are definitely mesmerizing (for my eyes only btw =P). Her laughs are hilarious. While she maybe a little blur in many things, she's very smart. It's only the things that she's not familiar with, that requires a little more time to get used to (I'm sure it's the same for all of us). She's by far the most neutral person I know. She doesn't take sides and is pretty logical too. She's very independent and resourceful. Most girls (and guys too!) I know will rely on others to get things done, without giving it much try. She would at least try her best before calling for help. She's simple-minded but not one to be easily fooled either - not that easy to get her. But like me, she's not too good with emotions; thankfully, she knows how to get by it. Looking at her, my worries go away. If I sway a little, somehow just chatting with her, gets me back on track.

Without knowing when it started, my first thoughts of the day were her and my last thoughts of the day, well you've guessed it, her too. I don't usually bother about my phone after office hours, but in the recent months it bothers me to check it whenever a message comes it - "woot it's her! *reply*" I'm not obsessed, but knowing that she's alright somewhat gives me a sense of relief. When she's sick, sometimes I get "affected" too. So, I made sure I'm alright and at the same time go to her aide. I felt the need to be by her side whenever she's unwell, in pain or just unfit to do much things, and it annoys me that I couldn't because, err, well, we're not together. I voluntarily offered to do many things (not something you'll see of me) with and for her, without even realizing it until it is done. When she's feeling very cold, I would want to hold her hands and hug her tightly.When she's not smiling, I start to wonder why - even though I know, sometimes she's just stoning away. With most people I would always want to be right, but with her, I somewhat naturally give in for her. 

Without a doubt, I've fallen in love. Like never before.

The Hat That Made Me Special

My sis got this from her most recent trip to Korea. I just couldn't stand to not wear and selfie with it =P Don't know if you can find it here, because of its obscenity, but I'd like to get something similar too!

Such cool hat!

13032015 Package from Japan

A few weeks ago, I made a bidding at Ebay and guess what, I won it! The deal was for an iPhone 5 tough case. Though its an unknown brand to me but it's pretty good looking and the quality is good!

I gotten this package when I came back home

There's also an origami included too!

What a nice thank you note!

My new iPhone 5 case!
Guess what, it comes with 2 screen protectors and a cleaning cloth!
I AM HAPPY =D

08032015 Working on Sunday

It's tough to say it's a beautiful Sunday when one has to wake up at ungodly hours to do something that one should not be doing on such a wonderful rest-day. Well, apart from that, it's still a beautiful Sunday nevertheless =)

Taken with HDR mode.
While it might not be the best picture, it's actually quite good with the grey skies.

my OOTD (outfit of the day) for Sunday workday

A chocolate treat that my sister shared with me.
It's from Japan!
The taste is unique, but I didn't quite fancy it.

We pass by this restaurant almost every time we want to go QCM.
And it never cease to amaze us with the queue!

On Sunday afternoon, it's packed with people as if it was a Monday-Friday afternoon!
What's in the food?! Kaskas?? LoL

We decided not to try this food, as the queue was long, and the weather was very hot to eat outdoors. So we proceeded with our plans to eat at QCM. I just love that mall, it's nice and cold and it smells refreshing! =D We had our lunch at T-Signature, to try it out something different. Went in there to find out what I want to order, isn't available *What nonsense is that for a restaurant that had just opened a while ago, while very little customers?!* End up I had to compromise and go for another menu instead.

Bean paste chicken noodles RM10.90 #tsignature #quillcitymall #lunch

A photo posted by Jeffro Ong (@jeffroong) on Mar 8, 2015

Soup of the day - red bean and tong yuen RM4.90 - this tasted lousy to me #dessert #tsignature #quillcitymall

A photo posted by Jeffro Ong (@jeffroong) on Mar 8, 2015

Left office at 7PM, it was raining very heavily but the sun was still up, behind me =)

My family had a last minute dinner arrangement with their friends.
So it's just me at home, decided to try out the instant noodle which I bought from Indonesia Trip.

I added a little too much water, but thankfully it still taste good =D

Back Then and Now

Looking at my old picture and how I look now, it really amazes me. I went through quite some physical changes since then. Friends who knew me from more than 5 years back would either save that I've lost weight or shrunk. In this period of time, I've experienced quite a lot of things  emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically as well. Fell in love, fell out of love. Bad times, good times. I'm just glad I'm still around and that people could recognize me!

My passport picture from 5 years back

How do you look like 5 years back?

A Post From My Phone

I'm supposed to be asleep by now but don't know why I'm awake. Suddenly, I had a mental awaken or something and I'm at the moment whereby I can learn and absorb almost any material I come across.

I had just finished watching a video on. YouTube about presentations, how to skillful communicator, and what's makes a leader a leader. I had time to catch up on some NBA highlights and technology updates from all around. Also, I came across some fascinating videos that are very inspiring and amusing!

And that all brought me to re-download this Blogger mobile app and try it again. It doesn't have all the features as what I require when using the desktop version. But I guess it comes in handy at times like this.

I'm wide awake and I still don't know why. However, I've learned aplenty tonight and I shall try to get some sleep. Yikes, it's 3:33am and I've got work at 9am! Hope I'll be alright!

First Words of the Day (Guess Who) and Ang Pow & Movie Time with Mum, of the Year!

You know what and how great friendship starts with? Small talks. And it goes a long way, I strongly believe. I used to have issues with small talks - if I don't have an agenda with you, I find it purposeless to start a conversation, what more with small talks. However, as time passes by (although time files, you don't have to wait for a long time, I assure you) the number of people who will stay will change, either increasing or reducing pattern, and in my case it's the latter. I understand how it feels like to start off with many peers and slowly having to realize that it's not a growing number either. But I found, ever since I learned about small talks, I no longer have to worry about that anymore. Long time friends, old buddies, new friendship, or buddies yet to be - I can have them all now =) Nothing fancy really, here's one of the chat I have:

First words of the day =D

Woke up today with a surprise from mum (actually it came from my ex-neighbor) - I got my first Ang Pow (red packet) of the year! Woohoo! I know I said it doesn't matter if I receive it or not, however whenever I do get it, I have this tingling feel of excitement inside me! I guess I have to admit, I still have a little boy in me who gets excited ever so easily =)

Mum had received two (2) free movie tickets, compliments of TGV's Movie Club. It's a pretty neat membership package by TGV, which includes two (2) free movie tickets and a regular popcorn set upon signing up and another two (2) free movie tickets and a regular popcorn set (what, again? Are you kidding me?!) on your birthday. The other benefits of the TGV Movie Club are exclusive invitations to special screenings, advanced move tickets in which you can buy ahead of others, and earn MovieMoney from purchases from TGV (online and over-the-counter). How much does this membership cost? Only RM28 (that's RM7/movie ticket + benefits), but for the prosperous month of February, it's being offered at RM25 (that's RM6.25/movie ticket + benefits). No brainer right? =D

(note: this is not a sponsored post; I just felt like sharing this, after calculating out the benefits for myself)

Tickets for two, for Triumph in the Skies

I haven't watched movies with Mum since a long time ago. And after sorting out my stuff much earlier, we decided to catch a movie together. Mum liked (if not loved) the TVB drama series, "Triumph in the Skies", so naturally this would be our pick since there wasn't much selection at that point of time.

I'd suggest anyone to watch if, but specifically for couples, haha =D It was a little awkward for Mum and I, 'cause nearly everyone else in the movie hall were couples. The movie was alright, very funny and I love the videography of film. However, I did think they overused the color-filters a tad bit too much. In my opinion, I don't think the places they film was ever that colorful, even though I've not been there before. But, it was fun through-out the film. Sammy Cheng's voice is still as good as ever~! And Captain Jayden aka Captain Cool is super cool! I don't know how he keeps his looks, dangamit! LOL