Monday 1 October 2007

Can you take it easy?

I went to a gathering last Friday to celebrate the promotion of some of my former colleagues. Free food and free booze but strange enough, the turn out was poor. But it was still a good gathering, sort of like a reunion for all the former slaves of one of my former employers.

One person who turned up was one of my former managers. From what I heard, he has been very successful since leaving our former employer. And when I mean successful, I am talking about making millions. While everyone was quite dressed for the occasion, he was the most casual of the lot. I went over the say hello…

“Hey boss!”
“Heyyy zewt. Don’t call me boss, not your boss anymore”
“You’re still boss, a very successful one I heard. How are you doing?”
“I’ve been taking things easy. Been really tired working so hard for so long. I need to take it easy”
“That’s a luxury not many of us have. Most of us can't afford to take it easy yet”

At this point, he said something that really hit me…

“Can… as long as you don’t mind a smaller house and smaller car, you can take it easy right now”

Of course, “a smaller house and smaller car” can be a metaphor for a lot of things, the things you so desire. So the question is… can you take it easy? I am trying to.

On a totally unrelated note, I saw a very large demonstration by the employees of a certain bank last Saturday along Jalan Sultan Ismail. A quick check round the blogs revealed that such demonstrations have been happening around the country. Did the mainstream media report this? Do a quick google for “bank rampas bonus kami” and you will know which bank is that.

59 comments:

rainbow angeles said...

I'm taking it easy ;)

Bank demo? I thot they always do that every few months, no ah? Last time, many many years ago, when I was working in a bank, they do that a few times every year wor...

MOANday again... sigh...

Oh, and Happy October!

Anonymous said...

I'm taking it easy as well. I don't mind small house and small car, as long as I am happy with what I am doing. No pressure from anyone. Live happy! :P

Cutiez said...

i don't mind too for the small house & car as long as there is someone i loves do stay with me then its worth rather than keep earn lots but lost lot besides earn the big house & car which i need to live alone.. that's sound sad isn't it ?

day-dreamer said...

My mum saw that mogok too!

Being able to take it easy can be hard at times. That's just us humans.

Anonymous said...

Me too. I don't mind a small car and small house at all..If my life is not happy, i won't be happy too if i have big house or big car..

I think it depends on a what a person really wants.

Pak Zawi said...

zewt,
Your ex boss is really a smart man. He knows what to do with his life. He dressed casually so that he will stand out among the well dressed people.
You were right about his use of the metaphor of small house and small car. Just live within your mean and dont be burdened with big debts.
If only you had left a great impression when you were working under him, he would seek you out to join his bandwagon. Seek him out, he could be your next employer. A successful man is the best employer.

Wuching said...

if i ask for an even smaller house i'll be living in a kennel!

may said...

of course can take it easy! more so 'cos it's a Monday AND a public holiday... whee!!

*close eyes to demonstrators*

Anonymous said...

Hmmm... a silent strike would have worked so much better than a demonstration. Just my opinion. :P

Anonymous said...

It was published in the Sunday Star. You will find it in nicely tucked in one corner on the bottom left with the CEO's face on it stating that all negotiation must be done with the Commercial Banks Association. If you are wondering on which page this article is published, you wouldn't find in on the first two pages.

Horny Ang Moh said...

Ur former boss is right! Take it 'easy'! Sometime u must take stock of urself! Know u own abilities! Don't overdo urself! A chicken can never becum an eagle!
Me? I am takeing things 'easy'! All the things I blog are mostly wishfull thinking only! $$$$ not enought! I know I can't be an eagle! If I can be a sucessfull 'duck' I am already happy!
See I am a simple fellow!
Have a nice day!

Anonymous said...

Much easier said than done
But then again we'll just be saying it until we start trying

Huei said...

yup! taking life reallyy easy! i dun need no mansion to be happy..a small house will do! =D

*actually cos i can't afford a mansion! =P hehehehe

Anonymous said...

Yes, in the end it comes down to a question of priorities. I always think there is no point earning pots of money if you have to work like crazy all hours of the day. You can't even enjoy the money!

Ehon said...

it's the culturee.. :) everyone's following that stupid culture - the more the better.

Anonymous said...

instead of saying taking it easy, you can say...

TING TIT LEI LAH!

haha i think it depends on your personality. my dad, for instance is someone who has to take the chance. either big house or no house haha

Tine said...

I guess that's the million dollar question - when's enough enough?

On the other note, oh yeah, I was at that bank last week, and the employees were actually wearing big badges "bank rampas bonus kami"! With that badge, their neck strap had an extra tag to it "xx% increase" or something :p

Anonymous said...

my Ahma used to say "people hor, are almost always not happy with their 'current' situation. They'll spends as much as they earn" Everyone's defination of wealth and luxury is different. So imho, it not about smaller or bigger the assets rather is it 100% owned by you or still in 'ansuran' mode XD

The Pisces Man said...

Hi zewt, a first time commentor (?) tho had visited your blog a few times before.

The keyword "bank rampas bonus kami" did not indicate the right results (at least on the first result page) tho I think I have some idea what it's about..

You mention former colleagues and former boss. So, you and that former boss left that company or those former colleagues and former boss were the ones who left, or whatever... (P/S: u don't have to answer this if u dont want to laa... hehe)

Jorji said...

bank rampok bonus kami..went to bank last week..the clerk said,bank nak bayar bonus ikut performance..bukan 2bulan as in offer letter.

My company i werk,4 yrs takda bonus! not even a fucking badges werkers kat sini nak pakai! bonus is a sensitive issue to me. :P

Mcmercedez said...

Well, in this matter, I think people themself are the one who makes their life's struggle.. There are people who are tend to get jealous when they see what people have and they wanted it or maybe they set a high expectation for themself where God knows how they going to achieve it.. When this happen, they will find every means way to achieve what they want..

If they take it easy and get what they can afford, they will live a happy life.. Agree?

tulipspeaks said...

i think i saw it in the star. not sure about the date. :S

taking things easy? it has to be impossible right now for me :|



ammu.

zewt said...

angel - this one really besar-besaran... but what i am disappointed is that... nothing reported in the newspaper.

ethel - small house and small car is subjective... dont u think?

maegen - yeah, if at the end of it we're alone... that really sucks. no point.

day dreamer - your mom didnt take photo? i wanted to but i was driving.

seok thong - you're in german... small house can be quite big right? hehe..

zawi - he is quie a role model BUT... having worked under him before, i dont think i wanna do that again. not an easy boss to work for i must say.

wuching - wah... really that terrible meh? then stop at what you're living now lor.

Rockybru said...

thanks for the bank rampas bonus kami, zewt. i was once a trade union reporter, which means I only covered assignments related to trade unions - mtuc, cuepacs, nube, etc. there were pickets now and then at the time. but today, like you said, demos have been happening around the country.
why, because there is more freedom?

zewt said...

may - the whole world is on holiday it seems... except for malaysia... sigh.

cirnelle - and how does a silent strike works?

anon @ 8.00am - well, i am certainly not surprised. if i didnt see it, i dont think i will ever know. wonder if a certain foreign bank will face the same fate.

hor ny - good for u mate. be a duck may be good... if u know what i mean.

zeroimpact - trying will be the ultimate test.

huei - so if u can afford, u also want it right?

sunflower - sometimes, it's not all about money. some ppl thrives on status and glamour.

zewt said...

ehon - not a culture... but a curse.

tingtitlei - but ended up big house right? so ok la...

tine - i was just about to blog abut that today! hehe... hmmm... there are actually 2 banks where employees are doing that.

-=SIn=- - the conclusion is... we are all greedy.

the pisces man - hi there and welcome to AZAIG! so you found the right bank huh? as or former colleages and former bosses... me and my former boss both left that company already. of cos, there are also some who stayed behind. cheers and hope to see ya around.

j or ji - i think workers are getting more vocal nowadays, which is very encouraging. the rise of the modern slaves! maybe it's time for u to change company?

mcmercedez - agreed... we are always looking at others and keep competing... keep comparing... if only we know where to stop.

tulipspeaks - impossible? are u sure... think about it... i am sure there is a chance to take it easy somewhere.

ahiruddin attan - hey rocky! i think it's human evolution. ppl are getting more aware of their self worth and are willing to stand up for what they believe. more importantly... ppl are willing to unite?

ardy said...

Ah, I've been taking it easy for years now. That's why I've been doing the same thing, earning the same amount, and driving the same small car for 5 years!

Bonus or no bonus, there are other ways to get extra income. No need to get emotional and angry.

But then again, people are becoming greedy nowadays.

Helen said...

I do think knowing when to draw the line is the secret to contentment. If you think about it, how much is enough? lol

Earning enough is just a state of mind. The important thing is to be happy with what you're doing.

Yeah, easier said than done hor? :-P

Eileen said...

I think as long as I have a house for shelter, and a car for transportation, and meals for food, I think I can take it easy.... Really, it is our own choice after all :) Mix with people of the same kind :P

Dangerous Variable said...

Aiyoh... lunch time Maybank Damansara Utama branch also got protest about bonus...

the bank union damn strong le...

Simple house and simple car you can live one.

I only got an iswara which is 15 years old and I don't need to pay for installment. I got a new condo, I only pay RM700 per month for installment and 110 for maintenance. So, I think with RM1500 per month, I think I can live le...up to you whether you wanna do it or not!

frostee said...

Just went to CIMB this morning and saw their staff with large buttons saying "Bank Rampas Bonus Kami".

Hmmmmmm.... And such things are not reported in the mainstream media. How do you expect the people to be informed?

Things are getting worse by the day. Stop the rot!!!

Anonymous said...

Your ex boss is right. I guess we just have to take things easy and remember that material things are not necessary everything in this world. Afterall, when we are six feet under, we couldn't be bringing all our wealth with us. We come to this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing.

Doreen said...

I guess life here is simple and easy, and I suppose that means I'm taking it easy too? Emm......*ponder.....*

Z said...

my mom ALWAYS says i take things too easily.

eg. i dont dressup how my mom says i should (y'know, 'feminine'-ishly), i dont like to study so hard for normal tests (but i work real hard for major ones), i dont like cooking (which is SO wrong for a 'lady')... y'know, blatant things.

but she rarely considers that i am more particular in other things, like at home, im the person who monitors the switching off of electrical appliances when not in use (i cannot understand why my family tends to forget to close them -_-;), i would plead my mom not to throw away recyclable stuff, and i'll be the one who makes sure food gets finished so that there won't be much rubbish.

and she still says i havent a care in the world. sigh.

Angie Tan said...

Well said... (^ ^)

However, since everything is going up (gravity does not apply to the price of goods these days), are we able to be content with a smaller car, house, etc?

Time to also train ourselves to have a smaller stomach? Heehehe...

I'd guess in the pursuit of happyness, $$$ is a factor especially when you're trying to feed/clothe your kids. However, in the longterm, are we just content to just have enough to survive? :P

Z said...

btw, there's a problem at my commenting system?

seems to be working/looking fine in my comp.. and other users seem to be ok with it too.

hmm.. odd.

J u n e said...

hmm..as of now, im a girl with big dreams..*-* maybe i will take it easy later on in life. xD

rinnah said...

I would like to take it easy if I could, but I just want more! LOL!

How I wish I could strike for bonus too. LOL!

Anonymous said...

What is a silent strike? Google this "KLIA silent strike" and learn the subtleties of Malaysian (don't) Visit Malaysia Year 2007 activities.

Azlan Zed said...

i dont mind small house and small car, as long i'm happy. :)

rainbow angeles said...

Pssttt... would like to point you to this blog - peranakandude.com

Anonymous said...

Not big not small, just enough for both of us and a cat.. :P

Anonymous said...

Dude, small car, small house, deep pocket .. cool huh? And the pocket got deeper because u dun have a big house and a big car. as long as the moolah keep on rolling, I'll be walking around smiling! - oh ya, itu MAnYakorangBANK. He he .. bonus oh bonus, gaji sudah naik 30% but janji tinggal janji .. biasala

MikeM said...

to live large, u will only think about it once u somehow have the capacity to do so, human can never b fulfilled arent they?

mainstream media? it exists meh? many things r fixed for this country. Im saddened by the "correct, correct, correct" video (if u know wat i mean)

zewt said...

ardy - yeah, it's the struggle to conquer your greed. but then again... taking it too easy may not be too good.

Helen - of cos... we malaysians only know how to talk. NATO ler... not saying u la.

princess eileen - hmmm... good good good point... indeed, we need to mix with he same kind. but then again... ppl of the same kind will naturally mix together... not exactly a choice.

dangerous variable - really? i think it's happening nationwide. i take it as a positive sign. 1500... your gf ok or not?

FON @ frostee - what? CIMB too!!! wah lau!!! aiyah... it wont be reported in mainstream la. they only cover good news.

zewt said...

gina - knowing it is knowledge... practising it is wisdom... :)

doreen - yeah.. which is why i wanna move towards such life.

zaty - looks like you're a gem in the house! your mom just need to understand. talk to her. dunno ler... i guess only me who cant comment.

angie tan - i am sure all of us wanna train our stomach to be smaller, no? it's greed... we fail to be contended with things.

AngryYoungChild - i was one a boy with big dreams too.

rinnah - lottery... not bonus... hehe.

zewt said...

cirnelle - basically... it's screwing up things eh? they need a very capable leader to do that.

alan zed - but will u be happy with a small car and a small house?

angel - let me check it our later... thanks.

seok thong - hahaha... think that's the good thing about the west... not much competition an easy to be contended.

michael song - yes yes yes... correct correct... i remember i remember... :)

Anonymous said...

MAnYakorangBANK.. hehe.. hmm.. like usual, mainstream media just kepoh with what pak lah and najib eat for berbuka puasa.. haha! can i take it easy? i'm trying.. to take things easy :) hopefully.. wise words from a wise man.. your colleague.

Seaqueen said...

Yea. Talk about taking it easy. As long as we are pleased and satisfied with what we have we have it easy but then which human being is huh?? ;) So it's up to the individual on this.

Bank strike? Where you work you won't see it cos no clerks there but local banks still have clerks that's why they still have all these strikes. Even badges were made. Look at the amount of $$ and time spent just to get all these done. I wonder how if we do it instead huh?? Wishful thinking only. Sigh.

Anonymous said...

Sunflower: sometimes, it's not all about money. some ppl thrives on status and glamour.

Yalor. So you must know what you want, and why you're doing what you do. Like I said, it's a question of priorities. You determine what's most important to you, coz everything comes with a price. If you pursue status and wealth above everything else, you end up sacrificing time to spend with friends and family, or even time for leisure pursuits. On the other hand if family is a priority and you refuse to spend so much time at work, you might hit a glass ceiling in your career advancement. Life is like that.

But if we make conscious choices, we will be prepared for the downside and will not be bitter. Because after all, it is our choice and we accept that this is the sacrifice we make in order to pursue the things which are important to us. And in the end we do not consider it a 'sacrifice' because we are not really losing out on anything... since we already have what is important. You do not mourn the loss of something that means little to you.

zewt said...

bongkerz - hahaha.. thanks to cibol... i have that term now :) let is all just... chill..!

seaqueen - i see a lot of the ppl at my office wearing that badge... no kidding.

sunflower - so back to the question of choices and whether we are ready to take regrets eh? haa... life is a circle... we keep doing round and round.

frostee said...

And sad to say, a majority of people in this country actually BELIEVES everything they read in the paper.

Hmmm... Maybank...CIMB... both GLC.. so let me deduce that the Government is robbing them of their bonusses? Nah.. it couldn't be.. not it this great country!! *cough
*cough

zewt said...

fon @ frostee - nah... i am sure this country will not do such thing... impossible.

narrowband said...

That's so true, Zewt. Many things in life are a matter of choice. The choices we make will surely have a consequence later on... I am now trying to resist the temptation to do certain things - thanks that I'm not even sure if I can afford.

zewt said...

narrowband - if you cant afford, dont handcuff yourself to it... not worth it...

changeiam said...

Sometimes it's not that we don't want to take it easy but the kiasu mentality has somehow infected and clouded our mind. Imagine talking to a friend who graduated from the same college as you and is driving the latest car and living in a RM 1/2 mil dollar house. One can't help but wonder what has one achieved compared to their peers. For now I am taking it easy though sometimes it can be hard and once in a while I have to admit that the face does turn green with envy

zewt said...

changeiam - that's why, if you dont mind a smaller car and a smaller house... your face wouldnt turn green... then u can take it easy.

Huei said...

if i can afford it..then there'll be another question. with the security we have in msia...big hse = u're rich = prone to be robbed/kidnapped

so maybe just a medium terrace house, a not-proton/perodua car will do..i'd rather spend more money doing my daily ARK..feed the strays! =)

zewt said...

huei - i must say i am very touched with your kind heart. yeah, i notice that you have a soft spot for animals. good thing, keep it up.