Zewt in hotel quarantine

It was such a good feeling to actually know that there are people still lurking around here, it gives me hope that people still fancy reading.   I myself have also missed some bloggers that I used to follow, and I too wish they would make a return.  However, we all have our lives to live.  

I wish everyone who is reading this is having a good life and that you are currently staying healthy and safe in this unprecedented time in human history.  I think no one alive has actually been through this.  Tough times but I am sure we will all come out of it stronger. 

Meanwhile, just want to share with everyone that I am now in hotel quarantine, and I made these videos to entertain myself and hopefully you will be entertained too.

My “Friday Frolics” crazy video, hope you will find it funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72d7FDY1LXM&t=31s

This one is when I first arrived.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Xj7ZJEPpo&t=268s

Hope you enjoy them and I will see you again very soon.

Best wishes to everyone,

Zewt

Greetings from Singapore

I have been so occupied with the surgery and physiotherapy, I didn’t really had the time to let it sink into me that I have actually left the country, possibly for good. The only time I thought about leaving was wondering whether I could make it up the plane with my legs full of plasters and me walking in crutches.

Anyway… yes… I made it, and I am now in Singapore. Normally, people are given about 1 month MC for this surgery but I will have to report to work tomorrow. Well, it’s a new job, I don’t quite have a choice. The only saving grace is that my new boss is willing to let me to physio during office hour.

In 2005, I left the Malaysian shore to work in China. At that time, I knew I would return. My plan was to go for only 2 years, though it turned out to be much shorter.

This time though, I left Malaysian shores and I am not quite sure whether I will return. Surely, I may get another transfer back to Malaysia. However, if things go according to plan, I don’t think I will be returning anytime in the near future.

I guess I will find out soon enough whether all those things people talk about Singaporeans are real or otherwise. And of course, I will have first hand experience of the dreaded Singapore working culture.

Surely, there will be plenty to blog about…

People from Singapore… hope to bump into you on the streets!

Knee surgery tomorrow

This has happened much quickly than expected. The surgeon I saw last Wednesday said he would be able to operate tomorrow. He is the same surgeon who operated on the knee of national badminton player Julia Wong.

Well, I am very comfortable with his explanation and he gave me a lot of confidence. Hence, I am going under the knife tomorrow. I was mentally prepared to get this done in July and now that this has been brought forward, I have to admit I feel a little strange.

I have yet to decide on whether I should go on local anaesthetic or get knocked out on general anaesthetic. Would certainly need wisdom on this.

Though it is not a very life threatening surgery, I do appreciate prayers support and hopefully everything will turn out well.

Thanks for all your well wishes and catch you guys later…

Me knee update

I have done a MRI and it confirmed that my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (“ACL”) is completely torn. Many people have been asking me what exactly it is and I think this is a good analogy…

Imagine a house supported by a single main pillar. Now, the pillar has completely collapsed and the reason why the house is still standing is because of the walls. Worse, some of the internal and side walls are either damaged or have also collapsed. Imagine the house being my knee.

That’s quite a good explanation, isn’t it? Came up with it myself… hehe…

I am off crutches for now but I can’t really walk normally. I certainly can’t jump and running is out of the question. I can’t imagine myself not running or playing any games for the rest of my life, so I will need an ACL reconstruction surgery. It will take 9 months before I can play again.

Timing has been bad. This injury happened while I am busy preparing to make my brain-drain move down south. But I guess I shouldn’t be complaining after this conversation.

As the surgery can only be done after the swelling is completely gone, I will most probably head down south first and then fly back for my surgery. There will certainly be lots of flying in the next couple of months.

I hope to find a surgeon who I am comfortable with, currently looking at one who came highly recommended.

With a good surgeon, discipline to do proper rehab and God’s grace, I hope to run next year’s KL Standard Chartered Marathon…


1 year ago… Smokers like these are morons… She just couldn’t see it… A thought while terminating

2 years ago… Some things don’t evolve… Ask before you hump?

3 years ago… You are the reason… The 3 laws (recommended)

Appreciate prayers for my knee

My boots were slightly broken since the game last week; perhaps it was a sign. I wasn’t even challenging for the ball, was just running and tried to change direction.

I heard a “crack” and the next thing I knew, I felt like my left knee has been cracked open with a dagger.

Initial assessment indicated that the meniscus was torn but not too sure about the anterior cruciate ligament. I will have to wait for the swelling to subside before going for a MRI. Then the extent of the damage will be clearer.

Appreciate prayers that the ACL is still intact and not ruptured. If it is ruptured, it will be surgery and a kiss goodbye to active sports. Many thanks.

Blood being drawn out from my knee…



3 years ago… Of selling and barking

A quick fix

Been fairly busy preparing for my entry to the drain. Car has been sold – sad… more update in a bit…

This has been my breakfast for the last 2+ months, everyday except for Sunday. I hope my cholesterol dipped a bit…



Have a good weekend.


1 year ago… The principal that was

2 years ago… When cost is not an issue… The young begins to hump… That’s why the young humps

3 years ago… Do you know why?

The timing of the take-off

I wouldn’t rate the initial years of my modern slavery life as anything near a success. Yes, it started off well with good review from my seniors and mentor. I was moving up the ladder in line the normal scale. But it did hit a snag.

At that time when I missed promotion, it did felt like shite. I saw my peers moved ahead of me. Those who missed the preceding level have all but left. As such, I decided to make a move as well.

I took a gamble by going to China, a stint that didn’t really pay off. I returned and spent a few months bumming, leveraging on the dough I made from China.

Thereafter, I joined my current employer.

The initial months were quite a struggle as I tried to programme my professional-firm type of thinking to the commercial-type. Fortunately, it has since taken a favourable turn and in the last couple of years, I would consider that my career has really taken off. I moved up the ladder rather rapidly and will soon be moving on to a regional role.

Now that I sit down and look back, I notice one thing…

The timing of the take-off coincides with the passing of my Mom. Although my religious faith would disagree, I think it must have been a blessing by Mom.

Always in memory

Never forgotten

Wonderful Mom

Left March 2007

Doc visit this time

Medical check-up is never a pleasant experience, regardless of the purpose. It’s much worse in mine as my check up is to see whether things have gotten worse. It’s either status quo, i.e. still abnormal but within control, or the situation has worsened. Either way, it’s not exactly good news.

Thank God though, things have actually improved in my case. There are still red blood cells in my urine but protein leakage has reduced to bare minimum.

One thing I always observed during my visits… I am always the youngest patient in the clinic. Others, as far as I can see, are most in their 40s or 50s. It makes me wonder whether I should be glad that I discovered this condition early… or… should I be worried whether my kidneys will last that long.

My observation took a twist last Friday. 2 patients who showed up are younger than me. 1 is a girl, probably in her teens. She came with her mother, I thought her mom was the patient until the nurse asked for the patient’s weight and she went to the scale instead. She didn’t look exactly pleased, neither was her mother.

The other is a guy, probably mid 20s. He was rather overweight, something which the doc asked me to control. Apparently, being overweight puts a lot of stress on the kidneys. He looked pretty cool though, no sign of anxiety in his face.

This time round, the doc also did a GSP 1 blood test on me. Kidney functions are holding up well, so is my liver. However, the test showed that I have what is known as a lifestyle condition… I have high cholesterol!

I’ve been asked to eat oat twice a day, else I may have a heart attack by the time I am 50!

Apparently; there are a lot of people out there with high-cholesterol, they just don’t know it. With the abundance of good food here… that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Do you know your health profile?


1 year ago… The most difficult question in the interview and how to answer it

Anxious

Time really flies... and I have reached that time of the year again, where I will see my Nephrologist for my semi-annual check-up. Rather anxious about this time though. Not that I am expecting anything serious (hopefully not), but this check up will most probably influence a big decision that I will make next week.

Hope everything turns out well...

Anyone know what fruit this is?

I think the first time I had it was when I was 13, the year I joined the Boys’ Brigade. We have this place that we call “Rock Garden”, and the tree is located there.


After school, or during our limited Boys’ Brigade break time, we will be on the look out for it. Some are within a jump’s reach while some require a certain amount of climbing before you can lay your hands on it.

Those located high up are not spared. To us, they are just a shoe’s throw away. Oh yes, we were quite accurate in our throwing too. One throw sometimes gave us up to 3 fruits! Though they dropped on the road, we never wash them. Just a wipe on our sleeve and we’ll eat it. Those days, hygiene is not priority.

Its diameter is about the size of a 50 cents coin. Inside the fruit is a brownish seed that’s inedible. Remove the seed, and the whole fruit will down into our mouth. If we managed to get those that have ripened to light yellowish in colour, its sweetness is heavenly.

Till today, my friends and I who have eaten this fruit have never seen it anywhere in the market. It would appear that they only tree bearing this fruit is located in Rock Garden, a stone throw from my school.

They are going to tear down the place though, to make way for a huge multipurpose hall. It’s a project by the church. Ya’ know, churches are very fond with mega structures nowadays.

Hence, I am interested to know. Has anyone seen or eaten this fruit before? Any idea what it is called?

Today...

Today was an important.

Today, I was put to the test to see whether I am up for it.

Today, I have to be convincing.

Today, I have to demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence.

Today, the drain becomes nearer.

Today, the drain made an offer in principal.

Today… has been a great day.

Tomorrow, I might fall into the drain.


1 year ago… The story of Mr. Suck Plime

Reflecting this CNY

Since the passing of my grandmother slightly less than a decade ago, I have always had the impression that my 3rd aunt is the most traditional person in the family. She is a spinster who stays with us, and has been dictating how things should be done in family when it comes to Chinese practices.

Having now spent the 3rd Chinese New Year without my Mom, I think my impression may be inaccurate…

My 1st CNY after the passing of Mom was spent in London, on secondment. Nothing much can be done about that. Strange though, the 2nd and the recent 3rd CNY spent without Mom, there was absolutely no emphasis placed on the CNY eve reunion dinner. My aunt didn’t seem to “enforce” it that much.

We also have this tradition of “hoi lin” (commencing of the new year), which falls on the second day of CNY where again, everyone has to be around for brunch. It is a significant event for my family. However, this tradition seems to have lost its fang this CNY and the last. My aunt doesn’t seem care much if everyone is around for brunch that signifies the commencement of a new year.

Rewind the lunar calendar a little, and we have the “Tung” festival, the one where chinese make “tong yuen” (those little rice balls in sweet ginger soup). I have always been thought that “tung dai go lin”, which means “Tung” festival is actually more important than CNY. I have never been home for dinner during “Tung” since my Mom passed away…

Reflecting all these made me realise that my Mom was the driving force behind all the traditions, not my aunt. Considering that my Mom came from a Malay village (she’s Chinese) and she didn’t speak much Cantonese or eat much pork when she arrived at KL, she must have taken a lot of effort to do all that.

The 15th day of CNY, the “Chap Goh Meh” is another date where being home for dinner is of great importance, or so it used to be. My aunt’s reply to me when I asked about it was “Up to you ler”… I think the least I can do is to make sure that this dinner happens, as it used to be…


1 year ago… You better give yourself a choice before…

2 years ago… Absolute bolehness

3 years ago… A Chinese New Year missing

I did it... again!

It has never occurred to me that Putrajaya is that hilly. Up a steep slope… down… then up again… and down… I should really put some gradient when I run on the treadmill.

And I still don’t quite understand why the roads can never be close for an official run. Man and machine on the same road --- 2 lanes for cars, 1 lane for runners. I suppose it sort of added a Malaysian flavour into the run.

Was so afraid that my calf will cramp up like the last time. Thank God for holding my calf muscles together. No cramps at all this time round. I think the Phiten necklace that I tied around my calf helped as well.

Managed to chip 4 minutes off my Singapore Stand Chart Marathon time … Yay!


P/S: The lack of blogging is due to a very screwed up internet connection, it just go down every night during “prime” internet time. It’s like there is a conspiracy to stop me from getting on the net at night…


1 year ago… High what?

2 years ago… The 3 seeks… An enlightening beer-less encounter…

3 years ago… Chinese culture, what’s not and what’s lost

Not a very good feeling

Last year was a transitional year so I was only asked to give my view. It did have some level of influence but nothing compared to this year. This year though, the decision depends solely on me. Certainly, whatever that I decide upon is still subject to levelling and approval, but I make the initial recommendation.

I had, in my first job, provided evaluation on junior staff. But that was very different. Back then, I only need to provide a rating. The rating I gave was combined with ratings of other “seniors” and the rest is up to the big bosses.

In my current position; I, me and myself will decide on the rating of those reporting to me. It does not end there. I, me and myself will then have to recommend promotion (should I want to), increment (should I want to) and also decide on their… bonus…

I will not deny it. It does feel powerful to have the fate of people’s career and financial rewards in your hands. Surely, it is a boost to one’s ego.

But I will have to say, it is not an easy position to be in.

It’s not easy to decide that someone’s performance is just not good enough. It’s not easy to decide that someone should be rewarded more than someone else. It’s not exactly glamour either, to deny someone a promotion. It is such time, that I truly see the clearest reflection of modern slavery.

But as slave of the modern world myself, I have to make a decision that reflects my judgement and my credibility. These decisions that I made, may be at the expense of fellow modern slaves.

And that… is not a very good feeling…


2 years ago… Professional mistake level 2… A quick pick

3 years ago… They said “It’s just a number”

Chicken Ass

It should be about 15 years ago. It was dinner time in a camp. As 10 people filled the table, dinner was served. There was a roasted chicken, some vegetables, a tofu and a soup. With a table full of hungry boys after tiring workouts, food finished in a flash. A piece remain though…

“Zewt, we saved that chicken backside for you…” my friend said…

Imagine the horror in their face when I picked that chicken ass up and stuff my face with the remnant of my rice like there is no tomorrow… I can still make up the look on their face.

Regular AZAIG readers will know that I was not born with a silver spoon. During my pre-teen days, dishes during dinner can be rather scarce.

I remember we used to have a relative who was a hawker and she will collect the chicken ass from her hawker business and give it to my family. My Mom will marinate those arses in 5-spice-powder and lam-yu (some kind of bean paste) and deep fried them. Like I said, dishes are hard to come by. So, deep fried marinated chicken ass is a treat for my family. Honestly, I still remember the taste and it’s pretty yummy!

I guess one can say that I grew up eating chicken ass. By the way, there are also some other strange dishes which I think not many of you will eat. But I ate them all. When you are young, hungry and life is tough, I don’t think one can be picky about food.

And this is probably why I get rather annoyed when I see some people being overly choosy about food. I-don’t-eat-this, I-don’t-eat-that, I-only-eat-breast-meat, I-only-eat-drumsticks… these people just haven’t experience having to eat tofu in soya sauce with rice as dinner.

As for now, I don’t think I will specifically order chicken ass but I will not go… “Ewww…!” at the sight of people eating it. And by blogging about this, I am not ashamed that it was once a treat for my family.

Will I eat it again? Well, if it’s marinated with 5-spice powder and lam-yu and deep fried just like how my Mom did it… why not?

Will you eat chicken ass?


1 year ago… The current hypocritical trend

I did it!

1st kilometre…
I could feel the adrenalin rush. Everyone was running; no one talked. All I could here were the sound of shoes hitting the ground; echoing between 2 huge buildings around us.

2nd to 8th kilometre…
Cruising mode, a time when all the runs around the golf club and time spent on the treadmill bear fruits. My lungs and legs went at the rate I want them to go. No sign of other runners walking. This was also when I saw a guy who has got a hilarious message plastered at the back of his outfit. It reads… “No sex for me if I can't finish --- from the wife”. I overtook him and never saw him again.

9th to 10th kilometre…
First sight of people walking, and I was beginning to feel a little of my muscle. I slowed down to load up on packet of chocolate-flavoured power-gel and bottomed-up a few cups of H2O to wash the gel down my throat.

11th to 13th kilometre…
Auto-cruise mode began to show signs of malfunction. Stopped for the first time to do some stretching. Felt a stinging pain in my underarm only to realise that I have suffered from “chaffing” due to constant rubbing against my outfit. Continued running with my arms slightly open (like a chicken) to prevent further damage. It’s not funny.

14th to 15th kilometre…
Quite a number of runners are walking which means, no need to look for empty space to overtake others (even with my arms slightly opened). But then again, who said anything about overtaking now?

16th – 17th kilometre…
Auto-cruise mode completely fried. Stopped a few times to stretch, walk, and load up my second packet of power-gel. Pace was extremely slow. A motivation tip from a seasoned runner friend came to mind… see things that looked nice from behind, pick up pace to overtake in order to check if it the front looks as good, know what I mean.

18th kilometre…
The spirit is willing but the body is weak. Fatigue is the name of the game. Legs do not seem to listen to the brain. Told my ass to get moving but the legs that carry my ass just refused to go. Damn it!

19th kilometre…
Began to feel a slight cramp in my right calf. Stopped to do more stretching. It was here that I saw the most outrages cheering party ever… 1 boy, dressed in florescent yellow and a few girls dressed in florescent pink/green were dancing to loud music blasting from 2 big speakers. Trust me when I say they were dancing… they were realllllly dancing! At the same time, there were chanting… “You can do it”… “You can do it”… “You can do it”… “You can do it”… “You can do it”… Some people stopped to take pictures with them.

20th kilometre…
In trying to preserve my right calf which I felt was about to cramp, I put more weight on my left leg when I ran. Bad idea! Tragedy struck… a sudden massive cramp in my left calf. I have had cramps many times before during my games but this was by far the worst I have ever felt. I couldn’t even stand up.

I would like to thank the 4 guys who stopped to stretch my calf. One guy, with a set of tattoo on his left arm also helped to massage my calf while the other placed a towel behind my head (I was lying on the road) and ask me to keep breathing. Hey guys, I do not know any of you but I am sorry if I have slowed you guys down. Many thanks.

Managed to get up and continue…

21st kilometre…
In my effort to preserve my calf and prevent my chaffing to my underarms, I was literally running like retard. Well, it was more like brisk walking. But I still tried to run, or looked as though I was running. You know why? Too many cameras around at this point… hah!

Final 100 metre…
They said the half marathon is a 21km run. It’s not. It’s 21.1km. That additional 100 metres may seems like nothing, but when you have ran 21km; that extra 100 metres seems to be the distance between heaven and earth.

Nevertheless, when I finally can say… “I did it!”… all the pain was worth it.



1 year ago… Loved vs. Pampered vs. Spoilt… A truly interesting encounter

2 years ago… How is this possible?… Supernatural solutions… Talking to the dead

Modern slavery anniversary reflection

Warning: Rather long read ahead…

I entered the modern slavery world exactly 9 years ago today. 3 years ago, on the exact same date, I joined my current company. Quite a unique incident, isn’t it?

I didn’t spend 6 years with my first employer though. I spent 5 years there, a time when I witnessed the collapsed of a major accounting firm which followed by a merger. Thereafter, I had a short stint in China and a 6 months break where I watched all world cup matches on that year before joining the company I am currently with.

Today marks the completion of my 9th year as a modern slave and due to the unique coincident, today also marks the completion of my 3rd year with my current employer. It has been a journey of many ups and downs, filled with extreme eye openers and a time where I was forced to feast on the hideous realities of the working life.

Overall, it has been an incredible learning experience…

I would term my initial 5 working years as a “Corporate Symbiosis” --- the company got me to work almost non-stop for a meagre salary while I ride on them to build my knowledge and experience reserves and finally able to put this so called “professional firm” in my CV. You scratch my back, I scratch yours kind of thing.

The collapsed of the company (some of you could guess which company is this already) and subsequently, a merger was my first eye opener to the reality of the corporate world. People being forced out, heavy dose of office politics, power struggle, people flexing their muscles in their territories… survival was the name of the game.

I still remember some antics of my ex colleagues during the first few weeks of the merger. It was really like a civil war. The battleground… pantry! It was a race to see who “conquers” the pantry first during lunch. Looking back, it was all so silly and to a certain extent… entertaining!

The decision to leave after 5 years was not easy, as I have already developed a comfort zone. Besides, I was resigning for the first time, from my first job, a lot of uncertainties. But it was something I had to do. My time as a cheap labour was over.

I then spent a short time in China earning USD, which then allowed me to spend 6 months as a leong-dei-goon (unemployed). I shall blog about this separately. It was another great eye opening experience.

There are many things that I do not like and do not agree with in the place I currently work in. However, this place has given me the platform to truly expand my career. Being part of an international conglomerate, I am able to see many things from an international perspective. One thing in particular, Malaysia is always viewed as a dumping ground… I shall let you interpret that yourself.

Being promoted to a level where I had to recruit an additional person for my team also gave me the opportunity to conduct interviews and… a quite fun experience…going through CVs. I find it absolutely astonishing that people can submit their CVs for managerial position in an international corporation with atrocious English. Do they seriously expect to get an interview?

Also, I was very surprise at the level of salary people are getting. I thought it was only applicable in my industry but after exchanging information with some of my friends within the human-resource industry, I found out that if you are earning above RM6,000 a month; you should be counting your blessings. It is a sad reflection of this country’s economic health.

The slavery and exploitation are still there, and they will always be there. Just that it is a bit toned down here. Despite all that, I must extend my gratitude to my current employer. Last year during the peak of my health scare, the company paid for it. Specialist consultations, x-rays, ultrasound scans, scope, CT scan, MRI, tests after tests… all in a private medical centre and I did not fork out a single cent.

Though I am thankful, I still believe that one should never fall in love in one’s company. A line should always be drawn between you and the company. Even if you don’t draw it, the line is already there; drawn by the company without your knowledge. And when the line is finally revealed to you, the situation is often brutal.

This is why I never refer to my employer as “my company”. Firstly, I don’t own it. But the more pertinent reason is because I am painfully aware of the fact that companies hide things from their employees. There will always be a servant and master relationship in the corporate world. Hence, it is not “my company”. I only refer to it as the-company-I-work-in, or something along that line.

Last but not least, let me conclude the reflection of my 9 years in the modern slavery corporate world with 3 points:-

Telling you boss that you are happy with your salary is the most stupid thing that you can ever say to your boss. Do note that I am speaking both as an employee and a boss. Be ready to kiss your increment goodbye if you do that. A simple smile, or a short yeah-it’s-ok should suffice when being asked about your satisfaction level towards your pay. The same goes to displaying your love towards your work.

Being good at your work will get you noticed. Getting things done will help you climb the ladder. But to really reach the top, the skill required is to get others who are good at their work to get things done for you. That is the formula to success. In short, one must make others slave for you to move up the slave food chain.

The saying “The head you step today may be the ass that you need kiss tomorrow” is viciously real. Fortunately though, I learned this notion in a pleasant manner as I am now the ass that needs to be kissed. I guess now, I have to be careful on the people I step on. Or, best not to step on anyone at all.

P/S: A lot of people asked me about the difference between working in a “professional firm” vs. working in a “commercial firm”. I suppose there will be another trilogy ahead…


1 year ago… Different breed, different reaction… Japan got hit

2 years ago… Let us be reminded… The price to drive

They said the same thing, will you?

It started off with an ex-colleague. He told me during one of our lunch together

Then, someone from another unit in my current department said the same thing.

Then, I realised I am being referred to as “that name” by everyone on another floor in my workplace.

When I walked into my fiancé’s (now wife) room when she was doing her make-up before our wedding photo shoot, the make-up artist looked at me and said the same thing.

My hairstylist also joined the club.

While doing the make-up for my wedding dinner, the make-up artist paused half way through and said she had to tell to me. She told me the same thing.

When I was part of my friend, Peter’s heng-dai contingent during his pick-the-bride ceremony, all his wife’s ji-mui said exactly the same thing!

Having seen me at my sister’s wedding dinner, my sister’s ji-mui also… guessed what… said the same thing!

My wife’s colleagues who have only seen me a few times in someone’s wedding dinner said that too!!

Now, littlepolaris, who has only seen me in photos has also joined the bandwagon…

They all do not know each other. And they all said…
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… that I look like him…



Till today, I disagree.

To temptation, I succumbed...

I am only human...

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It wasn't an easy decision... :P