See any UFO lately?

My secondary friend: “Do you still remember my name?”
Me: “Sorry, it seems that I’ve forgotten your name.”
(Actually, I wanted to say. “I was abducted by alien and they brainwashed me. I’ve forgotten all my secondary school friend names except faces.” Hopefully this will works for me to divert the embarrassment to a UFO issue if I ever see a secondary school friend again.)

Just now I saw a familiar faces after I have made my coffee (I usually get fatigue after lunch, and I need a cup of coffee to keep me awake. But sometimes, even the coffee had failed me) and walking out from the pantry. I saw a girl with a familiar face sitting on the reception sofa, as she was waiting for an interview, and suddenly I recognize who she was. I walked towards her, greeted her (without her name) and she quickly recognize me as well. The first issue we talk about (and always the same issue) is that, it’s been a long time I didn’t went back to my hometown. (I wonder whether I was wanted in Kuantan because it seems that everybody knows I’ve been missing from Kuantan for quite sometime.) I told her I’ve settled down in KL and seldom went back to Kuantan.

I asked her about the rest of my secondary school friend. Fortunately, she’s still in contact with others and I was able to get some news about them. It great to hear one of them married in Penang and others went into professional work line: such as biochemical and engineering. After that, we exchanged phone number and I wish her luck in her interview before I went back to my work place.

So, where did the above dialogue took place? It happens when we exchanged our phone number and she wanted me to key in my name in her phone. It seems that I’m not the only one who forgotten the names. (Or maybe I was wrong) :D

I'm going to miss you, morning sun shine

In the evening before going home, suddenly I smelled alcohol in my place and it puzzled me. Then I just turn to my manager, who just sits near me, and asked what that smell is. He told me it was alcohol and he was been drinking just now in a karaoke session. I thought it was true (I’m slow when taking jokes from my manager); then later I found out from the company announcement that our software final release testing was a success. In the picture from the announcement, shows there are couple of wine bottle on the table with all the testers (Unfortunately, I’m not one of them) and managers. It was great to see that the software has finally become more stable, reliable and ready to be in pilot phase. That leads to; tomorrow my working hour will be back to normal. From 1030-1930, changed to 0900-1800. (Can’t they just make up their mind? By the way, it just one more day to go) Anyway, I prefer the previous working hours where I woke up naturally (I was woke up by the light of morning sun shine) instead woke up by that noisy alarm clock.

Peak Hour & Lost Contacts

Peak hour
I was told by my manager last week that there is a new time schedule. Everybody in my team has to come at 10:30 am in the morning except him where he has to come at 9 am. Therefore, I left my house this morning at 8 am, where I estimated I’ll reached to my workplace at 9, one hour plus earlier before I start to work. (I like to take my time to walk slowly; surf some internet news or magazine site before I start to work.) When I hop into the 8:30 am STAR LRT train, there is no sit left for me. For me, I was surprise cause I usually able to get a sit when I took the 7:30 am train. Then it gets even worse after the train has passed 3 stations where people keep coming and there’s no one getting out. It becomes so packed like a can of sardine until I can see people skip the train after there is no more space to squeeze in. (The roof, perhaps?) After this experience, I realized that there is a peak hour for this train which I didn’t know. I’ll take the 9 am train tomorrow and see what will happen then. Hopefully I can find a sit then. (Else I have to stand for at least ten stops before I reached my station)

Lost contact
I had an easy task for today’s work, where I was needed to do a documentation review. The truth is, it was boring. It will get excited if there was an emergency on the software and the documentation is needed desperately. Anyway, the review is needed to be done before it will be release for the customer. Since it’s not an urgent task, I login into a community site, which I not really active on it, just to kill the bore after reading couple of technical pages. I was lucky that after searching into my friend’s community, I found my secondary school classmate wedding photo. It was like nth years that we didn’t contact to each other. From the photo, I start digging and found some long lost contacts as well. It is understandable why this would happen (sadly) because I didn’t go back to Kuantan (my hometown) after I was graduated from my secondary school. All my relative, college and university are in KL. My parent usually came to KL instead we (children) go back to Kuantan for any event celebration. Beside that, I didn’t get any contact number or address from them before I left my school. Anyway, it’s great to see the newly wed couple and the others as well. Thanks to the extra friend community that helped me find back those long lost contacts.

Something worth writing down

It’s been quite some time I didn’t update my blog. However, today there are 3 things I would like to write it down.

First, in the morning, I was told by my manager that I would need to provide a presentation to a group of staff regarding about my job function (QA for ERP software) in the evening, after he has done his presentation. So, I asked him what I should present. I’m a technical guy and the audiences are more functional part of the software. He told me that just present the functional part of my job. I did ask him whether I can join his presentation and what he told me was, there is no such need for me to attain. Since it was sounds easy as he mention, I didn’t do any preparation for the presentation. Then, evening came and after he has done his presentation, he came and informed me to do my part of the presentation. When I arrived to that meeting room, I was a bit shocked after seeing so many people there. Even though I was told to show my job function, but I didn’t bring my PC there where all my tools were stored in it. This is because I thought it was so easy that it can be done on my manager lap top. Anyway, I calmed myself down; downloaded the appropriate tool to the laptop; do a little bit of testing on the tool and then start the presentation. I asked a technical question that I shouldn’t ask, and they all look at me with the blurred look on their face (This is why I asked my manager whether I should attain his presentation to know how much they have learned, so I can continue from there). Without any hesitation, I start my functional tool presentation which I used in my job function. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. (Of course it didn’t work, because there wasn’t any rehearsal done in the first place). Error message box was prompt out and the whole group laughed. Luckily my manager cut in just in time and said the tool actually performing validation check (which is true). Then I carry on the second tool and explain the functionality and the objective of the tool. However, this tool wasn’t run as well because there is a security locked on it, not allowing me to run it. Presentation still went on with just explanation and no actual function was done (And they all do believe me that the tool actually works!). It took me by surprise when I show the data comparison part of the tool, where it shows some invalid data was found on previous test, and the whole group was very paying attention to it. In the end, after the question and answer section, and everybody are leaving, I was told by one of my colleague that I didn’t mention my name in the presentation (So, my presentation was a failure in the first place. hahahaha). It doesn’t matter anyway as long the group understand what’s the whole presentation all about (or do they?).

Second, after I have finished my work and on my way going to the bookstore to check out some books, I saw one of my secondary schoolmates. I found him when I was on the escalator going down and he just called out my name after he recognized me. Then, a sense of shame running under my skin because I forgot his name! (Gee, I’m getting old is it? Shame on me) Nevertheless, I walk to him and shake his hands. I felt he understand that I forgot his name. Anyway, we chat about where we have been all these years and which company we are working with. After exchanging our name cards, we go to our separate ways. It was rare for me that a secondary schoolmate still remembers my name (Maybe I was the rare one who always forgets schoolmates’ names). This is because I wasn’t that popular in school. (I’m not really active in clubs or a top scorer in school either. I think I was shy boy then.) Anyway, it is great to meet him back again.

Third, in the bookstore, I didn’t have any idea of what book I should be looking for and then suddenly I remember I wanted to write the presentation event down on my blog. Since I was enjoy writing, so why not just get a writing book and improve my writing instead. I started to look for a book titled “How to write your journal”, which I have been looking it before just for temporary curious. However, I didn’t found that book but I got this one instead, “The little red writing book”. Sounds like “The little red riding hood” fairy tale book but the content are very good for writing. I check out the others as well (imagine a book about writing fails to attract people to read it) but this one is the best.

Finally, it’s good to have something to write again.

Shoe Hunting

Last week Sunday was my younger sis’s birthday. She mentioned about that she needed a USB pen drive for her work before, so I thought of getting one for her as a present. After I have cleaned up my room and done my laundry in the morning, I drove straight to the city center to get the pen drive. Beside that, I wanted to do some shopping as well.

By the way, I didn’t go for shopping for quite some time (Just for clothing and I know it’s normal for guys) and I wanted to buy a pair of sneaker. I have a pair of converse sneaker which I bought it when I was studying in Australia. (That was about 4-5 years ago) After 4 -5 years of torturing on that shoe, it is starting to peal off a little and the shoe bottom is almost gone out of patterns. However, I still wear it for any outdoor activity since there are no holes in it or anything that makes my foot uncomfortable. Until Friday, I found my shoe gone. After some questioning with my family, I found out that it was my younger sis who throws it away when she was cleaning the front yard. (Maybe it’s just too old, but it was my favorite pair of shoe. By the way, some advice for the girls; before throwing out any men (related or non related male) clothing stuff; please do let them know about it. As men stuffs tends to be rare, more expensive, last longer than women stuff in terms of clothing.)

After getting the pen drive at Low Yat Plaza, I went to the nearby shopping plaza to look for some shoes. What I had in mind on that moment was getting a sneaker or boots that comes in leather. This is because leather shoe tends to be last longer, I think. After checking out the price, brand and style; I found out that they all looked or cost almost the same. Mean while, I heard one of the customer conversations with the shoe store owner where the customer is looking for a particular shoe name started with the word “CAT”. The customer described how great the boot is and he wears it for 3 years already (See…!) Unfortunately, the shop owner didn’t sell that brand anymore. From his statement, I know the brand and the price (since every brand almost cost the same) of the shoe that I’m looking for.

So, I went to KLCC shopping center to look for that shoe, which I remember I saw that brand before in one of the sport outlet. After 20 minutes of driving and walking, finally I reached to the shop and found that brand. I choose one of the design (sneaker type with leather made), which I found it very good looking and asked the sales person for my size. Unfortunately, they are out of stock, and even for the other color. I was disappointed at first but somehow in my heart say, I wanted to get that shoe no matter how.

So, I start off another journey to another shopping mall which located in Cheras. I took me another 20 minutes to reach there and again to my disappointment, there wasn’t a shop there sells that brand. (Please don’t laugh until roll on the floor). So that leads me to the next location, Mid Valley which is near on my way back home. I reached Mid Valley eventually and it took me another 20 minutes (I know, this is madness.) Guess what, it fails me again. (eeerrrrrrgggg!) It seems that, a lot of people having the same size of foot and taste as me. Or is it fated that I couldn’t get my hands on that shoe? (Question that has no answer really doesn’t do me any good at this moment). After walking out disappointed from that shoe store, I had my next destination in mind which is the Sunway Piramid. (This one will take me another 30 minutes of drive *sigh*). Anyway, my body tells me I need a break and I agreed with it. So we both (mind & body) went to a café and enjoyed a ice blended mocha (for the body) with some magazine (for the mind). While I was enjoying my mocha, my mind keeps telling me to give up this shoe hunt madness and go home. I was really tempted by it and beside; I have tried to hunt it down for 3 times and failed miserably. Nevertheless, the spirit to hunt the shoe down was still there, but the body and mind disagreed with it.

After finished the ice mocha, I’ve decided to check out the books at MPH before driving to the next destination. Browsing through the fashion section, I found a book regarding fashion for men. In the book it stated that, men’s clothing doesn’t necessary has to be branded or expensive. Anything that looks similar in terms of style and quality will do just fine. Thanks to that book, I stopped my hunting madness instantly after reading that line.

In the end, I end up with a book, a CD (I liked the songs of the group so much until I wanted to get the group’s CD) and a pair of sneakers after traveling for 4 places. Instead of ending up with one item, now I got 3. Not a bad hunt, eh? :D