Y.E.S. and KPI

Not year-end sales but rather, year-end syndrome. At this time of the year everybody starts figuring out whether they have managed to achieve the targets that they have set last year. Then they'll start thinking of some new ones. Ni macam KPI lah jugak. Since now everyone is talking about KPI so maybe I should use those words jugaklah instead of "azam" because to me "azam" is more like wishful thinking while KPI should mean something that comes with a strategic plan to achieve your goals. Anyway, that's how I look at it walaupun my KPI is always tersasar... hahahaha

Have I achieved anything this year? Hmmm I guess 2009 has been a hectic year for me as far as work matters. Academically I have accomplished very little, or none at all as my time was mostly occupied with the admin work. But on the other hand, I was able to spend some time holidaying - something that I did not really manage to do in the past few years.

Apart from that, I made some new friends, also lost a few significant figures in my life. May Allah bless their souls, ameen.

And hey, I bought myself a "nest"! A "birdnest" is more like it since it's not really on the ground. Can't post the picture of the nest since I have not moved in yet. Maybe in the next entry which I don't know when.

So, what are my KPIs for 2010? Well I'd rather not say it although I have already set them in my mind. Just that I haven't figured out the strategy yet.

Anyways, let's welcome the new years - hijriah and 2010 - and hope that it will be better than this year, InsyaAllah.

HAPPY MA'AL HIJRA 1431 AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

I'm back in the blog...

The pixes below should be after the text. Since I'm not good at downloading pixes I kinda got them all over the page. Sorry about that. But don't forget to read the text, OK...

At Malioboro, the famous night market street in Jogja with my sis and colleagues.

This mosque in Semarang was built based on the design of Masjidil Nabawi in Madinah. So beautiful and grand...

My sister and I with our Borobudur tour guide, Atin

Me, almost reaching the nirvana. I'm on the 6th level of the Borobudur. Behind me are the stupas where can find statues of Buddha in them.

No, not the railing. The main object in this pix is the mountain at the back. It's Gunung Merapi, one of the few active volcanos in Indonesia

One of the restaurants where we had our dinner while in Jogja. Very cozy but the food was nothing near Sintok's worse!

Outside the Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik (FISIPOL), Universitas Gadjah Mada in Jogja where we had our half-day seminar.

My sisters and adik tiri on the Keraton ground. Behind us is one of the several "balai" used for royal audience or any other ceremonies.

Outside the Keraton, a royal palace. The royal aton family still leaves there.

It's been so long since my last entry. Gosh, with the facebook that was introduced to me by my closed friends, I temporarily found that updating the blog was a burden and I stopped doing that for a while. But then, one can only depend so much on fb, which I've just discovered off late after having difficulty getting access to the chatspace for the past few days. Don't know why. So much for broadband! Fb is a nice space to hook up with friends and even some long lost friends. In fact I have several friends from the past who had dropped by. So nice...

Anyways, I guess writing in the blog gives me more satisfaction as I'm able to write and share more. Maybe not many of my friends read my blog anymore but that's ok. However, if they want to know more about my whereabouts and whatabouts, then my blog would the best source.

Eversince my last update, quite a number of interesting things have happened. I was in Gemia Island in Terengganu for a short but wonderful vacation. The tiny island itself was beautiful. Clear water, colourful fishes, tiny but clean beach, cosy room and some gorgoeus food. I have to say, that was my first island holiday and it was a blast for me. I have never had an island holiday before although I live just an hour away for Langkawi. Surprise? Don't be. I was never tempted to go to Langkawi because I felt the island was so commercialised that it has lost its beauty. Most of all, I hated salty sea water. But then how would I know if I've not been there, I mean really there enjoying what the island's natural beauty could offer? I have been to the island but only for a short time, mostly as a shopper, not a tourist. So I don't know how much satisfaction Langkawi can offer a person like me. Gemia was different. It has no shopping outlets only the nature for you to savor, and I certainly did. A friend said to me, if you've been to Gemia, you wouldn't want to go to any other island. Well, maybe. But I would love to go to Sipadan. And I just might some day.

Back to Gemia. It was really a fantastic experience for me. I went on a trip to "candat sotong" or catch cuttlefish. I caught seven big ones... that was after feeding them with a good "bait", hhahahaha. I also tried snorkeling, a first after much coaxing from friends. It was fun except that being in the sea with a life jacket and not knowing how to swim gave me a creep. I always have a fear for deep water. Anyways, Gemia was a first for me in many ways - my first island getaway, first experience being on a fishing boat in the middle of the sea, first "mencandat" experience and first time snorkeling. Thank you to those who have made this holiday a happening one.

A week or so after Gemia, my UUM colleagues and I went to Indonesia on official visits to several universities there in Jawa Tengah. We visited Universitas Gadjah Mada in Jogja, Universitas Diponegoro in Semarang and Universitas 11 Maret in Solo. A very interesting trip this time, I must say. We had a similar trip a few years ago to Bangkok but to me, it was not as enjoyable as this one. In fact it was not enjoyable at all. In Gadjah Mada we had a joined half-day seminar with the faculties from the FISIPOL. Although a few of UUM papers were good, but those from UGM to me, were fantastic and very well-defined. Maybe partly because those papers were about cultures, a topic that I like so much.

On the way to Semarang, we stopped at one of world's famous heritages - the Borobudur. I got the chance to climb the temple. Although it was not something that I looked forward to doing during the trip, but hey, it was already right in front of me! Should I just ignore it? Of course not! I managed to reach the nirvana, the topmost level of the temple and snapped some pictures as proofs that I was there. Not bad for a 40+ woman with bad knees huh!

Well, those two trips kinda filled up my leave from the office. It's nice to be able to get away from the books and the computer for a while to do things that I hardly get to do. And now the thought of doing all of those again or something of the similar surely turn me on. Ask me if I want to go for another getaway and I will surely say YES! .... if the time and price are right.

Right now I am embarking on a new project. If everything goes well, I'll be doing a lot of deco-hunting within the next few months. I guess this year, although has been a hectic and heart-aching one where work is concerned, it has also been a happening, fulfilling and rejuvenating one so far. I surely hope for more wonderful things to come my way in the next few months...

things to do....

The next few months should be a hectic period for me. I have loads of things to do -- things that I HAVE to do. Once I'm done with all the exam scripts which would be somewhere around the end of next week, I will have to put all of my attention to all these:

1. conference paper for the Jogja visit in June which is due on 31 May.
2. proposal for the 3K research, due mid-June
3. proposed syllabus for IMC, already overdue but I'm giving it a new deadline, 25 May
4. book chapters on Corp.Comm, due mid-August
5. Notes for my upcoming PLK class

But of course, I do need to take a break which will be the most important thing that I need to do, and must do. May be the list can be altered a bit...

Can't wait....

I'm so looking forward to a long break away from all these craps that are around me. I've not been feeling enthusiastic about going to work like I use to (yeah right!). Betul. Selalunya I would leave home at 7.30am and will be at the office by 8.00am. I will leave for home around 7.00pm. Well, bukanle spend all those hours faithfully buat kerja. Ada gakle masa bersukaria. But off late memang I have lost my rythm. Maybe it's because of the work that gets growing every second. Maybe it's the people yang many of them selalu get on my nerve. May it's the place... Or maybe it's ME.

God, I really need a break before a strangle someone. That is why I am so looking forward to a long break in June.

A good friend of mine once told me that at this age (hmm) we have to get away for a good long break at some far away places. So we have decided that our annual KPI should be one international destination a year. I totally agree with that and in fact we have already made that agreement. Tapi masalahnya whenever I have the time, no fulus maa. Whenever ada fulus (cukup makan je), no time pulak. So, camno... and now that friend of mine baru dapat kerja baru. I don't think she will get a leave easily. Nampaknya Xian, Seoul, NZ, Aussie, South Africa & yang sewaktu dengannya will have to wait. Apa-apa pun, Cotton Island, will be seeing you soon!

I'm looking for a...

PUNCHING BAG!!! I am full of anger right now. Dah lah the other day pi meeting I was bashed for other people's inefficiency. Balik meeting, gave the feedback to this inefficient person and she gave me a 'like-I-care" look. Relayed to her the message from the Dean that the we (the section) had to submit the the report on program review by the end of the month and her response was "well, just say that we don't have any changes". GOD, it's been six years and a half-dozen graduations since the last review and she said we don't need to change. Anyway, I insisted that we made the review and suggested the dates to sit down and do it. These dates happend to fall on a weekend. These dates were suggested based on the knowledge that many of us would be invigilating the exams on other days. BTW this was last week's episode.

Yesterday, got to know that the dates that I suggested were not accepted. Reason being, this particular person needs to do the marketing and washing and cleaning and.... Helllooo. Like I and the rest don't have to do all that??? The point here was we need to do this with everybody's presence.

This incident may not be important to you but to me and my colleagues who have to endure her selfishness all the time (FYI this was not the first time she gave selfish reasons to many things) and the thought that she's the program coordinator who once held a senior post, her action is so unbecoming.

GOD, please let me not deal which such person anymore. I have been doing this since my 1st day here. Should this continue, I pray to you GOD to spare me from any insanity. Amen.

hooray hooray...

I'm almost done for the semester. Accept for my Master's classes yang studentsnya best, I'm done layanning all those b******g students. Now I'm able to concentrate on marking the assignments yang I know will again get on my nerve. But at least they are just pieces of papers.

I'm also done with writing the module. That was also another burden yang I manage to get off my shoulder. Kalau tak hidup memang tak aman sebab kena haunt selalu dengan u-don't-have-to-know-who. It's not over yet sebenonya. I have another module to write and it is due in August. Heiyya! So the semester break will not really be a break for me as I have a list of things to do. Anyways, at least there will be less people for me to deal with!

P/S Karnivall, here I come. Lama tak main air!

hari-hari yang memenatkan...

The past two, three weeks have been such a tiring one for me. Penat sebab there were so many things to do and yet so few accomplished. I managed to finish marking the PJJ exam scripts yang mentensyenkan sebab answers yang teruk-teruk. Sakit jiwa membacanya. I managed to update the syllabuses yang kena add in the so-called Course Learning Outcome (ni sumanya angkara cikgu-cikgu yang tiba-tiba jadi administrators yang masih ingat kita ni ajar bebudak sekolah gamaknya!). Buat le CLO canggih macam mana pung kalu silibus tak update and tidak membantu dalam mencapai objektif tu tak guna gak. Kebanyakannya kena improvise sendiri so that students boleh jadi apa yang depa sepatutnya jadi - boleh be critical, analitical and ada skill. Kalau ikut silibus, satu pung tak jadi!

Enough about keja yang takkan abis. Ada gak le yang sampingan yang memeningkan. Two weekends ago balik kampung sebab grand-niece kawin... Argghh GRAND-NIECE!?? Mak ooii, tuanya rasa! Anyway, penat le jugak sebab kena travel balik kampung. Bukannya boleh spend lelama relax-relax kat kampung sebab bukan cuti semester. So it was only a short break. Meaning I had to rush back to Kedah sebab ada kelas (itu pung kena cancel gak kelas and ganti later). Penat sebab was rushing here and there, apart from penat jadi hostess and penat deal dengan perangai-perangai yang tak memberangsangkan.

Anyway yang menggembirakan was that we (the family) got to get together even for a few days. So meriahlah jugak Lubok Batu for a while. And of course the kenduri gave us the chance to meet up with many other relatives yang jarang jumpa.

What made it even a great moment for me was that I got to meet two of my former schoolmates yang memang tak jumpa since we left school. And that was more than twenty years ago. My God, how much they have changed!

Anyways, below are a few of the pixes taken at the kenduri.

Ini adalah hasil kerja my nephew and gang yang masih study kat UiTM. Not bad...

Yang ni pulak hasil kerja Cik Puan Sri AzlinaAzmar from KJ.

Marble cake yang cuuunnnn...

Kenduri kawin orang Johor kalu takde tol tak sah...

The bride and groom... there's nothing to say about them

Family Haji Jalil. This is only a fraction of the clan. Kalau semua

ada tak muat frame! And of course le primadone kena duduk

depan...hehehe

betul betul betul...

I have never written anything on films before but this time I really want to say something especially about Malaysian movies. I went to watch the much-publicised movie GENG ADVENTURE UPIN DAN IPIN last week. Of course it's nothing compared to Finding Nemo, Little Mermaid, Bee Movie and the rest that come out of Pixar or Dreamworks studios.

But for a Malaysian standard, I think it was commandable. The visuals were beautiful, the effects was fantastically done. The storyline, although not as interesting as those of the movies I mentioned above, it managed to make audience laugh and tense at the same time. I have to say GENG was the best locally produced animated movie ever. Credits to the filmmaker and producer Les Copaque. Mind you they are mostly local graduates with great talent and vision. Although it is still a long way to reach the levels of Pixar and Dreamworks but with such great talents like those youngsters that produce GENG I'm sure the road can be shortened.

Congratulations to Les Copaque and all the best for your future works.

Is this me?

I have this keychain that has a name similar to mine on it and the description of the person with such name. ( I'm sure you've seen such keychains sold at shops, or you may even have one!). This is how I, and many others whose names are similar to mine are described by whoever that wrote it:

Bererti Jiwa. Kuat daya firasatnya. Mampu memahami apa yang terlintas di
hati orang lain. Meminati benda/perkara yang bersifat seni. Halus jiwanya.
Berupaya menghayati atau menjiwai sesuatu bidang dan karya.

Is this me? Hmmm....

Hi everyone.

I'm back. I haven't been much of a writer lately. Partly because I was so bogged down with work. Second plain malas. Guess the latter is more relevant in this case.

I've just arrived in the office and its ten pass nine. There is this event going on right now at the great hall but I'm just to lazy to walk down four flights of stairs and then after a 100-meter walk, climb another two flights to get to the hall. Drive? Forget it when the event involves the Sultan and his family. Furthermore, why would I want to spend on petrol for something which I feel I can do without? Never mind the 'black list' that I will be in. I would rather go for a quick breakfast, sits in my room and do the things that I'm paid to do then sitting in the big hall with mostly strangers, with an empty stomach which I can promise you, will growl at any minute, not able to leave until the King leaves - and that would be some where around lunch hour. Of course lunch is not provided for us!

This institution is so famous for its unnecessities that it suffocates many especially those who are against bureaucracies, like me. It's already 20 pass 9 and it's confirmed that I'm not going!

Enough said about bureaucracy. Let's talk about something else.

I went to the university's medical centre yesterday for my routine check-up. Surprisingly the nurse who took my blood was very nice. Been frequencing the medical centre for more than three years and I hardly encountered nurses at the centre who would smile to patients, let alone have a conversation. But this one did. I felt at ease when she inserted the needle into my vein. Didn't even realise when it happened. Sorry I did not check out her name but to this person, I thank you very much for making my morning a nice one.

So what was the outcome of the test? Normal except for my levels of cholesterol, glycerin and sugar were a bit higher than the last time I had them checked. But they were not that serious. I just had to be more cautious about my food intake.

Talking about food intake, I have recently cut down on carb. It's hard as I love eating rice and bread. I've also started doing exercises seriously. At least three times a week my friends and I would either breeze-walk or cycle around campus. If we feel like doing a more vigorous exercise, we then head for the gym. A good half hour helps burn at least 60 calories. Not much though, but hey, that is good enough for a start. My target is to loose at least 10 kgs. Not so much about looking good, but I cannot afford to buy new clothes all the time, and having to climb three fights of stairs everyday to get to my office..... Sakit lutuit!!!

Okaylah for now. Have to go get myself some breakfast...