SNORE AWAY

Do you snore?
No? Not at all?
Liar. Hehehehe :-)
Sound like a wheezing cow about to be sembelih?
Kroooh...krooohhh...ackkkkhhh ?
Or just a gentle zzzt.. zzzt... ?

Well, I didn't use to snore. But lately if I happen to doze off in front of the telly or something, I'd suddenly wake up to mom's gentle nudging (or hard shake to my shoulders, depending on how long it took her to wake me up hehehe) "oooiii... berdengkur..."

Since I'll be attending a course outstation, and being a lowly government servant deserving only the most modest twin-sharing accommodation, I thought I'd better fix the snoring, in case my would-be roomate is a light sleeper. Tapi mungkin jugak dia punya snore lagi violent dari aku punya, kan? :-) Anyway, off I went to a pharmacy, and bought this :-


So here's a little of what the little pamphlet in the box says :-

- Snoring occurs when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. (OK......)

- i.e caused by swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose, poor muscle tone of the tongue and throat, or breathing through the mouth while sleeping causing the membranes to dry up and swell. (OK... all these are beyond my control...)

- This nasal spray works by lubricating the membranes to prevent snoring, leaving everybody to sleep soundly and to get a better nights sleep. (don't you just love how they insinuate guilt on the snorer by using the word 'everybody' here heheheh)

- Snoring may also be helped by sleeping prone, or on one's side. (helpful hints)

- Try to avoid alchoholic beverages, sleeping tablets or antihistamines at bed time. (OK no problem here)

- Being overweight has also been related to snoring. (oh shut up already!)

( Jie is a little miffed, because she IS somewhat tipped towards 'heavy' on the weighing scales. She is trying hard to lose some weight, but at the same time is finding it so hard to resist cheesecakes. Hmmphft. )

MOLES GALORE

Attractive Mole

Yikes! mole

Tahi = Shit
Lalat = Fly
Tahi Lalat = Mole

Sib baik 'mole', coz the direct translation is soooo unflattering la.

People have moles all over their bodies. A small one is OK, but if the mole is large or getting increasingly larger, and especially if it is bumpy rather than just a dark mark on the skin, you probably should have it checked. Melanoma is so much less pretty than moles, and is infact dangerous.

I don't know if moles have any significance in other cultures, but it seems to be quite significant among malays. Oh I suppose in the chinese culture there is some meaning to it, as I've heard about face-reading and stuff like that.

Ramai orang boleh tafsirkan macam-macam tentang tahi lalat ni. For example, mak aku kata kalau tahi lalat di bibir tu, orang tu kuat bercakap. Kalau di kaki, orang tu kuat berjalan. Kalau di telinga, orang tu kuat 'panas telinga'. Hmm... aku rasa mak aku saja je nak perli aku tu hehehe :-)

Anyway, kononnya senarai lengkap tafsiran tahi lalat ni ada dalam kitab Tajul Muluk. Aku kata 'kononnya' sebab aku sendiri tak pernah baca kitab tu, tapi aku attachkan petikan dari kitab tu di bawah. Aku tak tahu nak kasik credit pada siapa, sebab tak tahu siapa original author kitab tu, so mintak mahap, anak cucu tumpang baca. Betul atau tidak, aku tak jamin la ye. Yang pasti, segala ketentuan adalah dari Illahi.

1. Kepala sebelah kanan - terkabul cita-citanya
2. Kepala sebelah kiri - sering menemui kesusahan
3. Ubun-ubun - kurang jujur
4. Pusar - cerdas,tangkas dan tekun
5. Kening kanan - cergas dan cekap
6. Kening kiri - cergas dan sopan santun
7. Sudut mata kanan luar - baik budi, ramai yang cinta
8. Sudut mata kanan dalam - disayangi suami atau isteri
9. Biji mata kanan - suka serong dan pembohong
10. Biji mata kiri - pembohong tapi baik hati
11. Alis kanan - baik hati, suka menolong
12. Alis kiri - ramai yang suka
13. Pipi kanan - ramai teman
14. Tengah pipi kanan - ramai yang suka
15. Tengah pipi kiri - ramai kawan
16. Pada hidung - banyak rezeki
17. Pada batang hidung - banyak dicintai orang dan dapat menjadi kaya
18. Bibir atas kanan - banyak rezeki dan pandai
19. Bibir atas kiri - ramai kawan, baik hati
20. Bibir bawah kanan - disegani orang, ramai yang suka
21. Bibir bawah kiri - pandai bicara, tak mudah kalah
22. Hujung mulut kanan - kecil rezeki, tak mudah kalah
23. Hujung mulut kiri - suka berpoya-poya
24. Dagu bawah kanan - jujur dan baik hati
25. Dagu bawah kiri - bijaksana, berbudi luhur
26. Leher kanan - cerdas, jujur, berani menderita
27. Leher kiri - cerdas dlm segala hal dan banyak pengetahuan
28. Leher ditengah - tercapai apa yang dicita
29. Bahu kanan - cermat dlm mengambil keputusan dan banyak tanggungan
30. Bahu kiri - suka kerja keras, banyak tangungjawab
31. Dada kanan - dapat mengatasi masalah
32. Dada kiri - berani, jujur dan sabar
33. Payudara kanan - baik hati, pendiam dan simpan rahsia
34. Payudara kiri - ramai kawan, setia pada suami atau isteri
35. Punggung kanan - pendiam, simpan rahsia
36. Punggung kiri - lambat, kurang agresif
37. Perut bawah kanan - banyak rezeki, suka memberi maaf
38. Perut bawah kiri - baik hati, tenang hidupnya
39. Pinggang kanan - sayang pada isteri atau suami
40. Pinggang kiri - disayangi oleh isteri atau suami
41. Jari telapak tangan kanan - banyak rezeki tapi boros
42. Jari telapak tangan kiri - banyak rezeki, menyimpan
43. Lengan kanan - setia dan taat pada atasan
44. Lengan kiri - menepati janji dan suka kerja
45. Siku tangan kanan - kuat hendak memiliki kekayaan
46. Siku tangan kiri - baik hati, suka menolong
47. Ketiak kanan - menyimpan rahsia
48. Ketiak kiri - jujur, banyak yang cinta
49. Pergelangan tangan kanan - boros, suka bersukaria
50. Pergelangan tangan kiri - dapat berpangkat
51. Pangkal peha kanan - kemahuan kuat
52. Pangkal peha kiri - suka kerja apa saja
53. Betis kanan - suka berpoya, boros
54. Betis kiri - tidak suka menganggur
55. Tumit kanan - jujur, banyak kawan
56. Tumit kiri - baik budi
57. Telapak kaki kanan - tidak mudah mengeluh
58. Telapak kaki kiri - baik budi pekertinya
59. Lutut kanan - bersifat tidak peduli, tidak mahu berusaha
60. Lutut kiri - kurang berusaha

Soooo..... tahi lalat kau di mana?

GIVE BLOOD, JOM !

Blood donation drive at the office today. Some of us went, although the turnout today isn't very good. Probably because a couple of months back dah ada satu blood drive kat Putrajaya yang ramai staf dah pegi, baru lagi, they should've waited a few more months before hosting another drive.

Anyway, yours truly needs lotsa rest now, so no burning both ends of the candle tonite.

Meanwhile, here's a few blood drive posters for you. Lotsa blood donation campaigns at public places. Should you happen to be in the vicinity, do grab the chance to do some charity. Who knows, maybe next time, it's you who's gonna need other people's blood to save your life!

Beddy-bye angels. See you tomorrow, insyaAllah.

Ta! [ Zzzzzzzzz....... ]

Yang ni, aku tak paham, apa kesinambungannya???

UNDERLINGS

What to do, when your underlings' personalities don't match?

OK, for the core work burden here, we work in teams of three - one A officer, one B officer, and one C staff. Or in other terms, sorang pegawai, sorang pembantu pegawai dan sorang kerani. I have no problems with either one of my underlings. But the problem is their personality differs and they can't seem to work together, which eventually effects the team's workflow, goals etc.

My B officer is a forty-something lady with 5 kids, 20-odd years of working experience, and a regular 'makcik'. My clerk is a young guy barely 2 years out of high school, a lot immatured and not at all suave. From sources not to be mentioned, it seems that the clerk grew up in a challenging environment. Father left the family, mother had to work in factory, kids were cared for by grandma & several aunts one after another (berpindah-randah). Seems like an OK combination, a regular motherly makcik & a lacking-motherly-attention boy. But somehow, it don't work out that way.

The makcik thinks the guy is too childish & rude, and she refuses to give him the benefit of the doubt even though she knows his background (and hence his somewhat introvert personality). Actually in my own observation, he doesn't mean to be rude. He's just not matured enough yet, and he's still in the learning process. Mana boleh bandingkan budak yang baru datang dari kampung tu dengan clerk lain yang dah 7-8 tahun keje. Kan ke bagus, instead of hounding him, we try to educate him, even mould him into a more sociable young man?

Macam menarik rambut dalam tepung (although, why would people want to do that? ack!). Approach kena betul. Me being younger than the makcik, even though higher in rank, kena jaga hati bila nasihat dia. Selalunya nasihat dalam gelak la, "ala rilek la kak, dia kan ke budak lagi, kita yang lebih matang ni kena la bantu tunjuk ajar dia, dapat pahala tau". At the same time, kena approach the clerk differently, supaya dia jangan terasa hati and retreat even further into his shell "kakak tu orang tua, sensitif, kita kena berlembut & sopan dengan dia".

Letih main psychology, melayan kerenah, menjaga hati diorang ni. Bih tu, sapa nak jaga hati aku? Kalu dua-dua dah 'senget', tak boleh teamwork, keje aku jugak yang akan tertangguh. Siapa kena menjawab kat puan pengarah, aku jugak la kan!

Kadang-kadang aku rasa nak jadik brutal "hey people cut the crap and just do your work!" Tapi kang, depa dua-dua 'senget' ngan aku, lagi parah hehehe :-P But talk about wasted resources here, namely if everyone just cut out the crap and be more professional, the efficiency could increase doubly, and I can concentrate on doing what I'm professionally trained for, instead of playing baby-sitter half the time.

Nasib la Jie... time, patience & (my) perseverance is the order of the day, I guess.

'Everyday is a winding road
I get a little bit closer
Everyday is a faded sign...'

STRESS-BUSTER THERAPY

I've been totally stressed out at work these past few weeks. So to make it go away, therapy for today consisted of a visit to Guardian pharmacy (aku suka belek botol ubat, haircare, skincare, entah apa punya hobi aku pun tak tau hahaha!). Lepas tu pi stim & potong rambut, kasi kontot sebab cuaca sekarang panas. Petang plak pegi buat facial & pedicure. Emm... melayang la dekat tiga ratus RM jugak, awal bulan ni tak terasa lagi tapi tunggu la 2 minggu lagi mesti perit punya hehehe :-)

[ Pasal apa gatai pi buat facial la pedicure la? Udah la awak tu keje gomen gaji ciput, potong gaji bayar duit loan rumah, loan kereta, bayar kad kredit lagi, bil maxis lagi, parking, tol, minyak plak naik 30 sen seliter. Hari-hari makan pasir le gini.]

Well, aku keje penat. Mungkin nampak duduk kat ofis ber-aircond macam rilek je, tapi penat otak tau! So sekali-sekala apa salahnya memanjakan diri, dibelai diurut oleh tangan-tangan lembut dan expert tu. Aku tak biasa amalkan lifestyle kebendaan mahal macam beli baju designer ke, kasut manolo blahnik ke, keluar-masuk club atau kedai emas ke. The few luxuries I indulge in, are calculated indulgences. Lagi pun takde siapa yang nak manjakan aku, so manjakan diri sendiri la.

My indulgences are :-
(1) Books
(2) Good food
(3) Occassional theatre/show/musical/concert
(4) Occassional holiday trips or getaways
(5) Occassional feel-good professional grooming
(6) Occassionally, expensive lingerie.
Hey, we also wanna feel sexy, walaupun diri sendiri ngan Tuhan je yang nampak hehehe :-)

And I dunno, for the past few years, hair-cutting has been one subtle stress therapy for me. Frust ngan BF - kerat rambut. Tension ngan keje - kerat rambut. Merajuk ngan bonda - kerat rambut. Even when the big D happened - kerat rambut. Nasib baik la the occassions are few and far in between, kalau idak sure gonjeng sokmo hahaha :-D Perhaps it's a subtle symbolism - kerat rambut means severing myself from whatever stress I'm feeling, lepas kerat tu rasa bebas dan ringan kepala.

Stress apa? For one thing, aku dok 'menjalankan tugas' Che'ti masa dia cuti bersalin baru ni - orang gomen mesti familiar dengan konsep 'menjalankan tugas' ni. Who the eff invented the formula for calculating its remuneration hah? Kita tanggung kerja orang tu 100%, tapi dapat bayaran 25% je dari gaji kita. So kalau cam aku officer biasa, jalankan 100% tugas bos (for which she is being paid much more than my meager salary), aku cuma dapat 25% dari gaji aku which is probably equivalent to 18% gaji bos. Fair? My foot.

Masa ni la jugak medem bos nak suruh refine budget tahunan (dah masuk bulan ketiga, still dok buat budget tahun ni ke bos?) walaupun itu bukan keje aku. Pastu kena refine annual report department (which was initially prepared by someone else). Dan masa ni jugak la HR dept hantar sampai 5 orang officer lain gi kursus satu minggu. Adeeehhhh.... fenin.

But, that's life. YOUR life, Jie. Deal with it. Yeah... rite.

Hey, what is YOUR stress-buster therapy?

SUDOKUMANIA

Perghhh.... dah habis buat sudoku satu buku, 202 puzzles in about 3 months *grin* Actually kat muka depan buku tu tulis "The Little Book Of Sudoku - Over 200 puzzles!". Bila bukak buku, memang la ada over 200... sebab semuanya berjumlah 201... hehehe... lebih satu je dari 200.... Tapi camna aku leh buat 202 plak? Hahaha... aku buat sekali puzzle yang dilukis kat illustration kulit depan buku tu! Ni kira cam obsesif ke? Wakakaka.... :-D


Tapi memang syok la buat sudoku ni, very addictive. Tiny bits of satisfaction every time berjaya siapkan satu puzzle, enough to keep me occupied & happy during lunch time. Wokeh hujung minggu ni kena carik lagi buku sudoku.

Oh btw, aku try gak buat Kakuro,

the latest puzzle/game in the market. Tapi susah la sebab yang tu pakai matematik, poning palo den. Hak yang sudoku ni pakai logic thinking je, quite easy once you get the hang of it. Any kakuro fans out there, can give me tips?

FRIENDS OF OLD & NEW

Dear God,
Protect me from my friends,
For I know who my enemies are.

I remember reading this somewhere, I think someone wrote that in our college yearbook. I've come to appreciate the truth in that.

Office politics sucks, kan? Thankfully in these almost 10 years of worklife, I've always been an observer on the sidelines. No major involvement, but a sting occassionally terkena gak. I've seen some pretty horrendous acts by two-faced lizards done upon unsuspecting people. Di depan kawan, di belakang setan. And if black magic gets into the equation, lagi haru!

Since aku membesar di kalangan kengkawan (boarding school since age 12), friends have always been a major part of my life (but of course family is still numero uno). I am thankful for the handful of precious gems I've kept since school & college days - yes Kaez, you're one of 'em :-) Friends from back then take me as I am, as I do (take) them too, warts & all. We are not afraid to ask for help, and we give help, no questions asked. We are not afraid to bare our souls, as we know that we will not pass judgement on each other. The friendship is unconditional.

But once I joined the workforce, boy it was a whole different can of tuna. How do I differentiate the kaca from the permata? Who can I trust, who can I count on? Who will take advantage on me? Who will backstab me? Who will step on others just to reach to the top? Will they stop at nothing to get what they want?

Aku malas nak pikir semua tu, boleh gila dibuatnya kalau terpaksa kerja 9 jam sehari dalam environment was-was dan sangkaburuk. Baik aku jadik kodok duduk diam-diam, janji kerja jalan. Dan kodok ini akan terus memerhati sang ular, sang biawak, sang monyet dan sang kelembai bermain wayang di luar sana.

Ribbit! Ribbit!