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May 27, 2005
Something from Germany
Finally in Germany, finally a computer. Finally some time to blog (not sure when I have another chance). I am at my sister´s place. My family and I stay at my mum´s place in Frankfurt. My mum is 80 years old and doesn´t have a computer.
We arrived here on Thursday morning, after a 12 hours flight. The plane was full - what is good for MAS, but challenging for those who cannot sleep that well in a sitting position.
Anyways - I totally forgot that Germany is a country of giants. Man, I am tall in Asia, but in Germany, I am just a tiny guy, despite my 1.75 meters.
There are plenty of old people in Germany, no kidding. Germany is aging rapidly and since I am used to the young people of Malaysia, this comes quite as a shock - memory cheats when one is coming for a visit every couple of years only.
Germany is damn expensive. A liter of fuel costs Euro 1.10 - times it with 5 and you know how much it is in Ringgit. This is just one of the examples of things that are expensive here.
Germany´s unemployment rate stands at 11% - about 5 million people are unemployed. There is a feeling of uncertainy in the air. I heard that people don´t shop anymore, because of this uncertainty. Think about the cycle that is created through this. One is threatened to get unemployed and doesn´t shop anymore. Thus, consumption level declines and less investment is undertaken ..... and so on.
People (in general) are angry and may be they want change. The ruling party SPD just lost a round of local elections in one of Germany´s states. They lost election in the state that they ruled for 40 years or so. They lost the support especially amongst the blue collar workforce. Those people are scared to lose their jobs. And they are angry with politicians - who are seen as somewhat less concerned and not competent to take care of for the well-being of those in need of change.
It is warm here - apparently the hottest days of the year. 30 degrees, after a period of cold and rain. Lucky us, really, since this was one of our worries. Food-like, well, I am not yet missing the Nasi Lemak or mý Tandori Chicken, but this might come soon.
I am happy to be here. To see my 80 year old mum, my sister, and her two kids, her new life partner. To hear old stories and new ones. To see what happened to places that I used to frequent. To realise that not much has changed around certain places, but that new development takes places elsewhere.
And to just enjoy to be to my old home. Because I have a new home, that is called Malaysia.
Posted by Andreas at 11:06 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
May 18, 2005
Malaysians want a better policeforce - what do I want?
Malaysians want a better policeforce. Clearly, that appears to be coming out from recent news articles.
It starts in traffic situations:
- I want a police force that drives according to speed limit
- I want a police force that overtakes on the right side of the road
- I want a police force that doesn't cut lanes
- I want a police force that goes after those that clearly violate traffic rules in sight of the law
- I want a police force that is honest. So that you know you are stopped because you did something wrong, not because they are looking for Cari Makan
- I want a police force that responds fast to emergency calls
- I want a polite and courteous police force
Do I ask for too much? Can they do this, in the beginning of their journey to improvement?
Posted by Andreas at 10:54 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Personal branding at Little Penang
I went to Little Penang in Megamall with a friend today. There was this one waiter. During our course, he didn't say a word. No confirmation of the order, just taking it and off he went.
We talked about him. How much would it take to get him to talk. We actually managed to get a little smile on his lips. Proud of our achievements.
In the end, we said that this is actually an interesting "case" of personal branding. The waiter managed to occupy about 10-15 minutes of our conversation. This is quite a long time, if you just meet for 90 minutes.
We then also had the idea that this would be an interesting branding case for a restaurant. Imagine, you have a restaurant and none of the waiters smile. Stern but friendly faces. The one guest, who manages to make them smile or talk (without any meant trick involved) would get their food free.
Anybody out there with a restaurant to try this?
Posted by Andreas at 03:17 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 17, 2005
Smoking Taxidrivers
Yesterday, I saw a couple of taxi drivers puffing away at cigarettes. Cigarettes are not cheap and they are not getting cheaper.
Taxi drivers complain about increasing fuel prices, low fares, losses in time needed to calibrate their meters.
Hm - smells like a contradiction to me.
Posted by Andreas at 05:32 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 16, 2005
3 more days, 9 more days
Three more days and my second module for the training mentioned earlier starts. I am looking forward to it, to meet all the great participants again, and to the final day, when I will smash the wooden plank - yeah.
Nine more days and I am off to Germany - for two weeks. Exchange rate Ringgit to the Euro, currently? One Europ is abot RM4.89. How to relax, ah? That's a killer exchange rate!!!
Posted by Andreas at 12:59 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 13, 2005
Preference is better than awareness
I loved the entry by Jennifer at BrandShift and the little example she quotes from JacobsMedia.
He writes:
"Ask (your friends) to name the first brand that comes to mind when you say . . . Pizza. They’ll likely name Dominoes or Pizza Hut. Then ask them where you should go to buy a great pizza. Different answer. Right? For me, it’s Sal’s on South Willow Street."
Okay - these are American Brands, although we have Dominoes and Pizza Hut in Malaysia as well. But next time you see an advertisement on television, or you read an ad in any of the newspapers - remember, this is creation of awareness.
It doesn't mean, that I am going to buy from those whose ad I see - this is just creating brand awareness.
I will still go to those places that treat me nicely, and beyond my expectations.
As such, any company can spend as much as they want on their advertisement, as long as they are not able to deliver, or as long as I am happy with what I am having currently, I am not going to change.
Posted by Andreas at 04:27 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
TM and Streamyx Advertisement - yeah right!!
I am using harsh words - but this is just bad. I am not sure how many of you have seen this advertisement where TM is just blowing the horn on Streamyx and how great it is.
First of all, they are only showing benefits here and benefits there. How fast you are and that with Streamyx, you can catch up with the broadband age. One using Streamyx is connected and the work is just been done faster and faster.
Thanks to Streamyx, of course.
Wah, is my response.
Great, funny, and interesting ad (may be), a bit different, despite the Me, Me Me First attitude. Part of TM's new branding campaign, that is what I believe, which so far, really only goes to show off technology and benefits.
But look at the reality!!!
Wasn't it just last month that many Streamyx users around Malaysia complained about the dramatic drop in its connection speed? Has there been an apology to its users saying, sorry, we know we did wrong, and we want to make up for it, offering some additional benefits to its subscribers? How great would THAT be!!
But so far, this is just a Peanut Ad. Nothing more. Don't show off, TM, until your technology really is 150% up to speed.
Posted by Andreas at 10:36 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Happy Friday the 13th - any stories?
What is the story behind the superstition that surrounds Friday the 13th? Why are people scared to do things, they would normally never do on Friday, the 13th?
There is even a phobia named after Friday, the 13th: Parakevidekatriaphobia, which is derived from three Greek words:
Parakevi = Friday
Dekatria = 13th
Phobia = Fear
I am linking to a webpage with a lot of different thoughts about Friday, the 13th.
But tell me, have you any special habits related to Friday, the 13th? Anything special ever happened to you?
Posted by Andreas at 08:14 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 12, 2005
Conversations with friends
We spent a huge amount of time in our offices, at our desks. If we have great colleagues with who we can share a lot, well, this is fun. What happens if your colleagues are not that much fun? What are you doing? How do you spend your time at lunch, when you might be confronted with them?
Anyway, even so mine are fun, I am currently out for lunch quite a lot. Meeting up with a lot of friends and acquanances, just to learn from them. A new perspective gained for the afternoon, after great talks at a Mamak Stall or restaurant. Now, I am going to meet Jess.
Posted by Andreas at 12:12 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 11, 2005
Seek first to understand
It's Steven Covey's fifth habit, one of the Seven Strategies for Highly Effective People. And it is pretty powerful: Seek first to understand.
How often do we forget to ask for reasons behind someone's intention or actions? It is so much easier to judge some one, to call out: "They are wrong, ban them, kill them, make it go away!"
Think, honestly, what is the background of judging someone? Our own experience, our own perception, our upbringing.
Think again, think about a story you have heard, or a situation, where you were involved in an accident, or called as a witness to an accident.
How many different versions did come up? One, two or three? I think it depends on the number of people who recall the story or the accident. They report on what they have seen. Or, better: They report what they believe to have seen.
But, and this is a big BUT: How quickly do we dismiss what they tell us as wrong, as a lie?
We dismiss, because it is not our belief, not our perception. We want to hear something different, because we believe in something different. When it doesn't work that way, the other person lies, doesn't know it, hasn't seen it correctly, heard something different.
However, could it be that there is some truth in what the other person said? That they heard, saw, felt different from what we saw, heard and felt?
Why the difference? Simply because they operate on a different level. They are basing what they are doing, seeing or reporting on their own belief, their own perception, their own values. Surely, for them it is right! Must be as right as they believe that our opinion or perception is wrong. Can you see the conflict of interest?
All stories are right - theirs and mine. There is nothing that is wrong from the other person's point of view. Just like my point of view is correct.
Where does this bring me? It brings me to one conclusion only - I cannot judge the other person's point of view, cannot say that their point of view is wrong.
All I can do is to say that their point of view, their statement, their platform, is different from mine. I can accept it or not - but they don't lie! For them, it is true, it is their way of working, their operating system to see the world.
When I try to understand, however, I learn. I learn to see the world through their eyes. I widen my perspective. I stand, for just a couple of moments, in a different pair of shoes.
I gain wisdom!
Posted by Andreas at 08:13 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
My first facial
Now I understand why women like facials. I had my first facial (nothing naughty here, okay!) the other day in a shop called For Him in The Curve. A girl came by and gave me a paper (see picture below) and since I had some time, well, I just dropped by.
Oh man, it was lovely. All this massage and cream and cleanser, it just blew me away. I feel fresh and well, according to my wife, look refreshingly young.
The facial was free and it would have been possible to just walk away from the shop. They didn't hassle me to buy stuff - and cross-selling is a big no-no to me. But then, I still bought some stuff. Hey - how can I not do it after my wife told me all those nice things, and vein as I am?
Apparently, the shop opened, since the owner, a guy of course, was always shy to buy stuff for guys in the normal department stores, amongst all those girls and women. So one day he thought, well, there is a business opportunity, and went for it. Great idea. Any guy out there, who tried it as well, and how did you like it?
Posted by Andreas at 03:01 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 10, 2005
Why?
Are you asking a lot of "Why" questions?
In my recent training, I learnt that the recipient of the "WHY" is most of the time reacting defensive.
The nature of a WHY is aggressive - why did you do this, why did you do that. Why didn't you see this, why did you come home late. And so on.
Have you tried to ignore the "why" questions and reformulate it into one of the other "W" - what do you need to...., for example?
A WHY is important, of course, but keep it in your mind - just shut your mouth when you want to ask it.
Then, reformulate the question. It is not easy, but makes everyone's life easier.
Ask "What" instead .... Now - try reformulating a question that normally starts with a Why to a What.
Some examples: Instead of asking, why did you do this, ask - how could you have done it differently.
Or translate "Why didn't you do your homework" to "What did happen that you didn't do your homework?" or "What would you need to do your homework?"
It might sound linguistic, but it eases the mind. It simply empowers the recipient. Seriously.
Posted by Andreas at 04:02 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Malaysia drowning in garbage
Malaysia is a beautiful country, no doubt about this. Honestly, it is one of the better places to be in this world - but of course, where ever you are, you find negative things. Like - when you want to see something, you begin to see it.
Anyway, recycling is not something that is close to the Malaysian heart - too many people still just throw rubbish into drains, or on the road.
It is great to see, so, that there is a change of mind all around you. There are now more articles in the different newspapers blowing the horn of recycling, and bringing quite heavy numbers on the overall pollution level.
"Waste heaps amount to 23,000 tonnes a day. That means each of us dumps 0.9kg each day. Of this, only 0.2kg is recycled, consisting mostly of paper, aluminium and iron, with small amounts of glass and plastic."
Last weekend, I saw the National Kidney Foundation on a collection drive in The Curve. This time, they didn't only collect money, instead, pencils were given to the donators. Made from old recycled newspapers. What a fantastic idea!!
The picture shows the box with the pencil as the final product.
Tagged under
recycling
Posted by Andreas at 02:34 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Search results, visualised by Grokker
Have you tried Grokker?
It uses Yahoo technology to capture its search results, but presents those visually and shows those in relation to each other.
This is helpful for some of the Internet users, because not everybody can work out search results shown by Google, or Yahoo or MSN.
It looks neat and pretty beautiful, with all the bubbles representing the search results. Try it!
Here is the link for a search on AlwaysWow.
Interesting, how my blog relates to Peter's, directly mentioned at the "main front door". Anyway - just try it for your blog!
Posted by Andreas at 11:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 09, 2005
Singaporean shuts down blog
Singapore is a tough country to be in. Despite all the talk about press freedom, risk taking and entrepreneurism, well, authorities are still entrenched in "old mindset".
Poor guy, who had to shut down his blog.
Will I be sued for this statement?
Posted by Andreas at 03:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Cloned by Suziana
I am cloned by Suziana. Seriously. I am not sure if that should make me feel proud, but it is okay. Well, at least up to a limit and so far, she only cloned me twice.
She cloned my entries: Mr. Prime Minister, I agree and the one on American Idol and the Malaysian Participation.
Here are her respective entries: Mr. Prime Minister, I agree!!! and the one on the American Idol.
Word for word citations. No worries, I am not mad. May be the world becomes a better WoW when we all live up to the WoW. It is my opinion, nevertheless that improvements are only made if one takes the original, and improves or build upon, amends, enhances, changes, even criticises it (really? ciriticising me??? hehe). This is what makes blogging great. We all build on each others' ideas.
Tell me, Suziana, what are your reasons to clone me?
Posted by Andreas at 01:23 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
My dentist and I
Last night, I lost a piece from one of my tooth and that unfortunate incidence reminded me dreadully, that it is time for my check-up. Well, now it is more than a check up already - now it is a repair job!
I like my dentist and this is important. Dentists and hairdressers are the two job categories where I have problems with. A hairdresser might mess up your hair and I would have to run around with what is left for a couple of weeks - not that there is much to mess up with anymore anyway. But perception is reality.
I have problems with dentists because the whole procedure is somewhat frightening. I have to sit on this chair and lean my head back. Basically, exposing my throat to the wild animal. Must be an instinct from a long time back, when humans were still prey.
I also have bad memories from dentists in Germany - the worse was when one dentist's drill skipped and hit into my flesh. Sharp pain, as one can imagine. Another dentist didn't close the wound correctly, and the nerve was somewhat exposed. I couldn't smile in a week without having the feeling of electrocution, and those who know me will also know that I love to smile and laugh. So I was severely handicapped.
My dentist here in Malaysia is great. No pain at all. He works a lot with children, and applies his technique to frightened guys like me. Explains everything, goes slow, and well, is really good in what he is doing.
He is also checking my kid - and I was pretty impressed with the way he dealt with him. The first time around, he didn't do much - this was about 3 years back, when my boy was about 4 years old. He let him sit on that chair, let him play with the water, showed him the lights and explained what his job was. That's it. He is of the opinion that a child must have a pleasant experience with a dentist from the very first beginning, and that the whole procedure can be so frightening. I wholeheartly agree of course.
My kid is not frightened and neither am I. But there is always that strange feeling of anticipation and anxiety. So well, it is my turn - what to do!!
Posted by Andreas at 10:56 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 08, 2005
Great Murtabak
What a great piece of Murtabak. It was so big that it filled out the already big plate. It was also crispy, and not as soaky as Murtabaks that you find in other Indian restaurants.
Pity only that it is far away from my homeplace - you can find the place in Jalan Balam, close to Jalan Ipoh.
Posted by Andreas at 06:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Service delivery in Malaysia
The New Straits Times runs this article today about the service delivery of Malaysian government.
Apparently, "62 per cent of respondents felt that the quality of services were better since Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister in 2003, 28 per cent said things had stayed the same, while six per cent said things had not improved. Also, 80 per cent of the respondents believed that inefficiency and corruption continued to be ill problems affecting Government agencies.
A large percentage of Malaysians surveyed also felt bureaucratic red tape was a problem."
I would wonder how would people respond to the question in the real situation. Imagine: I am waiting in a governmental department or a hospital. Now I am asked, how I feel about the service delivery by a researcher. Dependent on the actual service delivery, I will feel great or bad. And this feeling is very much dependent on my own perception.
The article however mentions that respondents were asked via telephone interviews. Those respondents might have been at home or at work. Hence they are in a totally different environment and they might feel great - subsequently respond positively to the question, how they feel about the service delivery. This might differ from the time, when they feel the real service delivery - in the hospitals or at governmental departments.
The subsequent article in the print version of the NST describes a patient who had to wait a long time in the hospital to be treated, feeling excruciating pain - ask him, how he perceives service delivery, and I bet, that his response will not be that positive.
They also describe Malaysian Medical Association President Datuk Dr. N. Arumugam. He says that outpatient time will always be a problem. "It is a mismatch between demand and the number of personnel. But it is also a fact that a lot of people come in the morning rather than in the afternoon, so they end up waiting for one or two hours."
Do you see what I see??? Here is the answer to all the problems that Malaysia faces in service delivery!!
Ask yourself: Why would people come in the morning? Is it may be because they feel sick. I feel sick in the morning and that is why I want to see the doctor in the morning. Sorry Datuk, but I think there need to be a greater understanding on your side.
Probably, that is the reason why I still haven't received a response to my inquiry from December 28, 2003 - when my on had a fishbone in his throat and we visited Taman Desa Medical Center at night. Sorry -mah, we came at night, at that time, because my son couldn't wait until the next afternoon to get the bone removed.
Tagged under
customer service
Malaysian Medical Association
Posted by Andreas at 06:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 07, 2005
The wheels of inflation go round and round, round and round
Its been nearly a year that I wrote about the creeping inflation in Malaysia. I am not an expert about inflation and its been a long time, since I had this subject in my studies, so take the next with a bit of salt and allow me to ramble along for a while.
Inflationary trends become more obvious in Malaysia - more and more traders demand price increases already. It will creep even higher, when the subsidiaries that are imposed on many products are phased out. Which will happen, and which is a good thing since all those subsidiaries distort the real picture of the market.
Until the subsidiaries are gone, Malaysia will have hidden inflation in , and sooner or later, the government, who is currently paying the price, won't be able to do so anymore.
We had inflation earlier - just go to the shopping malls and remember certain price levels of products with the price levels just a few years ago. When I arrived in Malaysia, back in 1993, prices for novels, for example, were about half of what they are now. But while we have high inflation in Kuala Lumpur, there is not much of an inflationary trend in Kelantan, for example, or Pahang, may be. Inflation trends can be geographically disbursed.
Inflation often occurs when demand for products is high, and shop owners are happy to follow demand, until an equilibrium is reached. Now, next time, you go to shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur and see the wave of shoppers entering the different shops, carrying loads of bags, remember, this is the demand that fuels inflation. It is also possible to look at the demand for property that still exists in many areas - this could create a bubble, but surely also fuels inflation.
Users might buy, because the products are perceived as cheap (and expensive for others), but what happens here is that inflation is fuelled further. The challenge here is that if consumers believe that their money is not much worth anymore (illusion), and they stop consuming, a country can actually head downwards - a different topic that I don't want to write about now.
Companies also import inflation into the country. Global demand for certain products, especially in the resource industry, i.e. steel, is extremely high - causing their prices to spiral to higher levels. On the other hand, there are the high oil prices. Those companies using raw materials in their production line, have to pay high for their usage. This, again, is putting pressure on their own margins, and it is not always possible to absorb those price pressures in their operations. Sooner or later, they have to pass the prices on to their customers. The current price increases on individual products in Malaysia is a result of this multiplier effect. One company increases prices, the next also increases and so on. The problematic part is that the multiplication effect increases towards the end of the chain - the consumer. To make it easy: When one company increases its prices by 1%, the next might do so by 3% followed by 4% and so on. This is an example, and I don't want to introduce the respective formula here. Clear is that in the end, we see a 10% increase at the fuel pumps, 15% at the Nasi Lemak trader and so on.
Inflation is necessary, as long as it stirs towards equilibrium - the cross between supply and demand - which is fluctuating and never 100%.
"Why do we need inflation? Inflation is necessary mainly to facilitate an adjustment in relative prices. As income grows, consumer preferences change. This tends to lift the prices of certain goods relative to others. While it is possible to have deflation in certain industries to allow prices to adjust, deflation is generally hard to carry out as a policy. In view of this, a certain amount of inflation tends to be tolerated. The need for a relative price adjustment is usually greater during a country's fast-growth phase when its economic structure is changing rapidly."
What can be expected next? I believe that the interest rates will go up, rather sooner than later. Inflation is fuelled by too much money in the market, and banks will have to make money more expensive, to instil control into the market. It will also lower GDP growth, since economic growth dampens, when demand for money declines, something that Jeff called Double Whammy. However, as long as GDP growth is above inflation, a real increase in wealth still is the outcome - the difference is called "after-inflation". Wealth loss is the result, if GDP growth is below inflation.
There will also be a drive by companies to reduce costs and to increase their operational efficiency. In order to do so, they will look at all factors - from expansion to hiring of new people.
There is much more that could be said here - inflation is a tough topic that is not easily understood, linked to many different areas, and hurts a lot of people in the short-term. I tried to highlight some issues, but surely, there is much more that could be added.
Tagged under
inflation
Posted by Andreas at 11:49 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 06, 2005
Lunch at Annalakshmi
I had lunch at Annalakshmi in Megamall - the vegetarian Indian restaurant.
A beautiful place, nice service, and the food is, well - great. I am always saying that I must have been an Indian in another life, since I really, really love Indian food (and so does my kid).
Besides the great food, there is something more behind the restaurant. You pay as much as you want. As much as you think the food is worth.
Why do they do this? Well, as stated in their webpage:
"Annalakshmi helps sustain the artistic and charitable activities of TFA (Temple of Fine Arts). Polished, private and yet utterly unpretentious, its success is the result of its underlying philosophy - serve, love, give. It is a philosophy that is based on the ancient adage - "athithi dhevo bhava" - the guest is god. It is a philosophy manifested through the work of the largely voluntary staff - housewives who know what it takes to prepare a wholesome meal and a miscellaneous team of doctors, teachers, technicians, clerks and accountants who understand the meaning of polite, unobstrusive service. With ingredients prepared specially , each item on the elaborate menu reflects the ancient culinary art of India."
Enjoy your food - it is great - and I am tired, but then, it is Friday!
Posted by Andreas at 03:23 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
Jurassic park dinosaur ate vegetables
It happened 125 million years ago and was just discovered recently in Utah. A new species of dinosaurs has been discovered - one, that appears to be on the transitionary step between carnivores and herbivores.
"Without government nutrition guidelines, a doctor's advice or some primeval diet fad, entire species of dinosaurs sometimes forsook their predatory, meat-eating lifestyle and evolved into grazing vegetarians. Scientists now think they have found rare evidence of a species undergoing just such a dietary transition 125 million years ago."
This one must have been beautiful: It was a plant-eating dinosaur that has spikes on its flat head and resembles a dragon.
Lucky, I had my old Polaroid with me and took a picture:
Isn't she a beauty?
Posted by Andreas at 10:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The meaning of Friday
What does a Friday mean to you?
I know I and this probably includes most of the population look forward to the weekend. It nowadays does it for me. Longer sleeping in in the morning, Roti Canais, playing with my boy, reading and lazing around.
Does this feeling of an upcoming weekend mean that we work on Fridays at a lower level as well, with less engagement?
Shouldn't it actually be like any other day?
In my company, we frequently venture out on Friday's to have a longer lunch. In Germany, many companies work half a day on a Friday, due to the shorter workweek anyway (something that is changing as well). We have a restaurant called Friday.
Now, are you looking forward to Fridays? What is so special that people say - Thank God, Its Friday? Is your company doing something special on a Friday?
Posted by Andreas at 09:02 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
May 05, 2005
Lilian's price for Mother's Day
Lilian at Mom's*5 won the first price in The Amazing Race that I organised last month. Only now did I manage to organise her present.
In a personal mail, she asked to contribute to a donation drive of hers and her team (My Mum's Best ) for the Paediatric Ward of University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).
The packages, at the moment already more than 123, will be distributed on Mother's Day in the morning and are destined for mothers who take care of their ill children in UMMC.
If there is a surplus of packages, the surplus will go to single/abused mothers in AWAM (a shelter home) and probably an old folks home.
I think it is a fantastic idea. Really.
If you want to contribute send a mail to me at always_wow@yahoo.com.sg or Lilian at lilianc78@yahoo.co.uk
Here is a picture of my present - the products in front are for one of the three packages - I bought the same for every package. Just something small, but I hope it serves its purpose.
Posted by Andreas at 07:16 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 04, 2005
Malaysia's ranking in the globalisation index
It sounds good to me and you can download the report here (it takes some time, even on broadband). A beautiful website depicting the charts via a clock is here.
"Malaysia has moved up one rung to 19 from 20 in the 2005 A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Globalisation Index, making it the only second Asian country after Singapore among the top 20 of the world’s most globalised nations.
Singapore took top spot, edging out three-time winner Ireland on the strength of its increased political engagement and foreign trade ties."
"This survey covers 62 countries accounting for 96% of the world’s gross domestic product and 85% of the world’s population."
"Overall, Malaysia was placed fourth in economic integration, 19th in personal integration, 27th in IT and 49th in political engagement.
In the area of economic integration, Malaysia is placed second after Singapore in trade among the 62 countries and 21st in foreign direct investment. Under personal integration, it is placed 27th in telephones, 10th in travel and 16th in remittances and personal transfers.
In technological connectivity, Malaysia is placed 21st in Internet users, 37th in Internet hosts, and 35th in secure servers. In the area of political engagement, the country is placed 29th in international organisations, 43rd in UN Peacekeeping, 41st in Treaties, and 45th in government transfers."
So what is it that gives me a headache? It mainly appears that Malaysia is somewhat stuck in the middle - not a good position. People and investors look at the top and they want to know who is last. Those in the middle might be overlooked.
It is also of concern that it is only so-so in terms of secure servers, and other ratings regarding technological prowness. Hello - where is the savvyness created through Cyberjaya and MDC?
But hey - I am happy. I am living here. Malaysia is before Germany which ended up on place 21, down from 18 in 2004, while Malaysia moved up one place. It is even before Japan, which ended up on 28, or South Korea, place 30.
So okay - Congratulations Malaysia. Go, go up higher.
Tagged under
globalization
Posted by Andreas at 08:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Which part do you like better?
At work, the mornings usually pass by slower. I have lunch at 12.00 Noon, and then, before I turn around, it is 3.00 PM already - next I know, it is 6.00 or 7.00 PM and I leave. Not because I work more or differently in the afternoon, but it just passes faster.
Is time an illusion?
Which part of the day do you prefer?
Posted by Andreas at 03:02 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Beautiful design - this is a differentiator
Apple Computers set the trend. Design is something that makes you stand out in crowd. From your resume, to the workplace, to services and products.
What about notebooks? The fastest growing segment in the computer industry? Most of the offerings there is pretty grey, or greyish or dark.
What about Tulipego? Ever heard of them? Me not either, until I found them on the web. And my tastebuts go Hmmmmm. I want to touch it, feel it, hold it, bite it, try it. But well, it is for females, so I just look at it and say WoW - that's a beauty.
Here are some pictures:
Taken from above website. And yeah, click on the link to get the specs of the computers, ah - notebooks - for the techies who are interested :)
Tagged under
design
Posted by Andreas at 01:27 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
May 03, 2005
Damning comments
I am pretty open to constructive criticism. It is my belief that there is no learning without feedback.
I my recent training, I also learnt that "there is no failure, only feedback". This means, if I do something "wrong", I am learning, and I need to adjust what I am doing, and I need to get better in how I conduct myself.
This blog appreciates comments as the recent Amazing Race has shown. Most of the comments that are posted are great, great comments, and I love them.
I also love those that show me ways to get better, like PG Lai in my entry "Picking up the Meme", for example. This was a great comment, serious, and I even had some e-mail exchange with her afterwards. There were more, but I don't want to post all here.
Sadly, there are also those that provide comments with wrong or no e-mail addresses. Mainly, those comments are damning, and offensive.
This is okay with me, however, what I don't like is that I don't have the opportunity to explain my situation. It is like arguing with someone who then just turns around and walks away.
Come on - there are always two sides to the story, so don't be like that - show your face or identity, I won't bite.
Here is the last one, following my entry about the Picnic in KLCC.
He or she commented:
"WRONG!!!!!!duhhhhhhhhh........its in klcc dammit why the hell u wanna play football there.there are lotsa other places u can play yer football...my gawd like there arent enough places to play fotball already in THE WORLD!!! AND the pak guard have other duties than to offer you a leaflet which will eventually end up in the trash can....comprende...."
Let me ask you: How much space does a 7 year old boy take to play football? Has there been a time, when you wanted to play football, when you were small, and you couldn't?
Another "cute one" followed an entry about the Chili Saga (excerpt):
"SHAME ON YOU.
Believe me, you have no idea HOW IMMATURE you look to the people and professionals that work for the franchiser and HQ in US. Now they know that youre just a lil punk with a blog and a big mouth.
Dont screw it up la. Just call them and get over with it, and deal it like an adult."
Let me ask you: How does someone feel after writing this? I mean, like, it feels like littering to me and then quickly running away, not to be seen!
The worse one came from Wan, who wrote after my Restaurant entry:
"Chinese are dirty people!"
Here, I would ask: Wan, did you ever dirty a place? Did you always meet Chinese people who are dirty? Never met any other ethnic group that dirtied a place?
So please feel free to comment anything you want, but stand up to your opinion with integrity and strenght!
Posted by Andreas at 04:59 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
China is dazzling
Just something to think about:
- In 2004 Wal-Mart imported US$18 billion worth of goods from China.
- Of Wal-Mart's 6,000 suppliers, 5,000—80 percent—are in one country, and it isn't the United States.
- China's exports to the United States have grown by 1,600 percent over the past 15 years, and U.S. exports to China have grown by 415 percent
- The European Union's exports to China have risen 600 percent in the past 15 years
- China have saved American consumers more than US$600 billion in the past decade
- China has grown around 9 percent a year for more than 25 years, the fastest growth rate for a major economy in recorded history.
- It has moved 300 million people out of poverty during the last 25 years and quadrupled the average Chinese person's income
China and India already produce many more engineers than does the United States
In five years, China will produce more Ph.D.s than the United States. They may not be as good as American Ph.D.s, but numbers do matter
Just one more example:
"Intel sponsors a Science and Engineering Fair, which is the world's largest precollege science competition, open to high-school students from around the world. Last year was a good one for Americans: 65,000 participated in the local fairs that are used to select finalists. In China the number was 6 million."
6 Million - This is something like AWESOME
Tagged under
china
Posted by Andreas at 02:13 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Picnic in KLCC park
I went for a picnic in KLCC park yesterday, together with in-laws and all. Sandwiches, Nasi Lemak, Cookies, Coffee, and games for the kids. It was fun, also we were there incredibly early (no wonder I am still tired).
I played football with my boy - well, not really hard, but just shooting the ball up and down. We played under the trees because it seemed clear to us that the piece of grassland in the middle of the walkway didn't seem to made for games. Another group of smaller children also played at the same spot
Suddenly a guard appeared and asked us and the other group to stop, saying that it is not allowed to play football there. I asked, where it would be allowed in the area, and she said, that it is forbidden all around the park. No football. When I asked why, she said I should talk to her boss.
I understand that the authorities want to limit games in the park, since it is more made for resting and picnicking, than for playing. It would disturb those visitors who are there to just hang out.
What bothers me is that she didn't have the explanation at hand, may be in form of a leaflet. I think there also was no sign that indicated that playing ball was forbidden. At least the authorities could designate an area where the playing with balls is allowed. Right?
Posted by Andreas at 12:45 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
American Idol and the Malaysian participation
I don't get it and may be someone can help me.
I am watching American Idol and realised the advertisement for it throughout different programmes in other channels. These advertisements also give the option to Asian viewers to vote for their favourite singer or participant.
You can participate by sending an SMS to 32888 and naming your favourite - so far, all is fine.
However, there is this disclaimer at the end - something like a small print-, that says that the vote send it won't affect the outcome of the American vote.
Does this basically mean that anyone can send as many SMS here in Malaysia as he or she wants, but it doesn't matter to the American vote? Subsequently, the only ones that have fun in our participation would be Astro and the telecommunication providers Digi, Maxis or TM?
I would have some pretty strong word for this, if this is true - what do you think?
Tagged under
american idol
Posted by Andreas at 10:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 01, 2005
Mr. Prime Minister, I agree
I just love Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Workers Day message.
It really falls into a recent theme of mine, the requirement to constantly upgrade your skills to improve your own personal Annual Report.
He said:
"Workers also need to familiarise themselves with new work ethics and environment that require them to be innovative and productive. In this situation, lifelong learning must be made a target for all workers to avoid being left behind."
Agree, agree, agree!
However, while it is workers day, we should not forget that it is crucial to instill the same values into company's leaders. They are the one pushing change or building obstacles for change in a company.
It is also important to develop entrepreneurial skills amongst the socalled workforce and the fresh graduates. Those skills can be used in both companies that one works in and when you venture out to build your own business.
Posted by Andreas at 06:50 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack