The One With the New Boys 

We got another two baby boys in the house..

Congratulations to Mr Cikun n wife Hasnul for their newborn son Hanif Fahmi Haslah last week.. Also to Mr Raden and Shiraz as per informed by Pian..

Hmmm... many of our friends got their baby boy(s) this year.. to name a few, apau, banglong, rizal, jusoh, shakir, cikun and latest shiraz..

ours? hehe.. "tungguuuuu"..

The One With The New Job 

I started my new job last Monday, just got a temp PC yesterday.. no work assignment yet.. Still, I got a lot of things to do.. setting up the PC, installing some required softwares, studying on Blueprints bla bla bla.. I should receive a laptop but it would take some time.. therefore, for the time being, three of us will be stationed at main office rather than site office as 'off-shore programmers'..

I commute to the office.. heck.. on the first day, I was so damn tired.. lacked of sleep the night before, my body aching everywhere.. heh.. by the second day, everything went just fine.. new job, new environment, new challenge.. I need to adapt on it..

Oh, btw Sha is already on her leave.. she went to meet the gynea yesterday, he said her pelvic might be too small for the baby and she might need to go for ceasor.. we just wait and see.. although the due date is not in another 2 weeks plus, Mama asked us to be prepare.. we are now sleeping over at Mama's house.. at least there will be somebody to take care of her while I'm not around..

* I just receive a note from my colleague that our notebook will arrive in a day of two and we might need to be transfered to site office very soon due to increase of work load.. still i will try to keep you guys updated.. pray for us and wish us luck..

The One With Hari Raya Photos 

Our Hari Raya album available here and here.

Sneak preview :

The One With The Signing-Off Note 

Dear Fellow Colleagues,

Today is the last day for me working in this great company. Although it just only a year, I decided to leave for a better prospect of mine.

For my IS teammates,

Satar, Din, Rozali, Shaz, Cece, Iryana, Che An, Azah, ex-boss Megat, newly-appointed boss Yati, one year is too short.. However, it was great to have you guys around.. I'll surely miss the bondage, monthly 'makan2', bday celebrations, etc..

IS trainees Zul, Mazli, Salmi, Fauzah, Aisyah.. There's a lot to learn here.. grab it before you miss it..

For Admin and General / Sales Dept. members,

Safar, Alicia, Anu, Shi, Nora, Azura, Mun, Farah, Zaki etc, thank-you for challenging me with task given. I hope you guys fully satisfy with my works.

Till we meet again,

Signed
Zen Akmal

The One With Berbuke (sic) Puasa (part 2) 

What are some fadhilat of fasting during Ramadhan? One of it, is to feel what others especially those less-fortunate would feel.. But is it? Does Ramadhan really achieve its objective??..

This time of bulan puasa, I went for Buffet Break Fast just one time.. RM39.90 pax at Kelana Seafood with my friends.. same price as yesteryear but slightly lesser choices of food..

Gluttony?? Guilty as charged.. Food-wasting? Of course not.. wanna proof? see below..


I rest my case..

p/s : more pic available here

The One With the Count Down (part 2) 

"When is your last day??"

Yups.. I'm resigning from my current and second job.. which I joined last year.. like a Dejavu, last Raya I was temporary jobless, so does this year..

Some people questioning my decision.. is it all about the money?? For some, you may be noticed i've stroke the 'underpaid' in my bio.. well actually.. the underpaid thingy was just an internal joke between us.. Relatively, I was overpaid equally paid.. but can't openly admit it in front some friends who would demand a dinner treat at Victoria Station, I claimed I was underpaid.. hehe.. yup.. it is true.. it is not about the money..

When I was resigning from my first job, I had a chat with the big boss (also Sha's cousin).. He encouraged my decision on joining this company coz one of us (Sha and I) need a stable job.. and of course this company paid much better.. but he also advised me not to stay for too long.. He said I should go for a vendor company and doing functional rather than technical.. At first, I decided to give myself two years at most..

Last two months, I tried to check my market value by unpreparedly walking in an interview for a contract job.. I was a bit shocked.. coz i did relate my experience in my first job a lot more than my second.. I realised I didnt make a major progress as what I did before.. I'm not satisfy with myself..

Actually, working environment in here is very convenient.. friendly colleagues.. hassle-free traffic.. easy parking.. but being the only in-house programmer is somehow tough.. I couldn't gain experience that much compared to my first job.. Back then, I got other colleagues to share ideas and knowledge.. here, I need to give much more than I can take..

I think I failed damn big time in that interview.. but thank god I got my wake up call.. I need a new job.. now or never..

I got another interview in a consulting company a week after that, and I guessed that time I was more prepared.. Got another call-up few days after that.. Once I received the offer letter , I tendered my resignation with a month notice.. I will bid goodbye to this company on the 19th.. I will start my new job on the 22nd.. a new job, a new office, a new experience.. I got to go shopping for a new me.. :P *wink*

p/s : A very special tribute to apau and tinie..

The One With The Count Down (part 1) 

"Berapa hari lagi nak raya??"

Well, I bet many of you guys can answer this question in a split second.. But for me, I'll take a longer time.. Not that eager for this year Hari Raya.. May be looking forward for the long holidays but not the raya day itself.. I got my reason.. hehe.. above all, as you guys already know, we are already freaking out right now.. counting the seconds to become young parents.. hehe.. It will also be the first hari raya for me being away from my hometown in Johor. Last year we celebrated our first raya as husband and wife at my hometown.. So this year around, we gonna be celebrating it here in KL.. and with Shariza condition, long distance travel is definitely a no-no.. *wink*..

I was thinking.. What would I miss..

Topping the list would be Mom's ketupat, rendang limpa, serunding daging, paru goreng and sayur lodeh.. a must menu for years.. where we will be having those for breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner until 3rd or 4th day of raya.. While waiting for raya announcement from YM. Engku Datuk Ibrahim bin Engku Ngah, penyimpan mohor besar Raja-raja, all the siblings will "anyam ketupat" while mom in the kitchen doing her things.. This year, Shariza's mom will prepare Soto, aunty will serve her lontong.. others TBC.. yet again, visiting open houses will also depend on Sha's stamina.. heheh..

Secondly, no fireworks and meriam besi.. Back in my hometown, we have a large compound in front of our house.. shooting a Thunderclap or an Air-Bomb would still landed into your own compound.. Play it here.. it might landed into Balai Polis Taman Tun compound.. or worse, we ourselves could ended inside the police station.. hehe.. I dont wanna take that risk..

Lastly.. little kids.. in kampung, from as early as 8 o'clock in the morning, you will hear a typical sound of kids from god-knows-where giving salam.. "Assalamualaikum.. kami nak beraya.." They will come and sit down for couple of minutes.. eat one or two pieces of kuih raya, take a sip of carbonated drinks.. and go "Kami nak balik dah.." while anxiously wait for the Green packet.. hehe.. I also did the same when I was a little kid..

Well, Raya will still be Raya.. anywhere anyhow.. Just that, I'm reserving the thrills for a much bigger occasion.. :)