The quest for beauty

It has been 2 weeks I was back to my old place. In a couple of days I will be back home again.

Capturing what had I accomplished:

1. Pre-tested the prototype before sending back to our office back home for evaluation. Approximately 2 days was spent on that.

2. Continued correcting my T. and discussed important point related to some data which I had some reservation about its validity and decided the best approach to tackle it.

3. Spent 1 week to attend course by my sup. Something that I wish I had the opportunity to attend earlier. Finally, I had chance to do that too.

4. Spring cleaned my stuff…papers, reports, references etc in the office

5. Was together with others in a big crowd to pay a last respect (2 minutes silence) to the demise of renowned Prof from our department. A very sad moment for everyone who knows him.

6. Met my second sup in front of demise Prof’s office while writing memory in the book. A shocked to also know that he had just had operation for prostate cancer. He helps me a lot in scrutinising my thesis layout and content some years ago from the perspective of very experience professor. And he is very fatherly too. I owe him much. 8 months ago, before leaving this place, the last word he said to me was “ May God help you”.

7. Attended a majlis berbuka puasa with Malaysian community here. Met many friends who know me and the new comer also.

8. Had iftar at my sup’s house to meet his lovely wife and cute 5 month old son.
Etc etc

My life is revolved within office area. The place I do my work, pray, sleep and eat. Make me realise the basic necessity in life!

I know that I will miss this memorable time of my life journey. Especially having some friends who I had a strong relationship and understand well the process that all of us going through. Share our happy and sad moments in life. I know that I will never do this again yet the experience had shape me to be what I am now.

The quest for beauty...which I captured at the Changi Airport on my transit to Cairo last 2 weeks...

Till then...goodbye for now!

Anggerik Merah

September 29, 2007

Unlock Your Creative Inspiration

Article I received on how to snap out of 'stuck states' and unlock your creative inspiration!

Plus interesting pics I took at Changi Airport, Singapore during my transit to Cairo two weeks ago.

My escapism from energy drain out...

Enjoy it..

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"Unlock Your Creative Inspiration" Copyright: Colin G Smith http://www.nlptoolbox.com/

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You know the human mind, your mind, is truly awesome. Everything we see around us, incredible architecture, paintings, wondrous machines and the amazing musical master pieces of the ages all started in someone's imagination! We all possess this creative mechanism. Sometimes though we become, "stuck in a rut" or start to,"see blank", or we "hit a brick wall." These are common phrases used by people that are in 'stuck states.'

Their mind is unwilling to go else where. Just what is this state of mind and more interestingly how can we discover proven methods to ease out of it, swiftly and smoothly, into inspired and creative states of being?! If we were to look inside their mind we would likely discover that their 'stuckness' was in fact a bit like a video loop. It would be as if they were repeating a shortclip of a movie over and over: Hit a brick wall... back to the beginning and... repeat...

So how can you snap out of these loops?

Here's a lickety-split way:

Switch Representational System

It's easier than it sounds honest! Look at that person over there. She looks like she's in a bit of stymie. "Hey how'stricks? You look like you could do with some creative inspiration?! Ahhhh ok, Lisa, let's see what we can do then..."

First of all notice where and how you feel that stuck state. Where on/in your body is that feeling? I bet it's not in your little toe or is it?! Good.

Now switch representational system by giving that feeling a colour. 'As you notice that feeling what colour represents that best?' Just go with the first colour. And if you wish you could now give that feeling a sound. 'What sound represents this feeling?' Great, well done! You've done the main part.

What you have done is to access a different part of your mind by representing the feeling in a different sensory system (Visual/Auditory.) If you wanted, just for fun, you could even represent the feeling as a smell or taste! 'What does this feeling smell/taste like?'

With that you have instantly accessed multiple resources from different brain centres, allowing the creative process to emerge.

What you can do next is to explore the new representation in it's own sense system. So for example let's say the feeling you had, looked like black foggy cloud and sounded like a dull and distant tinny sounding radio.

The next step is to PLAY with these images and sounds. For example what happens if you 'paint' a silver lining around the black clouds? If you were to imagine bringing that radio closer how would the sound quality alter? Turn the dial?

I think you get the basic gist by now, so go ahead and give it a go and get wild and wacky because humour is always good for a laugh isn't it?!

So what happens now when you think about the 'stuck state'? Your feelings have changed! This process enables your mind to have more choice. Instead of getting stuck in a 'dead end' pathway, you have numerous ones to choose from. And more choice equals more flexibility, which equals more creativity.

Creativity is just a state of mind that can be triggered with specific mental strategies and can be enhanced by exploring other perspectives using a variety of tools. And the great thing is, the more you practice creative thinking, the more creative you become! Simply by learning to use our brains in more diverse ways we can discover the master keys to unlocking the power of our creative imagination!

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Author Bio:Colin G Smith is a licensed Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and author of 'The NLPToolBox',

Drain out moment...

My energy drain out...

Feel like I want to sleep all the time. Blame it on the weather? But I told my brain not to think about weather. Even if it is forecasted to be 1 degree at nite, I feel fine as I am all the time in the building. Not been to outside much.

My officemate also complain the same. Maybe we had been too much exerted our energy last week. We slept in the office during weekend and keep doing the same thing. Our energy drain out and our productivity drop and we drag ourselves... What choice do we have? No..no...choice.

Why must I loose this marathon?

Must find ways how to handle this enery drain out...

Focus...focus...focus... is what I need at this time.


Anggerik M,
September 26, 2007
4.25 am.

You will remain in our heart forever

I was talking to friends on Thursday that I must go and meet this Professor before leaving. He was the one who introduced me to my supervisor. I owe him much on this and I will always remember him.

In every opportunity I had chance to have discussion with him, I knew that he is a down to earth, honest and humble person. And a very knowledgeable and respectable in his area of expertise. He is no doubt, one of the well known contributor to the knowledge in our industry.

Sad news we received yesterday on his demise at the age of 59 years old. I only came to know that he suffered from brain tumor and had operation last 2 years. He passed away in his hometown in Iran on Friday, September 21, 2007.

Today, we pay a visit to his office to say goodbye and these are remain:

May his soul rest in peace and he will always remain in our heart forever.

Anggerik M

September 25, 2007

Note:

Generally from my observation, a good person don't leave too long in this world. He/she will be called back earlier in their life.

Pakcik Mustaffa dalam kenangan

Hanya beberapa hari lagi akan cukup sebulan kami sekeluarga melawat Pakcik Mustaffa, ayah kepada sahabat karibku, semasa dia berada di Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Baharu. Dia mengalami pendarahan daripada vein di jantung setelah terjatuh beberapa kali. Sebelah paru-parunya juga sudah rosak berkemungkinan besar keran dia “heavy smoker”. Mengikut kata doktor, walaupun dia nampak kuat tapi sebenarnya tak ada apa yang boleh dilakukan untuk menolongnya pada ketika itu. Hanya berharapkan kepada miracle supaya dia sembuh. Kekuatan semangat Pakcik untuk melawan penyakitnya sangat ketara. Semangatnya tidak pernah luntur. Dia seperti tidak dapat menerima kesakitan yang dialaminya. Ada jugak dia berkata yang mungkin sudah tiba masanya dia menumpukan sepenuh masanya kepada hal-hal keagamaan dan melupakan pekerjaannya.

Pakcik Mustaffa sangat baik orangnya. Penuh ketegasan, sangat kuat semangat and sangat berdisiplin. Dia seorang yang tidak boleh duduk diam. Walaupun sudah bersara tapi dia masih meneruskan pekerjaannya dengan pengalamannya sebagai seorang guru dan jugak Nazir sekolah. Kami mula mengenali Pakcik Mustaffa semasa dia dan Makcik melawat anaknya di bumi ini. Lil man selalu jugak ditinggalkan bersama cucu Pakcik Mustaffa dan Makcik semasa pembantu saya pulang ke Malaysia. Oleh itu lil man menganggap Pakcik Mustaffa seperti Tok Ayah nya jugak.

Masih ingat lagi semasa Pakcik disini, setiap pagi dia akan ke kedai berhampiran rumah anaknya untuk membeli suratkhabar. Dia ada memberitahu saya yang dia agak gusar disini sebab tak ada kedai kopi seperti di Malaysia untuk melapak-lepak. Walaubagaimanpun dia cuba mencari aktiviti untuk dilakukan seperti berjalan kaki dan juga bermain dengan cucunya.

Semasa kami sekeluarga di Hospital Sultan Aminah, sempat kami melawatnya sebanyak dua kali pada hari Sabtu dan Ahad sebelum kami bertolak balik ke Kuala Lumpur. Sedih jugak nak tinggalkan dia. Sebelum berangkat balik saya sempat menasihatkan Pakcik supaya banyak berehat semuga cepat sembuh. Insyaallah panjang umur kami datang lagi melawat Pakcik. Bergenang airmata dikelopak matanya dan saya cuba menyembunyikan kesedihan saya supaya emosinya tidak terganggu. Didalam hati saya terfikir yang kita tidak tahu siapa yang Allah akan panggil dulu. Walaupun saya lebih sihat darinya, kalau sudah sampai masanya walaupun sesaat tidak akan ditangguhkan.

Saya ada memberitahu kepada Pakcik yang saya akan kembali ke sini untuk seketika. Dia menyahut sambil tersenyum lebar dan berkata “seronoknya” dan menyuruh saya membawa lil man bersama. Saya jelaskan padanya yang saya pergi dengan urusan kerja dan akan singgah dinegara lain. Sukar bagi saya untuk membawa lil man bersama. Saya juga memberitahu dia yang saya akan pergi tengok kedai yang dia sering beli suratkhabar setiap hari untuk mengingatkan memori nya semasa bercuti disini hampir 3 tahun yang lalu.

Sebelum saya berangkat kesini, sahabat saya memberitahu yang Pakcik dalam persediaan menjalani operasi di HKL. Teringin saya nak melawatnya sekali lagi sebelum berangkat. Tetapi saya diberitahu yang hanya keluarga terdekat dibenarkan melawatnya. Sesekali saya masih berhubung dengan sahabat saya mengenai perkembangan Pakcik.

Pagi ini saya melalui jalan berhadapan kedai dimana Pakcik berkunjung setiap hari…selepas saya menerima SMS dari sahabat saya memberitahu berita kematian ayahanda kesayangannya semasa kami bersedia untuk bersahur di bumi ini. Pak cik kembali kerahmatullah pada 8:20 pagi waktu Malaysia, 23 September 2007. Alfatihah untuk PakCik Mustaffa. Semuga rohnya ditempatkan bersama-sama orang yang beriman.

Setelah menerima berita itu saya terus menalipon big man memberitahu padanya. Saya tidak berharap big man boleh memandu ke Johor kerana dia baru saya keluar dari hospital kelmarin. Dia masih lemah. Sebenarnya big man mengidap Rheumatoid arthritis mengikut diagnosis terakhir doktor kelmarin. Semasa perbualan talipon saya mendengar lil man pastering big man untuk pergi menziarah Pakcik Mustaffa. Katanya “their family are just like our own family”. Begitu rapatnya persahabatan lil man dengan cucu-cucu Pakcik Mustaffa. Seperti isi dengan kuku.

Saya kuatkan semangat menalipon sahabat saya untuk memberikan nya moral support. Ternyata saya pun tidak dapat menahan sebak. Sahabat saya masih teresak-esak dan berkata “ I tried to do the best for him”. Saya cuma mampu berkata padanya “Yes, I know that, but you must let him go…dan banyak bersabar”. I know it is easy said than done. My heart is with her and her family. Saya tahu yang sahabat saya sangat terasa kehilangan ayahnya. How I wish I was there to be by her side.

Pakcik Mustaffa dalam kenangan…

Semuga Allah menempatkan Pakcik bersama-sama orang yang beriman. AMIN.

Nota:

Sejak kebelakangan ini saya dapat rasakan yang diri saya sudah dibentuk menjadi lebih cekal untuk menghadapi sebarang dugaan yang mendatang. Mungkin Allah telah mengkabulkan permintaan saya supaya saya jadi begitu. Lebih redha diatas dugaan dan cabaran dan jangan mudah putus asa. Juga lebih banyak fikirkan hikmah disebalik dugaan yang mendatang. Semuga Allah terus memberikan saya kekuatan untuk melalui perjalanan hidup ini. Dan semuga saya juga tidak lupa mendoakan yang sama untuk keluarga serta sahabat-sahabat saya.

Nukilan rasa

Anggerik Merah
Sept 23, 2007

Kehidupan buat ketika ini...

Hati rasa sangat gelisah dan sedih bila mendengar berita tentang adik Nurin apabila membaca berita on-line. Alfatihah untuk aruah adik Nurin. Sayu rasanya hati…

Saya pun terus menalipon lil man untuk mengingatkan dia jangan sesekali keluar rumah sorang-sorang. Lil man hanya tinggal bersama pembantu buat ketika ini kerana big man sekarang ditahan di hospital hingga hari Sabtu. Keadaan kesihatan big man tak berapa baik semenjak kebelakangan ni. Sekali lagi..semenjak saya kena keluar negara kerana urusan kerja dan juga menghabiskan sisa-sisa belajar yang belum sempat dihabiskan dulu. Saya akan cuba setakat yang saya mampu menghabiskan sisa-sisa pembelajaran saya sebelum pulang.

Sebenarnya saya terpaksa memaksa diri. Walaupun saya sedih juga sebab tak dapat bersama-sama keluarga menyambut puasa, tapi saya cekal kan hati untuk cuba merasakan keindahan bulan yang mulia ini masih ditempat lama dulu. Saya benar-benar memaksa diri tapi kekuatan saya tidak seperti dulu lagi. Saya cepat letih dan tak bermaya. Cuba cuba bermain dengan fikiran supaya melupakan kepenatan dan mungkin kemalasan jugak.

Saya cuba terus berfikiran positif walaupun terpaksa mengenangkan anak dirumah dengan pembantu dan suami terlantar di rumah sakit. Dan saya masih disini. Saya memohon dariNya supaya berikan saya kekuatan mental dan fizikal setakat yang saya mampu untuk meneruskan perjalanan ini walaupun berbagai halangan. Memang sedih dihati bila melihat gambar kawan-kawan seperjuangan saya yang telah pun meraikan kejayaan mereka dan saya tidak dapat bersama-sama mereka diketika itu. Namun saya bangga dengan kejayaan kawan-kawan saya yang sama-sama berjuang. Seperti yang saya doakan setiap hari selepas sembahyang supaya Allah mempermudahkan urusan saya dan kawan-kawan saya semua. Allah makbulkan walaupun saya masih terus berjuang.

Dalam masa yang singkat ini, saya meneruskan perjalanan ini dan berharap ianya akan sampai ke penghujungnya secepat yang mungkin. Apapun, saya cuba mengingatkan diri saya yang saya tidak boleh melebihi limit saya. Nasihat dari Sir Count Byron kepada saya supaya jaga kesihatan bermain dikepala saya ketika otak saya dah tak produktif. Sekiranya saya penat, saya berehat seketika. Setiap kali saya rasa kepenatan, saya akan tinggal kan pejabat ini dan berjalan di luar untuk menghirup angin segar. Sambil tu saya memerhatikan pokok-pokok yang masih hijau yang belum bertukar warna, jugak itik-itik yang saya selalu beri makan di tasik dulu. Tapi saya lihat dah tak banyak itik-itik di tasik itu. Mungkin dah berpindah ke tempat lain. Air tasik pun ada sedikit kotor dari dulu. Macam tak terpelihara.

Saya amat terhutang budi pada pasangan suami isteri yang sama-sama belajar disini mengajak saya tinggal bersama keluarga mereka dirumah saya dulu. Tak lah saya kesunyian dan keseorangan. Tambahan pulak mereka ada seorang anak yang comel dan petah berkata-kata dengan bahasanya. Terhibur hati rasanya. Semuga Allah membalas jasa baik mereka berdua. Ramai jugak kawan-kawan lain mengajak saya tinggal bersama mereka. Tapi saya rasa selesa tinggal dirumah yang saya pernah menyewa dulu.

Saya jugak terhibur dengan rakan-rakan di pejabat ini yang sama- sama berjuang. Berbagai cerita yang berlaku sejak saya tinggalkan tempat ini beberapa bulan yang lalu. Walauapapun, saya ada tujuan. Jadi saya cuba tumpukan kepada urusan saya disini. Beg tidur serta dua bantal saya masih ada di pejabat ini. Masih berguna untuk saya pada hari-hari yang saya duduk dipejabat ini sepanjang malam. Bila saya dah penat boleh lah saya berbaring dilantai.

Begitulah kehidupan saya buat ketika ini…

September 21, 2007
Room C1-6

A glance of Egypt - Part 2

Another collections of pics.

I let the pictures tell thousand stories as I will not have any moment now to write about it now...

Crossing over River Nile, Cairo

Somewhere near Pyramid area

Part of Alexandria township

On the way back from Alex to Cairo

Nite life in Cairo

On the way to Alex

Another butcher

In front of Sheraton Montazah, Alex overseing Mediterranean Sea

by yours truly,

Anggerik Merah

Sept 19, 2007

A glance of Egypt - part 1

A glance of Egypt....

With a short and hectic travel in Egypt...I am sharing some of the pics which mostly taken during on-land travelling (approx. 4 hours) from Cairo to Alexandria.

Reaching to pyramid on the way back from Alex to Cairo

A view from a small town as we passing to the fabrication yard in Alexandria

Intersting pics of the two woman kill their time

View from my hotel bedroom at Sheraton Montazah Alexandria overseeing Mediterranean Sea

Tamar tree with a background of radiant coloured office building within the vicinity of visited plant

Road entrance to Sheraton Montazah hotel in Alexandria

Tuk tuk in Alexandria

Toll both to Alexandria

Peagent house along the way to Alex

A butcher store in a small town of Alex

A pyramid hunter

by your truly,

Anggerik Merah

Sept 19, 2007

In the land intense/intermittent sunshine

From the land of intense sunshine...Egypt...my travel for work took me to Cairo and Alexandria for several days. Travelling on the land of Egypt was the most interesting experience. The beauty of River Nile, pyramids and Mediterranean Sea. The caotic traffic was almost unimaginable which I can't compare it with KL traffic and driving style. I would easily get heart attack if I need to drive on my own...hehehe. And the nite life in some places was really really happenings. I am amazed! Will share more story and pics later, Insyaallah when time permit.

Travelling from Cairo thru Frankfurt to my next destination on Spet 11 is a date to remember. Nevertheless, I have no worry.

Now, I am in the land with intermittent sunshine (for the last 2 days), or sometimes could be almost like 4 seasons in a day (as said by one of the locals this morning), and today with no sunshine. I almost forgot how to adjust my body to this kind of weather despite of used to be here for many years. Nevertheless, I must get myself adjusted soon enough with the weather and manage the jet lag well...

My work place is still intack but very dusty. Friends are happy to see me back. But I miss my loves one back home. Whenever I woke up in the early morning, I wish I was embraced by my love one. Will be here for sometimes to settle my unfinish business and also work responsibility.

I just recalled that Sept 13 is my 2nd blogging anniversary. I started blogging on this land and on this date I was here too. What a coincident! It has been 2 interesting and memorable years in blogging world. I would not want to remember at the time when I started blogging and how much that I shared the happenings with me and around me. All I know I learn many things about life and people through blogging. And I met many lovely friends out there...

The more I think about blogging, it is to me is my written diary most of it to capture my thought and experiences especially when there is no single soul could be next to me to hear...

Ramadhan Mubarak to everyone!

Anggerik M
Sept 15, 2007; 6:36 pm

----------Addition------

My officemate forwarded this, I like it and i paste it here to ponder..

Four Words that Make Life Worthwhile by Jim Rohn

Over the years as I've sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life's challenges, I've come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile.

First, life is worthwhile if you LEARN. What you don't know WILL hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences - negative or positive. We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative. We also learn from other people's experiences, both positive and negative. I've always said that it is too bad failures don't give seminars. Obviously, we don't want to pay them so they aren't usually touring around giving seminars. But that information would be very valuable – we would learn how someone who had it all then messed it up. Learning from other people's experiences and mistakes is valuable information because we can learn what not to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.

We learn by what we see so pay attention. We learn by what we hear so be a good listener. Now I do suggest that you should be a selective listener, don't just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read so learn from every source; learn from lectures; learn from songs; learn from sermons; learn from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning.


Second, life is worthwhile if you TRY. You can't just learn; now you have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. It doesn't mean you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?

Third, life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project - see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that's the end, but just don't end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.

And lastly, life is worthwhile if you CARE. If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.

Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care.

What difference can you make in your life today by putting these words to work?