What Can I Do

I haven't slept at all in days
It's been so long since we've talked
And I have been here many times
I just don't know what I'm doing wrong

What can I do to make you love me
What can I do to make you care
What can I say to make you feel this
What can I do to get you there

There's only so much I can take
And I just got to let it go
And who knows I might feel better
If I don't try and I don't hope

What can I do to make you love me
What can I do to make you care
What can I say to make you feel this
What can I do to get you there

No more waiting, no more aching
No more fighting, no more trying

Maybe there's nothing more to say
And in a funny way I'm calm
Because the power is not mine
I'm just gonna let it fly

What can I do to make you love me
What can I do to make you care
What can I say to make you feel this
What can I do to get you there

Love me

The Real Price of Few Bucks

Sometimes, we can interpret lots of things from trivial things happen around us especially those dealing with people. In judging a person, we must exercise the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” so that misinterpretation can be avoided. Instead, I judge by observation. As we always learn from the moral values in school or from the old people that when we help people, we must not expect something in return. In my case, the something is money. I give you a helping hand because I consider you as a friend and try to help as far as I can. I do not expect earnings for helping you, but I absolutely do not expect lose when you are affordable. If you are far more in need and be in the worse condition than me, I will help you even I “rugi” or give you a treat, because of the friendship or trust. But I will not expect someone having the same condition with me or even better than me to hope to take advantage of me. I don’t expect much, but just the same or slightly fewer only. From the few bucks which is only chicken feed for me, I see lots of things and it also further prove my weakness. Wrong kindness sometimes.

Haha, Michael is still living in the ideal world. You think for people, will they do so? Haha, the price of few bucks, I know something better. Worth the price. I finally fathom the meaning of the real world and the real people, much better than yesterday. Still a long path to see more and learn more and share more.  Hehe. Sometimes I am really uncertain about how should I response to this. Haha, family is still the best.  ^0^.

2-month Life in the Concrete Jungle

It has been 2 months since I (aka Michael in my working environment now) moved in to this concrete jungle to begin my life as a young engineer. Thanks God and my friends (Ivan, Soon Seng (aka Lee in his woking life now) and Jing Hui (aka Gennie in her working life now) for getting us a house near the previous KTM railway where we are surrounded by some big old trees – a green peaceful place hardly found in Singapore to my knowledge. Thanks to Tai Koon also (aka Tan in his working life now) for coming to join us to help change the $$$ in the form of PL (point load) to UDL (uniformly distributed load). Now the load is a bit OK, 4T24 + 1T23 should be adequate to support the load. ^0^. 

Singapore is a country near to Johore Bahru with a population of 5 million plus people, a land with area of 694 km² (Wikipedia, 2011). Why am I here instead of working in my lovely hometown – KL where there is a plethora of civil engineering jobs too? This has to be due to a book – my Hydraulics lecture note by a friendly lecturer – Mr.Amat Sairin. Not that Mr.Amat introduced me my current job, but the fact is due to the lecture note, I was given the chance to get know to my company via a senior. (I always like to and am eager to know the story behind for a particular event instead of the told story which is more often than not unreal or beautifully narrated to deceive or deviated from actual story). In December 2010 where I came back earlier for my Final Year Project concrete casting, a senior of my friend asked me whether I had the aforementioned book or not. I answered yes because I had kept those books useful to me or where my knowledge of that subject is not so strong that I can give the books to others. So, I lent him my lecture note (Note: Lent (past tense of lend) = An action of GIVE. To be explained later the reason why I highlight the word GIVE). 

Few months later in April (really after a long time, haha), the senior - Fu Wei had finally returned the book to me. Maybe due to his “paisehness’’, he asked me whether I am interested in Geotechnical Engineering job in Singapore or not. I was elated hearing that because during that time, most of my coursemates had already been recruited to certain companies in KL and Singapore, while I was still unemployed. But, I was never worried about that because I believe in myself. Not that I had lots of A, but just that I am very conscious of my strength and weakness. I am not that kind of people who follow what others are doing for the sake of having or to show “I am having too”. Instead of choosing structural engineering, I try to explore another interesting field dealing with soils and rocks. But, I do learn structural engineering too on my own because even being specialized in a particular field, the fundamentals still have to be learnt in order to be qualified to be called as a Pro. That is my thought and my direction. But I know there are obstacles to learn all, but I will attempt to grab as much as I can to be strong and “voracious’ during meeting with clients or contractors, to be able to defend what is correct. Together with the knowledge I am collecting and the serious face I have when I do not smile, don’t step on my head because I am “kecil-kecil cili padi”. Haha. Psycho a bit here. Anyway, I always welcome correction and advice when I am proved wrong with tangible explanation. So then, I got the contact e-mail from the senior and tried to contact and to arrange interview with the company, alone, in a new city. From the moment I said to the senior, “Yes, I am interested. You may give me the e-mail”, I had decided to accept the fact that I would be working and living in the new city all by myself. But, some other friends do join me later. In the end, after a successful interview, I am now in and working in that company as I am doing and writing now (RECEIVE). 

GIVE and RECEIVE. A very interesting topic most of people notice but hardly practise. As told in the 2 books by Ryonda Byrne (one I had fnished reading while another newer one I am still reading), “Whatever you give out in life is what you receive back in life.Give positivity, you receive back positivity; give negativity, you receive back negativity”. That is what happen to me. Never would I think of working in Singapore and some more in my interested field if I have never lent (GIVE) my Hydraulics book to the senior and he brought me the chance of working as what I want (RECEIVE). The give and receive story is totally identical to action-reaction theory I have been practicing all the while even before I read those 2 Ryonda books. I adapted the Newton’s Law of Motion in my life as I find it truly true. That I why I am really really really glad when I read or notice people are writing or talking about a theory identical to what I am practicing. A practice I conclude from my reading and knowledge, which may sometimes do not work out as written in my previous article. Hehe. Humans being are very dynamic. An unpredictable creature. Therefore, please be appreciative and grateful to the chance people offer or share with you because you may not be able to have the chance if the person just do not share with you. Thanks to the book and my senior. I feel glad and grateful for you share with me (though just giving me the contact) a job. I will not say it is the best, but I will say it suits me for the moment. Gratitude. ^0^.

 So, what had I achieved in this 2 months? Besides the bank notes with Yusof bin Ishak on it, for me, no matter what job or title I carry during money-earning time, I must be qualified, skilled or professional, be it a computer peripheral seller, home tutor or now as an engineer. I will attempt and do my best as title carry. I never look down on people with different job title as long as (s)he is skilled and knowing what (s)he is doing. It is pointless telling people that you are skilled or professional and have high income, but you are kind of “a…..ah…..erm……” when people ask you something simple or basic about your field. I do not mean I know everything in that sense, but I do see lots of people out there are far too arrogant with their job or high income. Fortunately, none of them is in my circle of life. For instance, during my time as a PC seller after SPM, I did my best to be as skilled as possible though in the beginning, I was also just a dumb to PC – motherboard, RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), graphic card, TV tuner etc. (To be continued after I have my Magnolia chocolate milk which is going to be expired soon, hehe). BRB.

My weakness in “Resource Management”

Resource Management is the efficient and effective deployment for an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology (IT) (Wikipedia). In the world today, I would say resource management skill is the one which makes people become successful or achieving their goals. Resource management skill is exceedingly crucial. 

                When people need you, they will be looking for you. That means you still have the market. When someone needs any cracked softwares, I give to him. When someone needs any books or notes, I lend to him. When someone needs my shirt or boot, I lend to him. When someone needs any movies or documentary, I pass to him. When someone is having troubles with his PC or softwares, I will come to his room to solve the problem for him as far as I can. I try my best to search any information or solution suggested for him. I will always attempt to fulfill their requests to “show” to them I am “good”.  Whether or not I am good is very depending upon how useful I am to them. Or in the other way how well do they know me. I can share everything with you as far as it is possible.

                You may in your heart think that I am complaining, but I would say you are 20% correct. Yet in your mind, “Why do you write this article then if you are not complaining”. I write because I like to express my feeling or my thought via words. I like the beauty of language as well as its sarcasm. Writing is not always about something negative or complaint. In my previous article, I did write to give credit to some. Besides, another best part of writing is it gives you your personal time to think about what other people write. In contrast, if I express via verbal communication, some may be or must be saying “This world is now like that one…”. “Everyone cares more for himself. You must accept the fact…” etc.

                Undoubtedly yes. It is a fact that people are now very “good” in resource management in order to achieve their objectives. I do not expect them to treat me as if I help them a lot. I do not expect them to think of me when they plan doing something. I do not expect them to automatically reserve a place for me when I am not around. I wish I can expect, but I just cannot expect something like that. I just believe in Newton’s Third Law of Motion i.e. Action=Reaction. I just hope my action will has some reaction in return, but it is not necessarily to be one. Some may comment that I am too quiet to make a request or “berat mulut” to ask. You are correct because I thought I live in an ideal world. That’s why I say I am awful in using people.

                Never ever 100% presume that someone has used me and I write this article. I am just writing what I feel all along what I encounter and think of. I wish I am wrong too. That’s all. I can’t blame the world but myself. Hahaha. P/S: I wrote this article when I was doing traffic survey at Senai.

31/3/2011  6.15pm   Cloudy

我的 Sem 1 2010/2011 @ UTM (Part 1)

        
         每次开场白都是 “哇,好久没更新我的部落格了! ”. 忙嘛….不是不想写,不是因为没东西想发言,就真的是一个 “忙” 字. 真的忙到透不过气. 那时就会有那种想法. “到底在忙什么, 为什么大学四年的生活就只是个 “忙’ 字. 说真的, 繁忙的工作真的会让人(我的立场是位学生)忘记或不曾想过要回买巴士票回家. 在我写这篇文章时,虽然已经是Final Exam week,我手头上还有两项课业还没完成: Reinforced Concrete Design II(RC Design II) 及 Civil Engineering Information System. 虽然还有功课做及做功课是有很多好处的, 但我不想为做而做,所以选择了写部落格(懒惰就讲懒惰啦,多多借口).对于不是我的大学同学的朋友, Civil Engineering(土木工程)在你们印象中除了是那种带着安全帽,穿着安全鞋,拿着手机,在热烈的太阳底下监督着一个建筑工程的进展外,会是什么呢? 如果你的答案是design咯. 那又是design什么呢? O(∩_∩)o… 其实土木工程是很广的.我不在此解释了.请善用你的网络吧. 谷歌,雅虎,百度,必应(BING)样样齐全.只要肯花时间,是可以从网上得到非常多的知识的. 在此分享一段不错的短片- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWwlXy4L2uY. 从下载最新/高清电影,最新专辑,电子书籍,照片,快速找资料you name it. 实在实在太丰富了. (P/S:虽然下载有点侵犯知识产权(尤其是对我们这些”有知识”的人), 但这不是在我们的管辖范围当中. 能的话,尽量支持正版吧 (哈哈,好像在推销专辑)).

        这是我第一次用中文书写我部落格的文章.因为有读者(哇,讲到好像很geng(厉害)酱,读者咧)曾经问过我为什么不用中文写. 不是我不会中文,而是打中文比较慢毕竟键盘是ABC. 其实只是不习惯吧. 说真的,在我中五毕业后,鲜少再用中文写这么长的文章了. 现在的课业都用英文, 方块字越来越少用,错别字也越写越多. 这个学期上课时间其实不多,但就是作业很多及很长. 看到这么长的工作,就越来越压力及不想碰了. 这个学期的开始,同学们都刚从实习回来.每个都有自己的故事,经验或”威水”事. 分享是一定少不过得. 实习让我看见了什么是一位工程师真正要做的.Design Engineer 或 Site Engineer 都好. 做吧…..拼命的做吧. 哈哈. 还记得我的实习公司的Managing Director (就是VSL的大老板)说过, 我们是 “one leg kick” (一脚踢) 的. 就是我们常说的”包山包海”. 什么都要会做. 我在那看到了自己,看到了我应该更”废”哈哈.总的说, 人际关系是很重要的.

My pass card.

        在实习期间,谢谢也在KL实习的朋友一起出来玩,尤其是欣遂.当然少不了智仁及国辉,还有我敬爱的 旧同房-子维. 珍惜与你们外出的时间. 摘自July 5 at 2:11am我的Facebook profile 信息, “10 周就这样过去了.感谢朋友尤其是HENG SWEE.你让我期待周末.哈哈哈.电影,逛逛街,吃喝,动物园,Sunway Lagoon, ice skating, starbucks,点心,喝早茶,迷路 etc. 有朋友的陪伴是不一样的,朋友让你更勇敢. 希望你能把这次的经验套在将来的工作.时间转眼就过的. P/S : 天将降大任于斯人也,必先劳其筋骨,饿其体肤. 呵呵,你体验到了吧 ! ^0^” 及August 27 2.02pm “Re-watching some movies I watched during the internship period between last May and June is reminiscent of my happy spending money time with my friends particularly Goh Heng Swee”. 我是很感性的叻. 开心的日子我很少忘记. ^_^.

          在8月2日, 因为要为8月间生日的同学庆生,我们全体华人在上完了Info System 的课后 (上到六点),就好好当当的一伙人,穿着formal(因为星期一是smart day), 帅帅美美的出发去了.在Sutera Mall 的 Kinsahi 进行晚餐. 可能穿得比较smart,待遇好像特别好.(哈哈,我想太多了吧). 可是人靠衣装这个事实是无可厚非的. 这次的庆生可说是最完整的一次,全班到齐.真的好景不常在呀.珍惜珍惜. 大家还把生日蛋糕转圈圈,一人试一口,总共十多种口味. 真的不错, 每种蛋糕买一片.,口口都不一样滋味,也不会吃腻. 吃完了还到K-Box高歌一曲,好不痛快. 当中还小饮了一杯. 谢谢顺盛,乃和俊严. 在唱歌的当儿,当然少不了拍照. 有些照片实在令人回味.哈哈. 朋友间的关爱嘛. 别看得太重,别看得太轻.,只要还好就好.

Dinner @ Kinsahi.

@ Kinsahi.

Different slices of cake of Secr
et Recipe.

K-box.

          虽然很忙,在这学期里,也做了一份part time,那就是 Traffic Surveyor,难听点就是在路边算车.哈哈. 因为出的价钱蛮不错,再加上有三五成群的朋友一起.做就做吧.钱对谁都很重要.能赚(正当的)快钱是很棒的. 还记得那天是 八月十日,地点是在Kempas.那天我们十个人就被派到不同的路口点算车子的流量.因为得点算三个小时,我们就pandai-pandai 的两个人坐在同一个路口以便能谈天.但还是能看得到各自的路口.我们工作认真的,OK. 而我就和大锟同一组,边谈边算,分享分享. 他讲的故事较多让我对他更了解. 和这位仁兄蛮洽谈的. 对我而言,谈天是很棒的.你坦白,我坦白.虽然只是短暂的几年大学朋友,不能与你认识了好多年的朋友比较,但不代表他们都存有假意的.只是需要你是才会想到你,你没用时谁管你.虽然这不罕见.话说回来,我比较喜欢观察及临听. 那怕说是一间洗车店,也能让我想到某某东西或做出结论.不会的我不想乱说,不想为了让别人知道”我是会的.”而误人子弟.哈哈,因为有时就是你加一点我加一点,到最后那件事情完全变样了. 太多有潜能的编剧了.哈哈.

The road under my survey area.

The result of my traffic survey.

        也在工作的前一天,我们十行人订购了亚航去台湾背包旅行.这是我很向往的. 看世界嘛. 太爱亚航的口号 “现在人人都能飞.” 这就是好的口号.讲到做到. 不像一些口号,讲是好听, 但达成不到,纯属口号. Cakap tak serupa bikin. 前一天订购机票时我不在场,也不太预知这项计划,朋友问要去没有,就答应了. 隔天才懂到底有谁去.当中miss了几位朋友,不过后面都补上了.不知道是不是因为这件事,也让某些朋友有了转变. 希望一切还好. 因为预订了去台湾的毕业旅行,大家都开始兴致勃勃,plan这plan那. 最重要的还是逃不了要存钱了.钱钱钱.无钱就无力的世界,很多样都是$$$.

        在这学期,拿了一科elective subject – Prestressed Concrete Design. (To be continued in part 2, 怕太长等下没人读.呵呵).

[神啊救救我]

词\陈小春 曲\陈小春 唱\陈小春

上天会保佑我的
爱情总会来的
我在梦中一切都有
可是现实啊常常是相反的
爱她的男人很多
那我又算什么
我在雨中喝着闷酒
反正幸福对我是奢侈的
心里太清楚了
其实她不爱我
奇怪地球上怎么会没有人
看上我
神啊 救救我吧
一把年纪了
一个爱人都没有
孤独是可怜的
如果没爱过
人生是黑白的
神啊 救救我吧
一个人晃了半辈子了为什么
我这样的男人啊就快要绝种
她啦又在哪儿
心里太清楚了
其实她不爱我
奇怪地球上怎么会没有人
看上我
神啊 救救我吧
一把年纪了
一个爱人都没有
孤独是可怜的
如果没爱过
人生是黑白的
神啊 救救我吧
一个人晃了半辈子了为什么
我这样的男人啊就快要绝种
她啦又在哪儿
神啊 救救我吧
一把年纪了
一个爱人都没有
孤独是可怜的
如果没爱过
人生是黑白的
神啊 救救我吧
一个人晃了半辈子了为什么
我这样的男人啊就快要绝种
她啦又在哪儿
上帝会保佑我的

Internship

It has been a long time since I show off, no I mean practicing actually, my writing skill. As I am arrogant, I want to show off in this blog again otherwise this blog will be inactive and bring disappointment to my followers. LOL.

I am now doing my internship with the company I have chosen few months before. Do not know which is my company? Never mind, please read my article “Blog @ busy moment” (sound like I am forcing people to read my blog) then you will know it. You must be now thinking that I am going to talk about my internship life is it? You guess it right. Clever! (anyone also knows lah as I mentioned before).Ok, get serious, enough with those lame jokes.

I am a civil engineering student and going to graduate next year around this time. By the time I will be a (so-called) fresh engineer. Engineer sounds like someone who has great mind and can solve a lot of problems. I will make sure I will be a real problem solver instead of problem creator due to poor quality work. I hope I can materialize the promise. How to do it? Everyone has different ways of doing it. I do not want to share here or else you will be as successful as I am. LOL. No lah! I am willing to share if you are willing to share too. Those who ever receive something from me will know. Thanks to you guys for sharing with me too. Tell you my secret recipe next time if you are interested.

Does an engineer earn a lot as the others thought of since it sounds professional? In my opinion, the answer is NO. Even a top seller in a shop in the shopping centre may earn more than us or almost same with us i.e. 2k++ for a fresh graduate. Therefore, what does an engineer earn is usually the pride, NOT the price unless you are distinguished or experience-rich in the field. How to achieve the criterion above? It is none other than enriching yourself with knowledge and experience (all those “nice to hear but not easy to achieve” words).

Before going for my internship, I had equipped myself with several new stuffs because the old ones cannot serve me anymore. It is just like real life, when you cannot serve anymore, you will be abandoned especially to the elderly people. By the way, please do appreciate the elderly people. Please give your seat to them if they have none. You can stand, can’t you. Aren’t you strong (for boys) / kind-hearted (for girls) in front of the opposite sex friends. Aren’t you “educated” people? Do not act kind in front of friends but be indifferent to the elderly people looking for seats. Kindness comes from the heart, not from the surface where you only want to show to people surrounding you that “I am kind, I am kind, I give seat to the old man”. I see this everyday during the time I go for work and come back from work. For your information, I take bus to my internship office. Twice.

I do not mind taking bus twice for my internship as I am the one who made the decision before. One must always be responsible to what he did. In my view, one must always have some bitter gourd before enjoying the honey. It is just like the work that my company is doing i.e. prestressing. I am now being prestressed in a bid for me to be able to take greater work load later.

Talking about my internship, I want (to be continued)….