Life's a Poach

It's funny how people only want other people's things. How guys like to steal other people's girlfriends... how girls like to date other people's husband... and in my case, how companies only call me for a job AFTER I have gotten one.

As you can see from my blog, my journey of job-hunting started around November 2012. I had gone for numerous interviews. I had been sending out resumes to so many companies I felt like a fresh-graduate again. It was a super humbling experience to be rejected so many times. I felt that my industry was never going to take me back. I was even contemplating running off to China in search of products to bring back and start my own business.

Then I started my new job;
- A company I have been dying to work for calls me up for an interview... I had emailed them in December and they did reply there was a vacancy but never called me for an interview. Why now?
- A headhunter calls me up at my office because all he knew was I was working for Novartis.
- Another headhunter who interviewed me at great length last year who never bothered to follow up suddenly followed up.
- And another headhunter who knows me well, calls me for a position higher than my current one yet still in the job-function I like... in a disease I have always wanted to do but never had the chance.

Why these opportunities don't come when I was jobless?
Why only poach me now that I am employed?

No wonder attrition rates are so bad, headhunters are tempting working people to jump ship because attrition is what makes their industry boom. They are not here to find us a job, they are here to poach us from our current employers. It's a good thing for us employees I guess. But I am still saying no to all so far... but I wonder how long more can I fend off such tempation???

The art of being happy for others

Everyone has an ego... some more than others. That's when the braggarts are born.

Why do people brag? To give themselves a little ego boost or to belittle others... or both. Are they happier after that ego boost??? Nope... ego-boost is like a drug, you'll just crave more and more of it. Some people even live out of their means and get into serious financial trouble due to this "drug".

It is also highly contagious... if a person is around ego-boosters all the time, chances are, it rubs off on them and they become addicts themselves unless they have super high self control and humility to bring them back to earth. Or they have a "wake-up-call" buddy to slap them back to earth everytime.

Does pride and ego = happiness? Far from it.

Friend says: I got promoted!!
Egoholic: I am also in the running for a promotion at work.

Friend says: I just got engaged!!!
Egoholic: Gosh, what a tiny diamond you got.

Friend says: I'm pregnant!!
Egoholic: Eeew... babies are so disgusting.

Friend says: Welcome to my housewarming dinner!
Egoholic: Such a small place. I just went to see a much bigger more expensive place. Thinking of buying it.

Does putting others down make the egoholic feel better or happier? We've all been in the egoholics shoes at least once in our lifetime. Did we feel good after putting people down? Nope, from my experience, it followed by a feeling of excruciating envy.

So why do they still do it? Beats me... as I have learnt the art of being happy for others. That way, I have more share of happiness... mine as well as a gazillion other people's happiness. Yup, it's happiness melimpah-limpah... :)

The next time you feel compelled to react egoistically to a friend or family's happiness, step back and think how would you feel if you are in their shoes. When you receive a happy news... would you want someone who shares your excitement or someone who belittles it?

Perhaps next time you can learn how to "tap on" to others' happiness, the art of being happy for others. Even if the good news for them may not be good news for you, you can still be happy for them.

Friend says: I got promoted!!
Egoholic: Oh wow!! Congratulations... with all the hard work & stress you've been through... you deserve it!! :)

Friend says: I just got engaged!!!
Egoholic: I'm so happy for you!! Finally reaching for your happy ever after eh? :)

Friend says: I'm pregnant!!
Egoholic: Congrats!! You've always wanted to be mom! Now I can have 2nd hand experience of being a mom hearing mommy stories from you, since I've decided not to have my own. :)

Friend says: Welcome to my housewarming dinner!
Egoholic: Thanks for inviting me into your brand new home. Must be exciting to have your own place! :)

Trust me, you'll be a much happier person even if you don't outdo them. :)

The best things in life are free!!

Recently had a friendly debate with a couple of friends about having a wedding planner. I was totally out-numbered as they insisted that the wedding planner does everything for you the way you want it to be. So in the end, you will still get the wedding customised to your whims and fancy. It will still be unique. Yes, true... customised but not personalised.

Somehow for me, it gives me a totally different feeling if some stranger were to execute my wedding plans for me. Customisation is NOT personalisation!!

Customisation can be done as impersonally as possible but personalisation can only be done by someone close to you, someone who would be emotionally involved in the process.

More often than not, customisation are done by professionals and the results are far better. Personalisation is less perfect, but it comes from the heart. But it's the little flaws that makes it more human, closer to the heart.

I guess there are 2 types of people in this world, those who want the finer things in life. Which is perfectly fine, you deserve what you want.
The other type believes that the best things in life are free!!
I am definitely the latter. What I value may not be valued by others. Like beauty, value is also in the eyes of the beholder.

Some examples:


I think you get the picture...

Maybe that's why I've never dated a rich bloke, don't think they will understand me. Or perhaps it's because I'm just dead broke and can't afford to taste the finer things in life eh? Er, but I just came home from an English Afternoon Tea and Dinner at the Carcosa. I would much rather be having Char Koay Teow fried by my baby at our new home. Guess my value scale is just not the same as the world's. I am just different, so friends... just accept it ok? I have nothing against all of your kind advice, thanx but I am just different. I may be stressed out now but I will survive this.

KWSP: Anda Keutamaan Kami

Just went to the EPF Jalan Gasing with baby today to apply for the downpayment for our new home.


We took a number and within a couple of minutes, before we even sempat complete our forms our turn was up. We were greeted by a lady named Nor Hayati at the counter. She taught us how to correctly fill the forms and what documents we need for the application. I did not bring my account passbook with me and we needed that for the application. She even taught us to go to the nearest bank (which was across the street) to get a verification/statement. She told us to come back to her once we have all our forms filled and the documents completed.

We went back to her and she processed for us and even told us she'll try her best to expedite things for us without us even asking. So kind of her!!! :)

This must be one of my best service experience in a government office so far!! Kudos to KWSP for being true to the tagline they displayed at the counter "Anda Keutamaan Kami"!

Thanks Kak Yati!! You're the best!!

Western Idolisation

Remember my post not to long ago about Aussie accent? It is very funny how us Malaysians (and perhaps all Asians??) love to idolize and emulate the Westerners.

I don't know if it's just me, but do any of you find that annoying??

I once had a friend who went to the U.S. for a 2-week vacation and came back with a very fake strong American accent... and loves to start a sentence with "Back in the states....". Spending a couple of weeks there does not make that place your home.

Then there's a colleague I have who studied in the UK for a couple of years and loves to babble on and on about how "In the UK, we had this.... In the UK, it was like that...." If you love it there so much, why come back?

And of course, those instructors who had an Aussie accent just because their trainer is an Aussie.

If these people had grown up there since childhood, or has spend all their lives there, I can understand why the accent sticks and why they would be used to the way thing were done there. Spending a short time there does not automatically make you a local there.

This is your home, Malaysia! You should be saying "Back in my kampung, we had...". Why not be proud of your real home?

It is very funny how ONLY those who goes to the Western countries do that. Those to go to the Eastern/Asian countries; be it to study, or for holidays do not catch that bug. Have you ever met a Chinese dude who studied medicine in India come back talking like this??


Hi! I am doctorrr Lee. Wod ees yourrr good name sirrr? Au mide youu be feeeling doday?
*shakes head side to side*