YES... Its finally OVER !

This post is for Oscar the Grouch. He asked why I did not post anything on such a tremendous roller coaster ride. So I figure out to pen down several items that I can think of.

Okay, maybe lets start with: YES OMG, its finally OVER ! At least for this piece, I know there is another awesomely crazy round coming but YES it is done for the year ! A new book is now ahead of us to start fresh.

During this closure period, I have discovered another new talent about myself (other than copy n paste). I am impressed myself, as well as Bubbles ! The fact that I am able to take only 15 mins from the time I wake up till I reached office ! Exactly 15 mins !

Bubbles commented on the share market board:
P/s: Wendy did not wash her hair today. Please hold your breath !

Mr. Parker & I wrote something about J:
J is grumpy, like a granny, a granny with a smiley, and she is awesomely crazy...

Dopey may be overwhelmed or she had gone crazy:
Dopey called herself Dopey when she is actually looking at Dolph -___-

JS confessed to Dolph in Red:
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH !

J said: Please come to the room now. Need to practice first.
Dolph asked: Need to bring KY ?
J said: I don't need KY.

This reminded us of Oscar the Grouch wet story from J diary...

From a serious thought perspective:
Do not need to think that you are the only one who can solve problems, neither that you may think that you are not able to solve any problems and are not doing a good job.

A big success comes when everyone contributed their best effort. This is the power of 'team discipline', 'collaboration' and 'personal leadership', especially to me this closure shows me the power of collaboration. (:

Oh gosh, I accidentally applied TOP. Reminds me of:
When he say: Hey Hey. I should say: Ho Ho

Halloween KL COE – Oct, 2009

Halloween 2009 ?

It was yet another notable event for KL CoE. At least the one I am able to witness and say for the year. It was awesome, utterly startled and it was such an amazing night.

The best part – ALL OF US (no longer whose the managers or employees) came together to make this happened. Despite our busiest schedule, especially during month-end for a bunch of financial freaks like us. Our team spirit has once again revealed, through another wonderful celebration.

Deco of pumpkins is hanging around in certain areas in the office, to create a pre spooky Halloween atmosphere for the countdown of this event. The celebration falls on a Friday evening, everyone head down to Envy club @ Mount Kiara after work on the day.

Surprisingly most of us appeared fully dressed up in all different breed of a kind weirdly, adorably, elegantly, and even the ugliest of all had been truly naked just for the night.

Those who ran crushingly from work had their make up done in the make up counter with their hand and face painted. That was the talent everyone contributed for the night, to help each other to get dressed !

The sequel of the event lights up a spark for the night: 

showing off our own best of breed dancers of KL COE, performing a surprised group dance from the well-known Thriller from MJ, instantly stunned by Megan opening speech narrated in the voice of the super-duper renowned Barbie and in the appearance of Barbie’s most fashionable wear, lived catwalk stage show by our adored mangers in their costumes were lined up thereafter, and our very own KL COE talented local singer Alex Wong melted our heart away with his gorgeous voice, not to forget those wild and crazy games during intervals to keep the night interesting before dawn.

Let’s stand and toast to all – Kudos and thumbs up, because all of you were just truly awesome and amazing, to make this event yet another highlight of the year !

Pictures always tell a thousand words, enjoy the pictures posted in KL COE website to bring back your memories for one of the most remarkable occasion
we once had together.

You shall see me in another tale for our next KL COE event.

Reported chuckling away… Wendy – KL COE.

*pics of the event & this write-up were published @ KL COE homepage*

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) @ KL COE – Jun, 2009

Yet another action-packed, fun-filled day at the KL CoE !

Today has been yet another extremely fun and informative day in KL CoE !

The KL CoE team has held its very first “Lean Six Sigma Awareness Event”, on 24th June 2009 here in our IBM Malaysia main campus. 

With all of the team dedication and active participation, we have proudly made this remarkable event a great success ! More importantly, this event marked an important milestone in bringing KL CoE to its next level of transformation.

The highlights of today event were “The Executive Challenge” business management case study competition and the poster design competition.

“The Executive Challenge” took its course throughout the day separated into 5 different sessions. A total of 15 teams across KL CoE participated, with 3 teams assigned for each session.

All teams demonstrated their creativity and a bility to think out of the box
in their presenting business case with great ideas of proposals and solutions. I am also impressed with the diversified talents and innovative ideas while every team speaks their way out.

All these took place while the panel judges casted their scared votes to select the best poster designed by the competing teams.

We wrapped up the day when the organizing committee announced the winning teams of both competitions.
 

The most creative designed poster goes to SO GCG (Maggie’s team)
 

The 5 teams who have been recognized as best business case winners:
1. ITD (Swee Heah’s team)
2. ANZ GBS & ITD (Vijay’s team)
3. SO Japan (Sugi’s team)
4. SO ASEAN (CK’s team) and
5. ASEAN Expense (Boon Lui’s team)

This event has brought us closer as a team (once again) while proving to be an enlightening day for members of the KL CoE in transforming our day with great sharing of ideas among each other.

This is pivotal in driving for continuous enhancement in the next phase of progress for us individually, and as a team.

Every one has put in their best effort to make this event a success and I am touched to witness a great team spirit with closed to 300 over employees working as ONE TEAM towards a grand vision.

We have definitely made today a valuable one to bring ourselves to the next level of greatness.

Way to go LSS ! Way to go KL CoE !

*Pics & this write-up were published @ KL COE homepage*

a visit to IBM Vietnam @ Hanoi, Apr 2009

their houses captured my sight along the journey (so slim & tall !)

stayed @ Movenpick, just right beside HQ office, only few steps away :)

 their streets… lots of people cycling around

some local food, dessert & coffee that I’ve tried

a little challenging:
local road side food with the chair of such height tried that too, together with Xuan & Daphne !

Daphne, I-Ping & I did indulged ourselves in a cozy Italian restaurant one of the night @ Verticale

 

humougous spring roll - baiscally you just add the tauge and spring roll in their so-called local Vietnamese beehun and stir it – ta…da…its ready to serve as a meal ! And it makes you REALLY FULL !

Daphne & I also had ice-cream @ Fanny’s. She ended up wide awake, coz… I wrongly ordered her the ice-cream with coffee + liquor =P

er, of course I worked too ! ;) we had financial reviews and went thru business controls with the local RE team. Also visited some other IBM offices in Hanoi. No pictures at work because I am focusing ! (there is the proof that I worked) Well, I know bubbles will never ever believed me…

a visit to IBM Philippines @ Manila, Oct 2008

Weather
Sun rise is 2 hours earlier compared to Mys. (5a.m. in Phil is 7a.m. in Mys). Air is polluted in Manila city, sky is hazy.

Taste Bud

Local love sweet stuff. Green curry is sweet not spicy. Green tea is sweet does not taste like the normal green tea though we went to a typical Japanese restaurant, guess is already custom-made just for the Filipino.

Fast Food
Jollibee is a very famous local fast food restaurant. Is like McD but is specially customized for Filipino. Jollibee have spaghetti with very sweet sauce ! And where there is McD you can see Jollibee right beside ! Guess Jolliebee don’t need to do market research anymore just by following where McD goes, SMART!

Local pizza like the “yellow cab” is also customized for local taste – its SWEET.

Local loves buffet packages. International restaurant like Italianese have constant daily buffet packages.

Culture/People
Kind and polite, speak gently and friendly. There is guard (human & dog) – the K9 team in front of the entrance of every hotel, shopping mall, office building. You will be body checked as well as your bags before you enter any of the entrance. Local don’t used to waste food. Waiter/waitress encouraged take away when they see leftovers. Local love to shop & Phil has all the largest mall ranked world-wide !

Shopping Malls (Infrastructure)
they have the largest mall Worldwide (by size)
1. SM Mall of Asia
ranked largest in Phil & 3rd worldwide @ Pasay city – 386,000 sqm
2. SM City North Edsa
ranked 2nd in Phil & 6th worldwide @ Quezon city – 332,000 sqm
3. SM Megamall
ranked 3rd in Phil & 7th worldwide @ Mandaluyong city – 332,000 sqm
4. SM City Cebu
ranked 4th in Phil & 11th worldwide @ Cebu city – 267,000 sqm
*Berjaya Times Square
largest in Malaysia & ranked 8th worldwide @ KL - 320,000 sqm

I visited SM Megamall for dinner and some shopping, did not managed to get to the others cos is too HUGE and required a lot of TIME. 

Transportation

1. Jeepney (with/without air cond) and its colorful. Historically is used by the American in World War 2 as transport utilities and the Filipino then modified it to become a public transportation and it is now one of the oldest transportation in their country. It is 4 peso (RM2.80) longest distance is up to 4km.

2. Tricycle – this small vehicle can take up to 7 passengers !

Manila International Airport
1. Everyday it is crowded like the scene in KL Pudu Raya Bus Station

IBM site visits
1. IBM Plaza in Eastwood city
2. 1800 Avenue in Eastwood city
3. UP Ayala Buildings (current existing and new construction site)
*UP = University of Philippines
*Ayala = most famous developer inPhilippines
4. Edsa office

IBM Philippines offices are colorful. The walls are painted with many colors (blue, green, pink, etc…). 

I met up with Sam Marbebe, ex-Intel colleague, who came all the way from Cavite.

I forgot my passport, left it in the hotel save box and it was 3pm when we reached the Manila airport. Our flight suppose to depart @ 4:15pm. Shang Manila to the airport is 45 mins journey 1-way. I was speechless haha. The only way is to pray for a delayed flight muahaha my wish came true ! FLIGHT DELAYED ! I enter the departure gate @ 4:30pm. Flight departed @ 4:50pm.

-THE END on such a silly act-


But it was this which makes the entire trip more thrilling ;)

Updated:

For some visitors from trip advisors who is asking if Malaysia has its own local design transport we still have our very own trishaw in Penang !

another journey starts, with IBM Malaysia

it has been 1 year 9 months since…

 
i attended the interview and was offered a job on VALENTINE’s DAY 2008. No flowers or choclates for me on this day but here it is, a grand new opportunity it became SO AWESOME with all the people i get to know here !

 
i joined officially on APRIL FOOL’s DAY 2008 with the ASEAN Expense Team from Apr 2008 – Sep 2009 and currently with the GMU STG Expense Team.

 
when i am ending my tenure i shall pick myself a nice date…

 
more post on work@IBM column coming soon… you can witness and read the recent happenings from IBM KL COE too

 
i decided to create this column is because there is so much of fun that I do not want to miss reporting it’s really happening and crazily awesome

 
stay tune !