One feature about the WC that impresses me is not just the game itself but also the patriotism and cheering shown by the supporters especially the English fans (or yobs). More popular and significant than the Olympics, Grand Prix and any other tournaments on Earth; WC is definitely the ‘show stopper’ for the less trivial events. Most people will leave work 4-5 hours before each England match (to be at the pub on time), appointments have to be scheduled around the match and even the church that we visit gathers members to watch the match live (+ serve BBQ)! That shows the amount of support the locals give to their country or maybe, just an excuse to get off work early ha! Although we are not in Germany to witness the game but watching the fans here preparing for each England match is definitely an experience although we don’t envy not being at Canary Wharf, otherwise we’ll be soaked in sweat, beer and puke. Watching from home is good enough as it’s more relaxing and need not worry of misbehaving in bad situations. Watching the SUI:UKR as I type…what’s with these teams? All the kissing and hugging between them! Signs of support…ooowwww how affectionate…A colleague did ask me “Has Malaysia ever been in the WC?” Well, I didn’t let the country down but just said they didn’t meet each qualifying rounds. Whatever it is, I’m still proud to be a Malaysian as it is my root and my home!

We love food but most of the time do not know the name of the ingredients or we would probably know the name in only one language (BM, English or Chinese) so it does make things difficult when trying to shop for individual items in the supermart. We always get stuck with names of fishes (eg. what’s Trout, Sole in BM or Cantonese ar? Salmon is common as in the pix, another home-made dish) and spices. These are translations we found on the back of a packet of curry powder.

Fennel – Jintan Manis           Turmeric – Kunyit

Cinnamon – Kayu Manis        Cardamom – Buah Pelaga

Star Anise – Bunga Lawang   Cloves – Bunga Cengkih

For your viewing pleasure and if you are not tired of us yet, see more of our pix in our Travelogue. However, only manage to pick and upload about 10% of what we have; just for the fun of it.

I was reading one of the employee’s (Vietnamese) biography in my workplace and she mentioned an apparent difference between East and West is punctuality. Indeed! In KL, everyone is always late for everything including meetings, appointments, dates, the typical Chinese weddings, you name it. This is because in the West, time is perceived as linear, in Asia, it is seen as cyclical hmmmm.

Since I’m a typical Asian, I am not exempted from being on time. Although my lateness is often excused coz it’s usually in the 5-10 min range, but late is still late. I realised that a lot can be gained even in a mere 5 minutes especially in meetings. It might not mean a lot to me but it may mean a lot and precious to others. Now it’s not just starting on time but also ending on time. A common example is again meetings. In the west, 1 hr = 1 hr or less. In the east, 1 hr = 1 hour or more (usually the latter). I am of course being brought up in the Eastern culture, so working with a different culture to cover all agendas efficiently within a scheduled time frame and the capability to prioritise discussions spontaneously have always been challenging but it’s definitely more productive and beneficial. At least I know that I do not need to reschedule my subsequent plans. That’s why people in the West tend to leave work on time because everything usually works according to plan and besides, there is no time to waste for personal activities. In short, they have life lah! But there are no ‘tani’ (yum char/coffee) or ‘pat’ (chit chat) sessions during office hours..ha ha…how boring. However, it takes all relevant parties to make punctuality a success but if it’s already embedded deep within our roots, it is almost impossible to change. After all, that’s what it takes to form a culture - mel.

Throughout my experiences working on multiple projects and teams, I’ve never come across working with such a unified group of great individuals. So much so that we all tend to get passionate and emotional over the project. However good it gets, all good things must come to an end one day. Political stir can really drive you nuts and that’s one of the main reasons most of the “old” members are leaving. No one has the continuing energy to thrive from being manipulated. However, the advantage is such mess reveals the true colours of individuals and I respect the fact that the team including the PM is so strong and handled every issue with dignity. I always believe that these are the people who will endure trying times without lingering guilt. So, who says everyone needs to wear a mask for a rice bowl? But I guess it’s also fair to say that people will react and decide to behave differently in vary circumstances as no 2 souls on earth will be in the exact position. Contradicting myself huh? I do that all the time as I always try to think from reverse perspective. I will be next in the line to dash. I’ve frozen my travels for a period of time and I’m so pleased that I’m fulfilling my intentions and being firm and insistent (well, not that I’m a YES person all this while)..yeah! - mel.