Other Sight of the Coin

“What do you think, are the main reasons, why you aren’t employed yet?” This was a question I posed to local university graduates on the first day of our Graduate Employability Training program in Malaysia. Their main answers were 1. Weak English Language skills. Many interviews, even for government positions, are conducted in English. 2. Weak communication skills. Don’t know what to say in an interview. 3. Low self etseem. Not confident in speaking to the interviewer...

When I first came back to my hometown Kota Kinabalu to work, I was taken aback by a question  people I met would ask me. It didn’t matter if they were lawyers helping us prepare agreements, auditors helping us set up our books, suppliers or purchasers. They would ask the question. I wasn’t a newbie in the job market so to speak, that hadn’t proven himself yet and needed endorsements from...

Last week, I was conducting training for a volunteer group. We had just finished a session on Sympathy and Empathy and were now on the lunch break. One of the volunteers sat down next to me and I just have to share this story with you. The volunteer sat down next to me with her plate. In her plate, she had rice, some mixed vegetables on the side and had poured...

Well it’s only another 9 days to my most recent WISLAGIATT (well it seemed like a good idea at that time)…the Standard Chartered KL Marathon…! And as is usual where my running is concerned…I am so not ready. I will of course blame my work schedule…”hey,I just finished conducting training at a 2 day 1 night family camp”…the weather…”hey, it rains every afternoon”… (doesn’t matter that I run in the mornings)…...

There are two Sunday activities that I do which I categorize as my “well, it seemed like a good idea at that time” or WISLAGIATT activities. One activity is motorized Treasure Hunts..you know, where you are given a set of clues and you are supposed to look out for the answers on shop sign boards or any sign visible from the road…these hunts are normally held on Sundays or on public...

When my first child was born, I felt a great responsibility as a parent to raise her right and teach her about the world. Two years later, my responsibility to raise good children and teach them well, doubled, with the arrival of my son. Fast track 17 years later, and what I realized is that my children have raised good parents and taught my wife and I well. You see, what...

Well, it took 2 years  but I finally completed my first half marathon and got my first ever finisher’s medal. We started from Likas Stadium and what with the adrenalin, people, sounds, my pulse rate was higher than I wished it to be at the start. Before we had even left the stadium, I was struggling to get my breathing under control. I felt like quitting even before we had left...

After being married 20 years and since we speak to the public on Communication, you’d think that my wife and I communicate very well. Well, let me let you in on a secret. I communicate well with her, but when I ask her something, her answers are not what is the standard norm, so I get somewhat frustrated. For example, this morning, on our way to the stadium to do our...

Today, I did a 12 KM long run. I got up at 5 in the morning, geared up, splashed on the sun block and headed for Likas running track. 12 KM was a distance that I had not run in nearly 6 months. And this was on the back of  my last run on Friday which was a total disaster. I was supposed to run 10 KM but managed to only...

Sometimes, my Dad does not have to resort to emotional blackmail to get his way. (…this may be my last time..posted Mar 12, 2010) He likes to jalan (get out) and eat out and I like my children to hang out with their grand parents. I didn’t have any grandparents growing up and somehow felt that i missed out on the benefits of having grand parents. Benefits  such as extra pocket money...