3 stories

STORY 1

Today I got my car to be serviced. It was a major service as this is the 3rd 20,000km.

This service centre is located at Kawasan Perindustrian Bkt Serdang
Equipped with the basic facility and a car wash service beside it.
The car wash area is a mere car park sized facility,
"outsourced" to an Indian man in fourties, who brought along his 10 years old son.
They will clean the car entirely after the cars had been serviced.

I was greeted by a young guy (who i knew later to be the tauke's son) ,in his early twenties
He explained the service politely and listen to my problem attentively,
Soon we agreed with the job scope, everything seems to be satisfactory,

Suddenly the Indian car-wash man approaches the young guy,
Car-wash man :"Sana ada satu kereta hitam tak tau siapa punya, nak cuci tak?"
"Apa !!!"The young man yelled at the Indian who is standing 3 feet infront of him
The Car wash man repeated again.
Then the office clerk came out and said that black car is their customer's car who wanted to het his car washed.

Upon hearing that statement,
"Bongok, tak tau tanya orang tu ke? Bodoh betul!!" The young man scolded harshly
The Car wash man looked around, and our eyes met.
He felt shameful, i can feet it, and i switch my glance away.

Then, he and his son walked back to the car and started their chores
He is looking down.
He is an elderly to the young man scolded like a child

I knew this is the common scenario,
from the spontanous words that came out from the mouth of the young man
The tauke(father) and Tau-ke-soh (mother) were in the workshop.
maybe they already got too used to it.

STORY 2

Last week,

One of my "mother-status" friend told me her son was punished in the school
The son threw paper clusters at the teacher when the teacher is writing on the board.
The teacher knew it was his doing and caned him few times on his hands, NOT palm

The mother, heart-broken
went to the school the next day,
demanding for explanations,

She assumed that caning was only allowed on palm,
after the child had been clearly explained of the wrongdoing.
The teacher got irritated and suggested the mother to transfer her son.
The mother was agigated and with her forceful manegerial ton,
The teacher finally broke into tears.

Only than the mother let it off.
I knew the teacher's feeling.
She was very helpless,
headmaster, and school's administration usually will not defend the teacher.
Moreover, the teacher was hinted to apologize.
They were scared of the news to get on the papers.
When that happens, the state education department will investigate the case.

I agreed that the teacher is being unprofessional,
Not rational and hot tempered probably the consequence of 50 students packed in the class.
Caning is suitable only for minor offence such as bad result or late pass-up.
Deliberately opposing the teacher is definitely a major offence.
It is an humiliation to a teacher who is teaching whole-heartedly in class.

If this were to happened 30 years ago, where chinese community used to respect the teacher like their father,
The child who did this will be severely punished in school, probably public canning.
When the child reached home, the father will give him the 2nd round slaps and whipping,
for tarnishing their family's fame or "lose face",

Now not only he was spared from that,
He knew his mother was going after the case, forcing the teacher involved into tears.
Although the mother told me,
She scolded her son for the wrongdoing,
she believes her son will not repeat the mistake again.
Chinese proverb sounds 上梁不正下梁歪
Even the mother had been disrespectful to the teacher,
What more can you expect from the child?

STORY 3

Last month,
My 14 years old nephew, scolded his Kakak from Sumatera.
He was back from school,
blowing up temper when he saw his room was tidied up
"I cakap jangan sentuh bilik saya, awak bodoh mcm babi!"
The Indon- maid understood that,
She just continue mincing the onion in the kitchen
Every members of the family including the child, scolded the maid everyday.
It's too common for her.
The interesting part is,
the commotion took place in the living room,
where the mother was watching TV,
while the father was reading newspaper.
Apparently they heard the arguement,
but they kept silence.

In the 3 true stories above,
the child seems to be kurang-ajar
They scolded the elderly Indian car-wash man,
They threw trash at teachers,
They roared at the maid who tidied up their room,

Nevertheless,
Not only they parents are showing no effort
Their parents even supported their wrongdoing passively,
by keeping themselves silence,
by reprimanding the teacher involved,

FINE ! FINE!
The parents had deprived the learning opportunity of the kids,
They will get away from it,
but
the son and daughter will have to pay a very high price,
for the lessons that they should have learned.

地雷

        “你这样做只会让人越来越讨厌你”
“sorry, 但。。。我做错了什么？”　
       “你没错，你很好！”她冷冷的说。

************************************************

典型的地雷，爆发在不知不觉中，
虽然这可能是场玩笑，但一点都不好玩；
自小你很爱说话，但还是不会‘说话’，
病从口入，祸从口出，
当大家在高谈阔论的说“废话”时，你总是不小心踩到地雷。
当大家外出游玩，你得意忘形时，误踩地雷，会引火上身。
当你偶尔返老还童，玩着闹，地雷“轰“的一声惊醒梦中人！

地雷，
你不知它在何处，当你侥幸存活时，
你也不会被告知下一颗在哪。
纵使你拉着嘶哑的嗓子，
到处向周围的朋友求救，
他们回过身，
投以同情的眼光，耸耸肩，无奈的微笑，
你明白了，
由始至终你都是独自上路。

这只是未来办公室政治的前奏，
今却足以令你寝食难安，
很伤，很痛。

一个高傲的人，
憎恨消极的想法，
不愿逃避问题，
越大的挑战只会激发更多的斗志；

但
在四面地雷，
解释等于狡辩的情况下，
不得不松手，
无奈的抱着“好男不与女斗”的心态阿Q自己一番，
三十六计走为上，
但愿天涯海角自有留人处！

Lesson that takes years to learn

"En, what is your expectation of this term paper, is it on data collecting method or evaluation ? " I asked,

I am an avid and active respondents for lectures, talk and seminars. As a listener, i will usually write down my doubts during the speech and voice out my question and opinions in the right time.
When it's QnA session or similar cues given by speaker eg "any question from the ground?"

I wil raise my hand,
The speaker will nod sometimes with a "yes?"
I will start asking in the manner mentioned above.

However, the responses received from the speaker is usually quite unfriendly and sometimes hostile

"Probably my question is too challenging for the speaker until he hasitates and reluctant to answer friendly"  I thought

once, twice, trice, 5times... 10 times.....

i sense something is wrong somewhere.
It couldn't be such coincidence that speaker's credibility is challenged everytime!!!
What's wrong then?

During my undergraduates study in UTM, I remembered asking technical question when the class suddenly became silence and weird expression on their face.

"What's wrong with my question ?" I asked my best friend, Teck
"Your style of asking like you want to fight" He said
"How to change then?" i asked eargerly
"Everyone has it's own style, don't know how to say" he commented

I was left alone thinking and observing other asking qeustion.
I don't see differences maybe i am not sensitive enough

Until last week,
After i asked a question
"En, what is your expectation of this term paper, is it on data collecting method or evaluation ? "

Our HRM lecturer, Tn Haji Yaacob leaped up furiously, scolding that he is disappointed with us and spoke in a very hostile way compared to how he behaves normally.
The question may sounds stupid to him, but i know there is more reason for him losing is temper.
In the lectures later.
Sarut asked :" Prof, may i know the is the 2nd and last point the same meaning?"
Then only he answered in a very delightful and happy manner.

  I realized my mistake over these years!

My bad encounter only occurs with a Malay lecturer.
The Malay culture emphasis hugely on softness and politeness

Softness - the tone should be soft enough to let the speaker feels your are humble.
The lecturer sometimes commented we spoke to soft, but speaking soft is actually a way their race emphasis , the style of lemah-lembut just like the malay dances, like the way they walk gracefuly

Politeness - politeness in here is not only politeness we showed on face, but also the politeness in WORDS
For example, instead of asking
"Prof, is the 2nd point same as the last point?" 
Should ask
"Prof, may i know is the 2nd point same as the last point"
Uses of "may i", "can you pls" is extremely crucial to leave a good recency preception for the speaker

The method of asking i had been using is influenced by the formal way of enquiring in corporate and meeting where the power distance is low between staff.
Eg, CEO can be directly questioned by managers in a polite way, (polite way here may not include the words of humbleness)
It is more efficient compared to bahasa berbunga bunga.

However,now i will abide their culture and practice to create harmony and better outcome.
At least i know my mistakes now.
Thanks Tn Haji Yaacob !

Inspiring lessons

"Just feel like leaving some words about your lecture.
Anticipated your lectures every week,
your facial expression and attentiveness trying very hard to make everyone understand
You have tons of examples, daily encounters around us and associate them with this challenging subject
You are truly an economist who are capable of blending your everyday life with economics.

As for me,
I am from Engineering background,
I have zero knowledge in economics.
I enjoyed your economics lectures without noticing how fast time flies!
I was mesmerized by your lectures until ignoring the call of nature.
I gained both knowledge and personal development
I was impressed by your story on Taman Negara economic Cost and Benefit evaluation

Economic Cost and Benefit teaches me
Only then i knew i was making bad decision in the past.
I began evaluating the economic aspect to make daily decision
I started to respect economist

Many GSM lecturers can deliver lecture effectively
but hardly anyone has the ability to arouse the student's interest in the field.
Your determination in teaching and tons of examples make it!
One of the example

"Put more effort in the field of increasing return of scale"

Sound like knowledge but is the key to success.

Sincere applause for your teaching.

Learning through example is fun,yet inspiring!



Thank you!

Anonymous."

Study for exam or study for knowledge? What an old grandma question...

Study for exam or study for knowledge?
Thats a typical classic arguement for motivated undergraduates.

Study for exam or study for knowledge?
I always choose the latter.
Some said i am too overconfidence with that decision, arrogant?I am who i am.?
But, "I" am just someone i hope i am.
The external factor tend to distract us from our direction
You are study for the coming exam, will you still study for knowledge after exam?

You are left with two choices,
Divert from your direction(study for exam) which is a easier method,
Strive againts many odds to continue in your direction(study for knowledge).
I will choose the latter again
But again how far can that idea persist?

The same scenario keeps repeating again and again in our life right?
We know the best decision but we are always not making the best decision
Maybe we don't dare,
or we don't persevere(insist),
or we just follow,
or we think someone's decision is better
or we just don't want to change

Cost and benefit.
We measure the cost and benefit of not willing to change
We measure the cost and benefit of making changes
We already have the answer even before measuring.

Here comes the answer,
It is what i hope i become,
it is what makes me proud,
it is the feeling of superiority
It is the guidance for my life,
It is my way to account for myself

You think, You come, You TAKE ACTION!