nazham.com » Uncategorized http://nazham.com Jarvis, sometimes you gotta run before you can walk. Tue, 01 Jun 2010 06:07:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 You, unplugged http://nazham.com/2010/04/15/you-unplugged/ http://nazham.com/2010/04/15/you-unplugged/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:39:12 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=1046 Strip away your health, your wealth, your family, your friends, your network, your high IQ (if applicable), your knowledge, your qualifications, your job title – what’s left?

All the unread mails in your inbox, of course.

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]]> http://nazham.com/2010/04/15/you-unplugged/feed/ 0 It could happen http://nazham.com/2010/04/10/it-could-happen/ http://nazham.com/2010/04/10/it-could-happen/#comments Sat, 10 Apr 2010 09:08:55 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=1044 Q: If the director of Avatar were to live in Malaysia, where would he stay?

A: Cameron Highlands.

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]]> http://nazham.com/2010/04/10/it-could-happen/feed/ 0 Koji Kondo http://nazham.com/2010/03/15/koji-kondo/ http://nazham.com/2010/03/15/koji-kondo/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:39:05 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=1041 Who is Koji Kondo? He’s the composer of this theme song: Super Mario Bros. – Overworld (yes I come from that era).

I like his name, very Web 2.0.

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]]> http://nazham.com/2010/03/15/koji-kondo/feed/ 0 Why get upset? http://nazham.com/2010/03/14/why-get-upset/ http://nazham.com/2010/03/14/why-get-upset/#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:00:19 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=1033 If you know what life is all about, maybe you won’t get too upset with the things that people do. Because life is human nature playing itself out; human beings being human beings. It’s about love and hate; generosity and greed; good and evil. So instead of expecting some ideal, just expect people to be people. Then you won’t get too upset.

But then, it’s human nature to get upset with the things that people do …

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]]> http://nazham.com/2010/03/14/why-get-upset/feed/ 0 New RM50 very similar to RM1 http://nazham.com/2010/03/09/new-rm50-very-similar-to-rm1/ http://nazham.com/2010/03/09/new-rm50-very-similar-to-rm1/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:18:13 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=1035 This is a public service announcement.

At the toll plaza the other day, I handed over my money to the toll booth operator and waited for the boom to be raised. It was taking a bit too long so I glanced at the guy. He was hunched over the till, shuffling small pieces of paper; it then occurred to me that I had given him RM50.60 instead of RM1.60.

So please. Be careful when proffering money in the dark. Because of the similarity of the new RM50 note to the RM1 note, you might be giving more than you should.

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]]> http://nazham.com/2010/03/09/new-rm50-very-similar-to-rm1/feed/ 0 Why 6-month-old babies are cool http://nazham.com/2010/03/07/why-6-month-old-babies-are-cool/ http://nazham.com/2010/03/07/why-6-month-old-babies-are-cool/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:30:54 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=1030 For me, 6-month-old babies are the best. They’re universally cute; they can recognize you and smile at you; they laugh at the funny faces that you make; they can’t yet crawl around the house and pick up every object they find and put it in their mouth; they can’t throw a tantrum in the busiest aisle of the supermarket; they can’t climb/jump/play truant/run away from home/impregnate/get pregnant etc. So the question is – how to constantly have a 6-month-old in the house? Easy: continuously produce new 6-month-olds …

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]]> http://nazham.com/2010/03/07/why-6-month-old-babies-are-cool/feed/ 1 Tribute to toll booth operators http://nazham.com/2009/07/22/tribute-to-toll-booth-operators/ http://nazham.com/2009/07/22/tribute-to-toll-booth-operators/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:04:53 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=987 If you haven’t noticed, Malaysia is The Land of Toll Booths. Okay, Peninsular Malaysia; Klang Valley, especially. It’s now ingrained in every KL and PJ car driver’s mind: do I pay toll today, or do I take the free, congested, traffic-light-encumbered way? (Not that paying toll doesn’t involve queuing up for miles. Go through the Sunway toll plaza on LDP during rush hour if you dare.) How much am I in a hurry? Or should I pay going to the office, and take the toll-free road coming back?

The Federal Highway, the KL-Seremban highway, NKVE, KESAS, ELITE, LDP, SPRINT, AKLEH, Kerinchi Link, Penchala Link, and now DUKE. This introduces a variant to the traveling salesman problem: try going from one end of Greater KL (I made that one up) to another, using all the toll highways, paying as much as possible for the least distance. I’m sure taxi drivers have this down pat.

Anyway, the point is that there’s a “Higglytown hero” we’re all guilty of overlooking here: the toll booth operator.

I’m a Higglytown Hero, brave and true,
I help the town with the things I do.
So work real hard and you will see
That you can be a hero, just like me!
A hero, just like me!

I’m a Malaysian toll booth operator
Pay me or you can’t go through
Then I’ll see you again later
There is no escape – yes it’s true!

You think it’s easy? First, there’s the ever-present danger of express bus drivers falling asleep on the wheel and crashing into you. Then every other person gives you RM10, and every fifth person gives you RM50; give back too much change and your salary gets deducted. Last, but not least, washroom breaks are a precious commodity:

(Over the intercom)
Toll booth operator: Boss, I gotta go.
Supervisor: What? You just went … lemme check … 45 minutes ago!
TBO: Please, boss! I guess I overdosed on the tempoyak last night.
Supervisor: Look, even if I want to, I can’t let you. Backup went out to buy cigarettes and is still not back yet.
(Radio silence)
TBO: Er … boss, I think we have a problem.

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]]> http://nazham.com/2009/07/22/tribute-to-toll-booth-operators/feed/ 1 Un-unethical gender discrimination http://nazham.com/2009/07/09/un-unethical-gender-discrimination/ http://nazham.com/2009/07/09/un-unethical-gender-discrimination/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:30:52 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=983 There is at least one job in this world for which I suppose it’s quite alright to practise gender discrimination: lactation educator.

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]]> http://nazham.com/2009/07/09/un-unethical-gender-discrimination/feed/ 3 Phrases to avoid in your résumé, apparently http://nazham.com/2009/07/07/phrases-to-avoid-in-your-resume-apparently/ http://nazham.com/2009/07/07/phrases-to-avoid-in-your-resume-apparently/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:27:54 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=979 … according to The Savvy Networker:

  • Results-oriented professional
  • Cross-functional teams
  • More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
  • Superior (or excellent) communication skills
  • Strong work ethic
  • Met or exceeded expectations
  • Proven track record of success
  • Works well with all levels of staff
  • Team player
  • Bottom-line orientation

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]]> http://nazham.com/2009/07/07/phrases-to-avoid-in-your-resume-apparently/feed/ 0 HUKM or PPUKM? http://nazham.com/2009/07/07/hukm-or-ppukm/ http://nazham.com/2009/07/07/hukm-or-ppukm/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:15:22 +0000 rizal http://nazham.com/?p=977 I was talking to a friend and he kept referring to HUKM as PPUKM. Why the name change? Is it to standardize with PPUM? Is HUKM somehow distinct from other hospitals, such that it has to be called a medical centre?

No, it’s because UKM’s Faculty of Medicine and Hospital UKM have merged.

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