some life lessons

• be wary of moments when you spend more time with others than you do with those who really matter.


• learn from your mistakes. learn also from other people's mistakes.


• don't go digging your nose in public.


• close your mouth when you sneeze and cough.


• don't sweat the small stuff.


• be less judgmental.


• when you're at risk of being the fall guy for other people's bad deeds, leave.

- to be updated more later -

on being full of myself ;)

from my almost-a-decade-long exposure to copy writing, proof-reading & editing other people's work, i think i should be able to give trainings on effective business communications ;p

1) ever heard of the term K-I-S-S? Keep It Simple Stupid. yes, do just that. dont be flowery. there's no glory in adding flowers to business letters/proposals/reports/presentations. go be a gardener. or a florist.

2) dont be long winded. theres no law against having a few separate sentences to make a point. too many people think cramming everything into a single sentence that spans 4-5 lines is impressive. it's not.

3) dont assume that your audience is stupid. stop making the same point again & again. over-kill tau. you already kill me, you kill me again. hohumm... boringggg...

4) enough with the quotable quotes already. i can buy my own self-development books or reader's digest or sun tzu's art of war or whatever. quoting famous people too often will make the audience feel like you're a wannabe self-help guru.

5) dont perasan yourself to be great at creating brand-y terms. get feedback. if the feedback is negative, for goodness sake, listen. dont be bullheaded and syok sendiri. note: you'll be surprised just how syok sendiri some people can be.

lots more lessons learnt to impart here but it's time for this wannabe trainer to go to sleep. good night world!!

some good news

1. we are pregnant with baby no. 2 :D

2. i have finally updated my resume... woohoo!! and i have even sent it out to a friend.

3. this next pay check will include our long-awaited increment back-dated to june 2010. so i have money for christmas shopping :)

4. we have signed up for the terry fox run this year. obviously i won't be running since i'm preggers. not that i was running even when i wasnt preggers. not sure if i'll even be walking the 5km. maybe i'll just wait for my family while they do their round. the husband will be running. the mil and maid can take ethan in his stroller. i'll bring a book and collect drinks from the yummy milo truck man.

busy bee

it was a busy busy weekend. it started with a day off on friday that was spent at the consumer tribunal in kl. which ended unfavorably for us. long story short, we paid rm8k for a maid that ran away, we asked the agency for a refund, they refused, so we took the agency to the consumer tribunal court. unfortunately, the tribunal only agreed to refund us 44% of what we had paid to the agency. which basically is just the maid's advanced salary LESS the number of days the silly girl "worked" (and i use the term very very very loosely) with us. i is so hangryyy... with the agency, with the judge, with the silly maid... oh well... thats rm4.6k down the drain and i have nothing to show for it. eff lah.

on to chirpier things. on saturday i visited 2 homes: my sister and another girlfriend who are both in puchong (and managed to have meals in both homes in the span of 2 hours... glutton!), i zoomed back to kepong so my son could have a rest and i could do my nails and later feed and bathe him, zoomed into kl to get the husband and then we zoomed to another party. so tired. but i also felt so productive. imagine, i could even fit in a mani and pedi session. of course, my little boy was kacau-ing me the whole time. thank God for playpens and fun song factory dvds... ok ok... and for pacifiers (kills me to say it though).

on sunday, treat of all treats, the husband didnt have to go in to work. yippee! so we all went for another birthday party in the afternoon and got back home with lots of time for some much needed lazing in front of the tv. in the evening we went to a nearby pasar malam and i had my fill of durians. sadly, the husband and my son were running away from me. in my sons case, he was running away screaming --no joke!

so now, back to work and boy do i have a lot of work. bosan work some more.

have i mentioned that i anger with the stupid maid agency?

A(H1N1) Influenza

when the virus first hit malaysian shores, i quickly shot an email to my entire office requesting them to take care. takuts.

the spread has been so fast. today the papers reported 12 new cases making it a total of 80 cases todate. very efficient this virus.

i would like to ask everyone to be careful. take care of yourselves, your family, your community and finally, the general society. i feel so sad and afraid for those young kids who have contracted this flu.

i am so worried for my own 11mth old son. i also get angry with those who are taking it very lightly --these include my own family members too. some people think i'm just being a bit over-the-top. i dont think so. i too find it a challenge to be constantly conscious of what i do, where i go. but we should all try.

i'm sure everyone knows what the A(H1N1) virus is but just to reiterate what we already know, the following FAQ can also be found on: http://thestar.com.my/.

Influenza A (H1N1) FAQ

What is the A (H1N1) influenza?
It is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. It regularly causes high flu outbreaks in pigs but with low death rates. There are four main sub-types of the virus, but the most recent isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

How does it spread?
Influenza A (H1N1) viruses do not typically infect humans though they do occur through close proximity or contact with infected pigs or contaminated areas. Cases of human-to-human spread have been documented.

What are the symptoms?
The symptoms are similar to those of regular flu:
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting and diarrhoea in some cases.

How common is the A (H1N1) flu infection in humans?
In the past reports of about one human A(H1N1) flu virus infection had been received every one to two years in the United States. From December 2005 till February 2009, 12 cases have been reported.

Has this strain of flu been seen before?
No. Flu mutates constantly, so it is common for new strains to emerge. Pigs can also be infected with both human and avian influenza, and the current circulating A (H1N1) flu strain appears to contain genetic elements from all three.

Can the A (H1N1) flu be treated with antiviral drugs and flu vaccine?
The A (H1N1) flu is resistant to two common drugs – Amantadine and Rimantadine. The A (H1N1) flu viruses are very different from human H1N1 viruses. Therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection. However, a “seed vaccine” has been specifically tailored to this swine flu and will be manufactured if officials deem it necessary.

Can people catch A (H1N1) flu by eating pork?
No. The A (H1N1) influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 70ºC and above kills the swine flu virus.

How long is someone with the A (H1N1) flu considered contagious?
People with the A (H1N1) influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic; possibly for up to seven days following the onset of the illness. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What can I do to protect myself from the A (H1N1) flu?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against the A (H1N1) flu.
However, you can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by:

- Covering your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the waste basket after you use it.

- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also helpful

- Try to avoid close contact with sick people. - If you get sick with influenza, stay at home and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

- Consult your nearest healthcare facility if you think you have any of the symptoms.

What precautions are in place in Malaysia?
- The Health Ministry’s operations room in Putrajaya has started a 24-hour monitoring of the situation. The public can call 03-8881 0200/300 for enquiries.

- Those returning from Latin American countries and found to have flu-like symptoms will be quarantined.

- Health Ministry officials are conducting health screenings on passengers arriving from the United States.

- Thermal scanners will be placed at international airports to speed up the screening process for A (H1N1) flu.

- Public and private medical practitioners have been instructed to report to the district health office any patient with influenza-like illnesses or severe pneumonia symptoms and who had travelled to the affected countries after April 17.

- Travel Advisory from the foreign ministry


Where can I get more information?
For more information, go to the Health Ministry (http://www.moh.gov.my/) or call the Ministry's hotline at (03) 8881-0200/300.

Useful Links:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.kln.gov.my/
World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/
Homeland Security Department: http://www.dhs.gov/
WHO A (H1N1) flu page: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html