My 3 weeks job

A long time ago when I was still young and innocent, I took up the hospitality course as my future was cloudy and bleak. You know how some people knew what they wanted to do, the path they wanted to go from a very young age? I did not have that. When I was in F4, I wanted to drop Accounts as I clearly did not have the brains or the interest for it. My teacher back then did not allow me. I ended up scoring 9/100 in the final examination. Cool huh? haha. So I withdrew from Business Admin course and took up hospitality only to end up taking Financial Accounting (wth?).

Anyway, I did my internship in Switzerland and happily flew home to be with my friends and family. I then started to work in a hotel here. It was tough, physically and emotionally demanding. I saw so many people cried due to the stress that they went through. Everyone cope with stress and pressure differently, but back then, I was stone cold. I did not understand it. After 2.5 years, I thought, it's time to resign as I could not take the pressure of working the graveyard shift every single week. It was too much and I was also getting older, my body might not be able to take that kind of intensity. I was turning 25. To add on to that, my low EPF, I can't retire with the rate it's going.

I attended a couple of interviews. One of that is a well-known foreign bank. Took me 4 hours just to get to an interviewer (those assessments, tests etc) only to find out that they were just paying a salary lesser than my hotel job. The disadvantage working in a hotel is that you get minimum EPF due to a rather low basic income. I used to get RM50 a month. Crazy right?

I went on unemployed for 6 months. I went to Korea to travel for 2 weeks then bum my way round for 6 months only to realize that my money is at "low." I grabbed whatever job that came offering to me just so that I can get cash in to my bank account.

This was purely for convenience. I took this job with a maid agency. I'm talking about something that happened 12 years ago, not today (or if it does, then I do not know). So I got hired from a maid agency as a consultant (in other terms sales). Though I did some sort of sales work (without the target), it's not my forte. I'm weak in that department, right until today. Okay, so judging from the office appearance, I cannot expect anything great or grand. I was dull, I was sluggish, I did not even know what I was doing there. One day, this kind client came by, as he was sending his domestic helper off back to her origin country. As an appreciation, he even gifted her a laptop. How nice and kind some people really are. He hasn't seen me before then, he asked what was I doing there in that agency. I explained my path and he said he's in the hotel industry for 10 years and there's a lot else to learn. Well, I may agree on that but I don't think I can take a hotel's lifestyle for much longer. But he said very softly to me to leave that company, I have got no future there. 

I took that advice and considering all the things that have been happening there, I decided to leave. I just thought, what can I learn there? To match a client with a domestic helper? Is that success to me? Knowing the personality that I have, I cannot witness at all the fraudulent activities that were happening at that time and pretend it is okay. Even more so, since I work there, I was contributing to the fraudsters? It may be something "normal" within the industry for all that God knows but is it the right thing to do? The answer to myself was no, it is legally and morally wrong. The final blow was, I could not accept the fact that when a meeting occurs, someone smokes cigar in an enclosed room. Can anyone say anything regarding that? No.

I left after 3 weeks.

Day 4: Dubai, UAE

Day 4 was a chilled out day. Nothing too hectic to recover from the day before. It's pointless to have a holiday and you are all beat. So, this is just a day to rest before the next hectic day, which is the next day.

We went to the Dubai Outlet Mall, a 30 minute drive away from the city centre. Nevertheless, don't expect too much from this place. The price isn't THAT cheap. You gotta hunt for it. To me personally, I am not someone who goes for brands, so I wouldn't enjoy it. Again, from a normal shopaholic perspective, I think it's quite a let down. I only got a football jersey. I think it's not worth it to go all the way there.

For dinner, we went to Deira, a restaurant called Al Tawasol. It's actually a Yemenese Middle Eastern restaurant. It served really GOOD food and for the first time, it was cheap and I was all damn satisfied.

SP gathered the Malaysian. I met my long lost friend, and SP brought her other Malaysian friends, and of course, Malaysian gatherings come with great food. haha.

We then headed over for dessert. It's baklava. It's a Turkish rich sweet pastry and today, it's a well-known pastry all over the the Middle Eastern countries. When visiting this country, I was really thankful that my first job really opened my eyes and somehow, introduced me to a certain extent, the culture of the Middle Eastern community.

He was nice enough to pack and seal my baklava for me even though I didn't buy the minimum amount. Shukran! Yeah, I learned that back in KL. haha.

That's my long lost friend. The first we met was in 2007 over this blog when both of us were studying in Swiss. When there was no smart phones, nothing like what you get today, yet, there were ways to meet people over an online platform. I'm amazed.

I don't know what's this place called. It was after dinner, a third round. It has a very nice windy ambiance. 

They serve alcohol, and shisha, the past time of the Middle Eastern. Oh and the shaky boat. haha.

UK: Liverpool, England

After the Lake District, let us all cruise in to Liverpool.
 
Who don't know Liverpool? Everyone has heard or know about it.

Before the Liverpool Football Club, it's the local rivalry. Football fans should know this. Goodison Park, the homeground for Everton!

Just look across the road, there's the You'll never walk alone club - Liverpool.

It was actually raining when we checked in. We were given time to rest and stuff. It's actually a free evening/night and of all places, we ended up in China Town for dinner. It was raining, I was wet. Gosh, again? Then, we walked at the streets!

This is a very famous club in Liverpool. It was made famous by Beatles! They used to play their gigs here and they debut from here.

It's very stuffy as it's an underground club, just like the clubs I use to go in Swiss. The bands play the Beatles' song there, as well as dress up like them too!

Well, that was the street while walking back to the hotel. It wasn't late, nor was it early. It's summer, the sun doesn't go down like in winter!

 So, here I was back in the hotel with that whatever face.

Europe: Switzerland Day 2 Part 2

Since that I have reached up here, it needs no further introduction. Let the pictures speak by themselves.

Welcome to Jungfraujoch - top of Europe! Woot!

Though it may seem sunny out there, it was actually cold. I mean, snow? Of course. I miss this feeling so so much.

When you're too cold, just get your ass into the building. After warming up, then get out again, play with the snow, look at the clouds, whatever.

Ah took a picture with Großvater (grandfather) or informal, it's opa. Hehe.

This is where I have entered Eispalast. It means ice palace. All the sculptures include vaulted rooms, animals, penguins, birds, people, furniture and a bar. A place for tourists to look at in addition to the mountain.

Bear!

Yeah!! The Swiss flag! Weee! Before the introduction of the Swiss flag, the people were using cantons flag. General Guillaume Henri Dufour founded this flag. The old cross symbol and colors of the Swiss flag refers to the canton Schwyz in the heart of the conservative central Switzerland. That was when they finally have a national identity. In fact, this is quite a conservative country in comparison with many other developed countries.

That's the Luzern train! OMG I miss Luzern so much, like so so much!

Europe: Switzerland Day 2 Part 1

This is the day. We are all going to Jungfraujoch. If you have not been to this place, you should go. As what the name had suggested, it's the German part of the country. Jungfrau in German means young lady and joch means pass. It's like one is caught between 2 mountains, and you just pass through the valley there.

Good to go!

You have to go through many changes of trains, depending which way you wanna use. There are options available. So, we started off from our place, it's called Wilderswil. You will need to take the train to Lauterbrunnen or to Grindelwald (depending on one's choice). The station is called Zweilütschinen as you need to read the signs or listen to the instruction. Let's just say we use the Lauterbrunnen way, then followed by Wengen.

After Wengen, we need to change again to Kleine Sheidegg. I know kleine means small. Change again and that will lead up to Jungfraujoch. Please do not be mistaken, this is not the highest mountain in Europe. It's just the highest railway station in Europe elevating at 3,454 metres.

There are a few stops for Sphinx Observatories. If it gets too cold, then you can't see anything there as it's all foggy. Otherwise, there will be additional sights.

Woohoo~ In fact, with the amount you are paying, you can get better mountains in Switzerland. I am not sure if I am willing to pay that much to go up again. Probably not. It could be pretty amazing for first timers, especially for those who had not seen much mountains in their lives, like me. haha. It's already too commercialized. I rather use that to go elsewhere. Twice is enough. I must say though that the train experience is really indeed an experience.

This is the place, up up up finally. The entrance. Here I am. hehe. It's a long journey, 2.5 hours.

Europe: Switzerland Day 1 Part 1

We are now going to Switzerland! By far, it's still the most beautiful country I have ever seen and been in my life. Switzerland is divided into a few parts. Different countries call it different terms. Some call it districts, provinces, and here, you call it cantons. They speak different languages depending on where you are. Switzerland is surrounded by Germany, France and Italy as well as Romania. A big portion of it is at the German part. They understand and learn High German in school but in everyday conversation, they actually use slangs, which they call it as Swiss German. It's only the Swiss Germans understand it. Even the Germans have a hard time understanding it at times. Again, a Luzern and a Basel Swiss German may differ too. Therefore, the Swiss language does not really exist. E.g. Merci means thank you in standard french. But, they use it in the German parts too. Vielmal is standard German means a lot. So merci vielmal makes sense for them. Just maybe not for the French and Germans.

We did a pit stop for a toilet break. Yes, to use the toilet, it's 1 CHF. It's a machine whereby you need to put 1 CHF and you are given this ticket/voucher. With this voucher, it's like cash in a form of a voucher. Buy anything there and just give this voucher to them, and 1 CHF will be deducted from the amount. There's no maximum amount of vouchers.

This is a typical Swiss style, a market place. Look at the food, the pastries, everything looked so good! It tasted even better!

The country is very peaceful, very clean with fresh air, and also organized. You have to see the cleanliness there, it's insanely amazing. They have the autobahn there too. It means drive without limits. It runs from Basel, northwestern to Chiasso in the southern side.

It's dinner time, prepared by the owner of the hotel. It reminds me of the life in IMI. Haha.

They are still using the old school key. It's when you appreciate the manual key, not the high tech key card. How often can you find these kind of keys these days. I know Europe still have it. Just awesome. The bad part is that, if you lose it, goodbye.

Right in front of the hotel. It's Hotel Schoenbuhl. Shoen means beautiful in German :D

Goodbye London & Europe, Hi KL

It has been three weeks that I'm away and right now, I'm already at Heathrow airport leaving London back to KL.

I has been so hectic, everyone has been so kind towards us, and that includes the weather. Beautiful weather. I can't ask for more.

Whiskey and Bagi, ciao. In 15 hours' time I should be back to the humid hot weather. Though the weather here is gloomy, I will opt for this weather than the one we get it back home.

Goodbye London and Europe. Til then, see you again.

Tom, Dick & Harry

Few weeks back, Dede brought me to a place called Tom, Dick & Harry. It isn't your typical club or bar in KL where it's filled with loud music and chaotic crowd. It isn't anything like that. So, if you are looking for those, this is not a place for you.

Anyways, it was my first time there after seeing so many check ins by my friends in FB. This is MY turn to check in. I went to the quietest outlet which is in Old Klang. There was just one table occupied before I walked in. This is in fact a really nice place to hang out, or just to chill out with friends.

You know those noisy places, you need to scream and shout on top of your lungs to talk to the person opposite you. Afraid not, this is cool. It's a very olden days style of bars back in the days in the western countries which I like it a lot. It reminds me in some ways about Pickwick in Luzern. Awesome. Pickwick is like one of the most happening place there few years back!! Well, not that I'm there now, so I'm not sure if that remains. The place will be full especially during a football match. Back then, being much younger I opted for a club. Now that I'm bored with clubs, I prefer a chill out place instead and this is a place I will definitely return.

Drunk Nite to Genting

I have not slept and I can't sleep the whole night

AH! In a few hours time, I need to start going already. It's gonna be a long day. I will be going up to Genting. It's gonna be the three of us, wind, lower temperature, jackets, chilling at Starbucks, breathing the air, red wine, rice wine, booze, and well, might be a K session? Wth. haha

Sounds good? It's gonna be a drunk night. Maybe. Drunk, not wasted. It's gonna be in the hotel room. We don't need to drive after drinking. That's the fun part. It so reminds me of higher diploma and degree days where clubs were just 5 minutes WALK from where I stayed. Or that it's 20 minutes away, but all of us shared a cab back. haha. And I would never thought about taking a bus to club until those days. Young days yo. Now, it's chilling out, no more clubbing. That's purely for youngsters, or for those who think they are still really young. HAHA at least I know I'm not. :P I'm self conscious, and I do self-reflection ... and leads to self-realization. Heh.

See you all tomorrow. Yup, tomorrow I'll be back. :D Happy getting drunk, yo.

Flashback ...

Flashback of the past. It reminded me, how we were, hand in hand, the smile, the laughter.

How much have we grown apart in distance, in heart. Those times reflected the moment we shared together, things we did, things we said just brought back memories. We moved on with lives, but we still think about each other every now and then.

Nothing to regret, nothing to feel guilty about because that was how it was and it is how it is. There is still a level of understanding between us that I am glad we still do. It was a moment of time to think back, how much things had changed, how much have we both grown, in some ways or another, how much have we been through in our respective lives, without the other and that through all these experiences is what made us today.

We could only get stronger, and it is the difficult path that we gotta overcome, we become less paranoid, we have less fear and the person you see has a very tough mentality in within. You see a very cold and mean person in the surface but you do not know what is within in until you tear it open. That is a friendship that has, surprisingly, sustained until today. Even with the major difference in culture, distance, background, mentality, personality, being friends is a gift.

We could laugh it out talking about the past, how we were mad at each other, how we got irritated. But somehow, that's the past and nothing to be irritated now. Both had grown up in our own ways. Both of us know, if we need someone to talk to, the other is there.

Talking in dreams, one day, when we come closer in distance, we will go to a faraway land, a place where no humans know us, to enjoy, as much as we could, and ignore the surroundings. That is a fantasy land. But, it's not wrong to dream. Well, it's part of the whole experience, the memories. Dreams come true too, and you just do not know if it will occur and when. It happens when you least expect it. It's beyond what we see.

Birthday dinner at Marche

And again, another birthday of mine. If one wonders how many birthdays I have a year, wait til you see someone else who celebrates for the whole month. Then you will say that mine is like what, 3 year old compared to 20 year olds. hehe. Anyways, I decided to have it this time in my all-time favourate restaurant since its opening until today - Marche. It's something I have nothing bad to say but only good things. Marche means market in French. It's a Swiss delicacy that one can only dreamed of at the beginning but today, you can make that a reality - having a Swiss cuisine in KL What I miss a lot in this restaurant that they once used to have is fondue, yea the ever-indulging cheese fondue that I could only yearn for.

Okay I know this is nothing different, it's just a coconut water lolz

This is something something, ordered by Potato

This is mine, the typical Swiss food ... roesti that I once used to have it every single weekend for as long as 6 months. It's potato btw haha

Yea my hair was kinda fugly back then, and lala-ish of course and I could still wear brown lenses haha

This is the human potato - Kylie haha

That's about it, Happy Birthday to myself .. haha I am officially 24, that I had turned almost 3 months ago, and I am a rat, a pure rat haha

Showdown of the Champions in Bukit Jalil - Roger Federer!

The showdown of the champions that was held recently in Kuala Lumpur ... precisely in Bukit Jalil, fetaure 4 top tennis players from 2 eras. 4 tennis legends in town! Can you believe it? Kill 2 birds with one stone that's what we call it. We have tennis aces in town, just yesterday in a matter of fact, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, James Blake and definitely Roger Federer

There were interview sessions, authograph sessions ... and I was just oh-so-uberly-excited. I know I sounded like some high school kid anticipating some concert thingy, but man I tell you, this feels even better than going to a concert okay! Thousand turned up in KLCC for the authograph session with Federer. One of my colleague went for it but gave up in the end haha.

Do you know how I rate a guy hawt? Do you know what is a hawt guy to me? Refer below

YESSS!!! It's Roger Federer! How often you hear me saying a guy is hawt! Never okay, alright maybe there are times, but ... it's damn rare so ... for me to say he is damn HAWT, it's really something. He looks damn good in real life, way much better than in pictures considering he already looks damn good in pictures. No, I did not go to KLCC to meet him, you must be joking, I can't bear those crowd. In fact, I saw him twice, once was yesterday and today was the second. He departed KL today though, in the morning boo... :( I purposely waited for him before going home, just to take a glimpse of him, and he made my day!! Like seriousllyyyyy ... damn down-to-earth damn cool. My gawd! He was like what 5 foot away from me as I was just standing so near to the door lolz. Today, before he departed ... I was wanting to see him so badly and I couldn't concentrate on my work but to keep looking at the center of the lobby and when finally I got the chance to get near to him as my colleague can see I was damn crazy over him asked me to follow him to get him to sign the bill, I chickend out after seeing the superbly gigantic bodyguard though I was kinda checking him, the bodyguard, in the day before lolz. But but ... there were 4 of them so nvm ... sigh what a disturbance they are. He was wearing his baseball cap the day before, I was basically nosebleeding all the way. I don't mind lacking of blood lolz. I saw Bjorn Borg twice too, and he was like 2 foot away from me, I was on the floor and he stopped on that level and I never did realize it until I saw his bodyguard :D then I'm like ... my gawd .. that's Borg!

Honestly speaking, I wasn't exposed to tennis before. I started watching tennis since Hewitt days and after awhile I didn't have that much of an interest in tennis. It died down, it faded off, until here comes Federer. Then, I started watching tennis and I was serious, I tried to understand the game and I just love the way he plays, and I started liking tennis, all because of him. OMG!!! I know I have said this so many times, but he is damn HAWT! He is gifted I tell you he really is! He can speak English, German, Swiss German, French some Swedish and Italian as well, oh mein gott!! Und und und ... his residence is in Oberwil and it was just one hour plus travelling time to his place from Luzern!! Where is Luzern? Er ... my school before I graduated lolz. 13 grand slam single titles and had held on to the World Ranking No 1 for 237 consecutive weeks ... if I'm not mistaken ... impressive!

In the end of the day, I got something worth more than a million bucks, maybe not to you, but to me yes definitely it is. I did really something stupid haha .. and I will not say, it's between me and Dede ... coz it's so damn super paiseh to reveal it haha.

The one zillion signature! I know it's not a perfect place but it's perfect for me HAHA.

My dream came true! Before I met him, I was so darn depressed until I said ... so near YET so far ... sounds so jiwang haha but no, ber-drama only lolz

Grueezi und Auf Wiedersehen ... ich hoffe!

The angels ...

I remember that during schooling days, people always mention that this place is filled with girls, who make money from doing something illegal. They call it prostitute, chicken, hooker, and now, angel. I never really have any encounter with them, and before started working, I have not seen this kind of people before. Even if I do, I don't even know they are this kinda person, until last year when I started working.

Before the ones in Malaysia, I did see and witness this kinda people in Switzerland and believe it or not, I was just staying one street away from the red light district in Geneva, Switzerland and I see these people every 2 weeks, because I have to walk to this area when I wanna wash my clothes haha. It lasted for 6 months, walking in and out of this area every 2 weeks. They come in different shapes, colours, sizes, nationalities, race and religions. These places are mostly filled with Above 18 shops and they stand or perhaps sit in front of these shops. Price range from 200-500CH. 200CH when it is in-house while 500CH if you bring the girls out. Yes, I got my product knowledge haha .. don't ask how or where I know it from. Guys walk pass, they will randomly ask if they need anything like that and if you reject they will understand. I'm so used to see these people that I don't feel a thing about this.

Now, after seeing countless of them walking in and out of hotel coming mostly from one of the biggest country in the world, is so irritating, especially if they start shouting and screaming and start being rude. I know, they wanna earn money too but this is not the way. Someone said this to me, how can the guys do such things to these girls and shows how chauvinist and disrespect towards the females. But I say, if they can't even respect themselevs, there is no need for others to respect them. There are choices in life, they are decisions to make, they chose this path to walk, they bear the consequences. Even out of desperation, I believe there is a way, and everything has a solution. Honestly speaking, some of them can be really bitchy talking to you, and you really feel like slapping them.

Today, it was almost 1am when Dum Dum Mac Tong Tong got so tulan-ed with the guest come all the way from the country which is one of the biggest country in the world too and these people are one of the most demanding who pay little but demand for a lot of things. They can be the best workers but the worst bosses. She went up to assist as he INSISTED her to go up with him at bloody 1am. We went back to counter, get the info from another colleague and went to his room afraid that things will happen to her. Both of us, me and Dede Ah Ying went stood in front of this bloody kannasai guest room and we overheard this convo and we ended up laughing like hell ... and we almost burst out in front of his door

He: ohh chineseee
Phone: .....
Suddenly he sounded very excited
He: You got Indians also????

Almost burst out but we did not, we held on and omg ... so darn funny ... but seriously speaking, these guys are just so dirty and so disgusting ... just imagine sometimes ... the guy can be 80 years old!! At times, it's so embarassing that the guys do not have money to pay these angels WOAH! There was a day when the guest called down to complain that the angel refuse to leave the room! HAH ... how embarassing and they do not know that we know ... sigh ... tsk tsk

And yes ... we told our manager what we did :D :D HAHA ...

Euro-Deli

In a dancer, there is a reverence for such forgotten things as the miracle of the small beautiful bones and their delicate strength. ~Martha Graham

Let's now go to Europe. A month or something ago, I went to his place called Euro-Deli.

Dies ist mein. Das ist poulet mit Pilz sosse und salat und auch mit Roesti. Das ist sehr gut, seht koestlich :D This is a Zuerich (the place in CH) style chicken with mushroom sauce, complemented with my fave roesti and salad. It was dang!

This is .... I forgot sort of jam mai dai already haha, Fish? I know it's wedges and salad lolz

Well this is the lovely mango pudding :D

Euro-Deli is an authentic Swiss German delicatessen :) Price is affordable, worth what you get, and definitely a return trip. This is what I have been looking for ... CH food :P