YourCent Mycent: Dont Touch My Car!

Surprise! Surprise! As you know, this is my way to voice my opinion. World is your canvas and you shall paint it your way! Opinions, ideas, assumptions and ramblings would be all part of future writing.

I was little nervous to think something to write. Ideas don’t flow naturally and writing is stressful. The first thing writers’ think of is to write without sounding insane or slapstick. Otherwise, you might just be crucified by your peers, which I don’t want to be!( is it the best reasons for left almost 3 months from updating my blog?)

The end-of-life vehicle (ELV) policy perked thoughts recently, when market talk indicate the authorities might re-implement the policy that was scrapped in 2009 following a huge public outcry.

If this is done, vehicles over 15 years of age are required to pass an annual inspection before its roadtax is renewed. Not only would this burden the public, being engaged for inspection every now and then, the process also consumes a substantial amount of time, effort and money.

The consensus among people I spoke with is a preference of not wanting an ELV policy. Many lament over the cost of replacing a car in Malaysia is just too high.

We are probably the only country with a maximum hire purchase loan duration of nine years,which is practically unheard of in other countries.

Perhaps, Puspakom Sdn Bhd will appear to be largest benefactor of such a policy, and will be on overdrive just to keep up with the hike in car users needing yearly certification to comply with the policy.

Coupled with the intention to lower car prices, it will be a double whammy to the whole automotive market, as residual value of second hand cars will be affected as well,putting the whole market in limbo.

At the very least, if this is going to be implemented, the authorities should also consider incentives or the clunker programme to entice the public to replace their old jalopies.

Before anyone shoots himself in the foot again, the upcoming review of the national Automotive Policy should take everyone’s concern including the car buyers, lenders ,dealers and distributors. No one should be left out or face the brunt of changes.

15 steps to be a high achiever!

Hi all! Having trouble to achieve your goal? Let’s learn something from the information that I had digest from nowhere. No matter what you are (school leaver, med school graduate or brain surgeon) 

1. Have a Goal

Many people without a goal, be it short term or long term, find themselves stuck in a dead-end job just for the sake of having a job dread each working day.

2. Take Responsibility

If you want to be somebody, you’ve got to learnt to take responsibility for all your actions. People who are not responsible usually are not reliable enough to be trusted.

3. Be Productive

Every second counts. Michael Dell built his own computers when he was just 18. What did you do when you were 18? 

4. Get Motivated

People are always gonna bring you down, or add negativity to your life by telling you that you can’t make it. Discouragement can be like poison to a person’s life and career, so be careful

5. Get the Edge

In any industry, there will always be another clone just like you. It’s important that you stand out and get the edge over your competitors.

6. Be Cautious

There will be people around you who are out to get you, and they may be your best friend, your neighbor, etc. We’re not asking you to be paranoid, just little cautious.

7. Get Experience

No matter how book smart you are, nothing come close to live experience. Bill gates didn’t finish Harvard. Many people have been hired ‘cause they’re good at what they do, not for their college degrees.

8. Take Risks

High achievers are always the risk takers. No one can guarantee success by that, but neither can you by playing by the rules. Make decisions with your head, but when needed, follow your gut. 

9. Be Persistent

No one is that lucky to have it all at first try. Success comes with hard work and ever greater persistence. Never ever give up no matter what everyone says.

10. Predict Consequences

Knowing what’s coming up next and predicting the consequences ensures that you’ve got a safety net when you start to fall. That way,you can always bounce back up again.

11. Be prepared to fail

Nothing’s guaranteed, but failure is. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Yet, with so much preparation things sometimes doesn’t go the way you want.

12. Be Creative

Thinking out of the box is always good advice. Being creative means there’s no one like you, and that idea makes you special and much sought-after. Don’t be afraid to cross borders.

13. Sell Yourself

Good packaging makes people think that you can deliver what they want to achieve. Always learn to sell yourself well to your clients, and when they believe in you, that’s when people turn to you.

14. Be Thankful

There are stories where high achievers forgot their roots and those who helped them on the way to the top. Remember to acknowledge and be thankful, always be humble. Don’t let success get to your head.

15. Solve Problems

Don’t give questions, give solutions. The one thing everyone looks for is always a solution, and when you’re the only one providing the solution, you basically have complete monopolization over the particular market.

Serious stuff : Sore that interview

(When you nail that job,you can buy me lunch hehe)

Wanna be a high-flier in your career? First of all, you gotta nail that interview! I know that first-job jitters are definitely a must, but that’s when you KNOW you’ve already got that job. To take your first step into the rat race track, you gotta make such a great impression that the interviewers can’t wait for you to join them,and that they’ll most probably start talking about you the moment you say your “Thank you for your time”. 

Case Study

I’ve heard of interviews that were successful that the job seekers are practically begged to come in right away(ok, these are the special cases). The trick is NOT assume that you’re the exception. Many people always walk out of an interview assuming that they really did made an impression (whether be it good or bad),but here’s I take from the interviewer’s point of view!

Nina: Everyone comes in and does the same thing. The ones that we put on top of the pile under the “keep in view” section are usually those that are fluent and articulate, who managed to convince the judges with they are the perfect candidate for that position. Two people may have similar background, similar exam results, similar degrees, but when one has the gift of gab, that basically makes the quieter one looks pretty bad. Your resume does matter (because it’s the reason why we called you in the first place) but usually the confident ones much stand out.

DRESS TO IMPRESS

We’re not talking about impressive Pradas or strutting your Louis Vuittons. Your outfit’s gotta say “I’m confident, experienced and definitely not boring”. A lot of people think it’s fine dressing in the most drab and boring outfit you have (think grey and black), but adding a dash of color makes you look more alive and animated. Dress formal but avoid the thick jackets that make you sweat like a buffalo.

IT’S A BATTLEFIELD

Yes it is, and you’ve gotta be prepared to fight for it! Make your points clear and concise. No interviewer wants to hear your monologue on your puppy Spot. Make sure that you show them you really, truly want the job, and though your requirement may not be enough, make sure they know that you’re willing to learn (yes, put that in your resume) and that you’re eager to take on any challenge that comes your way (include that 110% line that people ALWAYS use). 

DIG DEEPER

Dig and dig and diggety dig! When it comes to times like these, google is guru! Researching about the company you’re interviewing for shows good preparation and professionalism. Make sure you know who the CEO is (who knows, you may be sharing the lift with him whilst you’re digging your nose), what they do, their achievements (people always like to brag about their company’s achievement) and so on…

MAKING A MEMORY

Many candidates are so alike, some interviewers swear that they’re interviewing clones. Standing out is essential. That doesn’t mean you gotta do a juggling act or dress like a clown. Maybe you can be the one who offers them coffee, or ask them if they’ve eaten their lunch, or put on one single piece of bright colored item like a Pink Scarf or something. The most effective way is to come into the room and introduce your way immediately.

FAILING TO PREPARE = PREPARE TO FAIL

Prepare your important docs and certificates, and make sure your references are notified that they may be called. Bringing extra copies of your IC and passport photos are definitely recommended. Plan your route there, look up for clear directions (there whole list of people interviewing who got lost halfway and ended up being late) and iron your outfit the night before.

Mr. Shy Guy

Being shy definitely doesn’t help in interviews. That’s when friends and family are most useful when it comes to preparing for an interview. People usually get tongue-tied (not me! We blab the night away!) when it comes to interviews, so practicing and being prepared for FAQs in interviews is always good. Get someone to practice with you (or pay your annoying little brother to help you out).

EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM

Yes, I know I preach about Malaysian timing and all, but the concept does not apply in interviews. NOTE: IT DOESN’T APPLY! Always be 15 minutes early as you most probably gotta fill in some long-winded form, etc. Plus, take into account that traffic may be bad or signs may be misleading and you end up in Timbuktu or something…

THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T DO!

• Don’t answer the phone during the interview! Make sure you silent it before you arrive.

• Never call your current boss to call in sick in front of them. It gives you a bad image to your future employers.

• Don’t come if you’re sick. You don’t wanna cough up a storm in front of your interviewers.

• Being inquisitive is fine, but asking too many questions it kinda irritating.

• Refrain from grossing your interviewers by digging your nose, picking your teeth, etc. 

That's all for now. Have a nice day!

Malaysian travel journals

Holidaying@Malaysia? Any holiday in Malaysia isn’t complete till you’ve checked out my favourite destinations! So pack your bags,order your pina colada and bring out the suntan lotion!

Payar Island

An island off Langkawi that is so famous that there are daily trips from langkawi to Pulau Payar. Watch the shark feeding or just go snorkeling and swim with the fishes!

Pulau Lang Tengah

The small island in the middle of Pulau Perhentian & Redang. Located off the coast of Kuala Terengganu, it’s a hidden treasure of rich aquatic life and beautiful shores…check out

Taman Negara Pahang

Divulge in the world’s oldest rainforest and experience jungle trekking, white water rafing,bird watching,canopy walk,etc.

French Colmar

The French village of Malaysia,bukit tinggi is an entire French-themed village at the peak of Pahang,where you can experience france living,horseback riding or dine in French style.

Penang

No experience or holiday in Malaysia isn’t complete without a trip to the land of food! Anything is fantastic there,but check out their kueh teow,assam laksa,nasi kandar and many others!

Pulau layang-layang

Island near sipadan thtat offers one of the coolest diving experience in the world.it’s famous for large pelagic sightings and wall diving. Check out

Mulu caves

The world’s largest cave network in sarawak’s majestic mulu national park,home to thousands of bats and an astounding experience for many.check out

Kuching

The town of cats,where you can experience the city life of Sarawak,eat Sarawak noodle,visit the cat museum or even scale the great gunung santubong.

Those who's have plenty of time may try some destination above. Happy holiday!

Face off

Hi all. Been waiting for a long time for a serious reading? Why so serious? Need to brag something about yourself ?  Fell fun to dump your partners ? Need to tell everyone about your relationship and philosophy to whole world in sec?  Sure you will meet same answer! 

Please continue reading!

In theory, the social networking website Facebook could be great for people with low self-esteem. Sharing is important for improving friendships. But in practice, people with low self esteem seem to behave counter productively, bombarding their friends with negative tidbits about their lives and making themselves less likeable, according to a new study which will be published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

We had this idea that Facebook could be a really fantastic place for people to strengthen their relationships”, says Amanda Forest, a graduate student at the University of Waterloo. She co-writer the new study with her advisor, Joanne Wood. The two are generally interested in self-esteem, and how self-esteem affects the kinds of emotions people express.

People with low self-esteem are often uncomfortable sharing face-to-face, but facebook makes it possible to share remotely.

In one study, Forest and Wood asked students how they feel about facebook. People with low self-esteem were more likely to think that facebook provided an opportunity to connect with other people, and to perceive it as a safe place that reduces the risk of awkward social situations.

The researchers also investigated what students actually wrote on Facebook. They asked the students for their last 10 status updates,sentences like,” [Name] is lucky to have such terrific friends and is looking forward to a great day tomorrow!” and “ [Name] is upset b/c her phone got stolen :@.” These are visible to their friends,the people in their network.

Each set of status updates was rated for how positive or negative it was. For each set of statements, a coder – an undergraduate Facebook user – rated how much they liked the person who wrote them.

People with low self-esteem were more negative than people with high self-esteem - and the coders liked them less.  The coders were strangers, but that realistic, forest says.

In earlier research, wood and forest found that nearly half of facebook friends are actually strangers or acquaintances, not close friends.

Forest and wood also found that people with low self-esteem get more responses from their real  facebook friends when they post highly positive updates, compared to less positive ones.

People with high self-esteem,on the other hand,get more responses when they post negative items, perhaps because these are rarer for them.

So people with low self-esteem may feel safe making personal disclosures on facebook – but they may not be helping themselves.

“if you’re talking to somebody in person, and you say something, you might get some indication that they don’t like it,that they’re sick of hearing your negativity”, Forest says. But when people have a negative reaction to post on Facebook, they seem to keep it to themselves. On facebook, you don’t see most of reactions.”

No heart feeling yeah. Food for tought!

A No-Nonsense Guide to be A True BLUE Malaysian

Ever find it hard to fit in here? Believe it or not, there are proper procedures to go through to be truly deemed a true blue Malaysian..Beware my friend, it’s not easy being us…

Eat Like There’s No Tomorrow

People eat to live, Malaysians live to eat! Char Kueh Teow, Nasi Lemak,  Laksa. All these words are supposed to trigger the saliva glands automatically before you can even say “flapjack”. The first step to be Malaysian is to make FOOD your motivation in life! Drive for 2 hours to look for the best sate in town, or practice in front of the mirror till you have perfected that longing look on your face when you friend is eating steaming hot Curry Noodles. Remember that skipping a meal is taboo (unless you’re saving stomach space for an upcoming buffet, in the case the kiasu factor overrides the Food Factor).

Our Road, Our Rules

We’ve got our own rules – Green means go, Yellow means speed up, Red means drift, drift, drift! Remember, it’s all at your own risk, ya? Double parking is also a unique Malaysian skill, where your mission is to squeeze your car into every single nook and corner you can find at the parking lot. If there was an Olympic event for Double parking, Malaysian are a shoo-in to win hands down. Practice with a smaller car first, then proceed with bigger sedans. Remember that scratches are definitely a guarantee till you reach perfection.

Tak Paham Bahasa

To you noobs, this means many of us don’t understand the language. If they say “No Littering”, it means you litter beneath the signboard itself. If it says “No smoking”, feel free to smoke and add to the irony by smoking right under the signboard itself. In fact, you know what? Don’t bother learning to read Bahasa and just do what you feel like. It takes a whole lot of courage and guts to go against what the sign says and do just the opposite.

Manglish Expert

We like extra syllables in our conversation, so feel free to add extra Lah, Leh, Liao, Lor or Ah at the end of every sentence. Speaking like that makes you feel more at home and familiar with that person. If not, they’ll most prob call you a snob. Pronounce your R’s as L’s and enunciate every word harshly. Watch more Phua Chu Kang and practice this your local mixed rice stall “uncle ar, gif me cheaper la…..”

Accidents Happen

Yes they do, and when there are road accidents, it’s an unspoken rule that you’ve gotta travel at 10km per hour, slow down as much as you can to take a look and if you can, take a picture!

Malaysian Timing

There’s even a term invented for our concept of time – Malaysian Time. Note to yourself that you’re NEVER,EVER in any case come early unless it’s to queue up for big sale or freebies. Feel free to be AT  LEAST 15 minutes late, and if the person you’re meeting call you up, repeatedly say to him/her “I’m coming, I’m coming” although you’re still at home watching your TV3 dramas.

 

The Last Article of 2011 : Bread freshness

In a few days we will celebrate upcoming 2012. I’m sure each of you will remember precious moment of 2011 and don’t forget the bitter one. I felt neglected to leave historical and mystery of 2011. Not much big improvement I have done. Need improvement and be more matured. That’s it for 2011. Let’s celebrate 2012 by:

• buy better transport
•  seeking affordable shelter
•  out from comfortable zone
• Enjoy domestic vacation

Hopefully, I can achieve at least two(2) stuff above.  For upcoming articles in this blog, there are exciting information and news waiting ahead. So, be prepared and challenge yourself! Last but not least, let’s have a cup of tea and slice of bread!

Plus! The last article of 2011

Here is something interesting. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you 'squeeze' for freshness or softness. Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie. They are :

Monday - Blue
Tuesday - Green
Thursday - Red
Friday - White
Saturday - Yellow

So if today is friday, you would want white twist tie not yellow which is Saturday. (almost a week old)!
The colors go alphabetically by color Blue - Green - Red -White -Yellow, Monday thru Saturday. Very easy to remember!

I thought this was interesting. I looked in the JUSCO and the bread wrappers DO have different twist ties, and even the one with the plastic clips have different colors. Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you are shopping!

Good bye 2011!