18 people, 2 tables, 1 family

We're having steamboat tonight at Kelana Seafood Centre. 18 family members. Always a challenge but everyone's happy eating, so far.

My fortnightly affair

Waiting for my turn with the local barber. This one is in Lucky Garden.

There's this little charm with the local Indian barbers which is hard to explain. I remember going to the barber next to Raju's PJ on the last Sunday of every month, with my dad and brother. That was fun also because we got fed a good meal, right after.

I used to always leave the barber with a random hair style. Most of the barbers are from South India, so their command of every language besides Tamil is limited to: short, straight, line, and side burns. If you didn't say any of this, you'd probably leave the place looking like Rajnikanth - Basha / The Boss, you get to pick.

A few months ago my brother taught me a new trick. Upon sitting, just say (with hand gestures): machine, 4 on top, 2 on the sides. Close my eyes, and within 15 minutes, I'm done with a style that would make any GI proud.

It's my turn now. For 12 bucks, the occasional blade mishaps, blunt scissors, and Tamil music - Indian barbers rock!

Can you spot the offence?

Under the fly over near the Section 16 cross junction. The hatchback in the side mirror just crossed the pedestrian barrier to get on to the opposite side (lady drivers rock!)

Service Centre 2.0

Why can't it be open now?

Service centres and other customer serving offices should strive to open at convenient hours for the working class.

Why can't they open at 7am and close at 10pm? It would make life a whole lot easier for many ordinary citizens. Why not remove the stress and hassle of doing these errands during "working hours"? How about "friendly hours" instead?

I'm waiting for HP to open their doors this morning, as my laptop is ready for collection. Another 20 minutes to burn. Sheesh.

Long meetings. Short fuse.

I don't like *it*. Those long sessions that drag past office hours. I just endured 2.5 hours.

How do you avoid it? (when you're not the boss?)

How to write like a CEO

Morten Lundal's last email to DiGi staff, sent out yesterday. No harm in sharing this one (I hope).

Time to Change

Well, this time the Time To Change slogan applies to me. This is the last thing I write as CEO of DiGi. I will send this as an email, close this PC, pick up my very few personal things and leave this adorable building. Oh, and I will remember to hand back the yellow access tag. A strange moment indeed, so allow me to look a bit back for a moment.

It’s been nearly 4 years. Is that possible? When I look at the number, 4, it looks so big. 4 years is long time, even in a life’s perspective. But it feels like such a short period, like an 18 months project.

Oh, I’ve enjoyed it. I enjoyed every bit of it.

First the big picture: I like Asia (and therefore also Malaysia, you know, truly Asia and all that). The brand “Asia” represents so many positive attributes to me. It’s about tomorrow more than yesterday. It’s about vibrant colors more than a palette of grey. It’s about smiles and service mindset instead of “cold execution of mass market processes”. It’s about simple food in unpretentious settings, instead of pretentious food in complex settings. It’s the relevance of (even the extended) family, the struggle for (new) identity, the (slow) mass transformations of businesses and government systems, the epidemic adoption of mobiles and internet, the difficult preservation of unique heritage and nature, and the ongoing strive to secure progress versus the previous generation and at the same time the struggle of dealing with the consequences of that same progress. I know this is a gross generalization, but I do see most of these attributes in all of the 10 south Asian countries I’ve visited the last few years. It all adds up to my very strong overall positive feel for this thing called “Asia”. It’s captivating. Positive.

And then; Malaysia. If I were to come to Asia again, and I could freely choose country, I would choose Malaysia again. It is not that one thing stands out about Malaysia, but it is the positive balance of it all. The combination of the modern with the traditional, the very urban and the very rural, the hyper shopping and the isolated beaches, the widely used English language and the multi-racial composition, the generally low cost and the good quality, the protection from natural catastrophes, the climate, the relative economic and political stability. It’s all here in Malaysia. We enjoyed the stunning under-water life by Sipadan island, the unspoiled Cherating beach, the low key luxury of Langkawi, the history of Penang, the exotic KK, the view from Mount Kinabalu, the trekking in Taman Negara, and so on and so on. Such a privilege to have been here.

In most surveys, Norway is ranked as having the highest quality of life in the world. Not bad. But that is defined in cold, academic, quantitative United Nation well-being terms. If you as a Norwegian live in a country like Malaysia, you discover that quality of life has many dimensions, and Malaysia can in many ways compete with Norway and any other country in having a rich balance of quality of life to offer to the curious soul.

And then: DiGi. What a company. I’ve enjoyed it so much. I’ve enjoyed seeing the transformation from what we were to what we are. I’ve enjoyed seeing the results improve steadily, quarter by quarter, the end-results of all our collected efforts. I’ve enjoyed seeing our enthusiasm for our values and progress spread to people outside the company. I’ve been energized by the many meetings we’ve had where I observe DiGi values in full force, the open-mindedness, the commitment and the mutual respect. I truly enjoyed our CSR program, Amazing Malaysians, both the purpose and the execution of the program, but also the places it took us and the people we got to meet. I have enjoyed the intellectually challenging debates about what’s the best next step, but I’ve also enjoyed all the jokes, the gotcha moments and the laughter. And, yes, I enjoyed our parties (some now legendary) both in KL and in the regions – I bring with me photos that prove that it all actually did happen.

The kids have fought against this move. Maybe all kids will fight all moves, but at least my two kids did. They adore their superb school and are of course unhappy to lose their good friends. But they have also liked so much the warm air, the cooling pool, the monkeys on our terrace, the frequent dining out and our exotic travels (you know, any travel in Asia is exotic for us). Mandius said, “I was born in Norway” (actually, he was born in Switzerland), “but I grew up in Malaysia”. And grow up they have done in this period, it’s shocking to look at their before and after pictures. That’s a big transformation in itself.

I don’t know if I am doing the right thing, there is a lot of uncertainty in the choice we and I have made. But several factors entice me. I like that we will be a short plane ride from our respective aging parents. I like that the boys will (continue to) go to a great school. I like that we can live 25 minutes from one of the real cultural centers of the world, but still live where we are surrounded by greenery and where we can finally take our dog for long (wet…) walks again. And I like that I have to sharpen all my senses in order to establish myself in a totally new setting, in this big thing called Vodafone. It’s going to be different, in many ways life will be tougher and less attractive for us, but again, I see many reasons for why we will continue to grow as a family and individuals in London, and personal growth is maybe on top of our lists right now.

DiGi is work in progress, it always will be. So there are many things on the to-do list, also when I leave. I am happy that Johan came back to start on the next phase in DiGi’s life, and I am convinced that he and DMT will take this company to new and even better places in the future. I look forward to following it, this time from afar.

Life is a series of small and long projects. Now we are closing the (great) chapter called DiGi and Malaysia, and we are opening up the first page to an all-empty chapter in our life. I promise you I will often look back at my previous life in Malaysia, and I will smile when thinking about the happy moments and I will be sad thinking about the relationships that were real and daily that now just are bound to be occasional and electronic. Thank you for making this the best period in my life, and I wish you all from the deepest of my heart Good Luck going forward. Whatever is ahead, I will always be a DiGizen.


Morten

Another party in the office

It's Morten Lundal's last day at DiGi today. He has served as CEO since 2004, and has been credited as one of the best leaders in the industry. I've had the privilege of working with him - definitely a dynamic guy. All the best, Morten!

Cross-selling in the breakfast aisle

Buy a box of cereal and get a 10-day pass to a gym. Would you buy it?

How would you like to queue up today?

The HP service centre in Damansara puts you through this test just to get a queue ticket. How annoying! You know the system is a failure when you need to dedicate a human robot to guide people.

Anyhow, my laptop's display adaptor is broken. They will have to change the entire mother board. 3 working days. Hope it goes well!

Cross cultural wedding in progress

On stage: Japanese, Polish, Indian, Austrian, and Malaysian.

Brother and sister

Everyone's dressed up today. I'm just wearing a simple light blue jippa (by Kamdar). My sister's wearing an elaborate lengga, from India. (Photo taken by little brother, the camera pimp)

A peacock on marble

This is a kollam. It's made out of coloured rice. Marvellous, don't you think?

Before it melts

Indians love ice sculptures. This one is a bird, I think.

A wedding on a wet Sunday

We're at the Kalamandapam today for my cousin's wedding ceremony. This is what the manavarai (stage) looks like before the evening kicks off.

Broken laptop

My laptop is "broken". It just won't boot (one long beep, followed by two short beeps).

Thankfully, it's still under warranty. I bought a 3-year carry-in warranty pack, back in 2006. You should do the same if you're buying a new laptop. Bad luck is random.

Not looking forward to walking in to the HP Service Centre on a Monday morning. You can expect to hear my grouses here, if any.

Gimme somma dat!

We're back at Hai Peng Kuantan for lunch. Everyone wants to try Eugene's assam laksa. Headed back to KL after this.

Praying to a kite

Eugene's deflating and packing up his kite. That's 15 metres of puffed up coolness!

Attack of the killa Duta Village mozzies

Mosquito repellant. Eugene says the smell of this thing will knock the mozzies out. Lucky I can't smell.

Oh Eugene u're so fine, u blow my mind!

That's my buddy Eugene out with his new "kite". It's a brand new Slingshot which was shipped from the US for about RM3k. He's been waiting for the wind since noon. Looking good so far. He also did mention that on his last trip out he created history in Balok: the first person to be rescued by the Royal Malaysian Navy!

Sing this to Hawaii 5-0

Wannabe spotted on Balok beach. Eugene's waiting for the wind. I'm waiting to blog about his kite. Mel's in the sea. With the jelly fish - don't think she knows, yet.

Same trip, different beach

We drove from Cherating to Balok, a 20 minute drive. Waiting for Eugene and gang who are driving up from Kuantan. We're now sitting on the deal chairs outside the Sunday Bar in Duta Village. Guess who's gonna be riding the buggy in the background?

p/s: Wish you were here :)

It's alive!

Giant lizard spotted just outside our chalet

One night at the Tanjung Inn

Also home to 2 giant monitor lizards

3 scrambled eggs, please

At the Payung Cafe. The rest of Cherating hasn't gotten up yet. And it's 9.45am!

Tong Juan - good before 7.30pm

Dinner at Tong Juan was excellent! Stuffed crabs were "so so". But I'd still recommend this place to anyone visiting Kemaman. Do note that it's the chilli sauce that really makes the difference. Everything is mediocre without it.

Gonna get "stuffed" for dinner

Supposedly the best stuffed crabs in Malaysia. Or was it the East Coast? I'll snap a photo of what we order and let you know if it really tastes good. Stay tuned!

Negeri Terengganu, Negeri Maju

Touch screen parking meters in Kemaman. Mel didn't want to pose. She's shy.

Yeah, like that's gonna help

10 ringgit "instant" fine for littering in Kemaman.

What sound does an elephant make?

Spotted in Impiana Cherating. Not staying here though.

The real deal

We stopped for breakfast at Hai Peng in Kuantan. Some say it's better than the original one in Kemaman. Tuna toast rocks. Owner says that the chicken sandwich is a major sell out.

OK, Mel is nagging. Viki, our next outing to Hai Peng should be to this one- only they don't have chilli crabs.

Giant street signs

Kuantan has very clear road signs. It's very big, prominent, you can't miss it!

Have Table, Will Rule

The best part about coming in early is that I get to choose my "goodies" for the day. Today I'm sitting at the auto adjusting table. Press a button and the table height will adjust to your liking. We've only got one of these in my work area. Yes, it's nice to feel special :)

First in the office :)

Once in a while, it's nice to be early!

The Ghost Rider is alive!

Micro Marketing

These days, it's possible to sell ad space everywhere. Even on a tiny spots in a lift.

Well, I'm off for a workout on Level 3. It's been one Mad Monday. Hope yours went well :)

The George & Dragon

King George slayed the dragon. That's why :) latest watering hole in BSC.

The best coffee shop in PJ

O&S in Paramount. Awesome hawker stalls. Best yong tau foo. And don't get me started on the pork ball noodles and assam laksa. Mmm mmm mmm!

He's got my vote (too)

Marc Andreessen on Barack Obama.

We then asked, well, what about foreign policy -- should we be concerned that you just don't have much experience there?

He said -- and I'm going to paraphrase a little here: think about who I am -- my father was Kenyan; I have close relatives in a small rural village in Kenya to this day; and I spent several years of my childhood living in Jakarta, Indonesia. Think about what it's going to mean in many parts of the world -- parts of the world that we really care about -- when I show up as the President of the United States. I'll be fundamentally changing the world's perception of what the United States is all about.

He's got my vote.

My first rounding adjustment

UPDATE: Bank Negara Malaysia has put up information on the new rounding mechanism (FAQ) - check it for further details

From April 1st, all retail outlets in Malaysia will have to round the total cash sales. If your burger costs RM8.51, then you pay RM8.50.

Here's the simple rule: Round 1, 2, 8 & 9 to 0, while 3, 4, 6 & 7 goes to 5. Got it?

Big Bug

Giant bug in the office corridor. I think it's injured. Next time I see one, I'll remember to place a dollar bill next to it. Just like CSI.

Would you like to get a Maxs look?

Lucky Garden's best kept secret

Makkal Sakhti (People Power)

History was created in Malaysia over the last few hours.





For the first time since independence, the ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional has been denied a two-third majority. The alternative parties of DAP, Keadilan and PAS have taken over as the ruling state governments of Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan.

While the older generation, including my parents have started to fear the outcome of this swing, I do believe that the young generation is getting what it wanted.

Change is only the beginning.

I do believe that in many cases, we were voting for the lesser of two evils. It's now up to the new elected faces to show us what they are really made of.

To all the elected parliamentary and state legislative candidates, CONGRATULATIONS. I hope you are all able to work together to make this country a better place. Remember: easy come, easy go - we put you there.



Refer to MalaysiaKini for more updates as Malaysia welcomes this new era.

I've voted, have you?

It must've been the icecream

Down with a flu. Yes, I'll drink lots of warm water, soup and honey.

Vote Wisely

I just came across this ad on my Gmail. Someone's taken the trouble create a website, and spend some ad dollars to promote it via Google.



It's a ONE pager. Definitely worth a read. Nothing but facts and figures, with solid references.

http://votewisely.blogspot.com/

Anicecreamadaykeepsthemonstersaway

My favourite days are the one's with ice cream. Regular single scoop, Maui Brownie Madness. Goodness!

Only in Bangsar

Pretty sight on a Manic Monday

We get new flower arrangements in the office every other day. Just like Google.

Braving the rain

UPDATE:: According to Malaysia Today, over 3,000 people attended the DAP ceramah in TTDI. Check out the report & photos.

At the DAP ceramah in TTDI. It's pouring yet there's a massive crowd. Wet jeans and a watter logged "padang". Raja Petra is on stage as I snap this - crowd favourite.

If you're voting this year, let it be the year that the "rakyat" (people) siezes seizes control of the government. Hidup Rakyat!

Yut Kee - ready to serve

Having breakfast at Yut Kee. Awesome menu of Chinese and colonial food. Shop's been here since World War 2. Worth a visit, especially on a Sunday. Off Jalan Dang Wangi. The Pork Chop (RM8) is good, and the French toast is served with kaya (RM2.50). Mel had the spicy belacan fried rice.