I’ll always remember Yasmin Ahmad

She is the only director in Malaysia that I am know of, and wanted to know of.
Her works, i.e. movies Sepet, Gubra, and those Petronas advertisements are everyone’s favorite, including me of course.
Unfortunately, for us, the Malaysian, she left us last Saturday, forever. Nowadays, nothing much will make us proud to be a Malaysian…and she, the precious one, also no-eye-see and left us.
And she left, then who is going to make great Malaysian customized movies like Sepet, Gubra??
Who is going to bring the name of Malaysia to international level?

She is a very “special” person, in term of her originality. She is talented. I don’t know, I don’t know her. But if she is the creator of “Sepet”, i guess she knows everyone of us, the Malaysian very well. The culture of being a Malaysian. Interesting. And she must be a fans of Takeshi Kaneshiro? She made us laugh, cried and sometimes wonder, how did she able to boldly presented us in such a easy but must be ‘difficult’ way?
Easy, as its straighforward, difficult, as it is against the point of view of some of the ‘katak di bawah tempurung’ fella as well. I salute her.

My personal encounter with her, in 2006. Watched Gubra at a special screening session at KLCC. Thanks to my then colleague who offered me the ticket. It’s the first, one and only “ticket” that turned up to be one of the most memorable event in my life. Of course, at that time, my focus and attention has to be the charming and handsome Allan Yun. But this guy is like a robot, when asked to take pics with us, he’ll automatically ‘smile’, showing off his darlie-white teeth which I think he has been doing that more than I eat rice in the same day.
As for Yasmin, when I handed her the poster for her to sign, much to my surprise, she asked, “??????” (What is your name?).
Oh, yes, she spoke in mandarin, in a perfect slang, (some chinese race people might not be able to speak mandarin in the correct slang).
I was shock, and i can remember vividly how i was stunned a while, and got nervous, not sure what name should I tell her? “ongki? lea szu? li shi?” …. erm, yes, I said “Elaine”.
Maybe it was because i look sweet at that time (as I always do), she signed on the poster, “For Sweet Elaine”.
And this signed poster, is nicely kept in my wardrobe all these years, and definitely one of the most precious treasure in my life.

Rest in peace Yasmin. You are remembered by Elaine…

First MBA result

Woohoo….I’ve got A in both modules!!!
Innovation Management and Advanced Strategic Management…

Mind you, it’s ADVANCED Strategic M. ADVANCED eh. Not easy. Especially for beginner like me.
I didn’t expect to get A anyway. Just hoping I won’t fail.
Well, I officially resolved one of the most important item in my to-do list.

Recalling back the whole journey since I first sit in the class, then getting a group, then struggling whether to drop this module, and then the group meetings, writing email to Reliance chairman, the pitching with group members, the final group presentation and finally the tears-blood-vomit effort in writing the individual paper.
I think I do deserve an A.
This subject is one of the basic knowledge, that a business owner should acquire. Learning the powerfulness of building networks, having institutional constrains and etc.
Nintendo was my case study. I wrote how did Nintendo managed to take over the sales figure from a Resource Based view and Network perspectives.

Woo, hoo…its the same firm that I did in Innovation Management.
In fact, I didn’t have enough time and resources to write on Reliance, so I decided to write on Nintendo.
Writing the same firm for both modules, giving people the impression as if both will have the same content but it’s not. Totally not. Looking from two whole different aspects. Innovation Management is so much easier.
It took me one week to complete. Submitted the paper on time, although I spend sleepless nights for that.
Not to mention, those nights I’ve gotta go over his house to complete due to Streamyx down at my place.
Lucky he’s there to guide me, especially the troublesome references formatting. Too troublesome.

But not to be too proud of myself, this was just the FIRST semester of this 3 years courses. Many more modules to come. But with this result, at least I know I am working out the right thing.
Can’t wait to attend classes like Marketing, Managing People etc. I am just too weak at dealing with people.

Bully me!

Keep bullying me la! Go ahead! Thank god for you to bully me!
Thanks! I won’t fail to u!
Wait and see!!!!

I am contented

2nd of July past. I forgot about this date! Well, this is a very very good news.

Recently I’ve been very busy living a hectic life juggling around work and relationship.
I am very contented and happy with what I have now.

The Travel software is rolled to LIVE on 1st July, however, it’s not considered full success because there is just not enough customer to book tours nowadays.
But I consider it’s partly success, because users has been using it to issue real invoice and receipts!
There are glitches but which software doesn’t? Just have to fix it…no complain!

I am confident, my software does help users, at least they don’t have to write on papers that they will not understand when they review it at later times. More to come, it will be impressive once the linkage to the financial part is done. But its tough ya….But I am sure nothing will block my way…go go go, ganbatte Ongki!

Relationship? Oh, very nice. At least I have a companion. The feeling of having him, is somehow very ‘real’.
We are like real companion to each other. Talk about life, money, family, work, study, food etc.

With him around, I have done many things that I will not do if not because of him, for example, watching Terminator and Transformers. I was really quite reluctant to watch but I know he likes it, and I found it not bad at all. Watching these kind of movies made me understand him more. He has a strange own world within himself, that no one ever want to go in. I didn’t want to go in either, but I will try to understand.
I’ll reserve that space to himself, as of a space that I expect him to reserve for me.

It is very funny of how I discovered my another self being someone’s girlfriend. I am actually very passionate!
I just wish to see him every evening after work, accompany him for dinner, send him home etc.
His place is far, but I enjoy the quality time we have chatting in the car. He’ll sometimes hold my hand while I drive. I like that kind of feeling.

We went Singapore for a short holiday last month. It was a great one. With him this time, the experience was somehow different from those that I had previously. I never know Singapore is this interesting.
We didn’t book any hotel that easily cost SGD90++. Instead, he booked a backpackers hostel that only cost us SGD55 for a room with attached shower room. The hostel dorm is not bad but the room we lived in, is a bit … uncomfortable as there is no windows and I think there is air circulation problem. Could be because of that, both of us were sick after the 3 days 2 nights trip. The amazing thing is, we bumped into our Indian professor at Singapore airport! Oh yes, I’ve finally seen the not-so-pink pink dolphin. Don’t really enjoy the session as it was damn hot and crowded at the show.

Oh! I must mention about the overwhelming responds at facebook when everyone were wondering if he’s the one.

Carl: “your boyboy ar?”

Christy: “wooi………….. ur bf ah???????”

Chee Yan’s hubby: “Elaine..u shl “kim toh kim toh”..ur boy boy didnt even think of taking pic with u instead of that blue eyes girl….sigh!!!!”

YimLye: “Ahemmm…. something is ON ..Good to know that.”

even my Aunt Mui: “lovely couple )”

Guess what, he bought two sotongs…..which we both think is really cute, or cut it short ‘lan-ho-ngoi’

Too much to write about him, I just followed him back to his hometown, Ipoh last weekend. It was another story to tell. Met his parents, funny sister, cats, dogs, his Gundams etc.
To me, every family has their own culture, own family matters, own ‘law’. So is his, which I think they are basically quite a cute family. His father is a superb animal lover. His mom is a superb F1 ‘mai kai shu met kai’ driver. His sister is the one who pronounced Braun Buffel as Buffet. I saw his hug and pamper the cats.
Strange enough, I was wondering in my heart, how come he didn’t pamper me like that? Were I jealous of a cat????
And he drove! Finally his turn to drive instead of me! Looking forward for the day when his MyVi is moving in Taman Pertama
Oh yes, we also went for foot reflexology, and he was a first timer! He was kinda nervous, and its funny to look at his expression when the China aunty massage his thigh!
There are many things that he did it first time for me, and so did I do things because of him.
I guess this is the art of a relationship.
We are heading the right direction. Forget about the cancer libra incompatibility issue.
We control our fate.