Saturday, September 26, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Selamat Hari Raya
Selamat Hari Raya to everyone especially my family. My family is scattered everywhere - from Malaysia, to US, to UK, to Qatar. I hope everyone will enjoy this special occasion after fasting during Ramadan. Don't eat too much :)
Maaf zahir dan batin!
Adam
Maaf zahir dan batin!
Adam
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Comfort Zone
Going outside of your comfort zone will help you in the long run. I would know. Because I've tried many things that were outside of my comfort zone that I feel have paid off today.
For instance, I joined the debating team when I was in MRSM Langkawi. I had no clue what so ever on how to debate at that time. It was my first time joining the debating team and quite honestly I was scared as hell. I would admit that at the moment I wasn't that good in debating. (nor am I saying that I'm good at it now). But I learned plenty from my coaching teacher and from my teammates and at the very least, I didn't embarrass myself on stage.
The experience that I got from that venture has helped me somewhat today. For instance, I don't get the jitters when I give a presentation. I've learned to pace myself when I talk. The usual "umm" and "aaaa" that people give during their presentations, I don't do. And most importantly, before giving a presentation I would study study study the material first hand. Of course, there will be questions thrown at me that are just on top of my head and I would be unable to answer them. But that's expected.
Sometimes it isn't what you're saying but how you're saying it.
Another experience that I would like to share is how I conquered my fear of heights. Since I was small I was always afraid of heights. Just looking down from a building would make my palms sweat... and make that certain body part giggle. Haha.
But I didn't want the fear of heights get the best of me. So what did I do? I jumped off a plane. Yep. I went skydiving. Now, everytime someone gives me a hard time for not going on a roller coaster ride I just tell 'em that I've already jumped out of a plane. *Take that! Kapow! Trump card unveiled!*
My last experience I'd like to jot down here is my fear of writing. Yep. I was always afraid of people seeing my writing. I feel like you put a lot of thought process to your writing and certain people out there don't try to read your writings for the message that you are trying to convey but keep on trying to find flaws in your writing. Those people don't get the point. Grammatical errors and mistakes in detail (once I said state of Chicago and someone corrected me on that "It's city!") are common in writing.
But now look at me ("look at me" *echoing in the background), I'm writing in facebook/blog and everyone can read my thoughts.
Go outside your comfort zone. Be less afraid to make mistakes. Be brave to find challenges and overcome them. It's better to try and fail than to never have tried in the first place.
For instance, I joined the debating team when I was in MRSM Langkawi. I had no clue what so ever on how to debate at that time. It was my first time joining the debating team and quite honestly I was scared as hell. I would admit that at the moment I wasn't that good in debating. (nor am I saying that I'm good at it now). But I learned plenty from my coaching teacher and from my teammates and at the very least, I didn't embarrass myself on stage.
The experience that I got from that venture has helped me somewhat today. For instance, I don't get the jitters when I give a presentation. I've learned to pace myself when I talk. The usual "umm" and "aaaa" that people give during their presentations, I don't do. And most importantly, before giving a presentation I would study study study the material first hand. Of course, there will be questions thrown at me that are just on top of my head and I would be unable to answer them. But that's expected.
Sometimes it isn't what you're saying but how you're saying it.
Another experience that I would like to share is how I conquered my fear of heights. Since I was small I was always afraid of heights. Just looking down from a building would make my palms sweat... and make that certain body part giggle. Haha.
But I didn't want the fear of heights get the best of me. So what did I do? I jumped off a plane. Yep. I went skydiving. Now, everytime someone gives me a hard time for not going on a roller coaster ride I just tell 'em that I've already jumped out of a plane. *Take that! Kapow! Trump card unveiled!*
My last experience I'd like to jot down here is my fear of writing. Yep. I was always afraid of people seeing my writing. I feel like you put a lot of thought process to your writing and certain people out there don't try to read your writings for the message that you are trying to convey but keep on trying to find flaws in your writing. Those people don't get the point. Grammatical errors and mistakes in detail (once I said state of Chicago and someone corrected me on that "It's city!") are common in writing.
But now look at me ("look at me" *echoing in the background), I'm writing in facebook/blog and everyone can read my thoughts.
Go outside your comfort zone. Be less afraid to make mistakes. Be brave to find challenges and overcome them. It's better to try and fail than to never have tried in the first place.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Parenting
The time for studying has come again. This blog, as dead as it already is, will be 'dead'er in the upcoming weeks. I don't want to bitch about how hard it is studying without food in your stomach cause I don't really think it's that bad. It sucks, but it's manageable.
There are so many things to talk about. I don't feel like I can cover all of them and give the ideas that I have justice by writing nonchalantly and unemotionally. Perhaps it's better that I just save the stories for later. But if I do that, the moment just passes by. I might even forget those stories.
Sigh*. The sacrifices I give to the actuarial world.
I'll give one quick story despite ;)
I always stalk my friends' blogs. In fact, I update those blog pages maybe four to five times a day. It's a bad habit. Terrible actually. Yet I can't help myself. I have to know what they have to say and I have to know what other people are commenting about their writing. Most of the comments that they receive are dumb and totally unrelated to their postings. But one recent entree from a friend had her mom comment in her blog...
Yep. Her. Mother. Mom. Mommy. Mama.
First of all let me clarify. My mom is an awesome mom. Not just an awesome mom. She's also a damn sporting mom and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to introduce my mom to my buddies. But in all honesty, if my mom read my blog I'd probably be a little embarrassed. Well not that embarrassed. (keep on contradicting yourself Adam. good job)
It's the upbringing that we have in Malaysia that has made me this way. Not just me, but most of the people I know surely feel the same way to some degree.
Do you guys remember your first day in school? Some of your parents would be going to school and looking at you, standing in the middle of the class in front of everyone to see if you would be able adapt to your new found surrounding. And at that time, you would feel so embarrassed for no particular reason. "Go away mom and dad. I'm coping fine. I'm ashamed that it seems as if I need you to be by my side all the time" you tell yourself. Of course there are some other parents that know how their kids feel about their presence and would hide behind the building pillars. Ever so slightly they would take a peek or two when you weren't looking to make sure that you are doing well.
That is the Malaysian culture. We shy away from our parents for no good reason. Kids over here in Western countries are so different. The kids here feel left out if the parents aren't there when they achieve something. "I finally won the Math prize this year. But it means nothing since my parents aren't here to see me win this!" they say to themselves.
Now that I'm older I wouldn't mind my parents being at my side when I achieve something. I remember when I won the 'hadiah matematik' for getting the highest marks in class when I was small in SRKBBB. At that time I was praying so hard that my parents wouldn't cheer for me when I was walking on stage. Two years ago, I graduated from college. At that time, my parents and brother cheered. I took it all in.
There are so many things to talk about. I don't feel like I can cover all of them and give the ideas that I have justice by writing nonchalantly and unemotionally. Perhaps it's better that I just save the stories for later. But if I do that, the moment just passes by. I might even forget those stories.
Sigh*. The sacrifices I give to the actuarial world.
I'll give one quick story despite ;)
I always stalk my friends' blogs. In fact, I update those blog pages maybe four to five times a day. It's a bad habit. Terrible actually. Yet I can't help myself. I have to know what they have to say and I have to know what other people are commenting about their writing. Most of the comments that they receive are dumb and totally unrelated to their postings. But one recent entree from a friend had her mom comment in her blog...
Yep. Her. Mother. Mom. Mommy. Mama.
First of all let me clarify. My mom is an awesome mom. Not just an awesome mom. She's also a damn sporting mom and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to introduce my mom to my buddies. But in all honesty, if my mom read my blog I'd probably be a little embarrassed. Well not that embarrassed. (keep on contradicting yourself Adam. good job)
It's the upbringing that we have in Malaysia that has made me this way. Not just me, but most of the people I know surely feel the same way to some degree.
Do you guys remember your first day in school? Some of your parents would be going to school and looking at you, standing in the middle of the class in front of everyone to see if you would be able adapt to your new found surrounding. And at that time, you would feel so embarrassed for no particular reason. "Go away mom and dad. I'm coping fine. I'm ashamed that it seems as if I need you to be by my side all the time" you tell yourself. Of course there are some other parents that know how their kids feel about their presence and would hide behind the building pillars. Ever so slightly they would take a peek or two when you weren't looking to make sure that you are doing well.
That is the Malaysian culture. We shy away from our parents for no good reason. Kids over here in Western countries are so different. The kids here feel left out if the parents aren't there when they achieve something. "I finally won the Math prize this year. But it means nothing since my parents aren't here to see me win this!" they say to themselves.
Now that I'm older I wouldn't mind my parents being at my side when I achieve something. I remember when I won the 'hadiah matematik' for getting the highest marks in class when I was small in SRKBBB. At that time I was praying so hard that my parents wouldn't cheer for me when I was walking on stage. Two years ago, I graduated from college. At that time, my parents and brother cheered. I took it all in.
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