With you.

And if I were to write it in Malay it would be even better…

Hari ini, aku bahagia.

Dengan kamu.

For now, I will share some photos which I will see everyday, where I will work and start my career.

And I will walk through this door on the day I start my career with PETRONAS.

It has been a long time that we didn’t go for holiday together in a family. I believe, when I start working, I will get my family a holiday package so that we can spend few days if not a week, in Langkawi Island.

Picture: Langkawi (Cable car ride)

I love you mom! I love you dad! And all.

Starbucks

“Can I have a grande Hazelnut latte with cream on top.”

“I’m staying in”

“Do I get discounts for using my own cup?”

Subway

“Can I have a foot long Italian Herbs & Cheese Tuna Mayonnaise.”

“Yup (Cheese and toasted)”

“Lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and pepper.”

“Light mayonnaise and BBQ”

Cardiff Bus

“Can I have a day pass please?”

“Thank you (as leaving the bus)”

Cardiff Taxi

“Can you send me a taxi to Victoria Hall. I am going to the city centre. My name is Rafie (you spell it wrong anyway).”

General Phonetic

Oh yes, I am a fan of… NANA. N for November. A for Alpha. N for November. A for Alpha.

Phone number

“Zero, Seven, Nine, Six, Five, Five, Six Five, Five…”

“Six Five Five (again?)”

“(Yes, I know what I’m saying) Yes, Six Five Five, Two Five.”

“Can I repeat it once again? Zero, Seven, Nine, Six, Five, Five, Six Five, Five, Two Five.”

“Yup, you got it.”

And some friends will praise for the number, quite close to Pizza Hut.

Tea

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Yes, please.”

“Sugar and milk?”

“Yes. One or two sugar.”

For now, that is all I can remember. Will add few more as these memories come flashing back.

I dream big. Stuff like having my face in front of the Times magazine. Almost impossible. Almost. But not impossible. I dream big.

I once told a story about a person who wrote down things he wanted to do in life. And by the age of 40 or 50, he found out that most of what he wanted to do has been crossed out. I guess mine is the same as most of things I wanted to do and dream of came to reality.

Post-on Note (The Yellow Sticky Note)

If you have a big dream, perhaps this practice should be a good start. Get a pad of sticky notes and write down things you have to do today or this week. Work towards it.

What’s good about it is that you have all the stuff you wanted to do in front of you. Now you just got to work your ass off (Pardon me). If it is inside your head, you’ll get confused, unmanageable and worse of all – forget.

5 years ahead

So, within another five years, I wish to:

• Create a new work culture inside Petronas (where I am hoping to work soon).
• Become a manager of a department in Petronas.
• Publish at least two books. One is my target, two is better.
• Successful self-branding.
• Obtain MBA (Part time study while working).
• Be financially stable but at the same time not be driven my money.
• Get ready for engagement and marriage.
• Travel to Middle East and Mediterranean countries like – Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Cyprus, Malta. And maybe to Mauritius and Maldives :) Honeymoon!

Maldives by Amit Bhawani

List will be added from time to time, but for now, this should get me started after graduation yesterday. All the best!

No secrets. Once you have the songs inside your heart. You just read the lyrics and you’ll be on your way soon.

Sometimes you realized that the lyrics has so much to offer than just good composition and harmony. Beneath there is a message about life. I miss you!

Some days I feel like crying
Don’t matter if its rain or shine
I feel like my heart was broken
At least a million times

Some days I wake up dreaming
Feels like I never even woke
Answer life’s big question
As if it’s one big joke
Maybe it’s too soon to be sure but I
Really do believe that some day we’re gonna have it all
So I cry so hard it keeps the rhythm of a train
Rolling right along when the ride gets rough you got to carry on

Some days I feel like singing
I sit back and just groove the day away
Maybe I pick up a guitar and play what I want to play
Maybe it’s too soon to be sure but I
Really do believe that some day we’re gonna have it all
So I cry so hard it keeps the rhythm of a train
Rolling right along when the ride gets rough you got to carry on
Carry on,
You got to carry on
You got to carry on
You got to carry on

Today I feel like laughing
Seems to be no reason at all
And if the world stops spinning
I’m not afraid to fall
Maybe it’s too soon to be sure but I
Really do believe that some day we’re gonna have it all
So I cry so hard it keeps the rhythm of a train
Rolling right along when the ride gets rough you got to carry on

I never listen to your songs other than what has been played in the radio. But when I first got to know you are going to perform in Cardiff International Arena, UK, I have no second thought but to buy the ticket. My first ever live concert!

Picture: (By the look of it) John Mayer is playing Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

What amazed me is not the fact that I listen to your songs a lot more after I’ve got the ticket, but perhaps after I am obsessed with your songs, then I have got my lucky strike knowing you’re performing here. It’s my final few months in the UK and I am lucky enough to be given the chance to see you performing live.

Oh no, I am not looking for a backstage pass, I am just happy to listen from far singing along and enjoying you playing your guitar.

Thank you for your lovely songs!

P/s: Sorry to rip off the picture from your website! See you this Sunday.

1. I learn to earn from doing what I love to do – web design and development.
2. I came to earn a degree in engineering, but other interest might develop slowly and it may get prominent (design and business development). In which, now I am hoping to start my career by joining Petronas.
3. I am more concern about my food. Thanks to Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver!
4. I appreciate how the British people ‘worship’ the sun and ‘racist’ about the rain.
5. I learn that customer service is No.1 – “customer is always often right”
6. I learn to love tea with milk, but with less sugar. It is good with rich tea biscuits.
7. I learn to eat cold sandwich and cold food.
8. I learn to network with people from informal meetings (Twitter meet ups etc)
9. It took me 2 years to understand their jokes and laugh together with them.
10. English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish – you know they will talk behind about others.
11. British people are quite open about sex-related when you’re among the same gender.
12. I drink water a lot, but these people drink beer a lot more than me.
13. What ever you eat here – salt and pepper is like a must have!
14. Life here transformed me to be more a ketchup of person rather than hot chili sauce.
15. English breakfast is for two (for God’s sake)! Two eggs, two hash browns, two (vege) sausages, toasted bread, tomatoes, bakes beans and bacon (I get extra hash browns)!
16. Everyday is a shopping day. Why? Because you will find people will carry shopping bags every single day you walk across the city centre, even there is no sale. (which brings me to next point)
17. Maybe, they like to shop using Credit Card, which I have. Lol!
18. Anyway, with regards to music. They support local artist. Example? Heard of Coldplay.
19. Milk – I heard a lot of stories about it. Mixed with water, excess milked poured into the river to maintain the milk price, etc. And UHT milk is on the shelf and people do not fancy it at all.
20. Regardless of that, still lamb is the favourite of the nation besides pork.

(Updated: 23rd April 2010)

Photo: Law_Keven

I love watching cooking TV programmes, with wonderful chefs around the world. Mentioning that, I’ve been doing it since I was small. Despite that, I still maintain a normal body shape even some people told me that I am slim. Thank you!

Over the years, the passion was on and off up until I met with Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. These two chefs lift up the spirit of eating not just healthy but also good and tasty food. You just got to cook with your hard and just believe it.

Prior writing this post, I had my first ever home-made Fish Pie (except I forgot to squeeze the lemon – but it still taste great!). Thanks to Jamie Oliver for the recipe and I am happy to pass on.

Click the image below for recipe

I love the fact that you know what you put inside the food. You can have a good feeling about it. No doubt! So, if you’re bored and got nothing to do, it is worth of going to the youtube or google any of your favourite chef(s) for idea. Besides saving money, you can be proud that you have made a good food.

Oh, if you are inspired with this post, please let me know. Enjoy good food!

Having the eyes that have attention to miniscule can be good and bad (sometimes). I will take a close look at my clothes before buying them, making sure that everything that represent me to the public is as perfect as possible. I don’t posses the Godfather figure of some movement nor I am an idealist, but that is just the way I am. Perhaps some of you.

Realizing the fact that I am halfway through starting this life, there is so much to learn. So many mistakes yet to be made, yet to be forgiven. Even getting this message across is quite a challenge for me. Hopefully, some of you may read this writing.

At the end of the day, you just need to find what is worth fighting for.