Rowie's Scribbles

Time passes quickly when one's life is bustling! I felt that 2018 passed by in a blur, sometimes I mix up the events in 2017 and 2018! Some highlights from 2017-2018:  Winter Holiday 2017 I was super eager for this trip; I had tied up my work from an intense project and missing my beau, plus it was my first trip back to Europe since graduation! My bf planned the trip so well and the trip strengthened our relationship. I will share more details in a separate post, but needless to say it was a fine finish to 2017!  She Works Hard for the Money... On the career-front, I'm fortunate to still have a steady income; the industry is still sluggish despite the rise in petrol prices. The low workload was a blessing because it allowed me to recover from my cubital tunnel syndrome and reflect on my long term career goal. I plan to specialize in heat transfer design and take on more responsibilities as I move up the ladder. Bonjour Paris!  I had the opportunity to wor...

I remember my first desk job as a credit analyst. There was a novel feeling to getting dressed, having my own workstation, and even the very idea of working for an honest wage. Fast forward a dozen years later and I'm facing an uncertainty that I never expected to experience in my career: economic crisis and possibly retrenchment.  Working for a consultancy firm in the O&G industry was a "glamorous" job back then; we may not get the big bucks as our counterparts do in client companies (the industrial term is "operating companies"), but we get to dip our fingers in a variety of fascinating projects, each with its own set of challenges and new knowledge to savor. I love financial independence: who wouldn't? You need dough to pay the bills, to fuel the car (and fix it), to fill the tummy...I am lucky I found a job that I love and can satisfy my financial needs.  It didn't seem possible that the oil price will dip so low but then again, geopoliti...

Definition of wanderlust: I never expected to have wanderlust but I do; every journey adds another facet to the world as I see it. I'm drawn to different cultures, historical treks back in time and reconnecting back to nature. That being said, I'm anal about planning my trips: I plan down to the minute and provide contingency plans.  2014 has been a fruitful year in terms of travel: I visited South Korea with friends, returned to Siem Reap with my man, and organized the department trip to Lombok, which is relatively unexplored territory among my peers. In addition, I've about 9 days of leave to use before the end of the year so I'm making plans for Hanoi and Bangkok!  I generated a map via Interactive Visited Countries and I can see that I've a lot of ground to cover - literally! So far, I learned that the following factors come into play when I plan a trip: 1) Traveling companions I'm not one to travel solo, partly due to security. I also l...

Some of you may notice the sudden barrage of articles since last week. I just installed the Blogger app on my iPad mini and I suddenly have ideas of articles in my kind and I actually have the mood to type it all out!  Please forgive the lack of pictures, I'll get to uploading them soon. I think my approach to blog writing is slightly different now; I genuinely want to write down stuff because its a great form of release -- heaven knows how stressful work has been lately -- plus I want to share information that hopefully will help my readers in some small way.  I'm giving thought to bringing on a co-author to specialize in matters related to accounts and finance, I would need some pointers on what issues or topics you'd like this mystery writer to focus on so I'd appreciate feedback from yourself :)  Time flies really fast when you've got a lot of stuff to do, but it's been nearly 5 yrs since I started this blog and I don regret a single moment...

The year of the Water Snake is here!  I don't feel as celebratory as I did years ago; maybe work has taken its toll on me! However I got a few necessities down: 1) CNY elementals CNY would not be complete without mandarin oranges, nga ku, peanuts, shandy, beer and wine. Of course Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle is a MUST-WATCH for CNY! Ang pow is always appreciated! Also you can never go wrong with red outfits! :D 2) Family and friends Me & the family had our reunion dinner at Chilli's Bangsar Shopping Center. We're not a conventional family aka require yee sang and Chinese cuisine for CNY Eve (ridiculously expensive IMO). We value the time we share together more than tradition, I suppose. So after an extremely filling dinner at Chilli's, we headed to Dancing Fish for some dessert: caramelized banana, cendol and mango lolo. Manja's recommendation gets a thumbs up from me!  On the 1st day, we visited relatives in Shah Alam; 5 babies are a handfu...

Indulge me as I daydream about what I would like to purchase this coming September! ;) 1) iPad The whole tablet craze has hooked me; my uncle has an iPad2 and it's fun to see how he enjoys himself with the various apps and camera functions! I wouldn't mind having an iPad in the house, what with the WiFi; dad could use it when he's going out! At the moment the new iPad is priced at RM1499; RM300 more for better resolution and camera quality.  2) xBox It was a long debate but the xBox won over the PS3 because it's cheaper and I'm not a heavy gamer. Plus at RM1400, I can use the Kinect to play more interactive games with the family. Since my main interest is Tomb Raider and possibly Prince of Persia, xBox is the more practical solution.  3) Violin Oh it's about time. The recent exam proved that it is safer to use a better violin! I've a violin in mind but I'll need more time to survey and to feel it out. It's gonna be a big investment beca...

Well last Wednesday I sat for my ABRSM Grade 5 exam for violin. I honestly feel I can either fail or pass this one. I was a nervous wreck: 1) Work is peaking now so I have barely enough time to get in sufficient practice. I also confess to slacking - there are just some days where I don't feel like practicing or I had other appointments/activities that I partook which reduced my concentration during practice.  2) I was worried that my violin's limitations (being a beginner violin) would affect my performance so I was driving all over town collecting violins from friends and acquaintances - I ended up reverting to my own violin and compiling 6 violins under my roof! I suppose all of this contributed to stiff fingers that probably ruined my 1st piece, and accidentally switched off the room lights as I exited (thank goodness the examiner laughed it off, hopefully she got the hint that I was super-nervous!) I suppose it's always good to reflect on the past and plan f...

It's the year of the Water Dragon, and according to Chinese astrology, it's gonna be a tough year for Tigers like me! So far, so good.  I'm in a job that I enjoy; just finished a challenging project, now I'm focusing on heat exchangers so its a new area of learning for me! So many new people joining the company - more friends woo hoo! :) Also I've registered for the ABRSM Grade 5 exam for violin; I practice daily - I'm glad that I enjoy my pieces very much! The exam's in August, so hopefully I'll be able to master the bowing and the dynamics by then!  One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is to have breakfast/lunch with the family at new eating spots. I've taken them to Jalan Imbi and Pudu for yummeh hawker fare - Dad's interested to try new stuff, so that's a plus for all of us.  No interesting movies for now, looking forward to the Avengers - beefcakes nom nom! :D  I'm gonna attend a concert featuring Nigel...

Well Merdeka Raya is around the corner! You know what that means! 1) Sale EVERYWHERE 2) Patriotism & kuih raya go hand-in-hand this year 3) Clear roads post 6.30pm 4) Sneaking into the pantry to make coffee 5) Cookies cookies cookies! 6) Raya music & patriotic messages burning up the radio waves Festivities aside, it's been a big year for me; I'm officially an employee at Technip. Never mind that my official post is Graduate Process Engineer; I'm learning a LOT & I'm enjoying my work. I don't have a problem working overtime because I know the effort will translate into something REAL! Yeah I've neglected this blog but I guess now that I'm more settled, I can get back to filling it up with articles! I'll provide a newsletter for our 2nd anniversary, at least I can work on that on & off. Many things have happened around the world: 1) The uprising of liberal democracy in Libya, Egypt & Syria 2) Teoh Beng Hock's death is...

Well 2011 has arrived & man, what a yr 2010 was! I started working in Dec & everyday is about learning something new! I realized I really like what I'm doing, I really enjoy coming to work especially since I've so many good friends there & a great group of people to look up to! :)  Now I know I haven't been updating my blog (giving reasons for my absence still doesn't make up for it, I know!) but I've been super busy & we all know it takes time to really focus on writing a proper blog piece! My promise still stands: should I have more time & attention, some new material will pop up here!  I suppose 2011 will be a yr where I will truly learn the meaning of financial independence, adult responsibility & fulfilling my career aspirations. If anything, 2010 has shown me that life can have many unexpected turns & it helps to have family & spiritual belief in oneself to overcome the challenges & become a stronger person at the end of...

Something random about the name Rowan which I am terribly fond of :p The rowan tree is a shrub commonly found in northern Europe as well as in the north east parts of North America. Also known as the mountain ash, the rowan tree is believed to have magical properties by various cultures for many years. There are many different legends pertaining to this tree: 1. According to Finnish legend, the land was barren & devoid of life until a goddess, Rauni landed & took the form of the rowan tree. The tree was struck by lightning, described as the mating between Rauni & Ukko, the god of thunder, hence all plants & animals sprang forth from the rowan tree. 2. In England, the tree is where the Devil hanged his mother. Morbid, no? 3. The tree is prominent in Celtic folklore, providing protection against evil spirits. Rowan trees were planted at churchyards to keep the restless spirits in their graves & to protect the church. Women would wear necklaces of rowan berries strung...

Last Thur was my presentation of my industrial training. It was brief & successful; I was walking around on a cloud of relief & feeling a sense of accomplishment - it's finally over. I no longer have the eyes of the university on me, evaluating everything I do; now it's a different ball game altogether. It feels like 4 yrs have passed by so quickly, I can still remember how my 1st day at university was. I made so many great friends & learned so much about myself. I accomplished a lot & I did my best to contribute to the diversity of the university. I had great experiences in & out of the university, & I'm not ashamed to say that I did good! I've to say that my family was the my pillar of strength. Despite the doubts I had about university, about my internship, about myself as a person, they never lost faith in me & hence I'd to want more for myself. My success is their success, my work is their work. I may come from a university that many...

53 yrs have passed since our 1st Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman called out the Merdeka cheer after we finally gained independence from Britain. 53 yrs have passed & we have seen so much change, so much improvement & crises in our nation. As it's been for 53 yrs, 31st Aug will be met with celebration, patriotism & sheer joy in remembering that same Merdeka cheer. But I feel Malaysia is now at crossroads; every step we take will either bring our country to a better future or stagnant despair. This coming Aug 31st sadly doesn't make me very happy because I don't see much progress as we should be making. All I see is: i) the ruling party spewing 1Malaysia as the reason to NOT work harder for us ii) the opposition party having internal spats like dogs over a bone iii) racism still prevalent in this country: take the case of the headmistress who distastefully called minority groups "penumpang" & that they can return to their "home countries"...

Well I just started my internship at Technip Geoproduction (M) Sdn Bhd, at Wisma Technip located on Jalan Tun Razak. I was pretty lucky as this was the only 1 out of the 11 companies I contacted that accepted my application. I first heard of this company when one of my seniors conducted her internship there & is now a graduate engineer at the same company. The internship is a compulsory requirement for my graduation from UMP: 1. Duration: 6 months (June – Nov) 2. Work scope: anything related to chemical engineering lol! 3. Allowance: depends on the company. 4. Supervisor: depends on the company. Since the company is in KL, my food & accommodation is settled hehe! So far I’ve been here for nearly 2 weeks, so here are my impressions: 1. I hate KL traffic jam! It takes me about30 min to go to work but an HOUR just to get back! Even leaving at 5pm doesn’t guarantee a smooth ride home >.< 2. I hear ambulance sirens everyday, sometimes 8 times! I ...

I'm happy to say that I'm back in the comfort of my home! I'll be driving back to UMP on Sun for debate training (got 2 upcoming tournaments) but these past few days have been blissful! TV...Internet...a firm bed...a comfortable loo...garlic bread...stove...fridge...yogurt...newspaper... The simple comforts that make up a home are all here! I even rented a new book: Not bad, huh? I'm enjoying myself, recuperating from all the months of sleepless nights...I can barely get my body up every morning because I'm loving mah bed! :D I'll write more once my mind & body are awake :p See you soon!

As the Xmas spirit blooms & people gear up for the year end holidays, again the time comes to reflect on how 2009 has been & what 2010 can be. It's been a tumultous year for us...the following words should pretty much cover how I felt 2009 was like: 1. Iran elections 2. Swine flu 3. Credit crunch & unemployment 4. Cyclone Nargis 5. China earthquake 6. Plant design & PSM 7. Earth Hour 8. Malaysian by-elections 9. Obama 10. Windows 7 11. Maguindanao massacre 12. 1Malaysia 13. MACC/Teoh inquest 14. Malaysia Lotus F1 team 15. Malaysia bans Allah from Bible 16. Kampar river bridge collapse 17. Fatine & Ian Young 18. Teaching Science & Math in Malay/English 19. Orchestra training 20. Debate competitions So much has happened within the space of 1 yr, both locally & abroad. One has to ponder what these events mean & how they affect our lives. Each event is a stroke on the big...