Under The Mistletoe...

It's the first day of the week.
People seemingly have a syndrome on such days.
They just turn blue, and hence named it "Monday Blues."
I'm happy to inform you that such syndromes are only experienced when you allow yourself to experience them.

So much for randomness.
Here's more random rants.

# Hello you! Thank you for keeping me going. : )

# Met Adam in the LRT this morning. I realized how much I miss hanging out. I dislike work for taking away our time. I detest work for keeping us so busy.

# Some people should learn how to do filing properly. Then people like me will not have to suffer. *rolls eyes*

# Durian after dinner is like...heaven.

# My car is now almost fully at its best. The fuel meter is finally working, and so are the other meters. My car now has sports rims. Rawr!

# I need some chill out time soon. Meh...



Anyway, I've got a big decision on my hands.
It looks like the people closest to me have helped made my mind.
Regardless, it looks like the end of my internship by the 16th of this month.

Pros?
- I get a HUGE burden off my back.
- More time to go out and chill.
- I'm probably gonna move on to a bigger firm, hence increasing my CV value. God-willing.

Cons?
- Too much time. Have to keep productivity level consistent.
- Spending capacity reduces quite dramatically.
- I'm gonna sacrifice that one month holiday in December which I have set out for myself originally.

Like it or not, I'm gonna have to live with the ramifications of that decision.
My mind's made up.
Now, I really gotta pray for God to open the doors for me.
Thank You Dad for Your guidance.

~ The steps of a good (righteous) man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way (Psalms 37:23).

The Smile Of An Angel...

Holidays! Holidays! Holidays!
Okay, you cannot really blame me for going bonkers.
I've been waiting for this for a long time.
I need a break from waking up early every morning, and dreading the day ahead.
But, there are lessons to be learned.

Hence, this post might not be entertaining but it is educational.
So feel free to skip this post.

Before I get into details and randomness, I'd just like to say that the holidays couldn't have started any better (minus the fact that CG was not on tonight =X).
Boss allowed me to leave early today, and I'm glad.
Recently, things have just fallen into place at the right timing.

So, let me give you the breakdown.

A while ago, I had to weigh my options for an internship and though KPMG would have been ideal...but what's the point if you're not gonna get much of what audit is about in a different department?
An offer to work at a reinsurance company also presented itself with pretty much quite a fair bit of pay for an intern, but I declined that due to the fact that it would not have helped me much in the chosen field.

Hence, I thought joining my uncle would be a good idea.
I think it's been pretty crazy though, and perhaps I now rethink my decision twice especially the very moment I told myself...

"I hope he doesn't go easy on me. I wanna learn stuff."

Ever heard the saying, be careful what you wish for?
My boss (yes, I wanna keep it that way) has been drilling me every single day.
Lets just say for someone like me, you don't expect discouragement to get to you...but I'm human.
The first few days were horrid.
I could never seem to get anything right, nor could I get my tasks right.
And I thought I'd lose confidence in myself before everyday ended.
But over time, I've realized and learned a few things.

• I'm systematic, but I'm not meticulous and audit has definitely thought me a lot about myself and what I need to improve on.
• I need to listen more, speak less, and think a whole lot before I even speak.
• You can never really judge a book by its cover (i.e. my uncle whom I thought was always rather soft spoken and timid).
• Sleep has become irreplaceable. I've always taken it for granted, but I realize how important it is to me now.
• I officially dislike KL. I'm a PJ boy through and true.
• Most importantly, I've learned to depend on God's grace every single day. When it gets lonely, I just talk to Him on the spot. He's amazing.
• And then of course, there's another important person. Yes, you. <3

I think I've also realized how important God is to me now.
The moments when you need someone to be constantly there...

And no matter how tired I am, I force myself to wake up early just to spend that 30-45 minutes in prayer and just to read His Word every morning.
It's Him that keeps me going and sustains me.
Indeed, I can truly say I choose to become better and not bitter.
That grace of God, I now know how valuable it is. = )

Oh well, I have holidays till 1st October.
Now is the time to catch up with a lot of things.

Holiday plans include...

sleep. eat. sleep some more. hang out. sleep even more. prison break. sleep, again. study. sleep, sleep, sleep.

So yes!
There we go, updates!
Tomorrow if I feel like it, I'll update on the missions trip to Malacca.
That's also depending on the internet connection.
Just a while ago, it was slow as crap.

And before I sign off from this post...



Thank you for always being there.
Thank you for those messages that keep me going.
Thank you for that lovely gift.
And thank you for bearing with me patiently.

Everything is certainly that much brighter because of you.

PS: I remember I promised to hold your hands as we journey on in life. <3

She is love...

Hello!
The weekends are finally here.
Yesterday was my last day of work as well.
Don't ask me, but I'm ecstatic.
It feels so carefree to not worry about the weekends finishing fast and dreading another week again.
Though I'll be slacking quite a bit this week, but heck...
I rather be bumming around a bit, than to go through everyday and feeling terrible.

Anyway, here are my mini updates.
Just snippets of what happened this week.


Fruit party, sorta.


Supper @ SS2; durian fest after prayer meeting.


Thank you for the treat! Thank you for always being who you are! *Excuse the terrible quality. Phone camera. xD


Dad and mum.


Durian lovers, this is your place to be. Buffet available as well.


Jamming session @ 12 Studio, Subang.


Part of the band. Johnston (lead guitarist) and Andrew (bassist).


My love.


Last but not least, picture of the week. They have to paste such a notice on an ATM machine? Haha!

Till my next post, this is Matt signing off.

~ Every time you look at me and see me smiling, just know that I am thinking of you.

Glimpses of you...

Midweek update!
Just a short update.

Good news is I'm quitting my current contract job after this week.
Still on the hunt for colleges with the ACCA course.
So far, I've shortlisted a few colleges as possible destinations.

- Sunway University College
- Inti College Subang Jaya
- Tunku Abdul Rahman College
- Stamford College

Then there are some other colleges right in the heart of town, but not to keen on them due to the fact that I just kinda wanna stay away from KL for a while.
I rather drive to college mainly due to the irregular college schedules.
Right now, those are the possible targets, and hopefully by this week I'll have a rough idea on the courses provided by each college.
Then the next step would be to start applying for scholarships.
Next intake would be in September; my target for now.

Another decision to be made is whether I should take up Asaph's offer to work part time at Standard Chartered.
Flexible hours caught my ears and it is a possibility especially when I start my course in full swing.
Will be making a few phone calls here and there within this week.

God, I pray for direction.

On another note, there's so much to organize.
Gotta confirm the youth outing this week and all.
Moreover, there's the script for the Christmas skit to work on still and the deadline is end of this month.
And then there's the choosing of topics for the forum on the 4th week and to search for the panel by this week.

But for now, just looking to God to keep me going for the rest of the week.
His faithfulness has been constant, and this is all definitely His favour.
Oh well, I'm off to work.
Till my next post...

PS: Will be in Wangsa Maju today. KTAR-ians, meet up anyone? = )

~ If you think missing me is hard, you should try missing you.

Your face echos at every heartbeat...

Listening to: I believe there is more - Don Moen

Addicted to the song ever since we sung it on Sunday.
He's one singer that I'm amazed by.
No doubt he wasn't in my era, but his songs really bring worship to a whole new level.
Thank God for youtube. = )

Before further updates, some random snapshots of work.
And what we've been up to during work.


This cute lil fella jumped up on the empty chair while Billy and myself were having dinner prior to jamming session on Thursday. Couldn't help but snap a picture of it. = )


Supposed to be on duty, but we passed by a restaurant selling one of the best beef ball noodles in town. So, there we go...


Beef balls galore! xD


Jalan Bukit Bintang at peak hour. Was at work there today. Insane...


But the night life is certainly colourful...

Anyway, looks like my blog will be only updated once a week apparently.
Had short meet ups with Danial and Adam for lunch on Saturday.
Danial's in Jakarta at this very moment, and Adam's heading off to India on Wednesday.
Ah, I miss them.
It's been so long since we actually sat down and started catching up, updating each other on what's been going on, literally stabbing each other in the front.
Good times, good times...
Too bad I didn't snap pictures while we were out.

Then, Asaph unexpectedly called me out for dinner to Picadilly's.
Met up with him also momentarily cause I had to go back and spend some quality time with the family.
Ended up taking them to Picadilly's based on recommendation.
Again, I didn't get to snap pictures.
It was pretty dark, but it was all part of the ambiance apparently.

On Sunday, met up with Nicolette for our usual catch up.
Faced the repeated dilemma on where to go and we decided to head to the usual hangout at Pyramid.
Walked around aimlessly and finally decided to catch an apparent thriller.
Had dinner at Waffle World since we both weren't really hungry.
Ended up sharing the peach waffle.


The Last House on the Left.

It was based on Danial's recommendation.
Didn't know the plot or what to expect.
So we just stepped in and brace ourselves.
Turned out to be pure gore and blood.

Verdict: 7/10
Okay, I'll admit my ratings are pretty biased cause I had excellent company. Probably messed up my ratings there. The plot was pretty good, and the graphics were extremely vivid minus the censorship board's rather frequent censoring business. But I think it was the right decision to watch that movie over Public Enemies that day. Wouldn't have it any other way. = )

Dropped by at Old Town after that for a drink before dropping her back home.
How was my weekend you ask?
Best weekend in a long while.
So, ending this post with pictures...


Peek-a-boo. = )


Take 1.


Take 2. Me thinks me look weird. =X


Take 3. Settled for 3 shots. It's kinda hard to keep up with someone who's terribly photogenic. xD

Me thinks my new hairstyle might be a wee bit too short.
That was totally my own fault.
Oh well...
Till my next post, have a good week ahead.
Cheerio.

~ To love someone is nothing. To be loved by someone is something. To love and be loved by someone is everything.

What a shame we all became...

Today...bad day.
The feeling was extremely disappointing and discouraging.
Then again, life is never smooth and it is just another day that will pass.
To make up for the bad sales, tomorrow I'll have to sell 6 cartons instead of 3 cartons?
Impossible?
Nothing is impossible with God.

Anyway, since I had some free time I thought I'd update my blog since it's long long overdue in terms of updates.
First things first, 5 Kempas reunion.

Date: 28th June 2009
Venue: Yuan's Steamboat, Subang

Thanks to Jack, we managed to coordinate and about 14-15 of us managed to make it though some of them did eventually make it for the post event.
So, I'll let the pictures do the talking.


The galore just waiting for us to dig in.


Seafood consisting of cuttlefish, oysters (if I'm not mistaken), and some other shelled food which I couldn't really be bothered since I pretty much consume anything.


Prawns, to fu, fish, and other related seafood delicacies.


More food.


Here we go...


The 'famed' Yuan's chicken wings. The dish that Malaysians truly act the way they are...shoving, pushing, and multi-queueing. But it is that good...


Meet Peng Cheng. He loves veggie. = )


From L-R: Huey Lin, Boon Woei, and Jack our coordinator.


Wilson, You Jin, and Ben Yi.


Jian Sheng (Class Monitor), Peng Cheng, and Anna (who was rather camera shy xD)


Yours truly with Kenneth How.


Jack and yours truly. I chose a bad combination of wardrobe. And yes, I look awful with caps. =X

Red Carpet Award (Due to them making their late cameo appearances)


Ong See Leong!


Lim Suk Wein (Caught while eating xD)

We had games post dinner and managed to catch up pretty much with each other.
It was really good fun.
We adjourned to Wilson's house in BU right after that.
Though no drinks were popped open, but we took out a deck of cards and started playing a game similiar to truth or dare.
Some of the dares were EXTREMELY HILARIOUS.
However, to protect the images and privacy of some of those involved, I have decided not to post up the videos.
Do check them out on facebook though.
I'm pretty sure I've been tagged in one or two of them.
Too lazy to copy and paste from there.
Picture credits on facebook goes to Peng Cheng, our official photographer.

Next up...
Some random pictures of work.
And...
Updates on last Thursday.


Billy's car gadgets. = )


All ready for distribution.

Date: 2nd July 2009
Place: Sunway Pyramid

Ended work early, and thus we headed to Pyramid to have dinner, chill, and then head off for jamming session with the band.
We had dinner at Steven's Tea Garden courtesy of Billy (thank you very much).


My set dinner; Mutton rendang set.


With Coke. Best drink on a hot day.


Billy's Cheese Grilled Chicken Chop.


And Mango Lassi.

I still think Steven's Tea Garden is an overpriced place to be at.
Paying more for the environment and ambiance than anything else.


Played pool after that.


Then, Billy found a new hobby.


Steady, aim, fire; Robin Hood in training. = )

Went for jamming after, but didn't get any pictures for those.
It was good relaxing and hanging out without having to worry.
So much for updates.
More to come in the next post.
Stay tuned.

~ Time is nothing. The desire to love is everything.

The moon pales in comparison to you...

Greetings!
I am your fath...
Nevermind.

Hello once again.
Today was my first day of work.
One word.
I-N-S-A-N-E!
It was hard work, and my muscles are aching all over from the carrying of boxes and a huge ice box up and down flights of stairs and around KL.
Anyway, before I get into that...

Yesterday's 5 Kempas reunion turned out great.
Everything ALMOST went according to plan.
Pictures will be up when I have the time to upload, though most of the pictures are already on Peng Cheng's facebook.
So, I will blog about it when I have time, though at the rate work is turning out to be...
You get the point. = )

First day of work, and I admit that I've learned a lot.
I think I've somehow managed to gauge my communication skills, my socializing skills, and my public relations skills.


Picture credits to google search. = )

So what have I learned at work today?
- Malaysians comprise of nice people who smile and either stop to hear you out, or say no thanks.
- Malaysians also comprise of very busy people (maybe especially in KL) who run about to and fro endlessly.
- Then there are Malaysians who ignore and act all obnoxious and rude when approached.
- Nonetheless, I'm a people person and I love meeting people and their different characters, and I've learned to like my job minus the carrying of heavy boxes up and down.
- BUT ironically promoting is so not my kinda job...though I admit that to a certain extent, my character does somewhat help in drawing out a friendly approach from people (sometimes).
- I've learned that people are skeptical of supposedly 'free' items and even though we were giving out free samples, more people turned it down than took up the offer.
- My character and perception towards people have somewhat changed. I'm glad even if the impression some left me may not be entirely positive.

So that was what my first day.
I have a lot more to learn I believe.
Complaining can be tempting at times, but God's grace was ever sustaining and sufficient.
Gonna be needing it every single day to get me through.
I'm not gonna talk about how tough the job will be, but I'm gonna look at it as a challenge that God wants to put me through to make me a better person.
I admit, I got discouraged a lil...
But I thank God He was there.
He is what makes the HUGE difference between complaining, and getting through everyday victoriously.

I thank God you were there.
You helped me through a crazy day.
Indeed your significance is more than you know it. = )

~ When I miss you, I don't have to go far...I just have to look inside my heart because that's where I'll find you.

For what its worth, lets leave it as that...

Fridays are normally routinely mundane. I have the whole day to myself with nothing to do but fret over my unfinished assignments and exams. However, today I went to take a short break (though I haven't really done much) and met up with Karmen and her friends. Went to Bukit Jalil to pick her up, then we headed off to Midvalley to have our sushi lunch and window shop.


Lunch menu @ Sushi Zen, Gardens.


Sauces and what nots.


Chefs at work.


Appetizers. Salmon and crab meat.


My half-bitten soft shell crab. Yumz...Karmen stole the rest of it. xD


The main course; unagi rice, or whatever you call it. Roasted eel with rice.


Karmen's Niku Beef. The soup really makes up for it.


Green tea ice-cream @ Baskin Robbins. Nawh, thats wasabi for ya.


Matt and Karmen.


Sink @ Gardens' toilet. Almost accidently pee-d in here. =X

Left MV around 5pm and drove back in heavy torrents that poured down. It was raining cats and dogs and needless to say, traffic was slow moving.

I learned a few lessons today while I was out.

1. A day out in the mall opens your eyes to the different types of people.
This was evident as I had a lot of alone time to myself while the girls were window shopping and camwhoring in the dressing rooms. I watched so many different people pass by and realize the diversity among us humans. I have to admit, I stood at places reminiscing as I saw people passing by, it just brought back a lot of memories. = )

2. Sales is influence over a person to spend.
This refers more to girls (no offence) and their hobby of shopping. Sales can drive someone to spend money and then presents itself a little regret right after the money has been cashed out, and paid to the cashier. Oh, it leads to occasional violence and the need for a guy to stop the girl from spending overexcessively. I've experienced the full effect of shopping with girls (especially a girl who loves dresses, tops, and anything to do with clothes) and it drained a lot of energy and helped build patience. xD


See what I mean? Those are Karmen's fingers by the way, not mine.


Boredom certainly leads to camwhoring. I had to entertain myself.

3. Appearance isn't everything.
My car may not be new, nor possess the looks of a sports car of any sort, but I absolutely cherish it. Petrol consumption is incredible. It was a little bit more than half this morning. I went to Bukit Jalil, then to Midvalley before heading back. Now, its drop to only half. You gotta love the petrol consumption. Its either really fuel effective or the petrol meter is a bit off. = )

4. I am back to square one all over again. = )
Today was certainly a way of getting back to reality. Lets just say I had reality knock some sense into the stubborn little me and facts that slapped me right in the face. The intention to see where I really stood opened my eyes and I'm back to where I started. I can finally look to the future. In a way, today proved so many things I could only second guess and assume. Ah, a fresh start all over again.

5. Last but not least, hugs can do wonders.
I almost forgot what it means to be hugged by someone other than your parents and your immediate family. I needed that. Thank you.

Signing off,
Matt

PS: I'm facing a dilemma. To cut my hair, or not to cut? Its either back to short, or a new style that requires a long fringe. I need opinions. = )