Saturday, August 18, 2007
Coach Naz' Postcard: Xin Chao!
I had the opportunity to visit Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), 
What I observed about the City was that there weren’t many cars on the road. Majority people travel by motorcycles. You can see a pool of motorcycles during peak hours of the day. All kind of motorcycles and all sorts of things they carry with them on their motorcycles!!
The traffic system in HCMC is not very well-structured. For a foreigner, it can be DANGEROUS to drive own your own there, you just don’t know whether it is your way or the other person’s way or whether you are allowed to turn right/left – you just do it! You just follow the flow of traffic!
Although traffic is considered ‘crazy’ (yes, even worse than in KL), most motorcyclists don’t wear helmets on the road. And I was surprised that throughout my 4 days stay, I didn’t see even one accident on the road.
The other fact that I thought was interesting about HCMC is the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was built by the Vietnam Soldiers during the Vietnam War. It is an underground tunnel stretching for over 250 kilometers from the outskirts of
Imagine living in a small space, underground for years! It must have been difficult… I had the chance to walk (crawl more like it) through one of the first level tunnels which was about 250 meters long. It was scary – dark, uncomfortable and small!! I just wanted to get to the end and out of it quick!!
At that point in time, I wondered to myself – how on earth did they build those tunnels? And how did they live in those tunnels as though it was a normal day to day thing?
What I can conclude from the trip to Cu Chi Tunnels is that “People can do amazing things to survive!”
ps: "Xin Chao" means "Hello" in Vietnamese Language.
Labels: Postcards from Abroad
TekadMon at 12:13 pm
Saturday, August 11, 2007
YES I DID IT!
When a friend told me (and blog) about her trip to Bukit Gasing a few months ago, it got me curious – maybe I should try to ‘conquer’ Bukit Gasing one of these days.Then I totally forgot about it.
Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t know what made me want to go to Bukit Gasing. So I asked my friend if she wanted to come along. And being a good a friend that she is, she entertained my whim.
We woke up early that morning – excitement continued since the night before. We thought we were early but as soon as we arrived there, lots of cars were already parked by the roadside. After finding ourselves a parking spot, we warmed up and got ready to start the hike!
Now, this isn’t going to be the usual article about what happened along my way whilst completing the trek. It’s going to be some sharing on how I felt the hike in relation to tips on how we can achieve our goals in life! Well, the experience definitely taught me a few pointers on achieving MY GOALS!
1. Be prepared for the journey
Always, always, always be prepared ahead of time. It’s a good thing if you can research about what you’re getting yourself into. If you’re well-prepared, you’ll reduce elements of surprise – hence reduce the possibility of getting stressed out while achieving your goal(s).
In this case, I asked my friend what to expect during the hike since she had been there before. Drink a lot of water! You do not want to be dehydrated in the jungle – there’s no stall selling bottled water in there. So I took her advice and kept myself busy drinking water along the way to Bukit Gasing.
2. Visualise yourself achieving the goal
It always seems intimidating when you’re starting on a journey, especially in an unfamiliar territory. What can help you along the way is the visualisation of you achieving your goal – the sweet taste of victory. Picture in your mind the vision of you receiving the scroll, the straight As in your SPM results slip or imagine how it feels like when your parents hug you on the day you get your dream job.
The visualisation really helped me in motivating myself completing the trek. I imagined how I would feel when I complete the hike. The feeling of accomplishment motivated me to take the next step and the next and the next.
3. Enjoy your surrounding and BREATHE
Whenever we set our minds to achieve something, we would often forget to take a look around us. Sometimes, we are too preoccupied with what we have in our hands that we forget all the little things that make us happy. We need balance in our life and “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Once in a while you need to go out and play football with your friends or go for a movie with your siblings.
While I was hiking, I enjoyed the greenery that was all around me. It’s not like I get to do this everyday. The breath of fresh air than the usual air-conditioned office in the morning – makes me appreciate every breathe that I take.
4. Think positive
Most importantly, you need to think positive while in the process of achieveing your goals. If there’s one thing that you can take control of in your life, it’s your mind. Let it have positive things to think of – and you will see that you are more flexible whenever you’re facing challenges or crossroads. Also, positive thinkers have this positive aura about them, that will help them along the way.
Of course, when you’re hiking, you could use your surrounding to inspire you to think about positive things. Let’s say you spot a butterfly, notice their beautiful colours. Or you could enjoy the different shapes of leaves all around you. If you have the stamina and a friend to do it with, then reminisce your old memories with him or her – maybe when your first time you got yourself into the jungle. Even if you’re alone, maybe an inspiring song on your MP3 player could help you to think positive.
5. Have a friend/cheerleader and be one
It’s always good to have a friend that has the same goals as you. That way, you will have somebody that can help motivate you as the both of you reaching towards your goal. Take for instance, you need to exercise more whether for your general health of to lose weight. It is always better to have a friend that wants to do the same. He/She can motivate you to go out brisk-walking or make better choice during lunch. Having a buddy will push you to reach your common goal. And what’s better, is when you yourself be the one who cheers your buddy in achieving your goals. You’ll be inspired to do more.
My friend really helped me that day. Whenever I ran out of energy, she would cheer me. And that got me up and going again. So, I returned her favour and cheer her whenever she felt like giving up. The thing about Bukit Gasing is, you yourself must complete the trail. Therefore a supporting voice with you would always help you cross the finishing line.
6. Take one step at a time
We always set big goals in our lives. Whether it’s in high school, in university or in your workplace, you can’t help but to set big goals to achieve. When we set our eyes on the big goals, it can be overwhelming that we often forget that there are smaller steps that you need to conquer one by one before you get the prize. The steps might be smaller, but it will surely help you achieve your goal.
The trail at Bukit Gasing started fairly easy, until I came across the steep trail that went up about 40 – 50 feet in front of you. Overwhelming as it was, I slowly conquered the steps one at a time. I didn’t want to get injured or anything, so I had to carefully place my foot one after the other until I reached the top. Once I got the hang of it, it came pretty easily and I managed to hike the trail right to the end.
Once I finished the walk, I felt a sense of satisfaction. And it is the same feeling as what you will feel when you achieve anything in your life.
YES, I DID IT!
Labels: Ready Set Goal
TekadMon at 11:01 pm
Friday, August 03, 2007
Opportunities @MAKNA
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITYHave some free time?
Want to gain some experience?
Want to contribute to the community?
Majlis Kanser Nasional (MAKNA) is a social enterprise which helps poor cancer patients from all over the country. We are currently looking for VOLUNTEERS to assist us in administrative and data entry work at our Headquarters in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
Apart from that, you will have an opportunity to have an insight how a leading not-for-profit organization works. You will also be able to participate in activities such as visiting cancer patients at their homes, visit our cancer ward in HUKM, fundraising activities, exhibitions, cancer awareness programs and much more…
Basic Qualification:
Energetic and Fun Person
Able to type
Knows to use Internet Explorer/Internet
Knows to use Microsoft Excel (is a plus)
Age: Does not matter
Duration: 1-2 months
Allowance: RM15.00 per day
Interested? Kindly email your contact details to youthcorps@makna.org.my
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Majlis Kanser Nasional (MAKNA) is a social enterprise which helps poor cancer patients from all over the country. Our mission is to mobilize resources in order to provide curative, preventative, research and support services to cancer patients and families, high risk groups and the general public.
We are currently looking for young and energetic people to join our passionate and happening team in the fight against cancer.
Job Vacancy: Accounts Executive (Immediate Vacancy)
Minimum Qualification:
Degree in Accounting & Finance or Equivalent
Knowledge of UBS Accounting Software
Knowledge of Microsoft Office Software
Experience:
1-2 years working experience
FRESH GRADUATES ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
Key Responsibilities:
Handle day-to-day accounts entry
Handle accounts payable and receivable
Monthly Accounts Closing
Interested candidates, please email your resume to youthcorps@makna.org.my
(only short listed candidates will be contacted)
Labels: TEKAD Opportunities
TekadMon at 10:06 am
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Success Vs. Failure: Finale
Continuation for previous week...MESSAGE TO CHAMPIONS
Coach Anang:
Failure in your SPM doesn't mean it's the end of your life... It'll hurt you so much, but in the end... It is you that matters. Stand up and get on with your new life. Learn from your failure, and plan your life ahead. You're just 19 yeas old... There are many more years ahead of you. Fill it up with greater success. Let others have their success now, but InsyaAllah, dengan TEKAD dan usaha , you will also gain your success one day.My mom always giving me this advice:
"Jangan terlalu terburu-buru mengejar kejayaan, tak semestinya kejayaan sekarang menjamin kejayaan di masa hadapan. Ingatilah cerita si kura-kura dengan arnab - yang berlari cepat, tidak semestinya akan sampai di pintu kejayaan lebih awal"
Take one step at a time.. InsyaAllah, champs sekalian akan berjaya suatu hari nanti. Berjanji pada diri sendiri yang kalian akan berusaha dengan bersungguh2. Kegagalan bukanlah satu penghalang, akan tetapi ianya satu pintu untuk kejayaan.
Pahatlah semula TEKAD di hati mu dan teruskanlah dengan langkah pertama mu... Insyaallah, Wawasan akan di julang, dan Kejayaan akan digenggam.
Coach Lan : You need willpower, determination, prayers, support from friends and the understanding of yourself to lift yourself up and move on. This sharing is for my friends, but it is especially for my adik-adik to learn from. I can almost connect and understand our adik-adik Champions immediately simply because, I was once their shoes.From the Editorial Team: Notice how Coach Anang’s and Coach Lan’s answers came out surprisingly similar, even though they answered the questions separately and they live thousands of miles apart ? Coach Anang is currently doing his PhD. in Melbourne, Australia and Coach Lan works and lives in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Missed the previous episodes?
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Labels: Dear Coach
TekadMon at 8:54 pm
