Saya Sebagai Seorang Pekerja Pt1 - Maid in Scotland

Sempena menyambut Hari Pekerja esok, tiba-tiba imah terfikir pasal perjalanan hidup imah sebagai seorang pekerja. Imah mula-mula menjinakkan diri dalam dunia pekerjaan sewaktu belajar di Edinburgh dulu. Really can't remember when and what was my first job. Hmmm.. rasanya a temping job at a rugby game at Murrayfield Stadium, jadi waiter or lebih tepat, penghidang/ penyedok makanan to the staffs and crews. Other than that, rasanya ader buat beberapa temping jobs lagi, tapi dah tak berapa nak ingat..huhuhu..Sebab getting sick with temp agency, where you need to call them every bloody second to ask them what available jobs are available for grab, I tried to find a secure part time job. Preferably, working in store la, jadi sales girl ker, cashier ker, but susah jugaklah nak dapat diterima..tak berkelayakan katanya..

I don't remember how at last, I got the job at Dalmahoy Marriot Hotel and Country Club, as a Housekeeping Associates. ha ha ha.. Nama jawatan jer cam gempak, k. Since imah memang terkenal sebagai penyepah kat rumah, imah bekerja sebagai housekeeper and buat kerja2 mengemas adalah sesuatu yang sebenarnya kelakar buat mak imah waktu tuh.. Tak kisah ler.. saper yang nak free free kasik GBP4.50/hour? Mungkin, tanpa sedar, imah telah diturunkan secara turun temurun dari mak untuk pandai buat kerja2 mengemas nih, jadi, kira imah boleh pukul jugakla buat kerja2 housekeeping nih...huhuhu..(nampaknyer, berdasarkan working experience nih, mak kena upah lebih kurang RM25/hour utk imah buat kerja2 housekeeping nih kat umah sendiri.. hehehe). Imah kerja on weekends jer time tuh and in several public/bank holidays, kalau diorang perlu extra staffs. I do remember this job a lot because, I remember that it was tough. I was required to super clean 15 rooms (bukan setakat asal nampak bersih and kemas jer, kena free from habuk, rambut and debu2 and cermin kena super licin dan bersinar2) and memang nightmare kalau sumer adalah check-out rooms. Faham2 jela tahap sampah yang harus dikerjakan.. huhuhu.. Memang penat sangat-sangat buat kerja nih (especially part kena bagun awal),tak termasuk jari jemari yang luka dan cedera kena bahan pencuci and angkat mengangkat tilam. Tapi biler dah lama and sedikit berpengalaman, pandaila jugak menipu sikit-sikit untuk mempercepatkan kerja dan mengurangkan tenaga..hahahah.. Kalau nak ikut panduan kerja 100%, alamat memang takleh la nak siap kerja on time.. Jadi, apa2 benda pun dalam bilik hotel especially gelas, janganlah korang pandai2 terus guna tanpa basuh dulu. Entah aper2 kain diorg guna wat lap.. huhuhuhu..

My lucky break finally arrived, when 1 day, my supervisor told me to come at 2pm on the next day. Moving forward, I'll work on night-shift and it should be interesting, katanya Yeay!!! I told myself. At least I don't have to wake up early in the morning.. hehehe.. The next day, I was briefed on what would I be doing.. still need to clean rooms, but now reduced to 5 rooms only!!! yeeha.. Rasa nak melompat terkinja2 cam monyet time tuh jugak.. (Tapi kekadang kena buat lebih la.. cover mereka2 yg masih ketinggalan waktu shift pagi tuh.. huhuhu).. Then, come 6pm, I need to do a 'turn-down' service for the Executive Suites and VIP guests.. Bukanlah buat service aper2 pun..Cuma kena gi tutup2 langsir, bukak kan lampu, sediakan katil untuk diorg terus ready untuk tido, letak coklat and letak fresh towels.. senang sangat2.. Lebih menyeronokkan, hari pertama Imah kerna nighjt shift, supervisor kasik tau yang Robbie William was staying at the hotel and we'll go to do housekeeping at his room... Robbie William???!! tarik nafas sekejap.. Imah takdela minat sangat kat dia, tapi nak dapat masuk bilik artis nih!! Macam2 perasaan timbul time tuh, excited, nervous, bangga pun ader..tak kirala, walaupun untuk cuci jamban dier jer.. heheheh..

I was brought to a different side of the hotel, where I've never been before. Rupa-rupanya diorang ader lagi advance punyer suites. 1 room leh kira cam 1 apartmentla, ader ruang katil, TV area, beberapa bilik air. Katil pun kirea super size la. Tak sama cam bilik2 yg slalu imah dok cuci selama nih. And these rooms got padang golf nyer view with classic-english design. The buiding itself macam a tower castle, with long windows and flowery curtains with scallops. Rasa cam katak bawah tempurung jer time tuh. Tak tau selok belok tempat kerja sendiri.. huhuhu..

How's my experience cuci bilik Robbie William? Biasa jer.. Ketuk pintu bilik cam biasa..Knock Knock Knock.."Housekeeping!!!", I shout (cuma kali nih.. buat yg lebih seksi daripada biasala kan..ceh.. hahahah). A guy openned the door for us and welcomed us in. We went in, and straight away imah dah boleh nampak Robbie William kat dalam, (I'm just facing his back, sebab dier dok mengadap TV, nampak cam tengah baca something on piece of papers). So as a professional, (professional la kononnyer nih) imah cuma dok fokus dengan kerja2 housekeeping yang perlu dilakukan jer. Cuma sekali sekala jela dok jeling2 sikit ke arah Robbie William tuh..takdela bercakap2 or hello2 each other or mintak autograph ker..hehehehe..Mungkin sebab ader supervisor teman sekali. Kenala behave sikit..Dalam hati cam, ishh, kacau daun jer pak cik nih..

Memang best la dapat buat night shift nih.. Tak memenatkan. Habis kerja kul 8 malam.. Takdela lewat sangat pun. Cuma boring je la, sorang2 kat ofis, jaga telepon, kot kot orang ader request anything. Cuma ader 1 insiden jela yang imah tak dapat nak lupa. Tiba-tiba, ader kes org mabuk buat kecoh pulak. Ishhh.. belum pukul 8 dah mabuk. Kebetulan time tuh supervisor belum balik lagi, so kami pergila tengok.. aper benda kes nyer. Sekali masuk bilik.. then tengok bilik air.. mak aih.. muntah bersepah-sepah kat lantai, dinding sumer. Imah rasa cam nak menyumbang lagi muntah kat situ.. Kire cam blurr jugakla, memikirkan camner nak kena bersihkan muntah2 tuh.. Last last, to my rescue supervisor tuh yg volunteer tolong bersihkan.. phewww.. Nasib baik dapat supervisor yang baik hati..

Alhamdulillah, imah tak pernahla menghadapi kesukaran or masalah waktu buat kerja nih. Kira kes kena kacau ngan customers pun kire tak dela.. Sekejap jer pun rasanyer. Tapi, imah selalu wonder, macam mana pekerja2 lain tuh boleh survive buat kerja housekeeping nih for so many years. (sebab waktu imah kerja tuh, majoriti pekerja adalah golongan mak cik2 yg mungkin jugak sudah mencapai tahap nenek, yang dah bekerja kat situ for 20+ years..huhuhuhu). Imah kerja ntah berapa bulan, part time jer plak tuh, terasa sangat penat lelah nyer.

p/s: Imah masih simpan uniform and name tag waktu pakai masa kerja kat sini dulu.. sentimental value.. hehehehe

Smarter Planet Series: A smarter grid will power progress

"The creation and distribution of electric power globally are not maximised to their fullest potential...with little or no intelligence to balance loads or monitor power flows, enough electricity around the world is lost annually that could power India, Germany and Canada for an entire year...the power grids in Malaysia, like those in the rest of the world, are the largest remaining artefact of the industrial age and they are due for an upgrade"
- Ou Shian Waei, CGM, IBM Malaysia

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[Learn how we make power grids smarter in The Edge]

Courtesy of Comms, IBM Malaysia

What Does your Dream Mean?

Recurring Dream
Most dreams contain messages that serve to teach us something about ourselves. Unfortunately many a times we forget what we dream about as we go about our daily routine. With recurring dreams, the message may be so important and/or powerful that it just will not go away. The frequent repetition of such dreams forces you to pay attention and confront the dream. The dream is trying desperately to tell you something. Such dreams are often nightmarish or frightening in their content, which also helps you to take notice and pay attention to them.

Recurring dreams are quite common and are often triggered by a certain life situation or a problem that keeps coming back again and again. These dreams may recur daily, once a week, or once a month, but whatever the frequency, there is little variation in the dream content itself. It usually points to a personal weakness, fear, or your inability to cope with something in your life - past or present. The repetitive patterns in your dream can reveal some of the most valuable information on yourself. It may point to a conflict, situation or matter in your waking life that remains unresolved or unsettled. Or some urgent underlying message in your unconscious is demanding to be understood.

Lucid Dream - a dream state in which one is conscious enough to recognize that one is in the dream state and which stays in one's memory

Lucid dreams occurs when you realize you are dreaming in the middle of your dream. "Wait a second. This is only a dream!" Most dreamers wake themselves up once they realize that they are only dreaming. Other dreamers have cultivated the skill to remain in the lucid state of dreaming. They become an active participant in their dream, make decisions in their dreams and influence the dream's outcome without awakening
Lucidity can open endless doors to self-knowledge, exploration, and fulfillment, but it is not purely in the domain of "new-age science". Lucid dreaming is a scientifically accepted phenomenon which has been proven to exist countless times in sleep laboratories, and whose potentials are only beginning to be explored.

Dream About Being Chased
Dreams about being chased often stem from feelings of anxiety in your waking life. The way we as humans respond to anxiety and pressure in real life is typically manifested as a chase dream. Running is an instinctive response to physical threats in our environment. Often in dream scenarios, you are being pursued by an attacker (can be human, could be an animal) that wants to hurt, or possibly kill you. Dreams about being chased may represent your way of coping with fears, stress or various situations in your waking life. Instead of confronting your problems, you are running away from them and avoiding them.

The pursuer or attacker who is chasing you in your dream may also represent a part of yourself. Your own feelings of anger, jealousy, fear, and possibly love, can assume the appearance of threatening figure. You may be projecting these feelings onto the unknown chaser. Next time you have a chase dream, turn around and confront your pursuer. Ask them why they are chasing you.

A more direct analysis of chase dreams is the fear of being attacked. Such dreams are more common among women than men, who may feel physically vulnerable in the urban environment. These dreams are inspired by fears of violence and sexual assault in which we are so over-exposed from the media. The violence that the media portrays magnifies our fears and how at risk we all are.

Dream About Flying
More than a third of the dreaming population reports having had at least one dream about flying. And, if you have one, you're very likely to have more. Your chance of having a flying dream doubles if you are a lucid dreamer (you are able to become awake and aware as you dream).

Flying dreams fall under a category of dreams where you become aware that you are dreaming, known as lucid dreaming. Many dreamers have described the ability to fly in their dreams as an exhilarating, joyful, and liberating experience. There are 3 feelings commonly associated with dreams about flying:
1.) Flying with easy and enjoying the scenery and landscape below. This usually suggests that you are on top of a particular situation and you have risen above something.
2.) You are having difficulty staying in flight, and obstacles are in your way (i.e. power lines, trees, mountains). These barriers can represent a particular obstacle that is standing in your way in your waking life.
3.) You are afraid whilst you are flying, and you may feel that you are flying too high. If this happens when you are flying, chances are you are afraid of challenges and of success.In all respects, dreams about flying are extremely vivid, and again are considered a lucid dream. For lucid dreams to take place, your body must be in a state of R.E.M which is a deep sleep. There are sleep aids available to you that can help your body get into this state, and also just give you a great sleep.

Falling Dream
Dreams in which you are falling are quite common in the dream world. Contrary to popular belief, you will not die if you do not wake up before you hit the ground during your fall.
Like most dream themes, falling dreams are an indication of insecurities, anxieties and instabilities in your own life. Overwhelming feelings and out of control situations in your waking life can cause these dreams and this may reflect the way you feel in a certain relationship or your work environment.

According to the Freudian theory, falling dreams indicate that you are contemplating giving into a sexual urge or impulse, and you may be lacking indiscretion.

Falling dreams can also often reflect a sense of failure or inferiority in some circumstance or situation. It may be the fear of failing in your job/school, loss of status, or failure in love. You feel shameful and lack a sense of pride. You are unable to keep up with the status quo or that you don't measure up.

Naked Dream
Dreaming that you are completely or partially naked is very common. Nudity symbolizes a variety of things depending on your real life situation.

This is probably the most common of all dreams, as everyone can recall having these dreams. Naked Dreams usually represent two things. The first is that the dreamer wants freedom and nothing else. The second symbolizes the fear of being exposed or vulnerable, and it is very natural to feel ashamed.

Many times, when you realize that you are naked in your dream, no one else seems to notice. Everyone else in the dream is going about their business without giving a second look at your nakedness. This implies that your fears are unfounded; no one will notice except you. You may be magnifying the situation and making an issue of nothing. On the other hand, such dreams may mean your desire (or failure) to get noticed.

Dream about Tooth Falling out
Dreams about losing our teeth symbolize the loss of childhood innocence. These dreams often occur at times of transition from one life stage to the next and can be a message that an important milestone is occurring and urging you to face the inevitable. Your dream may be a message that an important milestone is occurring and urging you to face the inevitable.

We need our teeth to feed our bodies. Eating is necessary to maintain the body's growth, energy and health. In this context, losing teeth may be associated with insecurity about your livelihood. Perhaps you are stuck in a "dead-end" job and fear for your future. Perhaps you are growing older and are becoming anxious about how much time you have left to work and make an income. You may be getting "long in the tooth" and fear losing your sexual attractiveness. Dreaming of false teeth symbolizes concern about your self-image. We all must deal with the process of growing older. Find fun ways to re-invent yourself incorporating all the wisdom and experience that you have gained.

Since many of the dreams that are associated with your teeth falling out can be unpleasant, anxiety can hit you when you are trying to sleep. The result can be a restless night of a lot of tossing and turning, or in more serous cases, insomnia.

Dream about Death
Dreams about death can be one of many things. Right off the bat, most people think that a dream about death is a bad thing, but this is not necessarily true.

This dream is very common and often means that something is ending in one's life such as a long family battle or a battle with a sickness. Things that have been dragging along in your life such as the coming to an end of a career could finally be ending with a dream about death. Other things it could possibly be would be an ending to a relationship. In most cases the relationship or career is making the person unhappy or not a good situation, so the dream is a good thing.Generally these dreams are a start to something new and fresh. The symbolism of death is most always a positive thing. There are a few cases when it really means that death is going to happen, but usually it means the rebirth of something better. It could also mean that it could be the end of a person’s worries. The worries will die in a sense. The cause of the worry will cease to exist. Another possible meaning could be of prosperity and longevity.

p/s: Always got the dream about being chased..huhuhu..
Source: MeaningofDreams.Net, http://www.meaning-of-dreams.net

Smarter Planet Series: Making 'smart traffic' the norm

"Traffic congestion is synonymous with Malaysia, especially in the Klang Valley, and traffic jams, if not managed correctly, can hurt the socio-economy of our country..."Smart traffic" is not yet the norm, but it is not some far-off vision of tomorrow. In many places, IBM is helping to make it happen today."

- Ou Shian Waei, CGM, IBM Malaysia

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[Read about how we make traffic Smarter in The Edge]

Courtesy of Comms, IBM Malaysia

There can be Miracle..When you Believe..

Can Liverpool create a miracle today? It's not impossible to win game(s) at Stamford Bridge. However, going against the home team that has a proven record defensively, it would be a very very very huge challenge not just to win, but also to win by 3 clear goals!!! uwargh!!! Why they (Liverpool) conceded that much of goals in the first place last week were neither forgiven nor forgotten by the fans..

Thus, it is right for people to think that only miracle will help Liverpool making a comeback in the coming 2nd-leg. Obviously, they (Liverpool) will need all kind of luck and favours in the world to have a slight chance.

Typical Liverpool's luck?
1. Penalties..at least 1 must come from Gerrard diving antics or/and questionable hand ball..
2. Chelsea player being red-carded (the Lampard..the better)..maybe unfairly..
3. Defenders making mistakes, giving away ball to Torres near penalty box area
4. Last minute injuries to Chelsea's key players
5. Chelsea giving own goal

To all of the Liverpool's fans out there, let's enjoy the song below and start believing!!!

Smarter Planet Series: Managing Water Resources Better

"Access to clean water is a basic need and is essential for enhancing the quality of life and economic growth in any country...in Malaysia, per capita availibility of water will greatly decrease as a result of a growing population - with advances in technology we can be smarter about how we manage our planet's water"

- Ou Shian Waei, CGM, IBM Malaysia
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[Read about how IBM make water management Smarter in The Edge]

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Courtesy of Comms, IBM Malaysia

I'm sorry, people..I can't make everyone happy..

In life, sometimes you tend to think about others before yourself. You will do everything that you can to help others especially the ones that you really care about. The intention is simple. You want to make that other person(s) happy. If she/he/they happy, you'll feel happy too. It seems like a win-win situation for both party then..

All my life, I've always been that person. It is my nature to be nice to everyone, to help whoever that in needs of my service(s), make a decision that will benefit everyone (not just myself) and care about other people's feelings above myself. I managed to be this person when I was growing up. It's just so easy to please everbody back then, I guess.. hehehe..However as life goes on, when your life has a broader perspectives than just passing your exams or/and finished your educations and just being surrounded with your family and friends, it becomes harder to please everybody. It's hard to make a decision that will benefit you at the same time benefit others as well. It's hard to help this 1 person and at the same time, help thousand of others. At one point, you will not have the self capabilities and resources to do everything to everyone.

It's hard when I know that I had dissappointed somebody of my doings. I feel sad if I can't help this person(s) although technically, I should. I feel bad when I know that I'd moved on at other people's loss. I can't bear to know that I made people mad at me, hate me and/or think I'm selfish. However, what I can only say is that.. "I'm sorry, people..I can't make everyone happy"

Faces of The Cabinet of Malaysia

These are the faces of new ministers of The Cabinet of Malaysia (not kitchen cabinet, k...). The Cabinet of Malaysia is the executive branch of Malaysia's government, led by the Prime Minister, a council of ministers who are accountable to the Parliament [1]. These are the faces who will collectively decides the government's policy and tactical direction and administer executive branch government agencies or ministry. Congratulations to all of them in their new appointment. Together, hope they will succeedly bring Malaysia as a country that is Cemerlang, Gemilang dan Terbilang!!! :D

Smarter Planet Series: The Next Leadership Agenda

"The first decade of the new century has awakened us to peril and promise of global integration...I believe that this moment calls for winning by not surviving the storm but by changing the game."

- Ou Shian Waei, CGM, IBM Malaysia

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[ Read the first of an exclusive Smarter Planet Series on The Edge]

Courtesy of Comms, IBM Malaysia