Farewell January

Oh my, this blog has certainly accumulated some cobwebs! Sorry peeps, still adjusting to my new role and this whole sleeping early business (cos Ian has to wake up early for kindy) is shifting the entire household's sleeping pattern. Hence zero time to blog! (The only reason why I'm blogging today is because it is a public holiday.)

Speaking about Ian, it has been one FULL month (no ponteng, ok!) but he still doesn't like school! The first thing he says to anyone, in the morning, is "I don't want to go (to) school!" And he keeps chanting the same mantra all throughout the car ride to kindy. *rolls eyes* Bila lah nak adapt nie Ian??? But I guess I should learn to count my blessings because earlier in the month he would cling to my neck, blouse, pants - anything within reach, and wail pitifully. Nowadays it's just merengek with some amount of drama tears (alah setitik dua jer) then he stops immediately after I leave the room.

Once, I was driving him to school, and he exclaimed; "When I say don't want, go back!!!" (Must have been pretty exasperated cos I kept driving even though he said he didn't want to go to school!)

Crying in class. I even tried to 'buy' him by bringing him to 7-11 before school, but I guess the joke's on me cos after he went 'shopping' he said, "Can you take me home now, Mummy?" Ppfffttt

Aiden on the other hand, is loving the whole sleeping early thing. Why? Cos he gets away from mummy-issued homework. By the time he finishes school homework, it's already time for bed. I haven't had the time to properly get him into the studying rhythm, but need to do so soon since he'll be having his exams in March. Just yesterday, he told me that he had to go on stage during perhimpunan. I thought it was because he did well or something. Rupanya the discipline teacher was lecturing the kids about ensuring their hair is short and Aiden was made as an example of rambut panjang. *chuckles* Ok definitely need to get Aiden's hair in check during this long weekend!

Recently, we enrolled the boys into swimming class. Well, a re-enrollment for Aiden but a new one for Ian. Similar like his elder brother, Ian is terrified of water. Zero water confidence! I guess the plan backfired because in his first class, the coach forced Ian to jump into the water (deep pool, mind you). I didn't quite agree with his method but I didn't want to make a scene. He was crying, scared shit-less at that point. Memang kesian. After that class, Ian completely freaked out and refused to go anywhere near the water - we actually had to cancel his enrollment. Until now, even at kindy he refuses to go near the ankle deep swimming pool. *sigh* Anak Air, if you're reading this, please revisit your coaching methods for beginners. Learn to assess each child differently. Some children just cannot be forced to conquer their fear of water in the very first class.

Ian's first (and last) class!

Aiden on the other hand, has conquered his fear and actually won a few medals in a recent swimming competition! Granted, he was placed in the junior category due to his age, but I'm just so happy that he loves the water now. He has certainly come a long way - from refusing to let water wet his hair nor trickle down his face - to this!

Congratulations Aiden, on winning silver and bronze! Super proud of you!!

Enough about the kids! Work wise, I think I'm getting there (I think)! It's definitely a mind shift, having to be less of an individual contributor but more of a leader cum manager. Managing people is not easy. Sometimes, in meetings, I feel like people are expecting me to share words of wisdom or something. Stress! To de-stress, I would then have lunch with my Upstream peeps; the people I grew up with all throughout my initial working life. Work involves a lot of traveling - I think throughout January I was traveling almost every week. Even in the plane I was turning on my laptop to reply to emails. *crazy* Next week I'm traveling again but this time I'm taking the kids too. Ponteng sekolah lah, sekali sekala. Other than traveling, I had to attend a lot of corporate dinners in January too, to the point that I was running out of muslimah-compliant dinner dresses. Thank god Zalia on Zalora ships quite quickly!

Folks in Downstream dress differently too! We seem to loveeeeee our pecten embellished shirts. This picture has garnered so many comments on my Instagram. Go check it out to get the joke! 

Due to traveling and long hours of work, I haven't seen the gang pagar sekolah for eons! From what used to be daily lepak sessions, to sekali seminggu pun susah nak jumpa. But so glad that recently we took the opportunity to have lunch together (just us girls!) to celebrate a baby shower and a double birthday celebration. Of course, yours truly was in charge of the deco and I also offered to make macarons for door gifts (instead of the cake!) I'm sure you've seen some photos on Instagram, but I promise I'll try to pen a specific post just for that event!

The pink and white deco for the day.

Still missing a few more, but so glad we took the time to enjoy our lunch outing!

One with the glowing mummy-to-be. I swear, there was literally a fan blowing into my hair, hence the rambut macam iklan shampoo shot.

Okay, that's all from me peeps - a rundown of January. I'll try to catch up on blog posts soon. (Operative word here, is try!) *chuckles*

Thanks for reading!

New Beginning

Today marks the day that I embark on a new beginning. A new role to be exact; something completely foreign to me. I won't elaborate much (because I was just made aware that some folks in my new line of business actually follow this humble blog of mine *chuckles*), but rest assured that I am looking forward to this new domain and the challenges that come with it.

Looks like I'm done with the helmet and steel toed footwear, and transitioning into formal tops with slim fit pants and shiny shoes to boot.

Excited? Of course. Nervous? Obviously.

Wish me luck!

Dragging My Feet

Today marks my first day of working for 2017. Truthfully, I wasn't looking forward to it!

Unlike all the prior days when I would bound out of bed all bright bushy eyed, this morning proved to be quite an experience. My eyes refused to open, and my arm instinctively reached out to press the snooze button on the alarm. Once I finally got myself into the shower, dressed and out of the house, I had that sinking feeling as I was driving to work. It was dread.

I swear if someone offers for me to quit my job but assures that I can still maintain my current lifestyle, I would have turned the car around in a heartbeat. (Major hint here, Hubby!) *chuckles*

Anyway, I am finally at work and slowly catching up on my emails. I hope I get into the swing of things, soon! My only solace, is the fact that my new desk (we moved desks just before Christmas holidays) is in a cozy corner just by the window. Awesome views and privacy!

(And it is right on top of a Pokestop too!!!)

I'm going to go dig out my pay slip now. You know, just to remind myself why I have to drag myself to work again tomorrow. *giggles* Wish me luck for the coming days!

Taking Over India

Hello peeps,

As most of you may know, I'm currently in India. (If you don't know, it's probably time to start watching my Insta stories. *cheeky grin*)

This is my first trip to India... And a work trip, to be exact. Before I left, so many people 'offered' me so many stories about India, it was quite unnerving. I heard everything from "Don't eat cut fruits or ice cubes" to "Beware of bottled water that may have been recycled and resealed". Horror stories of food poisoning, even from just brushing teeth using hotel tap water. It was so bad, that I decided to bring 5 liters of my own water! Not exactly a great first impression.

Well, they say never judge a book by its cover. Upon arrival in Bangalore, I was mighty impressed with the international airport; even their toilets were cleaner than the ones in KLIA. However, once I stepped out into the local streets, I noticed the glaring disparity between the rich and the poor. Proud modern buildings stood in between stretches of slum. Despite the rapid growth of the technology industry in Bangalore "Silicon Valley", plenty of people still live in poverty.

My journey from the airport to the hotel was interesting to say the least. We got stuck in a severe congestion, accompanied by a chorus of honks (honking is actually encouraged), vehicles weaved in and out dangerously, three to four vehicles would squeeze together into a two lane road and honk at each other while they race to inch ahead, and pedestrians walked on the main roads with vehicles passing barely inches from them. I don't think I can ever drive here, it is ridiculously scary.

We took some back roads on the way; where I observed slums with tiny houses and small businesses such as workshops, markets and convenience stores. Kids walked in groups to school. I even saw a mosque! (14% of India's population are Muslims.) Once we got into the city, we went into wider roads. There were people sleeping and even washing clothes under the flyovers. Cows roam freely on main roads, going through dumps of trash by the roadside. Ladies walk, balancing ridiculous basket of loads on their heads. We also passed by some pretty bungalows and residential apartments. Weather was nice - sunny like Malaysia during the day and slightly chilly (like Genting) in the night.

To get into the hotel, our cars were checked by security guards. To enter the hotel lobby, you had to scan your bags and go through an X-ray machine, even if you are a hotel guest! (X-ray machines are even installed in major shopping malls.) My hotel was stunning. Professional service and comfortable rooms.

I'm also here amidst the cash chaos; the Indian government decided to retract all their 500 and 1000 rupee notes (~RM30 and RM60 respectively) and replace them with new currency, in an effort to stop the spread of black money. Unfortunately, the government instructed the country to stop receiving the old currency before introducing the new currency!!! So stores stopped accepting most cash, long lines at the banks as people went in droves to withdraw smaller denominations, and the ATMs were empty! Even in Malaysia, Bank Negara stopped transacting Rupees until the new currency kicks in, hence I was in India without a single rupee in hand. Thankfully, my hotel was able to arrange for a taxi to be charged to my room for a trip to the mall and back. I also used credit cards for all my shopping purchases.

Anyway, I'll be back soon in sunny ol' Malaysia. Meanwhile, here are some pictures that I took from my week here:

Yes, you can call me Yasim.

Sunny selfie at the new international airport.

Auto rickshaws hanging out under the elevated roads.

Pretty cow!

Tractor on the road.

Medical check up, anyone?

Simple hotel, I wonder how many rooms they have!

State of the art scaffolding.

My hotel room.

Breakfast - Dosa (thosai) and Paratha (doesn't taste anything like roti canai).

The shopping mall right outside my hotel.

The exterior of Phoenix Mall, Bangalore's largest shopping mall.

Bought this Punjabi suit for myself.

Shell Technology Centre Bangalore.

Scrumptious vegetarian packed lunch at the office.

Visiting the R&D labs.

Told you, honking's encouraged!

Dead chickens sold right beside a bus stop.

Entrance to a row of fancy residential bungalows.

The only mosque I saw during my trip.

My boss agreed to splurge on lobster!

You must have a printed itinerary to gain access into the airport.

Posing on an auto-rickshaw on display at the airport.

Moving On

Truthfully, I've been harboring a deep dark secret for a few months now. As you all know, the oil and gas industry isn't doing really well now, with layoffs happening left right and center.

The Dutch Oil Company had their own reorganization November last year. It was a job placement (people couldn't choose which jobs they wanted to do) and it was based on merit and previous individual performance (so they said). During the said reorganization, I was told that my project would be 'ring fenced', hence everyone working on that project wouldn't have to worry about new job placements. All we needed to do was to focus on delivering the project successfully.

During the same reorganization, I was also told that they had found me a new assignment post current project. Which was extremely good news because it meant that I had job security.

Fast forward to just 6 months later, everyone in the project were given 'at risk' letters. We were given ramp down duration and last day on payroll dates. What's worse was for the team to find out that all available jobs were taken up during the last reorg and hence there were none left for us leaving the current project. What's even worse was... the next job offer that they had promised me back in November was no longer on table (due to legal issues which I had no part in, which I will not divulge here as it involves another staff). I felt as if the carpet was pulled right under me. After more than 10 years in the company, I never imagined that I would have to leave in these circumstances. I mean, I always knew that I wanted to resign before I was 40 to concentrate on the kids and the household. But I didn't count on leaving when I was 34, and especially not on my terms!

The first week was depressing. I was extremely bitchy and fuming angry. How can the company give me an 'at risk' letter and still expect for me to deliver my best for the project? Such bad timing, especially since it was just 2 months before I was due to go offshore. I snapped at everyone (and everything). I panicked! Hubby and I started looking at our finances and made plans in case we were driven down to a single income household. It was not just about the money, but it was also about the benefits, specifically medical, that the family had enjoyed since the start.

The second week I was cynical and bitter. Every opportunity I had, I took a stab at the company and the circumstances. By the third week, I guess I finally came to my senses. I took a day off just to update my CV and submit applications. At the end of the day I forced myself to find peace. In other words, redha. God knows best.

In all my prayers to Allah, I prayed for him to show me the path forward. "If the best for myself, my family and my religion is for me to continue in the company, then please help me secure a new job placement. If the best for myself, my family and my religion is to not continue in the company, then please help me accept this fact graciously, ease my heart and grant me rezeki in any other form or manner."

Well I guess Allah decided that the former was the best for me. (He probably took pity on Hubby as I am such a shopaholic!) Alhamdulillah after several grueling interviews, I managed to land a new role which will start on the 1st of September.

Although the role is much more commercial than what I'm used too, it is still quite technical in nature. Without getting into too much detail, all I can say is I will still be crunching numbers... but the dollars and cents kinda numbers. It is very much a development role for me, as I will be exposed to a discipline that is quite foreign for me. But ultimately it will equip me with skills to be a better project engineer and future project manager.

Not everything is rosy in the Dutch Oil Company now. As I enjoy my last few days of offshore leave, I received news that most of my Upstream buddies were given their second round of 'at risk' letters and news of an imminent wave of reorganization. It is a very depressing time for most of my friends, and all I can do is to doakan the best for them, and pray that Allah grants them strength to go through this next reorganization round.

Kunfayakun - if it is meant to be, it will be. God is great.

Surreal... after 8 great years, I will bid goodbye to the Upstream world.

My Offshore Adventures in Pictures!

I think I've blabbed quite a bit in my last post about my offshore adventures. This time around, I'll keep the words to a minimum.

Hardship and weather aside, there are tons of interesting things that you can experience just by being offshore. For starters, the people onboard are your family. From the cook to the captain of the ship, everyone is stuck in the same boat (no pun intended). No one is getting off, so you might as well make friends.

The client team onboard.

The riggers and foremen who worked hard till 3am that night. 

Cool and sporting colleagues, always ready to crack jokes to prevent your from falling asleep *chuckles* 

Secondly, on a good day - you get beautiful picturesque views of the sea. From sunrise to sunset, there is always an opportunity for great photos.

Panoramic photos are always a good idea.

Taking a break from the office by lounging in the sun, with the pride of Malaysia in the background.

A tug boat moored alongside our vessel.

A material barge basking in the sunset.

At offshore, teamwork is important. Everyone takes care of one another. From going on the basket, to walking on a barge, to even crawling into a pile... everyone looks out for the well being of another. Safety is priority, and you are welcomed to intervene when necessary.

Walking together in life vests. (Have you ever seen boats using tyres as fenders? Well this vessel uses a giant collection of tyres as fenders!)

Standing in a suction pile.

Can you spot me?

Major lifts are a big chunk of offshore life. For instance, this vessel has a 4000 mT capacity!!!

Relatively new vessel, christened in September 2013.

The crane in action.

Seven pieces of these pipes will be welded together to make a 500 meter long pipe, which will be then lowered down to the seafloor.

Last but certainly not least, you get to see interesting thingamajigs that you would never dream of seeing in your daily life.

This is a telehandler. You drive this on a barge (boat).

Does this remind you of anything? *giggles*