A dark day indeed

Perhaps i'm exagerating with the title, cos the sun seemed to shine pretty bright today, not to mention the 35 degree over temperature butmy heart just felt like at a bottom pit today.

To cut the story short, my colleague lent me her paking card and I was supposed to return it to her today.I was caught up with works and something urgent came up that I had to leave office for an external business at 3pm today.In the midst of the commotion, I failed to inform her that I left the office and when she arrived, she waited quite a while at the lobby. She called 11 times but my handphone was in silent mode, and since I was driving, I missed her 11 calls.

In conclusion, she wasmad and very unhappy.....and I felt very guilty.

You can tell when someone is very unpleased with you. And I'm guilty as charged despite the unintended. I too would be mad if someone kept me waiting and trust me I too had been in similar situation before.A situation that just want to make u curse and curse even more.

So I brought my sappy heart to Starbuck and bought myself a tall ice blended green tea with whipped cream.

It didn't feel any better.

So I packed a tiny bag of body shop lotion and a shower sponge to make up for my mistake.

Hope i'm forgiven 😔

what's going on

Assalamualaikum,

Sebelum pape, net nak warn, post ni agak Panjang dan berbahasa inggeris sebab net dah terbiasa berbahasa inggeris sejak zaman2 teenager lagi, so kalau interested nak baca, alhmadulillah silakan, kalau x, skip ja ya.

So here goes, I'm putting this genre of post under "Dear diary" from now on,

Dear diary,

I decided I want to be myself. Initially I wanted to be this cheerful and happy go lucky blogger that post about all the wonderful things in my life, except that I’m more inspired to write about pains than gains. Words flow out so much easier when I tell about my struggle in life, and I am and still this pessimistic person.  I want to change, I desire to change except I eventually realize that suppressing this feeling is not equivalent to change. Perhaps writing it down helps letting it out. So what if no one reads it, so what if people trash it and so what if people are not inspired by it. At least one good thing that comes out from it, is that I started typing again. Can you see how dusty this blog has become? it’s simplu because I’m just not inspired to write.

Here’s what’s happening in my life currently. I’m jobless. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I’m jobless and it was due to my certain struggle in life which the story I’ll save for another day to tell. I’m jobhunting and currently doing a few part times that barely make my ends meet. I’m a tuition teacher where I teach add maths and chemistry and I’m also a lab demonstrator at a local university. However, the part time is not consistent because the university students are currently on exams and soon to be on semester break, so my classes will resume only after a few months. I’m still doing some teaching but only once a week but all the other classes have already a teacher and at the moment, spm is coming soon so eventually there will be less and less classes towards the end of the year.

It has been a struggle looking for a job since my CV doesn’t appeal to most employers considering my background was in academic research. I tried modifying my resume a few times yet still I don’t think the problem lies there but rather the current economy that is limiting the vacancies with addition to my limited background experiences. I tried expanding my job search towards less relevant domain, but perhaps my experiences were inadequate and far from their requirements.

Bottom line is, I don’t know what I want to do.  I acknowledge this problem but I don’t necessarily know how to overcome it. If possible I wanted to get out of doing laboratory work and move to industrial setting except I don’t like to do sales. Ironic, considering I do a part time online business but personally I see sales as a whole different thing. I feel like online business is more towards marketing whereas sales is really persuading and closing a deal, in another word, “sweet-talking” other into purchasing your product. Sales are commission based and I’m more into a consistent income (fix salary).

So far I’ve gone into searching various job functions such as chemist, lecturer, application specialist, regulatory affair, even business development, clerk or interns! And still no lucks. So yeah, as depressing as it may be, writing this helps me to steam off a little bit and if ever you guys have any propositions or suggestions, you’re more than welcome to do so but pls, no MLM, it’s just not for me.

Science stream Or Art stream ?

You know after form 3, there would come a time for certain where this decision had to be made. For some, it was an easy choice. In my case, it was.

But more than 10 years later, I wouldn't say I completely regretted my choice, but I definitely regretted making the decision based on certain reason. In another word, I regretted the reason.

Back then, and I think it's probably similar now (I'm guessing), the glory of science stream is more emphasized. I think a few years back (not sure bout now), govt actually gave "incentive" to student who chooses science stream.

We need more doctors! We need more engineers! We need more brain !!

If only, someone tells me back then, don't listen to all this crap.

 Choose what you feel most suitable for you. Parents, identify you child's best interest, don't succumb to the pressure of pushing your child to other's perspective.

I wish someone had told me that.

But no, I was an "A" student. "A" student should go to science stream. What does an 8A PMR student doing in art stream anyway.

I went on in science stream but I dropped biology and took IT instead. I didn't like memorizing anyway. And I love the computers.

I did great, really. I mean I did what any parent would hope for. No 1 in class for 2 consecutive years, elected treasurer in class, secured a sponsorship with my trial result, even got offered full sponsorship to oversea with 9A1 in SPM.

The question is, where am I right now?

Honestly speaking, I feel like I'm nowhere. I think I was exhausted throughout my years of studying, the constant fear of failing. I did good (not exceptional but acceptable) overseas. I mean I wasn't top in my class but I was the top among the foreigners and I do rank in the first one third of the class.

But when I got back to Malaysia, all that seems.....useless.

Despite sponsored by govt, my degree was quite unknown actually. Oversea, even the banker wowed at my qualification (I went to the bank to retrieve some money and had some chat with the workers there, when they heard the studies I was doing, they were genuinely surprised), but here, I'm just ....mind me for saying this.....I felt a bit of a loser.

I went in to research. Back then, it was what I loved to do. I could spend long working hours in the lab, thinking of solution to problems, reading journals, etc.

However, last year experience dampened my research enthusiasm. Too much office politics involved, I lost my momentum, I lost the reason of doing of what I was doing. I wanted out. But somehow my science degree wasn't sufficient to land a good job.

I was in research for 3 years. Not a single soul told me that they didn't regret taking science. Even if not a lot, at least a little. Especially those from biotechnology background. Cause the job opportunities as scientiest, aren't that many.

Don't be fooled by the numbers of jobs listed in Jobstreet. Each job look for a specific qualification. For example, O&G companies are likely to look for polymer background. Even if you have chemistry degree, screw you for not specializing in polymer, you wouldn't even be ranked as candidates.

And don't even kid me with applying for MPOB, FRIM, IKM, and other gov entities. If 100 graduated, you don't expect all 100 to be employed there. I remembered asking Felda, what kind of job would I get with a master's degree, they told me it would be an executive job, but since I don't have experience in similar domain, they won't accept me, yet I could't apply for lower qualification neither, cause then they would tell me I'm OVER qualified.

So where does that leave me? 

 Too good to land a bachelor's degree job.

But lack of experience even with a master's degree.

Tell me how to keep my optimism up?

My funny mommy

Dring dring

"Assalamualaikum net, mak ni"

"Haa mak, kenapa?"

"Net jgn call hp mak eh."

"Huh, kenapa?"

"Hp mak masuk mesin basuh"

"-_-"

Adeih, confirm bersih hp mak tu skrg. hew hew hew.

Oleh sbb hp dia dah rosak, dia pun beli HP baru.

HP lama yg flip flap tu, skrg memain touch screen.

Siap whatsapp net lagi

Love with an expiry date

Cerita ni ade kaitan dgn yg hidup. Net tak berniat nak mencela mana2 pihak, sekadar peringatan untuk diri sendiri.

Ade seorang insan ni. Dia sedara net. Beberapa hari lepas net dapat tahu dari parent net yg dia baru sahaje bercerai. Terkejut beruk net.

Kenape?

Sbb sepanjang hidup net, net merupakan saksi cinta diorang. Dari saat pertama dia bawa wanita tu berjumpa parent dia, saat2 dia melafazkan akad nikah, bersanding hinggalah melahirkan 4 cahaya mata.

Net xsuka jaga tepi kain org, so net tak sedar yg diorang ni rupanya ada masalah. Ada satu ketika je yg tertimbul tanda tanya, bile sedara net ni mintak tolong drive kan dia dr umah grandparent net ke umah dia. Kata dia, dah takde transport. Net tanya, kenapa x mintak isteri je tolong drivekan, sedangkan net time tu jauh dari dua2 tempat. Alasan dia, isteri dia overtime, nak tunggu lama sgt. Sedara punya pasal, xpelah, net tolong jugak walaupun husband net mencebik jugak sbb alasan dia kurang meyakinkan.

Dua hari lepas, sedara net ni pun datangla berjumpa parent net. Dia kata baik parent net tahu citer ni dari mulut dia, bukan dari mulut org lain.

So alkisahnya, masalah ni timbul sejak setahun lepas. Wife dia asyik overtime je. Bile call tak jawab. So sedara net ni dah suspicious, so dia pegilah opis wife dia, tgk dah tutup. Mulala misi private detective sedara net ni.

Siasat punya siasat, wife dia rupanya berjumpa dgn lelaki lain. Siap pegang2 bahu gitu. Dia siap snap gambar sbgai bukti. Sedara net ni tanyalah org2 opis wife dia, rupanya satu opis dah tahu. Sedara net call pulak isteri lelaki tu........tapi.....isteri dia kata dia redha je (Amboi, kalau net, dah lama net melenting kot).

Bile sedara net confront wife dia, wife dia bagi alasan sedara net ni tak romantik. Contoh, xnak pun belikan dia underwear mcm lelaki lain (Bile dgr jek, net tanya husband net "Bie, belikan I spender". Husband net pun jawab "Haritu dah byk kali nak beli, u gak yg cakap xnak, kata tunggu dululah". "K, nanti belikan k. hehe")

Net tak puas hati sbnarnya sbb kalau nak dibandinkan dgn family net, net tak penah pun nampak mak ngan ayah net pegang2 tangan, jalan gi vacation sesama, jauh sekali nak panggi sayang ke ape ke. Tapi alhamdulillah diorang steady sampai skrg. Inikan sedara net, yg net saksi sendiri siap bercuti ke gold coast, menunaikan haji sesama dan setahun lepas siap dpt pegi umrah kali ke dua.

Dan satu lagi net tak puas hati, net penah bergurau tanya anak dia "Mana bf?" (Sbb net tahu dia ade bf. Dia jawab "Mama tak kasi. Bf bf ni dosa". Alhamdulillah dgr bile dia cakap camtu, betapa solehahnya anak dia dgr cakap ibu dia tapi.......ape jadi ngan ibu dia ni yg merupakan isteri org tapi kluar dgn lelaki lain?????

Anak dia ni juga lah yg discover mak dia cheat ayah dia, lalu dia nangis2 bgtau ayah dia.

Net pandang je husband net. Terpikir, ape akan jadi 10 tahun lagi. Sedara net dah nak 20 tahun kawin, anak pun dah 4. Husband net pun cakap, kadang2 yg upload gambar hepi2 vacation ngan family, celebrate bday best2 ke, kadang2 merekalah yg ade masalah. Kite tunjuk hepi depan org, blakang org Allah je yg tahu.

Net doa, net dijauhkan dari masalah macam ni dalam rumah tangga net. Net tgh blaja appreciate husband net. Mana nak cari husband yg sanggup tolong jemur kain, sanggup tolong masak, sanggup gosok kain. Biarlah kami tak byk harta, tapi kami sentiasa cukup dgn rezeki yg ada. Biarlah xupdate status fb utk anniversary ke, xdpt Prada ke, sbb mati tak bawak semua tu. (Peringatan pada diri sendiri, sila rujuk post ini 10 tahun lagi hew hew hew)

Tamat

How to get rid of glue on hands / cara menghilangkan gam gajah pada tangan

Ahhh, you know how clumsy we can be. Getting glue all over your hand. Next thing you know, your two fingers are sticking together. Has that ever happened to you?

I often got glue on my hand making these beauties :

 

Find out more what these are by clicking here

I've used all sort of glue : industrial glue, uhu glue, the elephant glue, white glue, snake glue (eww, ade ke?) and 99% of the time, I ended up if not a lot, then a little on my hand.

So how to get rid of glue on your hands?

There's no miracle solution for it, but apparently salt helps.

Just pour in a spoonful of salt in a bowl of water. I don't recommend warm water cause the friction between the salt and your skin sort of help to peel off the glue.

 

Then rub your fingers away in the bowl of water with salt.

Depending on how much of glue sticking your finger and how strong is the glue, it might take a while. So patience is all you need now.

Happy trying!

Basic tips for taking better instagram photos of objects using your phone

Ok, I'm far from having the best instagram photos. And I have way more to learn. Feel free to add more tips and tricks for doing so.

P/S : Yeah the photos from my previous post aren't that good, but I received a few compliments on my instagram pic (eleh baru sket dah angkat bakul), so perhaps check out my artsy measy website instead at chernonet or my instagram

Anyway here what I have learned so far.

1. Leave the filter off

I used to love to use the instagram filter or whatever filter available in apps. They're sort of like automatically change your photo to the setting that you wish to see (black and white, sephia, etc) but they don't apply necessary well to the photo that you took. So best go manual. Play with the brightness, contrast and saturation instead. Download an app that can do this (I'm sure there are plenty).

I think a lot of ppl would go for Snapseed or VSCOcam and I feel like they provide sort of a this professionnal interface and outlook.
  

But I like things simple and straight forward. I usually go for Aviary which if I'm not mistaken exist both for Iphone and Android although their functions might slightly differ depending on the gadjet.

2. Take photo near the window especially for objects

Because natural light is the best and no artifical light can beat the mighty sun. Heh. Most of the light in my house are yellow light and I can't be bothered purchasing a white desk light to make a light box. So I just opt for taking pictures during the day instead.

3. Blank background pops out your object

You ever wonder why people like to take flatlay? What's a flatlay? I just learned that as well. I discovered it while emm instagram hopping (instead of bloghopping), where they take picture from the top and take random objects that arranged it in a beautiful mess (as paradox as it sounds, a mess somehow can be beautiful).

Well most of flatlay were taken on blank background. Use the floor, use white boards, heck use your blanket if you want to (my blankets are decorated, too bad).  Then snap away. How to arrange them? I've seen flatlays where there's an egg and then there's a dress. What does an egg has anything to do with a dress? Apparently as long as the color harmonize, who cares about what picture you are taking.

Again I'm still new at rearranging them to make them look messy yet organized somehow. I enjoy browsing through #duckflatlay where they held a contest for duck scarves (Instagram them to know more).

Well, here's one of my pathethic attempt at taking flatlay.

Stay within these 3 rules, and I think you'll notice the difference.

Happy trying!