Week VI: Day I

Week VI has begun. As mentioned on my previous post, I hate Mondays. Not that I dont back in Malaysia, but in a way, its different. There, I cant wait for Mondays to come. Here, I long for longer Saturdays nights. Reiterated many many times, its knowing that its a holiday and you are working volunteerily and knowing its a compulsory day for work that makes the difference. Either way, I cant get my head around it. I am still feeling f**ed when it nears weekends. Anyway, lets move on. Some pixies to share:

Chicken Chow Mien: Mind you, the plate is quite big in size. I shared this with Aszman. This dish will set you back about Rs 120 (approximately MYR 7.80)

Sui Gao: There is this whole plate of huge dumplings, about 30 of them, and all this, at a cost of about Rs 180 (approximately MYR 11.70) but it is really filling. In fact, 20 of them is enough to fill 2 hungry stomachs. It took me and Aszman an hour to finish 30 of them, that also was to keep stuffing them in because we ordered too much. We thought it was smaller in size.

Inside the project office: This is where I sit and also where the Civil Works Team are. I dont know why I have been allocated a place here because really, I belong to TSD which manages telecom equipments, not Civil Works. The logic of putting me here is because the Project Directors thinks I am more suited here because of my construction background and that I can assist in the event of such need. This is the first war room interface as you enter this bungalow. The second war room interface is on the first floor where all the network planning and radio control ppl sits.

Me: Here's me trying to emulate JD in his favorite pose. Nope, not Jack Daniels but James Dean. But nope, I am not any of them. The picture is sized smaller than usual because you know why. Brandishing a gun in this fashion could have WMI [Wrong Media Interpretation]

Me 2: Its me again in a crudely erected tiny shelter made out of badly plastered and laid bricks. Notice there's a heater by the side because its extremely cold and there I was, trying to mimic a guerilla in a hideout somewhere in the middle of a desert or deserted town. Sitted beside me is the Chief Warlord (hahaha, he's the security guard, doesnt look much like a guerilla because of the bright colored jacket he wore)

Double Whammy: Execution Style. Caught under-performing in the project. Reporting live from the project office.

Well, Monday is almost ending now. Office's out. Its time to actually pack and leave. To be honest, sometimes its impossible to work in this not-so-conducive environment because ONE, its cold, the heating is not enough, SECONDLY, its a war room more meant for engineers and civil ppl running around screwing other ppl and getting screwed. THIRD, I am not from Civil Dept!! Well, there is always anyways at the end. Its still a job wherever you sit. Chao for now... more shitbricks tomorrow.

Btw, today was filled with events of sorts. My engineer and I was sarcastically grilled by the customers on the set of drawings we produced before him. It was one of them days. To turn the tide so that I dont feel f**ed up for the entire day, I in turn ended up screwing a subcontractor today for the really pathetic and shitty work they gave me. In fact, I screwed them on Saturday, they replied saying that I was threatening them with work eviction and unprofessionalism, I gladly told them, you want respect, you earn it! You dont demand for respect by telling me your consortium and consultancy is the leading and the best in the country. You dont demand for respect and professionalism when your engineers and draughtsmen graduating from all over the world are producing sub standard and pathetic drawings.. Not on my count or time! Show me professionalism and quality work and I will give you due respect. Today, the director called me and we had a meeting at the project office. In the meeting, they were more than apologetic and admitted their wrong doings. To be honest, I was expecting some resistance. Anyhow, I told them to buck up, give me a committed timeline or date for submission. They gave me one... on Wednesday. We shall see. Another round of headache, is what I expect.

Cheerio now. Ciao...

Week VI: The Beginning

Why the beginning? Beats me too... but I'd reckon this week will be of all sorts. The project is going beyond its limit because sites are delayed in Phase A and they are rushing for datelines. My Phase B is being closely scrutinized as not to repeat the same tight schedule... and that is exactly what I am trying to avoid. Anyway, it isnt all that bad.

After work yesterday, Aszman and I took a stroll at the F7-2 Markaz, had dinner, and walked around those shops looking for a good bargain for whatever that is especially winter clothings. It was ok but didnt buy anything. Was just scouting for a good offer. Went back home and we did a movie marathon together with our good friend, Jack Daniels. It was superb! Didnt thought I would see it again for the next 3 months... but hell... he made it here! ... well, that was last night... and today, I am back at the office... Sunday... whatta day. Let me explain the details. I dont look forward to anything or expect anything out of anything from the commandments I wrote before. Here is why.

Monday: Work starts and its all a rush. It also conincides with Monday Blues. Its manic Monday. Hate it.

Tuesday: Still getting the hang of things after the mad rush on Monday. Customer's day as there are meetings all over. Dont really like it.

Wednesday: Feeling the shit blues again because it's supposed to be the chill-out day in Malaysia as we have reached mid week, but here, it gives me the shitty feeling because its only Wednesday, another 4 days to go. Plus, you will be hell busy with what customers have reminded you to do and also you start calling ppl up to do their job well, there's a lot of shouting, screwing of ppl's ass and more bickering!Dont like it at all.

Thursday: I get calmed down a bit. Try to remain out of the radar because of all the mad rush over the last four days. Normal.

Friday: Shit day because it's supposed to be a good day. Its TGIF in Malaysia, it still is for me in Pakistan, just that, POETS is on Saturday. If I had not experienced TGIF in Malaysia, it is ok because dang... its just boring but Fridays in Malaysia in general are happening times man. Here? Its shittier because you will be contemplating to either fake your absence on Saturday or just to get on with it because there's this 2 hour session of "Lost in Translation" meeting every Saturday which they call it "Project Weekly Meeting" where 20 or more Chinese people will be seating in a conference room like describing their weekly progress. I will be the odd one out reporting my progress in Chinese. I can use English but I refuse to use it. I want to know that I am capable of blurting out these shit in Chinese. It gives me more confidence to talk with other Chinese staffs or people in the future. If I dont practice it, I wont learn. Its a love hate thing. The day? Hate it.

Saturday: First Half, as mentioned, loathe it. Second half... cool. Why?

1. You know the week is coming to an end.
2. I know I can watch DVDs in the night and do whatever I GOD damn like!
3. EPL [English Premier League] matches are on every Saturday where I can watch Liverpool play
4. I know I can just do with switching off my brains from the project for at least that few hours!
5. You know you can just go without having phone calls to bother you from whoever that is!

Sunday: This comes the shit part. You dont know what to feel. I am in office as I speak. Its already 3pm. Woke up at 10am [normal days at 7:45am], had my breakfast, flipped the channels at HBO, AXN, Star Movies etc just to see if there's anything interesting. Nope, check my mails... and find out that you have indeed a lot of shit to do before Monday comes back in because when tomorrow comes, and if you dont do shit about anything today, tomorrow will be a whole lot shittier than this week. And then you start getting all frustrated because there goes your Sunday. So, I dont like it at all.

Hence, what can I tell you, for the entire week of 7 days, I will only have 1 Normal day [Thursday], at least half a day of pure joy and ecstasy [Saturday], and the rest of the 5 1/2 days are filled with a mixture of madness, satisfaction, fakeness, laughter, etc, which to me, is not enough because the bad ingredients tops the list. People from AP office who frequents Pakistan use to give me that weird and "0_o" look because for the past one month I have been here, I have not been anywhere interesting. I have not even been to the hilltop for that romantic BBQ moment overlooking the city. They say its wonderful. I dont know. Havent got the time yet. Its all work. But they dont understand because they are not involved in the project. They say I should. Maybe I will. But when time permits. I brought along at least a dozen DVDs to watch. I have only watched 1 and increased the DVD count even further because they are cheap here (only about 120Rs which is equivalent to about RM 6-7 for a DVD).

Last night was the first time I watched 2 DVDs in a row. It was 'Joe Dirt' and 'The Departed'. I have plans to visit Murree, the Karokaram Highway and also Malam Jabba, a ski resort. That all, is a distant too far for me to even contemplate at the moment.

Well, gotta go now to the other office to make my usual round of internal network mail checks because since my project office cannot access into the mainframe server in China, I have got to do it in the Huawei Office in Saudi Pak Tower. Cheerio now... tara.

Week V: Week Ending Funnies

Since my driver was off to Lahore, I had no other options but to book another car to fetch a colleague of mine from the airport. Aszman was returning to Pakistan. Nice! Here’s what transpired:

Me : Shukriaaa Bhai…
Driver : No problem sir. Airport?
M : Yes.
Driver : You like music?
M : Yes

(However, I was having a throbbing headache because of the workload… He starts turning the music up, it was a Urdu techno song)

Driver : Ahhh…. You like?
Me : Errr… its ok. Any slow song? Classical? Slow?
Driver : You no like Urdu song?
Me : NNnnnnNoooooo… not that. I like Urdu song, but maybe not today. Me sick.
Driver : What mean Sir?

(*In your free time, try to describe these two words “Sick” and “Maybe” in the simplest English and you’ll know what I mean)

Me : Err… (touching me forehead while mimicking a pathetic and forlorn face)… sick? You understand? Errr… (I even tried putting a pen into my mouth to mimic a thermometer in my mouth)…. (Whilst all that failed, the easiest was to mimic a sleeping position)… errr… sick?
Driver : Aahhhh… Yes…. You no feel well?
Me : ??@#?!? Ahh… yes… you speak good English… (eerrr… duh???@!)
Driver : Ok ok… me change music… you like English music?
Me : Ahhh.. yes. English music good.
Driver : ok ok… nehi masla (no problem). I have nice English song.
Me : Good!

(suddenly, a loud and crazy techno and house Urdu cum English music like rhythm blasted me into the black hole… that was how horrified and stunned I was!)….

Driver : (looking at me with anticipation… ) good sir?
Me : phwwwooooarr… too loud… (I didn’t want annoy him, so I was thinking of just turning it down a bit even though the music sucks big time, I just didn’t want to explain further)
Driver : (looks at me with desperation… ) what?
Me : Errr… loud? Noisy? Nnnoooo….? (after much explanation, I covered my ears and he got it!)
Driver : Ooohhhh.. ok ok sir. I think you no like song.
Me : (oh yeah whatever?@!#?!)... Noo Noo… don’t misunderstand. I love music, just not too loud.
Driver : (smiles… and kept looking at me at intervals of 10 seconds to see if it got my approval of his choice of song)…
Me : Err… road…(pointing to the front)… you no see road… (I had to apply the basic of the simplest English to make him understand and plus, his headlights weren’t on as it was getting dark)…
Driver : No worry. Me eyes good. see very far. (still glancing at me at intervals)
Me : (I had no other choice but to close my eyes and play dead, I was horrified to say the least)…..
Driver : ………. (started to sing Hindi and Urdu songs….)
Me : (got up, switched off the God damn radio… and gave him a long stare…)
Driver : (with his puffy and eeyore type eyes…)… I think Sir... you, ...music daft!
Me : ???!?#@?!~?@#?$... Huh? (continued to play dead…)

Whatta Jerk! The first in Pakistan and tell me his English is no good… music daft konon! Bluekkk!@#!>?@!#?