Old games

Recently, with the discovering of D-Fend Reloaded, I have been playing some old DOS games. Classic games.

There are some games that I didn't manage to complete when I was a lot younger, like, when I was 20 to 30 years younger. And there are games that I have completed but simply feel like playing again out of nostalgia.

Times of Lore got the honour as the first game I played using D-Fend Reloaded. It's a game that I didn't manage to complete previously. With the help of walkthrough from the internet, I finally finished the game. I don't think I will ever figure out the game on my own.

The other game I wasn't able to complete in my youth is Xenon 2 Megablast. Since I still suck big time in this type of game, I had to resort to using cheat to finish the game. Not proud of it, but I am glad I got these two games out of my system, after so many years.

Xenon 2 Megablast

Then I indulged myself with a trip down the memory lane playing Lode Runner. I solved all 150 levels all those years ago, I solved them again recently. This is a game I am letting the little monsters play, since it's children friendly and it's puzzle solving. A fun way to develop their problem solving skill.

Lode Runenr

The elder son was talking about Donkey Kong, I think because his schoolmates were harping about it after the Pixels movie. It's not a game that I like but I got it anyway, for the kids when they completed Lode Runner. =)

Donkey Kong

Then I tried Street Fighter II, another game that I suck at. Nothing has changed, I still suck big time and it's just not fun playing with keyboard instead of joystick, so I moved on.

The latest game that I played is the Bomberman, or Dyna Blaster. There are so many versions of this game, the one I just completed has eight main levels with about seven sub-levels each.

Bomberman

There are a few more games that I like to play again after all these years: Digger, I remember I was fairly good at this game; The Ancient Art of War; Super Mario Bros; Raiden...

So many games, so little time! =P

Work/Life

There were several occasions recently when my current attitude towards work was brought up, almost always in response to some colleague friend's complaint or whine.

To me, their complaints and whines have a simple solution: a change in their attitude towards work.

But of course, most people are not looking for solution when they complain, they just want sympathetic listener who acknowledges and validates their feelings and emotions. I understand, empathy is one of my strengths, I can be a good listener if I wanted to.

Though I would rather they resolve their issue so they can be happier. Why wouldn't they want to be happier?

You see, work does not come first for me nowadays, it's all about my well-being.

The work can wait, the company will go on with or without us. Unless some of you have become so very important, but then even the CEO can be replaced and the company will go on, so...

Don't get me wrong, I still believe in doing our very best, or don't do it at all. I am a perfectionist after all. =P

I just no longer want to sacrifice my well-being for work. My lunch has higher priority than work, my sleep has higher priority than work, my exercise has higher priority than work. And no thank you, I won't be working my arse off just to satisfy an irrational whim or unreasonable demand.

Doing the occasional overtime is fine, as sometimes shit happens. But if you are doing overtime more regularly than normal work hours, then something is seriously wrong and you should resolve it. Unless, you actually like it so, or believe it's a sign of your importance, then more power to you, and why complain?

We are easily replaceable, the company will go on with or without us, the company cares not for your loyalty... all these and much more, I know, and I probably said them many times. Though they became 'real' after the deaths in the workplace, the bedbound new year illness, the ruthlessness of the headcount reduction drive...

So yea, my attitude towards work has changed. I am not saying this is right for everyone, I simply believe it's right for me, for now.

Me above work, as the company can ditch me whenever, that I cannot control, but I can take control of my well-being.

Be nice to yourself, because the company sure doesn't.

  

心的频道：夜深人静

夜深人静。

累，但不睏。

心灵的累。

忧郁症上周末又来访，感觉上好像才刚刚从一期好过来，唉…

一整天没有精神，全身乏力，低能量。

开心不起来，什么事都提不起劲。

又坐立不安。

胸口发闷，有那呼吸困难的感觉。

告诉自己我没事，这全是心理作祟。

但就算知道是忧郁症的症状也好，那低落怠倦的乏力感依旧。

感觉，是真的。

很想有人可以明白，可以在乎，可以让我好过点，但我也不知道别人可以做些什么。

所以我，在夜深人静时，随兴写写。

因为写出来了，也是一种纾解。

心的频道 |系列|

Backlogs #13

This one is dated 14th of November 2013, it's titled "penguins everywhere in China".

Auto-correct is the source of many jokes, laughter, and embarrassments.

So yea, penguins everywhere in China! =P

In this series: |1| |2| |3| |4| |5| |6| |7| |8| |9| |10| |11| |12|

有感而发：能·要

二零一六年四月二十三日。

很多东西，不是能不能的问题，而是要不要的问题。

多数人说不能、不会、不行时，几乎都只因为那是他们认为最快轻易脱身的借口。

跟能力无关，是心态。

这些人拒绝一件事、或抗拒一样东西，不是不能，而是不要。

若真的想要，就会尽自己最大能力去排除阻碍达到那东西的路障和绊脚石。

而不是给一大堆借口。

试都不试就讲不能，是态度的问题，跟能力无关。

讲成不能，应该是要心里好过点，容易下台。

连试都不想试，一点努力都不想投入时，干脆就讲不要吧！

痛痛快快、干净利索、直截了当。

有感而发 |系列|

没礼貌

赖床，是对周末和假期最基本的尊重。

没有睡到太阳晒屁股，也应该赖一赖床，这样才是有礼貌的乖宝宝嘛。

今天我却很没礼貌地一大清早就起床，化了一个熊猫眼的妆来载两个皇帝去练习射箭。

我对自己的无礼感到很惭愧，但也很无奈。

等两个瓜冲凉准备出门时我发懵，蒙蒙查查的脑子想到一个好主意…

反正都出门了，就干脆在外吃个早餐才回来吧！

吃好料之余还可以用一用那在消费税施行前很怕输买了一大堆的泊车票，今年尾就过期了耶。

有了这想法整个人感觉比较有劲，呵呵！

但是齁，比我早出门去见老师拿成绩单的老婆仔在说掰掰时告诉我她做了早餐给我…

唉… 爱心早餐嘞…

计划泡汤，我放了两个瓜就乖乖回来吃早餐。

然后写这文章告诉大家我今天多没礼貌，嘿嘿！

随兴随想 |系列|

Porcelain

Apology accepted.

Thank you for doing it. Mightily glad you did.

I forgive you, and I like you still.

It's just that I may not trust you like before.

Because you know, trust is like a piece of porcelain, we can put the broken pieces together, but it's never the same.

This entry was written on the 3rd of February 2016, the delay in posting is done on purpose. This is for when I travel down the memory lane in the future.

JPJ efficiency 2016

Went to JPJ to renew my road tax last Friday, and again yesterday.

Had to go twice because on last Friday morning, after I waited in a packed JPJ for about 20 minutes, they announced that the system was down. Not having the luxury to wait until they got their system up and running again, I gave up and went to work.

Yesterday morning, with a slightly less packed JPJ and a working system, I got my road tax paid.

I did silently prayed all through the waiting for the system to stay up and not pull another act of working first then died, like last Friday.

There were five counters opened for road tax and other relevant business. They were serving number 4128 at 09:40 hours, mine was 4185. 56 people before me.

My number was finally called at 10:13 hours.

33 minutes for 56 people, with 5 counters opened, so on average a counter used 176.8s to serve a customer. Slightly less than 3 minutes, not bad.

Here's a similar post on JPJ efficieny for last year, on a different business.

I had everything prepared for my turn, so it was a good morning, a clear statement of what I wanted to do, handling over of my car grant and the exact change, the wait for the printout and handling back of my documents, and finally the thank you.

Took me slightly less than 2 minutes.

JPJ might be there on efficiency, but seriously lacking on the right service provider attitude.

The customer, me, has better manner and attitude than the one providing the service. No good morning or thank you or you are welcome from the service provider. Lame.

Oh well, seems to be the norm for governmental department, go figure.

人心惶惶

这篇文章原本是上星期要写的，但才写了两行老婆仔跑来聊天，然后我们就吵架所以我反而写了另一篇…

公司大裁员，黑名单这星期出榜。那些被逼离开的、和可以拿配套离开的，都已经收到通知。

周末了，我没有收到任何消息。没消息，应该就是好消息吧？

这是第一轮，如果没有达到要裁的人数，应该会有第二轮吧？

要一个月后才会知道共有多少人离开，和公司接下来的打算。

搞得人心惶惶的，再怎么想认真工作也难免会有点精神恍惚。

我又刚呈现和送出了我才完成的「如何做我在做的工」的文件，把自己变得更容易被取代、被淘汰…

唉，我没有后路啊！没了这份工就是靠储蓄了，都不知道能顶多久？

要怎么保持好心情工作啊？真是的。

随兴随想 |系列|

Long day

Left when it was dark.

Arrived office when it was just turning blue.

No sign of the sun yet, not even a hint of red.

Early morning meeting, important meeting, and I had an agenda.

Whenever that's the case, I preferred to call in to the meeting from my office.

I had to wake up 1.5 hours before the meeting to have time for shower and commute.

I am a worm, not a bird, waking up early is not conducive to my health. For goodness sake, I might get eaten by a bird! =P

Anyway, my agenda revolved around the document I just completed, the one that makes myself obsolete...

I am rather proud of the document, I spent many hours and effort getting it done. The perfectionist within demanded no less.

But I doubt many, if any, will actually go grab the document and read through it. I wouldn't unless I absolutely have to.

Anyway, that's a task done, so now the company can fire me, I suppose... >_<

More meetings throughout the day. Two before lunch, two after lunch, my brain was too tired for much after that.

Hello, I am a meeting engineer, nice to meet you.

Then it's badminton time, yay!

Not much skill but sweated lots, so I am happy and satisfied.

It rained heavily on the way home, the sky was grey and gloomy.

By the time I reached home, the sun has set and it's dark, just like when I left home this morning.

One cycle.

Random behaviour for May 2016

Succeeded with flying colours in my April's impromptu resolution. The resolution is to have more Chinese entries than other languages for the month, and I wrote all April's entries in Mandarin, hehe. Yes, because I can. feel good +1

Continued my body tuning daily exercises, stopped the abdominal muscles related exercises during the few days when I had backache.

Wanted to keep my facial hair as May's impromptu resolution, as a symbolic defiance to the tremor currently happening in the the company. But the the thought of the group photo during the karaoke session today changed my mind. As it's most likely the last big group photo with the person leaving the company, so in the end I decided to be clean-shaved for the occasion.

However, my impromptu resolution only starts after I post the entry, so I will stick to that and let my facial hair grow from today onwards.

So, for May 2016, starting after I post this, my impromptu resolution is: to keep my facial hair for the whole month. 

Because I can.