Facebook ~ Soft Skills

Salam w.b.t and hello folks,

I don’t mind people contacting me on Facebook to ask about important stuffs like studies, works, jobs, travel etc. Honestly, I might not be the correct person to answer your inquiries, but I am trying my best to assist.

Facebook is an informal medium to ask these kind of things, but I think it is best not make the conversation/queries to be informal too. Since I don’t know a heck about you and most of the times, we never come across in the real life. So, I recommend you to at least introduce yourself, make your queries short and precise, so I can understand what do you want.

Plus, make less "huhuhuhu", "hahahaha", "hehehehe", and whatnot in your questions. As I don’t see what so funny about it.

I believe you don’t message your uni. professor with "huhuhuhu" at the end of your email.

Also don’t be afraid to ask, no question is stupid.

And, thanking others for their time for answering your queries would be great as a sign of appreciation. As they did not get paid by answering your questions.  

I might not a right person to give this advice, but let's learn from each other.

Take care folks.

Salam w.b.t and chow.

P/S - This is part of our soft skills.

 

Sembahyang

Salam w.b.t dan hai semua.

Apa khabar? Entri kali ni nak tulis dalam bahasa Melayu lah.  

Siang tadi, dalam kul 11.30 pagi waktu UK, kol wan dan atok di kampung. Cakap-cakap dengan wan, tapi wan tak banyak sangat cakap sebab dah tua, tapi boleh je cakap cuma tak laju/lancar mcm orang-orang muda cakap. Apa pun, Alhamdulillah, dua-dua, wan dan atok sihat.

Dalam borak-borak tu, wan tetiba cakap,

"Ko tu kak, kat sana jangan lupa sembahyang. Jaga sembahyang! Penting tu!". 

Kita pun, iye kan lah. "Iye wan, iye. Wan doakan akak kat sini. Berjaya dunia akhirat".

 Memang sebelum ni kol wan pun, ini nasihat yang paling lancar dan padu dia boleh sampaikan. Tak lain, inilah dia.

Sebenarnya, bila dah jauh ni, cabarannya sangatlah kuat. Khususnya, ujian keimanan.

Tidaklah kita mantap imannya. Ada masa, goyanglah jugak. 

Contohnya, waktu sembahyang. Sekarang dah nak musim bunga, nak ke arah musim panas. Waktu sembahyang macam ni,

Subuh - 4.20 a.m.

Zohor - 1.15 p.m.

Asar - 5.00 p.m.

Maghrib - 8.30 p.m.

Isyak - 9.40 p.m.

Balik kerja, sampai rumah dalam pukul 6 petang. Masak, makan, kemas barang, buat kerja sikit, dah pukul 8 malam.

Masa ni, mata dan badan dah mula penat. Pastu, mandi dan solat maghrib.

Dalam nak tunggu isyak tu, tahu-tahu dah tidur. Tengok jam, pukul 4.15 pagi. Luar dah mula terang. Kelam-kabut sembahyang.

Cabarannya dalam situasi ini, macam mana tak nak tertinggal solat di kala kita sorang-sorang di sini.

Kadang-kadang, pukul 7 malam dah terlelap. Tak mandi, tak makan, terus terlelap.

Alhamdulillah, Allah masih kasi peluang untuk bangun.

Belum cerita cabaran pasal pergaulan, kerja, makanan, masa.

"Masa" pun ujian tau.

Masa lapang - macam mana dimanfaatkan

Masa padat - macam mana manfaatkan dengan tak lalai dari ingat Allah SWT

Itulah, untung kalau ada kawan, sahabat yang sentiasa ingatkan diri kita dengan Allah SWT serta tanggungjawab kita sebagai hamba.

Kalau dah tiada yang ingatkan kita, maka kita lah sendiri kena usahakan untuk tidak lalai dan leka.

Itulah je yang kita nak kongsi kali ni. Penting untuk solat dan berusaha untuk mantapkan pergantungan pada Allah SWT.

Oklah, jaga diri semua.

Assalamualaikum dan chow semua!

 

P/S - Tak lama lagi Ramadhan. Dengar cerita orang yang berpuasa di UK ni, kena puasa 18 jam - 22 jam. Macam mana tu?

Quick Life Update 6

Salam w.b.t and hi all. 

Foos ur doos? Me, I pecking. (Well-done you if you managed to understand it without Mr. Google assistance)

It is been a while.

I would like to give a quick update about myself here.

 

1. Technically, I am busy with work. Talking about work, it is not that so difficult work to do, it is just a lot. I had to spend some times and need a lot of patience.
2. REMAIN FOCUS AND MOTIVATED, things I have been struggling for a while. I need a booster!
3. My sleeping pattern last couple of days was so fucked up. I slept at 7 pm, woke at 2 am. Slept at 8 pm, woke up at 3 pm. I dinnae ken why. Probably, the sun started to rise early as here is early of spring. Basically, Subuh is around 4 am.
4. First time I need to speed forward my clock 1 hour ahead due to Daylight Saving. It started last two days. I was like a neap, asking people at the office about this as I was freaked out if I miss my bus to work.
5. I will visit Kak Hani in Netherlands next Thursday. I will spend 4 days, 3 nights day. Hopefully all will go well, and I will share the experience once I got back, InsyaAllah. Please pray everything will go well :) Thanks.
6. Colleagues at work, some are nice while some are not. Well, we are all human being. Nobody perfect including myself.
7. Oh My English. My language is so terrible. I believe, it depends on my mood. I realised, I can speak English properly if I feel like talking. Other than that, it is like shite. I need to learn to control myself better.
8. I don’t know when I want to go back to Malaysia for holiday. I don’t have any plan yet.
9. It feels lonely sometimes. Actually, most of the times. Looking at others who are their girlfriend, boyfriend, partner, husband, wife, kids, and dogs. Me, just with myself. I won't deny, it is tough being alone here, at the corner of the world.

So, that’s all from me now. Hope you are doing well.

Salam w.b.t and chow. 

P/S - Excuse my French

"Are you doing alright?"

Salam w.b.t and hello folks.

 

When at work, people will ask me, "Are you doing alright?"

 

This question is similarly like asking, "How are you doing?", "Are you doing good?", in Scottish/Aberdeen style.

 

I will normally nodded and smile. Yes, I always put smiley face.

 

I seldom being open to people, only to certain person I can be honest. However, the personnel who I like to share and listen to is absent. He is on leave for couple of weeks, I guess.

 

And today, another personnel asked me, "Are you alright?".

 

As usual, I nodded and smiled. Seriously, as usual and I hardly shake my head to say things are not okay for me.

 

He basically said, "You smile, so you are doing alright".

 

What he failed to realise was, the level of sincerity of my smile. It complicated and confusing, right? I know, this is what woman does, make stuffs complicated.

 

Listening to his respond, it hits me.

 

Generally, people assume me, smile = alright.

 

I don’t blame them.

 

Then, I reflected myself. I am not doing alright lately and I am not being honest to others.

 

Most importantly, I am not being honest to myself.

 

I have been struggling a bit, in many aspects. Lately, it is just that I find it is difficult to keep myself focus and motivated. I don’t know what are the factors and why, but it happens.

 

I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, so I pretend I can handle it and - smile.

 

Act like nothing bothering me, with hope that time will swallow all things that distracting me.

 

I came across this phrase several days ago. It best describes what I feel and what am trying to do.

 

 Putting shitload aside, and try to live.

Also, several days ago, I said to a colleague, "I hit the bed early last night, because somebody pissed me off and I don't want to say a name".

His reply was, "I can't imagine your reaction when you are angry".

You see here, I smile a lot and people can't picture how am I going to react when I am mad. Yeah, I am still new here and old friends who know me understand how I react when I am angry.

 

P/S - I find it is hard to find a good listener. Pheww.... La tahzan :)

Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven

Salam w.b.t and hello folks.

 

"How is your weekend?" is a typical question to be asked when we come to work on Monday.

My answers normally are, "Not much", "It was alright", and "A bit busy doing readings". Since then I realised, what a dull weekend I had so far.

So last Sunday, I decided to make a little trip to Stonehaven which is famous with Dunnotar Castle. I made a bit of research on the night before on how to reach there and other places can be visited in Stonehaven.

Below are the details.

Stonehaven Guide - http://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/

Address: Dunottar Mains Cottages, Dunottar Mains Cottages, Stonehaven AB39 2TL, UK

Bus X7 (1 hour)

• Day ticket - £10.00 (approx.)
• At 9.15 am
• From F6 Stop, Union Street
• Stop at Dunnottar Junction
• Postcode: AB39 2TL

Opening Hours & Prices

• The current opening hours are Daily between 10am and 3:30pm
• Prices - Adult £6
• Guide Books £3.50
• Postcard Set £2.00

Other interesting places

• Dunnotar Castle - Main
• Stonehaven War Memorial (22 minutes from the castle)
• Aunty Bettys (25 minutes from War Memorial)
• My Beautiful Caravan, at Barclay Street (11 minutes from Aunty Bettys)
• Tolbooth Museum - the museum is only open on a Saturday and Sunday from 12.30 to 3.30 pm

 

Back to Aberdeen

• 4.15 pm from Barclay Street, South bound
• Bus 7
• Arrive at Stop F1

I arrived at Dunnottar Junction Stop around 10.10 am. I did not go straight to the castle, I went to the bus stand to see the bus schedule to return to Aberdeen, just a precaution measure since this is not a busy area. 

Then I walked to the castle about 1 miles, which took me 10 minutes to see the ruined castle from distance.

The view along my walk to the castle

Welcome to the Dunnottar Castle

Behind this field is the North Sea, if you can see it

Pathway that leads to the castle

I was nearly dancing around when I saw the castle



The waterfall



The view is so magnificent

The entrance

In the parking lot got sign said the castle is close due to wind. I was a bit disappointed but I want to have a look, probably the sign was an old sign.

The view, I will never get boring see this





Halfway to the castle



Actually, this is the cliff but eroded due to seawater. The castle is at the top of it



Beach, it was windy, chilly, and started to rain



The gate at the side of the cliff, part of the castle





The stairway to the main gate of the castle. It was closed, affirmative.


I did not want to simply leave the place, so I decided to take a walk down to the beach. The route was treacherous, and dangerous. I saw several visitors just stand at the stairway and enjoyed the view, but none came down to the beach. I took the risk to go down, and if I slipped down the cliff, they will see me from where they stood.

While walking down the cliff, I stopped from time to time and enjoy the fantastic view. Throughout this little hiking, it was raining just so you know and I was carrying my backpack. It was not easy and risky. I was a bit scared, but keep praying all will go well.

 

In the meantime, I saw several people followed me. Huhuhu...but one man slipped, luckily nothing happened. I shouted to him to take the path with fresh grass, much safer.



Nearly there



Finally down at the beach. I did not touch the water as I knew it is so cold



Stopped for a while to read the sign here




Finally, made it to the beach safely

I spent around 10 minutes there, took pictures, enjoying the view. In the meantime, studying the route to get back up the cliff, either take the same route where I used to go down or climb another opposite cliff.

It started to raining heavily and strong wind, poor vision and the ground could be very, very slippery. Besides, the tide was starting to rise. With that, I decided to use the same route.

I walked back to the main road with myself drenching in rain water. I brought an umbrella but I knew it will be useless. As the wind blew so hard and it was so cold. I thought there was a coffee shop, so I could warm up my body while waiting for rain to stop, but nothing, it was a private property. No shelter or whatsoever, just a parking lot. I saw a Blue Bus there but it was a charter bus for tourist.

As a last resort, I decided, lets go to the bus stand. But first, I need to walked back about 1 mile to the bus stop. I walked slowly, and suddenly the Blue Bus I saw earlier stopped next to me. The driver was a man that slipped when he walked down the cliff previously.

He said, "Hop on to the bus".

He gave me a lift to the bus stand towards Aberdeen. He was actually a tourist guide from Edinburgh, brought a group of tourist visited Aberdeen. Now, he was on his way back to Edinburgh after dropping the tourists in Aberdeen. He wanted to visit the castle before going home, but a bit disappointed as it was close.

I said to him, "We should come visit again in summer. The chance will be higher".

He dropped me at the bus stand and off he went. It was around 11 am at that time, the next bus was around 12 pm. It was freezing cold and I hardly feel my fingers, and honestly I was a bit terrified thinking what if the bus does not turn up.

The view from the bus stop. The property there, I thought it was a coffee shop

Finally, the bus turned up and I went straight back to Aberdeen. I did not visit other places as the weather did not permitted. Next time...

Once I arrived at Union Square Bus Station, I went to have my lunch at Thaikun, a Thailand restaurant. A hot meal, after a freezing morning.

On Monday, my colleagues asked me, "How was your weekend?".

"It was great. I went to Stonehaven, see the castle".

Their reply, "You went there in this kind of season, you are out of your mind".

I giggled, "I don't regret it. The view was stunning".

##Extra - Preparation

1. Decent shoes
2. 4 layers of clothes + thermal shirt and pant
3. Waterproof winter jacket
4. Thick socks
5. Gloves
6. Food and water
7. Check the weather forecast

P/S - I was not stupid, I checked the weather forecast already, Allah knows. Anyway, this is Aberdeen.



Aberdeen through my S3 lense

Salam w.b.t and hello all.

 

How are you doing folks? In this entry, I would like to share a video I made. It shows the Aberdeen City. Actually, I took it on my way home from Portlethen and luckily at that time, it was a double-decker bus. I was on-leave on last Friday to take care of some stuffs. So, I took the opportunity to see Aberdeen in daylight.

I share the link here: Aberdeen City

I cannot upload it here since it exceeds the size allowed. Apology for the video quality, but I hope you are still enjoying it.


On the road

You know what, this is at noon in Aberdeen but the weather was like at dusk. Just so you know, this kind of weather considers to be the best weather.

This is the road I take everyday to go/back from work, usually sun already set.

This is at the Castle Street, the building on the left is where I live for now. I will need to find another place, soon.

Aberdeen City also known as Granite City, well you can see from the buildings here. Most of them are constructed from granite centuries ago. Basically, it is historical city and full of ancient elements.

I forgot what is the name of this building, I think it is the university

Normally, it will rain and windy. The wind here, I would be honest, it can blow you miles away. It can reach 55 - 60 mph, sometimes higher. I personally experienced it when I got back from shop. On one hand, I carried my doughnut boxes, and the other hand, I held the wall of the building to against myself and made my step slowly to go home. It was tiring as the wind gust keep pushing my body.

 

Insane!

I came across this fella last week when I randomly made myself lost in the city

My effects from Malaysia just arrived yesterday. It was great to see my stuffs, like jackets, t-shirts, pants, and others. My mother included foods in the shipment, like coffee, instant noodles, food paste, and other Asian foods. Unfortunately, the shipping company did not allow food to be shipped to UK. That’s ashamed. Otherwise, I will have dancing around the room like mad.

Like a coffin ayy

That’s fine, it is not a first world problem. 

 

About work, it is very tiring sometimes, especially when I am a woman, but work like man. Can you imagine the effort to do that, for instance to unscrew the bolt? I am not talking about the typical bolt you see at DIY shop, this is the bolt for tool that is used to make a hole in deep down in subsurface.

 

For female, the effort could be double, triple, or quadruple compared to male. I am not kidding.

 

Anyway, that’s is different story I will share later.

 

I just want to share what Aberdeen looks like. 

 

I think that’s it for now. Take care guys, and Assalamualaikum Dunia.

 

P/S - The people here is very helpful, they know I hardly understand Doric. So, they are helping me to learn Doric. For a start, they call me "Toon" :D

 

Quick Life Update 5

Salam w.b.t and hello folks.

 

How are you guys been doing? Alhamdulillah, I am doing fine. It is nearly end of January, and I haven't post anything new since early of this year. Thus, in this entry, I will make it short and sweet.

 

BOSIET, HUET, and other survival thingy

 

I have completed all the survival trainings last week. The course took 5 days, and it was great. I learned a lot of things, basically, like, "How to keep myself in one piece if something happen offshore?".

 

With the completion of the training, I officially can go work offshore, specifically North Sea (Yuhuu). On the last day of training, I had to escape from the helicopter that made water landing. There were several situations (7 or  8 simulations, I forgot), controlled and uncontrolled water ditching. In the uncontrolled water ditching, the helicopter completely capsized and we had to free ourselves (HUET).

For me, it was quite scary experience. I was struggling a bit. When that happened, you have to think and act fast as well as don’t panic. In the simulations, we had one instructor with us in the chopper and two divers standby in the pool.

 

I do ask myself, if in reality, can I manage to escape safely? I hope all will go well.

 

"When do you want to come home?"

 

That is the question I always get from people; colleague, friends, and my mother. Honestly, I don’t know. That’s the question which I don’t really have a definite answer.

 

I haven't got any plan when I want to come back to Malaysia, for holiday of course. For now, money limitation, as well as job. With the current downturn in oil and gas industry, it makes me a little bit nervous to take things for granted, when everybody else is fighting. Yeah, I think I will come back at some point, but not at the nearest time.

 

Miss

 

When you are far from family, you will miss a lot of family moments. I kinda feel left out sometimes, but I think it is normal. It is similar situation when you are studying at boarding school, the difference is this time, the distance is thousands of miles.

 

Worry

 

I do feel worry about the future, particularly Malaysian future. You can see, the leaders are fail to fulfill their responsibilities truthfully. A lot of issues rise here and there, crimes, unemployment level, cost of living getting pricey from day to day, more and more pampered new generations, ignorance people, and many more.

 

When scrolling down the Facebook, various aspects can be seen. We, Malaysian are easily sidetrack by many unimportant issues. Like, Dilwale, Qu Puteh sponsorship, entertainment, and other crappy things. And, we forgot to focus on more paramount things, for example, " what is the future look like for our next generation". I don’t say I am so responsible person, but if you can see, that we are so busy looking at bits and pieces of useless things.

Malaysia, tanah tumpahnya darahku

Even though I am not in Malaysia, I feel sorry and afraid for those who are struggling just to live in Malaysia. One day, I could be one of those who are struggling to live every day and I don’t fancy that idea.

 

I think that’s all for now folks. Take care and Salam w.b.t.

 

 

P/S - "Manusia terlalu perlu berkelompok, Kalau bersendiri serasa mati" ~ Levitasi