I am about to share videos of inarguable the best male voice of the world. I particularly like this song.
Present to you "Dedication" by Vitas, each and every time I listen to it, it felt different all the time. There will be time that you will lay tears after hearing this song, there was also time you felt like you are on cloud nine or missing someone or thinking about my mom. I got no idea under what genre should I categorize this masterpiece.
Enjoy the video! Pay attention on the 2.40 of the first video and tell me if you are not impress.
And I forgot to tell you guys, this is also hell of a good song to 捉-KICK (catch kick) if you are high.
Marvelous! Bravo! Come to think about it, Vitas can actually speak to dolphin.
Sorry dude, I know I had neglected yet again this site. There are a lot to share and I do not know where to start.
Let's talk a bit of what's happening at work of late. Few senior managers spoke to me (I mentioned SENIOR MANAGERS) came up to me and gave me a piece of advice "be humble". I nodded and did a bit of thinking about this.
Being my vocal self and always seem to be a fighter in the company, I evaluated those words conveyed to me, "HUMBLE". Let me share a bit of my working style here before I indulge deeper on the word "HUMBLE". I am a fighter, I always stand in my customer point of view, I always debate on my justification over a decision I made. To me, any decision made in business, business sense MUST prevail!
Early last year when I took up the role of business development, practically I headed the department with one of my junior who I had no issue with and we worked closely and get things done and secured. Things changed until early this year when the organization decided to place a Senior Manager whom I need to report to. This had not been an issue and I had tried my best to work with him as much as I can. Being myself, I had numerous occasions where I had constructive arguments with various departments in the company but my intention was good, everyone knows that, blame it on the respective KPIs that everyone got to meet. So therefore certain business decisions I made, I had no choice but to overlap a lot of people in the company and went straight to MD who most of the time sees the logic behind my justification (thanks MD!)
This had in fact angered many parties whom in the end of the day I did went to each and everyone to apologize and hope that they understand that whatever we argued was for work and nothing personal. Outside, I am seem to be a nice person, I can mix well with people in & out of the company. I am glad that some people really understand and accept that Michael Song is what he is and it really take a very tough manager with strong personality to mold me as a future leader. I learned the hard way, during the SEE days, I learned a lot from the top management there and still keeping in touch with some of them.
So back to "HUMBLE", my upbringing and to friends who know me personally, I do have qualities of being a humble person. My clients can prove it. Then come to think about it, is it that some of the Senior Managers want me to be a "Yes Man" or in another word, a "HAMBA" instead of "HUMBLE".
Just as I count my days down in my current company, here by are some really nice testimonials given by my clients.
"He is a fighter. He always at his best to fight for us and very unfortunate that he is taking up bigger role & challenge elsewhere" - Citibank
"He is a very prompt person, very helpful at most occasions and he even came to ground to do installation" - Ireka Land
"Michael is the most friendliest supplier under my list. He had been helpful and supportive in the call to promote Korea tourism. From a relationship of a supplier-client, we are now friends!" - Korea Tourism Organization
"Very helpful and informative, committed even though our delivery dateline to him was tight" - Super Coffeemix
"The only person that I can rely to when I need information and support, great job done in assisting my prize giving ceremony, certainly a good experience working with him even though for a short one" - Berjaya Sports Toto
Being the country where I was born & raised, I should be proud to be a Malaysian. But somehow it is the reversal, yes some might argue that we are far better of than country like Cambodia & Vietnam but why do we want to compare ourselves to a country worst than us?
If one day, our natural resources depleted, what's there left for his country? The people who administrate this country are so narrow minded and only tackling on petty issues, trying to bring one another down, playing the religious card.
From the latest WHO updates, more than 32000 in Europe were infected with the pandemic H1N1 with 53 deaths. With South East Asia recorded more than 13,000 cases and 106 deaths, our country Malaysia champion again with 68 deaths! That is more than the whole entire Europe is recording! Don't you think the Health Minister should be accountable for this? What's measure been done? Quarantine & closing schools, colleges & universities? If you would look at the state of our government hospital now, would you be willing to even step in the hospital?
It's good to leave the country again seriously though I am going to miss my friends & family here and not to mention the food here especially Nasi Lemak. Other than that, this country has nothing left for me.
Yes, that's my English name and what many of my friends would call me. I do not have it registered on my identity card though but the name was indeed adapted at a very young age.
It was back in 1984 (guess you guys roughly know my age by now) when I was in the kindergarten. There was this one time when they had this talent-time for the kindergarten kids on state level. I represented my kindergarten back then and won the contest.
I won the contest impersonating Michael Jackson. I still can remember I performed twice, one for the preliminary round and another as the finalist. On the preliminary round, I performed 'Billie Jean' and my winning performance was 'Beat It'.
At that time, mom helped me a lot on the custom-made dressing and choreograph the dance moves. It was a good experience for me.
From there on, after the whole experience, kids in my kindergarten called me Michael and I adapted the name until now.
I am inspired to write on this post after watching the untold stories of Neverland and how people had mistakenly accused MJ all this while.
On a separate note, counting down 5 days to my last day of employment in my current company. I will be traveling to Thailand for a few days before joining my sister in Hong Kong.
Will decorate this site with more pictures of my traveling experience.
So this is my final month of employment in LG. Being associated with a company for almost 8 years now, finally, it's time to move on. Many had asked, where will I be? What company I am joining? What's my plan? Well, here you go, some of my plans, both confirmed and pending confirmation.
I will spent more time blogging @ MikeMmery and I will still continue to blog for LG Blog as long as my service is required. That means I will be part of the media once I left to be invited for all their events. Now this is confirmed!
And of late, I am dating someone out of the country, guess I will go and visit her for one more time before I proceed with my other assignments.
I am setting up a company on my own to do web development & web designing. I had also set up a separate company to manage on project biz focusing on electrical & electronics products.
I will also be in Hong Kong soon!!! I am also going to take up a job of designing & developing a corporate website there. I am currently looking for freelance designer to be part of this team. This client is based in Hong Kong with networks mainly in the Asia Pacific region. Will be there perhaps in the month of September, all depending on whether I can get a reasonable fair during that month considering it is also peak month as we celebrating the Raya. If everything is on track, I will be in Hong Kong for a bit, perhaps 2-3 months and celebrating both my Christmas & New Year there. Friends can still get my updates here, I assure you!
Now the plans that awaiting confirmation - during my few months in Hong Kong, I plan to visit Taiwan & China when I have the time, any friends there that willing to take me around???
And upon returning from Hong Kong, I might be joining a Thai company, got an offer of marketing position there and that position will only be available in 2010.
And if I have additional time, I want to improve my biking skill, improve my financial capability and do a bit of golfing.
Now I really cannot wait to my days of self employment :)
While counting down to my last day of employment, I browsed through some of the great works of the late Yasmin Ahmad, these are some of my favorites;
Look carefully on the messages conveyed and whether it is by script or not, with all this nonsensical debates, arguments & criticisms, what's there left in this country?
And finally, this...
What's all these racial sentiments the politicians are shouting & fighting about? Aren't we all Malaysians? If I fell in love with a Malay, I'll convert cos love supersedes all other factor. Not the issue of race here, or who I choose as my friends, or who gets more than the other in the end of the day. Malaysia belongs to all, to us, KITA.
To working individual like me, a job is like a marriage. A good marriage will normally end up with a happily ever after ending, in other words you will be walking into office in a jovial mood without having the dreaded feeling of going to work. It is like you just cannot get enough seeing your wife. However there is also possibility that a marriage ends up in a divorce which is like in an employment point of view, you are not motivated, you felt dreaded, that is when you resign.
About more than 2 years back, I landed myself in a hot soup for being too vocal, blogging about my disappointment on certain individual at work. I apologized for that as the language that I used which I got to admit was a bit too much. People grows up, just like me, being vocal can be in many ways and I had never change a single bit of my personality.
The decision of leaving a company that I am affiliated for almost 8 years now was not an easy one. To me, I am proud to be a part of the company. The passion I had when I first joined as a fresh graduate til now on its product is still there. Every year I am being introduced to many new innovative, fascinating products in conferences I attended. The exposure I had, the culture that I nurtured, all these had molded me into a tough person that I think can brave through challenges ahead.
With many of the plus points, why I leave? Survival, job motivation & satisfaction. In fact, I left, rejoined and for the second time I decided to leave again. But when offers laid down on the table offering much lucrative package, the temptation is always there. I need to work with people with global mindset to get the motivation, not a superior who acted like a teacher in primary school. I had gained all the wisdom & knowledge during my university days, I need a troubleshooter and a leader who can enlighten me on new things. These are the words of my frank self which I do not think will be very nice to throw to someone more senior than I am. When I start to question why this and why that, that is when I have doubts on certain decision. Bad decisions do happen but if the leaders kept on making doubtful and bad decisions, that will be when the subordinates suffer. Decisions need to be made if business sense prevails, but what if it is not?
On empowerment & delegation, when roles & responsibilities are not clearly defined, that will be when staff will be demotivated. In a company, no one is indispensable, including me. And one transparency, I do not think this word is even in the dictionary for some seniors I worked with.
So to some of my closest buddies and the bosses that I truly respected, thanks for the persuasion. I think the marriage bond just need to be ended here. I want to part in a way where there will be no sour feelings towards any specific individual. Perhaps we will cross path in a very near future?
I guess I put my freedom of speech to good test, hope my remaining days will not be as hell. Robin Hood, where are you?
My blog has been in a very sorry state of late. It had been ignored for a bit and finally I have found time for it at least for now. Yes, resigned... DONE... so many would ask why you still serious about your job? I would like to let go totally but it would be nightmare for my clients, it is just not me to just to leave it to someone who totally has no idea what or how to manage the corporate clients.
For my clients who had been following my blog, rest assured, I will be at my best to service you all until my last day of employment. I will be serving my notice until early September. To be frank, I have not accept any offer put on the table. It does not mean I am being arrogant or ignorant about the whole economical situation. To me, the next move I would have make will be critical for my life, so therefore I am seeking a bigger role, bigger responsibility and of course a bigger pay.
Not too bad after all, I had 2 offers and now I believe your experiences sell. And your name sells as well. One from an automobile company and another is pharmaceutical company. Got a call today from Singapore for a role in a European MNC and another in Thailand (this is my choice perhaps).
And I just need to be a bit more patient with my current situation while serving my notice as I had come to encountering Tai Chi Masters internally. I believe in karma though and I guess I had made the best choice and decision in my almost a decade of employment. Time to move on and with offers pouring in, I believe I can excel and put my strength to bigger test in life.
So, health is also another reason I quit my current job. Friends & family knowing me, I spent quite a substantial amount of time in my work. Blood pressures and BMI numbers not being good to me, it's time to do something for myself. Something money can't buy, and that's my health. So, there will be badminton every Thursday now for me. Mountain biking on the weekend. And perhaps pick up my golfing real soon.
And travelling!!!! Yeap, back from back to back Indonesia & Thailand trips. I might be heading either Thailand or Hong Kong in September or October if there aren't any offer that can catch my attention. Before any readers having wrong assumptions of me heading to Thailand so often, well I am seeking for opportunities there, it is a country I would call it home if possible given the cost of living and the people in consideration. Some real sorry stories here had influenced my opinion of my born country. Teoh Beng Hock's case, ISA, etc... it just goes on and on...
And well... who knows I am in the road of finding my soul partner. I just felt all good things will follow suit soon. Just that this good feeling and I trust my feeling.
To my family and best buddies who had been concerned about my future, I am more worried than you all, with all the commitments I am having now. As a human, always aim higher and never stay in your comfort zone, that's me! That's Michael Song!
Signing off for now... shall be back with full strength ;)
Since there is someone who is asking me the meaning of the song, so here you go and being someone who does not know how to read Chinese characters, correction is very much appreciated, so here is what I think is the meaning of the song. Enjoy!
从来没想过 不能再和你牵手 Never thought that I would not be able to hold your hand
委屈时候 没有你 陪着我心痛 During troubled times, you were not there to company me enduring my heartache
一切都是我太过骄纵 以为你会懂 It was because I was too arrogant, assuming that you would understand
一直忘了说 我有多感动 Kept forgetting to tell you how much I was moved
Chorus: 我知道你还是爱着我 I know you still love me
虽然分开的理由 我们都已接受 Despite the fact that both of us are accepting the reason of our separation
你知道我会有多难过 You knew that I would have been devastated
所以即使到最后 还微笑着要我加油 So that's why you kept on smiling and encouraged me to keep on fighting
我知道你还放不下我 I know you still cannot let me go
才会在离开时 闭着眼没有回头 That's why when you left, you closed your eyes & never look back
我们都知道彼此心中 We both know that deep inside
其实 这份爱没停过 Actually that this love has never stop
(Repeat All)
Bridge: 曾经完整幸福的梦在脑海里头 The happiness we had still very much embedded on my mind
