Back with a vengeance! hehe...

Wow, time flies! January’s coming to an end and I want to maintain my resolution of posting at least 2 entries per month. I’ve been extremely busy, partially trying to impress my stingy boss (so that I can gain some favours from him, what else? (at least I’m forthright), but I don’t think it’ll work, since he’s only concerned about trying to keep the Project ‘within budget’). I’m the Quality Manager, so the budget’s got nothing to do with me, hehehe.

I also feel that I’ve not been giving my best in this Project, so it's about time I give it a go, and see whether I still have the grit and the anything-goes attitude I used to have last time before the intricacies and politics of this stupid Project (yeah, it is the Project, and the weather, and the people, the god-forsaken place…)… Anyway, it’s about time that I buck up and show some results (…but what sort of results do you expect from Quality? 1001 Non-Conformances? That’ll just mean Quality suck, right? 0 Non-Conformances, that’ll mean we’re not doing anything! …Quality is indeed …err complicated).

On the home front, I’m back with full force. The cluster headaches are gone. Anu’s happy (and contented… ahem). I’m registered with the Foreigner’s Registration Office (without participating in any enrichment scheme). The satellite TV’s fixed (and hopefully, it’ll stay fixed for the rest of our stay here). The bloody mosquitoes still hover around and bite despite near-zero temperatures (and I thought we could do away with insecticide in winter!) Everything is still bloody cold, especially my room in the office. I can’t put a bloody blower in there because the bloody electrical circuits were not wired for that type of load, and I can’t be bothered with getting our electricians to fix it coz I figured winter’s coming to an end very soon, and none of my other colleagues are using any heating device anyway, so what the heck, I’m a man! (…hmm, maybe that’s why the colleagues spend a lot of time at site nowadays…)

Anyway, I’ve gotta get back to work, gotta to show them who’s Gary Ong… Will post pictures to keep the blog updated ok?

India Update: A Great Start to 2008

2008 has started off pretty well. Bharatpur is bloody freezing. The daily power cuts have sharply increased and some times last the entire morning (on and off, according to its own liking). They still routinely happen from 6.20am to 6.50am every morning without fail. That’s about the same time I wake up and take a dump at the freezing toilet every morning. The sun doesn’t really come up till 7am in winter which makes reading while I shit a bloody hassle (not impossible, after all I have a candle! hehehe). I have nightly headaches; …looked up the internet, it may be cluster headaches, it comes every night and goes away in the morning, (interfering with more pleasurable nocturnal activities, shit!) Not that the occasional pegs of whisky, rum or / and tequila help. Everything is bloody cold – the toilet seat, the woolen jacket (just before I put it on), the pants, the drinking water, … as opposed to summer when the bloody shower is hot even at 5am in the morning.

Coming to the office is a bloody drag. My room must be in the colder part of the office, opening the door to the office room feels like opening a fridge door, and then a flick of a switch and the feeble tube light comes on (also like a fridge). The room only starts feeling warmer after lunch, thereby affecting the ever-strong performance of the very efficient Quality Manager for more than half of the day (yeah, IT IS the bloody weather!)

The mosquitoes are still around, but they hardly bite. Most of the time they just float around slowly (like they’re high on something) in front of your eyes, while you’re watching TV. The few nights when the temperature went up a bit, they actually bite, the bloody critters. The lizard should be having a field day if they’re around but there’re no signs of them – nature sure is kind to mosquitoes here.

The crooked TV Technicians of Bharatpur pulled another one on us, again. We found out that the recently replaced satellite dish is also a low-quality dud, and so are the cables connecting the dish to the box. Bravo! The local foreigner’s registration officer (aka the police, not all, only one greedy a#%$&le) was giving yours truly a hard time, thanks to the unbending (read, stupid) principles of yours truly of not wanting to comply with his local enrichment scheme. Screw him!

All else here is fine otherwise (thank God). Anu’s as sprightly as ever (but not too contented…).

And that sums up what a wonderful year it’s been so far. Things can only get better right?

New Year Greetings!

To all my friends and family whom I’ve not contacted for ages, I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year. May the year ahead be filled with joy, love and success. May you and your loved ones be blessed a thousand fold and be protected from harm and temptations. May good health follow you wherever you go. May there be peace and harmony in your household and work place. May God guide you to overcome the trials in your life, so that you will rise up again with new hope. May you forgive your brothers and sisters who have hurt or wronged you and may you be forgiven for the wrongs that you have done unto others. May all that is good come true for you. May God be with you wherever you go.

Happy New Year! Selamat Tahun Baru! Xin Nian Khuai Le! Naya Saal Mubarak ho! Manigong Bagong Taon! Kum Thar Chibai! (still my favourite hahaha).

With love, Gary

I just came back from a hectic break from work (I will not call it a holiday, it’s just too tiring to be called one) in Malaysia. I know I’ve been an asshole for not looking up any of my friends, (except one, Wai Yen, you’re the unlucky one, see?) I know this should not just be brushed off lightly, what sort of friend is this when he comes all the way back from overseas after a very long time and doesn’t even call up his friends, huh? Anyway, he has very valid reasons – such as parading his never-before-seen wife to his enthusiastic family plus plus, such as attending (and trying to assist, somewhat disastrously in) his good brother Jack’s wedding, such as shopping for and buying Christmas presents for everyone in the family plus plus (and that’s not all – you have to wrap the darn things up – and with my family, it felt like there’s a present-wrapping competition). We wrapped most of it up (creatively) in newspapers (it’s the heart that counts, no?), plus this is my first Christmas with the family at home after err… 6.. no 9 years (I think) don’t really remember the last time… and my first year buying presents, so understandlah huh? And then there are the 101 errands, my work visa, the bloody banking matters… And lastly, and most importantly, I have to show off to the wife the frequently boasted state-of-the-art attractions and the fabulously delicious food of my beloved home, Malaysia, right? Just say that she’s not too impressed (thanks mainly to the hectic schedule I put us through and family pressures hehehe).

Anyway, to those who sent me Christmas greetings, here’s a belated Merry Christmas to all of you. I miss you all and would have loved to meet as many as possible. Thanks for keeping in touch, may all your souls be blessed. Cheers, till we meet again, Gary.

Our Other Homes in Mumbai

OK, it's December. And I've just completed another sparring match on email with a %#$*! at the office, ...and this time I 'won', ahem. And I'm feeling just a little pleased with myself, so here's to giving myself a little time-off to bask in my 'victory' and post more pictures of our homes in Mumbai, since my brain is still stuck on combat mode...

Our other homes in Mumbai aren't too bad either. Our 2nd home, compliments of the Reliance Industries Group (flagship of the richest man in India, Mukesh Ambani, at last count worth about err …49 Billion USD) at Chuna Bhatti, Mumbai: -


Our bedroom at Reliance Towers


The playground where we used to have our evening walks, except when the breeze blows from the direction of the river, …and carries the stench of a million pollutants…

Our 4th home, Leighton’s Guesthouse in Kalina, Mumbai: -

The common living room


The view from the roof of the Kalina Guesthouse with a Gurdwara in view

Our 5th home: -

...Hahaha (kidding), ...Kim of the slums

Anyway, good times never last forever right? And that’s why we’re here now, in Bharatpur, staying with evil monkeys and #$%^*$^% ^#$*%$^ #%^%#$*!!

The Generosity of My Employer: Example 2

And here's more... Our 3rd home after rejoining Leighton.


The modernistic museum-like Grand Hyatt, Mumbai


Poolside, Grand Hyatt

Anu doesn't like this place because it has a hospital-like appearance, because of its ultra-cool atmosphere (or more like it's always bloody cold in the lobby), and the ultra exclusivity of its food (e.g. like having its mineral water priced at 10 times of the price outside). Not much complaints from me or especially from the rest of my colleagues though - nice Western food, and the Company's paying for it after all - hehehe.


The view from our room




Some of the 'museum' displays in the ultra-'cool' lobby


The courtyard of the Grand Hyatt

No, ...we didn't stay there for too long, 'only' about 10 days, ...unlike our other long-term staying colleagues...

The Generosity of My Employer: Example 1

I can complain a lot about some of the things in the Company (the people, …especially the people). As an organization, I think we are one of the most self-centered group of employees found in a working culture, a far cry from the days working in RBM when the lack of resources perhaps, forced us staff to have a rapport to sort things out amongst ourselves, and to share things. (…Except when it had something to do with Chairman Mao hehehe – see previous entry Depression Mode).

This place, it’s all for yourself, very individualistic, no trying to understand others, no team spirit, etc. The organization could do with some initiative to inject a little more fun, team spirit and morale into the works. It could for example, put me in charge of the organization hahaha…

Anyway, when it comes to generosity, RBM cannot even smell the whiff of a fart of this place. See pictures below of my first home after joining Leighton –


The Marriot Lakeside Chalet, Powai, Mumbai - part of the Renaissance chain of hotels


The view from our living room, with Powai Lake in the background


Our bedroom


The adjoining Renaissance Hotel, Powai, Mumbai


Anu and the 'eternal guardian' of the Nawab Sharif Indian Restaurant, Renaissance Hotel


The interior of the Renaissance...

How much is the cost of this thing? You wouldn’t even want to imagine… And we stayed there for more than a month!

The Dry Spell continues...

The inspiration to blog continues to be blocked. The inspiration to complain however, works up every other day. Working here nowadays tends to generate that inspiration somehow. I have to thank the company (or more like my peers and colleagues) for cranking me up (more than a few notches), improving my oratory and writing (or more like bitching) skills and for giving me a new found love for being an a#*hole in general to my equally irritating %#$&*#&$% peers. I shall not bitch about them as then I would be an equal &^$&#*$&%^ to those %#^$&*&$%#&…

From all the intrigue that happens in the office, I have found a new respect for people who are forthright in their approach rather than those sneaky little weasels who smile and (try to) act friendly with you only to be an absolute $#%#^$*^%&*#&*%^*%&*^#*%*%&#%^ behind your *$&$ backs! %&$^*#&$*^*$* spineless $^&%&*$%!

Some examples of creative insults my beloved Construction Manager uses here: -
Numb Nuts
Penis-Breath
Pull your $#%^$%^$* finger out of your %$#^$% %^#$&$*^# and start doing something
Colonial Pricks
Queer A$#%*&les (for QA)
Mushrooms growing in their dark holes (because mushrooms are kept in their cosy little dark corners and fed %^#&&*$^ buffalo shit for them to grow)
Etc
Etc
Etc

Not many of the insults refer to yours truly, thankfully. And he’s not one of the people I’m pissed off with – imagine that.

Yet another update, yet another Fort City

Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

I’ve been busy, at work, for a change, hehehe. I still have no inspiration to blog. But I think I’m no different than a lot of other bloggers. It comes a time when inspiration and ideas just don’t …happen! especially when you let the serious things of life (like work) interfere with your daydreaming. So, to honour my resolve of having at least 2 updates per month (and November seems to be zooming by pretty fast), here’s the easy way out – more pictures, more fort cities…

On the work front, I've discovered the secret of generating work in Quality Assurance – string up a line of Audits! And so I have, 16 audits down, 16 more to go, and audit reports for all of that. On the average I take 1 bloody day to do 1 bloody report, so it’ll take me up to some time the end of December to finish off that lot. Oh, …and I forgot, my last minute assignment. Shit!


Jain Sculptures on the way up to Gwalior Fort. Jainism is a religion in India which appeared about the same time as Buddhism (I think... don't quote me). The holy men of Jainism frequently go around stark naked. No, I'm not kidding, and yes, I've seen it a couple of times before. Never seen any holy women though...


The Temple of Doom (...hahaha kidding), a hybrid South / North Indian Hindu temple atop Gwalior Fort


A Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) atop Fortress Gwalior


The Gurdwara comes equipped with a swimming pool...

For the record, this is the fastest post I've ever done - come on guys, leave a comment, show me that you people still care about yours truly here, hehehe...

How not to waste time...

I still have no inspiration. The last two weeks have been a string of work in the office interrupted by spells of internet-surfing. These spells sometimes last a lot more than the 1 hour (maximum) I set for myself earlier in ‘My New Blogging Strategy’. I somehow have a natural talent for this. The really important things are not easy to start. I have to complete all the unimportant stuff before I switch to the really important stuff. Assignments that I have to handover for example, are important stuff, and as such will be left to the last minute, because I have to do the unimportant stuff first, …like tidying up my table, reading through piles of paper collecting dust in my in-tray for the last 3-4 months, putting a new entry into my blog…

And then I have to add some pictures to the blog entry. Somehow, I feel an update is never complete without pictures. Pictures sound like the easy thing to do, but they actually use up quite a lot of time. First you have to spend time choosing the nice ones, or the ones that will best capture the essence of a place or an entry, right? And if you are armed with a digital camera and have click-happy fingers like me, or Anu, you will have 34 pictures of one tiny restaurant, and 298 pictures of one tiny town (ok, I am exaggerating). And you have to choose 7 out from that.

And after that you have to check out the news. Because who knows what’s changed in the world, while you’ve been busy updating your blog, right? Is Lewis Hamilton still gonna be with the McLaren F1 team next season, have they uncovered anymore sex videos of famous people, is the naga jolokia still the spiciest chilli in the world, is Lindsay Lohan still alive…

I better get back to work. I shall now file all the dusty papers I have read so far from my slowly depleting in-box. I know I can still meet the deadline, I am super-efficient when it comes to last-minute-work. Years of training and practice made sure of that.

A Hidden Place

The Tombs of Kings of Orchha, by the river Betwa
What a name huh? Orchha… like some infestation of Orcs…

This is a peaceful little place tucked in northern Madhya Pradesh in the middle of India. Its name is Orchha (meaning Hidden Place), and it used to be the capital of one of the many independent kingdoms in India in the past. I like this place. It's cool (it was winter, ok?). I got to eat some ‘kimchi’ fried rice, some creation the local restaurants adopted from the Korean tourists I suppose (nice for a change, especially when you’re eating some sort of ‘dal’ or ‘roti’ every meal). It is fairly small, not crowded, not touristy and not too dirty. The one thing that attracted me most however, is the immense and almost-deserted Chaturbhuj Temple – that feels like something right out of the Prince of Persia. Give the Purple Scroll (50 rupees) to the Dark Acolytes (unofficial guardian-boys) of the Temple and they shall let you into the dark, steep and narrow staircases that lead you up to the scary upper chambers of the temple, with low and narrow pathways that open up to thin air, staircases formed by pieces of stone sticking out of the wall (and half of that broken), dark dank chambers, vertical drops straight down to the ground 100 feet below… and amazing views of the surrounding at the roof. If only I could climb the spires… where the Skeleton King of Orchha was said to reside…


Temple of the Skeleton King (kidding - Chaturbhuj Temple at night)


Gearing up to face the terrors within…


Castle Orchha


Palace of Emperor Jahangir (Jahangir Mahal)


The Dark Elves (construction ladies) of Jahangir


The Palace of Glass (Sheesh Mahal)