It is a journey of a thousand miles that must begin with the first step.
Success is never achieved with a single effort gallantly executed in one moment in time. It is the sum total of all the small efforts made over, perhaps, a lifetime.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Culture between Western And Asian
Opinion
W : Talk to the point
A: Talk around the circle, especially if different opinions
Way of Life
W: individualism, think of himself or herself.
A: enjoy gathering with family and friends, solving their problems, and know each other's business (keh poh or busy body.)
Punctuality
W: on time.
A: in time.
Contacts
W: Contact to related person only
A: Contact everyone everywhere, business very successful.
Anger
W: Show that I am angry.
A: I am angry, but still smiling... (beware!)
Queue when Waiting
W: Queuing in an orderly manner
A: Queuing?! What's that?
Sundays on the Road
W: Enjoy weekend relaxing peacefully.
A: Enjoy weekend in crowded places, like going to the mall.
Party
W: Only gather with their own group.
A: All focus on the one activity that is hosted by the CEO .
In the restaurant
W: Talk softly and gently in the restaurant.
A: Talk and laugh loudly like they own the restaurant .
Travelling
W: Love sightseeing and enjoy the scenery.
A: Taking picture is the most important, scenery is just for the background.
Handling of Problems
W: Take any steps to solve the problems.
A: Try to avoid conflicts, and if can, don't leave any trail.
Three meals a day
W: Good meal for once a day is sufficed.
A: At least 3 good meals a day.
Transportation
W: Before drove cars, now cycling for environmental protection.
A: Before no money and rode a bike, now got money and drive a car .
Elderly in day to day life
W: When old, there is snoopy for companionship.
A: When old, guarantee will not be lonely, as long as willing to baby-sit the grandkids.
Moods and Weather
W: The logic is, rain is pain.
A: The more the rain, more prosperity .
The Boss
W: The boss is part of the team.
A: The boss is a Fierce god.
What's Trendy
W: Healthy Asian cuisine
A: Expensive Western cuisine.
The Child
W: The kid is going to be independent and make his/her own living.
A: Work, live and all for the kids, the centre of life.
W : Talk to the point
A: Talk around the circle, especially if different opinions
Way of Life
W: individualism, think of himself or herself.
A: enjoy gathering with family and friends, solving their problems, and know each other's business (keh poh or busy body.)
Punctuality
W: on time.
A: in time.
Contacts
W: Contact to related person only
A: Contact everyone everywhere, business very successful.
Anger
W: Show that I am angry.
A: I am angry, but still smiling... (beware!)
Queue when Waiting
W: Queuing in an orderly manner
A: Queuing?! What's that?
Sundays on the Road
W: Enjoy weekend relaxing peacefully.
A: Enjoy weekend in crowded places, like going to the mall.
Party
W: Only gather with their own group.
A: All focus on the one activity that is hosted by the CEO .
In the restaurant
W: Talk softly and gently in the restaurant.
A: Talk and laugh loudly like they own the restaurant .
Travelling
W: Love sightseeing and enjoy the scenery.
A: Taking picture is the most important, scenery is just for the background.
Handling of Problems
W: Take any steps to solve the problems.
A: Try to avoid conflicts, and if can, don't leave any trail.
Three meals a day
W: Good meal for once a day is sufficed.
A: At least 3 good meals a day.
Transportation
W: Before drove cars, now cycling for environmental protection.
A: Before no money and rode a bike, now got money and drive a car .
Elderly in day to day life
W: When old, there is snoopy for companionship.
A: When old, guarantee will not be lonely, as long as willing to baby-sit the grandkids.
Moods and Weather
W: The logic is, rain is pain.
A: The more the rain, more prosperity .
The Boss
W: The boss is part of the team.
A: The boss is a Fierce god.
What's Trendy
W: Healthy Asian cuisine
A: Expensive Western cuisine.
The Child
W: The kid is going to be independent and make his/her own living.
A: Work, live and all for the kids, the centre of life.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Linux CLI - Webserver Apache - Virtual host
Okay, I'd make one extra suggestion:
Use a named host in a seperate config file. Thay way you don't get burned next time apache is upgraded.
First off make sure that the last line in /etc/httpd/httpd.conf is:
Include /private/etc/httpd/users/*.conf
It should be there by default. Then create a file in /private/etc/httpd/users called "customconfig.conf" (really whatever you want to call it). Add the following to that file:
>NameVirtualHostServer< Name myservername <- choose a severname you want here DocumentRoot "/Users/newmedia/websites" >NameVirtualHost<
Now, you're almost done. If you only want these sites accessible from your computer, add the following to /etc/hosts:
127.0.0.1 myservername
If other people need to access it, you need myservername added to the DNS for the area.
Now, from a webbrowser if you go to http://myservname apache will automatically use /Users/newmedia/websites. You can also put any server customizations in there, and test them out without affecting your main server, and if the main httpd.conf gets blown away your customization is unaffected.
Source :
http://forums.macrumors.com
Use a named host in a seperate config file. Thay way you don't get burned next time apache is upgraded.
First off make sure that the last line in /etc/httpd/httpd.conf is:
Include /private/etc/httpd/users/*.conf
It should be there by default. Then create a file in /private/etc/httpd/users called "customconfig.conf" (really whatever you want to call it). Add the following to that file:
>NameVirtualHostServer< Name myservername <- choose a severname you want here DocumentRoot "/Users/newmedia/websites" >NameVirtualHost<
Now, you're almost done. If you only want these sites accessible from your computer, add the following to /etc/hosts:
127.0.0.1 myservername
If other people need to access it, you need myservername added to the DNS for the area.
Now, from a webbrowser if you go to http://myservname apache will automatically use /Users/newmedia/websites. You can also put any server customizations in there, and test them out without affecting your main server, and if the main httpd.conf gets blown away your customization is unaffected.
Source :
http://forums.macrumors.com
Linux CLI - Webserver Apache - /etc/httpd/httpd.conf
In the terminal.
backup your config
sudo cp /etc/httpd/httpd.conf /etc/httpd/httpd.conf.bak
then edit the file
sudo vi /etc/httpd/httpd.conf
and find the line
DocumentRoot "/Library/WebServer/Documents"
Change to what you want the new httpd root to be.
In your case
DocumentRoot "/Users/newmedia/websites/"
then edit the line
Directory "/Library/WebServer/Documents"
to
Directory "/Users/newmedia/websites"
Also I change this line purely outta good practice
ServerSignature On
to
ServerSignature Off
After editing the httpd.conf you should verify it for any errors in the Terminal by typing:
sudo apachectl configtest
Enter your password and let it run. If it finds any errors it will say so. Otherwise it will say: Syntax OK
To restart apache (the web server) without going to System Preferences you can type in the Terminal:
sudo apachectl graceful
backup your config
sudo cp /etc/httpd/httpd.conf /etc/httpd/httpd.conf.bak
then edit the file
sudo vi /etc/httpd/httpd.conf
and find the line
DocumentRoot "/Library/WebServer/Documents"
Change to what you want the new httpd root to be.
In your case
DocumentRoot "/Users/newmedia/websites/"
then edit the line
Directory "/Library/WebServer/Documents"
to
Directory "/Users/newmedia/websites"
Also I change this line purely outta good practice
ServerSignature On
to
ServerSignature Off
After editing the httpd.conf you should verify it for any errors in the Terminal by typing:
sudo apachectl configtest
Enter your password and let it run. If it finds any errors it will say so. Otherwise it will say: Syntax OK
To restart apache (the web server) without going to System Preferences you can type in the Terminal:
sudo apachectl graceful
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Troubleshooting Skill - ssh: connect to host 10.0.0.1 port 22: Connection timed out lost connection
Could be:
a) You're not running sshd on Box A.
b) You're running a firewall somewhere that is blocking inbound port 22 to Box A.
On Box A run:
lsof -i :22
You should see (among other things) a line like the following showing it is LISTENing for connections. If not you may need to start your sshd or at least verify /etc/xinetd.d has it started.
COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE SIZE NODE NAME
sshd 1781 root 3u IPv6 4892 TCP *:ssh (LISTEN)
If above is running you can try "telnet 22" to see if this times out as well. If so it would indicate something isn't allowing connections even though you're LISTENing for them.
Possible culprits:
iptables (or some other firewall software) on Box A. If iptables you can run "service iptables stop" then test it. If it works you know it was iptables. You'd then need to figure out a rule to allow port 22 from Box B OR leave iptables off. (You should make a rule. Command to restart iptables is "service iptables start". Turn it off just to see if it is the problem.)
SELinux on Box A. SELinux is a new NSA sponsored security sort of like a firewall on steroids and it is a huge pain for most people. Most people just disable it.
A physical switch/firewall between Box A and Box B that prevents port 22 traffic to Box A. For this you'd have to get a Network person involved if you're not the one who administers these. Typically between floors in buildings there are "VLANS" that do this kind of blocking.
I haven't used Firestarter but I gather from other comments I've seen that it is just a GUI front end for iptables. Since you can configure iptables from command line the answer would be yes.
"iptables -L" will list your current rules from command line.
In UNIX/Linux almost everything can be done from the command line even if it is sometimes easier to do from GUI. (Some GUI utilities even have logging modes that will show you the command line they're running behind the scenes.) This is mainly to allow for scripting tasks. I've been doing UNIX for so long it often doesn't even occur to me to look for a GUI solution even on the systems where I have KDE or Gnome running.
Referring from:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-server-73/ssh-connection-to-host-port-22-connection-timed-out-lost-connection-537110/
a) You're not running sshd on Box A.
b) You're running a firewall somewhere that is blocking inbound port 22 to Box A.
On Box A run:
lsof -i :22
You should see (among other things) a line like the following showing it is LISTENing for connections. If not you may need to start your sshd or at least verify /etc/xinetd.d has it started.
COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE SIZE NODE NAME
sshd 1781 root 3u IPv6 4892 TCP *:ssh (LISTEN)
If above is running you can try "telnet
Possible culprits:
iptables (or some other firewall software) on Box A. If iptables you can run "service iptables stop" then test it. If it works you know it was iptables. You'd then need to figure out a rule to allow port 22 from Box B OR leave iptables off. (You should make a rule. Command to restart iptables is "service iptables start". Turn it off just to see if it is the problem.)
SELinux on Box A. SELinux is a new NSA sponsored security sort of like a firewall on steroids and it is a huge pain for most people. Most people just disable it.
A physical switch/firewall between Box A and Box B that prevents port 22 traffic to Box A. For this you'd have to get a Network person involved if you're not the one who administers these. Typically between floors in buildings there are "VLANS" that do this kind of blocking.
I haven't used Firestarter but I gather from other comments I've seen that it is just a GUI front end for iptables. Since you can configure iptables from command line the answer would be yes.
"iptables -L" will list your current rules from command line.
In UNIX/Linux almost everything can be done from the command line even if it is sometimes easier to do from GUI. (Some GUI utilities even have logging modes that will show you the command line they're running behind the scenes.) This is mainly to allow for scripting tasks. I've been doing UNIX for so long it often doesn't even occur to me to look for a GUI solution even on the systems where I have KDE or Gnome running.
Referring from:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-server-73/ssh-connection-to-host-port-22-connection-timed-out-lost-connection-537110/
Interview Tips - Interview Myths That Keep You From Landing the Job
With so few jobs currently available and so many people currently hoping to fill those jobs, standing out in an interview is of utmost importance. While jobs themselves are scarce, job advice is overly abundant. And with an influx of information comes an influx of confusion. What career counsel do you take, and what do you ignore?
There are a number of common misconceptions related to interview best practices, experts say. Kera Greene of the Career Counselors Consortium and executive coach Barbara Frankel offer tips below that can help you stand out from other interview subjects, avoid frequent pitfalls, and secure the job.
Myth #1: Be prepared with a list of questions to ask at the close of the interview.
There is some truth in this common piece of advice: You should always be prepared, and that usually includes developing questions related to the job. The myth here is that you must wait until it is "your turn" to speak.
By waiting until the interviewer asks you if you have any questions, "it becomes an interrogation instead of a conversation," says Greene.
Greene recommends that you think of an interview as a sales call. You are the product and you are selling yourself to the employer. "You can't be passive in a sales call or you aren't going to sell your product."
Frankel mimics Greene's comments. "It's a two-way street," she says. "I recommend asking a follow-up question at the tail end of your responses."
For example, Frankel says, if the interviewer says, "Tell me about yourself," you first respond to that question and complete your response with a question like, "Can you tell me more about the position?" The interview should be a dialogue.
Myth #2: Do not show weakness in an interview.
The reality is that it is OK to have flaws. In fact, almost every interviewer will ask you to name one. Typically job seekers are told to either avoid this question by providing a "good flaw." One such "good flaw" which is often recommends is: "I am too committed to my work." But, these kinds of responses will only hurt you.
"Every recruiter can see through that," Greene says of faux flaws.
Recruiters conduct interviews all day, every day. They've seen it all and can see through candidates who dodge questions. "They prefer to hire someone who is honest than someone who is obviously lying," Greene says.
And for those of you who claim to be flaw-free, think again. "Everybody has weaknesses," Frankel states. But one is enough. According to Frankel, supply your interviewer with one genuine flaw, explain how you are working to correct it, and then move on to a new question.
Myth #3: Be sure to point out all of your strengths and skills to the employer.
Of course, you want the interviewer to know why you are a valuable candidate, but a laundry list of your skills isn't going to win you any points. Inevitably, in an interview, you will be asked about your skills. What can go wrong in this scenario?
"You don't want to list a litany of strengths," Frankel says.
"What is typical is that they will say: 'I'm a good communicator,' 'I have excellent interpersonal skills,' 'I am responsible,'" Greene explains. "You have to give accomplishments. I need to know what did you accomplish when using these skills."
Frankel recommends doing a little groundwork before your interview so that you are best equipped to answer this question. She tells her clients to find out what the prospective job role consists of. "What makes an interview powerful is to give an example related to their particular needs or challenges that you have demonstrated in the past."
Provide three strengths, with examples. You will get much further with a handful of real strengths than with an unconvincing list of traits.
Myth #4: Let the employer know your salary expectations.
One of the trickiest questions to answer in an interview relates to salary. Money talk can be uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to be. The fact is you don't even have to answer when asked about desired salary.
According to the book "Acing the Interview: How to Ask and Answer the Questions That Will Get You The Job!" a perfect response would be: "I want to earn a salary that is commensurate with the contributions I can make. I am confident I can make a substantial contribution at your firm. What does your firm plan to pay for this position?"
Greene suggests a similar response: "I prefer to discuss the compensation package after you've decided that I'm the best candidate and we can sit down and negotiate the package."
Myth #5: The employer determines whether or not you get the job.
While yes, the employer must be the one to offer you the position, interviewees have more control than they often realize. According to both Greene and Frankel, candidates have a larger say in the final hiring decision than they think.
"They should call the interviewer or hiring manager and say: 'I'd really like to be part of the company,'" says Greene. "It can't hurt you. It can only help."
"Acing the Interview" encourages all candidates to conclude their interviews with one question: "'Based on our interview, do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job?' -- If the answer is yes, ask the interviewer to be explicit. Deal forthrightly with each concern."
Source :
By Karen Noonan, TradePub.com
There are a number of common misconceptions related to interview best practices, experts say. Kera Greene of the Career Counselors Consortium and executive coach Barbara Frankel offer tips below that can help you stand out from other interview subjects, avoid frequent pitfalls, and secure the job.
Myth #1: Be prepared with a list of questions to ask at the close of the interview.
There is some truth in this common piece of advice: You should always be prepared, and that usually includes developing questions related to the job. The myth here is that you must wait until it is "your turn" to speak.
By waiting until the interviewer asks you if you have any questions, "it becomes an interrogation instead of a conversation," says Greene.
Greene recommends that you think of an interview as a sales call. You are the product and you are selling yourself to the employer. "You can't be passive in a sales call or you aren't going to sell your product."
Frankel mimics Greene's comments. "It's a two-way street," she says. "I recommend asking a follow-up question at the tail end of your responses."
For example, Frankel says, if the interviewer says, "Tell me about yourself," you first respond to that question and complete your response with a question like, "Can you tell me more about the position?" The interview should be a dialogue.
Myth #2: Do not show weakness in an interview.
The reality is that it is OK to have flaws. In fact, almost every interviewer will ask you to name one. Typically job seekers are told to either avoid this question by providing a "good flaw." One such "good flaw" which is often recommends is: "I am too committed to my work." But, these kinds of responses will only hurt you.
"Every recruiter can see through that," Greene says of faux flaws.
Recruiters conduct interviews all day, every day. They've seen it all and can see through candidates who dodge questions. "They prefer to hire someone who is honest than someone who is obviously lying," Greene says.
And for those of you who claim to be flaw-free, think again. "Everybody has weaknesses," Frankel states. But one is enough. According to Frankel, supply your interviewer with one genuine flaw, explain how you are working to correct it, and then move on to a new question.
Myth #3: Be sure to point out all of your strengths and skills to the employer.
Of course, you want the interviewer to know why you are a valuable candidate, but a laundry list of your skills isn't going to win you any points. Inevitably, in an interview, you will be asked about your skills. What can go wrong in this scenario?
"You don't want to list a litany of strengths," Frankel says.
"What is typical is that they will say: 'I'm a good communicator,' 'I have excellent interpersonal skills,' 'I am responsible,'" Greene explains. "You have to give accomplishments. I need to know what did you accomplish when using these skills."
Frankel recommends doing a little groundwork before your interview so that you are best equipped to answer this question. She tells her clients to find out what the prospective job role consists of. "What makes an interview powerful is to give an example related to their particular needs or challenges that you have demonstrated in the past."
Provide three strengths, with examples. You will get much further with a handful of real strengths than with an unconvincing list of traits.
Myth #4: Let the employer know your salary expectations.
One of the trickiest questions to answer in an interview relates to salary. Money talk can be uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to be. The fact is you don't even have to answer when asked about desired salary.
According to the book "Acing the Interview: How to Ask and Answer the Questions That Will Get You The Job!" a perfect response would be: "I want to earn a salary that is commensurate with the contributions I can make. I am confident I can make a substantial contribution at your firm. What does your firm plan to pay for this position?"
Greene suggests a similar response: "I prefer to discuss the compensation package after you've decided that I'm the best candidate and we can sit down and negotiate the package."
Myth #5: The employer determines whether or not you get the job.
While yes, the employer must be the one to offer you the position, interviewees have more control than they often realize. According to both Greene and Frankel, candidates have a larger say in the final hiring decision than they think.
"They should call the interviewer or hiring manager and say: 'I'd really like to be part of the company,'" says Greene. "It can't hurt you. It can only help."
"Acing the Interview" encourages all candidates to conclude their interviews with one question: "'Based on our interview, do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job?' -- If the answer is yes, ask the interviewer to be explicit. Deal forthrightly with each concern."
Source :
By Karen Noonan, TradePub.com
Sunday, January 3, 2010
This Week [01] Motivation
Ah Kau Story
Ah Kau is a guy who sells newspaper every morning next to your apartment, and you are one of his daily regular customers. Before dashing off to your office every day, you will go to his small stall and buy The Star newspaper. Wearing a newly pressed shirt, a tie, and a pair of Clarks shoes, you grab a copy of The Star, pay RM1.20 and exchange smiles with Ah Kau and greet him.
“Apa macam Ah Kau ini hari? Bisnes ada baik?”
The normal greeting like you do every day. Yes, Ah Kau doesn’t speak English. He speaks Chinese and knows a little bit of Malay. He speaks a little bit of Malay but with a very thick Chinese accent.
“Biasa saja! ini bisnes aa, kadang kadang baik, kadang kadang tada untung.”
“Biasalah hidup. Kadang kadang ok, kadang kadang tak ok.”
You give Ah Kau a pat on the back. You smile and walk away and get into your car. You start the engine and start driving to your office, a multinational semiconductor company located in a premier industrial area. You are a young and promising finance executive and the future looks bright for you.
A year goes by and things look pretty good on the track. You decide to marry your fiance and have your new wife moves in to your place. Both of you feel happy because you can save more money as the two of you will be sharing one apartment and can live as one.
Ah Kau is still selling the newspaper as usual. Sometimes in the morning your wife gets the newspaper from Ah Kau instead of you.
A year later a child comes along, and you decide to buy and move into a newly developed condominium just across the street. This place is bigger so it will be perfectly fit for the 3 of you. But since both of you are working, you decide to get a maid to take of the household and your kid.
By this time you’re offered a managerial job from another multinational; the remuneration package offered is much better in terms of the pay, contractual bonus, medical benefits, ESOS scheme and a few others which make it impossible for you to decline. So you join this company happily.
You get busier. You realize that you spend less and less time with your family. When your department is busy preparing for the next audit, your working hours become more and more ridiculous. Any internal issues arising in the office means you’ll be stuck in the office until 8 or 9 pm. Sometimes, during the weekend, you’ll spend your time in your office, buried under paper works and documentation’ s, instead of taking your family for a walk in the park.
One morning, on your way to get your copy of The Star, you realized that Ah Kau is no longer in his stall. So is his rundown motorbike. Instead, there’s another young Chinese guy at the stall.
“What happen to Ah Kau?” You ask out of curiosity.
“Oh, he is still around, but he is no longer taking care of this stall as he has opened up a new grocery shop down town. I am running this newspaper stall for him.”
“Ok.” you smile. You feel happy for Ah Kau. At last he manages to improve his life.
Your normal life continues.
A year passes by and at the end of your company’s fiscal year, you’re rewarded for your effort with a 5 months bonus pay-out by your employer. Wow. Now that is a very handsome reward. You feel your effort has been equally compensated.
To celebrate, you decide that it’s time to trade your 5-year old Proton Wira to the latest Honda Civic model. It won’t be much a problem to you to get a loan scheme from the bank as your pay slip will provide you an easy gateway to access financial help from any bank.
One day, the hardest reality of life hits you right on the face. The
company that you’ve been working for years announces that they’re moving their business to China for cost and competitive reason and has asked you to find a job somewhere else.
“What?” You scream out cold.
“I got a lot of liabilities on the card! Who’s gonna pay for my mortgage? My car? My credit card? My gym fees? My bills?” You yell like there’s no way out.
This is the first time you feel let down by your own employer. All your hard work seem to go up on the smoke. You feel sick. You now hate your company. On the way home, you stopped by at a mamak restaurant for a cup of teh tarik while pondering about your future.
Alone.
Suddenly you saw this new, shiny BMW 3 series being parked nearby. And to your surprise, it was Ah Kau. Yes, Ah Kau who used to sell newspapers nearby your old apartment.
“What happened to old Ah Kau?” You whisper to your self.
Ah Kau still recognizes you, and sit next to you, and shared his story.
To make it short, Ah Kau had accumulated his money from selling newspapers to open more stalls, one after another. Every new stall is run by his workers so that he focused on opening more and more stalls, which in turn give him more and more money.
Over the years, he had accumulated enough cash to open up new grocery store while at the same time buying more assets to grow his wealth. And his current wealth and success is achieved without any loan or financial help from banks and other financial institutions.
There you go. That’s the story. While Ah Kau is set to become financially free, you’re back to where you’re started before.
Ground zero .
Before leaving, Ah Kau gives you a familiar quote,
“Biasalah hidup. Kadang kadang ok, kadang kadang tak ok.”
He gives you a pat on the back and walks away.
In reality, if you’re observant enough, there are a lot of Ah Kau out there, that you will see every day and every where you go. The names are different, but inside them is every character of Ah Kau. They might be Uncle Dorai, Ah Chong, Pak Abu, Makcik Gemuk, Pak Man nasi lemak or others.
They look to be struggling on the surface, but if you look carefully and compare with you life, many of them are living with little or no liabilities. They ride an old kapcai bike. They live in an old rundown house. They don’t have credit card to swipe. They wear a 10-year old shirt and short. No new, shiny Toyota Harrier.
In short, their living means are far below than yours. But what you don’t realize is that many of them can save more money than yours, and over the years generate enough money to expand their business, or invest in properties. Their asset columns are much thicker than that of yours.
So the next time you see Ah Kau, never look down on them, and never underestimate them. Or else you’re up for a harsh reality lesson.
Ah Kau is a guy who sells newspaper every morning next to your apartment, and you are one of his daily regular customers. Before dashing off to your office every day, you will go to his small stall and buy The Star newspaper. Wearing a newly pressed shirt, a tie, and a pair of Clarks shoes, you grab a copy of The Star, pay RM1.20 and exchange smiles with Ah Kau and greet him.
“Apa macam Ah Kau ini hari? Bisnes ada baik?”
The normal greeting like you do every day. Yes, Ah Kau doesn’t speak English. He speaks Chinese and knows a little bit of Malay. He speaks a little bit of Malay but with a very thick Chinese accent.
“Biasa saja! ini bisnes aa, kadang kadang baik, kadang kadang tada untung.”
“Biasalah hidup. Kadang kadang ok, kadang kadang tak ok.”
You give Ah Kau a pat on the back. You smile and walk away and get into your car. You start the engine and start driving to your office, a multinational semiconductor company located in a premier industrial area. You are a young and promising finance executive and the future looks bright for you.
A year goes by and things look pretty good on the track. You decide to marry your fiance and have your new wife moves in to your place. Both of you feel happy because you can save more money as the two of you will be sharing one apartment and can live as one.
Ah Kau is still selling the newspaper as usual. Sometimes in the morning your wife gets the newspaper from Ah Kau instead of you.
A year later a child comes along, and you decide to buy and move into a newly developed condominium just across the street. This place is bigger so it will be perfectly fit for the 3 of you. But since both of you are working, you decide to get a maid to take of the household and your kid.
By this time you’re offered a managerial job from another multinational; the remuneration package offered is much better in terms of the pay, contractual bonus, medical benefits, ESOS scheme and a few others which make it impossible for you to decline. So you join this company happily.
You get busier. You realize that you spend less and less time with your family. When your department is busy preparing for the next audit, your working hours become more and more ridiculous. Any internal issues arising in the office means you’ll be stuck in the office until 8 or 9 pm. Sometimes, during the weekend, you’ll spend your time in your office, buried under paper works and documentation’ s, instead of taking your family for a walk in the park.
One morning, on your way to get your copy of The Star, you realized that Ah Kau is no longer in his stall. So is his rundown motorbike. Instead, there’s another young Chinese guy at the stall.
“What happen to Ah Kau?” You ask out of curiosity.
“Oh, he is still around, but he is no longer taking care of this stall as he has opened up a new grocery shop down town. I am running this newspaper stall for him.”
“Ok.” you smile. You feel happy for Ah Kau. At last he manages to improve his life.
Your normal life continues.
A year passes by and at the end of your company’s fiscal year, you’re rewarded for your effort with a 5 months bonus pay-out by your employer. Wow. Now that is a very handsome reward. You feel your effort has been equally compensated.
To celebrate, you decide that it’s time to trade your 5-year old Proton Wira to the latest Honda Civic model. It won’t be much a problem to you to get a loan scheme from the bank as your pay slip will provide you an easy gateway to access financial help from any bank.
One day, the hardest reality of life hits you right on the face. The
company that you’ve been working for years announces that they’re moving their business to China for cost and competitive reason and has asked you to find a job somewhere else.
“What?” You scream out cold.
“I got a lot of liabilities on the card! Who’s gonna pay for my mortgage? My car? My credit card? My gym fees? My bills?” You yell like there’s no way out.
This is the first time you feel let down by your own employer. All your hard work seem to go up on the smoke. You feel sick. You now hate your company. On the way home, you stopped by at a mamak restaurant for a cup of teh tarik while pondering about your future.
Alone.
Suddenly you saw this new, shiny BMW 3 series being parked nearby. And to your surprise, it was Ah Kau. Yes, Ah Kau who used to sell newspapers nearby your old apartment.
“What happened to old Ah Kau?” You whisper to your self.
Ah Kau still recognizes you, and sit next to you, and shared his story.
To make it short, Ah Kau had accumulated his money from selling newspapers to open more stalls, one after another. Every new stall is run by his workers so that he focused on opening more and more stalls, which in turn give him more and more money.
Over the years, he had accumulated enough cash to open up new grocery store while at the same time buying more assets to grow his wealth. And his current wealth and success is achieved without any loan or financial help from banks and other financial institutions.
There you go. That’s the story. While Ah Kau is set to become financially free, you’re back to where you’re started before.
Ground zero .
Before leaving, Ah Kau gives you a familiar quote,
“Biasalah hidup. Kadang kadang ok, kadang kadang tak ok.”
He gives you a pat on the back and walks away.
In reality, if you’re observant enough, there are a lot of Ah Kau out there, that you will see every day and every where you go. The names are different, but inside them is every character of Ah Kau. They might be Uncle Dorai, Ah Chong, Pak Abu, Makcik Gemuk, Pak Man nasi lemak or others.
They look to be struggling on the surface, but if you look carefully and compare with you life, many of them are living with little or no liabilities. They ride an old kapcai bike. They live in an old rundown house. They don’t have credit card to swipe. They wear a 10-year old shirt and short. No new, shiny Toyota Harrier.
In short, their living means are far below than yours. But what you don’t realize is that many of them can save more money than yours, and over the years generate enough money to expand their business, or invest in properties. Their asset columns are much thicker than that of yours.
So the next time you see Ah Kau, never look down on them, and never underestimate them. Or else you’re up for a harsh reality lesson.
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