:: jotting the lines ::

It’s still 07.07.07 over at the other side of the planet in the United States.

Over there at Washington D.C, we have the former U.S. Vice President Al Gore who delivered a remarkable opening speech about climate change during the welcome ceremony of Live Earth. Talented musicians and singers join Al Gore to create environmental awareness to the world! But wouldn’t you agree if singers flew into the concert with their private jets would defeat the whole idea and purpose of calling this concert a meaningful event, gathering everyone to spread the news “Save The Planet” etc? What a controversial role model eh!

Let’s go green now!

Live Earth will use the global reach of music to engage people on a mass scale to combat our climate crisis.

If we don’t protect the world now, who will?

Are you a leader having one or more behaviours below?

(1) Arrogance – you think you’re right and everyone else is wrong;
(2) Melodrama – you need to be the center of attention;
(3) Volatility – you are subject to mood swings;
(4) Excessive caution – you are afraid to make decisions;
(5) Habitual distrust – you focus on the negative;
(6) Aloofness – you are disengaged and disconnected;
(7) Mischievousness – you believe that rules are made to be broken;
(8) Eccentricity – you try to be different just for the sake of it;
(9) Passive resistance – what you say is not what you believe;
(10) Perfectionism – you get the little things right and the big things wrong;
(11) Eagerness to please – you try to win the popularity contest.

There are also some studies done by The Hogan Development Survey which contains 11 scales measuring behavioral tendencies that may cause failure:

(1) Excitable – moody, easily annoyed, hard to please, and emotionally volatile.
(2) Skeptical – distrustful, cynical, sensitive to criticism, and focused on the negative.
(3) Cautious – unassertive, resistant to change, risk averse, and slow to make decisions.
(4) Reserved – aloof, indifferent to the feelings of others, and uncommunicative.
(5) Leisurely – overtly cooperative, but privately irritable, stubborn, and uncooperative.
(6) Bold – overly self-confident, arrogant, with inflated feelings of self-worth.
(7) Mischievous – charming, risk taking, limit testing and seeking excitement.
(8) Colorful – active, energetic, entertaining, dramatic, and attention seeking.
(9) Imaginative – creative but thinking and acting in unusual or eccentric ways.
(10) Diligent – meticulous, precise, conscientious, hard to please, and perfectionistic.
(11) Dutiful – eager to please and reluctant to act independently or against popular opinion.

Extracted from “Why leaders fail: exploring the darkside”, written by Ronald J. Burke (York University, Toronto, Canada)

So now, my question is “How do you manage your boss if he/she is having the above said characters?”

I guess I will also fall if I’m not careful next time, especially on Number 6 (Bold for wrong reason) and 11 (Too diligent)

Ladies & gentleman, don’t assume that it’s too late to change.

Ask what is the HOTTEST TOPIC in town!

YELLOW COVERAGE FELLOW (YCF) a.k.a YELLOWMAN, that’s our friendly layman term. Who is Yellowman? They are DiGi’s fellows!

You go to Bukit Bintang, the whole monorail station is dressed in DiGi Widest Coverage with Yellowman.

Nobody will deny the fact that DiGi has successfully won her public awareness . Thumbs up to the creative team from Naga DDB, whoever brainstormed it ‘YOU’RE SUPER DUPER CREATIVE’! Read a write up about them here.

I’m proud to be DiGi’s postpaid user all these years. DiGi’s innovative strategy never failed to keep up to my expectation and never disappoint my loyalty. And I strongly believe you will go far, further than what others claimed as BIG BROTHER!

My thumbs up to your customer services, for always going extra mile for your customers. You mean what you say by calling us ‘Dear Valued Customer…’. I do feel I am truly valued by you.

So DiGi, would you let us meet your fellow, friendly and cute YELLOWMAN in our Together Gather Party on 9 March 2007? Let your YELLOWMAN accompany this bunch of smart, funny, crazy, intelligent, humble, down to earth, DYNAMIC YOUNG BLOGGERS! Let you be the first to get in real touch with these bloggers. Let you be the first that writes a new chapter in Telco history of having free publicity in the blogosphere!

DiGi, you will do it because you are fun, dynamic and dares to be challenged! You think differently from others!

DiGi, you’re always our smarter choice!

More DiGi Yellowman Commercials: Follow this URL.

These people are rookies on the street. They do not know much about business. But they have the qualities & attitudes that attribute to their BIG DREAMS.

I am moved by the people behind this mission, especially the founder. The first time he applied his BIG IDEA to offer headache relief to most Malaysians in finding tuition teachers and students and vice-versa. And thus tuitionhamster.com, a non-profit website was born. A site that constantly receives overwhelming responses from many around the nation.

Can you imagine for a little while. You’re using some service platform, you’re wandering around some personal blogs and you don’t know until later that they are actually the same people behind the scenes. I mean how odd, especially in the WWW realm!

Now let’s put our hands together as Timothy Tiah, the founder of tuitionhamster.com venturing into another BIG DREAM together with his team members!

“We haven’t done much yet.” Timothy said.

Every success begins with first step of courage.

Presenting you now with http://www.nuffnang.com.my. So let us put our supports in action!

If you’re one of the bloggers, sign up at http://www.nuffnang.com.my/public/blogger_registration.php

If you’d like to advertise, click the url at http://www.nuffnang.com.my/public/advertiser_registration.php

A quote of success for Ming & Timothy Tiah and team:-

Success is never final and failure never fatal. It is courage that counts. — George Tilton

All the best!

“MM GOI 唔该” and “DOH JEH 多谢” are both “Thank You” in Cantonese dialect. It has however been wrongly used amongst the Chinese community, especially those who are not origins of Canton province. I am quite disturbed when I heard people say “MM GOI 唔该” to me as I foot the bills in the Chinese restaurants. I almost wanted to correct them on the spot, but after thinking twice I better not since I don’t know how well they can take it. Maybe next time when I’m hit with the right mood and approach.

Please allow me to illustrate when is the right time you should say “MM GOI 唔该” and when do you say “DOH JEH 多谢”.

You say “MM GOI 唔该” when someone offer you with services or they do you a favour.

“MM GOI 唔该” is derived from the word 不应该 (Shouldn’t). It means people offer you services voluntarily and that you think they don’t have to. Yet you say “MM GOI 唔该” (Shouldn’t), isn’t that weird? Well, that is just a phrase Cantonese use it to express their gratitudes to those who have helped them.

“DOH JEH 多谢” is many thanks if it is directly translated into English. You say this when you receive a gift from someone or people pay you for your goods and services.

So, are you clear now?

Example:

1. Han Keong borrowed money from Kit Kat, Han Keong said “MM GOI 唔该晒”

2. I pay for my meals, the Tau Keh (boss) says “DOH JEH 多谢晒“ and I say “MM GOI 唔该晒” for their services.

3. I pay the cab driver. Cab driver says “DOH JEH 多谢晒“ and I say “MM GOI 唔该晒” in return.

Test:

Han Keong’s ball pen is not working, Kit Kat lend him his pen. Which Thank You in Cantonese dialect should Han Keong say in return ? “MM GOI 唔该晒” or “DOH JEH 多谢晒“?

Hmmm…hope you get this right. It is “MM GOI 唔该晒”.

Well, I know some of you may think “What’s all this hassles to differentiate?”. Just say “Thank You in English”. Yes you may, please. Especially if you can’t master which means what, then better don’t say it. Just say Thank You! Or you may say it in Mandarin, 谢谢 (Xie Xie - Thank You) or 不用客气 (Bu Yong Ke Qi - You’re welcome)。