Deco: Raya @ My Office

(a while ago...)
I was tasked to lead and come out with Raya deco proposals in a few hours (long story short - I was preparing for my study leave so I do not want to involve in any adhoc project in between completing my outstanding  works in the office. BUT, the person in-charge stepped down and no one wants to take up the challenge. The Senior Director called me and requested me to lead the team).

So I said YES. I came out with a proposal in three hours. The theme is orange. I went to the office the next day to obtain the Senior Director's approval, then presented it to the Project Manager. And lastly, to our Datin President, for approval. They said YES. And I started to buy the materials the day after. All these happened during my three days leave. 

Not to mentioned, a lot of Alice mode in between.

So, these are the simple decorations that I did with the team for our Raya:

Lantern-like welcoming element for the ceiling and tents.
Thank you Mas Ayu for printing these and get the team to hang these around the venue :)

Then I overheard someone said, I may not be able to beat last year's IG frame for photo booth. Well, sir, I didnt like to beat anyone's design, fyi. Everyone is good in their own way. But I do made this. I know how young people likes to take photos in a huge frame nowadays. It has real fabric curtain, btw. It is so heavy that we need to hang it using a steel chain.

My signature block letters.
I made it from scratch. I got help from Ain, my colleague with a limited vision and a few others, but Ain was with me until the end. She's a very good companion. 

Although she knew cant see that much, she did asked me whether she could help me a bit to paint the block letters. Are you kidding?? OF COURSE YES!! I told her she have to paint all the blocks herself because I have other things to complete. She was extremely happy because she was never been given a chance to paint anything before and now I trusted her to complete the most important and largest deco element! I can see the joy of a five years old radiates out from her eyes and smile when she started to dip the brush into the paint... right until she completed the last block. 

I completed the look with a thick orange paper on the black block letters.

I plan to construct 'RAYA @ MITI' but then I received a directive to add in the word 'NETWORKING'. So I rushed to get a thick styrofoam board and a foam cutter. I wanted the word 'networking' to be in a cursive form, as a contrast to the rigid 'RAYA @ MITI'. Constructing 'networking' in a block form would be realllllly time consuming.

Again, Ain was there to get the projector running in the hall and helped me to trace the letters onto the board. Freehand would not work this time because we are running out of time. I need to have a consistent lettering (stroke, height, thickness) and have them cut by the end of the day. I need them to be painted the next day.

I get PUSPANITA ladies to help me with the paint work. It was Ain's idea to paint it in orange at the sides and leave the front part white (well, I asked them to paint it white anyway to cover the bubbly Styrofoam surface). It turned out great!

One day before the event, I was asked what is my plan for the lobby? I was like.. I have no plan for that +_+ It was not in my initial (agreed) proposal. "Please create something for the lobby to greet all the Excellencies and honourable guests" .

Okay... (put on thinking hat now)

I remember a pair of exhibition panels in the preparation room. I asked Mas Ayu to get his friend, a guy who happened to have a mak andam sister, to see me. I need to borrow A LOT OF FLOWERS from him, I didnt care if the flowers are not orange. I just need FLOWERS. I manage to rent these precious flowers for free of charge.

Meanwhile, I started to alter the official event backdrop into a smaller version (A2) for the panels. A few people came to put together the posters, flower and the lampu lip lap. The last minute project completed. We have two of these at both side of the lobby.

I try not to let anyone down because this is the important event for the office. Last minute 'networking'? you got that. Need something at the lobby? You got that too. As long as I have a huge group of dedicated people to help me, I will deliver the work on time :) 

We do have some small-scale deco works to ensure the consistency of the theme throughout the event. Since all tables will be equipped with festive cookies and various snacks containers, I have designed a Raya tag for them and tie it with orange and black ribbons.

We also have orange chewable candies that we just poured on the tables. Personally, I didn't like hard candies because it took a long time to dissolve. I prefer chewable candies. They can eat it while waiting for the event to start or after the meal to get rid of the after taste. Or just simply take it home :) Unfortunately I didn't manage to take a photo of the candies.

These are the deco for our last Raya event in this building.

Thank you for the opportunity and trust given to me and my team. And thank you PUSPANITA team for your hard work and dedication! 

I received a few requests to construct the block letters for wedding planners/mak andam, after the event. Unfortunately I have to decline. I need time to prepare for my study leave. Sorry all. 

HLP2015 : The interview

Since my proposal was on industrial development, I equipped myself with the historical and latest figure of our country’s GDP and relevant aspects of industrial development in Malaysia.

I went in with another candidate, who planned to further her study at the local university. In front of us were three panels with different background and expertise, and the questions were…. quite provocative. The only female panel keep asking on who will take care of my child, whether I will attend the class should one of my sons fell sick, how my husband will keep up with four kids and why can’t I just study at the local university. I also tried hard to justify why and how my undergraduate degrees in architecture (yup, two degrees) could help in my Master in industrial development. There's a will, there's a way.

Two of them really pushed me to pursue my Master at local university because I have four kids (or they were just provoking) while one was very keen of me going abroad – yes, you, Dr. Fuad!. They said they will give me conditional approval – I have to get accepted to an outstanding university – or else just pursue my study in Malaysia. I don’t know whether it is a yes or a no, but I started working hard on my statement of purpose afterwards.

HLP2015 : The application result

It was really a torture to wait for the result and counting days until I feel like losing hope. I started to doubt the content of my proposal, I read it over and over again for a few days until I reached a point to which I agreed that the proposal was rubbish. Begitu paranoid. Then I started to get busy with the preparation of my attachment in Delhi, then 11^th Malaysia Plan until I have no time to think about it.

Until I received an SMS - while driving back from the office - saying that the result has been published online in eSila. Without any delay, ok that was overly dramatic, AFTER TWO traffic lights, I pull over from the main road and started to hyperventilate. I was literally shaking and my hands were cold. I tried to type in the username and password. Guess what? I failed miserably. I cant even remember my username.

I opened my inbox to retrieve the information. Then I managed to log in. The font was so small. I tried to make it bigger but somehow I accidentally log myself out. HOW IRRITATING WAS THAT?

I logged in second time. And there it was – Permohonan : Berjaya (Luar Negara). A step closer to the academic world!

I was extremely happy…until I scrolled down and read about the interview....

Graphic Note 101 : The talk

(Saturday - random stuff day)

I was requested to deliver a talk on Graphic Note - that's what I call my work - before I left for Manchester. I didnt only do mind map, but I combine my day-to-day note-taking with sketchnote. It is the hybrid and I call it Graphic Note.

I didnt expect many people would turn up since I posted the ad at the last minutes. I emailed the HR Training Unit to borrow some markers and some post-its notes for my talk. To my surprise, they didnt only agreed to supply everything that I need for the session, the HR officers were also interested to come and find out what my notion of Graphic Note is all about! I was speechless!

The session went well. I have the best participants! I love to see my boss enjoyed the session very much. Everybody has tried their best, pushed their limits during the practical sessions and in the end, we laughed at each others' drawings! That was the best way to end the day.

I glad to share the knowledge and skills with the rest. I hope it will benefit them as much as it benefited me.

HLP2015 : Psychometric Test

I need to sit for an online psychometric test.

It requires me to answer around 300 psychology questions in 1 or 2 hours (?). Sorry guys, I keep forgetting the details! 

HLP2015 : Application – IELTS

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System.

From IELTS' website - IELTS is accepted as evidence of English language proficiency by over 9,000 organisations worldwide. IELTS is recognised as a secure, valid and reliable indicator of true-to-life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration and professional accreditation.

I was pretty occupied in October 2014 preparing for a huge-scale event for my office. I tried my best to prepare everything in advance because I will be sitting for my test on THE same day as the event. I need a couple of days to do a last minutes revision.

I spent around RM750 to register for the test and reading materials for the test. There are four modules - Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. In Malaysia, you could sit for the exam conducted either by British Council or IDP. You can register for the preparatory course and test, online or at the counter. Choose the date that is convenient for you (they have it quite regular), attend the tests and the result will be out in 2 weeks (if I am not mistaken). You can check the result online and collect it later.

Three modules - Reading (read long passages and answer tricky questions), Writing (two essays if I am not mistaken) and Listening (to three different conversation with different accents and answer the questions on the spot) were conducted on Saturday. While speaking module was conducted on the following Friday. 

The Speaking Module was conducted by the native speaker from the UK. His accent was really thick. Doing some reading (especially on the differences between UK English & US English - i.e. rubber/eraser, jumper/sweater) and listening exercise would help you better in speaking module. 

Honestly, I didn’t have proper time to study. Sometimes I tried to do the online test while everyone was asleep or after office hours, read, when I was tired the most. That was the only time I have. Alhamdulillah, I got a band higher than most of the universities’  minimum requirement.

HLP2015 : The day it travels to Putrajaya

After I submitted the application forms, it was screened at a Ministry-level. I need to pass that one first before my proposal is sent to Putrajaya. I really hope I got the buy-ins from the top management on my proposal. I was told, among 20+ submitted, the Office will only send 11 (I can’t remember the exact number) for JPA’s consideration.

I was on my way to my office and I met the HR staff in the elevator. He carried a box with a huge H L P letters, I assumed he just came out from the screening session. I asked him whether he is going to Putrajaya (without any intention to know further). He said Yes, and he told me my proposal is IN THE BOX.

Alhamdulillah. I didn’t tell anyone. There’s a hope.

HLP2015 : Application – The university

Choosing the university. Oh my. 

There were nearly 200 universities (both local and abroad) in the list to choose from. I chose to study aboard, so it left me with around….well, nearly 200 universities. I keep my option open. I didn’t have any particular university in mind that time. I spent three days to go through EVERY UNIVERSITY WEBSITES to find the suitable school for me - in the US, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, NZ, Japan, you name it. 

It was EXTREMELY HARDDDD to explain the STRUGGGGGLEEE that time. My eyes hurt. Unfriendly and hard to navigate websites add to the pressure. I was not only looking for suitable school, I also have to scrutinise the admission criteria. Some school only look for economics graduates, some require prerequisites in statistical analysis or econometrics. There were a few with application period that has comes to end.

To my surprise, I only found one (The University of Manchester) that suit my plan and does not require undergraduate degree in economics. I exchanged a few emails with the course conveners and they assured me that this course is right for me. 

Then I just add in another two (on international trade), for the sake of filling the form.

I fill in the forms and submitted it to the HR Department one day before the deadline. I pray for the best and I leave everything to Allah.

HLP2015 : Application – Proposal

HLP stands for Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan. It is a hadiah by the Federal Government of Malaysia to deserving public officers to further their studies at Master or PhD level, in local universities or universities abroad. In turn, they will able to contribute more to the country’s development.

Alhamdulillah, I am among the selected officers for 2015. And I have promised my friends to put up my journey here. Well, even if they didn’t requested, I will put it up here anyway ;p

I keep postponing furthering my study before.

We wait until Nabil grow a bit, I told my husband in 2005.

Then we had Nazreen in 2007. Ok, we shall wait for Nazreen to be like 3 or 4 years old… (the reason being is it is easier to travel/live in new environment with toddler that has stop breastfeeding and diaper-free)

Then I got pregnant with Nazran in 2008. OK, we wait a bit for Nazran to reach 3 or 4 years old.   

… And it became 5 years. Then I got pregnant with Nazmi.

OK, I am definitely going to do my proposal! I told my husband after I safely delivered baby Nazmi.

I didn’t manage to meet the deadline for 2014 session (in 2013) because I was in confinement. Preparing proposal during confinement is the last thing I wanted to do.

Allah has the best plan.

I send my first ever proposal (in 2014) for 2015 session. And I am selected. We are selected.

Proposal

The most painstaking stage for me is preparing the proposal, then look for the suitable university that suits the proposal. And, oh, preparing for IELTS in between.

I decided to further my study on Industrial Development. I took a day off because I found it really hard to shift my focus, to write a proposal during lunch time, or between meetings, or even after office hour. I need a pleasant environment so I could properly think and write. I need to be at home.

However, there were different challenges at home. Lol. Nazmi will always negotiate his spot between me and the keyboard. And he found it really vital to scribble or munch all documents and books on the table between changing diaper and breastfeeding. I constantly find myself changing Nazmi’s position on my lap after typing every sentence and shifting from Microsoft Words to videos on nursery rhymes and back to Words, then video, all night. At that stage, I really hope Allah will ease my journey to complete the proposal and excel in my IELTS.

Map everywhere!

My map on the office's fixed glass window.

This is how I de-stress (enjoying the view outside) and thinking about work (the mind map) at the same time. LOL.

Ramadhan activities

Similar to previous years, we had Ihya' Ramadhan programme, tadarus (same old group), iftar and tarawih, daily (free) breaking fast meal at our cafe for officers who stayed back late, weekly tazkirah, khatam Al-Quran programme and distribution of bubur lambuk and gulai kawah.

Ihya Ramadhan. We received a box of dates

It has been a great month. Alhamdulillah. Here, we really cherish the beautiful month of Ramadhan. I love my office.

Khatam AlQuran. Everyone received bunga telur, pulut kuning and rendang 

Our humble Minister and his deputies distributed bubur lambuk and gulai kawah to all staffs

Change is good

Bye bye old room. 

Under the recent reorg, my unit is now under a different section. Change is good.

I wipe clean all the furniture before I left.

Helllllllooooooo new roooom....

Full of dust, old documents, papers, old personal belongings and books.

I took half of my working day to took out everything and wipe clean all furniture. I cant tolerate dust and dirty workplace. So I dont mind taking time to make sure the room is spotlessly clean before I come to work the next day, on 1st of Ramadhan and starts new.

I treated myself with these in between work and moving out / in.

I love changes.

iM4u 2015 : The Prep

I have a very good team this year.

I was away for 3 weeks attending courses and my assistants managed to complete all important tasks. I am no longer a micromanager :)

Two days before, I was struggling with the speech for the Minister, brief for the Deputy Minister and some small scale designs for money envelopes and charity bags. 

In the afternoon before the day, I went to the Minister's house to brief his spouse on the programme. Then we went straight to the site. The tents were up, hampers were ready, all items for Free Market has been carefully transported to the site and I manage to finished the media statement (the best PRO was in my room to invite the media at the very last minutes) as well as MC script before I headed home at 8.30pm. 

I have a very good sleep that night knowing everthing is ready for the big day tomorrow :)

Mentoring a colleague with limited vision

I am working with a special officer, Norain. She has a limited, B2 vision. 

I am so excited to explore her cool reading gadget, see how she work using the laptop with Job Access With Speech (JAWS) - a software that talk back and see how she manages everything. This is new for me. 

Ain taught me the meaning of strong will and determination. She is very excellent in her work. She usually completed her task on time. Alhamdulillah for this valuable experience, and the great colleague.

Door-to-door service

Today, my office library has visited my division for their Door-to-Door Service (read, a group of librarians push a trolley full of books and you can borrow any four books for two weeks). I LOVE THEIR VISIT! I took the opportunity to return the magazine I borrowed earlier (how cool is that? - they sent the magazine to you and they collect it from you when your are done reading it). If that does not make the laziest person to read at least one book in one year, I dont know what else does.

The interesting part of this service is the librarians not only bring books from our library, they are bringing books from the National Library's collection too!

I borrowed two books from the National Library. 

Keep it up library!

Magazine delivery

My office library will notify everybody via email on the latest magazine available in the library. We just have to pick up the phone, call them and the magazine of your choice will be delivered to your room within five minutes. I just got these delivered to me. Excellent service!

I missed this issue of The Economist earlier because I was away attending Research Methodology course for two weeks.

Work-life balance.

Huge Mind Map Assignment 04 : The Conclusion

I was truly grateful to be chosen to perform this task. It was a quantum leap for me. From mindmapping / sketchnoting on A5 to visualised the whole discussion of the top management, on huge papers, for TWO DAYS. I thanked  Alvin Ung, the author of Barefoot Leadership, who has hand-picked me for this task =)

Yes, I know, no blue box on my face

Allah knows how panic I was a week before the event. I didnt know what to anticipate. 

But I did it. Right until today I cant believe I've nailed it! I need to improve on the colour scheme, layout, font thickness and everything. I am still learning. 

This was during the wrap up session. Mr. Ung presented every map to the management, to recap what they have been discussing and debating from the first day and night until the end of day two, and to see whether they have achieved the objectives of the retreat, by looking at the content of these mind maps.

Some of the maps are ok. Some not even up to my standards, but considering the time given, the intensity of the discussions and the size of the paper, I am quite happy with the outcome. 

Huge Mind Map Assignment 03 : The Tools

The most crucial tools for me for this assignment are Kurecolors and a big fat black marker. Grey Kurecolor is important for shading purposes.

My tools. Kurecolors are mine. The rest are provided by the organiser. 

Huge Mind Map Assignment 02 : The Artist Platform

I finally posted this two-year-old draft because I have promised my English teacher today that i will show her the huge mind map. Today is the last day I see her and my handphone was running out of battery. 

First, read about the Huge Mind Map Assignment 01 (here).

Huge mind map assignment - sounds interesting, yes? I was invited to be the mind mapper / sketch noter for the top management meeting in Malacca. The instruction given was simple. Mindmap the whole thing. 

And "the whole thing" is actually a long list of discussions and debates on international trade, import, export, GNI, GDP, investment, local industries, SMEs and the list goes on.

This is the spot where I supposed to work. I called it The Artist Platform. It is located in front of the hall. 

This is the view from the Platform. Well, that was during group presentation. Before, the boards were not there. I need to see their faces/mouths in order to capture everything they said. Mindmapping is about capturing the gist ON THE SPOT.

This is the (self-proclaimed) artist at work. In her most decent position. I was writing, colouring and drawing like mad because I need to stick the paper onto the wall, once the last person finished his last word. They will go through the map after the discussion. 

The initial plan was for me to draw directly on the paper pinned to a panel but the panel is quite high and I am short +_+. So the markers slanted down a bit and no ink came out after a few strokes. So, I opted for a platform.

The platform comes with the gravity. 

Hard to sleep at night?

My brother introduced me to MIT OpenCourseWare a few years back. I found it very useful. I could listen to lecture (audio / video) on any subject, be it economy, art, architecture, physics. Anything. 

My lullaby every night.

Please donate if you found it useful :)