Sunday, August 12, 2007

Resipi Beef Steak

Finally! Minggu ni kami boleh lepak2 di rumah macam pasangan suami isteri yang lain. Tak ada lagi sesi drama swasta minggu ni. Stop! Bila teringatkan minggu lepas, aku terus rasa sakit jantung. Baik aku lupakan sahaja. Weekend ni untuk lepak2 sambil masak2 dan shopping2.

Bercerita pasal masak2, hari ini lunch kami ialah 'Beef Steak'. Resipinya sangat mudah:

Beef Steak (resipi mak)

• Kepingan daging lembu steak (Australian beef kat Giant - 4 keping daging harga RM6+)
• Sebiji telur (sederhana besar)
• Sos tomato
• Kicap manis
• Lada hitam
• Bawang besar dicincang halus
• Tomato segar, dihiris
• Mentega (utk menggoreng)

Langkah2:

1. Campurkan telur, sos tomato, kicap manis sampai sebati, pastu gaulkan daging. Gaulkan sekali dengan lada hitam (black pepper). Perap selama 1 jam.
2. Panaskan kuali, masukkan satu sudu mentega untuk menggoreng daging, goreng daging sampai masak. Angkat dan ketepikan. Masukkan 1 sudu mentega lagi, goreng bawang cincang sampai wangi, masukkan lebihan sos untuk perap daging tadi, kacau2 sekejap dan biarkan mereneh dalam satu minit sampai jadi sedikit pekat. Masukkan semula daging, gaul dalam sos steak dan angkat.
3. Sedia untuk dimakan dengan kentang goreng dan hirisan tomato segar! Kalau nak makan ngan jagung bakar atau kentang dibakar dalam kulit pun boleh gak tapi kiteorang just guna bahan2 yang ada kat rumah je. Yummy!

p/s: Gambar takde sebab dah lapar sangat so ngap je, tak sempat pun beef steak tu nak posing2! :p

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Friday, August 10, 2007

Resignation, postponed

I wanna go back to France! I miss France so much! I miss Paris! I miss Caines! I miss Monaco! I miss taking the dingy Metro! I miss quatre fromage pizza!

Unfortunately though, makcik is still stuck here at work.

The day after I vented my frustration at my company, I tendered my resignation letter. My boss wasn’t too surprised because we had talked, schemed and even discussed deeply about how we will quit from this ‘neraka’ as what my friend Jen described her previous company :p He asked when is it most likely for me to pluck up my courage & inform the most-feared Trump about my decision to leave the company. I asked to give me some time to prepare myself for the ‘storm’ that Trump will create.

When it comes to Trump’s reaction, I am wise enough to know that I have to be fully prepared mentally, emotionally & physically for that. I tell you, Trump is scary not just because he can shout, but the mere presence of him will bring fear to your heart even before you know who he is. He is definitely scarier than me when I’m in my foullest mood.

However, before I can put my plan into action, a friend earnestly talked me out of this. She pointed out that why, after three quarter of the year slogging myself over work like gila, I want to pass up the chance of getting annual bonus? Shouldn’t I wait for a couple of months to receive the bonus which will come Raya time, to at least compensate for the work-like-want-to-die situations I’ve put myself through? Then only, after safely securing the bonus in my account, I can hand in my resignation letter?

‘Friend, I know you cannot tahan already but you deserve that annual bonus ok. So hang on for a couple more months ye, makcik. Mana tau ko boleh dapat performance bonus gak. Lagi berbaloi… anyway, I advise you friend, if you want to leave, might as well leave richer.’

Am I not lucky to have this kind of friend?

So, I heeded her advice and retracted my letter. In the meantime, I can only take a deeeeeeepppppp breath and hang on. Hang on for dear life. 2 bulan lagi. 2 bulan lagi… 2 bulan lagi…

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Monday, August 06, 2007

What You Call This, The Breaking Point

There's something wrong with the place I work with.

We worked ourselves to a point of oblivion, of unlimited exhaustion, through sleepless nights and hunger - for the sake of this company.

What did the company repay us with?

A pat in the back? A note of approval? 'Well done, guys!' remarks? A toast to our efforts? A 'thank you' speech? Anything to acknowledge what we have done to suffer our mental, emotional and physical health?

I tell you all this. All of it. No. Let me stress that out. NOOOOOOO.

What we got instead were:

1. 'I was never informed. That was a stupid plan. That was a stupid way to make decision. I was not involved.' --> by the A***** manager. Oh great. And what was the reason I updated him and all other managers in their stupid morning meetings? To pass the time? Because I like attending their hot air meetings?

2. 'Nothing for the committee. It's part of their jobs to carry out this event.' I may not end up in HR after spending 4 years studying motivation, team work, all those HR ideologies - but I still keep this firmly in mind.

Why does UTM, a university that focused on engineering studies, have HR as part of its faculties? Because HR, is an engineering of a different kind. HRD (a.k.a training & human development) is about human engineering. Human resource is the most valuable resource a company has, but most often, the most neglected. When a machine breaks down, most companies spare no expenses to fix it. But when staff breaks down, nothing is done to improve the situation.

I'm not asking for a plaque each for everyone. Neither am I pushing for monetary rewards. I'm asking for meals for the committee. A t-shirt as a way to acknowledge that they are in-charge. Nothing of this sort was approved. Because the company does not want to waste. Is this considered wastage?

3. 'I want this to be done annually.' (Ask the committee to do this again. without any rewards) This is the biggest problem I have with this company. Good job, is rewarded with, well, more work.

You know what? Do it yourself. I'm done and through with the company's attitude. I think the management doesn't understand their staff, nor do they care much about us. I'm so over with slaving myself for nothing.

I'm quitting.

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Thursday, August 02, 2007

If I Have The Money...

... I want to buy a notebook for my brother and a super notebook for my hubby.

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Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Snowed Under Work Avalanche!

Trump has a new nickname. Daddy-o.

Me to my assistant:

'Eh, ask your Daddy-o to approve t-shirt for all committee members since you're his favourite daughter.'

Again, me to my assistant:

'Daddy-o almost made me stay back and go to JB only on the eve of the event. Now he asks me to do some working paper.'

WWWWWHHHHYYYYY DADDDYY-OOOOO?? Can't you see I'm busy organising an event????

Talking about the event made me stressed out again. First, it was a depressing problem of short of participations. All of a sudden yesterday, we were bombarded with so many last-minute registrations that we run out of space. Apparently, the news release came out in local dailies ONLY YESTERDAY. Didn't we submit the news release like, last week?

In between updating participants' list, and answering calls from frantic interested parties, and other stuffs, Daddy-o asked me to do extra works pulak.

'Prepare a letter to Dato' R, cc to Datuk Sri E. Before you go to JB, I want it.'

Because Daddy-o wants the letter today before lunch and the draft for the working paper within the same day, I am still up sprawled amidst documents of past minutes of meetings, reports that don't make sense and eyes that crave for sleep.

Note to self: I.must.hand.in.letter.soonest. Period.

The End:

(Daddy-o introducing me to his guest, 'This is my most hardworking staff.' Hardworking je??! Oh yeah, I forgot. The intelligent label already goes to the Chairman earlier. I hate you, Chairman because you are labeled intelligent and yet, do not have to do Trump's chores).

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