2018 in Perspective

2018 was a year of learning and development, career-wise, for me. I feel so fortunate to rejoin the workforce with my present employer. Not only have my company invested a lot in my education with excellent training/courses, I also got to travel. Being part of the admin of Dulu Lain Sekarang Lain and having read a lot of readers’ comments, I know there are not many companies that are as supportive as my current employer.

2018 in Perspective : Career-wise

My on-the-job training involved travelling and being weeks away from home. Initially, the thought of being away from my family for such a long period was so distressing and stressful that my health was adversely affected. But I gradually learnt to think positive and made efforts to improve my lifestyle. Conscious eating, easy workouts, etc., helped a lot. As a result, my medical check up yielded such an excellent report that I was able to relax and gained weight. How ironic!

Besides having the opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills from the best persons in the industry (my awesomely helpful and supportive senior colleagues), I also got to spend 16 days in Tokyo gleaning HR-IR knowledge from knowledgeable and experienced professors and HR practitioners from various countries. Being small in stature, experience and skills – I was incredibly awestruck, and truly grateful.

Visit Tokyo 2018

That pic was taken almost a year ago when I was visiting Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo – barely 8 months after I rejoined the workforce. It was truly an eye and mind-opening experience. My face adored the cool winter but my hands and legs did not. Probably because my face received ample loving care from my team of skincare products.

Clothed in that RM10 shawl (yes, I skimp on my tudung) and my sister’s winter jacket (I loathe to spend money on clothes, but I did get myself some winter clothing), hauling that huge (& free) stylish Clinique platinum totebag, and strolling in my durable and comfy Christy Ng’s sneakers – I felt blessed. Not many women are afforded this opportunity after several years of being a housewife.

I am really thankful to the Japanese government for fully funding the program and to my boss for literally pushing me to grab the spot. And all the other participants were incredibly awesome as well! Though I was the only participant from Malaysia, and the only Muslim women in the class – I never felt alone.

And at the closing ceremony, before the presentation of our certificates, I was ambushed by my fellow participants! They conscripted me to give a speech on behalf of the class and to present our host with a letter of appreciation. I should have been speechless, but I managed to string a few words to make an impromptu speech. Phew!!! The honour and trust they bestowed upon me at that moment touched me so deeply that I almost cried. 

Family Day in JB

At the end of 2018, I attended the company’s Family Day held in JB, accompanied by Hubby. The kids couldn’t join us because they had their classes, industrial training and other activities that weekend. So Hubby and I got to travel together without the kids, for the first time in 20 years!

 

There were plenty of games and activities. Most importantly, we got to bond with staff from HQ and the other branches, and meet their families. For our efforts, team spirit and incredible sportmanship, all teams got gifts comprising soaps, dishwashing liquid, detergent, fabric softener, etc. Everything for the home. Not bad, right? Considering the number of games we participated in and the amount of tepung I swallowed! 🤩

Aside from group activities, we also visited Legoland, with all expenses paid by the company. The food there was delicious and very expensive (RM60 for those). Although it was a rainy season, we managed to see most parts before the downpour. And I also walked around in that Lego rain poncho.

 

After waiting for half and hour with no hope for the rain to stop, we moved out of Legoland and visited Puteri Harbour. I think my kids would definitely love Puteri Harbour.  The atmosphere was very youthful and vibrant. We received free rain ponchos there.

Year of Gifts

Besides getting free rain ponchos at Puteri Harbour, I won these group of gifts during the Family Day lucky draw event, and then received that powerbank from one of our clients. So, from zero powerbank, I now have 2! 

 

And I also received many free planners, skincare gifts and samples at the end of last year. The planners were a revelation to me.  I now know what type of planner is perfect for me – the contents, the size, etc.

Year of Slow Reading

Reading is imperative. What started out as a hobby, now has become a necessity. When I was a housewife, I read only what I want or like. Now, I make it a point to also read for pleasure, not just for work. When it comes to non-fiction books, I am a very slow reader. This year, I read non-fictions by:

• Dave Ramsey – The Total Money Makeover (completed twice, and still has lots of steps to follow),
• Marjorie Kelly – The Divine Right of Capitalism: Dethroning the Corporate Aristocracy (read twice but cannot complete – awesome ideas but too complicated to follow), and
• Dorie Clark – Reinventing You & Stand Out (still in progress).

I also tried reading a couple of fictions, but in the end, this was the only fiction that I was absolutely engrossed in. Took me a while to start reading it but once I started, I find it hard to stop. I borrowed it from the public library and finished reading it within days. 

Now that I have, more or less got into the rhythm of things at work, I am striving to improve myself with the help of Dorie Clark’s books – ‘Reinventing You’ and ‘Stand Out’.

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  Dorie Clarks’s Stand Out (covered with the original plastic wrapping from Bookxcess – recycle)

Reading and implementing the relevant points in those books are among my 2019 aims. By the way, I bought ‘Stand Out’ at BookXcess while ‘Reinventing You’ is an ebook (because I can’t get the book locally). In fact, before I bought the ebook, I have perused the hardcover at the library’s reference section.

I highly recommend these books for those who are starting/or thinking of starting a new career, transitioning, or merely seeking to improve their performance at work.  They are both easy to understand and relevant in embracing IR 4.0.

Dorie Clark’s Reinventing You at the Sabah State Library

Skincare in 2018

In terms of my skincare routine, I am excited to be a part of Tribe Insider of Annmarie Skin Care. There are monthly gifts, activities, tips and special offers all year round. Among the gifts that I received from ASC since joining the Tribe Insider last October are the book (The Four Agreements), their recently released Illuminating Pearl Mask:

Annmarie Skincare Samples & Travel Size Products and The Four Agreement (Insider members’ group reading)

and also these wonderful samples:

My favourite things from ASC are the multi-purpose Aloe Herb Cleanser and gloriously sweetly scented Herbal Facial Oil. The ASC Skin IQ Quiz is remarkable at helping me make the right choice for my skin. This is where I splurge, not on clothes or gadgets, but on getting the right skincare.

Craft Therapy

Crafting sessions are a form of therapy for me. Though I have been inactive in this area, I have not been idle. Here are some of the hats I managed to complete in 2018. There are a few more but I forgot to take pics before I gave them to friends and family.

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  Simple knitted hats

Adsense 2018

Although our blogging activities have dwindled to only a few days per month, Alhamdulillah, our Adsense income is not much affected. We are still able to make withdrawals at least once every two months. Overall, we may not be rich, but we are happy, healthy and grateful.

How was your year 2018? I hope you’ve had an overall wonderful time as well. Here’s to another wonderful year in 2019!