Asia - First T8 Typhoon Encounter

The start of our first Asia exploration trip stop one , Malaysia, was delayed slightly by our very first T8 typhoon, Utor.  Planned to stay overnight at a hotel before our connection flight ended up spending at KL airport.  We were grateful that it was a delay not a cancellation.  Checking out KL will have to wait until our next visit  then. 

The KL airport was a lot older than i remembered.  I can't imagine how the Subang  airport which we will be taking our domestic flight to Kota Bharu. 

Only putting down our backpack for a little over half a year, we seem to lost our backpacking instinct.  We totally forgot to check with the bank.whether the ATM machine accept 4 or 6 digits PIN .  A mini heart attack just before we sat down for a "local" breakfast at Old Town White Coffee.

Malaysia here we come.

Do women really earn less than men?

Based on the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women earn 80 cents for every dollar men earn.  From a young female perspective, like myself, of course this is not fair for the same work we do to earn less.  At my current work, we have workshop to help women build their stage at work to be more prominence in the work stage - meaning to catch up to the men. 

There are many studies to reason why women got pay less - it is rooted from the difference in social roles, women are perceived weaker in the work force, women doesn't take enongh credit for their achievement, men are more aggressive in asking for a raise etc.

Let's assumed men are more aggressive in asking for a raise is true but why?  An interesting thought came to my mind.  Perhaps, men have a larger expense that forces them to look for higher salary.  Let's be honest.  Though women fought for equality for so long.  We will never be equal.  Men are still expected to pay for the meal on a date; to give girls a ride (girls passed their teenager stage - will you date a guy without a car?); to buy drinks for girls in a bar.  Men are still wanting to be the provider in the household though half of the North America work force are women.  All these expectation assumed by the society on men, still to this day, may be the reason why men has a higher salary.  They need a bigger salary to sustain themselves.

Who is the beneficiary of the extra expenses of men?  Would it be women?  They got a few free meals throughout the year, a few free drinks in the bar, receive presents from the guys they dated etc.  Are these freebies we have to pay by a lower salary?

Afterall, as my mom always told me, "there's no free lunch, honey".

Image adapted from time.com

Blackberry Addiction

Have you got annoyed by someone you know keep checking their blackberry while spending time with you and talking to you?

Have picking a vacation destination without internet connection and mobile connection part of the requirement?

Blackberry gave me a lot of flexibility and convenience so I don't have to be glued to my desk and my computer all the time.  However, when it gets into your personal life too far and you don't know how to draw the line between your personal time and work, you got a huge issue.  Does blackberry enhance communication or impair communication?  Has it interfere with your personal life?

Why do you work such a long hour?

All day back-to-back meetings from 9-3.  Barely have time to inhale lunch during conference calls putting myself on mute.  Finally got to sit down in front of my computer, there's a long list of email waiting for me to reply.  By the time it's 5, I finally sort through all the "needed to reply" email but take home with me a list of to-dos that came out of the meetings the past few days.  


Sound familiar?


Chatting with a few friends who have worked for 3-5 years already now after college.  We found ourselves in the same situation.  The 8 hours work day is filled with communication, there's just no time to do real work to move projects forward.  What's going on?  Why can't we get all the work done at work?  


With remotely accessible computer to your work network, conference bridge, and blackberry, it makes it awfully easy to bring work home.  Because there's no time to get real work done, people bring it home to do it with all these technology that happens.  We all ended up working 3+ hours additional at home.  That's a 11+ hours day + commuting time.  This phenomenon resulted in employee burning out, higher divorce rate, more sick leave, and more stress in people in the workforce.  


Compare to my parents generation who are born in the 50s, before the internet and computer era, things are a little different.  The society is existing in a much slower speed.  Internet and computer enable the world to move along so much faster.  Before internet and computer, people can get things done faster than information is being transmitted or communicated.  Now, it is the other way around.  People cannot catch up to the speed of information is being distributed.  Since there's no longer the barrier of the availability of information, companies and consumers are expecting things to be done instantaneously.  


Everyone tries get things out of the door and have no sufficient time to think things through thoroughly, to evaluate and assess for the best solution, and to look back and learn from things that we do.  There's no time to take care of the people, and build relationship among co-worker.  Work became work, work and work.  There's no time to do other things.  


Internet and computer change the whole world.  It enhance communication and information distribution.  However, are we prepared for the aftermath?  Is faster and more really the better?

WACKIEST EXCUSES FOR CALLING IN SICK

WACKIEST EXCUSES FOR CALLING IN SICK

I got sunburned at a nude beach and can't wear clothes.

My buddies locked me in the trunk of an abandoned car after a weekend of drinking.

My mom said I was not allowed to go to work today.

I'm just not into it today.

I'm convinced my spouse is having an affair and I'm staying home to catch them.

I was injured chasing a seagull.

I woke up in Canada.

Source: CareerBuilder.com 2009 survey of 7,884 U.S. workers and managers

______

I'm who I'm.

May be I have lived in a bubble until now.  It is so important for people around me to all like me.  I care how people think of me.  

Recently realized this adds unnecessary pressure to myself of something I cannot control. There're so many things on my plate.  Having to satisfy and getting everyone to like me means I'm don't have my own thoughts.  Pleasing everyone means you are doing what everyone want you to do but not doing things you think you should do?

I'm learning "I'm who I'm.  It is too bad you don't like it".  That way, at the very least, I have my own point-of-view and have character.

Remember that Job is just a Trade

Relationship of employee and employer has changed 180 degree compare to my Grandpa's time.  It used to be the employer at certain level looking out for their employee.  Both ends are looking for a long term relationship and loyalty was the key to a good employer-and-employee relationship.


It is no longer that.  Number is the key to the employer.  Living through a few lay-offs at work, I witness that.  It is not good nor bad.  It is a change.  Unfortunately, I found this to be less human.  The human factor of a employee-and-employer relationship seems to diminished through the years.  Employment is just an exchange of benefit.  


Employer tries to put some level of humanness into this relationship by adding Engagement because people are people.  They need the human factor to motivate them in certain level.  Employer cannot offer it all, so they provided a discounted humanness instead to keep the relationship from falling apart.  However, the trust is no longer there.  


Employee asks, "Why is my team not engaged and motivated when I've already have done so much for them."  Is this what people are looking for?  May be to motivate is just as simple as behaving in a way to look out for your employee.  With action to show you care and appreciate their loyalty.  Trust needs to be built for engagement and motivation to harvest.  Short sighted decision in exchange for a temporary boost on the balance sheet is a costly price to pay.  


Remember, "What you pay is what you get."  


I grew a little older realizing this, haven't I?