The mark of a new journey

Take a deeeeeeep lonnnggggg breath.. *huuuuuuuuuuuhhhh*

Now is not going to be easy to tell, let alone write. Let's rewind to the day before Friday. Actually Friday has to be related to the day before, which was Thursday. In the evening, on my way home, my slk lost faith in me. Well, I mean to say, after having to put up with the most irresponsible owner, my slk couldn't take me anymore, and the engine died. Yes, admittedly, I deserve to be penalised with a hefty sum of an engine change.

Just about an hour before the car broke down, I was speed-shopping in Alamanda, and bought myself an expensive black suit for the interview on Friday. And having no cheaper alternative in this really tiny shopping mall, I swiped away RM179.00 for the jacket, that I will surely remember for the rest of my life. The last most expensive piece of clothing I bought was priced at ~RM95, which I also bought it just for another stupid interview.

Let's continue... having said that, I braced myself for a half day work Friday, not knowing that boss wanted me to tell him the latest story about what I've been up to with the client. Also in the morning, boss offically sent me and the 2 other contractors to the Government project, most probably fitting in with the role of network / infra support, doing the same thing I've been doing all along. It was a very exciting morning, where its like a conference, between me, boss and Mudz. I'm so thankful that I understood what the heck the boss was trying to draw / explain about the network. Just that I felt that if I were smarter or bolder, I would have come up an idea like his and that would make look me like a bullshit consultant! Haha...

In the midst of the Friday morning, I had the chance to bid farewell and give a hug to Kak Sarah, my closest teammate-client who needed most 'guidance' from me all the time. As a simple-minded religious lady, both me and her paired well in times of server-failure, where both our solution would be - to clasp our hands to together and pray! Yep... sometimes it did work. She prayed with her hands open, palm facing upward while I prayed (jokingly) the Lilian Too Feng Shui master way, using 2 fingers drawing the figre of 8. Trying so hard to contain my tears, as emotion flushed in through her simple yet meaningful thankyou & farewell wishes for me. Along came a plastic bag of a gift, it is a book by the touch of it. What book could it be?! Would Kak Sarah be willing to part with any of the network reference book?! ... I took a glipse of it... WOW...

The cover has Arabic words in it, it is an English translated holy book of the "Quran"!!

I know I've been advised to take good care of the book, just as any other holy materials, I know common sense, as a mark of respect, we shouldn't simply place it on the floor or sit on it. Anyway, I didn't have time to go through it yet.

Meanwhile, the interview was about to start at 2pm... just as boss and the rest of the Malay guys were going for their Friday prayer, I set off my journey to PJ, where my interview will take place, without having the time to go for lunch.

The next day, a Saturday morning, the last day of work for all Accenture staff in this government project. Emotions were running high. Mudzaffar was preparing to give away his wedding invitation card to all staff and of course I got one too. I rushed off with the handover documents, nicely binded with last minute adjustment. And started packing my table, just as what all the boys been doing for the morning.

There were piles of papers dumped into the 2 rubbish bins beside me... I so wish to tell them off to "recycle"!! In the midst of packing and bidding farewell to all the other colleagues, I got a call from mr. KHA.

Basically - I got the job, and I didn't have chance to re-consider - I was asked to report to work immediately on Tuesday, 3rd May.

Well, wouldn't it not be fair to my Accenture boss? If we're talking fairness, then it has never been fair being in my working position with Accenture. Instead of reporting to the other Accenture team on Tuesday, I now have a choice, to choose NOT to stick with Accenture.

No matter how glamourous or how high-profile the brandname may sound, it may not be what I want. I'll still be at the bottom-most level F, and not knowing when I can climb up to E, then D (team lead), C (manager) and then B - where my boss is at?! Of course being made level A Partner, means you have a share of the company.

My career path will then be what conventional group of people would have hoped for for me - from a technical degree, to a technical girl and being experienced in technical stuff, subsequently move up to become a technical manager?

What if, I have the freedom to choose, to do whatever I want to do, at that particular time, be it right or wrong time. To just do what you thought you'd want to do, regardless of where you've come from, and where you've been conditioned to go. Just like what if you can ::rewrite your destiny::

I took a risk yesterday, although I hardly take uncalculated risk. I was held back my boss with the 2 months bonus entitlement if I were to quit. But technically, the bonus is calculated as end of project bonus for all. What if I lose my 2 months bonus if I choose to sign my new appointment letter with a new company?

I was not given the chance to start later for the new company who require me work immediately. So, there came the idea of me taking "unpaid leave" for the remaining 2 months of my contract with Accenture. Hopefully with that, I'm not cut off completely.

I needed the bonus to repair my slk, if not I've intended to buy a new slr!!! Without the bonus, there's NO WAY I could afford the slr, and I'll just have to "repair" my spoilt A70 camera.

The slk... what to do with my slk.... alright, since I'm not complaining, and I'm taking it as costly lesson learnt, to take good care of my own car. I'll ask dad to pay up for me, he owes me RM1k :P

As I was walking out of the JPM building carrying my heavy bag with laptops, boxes, shoe and whatever crap toward my car, wearing my thick cotton Accenture jacket... I started to cry. The last day of being in one unique place where I've spent nearly 2 years in could build up so much 'attachment' inside.

I am definitely going to miss every one of the guys I came to meet here, no matter how weird they can be. Malays, Indian and Chinese. The multiracial working environment I've been in, made me a proud Malaysian.

To Woei Mun & Kai Seng & Bot --> cut down on your smoking!
To Ganesan --> Liverpool rules! Liverpool will beat Chelsea!!
To Mudz --> ..awww... thanks for just being there & be the only non-smoking & the creative guy...
To Zaidi and Tat Chong --> though I've never worked under you, you guys are too smart yet humble.
To boss Azmi --> thanks for making bonus happen for me, or else I dunno what to say...
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who else, these people had left way before the project ends --> Sukye, Jaya, ChiNan, Saiful, Sarahwani and Salim. Salim being my great friend and Sukye being my teamlead and Jaya the yau yeng manager who 1st interviewed me in KLCC and got me the job.
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no comment on Ridzuan.
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my clients -> .... to many to mention, but En. Shahar is cute :P haha..

For now, I'll close this one chapter of my life as of 30th April 2005.

A new chapter begins on 3rd May 2005, Tuesday under mr. KHA. We'll see what takes off from there. I'll see how many people I'll get to meet, and how many events I get to organise.

To take a risk, to build courage from breaking out of the comfort shell, to create opportunity for oneself, and to continue this journey of experiencing life, this is a mark of a new journey.