The Family Guy

Have you ever watched The Family Guy? It's hilarious and sometimes somewhat insightful. Watch it with an open mind and don't ask questions like...Does anyone hear what Stewie says? If they don't, how come everyone can understand the dog, Brian? And, what's with Brian and the martini with an olive in it? It's actually all good fun and sometimes it's good to laugh at yourself (which alot of the episodes poke fun at).

The first time I watched Family Guy, I actually didn't like it very much. I didn't find it very funny but it actually grows on you and after a couple of episodes, it was actually quite a laugh. The father, Peter, is an obnoxious big guy, the mother,Louis, is just too perfect (which makes you wonder why she ended up with such a loser), the kids, Meg and Chris are just normal kids trying to deal with issues teenagers go through. The strange characters are the baby, Stewie, and the family dog, Brian. Stewie's ultimate aim is to kill Louis and world domination. Brian is far from just the family dog being the most intelligent creature in the house.

I highly recommend it if you don't feel like thinking after a long day at work and you just want to chill out in front of the tv. Happy viewing!

A New Addition and New Beginnings

At long last, there is a new addition to the Thean family. Welcome Ashley, who has just completed her one month full moon. For such a young one, she has managed to make parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles run around her frenziedly trying to meet her every whim and fancy. With an angelic demeanor, when she is not about in break out crying that is, she has managed to wrap everyone around her little tiny finger....bwahahaha.

All that said and done, although small and sweet, she's has quite a temper and hidden strength in her little arms and legs that could make your muscles sore for days to come. Although born in the year of the rat, she shares very similar characteristics with her Uncle Dennis, who is born in the year of the Monkey, with arms and legs everywhere and anywhere and an inquisitive disposition.

What a beginning to a new year it has been. I was so exhausted at the end of 2008 that I missed the fireworks going into 2009 and fell asleep an hour before the new year kicked off. A new family member plus a new and exciting job, what could more could anyone ask for?

Chinese New Year was relatively quiet this year in comparison to prior years, possibly due to a downturn in economic conditions and the potential for hard times to come. The Business News on TV shows still broadcasts gloom and doom everyday as companies come in reporting lower earnings and headcount reductions and lay-offs. In the new company I have joined, about 6000 staff were laid off. Wow!

On the political front, the fiasco in the our Northern State of Perak just adds on to the already gloomy view of the future. I guess then, it's a time to keep a low profile, sit tight and ride this out again and hope it isn't as bad as all the media is portraying it.

So far, for me, the new year has started on a good note. Already, I have made some good friends in my new company. It is an exciting time for me and being the pioneers to setup a new shared service center, it is an awesome opportunity in my career to learn new things and build new relationships.

I am truly looking forward to a challenging, interesting and fruitful 2009 albeit all the doom and gloom of the economic projections.

Welcome 2009...Goodbye 2008...

It is with mixed feelings that I say goodbye to 2008. It was a strange year, filled with erratic ups and downs and historical first-times in politics. On a personal level, 2009 will be an adventure, with a new job in the pipeline, there will be new friends to make and a new level of commitment and aspiration. Although excited about what the future holds for me, it is with a deep level of sadness that I bid farewell to my old job in Maxis and the friends I made there. Friendships made in the workplace can never quite compare to any other friendships as we are brought together, not by choice but by necessity.

I'm not sure how to describe my feelings of the coming new year. If I were to look around, Malaysians seem to be still going about their normal businesses and don't seem to be affected by the global recession that we are told about on TV and in the papers. We hear that there are pay cuts and retrenchment in our neighboring country down South and up North, in Thailand, there are continuous political upheavals that can't be good for the economy for the whole of South East Asia. Even though there are throngs of people at the malls, consumer spending has got to be down as revenues at Maxis are not quite up to what is expected. Can we then say we are in for hard economic times in 2009 then? Will we see the full brunt of global recession after the christmas, new year and chinese new year festivities are over? What can we do to protect ourselves from what is projected to be a economic tsunami of sorts?

With all this mixed up thoughts and feelings on my mind of what 2009 holds for me, what can I do? Right now, I'm going to start off the new year by making a good breakfast at home and take it from there. Next, it'll be a new job next week and a whole lot of anticipation of what is to come.

Goodbye 2008 and thank you for all the experiences and friends I have made. Welcome 2009, hit me with all that you've got in store for me!!!