Reduction in loan repayment amount

As reported in TheStar Online today, banks will automatically reduce the loan repayment amounts of their customers and this will be completed by the first quarter of this year, the Association of Banks said.

The reduce repayments was now possible following Bank Negara’s announcement of the reduction of the Overnight Policy Rate on Tuesday. That move would bring about the reduction of the base lending rates (BLR). All commercial banks had agreed to cut loan repayment amounts across the board while maintaining the loan repayment period. Borrowers who wish to maintain their current loan repayment amounts need to get in touch with their banks immediately.

For further details, please read here the Association of Banks' statement

I personally think that was really a great move by ABM in considering the board public burden in such a challenging time. News of more retrenchment is making a lot of people uneasy and concern of their next income. Bravo.

Resuming Cambodia

Yup. Gotto to fly again this coming early March.

After a long absence to Cambodia, our project team is resuming back to Phnom Penh again for our regular project meeting. This has slow down quite a bit lately. But it will be picking up again depending on our Client decision on this coming meeting. Well, am keeping my fingers cross.

Properties development at Cambodia have since taking a bunch from the financial crisis that sweeping the world. Their tourism, garment industries and even car sales have also dropped.

Old Dog New Tricks

Today I spent nearly 1 hour and 40 minutes trying to reach Dataran Prima, Petaling Jaya from Kajang. I have only one word for it........CRAZY. In normal day especially Sunday, it takes merely about 40-45 mins. I saw several accidents and even car broke down on the road. And I was late 45 mins. What a day.

Enough with the complaint. I was there to attend a software training which gotto do with my present works in Contracts Management. Our company have purchased a software that will help link and integrate several departments to better perform as a single identity i.e. developer.

The last similar training I had was about 12 years ago when I first came out to work for a contractor company. So, I can relate to the training that taught by the software developer. In a way it too brings back some fond memories of my younger day......enthusiasm and excitement.

Who says old dog don't need new tricks.

Falling Forward

A wonderful personal note from the renown author John C. Maxwell.

Vincent Van Gogh failed as an art dealer, flunked his entrance exam to theology school, and was fired by the church after an ill-fated attempt at missionary work. In fact, during his life, he seldom experienced anything other than failure as an artist. Although a single painting by Van Gogh would fetch in excess of $100 million today, in his lifetime Van Gogh sold only one painting, four months prior to his death.

Before developing his theory of relativity, Albert Einstein encountered academic failure. One headmaster expelled Einstein from school and another teacher predicted that he would never amount to anything. Einstein even failed his entrance exam into college.

Prior to dazzling the world with his athletic skill, Michael Jordan was cut from his sophomore basketball team. Even though he captured six championships, during his professional career, Jordan missed over 12,000 shots, lost nearly 400 games, and failed to make more than 25 would-be game-winning baskets.

Failure didn't stop Vincent Van Gogh from painting, Albert Einstein from theorizing, or Michael Jordan from playing basketball, but it has paralyzed countless leaders and prevented them from reaching their potential.

At some point, all great achievers are tempted to believe they are failures. But in spite of that, they persevere. In the face of adversity, shortcomings, and rejection, they hold onto self-believe and refuse to see themselves as failures. Here are seven abilities of achievers that enable them to rebound from failure and keep moving forward.

Seven Principles for Failing Forward

Reject Rejection

Achievers who persevere do not base their self-worth on their performance. On the contrary, they have a healthy self-image that's not dictated by external events. When they fall short, rather than labeling themselves a failure, they learn from mistakes in their judgment or behavior.

Don't Point Fingers

When people fail, they're often tempted to blame others for their lack of success. By pointing fingers, they sink into a victim mentality and cede their fate to outsiders. When playing the blame game, people rob themselves of learning from their failures and alienate others by refusing to take responsibility for mistakes.

See Failure as Temporary

People who personalize failure see a problem as a hole they're permanently stuck in, whereas achievers see any predicament as temporary. One mindset wallows in failure, the other looks forward to success. By putting mistakes into perspective, achievers are able to see failure as a momentary event, not a symptom of a lifelong epidemic.

Set Realistic Expectations

Unrealistic goals doom people to failure. For instance, if a person hasn't exercised for five years, then making it to a gym twice a week may be a better goal than running in next month's marathon. Also, some people insensibly expect to be perfect. Everyone fails, so expect setbacks and emotionally prepare to deal with them.

Focus on Strengths

Don't invest time shoring up non-character flaws at the exclusion of investing in your strengths. People operating from a position of strength enjoy a far lower rate of failure than those laboring in areas of weakness. You're built to give your talents to the world; be diligent about finding expressions for them in your career.

Vary Approaches to Achievement

In the Psychology of Achievement, Brian Tracy writes about four millionaires who made their fortunes by age 35. On average, these achievers were involved in 17 businesses before they finding the one that took them to the top. They kept trying and changing until they found something that worked.

Bounce Back

Rehashing missteps and blunders for too long sabotages concentration and eats away at self-confidence. When dealing with failure, achievers have short memories. They quickly forget the negative emotions of setbacks and press forward resiliently. While taking pause to learn from failures, achievers realize that the past cannot be altered.

Summary

I believe it's nearly impossible for any person to believe he or she is a failure and move forward at the same time. For those who have been downsized, let go, or bankrupted, the temptation may be to internalize failure. My hope is that anyone who has suffered setbacks recently will be able to separate life's unfortunate events from their self-worth. Failure, like death and taxes, will happen. Your response to failure holds the key to your future.

Proton Exora uncovered

Wait no more. The much talk about Proton first 7-seater MPV has already been uncovered, thanks to Paul Tan.

The MPV do looks attractive for price below RM80,000 and with Campro 1.6 CPS engine. How will it perform with its 1.6 cc engine for its sheer size, only time will tell.

Right now, I am still very much contented with my Toyota Avanza 1.5 cc.

Talk more and gesture more

Don't just talk to your toddler — gesture, too. Pointing, waving bye-bye and other natural gestures seem to boost a budding vocabulary. Scientists found those tots who could convey more meaning with gestures at age 14 months went on to have a richer vocabulary as they prepared to start kindergarten. And intriguingly, whether a family is poor or middle class plays a role.

Anyone who's ever watched a tot perform the arms-raised "pick me up now" demand knows that youngsters figure out how to communicate well before they can talk. Gesturing also seems to be an important precursor to forming sentences, as children start combining one word plus a gesture for a second word.

University of Chicago researchers wondered if gesturing also played a role in a serious problem: Children from low-income families start school with smaller vocabularies than their better-off classmates. It's a gap that tends to persist as the students age. In fact, kindergarten vocabulary is a predicter of how well youngsters ultimately fare in school.

One big key to a child's vocabulary is how their parents talked to them from babyhood on. Previous research has shown that higher-income, better-educated parents tend to talk and read more to small children, and to use more varied vocabulary and complex syntax.

It's not just that richer parents gesture more, stressed Peggy McCardle of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the work.

"It's that there's a greater variety of types of gesture that would signal different types of meaning," McCardle said. "It sure looks like the kids are learning that and it's given them kind of a leg-up."

Whatever the parents income maybe, I believe don't ever let money become the stumbling block for our child well development. We just gotto find other creative ways to do it.......so talk more and gesture more.

Celebrating Reanne birthday

We were at what the local calls it 'small little Genting Highland' aka 'siew wan deang'. A place situated at Pusat Pelancongan Dan Menara Tinjau, Jalan Hulu Langat, Selangor. We were there celebrating Reanne 1st birthday....2nd time but on her actual day.

It was our first visit there except for Silas and Rachel, who have been there once. When we reached there, the Look Out Point restaurant was already quite full. Must be the over spilling from the day before i.e. Valentine's day. We got a nice table for 9 of us including 3 kids. The night scenery was really fantastic. The foods was acceptable if not for the great view from the top. Western foods with some familiar local delights are available too. We ate, we shoot photos after which we adjourn back home for the finale of singing, blowing of candle and feasting of cake.

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My valentine

This year valentine was extra special. Not only we celebrated the world valentine day, we also celebrated Reanne 1st birthday with my in-laws. It happens to be a day after my sister in-law, Soo Mei's birthday. Triple celebration all together!!!

We want to thank both Gary and Soo Mei for offering their house to host the event. As the ladies were busy playing with Reanne and Ivan, the men was busy on our way cooking. Gary, Brian and I were preparing and cooking the spaghetti pasta. The ladies later prepared the salad. Our meal was simple and most important taste very nice! Every body have their full. Then on to the main agenda, singing birthday song and blowing of candle for Reanne 1st birthday. Did I forget to mention that prior to the singing of birthday song, there were no power for couple of hours while we cook and eat. Very special valentine indeed.