Winter at Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls are massive waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border separating the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.
Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the border and American Falls on the United States side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls also is located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island. Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly-formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow,[1] and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.[2]
The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.

Yeah Yeah I Know Their Secret!

I was cleaning up the files on an ASUS laptop this morning when I found this words file.

Name : S...N...M...N
Profession : Dentist
Working Place : Gleaneagles Specialist Hospital
Home Address : .... Kaki Gunung Nuang, Section 8, Bukit Bandaraya, Shah Alam

Name of Husband : M...A...H...M...H
Profession : Senior Mechanical Engineer
Working Place : BMW Automotive Bhd

Yeah Yeah! Better buy me a Blueberry Cheesecake at Secret Recipe or I shall let the world knows!

Back On The PC

Its been almost a week since I last updated the blog. Last week was a very busy week. The University I am working in won the 2nd place in the Malaysian Siswasat (can satellite) competition http://www.angkasa.gov.my/siswasat/about.html. I missed the lecturer who 'brainchild' the canned-nano satellite model who had last year positioned the University as champion in not only the National Siswasat Championship but also the International Cansat Competition in Madrid, Spain. He has left us for UiTM Terengganu and I hope I could visit him some time in the near future. I feel the university should have kept this very young 'einstein' with the engineering faculty here! I hope this year the university can win the 1st placing in the International Competiton in Paris. I wouldn't mind having to pay for my travelling fare to Paris subjected to then I may proceed to Toronto, Canada.

I burnt the midnight oil last Thursday to finish a working paper for a supposed to be a Friday 9am-meeting only to be told then that the meeting was postponed to the 3 pm-meeting. I slept in the car with the aircond on parked under the shades of the palm trees. Wow! What a great afternoon nap. I gave a piece of my mind to those 'smarties' who thought that student enrolment marketing is just some distribution of university brochures work! These people missed the words 'strategos' in their vocabulary or never ever bought a 'dictionary'. Jerks.

This morning I gave the 'boss' a lengthy information about my office when he visited me. Only at the end I found out that its too much to be 'absorbed' in 60 minutes. I put the 'minutes' of the discussion on paper and will present to him as 'discussion notes' tomorrow so as to make it more 'chewable'. I 'interviewed' him on his vision and objectives and soon I found out though little about his submarine and rocket projects! Wow! He's an 'einstein' too! So that will answer the positioning of the university in the few months to come. SOS!

A 'Garden' Wedding

I've never felt so involve in organizing a wedding ceremony before. No, not until this one. Things seem so next to perfect. Its a result of the bride having a mother who is soooo meticulous. So, if I am not with my job now, I know what else I probably can do! Hehe.

Till Death Do Us Part

I borrowed DH's 4 wheels to a friend's daughter's nikah ceremony in the State Mosque after Friday prayer this afternoon. The bride is soooo beautiful, so is the bridegroom. Jamiila & Mahathir, if you read this blog, this poem is dedicated to you both. Happy Wedding Day.

Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow
by Kit McCallum

Cherished are the memories that

Brought us to this day,

For yesterday, was just a dream ...

A wish to contemplate.

A fantasy where in my mind,

A fleeting glimpse I'd see ...

A vision of the true desires

I longed for endlessly.

And when I dreamed, I did not know

The love I'd feel today;

The height of my true feelings,

And the depths they would portray.

And if I had one wish today,

A simple wish t'would be ...

Is that the love we feel this moment,

Lasts eternally.

Reality has merged now

As you stand here by my side;

And as I join your hand in mine,

My heart does fill with pride.

For as I pledge my love to you,

I see in many ways,

Reflections of my love for you

Are mirrored in your gaze.

And by our presence here today,

And for the love we share,

I thank you for our yesterdays

That brought us to be here.

But more than this, I vow to you,

My wishes yet to come ...

Tomorrow's dreams and fantasies,

This day that we are one.

Tomorrow's an adventure

That we'll share together now;

Our future's intertwined forever,

Through this holy vow.

I promise to rememberIn the future years and days,

The love I feel for you this moment ......

Dreams fulfilled today.

For in the coming years as we

Move on, and reminisce,

Back to the day I stood with you

And promised with a kiss ...

That blessed are the days that I have looked into your eyes,

And felt the warmth and love reflect,

The essence of our lives.

*****

Yesterday we dreamed of what might be;

Today we validate our love;

And tomorrow we will cherish the life we have shared as one.

My Working Carrier

My car broke down again this afternoon, for the second time this week. My DH suggested I replace the car. Should I? It had been faithful to me for more that 8 years - should I abandon it now that it is getting older?

At Work - My New Year Hope

Tahun 2008 semakin hampir meninggalkan kita. Kita telah menambah pengalaman dan pengetahuan lagi secara lebih menyeluruh dan pelbagai mencakupi pengiklanan, pameran, perhubungan institusi, khidmat pelanggan, pelbagai kultur, proses kemasukan pelajar domestik dan antara bangsa, polisi KPT, prosedur imigresen, nilai taraf sijil negara luar dan sebagainya. Intensive multi-tasking yang telah dilaksanakan selama ini membentuk kita sebagai ahli pemasaran yang lebih universal dan efektif kepada audien UNISEL yang bangsa dan tingkatnya juga berpelbagaian. Budaya multi-tasking juga dijulang ketika berhadapan dengan pelbagai cabaran ‘limited resources’.

Tahun 2009 mendatangi kita dalam beberapa hari saja lagi. AMISO harus mencetuskan anjakan paradigma agar lebih berkesan membantu mengenengahkan UNISEL menghadapi keberdayasaingan institusi-institusi pengajian tinggi swasta lain dewasa ini. Justru itu tugas dan tanggungjawab setiap ahli pemasaran dijangkakan akan semakin mencabar dan ruwet. AMISO mesti memfokus kepada a) teknologi dan sistem memproses permohonan kemasukan yang lebih laju, mudah, automated dan berkesan; b) managing perception melalui rebranding of UNISEL's image; c) ‘zero defect’ kemasukan pelajar antara bangsa; d) khidmat menggirangkan pelanggan UNISEL ; dan e) sokongan pemasaran dan pengurusan data secara lebih menyeluruh dan kemaskini; di samping tugas-tugas rutin dan wajib pemasaran yang lain.

Bagi merealisasikan ketiga-tiganya AMISO kini memasuki fasa tugasan secara lebih mengkhusus bidang. Keputusan pengkhususan bidang juga telah diperdebatkan dan dipersetujui secara majoriti melalui mesyuarat jabatan pada November 2008 yang lalu. Melalui specialization, setiap ahli pemasaran dituntut supaya fokus dan accountable dalam bidang tugasan masing-masing. Ia juga telah sebaik mungkin mengambilkira maklumbalas soal selidik kecenderungan/minat tugasan yang telah diedarkan. Namun begitu padanan kekuatan tertentu dan kecekapan individu ahli pemasaran dengan keperluan menjayakan misi bidang tugas tertentu adalah lebih diutamakan. Setiap ahli pemasaran mesti bersiap-siaga, merancang dan melaksanakan pelan aktiviti yang rapi bagi menjayakan bidang tugas masing-masing. Saya akan sentiasa berusaha membantu setiap ahli berada di landasannya dan berlari laju untuk ke garisan penamat.

Di samping disiplin diri, semangat berpasukan dan 4Cs (cooperation; commitment; competency; chemistry) harus dipupuk kerana ia merupakan resipi kejayaan selama ini. Sikap toleransi, sopan-santun dan saling hormat-menghormati mesti diamalkan bagi menjaga keharmonian dan perpaduan sesama ahli dalam AMISO dan inter-jabatan. Sayugia diingatkan bahwa kedangkalan pemikiran dan ketidakjujuran boleh mencetus pergolakan, perkauman dan permusuhan yang hanya mengundang kerugian.

Maafkan saya sekiranya dalam pengstrukturan semula jabatan ini ada ahli yang tidak begitu berpuashati dengan bidang tugas yang dikhususkan kepadanya. Namun saya percaya dengan kefahaman, sikap positif dan minda terbuka segalanya ‘alah bisa tegal biasa’. Mudah-mudahan ‘managing change’ yang dipelajari dalam kursus ‘A Winning Team’ tidak lama dulu dihayati kembali. Dengan sokongan ketua-ketua unit dan staf AMISO, marilah kita semua berganding dengan pihak pengurusan, semua fakulti dan jabatan melonjakkan UNISEL sebagai mercusuar pendidikan di Malaysia dan rantau ini.

Akhir sekali Selamat Tahun Baru 2009!

Sekian, terima kasih.

Good Luck Meamor!

Aiman is now in Hamilton, Canada. Its now winter and the temperature is freezing cold at -17 degrees celcius. He misses the all the time 'summer' back in hometown and rather a bit 'homesick'. But I should think it is the exam week now that has made him misses home more. We gave him choice either to come back home or to go to London to visit his cousin during his 2-week Christmas holidays. The first choice of course means my purse will become thinner. But it looks like he is going to Ottawa for a 3-day seminar organised by the Malaysian MOHE and then staying with his friends who are studying in Ottawa during Christmas till the new year. http://maps.google.ca/

Me, nenex, babah, chenot and sugar too miss him like crazy. We shall look forward to meet him during his summer break in May next year which is a long long way to go. Huhu... But for now I pray hard to God - to bless him with good health, happiness and success. Amen.

New Leadership For New Year!

Finally, after the exco meeting yesterday the CM announced the appointment of three new DVCs for the university - two renowned academicians from one public university and a professor from internally. Am I glad? To be frank I don't really know. But I am really looking forward to a rebranding of image program for the university at my best again under the leadership of the trio. What about the VC - when will he arrive? It has been a real hot seat ever since...

Well, few weeks back I was introduced to a DG of a government think tank institution by a professor whom I highly respect. She is looking for a marketing and event management person. So I e-mailed my CV (the last one prepared was about five years ago when I applied for my current job!). So last Tuesday, I attended the interview appointment (or I regard it rather as exchange of views) with its CEO, DG and ADG. The institution colonial building is located on top of a serene hilly area. I quite enjoyed the session with the DG and ADG. The CEO was rather cold towards me - but browsing though the net on his biography I think I could understand why. Anyway, isn't it the variety of people that add colors to this world?

Whatever the outcome of the above, think positive I told myself.