Speaking Frankly about pay a.k.a salary a.k.a remuneration

Yes, yes. Everyone favourite topic. Salary. Bonus. Allowance.

Salary is paid to you because you have contributed or done some useful work to the organisation/company which pays you. Salary is also given in recognition of the good work done and effort put in the task given. Some can be based on the number of hours or the amount of output produced. Whatever it is, you have to give something before you get anything.

I got a friend, who everytime we meet, will talk about salary. He will always start by saying that his salary is not enough. Then he will continue by saying that he wants to change job. Mind you that is like 4 months ago, now he is still here working in my workplace. While listening to him, deep down I wonder and search my feelings about salary.

Frankly, I too want a higher salary. I too envy those who put in the same effort as me but earning higher. I too wish that I could have a job that pays me higher. In fact, deep deep down, I wish I had the highest paying job among all my friends who graduated with me. There! You have it, it is all out.

But wait, I am not done yet. The previous paragraph is the Nafsu talking. Human will never have enough. We always want something better and when we got it, we demand something even better. And so on. So how to cure this? Simple. With Kesyukuran(Sorry at this instant I can't remember the English word for that). Be glad that you are earning and have food on your table. Some of us aren't as lucky to have a stable job to support the family. Allah has made the plans for you. The job you are doing is meant for you. The salary you are getting is meant for you. You will never know, if you were to get more than what you are getting now, Allah might pull His other nikmat from you. So beware, money will blind you and cannot be brought to the grave. Always say Alhamdulilah for all the things that you get be it small or a lot. InsyaAllah, you will be happy in life.

But wait, I am not finished yet. Having said all that, Allah also encourage us to aim as high as we can and achieve as much as we can. As Muslim, we must try to be the best in whatever we do. Afterall, we are the best of mankind(quote from the Quran). So we must strive to be the best. If getting the highest paying job means to be the best, so be it. Let other know that, a Muslim can also get a high paying job. Be a company director, CEO etc.

So what am I saying here? Am I confused? To seek a higher pay or not? To look for higher paying job or not? Huh?

Well, the key message here is Mardhatillah, to seek the pleasure of Allah. The intention must be set right right from the start. Why are you working? Who are you working for? What do you intend to do with the money you earn? What do you want to achieve at the end of your life? and much more. These questions need to be answered and answered correctly. Then you will have happiness in life. Let Allah and Islam be the centre of our life.

Easier said than done huh? Yup, this is a reminder to myself too. I too have been blinded by the materialistic value of this life. May Allah guide us and give us His blessing in whatever we do.

I am Back!!!

Yes people. I am back. And I hope it will be for a long time before I disappear again. Been very busy and lazy for the past 5-6 months. And since blogging is the least priority, it was made to be the sacrifice for the laziness. I am truly sorry to those of you who continue to visit this blog and found it to be out dated. I will try to blog as frequent as I can and share with you what my mind is thinking.

Just return from the movies with a few brothers of mine. The movie was about Americans in the Saudi Arabia being killed and some FBI officers investigating and trying to find the terrorist who did it. The whole story was more like CSI where the officers investigate for clues and narrow down the suspect. Along with it is the usual American propaganda. From the whole story, I only like the starting and the ending. If you want to know why, ask me when you see me online.

I have a discontentment in my heart. Deep down inside, I felt regretful for not getting an engineering job. I have always wanted to be an engineer. I had an admiration of engineers because of the importance of their job and responsibilities. I thought to myself that one day I would want to be an engineer too. But as I move along in life, I realize that being engineer is not as glamourous as it is seen. Yes the title is glamour but the job is actually quite stressful. But that is not the reason why I am feeling regretful. I actually regret that I am not able to apply what I learnt into practice. All those years of study felt so wasted and gone. All my knowledge about energy and power saving technology seems meaningless other than just empty talks to my friends once in a while. There is an urge inside me that want to continue to do engineering especially in my field of “expertise”.(not that I am an expert but I would like to think that I am… hehehe) Hearing about the government promoting clean energy makes my finger itch to open the Recruits in the Straits Times to look for new jobs. I know once the government had mentioned it in the news, the industry will guarantee to set off soon. Well, let just see how it goes. After all, I really like my job now.

The Return of the Jedi

Yes people... I have return... or better or worse...

4 months is too long a time to wait...

Watch out!!!!

My Parents' Proudest Moment

Last week was a hectic week for me, a week with many walking that is. As you know, I am still "handicapped" after my surgery. The recovery has been very very slow. Thus till now, I still had to limp while walking. This makes my walking experience unpleasurable. Nevertheless going out and walk beat staying at home and get bored to death. At least its an exercise for my dear knee.

Got myself involved in NTUMS Freshmen Orientation Camp. Not a major role, just a handicapped station master. In fact I think I didn't do much except for the night walk probably. Reason for going was more of meeting friends than to help around cause seriously, there is nothing to help. There was more than enough hands and legs to assist the FOC adhoc committee. In fact from my observation, the amount of helpers that were around during the FOC could have been used for a camp with participants of about 100 people but there were only 30 participants. Nevertheless I had enjoyed myself and I thank the FOC adhoc for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to contribute in promoting good and forbid evil.

Smacked right in the middle of the FOC was my graduation ceremony a.k.a. convocation. Objectively and personally, I think convocation is a waste of time and money. Nothing was given out during the ceremony that was important. All certificates and transcripts were given out prior to the convocation. What was given at the stage was just an empty folder. Having said that however, I feel that it marks an important day for family and friends. For parents, it was the proudest day for them to see their son or daughter wearing the robe and going on stage to receive the so-called certificate. It marks the greatest achievement for them and also a sense of satisfaction that all their efforts in bringing up their son or daughter had paid off. One incident that really touches my heart was when I saw an old lady assisted by her son slowing climbing down the stairs probably trying to get a closer look at her grandson or granddaughter receiving the folder. To think that such effort by the old lady really shows that the convocation is really an important ceremony. It is actually not for us but actually for our parents.

The Day of Pain and Endless Pain

Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL) Reconstruction. That is the name of the surgery that I had underwent last Tuesday. So why do I need the reconstruction surgery in the first place? Well, it all happened around 2 years ago. I was playing soccer with my friends at Sentosa after swimming with the incident happened. It was the most painful situation I had ever felt. I had to limp all the way back from the beach to the monorail to the ferry terminal to the harbourfront and taxi back home. At home I iced my knee for a few hours then went to sleep. Next day went to doctor and what did the doctor say? "I think it is just a sprain. It will recover in a few days time. Just don't exert yourself." What a good dignosis by the doctor and see what happened 2 years later?

Well the surgery was, somehow, quick. The waiting was however torturing. I reached the day surgery centre at 8am. Got admitted and change into the operation gown. Waited till around 11 plus then, the nurse came to bring me in. It was a very funny feeling being pushed lying down on the bed thtough the ward and everyone was looking at you. The expression on their faces makes you wonder if you will ever come out in one piece. Once inside, it was a different world. Everyone was busy. I was push to the area outside my operation theatre. Came Miss Anaesthesist trying to explain to me the whole anaesthesia thingy. Then guess what? She poke me with the big needles for THREE times! Gosh! The first 2 times was not successful and she had to pull out the BIG needles and poke me again. Then I realised that she was a young doctor when a much older doctor came to help her. Thank God. The older lady doctor was also an anaesthesist and she told me she is going to numb my left leg and to do that she will need to inject my groin area. Oh man! That was super duper painful. Then something happened that cause my leg to shake uncontrolably. She used a electrical equipment to shake my leg unwillingly and that was a funny sensation. When its time to go in, I only had like 1 or 2 mins before the nurse puts the breathe apparatus on my mouth and made me went to sleep.

Wake up ard 3pm and found myself on the bed with a heavy, numbed leg. Then I knew that it had been done. I wasn't in pain yet. The whole painful experience came when I wanted to go back home. I vomited and vomited till I got no more stuff in my stomach to vomit. I just want to get home and sleep. I reached home fast because the hospital was near my house and thank Allah for a wonderful family that I was settled into my bed quickly. Did my prayers and went to sleep immediately.

So yup, that basically sum up my ordeal on last tuesday. Will talk more later. Need to rest now. Cannot sit up for too long. My leg is bloated.