14, 15, 16....19A's....what for??
This is something I don't understand.....what is the need to have 15, 17 19A's?!? I tak faham lah.
What does it guar
antee? Maybe some media coverage and a place in a university....but then I could just as easily get that with 9A.... so kenapa membunuh diri dengan cuba membawa 15+ subjects....what room does anyone have left for personal developments...social skills, sports...fun etc? Sedih jugak lah..if all your youth is spent at home studying.
Does it guarantee you a successful career? Hell no....most of the time work has little to do with how well you can read books its a blend of soft and hard skills. We Malaysians focus sooo much attention on academics that our kids never have much room for personal developments and street smarts.....its sad. Americans are probably the opposite....sure they do focus on academics too but also ensure that students are able to grow creatively, socially as individuals. Our so called extracurricular activities are anything but lah..... most of the time they are not optional and just for cukup syarat.
Will she regret it someday? Don't know lah....some of my friends that used to be top students.....regret not having enjoyed their youth. Straight A's will get you the interview but whats going to land you the job is how you "sell" and present yourself....and that you can't learn from books....that's all about experience.....and for that you have to live life. Hiding behind books all your life ain't helping....
I seriously tak faham obsession Malaysia dengan cemerlangan akademik yang melampau. So next year we'll have someone have 20 maybe 22A's. Insyallah when I have kids someday...i would want them to have a balanced youth..a balance of fun and academics.
You only live once :D
Do you need MultiVitamins?
I'd definitely recommend them to everyone, regardless of age or level of activity. Why? Coz it saves you the headache of having to "try" to get all your micro-nutrients from regular food & they are CHEAP!
Which brand? Doesn't really matter.....just make sure you stick to basics and get a daily cap supplements that suit your age lifestyle and yeah maybe your gender as well.
How much? I'd stick to those that'll cost me about RM1 or less per serving.
Career Choices
I studied Mechanical Engineering & Economics....what happened?
Like everyone else, growing up I had all kind of ambitions.....at 8 I wanted to be a policemen, maybe a firemen or even He-Man :D....in my teens, I tossed around the idea of becoming a lawyer or doctor.....pheeeew nasib baik tak jadi :D
Most of the time I wanted to be like my dad...a businessman. Since I was lil, my dad used to drag me around to his meetings and work..mainly because he was a single parent (thanks for everything papa :D) ....so you pick up things along the way
So nearing my SPM, my goal was to be a businessman! To be my own man..just like my dad. Being in MRSM, I was offered several scholarships before I actually got my SPM results....but as I was a pure science student, none would offer me a scholarship in Business....BUT I couldn't imagine being an engineer either.....
So I thought to myself, I don't need a business degree to do business.....so having a technical degree is not such a bad idea...if anything, I could combine use my technical abilities as a platform to do business.
Why Mechanical Engineering? Coz I was sponsored by Proton, yes the car manufacturer. So it was either Electrical or Mechanical Engineering. Since I'm a very visual person, I choose the latter.
How did Economics fit into the picture? When I entered university in the US in 1997, its relatively easy to do a minor in Business or another field. At first I wanted to minor in business but during that time (1997) the economic crisis in Asia really caught my attention. I thought it was really fascinating how a whole economy can stumble in just a few weeks (well it actually took a lot longer but for the laymen it seemed like a really short time).
Mechanical Engineering and Economics came relatively easy...probably coz I'm left handed and
mixed ;) hahahah but mainly because Americans aren't very bright! They just talk a lot :D
Business Man - What about today?
Sure I have a degree in both (ME and Economics) but I never wanted to actually be any of the 2.
I wanted to be by own man....a business man. So immediately when I returned from the US (2003), I started about starting my own business.....but I had the following conditions
- I needed to be 100% in control of my business (not my dad or some other person)
- Something I am passionate about
- Small enough for me to manage
- Relatively low risk
- Potential for growth
Hence I formed Maxtrition.com.my in Dec 2004. From there I was able to build a foundation for myself and the company. What was my goal?
- start an eCommerce company
- establish myself as a Fitness Celebrity in Malaysia
- create a brand name for myself so that I can use my name to do business in the future.
Have I succeeded? Well its way way way too early to call it a success but everything has happened a lot quicker than I anticipated!
Conclusion? My advice to you
- You don't need degree in business to be a business man. If fact, you don't need a degree in anything to pursue your dreams
- Have control over what you do. If possible, never leave the decision making in someone else's hand (like some Datuk etc). Sure you'll need people along the way but don't leave your fate in their hands!
- Work Hard and Smart! A major key to being successful is not the idea itself but how you execute it. You have to be smart and rajin about your execution.
- Start small! A lot of youngsters are too eager to be successful and often fall short. Take your time. Take it one step at a time!
- Stay grounded. Kalau dah mula berjaya....jangan lupa diri. Like anything there will be ups and downs.
- Have several plans. Think of it like a tree. For example, if my tree is maxtrition.com.my, start with a solid foundation and branch out into various business opportunities like
- eCommerce
- Corporate Talks
- Writing
- TV Hosting
- etc
- Build other trees, I believe in diversifying my opportunities. Knowing that one will not last forever. Just like when you invest...you should always diversify your portfolio.... that way you may not get the biggest returns but you have decent returns and most importantly, minimize your risks!
- Know your strengths! I know mine....I know what I'm good at. Use your strength to your advantage and make the most out of them.
- Experience! Theory alone doesn't guarentee anything...you need to go out there and just do it....its ok to make mistakes...i make many along the way 2.... whats more important is that you fix them (kalau boleh) and learn from them. No one's perfect.
I'm sure ada banyak lagi petua but thats all just theory and my own experience. Take life in your own hands and just do it.....If I can be an inspiration than thats awesome but me, my dad is my inspiration.
Is Life Fair?
Yes - Coz its what you make of it
No - Coz fairness is not always (if ever) rewarded....
Life is not fair.....
- if you see young children losing their innocent lives daily in IRAQ (or anywhere else in the world)
- when you have to deal with corporate bullshit & politics
- if you-know-who dives to win a penalty...
- if the corrupted rich and richer the dirty way...
So yeah, if you look around..you'll find that life is probably not fair..people get away with vicious crime all the time......
Life is fair.....
- if you focus on what you can control.....
- to me..if I focus on my own goals and the people close to me
Its fair if you focus on your own life...but to do that you have to be a selfish prick.
Am I? No but I do try to focus on the things I can control. In life shit happens....often there's nothing you can do about it. As I reach (or am in) my late 20's, I've learned to distinguish between whats important and what not important to worry about.
I worry about....
- my health
- my family and the people I love
- my career (whats within my control)
- my relationship with God
I don't worry about...
- corporate bullshit
- pleasing the world
- what others are doing
- what other have
- misfortunes (they just happen)
It sickens me to see people getting away with crime but I find peace knowing that one sweet day....justice will prevail! :D
My advice is to focus and worry about the things that you care about and can control! Try to "ignore" what's out of your control unless you need to face them.
Whey Protein atau Weight Gainer?
Protein in general adalah asas supplement untuk:
- membina otot
- membaiki otot
- memelihara otot
Untuk weight/muscle gain, anda perlu makan lebih dan training yang intensif. Makanan balanced in terms of carbs, protein & lemak (dalam nisbah lebih kurang 50:35:15) dan lain lain lagi...supplements helps tetapi we have to get the basics right jugak.
- Whey Protein adalah supplement calorie rendah hanya dengan kandungan protein (whey) dan mungkin 1-2g carbs/lemak. Protein supplement alone will not make you gain weight.
- Weight Gainer adalah campuran protein (whey, casein, egg dll) dan carbs ringkas (dextrose atau maltodextrin).
Mana yang lebih baik, whey protein or weight gainer?
- Hmmm kalau duit tidak menjadi halangan, weight gainer lebih sesuai kerana mengandungi kedua-duanya.
- Whey protein lebih ekonomi dan carbs (daripada gainer) bole diganti dengan carbs tempatan (roti, nasi) dll.
- Kalau anda kurang rajin makan dan beli makanan THAN weight gainer lebih sesuai kerana ia sudah mengandungi kesemuanya.
- Pun tak menjadi masah untuk menggunakan kedua-duanya. Ambil protein sepanjang masa dan weight gainer time anda nak gain weight (dengan training yang berpatutan)
- Ingat bahawa mengambil weight gainer tanpa training yang sesuai pun tidak akan menaikkan berat badan anda.
- Glutamine
- Creatine
- Others
For more information on gaining weight, check out my fitness book - Fitness 24/7
Someone's pretending to be me on MySpace!
Hahahaha....funny la.....someone is pretending to be me on MySpace!
Check this out:
Myspace.com/kevinzahri <---- not me!
Hmmmm...took my pics and info from mystuff.
Well I'm ok with people having my pictures and info..BUT I am not ok with people pretending to be me and texting people I know or don't know!
I have people emailing me telling me that I text them on myspace.....hahahaha...now does this mean that I need to have my own MySpace profile to challenge the posers
Help Please!
Makanan Seimbang - Kerja Shift Malam dan Protein
Soalan 1:
Sejak e-mail terakhir, saya telah join semula gym, dan saya mula minum protein shake. Saya ada beli Prolab whey protein dari maxtrition. Saya nak tahu apa beza whey protein dengan yang weight gain protein atau build mass protein?
Answer:
- 100% Whey Protein supplements, tidak mengandungi carbs yang banyak. Biasanya hanya dalam 2-4 gram untuk setiap serving.
- Weight gainer pulak adalah campuran protein (whey, casein, egg dll) dan carbs (dextrose dll) yang banyak.
- Nama protein product seperti “mass build protein” atau “muscle protein” tidak penting. Yang penting adalah supplement facts, for protein supplements and weight gainers, it should look like something seperti di bawah
Soalan 2:
Saya kerja shift, ada masa saya kerja dari 9 mlm ke 7 pagi. Bila lewat mlm, terasa lapar. Apa patut saya buat? Apa yang boleh dimakan? Dan selalu nye bila balik pada pukul 7 pagi. Mengantuk dan lapar. Boleh kah saya makan kemudian saya tidur? Sebab saya akan tidur 6-8 jam.
Jawapan 2:
Sebelum tidur elakan makanan/minuman yang ringkas. Whey protein adalah makanan ringkas yang sesuai untuk Sebelum/Selepas gym tetapi kurang sesuai untuk Sebelum tidur.
...Whey protein kurang sesuai untuk sebelum tidur. protein complex lebih sesuai.....
Di sini, protein complex lebih sesuai. Jika, lapar, saya akan minum 1 gelas susu lemak rendah!
Soalan 3:
Sila define kan breakfast. Disebabkan saya kerja shift, bagi saya break fast adalah makanan selepas tidur 6-8 jam. Adakan ia betul, kerana saya hendak ikut jadual pemakanan seimbang yang betul.
Jawapan 3:
Breakfast, lunch atau makan malam hanyalah nama hidangan. Tetapi dari segi kandungan makanan (carb, protein & lemak), semuanya sama! Tiada beza. Setiap hidangan seharusnya seimbang! Ini dinamakan makanan yang seimbang.
Setiap hidangan seharusnya seimbang! Ini dinamakan makanan yang seimbang.
Health Talks Promotion
Dear readers & friends,
As I am offering health/wellness talks, I figured why not let u guys in on this and perhaps we can help each other out. :)
Here's how you can help me out:
- email the health talk page to your HR department and request a talk
- provide me with your HR (training) rep (email to me at kevin@maxtrition.com.my)
- attend a talk :)
Note: I'll give you guys commission of course la....nuttin is free in this world.
Thanks everyone. Any support is greatly appreciated.
Kevin
Toll Hikes & Malaysia’s Space Program!
Yeah we all hate it. Paying more for something thats already a pain! My daily trip to work along KESAS has now ballooned from "just" RM6 to now RM8.80!!!!!! Damn, dalam sebulan thats about close to RM200 (excluding weekends). Aiyoooooooooo........
Malaysia's Space Program
Oh well, at least I get to see our very own Malaysian make teh tarik in space for....oh and the space program oly costs us US25 million! OMG!
...Why la is Malaysia interest in wasting its money on pointless projects....
Why la is Malaysia interest in wasting its money on pointless projects. I know I know.......but it will be offset as part of a US$900 million defense deal struck with Moscow in 2003 to buy 18 Sukhoi Su-30 MKM fighter jets.
What will the outcome of the space program be?
To show the world that Malaysian have the athletic ability to play "Batu Seremban" in a zero gravity environment? Please lah. No one in the world cares.....neither do I and most of the people I've spoken to. Its a joke.
No one in the world cares.....neither do I and most of the people I've spoken to. Its a joke.
Who is Sheikh Muzaffar
I have nothing against the astronaut(s). Its not their fault anyhow but doesn't our beloved government have better ways to spend almost RM100 million?
OK lah....I really don't care if some rich dude wants to spend his own dough on the most expensive tourist ride but if there are so many more important issues to address in our own backyard...its bewilders me how the government can approve such a program.
What scientific benefit can Malaysia get from the space program?
Are we gonna be launching our own rockets to space someday? Or a Malaysian on the moon? Are we gonna have a space program that worthwhile talking about? I really don't think so.
...And after a couple of years no one will care but the US25mill blown up in space, literally!...
Hahahahahaha....its cheap publicity without much substance! And after a couple of years no one will care but the US25mill blown up in space, literally! Hmmmm don't get me wrong, I love Malaysia.
Its my favorite place in the world but sebagai warganegara Malaysia I feel we should speak out if something doesn't quite relate. I can tolerate the toll hike....it sucks but probably inevitable! I can't tolerate the space program....its a waste of money..common we're not in a cold war with any country.....not even Singapore!
My 10 Quick First Date Tips
My Dating Game
Since I don't need my game no more hahahahah, I'll give you a little insight into my "game"... and yes, like it or not....its a game. Its tiring but either play along or play with yourself! hahahahah.....here it is:
- 1.
Not every girl is going to like me.....but thats ok. There's plenty of fish in the sea. But you have to equip yourself properly laa. - 2.
Keep the first date light and simple...talk about easy topics - 3.
Figure her out. what kind of girl is she? more traditional? out-going? Once you know, you can "plan" your approach. - 4.
Be funny! not stupid funny.....this is where you gotta figure her out. Don't force your joke and don't tell joke like "i know this joke.....". You wanna keep her at ease. - 5.
Make the first date about her...not me...why? coz the more I talk about myself the more I may reveal about my slip-ups, weird habits etc....of course she'll find out some day but first goal is to get her to like me...not to scare her off - 6.
No touching! if shes interest, her body language will show if shes interest. Again, no touching. - 7.
Don't ask 2 many questions! Its not an interview. - 8.
Show that you enjoy her company but maintain control over the entire date. - 9.
Practice, practice, practice! - 10.
My overall goal for a date would be: To figure her out and make her fall for me without she thinking that I'm into her. - 11.
After the date: I usually don't call right after....maybe a couple of days....you don't wanna be desperate.
All in all, there are no clear guidelines...... its all about playing your game right...and you gotta be able to suit your game towards your opponent (your date lah).... you are not always going to win....but no matter how good you are, or not, you only need to win once..... :)
Why Nice Guys Finish Last!
I'll give it to you straight up! Here's my view on why nice guys finish last....sure you'll finish some day but its not what most of you want today! So for my friends (you know who you are), this is for you..... ;)
Integrity & Confidence:
- Whats the problem! Nice guys aren't sure about what they say (or should say). They worry too much about pleasing their date or love interest.
- What Girls Like:Like it or not, women like men to take control and lead them.
- What You Should Do: Be positive about who you are. Feel comfortable about your strength and weaknesses! Should you be yourself? Depends on what the girl wants!
- What You Shouldn't Do: Don't be TOO cocky (if there is such a thing). Also, this doesn't mean you can boss your date around. Integrity and confidence is not something you can learn from a book, its comes from within and experience. Whatever it is, don't reveal too much of your insecurities or weird habits. Make it about her, not you!
Whatever it is, don't reveal too much of your insecurities or weird habits. Make it about her, not you!
Girls like the chase just as much as we do!
- Whats the problem! Nice guys are too easy! There's just no excitement in dating or meeting a guy who is just plain "nice".
- What Girls Like: What Girls want a challenge.
- What You Should Do: Flirt but don't show you are too interest, unless you know she wants you 2. Words like "I love you" or "I wanna be with you" should only be mentioned when you're sure its a home-run!
- What You Shouldn't Do: Don't agree to everything she says, don't always make yourself available, especially when she doesn't have time for you. You need to make her believe that you have a life 2 (or are dating other people)
...You need to make her believe that you have a life 2 (or are dating other people)...
Friend Zone - Don't waste your time
- Whats the problem! Nice guys are great friends!! But girls will never see you as a love interest.
- What Girls Like: Want a guy that makes their blood flow!
- What You Should Do: If you want to make her your girl, you gotta show it to her. Yes "show" (not say).....its about body language, your eyes. Make it clear that you wanna be her man and not her yoga buddy!
- What You Shouldn't Do: Don't be too aggressive or a jerk (although that works sometimes). Don't force yourself on her....sometimes its just not meant to be. Trust me, not all girls are going to fall for you. You lose some and you win some. And when you lose, don't hang around (unless you wanna be her friend). Who knows, in the future your luck with her may change!
... You lose some and you win some. And when you lose, don't hang around (unless you wanna be her friend)....
Money Money Money
- Whats the problem! I'm sorry but nice guys dress the part 2! Kedekut I tell you.
- What Girls Like: They wanna be proud of you and a man that takes care of themselves so that they'll have faith that you can take care of them 2.
- What You Should Do: Dress appropriately. Most nice guys dress like nerds! (I'm sorry)....buy decent cloth that FIT you! Keep your car, apartment presentable. Don't waste all that money on gadgets and lubrication hahahahah.....save it for the ladies.
- What You Shouldn't Do: Don't be cheap but don't be poyo either! Spend wisely of important things. You don't need a designer wardrobe or fancy things. Shop smartly. Don't pretend you earn 10k a month....be yourself but present yourself properly la :)
...Don't be cheap but don't be poyo either!...
Don't be too picky
- Whats the problem? Either nice guys seem to be stuck on this movie fairytale story or avoid dating a girl for the stupidest reasons. Movies are movies. Life is life. Get real. Yes, maybe you will be that lucky guy to get to date a model but most of us aren't. Its ok to dream and try...but keep it real!
- What Girls Like: Simple guys.....
- What You Should Do: Expect people for their imperfections. You have them 2. Its all about compromise. Widen your dating spectrum and don't be too picky.
- What You Shouldn't Do: Avoid dating or getting-to-know someone just because they walk funny or don't get your lame jokes. Give people a chance. Give relationships a chance. Life is about taking chances!
Give people a chance. Give relationships a chance. Life is about taking chances!
Digi EDGE?
Thinking about giving Digi's Unlimited EDGE Plan a go....now that I have my O2 Atom Exec :)
What do you people think? How is the connectivity in Klang Valley?
I'm basically looking to do the following
- use my pda phone as a modem for my laptop
- browse from my "firewalled" office, home, gf's home etc
- basic email, ftp and browsing (384kbps should be enough kot)
Any experience?