On The Train and Plane, Nov 6, 2006

The last time I was in Singapore was in 2003 and it has been 3 years. I boarded the KLIA Express that left KL Sentral at exactly 1630.

Yesterday I received a bad news from our colleague that Faridah succumbed to her illness and passed away at 1800 on Saturday. I visited her last few months, I wrote about it, and at that time she was ‘put to sleep’ by the doctor so that she could rest. She was pale and had difficulty breathing and we were praying hard for her recovery. Deep down however I knew we were really asking for a miracle of Allah to happen and I urged y friends to pray for her. Now she has gone the happy and joyful Farid, as we fondly called her, and we are going to miss her.

I am bad at remembering people now and I feel bad about it when somebody approached me as I arrived at the departure hall. The person is going to Singapore and up even until I was already inside terminal C I could not remember who the person was and when I have met him. At the terminal C I just straight away did my things until I was bored sitting around. I when around the terminal until I decided to board the flight, MH 607.

On The Train, Nov 3, 2006

I was a bit tired this morning and I slept all the way to the Bank. Pressures mounting now in the office but then again that what work is all about.

I had to make my usual payment at StanChart after office so I took the Putra to Sentral before boarding the 2024 train home. Looking at the crowd on the platform I thought it would be packed and I was ready to backtrack to KL Station. Fortunately when the train came it was almost empty and I got a seat. With nothing better to do I continued with reading and updating my story from yesterday

On The Train, Nov 2, 2006

Last two days my old friend mentioned to me about my writing, short bio, that I have shared with them. Immediately I asked him what he was talking about as I could not remember exactly which piece of writing he was talking about. Well, I have written quiet a bit and I like to share my writings with my friends sometimes. The problem is sometimes I did not keep my own writing just like the writing that we were talking about. Today he sent me two para of the piece and I digged in our mailing list to trace and copy it back. I found it and I spent the rest of my journey home reading and, I cannot resisted, updating it. I am thinking whether I should share it here.

On The Train, Nov 1, 2006

With all the train rides everyday and typing this it is already November and another month would be another year for us. Time really flies for us, it is faster each year for us because every each new day we are running to be faster. Computers are becoming powerful and faster forcing us to do more things faster, may not be better, handphones make the world even global forcing us to constantly communicating with each other all the time. Systems, applications, and social software compounded the situation by allowing us to even learn faster. But we have to even unlearn faster. Boundaries and times (odd hours) have different meaning now forcing us again to be on our toes to ensure we are competitive and not lagging behind. Service providers continuously boast of providing round the clock services getting to you through all kinds of pervasive devices. Subconsciously our brains are also entrained to work faster that consequently contribute to the population to age faster. If we are not careful by the age of 50 most of us are brain tired already. That is why I agree with most people that say technology can help us access information faster and better but not necessarily enable us to learn faster. Why do you think that despite all the technology in the world the ‘Teh Tarik’ session is still very popular? History has proven that learning and thus knowledge sharing is very much social.

I took the 1954 train home at KL Sentral and it was almost empty with the usual characters doing their own things. Reading, sleeping, day dreaming, looking out into space and typing like me.

On The Train, Oct 31, 2006

I decided to continue reading iWoz, sort of a biography of Steve Wozniak the co-founder of Apple, when I boarded the train home. I was really into it and reading earnestly until I forced myself to write this. It was not something important that I had to write but is just that I need to write something. I looked up and two gentlemen seating in front of me were staring at me. I guessed they were wondering what I was typing and judging from the body language they knew somewhat that I was blogging the ride home. The train was a bit packed today and the composition skewed towards 20 something with tired and boring looking faces. Some of course had their head down sleeping.I was reading Dave’s blog this morning and he mentioned Led Zeppelin’s Stairways To Heaven that I happened to have in my laptop so I just popped it on to amuse myself.

Have you seen a worried sleeping face before? I witnessed one on the train today. This Chinese lady sitting in front of me on my right had her eyes closed trying very hard to go to sleep it seemed. However, her face was showing someone that has the biggest problem in the world and was worried sick of it. I thought if she was like that in her sleep I could not imagine when she is awake. The worried face eventually disembarked at Kajang and for her sake I was glad. I was beginning to worry that her face would change the whole complexion of the train. It was so sour and cringed that I though she would squeeze the train dry. Well that’s life; every single individual in the train has a very interesting story to them. Some has just had the worst day of their life and some conversely been the best and some may have been unchallenged and were bored to death at whatever they were doing for the day. But looking at the faces they were mostly pretty tired and not happy. Is this what work has been doing to all or us? I do not know really but what I know is looking at how fast things are moving, or should I say flying, we are actually putting ourselves under a lot of pressure all the time. The sad part is I am looking at these sour and unhappy faces just after three days of Eid holidays. I think we have two options:

1. To learn how to make our work enjoyable and meaningful, or
2. To learn how to divorce ourselves from work and thinking about work once the clock strike 5pm

The most important thing of all we have to be fair to our family who expects us to come home smiling to have quality time

On The Train Oct 30, 2006

After a whole week of holidays naturally it was a bummer to get up and go to work this morning. It got better for me as the day grew and by the time I was on the train home I was already in my normal mood. There were still a lot of people with big bags or rucksacks boarded on my way home. Remnants of holiday makers no doubt.

Today I met my old friend from my Syracuse days that I have not met for at least 13 years. I just could not believe we have not met that long. I was glad I did and we had a chat to catch up on old times at his hotel. Because of that now I am thinking about Syracuse. Well it was not so much about the place but the experience of being there, meeting new friends, new culture and environments. Still no matter where we are the one thing that we will cherish for ever is the friendship that we created or have with our friends. Apart from the business or working world there are three big moments in my life that were so significant to me. Seven years in school, three years in college and almost two years in Syracuse. Three set of friends that are constantly encroaching into my life. Now I really understand about the social network that matters

On The Train, Oct.19, 2006

The David Copperfield’s act by KTMB continues. I thought yesterday was an exception but apparently now it is a norm. Luckily I got a seat at KL Sentral. I felt guilty about it later, as I taking out my laptop I did not realize a pregnant lady boarded and was standing in front of me. A lady sitting next to me jumped up to offer her seat realizing it I felt an immediate remorse. The train was packed just like yesterday and just like yesterday I was either staring at computer screen or once in a while few butts or stomach. The only different today there were a lot of Indians with their huge luggage going home for Deepavali. I would expect tomorrow to be even worse with everyone already on leave.

On The Train, Oct. 18, 2006

I actually managed to pull it off yesterday. Ghaz saved the day again. We were not that late and I managed, more like lucky :)), to get a table at Equatorial. The spread was a bit disappointment for all of us alas we enjoyed ourselves.

Now, I am very late, KTMB failed me yet again, 1903 still at Salak Selatan. Due to the delay the train is packed with non Muslim as the majority, Chinese mostly. In front of me standing two Chinese ladies and a guy. The first one on my left is standing reading a newspaper, the one in the middle one hand clutching her hand bag with her left arm and holding the bar with her right, and the guy has her rucksack in front of his stomach like a pregnant woman. Of course sitting, at my eye level I am staring at couples of buttocks. Mostly that I dare not look at for too long

On The Train, Oct. 17, 2006

My wife asked me, ‘so how does it feel to be 45?’ My reply was not much as honestly I did not feel anything different. Bottomline for me is that a year had gone and looking back I asked myself what good that I have done really? Have I been meaningful and useful as a person, husband, father, son, boss and many more to different people. Doing my own assessment I would want to think so but looking at it closely I had failed in many areas. Thus I promise myself to be a better person.

An Iranian sits next to me facing the other way talking to his hand phone quiet aloud. Obviously all of us in the train do not have a clue to what he is talking about with a lady, I over heard a lady’s voice, at the other end. Nevertheless he does not have to talk so loudly.

Again I am trying to be me now. It’s Ramadan, 1831 hours, late, on the train home and I have the audacity to try to get a booking for dinner for my family. I am adamant that I am going to figure out something. I will tell you tomorrow the outcome.

On The Train, Oct. 16, 2006

Baqir went in and out of clinics and hospital over the weekend and still no conclusive results to his condition. He looked as healthy as he can be and the reading also confirmed that his fever had already receded. But his blood platelet reading still a yoyo and he is getting fed up with the ‘dracula’ (nurses and doctors) sucking his blood everyday. The clincher was today when his reading was at 80 at the poliklinik and was immediately transferred to Putrajaya Hosiptal to be admitted and while there his blood was taken again for another reading and it went upto 92 and the good doctor there discharged him. As a father I am of course worried about him. However, I suspect this is not a normal ‘sickness’ and later I was proven to be right.

Today is Kakak’s birthday and I thought of taking my family out for dinner but with Baqir’s condition I have to postpone it to tomorrow.

On The Train, Oct 13, 2006

I managed to rush into a packed train as I arrived at the station. I have been expecting it to be solid packed due to two reasons; Ramadan and Friday commuters. However, I was lucky to get a seat at KL Sentral. Still it was obvious that even in that condition some were not behaving like they suppose to. Commuters at various station pushing in without considering people inside and those that were disembarking. I could hear somebody, obviously losing his cool, yelled at the inconsiderate.

On The Train, Oct 12, 2006

Due to the invoked rain for the past two days it is a bit pleasant to look out at the sky. Another week about to end and it has been three weeks of Ramadan now. Times fly like a speed of light it seems sometimes. I did not write anything yesterday as I got caught up with something else. I did not have time to read the normal blogs that I read everyday either. But today I found out one blog that was somehow brought down for personal reason was up again. The personal reason was love, broken love that is, and I really pity the person. I think I was in love once or twice while growing up. That only if you can classify a seven and ten year old infatuations as love. I guess I did not really fall in love until I met my wife. Even then I won’t classify it as plutonic love. Both of us just knew we love each other. You must be wondering where is this story about love leading to? Well, could love be a good reason for innovation. Motivation certainly, creativity certainly, innovation?

On The Train, Oct 10, 2006

Definitely KTMB has moved to another level in service. The sad thing is it was at the wrong direction. At the same time it manages to add David Copperfield’s act as another one of its repertoire. How else would you explain a train missing from its run conveniently? In fact they proudly announced it to the rest of the world. ‘Ladies and gentlemen the train that supposed to leave Rawang station at 1732 had vanished in the thin air.’ After hearing an announcement to that effect. I honestly and seriously would not be thinking twice to offer them a Bomoh service if asked. To compound the situation all these vanishing acts happened during the fasting month. Poor muslims on the train had to be contented with a bottled water and piece of kueh to breakfast. Hey, I am ok with this as normally it was really my fault for being late but KTMB certainly could take credit for that.

The driver just informed us that it is time to break our fast and I can see muslims around me starting to take out their can or packed drinks. I have not seen anybody opening up their nasi bungkus. But I would not be surprised if someone did. I just continue with my typing.

On The Train, Oct. 9, 2006

I was a bit early then usual and barely made it onto the last coach of a leaving train when I got to the station. It was that standard train, that has seats more suited for the intercity travel, that had been modified to accommodate standing room. I was standing and reading for awhile until I got a seat at KL Sentral. It was still dreadful outside with thick haze blocking all views. Almost everyone I knew is angry at Indonesia now.

On The Train, (Crowded House), Oct 6, 2006

A very crowded train on the way home and in that situation it never ceases to amaze me to discover that there are a lot of idiots among us. I use idiots because they never learned to be considerate to others. One instance some just rushed and crushed in without giving way for people to disembark first. Idiots because some just talk too loud to almost everyone’s annoyment. I managed to get a seat at KL Sentral and I sat myself in front of a young Malay couple, my guess is college students that think they were the only love birds in the world. Worst enough they ignored us but for God sake it is Ramadan.

The sub-title of this piece Crowded House reminded me of the group and their song ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’

On The Train, (@ d Crossroad), Oct. 4, 2006

This morning on the way to work I realized something. I written before that there are a group of expatriate students on board of the train every morning and today I realized there is another group and these two groups are totally different like a night and day. The first is of course the Indonesian students going to school next to the Putra KTMB station and the new group if from ELC International School at Sg Buloh. I didn’t know where it is until, as they say now, I googled it at the office. The Indonesians are obviously from a middle class family whereas the ELC students are at the higher end of the expatriate community. One speaks in a local dialect or Bahasa Malaysia and the other, mostly Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, speaks in International English with American or British slang. Their attitudes are obviously totally different as well. One reserved and other loud. The ELC students are a bit confidence and very sure of themselves whereas the Indonesians although look ok but a bit timid. Although both groups are in uniform one bit more relax and modern and the other conservative.

I am somewhat at the crossroad at the moment as far as my thinking on knowledge. I knew I need to go back to basic in order for me to understand things a bit better. The discussion and the development in the subject are to overwhelm for me and I need to restart at the right point. I still think KM is valid and here to stay but in a different form.

My colleagues today were urging me to start writing a book or books on KM. The good news is I have started and the bad news is I am too slow.

On The Train, (Innovation), Oct. 5, 2006

I learned for Dave Snowden today that there are basically three things that can bring about innovation.

1. Starvation of familiar resource, forcing you to find new approaches, doing things in a different way. My example may not be appropriate but when I saw the word starvation instantaneously I remember the time when I was in school how creative we were when we were hungry. Interesting enough according to Dave creativity is not innovation but one of the processes that enables innovation. One of the things that I did was to go around every rooms to collect whatever loose change anybody could spare and at the end of the round I got enough for me to go out to town to watch movie and have a decent lunch :))
2. Pressure that forces you to engage in the problem. We work under pressure all the time and most of the time we delivered. My MDC days are good examples. When someone says that he or she works best under pressure this is what they mean. I can relate to that now. Again this may not be the best example to describe this but you know what I mean.
3. Perspective shift to allow different patterns and ideas to be brought into play. The need to think and do things differently when we have to look at things from different perspective.

On The Train (Measurement), Oct 3, 2006

I have to tackle this tricky subject of measuring our performance again. The topic of measurement of intangible has always intrigued me ever since I read Karl-Erik Svieby books on it. The subject developed a little bit after that but none have been convincing enough. There were basically two types of measurement framework then measuring as a whole and something based on scorecard. I thought Dr Ken Standfield had introduced something that was going to improve the situation but his thinking did not really pick up. Now, several people are saying we should not measure or at least looking at intangible through the lenses of physical assets. Interestingly Snowden is measuring it through narratives. What ever it is we have to start to do something now.

Looking out of the window now is so depressing. The haze is still the main feature of our environment

On The Train, Oct 2, 2006

I would probably the first person to agree that in order to know the future we should read and know the current trends. Based on my readings and understanding of complexity from Dave Snowden this is not true. To him it is almost idiotic to hope for idealism and futurology. That’s reminded me of what someone said about history being 14 seconds ago and to know the future is to look forward rather then back. Dave also debunked my belief in knowledge economy being based on intangible within the context of scarcity theory. The key thing is to me is to do something in moderation. Knowing a trend is sometimes useful but not all the time. I thought I knew a lot but reading a lot open up to a lot more possibilities and opportunities. That’s the beauty about knowledge in the truest sense.

On The Train (Knowledge Manages Us). Sept 29, 2006

Coming down from a meeting I was surprised to find Prof Naguib Al-Attas in the lift. At first I was not sure it was him as I always cannot tell between him and his brother Prof Hussien. As the lift slowly descended I was convinced that he was Prof Naguib but just as I about to start a conversation with him the lift stopped at my floor and went dead. I straight away joked it because of you in it today Prof. and we just laughed about it. We discussed a bit on what to do and Prof was really keen and did not mind walking the stairs down. I told him it was not one flight down but four as we have a mezzanine floor. I took him to use the stairs on the other side and I remembered the other lift core there that was facing the Knowledge Management Center (KMC). I tried the lift it was still working and the lift right in front of the KMC entrance opened. As I ushered him in his colleague remarked about the name KMC and immediately I said to Prof. ‘I know you have an issue with that.’ He smiled and said, “Yes, it’s the knowledge that manages us.” I remembered our conversation in his old office at ISTAC years ago. I agree with him that we can never manage knowledge as all of us in what ever we do the knowledge that we have that shape our belief, thinking and action. What we are trying to do in any organization now is just managing corporate knowledge.

On The Train, Sept. 28, 2006

KTMB did it again. For four consecutive Ramadan now there are service disruptions in the evening. What ever the reason they’ve never learnt. They just love to see their customers suffer. The train arrived at Bank Negara station at 1834 and instantly I knew I would arrive at Bangi around 1930. I do not mind the late iftar but most other muslims on the train would probably not. I would not think that the management of the KTMB would think it a good customer relationship sense to provide free food for all these ‘stranded’ commuters. Again no knowledge management sense in the part of KTMB.Talking about KM looking around in the train it is a fact that almost 90 of the commuters carry a mobile phone and most of them are or the younger generation. This reminded me of a discussion on knowledge sharing in one of the mailing list that I am part of. The use of the technologies like the handphone is so prevalent among the new generation that makes some of us wonder how knowledge sharing would take place in the future. I am very sure it is going to be different, not only the difference in methods and format but perspectives and perception as well. Looking at how technology developed one possibility is that knowledge sharing would be expected and at times forced by the technology it self. Nevertheless it would be a very interesting future.

On The Train, Sept 27, 2006

I boarded the 1816 train that supposed to have new blue seats. The problem is the seats are not practical at all and my guess is someone at KTMB had made a blunder in ordering this one. How else can you explain the difficulty in seating on one. It was made for a very petit person to sit comfortably any bigger would surely be uncomfortable. Lucky for all of us the train was not packed that surprised me really. I guess most were really early going home for the iftar.

On The Train, Sept 22, 2006

Some one was playing his MP3 quiet loud on the way home and I reciprocate by blasting my CD a bit. The person played latest kind of music whereas I played the evergreens. Which one you think the majority of the commuters would prefer? Boarded was the normal Friday evening crowd where some already asleep after we had passed Salak Selatan. Just another Friday evening ride home.

On The Train, Sept. 25, 2006

I caught the 1802 train and I think I would make home before berbuka puasa. If not, well, what else is new, I’ll accept it as I cannot be sure to arrive home on time even if I drove.

At KL Sentral boarded a pregnant lady and I purposely ignored her as I wanted to see if there was anybody closed to her would offer her a seat. I would have if I could do if fast enough as I already had my laptop on my lap. I was sad nobody directly in front of her offered their seat immediately. Only a lady on the opposite seat gave up her seat for her. Ugly Malaysian during Ramadan.Second day of Ramadan and I am already about to break the fast on the train, barely.

On The Train, Sept 21, 2006

Even without the announcement there was a disruption in the train service going home. The train was packed. A Bangla siting next facing me was enjoying his train ride until we got to Salak Selatan when he realized that he was on the wrong train. I pitied him as he supposed to be on the Port Klang train. I witnessed this few times already, sometimes if you are not careful even seasoned commuters would make the mistake. Especially when you were already comfortably dozing away in Lalaland. This Bangla I guessed just did not know

On The Train, Sept 20, 2006

‘Sila beri laluan kepada penumpang untuk turun lebih dahulu’ (Please let the commuters to disembark before boarding) was the announcement when we got to KL Sentral. I do not know how much more of the same announcement that I am going to tolerate. Everyday is the same attitude and I do not see an improvement at all.

On The Train, Sept. 19, 2006

Somehow I was really tired once I was on the train today. It was the same both in the morning going to work as well as going home. Going home was worse I drifted in an out and afraid of crashing my laptop I packed it in. As usual on reaching Kajang I texted my wife and she called back to say they were still in Serdang. I asked her to pick me up at UKM. At UKM station I decided to walk towards UKM rather then just waiting. It was fun walking and I was not tired at all. I was hoping to walk further but my wife arrived when I was just closing in on UKM’s main entrance.

On The Train, Sept. 18, 2006

I could feel the effect of the cleaning process. Now I really understand what Kak Sofi meant when she said of the feeling of emptiness. I felt I was dragging everything today and at same times floating. I felt I was really floating. On the train home I sat by the window and continued to read 'In Between Places' until I felt bored. My guess the boredom was more of this reaction of emptiness. I booted up my laptop and tried to write something. After a few minutes of typing I got bored again so I opened my windows player and let the Bee Gees free to fill the air. My next traveling companion was reading and she seemed to be disturbed by the song. I do not know if it was because the Bee Gees, the song or the disturbance that I am introducing. After Serdang she actually abandoned her seat to seek her privacy. For once I couldn’t care less. It was not me.

Interesting Weekend, Sept. 16-17, 2006

I do not know what Saka is in English but that was the main thing in our life this weekend. It started out with what we know already but before the weekend is over we knew a lot more. A lot more interesting stuff and it was all in the family. We were humored to know that at least two of us have a big farm each. Rest assured no matter if you were a fifth, sixth or even a tenth generation of ‘pendatang’ you almost 90% would have it and you do not know it. My advice is to go and see someone who is knowledgeable and have your self ‘scanned’. After my last experience I thought I was clean there were actually a lot more inhabitants. What can I say a true blue so called Rawa royalty blood in my vein.

On The Train, Sept 15, 2006

I took the Putra at Kerinchi and when I got down at KL Sentral there was this young man pushing in straight away without letting me to get off first. So I just purposely walked out through him forcing him out of the way. Served him right for being so inconsiderate. It was already 8 pm when I got to Sentral and I decided to say my prayer first before heading home to BSP.

There was a big crowd waiting for the Seremban train that prompted me to go the other way to wait at KL Station. I did not have to wait long. Being Friday evening the commuter all seems to be cheerful and chatty. I could hear happy voices throughout the coach.

On The Train, Sept 14, 2006

I was standing at the platform reading when the announcement came on the air to say that the train services to Seremban had been delayed by 15 minutes. My first reaction was ‘what else is new’. The train would be packed again.

Commuters still rushed in without considering people to disembark at KL Sentral. Despite the plea from the train driver I just do not know what else for us to do to change this culture. It got worse at MidValley. I got connected at Salak Selatan and it was very slow connection. The commuters at Tasik Selatan were a bit courteous and waited patiently for people to alight. Probably because they were a season STAR commuters as well. Comparatively I find that the most civic minded of the lot are Putra commuters I suspect because there is enforcement. STAR would be next and the worst are KTM commuters.The train was still packed when we were at Kajang and it was no better at UKM. By this time I already gave up on the Digi Wireless Network.

On The Train, Sept 13, 2006

The Digi wireless connection is bad on the train today. I managed to get a connection just for a while after MidValley after that all dead. I did not bother to try at home as I was too tired.

Since I was late the train was a bit empty and there was no ‘misbehaviour’

On The Train (The Misbehavior of our Train Commuters), Sept 11, 2006

Two of my friends lost their cool when they saw the ugly side of Malaysian on the train. The first incident was when the whole coach just ignored a blind commuter and the second when the commuters were simply rushing in without waiting for people to disembark (well I got this almost everyday). So, my resolve for today is to document the good and bad of Malaysian on the train.It was raining heavily when I left the office as I needed to go to the bank to pay my dues. My shoe and sock were soaked by the time I got to the bank. Since I was in the vicinity of Masjid Jamek I decided to take the Putra LRT to KL Sentral. I was glad that at least the Putra commuters were civic enough to queue up and allow people to disembark first. At least they are fairly consistent. However, it was a different story at KL Sentral where I saw people were actually rushing and pushing ignoring people trying to disembark. To avoid my blood pressure raising up unnecessarily I crossed over to the other platform and boarded the Rawang train to get down at KL Station.

Since there were not many people on the train the commuters behaved properly until I got down at Bangi.

Football Game, Neighborhood Harmony, and Ego, Sept 9-10, 2006

Neighborhood harmony was the main objective of the 9-aside football tournament but sadly it ended as an ego and pride championship at its worst. The whole thing took the fun out of the final for us. Yes, we lost but we won big time in playing good football, sportsmanship and showing to everyone what football is all about. I blame three parties for the fiasco the organizer for not being adhering to the schedule and being firmed from the beginning, the police team for mistakenly thinking that winning is everything and good for their ego, and the BM A that lost their cool in the end, but, I don’t blame them for being so. In all these I took pride on my young charges to remain cool and focus to enjoy all the games.

When Ghazi could not play in the final I knew it would be very difficult for us to win and I was hoping for it to go to penalty kicks. If Ghazi could play I would have fielded Fendi in midfield to stabilize the opponent’s distribution with Ajim. Syafiq and Lokman would be free to run the show for us. Although Baji was not fit he could be a good spoiler up front for us. Wan did his best as I asked him to go all out to disrupt the opponent’s play. Jaja I suspected was a bit worried of his injury but beginning to read the game better now. As usual Shidi and Fendi were reliable and confident at the back. Fadly was great in goal and so unfortunate he could not see the ball taking flight towards the goal mouth. Our biggest lesson learnt yesterday was we allowed our midfield engine room to breakdown. In any case, boys, thank you for being committed and to me you are the champion yesterday. We can only be better next year.

My analysis of the game above is not comprehensive. I purposely did not analyse this for the team yesterday as I wish the team to learn to analyse the game themselves. Firstly, they have to analyse their individual game, what as individual player that they have done right and wrong. Only then they analyse what they have done right and wrong as a team. As a player they have to learn to do this during the game as well. This is what we called a thinking player.

On The Train, Sept. 8, 2006

It was really crowded on the way home. I only got to sit at KL Sentral when a guy in front of me disembarked. After that I was just oblivious of all the happenings on the train as I continued reading for a while before I boot-uped my laptop at Salak Selatan Station. I did not have anything special to write so I took a stab at writing my KM Journey.

On The Train (Lee Chetopa and Cost of Marriage), Sept 7, 2006

On the STAR LRT going to Universiti Station from KL Sentral I saw a guy standing in front of me wearing Lee Chetopa. I smiled and remembered how crazy we were when it was the in thing way back in the 70’s. But our Lee Chetopa was not a carrot but straight cut and Lee had another version with different material that was cut like jeans. To wear those in those days would mean you are slick man.

I was reading Rory Stewart’s Places in Between, an account on his walk in Afghanistan, and the chapter I was reading talking about how costly it is to get married in Afghanistan. They need at least 5K, which is a lot there, to ‘buy’ a bride. To make it more interesting today in our incubation exercise we talked about dowry with our Indian vendor and they told us it is expensive in India as well. Well, at least in India the man is the benefactor. All these talks about marriage brought me back to my own wedding that I consider as quite cheap. Mainly because it was not a big wedding and far from exclusive. Come to thing of it, it was really nothing I sure did not feel it to be grand on that day. Apart from the nikah and the attire that I had to wear I did not feel anything more than I am getting married. I mean it was just like any other day. I did not have a lot of my friends coming and it was low key. Until today I do not know why I did not invite most of my school friends to the wedding. In fact none of us really invited each other except for a few of us. It is a mystery to me.

On The Train (The demise of a very good story teller), Sept 6, 2006

I thought and wish it was just another hoax but sadly it is a reality. Yes, I am talking about the untimely death of the man worldwide known as The Crocodile Hunter. When I read the confirmation of his death I honestly thought it would be just another death that not going to effect me. How wrong I was. Until now I cannot stop thinking about it. I really admire this guy for being passionate with what he believes in and willing to go all to way to make whatever he was doing successful. I could not remember the first time I saw him but it was through his Crocodile Hunter series and I was just captivated with his tenacity and antics. I could straight away could tell how passionate he was with the animal most of us would not even dare to hear about. I admire him even more when I knew he is very much a family man who loves his family dearly. He kept a healthy life of sleeping and getting up early, no drinking and anything that is considered to be negative. He was, as they say, one hell of a story teller that managed to captivate children as well as adult like me all over the world. I think children would miss him most. As I said without giving it much thought I miss this Ozzie and the world is one story teller less

On The Train (Complexity), Sept 5, 2006

I came from PJ and just missed the immediate train to Seremban as I arrived at KL Sentral. So I crossed to the next platform to catch the Sentul train back to KL station. This maneuver actually guaranteed me a seat at KL Sentral. A Mak Cik who was on the phone talking sat next to me while I was still reading. I decided to use my laptop and once I have opened it she stopped talking to her handphone. From the corner of my eyes I could see she was watching me and looking at my small machine she asked me how much that it cost me. I told her and she was amazed as she said she had just bought an Acer that cost her bit more then mine. I wanted to start typing but she kept on watching and wanting to converse. So I opened something else and started to think to ignore her. Well, not that I hate her or something it was just that I need to write my thoughts and I did not wish to be observed. Ironic right? The observer does not like to be observed. Human is complex and that is why any ideal intervention on human system would fail if we introduce strict structured solution.

On The Train, Sept. 4, 2006

I somehow bought myself an original copy of Grease VCD over the weekend and I put it on, on the way home. Because of that I could not think or do anything else. For the record I have seen Grease for more then ten times. Four times while I was in school in Seremban in 1978. I could not remember whether it was Capitol or Rex but indeed four times. So you could imagine how many triggers that I had unconsciously set for myself. Now watching the movie again triggers a look of happy feeling in me. I was in 1978 all the way home. So that is powerful. I believe we could apply this concept for managing knowledge. Context and Triggers for better knowledge recall and transfer.

On The Train, Sept. 1, 2006

My mind was still thinking about Merdeka when I boarded the train home. Not that I am being too patriotic, patriotic yes, but just thinking about the state we are in at the moment. Yesterday, the whole nation was celebrating and my guess a lot of us just did that – celebrating. Celebrating what? Only you know the answer. We had the Merdeka run yesterday at BSP and my wife and I participated in the veteran and lady’s category respectively while Kak Cik in lady’s remaja category. I completed the run without stopping and managed myself am eight position, my wife tenth and Kak Cik fourth. Each of us brought back a similar hamper. We took part actually just for exercise sake the hampers were bonuses for us.

On The Train, Aug 30, 2006

The train was full and I was not surprised as most of the KL population are going somewhere for the Merdeka celebration. However what surprised me was that a lot of them were not really Malaysian but Indonesian. To them it was not about the Merdeka but just a very good reason to have a party. Somehow it proved to be not a healthy development as partying to most of them meant drinking and sometimes being a nuisance to Malaysians. At the same time those Malaysian that have gone to these Merdeka concerts and celebration also would not really know what Merdeka is. From a knowledge point of view I do not think we are Merdeka. In fact a lot of us are actually selling our knowledge assets away cheaply. Also, being knowledgeable means we can parade our brains to the highest bidders. Certainly after 49 years some of our values have gone from bad to worse.

I was thinking of taking my family somewhere but I did not have any idea where.

On The Train, Aug 29, 2006

My dear neighbor passed away suddenly yesterday. Not really tragic but unexpected all the same. I do not know whether there’s such a thing as a good death but my neighbour ‘went’ peacefully and suddenly without any prolong sickness. We visited him to pay our last respect and witnessed the ‘last rite’. As any other death I was moved and reminded how I bathe, ‘clothed’ and buried my own father.

I manages a few mailing lists, and part of many at the same time, and somehow I could not hide how amaze I am observing a similar trend happening in all of them. One is currently going through that active cycle that includes the usual heated debate on something that is passionate to most members. This particular one is on the subject of unemployment within our own profession that somehow managed to bring out a lot of people into the surface. At least it is good for the mailing list after a long while of hardly any news. Funny enough the pattern of the debate includes certain similarity of it being political, judgmental, emotional and at times nonsensical. As a moderator I allow it to continue as I see it as healthy for the minds.

I caught the 1911 train home, a bit late as I had a lot of catching up to do. The train was pleasantly empty and the ride home was smooth and comfortable. When I was scanning the coach I realized there were a lot of ladies on the train. Unusual? Well, yes, as it was so obvious.