MSCA 2012 finally!

Oh yes! I have cleared my third and last paper for the MCSA 2012 exams.

I'm so relief now after months and months of hard work studying for the exams. I have cleared this target just as I predicted. Next, I'm going to prepare for the Solaris 11 exams, 2 papers to take, hope to clear it by September.

Wish me luck...all...the...way!!! ;)

Late night, can't sleep

It's already way past midnight, and I'm still awake.

For the past week, the haze was unbearable, my eyes was watering, my nose was sniffing and my throat was crying in pain. Earlier in the week, I was feeling so giddy and almost couldn't get up to work.

Lucky it rained and the haze was clear, cooler weather came back for awhile. It rained hailstones in some part of this region, I saw some trees were fallen, one driver even claimed that his car windscreen was smashed by the hailstones. I have never seen hailstones before, too bad I missed it, but I was sure glad that I wasn't standing out in the open when the hailstones came.

I have completed 2 out of the 3 papers for the Windows 2012 Server admin certification, now, I have to study hard for the last one, hope that I can clear it soon.

The change

Recently, the company roll-out a no. of new systems, a vendor quotation system that tracks emails of how you get the quotes from external parties, they claimed this is for governance. There's another system that is supposed to help people raise purchases, but, we already have a SAP finance system, I don't quite understand why there's a need for another one...oh, for governance! With so many systems, it lengthens the process flow, and make it more difficult for people to work efficiently. I found that I'm actually spending more time doing all these "paper work".

Finally, my boss told me that I will have to report to another boss. I guess it's time for me to re-look at my career path, whether what I have done is worth it. One thing I found was that my ex-bosses don't really appreciate my help. Those bosses that I helped before had move up, and I don't get even a pat on the back or promotion for my good work. I just hope that, under the new boss, he's going to treat me better, and really appreciate my efforts spent, perhaps, put me up for a promotion soon.

Cleared first Windows exams

I have recently taken my first Windows server 2012 paper, and managed to pass. This is just the first of the three papers that I have to clear. Come this end of the month, I will have to attend the second course of the certification program, then study and try to pass the second paper. The third one is in June.

Other than these Windows exams, I also have two more papers for the Solaris 11 exams, yes, it's pretty new, so far, not many people has taken the exams. In fact, the second of the two is still beta, which you have to take 150 questions, quite tough, I heard.

So now, I have four more papers to go, work hard la...

Windows Server 2012

I have finally completed my 1-year course, but sadly, I couldn't attend the graduation ceremony scheduled at the end of the month, because I have to attend a course. I have also received news that I had won a award for good academic performance in the 1-year course, well, not bad for someone who hasn't been attending school for more than 10 years!

The new course I talked about is the new windows Server 2012, this is a certification course, I have to go through 3 classes, and take 3 papers. I think this is tough one, since I haven't been touching on the Windows OS very often for quite sometime. However, I hope that I can clear the exams, and not disappoint anyone, including my boss.

Finally, hard work pays off!

I received the results last month, it was too good to be true, but I believe that there are other students who did better than me!

One whole year of hard work, many nights spending working on the assignments, it's time to celebrate...haha.

The graduation is scheduled to be in mid May, but I know I can't make it because I have a Windows Admin course to attend. Two of my classmates also did not want to attend, I guess I have to miss this event as well.

Next, I will be embarking on my Windows and Solaris admin certifications, it's going to be tough, but I don't have a choice, as in IT, the job is so competitive, and if you don't upgrade your knowledge, you will become obsolete. Being always technically knowledgeable and hard working are the only ways to go to keep ahead of your peers.

Post no. 300

If I'm not wrong, this is post no. 300! Oh yeah!!!

I have been writing this blog since 2006, that's more than 6 years. How time flies, I remember my first post was about my trip to Australia, and I uploaded some photos from that trip. I have since travelled to other cities, e.g. South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, and even north-east China. All these trips have opened up my eyes, there are simply so many interesting things to see, and not forgetting the food too.

Today, one of my colleagues asked where is best place to travel to where you can get to see things, well, I recommended him to South Korea. Seoul is a very busy and unique place, it's unlike this place that I live in, most obviously, the people, they are an united single race, speaking a single language, so modern, a technological advance city. I have been there a couple of times, and even drove (car) in Cheju island, I feel that I like the place so much that I wanted to go again after I come back!

I hope to save enough money to be able to travel again, maybe Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam soon...

Happy Lunar New Year

In a day's time, it's Chinese New year!

Today, Saturday, 9th Feb, is the CNY's eve, this is a time where all our family members will gather and have a reunion dinner. This year we are going to have steamboat and barbecue! Oh yeah!!!

Our fridge is already stuffed up with lots of seafood and vegetables. Other than that, we will also have red wines and juices to drink.

CNY is the time when we will eat and eat, drink and drink, talk and talk, till you fall sick...no, just kidding!

Have a blessed 2013

Hello everybody! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

How did you spend your Christmas and New year?

I went on an overseas tour to Taiwan last December, it was a fun trip round the island. I have gone to the night markets, ate nice food such as the stinky tou fu, oyster mee sua, fried chicken cutlets, etc. I guess most of you who have been there had enjoyed the trip too, right? And not forget to bring back boxes of pineapple tarts.

Oh well, I hope for many good changes for this new year, a better career advancement opportunity and good money making opportunities. Be optimistic, cheers!

2 done, 1 more to go

I have submitted the two assignments, out of three. Those were the programming and "theory" assignments.  I have one more to go, it is for Photoshop website assignment, actually, I'm already done with it, just waiting for the weekend to come to submit it.

From this week till end of Dec, it's the vacation period, but, I was told that the second programming assignment will be out and I have to do it during this break. Anyway, four months to go, and hopefully I can do well to score good GPA.

Assignments

So far, the semester 2's assignments are pretty ok, not overload with many questions to do. The school is trying to push us to clear all the subjects and graduate, since come next year, there wouldn't be another opening of this course anymore. So, if you were to do badly, there will not be a repeat course.

I have almost completed the Web design (using Photoshop) and JSTL programming assignments, well, not so difficult, but, I think the challenge will come next term, as the weightage of the assignments and exams would be much higher, i.e. tougher questions. I have one more essay assignment to do, hope I can finish by the due date.

I definitely have to work harder next term. Good luck to me!

Changes to come

How things have changed for the past few months and more to come.

I heard a couple of days ago, two of the heavenly kings will be leaving the system team by end of this month, these guys are really the pillar of the support team, the pioneers who know things in and out. So sad that the company is not really making an effort to keep them.

There had been a re-org, my boss will soon not be my boss anymore, well, he's moving on to a new portfolio. I can see that he fighting hard (struggling?) in his new post, and I don't think he bothers about us anymore. He asked me whether I would like to take up the PM for the project that he's currently leading, where I'm helping him, I said, I will think about it. Really, I don't have much choice, my guys are telling me to take it up, else it will go to another guy, which I will have to report to, and whom I'm just not comfortable to work with.

To me, a PM role is a very dynamic one, you will not know what you will get next. For one moment, your boss comes asking to see you, and tell you that he has a new project for you to lead, and you can't say no, or the next moment, your subordinate comes to tell you that she wants to quit. Not easy, man, really...

Going to South Korea

Tomorrow, I will be flying off to Seoul. I will be spending about 10 days travelling in South Korea and Jeju island.

For the last few weeks, typhoons have been troubling the area in northern asia, according to the news, there were quite a number of damages to buildings and places. The last I heard, the typhoons had already shifted, hopefully, they will dissipate soon.

I'm looking forward to the trip, so happy that I'm getting a break now from work.

Last Paper of Semester 1

Today, I'm going to take the last test paper for this semester. It's on the internet security subject, basically, CIA or Confidentiality, Integrity and Available, actually, two more, Authentication and Access control.

The cryptography topics are the toughest to understand, the hash, symmetric and asymmetric encryption. Terms like DES, 3DES, AES, ECB, CBC, OFB, and other definitions and concepts that I need to understand.

I just hope that the test is not difficult, because I really can't understand and digest all that I read.

Prep for tests

It has been quite a while since I took a test, and for the next 2 week, I will be taking 3 tests.

I hope to study enough to understand, so that I will be able to pass the tests with good results. One of the tests is on e-commerce concepts, heaps of memory work to do. Next, a web programming paper, open book, I don't know whether I can survive this one. The last one  is on security, this one is really tough, private key, public key, DES, 3DES, AES, OFB, etc. I have got to understand them and drill it in my miniature brain. The tutor taught the subject like so easy, but, it is not that so to people like me.

Well, good luck to me, probably I wouldn't be able to write here for the next 2 weeks, let me clear my tests first.

5 more months to go!

Yes, yes, yes....! Count down to 5 more months to the special event!

Two days back, I got the most expensive shirt I have even bought! Trust me, if you are a stingy dude like me, you won't want to know how much it costs! But really...it's nice, I just don't know how to describe it, with a silvery color blazer worn, wow, looks fantastic on me, man!

I haven't got the shoes, the last pair of the size I wanted was sold just before I went to the shop, maybe I will try my luck at its other branch.

Hello people, Cheers!!! Ha...ha...

Oh my! Someone go panic and that is the Boss!

Ha Ha Ha...that guy panic today, when he can't find me, when he can't find my colleague, when he's at a lost...he panics!

How can you work for a superior who panics? Remain calm is the key. He's the one who gave me a bad appraisal grade, I have seen how's he is like now, no wonder his other subordinates can't even bother about him.

It's time to go, no point staying with the team, he's the one who needs me and the other guy, not the other way round, forget it, there's an opportunity, I want to transfer out.

1st 5 months of 2012 over...

Oh yes, it's official, 5 months gone, 7 more months to go!

I'm looking forward to the end of the year, yes...yes...yes..., it's the big event coming, ha...ha...ha...I'm not going to tell you now, let's keep it a secret, when the time comes, I will tell.

The last 5 months had been a fast moving, but kinda of bored sometimes also, but, come the next few months, things will accelerate, for sure.

Today, I realised that I forgot to sign up for the priority registration of the half marathon race in Sep, yesterday was the last day to register, it was supposed to shave-off $10 from the normal fee. oh gosh...what a mistake! Should I sign up and pay the additional 10 bucks?

About 2.5 months later...

It's almost 2.5 months since you left, I see that you just uploaded a new cover page on your facebook yesterday.

How's life for the past months? I heard of alot of changes in your country, is you family business doing well, or should I ask, doing bigger?

I can't tell whether the cover photo you uploaded is your recent one, if it is, well, I think you still look the same, just that you are without make up, no dark glasses, and no fanciful pose or wear something very different, as if your usual self.

I hope you are doing well, I'm fine too.

Growing old and feeling old

I get tired easily these days, maybe because I'm growing old, and my body just don't function as well as it used to be.The feeling of old just doesn't make sense at all. I still can run, maybe even faster than someone 10 years younger, I had completed a couple of half and full marathons, didn't I?

But yeah, I'm getting old by the day, like the rest of the people around me. I have kept a picture of me taken years ago in my wallet, whenever I feel old, I will look at it. I may not have the looks of a handsome chap, or able to attract the attention of pretty gals, but I was once young and strong like everybody else!

Maybe I should accept that I'm growing old, but I just don't want to feel old. There are still many things I want to do. Many, many interesting things...