Ervan’s Weltanschauung

Tips I gathered on my recent business trip to Singapore…

1. Always buy wrinkle free shirts. Never settle for anything else.
Especially if you want to save on pressing charges. Even if the shirt is
crap, but it’s wrinkle free, get it!
2. You can actually fold your suit and it wont wrinkle. But you have to pay
good money though. Pack it in a plastic bag.
3. You don’t have to pack everything including soap and shampoo, unless you
have sensitive skin. Check if the hotel has a butler service. If they do,
then don’t bring everything. Mental note, Ritz Carlton & Oberoi.
4. There’s always a convenience store near to the hotel. So don’t take the
mini bar items, walk to the store and purchase your needs.
5. Breakfast at hotel? Skip it, you don’t have the time to eat everything.
Go for breakfast on the go. Eat while you taking the lift down to the
lobby.

More, err, useful tips for next time….

1. If you had a late night with the clients, and will have an early morning
breakfast with another set of clients, sleep with your shirt, pants and
suit on. You will save minutes! Better than rushing out of the room like
Superman while brushing your teeth. Oh yeah, stock up on the cologne…
2. Okay, have some breath mints handy, should you have no time to brush
your teeth.
3. Always put the important things at the bed side table. Things like
handphone, PDA, and watch. Do not put the less important things near you,
this includes alarm clock and calculators. You’ll be surprised to see the
kind of things that can fit inside a pocket and when you rush for early
morning meetings…

And err, to avoid 50 percent or 100 percent room charges for late check
outs…

Choose the lady (if you are a guy) or a guy (if you are a lady or gay), and
sweet talk the person. Ask for his or her name, always say it’s a nice name
even if it’s a common name, give a quick smile, and charm your way
through….

And oh yeah, be mindful of the time always. I nearly missed my flight
because I was too engrossed surfing the net.

Just jotting down the following tips from what I learned today in doing presentations.

1. Be prepared.
2. Faith in God
3. Faith in yourself

And just do it….

There were some other points, which I conveniently forget. The just do it part was mine. And that’s the most important bit. I’ve been doing a lot of presentations since Uni times. And as long as I am prepared, I am okay, some say, very good in doing presentation. Although the build up to the presentation could lead to butterflies in my stomach.

As I was doing my presentation, I asked everyone if I projected confidence to them.
Everyone, well everyone who was paying attention said yes. They just do not know the fear I felt before giving the presentation.

Oh yeah, mental note, always check my appearance before actually do my presentation. I was told to button up my jacket before starting my presentation…oops.

*Groan* I took a long weekend after my India trip, and I actually woke up at 4 am. 4 AM! I don’t know what is wrong with me. Too much things to think probably. About work, and life, well life, mostly. Wandered aimlessly in my room, and took out “The Prince”. Read one line, and threw the book away.

Unfortunately, my early, well, very early morning wake up, affected my day, especially since I have to attend this Professional Image course by Norma Norell. The start was not good, not good at all. I was groggy. And when she asked me how am I doing today, I replied, very groggily, “Fine!”

Throughout the day, every time I shut my eyes, she will wake me up with a loud clap. *Groan*
But it was an interesting course, as certain topics she touched are things that I myself are learning. Learning to be a better person, in small doses. That was my goal anyway. And somehow, I see that her course can actually help me, in a practical way.

And I think she finds today’s class has an interesting mix. From the deeply religious, to the certified crazy, ie me. Come on, after all, who else describe himself as a chameleon who can adapt to any environment. Most would say that he or she is adaptable or friendly enough to be part of any group. But no siree, I have to say, I am a chameleon. See, lack of sleep, not good at all.

Anyhow, despite the fact she kept catching me napping, one of my colleague mentioned over the break.

“Ini Ervan, kalau tidur pun, still can answer her question”

Loosely translated, “this Ervan, he still can answer any questions when he is asleep.” Haha. But I love the class, we got the cheeky ones too, and the fighter, and all three of us sit on the same table. Not a very good combination. For any instructor anyway. Well, can’t wait for tomorrow.

We will be learning social etiquettes, during a Western luncheon. Oh boy, we gonna see some knives and forks flying tomorrow

Woah. Put it this way, forget about going to European countries, or any developed country for a good holiday. It’s too sterile, too orderly, and not as exciting as going to India. India wins hands down. My trip to India, was full of funny incidents, surprises, and heck, I need some ointment for my neck!

But seriously, if you want to experience a lot of things at once, do go to India. You’ll definitely enjoy it.

India for me is the birth place of Gandhi. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi. Just get any Indian rupees, and you will see his face printed on it. A truly great man, as unlike other people, his legacy does not involve any expensive building or monuments to show his might. His funeral brought many famous people to India. Finally, I can proudly say, that I’ve been to India, even if it is only a few days.

The moment we touched down at Delhi, well, let me put it this way. We had a fun roller coaster ride on the drive from the airport to Le Meridien. It was crazy! Without any warning, the vehicle in front of you will just switch lanes without signalling. And Delhi (and Mumbai), well, you’ll be hearing horns everywhere! I noticed that these people just love to honk, just for the sake of honking!

Delhi is a beautiful city, with plenty of beautiful buildings and loads of trees. Being in Mumbai, I get the sense of being crowded as there were people everywhere! And what I love most of Mumbai, it has many beautiful buildings, legacy from the British colonial times. I am disappointed though as the buildings are not maintained properly. After hearing some good stories from my friend in Delhi, I think I understand why.

In India, you’ll see the contrast of the rich and poor. And alas the poor, or should I say, the untouchables are the ones that I pitied the most. It is unfortunate that efforts were not made to assist them. Even Gandhi was a champion for the Untouchables. But alas, it takes great efforts to overcome the social stigma, and beliefs that have been passed down for generations. I was shown the slums of Mumbai, and it was a sorry sight. Sometimes we never know how lucky we are to be born in Malaysia. And most Malaysians tend to complain about everything. But after seeing the slums at Mumbai, I feel that Malaysians are lucky, and we should strive to help those who need help, rather than complaining for our shortcomings.

You’ve seen what Katrina has done to New Orleans, imagine these untouchables in India have been suffering for generations….

On a side note, I encountered a lot of Tourism Malaysia billboards in Mumbai. I do suspect that it is a sly attempt by some to entice the Bollywood stars to come to Malaysia.
India. Definitely a place to go, experience, and totally change your perspectives in life…..