Suzette's Parenting and Breastfeeding Blog

In today’s newspaper, there is a discussion about quality of the local university graduates. I am also locally educated but I don’t think I fit into the described typical local grads. However, I have to agree to the article.

I have worked with some postgraduates and undergraduates (internship), from local and overseas universities. Comparing the two, as well as my friends who are locally vs overseas graduated, I do find different qualities in them. I am not saying ALL local grads are like this, and ALL overseas grads are like that, but most of them are… unfortunately.

Overseas grads are generally more independent and have pleasant personality. I don’t have to tell them how to do a task. I just tell them what output I want from them, what are the objectives, and then I give them some leads. They generally can perform the task well - independently.

However, local grads usually need a lot more guidance. Sometimes it is even to the extent of handholding or spoon-feeding. Very often I have the feeling of “sigh, why don’t I do the task myself, it may save me more time and effort…”

Some of my locally graduated friends are exactly what is described in the article:

• They don’t have good personality (rude, snobbish, selfish…)
• They can’t express themselves fully in an interview, even with their friends
• They have no working experience (I don’t count those part-time or 1-2 month job as experience).

But yet, they demand high salary. Some of these friends have not been able to get a permanent job until now (nearly 8 years after graduated), and they still dare to demand high salary! These are their complaints:

“You all already earning so much. I should not be paid less than 4k, this is discrimination!”
Well, you have never got experience in any permanent job, how can you demand that.

“This job is too difficult, have to work on Saturday…”
“They are giving me a ridiculous sales quota.”
“The office location is very jam.”
“That person is terrible lah, I think I can be his boss, how can I report to him?!”
Hello! Who do you think you are?

In my opinion, Malaysia’s education system uses too much of spoon-feeding. Even the solution suggested by the article is also very much spoon-feeding method, i.e. all undergraduates must go through a ‘job interview course’ before their graduation.

I don’t think all the good quality postgraduates, local or overseas, have all attended such course.

Aiyoh, dunno which Kampong I come from! I have been using this new company-notebook since Jan this year (HP Compaq nc4010), and until early this week only I discovered that it has WiFi device! It took me a few days to figure it out, installed the driver and tested it out!

While trying to install the WiFi driver and get it setup, I discovered how to activate the bluetooth too. Actually, I knew it comes with built-in bluetooth, but I never knew how to activate it. Our IT support said, “Press that button! Press that button!” But I was still blurred, not knowing what button he was referring too. I always thought that button is for microphone because the symbol really looks like a microphone! (at this point, my colleague shouted me Jakun (no offence har), I have to admit that lah! :p).

Actually, ever since I started using this model, I have been trying to hot sync it with my Palm Zire 72 – but never successful (always rely on cable), and I always thought my notebook’s bluetooth device is faulty. :p

Now, I can use wireless broadband already. Very excited, though I haven’t got any chance to really try out. Have checked out TMNet’s Hotspot. I thought Streamyx users’ rate is cheaper, but the savings is just insignificant. AirZed seem to have better coverage… But anyway, I better check which ones are supported by our IT department first…

Dear bloggers, if you are a user on wireless broadband, can give some recommendations?

Yesterday I brought Ian to see his pediatrician for his MMR vaccination. Again, waiting for MIL to get ready, we were at least 15 min late to leave the house. (See Madam ‘Take-My-Own-Sweet-Time’) Sigh!

When we were at the paed office, wah the doc kept praising Ian clever boy, clever boy… Make me also fly high-high. :p

He said we gave Ian picture book, is very good woh.
And He also said Ian very big size (11.3kg and 77cm at 12+ month). He asked whether DH is big size as well (hehe, no lah, actually FIL is big, not DH). 隔代传

He is so positive on practically everything Ian shown. He played pick-a-poo with Ian, and he praised Ian has good eye contact and knows how to search for objects. He then allowed Ian played with his tools (torchlight, etc). He joked with Ian as if Ian knows what he was saying! Wow, this is the best session I had with Ian’s pediatrician so far. Hehehe! Very happy.

I think when the doc praised Ian, it is like praising me – mummy is happier than the son. Kekekeke!

Last Christmas, my department held a Christmas party with the theme ‘Tropical Christmas’. As usual, everyone was expected to dress up according to the theme, and there were penalties given to the worst dressed guy – turkey awards. I was too afraid to receive that ‘turkey awards’, so I rented a frutti-trutti hat. And… dadadada! I won the best dress, unexpectedly.

The prize was a Surf and Turf Spa Package at the Sembunyi Spa, Cyberview Lodge Resort and Spa. The gift voucher can only be used during weekdays, exclude public holidays.

Ever since given birth to Ian, I have to work and take care of him, how to go leh? So, delayed, delayed and delayed. Last Sat night when I was cleaning the house, I saw the voucher… Alamak, 10 June is the expiry date. So, have decided to take a day off and enjoy myself yesterday (Wed).

Because it was a weekday, I occupied the whole spa by myself. I soaked in the hot Jacuzzi, immersed in the cold pool, went in to the steam room… but quite boring because I was alone!

Then, the treatment started. It was a private room… Nicely scented. In the room, there was a window, bed, a warm bath…
All started with a traditional Balinese whole body massage. Oohhh… so comfortable that it made me dozed off. The long and soothing strokes, very calming.

Then, followed by scrub. It was sea salt with essential oil and cooling gel. It was meant for detoxifying and cleansing. I felt that my skin is really cleaned after that, from neck to toes (head not included lah!). I dozed off again.

After the scrub, I was wrapped in rich black mud in a warm blanket. It was hot, I was supposed to sweat inside, so I just sweat… and dozed off. (See how calming and soothing the whole thing is, I just keep sleeping – lazy bone mah! Hehehe!)

And finally, I was woke up, and asked to enjoy the Ocean’s Away bath, which is purifying salt and algae bath. Actually this is the smelliest part of the whole package. All the other parts come with nice aroma, but this one really smelled fishy. I was advised to soak in it for 20 minutes (hey, just the bath costs RM60!). But it was just so uncomfortable, imagine I soaked inside the bath with the mud wrap in my body! So, I only managed it for 5 min, then quickly shampooed myself and left the room.

After the spa session, wow, I really felt myself very clean, smoothed, and coated with very nice fragrance – luckily the last part’s smell doesn’t stick on me. The nice feeling and fragrant lingered for another 6 hour or so. Oohhhhh… I now understand how nice is a spa and I wish I could pay for my mom and MIL to join me.

Oh, BTW, the package was RM322. Now it is 295++. How generous my department is! But how can I afford for 3 persons leh? Think first har…

Lately, Ian has been waking up every night searching for nan-nan. His routine is, 2:45am, 3am, 3:30am, 4am, 5am, 7am. DH was mad about it, and blamed it on breastfeeding. He was so furious, on last Wed night when Ian work up at 2:45, I put him back to his cot at 3:00, at 3:07 he woke up crying again.

At that point, DH was so mad that he refrained me from feeding Ian. He scolded and hit Ian’s tight, and then let him cried. Ian cried, cried and cried… until my heart was broken, but still DH refused to let me feed him. So, the cry continued until 4:30, and then finally he got so tired and slept. But at 5am, he work up and cried again. I just fed him, and he slept until 7am, and work up again.

I know it was all my fault. I have been telling other mothers, do not bf babies to sleep if you want to avoid baby relying on McB to sleep. I have been practicing this, and it was successful until now.

Since I came back from India, I have been grounded for a while. When I was so comfortable with Ian, I started to get lazy and always feed him to sleep.

Actually ah, feeding baby to sleep really gives a sense of success leh. Within just 5 to 10 min, he will just switch off and zzzzz. I took the shortcut, and now both Ian and I are suffering.

I really pity him. I don’t understand: since our life is so short and the happy moment is so little, why we must take this little happiness away from him, and make him cry so badly?

I asked DH, but got scolded – he even wanted me to wean Ian from BFG. I think DH’s limit is over liao. What to do? Have to ‘re-train’ Ian to sleep without McB now. My fault, my fault, why so lazy in the first place? Why so enjoy letting Ian sleep in my arms? Why? Stupid me. Irresponsible me…