Seemed like dejavu. Five years ago, found myself identified as a F.u.t.u.r.e L.e.a.d.e.r and was put through a gruesome 9 months of intensive training. Today, got notified that I was identified as an E.m.e.r.g.i.n.g L.e.a.d.e.r and again it comes with a 9 months training! O_o

Back then I was so scared I begged my boss to pull me out. Work itself was busy enough, where got time to go and attend intensive training with more assignments and presentations?! Sadly my boss said just go with it... sure can one. Well, I guess she was right cos afterall I emerged the champion for the individual category. The only female amongst 13 of us and even got featured in the annual report haha. :)

Today, although I feel honored and thankful to be considered for the program, I worry I may not have the time to commit as I used to. With the expanding portfolios, I am already struggling with resources. How?!!! Contemplated begging my boss to pull me out but I have a feeling it will be a waste of time. Briefing on Wednesday by CEO, 3 online assessments by Monday. Guess I better get started.

Please wish me luck! I hope I still have what it takes to complete the training.

Fun Facts about My Pa!

My father is an excellent cook. When he first got married with my mom, he was the one who taught my mom how to cook cos my mom has never cooked before in her life before marriage hahaha! During confinement, I had no appetite at all... so everyday my father would cook my favourite dish himself. Even the CL wanted to learn from him.

Rain or shine my father goes to work daily. Even if he is sick, he will still go to work. No such thing as lull time. After spending time with us after work, sometimes he will work till wee hours in the morning too. Whenever I am on MC, I sometimes feel shy if my father asked me cos ahem sometimes I could have gone to work lah cos not to say very serious also *cough cough*... 

#KiamIAm is my father's middle name wtf! While he will not hesitate to spend on the family, he is super stingy to himself! But nevermind lah, give us a chance to pamper him also hehe.

My father's an auntie killer! Once dunno why we talked about the mini mart lady boss. Both my mom and I said the lady boss is cocky cos she never smiles! But my father said, no ah... she always smiles and is often chatty too! The next time he went to the mini mart, I followed him and true enough the lady boss was a totally different person lol! I think my father is handsome that's why aunties love him! 

My father is a good singer. He participated in a singing competition before and he was the state winner! My mom said when they first got married, aunties will crowd around when my father cooks cos that would be concert time for them hahahahaha!

#HappyFathersDay
#CookiesJar

Woot! Thanks for liking my stories of Pa yesterday! Actually as much as my father is cool, he was also a very strict father. We are very similar in our temperaments and behavior, thus we do have lots of heated arguments too. But our arguments were never unresolved and when we cool down, we will talk to one another again as if nothing happened wtf.

My father will always say when I grow up, I will slowly understand his intentions but believe me when I was growing up, I never understood his intentions until much later... Why? Because my father believes in tough love.

For someone who works super hard, obviously nonsense were rarely tolerated. Growing up, Pa showered us with lots of love but also a fair share of tough love. Like on the surface, he makes you suffer but actually beneath the surface it was for a good cause.

"Nothing Comes Free without Hardwork!"

I used to be a lazy kid. For some strange reasons, I always end up getting 7th place in class. Things change the year my brother entered standard 1, I was in standard 5. Dude got 1st place in class boohoo! That semester break, my father took us to the mall...

He told my brother he is free to buy whatever he wants. Woahhh I also felt so syiok lah and patiently waited for my father to ask me! But he never did! In the end I got impatient and asked him myself! He said why should I get anything when my result was nothing to be proud of? #HeartShatters

FML but from then onwards I studied harder and always got into the top 3 placing! When I scored straight As for my UPSR, my father got me a watch hehe. But really, this was one of the most unforgettable lessons that made me buck up in my studies...  

"No Excuses!"

So I was from the Science stream. Dunno why I ended up studying Business and had to take up Accounts as a subject. I seriously hated it and I think I have not been able to balance a single sheet ever! Once, right before my exams, I told my father I might fail Accounts cos you know lah never study Accounts before in secondary school ma, it's a tough feat lor...

Instead of being sympathetic my father told me, if I fail, I might as well pack my school bags and kiss college goodbye cos he is not gonna waste money on someone who doesn't appreciate the opportunity. I can go and be a sales girl at the mall or go be a fish monger wtf! Woahhh scared die me, I went and did super lots of exercises on Accounts! Tho I wasn't very good at it at least I passed hehehe!

"When There's A Will, There's A Way!"

When I was 21yo, my father asked me to settle a house transfer case gone wrong. To cut long story short, we trusted our relative who took my father's money under the pretext of investing in a property. But the fella went and bought the house under his own name. In the end he could not afford to keep the house so my father bought over his share. Problem is, my father's name was never on the deed.

He basically just gave me the lawyer's contact and told me to settle it. No if no but. Time to show him if my years of education was worthwhile. I remembered waking up in the middle of the night in cold sweat cos the progress of the transfer was super duper slow! Each time my father asked me for a report, I piss in my pants a little. By the end of the transfer, I have known the inside out of buying and transferring properties hahaha! Actually it was pretty simple just need to follow up like mad.

"Conquer Your Fear(s)!"

So my father sent me for a driving test. I passed 50/50 for the written test. Came practical test, I passed also la but I was a clumsy driver. Begged my father to buy me an auto car instead of a manual one but he said once you know how to drive a manual car, you will be able to drive just about any cars! So manual it was! 

When I first got my car, I was clumsy as hell lor and my father would call me every morning to ask me if I have reached office! He would time the call nicely and would often call when I am having my breakfast! After several months ok maybe a year, my driving skills finally improved! 

"Perseverance!"

My first job was with a public listed company. With over 3k employees, obviously competition was tough and office politics aplenty. So many times I tried to convince my father that quitting is the best option for me. But each time, it will end up with door slamming and lots of sulking (on my part haha).

Thing is, fierce competition and office politics are everywhere. If I give up so quickly, when I encounter the same thing again in my next job, will I run away again? How many times can I run away? Besides my father said it is always better to leave on a high note than leave admitting defeat. So I persevered on and achieved one of the highest awards in the company.

When a job offer landed on my lap, my father said I am free to decide myself for I have matured & gathered sufficient skills to try out new horizons. As much as I hate to admit, my father was right. Whatever that I learnt was really mine to keep forever. Leaving on a high note definitely was a great thing considering I was asked to go back twice. 

"Thank You Pa!"

Now that I am a mommy myself, I realized how hard it must have been to let go of the need to protect and shield our children for as long as we could. At some point, children needs to be coerced to explore themselves and be exposed to the cause and effects of their actions. Nothing great ever comes nicely prepared on a silver platter. Personally, I feel that there isn't right or wrong parenting methods. As much as I protested to some of his methods, they all worked to my advantage years later.

So for that, I will always be eternally grateful to my father for pushing my boundaries and always supporting me when I needed advise, guidance and help.  #CookiesJar

My father came from a small town in Negeri Sembilan. At a young age, he was chased out of home by his stepmom and came to KL with only 20 bucks. Believe it or not, rags to riches is really possible. My father became his own boss in his early twenties and had never looked back since. Had it not been for a heart condition, I am certain he would be working till 99yo not because he needed the money but because he cannot stand being idle. Throughout the years, my father taught me many important lessons in life. Many of which became my personal barometer in life too.

"Preparation comes from Working Hard. There is no Shortcut!"

My father always say; opportunities are only opportunities to those who are prepared. Don't be afraid of working hard and don't just think about shortcuts! Step by step, slowly but surely. He obviously worked very hard and grabbed every single opportunity by the horn despite numerous set backs encountered.

When I was a junior, I had this senior who always took credit for my work. Whatever analysis that was required, he would ask me to send them to him and he in turn would send them out to the bosses; conveniently omitting my name from the list. His reason was that he needed to 'check' my work although the same analysis were circulated with no additional add ons.

I spent countless hours crying to my father but he told me to persevere cos whatever skills that I learn would be mine to keep forever. Eventually when opportunities come, I would be more than adequate to grab hold of them. True enough there was a restructure and they were closing down our department. Other departments were asked to absorb the headcounts and I was one of those who were hand picked to join a top team. The rest were then thrown around the organization; my senior included.

"Be Filial & Responsible"

My father was chased out of home by his stepmom and his relationship with my grandfather wasn't exactly great. When my grandfather suffered a stroke, he needed someone to care for him. At that point, he was already separated with my step grandmother. My father has 7 siblings altogether but nobody wanted to take on the responsibility, everyone was more for putting my grandfather in the old folks home altho my grandfather made it clear that he doesn't want to...

I saw with my own eyes how everyone conveniently gave tonnes of excuses as to why their homes were not suitable although they have more than enough rooms at home. In the end, it was my father and my mommy who cared for my grandfather till his very last breath. At the end of my grandfather's journey, he finally acknowledged that of all his kids, although my father was hot tempered, he was the most filial one and also the most successful one despite not taking his money.

Even when my step grandmother was admitted to the old folks home, it was my father who paid for her monthly expenses. Personally I think it takes a big heart to forgive someone who chased you out of home so early in life and to repay with such kindness when the own son migrated to another country quickly.

"Protect My Pride & Dignity"

My father always tells us that no matter how dire the situation, try not to borrow money from anyone. Debt can be repaid but gratitude debt remains a lifetime. For someone who came to KL with only 20 bucks, one can only imagine the kind of hardship he has to go thru. And yet he never once took any money from anyone. If anything, I really respect my father for his perseverance for if not for him, we would not be able to live comfortably or even be educated to get a head start in life.

When I first started working, my father got me a car with a substantial down payment. But he also made sure I have the responsibility of paying for my own car with 1/3 of my salary for 3 years. He could have opted for 7 years or 9 years loan for me or heck buy off the whole car for me but nope, I needed to learn the value of money myself.

Needless to say as a young adult, the temptation to shop, to party and to enjoy new found freedom was aplenty. I was always strapped for cash. Once 3 days before CNY, when everyone else was done with their CNY shopping except me, my father gave me RM1K in cash to shop for myself. I remembered crying on the spot for I felt so ashamed that as a working adult I still had to take money from my father.

From then on, I vowed to better manage my own finances and not be a disgrace to my father. From a miserable 50 bucks a month for my parents each, the amount has grown many many folds today. Every single Ringgit I gave my father used to be wrapped together in a rubber band in his safe. It was not the amount he said, it's the thought.

I guess that is why I always spoil my parents with gifts and holidays on top of what I give them monthly for I am certain that my father is proud that I am able to stand on my own two feet and that I can hands in heart say that I've never taken money from anyone else; well except the RM1K la hahaha.

"Happy Father's Day Pa!"

Happy Father's Day Pa!!! Thank you for all the guidance and advise all these years! Without you, I will not even be half of who I am today. Actually till today I go to my father for advise whenever I am in a dilemma hehe. I lup you Pa!!!

P.S. Gonna ask @nainai to share this with my father and see if his words of wisdom are accurately represented hahaha!