Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers Review

Twin Towers Malaysia - Sky Bridge

If you are on a holiday in Kuala Lumpur; Malaysia, visiting Menara Petronas or Petronas Twin Towers at KLCC will no doubt be in your "To Visit" list. However, you should note that visiting the Menara Petronas or Petronas Twin Towers is not the same like visiting all other elevated observation point in other countries where you can just pop by any time and buy the tickets and go straight up the elevator. Rather, tickets are issued on a first come first served basis for time allocated visits daily (except for Mondays when they are closed). 

Twin Towers Malaysia - View of KLCC Park from the Sky Bridge

Twin Towers Malaysia - View from level 41


Tickets to Menara Petronas or Petronas Twin Towers can be purchased from the ticket counter at Concourse Level Petronas Twin Towers which opens at 8.30am. Do note that some people will arrive early and therefor even if you come down at 9.30am, you might only get your hands on the tickets at 11.30am and that is only for say the 4.00pm visit. You can't buy tickets in advance too. Tickets sold are limited and are only for the day. Online tickets are also not available at the moment (staff say that this facility will only be available FROM June 2012 onwards - read earliest is June 2012 but we can't promise anything- ) The last allocated visit for the day is at 6.15pm. So, if you think you can go up the Menara Petronas / Petronas Twin Towers to enjoy the beautiful night view of Kuala Lumpur skyline, you will be disappointed. 

Tickets to Menara Petronas or Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers are at :
RM50 (adults) / RM25 (child; above 3 years)
RM 25 (adult - local) / RM25 (child, local)

Read the fine print at the Petronas Twin Towers official web page; no food or drink is allowed at Petronas Sky Bridge (level 41) and the observation deck at level 86. And all bags / luggages are to be stowed away at their locker space.There are no f&b outlet at the top, so, squash that idea of enjoying the beautiful view with a cuppa and chilling out at the top.  The souvenir shop is also located at the Concourse Level which you can browse through while waiting for your allocated time visit. So, basically, when you are up there, you can just admire the view and snap a few pictures and that's it. Frankly speaking, I don't know what is Petronas intention in promoting the Twin Towers as a tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur when the facilities provided are like half-hearted efforts. 

KL Kids Attraction : Menara Petronas


My 4 year old at the Sky Bridge of Petronas Twin Towers, nothing much for kids here.


Be sure to be at the Concourse level of Petronas Twin Towers 10 minutes before your allocated time, you will then go through a scanner and be lead into a waiting area. A staff will then announce "Please proceed to the lift" and you just follow a quiet guide who will appear mysteriously from an unmarked door behind a pillar, while wondering "err.. is this correct? Am I suppose to follow her? Why is there no sign for the lift?" 

When reaching level 41 of Menara Petronas / Petronas Twin Towers, a guide will give a brief introduction of the purpose of the sky bridge (to facilitate movement of office workers in the two towers in the event of emergencies) and you are free to roam to admire the view from the sky bridge of Kuala Lumpur's Twin Towers. There is nothing fantastic about the view from this level (10 minutes max) , I would say but maybe some like to differ. 

Menara Petronas : the much better view from level 81

Menara Petronas : View from level 81


Next, we took a small elevator up to level 81 and the view there is much better. My kids were quite happy looking out of the glass windows of the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers  and running around the area. 15-20 minutes are quite enough for this level I would say. 

Malaysia Twin Towers; yes! we were that high up.. shudder..


All in all, the visit to Malaysia's Twin Towers is ok but not worth the effort of queuing up for the tickets for someone who dislike hassle like me. Maybe, when the online tickets facilities are up and running and if you can get the 6.15pm time slot, it will be much nicer. Sigh, if only they can throw in a romantic cafe at the top, instrumental music and open up for evening visits too..

If you are thinking of taking the LRT to Petronas Twin Towers, take the RapidKL Kelana Jaya line to KLCC Station. If you are staying in Bukit Bintang area, I would suggest that you walk to Pavillion, cross over to KL Convention Centre and take the tunnel connector to Suria KLCC instead of taking a cab during peak hours. 

My no 2 chilling out by the window at Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers @ Level 81

If you are also looking for other places of interest in Kuala Lumpur and are still in the planning stage of your trip, why not give "Map Your Adventure" by Amanda Villaruel from Backpacking Tips Asia a try? Their e-book chapter on Malaysia and Singapore is a steal at $3.95 and covers:


  • List of Must-sees and Must-do's in Malaysia/ Singapore
  • How to travel around in Malaysia
  • How to buy tickets in Malaysia and Singapore (buses, trains and ferries)
  • 6 different Malaysia backpacking routes with recommended duration, transportation methods and tips on saving time.


 Click here for more details! 

Monday, February 20, 2012

Surau / Prayer Room at Night Safari Singapore



We visited Singapore Night Safari the other day before Maghrib and was wondering whether there was any prayer room there. We were pleasantly surprised to know that there is one and the staff at the ticket counter brought us to the reception area of Singapore Night Safari for the reception staff to accompany us to the prayer room. 

Outside Night Safari Singapore


The prayer room / surau at Singapore Night Safari is also used for first aid, so it's just a small room with a small sink and some sejadahs and qiblat sign. No telekung is provided. Nonetheless, for a non-Muslim country and a non-Muslim owned attraction in Singapore, I am quite pleased with their thoughtful gesture. The only downside to it is that the prayer room is outside the Singapore Night Safari entrance, therefor, you have to perform your Maghrib first before going inside the Singapore Night Safari attraction. 

my kids playing inside the Night Safari Singapore praying room


You can pass the time with the fish spa and the very entertaining tribal fire show at 7.00pm (next shows are at 8.00pm and 9.00pm) I couldn't get a good spot for the fire show but there are some good videos on you tube such as this one:





Try to avoid going on weekends or public holidays as the queue are horrendous. We went once during a public holiday and was sweating in queue for the tram for about 30 minutes ( at that time, we didn't know that we can also explore the area on foot).

If you are going to Night Safari with small kids, I do hope that it is not at the end of a very long day cos by then they would be to tired to explore the Night Safari on foot and will want to be carried all the time which will then be very taxing for you. There is no scooter or stroller rental facilities here that I know of.

One of the caves at Night Safari Singapore, which is the only decent picture I managed to take with two clingy kids using long shutter mode :(


Getting a picture while on the tram is a bit difficult as the light is really dim and the night function requires long shutter time which is not realistic on a moving tram. The tram ride is quite ok, with hyenas and foxes, elephants, hippos, and rhinos, but towards the end of it there were a lot of pigs, deers and buffalos which for us asians are quite a common sight.  

Be sure to catch the "Creatures of The Night" show to make the expensive entrance fee worthwhile if you are not going to explore the whole of Night Safari on foot. I had wanted to explore the cave where the bats are free flying above your head but without mosquito repellent and the kids acting up after just exploring half of the east lodge trail, we decided to detour back and head for home. You can follow the suggested itinerary by Wildlife Reserves Singapore here.

Singapore Night Safari is open daily from 7.30 pm till 12.00 midnight and last admission is at 11.00pm.Tickets (inclusive of tram ride) are at SGD32.00 (adults) and SGD21.00 (child 3 years and above) or purchase the park hopper at SGD42.00 and SGD28.00 for Singapore Zoo + Singapore Night Safari OR Jurong Bird Park + Singapore Night Safari. If you are thinking of going to all three parks then tickets are at SGD58.00 and SGD38.00 respectively. 

Get the information on how to get to Singapore Night Safari here.


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USS After Hours Review

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Asian Recipe: Lemak Cili Padi

My Humble Lemak Cili Api


Mom-in-law is staying over for the week and hubby requested for Ayam Lemak Cili Padi (Chicken in creamy sauce with bird's eye chilies - what a mouthful!) Guess who had to crush the onions and bird's eye chilies using the traditional mortar? Yup.. yours truly.. I guess I had to prepare it the traditional way. Would much prefer to just blend the ingredients but yeah I guess the Ayam Lemak Cili Padi did turn out nicer. 

Untuk Bahasa Melayu, sila skrol ke bawah.

Ingredients for Ayam Lemak Cili Padi:

1 medium sized onion
3 cloves garlic
5 green bird's eye chilies
2 red bird's eye chilies

Above ingredients are either to be blended or crushed using the mortar.

3tbsp vegetable oil
1 inch young ginger - bruised
2 stalk of lemongrass- bruised
4 pieces of chicken
salt to taste
turmeric powder - optional if you want the dish to be yellow in color-
some water - about 2 cups
1 packet creamy coconut milk powder, dissolved in 1 cup water 

How to cook Ayam Lemak Cili Padi:

1. Heat up the oil in the saucepan and add in the blended ingredients.
2. Add in the ginger and lemongrass.
3. Add in the turmeric if you are using.
4. Add in water and chicken and let it simmer for 45 mins. Adding more water if it gets too dry.
5. Lastly, add in the coconut milk and salt. 

Ramuan untuk Lemak Cili Api:

1 bawang besar - sederhana besar
3 bawang putih
5 cili padi hijau
2 cili padi merah 

Ramuan di atas samada dikisar atau ditumbuk halus.

3 sdm minyak masak
1 inci halia muda - ditumbuk
2 tangkai serai - ditumbuk
4 keping ayam
garam 
serbuk kunyit - jika inginkan warna kuning
air dalam 2 cawan
1 kotak kecil santan atau 1 peket santan kering dicampurkan dengan 1 cawan air.

Cara-cara memasak Lemak Cili Api:

1. Panaskan minyak dan tumis bahan-bahan kisar.
2. Masukkan halia dan serai.
3. Masukkan serbuk kunyit jika mahu. 
4. Masukkan air dan ayam dan renihkan buat 45 minit. Tambahkan air jika perlu.
5. Masukkan santan dan garam. 

Selamat Mencuba!

Thai Beef Stir Fry

Thai Beef Stir Fry

Untuk Bahasa Melayu, sila skrol di bawah.

Today, I decided to do a variation of the Thai Basil Beef that I did the other day as hubby said that it tasted nice but different from the Pad Kaprow that we are used to in the thai restaurants. So, after a visit to Koh Nam Thai Restaurant (not too sure about the name) when we were back for a short while in Singapore last week, I tried to mimic their Thai Beef Stir Fry (Pad Kaprow / Thai Beef Basil). 

Ingredients for the improvised Thai Beef Stir Fry are simple and as such:


3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium sized shallots - sliced
1 inch young ginger - bruised
1 green chili - sliced
3 tbsp fish sauce
6 tbsp sweet soya sauce
50g thai basil
300gm minced meat
Some water - about 1/2 cup

How to cook the Thai Beef Stir Fry:


1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sautee the onion, ginger and chili.
2. Add in the fish sauce and soya sauce.
3. Add in the minced meat and basil.
4. Add in some water if necessary to prevent the dish from being too dry.

Serve with steamed white rice.

Resepi Pad Kaprow:


3 sdm minyak masak
1 bawang besar - dihiris
1 inci halia muda - diketuk
1 tangkai cili hijau - di hiris
3 sdm sos ikan
6 sdm kicap manis
50g daun selasih
300gm daging cincang
sedikit air - dalam 1/2 cwn

Cara-cara memasak Pad Karpow:


1. Panaskan minyak di atas kuali dan tumiskan bawang, halia dan cili hijau.
2. Masukkan sos ikan dan kicap manis.
3. Tambahkan daging cincang dan daun selasih.
4. Tambahkan air jika perlu supaya lauk tidak terlalu kering.

Hidangkan bersama nasi putih.

Selamat Mencuba!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Singapore For Children, Walking With Dinosaurs at Science Centre

Singapore for Children: T-Rex at the entrance of Dinosaur-Live
Back in Singapore again with the kids, this time around we decided to go to Dinosaur Live at The Annexe, Science Centre Singapore. If you are on holiday in Singapore with kids, you might want to check this place out especially if you are headed to Snow City as well. This exhibition will go on till 26 February 2012. 

Singapore for Children: A child enjoying a dino ride.

All entrance to the dinosaur exhibition includes entrance to Science Centre. For admission charges please view their website here. My two sons (3 yrs + and 20 months old) enjoyed the dinosaur exhibition very much (we went in twice) but didn't enjoy the science centre at all as they are a bit too young for it. I would say age 7 and above is best to enjoy the Science Centre. The exhibits are a bit too advanced and wordy for my young kids with climate change and genome and what nots. There is a water play area and a kinetic garden outside the Science Centre and the kids enjoyed that very much. There is also a McDonald's there. 

Singapore for Children: Cryolophosaurus at Dinosaur Live

Hmm..These are not triceratops.. but I can't seem to remember their names.


The Science Centre is an 8 minutes walk from Jurong East MRT Station and is open daily from 10.00 am - 6.00 pm.

Singapore for Children: Triceratops!

Singapore for Children: The Dig Pit at Dinosaur Live

These are just some picture of the dinosaurs live exhibits at The Annexe, Science Centre and the kids water play area at the Science Centre Singapore. On hindsight, I think I should have taken my kids to Singapore Discovery Centre and Army Museum of Singapore at Upper Jurong Road (nearest MRT is Joo Koon Station) instead. Oh well, that's maybe our next place to head to with our kids the next trip back to Singapore then.

Water Play Area at Science Centre
Singapore Kids Activities : Water Play at Science Centre
Singapore With Kids: When the weather is hot, water play is the best answer then!







Monday, February 13, 2012

Universal Studios After Hours Review

Universal Studios After Hours 
The previous time we went to Universal Studios Singapore at Resort World Sentosa, we didn't take much pictures so I thought this time around, we can try the Universal Studios After Hours to catch the fireworks and snap some pictures. 

We arrived at USS at about 7.00pm as tickets for Universal Studios After Hours are only available on-site from 6.30pm onwards. Tickets are at SGD5.00 per person with kids under 2 years of age entering free.

We thought of praying Maghrib, grab a bite at the halal restaurant at Universal Studios Singapore and go around the place a bit while waiting for the fireworks at 9.00pm. 

Halal Restaurant at Universal Studios Singapore; Mel's Drive In

Iced Tea slurp!

Food tasted nice, a bit like Burger King and my kids ate well :)


Here's what happened:

1) Prayer room in Universal Studios Singapore has been relocated to the Sci-Fi Section, which was closed by then to prepare for the fireworks event. So, best to perform your Maghrib first before going in for Universal Studios After Hours.

2) All the rides have been closed by 7.00pm and the only sections opened for public are "Hollywood" "New York" and "Madagascar" which you can pretty much cover in 20 mins. Picture taking opportunities are thus very limited.

3) There are no other forms of shows / entertainment from 7.00pm - 9.00pm and my kids were dead bored after eating for 30 mins and walking around the dimly lit streets for 20 mins. 

4) Fireworks were super loud and colorful but scared my 3 year old son though my 2 year old enjoyed it very much. It lasted maybe for about 10 minutes. 

Below are some pictures taken during Universal Studios After Hours, if you are considering coming down just to see what USS has to offer, I would say forget it, its not the same as the real thing during the day time, if you are already in Sentosa (maybe staying at the hotel there and has nothing better to do at night with the kids) and are going for USS After Hours for the fireworks, I would suggest that you come at 8.40pm. 

@ USS New York section

USS After Hours

Still at New York section of USS

The only thing that is entertaining-ish to the kids at USS After Hours

Some Snippets of the fireworks show, pardon the shaky hubby hands :p







Still planning your Singapore trip? Try reading "Map Your Adventure" by Amanda Villaruel from Backpacking Tips Asia. Their e-book chapter on Malaysia and Singapore is a steal at $3.95 and covers:


  • List of Must-sees and Must-do's in Malaysia/ Singapore
  • How to travel around in Malaysia
  • How to buy tickets in Malaysia and Singapore (buses, trains and ferries)
  • 6 different Malaysia backpacking routes with recommended duration, transportation methods and tips on saving time.


 Click here for more details!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Mandarin Oriental KL



On one of my father's business trips to Kuala Lumpur, the company booked him into Mandarin Oriental KL and we snapped some pictures while we were there visiting my father. I really like the Mandarin Oriental Hotel KL's location, it is just next to Suria KLCC Shopping Centre with a covered walkway from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel KL to Suria KLCC.

Covered Walkway from Mandarin Oriental KL to Suria KLCC

There are actually a number of hotels which are near to KLCC namely Trader's Hotel, Ascott Serviced Apartments and Impiana Hotel but Hyatt and St Regis are also due to open its doors soon (OK maybe St Regis is still a few years away I think). 

But what I liked about Mandarin Oriental Hotel KL other then the very convenient location is that it is also very child friendly with a wading pool, kids menu, coloring pens and kids utensils in all restaurants in the hotel and a babysitting service although chargeable at RM15/hour and advance notice of 24 hours required.  

Mandarin Oriental KL's Mosaic Restaurant is also halal certified by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) which is another plus point for Muslim tourists. But then again the hotel is so near to KLCC that you can just pop by KLCC Shopping Centre for breakkfast, lunch and dinner.

Here are some pictures of the hotel room.


Mandarin Oriental KL Hotel Room
Mandarin Oriental KL Hotel Room

Mandarin Oriental KL - Toilet


Mandarin Oriental KL - Hotel Room's Toilet
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Saturday, February 11, 2012

Contoh Resume Melayu

Di bawah ini adalah contoh resume Bahasa Melayu bagi rujukan mereka yang sedang mencari pekerjaan. Post ini adalah lanjutan dari post sebelumnya yang menumpukan terhadapa cover letter / surat permohonan kerja. 

Contoh resume Bahasa Melayu adalah seperti berikut:




      Gambar 
      anda di sini.
 

Name: Nur Islam Binte Abdullah
Alamat: No2 Jalan Anggerik,123456 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia                                                          
No K/P: A-123456789
Tarikh lahir: 1 Januari 1989
No Tel: +60123456789                                                                                                                 


Sekilas Pandang
Seorang ketua kerani akaun – penghutang dan pemiutang, di sebuah syarikat pemaju tanah yang sedang mempertingkat dirinya dengan pengajian ACCA secara separuh masa. Selesa bekerja dengan angka dan mendapat kepuasan secara peribadi apabila tugasan disiapkan secara teliti dan teratur. Pengajian separuh masa memberikan gambaran lebih luas akan bidang pengakaunan membuatkan saya peka akan perubahan-perubahan terkini dalam bidang yang mencabar ini. Rancangan jangka panjang adalah untuk menyumbang kepada syarikat sebagai akauntan yang telus dan menjaga kewangan syarikat dengan sebaiknya dengan mengimbangi antara peluang perniagaan dan risiko perniagaan.


Pencapaian Penting


  • Mengemaskini prosedur pembayaran gaji lebih waktu bagi pekerja-pekerja kontrak yang menghasilkan tenaga kerja yang lebih bersemangat dan fokus yang secara tidak langsung mengurangkan kemalangan di tapak pembinaan.
  • Mengemaskini prosedur mengawal baki dalam akaun penghutang dan pemiutang yang membantu syarikat mengurangkan perbelanjaan sebanyak RM25,000 setahun bagi kos faedah bank.
  • Ditugaskan untuk membantu menyiapkan buku lejar dan imbangan duga syarikat.
  • Dinaikkan pangkat kepada ketua kerani akaun – penghutang dan pemiutang, setelah 1 tahun menyandang jawatan sebagai kerani akaun.

Kemahiran Utama
                           
  • Kompeten dalam menyiapkan imbangan duga dan penyata kewangan syarikat.
  • Mahir dalam Quickbooks Pro dan Moneyworks.
  • Mudah mempelajari software perakaunan yang lain.
  • Kompeten dalam pengggunanan Microsoft Words, Excel, Powerpoint dan Access.

Kemahiran Bahasa

  • Bahasa Malaysia (Tulisan dan Tuturan)
  • Bahasa Inggeris (Tulisan dan Tuturan)
  • Bahasa Mandarin (Tulisan)
                            

Pengalaman Pekerjaan

                                

Ketua Kerani Akaun; Penghutang dan Pemiutang Januari 2011 hingga kini
(A-team Builder Sdn Bhd, Petaling Jaya)

Bertanggung jawab dalam memastikan baki dalam akaun penghutang dan pemiutang adalah di dalam had yang ditetapkan dan dasar pembayaran / pungutan hutang adalah menguntungkan syarikat. Juga menyelia sekumpulan kerani akaun dan memastikan hubungan syarikat dan penghutan/pemiutang adalah baik. Kemahiran yang banyak membantu adalah menetapkan tempoh masa kerja yang realistik bagi kumpulan dan sifat tegas tetapi mudah didekati dengan rakan sekerja dan penghutang / pemiutang. 


Kerani Akaun 
Januari 2010 hingga Disember 2010
(A-team Builder Sdn Bhd, Petaling Jaya)

Bertanggung jawab akan buku-buku lejar syarikat dan pengendalian tuntutan “Petty Cash". Kemahiran yang banyak membantu adalah sifat amanah dan telus serta penganalisaan setiap tuntutan dan catatan dalam buku-buku lejar untuk memastikan setiap catatan adalah sah.

Pengajian

ACCA (2011 - kini)
Universiti ABC, Kuala Lumpur

Diploma Perakaunan (2006-2009)
Kolej Internasional XYZ, Kuala Lumpur

Sijil Pengajian Malaysia (2005)
8 Kredit (nyatakan subjek-subjek yang diambil)


Seperti yang dapat dilihat pada contoh resume Bahasa Melayu di atas, resume merangkumi beberapa butiran seperti berikut:

Sekilas Pandang : 

Gambaran mengenai diri anda secara professional, termasuk bidang pekerjaan, tahap pengalaman dan industri yang anda berkecimpung di dalamnya.  Ringkaskan pengalaman, kemahiran, pencapaian dan pendidikan yang relevan bagi menunjukkan kelayakan anda bagi jawatan yang dipohon. 


Pencapaian Penting :

Pencapaian kerjaya anda yang paling beerti (nyatakan dalam bentuk yang boleh dihitung “quantifiable”) yang sesuai dengan jawatan yang dikehendaki:


  • Contoh pencapaian yang memberi kesan yang positif terhadap syarikat yang sebelumnya
  • Pencapaian yang mendukung objektif karier anda
  • Pencapaian penting yang melahirkan natijah yang dapat dihitung “quantifiable results”
  • Pencapaian, anugerah atau kenaikan pangkat.



Kemahiran Utama :

Kemahiran teknikal dan “soft Skills iaitu sifat, tabiat sikap dan adab” yang relevan bagi jawatan yang diinginkan. (Memadai dengan 4 sahaja)

Pengalaman Pekerjaan:

Mulakan dengan yang terbaru dan sertakan dengan setiap pengalaman butiran berikut:

Penjelasan akan peranan, tanggungjawab dan pencapaian anda dalam jawatan ini, tekankan bahagian-bahagian yang relevan dengan jawatan yang diinginkan. Tekankan juga kemahiran atau cirri-ciri peribadi anda yang membolehkan anda berjaya dalam jawatan ini dan mendukung objektif karier anda:
  • Senaraikan pencapaian utama anda dengan memberikan contoh-contoh yang “quantifiable” di mana tugasan anda telah memanfaatkan syarikat.
  • Sertakan kemahiran atau sifat-sifat yang mendukung kebolehan anda untuk berjaya dalam objektif karier anda. 
  • Senaraikan pencapaian lain yang berkait dengan jawatan yang diinginkan.

Semoga post ini bermanfaat untuk anda. Happy Job Hunting!

Baca post saya mengenai contoh cover letter di sini.




Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Surat Permohonan Kerja

Mencari pekerjaan adalah satu perkara yang akan dilalui oleh hampir setiap orang pada satu ketika dalam kehidupan mereka. Seringkali ini berlaku tatkala kita baru selesai pengajian dan tidak mempunyai pengalaman dalam mencari perkerjaan. Antara cara-cara untuk mencari pekerjaan adalah dengan melihat iklan di akhbar (seksyen klassified) atau dengan melayari laman-laman pekerjaan seperti jobstreet.com, jobsDB.com dan sebagainya.

Dalam mencari pekerjaan, perkara yang pertama yang memberikan bakal majikan gambaran yang positif atau sebaliknya mengenai kita adalah melalui surat permohonan kerja (cover letter) dan resume. Sebaiknya surat pemohonan kerja ini disesuaikan dengan jawatan dan syarikat yang dipohon. Ini dapat meningkatkan lagi peluang anda untuk disenaraikan antara mereka yang dipanggil untuk temu ramah. Elakkan dari menghantar surat permohonan kerja dan resume yang umum dan menghantar surat permohonan jawatan dan resume yang sama bagi semua jawatan.  

Cover letter / surat permohonan kerja  adalah peluang anda "memasarkan" diri anda kepada majikan. Pastikan anda tekankan kemahiran dan sikap anda yang kritikal bagi jawatan yang dipohon. Contohnya apabila memohon bagi jawatan pegawai pemasaran, anda boleh menekankan bahawa anda adalah seorang yang ceria, peramah dan senang berinteraksi dengan pelbagai pihak. Anda juga memiliki lesen motor / kereta yang memudahkan anda keluar bertemu dengan pelanggan. Apabila memohon jawatan sebagai pegawai akaun pula, anda perlu tekankan sikap anda yang teliti, selesa bekerja dengan angka dan boleh bekerja secara berdikari. Jika memohon pekerjaan sebagai guru tadika pula, tekankan bahawa anda adalah seorang yang senang berinteraksi dengan kanak-kanak, penyayang, penyabar dan suka memperkenalkan perkara-perkara baru kepada kanak-kanak.

Di bawah ini adalah contoh cover letter bagi jawatan pegawai akaun.


Nur Islam
No 2 Jalan Anggerik
123456 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia 
nurislam@email.com
+60123456789

1 Januari 2012

Puan Rohayah; Pengurus Sumber Manusia, 
ABC Networks,
123 Jalan Indah,
#28-01, ABC Towers,
60000 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Puan Rohayah,

PERMOHONAN KERJA SEBAGAI PEGAWAI EKSEKUTIF AKAUN (NO. RUJUKAN A123456)

Perkara di atas adalah dirujuk. Saya ingin memohon jawatan Pegawai Eksekutif Akaun di syarikat Puan seperti yang tersiar di dalam iklan akhbar Berita Malaysia pada Isnin, 29 Disember 2011.  Bersama ini saya lampirkan resume saya untuk dipertimbangkan.

Untuk makluman Puan, saya kini sedang bertugas sebagai Ketua Kerani Akaun; Pemiutang dan Penghutang di sebuah syarikat hartanah dan sudah menjawat jawatan ini selama 1 tahun. Pengalaman saya ini telah melengkapkan saya dengan kemahiran-kemahiran yang kritikal sebagai Pegawai Eksekutif Akaun iaitu cara bekerja yang tulus, minda yang kritikal dan mampu mengendali tekanan apabila berhadapan dengan keterbatasan waktu. Saya juga adalah seorang yang  mampu bekerja secara berdikari dan senang berinteraksi dengan pelbagai pihak.  

Saya boleh dihubungi di +60123456789 bagi sebarang perjelasan jika pihak Puan memerlukan butiran lebih lanjut. Saya berharap agar dapat menyumbangkan khidmat saya di syarikat Puan. Segala pertimbangan pihak Puan saya dahului dengan ucapan terima kasih. 

Yang Benar, 
Nur Islam

Baca post saya mengenai contoh resume di sini.


Versi Bahasa Inggeris:

Nur Islam
No 2 Jalan Anggerik
123456 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia 
nurislam@email.com
+60123456789

1 Januari 2012

Mdm Rohayah; Human Resource Manager, 
ABC Networks,
123 Jalan Indah,
#28-01, ABC Towers,
60000 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Dear Mdm Rohayah,

APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE (REF NO. A123456)

With reference to the above, I would like to apply for the position of Accounts Executive as advertised by your company in Berita Malaysia's classifieds dated 29 December 2011.Attached is my resume for your perusal. 

For your information, I am currently working as an Accounts Clerk - Lead; A/P & A/R in a real estate company and have occupied this position for 1 year now. My experience in this position has equipped me with skills critical to the position of an Accounts Executive, namely being meticulous, having a critical mind and ability to handle pressure when faced with a deadline. I am also by nature an independent person who is also able to interact with people at different levels.  

I am available at  +60123456789 for further clarification should you require more details. Thank you for your kind consideration and I hope that I am able to contribute to your esteemed organization.

Sincerely, 
Nur Islam



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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Thai Basil Chicken


Thai Basil Chicken Recipe

Thai Basil Chicken or Basil Beef is our favorite dish in any Thai restaurant when we are in a mood for a simple and satisfying meal. It is simply served with white steamed rice and a sunny side up egg. My favorite is always beef basil, today I decided to try it out chicken basil instead. I used chicken fillet instead of minced chicken meat as I find chicken fillet to be more satisfying. 

Below is the Pad Kaprow or Thai Basil Chicken / Beef recipe:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium sized onion - sliced
1 inch bruised young ginger
3 green bird's eyes chilies - sliced
250gm chicken fillet
a handful of Thai Basil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sweet soya sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
Some water
salt to taste

How to cook Pad Kaprow or Thai Basil Chicken / Beef:

1. Heat up the vegetable oil in a saucepan and sautee the onion, chilies and ginger.
2. Add in the meat, cook till simmering and add in the sauces and basil leaves.
3. Add in some water if the dish is too dry for your liking and salt to taste.

Note:

1. If you think that you need more sauce, you can increase the fish sauce to 2 tbsp, sweet soya sauce to 2 tbsp, oyster sauce to 3 tbsp.

2. If your fish sauce is the salty type, you can add in a bit more water and then balance the taste with 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp of sugar.


Happy trying, any inputs are welcome :)

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Thai Tom Yum Soup Recipe




This is a simple tom yum soup recipe, I omit the chilies and make it very mild so that it is suitable for my small kids. I would not say that it is an authentic Thai Tom Yum Koong that you have to slog over the stove for, rather it is an easy to prepare mild tom yum for the days that you just want a simple soup to sip on a hot afternoon. 

Ingredients for my simple thai tom yum recipe are as such:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion-sliced
1 inch young ginger - bruised
2 stalk of lemongrass - bruised 
5 kaffir lime leaves - shredded
3 tbsp fish sauce
juice of 2- 3 lime
water as needed
broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, fresh mushrooms, fresh prawns, squids -all as desired

How to cook the thai tom yum soup:
1. Heat up the vegetable oil in the saucepan and sautee the onions, ginger and lemongrass.
2. Pour in some water (about 1-2 cups) and add in the prawns and kaffir lime leaves until the water boils. 
3. Add in the fish sauce, mushrooms and carrots till the carrots are tender. 
4. Add in squids, tomatoes and broccoli. 
5. Add in the lime and quickly turn off the heat. 

Note: You can adjust the taste to your liking by adding more fish sauce or lime juice. 

Serve immediately. 

Monday, February 6, 2012

Kids Indoor Playground and Fitness Centre @ Great Eastern Mall, Ampang

It's the weekend again in Kuala Lumpur and we decided to bring the kids out to an indoor play area at Great Eastern Mall; Ampang for some play. Hoping that this time around the indoor playground will be much better than Jungle Gym at Bangsar Shopping Centre. 

KL Kids Indoor Playground at Great Eastern Mall; Ampang

The kids indoor playground at Great Eastern Mall is called Kizsports & Gym and they have 4 outlets in Kuala Lumpur at the moment : 3rd Floor Bangsar Village 2, 2nd Floor Empire Shopping Gallery, 1st Floor Waterfront @ Parkcity and 2nd Floor Great Eastern Mall. 

Wee hee.. having fun with kids in Kuala Lumpur

Indoor Play Area for kids in Kuala Lumpur

The admission price for non-members are about RM28 per entry on weekends (slightly cheaper during weekdays) and kids under 2 years pays about RM 8 per entry. They allow kids as small as 6 months in the indoor play area but the indoor playground for toddlers under two years of age is quite limited in my opinion unless your kid is really the adventurous kind. 

Kuala Lumpur Kids Playtime at Ampang :) 

My 22 months old loves jumping up and down in this pod


My kids like this indoor playground very much (thank goodness for that) the play area is well lit, music is very catchy but not blasting in your ear and even my 22 months old son handled everything pretty much on his own, I only needed to observe them from a distance (of course being slightly protective, I followed behind them even to the top of the indoor play area, but the height is quite restricted thus giving me a backache the next day).

Children Indoor Playground at Kizsports & Gym

Look at my 22 months old go!


There is actually a large waiting / eating area just outside the entrance to the indoor play area and there's a small stall selling drinks, snacks like hot dogs and cup cakes (the cupcakes were so cute) but I didn't enquire whether it's halal or not.

This was my 4 year old but my 22 months old also handled this well on his own.
Activities for kids in Kuala Lumpur! Let them expend their energy!

There is also kids toilet but it stank when I went in to change my 4 years old. (Plus I forgot I was in a kids cubicle after cleaning up my kid and hit my head on the top of the cubicle -ouch-) No surau is also provided, unlike Megakidz at Mid Valley Megamall.  

Kizsports and Gym, like the name suggests also runs a fitness programme for kids and they have a dedicated fitness area for that purpose. Their early fitness academy is for kids as young as 6 months old to 4 years old (with parents participation) or from 2 - 4 years old (without parents participation). The early fitness academy programme fee is at RM180 / month (1x a week)

Kids fitness area at Early Fitness Academy

Fitness for children at Early Fitness Academy


Kizsports & Gym also run:

1. Early Learning Academy and 
2. Enrichment Programme such as :
  1. Shito-ryu Karate-do (5 years and above)
  2. Taekwondo (3 years and above)
  3. Ballet (3 years - 9 years)
  4. Jazz Dance (4 years and above)
  5. Arts & Crafts
  6. Speech & Drama
  7. Reading & English Programme
  8. Kindermusik
The best thing about the additional programmes that Kizsports and Gym offers is that they come with unlimited play at their playland even though it's limited to the centre that you signed up with (either at no additional charge or at additional RM40 per month) which I think is quite reasonable. I really like the arts & crafts programme, it looks very interesting and is only at RM180 per month (1x a week) you can also walk in for the arts and craft class at RM50 per session. The arts and craft classes are available Mon-Fri 10.30am onwards and weekends and public holidays from 11.00am onwards. 

If you are keen on Kindermusik, they run only on Tuesdays, 10.30 am - 11.15 am (for 18 month and below) and 11.30 am - 12.15 pm (1.5 - 3.5 years). Kindermusik fees are RM240 / 8 week semester for the < 18 months and RM450 / 15 week semester for >2.5 years. Additional fees like admin and deposit fees apply. 

I am thinking of enrolling my son in the Discover Taekwondo class (3 years & beginner) on Fridays; 2.15 pm - 3.00pm as it sounds like fun and is at RM100 per month, they also have a free trial class. Takewondo class for 4 years and above is on Fridays 3.00pm - 4.00pm and Sundays 1.30pm - 2.30pm (same fee per month).

If you are keen on the other programmes run by Kizsports & Gym at Great Eastern Mall or their other outlets, give them a call or visit their website here.

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