Yes & No during Chinese New Year

There are things that you can do & can't do during the Chinese New Year.

Yes = Good Luck

1. Open all doors & windows = Bring the good luck of the New Year

2. When is night, switch on all the lights = Good luck to "scare away" ghosts & spirits of the misfortune

3. Sweets are eaten = "Sweet" year.

4. House completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day = Good luck for the coming year.

5. Wear new pair of slippers, bought before the New Year = Step on the people who gossip about you.

6. Bathe in pomelo leaves on New Year Eve = Bring good health for the rest of the New Year.

No = Bad Luck

1. Buy new shoes during New Year = Bad luck = the word "shoes" is a homophone for the word for "rough" in Cantonese.

2. Hair cut in the 1st lunar month = Curse to maternal uncles.

3. Wash hair = Washing away one's own luck.

4. Sweep floor = Forbidden on the 1st day = Sweep away good fortune & luck for the New Year.

5. Buy books = "Book" is a homonym to the word "lose".

6. Black & White clothes = Black symbolises bad luck & white symbolises traditional Chinese funeral colour.

Basic Salary: US President vs Malaysian PM

Basic salary only, excluding allowances

The President of the United States earns $400,000 a year / $33,333 monthly.

The vice president's annual salary is $221,100 / $ 18,425 monthly.

Prime Minister of Malaysia - RM 22,826.65 / $ 6,462 monthly

Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia - RM 18,168.15 / $5,143 monthly

Cabinet Minister of Malaysia - RM 14,907.20 / $ 4,220 monthly

In 2007, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was Prime Minister + Finance Minister + Home Minister + MP,

= RM 22,826.65 + (RM 14,907.20 x 2) + RM 4,112.79
= RM 56,753.84 monthly
= $ 16,066.19674 monthly

Chinese New Year 2000 - 2019

Chinese New Year begins according to the Chinese calendar which consists of both Gregorian and lunar-solar calendar systems.

Because the track of the new moon changes from year to year, Chinese New Year can begin anytime between late January and mid-February.

Below is a chart that shows the beginning day of Chinese New Year and the animal sign for that year.

Year	Chinese New Year Begins	Animal Sign
2000	February 5	Dragon
2001	January 24	Snake
2002	February 12	Horse
2003	February 1	Sheep
2004	January 22	Monkey
2005	February 9	Rooster
2006	January 29	Dog
2007	February 18	Pig
2008	February 7	Rat
2009	January 26	Ox
2010	February 14	Tiger
2011	February 3	Rabbit
2012	January 23	Dragon
2013	February 10	Snake
2014	January 31	Horse
2015	February 19	Sheep
2016	February 8	Monkey
2017	January 28	Rooster
2018	February 16	Dog
2019	February 5	Pig

5 signs of retrenchment in your company

Most MNC will openly announce the retrenchment and cost cutting exercise. But some company remain silent. You might not know who’s next until you were call to the office. So, here’s a few signs you might notice in your company.

1. Job vacancies in your company was removed.

Take a quick browse through job sites where your company usually post or your company career site. My HR friend realize they were on a major downsizing when he noticed all the vacancies he’s suppose to fill has been entirely removed without informing him. Sad thing was, he left the company not long after that. He was retrenched too.

2. Poor quarter performance

You should know by now on how your company performed last quarter. Poor performance or miss target is one of the sign. Potentially, you might see some people leaving the company quietly next quarter.

3. Your major project was put on hold

You might have a big project coming up this quarter, but was put on hold until FURTHER NOTICE. High chances are your department has been chosen to be THE ONE.

4. Staffs leaving quietly

Normally, company exercise retrenchment in discrete. Suddenly, one of your manager leaves the company, pack his bags and leave without farewell party, that’s the sign.

5. Rumors of retrenchment

This is the most obvious sign. Rumors could be true at times. Your manager might send email reassuring everything will be fine, but don’t take it for sure.

So, if you sense these signs, be alert. Though at times, nothing much could be done when you are the chosen one, but it’s always better to prepare yourself for it. Linking up with some head hunters, or updating your resumes would be some possible action. Most importantly, to work extra harder to keep your job.

Wishing u a happy CNY in 2009

新年快乐！= Happy New Year!

过年好！= Happy New Year!

恭喜发财！= Wish You Great Prosperity!

牛年吉祥！ = Good Luck in the Year of the Ox!

Do not apply loan from AM Bank especially car loan !!!

Today around 12 noon, my college's car had been dragged away by a truck which instructed by AM Bank right in front of my company.

Lucky the guard saw it and call to the car owner.

She tried to stop the big size truck driver holding a piece of AM Bank notice but failed!

The reason stated on the bank note was last two months installment is not pay.

According to my college, she has made the payment via cash deposit machine every month.

OK…who is wrong here?

Big question is even she skip the payment, why the bank did not send any reminder or warning letter first?

At the end, her car was dragged away. She quickly went home to get the car loan payment receipts and head to AM Bank.

Now the most exciting part of the story, at the bank there an officer informed her that the car number was wrongly key-in. It should be WPS, they key-in WPX....very funny…but April Fool Day still yet to come.

I still do not know what happen at the end but I guess AM Bank will only say “Ops…sorry” then case closed.

Anti AM Bank.