Life is a sequence of paradoxes.

Life has a funny way of altering your universe.

And after a while, once you've adjusted to the chaos, it gets re-altered in a upheaval, almost apocalyptic fashion.

And then you're demanded to brush the dirt off your shoulder and get back into the ring almost instantaneously.

THIS IS MY LIFE.

I'm not for one to get into too much detail of the craziness that is mi vida, but! as far as I can say now I want to focus on what's important. HEALTH AND MONEY.

I'm still toying with the idea of what brings me joy, a conundrum of sorts.

 Well except for writing. I seem to find solace in writing. Come to think of it I've always found solace in writing.

My first infatuation. Hopefully an endless love.

I've dabbled with poetry and essays and such. I wrote a story once upon a time. Amateur effort. I was 14 give me a break.

I imagined it come to me in the form of divine intervention. Hopefully not lightning. 

Life as I see it is a sequence of paradoxes.

Take for example exhibit A, moi.

I've learnt that to be successful in what you do you cannot want the end result to be of monetary gain alone but to have it possibly serve as a purpose, a greater good.

But how on earth can you think of the greater good when you're eating ramen noodles morning, noon, eve and supper??

That would be the stretch.

And the penniless writer is not exactly my scene. Nor is minimum wage.

Well.

I'll just probably google for answers.

Or probably try yahoo.

Later.

ADVENTURE?

It's been awhile since I went for an adventure.

I don't know what's stopping me.

Maybe it's because I don't want to do it alone.

Who in the hell would ever want to go for an adventure alone???

While blogging I'm currently googling for places to go to feed my adrenaline.

It's not that I have never done it before.

Honestly I'm probably operating from scarcity. ie. I'd just finish the money, I need to be thinking about looking for a job vs doing random happenings because I'm pressed for time.

 I need to dig into the root of this issue. It's unhealthy.

Another adventure into the human psyche. Mine is an unpleasant one. I can foresee a molotov cocktail of emotions, pulling of hair, complaining about how dark and dismal life is  and finally me going haywire.

How pleasant.

I don't even know where to begin. What I do know is I have one goal in mind and I want to fulfill that goal for myself.

I need to get me some positivity.

RIGHT NOW.

ROCK YOUR INTERVIEW!

OMG

I just finished typing a new post and I deleted it by mistake. CRAP.

Anyways, the content of my post was actually about the conversation I had with my friend yesterday.

You see she's applying for a job and needed my help to prepare for the questions and such.

So during my surfing adventures earlier today I found this article to be quite helpful.

How to Rock Your Next Job Interview

By TIM TYRELL-SMITH

It’s easy to get nervous before a job interview, especially if you haven’t had one for a while. And if you’ve been out of work for an extended period of time, each opportunity to interview becomes increasingly important, adding to the pressure.

But with a new year comes a fresh start. And your next interviewer knows nothing of your past mistakes. So take the time to prepare using these tips, and you’ll walk into your next interview confident and ready to put your best foot forward.

Here’s how to rock your next interview:

1. Be yourself. It’s tempting to morph during an interview. To tweak an answer to tell the story you think someone wants to hear. To say you like to work independently when you don’t. Tell your true story and let your true personality shine through. If the job is really a good match, you’ll fare better by being yourself.

2. Learn to enjoy the interview. We don’t have many chances to compete in life anymore. But a job interview is a chance to show off what you can do for a new team. Relish this opportunity even during the interview itself and prove yourself to a new crowd.

3. Engage your interviewer. An interview should be a two-way dialogue, where both parties get a chance to ask probing questions. So ask away! And don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. When you engage your interviewer, your interview is more likely to become a business discussion and less of an interrogation.

[See What to Say When the Interviewer Asks How Much You Make.]

4. Forget the odds are not in your favor. It doesn’t matter if five other candidates have already interviewed for the job. And you can forget the five who will interview after you, too. Those factors are out of your control, so put those thoughts away and interview without restriction.

5. Fill your head with victories. Instead of thinking about your shortcomings, play a “best of” reel in your head when you have breaks during the day. Focus your mind on days or hours when you were on top of the world, loved by everyone as the rainmaker or problem-solver. You’re offering this new company your best, so that’s all you need to showcase.

6. Get ready, then let go. Of course it’s possible to over-prepare for a job interview. But you can also forget to transition from preparation to execution. So when it comes time to do the talking, put all the preparation tools away so you can relax and focus on your goal.

7. Get to know your audience in advance. You can ask better questions if you know something about your interviewers. Researching them will also help you prepare for any questions they’ll ask you. To find information about a company or hiring manager, use LinkedIn and Google. And expect the employer to do the same research on you.

[See What to Consider Before Accepting a Job Offer.]

8. Bring a few great stories. Everyone loves a good story. And interviewers love true and compelling stories of how you helped a business. Prepare a positive story (situation, action, and result) based on a key events in your past. Be sure you can identify the specific role you played.

9. Smile at everyone you meet. A confident smile shows you’re relaxed and happy to be there. But it also can prompt a reaction from people you meet. If they don’t smile back, you’ve learned something.

10. Watch and listen for key signals. Is the office is busy? Vibrant? Social? Compare what you see and hear to your workplace preferences. Whether it’s a good or bad fit, you’ve learned something about the company culture.

11. Show genuine interest and passion. Results from recent job interview research suggest that your passion and excitement for the position really does matter. So when you feel it, show it. This is likely to positively influence an interviewer and change the mood in the room.

12. Focus on the first five minutes. Most interviewers say they know in the first five minutes whether the candidate is a good fit for the job. Your handshake, first few answers, and body language all have the potential to signal strength during a job interview. Have a great “first five” and you’re in good shape!

13. Try the company’s products. If you’re interviewing with a company that makes a product or service you can touch or experience, get your hands on it. Test it and be ready to share your experience.

[For more career advice, visit U.S. News Careers, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.]

14. Slide up your dimmer switch. Sometimes you need a mental gimmick to shake off the nerves, pull you up, and get your light to shine. Just before walking in the front door, mentally slide up your dimmer switch, and engage the first person you meet with a confident smile.

15. Be honest. An occasional “I don’t know” will not ruin your chances at landing the job. Nor is it destructive to admit to not having a certain experience. Delivering the truth says you’re comfortable and confident with what you know and what you can do.

Tim Tyrell-Smith is founder of Tim's Strategy, a site that helps professionals succeed in job search, career and life strategy. Follow Tim on Twitter, @TimsStrategy, and share his 30 Ideas Book with job-seeking friends.

The actual article's link is here. 

Good luck people! :) Tell me how your job went so we can share and compare notes. 

xoxo

Here's to thinking positive....

MEH

I don't really like blogging from my iPad.....I an going out now....huhuhu

LABUAN

No for those intending a thrill seeking adventure. Not for people who want the beach either, although there's a lot of rays to catch and future sunburn....

No...Labuan is for kidney and liver failure. lol Duty free booze and a whole lotta smoking....But I still give it A for customer service(especially the crystal lady)...

We stayed at Sara Hotel... were not really happy with the first room we got, requested (demanded actually) a room change. Got changed to somewhere better...woohoo

Did get to make new friends too...I didn't get to bring my iPad around...
or rather saya malas...(lazy). so no labuan pics.

I did take some pictures of us on the way there.....

I seriously need to get broadband. Random I know.

COPYRIGHT

Just as the title says...copyright. As you notice I like to write a lot. But I've quite outdone myself in the area of scaring myself to the point of paralysis when it comes to paranoia. Especially paranoia of someone stealing my intellectual property.

Kak Luna said that I should copyright my stuff first...There is a place here where they copyright stuff.

I need to get back to her about it. I don't even want to collaborate with people about my songs (well paranoia+OCD quite the mental hospital molotov cocktail)...KABOOM.

I guess I need to google up on the copyright acts here in Malaysia too. Just to get to know more about it. OR I could ask my friend Rudy how he copyrights his music.

By the way Rudy also does wedding photography. His work is real awesome. (sempat promo)...

Will keep you updated lol toddles for now.

ho hum

I hate blogging on my iPad since my chubby fingers have no sense of boundaries at all... I was thinking of writing a good food blog.

I do have one now but yea well I kinda abandoned the idea because keeping track of recipes and writing recipes is a pain since I usually eyeball my efforts.

I am having issues sleeping...

High time for exercise....

This is the first time I am uploading a picture onto blogger via iPad.

Awesome times.

I wonder how it'll turn out.

Going to Labuan today.

Wee...

Will keep u posted...

BALLS TO DO IT.

A lot of the times, or maybe most of the times, maybe for some never, have allowed people to get under their skin or their own fear to overwhelm them.

I often ask myself, what I would do if I was not afraid? If society's words, criticism and judgment did not matter, who would I become?

I'm someone who always gets affected by what people say and mostly and always wanting to blend in.I love that about me. That means I do care. And having that matters. But sometimes I have learned  that I need to draw the line between people's perspective of me and what I care about in my life, what I feel my true purpose is without the constraints of judgement and the courage to shine. SHINE BRIGHTLY.

It's not easy being someone who was trained to respect authority. It didn't really work. I've always had this independent streak in me. And a certain kind of pride. I sound like I'm rambling now. lol

But whatever it is, I've wasted too much time in caring about people's judgments and not caring about what I truly want.

It doesn't matter anyway. Why would it matter? It is my life after all. It is your life to live.

I would want to be in my death bed saying, hey I did it. I did everything that I set out in this life to do and boy am I proud of myself. That's what I wanna tell myself. I want to be smiling and happy knowing that fact. That I had the balls to do it and to do it WOW.

Now that I have that out of the side, I'm thinking of how I'm going to go about realizing my dream. One thing that I have found a bit of a drag is the fact that I always want to be financially secure and my belief is that a good solid job is something that is secure. Who's to say being a singer, writer, poet, composer, artist or performer cannot rake in money?

I want to do what I am passionate about before it's too late.

And I'm going to do it now.

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT. MY HERO.

He's my idol. I forgot how I came across him but he is tres' magnifique (sp).

The man himself. You can read more about him here.

Magnificent artist. His work screams BOLD, GAME CHANGER AND COURAGE.

Some of his work. 

He inspired the layout to my blog too and hopefully it will follow through with other parts of my life as well. 

I want to have that I don't care about what you think attitude. I guess that has always inhibited me from moving forward with my life's passions. 

Gone too soon. 

Jean-Michel. You are greatly missed. Thank you for the inspiration. 

BE FREE

I used to sleep with my stationery. (NO.....not that kind of sleep).

My knack for writing has withered. Maybe it's because I already have this set way of how I want it to look like or what to write versus allowing myself to express freely.

Speaking of freedom. On a crazy night out with my nephews, Din said something to me which triggered something in my heart..

BE FREE.

I kind of forgot how it feels like to just write whatever it was I wanted to write, sing or dance and to just be myself.

Growing up does have it's issues. I forget and suppress everything it is about me till I lose myself just so I can cater to society and it's expectations.

I never knew those two words could be so powerful.

Kids don't care about these kinda ridiculous things. The Little Prince was cool with being who he was. (Antoine has indirect speech on lockdown yo).

I remembered how I was like...so full of life and vibrance. So many questions. So many dance moves. So many stories...and so many songs.

I need to bring her back.

I need to bring BABY(my nickname as a child) back.

And then we can rule the world.

If ever I am to be rigid about something this is it.

We're coming back with a vengeance.