Project Management Professional (PMP)

If you are interested to be a project manager, or currently a project manager who wish to get a certification on project management, perhaps you can try to go for Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

I did it before and it is not that difficult, as long as you put some efforts on it. Before I took it, I was a only 1.5 years project manager, which is consider green. For exam details, you can refer to PMI web site, as it can be changed from time to time. But we have no choice that we have to sit there for a couple of hours like a student to go through hundreds of questions!

Below are how I did for my PMP certification:

1. When I did research via Internet, most of the people are proposing PMP Exam Prep from Rita Mulcahy. Without hesitate, I purchased PMP Exam Prep latest edition written by Rita Mulcahy. It costs about USD60-80 depends on where you buy. You can buy directly from Amazon for cost saving. No doubt, the content she written are really aim for exam prep. The way she tried to explain is bringing us to the right understanding on what the answer we should input. One time study may not enough because I don't really get 60% of understanding from my first study. The book is quite thick but the second time should be very fast.I spent about 4 weeks to read it twice.

Source: http://www.rmcls.com

2. When I started my 2nd time study on PMP exam prep, I have registered for the official 4 days PMP training course at Kuala Lumpur (KL). The instructor was the famous MC Leong. I managed to pick up the training syllabus easily because I have done item 1. Among all students, I was the only one can pick up, while the rests are facing some challenge as the instructor is doing knowledge transfer based on the PMI's PMBOK (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge) text book.

3. Upon return from the training, I scheduled for the exam in 3 weeks time. I went through the PMBOK text book once and then start to do sample exam questions available from the Internet.

Source: http://www.pmi.org

4. The final stage is doing the exam. I flew over to KL again for my PMP exam. It was a sleepless night as I was stress. I only managed to sleep a couple of hours then attend the 4 hours long rally exam! About 45 mins before time's up, I managed to finished the questions. I examined back the questions which I have doubt, and then end the exam 20 mins before ending. And kaching! it shows passed!

For those who is single, have free time at night and weekend, and on the project management path, perhaps it's time to go for PMP. It's an excited one.

Past Experience Can Causes Mistake

I learned an interesting lesson few days ago when I got a loaner car from local KIA/Mazda service center for my car issue inspection. I would like to share something with you here.

Well, I have drive a car with the located functions over the past 20 years. I would say I'm very experience in driving a car, including how to switch on a air-con, release break, etc. But, I have to admin I was wrong after this lesson.

The car service center loan a Mazda 929 to me this time, which I have never drive before but I would say it's classic and old. I'm not sure why they treat me so 'good', as previously they have loaned me Optima, Carens, Sorento, etc.

Mazda 929 vs 6
Source: www.vehiclepad.com

When I got the car at service center, I noticed it is the same breaking system with Mercedes. I try to press the break pedal to release the break. But I couldn't and it stuck there. I tried to look around alternative for a couple of minutes, but to no avail. In the end I have walk inside the service center and ask the counter service guy for assistance. He showed to me that there's a break release puller to release the break, which is located at the lower left of the steering.

I have to admit this design is sucks, as it is totally blocked by the steering. The 'break release' label on it also the same color as the puller, how am I suppose to notice it? However, when think back, I have leverage too much on my past experience. And my focus is only on using my past experience driving Mercedes to release the break. I believe that's the point where I didn't notice the puller when I look through the options over the dashboard.

And after driving for a while, I noticed the car air-con is not working! I thought my car would be fixed by the end of the day as I sent in before 8am on Thu. I need to bare with it for just 1 day.  I feel very dizzy in the late noon because the weather is very hot and I need to drive around for working. What make thing worsen is, I didn't get call to collect the car in the late noon.

The next day, I decided to call the service center to complain about the loaner car. How dare they loan me the car to drive without an air-con! I looked for the same guy and asked for my car status, unfortunately they told me they need me to leave it over the weekend to further fix the defects. I asked him about the air-con, and he said that car air-con was modified, I just need to switch it on from the right of the steering (1st switch from left) instead of the central air-con switch:

Modified aircon switch

Source: ekimkee.blogspot.com

I was speechless.

The moral of my story, try not to judge or make final decision based on past experience alone. There's always something we overlook, or beyond what we have know or seen. ;)

Movie Review: Passengers 2016

I just watched Passengers last night, and hence would like to give a review about this movie. I'm sorry as I know this is a Dec 2016 movie but I just came across it yesterday!

Source: www.imdb.com

In summary, the story line sounds very simple and boring, but when watch along I feel it is all right and I managed to watch it in one shoot (normally I split a movie few times to watch). What keep me watching is the interesting stuffs found in the movie when Chris Pratt trying to explore new stuffs in the spacecraft. After a while Jennifer Lawrence joined, then only started the typical dating story. Next, it comes the very typical disaster, and end by typical ending.

There's no surprise for the movie, and overall only 3-4 people are staring in this movie! But somehow director managed to make use of the spaceship new things to create the curiosity out from us. On top of that, Jennifer Lawrence is pretty and she is trying hard to show off her body. That's the only selling point I guess.

Below are my review rating about Passengers:
Cast: 7.5/10
Plot: 8.5/10
Effect: 7/10
Action: N/A
Story line: 4/10
Overall: 7/10

You can spend time to watch, if you like about adventurous. ;)

Money Game's Joke

As you know Money Game is really a hot topic in Malaysia for the past 2 weeks. There's a joke about how it works.

Source: www.stomp.com.sg

"One day, the vegetable market comes a beggar. Some people donate him some money, but most people don't.

The beggar asked and recorded all the people's address who donated him some money. After few days, a Bentley stopped in front of him. He rides on the car and visited each of the person in the address list to pay back the money, but pay back in 10 times of what they offered earlier. $1 he gave $10 back, and $5 he gave $50 back. The news was spread widely and most people in the vege market were shocked.

The next day, he came to the market again. The mass started to rush and gave him money. Within an hours, more than hundreds have passed the money to him. As usual, he records all the people address properly. The next few days, he brought assistants and more and more people gave him money. He also promised he will return they money to them in few days time.

After one week, the people started to stop giving money to him. And hence, the beggar collected a lot of money, then he left for good and did not return anyone's money.

The name of the beggar is called ......... Money game."

Source: www.stomp.com.sg

I have involved in money game once, and of course, I was very unlucky as I joined during the last stage, where the fund has already grew up to $200M. After joined for less than 3 months, it collapsed and the rest is history. I paid $8,000 for this lesson. ;(