In a way, it was a reverse homecoming.For more than two years, I have been working out in my own garage, at the back of my house, and most of the time without any real work and many times not getting paid for them. With wireless internet and a cell phone, I can practically work from anywhere. As far as the clients are concerned, I would submit report on time that they have no need to know about my office nor my whereabouts.
Whenever I travel, I would have a printer at the back of my car.
In other words, I have a mobile office, with everything that one needs.
So it is a bit ironic that I am back to having my own office that is high up in the sky but actually is now immovable. It has been only four month, but after toiling, looking for an office space, it surely feel like coming home, nevermind that I actually need to leave home on a daily basis.
Central KL is a no-no to me. Beyond the exorbitant price, I do not wish to battle the traffic. But the offices near my place are not up to the standard. Typical shophouses nearby are a bit rundown and dirty (or even the one at Uptown Damansara is dirty and smelly!) and not a conducive environment to work at.
So I was lucky when someone suggested Wisma Dwitasik (Tasik Permasuri) and Wisma Zelan (Bandar Tun Razak) to me.
Dwitasik is to me the one of the cleanest low-rise office block. Even the backyard lane was clean enough for one to have a picnic there. In the end, the 24-storey Wisma Zelan won me over with a corner office with a view of KL skyline. 
The view from the office. When I am down and out, this is one view to clear the mind. Just stare at the window and enjoy KL skyline. It is a fantastic view at night and beautiful on a clear day. Thanks for the excellent photo, Zali, my aircraft technician bro and budding photographer.
Wisma Zelan is no KLCC - I know that - but it is still an office block that house Tradewinds and many other legitimate companies. And its address is 56000 Kuala Lumpur.
The view from the office. When I am down and out, this is one view to clear the mind. Just stare at the window and enjoy KL skyline. It is a fantastic view at night and beautiful on a clear day. Thanks for the excellent photo, Zali, my aircraft technician bro and budding photographer.Wisma Zelan is no KLCC - I know that - but it is still an office block that house Tradewinds and many other legitimate companies. And its address is 56000 Kuala Lumpur.
A new coat of paints, new carpet and new air-conditioning and hey presto, I now have an office to operate from -my first office ever that I am paying from my own pocket.
The past 15 years I have been doing it for someone else (Hyprotech) - moving from Singapore's Bukit Pasoh to Empire Tower to De Palma Ampang to Megan Avenue to Menara Great Eastern, but doing it for my own self would give a different exhilarating feeling.
I am now an entrepreneur, a technologist, and a tax-payer. More importantly, I am now an employer.
Office Warming 28 December 2007 - A pictorial blog
The office and the signboard that says it all.
The doa selamat & tahlil is led by my best friend from schooldays, Syed Abu and attended by staff and families.
The office and the signboard that says it all.
The doa selamat & tahlil is led by my best friend from schooldays, Syed Abu and attended by staff and families.
The pioneers at VMG SEA (this writer, Fitri (Simulation Engineer; exMRSM Taiping), Shamsiah (Accountant) and Zafirah (Simulation Engineer) and the family. I hope in two years we (VMG SEA) would be as big as the Hariri clan.
Having fun - A lively chat with my favourite teacher Cikgu Dr Fatanah. Must be a chat on MRSM as VMG's support engineer Zafirah is ex MRSM Langkawi, while Cikgu Dr Fatanah's last posting was as MRSM Jasin's Principal. En Ritzauddeen was second from left. I must say that I salute her for coming. She had never said no to my invites, eventhough I was just one of her many thousands students in a career that spans over 30 years.
Top:I wonder what was the joke someone (was it I?)was telling to have En Shahrul, Petronas' Principal Engineer and En Lukman in stitches!
Makan time and fun time with esteemed guests. In the end, everybody prefers to just sit on the floor. Seen here is En Shahrul and Pn Zalina at the table and En Hasnor polishing his guitar skills, and Fadzrul stressing a point while his boss Puan Fauziah listens intently.
GTS Engineers chatting, eating and working. They are sure a workaholic bunch! Next pic - En Sumardi and En Azizul with Shamsiah and Jabar having small talk.
(Left) Tn Hj Mohd Nor Basar of MECIP Global Engineers, En Shamsuri (my former schoolmate, currently with a French company, this writer and En Shahrul. (Right) En Mohd Ritzaudeen and his family at the event.
(Left) En Lim Tech Huat (VME Process; ex Hyprotech), Fitri, Tn Haji Harun Pin (ex Lab Manager Petronas, ex MTC) with the host. (Right) They must be thinking "what la the boss is babbling about." They have no choice, but to listen, if at least for now!
Left - The preparation in the morning
(Left) En Low Wai Chong and I used to be colleagues at Hyprotech many years ago. Now he is a senior engineer at Petronas.
Akmal on classical guitar and Arif playing the piano on keyboard providing the live music entertainment at the office warming. Akmal played beautiful songs like Romanza (Author unknown), Vincent (Don Macclean) and Can't Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley), while Arif played Richard Clayderman's songs like A Comme Amour and Letter Ama Mere, interspersed with classicals like Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Bach) and the haunting theme song from the hugely popular Korean TV series Winter Sonata.
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