5S in Progress

5S is the name of a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words, Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardizing) and Shitsuke (Sustaining). It is not a new concept and has been around for many years now.

To comply with the 5S requirements in just 3 months period for beginner would be an uphill task.

 

Besides the workstation, the storage room is usually the most challenging place where files and stuffs were strewn almost everywhere and indirectly causing other hazards.

One of the key element during the 5S audit is to locate a random document below 30s. I guess that will be quite impossible in this file room.

The benefit of implementing 5S is quite obvious, where everything will be in order and the task of locating a particular file can be performed efficiently.

 

After seeing this mess, let's see how it can be fixed to create a more conducive working environment. A journey of a thousand mile begins with a step. Seiri and Seiton should be carried out first before taking it to another level. Hope to see some progress in  few more weeks to come.

The Current Scenario at Lebuh Pudu

One might feel like in a foreign land when strolling along Lebuh Pudu and its surrounding area in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

 

 

Nowadays Lebuh Pudu and Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin have slowly lost its local flavours and identity due to the flourishing foreign businesses which run by foreign workers in town.

 

 

The pre-war shophouses are riddled with signage and advertisements in foreign language and run by Bangladeshi, Myanmar, Nepalese and Filipino operators.

 

 

 

The businesses are mainly remittance houses, travel agencies, mini markets, sundry shops, restaurants, electronics and communication shops. They cater the needs of the foreign workers. The restaurants serve cuisines of these countries while the markets sell products and produce from their home countries.

 

 

 

It is a disturbing scene to see the streets and stalls are overrun by foreigners. This is obviously they meeting place especially during weekends and public holiday.

Pasar Seni (Central Market)

Pasar Seni was originally the Central Market. The original market was constructed in 1888 and 1889 to serve Kuala Lumpur's large tin mining community. It was a wet market which sold seafood, meat, vegetables and everyday items. There were frequent renovation and extension costing millions to cater for the growing population.

 

The market acquired its art deco style in 1936 under an expansion plan drawn up by town engineer, RH Seed. Art deco was very popular in the 1930s. Among the new features were a stepped entrance design, unifying elements at the windows and doors as well as wrought iron panels.

 

 

 

 

This is a great place to find crafts and ornaments. Definitely a good place to hunt for souvenirs, antiques and collectibles.

 

 

The market is air conditioned and equipped with modern facilities to create a comfortable shopping experience.

 

 

 

The ground floor is divided into 3 lanes namely Lorong Melayu, Straits Chinese and Lorong india to give visitors an insight of the cultural difference in this country. The architectural details such as flooring, roofs and lanterns varies along each zone as they replicate motifs and designs of Malaysian culture and heritage.

It is interesting too see a double storey Baba-Nyonya styled architectural building here.

Nadi Putra Revised Route for 2013

Starting tomorrow, Putrajaya's Nadi Putra bus will revamp its transportation system by introducing new bus numbers and revised routes. The management seems to revise their bus routes after the CNY for the last 2 years or so.

Some of the bus routes which clash in the past will be combined into a route. The new route will now begins with the prefix "L". This is seen as part of the effort to cut cost by reducing the number of buses on the road and even the drivers. As the frequency remains at 30 minutes, this does not translate as an improvement in waiting time and efficiency. I believe the residents here would like the waiting time to be reduced to 15-20 minutes.

The good news for tourists arriving at Putrajaya Sentral, a new route, L11 has been introduced to ferry the commuters from the station straight to Putra Mosque and Alamanda, passing Presint 2, 3 & 4 as well as Complex A, B, C, D & E.

Nadi Putra also introduces the night route starting from 10pm until midnight every hour. The bus number will starts with the prefix "N" for the night route. This only means I should be back to Putrajaya before 10pm to avoid a long wait should I miss a bus.

The direct buses which ferry commuters to specific housing areas at peak hour are maintained and are given a new route number starting with the prefix "D".

I also just realise that they start introducing new route to Desa Pinggiran Putra and Cyberjaya.

For the last 3 years or so, I had a fair share of problems with the bus services here such as punctuality and when the bus drivers missed their shift which in return has cause great inconvenience. I really hope the service is more reliable so people can have more confident in using the public transport and ease the peak hour traffic and parking woes. 

CNY Decoration 2013 @ Paradigm Mall

For its first Chinese New Year celebration, Paradigm Mall has come out with an old fashioned settings that reminds shoppers of a Hong Kong comedy action film, Kung Fu Hustle.

 

The upper atrium is decorated with courtyards, grand arches, bamboo structures and stringed lanterns.

 

There are clothes and blankets hanging out of the windows to dry. It sure reminds us of the good old days.

Min Kong Cafe Prawn Noodle

Min Kong Cafe is an old brand in Sibu town, having operating for many years. It now operates in a shop at Jalan Bank.

 

The interior is just like any coffee shop in town with air condition for the comfort of the patrons.

 

Min Kong Cafe is famous for its prawn noodle . Some believe this cafe is the first to introduce such dish in town. One will need to fork up a whopping RM30 for a bowl. The price definitely had increased over the years. It used to cost RM8 per bowl and RM20 a couple of years back.

There are 4 fresh water prawns and probably this is the most expensive ingredient for this dish. The wait is quite long, around 15-20 minutes which suggest that each bowl is prepared individually.

The prawn and soup are excellent but the noodle is just average. It is a satisfying meal but I think the price is just too expensive.  However, judging from the crowd at the restaurant, price don't seems to be a big issue.

One could still get decent quality prawn noodle around the town nowadays at a more affordable price. Nevertheless, Min Kong Cafe will still be regarded as the Prawn Noodle King of Sibu.

CNY 2013 @ Sibu

It's Chinese New Year again. How time flies as it just feels like yesterday that I celebrated the Dragon year.

 

 

 

 

One of the highlight in Sibu every year when the clock struck midnight is the fireworks display. There is no other place in Malaysia which could rival Sibu when it comes CNY atmosphere and fireworks.

This is a common sight in the morning where red prosperity papers are scatter all over the main entrance of most household here.

 

 

 

 

The town looks like an abandoned town in the morning, a stark contrast from any normal days, especially 2 weeks before the most important day in Chinese calendar.

 

This year is also a meaningful year for me personally as this is the first year we able to celebrate it with our son.