In the Life of DancerGal: My reaction to the Cempaka Damansara incident

For those of you who are unaware, a fire broke into the Damansara campus of my alma mater, taking down three classrooms and one dance studio. To be honest, I did not realize how bad it was until I stepped foot into the school on Saturday. Tears came to my eyes when I saw the wreckage. On Friday night, went I went onto the social media networks, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, my heart just dropped.

I was appalled at some of the jokes that were made, yet I was so encouraged by the support and unity of fellow Cempakans. And yet through all of this, I was not ready for what I would be seeing on that Saturday afternoon when I walked in. I caught a glimpse of the wreckage from SammoBammo's house. We decided to go closer and took a drive out to the school. That's when I almost broke down. I saw everything up close. I walked up the stairs towards the hall and realised that the ceiling of the hall was black and covered in soot. That was when I noticed that the dance studio had been destroyed.

The fact that I am a dancer, and it was a dance studio was beyond the fact as to why I was distraught. I slept there around this time last year, during the annual Cempaka Christian Fellowship (CF) Camp. I slept in a sleeping bag, inside the studio.

But that all sadness and distraught went away when I read this post in the Lumen Studet blog called "To All Cempakans, From Cempakans". I really thank the writers of this blog, whoever it may be. The post reminded me of what happened in Japan back in 2004. The huge tsunami incident. What happened back in 2004 was very unfortunate, but look at Japan after that. They received support, encouragement, and love from the rest of the world. In the end, they ended up becoming a stronger nation and came up not only better, but also more productive and more innovative. I foresee that for Cempaka as well.

When news of the fire broke out, I read online that many students were upset. While in shock, there were many others, including current Cempakans already encouraging and supporting one another. I was so encouraged by their Cempakan spirit, that I took part as well. Listening to the concern of some Cempakans concerned me and I just wanted to comfort them, but to be honest, I was only a piece of grass in the field that is the Cempakan support system. Care about one another. Care about their alma mater. Care about their family, their home, where they spend most of their day.

It is very comforting to know that no matter what happens, Cempakans will always back one another and have each other's backs. I am truly proud to be Cempakan, and in the words of our Founder/Mentor, Dato' Freida Pilus, "Not to worry. We are made of stronger stuff than mortar and bricks" and Encik Hisham Hamzah, "Chin up. It's just the building. You and your classmates are Cempaka Damansara. That can never be burned down".

Within the next couple of days, the students from the Damansara campus will be moving over to Cheras. I caught an Instagram video of the Cheras students, making a line to help carry chairs and tables across. Best part of this? They were all doing it with a smile and I know that they will be more than welcoming to their fellow brothers and sisters from Damansara. Their warmth, their support, their encouragement, their care, their love, their camaraderie is what makes Cempaka such a strong body. The support extends beyond current Cempakans. Old Cempakans are sending their messages of love and care via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It is truly a wonderful sight :)

It's true. The building does not define us as Cempakans. We define ourselves and just by this incident alone, I am already very confident that Cempakans will make it out of this, (as the song says) harder, faster, better and stronger! :)

Cempaka Cheras campus where I finished my A-Levels and where my heart will always be. 

As the first line in our school song says: CEMPAKA MEGAH BERDIRI.

Love always,
Old Cempakan DancerGal Sheryl! :)

In the Life of DancerGal: Cempaka Voices in Concert 2013!

Last Friday, I was at the annual Cempaka Voices in Concert 2013! I was pretty darn excited when I heard about the theme: Back to School! This meant that Cempakan Alumni was gonna be coming back to perform. And I really need to thank SammoBammo for allowing me to bring friends. That was really an amazing gesture. Thank you :)

So, one of my Monday Show buddies, Joyce, agreed to come along. Joyce is this really awesome sweet girl and I thank her for agreeing to come along and I hope you had a great time girl :) Please note that I am uncertain of the classes that these kids graduated from so I am guessing or based on what I heard that night. Please feel free to correct me! Thank you!

Joyce Wong, Monday Show Entertainment

So we left my office at about 6pm and it took us TWO hours to get to Cempaka Cheras. The traffic was insane thanks to stupid rain! Thank goodness when we finally got there (close to around 8pm), the show hadn't started. I felt so sorry to Joyce because the poor girl had to sit through traffic with me while eating her dinner in the car. And traffic was HORRENDOUS but this gave us the chance to chat and catch up. I'm really glad I got to know this girl better :)

So once we got there, I met SammoBammo and the rest of the Cempaka family! Always makes me so happy seeing all of them, especially my very special teacher, Dr Wong. Even as I'm typing this and thinking about them, I'm smiling. Hahaha!

Fareed Hamzah and Hisham Hamzah (SammoBammo) 

I like how because the theme of the show was "Back to School", Fareed took the initiative to wear the school tie which I thought was super awesome! Kudos! SammoBammo came dressed up pretty well, I must say. Smart casual at its best.

Joyce and I before the show!

Gabriel was the emcee for the night and started off by giving some casual greetings and then proceeded to introduce the first performer, Cheryl Tan, class of 2006 (if I'm not mistaken!) where she belted out some amazing jazz tunes. Her voice was totally amazing and I followed her immediately on Facebook just so I could find out more about her upcoming performances :)

Cheryl Tan singing - Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

Shortly after was Teh Gao Jye, class of 2011 (if I'm not mistaken?) and I was blown away. He sang two songs, one about lifelong love and the other about regrets. The best part is that both songs were actually composed by him! Awesome and talented much? I really loved the first song that he wrote. Can't exactly remember the title of the song that I liked though. If someone does remember, please let me know, and do let Gao Jye know that he needs to record it! :D 

Teh Gao Jye singing original compositions - Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

After that, Annatasha Saifol, class of 2010 (if I'm not mistaken?) serenaded us with a piano cover of Katy Perry's Not Like The Movies. I was totally amazed at the talents of this particular firecracker. She is a student in culinary arts, currently a young entrepreneur, the photographs were taken by her, she plays the piano, sings like an angel, AND she is also a dancer. Amazing! All thanks to the education from a great school, Cempaka Schools :) 

Annatasha Saifol on the piano and singing - Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

Then, I started screaming my head off because out came 6 vocalists. Annatasha Saifol, Savira Sigit (class of 2013), Julie Chan Nuo En (class of 2011), Teoh Jun Vinh (class of 2011), Gabriel Tham (class of 2011) and Teh Gao Jye. They sang a medley of pop songs (mostly from Bruno Mars!). I was so insanely thrilled to hear Julie sing again. I used to be the house-mistress in CILC when Julie was head prefect and we got to know each other better then. I am privileged to have known someone like Julie. Don't forget me when you make it big, woman! :P Also, Savira, wow. A superstar in her own right. She has been accepted into a performing arts school in the US of A and I am just so crazily proud of her. I remember back in the day when I used to work in Cheras, she would come and greet me in the mornings with a big hug. Oh how I miss those days. *memories*

From L-R: Julie Chan, Teh Gao Jye, Annatasha Saifol, Gabriel Tham, Savira Sigit, Teoh Jun Vinh
Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

From L-R: Julie Chan, Savira Sigit, Annatasha Saifol, Teh Gao Jye, Gabriel Tham, Teoh Jun Vinh

Then out came, Jes Ebrahim who performed a couple of songs. One with his brother, Jes Ismail, and two songs with Abdul Muhaimin. Jes and Muhaimin did a guitar duet of "Getaran Jiwa" and that was just amazing. It did however, remind me of the duet that Jes once did with another Cempakan alumni, Aiman Ahmad Marzio. At this point, I still wasn't aware of what was happening and I was already in lala land thanks to all these super talents. Little did I know, I was going to be even more amazed.

Abdul Muhaimin and Jes Ebrahim - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

Jes Ebrahim and Jes Ismail - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

After their performance was a performance by alumni Farah Alya Ali, class of 2011 (if I'm not mistaken?) and she sang "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. The Miley Cyrus that was still sane and could actually produce good music. The way Farah performed it, gave the song a very elegant twist and it was so simple, yet beautiful. Nice!

Farah Alya Ali singing "The Climb" - Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

Then, came my favourite Cempaka skit, directed by Mr Scott McQuaid, Private Eye. There was part 1 and 2 a couple of years back. This year, they did Private Eye 3 starring Muhammad Luqman, Savira Sigit, David Estrada, Nimeesha Chan, Farel Sigit, Cheah Yi Jane, Syakirah Md Saadon, Tengku Dayang Adeira, and Caleb Choo. This skit was pretty hilarious and clearly didn't disappoint and Farel was insanely adorable as "The Big Boss".

Luqman and Farel going head to head. - Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

Farel playing "The Big Boss" - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

Soon after, Gabriel Tham gave his rendition of Josh Groban's Broken Vow. Beautiful song and even more beautiful cos you can see Gabriel's face. For those of you who don't know, Gabriel played the Beast in Cempaka's Box Office Production (CBOP) of Beauty and the Beast, followed by Kerchak in CBOP's Tarzan. It truly is a nice change seeing his face outside of make up and fake hair. His voice really does remind me of Josh Groban to be honest.

Gabriel Tham belting out "Broken Vow" - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

After Gabriel, out came Julie Chan who belted out Second Hand White Baby Grand. I nearly cried listening to her sing. As I mentioned before, Julie and I got a bit closer during my stay in CILC and I remember her telling me about how she came to know God. It was truly a memorable moment listening to her sing again. I remember when I first heard her sing "Defying Gravity" on stage through a video. To hear her sing live, is really an honour :)

Julie Chan singing Second Hand White Baby Grand - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

Then out came Lumiere, better known among his peers as Teoh Jun Vinh. Every time he steps out on stage, I will never forget his amazing stint as Lumiere (the candlestick) from CBOP's Beauty and The Beast. Beauty and The Beast was the first musical I worked on when I was in Cempaka. I watched all six shows, and all six times, I was amazed by his performances. This boy can sure sing! He belted out Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet", one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite male vocalists.

Jun Vinh singing "Haven't Met You Yet" - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

Then came the land of the musicians. Andrew Ng on the violin, Abdul Muhaimin on the bass (the fella bought a new bass!), Caleb Choo on the drums and Mr Wong Shen Vee on the piano played Claude Bolling's Suite. It was pretty classical in the beginning, just violin and the piano, but when the bass and drums were added in, it sounded pretty darned awesome! There's just something about Andrew when he's on the violin that makes the whole world stop for a while and just focus on his playing. That is one talented boy right there. When Caleb is on the drums, it's like he is in a world of his own. You can watch him on YouTube where he does covers. It's pretty interesting.

Abdul Muhaimin on bass and Andrew Ng on violin - Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

Savira sang her solo, "At Last" made famous by Etta James. As usual, Savira at her age, gave us a flawless Savira-ised version of the song and it was beautiful. And there was this adorable moment where the musicians backing her (Mr Wong Shen Vee on piano, Mr Lee Voon Foong on saxaphone, Abdul Muhaimin on bass and Caleb Choo on drums) were doing their thing, and she scooted to the back of the amps, took a sip of water, and then continued with her great performance. Truly an artist in the making and a superstar in my heart :)

Abdul Muhaimin on bass, while Savira belts out her tune - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

Savira Sigit singing "At Last" by Etta James.- Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

The show then led to an amazing and adorable dance performance by Abdul Muhaimin, Teoh Jun Vinh, Annatasha Saifol and Natasha Lama. Their dance was called "Hey Pachugo!", which I believed to also be the name of the song they were dancing to, and the two boys were basically trying to catch the two girls. I don't really know how, but Muhaimin ended up tapping on a table. THAT was pretty darned awesome! Annatasha also did a "trailer" to the dance which was pretty amazingly done! Natasha as always, did not disappoint when it comes to dance, and Jun Vinh was just awesome! Flawless cast!

Muhaimin tapping on the table - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

The one with purple hair is Annatasha, Natasha and Muhaimin - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

The final solo performance of the night was of course, the one and only, Razlan Saharuddin. Student of the Berklee College of Music, Razlan has performed many times in Cempaka as alumni and every time he performs, he sings his own music (well, most of the time!). On the night of CVIC 2013, he sang all original songs, but one in particular made me tear. I don't remember the name of the song, but it was about his best friend's sister who had run away from home. It was just a touching number and I really enjoyed it so so much. Also, Darren Ashley was his drummer and back-up vocalist. Awesome much? :)

Razlan explains the meaning behind every song before singing it to us. - Photo credits: Abdul Qayyum

Razlan in crooner mode - Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

There was this beautiful finale, Seasons of Love, crooned by the entire cast (Julie Chan, Annatasha Saifol, Savira Sigit, Gabriel Tham, Teh Gao Jye, Teoh Jun Vinh, Razlan Saharuddin, Jes Ebrahim, Cheryl Tan, Farah Alya Ali, etc) backed by all the musicians (Abdul Muhaimin, Caleb Choo, Mr Wong Shen Vee, etc). It was truly an amazing showcase of the pool of talented alumni/students from Cempaka Schools. I am proud to call myself an alumni too (although I'm not HALF as talented as all these people are!). 

Seasons of Love Finale - Photo credits: Lau Jiaying

As most of you can see, the photos (the awesome ones!) were taken by Cempaka alumni Abdul Qayyum and Lau Jiaying. Another group of talents. These were some amazing shots and thank you for allowing me to use your photos on my blog. 

Cempaka, megah berdiri,

Tahun '83 bulan Januari, 

Bersatu, berdisiplin, dan berdikari

Melahirkan generasi yang berhemah tinggi

Kami semua, anak Cempaka, 

Berbilang kaum, bangsa dan agama, 

Bersatu, mencapai cita dalam perpaduan

Harapan ayah bonda, dan juga negara

Berkaliber, dan berdedikasi,

Itulah prinsip guru-guru kami, 

Mendidik dan membimbing, sepenuh hati

Meninggikan prestasi pengajian kami

Cempaka, oh Cempaka,

Harummu semerbak merata-rata,

Hijau dan kuning warna gemilang, 

Kejayaan diutamakan

Marilah, mari bersama, 

Mara maju ke hadapan, 

Majulah, oh Cempaka, hingga berzaman

Majulah, oh Cempaka, hingga berzaman

Love always, 

DancerGal Sheryl! 

In the Life of DancerGal: A truly memorable night, 20th August 2013...

On 20th August 2013, I was dared to lift up my hand and ask for a hug. Initially, I was frightened, but when I remembered how much I wanted to meet this person face-to-face and everything that I ever dreamed about, I did it.

I did not hug just anyone.

I hugged NICK VUJICIC. 

A moment that can never be bought. A priceless and truly memorable moment. A hug from Nick Vujicic.

For the rest of my life, I will always remember that one day, the day when I when I got a hug from Nick Vujicic. The day when I cried on HIS shoulders. The day when I realized that you do not need arms to hug someone. You need sincerity and love. I remembered him whispering "I love you very much, God loves you very much". Thank you.

Kum Gheng's hands were shaking when he took this photo. It was truly amazing. 

Thank you, Kum Gheng, for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity. Truly an unforgettable moment, and all possible only thanks to Inspire.FM. Thank you once again. 

Keep living life without limits. 

Love always, 

DancerGal Sheryl! 

Guest Post: SammoBammo's Why I Hate Exams Part 2

Last year, SammoBammo blogged about his feelings about exams. This year, he continues to explain more as to why he hates exams and how he views the future of education. A very good read, I must say! Read on!

Why I Hate Exams Part 2 - by SammoBammo

Following up on my previous post about exam-centric education that I posted last year, I would like to expand upon what would or should happen in place of the exam orientated methods of teaching and assessment we are so used to.

Previously, I blogged about the problems of learning for exams, and why in fact, it wasn't really learning at all, but an exercise in memorisation and regurgitation of information. So the product of standardised testing are standardised students, which is not what we should be aiming for.

What then should we aim for and why is that good? So let us look at what the 21st Century is about. Undoubtedly technology drives everything we do, and it is moving faster than ever before, this we already know, but do we really appreciate it fully? With technology we have found the amount of knowledge and information at our fingertips has expanded enormously. Before, a prescribed textbook for a subject is supposed to tell you all you need to know, for the entire year. Now, the possibilities are limitless.

But this, we already know.

What we need to consider as the next step, is looking at the way we learn. The way we absorb all this information and knowledge. How do we make sense of it and make us want to ask more questions? This may not involve too much technology, but of course new ideas that may sometimes utilises new technology. New ideas that not only expose us to more content, but make us more curious about discovering even more and connects us to other eager learners. Put the hands of learning in the student's. True self-directed learning.

Okay, so you can learn what you want, when you want and in the way you want. Now what? What is the point? Our knee-jerk reaction maybe: "how does this help me get an A?". Well, to be honest, I don't know if it does, and I don't know if I, as your teacher, care if it does even. Should you be caring? You will say your parents do I suppose. Or this is what colleges want, to get the degree you want to get the job you want. That is what you were possible told (brainwashed).

Let us think of another possible reaction, "How does this help me be the person I want to be". Lets work with this notion, that you are learning to be the person you want to be, instead of the grades.  Okay, that whole idea of university places and jobs is still on your mind, and with good reason. Lets alter our question then to "How does this help me be the person that colleges/universities want", following the logic that this of course then would be the person we are aiming to be. The better the educational institution, the more they want from you, the more they expect from you. Everyone has a strong academic background, they want more. What else can you do? What else have you done? What kind of person are you? What are you interests/hobbies/passions? Are you a leader or a follower? Can you solve complex problems? None of which can be demonstrated through grades or exams. None of which is seriously developed or obtained by studying for grades or exams. To be honest I am not really sure what exams demonstrate.

So what now?

We need to break our mindset away from the incessant chase for higher grades and better exams. We need to start looking at "What kind of person do I want to be" again, or we can translate it to "What skills do I want to have that will help me get into college/university". The 21st Century Skills. Creativity. Innovation. Leadership. Collabaration. Global Awareness. Strong Communication. These are just a few.

And how do we develop these skills? To a certain extent we have, in CempakaConnect, RAG Day and CBL, but those are just glimpses into a world which we must explore further. Ask yourself do you have a favourite subject? Do you have a least favourite (most hated?) subject? Why do you dislike some subjects over others? I ask myself, why do we have subjects??

The old idea is that subjects break up teaching to more easily digestible or categorised content, which is easier for students to absorb. Also it helps students specialise into certain areas that develop into degrees, which in turn lead into professional jobs. For example, high school biology leads to a degree in biology which leads to a career as a biologist. It’s all quite nice and neat. But is the 21st Century nice and neat? The career of biologist itself hardly exists anymore, after being merged and combined with other fields. The most successful in those fields aren't merely scientists anymore, but are entrepreneurs.

Yes, that word again. You've heard it many times. An entrepreneur has many definitions, mine is a person who utilises technology and 21st century skills to make a difference. Tell me which subject teaches that. You have no choice about it, in the 21st Century, whatever degree you do, whatever career or field you enter, you will be an entrepreneur. Subjects are a way of you being told what to learn. Let’s change that, let’s have you students, tell us teachers what you want to learn. No, better yet show us what you want to learn, or even better direct us to where you want to take your learning! Let’s have our class time be about you achieving objectives you set for yourself.

It’s difficult to think of learning without formal subjects and formal exams, but that is really what learning is, at its core. You actually learn best without being taught. Cempakans that are involved in gaming like me can relate to this, have you had to learn and master a game all by yourself without any direct formal instruction? Maybe it wasn't easy but it definitely was a lot of fun and you certainly loved reaching the end right?

Imagine that feeling in school, everyday. Learning that is across subjects, without too much formal assessment. Learning that is continuous, worldwide and actually matters to your future. Interested?

S.B.

DancerGal Says: This is a pretty lengthy but interesting read. It has come to my attention that the students these days aren't interested in studies because they don't see what's the point. If our education system continues at this rate, we may be seeing a higher level of dropouts simply because the children aren't interested. But that's my humble opinion. Thanks for reading! 

Love always, 

DancerGal Sheryl! 

MotivationMY.com's 2nd Birthday!!!

In conjunction with motivationMY.com's 2nd birthday (and Founder Syafique's 27th!), we've been asked to blog about: 

What has turning 1, 5 or 10 years older taught you?

Before I start, I want to wish the Founder (Syafique Shuib) my heartiest congratulations. I remembered that very moment when I started getting in touch with motivationMY.com the twitter account, then followed by interactions with Syafique, leading up to the very first #twtupDOME with Achik and Fendi. Then, we got to know Kum Gheng, producer of Inspire.FM, and next thing we knew, motivationMY had its very own radio show! To see it grow so tremendously is truly inspirational and very encouraging! Here's to many more years to come! CHEERS! 

To be honest, I was cracking my brain about how to write this post. So, I decided to blog about what I remembered (or choose to remember) from 1, 5 and 10 years ago. :) 

One year ago: 

Me during Elaine's wedding in 2012...

One year ago, I was just one year into my job and things were starting to get pretty serious with my relationship. I also started playing host on Inspire.FM (actually, I only did 2 eps!) and I really got serious about this whole blogging thing. I think this was when I truly discovered my passion for Social Media and started blogging seriously. 

One year later, I'm still into the same things. My relationship is still just as serious (three years now!) and I believe I am the same person as I was one year ago, only with more experience and (hopefully!) a teeny bit wiser :) 

Five years ago: 

Ok, this is a bit tough. Did a bit to try and forget bits and pieces during five years ago. I was kinda stuck in a relatively bad, self-destructing relationship, and when it ended, I was pretty much self-destructive until my ex did something pretty horrible. Considering how bad it was, I was pretty glad that he let me go. I don't remember being into social media at that point in time. 

Five years later, my ex is married (honestly, I don't know that much) and I'm pretty happy for him. As for me, I am grateful that he let me out of that relationship. When that happened, I was able to fully understand myself and what I wanted and translate that into my current relationship. It helped me a lot and I believe in the term "You need to fail in order to succeed". I failed once and now, I work hard to succeed. :) As for social media, well, I'm here aren't I? :P 

Ten years ago: 

Back when I was 17, I was totally different. I didn't like people, I didn't like speaking to people, and I admit, I was a spoilt brat with a temper. Now that I think back, I don't think I'm that different. Just that, I wasn't able to find people that I could communicate with and now that I'm much older, I guess I kinda sorta broke those barriers and in fact, I make friends so much easier now. 

If I'm not mistaken, at this age, I also rekindled my friendship with Evonne Siew who has been my best friend since. The one I can really talk to, the one I can go to Singapore with and do absolutely nothing, because our company with each other is priceless. Ten years ago, I was afraid of many things. These days, the only thing I fear is not trying everything! :) 

I guess with this post, it's pretty evident. I've grown up. Matured. Lived with experiences, some I wish I didn't, but I am glad I did.

To be honest, in the past ten years, a LOT has changed and I just had to adapt to it somehow. In that regard, I am glad to be where I am right now and I look forward to living my next ten years with even more experiences under my belt.

Once again, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MotivationMY.com and thank you for all the opportunities that you have given me. Truly, it has been an honor and a privilege to have worked with you! May you go strong for many more years to come! :) 

Love always,
DancerGal Sheryl!

In the life of DancerGal: How to make Generations X, Y and Zoomers Happy and Productive at Work?

Greetings from the land of DancerGal! It's been quite a while since I updated this little fella so here goes!

About a week back, I attended quite an awesome talk on "How to make Generations X, Y and Zoomers Happy and Productive at Work?". The speaker was this awesome lady called Cheryl Cran (yes, we have the same name! How cool is that???) and she's a leadership consultant. I know most of you might be thinking, "What's that?" so I'm gonna try and put in my own words about what she does. Cheryl's job is to basically make both employers and employees change or adapt their leadership or communication styles so that the company as a whole can be taken to much greater heights. She does this by breaking down the different types of people working in the company, which is mainly the different generations of people within the company.

TMI Consultancy Sdn Bhd which stands for Transformation Managed with Inspiration. 

This talk was organized by TMI Consultancy Sdn Bhd and hosted by Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur. It was pretty awesome as we were given special treatment by the staff of Hotel Istana and TMI was an amazing organizer!

It was fun from the second Cheryl stood on stage! We had so much fun, and not to mention, I embarrassed myself by going up on stage and did the "Gangnam Style" in stilettos. Probably not exactly the smartest idea, but I'm so happy I did it. :) That was our so-called "warm up" session, getting to know each other and Cheryl enticing us with AWESOME music selections. We danced to songs like YMCA, Twist and of course, the one and only GANGNAM STYLE!

Me going ballistic when I heard the Gangnam song... :P (*embarrassing!*)
Photo credits: TMI Consulting Sdn Bhd (Facebook)

Cheryl and I doing the Gangnam Style dance... Kudos to PSY!
Photo credits: TMI Consulting Sdn Bhd (Facebook)

We then sat down after all that huffing and puffing (well, for me at least!) to start on what we actually came here to do - Learn about inter-generational people, their attributes and how we can make our workplace a more effective, efficient, productive, peaceful and relaxing one. It's pretty stressful to have to deal with people from a different generation, but what is awesome is that when you learn about the positive attributes of one another, you actually realize that everyone is pretty cool and sometimes, that generation gap is what makes each and every one of us, more human :) Together with Cheryl after the lunch break, we created a Twitter hash tag for the talk as well. #TMIGenerations2013

The set up on our tables. A folder for our notes, a TMI clapper, and name tag! 

DancerGal and her TMI clapper

Cheryl speaking on inter-generational workplace
Photo credits: TMI Consulting Sdn Bhd (Facebook)

I was tempted to write "DancerGal", but I wasn't there as a blogger :P 

The awesome Sheryl and Cheryl combo! 

I can honestly say, I learned a lot about my own generation (Gen Y!) as well as the positive attributes about other generations and I am proud to be surrounded by people from all the generations, including the millennials. What really caught my interest was not only Cheryl's stage presence, but unlike many speakers, she wasn't boring at all. She admitted that she was a Zoomer with the attributes of a Gen Y and I totally agree! I also managed to do a quick email interview with her to learn more about her as well as what motivates her and some words of encouragement for us Gen Ys! 

DancerGal (DG): From an economic and financial background, what encouraged and motivated you into getting into consultation and leadership training? 

Cheryl: While I was in my career in banking and insurance I conducted training sessions and was speaking early on in my career. I was a leader at the age of 23 and found that I liked the constant learning and growth that came with leadership. When I left banking in 1994 I interned with a consulting firm and then was hired by an international seminar company to provide seminars on leadership. In 2001 I wrote my first book and my business has grown from there.

DG: Generally, those that read my blog would be from Gen Y. Would you have any advice for those of us who are struggling to find our passion?

Cheryl:  What I admire about Gen Y is that they are really keen to do what they love, to stay positive with their work and to make a difference. I don't really have advice rather I would recommend that a Gen Y find a mentor in the field they are interested as well as do an internship to learn about the field. ( I don't have space to mentor as I have clients I do this with right now) Read the book "What Color Is Your Parachute" and get a skills analysis done by an employment agency. This will help determine the best way to use your skills and to find fields that are aligned with your skills.

DG:  What would be the best and worst attributes of a Gen Y, since I am one myself?

Cheryl: Gen Y's are eager to get ahead and to contribute in a big way. The greatest thing about Gen Y's is their desire to help, to share ideas and to work as a group. The Gen Y's that I have worked with would benefit from learning to integrate their energy and passion with business results. Today's CEO's are still the Zoomers and Gen X and they are looking for Gen Y's who can provide technological ideas and creativity to help improve business. I find many Gen Y's could learn more about the business side of the company they are working for. In addition Gen Y's would be very smart to work positively with their Gen X or Zoomer bosses- a Gen Y who helps their boss looks good will always get ahead more quickly.

DG: Any words that you would like to extend to my readers or myself? :)

Cheryl: Staying positive is more than a mindset, it is a way of looking at life. Gen Y's are very important to our future, we need your energy, passion and technological savvy. Focus on building your interpersonal skills with the Gen X and Zoomer, focus on continual learning, read both business books and personal development books. Attend conferences and events where you can learn the 'how to's from successful leaders and business owners.

Thank you so much, Cheryl, for taking the time to answering questions for my blog. I truly appreciate the fact that she took the time to answering my questions. Learning more about one another's personal attributes and how we can contribute to our workplace and helping it grow as a whole was definitely a great experience and I will definitely take these lessons with me. 

Thanks again to TMI Consultancy Sdn Bhd for having me at the event, and thanks again to Cheryl for opening my eyes to my own abilities and strengths! 

I do hope that I get to dwell deeper into such topics and share more of it right here, on my blog! 

Love always, 

DancerGal Sheryl! 

In the Life of DancerGal: Mind over Matter!

So I went back to Bootcamp on Monday. Yes. Finally.

To be honest, this was a true test of mind over matter for me. As some of you are aware, I haven't been back at Bootcamp for the past 2 months, and I actually was sorta on-off back in December. So I have sort of been procrastinating my return, time and time again. I kept saying I wanted to go back time and time again, up until yesterday that is!

At about 3pm plus, I SMS-ed SammoBammo to complain that there was raining and thunder. Prior to that, the whole day, I had nerves flying all over the place. I knew that my fitness level has dropped tremendously, cos not only have I not been working out, I also haven't been eating well. I mean, what with my birthday, CNY and all just one after another. I really haven't been controlling my diet and I honestly haven't been working out on my own as well. I knew I had also put on weight (which I'm honestly really upset about!!!).

Okay, back to the case and point (sorry, I got distracted!). At around 5.30pm, I started to get cold feet. I knew I wanted to go back to the whole "eating clean, training dirty" routine, despite my busy busy schedule, yet I was nervous and afraid about what I would think of myself, how I would fail, etc. Thinking back, this was really stupid! Obviously I wouldn't have performed as well. I haven't been back at Bootcamp for the longest time, and did I ever really expect to perform at my peak again? Without the consistency? Yeah right!

So, to cut a long story short, I eventually attended the session. Suffered the session as I was one of the "newbies" in the group. As expected, didn't do too well, but lasted the entire session. It was a great session, great cardio and great workout.

Today, I am suffering DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) but I am very proud of the pain. Why? Because at the end of it all, NO PAIN NO GAIN!

Moral of the story: Don't lose sight of your passion due to laziness. If you have set your mind to it, you can conquer any mountain. Even the one that makes you cry because your body is aching THAT badly. 

I will be going back to Bootcamp again today (in the event of no rain, thunder or lightning) and I hope to maintain the consistency! Looking forward to more sweat, grime, mud and tears!

EAT CLEAN, TRAIN DIRTY! 

Love always,
DancerGal Sheryl!

Self-Reflection: #2012Reflections - Personal

MotivationMY.com founder, Syafique Shuib, has been posting on twitter with a hash tag #2012Reflections. Some of you may have seen it, some may not. Anyway, the goal of the tag is for us to figure out what are some of the biggest things we have accomplished or learned in 2012.

For me personally, 2012 was a big learning year for me. I learned a lot about myself. There were some struggles of course, but the best part about struggles is that you learn how badly you never want to go back :)

I accomplished a few big things in 2012. The biggest one being me losing 2 dress sizes. Yes, I used to wear an L, and now, I wear an S or M, depending on the cutting. :) I won't lie by saying that it was a piece of cake. I worked my ass off for it. Attending Bootcamp regularly for at least 8-9 months, committing myself to at least one run a month, watching what I eat, no junkies, drinking lots of water (which I used to hate!). It wasn't easy. But back in October, I wore a bikini to a beach in Penang. That had to be the highlight of my weight loss. While I have some work to do in terms of toning, I am very pleased that my discipline and determination got my body to this. I feel fitter, healthier and definitely more beautiful :)

Aside from the weight loss, I also discovered what really makes me tick. As many of you may know, I am a relatively huge nerd. I am totally into the game 'Star Craft 2: Wings of Liberty'. I have been playing the game myself for about 1.5 years now? I realized that my enjoyment into the game has gone beyond playing. I am able to appreciate the efforts that pro-gamers out into the game as well as personally make the effort to catch reruns of tournaments (as most of them happen while I'm either at work or teaching!) and personally analyze game plays. I, myself, have stopped playing for a while now, but I am still very much into reading news and learning more about the mechanics of the game. This really makes me get a sort of high that I can't feel with any other thing in my life. :)

Also, in 2012, I started being more involved in MotivationMY.com as well started hosting shows for Inspire.fm :) These are semi-career based stuff, but I realized that I should put this here as well, because I feel like this is my passion. Something, like SC2, gives me a high and a sense of joy that I cannot feel with any other thing that I do. The satisfaction that I get from reading a post that I wrote or listening to a podcast that I host, is just plain amazing!!! The joy of reading "by @sherylhosulynn" or "hosted by Sheryl" is plain high. Such joys are simple and plain and cannot be retrieved any other way. :)

I also learned in 2012 the type of person I consciously do not want to be. I don't want to be the typical air-head bimbo whereby I can't hold a conversation with. I wanna be able to speak of historical events, political, financial, social, etc. I want to be able to have healthy debates without holding grudges against the person who disagrees with me. I want to be able to form my own opinions by doing constant reading and constant research. I want to be more involved in the world and be more in tuned with myself. I am glad that I've found great people that I can talk to and have healthy debates with. I'm also learning a lot from the same bunch of people. You know who you are :) Thank you for being in my life :)

I had such a great 2012, but it became amazing with SammoBammo in the picture :) I believe that I've had some struggles in terms of my insecurities and I believe that I have grown in terms of the relationship and looking forward to 2013, I just want to enjoy the company and the life together. Thank you, SammoBammo, for a great 2012, and here's to an amazing 2013 ahead :)

Reflecting on 2012, I realized that I have learned so much and grown even more. Looking forward to 2013, I don't want to say that I should stop learning because I believe that the learning never stops. It doesn't stop and it doesn't end. But in 2013, it's about putting everything I've learned in 2012 to enhance my growth and to give back.

It's been a great year, but I am definitely looking forward to an amazing 2013 ahead :)

So what's your #2012Reflections?

Love always,
DancerGal Sheryl!