Happy Birthday, Shine.

It's that time of the year again.

I hope you're doing great, and fulfilling your potential.

I also hope you're living your life to the fullest; ife is too short not to, no?

Anyways, I just would like to wish you a very happy birthday.

Tu!

Don't Bother Trying To Understand

A lot of people don’t get it.

Even My Small Baby, who knows me in and out, sometimes doesn’t get it.

It used to be mostly by choice, but of late, it’s been because of circumstances; circumstances that I didn’t really had no choice.

But whatever the case may be, it’s not that I’m perennially an occupational nomad. I admit I get bored easily and unlike many of the peeps out there, when that time comes when I no longer feel excited about waking up in the morning and eager to face the day, it’s better for me to move on and find something that will challenge my existence.

Life is too short to allow yourself be bogged down and allow mundaneness to dictate your daily lives, y’know? One must go out there and challenge one’s self, live the best they could be, and make a difference in the world, or at least try.

I don’t know about y’all but that’s how I want to live my life, and certainly how I want to be remembered.

Thank You...

Just like that, I’m out.

I went out the same way I went in – unexpected.

This is not a post about why I’m no longer with the company. I’ve moved on and don’t want to look back, no matter how much I enjoyed my brief stint there. Rather, this post is to thank some people; something I didn’t get to do.

It was only when I saw them again a few days back that I realized I owe them a line or two to express how thankful I am for allowing me to lead them, a task that I truly enjoyed and will always be grateful for.  

Here goes…

To Krystlelites, my favorite ex-staff; thank you for proving me right about you. 

You may not look it, maybe because you are your daddy’s little princess, but you are a very smart girl. I knew that the moment I saw you.

But more than your intelligence, you truly have a good heart, and that’s what made you dear to me. And if there’s one thing I want you to know, I want you to know that whatever happens, so long as you keep yourself grounded, you will go places, and when that day comes, I will be watching from afar, smiling and proud.

Thank you, Krys.

To Shanghai Dream; you’re the one who understood me the most, and the best. 

Our upbringing is so similar that you always knew where I was coming from. I’ve never told you this, but among all of you, you were the most loyal lieutenant I had.

It is a trait that is sadly no longer common in the working world, and your loyalty knows no bounds and for that alone, I know we will forever be connected somehow (no homo, as you like to say lol)

You are born into the material riches many people covet, and to be able to stay grounded like how you are makes me take my hat off to you in admiration. Like your loyalty, your ability to put aside your material wealth, in exchange for your thirst to learn, already makes you a success.

It wasn’t always conspicuous but you have taught me a lot, in your own special ways, how to be a better person.

For inspiring me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To Angry Man, my natural heir to the post of Head of Marketing; 

We didn’t always look at things the same way, but for what it’s worth, you taught me to forgive even amidst betrayal.

I learned a lot about myself - and my anger - in our daily conversations, on the way to and from work. And your love for your kids made me want to join the ranks of being a family man. And for that alone, I’ll forever remember you.

You are now the catalyst to making great things happen for the company, and for the team. Lead with the determination of a bull in ensuring that the AirAsia X Brand is given its due recognition. From afar, I will cheer you and your team on.

Thank you.

To Olive Oyl, our baby in the team, and someone who could give Klaus Korper a run for his money.

There never was a day that you didn’t make me smile. In being the most true to one’s self, you reminded me so much of myself.

You call a spade a spade and for that, I know you will be where you want to be in your career. Your ability to be true to yourself also earned my admiration and respect. You don’t know how to play politics and that makes you a gem, a rarity that would help you reach your destiny.

On a more personal note, should I be still alive, I truly would love to be at your wedding. I want to know and see the man who was able to tame the shuffling, but real Olive Oyl J

For making the office a better place, for making me smile daily, and for everything else, thank you, G.

To Commie Ash, the straight-as-anyone-could-ever-be energizer (not-so) bunny;

You may not always do or say the right things, but your heart means well. It takes someone who sees that to appreciate you, and I hope I managed to do just that.

I also hope that you will be recognized and rewarded accordingly, even when I’m gone. You deserve that. I may have been the strictest with you but I’m happy that you know why I had to be.

For getting on my nerves a lot of times but also making me smile in the process, thank you.

To Yasuyo, the looney Japanese who never failed to make me laugh;

Thank you for the admiration for, and the trust in, me. You always made me feel that being a leader is not a burden, but a responsibility; and one that I thoroughly enjoyed putting on my shoulders.

I know what you are going through right now, but as krystlelites told me, in one of her minutes of philosophical inspiration, when one door closes, others open. And trust that something better, something great, will open for you soon. I believe that, and so should you.

And for you to say that I’ll always be your ‘boss’, for always making me laugh, for bringing the responsibility of defending my team in me, and for a lot of the other things you have accorded me, arigato.

And last but not the least, to Nanny Nads, the one responsible for bringing me to AirAsia X; 

I would never know how political the airline industry is first-hand had it not been for you. It is your confidence in my ability that brought me to the company, it is your trust in me that allowed me to meet and lead the aforementioned souls that touched and made a difference to my existence, and it is your soothing words that allowed me to break free, and be happy in the process, from the chains of betrayal.

Words can never express how thankful I am to you for your belief in me. I know somehow I disappointed you but in the grand scheme of things, if you look at what I did in those short 3 months, I know you are proud of what I have accomplished.

You were the only one I knew before I joined AirAsia X, and because of you, I left with knowing more, absolutely great people. For that, and for the confidence, trust and belief you have shown for me, from the very bottom of my heart, I thank you.

The AirAsia X Marketing Team: We Make Things Happen

To the peeps in the picture above, thank you :-)

Love,

IO

Three Months On...

Where do I even begin?

Usually, people start from the beginning, but that is not applicable to me in this instance. So where do I then start?

I seriously don't know. Sometimes, I even wonder if I still care.

Come the 21st, I shall speak the truth. Will it be enough? Only time will tell.

I guess I do; otherwise I won't be taking the effort to clear my name. But it's not even a battle for survival anymore, y'know? It's more a war against the detractors who, I suppose, aren't used to the movement that I have initiated, the drive that I lead, the programs that my team and I are rolling-out.

My mentor once told me that for me to succeed, I need to not care about my detractors and what they say or do. Through the years, I lived by this advice, and through the years, organizations after organizations, I was successful.

But this one is different, or so I thought. I made the mistake of thinking that great work will allow me the space to move on and do more great work. But I was wrong, or could be wrong. Does it even matter anymore?

I guess it does. It does matter to me, and by extension, and the wonderful team that I lead. But like in the past, I won’t be surprised if one of them would be tempted to go against me. But you know, should it happen, I can turn my back and smile.

 The more they tell me things can't be done, the more I'll prove it to them that it could be.

A n y w a y s. . . 

It’s been 3 months since I joined AirAsia X and nothing, I repeat, nothing could take the fact that I’m having a great ride. Or should I have written ‘Have had?’ It doesn’t matter, really. I know what I have done. People know what I have done. And whatever minor – or major, depending on the outcome – obstacles that are thrown my way, I will continue to believe that truth will prevail.

I was advised to keep my life private, to not show my passion and emotions. How could I? My life has always been about passion. My life has always been an open book. My parents taught me not to be afraid of the consequences when we speak of the truth. 

Unlike many, I don’t keep grudges; I say what’s on my mind and move on with my life. Admittedly, though it has gotten me into troubles in the past, I still managed to live my life the way I wanted and achieved all the success that I’ve had. I wouldn’t have any of this had I sacrificed the very principles that makes me who I am.

Happy 3 months, IO!

3 months on, I’m being tested. I hope to overcome this and continue to soar to greater heights. I believe, should the truth prevail, I will be acquitted of these scurrilous charges. Come to think of it, they’re actually insignificant, but someone has created a mountain out of this tiny molehill.

In God I put my life into. In truth I will fight. In my innocence I will win.

Happy 3 months, IO.

The Life Of An AirAsia X All-Star

It's been approximately a month and 3 weeks that I embarked on my latest journey, and so far, everything's been good.

Let me start with my team. I inherited a good team, a bunch of individuals who have their own quirks and eccentricities, but all of whom are united by one common thing -  they are all committed to the cause, so to speak.

The AirAsia X Central Marketing Team, with THE Man himself.

Oh, there will always be that odd person out, the one who doesn't deserve to be there, and in both the Central (MY based) and the International Marketing teams, there is one such staff. But it's all good, nothing I can't handle. I've handled way more difficult staff in my career, and these two ain't nothing but another dirt on my shoulders that needs dusting off.

As mentioned above, so far it's been good. It's not always rosy, but manageable. But what I'm proud of the most is the fact that in less than 2 months, we've done things that the previous Marketing team failed to do. And that speaks volume of this new Marketing team we have at AirAsia X.

Right now, while everything seems aight, we will be going through some minor - or major, depending on how it works out - changes in the dynamics of the whole Commercial team. Hopefully, it's nothing major; the last thing we need right now are any form of disruptions.

A n y w a y s . . .

In less than two months, we managed to achieve a few firsts; we finally got the recognition from the AirAsia peeps as a sub-brand; got Dato Jimmy Choo to try our Premium Seats on board our AirAsia X flight from London to Kuala Lumpur to Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur to London; we realized the dreams of a few fans to travel to Korea with their favorite actor; sent a die-hard 16 year old Man United fan, who is suffering from a rare disease, to watch his beloved Red Devils play at Old Trafford; to name a few.

 

When you get someone like Jimmy Choo to take an AirAsia X flight, you know you're on the right track

The AirAsia X Marketing Team with Anas Sadiq. He was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and, together with Mister Potato, we helped him realize his dream of watching Manchester United play at Old Trafford

Yes, we're on the right track.

And I'm proud to be a part of the team that is making a lot of differences; even prouder to be the leader of the team that is making all these differences.