Awaiting new challenges... :)

Had a chat with my boss recently...

Spoke about some past events and how I performed for these... And I spoke about my ideas of what I would like to do in the near future with this company...

Then my boss told me that he have some ideas on this too but have not thought it through thoroughly as yet... and said for me to arrange a meeting with him in mid-Jul to discuss this again..

I can't wait... :)

Regards,
Ken

My new In Car Entertainment...

Hi all,

Just some updates on my ride.... I am a person who is pretty particular about sound.... and since I spend more time in my car listening to music than in my home... I decided to improve the existing sound setup in my GTI.

The original one was 'acceptable'. It was not weak nor soft... It had punch and it had loudness... but it is also no where near 'good' in my standard...

Therefore, I went searching for a reputable In Car Entertainment installer to fix my GTI.. And finally settle for a audio installer recommended by a number of members from the VAGSG forum...

The installer is Swift Motion at Ubi area.

I wanted my car to have in-built bluetooth and GPS navigation as well as great music player all-in-one. Thus, Sam (boss of Swift Motion) recommended me all the parts that would make my car a complete ICE setup...

Below are the breakdown of the components of my ICE setup (some are from my previous car):
Headunit - Alpine W502E (Bluetooth kit and GPS navigation added on)
Audio Processor - Alpine H701
Front Speakers - Morel Elate 6 - 3 way
Rear Speakers - Danish Acoustics 6.1 Pristinum
Center Speaker - Morel CDM-88
Subwoofer - Morel Ultimo 12"
Amplifiers - Genesis Miniblocks x 2 (Front speakers), Celestra FA475 (Rear and Center speakers), Rockfort Fosgate T600-2 (Subwoofer)

My intention was to have the ICE setup to look as 'stock' as possible comparing to the original car setup. It means that I am reusing the original positions of the speaker placements within my car for my new ICE setup. I also wanted to have a very usable boot where the amplifiers will be neatly tucked away and I still have a decent boot space for use.

To many ICE enthusiast, my decisions would be a rather odd one.. because for most cars in the market, the original speaker placements are not ideal for producing a good sound stage and will not give a good imaging for the music. And on top of that, I am going 'passive' which means using the in-built crossover of the speakers and that would be making even more difficult to get a better sound setup.

Considering I would like an ICE setup that looks inconspicuous and is 'passive' in setup.. I went ahead with my decisions.... This would pose a good challenge to the tuner for my setup too... Hence, Sam is tasked with making my ICE setup sound as good it can....

I must say when it was finally done, I was very impressed with Swift Motion's craftsmanship and workmanship of my ICE setup. They were very meticulous and careful with my car ensuring that all necessary precautions are taken care of. They even compiled a CD of photos on the process of the work done. I am very very impressed by that as it shows you that there is no slipshot work in whatever they do...

After inspecting the looks of the ICE setup, it was down to listening to the tuning done by Sam. He was very detailed and explained to my what all the settings are and how to operate the Headunit.. From playing CD to DVD movies, GPS - searching a place, storing favourites, to usage of Bluetooth.....

Then comes the all important music tuning.. He explained the various different listening modes he has setup for me. From Standard, Smooth, RnB, DVD Video and DVD audio... He also explained to me about sound staging and walked me through on the accuracy of my sound stage. After some fiddling and tuning, I got a sound stage that I feel was pretty impressive for an all 'passive' setup... However, I point out that the speakers sounded quite harsh.. He explained the new speakers needed time to 'break-in'.. something like running in a new car.... And told me that there would be a 2nd tuning that is required after the speakers have run-in in ard 2months time. And its absolutely free.... (This is what I call after sales service).. .'cos some installers I know will say 'its like that one, after run-in will be fine...

I have attached some pictures below for your enjoyment... For those few who had heard my setup before, I hope you like it as much as I have... Music is a never-ending journey to be enjoy... and if possible, I am surely glad to share it with friends... :) Enjoy...

My new ICE setup

GTI.. The legend that will live on and on...

Hi all,

I am not sure how many GTI fans are reading this. But I am sure if you are, you will agree with me that the GTI legend will live on and on...

From MkI to the current MkVI... And many more future models to come...

Like Jeremy Clarkson pointed out
'Its cheap, practical, fun and fast... And they offer drawback free motoring and ideal for the family who had to wave goodbye to the sports car due to children...'

And through the years, I dare say that all its designs still have the attractiveness for all model...

And for me, it was the MkV... I love it so much that I finally took the plunge and bought one before they stopped selling it...

No matter which model you own (GTI fans out there)... I know you will agree that it is something rather special...

Best Regards,
Ken

Some updates...

Hi all,

Decided to give my car a thorough wash and wax... So here are some pictures below for your enjoyment.

Uniting different borders to a common goal.

Hi all,

Its been a long time since I last update my blog. I was recently bogged down by tremendous work pressure which I have put upon myself.

I have almost finished the tour of our company's first conference around ASEAN. But I am also concurrently preparing for the next few in the coming Q2 and Q3. On top of all that, I have also made a tour to our Malaysian office to have a better understanding of the office culture across in KL (which was quite sometime back)...

As my title 'Uniting different borders to a common goal' suggest, an assumption is made here. All employees want the company to succeed.

In this troubled times where the economy is re-balancing itself to a more sustainable state, employee should unite to a common goal ensuring that the company will succeed. It is the survival of the fittest and within an organization if we stand unified, we will have a better chance of success compared to a divided company. It is proven in these few months that even giants can fall.

Being part of an organization with a very open culture, without much rules and regulations, I am given tremendous freedom of free-play on deciding what and how to do things. This also puts a certain amount of stress on me as I question myself at times; 'Are my thoughts and plans correct? Can I effectively deliver continuing success for my company?' These thoughts are constantly in my mind as I ponder on the actions and choices I make for the company day-in-day-out.

One important lesson I learned recently to avoid being over-stressed up is to relay my thoughts to fellow colleagues that also ponder upon such questions as I do and share ideas and opinions. This opens up a whole new window to a broader spectrum of ideas and also good discussion can form concrete plans where we can better work together to deliver success.

I am learning every day; from new technical skills, managing skills, marketing skills, etc to handling my own personal matters, maintaining a balance with my family and friends with my work. And the most important thing is the willingness to learn. If you are willing to learn in all aspects of life, you will be able unite different 'borders' to a common goal, your own goal.

Best Regards,
Ken

P.S. On a lighter note, I also love to enjoy life when I can... and Woohoo... My beloved ride is reaching 3,000km soon.... Loving every bit of it...

My first VW... My dream car coming true...

Hi all,

On the 4th of April 2009, I have one my dreams come true. My first VW and my dream car the VW MkV Golf GTI. Since its launch in 2004, I have been dreaming about owning it... I have liked other cars too but this is different... No words to explain.. :)

Below are some photos for your enjoyment.














It is now the process of 'running in' the car... Testing various bits and pieces... getting to know it better... and building a rapport with the car...

Will post more photos once I have a chance to take more... **surely, there would be 'slight' changes to the car in time to come..** haha..

Best Regards,
Ken