SMART GRID

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Day Nineteen,

SMART GRID!

Buzzwordy's been through many tough assignments in his career, however, he still wasn't absolutely convinced that he was a bona fide business geek who had earned his battle scars.  Reporting to Xavia could be painful at times, however, Buzzwordy found his boss borderline reasonable in many ways.  They used to argue like dogs in the parking lot, and either one of them would end up storming off to cool his heel.  The strange thing was that they would always get back together to tactically resolve their differences. 

Buzzwordy could clearly remember the time when Xavia jumped on his case when a customer kept the products and refused to pay the company.  It took him many weeks to dig into the legal aspect of the case and found a loophole in the design sign-off form that helped bring Buzzwordy's company back to the top.  Xavia was elated since collecting the payment from this company really helped close their fiscal year revenue gap.  He even invited Buzzwordy to a snazzy coffee house for a small cup of latte.  Buzzwordy vividly recalled Xavia shouting at him when he was in the line not to order any brownie or cofffee cake because Bif (their fearless CEO) wouldn't approve the expense.

It felt refreshing to come back to the company after a good night sleep.  Buzzwordy was ready to take on his new assignment both mentally and physically as he proudly walked into his office.

"Buzzwordy, Bif wants you to be the panel moderator at this new technology conference.  You know that we are looking into this new technology called SMART GRID.  Why don't you contact this person here to figure out all the details?" greeted Xavia as he handed a business card over to Buzzwordy.

"Xavia, what is with SMART GRID these days?  All the utility companies are jumping onto the wagon here because they are finding out that there could be a more intelligent way to make money.  I tend to agree that putting intelligence into the grid and facilitating bilateral communications between the utility company and its subscribers will help the ecosystem become richer as well as fostering a tighter relationship between the supplier and the users. Also, ..." responded Buzzwordy before Xavia cut him off.

"Great Buzzwordy, please drive this project!  You know the drill." grinned Xavia before dashing over to another meeting.

Buzzwordy began to ponder about the technologies that would be the best fit for SMART GRID.  He thought about POWERLINE, WLAN, WiMAX, POE, and all the other potential communication protocols before his brain began to explode.

"Never mind, I will figure everything out myself!" quipped Buzzwordy.

Undoubtedly, Day Twenty would be a fun-filled day for Buzzwordy to take charge of his new assignment.


Buzzwordy

 

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Never question your CEO!

Image via Wikipedia

Day Eighteen,


Never question your CEO!


The drive from the San Francisco International Airport to Buzzwordy's office was a mind-provoking one - the deejay on the radio kept reminding his listeners that there was nothing that anyone could do but to treat life with a different perspective.  He gave countless examples about rich and famous people having to run off to exotic places just to hide from their friends and acquaintances.  For those who couldn't do it due to time pressure, they had to purposely dress themselves down or wear special makeup so that they could keep a distance from the intrusive paparazzi. When these people got to where they wanted to go, they did what the local folks did for a short duration and felt completely gratified at the end of their vacations.


Buzzwordy concurred with the deejay that life was nothing but a balancing act.  He knew that once he arrives at the office, there will be hell to pay and he will be ready for it.


"Good, you're finally here.  Lets go to our famous war room now since all the top dogs are waiting eagerly to see you!" commanded Xavia as Buzzwordy entered the company building.


"OK, Xavia!" responded Buzzwordy a little sheepishly. 


As the two of them entered the war room, the air became thicker and Buzzwordy could immediately feel the intensity.


"Buzzwordy, we heard that you have made a fool of yourself and our company in Kuala Lumpur this week.  According to our reliable sources, you did nothing productive and wasted our precious resources.  What say do you have?" yelled the uncontrollable CEO whom everyone called Bif.


"Bif, I must say that I'm quite offended by all these accusations.  Before I begin to defend my position, I would like to speak to your sources so that I could hear their perspectives.  I must admit that I did have three disappointing incidents in the Malaysian capital but they were all beyond my control." responded Buzzwordy calmly.


"Buzzwordy, please never question your CEO.  It is pathetic for you to even think of asking me to let you speak to my sources.  How dare of you!  Why don't you just apologize to me for your rudeness and let the senior management in this room all hear your apology at the same time?" demanded Bif.


Buzzwordy hesitated a bit and wasn't sure how to take the debate forward.  He looked around the room and saw everyone staring at him.  He could tell that the senior management team was quite annoyed by the exchanges between him and Bif.  Xavia was motionless and totally speechless.  Buzzwordy knew that it wasn't the time and place for him to start an intellectual battle with Bif since the loser would be him.


"I'm very sorry Bif for upsetting you.  I want to apologize to you and the entire management team for stepping out of line today.  I'll generate my trip report and submit it to everyone for review, and entertain any questions that you may have afterwards." exclaimed Buzzwordy.


"Apology accepted.  Xavia, please discuss with Buzzwordy about his next assignment first thing in the morning.  This meeting is now adjourned." declared Bif.


Buzzwordy shook his head gently while leaving the war room.  He knew that the next project would be a tough one and this was Bif's way of getting even with him.


Will Day Nineteen be a better day for Buzzwordy?


Buzzwordy

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There was nowhere to run or hide!

Day Seventeen,


There was nowhere to run or hide!


Despite of all those uncanny encounters that Buzzwordy had during his stay in Kuala Lumpur, he managed to fully enjoy his breakfast at the Kuala Lumpur International terminal.  For a mere $2.90 (1 Malaysian Ringgit = 0.31 U.S. $), he was able to have his milk-drenched cereal, a full-size ham & egg sandwich, 2 large pieces of French toast, a decent mug-size coffee, and a glass of apple juice.  Buzzwordy felt totally fulfilled after such a hearty meal.


He told himself that his luck was about to change for the better and the flight back to San Francisco should be enjoyable as well.  For the next 13 hours, Buzzwordy's flight on board of a Singapore Airlines plane was pretty darn close to being euphoric. 


"I could tell that it is all going to be a smooth ride from now on!" smiled Buzzwordy as he gently patted himself on his shoulder.


After landing in SFO (San Francisco International Airport) and de-planing, he took his time to get to the public garage.  Having survived several horrific incidents in Kuala Lumpur, all he wanted was to slow his day down without any more burnouts.  He whistled gently while strolling over to his car.  A buzzing sound on his mobile phone ended the short-lived euphoria.


"Buzzwordy, are you back in the States?  I heard that you have royally messed up your trip to Malaysia.  How are you going to write your trip report?" shrieked Xavia as Buzzwordy answered the call.


The timing of this call was completely unanticipated and it really threw Buzzwordy off.  He was mad and felt that justice had not be served in his favor at all. 


"Xavia., I meant to have a de-briefing meeting with you when I get back to the office tomorrow.  I will let you know the details of my trip.  Please let me put it bluntly to you, the trip was an eye-opener but did not produce the needed results that I was looking for.  Can we talk tomorrow?" explained Buzzwordy.


"No! The management team is really upset and you have no choice but to come into the office now.  I'll see you within an hour!" shouted Xavia before he ended the call.


Buzzwordy felt like the whole world had collapsed right in front of him and there was nowhere to run or hide.  He quickly jumped into his car and as usual, he turned on the AM radio channel.


"My beloved fans and listeners, didn't I tell you before, THERE WAS NOWHERE TO RUN OR HIDE!  Just accept your fate and you will live a happier life." exclaimed the deejay.


Was this karma or just pure coincidence?  Buzzwordy found himself in a trance while driving back to the office.


He knew that there will be a whole lot of explaining to do once he gets to the office.


May Day Eighteen be a productive day for Buzzwordy.




Buzzwordy


Book references

Fruits Basket Volume 23 (Fruits Basket)

Fruit of the Spirit, The

Meet Ming the roadrunner!

Day Sixteen,

Meet Ming the roadrunner!


The early morning climate in Kuala Lumpur was relatively cooler comparing to the normal temperature that bestowed upon the city once the sun came up.  Buzzwordy dragged his luggage down to the hotel lobby around 4AM for his check-out so that he could take a cab to the airport.  He was half asleep but excited about going back to the States where he had scheduled a de-briefing meeting with Xavia.  His trip to Malaysia was nothing but problematic and he intended to share his encounters openly with his boss upon his return.


"Good morning sir, did you have a taxi reservation for the airport?" asked the hotel receptionist.


"Good morning to you as well.  Yes, I did.  In fact, just to be safe, I spoke with another person behind the front desk twice in the last two days just to be sure that I won't miss my taxi pick-up at 4:15AM today." responded Buzzwordy.


"Very good sir, please let me double check for you!  By the way, my name is Ditto!" smiled the well-mannered hotel receptionist.


"Well sir, looks like you're all set.  Your cab driver is Ming and he will be arriving soon." confirmed Ditto.


Buzzwordy thanked Ditto for his help and sat in an embroidered chair facing the hotel entrance.  Right before he began to doze off, a sharp screeching sound (probably from someone stepping on the brake just a little too hard) woke him up. 

He raised his head and saw this midget-like man in his fifties running into the lobby.  His perspiration was intense.

"I'm Ming from Ming's Cab and I come here for Mr. Buzzwordy.  I will take him to the airport now!" panted the tiny cab driver.

"I'm Buzzwordy and good morning Ming,  I'll follow you to your cab." replied Buzzwordy.

After settling into Ming's cab, Buzzwordy found himself being surrounded by intriguing ornaments throughout the entire interior of the vehicle.

"Sir, I can see you liking my hanging ornaments.  They are my pride and joy.  Every time when I beat someone on the road, I will reward myself with an ornament.  Can you see this one here?  This is my latest trophy.  Very exciting!  I'm pleased to take you to the airport.  You're flying on Singapore Airlines, right?  Don't worry, I will get you there in no time and of course in one piece.  Do you know what the other cab drivers in the city call me?  They call me Ming the roadrunner!" giggled Ming.   

"Thanks for sharing your achievements with me Ming.  Your background is indeed very interesting!" nodded Buzzwordy suspiciously.

"Wait a second, why are you changing your regular shoes into these platform-looking shoes?" questioned the marketing whiz kid.

"Sir, these are my roadrunner shoes and they are great for stepping on the gas pedal and braking with very little efforts from my part.  Please don't worry.  We should go now!" reassured Ming.

The next 50 minutes of Buzzwordy's road trip to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport was a living resemblance of a death race.  Ming was laughing and sipping on his thermal bottle every time he passed another car on the road.  The light traffic in the morning just added fuel to the fire for him since there was basically no congestion anywhere to slow him down.  He was laughing incessantly and uncontrollably as he continued to accelerate his vehicle.

For the life of Pete, Buzzwordy became fearful for his life and kept telling Ming to slow down.

"Sir, please calm down.  We are almost there.  When we get to the international terminal, I'll reward myself with another ornament.  Oh, I better call my girlfriend Keshi when we get there.  She misses me!" shrugged Ming.

Buzzwordy kept telling himself that Ming wasn't doing this intentionally to frighten him but the lure of winning another ornament was the only motivation behind this madness.  What was bothering him the most was the incessant giggles and laughs that Ming gave out whenever he passed other vehicles on the road. 

"We're here Mr. Buzzwordy.  Have a safe trip back to your home and please come again to Kuala Lumpur.  Here is my business card for your reference." signaled Ming.

Buzzwordy paid Ming for his cab fee without any tip and hastened his way towards the airport terminal.  He could hear the roadrunner swearing behind him.

It was time to go home and that was the only thing for him to look forward to.  

"Xavia is going to get an earful when I get back." sneered Buzzwordy.


See you all on Day Seventeen.


Buzzwordy 


 
Video references:

 Chinese Silk & Chinese Embroidery

Silver Ornaments


Book references:

Platform Shoes: A Big Step in Fashion (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

Would You Believe...in 1500, Platform Shoes Were Outlawed?: and Other Fashion Follies

Meet Frank the Stick!

Day Fifteen,

The down town of Kuala Lumpur was crowded with people.  Buzzwordy felt a sign of relief as he strolled along the main street - he could finally put the two unhappy events behind him and go for some great fun before leaving for the States in the morning.  The sweltering heat in the mid afternoon did not seem to bother him that much and all he wanted was to check out the famous multi-level shopping center which he heard from the hotel receptionist during check-in.

"Come, please come here!  You there sir?  Yes, I mean you." waved a scraggy old man as he pointed to Buzzwordy from across the street.

Buzzwordy was caught off-guard and wasn't sure if the old man really wanted to speak to him.  He decided not to make the first move and continued to walk towards the shopping center.

"Why did you ignore me?  Are you here for a good time and by yourself sir?  I'm Frank and everyone in this town calls me Frank the Stick!" greeted the scraggy old man after he crossed the street and caught up with Buzzwordy from behind.

"Well Frank the Stick,  I'm not too sure if you have anything that I want.  In fact, what I'm about to do doesn't need your service at all.  Please go and bug somebody else instead!" sneered Buzzwordy.

"I have pictures to show you.  Very nice pictures.  You are walking way too fast for an old man like me.  Could you please slow down?" begged Frank the Stick.

"Not a chance!  Have a nice life and goodbye!" yelled Buzzwordy as he entered into the bustling shopping center.

Buzzwordy was amazed to see so many clothing and video stores inside this 8-story building.  Every floor seemed to be pretty identical and there were so many people on every floor.  After exploring every conceivable area and feeling completely exhausted, he decided that it was time to head back to the hotel.

As he stepped back into the main street, he bumped right into Frank the Stick.

"Hey, have you been following me?  shouted Buzzwordy.

"I have very nice pictures to show you.  These are my family pictures and I don't show to everyone normally.  They are precious.  Please follow me to a quieter street since it is very noisy here!" pleaded Frank the Stick.

Buzzwordy could sense that something was just plain wrong and his best option was to end the dialogue with Frank the Stick immediately.  He didn't even bother to reply to the scraggy old man and instead, he picked up his speed while darting through the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

By the time he arrived at the hotel lobby, he found out that Frank the Stick was nowhere to be found.  He took a deep breath and plunged himself right into a sofa.

"Hi Buzzwordy, it is good to see you again.  Looks like you have been shopping today.  Any luck in finding what you want?  I sincerely wish that you had a great time in Malaysia!" said Timar.

"Umm,  I'm going home tomorrow and please wish me the best of luck!" replied the tiresome Buzzwordy.

"How am I going to write my trip report to Xavia?" puzzled Buzzwordy.


May Day Sixteen be a better day for Buzzwordy!


Buzzwordy


Book references:

Oxford Picture Dictionary (Monolingual English)

Pictures of Hollis Woods

Building an Affordable House
 

Everyone knows!

Day Fourteen,

Since leaving the press conference in CHARITY Salon, Buzzwordy had been wondering if he should attend the lunch social event which Timar mentioned.  He conjured up the images of all the social elites and dignitaries whom he would be rubbing elbows with, and feeling enormously hyped by this unique opportunity.  He could see himself shaking everyone's hand, educating the crowd on the latest telco trend, and receiving their praises and admiration.

He took a deep breath and tried to bring himself back to reality.  The harsh reality of him not getting any opportunity to present his speech - the moment that he was looking forward to and had been preparing diligently to seize this moment of fame.  It could just be a 5-minute glory and that was all Buzzwordy was wishing for. 

"Hey Buzzwordy!  When did you arrive in Kuala Lumpur?  Are you heading over to the telco lunch social gig?" asked a tall lanky dude in a Hawaiian shirt as he reached out to pat Buzzwordy on his back.

"Wow!  Petro, what a pleasant surprise!  I didn't expect your magazine will let you come to this gig.  Actually, I'm not in a mood to go to this lunch thing.  Is it going to be worthy of my time?" asked Buzzwordy.

"You bet.  I came to a similar event 2 years ago.  It was a total trip for me.  The kind of inside information that I was able to get and use for my editorial column was fantastic.  My magazine really loved me for it.  For your own sake, this is a great opportunity for you to see the inner working of the elites in this country.  It will definitely make your visit worthwhile." lauded Petro.

Buzzwordy chuckled a bit and decided to tag along with Petro.  The two of them climbed the stairs to the top floor of the hotel and went straight to the grand reception room where the lunch social was held.

"Dude!  This is where I bid my farewell.  I'm going to join that table over there.  See you!" gestured Petro as he quickly made his move to join the half-empty table located right next to a mini water fountain.

"Hello,  I'm Asar and this is my cousin Ajar.  We are both in the telco business.  Let me see.  Oh yes, you are Mr. Buzzwordy from America.  Welcome very much to Malaysia.  Please sit down and join us for lunch." greeted a young and fast-talking man in his late 20's.

"Hello to both of you.  This is a really impressive reception room.  The decor looks very nice and I'm very happy to be here." praised Buzzwordy.

"Yes,  you have very good taste Mr. Buzzwordy.  Please tell us if you know what is the future of broadband.  Everyone knows we have bandwidth and all of us are very happy.  Do you know why?  Ajar, why don't you tell him?" grinned Asar.

"Hello Mr. Buzzwordy.  Please excuse my cousin.  He is only partially correct but what he doesn't see is this - we don't know why we are happy because we are not sure what technology to use.  Asar, why don't you ask him to recommend the best technology for our bandwidth?" challenged Ajar.

"This is nonsense.  It should be you asking our friend Mr. Buzzwordy the question and not me.  Now please ask the question!" shouted the irate Asar.

"No Asar.  It is your turn!" screamed the angry Ajar.

The two cousins just couldn't stop arguing with each other and that really got on Buzzwordy's nerve.  He tilted his head back and saw Petro having deep and meaningful (at least this was what it seemed like) discussions with people at his table.   All of a sudden, the light bulb came on and Buzzwordy realized that Petro took the best table in the room and left him with the less desirable one.

He excused himself from the two combative cousins even before lunches were brought into the room. 

So far, the whole day had been a disaster for Buzzwordy and he couldn't wait to go back to the States tomorrow.  He did hear about the famous shopping center in the down town area of Kuala Lumpur and was eager to check it out in the afternoon. 

"Hello shopping center, here I come!" whistled Buzzwordy as he began his walk towards down town.

I'll be back with his tale on Day Fifteen.


Buzzwordy 

Book references

Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook

Frommer's Hawaii 2010 (Frommer's Color Complete Guides)

Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth

Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth: Book 2 


Apparel references

Top Quality Hibiscus Hawaiian Aloha Shirt

Top Quality Tropical Parrot Hawaiian Aloha Shirt

 Exclusive Hawaiian Tropic Sunset In Paradise Aloha Shirt