s g n i t e e r G r a e Y New t Editorial Team! from the InQues Hello, homies!
uest wish you for ya h? Well, we in InQ t ou g nin tur ar ye the ndships, s the start of portu nities, renewed frie op w ne Happy New Year! How’ rk, wo at fun e, good ness, more a year blessed with lov smile! d ma ny other reasons to exciting travel pla ns an very own of InQuest! This is our ue iss 3 201 ry ua Jan to present the and articles we’ve We are happy and proud g the smokin’ hot topics din rea joy en all we t tha newsletter and we hope collected. o tor Mr JR Mayer. We als rec Di g gin na Ma ET QN ’s an recent wedding of icle about the subject he art his ing tur This issue celebrates the fea by y of HR Dr Jerome Bonnifa welcome our new Head intelligence! expert on – emotional brand the first offering of the in m ca the th wi e lov work desks of prettiest belles ma king this time featuring the You’ll see some of QI’s , on es go ion dit tra d va l-inspired e desk rai otos of the opulent carni ph the new Lookbook series. Th by ed aw be o ndani. You’ll als May Isais and Ra mil Ma laysia. al Suppor t Center in Ma decorations of the Glob aderno writes es: NSG-Phils’ Robi Cu nc rie pe ex e im t-t firs t writes articles abou t right!) Sylvia Lourdes tha d rea We have two interesting u yo s, (ye old mom and 14-yeargapore office. about being a first-time y-tailed intern in the Sin sh bu d an d ye t-e igh br about being a antics, that e for you, hopeless rom icl art ial ec sp a red pa day! ar so we’ve pre eethearts on that special sw ur yo e Va lentine’s Day draws ne giv to at wh but loveliest ideas on gives you the simplest Sea and Za ma n’s book King of the na Di of iew rev h’s let ns on what they think Do check out Reba Ko ers to our survey questio sw an s’ ue ag lle co r ou some of ed the New year, how they celebrat is the best part of last s year. st looking forward to thi mo e y’r the at wh d an ar Ye newest also like to welcome its The editoria l tea m would incess unications Executive Pr member, Internal Comm is rea lly kidding. Her first na me t no ’re we , No l. afi Gr Keith Princess! up, start kara n sit back, put your feet so se ide ra ins nd re ha mo C ’s ere Th st ride! Ramya enjoy your newest InQue sipping that coffee and Gil H. Cadiz
Till next time!
n Vidya Mad hava y Yusri desig n b
Keith S . Grafil Reba Koleth
Valentine’s Day Gift ideas for Him and Her Delight your valentine this year with these unique, romantic and homemade gift ideas!
s d Paper Clip sy Heart-Shshaappeed paper clips are soakea ing a
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Instead of ca rsation Cupcakes why not crea ndy hearts this Valentin te these conv e’s Day, with adorab ersation cupcakes le labels?
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s Heart-shaped Pouche
ernative to a box of , all s are the perfect alt These little pouche with whatever you want and best of m the y! fill da can big You the er dy. can still use them aft your valentine can
For your Valent Choco in a Box! ine, Hershey’s Nugg make this treat box filled with ets that spell out “Be mine”
KING OF THE SEA Dina Zaman Silverfish Books, 154 pages
r u lo o C d n A e r u lt u C f O A collection of colourful stories, Zaman uses her witty humour and deep realism to address the controversial topic of culture, in particular the Malay culture, in a simple yet provocative way. She eliminates stereotypes and biases in the blink of an eye and focuses on the uniqueness and originality of culture itself. From the flamboyant Masbabu, a character that defies all boundaries of ‘Malay-ness’, the outlandish whims and fancies of Mandak who wants to be an angel, we are taken on a journey of sadness, grief and love which are some of Zaman’s main themes. The stories are imaginative and thought-provoking. As we are drawn to each situation, we are left with a sense of wanting more – now this is the sign of a good book, wouldn’t you agree? I must admit short
stories are a favourite with many people because every word is crafted by the author for a purpose. There’s no beating around the bush. As we get used to Zaman’s style of writing, we can truly appreciate the messages that she wishes to convey to her readers. Essentially, these range from being subtle at times to diverse and direct at other times. A definite page-turner, you will find yourself lost in the world of cultural nuances and religious beliefs, some apparent even today. With this eclectic blend of ideas, Zaman’s readers are left with the anticipation and the desire to be more culturally aware of the people around and to learn more about them. A great and enlightening read for all book-lovers out there!
Review By REBA KOLETH
rol your emotions Being able to cont ed’ how much you ‘fe depends in part on h uc m w ho on and on a particular emoti , of id we are afra we focus on what essed about. But pr de enraged by, or . Good ‘emotional it’s more than that d s that we understan intelligence’ require y wh d an en cognise wh our own moods, re s ie eg at str al have very re we are upset and y wa e th ce to influen in place to be able we feel. ound yourself tossed ar So if you ever find sea s ou tu ul rical tum helplessly on a hyste at to ys nt some wa of emotion and wa ils, read on… sa ur least adjust yo
ons Control your emoti by looking ahead s blind us to
on Very intense emoti us that now is all n the future and co ct, when we are that matters. In fa en anxious, we can ev incredibly angry or en ev is that there momentarily forget ink If you get angry, th . re tu going to be a fu I if w ro or m will I feel to to yourself: “How ve ha (I on rs d tell this pe lose my dignity an at they have a face th ) to see everyday out you are anxious ab like a cow pat?” If lf: se ur yo ent, say to some imminent ev w/ ing to feel tomorro go I “Wow, how am ok Lo ” is? th look back on next week when I e th e se ll u’ iate and yo beyond the immed calm down, too. d an bigger picture
self Get to know your ons isn’t about
oti Controlling your em not there. If you e ar ey th ng pretendi dy, sad, bitter, or gree feel jealous, angry,
e s i a R o t 3 Waysmoti onal Yo u r Elligenc e Inte
NNIFAY
By: Dr Jerome-Pierre BO
Change your phys
iolo
label exactly how you are feeling in your own mind: “Okay, I don’t like that I’m feeling this way, but I’m feeling very envious!” Now you’ve admitted it to yourself. The next step is to identify why you feel the way you do: “I hate to admit it, but I’m feeling envious of Bob because he’s just been complimented for his work and I haven’t!” Being able to exercise this self-honesty means you don’t have to resort to what a large proportion of the human race do. You won’t have to ‘rationalise’. We rationalise by kidding ourselves that we are angry with someone not because they got a raise at work and we haven’t, but because of ‘their attitude towards us’ or some other made up reason. Knowing what emotion you are feeling and being man or woman enough to identify the truth as to why you are feeling it means you’re that much closer to doing something about it.
gy Some people assu me that emotions are ‘all in your head ’, whereas actually all emotions are ph ysical responses. Anger pushes the heart rate and blood pressure up hence our angry temperaments. So , part of changing your emotional sta te involves dealing directly with the ph ysical changes. Physical changes ar e led by the way we breathe. For in stance, anger and anxiety can only ‘w ork’ if we are breathing quicker with shallow brea ths. Take time to: • Stop breathing fo r five seconds (to ‘reset’ your breath ). • Now breathe in slowly, focusing on your diaphragm, un til your lungs are full of air. • Then breathe ou t even more slowl y (and whilst doing this, imagine that you are breathing pure rest and relaxation into your hands). • Keep doing this and remember it’s the breath out that will calm everything down. When these are m et adequately, we then go back to fe eling and realizing that our life has m eaning and purpos e.
! d i a R k Des f
af t S s e in p ip il h P I Q st
May Isais, Business Analy
e Welcome to May’s Zombi Repellent desk ocalypse happens,
When the zombie ap t to be on the only May will survive! Jus ly the plant safe side, she collects on computer game characters in the famous en May came “Plant vs. Zombies”. Wh from PopCap across this addictive gem p collecting these Games, she could not sto as Peashooters, entertaining plants such as!) Cherry (yes, they really shoot pe t will surely Bombs, and Chompers tha ie attack! withstand the worst zomb
Ramil Mandani, IT Project Manager
Enter Ramil’s Action-pack
Workspace! To truly sink your teeth into the action figure collecting world, you’ve got to get to know this lad from the QI Phils IT Department. For Ramil, collecting action figures can be an incredibly fun and rewarding hobby. It makes him feel like a kid again. These action figures in his desk help him celebrate his love for his favorite movie, comic book and TV show.
Welcome to
Carnaval del GSC! QNET Global Support Center, Malaysia By: Myk Sia
The GSC Carnival started last year. The reason behind this great idea was primarily to celebrate the milestones and achievements of the whole Department which was established and became operational December of 2008. It also coincides with the year end celebration and the presentation of the awardees of the Rewards and Recognition programme for the last quarter of 2012. The event is called GSC Carnival because of the fun activities the GSC management has organised for the entire 2 weeks.
Wedding Of The Century
Jr Mayer Sirada Akaraseranee
By Jesada ‘Job’ Siraprapawan
Is he married? That’s the FAQ I get asked about the famous QNET Managing Director – JR Mayer. Having worked with him for 10 years, I too have been wondering why his fiancé’ has been keeping him waiting for 14 years. Finally, the dragon year played its magic and the lovely invitation cards to the wedding of JR Mayer and Sirada Akaraseranee (Aor) arrived at the office and we were all very excited for that day. The auspicious date was 29 November 2012 and, only the best and latest in town – St Regis Hotel, deserved to host what I call the wedding of the century. How grand was it? Imagine the coming together of 5 generations of the Mayer family, the QI Directors and the famous Akaraseranee family – I could only say the event deserved a page in a newspaper. Many of you may not be aware but Mr Mayer has been living in Thailand for than 15 years. Hence, he really wanted everything about the wedding to be in accordance with the Thai tradition. The engagement and Thai water blessing ceremony were held one day ahead of the evening party. In the morning of 28th November, the groom’s family, friends and relatives formed a line outside of the venue to start the “Asking for the Bride” ceremony. We had the honour of having Dato’ Sri Vijay Eswaran
t j us i e d rr a m
and Datin’ Sri Umayal Eswaran as heads of the groom’s side. The groom went through many gates which were guarded by the bride’s friends and relatives before he reached the main hall to ask for the bride’s hand. Chief Pathman did all the negotiations to clear all doors and we were even asked to dance the Gangnam style to appease all those door guardians. Having gone through all the gates, Mr Mayer then officially asked permission from the bride’s parents to marry their daughter and, YES, the approval was granted. I knew for a fact that most of us are charmed by Mr Mayer’s charisma and kindness. The number of international guests who flew to Thailand for his evening wedding party was amazing. I met most of the QI directors, chiefs, senior managers and staffs in the QI group. This is only second to the V-CON! Everyone came with big smiles on their faces and I believe all of us were at the wedding for a single purpose – to wish him and his wife the very best! The wedding of the century concluded beautifully and we were all happy to send him to another level of responsibility. I do wish him a very happy ever after and am looking forward to see a 6th generation Mayer soonest! His honeymoon? Next article please!
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ES C N E I R E P X E E M I FI RST T First Time Being a Mother By: Ma. Robinia Cuaderno
Motherhood, as they say, is the best job in the whole world but at the same time the most difficult. You work hard, 24/7, but do not get paid or get any credit for it. I thought this was just all cliché during my you nge r days. But when I had my first born, I fina lly understood everything they said. As a first-time mom, I thought I knew everything there has to know about bringing up a child. With all the information available anywhere and any time, plus first-ha nd experie nces of other moms, what else is there to not know? But, what I did not know and was unprepared for was the exceptional and incomparable feeling of happiness whenever my son smiles at me or laughs at the fun ny face s I ma ke. I also did not compre hend until then how heartbreaking it was to hear my son cry and scream the first time he got hospita lised. Now, my son just turned a yea r old and I admit it’s not all rain much more to learn as my son bows and butterflies. I still hav grows up. I never imagined I wo e so uld be able to dedicate my life to som so innocent yet so full of life, wit eone hout questions asked. Because of my son, I have become more mature, more instinctive and mu patient and ch braver and stronger. But mo st of all, I have rea lised how pow mother’s love is through the lov erful a e I have for my son. I am willing to do any thing and everything for him.
n-up So this is how it feels to be a grow By: Sylvia Lourdes
bie to this You could say I’m very much a new job. a e hav I g, livin of rs yea 14 my For the first time in be working at QI’s Singapore excited upon hearing that I would working experience. I was beyond to when I would star t. office, and cou nted down the days it’s for beyond amazing, especia lly since Having an internship at an office is so ions icat I plan to study Mass Commun a big company like the QI Group. gain to ided me with the opportu nity being a Public Relations intern prov una ble to get in the classroom. hands-on work experience that I was a the skills I’ve learned in school, in Additionally, I could put to good use the er, I gra bbed this cha nce to prove real-world setting. As an avid writ I’ve that role the form I can per wor th of my talent and to show that ly beats spending my holidays nite defi It n. been give ve. It was a at home not doing any thing producti drea ms in life. whole new way for me to reach my day but it turned I was really anxious going in my first eriences of my out to be one of the most fruitful exp welcoming very e life. The people that work here wer such warm with ing and helpful. It was blissful interact environ ment the was that colleag ues. What hit me the most moment, I knew I was felt really cozy and laid back. At that going to love my time here.