2 Weddings and 1 CS Bash

After 2 weddings and 1 CS Bash, you can say my wallet's pretty much been through some tough times.

But then again, its been a really rewarding week. So much so that the week went by in a flash. For work itself, I am starting to get alot of hardcore cases....which I'm glad to say I manage to clear a good many of them.

As for the CS Bash, must admit its pretty lame compared to the previous ones I attended. Though, the saving grace about the even itself was the after event party.

We proceeded to go over to Attica at Clark Quay.

Its been a while since I clubbed, must admit it feels abit weird. No matter how hard I try....its just not in me to "play around" while clubbing. I can never bring myself to flirt around and get all touchy feely with the gals. No matter how inviting they are.

Sigh. Sometimes I wish I was someone else and be one of those play boys and have some fun. Still dunno wats stopping me anyway.

And talking about this.....kinda reminded me of my ex. Another...sigh.

After all this while, even now we're friends.....she still has the ability to hurt me. I have no idea whats going on with me. Sometimes when I meet up with her from time to time....I still question myself what to expect from the outing.

For instance, was suppose to meet up with her for the new Bond movie. I was really excited to watch the movie and further she promised she'll watch it with me.

And guess what? When I checked with her again, she told me she already watched it and she wont be able to meet up.

After that. I had no idea what to feel. Dissapointed? Angry? Sad? Frustrated?

I really have no idea. We've broken up for almost 2 years now. And WHY am I feeling this way? All I know is that she still have what it takes to hurt this heart of mine.

For now, atleast I have reprieve from this song a friend of mine sent me. Really meaningful lyrics. How I wish I can...Breathe Again.

Have you wondered how it feels when it''s all over
　　Wondered how would it feels when you just have to start a new
　　Never knowing where you''re going when you face a brand new day
　　It used to be that way Now I just close my eyes and say
　　
　　I just wanna breathe again
　　Learn to face joy and pain
　　Discover how to laugh a little , cry a little , live a little more
　　I just wanna face the day
　　Forget about the worse of yesterday
　　Maybe if I hope a little , try a little more
　　I ''ll breathe again
　　
　　Starting out again is never easy
　　Disappointments come and go , but life still moves on
　　With a bit of luck , it ''s brand new start
　　That might just work my way
　　No need to walk away
　　Don ''t want to live on life replay
　　
　　I just want to breathe again
　　Learn to face joy and pain
　　Discover how to laugh a little , cry a little , live a little more
　　I just want to face the day
　　Forget about the worse of yesterday
　　Maybe if I hope a little , try a little more
　　I ''ll breathe again
　　
　　Things will work out fine
　　If you can find the courage to look past the night
　　To see the break of dawn
　　
　　I just want to breathe again
　　Learn to face joy and pain
　　Discover how to laugh a little , cry a little , live a little more
　　I just want to face the day
　　Forget about the worse of yesterday
　　Maybe if I hope a little , try a little more
　　I ''ll breathe again
　　
　　Oh breathe again

My new wallpaper!!!

Well, its been an interesting weekend. On Saturday, I went to the Singapore International Car Show 2006. And boy did I enjoy enjoy myself. First, there were plenty of cars.....and of course later; there's the real eye candy. Hehe.

I took plenty of pics. But the one I like the most was this one. I've even used it as my desktop wallpaper =)

Aint it cool? I still think photographically; its perfect!!!

And later on Sunday, I attended Joelle's wedding dinner at Grand ParkRoyal hotel. And as usual, it was like a reunion of sorts with ex-colleagues that have left M1.

Heaven?

Sigh. I guess its better this way.

These days I'm pretty hesitant to update my blog. Not known to many, my life right now isnt exactly a bed of roses.

And what made matters worst. Is that my brilliant brother decided to introduce my blog to my mum. Though, not that I have anything to hide from my mum, but I dont want her to read about my sadness and frustrations.

So, comes along this new service by Blogger Beta. Restricted access on my personal blog.

I never thought I would ever had to resort to this. But still.....having this feature now makes me feel a lil bit more at ease. Now I can bitch, curse, swear and pour out all my frustrations and anger.

What tops the list these days is financially related I guess. For all the hardwork I put in to these years; I have to start all over again. Start saving from scratch. No way I'm touching any of the savings I have back in Penang.

So, what does that leave me? Lower salary compared to 3 years ago. Increasing rental and standard of living. And a huge credit card debt that I have no idea when will I be able to clear. And the worst part? Spending money unnecessarily on people that I have no idea cares for me or not. Still....sometimes you cant measure friendship with the amount of money you spend on them.

Today I had an interesting though infuriating chat with a couple of friends. We were basically just joking around seeing that the weather is rainy, nice and cooling.

Then a friend mentioned, "How nice if we're at Marina South now enjoying a nice steamboat dinner. Heaven".

The moment he said that, naturally I'd want to retort by saying something witty. But then.....it really got me thinking. What is the definition of Heaven to me? Is it winning millions of dollars from the Toto draw? Is it going on a cruise ship holiday in the Carribean? Is it being back in Penang with all my friends?

No.

Somehow, I couldnt explain it. The one simple idea of Heaven to me at that point in time....waking up late in the day with the aroma of home cooked food all prepared.

Thats my idea of Heaven.

Then here comes the infuriating part. Another friend of mine just insensitively commented on my idea of heaven, "Aiya, dreams can be dreams la. Open your eyes and wake up to reality."

By then I really feel like giving him one tight slap. The reason I mentioned my idea of Heaven in the first place was to illustrate how lucky they are. How lucky to have someone by their side everyday. Caring for them. Loving them.

For me, its a daily routine that I have to go out everyday to buy packet-food. Never once have the luxury having someone eat with me for company. Me sitting at home, eating my meals in front of the TV. Day in. Day out.

Alone.

Sometimes I think I'm losing my mind.

2 Graveyards. Hangover. Still standing.

Friday, 13th 2006. Many would say its a sibeh suay day. But then again, its totally opposite for me.

Havent had this much fun for a very long time. And of all days; well......thats what's ironic about the whole thing. Hehe.

The CR department had its teambuilding yesterday. Everyone was in a joy joy mood seeing that we all only had to work half day yesterday to participate in the teambuilding. And of all places, it was held at the Settler's Inn at Holland V. Interesting huh?

Well, for those of you that haven't been to Settler's Inn; basically the places is like a cybercafe. Except, the PCs are replaced with......board games. I must admit it was a pretty cool place if you're in the mood for some board gaming fun with a couple of friends. And if you're feeling a lil bit hungry, the establishment do serve a variety of stuff....from finger food to chicken chop, fish and chips, etc. But..........then again whether the food is edible; different story.

After the teambuilding, a few of us decided to chill out at Wala-Wala. I'm sure I've mention this place in my blog before. Its a nice waterring hole for those people who just finished work and wanna crash somewhere. Though, the only gripe I have about the place is the customer service. It sucks.

Anyway, the night turned out to be quite fun. It came to a point everyone was drinking non-stop. And a few of us of cos hit a high-high-happy-happy-joy-joy mood. Unfortunately, I was one of them.

After having 2 pints of Kilkennys', I was sabo-ed into having another 2 Graveyards. Thank god I could still walk after that....

my second Graveyard...yeah baby!!

Like I said it in the beginning, it really has been a while I had this much fun. Chillin out with colleagues, making fun of each other and didnt had a care in the world.....

Damn, its true. When you have alcohol; everyone's your friend.

Corporate Buyout

Over night BILLIONAIRES. Thats what's on everbody's mind right now. Its not about being rich. Its not about the 7 digit figures anymore.

Its more like being...insanely rich.

Yup, I'm refering to Chad and Steve. Owners of YouTube. And seriously? If you havent heard of YouTube? Reality check. You've been living under a stone. Shoot yourself. In the head. Twice. Geez....why bother. I'd shoot you myself.

Anyway, these selft proclaimed Internet Video kings have made a pretty penny for themselves. And the reason.....Google. Just less than 48 hours ago, YouTube have been bought over by Google for a whopping US$ 1.6billion. Yeah...read me right, US$ 1.6 billion. With this move, I guess Google's in the run for one of the most versatile search engine yet.

The best part of the whole story is the price that Google paid for the acquisition. Just think about it.....YouTube has only been established for 2 years. Which means, in just merely 2 years.....this company has grown from a backyard video sharing project, to America's Fortune 500! Its totally unbelievable.

Trust me, 2 years ago.....no financier or investor in his right mind would ever predict how fast YouTube would grow. Of course, YouTube owes its growth to videos like these.....

Apparently this particular clip was the MOST viewed video in its server. With over 33 million views in just 6 months. Hehe....really alot of free people out there.

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On another note....well, I finally got my last pay cheque from my ex-employer. Thank God. Its been a seriously harrowing experience all together, and I'm really glad that I'm able to close this chapter in my life and move on. If you'd ask me....I have nothing to do with that company anymore.

I'm happy with where I am, and most importantly I'm with the company of good friends. So much so that we had a small dinner the other day that really brought back memories.

There used to be this particular stall in West Coast Road where it serves a mean dish of Koh Loh Yok and claypot noodles. Trust me, its really good. But just a few months ago, we heard the coffeeshop it was operating in closed down.

So, just when we thought that we had had our last Koh Loh Yok......we got wind that the stall had moved to Teban Gardens. Immeadiately 3 words came to mind....MAI THU LIAU!!!!!!

Man...most satisfying....slurp!!!

Sibeh Suay

So, I guess it was another nua weekend for me.

Hehe...friends have been complaining that I've just been sleeping thru the entire weekend. Which is true.

Other than going out for a drink and movie after work on Friday, been doing nothing but sleep, eat and watching series for Saturday and Sunday.

Oh ya, by the way. The movie I saw was World Trade Center. Must admit, its was kinda poignant in a way that it totally avoids the spin on terrorism. It wasnt about the attack on America. It wasnt about the Al-Qaeda. It didnt even had any political message or agenda.

It was only about the story of 2 port authority police officers who went thru 9/11. The movie told their story. And thats about it.

The part that hit me the most was the ending. There was this scene in the end that shows all the "missing persons" notices on a wall in a New York hospital. But if memory serves, I remember watching the enws 5 years ago that there were literally thousands of "missing persons" notices that were pasted all over New York. It was kinda toned down in the movie.

After some thought....then only I realised the rationale of editing out all the other notices. You see, the film makers wanna make you feel good in the end of the movie. It wasnt a movie aimed at making you feel sorrowful, sad or deppressed about 9/11. As a matter of fact, it wanted to make you feel good....make the Americans proud that they have survived 9/11. A celebration of survival of man kind.

So all in all, it was an average movie for me. The objective of the movie wasnt exactly in-line with my expectation of the movie. Cant fault a movie for that.

Anyway.....I guess by now.....why the title for this entry? Well, let me start.

Was lazing around at home today. So, around lunch time I thought of walking over to the nearest Maybank (about 10 mins walking distance) ATM to draw some cash. And guess what? When I got there.....the ATM was down. Second time this week.

Feeling abit pissed, I called up the Maybank hotline to give them my feedback. And then, I was told as an alternative, I could withdraw money from HSBC's ATM instead. So, thats all good and fine.

Later this evening....I made my way all the way to PS. And once I got to the HSBC ATM there......the friggin ATM jammed and my card got stuck!!!!!! Boy was I PISSED!!!

Immeadiately I called up Maybank and HSBC. Neither one of them could do anything. But I really gave it to the Maybank CSO (in a nice way of course). I talked to the guy about the whole issue starting with my first attempt at drawing cash from their ATM. To be honest, I wouldnt be so pissed if this is the first time their ATM failed on me.

Mulfuctioning twice in a week? I mean cmon! Do something about it already.

Anyway, I gave them my feedback and requested for a follow-up. The worst part.....is HSBC will be destroying my ATM card and I need to go down personally to one of Maybank's branches to collect it myself. I put it across to the Maybank CSO, "So, since I'm working 9am to 6pm from Mondays to Fridays; looks like I'll have to collect my card next Saturday? Where do you suggest I get money then?".

Though, I must admit I was pretty pissed at that time. I apologised to the CSO and told him he didnt have to answer my question.

Moving on to bigger things though......I am feeling like I'm wasting alot of my time away. Life is really passing me by and I'm not doing much. Started feeling like this when I heard one of my friends will be getting married soon.

Sigh.....I'm sure that time will come, the feeling of dejection when your peers are getting married; moving on with life. And conversely, I'm still stuck at this stage of life.....getting older, not any wiser.

And to top it all off.....my ex-employer still havent paid me my last month's salary!!!!! Talk about hypocrites!!! These people are always like that. When they need you....they do some of the things for you. But when you are of no use to them? They take their own sweet time. Heck...for all I know I might not even get paid at all. And they owe me about $1.5k!!!

And so far they have not been responding no any of the emails I've sent them. Soon, I'll be considering to seek assistance from MOM.

Friggin cheapos.

Thats why I said folks. Never work for a small time company who thinks they own the world. I rather work for a corrupt, western, bureaucratic, backstabbing organisation anytime.

Blurry by Puddle of Mudd

Everything's so blurry
and everyone's so fake
and everybody's empty
and everything is so messed up
pre-occupied without you
I cannot live at all
My whole world surrounds you
I stumble then I crawl

You could be my someone
you could be my scene
you know that i'll protect you
from all of the obscene
I wonder what your doing
imagine where you are
there's oceans in between us
but that's not very far

Can you take it all away
can you take it all away
well ya shoved it in my face
this pain you gave to me
Can you take it all away
can you take it all away
well ya shoved it my face

Everyone is changing
there's noone left that's real
to make up your ending
and let me know just how you feel
cause I am lost without you
I cannot live at all
my whole world surrounds you
I stumble then I crawl

You could be my someone
you could be my scene
you know that i will save you
from all of the unclean
I wonder what your doing
I wonder where you are
There's oceans in between us
but that's not very far

[Chorus]

Nobody told me what you thought
nobody told me what to say
everyone showed you where to turn
told you when to runaway
nobody told you where to hide
nobody told you what to say
everyone showed you where to turn
showed you when to runaway

[Chorus]

This pain you give to me

you take it all
you take it all away...
explain again to me
you take it all away
explain again to me
take it all away
explain again

I want my life back

Finally its the last weekend of my unemployment. And seems like I'm already getting busy even before I started work.

Last night Boss Alzari invited me to my old department's BBQ bash...... and boy, I enjoyed myself.

Its been a while since I'm in the company of so many good friends and people who support me. Initially I had my reservations about going back to M1 only after 3 months of my resignation. Gossip mongers spreading rumours is almost inevitable.

But then again....after last night, all my worries are laid to rest. I felt in a way, I was welcomed back in open arms and it really made me feel that I belonged there. Supportive colleagues, caring friends......in many ways thats what anyone could ever asked for.

Trust me, I know. Recently I've been seeing alot of things which really made me think about what makes a good or bad friend. For instance, I have a friend who's popular; goes clubbing every weekend, partying and such. But when it comes down to it.....when she gets drunk....everyone seems to just go by their own way and go home. The responsibility of a friend is not present at all.

True...when it comes down to it, its the people who sticks by you without prejudice during the lowest points in your life. With this in mind.....so far, I know I'm blessed to have good friends throughout my difficult times. I'm blessed to have gotten to know Donald, Ho, Alan and my boss, Alzari.

Lets just say life would be a much horrible ordeal to endure without them.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed myself last night during the BBQ. One of the biggest highlights of the BBQ is even getting to see my "long lost sister" Cassie!!! No doubt she's not in M1 anymore, but she was invited as well. Man.......I do miss her alot. It was definately good to see her again.

Then of course, another highlight of the night was our regular drinking session after the BBQ. During this period, everyong just hangs back and enjoy the booze and talk-cock-sing-song. Really feels like the good old days =)

Haha....and man its been a while since I drank. We had multiple concoctions of Baileys, Absolut and wine. By the end of the night (and multiple shots) - about 2am, we were all in a few good mood....just chilling out.

After that, Ho, Alzari and me decided to prolong the night and went for the famous Boon Lay nasi lemak for supper. By the time I got home......5am.

I miss this life.

Guess its about the right time.....

.................

Well, what can I say? Its been a while.

Its been a while since I updated my blog. Its been a while since I have anything worth writing. Its been a while since........my life turned upside down.

Sigh....and I guess its about time to start blogging again. And who knows, maybe the people who frequent my blog has stopped visiting my site. Well, cant say thats exactly a bad thing. Sometimes I'd rather certain individuals don't read my blog at all.

So, what have I been up to for the past month or so? Well, alot. Firstly, I resigned from my job. Thats right. I was unemployed for an entire month. Cant say this period has been exactly a walk in the park. Constantly worried about my finances, worried about my future and worried about my survival. Cos' to me, no work means no money. No money means no rent. No rent means no roof over my head.

Insecured, panicky, anxious....you name it. I was a total wreck.

But hold on a minute. The big question. Why did I resigned in the first place? Well, alot of reasons. Not about to go into the details though. But basically the whole ordeal was like going thru hell. So much so I had to leave within 24 hours.

Hence, there I was. Jobless and clueless about what I was suppose to do after that.

Then, the mother of all ironies happened. I went back to M1. Yeah.......I know. I'll say it again. Ironic.

Just about 3 months ago, I left M1. Thought of starting a new career into Marketing. And then life decides to take a cruel twist and there I was back in M1 again. Still, going back isnt exactly bad (thats what I tell myself). But then again, I might have done it out of sheer desperation....but I have to admit that the job package offered by M1 isnt too shabby.

And the reprieve I get? Atleast I'm not going back to the Call Center. I'll be dealing with a whole new level of shit - Customer Resolutions.

In the end, I learned alot from the whole episode. Alot of drama. Alot of emotional turmoil. Sigh.....and all this drama doesnt even involve a girl. Dammit.

Anyway, throughout that difficult period, when you have nobody to turn to; one can only turn to the devine for guidance. I prayed. I went to the temple to pray. Yeah I know...it sounds pathetic. But then again, I guess its difficult to illustrate what I was going thru emotionally.

Eventually, things started to get better. It always does. As I have landed a job back with M1, alot of other things in my life fell into place too, which subsequently even allowed me to travel to Japan for a short holiday. Unexpected huh?

Well, its been up and down for me for the past month. Until now, I still have a few nagging worries on my mind. But then again, everyone has problems. Just have to learn to deal with it.

So far, so good

Check it out!!! Just look at the time. Its 4.12am!!!! And I'm feeling damn good about it. Well, you see...I just came home from my "second" supper.

Let me explain.

The weekend has been moving along pleasantly well. What I thought would be a quiet Saturday night at home; somehow became quite an enjoyable one.

Unlike to many peers my age, whenever Saturday nights comes along....their idea of fun is clubbing, drinking and stoning themselves. But all my life, I havent really gotten use to that as an idea of a good time. Once in a while, I don't mind the occasional clubbing....but somehow, I rather spend my time chatting with good friends over a good meal.

Tonight is one good example.

Don, Alan and I decided to go for a quick supper around 9pm. And as usual, we talked alot and we ate alot. Of course, I always enjoy their company and somehow, coming out for supper at these hours always reminds me of home.

Later, as I got home about 12am, I received another call about 2am. It was my former Boss, Alzari - though until now I still call him Boss. And again, we went for another supper! Hence, my "second" supper.

Yeah, I know its fattening. But I swear I only had drinks the second time around. *burp*

Anyway, Boss is a person whom I seriously respect. The first few managers who I reported to when I was in M1. And definately one of the few people that I will never forget. It was really nice to see him again as we updated each other on the ongoings of our professional lives and....personal lives. In the end, he did give me good advice about my current employment; always supportive.

So, if you'd asked me how's my weekend so far?

So far, so good.

A great start....

Well, its just Friday evening and I'm already having a great start to the weekend...touchwood.

Right off the bat from work, I kinda excused myself to leave on time cos I had a dinner appointment. And even with some pending items to close......I have learned to psycho myself that I have to take things a little bit easier.

So, after work...I rushed off to Maxwell foo0dcourt where I was meeting Don, Alan and Ho for dinner. And boy....it was really a good dinner.

We ordered 1 whole chicken from the famous chicken rice stall and a few other side dishes. And the whole atmosphere of 4 buddies eating together is just....comfortable. Whenever I think of it...it really brings me back to the Hong Kong movie scenes where you have 4 "hou heng tai" sitting around, eating steamboat.

Anyway, we had a few good laughs. Especially when Ho commented Chinatown got alot of Chinese.....Immediately all of us burst out in laughter. Its like you're going to India and say...."Here got alot of Indians hor?"

After that, we adjourned back to my place and chilled out. Then suddenly we had this great idea..... Since we were free and got nothing much to do. And whats the best use of time?

Learn and hone a new skill of course. So, this is what we ended up doing for the night...till 12am. Like our Sifu said, "Mahjong. Sometimes......its better than sex". Haha...

What the?!?!?!

I almost died of a heart attack when I got home today. No there wasnt any burglar. No there wasnt any stripper waiting for me (I wish....). But a mere letter.

When I saw that letter, I was freaked out. I was tensed. I nearly died.

The letter was from.....

Only 2 words came to mind. National Service. Cos I heard of some rumours before that even PRs were suppose to go for National Service. I mean, you'll never know. Under one of those friggin-small-they-aspect-people-to-see-with-magnifying-eyes fine print; I might have obliviously agreed for NS.

Then when I slowly ripped open the letter......phew.

You see, in Singapore they wanna notify you of everything. And in this case, they wanted to notify me that I was EXEMPTED from National Service. Goddamnit.....why have I never received any letter informing me that I'm exempted from taxes? Fug.

Anyway, the letter continue to mention I am exempted cos I'm a first generation PR. Which also means to say.....if I settle down here, my kid will be looking at 2 years of NS.

Well, what can I say...... That's his problem.

Monthly Round-Up

Oh man, where do I begin? Its been really a while now since I have managed to update my blog. And to be honest, I really miss it.

These days, every night when I come home, all I wanna do is hit the sack. And on every weekends, all I wanna do is stone in front of the idiot box. Guess since, its public holiday today (Singapore National Day) - which dont really come by often......this is a good time as any other to finally update my blog.

So, back to the same question....where do I begin? Maybe its time to do a reflection on how things have been for the past couple of months.

So, lets go.

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Since I left M1, there's been much turbulent times. Not what I was expecting, my new job has taken a turn for rough seas.

I find myself stubling from one mistake to another and really strggling to find my "Marketing" foot. Most of the times, I learn things from making mistakes rather than being point the right direction. Sure, one can argue making mistakes is fine and you'll learn from it and other bla bla bla reasons. But when you're working for a perfectionist, mistakes are things that you cannot afford.

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Though, I do have my reprieves at times. Small little things that makes my day a little bit better. As I mentioned in my previous post.....I really pamper myself when we finished one major project at work. So, I'm gonna touch on one of my favourite subjects...FOOD!!!

First off...my boss took us to a Japanese restauraunt along East Coast, Waraku. My take on it? Good food; and affordable considering the posh settings. The selection was pretty extensive. And not to mention the unique little desserts that we ordered. I have seen these assortments of desserts before, but never really had the chance to try it.

This dish looks like an apple, no? Its actually ice-cream with chocolate in the center!

And at that following weekend...boy oh boy did I slurge on food.

There was a trip to Ma Maison's. I have nothing but praise for this place. Its really one of those cozy/unique/contemporary restaurants. And the best part? They serve fusion food....to be exact, Western Japanese food. Weird huh? Anyhow, I was only there for something light and some drinks. Still...I'm definately going back there for a hearty main course! *wanna try da escargos*

And finally.....the muther of all meals and dinners. Which literally shove a wooden stake thru my wallet's heart. Non other than Ah Yat Abalone. And trust me.....it was WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!!!

Well, its thru that I might be crying all the way to the bank. But hey....once you have a taste of their food.....sheer heaven.

When I was there, me and my friend ordered the set dinner. They had several different sets on menu, though being me; I decided to aim for the top few. The set I chose consist of a 6 course meal (I think).

I was so indulged in my food that I only remembered to take 1 pictures of my dinner. However, what surprised me the most is the fish!!! I was generally expecting the best dish out of the 6 was the abolone, but when I finally had the chance to taste the fish....its one of the BEST I have ever tasted!!!! My friend told me its was they call "snow fish"... of course this is the dialect or nickname of the fish. I have no idea of its actual name.
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Moving on, something related to food as well.......I had 2 really good dinners over the weekend.

On Sunday, I was invited to attend the Joo Chiat National Day Dinner at the Neptune restaurant along Collyer Quay. Must admit, it was my first "political dinners" and I had no idea what to expect. Naturally there were alot of politicians and Grass Root Leaders. These are more or less like our Assembly men back in Malaysia. And then, there was of course the Guest of Honor which is Mr. Chan Soo Sen, a Member of Parliament for the Joo Chiat Constituency.

It was a surreal experience. No doubt the on-stage performances was really entertaining, but I felft akward everytime they asked everyone to stand up and sing the Singapore National Day song and anthem. With that, I was still cool about it. But then........the one thing that left me speechless the most. Reciting the Singapore Pledge!

I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm not exactly in love with my home country and at the same time you don't see me knocking on doors to apply for Singapore citizenship. Still, it just feels weird from a foreigner's point of view.

Nuff' said. One thing is confirmed. If I was ever to be caught on video or tape....I'll never be able to run for Malaysian politics. Ever. For god's sakes, I even had a funky neon-light blinking Singapore flag-badge pasted on my shirt the entire night!!!!
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And lastly, the dinner that made me happiest in months. As usual....steamboat at home. Had the usual gang over for steamboat and it was really good to see all of them again.

I even manage to go back to M1 in the afternoon before the steamboat. I was so happy and nostalgic to see all my ex-colleagues and bosses. As usual, my ex-bosses are as supportive as ever. Really miss all of them.

Then later, went to Carrefour with Donald to pick up the food...and little did we know....we bought too much. Haha.

In the end, I really enjoyed myself. I was only thinking.....how nice if everyday could be like that.

Thank Heavens Its Over

Its about time I updated my blog.

Feels like I never have the time for anything these days. Blogging, couch-potato-ing, sleeping....all seems are taking a back seat. Its been work, work, work.

Though, I do hope that things can slow down from now on - now that all the major events are over.

Its been hell seriously. Staying in office for more than 15 hours everyday, I'm constantly in a situation where a million things can go wrong. You simply cant imagine the tense and stress level. And not to mention the constant fight against gastric pains.

And to make matters worse, I'm suppose to be in-charge of the sound system during the events. And what have I learned? Never, never, never be the person in-charge of the sound system. The moments where you have to hit the music at the precise timing is damn stressful. It feels like you're shitting in your pants.

Still, I admit....I did cock-up a few times and trust me; I got a good buttering from my boss later on.

In the end, I guess its a good learning experience. The first thing I did after all this has ended was to treat myself to a good meal. And when I mean good....you better believe it. A few words came to mind......sushi, gratin and abalone.

I'll be updating my blogs with the pics of all my scrupcious dining experiences soon.

Right now....I have to head for work again.

A Different World

Man, I never knew finance and investments is this exciting.

Its 3am and I'm still in office. Guess this is my virgin entry from office.

Been staying in office till about 5am these days as we're having the trading championship. And what can I say?

I'm introduced to a world that I never knew existed. All my life when I go home, and go to sleep; I never knew that on the other side of the world.......the excitement begins. Every word uttered by the financial masters in the US market sends ripples throughout the financial world.

From the opening bell to the closing bell.....the 8 hours between is sheer excitement. Sitting here with all the traders, you can literally feel their adrenaline rushing in their veins.

Will report more when its all over....

Been damn busy for the past few weeks....*average sleeping time for the past 2 weeks; 4 hours/day*

Forza Azzuri, Viva Le Bleu

Time sure flies....

Its been a while since my last post and boy I've been busy. All the talk about only having to work from 9am to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays.....seems to be only; talk.

For the past couple of weeks, been busting my chops off at work. Staying back till 9pm everyday, working every other Saturday. And when it comes to Sundays? My idea of the best use of the time I have is to....sleep.

But enough about work. I just realised that throughout all my previous post.....I havent talked about the WORLD CUP!!!! How could I?!?!?

So far, this particular year's World Cup has been seriously exciting and unpredicatable. To be honest, the best matches I have seen so far is the opening match between Germany and Ivory Coast and the match between France and Brazil. Of course, at the end of this match....the La Bleus sent the Samba Boys packing. Brazil just didnt have what it takes to win the Cup this year. All the hype about Ronaldinho and Ronaldo is all for naught. None of then delievered.

And not to mention.....England. All the excitement, hype and build-up....ended with one pathetic penalty shoot-out. I mean, weeks before the World Cup, there was the Rooney fiasco. Everyone thought that the moment this Wonder Kid stepped on the field, magic's gonna happen.

Amongst all the other 32 teams, England has the most publicity. Everyone is talking about it. The kopitiam uncles, the coffee drinking execs, the toilet cleaners and the Char Koay Teow auntie.

But in the end, what happened? Nothing. Rooney didnt do magic. Peter "I'm-confused-NBA-Robocop" Crouch didnt manage to dance. Theo Willcott didnt even run. And the worse? Lampard.

Total shots on Goal = 22.
Goals = 0

How bad unlucky can they get?

One team that really impressed though, is Germany. Boy, I was rooting for the Germans all the way from their opening match. Young they may be, but they really put on a show. Klose still has his magic finishing touches (wonder why he aint so famous on club levels). And to me the best German player? Philip Lahm. A left full back that can score goals. Need I say more?

Though, in they end they were beaten by the Azzuris. I cant help to feel a little bit sad for Klinsmann. The German lagend was about to repeat the feat of the another German lagend Franz Beckenbauer. The only man who won the World Cup as a player and as a manager.

Nonetheless, I'm still every bit of excited for the showdown tonight. Its Italy vs France. Never really expected such a Finals. Given a choice....me rooting for France! Why? Cos the King is there. Being an Arsenal fan-boy, I hope to see King Henry does his magic tonight. Oh...of course there is Zidane too. Hehe.

So, as far as my days go, its only the World Cup for me......though...there's PANGYA!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone heard of this online game before? I've been playing it like NUTS!!! Intro-ed to me by Don, this simple online game of golf is damn addictive man. If there was any better reason for a break-up between a girl and a guy...this game would be it.

Somehow, we just cant seem to get enuff of it. If ever anyone wants to give it a try, click here.

Maybe its a guy thing. We dont grow up. But trust me, if you have a thing for online gaming. You'll find yourself...Pangya-ing even in your dreams.

After Hours

These days, I usually finish work around 9pm to 10pm.

The whole idea of Marketing Executives having to stay back hours long even after the required hours is starting to sink in.

Needless to say, by the time I finish work....I'm 110% famished. Cant really have a heavy lunch - else I'll get too sleepy when I head back to office; and at the same time dinner is about 9pm.....the moment I step out of office, its like releasing wolf on a full-mooned night. There's only one thing on my mind.

Still, sometimes I get so tired I always resort to my all this favourite; TV-dinners; but in my case, PC-dinners. I save alot of time munching dinner while chatting online, reading blogs and surfing the net.

And another good thing.....when you leave work that late at a place like Bugis; the Cold Storage there always have this clearance offers for their sushi bar.

A set like this cost me only about $7. Cheap huh?

Streeeeeeeess &......TREXIES!!!

Damn its been a stressful week.

Its already my 3rd week in my new company and I'm still trying to adapt and find my place within the entire organisation. Cant really say it has been a honeymoon period as well. Every day when I set foot into office, I have to start writing down a to-do list. And as each day goes by, the list seems to be getting longer and longer.

There has been ups, and there has been downs. The up parts are mostly when I manage to get things done and the sense of accomplishment is simply fabulous. And the down parts? Well, thats when I kena buttered by my boss. Its a serious test to my resolve.

I remember I used to know that whatever shit is thrown my way, I can take it. I can adapt and soak in any information like a dry sponge. I never wavered. But not this time.

These days I find myself doubting myself more and more. Everything has its own intricate detail that must not be missed. Thats what you get from a boss who's a perfectionist. ZERO tolerance for incompetence.

Still, I constantly remind myself that I'm learning loads and this is my best chance to make it in the Marketing field. Its just worth it. Every shit, mistake and lesson. Something is there to be learnt.

And oh yea....anyone heard of Trexies before? Just take a look at these 2. Attitude siah!!!!

Man of Steel

Alright, I cant help it. I'm seriously H-Y-P-E-D out about it already.

My all time favourite superhero's finally back on the silver screen after so many years of absence. And he's coming back in style.

Damn straight. I'm not talking about some sissy cigar grunting mutant with claws or some blind dude with red-colored spandex. And he sure aint one of those low-grade torned up hero with a sad pathetic background story.

This guy's the Alpha, the Omega. He's Superman. Yeah baby. (And dun anybody dare to diss the Man of Steel. I'll be sure to shove a kryptonite up your nether regions where the sun dont shine.)

Anyway, Superman has come a long long way. The most memorable actor who played the Man of Steel, Christopher Reeve. in life, Reeve was every bit of Superman on and off screen. He was Superman in every sense of the word. And finally, Reeve met his demise in 2004 succumbing to his paralactic horse riding injury. Still....this man never let anything keep him down.

Reeve and Routh. Dead-ringers for the role of Superman

And now...years later. We have found the next Man. Kudos to Bryan Singer for finding the perfect successor to Reeve - Brandon Routh. Just look at him! You really cant go wrong.

Now, I only hope Superman Returns will do justice to the legend. To my childhood hero. To the Man of Steel.

Black Bye Summit

Best night I had for the entire week.

Miraculously for this particular week.....ALL, for the first time, the ENTIRE Black Bye team was able to make it for a steamboat session at my place.

Sadly this is what has become of my mahjong table. Had more makan sessions on this table rather than mahjong sessions.

You see, back in M1, a few of my colleagues and I were known as the Black Byes. And yes, it sounds vulger. And if you have a problem with it....shoot yourself. In the head. Twice. - Hehe...its been a long time since i used this line. But anyway, the formation of the Black Byes involves a long and interesting story. But in the end, dont get me wrong...we're not named after a certain pubic region of the female gender.

In total, there are 6 of us. And in the past, we always wanted to have a Black Byes Summit; though it never materialised. Its either one of us were on some cock shift, or something else. So in a way, this is our very first.

An "aerial" shot of our dinner

Its really fun to see everyone again. And I havent laughed that hard in ages. Also, I even got the chance to update myself with the latest gossips in office. Though, from what they are telling me, seems like things are getting from bad to worse in M1. The situation has came to a stage of Red-Alert and even CD, OMs; are called out to answer calls. I guess in many ways, its time they have a taste of their own medicine. Now....they will know what the CSOs are going thru.

Just too bad I'm not around to see the look on their faces.

After dinner, every stayed back with the exception of Alvin - being a father and a family man, he has to see his kid home. Still, it was fun. The rest of us just chit-chatted and hung around watching the World Cup matches.

However, I was most touched when my ex-bosses and colleagues asked me about my new job. I explained to them about the difficulties and the stress that I'm facing....all of them are very supportive and encouraging.

Its really something when you have your ex-bosses cheering you on for your new job. They keep on telling me that I'll do fine. I must admit, their words do give me temporary reprieve from all the pressure I'm going thru.

Black Byes FOREVER!!! =)

48

Ok....finally its the weekend. Something which I havent really got used to yet.

Though, it doesnt mean the pressure is off. Just yesterday had the first one-on-one meeting with my boss. And immeadiately right off the bat, he layed down what was expected of me.

And all I can say is....it dont look pretty.

It seems like my responsibilities just grew triple exponentially. First, there was competitor tracking. Second, there is advertisement tracking...then later on added with budget setting and monitoring. And the list goes on and on and on and on.....

But the biggest fear in mind came to reality. Marketing Strategies. The highlight of my meeting today was more or less like an emperor's decree. I was to formulate and materialise 48 Marketing strategies for the next 1 year.

48......48.....48 MARKETING STRATEGIES!!?!?!?!!??!

So, tell me I dont have stress. With zero Marketing experience, I now have to formulate 48 marketing strategies with budgets of thousands of dollars. No doubt about it. I cant make any mistakes. And as much as I love Marketing, this is truly proving to be a challenge.

Still, looking back from where I'm coming from.....this is where I'm suppose to be.

Later on, after work....went out on my first out-of-office dinner with another colleague. She's been with the company for quite some time now and its somewhat of an orientation to me.

Went to Billy Bombers and of course, I ordered the trademark All-Star burger!!!!! Seriously the BIGGEST burger it town....finally I manage to have a decent meal for the past few weeks.

Yup, my 2nd Billy Bombardment

In the end, you can say that the dinner was...."educational". Learned alot about the company and my colleagues. And also, it gives me a opportunity to express my thoughts and concerns to another colleague which I have been keeping to myself all this while.

Well......so far, so good. Pressure, pressure, pressure.

I keep on telling myself.....we eat pressure for breakfast.

Big Shoes

Its been a loOoOoOOoOoOooog day at work today.

Though, as each day progresses, the more I learn. And as expected, the workload today are piling in non-stop.

After lunch, I could hardly catch a breath and its one task after another. However, I have now come to one conclusion on my current job. There are some seriously big shoes to fill.

With the departure of the previous Marketing Manager, there are so many things under her belt that needs to be picked-up at the shortest time possible. So, I guess these days I'm racking my brain trying to remember every single thing that I have learnt for the past 4 days.

In a way, I'm not too sure if I'm able to live up to expectations; and it also feels weird to be making so many dicisions in a day. And the decisions I have to make these days....will either break or make the company.

Which ad to run, when to run it, what are the budget considerations, whats the reach of publish ads and who are the target markets. All these questions and a hundred more are always on my mind constantly.

So as you can see, I'm seriously stressed out. Without any prior experience, all I can do is go on my gut feeling on the best Marketing strategies I know.....after that, I'm leaving it to the stars.

Difference between Heaven and Hell

Just came back from "dinner" with Don....kinda happy to see a familiar face after 2 days of work at the new place.

Well, whatr can I say about my new employer? Hmmmmm....lets just put it this way; its DIFFERENT.

Back in M1, no matter the time or period of the day, you are always busy. Every second, every minute have to be spent online with the customers. But here.....no, things are less stressful. Though, somehow you will feel that every minute you spend doing something....its something worth doing. You feel as if you're not wasting your time away.

On my very first day....must admit that the earlier part of the day was kinda boring. I had tonnes of material to read and in a way, working there requires alot of self-initiative. I'm not told on what to do, but I just have to cover as much as I can. Still, it was.....fulfilling.

What I get to do in the end of the day is Marketing. I'm learning tonnes as I go along. Get to have meetings with PR and Advertising agencies, work hand in hand with the Projects team to organise events. And of course, what I like best....thinking of Marketing ideas to push the product. And I'm happy to say...some of the ideas have been well received.

In months to come, I can foresee that my workload can only get heavier and heavier. Why? Because I am the only staff in the Marketing Department!!! Its a one-man show!!! Hehe...thats because the previous Marketing Manager got pregnant and now she's a full time mum. However, I'm not complaining.....what I'm learning now is priceless.

In the end...I'm happy I took the big step leaving M1. I remembered when I was back in M1....after working 9 and a half hours staright, I come back home feeling down, exhausted and lethargic. All I want to do is go to bed and not do anything else.

But for this job.......even after today.....my second day. I just finished work at 8.30pm; which I have been working for 11 and a half hours, all I wanna do now is to go to sleep..........So I can wake up early tomorrow for work again!!!! hehe =)

Its really such a drastic change for me.

Your current schedule is LOGOUT

Its over.

I've read my last greeting and I've uttered my last closing. Not much of a secret right now....but my last working day in M1, is officially over.

As common as it comes, last days are very much....bittersweet. On one hand, I was about to embark on a new career and hopefully better things. But on the other hand....I was leaving the only people I know in Singapore...and my friends.

Still, in the end of it all...it felt surreal. It doenst feel like it was my last day and I cant seem to believe it. When I took my last call - for formalities sake - I started to reflect on my very first call about 3 years ago. And somehow...it just doesnt seem that long ago.

Took the time to talked to a couple of friends before I left and I was hoping so much that I wont get teary eyed. Thankfully I didnt. Though, for a few moments, I was really touched by the parting words of some of the managers and colleagues.

So, now...whats in store for the future? Too fuzzy to predict anything I guess. But definately no more working shifts, no more talking to morons and explaining why phone bills are high.

Finally. Thank you for calling M1.For more pictures, please feel free to click here.

Friends

Well....guess I'm starting to feel it.
The countdown begins as I have less than a week before I leave my current job. 10th June. Thats the date. My last day at a place which I started my career straight out of college. The place where I served and report to work for the past 3 years. And also....the place that actually open the doors to Singapore for me.
Not too sure how I will feel during my last day. Guess it'll just be any other day I suppose. Not many people will be in office as its a Saturday anyway.
Though, one thing for sure, I will definately miss the people whom I've worked with. People that have gone thru with me during my ups and downs. People that has been there for me when I didnt have anyone left in Singapore.
I've definately made truly good friends there. I've mentioned it before; no matter what was the reason that brought me to Singapore, but one thing that I am grateful is that I found this wonderful group of friends.
And of course......managers - my immeadiate managers that I feel I will never be able to find in other companies. Still, I see them not as managers. I see them as..... friends. Friends to share stories with.

Then, there's my colleagues across the call center floor. The BYES. The bowling team. All of them I will surely miss. It is only these people that gave me much encouragement to move on with my career. For the past few days...they have put to rest much of my anxieties I have about my new job.
All their words, faith and confidence in me.....in a way, I am really touched by it. Just hope that I will not dissapopint them.
Thats how much these friends mean to me. =)

Bombs Away!!!~

Got alot of things done today, and especially some banking matters that I have been procrastinating for quite some time. However, the highlight of the day was......dinner with my long time pal and ex-colleague Rena!

Its been almost 2 to 3 months since I saw her and we decided to meet up for dinner at Billy Bombers - Parco Bugis. She's still the same and to anyone that knows Rena, everyone can attest she's one of the nicest people you can ever meet.

Though, I'm kinda envious of her. She's been travelling alot lately. Been to KL, Cameron Highlands; just rececently came back from Australia and......heading to China again this month!!! Talk about globe trekking!!!

Anyway, it was really a blast to see her again and catch up with our lives....and before you know it....she sprang a surprise and gave me a belated birthday present!!! And this my friends.....is a seriously SPECIAL present. You know what she got me? A picture frame.

Yeah, yeah...most of you must be saying, "A picture frame? Pfft! So what? Thats boring".

BUT trust me when I say special. I cant stress enough that its so, so, so, so, so, so, so special and unique!!!!!! Check it out!!!! She got me a levitating/floating picture frame!!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!!?

It spins!!! You have have 2 seperate pictures on each side - *ting!* how nice if I had a girlfriend so I can put my pic on one side and my girlfriend's pic on the other. Heheh...then I'll be spinning the darn thing around everyday.

Its like something out of Star Trek!!!!!!!! I cant wait to start using it!!! Though, the only problem is finding the right spot for it (as it has a magnetic field, so kinda sensative to other electronic appliances)...and of course....figuring out what pictures to add in.

Beam me up Scottie!!!!!

House of Cards

Call it the end of the road. Call it reaching its limits. Call it Mass Resignations.

Since the day I tendered my resignation, another 5 has resigned as well. And most actively for the past 3 days. Its as if there's a resignation every day. I guessed in many ways, I've already seen this coming. And I also have raised my cautions to some of my managers that this might happen. And it did.

Still, nothing much can be done. Not even my immeadiate managers can do anything about it. As long as the call center is being runned by arrogant imbeciles and morons; no pun intended - but they're gonna run the place to the ground. Its all coming apart at the seams. Even during my exit interview, I have raised my concerns to HR and voiced out to them what are the difficulties CSOs have to go thru; I'm not too sure if it will bear any impact.

For the past few days, the management has been sending out emails asking everyone to contribute for more OT. And they even used the words "rough times". But c'mon, who are responsible for these "rough times"?

I've said it once, I'll say it again. When 1 month you don't hit your targets. It might be a fluke, it might be CSOs playing punk. But when you dont hit your targets for 6 months, you really have to start looking at the bigger picture.

When they ask, "Why is Service Levels plunging every day?". The answer, "Cos of low staff strenght."

And when they ask, "Why is the staff strenght low?". The asnwer, "Because staff are resigning".

And when they ask, "Why staff are resigning?". That my friends.......the blind morons at the higher management will never be able to comprehend.

Still, one thing I did noticed when I resigned. Some Operational Managers looked at me as if I betrayed them. As if I have left them in their hour of need. And trust me, it is not the look of gratitude or appreciation of any sort after 3 years of working hard to serve them.

And to add salt to the wound? CSOs suffer and fight so hard to save Service Levels...so that in the end of the day, some Operational Managers can get their Call Center Manager of the Year Award by CCAS.

Not this year.

A Belated Birthday Celebration and Shoppin'!

A pleasant surprise came last Sunday in office as there was a small celebrations for the colleagues that celebrated thier birthdays in May.

It was kinda fun and Boss Alzari bought Secret Recipe cakes from Johore which is ABSOLUTELY mouth watering. Just look at the size of the cakes!!!! The Chocolate Indulgence is absolutely to die for and the CheeseCake was any short of the word...sinful.

okok..fine fine. thats a pizza in my hand...I was hungry ok!??!?!

Its been quite a good birthday this year. On the eve of changing to a new job, starting a new life....and of course, same old resolution last year, no majob worries in my mind.

Went out with his Majesty BB King aka Mario aka Ah Ho last weekend. Basically we just wanted to chill out and do some light shopping - seeing that I need a major change in my wardrobe since I'll be needing more office attires in months to come.

Its been quite a while since I went to shop for clothes. And of course....the same can be said about Ah Ho. The last time the dude bought office clothes was about 3 years ago. Hehe...somewhere about the same time I last bought meself a pair of slacks too.

We started off at Raffles Place where we somehow always ended up at Funan. Cant really stay away from that place. Being Techno Geeks, me and Ah Ho are kinda just drawn to that place. Hehe.

Anyway...after that...we went to PS and then later walked all the way to Bugis. Manage to get a few chinos and shirts from G2000. Hmmmm....seems like the only decent shirts with affordable prices can only be from G2000. Still....with the GSS in full swing.....we werent complaining about the discounts! Heh....for some outlets....if you are willing to wait till 12 midnight...you will enjoy additional 15% off whatever existing discounts that are on-going.

Good deal huh?

In the end....me and Ah Ho settled down at coffee shop along Liang Seah street. Reccomended by Ah Ho...we had the cze-cha...and the food was good!!!!! I took a few pics of the lemon-chicken and stir-fried kailan, but unfortunately I accidentally deleted them from my phone. Sheesh...

Though I manage to save this pic of Hot Plate Tofu.....and its seriously one of my favourite dishes!!!!

For gamers only: Next-Gen

First there was me Xbox. Then there was me PS2.
And all I can say....things will be getting worse. Damn.
Its been a while since I have been reading up on the mad, mad world of gaming. And as too much free time has it.....I decided to check the latest happenings in the gaming industry. 'Nuff said, the best place to start was thing year's E3.
E3 has always been the highlight of gamers every year. This Gaming convention is THE biggest gaming convention on the Western side of the world. It only comes second to the TGS - Tokyo Gaming Show....the land where Nintendo and Sony rule.
However....the more I read and watch videos about this year's E3, the more I realised that Microsoft is really kicking serious butt.
I must admit, the initial titles launched for Xbox360 started out kinda lame. In fact, there wasnt much improvements over the older Xbox titles. Thats what I thought.
In this year's E3....My, my, my. My hands are getting itchy. Titles that are prepped to be launched like Too Human and Lost Planet: Extreme Condition....are too good to be true!!!! Damn the in-game graphics are unbelievable!!! If it promises to deliver such superior graphics and gameplay.....Sony and Nintendo better come up with an answer that will match Microsoft's.

Too Human (Note: Images are in-game and pre-rendered)

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Note: Images are in-game and pre-rendered)

And thats not all, not to let consoles have all the fun.....even PC gaming is seriously heating up. And all I can think off is one word; Crysis. So far the teaser in-game trailer that has been released is just mind-boggling. Its like something you only see in a cutscene of any game.

Cyrsis (Note: Images are in-game and pre-rendered)

Seriously, if ever there's a motivation for me to upgrade my PC again...this game would be it. Its been a long time since I indulged in PC gaming, espcially in the first person genre. Its reminiscent of my old CounterStrik-ing days.
Still, in the end of this next-gen console wars, I still think Sony will reign supreme. No doubt that their demonstrations of the up-coming PS3 is rather dissapointing, but knowing Sony....they always have something up their sleeves. I'm sure they will come out with something that will seriously blow our minds. Till then...I'm saving my hard earn cash and will decide between Xbox360 and the PS3 when its released.
But for the time being....atleast I'm hyped up about God of War 2. Hehe...
Oh yea...and not forgetting Nintendo....Wii is the word. Thats right...the spelling's correct. Pronounced as "We", Wii is a seriously entertaining and innovative piece of gaming device. Its difficult to explain what it can actually do...but all I can say that its great fun if played with a company of friends and family...
Maybe the following video clip can explain better =)