My BBQ!

Early morning at 7:30am , we drove off to Jurong West for marketing with Baby and my parents. It was fun to have Baby around when we stopped and discussed and browsed the stores around us.


I marinated the food after the marketing and experienced a terrible headache that left me lying and sleeping in the bed. Baby went for his gathering at Holland V and dropped by to visit me at late hours, bringing along the mushrooms and cheese with him, for the BBQ next day.

It was nice to have him around with me, video caming with ZZJ and watching TV at the same time.


Saturday came and I was busy sweeping the floor and tidying up my dressing table. The phone rang twice and as usual, I missed the calls as the phone was in the living room. I called back ZZJ only to realised that she is terribly sick and need someone to go clinic with her. This is the first time I ever brought a friend to a clinic. But am glad she felt better after seeing me and eating her porridge and medication. Baby came down to Clementi and skipped his swimming just to find out how we were coping. I guess he is worried that ZZJ is fainting I cannot cope with taking care of her. ZZJ, you one person sick, so many ppl activated. Arent you touched?!


Came evening, everything carried out as planned and we had a great time at my sis's place having our bbq gathering. Am glad ZZJ came down as promised and we have got free fruits sponsored by her husband.


Looking forward to the next BBQ gathering, perhaps at a chalet house! :)

Our wishes for 2010..

We happen to see some white ballooons from afar and a lot of it were floating on the water. So we strolled nearer towards it and saw some workers loading these white balloons into the water by batches. Upon a closer look, we realised that the balloons are for the public to scribble their wishes on it, in preparation for the 2010 Countdown.

And so! We picked up a marker, and started to vandalise the big round balloons.....

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My PI power!

Hahahahah! I really cant help it but to really give myself a pat on my shoulder for always being able to dig information from the world wide web, even with the limitation of clues. Many times, I dig out information ppl always unable to find, I also dig out secrets, anything you wanna hide or you dun know, I am able to find.

I ever dig out ppl's blogs, evidence of betrayal, evidence of marriage, and any other which ppl always want to hide from me....all i can say is, no matter what kind of rats you are, I am able to drive you out from your hole and nab you!

Yesterday, Spidy told me that her husband introduced her a book about this local writer who published her life story recently and the story is about her marriage and how she faced the betrayal from her husband and how juicy is the book with real life pictures published in it as well. So yesterda after a quick dinner at almost 9.30pm, we went to Popular to search for it only to leave the bookstore empty handed because her husband could not even tell her correctly, the name of the book, nor he knows the name of the author.

Today, my skill was tested again. Just a few mins ago, I asked Spidy where she heard of the book and she said she seem to have seen it once in MPH. I zoomed into the MPH webby, and looked under the "Straits Times Best Seller" and saw a title almost like what they have described. I copied and pasted and search through google and vola! Within just split seconds, I found the author's blog.

People people, should I change my job and become a PI? If I ever become one, be very careful......be very very very careful...............

Anyway! The blog of that author is http://www.kasandrakong.com and I believe she will be doing up her ebook soon.

Everyone has a life story, I ever thought of publishing mine too. I also thought of providing real life pictures and published them out. But this thought was put aside when I gets better and when I have more impt stuff to focus in life. Believe me, the best way to recover from the darkest moment, is to bare it all. Tell the whole world if it has to be.

Just by reading the author's prologue, I am glad I did not go out and bring my scripts to the publisher. Afterall, what I faced in the past was something so common and is nothing as compared to this writer.

Humans should take a peep into the blog or flip thru her book when you spot one in the book store.

Thats life, sometimes you live better than others, sometimes others live better. Most important thing is to tell yourself that you are not the worst in this world. And no one can hurt you unless you allow them too. Am going to drop an email to this writer and encourage her! Way to go woman! :)

Run For Hope!

It was a cold Sunday morning. Waking up at 5am, and preparing for the run. This time, I was quite excited about it, I don’t know why.

We were almost late for the flag off which suppose to start at 8am, and shared a cab with two fellow strangers whom we spotted wearing the same tee and was apparently late too.

The grass field was overwhelmed with participants and the warming up session was just about to end, which was an indication to us that the 10k flag off has not even started. I was glad to be able to make it in time for the run and when the 10k flag off started, Baby and I thought we should just follow the crowd and try running it. I dun know how long the journey will take me and happily agreed. Running along with the families, the teenagers and many other avid runners, I constantly reminded myself to run at my own comfortable pace while looking ahead at the back of other runners for encouragement.

We met Ezzy and along the way and ran behind him. Every step he made, you could tell from his effort that he was so looking forward to the next step ahead. Suddenly reality hit me hard and made me realized that this person that I am looking at, is a person with a single leg. I can’t imagine the pain when I thought of how he would feel whenever he buys a pair of shoes and could only use the left shoe. I also cannot imagine how I will have deal with life if I lost a limb. I guess for now, if it happens to me, I will not have been as brave as him.


As the saying goes "The courageous one is not the one who goes against the flow but the one who goes with the flow"


I am glad I didnt give up...although I registered for the 4k, but ended up running a 10k. Never set a limit to yourself, for you never know how far you can go..limitations are what we think we cannot do, not what we cannot do....


Hugs baby, for accompanying me through the tough run and tolerating with my slow space and talkative nonsensical talks throughout... :)

Hi! My name is DEPARTMENT STAFF

Another ceremony completed. Yet again, as per normal, he only thanked the other HOD and students, and then he thanked my AD and SD and looked around to identify me, which he named as DEPARTMENT STAFF for organizing the ceremony.

You can tell from look that he has to include me in his thank you speech SIMPLY BECAUSE my direct bosses are around and it would look silly if my direct bosses gain credits for the amount of work done to make the ceremony possible because they knew I did almost all the work and planning.

Looking at him from afar and hearing that “I will also like to thank XXX and XXX………..and (paused abit) my department staff for organizing this event……..” from the stage that rang through the whole theatre has irked me. I mean, if you don’t mean it, I rather you don’t say, please. It reflected badly on you because that makes you look like a hypocrite, and as well as on me, making it felt that I don’t deserve it. I don’t badly need your acknowledgement. I just want to get my job done and completed. I really don’t need YOU to thank me. Without your acknowledgement, I will also expect myself to perform in the state where I am at now.

At work, I have fairly high expectations from myself. Simply because I believe in what goes round comes around. If I made a mistake now, it will sooner or later be spotted and questioned by others which I will be answering for it. And because of this nature in me, I get edgy if I made a slight mistake at work, which could be avoided if I have been more careful. Especially now that my bosses are looking at me, and the rest and pushing us for a higher ladder step, I am “competing” with other colleagues and also expected to perform and lift up to our job title. I just could afford to make a bad impression.

The pressures are there but they are positive ones and I can only work within my own means. Not that I will do extra to outshine others, not that I will dim my own glow among the rest, I just focus on my path and walk the rest of it carefully and tactfully.

Its our first baking session. I wasnt really keen on baking after I saw those pictures posted in Spidy facebook with her mickey mouse cookies. Nevertheless, she ensure me that the cookies are really nice and I wont regret. Ok! So we started making some little mickeys, minnies, and chipmunks. The greatest thing is to have baby there joining us and helping out throughout the whole baking process till 10pm. I wont say much here cos I have only 10 more mins to bed time....












Spidey instructing us the procedures.....Look at her tee...she is so pro disney.....

Baby's hands busy with the moulding. :)

Into the oven....

Rising....

10mins and its done!

Us busy making little mickeys, minnies and chipmunks....

Actually the effect is really very nice after all.........

Then we made some "Famous Anos"

Packed!

Time to tuck in our dinner and whose beehoon is this??

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The famous Spidey's!

A demo of Minnie with Bunny's ears.......weirdo.........but cutie!

Baby and me! :)

My working experiences

Wow! I was tidying up my employment and academic documents just a while ago and realized that I started working since 1997 at the age of 17! My first post was at a private company (I can’t remember what is the industry now) as a Production Clerk then promoted to General Clerk. Back then, a General Clerk is equivalent to a Administrator position of now. All that I can remember are the stares from the Malaysian workers, working in a ‘fish tank” looking office with two other colleagues, checking and calculating workers’ timecards, doing data entry and being asked by the manager to help out his ex wife doing some textiles sample during OFFICE HOURS. The workers there dotes me lot and would happily dropped by our office to ask if we need help to buy roti prata for breakfast or anything for bee hoon. I always have fond memories of the bee hoon soup which cost only $1.50 with so many ingredients in it.

I left the company to pursue my Diploma and did my internship in 1999, in a Syringe making company, attached to the MIS dept, doing programming, upgrading the company system to Y2K compliances, clearing bugs for the staff, and running reports. I hated that department the most because I have to work in a all men environment. There was no one to talk to and to them, females are dumb (like how dumb their mother has bore them). It was a horrible experience when my supervisor expected me to know programming and passing sarcastic remarks making one feel so useless. But I am from an electronic background, and I have said that programming is not my main strength! Its all about the poor allocation that got to be blame! However, they certainly paid me better than the rest of my classmates back then. :)

During my three years of studying in TP, I did part time tuition for night classes in a primary school. Home tuition, and in tuition centre. The earnings from the tuition had made it easy for me to put me through my three years programme in TP without adding on financial burden to my family. I could easily grab a cab and travel to campus on the days when I have laboratory lessons at 8am. When my classmates prefers to have lunch at canteens, I chose to had mine in the air conditioned cafes. But when I eventually found my regular kakis, we will gather and have long talking and eating sessions in the canteens which was what I enjoyed the most.

In 2002, I joined a supercomputing company in Science Park I, under the sales and marketing department but mainly acted as a secretary to a regional director. My working experiences in this company were a pleasant one because I mainly report to one administrator and my director and I could have my lunch own time one target. Whenever there are product launches, we will have to plan events at hotels like fullerton, entertain the press and customers, then we will have celebrations at Brewerks. The only thing I do not like is to do lunch reception duty once a week among us admin/secretaries and meeting pple is not something I enjoy doing.

After a year of contract, I didnt want to continue my service because of the expenses (traveling and food), therefore I found a working place near where I stay. So, by chance, I joined a semi government organisation which is just a few kilometers away from where I stay. I was with this organization for almost 6 years, doing their yearly annual reports and internal publications until I decided to have a change of environment.

Leaving my lovely boss and colleagues behind me, I went to embark a new challenge at a local Chinese company doing processing their sales and purchases order but couldn’t get along with the Malaysian girls. A simple email sent to them means a disaster to them as if I am challenging them. Then they will form their “own clicks”, and gang against one (me), making it difficult for me to work smoothly. After working in a few places, this was my worst experience. Our HR Head is the patrolling police who will send email to your boss if you are caught wearing slippers or sandals walking out from your department to the nearby washroom. There were many factors (Culture, politics, and work nature) that drove me to tendering my resignation within 24 hours.

Eventually, by chance again, I found my current job, back to what I was familiar. The culture in this organization is a complete change. I could talk freely with my colleagues, we could voice our opinions and make any changes as long as it is justifiable and helps to improve our working procedures. Of cos, there are some nasty people that I have to deal with as and when but nasty pppl are everywhere, just like good ppl.

Nevertheless, looking back at the experiences I gain from the past organizations I worked in, I am glad to have been chosen to work here.

Minus off the years that I spent studying in between the years I have started working, it’s been almost 10 years of working experiences till date and still counting...

Married = Happiness?

I read with sadness about the Ang Mo Kio suicide case that has became the talk of the town recently and I wonder why a marriage could turn out to be in this state at the end of the day? A happy family portrait that now haunts. Whether was there a third party involved or whether the relationship between the husband and wife was already in bad state. The ones who have paid for the price were the two young children whom should not be denied with the rights to live. The selfish-ness from both parents resulted in this tragedy or was it love?

How would one even have thought that happiness could just end with the blink of an eye? How many misinterpreted that happiness means putting on that gown and wearing the ring. You may have the most grand wedding in the world, the most beautiful moments captured on camera, the prettiest gown no one have ever worn. But these are not happiness that belongs to you forever. It’s only a moment of happiness that you own and it’s just for that tiny bit of fraction in your life span.

The real life begins after you undress that gown. Living together with someone whom you have not been living with since the day you were born now lives with you. Besides your family, now you have two families. You upgraded and become owner of a house, you shoulder more financial burdens, you have more commitments, and I really mean lifelong commitments. You live with the bad habits of your other half and live with greater tolerance. You quarrel with that person and sleep next to him/her every day. You wonder if he/she has been cheating behind you when you see some cheesy smses from his/her phone. Does a marriage make you feel more secure or insecure?

If you think life is like a bed of roses, yes you are right. There bound to have thorn along the way that pricks and wake us up from dreams.

Happiness belongs to you if you still have that someone who loves you when you are in your death bed, you certainly own happiness but you cant say you are fortunate or blessed once you get married. The journey has a long way to go, it is just a beginning of another phase, another challenge and it really depends on both willing parties to really be committed and to go through all together, regardless.

Marina Barrage

Alone in my corner, today, the office seems abit empty. Two of my colleagues were on mc, one on tour trip, two going for LUNCH TIME MOVIE, another one going for belly dancing at 1pm and the last one is staring at the PC and that is me.


Life so far has been treating me good... Although I still complain about work sometimes, complain about life, complain about everything happening in this world that I live, but I certainly enjoy my life steel (still).


You know? Recently I went to Marina Barrage and was fascinated by the wide and open concept landscape, and was feeling a little BOOMZ! by the images of familes, two generation or 3 generations, or with friends and etc occupying the field and all of them were so busy flying kites, some kites were in Zipbra Preens, Lapord Preens, very nice, you know?


Marina Barrage is really a very very nice place for families to have a get together session to pinic, taking family pictures together, trying to fly a kite together, and strenghtening family bonding.

I captured some of candid shots with my phone cam and would like to share them with you.









































Oh! I so love the strong wind!!!!!!!!!! Gotta bring my parents here to pinic one of these days... :)

Retreat Aftermath

Our retreat ended with a success, with all the listed agendas addressed and discussed. The River of Life was of cos, the most interesting part of the whole event.

All the Associate Deans were obliged by the Dean to start the "story telling" of their background before getting a few of us randomly to present. There left one last one to present and so call, by popular demand (or I see it as sabo..), my Assoc dean and Team mates shouted my name and I was asked to present. They were more excited to see the River of Life painting than to hear my life story. Anyway, I am not that comfortable to tell the whole office about my past and background and I dont really know where to start, and due to the time constraint, I presented a very brief introduction and some of my own achievments in life and my future goals to the rest of them.

The event of the retreat was held at a countryside, next to Sungei Buloh, called the GardenAsia at Neo Tiew Crescent. The ambience was so comfortable, as if we are all having a retreat in someone else's house. There is a nursery just outside our seminar room, and we could see the outside view from the full windows slightly shaded by the bamboo blinds.

There were a couple of brain storming sessions among our teams and quite a few exchange of words across the room among some management staff but with their witty-ness and clever use of words, some nasty/direct arguements were avioded. And of cos, with our Dean as the facilitator whom act as the Mediator, all things ends well with the rest of us keeping in strict slience and smile awkwardly in a few occassions.

The retreat ended on time we were so glad that the weekend is coming, rushing for the train either to head home or town and looking forward to wind down and end our Friday with a good shower and great dinner...

My coming Retreat!

The weekend is coming and this Friday, we will be having our usual yearly Department Retreat. My first attended retreat was held at some country club, the second one I missed attending because of illness. And this third one will be held at some off city place they call it the Countryside Retreat. What so special about this coming retreat is that, while past retreats focuses more on Team Building, this coming one will focus more on topics for example, understanding each individual’s role in our joint success, jointly agree on our key stakeholders, and our strategic factors which drive success .

In layman’s term, it means a sharing session among all of us, follow by a session to identify our valued customers and customer satisfaction. Our Dean wants all of us to do “homework” for the former by drawing on a piece of flipchart paper, our River of Life.

This River of Life will joint down the series of events in our lives and anything or whatever we want to portray and share with our fellow colleagues. So each of us were given a piece of the Flipchart paper on Tues and tasked to do it after work at home.

So yesterday, I managed to complete the flipchart once and for all. This morning, there was a “commotion” in the office when I arrived. Two of my colleagues have brought their drawings to work and the rest of them were eager to see (including me). So I took one of it and open it up while the rest of my colleagues crowded around my table. It was a beautiful drawing, portraying her series of events from newborn to grown up. Another colleague drew with crayons and was too shy to show but eventually did. Then they started to shift their attention to me and pressed on to ask about my drawings, as most of them knew I do paintings during my leisure time. I said I didn’t bring mine but have a photo of it in my phone and showed to them. And the reaction goes “wahhhhhh….!” Then around of commotion again.

Then all of those who have not done anything to their flipchart started to be panicked. Some felt stressed, some felt embarrassed with theirs. One jokingly said I spoilt the market. I laughed and explained to all that I only have majority bottles of paint at home and by painting it with big brushes, I could quickly finish it up the drawing and basically I could only paint or sketch and sucks at drawing cartoons or human. I knew my drawing on the flipchart is going to make the rest of them flip from their seats, but I have already uses my most casual strokes to complete the paper with colors effortlessly and even engaged Baby to help with coloring the symbols of my events. I dont think I will ever get to sleep at all if I am to use color pencils or markers to complete it. And by the time I reached hom from work it was already 7:30pm.

I really never intend to outwit others but I need to take my painting talent with pride too. Since many of them even my dean knew and has visited my first Art Exhibition, how could I just give a sketch? You know what I mean, readers?

That’s why sometimes I get so confused. To show or conceal what I have? And why should I conceal the something that I have just because others dun have? So what I can do to compensate, I used my lunch time to help one of my colleagues color her River of Life. I could even offer to paint for all if given the time. There is nothing wrong in sharing and making other’s work better.

My current achievements...

My next year goals...

GE Women Run Aftermath!

It was 6am in the morning. I had a short training run with Baby at East Coast the day before. Today is the "big" day. It has arrived. I did not put on the iconic running attire that was given during the collection day, but I wore the iconic color red in full addidas running attire. From socks to trainers to shorts to singlet to watch. I did a final check of my belongings and did some simple random stretching at home, hurriedly munching down two slices of raisin bread and a cup of isotonic drink with salt added before heading out from the house.

The sky was in dark blue color and the neighbourhood was in silence and it seemed surreal as compared to the normal vrooming sound from the motorbikes and cars coming in and out from the carpark.

While approaching the bus stop, I spotted a lady in the iconic GE women run tee. Then I saw another one opposite the road. Upon reaching the MRT station, I saw more women in the same attire. The two ladies seated next to me in the train were in the same attire. Suddenly, I could feel the "women's power" all around me. My thoughtful Baby prepared two bottles of isotonic drinks for me to replenish my energy after the run.

Upon reaching the City Hall MRT Station, all you could see was a majority group of women in their own clusters, loitering around the ticketing area and exits waiting for their fellow companions. Many could be spotted in the Raffles City, inside and outside the mall. You could see the enthusiasm written on some of the ladies' faces. Some equipped with their ear phones, some with their caps, some with towels, big or small, blue or white, some with kneecap protectors.

After dropping my bag at the baggage, off I went, to join the rest of the women at the starting point after kissing goodbye with baby. "Swimming" through the groups of the women, making my way closer and closer towards the starting point, suddenly I felt so alone because most of the women went with their friends and I am running the race alone (actually not really alone, as there were 10 over thousands women running along with me! :) ). The weather was good and the spirits among us were high. The only OFF part was the stench of oily scalp smell which I can't understand why these women cant just have a refreshing bath before they leave the house.
The fan sounded and the whole entourage marched off at 8am sharp. I was constantly blocked or knocked either by the walkers or the faster runners. Some of these inconsiderate women walked with their fellow friends, forming a blockage to other runners. OFFF!

The wind blew and the stench of oily scalp smell hit my nose as and when throughout my running. While I was trying to concentrate on my breathing and pace, I was distracted by a remark from behind. "Huh? only 1k ah?" Then I heard some laughters. I smiled at that remark too because I was equally asking the same question when I saw that 1k indicator. 10 mins passed and I reached the 2.5km mark. I stopped to sip some 100 plus, walked a little, before restarting my momentum again. The running route was not a very smooth one because there were pools of rain water, sand and mud from the construction work nearby, broken tiles and twigs. It was a challenge to run constantly, at the same time leaping from these hazards while slowing down when I hit the pool of rain water or running down the slope.

Every woman ahead of me is my driven force. but the main drive that fuel me to run faster was to escape from the oily scalp smell and body smell from the rest of the runners. Looking at the time passing by every min, thinking about Baby waiting for me at the finishing line, I did my final best at the last 400m. Many of them were already resting on the field or taking pictures with their friends or supporters.

I collected my baggage and met up with Baby. This was my best run ever, completing the 5k in 30 mins and 9 secs.

Although the rest of women has friends, fellow colleagues or women group supporters to accompany them, I am glad I got my nanny (baby) who was constantly unscrewing the bottle caps and passing me water to replenish my losses, carrying my bag while I adjust my cap, waiting for me while I wash up, carrying my dirty trainers in his own bag.

Thanks baby, for being my supporter, my nanny, my trainer, my maid, my bodyguard. Next run, with Ezzy @ Run for Hope!