heavily burdened

just when i tot monday will be an easy day, i was terribly wrong.

it was an unexpected time of firefighting via the phone, handling some super blur parties who hold different viewpoints and insistent of doing things their way. wats more, my plate still includes the need to organise retreats and parties and this is really stretching myself thin. deadlines are nearing...

yawn... i need REST.

monday blues no more...

once again, it feels blissful to have a nice long weekend to myself. the 'ME' time was essential to recharge myself to prepare for the yet again, busy week ahead.

for those who are accustomed to a 9-5 weekly job, you'll probably never appreciate the value of a full weekend.

it's sunday night but am blogging away happily in anticipation of monday, a new working week. dunno why, but i feel more in control now... :)

travelling woes

sigh.. when will this end?

i'm sleeping late daily, trying to clear emails nightly. this is the consequence of spending too much time outside of office. time flies but work also piles up. now i really appreciate the value of having a blackberry.

christmas is coming...can someone be my sponsor?!?!?!

alone and daydreaming

was alone at changi airport this morning.

how nice if i could be one of the travellers ready to board the next flight out of sg. holiday starts at the point of shopping at DFS, browsing through the variety of duty free products and practising restraint at the thought of more shopping overseas! haha

am counting down to my next REAL holiday in march...

whats gg on?

life in my new portfolio is definitely crazier than ever.

just when i thought that attending course is an ideal escape time fm the office, the phone rang non-stop and smses kept flooding my inbox. talking to pple who doesnt know how to express themselves properly added on the frustration. more than half the time, there was alot of guessing work to do and paraphrasing to figure out what he was trying to say. worse of all, there was no proactiveness from his end. unfortunately, it happens often and this is gg to be a perpetual headache.

wondering how to keep my cool and retain my zeal admist the many inconveniences we experience at work. maybe a change of environment and more holidays?

different strokes for different folks

since i started my acquaintance with the many rank and file folks at work, the definition of power has taken on a whole new meaning.

there are nice and sacrificial leaders who willingly give up promotions and monetary gains to serve the community. to them, being recognized and worshipped as a god motivated them to serve for years. Decades of their work life are dedicated to standing up for their c0-workers.

there are others who explicity display domineering behaviour and yet be able to command so much respect. at times, the heated exchange makes me wonder why he can still be at the helm of things when clearly people's self-esteem have taken a nose-dive from his insensitive comments uttered publicly.

his unique personality has definitely caught my attention to want to know him better.

a moment of bliss

finally got some much needed rest today.

was doing a recce at the zoo this morning and did not expect an early release. am so glad to finally have a moment of quiet time after weeks of non-stop events, travelling and personal commitments. its really blissful to be staying at home, enjoying home cook meals and to cuddle up in bed reading my favourite titles.

had been working doubly hard the entire week to make up for a week of absence from office. was at port dickson and genting highlands for a work cum leisure trip.

things have been moving pretty fast, with daily reports of retrenchments, short work weeks and temporary shutdowns in the electronics sector where i'm in. thankfully work is still under control with a caring boss and helpful colleagues by my side.

just this morning, i received another jab of encouragement when my boss commented abt my presentation to the committee members. i could live on the compliment for 1 whole week! i guess i'll never get tired of words of affirmation. :)

procrastinator at work... finally

how does one overcome the inertia to start on something which is important but not of great interest to you?

it's sunday afternoon. i'm in the middle of crafting my project 6 where only 20% of the script is written. i'm forcing myself to go through the ordeal as the route towards attaining the title isn't far off. am experiencing a little jittery just by envisioning the crowd during my presentation. it's been 6 months since my last project hence the route to embarking the similar path again is rocky... like what i'm going through now.

the week ahead will be busy with yet another series of birthday celebrations, toastmasters club visits and the preparation for the coming trip.

responsibilities vs paycheck

chaired my first meeting today and i think i faired pretty well given that everything went smoothly and ended within the right timeframe of 2 hours. its rather gratifying to know that some company heads view us as their key pillar of support even before any work relationship has been established. they are eager to bring me into their circle and actively updates me of important background information that could be vital to future negotiations.

perhaps unknowingly to them, their level of enthusiasm raises my stress level to perform up to their expectations. in this profession, we wear many hats. the question we always asked ourselves is... why arent we receiving the pay that commensurates with our responsibilities?!?!?!?!

i doubt it will ever happen.

island trotting

25 oct was indeed a memorable day, having covered 3 different places in a single day, from bintan to orchid country club and lastly ending off at gotham city for a halloween party. the sights of scary ghostly characters and the heavy metal music at gotham momentarily made me sit up and realise that there is really an exciting life that i've been missing out.

looking forward to spend my remaining long weekend at southern ridges park tmr. hope there won't be a need for rainy weather plan :)

been there, done that!

wednesday was a R&R day entirely spent at shangrila hotel for a hr summit meeting. we were all treated to a rare outing at the end with a free ride on sg flyer including a sumptuous seafood dinner to wrap things up.

the mention of the sg flyer excites me. afterall, it's the latest sg landmark, a close replica of the london eye. despite the fact that it coincides with toastmasters, i didnt want to miss out the chance to ride the flyer for free!

the 'excursion' ended with nothing memorable except the walk up to the capsule which raised the level of excitement momentarily. the journey was smooth and view was predictable given that i'm familiar with the landscape around the flyer. i could only remember the constant snapping of photos and a glimpse some parts f1 race track which would otherwise be hidden by the barriers at ground level.

the lacklustre day was compensated by an excellent seafood dinner hosted by the organiser. at the end of the day, we were stuffed full with red/white wine, lobsters and the best of all, alaskan crabs dipped in butter cream sauce!

i guess trading learning opportunities at toastmasters for treats like this is well worth it!

learning day

while cracking my head to think of ways to become a better speech evaluator, help came along.

attended the humorous speech contest last sat and picked up presentation tips and speech evaluation strategies to improve my overall delivery. it was a great afternoon well spent at tampines chengkat to learn from the best speakers. now that i understand the benefits of attending speech contests, i'll have one more item tat i can add on to my weekend to do list :)

a learning journey

pple have been asking if i'm still coping well with work given that i'm saddled with overwhelming work fm many directions. to this, i replied that i welcome this new phase since it allows me to experience what the job is exactly like.



being an observer for the past 3 months, i'm only learning about the tip of the iceberg. as a mid career hire, i'm not daunted by the sudden decision to take over the entire portfolio. in fact, it could be the start of an interesting discovery journey before i can confidently decide what my next step should be.

the greatest culprit

looking through the papers, tuning in to the news on tv and radio saddens me.

Have you ever wonder why the media keeps on harping on bad news?

To create headlines and increase sales loh...

with the unfriendly media reporting bad news everyday, i blame them for being the greatest culprit in creating a recession stemming from a teacup.

it doesnt feel good to hear bad news on tv the first thing in the morning when i'm just about to face work.

but at least, i still have a stable job. ironically, the workload is in direct contrast with the business cycle - the more retrenchments, the more companies to meet and the more work i have. in good times, they'll forget about you. one can just breeze through the day without much to do.

hmm.. i can see dark clouds forming...and a storm is in sight.. workload is piling up.

Escape No More!

hmmm... someone dropped a bomb on me at 530pm.

"XXX is gg to be posted out... hence you'll be taking over his companies from tmr onwards. You need not follow anyone for meetings anymore. Just concentrate on the handover work. His last day is on 30 Nov."

wat does this mean?

Honeymoon period is over.

No more half days, skiving and slacking on the job...

what's ur love language?

its words of affirmation.

giving speeches, going through evaluations and conquering table topics give me a heightened sense of euphoria that i can't get anywhere else outside of toastmasters. i build up my self esteem and confidence with the compliments and constructive feedback given by like-minded comrades.

for the first time in 1.5 years since joining CSTMC, i decided to move out of my comfort zone to visit a new club where i attempted my first table topic after a year's break. am amazed that only less than 10 members were present. as a result of some absentees, there was ample time to have multiple evaluations of the same speech. this presented an opportunity for me to do another evaluation within short notice. the less daunting environment created an excellent learning space where i could do my evaluation with ease.

the good thing about visiting smaller clubs is the level of appreciation they show as you help boast up their headcounts. thank you smses, handshakes and warmth from new friends made me feel special. the evening ended well. i'll be attending regularly to get my dose of ecstasy.

coming together for a reason

what factors do i cling on most dearly to when making important decisions?

1) financial stability
2) personal time (work life balance)
3) job satisfaction

however long term and short term rankings will tend to adjust itself especially after I've reached a certain income level, where money will ceased to be a main concern.

there was a good sharing cum discussion last night. It's what i call 'quality time'.

geezzz...like what ling always say, we come together for a reason. it's truely a big relevation about myself.

the truth hurts

it's been 5 long days. back with a mentally exhausted mind but well fed body - 6 meals a day with a 13 hours of activity daily. Taxing on the body but went home with a better understanding of the real demands of this job.

undoubtly, there is lots of fun, laughter and bonding among newbies and is definitely a moment which would be remembered by all. it's amazing how hr puts in tremendous efforts to invite ministers, mps and directors to give us prep talks and intensive training to prepare us for the road ahead.

though i'm grateful for the opportunity to be trained by veterans and the patience shown to mentees, major doubts still linger on at the back of my mind.

it's funny how hr tries to hide the real intensity of this job. maybe there should be greater transparency and honesty to screen out unsuitable candidates rather than bring them on board only to let them realise that it's not as smooth sailing as we thought.

work life balance? it's clearly not in the dictionary of the many veterans. not sure how many folks from Y generation is willing to forgo that for the sake of climbing the ladder.

a paid vacation!

a week long work camp at nacli means all play and NO WORK! my vacation has begun!

the moment when i've decided to let go, my ferocious appetite seems to have eased... funny how the body works. i sleep better, feel happier and quality of life naturally improves.

am starting to plan for the next calendar year :)

on cloud 9!

To a group of pple who made my day today...

my sincere thanks goes out to all toastmasters friends who are so supportive of first timers like me, attempting to do what I thought was impossible and made it a smashing victory!

something that i desperately needed to correct is my monotonous voice that dilutes level of interest among audience. gosh, a serious and repetitive mistake. how do i correct it?!?!?

had an interesting talk with our counsellor cum mentor FL.

wat were the key takeaways?

1) the need to maintain a level of dignity
2) changing the way i perceive myself - be less negative
3) lavishing praises on others

am on cloud 9... can probably live on it for the next one week!

eat sleep peace...

what does this picture remind you?

wish i could be as carefree and nonchalant about life.

my sleep deprived body is starting to show symptoms of protest...

poor memory, sensitive skin, agitated mood, slurred speech, bad eating habits... n the list goes on.

despite attempts to hide it, friends can easily see the stressed look on my face. i have the solution to nip it in the bud but am playing the waiting game. don't want to lose out more than what i can bear.

gotta repay my sleep debt now...

Work life balance

now that the worst days are over, am glad to instill some form of normalcy back into my lifestyle - just met a friend for dinner tonight. Haven had the liberty for the past 2 months to linger over a cup of coffee for hours :)

Shall be making it a commitment to go for regular cg meetings, probably even exco meetings and leaving work ON THE DOT!

An oasis in the midst of a desert

Admist the confusion and the overwhelming responsibilities that is stretching me thin, there were pleasant surprises to recharge me :o)

- Won a DVD player on Friday's D&D and a movie pass from Shaw!
- Received compliments from the minister on the writeup I've done for the award recipients!
- Boss granted an extra day off to reward the D&D organising committee!

wah... maybe work isn't as bad as I thought.

Painful Ordeal

One way to curb my ferocious appetite and growing belly is to go on a full detox diet consisting of purely fruit juice and supplements for 14 whole days! Just found out that it doesn't just end with that - will have to follow through with another 5 days of soupy diet which I have no idea what it consists of till further consultation with G.

It's my second day and still struggling...

Gosh... never felt so hungry and desperate for a bite. But I'm glad to have a buddy at work who volunteered to go through the ordeal with me.

I'm sticking to the juicing program no matter how uncomfortable I feel. Friends have survived. So can I.

Gym rat

Had been hitting the gym at least 5 times a week since early this month. Life now revolves round work n workout...

Been having a ferocious appetite for an unknown reason. Am looking at a horizontally challenged figure everyday. Can't stand it!

Saturday... with a difference

Yes, it only happens once in a blue moon.

Spent a pleasant saturday evening with the whole family in full force with home cooked dinner. Today's not a special occasion hence it is really rare for everyone to come together under one roof. Suddenly an overwhelming sense of belonging and long lost love that I've not felt for a long time came flooding back.

The warmness of family love is filling me up. Feeling's great. Comforted that someone's there for me.

What a s-t-r-e-t-c-h.......

I'm not complaining.

But it has been a stretch over the past month. Had been jolted out of my comfort zone to put up with these inconveniences like:

1) longer commuting time
2) longer work hours
3) shorter weekends
4) scarce personal time
5) lastly - weight gain (sigh...)

What do I get out of it?

If I don't stretch myself to accomplish something new, will I still be happy?
I seriously doubt so.

My gains so far:

1) making myself more relevant in the marketplace
2) gaining niche skillsets
3) Invaluable gains as I being trained to be an all rounded worker
3) new network of contacts
4) generous colleagues who are always fighting to pay for lunches

Its hard not to make comparisons... especially when one is still in a transition stage. On the whole, gains still outweighs losses. Am giving myself another 6 months to see how things turn out to be.

Maiden trip to a national icon

Finally made my first maiden trip to the national museum yesterday and chanced upon a rare and spectacular sight....

This is the first ever Night Festival organised by the museum which started last week.

The exterior of the building was illuminated by soft laser beams which contrasted sharply against the dark backdrop. The ambience was simply romantic!

A gigantic statue, measuring about 2 storeys high, on display at the main entrance. Made of fibre glass with surface covered in kebaya, it is the center of attraction at the museum.

Snapshot of some uniques artworks on display at the gallery

The awakening

I'm not especially pleased about the fact that at least one weekend per month will have to be burnt for work - Exco meetings, DnD preparation, multiple events and team building sessions will be consuming my precious break.

Then again, disregarding the overtime work, there is a lot of scope for professional growth. Colleagues are veterans in the field of industrial relations who are articulate, professional and generous with knowledge sharing. None are too insecure to give their best during the 1-2-1 mentoring sessions. I appreciate having them around and the inexhaustive level of passion displayed in coaching newbies.

Not to forget...the excellent location at Katong where gourmet food at affordable prices are aplenty. However accessibility is a big problem though. Gotta put up with this for 6 whole months!

Uncertainty

Felt that a tsunami has just hit me...

Received an email this morning about my attachment program which consists of 8 modules with nearly 500 hours of mandatory training - it's over 80 hrs per month for half a yr! Already clocking 5 times more than what IE stipulates for officers within a year.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the experience will be positive

Perpetually tired....and its only the first week of my new job!

Scope of an industrial relations officer involves countless training sessions, camps, briefings, gala dinners, delegate conferences, D&Ds, external meetings, travelling and so on. Already had more than 10 emails on the list of mandatory courses to attend.

Upside of it all is the endless flow of gourmet food and mobility of this job. Only had to pay for 1 meal this entire week and the rest (breakfast, teabreaks and dinners) were taken care of by the hosts.

Downside? Tiredness, insomnia, weight gain and unhappiness...

Learning curve

7.7.08 - An auspicious day to start a new job cos seven is a perfect number!
Started work today with renewed hopes. Am facing a new learning curve at a new job with more professional and experienced colleagues - I love it! There is even a mentorship dept to guide newbies!

Day 1:
Morning - heavy duty briefing to tax a super confused mind that has yet to recover from the cameron trip. Reached home at 12 midnight.
Afternoon - more meetings with countless acronyms to steepen the learning curve
Late afternoon - could barely open my eyes!
Night - Couldn't wait to update my blog to detail the super long but fruitful day :)

Sex and the City

Romantic comedy...ooh I love it!

Have been faithfully going through the entire 7 seasons on DVD and I'm hooked - Miranda is so much like me... objective, career minded and independent... and sometimes coming across as aloof and distant. Why are we so alike? It could be my upbringing as the eldest child in the house.

Thanks to good friends who have been giving feedback about my personality. Am trying to improve the way I handle people and being less passive. Feedback about anything is most welcome... but be more tactful please. ;)

Saigon (8 - 14 June 2008)

Families depended on the mekong floating market for survival.

Items of all sorts - groceries, fruits and even animals are traded daily.

Crabmeat, in abundance, sold at the wholesale market.

Pic taken in 'Guan Hoang', our favourite vietnamese restuarant similar to Chimes - Fantastic ambience, impeccable service and best of all... super cheap...:)

Handicrafts... made of egg shells. Process is arduous with each masterpiece taking up to 3-6 mths to complete.

My vietnamese friend and sister, posing in front of a grocery shop full of chinese delicacies, including truckloads of bird's nest.

quarter life transition

I realise that I'm no longer the old self who likes leading a sedentary lifestyle revolving around books, work and sleep. I'm enjoying every minute of what I'm doing now. My new found exciting lifestyle is giving me a greater glimpse of who I am really deep inside. I like thrills, action and speed. Glad to have a growing network who enjoy such activities with me...

counting down!!!!!!!!

I'm into the last 18 hrs before I can officially check out of my office...

Hmm... still cannot believe that I've quitted and venturing into the wilderness in search of an oasis. Still unsure if the pasture is really greener on the other side though... but I believe that God has led me to this new job.

Before the official leap, will be lookg forward to my long awaited break. The level of excitement will be keeping me awake tonight :)

Back to reality!

Spent the last night, Friday the 13th, in Vietnam, HCMC. Was sad that my vacation was coming to an end. 6 days in Saigon felt like 3 days!

Trip was fantastic! Warm companionship, fruitful sight seeing trips, cheap shopping and sumptuous food! Its heaven on earth...

My holiday was marred by 2 incidents - loss of my hp and personality clashes with my parents... endless squabbling cos of differing viewpoints...

Thinking about this trip sends my adrenaline rushing... I wanna make a yearly prigrimage there. Planning for my next holiday to Cameron Highlands next week (hopefully it'll materialise cos the notice period is short) as well as a scenic tour to Halong Bay, Hanoi, in Dec - a UN heritage site.

Its back to reality to the office...slogging away from 9 - 10pm! No wonder pple keep saying that holidays are addictive.

Investing in my health

Gosh.......a trip to WBG caused me to blow $2400 on the supplements that'll last me btw 3-7 months - a heavy investment in proportion to how much I earn.

Is it worth it? I am still positive that it does by looking at the speed of recovery. Hope the root cause of zits will be exterminated and eliminated once and for all!

There's another extreme measure which I am still pondering over - Juicing diet! Maybe I should embark on it since I'll be on 2 weeks break. But then again, thoughts of procrastination sets in.... why should I suffer more hunger pangs?!?!?! Does benefits outweigh costs?!?!?! Do I want to exchange 2 weeks of suffering for better health, skin, mental alertness, body etc

I need a buddy to go through it with me... Ling, are u keen? :)

Financial Breakthrough required!

I'm BROKE!

1) Just gave a loan to Dad. Dunno whether he'll be able to pay me back
2) Need money to purchase my supplements. Minimum outlay of at least $1600 for 3 mths
3) I also need a juice extractor to complement my detox plan

Sponsors anyone?

Wet blanket

Your words tear me apart, just like adding salt to a fresh wound and leaving the scar exposed to the elements - There are no warning signs prior to the verbal attack. I know you meant well but you left me with more question marks about the process.

Hmm... I will avoid hanging out with you cos you are like a wet blanket that dampens my spirit... sigh.. wat an awful Tuesday!

Vacation!

oooh.... managed to postpone the start date of my new job to 7 Jul!... its 2 whole weeks of break! omg... wat a pleasure to idle time away... hmmm.. at a cost of course! no income for that period!

Got a list of things in mind, in no particular order:
1) More tea, lunch n supper outings
2) Planning for the next CSTM rec club trip... (Bintan is on the cards)
3) Do my project speech 6
4) Play badmintion with dan n ling
5) Go on 2 weeks of juicing program!
6) self reflection wif ling :)

Super at chomp chomp

Heh... it's been a week since I last blogged...have been gg for too many supper treats n last min appts... no time to pen down my thoughts.

Supper at Chomp Chomp was super enjoyable!!! Was glad that none of them backed out at the last min... We seem to have endless topics to talk about... n endless jokes to crack ...awww... it's been a long time since I enjoyed myself so much. I believe it takes the right gp of pple to bring out a person's hidden personality... Never knew that I could be so chatty and be full of chappy jokes in your presence. Outing was made more memorable when a long lost fren, Dan, (aka hero), graciously sent me home after the supper.

Ling, what was the sharing session u mentioned about? I enjoyed knowing more about myself from your perspective...

And to all my frens who are reading this, keep your comments n feedback coming in. I would love to hear about your impression of me :)

3 key takeaways

Cheng San Supper Club - 23 May 2008

3 learning points from the supper we had at bishan with Nancy, Cliff, Shuling n me...

How to brush up your persuasive skills?
1) Be gentle or 'Teh' (oh boy... guys, is it true?)
2) Edify others
3) Support with facts

Thanks to the demo sessions conducted by Nancy...gosh u have to help me!

Overcoming your past

hmm... I just got to know you recently. From the stories that you have told us, I feel a sense of deep sorrow for you. I would really love to help but I felt powerless to do anything...

Why do I feel this way? I don't know... but I guess a part of me went through periods of distress n helplessness but somehow the memory had been buried so deeply that I couldn't recall what exactly happened.

Fren, I can only encourage you to buck up, to forgive n forget... replaying the past in your mind can be tormenting... Have the courage to let it go. The least I could do, is to lend you a listening ear :)

New beginning!

Happy to be relieved of the tiresome work... ah... 1.5yrs felt like forever