Friday, March 31, 2006

Non-Youth Dining Corner

Had an appointment with Paul and Jason to have dinner. The first time I saw Jason again, since we went Genting together. Heard tat he had left his employment again. I hope he can find his dream job soon. I am struggling myself. Hehe. Dining @ NYDC according to P's decision. I am undecided anyway. Main course for me was Mushroom Cheese Baked Rice. We had a hawaiian pizza to be shared among ourselves. A nice name for my ice cream, which is named "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". P ordered "Heaven, Earth and Fire". But, I dun see any fire on it. No whip cream for Heaven, but only chocolate to represent earth. It is my guess for how the name came about. Rebec has missed this session, but we understand her schedule was tight. Got her sms that she was feeling unwell before she slept. Another time to ask her out perhaps. We continued our chat at Coffee Bean till it was closing time. Maybe, we got too carried away. Hardly stayed at Suntec till all the connecting walkways were all shut off. We took a longer route outside and were lucky to catch the last train.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Un-Pro Behaviour

I received a call from a job agency. Asking about some job details for my application. She mentioned that my last drawn pay seems rather high for a person with 3 yrs experience. I felt insulted. She could ask this from a few possibilities:
1 - She was questioning my ability to command that salary, or
2 - She felt I have manipulated the figure reflected, or
3 - She was not aware of the industry practice well enough.
The offer she gave was I should be expecting a salary lower than my last drawn to secure a job. Who in the world would do that? If I will get a lower pay, I might as well slog my life for my ex company. Haha. In my resume, I clearly stated that I was handling full sets accounts. But, she could not find it on the piece of paper. Very unprofessional in my view. How is she going to match a good job to me? She ended the call, leaving me with doubts of her abilities instead.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Square in the City

Even though I was tired with my lessons last night, I dragged myself out of bed at 8am. Mum asked me to join her for the JB trip. Big aunt and her daughter was coming as well. Reached Kranji MRT to meet them up before proceeding to JB. I exchanged SGD100 worth of ringgit to make some purchases over the causeway. We planned to head for City Square (CS) , which was within walking distance from the Malaysian Customs. While walking, there were many taxi drivers asking for business. Only smiled at them and carried on walking.

Arrived at CS at 11pm. Not much crowd, since it was a weekday. Started our shopping spree. I went to buy bermudas for my Redang Trip. Mum and Aunt bought goodies for bringing back. We had our lunch at Vois Restaurant. The whole meal costs RM60, which includes 4 soups, 4 drinks, 3 lasagnia and 1 chicken chop set. Satisfying for me, but not the rest. They were not used to consuming western food. I thought it's good for a change for them, but it proved otherwise. Carried on with my shopping after we were finished. Bought a few t-shirts before we decided to headed back home. There was an uncle who was shouting vulgarities in the bus. Felt disgusted...

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Bruises & Bang with Guilt

It was a rainy Sunday morning. Had an basketball session with 大哥 and his friends. It was meant to be a friendly game. But, I was hit by the ball several times when I mishandled the ball from my team mates. Tough luck, but it don't occur often. One bad incident happened. This moment which I was in control of the ball, the opponent tried to steal in from my hands. I managed to avoid the steal. Instead, his entire face hit my elbow. His nose was bleeding and a deep cut on his lips. It was unintentional, but I was remorseful of it. Many friends told me it's common to get injured and he was over aggressive. I didn't continue the game and sat down in one corner. Jus watching. Came home before lunch. While bathing, I noticed that my elbow had a cut as well. It has been bleeding after we clashed. My wound was superficial compared to his. I had my injuries in the past with none of this severity. Spent the remaining part of the day feeling the guilt.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Red Paint All Over

Picked up the Vios early morning at 9 am and fetched my 大哥 and 大嫂 to bring them for the HDB WIS. They sat behind with my mum, while my dad was with me on the front. Seems I will be driver for the day. But, I like driving. Pardon me for being selfish, but 大哥 says that he will let me practise more parking at different places. Hehe.
First Stop - Bukit Gombak. 大哥 didnt like it, as there won't be sun heat to dry the clothes fast enough. A kind auntie did let us have a view of the interior of her flat. Teck Whye next. The flat was a repossessed unit and seems like someone has bought the flat. 3rd stop was Choa Chu Kang. The showflat for the 5 room had nice decor to come with, but the price tagged to it was pretty as well. $263,000 is not worth for the inconvenient location. The last stop was Bukit Panjang. The unit was on the 12th floor. Lift opened and we saw the words 欠钱还钱 $$$$. The unit no. 34. Seems familiar to us. Approaching the exact unit, I was shocked. There was red paint splashed all over the door and the walls for that unit. For any new buyer, it would not make any sense to take this unit. 大嫂 seems pretty disappointed about having no choices. I suggested to apply for the Build to Order units instead. But, the final decision is theirs. I will face their dilemma when my turn comes.
Second half of the day was spent at home, doing more job searching and listening to songs. Heaven is always not on my side, as the sky darkened when I planned to go swimming. Haha. I have to defer plan tomorrow. Managed to know a new friend though. Nice person to talk to and hope our friendship will flourish in future.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Wheels necessary??

I logged into the msn at late morning, just to discover my good friend wasn't there like usual. Was she occupied by work? I managed to contact her to know that she was on MC. Continued my job search online, but not much good openings. Am i setting my expectations too high? There is still time to wait for a better job. 果条汤 for lunch. Nasty elder brother was at home when I returned. How can he come back to sleep during day time? He is just not working hard enough, as he works in the sales line.
Late noon, eldest bro sent me an sms to ask if I can get hold of a vehicle for him on this Saturday. His chance to pick his ideal home has been awarded and he has several places to go to. I wish that he will choose a location that is nearer to my parents. His initial plan was to get a unit in Punggol, which is inconvenient for both himself and 大嫂. My parents want to accompany him for the search as well. I had to placed a booking for the car for their sake. Maybe, I could join them for the trip if I have no appointments.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Higher Stakes Expected

Woke up late this morning at 10 am to organise my study notes, which were given during last evening class. Looking at how thick the notes are compared to my last semester's exams, I had to draft a plan to revise as early as possible. My pal would be taking up another 2 papers, other than this one. I hope he would manage his time well enough, as he will be facing a much much tougher time to get through those.

Has been putting on weight for quite some time. I decided to make a switch to my usual meaty diet. Had porridge for lunch instead. I heard news that my ex company has not prepare my testimonial and last pay cheque. Happy waiting. A hearty chat with mum about family issues. My brother came back for a hour surprisingly. Never talked to him, as he still behaved as arrogant as before. I hope he is learning his lesson well from this experience of moving out. Went to the library to browse some books to clear some queries. Envying those students who wandered around at the mall. I never did that, while I was studying. My internet connection failed me, resulting on some troubleshooting work to be done. Received a surprise good night sms from my confidante.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Congrats to Team Singapore

Wow, a big congratulations to the Team Singapore Women's Team Table Tennis that clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. I hope other S'porean competitors will be inspired by their performance to obtain more medals for our country. Go Go Go!!!

Monday, March 20, 2006

7 Songs @ This MoMent

This music tag came from Elaine, while I was paying a visit to her blog. Thanks for getting me involved. Hehe. The 7 songs that I have been captivated by:

1) How do I live - Trisha Yearwood

2) When you say nothing at all - Ronan Keating

3) All by myself - Jamie O'Neal

4) If you're not the one - Daniel Bedingfield

5) 爱情轮廓 - 许慧欣

6) 谢谢你让我这么爱你 - 柯以敏

7) 一次幸福的机会 - 刘若英

What I have listed are not totally new songs. Whenever I do listen to the above, my mood will be deep immersed by the lyrics and some memories will be renewed.

Bloggers who I wished to tag on:
- Paula
- Aidah
- Rebec
- Darl
- Lingsi (if she does blog)

Sunday, March 19, 2006

A Harbour to be Remembered

Over the weekend, the movie "Pearl Harbour" has been shown on television. Did anyone catch it? The show was split into 2 time slots (part 1 on saturday and part 2 on sunday). I love watching war movies. A few which I have watched were Hitler, Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, Black Hawk Down, etc... The interest arose when I had to study history during my schooling days. Don't be mistaken that I am supporting the call for war in real life. My strong belief is a confrontation should never be the first solution to a problem. Seeing all the sufferings on screen made my tears rolled.

Why was Pearl Harbour attacked and the significance?

Eighteen months prior to Dec 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had transferred the United States Fleet to Pearl Harbor as a presumed deterrent to Japanese agression. The Japanese military, deeply engaged in the seemingly endless war it had started against China in mid-1937, badly needed oil and other raw materials. Commercial access to these was gradually curtailed as the conquests continued. In July 1941 the Western powers effectively halted trade with Japan. From then on, as the desperate Japanese schemed to seize the oil and mineral-rich East Indies and Southeast Asia, a Pacific war was virtually inevitable.
By late November 1941, with peace negotiations clearly approaching an end, informed U.S. officials (and they were well-informed, they believed, through an ability to read Japan's diplomatic codes) fully expected a Japanese attack into the Indies, Malaya and probably the Philippines. Completely unanticipated was the prospect that Japan would attack east, as well.
The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

Sepang Malaysian GP

The annual Formula 1 GP at Sepang has ended and the results were not what I wished for. This circuit is one of the most challenging ones, due to the weather's humidity and different applicable pitstop strategies. My fav driver, Kimi from McLaren Mercedes, was forced to retired without even finishing the first lap. He has been a speedy driver, without luck for most of 2005 and now even in 2006. It was the fault of the Red Bull racing team Christian Klien, who drank too much Red Bull to brush poor Kimi's car off the track. Nonetheless, Renault has proven to be a strong team right from the start. What is their formula for stability in a car? I seldom witnessed their cars having mechanical failure. Michael Schumacher had his hands full trying to overtake his own team mate from Ferrari. But, I know from past yrs that the McLaren Mercedes team will be stronger after the first few races.

Results:
1st - Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault)
2nd - Fernando Alonso (Renault)
3rd - Jenson Button (Honda)

Friday, March 17, 2006

Snorkeling Trip Booked

A 3pm appointment with my god sis to have a look at the travelling packages at Golden Mile. We planned to go on a Palau Redang Trip in mid April. It also meant I shall be starting work only after this trip, if there is any job being secured within this period. I met her at Lavender MRT at 3.30pm instead, as she was held up by her earlier appointment. Her ex wont be joining us and its up to us to decide if we wanted to carry on this adventure. My sis got no problem sharing the room with me. Thanks for the trust, which I also have in you. We went through the offers from some travel agencies, but couldn't get a good offer which distinguished from the rest. In the end, we headed back to Trans-Star Travel to make a booking. We chose the package for 4D3N at a cost of $350 per pax. A standard room was chosen, instead of the sea view room, to allow us to extend our stay for another day without additional overall cost. The lady, who processed our booking, asked me for my contact number for a total 4 times. My sis was laughing that she was trying to know me better and I thought so too. After the procedures were done, we went to Junction 8 for our dinner. Sis treated me to a KFC meal, which was sufficient to fill my small tummy. We bought new goggles to start training ourselves for the snorkeling trip. She warned me that it would be very straining physically. Looking forward to this first trip with this adventurous girl. Who knows if it could lead to future trips to elsewhere.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

FBI as a Nanny?

In 2000’s “Big Momma’s House,” Martin Lawrence had his “largest” role ever, as an FBI agent who is a master of disguise. To trap a brutal bank robber, Lawrence went deep, deep undercover – impersonating a fun-loving granny known as Big Momma. Now, Lawrence is back as the boldest, biggest, and baddest Momma ever, in the mother of all comedies: BIG MOMMA’S HOUSE 2. This time, Lawrence transforms himself into Big Momma to avert a national security disaster. But saving the country is the least of Big Momma’s problems, as he takes on his ultimate challenge – being nanny/housekeeper to the suspect’s dysfunctional family.

This movie would be interesting to those who are seeking a good laugh. For the sake of his friend who died during the course of carrying out his duties, Lawrence had to forsake his family to carry out the unfinished work. Before he was given the job as a Nanny, he eliminated 3 other candidates for the job. How did he eliminate the others?
Nanny 1: Boobs too big and will prove to be a seduction to the kids' dad.
Nanny 2: Told a lie about being a child pyschologist previously.
Nanny 3: Carried a gun for protection.
Lawrence also managed to develop closer family ties within this family. There was a child in this family, who liked to jump off cupboards, beds, high areas to land face flat on the floor. I don't understand why the kid liked to do that. So painful even for adults to do suicide jumps. Overall, this movie is worth a go watching.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Home Sweet Home

Came online to check on my friends' blogs, which I have missed for 3 days. Very inconvenient to have no internet access in other places. I am used to staying in a high-tech country, such that adapting to days without internet was hard. Haha. Along the way back in Malaysia, I was sitting beside Paul in the coach. His face turned pale and he felt like vomitting. What should I do? Only passed him a bag for clearing the waste materials. It was a relief that he felt better thereafter. I had my MP3 player to accompany me throughout the journey. Reached the Singapore customs for clearance at 9 plus in the night. The coach driver gave us an option to alight at Tang Dynasty, but I couldn't catch any transport from there. The other stop was Golden Mile. Took train back with Jason, while Paul took a cab himself. HP battery was flat and needed charging. Saw her sms asking if I am back home, and gave her a call. We shared a nice conversation and her voice sounded sick. So poor thing to work so hard without drinking water and toilet visit for the whole day. I can't survive long in that manner. Her friend's call came and we had to end it. Its nearly a mth since we chatted.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Voyage to Highlands

It was 5.15am. The alarm went off and I dragged myself out of bed. Got to catch the coach at Golden Mile Complex, as boarding time was 6.30am. Didnt have time to have breakfast and bought takeaways instead. Got on the bus on time and we were on our way. It was luckily that the coach took the 2nd link route and customs clearing was a breeze. I brought out my takeaway, hoping to fill up my empty tummy. But, the driver gave a negative remark. I understand his reason for saying that and kept the food till our break at Johor. Slept and occasionally took a peep of the outside view. Upon reaching Genting at around 2 in the afternoon, we checked into Genting Hotel and did some wash ups. A sushi restaurant was our destination for lunch, and the bill seems reasonable. We took a short walk around and night falls shortly. Took an early rest to enjoy more tomorrow.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Prep for the Highlands

Awakening and feeling lost, as it is my first day without a job. Haha. My intention is to take about a month of rest, if I could. At the same time, I will search for jobs and attending interviews if there is. This period of rest should be adequate for my 1st half revision of my paper 3.2 ACCA. I guess paul is envious that I could spare time to revise my studies properly, but at the expense of no income. Haha. I did some calculations and my finances is still manageable during my quest for a better job. I had to pack up my things for my Genting trip tomorrow. The arrangement is to stay overnight at paul's house to faciliate early departure in the morning. Received a few calls from my understudy to clarify her doubts. I assured her that I shall not leave questions unanswered if she wishes to ask. Arriving at Paul's place at about nine at night. We talk and talk till everyone dozed off.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Bidding Farewell

I felt very emotional to see Komoco building for the last day, as I reached office early. No one has arrived and I closed my eyes to visualise the office scene which I am used to. My fren did told me that I would be missing alot of the good memories. Anyway, memories are meant to be kept. The first surprise of the day was the gift presented to me by my financial controller and regional finance manager. Both of them appreciated my services for the company, and wanted me to study well to get my ACCA soon. I offered to buy some old and new colleagues lunch at Mac Ridout Gardens. Everyone was teasing me about becoming a wealthy man in the years to come. I hope it will come true eventually. After we are back, I was still occupied with teaching and the ladies are panicking.

At about 4pm, I had to forgo all my tasks and went around the building to see other colleagues. First stop is the Chrysler Jeep showroom. All the sales personnel, including the sales manager, were waiting there. Some of the females sprayed their strongest perfume on purpose and hugged me tightly, as they knew I am sensitive to their scent. Naughty Carol planted a big kiss on my cheeks, and I was blushing totally. It has been frustrating to handle their cases, but I will miss their cheerfulness. They got me a big gift nicely wrapped up and I thanked them for their warmth farewell. My sales manager also gave me a BIG bear hug and I could hardly breathe for a moment. Haha. He can be a nuisance, but we managed to work well despite our differences. 2nd stop is the service centre. The mechanics and service manager took turns to wish me well before I headed back to my own department. It is knocking off time and my colleagues also wished me the best and not forget them. I assured them that I wont for sure. On behalf of the majority whom I know, the secretary presented me with another gift which all of them have contributed. Totally loss of words, as the previous colleagues who left didnt get all this treatment. I couldn't say farewell to everyone due to my time constraint. I had no choice but to pen an email to bid farewell before i depart. Nice to have all these happenings on my last day.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Operational Readiness

Heard bad news this morning about my colleague being admitted into SGH. It was expected to happen, but no one expected it to be so sudden. My manager came to my desk and told me this. I knew she was going to tell me to extend to help to cover the duties in his absence. I gave her a blank stare. She mentioned she has no choice but to approach my help, as I was the only one who have done his work before. With no new job offers, I am in a neutral position on whether I can extend further. Many of my colleagues would be happy if I stay on, as we will still be lunch partners. There is another group who feels i should go. Why is my first resignation so hard to implement? But, it is understandable, given the opportunities which I had in the company. The work is manageable and I shall be able to help them in some way. I need to discuss with the management on their backup plans tomorrow. Nevertheless, my Genting Trip will not be affected by this.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Recuperation

Woke up at 10.30am and my parents were not around already. After a whole week of training for the ladies, it was my turn to get some precious relaxation. I had come to realise why my other colleagues left the company earlier than me. I was like a trainer, having to hand over my work and train other freshies as well. After all, I was the only senior around which could impart my knowledge to them. Settled my lunch at KFC westmall and bought a Linksys Wireless Router for providing internet access for my laptop. Otherwise, I cant operate my notebook without internet anyway. A small cost for future convenience. I shelved my plan to catch a movie alone, considering March is a non-income generating month. With no disturbance around, I revised a bit of my studies. My brother left home for a few days already, but I dont miss him. Perhaps, he has done too many bad things than good ones in the past. He behaves like a macho man, but in fact he is plagued with debts. Haha. I do envy him though, as his gf stays with him during his tough times. For me, what do I have? I shall see how my future goes. Last heard from her yesterday that she was heading for Johor, and no news ever since.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

A Moment of Folly???

The answer could be surfacing since the incident happened on 10 Jan. I made a declaration to a girl who I felt so comfortable with. I told myself to dare to dream. The scene was painted in such bright colours. I felt the hope for a better relationship. For the past 2 weeks, was there a missing game? Clueless. Sms started to go missing, and her presence in my life started to vanish. She could be occupied and I do missed her. I don't wish for all this longing. But, the sequence of events have made us more drifted apart. My feelings are mixed up. The below lyrics could describe what I am feeling for this moment.
想用一杯latte把你灌醉
好让你能多爱我一点
暗恋的滋味
你不懂这种感觉
早有人陪的你永远不会
看见你和他在我面前
证明我的爱只是愚昧
你不懂我的那些憔悴
是你永远不曾过的体会
为你付出那种伤心你永远不了解
我又何苦勉强自己爱上你的一切
你又狠狠逼退我的防备
静静关上门来默数我的泪
明知道让你离开他的世界不可能会
我还傻傻等到奇迹出现的那一天
直到那一天你会发现
真正爱你的人独自守着伤悲
曾经我以为我自己会后悔
不想爱的太多痴心绝对
为你落第一滴泪
为你做任何改变
也唤不回你对我的坚决

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Mysterious Appearance

I went to work as normal, although i should not be in office theoretically. Some colleagues saw me and thought I was not aware that my last day was yesterday. I replied that I had forgotten that today should not be a working day. Haha. I kept it unknown to most people on purpose, knowing that they would disturb me if they knew I was around. Too bad, my colleague went to tell some people upfront. She betrayed my trust. My 2 understudy are beginning to malfunction with each other. Only god knows how both of them can compromise each other's work. It wont be my problem to make them click. Who knows? Maybe, they crack under pressure and resign before my last day. Haha.
Another issue I have been thinking for the past 2 weeks. Is my friendship with her just a mere 2 months' affair? I feel that she is becoming like a stranger to me after v day. Even as I wish to try, I think I dont even hold a place in her heart. I don't want to dream of anything from now on. I guess I have to move on for a girl whom I can love wholeheartedly.