Strongly-worded email from staff again, without my clearance. Tone used was not professional and quite bad. International organisation not happy. Now it's spiralling down.
Beyond me. Tied up with other things and now this has to happen.
WTF.
I feel like hiding in a corner to cry.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
ppppssssshhhhaawww
So I guess life is never fair. No matter how much people try to be.
Double standards abound. People have preferences. Judgement and impressions tilt the balance.
And I don't understand why some people can get away with things when it is obvious they are not doing certain things right.
Suck it up.
Double standards abound. People have preferences. Judgement and impressions tilt the balance.
And I don't understand why some people can get away with things when it is obvious they are not doing certain things right.
Suck it up.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Breathe
I have this feeling the closer the event gets, the higher my blood pressure will get. It is still 4 months away and things are already getting heated.
Trying to stay calm amidst the politics and bitching, the 2-3 big projects I’m somehow involved in, the other dribs and drabs of work (whether consequential or not) coming in everyday, and my diminishing ability to stay on top of everything. Some things are falling off my plate or hidden under other stuff.
Deep breath.
Cool, Calm, Zen.
Trying to stay calm amidst the politics and bitching, the 2-3 big projects I’m somehow involved in, the other dribs and drabs of work (whether consequential or not) coming in everyday, and my diminishing ability to stay on top of everything. Some things are falling off my plate or hidden under other stuff.
Deep breath.
Cool, Calm, Zen.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Southern Biscuits
Hehe. We've loved the biscuits sold at Texas Chickem ever since we first tasted them. We'd even get them as snacks from time to time and lick every last crumb off our fingers.
And then one day we thought: we should make our own. We checked out the recipes and they turned out really really simple. Much easier than some of the cake or bread recipes out there.
Yesterday, I was still tired from the long flight home. But I managed to haul myself out of bed in the afternoon and made a batch of biscuits with K.
Success! Haha. They turned out great! The texture, look and feel of the biscuits were exactly like those sold at Texas Chicken! Though I think they could have done with a little bit more butter and sugar. :)
We'll be making them for the Xmas family dinner too!
And then one day we thought: we should make our own. We checked out the recipes and they turned out really really simple. Much easier than some of the cake or bread recipes out there.
Yesterday, I was still tired from the long flight home. But I managed to haul myself out of bed in the afternoon and made a batch of biscuits with K.
Success! Haha. They turned out great! The texture, look and feel of the biscuits were exactly like those sold at Texas Chicken! Though I think they could have done with a little bit more butter and sugar. :)
We'll be making them for the Xmas family dinner too!
First day back at work
Managed to clear a majority of my emails even while I was in Toronto. So I can't really figure out why I was still swarmed with work today. Bleah! Tomorrow will be a busy workday as well.
Looking forward to a nice simple dinner and then a nice warm shower later. :)
Looking forward to a nice simple dinner and then a nice warm shower later. :)
Grilled meat!
Got out of my office building and there was a heavy smell of grilled or barbequed beef in the air. Got into the cab and there was a strong smell of bak kwa and indonesian grilled chicken.
I don't feel hungry though. But am I subconsciously hungry? :)
I don't feel hungry though. But am I subconsciously hungry? :)
Toronto
Travelling for work has become much less attractive for me since about a year ago.
Maybe the Africa and India trips back in end 2011 and early 2012 put me off things. Or maybe it's the backlog of work that awaits me back home. Or the juggle between attending the conference sessions, and clearing some work at the same time. Or the thought of being away from K. Or the thought of being away from my granny. Or the particular colleague that I am travelling with. Or the long-haul red-eye flights and the time differences and jetlag. Or the.....you get the drift.
Myriad reasons.
And so I left Singapore for Toronto with a somewhat unwilling heart last Friday night. Aside from some health scares, things were ok on the whole.
Weather
Singapore's weather is erratic. Toronto's is too. It could be sunny in the day and by the time afternoon comes, it turns gloomy and then starts to pour. But it is cold. The weather's cold in general. about 15-17C in the day and anywhere from 4-9C at night. It was drizzling heavily the whole night today and I'm glad to be back in my room, keeping warm and huddled in my bathrobe.
Food
Steaks. They seem to be the staple food here. Steaks and hotdogs. Lotsa beef around lol. Lotsa hotdog stands along the streets. Lotsa fried food too. Big portions though not nearly as big as the portions in the US. I can totally understand why the Caucasians in Canada and North America are much larger in girth. Had some Chinese food as well on two occassions. Rather good quality I must say.
Room Service
This trip marks the first time ever that I ordered room service for myself while on a business trip.
Faces
Met some people whom I'd not seen for a long time. Am amazed that some of them can still recognise me because I'd only spoken to them once before. And these are Caucasians. Maybe it's easier to remember an Asian female face because there really aren't many of them around at the conference. Met other good friends, hung out with mainly the Taiwanese and Hongkongers as usual.
People
Strangely, I didn't see any strikingly good-looking person. They all seemed mundane. I still think the best dressed and best-looking people are the French. :) Hongkongers come close.
Nature
Lovely trees line the streets and now that it's fall, their leaves are turning into lovely shades of yellow, orange and red. This is something we don't see in Singapore and it's such a pity because I think it's a beautiful phenomenon. It just adds a sentimental touch to the air and softens the environment.
Scare
I woke at 5am on the 2nd night I was in Toronto. My heart was pounding, my palms and soles of my feet were sweating, I was a little breathless, slightly light-headed and nauseous too. I was freaking myself out. And this continued for close to 2 hours. K was on the phone with me for more than half an hour to comfort me and calm me down. It may have been an anxiety or panic attack. I don't know. Definitely not due to pregnancy lol. I rested in my room for close to four hours before feeling better and venturing out for the rest of the day's meeting.
Skin
After a few days in cold weather, the skin on my legs and body typically gets itchy due to dryness. Moisturiser was my good friend at night. The last time I slapped on so much lotion was back in 2010 during my Europe trip.
Bath and Both Works
This is a brand that cannot be found in Singapore.I love their products and went ballistic when I found the BBW outlet in Toronto. I bought close to C$100 worth of stuff....that's about S$120 on body lotions, candles, creams, filing sticks, etc. :)
US and Canadian TV
They generally love to talk. And talk. And talk. And it shows on their TV programmes. Trashy talk shows. Business commentaries. Advertisements that don't use much images or music but just people who keep talking. Live court sessions where arguments abound.
Movies
On the journey to Toronto, I watched these movies:
Maybe the Africa and India trips back in end 2011 and early 2012 put me off things. Or maybe it's the backlog of work that awaits me back home. Or the juggle between attending the conference sessions, and clearing some work at the same time. Or the thought of being away from K. Or the thought of being away from my granny. Or the particular colleague that I am travelling with. Or the long-haul red-eye flights and the time differences and jetlag. Or the.....you get the drift.
Myriad reasons.
And so I left Singapore for Toronto with a somewhat unwilling heart last Friday night. Aside from some health scares, things were ok on the whole.
Weather
Singapore's weather is erratic. Toronto's is too. It could be sunny in the day and by the time afternoon comes, it turns gloomy and then starts to pour. But it is cold. The weather's cold in general. about 15-17C in the day and anywhere from 4-9C at night. It was drizzling heavily the whole night today and I'm glad to be back in my room, keeping warm and huddled in my bathrobe.
Food
Steaks. They seem to be the staple food here. Steaks and hotdogs. Lotsa beef around lol. Lotsa hotdog stands along the streets. Lotsa fried food too. Big portions though not nearly as big as the portions in the US. I can totally understand why the Caucasians in Canada and North America are much larger in girth. Had some Chinese food as well on two occassions. Rather good quality I must say.
Room Service
This trip marks the first time ever that I ordered room service for myself while on a business trip.
Faces
Met some people whom I'd not seen for a long time. Am amazed that some of them can still recognise me because I'd only spoken to them once before. And these are Caucasians. Maybe it's easier to remember an Asian female face because there really aren't many of them around at the conference. Met other good friends, hung out with mainly the Taiwanese and Hongkongers as usual.
People
Strangely, I didn't see any strikingly good-looking person. They all seemed mundane. I still think the best dressed and best-looking people are the French. :) Hongkongers come close.
Nature
Lovely trees line the streets and now that it's fall, their leaves are turning into lovely shades of yellow, orange and red. This is something we don't see in Singapore and it's such a pity because I think it's a beautiful phenomenon. It just adds a sentimental touch to the air and softens the environment.
Scare
I woke at 5am on the 2nd night I was in Toronto. My heart was pounding, my palms and soles of my feet were sweating, I was a little breathless, slightly light-headed and nauseous too. I was freaking myself out. And this continued for close to 2 hours. K was on the phone with me for more than half an hour to comfort me and calm me down. It may have been an anxiety or panic attack. I don't know. Definitely not due to pregnancy lol. I rested in my room for close to four hours before feeling better and venturing out for the rest of the day's meeting.
Skin
After a few days in cold weather, the skin on my legs and body typically gets itchy due to dryness. Moisturiser was my good friend at night. The last time I slapped on so much lotion was back in 2010 during my Europe trip.
Bath and Both Works
This is a brand that cannot be found in Singapore.I love their products and went ballistic when I found the BBW outlet in Toronto. I bought close to C$100 worth of stuff....that's about S$120 on body lotions, candles, creams, filing sticks, etc. :)
US and Canadian TV
They generally love to talk. And talk. And talk. And it shows on their TV programmes. Trashy talk shows. Business commentaries. Advertisements that don't use much images or music but just people who keep talking. Live court sessions where arguments abound.
Movies
On the journey to Toronto, I watched these movies:
- Twelve Angry Men - FANTASTIC movie, a classic from the 1950s.
- Safe - silly Jason Statham show, violent and at least 80 people died in the movie from shoot-outs or stabbings
- Mirror Mirror
- Your Sister's Sister
- The Artist - great movie
- To Rome With Love - quirky Woody Allen show which it brought back many memories of Rome, lovely
- Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - I like indie movies, this is a cross between an indie movie and a mass appeal movie. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt and british accents are just lovely!
- Memoirs of a Geisha - 3rd time watching....but still nice
- The Graduate - Dustin Hoffman's first movie back in the 1960s, great show.
- What to Expect When You're Expecting
- A Simple Life - HK movie which won Deanie Ip a Best Actress prize. brought me lots of tears because the show reminded me of my granny
Unacceptable
Absolutely unacceptable.
Talking to non-marketing people makes my blood boil.
But there is nothing else I can do about things.
So I’ll just suck it up and move on.
Talking to non-marketing people makes my blood boil.
But there is nothing else I can do about things.
So I’ll just suck it up and move on.
Monday, October 15, 2012
awkward
So embarrassing. Just saw someone I know. A Spanish if I remember correctly. One of those caucasians who will do the kiss-the-air thingy.
Instead of puckering up and giving a kiss in the air, I just slammed my cheek into his…he offered the other cheek and I did the same again…..and gave a clumsy embrace after that.
This is the moment when you say....
……AWWWKKKWWWARD……..
-_- Bleah. After so many years I still forget what’s the right thing to do.
Instead of puckering up and giving a kiss in the air, I just slammed my cheek into his…he offered the other cheek and I did the same again…..and gave a clumsy embrace after that.
This is the moment when you say....
……AWWWKKKWWWARD……..
-_- Bleah. After so many years I still forget what’s the right thing to do.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
My FIL
Am on leave today and had a long lunch with my FIL at home just now. He was on a roll ad spoke alot.....about various issues covering myriad areas like the economy, society, self, work, the IT sector, etc. It was a long conversation, an hour 15mins, most of the time it was a monologue but I did manage to get some points....
- Singapore is too small an environment. To expand one's horizon, we need to move out and look beyond our shores. If possible, go work in another part of the world, a bigger country. They do things on a bigger scale and we could learn many things from them. Much of what Singapore does is limited in physical size.....
- Basic literacy in numeracy is important. You don't need detailed knowledge on why some financials are in a particular manner but you should know enough to read balance sheets and understand ROI ratios and other basic financial ratios.
- Try to put yourself in a playing field where there are lesser people and where it is easier to increase your own market value.
- Everyone has skills, you just need to find your predominant skill to hone.
Ms Gloxinia
This is the pot of Gloxinia Ally gave me!
This was its previous spot, on Ally's office window sill overlooking the Shenton Way, Tanjong Pagar area
I love the little "windmill"!
And here's it's new spot. :)
In my study room, sitting next to some new compnions, 2 pots of red and green fittonias.
Hope it grows well enough!
Live in the Moment
Yup, but within your means.
Went for a jog last night with a tired body. Took a longer route than usual and I also didn't eat anything around 4-5 plus to boost my energy levels.
The result?
A shell with depleted enegry. Flat out. Nauseous. Breathless. Giddy. Couldn't even get up to walk without feeling like the world was whirling around me for more than 30minutes after I reached home.
I think I gave the helper a scare.
Finally managed to clamber up to my room on the 3rd floor when K got home from work. And spent another hour and a half flat on the floor before finally feeling alright enough to take a shower and have some dinner.
Feeling guilty because K had to skip his own run to take care of me and sit wth me on the floor for more than an hour while I stoned.....
Went for a jog last night with a tired body. Took a longer route than usual and I also didn't eat anything around 4-5 plus to boost my energy levels.
The result?
A shell with depleted enegry. Flat out. Nauseous. Breathless. Giddy. Couldn't even get up to walk without feeling like the world was whirling around me for more than 30minutes after I reached home.
I think I gave the helper a scare.
Finally managed to clamber up to my room on the 3rd floor when K got home from work. And spent another hour and a half flat on the floor before finally feeling alright enough to take a shower and have some dinner.
Feeling guilty because K had to skip his own run to take care of me and sit wth me on the floor for more than an hour while I stoned.....
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Restless
bored, tired, restless and a little melancholic since last night.
couldn't wake this morning and dragged my bum to the office.
maybe i overworked my brain yesterday, was still working at home in the night.
maybe i overworked my brain yesterday, was still working at home in the night.
managed to spend some alone time after lunch just now walking around NTUC and Watsons.
made for some distraction, which was good.
definitely looking forward to knock-off time.
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
I see some light!
The past few meetings related to the Feb event has been going well.
Just came back from another meeting with a sponsor.
They've confirmed their participation!
Yay, more funds coming in! :)
May there be more sponsors coming our way!
Not A Pretty Sight
Opened my mailbox and was greeted by at least 15 emails received from the international organization arrowing people to do things for That February Event. 90% of the emails relate to us as the local host i.e. we need to do things.
ROAR. ROAR. ROAR.
There will be fornightly teleconference calls instead of the monthly ones from November onwards i.e. they will start hounding us for things.
ROAR. ROAR. ROAR.
One of the concalls has been scheduled on 1st Jan. And another's been scheduled on 12th Feb Day 3 of CNY).
ROAR. ROAR. ROAR.
ROAR. ROAR. ROAR.
There will be fornightly teleconference calls instead of the monthly ones from November onwards i.e. they will start hounding us for things.
ROAR. ROAR. ROAR.
One of the concalls has been scheduled on 1st Jan. And another's been scheduled on 12th Feb Day 3 of CNY).
ROAR. ROAR. ROAR.
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
A List
The rate at which each year goes by seems to get faster and faster with the passing of each year. Months and weeks fly past and now we’re already in the last quarter of the year.
Which brings to mind the question: what have I done for the past 9 months? What will I be doing for the last 3 months of the year? Much of the year has been spent on the wedding and on shifting into K’s place and settling down.
For the next 3 months, I think I would like to do the following. Some things are new, some are old. Others are on-going.....Not too many things but definitely enough to keep me occupied.....
Which brings to mind the question: what have I done for the past 9 months? What will I be doing for the last 3 months of the year? Much of the year has been spent on the wedding and on shifting into K’s place and settling down.
For the next 3 months, I think I would like to do the following. Some things are new, some are old. Others are on-going.....Not too many things but definitely enough to keep me occupied.....
- Spend a few moments at the end of each day reflecting
- Get into a routine of running and building myself up (I know I've said this since god knows when...)
- Stay connected to close friends and family
- Focus on my event for next year
- Settle all Xmas gifts quickly
- Read a book
Monday, October 01, 2012
Maybe it's the eyes?
I remember the first time I heard someone say I looked like Jamie Yeo from a certain abstract angle. I spluttered and said no way. She's hot and I'm not. She's absolutely gorgeous and I'm nowhere near that level. That was more than 10 years ago I think.
Over the years from time to time though, I've gotten that same comment. From an ex-classmate, an ex-colleague, my ex-boss.
And then yesterday when my family was looking through some of the wedding photos, my own brother made that same comment.
Hmm....soo maybe I really do look like her from certain angles?.....Albeit a chubbier and much less chio version.
If we were to do a commercial for an aesthetic surgeon, I'd be the "before" and she'd be the "after" lol...
Over the years from time to time though, I've gotten that same comment. From an ex-classmate, an ex-colleague, my ex-boss.
And then yesterday when my family was looking through some of the wedding photos, my own brother made that same comment.
Hmm....soo maybe I really do look like her from certain angles?.....Albeit a chubbier and much less chio version.
If we were to do a commercial for an aesthetic surgeon, I'd be the "before" and she'd be the "after" lol...
YAY!
My efforts have paid off!
A staff submitted a paper to me last week. While the information was mostly in there, there was no proper structure and it was very disorganized with bits and pieces of information here and there. I spent a frustrating night re-structuring it and spent another hour the next day rehashing the paper, correcting grammar and tweaking the information within.
Early this morning, the PA returned me the paper from the boss. The boss had written a comment within. "Very good paper."
Whee!!
Pure joy on an otherwise drab Monday morning!
Motivated! Haha. :)
A staff submitted a paper to me last week. While the information was mostly in there, there was no proper structure and it was very disorganized with bits and pieces of information here and there. I spent a frustrating night re-structuring it and spent another hour the next day rehashing the paper, correcting grammar and tweaking the information within.
Early this morning, the PA returned me the paper from the boss. The boss had written a comment within. "Very good paper."
Whee!!
Pure joy on an otherwise drab Monday morning!
Motivated! Haha. :)
Friday, September 28, 2012
Being past 30 really makes a difference
Putting on weight...not good. Not good at all :(
Lost the motivation to run regularly ever since I shifted office to MBC, which was a year and a half ago. And dinner these days are quite heavy. I should cut down on dinner. I should cut down on snacking...and I should....as K always says....exercise more.
:( :( :(
Lost the motivation to run regularly ever since I shifted office to MBC, which was a year and a half ago. And dinner these days are quite heavy. I should cut down on dinner. I should cut down on snacking...and I should....as K always says....exercise more.
:( :( :(
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Giving Up on People
"Sometimes you have to give up on people, not because you don’t care, but because they don’t."
Someone posted this on Facebook and it struck a chord with me. I guess it applies to relationships in general, and not just within the work environment.
Someone posted this on Facebook and it struck a chord with me. I guess it applies to relationships in general, and not just within the work environment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)