it is the start of another new year, to reflect on the past year and set new resolutions for the coming year. it had been a peaceful 2007 for me except that i finally changed my job, with more time for myself...
with a new beginning, these are the eventful memories in 2007 and my resolutions for 2008…
eventful memories in 2007:
1) change of job
2) diving trips @ perhentian
3) holiday trip @ vietnam & cambodia
4) watching soccer @ cuppage road
5) learning to blade @ east coast park
resolutions for 2008:
1) to be happier
2) to be in control
3) to be more focused
4) to do more
5) to read more
6) to be more open minded
7) to be more organized
8) to be more positive
9) to be more confident
10) to be more decisive
to my friends and myself, may year 2008 be full of hope and surprises… cheers… = )
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Sunday, December 23, 2007
moving on...
it was more than 2 months since i started on my new job in october. having to work in my ex company for 3 years, i decided it was time for a change and move on. i started looking out for new opportunities in july. it was a tedious process of writing resume, sending out resume, going for interviews and waiting for replies. finally, i accepted an offer from a food manufacturing company and almost immediately i tendered my resignation letter without much consideration. i had requested for early release and served only 2 weeks’ notice before i began my 3 weeks holiday to vietnam and cambodia with ms ee. the timing was good as i had planned for the trip before my resignation and when the new offer came by, i thought it would be a good break before starting on the new job.
it was a quiet goodbye to my ex company with mixed feelings. i would miss the great colleagues/friends whom I had known and helped me along the way. with them, work meant something more than just work. it was not without a tinge of sadness to leave them for greener pastures. nevertheless, i knew it was time for me to move on to explore other opportunities. i would remember the wonderful times we had together and the friendships made. thanks for everything… = )
in future, i would be on my own to face the new working environment, new colleagues and new job scope. may everything turns out well...
it was a quiet goodbye to my ex company with mixed feelings. i would miss the great colleagues/friends whom I had known and helped me along the way. with them, work meant something more than just work. it was not without a tinge of sadness to leave them for greener pastures. nevertheless, i knew it was time for me to move on to explore other opportunities. i would remember the wonderful times we had together and the friendships made. thanks for everything… = )
in future, i would be on my own to face the new working environment, new colleagues and new job scope. may everything turns out well...
Friday, December 21, 2007
a moment of thought
it’s so easy to do nothing… sitting quietly at one corner, observing things happening before your eyes, listening to the sounds around you and letting your mind daydreaming away… before you know it, time has just slipped by… it’s so easy to do nothing in a lazy afternoon…
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
celebrating my birthday
dinner at chijmes and drinking at new asia bar with a couple of friends... contented... thanks to xueying and yufen... = )
p/s: many thanks to all my friends who have sent me birthday wishes throughout the day...
p/s: many thanks to all my friends who have sent me birthday wishes throughout the day...
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
serenity in a faraway island
the sun started to set at the horizon of the sea, blended into the blue sky. we were standing at coral bay, looking at the sunset. it was beautiful...
sunset at coral bay coral bay was located at perhentian kecil, a small island near the state of terengganu, malaysia. i went there to take my advanced diving course and ms ee had accompanied me for some fun dives. we reached on a sunday morning (15 july 2007) after 14 hours of travel by train, van and ferry. the island looked the same except for the undergoing construction of a jetty at one side of coral bay. such major change within a short span of 2 months since we last visited in may.
we headed for the dive school and were greeted by familiar faces, the boss and the diving instructors. the dive shop was not too big but cozy and nicely decorated, with paintings of fishes on the walls of the shop or being hanged up. all the paintings were done by sebastian, my diving instructor. i must say he has a talent in drawing and painting, able to capture the distinct features of the various types of fishes and paint them out. there was a boat-like long table in the centre of the shop which was used to hold oxygen tanks and equipment. the divers would check their oxygen tanks and equipment there before carrying them to the speed boat and set off for their dive. tables and chairs were also laid out at one side of the shop for the dive instructors to conduct theory lessons or for the divers to sit around to have a chat. we spent most of our time in the dive shop, sitting around, reading books and observing each day passing by. throughout the day, the dive instructors would be busy preparing the equipment for the dive trips, explaining the different dive spots to the divers and bringing them out to the sea to dive. we met a couple of japanese diving instructors, mikki and noriko as well as a couple of japanese divers, natsumi and haruna. although I could not understand japanese language, it was fascinating to hear and observe them talking to one another. their faces were always full of expressions, interested in whatever one another was talking about. it looked like a small cultural exchange when we exchanged information about ourselves and our countries.
we headed for the dive school and were greeted by familiar faces, the boss and the diving instructors. the dive shop was not too big but cozy and nicely decorated, with paintings of fishes on the walls of the shop or being hanged up. all the paintings were done by sebastian, my diving instructor. i must say he has a talent in drawing and painting, able to capture the distinct features of the various types of fishes and paint them out. there was a boat-like long table in the centre of the shop which was used to hold oxygen tanks and equipment. the divers would check their oxygen tanks and equipment there before carrying them to the speed boat and set off for their dive. tables and chairs were also laid out at one side of the shop for the dive instructors to conduct theory lessons or for the divers to sit around to have a chat. we spent most of our time in the dive shop, sitting around, reading books and observing each day passing by. throughout the day, the dive instructors would be busy preparing the equipment for the dive trips, explaining the different dive spots to the divers and bringing them out to the sea to dive. we met a couple of japanese diving instructors, mikki and noriko as well as a couple of japanese divers, natsumi and haruna. although I could not understand japanese language, it was fascinating to hear and observe them talking to one another. their faces were always full of expressions, interested in whatever one another was talking about. it looked like a small cultural exchange when we exchanged information about ourselves and our countries.
steffen sea sports dive school
my diving instructor, sebastian
paintings on the wall by sebastian
perhentian islands painted by sebastian
fish paintings by sebastian
japanese divers
i completed my advanced diving course in 3 days. the course included knowledge learning and 5 dives, namely underwater photography, underwater navigation, night diving, wreck diving and deep diving. i was quite nervous during my first dive, underwater photography, as it was more than half a year ago since I last dived. my heart was thumbing real fast the moment i went underwater. luckily everything went smoothly, though i was rather busy controlling my breathing and buoyancy than admiring the underwater world. i became more at ease in my subsequent dives to enjoy looking at the fishes and corals.
underwater corals taken by me
it was a different experience every time i dived, even at the same dive spot as there was so much to explore and see. i saw cuttlefish hunting for food during the night diving, like watching national geographic underwater. i saw stringrays lying quietly on the sandy bottom, sea turtle seeking food and schools of yellow-tail fishes swimming in front of us. there were many other species of fishes such as puffer fish, box fish, lion fish, clown fish, trigger fish and moray eel. it always amazed me to observe them swimming around effortlessly. I wondered whether they would be amazed by us as well, having so much equipment just to swim around. = p
the island stay was peaceful and quiet where time seemed to slow down. There wasn’t much hustle and you would not see people rushing anywhere. Tourists were either leisurely strolling or sun tanning on the beach. Otherwise, they would be relaxing in the cafes or out diving in the sea. it was a great contrast compared to the lifestyle in Singapore where everyone was always in a hurry. I learnt to enjoy the slower pace of life there where nothing else seemed significant except for the present moment. One could simply relaxed and let the time pass by. Looking at the sea and hearing the sound of waves splashing onto the shore had a smoothing and calming effect to the body and mind as well. i could also see different kinds of people coming to the island for different reasons, some for work while others for holiday, just like us. they were friendly to share their experiences and cultures, opening up my insights and perspectives of things that i never thought of.
group photo
from left standing: jacky, ms ee, me, sebastian & natsumi
from left sitting: mikki, noriko & haruna
a week’s holiday soon came to an end where we had to pack our bags and return to our homeland. we were drawn back to reality once again, going through to the routines of everyday life... i truly look forward to my next diving trip…
till then…
Monday, May 14, 2007
emotionless state of mind?
it has always been my favorite moment, to relax in my room at night after a day of activities.. i enjoy the quietness of the night where i have time for myself and letting my thoughts run..
i have been feeling funny these days, though i cannot really pinpoint what is the cause or why i am feeling this way.. is it a sense of weariness of my current life? a routined life which revolves mostly around work, leaving little energy for other things? besides work, there are other stuff to do everyday and by the time i am done with those, it is bedtime again.. maybe i am lacking some form of change or excitement to stimulate my interest for new things.. this is frustrating when i feel something is not right but i am not sure what i should do… i am neither very happy or very sad.. am i getting emotionless and too rational? or is it a tinge of sadness that many times we can only accept things that have happened?
i have been thinking a lot about the past, things that i had been through, happy or sad, and the people whom i have known throughout the years.. there isn’t anything fantastic about my past, but it does mould me into who i am today, my thoughts and perspective of things.. i am grateful to many people who have directly or indirectly helped me along the way, especially during the last few years.. they have taught me about patience, determination, perseverance and meaning of life.. the last few years have been my toughest so far and i am glad that i am back on track again.. there are great memories and friendships made and i treasure them deeply in my heart.. we should not take things for granted and things often happen for a reason or a lesson to be learnt.. maybe as we grow older, some things that seem important in the past, do not seem so important now..
i am still searching for answers..
i have been feeling funny these days, though i cannot really pinpoint what is the cause or why i am feeling this way.. is it a sense of weariness of my current life? a routined life which revolves mostly around work, leaving little energy for other things? besides work, there are other stuff to do everyday and by the time i am done with those, it is bedtime again.. maybe i am lacking some form of change or excitement to stimulate my interest for new things.. this is frustrating when i feel something is not right but i am not sure what i should do… i am neither very happy or very sad.. am i getting emotionless and too rational? or is it a tinge of sadness that many times we can only accept things that have happened?
i have been thinking a lot about the past, things that i had been through, happy or sad, and the people whom i have known throughout the years.. there isn’t anything fantastic about my past, but it does mould me into who i am today, my thoughts and perspective of things.. i am grateful to many people who have directly or indirectly helped me along the way, especially during the last few years.. they have taught me about patience, determination, perseverance and meaning of life.. the last few years have been my toughest so far and i am glad that i am back on track again.. there are great memories and friendships made and i treasure them deeply in my heart.. we should not take things for granted and things often happen for a reason or a lesson to be learnt.. maybe as we grow older, some things that seem important in the past, do not seem so important now..
i am still searching for answers..
Thursday, April 26, 2007
pursuit of happiness
what is happiness? everyone around me seems to be pursuing happiness lately.... when is the last time you are happy? is it something that we can measure or feel? how does it feel like? is it given by someone? no one can really give me a definite answer.. i guess everyone of us has a different definition about happiness.. maybe to someone, having a lot of money is happiness.. to others, a successful career is happiness.. or maybe just having a good meal can be considered happiness.. why are we busy searching for happiness? how does it feel like? when will we find the answer to this question? is there an answer to this question, or the answer is there, but we never really take a good look at it..
maybe it can be associated with contentment... to be contented with whatever you have, to treasure the people, the things that you have... we only have 1 pair of hands and there is so much that we want to hold onto.. or is it about unconditional giving to other people, not expecting anything in return?
all the while, i am seeking the answer to this question and i dwell on it when i can't find the answer.. suddenly, i realise that i am going in the wrong direction.. the answer is just right in front of me.. just that i never take good notice or appreciate it.. listen to your heart closely.. it tells you when you are happy or sad.. manify your happiness and minimise your misery..
i guess it is the little things in life that made up the happiness, not the big things.. little things and actions in life that touch your heart... maybe we never realise how fortunate we are already, but always trying to seek more and more.. then we get lost along the way... instead, we feel more misersable.. maybe if we focus on making people happy, we will naturally feel happy as well..
maybe no matter how much people tell you, you will never know until you experience yourself.. until you make the first move to truly make someone happy...
maybe it can be associated with contentment... to be contented with whatever you have, to treasure the people, the things that you have... we only have 1 pair of hands and there is so much that we want to hold onto.. or is it about unconditional giving to other people, not expecting anything in return?
all the while, i am seeking the answer to this question and i dwell on it when i can't find the answer.. suddenly, i realise that i am going in the wrong direction.. the answer is just right in front of me.. just that i never take good notice or appreciate it.. listen to your heart closely.. it tells you when you are happy or sad.. manify your happiness and minimise your misery..
i guess it is the little things in life that made up the happiness, not the big things.. little things and actions in life that touch your heart... maybe we never realise how fortunate we are already, but always trying to seek more and more.. then we get lost along the way... instead, we feel more misersable.. maybe if we focus on making people happy, we will naturally feel happy as well..
maybe no matter how much people tell you, you will never know until you experience yourself.. until you make the first move to truly make someone happy...
Monday, April 23, 2007
a work-free weekend
i realize time flies faster when i am relaxing and doing things i enjoy. after two months of late nights and working during weekends, i finally decide to give myself a break this weekend to run some personal errands.
i woke up on a saturday morning with a call from xueying. she was attending violin lessons at a music school in my neighborhood and we arranged to have breakfast together. the hawker centre was bustling with people queuing up to buy breakfast. we chatted over breakfast about our recent lives and found out that she would be going to USA to visit her sister. we sat for a while to wait for the photo shop to open to take photos for her visa. as i was planning to go diving in malaysia, she was giving me some information of the place, since she had gone there diving before. she is an avid diver and she loves to see turtles underwater. her love for turtles could be seen by the number of turtle soft toys that she had and i was amazed when i saw the photo of her collection.
after bidding her goodbye, i went home to prepare for my next appointment. i arranged with my colleagues to visit another colleague of ours who just had an operation at kk hospital. we were glad to see that she was doing fine after the operation, with good appetite and watching animations.
after that, i made my way to lavender street to buy bus tickets for my diving trip. the ironic thing was that i realized i had no money for the tickets when i reached there! guessed i got ‘overheated’ by the hot weather to remember to withdraw some money. i went around searching for an atm machine before returning back to the bus terminal again.
the last errand to run for the day was to get myself a mp3 player. i met up with my sister at sim lim square where there were lots of electronic shops to shop around and compare prices. i didn’t have a good idea of what brands were available in the market now. i wanted to get a MP3 player with music storage and fm functions at a reasonable price. so we walked from shop to shop, looking at the brands and enquiring the prices. there were a lot of brands available but actually, I could only recognize 3 brands, samung, ipod and creative. after some enquiries, we realized that ipod didn’t have fm function, so it was down to 2 choices, creative or samung. creative zen model caught my attention since i knew that creative specialized in mp3 players. however, the price of the creative charger made me think twice as i felt that it was too expensive for a charger. then the sales person recommended the samsung mp3 player to me. it was sleek, with the functions i wanted and had a touch pad to maneuver the functions. so we went around comparing prices for the samsung mp3 player until we came to a shop. the sales person was friendly and willing to explain the functions of the mp3 player to us. after some negotiation, we agreed on the price, including the charger and made the purchase. finally, I got my mp3 player!
i spent the rest of the night exploring my new mp3 player and caught up with some reading. it was an exhausting but fruitful weekend for me, having to accomplish a few things. this summed up my saturday weekend...
recently, i realize that a day could pass by very fast, depending on what we are doing… a day becomes a month and a month becomes a year. we live a day by a day, making new discoveries and having new perspectives of things around us… our mindset change as we grow older and we begin to realize things that we never consider before... everyone has 24 hours a day and we have a choice of how to make use of the time. i guess i am learning to live my days fruitfully and appreciate the beauty of life… = )
have you started to appreciate as well?
i woke up on a saturday morning with a call from xueying. she was attending violin lessons at a music school in my neighborhood and we arranged to have breakfast together. the hawker centre was bustling with people queuing up to buy breakfast. we chatted over breakfast about our recent lives and found out that she would be going to USA to visit her sister. we sat for a while to wait for the photo shop to open to take photos for her visa. as i was planning to go diving in malaysia, she was giving me some information of the place, since she had gone there diving before. she is an avid diver and she loves to see turtles underwater. her love for turtles could be seen by the number of turtle soft toys that she had and i was amazed when i saw the photo of her collection.
after bidding her goodbye, i went home to prepare for my next appointment. i arranged with my colleagues to visit another colleague of ours who just had an operation at kk hospital. we were glad to see that she was doing fine after the operation, with good appetite and watching animations.
after that, i made my way to lavender street to buy bus tickets for my diving trip. the ironic thing was that i realized i had no money for the tickets when i reached there! guessed i got ‘overheated’ by the hot weather to remember to withdraw some money. i went around searching for an atm machine before returning back to the bus terminal again.
the last errand to run for the day was to get myself a mp3 player. i met up with my sister at sim lim square where there were lots of electronic shops to shop around and compare prices. i didn’t have a good idea of what brands were available in the market now. i wanted to get a MP3 player with music storage and fm functions at a reasonable price. so we walked from shop to shop, looking at the brands and enquiring the prices. there were a lot of brands available but actually, I could only recognize 3 brands, samung, ipod and creative. after some enquiries, we realized that ipod didn’t have fm function, so it was down to 2 choices, creative or samung. creative zen model caught my attention since i knew that creative specialized in mp3 players. however, the price of the creative charger made me think twice as i felt that it was too expensive for a charger. then the sales person recommended the samsung mp3 player to me. it was sleek, with the functions i wanted and had a touch pad to maneuver the functions. so we went around comparing prices for the samsung mp3 player until we came to a shop. the sales person was friendly and willing to explain the functions of the mp3 player to us. after some negotiation, we agreed on the price, including the charger and made the purchase. finally, I got my mp3 player!
i spent the rest of the night exploring my new mp3 player and caught up with some reading. it was an exhausting but fruitful weekend for me, having to accomplish a few things. this summed up my saturday weekend...
recently, i realize that a day could pass by very fast, depending on what we are doing… a day becomes a month and a month becomes a year. we live a day by a day, making new discoveries and having new perspectives of things around us… our mindset change as we grow older and we begin to realize things that we never consider before... everyone has 24 hours a day and we have a choice of how to make use of the time. i guess i am learning to live my days fruitfully and appreciate the beauty of life… = )
have you started to appreciate as well?
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
lovers' day
today is valentine's day.. one of my favorite occasions.. a day to express your appreciation to your loved ones, be it your lover, family or friends.. whether you are attached or single, happy valentine's day! enjoy!
love is always around you.. use your heart to feel.. = )
love is always around you.. use your heart to feel.. = )
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
it takes time to be strong
pp called to say goodbye.. in the end, i never did send her off.. she told me it takes time to be strong.. i cried.. she knows me too well.. nothing more needs to be said..
she touched my heart once again..
she touched my heart once again..
Monday, January 29, 2007
runaway princess
after much thoughts and consideration, pp finally decided to leave the firm. like donkey, she was on the same engagement with us and it is wonderful to have known her.
it is unexpectedly difficult for me to write this entry, trying hard to find the right words to express my feelings. i guess the closer you are to a particular person, the harder it gets to express your gratitude towards him/her. pp has been a great colleague/friend/sister to me and we hit off well. we share many fun moments together, the late night supper, the late weekends working in office, the ktv sessions, the msn chats, my birthday and the cab rides home together. the time has come for her to move on when she accepts a job opportunity overseas. before she leaves, this is what i want to say to her..
dear pp,
thanks for everything, especially being the 1st one to celebrate my 26th birthday. thanks for tolerating my ‘cold jokes’ and always encouraging me to pursue my ‘big dreams’. you are always taking care of others and maybe it is time for you to take a break. i guess a change of environment will do you good since the pace overseas is much slower and probably you will have more time to reflect and learn new things. although there may be new challenges ahead, but i believe you will overcome them with the right attitude. sometimes when things do not go your way, it is time to learn to let go and take stride in whatever that happens. we can never turn back time but we can look forward and treasure the present moment. i see this quote from my poster and thought it will be meaningful to share with you.
live life to the fullest
each day is precious and so full of wonderful possibilities.
do not waste your day by worrying about your problems.
leave all your worries behind.
fill your life with peace and serenity.
enjoy the simple pleasures in this complex world.
happiness lies within you.
i believe you will find your answers and attain the absolute happiness within yourself. i will miss your laughter, hugs, ears pulling and treasure the great memories that we have together. remember to take care of yourself as nothing matters more than health. with a healthy mind and body, you can achieve more than what you think. believe in yourself and be brave as we will be fighting alongside with you here.
remember, princess is hard job, but somebody has to do it. be a true princess and one day, you will meet your knight in shining armour. = )
it is unexpectedly difficult for me to write this entry, trying hard to find the right words to express my feelings. i guess the closer you are to a particular person, the harder it gets to express your gratitude towards him/her. pp has been a great colleague/friend/sister to me and we hit off well. we share many fun moments together, the late night supper, the late weekends working in office, the ktv sessions, the msn chats, my birthday and the cab rides home together. the time has come for her to move on when she accepts a job opportunity overseas. before she leaves, this is what i want to say to her..
dear pp,
thanks for everything, especially being the 1st one to celebrate my 26th birthday. thanks for tolerating my ‘cold jokes’ and always encouraging me to pursue my ‘big dreams’. you are always taking care of others and maybe it is time for you to take a break. i guess a change of environment will do you good since the pace overseas is much slower and probably you will have more time to reflect and learn new things. although there may be new challenges ahead, but i believe you will overcome them with the right attitude. sometimes when things do not go your way, it is time to learn to let go and take stride in whatever that happens. we can never turn back time but we can look forward and treasure the present moment. i see this quote from my poster and thought it will be meaningful to share with you.
live life to the fullest
each day is precious and so full of wonderful possibilities.
do not waste your day by worrying about your problems.
leave all your worries behind.
fill your life with peace and serenity.
enjoy the simple pleasures in this complex world.
happiness lies within you.
i believe you will find your answers and attain the absolute happiness within yourself. i will miss your laughter, hugs, ears pulling and treasure the great memories that we have together. remember to take care of yourself as nothing matters more than health. with a healthy mind and body, you can achieve more than what you think. believe in yourself and be brave as we will be fighting alongside with you here.
remember, princess is hard job, but somebody has to do it. be a true princess and one day, you will meet your knight in shining armour. = )
pp and me @ dinner and dance 2006
bon voyage! thanks for the book and till we meet again...
Saturday, January 27, 2007
timing beyond reach
i have been trying to arrange for a gathering today.. but everyone's timing just could not accommodate..
timing... doing the right thing(s) at the right time or meeting the right person(s) at the right time.. however, sometimes we do the right thing(s) at the wrong time or vice versa.. and to make things worse, somtimes we meet the right person(s) at the wrong time or vice versa.. is timing within or beyond our control?
it is getting harder and harder to arrange even a simple dinner when everyone has different schedules and difficult to commit their time.. mainly because of work or things that happen at the last minute.. we have less and less personal time to do the things we want or meet our family and friends... every gathering becomes the fruit of all communications flying around, finding the best time that fits everyone..
i guess we should treasure every gathering... with our busy schedules, we never know when we will meet again next time..
time to go for my gathering...
timing... doing the right thing(s) at the right time or meeting the right person(s) at the right time.. however, sometimes we do the right thing(s) at the wrong time or vice versa.. and to make things worse, somtimes we meet the right person(s) at the wrong time or vice versa.. is timing within or beyond our control?
it is getting harder and harder to arrange even a simple dinner when everyone has different schedules and difficult to commit their time.. mainly because of work or things that happen at the last minute.. we have less and less personal time to do the things we want or meet our family and friends... every gathering becomes the fruit of all communications flying around, finding the best time that fits everyone..
i guess we should treasure every gathering... with our busy schedules, we never know when we will meet again next time..
time to go for my gathering...
Sunday, January 21, 2007
04:00
it's 4am and i am still awake.. i just knocked off from work awhile ago and finally settling down in front of my computer after my shower.. it has been a good 3 weeks since i last updated my blog.. wow.. time really flies.. been quite busy with an engagement recently and the 2 things i want to do when i reach home is to shower and sleep. basically, it becomes a routine and time just passes by like that. this signifies that i am into my 3rd peak period of my job.. as a senior, i have more responsibilities, more things to think and assistants to guide.. when time is pressing, i need to think quick to make a decision and to be able to see the big picture before planning for my work.. although i might make mistakes along the way, but i guess we all learn from our mistakes and experience... just move on and we get better along the way..
this time round, i am going to pace and not overstretch myself.. still a long way to go for the peak period... in a few hours later, i might be reporting for work again and i hope i can finish it soon... keeping my fingers crossed... haha...
p/s: hey babe.. time to go home...
this time round, i am going to pace and not overstretch myself.. still a long way to go for the peak period... in a few hours later, i might be reporting for work again and i hope i can finish it soon... keeping my fingers crossed... haha...
p/s: hey babe.. time to go home...
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
new year @ 2007
it is just like another day, except that the year has changed.. we have crossed over the last day of year 2006 into the 1st day of year 2007.. a time to reflect what i have achieved over the last 12 months and what i want to achieve in the next 12 months.. i remembered that in 2005, a friend told me to write down my 10 memorable events/things in 2005, 10 things i want to forget in 2005 and 10 resolutions for 2006.. to reflect what i have achieved and to set resolutions for the new year.. after a year and looking back at my resolutions, i actually managed to achieve most of them! haha.. well, to me, resolutions do not need to be anything real big, but something that i want to achieve/overcome in the new year.. i am glad i am able to achieve what i set out..
looking ahead to the new year, here are my 10 memorable events/things in 2006, 10 things i want to forget in 2006 and 10 resolutions for 2007..
10 memorable events/things in 2006:
1) valentine's day
2) trekking trip @ gunung tahan
3) trekking trip @ gunung korbu
4) holiday trip @ taiwan
5) business trip @ shenzhen
6) diving trip @ phuket
7) last visit to the doctor
8) blood donation
9) launch of my blog
10) making the photo album for manager with the sunny team
10 things i want to forget in 2006:
1) my tears
2) my sadness
3) my stress
4) my fears
5) my procrastination
6) my anger
7) my impatience
8) my mood swings
9) my expectations on others
10) my insensitivity towards others
10 resolutions for 2007:
1) to get my CPA
2) to get a new job
3) to be contented
4) to be truthful
5) to be courageous
6) to exercise more
7) to have a balanced lifestyle
8) to love & care for my family and friends
9) to love myself
10) to be happy
just want to express my thanks to my family and friends for all the good times or bad times in year 2006, making me a better person in one way or the other...
have a great 2007 ahead... cheers... = )
looking ahead to the new year, here are my 10 memorable events/things in 2006, 10 things i want to forget in 2006 and 10 resolutions for 2007..
10 memorable events/things in 2006:
1) valentine's day
2) trekking trip @ gunung tahan
3) trekking trip @ gunung korbu
4) holiday trip @ taiwan
5) business trip @ shenzhen
6) diving trip @ phuket
7) last visit to the doctor
8) blood donation
9) launch of my blog
10) making the photo album for manager with the sunny team
10 things i want to forget in 2006:
1) my tears
2) my sadness
3) my stress
4) my fears
5) my procrastination
6) my anger
7) my impatience
8) my mood swings
9) my expectations on others
10) my insensitivity towards others
10 resolutions for 2007:
1) to get my CPA
2) to get a new job
3) to be contented
4) to be truthful
5) to be courageous
6) to exercise more
7) to have a balanced lifestyle
8) to love & care for my family and friends
9) to love myself
10) to be happy
just want to express my thanks to my family and friends for all the good times or bad times in year 2006, making me a better person in one way or the other...
have a great 2007 ahead... cheers... = )
Saturday, December 30, 2006
donkey @ loose
time flies and donkey is biding us goodbye. i have worked with him on his first engagement and the whole team (with goofy, scallop & pp) hit off well since then. we had lots of fun and laughter during the engagement, making the work seemed less stressful then. it is great sadness that we are going on separate paths to pursue different dreams...
there are many characteristics of him that leaves ‘deep impression’ to us which i thought i should probably share a few here.
he is someone,
who looks like the donkey in the movie, ‘shrek’, but refuses to acknowledge it.
who spends time styling his hair but looks like a ‘bird nest’ to us.
who gives the nickname ‘tian mu’ to pp and gets his ears pulled by her every time he says something wrong.
who subscribes to the daily horoscope via his handphone and takes heed to them at times.
who shows others the ‘tube’ video clip and gets excited over it every time he watches it again.
who crumples up the schedules that the client gives him.
who plays the role of ‘christine’ and gets goofy baffled during the engagement.
who eats up the client’s biscuits and yet blames us of having a share too.
who talks very loud over the phone as if someone has owed him a great deal of money.
who reminds us of the after 5pm ‘happy hour’ when he will start cracking jokes and making us laugh till our stomachs are in pain.
who sings real good and gets high singing david tao’s and jay chou’s songs during ktv.
there are many characteristics of him that leaves ‘deep impression’ to us which i thought i should probably share a few here.
he is someone,
who looks like the donkey in the movie, ‘shrek’, but refuses to acknowledge it.
who spends time styling his hair but looks like a ‘bird nest’ to us.
who gives the nickname ‘tian mu’ to pp and gets his ears pulled by her every time he says something wrong.
who subscribes to the daily horoscope via his handphone and takes heed to them at times.
who shows others the ‘tube’ video clip and gets excited over it every time he watches it again.
who crumples up the schedules that the client gives him.
who plays the role of ‘christine’ and gets goofy baffled during the engagement.
who eats up the client’s biscuits and yet blames us of having a share too.
who talks very loud over the phone as if someone has owed him a great deal of money.
who reminds us of the after 5pm ‘happy hour’ when he will start cracking jokes and making us laugh till our stomachs are in pain.
who sings real good and gets high singing david tao’s and jay chou’s songs during ktv.
well versed in geography and teaches scallop that london is in england and paris is in france.
donkey and me @ dinner and dance 2005
donkey, thanks for the wonderful times and from the bottom of my heart, i wish you the very best in your future endeavors! you will be greatly missed…
take care!
Friday, December 22, 2006
wee hours @ one raffles quay
it is in the wee hours of the night and i am still in office... trying to finish the work so that i can have a peaceful break next week.. there are a number of things i want to do during my break.. well, probably going to be a busy week as well, but i guess i will enjoy it much more.. meeting up with friends, reading some books, watching some movies or simply just day dreaming at home.. time to recharge my batteries and have some quality time with myself...
are many of us too immersed in our work that we forget how to communicate and understand ourselves better? to find out what we really want in lives or just letting ourselves go with the flow? probably time is a main factor since we are always occupied with the daily routine stuff that drain us so much.. the first thing we want to do when we get home is just to lie down in our beds and sleep.. before we know it, the new day has begun and the routine starts again.. will we ever get out of the cycle or the environment/circumstances just does not permit us, leaving us with little choices? or are we brave enough to make a U turn and go against the flow?
i guess i am currently with the flow, trying to anaylse the whole situation that i have put myself into.. keeping myself busy by observing what others are thinking and doing.. this makes everyday more interesting and fulfilling.. haha..
i hope i have the courage to make my U turn at the next cross junction...
are many of us too immersed in our work that we forget how to communicate and understand ourselves better? to find out what we really want in lives or just letting ourselves go with the flow? probably time is a main factor since we are always occupied with the daily routine stuff that drain us so much.. the first thing we want to do when we get home is just to lie down in our beds and sleep.. before we know it, the new day has begun and the routine starts again.. will we ever get out of the cycle or the environment/circumstances just does not permit us, leaving us with little choices? or are we brave enough to make a U turn and go against the flow?
i guess i am currently with the flow, trying to anaylse the whole situation that i have put myself into.. keeping myself busy by observing what others are thinking and doing.. this makes everyday more interesting and fulfilling.. haha..
i hope i have the courage to make my U turn at the next cross junction...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
a week @ work
wow… it was a busy week with a number of things happening in office. i was assigned to a new job at macpherson this week since my other job could not start on time.. how fascinated i was when i saw the client's office. it was an open concept where all the meeting rooms were glass paned and the partitions of the cubicles were low. you could see the expressions of everyone when they were having meeting in the room. haha.. how amazing.. my team got settled down in a smaller meeting room called ‘think tank III’ and i thought the name sounded quite interesting too.. however, the round table in the meeting room was not big enough for the 6 of us and 1 of the assistants had to work on the sofa outside the meeting room.. he looked quite cozy working there though. haha.. the team members were friendly and nice and 1 of them was my final year project mate in NTU.. i finally got a chance to work with her ever since we joined the firm.. haha.. we got busy flipping through the files, enquiring the client and documenting our findings throughout the week..
i also attended my firm’s annual dinner and dance this thursday (7 december 2006) at swissotel the stamford.. it was my 3rd time attending the dinner and dance and i wondered whether there would be a 4th time.. haha.. i shall wait and see till then.. everyone was dressed up for the occasion and it was a round of eating, drinking and photo-taking with the colleagues. as part of the entertainment programme, those new colleagues who had joined us recently were asked to put up performances according to departments. 6 departments participated and my department won the 3rd place, while the tax department emerged as the winner, 2nd time in a row. it brought back sweet memories when i recalled my 1st year joining the firm. i participated in the performance that year and we won the 1st place! it was the team effort of everyone and some of us got closer ever since.. i left around 11 plus after the lucky draw, winning nothing this year. a colleague in my department won the big prize of $5,000 travel voucher! haha… she was real lucky!
i also attended my firm’s annual dinner and dance this thursday (7 december 2006) at swissotel the stamford.. it was my 3rd time attending the dinner and dance and i wondered whether there would be a 4th time.. haha.. i shall wait and see till then.. everyone was dressed up for the occasion and it was a round of eating, drinking and photo-taking with the colleagues. as part of the entertainment programme, those new colleagues who had joined us recently were asked to put up performances according to departments. 6 departments participated and my department won the 3rd place, while the tax department emerged as the winner, 2nd time in a row. it brought back sweet memories when i recalled my 1st year joining the firm. i participated in the performance that year and we won the 1st place! it was the team effort of everyone and some of us got closer ever since.. i left around 11 plus after the lucky draw, winning nothing this year. a colleague in my department won the big prize of $5,000 travel voucher! haha… she was real lucky!
the team and our manager, chih shyan (4th from the left)
finally, my firm was busy shifting to our new office premise at one raffles quay on friday. all of us were busy packing our stuff last week, taking those that were needed and throwing away those unwanted ones. i was looking forward to the new office with new furniture and a pantry as well. haha.. i shall see the new office next monday then.. for remembrance sake, i took a few photos of the office where i had spent my last 2 ½ years busy working in before moving to the new working environment.
my workplace
this summed up the busy week and i could only get busier when the peak period is approaching.. shall brave myself through it one more time..
Sunday, November 19, 2006
will it still be sunny?
the photo album was finally in her hands and she held it with thanks.. that was all we asked for.. it was a farewell dinner for our manager, swee ing who was leaving the firm on 15 November 2006.
she was the manager of the sunningdale (aka sunny) job for the last financial year. ms universe, babe and i would not have survived through that tough period without her. despite so many years in audit, she still had that sense of humor within her, making her a nice manager to work with. it was sad that she was leaving, but happy that she was going for greener pastures.
the 3 of us decided to make a photo album for her to remember the sweet memories she had with the firm. the sunny team members (past, present and future) gathered around to have their photos taken with her. of course, we wouldn't miss out the partner as well, chen.. haha..
the sunny family
ms universe bought the album, babe developed the photos and i brought the colour papers and markers. we went back to the office on monday night to rush out the photo album for dinner on tuesday. suddenly, it was back to the late nights, only this time, it was different. it was the thought of wanting to show our appreciation for a manager whom we had learnt so much from and would be greatly missed.
we set our creativity to work in designing every page of the album, from flowers to butterflies, from rabbit to snail or a page full of stars... it seemed like going back to the school days doing our art and craft.. haha.. everyone was contributing ideas and putting efforts to make the album look better. after 7 hours of cutting, pasting and writing, the album came 'alive'. we could not stop 'admiring' our hard work... cailing and ah tong lent a hand to make this happen too.. though we were mentally and physically tired, it was all worthwhile at the end..
this was what i had never anticipated when i was doing the sunny job. the job was tough, the hours were long and the only thought during that time was to get out of the job. it was easier said than done and we could only push on.. maybe the bonding and friendship built up along the way.. we encouraged and helped one another to overcome one obstacle after another.. luckily, swee ing was there to handle the bigger issues and the partner.. i guess tim was right, when i looked back, i treasured the tough times that we had together, gossiping and cracking jokes..
i guess everyone of us has to move on at some point in life.. i can only be glad that our paths have crossed..
swee ing and me
to our sunny manager, thanks for everything and take care.. = )
Sunday, November 12, 2006
forever love
the song, 'forever love' by lee hom was broadcasted over the pa system and all the guests stood up to welcome the newly weds, patrick and judy.
the bride is my polytechnic friend for almost 10 years. it was great joy to attend her wedding dinner (11 November 2006) with xiao mei nu, another good friend of ours.. the 3 of us had wonderful memories of our polytechnic days and i am amazed that our friendship has lasted till now.
the 2 of them have registered for marriage for almost 6 years before having their customary ceremony. from interacting with patrick, i know that judy has found a good husband, patient and caring. although they have gone through a lot over the last few years, he has never given up caring for her and be by her side.. maybe he hasn't done well enough for her, but i know he has done so within his best ability.
there is still a long road ahead, a lot of things to learn from each other.. i hope they will learn to treasure and appreciate each other, to continue to care and love each other.. there will be ups and downs in the marriage life, but if they have the strong belief and trust towards each other, i'm sure they can overcome whatever obstacles ahead..
this blog is dedicated to them and from the bottom of my heart, i wish them happiness always.. forever love..
the bride is my polytechnic friend for almost 10 years. it was great joy to attend her wedding dinner (11 November 2006) with xiao mei nu, another good friend of ours.. the 3 of us had wonderful memories of our polytechnic days and i am amazed that our friendship has lasted till now.
the 2 of them have registered for marriage for almost 6 years before having their customary ceremony. from interacting with patrick, i know that judy has found a good husband, patient and caring. although they have gone through a lot over the last few years, he has never given up caring for her and be by her side.. maybe he hasn't done well enough for her, but i know he has done so within his best ability.
there is still a long road ahead, a lot of things to learn from each other.. i hope they will learn to treasure and appreciate each other, to continue to care and love each other.. there will be ups and downs in the marriage life, but if they have the strong belief and trust towards each other, i'm sure they can overcome whatever obstacles ahead..
this blog is dedicated to them and from the bottom of my heart, i wish them happiness always.. forever love..
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
happy birthday to me
the clock stroke 12 on 6 November 2006 and pp (aka tian mu) sang me a birthday song with a sara-lee cake in her hands.
both of us were pathetically working in the office on sunday (5 November 2006) until we went for dinner around 7pm. while we were walking back from china square after our dinner, she suddenly had the craving for haagen dazs's cookies and cream ice-cream. so we went to the nearest 7-11 to buy her ice-cream and she also bought a sara-lee cake as well. she suggested that we stayed back in office untill 12am so that she could be the first one to celebrate my 26th birthday with me. haha.. how nice of her..
yes, it was an unique way to start off my birthday celebration this year, having a close colleague/friend/sister to be the first one to wish me.. i had a bite on the cake before we packed up to go home. i didn't think much about it then until i reached home. this year's birthday was a strong contrast from my birthday last year.. for some reason, i had a sad birthday last year and i was determined enjoy my birthday this year. emotions overwhelmed me and i was really grateful that pp was there to celebrate my birthday. tears came flowing when i sent her an sms to thank her for being there.. she had been a great listener and advisor over the past year, in work or life.. she is more than just a colleague to me.. thanks pp.. = )
i am 26 years old today, or you could say slightly more than half a century old.. haha.. personally, it had been a tough year as i thought i was undergoing my quarter-life crisis (or mid 20s crisis). i have no study loans to pay off, i have a good job, i have my friends and family with me, but.. i am not happy.. i don't know what i want in my life.. i have been searching for answers over the past few years and i thought the answers would come as i grow older.. but it didn't really come or maybe i hadn't seen them.. it got me frustrated and no one could really give me a satisfactory answer.. well, everyone has their own lives and probably i should be the one answerable for my own life, to know what i want in my life.. it was after the tahan climbing trip and reading some books, that i thought i had found my answers.
believe in yourself.. if i don't even believe in myself, nobody will.. this is what i have learnt from my climbing trip at tahan... it was this strong belief in myself that i made it through the tough climb. i couldn't believe it, but i did it.. there were some great lessons which i had learnt from the trip and kept them at the back of my mind as a constant reminder.. life couldn't be more tough than what i had gone through over that 7 days at tahan! haha..
learn to choose, learn to let go.. this is what i have learnt from a chinese book that i had bought in shenzhen during my last business trip. it teaches me that in life, we cannot have the best of both worlds and there is always a time where we need to make a choice. we can only choose one and let go of the other, no matter how difficult a decision may be.. just like that are 2 sides of the coin, you can only choose one.. in life, you can choose to see things in a negative way or a positive way.. and sometimes, success is dependent whether you have made a right choice at the right time..
suddenly, everything falls into place.. maybe, i haven't been confident about myself in the past, fear of making mistakes, fear of opinions and comments of others.. i let the fears consumed and controlled me until i wasn't making any good decisions.. it was a terrible period and i was at a loss.. probably it was a stage that i needed to go through to regain my confidence and overcome my fears..
now i want to live my life one more time.. and this time, i want to be confident, not afraid of making mistakes and not afraid to stand up for myself. if i fall, i just pick myself up and continue walking.. i want to take control of my life and not to let other opinions or comments sway me easily.. for some, this may be easily achieved by them.. but for me, i am glad that i finally find some answers.. the answers are just within me, when i persist long enough..
like what pp had wished me, to be contented.. i am learning to appreciate things that happened to me, for better or for worse.. to treasure and care for the people around me... this is a life learning journey and i want to sit back to enjoy it.. there are so much to explore and experience in life.. i am proud to say that i have found the happiness within myself and i hope to spread the same joy to the people around me..
look forward to a great year ahead at the age of 26...
p/s: many thanks to these people who have wished me throughout the day.. dl, wensheng, huifen, babe, ms universe (aka ah chua), wendy, ah kan, ms ee, mrs wong, xiao mei nu (for your wonderful present as well), april, yufen, xueying, peiying, lilin, scallop, philip, tim and bryan... = )
both of us were pathetically working in the office on sunday (5 November 2006) until we went for dinner around 7pm. while we were walking back from china square after our dinner, she suddenly had the craving for haagen dazs's cookies and cream ice-cream. so we went to the nearest 7-11 to buy her ice-cream and she also bought a sara-lee cake as well. she suggested that we stayed back in office untill 12am so that she could be the first one to celebrate my 26th birthday with me. haha.. how nice of her..
yes, it was an unique way to start off my birthday celebration this year, having a close colleague/friend/sister to be the first one to wish me.. i had a bite on the cake before we packed up to go home. i didn't think much about it then until i reached home. this year's birthday was a strong contrast from my birthday last year.. for some reason, i had a sad birthday last year and i was determined enjoy my birthday this year. emotions overwhelmed me and i was really grateful that pp was there to celebrate my birthday. tears came flowing when i sent her an sms to thank her for being there.. she had been a great listener and advisor over the past year, in work or life.. she is more than just a colleague to me.. thanks pp.. = )
i am 26 years old today, or you could say slightly more than half a century old.. haha.. personally, it had been a tough year as i thought i was undergoing my quarter-life crisis (or mid 20s crisis). i have no study loans to pay off, i have a good job, i have my friends and family with me, but.. i am not happy.. i don't know what i want in my life.. i have been searching for answers over the past few years and i thought the answers would come as i grow older.. but it didn't really come or maybe i hadn't seen them.. it got me frustrated and no one could really give me a satisfactory answer.. well, everyone has their own lives and probably i should be the one answerable for my own life, to know what i want in my life.. it was after the tahan climbing trip and reading some books, that i thought i had found my answers.
believe in yourself.. if i don't even believe in myself, nobody will.. this is what i have learnt from my climbing trip at tahan... it was this strong belief in myself that i made it through the tough climb. i couldn't believe it, but i did it.. there were some great lessons which i had learnt from the trip and kept them at the back of my mind as a constant reminder.. life couldn't be more tough than what i had gone through over that 7 days at tahan! haha..
learn to choose, learn to let go.. this is what i have learnt from a chinese book that i had bought in shenzhen during my last business trip. it teaches me that in life, we cannot have the best of both worlds and there is always a time where we need to make a choice. we can only choose one and let go of the other, no matter how difficult a decision may be.. just like that are 2 sides of the coin, you can only choose one.. in life, you can choose to see things in a negative way or a positive way.. and sometimes, success is dependent whether you have made a right choice at the right time..
suddenly, everything falls into place.. maybe, i haven't been confident about myself in the past, fear of making mistakes, fear of opinions and comments of others.. i let the fears consumed and controlled me until i wasn't making any good decisions.. it was a terrible period and i was at a loss.. probably it was a stage that i needed to go through to regain my confidence and overcome my fears..
now i want to live my life one more time.. and this time, i want to be confident, not afraid of making mistakes and not afraid to stand up for myself. if i fall, i just pick myself up and continue walking.. i want to take control of my life and not to let other opinions or comments sway me easily.. for some, this may be easily achieved by them.. but for me, i am glad that i finally find some answers.. the answers are just within me, when i persist long enough..
like what pp had wished me, to be contented.. i am learning to appreciate things that happened to me, for better or for worse.. to treasure and care for the people around me... this is a life learning journey and i want to sit back to enjoy it.. there are so much to explore and experience in life.. i am proud to say that i have found the happiness within myself and i hope to spread the same joy to the people around me..
look forward to a great year ahead at the age of 26...
p/s: many thanks to these people who have wished me throughout the day.. dl, wensheng, huifen, babe, ms universe (aka ah chua), wendy, ah kan, ms ee, mrs wong, xiao mei nu (for your wonderful present as well), april, yufen, xueying, peiying, lilin, scallop, philip, tim and bryan... = )
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