Answer from a greenhorn and dragonboating

Answers from a Green-horn

I interviewed an Intern today. Yes, a young boy 4yrs my junior.

His application flowed thru to Marketing dept via HR & my boss forwarded his CV to me, asking if i'd wanna consider another pair of hands in the dept (since we are only on half strength in Dec). I called our dear boy in for an interview. Oh well, since the young lad had no practical/ applicable work experience & is merely in his 2nd yr in varsity, i thought maybe i should just have a very simple chat & allow him & myself to get to know one another better.

I asked several questions, including his interests, what are the goals he'd wanna achieve outta this practical work experience & what he understands abt "marketing". I don't know if he's nervous or simply too green with interviews! It was so tough to get a response from him. He's stumpped most of the time! I started the interview with "So share with us what do u know about Stanchart." & guess the response! "It's a bank!"

Look, i am not expecting a seasoned lad hardselling himself to a potential employer but hey, one can easily check out a brief background abt the organization on the Internet! This guy is 23 yrs old!!!

Dragon-boating

I went for my last marathon update meeting today & spent an entire hr debating with Sports Council on the recent dragon-boat accident in Cambodia. Seems that 3 outta of the 5 deceased dragon-boaters were due to participate in the 10KM marathon. The dragon boat team wanted to commemerate their comrades by running with special bibs featuring the date of the tragedy. It's hard for a layman to understand why the Bank took a negative stand against the request. Despite that I admire the dragon-boaters for wanting to run on behalf of their unfortunate friends who had passed on, we gotta manage commercial vs empathy. Afterall, we really don't want publicity about the dragon-boating incident to overshadow the event. If that happens, so what if we make it to the front page of the papers?? Yes, the marathon is all about the spirit of running for a cause - either yourself or for someone. The determination, courage and partnership builds the backgrd for the event. But in this situation, can't afford to take the chance. & this conversation went on for an hour!

What a day!

2 days to the birth of my baby!!!

Yes finally! I am 2 days away from the Stanchart Marathon! Finally, the event is going to happen. After mths of hard work & planning with the team, the event is finally gonna happen! & i gotta catch the flu bug this week!!! Urgh!

I must get well by Sunday. I gotta run the quarter marathon - 10km! Yes, been a while since i ran but well, let's hope the training at the gym will give me some stamina. I aim to run to the U-turn mark (5km) & well, maybe walk the rest! Haha!!!

I picked up an interesting quote today:

When you are someone to everyone

You are no one to yourself

I got philosophical again... Well, i suppose in Life, we can't live to please everyone. We should learn to please ourselves - in work, outlook in life, & in every other thing we do. It's good to set self-expectations. Only when u conquer yourself, then u can conquer it all!

It's confirmed, Hong Kong here I come!

It's fixed. He sent in the offer letter today. I'll be relocating to HK in Aug08.

Honestly, rather mixed feelings. There's this innate fear of starting anew in a foreign land. Will his company help me obtain a work permit so that i can look for a job there too? Where & how are we gonna look for an apartment? The rentals are rising at this moment & i doubt the market will be lukewarm come Aug. Yes, there's housing allowance but well, in HK, cost of living isn't that cheap either so i wonder what kinda housing we can afford with his allowance. As for my job in StanChart, i suppose i'll have to bid it goodbye. I have no qualms about leaving this job. Afterall, i do have plans to seek new heights when i complete my Masters. I wonder what new opportunities will HK bring. I suppose we gotta bite the bullet & take some risks when one is still young. I'd like to continue doing Communications or even Product/ Brand Mgt but not too sure if that can happen in HK. Afterall, u do need local knowledge when u work in a foreign land. Ah yes, i gotta battle T-Chinese too.

I suppose i'll take things in my stride and worry about it when it comes. HK isn't too faraway from S'pore & i'd relocate to HK than places like NYC or Boston! It's easier for the parents to come by to visit us too. Better brush up on Cantonese! It's been a while since i used it at work!

Conjunctivitis

My left eye is bloodshot now. Every blink is painful & the inner lids are swollen too. I woke up on Monday morning feeling pain in my inner left lid. The swell started this morning, right before my exam. Well well, apparently, the doc says it's Conjunctivitis & suspects that my right eye is being infected too. Urgh! It has to happen like now!

I am on 2 day MC. The back of my mind, i am thinking of the loads of work in the office. Yes, i know, the world doesn't stop when 1 is not around. But that's the world of advertising & marketing. U miss the deadline, u miss the boat. I think if my lids stop swelling on Thurs, i'll probably head back to work. If i don't, Friday will be torturous.

I can't wait for exams to be over. Just sat for 1 paper today. The next will be on 30th then yay!!! Time to play! :)

1 paper next week

Haven't updated my blog in a week. Been really tied up at work & the late nights are tiring me. The entire department went for the D&D last night but Ms Low was simply too drained from work to head out for fun & booze. Afterall, it's the company that matters alot in such activities & well, I don't really fancy the company.

I got an exam next week & i haven't really gotten down to studying for it. Thank god for it being open book. Just need to read thru & flag the contents. Afterall, open book exams are all about applications or rather, SMOKING... But well, even if we need to create logical bullshit, there needs to be some basic understanding of the topic else how to start the smoke!? It'll be another "smoky" atmosphere in the exam hall once again. Let's just aim for a B then!

Who says help is easy to get

I am beginning to love blogging. This place allows me to share my inner most thoughts that sometimes, i find it hard to express verbally.

I was watching "Shall we dance" on cable last evening. For those who didn't manage to catch the show while it was screening in theatres, it speaks of a lonely office worker, jaded with his mundane lifestyle & turned to ballroom dancing to seek solace. Strangely, the character has a close knitted family, 2 lovely grown-up kids & a not-too-bad career. Why was he "lonely"? I suppose this's the irony in life that i am beginning to face lately.

A close classmate (whom i constantly partner to do projects with) popped me this question a couple of days ago "Ask some of your friends to help you. I am sure there are folks around you that knows your likes/ dislikes." Actually, i don't find it easy to get help at all. With Kanglin far far away, I often feel that there's no one for me to turn to for some advice, opinions & sometimes, even basic decision-making is difficult. I value his opinions & he often view issues from a different perspective than i do. I confide alot in him & well, as the saying goes "your lover is your best friend".

I also can't expect friends to source for wedding vendors for u, run errands with you, check out wedding vendors (review profiles, check rates & availabilities, shortlist, price compare etc). Afterall, everyone has their own lives to lead. I also don't believe it's fair to impose such troubles on them. Those that are already married would have gone thru these hassles too & those who aren't bounded by holy matrimony will probably find it hard to understand the nitty gritties involved.

Maybe it's easy to be mistaken as a "perfectionist" but i am just trying to struggle thru the nitty gritties. The next semester will be my last in NTU. I have 3 modules to battle (that's translated to 6 term projects). Honestly, i am so fearful that i won't be able to manage. I push myself very hard & often dream of reaping sweet success at the finishing line. I don't forsee i'd have time for wedding preps next semester hence, trying to firm up everything as early as i can. I don't wanna end up stressful, tired & burnt out. Some might say "focus on the marriage & not the event" but well, i am not! I am just trying to push thru the necessary to get the event going.

Fabric shopping at Arab Street

Met Dang this morning at Arab Street to do fabric shopping for my evening gown. I have never been to this part of the island & honestly, it's quite an eye opener for me. There are rolls of fabric stores (mainly opened by the Malays) along this street & well, i had to hunt for a suitable chiffon material for the gown i had in mind. Considering that my 1st gown is already made of red duchess satin, i thought i should just settle for my favourite colour - GREEN!

The fabric here is really of "industrial standard". Each roll is about 6m in length & my, i never knew that chiffon is available in so many different hues - 2 tone, different coloured threads... *faint*

Eventually, decided that i can't be looking like a green goblin so decided to just mix colours for the evening dress - green & light turquoise blue. Coincidentally, the colours look a little like 1 of the clippings i had.

Now is just to cross my fingers & wait for my 1st fitting in Dec. Hopefully, it'll be close to the dress of my dreams.

Sarcasm, Bitchiness & Job Security

This place brings out the best in me.

I went thru another day battling my best friend from the land of the Santa Claus. Nope, we aren't referring to our rolly polly old man with a white beard, climbing into chimmines and spreading the festive joy. This one is much thinner & with golden stubs. Often, i wonder why people can't take NO for an answer. As i progress in my career, i have learnt to say NO. Though i don't use it all the time & constantly tried to strike a compromise in the situation, my best friend at work can never swallow the "N" and the "O" when pieced together. No amt of compromise is gd enuff for this guy & well, i simply had stomach enough of his unreasonable timelines and the indecisiveness. I know i am a total bitch when i battle him. Colleagues sitting around me must have enjoyed their audio treat today, listening to the underlying sarcasm & bitchiness in my tone of voice during the verbal engagement. Oh my, sometimes i contemplate recording the interesting conversation & listening to it again "from the other side".

I am brimming with job security lately too. Yr-end periods are the most challenging time of the yr for those slogging in the financial sector. Awful timelines, tight turnarounds & heaps of work keep my job secure for me. Just a day out of the office is sufficient to drive everyone mad coz there's 1 man less in the team to rush out the huge amt of materials needed for the festive season. Haha, who says the world doesn't stop turning when one is away from office?!

With overflowing job security, a great sense of sarcasm & chunk-loads of bitchiness, i am just doing so well in this place. Let me know if anyone wants a share of such values. Just stick your hand/ head/ toe into what i am doing & there're just umpteen learning opportunities for u!

*** Written with tender loving care & zero-levels of resentment.

Finally, a 40-hour work week!

The news spread like wildfire today. The Bank is finally implementing a 40-hour work week, a bid to have their employees practise work-life balance. Working hours will be trimmed 1 hr/day - 830pm - 530pm! Phew, when the competitor banks (Citi, HSBC) have already trimmed their hrs ages ago, finally we are catching up. This certainly spells gd news! Of course, not that i'd ever have the chance to leave at 530pm daily but well, at least that marks the official time-off. I no longer have to creep away for classes... Just walk out of that door at 530pm!!! I'll have more time to see the sun everyday (at least i'd have a chance to!). Yippee!!!!

The pursuit of education

I just attended my last class this semester. In a couple of weeks, i'll be sitting for the exams & then i can declare that i am onto my last semester in NTU.

I was out with dad for dinner last evening & he posed me a question which got me thinking. He asked if i really LEARNT anything from taking up this course. Hmmm........ looking back, i suppose i'll have to agree that my pursuit of education started out as an innate urge to complete a Masters Program to achieve a personal goal/ milestone that i had when i left the doors of NUS. However, close to 3 semesters in NTU, i have to agree that much of this "pursuit" is spent rushing to class, struggling thru intensive projects, aiming to do whatever it takes to just make a satisfactory grade & juggling a hectic worklife. Did i really immerse myself in the scholarly environment & actually engaged in "learning"?

I am ashamed to admit that very often, i could have done much more for my projects -analysising the task from various angles, engaged in more intensive research, speak to more scholars & professionals to obtain more detailed industry feedback etc. Instead, i adopted a "just get it over & done with" attitude (like many of other part-time students). I truly believe that at the masters' level, education is not only abt the pursuit of knowledge but also the interaction and the dedication to the subject matter. Alas, everyone only has 24-hours a day & so do i. Well, i can only be proud to declare that i really did put in my best effort for every task, despite the limited time and energy.

I kinda concluded that to really concentrate on the "learning process", one has to dedicate the time & energy to it. This CANNOT be achieve as a part-timer. If anyone were to ask me if they should commence on a part-time education, i'd ask what's their objective. If it's for intellectual pursuit and to "learn", my suggestion will be to put aside one's career & dedicate the energy and time to the education. I really believe so, without a doubt.

My 2 grueling projects for the semester is finally submitted!

YES! I am finally done with my 2 very grueling projects for the Media Mgt module. Looking back, the module is rather practical but damn shiong. I really had sleepless nights rushing thru the 2 projects. We had to develop a print magazine as well as a broadcast media. Grrrr, the project took up hella load of time coz u had to think thru every single detail of its establishment. Haha, i actually gave names to my work & doodled with some design work!!!

CityJazz is a jazz radio station while EXCEL is a personal financial magazine. Oh well, though these 2 are "fictional" publication/ radio station, it really felt good to receive comments that the biz plan is a feasible one. Haha, maybe MediaCorp should start a free-to-air jazz radio station, i'd be a fan!!! :) Buy my biz proposal someone? :) Honestly, looking back, there were so many things that could have been done better esp for CityJazz. Grrr, this's group work & Pauline & i simply got burnt out from the hectic work hrs + intensive project.

Anyway now that it's over, i am kinda looking forward to exams (sadistic uh?) becoz that's meant that i am again a step closer to my final semester!!! Yippeeee!!!