NTU Commencement (21 - 25 Jul 2008)

Just received a note from NTU that the commencement ceremonies are scheduled from 21 - 25 Jul. I wasn't really hot about attending the ceremony when i first started the postgrad degree. That 5 seconds of "fame" up on the stage was not really an exhilarating experience. But now that i truly understand the pains of being a part-time student, i think the ceremony celebrates the sweat & toil one contributes to earn the degree. & since I was told that i can't have a honeymoon, (much to my dismay), i'll just look forward to commencement. A pity, coz sometimes u never know what life brings. So well, no honeymoon (to Greece or wherever!) but there's always the Commencement ceremony to look forward to!

48hrs in the house

It's been 48hrs that i am at home. The furthest i've gone is to dump the rubbish at the trash area. Much of the wkend was spent researching on the Strategic PR paper that's due tmr (Mon). This paper is damn tough & well, one can never imagine how challenging it can be to write a scholarly paper on public relations. Always thought it was just fluff uh? Well, i am saying that it's not!

I am beginning to feel the strain on every aspect of my life, even my relationship. Yes, i had a nasty conversation with KL. Honestly, since his return to Philly in Jan, we hadn't had much opportunities to chat over Skype. In fact, it's much less than last semester. Maybe it's the silly World of Warcraft LAN game that he's indulging in that's robbing time from the both of us. Or maybe that it's also me, getting fustrated at the umpteen tasks & neverending projects that i seem to have nothing to chat with him about. Actually i could have taken it easy and not load myself with the max. no. of modules this semester. But well, for HK & for him, i knew i had to complete this course by May08. Work's intensifying as well. A pity that i am relocating this summer else, i'd have another shot at a big project. Hush now, everything's P&C.

Sometimes for KL, i just wish that he can lend a comforting ear, to help soothe my fustration and see matters from my point of view. I am envious that he had the opportunity to study full time & probably that's why he can't understand that it's very tiring juggling everything at one go. While i push on, i hope he backs me up.

Whatever it's gonna be, i still have projects lined up to complete. Back to work again.

Children... Shudder...

I just finished a series of focus groups for a new child pdt we are developing. The respondents were generally parents with 2-3 kids or expecting their twos & threes.

Listening to these respondents make me shudder abt parenthood. When asked what they do during their free time, many exclaimed that they had no free time to themselves & it's always time with their kids. They lament abt the rising cost of medical, education & childcare as well as the fact that they no longer have holidays! No more dreaming of zipping off to holidays coz the furthest these folks go are SEA!

Now with marriage on the cards & family-planning matters isn't no longer remote, i begin to have 2nd thoughts. As much as i feel that i'd want to have my own child 1 day, i wonder if i'd be ready to make sacrifices for the child & take him/her as a lifelong responsibility. Some might say that "well, when u have your own kid, it'll be different" but hey, i am not confident that it'll be! I guess it lies in the hands of FATE then. I had a respondent who commented that the reason why she's having a child is becoz it's all part of the cycle of procreation - that her mum gave birth to her & now she's giving birth to another!

Phew! Parenthood! I suddenly have immense appreciation to my parents for the sacrifices they took to bring me up. I wonder if i am ever ready to undertake this heavy responsiblity too. Theyd be so sad to hear this from me!

Uncertainty and discouraging work teams

Rumours have been flying around the office about the bonus payout this yr. Stanchart isn't affected by the US subprime crisis an had achieved record profit figures for 2007. But the ground's sentiments are that bonuses are lean & that the figures has been revised downwards. Disgrunted colleagues of mine, overworked & supposedly, underpaid in comparison to those of the local banks. Wonder how true are these...

While no one will claim that they are ever remunerated adequately for their input, i suppose the fact that people leaving the banks after receiving their bonuses are a common trend. I already have few folks telling me that they have gotten their letters ready. Ironically, my boss asked abt my intention for an international trsf 2 weeks back. Wonder if its becoz he knows that i'll be unhappy with my bonus payout or just an attempt to keep me in the team. I am not hopeful that an international trsf to HK will happen. Maybe it's just lip service? I don't know.

Well, the white envelopes that everyone's looking forward to will be distributed soon. Wonder what's my reaction when i see the stated figure. Maybe it'll trigger my enzema to flare up, which i have a tendency to strike when my tensions are high.

I am so looking forward to 2 May 2008

The NTU exam timetable was released on Friday. All thru-out my undergrad yrs, i never look forward to exams but since taking up postgrad course, exams prove to be something to look forward to & this time, 2nd May is the date that i am counting down to becoz that's the day of my last exam in NTU and marks the end of my 2-year struggle. It's my graduation day! Though i have no clue when commencement will be (& if i'd be in S'pore to attend it) but heck, we shall take 2 May THE date to work towards to!

The road to 2nd May is tough. Heaps of proposals and papers due within the next 1.5 months. Work in the office is heating up once again, giving me the lack of time to rest, sleep & much less complete the neverending papers. I am gonna burn midnight oil tonight trying to complete an initial paper before embarking on another module's assignment tmr. Weekends are so precious now.

While siffing thru some documents in the hard disk today, i stumbled upon a video that i saved sometime back - MTV of 心動. This movie is almost a decade old (think it was released when i was in JC) but it still remains my favourite movie to date. Maybe it's the fact that i like its underlying philosophy and that movies that tussle your heartstrings are a rare find. Anyway, here's the MTV to share, with its beautifully-written lyrics.

Happy Valentine's with Laneige

Lunch time was spent at Laneige Private Sales @ Raffles City. Thebuys were much better than expected. I am not a huge fan of this Korean skincare brand but bought a couple of their stuff when i visited Korea.

The tiny room was packed and the crowd was in a frenzy. Understandly, coz the skincare was going at $10/bottle while makeup items are priced at 2 for $10. Yours truly is a fan of whitening & premature aging pdts now so bought essences, eye creams all at $10 each! My bottle of liquid foundation only cost $5 (UP $45!). Imagine the amt of profit FMCG companies make... Prices are rock bottom & they still accept payment by VISA (which they have to pay 2% transfer fee for every transaction!) Woohoo!!! Good buys galore!

Speaking of V-day, i was reading an article in "My Paper" this morning praising Singaporean men for being generous on such commercial occasions. They are willing to spend $500 - $1000 to pamper their loved ones with pricy candlelight dinners or gifts of love. Hmm, this brings me back to my 1st & most memorable V-day with KL. That fella brought me to Equinox many yrs back when we were still studying. Haha, i didn't know where he got the funds from but though the food sucked & the experience just affirmed that we aren't cut out for fine dining, i still look back at the experience with a smirk on my face. Well, needless to say, V-days after that just went downhill & guess what, our friend totally forgot abt it & after some prompting, finally dropped a quick greeting of V-day. Men... they are like the hairs on their head - quality goes DOWNHILL as the yrs go by.

More wedding photos

Finally reviewed thru ALL the photos & shortlisted the ones worth considering for the album. Here are some compressed ones. More can be found on the wedding webby - http://kanglinelena.weddingannouncer.com/

Welcome the Year of the Rat!!

I exceptionally treasure the ang pow collection this year. While relatives constantly remind me that it's my last yr to collect ang pows from them, my younger cousins are looking forward to receiving an ang pow from me next yr! Amidst the festive cheer & get-togethers with those "once-in-a-year-we-see-one-another" relatives, I generally do like the CNY get-togethers especially when our elders are still "around". Here's a treasured pix of me & grandma.

Of course, it's also time to meetup with cute nieces. Here's a photo of them - Debbie & Kelly, daughters of my eldest cousin (from mum's side). These little cuties have a mind of their own & talking to them are such a joy! The little boy here is THEIR cousin.

Honestly, i didn't have a good start to CNY. Well, i spent the entire CNY Eve "sparring" with a double-headed snake in the office & while i was feeling so upset and fustrated at the morales of this folk, a colleague came by to offer her golden word of advice - 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. I have heard of this 90-10 principle many times but never thought it was so applicable till CNY Eve. I'll make this a constant reminder and vow to practise more of it in the new year. No point feeling upset over folks without morales!

This video also cracked me up alot when i received it. Happy CNY! :)

The BANKER!!!

Ok, I know i'll get "wringled" when i publish these photos. I just realised that Mr Ong Kang Lin has such a "BANKER" look. Gosh, look at him in these photos, i can't help but feel that he's oozing of "banker-ism". Wonder if that's good or bad. Everyone of his solo pics has the same look! No wonder our dear photographer made that comment after he snapped these photos! Now that i see them for myself, I can't help but agree!

I am nervous

The wedding photos are ready before CNY, as promised. As i looked at the CD containing over 600 photos, i can't help but feel nervous. Wonder how they turned out. I should be very excited to view them (since i paid good money for it & was so excited abt the shoot) but strangely, i am so nervous. I am a little apprehensive abt viewing them. Is it becoz i am worried abt the quality & that how KL & i appear to be in the photos or simply, i am not used to seeing myself like that? Or subtlely, is it becoz i dun really like my wedding gown hence, lost the fizzle & excitement? Or is it that i am worried abt the fuss that mum will kick up, when she sees the photos?

*SIGN* i suppose i'll have to muster the courage to view them. Regardless of the turnout... Ok, here goes, after this posting.

Clean clean clean your way to Spring!

I spent a huge chunk of Saturday clearing and packing my stuff plus help with the cleaning of the house. This annual affair is damn tiring. All the cupboards have to be cleaned, drawers have to be wiped, even the paraquet skirtings have to be cleaned!!!

Anywayz, i am glad to have reviewed my makeup, skincare and jewellery items & now, they are all neat & tidy!

Jewellery, earrings and costume jewellery all placed in niffy boxes. Skincare items categorized and "sectioned" into holders, converted frm paperbags or boxes. Even makeup as been categorized with brushes, liners, eyeshadows and foundation all placed into stands and pouches! Wonder how long this "organized" look will last but there's always next yr to do the spring clean!

Suddenly i miss him so...

Don't know why but i suddenly miss KL loads. I miss his laughter, his silly jokes and that they never fail to make me laugh. We had a short chat over Skype before he headed off to school & seeing him put on his sweater & winter coat strucked me that he's actually so many miles away and blankly speaking, experiencing a different climate.

Maybe becoz i just caught the 36th episode of "Heart of Greed" and the guy died before he could accomplished what he intended to do - express his feelings and have his ex-girlfriend forgive & accept him again. Yes, i know it's somewhat silly and I am acting like a bimbo again to be feeling this way but i just feel that life's an irony. Sometimes i am glad that KL & i are apart & not seeing one another often coz this really enables us to concentrate on our work/ tasks without distraction but sometimes, i am like a tube of UHU glue, hoping that he'd be by my side all day, even if it means just sitting around having a tub of ice-cream, getting fat together. But when he's really with me, he does get quite irritating at times... Especially when he's so impatient when we are out shopping. But at this moment, how i miss him so... How i wish that i can spend Friday night with him instead of heading off to class. But i know, he's in a different time zone, engaging in classes while i am in bed. I miss him in his fav green polo tee... I just miss his laughter, even though it's sickening at times.