Variety Shows
Of late, when I watched the Taiwanese variety shows, I find it disturbing that there are an increasing use of dancing fatties to create laughter and perhaps boost their ratings. I think it is so insulting. Ok, to be honest, I do laugh when I watched them as I find it disgustingly funny, I mean all the massive jiggling and shaking of fats! But isn’t it ridiculous they are on national tv?
I know not all of them are like that and I do find fat people dance very well if they are performing it in a proper manner at a proper setting. I used to be with Leng Kee chinese dance troupe and the best dancer was this biggest-sized girl. And all the rounder girls in my secondary school chinese dance group are all very ’soft’ whereas bony ones like me have a hard time doing all the spilts and flips.
Their variety shows have come to a scary point where any and every trick is exploited. So what’s next?
Is It Me?
Today I was late for work because I missed the one-and-only single service express bus from my place to Shenton Way. Today a last minute meeting was held to be attended by everyone for a major announcement. Today I felt a sense of deja vu when the announcement was being made.
I was balancing the heavy paper bag of documents which I brought home to complete with my handbag standing all the way holding on to the bus’s handrails. It was impossible to check my mobile when it sounded. And when I don’t check it immediately, I usually forgot that it sounded five minutes later. So when I got into office and didn’t see a single soul, I was feeling very puzzled. I walked one end to the other end of office wondering if an alien spaceship abducted them.
Till I suddenly recall hearing my mobile message alert and realised there is a meeting going on. Ran up to the meeting room and entered when the mood was all sombre.
My MD had tendered. He was sharing about how it had been for him in the last 3.5 years at the helm, how he came to the decision to go, how he felt about leaving the team. He went on and on and on till I started tearing. I mean I cry really easy. Watching a tortoise die on a drama serial causes tears to well up in my eyes. And so hearing and watching him giving his sort-of farewell speech was extremely emotional. But the main reason why I felt so depressed was it reminded me of Abecha’s acquisition by Sesami couple of years back.
I had joined Abecha like less than 2 months and enjoying the happy family work environment when it happened. Just like now. Yee Ean was the CEO and best best boss I ever had. I mean who will write on your appointment letter ‘Welcome to the family’? He cares for all of us in every little way though he was so occupied with the big picture.
JTC had to divest non-core business and sold the company to Sesami. He made a choice to move on. Even though I was under him for such a short period of time, it was traumatising.
I was still excited being in the online business, it was all so dynamic – doing vendor trainings, prospecting for new business, conducting the auction. I was still basking in the politics-free environment where everyone are really friends. I was still adjusting going for exhibitions, having departmental meetings during office hours, effectively shutting down the whole office but because its not a bank, so need not have someone standby in case a customer walks-in.
I remember the meeting we had when Yee Ean was sitting in front, management by the side, everyone else forming a sorta circle-oblong-rectangle seated. And Yee Ean starting off by sharing about how it had been for him in the few years at the helm, how he came to the decision to go, how he felt about leaving the team. It was exactly exactly the same. Soon, things changed as we had to move to Sesami’s office - new boss, new colleagues, new business. The company went into procurement which was totally not what I want to do. I had to pinch my thighs to keep myself awake during those draggy meetings with Singtel’s procurement team. Though I know perhaps Teck Soon wanted to guide me the ropes by bringing me to his meetings so I can learn but procurement sucks.
I left and was aimless for a while till I went back to banking.
I’m worried. Will things changed?
Though the MD just sits tables away and our office is so open concept that he doesn’t even have a room, I’ve never talked to him. I do enjoy reading the funky emails he sent but I’ve never replied to say so. Maybe I should soon. I know he is always quietly there for us and strongly behind us by speaking for our rights during his management meetings. That’s enough. I don’t need a pot-stirring head that likes to build relationships that the head thinks is there. I hate a head that tries to be so likeable in front of everybody but stabs everyone to death (maybe except the pets) behind their back. I loathe heads that sees the teeny picture with their teeny brains.
I’m here for only four months but plenty of changes are taking place. Though I know I never have such mystic dark powers but I can’t help but wonder somehow if its me bringing some sort of bad luck. 
Environment Conservation
Life is always so contradicting. Another everyday thing I found to be so.
This recently pasted note next to the common rubbish chute just irks me. Tons of messages are being scattered through all modes of media to use less plastic bags, bring reusable shopping bags. But there you go, a note to bag our rubbish. I assume the bag they are referring to is made of plastic coz I don’t think paper bags serves the purpose.
I’m all for bagging rubbish and I do bag my rubbish for obvious reasons. But if we are already using reusable shopping bags, where do we get our plastic bags? We will have to buy them and profit plastic bags makers when they are supposed to be out of business from the save the earth efforts.
That’s why I’m still using plastic bags at NTUC, at IKEA instead of bringing my own. To think some other fellow shoppers eyeing me with irritation for not helping the environment when I use plastic bags. Or these big companies penalising shoppers when we do not bring our own bag. I need these plastic bags to bag my rubbish by order of my town council! So stop wasting efforts to run whatever scam to bring and use your own bag when my town council still needs us to use plastic bags to bag our rubbish ok. I highly suspect the motives for such scams is to increase the companies’ own profits by reducing their major cost - packaging.
I wonder when can we go really eco-friendly. Someone could perhaps invent some rubbish system that doesn’t need bagging of rubbish first.
C C
I have crazy colleagues. And they are so much fun! Our favourite activity currently is to celebrate birthdays. I think we celebrated four so far in the last couple of weeks - Costa sands chalet (Jeffery), Ceinleisure KTV (Valerie and Dawson) and Taipei KTV (me). I’m lucky I found them and they maybe not so lucky found me, ha.. Otherwise, my office life will be very boring. 
Happiness
Happiness is when the whole family spends time together. Happiness is when you sit down, reflect and realized there’s nothing more in life you will like to have than in that moment. Happiness is when you wish that moment will stop for eternity.
I love my life..
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
I complain, I procrastinate, I reject as usual, days before I’m supposed to go for the course. The complains, the procrastinations and the rejections wasn’t as bad given that its from 9am to 5pm on a weekday and free (bank sponsored)! There are such things as free lunches. And this is like a 5-star hotel free buffet lunch. With free gifts somemore, you know I’m a sucker for such things.
Doing some exercises during the course, look at my nice handwriting. Haha.. Its really nice lor, look at it, so neat!
Anyways after all the whining and begging Shirley didn’t work to be excused from going for the course, I cleared my work and went. I did not regret being ‘forced’ to be there. Ha! What’s new? Landmark Forum was another typical example of me being ‘forced’ there and end up rejuvenated.
If Landmark Forum was good, this was best. But I know I will not enjoy it as well if I did not go for Landmark Forum first. Not that this course needs any precedent courses or whatsoever, just that I feel Landmark Forum is like the foundation of everything. Its the mindset to develop and this is the skills. And also, the enemy of the best is always the good. So we just got to keep continuing our quest for growth.
And I also thought that sleep, exercise and watching mindless tv will rejuvenate me, but now I experienced that my rejuvenations come from attending exciting development courses! I feel renewed and bursting with energy, really.
Back to the course, there is a book on this which I find it quite challenging to read, so I never read it. I prefer a romance novel anytime. Come on, I read Today and treat that as the newspaper. I love reading but not engaging materials. I realized I prefer listening and watching (TV, video) for such stuff. So going for the signature program was the best solution. I listen to the facilitator and watch videos of Stephen Covey with humorous clips to reinforce points. It was so fun.
I really must chart my development courses to stay at my optimum levels. Been feeling burned out of late. Then again, the choice was mine to choose work and I feel satisfied and happy my work is done, I feel satisfied and happy I’m appreciated at work, I feel satisfied and happy I meet my numbers.
So next course, here I come..with complains, procrastination and rejection excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm!
Kite Flying
Our whole department went kite flying last Friday evening at East Coast Park before having sumptuous dinner at the newly renovated Seafood International. All of them are our kites, what great fun!
Johari Window
Did this for Daphne and found it interesting. What do I know I don’t know about myself? Do this for me.
Perfect Mobile Phone
If only a perfect mobile phone can be created for me. Requirements ranking in order of importance:
- Dual SIM card
- 3G and Tri-band
- Camera on 2 sides of phone, video recording capability
- Candy bar design
- Supports chinese, MMS, bluetooth
- Slim
- 5.0 megapixels camera with flash
- 1000 contacts memory
- Smart organizer
- SMS is in chat history format
- FM radio, wifi, GPRS, voice recorder
- Fun games, extra battery, below S$500
- Expandable memory slot
Not greedy at all right! My most important function is the dual SIM. I’m so sick of carrying two mobile phones every minute (and juggling three mobile lines currently coz my best friend at work just quit so covering her for the time being).
I was initially thinking of applying 2-in-1 SIM card but realized its only available in 2G. Then as I was surfing for Samsung D880 dual SIM card phone, came across this phone online which is even better as it is dual SIM card 3G phone – Verzio Duplii.
Looks quite nice. Surprisingly, its from a Singapore-based company BUT only available in Philippines currently. Time to pull some contacts – my ex-best friend at work whom just left! She’s now shuttling between Singapore and Philippines bi-weekly to spend time with hubby whom is there and assist his business. Just came back last weekend and gauging from her shopping spree, she seems like she’s 90% play and 10% work can. I got 2 pairs of fresh water pearls earrings from her and she claims the prices are ridiculously cheap. New shopping alternative other than Bangkok! Heard Bandung in Indonesia is super good for shopping too. I love working with an international team.
I so need to work hard work hard work hard for shopping shopping shopping!
