It’s already the 5th day of the New Year and I should feel excited, fresh, all ready to strive for 2009. But I am feeling all but that. I seriously need to clear my mind, and should think what I want to achieve for 2009, and not feel useless and complain about my current situation.
First, I need to have better communication with my colleagues. One reason why I enjoyed working at the previous company is because I can relate very well with the people whom I worked with, even though the work can be really monotonous. We can joke, laugh, feel pissed, and gossip among ourselves. That spiced up the boring working environment quite a bit. However, at my current company, I feel cold and lonely. Gone were the days where I was able to laugh, joke and tease like no one’s business. Maybe the current working environment is more appropriate as it is after all, a place of serious business. Anyway, I feel that I just don’t ‘click’ with the people around.
I am feeling all these probably because I have nothing much to do these few days. The projects I have done are finished, halted or handed to another colleague. To some, it’s a good thing after all to be able to take a break and not do anything. It may be good if this lasts for a couple of days, but it can get on your nerves when this carries on for a few weeks. The work I have been doing are all ad hoc and not related to my area of expertise.
Regarding the issue of being able to ‘click’ with my colleagues, I think I just have to step out of my comfort zone and start to communicate, be it work on non-work related stuff, more often. I really need to pick up a skill or two from Merv. He always seems to be able to click with his colleagues and the people around him.
Well, stepping out of the comfort zone and being pro-active will be one of my resolutions for 2009. But, how am I going to carry that out more specifically? I guess I just have to smile more, greet more and be more of myself.
Moody issues aside, it was quite a filled weekend for me. Last Friday, I met up with Derek to celebrate his birthday, together with Oops. Too bad Charmy couldn’t make it, but we indeed had a great time with the Mac’s Mega Challenge and the desserts at the Japanese restaurant at PS (can’t remember exactly the name). As usual, funny poses were struck, photos were taken and posted on facebook.
Saturday was really a busy day for me as I had to attend 2 weddings, one of which was my cousin’s and the other was Jason’s, my ex-colleague from ERM. Since I need to ‘open wedding car door’ for cousin, I need to reach his house at 6am. That is absolutely early, but I did get an angbow for good luck. Haha! Then by noon, I had to rush to Jason’s wedding lunch at Marina Mandarin. It was also a pleasant meet up with some of the ex colleagues from ERM. After lunch which ended at around 3.15pm. I went home to wash up and freshen up for the evening dinner banquet. I was supposed to help out as the reception for my cousin’s wedding banquet, thus I was there early. The whole dinner ended rather late, and by the time I reached home, I was totally bushed.
The two weddings I have attended on Saturday were quite different. The one at marina mandarin was grand and more western oriented, English love songs played over the sound system throughout the lunch. Whereas for my cousin’s wedding, it was Chinese oriented, where Chinese pop ballads were broadcasted, and there was even a mini karaoke session. The latter was something I haven’t seen at a wedding before.
Sunday was less busy, as I went for dinner with my friend at Tampines Sakae Teppanyaki. It was not bad, but not fantastic. Then we went to catch Ponyo at the Cliff by the Sea. It was actually quite good. It’s directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who also directed Japanese anime like My Neighbour Tontoro, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. I enjoyed the magical, child-like and innocent feeling created in the movie. The drawings were much simpler and ‘cleaner’ as compared to Spirited Away, more similar to Totoro. It was also different from recent cartoons, and the pace was slower and yet the message was portrayed loud and clear. And the music is composed by Joe Hisaishi, who also writes the music for Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Tae Wang Sa Shin Gi (The Story of the First King's Four Gods, the drama series acted by Bae Yong Joon). I really recommend this if you haven’t had the chance to catch it.
This seems to be a really long blog, because I wrote this over a few hours, while doing other things as well. Anyway, my other resolution is whenever I want to sigh or say ‘haiz’, I will replace it with ‘haha’. So the next time if you catch me on MSN sighing on ‘haiz-ing’ away, remind me to change it to ‘haha’. This is one way to make me a more positive person!
It's been a long long time since I blogged about my everyday life. All I do is write and complain about the things that happen or my feelings.
Anyway, since I have got back from Europe, it's more or less clearing my stuff from Europe (though the pack of souvenirs still lie on my desk), catching up with youtube (its the Taiwanese Talent show I have been watching), movies watching (I have watched Kungfu Panda, The Incredible Hulk, and The Happening), giving tuition, attending interview, meeting up with friends, and most importantly, attending Reso practices.
Reso pracs are going ok for me, or at least I think it's ok, just that my voice would temporarily disappear for a moment. Everyone has been working hard for this concert, and I have great faith it would be a successful one. The singers are really good and some of the songs are really nice and catchy. Although we are not professional groups performing, but we ensure we will perform to the best we can.
I had an job interview with SRC yesterday. It was quite rush because they inform me of the interview only on Tuesday evening and I have to prepare in school before reso prac on Tuesday. Anyway, I did not think the interview went as well as I wanted it to be. Because based on the questions they have asked me, I think I could have given much better and more detailed answers. Blamed it on my poor on the spot reactions. But I really wanted the job, because I am jobless, because it pays well, because it has good prospects. REALLY. But now, I really feel that it has gone with the wind.
What to do? But I am fine. I take it as a bonus if I get it to the second round and really have to perform IF i get it to the second round. Anyway, I really did not think they would call me for interview because it is a really well known Chem Eng company in Singapore and they look mostly for 1st class or 2nd upper. At the time when I sent my resume, I only had a 2nd lower. In addition, it was Mr Aspi who asked me to send in the resume, and if he did not, I would really consider because I thought that I would be rejected anyway. So it would really be a bonus if I get it. Wish me lots of luck man!
After the interview yesterday, I walked to Chinatown Mrt (yes, I walked from Havelock road which is near Tiong Bahru, walked past SGH at Outrum MRT and then to Chinatown) to meet with Sok Gek, Mingli, Weian and Kok Lian for lunch and KTV. We went to the Ten Dollars KTV which includes free flow of drinks, a bowl of 'sharks' fin' each and 5 hours of singing. Really worth it ya? So we sang to our hearts' content from 2pm to 7pm. After which, Mingli has to go. So the four of us continued with dinner at my favourite Lan Zhou La Mian, in which we each order a bowl of la mian and shared one 'long' of 8 xiao long bao. Really loved it. After that we went to eat desserts at Yuan Xiang Wei. The Black Sesame Paste and Peanut Paste are really good. We then decided to watch movie at The Cathay Picturehouse. Watched The Happening. Very disappointed, especially with the ending because the whole show ended just like that, as in a gust of wind solves all problems. We were like what had just happened and before we know it, everything became fine.
Anyway, that is what is happening to me these few days since I was back. Hope to catch up with more people soon. Meanwhile wish me luck with my job seeking.
Just came back from meeting Siandy and the goat. Maybe I should stop calling them by their nicks just in case I forgot their real names. Anyway, Siandy wanted to meet up, so we just met. After lunch at Mos Burger and meeting up with the goat, who went for a haircut, and walking aimlessly around, we decided to watch Le Grand Chef, a Korean movie on food. Overall I would say it's actually quite good. Click on the link to get the brief story.
I think the message or theme of this movie is how delicious food are linked with the stories. Sometimes how good the food taste is not all just because the ingredients that are used to prepare them, but its the story behind the different food that make them extraordinary. I know this is just a movie and the stories are somehow slightly exaggerated, but it did touch on human issues, like greed, family relations and stuff like that. I wish there aren't so many stories linked because for a while, I was a bit lost here and there though I got everything in the end. There probably can be one lesser story and more development to the existing ones.
The movie was actually from a comic, and I loved how there are certain scenes in the movie that involved comic-effects.
PS: The Sakae Sushi outside Plaza Singapura is actually quite good.
I just watched a French Comedy, Le Diner de Cons (The Dinner Game). The movie talks about how Pierre and his apparently 'smart' friends have a dinner every week, where they must invite someone whom they think is an idiot. The guest whom they deemed is the craziest will win this game. However, something cropped up and Pierre is stuck at home with his guest. The tables are then turned against him and his life becomes a real mess.
I think this comedy is really different from the typical comedy where you laugh off your chair. The humor is subtle such that you don't even realise you are actually laughing away. The setting is really simple, no great visual effects, no exaggerated acting. Just the simple conversation make you realize the stupidity of human beings and how even yourself might get into such situation, that is making real stupid mistakes.
The moral I got from the story is that no matter who you are or no matter how intelligent you are, never try to act that you are smart or smarter than anyone else. If you are really smart and trying to act smarter, the consequences will somehow hit back to yourself. And if you are already not so intelligent and try to act smart, you will just be a joke yourself.
I really think it's a nice and simple movie which tells a lot. Just be yourself, and I remember one line from the movie when the supposed idiot trying to help Pierre, 'It's tiring to be intelligent'.
