CONSPIRACY THEORY

I just realised that its a pretty darn small world after all. The 2 Singaporean interns at the company whom I'm working with - I actually knew one from way back in BMT, even though we're from different sections. The other, well, he was from TJC and he knew some friends from the same secondary school as I was, so we indirectly knew each other as well.

I would like to think that President Hu has something against me. I dunno why but I can't seem to access my blog address from here in Shanghai! It always redirect me to this website saying they cannot find my address... blah blah blah... and that's it! Its the same whether I try to access it from the office or from home! And the strange thing is I can't access any blogspot addresses too... But lucky though I could still type in my entries.

Came back home from work just now and had an insightful conversation with Uncle Jerry. He shared with me his experience and the success he came to identify himself with. Really thought provocating stuffs there, like for example on how I should really have a CLEAR idea of what I am going to be in 5 to 10 years down the road. Perhaps it is really time for me to wake up from this deep slumber and engage in a mindset shakeup in terms of the laid-back, stuck-in-comfort-zone mentality the modern and successful environment has brought to many in our generation.

In the past, people work because they need to. Now, they work because they wish to. It's not a matter of survival anymore. People simply job hop when they can't take hardship in the lightest form and to what extent does it reveal about their personality and character? My uncle's advice to me is very simple. Do lots of research on the company which hopefully, can grow along with your goals and ambition. Make sure you MUST really do what you enjoy doing without having to wake up every morning dreading to go to work. Lastly, pay is secondary. As he puts it, you are a fresh graduate asking to be taken in to learn the ropes, how in any way does it make any sense for you to demand a specified sum of salary from them when all you got is a piece of paper that says next to nothing about your ability to perform? Sounds logical to many, but people are just too obsessed with money. Not that I'm absolved from it as well, but the thing is, money is not everything... for now. Bottom line? Think long term. Even though you might have to make sacrifices now, it will more than pay back in time to come. And it definitely helps that I have no distractions for now. (read: no girlfriends)

Oh well, its close to 1am. Time to sleep. Still got to go to work tomorrow.

Ooh... I feel like a woman!

Company activity today. Annual visit to this orphanage for kids abandoned by their parents because they were born with physical or intellectual defect. Kinda sad though. Their parents threw them aside just because they were not born normal; it reflects how heartless people can get in today's society. Giving birth is a responsibility and you have to accept how YOUR child turns out, good or bad. Its not like tossing coins to buy toy capsules - if you don't like what you get, you throw it away... just like that. Thats definitely not how things work out.

I just realised today that I have this talent for cradling babies. While my peers are fumbling with theirs, I held mine like a pro. Yes, I mean it. It feels like I've been carrying babies my whole life! hahaha... Take that Doong! I'm MORE FATHERLY than you!!! Hehehe... Anyway, this baby was left behind in the cot while the company staff picked up each of them one by one. She was crying so I went up to her and embrace her in my bosoms *oops* I mean chest. After a while of coochi coochi coo-ing, she stopped crying and soon after, she feel asleep in my arms! *See! I'm good at it!* I tried to put her down after a while but I can't bear to cos' the way she fell asleep snugly in my embrace is just a sight to marvel at. Imagine: the ferocious tackling tough-as-nails no nonsense kiat on the soccer field is a snag and a fatherly figure all rolled into one! Haha! And can you believe it, I held on to her for half an hour before I had to put her down. But the moment her head touched the soft pillow, she awoke to bawl at me for letting her go. She must be so deprived of love...

All of a sudden, the matron passed me a milk bottle and asked me to feed da baby. I was stumped for a while and I told her that I don't really know how to feed one. But she just shoved the bottle into the baby's mouth and rotated it around before asking me to take over... just like that! hahaha... friggin' easy eh? and what's surprising is that the baby is sleeping while drinking the milk... I was amazed... hahaha... Eh you guys think I'm talking cock all the while right? hahaha... neh mind neh mind... wait I finish uploading the online photo albums then show you guys ok? The baby finished up the milk in a few minutes or so and I had to put her back into her cot because we had to leave soon after. Yeah, she cried her lungs out the moment I put her down. It was hard to say goodbye but... but... but... korkor has to go...

FIRST DAY JITTERS

Got a taste of what its like to be in Shanghai. People don't give a damn about cutting queues. Experienced it first hand while queuing up to clear customs. They shove you like they hated you to the guts. If you thought singaporean aunties in the Great Singapore Sale was bad, this is worse. In fact, MANY times worse. Hahaha...

I wonder why they would even want to install traffic lights or draw the lines on the roads for? Cars were cutting into pedestrian crossings like nobody's business. You are supposed to look out for them, and not the other way round. Weird. Hahaha... its like a jungle out there. Every man for himself.

Forget about desiring any personal space here. Be it looking at gum to buy in convenience stores or standing in the train carriage to go to work, the locals there literally breath down your neck!Arrghh! hahaha...

Oh yeah, beware of pickpockets too... or so everyone seems to say. I'm not taking any chances though, especially when I lost my SIM card cum cash card on the night after dinner with the guys in somerset. I left it in the IU unit on my bike and its gone just like that. Why would people be so kian png and nothing better to do than to go around looking to make a quick steal?

The weather's just perfect. Hovering around the 20s. Cooling. Just like when I was back in Melbourne. But its expected to heat up in the coming weeks, so enjoy while I can.

The workplace's really awesome. Situated at the highest level (51st storey) in Raffles Tower. Yeah its built by the Singapore government and officially opened by PM Lee Hsien Loong. The interior and especially the lift look exactly like those you find in UOB Plaza. And wait till you get to the office. A panaromic 360 degrees of the entire city landscape of Shanghai. It really can't get any better than this. Pictures coming up soon.

First day at work today. Didn't do much leh. Went around introducing myself to everyone. Got my name card. Muahaha... impressive. Attached to marcom department and my first task was to call up this lady to change the booth we were assigned to. Oh yeah, I chose to dig my own grave by conversing in chinese with a native speaker but it turned out pretty well though. I could pretty much hold my own there. hahaha... eh, what do you expect from someone who took higher chinese at, get this, PSLE level before? Power right?? mai siao siao hor... hahaha... the rest of the day was spent reading up more on the company operations in China and the lonely planet guidebook which I got from karli, my shanghai correspondent cum 'guardian angel' hahaha... he's a pretty nice guy and he's gonna show me the way here so I have to depend alot on him... hehe... that's all for now... zai jian from shanghai!

IT'S WRITTEN IN THE STARS ALL ALONG...

OMG... I'm a certified blog-addict. Here I am in the airport, and the first thing I rushed to find is the free internet access. Why, to update my blog of course! hahaha...

Didn't slept at all last night. Came back home from dinner with the SIM people to finish up packing for the trip to Shanghai. Then it was to Doong's house for the long awaited champions league final between AC Milan and Liverpool. Smashin' match I say. Liverpool conceded at the very first minute and was actually 3-0 down at half-time. "That's it..." I thought, and contemplated going home to get a decent few hour's sleep. But something tells me that my beloved Liverpool team didn't fight all the way to the finals to lose it. Especially when it was 20 years ago when they last won the european cup. Who would have believed it, 3 goals in a spell of 6 minutes in the 2nd half, inspired by captain gerrard, forced the game into extra time, before Liverpool finally triumphed in penalty kicks. Glorious night for the Kop. What an amazing comeback. This game easily ranked as the best of the lot, next to the 1999 final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich. It was all worth it in the end.

Holy shat! It's almost time to board the plane. Hmm... first time I'm travelling out of Singapore on my own. Seems like a surreal feeling... but I'll get used to it. Alrighty! That's enough for now I guess.... Till the next update from Shanghai... *Achaaarrr!!!*

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

Another 3 more days and I'm leaving for Shanghai on an internship program. Leaving this thursday to be exact. And the UEFA champions league final between my favourite team Liverpool FC and AC Milan is showing at around 3 in the morning before I'm due to fly off in a few hours. Wah... jialat... I don't think I will be having much sleep. No way am I gonna give up the chance to catch my beloved team in action. I mean, how many times do you see Liverpool playing in a champions league final?

Hmm... less than half a year after coming back from melbourne, I'm flying off again. This time for 2 months. Talk about being a well-travelled person. Haha... You can add Shanghai to the list of places I've been to. I really have to thank uncle Jerry for the opportunity presented to me, and not to mention the amount of assistance he's given me. I really cannot thank him enough. And when my peers are frantically looking for jobs locally, I will hope to take this time to broaden my perspectives by engaging in fruitful learning in the realities of the business world. So that when I apply for that next job, I will be in a better position to snag it ahead of others. Of course, I will also aim to do my best as an intern because I'm not ruling out joining the company IF they offer me a position.

MSN nick of the moment: "fear of the unknown is what impedes one from opening the next chapter of their lives..." Are you bound by what's beyond the great unknown? Do you fear change? Will you be able to embrace change and accept the good and the bad that comes along with it? Or do you prefer to live in the past, stay in your own tiny buffered world and wallow in self pity? Afterall, its YOUR choice.

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE!



Our very first official gathering featuring the batch of SIM-RMIT BBBA 29th(A) Intake. The attendance was not bad, considering more than half of the class were here. To the peeps who made an effort to come to this obscure but nice and spacious chalet at changi coast for a nice bbq cum get-together, thanks for coming. And to those who didn't make it for some reasons or the other, errr... another time perhaps? =)

The first few days were boring. Nobody came to the chalet except the usual few guys. It was a sausage fest. So you can't blame me for going home. And it didn't helped that I lived 15mins away only. I also had to get some admin matters settled for my impending trip to Shanghai. But but but... anyone jio me do anything like catching couples making out on the beach (OOoooo...) to finding a quiet spot and chat under the stars (awww... how lomantic), I sure on one lor... just that some people prefer playing mahjong into the night. Everyone shout: " BoOrriinngg~ " please? And did I mention that I absolutely abhor mahjong? haha... Somemore, I go chalet is watch cabletv and sleep... how interesting... ZZzzz...

Luckily, BBQ night was so much more happening. As evening approaches, people were streaming in. Oh what a reprieve it was. It was nice to see people getting together even though some still stick to their own clique and never network around... haha... it was still a good time, ain't it? We sure had fun on that day; sunbathing, swimming and playing frisbee which magdalene tan mei tsern is absolutely hopeless at. She didn't move at all! She looks more like an angsana tree rooted to the spot lor! Haha...

The night wore on with a game of taboo, more mahjong (I'm lovin' it! AS IF!) and more cabletv! Woo~! Soooo interesting! Zzzz... Everyone finally slumped dead at 5 in the morning, exhausted from the night's activities. The scene reminds one of when time stood still for the inhabitants of the city of pompeii when mount vesuvius struck with all her mighty fury. Some were sleeping heads down on the mahjong table, some sprawled on the floor and some (like me) drifted off slouched on the sofa with the sound of the tv still buzzing in the background. Hahaha...

And as with all happy moments in life, it has to come to an end somehow. But the important thing is: We all had fun while it lasted. So, let's make it a yearly affair yeah?

(P/S: Anybody heard the song "Almost Here" by Delta Goodrem and Brian "fatboy" McFadden of Westlife yet? I totally dig it man... especially Delta's vocals... mmmm...)

TRIGGER HAPPY!!!



My new toy... the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7K... hurhurhur... chiobus beware...

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY...

This is really funny. I was typing away on my computer when my godamn sister suddenly broke the tranquility of the house. There she was, watching the googlebox in the next room. It was showing the advertisement on tourism australia with Delta Goodrem's song "I can sing a rainbow" playing in the background. And guess what? She actually sang the bloody song loud for everyone in the house to hear!!! She goes: "Reedd andd yeelllowweeit, pinkkk and grr-eeenn, perpearl and olanges.... ber-luuuuee..." I was like: "What the... " O_o Believe me, I really wanted to bowl over and laugh like hell, perhaps roll around on the floor a few times but I had to look like I don't give a damn to what she's doing, so I had to keep it inside me but it was a terrible feeling when you can't laugh at something SO funny like that. That was ULTIMATE man - she and her squeaky voice desecrating the beautiful song just like that. Now please don't put her in the same KTV room with me. That's a bloody big NO-NO. Its like comparing errr... jacky cheung and steven lim, gold and dirt, err... heaven and earth... you get my drift right? haha...

Sometimes, it is moments like these that you can really tell we're family, though I hate to admit I'm her elder brother. It really runs through the blood in our veins. I can be THAT nutters too... hehe... My dad can also be quite crazy like that too, bordering on schizoprenia. Not so for my mum, she's quite normal comparatively. Hahaha... Luckily for me, I got the best of both worlds. My sis? All the bad genes... awww... just too bad eh?

**LATEST!!!
Click on this LINK to see the advertisement! (thanks to Jo! haha...)

LIFE IS...



Have you ever wanted your life to be as simple and straightforward as black and white? Unfortunately, it is never the case. When you're down and out, you most probably can't even think straight, let alone know where you should be heading next. But one thing is certain. At the end of every tunnel, there will be light. No matter how disheartened you might be, look forward to it. Even if you can't run towards it because you can't see, crawl and feel your way around. Friends and family are always there along the way. If you need a helping hand, just ask. I'm sure they are more than willing to offer one.

Sometimes, I feel I have been standing inside this long and dark tunnel for an eternity now. I really do feel quite lost as to where my love life is concerned. Once, I saw a glimmer of light that appeared before me. I dismissed it as just another light but then I found out its growing brighter by the day. I knew then that I had to seize my chance, and so I tried to run towards it. I ran till my feet bled and my body weary. To the extent that I don't know why I'm running anymore. Maybe I didn't try hard enough? I really don't know. Finally, the light grew dimmer and not before long, it was snuffed out before my very eyes, leaving me again in the emptiness of the tunnel. I'm tired. I just wanna rest my worn-out legs and catch my breath again.

I'M A BUSY LITTLE BEE... Fwahlalala... *gay voice*

Really busy day today. Woke up early to play soccer with the usual sunday soccer gang on a friday because some of them are going to taiwan for holidays. Had to leave slightly earlier because there's a briefing and DPP2 interview workshop in the afternoon, but not before I had to pay a visit to the bike workshop to get my side stand fixed.

Speaking of which, the night before just as I was getting to start my bike I discovered my side stand was bent and with further probes, the whole thing came off! I was like: "wtf?!" The bike actually went crashing down on the super4 parked beside it. It landed comfortably there on its handlebar without a scratch or anything but I can't say the same for the super4 because I couldn't see anything at night. But seriously, I don't think anything was scratched either lah. *uneasily looks over shoulder* So in the end, I had to park the bike under my void deck leaned against the structural columns for the night.

The sky was looking very very dark when I was reaching home after a quick lunch with the dudes. I contemplated against riding in the heavy rain but then again I realised I had to go for tuition afterwards and it is seriously very inconvenient for me, not withstanding the fact that I almost couldn't possibly reach in time. It was one helluva experience I tell ya. Rain drops pelted me all over and it hurts like hell when stones rained on you. No kiddin' man. My raincoat also sucked. DON'T ever buy PROGRIP raincoats, to whoever is a rider out there. I suited up properly like a mummy but still water could stream in. What the hell man!? My $280 Nolan helmet also could not withstand the onslaught of rain. My head was quite soaked man. Whenever I had to open the visor to let in air to clear up the fog building in my helmet, the rain was just pouring in.

Oh yeah, tell me about pouring... I also lost count of the number of times I kenna splashed all over by the cars driving past me. Now I know when I'm riding in the rain next time, steer clear of riding beside a car as much as possible. You'll never know what hit you. I reached school literally soaked man. I squeezed my socks dry and just slipped my bare naked feet into the squishy hush puppies. Ah... feels like Army days ain't it? marching in rain soaked combat boots, foot rot, hideous smell and all... hahaha...

After the workshop ended, some of the guys went out for dinner but I can't join them cos' I had tuition with the nightmarish kid. He's having exams now and I can't abandon him just like that. In some ways, I think he and I are quite alike. Smart but very the yaya papaya, or brilliant in our own ways. You can call it as having the 小聪明... Complacency is always my downfall, as well as his. So its more pep talks for him rather than drilling him with heaps of exam questions.

Wow, I've just finished describing my day to you. Damn long. How was yours?

IT'S OVER!!! FINITO!!! KAPUT!!!

And so it is, just like it would be. The exams has finally ended. I heaved a sigh of relief after the last of the lastest paper I'm ever gonna take in my ENTIRE life. Time to open a new chapter in the story of my life.

Just a thought: Have you ever gone through the feeling where you put your heart and soul into doing something, yet things don't always turn out the way you expected it to be? Really sucks eh? But you just gotta live with it I guess, for better or for worse. What life throws at you, you will take it on the chin and bear with it. If its meant to be, its meant to be. If it comes, it comes. Aei... I'm too old for this shit... let's see what kinda surprises life will have in stall for me next? *rubbing hands with glee*

* Liverpool v Chelsea is almost starting now... pray my fav team will win... gotta watch this epic encounter... not to be missed!