wake me up when it's october

Hello, what is up in my mind RIGHT NOW is that I hope I get to go USA with my yet-to-be confirmed tour group! Because I experienced a FAIL tour group, I am going prepare for Plan B cause that is how one cope with disappointment. Cant put all the eggs in one basket. Plan B is nice too if I can go f&e in Europe... taking trains, oogling guys,  exploring places safe-&-sound-ly of course.

I live a hopeful life, so...

I hope that my guy friend will want to go JB day trip with me & my colleagues. I am finally creating an opportunity for single girls and guys to hang out and I hope they can take it up. :X

Will Keep Fingers Very Crossed.

HAHAHA.

Sometimes I think about how far I had come life and I think I did a decent-ok job. I have my set of values and ethics and stay faithful to them. They are so unshakable that ppl with different values from me- ?? I think they are aliens. I want to do the right thing. Pursue the Right ideals. I like to live within my small world.  yet  I want to discover the world. There is so much to know, so much to see... waiting for me.

So in the meantime, let me get thru the everyday's routine.  Wake me up when it is time to go for an adventure! 

First TIS BKK Business Trip

There is always some form of special meaning to the first... anything. Extra nervous, extra excited. Everything is new and eye-opening and never knowing what to expect, how to anticipate. A 100% Greenhorn.

The 7.40am flight which Uncle Pat drove me to Airport with his part time stint as taxi driver. I almost thought he was giving a lift to a good ole excolleague- I didnt think of paying him, seriously.

Anyway, for the 2 presentations that I prepared for, none was a presentation worth remembering cause I couldn't engaged the audience with limited time and limited english. AND the thing is, R&D people dont care about my marketing concepts that much compared to the actual fragrance proposals. Stories are good to have and I felt I was just going thru the motions, the stories werent getting insides the heads.

But I dont think that is my problem cause my boss didnt feedback anything negative to me. I'm happy that she didnt. I absolutely believe that no news is good news. HAHAAH.

Our personal time after work, was precious. The personal time after work I had, I couldnt relax and enjoy thoroughly. At the back of mind, I worried about my next presentation. I couldnt let go and and just drink... I thought I need to do everything as fast as possible so that I can be well rested for a presentation.

Anyway, thank the stars above for my nice excolleague-host. Hosted dinner @ Siam. Hosted a beer @ Asiatique. It has been about 5 years since we worked together; sometimes one have to be thick skin to ask to be hosted. hahahah.

Gorgeous renovated warehouse turned conceptual vintage market place located next to the chao praya river: It is like clark quay except  with much bigger river and breeze and space, vintage decor and small ferries wheel.

                                   

Me & host: He is a jolly good fellow- no language barrier, no uncomfortable silence, just with the friendly thai hospitality.

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I told my boss that the key difference between a business trip  ( even if its just a 36Hour trip, really) and a vacation trip is that you cant wait for the biz trip to end and you NEVER want a vacation trip to end too fast. Is that true or not? And the tiredness you feel after a biz trip is different from a vacation, cause seriously, I really just could NOT relax until the meetings are over. How to relax, with the boss next to you, where your every action represent your potential and could be evaluated?

& this milestone is over in a blink of an eye... it is good to start off the way I did, with the smaller clients and more bo chap customers, cause it builds self confidence.  I learnt that I need to prepare but I really dun need to over prepare. Go with the flow & think on your feet. Treat my audience as sillies cause the self confidence is really important to have an aura in your presentation. Rest well drink lots of water, cause I didnt and by the second day, my voice was a little hoarse.

Next key event? ? NATAS FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

things to be do before i am 30

There is so many things and interest to pursue! At least by the time I am 30, I take heart that I did already have some wishes come true through sheer willpower.

I think I feel happy most of the time due to healthy living. More exercise = more positive energy. I really enjoyed badmintan playing with the boyfriend. I start to think, man, he is SO CUTE with all the sweat dripping down his face,eh.... heheheh.

So adding on to the list of things to do b4 30 y.o.
- master basic Korean
- learn proper swimming strokes.
- basic business Thai, lets just start with self introduction & see what happens
- see if I can work hard and be yoga instructor for basic level.
- of course, another continent to visit for the first time- North America
- play badminton regularly with the bf so that he can have healthy lifestyle too.
-experience lavender fields in person next year,,, not just via the pictures I googled for the fragrance pyramid!

(Not stressing myself to accomplished that things as A MUST, but if I have opportunity, I will definitely grab first, think later).

Lets note down some positive things at work too:
- P&G mgr is supremely satisfied with my quality of work. I'm happy he likes it. Unfortunately or fortunately, he is not direct boss.
- my colleague is at least cooperative enough to deliver artwork that I am satisfied. Coming from FMCG, I am even more hard to please than my boss regarding visuals, I feel.
- my other colleague found new job with good increment, so I hope that can also FINALLY happen to me.. in the future.
- my first biz trip is just a 2d1n trip to BKK, I LOVVVVVEEEEE bkk, so i am just a wee bit sad that we cant stay there a little longer just so, i can go Paragon at least. HOW DO I HAVE TIME to go there in a 2d1n work trip. Maybe I will just shop in 7-11.  >___<

my surprise

I was surprised. That I only weigh 40kg according to today's basic type of scale.

  Just 1 month ago I was 43kg on a digital scale. But I am pretty sure that the weighing scale isnt too accurate. I am eating as  much as I want. I do not that think I can lose 3kg just like that. Some perverse part of me is happy if I did lose weight. the skimnnier the better!! more to eat with no fear. heh. 

BF has a destination which he wants to visit MORE than me. That's great. Finally some wanderlust seems to be have rubbed off from me to him. I want to see him wanting to see the world and just be a more learned man. More than just SEA. 

Travelling adds knowledge. emotions and wonderful memories that we probably cant replicate on the same level if we stay in the same area of land. If we dont do anything different, we will always get the same results. 

So.

So we continue to wait for Natas and see what we can get. 

Sorry No Cure

:""Sorry No Cure." How familiar these words are. Remember you said this to me? Unfortunately, maybe we are a tad similar. I am repeating those words you said to me, to you. It is karma right in your face, scarily enough.

My boss told me, I am too kind. Is that another way of saying I do not know how to reject people and be assertive? I duno. But I don't really care. I don't care I create inconvenience for myself.  Cause if I can be kind, it is the least that I should do. I want to treat people the way I would like to be treated to.

My friend said I didn't try hard enough. Then he quote me an example on how he tried harder and then it was all worth it in the end. But some people are not worth even that 1% of  the time and effort. I don't even think my 1 second should be spent on trying harder.

And that's me. I don't (really) care what people think of me. I stick to my principals unless there is compelling reasons to change. I am not like you and you are not like me and that is the end of story. I always do what I please... as much as I can, anyway. Life is more about compromise and meeting half way, I know.

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Facebook is a powerful tool. It made me realize why the past happen the way it did. At least I realize more about it, than now.
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Sometimes I think about meeting up with those super long lost friends from the times when we were juvenile. Will I be shocked at how we changed? Shocked, pleasantly or even unpleasantly...Haha. Should we even meet in the first place for fear of awkward silence and totally different frequencies? And yet, if you never  meet, then you never know... 

things i realize from the past 2 months

1. @ friends. So it seems like I/we lost a "friend" again. the "friend" who no longer cares enough to reply to you.& if  so, then we were never truly "friends"to begin with or somewhere along the way, the "friend" has decided to drop out.

Aquarians tend to take "friendships" too seriously. But, what can I do... i am born like that !! It wont Kill me, but the way I view "friendships"and the standards that I have innately for "friendships" may be too high to be "average/normal".... but never mind about me! Life still goes on brilliantly!

2. @ work Randomly, I suddenly remember a statement I used to make- " I never want to be in B2B again!". And look where I am again today, now!!

Isnt life amazing? I am b2b and thoroughly enjoying it. Maybe coz this is a special b2b.

AMAAAAAZZZZZZZZIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG.

Now that my neighbortheannoyingorange is whiner... can whine 15min non stop about the inconvenience of a  heavy downpour during a lunch/can whine about PRC/"heavy"work load..... I feel like I need to be thankful for whatever life has given me. I DONT HAVE MUCH TO WHINE ABOUT.

People think the marketing dpt is the least-stressed department in TIS. i aint about to go rebut this statement or a simply the opinion of the unenlightened who hasnt been in your shoes.

Everyone has stress even the person who empties the rubbish bin. but i feel that when you are good at what you are doing, you are able to go with the flow and do what is required or even go beyond and make things better. When you are good at what you are doing... stress becomes the motivational factor to do better than before. It is the good stress that everyone needs. So i will strive to be good at what I am doing.

I also believe- do or don't do. There is no try.

3. @ Travel and fun. I had fun discussing with pehli what 1000SGD can get in USA-outlets. maybe 1 tiffany bracelet, 2 kate spade tote bags, 10 pcs of street labels clothes and I will be carting as many personal care stuff as possible from the supermarkets to put into the empty luggage. Both of us have small appetite, so we will buy & share one portion of whatever and be full and maximise our spending $ this way!

My latest wild idea that I wanna propose to my boss, is that I wanna intern at my USA office for a week! or really just a day, please. My plan: after my 10day tour, I will extend 5 days in NY and spend some time at TAKUS! i will pay for everything except- can the company kindly sponsor me 5 day of lodging?>> 600-800 SGD worth.  

and why should the company do this? Because when one person gains additional exposure in knowing how the other part of the world works, the inspiration & insights generated will add the creativity and depth needed in my course of work. Especially I am in charge of Fine Fragrance category. Shouldn't I know how first hand our FF office works, so that I can explain to our customers how we work, globally, with conviction???

OKKKKKKKKKK.... i will keep dreaming. I KNOW reality.

CNY 2013

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR. This is my fav holiday, no 2 questions about it. People give $$ instead of presents (like in Xmas) and it suits my pragmatic, practical style way much much more! HAHAHAHAH.

This CNY, is the probably the 2nd last CNY that people will hand out red packets to me. This has got to be the no. 1 sign that I am a kid NO MORE.

This CNY, our relatives on Pa''s side, could only gather for a short amt of time. which means, really I only see them about 3h in a year. I dont understand how come people want to escape house visiting for a total of 2 days out of 365 days. Our relatives may ask the same questions all over again and that is just becoz they see us on a yearly basis, its only natural they forgot all about it. And of course, we are doomed to have those insensitive and unimportant topics to be discussed like WEIGHT?SKIINNY?FATT? and DOYOUHAVEAGIRL?BOY?FRIEND kinda topics and i think to tolerate it for a single day is ... ok! Anyway, I love my family, extended, poor, rich , close or not, simply they are my relatives and have seen me grown up and have nothing but good wishes for me. :D

Anyway, CNY is great because precisely, we only meet 3h this year, there isnt much to tolerate and we have  just enough time to eat and make small talk without feeling fake and awkward. HAHAHAH. My cute bachelor cousin is still single and cute. AND still ask if i club or not. i dont! lol. well well, i also become those auntie-relatives that ask how old r u, hows ur sch and stuff. heheheheh. i've got nieces-extended that is already 15 years old. and is a probably gonna be a SNAG coz he ask questions starting off by "It may be a offensive question but can I ask... what is your age???",

ROFL. LOL. SO cute. His name is Louise, before i forget. Louise who is now currently aspires to be accountant , at age 15 y.o. because he loves numbers. His Sister, Chloe, 11. y.o, wants to be a lawyer and this year, we look alike cause we got similar hair styles, bangs with a bob cut.


my brother has grown heavy again and he is so sweet to lug 6 heavy packs of my fav penang coffee mix back home. Such a guy thing- i only want to have A FEW but he has to bring back 6 packs (which is like 6 months supply???). Probably because he thinks by buying 6 packs back, he can escape me bugging him to buy such things again. HAHAHAH. True.

the passage of time. so scary to me. but it is a journey that everyone needs to complete and go thru. no one can stay stagnant and even if you do, you are just living in your own world while everyone proceeds with time. i cant believe that my uncle/auntie are already 60-70 because they somehow remain as the younger selves of 50s. I want to them to stay the way they were... strong & healthy.

I have to say, that. yes, i am one of those who is staying stagnant, staying behind in my old world. remaining as a kid in my heart even tho I am approaching 30. LOL.

I also house visited my bf's relatives too. I envy his AH_MA who is about 90 year old but still every strong and healthy (for her age). She has 4 generations of kids with her, and everyone is filial to her. I think she is very fortunate and life is nice. She has alzemir, she forgets stuff and remember the old days clearly. I think i have these sort of condition too. didnt I just say  I remember everyone as tho they were the young(er) relatives whom I have the strongest impression, in their prime, without kids, or without white hair....?

 ANYWAY, i just want to say, please treasure your family!!!! everyday!  especially during CNY, during a time of expressed intention of reunion & a precious grand total of 2 public holiday granted to us by our pay and pay gov...