My so-called UNICEF meeting. ROFL

Work life is pretty easy going. Deadlines are not as sucks as in old company. That's make my life pretty free and I smile and laugh a lot. Real lot. I'm HAPPY. Maybe you think I am just exaggerating the situation and I'm going through some aimless life because I do not get to learn as much as in the old days. But HELL! My life is pretty fun now. I get to be with my mom and enjoy her cooking, able to keep up with my BFFs and meeting new friends.

Mya a colleague of APG team birthday was yesterday so we throw a feast for her. Though she made most of the cooking. I just picked her up from home and send her to get the grocers. We had really extensive English menu but was part of the team from Hell Kitchen so didn't really get to take pictures of what we had yesterday. Let me illustrate it with my words:-

For starters, we had french fries and vegetables Samosa. Thanks to Krunali, colleague from India who happened to be a vegetarian for religion purpose. She made the Samosa fillings herself and roll the Samosa wrap without any of our help ( Cos she can't bear we ruining her hard work!) Perfectly seasoned and spice not too strong. It was a HUGE Samosa..Take 3-4 pieces and your Lunch is perfectly FULL!

For main dishes, we had grilled chicken and meat loafs. I had no idea meat loafs is really that pretty easy to cook. Just minced the beef and seasoned it with salt and pepper. Top it with ketchup, mustard and honey also with little bit of Italian herbs. Shove it into the oven and voila. Perfectly cooked meat loafs is done! Didn't really got to taste the chicken while it's hot, so have no idea how tasty it was. Whole chicken was gone. And we have macaroni and cheese too. Simple and crazy cheese!

We had drunken potatoes..I love having these for all my parties. But we should put more wine yesterday! This dish is so gonna be the Must Have in my menu! 

I done the salted vegetables and sauteed mushrooms. Cooked well, and all chomped down by the guests. 

We end our meal with brownies with choc syrup + ice cream + whipped cream. Yes! It's dangerously sinful BUT I made a good baker! Yum yum yum!

I was introduced to this new kind of Pimm's lemonade with mints and stuffs. It's a fab to have this drink and you have NO IDEA that you are drinking alcohol at all! Burp~~~

We caused a MAJOR destruction in her kitchen and didn't really get to help Mya clean much. She is from UK and overly friendly girl. We had lots of fun cooking, bitching, drinking, partying and swearing together! So hope she can able to clean the whole house and kitchen while we were gone. It was a real mess!!

After the food, we were introduce with this Name game. Each of us gotta pick a name of a famous person and we will guess who has which name correctly. I didn't get kill first round so I'm good at this too.

So these pictures were taken while we were in the game:- 

The cute Aiden

Aiden is full of personality! He even 'ordered' how I serve his brownies. Cute lil guy. Hope to see him again.

After the dinner, we get groomed and head to another party. I never expect myself crashing a crazy party! The music was fucking loud but crazy clubbing songs. Make me wanna shake some booty! Luckily next week I'm clubbing with Jane for her birthday! Then we had free flow of lychee martinis, bacardi and blah blah blah. I am so unprepared for this party...Seriously under dress and hair was a MESS! Feel shitty now! But enjoyed the free shows some Malay chicks put on. They just let the ang mohs' hand grabbed them all over. Luckily we found decent guys that just up for chat and drinks. We chatted from history to politics to bitching bout each other's life! And this guy Ali our pretty boy! Malaysia breed French guy..Just too attractive to NOT look at him but he is taken. Getting married like a week later. Hahaha! But really friendly guy. And Lotsa lotsa fun!

My motive of meeting new friends is just simple. Get a friend from each country so you can travel to that country of your friend and get some free local tours. How's that? Loving my life!!

Me and Mya..Damn I look like a big MESS!

Fun Fun Fun...

And we headed back to Mya's home for a sleepover. Too dreadful to drive back home. She let me have her bed while she took her couch. Too exhausted to say NO. So we slept like 5.30am. Woke up five hours after that and we girls continue bitching. But still feel dreadful for a breakfast. So we cam whoring instead:-

Nice one!

But poor my Frog Prince...working so hard while this Princess Piggie in enjoying out there! We shall party together after your deadlines over Frog Prince!

It's sad, but life goes on

Things happened so fast you rarely have the time to think about what you should do next.

I hardly make myself stay at home mourning for the loss of my Bubu so decided to continue with my weekend activity. 

Dated Ai Ling and Chew for our jogging session. But due to the mourning and swollen eyes, my mood was not up to any jog at all. We end up walking for 20 minutes and salvage ourselves in the hawker food stalls around. Not very healthy, I know. But hell I need comfort food!

Kites flying!

Looks like we had quite a run eh? ROFL

:)

 I never expect a great view of landscape and the huge lake from this park. If we want to jog around the lake for a trial, we really have to make sure enough stamina and water to last this one HUGE lap!

Ah chew smiling with a view behind!

Me and Ai Ling. 

Me and Chew

View above the lake

The above flower shots are just random clicking on being a so-called photographer. Still making her fingers clear on how to move around with this G12...

After our so-called jog-a-walk, we moved back to the hawker stalls to indulge in some comfort food. Not much of a variety though. More on toys and kites for the kids.

I miss this fish satay. Back in those primary school days. Yummy!

Then, we drove back home to Chew's house to get ourselves clean before indulge further on the comfort food. But her mom had some fabulous durians waiting for us. Fresh from the fridge..BURP!!

For the night, we went to Silver Spoon, an italian restaurant in Manjalara. Price at average and taste is not bad. Worth to try and you will sure come back for more!

Nothing more serious than deciding what to indulge!

The kitchen feel very Italian

Menu is not really extensive but quite some choices for you to choose

Calamari Salad

This calamari salad took us by surprise because the calamari is MORE than the vegetables. But perfectly grilled with that finger licking good garlic dip. Fabulous combination. Should pair this with Beer!

Hawaiian Pizza

 Taste is average. I'm hoping for more cheese.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This was a disaster. Took 3 bites of the chicken and I had my stomach twisted due to overdosed of Salt! Too salty and I am so sure it didn't taste like any Cordon Bleu chicken at all! Luckily the mashed potatoes at the side save this dish.

We had a pasta with salmon. Didn't get the picture because another dish that is no need for attention about. Nothing wrong with the pasta but I'm not a fan of smoked salmon. 

Creme Brulee

The crispy sugar coating makes perfect ending for the night. But the custard should freeze it longer.

Tiramisu

This is not bad, but the espresso flavour not rich enough for my taste bud.

Overall, I'll still back for more even though certain dishes are really needless to mention. But, the previous try of their risottos make me crave for more. 

Saturday started with tears and end with more gossips, laughter, good food and great friends.

Mourning for Bubu is a sure thing but I know he wish me to enjoy my life here. I'll definitely meet him some day, some where, up there.

This weekend was tough and restless. Hope next week will be a better one.

So God, I had enough mourning and depression. Please surprise me with laughter and love. Amen!

A Tribute to BuBu - an extraordinary rabbit that led an extraordinary life

It takes a gallon of my tears to sit build up the courage and begin typing for this piece of tribute.

Bubu is an extraordinary rabbit. Never dare to say I'm a good mommy to him. But I was the one to reach out to him first day I lay my eyes on him. I still remember how scared and vulnerable he was when I hold him and decided to make him my pet. He was only 3 months old. The moment I saw him, I named him Bubu because of his fluffy body.

The first night was still very fresh in my memory. He was scared and not eating. Pet shop owner said it is normal for pets being scared at the new places. But reminded me to call his name every now and then and he will know his name. I told my parents about it and they laughed. How can a rabbit REMEMBER his name? He is not a dog?! Don't be naive. Still I did not went to bed on our first night. I carried him and talked to him. Introduced myself and called him gazillion times to prove Bubu is not just a rabbit.

When he was comfortable on his surroundings, he starts exploring the house. We changed our cables few times because he enjoyed chewing. He chewed every rubber items. Rubberband was his favourite and he chew down like eating pasta. We had many rounds of trial and error of new human food to introduce to him.
I did research on what he can and cannot eat. Till today, his favourite is bread, cookies, Coco crunch. anything crunchy and smell good.

Remember the first time he got ill he hide himself in the toilet. His bowel system not going through, not eating and drinking. When I hold him, I told my dad he was having fever! So rush him to vet and visited few times before he get well.

Then a new member of the house join in into his comfortable zone.That is my boyfriend. Oh dear. How Bubu dislike him. Growling and attacking him whenever he got the chance. Perhaps is Bubu's jealousy. They were meant to be enemies.

We had difficult time together too. We shifted houses few times, and he followed. Even though he felt agitated and annoyed he still wait for my petting and play time. We had gone through even FIRE in my house and he survived. Amazing rabbit he is!

He was so into my world, a human world which made him forgotten he is a rabbit. So I decided to adopt another rabbit to show his kind. He accepted Kungfu immediately (taking him as sex partner, even though they both are males) but their meeting end up in fights and Bubu was badly hurt due to his tame and defenseless self. So both were separated. But Bubu will try his very best to communicate with Kungfu every time he got the chance. He is very friendly.

His eighth birthday was celebrated with close friends of mine. He was well groom and behave properly on his big day. Remember when I brought him home on his birthday night, I told him this: We gonna make a huge one for you next round yeah? I never really know his actual birthday. I set his birthday on our first meeting. That is 13th November 2003.

This year, 2011. I started to sense he is getting weaker and weaker. His nap time is longer than usual and his breathing is hard. I sneered at anyone talking about his day will come because I do not want him to leave me. I cannot bear to lose him as my companion. Every morning, after bidding goodbye to mom, I will say goodbye to him. Every night I come home, I will call out to him first. And he will never fail to entertain me by rushing to my feet. Sniffing and snuggling and peeing..

But as this year, every step he made is like a great deal of effort. He can't made his way to sniff my feet when I came back. His breathing and white fur telling me he is getting old. Both eyes suffer bad cataracts. He hardly see his way.

Until Monday, he suddenly stopped eating. He hide himself under the sofa and when I carried him out, he was breathing so hard. I put him back in cage and he started drinking hell lot of water. I realised he must be very sick. Then, the next few days he starts eating but I do not allow him walk around the house because worried he cannot see his way back to his cage because of his cataracts problem. On Wednesday, mom told me once she freed him from his cage, he rushed over to prayer offerings and stuck his head on his favourite 'fatt gou". Then we all laughed knowing well he is getting better already. But I still made him locked in his cage for sure.
Thursday, his bowel is not getting better and I blamed it on the 'fatt gou". I talked to him and rubbed his nose the way he always love me to do. Friday night, I didn't get to bed early. I just couldn't sleep. I turn to him and talked and rubbed his nose until 3am, I went to bed. My cough should be better but every 10-15minutes my cough wakes me up. Never ever come to my senses that maybe is a calling. Because Bubu did hold to his cage when I wish him goodnight. Then at 6am, mom knocked the door. I open and before she ever speak out I know must be bad. Rushed to his cage, he lay there lifelessly. Eyes open but he looks peaceful.

I cried. Called his name. Melvin get a shoe box. I wrapped him in one of his favourite napkin, put him in the shoe box and place his favourite but hatred toy: his comb and some of his favourite cookies. His body was cold and hard. I tried telling myself he died of old age. Not my mistreatment. If I sent him to vet on Monday, maybe I can prolong his life??!! I do not know. I just hope he is not suffering. And he died without any of us looking. Maybe he doesn't want us to be see his pain.

Bubu, you are an extra ordinary rabbit and your life is extra ordinary too. You light up my life to an extra ordinary one and I never regret having you with me. We shared the great 8 years together. I will weep no matter what. This house is full of you. I'll miss your smelly body when you didn't get the grooming, I'll miss your snuffing and snuggling, I'll miss our play time, I'll miss how you attack both Melvin and mom, I'll miss your mischievousness, I'll miss rubbing your nose, I'll miss screaming you to get out of my room, I'll miss clearing your mess, I'll miss seeing you stealing offering food, I'll miss you hopping on my lap asking for food, I'll miss how greedily you eat your pellets, I'll miss you ruining my bags, shirts, and whatever you got the chance to bite and chew, I'll miss holding you, I'll miss sending you to the groomer, I'll miss bidding you goodnight, and goodbye, I'll miss our nap time in air conditioned room together, I'll miss talking to you even though you had no idea what I'm saying.

And I'll miss you dearly, Bubu.

I love you.

In a pet's world, his master is his everything. In a human's world, pet is just a companion.

I hold on to this principle to make his world full of me. And I'll never take his just a companion. Bubu, you are my baby. And I hope your other life gonna be another extra ordinary one!

So long Goodbye~~~

Adele - Someone Like You (Live in Her Home)

Another gorgeous singer.

Loving her voice.

Everyone are so into her number one hit: Rolling in the deep...But as a usual me, I love the other songs in the album rather than the singer hit song.

Waking up on a sunny Saturday morning with this song playing in my head.

Memories came back haunting.

But, instead 'I'll find someone like you", I already found someone better than you..

Great song..Hope you all love it. Pay attention to the lyrics yeah!

I heard That you're settled down
That you Found a girl
And you're Married now

I heard That your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things
I didn't give to you

Old friend Why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back Or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me," I begged
"I'll remember," you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead,
Yeah.

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday
It was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise
Of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over.

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me," I begged
"I'll remember," you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."

Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
They are memories made.
Who would have known
How bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me," I begged
"I'll remember," you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me," I begged
"I'll remember," you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

If You Are Not Winning, You Are Just A LOSER!

Nothing can compare the stress level of clearing other person's job.

I truly understand and feel really sorry for who ever have to take up all that shits left by me.

Honestly, I was not in a good so-called 'handover state of mind' during the last few weeks of my service there. I wish to maintain my professionalism but you cannot imagine how disrespectful treatment I received from the bosses during my notice period. Nothing compares my final dignity. No matter how good I was in meeting the deadlines previously, they had press the DELETE button the moment I tendered. Every hard work of mine are a total garbage to them. 

Finally I departed.

Like 2 weeks now.

I've already prepared that every mistakes I made in that previous firm will be zoom in by everyone just to get the pieces outta me.

Every single thing happened within my prediction.

My work being condemned, my team members being complained and what ever mistakes I made was like a huge issue to everyone there. Just to show how great that I left the company because the bosses think they are better without me.

Never I've feel so important in life looking back.

Never I've wondered this previous job scope was a huge long list.

So as I departed, I wish everyone the best in their future undertakings and especially to those that will be replacing me.

It's great to see internal promotion and finally anyone will be thinking: Finally, that big ass is out the door!

Never I was reluctant to answer questions and picking up calls from previous clients/colleagues.

However, as I replayed back what I did in those years I took over other people shits, I don't recall that I asked queries after queries and to the extend that need people to spoon feed me how to get things done.

There are lots of books out there as guide to become a leader. Go grab them and give yourself some reading.

If that's too expensive, go Google some articles.

No matter how, you agreed to take up this responsibility that is the choice you made.

Last time, I used to said: Like I have a choice?

Honestly, as recently, I have so much time reading and alone thinking of my future and personality built up, life is with a choice. Maybe commitments in this material world bound us down to take whatever shits are left still, you gotta make a good hell situation out of it.

Adaption to new environment is a survival skill and not many can survive.

But back to that old sentence, if you don't choose to survive, you choose to die? Like I have a choice??

Eating back you own words right?

Maybe I am being judgmental towards you.

How can I not? Tell me!

My ex team members are not the best batch of staffs so what if they have their flaws?

As a leader, you suppose to find out their flaws and DEAL with it!

Stop complaining and get things done.

If you don't know, suck it up!

I don't know how to lead either! But still I survived the last 2 years!

You differentiating 'your team' when talking to my ex team members, do you know how demotivating that sounds to the bunch of juniors under you?

I LEFT the firm and you took the damn team up. So now THEY are your team members! 

For goodness sake!!

Sooner you will be losing a team that you think they can't work with you.

Great.

I think is the other way round: 

You can't work with them!

That's sound better! ROFL.

Well, let the future show you how "USELESS" these team members are.

And replace with the young clans that you think are useful because they can work with you.

You really don't know what's happening in the real market now eh?

Of course, you can quit this position after all.

You can just tell the boss: I'm not up for it. So I quit!

Well, few more grands in the bank account make a good deal. Maybe you will think twice before quitting.

Never I condemn anyone capability of making a great future. I never judge till that extend. I know my grounds. There are boundaries that I cannot cross.

Anyhow, that is just my op.

Maybe if you get the chance to read this blog, you probably hate me for not being helpful.

But,the more drama you create, the happier I am.

Now, my team loves me more because of you.

Client loves me more because of you.

So, either you work hard to get to the winning section, or else, you are just a LOSER!

Roll the drum!

Yes! 3 days of gruesome training were finally over.
Brain a little malfunction because of information over load.
Too much info to catch up in so little time.
There were even moments that I was in total LOST mode. The speaker spoke too fast and with a great deal of foreign accent! Which means Middle East / Australia / Europe / India. Culture is rich as well as the accent!
With my so-called hearing problem, that make situation worse.

The 3 days gruesome training do had some awesome moment. The favorite quote of the managers and VPs are open communication and performance driven reward. Totally in love with these quotes and fit perfectly in my working philosophy that I believe in. However, as the personal manager touched on the level of assessment and points to achieve, nervous sucks in and my face turn GREEN. We have to achieve at least "Meet Expectation" scoring so that we can smoothly progress in our future. If falls below this level, *gulp* they either postponed your confirmation or worse, terminates you.
Maahhhh..really scared on this.

But was still ok looking at all friendly trainers that approached us.
However, as the end of today, I was told to meet my team leader whom a foreigner and oh my how fierce he looks. *gulp*
He shows no interest to talk to me further. Hope this was because he was occupied with something else.
And his instruction was to meet me next morning and my job will be discuss then.

Phew...I wish he can be both my mentor and leader in my future. (Mentor is for my ACCA)
And I hope to meet his expectation in 3 months time and if can, show a performance that exceeds his expectation.

I left the old company with pride and a promise not to turn back there..Or else I'll be deem as a loser to my family and ex-boss. You made my departure a tough one so turning back make me looks like a shit. So I ain't gonna do that. Never. So I must achieve future boss expectation no matter what.

Nothing can stop me!!!

First Day Reporting to a MNC

I was over whelmed with things happened in my previous company. Those unpleasant moments shared with the bosses can consider a pure nightmare that I wish I'm like a three year old kid. So that I can cry and parents will come and hug me and tell they will go away. I'm not going to brag about how ill treated I was by the bosses. What had passed already history. I need to live in present and hoping for future.

So after all these years serving one individual boss and under the same roof., familiarity with environment mould me to a person that looks tough both in and out side. But, no one knows how shaky I was this morning.

Woke up freaking early at 6.50am (alarm went off at 6.30am but my bed dragging habit still lied deep down in me. Only managed to wake up 20 mins later)
Took a hot bath, getting all dressed up with new dress bought in Bangkok, new bag and fresh make up to make my day. But the nervousness killed my appetite for breakfast. So I end up having an empty stomach to work.

Meeting new colleagues and peers was something new after 6 years under a same roof. And being an assistant manager, I did not approach newbies but they do.
Here I am, making new friends and starting conversation. It was hard at the beginning and I felt so old in the whole group. It was as if those new colleagues were young and fresh from universities.
But as we get to know each other, most of them had the same number of years of working experience. I do not know why I was intimidate by them.ROFL. Blame the nervousness!

Next, we were handed a bag of stuffs that fascinate me till now.

1) Recycle shopping bag with company name - Moderate size but good for shopping
2) New Pilot mechanical pencil come with lead (in plastic wrap some more) - Impressed. All these years, I bought my own pencil. Old firm only supply 2B pencil
3) Long ruler - Impressed. We need to request and reason why a long ruler is required in old firm. Here is given free of charge!
4) Stapler (come with the box) - Should had left my old red stapler which was inherit from my previous senior to my ex-colleagues. Didn't expect to get one FREE here!
5) Post It Note - I was truly surprised when  saw this stack of Post It Note. Remember when my old HR told me "why do you need Post It Note?" and "we don't supply that!"
6) A4 writing pad - Brand new writing pad for me to jot down every important notes during the training. Forget recycle papers please!!
7) Canon calculator - Brand new 12 digits calculator

All the above were FREE of charge and we are not required to RETURN it back when we leave this company. Another ooh-aah moment for me.

Next ooh-aah moment was getting a new laptop equipped with wireless mouse and brand new bag. Here, I learned we can lock our laptop like we lock our dog!! But too much security and NOT TO DOs using company laptop. Guess it will not stop me getting my iMac.

Third ooh-aah moment was the free lunch at a restaurant with all VPs.
Surprised. Didn't expect they will sit and eat with us. Tell us stories of their past experience and how they travel from one country to the other. Just can't wait for my turn! But I took this lunch time as an opportunity to shine myself. VP basically just look at me while talking as I am the only one making eye contact while the rest busy eating. Love his quote: No question is stupid. So ask every question you have! Brilliant. At least I know he won't answer me with: Abuthen? Like I used to hear.

Fourth ooh-aah moment was the speech by our Hub Manager. Short yet delivered every significant points that I wish I can achieve. Again another brilliant quote: We do not have any discrimination in our people. We appraise our people based on performance. If you work hard, you will deserve your reward. Nonsense to age/look/colour of skin. BRILLIANT!

Fifth ooh-aah moment, was combination of everything I saw and heard today:
- The company has its own Google portal. I was like: Seriously?
- Pool table for unlimited access
- Free usage of gym
- Free flow of oreos cookies

Phewwwww....what a long list!

Anyhow, managed to get in touch with my department. Things change..as expected.
My Paris dream..not going to happen. I'm serving Australia and Papua New Guinea instead.
Erm...I don't mind to travel there just a lil' disappointed.
Finger crossed!

But, the training has a price to pay though..we need to take test and MUST pass in order to achieve certain KPI. Again..something new that I need to get use to.

Tomorrow is my second day reporting to MNC and still more training to go.
Keep you peeps posted!