First Birthday Thing

My department people at work took me to birthday lunch today. We had Japanese, as my request, which is one of my favourites (among the other 15 types of cuisine which are my favourite. Ok, I like food.)

It was really fun, especially trying everybody's food, making fun of each other and generally continuing the asinine mayhem that goes on in the office anyway.

And I got really nice presents, including a "hot babe" tag. Finally, the recognition for who I really am :)

Happy already!

Some photos. I won't ruin your pleasant bewilderment with captions.

Glad

Glad that chapter of my life is over and now we can move on. Of course, it's going to take some time to repair the damage left behind, but I think in about 6 months to a year, I can put most of it behind me.

Meanwhile, there are new and exciting projects to look forward.

Like the upcoming charity event.

And the new ideas for a junior series.

And of course the whole idea of managing the workload of 3 people in one fell swoop, while still overlooking what the rest are doing.

It's only just begun.

First Meeting

One of the things that I really enjoy(ed) about my job is the projects that I get involved in for the various departments. I am one of those wierd people who actually enjoy meetings - watching the human interaction, contributing ideas, and generally basking in the creativity that takes place.

Which is why I handled being left out of the loop by my previous boss really badly. Not only did she take me out of the projects and meetings I was involved in, she also did not include me in the new projects, delegating them to the her friends and people she hired.

That really sucked.

Now that she is gone, and they are leaving, I am really looking forward to being part of event planning for the Club and attending meetings again. I really get off on the human-ness of meetings. Sure, I do bellyache about it with everyone else, but secretly, I love it!

Is that strange?

Of course, its even better being involved in meetings in church. Programming meetings are really fun, with all the wacky ideas from the even wackier people flying around. And I can't wait to start my own drama ministry meetings. Ooh, those are gonna be outta this world!

I'm pumped!

I feel pretty and witty and gay

Yes, I do. I think somehow talking to grouchy people and ungrouching them energises me. Am I really made for front line work? I dunno.

But I also realised that my pants are looser and my bra feels more spacious? Am I losing weight *GASP*? Quick, bring out the ice cream and cake! lol

I met a friend, S, on the bus today, who in the midst of all our bitching about work, said something real sweet to me. She said I inspired her to start blogging. How cool is that, huh?

Oh, and I finally had a chance to have a normal personal conversation with M today. She is actually quite nice leh. Maybe its just the company she keeps that I can't stand. Hmmm.

So I am gonna full on busy for the next month or so, what with 3 events at work, One Christmas musical, one little boy's room renovation to undertake.

Hey, maybe I should post pictures of Hanan's room as it looks now and you all can give me tips on what I can do to transform it. All on a shoe string budget of course.

Random friendship photos

There was quite alot of friendship moments in October, although I never got round to blogging about them. But isn't friendship meant to be experienced and not documented?

It was the Joshua's birthday and the goondu asked me to take him to a champagne brunch, only to realise after we got there, that champagne gives him a headache. !!! But we had a really good brunch at Oscar's. And the three boys really bonded.
(NB: Elgin, despite the way he looks, did not have a drop of alcohol)


This is Hanan and Remy living it up at the Explorer Kids thingy at Downtown East. Those two boys look so alike its scary, and they both have great easy going personalities, making them absolutely fun to hang out with.

Or the funny thing is, on our way back, they were both protesting about how un-tired they were and how I was a meanie for making them stop. And then, 5 mins later, they were like this:


And finally, our department has a dinner outing paid for by the company. We went to Ellensbrough Market Cafe where most of us ate our body weight in Durian paste. It was good!

Gone

It was only on Sunday that he was telling me that his oldest daughter just started university and he had taken a 10 grand loan against his credit card for her tuition.
He shared how he laughingly told his daughter that she knows what to do when she starts working, and that he was planning to pay the loan off with his year end bonus.

And yesterday, he was let go. Just like that. No warning, no apology.

He was one of the most hardworking guys I have met, who managed to stay on top of both the operations and the paperwork. Sure, we had our differences, but he was also professional enough to work through them and never let it get personal.

He is a good father and husband, who had put aside his career ambitions because they got in the way of the quality time with his family. I remember the countless times he opted to go home and eat with his kids rather than enjoy the five star food available to us.

I will probably never understand why they did this to him, but I can't think of anyone who deserved it less.

I will miss you, my friend. I hope our paths cross again.

Meanwhile, it leaves us all wondering - when will it be my turn?

Swim Team Mania

Olympic Fever was rampant at my work place this morning as the US Swim Team had a meet and greet session with the members and the press. 100s of people turned up armed with posters, autograph books, swim boards, caps, T shirts.. basically anything that a marker can be applied to.

While I wasn't really into swimming etc, I was really inspired by Dara Torres, who at 41 is the oldest swimmer on the team AND who is swimming faster now than she did when she was in her 20s.

But being the shy and retiring person that I am, I never told anyone that of the 40 over swimmers, she is the one I really wanted to meet.

Read this next bit carefully, cos this is proof that my God is good and loves me.

We met the Media Director for the Swim Team yesterday and she said she had a last minute media request for a one to one interview and can one of us organise it. My boss volunteered me (as bosses do). I expected it would be Phelps or Coughlin, cos that was all the media here was interested in covering.

Then the Media Director says, "Ok Nalinee, I will see you by the pool at 8.30 and you can bring Dara to the interview."

And I am like "Dara??! Dara Torres?"

So, I got to spend 20 exclusive minutes with Dara, and see a side of her no one here got to see.
Oh, and I got this.



How good is my God!!!

Anyhoo, here are some other random shots of the team for the rest of you.

Waiting for Lontong

Everyday, the place I work has a designated menu for staff lunch, which comprises 2 usually rather delicious dishes, which are available to staff for just over $3. The offering are usually quite respectable, comprising mainly of local dishes like fish curry, fried HK noodles and the odd continental dish like fish and chips.

Today's menu was pineapple fried rice or chicken lontong. I decided on the chicken lontong, because of my problem with pineapple (gives me ulcers)

I placed my order at 12.20pm. And waited. My tardy colleagues from marcom arrived 10 minutes later.

And waited. My tardy colleagues received their food. (pineapple rice was probably pre-made, I tell myself)

And waited. Tardy colleagues finished lunch and were talking about dessert and coffee (maybe they ran out of lontong and were making fresh ones, I reasoned).

And waited. Tardy colleagues finish coffee and head back to work, leaving me to the company of coleagues who came after me. And who were happily eating their pineapple rice.

And waited. I am reminded that my lunch hour is not in fact an hour, but 45 minutes. Something to do with working 44 hours and still getting alternate Saturdays off. Anyway...

Finally a platter containing what does NOT look like pineapple rice arrives and is placed in front of me. Time check: 1.15pm.

Just for the record, I am not a patient person. On the contrary, I hate waiting and have a 10 minute waiting threshold for appointments and meetings.

So why did I do all that waiting? I think I just wanted to see how far they would go. And now I know. one near bloody hour. And did anyone apologise or explain the situation? No.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that we pay a subsidised price. However, as my friend Chin would say, "But still!!"

It's over

The really big event that I had been stressing over the last 2 months is finally over, and I feel like a huge stone has been lifted off my chest.
Its been a really exciting, stressful, rewarding and frustrating time. And if that sounds confusing, then you know exactly how I feel.

So in the midst of the post-production blues, I will recount some key points, lest I forget.

1) The number of people who appreciate your efforts far outweigh those that don't, even if they don't always say it. And the naysayers are totally inconsequential.

2) People who do say how much they appreciate your efforts are worth their weight in gold.

3)Things don't go according to plan always, but that's ok.

4) When things do go wrong, it is not cool to squat down in a foetal position and put your head in your hands. Not glamourous. This is exactly what I did when my slide show didn't come on with the music as planned and then hung for an eternal 7 seconds. Not glamourous at all.

5) It's also not cool to yell at your colleagues when they are just as frazzled as you are about aforementioned slide show boo boo. And be thankful when they understand you are stressed and don't hold it against you. Thanks ZW and TX, for being decent human beings.

6) When people come and harangue you about stuff you can't control, it's good when your CEO walks by and provides the answers and shuts the person up. At this point, its also ok to smile smugly. That told you, little Miss Control Freak.

7) It really feels good to see the President and his wife laughing, clapping and having a good time. Makes all the crap worthwhile.

8) It's nice being hugged by your boss :)

Moving

Whoever scheduled us to move office in the same week as the most important club event of the year ought to be strung up and made to listen to 12 hours of the Umbrella song.

It was a nightmare. No email, no phone, no fax, boxes everywhere. It took its toll on us in the way of strained backs, general stinkiness and the wonderful feeling of having 3000 things to do and not getting any of it done. Sigh.

The new temp office is not as bad as I thought though. Its sorta like a cabana in the middle of the forest, a little hideaway where noone can find us.

Which is not a bad thing.

But, oh, the timing. It really riles me.

The Confirmation Appraisal

It has been three months since I started this new job, and the time has come for the all important confirmation appraisal. That basically means that my boss and I have a chat about what I can and cannot do within my job scope, and whether its worthwhile for both of us to have me hang around to learn how to do the things i can't.

At least, that's how I always saw it. But this place does things a little differently. For one, I have to write things down, to go on record, in my file for all my time here.

Things like, what have I done that I am happy about, what keeps me from doing my best and how my boss can help me "accomplish those goals". (Aside: HR people should be banned from using words like goal, accomplish, target and develop. They throw it around like it was so much confetti.)

So I have to fill this thing in by the 9th. And apparently my boss has one to do too. Sigh

A couple of updates for you who have read other posts.
Remember Mr So-early? The one who gave me a hard time about leaving past 7? He resigned. Within 2 months, couldn't take the pressure. I should ask him, "Why you leave so early?" Ha ha.

My tough boss - I think I found her marshmallow centre. She wants what all human beings want, empathy for doing a tough job and doing it well, and friendship. QED.

Early? But it's past 7!

It really bothers me that people equate working late to working hard.

Yesterday evening, I decided I had it. My eyes hurt, my brain was drained and not a single thought was running through my head. I didn't see the point in continuing to stare at my computer, so I started packing my things to leave.

"You are leaving? So early?"

I looked the the time. It was 7:40pm. I get off work (technically) at 6.

"It's not early. Its 7:40. What do you mean by early?"

Without waiting for a reply, I walked out of the office.

This morning, I was the first one in. And Mr So-early strolls in at 9:30 and says, "You know the rest of us were here till 9 yesterday."

I was tempted to say, if you spent less time chit chatting at the secretary's desk and taking coffee breaks, maybe you can finish your work quicker and go home "early" too.

But I will bide my time. Does anyone else have this problem with going home "early"?

Yes, its been a while...

Hi everyone, yes I know I have been missing for a while, but since I just started this job and all, I haven't really have had time to get online long enough to write something.

But today is Saturday and it's fairly quiet, so I thought I would take the opportunity to do a quick update.

I have been here 4 weeks now, and considering the amount of work I am doing, it feels like I have been here forever. They work like crazy here, the MarCom department and my boss is a stickler for perfection, so not only is there a lot of work to do, there is a high quality to do.

Just to make things more exciting, I have also joined for the half of the year where there are the most things happening, National Day, AGM, the groundbreaking for a new building, Christmas, New Year's , and the list goes on.

As with any large organisation, half the problems here are based on human error, especially communication errors. So I have to step quite carefully, especially when it comes to handling the members. Not that I am a particularly badly behaved individual, but Club etiquette is a whole other ball game.
People who come here are used to giving orders and treated like VIPS and somehow they feel justified to do it here as well.

I am sure I will have stories on this as time goes by :)

My only grouse with working here right now is the crazy hours. My boss practically lives here, going home only to shower and sleep. Everyone else is around at least till 9pm. I feel a little guilty leaving at 7 (!). But I think they will get used to it, especially if I still deliver. At least I hope so.

I realise this has been more a letter than a post, but hey, you didn't have to read it all.

See you all in a bit.

How I know I no longer work in an IT company

1) I only have 10MB email space

2) Noone knows how to use the Q drive

3) I don't have a calculator on my desk

4) I have not used excel in a whole week

5) The radio is playing English music

6) People understand and respond to my one-liners

7) I haven't had to hear anyone say "Like that, hah?" all week

8) I receive no junk mail from anyone offering to sell me cheap Microsoft Suites

9) Noone knows how to change the toner in the laser printer

and the last indication that I no longer in IT

10) NO MORE DAMN PRICE LISTS TO DO!!!!!

New Beginnings

I started my new job on Monday and it's been good. It is a totally different ball game though, because it is so different from working for a family-run SME, but I think I will be learning alot of new things here.

As usual, working in marketing means there will be a lot of people who love you and a lot of people who hate you. In this organisation, there also seems to be a lot of politics - inter-section, inter-department and interpersonal. I think I am going to stay out of it as much as I can. Gossip is just a devious double-edged sword, one that I want no part of.

My team seems to be a very talented lot. Alot of the people here are new, so I think we will all have to adjust to each other. There are a couple of old timers (meaning been here 10 years), but they seem to be nice and friendly people. One of them looks like a neater version of Jeff Goldblum, which provides nice eye candy. :)And he sits right in front of me :) :)

I love my new work environment. So green and luscious, everywhere you look, trees, trees and more trees, which is a lovely change from the dry dusty industrial park I worked in before. Getting to work also takes a lot less time. Thank God for bus lanes, where I travel and happily watch all the cars stuck in the selfish, arrogant desires of one another.

The IT here leaves much to be desired though. My mailbox can only hold 10MB of space (!), and Outlook keeps hanging. And every thing is still paper based, from member records to staff leave application.

Well, that's my first report. I go on my first journalistic assignment today, so I will have more to say later in the week, I am sure.

Cheerio!