why am i not surprised that i am a marlin?? :)


What Finding Nemo Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

time flies by... didn't realise i haven't blog for a while..

so what's up in my life? just busy with work. My first event of 2004, FHA2004 is happening in 8 weeks time. Being the biggest exhibition for hospitality industry in Asia, there are a lot of expectations on the staff working on this project. Me included. I volunteered to take on the wine challenge and wine classes when an ex-colleague left. I like wine, i like drinking... so a good fit. But what works against me was that i had very little lead-time. My ex-colleague left the project way behind schedule and i had loads of catching up. Honestly overwhelmed now... how to make this work? How to meet my target? i really want this to be spectacular.

The next event is CommunicAsia... also another biggie exhibition for the telecommunications and IT industry. It will be a big wow to make it fly! Things are heating up for this project and i am being "chased" for speaking slots everyday. It is a learning experience to (a) balance helping the project by accepting exhibitors as speakers while maintaining neutrality in the conference (b) manage FHA and CommunicAsia which are 2 mths apart.

i pray for wisdom to handle all the challenges... i pray for strength and good health as i work hard... i pray for new learning experience everyday... i pray that i am able to inspire and motivate my team-mates as we run the "race" together.

"Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there…to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be but you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would never realize your potential, strength, will power or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test limits of your soul.

Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create whom you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things. Make every day count. Appreciate everything that you possibly can, for you may never experience it again.

Talk to people whom you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold you head up because you have every right to.

Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create you own life and then go out and live it. "

This email has been circulating for ages. Yet everytime i read it, it reminds me to take a minute to appreciate my friends... to count my blessings... and most importantly, to believe in ME.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

I had wanted to get out of the country during Chinese New Year. Well, it's a five-day break from work without having to take leave, make sense right? Another reason is bcos i really don't want to go through the usual grilling about my single status from my relatives... the "are you dating anyone yet?", "when are u going to give my kids ang bao?" etc etc.

Maybe i am super-sensitive this year.. but i seems to get even more comments. Even carrying my cousin's 3-mth-old baby gals got me a comment "hey, u are carrying a baby so that you can have your own kids soon!!!" ARGHHHH!!!!

yes, i am hoping to start dating and possible get married sometime in the future. But dearest aunties and cousins, i can't rush these things and pls dun stress me up anymore okie!!! If you want to help, the introduce tall, sporty men to me who challenge me to better myself and most importantly, communicates with me.

I think stephanie sun's "Yu Jian" speaks of my situation at the moment...

My Big 3 is approaching...
And my frds are making me sit up and seriously think what i want to achieve before i hit the scary big 3! A good thing to happen at this time bcos i m still in the "setting new year resolutions" mood and chinese new year is around the corner as well. Hmmm, need to define clear goals...

I am on this "Copy-writing Essentials" course at British Council these 2 days. Fascinating how much stuff i wrote were actually not useful at all. They do not meet the 3 'musts' in copy-writing: Purpose, prospects and product! Used to think marketing copy-writing is using loads of fluffy terms, catchy phrases etc. But the best catch-phrase is wasted if the prospects (target audience) cannot connect with the text. Wow, a lot to think about when writing.

Looking forward to the long weekend next week. Happy munching on pineapple tarts, kueh bangkit... yum yum :)

happy new year!

gosh, it's 2004 already... so what do i want for the new year?? hmmm... i havent write down my new year resolutions yet.
definitely lose some weight and be more toned. definitely want to have good and clear complexion. these are two areas i taken for granted after achieving the goals in '02...

professionally, i want to take on new projects and expand my skills in organising events other than conferences and outside of Spore. I got my wish on the former, requested for a project that an "out-going" colleague is handling. Well, i will learn from handling this project that is so behind schedule. I may have a chance on the latter, if my company is going to organise conference in Vietnam.

2004 is going to be an excellent year because I am going to make it a splendid benchmark year! :)

hello everyone... so sorry to go missing..

so many things happening the past 2 weeks... there was my conference which turned out well (yippee, last event of the year!!!), the buying of toilet/kitchen stuff for my "upgraded" flat, the painting of my room liliac, the buying of new lights etc etc. There goes my bhonus..

Oh, and the unpacking. If packing was tough, unpacking was hell! aiyoh, where did all the junk come from? I have chucked away $5000 worth of things that i no longer need.

some of my friends/colleagues going through relationship issues now and they turned to me to confide. Thank you guys for trusting me and confiding in me. I love and care for you lots... and i wish that i shared "correct advice". Dunno, sometimes just wondered if i know what to say... but know that i care a lot...

My mummy is great!!!

the past week has been "dusty"... my block is undergoing upgrading and they started working on both my toilets yesterday. I had a shock when i reached home last night, every inch of the floor is covered with dust...and it's only DAY ONE!!! ARGHHH!!!! 10 more days to go.. of having to use the portable toilet they installed in the master bedroom.

As i said, my mum is great! She got us to glad-wrap all our cupboards, furniture, decorative items at home (the nagging finally got into me and i only did my room last sunday). She's the first to get up yesterday to cover the hse with black garbage bags and last to sleep cos she was still vacuuming the floor. Without her, i think my plc will be in a very very bad state. Thanks mum!

Aiyoh, i really dread the cleaning after the toilets are done.

oh gosh, it's nearly the end of nov... so many things to do - events to wrap up, people to chase before they disappear for xmas hols, setting the framework for 2004's event. Of course, not to forget that we all have our personal stuff to take care.

bcos we are so swamped with "urgent" matters, my colleagues and I had a "technical shut-down" last evening, just too overwhelmed that we can't proceed. Instead, we had a good chat at my cubicle about expectations. Actually, it was an excellent session which i hope inspired my colleagues to continue the journey (some are so discouraged that they are contemplating quitting :( )

Bosses' expectations of us and our expectations of bosses, expectations of ourselves etc etc... The bottomline is that all of us are scared that we don't meet up to people's expectations, that we are failures in the eyes of our bosses/colleagues.

Here's something i read in the papers today...

Thought for the week:

Failure is
- not avoidable
- not an event (but a process)
- subjective and not objective
- not the enemy but the teacher
- not irreversible
- not a stigma
- not final

~ John C Maxwell

Right!

"When I always choose the action that love sponsors, then I wil experience the full glory of who I am and who I can be?"

There is only one purpose for all of life, and that is for you and all that lives to experience fullest glory. Everything else you say, think, or do is attendant to that funtion. There is nothing else for your soul to do, and nothing else your soul wants to do.

The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determine Who You Want to Be.

- Conversations with God, Book One

Cheem right??? Yes, it is profound and i struggled a little to follow the diagolue. But this is very much in line with what HL told me just 2 days ago... to think about who i want to be.

Life keeps sending you the messages until you get it.

And thanks to V who sms-ed me yesterday... to remind me that I am I, and I must not forget that my feelings are part and parcel of me... that it's okie to be down... the feeling will pass :)

Aiyoh... i have been so busy lately... time flies!

The few "highlights" during the past week: (1) my super old "back-up" notebook finally died on me. This is one of those 1st generation lappie that don't even have a USB port... antique. But it served me well the weeks when my desktop modem was down. Guess its "death" forced me to get the modem fixed. Now, i am writing from my desktop :) (2) been building up my relationships with mum and dad. It's nice to be spending some time with my folks, something that always take the back-burner in my busy social and work life. (3) getting more "clarity" about some issues in my life (not going to explain anymore on blog... sorrie!)

I better rest early tonight... at least 80% of my colleagues are down with flu or cough and i think i just caught the sniffy bug. And the 3 big ulcers in my mouth are killing me :(

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

a good principle to follow... i am always beating myself up over the things i done wrong, wondering what i would happen if i done it otherwise. It is for me to learn to to "finish each day and be done with it" :)

"everything happens for the better... u never know until u try" ~ from the movie Sliding Doors

i love that movie... still one of my favourites despite the heavy Brit accent. The idea of "what if" and how lives can be so different bcos of one split second. Yep, i confess that i still wonder about the "what if's" in my life and what would it be like for me if i have made another decision / took another route. But i cannot change the past, can i?

Just finished reading another great book from Mitch Albom... i like the way it started... "all endings are also beginnings". Maybe its not a bad thing to end the emotional burdens we carry, so that we can have new beginnings. Other thought-provoking ideas include we are all connected, our actions affect another person, even if we do not know the person. And how our sacrifices may seem worthless to one person but serve as inspiration for another. Oh, the last one is my fave... that in our daily mundane activities, we contribute to a greater cause :) yep, it is nice to know that all the hours we put in at our seemingly boring jobs do help people in ways that we do not fathom.

"your existence is for a purpose... just need to find out what that is"
~ master min ;p

The Corporate Culture Test

Min, you'll thrive in a corporate culture that allows you to be a Team Player

Everybody can have a good idea, but you're the type to actually follow-through on it. You value putting actions behind your words, and you're quick to see things work in ways that others cannot. As a result, you help provide structure and coherence to an organization. Because of your uncanny abilities, you know when to speak up and when to let others lead.

You're able to provide people support without them thinking you have an ulterior motive in doing so. Bottom-line: You can be trusted in more ways than one.



true true... i like working in a team... i like to believe we all work towards a common goal and there's absolutely no need to play politics or backstab one another to get forward. Am i being naive?

You are the beautiful, dramatic sunset. Your
energy dazzles those close to you. Your
intensity is contageous, but when your sun
finally sets, you know how to relax--not many
people can boast of such a feat! You know how
to have a reeeally good time. Try to not be
narcisstic, but learn to love yourself. Don't
be embarrased to be cheesy.

You're creative and sometimes loud (even though you
don't really think so). Remember to follow
your heart, but always listen to those you
trust for advice.


-~Which SUNSET are you? (v.2)~-
brought to you by Quizilla

i like this... i have also thought that sunsets are romantic... i am a romantic at heart, waiting for a prince charming to sweep me off my feet.

Tom O'Toole
Tom's Philosophies:

· If you wouldn't buy it, then don't sell it
· Attitudes are contagious
· Nothing changes if nothing changes
· If it's to be, it's up to me
· Don't let someone else steal your day

"If youre not getting what you want out of life, then check your bloody level of enthusiasm. Nothing comes without that spark of enthusiasm."

Stress level in the office is mounting... everyone is feeling the pressure from the big boss. I am badly affected as well and in all honesty, i dreaded coming in to office this morning. But saw the above points in a write-up about a motivational speaker and i really like the last point: Don't let someone else steal my day!

BLUE You give your love and friendship unconditionaly. You enjoy long, thoughtful conversations rich in philosophy and spirituality. You are very loyal and intuitive. Find out your color at Quiz Me!

Blue... my fave colour :)

we are who we are... and much that we can "dress up" the outside, the core of our being cannot be changed

I am a procrastinator :(
One area i drag my feet on is exercising! i put on 4kgs the past 6 mths, completely zero-out the efforts of going to the gym last year. And tho' i have been saying i will get my ass moving since i came back from K.L., i havent. Worse still, I'm been bingeing a lot.... comfort eating i guess.

According to the "Procrastinator's Handbook", one way to overcome procrastination is to give yourself a reward when you accomplish the much-dreaded task. What's my reward? The pink bag from Ocean Pacific (OP)! The target is 10 walks from office to home within the next month. Once i hit that number, i will allow myself to get that bag (a very frivolous purchase!)

Kinda looking forward to tennis lessons next monday. I'm sure it will get me started on healthy and active lifestyle again.

Hmmm, i m getting very impatient with people lately... no good :(
Was supposed to have dinner with diving kakis this evening at 6.30pm. Dive buddy and his gf came very late at 8pm, and they didnt inform us that they will be late. Dunno if i am being sensitive and bitchy tonight, his gf was very unfriendly to me tonight. (1) when i gave a toast, she didnt want to drink and just turned away, no explanation whatsoever. (2) she kept bringing up topics regarding her girlfriends and so it was a conversation only she and her bf can talk abt. (3) she poured beer for H and her bf gestured to her to top up for me too as my mug was just next to H's. She refused. She just put down the jug after filling H's mug.

I wanted to leave ard 9pm cos i wasnt enjoying the dinner and the company (actually, only one particular person). H said it wasnt nice to leave to leave so soon since they rushed down for dinner. But hey, they were late! And why should i endure an unenjoyable dinner? I got better things to do.

But you know what? I stayed till 11am with them... what a loser!

i believe in having minimal mess in my cubicle... when it gets too cluttered with papers and magazines that i have to go thru', i find that i can't work!!

Here are some great advice from "The Procrastinator's Handbook" by Rita Emmett

TWELVE TIPS FOR WORKING MORE EFFECTIVELY AT YOUR DESK
1. Write down your ideas. Do not trust your memory, no matter how good it may be!
2. Set down your priorities before the start of each day's work.
3. Use your high-productivity hours for your top-priority projects.
4. Tackle time-consuming projects in stages.
5. Do not overschedule. Leave some time each day free from appointments.
6. Concentrate on one item at a time
7. Take breaks. Walk around. Stretch. Eat lunch away from your desk.
8. Establish a place for everything. Categorise, file and store items nearby.
9. Keep paperwork moving.
10. Put limits on visits:
- stack stuff on any extra chairs so uninvited visitors have to stand
- when chatty people call, as soon as you anser the phone, tell them you have only a few minutes to talk. Politely ask them the point of their call right away.
11. Remove from your desk all papers yu are not working on. This prevents lost or mixed-up papers.
12. Handle each piece of paper only once.

And more clutter busting tips...

TIPS FOR PAPER CLUTTER
- Feed the wastebasket.
- Get rid of what you don't need.
- SKim material as soon as it arrives.
- Don't even skim junk mail: just toss it.
- Pass on to the appropriate person any papers someone else can handle.
- Find a place for everything worth keeping, and put the papers where they belong.
- Realise the world won't end if you get rid of something.
- Recycle paper.
- Ask yourself: Do you really want to be caretaker of this paper? Do you really want to devote precious space to clutter?

It's bad feng shui to be surrounded by "rubbish"
~ master min :P

i like this too... i am like the Goddess of Love...


Aphrodite/Eros


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla