Life is what you make out of it

I'm back!

2011-01-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

I'm back!! So what has happened since June?

1. LG is now in UK doing his law degree (glad for him since this was what he was doing to begin with).
2. Got a "wait for me" ring from LG before he left.
3. Just came back from London. OMG I love the place so much that I encouraged him to work there. Happy to see LG doing well and loving what he is doing so much.
4. Work is still the same for me
5. Sis graduated and got a rather good and well paying job, I'm happy for her
6. I'm still a shopaholic with 2 bursting wardrobes
7. BTO application got rejected. Not so sad anymore since LG may not work here.

More on number 3. LG's studio unit is nice and comfy. It's near the shopping district and within walking distance to sch. I love it. I love the winter..the snow..the old english buildings..authentic english breakfast...the tube..west end plays, shopping and the list goes on. Can't wait to go back in mar or apr..and before long he will be back in June. It's scary how time flies...your life can just change within a few months. Suddenly there are so many more possibilities.

I wish everyone a great year ahead!

2010-06-15T04:15:00.001-07:00

It's been 4 months since i last blogged, just want to update that I'm still alive and kicking! Life is the same everyday. Now that LG has graduated, we are beginning to make plans for our future. We'll see how this 6 months go before we decide on furthering studies. But I wouldn't want to jinx anything so I won't reveal anything more. But I really do look forward to owning my own place and a huge walk in wardrobe!!

2010-02-06T07:15:00.001-08:00

updated my shopping listing with new CNY dresses!

2010-01-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

Caught "It's Complicated" over the weekend. It was really a good movie. I love the house, the bakery and the humour. My dream bakery is just like the one in the movie. I want to own a bakery like the one in the movie! LG promised that if we do settle down under, he will help me fulfill my dream of owning a bakery! On one hand I very much hope he gets the Singapore one so that he can be with me..but on the other hand I do want to find out what it's like living down under..so I hope he goes there as well. Anyway, it's up to fate to decide. If he goes down under, I will take the opportunity to learn driving and brush up on my bakery/culinary skills. One consolation is that at least his school holidays will be quite long!

I have decided to sign up for baking classes this weekend! LG has his Karate and Saxophone classes..I should pursue my own hobby too, I doubt I want to stay in the corporate world for the whole of my career. I'm really inspired by LG's mum who is so determined at her age to pursue her interests, from setting up an art school, learning piano to pursing a degree in TCM. She really has a "Never Say Die"attitude which I seldom see in people. I guess LG inherited this trait from her in a way. He never gives up if he really wants something.

*LG just received his orange belt today! Hope he gets a black belt soon!*

2010-01-20T04:23:00.001-08:00

Finally I'm setting aside some of my leisure time to update this blog. As I mentioned, LG and I went for a holiday to HK in mid Dec. I enjoyed the trip thoroughly. I was really very touched because LG took very good care of me.

Being the untidy person I am, I threw my clothes and shoes all over the hotel room. However, after a while without me noticing, the clothes will be hung nicely in the wardrobe and the shoes placed neatly against the wall, credits to LG. I guess, this is one quality of him which I really admire. He is such a neat person he almost never loses his stuff whereas I am the exact opposite of him, I leave my stuff all over the house and when I need them, I can never find them. I tried to be as neat as him, but I just can never do it. Maybe it's because I don't see the need to be so neat! We took 600+ photos with his SLR camera but I haven't got time to upload them yet. I bought plenty of souvenir from Disneyland..it was just so tempting I just grabbed anything I saw.

Can't believe I will be turning 26 this year..time really zips by REALLY fast. We are having more discussions about our future recently and LG has also spoke to his parents about his decision to further his studies. I am really glad for him because he gave it up for me when we met although it was his passion. I don't want him to live with any regrets and I really think he is very suitable to be in that industry so I'm giving my full support. I hope he gets the local one so we won't have to LDR. If not, it's fine with me as well since we started off with a bit of LDR anyway. It's not yet decided but I'm praying for him to get what he wants! We will start looking out for homes in his final year if he decides to further pursue. We already have a few places in mind but most importantly it has to be near my parents place because I would prefer my mum to take care of my kid. And secondly, there has to be 4 rooms so that one can be converted into my walk-in wardrobe and another into a theatre room for LG and bedrooms for us and the kid. And when the kid is a bit older and more independent, we will want to move to somewhere near his parents place since LG has always wanted to live on a high floor with a sea view. We have even discussed the school our kid will attend depending on if its a girl or boy.

I think we are in the stage where we have nothing exciting to do on weekends..so we need something to spice our life up. I really hope the day I own a home will come soon so we can spend our weekends shopping for furniture and decorating our home!

2009-12-07T02:51:00.000-08:00

It's been two months since I last updated. Work has been so hectic since I came back from my HK trip. I'm finally starting to settle down in my new portfolio. I guess I really appreciate that the company is changing my portfolio after only 1 year. However, a close colleague of mine just tendered her resignation in Nov and joined a competitor which is supposedly the pay master in the industry. (It's not the other big 3) The pay jump is about 15%. I'm so tempted to join her as well..afterall money is a big draw factor in any job. We'll see how the situation goes...

Booked another trip to HK and this time i'm going with LG. Damn excited about it as it is our first official trip together ( we went on a cruise twice though ) and we are definitely visiting Disneyland! I'm really tempted to splurge on this trip as I will be getting my bonus on the 15th of this month. Can't wait for it!It will be the first time I'm getting an inflow of a five digit amount right into my account in one short! For all my previous jobs I have never really worked the whole year to get the full bonus but for this one i am! I feel i so deserve it because the job is really stressful and demanding at times.

Will post photos of my trip when I am back!

2009-10-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Flying off to HK next week. It's been EONS since I last travelled! I have prepared another empty suitcase because I'm expecting myself to shop like crazy! Of course, not forgetting to visit places like the Madam Tussauds wax museum and Disneyland. It will be a free and easy trip with mummy! Will post photos when I'm back.

Recently, LG has been learning to play the guitar on his own. I'm really quite surprised he could play his favourite song "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton on the guitar without any guidance. He actually plugged out the tune by what he claims, his "music sense". He ultimately aims to be able to play the electric guitar as it is much tougher than the normal acoustic guitar and he has been buying CDs in this genre. But I don't really like electric guitar tunes...I feel more stressed listening to these tunes and he keeps playing them in his car.

On a side note: I realised that blogshop items are quite "resellable". I have almost sold everything that does not suit me! So I didn't really waste any $ on unwanted clothes.

Photos galore

2009-09-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Had fun with LG's SLR camera today.

Some photos I took:

My favourite out of all:

LG trying on the aviator shades I gave him:

Tea set we use everytime we are at his place:

Drinking tea has become a habit for us now!

Carebear !

I dug out LG's rubber collection to take test my phototaking skills. Cannot imagine he used to collect rubber when he was in primary school.

My favourite rubber of the lot:

A mini pot of money plant which I gave to him. Placed it in the toilet as his toilet stinks!

Haha. And he cannot be bothered to water it, so I have to water it everytime I'm at his place.

Some other random photos:

I really love SLR cameras! The photos taken are so much more vibrant and clear. Maybe I will invest in a good one when I get my year-end bonus.

I was surfing around and I came across this baby-g watch. I'm still crazy over Baby-G after all these years.

But this model is solid yellow so I just got to have it. I have been looking for something like that ever since I saw Fann Wong wore a rather similar one in the TCS drama "Wild Orchids" in 1996.

LG knew how much I liked it and brought me to Bras Basah complex in the evening to buy it. And I also bought him a very antique Casio watch.

2009-09-03T06:14:00.001-07:00

Have decided to track my shopping buys separately here....

For those who are interested, here is the link

http://shopaholic-destress.blogspot.com/

How deep is your love?

2009-08-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

LG serenaded me with his version of "How deep is your love" on his saxophone yesterday . I wasquite surprised at his marked improvement. I didn't think he was serious when he told me he wanted to pick up saxophone, but he really proved me wrong. Now he has photography and saxophone to work on, wheareas for me, it's just work and online shopping. I should really try turn my online shopping addiction into something useful?!

Just received news today that my portfolio will be changed. I guess it's about time as well, its been one year with the company. Time really flies...! I'm already in my mid twenties..can't believe that my cousin was already with a child at this age. I still feel like a kid and I don't want to get married as yet!

OT: I'm buying so many casual clothes which I can't wear to work...but I just enjoy the anticipation of waiting for something in the mail. I have already set one day aside during my leave in Sep' to clean out both my wardrobes. Dad was nice enough to make me one new wardrobe last year but it's now filled to the the brim! Mum was complaining that she cannot fit anymore clothes into my wardrobe. So i shall clean up the wardrobes to make room for new clothes!

This is the 'before' clean up photos.

And tonnes of other clothes that are not yet washed or ironed.

Shall post the 'after' photos after my clean up. Should have quite some clothes to be sold or given away. I have already put some away for sale.

It's so ironic that I always complain I have nothing to wear when my wardrobes are already bursting. I guess girls are all the same. Compulsive and rash purchases leave you with bursting wardrobes but nothing nice to wear! i'm guilty of that! And i already made LG promise me to turn one of the rooms in our future home into a walk-in wardrobe. And he, on the other hand, wants to turn one of the rooms into a mini threatre. I doubt we will have enough rooms if we get a 5-room flat. But oh well, we will think about it when it comes.

Shopping:

I managed to find something similar to this ASOS dress in one of the blogshops and I immediately ordered it:

More backorders

2009-08-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

This post is solely for tracking of my backorders ... unless you want to be infected with my contagious "online shopping" virus..stay away!!

2009-08-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

More buys within a week

i really need to go for some rehabilitation to get rid of this addiction!!!

2009-08-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

LG and I went to explore the new park in Sengkang last Sat. It is quite a serene and beautiful place. LG took many photos with his SLR camera, shall upload them soon.

Meanwhile, these are two of the many photos taken by him in his lone trip to Botanical Gardens.

I love this one! Got the "romantic" feel.

Weekend online buys:

Forever 21 skirt for only USD15.80
From blogshop:
Should I get this?

I think i spend more money staying at home than going out.

More shopping

2009-07-30T06:29:00.001-07:00

i didn't snap out of my online shopping craze and I spent more money with the click of a a few buttons. Besides, work is getting more stressful as I will be taking on more in my portfolio. I need to find some way to destress!!

The damages to my pocket:

Think I should really keep a diary of my purchases, too many shipments to track!

On to another topic, LG is so into his saxophone and photography now. I really like this photo of his, taken at ECP on a sunny afternoon. Love the colour contrast between the boots and the surroundings. He says it kind of represents his life now, stuck between cross roads, not knowing which way to choose.

Will publish more photos taken by him in time to come. Afterall, i should support him!

3rd anniversary

2009-07-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd year anniversary today! It's the first time he gave me a card. When I saw "To: Mrs (his name)" on the envelope, I was really so touched and happy. He thanked me for loving him even when he was unreasonable and irritable, and even when he does not give me the attention I need. Even though it's been only three years, I feel like we have been together for more than a decade. I still love him as much, if not more. It's been quite a journey with him, with some ups and downs in this relationship. Even though he makes me really upset at times, i cannot bring myself to stay angry at him for long. Love is blind isn't it.

I know we will celebrate many more anniversaries together! Here's what he did for me on my bedroom wall:

Snaps of him hard at work:

Thank you LG!

Haven't been shopping for a LONG time...so I went crazy when i started to shop:

Laptop bag: (LG paid half)
Addidas Stella Macartney bag: (from LG)
Martina Pink Heels:
Addidas shoe:
From G2000 and Levi's:

Lingerie from Triumph:
From Esprit:
From Mango sale:
DMK shoes:

Online buys:

blogshop:

Forever21

A pleasant surprise

2009-04-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

I was called into my manager's room today and I thought I had done something very wrong and that was why she wanted to speak to me. To my surprise, she told me that i'm now promoted to a new salary grade and I got a huge jump in increment. Maybe not huge to others but it's huge enough for me! I feel like splurging already!

I really am relieved when I think back on my 3 month stint at DF* in 2007 which paid a miserable 2k. It was really a good decision to leave. Just 2 years down the road now and i'm getting more than double of that. Imagine if i had stayed on...and I heard the increment there is pathetic. Anyway, I'm really grateful for this increment since i'm only six months into the job. But this is just a one time adjustment for new and young hires. Subsequent increments would be given yearly.

I realised that I don't really spend much nowadays except on food. Sometimes work just zaps so much energy out of me I just want to rest when I get home. No time to spend $. I'm too lazy to even shop online nowadays. Lazy to post a comment and do the funds transfer.Lazy to log into internet banking and fish out my token. Come weekends I usually only spend on food as well, don't know why shopping does not interest me that much anymore. Food does. Haha.

PS: I hope LG gets what he wants...

2009-02-27T06:27:00.000-08:00

Another month has whizzed by... I haven't updated much due to my busy schedule. Mon - Fri is work and then home and tv,books and Zzzzz. Sat and sun are mostly reserved for LG. My life has become rather routined. LG ever told me he is a rather boring person and he likes to do the same stuff over and over again. He can eat the same wanton mee everyday for more than a week without feeling sian. I'm beginning to like this type of routined life, don't know why, i just get a sense of security from it. And i guess he likes it too because i am so accustomed to his schedule that i know what he is doing without him telling me.

That aside, seems like this recession is just getting worse. You never fail to hear about it in the news everyday. It's rather depressing and it just makes me feel glad I still have a job. I'm also glad that i was disciplined enough to save every month ever since I started working and when i look at my accumulated savings, i'm really proud of myself. Cash is still king, especially in recessions.

And since my birthday is coming, I'm going to reward myelf. LG just bought the new Mac (aluminium) laptop and it's really cool. I never knew that you could switch to Windows Operating System on a Mac and partition your hard disk for it. To put it simply, you can switch between using Mac and Windows Vista/XP easily. And the LED screen is really crystal clear, i'm so won over by the clarity and vibrant colours that I'm tempted to get one too. The aluminium body is so cool as well. But my laptop is still working fine..so maybe i should just get a phone. The new nokia 5800 touch screen phone is quite interesting! Think i should just get that...

Our team is going away for a half day team building and we are going to have the international buffet at Mariott for lunch, i can pig on the sashimi again! Oh and CNY was the same... except that i met more of LG's relatives then before and they were quite generous with their hong baos considering i'm just an outsider. LG's mum gives me more than what she gives some other relatives and i'm really happy. I feel that she sees me as someone important in LG's life.

It takes a lot to maintain a relationship and i'm still learning how, but slowly i'm getting there.

2009!

2009-01-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

It's been 2 months since I blogged, so many things have happened since the last post...but life has been very fine and good.

I will be turning 25 this coming March. It's funny when I think back on my younger days that I used to dream of getting married at 25. I thought it was the perfect age to be married, then have a baby at around 27 and then a second one at 29. But now, it's not going to be possible, LG is still studying and most importantly, I'm not ready to take on the new roles of a wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother. I'm happy just being a girlfriend and daughter. Listening to my colleagues stories made me realise how hard it is to juggle a family. I think we have to be mentally prepared before we step into one. It would be disastrous not knowing what marriage entails. Knowing what to expect of a married life reduces one's regret of stepping into one. Because marriage is a BIG change. Big change to many aspects of your life. Suddenly you are sleeping beside someone else, suddenly you have another mummy and daddy, suddenly a baby comes into your life etc. I'm really not ready. I love my life as it is now. LG would agree too. And afterall, whether you get married earlier or later it doesn't matter as long as it's someone you love and can live with.

I've seen a new side to LG. He's actually into chinese tea. The art of brewing chinese tea. He made chinese tea for me and taught me the steps to brewing chinese tea. It suddenly hit me that there is still a lot of things I do not know about him. I thought I knew him inside out. I find it very attractive that he knows a lot stuff I don't. And the fact that he is very independent and decisive in situations. It gives me a sense of security. And the small things he does for me he never used to do for anyone else, I know it LG, I know it in my heart although I don't say it and I really appreciate it.

2008-11-24T04:25:00.000-08:00

It's been some time since I have updated. Been busy with work and rest since I have not been feeling well. Coy's D&D is just over and I had a great time. I should count myself lucky coy is still holding D&D when many banks have already scrapped D&D to cut costs. And reading the news everyday is just depressing but at the same time, it makes me feel that I'm really lucky. I switched jobs just before all these turmoil started..and I'm still getting my bonus since it's fixed.

I bought a new camera, so in future I can capture special moments in my life. LG will be joining me and family for a cruise, 'cep this time, dad will book another room for LG and me. And dad promised to treat lots of sashimi.

LG will be going Canada soon..to get the long awaited stamp on his passport before he can be officially called a Canadian PR. This is the first time LG is going away on holiday after we got together. I will miss him a lot and most probably spend my weekends clearing my room and resting! I doubt we will migrate to Canada in the near future... it's so cold and far away from Singapore and he is dreading the plane ride but it will be his first time riding first class on the A380. Must get him to take some pics..

Time passes by so quickly

2008-10-18T01:11:00.000-07:00

I quote my new manager's comment, "Time really flies by very quickly in this department".
And I really have to agree so. My new job is very "dynamic" as I quote one of my colleagues who told me this when I first joined. Yes, there will be surprises now and then that changes your strategy on how to manage the cash for the company. I must say i'm beginning to appreciate what I do and enjoy my job. Although I do work late hours sometimes (never as terrible as audit though, if not I would have quit), I really don't feel any greivances or unfairness cause I just want to be responsible enough to make sure my work is completed. And what's more we can claim cab and dinner as long as we work till after 7. And time just whizzes by very quickly which I don't know if it's a good or bad thing. But i rather be busy then be doing nothing.

It's been some time since I updated and so much has been going on, my new colleagues, my job etc. I'm beginning to feel that this is a company where I can stay long term because I can see the stability and good internal controls in place. I haven't seen any of the dog-eat-dog kinda of situation here yet. And I get along very well with my colleagues and we are always kidding and messing about.

My colleagues are teaching me how to trade but I don't wanna get too addicted though!

I read an article in "Weekend Today" which really made me stop and think about life. The editor talked about how an eskimo elder (grandmother) sacrificed herself because there wasn't enough food for the family. She crawled out of their igloo late at night and walked away towards death. The family woke up the next morning to find her gone, but in their hearts they know that she has sacrificed herself to ensure a better survival for the family. Perhaps whenever we are thinking of having a big house, car etc and finding ways to earn more money, we should also be constantly aware that there are people out there who do not even have the basic necessities available to them. Simple things like water and rice which we take for granted everyday. Yes money is important, but I think spending time with your family is important as well. I guess when I have my own children, I rather spend more time bonding with them then trying to climb up the corporate ladder. If you miss the chance to spend time with your kids during their growing years, you will live to regret it. There will be nothing for you to reminisce about because you didn't participate in any activities with them and when they are older, it will be too late for you to try to bond with them. Life really isn't all about bungalows and ferraris.

2008-09-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

Amid all the financial turmoil and job losses, i'm still in a shopping frenzy!

I'm really glad i didn't join the banks.. and i'm really grateful to my manager and supervisor for giving me the chance to join EM. My colleagues are really nice and fun-loving! They always ask me along for any activities, makes me feel i'm part of the family. And i'm learning a lot in my job..stress stress stress.

P.S I don't know to laugh or be angry with LG sometimes. The other day we were walking to compass point from my home, and he walked so fast ahead so of course i was very angry and asked him why must he walk so fast and not wait for me. He immediately shot me back with this, "because life is short". I really wanted to be angry but I found it so true and funny as well. He always shoot me with this kind-of true-but-funny answers that I cannot rebutt.

I'm attending my company's D&D and thought this was suitable, but wait till it arrives in the mail first! Crossing my fingers that it suits me...

LG bought me the Nike water bottle i have been lemming for for so long:

Aunt bought this coach bag for me when she went to US for a holiday (not free though, I paid for it):

Payday is coming!

2008-09-12T07:59:00.001-07:00

Time really flies, it has been three weeks since I joined my new company. Colleagues are nice and humorous. Most of them are from NTU so maybe that's why I can click with them unlike previously where everyone was quite old and of different phases in life. A lot a lot to learn because treasury is something really very new to me. I miss my previous company as well, I miss the freedom ,the short hours, the 2 hours lunches, but then again, i wasn't really learning much there, it was so hard to pass my time sometimes. Sigh, life.... you just can't have the best of both worlds. How i wish i had my current job but previous company environment. This is my fourth job since graduation, I think its time I really settle down a bit and stop hopping around.

LG just decided to do something which may change our plans for the future, but it's a good decision made I feel. I can see the enthusiasm and interest he has for it, so I'm behind him all the way. Ok I better not say too much, don't wanna jinx it. LG jiayou!

Other than that, I have been really splurging...maybe its to mend the emotional gap i felt after I left my previous company. But i'm starting to like it here, albeit the longer hours and shorter lunch break.

I photographed some of buys while waiting for LG to finish his cca:

Estee Lauder

Fashion Lab

Forever 21:

Zara:

Nu Ren Wo Zui Da recommended accessories:

I want to get my hands on a Samsung Omnia as well... should i take the plunge??

FUNtastic Weekend!

2008-08-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since LG and I have went out for shopping. We went to Taka because he needed a new pair of pants. And being the shopaholic me, I couldn't resist the temptation since I have not been shopping for ages... and I really mean eons! So today is the day when I erased the word "saving" out of my own dictionary and splurged. I have been saving money consistently because saving is also an addictive habit in itself. If you don't believe you should try. You will feel damn good when you see the $ in your bank account increase by a significant amount every month instead of remaining constant. And it's also a form of motivation for you to save even harder since you see results.

But I have been saving for so long...and since I'm going to be a little richer next month because of my shares payout and prorated AWS after leaving the company, it's a valid reason enough to spend.

I'm having butterflies in my stomach..heard from two of my colleagues that dept i'm going to is supposedly quite hard to get in but they ain't sure also.. but if it's true, it would mean that competition is stiff. Should I be happy or worried? I guess it's a good chance for me to grow up as I have grown too comfortable in my previous company, too comfortable till the extent I don't feel any stress?! And now it's time to learn some survival skills. I'm quite touched at the extent of help my previous colleagues have rendered me, one even offered to asked her hubby to intro me some nice colleagues from EM if I cannot find nice people in my team. I think I will do fine? She also told me the people there are really nice and quite happy, so that comment has eased my worries a little. I'm not exactly that sociable, but I'm pretty easy-going which I hope will help me adapt better. My manager gave me sound advice on my last day on what I should take note of when I join EM and I really thank her for it. She offered to be my career adviser if I should have any problems in future. They are such nice people, I wonder if I will ever meet people like them again. But then again, the corporate world is full of backstabbing and competition, therefore I must learn to survive in an environment like this.

As I watched the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony with LG, a thought flashed through my mind, the next Olympics will be held in London 4 years later and what will I be doing 4 years later? So i just turned to LG and asked him, " Do you think we would be married by the next Olympics?" Then he replied, "Oh yeah hor...4 years later we will be 28 and I would have been working for a few years liao, yes of course we will be married and watching the Olympics in our own home. I will work hard. " I was very touched by his answer but I don't think we will have our own place by then yet lor. 4 years later, I can imagine the prices of resale HDB flats.

Shirts I got from G2000 black label:
I love the slim fit designs and better quality fabric

And my impulse buy of the day:
A new Coach handbag from the Heritage series! LG and I were decided between blue and brown...and decided that blue would be a younger colour.

And a random shot of something amusing:
A very very very huge pair of CROCS we chanced upon, look at the size of it compared to LG's foot.

PS: We saw one of those big convex mirrors which magnifies images and LG checked out his blackheads. It was such a hilarious sight because I saw LG's reaction when he saw those damn huge blackheads! He got such a huge shock and it was really funny. But I must say the mirror magnified his nose at least a 100 times! It looked quite scary actually.

Last day...

2008-08-22T08:17:00.001-07:00

It was my last day *there* today. I will miss the green logos...green labels(their signature colour is green), classy pantries, dinner celebrations, ice-cream parties, flexible working hours, overseas holidays etc. But what to do... I have to chart my own career and build up my market value which is more important.

So off I am to the new place. The benefits seem about the same ($$ wise better!) with quite a few overseas trips as well.. I'm looking forward to going overseas and if i'm lucky enough to travel to places which take more than a 4hour flight, I will get to travel business class! Over here the policy is the same but I haven't got a chance to travel to places further than a 4 hour flight. I would want to have a taste of what it's like to travel on business class, since I will never travel on business or first class for my own overseas holidays. LG has taken first class his life... I can only imagine the impeccable service they provide from his descriptions of the trips.

So I received quite a lot of farewell lunches and dinners. Really quite grateful that I have met such nice colleagues who will stay as my friends forever.

This is what I received as a farewell gift from the team:

Presents from LG's family from their recent trip to Japan:

According to his mum, this skin conditioner is amazing but it costs 100+ bucks!

2008-08-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

A very happy weekend spent!

On sat we went for a swim at the new Sengkang sports complex. The pool features 8 slides! Something like our now defunct Sentosa-Fantasy island. Damn fun...! After the swim, we napped and LG spent the rest of the time revising his work.. afterwhich we caught NDP on TV and then enjoyed the night breeze at his open rooftop.

And today...LG whipped up a meal for us:

Random pictures:

Official last day..

2008-07-21T05:21:00.000-07:00

And so my official last day is 22 Aug. And my official first day there is 25 Aug. They offered me a substantial increment (in my opinion) for a role I totally have no experience in. And the most attractive thing is the 2 year rotation scheme they have for everyone and of course the 15 mth AWS. 15 mth! And of course... in the same location which is so convenient for me...half an hour's journey and I always get a seat. What more can I say, they are even bigger in size then my current coy.. the brand name is there which is good for my resume and there are many other perks like the yearly trips they have to Hongkong and Thailand. So i convinced myself to hand the letter! Will miss my colleagues but this is better for my future.

Hope everything goes smoothly...

2nd anniversary

2008-07-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Our second anniversary today!

LG got me a fengshui crystal tree, which is suppose to help in my career, luck, health and wealth. His sis is really "pandang" about this type of stuff (she even went to take a course on "feng shui"; no wonder her room has so many artifacts) and I think he kinda got influenced. I don't know if you guys believe in this, but a lot of buildings and artifacts in sg are influenced by feng shui, so there must be some truth and power in it? The tree is made from real crystals , so it's really nice! LG asked me to place it in my new office since we spend most of the time at work, but i'm afraid it will get stolen since it is quite exquisite and each piece is one of its kind. So i will just place it where I spend most of my time next.... my BED of course! Place it near my bed. So i can "absorb" all the positive energy when I'm at my calmest. The best thing is the tree is seated on a bunch of raw crystals which holds a lot of "yang qi", which will chase away the uninvited spirits. I must say he always gives me the most unexpected but practical gifts...!

Guess what I got him? A very practical thing too! A Samsung laser jet printer. There will be no need for him to queue up at NBS FAL anymore. I think the FAL is really getting very overcrowded since our days there.

Got to sit in LG's new Honda Civic Hybrid in Pearl White! The shade of white is so nice! If my dad ever gets sis and me the Honda Jazz I want it in Pearl White too. Civic is much more comfy and spacious albeit the more expensive price tag compared to his Tuscani. But I like it so much now..it's so much more at ease when he is driving because it's a saloon and people will not try to "ji xiao" him like they would when he was driving the Tuscani. I actually feel more relieved and less worried.

And daddy got a new car too..the new Honda 2008 Accord 2.4l. He told LG to drive the car last weekend to go buy dinner and I sat in.. it was more comfy than civic. And it has so many functions! I want an accord too when LG and I get our first car.

Hai...and i'm going to face the music tmr I guess...I couldn't sleep well the past 2 nights. My ex team lead is actually very happy and encouraging of me. Opportunities don't come by all the time, so I should grab it when it comes right?

PS: Mummy just came back from Malaysia with lots of durian. Yummy.

Take a risk, Take a chance, Make a change...

2008-06-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

Received a phonecall today which I think I have been waiting for for a long time. However, the more I think about it, the more I'm hesitating. I thought I wanted it badly? But now I'm starting to have concerns... The terms are very attractive... but..... maybe I have been spoilt rotten here? But i always envied others for getting so much more exposure...now is my chance... isn't it?

Romance of the three kingdoms

2008-06-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

Wow...I haven't updated my blog for about 2 months? Been busy for the past 2 months, helping LG to shift his stuff to his new home. Everything is finally settled and here I am, sitting on his new chair and blogging on his laptop while he is sound asleep and snoring.

LG is now crazy over "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" (the 1995 china edition) ever since he watched a short clip of it on youtube. So crazy he went from shop to shop to find the dvd and when he finally found it, the shop owner was damn glad to have it sold I think. It was the last set the store had and it was on 50% discount. I think the owner must be wondering why would a young guy like him watch such boring shows? Which i totally concur with cause when he first told me about how the show i just brushed him off, because this type of shows make me fall asleep and they are usually played on ch 8 on sat and sun afternoons where ppl are either out or taking a nap. It was when he forced me to play the dvd on my dvd player that I had no choice but to watch it with him. He is so mesmerized with the show because he told me there was a lot to learn from the show. Which i totally understand after watching a few episodes with him. He read the book when he was younger, and now, he finally understands everything. This side of him which I have never seen, makes me wonder if there is more about him that I still do not know about? Before this, I thought that I knew him very well, but now I realised he can be really wise and deep-thinking when he wants to. And he picked up a lot of tricks and lessons from the show which can be applied in real life. And we always quarrel when we watch tv because he prefers watching documentaries like national geographic while I prefer ch 8 or tvb 55. Now i let him because I learn a lot of things watching documentaries with him. No wonder his general knowledge is much better than mine.

We attended my cousin's wedding last night and one of my cousins was telling me about the HDB application process and the advantages of BTO flats. I didn't expect LG to be very serious when he told me about looking out and monitoring flats around my place but when my cousin was telling us about the HDB application process he really listened very seriously. It kinda took me by surprise...and I guess LG finally grew up. He is acting more mature now and more prudent with his spending. He told me during the wedding dinner that if he had gone back to UK for his law studies we wouldn't have to worry about our future. I felt quite bad then...i think some part of him still wants to do law. But he said it doesn't matter, because in his whole life he has always believed in "nothing is impossible". I just want a simple life, even if its a HDB, as long as I'm with him I'm happy enough. Although he is not the type that knows how to please girls particularly, I know deep in his heart he dotes on me. When he saw my cousin and his wife cut the wedding cake, he held my hand very tightly. I could feel then he really loved me and wished that it was us cutting that cake instead. I guess it doesn't matter if people get married early or later, as long as they are happy and they are prepared to make an effort to maintain a marriage. I have seen some marriages fail in my family and it always makes me wonder how would we ever know if we married the right guy? So I think there is no right guy...it's how you can accomodate him and make him a better person out of his own will instead of forcing him to change.

PS: LG's car has been sold and new car coming in July. No more 2 door car, it would be a 4 door Honda civic. His parents said the previous car was too low and bad for his slip disc. I can tell LG misses his old car...but excited about the new one since he has all the while preferred Honda as they have really high tech engines.

Our bed...

2008-04-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Lao gong is officially shifting on the 3rd of May. However, he has yet to buy the bed, his study table and dvd/hi fi set table. The rest has been custom made, including the walk-in wardrobe. And so, after his exams, we have about one week to settle all the stuff we need to buy. And he made my day when he told me,"After my exams, we go shop for our bed ok?" OUR bed!! Hehe, he doesn't know how happy he has made me...

Time passes by so quickly during the weekends

2008-03-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

Argh...it's already sunday night...fri seems like yesterday only! Haven't been updating cos i have been feeling so sleepy, i guess its the lack of sleep cos i have been shopping online every night. Damn I should be studying hard..it's march already! LG brought me to see how his new house looks like after the extention...the house looks much bigger now esp the open roof top, can hold parties and they are installing a basin and a glass roof...damn windy!! I wanna sleep there too!

We got 800bucks for our new year hong bao. 400 vivo voucher and 400 robinson's voucher. Time to shop like crazy.

Went orchard with chunnie last week and I bought myself:
1) Black wedges
2) Bathrobe and furry slipper thongs from On Cotton
3) Tee from mango
4) White cropped cardigan from Isetan
Not enough... For I haven't been shopping for some time...!

Ordered these online the past week:

Kabuki Brush from Lumiere cosmetics:

Sample mineral make up kit from everyday minerals:

F21:

Face ampoules:

Am contemplating to get these Japanese eco bags:
I can use them for grocery shopping!

Cosmetic pouch:

Bluey Monday

2008-02-18T04:06:00.000-08:00

Monday is over! Phew...I hate mondays...I get that damn tired and sian mood going to work. Received a letter in the mail today...SCB finally credited 50 bucks to my CC. This SCB CC is really good, they give you 50bucks credit with no catch, serious, really no catch. Now I have 50bucks to spend. And what's more, I can charge my savings plan to it, allowing me to earn loyalty rewards on the CC. But alas, life is a zer0-sum game isn't it, LG received a $50 parking fine near my place because he parked in the season parking lot!!! ON A SUNDAY!! And we thought the attendants wouldn't be checking on sunday since parking is free... damn!we should have just been more hardworking and drive up a few more floors...

CNY dinner this friday...looking forward to the hong bao! LG will be going with me..

We went for a spin at punggol on Sat night..he really loves the HDB there, with the scenic parks and high ceiling with full-length window..he says he wants to at least try living in HDB once. Of course we should get HDB as our first home..with the grant we get, we definitely benefit. Take a step at a time... im still waiting for him to grad...seems a long way away! But we are saving together, somehow...it makes me very happy and secure.

It's been a long time

2008-02-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Haven't updated since Dec 07. It has been a good 1 month plus..work is fine. I gotten my confirmation letter in the earlier part of the year. I'm still waiting to hear any news of the increment and bonus in March, particularly after today's townhall because they announced that the salary and bonus budget this year has been increased by a substantial bit, won't reveal the exact amount here. Of cos it will hit people to different degrees, hopefully will hit me to a LARGE extent! Anyway, I won't set my expectations so high, as long I still get my increment and bonus I'm happy. The company has so many other benefits that I can't complain.

I'm sometimes quite "sian" with my work, since my ultimate aim is to move to mid office to do something more challenging. Nevertheless, my team lead has been really great and has given me great exposure, letting me learn and do stuff not within my job role. Also, in midst of all the talks about recession and all the major banks cutting staff, I'm glad as long as I get to keep my job. Seems like it will be a tough 1-2years ahead since a slowdown has already been reported in US. I doubt the job market in Sg will be as good as last year. Even my company is cutting costs and not employing any new staff.

I'm looking forward to the CNY ang bao given by the company, heard that will be 800bucks! Will wait and see...hehe.

Here's sishing everyone a happy CNY and a great year ahead!

Celebrated Ah Ma's birthday..

2007-12-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

Went to LG's aunt house today to celebrate his ah ma's birthday. His aunt's whole family wasn't around, went to New Zealand for holiday, so only the maid and Ah ma was at home. I could tell his ah ma was very happy as we sang the birthday song for her. And the chicken rice she cooked for us was fantastic! She's 82 and still going strong. I also played with their dog today, their dog is cuter than LG's dog! And much less noisier too..

Some shots of the lazing dog:

A colleague of mine, husband just passed away recently last Saturday. And the worse thing was, my colleague was away in KL with her friends on a holiday. She rushed back to see him, but he was gone already. A sudden heart attack took his life away. It shocked me and LG too, as LG has seen my colleague too. My colleague used to be very cheerful and positive, I really cannot imagine how much her attitude towards life will change now. Heard from other colleagues she was very close to her hubby and dependent on him. I think it's even harder for her to let go and to accept the fact that her husband is now gone. I imagine myself in her shoes: a guy who has been sleeping on the same bed beside you everyday, and waking earlier to buy you breakfast before fetching you to work, and fetching you back home after work, and accompanying you in your free moments is now suddenly GONE...without a word. So sudden. How can anyone accept that? I told LG i won't quarrel with him so much liao... Quite scared now. And another of mummy's friend just died of liver cancer. No symptoms. Just fever on and off and she is diagnosed with advanced stage of liver cancer. Doc said there are no symptoms for cancer. How scary is that?? I suddenly realise that, sometimes, pursuing so much in my career will come to naught one day when something like that strikes...I think living life with lower expectations will make you happier. I think like LG said before, "We should focus on the process, not the destination. Everyone dies, the only difference is how they have lived their lives and fufilled their dreams. So its important to do whatever we have dreamt to do, so that if we were to really go one day, there is not one regret left in us". I suddenly feel that LG is actually very mature and wise after he said that! So can I own the whole catalogue of LV before I die? hehe.. Kidding. That's not my dream... I have 2 dreams, one is to have a successful career, if that is not possible, at least to be a good wife to my husband. I want to say sorry to LG, sorry I always scold you though you dote on me so much... Got to curb my temper...

Caught "national treasure" and "i am legend". Damn nice...especially national treasure..! And went shopping..sale on everywhere now!

Back at work..

2007-12-19T05:07:00.000-08:00

Back to work today...feel so tired the whole day, gotten to used to sleeping everyday. Got a pleasant surprise on my desk today, a Xmas gift from my team lead!

Reflection of my working life here so far...have been very happy, apart from the job scope which I hope to do something more challenging, the other aspects, whether morale or benefits have been really way beyond my expectations. So many free lunches and dinners, birthday cakes every month, buffet now and then..spot cash rewards, other monetary benefits. *reminder to get my sports apparel/gear as coy will sponsor 50% as long as sports related*

So touched today! LG asked his ah ma to cook bird's nest for me...the really top grade red bird's nest..and he came specially to pass me during work, so happy!

Got to work tmr although PH, cos im covering my team lead who is doing power trading, which trades in Aust, and its not a PH in Aust. But the good news is, I can claim taxi to and fro as well as get 2 days off in lieu..for only working a few hrs tmr!

What I have been doing during my leave..

2007-12-14T04:02:00.000-08:00

3rd day of my leave! Quite a fruitful 3 days I must say...because I have almost completed almost all the tasks I set out to do sometime ago. It was only during leave then I found time to do all these.

Tick marks for all these:
1) Invested in an endowment fund
2) Opened an FD account with quite an attractive i/r.
3) Opened a joint account with LG. Interest rates higher than the normal savings i/r!
4) Bought Nokia 6500C and only paid 48bucks for it!
5) Bought my first LV bag. Damier canvas papillon 30! I was contemplating between the speedy 25 and papillon but LG says speedy 25 looks like a dog bag.. and I do agree with him papillon 30 is a unique design and almost everyone carries a speedy. So, better get something unusual.Luckily I insisted on going to the raffles hotel branch(heard that that the staff are nicer) because, i received a $120 dining voucher for any of the restauarants at Raffles Hotel for spending above 1.2k. $120 bucks..can eat like siao..

Tasks pending:
1) Considering investing in cash fund since its almost as liquid as a normal savings account, however with higher returns
2) Mum's pressie. Promise her an LV bag! Around next year ba..

Updates on other stuff..
LG's mum canadian PR application is almost 80% cleared! Pending just a clean police report to prove that they have no criminal records in SG. And the good thing is, this PR was applied few years ago, when LG was still under 21 and a dependent. Thus, if his mum gets the PR, he gets it too. And his wife will automatically get it. Which means we don't have to apply it on our own! It would be so difficult to apply it on our own because there are alot of pre requisites and we have to travel there often. What's more, currently the tax rates here are still more favourable. So, our plan is to stay here until we are about 50+ and have saved quite a bit...and retire there...in the beautiful beautiful Vancouver. In light of these, LG's parents have decided to put their new house up for sale since property prices are at their peak and LG and his sis have been complaining that the new house is small.. everything is still unconfirmed, so if they get a good buyer, they will sell it. I guess they are already looking out for other properties now..and LG says they have to get a property in Canada so that his mum has a place to stay whenever she goes there. I think a PR will come in very handy in case the situation here...becomes very unfavourable.

Work is fine so far...just recently had a performance contract discussion with my team lead, very satisfied with my team lead. She says she will expose me more to meetings with other teams so that I can learn more as well as put me in charge of more projects..abit scared..don't think Im the sort that can spearhead projects in the company...

Fun fun fun again..

2007-12-09T05:21:00.000-08:00

Last weekend: Cruise with LG, Mum and her friend. We were playing jackpot and eating non-stop..LG also gave a go at the Casino..didnt win nor lose.

Friday: Xmas dinner at No 1 Marina club at sentosa cove. Wah kaoz..the food was really nice and I really had so much fun playing the games. Everyone, young and old were so spontaneous.

Saturday:
-Sent my hp for repair. I only bought it in april this year and it has started to give me problems. Always shutting down on its own. Anyway...I have decided to get the new Nokia 6500 classic. Mummy is giving me her vouchers to get the phone.

- Bought my first LV item!@!@!@! hehe..the damier canvas Brazza wallet which I have been lemming for...

Next month will be the end of my probation if nothing goes wrong. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Starting some investments in forex..pleaase let me make some $!

Fufiling weekend..

2007-11-26T06:16:00.000-08:00

Caught Enchanted at Vivo Gold Class on friday. Had half day off on friday on top of the spot bonus as a reward for our hardwork. So we got a treat at crystal jade dining and GV gold class. First time watching a movie in gold class. I must say its really comfy but I wont spend 30 bucks on a movie. Might as well get the dvd.

Caught Hero on sat and then Beowulf on sun.

I'm so lemming for some good bags now. Have been using my cheapo bag for so long.
So now...its Coach vs Gucci vs LV.
LG says dont waste money on coach. LV material is more durable and established. He says his sis's LV bags have lasted so long. But Coach wristlets and handbags are so nice. So...Coach wristlet and LV handbag!

But wallet I will definitely get from LV. Looking at LG's LV wallet, the canvas material really seems quite hardy and durable. I actually like the Epi leather series but he told me his dad Epi leather wallet..became out of shape with folds and now he has also changed to the canvas one. But i think his dad doesn't really treat the wallet with as much care that's why the epi leather wallet went out of shape. But looking at me..i also dump my bag and wallet here and there. SO LG says canvas more suitable for me since I like to throw my bag here and there in the house. Yeah I also dump my bag on the floor when I try on clothes in fitting rooms. But then again..LG and his sis treat their stuff with good care so their stuff last long. ..sometimes I feel LG baobei his car more than me..send it for polishing..interior and exterior..and change the rim..modify here and there...hai he nvr send me for modifying or polishing?! Buy me some makeup and bag la! Stop spending on your car..hmpf..

Anyway..cruise this fri with LG, mum and her friend!!

Pleasant surprise

2007-11-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

Got a pleasant surprise today!

Team lead suddenly passed me a letter...I thought what was it...so I received a one time spot bonus for working hard during the system cutover for the pass 2 weeks..and guess how much? 500 bucks! I heard from my colleague they give spot bonus which is something like a one-off cash incentive to reward you for completing a project or for working extra hard. Wah kao...i didnt really OT that late also..only first week work till 8-9plus... They are really generous man! I'm going to volunteer for more projects man..then can earn more spot bonus!

ALso found out that the dinner last friday was 300 bucks per person..but the food wasn't that great..hai..waste of money. I rather they give me the 300 bucks!

More treats...

2007-11-13T05:56:00.000-08:00

More treats coming again...

This fri night: Dinner celebration for the successful cutover to new system..and we are suppose to dress up in asian ethnic costumes...headache!

Next fri: Half day for my team. Coy reward our team for working hard for the 1 month system cutover. We got a budget of $100/person..so we decided to catch a movie at GV gold class as well as have a good lunch..wah kao $25 for the movie and $75 for lunch!! I going to eat until SIAO!! If we are having jap food im going to order sashimi like crazy! Actually i dont think we worked v hard..only work till 8+ 9+ for 1-2 weeks..compared to banks and audit and alot of other professions, its considered early.

Following fri: Lunch with our big big ..biggest boss in our singapore office..food again!

31 Nov -2 Dec: Going cruise with LG, mum and her friend tentatively. Looking forward to spending time with LG in a different environment! And if dad is going then he is going to treat us at the Jap restuarant...and according to my mum..the sashimi is damn fresshhhhh...i shall eat sashimi and nothing else...hahah!

12 Dec-18 Dec: Annual leave..compliance leave actually.Nothing planned yet...maybe just shopping and sleeping. Any activities to recommend?? Have to block 5 days every year.. So i have 5 more days to carry over...and there will be 25 days leave next year! But I have never felt like taking leave so far..until I'm forced to.

Although its abit stressful at times...on some days I quite look forward to going to work..somedays ok...and I have never felt that I was dragging myself to work like in my previous 2 jobs since I joined this coy. But shall keep my fingers crossed...life is unpredictable anyway.

2007-11-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

Weekend was fun.. Sat went to the "Super Import Nights" at Expo..showcasing cars which are modified esthetically and i super love this one.. Even the seat is leathered with LV..
Sun went for dinner with LG and his family at Dempsey road Long Beach, food was great!

LG gave me this handphone holder last week.. damn cute!

Back to work tmr... Team lead ask me to clear my 5 day compliance leave..most prob take it from 10 to 15th Dec..dunno what to do..nvr plan any holiday. I just want to save more money first!

Good news...

2007-10-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Great news!

LG's dad got selected to pilot the new A380! only 30+ plus pilots were selected out of 500+!! And they are going to be the highest paid pilots in SIA..woohoo!! And since their family are entitled to a free ticket every year... LG and his mum already planned to take the business class seats!! Wah queen size bed leh!!! If by the time i marry LG his dad is still a pilot...i will be able to take too!@!@!@ I am so greedy...

On a side note... dad has been nagging me to learn driving for a long time..he says wanna buy another car but nobody drive. Cos sis also lazy to go learn. Think dad is abit disappointed..and LG has also been pushing me to learn...and even LG's mum also ask me go learn..ok la so many people want me to learn.. i better go learn soon, dont wana make them unhappy. But i like taking MRT to work..I can sleep on the train.. I hate driving!

Work is fine so far..ot-ing quite a bit but i dont mind, cos I learn alot. And i really like that my team lead exposes me to everything possible...especially the derivatives job scope. I like that she tries to give me variation in what I do.. and she just signed me up for this energy trading course... and another shipping legal course next year. The shipping legal course seems v interesting!!

I think i wanna study as much as I can before I have kids...Once i have kids...it would be difficult to manage work, kids and studies. So our plan is to have only 1 kid. 1 kid easier to manage and we can pursue the lifestyle we want. YEsh 1 only...told my mum and she was so disappointed. She said should have at least 3. I said she is crazy. 1 kid is expensive enough i told her.

2007-10-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Busy days so far...

I have been skipping my massage sessions cause i keep forgetting them! The reminder is sent out on monday but my session is on wednesdays.. the coy has a masseuse who gives massages to the employees everyday. Every one has one session fortnightly... i think we are really spoilt rotten..

Ok now on to personal affairs:
Our plan has changed: Maybe we'll just stay at his new house after we get married..for a short while..about 1-3 years so that we can save more money for our own apartment! hopefully we can get a condo or house..
LG is making a bigger wardrobe..so that in future i move in with him..can accommodate all of our clothes.. and he has been incorporating my ideas into his room..so happy cos he treats it as if its our room.

Going to sign up for excel course liao...want to learn pivot table and v look up etc. I think excel is a very powerful programme which would be very useful when i want to move into banks in future.

A phone conversation with LG suddenly struck me..he quoted what his mum said..that the most zai people are people with skills, that they do not need worry about going hungry. Which we really agree..she's doing so well now owning her own art studio, and i just learnt from LG that his mum knows so many different types or art, silk paining..oil painting..chinese painting.. and she's learning piano now at her age. Her thirst for learning is really admirable. She is constantly upgrading herself..and learning new skills..which we really ought to learn from. From a bank manager..she went on to learn art and owns her own studio now teaching and painting. And last year she just held her own art exhibition. Actually graduates are everywhere now..i guess we are easily replaceable. But possessing a skill is different, if you are good at it..nobody can take it away from you. So i want to take up baking classes soon..maybe next year after my busy period is over this year.

Planning for a HK trip around next year mar or sep; AWS comes in dec..bonus and increment comes in april..so maybe sep is a better choice!

Very satisfying day!

2007-10-18T08:03:00.001-07:00

Very fun day!

Company hit the target again and there was an ice cream party! Free flow of Haagen Daz ice-cream, wafer and toppings. There was a counter set up by Haagen Daz to distribute the ice cream and there was 8 flavours which of course, included my favourite flavour, chocolate. It's my first ice cream party since I joined. According to my colleagues, there are abut 3 or 4 a year, everytime the coy hits the target gross margin, we get ice cream. A cup of 3 scoops costs 11 bucks, I cannot imagine for the whole group of 200plus people, just an ice cream party would easily cost 3-4k. Anyway, i ate so much i really wanted to puke. I ordered 3 scoops.

And there was an adidas sale in the pantry! I bought 2 tees for myself and 1 for LG. The sale was really good as there was 40-50% discounts. The previous time they had a New Balance sale but I didnt buy anything. I hope they have more of this kind of sale!! So one pantry was holding a sale and another pantry having an ice cream counter. The pantries are huge..one even bigger then my whole flat.

And everyone got a mug! I think they give mugs every now and then cos i see my colleagues having so many mugs. I think i really dont have to buy anything for office one. Everything is provided for. And i was looking for this type of warmer mug..luckily i haven't bought one yet!

And then after work went shopping with colleague,

Forever21 dress

Design dress:

2007-10-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

Induction was ok, got to know more about what the different teams are doing. It made me realised how narrow my perception of my own career used to be. It doesn't mean I have to be an accountant or auditor if I have an accountancy degree. I realised many of the people in front office came from accounting background but went on to do shipping and oil. They are getting more satisfaction and so much more money then doing audit or accounting I'm sure.

Anywayz..pics galore...Lao gong's new empty house..there's going to be some huge revamp they are going to do..to expand the house. Can't wait to see the finished piece. Took many pics but lazy to upload all...meanwhile..some of the pics I have. They have a wide balcony between the rooms at every floor which is a waste of space since the rooms themselves have balconies too, so these balconies are going to be expanded and given a glass roof..so cool! And they have a basement for 2 cars and a open roof top where the dad is going to turn it into a recreational area. Lao gong will be staying on the third floor, nearest to the 4th floor roof top..so we can go admire the stars without anyone knowing! Ok la his sis also on the third floor but Im sure she wont go up so often..and his parents too. The front porch in front of their house is damn big, which i feel is a waste of space too, his house could have been bigger if not for the porch. Some random pics:

Ground floor dining area
With a pond and a wooden bridge...They are going to dig a deeper pond to acommodate Koi fish..

Going to expand this area outwards with a glass floor and roof..how cool is that..
2nd floor back room balcony which they are going to expand outwards cos the balcony is a waste of space.

The room from inside

Other corner of the room
Balcony on the 2nd floor

Masterbedroom

Bathroom with a v cool bathtub..

Lao gong's room. I love the L shaped window.
Door to his small balcony
Corner outside his toilet.

View of his balcony since the balcony door is locked..
Staircase leading to the open rooftop
View from third floor..

View of living room from the kithen
Side of the house with the pond
Front porch area with 2 staircases leading to the basement

Front porch area still..1 staircase
The other staircase to the basement carpark
Basement.
Shopping this week:
1) A dress from Fashion Lab
2) 4 boxes of Kose Mask ordered from Taiwan.
Eye Mask

White Essence Mask

Hyaluronic acid moisture Mask

Q10 Coenzyme Mask

2007-10-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

Work is fine so far, coy will be migrating to SAP soon and trainings will start next week and will last for about the whole month. Had my performance contract discussion with my team lead the other time and I'm very happy that she is very open and willing to let me learn. I'm going to learn her job scope soon as I'm her cover when she's on leave. She's doing settlements for power trading.
I have been learning about derivatives settlements too as I'm the cover for my colleague. I give some hints to my team lead I'm interested in moving to mid office doing trade control and she says they can send me for courses to prepare for my next role. I really don't know where i want to move to after my 2 years, i'll see what openings are available then but meanwhile learn as much as i can.

I've applied for CFA! Before the deadline and got the discount. Hai in the past i hated studying..now i can't believe im actually so "ON" to apply for CFA. I guess we must constantly upgrade ourselves if not we'll be left behind. But look at the books...

Exciting events coming up:
This coming friday: Welcome induction at Ritz Carlton. Will get to meet the big shots i guess...
This coming weekend: Go see LG new house. He got his own set of keys liao! Yuppie..and he says his balcony got a bit of the sea view of east coast.
Next sunday: Cousin's wedding
26 oct: Coy got a gathering at St James, don't know if I want to go..

I went crazy over the new collection at the F21 webbie:

Here's what I have ordered:

I got this in 3 colours!

Growing up...

2007-09-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Have been seriously thinking about my future, most probably will take up CFA to enhance my market value. Also, the recent changes in CPF polices have made me quite uncertain of my future here. Will i really need to work till i die? What if they keep increasing the retirement age and i never get to enjoy the cpf funds before i die? I think its also causing quite a hoo-haa in the country as everyone is quite apprehensive about the so called longevity insurance aka annuities. In the past, I will never bother about these as I felt it didn't affect me.

BUT, its time to grow up now as I'm in charge of my own finances. I can't expect my children to be supporting me in future given that the costs of living is constantly escalating. I have to plan for my retirement and old age. I want to be able to enjoy life before I die, I dont want to be worrying about not having enough $ when I'm old. So, i must earn as much as I can while I'm young and invest my savings to make my money grow Grow GRow GROw GROW. SO, from now on, spend prudently!

LG and I have a plan to apply for PR in canada, just something to fall back on when we are old. But of course, plans always change. We don't know what will happen in the future... is life all about working??

A lil' shopping online to perk me up:

Fun fun fun

2007-09-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Woo, a long haitus from blogging.

So some updates:
Last weekend:Company away trip to langkawi. REally fun! Everyone is really nice and really take care of one another.

Friday 8 sep: Active day. Something like a "sports" day for the company. FUn FUn FUn!

Another perk I just received:
Company is v encouraging of living a healthy lifestyle, so we can buy sports equipment or wear up to 400 bucks per year and company will share half the cost!

I'm so into satin now cause its so comfy!
Ordered these:

From Gojane:

From Forever 21:

Tried this in the store and ordered it online cos its so much cheaper!!
Bought some stuff from Zara and River island and fila as well.. going shopping with lao gong later!I wanna get a nice pair of sneakers since I can claim! Hope it would be a fruitful trip!

My work desk

2007-08-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

Tadah, show you all where i spend most of my time on weekdays.2 screens! Cool eh, i initially got headache cause not used to it. But now i love it! You can drag programs or anything onto the other screen. For easy comparison of data! It's really helpful! But i saw the traders' workdesks, 4-5 screens. Zai man. And guess what, today the plasma tv nearest to my team was screening channel 5 instead of the usual CNN or CNA. BUT i very hardworking ok, dont think i always watch tv.
My workdesk bottom looks cramp eh? Cos i went just went shopping during lunch with chun hui, thus the paper bag there. And there are 2 foot rests because my colleague gave me one. And the other one in lighter grey is the one ordered by the ergonomist when she did a check to see if my workdesk is comfortable place to work in. I was very very surprised lor. They have a specialised ergonomist in the office to make sure workdesks are comfortable and conducive for everyone. All the furniture they buy are ergonomical furniture.

1 n half weeks ago, finally had the chance to go front office and meet all the traders and operators. You would think operator sounds like some phone operator right? But no, they are very zai! They support the traders, and their job quite challenging and interesting. Mostly guys.
They look so charming! Koreans, Japanese, Caucasians and quite a few singaporeans. The traders most zai. They are the ones that bring in billions for us.

I was rather surprised when i found out that this year, they gave everyone 800 bucks worth of vouchers as hong baos for each and every staff. Even the temp staff!!@!@! But that was because they really made alot last year. I wonder if they willl make as much this year. I wanna get the hong bao!!@@

Colleagues are nice so far. Haven't seen or heard any politics. Keeping my fingers crossed!

2nd week at work

2007-07-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

So here goes...

Monday: Got a lunch treat from my manager at Imperial restuarant. She just came back from London and wanna catch up with me. Discussed about how I could develop on my career path in the coy and chat a lil'.

Tuesday: Welcome breakfast by the big big boss. Quite intimidating with so few of us around only but he was really talkative and friendly.

Wednesday: Birthday celebration. I realised they hold birthday celebrations every month and there would be buffet and cakes!

The rest of the days were normal. And i found out that for this year's CNY, they got $800 bucks of vivo vouchers for hong baos!!@!!@ Every single staff. Even the temp staff!!! I hope next year the hong bao is as good man!!!

Colleagues are nice so far, but I feel the age gap. Sigh... I guess only in audit everyone in the level is about the same age as you.

Update for my old old post:

This was what LG gave me for our 1 year anniversary.

End of first week at work

2007-07-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

So what happened thus far since my last update:

Wednesday
Welcome lunch treat from my team at the expense of the coy. They are really welfare oriented. Everyone employee gets an Amex card. Yeah everyone, even me. I haven't sent in my application form. I received the email to apply for it and was rather surprised. I thought since im only a junior, won't have such previleges, so i confirmed it with my team lead. I think she must be thinking why im suaku, asking such a question. Maybe its the norm in oil companies, i won't know. But she just joined too and before this, she was at exxon mobil. I really admire her man. She's really pretty, dresses very well, and everything on her is branded from head to toe. I love her Coach shoes man.

Friday
Quarter end celebration dinner on a cruise. It was ok. I wasn't very sociable. Some people too loud for me i guess. But i went on the top deck to enjoy the breeze and admire sentosa's scenery.

More about the coy culture

They are flexible, you can come in at 10am even and leave at 7 or earlier as long as you finish your work. They dont really care if you are late or leave early as long as you finish work. It's really flexible. Attire wise, you can wear jeans even on days other than fridays. But i guess most people dont do that cause they wanna project a professional image.

Job-wise
Still learning. But i guess once i learn the ropes it will become very routined again and I will get bored again. But this one has good prospects. Hopefully I can get internal transfer after 2 years and try out something else?

Anyway, monday blues already hitting me. I wish national day will be here soon.

2nd day at work.

2007-07-17T07:27:00.002-07:00

Wah I didn't blog about my first day at work cos I was so tired. I think I really slept too much during the break. Not used to working again.

Anyway, so far, my schedule for this week is mostly training of the systems and processes. Alot of systems used and since im in the finance operations which is more back office, I have to learn how to use the systems from the start of the deal to the end. From the cut of the deal to the logistics, to contract, middle office, to me and the to the accounts team. I'm basically in charge of a particular group of expenses for the oil traders after they have executed the deal. Alot of trading jargons to pick up, like swaps, hedging, FOB, forward contracts, actually a long list. Yeah the scary FM and 306 all coming back. So far team lead is nice, colleagues are nice. Alot of functions they have. There is a dinner function this friday and a getaway trip to langkawi in the last weekend of august plus alot of other stuff. I'm overwhelmed by the number of functions as I'm not exactly that sociable, especially when you have so many people from different ethnic groups. But my team is pretty local so I'm relieved.

Work environment is definitely the coolest I have ever seen. Pantry is cool. All sorts of drinks, soft drinks, fruit juice, canned drinks, milk, fruits like grapes and strawberries, cereals, and even ice cream. Yeah the fridge is packed with stuff. And the pantry is styled like a cafeteria with a nice view of Sentosa. My floor alone has 3 pantries, of course the biggest one with a nice view of sentosa. They also have LCD screens all over the office that air the news like CNN. And stationery is self service. Unlike my previous 2 coy hehe. Even the toilet is cool. The toilet bowls are like the ones in japan, which helps you to "wash" your butt.And they really emphasize on work-life balance;they have this passage stuck on the back of the toilet doors for you to read while you are doing your business. The passage describes why your family and leisure is more important than work. Workstation is cool. Laptop provided also. So far so good. But I hope to get closer to my colleagues. There is a welcome lunch by my team tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get to know them better.

On the negative side, the dual screen desktop is really giving me headaches. I'm so not used to having 2 LCD screens, side by side. Took panadol yesterday and today for the headaches man.

I hope everything goes smoothly. Can't comment much now since it has only been 2 days.

Shopaholic on the go

2007-07-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

Some shopping over the week before I officially start work tomorrow!

Shoes

Ruffled Satin Blouse

White shirt dress

F21 Cotton Stripped Blouse

F21 Plaid texture dress

And some other smaller stuff including the gift from LG for our anniversary. Will upload the photos tomorrow. Nervous and excited at the same time. Will update about my first day tomorrow! Wish me luck!

2007-07-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Haven't blog in a long time. Life after graduating hasn't been smooth. It's tough growing up. You learn to make wiser decisions from making mistakes. Anyway, I have chosen a special day to start blogging again.

6th July. Me and LG's 1 year anniversary. We have been through some tough times and have crossed the 1 year hurdle. Time seems to tick by so quickly. Anyway, being the toot him, he brought me to eat Beach road Big Prawn Noodle because I haven't tried it before. No flowers!! Hai I thought he would buy me flowers. But maybe cos I told him before not to buy flowers cause its a waste of money. But still... girls will get what I mean. Anyway we caught Die Hard 4.0 and it was great. But the air-con in the cinema was freezing. We only had 1 jacket and he insisted on me to have it. But when i saw that his legs was trembling, I insisted we should take turns to wear the jacket. This is the coldest cinema I have ever been in. Should have complained.

Starting work at BP on 16th July. I'm really crossing my fingers that everything will go smoothly. Hopefully the environment will be better than my 2 previous coy. The work environment is very posh. The benefits alone are really attractive; AWS (which my previous coy didnt even have??!!!, Yearly cash allowance, Share match quite a big amount I would say, bonus which I heard is quite good? Hope so. 20day AL!!! twice of my previous coy can u believe? Even medical benefits are so much better. I think it really takes time to find a good job. Hai but I wont conclude too early. Got phobia liao. Everytime i think something is good, it doesn't seem so in the end? Keeping my fingers crossed.

The interview was quite difficult in my opinion because out of so many interviews I went for, they were the only ones who had a technical test that was accounting related and a math test. The math test was alright, but the technical one was the one that really freaked me out. The other coy all had psychometric tests that were more doable. I was asked to read a passage beforehand, and during the technical test, they asked me accounting questions pertaining to the passage. I lost touch with acct for so long esp after internal audit, and I fumbled abit cause I was really nervous, so I thought surely gonecase. So I thought never mind, since I was more set on a certain coy (wont reveal the coy but its an airline). But they called me 1 day later to offer me. I was really surprised. I really felt I did badly during the interview. Really stressful to have 3 interviewers at every interview. Think by a stroke of luck maybe I performed slightly better than the other applicants.

Will con't the story some other time. Sorry for MIA-ing so long dear friends!