The iPod Flea

I Don't Know what to say.

Thank You

A few days ago, a friend of mine was very sweet, she set out to write a list of people that she was grateful for around her and she blogged them without names mentioned. I thought its a very good idea so this is my list and I am doing the same ( Thanks Clover for the idea ! ) They say that a person's life is largely shaped by the things they do and the people they meet.

You are not in Singapore anymore so I have no one to call when I am feeling terrible and upset. You always find a way to make me laugh and smile. No matter how tried you are, you still got up from bed, got into your car and drove to pick me up and made sure i get home. And you actually live on the other side of Singapore. I appreciate it. Come back soon !

I get fustrated when I talk to you coz you are always so busy and never really have the chance to have a sit down conversation with you but you have been helping me solve Chemistry and Maths problems since I was in Secondary 4. You agree with me because I am stubborn and you know that I will figure out my stubborness one day. Supported and accepted my geekiness and you still help me solve my problems today.

I get inspired from your invention and although I am still laughing over your costume/uniform pictures. It has been really awesome to have someone who shares the same passion for games.

Hopping from country to country, you are the reason why I am in love with Thailand and the language. You shared my thoughts and accepted that we are very diffferent, stood through all the difficult times with me, shared my university days and my pillar of support.

You walked into my life and showed me what is real and what is not real. No can ever replace you and how happy you make me. It funny how our very first conversation was about Chilli !

Your camera and you is so important to me because it keeps me going when things gets rough, knowing that I have you to call, even though you are so far away, it feels like we are still living in the same city. I cried when you left the airport and you showed me how a TN can change a person's life. And it did changed mine.

We got no name but you guys stood behind me and believed in me even when things didnt go right. put up with my PA's stories and best of all, inspired me to more greatness ! Your appearance made me feel less lonely and I am smiling more because of you guys.

We agreed that some things will never apply to us and we both agreed that the course we went through will not benefit us as much as we wish but we became good friends as it is heartening to know I am not the only one that feel like that. Feels like I am normal yet special.

the rest of the people, i've thank them over the years and on my blog countless times.. so... this is for those I've always failed to mention.

Joining the Ranks of....

Entrepreneurs

I have a few ideas that require very little start-up and very very rare in Singapore. So.. in a few months, with a group of like minded peers. We will be working very very hard to make our little ideas come true. How it goes will depend on how much effort I devote to it.. for now. I am excited..

Board Gamer GEEK

ok... so instead of going out on a Saturday Night, I spend the last few weekends playing Boardgames, discussing ideas with a fellow boardgame geek. Ah... the wonders of being able to think ..... And very soon ( give me 2 or 3 months, i should have a new boardgame ! ) XF : I am counting on your help !

Some Thoughts

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a little on the topic on High Turnover Rate in an Office. So.. the situation got worse and more key people left the company. Bring the total to 8 people leaving the company within a short span of a few months. It a huge number considering the company headcount is less than 40 ? What happens to a company when so many people leaves ? better question, what is causing so many people to leave ? most of them left severly disappointed in the management . They have no faith in the management, most felt that the management was unable to 'walk their talk' for a company that preaches motivation and appreciating others, many felt that management have certainly underperformed. So.. just how important is it to 'walk the talk ?'

Some felt that the management has not enough 'heart' , some felt the management did not understand and some felt that the management is lacking leadership. A quick look and a quick analysis finds that most of the people that left are degree holders and their immediate supervisors are non-degree holders. The divison with degree-holders as Heads seems to have no problems. Degree Holders and Non Degree Holders have different management styles ?
Is this a cause for disparity ? ( hmmm.... )

A common grievance felt is that the superiors have failed to understand,listen and empathy is at a zero. Another common grievance felt is the inability to appreciate and give credit when it is due. Favouritism was felt... A common trait that I found among the people that left ; they were the ones that were more appreciative and gave credit when due. ( can this be a trait we pick up from university ? writing footnotes at the bottom of our papers ? ) ( this is a very far-fetched connection )

Another point to note.. some felt underpaid, in relation to the long hours worked. And the ones that stayed behind, are non-degree holders that might not get paid as much elsewhere ?
Hmm.... ( just a thought )

This post might spark some annoyance and criticism. Some people will even disagree with this post, maybe someone will call me to call me a b*tch or term my words as accusation, maybe even sue me for slender. ( ha ha ha ) And before you bring this matter up in front of me, asking for clarification, do note that NO names, ( not even gender ) is mentioned and there is no accusation in the post,( we just FEELS that ) besides everyone is entitled to his/ her opinions, dont like what I am writing ? Stop reading. And if you think I am wrong and you are not guilty of what is being mentioned, No Fear ! this is just my usual rumble !

Some Others Thoughts

How much does one spend on drinking in one weekend ? When has anyone thought of giving some time to charity or to even money to support education ? $100 dollars a year sees a kid in Uganda through pre-college for a year ?

Check out
The online journal of three development workers building access to clean water in rural Uganda

To all the AIESEC VICTORIA alumnis out there, remember how we use to save like crazy so we can get to another member to conference during our start up year ? Well AIESEC Victoria is doing a very very sensible thing. They are strating an endowment fund. The fund will be managed by the MC and the interest (250 /annum) will be used for two awards $125 each to two best performing members excluding LCP. They can use this award for extra subsidization to any one National conference. The decision regarding awardee will be taken by the LCP in consultation with the EB.

So... if you are interested to help out... contact myself or Craig !

To Clover : Thank you so much for mentioning my on your thanksgiving list ( or it it really me ? ) I was moved.. no drama, just surprised and so SWWEEEEEET ! So.. I have to say that I am really glad that I found a friend who understands geek talk, different frequency talks and understand the need for intellegent people in the world, for being brave enough to say things most people dont dare to voice out ( non-political issues ) and also appreciating the finer things in life.

Ah.. long blog ! I am off to study... Adios

Singapore's Loss

Today, our Small Nation lost one of our national treasures, Former Cabinet Minister Lim Kim San died this afternoon. Mr Lim was part of our nation's growth since independence and he has contributed greatly to building Singapore.

See a short 'cut and paste' from Channel New's Asia report :

Mr Lim was best known as "Mr HDB" for his role in providing low-cost housing for thousands of Singaporeans in the 1960s.
Born in Singapore in 1916, he was educated at Anglo-Chinese School and Raffles College.
During the Japanese Occupation, he was tortured after he denied allegations that he was pro-communist and pro-British.
He later said the brutality of the Japanese forces politicised his generation.

After the war, he made his first million when he came up with a machine to produce sago pearls cheaply.
He then went on to become a director of several banks and was appointed chairman of the new Housing Development Board in 1960. He solved Singapore's housing problem by marshalling resources to build 10,000 units a year, a feat unheard of at the time.

In the 1963 General Election, he won the Cairnhill seat and was appointed National Development Minister.
During his long and distinguished public career, Mr Lim also held Cabinet posts in Finance, Defence, Education and Environment.

After retiring from politics in 1980, Mr Lim held various posts, among them Executive Chairman of Singapore Press Holdings, and Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisors. He was also the first Chancellor of the Singapore Management University.

I may not have been around, or actively care about politics when he was in cabinet but I know that he is a good man and that he is the one of the people that made things happen. That he and his generation of ministers served with good hearts. He saw Singapore through our merger with Malaysia, then stuck with us when we seperated. For anyone to stick with Singapore through the merger and seperation deserves much respect, let alone say contribute to Finance, Defence, Environment and Education !

I saw in the older ministers their efforts and their love for Singapore. I know that it is this love that keeps the country going strong, no matter what other people say about us, no matter how tough things us, they stuck with Singapore and their hearts belonged to Singapore. For that, flags will be flying at half-mast each time we lost a cabinet minister and I am sorry to say, that we lost another treasure today.

A Ball Rolling and Running

Today, I walked into office thinking that this will be a normal day and I was wrong. My MD addressed everyone in the office and he touched on a couple of topics that really made me think... kept me thinking the rest of the morning, all throughout lunch and even on the way home. For the rest of the day, I was deep in thoughts and it has been a while since I have been so immersed in deep thoughts and I wonder if its even healthy for me !

It almost is like a ball rolling, once it start, its almost impossible to stop it..



One of the topics was about marathon runners..



And it lead me to think about the times I ran long distances. I remembered the times when I was DRAGGING my ass along the tracks and each time someone passes me, gets in front of me, my mentality got worse ! ( Gosh ! I will never be able to catch up with them ! ) I lose my focus and runs slower and eventually lose my pacing. I also remember the times when I see someone that I feel shouldn't be overtaking me and I think to myself that I can surpass him, I pick up speed, gains focus and eventually bypass them no matter how tried I am. So... maybe at the end of the day, in EVERYTHING you do... its all about mental strength !

3 old friends ( plus one )

3 old friends with their friendship going all the way back to 1997 met for a 3 hour dinner. LUCKY ME ! I was one of them !

As we tucked into Japanese Buffet, stuffing ourselves with crab, lobster, prawns, salmon, sashimi, tempura, miso soup, paper steamboat, soft shell crab, soft ice-cream, chocolate fondue, custard rolls, strawberries cheesecake and a WHOLE lot more, we walked out of the restaurant REAL slowly....( to be honest, I think I ate enough for 3 days. )

We talked about what happened the past, how we met, the places we went together, how we grew over the years, how each of us left Singapore for a substantial amount of time and eventually returned / will return. Most of all, we talked about the ( + ONE ! ) The lovely little PLUS ONE is Astrid's little baby, 8 months old, still growing in her tummy !

We know his name, his weight, his toys, his mum's cravings, his kicks and all the stories how he 'gets' his mum privilleges and how it is unccomfortable sleeping on one side for his mum.

Click for Astrid and Noah's Story !
This is the baby and the mother's blog.

Oh.. how much i enjoy the company of old friends and how I enjoyed seeing Astrid and Wai again ( oh.. and the little PLUS ONE - Noah ! )

Saturday Night

Lucky Me.. I have good friends to spend last saturday with. It began with simple dinner and everyone brought their signature dish.

The night proceeded onto a chit chat on varies topics, a recollection ;

from the silly stunts we did in Secondary School,
stories about how the boys discriminated ( in a joking manner ) the one lonely guy who excelled in Chinese while in the school,
a perfect stood up against boys from other schools when the lonely guy was picked on in a fast food restaurant,
how, what and who were the disgusting Physical Education teachers who made us run excessively,
how fantastic Sher's CHEESE DIP was
where to go for a 'free show' - where can you pay $15 for cover, a free drink and a fight !
the lingo used in the red light district ( yes, singaore has a red-light district )
how Jat stumbled in a ( ahem, unmentionable ) 'social escort place' in Oz.
Geeky Julian and how he would correct Jat's comments on protein drinks and such.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Of course, the night will not end without a good game of mahjong.

I sat down with 3 ladies and we started playing mahjong, its funny how gossip and personal insights came onto the table as soon as the first dice is thrown and the tiles sorted. ( i cannot help but wonder if this is the reason why tai-tais have regular mahjong sessions ! )



Topics from the mahjong session :

1 ) When guys are not ready to say the 3 little words ( I Love you )
so.... the three girls I sat with cannot understand why guys are afriad of saying those words. I reasoned that they are just not ready to say them and if you really love them , you are DYING to hear them say the words , you just got to wait coz you rather they REALLY meant it when they say those important words.

2 ) Singlish come into play.
Jat asked who 'kena' the flower ?
Cass heard : who got deflowered ?
Sher causally pointed to one of us !

3 ) Watching the Crazy Japanese Guy - search ' HardGay ' on youtube. you will know what i mean.

4 ) Mouse and PJ hungry within 2.5 hours of dinner.. hmmmm... ( and they claimed they were really full )


AH>> LUCKY ME, i had a WONDERFUL saturday.

Farewell Thoughts

I've seen more farewells and goodbyes in the the last 7 weeks than I have in my last 24 years..

Goodbye to a Workplace.

So, I said my goodbyes to my last work place 7 weeks ago and it has been a refreshing, challenging and fun since I started at my new work place. Stange thing is, 3 of my ex-colleagues left too, and I know that one or two more is thinking of doing so. Considering that 3 left earlier in the year.... one cannot help but wonder why the turnover rate is so high .

Or in broader terms, what are the factors causing a high turnover rate.
Lack of motivation ? Bad management ? I guess everyone has their reasons. I just know that such a high turnover rate cannot be good for one company.

Goodbye to Friends

I have a few friends who left / are leaving Singapore for a semester abroad, more education, new jobs ( and the list goes on )
Its hard to say goodbye to people that you are close to and its hard to know that you will not be able to call them on their mobile phones or not a street away where you can go knock on their doors for a board game or two.

Goodbye to Teams

With the whole world cup fever coming to an end, I can't help but think about all the teams that have been outplayed and how we said goodbye to our favourite teams. Bye Portugal... I am so sorry that you didnt win but I am really proud that you made it so far.

Goodbye to the FLU

Now this one I have yet to say a proper goodbye to BUT I will soon.

In AWE !

Totally in Awe !



I love technology ! And this captivated me so much i watched it 3 times. I am still in awe !

Red and White Canada Day Party !

And so July 1st 2006 came and went but not without leaving crazy memories.

First, we had Kara's place all dolled up with the usual party stuff, balloons and everything red and white.


This is Oscar hugging balloons.


And this is Nachos having a lot of fun with Balloons !



We put up posters on ALL the walls in the house !
The posters looked like this, ( can you guess how much red ink we used ? )



Posters of Famous Canadians, we had supermodels, scientists, actors, singers partying with us. Google 'famous canadians' if you have no idea who is Famous and Canadian ! - we have Pamela in the washroom, Linda at the ront door, Terry fox and Coach Gretzky too !


Now Tim has a better understanding of Canadians !



Tatoos for everyone !


Fact Sheets Too !

Everyone came in some kind of RED and WHITE ! Drank Red and White Wine !

Gitti even came in Red and White Ribbons !



Eggos, Pancakes and Maple Syrup !


O Canada, Our home and Native Land... we sung our beloved song..


Patriotism at its best !


Oh I forgot ! The red jello shooters ! and a fellow Paparazzi !


Of course, a spill is what keeps everyone working together and what makes a great party !


Thanks for a Great Party !

Proud Canadians !

HAPPY CANADA DAY !

Click for all the pictures

Canada Day Party Part 1

i know some of you guys will be checking my blog the minute you got home for the pictures. Unfortunately, I am off to see the Game between England and Portugal. So.. bear with me, give me a couple of hours more. It will be up by Monday Night.

GO PORTUGAL !