Personalities at work #2 - Perspectives goggles

I was just thinking today how convenient it would be to have a pair of perspectives goggles. Peek through it, and immediately you get a glimpse of your colleague's perspective.

Sometimes we get ensnared in a silly internal squabble, and at the end of the day it's always "person A thought this, person B thought it would be better done that way, person C barges in half way" then too many cooks spoil the broth so to speak. Happened to me bright and early this past Monday morning - without warning a colleague decided to drop a politely nasty email looping in tom dick and harry.

Now, if only we had that perspectives goggles! Everyone takes a turn to peek through it, and suddenly the other person's rationale for doing what he/she does crystallises in an instant. No miscommunication, more efficient cooperation, more work done, everybody goes off early for a quick beer at the pub downstairs. If only life was that easy huh.

My (our?) song

Cram my ears with music, fill my head with a million thoughts, do crazy bad dance moves, if only to shut out the deafening loneliness.



City that never stops eating

Awesome awesome awesome!!! I like this name better than City of Angels. As the guy says (in what seems to be super fluent Thai, no less), this nickname is probably more fitting. So looking forward to stuffing my face in the City that never stops eating.

I know lots of people go to BKK almost exclusively for shopping, and I totally understand that. It must be such a high to get the same stuff at a fraction of the price one pays for them here. Im abit greedier though. When I go travelling I hope to immerse myself totally in the environment, Like the Chinese say, the environment makes the individual. Im curious to probe further, what exactly in this environment makes up the people of this country? Could be food, culture, religion, lifestyle choices, fashion....whatever. I want to explore them all. I think it is this curiousity that fires up my excitement every time I travel somewhere. Suddenly there are so many potential opportunities to explore.

For the religion bit, Im definitely visiting the palace of the emerald buddha - the Grand Palace. Food can be found everywhere, so not too hung up about exact restaurants to visit, leaving it up to Lady Chance. There is this floating market with "boat stalls", vendors who sell food from their boats along the river. Seems really interesting, will make it a point to visit. Not like Im going to abandon shopping totally, am going to zero in on as many vintage fashion stalls/ shops as possible. Besides the obvious answer of Chatuchak Market, the recently opened Rod Fai railway night market seems promising. Looking at all the random Google images I just get more hyped up, hope I wont be let down, fingers x-ed.

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There are days when I feel really lucky to be in my current job. Yesterday was one of them. We meet many new people all the time in this industry, so you know a really interesting person when you talk to one. Met this guy who's asia-pac director of a new service we'are testing out, basically he's an IT start-up entrepreneur. He was telling us about the HK IT bubble, when a whole flood of new IT start-ups got ridiculously successful and rich. Snazzy 2-storey penthouse office, complete with huge plasma TVs. But really, it's not about the huge office or TVs. When you talk to some of these guys, their genuine and total enthusiasm in whatever they do is infectious. It makes you realise that there is a much bigger world of opportunities out there than you can imagine, and if you believe in something strongly enough, and are willing to put in 200% or more effort, your vision just might come true. But yes there is always a caveat. Sheer hard work, and vision.

Back to basics

Don't know if it's a sign of aging, but I've felt the urge to shop less and less. When I was younger (damnit i feel so old typing this) and didn't know what to do with all that spare time after school, my fellow slackers and I would happily take the bus to Suntec / Orchard depending on which bus came first. Then we would just "hang out", which, in our case, was to sit for hours in fast food restaurants, try on multiple random things at every other store, and diss each other and probably irritating others around us. Haaaaaa. Carefree days. Yeah nothing was achieved, but you still look back on such days with wistful fondness.

These days, I dont easily buy anything, unless it's really useful, or Im going to keep it for a very long time. ie. not throw out after half a year. Same goes for food / daily neccessities etc. Besides the fact that this has saved me abit of money, it also assuages my inner guilt somehow for not doing more to help the environment / people who get less of the world's natural resources. The gross reality is that a small privileged group of people have more than they could ever consume and are overweight, over indulgent and self-centred. Whereas in other parts of the world some people can't even buy real food with their money because it's literally worthless, and besides, there's just not enough to go round. Meanwhile, more trees are being chopped down, species disappearing before your next birthday, ice caps melt continually.

Modern societies have reached such an appalling degree of mindless excess that we are not just harming the environment, we neglect our own kind, and quality of life really only goes down instead of up. What quality of life is there when you mindlessly go to a job you don't believe in day after day to earn your next holiday or LV bag?

To maintain my own sanity and level of happiness, I've decided to go back to basics. The body is all we have for the entire length of our lives - only one heart, one liver. So first and foremost, I want to take good care of it so it will take care of me. This has wider implications on lifestyle choices, diet, beauty regime etc. It's bloody hard work. But I've decided it's worth it in the long term.
The only big hurdle is my incredible laziness.

If I drew this as a venn diagram then it would be the innermost circle. The second circle would be the immediate community. Ideally I want to take a more active role in helping out my community, whether it be my neighbourhood, old people, stray cats, disabled etc. Been a bystander for too long, just think it's finally time to do something.

The outer most circle would be to travel more widely. Unlike what some may say, I belive the world is a wide place, however connected we appear to be in cyberspace. If one really wished, there are many hidden opportunities to widen your own perspective, learn new ways of living, find a new best friend. Perhaps how you live your life changes - who knows. Yesterday, I saw this picture of a young Jane Goodall. She was laughing, with an outstretched hand towards a chimp. It must have taken some courage for her mother and her to abandon civilisation and go live in the jungles - I wonder what fuelled that? And because of that choice, Goodall's life course was changed. Maybe all I really want to do is throw myself out there and see how I'll fare in unfamiliar places.

Personalities at work #1

Think im developing a habit of blogging at work - takes the mind off things for a while and seems like a more productive distraction than stalking people on Facebook.
Also, somehow words just flow out of the fingers easier when I blog at work.

I had a few blog topics in mind, but this being a Friday and the brain therefore being half switched off, thought to myself,"Why not blog about all the different types of people I see at work? Since it takes up more than 60% of my waking hours..."
I think this topic could potentially be explored over an entire series of posts, so this marks #1.

This morning, a colleague pulled me aside to complain about our mutual colleague. Her main gripe was that she was unhappy colleague H (hmm maybe i should start giving all of them private nicknames soon) who presumedly tried to accuse her of something that wasn't her fault / responsibility. Having worked for a while now, I have come across so many squabbles over the question of "Whose responsibility is this? (not mine!!)" Usually these squabbles only occur after some shit crops up.

Without taking sides and speaking from a bystander's point of view, I really dont understand the point of such internal tussles. What's the point of finding who to blame when the damage has already been done, I wonder. Isn't it far more effective to work out a solution so the same shit doesn't happen again. But then again, people are people - personal egos always stand in the way. When they say you should work smart, it's not just about the technical aspect of how you do work, maybe it's more important to be smart in terms of how you deal with people.
More and more, in ways I've never realised before, work has taught me quite a few precious lessons.

*added as an afterthought. There are more, but these have proved to be invaluable.
1. Never take people for granted.
2. Put in the effort to compose a polished, friendly email - it pays off.
3. Never badmouth anybody, not even when in private conversations.

Unbearable lightness of being

Recently, there have been quite alot of happenings in my life - whether at work or in private.
I have been a silent stalker of a certain blog which belongs to a 30ish year old guy. Can't even remember how I came across his blog, in any case that is of no consequence here. The weird thing is, I find myself identifying with this unknown 30ish guy on several levels.
It is not just silent agreement with his choice of music/bands (rock, indie, soul, seems quite varied), it reaches way into how we view relationships, not limited to the romantic kind. One statement struck a ringing chord - he prefers to keep people at arm's length, but gets upset when they stay at more than one arm's length away. I was like,'Wow me too!' It's funny isn't it, how you can feel a connection to a total stranger in cyberspace, when you get a virtual tour of his inner Aladdin's cave.
In fact he has inspired me to pour more of myself into this space here, if only to fulfil a certain self obsession.

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Then at work, good times never last forever.
My team leader, who I get along fabulously well with, is leaving in a month's time. Sigh. Just one of the many cant be helped situations at work.
I hope whoever's coming in to replace her is a good team player, because otherwise it's going to be damn painful to work together.

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I have also been obsessing excessively over the helpless impermanence of life in general. Like the work situation above, like how it's so easy to die in every single moment of your daily life.
One step too far, an inch or two away, a sharper pressure exerted, and you'll fade away quicker than a candle in the wind.
Milan Kundela knew what he was talking about.

We gonna stomp Tokyo

Tokyo sky tree

Trying to plan for a Tokyo trip - which may or may not happen hehheh.

Ideally I dont want to do the whole touristy shebang. Not so much Disneyland/Ginza/huge shopping complexes...maybe more gachagacha (used underwear!!)/gawking at cool teenagers in Shibuya/Omotesando/Kawaii creepy indie shops/2nd hand clothing/jostling with Japanese salarymen for ramen...

Experiences I cant find elsewhere, people I havent met, nooks and crannies I havent explored. Yep that sums it up nicely.
But i still wanna go to Mt.Fuji!!

The question is, how to do it on a shoestring budget?
Wondering whether it's better to buy a package off one of those deals websites, or source for budget tix + hostels.

on the right track to "sociable".................

Yaay i deserve a pat on e back.
Am starting to actively meet up with more people, hopefully new and interesting :))

Life is short, teenagehood is already gone, got to make the most of my time now.

Actually i dont miss being a teenager - so much awkwardness, unneccessary worries, and frustrating limits.

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Phuket was awesome, will never forget that sunset. That's how a sunset is supposed to look like! Bright, radiant, complete with curtains of sunrays behind clouds.
I'ld revisit Phuket if only to see it again.

Transvestites are so damn hot. Im jealoussss. Too bad i didn't have time to sit in one of e bars and gawk at the bartop dancers.

Tom Yum soup in Thailand is goooooood : D

Need to plan the next destination soon - where to? Hummm.

XXXXX

Controversial vid, lucky she didn't get arrested...but hey, maybe she wanted to be.
I really like the song.

太多,太快,所以心会累。

今天早上翻了翻报纸,看到黄义达短期出家后感言。说了这句话。
然后又想起最近身边发生的事,有点感慨。
我们都是了无一物地到来这世界,走时也两手空空。但就为什么中间累积这么多包袱。

已经不是懵懂的少女,踏入社会这段时期,终于搞懂了-人生其实可以很简单。
做任何事,只要抿心自问:"到底我真正想要什么?"
快乐时,尽情享受,放声大笑。
难过时,别憋着,要流泪就让它流下。
对珍惜的人与物,要真诚面对,付出。
而这一切,都是建立在本身作为人的基础道德上。简单又真实,人生也不过如此。。

xxxx题外话,再次听到王菲的歌声,太棒了。还是很美,无论是那得天独厚的嗓子,还是那摄人的眼神。xxxx

Looking forward to a Phuket sunset




....hidden lagoons in Phang Nga Bay........



...........and lady boys.

It's not abt the $$$, it's abt the places you've seen






Thinking about visiting TW / Bangkok / Korea some time Sep - Dec this year.
Need to go research. I want to go somewhere I can eat alot of cheap yummy food and see breathtaking scenery like this.

But. $$$$. Got to cut the shopping budget, hmm maybe do away with it completely.
Think I'll keep a travel research diary here.

....and life goes on.

Here I am, back here again in this mini cyber plot of mine.
Don't know why the hell i bother to update this long-dead place, maybe just put it down to sudden impulse.
Hmm let me start short - one word to describe current status:

work : frenetic
social life: pathetic
online life: unexciting
overall: lacking

Obviously I need to buck up and put in more effort. Alright starting with this blog.
..................TBC

Always Keep The Faith.

Just wanted to check in and say im not dead.

Oh I want a job I want $$$$$$$$$$$$.

This cheers me up though. Finally Yoochun gets a decent haircut : DD

Drinking tea and revisiting e beach..........



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Cant believe it...this is it.

Listening to a string of Grey's Anatomy soundtracks.



Yep, this is it. Noooo not the end of this dying blog, guess it will splutter on for a while....but im starting the last sem of my entire academic life next Mon. How time flies! I certainly dont remember having been an undergraduate for v. long....and now this is it???!! It feels like time speeds up the older one gets, somehow. Therefore, one gets older faster? Sighhh. (Hmm i try v.hard not to remember my age now...it's best to forget....)

I know i keep griping about lousy, nonsense school life...but now that it really is ending, i feel like holding on to this time of my life abit longer. For what? Not so sure myself, maybe it's just the lazy me who doesn't want to seriously work for bread and butter any time soon. Or maybe, there IS a point to all this continued education after all...ahahaa. What i've learned from all these years of 'higher' education....is that one must be able to think on one's own two feet, and picked up some 'hard' skills on researching and all that. But most of all, i think i've learned not to take things for granted - where's the evidence? How credible?

Would love to say, 'Oh! I had a happening collage life. Joining societies, clubbing and....you wont believe how much alcohol i can tahan..' but the sad truth is, i cant. In truth all those things dont mean a v.big deal to me anyway...I dont regret anything much, except that it would have been far more interesting if i made more friends, esp male ones ahahaa. Dont know if it's got to do with me being Asian, but a thought keeps looming,' aaahhh market value going down already..30th mark just around the corner!' And then alot of nasty 'what-if' scenarios play out in my head.

Anyhow, got to make the most of it. Perhaps i shall go clubbing every Wed, drink till crazy drunk, go out with friends after every lecture and read a pile of Tang poetry in the library.........................

HiLow! Is this your story..........?



Am reading this digital magazine recently. I only wish there was a print version because i'ld most def buy it. I suppose you could say it is an accumulation of young people's thoughts and feelings....or you could say it is a digital scrapbook of our life stories....

Is this your story? Take some time to read the words.

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...Mr. Bocelli, please...Elmo is trying to sleep!

I don't know how I came across an old Sesame Street video clip - was looking for something quite unrelated. But boy, am i glad i did. Half an hour of healthy chuckling...no matter what some haters may say, I'll always love tt show...and adorableee Elmo. Turned out that pple like Mr.Bocelli, Miss Norah Jones, and Mr.James Blunt have all appeared on SS at some point. Even Nick and Aaron Carter (!!!)


This had me chuckling...especially towards the end. Counting to 20, singing songsss~~

Maybe i can save some time for some pple, because it took me bloody long to find sth this simple. Making images on your blog pop up in window.

Heard Utada Hikaru's new English album (This Is The One)...and honestly, im a little disappointed. It's not as adventurous or funky as some of her Japanese singles. There were only a few standout tracks, Come Back to Me, On and On, Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence...

EDIT: Ok can i swallow my words. Now tt im listening to it a second time round, it actually sounds really good. Looks like i just didnt turn e volume up enough.)

Going to listen to Eason's new album now, hope it wont be another disappointment.

Wouldn't it be nice....

if we got younger, and stay carefree forever?
I LOVED tt cadbury ad song...why didn't i listen to the Beach Boys earlier? Surf music is greaaaat.



I never thought i'ld be interested in stuff like this, but i find this article pretty interesting. Would be useful even if u're not planning to freelance...always good to visualise what u want in your career right? Plus, it's by Gina Trapani, one of e founders of Lifehacker, tt famous blog i always visit for loads of productivity hacks when im procastinating. Hahaha how ironic.

Exciting days ahead <3



Im only giving myself 5 minutes for this entry, so i'll just type whatever comes into my mind.

Anyway, i've got alot of things/events to busy myself with this March, so am feeling really happy/fulfilled now. I've just managed to accomplish something i always wanted to do, and am still pinching myself in disbelief that it is actually happening. Hooray!

Also, i set a resolution to use the Internet for only 2hrs a day, and i've already used up 80% of today's quota :[[ Bah! So many sites to look at, so little time....

Yesterday i made an ice sculpture........


Now look at that! Am I an artist or what??! HAHAHA.
(More like i forgot to take my mug out of e freezer.)

Good, my hp camera manages to take decent pictures....and yaaay i've just made a collage with my new software :DD