Sex For Grades?

The current "big" case that has been going on for the past few weeks is that of a law professor who slept with his student. This itself is not a "big" issue per se as I am sure there are many people in this world guilty of this. However, she bought him expensive gifts and her grades, that were supposedly mediocre, were superb under him.

In any case, he was charged for all six counts of corruption, ie sleeping with the girl and giving her good grades. He was terminated by the university with immediate effect after the verdict was out. No report on the girl, but I think she could lose her practitioner's license.

The thing is, why must this be splashed out everywhere? Does it serve a purpose to have the guy's face and the girl's face splashed everywhere? No doubt the guy is a scumbag, but the girl herself also consented. Okay, maybe to her it was her love for her lecturer, and that she thought it was right to give him expensive stuff and even have affair with him to show she loved him. She is still young and inexperienced, and now she made a big mistake she had to pay for it.

But the guy is middle age, she was his student, and he should know better. He is so much older and more experienced, must he respond to her just because she was showing some fancy and interest? Furthermore he has a wife and a kid. How will his family feel?

This incident is another typical incident that shows just how scummy men can be. But then this also shows the value systems of the younger generation. Is getting good grades, having more money, etc, everything that people think of nowadays? What happened to all the ethics and moral values of doing things the proper and right way? Must you play some tricks and whatnot just to get ahead in life?

Just like the girl, despite the mistake she made, her parents immediately sought to sue the guy and even paid for the most expensive and prominent defense lawyer for her. I wonder if it is due to her upbringing or influence that caused her to be like this? I am not saying I do not understand her situation, she is still young and lots to experience, but perhaps if her parents had questioned where those money went to and who she gave all those expensive gifts to instead of just giving her the money and letting her do what she likes without question, perhaps the entire situation could have been nipped in the bud.

I really worry about the younger generation if this is what they are growing up to be. I hope I will not make the same mistake if I ever become a parent.

Happy Kitty Meal!

The kitty craze has started again. Although not as intense as that of one decade back, still when McDonald's started its launch of the Fairy Tale Hello Kitty today, there was a massive crowd at every McDonald's restaurant.

McDonald's also has a good business acumen in that to up the sales of its delivery, one of the kitty dolls (the nicest one in fact) is only available if you call for delivery, and not found in the stores. Hence, since yesterday, I believe there would be a sudden influx of people calling for delivery.

In any case, I managed to get the Wizard of Oz Hello Kitty doll, designed in the costume of the Cowardly Lion. When I went home, I called for delivery and got the Witchie Witch Hello Kitty! Since my colleague wanted, I ordered two set meals and got two dolls, one for me and one for her!

 The kitty comes in a cute box like this!

The "Cowardly Lion" from the Wizard of Oz

The little witchie witch

Actually I am looking forward to the Little Red Riding Hood and the last one - the black Skeleton kitty. Unfortunately I will be away so may not be able to get the Red Riding Hood, but I will try to get the Skeleton Kitty. That has limited edition, so I presume there will be another massive crowd in all McDonald's restaurants by then.

A "Lost" Opportunity?

Just when I am moving, another headhunter called me, this time with a very exciting opportunity on a sole legal role in a listed company. That company is in the property development business and it develops beach resorts around. The role is a direct counsel role, so I do not even need to be at associate level anymore, and I am basically my own boss and own assistant.

The best perk is that I get to go to the beach resorts for meetings and travel and enjoy for free! Wow.. that sounds so great! Why must this come just after I have accepted the other great offer? Some people may want to retract the appointment, but I have already signed the letter of offer, plus gone for the medical checkup and whatnot. I cannot just retract like that, especially since the headhunter who got me the job has been so nice to me all along.

Sometimes opportunities do come at the wrong time, but since we have made a choice, we should just stick with it, is it not? The world does not revolve around me alone, and since other people are involved, I should not play them out like that, even though goodness knows how many times people have played me out.

Maybe it is just meant, or not meant, to be. Lost opportunities will come back one day as something even better, as from what I have already experienced so far in my relatively short life.

Final Clearance!

Finally... after the week of sorting out, categorising and scanning, all the major documentation is done! All that is left is the minor ones which I can actually take a break from and continue again when I am back from my vacation.

I feel so accomplished that I can actually finish this earlier than the deadline imposed! I am so proud of myself actually! Simple and small things like that make me feel so fulfilled! At least now I can thoroughly enjoy my break in peace!

Dirty Dancing!

I just came back from watching Dirty Dancing, and it was really an excellent show! From the title, one knows it is not really a musical of the traditional sense, but more dancing than anything else. The plot is similar to the movie (although I have not watched the movie), but the musical is also great in its own right!

All the dance steps are great! The main male lead is played by a Latino, which probably explains the hunky body, the sexy tempo, and the way he moves, wow.. he is one darn sexy guy! I love all the dance steps, the Tango, the Cha Cha Cha, the Salsa, even the free style dance with the great big leap at the end! Makes me want to take up dancing again!

This is the first time I am watching Dirty Dancing, and it is really a great musical on its own, even if one does not know anything about the movie. After this musical, I feel like watching the movie and see if it is just as good or better than the musical!

This is the end of the month of plays. May had been a fulfilling month due to all the cultural events I went to. The next one I am waiting impatiently for is my favourite musical. Yes, the Phantom is coming, and I cannot wait to see him again!

Final Logistics For Holyland

One week before my trip, and finally everything, almost everything at least, is settled! I have finished packing, mostly, and bought the travel insurance! My mum and I decided on Chartis after all, so we went onto the travel agent's website which will link to the Chartis website and bought the insurance for that period, complete with a discount and quite good coverage.

I have also rented a local number, also recommended by the travel agent. The local operator has a link on the website too, so I just need to go in, click on the link that states a local number that includes unlimited data plan and a pay per use text and call system, so I can text and call and pay only for usage, plus check emails, surf and online text others even when I am away. My mum can do the same too on my phone.

The only thing left is to change money, which can be done later on in the week. So now that all the major logistics are settled, I am all set and counting down the days to my trip!

Turning "Invisible"

I think I should start being invisible. Due to the clearance of stuff, I am always at the photocopier lately scanning all the documents, or whatever documents that are still missing. I think people keep seeing me there so some started joking that I should just shift my work station there, and the rest automatically went to the photocopier to look for me instead of going to my desk.

Makes me wonder am I that prominent? I thought no one knew I existed? Wish I can have some cloak of invisibility so I can block others from seeing me and "disturbing" me and I can do my work in peace!

Even Dogs Have Smarts!

When I came back yesterday, I saw my dog being tied up. Turned out that my mum caught him peeing upstairs and she banished him downstairs. To prevent trouble, my maid tied him up. The poor thing was whining and barking when I returned.

Today, my maid was off, and she tied up my dog before she left the house, with his food and water near to him. However, the poor thing was barking and whining so loudly! He even lost his voice but still barked and whined!

I wanted so much to untie him, but was afraid my mum would be unhappy, so I went to the kitchen to stroke him and comfort him. But the moment I was out of sight, he started barking and whining again. In the end, it was my parents who could not take his barking any longer and untied him, to which he immediately rushed upstairs to see me.

However, my mum still insisted he had to stay downstairs. I had no choice but to bring him down again. I had to tie him up again so he would not run around. But the moment I was out of sight, again the barking and whining started.

Finally I could take it no more. I figured since my mum just did not want him to run around and do his business everywhere, I thought as long as he was not free to run around, that would be alright. So I took his leash and brought him upstairs. I held on to his leash and later on tied it to the door of the study.

Problem solved! He stopped barking and whining! Despite being tied up upstairs, he stopped all his barks, because he was around! That is why I love him, because he is so sweet and endearing! My mum saw him being tied up, so she did not say anything even though he was upstairs.

The next problem is, would he want to come into my room at night and sleep? My mum is of course not in that favour, but I know my dog wanted. So before I went to sleep, I went to the kitchen and saw him, and he was wagging his tail so excitedly! I brought him upstairs with the leash and all, and guess what? He ran up the first flight of stairs like usual, but when it came to the second flight of stairs, he started creeping up very slowly and stealthily. When he went by my parents' room, he again crept very stealthily, but once past that, he ran again!

Wow.. smart dog! He knew how to keep himself out of trouble too! But does that mean he also knows my mum would scold him and I would not? Hmmm... must start disciplining this fellow again before he gets too out of hand!

A Wasted Trip ...

As I mentioned in my previous post, the Batam trip was a disaster. I was actually looking forward to some rest and relaxation. Rest and relaxation I did have, but not the way I thought it would turn out. When I arrived at Batam, it was close to noon. The hotel sent a car to pick up the guests going there, so I went into a van together with a few people.

It was a short trip, probably less than ten minutes drive from the ferry terminal to the hotel. Initially I was impressed because the hotel looks like a Balinese villa. We had to enter a big hall with two pavilions and a fountain before reaching the main lobby, which is open space.

That is where my impression ended. The place looks run down, furniture was nice but dusty. The place looks as if no one has maintained it. I checked in at the lobby, and realise the hotel rooms are all situated on top of a hill behind the lobby. The welcome drink was cool and refreshing, and they asked when I would like to go for the trekking and spa.

It was still raining, so I took a rain check first, but I booked the spa in the evening. After that, one of the staff took me to the room. He only showed me how to go, but did not actually bring me there. I wonder if I had been carrying a bigger luggage instead of just an overnight bag, would he have helped me take to the room?

I had to go down a flight of stairs from the main lobby, past the dining area. After that I had to walk behind past the swimming pool, where the water does not look that clean. Then I had to go up about hundred steps just to reach the rooms that look as if they are situated in a dormitory hostel. The rooms face a forest of sorts, so I got bitten by a few big red ants on my way up.

Finally I reached the room. The room is spacious at least, but there are no facilities. No television, no refrigerator, not even a safe. There is nothing in the drawers, no menu, no writing paper, no pen, not even a Bible.

I checked the bed and it felt comfortable at least. There is a balcony attached that overlooks the swimming pool and hillside beyond that, as well as the lotus pond that also looks very poorly maintained. However, the balcony comes with a wooden door, so there is no glass door that I can see out. Furthermore the balcony was dusty. I seriously wonder if anyone did housekeeping there?

I got an even bigger shock when I turned on the tap in the bathroom. The water was brown and murky! I did not even dare to boil any of that! I grabbed the two bottles of mineral water in the room and used that throughout.

After checking out the room, I went to the cafe for lunch. Food was good but not of much variety. The dining area is open air and face the golf course, again another badly maintained golf course. Since it is open air, flies and mosquitoes were swarming around.

I was supposed to go trekking after lunch, but since it was still raining, the ground was wet and I was still feeling seasick, hence the trekking was called off. I decided to change the spa session to after lunch instead of the evening. The spa facilities are next to the swimming pool, which are not very impressive, as I did not feel the spa environment. Still, the massage session was good, and when it was time to shower, I took the opportunity to thoroughly clean and scrub all over as I did not want to use the shower in the room.

After that I had nothing much to do. The hotel was quite far from the city centre and they did not provide transport, which means if I wanted to explore, I would have to take a cab there and then take a cab back. So I could not be bothered to go anywhere and just stayed in the room and read a book. At least I finally managed to catch up on some overdue reading!

Next day, my ferry was supposed to be in the afternoon, but I did not wish to stay any longer, so after breakfast, I arranged for an earlier ferry. The staff brought me to the ferry terminal, and I boarded the ferry back.

What an experience! It was really not a pleasant experience for me this time round. Hopefully the next package would be better since it would be a hotel stay around the city area, sight-seeing, meals and spa together. And that was still a cheaper package as compared to this!

All Aboard!

I just came back from Batam, and the trip was a disaster! Before I rave about the trip, I wanted to rave about the structure at the ferry terminal. I thought we are a world-class country, yet it is so messy at the ferry terminal! There is no proper structure, everyone just sat and stood wherever, there is no proper queue, and even though I saw "Boarding" next to the ferry I was supposed to take, no one was moving. It was as if the queue was stuck in front of me.

Until I saw one of the staff shouting for those who would be boarding the ferry I booked to go to the front. So I went, and saw the rest of the people still queueing and basically being very messy. It was pretty embarrassing that our ferry terminal is so messy when our airport is so structured!

As a result, by the time I boarded the ferry, there was hardly any seats left. Luckily I managed to find one place next to a mother with her two children. Furthermore, it was raining heavily when I took the ferry, so the seas were choppy and I got a little seasick.

By the time we reached the Batam Ferry Terminal, I was amazed that even Batam had a better structure. Everyone stood in line and waited, there was a proper queue and the people were orderly. Even during the departure from the Batam Ferry Terminal back here, it was so orderly and smooth. 

Seeing this scene, I really feel we should do something about the proper procedures at our ferry terminal, as it is really embarrassing for tourists to see this especially if they have good impression of us.

Weekend Offshore Getaway

Tomorrow is the start of a long weekend, and I will be utilising the first of my two Groupon vouchers to Batam. I got a trekking and spa package, together with a night's stay, breakfast, return ferry, return land transfers and welcome drink.

This will be a little break from my otherwise monotonous life, and I hope this little trip will relax and refresh me for my bigger trip in a couple of weeks. I have not been to Batam for a very long time, the last time I was there for the weekend was way back in secondary school when my mum brought me along for her staff retreat, but I stayed in the hotel room.

I remember being impressed with the hotel even though that was like twenty years back. I suppose this time round the hotel may be in better condition since there are lots of tourists going to Batam. Hopefully I can come back with a good time!

Pre-Employment Checkup

I just returned from a pre-employment checkup for my new company. Come to think of it, for the past few jobs I had, I never had to go for any pre-employment checkup, except for this current one. I thought a medical checkup is a prerequisite of any job? But I never had to go until this job where a satisfactory report is a requirement of being employed, and if there is any condition or the report is deemed not satisfactory, the employment can be terminated without notice.

I was asked to go for the medical checkup ever since I signed the appointment letter. However, the letter requesting me to go for the medical checkup did not arrive until Tuesday. And since the checkup is to be done in the hospital opposite my office, I went there earlier in the morning to do it.

Luckily I went early, as there was not that many people there. Hence I was in and out of the place around an hour the most. The checkup included eye test (for the first time in my life, I had a perfect six vision, but they did not question if I was wearing lenses!), colour blindness, urine analysis, blood pressure, x-ray and a consultation by the doctor.

First I had to go into a room and do the eye test, colour blindness and blood pressure tests. After that I had to deposit the urine sample into a box for them to do an analysis, followed by the x-ray. Then I had to wait until the doctor called me.

When I entered the doctor's office, the first question she asked was if I had been coughing. So I said yes. My cough since months back had been recurring, and going on and off. Each time I thought it was gone, it came back again once in a while. I hate this dratted cough but what am I to do about it? It is not serious enough to warrant a doctor's medication, yet lozenges do not seem to help too.

In any case, the doctor said there is some white nodules in my right lung, which is an accumulation of phlegm or mucus. By right that should not be the case, but since I had been coughing, then that is a normal sight. She would tell the radiologist to make a report but should not be any problem. Other than that, everything else is normal, thank goodness!

Now I only hope the other side accepts the medical report and deems me normal enough to start work! If my pre-employment is terminated before I even started work, I will be in real serious trouble since I am now serving notice!

Start Of Clearance ...

Now that I am officially serving notice, I have to see what I can do to ensure a proper handover. One thing about this place is that because my immediate boss is so busy, I am left alone most of the time. Actually he has been very nice to me, because he offloads all the legal work to me while he does other stuff, and he does not bother me much unless he has things for me. The colleagues also know to look for me and not him. So in a way, I am the only person doing the legal work so need to work independently. 

I like this kind of environment because I have the autonomy to do the work the way I like, and people here actually do give me the kind of respect which I never have in previous places. In previous places because I am just more of an assistant or associate, I got pushed around by various people because some feel I am not high ranking enough to do certain stuff, but others feel I need to take the initiative to do more stuff.

Here because I am the only one doing this, there is no politics. Furthermore, my boss really does not bother me as it is my prerogative to look for him if I have any queries or need to discuss something. Hence in a way, this role requires someone who is initiative, independent and knows how to ask the right questions. I cannot proclaim that I am all that, I still had to learn and adjust along the way, and even now I think I still need to improve and could have done a better job, but all I am saying is that anyone who needs to be spoon fed or to be told specifically what to do may not be suitable for this role because of the working style.

In any case, I discovered that there are a lot of documentation that has not been backed up. There are lots of hardcopies but not many softcopies. This will pose a problem when people need to look for documents or the auditors need to check. So I took it upon myself to look through all those files that have hardcopies but no softcopies, and started scanning and saving them since yesterday.

I have only just started, so it looks like I will need to be stuck at the copier for quite some time the next few days ...

Choice Of Travel Insurance

Now that my trip is approaching, I need to figure out which travel insurance to get. I must admit so far all the trips I have been to, I have never taken out travel insurance. I am referring to the trips I made on my own, not the one with my parents, because for those, I think my parents would have gotten insurance for everyone.

I know people will be shocked to know I did not take out travel insurance all these while. I always thought it is not necessary, because firstly the insurance is not cheap, and secondly, I feel as if I was paying for nothing. It is not the same as life or health insurance, where definitely one can utilise it one day, but for travel insurance, if nothing happens, it is like throwing my money away.

Still, the idea of travel insurance started growing on me, especially since I realise anything can happen. I have been lucky all those times, but always have to expect the unexpected. Especially for this trip, the travel agent kept reminding us to get travel insurance.

So I went to check out the travel insurance available. Our travel agent ties up with two insurers - Chartis (under the American Insurance Group), and Tenet, a Japanese company. If we book via the travel agent's website, we can get about fifteen percent off for Chartis but not Tenet.

I checked out both, and realise that Chartis is a whole lot cheaper than Tenet, even without the discount. But still I wanted more options. So I contacted my second insurance agent and he recommended me Liberty, which is about the same price as Chartis.

All three have the same coverage. Afterall, for travel insurance, what other coverage can there be? My agent told me he would recommend either Liberty or Tenet, because in case of anything, it is easier to claim from there, whereas Chartis has lots of procedures to go through (perhaps because it is a typical American insurance company?).

Honestly all three look good. But in terms of pricing, Tenet is out. So it is between Chartis and Liberty. Since I still have some time left before the trip, I can take the time to think, consider and consult my mum since she will also be utilising the insurance too. Meanwhile, these two insurance packages are both equally attractive, which makes it hard to come up with a decision. Oh well, I will deal with that later.

Not A Housekeeper Be ...

My maid is back, finally! And there is a difference when she is away and when she is back. Now that she is back, the house went back to its spic and span condition, no trace of dust, floors waxed properly, no stickiness. We really cannot do without her!

I think I really do not make a good housekeeper. Or perhaps I have taken for granted that there will always be domestic help. This period of time when my maid was away and I had to work and clean the house really took a toil on me. I seriously wonder how do other women do it?

Perhaps if I stay home full time I can do a better job. If this is what makes a woman prove her capability, ie work, clean the house, take charge of the household, look after kids, then I must say I am really useless in this respect because I find I am not able to juggle that very well.

Kudos to all my cousins and friends who are able to work and juggle the housework and whatnot at the same time! Really take my so many hats off to you! Which is why the men better appreciate your women more as they still have to work, cook, clean, raise kids and whatnot to ensure you have a more comfortable and carefree life without complaints!

Transition ...

Yesterday, I took a deep breath, went into my boss' room, and told him the news - that I have had a better offer, and that I did not mean to leave and I was not looking, but the opportunity just came along and the offer is just too attractive to turn down. I even apologised for moving on so fast and thanked him for the opportunity he gave me to work here.

He was pretty cool about it. He just asked me when I would be starting work, and what kind of company and work I would be doing at my new place. He then said to write in to him formally. He said these things happen and that staff move on, and thanked me for telling him in advance.

So today I printed out my resignation letter and passed it to him. In light of my upcoming vacation, I would stay for about another week to have a proper transition. Today I will be starting to clear stuff and update all the things that are still outstanding, not from me, but from previous staff. Hopefully when I leave, everything will be updated and the next person will not cuss me for giving so much backlog. :-)

This is it! Now there is no turning back! Whatever will be, will be! Hopefully the other company does not pull out otherwise I will be in a troublesome situation!

Modernised Version Of The Moor

I just came back from watching "Othello", this year's production of "Shakespeare In The Park". Unlike previous years where I had a pavilion seat, this year I was sitting at the general area, which means I had to get a picnic mat and sit on the grass. Since it rained earlier, the grass was still wet. But because it rained, the weather was pretty good for an outdoor play, not too hot and not rainy!

From where I was seated, I could see almost the whole of the screen. This rendition of Othello was set in modern times, in a modern army base camp. The actors wore modern army camouflage uniform, and there are modern equipment like tanks, cars, news reports and even a helicopter!

Otherwise the play followed almost directly word for word in the book. To be honest, I am not very impressed with this version. I know it is good effort on the part of the production team, and I guess they need an updated version to capture the audience, but personally, I feel Shakespeare is not Shakespeare unless it is authentic. 

Afterall, how can anyone do justice to the man who invented so many words, phrases and idioms that are being used in the English language even now? How can anyone even pay tribute to a man who singlehandedly made the English language into the same class as that of Latin and French? Who can ever revamp the English language as he did? Since then, English Literature is not English Literature if not a single Shakespeare's work is studied.

So even though Othello is a good rendition, I find it not authentic. Maybe I am more hardcore, but I would prefer it more if it is really set in those times, five hundred years ago, instead of modern times. Somehow it just does not cut it with modern settings and Shakespeare speak at the same time.

I hope the next production of Shakespeare In The Park will follow the story more authentically!

Short Shorts ...

After finding the "perfect" swim wear to go to a more conservative country, I need to find a "perfect" pair of shorts, to play safe. Since the country is so conservative, I have to ensure that my body parts are covered as much as possible, so I set out to look for a pair of beach shorts that can withstand water.

After searching several places online and offline, I managed to find a pair of black beach shorts with what I think is waterproof material. Just perfect to wear over the swim suit! However, since it is featured online, I was concerned about the size of the shorts. The thing is, my body is more pear-shaped, so even though I can have a tiny waist, my bottom is always bigger, not curvier. So even if the waist part is able to fit, it may not be able to fit the other part.

Still, I ordered the largest size. When the shorts arrived, I was horrified to find out that the cutting is small. Bad news! When I tried it on, needless to say, it was too tight for me. I could pull the shorts up, but I was unable to close up the fastening. Another bad news!

So now I have a pair of shorts that cannot be worn, and cannot be returned, unless I shrink two sizes miraculously in two weeks. Or else I have to go looking for a pair of shorts again, but it is so hard to find one that has the right fit, which I like, and of a good colour at the same time!

Now I wish I really can shrink two sizes in two weeks, then all will be good!

Final "New" Facial Treatment

Today is my first brother's birthday ... and I finally completed the last of the three session facial treatment of the Groupon voucher. Perhaps because it was already the last session, this time round the facial seemed more thorough than previous times. At least the blackhead extraction made my face smoother, and the mask and massage made me feel better.

The good thing is they did not hardsell me anything. Even though during the session, the facial therapist did sound me out on whether I wanted their four-session treatment package, I rejected her flat. She still went ahead to finish up my treatment thoroughly, instead of cutting short the whole treatment when I told her "no" to a package, unlike other salons. That is something I am impressed with!

Now I have smooth skin which I hope can last until the end of my middle eastern trip!

Back Breaking!

How do other people do it, I wonder? As in hold down a full time job, with housework, with taking care of kids, with taking care of elderly, and still have energy left to study part time! My maid will be coming back on Wednesday, so last Saturday I had to clean the whole house, and already I find it back breaking! My back was literally sore and I could hardly move after I scrubbed, mopped, cleaned and wiped the floors, doors, grilles and furniture!

I think I am really useless! Considering my overseas relatives, they never have a domestic helper, yet able to cook, clean, take care of kids, drive them everywhere, do the marketing, entertain and still keep the house so spic and span! I am talking about really big houses (big in our context, normal in their context), those colonial bungalow kinds with a few rooms, a nice living room with a fireplace, a dining room that opens up onto the backyard patio facing the swimming pool, big garden, and driveway. How do they maintain the house and still work full time and have a few kids at the same time?

I really salute them! I wonder if I can do that? Think I am too spoilt already, hence become so useless in life!

Receptionist For An Hour

I had to help out at the reception counter today. The receptionist is sick and the other two Personal Assistants who had to rotate and cover the receptionist had to attend a meeting. It would be a disaster if no one was manning the reception counter, hence I was asked to help out.

I do not mind helping out of course, but I think I am not qualified enough to be a receptionist. Afterall, being at the counter must be someone who is pretty and dainty, who smiles a lot and looks sweet and nice enough to be a good ambassador to the company. But I am none of these.

Furthermore, this is the first time in my life doing reception duty. I have never been a receptionist anywhere I have worked. What am I to do? Entertain guests, answer the phone, transfer calls?

Luckily during the one hour or more stint, there were no guests. Only employees going in and out. But there were quite a few calls, including external calls which I had no idea how to transfer the switchboard over, and had to call one of the assistants out of the meeting to help me. So embarrassing!

Overall, it was pretty good fun manning the reception counter. Think if the companies are willing to pay me what I am getting for a receptionist, I sure do not mind taking the job!

Another Regional Opportunity

When I first started this job last July, I intended to just stay on and not move, since I have moved quite a bit in previous years. In fact, before this job, I thought my career would be carved out in my previous job, but alas, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I had to exit, hence ended up in my current workplace.

My current job is fine. I am pretty satisfied here. The working environment is pleasant, colleagues are nice and jolly, and my immediate superior is good. I like working with him because he gave me back my confidence and entrusted me with more tasks without needing to check with him how to do. So I did have the intention to stay on for a while.

Few weeks back, a headhunter approached me, about a job opportunity in a European multinational corporation. I turned her down initially because I thought since I was not moving, would not even want to waste my time checking out.

However, a few weeks later, she approached me again for the same role. Apparently, that company had been rather selective over their candidates, so have not been able to find a suitable person. She asked if I was willing to explore. Since she asked me again, I thought why not? Just go explore, no strings attached.

So she set up an interview with me which I went on Monday. It was a panel of three Caucasians, I had a chat with them, and then I had to do a written test on contract drafting. I thought that was that, and felt I did not do a good job with the written test anyway.

Imagine to my surprise when my headhunter called me yesterday, saying they were willing to offer me! Not only that, I would be given a fifteen percent uplift from my current remuneration package, with good variable bonus, and generous medical and dental benefits and days of annual leave.

It is really a very attractive offer! I was in two minds over whether to accept or not. If I accept, then I would be moving on again considering I have only been in this company for just slightly less than a year. And who is to say the new company would necessary be better?

However, in terms of career prospects and learning ground, definitely the multinational corporation can give me a much better deal. I will be exposed to regional work, and the kind of work I will be doing will definitely let me learn much more, because the current company I am working in now is a local small medium enterprise in a niche market, so after a while, there is nothing much to learn and no further prospect.

My headhunter said the company would prefer an answer today, so I told her I will be willing to accept the offer. Taking in view my vacation time next month for my trip, they are allowing me to start end of June. The offer letter will come in next week, and if all goes well, I can submit my resignation letter.

Hopefully this time round things will really turn out well and I can stay on so will not keep moving! I am keeping my fingers crossed that the working environment is good and pleasant so I can stay on for a while at least.

A Complete Set Of Brushes

A month ago, I ordered a set of twenty-four makeup brushes from Groupon, and it arrived yesterday! The brushes are wrapped in a pretty pink case and come in pink and black with red and black bristles. Pretty and cute!

Brushes are wrapped in this little pretty pink case

The complete brush set

To be honest, I do not even know the names and purpose of some of the brushes in the set! Essentially there are the basic ones, like powder brush, blusher brush, concealer brush, eyeshadow highlighter brush, eyeshadow contour brush, eyeshadow accent brush, eyeliner brush, lip brush, mascara brush, mascara comb, eyebrow brush, eyebrow comb. As for the rest, I will need to find out their purpose.

Now I will never have any lack of makeup brushes anymore and my makeup can go on smoother than before due to all the blending of the brushes! Maybe I can finally look flawless for once!

My New Suit ...

My new swimsuit came today! It is a blue printed tankini halter top, with matching boyleg shorts, and even a matching scrunchie to tie up my hair! Perfect for a beach vacation! This is the sixth swimsuit I own currently, even though I hardly swim, or rather, I hardly swim here.

I am not much a water person, as can be attested to the fact that I have not swum in ten years. In fact, my recent trip to Redang, I swam more in two days then ten years combined! This is how long I have not swam, but then I am not someone who likes going to swimming pools in the first place. 

I always find swimming a more troublesome sport than anything else, because one has to bring gear, goggles, cap, and then shower materials, plus a change of clothing, unlike other kind of sports where you can just wear any old thing and run or jog or cycle instead of bringing so many things to change.

However, I do enjoy beach holidays. Walking by the beach, wading in the water, seeing the sunset and enjoying the peace and tranquility ... I only wish I can have this kind of getaway ever so often!

Of course, a beach holiday is not a beach holiday if one does not pack a swimsuit. I remember the last swimsuit I had that my mum bought me when I was twelve. It was a one-piece suit and I used it for the compulsory swimming lessons my school made us take when I was in lower secondary. Since then I used it for years, all the way until I was in my early twenties! That proves that I stopped growing since secondary school!

My first beach holiday was three days in Bintan. Needless to say, I wanted to pack swimsuits as I thought we would be swimming for all days. I thought since I was already an adult, I ought to pick my own swimsuit, so I went searching for a bikini. I managed to find one set of olive green bikini and one set of pink bikini. By a stroke of luck, one of the female magazines that time gave away a free set of bikini, so I also got a set of green bikini. Unfortunately, I ended up with that time of the month the day before the holiday, so I could not show off my new bikinis.

Later on I discovered I no longer had the body for bikinis, and a guy I was dating then invited me for a swim. So I decided to get another swimsuit. I did not like those one-piece swimsuits as I wanted one that could flatter whatever figure I had yet still hid all my flabs. Hence I settled on a blue tankini, with floral prints. The spaghetti strap top covered my tummy and the matching bottom covered my bum so it was perfect! The set also came with a free matching wraparound skirt.

Since then, I took the tankini set everywhere I went, to New Zealand for the hot spring, to Phuket for the snorkelling, and the bikinis I had were just packed as extra just in case. In fact, I hardly ever utilise the bikinis now because I am too ashamed to go out in a full bikini with my burgeoning figure.

Last year I happened to come across swimdresses. Apparently swimsuits are so sophisticated now that one can wear from the pool or a beach direct to a party after that! Hence the swimdress. It is made of swimsuit material, yet at the same time one can wear it as a dress without any extra cover up. It is casual enough to walk on the beach, yet chic enough to go to a beach party with it. 

What does a swimdress look like? It is a one-piece swimsuit with a short skirt attached. Some of these come with detachable skirts. In fact, swimdress looks more like a dress than a swimsuit. One would not think it is a swimsuit unless we see one swimming in it. 

I thought it was a good idea to wear that on vacations, so I bought one white and yellow swimdress, which I have worn to Sarawak and Redang. The material is good, soft, comfortable and dries up fast after being in the water.

For my upcoming Israel trip, I would have the chance to dip in the Dead Sea. After all the reviews I read about colour fading off from the clothes due to the high salt content, as well as certain clothes cannot be worn because of the religion there, I started racking my brains on what I can or cannot wear.

Definitely I would not be able to wear a bikini. My next option is the tankini, but the bottom part is not allowed on the basis the shorts are too short. If I wear the swimdress, what if I spoil the material and the colour runs, especially since it is a white background? The swimdress is one item I intend to own for a long time, so I do not wish for anything to happen to it.

In the end, the perfect solution is to wear a swimsuit that is not only conservative, and I need not worry about the colour running out. So I started searching, and finally came across a perfect swimsuit - the blue halter tankini top with half-covered back, and boyleg shorts for the bottom. It also comes with a free matching scrunchie! Conservative swimsuit, dark colour so even if the colour runs it is hardly noticeable, and good material, plus a scrunchie to tie up my hair while soaking in the Dead Sea! And the price does not hurt too!

So now that I have more swimsuits, perhaps it is an excuse that I can plan more beach holidays and getaways from now on!

Down The Rabbit Hole

Last year I watched a movie called "Rabbit Hole", starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. Last night, I went to watch a local production of the play "Rabbit Hole", on the same plot and theme. I am not a fan of local productions, even though I have seen a few good ones, but yet I like the local play more than the movie version!

Both the movie and the play is on a couple who have lost their son, their different ways of grieving and how they finally came to terms, or tried to come to terms, with it. Even though this is a story with only a few characters, the whole storyline is pretty good. While the movie version is more solemn, the play is more light-hearted, yet both versions are intellectual and intense. For a more detailed review, please refer to my book and movie blog.

Why the title "Rabbit Hole"? For both the movie and play versions, right at the end, when the main character talked to the teenager who accidentally caused her son's death in order to find closure, it was explained in a story the teenager wrote to dedicate to the dead son, that when his story characters fall into a rabbit hole, it is like going into a parallel universe, where anything is possible.

Hence for the mother dealing with her grief, she has to open up her rabbit hole to find a parallel universe where her son is happy, and she can finally come to a closure and move on with her life. Which is why the rabbit hole is the theme of the whole story, to be able to go in and find yourself again.

I wish I have my own rabbit hole to find too!

"Bimbotic" Moment ...

One of my greatest "bimbotic" moment - I bought several new outfits online recently. I even ensured they were to my exact measurements, with a little leeway here and there. When they arrived, I tried them on and realised I could not fit into them! I started panicking, because I was not able to return them, and if I could not wear, then unless I shrink miraculously, otherwise they will be wasted money and become white elephants. Worse is I may have to give them away before I even started wearing!

Suddenly this morning, I had a flash of "inspiration". I took out the outfits and checked them out thoroughly, and guess what? There were zippers at the side! No wonder I could not fit into them, because for some reason, I did not think of checking whether there was any zip and just tried them on! When I unzipped them, I found that the outfits really fit me like a glove, and I was still able to zip them up perfectly!

The thing is, this kind of thing should not happen, is it not? What made me think there would not be any zippers? All my outfits have zippers, be it at the side or behind! So what happened to my common sense at that point in time?!

Times like this I really feel like kicking myself for being so idiotic!

Old Notes, New Hand

Finally my mum is back! She came back on Saturday with my maternal grandmother, and praised me for a job well done in cleaning the house. Even my dad said he was impressed with how I took charge of the household! He has to be, since I was cleaning up the mess he made!

My mum and grandma exchanged these with me :

I cannot believe my grandmother still has these in mint condition! For those of you not in the know, this is a rare old S$10 note that is no longer in use. Even rarer is the old S$20 note, that has been decommissioned since the early nineties, so for anyone who even has the S$20 note, it is a real treasure indeed.

These notes are for collection of course, not to spend. Besides stamp collecting, I also collect coins, and notes too for the older and rarer series. I regret not being able to collect the first flower series of the notes, since these were used before my time, and it is hard to find anyone with that kind of notes anymore. Even the bird series is rare (as seen from the S$20 note).

The series immediately preceding our current notes is the ship series (as seen from the S$10 note). The ship series includes the purple S$2 note, the rare orange S$2 note and the green S$5 note. Even rarer is the blue S$1 note from the ship series, as that has been decommissioned ever since the gold S$1 coin came out in the late eighties.

Now I hope I can find the S$1 note, orange S$2 note, S$5 note and the notes of the old flower series! With new series of coins being circulated this year, I have to start saving all my current coins too, as they may just be decommissioned soon! I regret not saving as many of the one-cent coin as possible before they were decommissioned, now I cannot find them anymore as no one uses one-cent coins nowadays!

Prankster Targeting Public Transport

People are getting so terrible! Yesterday someone got burnt by a substance while sitting on the train. Last week someone got hurt by acid poured onto a seat at a bus stop while sitting down waiting for a bus at that particular bus stop.

I wonder what people are thinking nowadays? Why does anyone want to do any action that deliberately hurt others physically? It is one thing having grievances with someone, but it is another thing altogether to hurt an innocent party one has totally no connection with.

Seems like even taking public transport is dangerous nowadays! What can one do? Take horses? Or carriage rides? I kind of like that idea actually. Imagine cruising through the countryside in a horse-drawn carriage. 

Who am I kidding? What countryside? There is nothing here but tall, modern, fierce-looking buildings! No more countryside and no more old buildings since money and power are more important than history and culture! What a waste!

Hopefully the people who did those pranks will get caught soon! They need some help as soon as possible to ensure they get treated for whatever illness they are suffering from.

Pre-Departure Briefing

There was a pre-departure briefing for the Israel trip today. Since my mum is still away, I went on her behalf to find out more details. Since this trip is the first "Faith In Action" trip by World Vision, they partnered with a tour agency to come up with the itinerary. The tour agency is an exclusive agent that does religious tours, that include Israel, Egypt, Jordan and some other exotic places.

It was a pretty informative briefing. Included in our pack is a booklet containing information on what we can do and cannot do, what we can bring in and cannot bring in, and things to note at airport customs. Apparently the Israeli authorities cannot stamp on the passports. They have to stamp on a piece of white paper, as if we go to other places and the other authorities find out we have been to Israel, we may not be let into that country. I thought this aspect has been relaxed?

Another thing to note is the dressing, especially for ladies. Since the country is pretty conservative, no sleeveless tops and shorts are allowed. A normal T-shirt (with sleeves), bermudas (knee-length), normal length dresses are fine. However, if we are to enter into some religious sites, which are sacred even to the Muslims, we need to be all wrapped up. Which means no showing of bare arms. Hence, when going to those sites, we need to wear a light jacket over our T-shirts and even wear a headscarf as a form of respect.

Since this is organised by World Vision, there will also be social mission. Hence we will spend one day with a Woman's Care Society, where this organisation helps to bring up the status of women in that part of the country. Many of those women are lowly educated, because they left school at a young age and then got married and gave birth young. Because they were lowly educated, they did not deem it necessary for their children to receive a good education as well. Furthermore, many of those women suffer abuses and are subjugated to the wills of their husbands and families, without any rights for themselves. We will get to see how this organisation helps in improving the lives of these women.

Then there will be a dinner with young Palestine Christians, and learn about their struggles and difficulties being a minority Christian in a Jewish-dominated and Muslim-occupied area. Since World Vision is primarily working with children, we will also get to visit a kindergarten and see some of the children that World Vision is sponsoring. 

Finally, we have to sign a declaration form that if in the event any of us gets kidnapped, the tour agency nor World Vision will pay the ransom, but they will try their very best to make a police report and get us rescued, but they will not negotiate with terrorists or kidnappers. We also need to sign a declaration that when visiting the children, we will not give them cash personally, nor exchange our numbers or addresses. This is just to play safe.

So now that the briefing is over, I think my mum will be so excited that she cannot wait to go for the trip now! And so am I!

Back To Ribbon Interface ...

Last week my office system was in the midst of upgrading. So we migrated from Lotus Notes to a web-based email system, which was making everyone's lives difficult, because the web-based email somehow does not work as well as a normal email program.

Today my laptop got "confiscated", to be upgraded. From the web-based email system, it was upgraded to the Microsoft Office 2013, which includes Outlook, Lync, Word and the other Office programs. Hence, I am back to using Microsoft Outlook for my office emails, which is the program I am most familiar with.

Having a system upgrade also means the Office programs like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, et al, will show the ribbon interface, instead of the tabs. I am never used to the ribbon interface. I always find it a chore trying to look for the correct icon. At least with the tabs everything is displayed out properly.

I think I am really getting old, because now I find it so difficult to learn new programs! Not like when during my school days when computers were a luxury instead of a necessity, and each time a program was being updated, I would be the first to read the manual and learn how to use the program excitedly! I remember I installed the whole internet system, upgraded my software, installed the printers, and even separated my harddiscs into two in my home computer!

Not only that, I even helped my friends who could not be bothered to learn how to use the computer, install their softwares and whatnot! So I used to be the "go-to" person for a quick computer fix. Yet now, I cannot even be receptive enough to new softwares and upgrades anymore! I guess age is really catching up. Sooner or later, I have to find a teenager to help me out for a quick computer fix!

A Month Of Plays

With May Day and the month of merry May, I have a few exciting cultural activities lined up. It just so happened that almost everything is happening in May. First up, I will be watching the local play "Rabbit Hole". I did not have the intention of watching this, but it came highly recommended by a friend. His exact words were "even if you have to skip movies, do go watch this", so I know it must be good. The plotline sounds a lot like the Nicole Kidman movie though. Nevertheless, I managed to book tickets and watch it next week.

Next it will be the annual Shakespeare In The Park. This time they will be showcasing "Othello". The past few years have been comedies, starting from "Midsummer Night's Dream" (which I missed unfortunately), followed by "Much Ado About Nothing", "MacBeth" (which I missed again), and last year it was "Twelfth Night". Hence I am really looking forward to "Othello" and see how this tragedy comes alive!

After that will be "Charlotte's Web". This is a children's play. I have read the book, numerous times. I have watched the movies - both the cartoon and film versions. Now I cannot wait to see how the story will come alive on stage! I wonder if there will be real live animals? Although from the looks of things, the "animals" will most likely be played by humans.

Finally around late May, there will be "Dirty Dancing", the movie that made the late Patrick Swayze famous. I have not watched the movie as it was before my time, but I have heard the songs, and seen some of the dance sequences. So I am really looking forward to the stage version!

That wraps up the cultural activities in May. There are others of course, like a night of music from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but unfortunately, it will occur during the time I will be away. And of course, not to mention the return of the "Phantom of the Opera"! This year is really a good year for cultural events. I only hope the musical version of "Les Miserables" will return soon!