Annual Leave Over, Time to Move On!

My annual leave is finally over.. 3 full days.. am I glad.. for a start I did not take vacation to anywhere, I simply stayed home.. eat, sleep, surf internet etc... I am also glad that I did not get many phonecalls from vendors or my company, maybe it is becos of the holiday season.. hahah not too bad..

I went for a briefing yesterday evening at CDAC for an "Back to School" event on this coming sunday. It is some kind of a social welfare program for low income family. There were will be games, free snacks, goodie bags and a lot of other activities, just like a family day. Boy.. am I glad I have something to do this Sunday.. I have been put in the goodies bag team and have volunteered to help transfer the items from the store to the tentage in the carpark. But little did I know that only trolleys will be provided, there are no pallet trucks and each trolley can at most maybe carry about 10 to 12 bags which we have about 2000 bags to carry.. emm, if I have known earlier, I might be able to get some logistic support equipment from my company.. emm, anyway, will be helping to do some shifting tomorrow afternoon so hope to move as much goodie bags as I could so that the 7 other guys that is with me will not have to work so hard. And ya "Uncle Nathan" will be the VIP together with some MPs, wondering if NMP Eunice Olsen is coming.. hahah.. I have seen Uncle many times but not seem Mr LKY before.. hope I get the chance soon. Anyway, can rubbed shoulders with Uncle also not bad lah..

I was supposed to go out today on the last day of my leave but emm, laziness got the better of me.. I lazed around my computer to list some auctions and also did some surfing.. Ebay is having their rare 10 cents listing day on 27th Dec and I dun wanna missed this opportunity to save some money on listing fees, so after listing some items and finishing at about 11 am, I was just too tired to like even think about going out. I was planning to go for a movie maybe late noon or in the evening but emm.. thinking of the crowd and also thinking that it is a "no life" thing to go watch a movie alone.. I decide not to go ahead with my plan. I tried or "tried" to get people to go out for dinner, I missed my Beach Road claypot rice.. but emm, I actually only tried asking the forever busy and great Divine one.. so I did not actually did ask around.. Yo Divine one.. hope you are feeling better, I missed your Tom Cruise smile.. btw, I dunno what to do this evening.. most probably tidy up some stuff and prepared for the new year.. ya tomorrow is the last day before I kickstart my 60 weeks debt restructuring/financial management/save for a brighter day/whatever!! program.. for those who have heard about it.. it is basically watching my spending and avoid spending on needless things.. so it is going to be a tough 60 weeks ahead for me.. wish me all the best in achieving my targets..

Success = $$$ ?

Firstly before I start I would like to put forward to think of what I am going to say below in an open mind and not treat it as some bias statement from a guy! Thank you..

What did I do for Christmas? Well, I managed to call Zhu and have a long chat with her this morning. She was surprised that I managed to send her flowers and is very happy... good right?.. argh.. well..things may looked good but emm... until when she told me she intend to open a shoe shop as her brother is able to get shoes for her at wholesale price.. her concept is simple.. shoes at her area is limited in designed and is very ex.. so if she can offer more designs at a cheaper price.. sales should come in... ya good idea.. but emm, for me it simply means that the chance of getting her to settle here have become even more remote.. nevertheless, I am going to have a friend who is going to become her own boss.. which for me always as a friend.. I wish her success in her business..

o.k, coming back to the topic of success.. I was reading the blog of one of my good friend when I come across a statement.. apparently her sis have just recently married and her view is that she would be happy as she had married a successful man... sounds alright.. but emm.. how do you define success?.. by how much the person earned.. by his/her educational status.. or by the position he or she held in the working organisation... emm.. if a person who is 23 yrs old and earned $3000 a month and a person who is 30 yrs old and earned as much, does it meants that the 30 yrs old is less successful?... If a person who is a uni graduate is making say $5000 a month compared to his or her peer with the same education status but is only earning $3000, does it means him or her is more successful?... If a person is only 30 yrs old and his/her is holding a manager post in a MNC does it means he or she is doing well?... I dunno cos I never tasted "success" in a lot of things I do... for a start, I was not successful in getting a ger I like.. next I was not successful in paying off my debts.. I was not successful in getting a job in Motorola.. I was not successful in my application to NTU.. and the list goes on.. but emm, on the flipside.. I am now working in a US MNC which is as big or not bigger than Motorola.. I am getting a very decent salary (an increase of 20% from what I am earning a year ago).. I did not get into NTU but I get into PSB and I am top 4 in my class... I am not successful in getting the ger I like but I got a female friend who can give good advice... so am I successful or what?...

I have to agree that the most simple method of defining success is by how much a person earned which is equal to $$$$.... but emm, if a person is like earning $5000 at 30 yrs old... he may seem successful at that particular moment compared to someone of the same age who is earning $300 but emm if looking into 10 yrs down the road.. both guys are now 40 yrs old but the $5000 guy is now earning say.. $6000.. but emm, the $3000 guy had been promoted and his company gives good advancement prospects and he is now earning $7000 as a manager... emm.. who is more successful now.. yes, it may be a fact that Mr $5000 is doing well now but emm, come 10 yrs later.. where will he be.. my statement may be subjective as I have not add in many factors for consideration but emm.. my intent is to look beyond how well that person is doing now.. look into what he or she forsee in the future.. will he or she be in a manager post... will he or she be earning a five figure income... as you would see my example above.. I chose to use the words "doing well" instead of successful... you will never know how a person will be in the future.. whether he will be the next Bill Gates or will he be the next Mike Tyson?... look what not into how much a person is earning or how well he or she is doing now... look into how he or she think they would be in the future and helped them worked towards it.. offer encouragement and comfort.. talk to the person when he or she is down... and lastly the person must be someone who truly love you... the rest will come naturally... I shall end here and hope I did not offend anyone.. this is just some thoughts that I have... thanks and sorry...

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the Way!

Merry Christmas everyone and a very Happy New Year! May all you wishes come true in the New Year!

I would say that the past 3 weeks or so have been great except for some deviations on my part. For a start I have been getting free meals and also been giving treats to people also. I will be on leave from now till 30th and is planning on catching up with people I have not met for a while.

Yesterday was a good day except that it was the first time I have to work a full day on Christmas eve. For a start, I got a msg from Zhu... saying that she had received my flowers.. yes, I did it.. I managed to get a friend's help to send flowers over to her at Qionghai, Hainan Island. But emm, tried calling her in the evening but emm, after a few rung, the phone hung up.. I think probably she is having some performance on Christmas eve but anyway.. mission accomplished.. now we will see how things progress on... I do hope my wish come true in the new year.

I just got back from Spencer's home after a drinkign session, emm, kinda boring cos all chat different topics and doing different things.. the gers are watching TV and the guys are smoking away... anyway, spencer and sue does make great host so I think overall it is still not too bad, at least I did not stayed home on Christmas Eve. Also congrats to them for becoming parents soon.. Ya, Mr J was there and emm, he was his own grumpy self, whining and whining... no change after so many years... emm, anyway, merry christmas to him and hope his character will improve in the new year..

Coming back to whining, this is probably why I did not update my blog so often nowadays, cos I dun wanna whine about all the bad stuf happening to me throughout the days.. just wanna remember the happy stuff and stay happy.. even if all is not going well.. have to stay positive cos I have to be or not my life will become really sucks..

Have been receiving christmas greeting sms the whole, got quite a few surprises but emm overall not too bad, lots of people sms me unlike last year when I send out so many sms but only a few reply.. maybe got something to do with my profession last year.. hahaha.. I only send out 6 christmas cards and give out 1 christmas present this year so those of you who received it.. consider yourself lucky...

Mr Andy Lau, my longtime friend, have finally become a insurance advisor.. how ironic.. a year ago I was also an agent like him.. as such... I know how difficult it is to start out.. so going to give him some support to help him kicked start things.. I hope him well in his new career..

Mr Will I Am.. I hope by end of the week, I would heard the good news from you that you have cleared. I am also looking forward to our Bangkok trip, gonna shop shop shop...

Gonna stop here now cos having sort of a hangover from my drinking session.. Thank you everyone for the help and support in the past year! THANK YOU!

Sunday Morning 2nd Dec

And yes, we are into the last month of the year, the wonderful holiday month of December, the season of joy and sharing..

I am down to my last 13 days of work before I hit off for my holiday break. For a start, I will be going KL next week, not sure whether I will stay for 2 days or just the weekend cos on Monday the 10th I am also on leave. I think most prob I will just spend the weekend and catch up with some people I had not met for a while on monday.. And yes, I will be getting part of my bonus on 7th Dec, not sure how much I will get after the pro-rate but emm have to spend wisely. Will get 2 more bonus payment in Jan and Feb so hope all goes well..

Emm, the holiday season must have kicked in as I should be talking about my work instead of thinking of my holidays.. Still a lot of stuff to finish emm, but not my fault, it is all backlog items from my boss and predecessor, just do whatever I can finish asap then can relax. A couple of big things coming up next week and the week after, next week going to have some corporate certification audit for the whole plant, we are going for some bronze certification.. this will be followed by an external audit on my side on the 18th Dec, hopefully it is not too tough..

Been involved in a lot of activities lately, last few saturdays have been spent doing volunteer work which I thoroughly enjoyed but as I said, I cannot volunteer for everything, have to do it within my time and constraints. Sorry for saying this but emm, I also need some free time for myself. There are some events coming up in december and I had been informed that they are short of volunteers, emm, have not decided which to help, still pondering if I should take a holiday from the christmas period to new year eve or to help out at CDAC. but emm, taking into consideration my financial situation, I think enjoyment would probably have to be controlled, dun wanna overspent.. Yesterday 1st Dec, I was out from 9 am till 10 pm which is rare unless I am at work. For a start, I attended a christian wedding at Yishun but it ended at 12 pm where my next event is at 4 pm emm, so managed to get a friend (the one with the broken right hand) to have sushi and coffee with me. Ya, I finally have my sushi fix. Emm had quite a good chat.. thanks Mr Handsome Boy.. then head off to delifrance in Bras Brasah for some SDU thing.. was supposed to be early but could not find the place so as late for almost 30 mins.. it was sort of like a speed dating thing but in groups.. not too bad, bump into one of my course mate from NEA.. not bad lah, I talked a lot lor.. the first table was go on quite well cos all are chatty type but emm, the next table is not so good lor, for a start the 2 gers are a bit reserved (if that is the right word to use).. anyway, as usual with my chatty nature, I start the ball rolling.. the gers doesn't seem interested at all... finally made an excuse to go toilet and never return to our table.. how impolite... anyway, made friends with the other 2 guys... emm, not too bad, made 6 new friends in all.. then headed off to another church (yes, I attended 2 church session yesterday) to listen to a talk but Nick Vujicic, an australian guy who was born without arms and legs.. quite an inspiring talk.. but emm, the part I dun enjoy was when they asked those people who had not accepted Christ to come in front of the stage.. my friend and the pastor kept beckoning me to go forward not once but thrice, I am a bit pai say but then how can I convert my religion after listening to a talk for a couple of hours.. sorry if I offended anyone but emm it just doesn't sound logical to me... for a start I am a Buddist but I am open to all religion and dun mind attending and listening but to accept or convert is based on my own decision, it should not be done in a fix of implusion.. anyway, it was still a great session..

I managed to locate the M&M limited edition mint chocolates as recommended by the Divine One.. and yes it taste great.. apparently there is a M&M fair in town where they are selling limited edition M&M chocolates where you can mixed and match... emm, there was also some sort of contest been conducted... anyway, forget where in town cos given my copy of Weekend Today to my friend during our coffee session.. hope you are reading this... Divine One.. and yes, I love chocolate as much as you do so thanks for the recommendations...

I am trying to stay positive and look on the brighter side of things... as mentioned earlier, my long distance romance is not heading anywhere.. no idea what else I need to do, just let nature takes it course.. in the meantime.. I will just carry on with my more and more colorful life... remember life is great becos you make it so... thanks and have a great holiday season...

PS: Check out the photos I took during last week visit to Bukit Merah library, nothing wrong with the camera, just that I am a lousy photographer so pls bear with it...