Last day in 2004

We are only 6 hours away from Year 2005. I have achieved so much and yet committed some stupid mistakes. The good thing is i found a job and will be reporting to my new employer on next wed. hmm... Then it was my graduation. Studied more than 10 years before appearing as a graduate. Boy, that was not easy. Had a comfortable relationship with jun and i hope that will continue forever. Of course, along the way, i made some blunders. Friendship with Ken, Edwyn and Gavin grew stronger after seeing them going thru different phases in life.

The sad thing abt this year is the way we are going to end it. It will be a sombre mood this year due to the tidal waves that killed more than 120000 pple as of now. There was also the Nicoll Highway collapse, Bird Flu, Media consolidation. Yep, papers were paying tribute to Mediaworks. It will go into history after 12am tonight. No more Mediaworks and Channel I. Channel U will be under Mediacorp by tonight. Both the local and foreign scenes took unexpected changes.

Despite all these, we are still celebrating the birth of a new year. However, we are mindful of wat is going on. I really wish for no more natural calamities next year. The world will be in peace and no more war!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!!

Informal Gathering b4 New Year

Was out in Suntec City with many of my NTU friends last night. Wat a gathering. Due to some miscommunication, i waited for more than an hour before meeting up my gang. I attempted to call Gavin but he din pick up his phone. Eventually, he called me and said he was driving. That was almost half an hour later. I tried to call the others but none replied. ha... Fortunately we still get to meet. Had Oreo and Cookie smoothie at Olio Dome. Yummy. Quite nice.

Those present include Larry, KJ, Chin Yin and Vivian. We updated each other. Surprisingly, KJ decides to be a teacher. Hopefully he will be as good as Chin yin. I realise more and more of my friends have turned to the teaching profession. Pretty noble. I doubt i have that interest and power. It is not easy and i dun really want to be bothered by students. Anyway, Gavin got his own car. Wow!. Quite an achievement!! He has good income which made him more cash rich than others. Well well, wat can i say but envy.

Will be having another round of gathering tonight. This time, with many of my ex-colleagues. It has been a very long time since i last saw them. I guess it will be pretty fun meeting them up at Wala wala. Can have the oppt to drink some more. hee...

Men r from Mars; Women r from Venus

How true is this statement? Well, i have been thinking after jun and i took a review of what happened over the year. It is definitely a positive form of communicating as couple like us seldom do this form of review. One too lazy, two choose to ignore, three find it troublesome. Hmm. Sounds bad if things snowballed and got worse. I think pple should learn from us in this sense. ha... oops... But then again, individuals are different. We cannot apply the same thing to different group. Settle for a comfortable zone then.

I got to agree that expectation and surprises are not unhealthy. However, overly anticipation will eventually lead u to devastation and anxiety. The more u anticipate, the more we are putting ourselves in a difficult position. Now, take a step back and think. Is that expectation a form of self-fulfilling prophersy or basic necessity? Next, surprises are neither bad. But if someone choose to give surprise for the sake of surprise, will that improve? I agree that it will spice up ur life but on the flip side, it may disappoint u. Between someone who seldom give surprises but 安 安 分 分, and someone who can create fun but always end up more trouble, i guess the answer is obvious.

Back to the story, women or men have different characteristics. The latter tend to be realistic while the former tend to be emotional. We are born in that way. I cannot say that is bad, afterall, if everything is the same, what is the difference between both sexes? What happen in the Quake have also triggered off some thoughts in me. Pple are suffering from the aftermath, lost of loves ones, homes, money. We are lucky enough to stay in a place free of catastrophic stuff. Death figures have soared beyond 55000 this morning. We are fortunate to be with our loves one. I learn to cherish every moment in my life. Life is vulnerable.

Unwelcoming Waves

The story has been running on the headlines for the past 2 days. ST mourns the dead with a black background.CNN and CNA reschedule their normal programs to cover full reports on the Tsunamis. My entire bulletin is nothing but the killer waves. Colleagues were asking for the latest development. I guess many listeners and viewers like you and me are still concern on the Tsunamis story. Now, more and more bodies recovered. Pple are mourning and grieving over the dead. Pretty sombre mood this morning.

I will be leaving for FF soon. It is time to relax and go away from all these. I really need tat as somehow it will affect my mood. I mean the death figure is scary. The authorities are predicting even more death. Oh mine! Can you imagine the rescue teams have to recover tens to hundreds of body everyday? And not forgetting many were drowned, their bodies are badly bloated. I salute the rescue and recovery efforts of these pple. Hopefully, everything will end soon so tat rebuilding can take place quickly!!!

Aftermath of the Killer Waves

It has been more than 24 hours since Tsunamis hit many coastal areas around the Indian Ocean. When i arrived in the newsroom early in the morning, the death figures were devastating. I get to see numbers increasing in thousands and hundreds. It really make my hair stand. I get many first hand infor from wire services. The reports were saddening. Even CNN put up footages of dead children lying side by side on the mortuary. Know wat, it is not a few but MANY. My heart sank when i saw this footages. Many pple were left homeless. Some were crying over the lost of their child or next of kin.

However, media reports tend to focus on foreigners. Well, i dun blame them. After all, when such crisis occur, the first thing that comes to our mind is are there any pple from home who met the mishap? There were reports on Europeans, Americans, Australians, Japanese etc. BUT what abt the locals? I mean their homes were lost, family members gone, their source of income disappearing, they are 10 times devastated than us. I really sent my condolences to the victims of the locals. They include Thais, Malaysians, Sri Lankans, Indians and Indonesians etc. It is pretty sad to end the year with such as a disaster.

Tsunamis Strike

Was in office for work today. Received news that a big earthquake resulted a tsunamis all over South Asia. Countries like Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives and Indonesia were badly affected. Many innocent lives were taken away. Imagine the sudden waves that strikes on you when u were at home or even suntanning at a resort. I felt sorry for many victims. I have been to Phuket and Phi Phi island. It is pretty scary if u were one of those on the island or on board one of those motor boats. These areas were badly hit and many tourists were drowned. Rescue efforts are now underway.

Went FF after work to de-stress. I like sunday cos it is usually less crowded in the evening after 6pm. Met a new friend while enjoying my sauna. He complimented my efforts in FF as successful. ha. Woo hoo, i guess i din waste my investment of $118. I am now even motivated to work hard. However, i always ensure that i do not injured my back as i find that many gym goers tend to over-stress their back. I am not as garang as them. ha....

Merry Merry Christmas

Yes, the last few days to New year is Christmas. It is a day for love, care and share. Although i din attend any christmas party this year, i still enjoyed myself. Was at home in the first part of the day. Played with little jordan for some time before heading out to town.

Why is Christmas known as 圣 诞 节 in mandarin particularly in Singapore? In Taiwan, they called 耶 诞 节。 Why the difference? let me explain. 圣 诞 节 指 的 是 庆 祝 圣 人 诞 生 的 日 子。 那 么 说， 耶 酥 是 圣 人。 所 以 他 出 生 的 当 天， 便 称 为 圣 诞。 请 数 我 冒 昧， 天 下 哪 有 人 称 自 己 是 圣 人 呢？ 就 连 佛 陀 只 称 自 己 为 导 师。 因 此， 我 相 信， 圣 人 是 后 人 为 耶 酥 所 取 的 名 称。 不 过， 我 认 为， 耶 旦 比 较 贴 切。 因 为 耶 酥 的 诞 辰 应 该 叫 做 耶 旦。 以 这 个 观 点 来 看， 我 就 非 常 支 持 台 湾 人 的 看 法。

我 虽 然 不 是 泛 绿 或 泛 蓝 的 支 持 者， 但 是 在 这 个 共 用 词 上， 我 到 是 相 当 乐 意 接 受。 尽 管 如 此， 新 加 坡 已 经 把 圣 诞 挂 在 嘴 边， 那 就 随 缘 吧！！！ 只 要 共 通， 我 只 能 默 默 的 接 受。 哈！！！ 在 此， 祝 贺 所 有 教 徒 和 人 员 圣 诞 节 愉 快！！！

Peaceful Christmas Eve

Had an enjoyable evening with jun the day before. We had a mini picnic session over at Singaporeans mostly visit recreation area, East Coast. We sat there for several hours from day till night. First we see clouds, sun, sand, sea then moon, star, darkness. Was quite an experience for me. Seldom have this type of oppt. Like wat jun says, the location is negligible. It is the timing, the person u r with that counts. I got to admit that!!!

I lost count on the number of planes that landed on World Best Airport. Despite high landing fees, many planes choose singapore to land cos of the location. We are just between the north and south. Travellers from Europe, North Asia will transit here before moving to Australia, New Zealand and vice versa. That is why CAAS has been intensifying her efforts to boost the competitiveness of our airport. Of course, taking into consideration the competition from friendly neighbours in the North.

On Christmas eve, I stayed at home after work. Think i am just too tired after waking up 4am this morning. Went FF b4 collecting my new pair of specs at Toa Payoh. Headed home straight. Wanted to sleep but naughty Jordan din permit me to do so. I had more of a family gathering for my Christmas eve. Something quite different from the past. Felt serene and warmth. Maybe it was jordan. ha.... But taking care this imp was not an easy task.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Visit to Caldecott Hill

In case u were wondering what is caldecott hill, in layman term means Mediacorp. Yup. Made a visit there for a special reason. Not for audition, not to ogle at artises, not to be scouted by producers. But to embark on my career. ha... Yes, finally got accepted into the local media giant. Felt so excited when i was being offered a job there. Can u imagine, it was my dream to work in a tv station since sec school days. I managed to fulfill part of it.

Will officially join them in jan next year. Wow, the benefits they offer were so much better. They recognise my previous efforts and willing to offer me something much better than my current firm. I did not even hesitate and pen down my intials immediately. Hopefully, it will be a good start for me. After all, it is my first job after graduation. Really looking fwd to the big family led by my idol Mr Ernest Wong!!! yeah.

Free and Easy @ BKK

Got home last nite after some 2 hr flight from BKK. I was travelling with Tiger Airways for the first time. The plane is indeed budget. The leg room is so narrow that pple with long legs will be at an extreme disadvantage. Other than that, if u need to go to the rest room, WAIT. why? If the stewardess is pushing the cart down the asle, u dun have a chance to bypass them and go to the loo. It is just too narrow. The service is generally good.

Well, at BKK, i stayed in Nana area again. When i was there last year, i was terrified by the way the prositutes solicit for business. Staying in that area was not very comfortable for me. But it turn out otherwise. Fortunately, i am quite ok with it. Maybe i am used to the way Thais live. This is part of their life and culture. There were lots of stalls at night in that area. Not forgetting my favourite glass noodles. Manage to gobble 2 bowls in 1 nite.

Too bad my friends were not keen on roadside stall. When i met up edwyn, i had lots of roadside stall food. First was chicken rice at chatuchak, then the very famous Kway Chap at Yaowarat (Chinatown), then seafood. We ordered 10 prawns and 2 crabs. Only the 2 of us had the privilege of eating so much. I prefer to eat at the roadside than to visit restaurants. I really see no point. Some may not think so.

Took the newly commissioned subway at BKK. Pretty clean, fast and efficient. Took from Chatuchak all the way to Hualampong. A comfortable, cooling and relaxing ride. Went to Suan Lam at nite with edwyn and drank draft beer. There is always this stage performance. The place is now attracting more tourists.

Other than the usual place in BKK, i also took a 2hr ride to another nearby town, Pattaya. I tot we were there for beach activities but no. Instead, we went to Sirachai Zoo (Zoo where tigers were down with bird flu) Had crocodile meat for lunch, then proceed to Gem Collection, a place where tourists are being "forced" to make purchase which will eventually benefit the tour guide. Next we headed to Ah Gua show which i felt was the most enjoyable part of the Pattaya trip.

In short, i quite enjoy the trip. Thinking of making a short trip next time if i have the time and money. hee

Trauma at CAAS

Was in a daze after a tramautic experience at CAAS. My god i could not believe wat i heard. Know wat, before i even went for the interview, the recruitment officer kept stressing that we are liable for damages if we r unable to finish a course conducted by them. How much is the course? not 4k but 48k. I was initially interested with the job but was turn off immediately when i heard of repayment.

Another thing, i waited for 3 hours for a 15 min interview. It will be fine if i LOVE the job very much. However, the little talk from the recruitment officer really disgusted me. I was thinking of leaving the room even before the interview. The career prospect, according to the recruitment officer is limited. Once an ATC always an ATC. No way to move up the corporate laddle like other organisation. How can? To summarise, i am glad they din take in me. Neither am i keen on that job. My entire mind during the 3hrs was only "liable for damages"

Anyway, was out wif lijun in the late afternoon. Poor girl, waited for me near my home. It was meant to be a surprise but CAAS ruined it. She waited on me while i waited at the lobby of CAAS. Thanks to the management of the BEST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD for treating their potential candidate. However, we had a great time later at Orchard. Like many other Singaporeans, we took some photos in view of the festive season.

In another few more hours, i will be away from home. This time to BKK again. Yeah! Chatuchak, MBK, Siam Square, Patpong, Mango Rice, Glass noodles. Here i come!!! Sawaedee kar! Ka pun kap!!! hey hey.... And this is my maiden flight with Tiger Airways. Oh yes, subsidiary of SIA and somehow related to CAAS. ha... Will update when i am back!!!

Bye Bye Helen Chong

She will probably be anchoring the news for the last time on 31 Dec 2004. She is a native Chinese. She was hired by Mediacorp previously to join as Ch 8 news presenter. She became a Singapore Citizen recently. When Ch U established, she left her alma master. After thinking thru, she has decided to leave TV for good. We may not be able to see her on screen in future. I guess she has some other plans in mind. Well well, out of 4 news presenter in Ch U, none of them went back to their ex employer. Should i say pathetic or there r plenty of talents in Ch 8?

Was listening to Quan Yifeng on air with wenhong at UFM 1003. The on air atmosphere was pretty sombre. Although she has chosen to join the new station, she is feeling sad to leave her current team as well as the future of Ch U. I can understand when u r leaving a team of colleagues whom u have been working together for a long time. The commandarie spirit, the difficult time u went thru, etc will always be in your mind. 天 下 没 有 不 散 的 宴 席。When time is ripe, it is time to leave for the better. Hopefully, that applies to me too....

Star Award

The annual star awards hit the screen of more than 1 million pple last sunday. We saw many first time this time. One was ah jie in her pregnancy dress, two Jacelyn Tay fell, three Fann Wong and Christopher Lee relationship made known publicly. It was quite an enjoyable nite. It was like a big family gathering. Everyone was there. Not forgetting Mediaworks Mr Man Shu Sum. And Sharon Au thanked him for bringing her into Mediacorp.

However, from an outsider point of view, u can see that they have slashed their budget. Their publicity is so limited. Well, it might be due to the merger. Mediacorp spent a lot buying over mediaworks as well as compensating their retrenched staff. No choice. Even the guest that they invited seems minimal. They even got their own artise to give out the awards. Mr Ernest Wong was seen on stage several times.

Hmm. He got quite a number of appearance on TV. My idol. Why? He is so powerful to buy over another TV station. Not everyone CEO can behave like him. He got this charisma that i really need to learn from. If i could work as his PA, fantastic. Although it may be very tough, it will be a good experience. But joining mediacorp is definitely fun!!!

Double celebration @ Double O

SHIT. I was writing halfway when my computer hang. And now i have to rewrite the entire blog again. So sickening. There is no copy function in this blog. I find it VERY STUPID. Wasted all my previous efforts. I was on a happy mode when updating my blog when such incident happened.

I was having a double celebration at double o last night. One was for myself. The other was to celebrate for ken. His mum was ok. After some diagnosis, she is in the pink of health. I felt relieve when i heard the news. I have always said her mum is a kind lady. She will be fine. I was right!

The music at double o was okay though i tot it could be improve further. The crowd was infested with NSFs. ha... What i heard was specs, field camp, OCS. Aiyah, i nearly fainted. But fine, i suddenly recalled i am one of them. But a very old NSF. Funny and ironic. Qiang flew us kite at the last hour. As usual, he appears to be mysterious. Appearing suddenly and disappearing out of nowhere. ha... he might grumble if he reads my blog.

I find that i really have a passion for dancing. But sad to say i am getting old. If i were younger, i might have learnt dancing. So fun and good form of exercise for the body. I club for a simple reason - to dance. Unlike others who club to drink or get seduce, i am not the kind. On the other hand, there are some who club to drink but dun dance. Really funny. I guess when i dun work over here anymore, the chances of dancing would be reduced. I might be on shift again. It's my life! (Bon Jovi)

Top of the World!

I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky lucky. I should be so lucky, love. An old song sang by the queen Kylie Minogue. I should be very lucky and fortunate. Thanks to the blessings from Buddha, Pu Sa, friends and family members. My prayers were really heard. I feel so relieve, peace and most importantly, jovious. It is hard to describe my feelings now. It is like u won a lucky draw for condo or getting first class honours.

U must be thinking if i won something or wat. I can tell you "NO". If u r interested, feel free to let me know and i will tell u personally. I will reveal when time is ripe on my blog. hee... seems so mysterious. Yeah Yeah! Only close friends of mine will have the privilege to know what happen. After so many weeks of anxiety, complaints, fear, everything is over. It is time to move on! 3 Cheers for myself and those who believe in me!!! Hip Hip Hooray X3

Leave over!

After some 2 weeks of rest, my leave is coming to an end. The grand finale will be my trip to BKK next week. For now, it is back to work. I will be on shift from tom till next wed. Most of the time i will be doing the morning shift. Woo. Long time since i woke up at 4am in the morning. But no choice. Lots of sentiment whenever i think of leaving the company after clearing my leave.

I have been in this com for more than 2 years. In between, i went for my studies in NTU before returning to finish my liability with them. Come to think of that, i am really one of the senior staff in the company. For one simple reason, the staff turnover is extremely high. When i went back, what i saw were unfamiliar faces. The only face i recognise was my boss cum supervisor. He dun have a choice and thus needs to stay longer than others. After almost 6 months working with them, i forge new friendships.

It is always the pple that makes it so tough for me to leave. However, it is time. I have seen more than 3 generations change. Starting from the ancient era of Agnes, Lionel, Dhalia and Chong Lian till Joe, Shuyuan, Lionel till today's Terry, Shareen and JJ? So much have happened over such a short time. I really treasure the time over here. Hmm, think i will have more to say when Jan 05 arrives!!

Aftermath of the merger

Saw on TV that Mr Ernest Wong went to SPH auditorium in a bid to welcome staff from SPH to Mediacorp. I tot that was sincere and gracious of him. Well, some may argued that it is for show. I got to disagree. He got more impt decisions to make than to attend a stupid 'induction program" for his new staff. Afterall, he is still the man that i got to take my hats off. He might have feel the importance of his appearance to all the new staff who came over to Mediacorp. The strange thing was most were previously his former staff. Ironic!

Over at SPH side, i understand from sources that pple like Wang Yan Qing, Lina Ng and Evelyn Tan were given desk bound job. Only Evelyn had rejected the offer and decide to retire from TV for good. Maybe it is a good choice for her. So the end of pple like yanqing, lina. Not forgetting retrenched staff like Peter Yu, Cherrie Lim, Ericia Lee, Hui hui, Wenhai. Say goodbye to them! More importantly, bye bye Channel I and MEDIAWORKS!!!

Frenzy at Mediacorp and Mediaworks

My goodness. The conslidation report is out. More than 200 workers from mediacorp and mediaworks been axed. Poor thing. However, it was pretty expected. If not, like wat Mr Ernest Wong said, they would be absorbing the losses from SPH. There is no rationalisation at all. I got to agree what he said from the point of a chairman. But too bad, those affected are usually pple on the lower levels like u and me.

I am worried cos if i decide to go over to the media giants, i wonder they would have jobs for me. I hope there really is and it will not be a hoax. The news came pretty scary to me... Anyway, need to end my story here. Need to make a phone call. Update again tom.

Homely Gathering

Was outside with jun and her "kor" this afternoon. Quite a warm heartening event cos i really feel like a homely gathering. Her "kor" was friendly and chatty. We met for lunch first and headed to Bakers' Inn. Over there, we really had an enjoyable afternoon accompanied with coffee, ice teas etc. hee... This guy had lots of trekking experience to share. Pretty interesting and entertaining. I bet he had a very fun life during his teenage years.

I am not the kind who likes outdoor activites. Maybe i am used to the comfort that i lived in. I understand that some pple treats outdoor activities as part of their life. I really salute to them. I cannot stand the stickiness, the sweat, carrying a huge chunk and yet spending quite a substantial sum of money. And probably that explains why i always join those indoor, easy ECAs. I hated uniform group when i was a student. Cos have to wake up early, attend camps. SIANZ. Those were the days lar. Anyway, a new week has begun and i am still on leave. Woo Hoo!!!

Thai Friend

Ed has really become a native thai. ha.. I guess he is really keen to give up his pink ic for thai membership. He flew back on wed and met us up today. Boy, he had lose weight and looked skinner now. I think it must have been all that hectic job despite his posting to BKK. Anyway, i also met up with Wanqi and Gavin. Before meeting Gavin (who is late as usual), we had dinner at Thai Express.

Strange enough, i have been to Thai for many times but the food they sell in Thai Express is so different from what i had in BKK. The conclusion that i gave was Singaporean Thai food have blended local flavours. As a result, wat we had was a mixture of Sing-Thai food. ha... We were gossiping at the table when i realise that many of my NTU school mates had found fantastic jobs. Some working at JP morgan, some at Barclayscapital. GOOD PAY! I seriously believe that foreign banks pay better than local banks. I should consider getting a job in a foreign bank, but as far as i know they din have any openings at the moment. haiz.... Wish me luck at the 2 interviews that i went. Hopefully, i can get something in return. Really.

Mambo Nite

Woke up pretty early this morning for my dental appointment at SAFTI. I stayed in SK and have to travel more than 30km to reach there. When i arrived at SAFTI, i realise the dental centre is located right at the other end of the entrance. I wonder how far i walked to get to the centre. If you happen to be a cadet there, i suppose it will be terribly bad to carry many things at one time and walk all the wayl there. Fortunately, they have a shuttle service and the medical cum dental centre is located near the cadets' accommodation blocks.

So much of my complaining. Last nite was very fun. The crowd was fantastic at Zouk. Despite the last episod of Singapore Idol, clubbers prefer the Mambo Idol. There were at least 250 pple in Zouk at one time? Well, I was dancing at the platform with ken. I begin to realise that the clubbers in MU are better looking. The standard in Zouk seems to have fallen. However, they are excellent in all that retro hand sign but not the rest. Their legs dun move a lot. My legs felt numbed when i din move. Some hand sign were indeed interesting yet funny. I was dancing and laughing at the same time. Who in the world came up with all these funny stuff??? I tried to ask but no one gives me an answer! Do get ready next time if u r heading now to mambo. Be prepared with all the hand signs!

PS: I did hand signs too, but not as pro as them!

Date with Artise

Am i lucky today? I met a few artise this morning and afternoon. First i saw Felecia Chin, then Wen Yong da ge. They were shooting for some serials or programs. This is ok cos they are working. I mean everyone needs to work, they are just doing part of their job, so nothing special to brag about. Then in the afternoon, i saw Zhang Yao Dong! He was at FF with his friend.

My goodness. This is the second time i saw an artise in a gym. The first time was when i saw Adam Cheng. But he was in SSC clubfit gym. Yaodong is more classy, he chose FF. (Does that mean that i am classy too?) He was training under the PT Alfred. I think he is quite pro, imagine u r the PT of an artise. Sounds glam and it adds on to his testimonial as well. In case u r still wondering who yaodong is, he is the cast who acted in Ye Man Qin Jia as Ding Mu. He loves my classmate Rui-en but she prefers Vincent Ng!

When i left FF, i saw another artise if u consider that as one. Miss Helen Chong from Channel U. She was shopping with her chinese friend. Anyway, i am going to mambo tonite. whoo hoo! It has been sometime since i went zouk! Ha...