Deutsch vergessen

Pardon me my loyal blog readers, but today's post will be in German. Just because...

Meine Freundin hat heute mich angerufen. Sie fragt mich, was ist denn ß auf Deutsch. Naturlich habe ich es schon lange vergessen. Mein Deutsch Akiv steht in meinem Schrank. Ich habe es genommen und gelesen. Aber, ich koennte das Antwort nicht finden.

Ich habe das Post am den 26 Februar geschrieben. Aber nach 3 oder 4 Satzen habe ich es angehalten.

Seit denn ist so viel passiert. Ich arbeite jetzt. Bei einer agency. Und jeder Tag arbeite ich vom 8am bis 12 mittelnacht. Und auch am Wochenende. Jetzt bin ich muede und habe ich nicht so viel Spass. Ich habe auch nicht mit dem Mann gesprochen. Er luegt. Alles die er mir gesagt hat, die sind Lugen. Ich bin natuerlich traurig darueber. Es ist fuer mich besser.

Ich frag mich, warum treffe ich immer, immer so wie scheisse sind? Und heute ist den 28 April 2008, und ich vermisse ihn.

singlehood

I watched Hitch yesternight. In one scene, Eva Mendes was trying to talk her friend out of desperation and said, "You're not sick, you're just single!"

I completely cracked up listening to that line. It was the fourth time I had seen the movie (not cos it's my absolute fave movie, but cos of Starworld's fantastic line up of movies), but it was the first time that I caught that line. And just thinking about it, it's so, so true. How many hours have I spent in long discussions as to what should we do, analysing the dire situation of what strange creatures men are and how completely disastrous singlehood can be and oooo what we should do to remedy it. How can we spend so many hours of our lives thinking that we're single cos there's something wrong with us? We're always not skinny enough, not fat enough, not good enough, not loving enough. Nothing from us is ever enough for the one we love. And we beat ourselves up for it and blame those reasons for our singlehood. That is such a load of bull.

Honestly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with us. If the other person can't take us, sod them and they can go f*ck spider. They are probably the mental ones. I know I am goodlooking, intelligent and an extremely lovely person, so your big loss if you don't get it.

Do I seriously think that men sit around having those same conversations, wasting a perfectly good Saturday afternoon on "inane" discussions like these? I don't think so. The only though that runs through a man's small brain is," Geez, how can I get into her pants?"

Seriously, I reiterate, cos I am quite sure that I have this recorded somewhere in this blog...statistically women outnumber men, so no matter how we moan and lament about the sad state of men on this planet, there will always be more more single women than men. Unless you are happy to accept lying, cheating bastards or polygamy, which personally I can't, you're probably much better off alone. There I said it, and you can always quote me on this and no need to thank me on this piece of wisdom.

If men aren't going to bother wasting their time in utterly mindless and completely unproductive conversations, we're probably better off spending time doing stuff we like. Me...I know how I can spend that time - bitching, shopping and rascalling .

Now that we've established that there's absolutely nothing wrong with being single, the answer is probably as simple as this: maybe the men just aren't good enough for us.

PS. I got a job. :) Just when you least expect it, it comes knocking. I am definitely excited by the role and I hope I do well! Just have to channel all that energy in useless conversations into something productive.

recruitment best practices...

... seriously, why do so many companies suck , suck, suck at it? Why can't you see that candidates aren't really out to lie, cheat, or abuse your company, can't you treat potential candidates as talents that can help your business? Afterall, I don't owe you living. I am just interviewing for a potential job.

Case number 1:
Went for an interview yesterday and the HR thought that I was going for an temp position, the hiring manager had in mind a permanent position. The hiring manager didn't even bring in my resume for the interview and was somewhat patronising thinking that she had the experience. But when I questioned her about the day-to-day activities and growth plans for the division, her answer was "Oh there are lots of meetings...and sometimes I don't even know what we do in the meetings“

＊ 流眼泪＊

And she couldn't tell me what the growth plans were - her answers were like business as usual activities.

Double 流眼泪

Case number 2:
After sending in your resume, the recruiter or hiring manager requests for an interview only to tell u that you don't have the experience in the particular industry.

*Duh* can't u see that on my resume right from the start? Why are you wasting my time?!

The best part was with a headhunting firm, the recruiter told me I didn't have the experience and asked if I had other candidates for him.*seriously, wtf?*

Another one, to have the hiring manager put you down, saying that as a manager you should have like many contacts and not be doing what I was doing.

Case number 3:
Going for a couple rounds of interviews and then NOTHING, nada. No response as to what is the outcome. If your candidate has the decency to take time off to meet up with you, the least you can do is to tell them "We're still sorting things out" or "Sorry you've not been shortlisted". Closure, you know?

Case number 4:
Making your candidate wait. Once I was told to meet at 5pm for a second round of interview, and because it was sort of a family runned business, the CEO had to meet me. But the CEO was extremely busy that week and on that day when I went for the interview, he was doing an internal meeting that overan... by 2.5 hours and with no end in sight. I walked out of that interview.

Mind is fuzzy, can't think of anything to write. Am quite sick and with my luck I have to report of temp work tmr. Joy!

why nice girls finish last...

Borrowed a book from Sally that was recommended by my other friend Kylie. It's called Why men love bitches. It's a fantastic read, especially to girls, who are always there for the men. (Sad to say I am guilty of that when I'm in a relationship) Girls who are nice, who always try to overcompensate by doing extras for the men, often have men running in the other direction for other women. Other women who sometimes are so fugly, you go...

"WHY?!?!?! She's so fugly and yet has a man, and I AM STILL SINGLE?!?!?!"

It's not rocket science, really. From past relationships, you know that the more you ignore a man, the more you make him go for the hunt, the more affectionate he becomes. And in fact he starts paying more attention to you.

I asked S if he thinks I was tooooo nice that he stepped all over me.

His answer,"No, I just wasn't in the mood when you visited."

Translation: Yes, you were such an easy target that I had you at my beck and call.

Well, now that we have a 10,000 miles distance between us, 8 hour time difference, broken up, and with me mostly stressed out with no work and so not really bothering with him, he seems to pay a little more attention, with regular pepperings of "I miss you." He even said he would have driven to London to see me, if I was there. (Hmmm talk is cheap, even at the height when the relationship was hot, hot, hot!! he wouldn't even do a 3 hour drive to Surrey).

Anyway, today he is back to his usual self, "I wouldn't even go to Bath to see you today."

That's his affection-o-meter. Talk about women being moody. Men are like 1,000,000,000,000x worst. S was in mostly that mood when I was in Bath the one year. He needed time to sort out his thinking. And the moment I moved 3 boxes of my life possessions back to Singapore and cut off all links in the UK, he's suddenly cleared his thinking about me. (And I am STILL waiting to hear what that verdict is) Not that I think things can work out between us now, or ever, but with him sometimes being affectionate, my resolve to stay split melts a little.

Back to the book. It's about self-respect. About loving yourself enough not to let others treat you bad. And I think that's what I have to learn. If they can't make time for you, sod them. Girlfriends or boyfriends alike.

That's when I told S that it's best he go to gym to get some happy hormones in him cos I wouldn't get on any plane to see him either.

na, na, na, na, na, na...

Okay this is an old Gorillaz song, but it came on tv earlier and it's the sort of tune that gets your fingers tapping and ass moving and stuck in your head for the rest of the day!!!!!! So heck, turn up the volume and start singing....

Get the cool, get the cool shoe shine....Get the cool, get the cool shoe shine.






btw, this is the 200th post!! Can't believe I have that much trash to blog.

na, na, na, na, na, na...

withheld number

I've a mobile number that's so easy to remember, it's almost more of a curse than a blessing to have it. I get misdialled numbers almost everyday. Thank goodness incoming calls are free.

This afternoon I received a call. On me blinking screen it said "Withheld number"

Caller: Hello, *mumble, mumble*

Me: Pardon?

Caller: Who are you?

Me: T. Who are YOU?

Caller: Did you call a chat line just now?

Me: WHAT? (more a rhetorical question to a stupid question than a genuine what question)... NO!

Caller: Oh, okay...

He had a split second pause and he probably thought he could try his luck since he couldn't get his original chat partner, he asked me...

'What did you say your name was again?'

Me: You called the wrong number! Bye!


Oh come on, you sound so unattractive on the phone. Did you think you're god's gift to women that they get soooooooo turned on when they listen to you? For fuck's sake!

unemployment benefits

• No stress from anyone
  
• Get to sleep till 12pm (unless woken up by constant drilling from lift upgrading, but even then I've learned to sleep through it.)
• Time - lots of time. Time to do anything you want, best paired with a bottomless bank account
• Going to bed at 3am and not worrying about getting up early (see point 2)
• No Monday blues
• Shop at odd hours of the day so that you don't squeeze with crowds
• Go gym at odd hours of the day (If and when I eventually get there)
• Sit by Starbucks and watch the world go by
• Best part of it all *drum rolls* play with the rascals!
  

2008 is the year to ...

...be fabulous!

That's the creed for the year. Though I am seriously not for one to make resolutions, but I figured, humans (me included, of course) are creatures, who despite being one of the smartest things on earth, still need guidelines to live by. We need to set certain targets, work real hard towards it, and then feel happier at the end that we've achieved something. Otherwise all that idle time we start thinking that life is a bore, there's no meaning and end up degenerating and keep chanting that things are so sian.

So here it is, I am setting objectives and tasks for myself, no matter for whatever it is I do. Doesn't matter if I fail (of cos succeeding would be a whole lot sweeter) what is important is the experience of the journey. I am starting to dig this reflective practice crap that I had to do for my MBA. I think it's really positive. It basically tells us to try things in different ways to challenge the way we handle situations. It could be the way you react to someone, or the way you try to change the environment. But it's this whole trying out different scenarios and reflect on what's the best possible way to an outcome. So far it has been fun doing this reflective practice shit.

Be fabulous

:) It came from a Möet & Chandon campaign that I saw at Bellini Room while counting down last night. :) It was good. I had forgotten what it was like to go out for drinks and dance the night away. This compared to last year's was soooooo different. I was driving to York this time last year.

Of course I was constrained by a nagging thought that I shouldn't be extravagant, seeing that there are no jobs in sight and bank account is bordering on "you're in serious shit". So yes, I paid $35 for entrance fee, got a vodka lime, demanded for my party pack and plotted half the night to nick a party hat from one of them early party-goers. Then happily trudged to the train station to catch the late train back home. Thank goodness for the North-East Line! I am feeling quite happy these days. More critical and bitchy about a lot of other things, but happier hahhaha. Taking about resolutions, this is such a good relationship resolution written by one of me favourite blogger Heather Hunter.

16 hours into the new year and already I have broken my resolution to be on my all effective diet. I made my tortilla de patatas and pan con tomate for breakfast today.

Ladies & gents, I present to u my first Tortilla de patatas y pan con tomate

can we fast forward...

... this mundane and dull period of my life where everything is now dependent on if I get a job, or not. Okok, "or not" and "if" are not options, and it will happen. It's just WHEN?!

That's the big gazillion dollar question - WHEN WILL I GET A JOB? I am really sick of this waiting for a ripe moment. First when I came home in September, I was kinda down and while sending out at least 50 or so resumes in the few 6-8 weeks that I was job hunting, nothing came through. Well 2 opportunities did, but they weren't exactly what I was hoping for. Now I have something in the pipeline, actually, the ONLY thing in the pipeline and think I am: 1. counting me chicks before they hatch and 2. laying all my lays in one basket. (hmm the chicken and egg analogies are all pure coincidences) Second thing is, waiting for this freaking year end period of Yuletide cheer and Feliz Año Nuevo to end. This is the dreaded period for the unemployed cos everyone is holding back from quitting the jobs that they drag their feet to, and everyone is just in a holiday mood to even think about recruitment.

Going back to the UK for graduation was a good move, mostly good I think. I had a proper chance to say goodbye. I had to mentally say goodbye to the place that I though I might possibly spend another 2-3 years there. I really like the lifestyle. I like that people are well-mannered. Weather is always chilly. Supermarkets are fantastic. And a sense of freedom - liberation that I am on my own, and I can do things at my own time.

My arrival at Heathrow and going into Cafe Nero for a quick cuppa made me feel like I never left the UK. And now that I am back, I feel like I never left Singapore.

I said bye to S, in person. He even admitted that he was an ass to me (those weren't his exact words but now that he is an ex-, who cares?) It was an amicable, albeit sad, farewell. Yes we've had many good times together, but at the end of the day, we are really two very different people, who want very different things in our lives right now. But what he made me realise was that I do want someone. Before him I has quite happy on my own, minding my own business, happy to just hang out with family and friends. Now I realise that I do perhaps want someone i can really share my life with, and who wants me to share his life with him.

Though, a more pressing and "keeps me awake at night" thought is that after 1.5 years, I really need to work. Going back, and seeing that many of my friends were either employed or got jobs really scared the shit out of me.

Where's the big "FAST FORWARD" button on me life that gets to the good part? I know that panicking doesn't really help with anything. It only exacerbates the big "Where's the big fast forward button"deep, sinking feeling. The days are just crawling. I just want to be gainfully employed! - Geez, never thought I'll say that!

*Follow-up on Spain and UK graduation in posts to come. I just need to rant a bit about my perfect life.

days two & three - Barcelona

Unbelievable. I woke up and my legs were cramping up like crazy. My calves hurt like hell and thighs too. And when I walk down stairs, my god, the pain is just unbelievable. Day three was a bit of a haze. I didn´t quite plan my route but had a general idea that I wanted to do Barri Gotic... and later, when I decided I had enough of Gothic buildings, decided to head for the neighbouring district of La Ribera.

The day started off at Starbucks. I ordered a latte only to get a look of confusion. Obviously when it says latte on the board, people still order by its Spanish term "cafe con leche" or coffee with milk. To be fair, not all Starbucks required the cafe con leche phrase. Anyway after that I headed for El Cangar near the Barcelona Cathedral. It was built in gothic style. And my word, it was simply impressive. As you know how gothic buildings are - tall, has a lot of columns, and all things made to make you feel small. And it did. I sat on the pews(?) what are those called again? Where the congregation sits??

Anyway after that I decided to do La Ribera, and according the guide book another church visit was in order. So I decided to just walk past and walked around aimlessly around Passeig El Born(the hip district with many bars and shops). But since I wasn´t quite in the mood to shop, nor was I hungry, decided to sit somewhere to get my bearings right. Then an old man came up to me and blabbered in Spanish or Catalun, don´t know which, cos I really have no idea what he was saying. Only like 30 seconds later, I realised the uncle was asking me if he could give me a kiss on the cheek!

*faint* how come the cute man I fancied on La Rambla never ask me if I wanted a kiss? And old uncles come up to me like that? And he wasn´t the first to throw me looks all day, the rest of the day old uncles were looking at me. I had to check my fly a few times thinking that they were staring at me cos my fly was undone. *Sigh* story of my life. Only attract old men.

Anyway after a few more rounds around the small tiny alleys, I decided maybe I should go to Museo Picasso. Picasso spent quite a fair bit of his time in Barcelona throughout his life. I never thought much of Picasso, since I didn´t quite like cubism. But from the trip to the Museum, realised that he could do fantastic traditional art too. And started out with classical training, only to move on to start cubism, and even revoluntionised ceramics. That wasn´t the only thing about Picasso, he was quite the casanova! Had so many women. Sigh, once again why is it so easy for men and so hard for women?

After that I decided to have lunch, had a fantastic lunch with tortilla - which I shall attempt to make when I get home. Then it was walking through Barri Gotic to La Rambla and I sat at Starbucks (my 2nd for the day) and rested for like close to 1 1/2 hours cos my feet and legs were hurting so much.

After that I decided to shop. Went to Zara, Mango, some other shops which I didn´t quite know the names. And remembered I had to make a trip to Sephora, which I have heard so much about but never been. And it was fantastic! If you can imagine a whole shop of makeup of all kinds. They even have laduree lip balm and dusting powder!

Then it was a slow walk back to the hotel. The room was much better last nite no more strange smells and no smoke smell. I was so knackered I actually slept in the clothes that I wore out all day and showered only this morning!!!! YIKES!

Tomorrow is my last day in Barcelona. Sigh, wished someone had come with me, so that we could have eaten our way through Barcelona through plates of tapas and I haven´t even tried cava!

day one - barcelona

It was a rather cold and wet weekend in the UK. Strong winds, heck I was queuing up for the fantastic 418 when I saw some white stuff pelting on the coat of this lady before me, small pieces of ice - hail!

Anyway it was cold, wet and to be honest, when Monday came, I was almost glad I was getting out of the UK. The flight to Barcelona was easy enough. But the thing was, I wasn´t mentally prepared for Barcelona. (Simi mentally prepared, holiday, holiday lah... I can hear some people´s thoughts as I type). Well, seeing that I am an ENTJ (MBTI). I kinda need everything planned down to almost the dot before I feel secure and safe to venture into the big bad world. But this trip, I wasn´t very enthusiastic at the start so there were so many things I didn´t even prepare for this trip, not even reading about what´s there to see at Barcelona. Not till I was on board EZY6025 TO Barcelona.

By the time I got to Barcelona, I had a bit of a shock. Firstly, no one really spoke English. So I had to recall my very bad Spanish, from my 3 months of Spanish lessons some 5 years ago.* Upon reaching city centre, I somehow instinctively headed for the shopping street. hahahhaha

Anyway I am staying at Hostal Girona, this rather dodgey looking old converted hotel. The owner put me in this room that looked like some poor artiste had stayed in and decided it was too shabby even for him to stay in it. And yours truely stayed in it.

Anyway the room had a shower, but no toilet. I mean, in what parallel universe is Barcelona in? No toilet but has a shower? The room gave me the creeps. Half the night I was up trying to cover my ears with my arms, and of cos my arms were numbed halfway. So I was up half the night, and watched TV. And came onto some cheesy porn channel. Yup, you heard it, porn. I mean all other channels were in Spanish, so it made no difference what channel I watched.

But what was hilarious was that there was a scene with a car chase, and this lady came out of the car in underwear and a satin robe. God knows why she was in her undies. She, apparently, went to her friend´s house. And her friend also came out in her undies and another silky robe. So anyway this friend of hers came out with a bat, and waited for the chaser (is that the right word?) And he (had to be a guy, right?) and she seduced him, then used the bat to hit him.

Just when I was wondering where was the porn in this, she went into the house where the first lady was resting, and I think there was some hot and happening after that. It HAD to be 2 women together. Obviously this porn is for men. I don´t understand the fascination with women together sex for men. Anyway I got bored, and it even put me to sleep. hahhaha

Anyway day one of Barcelona was just some getting my directions right. Day Two was when I set off to visit Temple of La Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi. You know that massive church with huge towers (tallest one to be 173m) that´s still under construction? I was thinking who the hell is this Gaudi guy, and after looking at it I am now a Gaudi convert. He had a unique way of transposing designs from nature onto buildings and his design ideas were so innovative for his time, and even now.

I took the lift up and had to be at least 100m from ground. Only to find after going down halfway the tower and back up to the lift top, that the man in the lift wouldn´t take us down in the lift. I had already done at least 100 steps of each 30cm in height. So apparently going down was something like 300 steps, seemed like 3,000 to me. By the end of it my legs were wobbly.

And my word, they hurt like hell today. My legs and my flat feet.

Anyway I was thoroughly impressed by Gaudi´s works and decided to visit another building he had done - La Pedrera. This supposed residential area that looked like it was carved out of a cave. Gaudi´s designs not only affected the exterior, it also made effective use of internal space, ergonomics and also made effective use of natural light. The house inside was so bright and cheery.

Then I walked down Passeig de Gracia which was supposedly the Orchard Road and ended up at Plaça Catalunya where all things happened. Of cos by then my feet were hurting, so I went back to my Hostal to ask for a change of room. The second room was better, but it stank of smoke. And I can´t open the windows. So my strategy was to go out for longer hours (i.e. blogging at an internet cafe) and then go home later.

* First proper sentence of Spanish that I muttered was ¿Donde esta Casa Mila? Which translates into Where is Casa Mila? Had to blog that cos the spanish keyboard has these funny keys like the upside down question mark¿ and ç and ñ and º and ª. hahhaha :)

K, 10 minutes left, I should go, feet hurting. More of days 2 and 3 later!

plantano is banana

DOH! how did I know that? Was famished yesterday and decided to get a dunkin donut and thought - hmmmm plantano, planta is ground level so plantano should be PEANUT butter, right? Of cos not, it is BANANA FLAVOURED!!!

Can die. I hate bananas.

So yes, you learn really fast. It´s such a shock to find that so many people don´t know English here, and they just speak Spanish or Catalun to you. Which is fine, but I have NO idea what it means. kekekekek

But this place is really nice, the weather is lovely, compared to the gales and hail that I got in Bath over the weekend. It´s actually warm. And my long coat is a bit too warm sometimes. I´ve some video of La Pedredra and Sangrada Familia, both masterpieces by Gaudi! I am a convert! His work is just amazing.

Was initially dreading this trip, but now that I am here, I am quite enjoying myself. Pix and all to come later. I should really get started. Today is Barri Gotic and Mercat de la something, cannot remember.

:)

oh Bath, I've missed you

It's been a long ride here. And while the clatter, noise, heat, humidity and bad English are still freshly imprinted at the back of my mind, I just cannot believe that I am back here, in Bath.

The first sight at Heathrow, that reminded me of UK was Cafe Nero. It's like I never left.

So here I am. Back in Bath. The air is crisp and cold, blustery wind and the Bath Christmas Market has just opened. Somehow it feels more Christmasy here, with the cold and lights all up. Despite our tropical Christmas light show in Orchard Road, it is not the same.

But if feels different though, cos somehow friends are no longer around and Bath, while it holds its attraction still, is a different place now.

And of cos it gets dark at 4pm. The weather looks gorgeous and I shld really go. It's 11.25

papa don't preach

Just had a conversation with a long-time friend, and I guess I am quite easily irritated and ultra sensitive these days. But I just feel that sometimes advice is given to me when I am not exactly asking for them. Of cos advice is given with good intention, but sometimes I feel that while she is entitled to her own opinion, when I air mine, I am just unreasonable. Or that my thoughts are just random and just completely out of whack.

Can help think that if I were to talk about Polly to this friend, I'll get a whole long list of eyes rolling, comments of "Oh, you shouldn't think this way etc etc" or "You are just ridiculous" and then all talks about reconciliation - which to be honest, I don't really care to do with Polly at this point in my life.

I don't know, but maybe not everyone thinks alike? While you're entitled to your opinion, so am I. Neither is right. Nor is everyone born positive - me as living proof. This whole issue just brings to mind about the book I was reading about on being assertive - everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Recently been very down with job situation. I know it's not personal, but I just can't help feel that my lucky break is not ever going to come. (Contrary to earlier post) Sure it's end of the year and people are holding onto their jobs and not leaving. But when the new year comes and I still don't get that call for interviews, what's my excuse then?


The only positive thing now is that I am spending so much time at home with the rascals. Today while nursing a really bad headache, I was taking a nap when B1 was about to go home, he came to me and gave me a kiss. Isn't he the angel?

So here they are - my favourites at their best.

Seriously, why do so many people suck at their jobs...

...and here I am, I cant find one that pays me a decent wage. Since my pay has been so badly suppressed by the last co. I worked for, I can't asked for much, and I know that my asking, isn't unreasonable for someone with my experience. Since job searching and just listening to others, I can tell you, there are so many people who don't know how to do their jobs. Within seconds, I can easily summarised what they are doing wrong and just tell them to improve!

Maybe I suck at interviews. Or it's just my darn arse luck with jobsearching. (very high probability, that one, the arse luck I mean)

Came across this on the jobsdb.com website. By this guy called David Freeman. Have edited some rather obvious points. Here goes:

1. Be positive. A positive mental attitude will make all the difference. Don't reflect too much on the past, on the last job. What counts is the present. This could be an opportunity in disguise. Focus on the future - your next job - and make this a change for the better. 2. It's a marathon, not a sprint. You may be lucky and find something new quickly. But most likely, your job search will take a while. Most likely it will be months - not weeks - of effort to land your next job. Don't worry: it takes most people this long, not just you. Meanwhile, pledge to keep an even keel. Avoid the emotional roller coaster of getting too caught up in the drama of every potential job. Conserve one of your strongest assets - a healthy mental outlook. 3. Know thyself. What type of job do you want? Why? And what makes you qualified to get that job? Start your job search looking inward - not outward. 4. Resumes. Cover letters. Oh my. A job search requires new skills. You need to know where to look for job postings, the ins and outs of unemployment, how to write a resume, how to write a cover letter, interviewing techniques, etc. There are many resources online to help you. Check for job search organizations in your area that give workshops on these topics. It's time well spent. 5. Be yourself during the interview. Your early interviews may not go as well as you hoped. Don't worry: you'll get better as you go along. Better yet - have a few practice interviews with a friend before the real thing. After a few times you'll be a veteran, and possibly better at it than the person doing the interview! 6. Be yourself during the interview. Disregard advice that you must "perform" during the interview - this will only make you tense and unnatural. Of course be positive and professional. But be yourself. If they don't like the real you, how happy would you be working there? Focus instead on building rapport with the interviewer. If it looks like you fit in - if you are someone they will enjoy working with day in and day out - you have answered their important unasked questions.

oi, you deaf har?

The NEL is just fantastic. It takes me 20 minutes to get from Hougang to Dhoby Ghaut. In earlier days, it took me about 1 over hour to get to Orchard road. And now, half that time.

But of course, this is public transport, so there is no avoiding all the weird people you have to put up with.

For starters, the deaf. Those who plug into their iPods at 8am in the morning, blasting music of questionable taste to poor souls who don't have their ears plugged. These iPoders, I'm sure, have those super-duper ambient-sound cancelling-whachamacallit earphones. But it cancels out surrounding noise cos it probably DEAFENS you and those around you. I mean if I were SMRT, I would be grateful - commuters who voluntarily provide piped-in music.

Anyway...

...was coming home from Dhoby Ghaut today and the nerve of this young Chinese man. I was queued up at the side to the doors of the train, second in line to enter the train (if commuters had any decency or idea of what it means to queue). He tried his luck to squeeze pass me. Of cos I just stood my stance and glared at him. He was eyeing the few empty seats on the train. But you know what, buddy, so was I - why the hell do you think I'm queued up second in line?!

Anyway, I believe I have right of a seat - firstly I was in front in the queue. Secondly, I am a woman. I mean, which decent man tries to push his way pass you to get a seat?! Only in Singapore. He managed to get a seat next to me, cos another weirdo decided his bag of plastic goods perhaps didn't need to occupy ONE seat and put his bag away. Anyway once the bugger took his seat, he took out his PSP and played on it without lowering the volume on his handheld. Disgusted, I made an obvious turn of my head to stare at the game he was playing. It was a lame ah beng "follow the rhythm" game - you know the sort you play at arcade games shop where you drum as the notes stream pass you on the screen??

Then there was this woman, whom I think is not local, who was trying to put together a broken string of "pearl" necklace. On a train. Is that the most appropriate place to do something like that? Of cos I was thinking, "What if it falls on the floor?" And it did. A few stray pearls rolled to the opposite site. This rather daft woman then probably realised it's not the best place to look a broken string of pearls. Best part was - the pearls must be fake lor. Cos she just sat there, peering to the other side to see if anyone would pick up the rolled-over-the-other-side-of-the-train pearl. If they were real, she would have STOOD up and searched for them. But noooooo, she just let the men on the other side search for it. Don't you think that's such weird behaviour? I would stand up and start searching for my stuff on the train and not sit and peer. That's just plain weird.

Oh. And has anyone actually watched those "what to do if there was a bomb on our trains" clips on the trains? It calls for A.L.E.R.T.:
A - Assist by gathering your belongings
L - (shit cannot remember what L stands for) But I think it is for Listen
E - Evaluate if an object is suspicious
R - Report the suspicious object
T - Dammit! I gotta stop laughing at the clip cos I cannot remember what T stands for! What if there was a real suspicious object on the train?! I might be blasted to smeetherings! But I would say TEXT all your friends about it!

Seriously, "Evaluate if an object is suspicious". Are they for real? That shouldn't even be part of the procedure! How's the public to know what is suspicious? As an SOP check ALL train carriages! How can you depend on daft and rude ah bengs and pearl stringing ah lians to even EVALUATE if something is suspicious?

*ooo don't you just miss Singa The Courtesy Lion? I remember I used to do a damn good copy of Singa the Courtesy Lion as part of my art and craft class, and also for some strange reason I used to like drawing him. And I remember had a sleeveless tee with him silkscreened and he was popped up on the tee. I say, bring the Singa back!

Singa image taken from store.museumstores.com.sg

i am a superhero

Your results:
You are Supergirl (woohoo!)

Lean, muscular and feminine.
Honest and a defender of the innocent.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...



This is not bad, considering I "fail" at most "Which goody-two-shoe hero are you" quiz. The last time I tried the Harry Potter one I was in Slytherin. Hahahah, Not bad lah, I think Gryfindor is a bit too good and saintly for my character. Slytherin is fine by me. :P Now to get that superbabe body. damn.

the best things in life are (almost) free

I'm now at the national library doing some research work for a friend. And the sucker that I am, I've been bought over by the magnifique facade of the new building. It has glass exterior and is 14 storeys tall. So going up the glass elevator gives you funny ticklish feeling when you go zooming up or down it.

It's just so quiet, full of books and research material and you can bring in your laptop do research or even take a nap* here. All for free.

heheheh.

The other good thing is my vodafone mobile broadband modem from M1. (Think starhub has it too). But now, yours truly can surf wirelessly anywhere in Singapore. Woohoo!

*Considering the hammering and construction work that is going on at my house now, it's quite a possibility that I spend time here zzz. kekekekeke

one year & a few months later ... karma strikes

I've had the best news I've heard in months.

THE CUNTS HAVE BEEN DEMOTED!

The big cunt has be relegated to supposed Chief Operating Officer, handling marketing, events and receptionist.

The small cunt is now back to her OLD role - senior events manager, basically selling Michael Lee's programmes & FRS repeats, which, if the customers had any sense would realise by now that they suck!

Ahhh best news in months. Just when I was feeling so low and down about things, about myself. And wondering if I'll ever find a job that can pay and really challenge me the way I found excitement and motivation while doing my MBA.*

Everyone's telling me looking for a job takes time. I sure hope something comes my way. I feel rotten being trodden by others and ripped off by everyone else.


*I'm officially a MBA holder! :) Just got news that I passed all my modules 2 days back! :) *pat on back* ooooo I so miss England!

it ain't london marathon

One thing coming back, I noticed that there are like a million of these sponsored marathons. And the thing is quite a number of my friends are participating in them.

WHY?!

I'll probably be the first person to die of a heatstroke even before I start at any one of these. When I went to the Bath Marathon last year, (or was it earlier this year) it was in the middle of winter. My friends who did the half marathon were in their shorts and tee. So who in their right minds would do the Singapore marathons? It's like a gazillion degrees by 7am and humidity of 2000%. Which means if you really wanted to run, you'll have to get up like 4am before you bake to death.

And since Singapore has quite a number of young punks who are always up for doing stuff to be "cool" you have 100000000 people at these events. I mean come on, as it is, I am claustrophobic. Don't need to willingly subject myself to crowds unnecessarily to prove any point.

A friend of mine asked me to go along, and I had to use my "dodgy excuse" that my foot is falling apart and might do the special marathons - in a wheelchair perhaps. So I may go support those who go. But god, it's getting up at 7am,without a car! I need a job and soon!