Awaiting the new pages

It is this time of the year again. A lot of gifts, wishes, expectations and dreams. 2007 is going to close its page, same is my 23-year-old year book. One more week before I submit my resignation letter while I am still hesitated on the idea. There are so many roads and barriers ahead, whichever I choose will not be easy. I can stay in Singapore to continue loving my job and come home feeling lonely. I can go back to China to spend most of my days in the hospital with dad and hating my job if I work. I can fly back to Melbourne to be with my friends and pick up my old lives. Or I can I can drop everything behind and move to Sydney to live with the one I am not sure if my move is worth the effort.

Being curly hair

First day’s testimonial “Er…it is OK.” “Not bad … I am just so used to you having straight hair.” “You look better if you do not wear your glasses.” ……. OMG, I think I have to rebound my hair back to straight soon.

Even though work today is not hectic, but I have loads to do. I am now taking over most of my team members’ accounts plus drafting documents for an upcoming big press conference. Despite the endless of work, I love the quietness in the office without being called up by F every hour and asked by C every other half an hour, no long meetings/brain storming sections, no media phone calls and no asking for doing Chinese assignment favors. I just love the three working days a week for half a month.

Decisions – Paths – Decisions

I was in my hometown GZ for four full days – no obsessive eating, partying nor shopping but spending time in the hospital with my dad. I was trying very hard to control my emotion. Before I took off from Singapore, my tears streamed down in an uncontrollable manner every time I talked or thought of my dad. I even had this anxiety caused migraine and abnormal heart beat. I was crying in my room, in my boss’ room and even in front of the computer at work. I know it is time for me to leave this country. I love everything here in Singapore, just that I need supports. Regardless I am in GZ or Melbourne or even in Sydney, I am surrounding by friends and families, while I am all alone in this small country.

I have typed up my resignation letter as well as a farewell letter to my dear team mates. I am left to pick a day to submit the letter and a place to go next year. I still don't know if I’d go back home to live under my parents’ comfort nest and enjoy being jobless or go back to Melbourne/Sydney to continue what I have left down there. I am still not sure.

One more day to go

One more day at work – regardless you are having a long or short holiday, we are all in a slow-pace holiday mood. My team mates are in full-force, trying to finish everything on hand. For the difficult tasks, they will load them to me given that I am one of those stupid one will come back to work on the 26^th. Well, I am looking for resignation letter template and tossing a coin on the date I should tender.

I went for my first BDV pitch presentation today. A very short presentation and I did not bad. Most importantly, I have learnt. Too bad, I am leaving soon.

Migraine

My head is like a massive mixer, all sorts of thoughts, work related matters, worries and imaginations all mix and blend inside my brain, which gives me a whopper migraine. I had to go to see a doctor in the afternoon and was told that my migraine was caused by anxiety. I was not surprised at all – I woke up two nights ago at wee hour and tears just kept welling out.

After a good rest afternoon, hopefully I could go back to work and take things easy tomorrow.

Everyday in my office is counting down to Christmas break to get out of the hectic work schedule.

Zouk Out 8th December 2007

I believe half of the Singaporeans who are aged 35 and below were at Sentosa last night. My first beach party – the experience was awesome! The infamous world’s top party event did not do bad to its name – the crowds kept moving and grooving all night long. It is the madness that draws the fans from all over the region to come to this small island to party. It is too sad that it is the last time Zouk held the party event at Sentosa.

More than 20,000 people partied all night long, I was one of them. Several of my colleagues, my colleagues’ friends and me kept going through the music marathon on the beach. I love techno music, and I always do dance high under techno even without booze. Carl Cox lit up our energy, followed by Armin Van Burren, the world’s No. 2 DJ, brought us to a new wave height on the eve of dawn.

Partying in Singapore is safe. No one does drugs, no fighting, no swimming in the sea, and no glasses. Some couples were trying to make out in the beach, but that is totally fine as long as they kept their tops on. Opps … Did I see any of these? I guess I did ran into one……

I was fell dead to the world as soon as I hit the bed. It was 10am on Sunday morning.

For a better Year 2008!

I was invited to Singapore Turf Club for a night race last night – it is part of this business development’s precondition. My colleague A and I dressed up nicely, based on the racecourse standards in Australia (me) and the UK (A). I was in a nice black dress with semi bare back, which was a great mistake I made – I was literally shivering the whole night under the turf of over blowing air-conditioning. Since I have been to Melbourne Cup for years, the Singapore race did not really impress me apart from the fact that the crowds are much older and the grandstand is a bit murky. After listening to the client and our ad agency talking and talking, we finally found out STC wanted to grow the overseas market, not the Singapore one. Fair enough, the Singapore punters profile is similar to the Hong Kong punters except for the pool money is far less than its Asian counterpart. Nevertheless, it will be a very interesting project to work on given my background and knowledge on horse racing.

One of my senior just submitted her resignation letter. The whole team was stunned but not surprised. Well, we are a fast pace International agency dealing with demanding accounts and clients, high turn over rate is not something new to us. I believe we all have a template of the resignation standby in our computer to use in a future day. The whole team got together in a Hyatt Hotel bar after my racecourse appointment and the hard working ones finished their work. We chatted, we laughed and we shared! We all had an enjoyable night and went home after visiting Orchard Tower at 2am.

After almost one year in the agency, I absolutely love my job and admit that I have done my best to achieve and perform in both bad and good times. I am proud of projects I have done and appreciate the coaching I have been giving by the senior management. This morning, when I checked seek.com for job openings in Australia, I actually have no difficulties finding jobs matching my skills and experience. I guess I have moved up to a higher level. 2008 will be the third year I started working full time; I am feeling a bit old. Well, well, well, I am in the mid-20s group: I have started my first investment, I am thinking to do my own business, I still have the months-long travel plan to do, I am no hurry into any commitments, and most importantly, I am happy and proud as usual for what I have achieved.

For a better Year 2008!

Season's Greetings

Finally tonight, I sent out all the season’s greetings emails to my old dear friends, who I don't have time to keep in touch with in the past one year. It this time of the year that I should “poke” my friends that I am still alive, even though I am not in the Aussie land.

You know what, I am going back to Guangzhou again, for Christmas this time. I will only be back for five days and have to be back to work on the 26^th December. There is no Boxing Day in Singapore, I am sorry. Life is unexpected as always. I was planning to spend my first Christmas in Singapore, alone. Nothing back about that, I could chill around and go to places I don't have chances to go during my normal busy working days. Until last night, I went to a client’s gala dinner with our boss. In his car, he was saying that he would go to the US to spend this festival season with his daughter for two weeks. Then he asked me if I was doing anything this Christmas. I said, the flight was so expensive at this time, double of what I used to pay so I would stay and just hang around with few friends here. Later the night, he seriously told me that he was willing to pay for half of my flight if I wanted to go back to spend time with my ailing father.

I was very grateful for his care and others from the company. Nevertheless, I have made my decision and plans for next year. Although career is important, there are many aspects in life that I should pay attention to. I am sorry, I will have to leave this tiny island soon.

Finally awake

I did not have a good rest since I came back from IndoChina. So, I slept through my weekend which is very rare. Normally on weekends I will either exercise or read, not this week. My parents are so relief to learn that I finally got some rest after a week long of traveling. My eyelids are still heavy though, I may go to sleep some more soon.

I got hooked up with Facebook. Hey, not only me, even Li Kai-Sing invested US$60 in this online virtual network recently. To be honest, I don't like to use Facebook, simply because it is too complicated – I am a simple girl likes simple things. Facebook is just a portal for me to keep in touch with my friends since I move around quite a bit. I don't want to loose my friends since I am only able to keep in touch once a year during Christmas greetings. We have to enter an era of online world.

I have got some big things plan out for 2008, which I am very excited about. I really enjoy my 2007, and wish I can do better in the coming year.