Enjoy a slow day

After a week of hectic schedules and a weekend of over indulgence in sleeping, I have quite a slow week this week round. I got to take a cab to Raffles place for a Japanese lunch, clean up my hotmail email contacts, and sneaked out of the office before 7.30pm … just before my boss called my name ~~~ I was like *stone* + *freezed* “er~~ I would love to help, but I just shut down my computer and I don't have access to the drive. So how?” “You go home and relax … but you have to present the proposal in front of the client tomorrow.” What a good deal!? I am now friends with my boss and my seniors, I could yell back “I am not convinced!” and throw the journalist contact to them and say “call her yourself.” LOL that is what friends do!

My dad is going for another operation on his kidney. Poor old man! He has been annoyed, agitated, and helpless. I really wish my work in Singapore can end soon, yet I am loving it. Like life as always, you can’t have everything you want.

Aussie Day in Singapore

Hope it is not too late for the New Year resolution. I found this useful 10 habit kicking points in a female magazine today, which is universal applicable to most of us:

1. Get over … criticizing yourself (I am the exact opposite)

2. Get over … playing the damsel in distress (only those days of the month)

3. Get over … going solo (need to find good accompany, which is extremely rare)

4. Get over … other people’s problem (my focus point)

5. Get over … holding grudges (I am still trying to forgive and forget some people)

6. Get over … star envy (not applicable to me)

7. Get over … procrastinating (not really my style)

8. Get over … bitching (not applicable to me)

9. Get over … making excuses (not really my style)

10. Get over … living beyond your means (*blush* this is me)

Actually, I am doing not bad. Maybe I should add something – “Get over … stay at home alone on weekends and cry”.

I am exhausted this weekend, not from over party unlike the whole Australia nation, I have been working from press conference to clients’ back-to-back meetings, from live TV shootings to print media interviews, from dealing with the media to difficult clients. I am extremely tired, but still need to wait up on Saturday morning to teach a Chinese kid Chinese, which he is not interested and knows very little. I will be teaching two next week.

Am I happy that the above is going to end soon? Not really. I love my job, love the food, love the living environment, but hat the loneliness.

Shocked over Heath Ledger’s death

I was in great shocked when I read the news about the death of Heath Ledger. I jumped up from my seat after I returned from a full day back to back meeting when I read the news. Leger had always been my favourite actors – he was cool, not media savvy but dare to speak up, he had all characteristics of Aussie blokes should have. The news came in such a sudden. The mysteries, the rumours, the condolence were flying around about his death. The final determination of his death will only be out tomorrow. But that is not important now, it is how people remember who he is and how he is.

I am startled. Such a short and beautiful life, how can it be ended so tragically?

On Chesil Beach

I haven’t sat down to read a good novel for a very long time, partly because I am very particular on what I read other than the hard core educational categories.

The book was given to me as a gift on my birthday this year. The story was beautifully written with every single detail attentively crafted. I was immersing myself in the literature highland until I hit the last two pages of the book. To my greatest surprise, when I turned to the last two pages of the book and revealed the true meanings the story was trying to tell, I was stoned. “Only a few feet and forty years away …” What has twisted the time tunnel and parted away the two? I immensely understand the frustration, the despair, and the furious the writer tries to convey … that is why I cried. Or maybe I just easily let my tears out these days – too many harsh things to take care of.

I don't believe in novelised love story. Yet, I believe LOVE and PATIENCE should be the substance of every long lasting relationship. Currently, everything is like deja vu to me. I would rather give it a distance.

A rough week

I had a very rough week indeed. Partially because it is the beginning of the year, tons of client’s meetings, strategy proposals, planning, pressure of meeting the avenue, while partially because I am leaving. I have to complete or fine tune loads of things before I step out of the country. It was fun and challenging, just a bit too much. Can you imagine you work like hell from 8am till 10pm everyday, with interns come to ask you questions after questions while you have to be very patient with them and the journalists / clients are chasing you on the other end? That is exactly what our PR lives are like. Press releases, pitching notes, media notes, client notes, miscellaneous notes all pill up on your desk or in your inbox.

I have been so drained out that my flat is in a mess so much so that my land lady came to tell me that I have to “do a bit of spring cleaning” before Chinese New Year. So embarrassed as I am generally not a messy person, just that there are so many things going on that I have no time to deal with my personal life.

I could see that my colleagues don't want me to leave. I am very proud to see how I have changed their mindsets from the initial “that China girl” to “this is a little reliable high achiever”. To survive in Singapore is not easy, to gain respect and acknowledge is even harder. Although I have stop advancing my career at this stage, I am “bloody arrogant” for my achievement.

I thought the team would have let my birthday slip away since it was in the holiday season. To my greatest surprise, they used tea and a “two-hour” team meeting to trap me into our meeting room with a chocolate cake. Everything was perfect, except for they put five candles instead of four! Never mind, Singaporeans are all “Kia Su”. I got a little GUESS handbag, which made me feel so over the moon and worked harder in the rest of the evening!

I am really grateful for what GOD has given me so far. Every where I go and work, I meet nice people and talented mentors, and opportunities keep opening the doors for me. In addition, loving and caring family members and friends who are always there for you. I shall not take all these blessing as granted.

Almost the end

I am feeling my connections in Singapore are coming to an end now. My energy level is running very low and I have no mod for any sorts of entertainment but how to pack and go home. If bad news does not come as such a sudden, I may stay in this tiny island for a bit longer – now it is not up to me to choose. On the other hand, people leave one after another: CH is leaving next week, L is getting married and relocating soon, JA has gone for quite some time, and JA is also planning to leave in June. If there is anything I miss in Singapore, that will be my colleagues, my respectable bosses and my beloved job.

It is interesting that most of my friends’ comments of me are “You love a lot of things, work especially … you need to be tamed.” It is true, I am not ready to settle down. I am strong and capable to be independent which is … both good and bad.

I haven’t seen my so-called pen pale Finland friend for four years. This time we meet up, both feel we have grown up since last time we met. I was no longer a tie-budget student and he was no more a Caucasian who took public transports. I have plans for the future while he is taking his chance to move up to another career level. I hope next time we meet, God knows how many years that will be, we would be different again – more financially secured, have or are ready to settle down, or maybe have one or two children.

Another Year

Early this year, Abby was saying that she will celebrate New Year’s count down at Time Square, New York, while I was planning my relocation to Singapore. Now is a couple of hours after the last day of 2007, I have seen a fantastic fireworks at Marina Bay Singapore and fulfill my dream of living overseas. What to do next? I am thinking to shake my head bold since my dad is dropping hair and I want to give him supports.

I miss my friends in Melbourne dearly but I have to go home to look after my family first. My mum is at the edge of breaking down, so am I. I don't think I have much of the choice. I always take things too serious. At this stage, I have to learn to let go. Let go of a person, let go of a mind set, let go of a life pattern, and let go of a country.

I can’t stay home alone; I will just cry all day and night. My eyes are swollen and my tears will drop whenever.