Week 33/11: Ache

You know at times when your body aches after you embark on an exercise regime after years of being a couch-potato?

I think the same thing happens with the brain. The part of my brain that deals with handling mechanical machines is positively aching after the intense few days of driving lessons.

Week 32/11: Fit for Me

So I finally paid the deposit for a little red fit. 🙂

There’s still some nervousness about me handling a machine, but hey, driving’s a good life skill to have right? *cue little positive voice in my head*

Like swimming, cycling, baking and peeling potatoes.

Week 31/11 – Legacy

The biggest news affecting the company was released today. It shook the world, and I found out via a facebook status update. So did most of my colleagues – who read it on google news, yahoo news, facebook as well.

Sure, there’s some corridor chatter, and water-cooler talks, but it’s strangely quiet and calm – no word/email from corporate. A normal day at work. Everyone’s huddled at their work station, continuing with the daily grind. Life goes on. Stuff still needs to be done.

But I guess that’s how it’s supposed to be, isn’t it?

His biggest legacy was not in building the best products, but in creating a system and institutionalizing processes that can continue to run even without him at the control button.

If we had all descended into chaos today, I think I would have been more afraid and he would have failed as a leader.

 

Week 30/11: National Day Thoughts

• I was really lucky once again to receive tickets to the National Day Parade this year. The view from the floating platform is beautiful, with the completed Marina Bay Sands building. However, I still feel a sense of unease with a casino (okay, integrated resort) being such a distinctive part of the Singapore skyline.

• The segment of the parade which I always enjoyed the most was the military display, with our F15s planes, Apache helicopters, coast guard vessels, and the guards march-past. I still do. I’m sure it’s part of a grand strategy to remind the world we have one the most sophisticated (and expensive) pieces of metals to blast the enemies even though we are small. But it’s nice to see these traditions being parade evergreens. I don’t really care much for the songs and dances that change year after year. I usually forget about them “in a heartbeat”. [Theme song for the 2011 parade is coincidentally named “In a heartbeat”.]

• Any reason why we had to use so much pop songs from Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry to stir the crowds? It’s the nation’s birthday, for goodness sake. Bring back the national day songs.

• It was nice for that one day to see all Singaporeans coming together to embrace Singapore as home. But I really don’t think the nation has fully recovered from the effects of the May elections. We are still a very divided society, even more so this year with the added fault-line of political opinions. The political fault-line was always there of course, but it was simmering below the surface, not visible, at least not until this year. Somehow, National Day this year felt like a respite…the calm before the Presidential Elections storm.

Week 28/11 & Week 29/11: Routine

Routine for the past few weeks

• Read Techcrunch: Mr. Cinical concludes I’m a newly-inducted geek, since I can now sprout the technical difference between OS Snow Leopard and Lion. Have you heard about reverse scrolling? 🙂

• Scan through SG Car Mart: Hmm, still in 2 minds about getting one. And even so, should I choose a car of my lemming, or a zippy one that gets me from Point A to B, since I only have a “functional income” (phrase credited to Audrey)? Did I mention that I now watch Top Gear too?

• Watch MasterChef Australia: I love this show! It’s showing every weeknight on Starworld at 1045pm. I’m even more inspired to sign up for a cooking/baking class. Time to use the voucher from my ex-colleagues at Shermay Lee’s cooking school.

• Read: I rediscovered my love for fiction, specifically of thrillers from Tess Gerritsen and John Grisham. I like chick-lit, but I can only take *that* much whining from the characters. Let’s see, I finished 4 thrillers in the past 2 weeks and I’m craving for more!

In other news… I have managed to wheedle a supplementary credit card from Mr. Cinical, after many many years of dating and marriage. Audrey reckons I should use it on the car…Good idea. 🙂

Week 27/11: Settling

18 days in and I have slowly gotten more familiar with the new workplace, for instance:

• Knowing how the computer worked (typing “command + C” as opposed to “control + C” if I want to copy a phrase in the document);

• Knowing the places that each unmarked door leads in the maze-like layout with the long corridors (the building used to be a factory);

• The limited lunch options and the in-house cafe that’s rather expensive (but a life-saver for the rainy days);

• The concept of the “smart casual” work attire all day, everyday. “Smart casual” is a misnomer here, this phrase translates better into “come whatever you are comfortable with”. I have seen co-workers dressed up to the nines in their maxi-dresses, or constantly pushing the boundaries of workplace dressing, complete with bermudas, grubby T-shirts and thong-slippers. No one bats an eyelid as to what you wear. It’s liberating, this freedom.

But I’m not yet in that comfort zone, where you can know instinctively how to react to emails and situations. A new colleague (who’s been around for the past 6 months) assured me that it took her a long time, around 3-4 months to get used to the working culture here, whereas it usually takes around a month or less in her other workplaces.

Oh deep breath, exhale – I’m not such a laggard after-all.

 

Week 26/11: 静能生定,定能生慧

That was the advice given to me by the new boss when we had our 1-on-1 discussions re. expectations etc. She said, “静能生定,定能生慧”.

Epiphanies and solutions will come when your head and your attitude is calm.

**There must be a better english translation that what I have written.

Week 25/11: Brain Freeze

I left my old job on Thursday and started at my new job on Friday.

I ended Thursday with a client meeting that lasted till 4pm; no lunch; hurriedly returning the laptop; rushing to human resources to get my last pay cheque and a farewell dinner with the ex-colleagues.

I started Friday with 2 meetings with new colleagues; attempting to get the new computer working on my own (including setting up the email account and downloading all relevant applications – nope the computer do not come preloaded); trekking through an open field to get to lunch under the hot sun and just figuring my way around the building.

No decompression zone.

It’s somewhat similar to jumping straight into a cold icy pool without any warning, or when you drink a slurpee at too fast a pace.

I’m still having a brain freeze, but I tell myself “Keep Calm and Dive On.”

Week 24/11: Catching up

Been catching up on my reading for the past week:

• 4 weeks worth of Newsweek and Businessweek;
• June issue of  Havard Business Review;
• S. Jayakumar’s “Diplomacy” (a farewell gift from my colleagues);
• Gerald Giam’s “Singapore Version 2.0” (I was rather surprised that the Museum Shop carried this title so I bought a copy)
• The 1st of Inspector Singh’s Series titled “A most peculiar Malaysian murder” (I chanced upon this series in the Singapore Collection in the National Library. Sure, it’s not as sophisticated as the “western thrillers”, but it’s written with a distinct Singapore flair. Will probably pick up the other books in the series.)

Also picked up another 8 books from the library, including the ever-favorites thrillers from John Grisham and Tess Gerritsen and my favorite Aussie chick-lit writer Maggie Alderson.

That should keep me away from the DVD shop for a while. Too much TV kills the brain cells…

Week 23/11: On Bargaining

Ms. P: “The trick to get the upper hand is not to like (or appear to like) whatever you are buying too much.”

Ms. J: “And doesn’t that apply to most things in life?”