Sunshin3

Amidst the gloom, there is a silver lining.

My very first research report has been published although no names are indicated because it’s a firm contribution kinda thing. But i am happy to be recognised for my efforts and it isn’t every day of course that the Executive Director commends you on a report well written.

But it also means heavy involvement come June 2008 during the Singapore International Water Week.

Ah well, the things we do for what we love.

4 glasses of champagne, two glasses of red wine, 1 glass of white.

And a very happy sunshin3.

It’s more drinks again this Thursday and i hope the stand-in boyfriend can hold his liquor well.

Sigh, i wish i could make my life more comfortable sometimes.

If there’s one thing I forgot about working in an MNC, it’s how much they love get-togethers.

I have a Company lunch next week at some french restaurant at Dempsey Road. If the menu doesn’t tempt you enough, I don’t know what else will..

Carpaccio of Sea Scallops with Herb Mesclun and Roasted King Crab and Sesame Dressing
Duo of Terrine of Foie Gras and Warm Foie Gras Custard with Brioche and Truffle Jus
Winter Truffle and Mushroom Risotto
Champagne and Rosella Flower Sorbet
Roasted Black Angus Tenderloin on caramelised butternut pumpkin and organic vegetables, red wine sauce
Or
Half-baked boston lobster with white wine and taragon sauce, leek and potato gratin
Degustation of Chocolate Praline Logcake, Valrhona Chocolate Pudding and Caramelised Eggnon Brulee

To be honest, i’m not exactly tempted by the menu either because they seem cholesterol inducing but i think it’s only nice that i attend because i’m new to the firm.

So anyone interested to be my stand-in boyfriend for 3 hours?

Transport is claimable.

Coming back from the horror of my primary school teacher being technology-savvy especially when she doesn’t even know what’s a blackberry, i met my ex-colleagues for dinner at Vivo City yesterday evening.

It was meant to be a farewell dinner that kinda turned post-farewell and well, maybe not even farewell but never mind.

Of course the topic that embraced the evening was work since that was what joined all of us together in the first place.

It’s quite disheartening to hear that things have spiralled out of control after my departure and the lawyer who was supposed to replace me, cannot be depended on.

One would expect a lawyer to be able to juggle her multiple client files as well as be confident of her research but unfortunately, for the current situation, my successor cannot even craft a proper email to be sent to a client.

I know it’s not easy to review agreements, having tried my hand at one and spending more than two hours agonising over how terribly drafted it was, but some things are really common sense you know?

And honestly, with the proposed changes to the legal system, i really don’t know if it’s workable no doubt some of the recommendations are good.

I guess just wait and see how lor.

Via Shelly who has decided my blog needs some memes..

Who was the last person:-

1. You hung out with: Define hung out.
2. Saw you cry: Old boy.
3. Went to the movies with you: Old boy even though it’s been a while back.
4. You went to the mall with: Mom
5. You went to dinner with: Mom
6. You talked on the phone to: Old boy
7. Said ‘I love you’ to you and really meant it: Old boy, before he boarded his flight to HK and I’m sure he means it from his heart too.
8. Made you laugh: Old boy, as always.

Would you rather:-

1. Pierce your nose or tongue: Neither.
2. Be serious or be funny: Be funny. Men like funny women.
3. Drink whole or skim milk: Whole milk.
4. Spend time with your parents or enemies: Parents.

Do you prefer:-

1. Flowers or candy: Flowers.
2. Gray or black: Black.
3. Color or Black and white photos: No preference.
4. Lust or love: Love, with a healthy dose of lust. (Copied from Shell’s response)
5. Sunrise or sunset: Sunrise.
6. M and Ms or Skittles: Neither.
7. Staying up late or waking up early: I’ve been doing both and frankly, i can’t tell the difference.
8. Sun or moon: Sun.
9. Winter or Fall: Fall.
10. Left or right: Right.
11. 10 acquaintances or having two best friends: Two best friends.
12. Sunny or rainy: Rainy.
13. Vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream: Vanilla.

About you:-

1. What time is it: 9.28am
2. Nickname(s): Sunshin3, emily, small auntie.
3. What is your birth date: 25th September
4. What do you want: The things that i want lor.
5. Where do you want to live: In a house.
6. How many kids do you want: I do but can i?
7. Do you want to get married: I do but can i?

Uniqueness:-

1. Nervous habit: Blushing.
2. Are you double jointed: Nope.
3. Can you roll your tongue: Yes.
4. Can you raise one eyebrow: No.
5. Can you cross your eyes: Yes.
6. Do you make your bed daily: Yes.
7. Can you draw: Define draw.

Randomness:-

1. Which shoe goes on first: Does it matter?
2. Ever thrown a shoe at someone: I wished but nah.
3. What is your craziest experience ever: Travelling to Guangzhou which was a stupid and crazy idea at the same time.

Food:-

1. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it: Twirl.
2. Have you ever eaten spam: No.
3. Favorite ice cream: Ben & Jerry’s.
4. How many kinds of cereal are in your cabinet: Cornflakes, yes how mightily boring.
5. What’s your favorite beverage: Coffee.
6. Do you cook: Hardly.

In the last month, have you:-

1. Bought something: Yes.
2. Sang: Nope.
3. Been hugged: Yes.
4. Felt stupid: Yes.
5. Missed someone: Yes.
6. Danced crazy: No.
7. Gotten your hair cut: No.
8. Cried: Yes.
9. Lied: Yes.

Tomorrow’s my last day at work and I just found out what’s worse than one blackberry.

Two blackberries.

Whatever I’m attempting is absolutely not for the faint-hearted.

Talk about powerful connections.

In the midst of the poor planning and mismanagement of the production that just occurred last Friday, i got acquainted with a charming senior who refused to produce his name and the only hint of his relation was that he was a friend of one of our Board of Directors.

Despite the secrecy, he was very real in his conversations and he certainly entertained me in the early evening with his anecdotes of life and work before i got whisked off for evening duties with the Ministers and VVIPs.

I wouldn’t have known that he was one of the privileged few who were Singapore’s Ambassadors to the world if he did not send an email over the weekend requesting my presence for lunch. Not that he divulged his designation in that email, but for that email gave me his identity while Google did the rest.

But what’s scary is rather how will my boss feel if she’s aware that i am becoming acquainted with her people?

After all, i don’t know of anyone who wants to be in a compromising situation.

I had fault in making Old boy grouchy.

Things in the office are really unstable and I’ve lost control of my work. Apart from the production, I’m tasked to handle the after-production party as well as another dinner to be held in London. As helpful as hotels are, the menus, the seating plans, the programme highlights still require my handholding until the events are over.

Plus I have Project Alphabet and Project Clean whose closing transaction dates are on 31 October 2007. What makes it difficult is that the lawyers for the transactions aren’t exactly clear about what they have to do.

Because of this instability, I’ve been quite moody too in no certain ways better than Old boy.

But we had a good talk over phone calls and lunch to air it out.

Amongst other things, he isn’t very optimistic of our future although he concedes that I could help influence the thought process.

It’s interesting to see him in my position once in a while. By all counts of logic, we shouldn’t be together but I’ve given up arguing with whatever’s left of my brain.

Honestly, I’m not very sure if I’ll be around that long too but it’s a risk I’m going to take.

Truth be told, I have been sniffing around for a couple of openings and have gone for three interviews last week and all three have been pretty successful.

In fact, I have been informed that one of the firms is actually tailoring a benefits package for me.

It is an employee’s market out there and with so many firms offering more than what I’m actually getting, I start to question if I’m honestly underpaid although salary isn’t exactly the motivating factor for the move.

I guess part of the problem is I’m no longer satisfied with where I am. I’m no longer happy meeting the demands required by people. I no longer want to make her happy.

Half of my time in office is spent doing mindless coordination and I feel like I’m not utilized fully.

It’s like a relationship gone bad.

Where two people no longer share the same ideals.

Actually, that’s what I really do when I’m frustrated with work. It’s 9pm and there are still 31 emails waiting for me to open them.

And I haven’t had dinner as well.
Old boy has learnt that terrible habit of mine too and he has started searching for “Seinfeld”, “Whose line is it anyway” or “Tina Fey” on Youtube and I only found that out when I had to take impromptu leave yesterday when Old boy fell sick with gastric flu.

I am lucky that I was crazy enough to head back to our home at 6.30am in the morning en-route to work to look at him.

His face was pale and he was just so weak. I know the office isn’t exactly happy regarding my urgent leave measures for there was work that seemed important to them that required me to manage but I couldn’t care less.

I think I’ve exercised adequate work responsibility by working from home.

“There are more important things in life than just work,” my CEO often told me, “Our jobs are for bachelors and spinsters” was her next common catchphrase.

So anyone interested in taking over my post?

The grass on the other side suddenly seems a lot greener.

I have been with this company for close to 15 months and I think I have proven to them my capabilities. Unfortunately, what I desire to learn is far from being realized due to many factors and my bosses have mixed views on where they want me placed. I’m not being treated badly, just being under- utilized, which is quite frustrating sometimes.

Being young has got many advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes I wonder if it was worth giving up so many opportunities.

From the time I started working full time, I have given up the opportunity:-

1. to work in Zurich;

2. to be groomed to be a director (TSK and ML will probably remember me very well); and

3. to be ‘Professor’s’ understudy.

Somehow I’ve always allowed myself to be trapped by my fears and commitments.

Part of me wants to move early because I know that I may have to take a demotion in terms of pay and rank to pursue what I want to do and my boss is smart enough to realize that. She has purposely pushed me up in terms of designation, and pay and I am forced either to move along this line for the next five years at least or to continue with her forever.

In the words of LeAnn Rimes,

“And I can’t turn back now
’cause you’ve brought me too far”

Truth be told, I think she has got better faith in me to help her with her business as compared with her children and probably, at a lower pay too.

As much as I may want to try something more focused with legal, are my ambitions good or is it a false imagery of something deeper?