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Sunday, February 20

Stepping afoot onto the land of smiles is no brainer job. Especially so with the entry of budget airlines offering competitive prices to this destination.

But it has been 10 years since I last perspired like a pig in it's capital. The beat thing bout this trip is that shopping is not the highlight unlike all other previous trips. Sightseeing was and I must it's pretty great to be doing something different apart from shopping and mall hopping in Bangkok.






Grand Palace






Historic stop: River Kwai Bridge




d|nKo signs -.-

00:00


Tuesday, February 15

Sams*ng Gala*y Tab 10.1 was officially announced on Vday and that's what I've been waiting for. To save the tech talk, it's basically an iP*d which operates on Honeycomb (read: Google's latest operating system), plays flash and shoots front and back. I am blardy salivating after it but I am also very cheesed off that it does not come with a single memory card slot. FML.


d|nKo signs -.-

23:01


Thursday, February 10

No, I have not stopped blogging. Despite nobody else doing it. The whole world is facebooking.

I have completed five months of my third job, with much ups and downs. Heading into my sixth month, as well as the confirmation of my probation.

My senior's last day is tomorrow. Happy for her that she found something that she can look forward to even though this also means the entire pile of 'sai kang' is now on my plate.

People in this new company are generally fine, with some characters of utmost uniqueness and bring cheer and thrill into my very challenging but boring job scope.

Gist of it all is that my boss and I are struggling to manage one another in our own ways. This is utterly ineffective and has resulted in each of us trying to kill the other party mercilessly. I wonder if I am unhappy at my job. The way I grumble to one particular confidante in the office sounds like I am very upset with my boss and job. On the contrary, I tell myself every morning when I wake up not to be too bothered by my boss and be happy because there are fun waiting for me in the office.

Whatever. I'm going on leave soon. I shall see what happens when it's time to confirm my probation. The ball is in my boss' court.


d|nKo signs -.-

00:06


Tuesday, September 21

Today has been a pretty decent day for me. Nice and lucky. No lah, no lottery strike.

Received a text message from Good Friend L in the morning. While a text message is pretty standard in today's context with nothing worthy to rave about, it's especially special coming from this person because 98% of the time spent on our communication, I'm usually the one to initiate the conversation. Needless to say, Good Friend L is in a very unique situation, hence I'm showing extra patience with this person. If I were to take the story wholesale, Good Friend L has not been feeling well for the longest time and has been going in and out of the hospital on a rather frequent basis. In fact, in recent times, she has been spending longer periods at the hospital than at home resting. She refused to let me visit her, neither is she fit enough to attend outdoor activities by herself. I'm pretty lost with her situation, no idea how I can help her in any way. The only request from her is that I would 'talk' to her via SMS whenever I'm free. And I try hard to. Almost every other day we would have a conversation, long or short depending on whether my day has been eventful or not. Usually it's after work hours, after I had my dinner until she dozed off and stopped replying me. She thinks that I'm busy at work and dare not 'disturb' me during daytime. Until today. Well I guess that text message coming from her helped to make both her and my day. At least I know she's not down after some treatment and thought of me as a support pillar at times. And I love it, even though my work flow may be disrupted, but I feel that nothing could be more important than hoping to keep a person alive with a strong spirit.

Received another text message from Good Friend A in the afternoon. This time round, it's via whatsapp. It felt like good old days, fed my ego and satisfaction. This really helped to distract me away from work big time and it feels good to know that someone's thinking of you somewhere sometime. And this went on all the way until I reached my dinner place.

Received a present from Good Friend Y. My only comment was that "You are brave to want to buy something for me.". After digging out the contents upon reaching home, I have to say, Good Friend Y is not only brave, but smart and thoughtful as well. I wonder when I will attain that level of enlightenment though. It's not easy for me because I hardly want to use my brain on people. And I have no motivation to, currently. Although come to think of it, I may have somem motivations...eventually somehow from don't know where.

Count your blessings, they say.
I lost count. I'm glad to.


d|nKo signs -.-

23:38


Saturday, September 18

Ignoring the fact I've started work at the new environment for a month short of three days but felt like a year, today has been a pleasant distraction from the hectic pile of homework pending.

Good friend M decided to set her big day on this day close to a year ago. Much as I wish to skirt away from such social events, I gave myself a little push to make sure I arrived in good time to be part of the receptionist team. And I'm glad I attended it because my gut feeling tells me this will be the once in a lifetime for Good Friend. Never mind that I had to put on a grin and think of nonsense when people said 'Hi', never mind that I had to face people I wish I never had to face again ever in this lifetime, never mind that I had to endure hours of thirst in case I miss any action.

For a moment, it finally dawned on me that Good Friend had grown up, no longer the petite sweet thing I still remembered my first impression of her 13 years ago. Still petite nonetheless, but at the same time exuding a charm of maturity which made her even more beautiful on her day.

Looking at Good Friend, then at the Couple, I saw what it means to be blessed.


d|nKo signs -.-

19:49


Friday, August 27

One can imagine what I've been doing for the past five months at my previous job.

I've officially started at my new job this monday and my first week at it seemed to zoom faster than a flash. All because every single second of my time was duly accounted for. Ignoring the fact that I am new to the industry and was prepared for information overload to learn as much as quickly as I can about this new industry, I was rather disturbed about a comment from an ex-colleague whom I met after work just now to take the train ride home together.

After getting past the first 10 minutes of excitement of seeing one another after one long week, yes we kinda missed each other, she took a step back and said I looked different. I said no, my hair didn't grew longer. She insisted there is and forced me to freeze as she scrutinised my facial feature. The conclusion? That I've aged. Oh my my my. How can I accept that? While I admit this whole week has been rather tiring, including standing on heels for two full days at a roadshow, it can't be so bad that one could tell the difference over a period of 7 days. Rather hurtful. Very harsh in fact. So much for wanting to work hard and challenge myself.

No, I am not calling it quits yet.


d|nKo signs -.-

21:29


Wednesday, August 18

Much has occurred since my last update, which is a good one month ago.

I've tendered and serving my final days of notice at current firm. Effectively I'm a job hopper in 2010. Three jobs and hopefully not counting anymore.

Beyond office hours, for some reasons, I'm too equally tied up with other stuffs. Like constantly coaxing a friend to develop the draft for his business idea so that I can start fine tuning it. I'm also busy reading up stuffs, in preparation for my yet-again new job. Then there's the sometimes meet ups with humans who are still interested in my life albeit my lack of a fb account.

The thing about fate is no science involved. Classic example strike on me today. I've been trying my utmost best, all the while keeping my fingers and toes crossed like nothing else, to avoid a certain someone for the past five months. This is no mean feat considering we work in the same building, with only two floors difference, we even travel the same lift route up and down. The closest I got other than today's incident was around three months when the lift door opened and I heard him talking outside the lift to someone else who stepped into the same lift as me. He did not enter the lift eventually. With just two more days to go, I thought I had the good luck of never bumping into him for the time I was with this short-fated job. I THOUGHT. As the saying goes, "I think, you thought, who confirm?" Our eyes met each other while I was waiting at the lift lobby and he just crossed the security gantry. SHEER TOUGH LUCK. Of course we spoke briefly on the way up. And as if once was not enough, we had to cross paths again when he took the upwards escalator while I took the downwards one, right beside him. I did not even notice him until he stretch out his hand to catch my attention. KCUF.

Five months at a job. Neither too long nor too short. Not long enough to develop mastery at anything. Not too short such that relationships could be established. Whether they are sustainable or not, that's an open-ended. I can only conclude I did not regret having spent these five precious months of my youth at a place which I felt has more minus than plus. I truly appreciate the exposure I've gotten from this firm which I believed no other company in this world could match for.

Break the dawn.


d|nKo signs -.-

23:13


Tuesday, July 20

It never fails to puzzle me every working day morning that the train station has to designate someone to mop the floor during the peak hours which see well-dressed people dashing for every incoming train.

The person in command must be someone of similar calibre to me. One who gets high seeing somebody else committing silly acts such as slipping on wet floor. Or maybe it's meant to deter from chasing after the incoming train. Who knows. I've started taking morning trains regularly since I started working officially three years ago and I guess nobody bothers to make any comments, thus this has been a routine for as long as I could remember.


- posted via mobile


d|nKo signs -.-

09:05


Wednesday, July 14

I was being mocked at. Unshamelessly. In full view of everyone else except the mocker and the victim.
"What era are you from?!?!"
"How is it possible!??!?"
Yadda yadda...

All the reaction for not having a FB account.

It's not funny that this could be used as a yardstick in your judgement of people. It does not speak very well of you as a being. In terms of era, if you asked me, I would say the era of increasing number of FB accounts is over. And the era of people proclaiming that they have deleted theirs is here.

Cheers.


- posted via mobile


d|nKo signs -.-

23:17


Thursday, June 24

Going to work these days feels like going to school.
There is the on time arrival you need to take note of.
The standard attire you have wear which will make you look similar to everyone else in the same organization.
The routine schedule of what meeting at what time each week/month and what time to go for a break/lunch.
The assignments which, sometimes, you have to bring home as homework to complete.
After submission, then you will be appraised like a teacher marking the examination papers and giving you the grade you deserve.
Of course, not to forget, you'll have the usual group of people, where some are just so detestable while a few are very much lovable as well.
And the purpose of stepping into class every day is to look forward to...
RRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGG~


d|nKo signs -.-

20:53


Monday, June 21

For one good month, I stayed out of this place unintentionally. Not that I am extremely busy but I kinda lost the touch to type on a proper keypad (one of the trends inflicted by the iPhone).

I finally went for my orientation in Indonesia. In a small town, surrounded by jungle and Sumatran tigers. It's so small that there is no commercial flights to the place. The company has an airstrip which flies its own planes into the town from Seletar. Small plane indeed. The next smallest plane I ever took was an Delta Air plane from New York to Toronto, which is a 2x2 seater plane. Never did I expect myself to get a chance to take a 1x1 seater, totalling 18 passengers plus 2 flying crew. Anyone can see the full view of the cockpit and the window in front of it. Not to forget, the two propellers by the sides add to the simplicity of the structure altogether.

I'm an officially Mac convert from Windows. Byebye virus, once and for all. While I've been craving to get a Mac, the thought of using the same machine for both work and play previously simply irked me a hell lot. Now that I've moved on, having two windows for work cum play is as boring too. My intention to the PC show was only to offer my kind consultancy service to my mum who wants a new laptop, Windows of course. I tried to introduce her to Mac at a store previously but she was just not so turned on. We combed the two main levels offering laptops, talked to n number of people, collected four handfuls of brochures for three hours before my mum came to a conclusion. Nothing caught her fancy. She shall take my laptop (which is a year old) and gave me her budget to get a Mac instead. COOL. I readily accepted it and zoom I went, settling my bargain in the next hour odd.

The past one month at work seemed to be better that the first two months. Of course there are plenty of factors attributing to this and I do not deny there are the positive and the not-so-positive ones. Whatever it is, it's the World Cup craze now, my direct superior has gone to South Africa for the great immersion and I'll be gone to Europe for two weeks starting from next. Work shall only start in full swing when I'm back. Anyway my probation ends this week, which means my tender notice is four weeks instead of two. Sian.


d|nKo signs -.-

00:36


Tuesday, May 4

I am such a big fat flop. Not mop, but flop. Utterly disappointed in myself. Can't seem to be capable of handling anything proper. It's surprising how days passed by leaving me unscathed. I don't want to sound depressed but I sorta detest living my current.


- posted via mobile


d|nKo signs -.-

23:39


Sunday, April 25

Went to NTU for dinner today for novelty cum nostalgic sake. Settled for one of the more popular canteens which I used to love to patronise back in the good ol' days. Of course the place was bustling with people, especially students at dinner time. What's abit unusual was the presence of parents crowding around with the students as well. It was not too difficult to figure it all out after eavesdropping on the family sitting beside our table unintentionally.

The boy did not return home for the weekend since he chose to stay in hall and mug for his exams. Hence, the rest of the family came down to school and have a family dinner together for the week. It's amazing to witness the evolving parenting role, taking into consideration from my own parents to parents of current teenagers to parents of newborns. Parents these days do not think twice of playing a much heavier role in kids' lives, which inevitably may also lead to greater dependence of the kids on their parents. At another table, I saw a student waiting at the table with his younger siblings while his mother dart through the dinner crowd and fussed over them if they are fine with the food she just purchased.

On the other side of the coin, such involvement may also result in stronger bond between the child and parent, which is a plus certainly. It all depends on the approach undertaken and the macro environment surrounding the child.


d|nKo signs -.-

00:49


Sunday, April 18

A tiring weekend indeed. Played two very effective rounds of badminton within 24 hours of each game. Of course, it resulted in my body severely deprived of liquid and glucose. Forgeting my breakfast didn't help. I was drowning myself with plenty of ice water for the whole of yesterday and for today, I had plenty of milk as energy boosters and other liquid drinks as supplements.

My body probably strengthened over the course of this weekend as well, by subjecting myself to more rigorous demands of the game and uplifting my own expectations.


-via mobile


d|nKo signs -.-

18:43


Friday, April 16

Check out what everyone else was amused by on a usual overwhelming evening at Wala Wala this Friday.





2 hoggers at a much-desired table seat.

FO!!

-via mobile


d|nKo signs -.-

22:14