never burn bridges

keep bridges well

no river will only be crossed once in life

I have to admit that I've been blessed with helpful colleagues and seniors in my previous job.
Of course, they were a few nasty ones but they're not worth to be mentioned.

Those who helped me grow.
Those who inspired me to think and solve problems like an engineer.
Those who taught me to be tough.
Those who covered my ass when there were holes in my pants.
Those who helped justify my sickies to the boss when I wasn't really sick - just sick of work.
Those who came up with excuses for me when I decided to 'work-from-home'.
Those who shared their experience unconditionally.
Those who shared knowledge on investment, insurance, tax return, etc.
Those who served as my talking encyclopedia, allowing me to be reliant on them for quick answers.
Those who taught me to save on household bills.
Those who made working hours seem short and fun.

I miss them all!

Everyone who has asked about my new job - family, friends, ex-colleagues - would have heard stories about my current incompetent team leader.

While family and friends provide a pair of listening ears, a pair of reading eyes, and some words of wisdoms, ex-colleagues have come about with job opportunities for me.

Each time I speak to my ex-senior, he'd ask if I'd like to return to the company.
The answer is always No. Haha. I can't see myself turning back to the path I left behind.
Though I really miss working with them, the key is to advance and not look back.

A senior I've worked with in a joint venture project has also told me about job opportunities in his company. I've missed the Linkedin message until 2 months later. Woops...

Recently, another ex-senior has informed me of a job opening in his company. I've decided to try my luck this time.
It's not a guarantee that grass will be greener on the other side, but where I am now, the grass isn't any greener either. I've got nothing to lose.

People say, wherever you go, never burn bridges.

My experience proves that any river would be crossed more than once in life.
Keep the bridges and keep them well, so no repair is required when you need to cross that particular river again.

strange fate

something more than stranger

For 3 Mondays in a row...

Same time.

Same train line.

Same 4th upper carriage from the front.

Same 3 grannies.

Different starting point.

Different destination.

Different reasons for being in the 4th carriage.

Different concerns for choosing the upper carriage.

Funny how little things like these, could make people cross paths.

This scene is a kind of comfort which reminds me of popo at home.

They've unintentionally become my 'companions' to start off the week. 

Hope to see them for as many Mondays to come, in healthy shape and size.

leader with ego

ego and good leadership don't function together

So, we haven't spoken more than 5 sentences in the 3.5 days since he came back from holidays.
A very apparent sign of a strained work-relationship. Hehehe.

Him: How was your Melb trip?
Me: Ok.

Him: Are you checking those drawings?
Me: Yes I will. But not now.

Him: Have you submitted the form?
Me: I did.
Him: You didn't copy me in the email so I wasn't aware.
Me: Ok.

Me: You can have a look at the Appendix first.
Him: Ok. I'll look at it tomorrow.

There's nothing healthy with the way we're communicating now.
He is obviously pissed at something.
But who cares? LOL.

The story is, he did a crap job on one of the projects and it attracted few criticisms on the work he produced. As a team leader, even if you didn't produce those crap, you automatically absorb the blames anyway. What more the situation now is, he did those crap and he is also the leader. Double shot. Lalala.

The criticisms were raised when he was on holidays so we picked up his mess and got it sorted before he returned. For him to apply the silent treatment on me (specifically) is totally understandable. He must have thought I'm all above his head now and he has nowhere to stand as a leader. So it's a mixture of embarrassment and ego in his attitude. He's also 'punishing' me silently by refusing to assist me or provide input/comments on anything.

Now, he doesn't bother checking on the progress of the amendments under way - started the crap and won't participate in rectifying it. He doesn't bother checking on the progress of all other projects. He just sits muted and rooted to his desk. That's okay. The more jobs I got done without his assistance, the more he would feel he's hopeless and redundant in this office.

I'm enjoying the sight of him:
- Being emo at his little corner
- Being very uninformative (as usual) that no one bothers asking him anything
- Being not useful to the team cos he can't give proper technical advice, he can't lead the team, he can't guide the team, he can't do his own work correctly, he can't convince us that he knows his stuff.

Somehow he has to wake up from his slackness, recklessness, and hopelessness.

What a start to 2016.....it's just the beginning.

randomness

be naturally random

Yesterday, the admin very randomly asked if I know who Coco Chanel is.

I said yes.

I thought she was going to say something along the lines of 'you are what you look'.

She then read out loud to me.

'Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.'

I quickly took a look at my attire.

Ok. I don't think I'm dressing shabbily. At least not today. Haha. But I shall bear this quote in mind.

Today, I went to her to take a photo of the Coco Chanel quote.
It was already in the bin.
She is someone who keeps no rubbish and deals with no shit.
Someone who dumps things (and emotions) easily. The good thing is she forgets them easily too.

She then told me today's quote was rubbish but Monday's is meaningful.
I couldn't agree more. :)

Around tea time, I heard minor explosions from the kitchen.
A suspicious blue packet was popping in the microwave oven.
It was her and her randomness again.
She said when she ordered milk this morning, she came across popcorns and decided to add them into the cart.
Suddenly, the office smelled like a cinema. Hehe.

Things won't be the same without her in the office. 

I like randomness.

#bestchristmasever

it's not anything but the company that matters.

I always dread going to Melbourne due to various reasons - the harsh weather, the hook-turns, the unfamiliarity, etc. It's about time I pay Melbourne a visit as it has been 2 years since my last trip there for Miss Petite's wedding.

One day, out of a random conversation, I told Miss Petite that I shall pay her a visit if she's around during xmas. After months of thinking, she decided to stay in town for xmas.

So I immediately got my tickets booked (1.5 month before the trip) at about $200 via Jetstar. A pretty decent price for a festive season (in my opinion). The most expensive Melbourne tickets I've paid before were $400 return (plus $70 for missing the flight back because we went to Miss Marple's for scones and couldn't get to the airport in time). Lol.

This xmas was one of the most memorable things that happened in 2015.
People say when you're happy, time passes quickly. It sure does.
I needed a couple of days to recollect my memories as I lost track of time over the xmas weekend. Hehe.

On Christmas day...

Brunch by Miss Petite and husband.

Coconut chia seed pudding with blueberry, strawberry, and roasted almond by Miss Petite

It's my first time trying chia seed pudding. 

A simple combination, beautifully presented, and healthy too.

Though I'm not a fan of almond, coconut, and strawberry, they kinda compliment one another that the ingredients don't stand out on their own. They mixed well.
It's probably the healthiest food for the rest of the weekend. Haha.

Next is the savoury crepe.

It's so juicy and yummy!!!

Crepe in the making

Traditional crepe with egg, spinach, ham. and cheese by Petite's Husband.

And then, we had some matcha shortbread cookies by Miss Petite.

Irresistibly tasty with slight hint of bitterness. 

Recipe here >>> Matcha Shortbread Cookies by Miss Petite

After that, off we packed and went to the Chua's.

The huge and overly-friendly Miss Zoe

First thing at the Chua's is always to get pass the Zoe Test.

She welcomes literally anyone to her house and loves jumping at people, it's kinda scary considering she's at the height of my thighs and she weighs 20 kg.

Her tail is like a whip and it hurts if she happens to step on you. The weight on each foot is probably 5 kg?

Her face is bigger than Miss Petite's! Lol.

They say 'she's huge but she doesn't know she's huge'. Hence, she thinks it's okay to jump on people.

She's like the desperate friend at school who everyone avoids. Haha.

She tends to get emo after being ignored by people. 

Poor girl. 

After all, she just wanted to be friends. 

After freaking out a few times, I got used to her friendliness and appreciated her presence. 

Kinda miss her now.

We spent the whole afternoon sipping wine and helping Ann out with the cooking and preparation.

2 bottles down before dinner time.

Table setting designed by Ann

Menu for the night - took 3 days to prepare the food.
All thanks to Ann, the head chef.

The entrée

The mains and sides.
#bestturkeyever

The dinner was so scrumptious that everyone over-ate and had no room for dessert.

We took a break for present-exchange while allowing digestion.

3 out of 10 presents involved whiskey glasses - what an alcoholic bunch of people (in a good way I mean). 

It simply means they know each other too well.

I'd say all the presents are pretty practical, useful, and thoughtful. Bought with much thought and consideration.

Warm xmas tree

After present-exchange, back to more food, followed by dessert.

Raspberry and cream ice-cream with chocolate truffle-coated popcorn, and
freeze dried and fresh raspberries by Miss Petite's husband.
All ingredients from Burch and Purchese except fresh berries.

There were much leftovers so we had the same feast for dinner the next day.

Not forgetting wine, wine, wine, and more wine.

Thanks to Ann for all her effort despite suffering from sore wrists. Rest well and hope they get better and better.

Thanks for the wine too. My next trip over, I shall bring some Sydney wines along.

And the feasting continues...Belle's Hot Chicken

Belle's was the last meal before heading back to Sydney.

I guess I gained 2 kilos in 4 days - compensating for the losses I had over the past couple of months. 

Out of this trip I found that...

- Melb can be warm despite it's uncooperative weather.

- No matter what you do and where you are, it's the company that matters.

- What used to be bad could become good, and vice versa.

- It's great to know there's a 2nd home in Australia, 10 hours drive or 1 hour flight away.

- Common interests play a big role in bringing people close together.

- Being in the same stage of life makes it easier to connect with people. It explains why sometimes, you may not be able to click with people you've known for years but able to click with strangers you just met. 

- I learned some new terminologies: Flambé, Chimichurri, and Chimichanga.

- Friends are the closest 'family' when families aren't around.

For who-knows-how-long, I've been telling Miss Petite that I shall visit Melb 'soon' but it didn't happen - not for once. I finally fulfilled my 'promises'. Haha. 

Thanks for having me over, giving me a cozy bedroom - new carpet, nicely-made bed, and even towel! Not forgetting Miss Michie who always welcomes us at the entrance, so awwwwwwww.

My second bedroom in Australia

This is by far the #bestchristmasever as agreed by all of us.
What a tremendous closure to 2015.
I'm truly blessed.

a good listener

blessed to have you

Out of randomness...

From a friend who has always been there to entertain my utter randomness, though I may not do the same in return for lame reasons like 'too caught up with work'.

A good listener...that's all she asks for.
It explains why she's one herself as this is what she thinks a friend should offer.
I could have done a better job if not for all the other priorities I've put before her.
I've understood that it's the willingness to spare time for each other and accept the differences in each other's priorities that make every relationship work.

While I work on finding a balance in my life priorities, thanks for being the patient one.
For all you know, you have never dropped out of my priority list.
Just that I've procrastinated in producing a balanced list.

We are under-utilising each other. If not for the distance, we could be of more use to one another. I'll make sure to use you more often and in more ways - not just the eyes and a companion in Msia - and be ready to be used by you.

Thanks for always sparing me your eyes, reading my lengthy texts on boring repetitive stories - work, colleague, friends, flatmate, etc. I wish I have more to share especially on the 'husband' topics, cos that's what you've been hoping for. While that hasn't happened yet, I know your eyes are always actively searching on behalf of me whether I like it or not. Lol. It's hard to get mad when you're just being you, xoxo.

Thanks for all the times you try so hard to squeeze into my calendar whenever I'm back in Msia. Hahaha. I really mean THANKS okay, don't roll your eyes. You're probably the next most excited person after my sisters, which is the reason why I'll always have time for you when I'm back.

Thanks for all the food-hunting adventures, though they are mostly to satisfy your cravings rather than mine. Hahaha. No matter how much cash I bring with me, you always have a way to over-order and leave me bloated, out of cash, and gain 2kg overnight! For all the times I don't have enough cash with me, you're always my boss - I'm so sorry but I'm more a 'credit' than a 'cash' person. I'll ensure to do a better job in controlling your greed for food.

Thanks for all the times you say things straight to my face. It's just so you and I love you!
Thanks for all the birthday cakes you've ever made/designed/bought for me - from a hummingbird to ice-cream to Pandora. Make me a KitKat M&Ms next, please? Hehehe.

Thanks for being a friend, twin sister, matchmaker, food-decider...

Thanks for so so so much more.

Love you always, Birdie!

project manager wannabe

be tough

A whole list of tasks each day.

Over 15 people to deal with and their issues are all inter-dependant.

It all goes back and forth, back and forth...through me.

Don't know what I got myself into with all these additional managerial works.

Gahhhhhhhhhh.

Suddenly it's 1pm while my breakfast still sits on the table.

Suddenly it's 2pm and I haven't had lunch.

Suddenly people are packing to go home because it's 4.50pm. 

Suddenly it's Friday tomorrow.

Omgggg. Time does fly.

Only get to sketch some concept design after 5.30pm when the emails and phone calls stop.

The almost a century old granny will get new retaining walls next year if all goes well.

No one really knows the hard work behind this.
No one questions 'how'.
It's okay.
That's what engineers do, they make things happen.

Once in a purple moon, I need a food therapy to straighten my mind.
Craving for Korean hotpot.
Reminds me of how my sis and I used to finish a hotpot for 4 and fall into 24 hours of food coma.
Those were the days.
Now I wish my sis still flies with the SIA.
Oh well, the craving will go soon.

Tomorrow is another day.
Two weeks to 2016.