My third semester turned out to be the busiest by far. Study took a backseat as wedding preparations became our chief priority. As such it is only now, during the Christmas break in Oxford, that I have time for a much prelonged update.
To elaborate on Yolande's previous entry, I'm pleased to say I successfully carried out two 'dummy proposals' before popping the question for real the next day. In Chinese Garden I asked "Yolande Lim, will you... ...have breakfast with me?", offering a Subway takeaway bag from behind my back. Later, outside the Japanese restaurant, I asked whilst revealing what looked like a ring box partially concealed inside my backpack "Yolande Lim, will you... ...take this gift as a token of my affection?" before pulling out the rest of the long bracelet box to give to her. The night's stay at Sentosa Resort was also kept a surprise with the cooperation of the staff working at the Spa, until we returned later to the hotel to check in. I had pretended to be 'blur'about how to get to our destination, which fooled Yolande into thinking we were going to visit the Merlion. When we suddenly alighted the bus outside the hotel, she was shocked and very pleased. I also managed to inadvertently scare witless the lady behind the hotel reception desk by popping up suddenly after crouching down to retrieve my documents from my backpack. It was during the Hungry Ghost Festival, and the lady had imagined Yolande was talking to thin air whilst wearing a shocked expression on her face. I nearly brought forward the proposal to that night on account of a shaky weather forecast, but chanced the next morning at the beach, where the proposal had to be rushed somewhat due to the unbearably hot sun! However , it all turned out brilliantly in the end, although the engagment ring turned out to be too small despite being measured and adjusted based on Yolande's own ring. With some pressure on Yolande's part, the jewellers conceded to fix their mistake in time for my family's arrival in Singapore.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Week of Celebration
Despite having to cope with a “crazy” lecturer, projects and upcoming exams, Daniel planned a series of events to not only celebrate my 25th birthday but also THE SURPRISE that we have all been waiting for – THE PROPOSAL.
I didn’t ask much for my birthday as all I really wanted was an exercise band to carry around with whilst on biz trip (to ensure that I stretch myself well in the hotel room after the flight…and come to think of it, it would be a good “stress” reliever after having to have mandatory dinner meetings) and a box of Ferrero Rocher. Obvious to many, the latter most probably defeats the purpose of having an exercise band and my new exercise regime. Back to the point – Daniel was “obliged” to get me an enormous birthday card as the one I gave him was already huge. He must have been fitting in well in this Asian society where we place great importance on “saving” and “giving” face. I had an awesome treat to Betty’s Roast Chicken from Billy Bombers (American restaurant) and a movie ticket to watch “THE UGLY TRUTH”. I am no movie-goer. My friends have given up asking me out for a movie. Even Daniel had to persuade me to catch a show with him when he first came to Singapore. I prefer to be in the comfort of my own home watching DVDs. But I must admit that “THE UGLY TRUTH” is the movie that has made me laugh throughout, and no regrets. It was predictable, but I really needed that laugh. Daniel must have had a culture shock at the cinema because everyone was literally LAUGHING OUT LOUD whilst he was doing his typical “British Laughter” (I can’t think of the word for it, but Daniel claims that the “British Laughter” is different or is he just trying to be classy? =p) Most Singaporeans (75% of the population) will not have a problem understanding what the actors are saying although we are laughing out loud because we can read the subtitles in Chinese. But for Daniel, if he cannot hear the lines, he won’t have got the joke.
THE SURPRISE was meant to be a surprise but I kind of knew when it would come because Daniel has to schedule it around my biz trip. It all started on 19.09.2009 when Daniel rang me on my mobile while I was still in bed (he lives just in the next room but he had to ring me!) and told me to wash up and head to Chinese Garden. I was told to bring what I thought was necessary for the day (no make-up, no extra clothes…). I was told to climb to the peak of the pagoda (7 storey) in Chinese Garden. The scenery was awesome and the best part was seeing Daniel waving to me from a distance in the Japanese garden! He was a real teaser throughout the day but I think it made me even eager to hear him pop the question.
We then headed to Sentosa where Daniel had secretly booked a night’s stay at the prestigious Sentosa Resort and Spa (Botanica). I knew nothing of it at all – all thanks to the absolutely fabulous planning duo, Daniel and Rene. The spa retreat was awesome except for the drizzle but it made us feel very relaxed. We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant by the beach and watched the sunset (ok, we didn’t notice the sun setting).
We were up bright and early, preparing ourselves for the buffet breakfast by the pool. And I thought, “When is he going to pop the question?”. I enjoyed swimming boring laps in the pool. But Daniel insisted on heading to the sandy beach despite the hot weather which I swear could have caused me a heat-stroke that morning. Whilst I was tanning, Daniel placed a ring on a Precious Moments figurine and asked if I would marry him. Before any of you go “Awwwww…”, I didn’t say yes immediately. Do you seriously think I could say yes after all the mental torture and games Daniel played with me over those 2 days? I stood up and said, “Hmm…I’m not too sure if I should say yes. Let me ask other people around. Ah, but there aren’t that many people around.”. Daniel’s expression was priceless then when he said, “Yolande Lim, this is serious. It is not time for you to fool around!” and then I said, “YES!”
I didn’t ask much for my birthday as all I really wanted was an exercise band to carry around with whilst on biz trip (to ensure that I stretch myself well in the hotel room after the flight…and come to think of it, it would be a good “stress” reliever after having to have mandatory dinner meetings) and a box of Ferrero Rocher. Obvious to many, the latter most probably defeats the purpose of having an exercise band and my new exercise regime. Back to the point – Daniel was “obliged” to get me an enormous birthday card as the one I gave him was already huge. He must have been fitting in well in this Asian society where we place great importance on “saving” and “giving” face. I had an awesome treat to Betty’s Roast Chicken from Billy Bombers (American restaurant) and a movie ticket to watch “THE UGLY TRUTH”. I am no movie-goer. My friends have given up asking me out for a movie. Even Daniel had to persuade me to catch a show with him when he first came to Singapore. I prefer to be in the comfort of my own home watching DVDs. But I must admit that “THE UGLY TRUTH” is the movie that has made me laugh throughout, and no regrets. It was predictable, but I really needed that laugh. Daniel must have had a culture shock at the cinema because everyone was literally LAUGHING OUT LOUD whilst he was doing his typical “British Laughter” (I can’t think of the word for it, but Daniel claims that the “British Laughter” is different or is he just trying to be classy? =p) Most Singaporeans (75% of the population) will not have a problem understanding what the actors are saying although we are laughing out loud because we can read the subtitles in Chinese. But for Daniel, if he cannot hear the lines, he won’t have got the joke.
THE SURPRISE was meant to be a surprise but I kind of knew when it would come because Daniel has to schedule it around my biz trip. It all started on 19.09.2009 when Daniel rang me on my mobile while I was still in bed (he lives just in the next room but he had to ring me!) and told me to wash up and head to Chinese Garden. I was told to bring what I thought was necessary for the day (no make-up, no extra clothes…). I was told to climb to the peak of the pagoda (7 storey) in Chinese Garden. The scenery was awesome and the best part was seeing Daniel waving to me from a distance in the Japanese garden! He was a real teaser throughout the day but I think it made me even eager to hear him pop the question.
We then headed to Sentosa where Daniel had secretly booked a night’s stay at the prestigious Sentosa Resort and Spa (Botanica). I knew nothing of it at all – all thanks to the absolutely fabulous planning duo, Daniel and Rene. The spa retreat was awesome except for the drizzle but it made us feel very relaxed. We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant by the beach and watched the sunset (ok, we didn’t notice the sun setting).
We were up bright and early, preparing ourselves for the buffet breakfast by the pool. And I thought, “When is he going to pop the question?”. I enjoyed swimming boring laps in the pool. But Daniel insisted on heading to the sandy beach despite the hot weather which I swear could have caused me a heat-stroke that morning. Whilst I was tanning, Daniel placed a ring on a Precious Moments figurine and asked if I would marry him. Before any of you go “Awwwww…”, I didn’t say yes immediately. Do you seriously think I could say yes after all the mental torture and games Daniel played with me over those 2 days? I stood up and said, “Hmm…I’m not too sure if I should say yes. Let me ask other people around. Ah, but there aren’t that many people around.”. Daniel’s expression was priceless then when he said, “Yolande Lim, this is serious. It is not time for you to fool around!” and then I said, “YES!”
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Halfway Point
It's been an eventful semester, much different from the first. Following the first semester's stress, I took more time out to relax, taking entire days off from study to spend with Yolande.
We got to see a lot of baby Andrew, first with Singapore's National Day, then with his Christening. National day was interesting to see. We swam, played tennis, and barbecued (as in food, I'm not referring to our skin in the hot weather, although that was probably true in my case). I was shocked by the level of patriotism (I couldn't tell how serious they were) displayed by some of Yolande's relatives, who unashamedly peeked through the window of a first floor apartment next to the barbecue pit in order to watch the celebrations on their TV and recite the Singapore National Pledge in unison with the rest of the nation...
We, the citizens of Singapore
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society,
based on justice and equality,
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.
...If you get the chance, I recommend asking Yolande for her version of this pledge, with added clauses that give a slightly more realistic depiction of Singapore!
But perhaps the biggest highlight was being rushed by Yolande's nieces to quickly down my glass of wine and take them to the playground, where I was spun on a roundabout and made to lift them onto the monkey bars. I went home feeling extremely dizzy!
The Christening was also a lot of fun - Yolande's aunt managed to smuggle baby Andrew onto the minibus after the Christening without his parents realising. We also tried to help him get to sleep later on in the day, but ended up entertaining him by singing and reading to him, which he seemed to enjoy. Although, Yolande now has a reputation for making him cry, which she is convinced he does on purpose only when she holds him in front of others.
Yolande and I also completed our walk, at last, between Orchard Road and home, this time starting from home in the morning. It took us about 5 hours to walk the roughly 20 kilometres to Orchard, including a stop at Clementi, the halfway point, for lunch. We felt very triumphant upon reaching the station, but had only enough energy left for a quick lunch at KFC and the train ride home, after which we napped away the afternoon until about 8pm.
So as you can see, I've been making more effort recently to relax, spend time with Yolande, and reboot myself. I think Yolande has also been much happier this semester as a result. It's not that I've been working any less hard, but perhaps I've been working more efficiently and managing my time better. The first semester's results were good (A for OB, A- for SMBP), but I spent too much time on additional reading that ultimately proved unnecessary when it came to taking exams. In semester two, I streamlined my efforts, reading only what was needed, and putting grades before self-enrichment. As a result, I was far less stressed, enjoyed myself more, and should have hopefully topped semester one's results by a significant margin. However, I think I can do better. Because when it came down to it, I still needed to re-read chapters and make notes for exams later on, making the long hours during term-time spent in the library keeping on top of the readings all but pointless. And I still haven't made much progress with my research projects! Semester three will be 100% streamlined - I will not study unless it will directly impact on my grades, and the rest of my time will be spent on leisure, and of course planning for a certain wedding.
Yes, that's right. Yolande and I are now officially engaged and plan to have the registration of marriage later this year, before travelling to England for our Christmas holidays. In fact, a lot planning went into what turned out to be a complex proposal plan, and I'd like to thank Yolande's friend, Rene, for discussing ideas with me without giving the game away to Yolande! If I do score high grades this semester, it will have been whilst preparing and carrying out this proposal, and whilst preparing for my family's visit to Singapore on the day of my last exam. Not to mention Yolande's birthday week (the myriad celebrations really did last a week!) falling during exam time. In fact, I believe all three of those events (birthday, proposal, family holiday) merit their own blog entry, and two of them would be better told from Yolande's point of view, so I shall conclude this entry by saying that I look forward to, if it's possible, an even more eventful third semester than the last!
We got to see a lot of baby Andrew, first with Singapore's National Day, then with his Christening. National day was interesting to see. We swam, played tennis, and barbecued (as in food, I'm not referring to our skin in the hot weather, although that was probably true in my case). I was shocked by the level of patriotism (I couldn't tell how serious they were) displayed by some of Yolande's relatives, who unashamedly peeked through the window of a first floor apartment next to the barbecue pit in order to watch the celebrations on their TV and recite the Singapore National Pledge in unison with the rest of the nation...
We, the citizens of Singapore
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society,
based on justice and equality,
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.
...If you get the chance, I recommend asking Yolande for her version of this pledge, with added clauses that give a slightly more realistic depiction of Singapore!
But perhaps the biggest highlight was being rushed by Yolande's nieces to quickly down my glass of wine and take them to the playground, where I was spun on a roundabout and made to lift them onto the monkey bars. I went home feeling extremely dizzy!
The Christening was also a lot of fun - Yolande's aunt managed to smuggle baby Andrew onto the minibus after the Christening without his parents realising. We also tried to help him get to sleep later on in the day, but ended up entertaining him by singing and reading to him, which he seemed to enjoy. Although, Yolande now has a reputation for making him cry, which she is convinced he does on purpose only when she holds him in front of others.
Yolande and I also completed our walk, at last, between Orchard Road and home, this time starting from home in the morning. It took us about 5 hours to walk the roughly 20 kilometres to Orchard, including a stop at Clementi, the halfway point, for lunch. We felt very triumphant upon reaching the station, but had only enough energy left for a quick lunch at KFC and the train ride home, after which we napped away the afternoon until about 8pm.
So as you can see, I've been making more effort recently to relax, spend time with Yolande, and reboot myself. I think Yolande has also been much happier this semester as a result. It's not that I've been working any less hard, but perhaps I've been working more efficiently and managing my time better. The first semester's results were good (A for OB, A- for SMBP), but I spent too much time on additional reading that ultimately proved unnecessary when it came to taking exams. In semester two, I streamlined my efforts, reading only what was needed, and putting grades before self-enrichment. As a result, I was far less stressed, enjoyed myself more, and should have hopefully topped semester one's results by a significant margin. However, I think I can do better. Because when it came down to it, I still needed to re-read chapters and make notes for exams later on, making the long hours during term-time spent in the library keeping on top of the readings all but pointless. And I still haven't made much progress with my research projects! Semester three will be 100% streamlined - I will not study unless it will directly impact on my grades, and the rest of my time will be spent on leisure, and of course planning for a certain wedding.
Yes, that's right. Yolande and I are now officially engaged and plan to have the registration of marriage later this year, before travelling to England for our Christmas holidays. In fact, a lot planning went into what turned out to be a complex proposal plan, and I'd like to thank Yolande's friend, Rene, for discussing ideas with me without giving the game away to Yolande! If I do score high grades this semester, it will have been whilst preparing and carrying out this proposal, and whilst preparing for my family's visit to Singapore on the day of my last exam. Not to mention Yolande's birthday week (the myriad celebrations really did last a week!) falling during exam time. In fact, I believe all three of those events (birthday, proposal, family holiday) merit their own blog entry, and two of them would be better told from Yolande's point of view, so I shall conclude this entry by saying that I look forward to, if it's possible, an even more eventful third semester than the last!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Porridge
I'm eating a lot of porridge for breakfast these days. Not the oat-based concoction one might think of in the west. Rather, a dish derived from rice, boiled to submission, to which a variety of augmentations may be made, namely salt, egg, meat, fish, marmite, and bovril, amongst others. This is the Chinese way.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
4th August 2009 - Birthday in Singapore!
This year was a special birthday, in that it was the first birthday Yolande and I have ever spent together in the close-to-4-years we have known each other! Despite having a 3.5 hour Finance lecture that morning, my evening turned out splendidly, as I met up with Yolande after work, who treated me to a surprise dinner at a sophisticated Japanese restaurant. The main courses were delicious, as was the surprise birthday cake, which tasted of chocolate, rum, and raspberry. Yum yum! The restaurant even gave us complimentary cheese cake as a birthday treat, and took a polaroid picture of us. We had a magnificent view of Singapore river from our table. Great atmosphere, great music, great conversation - it was a great evening, all told.
Yolande had already given me my birthday present early, which was a 'management fable' called "The THREE SIGNS of a Miserable Job". It has an enjoyable story, as well as being the book I'll be critiquing for one of my research projects, so having my own copy is pretty handy.
I've yet to spend the birthday money I received from Nanny and Zoe & Robin, but I'll be sure to think hard and buy something I'll get a lot out of. I was very pleased to receive so many cards in the post and birthday messages via Facebook from my family and friends. Thank you everybody!!!
It was sad to spend a second birthday in a row away from my family in England, but I am looking forward to their arrival in Singapore at the end of September (when we'll celebrate mine and Yolande's birthday all over again!) and, in the meantime, was thrilled to receive a parcel of Roysters crisps from Gemma, who knew just how much I'd been craving them!
P.S. Since we only ate a small slice at the restaurant, the other day I asked Yolande if she fancied having any of the leftover birthday cake (which I managed to squash on the bus home) for pudding. It turns out Yolande and her parents finished it all without me knowing! (Yolande thought I'd had some too!) Oh well, I'll just have to buy a nice cake for Yolande's birthday and eat some of that! (Come to think of it, that was probably her plan all along... Mua ha ha!)
Yolande had already given me my birthday present early, which was a 'management fable' called "The THREE SIGNS of a Miserable Job". It has an enjoyable story, as well as being the book I'll be critiquing for one of my research projects, so having my own copy is pretty handy.
I've yet to spend the birthday money I received from Nanny and Zoe & Robin, but I'll be sure to think hard and buy something I'll get a lot out of. I was very pleased to receive so many cards in the post and birthday messages via Facebook from my family and friends. Thank you everybody!!!
It was sad to spend a second birthday in a row away from my family in England, but I am looking forward to their arrival in Singapore at the end of September (when we'll celebrate mine and Yolande's birthday all over again!) and, in the meantime, was thrilled to receive a parcel of Roysters crisps from Gemma, who knew just how much I'd been craving them!
P.S. Since we only ate a small slice at the restaurant, the other day I asked Yolande if she fancied having any of the leftover birthday cake (which I managed to squash on the bus home) for pudding. It turns out Yolande and her parents finished it all without me knowing! (Yolande thought I'd had some too!) Oh well, I'll just have to buy a nice cake for Yolande's birthday and eat some of that! (Come to think of it, that was probably her plan all along... Mua ha ha!)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Our Getaway to Batam
Dan and I booked ourselves a weekend getaway to Batam soon after he was done with his first semester. We were looking forward to our stay at Harris Resort, the one where Dan and I stayed when he came to Singapore last July. Not only were the service and spa facilities awesome - karaoke was the very next activity we were keen on doing over the weekend.
Not too sure if I am a difficult customer or if it's simply because I have been spoilt by "Japanese Customer Service"; I must admit that Customer Service standards in Singapore have deteriorated to unacceptable levels of which I am very much ashamed. When I requested the lady over the counter to amend my Immigration Card (my D.O.B was incorrect), she frowned and told me in an impolite and unprofessional manner, "It's OK [one lah]" (this is Singlish), shooed me away and attended to the next customer. Dan said I should have demanded that the very same lady amend my details so that she would learn to fix her mistakes. But knowing me, it was best I approached someone else to avoid ruining the entire holiday.
Anyway, we soon reached Batam after 1.5 hours' boat ride. We enjoyed our lunch and were very excited about the 3 hour spa that would help us de-stress. After the spa, we had a game of bowling, courtesy of the resort. We must say that we are sticking to Wii Sports for bowling.
Throughout the day we were very excited about Karaoke. However, soon after dinner we found out that they no longer had Karaoke at the usual place. A new Karaoke bar had taken over and was charging us $20 per hour (the usual price was $5 plus a free drink for the entire night)!!! We were very unhappy with the fact that different staff charged us different prices ($6 per 10 songs, etc.) and so on. The manager was called in, as I could not be bothered explaining the situation to every single member of staff I had to speak to, and Dan managed to negotiate free karaoke for 1.5 hours with a free drink. Just as we thought the unpleasant experience was over, we experienced power failure (while asleep) 4 times throughout the night and two false fire alarms!!!
The next morning, we were selected to provide our feedback and guess what, we were aboslutely frank with our comments!!! Our friends and family in Singapore felt that what we did would lead us to nowhere and so on...
WE GOT A FREE NIGHT'S STAY THE NEXT TIME WE VISIT!!!
Not too sure if I am a difficult customer or if it's simply because I have been spoilt by "Japanese Customer Service"; I must admit that Customer Service standards in Singapore have deteriorated to unacceptable levels of which I am very much ashamed. When I requested the lady over the counter to amend my Immigration Card (my D.O.B was incorrect), she frowned and told me in an impolite and unprofessional manner, "It's OK [one lah]" (this is Singlish), shooed me away and attended to the next customer. Dan said I should have demanded that the very same lady amend my details so that she would learn to fix her mistakes. But knowing me, it was best I approached someone else to avoid ruining the entire holiday.
Anyway, we soon reached Batam after 1.5 hours' boat ride. We enjoyed our lunch and were very excited about the 3 hour spa that would help us de-stress. After the spa, we had a game of bowling, courtesy of the resort. We must say that we are sticking to Wii Sports for bowling.
Throughout the day we were very excited about Karaoke. However, soon after dinner we found out that they no longer had Karaoke at the usual place. A new Karaoke bar had taken over and was charging us $20 per hour (the usual price was $5 plus a free drink for the entire night)!!! We were very unhappy with the fact that different staff charged us different prices ($6 per 10 songs, etc.) and so on. The manager was called in, as I could not be bothered explaining the situation to every single member of staff I had to speak to, and Dan managed to negotiate free karaoke for 1.5 hours with a free drink. Just as we thought the unpleasant experience was over, we experienced power failure (while asleep) 4 times throughout the night and two false fire alarms!!!
The next morning, we were selected to provide our feedback and guess what, we were aboslutely frank with our comments!!! Our friends and family in Singapore felt that what we did would lead us to nowhere and so on...
WE GOT A FREE NIGHT'S STAY THE NEXT TIME WE VISIT!!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
End of Term
Time really flies. I've already completed my first term, submitted 2 pre-course assignments, 2 main assignments, made 2 presentations and taken 2 exams.
The (provisional) score so far:
Organisational Behaviour
PCA (A+)
MA ???
Presentation (A+)
Exam ???
Strategic Management & Business Practice
PCA (A+)
MA ???
Presentation ???
Exam ???
Unfortunately, the exam and main assignment for each module comprise 70-80% of the total mark, so I still don't have a clear indication of my progress and won't do for another 1-2 months.
The OB main assignment turned out to be a 7,267 word beast, squeezed into just 10 days. Actually, it was supposed to be a four person group project, but I'm very particular about who I work with - I didn't much like the idea of my grade being 'diluted', as it were. SMBP also challenged me with my first ever powerpoint presentation, made in front of the entire class, dressed in a suit. Apparently one of the Vietnamese guys secretly took pictures of me presenting and put them on Facebook, because I "looked so formal"... ōó
...
...If I find them, I'll post them up. The exams were mixed. I have my concerns about the SMBP exam, but I have a feeling the OB exam went much better.
Other highlights included a 'corporate visit' to the Gardenia bread factory!
...Which was over almost as soon as it began. Still, it was interesting to see how the bread was made, it forced me to break away from study for one afternoon, I got to sample some of the merchandise and I returned with goodies for Yolande from the gift shop (a Gardenia bag and gym towel). Most importantly, it was free (not the goodies, I must stress)!
I'm almost half way through my 2 week 'break' now. I've already started reading through next term's textbooks (Corporate Financial Management, Marketing Management), which are utterly huuuge! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I picked them up after my OB exam last Friday. Actually, I'm pretty excited about these modules. CFM is basically applied maths (my best subject) and MM is really the core of what doing business is all about - meeting needs profitably.
Last Friday we also got to hang out with Yolande's friends from NUS Japanese studies. They're a great bunch of people - I really enjoyed myself.
This weekend we have a trip to Batam! 3 hour spa, karaoke, bowling, swimming (just paddling for Yolande, whose eyes are still freshly lasered). I hope we don't get quarantined... I'll be sure to let you all know!
I suppose during the second week of this break I should really get down to researching my 2 research projects (RP1, RP2), along with some other stuff I need to sort out...
The (provisional) score so far:
Organisational Behaviour
PCA (A+)
MA ???
Presentation (A+)
Exam ???
Strategic Management & Business Practice
PCA (A+)
MA ???
Presentation ???
Exam ???
Unfortunately, the exam and main assignment for each module comprise 70-80% of the total mark, so I still don't have a clear indication of my progress and won't do for another 1-2 months.
The OB main assignment turned out to be a 7,267 word beast, squeezed into just 10 days. Actually, it was supposed to be a four person group project, but I'm very particular about who I work with - I didn't much like the idea of my grade being 'diluted', as it were. SMBP also challenged me with my first ever powerpoint presentation, made in front of the entire class, dressed in a suit. Apparently one of the Vietnamese guys secretly took pictures of me presenting and put them on Facebook, because I "looked so formal"... ōó
...
...If I find them, I'll post them up. The exams were mixed. I have my concerns about the SMBP exam, but I have a feeling the OB exam went much better.
Other highlights included a 'corporate visit' to the Gardenia bread factory!
...Which was over almost as soon as it began. Still, it was interesting to see how the bread was made, it forced me to break away from study for one afternoon, I got to sample some of the merchandise and I returned with goodies for Yolande from the gift shop (a Gardenia bag and gym towel). Most importantly, it was free (not the goodies, I must stress)!
I'm almost half way through my 2 week 'break' now. I've already started reading through next term's textbooks (Corporate Financial Management, Marketing Management), which are utterly huuuge! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I picked them up after my OB exam last Friday. Actually, I'm pretty excited about these modules. CFM is basically applied maths (my best subject) and MM is really the core of what doing business is all about - meeting needs profitably.
Last Friday we also got to hang out with Yolande's friends from NUS Japanese studies. They're a great bunch of people - I really enjoyed myself.
This weekend we have a trip to Batam! 3 hour spa, karaoke, bowling, swimming (just paddling for Yolande, whose eyes are still freshly lasered). I hope we don't get quarantined... I'll be sure to let you all know!
I suppose during the second week of this break I should really get down to researching my 2 research projects (RP1, RP2), along with some other stuff I need to sort out...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Route to Perfect Eyesight
I had glasses since I was 8 and my prescription was as high as 650 for each eye, with pretty bad astigmatism of 250. Without my glasses I was lost and blind. Many times I tried switching to contact lenses but to no avail since it caused dryness and none of the opticians could get my presciption right.
Lasik has been around in Singapore for a good 17 years or so. When it first began, prices per eye were sky-high and I guess I resigned myself to the fate of wearing glasses for my entire life. It was fine wearing glasses till I started work about a year ago. Long exposure to computer light rays irritated my eyesight further. I suffered from frequent migraines and my eyes became extremely sensitive to light. There was nothing much my optician could do as he said I had normal, healthy eyes - that was comforting.
Hence, on the 20th June 2009 I went for a Lasik forum at the Paragon Medical Centre held by the Lasik Surgery Clinic. It is one of the more established clinics with the latest surgical machines in Singapore. To be honest, it sounded scary. The clinic offered a free evaluation eye check-up which I went for the next day and that was the day I plucked up courage and decided to have Lasik (on the very day itself).
I was tearing a lot right after the surgery (my cousin, Sue, had surgery too but she was feeling so well that she returned home to do some chores) and could barely open my eyes. Thank goodness I was prescribed 2 sleeping pills to help me sleep for the first 2 nights. It was painless. It just felt like I was too sleepy (imagine being severely jet-lagged) to keep my eyes open.
Overwhelmed by excitment, I woke up at 530am the very next day to "test" my eye-sight. It was close to perfection! I won't have a full recovery till 3-6 months later, but for now I can very much continue with my lifestyle without any hinderance. Every now and then, my ability to see perfectly fluctuates. Sitting in front of the computer or TV for extended period of time during the healing period may cause my vision to get slightly blurry so I try to walk around my office more (gives me the opportunity for more toilet breaks and not work till late at night!).
I won't be able to swim for the next month or so just to prevent any eye infection.
Goodbye glasses and contact lenses (till I get hyperopia!!!).
Lasik has been around in Singapore for a good 17 years or so. When it first began, prices per eye were sky-high and I guess I resigned myself to the fate of wearing glasses for my entire life. It was fine wearing glasses till I started work about a year ago. Long exposure to computer light rays irritated my eyesight further. I suffered from frequent migraines and my eyes became extremely sensitive to light. There was nothing much my optician could do as he said I had normal, healthy eyes - that was comforting.
Hence, on the 20th June 2009 I went for a Lasik forum at the Paragon Medical Centre held by the Lasik Surgery Clinic. It is one of the more established clinics with the latest surgical machines in Singapore. To be honest, it sounded scary. The clinic offered a free evaluation eye check-up which I went for the next day and that was the day I plucked up courage and decided to have Lasik (on the very day itself).
I was tearing a lot right after the surgery (my cousin, Sue, had surgery too but she was feeling so well that she returned home to do some chores) and could barely open my eyes. Thank goodness I was prescribed 2 sleeping pills to help me sleep for the first 2 nights. It was painless. It just felt like I was too sleepy (imagine being severely jet-lagged) to keep my eyes open.
Overwhelmed by excitment, I woke up at 530am the very next day to "test" my eye-sight. It was close to perfection! I won't have a full recovery till 3-6 months later, but for now I can very much continue with my lifestyle without any hinderance. Every now and then, my ability to see perfectly fluctuates. Sitting in front of the computer or TV for extended period of time during the healing period may cause my vision to get slightly blurry so I try to walk around my office more (gives me the opportunity for more toilet breaks and not work till late at night!).
I won't be able to swim for the next month or so just to prevent any eye infection.
Goodbye glasses and contact lenses (till I get hyperopia!!!).
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Setting The Benchmark
It looks like my prayers were answered. Almost a week ago I got back my Strategic Management pre-course assignment for which I scored distinction, topping the class by a significant margin.
I'm not used to having assignment marks read out by the lecturer in class, but receiving a round of applause for my score did leave me feeling somewhat triumphant. Perhaps a little embarrassed, but mostly triumphant.
In exactly one week's time, I will need to submit my Strategic Management main assignment. While my confidence was given a boost by my previous assignment's grade, the pressure is now on to perform equally well in this main assignment, which is worth a much greater percentage of the overall mark for the module.
Things have been tough recently. I seem to spend nearly all of my free time studying and spend the rest of the time feeling guilty for not studying. Things haven't been helped by a sharp rise in the number of migraines I have been getting - the last one cost me three days.
On the plus side, I did manage to take a whole day to relax last Sunday, which was baby Andrew's (Yolande's cousin's son) baby shower, marking his first full month of existence. Yolande and I took him out for a spin in the pram, but soon had to return after our attempts to soothe his crying were unsuccessful (actually, I didn't try very hard, I must admit). The venue was Yolande's cousin's condominium, which allowed us a day of swimming and good food by the pool. I need to remember that I don't actually ever swim for long - next time I should bring a football or something, otherwise I spend 10 minutes in the pool and the rest of the time drying off. Yolande's either much fitter, or a more energy-efficient swimmer, since she can continue doing laps long after I'm too cream crackered to continue.
I'd like to thank Yolande for being so supportive recently - she has looked after me when I've been ill and cooked for me when I've been too busy to think about food. She has also had to listen to me talking non-stop about Wal-Mart and equity theory these past couple of weeks! When this first term is over, we'll take a well-earned break somewhere, to relax and forget about work/study, if only for a few days.
I'm not used to having assignment marks read out by the lecturer in class, but receiving a round of applause for my score did leave me feeling somewhat triumphant. Perhaps a little embarrassed, but mostly triumphant.
In exactly one week's time, I will need to submit my Strategic Management main assignment. While my confidence was given a boost by my previous assignment's grade, the pressure is now on to perform equally well in this main assignment, which is worth a much greater percentage of the overall mark for the module.
Things have been tough recently. I seem to spend nearly all of my free time studying and spend the rest of the time feeling guilty for not studying. Things haven't been helped by a sharp rise in the number of migraines I have been getting - the last one cost me three days.
On the plus side, I did manage to take a whole day to relax last Sunday, which was baby Andrew's (Yolande's cousin's son) baby shower, marking his first full month of existence. Yolande and I took him out for a spin in the pram, but soon had to return after our attempts to soothe his crying were unsuccessful (actually, I didn't try very hard, I must admit). The venue was Yolande's cousin's condominium, which allowed us a day of swimming and good food by the pool. I need to remember that I don't actually ever swim for long - next time I should bring a football or something, otherwise I spend 10 minutes in the pool and the rest of the time drying off. Yolande's either much fitter, or a more energy-efficient swimmer, since she can continue doing laps long after I'm too cream crackered to continue.
I'd like to thank Yolande for being so supportive recently - she has looked after me when I've been ill and cooked for me when I've been too busy to think about food. She has also had to listen to me talking non-stop about Wal-Mart and equity theory these past couple of weeks! When this first term is over, we'll take a well-earned break somewhere, to relax and forget about work/study, if only for a few days.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Busy Busy Busy
I'm just 3 weeks into my course and have already submitted 2 assessments that count towards my final grade.
It has been a busy start to the term. A typical weekday begins not long after 6:00. I reach Kaplan by 8:30. Before class starts at 10:00, I read through the business section of the free newspaper and prepare for class. This typically involves preparing one or two case studies for class discussion, reading through the textbook and, more often than not, dozing off in one of the comfy chairs. Class finishes at 1:00, after which I will grab a quick lunch and return to campus or home to study and research for one of my assignments. Minus a short break for dinner, I will generally study up until I sleep, between 22:00-23:00 (unless I have a deadline the next day, in which case it can be as late as 03:00+). Weekends are not that much more free.
That said, I am finding the course extremely rewarding. Strategic Management and Organisational Behaviour are both fascinating modules in their own way. The former puts you into the shoes of a CEO, setting the strategic direction of the company, while the latter puts you into the position of a manager of people, focusing on what motivates people, how to implement change, etc.
On Monday, I will get back the marks for my first assignment. Apparently, the class performance on average was pretty poor, so I'm praying that I'm the exception!
I will keep you all posted...
It has been a busy start to the term. A typical weekday begins not long after 6:00. I reach Kaplan by 8:30. Before class starts at 10:00, I read through the business section of the free newspaper and prepare for class. This typically involves preparing one or two case studies for class discussion, reading through the textbook and, more often than not, dozing off in one of the comfy chairs. Class finishes at 1:00, after which I will grab a quick lunch and return to campus or home to study and research for one of my assignments. Minus a short break for dinner, I will generally study up until I sleep, between 22:00-23:00 (unless I have a deadline the next day, in which case it can be as late as 03:00+). Weekends are not that much more free.
That said, I am finding the course extremely rewarding. Strategic Management and Organisational Behaviour are both fascinating modules in their own way. The former puts you into the shoes of a CEO, setting the strategic direction of the company, while the latter puts you into the position of a manager of people, focusing on what motivates people, how to implement change, etc.
On Monday, I will get back the marks for my first assignment. Apparently, the class performance on average was pretty poor, so I'm praying that I'm the exception!
I will keep you all posted...
Monday, April 13, 2009
At Last, A Sense Of Purpose!
Hokkien in origin (a dialect of Chinese - one of two dialects Yolande is able to speak in addition to Mandarin, the other being Teochew), kiasu (kee-ah-soo) literally means "afraid of losing" and enjoys popular usage in Singlish (an English-based creole native to Singapore whose syntax resembles southern varieties of Chinese, and whose vocabulary consists of words originating from English, Malay and various languages and dialects of India and China), perhaps because it is considered Singapore's defining national characteristic. Here is an example of this word's usage, taken from "The Coxford Singlish Dictionary":
I admit it, I'm kiasu.
"You went to get a handicapped sticker just to chope (reserve) a parking space? How kiasu can you get?"
It is also the word that Yolande, and others, have chosen to describe me, as I draw close to completing the Strategic Management module core textbook, a week before the start of term (not to mention a week before receiving my own copy - Yolande made kind use of her National University of Singapore (NUS) alumni status to borrow it for me from their business library). But when I consider the decisions that have led me here and what is at stake (my future, my dreams), I know I cannot afford to be casual about this course.
After 3 frustrating (and at times, soul-destroying) months of job hunting in Singapore, at a time when high unemployment caused by layoffs due to economic recession has led to anti-foreigner protectionism over jobs (NON-SINGAPOREANS NEED NOT APPLY - a sight I became all too familiar with), I finally applied to and was accepted onto University College Dublin's (UCD) Master of Science (MSc) Management degree program, a 1-year program to be conducted through distance-learning at the Asia Pacific Management Institute (APMI), Kaplan, located near Somerset MRT station, central Singapore.
On a day-to-day basis, this course will give me the structure I've been craving so badly after almost 4 months of unemployment, as it requires me to take 3 hours of lectures per day, Mon-Fri, and to be on campus for a total of 7 hours per day (don't ask me how they are planning to enforce that). It has also provided me with that oh-so-elusive visit pass, giving me the right to stay in the country until 27th April, 2010 (Gemma's birthday!). I breathed a huge sigh of relief last Tuesday afternoon (7th April), when I finally managed to settle formalities with ICA (1 appointment kept out of 6 isn't bad!) and was at long last able to collect my Student's Pass, which also allows for multiple-entry into Singapore.
Yolande helped me pick out some new clothes for the course.
However, the decision to apply for the course was the outcome of an excruciating dilemma, and was made right at the last minute, just days before the application deadline. On the very night that I injured my arm, and just when I had given up all hope of securing work, now focused on and excited at the prospect of taking a Masters degree, I received an email from the job agency, hooking me up with my 1st interview in Singapore. The position in question was that of English teacher, for the exact same language school where Yolande and I have been taking further-advanced Japanese classes these past couple of months! Initially skeptical as to whether teaching was for me or whether I even stood a chance with my lack of related professional experience, I decided to give it a go since I had nothing to lose. The interview was held just a few days after my accident, which gave my arm time to heal just enough that I could offer a feeble handshake if required. Dressed up smartly for the interview (I love wearing suits!), I was determined to make the best impression I could. I got more than I bargained for, however, when the job was offered to me right on the spot (my initial understanding was that I would return for a second, if not third round of interviews before receiving an offer)! I wrestled with the offer for almost a week, swinging between two extremes as I struggled to work out what was best (naturally, the job agency had a few persuasive tricks up their sleeve!)...
The evening of the interview - I was almost certain I would take the job.
In the short-term, teaching would have offered me an invigorating challenge, a fresh experience, a steady pay-cheque and the chance to stay in Singapore for a minimum of 2 years. However, when I left Nintendo in December (an extremely well-paid job in an exciting industry - many people thought I was crazy), I did so on the basis of fulfilling 2 of my life goals - a career in business, and a happy eternity spent together with Yolande. Unlikely to re-encounter such an ideal opportunity to study for a Masters degree (the combined luxuries of time, age, motivation, savings, and lack of financial commitments or family to support), I decided to follow my dreams.
The Welcome Day Orientation for my course is this Friday (17th April). The term begins in earnest the following week beginning 20th April. I have set my targets high. I plan to achieve the best GPA (grade point average) out of all students in my year taking the course. I plan to complete 2 first-rate research projects that will serve as the basis for a future career in management / management consultancy (e.g. McKinsey & Co.). I plan to make my family, including Yolande, who have supported and believed in me, proud. And to achieve all this, I plan to work harder than I ever have before.
I admit it, I'm kiasu.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Walk-the-Weekend-aWay
It has been a long time since Dan and Yoyo did anything cardiovascular. Hence, for a slight change of pace (maybe an understatement), we started our journey to be known as “Walk-the-Weekend-aWay” (aka WWW).
On the 28th March 2009, Dan, Yoyo, Aunty Mary (aka Ma), Sue and Yoyo’s Mum started their walk from Hort Park. Yoyo’s not a big fan of bridges due to her fear of heights. Having little see through holes on the bridge did not help either and Yoyo had to clench on tightly to Dan and Sue for support before her jelly legs gave way. Not only were they surrounded by nature (getaway from the bustling city life in Singapore), it was also educational since many trees had little signboards near them stating their origin, characteristics and usefulness. The walk nearly caused Yoyo her life since it was scorching hot that day. Despite being born in hot and humid Singapore, the weather is definitely not something Yoyo is used to. There is a simple equation for Yoyo: Hot weather + Yoyo = Grouchy Yoyo. The 5km walk ended in Vivo City, one of Singapore’s latest high-end shopping malls. They had a quick lunch, did some grocery shopping for the week and decided that another 5km would kill them, so they took a bus back to Hort Park and drove home.
As if walking in the heat was not enough on Saturday, Dan and Yoyo decided to embark on their little adventure. The challenge was to walk from Orchard Road back to Jurong West. According to Google Map, the estimated time taken would be 4.5 hours. As enthusiastic as ever, Dan and Yoyo got on their feet immediately after lunch on Sunday afternoon. The journey can be broken down in 3 parts as the following:
Part 1
Yoyo suggested that in order to burn more calories, they should swing their arms more (doesn’t this remind you of Wii Fit?). To make things more interesting, Yoyo suggested that they should have 1kg dumbbells tied to each leg in the future.
The walk down Holland Road was awesome since it was past the Botanic Gardens and posh houses (which make Yoyo’s house look like a dog’s kennel). Despite the glaring sun, Yoyo was glad she took up Dan’s challenge as exercise really helps release more endorphins thus making her feel like she has got Angelina Jolie’s never-ending legs just after walking 1km.
Part 2
Dan and Yoyo had salt and vinegar crisps with them to keep them going when the going gets tough. Dan starting feeling the strain on his shoulder as his bag kept rubbing against it. Ouch…
They stopped at Clementi (mid-point) for a drink. Dan has never seen Yoyo drink anything that quickly before. She finished the ice-tea in about a minute (exaggeration!!!). The weather did not look promising, but these two strong fighters were determined to complete the walk.
Part 3
It started pouring slightly. Dan and Yoyo were like little children, happy to be let out of the house to play in the rain. However, the rain drops soon got bigger and fatter…
Still, those two fighters were enjoying their crisps and the freshness of the air surrounding them. However, the moment they got to Chinese Garden (approximately 6km from Yoyo’s home), it started to pour meow meow woof woof. The brave souls ran from shelter to shelter only to be drenched from ground water splashed at them whilst cars drove passed. Yoyo’s shoes were soaked wet. Ewww…squashy…squashy…
They had to make a decision – carry on walking home in the rain and risk Yoyo’s parents finding out that they were both soaked through or take a train back from Lakeside. The decision was heart-wrenching. Yoyo chose to take the train back as she could no longer tolerate the dampness in her shoes.
It was a shame these two fighters had to give up on the challenge. So close, yet so far. They were almost there...near the finishing line. If they had an umbrella, nothing would have stopped them. But circumstances were not in their favour.
However, Dan and Yoyo were very proud of their achievement! They walked almost 18km! And that was just their 1st try! They are definitely looking forward to this Sunday’s walk – definitely well prepared for the weather.
COME WHAT MAY~~~~~
On the 28th March 2009, Dan, Yoyo, Aunty Mary (aka Ma), Sue and Yoyo’s Mum started their walk from Hort Park. Yoyo’s not a big fan of bridges due to her fear of heights. Having little see through holes on the bridge did not help either and Yoyo had to clench on tightly to Dan and Sue for support before her jelly legs gave way. Not only were they surrounded by nature (getaway from the bustling city life in Singapore), it was also educational since many trees had little signboards near them stating their origin, characteristics and usefulness. The walk nearly caused Yoyo her life since it was scorching hot that day. Despite being born in hot and humid Singapore, the weather is definitely not something Yoyo is used to. There is a simple equation for Yoyo: Hot weather + Yoyo = Grouchy Yoyo. The 5km walk ended in Vivo City, one of Singapore’s latest high-end shopping malls. They had a quick lunch, did some grocery shopping for the week and decided that another 5km would kill them, so they took a bus back to Hort Park and drove home.
As if walking in the heat was not enough on Saturday, Dan and Yoyo decided to embark on their little adventure. The challenge was to walk from Orchard Road back to Jurong West. According to Google Map, the estimated time taken would be 4.5 hours. As enthusiastic as ever, Dan and Yoyo got on their feet immediately after lunch on Sunday afternoon. The journey can be broken down in 3 parts as the following:
Part 1
Yoyo suggested that in order to burn more calories, they should swing their arms more (doesn’t this remind you of Wii Fit?). To make things more interesting, Yoyo suggested that they should have 1kg dumbbells tied to each leg in the future.
The walk down Holland Road was awesome since it was past the Botanic Gardens and posh houses (which make Yoyo’s house look like a dog’s kennel). Despite the glaring sun, Yoyo was glad she took up Dan’s challenge as exercise really helps release more endorphins thus making her feel like she has got Angelina Jolie’s never-ending legs just after walking 1km.
Part 2
Dan and Yoyo had salt and vinegar crisps with them to keep them going when the going gets tough. Dan starting feeling the strain on his shoulder as his bag kept rubbing against it. Ouch…
They stopped at Clementi (mid-point) for a drink. Dan has never seen Yoyo drink anything that quickly before. She finished the ice-tea in about a minute (exaggeration!!!). The weather did not look promising, but these two strong fighters were determined to complete the walk.
Part 3
It started pouring slightly. Dan and Yoyo were like little children, happy to be let out of the house to play in the rain. However, the rain drops soon got bigger and fatter…
Still, those two fighters were enjoying their crisps and the freshness of the air surrounding them. However, the moment they got to Chinese Garden (approximately 6km from Yoyo’s home), it started to pour meow meow woof woof. The brave souls ran from shelter to shelter only to be drenched from ground water splashed at them whilst cars drove passed. Yoyo’s shoes were soaked wet. Ewww…squashy…squashy…
They had to make a decision – carry on walking home in the rain and risk Yoyo’s parents finding out that they were both soaked through or take a train back from Lakeside. The decision was heart-wrenching. Yoyo chose to take the train back as she could no longer tolerate the dampness in her shoes.
It was a shame these two fighters had to give up on the challenge. So close, yet so far. They were almost there...near the finishing line. If they had an umbrella, nothing would have stopped them. But circumstances were not in their favour.
However, Dan and Yoyo were very proud of their achievement! They walked almost 18km! And that was just their 1st try! They are definitely looking forward to this Sunday’s walk – definitely well prepared for the weather.
COME WHAT MAY~~~~~
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Singapore Sling
Ladies and gentlemen, kindly refrain from falling off the edge of your seat as I recount a tale of horror, bravery, and survival, the likes of which you've never heard before. OK, this whole post is ridiculously overdramatic, but I felt like writing something, so here it is...
That'll teach me!
Shortly before 11:00 am on the 10th March, 2009, I set out to meet Yolande for lunch. The sun was shining, the air was hot and humid - it seemed like any other day. There was no hint of the terrible fate which was to befall me just minutes later...
I raised my brow, damp with perspiration, and was greeted by the sight of a double decker bus, braking to a halt at the bus stop, just metres away. I instintively broke out into a run, not wanting to be left behind. In a moment of panic, noticing the path was blocked by a flow of people alighting from the bus, I made the split-second decision to cut across the playground to the left. I picked up speed but as my right foot made contact with the playground surface, hosting an inconspicuous layer of damp moss, it gave way beneath me before heading sharply skyward. As my body rotated obtusely on an invisible horizontal axis, my right elbow slammed down at speed onto the hard, unforgiving surface below.
I raised my head from the ground but could only watch as the bus set off without me. "The die is cast!" shouted the driver from the window as he pulled away into the distance. (OK, that didn't happen, but it makes the story more dramatic.) The bus waits for no man. Especially the number 99 bus, apparently, which this bus just so happened to be, the number proudly displayed on its back. The bus I take, however, is the number 242. The irony served only to rub salt into this freshest of wounds.
My first thought, as I dragged myself from the canvas, was whether anyone had seen this most ungraceful of stunts. It appeared I was safe. Either no one had noticed, or they were pretending not to notice so they didn't have to come to my aid. Great, I could retain my dignity. In an attempt to look casual and unaffected, I took my phone from my pocket and typed an imaginary text as I meandered towards the bus shelter and propped myself against a post.
As the day passed, the joint grew stiffer, and the pain more and more severe, until it needed the other arm to support it, and even a small jolt was enough to send a searing, spasm-inducing pain through my arm. After Yolande had finished work, I gave up being a brave little soldier, and submitted to a trip to the hospital like I was told.
The result: a suspicious fracture to the right elbow, confirmed a week later in a subsequent check up, a medical certificate entitling me to 3 days off (from what?), a rudimentary sling and some painkillers.
That'll teach me!
I was instructed to look suitably miserable for this photo.
My poorly arm, unfortunately, also looks rather camp.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Director's Cut
After accidentally discovering Windows Movie Maker the other day and testing it out on one of the Batam videos which was previously too long to publish, I thought I'd see how far I could go with it. Therefore, I decided to take one of the videos I'd already published and work a little movie magic on it. Enjoy!
Note: Frustratingly, something seems to have happened during uploading to cause the sound to lag slightly behind the video, which is a shame because I'd timed it to the exact frame. I'm not sure that uploading it again would make any difference, so it will have to stay as it is.
Note: Frustratingly, something seems to have happened during uploading to cause the sound to lag slightly behind the video, which is a shame because I'd timed it to the exact frame. I'm not sure that uploading it again would make any difference, so it will have to stay as it is.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Valentine's Day - A Long Weekend In Batam
(Kindly snapped by one of the fantastically cheerful and friendly hotel staff.)
Despite leaving it very late to book something, we were fortunate enough to secure a 3d 2n stay at Holiday Inn, Batam (Indonesia), for the Valentine's weekend. We brought along our tennis rackets too, and enjoyed 3 days packed full of tennis, swimming, good food (Indonesian, Thai, Western), sunbathing and relaxation aplenty. Pure bliss!
They have escaped into the Holiday Inn
where they thought it was safe.
Yet...
Lunch by the pool. I could not be more relaxed if I tried!
Lunch consisted of toasted tuna sandwiches and potatoes chopped up in a cup.
We only discovered this traditionally styled section of the hotel grounds on our last day. I guess we had previously been far too content (or possibly lazy) to explore any further than the swimming pool and tennis court. It turned out to be the entrance to the spa facilities. No, I'm not sure what I'm doing either...
Scenery from Australia Biz Trip
The view of Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the office. I get to see a similar harbour view from my office in Singapore (just imagine 10 buildings covering most of the picture).
View of Melbourne city centre from the hotel. (Where is Ramsay Street?)Tuesday, February 3, 2009
My First (Proper) Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year was celebrated over 4 days, including the weekend leading up to Chinese New Year, the day itself (Monday) and the day after that.
On Saturday morning we were in no rush to get out of bed, since Yolande had arrived back very late the previous night from her Korea/Japan business trip. Fortunately she had been able to take a taxi back from the airport (all of an hour away on the other side of the country), which she could later claim back as a business expense. After a leisurely breakfast, we met up with George, who drove us to Orchard Road, along with a few other family members (somehow all seven of us were able to squeeze into the car together!). George, who serves in the navy, had recently acquired his driving license, and told the story of how he took the test in uniform and, after driving a short distance, found himself in the unfortunate situation of having to ask the instructor "Permission to pull over and put on my seatbelt, Sir!".
Having arrived at our destination, we all went for lunch together then headed to a nearby department store in a final effort to find Yolande some new clothes for Chinese New Year (I had decided to wear the shirt Yolande bought me for Christmas, which I had yet to try on). Somewhere along the line, the 3 kids and I managed to become separated from the group, which gave fellow shoppers the rare and amusing spectacle of a young white guy trying to herd a small group of kids of varying shades around a Singaporean department store. Eventually we were reunited, and Yolande managed to find something pretty for Chinese New Year, albeit not something traditional, since she wouldn't have many occasions to wear it.
Mission accomplished, Yolande and I set off alone to the cinema to watch a new Singaporean film, "Love Matters". It was my first time watching a Singaporean film, and I enjoyed the uniquely Singaporean sense of humour, which made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. It was at about this time that Yolande and I came up with the concept of a shared wallet where we could pool our money together for dates, etc. This was to combat the problem of having to calculate what we each owe. A sort of rudimentary joint account, if you will. We set out at once with a mission to purchase the perfect wallet to meet our needs. But then we got distracted by pasta and the mission was at once abandoned. Our stomachs had won out.
We later rejoined the others at the Marriott Hotel, where Yolande's cousin, Florence, was staying with Mike, her American husband, and their two children. They had been living and working in Japan and had made a special trip to Singapore to take part in the Chinese New Year family reunion.
A while later, we were all sufficiently tired from our long day out at Orchard Road, and so we bid them farewell and made the journey back home to Jurong West to rest. Before sleeping, Yolande realised that she already possessed, stashed away in her room, the very thing we had failed to look for earlier that day. And thus, the "wallet of equality" was born.
**********
On Sunday morning, Yolande and I took a short walk up the road to visit the local swimming pool. This is, in fact, an outdoor complex consisting of two 25 x 10m swimming pools, a lazy river, a kids' play area, a Jacuzzi, a water slide and, best of all, Singapore's hot and sunny weather in which to enjoy it all. All this for just 2 dollars (£1) a head (incidentally, the wallet of equality's maiden purchase). As you might have guessed, Yolande and I forewent any 'proper' swimming, and spent our morning circulating the lazy river (more energetic than the name would have you believe) and relaxing in the Jacuzzi, surfacing every once in a while to fling ourselves down the water slide. Once we felt we had soaked up enough water we headed for home, stopping on the way for lunch and a 7-11 slurpy (the mixed slurpy is fast becoming a sort of post-swimming tradition).
Chinese New Year's Eve is when reunion dinner takes place, where immediate family get together to celebrate the coming New Year. So, just minutes after we returned from swimming, there was a knock at the door, and Yolande's older sister, brother in law and 2 nieces, came in to join the festivities. Reunion dinner was no small affair, and included more food than you could shake a stick at. It began with a tradition known as lou hei where everybody uses their chopsticks to raise yu shang (shredded mixed vegetables with salmon and sweet sauce) high into the air and drop it back onto the plate - the higher it is raised, the more prosperous your year will turn out to be. This process is repeated until the yu shang is nicely mixed. It is then eaten as a starter before tucking into the main course, which consists of roast duck and, in this case, many other varieties of meat, seafood and vegetables, cooked teppanyaki-style (Japanese-style fry-it-yourself) or steamboat-style (Chinese-style boil-it-yourself). Needless to say, I was absolutely stuffed by the end. Later, we popped over to Ma's place to celebrate New Year's eve with the rest. At midnight, after we and Yolande's sisters families had returned to our respective homes, I stayed up until midnight to bid farewell to the rat and usher in the ox (the years, mind, not the actual physical creatures - I'm not trying to suggest Yolande's family runs some sort of vermin/cattle farm on their property). When the clock struck 12, I had a trifle more success at wishing Yolande (who was already resting in bed) a happy New Year than I did during Gregorian New Year a month or so earlier, when she muttered to me angrily in her sleep, "You shouldn't do that - it scares people!" (she remembers nothing of it).
**********
On New Year's Day we gathered up our mandarins (giving mandarins is a Chinese New Year tradition, stemming from the phonic similarities between the Chinese words for "luck" (ji) and "satsuma" (ju), both pronounced with a rising intonation), and drove to Yolande's grandmother's place for a family reunion of epic proportions. This involved meeting more of Yolande's relatives. A lot more in fact. I'd already met a lot of relatives in my short time here, but in one day that figure was set to double. This very much worked in mine and Yolande's favour, on account of another Chinese New Year tradition, hong bao ("red packet"), the married give to the unmarried (which most often means adults giving to children) a small envelope (mostly red, with some yellow'uns thrown in for good measure) containing a small sum of money, although some people can be very generous indeed. The custom is not, unlike western tradition, to open these small presents in front of the givers, but to gather them up and open them up altogether later in the privacy of your own home. The Chinese are evidently shy when it comes to such things.
Later in the afternoon, Yolande and I joined forces to play 21 (a card game). I was a bit reluctant to gamble even a small amount on a game I had not played before, but I'm glad I did, as we won quite unanimously, and transformed our $2 stake into a $30 prize.
In an unexpected turn of events, I took on the role of children's entertainer for the evening. The five or so children evidently decided I was quite a novelty and began clamouring for my attention, getting me to play games with them, and seeing how much tickling and pinching I could physically take. Yolande, of course, did nothing to discourage them as she sat, unbothered, nearby. It livened up an otherwise docile evening, but left me exhausted. Upon reaching home, Yolande and I counted up our hong bao money and discovered we had each received over $100 that day. Combined with our winnings at cards, it had turned out to be a rather profitable day, all told.
**********
On Tuesday, after eating an enormous buffet style lunch at Shan's place, Yolande and I took a taxi to her colleague's condominium, where we met some more of her colleagues and played tennis. Despite feeling energetic throughout the match, I had clearly underestimated my fitness and tolerance for the Singaporean heat and humidity. After showering I was left with no energy or appetite for the steamboat dinner which followed. I spent the entire day staring blankly into space whilst trying my best to hydrate myself. This probably didn't make the best first impression on Yolande's colleagues, but hopefully they understood. Yolande, meanwhile, had managed to injure her ankle playing tennis (I think she was going for a majestic Sampras style overhead, but ended up splayed out higgledy-piggledy on the floor - credit to her though, the ball landed in), although it did not affect her enjoyment of the meal. Unfortunately, we weren't quite prepared for the mosquitoes that plagued us throughout the evening, the bites of whom left their itchy mark well into the New Year.
On Saturday morning we were in no rush to get out of bed, since Yolande had arrived back very late the previous night from her Korea/Japan business trip. Fortunately she had been able to take a taxi back from the airport (all of an hour away on the other side of the country), which she could later claim back as a business expense. After a leisurely breakfast, we met up with George, who drove us to Orchard Road, along with a few other family members (somehow all seven of us were able to squeeze into the car together!). George, who serves in the navy, had recently acquired his driving license, and told the story of how he took the test in uniform and, after driving a short distance, found himself in the unfortunate situation of having to ask the instructor "Permission to pull over and put on my seatbelt, Sir!".
Having arrived at our destination, we all went for lunch together then headed to a nearby department store in a final effort to find Yolande some new clothes for Chinese New Year (I had decided to wear the shirt Yolande bought me for Christmas, which I had yet to try on). Somewhere along the line, the 3 kids and I managed to become separated from the group, which gave fellow shoppers the rare and amusing spectacle of a young white guy trying to herd a small group of kids of varying shades around a Singaporean department store. Eventually we were reunited, and Yolande managed to find something pretty for Chinese New Year, albeit not something traditional, since she wouldn't have many occasions to wear it.
Mission accomplished, Yolande and I set off alone to the cinema to watch a new Singaporean film, "Love Matters". It was my first time watching a Singaporean film, and I enjoyed the uniquely Singaporean sense of humour, which made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. It was at about this time that Yolande and I came up with the concept of a shared wallet where we could pool our money together for dates, etc. This was to combat the problem of having to calculate what we each owe. A sort of rudimentary joint account, if you will. We set out at once with a mission to purchase the perfect wallet to meet our needs. But then we got distracted by pasta and the mission was at once abandoned. Our stomachs had won out.
We later rejoined the others at the Marriott Hotel, where Yolande's cousin, Florence, was staying with Mike, her American husband, and their two children. They had been living and working in Japan and had made a special trip to Singapore to take part in the Chinese New Year family reunion.
A while later, we were all sufficiently tired from our long day out at Orchard Road, and so we bid them farewell and made the journey back home to Jurong West to rest. Before sleeping, Yolande realised that she already possessed, stashed away in her room, the very thing we had failed to look for earlier that day. And thus, the "wallet of equality" was born.
**********
On Sunday morning, Yolande and I took a short walk up the road to visit the local swimming pool. This is, in fact, an outdoor complex consisting of two 25 x 10m swimming pools, a lazy river, a kids' play area, a Jacuzzi, a water slide and, best of all, Singapore's hot and sunny weather in which to enjoy it all. All this for just 2 dollars (£1) a head (incidentally, the wallet of equality's maiden purchase). As you might have guessed, Yolande and I forewent any 'proper' swimming, and spent our morning circulating the lazy river (more energetic than the name would have you believe) and relaxing in the Jacuzzi, surfacing every once in a while to fling ourselves down the water slide. Once we felt we had soaked up enough water we headed for home, stopping on the way for lunch and a 7-11 slurpy (the mixed slurpy is fast becoming a sort of post-swimming tradition).
Chinese New Year's Eve is when reunion dinner takes place, where immediate family get together to celebrate the coming New Year. So, just minutes after we returned from swimming, there was a knock at the door, and Yolande's older sister, brother in law and 2 nieces, came in to join the festivities. Reunion dinner was no small affair, and included more food than you could shake a stick at. It began with a tradition known as lou hei where everybody uses their chopsticks to raise yu shang (shredded mixed vegetables with salmon and sweet sauce) high into the air and drop it back onto the plate - the higher it is raised, the more prosperous your year will turn out to be. This process is repeated until the yu shang is nicely mixed. It is then eaten as a starter before tucking into the main course, which consists of roast duck and, in this case, many other varieties of meat, seafood and vegetables, cooked teppanyaki-style (Japanese-style fry-it-yourself) or steamboat-style (Chinese-style boil-it-yourself). Needless to say, I was absolutely stuffed by the end. Later, we popped over to Ma's place to celebrate New Year's eve with the rest. At midnight, after we and Yolande's sisters families had returned to our respective homes, I stayed up until midnight to bid farewell to the rat and usher in the ox (the years, mind, not the actual physical creatures - I'm not trying to suggest Yolande's family runs some sort of vermin/cattle farm on their property). When the clock struck 12, I had a trifle more success at wishing Yolande (who was already resting in bed) a happy New Year than I did during Gregorian New Year a month or so earlier, when she muttered to me angrily in her sleep, "You shouldn't do that - it scares people!" (she remembers nothing of it).
**********
On New Year's Day we gathered up our mandarins (giving mandarins is a Chinese New Year tradition, stemming from the phonic similarities between the Chinese words for "luck" (ji) and "satsuma" (ju), both pronounced with a rising intonation), and drove to Yolande's grandmother's place for a family reunion of epic proportions. This involved meeting more of Yolande's relatives. A lot more in fact. I'd already met a lot of relatives in my short time here, but in one day that figure was set to double. This very much worked in mine and Yolande's favour, on account of another Chinese New Year tradition, hong bao ("red packet"), the married give to the unmarried (which most often means adults giving to children) a small envelope (mostly red, with some yellow'uns thrown in for good measure) containing a small sum of money, although some people can be very generous indeed. The custom is not, unlike western tradition, to open these small presents in front of the givers, but to gather them up and open them up altogether later in the privacy of your own home. The Chinese are evidently shy when it comes to such things.
Later in the afternoon, Yolande and I joined forces to play 21 (a card game). I was a bit reluctant to gamble even a small amount on a game I had not played before, but I'm glad I did, as we won quite unanimously, and transformed our $2 stake into a $30 prize.
In an unexpected turn of events, I took on the role of children's entertainer for the evening. The five or so children evidently decided I was quite a novelty and began clamouring for my attention, getting me to play games with them, and seeing how much tickling and pinching I could physically take. Yolande, of course, did nothing to discourage them as she sat, unbothered, nearby. It livened up an otherwise docile evening, but left me exhausted. Upon reaching home, Yolande and I counted up our hong bao money and discovered we had each received over $100 that day. Combined with our winnings at cards, it had turned out to be a rather profitable day, all told.
**********
On Tuesday, after eating an enormous buffet style lunch at Shan's place, Yolande and I took a taxi to her colleague's condominium, where we met some more of her colleagues and played tennis. Despite feeling energetic throughout the match, I had clearly underestimated my fitness and tolerance for the Singaporean heat and humidity. After showering I was left with no energy or appetite for the steamboat dinner which followed. I spent the entire day staring blankly into space whilst trying my best to hydrate myself. This probably didn't make the best first impression on Yolande's colleagues, but hopefully they understood. Yolande, meanwhile, had managed to injure her ankle playing tennis (I think she was going for a majestic Sampras style overhead, but ended up splayed out higgledy-piggledy on the floor - credit to her though, the ball landed in), although it did not affect her enjoyment of the meal. Unfortunately, we weren't quite prepared for the mosquitoes that plagued us throughout the evening, the bites of whom left their itchy mark well into the New Year.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Pre- Chinese New Year - A Trip To Chinatown (17th January 2009)
A week before Chinese New Year (26th Jan), Yolande and I braved the bustling streets of Chinatown in our quest for a new outfit for the occasion. We were both on the lookout for something traditional, something very...Chinesey. After much searching, Yolande found a black and red patterned dress that seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Traditional, elegant, stylish... The only drawback was that she couldn't sit down whilst wearing it. After briefly entertaining the idea of standing all day, Yolande decided that sitting down was just too important to her, and left without making the purchase. As for me, I decided I couldn't be more 'Chinese' than Yolande, so opted not to buy a traditional outfit either. Still, it was great day out.
Arrival at Chinatown. Both of us straining our eyes on this bright and sunny Saturday afternoon.
The sights and sounds of Chinatown. Red and yellow, mostly.
Mine and Yolande's ideas of 'fitting in' didn't quite match up.
The wealth-bringing cats appeared to be dancing to this catchy, Chinese New Year tune.
Monday, January 26, 2009
19th - 23rd Jan 2009
On the 19th Jan 2009, Yolande took a midnight flight to Seoul, Korea, for business. She was not looking forward to it as temperatures in Seoul had fallen to -8 degrees celsius! Travelling during winter is not exactly one of Yolande's favourite activities since it involves heavier lugguage and having to put on many layers under that thick winter coat. Having grown up in a tropical country, the extra weight of clothing on the shoulders is not what Yolande is used to.
Yolande has never really thought of visiting Korea. Neither does she speak the language nor know much about the culture. What she knows about Korea (which she believes are distorted facts) are from Korean dramas. The lead actress usually dies from a terminal disease (leukaemia or brain tumour), the lead actor is usually a SNAG (sensitive new age guy) who runs for miles after a bus (and Yolande thinks "He might as well represent Korea in the Olympics"). Last but not least, Korea always seems really cold in the dramas.
Anyway, the weather was not much of a problem since Yolande had all the necessary layers on when she got to Seoul. One major problem however was the FOOD. Yolande is not exactly a picky eater, but one thing that is really not to her liking is kim-chi. It is one of Korea's national dishes and it is served every meal - kim-chi soup, kim-chi chicken, kim-chi whatever... It does not taste bad, but Yolande does not like the aftertaste of kim-chi. Also, why is the soup served cold in a metal bowl during winter? BBQ chicken itself sounds great to Yolande. Kim-chi flavoured BBQ chicken was a bit too much for Yolande to take. But out of politeness, Yolande ate a few mouthfuls of it and called it a day.
On the 21st Jan 2009, Yolande flew to Tokyo from Seoul to visit the HQ of Mitsui. Japan was not as cold as Seoul, and it was definitely a more familiar place to be in. With the crazily tight schedule, Yolande really could not be bothered with the business trip. She was looking forward to being back home, celebrating Daniel's first Chinese New Year.
Daniel shall keep everyone updated on what happens on Chinese New Year in Singapore - where it is warmer...
Yolande has never really thought of visiting Korea. Neither does she speak the language nor know much about the culture. What she knows about Korea (which she believes are distorted facts) are from Korean dramas. The lead actress usually dies from a terminal disease (leukaemia or brain tumour), the lead actor is usually a SNAG (sensitive new age guy) who runs for miles after a bus (and Yolande thinks "He might as well represent Korea in the Olympics"). Last but not least, Korea always seems really cold in the dramas.
Anyway, the weather was not much of a problem since Yolande had all the necessary layers on when she got to Seoul. One major problem however was the FOOD. Yolande is not exactly a picky eater, but one thing that is really not to her liking is kim-chi. It is one of Korea's national dishes and it is served every meal - kim-chi soup, kim-chi chicken, kim-chi whatever... It does not taste bad, but Yolande does not like the aftertaste of kim-chi. Also, why is the soup served cold in a metal bowl during winter? BBQ chicken itself sounds great to Yolande. Kim-chi flavoured BBQ chicken was a bit too much for Yolande to take. But out of politeness, Yolande ate a few mouthfuls of it and called it a day.
On the 21st Jan 2009, Yolande flew to Tokyo from Seoul to visit the HQ of Mitsui. Japan was not as cold as Seoul, and it was definitely a more familiar place to be in. With the crazily tight schedule, Yolande really could not be bothered with the business trip. She was looking forward to being back home, celebrating Daniel's first Chinese New Year.
Daniel shall keep everyone updated on what happens on Chinese New Year in Singapore - where it is warmer...
Friday, January 16, 2009
First Week Or So...For Yolande
While Daniel gets to sleep in whenever he feels like it, Yolande has resigned to her fate of having to wake up at an unearthly hour (6am) to prepare for work. However interesting Security Trade Control (FYI this is what Yolande does at work - ensuring that businesses are carried out legitimately and telling people that they might end up in jail or have their faces printed on the front page of the newspaper) may be, Yolande dragged herself out of bed on the 6th of Jan 2009 at 5am feeling as though it was 9pm (i.e. time for bed). The first week was definitely quite a chore and challenge to get to work. However, Yolande was overwhelmed and is still overwhelmed with joy and excitement about life in Singapore together with Daniel. It was a shame that Daniel was not feeling peachy during the first week because he now no longer remembers the way to the coffeeshop 5 minutes away (he is contesting this statement at the very moment Yolande is typing this blog entry).
On the 10th Jan 2009, Daniel and Yolande had an important mission to accomplish - submitting the 1 year Social Visit Pass Application form to ICA. It was no surprise for Yolande that they had to wait for hours (4 hours!!!) before it was their turn to submit the forms. However, what was appalling and unforgivable was that the Officer who served them was outrageously rude, unprofessional and badly spoken. Yolande ended up writing an A4-size complaint letter on a tiny feedback column, signing off with "Yours Sincerely". Daniel has nothing but praise for FINE Singapore (pun intended), but Yolande feels that Singapore can do much better. Service, regardless of whether the person wears a government uniform or not, should be of a high standard and carried out professionally. So much for the notices pasted on the white walls of ICA about "Mutual Respect"-Yolande feels that such policy statements are nothing but empty talk with no substance, especially so when their employees fall short on being professional. Anyway, Daniel and Yolande were glad that they got that sorted out in the end.
Evenings have been packed with activities with Daniel around. Tennis, dinner, movies, studying Chinese, shopping...Yolande swears her "doing overtime till 10.30pm" life is over! She has finally got a life!! (Yolande singing this tune in her head - "It's my life~~ It's now or never, I ain't gonna live forever~~~~"). OK, composure... It was not too long ago that Yolande would call her office her 2nd home. These days, she simply cannot wait to knock off to meet Daniel and spend some quality time together.
Yolande will try to keep everyone updated next week from Seoul and Tokyo (she hopes Daniel will survive not only on burgers!!!).
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The First Week Or So
I seem to have fully recovered from my cold now, although a mysterious backache has cropped up in its place. I wonder what I'll suffer from next.
I've had a lot of spare time since I reached Singapore. A typical day will consist of me waking up at about 6:30 and either getting a lift with Yolande to her workplace for breakfast, or going back to bed for a while. I would then study Chinese either at home or in Coffee Bean.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is a chain of coffee shops, much like Starbucks, which has an outlet in Raffle's Place, where Mitsui, the company Yolande works for, is based. I have a regular spot (in the corner on the comfy chair - nice enough to sleep on if I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed by the morning's hectic pace) and a regular order (small/regular iced tea). Today was a milestone, since it was the first day where my order was repeated back to me before I had the chance to make it. I'm a creature of habit, so this type of situation is not uncommon to me. It's usually a sign that I need to start exercising some more creativity in my daily life.
I will then typically meet Yolande for lunch from 12pm - 1pm. The variety of places at which to eat in the area surrounding her workplace is astounding. We haven't eaten at the same place twice since I arrived, and I'm sure it's possible to go an entire year without the need to do so. Anyone who's ever worked at Nintendo in Frankfurt will verify that to go a whole week without revisiting one or two of the same places for lunch takes some imagination and willpower.
After lunch it's back to studying Chinese, although on one occasion I did venture as far as Orchard Road's Ngee Ann City (a shopping centre more commonly referred to as Takashimaya after the department store which accounts for much of its volume) to get my hair cut, wander around, snack at Mosburger (a Japanese burger chain), peruse the Languages section of Kinokuniya (a Japanese bookshop) and, ultimately, study Chinese.
It's probably obvious by now that I spend an unhealthy portion of my day studying Chinese. Happily, I am already feeling the benefit, as I seem to have progressed by leaps and bounds since I arrived. The textbook that I have moved onto (which also includes CDs which I have imported to an SD card so I can listen to Chinese wherever I go on my Creative Zen X-Fi) covers lots of interesting topics, including China's geography, its language, etc. I'm forcing new vocabulary into my head at dangerous volumes, in the hope that the day when I can comfortably watch a Chinese drama without subtitles, or read a Chinese newspaper, is not far off. That's not to say I haven't been tempted by other languages. Much of my time in Kinokuniya was spent researching my next foreign language. The current favourites are Korean and Cantonese. However, it would be suicidal for me to attempt another foreign language just yet. I need to take into account that my Japanese needs some serious brushing up for any upcoming interviews I may have that are conducted in Japanese. My brain copes best when it can focus all its energy on one thing at a time. Even two is pushing things a bit.
The evenings have been far more varied. Yolande and I have often met up with her friends, Rene and Kenny, whom she has known for a number of years and who are due to get married later this year. So far we've played tennis twice, at a tennis court situated on the roof of Kenny's Queenstown apartment. It's been many years since I've played. I started off very badly, but by the end of the second session I had recovered most of my old skills (although it's arguable whether I had any skills to speak of to begin with). Last Saturday we went for Karaoke, where I tried my voice at some songs in Chinese (see my other blog, http://www.maomaomeow.blogspot.com/ for examples). Yesterday we went to the cinema to watch Red Cliff II, a film directed by John Woo, based on a famous ancient Chinese battle. I would thoroughly recommend this film to anyone else who is thinking of going to see it.
Sunday was spent at Yolande's Ma's place (her aunt, in fact) where we were treated to dinner and I got the opportunity to meet more of her family members. We watched Mama Mia, chatted and, as you might have guessed, I studied some Chinese. That evening Yolande and I attempted to play badminton at one of the nearby outdoor courts, but windy conditions forced us to retire early and go for a walk instead. We walked as far as Frontier Community Centre, where a couple of evening courses caught our eye - ballroom dancing and basic Korean. We're still thinking about it.
However, I did come to Singapore with a purpose - to secure a long term visit pass (1 year) and to embark on job hunting. This meant a trip to the ICA (Immigration Control Authority) building in Lavender last Saturday morning, and a waiting time of about 4 hours to eventually have my application processed. For anyone thinking of coming to Singapore to work, my advice is this: apply for your EPEC online as soon as possible, but leave the visit pass application until you arrive in Singapore and do it online. The system is remarkably straightforward, fast and efficient, as long as you never have to deal with people. By applying too early online (last October), I missed the deadline to settle the formalities, and thus had to reapply in person. Everyone we spoke to gave us conflicting information concerning the application. At one point we almost went home after queueing for a couple of hours when we were told I could apply online again after all. Fortunately we didn't go home, and instead located a computer in the building where we could test out this new theory. The computer verified this was an impossibility and thus we waited out the remaining hours. I am to expect a 4-6 week wait before the outcome is revealed (when applying online, it takes a few days), during which time I must go for a medical. It's a great relief to have finally submitted the application, since it was a cause of worry to me last year when my first application didn't go according to plan, and I wasn't sure whether or not I could reapply. It was also a great relief to learn that I can in fact stay 3 months in Singapore without a visit pass, instead of 1 month as it has always been until very recently.
One thing I've noticed since I've been here is how Singapore's numerous rules and regulations, often criticised by outsiders as being too strict, actually do result in a positive outcome. For example, it is not permitted to eat or drink in trains or stations in Singapore (punishable by a fine). However, when compared with stations and trains I have encountered elsewhere in Europe, the difference is remarkable. There isn't a drop of litter or crumb of food to be found anywhere. Neither will you come across mindless graffiti or scratched out train windows. The clean, safe atmosphere that results from these strict regulations ultimately make a huge difference to how you feel when taking public transport. No more do I have to share a morning train with a drunkard, beer in hand, accompanied by a dog who smells a great deal better than its owner and apparently deserves two seats to itself...for example.
I've had a lot of spare time since I reached Singapore. A typical day will consist of me waking up at about 6:30 and either getting a lift with Yolande to her workplace for breakfast, or going back to bed for a while. I would then study Chinese either at home or in Coffee Bean.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is a chain of coffee shops, much like Starbucks, which has an outlet in Raffle's Place, where Mitsui, the company Yolande works for, is based. I have a regular spot (in the corner on the comfy chair - nice enough to sleep on if I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed by the morning's hectic pace) and a regular order (small/regular iced tea). Today was a milestone, since it was the first day where my order was repeated back to me before I had the chance to make it. I'm a creature of habit, so this type of situation is not uncommon to me. It's usually a sign that I need to start exercising some more creativity in my daily life.
I will then typically meet Yolande for lunch from 12pm - 1pm. The variety of places at which to eat in the area surrounding her workplace is astounding. We haven't eaten at the same place twice since I arrived, and I'm sure it's possible to go an entire year without the need to do so. Anyone who's ever worked at Nintendo in Frankfurt will verify that to go a whole week without revisiting one or two of the same places for lunch takes some imagination and willpower.
After lunch it's back to studying Chinese, although on one occasion I did venture as far as Orchard Road's Ngee Ann City (a shopping centre more commonly referred to as Takashimaya after the department store which accounts for much of its volume) to get my hair cut, wander around, snack at Mosburger (a Japanese burger chain), peruse the Languages section of Kinokuniya (a Japanese bookshop) and, ultimately, study Chinese.
It's probably obvious by now that I spend an unhealthy portion of my day studying Chinese. Happily, I am already feeling the benefit, as I seem to have progressed by leaps and bounds since I arrived. The textbook that I have moved onto (which also includes CDs which I have imported to an SD card so I can listen to Chinese wherever I go on my Creative Zen X-Fi) covers lots of interesting topics, including China's geography, its language, etc. I'm forcing new vocabulary into my head at dangerous volumes, in the hope that the day when I can comfortably watch a Chinese drama without subtitles, or read a Chinese newspaper, is not far off. That's not to say I haven't been tempted by other languages. Much of my time in Kinokuniya was spent researching my next foreign language. The current favourites are Korean and Cantonese. However, it would be suicidal for me to attempt another foreign language just yet. I need to take into account that my Japanese needs some serious brushing up for any upcoming interviews I may have that are conducted in Japanese. My brain copes best when it can focus all its energy on one thing at a time. Even two is pushing things a bit.
The evenings have been far more varied. Yolande and I have often met up with her friends, Rene and Kenny, whom she has known for a number of years and who are due to get married later this year. So far we've played tennis twice, at a tennis court situated on the roof of Kenny's Queenstown apartment. It's been many years since I've played. I started off very badly, but by the end of the second session I had recovered most of my old skills (although it's arguable whether I had any skills to speak of to begin with). Last Saturday we went for Karaoke, where I tried my voice at some songs in Chinese (see my other blog, http://www.maomaomeow.blogspot.com/ for examples). Yesterday we went to the cinema to watch Red Cliff II, a film directed by John Woo, based on a famous ancient Chinese battle. I would thoroughly recommend this film to anyone else who is thinking of going to see it.
Sunday was spent at Yolande's Ma's place (her aunt, in fact) where we were treated to dinner and I got the opportunity to meet more of her family members. We watched Mama Mia, chatted and, as you might have guessed, I studied some Chinese. That evening Yolande and I attempted to play badminton at one of the nearby outdoor courts, but windy conditions forced us to retire early and go for a walk instead. We walked as far as Frontier Community Centre, where a couple of evening courses caught our eye - ballroom dancing and basic Korean. We're still thinking about it.
However, I did come to Singapore with a purpose - to secure a long term visit pass (1 year) and to embark on job hunting. This meant a trip to the ICA (Immigration Control Authority) building in Lavender last Saturday morning, and a waiting time of about 4 hours to eventually have my application processed. For anyone thinking of coming to Singapore to work, my advice is this: apply for your EPEC online as soon as possible, but leave the visit pass application until you arrive in Singapore and do it online. The system is remarkably straightforward, fast and efficient, as long as you never have to deal with people. By applying too early online (last October), I missed the deadline to settle the formalities, and thus had to reapply in person. Everyone we spoke to gave us conflicting information concerning the application. At one point we almost went home after queueing for a couple of hours when we were told I could apply online again after all. Fortunately we didn't go home, and instead located a computer in the building where we could test out this new theory. The computer verified this was an impossibility and thus we waited out the remaining hours. I am to expect a 4-6 week wait before the outcome is revealed (when applying online, it takes a few days), during which time I must go for a medical. It's a great relief to have finally submitted the application, since it was a cause of worry to me last year when my first application didn't go according to plan, and I wasn't sure whether or not I could reapply. It was also a great relief to learn that I can in fact stay 3 months in Singapore without a visit pass, instead of 1 month as it has always been until very recently.
One thing I've noticed since I've been here is how Singapore's numerous rules and regulations, often criticised by outsiders as being too strict, actually do result in a positive outcome. For example, it is not permitted to eat or drink in trains or stations in Singapore (punishable by a fine). However, when compared with stations and trains I have encountered elsewhere in Europe, the difference is remarkable. There isn't a drop of litter or crumb of food to be found anywhere. Neither will you come across mindless graffiti or scratched out train windows. The clean, safe atmosphere that results from these strict regulations ultimately make a huge difference to how you feel when taking public transport. No more do I have to share a morning train with a drunkard, beer in hand, accompanied by a dog who smells a great deal better than its owner and apparently deserves two seats to itself...for example.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Adventure Begins
It's taken the best part of a week to recover from an unfortunate cocktail of a bad winter cold mixed with a heavy dose of jetlag (Singapore is 8 hours ahead of England), but I am finally feeling fit enough to write my first blog entry.
We flew into Changi Airport at 6:30pm, 5th January, feeling weary from the 12 hour flight but feeling positive about life together in Singapore. Fortunately Yolande's cousins, Sue and George, were kind enough to drive to the airport to collect us and help us with our multitude of luggage, as well as a couple of items of duty free Yolande was instructed to pick up on her way. After arriving back at her apartment and being welcomed by her parents, I managed a short trip out to sample some popiah (a type of spring roll filled with vegetables, beansprouts, egg, chilli, nuts, etc.) before coming home to collapse straight onto my bed, still fully clothed.
The weather here has been perfect all week, and a lot cooler than I imagined. Although that might be partly attributed to fever, even now I'm feeling better, the humidity seems quite low and there has usually been a strong cooling breeze to make things nice and comfortable. I've only seen it rain once since I arrived - I was on the bus at the time and it had finished by the time I reached my destination and alighted. Singapore tends to get tropical showers, which are heavy but don't last long.
We flew into Changi Airport at 6:30pm, 5th January, feeling weary from the 12 hour flight but feeling positive about life together in Singapore. Fortunately Yolande's cousins, Sue and George, were kind enough to drive to the airport to collect us and help us with our multitude of luggage, as well as a couple of items of duty free Yolande was instructed to pick up on her way. After arriving back at her apartment and being welcomed by her parents, I managed a short trip out to sample some popiah (a type of spring roll filled with vegetables, beansprouts, egg, chilli, nuts, etc.) before coming home to collapse straight onto my bed, still fully clothed.
The weather here has been perfect all week, and a lot cooler than I imagined. Although that might be partly attributed to fever, even now I'm feeling better, the humidity seems quite low and there has usually been a strong cooling breeze to make things nice and comfortable. I've only seen it rain once since I arrived - I was on the bus at the time and it had finished by the time I reached my destination and alighted. Singapore tends to get tropical showers, which are heavy but don't last long.
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