Alive

21 Nov 2009 was a momentous day. It was a release date for a lot of projects, but for us, it’s a Go-Live date. It’s the first time we’re moving the application to production :) :) meaning we’re now able to access the application anywhere in internet. No more bounded to intranet.

I can’t describe my feeling when I access the production link for the first time. Everything looks so clean and perfect (until I clicked on a link and it brought me to a internal server error page. Thanks God it’s rectified in 10 mins). And guess what, I get the honor to create the very first invoice in the production! :) First! It’s an historic event for me. Haha. Thanks so much everyone for the privileges :) :)


The sacral link. Without the word cit, sit, uat and intranet.

I was excited most of the time that day.. I went to office in the afternoon and didn’t even realize that the time was 11.30 when the PM asked me to leave. Guess the food provided did affect my mood a lot. What can be better than Pizza Hut and KFC? And I was the one ordering. Make a guess what happen when I assumed everyone ate like my portion. We got the excess of 3 pan pizza and 1 family feast KFC T_T

Even after the Go-Live, I’m totally aware that the long hours work is not stopping here :( the next release is on the way. I really need a break… 3 weeks are as far as I can endure longer. I will definitely need a break after that. Guess I should just book my ticket home and care less about any other things.

Anyway, I had a bad luck with transports on that day. The bus passed when I was just about to cross the road to the bus stop. The next bus was so packed and the bell was not working properly. I managed to stop only at the next 2 bus stop after office… which resulted into 15 minutes walk under the sunny sun.

When I wanted to go home, I can’t find any taxi… I called and a taxi passed just after I hung up my phone. I went to the taxi saying I wanted to go to Hillview Avenue, but the taxi driver brought me to Orchard for no reason. I was so ready to explode, but the taxi driver himself was on a low mood based from the complex story he said about his wife and girlfriend. In the end, I reached back home after one hour ride...

Today… as usual, I have no energy to go out anywhere. I woke up at 11.30... made phone call to my parents, cleaned up the room, toilet, kitchen, living room (my normal behavior under stress: cleaning), had a late lunch of noodle, sausage, chips, chocolate (another normal behavior during stress: eating), and stick to my PC till now…

Going swimming now,
ED

Third Month

My parents called and asked why I’m still in office late at night
My sister called and questioned what I haven’t replied to her email
My brother called and shocked that I’m in office on weekend

I had to say sorry for missing my best friend’s birthday
I had to cancel my dinner appointment
I had to eliminate my weekend gathering

I haven’t got a chance to watch a movie with my flatmates
I haven’t got a chance to talk to my best friends
I haven’t got a chance to enjoy the beauty of Christmas decoration

I go to office canteen and see that I’m the only diner there
I glance through the office floor and see that I’m the only lady there
I leave office and can’t find any taxi around office area

I realize that I am such a minority.

I look at my watch and realize that the day has changed, my Friday is gone, I’m still in office, and I have to come back in less than 10 hours time.

Then I break down and cry.

I need rest. I need sleep. I need motivation. I need encouragement. Most importantly, I want my life back.

Saturated,
ED

Mars and Venus

I spent half a year reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, and finish hardly half of the book. It’s interesting and easy to follow… but in a way, I can always something better to do (e.g. sleeping). Finally, I decided to call for a break. I put the book on hold and read something light for the morning bus ride. I picked a communication / relationship book – Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

I heard about the book few years ago, but never thought that the book is as old as 1992. Some of them might not be relevant. They don’t have facebook and iphone back then. But anyway, I still decided to give the book a try.

The book started with a small funny story. Men, Martians, are from Mars. They discovered Venusians from their telescope. They felt in love and invented space travel and flew to Venus. The Venusians welcome the Martians and they spent months learning about each other and living together in harmony.

One fine day, they decided to fly to earth. But then something weird happens. Everyone woke up with a selective kind of amnesia. They forgot that they are from different world and suppose to be different. In one morning everything they learnt about each other are erased. And men and women have been in conflict since that day.

What a nice background to start a book :) finally I know the meaning of the title. Haha.. After that, I continued reading and finished the first chapter.

I can’t help but to think I’m from Mars :(

“While women fantasize about romance, men fantasize about powerful cars, faster computers, gadgets, gizmos, and new more powerful technology”

I can’t remember the last time I read a romance novel or watch a drama… but I can say that I just drool over iPhone few minutes ago, get a new camera few months ago, and looking for a right time to get a mac book.

Don’t want to feel so bad about myself; I excuse myself that the book is written 17 years ago, things might have changed since then :)

The key point of the first chapter is that man likes to do thing of his own. Asking for help is a show of weakness. Woman, on the other hand, like to share and offering help. The conflict happens when woman offered help and man felt offended because he thought the woman felt that he is weak.

Accessing myself, I feel that it’s very hard for me to ask for help, but I will be more than glad to help if someone asked me about anything… But I don’t normally sensitive enough to offer help, unless I’m requested to.

The book says that my personalities above are the key characteristics of Martians.

Few more chapters with all these contradicting examples, I’m going to switch back to Rich Dad Poor Dad. At least it doesn’t make me questioning myself that much.

Anyway, apart from book world, I’m doing ok in real world :) I watched 2012 which talked about the end of the world. After the movie, I felt that work is just a very small priority in life. If the end of the world is so near, we should spend most of our times with loves one, not by working 12hrs a day... motivation to work reduced by 50% on that day :p

On Saturday, I had a CEC 10 years gathering yesterday at Union Square, Amara. Not many people around, but I saw a lot of familiar faces. It has been a while… I can’t believe that I actually forgot some of my club member’s name! T_T


CEC 6th Management Committee

Ok, I’m almost late for dinner… till next week! :)

The Martianed’ Venusian,
ED

Passion and Patience

Passion has little to do with euphoria and everything to do with patience. It is not about feeling good. It is about endurance. Like patience, passion comes from the same Latin root: pati. It does not mean to flow with exuberance. It means to suffer.

- Mark Z. Danielewski (House of Leaves)

In the journey to find passion, hence patience.
ED

Yeah...

Once upon a time, there are two coworkers in the office…

One is a happy soul, who is satisfied with what he has, passionate of what he is doing, treasured his work, and has a good work – life balance.

Another is a challenger soul, who is always looking for opportunities, ready and often goes the extra mile (a.k.a OT) to get things done, and have a big curiosity to stuff beyond his scope of work.

The question is…

Which type of person are you? And are you ever satisfied with your type?

I heard so often of the argument between these two leagues. When you’re happy with what you’re doing, people will poke and say that you’re stagnant and not enhancing with your career life. When you go the extra mile, people will say that you’re workaholic, busybody who wants to know beyond what is required, and have no life except work.

It’s just impossible to satisfy all the different perspectives. But seriously… I’m getting too comfortable being in the first zone. I often questioned myself of how far should I go in pursuing the latter zone. I realized that once I’m in the latter zone, I’m married to my work, people set that high expectation of me, and I have little chance to turn back to the first…

By all means, I need enlightment.
ED

Restored.

Ok... I'm abit too much... but I really can't stand having something missing without fixing it...

So I redo my icons and find a new free image hosting... what else if not photobucket...

So I got it done... and it's 2.30 in the morning. I'm to work tomorrow omigosh.

Sometimes, I'm really amzed with myself... I know I'm gonna regretted this tomorrow when I'm all sleepy and dozing off in the office T_T

Anyway, just back from Eve's Wedding. She is stunningly beautiful :)

Happy wedded life, dear!
ED

Aaaa.. Geocities!!

I received multiple emails from Yahoo alerting that Geocities is closing soon and we're to pull out any data that we need from there...

I tried to recall what I saved there... can't remember anything but my funny website... so I ignored the alert...

Now after posting and notice something weird in my blogger display... I remember... I put my blog icons there!!! I linked them to Geocities!!

Now I have no way to retrieve my icons :( Thanks to my IE settings to always clear history when closing the browser, I don't even have it in my temporary internet files...

So either I have to redo the icons... or it's time for another blog skin revamp...

Hmm... think about it later... I'm getting late! T_T This is the risk of using free stuff... you have no one to sue.... hahaha...
ED

Hi, B!

Yet another week full of midnight taxi bills…

I just completed sticking my taxi bills for this month… and it goes to the record of SGD 230 T_T and it’s not even the full month… It started only after 9th Oct, with 2 days of training in between.

In conclusion, I’m taking taxi for every working day T_T with more than half goes high due to midnight surcharge… It’s not good… I feel totally isolated from outside world… my world is only home and office and pantry. Where is Orchard Bugis Westmall… where is swimming jogging cycling… where is movie shopping chatting… I miss my old routine. True that you won’t appreciate those small things till the day you can’t afford them…

Ok… at least I learnt something here… and I’m still waiting for the day when I go out from office and the shopping malls are still opened… Shaji, my dear colleague… I hope you enjoyed your two weeks holiday… Now come back to office soon!! We need you desperately… I really wish to see him in office this Monday… he will be the best gift for the month…. Hehehe…

Anyway, because of the long-hour days at work… I decided that I need another break this year… I applied for 2 leaves for this Dec. One for my cousin’s wedding ceremony back to my hometown, another one for the Taiwan New Year eve trip. I got only tentative approval, but I don’t care… I’m going to buy the ticket and confirm the tour :) so at least I have something to look forward to… I need motivation badly…

Again, it’s not that I didn’t like the work. I like what I’m doing… My boss was giving me a test few days back to decide on my scoring, and there I realized that I have learnt a tremendous amount of knowledge from these past 4 months... yeah… nothing comes easy…

Since I have not much update out from outside world, let me update what I know… hmm.. nothing much change at home… lights were always out when I reached back home. Our current owner has decided to sell the flat and the agent started to be hyper on this. We received 3 requests to open our door for agent this week alone. Not that I ever been in the home, but it starts to get annoying as people keep taking picture of your stuff :( I’m partly hoping that they sell the place soon and then I can move to somewhere nearer office… or perhaps better, move to office itself… :D then I will be the ultimate “terminal” for office version.

Office wise… hmm… not many thing changes. Glen is back and I’m entertained again with his latest cold jokes :D (I am seriously hoping he doesn’t read this). Since he went back to China for his b’day, we celebrated it when he is back… giving him the latest mouse from Apple… the Magic Mouse. I was so glad that the delivery came on time… The party was at that evening and the DHL people sent it at 5pm… My impression about the mouse? It’s a moveable track pad. Glen’s impression about the mouse? He didn’t know what the thing is for the first few minutes and still confused after reading the instructions. I guess I’m too geek and had picked too geek a gift T_T all the best in figuring out how to use it, Glen.


Happy Birthday Glen!
The remaining set of the pics are too violent and hence censored.

So… after the fun Friday night, I was only 25% awake in office on Saturday. I finished my work only at 9.30.. then hopped to Habour Front for a quick dinner before reaching back home at 11.30…

Sunday is always reserved to home relaxing now. I woke up at 12, took my lunch, called home, drolled over iPhone (3 out from 5 of my friends are using it, this is too much!), and now I shall get ready for Eve’s wedding celebration :D

Bye, A
ED

*Wondering if anyone figures out what is A and B.

iRelax

I’m listening to Michael buble latest album – Crazy Love. No specific songs that truly stuck to my mind, but the slow melodies are good enough to make me stay patient with the slow connection of office network.

This week is still the same with last week. On Monday, I went off from office at 11pm. Tuesday at 12am. Wednesday at 1am. Thursday, my mind was almost blank and I almost can’t do anything on Friday. This is definitely not a work life balance… :(

Anyway, I woke up late on Saturday and reached office only at 1pm. I had to cancel my 2-month appointment to donate blood because of this new Saturday-working arrangement. Well… I really hope that this is as much as what I have to forgo. My whole weekdays and Saturday. I don’t think I can take further request for work. Totally exhausted…

Today, I decided to have a proper rest and stay at home. Even so, my heart can’t really go away from work… so I login to office. Thanks God the application is down such that I can find my own excuse not to work. Haha..

During the end module training, there was one exercise asking us to draw a pie chart denoting the amount of time you spent on every activity. I was putting 75% on work and another 25% on friends and personal time. I guess I have to update the percentage from 75% to 90% now :(

But guess what. During the Friday networking event at ORQ, I was still so passionate of telling the potential grads of how fruitful it is to work here. Huahaha... Anyway, being at the side of employer feels different. You can talk whatever cross your mind and your counterparty will have to either agree or think of a good respond that won’t insult you. Haha... Guess what else… you can eat while they talk, but they have to listen to you with full attention. I feel quite nostalgic after the event… I went through all these 2 years ago. Wait. 2 years ago? I am THAT old now?

Can’t believe how fast time flies. I feel so far now from the student life… but definitely still not ready for the next. I can’t help but to jump in surprise whenever I heard that my friends are getting married. This transition is tough. I’m too comfortable with where I was and don’t feel like changing anything.

Ok… anyway… life goes on. Enjoy more about the present and worry less about the future :p

Argh, my application is up,
ED