The Muted Ventriloquist

2011-09-02T12:15:00.000+08:00

Feisty cats on the loose

2011-08-29T02:31:00.000+08:00

Can I play with an iPad while working too? Please?....
Sent from my BlackBerry

2011-08-12T18:35:00.000+08:00

Brainwash.

2011-08-11T18:26:00.000+08:00

Everyone expresses themselves.

Most keep the ugly stuff pent up. Some, don't.

Some of the ugly stuff needs to be said.

It solves confusion and educates.

Many times emotions get the better of us.

Everyone has the chance to be on its receiving end.

Some bear grudges. I won't.

2011-08-06T22:17:00.001+08:00

I got compliments from the boss??... In front of other peers?... Wow...

2011-07-28T00:31:00.003+08:00

I cleaned a room today.

Sure, it might not sound strange as I AM in the housekeeping department. However, when you have room attendants who are faster at it, it is more productive to have them clean the rooms, and just stick with what I know, no?

When it comes to human relationships or people management, how is it measured when there are no feedback forms or anything said? Tonight, I feel like I saw some results.

Approximately 1.5 years in the housekeeping dept., my building up of relationships, gaining respect, disciplining, training, etc.... It is on days like these where efforts are paid off.

Not only I put in extra effort to get things done, but everyone, as a team, did a little extra to make it happen tonight. It was done well, and still, all had smiles on their faces at the end of the day. No other satisfaction is greater (in my role as a supervisor) than when your staff are willing to do more, just for you.

My team tonight was great! Thanks!

2011-03-22T23:34:00.001+08:00

This is my current camera:

Its been trusty since 2006...... and now is starting to slow down..... :(

But definitely doing very well for a 5 year old camera!

Is it time for a new one?

How's this one? Finepix Z800EXR

Its flown by

2010-10-24T23:47:00.003+08:00

What has happened during the month of October?

Spending, spending and more spending.

Somehow nearing the end of this month, I'm finding myself quite tight on the $$....

Yikes. Looking at my statement online... I know where it has all gone... but wow. I'm looking forward to pay day more than I have ever before.

However, let me emphasize now that this month has been a blast and has past really quickly. I've been kept busy with meet ups which are my favs! Despite the 2 MCs that I had to take... sigh... October has been great.

Come quickly, month of November, for we are expecting guests from Indonesia and Thailand! Yay!!

This is for me.

2010-10-02T15:35:00.000+08:00

Oct 1st was daddy's birthday! New flowers; birthday song sung.

Oct 2: Off to Jakarta for a ME-trip.
With N as my tour guide, I know I can only expect the best hospitality! :) absolutely cannot wait to land in Indonesia and explore. Goodbye Singapore, hello Indo!

Back in a few.

Wait for pictures on facebook! :D
Sent from my BlackBerry

2010-07-25T21:05:00.002+08:00

Reflection

Where do I even begin with sharing what I've been up to since my last post? The most recent and work backwards? I don't even know what I expect from this blog anymore.

Just yesterday, over dinner, a friend asked me, "So do you still blog?".

I answered, "Hmmmm... not really, maybe once in a few months."

Okay so one post between January and July doesn't quite qualify as "once in a few months". This just makes me question, where has my drive to blog vanished to?

I definitely don't have the time, passion or skills to pull off a "Julie/Julia project". I'm not an inspiring writer. I don't believe I have anything interesting to blog about. Give me time to think about what I've just addressed. Any suggestions are welcomed!

Initial thoughts regarding: service provided in Singapore... anyone approve?

2010-01-28T23:56:00.001+08:00

Looking forward to Vancouver!!!!

anyway, why shouldn't I have the little girly feelings?

New Toy

2010-01-10T22:56:00.003+08:00

pssst... Did I tell you that I bought myself an e-reader?

I've noticed through behavioural patterns that I happen to mark the end of each work commitment with something that would allow me to remember the occasion...

This time, I used an e-reader to do so :)

This is What's Next

2009-12-27T08:28:00.002+08:00

Finally I'm able to answer the question I've been asking myself for the past months; What's next?

The answer: Housekeeping!

My new job will be much more of a challenge and definitely more stressful. With it comes more responsibility of course, so we'll see how I fair in that department.

My last working day at the club will be this coming Wednesday. 2 more shifts to be exact. Of course I'm sad to leave, I've grown to be quite comfortable at the Club, and we're probably the friendliest department :) However no one should settle for being just comfortable... which is why I'm charging forward :)

Hopefully the words "what's next" won't be uttered by me for awhile ;)

2009-11-08T01:33:00.002+08:00

Wow my birthday was a great day!

First of all, the weather was great!! no rain the WHOLE day!! prayers totally answered!!

Next, turn out for my bbq was good, though some ppl were missing, there was still good fun!

There was enough food and drink to go around... very pleased about that :)... haha none of my friends were denied food especially because my great mum, with the help and assistance of Aida, was helping out as BBQ master :D

The presents i received were just amazing :)
Thanks to my cell for the bag and pouch, thanks to my colleagues for the necklace, thanks to ryan, zeh and andrea for the charm, thank you ichm friends for the lovely bracelet which hopefully will last as long as the meaning of it does ;)

And to add to the list, there are so many who wished me through facebook, egreetings and emails! (miss all of you!)

I'm all smiles today....
I'm so grateful for all of you!!

With lots of love!

2009-11-06T23:51:00.001+08:00

I'm 22!!

Party later!!

I'm so excited... hehe been planning for awhile *refer to previous post*

2009-10-13T21:38:00.001+08:00

So what's next on my "To Plan" list... um... I guess a birthday party is in order this year :)

Waiting and waiting for what's coming next.

Been busy....

2009-09-19T23:11:00.006+08:00

Since my last entry... a few things have happened which have diverted my attention from this blog.... going over them quickly, off the top of my head...:

I've officially graduated

I've caught up with good friends

I've become an aunt

I've celebrated T's birthday

Just listing a few...

2009-08-25T23:06:00.000+08:00

Marian Quek now has a new hair style!

2009-08-17T23:41:00.002+08:00

Went for a quick and speedy shopping trip with zeh zeh, and my goodness was it productive.

Within 2 hours, she bought 3 out of 3 things on her (maternity) list, and I bought the dress I'll be wearing to my convocation ceremony in September!!

Impressed?

2009-08-07T00:31:00.002+08:00

How does this musical sound??

http://www.victorvictoria.com.sg/

Anyone interested to accompany? Please call me!

2009-08-04T23:19:00.001+08:00

I need something to look forward to...

Something that is closer than Adelaide/Graduation....

Motivation please!

2009-08-02T23:43:00.001+08:00

I never learn my lesson.

Always thinking that it will be different this time round, but I get hurt each time.

Silently.

2009-07-31T21:15:00.000+08:00

Its time to start dress shopping... but I don't know where to start.... :(

2009-07-28T01:18:00.002+08:00

wow the past week has passed by so quickly, i dont even know where it went!

That concludes only one thing.... i've been busy with i dont know what... hehe sorry to those reading my blog, its not very insightful, i know, but i really dont know what else to say....

Anyhow, I caught up with a friend who is an ex colleague from port douglas, and is now back in the Netherlands over MSN. Perhaps I could go visit there one day... I have yet to travel to Europe....

This surprised me, but I felt quite happy to catch up with my ex colleague :)

Okay, that's all for now :)

2009-07-19T23:40:00.004+08:00

Sometimes, dressing up can be fun... just sometimes.

One of those times is attending weddings, or when friends dress up to look nice together, even better, BOTH! :) Its during these times where I don't feel lazy to do so ;)

2009-07-11T00:00:00.004+08:00

Its been a great catching up with friends whom I've not seen in awhile.

Yesterday I met up with Terence, and today met with Andy, Vincent, Hua Hui, Daryl from cell... Met a couple of other people who I really enjoyed talking to over steak sandwiches, martinis and beers :)

These few days have been enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to spending a short afternoon with Paulina sipping coffee while catching up :)

2009-07-03T01:55:00.002+08:00

Its July!

I can't believe its been 4 months working at the club now. Time seriously passes so quickly....

Anyway with the car update, today we went to test drive the VW Golf :)

Almost everyone

2009-06-29T20:59:00.001+08:00

Almost everyone is back in Singapore! So many people to meet, hardly enough time.

Why is time NEVER on our side??

2009-06-25T10:44:00.002+08:00

For the past few days, i've been at home, down with the flu... no its not H1N1 in case you were wondering... I have a 2 day MC from the doctor, and have been resting at home. Tomorrow its back to work, and hopefully I'll have sufficient energy to last the shift! :)

Both mum and Hong An have been looking after me; cooking porridge, taking my temperature, checking on me, waking me up to take my meds.... Such a nice feeling to have family surrounding me when I'm sick and frail :)

It sure seems like the best medicine!

2009-06-21T17:14:00.002+08:00

No new updates....

I guess I should wish all fathers and fathers to be, a happy fathers' day! :)

2009-06-19T23:14:00.004+08:00

Went to a car show house today, and mum test drove the Nissan Qashqai....

Cute car. Wont mind driving that :D

Tomorrow we're going to more car show houses to see what other options are :)

2009-06-18T17:53:00.003+08:00

I want to travel more!!

Good ole days :)

Kris vs. Adam

2009-06-17T17:35:00.001+08:00

So there are two versions of American Idol's winner's song being aired on the radio right now...

Why can't people leave Kris alone regarding who DESERVES to win? Actual fact: Kris won, it was announced during the finale, end of story. Who cares the difference in votes! Just drop it already.

If you like Adam more, then good for you. Why do you have to put Kris down for it?

Stop being cruel...

I Told You So - Carrie Underwood

2009-06-16T21:43:00.000+08:00

Another beautiful song.

Now why aren't I able to sing this to someone.

Enjoy!

(Below are the lyrics)

Verse 1

Suppose I called you up tonight
And told you that I love you
And suppose I said I want to come back home
And suppose I cried and said I think I finally learned my lesson
And Im tired of spending all my time alone
If I told you that I realized you're all I ever wanted
And it's killing me to be so far away
Would you tell me that you love me too
And would we cry together
Or would you simply laugh at me and say...

Chorus
I told you so, Oh I told you so
I told you some day you would come crawling back
And asking me to take you in
I told you so, but you had to go
Now I've found somebody new
And you will never break my heart in two again

Verse 2
If I got down on my knees
And told you I was yours forever
Would you get down on yours too and take my hand
Would we get that old-time feeling
Would we laugh and talk for hours
The way we did when our love first began
Would you tell me that you've missed me too
And that you've been so lonely
And you've waited for the day that I returned
And we'd live and love forever
And that I'm your one and only
Or would you say the tables finally turned

would you say...

Chorus

[Thanks to Wag for lyrics]

[Thanks to Kayla Kalchthaler for corrections]

(cowboylyrics.com, 2009)

2009-06-12T17:13:00.000+08:00

"I Wish You Enough!"

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good- bye.

2009-06-11T01:33:00.002+08:00

Soon to be mum, with soon to be aunty, looking like beetles :D *laugh*

2009-06-11T01:26:00.001+08:00

I left high school, thinking i'd leave the drama and childishness behind, but its come back... take the young fella and his childishness away from me, its SO annoying!

2009-06-08T00:52:00.001+08:00

Mum left for camp today... till Wednesday

Which means: Hong An and I have to look after ourselves, the cats, and the house until then.

Added responsibiliy. Fun? We'll just have to see :D

2009-06-03T22:35:00.003+08:00

Explored Jurong Point Mall today... its layout really seems like a mall in Australia or Vancouver... seriously!

explored into its toilet... was very shocked/stunned to see a man in the ladies... what was he doing there? If you ask me, he was spoiling his girlfriend/partner/wife.... She was throwing a tamper tantrum in the toilet... my guess is that she was refusing to leave, and only a DESPERATE MAN would enter the uncharted land of the women's toilet as there shouldn't be any other reason (other than an emergency). So perhaps that's why no one made a fuss. Women get sympathetic when we witness profusive apologising I suppose...

WEIRD

We watched Terminator Salvation today... My opinion: not bad, very intense, action packed... oh yeah! I almost wanted to laugh when I heard the "I'll be back" line... its never a teminator movie without that line i guess... heh!

2009-06-02T23:13:00.001+08:00

Nice song, go listen to it!

Glen Hansard - Falling Slowly

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

2009-06-01T16:56:00.002+08:00

Last post: 26th February

This post: 1st June....:

6th day after third month at work
5th day after I received my third month payslip
4th day after my last drivng lesson
3rd day after last day off
2nd day after I realised that I should write an entry here
1st day of the month
......
4 days to Daddy's death anniversary

2009-02-26T19:12:00.003+08:00

First Day

I started at 5:30am.

Way too early for many things; way too early to sleep the night before, way too early to wake up this morning, way too early to function...

HOWEVER

I had a good day at work, learning the tasks of a club attendant who focuses on keeping things neat and tidy at the club lockers, etc.

Tomorrow and the day after I'll still be trained by the club attendants for the morning shift (5:30am to 3pm). And in the upcoming weeks, I'll be rotating around verious shifts and areas of The Club, learning the ropes before I'm able to take shifts on my own. :)

Let's keep learning... :)

2009-02-21T23:50:00.002+08:00

I'm now an employed girl!!

I've signed my contract with Four Seasons Singapore to start this coming Thursday at 5:30am!! I cant even say that its bright and early, cause it wont even be bright yet... ok so its early!... Doesnt have a nice ring to it, but it'll do.

My new job is at the Club. So exciting!!

What's even better is that my uniform will be the most comfortable to work in compared to all other uniforms ive had. Listen up, Polo Tee, Pants, and Trainers!! Yay.

Today is Hong An's 23rd birthday and we have a really great time at the High Tea Buffet at Marina Mandarin. The 5 of us ate as much as we could!!! I think the most popular dish at our table was the chicken rice and sashimi!!! yummy :)

So while I still can for the next 6 minutes according to my clock, here's wishing Hong An "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!"

2009-02-05T21:16:00.002+08:00

I saw Ponti today!!... um different type of Ponti.. hehe

talk about missing school friends :)

2009-02-02T12:13:00.002+08:00

Proud Owner, Proud Cats

Being the owners of 2 cats bring many joys to the household. However, we have to be prepared to see the ugly side of cats that are allowed to roam in and out of the house as they please.

One morning, as we were leaving the house, we found a dead rat in front of our door. Any dead packages sent by the cats are always left at the front door. If the cats could talk, they would say "Look what I caught! I brought it home for you. Aren't you proud of me?"

I appreciate my cat's gesture, but I'd say no thanks if I could. Eww....

2009-01-29T13:43:00.003+08:00

Good Deed of the Day

Mum and I walked to the nearby market to eat lunch, and on our way home, we saw a golden retriever walking (alone) about 10 steps ahead of us. We watched this dog (let's call him Paws)navigate its way from the market to its 'destination', wherever it might have been. It just so happened that Paws was taking the same route as we were. Once we walked further along the route, the dog crossed the street, and pointed its snout at the gate of one of the houses. It was then, that mum and I realised that Paws wanted to go home, but had no one to let him in.

As we wanted to cross the street to ring the doorbell for him, Paws crossed back to the side of the street that we were standing on, to what I choose to believe was to call us over; and that was what we did.

Although seeming like a very simple task, no one was answering the door. It was at this point when we heard Paws crying, desperately trying to go home. He was standing close to me as if he knew we were the only ones there to help at the time. Not drained of ideas, mum went over to the next house to ask for help. So the friendly maid at the next house called over to Paws' house to grab someone's attention.

The gate of Paws' home opened, and he went straight in and up the staircase, probably trying to find food and water. The maid then told us that he had run away, and thanked us for helping.

Now, Paws is safe again and hopefully we wont be seeing him without a leash next time. We're so glad that we could do a good deed today.

-M

2009-01-28T00:47:00.002+08:00

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

Its the year of the Ox!!

Its this time of the year over the past 3 years that I have to leave for Adelaide, and miss the Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore. Sylvester has left, Edmund is leaving (for NingBo) early tomorrow morning. Somehow, I actually miss the feeling of looking forward to starting a new semester of school. SLIGHTLY envy Syl right now; not too much, just a little :)

Edwin is on holiday in Japan with family... LUCKY! Although flying so much in such a short time is tiring... he said. I agree too actually... within 2 months, I travelled 60 hours by plane (including transit time)... OH MY!!

After the celebratory season, its time to get serious with settling back home. Have to unpack and pack my room.... I REALLY SHOULD.... sigh (I'm lazy, ok?)

Thats all for now... Happy New Year again!

-M

2009-01-23T15:24:00.002+08:00

New Number = New Phone

Dear one and all who read my blog,

Here's informing you that I've got a new number. It'll be my contact number from now on.

If my number is of concern to you, please do ask me personally and I will definitely update you :)

Singapore is a great place to be if you love to be in contact with people. Applying for a new number is as simple as ABC as long as you know what you want to get out of it. So I wanted a simple phone... and the most basic calling plan.

DONE.

So here it is... my new phone which i pretty much didnt pay anything for, and my basic plan.

I'm a happy girl.

Thanks Mum for spending the day out with me to run my "listed" errands :)

-M

2009-01-20T21:19:00.002+08:00

JET LAG

Its been 4 days since I've been back in Singapore, but still suffereing from a case of jet lag. I've been tired in the afternoon, and once had to take a nap; i've been sleeping before 12, and have been waking up between 5 and 6 in the morning!! Unacceptable! This jet lag has to go away soon... please?

-M

2009-01-17T21:09:00.002+08:00

BACK HOME

I'm back home in Singapore and I attended a very nice wedding today. In fact it was a very joyous day... I saw zeh and Ryan today and they also came over for dinner. Its nice to sit at the dining table altogether :)

So now that I'm home, its time to get down to business... have to learn how to drive, have to start working, have to clean up my room, have to..., have to..., have to...

So many things to do and I need motivation to get started!

-M

2009-01-14T08:41:00.002+08:00

Movie at SilverCity

Last night Timmy and I planned to watch Yes Man. He invited two of his best friends and one of their girl friends came too. So the 5 of us watched the movie at 9:45pm. Any Jim Carrey movie can be expected to be filled with jokes, but looking past the jokes, there is always a moral.

Always say yes, and never say no. WRONG. That's not the lesson to be learnt from the movie. If you intend to watch the movie, I'm sorry I'm going to reveal the moral (as well as a brief synopsis) as how I interpret it, but if you're not, then here goes. Carrey's character was depressed from a break up and relied on saying "No" to everything and everyone to avoid getting hurt again from being committed. Being stuck in a rut, he attended a seminar where he accepts being a "Yes Man", saying yes to any opportunity that presents. He took this commitment too far, and finally learnt that it is not about always saying yes or always saying no, but to have a control over your decisions without being extreme.

There! Its pretty meaningful right?

:) Bye for now, check back soon!

-M

2009-01-12T13:58:00.003+08:00

Hyper

Starbucks Coffee in vancouver is a big hype. There can be 2 outlets within very close proximity and that usually is the case. Today, I had my first hit of starbucks coffee since arriving in Vancouver. It was nice... I felt a bit more talkative... haven't had coffee since the need to stay awake during exam periods and assignment rushes. And what was better about the coffee was the company I had while sipping my White Chocolate Mocha Espresso. My Aunt June was there with me after a shopping session at Richmond Centre where I bought new jeans and necessary evening wear. We sat for at least half and hour just talking about any topic that came to mind. Feels good to bond with relatives!

I definitely wish I could visit Vancouver more often. My grand father is turning 89 this year and also will be celebrating 60 years of marriage with my grandma this December. Hence my wish: Save up for a trip in December... and perhaps accumulate working leave. Hee :)

Goodbye for now, check back soon!

-M

2009-01-10T16:19:00.002+08:00

Its been great being in "North America" so far. I only use the term in quotations because I've visited Vancouver (which I am now back in), New York city, and Niagara Falls since I've come. The main purpose of my visit to this part of the world is to visit my extended family in Vancouver. It has always been a favourite to visit them as I hardly get to see them due to obvious reasons. The second reason for this trip is also to travel to NYC with two good friends as part of my ICHM graduation trip. My cousin also joined us for this trip, which I am happy about. I've never travelled with my cousins without our parents being there too! The 1 week holiday in NYC and Niagara Falls have been eventful, tiring on my feet, and somewhat relaxing as well. :)

Unfortunately I'll only be in Vancouver for 1 more week. Leaving on the 15th of Jan, rushing back to Singapore to attend a good friend's wedding. Disappointing to my gramdma, this seems like a short stay in Vancouver, but I hope to come back to visit again soon and stay for longer! :)

Check back soon!

2008-12-12T14:20:00.000+08:00

as of today, marian now holds a degree... :)

2008-11-17T19:50:00.002+08:00

The period of last minute work always hits sooner or later.

Assignments and exams signify the end of the semester.

Mine stressful period is ending on the 26th of this month.

Such studying will probably be the last for me in a long while...

So the question is: to treasure it, or to dread it...?

2008-11-11T08:41:00.004+08:00

I had so many surprises on my birthday from my friends on Friday... there were 4 altogether!!

I also had a nice surprise from family back in Singapore with a deliver of flowers, a bottle of sparkling wine (which was quite strong in alcohol content) and a helium balloon saying "happy birthday".

Just a brief, I brought my 4 good friends out to dinner as my birthday celebration as my treat to an argentinean restaurant called Sosta.

when we arrived at the restaurant i told the waiter of our reservation, then another waiter turned to sylvester and said, "oh you know where the table is!" then at first my reaction was that this waiter is quite rude... then in a split second i wondered if sylvester has eaten here before, then the next second, i turned to look front, and i saw these BIG HUGE balloons "2" and "1" hanging from a chair at a table set for 5 people!! WOW!!! and i thought that was it!! SO COOL!! haha

next one was when we finished eating our main course, and were sipping on wine... then they asked me to give a speech... so I was just saying things like thank you, i never expected these balloons, and that its such a nice surprise, blah blah blah, then suddenly, sylvester pulled out this little carrier bag... and its a GUCCI one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just sat there staring at it and started tearing because i'm so touched... it must be very expensive... and i just looked at it for so long and didnt even open it... so finally i opened it and found a very nice wallet that i actually made a comment that i like it to edwin before. that's not all... inside the wallet, in the card holder slots, were credit card sized cards from each one of them who shared the present (5 in total) with their birthday wishes for me!!

then after that hype, i asked them to order dessert but i wasnt having any because i was still very full... so they just ordered... and then the first dessert that came out was a few scoops of ice cream in a martini glass with 1 candle!! so thats when they sang happy birthday to me... SO NICE!! because its one of the very few birthday songs where the entire song is sung in the SAME key!! haha.. VERY nice on the ears :P

then when we came back home, when i opened the door, the rest of my friends on campus popped out and screamed "SURPRISE" and "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and they were popping party poppers, and spraying party string all over me!! there was a cake sitting on the table that said "happy 21st marian" :) another birthday song came and i blew out the candles again... the best part was not only that my friends were all in the room, but that the WHOLE house was decorated with stars hanging from the ceiling and in front of the main door, and my room door as well!!! SO NICE!!!

I'm so blessed with such great friends!! and it was one of the most memorable birthdays I've had!! :)

2008-10-06T21:52:00.002+08:00

oops, another great big gap between my blog posts.

I'm truly sorry, but this is what the holidays does to me. I've just been on a 3 week mid semester break.

First week, I used to do some assignments that were due during the week.
Second week, I used to spend in Gold Coast riding the thrilling rides!!
Third week, I used to help out with a conference as part of a learning experience for my strategic events elective.

So thats how I spent my holiday in a nutshell...

Pictures from Gold Coast are all on facebook if you haven't already located them.

And once again, following my same repeating pattern, I'm writing a post because I'm in the middle of working on an assignment due tomorrow.

Friends, its called procrastination and i'm GREAT at it :)

Signing out now and until next time, cya!

2008-09-03T13:56:00.002+08:00

So its september already... Edwin's mum and cousin are here, and he's been in holiday mood since they've touched down in Adelaide

My holiday mood will start on the morning of Friday when my mum and Hong An arrive. I'm skipping my entrepreneurship and innovation class to meet them as they arrive at the hotel by pre-arranged transfer. I'm planning what to do with them already!

We've booked a car as well for our day outings! :)

More updates soon

As for pictures, they are and will all be on facebook.... hope you all know how to access them! :)

-out-

2008-08-30T12:58:00.002+08:00

Have you checked out my lastest "Shopping Corner" section on the left?

It might interest you :)

2008-08-29T17:44:00.003+08:00

I went to melbourne for 1 day to listen to Andrea Bocelli

I felt like I was listening to an angel sing! His voice is just soooo lovely to listen to!

It was well worth my money and my suggestion is, that if you get a chance to listen to him, DO IT!

Of course most of the songs sung were classical style music, so if you can appreciate that, then nothing's stopping you now :)

Oh yes, I have to mention that the Czech orchestra was accompanying him too!

2008-08-19T15:24:00.003+08:00

Signs of Spring

As I walk along the paths in RIH, I can't help but notice that more and more flowers are apprearing everyday. Colourful petals are bursting out of their buds!

The world is going to become more colourful and pretty again!

I really do hope that it does in all aspects!

I can't wait for the 27th of September, as I will be flying to Melbourne for 1 night to catch Andrea Bocelli in concert *one night only*! While I'm there I can also work on my Strategic Events assignment....something to do with analysing things at an event....

Soon after, my mum and Hong An will arrive in Adelaide and spend just over a week here! I'm so excited! I can't wait for them to come either:)
They'll be attending my SHA graduation September 6th while they're here.

Looks like some exciting weeks ahead for this lucky girl! :D

2008-08-11T21:22:00.001+08:00

I went swimming with Dani and Edwin today.

I swam 1km.

Now I'm tired.

Goodnight!

2008-08-09T15:25:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday Singapore!

2008-08-07T08:15:00.003+08:00

The first assignment is due today.

The stream of assignments we have to do are starting to flow in. The workload in 3rd year is like a tap that has burst and the mechanic didn't come to the rescue till the end of semester. This semester's tap is not as strong, and the mechanic visits are more frequent.

Haha I sound so silly. But anyway I'm sitting in my IT class now, and there's really very little to do.

So perhaps I should get back to it... doing very little.

2008-07-26T12:37:00.002+08:00

One week of school has passed

8 modules over 20 weeks

Boring lectures + a lecture hall with bad acoustics = sleep

This new semester has some people that I recognise, but is mostly full of people i dont. So I'm slowly trying to get to know people. But I'm not really in the mood to be a social butterfly this year. Taking it easy, keeping it low key.

I've plotted my 25 assignment due dates on the calendar, and it looks like the end of August will be a really busy time. Other than that, it doesn't look like anything we haven't experienced in the hectic 3rd year of the SHA.

Modules this semester:
Strategic Management
International Marketing
Financial Management
Information Technology Management
International Human Resource Management
Management of Internet Marketing (elective)
Strategic Event Management (elective)
Entrepreneurship and Innovation (elective)

2008-07-14T00:14:00.002+08:00

So I've got 5 more days in Singapore before I fly back to cool weather again.

Winter in Adelaide is quite pleasant. There are really cold moments, but when the sun is shining brightly, it could even be warm :) Slightly unpredictable, I know, but who doesn't appreciate a little bit of warmth in the middle of winter right?

Anyway, plans for this week are to catch up with the guys, and hopefully get in touch with a few other friends for a lunch/dinner or something.

My sister and brother in law, Stephanie and Ryan, are going to Vancouver this Thursday, meaning they'll be leaving Singapore before I am. So of course there has been another meal planned to spend some time with them.

I keep telling my friends here, "I'll be back in December, you won't even realise that I'm gone." But you know what that means? It means I really have to start looking for work VERY soon. I hope to find a good employer who can allow me to start after I get to spend Chinese New Year in Singapore with my family. If the are no available jobs that allow that, I might even consider looking for work after CNY while being in Singapore. Family first, no?

2008-07-12T00:31:00.002+08:00

Contented

im back from hong kong, the shopping paradise!

ive come back a number of items richer :)

...shoes...tops...stuff.... haha!! yay!

those of you who know, i'm not much of a shopper, so this means i won't have any shopping urges anytime soon :)

apart from the shopping we saw many sights as well... the neon lights, and the view of hong kong from the peak

despite the positives, it was raining everyday we were there, and our hotel had renovations we did not know about prior to arriving....

weighing them up (including the unsaid), i enjoyed hong kong, but i dont think i will be back soon....

2008-06-26T17:30:00.002+08:00

I'm home and still swaying.

For the past 5 days and 4 nights I've been eating, sleeping, and relaxing on a luxurious houseboat with 7 friends. The "Flat White" had 6 bedrooms, a living and dining area, and most significantly, it had a heated spa which we made use of fully during this winter season.

We passed the days just enjoying the nature around us, with the pelicans, swans, ducks and kookaburras flying around, keeping us company.

Unfortunately this trip had to come to an end, and we left our beloved "Flat White" at the dock.

As we are all back, safe and sound, on land, we not only miss the boat and the nature around it for its activities, but the sea misses us too! All 8 of us are still experiencing some of the same swaying as we felt from our last night on the boat (from the gale force winds). Hopefully it fades away soon!

Now I'm counting down the hours till tomorrow's ceremony, where all graduating 3rd years can collect their well deserved, hard earned medals which signify the successful completion of the Swiss Hotel Association Diploma. Amanda was asked by Kevin (3rd yr coordinator) to make a speech tomorrow. So I will wait with bated breath to hear what inspirational and encouraging words she has for us.

My next post will probably be from Singapore, of the good food I've had, or of my Hong Kong trip!

Take care everyone!

2008-06-07T09:27:00.003+08:00

4 Exams for the End of semester

(in order)
Facilities and Environmental Management
Business Economics
Wine 3 Theory and Tasting
Rooms Division Management

then a chilled out 2 weeks later, its the medal ceremony.... moment of truth...

will it be a gold, silver, or bronze medal?

will my efforts have paid off?

2008-05-26T17:17:00.002+08:00

I'm quite tempted to declare the first 6 months of 2008 as horrible, however that is just on the basis of the horrible workload that various people in my life are already aware of. At this point, I'm willing to say that I'll never go through something like this again. There were too many sleepless nights and assignments for one's own good.

No doubt that it has been a good experience where I've learnt more about life, people, and relationships than anything else. However, its taught me to be more sceptical... with who one should trust and rely on. Sometimes you're better off not depending on people, they just let you down. But people cannot do without people; we just make do with the disappointments.

I'll leave this semester, moving onto the degree semester being a stronger person.

Then I'll move onto the working world; taking away who knows what I have learnt about the hospitality industry and try to make a living out of it.

Wow, scary words just left my fingertips.

But seriously, so many decisions have to be made; where to go, which company to work for, how long to stay for, where will I live.

As much as I want to leave this place, I'm dreading the day. The friendships I've made while being here is worth everything: just priceless. The guys have been there for me through thick and thin, happy and unhappy times. Yes, as mushy as it may appear, they'll be the friends that I can always count on for the rest of my life. I'm the fortunate one to have met them.

So I'll conclude this post by saying that with everything that seems to be going wrong in your life, there's always a brighter side to it. Everything happens for a reason!

2008-02-14T08:08:00.000+08:00

What has this blog become?

It takes a boring lesson in the computer lab for me to write an entry?....

Lets just blame the work load at school....
or blame me falling sick.

I have no motivation to blog though.

However it is valentine's day today. But what am i doing? coughing dry ones with a sore throat, trying to finish my IP report, research for a Rooms Division Management presentation, answer some marketing questions, studying for an exam (for this computing class) that is next thursday, and of course trying to relax...

is it possible? i wonder... we'll just have to wait and see if i live :)

2008-01-02T12:43:00.000+08:00

Nice Song!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World

2007-12-26T14:35:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!

(even though its already boxing day...)

2007-12-01T11:39:00.000+08:00

oh my gosh!!! its DECEMBER!!!!!!!!!

i'm coming home sooooooon!!!!!

2007-11-28T00:55:00.001+08:00

so I know its way past my birthday, but yesterday, my housemates and i spent the day in Cairns. After a day of shopping... ( i spent almost $200 on a new dress for course commencement... :S ) and watching a movie, we went for dinner at Cairns International to eat at one of the best Japanese restaurants in Cairns to celebrate my birthday. We had tepanyaki... and were way too full by the end... i couldnt even finish my food... i had to pack it, and i actually ate it before going to work today.

It was a really great day!! :D

2007-11-05T21:36:00.000+08:00

cornelia has been here the past few days and we've all enjoyed her company in the house. today i managed to switch shifts with kim, which i'm really grateful for, to take the day to go up to cape tribulation and mossman gorge. we swam at mossman gorge which was agreed as our highlight for the day, and we also walked along 2 of the boardwalks, through the tropical rainforests here. she's leaving tomorrow morning though :(

Tomorrow i'm back to work, but the day after, i'll be going skydiving as mentioned in my previous post, and the day after that (thursday) i'll be going out to the great barrier reef again, but with kim this time. So this is my own little birthday celebration "weekend".

Did you know that the Great Barrier Reef and the Cape Tribulation are two world heritages that are right next to each other?? cool right?

Anyway, as for pictures, I'm putting them up on facebook, so keep a look out there for new albums (=

2007-11-03T01:28:00.000+08:00

hi all! on the 7th of nov its not only my birthday if you dont already know, but on that day, i'll be going skydiving as well!!!!!!

i'm so excited!!!!! of course i'm scared too!! but i'll definitely write about it when its over :)

2007-10-12T20:54:00.000+08:00

I went out to the outer part of the great barrier reef with dani yesterday!! got quite a tan for just being out for a few hours...

the number of fish i saw is unbelievable!! and they're all so pretty and unique too!!

confession: i'm quite scared of big fish...

and guess what. I saw a big fish! it wasnt close to me or anything, but i didnt wait for it to come close... *swim away...*

We bought an underwater camera, so once the pictures from that are developed, i'll try to scan them and post it online... it might not be until i get back to singapore though... (no convenient access to a scanner here)

It was a good day off work... but it was really difficult to drag myself to work today... what was worse was that it was quite a busy night :( AND i'm working breakfast shift tomorrow... so that means its bedtime for me :)

2007-10-02T11:54:00.000+08:00

yesterday was my dad's birthday.

happy belated birthday!........

2007-09-26T00:50:00.000+08:00

i dont know what to do.... should i or should i not do this? I need to be more understanding.... or should i?? at the moment i'm leaning heavily towards "no".

i just might!!.......

move

2007-09-19T00:15:00.000+08:00

Have i mentioned that the night sky of Port Douglas is beautiful?

Cycling home from work each night is always so pleasant.

Mum always asks me to ride safe, and not to ride so late at night, and my little cousin, Nathan, prays for my safety when riding my bike everyday. Maybe its because of Nathan's prayers, but when I ride home each night, I don't feel scared anymore. No more fears of the possibility of snakes slithering on the road, or crocodiles for that matter. I just feel like the ride is such a good wind down from work.

I look up into the sky, and all I see are stars. Not a cloud in the sky (on most nights). No red tinted sky like its about to rain. No bright city lights to dim the glow of the stars. Just billions of stars.

Too bad there's no picture that I can take (without a professional, high quality camera) that will do this wonderful creation justice.

You'll just have to take my word for it. :)

2007-09-13T14:38:00.000+08:00

Hi all! I'm sick again. doc says its a virus attack of the throat. i think that has been going around, because that's what others have told me they have. so i'm in the process of recovery. still not able to talk for long periods of time, and i cough every few minutes. i've been working much less these days, which is good, but bad also because i only get paid for however much i work right?

feeling poor...
fortnightly rent has just been paid, monthly internet has been paid as well. so that leaves me so much less money to spend. and i guess being poor for awhile from the air ticket and bill payments keeps me in the house these nights. but i quite miss going out with my friends to iron bar.... i think once i get well, i'm set for a good night out!! :D

Bored

2007-09-04T22:07:00.000+08:00

there's nothing new that is happening over here at the moment. its just the usual. work, eat, sleep.

except i went out and bought my air ticket back to singapore for a 2 week holiday before i start school again... yay!

other than that, life here is just as about as interesting as watching water boil unless you have the time and money to spend on sightseeing and other activities..... both of which i dont have at the moment.....

2007-08-27T07:57:00.000+08:00

now, as promised from too long ago, here are some photos.

2007-08-17T22:40:00.000+08:00

its been a week since my last entry. tomrrow i'm doing brekky shift. so in the afternoon i'll go to the post office to see if my cd of photos have arrived. *fingers crossed*

i'll also take a bike ride nearby my house to see if i can locate the church. seeing since i'm having my first sunday off since i started, i'll attend the service if i can find the church. haha!

2007-08-10T13:15:00.000+08:00

finally the internet is more stable. things at work are improving. my social life is also improving. just the other night i dragged dani out with me to iron bar where i met up with some sea temple colleagues and dani also bumped into some of her sheraton colleagues.

ok so the deal here with photos is that when i was in canada, i didnt take my camera out with me, so all the photos taken were with my mum's, cousin's and relatives' cameras. so my dear dear cousin in canada spent so much time on the computer sorting out around 1000 photos from my time spent in canada and also from my sister's beautiful wedding. It has been complied and sorted on a cd which has been sent by my mum from singapore to me, here in port douglas. Hopefully i'll receive it in a couple of days, and then i'll be able to post up some nice pictures :)

so meanwhile, just stay posted :)

2007-08-07T14:55:00.000+08:00

I finally got internet up and running in my house! so yay! now i'm back and connected with the rest of the world! :D

you have no idea how happy i am!! YAY!

2007-07-23T03:49:00.000+08:00

wow my sister's wedding is finally over! she's now a married woman... ooooh and yesterday's wedding celebrations were great! absolutely great!! except now i have really really sore feet... the balls of my feet hurt when i walk and im just so tired and drained! we took many lovely professional pictures which i cant wait to see, and i some pictures with my cousin's camera. some pictures will be here or on facebook soon.

i'm leaving vancouver here tomorrow... kinda sad leaving all my family behind. and i dont really feel like working since i'm in play mode... sigh

2007-07-16T15:26:00.000+08:00

the reason for me not being here for awhile is that since my last post, i've moved to port douglas and left 1 suitcase there, flew 16 hours to vancouver, and have been busy spending time with family =)

i'm currently still doing the latter, so this is just so u readers dont think i'm dead.

i've not heard news from my soon to be Port Douglas housemates whether our application for a property has been accepted or declined, so as of now i'm still houseless.

i'll be back in PD on the 25th, however because of the time difference i'll be leaving vancouver on the afternoon of the 23rd.... oh no! only 1 more week left in vancouver!! =(

2007-07-04T22:03:00.000+08:00

good bye adelaide!

Edwin left this morning, and I'm leaving tomorrow morning, and Edmund is leaving a few hours after me. Everyone's gone!!

Frankly i'm quite scared about arriving in cairns all alone, then having to go to port douglas and check in all alone... and whats even more scary, is my meeting the next day with the HR manager of the Sea Temple.

But every experience is a learning experience isnt it.

I cant wait till the 9th when i fly off to Canada!!! YAY!

2007-06-27T03:30:00.000+08:00

How does one define a good friend?

I really don't know how to do it, but in my life, I've had enough good friends leave because their families had to move away, and I've never seen them since. I can truly say that my heart was broken twice because of these unfortunate situations, and as a defense, not wanting to go through that again, I'm very careful when saying that someone is my good friend or best friend, because I really do mean it.

Although this may not be mutual, I've found someone whom I can really call my best friend.

It takes so much effort to keep in touch when not being the same country; but we have.

It takes patience to listen to each other problems and make each other feel better after; and we have.

It takes one to care a lot to get angry over small things; and we do.

I'm so happy to call you my best friend even though I know I'm not ranked first on your friends list, but its not stopping you from being first on mine.

I know you'll read this, and I know you already know all this, but it sounds much nicer when put into words right?

p.s. sorry for the past few days

2007-06-25T12:42:00.000+08:00

surprisingly, this last weekend passed by at normal speed... not too fast, not too slow... and its a good thing! I had so much fun over the weekend, exploring Adelaide.

Actually on friday night, we had a mini farewell for amanda who left on saturday. we had a steamboat dinner, and of course were stuffed after that.

Then on saturday, after sending amanda off at the airport, we picked kyri up to go off to handorf, where we spend the day walking around small boutique shops and candy shops. We then went to see the adelaide city lights after that from two different peaks in adelaide.

Then on sunday we went all around adelaide hills, covering waterfall gully, mt. lofty, a chocolate factory, toy factory, windy point, and a winery. (we even went crazy at a playground.. dont ask why.. haha)

2007-06-20T20:13:00.000+08:00

what bad timing, but yes, unfortunatlely, i'm sick :(

2007-06-19T13:33:00.000+08:00

OOOH LAST EXAM WAS YESTERDAY!!!!

Marian is officially done with 2nd year!

I'll be busy watching korean dramas, 24 - season 6, going out, watching movies!! etc!! yay

2007-06-17T19:25:00.000+08:00

tomorrow's my last exam

im so ready to go for it, and know that its the end of YEAR 2 after that!!! YAY!!!

except i only have to wait for results to come out.. then i may not be so happy.. haha but im satisfied with my results so far i guess :) yay

the other night i was up all night studying for wine theory... i still dont know how to make sparkling wine though... haha i'm kidding, i do... really, i do... but anyway the 4 of us decided to go out for dinner on friday (im surprised i managed to stay awake till 12am). here are pictures of how tired we looked.

2007-06-12T19:47:00.000+08:00

pictures of our Singapore stall at the food fest :)

menu:

laksa

chin chow

(all made by us from scratch)

2007-06-11T12:44:00.001+08:00

Its my 415th post here, and i just wanna say....

ACCOUNTING MAKES ME WANT TO CRY

2007-06-09T11:54:00.001+08:00

exams to study for:

Hospitality Management Accounting
Health, Safety & Security Management
Wine Studies 2
Workplace Relations & Industrial Legislation

2007-06-08T19:13:00.000+08:00

LCB results are out. I'm so happy. i got a merit!! 4.75!! yay. i expected lcb to be a pass only... :)

other news, my faithful, trusty gold pair of harvaianas broke today when walking back from arndale today... im so sad.. it has served me well for 1.5 years. and a few weeks ago, i bought my gold flip flops a green brother.... oh well i guess the green pair will have to cope being alone....

other news, exams start next week.. will end on the 18th. yay! freedom coming soon.. can feel it already :)

-i'm feeling really irritated today because i only got 2 hours of sleep last night.....

2007-06-05T19:37:00.000+08:00

i cant believe i managed to get past today. i spent so long studying for the lcb exam, which i was not motivated for at all. but its finally over. and i know i definitely will NEVER become a chef.. haha.. but anyway i just have to get past this week and the next, and ill be able to watch my korean dramas!!! yay!!!

*keep pushing on*