D & D

We just had our (company) D & D during the recent trade association Annual Gala Dinner. Some ex-colleagues are invited back to join us as the present staff strength isn't enough to fill a table of 10.

Finally saw my chairlady wearing the $215 dress. It is a green knee length cheongsam-like shirt & WOW !!!!! She has to go braless. We (Jo & me) managed to catch a glimpse of U U :>

The evening programme was packed and probably due to the sudden downpour in the evening, the dinner started late, half an hour later.

And probably to avoid paying OTs to the part-time waitresses, the event F & B rushes to serve all 10 dishes when the programme was only about going through halfway. We were dissapointed as the association didn;t even bother to cut short the programmes or ask the event F & B to slow down the dishes. More than half the guests left for the evening about 3/4 way through the programme. The association has years of experience to hold such event but every year, it has been a disappointment. IT such a dusgarce they had paid big bucks to invite one of the bext jazz band to perform but to less than half the crowd.

Oh well, it's not the entirely fault of the association to make evening pretty boring. The guests too. Some of them are just simply too stingy with their applause, or simply they don't bother. They don't clap when award recipent goes to the stage to receive the award, they don't clap when the Karaoke contestant sang their songs.....whatever...they just don;t clap.

Luckily, we know how to enjoy ourselves. And I'm glad we stayed through the whole evening. Why ? Because I won in the lucky draw !!!!! Hee Hee Hee..... I won an IPOD NANO !!!!!!!!!!

I've won in lucky draw but never this lucky !!!!!!! I remembered I shouted, " I want to win this ! " when the compere said the prize was an IPod Nano. When it reads out the company's name ...... Ixxxx Vxxxxx, I can literally hear my heart screaming 'Sxxxxx Lxx' ! Yo ! when the name was read out, the whole table rejoice !!!!! Ha ha ha !!!!!

Have a look at my prize... ... ... ...



We took many many pictures that night but not with my camera....... I shall post some pictures later when our trade friends send it to us.

Shall keep you guys posted later.

A Stressful & Demoralising Week

It has been a good week afterall.

We had all started off pretty confidence at work on Monday. With an 'open house' sales lining up on Thursday, we sort of thought we could afterall achieve the target we wanted. Oh dear ! To our horror, zero turned up on Thursday despite all the mail drops, faxing, email broadcasts that we've done on Monday through Wednesday. We are extremely disappointed and I can say that we cannot contain our disappointment. In addition, we have invited one of our business partner to come and lending a helping hands as well as to receive sales. It's just so embrassing! We've taken up his time where he can spent those waiting hours doin plenty of work back to his workplace. Fortunately, we learnt a lesson that this method of casting the net is not working. Something to comfort the team for a moment :)

Boss will be outstation for almost the whole of next week. Initially, we thought we could have a good time in office. But.......things aren't looking good on Friday, we are down by 10 paxs and looking at another 8. We are extremely demoralised and by now, I coudn't help but feeling worried about progress at work. Hopefully, miracle will happen !

A Real Short Weekend Getway

I don't plan to go anywhere over the Good Friday weekend as I was pretty tired and thought to aze around at home for 3 days is good to 'recharge my battery'. Though the thought of driving up to KL for some retail therapy did came across my mind earlier but I dropped the idea eventually. I didn't want Alvin to drive as it's mentally drained. As a passenger, I can fall sound asleep while he is driving but I try not too. He aways have a tendency to speed and I was really worried and that's why I would rather stay awake so that I can ask him to slow down as and when. Nevertheless, the rest I wanted badly is still on top priority after second and many thoughts.

But possibly, his firend can read my mind ! His friend kept pestering him to go on Wednesday which I faltly refused. The pestering came continually into Thursday afternoon and again, I flatly refused. Phone came again in the evening and I must say this tie, it do shake my thoughts. Before I have said yes to Alvin, I've stared buying snacks for the trip ! Aw......you must have thought I'm such a hypocrite ! Looks like I wanted to go badly ! The deal that changed my mind was Alvin not to drive and he must promised to come back on Saturday. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted my beauty sleep dearly.

So, on Thursday evening, we called NICE coach and reserved our returned coach journey and lucky they allowed us to book. Out first choice was TRANSTAR First Class but as I know, it will be fully booked. Everythng happen so fast. Before I could catch up on some sleep, we are on the way to his friend'splace for set off our journey at 5am. Not to mention, I slept all the way to KL.

We stayed at Crown Regency Service Apartment. It was a mere 5 mins walk to KLCC. I like the location. But the 1 bedroom apartment ws a letdown. The room was dark even with all the lights switched on, the sofa was dirty and the beddsheet was yellowish white. But I believed it a trade-off. The room rate was RM198 nett with an excellent location. There's is really nothing much to complain about.

The highlight of the trip was the journey to dinner that Friday evening. A local friend f one of our KL groupies was hosting us dinner at a local restaurant. As all of us don't know the way there, they offered to send a local to lead the way. Unfortunately, this Goon Do who doesn't know the way too brought us on a merry go round spree on the expressway, not to mention it was peak hour and traffic jams were everywhere !!!! ucky Alvin wasn't the driver otherwise, I think he would have blow his top ! The dinner was great but the price tag was even greater. We got a shock when we got to know the cost of the dinner. It was a whopping Rm1300 for 2 tables. Good gracious me ! We didn't have dragon meat ! It was just a very normal local shophouse tze cha with aircon. Sharkfin of inferior grade. The only dish that I think it's expensive is the big head prawns. The rest of the dish is just common items. We were really atonished. We fuuly believed the shop owner has over charged us as the person who pays is not local. Such kind of unscrupulous business tactics once is enough, I have sinced threw away the shop's namecard. I don't think I'm going to be stupid enough to recommend people there to get 'chop' up like a radish.

I've spend the next day shopping at KLCC and I like the place this time round. I don't know why. We ate a lot, shop alot but I didn't buy much, as you know, Alvin is with me. How much can I buy with him around....... We left the hotel at 4pm to catch our coach back home at 5pm. The journey was smooth. Water and sandwich was served onboard. Although Alvin couldn't accept Satay Chicken sandwich, but I finished all the stuff. We reach Singapore on time and there was no jam at the checkpoint. This is important.

As I mentioned earlier that sleep was my top priority this holiday, I've indeed slept plenty today.

Ching Ming Festival

follow my parents (with my brother), aunties & uncles to An Le Monastery to pray for my grandparents & great-grandmothers. They have since moved from 'landed property' to 'condominium' a year ago. Land has become more and more scarce in Singapore. All buried bodies will be taking turns to be dugged out and cremated. Their ashes will then be kept in urns in either Monastery or government built crematorium. And not too sure from which year onwards, those who choose to be buried after death are given 15 years to 'stay' in 'landed property' (tomb), after which the decsendents will have to move their loved ones to 'condominium' (urns).

Grandparents & great grandmas got to stay indoors and in fact the whole procedures o moved 4 bodies and purchasing the urns cost our extended families SG$ 10,000. It was expensive ! However, theirs was indoors air-conditioned. That's explain why the price tag too.

It was really a good gathering for all of us. Ever since my grandma passed away 18 years old. We have hardly met as everyone is busy with their own stuffs and the most we met once a year at my First Uncle's place. However, I haven;t been catching up with them over the years as I have been going on holidays during CNY.

It's lovely to see all my 5 uncles & my dad altogether. They have aged yet they still looks the same to me like when I see them when I'm a little gal. While the women (my aunties) was preparing,

the men (my uncles, bro & a cousins) was sitting at one corner talking among themselves while waiting for my aunties to get the altar done. It was interesting to watch & listen to them talking. I was like watching a bunch of bigs kids cracking jokes about each other and other relatives (not present today). My 5th uncles was busily video taping everyone.


Bravo ! The altar is done !

The men began offering their prayers and joss sticks first, followed by the women. After that, we loiter around for about half an hour before proceeding to another place to burn all the paper money. Why do we have to wait? Bcoz we have to wait for my grandparents & great grandmas to finish 'eating' our offerring mah ! Then, they can 'follow' us to collect the money we have burnt for them at a corner of the monastery.


The sun was blazing by this hour. We quickly make our way back to the altar and collect back our offerrings. It was almost 9.30am by now. Phew ! All done ! While some of them headed home, a number of us proceed to a vegetarian restaurant in Waterloo Kwan Im Temple for lunch...er.....it should be brunch for me.

while leaving the monastery, I felt a bit of down. I miss my grandma.......

Hard Work = Relax

wow ! it has been exactly a week that I haven't been blogging !

well, the week wasn't pretty stress and busy, just pretty lazy.

had my complimentary PT this afternoon and boy, it was a real workout. considering whether to say a PT programme as there's always someone to push you to your max and in addition, plan a programme for you to attain your desired achievements. but it is expensive and sort of exceed my budget. Hmmm mh, let me consider.......

Tried a new facial too. It is known to 'contain' TCM methods and it's the first time I tried lympathic face message. It is proven to detox the face and body system. I never know the facial was so long. almost 2hrs which caught me by suprise !but it is good as I feel my $$ spent worthwile.. heehee.....

Gathering

had a get together with ex-colleagues. every such gathering, there used to be about 7 of us. apparently, 3 couldn't make it but the rest of us decided to go ahead as we haven't meet up for so long !!!!!!

it was a rewarding night, i ust say. learnt about a major shake up in the ex-company. the best part of all, the news didn't come from 2 of those still working in the company, but juicy details was from someone 'migrated' to a 'mountain'. hey, hey....maybe because she is stationed up on the 'mountains' that's why her radar is stronger and receive all the happening news.

the shocking news was some (female) colleagues from other departments actually embezzled company's funds. used to be quite on colleague - colleague talking terms with them and they doesn't look it one who will do such a thing !!!! It's such a pity. Nobody knows they did it out of desperate for huge sum of cash for some emergency matters or just out of greed. I was just too appalled.

it saddened me too to learn an ex-colleague of ours has grown to be so proud of herself and has soured the good friendship among a few of us who are working together now. The friend couldn't pinpoint the exact cause of the change but it has indeed gone so bad now that the friend gets irritated when seeing her at work and now they are not on talking terms unless necessary at work. I haven't seen this 'changed' friend for so long and this really caught me by surprised - indeed.

the best part of the evening is when one of us who has been making jewellery showed us her works. she did it to earn extra income and defiitely we will go all out to support her...... hee hee hee. at our financial ability lah of course..... We bargained and insisted goods must be sold to us at friendship price ;> we had so much fun and I keep snapping photos and promise her to put on email to circulate to all 'chah bohs' we know to help her business grow.....

No commission lah, please lah ! We are friends ok ! We already enjoy friendship price, still got cheek to ask my gd friend for comm ??????? What kind of friend are you ????? hmmmmm...........

I bought this pair of earrings 'off rack'.


Nice ???


She had some much patterns, colours, dangling dangling ones.





The fad now - pearls. One thing i like, we can customised orders. The colour we like, the size, etc....





I guess it's never easy to do business with friends. They will squeeze every bit from you and request the most things. oops ! Am I talking about myself????

Well...shold you like any of the above. Let me know. I'll get a good rate for you !