I've come to the conclusion that going for choir practices on Saturday is fun because all I do for 6 hours or more is be silly and laugh. Oh yeah - and do some singing.
And I just realised that I'm hanging out with people who are younger than my baby sister. Talk about keeping young muhahahahahaha.
I should blog about a social faux pas I made at a business lunch - being my first one as it were. Having done all the fancy introductions, we did the customary name card exchanges and then sat down for lunch and talked.
Not knowing whether to stuff those silly cards in my pocket or what, I decided to do as the Jones's do - since everyone was putting them on the table, fine I put them on the table too - arrange them out nicely.
Then I ordered spaghetti. and there was iced water.
At the end of the session I found that:
1. There was spaghetti sauce on the card of the person I was talking to.
2. There was water splashes on the card of the person next to her whom I was also talking to.
Ok I don't think they didn't see that. So that was majorly embarrassing.
Conclusion: Do not order something saucy at a business lunch, and don't put the business cards too near your food.
New things learnt everyday.
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Updates
Haven't really felt like blogging lately - I've been caught up this week with the Da Vinci Code which is a majorly excellent book from my heathen and heretic point of view. The only interesting things that have happened since last week are my trip to Bangkok, first business lunch and then my outing to Wala Walas. I think there was a few other stuff during the week that I thought would be interesting to blog about but I can't remember right now.
1. Trip to BKK.
At the outset I planned to go BKK for 3 things:
a. Eat a LOT of Thai food, street or otherwise ESPECIALLY PAD THAI and GREEN CURRY.
b. Tailor some pants for work and maybe some shirts.
c. Visit the old city of Ayuthaya, which is some ruins which my parents said was nice or something.
d. Buy bimbo alto the "Loreal Double Perfect Whitening Essence" - even the name sounds dubious. I thought I'd never be able to find it.
When I came back, the ONLY thing I managed to do was item D. So I was majorly peeved at a majorly disastrous trip.
My roommate in BKK bailed out on my last minute, leaving me with a room alone. All that the rest of the people in my batch wanted to do, in no particular order was:
i. shop
ii. do their hair
iii. eat shark's fin and bird's nest
of which none particularly interested me. Suffice to say, I was bored in Bangkok. All I did was sleep and have long soaks in the bathtub and watch Star Movies. The first night I conked out at 10 pm, and on the second night, after going hunting for local food around the hotel and eating at a local family run restaurant, drank myself silly on 500 ml of Singha beer, and felt majorly not sober and dragged myself back to the hotel where i had a shower, sat in front of the TV, and by 8.45 pm felt like I was sleepy, lay down on my bed, and conked out by 8.55 pm, only to wake up at 11.55 pm to realise my lights were on, turned them off, and went back to sleep until 9+ am the next morning.
Sample conversation over the 3 days:
"Oh, let's do our hair - you think my hair is nicer with curls or straight? *giggle*"
"I want to go shopping!!!! 4 hours (in the hot blazing sun) at Chatuchak you think enough? heeeeheeeee I dun think so leh!!! heeeeheeehee *giggle*"
"Oh, I don't dare to eat the fruits - my stomach may get upset! Let's eat at xxxxx (insert name of any uppity restaurant) - it's cheap here!"
Sounds like a scene right out of American Pie.
All my money in Thailand was spent at massages - nothing sleazy. Just to pass the time. Walking in town in the afternoon I thought I'd just go sleep at a massage parlour for 2 hours while getting a massage. Having not passed enough time, I asked for a foot massage after the 2 hour massage. Just to pass the time. So that's where all my money went. Also explains sleeping at 9 pm the second day - too loosened up.
So, in conclusion, for holidays, one must go with one's friends who share similar interests and tastes so that one can be bimbo together and have fun.
So that was Bangkok.
2. Business lunch.
Our team had lunch with a team of one of our clients - my first business lunch. The purpose of business lunches is to schmooze with clients and get to know them better so that it makes it easier for them to give you business. I am not good at schmoozing. The people I was seated with didn't share any of my interests nor did we have anything in common to talk about. I think I need practice in making small and perhaps irrelevant talk. Sigh. At least the food was decent. I guess I'm just not used to it.
3. Wala-Walas
Having decided not to work a long Friday night, I decided to scoot off after work early on Friday and go have dinner with some friends - we went to Crystal Jade - I ate liver noodles and some sides. Liver was as usual very good. Sides are a bit ex though. After that decided to join some friends at this place called Wala-Walas - my virginal trip to such places. Boy, the band was good!!! Now I'm inspired to learn drums. Except I got 2 left hands and 2 left feet. Die.
Came out smelling like a chimney.
So this is what people do after work!!! There's a world out there!!!! hahahaha...I should explore the night life.
I think I've got choir at 4 pm. I need a nap. Hopefully I won't be late as usual.
1. Trip to BKK.
At the outset I planned to go BKK for 3 things:
a. Eat a LOT of Thai food, street or otherwise ESPECIALLY PAD THAI and GREEN CURRY.
b. Tailor some pants for work and maybe some shirts.
c. Visit the old city of Ayuthaya, which is some ruins which my parents said was nice or something.
d. Buy bimbo alto the "Loreal Double Perfect Whitening Essence" - even the name sounds dubious. I thought I'd never be able to find it.
When I came back, the ONLY thing I managed to do was item D. So I was majorly peeved at a majorly disastrous trip.
My roommate in BKK bailed out on my last minute, leaving me with a room alone. All that the rest of the people in my batch wanted to do, in no particular order was:
i. shop
ii. do their hair
iii. eat shark's fin and bird's nest
of which none particularly interested me. Suffice to say, I was bored in Bangkok. All I did was sleep and have long soaks in the bathtub and watch Star Movies. The first night I conked out at 10 pm, and on the second night, after going hunting for local food around the hotel and eating at a local family run restaurant, drank myself silly on 500 ml of Singha beer, and felt majorly not sober and dragged myself back to the hotel where i had a shower, sat in front of the TV, and by 8.45 pm felt like I was sleepy, lay down on my bed, and conked out by 8.55 pm, only to wake up at 11.55 pm to realise my lights were on, turned them off, and went back to sleep until 9+ am the next morning.
Sample conversation over the 3 days:
"Oh, let's do our hair - you think my hair is nicer with curls or straight? *giggle*"
"I want to go shopping!!!! 4 hours (in the hot blazing sun) at Chatuchak you think enough? heeeeheeeee I dun think so leh!!! heeeeheeehee *giggle*"
"Oh, I don't dare to eat the fruits - my stomach may get upset! Let's eat at xxxxx (insert name of any uppity restaurant) - it's cheap here!"
Sounds like a scene right out of American Pie.
All my money in Thailand was spent at massages - nothing sleazy. Just to pass the time. Walking in town in the afternoon I thought I'd just go sleep at a massage parlour for 2 hours while getting a massage. Having not passed enough time, I asked for a foot massage after the 2 hour massage. Just to pass the time. So that's where all my money went. Also explains sleeping at 9 pm the second day - too loosened up.
So, in conclusion, for holidays, one must go with one's friends who share similar interests and tastes so that one can be bimbo together and have fun.
So that was Bangkok.
2. Business lunch.
Our team had lunch with a team of one of our clients - my first business lunch. The purpose of business lunches is to schmooze with clients and get to know them better so that it makes it easier for them to give you business. I am not good at schmoozing. The people I was seated with didn't share any of my interests nor did we have anything in common to talk about. I think I need practice in making small and perhaps irrelevant talk. Sigh. At least the food was decent. I guess I'm just not used to it.
3. Wala-Walas
Having decided not to work a long Friday night, I decided to scoot off after work early on Friday and go have dinner with some friends - we went to Crystal Jade - I ate liver noodles and some sides. Liver was as usual very good. Sides are a bit ex though. After that decided to join some friends at this place called Wala-Walas - my virginal trip to such places. Boy, the band was good!!! Now I'm inspired to learn drums. Except I got 2 left hands and 2 left feet. Die.
Came out smelling like a chimney.
So this is what people do after work!!! There's a world out there!!!! hahahaha...I should explore the night life.
I think I've got choir at 4 pm. I need a nap. Hopefully I won't be late as usual.
Thursday, September 16, 2004
The week gets better
I really should buy 4D. Further to the good happenings on monday and tuesday, yesterday my female boss tells me to go home early and rest.
and then TODAY my male boss tells me that I should go home early.
The week is going well. On Saturday I'm going to Bangkok for firm trip. Life is good.
On the other hands, I realised that when I get off from work early..er...I have nothing to do...work=life. How?? I'm doomed. Although it's fun to watch my bank account increase every month.
and then TODAY my male boss tells me that I should go home early.
The week is going well. On Saturday I'm going to Bangkok for firm trip. Life is good.
On the other hands, I realised that when I get off from work early..er...I have nothing to do...work=life. How?? I'm doomed. Although it's fun to watch my bank account increase every month.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Good Days
Fortunately my day has a bittersweet ending.
For 2 days in a row now I have received praise for my work. Yesterday apparently the client, in the course of her conversation with my boss, mentioned that "I am quite impressed with his work".
Wow..what a nice surprise.
Today I'm asked to craft a letter from the borrowers to the bank to provide for a mechanism to pay back the loan in case some stuff doesn't happen. Nobody was even sure how the letter should take form. "Go see if you can knock something up". So I wrack my brains for an hour and came up with a masterpiece which was accepted wholesale with a comment "this is good - very well thought out". And then sent it to clients.
I MUST BUY 4D!!!!
For 2 days in a row now I have received praise for my work. Yesterday apparently the client, in the course of her conversation with my boss, mentioned that "I am quite impressed with his work".
Wow..what a nice surprise.
Today I'm asked to craft a letter from the borrowers to the bank to provide for a mechanism to pay back the loan in case some stuff doesn't happen. Nobody was even sure how the letter should take form. "Go see if you can knock something up". So I wrack my brains for an hour and came up with a masterpiece which was accepted wholesale with a comment "this is good - very well thought out". And then sent it to clients.
I MUST BUY 4D!!!!
Macs are a piece of junk
Really, I'll never buy another Mac. Once in a lifetime only experiment. The quality control is atrocious. Whoever said Macs were good must be delusional.
The Mac that I bought my sister:
1. HANGS and then promptly refuses to boot up into the OS, citing missing operating system. I haven't encountered this problem since Win 95.
2. Apple support sux. They keep saying it's fine it's fine it's fine. The last time I sent it for repair, the hardware diagnostics said the hard disk was fine but yet it couldn't boot up. Sent it in for repair the people said hard disk had bad sector. FINE IS IT?!?!?!? So they replaced it. But now after 2 weeks the problem recurs. And Apple keeps saying it's fine. They should take some notes from Dell.
3. Yeah. And my OS keeps going missing. Tomorrow my sis is going to the Apple shop and I'm going to give them a piece of my mind via the telephone.
In conclusion, Macs are unreliable and crap. Stay clear. I'm never buying an Apple product again. All that remains is for my sister's Ipod to crash. Then I'll have concrete proof of Apple's crapness.
It's back to PCs for me.
I am pissed off. Don't anyone ever mention the word Mac or Apple to me again.
The Mac that I bought my sister:
1. HANGS and then promptly refuses to boot up into the OS, citing missing operating system. I haven't encountered this problem since Win 95.
2. Apple support sux. They keep saying it's fine it's fine it's fine. The last time I sent it for repair, the hardware diagnostics said the hard disk was fine but yet it couldn't boot up. Sent it in for repair the people said hard disk had bad sector. FINE IS IT?!?!?!? So they replaced it. But now after 2 weeks the problem recurs. And Apple keeps saying it's fine. They should take some notes from Dell.
3. Yeah. And my OS keeps going missing. Tomorrow my sis is going to the Apple shop and I'm going to give them a piece of my mind via the telephone.
In conclusion, Macs are unreliable and crap. Stay clear. I'm never buying an Apple product again. All that remains is for my sister's Ipod to crash. Then I'll have concrete proof of Apple's crapness.
It's back to PCs for me.
I am pissed off. Don't anyone ever mention the word Mac or Apple to me again.
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Les Choristes
Before I sleep I should just mention that everyone should go watch Les Choristes. My stone cold heart was touched when the soloist opened his mouth. And that's a RARE feat mind u. Usually I'll just go ew that sux.
Such purity, such freedom, such ease, such innocence - very pleasing to the ear.
Made a trip all the way to Cineleisure today to buy the CD. There was a sign there that said "Due to overwhelming demand, the soundtrack for Les Choristes is sold out. If you would like to place an order, please leave your name with the attendant here."
And so I placed an order. It's supposed to come next week. I can't wait.
Such purity, such freedom, such ease, such innocence - very pleasing to the ear.
Made a trip all the way to Cineleisure today to buy the CD. There was a sign there that said "Due to overwhelming demand, the soundtrack for Les Choristes is sold out. If you would like to place an order, please leave your name with the attendant here."
And so I placed an order. It's supposed to come next week. I can't wait.
Tampines...
I'm having trouble even spelling the name of the place...
Anyway, today I went to check out this room available for rental which is all the way in the middle of nowhere at Tampines...quite convenient, near the MRT, directly opposite is the library...the place is newly renovated.
Now if only it weren't so...damn....far.....away......I suppose the saving grace is that it's right next to the MRT station.
Wondering if I should take it up. The Landlord has gotten posted to Japan to work for 2 years. They aren't renting the whole place out - just a room - the wife's sis will be staying at the Master bedroom - the other room will just be left empty. Place is quite spacious as HDB flats go.
It's got AIRCON most importantly. Place is also fully furnished. And as Japan uses 110V, they'll leave all their electrical stuff behind which includes a TV, sound system and DVD player..
The sister actually stays with her mom nearby and so I doubt if she'll pop around often. After all....a strange man...a single woman...alone...in a flat....sets tongues wagging. Logically I should get the whole place to myself. Which is good.
Also good is the fact that there are no obligations attached. It's like an extra for them while they're away. No minimum length of rental or anything. I can get lost whenever I want to.
Nice and windy place too.
So the only down points are:
1. No one to share my internet costs with - or should i just unplug from the destructive internet.
2. Might get boring staying alone.
3. FRIGGING FAR AWAY.
hmmmmm tampines....
Anyway, today I went to check out this room available for rental which is all the way in the middle of nowhere at Tampines...quite convenient, near the MRT, directly opposite is the library...the place is newly renovated.
Now if only it weren't so...damn....far.....away......I suppose the saving grace is that it's right next to the MRT station.
Wondering if I should take it up. The Landlord has gotten posted to Japan to work for 2 years. They aren't renting the whole place out - just a room - the wife's sis will be staying at the Master bedroom - the other room will just be left empty. Place is quite spacious as HDB flats go.
It's got AIRCON most importantly. Place is also fully furnished. And as Japan uses 110V, they'll leave all their electrical stuff behind which includes a TV, sound system and DVD player..
The sister actually stays with her mom nearby and so I doubt if she'll pop around often. After all....a strange man...a single woman...alone...in a flat....sets tongues wagging. Logically I should get the whole place to myself. Which is good.
Also good is the fact that there are no obligations attached. It's like an extra for them while they're away. No minimum length of rental or anything. I can get lost whenever I want to.
Nice and windy place too.
So the only down points are:
1. No one to share my internet costs with - or should i just unplug from the destructive internet.
2. Might get boring staying alone.
3. FRIGGING FAR AWAY.
hmmmmm tampines....
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Ipod Question
Here's a tough one.
Sis's Ipod has 20 GB of space. Sis' Ibook has 30 GB of space but only 13 GB free for ALL data including music.
Qn: How can she get rid of the songs on her Ibook without it being erased on the Ipod but YET still being able to add new songs to the Ipod via synchronisation with Itunes?
In otherwords, sync to add only, never sync to delete songs on Ipod.
Sis's Ipod has 20 GB of space. Sis' Ibook has 30 GB of space but only 13 GB free for ALL data including music.
Qn: How can she get rid of the songs on her Ibook without it being erased on the Ipod but YET still being able to add new songs to the Ipod via synchronisation with Itunes?
In otherwords, sync to add only, never sync to delete songs on Ipod.
ITunes the Usurper
ITunes has TAKEN OVER MY WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER!!!! WHAT THE.....
I opened an MP3...instead of my trusty old WMP opening the file, ITUNES OPENED IT!!!!!!!! sneaky!!!!
I opened an MP3...instead of my trusty old WMP opening the file, ITUNES OPENED IT!!!!!!!! sneaky!!!!
Mac my foot
Macs are easy? Trouble-free? My foot.
Bought my sister's ibook couple of weeks back. Forward 3 weeks, Comex offers couple of hundred dollars off. This is AFTER the Mac refused to boot up and hangs on me. Had bad sector apparently. Tok a week to fix. SLOW....
Sister has brought back Mac to m'sia. Can't get it to setup with the ISP...Apple contact person has no idea say must check with supervisor. Twit. Apparently there's a possibility that there may be a problem with the modem. What a lousy piece of hardware. Should've stuck with IBM.
Bought my sister's ibook couple of weeks back. Forward 3 weeks, Comex offers couple of hundred dollars off. This is AFTER the Mac refused to boot up and hangs on me. Had bad sector apparently. Tok a week to fix. SLOW....
Sister has brought back Mac to m'sia. Can't get it to setup with the ISP...Apple contact person has no idea say must check with supervisor. Twit. Apparently there's a possibility that there may be a problem with the modem. What a lousy piece of hardware. Should've stuck with IBM.
Bimbo Queen
Had lunch with the Bimbo alto queen today. Here's her bimbotic remark for the day:
Her: "I went for interview at XXX - their office is at Paya Lebar"
Me: "Wah, that's quite far. Won't you miss being in the corporate hub at RFP?"
Her: "Yah man....how?? die lah I'll lose all sense of fashion!!!! Think I better not accept it..."
.....
OTHER people would wonder whether the career opportunities are good, whether they'd fit in blah blah blah...
This one worries that she'll lose her fashion sense...
Hmmmm.....
Her: "I went for interview at XXX - their office is at Paya Lebar"
Me: "Wah, that's quite far. Won't you miss being in the corporate hub at RFP?"
Her: "Yah man....how?? die lah I'll lose all sense of fashion!!!! Think I better not accept it..."
.....
OTHER people would wonder whether the career opportunities are good, whether they'd fit in blah blah blah...
This one worries that she'll lose her fashion sense...
Hmmmm.....
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Official Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle Movie Site
Official Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle Movie Site:
I caught this movie yesterday with some choir scumbags and I must say that this is one of the funniest movies I've watched in ages. The actors take all the typical Asian stereotypes and walks all over them.
The Battleshits scene reminds me of Funny Story No. 4 which took place when I was schooling in the UK at err...a tender age of err..9 years old. Before that I was in a school in M'sia where the classrooms were rather run down. I sat near the side at the back of the classroom of 50 students or so where the doors were open on both sides as were the windows. Ventilation/circulation of fresh air was good. As a result at 7-9 years old you are not bound by social restrictions. As and when I felt like it I would just fart whenever I pleased. The people around me would all go "EWWWWWW you farted" in mandarin but shortly after we'd all giggle it off until the teacher stares at us with her menacing cane. So in school it wasn't much of an unacceptable behaviour.
Fast forward to 9 years old. I'm stuck in a British school. It's cold outside. We're in a heated classroom - there's no fan. Circulation is nearly zero. I feel a fart coming. Big deal. I let loose. It was one of those silent killer farts. Ahhhhh..relief.
Fast forward 10 seconds. The 2 students behind me go: "DID YOU FART?!?!?!!?!" and had a pained expressed on their faces and covered up their noses as if they were attacked by a round of Anthrax.
I think I did that a few times before I got the hint that it was NOT cool to fart in class.
And then there was the time I was too lazy to go to the toilet and peed on the grass...that's a story for another time. Suffice to say someone spotted me - the angmohs must have thought these damn chinks were all barbarians.
End of Funny Story 4.
Some memorable lines/scenes:
At the hospital:
Kumar: "Oh Dad come on!"
Kumar's Dad: "Daddy's not coming on anything!"
When Harold and Kumar steals the angmohs' car:
Kumar (in his Indian melodic accent), and sticks his finger up at the angmohs: "Thank yoo, come again!"
At the East Asian gathering at Princeton:
The geeky guy raising his hands to ask questions reminds me of me hahaha: "This is a two part question: (1) Is it difficult to be selected as an intern in [fancy Investment Bank]? and (2) can you help write me a recommendation?" - if I were living in the US I bet that would've been me.
Freak Show's wife is HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOT
At the end:
"Police have released what they believed to be very accurate sketches of the two men who broke out of prison last night"
Picture flashes - chinese man with slitty eyes and big conical hat and indian man with a turban
Kumar dreaming of life being married to a packet of Weed..."You can't even make a cup of coffee you fucking WHORE!!!!" hahahahahahaa
Ok that's it for now. Next movie to watch - the Choir Boys.
I caught this movie yesterday with some choir scumbags and I must say that this is one of the funniest movies I've watched in ages. The actors take all the typical Asian stereotypes and walks all over them.
The Battleshits scene reminds me of Funny Story No. 4 which took place when I was schooling in the UK at err...a tender age of err..9 years old. Before that I was in a school in M'sia where the classrooms were rather run down. I sat near the side at the back of the classroom of 50 students or so where the doors were open on both sides as were the windows. Ventilation/circulation of fresh air was good. As a result at 7-9 years old you are not bound by social restrictions. As and when I felt like it I would just fart whenever I pleased. The people around me would all go "EWWWWWW you farted" in mandarin but shortly after we'd all giggle it off until the teacher stares at us with her menacing cane. So in school it wasn't much of an unacceptable behaviour.
Fast forward to 9 years old. I'm stuck in a British school. It's cold outside. We're in a heated classroom - there's no fan. Circulation is nearly zero. I feel a fart coming. Big deal. I let loose. It was one of those silent killer farts. Ahhhhh..relief.
Fast forward 10 seconds. The 2 students behind me go: "DID YOU FART?!?!?!!?!" and had a pained expressed on their faces and covered up their noses as if they were attacked by a round of Anthrax.
I think I did that a few times before I got the hint that it was NOT cool to fart in class.
And then there was the time I was too lazy to go to the toilet and peed on the grass...that's a story for another time. Suffice to say someone spotted me - the angmohs must have thought these damn chinks were all barbarians.
End of Funny Story 4.
Some memorable lines/scenes:
At the hospital:
Kumar: "Oh Dad come on!"
Kumar's Dad: "Daddy's not coming on anything!"
When Harold and Kumar steals the angmohs' car:
Kumar (in his Indian melodic accent), and sticks his finger up at the angmohs: "Thank yoo, come again!"
At the East Asian gathering at Princeton:
The geeky guy raising his hands to ask questions reminds me of me hahaha: "This is a two part question: (1) Is it difficult to be selected as an intern in [fancy Investment Bank]? and (2) can you help write me a recommendation?" - if I were living in the US I bet that would've been me.
Freak Show's wife is HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOT
At the end:
"Police have released what they believed to be very accurate sketches of the two men who broke out of prison last night"
Picture flashes - chinese man with slitty eyes and big conical hat and indian man with a turban
Kumar dreaming of life being married to a packet of Weed..."You can't even make a cup of coffee you fucking WHORE!!!!" hahahahahahaa
Ok that's it for now. Next movie to watch - the Choir Boys.