New Milestones!

The happiness of seeing Ziv achieving new milestones is better than winning 5-dai zi mo in mahjong!

Ziv is able to feed Mummy and Daddy with biscuits when we requested. Of course, sometimes, he will refuse to do so simply because, he doesn't want to share his biscuits with us.

Ziv has learned how to clap his hands. We have been teaching him this since, like 8 or 9 months, and he is only able to do recently.

My mum has actually taught him some other tricks which I think is pretty 'worthless' to mention hehehe... You know aunties... they like to teach their grandsons tricks which doesn't really has any use, such as putting his hand on the ear acting like as if he is on the phone when we say "Hello?" :-

Right now, I'm busy planning Ziv's first birthday party at Frisk and Romp. Consolidating the guest lists at the moment. And it is never an easy task.

First Day of Work

First day of work is always the most unforgettable day for some. For me, I WISH I CAN FORGET ABOUT IT ASAP.

Samuel told me, "Its like that one la. You will get used to it!"

I agreed.

The Workload

So far, nothing much, I was asked to read through some course notes for the first 2 days. No laptop for the first day, that also means no internet access. My colleague sitting next to me is kind enough to lend me her laptop to go online to surf net and check emails.

On the second day, I got an Acer laptop, hooray... Internet access is on the way!! Actually I was pretty surprised that I was granted internet access as I have heard from ex colleagues that my company usually don't grant internet access to staff due to security reasons. But anyway, I GOT IT, so it doesn't matter, why? how?

I anticipated that the workload will be heavier as time goes by. Cause I was told about the plans of the department and was involved in several roles. (my goddess...)

The Colleagues

It is always nice to be the youngest in the company. Like I have always been in all my previous companies. This time I FEEL OLD.

Those colleagues although are merely 2-3 years younger than me, but somehow I still feel OLD cause, not generation gap but "lifestyle gap". They are all single, some attached and definitely have NO KIDS. While I am married with a son. So see the gap?

I feel that even among colleagues they don't seems to be close, very often lunch time is so quiet. No one talks. Although they are young, but somewhat life-less. Rarely do they joke, rarely do they gossip, rarely do they chat... Almost doze off during lunch.

Oh yes, the best 'entertainment' during lunch time is tour NTUC. How cool?!

Anyway, how coincident, I met a ex Singtel colleague who happened to work in the company for like 2 years. She told me loads about the company culture and our conclusion is, "NUA". The pace of the company is SLOW and she told me that she waited 1.5 years for an email address and till to-date, she has not get it. So efficient huh?

Anyway, being in such company has its good and bad points. Will just play along...

Transport

I am the super blessed one according to the colleagues... Kevin drives me to work and pick me up from work everyday. Even though he keeps complaining about the traffic, the jaw-dropping ERP charges ($6.50 per trip), still, he wakes up in the morning with me. He is so sweet. And when it rains, he will park his car opposite and arm himself with an umbrella to wait for me at the main gate, cause apparently the security system of my company is super stringent and he cannot park his car within the company to wait for me. His birthday is coming, I definitely have to splurge on something nice for him.

Culture

Guess, all IT companies cultures are the same. Reporting late for work is so common and universal. I adapted to the culture on the second day and reported to work at 915am instead of 830am and went off on time at 6pm. During office hours, people will gather in front of one table to talk and lunch time is always 15mins before noon cause the common excuse, "wanna avoid lunch time crowd".

Anyway, its too early to judge if I will stay long in this job, long as in complete the contract, but one thing for sure, I will not continue another year of contract with them. For several reasons which I am too lazy to state. I look forward to be a SAHM by the end of this year and having baby no. 2 soon.

Yawn...

Macau Trip 14-17 May 2008

Many said, Macau itself is a museum. Indeed, the landmarks such as the catholic churches, temples, statues, the cultures of the people (mixing of Chinese & Portuguese) and the language (i.e Portuguese road names) are eye-opener for my first visit.

Kevin and I visited almost all the popular churches, about 5 to 6 of them in Macau. The most recognisable landmark in Macau undoubtedly will be The Ruins of St. Paul.

The Square St Lawrence Church

St Joseph Church
Fisherman's Wharf (A BORING Place to go...)

Visit to sky tower, didn't go up to the tower, cause we are not adventurous people who do sky walking, bungee jump etc...

The familiar bridge behind us which links us from our hotel and the ferry terminals.

Hong Kong is behind me!

There is a Warner Bros store located at the Sky Tower and we bought a Tweety Bird soft toy for Ziv and some other toys from Toy'r'us. Here's Mommy having fun taking funny pictures.

Of course, not placing bets in casino means YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO MACAU.

I played roulette and won some money, unfortunately Kevin lost them all. In total, we lost like $500 on casino tables. But its OK for me, cause, this is supposed to be a relaxing holiday.

MGM Grand Venetian

Apart from casino hopping, we even bet on... GREYHOUND RACING!! Cheap thrill, I tell you. To stand by the railing and shout your lungs out for the greyhound which you bet on is the best way to watch a race.

Me, getting all ready to gamble!

Skinny greyhoundsThe people's residential area, looks very much like those in Hong Kong. Dirty and messy.
See who did we meet? Nah... This was an arranged trip. We arrived a day earlier than Emily and Dylan. And they went over to Hong Kong on the 3rd day. While we stayed in M acau for all the 4 days... I don't really like HK cos place is DIRTY.

And yes... apart from serious gambling, comes along with serious SHOPPING. Bought the coveted Chanel 2.55! All smiles... That was the happiest day in Macau, better than winning Roulette... And I got Kevin's support for buying the bag. How nice!

Macau, I will definitely be back.

More pictures here.

Bintan Trip 11-13 May 2008

I was wayworned after two back-to-back trips. Call it bad planning. But that is the only time when I will be free.

Struggling to get back to reality, though I need not work for this entire week. Still, I need to tell myself, "no more holiday and please get back to your new job".

Damn.

Ok, first thing first, Bintan Angsana Trip.

Was badly influence by one of the famous bloggers that Angsana Bintan sucks big time. Went there with total regret and anxiety.

However, I was wrong, so wrong. The service was excellent and I felt like HOME cause, it was so relaxing to be there, with no objective to achieve, no deadline to meet, no one to answer to.

No tour bus to catch, no temptation to shop, no sightseeing trips to make, no nettlesome tour mates to handle and I feel like an idler. That is what I mean to UNWIND. Even with Ziv around, there's nothing much to fret about. He is very well-behaved and showed no sign of anxiety when sleeping in a foreign place.

The only downside, food is expensive cause they charged in US $ and most of the time we either ordered room service or we went to the restaurants under Angsana for meals, since I did not like the idea of venturing out to somewhere DIRTY.

Of course with that kind of price, it has to be worth it, however, the food were only so-so. Both Kevin and I were no bon vivant, but we expected something better with the kind of money we pay, especially the daily complimentary breakfast. Here’s some pics to do the talking…

I am dog-tired.







More pictures available here. The beach and the resort looks great. And Ziv is 10 mth old now!

Holiday

Will be leaving for 2 Bintan and Macau...

Ciao...

BTW, it is a super challenge to bring a 10mth old boy out on a trip.

Gloomy 8th May 2008

“Goodbye” IS the hardest word.

Indeed, it is.

8th May 2008 is a gloomy day for me; it marks the completion of my service in ST. The decision to move was not done on the spur of the moment, thanks to the advices from close friends and colleagues. At one time, I was like suffering from abulia that I couldn’t seem to make any decision.

I left with mixed feelings.

Feeling of relief, I will not need to do something that is irrelevant to my career and facing importunate tasks everyday.
Feeling of sorrow, I will leave the comfort zone and moving on to a complete foreign company.
Feeling of sadness, I will be leaving the chummy and thoughtful colleagues.

2 years of service. Not considered long, but I have made some very fine friendships, which I will always cherish.

How great is it, when your boss is also your good friend?

I was blessed with a good boss and yet, still chose to go. Sometimes I blame myself. For letting her down, not be able to assist her through her hardest time. I really feel bad.

My extremely nice colleagues treated me to a lot of farewell lunches and they even showered me with gifts. I am deeply moved.

My boss even gave me a MINI ME figurine (see picture above). She is so sweet. It’s not the gift but the heart to do something for me before I left. I even feel more like crying.

Does the figurine look like me?

Anyway, I should not look back on decision made, even though I could be wrong leaving this time. I just have to look forward.

East Coast Park

The weather these days is unbearable! Stepping out of the house is definitely a NO-NO to Kevin. He will MELT. Somehow, I managed to convince him that Ziv needs to go out to breathe some fresh air and also recommended some where that is FAR away from the luring shops. (Since we shopped on Saturday)

He promptly agreed, cause I chided him for being a bad bad bad Father a few days ago.

See, nagging works like magic!

First stop, MAC drive-thru. Kevin is addicted to Mac Spicy and me, Hot Fudge Sundae. We bought our set dinners at MAC and searched for a quiet spot to satisfy our addictions. Well, in the midst of devouring the arteries clotting fast food, here's some pictures...

Why does Ziv look so happy in these pictures? Cause we bought him cup corns...

This looks more like our leftovers rather than DINNER...

Taking a picture with Daddy...

And one more with Mummy...



Ziv has 7 teeth at 9 months... which means he can eat varieties of food.

Another milestone achieved to brighten up my week. Ziv can drink from straw! Went to Billy Bombers on Saturday and the waitress gave him a cup with short straw, he started off blowing bubbles in the cup and soon, Kevin noticed him drinking from the straw! Been trying to teach him that for the past 2 weeks but he just refused to open his mouth to 'accept' the straw mug. That really saves us the hassle of bringing milk bottles whenever and wherever we go out.