Its has been good with Von ard. Last week was shopping at Granville Road. This week was at Sha Tin. The mall is huge! We made quite a few purchases for ard SGD200+. Discovered an interesting place called Sam Shui Po, which has Wholesale Clothes, Beads, Ribbons, & Buttons Galore. So bought a two necklaces for sgd13. Also we went to Stanley Beach to tan. Oh my, the waters were filthy to the max, the happy beach revellers did not seem to mind that one bit. Well, think of it like East Coast Beach type water. We should look for another beach that has better waters.
This coming week looks very interesting. Big boss will be down, after which I fly to Beijing with bossy. Big Boss coming down is good for me to update him on my progress, find out management shuffle, check on my bonus and if I get to go London? I have been in the company for a 13mths now. ForBJ, I have a host of 2-3rd revisits lined up, and it should be heating up as we propose a deal that one cannot refuse. I should leave by Tuesday and be back by Friday.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Letting Go
I have been in pain for the past 9 months. Crying and feeling sorry for myself. I have been progressing, definitely (ive learnt to relax more), and now is perhaps for me to get to the next level, which is to feel happy and be surrounded by friends.
The thing about me that i have discovered today (after a sleepless night) is that i am someone who is very wary of everyone around me. And the outer friendly shell is just a facade that i put up to hide my insecurity. in actual fact, i am a very skeptical and scared person. Also a shy pessimist. this i will very bravely admit once and for all.
I have to think for myself. I came to HK based on my own accord. I am not going back to Singapore without a fight. Since when was I a quitter. The tougher things are, the harder i will persevere on. Of course when there is a will there is a way. its all how we perceive things right, i just have to reconfigure my mindset to be positive, and make things work. I finally understand the true meaning that optimism does not come naturally, haaaa, it comes after hardship. With hardship, you find a way out, and that is optimism.
Thanks to zan, antz, syah, hazel and juliana (all overseas veterans), who have given me support and advice this while when i was sad and depressed. my friends will be my therapist, and indeed, friends will not automatically come to you, I have to go out and find them. Since when did things come so easy? Then life would not be so colourful right!
Goodbye tears, hello sunshine.
The thing about me that i have discovered today (after a sleepless night) is that i am someone who is very wary of everyone around me. And the outer friendly shell is just a facade that i put up to hide my insecurity. in actual fact, i am a very skeptical and scared person. Also a shy pessimist. this i will very bravely admit once and for all.
I have to think for myself. I came to HK based on my own accord. I am not going back to Singapore without a fight. Since when was I a quitter. The tougher things are, the harder i will persevere on. Of course when there is a will there is a way. its all how we perceive things right, i just have to reconfigure my mindset to be positive, and make things work. I finally understand the true meaning that optimism does not come naturally, haaaa, it comes after hardship. With hardship, you find a way out, and that is optimism.
Thanks to zan, antz, syah, hazel and juliana (all overseas veterans), who have given me support and advice this while when i was sad and depressed. my friends will be my therapist, and indeed, friends will not automatically come to you, I have to go out and find them. Since when did things come so easy? Then life would not be so colourful right!
Goodbye tears, hello sunshine.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Love
I discovered CNA's anchors blog today. Some interesting points from T.Go's piece.
Taking the Romance out of LoveJune 27th, 2008 by timothy-go
Not so long ago, sometime in February I believe, I was reading an issue of Time magazine about Love.
A series of articles all discussing love, chemistry, romance and relationships.
And being the un-romantic sort that I am, I was intrigued and couldn’t put the copy down. Here we have articles taking the romance out of love and making us understand what it is that makes us do what we do when we think we are in love.
Sure, being in-love is great. I used to say this world will be so much better if everyone is in the state of being in-love all the time.
And then I got old and practical, and realize love is nothing like what we see in romantic comedies.
In fact, Time magazine seem to have validated what I think love is.
Jeffrey Kluger found out that for couples to survive, they have to get past the early, thrill stage of love and settle for what he calls “companionate love” where couples spend Sunday mornings reading the papers and having coffee, or playing board games on a rainy weekend etc.
There were other things said about love in the article. About how we sometimes fall in love with someone because they are extremely attractive, but more like they become extremely attractive because we have already fallen for them.
And then this: A researcher at Concordia University in Montreal found that when we are in love we “think someone made you feel good, but really it is your brain that made you feel good.”
I’ve done experiments on my own about this and try as hard as I can to control emotions or natural reactions to certain situations.
I tell myself that sometimes we react because it is what society expects from us, ie. jealousy, anger, annoyance, disappointment, rage.
Friends and colleagues often ask what keeps me so relaxed and zen amidst all the chaos and deadlines around me on a daily basis.
I always say it is all in the mind. We make our brains make us feel good. We can actually control what we feel if we put our minds in it.
I ignore things that I have no control over and I live with it.
Then I focus my energy on matters that I can do something about.
And I just laugh off the rest — and say that’s just how the world works.
Taking the Romance out of LoveJune 27th, 2008 by timothy-go
Not so long ago, sometime in February I believe, I was reading an issue of Time magazine about Love.
A series of articles all discussing love, chemistry, romance and relationships.
And being the un-romantic sort that I am, I was intrigued and couldn’t put the copy down. Here we have articles taking the romance out of love and making us understand what it is that makes us do what we do when we think we are in love.
Sure, being in-love is great. I used to say this world will be so much better if everyone is in the state of being in-love all the time.
And then I got old and practical, and realize love is nothing like what we see in romantic comedies.
In fact, Time magazine seem to have validated what I think love is.
Jeffrey Kluger found out that for couples to survive, they have to get past the early, thrill stage of love and settle for what he calls “companionate love” where couples spend Sunday mornings reading the papers and having coffee, or playing board games on a rainy weekend etc.
There were other things said about love in the article. About how we sometimes fall in love with someone because they are extremely attractive, but more like they become extremely attractive because we have already fallen for them.
And then this: A researcher at Concordia University in Montreal found that when we are in love we “think someone made you feel good, but really it is your brain that made you feel good.”
I’ve done experiments on my own about this and try as hard as I can to control emotions or natural reactions to certain situations.
I tell myself that sometimes we react because it is what society expects from us, ie. jealousy, anger, annoyance, disappointment, rage.
Friends and colleagues often ask what keeps me so relaxed and zen amidst all the chaos and deadlines around me on a daily basis.
I always say it is all in the mind. We make our brains make us feel good. We can actually control what we feel if we put our minds in it.
I ignore things that I have no control over and I live with it.
Then I focus my energy on matters that I can do something about.
And I just laugh off the rest — and say that’s just how the world works.
"Why"
Glenda echos my sentiments. Her's is journalism, mine is Finance. I recently explained to Ruby Why. Because the exposure here is more than i can ever get in Singapore. Yes, i sell software, i have nothing to be ashamed of. Like Glenda, i graduated 3 years ago, starry-eyed and wanting to work in Front office of top I-banks. Indeed, it was not meant to be. Lehman, DBS and Citi all saw me. I dont give up that aspiration. I am still working hard for it. I am humbled, knowing you have to put yourself before others in a harsh society. I learnt that people trust me easily, and that makes it easy for me to get appointments.
Almost 5 mths into the presales role, i have to rely on my contacts and charm to get around. I have a lot to learn in terms of managing people, and this job gives me the training ground I need, with limited risk. I only have my youth to lose. It is a challenge, and i relish challenges. If someone intends to live alone in a foreign country, i will definitely advise a thinking through. It is painful. But you grow and mature. I meet people and they will be the building blocks of my career as I do see myself in finance in the long run.
Why?July 3rd, 2008 by glenda-chong
I guess the most pressing question is why I decided to transfer to Shanghai to be a correspondent. Upon graduation from Boston University, like every idealist fresh graduate, I thought I could be the next Peter Jennings or Tom Brokow. But as things always turn out, that was not meant to be. You have to work very hard to achieve what you truly want. I waited on tables in New York at a restaurant, and I realize that I can multi-task rather well without being distracted. Plus, surviving on tips alone and relying on the charity of friends, makes you a humble person.
And after almost 8 years of anchoring, I thought I’d should do field reporting while I am still young. So I hurdled, somersaulted and after a lot of convincing of my bosses, I applied for the Shanghai posting. Correspondent positions, like anchoring, don’t avail themselves very easily. Once you make a name for yourself, you hardly want to relinquish.
I am still young and healthy so what better time than now to run around getting stories, relocating to a new country where I get to challenge myself. It’s the perfect opportunity.
I love challenges and this is the perfect challenge for me. My friends tell me I am very fortunate to have known at an early age that I wanted to be a journalist. And after 10 years in the industry, I am still in love with journalism. There are so many responsibilities which forces you to learn other things besides just reporting. I also have to learn accounts, administrative work and managing staff.
Please make no mistake, I love anchoring and will eventually go back to anchoring, but for now I need to scratch this itch first.
Almost 5 mths into the presales role, i have to rely on my contacts and charm to get around. I have a lot to learn in terms of managing people, and this job gives me the training ground I need, with limited risk. I only have my youth to lose. It is a challenge, and i relish challenges. If someone intends to live alone in a foreign country, i will definitely advise a thinking through. It is painful. But you grow and mature. I meet people and they will be the building blocks of my career as I do see myself in finance in the long run.
Why?July 3rd, 2008 by glenda-chong
I guess the most pressing question is why I decided to transfer to Shanghai to be a correspondent. Upon graduation from Boston University, like every idealist fresh graduate, I thought I could be the next Peter Jennings or Tom Brokow. But as things always turn out, that was not meant to be. You have to work very hard to achieve what you truly want. I waited on tables in New York at a restaurant, and I realize that I can multi-task rather well without being distracted. Plus, surviving on tips alone and relying on the charity of friends, makes you a humble person.
And after almost 8 years of anchoring, I thought I’d should do field reporting while I am still young. So I hurdled, somersaulted and after a lot of convincing of my bosses, I applied for the Shanghai posting. Correspondent positions, like anchoring, don’t avail themselves very easily. Once you make a name for yourself, you hardly want to relinquish.
I am still young and healthy so what better time than now to run around getting stories, relocating to a new country where I get to challenge myself. It’s the perfect opportunity.
I love challenges and this is the perfect challenge for me. My friends tell me I am very fortunate to have known at an early age that I wanted to be a journalist. And after 10 years in the industry, I am still in love with journalism. There are so many responsibilities which forces you to learn other things besides just reporting. I also have to learn accounts, administrative work and managing staff.
Please make no mistake, I love anchoring and will eventually go back to anchoring, but for now I need to scratch this itch first.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Dinner today
Before this week I was in Beijing and Shanghai for work. Just sad to be there one week after the quake. The mood in BJ was pretty sombre. The resonance of the horns at 228 brought traffic and citizen to a complete standstill for 3 min all as a form of mourning. Tiananmen Square was at half mast. restaurants at the Shi Sha Hai used candlelights to set off paper boats, and used it to outline the date of the tragedy. All forms of foreign entertainment were also stopped during the three day period. Chinese all around the world united to raise funds, and in our hearts, we pray for the victims.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Selling SUCKS
i used to think that some people are born salesmen, or non-sales friends make judgement on whether one is cut out to be a sales person or not. like etiquette, techniques should be used as complement to one's personality and relationship with the other party. And you don’t have to call yourself a salesman.You are just one human being speaking to another, about things you both care about.
i think different people attract different crowd. ie. whites would like a certain type of girl. chinese too. and hongkongers too. whatever people think, ive got to be fearless, if it doesn't work out I would just go get a job somewhere, it wouldn't be the end of my life. It's worth taking a shot and going for everything. It is also best not to overspend, and max out the dollars and cents.
Blair Warren says:
People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies.
1) Show them how doing what you’re suggesting, or buying your product or service will help them achieve their dreams.
2) Give people reasons why they haven’t begun to act, or haven’t succeeded at the action. This is “justifying their failures.” Tell them about some missing thing that will make them successful in the future.
3) “Allaying fears” means acknowledging the fears and providing support to enable someone to keep going despite the fear.
4) Talk about things that people believe or suspect to be true, yet they are rarely spoken about or acknowledged.
5) A common enemy creates a strong bond.
i think different people attract different crowd. ie. whites would like a certain type of girl. chinese too. and hongkongers too. whatever people think, ive got to be fearless, if it doesn't work out I would just go get a job somewhere, it wouldn't be the end of my life. It's worth taking a shot and going for everything. It is also best not to overspend, and max out the dollars and cents.
Blair Warren says:
People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies.
1) Show them how doing what you’re suggesting, or buying your product or service will help them achieve their dreams.
2) Give people reasons why they haven’t begun to act, or haven’t succeeded at the action. This is “justifying their failures.” Tell them about some missing thing that will make them successful in the future.
3) “Allaying fears” means acknowledging the fears and providing support to enable someone to keep going despite the fear.
4) Talk about things that people believe or suspect to be true, yet they are rarely spoken about or acknowledged.
5) A common enemy creates a strong bond.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
What do i like about HK
Well, its really hard to say. I wonder if i like my independence more than hk itself.
none of the singaporeans i know actually like hk. i wonder why.
It could be the pollution. it could be the language. it could be the people. it could be the work.
for me, its all about food, and variety right? i find the people okay. they are funny people actually. shopping's pretty decent. and i love my apartment, and the hiking here. it's not half bad, from the 7 months i have been here.
none of the singaporeans i know actually like hk. i wonder why.
It could be the pollution. it could be the language. it could be the people. it could be the work.
for me, its all about food, and variety right? i find the people okay. they are funny people actually. shopping's pretty decent. and i love my apartment, and the hiking here. it's not half bad, from the 7 months i have been here.