Very very thankful. ❤️

Thankful for all the ‘trainings’ many many years ago. 

Riding pillion this week was comfortable.

It was like back into the waters, balancing was easy, the only slight fear I had was when in this motorcycle city I am in, the closeness betweeen the bikes and cars was like less than an inch away from one another. 

But that turned out quickly to be adrenaline and I love how that felt. 😂

Heading out later on many other bike rides, happy. 

Thankful for all the ‘trainings’ in alcohol tolerance too. 

Previous week of drinking didn’t leave me puking or dizzy, just dehydrated on 2nd day of drinking. 

Thankful for the opportunity to try clubbing and do shisha again, and trying balloons. 🤭

Thankful that it’s our first flight trip after this many years of knowing one another, after the many road trips we did, and that we still have yet to kill one another, and that they pass as travel buddies. Mainly coz anything goes for them, and they just follow what I wanna do and pay money 🤣

Burnt out seems much better now, still crunch time for DDDLP, but much much better. Thank *you for asking! ❤️

After a hectic month with almost no time to breathe, I can finally breathe this afternoon, and started on a new drama, just coz 黄景瑜 is in it! 🤭 

Another 3 packed days with a sake session and 2 networking sessions to go while trying to settle some legal stuff at work before I fly out to meet the guys. 

Am so looking forward to no drama sort of trip, especially since I know I’m still recovering from burnt out. It’s the longest I’m feeling the burnt out, it usually comes and goes within a few days. This was serious enough for me to not want to meet anyone except for networking purposes, and also serious enough that I went through a 15-min text-chat with a psychologist. 🧘🏻 

I just needed the space, and still need the space.

Hopefully these all passes before my flight out.

And interesting enough, I saw that you followed me on LinkedIn since 2021, wow!

Interesting how I’m not one for ‘wasting’ my only off day since I came back from Tokyo. 

Gonna roam the streets today then. Thought of asking some for dinner/catch ups, but.. … yeah. 🤷🏻‍♀️

It’s been a hell of a week, and another hell of a week coming. And then another 2 packed weeks. Before I head for sake tasting for a break and then the flight out to Vietnam. 

Need 🥃 to tide me over the 3 weeks! 

 It’s been 9 years since we last met in person at Holland V, 11 years since we knew each other from CM because of McCafe. Caught up for a bit over his breakfast yest morning at the pantry in KL! And finally got a wefie with him! 🤣

So much has happened in the past 9 years, through social media we knew where and what was happening in each others’ life somewhat, but it’s just so different in person. 

Saw him in office again today, but we were both busy with our stuff, so didn’t quite manage to say hi even 😅

Oh wells! Have a safe trip tmr and have a good break *v! 😊

It has been 2 weeks of crunch, going into the 3rd. 

Crunch started after meeting 小乔 for Kbbq on Sunday 2 weeks ago. It went into wild work mode, class, then work coupling with prep for AFMG. 

Had a quick break on Thursday night meeting Poly friends, a bad Friday night dinner at Fico (🙄) - reservation passed over from a friend who couldn’t make it. And just when I thought I had Sunday to wallow and mull over my own thoughts and the crunch, a comment popped up on my Fico post, which in turn led to my Sunday lunch with Pang. 

It was his crunch week, and heading into a dreaded week. It was my crunch and still crunching, and I was looking for a way out just to breathe. So 误打误撞, we ended up cooking and drinking at my place for a good 6 hours. 

Food was simple Jap, but happy food. Even happier with the drinks - beer, gin, whisky. And then there’s the company. We chatted about everything under the sun, from my Crez friends to his work friends to our lives to his recent travels. Never thought I could do a HTHT with just a guy (but then we did in Dec right 小乔? 🤭) and it had us looking forward to our trip together in Oct! Just the 3 of us (or maybe 4 if his friend really considers and comes along). 

I promise yummy food, seafood, drinks by the roadside and just pure mind blank moments. 

Sunday was definitely a good break from the crunch, and ranting it to someone who is so neutral, and doesn’t vibe negatively and kept all the remarks to himself 🤣

Here’s to surviving this week and the next! 

Can’t wait for end Aug, am heading out for a leisure trip, meeting up with a friend from Hokkaido, made 12 years ago in Malacca! 😊

So much left unsaid ❤️‍🩹

 

Not sure what I’ve gotten myself into for a 14 months weeknights and Saturdays course on top of becoming a Master Trainer and my full time work. But this is definitely one step towards my goal to retire at 55, and become a curriculum designer. 

One of the most tiring thing I realize from the module today (first module out of 7), is the reflective practice itself. 

Reflective practice is about reflecting on the experience, of what I said and did, and if I may, the impact of my actions. Professionally, I feel this is what sets a facilitator and trainer apart. And why some people are always just at status quo or getting weaker as the environment evolves this quickly. 🙄 

This also got me thinking on my personal life, how often do I allow myself to reflect? 

5 attributes of an adult edcuator: 

1. Adaptable

2. Professional

3. Business orientated

4. Future orientated

5. Passion for lifelong learning 

I probably meet only 2 out of 5, and no one says this journey is easy. 

Many messed up thoughts in my mind, shall take the next 30 mins bus ride or so to clear the mind before replying to Gorden on my reflections as a Master Trainer. 😅 

After 12 years, it finally caught up and ruptured, causing pain that brought me back to exactly that fateful day 12 years ago (and also in Oct). 

Proud of my own practicality coz it happened at work, I just downloaded what need to be done to my teammates (and coz there were 3 guests waiting to meet me), and grabbed myself to A&E. 

I went private, just coz 2 days before, *o hurt his arm so bad that he thought of going A&E (suspected fracture), but the wait time at NTF was 6 hours 😱 So I drove us to Gleneagles on his insurance agent’s advice, and all in all took just an hour (just strained ligament, no fracture, thank god!)

What I didn’t know was that this trip for me would have me staying in hospital for 2 nights, just coz an emergency surgery was needed while I was on 2 packets of drips. 

Of course being in private comes with a cost (praying hard insurance and Medisave covers it all, thanks Michelle! ❤️), but even so, at the speed the issue was fixed, I will still pay though my nose for it. And coz it was private, food was amazing, service level was top notch (thank you Siam and Erica and all from 826!) and I basically just slept and slept and slept (and got woken up every 2 hours to take blood pressure - and I rmb there was one in the middle of the night that my pressure dropped way below, and freaked the nurse out 😅). 

Today is stitch removal day, all done and dusted in 30 mins, and an ultrasound scheduled for this Saturday just to make sure my ‘insides are good to fly’ on Monday. 😂 

Been trying to do some work, but the level of concentration is low, and I can only sit still for 3 hours max before needing to lie down. Slept the rest of today away, waking up with a headache (coz dehydrated), and now sitting in bed and watching the rain and cars go by, missing the team and the people who are partying at AFMG 😭

No white water rafting next next week, gonna be a while before I can do strenuous activities and carry heavy stuff (like more than a laptop in a backpack). Sighz.. Just wanna get well so I can fly fly fly and enjoy my dive trip in Dec. 

Emo-ing.

 Trying to internalize it all. 

A work conversation that was from 6.45pm to 11.30pm.

Chicken sandwich from the bakery at 7.20am. Hotdog bun at 12.30pm. And that’s all I had today.

I’ve had enough. 

我累了。

This can only mean…….. 🫠

Woke at 7am, procrastinated in prepping for the immersion, finally got out of bed at 9.45am and started work at 10am. Ending work day at 1.03am. No power naps today, just 30 mins for lunch, 30 mins for dinner. 🫠

Not looking forward to the weekend with one New Look on Saturday and a working Sunday to pull the monthly reports. 🫠

Never felt so in the box before. Today must be that record. 

This probably the worst week ever, worse that RLP. 

Mon: 8.45am to 6.30pm, farewell dinner till 10pm.

Tue: 8.45am to 8.45pm.

Wed: 9am to 11pm with 2 power naps. 

Thu: 10am to 1.03am with total 1 hour break. 

Fri: 9am to (minimally) 7.30pm. 

You. You will bring me out for happy food on Sat. Don’t ask me to decide. I cannot. And I don’t want Ippoh again. 🫠 

And don’t you dare come and tell me work’s not worth it and chill. Unless you’re gonna 养 me (and I’m high maintanence I know), if not, your advices are not welcomed. 

After being Covid positive for 5 days and stuck at home for that same number of days (plus 2 days), it was a welcome change to finally be able to have the gang over for dinner! ❤️

It was an agreed upon Kobe beef dinner since December, when this dinner was supposed to be on 29 Jan, 2 days after I realized I had Covid. Call it gut feel, but coz was supposed to meet Jas and the SJCC group for dinner, but due to a sudden sore throat, I decided to swab myself before the meet up and ta-da! 2 lines. 😅

The fever was the killer, but thank god for tele-consultation and home delivery of meds. Was in and out of sleep for 2 days or so. And after was just mild symptoms like normal flu. Thankful for the vaccines and booster in this case I guess! 😂

So once cleared, it was to play host and cook to the gang, there were starters, mains, desserts, and of course drinks to accompany the courses. 🤣

We last met in December, less 小乔, but the conversations just didn’t stop. Mum reached first about 4ish, we started chatting, then 小乔 came at 4.35pm (you just had to be exact yeah?), *o came back about 4.45pm, Pang came about 5ish. And everyone was chatting, hanging around, walking around.. And we only packed up and stopped the convos at 1am. 

We finished all the food, 2 sakes, 1 moscato, 1 gewurztraminer, a mini magnum each (except *o), and Pang had 2 bottles of Asahi. 😅

We agreed this was a definitely cheaper meal as compared to outside, and with no time limit. 😂 For the fact that we had Kobe beef, ikura, foie gras, drinks, for $80 each, and that I didn’t have to wash up, it was well worth it! ❤️

Love the conversations we had last night, and now in hindsight, thank god I didn’t agree for Clarence to be around, coz I’m pretty sure the conversations would have been very much different, and we would have ended the night much earlier. 

Thank you for all the goodies, from angbaos, to oranges, to bak kwa and the back massager (you never follow instructions ah 小乔! 😆) .

Happy to be hosting the gang, and for the many years of friendships that went through the test of time. We were just colleagues turned friends, and the kinda friend that it’s not necessary to be meeting every week, every month, even though we try our best to catch up monthly. ❤️

Sending lots of love to this gang! ❤️

 First 2 months of hell and getting used to the role.. Which isn’t too bad, given that I took 2 months just to get things into routine. Or rather 1 month for things to get into routine, 1 month to adjust.. 3rd month was back to back of classes, whether I’m a facilitator, a participant, or coordinating it with external partners. 1 more to go for the coming week before I officially close the classes for 2021. 😂 

Papers for the house signed end of October, reno started after Deepavali. Both toilets hack + tiling all completed. Hacking of a room’s wall done. Kitchen hacking done. All electric works + air con trunking done. Blinds measurements all completed. Met the carpenter last week to discuss the details of how wide the doors, how many drawers, etc. So once carpentery completes, it just left with the cleaning up and varnishing of floors, and I should be able to move in before CNY. 🤞🏻 

Hahaha.. And I’ve friends who 不请自来 already. 🤣 I told *o.. These friends who auto come are those that I’ll have invited anyway. 🤣 

So they are the ‘family’ including of the drinking kakis, random friend, birdies, Mr Wong and Ah Bee, sotong, and my immediate family la. The rest sorry (not)! 😂

Anyways, at work since most are back to routines (and trying to manage underperforming, underachieving people), I told myself to take a break by catching dramas again. 😂

And this was a 40 episodes C-drama I completed over 4 days of weekends (or so). And it struck me that again, I can never stray too far from guys in green. Sighz. ❤️‍🩹

Been my soft spot for years, and it just doesn’t change. 

Anyway, the plot was decent, and the Chinese dramas are catching up times, faster than anyone could have guessed. Ok.. On to the next one that catches my eye before sleeping till tmr!

 Way too much drama in the past month and this. 

Weekends are the recharge. This weekend was almost perfect. 

Celebrated Oktoberfest alone yest at Brozeit with 3 different beers and got myself a Oktoberfest Erdinger mug after chatting with the host! 😆 Shopped for stuff for the house.. And then met Sam for dinner and drinks! 3 beers, 2 welcome cocktails, 2 cocktails. And was still sober enough to be driving. 😂 

Had lunch at the recommendation of Mr Wong and Ah Bee. 4 of us went but sat apart (like of course) and it was so good! And met Jack there too! 😄 Such a small world! And it was alcohol diet too of sake. We shared a bottle, one of *o and my fav. And then Jack opened another on his own and had Fiona to bring over to us. 😁 And thank you for Mr Wong for treating us to the lunch! Next month’s lunch at Yoshi’s on us! 

Loads of work due but I decided I shall multitask instead tmr during the calls. 😂

Looking forward to next Sat’s sake masterclass with Joshua and Jack again. And of course the restaurant week dinner on Fri. 

Was telling *o earlier over dinner/supper how much my social circle has changed. And not in the least upset about it. Lesser drama is good. Work drama is killing me. 🙄 And that with the house coming up, my expensive meals for the months has gone down.. Hahaha. Instead of 1 to 2 every weekend, it’s down to 1 per month. 😂 

Looking forward to getting the keys this month, just that am facilitating class yet have to go HDB to sign the documents. 🙄 Fingers crossed that it’s during their prep time rather than my faciliting time. 🤞🏻

 

I just couldn’t help it! 🤣

(Tap to read!) 

And over Sunday dinner it was 3 of them telling me to buy those few months left bike to practice! Since one of them rides when she’s back home! 🤣

That’s probably what hit me the hardest. 

That at where I am today and where I will be in the future. 

I lost a friend. 

A friend who understands about the shit at work and let me rant when I need to. 

Don’t get me wrong. Generally I do love what I’m doing despite all of it. But what literally killed me after the call was the fact that I have no friend at work that I can rant to anymore.

Or maybe it’s just coz I’m not reaching out.

After pulling a double shift yest and waking up at 11.30am today. I feel damn bloody old la. Hahaha. 

Because of what we can do for our Malaysian friends.. Volunteered for the ‘shift’ of 8pm to 4am this morning just to help check in our people in the hotels here. 

Lots of thoughts running through my head as I was preparing to get out of the house. When we were waiting for them to come and check in. When we were looking at the countdown timer for the lockdown. When we saw them and their paper bags and plastic bags of clothes for 2 weeks. When we saw how stoned some of them were having to brave the 4 to 5 hours queue. When we saw how shagged some of them were having to pull their luggages across the causeway. When we saw some of them trying to stay strong and be brave as this is their first job and they are very new with us. When we saw how grateful they were for having a ‘holiday’ (which some of them called these 2 weeks). When we saw their reactions in arriving in the hotel and having a place to call ‘home’ for the 2 weeks. 

So much feels. So much pain. So much sacrifice. 

I thought this photo caption was well done. But when I read the comments this morning.. I was 🤬. 

There are always people who will be:

Self centred. 

Self entitled.

Brainless. 

Selfish. 

Thinking they are superior. 

Of low EQ. 

Those who thinks God is their saviour (no matter what religion).

And I’m glad they are not my friends. 

How many cases are linked to socially irresponsible beings from the church and mosque gatherings? And the one from Jurong Safra? 🤬 Makes my blood boil just thinking about it.

Maybe if I’m like my brother. I’ll be in the above category. But I’m thankful that I had the chance to be working where I am. Coz it taught me more than just good manners. It made me appreciate the little bits of life and the people around me. 

And during these 2 weeks, as much as possible, I will not post my happy moments coz consciously I know what a lot of them are going through and even though one may argue to say it is their choice, given the same situation, I will probably do and feel the same as them. 

This is not the period to show off how ‘wealthy’ we are, how lucky we are. But about us united as one, against the 🦠. 

Photos can wait. Living in the moment can’t. 

Hooked up with a friend who stays in Malaysia but due to the current situation is now here for dinner this weekend with the JCP-ians.

... ... ... ...

Just a lot of feels and random thoughts running through my head. 

Hope that everyone stays well.. Stays safe.. Stays healthy! 

❤️  

Coz I needed a break. Been a hell week that has work spilled over the weekends. So a little perk me up and me-time after errand running. 

Hotate with foie gras sushi and a dab of gold. 1 piece = $12.

Fresh live unagi bowl. 

1 more hell week ahead! 

The speech that got me all teared up. 

‘So we were not financially well, my sister gave up going to college. So that I could go to college.’

And when I told *o about it this morning and he said ‘coz that may be your regret, but your personality being like this. You just bury all unhappiness and regrets and look forward. So when he dug it out it just hits you again. But after a while when you are calm, you will bury it back and continue on.’ 

Is that true? Maybe. I could go to college if I want to. But I know if I went there is no way anyone can sponsor me to complete Uni. So the decision wasn’t that hard to just go poly and pray for a chance one day. 

Even though the chance may come, I don’t think I wanna be tied down to studies anymore. I cannot stay in Singapore and not travel for the few years that I have to study. And even now without that degree, I’m lucky. I’m where I am today coz of being in the right place at the right time I guess. Who would have ever thought I am just a poly grad? 

Whatever it is, like what the bro put it so nicely yesterday, ‘we all have our differences, but I am who I am today because of you.’

Congrats my baby brother, and welcome to the family, sister! ❤️

Sorry 夜宵kaki.. I couldn’t celebrate your birthday yest. Was working late shift till 10.30pm. 😔 

Catch up next month yeah? If not then will be with the rest kk! 

Once again happy birthday to you! 😊

Coz I know I was burning out soon.. And my travelling toes were getting itchy itchy. It’s been almost full 3 months since I last stepped out of the country. Super unusual I know. But then again. Work has been crazy. 

So on Friday afternoon I booked a trip to Ho Chi Minh for yesterday and came back Singapore today. 😂 

Been a eating trip + meeting up a friend + spending some time doing work. But doing work overseas is much better than doing work at home. 😂 

Anyways.. Feeling somewhat better after the super spontaneous trip. Thank you for going with me! 😘 

Ps. Hello 夜宵kaki. When are you gonna meet me huh? 😁