Appraisal Day!

After 2 sessions of appraisal, I've finally completed my appraisal with the ratings & comments from bossy. But then each year, it's always the same rating & more or less the same words from bossy, saying that he has tried hard to fight for better ratings BUT.....
Yes! There's always a BUT to it. Sigh...

So how to have a breakthrough so that he can really fight for better ratings for me without the word BUT coming back to me at the end?? He suggested that I do some project of my own, which I find it abit useless & time-wasting. Hmm...how to innovate when most of the time you just get to follow instructions from your uppers? Just don't see anything good or useful that an associate can do to show that he is well above others. Yes, even my boss agrees that in such a lab environment, to excel in leadership roles is tough. At times, I just feel that me as an associate is just like a housewife. U keep the whole house clean & tidy but how well has it been recognised?

Another thing we discussed was about furthering studies. Well, this has been on my mind ever since I graduated, it's just about finding the right opportunity& time. But somehow, this urge is fading as I'm ageing. Wonder why. Maybe because now there's more commitment, having to give another 4-5 years of my youth to studies makes me re-think about it. Maybe because the longer I've been in R&D, the more lost I feel & I don't want this to happen for the rest of my life (coz if I study, probably I'll be stucked in R&D). But if I don't study, I must move out of R&D soon! Anyway, Bossy has been very encouraging & helpful.

Hmm...at the end of the day, somehow there's this surge of sianness in me. Due to appraisal? Other stuff?? Hmm..... sometimes I just wonder if I'm asking for too much in life.

Greed.

Does it grow with age?

Again, I miss walking down the street alone, with the wind blowing. I think it does help me clear my mind.

My Shopping List

Suddenly I realised that there's so many things I wish to buy.

1. New pair(s) of jeans for work.
2. New t-shirts for work/gym
3. Nice & presentable clothes/dresses
4. Fancl facial wash + toner
5. New sandals
6......

Still adding more thngs to the list. BUTtttt.... my bonus still not in & I gotta wait till end of March! Sob sob.....

Bad Day...

Today is a lousy day, bad start of the week. Well, it didn't start off with a lousy day. But it just turned bad towards the end of the work day. It's still the same old people who have got on my nerves. I just can't stand how selfish some people are. For a 8hr slot daily that's available for booking, a good 6 hrs of it has been taken up by 2 of them who belonged to the same team, leaving just 2 hrs of lunch time for others to use it. Ok, well, we do have another similar instrument but it's problematic & just broke down today. For me, it's not an issue to sacrifice my lunch hour for the use of the instrument. But still, I or rather we felt that it was very unfair that people from the same team are bugging the system for the entire day & others are not given a chance to use it. Basically all those queued behind me could not have a slot to use the instrument & have to maybe risk their stuff on the problematic one (Well, think I'm still considered quite kiasu compared to them! Haha....) What's more is that a very kiasu environment has been created in the lab all because of them! In order to book the instrument for next day's use, we are only allowed to do so after 5pm. But the Kiasu them are always sitting & hanging around the 'booking book' way before 5pm and we are never their opponent. Yah, cos we have so much things to do in lab, I think it's a complete waste of time to sit infront of the 'booking book' at like 4.30pm & wait for that half an hour to pass. Really crazy!!

So when I saw that a 6-hr slot was "gone", I tried to reason out nicely with A, but he refused to give way, saying that they need the 6 hrs. I think B saw that I wasn't very happy & after a discussion with A, he gave up 3 hrs of his slot. Nay, not that I'm going to take up his 3 hr slot, ok? I went around to check if anyone else needs the slot and gave it to him. Yes, at least now 4 persons can use the instrument tomorrow instead of 3 & I'm sticking to my slot during lunch hour. Just wish that these people will be more understanding & less selfish to make it a better place for us to work in. I'm not trying to vent my anger or what to anyone with regards to this matter. I just want some fairness in the matter. I'm glad that I got it already. :)

Catch-up lunch

This afternoon I've finally met up with Fi for lunch. This lunch date has been dragged from 2007 to 2008 & finally we ended up @ Biopolis' Mealbox! Doing a quick count, the last time I saw Fi was in NUS and that's some 3+ years ago. How time flies!!

But, it's still so easy to recognise her despite my myopia coz she still maintains her spikey hair. Except that it's now less funky (coz less spikey. Haha...) and more tamed (or should I say mature?). Spotted her in a pink shirt, with a blazaar over it and holding a very pink umbrella. Hmm...definitely different from the past coz she used to be in t-shirt & berms. Keke...

We had a great time talking, about past, about present, about future. Missed the fun time we all had during JC 1st 3 months, really! I think it's oe of my happiest time and probably that's why I'm so actively in touch with my pre-JC group of friends. Haha... Fi really knows how to make me happy. She commented that my face shape has became so much sharper & I'm slim! Wahaha....

Hope that the whole group of us can meet up soon!!

Beauty World.... CHA CHA CHA!!!

CHA CHA CHA....CHA CHA CHA!!! Yes, I've just attended the musical, 'Beauty World', on last Friday evening. So what makes me wanna watch this musical so much?

Well well, it all goes back to 10 years ago, in 1998, when I was still in my secondary school. We had this vocal training course (I think so. Haha....) at Mediacorp which was then called TCS. The vocal training course aside, we were brought to tour around Mediacorp to see the various acting studios, etc. On the last day of our training, we were invited to watch the Beauty World musical full dress rehersal and it was a great performance! Yes, and it's my 1st time (and last time I think...) to be in a Mediacorp studio andto be so close to the stage & actors. Hee hee....

So now, 10 years later, I was so excited to be able to catch the musical again, although it's now different casts. They also did some changes to the musical & have added more songs to it, it is still as fantastic!

I'm always amazed by how fast they change the stage backdrop, their beautiful costumes as well as their excellent acting skills & singing. Really impressed!

So will there still be another return of the Beauty World musical 10 years down the road? Let's wait till 2018 then!

Welcome 2008!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Year 2008 just arrived without me really realising it! Yah, time to wake up!! Yawn yawn....

Anyway, had an interesting new year countdown @ Music Dreamer Live! Cafe. A small yet cosy place where we were entertained by songs & games as we munched on the snacks & drank the bubble tea. At the stroke of 12 midnite, we wished one another Happy New Year & rushed out of the cafe to catch the fireworks. Haha....we were pretty lucky to get a good view of the high-flying fireworks. Hee hee... So nice!!! Hope it marks a good start for me, for US!!!

Coming to my "self-appraisal" & New Year resolutions. So for the past 1 year, what have I acheived & what have I not achieved?

But all in all, 2007 is a pretty eventful year. Early in the year, it started off with a new chapter in life with LLT. Not something that I would expect though, coz I always claimed that I wanna be a nun. Haha.... But really want to thank him for always being there to share my joy & wipe my tears. Hee hee....

Friendship wise. Lost a few & gained a couple. Losses? Well, people change over the years or because of things in life which could have triggered changes. But whether those changes are for good or for worse, I guess only time will tell. I welcome the new friends who have entered into my life and I will continue to treasure the old friendships I have! Thanks friends!!

For the past year, I have also watched lots of movies, a couple of musicals & plays such as 'Phantom of the Opera', 'Dim Sum Dollies in the History of Sg', 'Titoudao', 'Kumar the Queen', and a few more which I've forgotten the title. Haha.... Attended a few concerts too,which include Mayday's, Christina Aguilera's, Cheer Chen's, A-Mei's & ended with Fish Leong's.

Holidays wise. Sadly, 1 Penang trip with Pig then a business trip to Turkey, Istanbul & Kusadasi. But I totally love Kusadasi!! Nice sunset, interesting place. But too bad we got too little time there. Not too long after my Turkey trip, my uni good friend, Pig, left for US for 1.5 years. Sob sob... So miss her. Now I got one less travelling & shopping kaki. But still hope she'll do well in US. I'll find you soon, ok??

As for my work, I'm kinda of doing work that will help people achieve "success" & not we ourselves achieving it. Hmm.... 2008 is going to be another of the same kind. Sigh... Well, yah. Again, it's time this year to seriously think about my future!

One of my resolutions every year is to pick up a new skill and for last year, it's rock-wall climbing. Fun, & gd experience! So what's up for this year? Hopefully a new language like German (Still hoping that I can go Basel for work/studies some day. LOL) & yes, diving! Which I've procrastinated for 2 years. Haahah...

~2008~

So for 2008, I definitely hope to achieve much more & be happier. Work wise, I need to really think about which direction I'm heading. I don't want to be stuck as an associate in R&D forever!

I also want to travel to more placs this year! Yah, I know travelling is costly, but I wanna go out to see the world! Hopefully I got enough leave & $$ to go US to look for pig! Yes, and also my diving trip. Hee hee..... So hope that I'll get a big fat bonus, which I really doubt so. Sigh...Anyway, I intended to cut down on the performances I attend to make my holiday trips possible! =)

Other than these, I hope to have more time spent with my family especially. More family dinner, outings & hopefully a family holiday trip! Yes yes, also more time with YOU, my friends. Hee hee...

Cheers to 2008!! Hope it's a good luck year!!! Hehe....