Self. 102506

Hey what's up. Sorry for another almost-2-month hiatus. I dunno, I'm having trouble adjusting to adult life. Like the whole get up-go to work-come home-do research-sleep routine. Add in some bits of going out here and there. Weekends are deadtime until the next Monday and another week of the same old routine. Life is sucking cuz I haven't figured out how to balance work with life. I'd say now it's like about 80% work, 20% life. Or something like that. Hobbies and shiet all out the window.

Doesn't help that ah Wing's such a homebody now too. Do you ever get that? Like when we were still dating and not together, we'd hang out and go hella places. Now it's like we're both too lazy to try. Just content to rot at home like bums and not venture further than Clementi Central. :(

There's this old uncle that lives in my block, one floor down. I've known him for a while now, I usually say hi to him when I see him cuz he's nice. (He's like 80+ and always calls me gwai (obedient) cuz I say hi to him.) So like about a month or two ago, someone jumped off the 12th story of my block and committed suicide, but I didn't know who it was. Turned out that it was this uncle's wife. She was in hella pain cuz she had like stomach cancer. But I hella can't imagine how I'd feel if it were me and I were that old and I'd been married to that person that long. Yanno?

Well. Working til November 24th, then gonna go on my trip around Asia with Yurika and my dad. She's coming like Nov 15th, then hanging out til my unpaid leave kicks in. Then we'll be going to Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, and back here. I'm going back to work on Jan 2. It'll be coooooool. :D

Up in the air. 090206

Past week no sales. But that's alrite, been figuring out who to target and how to pitch this new one. Getting the hang of it, got potential for next week. 3 more, I ain't asking for much. :P

Usually if our office does a good amount of sales, we get casual day on Friday where you get to wear whatever instead of dressing business like. So yesterday was casual day, plus we had company-sponsored dinner & drinks at Mon Petit Cafe. Colleagues are pretty funny. Forreal. We were playing this number guessing game, and one girl had to smack the big boss's ass for a forfeit.

Bought a Dell computer online. I am very indecisive when it comes to buying computers cuz there are always deals and specials out there for computer stuff. But the Dell deal seemed alrite..bought it like an hour before the offer ended. There goes my commission.

Meeting my dad later, he's here on transit for a couple hours. :) Okie dokie.

Percentage. 082606

Hey, sorry for the almost-2-month hiatus. Work actually takes up a lot of time. :P

Anyway so update on work I guess. I'm still learning how to not stress over shiet so much and how to balance work with life, instead of having work BE my life (cuz I have to do research off work hours). Officially finished my 8th week and I think I'm finally getting the hang of it maybe.

This past week for some mystical reason, I got 5 deals in so that gets me about 1800 in commission. But the pay month only just started last week so I still got a lotta time to bring in more sales and up my commission percentage level. Aiming for at least 3 more deals so I can reach the next tier.

Starting to sell another conference as well. Just as I was getting comfortable with the real estate one, gotta move on to an internal audit one. But it's cool, keeps you learning.

Some pics from my graduation at the beginning of July.





Since I'm making money now, I think I gotta learn to control my spending. Cuz lately I've just been like giving into urges to buy stuff or whatever. My boss mentioned that I gotta dress a bit more professionally, so I went on a shopping spree. But at least I got it out of my system, no more shopping for a long time.

How soon do you start saving your money? Do you let people invest it for you? For my real estate conference, I talked to a lot of investor companies where they basically take your money and put it into their funds, be it like in real estate, stocks, mutual funds. Usually they're for institutional investors (like pension fund managers that have hella money to invest) but they also have it on a smaller level for the individual. That's what all those financial planners standing at the MRT stations are all about. What to do what to do. I guess I need to think up some goals? I'm not really into owning a house or car or anything major like that in Singapore in the near future tho. So do I just save for the sake of saving? Where should I park my money? I think I shall have a chat with my parents. :)

Cut my hair.

First day of work! 062806

Hallooooo. Back from my first day at work! ---> :)

Hehe..I thought it was cool. Last night I could not sleep cuz I was hella nervous. But anyway. It was alrite! The first three days are straight training, like sitting in the conference room listening to the various managers teach you the marcus evans way. Lunch provided. :P

Selling sounds fun! Like cuz we're telephone-based sales, so you gotta get through all the receptionists and personal assistants before you can reach the decision maker. You gotta develop your own style of getting around them... :) I'm looking forward to the day when I can become ultra smooth and talk my way through like butter. Haha.. It's really cool how good the managers are at talking. They're not fidgety or nervous or stuttery or anything. I wanna be like that.

Yuppo. :)

Adult. 062606

So I'm kinda worrying about doing good at work. I'm like optimistic and stuff, but I also have high expectations of myself. I mean, it's good to have goals and all, but sometimes high expectations work against you cuz you'll put hella pressure on yourself and you'll get disappointed hella easily too. So I'm just trying to chill now. Gotta keep reminding myself that work should be fun. :P

I been thinking that lately, I've sorta been caught up in materialistic things. Like..the past four years here, I would say I been pretty cheap. Like I wouldn't have anyhow splurged on stuff (cept maybe on food occasionally). A couple months ago, I would've been like WHAT, HELL NAH to pay $6 for a magazine. Over $20 for a top? WTF?! $39.90 for a pair of shoes? Nah, maybe next time.

Yanno what I mean? I guess maybe I'm going through a change of perspective or something. Like cuz it's supposedly normal for a top to cost over $30, to pay $5 for a magazine, to pay $20 for a VCD. That's just the way things go over here or something.

Or maybe I'm getting ahead of myself and thinking of my future paycheck so it's easier to shell out money than it was before. Either way...I think I gotta keep myself in check before I get too caught up in it.

Picked up my graduation ceremony gown today. Been wondering about reputation and prestige, whether I wanna get caught up in image too. Like the invitation to join the Graduates' Society. $2000 entry fee (which can be split into no-interest installments so it's hella manageable) and $45 membership a month. For what? For use of their facilities. To look like a dai lup lo and connect with other dai lup lo's. Do I wanna compare myself to them? Do I wanna have to keep up with the Jones'?

I should be looking at ways to invest my future money too. Gosh, I'm becoming a grown up.

Dry feet. 062406

So I actually start work on the 28th, which means only 4 days left. Trying not to hei gu about starting work. I hope it's cool. I need to get some shoes.

I bought these pinhole glasses from Guardian. Supposed to help you improve your eyesight. I was in a very spend-money mood that day. Well, something to try out. Very unstylo. :P Pinhole glasses website. I think it'll work. At least the theory sounds feasible to me.

Reorganized my wardrobe yesterday. Gonna get rid of a lot of clothes. Wasn't as hard as I expected.

Nothing much, gotta study up on sales and research on marcus evans. I feel like playing basketball and mahjong too. Okily dokily.

Prep. 062006

I'm not sure if it's common practice or not, but after I got the job I called my first two interviewers to thank them for helping me along the interview process. By doing this I actually found out that my second interview didn't go that well, she said I was too nervous. That's why they decided to make me speak to the big boss as a final test. Good to know.

Been reading up sales books and stuff lately. Think I should also do some research on competitors, to see what makes our company different. Also been doing this Goon Yum cross-stitch that I started like helllllaaa years ago. Like back in 6th grade? Dude, that's like a decade old. Slow going..I wanna finish it once and for all, but dunno if I'll be able to before my job starts. Not that I have to finish it before my job starts.

Dunno, just trying to enjoy my time for now. :) Alriteo.

Empty shell syndrome. 061606

Called marcus evans this morning to check my application result, the lady transferred me to the big boss man and said I had to impress him.

He asked me, what do you think are the three most important qualities that a sales executive at marcus evans needs to have? I said persistance, hardworking(-ness), and professionalism. He said, what about the ability to think on your feet? I said, yea of course cuz every conversation that you have with a client will be different. (Like you don't just read off from a static script.) He asked, can you think on your feet? I said, yea but recently I've let nervousness affect me but I think with practice I'll improve. He said, nah I don't think it's something that comes with practice, either you can or you can't. I said, oh in that case I can. He said, okay tell me a joke.

A man walks into a bar. He says, "ouch".

Hahahahaha. ^_^ He laughed after I explained it to him. So anyway, I got the job. I start July 5th. Gotta read up on sales and telephone sales and stuff to prepare. :) My first job!

Yesterday after that (group) interview at GIC, I felt like shiet. I think it's hard to keep your confidence level up when you're job searching, especially if you think you could've done better at interviews or whatever. Like I have issues with being able to talk in front of ppl, like giving a speech or presentation. I get hella nervous and can't think and I start pausing, stammering, blabbering. It's especially depressing when you see others talking like it's nothing. It makes me feel like I'm just a shell, with no content on the inside. No quality to back up the image I portray. Talked it out with Kaiy Yik though, he made me feel a lot better.

Random note: The receptionist lady (Pauline?) at GIC was hella cool. She's like super nice and friendly, like I dunno. Not like those perky, peppy fools, but like she made me think, wow she's a great receptionist.

Lazy bum. 061406

I realized I am like way too nervous during interviews. I gotta try to get over that and just like be normal. Gosh.

Second interview at marcus evans was with a higher up lady. I had to come prepared with a sales pitch for a conference on procurement. I dunno. I think she's still "iffy" about me. Cuz she doesn't see what sticks out about me compared to the other applicants. Gotta call them Friday morning to see if I got the job.

Got a job interview tmrw morning at GIC. They do global investment management. See how that goes..I think I gotta adopt that attitude of I don't care, so that I won't be so nervous. One thing I don't like about jobs is that you gotta wake up so early! I wanna be able to stroll in at 10am or something yanno? :P

Sek wu! 061306

Job update: (:P) Had a phone interview with a lady from marcus evans last Friday. First interview yesterday. Second interview tmrw! Hehe..I'm like optimistic, but trying not to be too hopeful in case I don't get the job. It's for sales executive, which is cool cuz I never tried sales and I wanna test myself and see if I can be good at it or not. Commission's very motivational. :P The Singapore office is purely sales. The company organizes like business events and professional training in hella different areas n stuff, so the product's good.

Mahjong is fun! I'm learning the scoring and also improving quickness now. Mahjong Time, Jade Dragon Mahjong, and Yahoo! Mahjong are some online mahjong places. The mahjong games in arcades are usually funner tho cuz they're like hella faster.

Tried cooking a tofu cake the other day, turned out pretty sucky. But I think it's cuz I didn't have a food processor, so I had to improvise. It's not that my baking skills are sucky. *ahem* haha.

Went on a two hour cruise with Tngio Hweeeee the other night. On the legendary Cheng Ho! :P Its selling point is that the ship is styled like an old Chinese junk. I thought it'd be hella stylo. $53 for dinner cruise. It was alrite..sorta fake-ish and stuff, but eh. Being out on the water's hella relaxing n stuff.

Saturday night was my first time being a baiy gyeuk lo (cripple). Hurt my right ankle area during NWP. Initially it hurt, then it didn't hurt, then after a couple hours it hurt like a mofo. Couldn't walk on it and even if I didn't move it, it still hurt. But by Monday I was walking in high heels, so it wasn't that serious.

Chanced by this restaurant at East Coast/Bedok area last night. Twas at this one stretch of like yuppie restaurants. They had Hong Kong jook (congee). I was skeptical at first cuz I have high standards when it comes to jook, but it really did have that Hong Kong taste. :) I was a happy camper. Called Pot Luck City or something like that.

So, life in a nutshell. Looking for job, reading, learning mahjong, playing basketball, doing kungfu, cross-stitching, cleaning house, cooking, and trying to speak Mandarin.

Okie, have a wonderful day!

Ech. 060206

So. Interview at job agency was actually an interview for a job AT the job agency. At first I wasn't interested, but after a while it sounded like something I could try. But they ran outta psychometric tests and the hiring manager won't be back for a month, so they'll call me then. So. Continue to look in the meantime.

Overall I'm in a content mood I guess. But there's something bothering me. But still sorting out in my head whether it should even be bothering me. I dunno, I gotta get out and do stuff so I won't think about stuff so much.

Still trying to balance life. Eh..no inspiration to write. Cya.

Yes no maybe so. 053106

Job interview later today at a job agency. Wonder how that's like, is it different from a job interview at a company? We'll see.

At this point in my life, I think I should be happy and carefree. Right? I should have fun looking for a job. All the possibilities. I can do whatever! I have no schedule! Right? RIGHT!?

:P

I guess my mood's pretty good today. After interview, come back and play some basketball, then apply for more jobs, then...start drawing my dragon tattoo? I've been putting that off for hella long. Gotta draw it, wait six months to see if I still like it.

Blah blah blah blah, have a nice day!

Wheeze. 052906

I'm so out of shape. Went back to NWP last Saturday. Haven't trained in hella long. I was winded in an hour. Jeez.

I'm gonna pick up basketball for fun. Might as well, since there's a court right downstairs and plus now I've got someone to play with too. :P

Lately I been thinking, it's like really different being in this relationship cuz we spend a lotta time together. Before I was usually on my own and I found stuff to occupy my time. Now...it's like you gotta take into account the other person and like...just spending time together hanging out, time passes hella quick. Yet nothing concrete really comes outta it...so I feel like hella unproductive or something. You get what I mean? I guess I'm still trying to find a balance.

Alriteo. Off to job search.

Yakult. 052206

I'm leaning back towards looking for a real job again, not just some regular ass customer service stuff after talking to mon pere. I was afraid of like...what if I actually find a job I like now, then I won't be able to quit in November to go traveling. But mon pere said that you can bargain with the manager if they really like you. So I'll just make sure they love me.

Got a job interview tmrw, but it's wierd cuz the company like doesn't even have a website? Like that's so unheard of nowadays.

Working on a website for my friend's company. Check it out in a couple days or something. Right now it's not all done. GYMS Construction & Maintenance Services. No flashy shiet or anything, just standard.

Tmrw is kaiyYIK & wuYA one month anniversary. :)

ah Wing. 051606

Went to Ipoh with ah Wing last week to attend his cousin's wedding. Twas fun. My first time seeing the tradition where the groom and his hing dai bargain with the bride and her jie muy to open the door. ah Wing was part of the groom's hing dai. There's something about a group of young men trying to exude charm and persuasiveness that's hot.

Got an interview later today at Prudential, but I don't think I really even want the job. Compliance officer doesn't really sound fun. I didn't apply for it, they called me up and asked if I wanted to go for an interview. So I think I'll just go to get more interview practice. Thinking of getting a job in customer service somewhere so I can get more experience in dealing with people. Then I can quit and go traveling in November. :P

I like him a lot. :)