Officially closed and moved on...

Ah, after a few years, I found this blog again. Its 2020!

I've been doing majority of my blogging on https://justplaynlivelife.blogspot.com... 

A whole page of travel, play and everything else. 😎 

Catch up with me over there my friends~!

Goodbye 2016!

It’s that time of the year again, to recap everything that has happened in the year. 

2016 was my first official year of being in the corporate world – without student benefits and student treatment. Though daunting, it has proven to be a much-needed learning journey.

Fresh out of University, there was a whole world of possibilities and opportunities that I had dream of, till reality hit hard and force you into looking at life realistically.

January – Started my internship with NEBA Financial Solutions

April – Ended internship with NEBA

May – Did my first health check-up with CGH; Jobless for a whole 4 weeks before starting work with FedEx as a Revenue Operations Agent; 

July – Signed up for Ukelele lessons (12 classes from July to Sept)

August – Retrenchment exercise/Shortened Contract from 1-year to 8-months

November – Family Trip to Taiwan

Despite the lack of notable events, there are still some tiny accomplishments along the way that I feel have made 2016 special in its own way – my interactions with people.

For one, I had met three secondary school friends whom I have not met in years (6-7 years to be exact). Me, being me, it was a considerably difficult task. Even now, I am impressed with myself. LOL. 

I have also made new friends at my current workplace who could somewhat be seen as my role models - in work and in life. The happy-go-lucky vibes that they bring to the workplace is truly precious and I am so glad that I was able to meet such amazing people during my time here.

With only 3 weeks left at this workplace, I’m starting to feel a little sad, but Dr. Seuss once said, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”. I’m going to try my best to put that into practice because I’ve gained so much from these people and I want to leave with a smile on my face.

With 2017 just round the corner, I anticipate the people I would soon meet and the challenges that I would soon face. I’m sure it’s going to be one that is worth remembering - *well, positivity is important right! Hahaha*

Happy New Year!!! :D:D

Economy in distress?

Graduation = Unemployment?

Having graduated for about a year now (since Dec 2015) and still without a permanent job - while the end of my current employment draws nearer... and nearer. 

Yes, how did my 1-year contract position got shortened to a mere 8 months? - this is where I can only say... when did things ever go as planned. 

Not too long ago, I experienced what is known as the 'chopping board' of the corporate world: retrenchment -insert dramatic music-. While that is probably the last thing you'll ever expect as a newbie, it was a much-needed experience. 

The kind of retrenchment I had in mind was rather drama-like, where you step into office one day without access to the premises and when you eventually get into the compound, you see a box on your table with a notice to pack your things while the security arrives to escort you to the lobby and have a moment of *what-the-*@#$%-just happened*. Well, I mean, for most of us the only retrenchment you see as a student is probably what ever that happened in dramas right? 

Well, thankfully with this company it wasn't as bad as I thought, though it still had the *wth just happened* effect. In short, permanent employees that were affected all have a good 6 months (or slightly more) to source for another job or plan what they want to do with their lives. Contract staff were all chopped, shortening our contracts to early next year giving us slightly less than 5 months to do the same.  

With everyone saying how bad the economy is these days, I wonder... if I would manage to source for something before the end of this. We shall see... :)

Universal Studio Singapore!!!

fun. Fun. FUN!!!

Yesterday was my first off-in-lieu from work~ and what better way to spend a weekday off than to do things that you normally avoid on the weekends (because you know its gonna be crowded af)? 

U.S.S. That's right! -AWESOME FUN-. 

Now I finally understand why people can go there over and over again despite the hefty price tag and expected queues. That being said, no weekends because if its already this crowded on a weekday, I can't imagine a weekend. *spare me*

SO, I started the day at 10 a.m. after a tiny breakfast at Vivo (2 half-boiled eggs @ Toast Box) and took the Sentosa Express (SGD$4)! We got our e-tickets the day before (from: https://www.klook.com/activity/117-universal-studios-singapore/) @ SGD$60 per normal admission which really cut a lot of hassle since we didn't have to do pick-ups.

Queue was long at the entrance, but it wasn't too bad. Got through with only about 10-15 minute wait, and we immediately walked right in to 'Far Far Away' (to escape the crowds). First couple of rides only took 5-15 mins wait which was mind-blowing, the longest wait was probably around 40 min. 

The rides/shows caught:
Enchanted Airways
*Puss in Boots Giant Journey
Treasure Hunters
***Revenge of the Mummy
**Battlestar Galactica (Human track)
**Water World (show)
**Lights, Camera, Action
Madagascar: A Crate Adventure
*Shrek 4-D Adventure
Accelerator 
Donkey Live (show)
*Transformers The Ride

Considering we only had about 8 hours, we accomplished quite a lot in a day!!! My personal favourite has to be 'Revenge of the Mummy'! It's one of the two 'exclamation' rides (the other being the Cylon path of Battlestar Galactica, which I unfortunately did not have the chance to take) and it was one of the most memorable ones I've taken. 

My 2nd favourite would have to be 'Lights, Camera, Action'. I wasn't expecting much from this one since its pretty much just standing there, but, wow oh wow. It was a nice & refreshing experience.

'Transformers The Ride' was the last ride we took before we ended the day, a note of caution to people with motion sickness like myself, they mean it when they say "People with Motion Sickness should not ride this". I took off my glasses before I put on the 3-D ones since I kinda knew what was coming, but it still made me feel quite sick after that. Apart from that, I think this ride would be an extremely thrilling and exciting experience for people who don't have the issue with motion sickness.

All in all, thumbs up for USS. I haven't rode roller coasters in 3 years and I'm glad I had the chance to ride to my heart's content. Will I head there again? - its a no-brainer, yes, Yes, YES.

The importance of negotiating your paycheck

If there is one thing new graduates should know, it is the importance of negotiating your paycheck.

In my quest to find my first job, I landed an internship within 2 weeks of arriving back home. I've always knew that intern pay never amounted to much, but I never realised that even as an intern, I could negotiate and get at least a decent intern pay. But I guess its partially due to the fear that I've built up within myself in the months up to graduation, I was almost 100% sure that I wasn't going to provide any value to the firm because I have NO experience in the industry. I had already prepared to fail. 

So the day of the interview came and everything went well, the employer was gonna hire me on the spot. There came the question, "what is your expected pay?". He was nice enough to ask me to name a figure, but instead of stating my stand, I left the final decision to the employer. It was the dumbest thing that anyone could have done.

In that very moment of leaving it open, I had not only lost the right to negotiate, but I had also shown the employer that I was uncertain of my self-worth.

Two months into the job, I found out how underpaid I was. It is an expensive mistake, but thank goodness this is only a internship.

Key takeaways:
Don't be afraid to negotiate a pay that both parties are comfortable with - A job is like a relationship. Don't be afraid to ask for your expected pay, if they are really interested in hiring you, they would negotiate with you.

Believe in yourself and your capabilities - you may not have the necessary experience at the start, but always remember, you will pick up the required skills and knowledge during your probation period, and you WILL BECOME worthy of the position. The interview is one of the best time to talk about your pay check, you don't always get a second chance like this once you've accepted the job.

Bonus takeaway: Never ask your fellow colleagues about their pay check. Even if your job scopes are the same/similar, you may not be getting the same rates as him/her. Be it which spectrum you fall into, it is not gonna do you any good knowing the actual figures - it will either kill your motivation or theirs at work.

Things to do in Japan

Photo Credits to http://japanlover.me/ 

Twenty Fifteen

Year 2015 - My 2nd and final year as a University of Melbourne student.

Twenty Fifteen is a special year in many different ways:

1 - It was my first ever time, living all alone in a single studio room. I remember the many times that I wondered if anyone would know if anything happened to me. With the balcony unlocked (there was no way to lock it), I slept many nights overthinking: 'what if someone climbed up and break in, what will I do?'. The craziness in every thought that made me fall asleep in fear that have now become memories to laugh at. 

But, it was through my stay in cobden (& mx) that I met Cher & Bee. And that became the best thing that happened to me in the year. :') They brought life to my solo-living, the videos we would watch during our dinners together from anime (fairy tail, soma, one-punch man) to cartoons (rick & morty) to etc... ('how its made', modern family, doraemon, dee kosh). Our 'fab' outings to town shopping. Grocery shopping trips. & not to mention, our doto sessions. There's just so many things to be thankful about when I think back, & the biggest would be being friends with you two. :')

2 - It's SG50. Fifty years of Independence with many many events, discounts and offers that I couldn't participate in since I was away in the country down under. It was also the year of the general elections, the 1st GE that I could have participated in but... oh well. 

3 - Graduation! Just 17 days ago, at the Royal Exhibition Building. Its so surreal. The past two semesters were filled with doubt, 'will I be able to graduate on time', 'I'm so going to fail my finance papers'. And there I was, on stage, receiving my certificate of completion of my degree. To be very honest, there was this part of me that wanted to drag out my degree, just so I could stay on for a little longer. I was afraid of leaving the student life and there was just too much uncertainty. 

Even now, I'm still afraid, but I believe, things will work out somehow. So thank you twenty fifteen for a fabulous year, here's to a brand new Twenty Sixteen and I'm sure you'll be a great year with many new beginnings! Cheers!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! :D:D

Travelling with a Teething Kid

Note (17 Oct 2016): Found the below note/rant that was kept on my Google Keep and thought it would be a memory worth looking back on in time. 

"NZ has been rather tiring, flying in on a midnight flight while having a teething niece. All she does these days is whine. Good gawd.

Sometimes i just wanna go do my own stuff y'know, being around family 24/7 is just too much."

The Cobden Potatoes

My fellow potatoes of Cobden... 

To all the times we spent in each other rooms, ranting about school and people, 

To all the times we played dota2 together in one room, igniting our inner demons of speech,

To all the times we had dinner together while watching random stuff from animes to dramas, 

To all the times we shopped together for groceries and clothing. 

Thank you. #26Nov2015 

Melbourne Uni Experiments

During my time at Uni, I had the opportunity to participate in a couple of school experiments (which gives out a minimum of AUD 10 for participation).

I was fairly impressed with this one, hence the detailed account I wrote on Google Keep on what I was tasked with and the results I got at the end of it, so here goes:

Task 1

You have 50 ECU. 

There is equal chances of succeeding or failing an investment. If you succeed, you get triple the amount you invested. If you fail, you get nothing. If you choose not to invest, you get 50 ECU for sure.

-(I INVESTED 15 ECU)

Task 2

Encoding. You can choose to do either activity 1, activity 2, both or neither. Earnings for task 2 will be the sum of the two activities.

In activity 1, you're paired with a random partner. You will get either get prize 1 of 250 ECU or prize 2 of 150 ECU. You can increase your chances of winning prize 1 by encoding more than your partner. 

(I encoded 22/23 words)

In activity 2, for each word you encode correctly, you get 1.25 ECU for sure (individual).

(I encoded 24 words = 30 ECU)

Your payment will be based on EITHER task 1 or task 2 chosen randomly by the computer.

EARNINGS: Task 2. 

- In activity 1, I got prize 1: 250 ECU 

- In activity 2, I got 30 ECU 

- Participation Fee: 10 AUD

Conversion Rate: 10 ECU to 1 AUD

Therefore, total earnings: 38 AUD

It was the most I had earned from an experiment, & I must say, it was also the most interesting (& intense) one that I've participated in. 

Mental struggles

11 November 2015 - the day of the last paper. 
In normal circumstances, students like myself would have been jumping for joy on such a day, being all happy about the 'freedom' (a.k.a school vacations) that we have from the semester. But why oh why do I feel so lost right now.

The fear that I wouldn't be able to pass my papers? or the fear that I'll graduate and face the corporate society where I have to start all over again? Either way, it's nothing to be happy about. 

What am I going to do now? What is next? The tunnel ahead is so so dark and gloomy. Will I be able to somehow install fairy lights in the tunnel to lighten the road ahead? I just wanna curve into a ball and hide in a corner for now. 

あきらめない (DONT GIVE UP)

If there is one key takeaway/incentive from watching animes, that would probably be the "never give up" spirit, "あきらめない".

Although fictional and rather unbelievable that the protagonist would always seem to triumph any 'pinch' situation through willpower alone... how many of us truly believe in ourselves in the real world? The transition from being a student to a professional invokes doubt and disbelief, probably not for everyone, but that is definitely what I am going through right now.

Despite how cowardly the idea of giving up feels, it is often the easy way out and more-than-frequently used. How many of us had gone: "urgh, i'm leaving this to fate"? or "I'm just like that, there's nothing I can do"... this are things I have heard myself and people around me say.

Perhaps its time to change things up a little, to start believing and to delete the phrase, 'give up' from my life dictionary. ありがとう、Fairy Tail. たくさん教えてくれました。今から、頑張ります。

It's week TWELVE!

It's my penultimate semester... and the twelve teaching weeks had flown by. :O

A whole 12 weeks from trying to understand each subject to the flooding of group assignments to actually completing all required lessons and simply self-studying for the impending examinations. No doubt that there were ups and downs through the term, but I think I've gained much more than I've lost this academic year. For one, I'd made new friends (which I had thought was an impossible task) :D.

And so... it is the examinations! With three consecutive papers in approx. 15 days, I wonder why I'm procrastinating by blogging. lol. Alright, ファイト! 화이팅! 

A Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

23 March 2015... the day that Singaporeans woke up to the solemn news of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's passing. Every year, watching the NDP on television, my family & I often look forward to Mr Lee's arrival to the parade. Knowing that he is still healthy and strong always brings a sense of relief.

This year, 2015, marks the 50th year of Singapore's independence. More than anything, I would have hoped Mr Lee Kuan Yew could celebrate this year's NDP with us, it is, after all, an extremely special year in Singapore's history. However, this wish would now become an eternal regret (终生的遗憾).

Being a Singaporean, no words could express my gratitude to Mr Lee. He, a man with great wisdom and vision, transformed Singapore from a corrupted society to now a prosperous city-state recognised by the world. As a young Singaporean receiving tertiary education overseas, it is regrettable that I am unable to pay my final respects to our founding father, however, your legacy will be passed on to younger generations and your contributions will live on through decades to come.

To Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Thank You.

Credits to http://www.fivestarsandamoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/984158_785166031533749_7956530433981508571_n.jpg

Definition of a "Friend"

"What exactly is a 'friend'?"

Here's some definitions provided by some electronic sources:

Google & Oxford Dictionary- "a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations."

The Free Dictionary - 
1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement

Dictionary.com -
1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter
3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile

Seems legit enough... however, is being a 'friend' solely determined by one's feelings? If so, doesn't it make friendships a little too superficial (since feelings are generally based on aesthetic factors and can be irrational)? #randomthoughts

Semester 1, 2014

137th day since I left home for Melbourne, I am done with my first semester at UMelb! Glad to have pulled through 'Introductory Econometrics' which I had considered the module that I could have easily failed. 

今は冬休みから、母と姉が今メルボルンでいます。来週の月曜日シンガポールへ帰る。

Been hooked on 'The Voice Australia' and 'MasterChef Australia'... simply awesome shows... :) gotta think about how I should spend the rest of my winter holidays... 

p.s. 3 more weeks to Semester 2... :x

Fiftieth Day in Melbourne

It's my fiftieth day in Melbourne... :o Easter break is coming in a week's time! :e
I would like it to be more of a break than a try-to-complete all assignments week... but I get the feeling I'll be trying to catch-up on school work & work on whatever remaining assignments left for the semester. 8|

Well, I knew what I was signing up myself for when I made the decision to further my studies.. so no complaints.. :D

学校の勉強は忙しいですけと、気持ちはいいよ。

The school term is progressing faster than I thought it would, getting mini shocks the start of every single week. haha. but it's been great thus far... 

Signing off with a quote:

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough” 
― Oprah Winfrey

Pre-Lunar New Year - Spring Cleaning

It's been quite a few years since I could stick around the house to help out with the annual spring cleaning. 

Before every lunar new year, a typical Chinese family would spring-clean their houses... from wiping the lamps to ceiling lights, to the cleansing of the storerooms, to the windows... the refrigerator... etc.. etc.. the list could go on. 

A yearly routine... to welcome a brand new year. (: 
Just that there's 2 houses to clean this year: gonna be a house-maid for preggy sister tmr... -_- ah wellz.~ Cheers to a new year! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” — Oprah Winfrey

With credits to: http://www.ibtimes.com/new-years-quotes-25-inspirational-sayings-celebrate-2014-1523392

Don't wait for the perfect year, make 2014 the perfect one. :D 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

最後の日 2013

今日は今年の最後の日！

2013.. the year of ups and downs.. but nonetheless, a wonderful year. A quick summary of the highlights of the year:

January - February: Final Semester in Ngee Ann Poly

March: Sister Trip to Osaka! V6 OH!MY!GOODNESS! LIVE TOUR 2013 (29.03 & 31.03), Missed flight back for the first time. 

April - Mid June: First Time Working in an Office Environment (2 months)

May: Graduated from NP! 

June: Family Trip to Hokkaido & Tokyo! 

Mid July - December: Worked with SSC (5.5 months)

Despite facing much rejections, dejection and perhaps even depression... I'm thankful things worked out towards the end of the year... & I know 2014 is going to be an even greater year, filled with many first times.

So, that's it. My year 2013 in a glimpse.
Enjoy & the last moments of 2013 & welcome the new year in a bit.

HAPPY NEW YEAR. & HELLO 2014!!! :e