Digged this from a friend's.

A Professional Mistake

Your alarm rings, signalling another brand new day. You get up, looking forward for another new day of challenge, another new day to learn. After washing up, you put on your office outfit, giving you that professional look, one that you believe many out there envy. Breakfast follows(perhaps), and you head off to your office. You’re one of the earliest to arrive, ahead of all your superior and when they come in later, they greet you and you feel all charged up for another productive day. Plenty to do and learn and hence, you are prepared to stay back late to do all that is necessary.

If you’re currently doing a degree in finance, accounting or law, the above is probably what you’ve been waiting for all these years. You work your ass off (well… most of you) in university because it’s your dream to join one of those big glamorous firms out there in the market. Lawyers and accountants are the usual suspects for this curse. Once graduated, all of them will run like headless chicken towards those big firms. If you’re an accounting student… you want to be an auditor in one of the Big-4 right?

Well, if you do make it, it’s like a dream come true. In such firms, you get a personal computer, maybe a notebook (wow!). All your stationeries are free, and it’s also the first time you step into a ‘pantry’, where you can make your own coffee, just like those nice offices in TVB series. Next, you get an exclusive e-mail, the domain after your name is not the ordinary @gmail.com or @hotmail.com or @yahoo.com… No, it’s not, it’s your-name@a-big-and-glamorous-firm.com. You can’t wait to tell that to your friend.

Then comes the feeling of giving a business card with your name on it, and it’s not any other business card, it’s one with your name on it, it’s onethat signifies you’re an employee with a-big-and-glamorous-firm. And… the word below your name is not a lowly “accounts executive”… the word below your name is exclusive… the word below your name is… “Associate”. And when your friend gives you the “Wow, you’re an associate with this firm?”… you get into instant orgasm.

3 or 6 months into your job, you will then be experiencing the euphoria of saying… I-am-very-busy… I-have-a-lot-work…I-worked-till-very-late-last-night…I-can't-make-it-for-the-gathering-cos-I-have-to-work-this-weekend. Yeah, it’s an euphoria because to you, it’s a privilege to be busy, it’s very cool to work late, you’re very proud to work in during weekends. When you utter such words, a sense of arrogance and pride radiates from you. You feel great because working so hard means you learnt a lot of things, those not in the professional industry somehow looks lowly to you. You feel big, you feel you’re a level smarter than them. Reality will tend to sink in within 2 years or so, though the duration seems to be getting shorter and shorter now with the younger generation.

First, you will probably ask yourself, how come a graduate like you must do all sorts of donkey jobs such as photocopying, checking invoices, going through piles and piles of documents and filing. You will also be wondering how come your superior whom you once looked up to have to suck up to clients. Oh yeah… most all clients are unreasonable.

If you’re an accountant, you will probably realise that there is no such thing called a ‘balance’ sheet. It’s balanced because you did the balancing act so that your big boss can sign on it and certify it as ‘true and fair’.Yeah… signing on accounts, the job that you once dreamed of… isn’t exactly all a bed of roses. You then realise that you will probably never reach that “just-need-to-sign-only stage” but hey… it’s ok, you probably hate that job by now. When you tell your client something, chances are you are just as blur and confused as them. But you have to act as though you’re an expert because you’re the con-sul-tant. This is just a glimpse of it.

Now, all the late nights and irregular meals will probably cause you to age 8 years in 2 years. Those I-am-very-busy… I-have-a-lot-work…I-worked-till-very-late-last-night…I-can't-make-it-for-the-gathering-cos-I-have-to-work-this-weekend will take its toll on your body and it will show. You will probably look very skinny…or very far… you will certainly look old and worn out. Working late and spending weekends in the office is no longer a cool thing but absolute stupidity. But hey… you will still have to do it, because there’s still much work to be done.

By now, all your friends who ended up as salesmen or doing other things except being a professional, those whom you felt superior to are driving anything but a proton. But for you, it’s time to think whether you should buy a proton cause your perodua is beginning to give you problems. Of course, if your father is a well-connected fella, things can be different. But if you’re not, tough luck. You’ll be wondering how come you’re generally under-paid. Those exposure and learning curve that you once craved for are no longer relevant. You want to make more money. But unless you’re a partner of the glamorous firm, money can be a lil tough to come by.

At this point of time, probably after 3, 4 or 5 years, you finally realise that document (click on this link!) you signed when you first joined the glamorous firm was nothing but lies. Then, you decide to ply your trade in the commercial world, you leave the glamorous firm. You think joining a commercial firm will bring about a good change, not knowing that such a move means you switched from being a ‘profit centre’ to a ‘cost centre’. One of the main effects of the switch is that you will be working doubly hard compared to the profit centre, which probably includes a lot of late nights too… but your salary and bonus is much lower compared to the profit centre. What does this mean… a story for another time.

One thing's for sure… your morning will now be something like…

Your alarm rings, signalling another day… another weekday. You get up, after snoozing the alarm a million and one times. You hope today is Friday, but it’s not, and you feel like shit. You think of a million and one reasons to take MC, but you realised you have to go to office because you failed to finish the report due today though you stayed till 10pm last night. You tell yourself you need to change jobs, just like how you have been telling yourself in the last 1 year. Once in office, you’re in a dilemma cause you want time to go slower so that you can finish your work but yet, you want time to go faster so that you can leave the office and go for lunch.

During lunch, you will bitch with your colleagues about work and probably the bosses. You will all talk about so many people who seem to be doing so well except for you. You realised you should have done something else while in university. You realised you may have made a mistake in life… a mistake in being a professional… you have made… a professional mistake.

True, isn't it?

Now, something to cheer about :)


Ciao.

Days passed like seconds tickin.
August came.
It has been awhile..

幸福是要争取的?

There are times i feel so helplessly manipulated by Fate. Time and time again happiness crossed my path, and yet i can't reach out. Visions of blissful future engulfed my mind, and i know life can be so much more beautiful if i'm given a chance. But no..

遇见, 却又不能与幸福总结?

Watchin her eyes betrayin the happiness she tried wearin on her smiles. Hearin her heart shatterin when the guy she bet all on turned out a scam. Smellin the salt in her tears even when we haven't met. And i can't do a shit..

只不过是个路人..

There are times my heart pounds, prayin she will become my smile. If only life can be a little more merciful and spare two more souls their sorrows. Feel like givin a tight hug, tellin her everything will be fine right now. I'll never let her go..

神啊, 请给我多一个机会吧..

I wanna be in her albums too.
To smile with her.
Forever..

Ciao.

I was down the past few days with serious flu. Skipped a few days of work. Am glad to be back to health..

Seen some interestin sights these days.

There is this old couple who will always visit STC on every race day. While the husband goes around buyin bets and watchin the races in excitement, the wife will be seated at her usual seat, tied. Yes, and i mean with nylon strings, unmovable..

Cruel, isn't it?
I believe that will be most people's first impression.

As i observed along the days, i had a good find. Whenever each race is over, he will be by her side. Feedin her food, wipin her mouth, talkin and smilin to her. And the old lady will just stare blindly into space..

I believe she is senile.
And her husband is always around.
Takin care of her till the end of their lives..

A case of unconditional true love.

It may mean nothin to you, but comparin them to the rest of the uncles who came bettin on horses behind their wives' back, i applaud him way more. Lookin at each and every punter spendin their life and family's money away, i can imagine broken families and huge debts..

Such a pitiful sight.

Worse witnessin the quality of love deterioratin. True love will die along with my parents' generation. And lawyers will be profitin way more from divorce cases than doctors with flus..

I'm seriously prone to flu.
I jog, i swim, i do workouts.
That leaves one remainin factor..

I need home brew soup.

Ciao.

It hurts each time, watchin an old couple lookin back at their precious wedding photos. It hurts so much, because i know, i may not live till 70s, with hair all white, and still have my true love by my side.

Lookin at the quality of love these days, it saddens me so.

你的歌声陪伴了我好多年.
我会一直记得.
阿桑, rest in peace..

"I needa focus."

That was the conclusion i came up with durin my routine jog awhile ago. How i love the slow tour around the neighbourhood at night, passin by the quiet shipyard, the rehabilitation prison, and the park. It provides a reality void for my thoughts to be congregated and provoked. A lifesaver, wheneva i have too much on my mind..

I've clinched the part time at STC. In fact i'm already two days into the job, and it was a rather unusual sight. Though it is troublin watchin the old squanderin their CPF away, i assumed we will all require our own source of entertainment when we are of age. Either way, is finally fulfilled..

Time to move on with my plan.

Here, i'll need to apologise to some of my friends. The thirty minutes i had awhile ago, made me realise how much i had on my plate. All the web ideas, the shirt designs, vendin machines, they ain't actually in my priority list. It is my bad for an easy promise made, which i assumed me being able to adopt easily without doubt. I was wrong..

Haven't had the chance to see you guys in person.
But if you're readin this up.
I am so sorry.

As mentioned right at the start, i will be concentratin. It is my mom's wishes to bring her achar into the market, and that shall be my fuel. What is more satisfyin than fulfillin my mom's life long dream? Not only about her achar, but both her sons' future and well being?

I will work even harder to fill the huge gap my elder brother left behind.

It was only recently i came upon this conclusion: Men born in the year of the Dragon, in their thirties, are all either bankruptcies or burdened with huge loans. All the three person i knew know shit about handlin their financial, and definitely needa work harder on their life.

Here's a little nice clip i saw on facebook.


By the way, it struck me that i'm still pink in health being able to jog and live well. Thank God for everything..

Ciao.

Are you a devotee?

Regardless of whichever God you may have faith from the bottom of your heart, the rest of the content may seem inappropriate or offendin.

The sights i've seen of late, is rather disturbin.

Over the centuries, religion seems to have taken a huge make over. From little churches, we now have infamous City Harvest. From little temples, we now have the flooded Guang-Yin and Dua-Pek-Gong shrines. Needless to mention how other religion fare, for all have their rich grand icons. Buildings aside, even 'devotees' evolved with oncomin trends.

At least the local ones.

Every time you witnessed a pair of ignited incense jabbed into a grave of ash, what do you think is on the owner's mind? "May i tio toto, may i get a good career, may i have a lovely wife/husband, may my kids be the cleverest kid in school", so on and so forth.

Each time a believer prayed to Jesus for their sins, what do you think are their pure intentions? To ask for forgiveness, and promise they'll refrain from committin the same mistake again? Or to just clear their sins, ensurin they'll head to heaven after life, only to sinned just moments later?

And the famous promised 7 virgins after death for another religion.

Has it only occurred to me that religion these days, are mere tools for individual's benefits? That devotees kneeled and prayed, only for their own interests? Where has the love and respect for their God vanished to?

Greed.
A grave human flaw.

I believe in God. I believe God is fair to all human souls. Though life may be merciless for some who were born in difficult times and places, it is indeed our very own will that walks us down our chosen paths, and thus, to our deserved ends.

And I believe God does answer our prayers. When we ask for riches, He will bestow us with riches. When we ask for love, He will give us love. Only a matter of how.

An example, a married man asked for riches to enjoy life. The next day, his wife was crossin the road after groceries and got killed in a freak car accident. The insurance paid a him a huge sum of cold hard money, enough to sustain a comfortable life for the rest of the family..

Well, God did his job.

Ray always told me this.
"God will take something away from you, only to give you something better in return."

So, i am shoutin out loud to all devotees of all religions. Respect your God. Love Him with your heart. Know what is more important to you, family and love, or fame and riches. Do not be selfish. Do not ask for things that are within your own reach. Money can be earned, love can be found, health can be nursed with more exercises and not smokin and gettin drunk.

We humans get too complacent after adaptin to a too comfortable life. Appreciate all the food you can amass at your table. Cherish the very drop of water you can drink. If you think you worked for them, think again. God can just take them all away.

Last but not least,
Ask not what you should not sin.
Instead, seek what you can give.

Anyway.
I believe in God.
Not Christianity.

Ciao.

What a crazy Saturday night.

It was supposed to be a peaceful steamboat and drinkin session, but something went wrong in the midst and the birthday boy was drunk-ed in a record breaker of thirty minutes..

All it took was a bottle of red wine and waterfall.

I had my fair share of guilt makin life miserable for this poor chap, but i believe everything was paid off. Draggin him to the toilet four times and holdin the plastic bag for another four times wasn't funny, though the pub girls were laughin away. Ended up i was the one who drank his excess red wine anyway..

God knows how many times he actually spat on my hands yesterday.

A very big thanks for the rest of the group for makin such a wonderful night. Had it been the same night but with different crowd, it definitely wouldn't have been as fun.

Happy 26 dude!

Well, i was home around five in the mornin. Didn't really sleep well due to the throbbin headache. Woke up around nine, snacked abit for my empty tummy, and went back to sleep. But then i had a really sweet dream on the second attempt. It was a nice under-the-umbrella walk for the two of us..

The weather was rainin when i woke up.

I saw this clip at Jacq's blog.
Thought i would share.
It's lovin..



I am beginnin to desire for something else.

Ciao.

Had my fortune told last night.

The session was done with 紫微斗数, a readin based on mathematical calculations and astronomy, which housed an old history since the dynasties. A readin fit for a king only. Definitely better than poker cards, don't you think?

For a brief description, 紫微斗数 consists of a chart with 12 different chambers, or 宫. They are the 命(life), 兄弟(siblings), 夫妻(marriage), 子女(child), 财帛(wealth), 疾病(health), 迁移(travel), 仆役(friendship), 官禄(career), 田宅(home), 福德(mental or spiritual), and 父母(parents). In these 12 chambers, dependin on the date and time (usually referred by chinese as 生辰八字), various stars will reside in the different chambers. This truly indicates that each person will have their own unique path in life.

The fortune teller is an elegant lady who spent much time explainin each sign to me. Personally, i have always been intrigued by the chinese methods of fortune tellin (eg. 姓名学, 风水), so 紫微斗数 wasn't really foreign. Through her translation of each stars and their purposes, i can tell she is indeed a professional. I really like the way she touched on negative issues WITHOUT any hesitation.

So, as curious as you might be, what did she tell me?

The 紫微 star fell on my 命宫, which means that the main star resided in my main chamber. It was said that most emperors have their 紫微 in their 命宫 as well. Isn't that a wonderful thing? Well, i was mistaken in the beginnin too. With 紫微 in my 命宫, it only means i think like an emperor. Still thinkin it is good? She carried on sayin i cannot be under anyone's authority, always havin the tendency to break free. Like how i always grumble about useless bosses and rather take the riskier entrepreneur route?

How true..

She mentioned i am a believer of late marriage(bingo), will have 桃花运(too many female friends) from 33 to 52. I will be such a great lover to my wife, however things may turn bad dependin on how i manage my 桃花. I think she's goin around the bush that i'll be a really attractive man as i'm older. HAHA.

As for wealth, it is said that i will have plenty. BUT, ample earned, ample spent. It isn't such a bad factor, she assured me, sayin they are definitely not through gamblin or wastin. The money will be well spent. Fine..

She did warn my 22-31 period will be very tedious, thanks to an evil star. When things are comfy, the pillars will fall. Bingo again. All these years, just when i thought i found the right job or earned the right salary, something will happen and take it all away. Like my OCBC job, my cafe, even my personal life. Well, time to work even harder :)

Speakin of evil stars, the infamous 3 in 紫微斗数(七杀 破军 贪狼 aka known as 杀破狼), didn't threaten my life at all. For some good reasons, the arrangement of the GOOD stars in my chart averted their unholy powers, some even tamed and turned positive instead. Such a relief..

Last but not least, she said i am a very friendly person, well liked by everyone. However, there will be some little people who simply loves to stab me in the back. Bingo for the last time. How many betrayals had i been dealt with ever since?

There are alot more details, but shall spare those non curious ones.

Below is a vid my friend posted in facebook.
Let me share with you all.
Pretty thought provokin, if you get what i mean.



I seriously prefer to get stabbed right in front.
Especially when best buddies turn ugly.
Allow me to beat the crap out of him.

Since i'll most probably die of cancer after 62, if lucky.
(PS: my wife may leave before me.)

Ciao.

Why do boys and girls, fall in love?

Do they see something in each other's eyes?
Is it the thrill and adrenaline being together?
Or because of the very same air both draw upon?

There is no universal answer to my question. Or at least, that is my conclusion. But the crisis of couples breakin up and askin me the same old question over and over again, is somewhat exasperatin..

Why did it die?

Love is born from an individual's desire of one's companionship. What kindles the emotion truly depends on different mentalities. Some yearn for excitement, few look towards the future, and the rest, lust. But the truth is, we never much know or really consider our own requirements. Most of the time, we are lured into attraction. When (s)he stands right before us, we know..

And so i would say,
a relationship is formed,
usually in a manner of folly.

"So how do i fall in love?", you may ask.

Long have i pondered over the same query a million times. There was always this same variable from the various love equations i once tried to solve. It is always the same raison d'être why my heart beats.

How do we get to meet,
With such nostalgic feelins,
Out of the many billion others in our world?

The very same truth, avertin my beliefs from strayin, adorin her every vibe, and cherishin every moment the miracle of life endow us upon.

But the irony is, i have yet met my true 6.8 billionth soul.

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Saturday was a massacre.

Out of the thousands of flesh i need to cleave aside for a path to walk, none was rewardin. Seems that the 'most successful' IT fair at suntec was nothin but a gag. I do agree they have the latest and cheapest wares, but it was more about the crowd that puts me off. I'm glad that either there ain't no terrorists or no able ones targettin sg. Such a good spot..

The crowd.


Other than loudmouths yellin prices away in the fair, you get to see huge men bangin everyone in their way. There were wimps who let their gfs pave the path as well. Not forgettin the funniest scene of everybody pushin each other to get on the escalator. Best part is, you need not worry about brochures and catalogs. They were all over the floor.

Such wonderful sights.
And they say sg is a clean and wonderful place.

Eventually, Bryan and i were out of the fair within an hour. Had ice cream instead thanks to the hot weather. Dinner at chinatown with Jean and my part Huixin was a thousand times more joyous. But what i liked most was the tea session after the great feast.

Welcome to the Tea Chapter.


Tea culture is more fascinatin than i assumed. More importantly, the ambience is great, they provide a chance to relax with their zen backdrop or even pleasure from playin little games, all while sippin fragrant tea. It was a great night.

Took a few photos.

Bryan and my part Huixin.


Jean and i.


A little game we played, me owned twice.


A little candid.


Buddies foreva.


I still think i'm not photogenic.
The person i see in the mirror,
is always different from the camera.

Last but not least, let me share a good show i rewatched recently.

「ただ、君を愛してる」


生涯ただ、一度のキス。
ただ、一度の恋。

Ciao.