Freelancejoker

Not SO Easy

2010-01-08T01:10:00.003+08:00

As I sat stunned browsing through the email histories, I sort of knew that it was impossible that I stay out of the thread. It was a moment of enlightenment, that no matter how well you seem to focus on getting things done, slips still occur once in a while - and when that happens - it is hard to avoid complications.

Never felt that it was anything beyond my league, nor did I feel it had something to do with me, but just knew I had to take some action, and do something. Feeling queasy, even a bit disappointed by efficacy of people, but still, life is always full of hiccups anyway.

Writing in circles is not fun at all, but I believe in being lyrical. It's best if I master the power of coding, then nobody will understand me except those who really do.

teh mnid can raed wahetevr it wnast to...

Mobile blogging

2010-01-03T00:43:00.001+08:00

What better than blogging from a phone? No more scrambling for receipts to write down random thoughts or using the measly notes space on ur candybar phone for that sudden moment of inspiration. In fact you can upload your photos on the go too... Indeed, smartphones have revolutionilized the way we use technology and the way social netoworking is creeping it's way onto every one of our daily lives!

Isn't he adorable? :p

- Posted from my iPhone

IPPT

2009-11-29T03:19:00.003+08:00

I failed my IPPT! And the worst thing is, it's not SBJ I failed, but shuttle run.

GOD! I do not believe I have heard of anyone failing only Shuttle Run. And I am so doomed, I got only a few more days to pass this before my window closes. Definitely reserving Saturday to clear it, but need another session before this to try in case I cannot do it on Saturday! Hoping I can leave earlier from work on Tuesday to attempt IPPT at Safra Jurong.

I actually lost 100 bucks cos of this! Damn... And I ran four times, all at 10.8 seconds, and the passing is 10.7... It's super annoying. Why why why? I must so pass it this time round, or I would have to do RT for like 3 times a week. God! RT? I have never done RT since NS. When has my fitness deteriorated so much?

It must be the food that I have been walloping down my gutter. I have been eating like a famished pig banished to the countryside, away from its pen. Dammit! I better stop before I reminisce and relive the life of fattibombomness that I used to lead back then.

Somebody, put a stop to my binging! :(

Let's pray I pass my shuttle run this time at the partial IPPT retest. I so need to clear it man! *fingers crossed*

It's pretty scary

2009-11-10T23:30:00.001+08:00

The extent of mistrust and political play in any place chills me. I guess I am not that cut out to climb the corporate ladder.

Random Random

2009-11-06T14:13:00.003+08:00

As I sit in the cold and quiet "hot seat" well hidden from flying daggers and piercing arrows, I heave a sigh of relief. Somehow, this strategic move didn't prove to be that detrimental after all - at least I get two huge tables to myself, with all of my stuffs strewn across like a buffet spread. Lovely, somehow I feel that there is no need to pack and file anymore.

My life has been bland since the last update: the usual things, the usual hanging out, the usual friends, the usual suspect. Then again, it's rare for me to not be usual. I am pretty much a conformist except when it comes to Interactive Digital Media which we are trying so much to promote. New media they call it, same old brand new media I call it. Just the same old traditional pressroom magnified onto a digital screen, for what they call instant feedback (but yet somehow regulated by moral obligations and a duty for self censorship).

I think there's something about an educator who put up scandalous links on his FB account and stupidly broadcast them to all his students, which in the first place, should not be on his FB account. What is this? Public Broadcast Service? Hahaha! Sometimes I get too cynical about the work I do (I just made fun a second time about my job scope, for discerning readers). Anyway, back to the teacher. And so he got a warning, and resigned and decided not to be involved in teaching anymore. OK, it was technically his fault, but I thought the only fault was his indiscretion of not seperating work from his personal life. Two thumbs down! Other than that, he is entitled to cyber-lust and he didn't need to apply Cyber Wellness rules to himself. (Ok, that's a third time, this blog post is SO NOT going out)

Teacher aside, what's that about Ris Low taking english lessons at NUS under the sponsorship of NLB? That's a huge boo-boo. Apparently NLB has disassociated all links with her, and enlightened the public on how it's just wishful thinking on her own part to be Singapore's Next Top (English) Role Model. Somehow, that girl needs to drill it into her brain that too much exposure isn't that good, or I'm afraid she will go down the roads of self-ruins and never see the light of day again. And yes, the KNNBCCB on The Shan and Ross show is still a huge faux pas. God Save me!

I just heard a damn "duh" joke on her today:

Q: Where does Ris Low stay?
A: Pasir Ris Lo!

Ok that was damn random and abrupt. But she got people talking about her in their random smoke breaks and lunch hours. She has effectively reduced work productivity because people BITCH about her in GROUPS during their FREQUENT slacking breaks.

Alright, back to hugging my Green Starhub pillow and looking at my Lotus Notes.

Bali Pics

2009-10-25T05:32:00.004+08:00

Finally had time to create collages of the highlights in Bali: One for the random pictures, and one for the food. :)

Aircon No Need Money, But I Need!

2009-10-25T04:54:00.002+08:00

Seriously, somebody should do something about the air-conditioning in KBOX @ Safra Jurong. It's so strong that even though we are armed with super-thick jackets, we all ended leaving the place with a leaky nose.

It's leaking now as I type, even after a warm shower, a hot coffee and two tabs of Panadol Flu Extra. :( God, did we just pay a hundred bucks and spent a beautiful saturday night to make ourselves sick? This is so uncalled for.

Anyway, the K session was typical, and we ended up singing the same old songs again - The Jay Chou, Stefanie Sun, Gary Tsao, Jolin Tsai medleys. Of course, there was no avoiding ending off with silly songs from Spice Girls and Lady Gaga.

To be very honest, it was my first look at the Paparazzi Music Vid and I thought it was awesome. A little bimbotic, but packed with lovely glitter and vivid colours which are amazingly pleasing to my visual palate.

Oh well, at least it was a fun and relaxing session with B & S, and somehow, I was too bored the entire day to mind.

Speaking of which, my austerity drive has been pretty successful so far. Managed to keep within a 50 for this week's activities. One more week to go before my pay check comes in - not incredulously fat, but sustainable. Not to mention I have tonnes of bills to pay off. My debtors are fortunately, either friends, telcos or CC companies, and I don't reckon I will have splashed paint and choppers over me soon! :)

Speaking of choppers, I was watching the Jamie Oliver show on Discovery Channel today, and he was trying to start a campaign to get people to cook in an over-industrialized "fast-food" town. Though it was over-dramatized in certain areas, I thought the concept was cool. The "Pass-it-on" where he taught a batch of people to cook and in turn, they taught another batch and passed it on in a viral effect. That's how cool! I wish someone start something like that in Singapore, maybe get Martin Yan or something, even though he can cook but can't really speak well. :p

I wish to start something big - sort of a revolution. But who am I to say, when I can't even get a proper job yet? This is starting to get a little disheartening, and things at work seems to be going downhill by the day in my current temp job. Not cast in stone, but my intuition says I won't last.

And the last thing I want is for people to assume that I just can't work. Because I have been having a bad spate of luck since I graduated, and most of it, frankly, it is not my fault. But ahh, not going to go into that again. I will just keep trying and trying until I find the perfect job then. But to be frank, I will sure miss alot of the colleagues should I not be confirmed. :(

WHOEVER said CHINKEE is a funny name? I'm how famous!

2009-10-22T23:40:00.002+08:00

FERDINAND "CHINKEE" TAN is lifestyle trainer, renowned speaker, former TV/movie personality, and best-selling author.

He is the author of the best-seller "Till Debt Do Us Part: Practical Steps to Financial Freedom," a guide to handling money responsibly, and the recently launched follow-up book "For Richer or For Poorer."

Chinkee is one of the hottest motivational speakers in the country today. His talks range from financial literacy, sales,and entrepreneurship to effective communication, and leadership, and success.

He draws his lessons from his personal experiences as an entrepreneur. He has spoken before retirees, executives, private as well as government employees, students, church leaders, and even out-of-school youth.

Chinkee has helped and coached over 50 people to become millionaires in their business. His other past accomplishments include being a top sales performer for various financial services and direct selling companies and CEO of Vision Unlimited.

~ From http://iluvlearning.com

Boomz Shingz

2009-10-22T00:38:00.002+08:00

There is a massive amount of things I wish to upload, but I have never gotten down to doing so. Realized I'm getting a bit lazy when it comes to blogging. Not good. Especially when I want to be a professional blogger, LOL! :p

Anyway, the new clip on the Featured Clip section is so boomz and shingz. You cannot miss this! As much as I think Ris Low is a pain in the arse, I am really very amazed at her strength and how she can self deprecate herself to this extent to prevent herself from being attacked further. So Boomz!

And I have to talk about this uncle who left gym in a long sleeved striped shirt and FBT shorts! If that is not bad enough, he was wearing a pair of dirty grey crocs and carrying a Tote bag that looked almost as bad as my mummie's recyclable Cold Storage Environmental Friendly Reusable bag. God! Boy was he confident and sashaying his way out into the food court! Aiyoh. Sibeh Jialat ah! Shingz Shingz Shingz.

Another major Shingz is the uncle who seems like a foreign worker who pee-d into the flower bed that the MP personally grew to beautify our Nanyang Town Estate! (Ok he didn't really grow those shrubs, but the grassroot leaders endorsed the movement). But in any case, super Shingz!! How can like that? So bad lar. Slap slap!

I have so many more boomz and shingz to share, but it just slipped my mind somehow. And I'm tired. So I'm stopping here. :)

Moonie Fest

2009-10-03T13:25:00.003+08:00

It's the time of the year again, where we all feast on delectable moonies and grow really round!

For me, Mid Autumn Festival is always a time of loads of fun and reunion.

I remember the days when I was a kid, and my sisters and I would be gathering at the void deck with our paper lanterns and boxes of colourful candles. We would start arranging the candles in shapes, emulating what we see in NDP just a month or so ago. It was always fun to see who has the nicest formations.

After a while, mom and dad will bring some mooncakes to us and some chinese tea. Homemade mooncakes at that. Then we will eat, and continue to spend the rest of the night away. At the end of it all, the candle session will end up into our made believe BBQ session where we will burn leaves and create a helluva mess. But it was always fun.

Then a few years later, we all grew up. And we stopped playing lanterns and candles. We stopped hanging out together even. We had our own obligations, and my sisters always had friends to hang out with during public holidays and weekends.

There was a year where I played candles all by myself. And it was no fun.

I stopped eventually when I reached adolescence. I started to think this was all crap and it was not fun at all. I hated everything in life. I was a rebel. I even hated myself and just cooped myself up in my room.

It never did change. Up till when I was in Uni, I was still very much alienated from my family. I felt they didn't understand me, and that they were just all about themselves. We never had family reunions, and I avoided them if there were any - quoting reasons from fatigue to examinations.

Recently, the idea of family sprung back into the back of all our heads again. These few years, we always have gatherings which we all casted all our things aside for. We are once again one big happy family.

This year, we would be having a family dinner again.

Life & Death - A Matter of Fact

2009-09-30T22:52:00.003+08:00

I recall seeing a news report on television just two days back. It was on some disaster that struck the Philippines, leaving many homeless and in turmoil. For those who are unaware, I sometimes shed a tear or two when I see such telecasts, maybe I'm emotional, but I choose to call myself humane. OR compassionate for that matter.

There was this woman on TV, who looked calm and "media-prepped". She was speaking coherently, with no signs of anguish, fear, sadness or any sort of emotion on her face. In fact, she was just like any other interviewee for a street interview asking about TV ratings, or whether they like a product.

But her case was drastically different from those surveyed on the streets. She is one of the survivors of one of the worst storms Philippines have seen in recent years. I remember what she said very clearly, even though it was subtitled from her original Tagalog speech.

"I was walking back when I realised my sister was crying. My elder son has just died in the storm, and she was trying to rescue my second child who was buried in the mud."

She said that, in one whole coherent passage, almost like she was reciting some speech or key message. It was heart wrenching, because somehow I felt that she was calm because she is numb, and not because she didn't care.

My friend suggested that she has more or less seen through ups and downs of life, and the loss of a child is yet another "unfortunate" event only, and life still goes on. I felt totally crushed. Imagine if I were to lose a child, not that I may could and would have any, I would totally feel that life is not worth living on, and be derailed, and not speaking like it's a matter of fact.

I sincerely pray for the wellbeing of all who suffered losses in one way or another in the recent spate of disasters in Asia. Maybe God is trying to tell us something?

Peace out. God Bless!

Quickie

2009-09-24T00:29:00.002+08:00

I have been neglecting this space for too long. Was about to switch off the lights and head to bed but felt immensely guilty, and so decided to log on to see see look look, TCSSPMJ, which incidentally happens to be one of Takeko aka. Alexis' fave phrases. Anyway... I got alot to say, but the heart is willing but the flesh weary, I am rather exhausted from the kopi sessions (actually it is teh) with Mich and Ben.

Quick updates: Life at a certain board in Singapore has been good. Love the colleagues, they have been really helpful and nice. I suddenly felt that I somehow missed the good times at Rice Comms, where I chat with Suz all day long while doing work. Also miss Grace and Grace Junior and all the other nice folks who worked through days and nights with me. I like colleagues who are warm, responsive and friendly. That is rather much more acceptable than to be trapped in an ice cove and having to hold your breath and suffer in silence (good for those who know :)

I wish such days can last, but nonetheless, should I not be granted a permanent position, I know I have to move on. But for now, temp seems great - at least I can take my time to monitor the situation, choose my preferred portfolio and understand the sector more. Patience, Darling, Patience.

Had nice dinner at Holland Village with Mich watching me gobble down my fried rice and chicken cutlet. Am so going back for more. It's so worth it and yummylicious. Thanks baby for passing me your lovely egg-yolkless cookies, they were worth every calorie and drop of perspiration in the sweatfactory. Loves it. Can't wait for the next batch, which I have to fight with the Fatness Ultimate Pinoy for the butter cookies :P

And just hung out with Ben till late, as per normal. Nothing special.

And Mich told me about the Starhub prepaid card which gives 50 free global SMS'es daily just by sending 5 of those at 15 cents each. It's like damn aunty can?! But it's probably going to save me quite a lot in the long run, I think. Just when I was contemplating whether to jump on board this ridiculously cheapo offer, my phone started acting up, and messages to Malaysia (which kinda explains my 500 dollar bill thus far) were rejected and failed to deliver!

Must be the call of someone up there!

Remember, STARHUB ah. Don't anyhow buy! :)

Prawning Again

2009-09-18T12:14:00.003+08:00

And so this is the first time I went prawning with Stanley. Heard he got the first catch, haha. Was a little tipsy when I reached Lakeside Fishing Village, from some drinks I had with the girls at DY. And I just randomly threw the rod and even though the float didn't submerge, I had a "I see Dead People" moment and twitched it.

Woooooohooooooo... I got a prawn, and a "tagged" one no less.

A tagged prawn ler! How cool is that? Oh by the way, that stupid tag allows you to spin the "Wheel of Fortune" to see how much you can win in cash rebates. Prizes range from $1 to $20. Stupid Ben snatched the opportunity to spin, and guess what?

He freaking spun $1! So angry! I nearly strangled him and left him dead to feed the prawns in the pool! Grrrr...

Anyway, the rest of the session was great. We seem to be on a roll till the end where I just can't get any prawn and Ben went on a hat trick. Super cool. Harvested say, 14 prawns? Our best catch so far since the both of us are cursed prawners. Hahaha!

Over

2009-09-12T02:23:00.001+08:00

IT's finally over. I don't know whether it's a good thing, but for now, I am really feeling happy that I'm away from it all.

Time will tell.

Blog Spam

2009-09-09T11:37:00.003+08:00

Oh My God! I actually got SPAM on my chat box.

Does that actually mean that people actually think that my blog is great for advertising? This is such an honour, because my readership looks pathetic! It's a joy to see blog spam ok? Please spam more, whoever you are, the guy selling PSPs at $230. (Is it nett price or what? Sounds like a fantastic deal)

Oh well, you know, you can always ask me for advertising space, since nobody would buy any from me, I would give it out FREE, unlike Ms. Snowfall who sells her pixels for like hundreds of dollars and claim that it's cheap. I would do an advertorial and pose for you too, ABSOLUTELY free. I can even throw in my mediocre photoshop skills and video editing techniques with my absolutely heart-able iVideo.

So don't spam lar, anything you want, just ask. OK?

P.s. I want the PSP dude.

Resume

2009-09-05T13:06:00.002+08:00

Tan Chin Kee, Dillon
Tel: +65 8222 5602
Email: tandillon@gmail.com
Skype: Dillon.ck.tan

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Nanyang Technological University (2005-2009)
• 4-year degree programme in Bachelor of Communications with a major in Public Relations and Advertising
• Cumulative GPA: 4.25 / 5.00 with Second Upper Honors

Fudan University, Shanghai, China (Jan - Jul 2008)
• Global Immersion Programme (GIP)

National Cheng Chi University, Taipei, Taiwan (Feb - Jul 2007)
• International Student Exchange Programme (INSTEP)

Hwa Chong Junior College (2001-2002)
• GCE ‘A’ Levels
• Distinctions in General Paper and Higher Chinese at ‘S’ Level

The Chinese High School (1997 - 2000)
• GCE ‘O’ Level

WORK EXPERIENCE

Xtentia China, Shanghai （Jan - Jun 2008)
Undergraduate Intern (Account Servicing)
• Market Research and Media Monitoring
• Prepared proposal for crocs International Olympics Giveaway in Beijing
• Client Pitching
• Channel Management and Logistics
• Clients serviced: crocs, Logitech, Mio

Rice Communications, Singapore (May - Jul 2009)
Graduate Intern (Consultant)
• Media Pitching and Interviews
• Press Release Writing
• Media Monitoring and Clipping
• Strategic Planning and developing PR proposals
• Qualitative research in Asia-Pacific markets
• Regional clients serviced: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Mobile Marketing Association, DCNS, BoxSentry, Inmarsat, CommVault

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Language Elective Programme - Higher Chinese (2001-2002)
• Recipient of the Outbound Immersion Award under the Temasek Foundation – NTU LEaRN Programme (Jan to June 2008)
• Recipient of the International Business Fellowship Programme (IBF) by International Enterprise, Singapore (Jan to June 2008)
• Final Year Project (Hope of India) fully funded by NTU and selected for presentation in the IAMCR Conference in Mexico and regional ICT conference in Bangkok (2008 - 2009)

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

WKWSCI Freshman Orientation Camp (Jan to July 2006)
Orientation Group leader for FOC 2006/2007
• Led a group of freshmen around for a five day orientation programme to familiarize them with the university culture
• Helped facilitate and organize activities for the camp

Communications Club (Jan to July 2006)
Social Sub committee Member
• Organized activities for club members to aid social cohesion
• Was active in events like Mid Autumn and Homecoming

COMMUNITY SERVICE

River of Hearts, Shanghai (Jan to Jun 2008)
Volunteer coordinator
• Organized Clothes collection drive for needy children in rural provinces of China like Hebei and Hunan
• Disseminated event information through various channels

Handicapped Welfare Association, Singapore (Aug to Nov 2005)
Event Planner
• Organized a community project to repaint the walls in the dilapidated facility of the Handicapped Welfare Association
• Designed flyers for the event and fundraising sales
• Conducted a two day ornaments sale in NTU to raise funds for materials

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND COMPUTER SKILLS

• Highly proficient in written and spoken English and Chinese
• Competent in the following software programmes: MS Office 2007, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Indesign
• Fair in social media marketing platforms inc. Facebook, Twitter and weblogs

TGIF on Sunday!

2009-08-31T00:52:00.006+08:00

Kinda weird, but that's it man - went for yummylicious rib-eye and mac&cheese at TGI Fridays at Johor Bahru. Wonderful food, cool atmosphere, at a pretty affordable price tag! The exchange rate never fails to make everything in Malaysia so much more enticing. On a seperate note, Happy National Day Malaysia! :)

Some pictures to tempt you! :p

Oh well, the weekend zapped by so fast, and it seems only like yesterday when it all started, since Friday was like a late gathering with the girls. But had so much to eat over this whole weekend. Would have loved to grab some shots of the delicious crabs we had on Friday night, but my hands were too creamed to take out my camera. Truth be told, I didn't bring a camera that day anyway, lol.

Time spent with the raccoon was short but lovely as usual. Raccoon's so cute cos he doesn't understand why I call him a raccoon, nor does he know what a raccoon is! :p Put up a picture of a raccoon for him specially on Facebook! Sure he can tell the resemblance pretty soon. Haha! Anyway, I love Google Image search, you can literally find anything you want. Here's the cutest one!

And the Champagne/Caviar party at my company was alright, even though I felt bad dragging Ben & Stanley alone. Had pretty good Moet Rose and salmon softbread though. The lobster tapas was a bit too chewy for my liking though.

We look like we have been made over with tonnes of foundation and make-up like the "getai aunty" we saw at Starbucks earlier, but thanks Calvin the photographer (who has now become a personal friend) for sending me this pic in private, so wouldn't want it to end up in the corporate shots sent to the Marcomm team! :D

So, that kinda sums up my weekend. So fast, so fast. Monday again! Work work work!

Of Complaining & Managing Expectations

2009-08-29T16:04:00.002+08:00

Well, everyone complains, and I believe it is fair for all to complain when things go wrong, and they are bottled up to the neck with difficulties and obstacles to surmount. And I complain too, way too much as some of my friends told me though.

Well, I am not going to justify my complaints, nor am I going to say I am sorry for complaining. But I do realize that after complaining, I get my things done, and I find solutions and answers, so I don't do an empty complaint.

I am ok with people complaining to me, but I am not alright with people saying I complain too much when I do not complain to them at all. Do not take your preconceived judgments and lay it all upon me. I may be younger once and more whine-ish, but I do know where I've moved on and become more professional in my conduct and behavior. And so, I loathe and I cannot condone people throwing their accusations upon me and measuring me by a yardstick that was established long ago, because people do change, and I do not appreciate crap.

That being said, I am not going to stop complaining, because if I reach a point where I cannot complain to my real friends, it's when I am totally satisfied with my life, and that is when I close my eyes, and look upon my life as a floating spirit, cursing the world with my last breath. Period.

Case closed upon the complaints. Another topic that dwelled upon me from yesterday's meet-up with a bunch of friends was the issue of committing to a relationship that seems to kill of a person's social life.

I believe and endorse relationships of any kind, because relationships help people to grow, to be more sensitive, to understand more about people you care about, and to make certain sacrifices or changes. I do not believe that just because someone has changed in his way of life and become more held back and settled, he is unhappy. True, that certain someone has more whining about the relationship and feel very pressured, but there is no hint that a change in environment indicates that he is upset and the relationship would not last.

I firmly stand by myself, that a relationship will allow yu to have a crystal clear appraisal of yourself everyday, as you grow closer and bond in unity. Be it friends, family or lovers, the process does not differ much, and it is relatively similar. Love others, love yourself; be happy and troubled. Because like I say, if you divert your energies to other forms of life, you will eventually find that there is so much to bitch about this far from perfect world.

So I urge everyone who reads this, complain, love and bitch like you never had before it's too late.

I'm missing you, bloggie...

2009-08-26T00:36:00.002+08:00

Realized that I have left this space empty for quite some time. Hmmm, somehow this entry line seems replicated from Alexis. Hahahaha! But it truly is the case!

Life at work has been alright, and slowly but surely, I have been learning new things and tasked with new things to do. I like to work, and I like to do well at work. To quote Susie, we are all workaholics inside, and working hard makes her semi happy (it makes me too!).

Oh well, nothing's much exciting in my life, and I go about my usual routines, maybe cept the fact that I am indeed putting on some weight (the mirror and hips dun lie). Sigh! Maybe it's because of work, I have a voracious appetite, but at least I try not to eat out of my three meals a day. Let's just say stopping the Atkins Diet always make make me fatter! :(

I actually feel tired to blog. Am I losing it? Oh dear, maybe it's technology transfer - I realized that I have been on Facebook too much! I am so sorry lil bloggie, I am still here. And I will not give you up again, like I did three years back. :(

Fairmont and Singapore 2010 YOG

2009-08-14T00:59:00.002+08:00

Third day as a YOG Coordinator at Fairmont hotel. As the team is new, there are plenty of opportunities to leverage on, and that sort of keeps me worked to the bone as well. Work has been sufficiently challenging, and I guess sorting out all the remnants and organizing them into a cohesive flow and system is of paramount importance to me right now. After all, I chose to go into this current job for the exciting portfolio. So I shouldn't be complaining, should I?

The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic One Year Countdown officially begins tomorrow! There would be a big show at the Padang with fun-filled activities. From carnival stores, sporting events, unveiling of countdown clock from Omega, unmasking of certain elements of the two YOG mascots to getting everyone hyped up, this sure is hell of an event.

As a tier one sponsor, Fairmont Singapore will be leading almost 100 of their valued colleagues to form a contingency of hospitality. This big "parade" of sorts seeks to empower employees to proud and enthusiastic ambassadors of the games. Watch out!

On Work and Singapore Idol

2009-08-10T13:29:00.002+08:00

So the holiday has finally come to an end, and it's time to start my new phase in life. To be frank, this would be my real actual job since the previous stint at Rice was more of an internship than a full-time appointment.

Woah, it's been one month since I had the 9- 6 ++++++++++++ lifestyle and being in an office for the most part of my day. Something to look forward to? Definitely. There is, however, a weird tinge of fear in me that things might be erupting at godspeed when I'm in the job, and that I cannot meet up to the huge wedge of responsibility slapped onto my shoulders. After all, I am going to work in a world class hotel chain, on a world class event, with only one direct boss and no other colleagues. Quite intimidating for a freshie like me. Of course I will endeavour to do my best, but I just can't help feeling... a little scared. Human nature, at its peak.

And the ringing in my ear persists. I am so paranoid that it would affect my work. All I wish now is that it becomes better before I report for work tomorrow, or I would be in serious trouble since it has affected part of my hearing and has induced me to start mumbling because every voice I project seems to be refracted within my ear drums and it makes me feel like I'm shouting when I'm actually like Mr. Careless Whisper in Singapore Idol.

Speaking of which, I thought Singapore Idol was pretty entertaining, even though I realized that certain elements might have been planted to spice up the whole clip. To be frank, I thought Avril Lavinge was totally a scam, and she must have been paid loads to be featured in such a light. Lady Gaga was superb, in fact, I thought she deserved a chance. She wasn't half as bad as some high pitched screechy gay dudes whom the trio let through... Hell Gate Warrior was so lame I can't help but think he's paid too... And the horrid snippets from the audition at the back... makes me think of how they sabotaged me during Star Idol many years back to make a fool of me. It was totally taken out of context. But oh well, such is Television and such is life. If you dare to show up, be prepared to make a mockery out of yourself if you do not have what it takes. Hahaha.

The weekend was boring. I hope the new week brings with it some new excitement in life. And also, bring back all my friends who have mysteriously disappeared into different parts of Asia. :) Safely.

Overkill

2009-08-04T13:26:00.002+08:00

I know many insist on dressing to kill, and feel that there is no qualms for overkill on the dress up when heading for an interview, but miscommunications leading to me wearing a suit to a psychometric test isn't pretty, I hope I wasn't the laughing stock of the company!

But oh well, I am seriously hoping this would be the last round of the interviews. Just received a notice that I have successfully met their requirements for the test (which happenes to be a million dollar investment by HQ to identify the suitability and capability of the candidate). I felt it was just like another Facebook Quiz though... Nothing much...

In any case, hope to be starting work soon, bumming around is no good!

Male Escort on Facebook!

2009-07-31T18:55:00.005+08:00

Think Chippendales -- less hot version and Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo -- hotter version.

Was on Facebook when I came across a topless picture trying to claim to be a human and trying to add me as a friend as well. Curious, I clicked on the profile to find out who that helluva headless guy is, and possibly try to find out why his head was chomped off.

His introduction intrigued me: Apparently he is from this VIP Male Escort Company. I thought, com'on, many of my friends put these tags for the heck of it, or really, some of them fantasize they are attractive enough to be male gigolos but they so do not qualify, but as I read through the comments and replies, I was totally convinced.

His messages were on the lines of "Hi Baby, you are sexy too. When are you going to invite me over for a one night stand?"

Seriously, I was flabbergasted! Social media marketing reaches its peak with Facebook man! Sleazy masseurs aside, this is the most outrageous call for clients I have seen on Facebook thus far. And apparently, he isn't concerned whether his clients are male or female! This leaves me with one big question... Why did he choose to add me?

OMG, do I look like I will pay for sex god dammit! :(

*To protect the persons involved, I shall not be posting notes or pictures of the above marketeer. But would it harm anyone if I post a Chippendale picture? :p

J-en, Alexis and Ki, for you. :)

And for the rest of you...

The eyes are the soul of the heart

2009-07-30T15:53:00.002+08:00

Old saying. Truly magnificent.

Been on Od of eye drops for this past one month and still seeing black jellyfish and half the screen with fuzzy words daily. The feeling is horrendous.

I sometimes find myself waking up to a blur picturesque of wobbly images. On better days, I see things clearer but after 5 minutes it dries out and all that is left are fuzziness again. It's pretty tiring to keep trying to focus on things instead of being able to see without stressing the eyes.

What a gift eyesight is to man, now I behold. For people who have bad contact lens habits, or likes to abuse their eyes, take a lesson or two from my plight. Now I just wish to see properly again.

With my glasses on.

Ben and Dillon Goes To JB

2009-07-29T23:41:00.004+08:00

Like the title suggested, we went to JB! it was a nice sunny lovely day and we were smoking and sipping our super cheap J-Co coffee with the complimentary donuts and marveling at what a good deal we got when the serviette caught my eye. I took it up to realize that I have to write a message to my CB. And I so wanted to ask my CB to be with me forever. When I scribbled my genuine heartfelt feelings on that wretched piece of tissue, a huge gust of wind emerged from nowhere. A J Co bulb burst and soon, all I hear was CB calling out to me. When I turned, I saw a huge UMBRELLA (mind you, those beach ones that shade like 10 people) darting towards me. I was absolutely flabbergasted, but was rooted to my seat.

Fortunately, the stupid mother of a brolly flew past me, crashed my chair, tripped my expensive branded bag and flew towards the next table, smashing cups and ash trays. All these happened in like 5 seconds. Wrath of God indeed.

CB, We are just not meant to be!!! :(

Other than that final destination experience, all was good. We ate nice Chee Cheong Fun by the stall beside City Square and had plasticy wanton noodles. I was amazed how that whale of a CB gulped every thing down.

Then was Red Box time! Buffet dinner with catering styled food (filling but not delicious) and four hours of KTV at only around 16 bucks per person! What a steal. Hehehe... We sang so many stupid songs like Lady Gaga's Poker Face and Carpenters and Kelly Clarkson. Oh my God fun!!!

And it was time to go. We had to go. And the lovely "叶子楣“ buns were out of stock! Saddddd...

We got out of school, like we did?

2009-07-26T13:51:00.004+08:00

The time has finally come when we all go on stage to receive our pathetic cert, look at the camera, strike a pose and come down the stage. One after another. Hundreds after hundreds. Yawn... But I guess it is a stage of life in which we must go through, at least it marks a milestone in our mid life!

Oh well, we have graduated! At long last! 4 years of eating sandwiches from vending machines, screaming at faulty kopi production rusty boxes (it really is SUPPOSED to be a fully functional delight drinks vending dispenser), getting bitten like mad by mosquitoes on the dirty benches, sleeping in tutorials, bitching at professors and their impeccable fashion sense, going overseas and pretending to be ambassadors of Singapore. Wow! We have come a long way indeed! :)

To mark the end of our glorious journey, here's some takes from the ceremony, which is made out to be like some solemn court hearing. Like, whatever. So 1990's. Un-fetch!

My obligatory shot with my folks and sister! :)

Jia Ying, Me, Kiezin and Yi Jia!! Love you all!

My FYP group. Fellow fruits and Indian lovers. Yes, that's Yi Jia AGAIN!

Me on stage, courteousy of Avy! Blur but better than the one I paid 12 bucks for but looked at the wrong angle!

Absolutely hearts this pic of mummy dearest who complained all her 4 kids graduated and donned this gown and she doesn't have a chance to. So here you go sweets!

It was good! But due to the recession, the reception was horrendous and the food was so limited and bad tasting. I wonder where the huge catering during Leo's times went to. Sigh! :( We had to scurry our folks home and make our way down to Brekos!

Cest La Vie guys! Thanks for being with me all this while!

Rollercoaster and Love

2009-07-07T15:57:00.002+08:00

Suddenly remembered that I still own this space for rantings and my close friends who know the existence of this blog.

The past few weeks have been crazy. Changes, differences, switches, adaptations, recoveries and all. Can be summarized in a single word - rollercoaster.

So many things have happened and I realize that there are so many things which I really got to believe in, to hold on, to bravely admit and to deny sometimes. Nothing is perfect in this world, and you cannot hold on to the world so tightly and expect it to revolve with your momentum. Run when you need to, swim if you are drowning, dance like you mean it and of course, live like you own it.

So much, so much has happened. Life is turbulent and full of bumpy rides. As I trod on the path and hold my head up high again, what I see is a rainbow in place.

That amongst all, I feel loved. I love you so much. My baby.

Mobile Marketing Makes Waves

2009-06-19T12:44:00.010+08:00

Super Excited. My pitch for CNBC Asia worked out pretty neat, and here's the coverage for my client.

It was a busy busy week at CommunicAsia 2009, and thankfully, the event has come to a good close. Interview quality was superb and the relevant soundbites were articulated well and skillfully.

A milestone in my work so far, and great to see my contribution working out well. But of course, Suzanne my AD is to thank for this little boost in my spirits!

Rice is officially READY TO SERVE!

2009-06-17T20:29:00.005+08:00

WOAH, time really flies. We were talking about this big party when I joined, and so quickly, one and a half months just whisked past.

The Rice Family has been wonderful and supportive. I'm really glad for the opportunity to celebrate this big event with Rice as part of the team.

May Rice have many many more eventful and bountiful years to come!

Domokun goes to Rice!

2009-05-28T12:23:00.002+08:00

Somebody just infiltrated my office desk and he's sort of drunk! :D

And Oh God, I miss Nao!! :(

Ugly Betty Finale

2009-05-24T20:16:00.002+08:00

Ugly Betty Season 3 Two-hour finale was a tear jerker. I was crying unknowingly while watching the last episode of my favourite drama series and possibly the only one which I have followed religiously since the first episode.

God, the magic of love binds all, and very often we are thrown into situations in which we cannot get over the past and are not able to move on, leaving complications when the new people set into our lives. Also, the frantic need to prove your own worth, and to become the cream of the crop never ceases, and it is definitely a dog-eat-dog world out there.

Even though heavily dramatized and exaggerated for the obvious intention of humouring and appealing to the mass audiences, I always manage to see little fragments of my own life in Betty's. The decisions she has to make are aplenty, and she may not always make the right choice, but through her determination and a little bit of luck, she always manages to make things right, or be convicted of her own decisions.

Life is not as easy-peasy naturally, but true enough, there are no problems without solutions. The solution might just not be totally appealing or desired. Like L says, do not think of something that cannot be solved at the moment, and concentrate on happy thoughts. Life has never ending cumbersome matters, and what matters most is making the best of it and not letting yourself be bogged down.

Sometimes I think too much for people like Betty, and compromise my own happiness. Sometimes I want something so bad, and am totally naive that things will follow the way I planned. Betty grew up through the three seasons on air, and so must I.

Looking forward to season 4, no matter how lame the show is to many out there. :)

Oh So Broke

2009-05-23T10:10:00.003+08:00

I guess it takes a lot for someone to realize that he/she is actually very broke.

I was out that day, remembering that I had a credit card due date and that I totally needed to pay the minimum charge of $25 for the month or Citibank would slap a $40 late charge on me. I opened up my wallet to find $30, which was to last me for the whole of the week.

I first went over to the DBS atm machine, hoping "magic money" might appear. But it didn't. It says, "$8.61". Fine, I reckoned, and went over to the UOB machine. Worse! "6.80"

I tried to go over to the cash machine to deposit the 30 bucks so I could pay off, but the machine was spoilt. In a desperate measure, I had to call L in the middle of the night to transfer some money to my bank so I could pay off the minimum amount. I felt so remorsely ashamed of myself.

And so, I've learnt that even though we should not slave for money, leading a comfortable lifestyle is important. I am not talking about a hedonistic lifestyle of self fulfillment, slashing cards to their highest limits and pampering yourself with treats all the time. When I meant comfortable, I meant that you did not have to save on meals, indulge in an occasional taxi ride, or watch a movie once every fortnight.

And so I've calculated. I have a loan from school that can be repaid interest free for 3 years, and in which I hope to settle of course.

A breakdown of my expenses might look like this:

Transport $120
Breakfast/Lunch $150
Cigarettes $150
Dinner after gym $150
Phone Bills $100
Weekends $250
Loans $650

So I already need around $1570 a month to settle my necessities. Not to mention savings and contribution to household.

And if you now know why I'm always missing in action, you should roughly know why. Because I am in an austerity drive, and staying at home is the cheapest way of escaping from expenditure.

I will get out of this when I have a proper job I guess! :p

Peace out.

A new work week beckons

2009-05-18T01:01:00.002+08:00

Got to go back to NTU to settle some loan accounts, and had to take a few hours off work tomorrow I guess, since the opening hours are only from Monday to Friday and I don't want to be blacklisted by the school for stealing some equipment before I graduate and maybe jeopardize my convocation! Haha.

Of course, that is wildly exaggerated, but it's better to play on the safe side. :)

Anyway, a new work week begins again. Amazingly, two weeks have scooted by in Rice. The gradual adjusting of a night owl lifestyle to an early bird one has started to kick in finally. I no longer feel so drowsy in the morning, and of course a thick cup of "Kopi-Gao" and a stick or two helps.

On a backtrack, high tea at the Oriental Hotel totally sucks. The three-tier English tea was awfully "ger-lat" and two cups of latte set me on a caffeine high that went on for three hours, compromising my gym session after, inducing puke-ish intentions. It was a horrible session. I could barely complete 3/4 of my usual workout routine.

And as any other weekend, my beautiful sunday went by just like that. Caught up with Ben at the coffeeshop and went over to "poke" Dooris and Maomao, my two little god-dogs. Well, he refused to allow me ownership over them, so I had to go through unorthodox ways to "own" them, haha. And yes, Kiez, if you are reading, I purposely used the word "poke" to cheer you up a little. Hahahaa...

And Nao left me a sweet leather mousepad! OMG! I wonder why she went to such an expense for a mousepad when they give out free ones from ST801 or the likes of some movie memorabilia. Oh well, sweet. I now own another expensive mousepad, following the Razer one I got as a gift from Alan a year back. *grins*

And boy was I inspired by the "Biggest Loser". Omg, it was simply amazing. The amount of weight loss percentages, could only happen in my dreams. I wonder how I would look like if I lost 51.52 percent of my weight like one of the winners. I probably will look like some freaky skeleton from some closet. Haha. No pun intended, me ain't hiding any yeah? :)

I work at Rice, but I don't eat Rice

2009-05-08T12:26:00.003+08:00

It's amazing how evil people can get when they realize you do not eat carbs. They start eating Cheetos, Mars bars, ice cream, Famous Amos cookies beside you and leave them beside your table for easy access. Totally evil.

Everyone's amazed at how I can survive without rice for lunch. I tell you, you simply get used to it. It only takes like 2 weeks for that to happen?

Work

2009-05-06T00:33:00.000+08:00

I can sense work slowly piling up even on the second day as an intern. It is pretty heavyweight. Will just see how it goes.

Level 99

2009-05-01T02:59:00.002+08:00

This is an emotional post. Continue reading at your own discretion.

Sometimes I wonder, how would life be if all I needed to do was to gain experience, fight mindless battles and level up to 99?

They say, games simulate life, yet I think, it's far from perfect. A character in a typical RPG game has a life which may be far from good, but he ultimately gains trust from people around him, build up a team of great allies and eventually defeat an ultimate evil which threatens the existence of something or someone he holds dearly to. Such a life can be said to be nobel, quixotic or even simple.

If only life exists for the sole purpose of defeating a single entity, then life wouldn't be full of contradictions and ironies. It would definitely be purpose driven, exciting and full of challenges.

What is the ultimate evil I need to defeat? Who am I protecting? What am I going through life for? The answers to all these questions undeniably kills me bit by bit at times, and sometimes, when given the option to give up or continue, I face a very big dilemma. When will "Game Over" be?

Today I switched off my game console and realised that life is so different from games.

Oops I Did It Again (NTU Corp Comms Remix)

2009-04-28T21:31:00.003+08:00

Sometimes, I really feel very upset that we are studying in ulu NTU. Just today, I received a mail in my inbox, indicating that NTU has been awarded the GOLD award in the Reader's Digest Trusted Brands. They went on to describe how prestigious this award is and that it is in the league of competitors such as Raffles Hotel, SIA and NTUC Fairprice. These are all overall big winners in DIFFERENT categories, but placed alongside NTU to show how impressive we are.

And impressed I was, initially, until curiousity got the better of me and I decided to Google the other winners. And boy was I not surprised, when NUS was the winner of a PLATINUM category and their press release did not even mention any semblance to the achievements of big groups like, yes, Raffles Hotel, SIA and NTUC Fairprice.

Yes, NTU Corporate Comms, I regret to inform you that you've done it again.

IAMCR Conference Update

2009-04-28T17:54:00.003+08:00

Received some good news and bad news.

I may be going here after all in July now that my boss has approved my block leave.

Even better news is that I may be stealing some time off to stopover here.

But the worst news is that this is actually happening.

Sigh. Am I really so disaster prone and jinx-y that everywhere I wanna go has something happening? Read: China - Sichuan Earthquake; India - Mumbai Blasts; Thailand - Club Fire plus Riots; Mexico - Swine Flu. Hope this conference trip works out.

Failed Beef Noodles

2009-04-28T17:35:00.005+08:00

This title was from Alexis. Not that the beef noodles failed to please us but that we failed to taste it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that the shop is closed only on the day that we wanted to visit for a meal. Darn! Why did they choose just this day and not Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday? You get my drift.

Irritated and sweaty, the "ngiam ngiam" people went over to Hong Lim for western food and sugar cane juice. It was as yummy as usual. I love it how their oil is not BLACKISH as compared to other WF stores where they recycle their oil for one whole week and the golden fries actually looked burnt and brownish. Well, no carbs, so I didn't eat the fries. Here's a look at the Chicken Chop and some obligatory camwhoring pictures.

After that we adjourned to Chinatown Point Mcds for some home-made brownies. Love my mum's baking. Yummy. :) Scott then left to gossip at Filament while we made our way home. Was a short, disappointing, but nonetheless fun meet up.

Hock Lam, you better get your act together when we next visit. Or we swear we will leave footprints on your front door. Haha. Damn the craving is still there. Sigh.

Interview

2009-04-21T18:46:00.002+08:00

Today's interview at Rice was a very good learning experience. I was told not to regurgitate facts and figures and prepared speeches right in the middle of the interview.

I guess I'm still pretty new to all these interviews and it is indeed a gruelling session for me each time I go, but everytime I go for an interview, I learn something I should or should not do. I am guessing by the time I complete 15 to 20 interviews, I should be well prepared and armed for any kind of interviewer that comes my way. Haha.

The interviewer today was really cool, and even though I think I failed to impress, she was very patient and tolerant with me. Here's feeling that she would and could be a good boss if the opportunity arises. Oh well, the ball is not in my court now, and I am not able to predict the outcome this time.

Well, we all learn. And we got to constantly innovate. I personally feel that the templates for interviews, how to ace at interviews, how to impress your interviewers guides online and offline are crap. I will not ever take a look at them again. It totally destroys the chance of being personal with the interviewer because of the many reservations and standard answers you are dying to spit out at any chance.

Now, who's going to read "Dillie's Idiot Guide to Successful Job Interviews"? Hahaha.

Memory Loss

2009-04-18T17:15:00.004+08:00

Last night's JC class outing was fun. It was a small turnout, guess the timing was kinda off.

Making such a terrible faux pas, I mistook one of my ex class mates as another and that sparked off laughter and humiliation for the whole night. I was literally the butt of jokes the whole night, damn!

Note to myself: To improve my memory.

Maybe some gingko nuts could do? Or take some Brand's Chicken Essence, god I hate those stuff. Sigh.

Anyway, for Kiez who missed out, here are some photos.

Aware? Beware.

2009-04-18T16:12:00.003+08:00

I'm sure many of you are AWARE of what's the biggest sensation in Singapore these few days.

There is therefore, no need for me to regurgitate the countless number of articles, reviews, comments and opinion pieces available either in the traditional or online media platforms.

Aware started out as an empowerment organization for women, to fight for their rights and what they deserve. Through the process, Aware has built a reputation for themselves as a non-judgmental, secular association that promotes equality and fair treatment across all religions, races and sexuality.

It is important to note that as hateful as Ms. J is, she deserves some pity. Her myopic view of religion, of tolerance and the homosexual community has allowed everyone of us to see really clearly how some people in the society are just bigots. Maybe bigot is too harsh a word, she's probably just not enlightened.

The issue now is not for DBS to remove her from her position, or for gay supporters to cut up their credit cards to show their detest for this self-serving person. What's more important is to open up awareness to the latent publics that they have a need and motivation to participate in this saga. If it isn't crystal clear, maybe I should throw in my two cents, and declare that this is Singapore's state of Emergency: A time of turbulent times where people choose to enforce their viewpoints and extrapolate it to the society in general, indicating their wish to hold a superiority complex over others they deem unworthy or "sinful". Whether or not you are gay, or gay-friendly, it is of paramount importance to know that the homosexual community has done nothing to infringe into your lives. True, stereotypes may indicate that they lead wild lives embedded in sex, drugs, booze and I hate to mention, AIDS, but is it fair to say that they impose their views on the society and therefore they need to be eradicated, one step at a time?

Of course, our honourable Ms. J, the supreme new high priestess of Aware, has not indicated her hatred for gays, nor has she anything to say about her ties with other significant events that try to boot the gay community out. It is therefore, presumptuous on our part to indicate that she said so, or attempted so. But with God in Heavens watching, it takes a blind man to be oblivious. Sad to say, she has made a very wrong move. By taking over an organization that promotes cohesion, she is wrecking coherence in her own life. She may seem to be thriving and riding on the clouds for now, and felt that she has opened up a pandora's box of social issues, but what she is doing, is merely leading to a process of making even original supporters of anti-gay sentiments leave the field.

Let her take over Aware. The society works in magical ways. Very soon, there might just be another more successful organization. Beware.

Tae Yang

2009-04-16T23:43:00.001+08:00

When I'm down, he keeps me up. lol. :p

Crap

2009-04-15T23:13:00.001+08:00

The marketing paper was horrendous. I was shaking and cringing while doing the paper. I have never felt more unconfident of any one paper in my 4 years of academic life. Here's wishing it all goes well. :(

One day before all breaks loose!

2009-04-15T01:34:00.005+08:00

Tomorrow is the first day of the exams for my final year in NTU. How cool is that! Hahaha... I am totally armed and ready to get my C+ for marketing! I think it shouldn't be a problem now that I crammed in 12 lectures of knowledge in one day. It's open book and Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory after all. But oh well, one cannot be too careful. Got to watch out still.

Met Leo after his BKK trip. He was alright. And so is everybody else. The situation in Thailand is really bad. Really bad. Political play is just so ridiculous. I cannot fathom it. But at the same time, it is almost human nature to be inquisitive about all these happenings around the world even though we may not necessarily have a stand or viewpoint. It's just "kaypoh-ism".

On a lighter note, I feel fat today. Like AGAIN, what's new? I really really need to break out of my sedentary lifestyle after tomorrow's paper since the next is on Monday, and get my freaking huge ass back to the gym. I totally need the torture of the metal plates and the cable crosses. Oh, I can imagine the clanking of the iron already, and it's a major turn on. lol.

Almost two a.m., but my heart is unsettled. There seems to be something that is pending and that I have not resolved, but a quick look on my checklist indicates otherwise. Maybe it's just one of those days when you are very jumpy and worry-warty. Oh well, let's just hope this lingering naggy feeling pass on without causing much trepidation in my life. I have enough troubles already.

Tonight, since I am in a crappy mood, let's talk about... ahem.

Maybe you should fill in the blanks. Whoever you are. Talk to me, comment. Let me know someone's reading my obscure blog. Haha. Fulfill this tiny little fantasy of mine won't you? To be a true blue social media practitioner, butting in on everyone's online business.

Oh well, I feel tired suddenly. Here's today's picture: Alexis and her mice.

Cest La Vie

2009-04-14T14:32:00.004+08:00

Four years have just fluttered by in a battle of an eyelid. How amazing. We've trod on the paths of the long winding roads and hilly terrains of NTU thus far, and it was indeed bittersweet. I dare not say as many of my friends said with vigor and absolute truth that NTU has contributed nothing to my growth and maturity as a young adult. NTU has indeed helped me to see things in many perspectives, but of course, I dare to say it was rather minimal.

I do not preach that to justify the many stereotypes that NTU is a boring concrete grey prison that people choose as a dumping ground to attain their much justified and easily obtained "toilet paper". What I meant was definitely on a more macro perspective. Being enrolled in a course that required many hands-on practicums, projects and initiatives, I was hardly in school. My impression of NTU, especially WKWSCI, is a holding ground where I can always belong to when I needed solace and help from teachers and friends. It is always a delight to move around the benches and see friends either mugging or preparing their presos. And it is uncommon that we do not start bursting out in laughters and start casting our works aside for senseless bitching. That is home, truly.

I have been abroad for several exchanges and projects and that helped me to build my portfolio and overseas perspective thus far. I thank NTU for always giving me the opportunity over others in this aspect. I dare say I have lived a vibrant and colourful life in school.

And here comes the end. The end of school and the beginning of a new phase in life. The Final Year Preso went pretty smooth and it was indeed a long journey we have taken. Exams begin tomorrow, and I am still trying to prep myself up to study for this final final year exams.

To conclude. Here's a shot from preso yesterday. :)

Cest La Vie!

Confessions of a binge-aholic

2009-04-11T05:44:00.004+08:00

I am Dillon Tan, I am a binge-holic. I can't stop eating. *pouts*

Sometimes when I stop whining to myself about how injusticed I am in this world, I do have a natural sense to appreciate the little joys in my life. Frankly, these are the small details of life that keeps me going on.

After a six days hiatus, I finally made it back to gym. The long cough tormented me for a week and I was so glad I can hit the gym again. Being super guilty, I whacked myself doubly hard. I swear I was catching breaths in between workouts and was sweating like a pig. I wanted to stop, but when I saw my love handles, I insisted on going for a run even though I was dying. But it all paid off. I felt instantaneously better while on the threadmill, totally deluding myself that the lovelies are gonna vanish at the end of my run.

They didn't. Unfortunately. :(

And then went to meet my lil sista for "Confessions of a Shopaholic". Yes, I'm slow, and everyone has been telling me about the "You speak Prada", but I was really down and broken last week, so yes, I admit again, I'm damn slow. It was a feel-good show essentially, and there are lessons to be learnt. Very Ugly Betty. Very Me!

Ok. I really wanted to skip the part where I had an amazingly big cheeseburger at Shokudo, devouring all the fries, and that I am blogging at this insane hour because I refuse to sleep after a huge plate of bee hoon and five seaweed chicken, but I really feel damn guilty if I don't blog about it. Sigh.

I promise. I will stick to my L-Carnitine, intensive cardio, and Atkins diet tomorrow. I promise. :p

Cheated

2009-04-10T14:21:00.003+08:00

Today I was just randomly surfing my torrent feeds and checking if there are new shows worth watching. And I saw my Ugly Betty season 3 feed updated. Curious, I clicked in to realise that all episodes have been out, long ago! I felt extremely cheated! I was told ABC was ceasing it because of low receptivity, and that the next episode (14) would only be released in June. I didn't check in until now! So angry! Now my Transmission is happily downloading.

Many would say that Ugly Betty is dropping in production standards, and that the storyline is boring and over the top, but to me, it is a show that is really beautiful despite the title. The vicious workings of the publishing business and the politics that of course are exaggerated - they portray to me a real picture of the world. I like it, primarily because it has always been my dream to edit a magazine, and also because there are always certain lessons to be drawn from the show. For those who haven't watched Ugly Betty, please go and watch it!

I really miss my life in Shanghai... alot...

2009-04-10T03:39:00.000+08:00

Job Frenzy

2009-04-10T02:59:00.002+08:00

The time is now. Everyone is looking for a job, or a new job. Whoever says that the crumbling economy is making people more sensible and making them hold on to their jobs dearly? I have never seen so many of my friends wanting to switch jobs at any one point of time. Oh well. Maybe it's the forced leaves and paycuts, maybe it is the declining job morale, or increasingly high demand for quality work. Well, it all works out fine.

I have been in a huge frenzy myself. The blow was dealt when I was planning my future career with a prospective employer. I was almost that ready to plunge into the private sector and making do with the low pay for a job I truly envisioned myself to be still at in 5 years time, but reality hits, and I was not able to make the cut. It's sad, when you just gotta dill with it.

Dill with it. This phrase was once the title of my blog, simply because it so aptly fitted in. I guess you gotta have ur own perspective on things and be true to yourself.

I'm dilling with it. Are you?

Happy Birthday Alexis

2009-04-09T03:21:00.003+08:00

To the dear sister, friend and FYP groupmate
Stay happy always!

Managing expectations

2009-04-09T03:15:00.005+08:00

It is important to manage expectations, especially when they are put upon by yourself. Learning to deal with setbacks and emerging stronger from them makes you a better person overall.