Chinese New Year Preps (Part 2)

My family has the tradition of taking reunion lunch instead of dinner. Yearly, my mother will be asking what to have for reunion lunch. 933 golden pillow, my new found love. Highly recommended. We usually have buffet for the yearly gathering that takes place during CNY. 华人真是个吃的民族。So now comes the question again, what to order? Our usual caterer has a new menu and was said to be featured on 《超级小吃赞2》 tonight, 30/1. We wanted to see before we order. What a strange way to make decision! As if we will know its taste by seeing. But tonight its focus was on the CNY goodies. Now that there was nothing to see, we need to take a gamble on the new dishes.

肉干 is a must have during Chinese New Year. My colleagues bought Ajiichiban 肉干 for us as omiyage (お土産). Each piece is packed in a small packet and takes about 2 bites to finish. It is a convenient way to snack. You do not get your hands oily and stuff. The best thing is it comes in assorted flavours. I am not sure if we can find them here. A weird idea got into my mind. I can do the same by buying 1 kg of 肉干, cutting them into small pieces, packing and sealing them up. Idea, right? Of course, it must be done in a hygienic manner. But it sounds tedious. Maybe I should keep to my house tradition of cutting up and packing them into a Tupperware? Pure laziness on my side. This aside, papa and mama, where is my 肉干? 爸爸妈妈，我的肉干买了吗?

Alamak! Turn Sala!

After a long hard days' work (inclusive of OT), went to pick up gf from bedok to go have dinner together. We decided to head to ABC maket to have 铁砂掌 fishball noodles. We went happily on our way... I don't know what got over me, instead of making a right turn at the junction, I end up making a U-turn. "Alamak! Turn Sala!" (This started a chain of events that spoiled our evening) We end up still in bedok. DAMN!

Nevermind, switch to contingency plan; dinner at bedok central. Can go eat the 咖哩鸡面. On with our way again... should take me less than 10 minutes to reach there. At the junction, I kept right, gonna make a right turn. Lights turn green. Guess what? I went Straight. DAMN DAMN!

Its still alright, can still make it to the hawker center through the other entrance beside the cinema. So, on my way yet again.... Happily made the correct turn to the cinema, and guess what (again), at the entrance to the carpark, a new sign "NO ENTRY EXCEPT FOR BUSES". TRIPLE DAMN!

Getting desperate, we need to get our food intake urgently, I made a illegal U-turn and was on my way (this time no more happily) to the main carpark entrance. There was a long queue going into the carpark. No choice might as well 乖乖 wait in queue. What happens next is so "SWAY". The queue is actually a jam. 2 cars away in the queue, an accident actually took place. An ambulance and a red rhino with blazing lights cut into the queue. A fireman disembarked and directed traffic to move away. Bye Bye 咖哩鸡面. QUADRUPLE DAMN!

I guess thats about it... 4 DAMNs in a row what could be worst? So one more time, we were on our way (Grumpily) once more..... Bedok North Market. Just find anything that can stuff (Luxury of Preference gone down the drain). Reached the Market carpark, no parking lots available. DAMN x 5!

Can park at the carpark across the road. Reached there, ALL RED LOTS! DAMN x 6.

How shitty .... I have a feeling that we'll still be in bedok when my fuel runs dry... (State of despair). Cannot tahan anymore! going mad. Left Bedok North and head to Bedok South. Got a parking space and we settled for a bowl of fishball noodles each. Finally, we can then all go home...

'TURN SALA, SALA, WHATEVER WILL BE, WILL BE..'

Welcome 180secondz!

We added another writer to this blog.

*Drumroll + Claps*

Let's welcome 180secondz with his debut entry!

Medical Appointment

Today I went for my follow-up medical appointments. The one at 1pm was a brisk. The ones at 2.30pm and 3.45pm where I gave stool sample, had blood test and consultation were somewhat frustrating. The first spark of dismay was the long queue at the registration. I stood in the queue for 40 mins and it took another 10 mins for registration.

Flashback: When discharged, I was given 2 bottles for 2 samples. These samples must be produced at different times and cannot be left overnight. I told the nurse it is not often I do my big business twice within half a day. So she suggested to put my sample in 1 bottle then consult the doctor/nurse if it can be shared if they really need 2 samples. So I, being an obedient girl, followed strictly. I prepared my sample in the morning in one bottle.

Back to current: After registration, I handed in my stool sample and took my blood test. They need the blood test results before I can see the doctor. So I waited. 2 hours went by, I walked into the room and she only said my potassium level was back to normal. I asked how are my Iron, B12 and folate levels since I am low on these. She replied this consultation was only for my body salts. I wondered if those I asked were examined. The doctor requested me to submit another stool sample (because they need 2) this coming Friday between 8am to 4pm. I asked for the collection bottle which they refused to give me. Then, to my horror, they told me the sample must be less than 4 hours old (i.e. to produce 2 piles of different samples in 4 hours). So means, the one that I submitted failed. It was way past that limit. But the nurse said since I have already submitted, they will let it pass. Huh??? Can meh? (Pardon me for my Singlish here) So I have to submit one more sample on-site. Ok fine, if I have that 'inspiration' to do so on Friday. This doctor consultation only took about less than 10 mins. Arghhh...

Then it was another 20 mins of waiting before payment time. Finally I left the clinic at 5.20pm.

For those of you who knew where I went, avoid that place as much as you can. On a broader view, the service must be improved and upgraded if Singapore aims to become a regional medical hub.

황진이 - 黄真伊

When can I finish this Korean series? I bought the set at $12 from Poh Kim last Sunday, which I thought it was a good deal. For a week now, I seem to have lost interest in it. So far, I have watched 3 out of the 5 dvds. Another 2, I am not sure how long it is going to take me. Personally, I find it too detailed, so much so it becomes draggy. For this series to capture the hearts of so many people, it must have its plus points. Let me slowly digest the drama to savour its essence.

河智苑 is a great beauty in the show. She has this attitude and air around her which makes her arrogant and yet at the same time charming. Her stares are especially mesmerising. Great job done by her. She truly deserves the fame and popularity arising from this series.

Dinner & Drinks

I am writing this entry in an ultra-high mood. I just came back from my first company D&D. Firstly, applause to the organising committee. There were requests from individuals that you guys have to attend to and make do with the limited resources. I knew this job is never easy and never will be. Thank you for your effort in putting this together.

D&D is the time for us to get together and give ourselves a pat on the back for the year's hard work. This objective was definitely achieved. I had a lot of FUN and LAUGHS and felt especially HIGH tonight. I think most of those in my table went crazy. You know who you are. Don't deny, I know you guys almost went berserk. All attendees were given whistles and poppers. We went crazy with that. Our table became one of the most spontaneous (read: noisy) group. We were supporting almost every activity and paticipant throughout the 4 hours. Cheering, whistling, clapping, singing (or was it shouting the song), waving and swaying with the light sticks etc kept us busy the whole night. They are actually very energy consuming. We cannot help it but to feel tired and hungry after every round of cheering.

There was a singing competition where Miss L*** O** took part. Some marks were allocated to creativity. So we, the supporters, used the creativity in us to score points. For normal support, we mainly blew the whistles, clapped and cheered like how the fans usually do during concerts. For her, on top of those mentioned we added the hands swaying and even walked onto the stage to support her. 'Banner' prepared by one of the colleagues was held high up for her throughout the song. 2 tables of people, about 10 plus gentlemen, presented her flowers, even our FM did that too. The flowers were not merely given to her. The guys did stunts like kneeling down, dashing in and end up in a kneel down pose, etc. Boi, how can she not be the star? Her good singing and our support helped her won the competition. You go girl.

The dinner was so-so. For drinks, white and red wine, Otard XO and Chivas were served. Being in a company where everyone can hold their liquour well, I saw many people downing one glass after another. Imagine how HIGH everyone got. Breaks were given between acitivities for us to go to the restroom while the rest mingled around. It was during one of these breaks that some impromptu dancing took place. Our star was dragged onto the stage to dance by two gentlemen who danced rather sexily and with some Bollywood feel. She gladly joined them. Bravo! Deafening whistles, cheers and claps went off for her instantly.

At the end, there was a lucky draw. 10 prizes were drawn and our table won 3. And the star won something too. Let me recall, she won prizes from singing, lucky draw and game. I am not counting your prizes without a reason. You should know what you ought to do. I just tell you what I need. I want Pi Pa Gao.

Overall, I am very satisfied with this event. Nothing more that I could have asked for. My tablemates have made it more fun and memorable than I thought it would be. My only hope is I can sleep well and not shout "L***! L***! Woooooo!" tonight.

Once again, applause to the organising committee for a job well done before I sign off. *Claps* Wooooooo!

PS: If I left out any interesting things that took place during D&D, please let me know. I will add them in. Thanks.

Pay Rise

Analysts commented we will be feeling the hit of inflation in 2008. We cannot help it but to feel our $10 last year is bigger than our $10 today. So our salary must increase to cover inflation. If not, it is like 'a wage reduction' for the same/more amount of work done. Agree with me? 钱不够用。So I am thinking how one can get a pay rise. I have in mind these few ways. You get a pay rise when you: 1: get promoted. 2: change employer. 3: threaten your boss. 4: get positive pay adjustment. 5: wait for the annual pay increment.

Through Promotion: In some places, getting promoted can mean $500 increment. Woa, that is quite substantial. Congratulations, if you get pay rise through promotion. At least your past performance has been recognised. Coming together with pay increment is work increment. So weigh your monetary gain against work gain.

Change Employer: If you change job, the increment may be limited. New company usually ask for your current pay slip for reference. Usually about $200 - $300 more??? Unless you are that few bright shining stars in your field of expertises who are being headhunted. Anyone with any hearsay figure for headhunted pay increment?

Threaten Your Boss: This method is not advisable if you think you are dispensable in your company. How this method works is, there are some who 'threaten' to leave the company for a better paying job. If you are worth it, our boss will counter offer you a higher wage. I heard some stories of this nature. They do work.

Positive Pay Adjustment: Some companies adjust their employees' salary to match the market rate to keep their employees. Civil servants had their pay adjustments last year. How I envy them. For me, it is like present from the sky. You do not get this everyday, you know.

Wait for Annual Increment: The easiest of the 5 ways is probably to wait for the annual increment. However, many companies have abolished/ will be abolishing time-based increment. Many have moved onto performance-based scale. Is it called the paradigm shift? For this shift, it is a form of encouragement for those who are new to the company. You may be told things like: "Your increment is based on your performance. Your pay rise can be as much as a veteran. There is no such things as a sleeping veteran getting more increment, while you slog your life away. This is a fair system." From what I see, this type of system is more like knowing where you stand in the eyes of your management. You, a newbie, do not have the comradeship that your management shared with the veterans, do you? Unless you really shine like the sun, your performance seldom get recognised that fast. If you perform as well as a veteran, your grade may not be as good as his. Afterall, management is still human. Their judgement cannot be totally impartial, right? I am also not a fan of the time-based increment scale. It has its cons like veterans (not all) not contributing as much as they should and the efforts of some individuals not being recognised. I think I am digressing. Back to the part on annual increment. My point is simple. Bosses, please let us have an increment that can offset the effects of inflation.

Dear bosses, please have a heart on us. Let us have an adequate pay rise for year 2008. Let's pray for it, my friends.

Chinese New Year Preps (Part 1)

Chinese New Year is one of the most look forward festive occasions for me. This year, I was able to start packing up my room early. Until now I am maybe one third done. Frankly, I am not that kind who likes to throw away things for fear of discarding things that I may need in the future. But still, I have to do it. Things get more and more, but my room does not grow.

I wanted CNY mood in my house. So bf and I went to Concourse on 20/1 to buy some CNY decorations. Personally, I do not remember seeing strings of fire crackers in my house. So, I bought 5 strings of fire crackers to be hung at various corners. Since Mickey and Minnie are the stars this year, how could I not buy them, right? I will have 3 pairs hanging on the walls and bedroom doors. Other than 'in' designs, I insisted on buying floral prints to give it some traditional feel. Bf and I have put up most of them. The rest shall be continued some other day.

I ordered a hamper online to be sent to my laoma's house; my godmother's house. This is the first time I ordered it through this company. Let's see how's the service and the quality before deciding if I will get from them again next year.

I volunteered to buy the drinks for this year's CNY party. My family hosts the yearly CNY gathering inviting all my paternal relatives. So drinks is absolutely necessary. I bought 5 cartons of packet drinks, 12 bottles of soft drinks, 12 bottles of plum/chestnut water and 12 cans of beer. I am not sure if it is too much, but since this is the first time I do it, I better follow the guidelines set by my father.

More CNY shoppings to come...

O Level Results

Today is the release of the GCE 'O' Level results. Congrats to my cousin for her good grades! Little did I know my sister also contribute to her grades. Not bad, ji'cher (teacher).

It makes me start counting back. When did I receive my 'O' Level results? Let me see... (I am really counting, mind you) I took my 'O' levels in 1998 and results released in 1999. Oh my oh my. I took my 'O's 10 years back.

Last week while waiting for my turn in the clinic, I read a phamphlet on Stress. Uncontrollable muscle twitch is a symptom of stress and anxiety. It meant I was stressed up during my 'O's and 'A's. If I remembered correctly, my left thigh muscle 'jumped' at times during both 'O's and 'A's exam periods. Perhaps, my body's threshold for stress is slightly lower than average. Maybe, not sure. Anyway, I am glad that I survived.

For those who just got their 'O's, think of what you really want. Your journey has just began. Best wishes.

The Last of my Hospitalisation Leave

Today marks the last of my 11 days of hospitalisation leave. I will be back to work tomorrow. I was down with Salmonella Enteritidis Infection. For those of you who do not know what that is: it is something similar to Prima Deli's case in late 2007. Nope, I did not get it from Prima Deli. Until now, I am not sure where and how I got this . But with some reading up, it is something to do with eggs. You can say I tried catching up with the trend, but was slow.

Long hospitalisation leave you may think. Boi, I tell you this was no fun. The first symptom was the slight stomach upset that came on 13/1, at about 6.30pm. This stomach upset later upgraded itself, without my consent, to diarrhoea and vomit. And the fever started. All these took place well within 3 hours. It was my personal record of running to the toilet for 8-9 times and vomiting 4-5 times within 3 hours. Later on in the night at 10 plus, bf drove me to TTSH. Upon reaching TTSH, I was being "quarantined". I was classified as a suspected bird flu case, due to my business travel to Batam. But also because of this, I received immediate medical attention. I was put on drip, given ECG test (for my higher than usual heartbeat), urine test and X-ray, while I waited for the blood test results of the preliminary bird flu test. I was later admitted to the hospital CDC2 for treatment at 1 in the morning.

Sleepless Nights in CDC & the Medical Treatments

That night, I was running high fever of 39.5°C. Normally when I have fever, chills come. I had 4 blankets on me, yet I was still feeling cold. My blood pressure was constantly low (Low:55, High:88). Another reason for my sleepless night was the hourly checks that the nurses had to do for me (BP, heartbeat, temperature). I fell asleep only when the effects of the Paracetamol set in at about 5am. I woke up at 7am, because of the returning chills. I was shivering in cold when the doctor came to check on me. During my first day, I had blood tests, body checkup, hydration drips, urine and stools collection. And so my fever came and went lingering around 38.8°C. Likewise on the subsequent days, I had more blood tests, hydration drips, potassium drips (painful), Vitamin B12 injection, etc until my report came out on the 17/1, the day I was discharged. During this hospitalisation, I was unable to sleep for 3 nights out of the 4. Imagine the panda rings that I had. On the day of discharge, I still had watery runs, fever and felt nauseous. My condition did improve but not fully recovered.

Mini Health Check

During this stay, it was like having my health check. The last report showed I am deficient in Iron, Vitamin B12 and Folate, implying I am anaemic. Folate level is something I have to watch out for before getting pregnant in the future. This serves as an alarm for me to take good care of my health from now on. Now, I am a good girl taking all supplements given to me. There will be several follow-up doctor appointments to ensure I have fully recovered.

Gratitude

All in all, a blessing in disguise, although the feeling was not at all pleasant. A big Thank You to my family (esp. sister), bf and his family for coming to visit me and took care of me during this hospitalisation period. Appreciate that.

1st three minutes

I started a blog on impulse and not too sure how long this interest is going to last. That's why I decided to call it 3 minutes.

Nothing much to expect out of this debut blog. If it ever last, I hope it can serve as some form of memories for me in years to come.

Keep it short, I am the three minutes blogger.