Taking a break.. t get myself back again..

It has been a while since my last blog... There are so many things happened like H1N1 and Michael Jackson sudden pass away..
Me and my boss already in talking terms, only on work matters but we don't chat much like before..

I'm taking a break from blogging.. to get my career back on track again... (Still sniffing out for ship to jump)...

Feeling very "loser"...

I'm feeling very low.. Just don't know why.. After working so hard all these while.. and i still unable to save much $$.. me in my late 30ties.. I was wondering what have i been doing all these years.. or was it the living standard is getting even higher..? Or is it i'm too comfortable in the comfort zone (Job)... Maybe i should get a life..

Trip to Bottle Tree Park

On 6 Jun09, after work i went to Bottle Tree Park at Yishun (near Khatib MRT). This place is like a country side.. where families can have fun.. There are so many activities.. Long Kang Fishing, Prawn Fishing, Pond Fishing, Couple Swan Paddling, Pool Table, Table Soccer, Vegetable Farm, Paintball... etc... There is a seafood restaurant and a beer garden facing the main pond..

My daughter was so happy fishing for Long Kang (stream in Malay) fishes. For S$10, you will get a small fish tank & Net (all can be brought home). In the man-made pond there are Red Guppy, Ribbons, Swordtail, Pacu, Goldfish, Molly... and yesterday we are surprise to catch many baby Koi fishes... I was feel very sad for these fishes.. They have been spending their life running for their life while happy children stomping the pond trying to catch them.. I vow to bring them home and raise them well..

Since my daughter has been asking us to buy her a pet.. We let her keep these fishes as pet.. It is more meaningful as these fishes are caught by herself (with some help from my wife). It is an unforgettable experience for my child.. I have told my daughter to be responsible for the care and life of her pet fishes..

Then we head to Plaza Singapura to buy fish tank, filter, sands, ornaments etc... The shop keeper service was good.. He help us set up the whole aquarium...

Very low morale....

Still feeling very emo at work.. everyday.. Feel so sad.. Why am i like that...? I have tried to forgive her.. but each time i talk to her, she has been giving me the cold shoulder...

Or maybe that is all i could contribute to the company... Squeeze dry.. no more use liao... Maybe i was too loyal and got hurt so much.. is that the price for being too loyal... ??? Or is it time for me to move on and find another job with better prospect..

My boss now has been sitting in her room and still expecting sales from counter staffs.. and scold them for not getting sales.. End of the day, staffs cannot take t and resign.. then when the economy picks up.. new staffs are unable to cope because lack of product knowledge... so less sales...

At this point of time when the economy is bad.. The managers or seniors should be training the juniors on product knowledge.. and bosses should be going out to find business opportunities..So by the time the economy picks up.. Everyone is equips with skills and sales opportunities to do more sales...

This company is really lack of direction or maybe boss did not shared her direction with us...

Still disappointed with boss...

Well i still disappointed with my boss for her comment after so many days.. I'm a very forgiving person.. but somehow.. i could not shake her remarks out of my mind..

Maybe i'm too loyal to the company.. This is the company i have work the longest.. from Mar 2001 till now 2009.. WAH 8 years liao.. I started out as a Marketing Executive till my current position of Marketing Manager.. I have learn a lot during this 8 years.. Maybe that remarks of "Calculative" hurts my 8 years of commitment to this company..

For so many times i have been taking a step back to see what i have achieved in this company... Do i still have more to contribute or is there any more rooms to climb up to.. ? These have been bugging my mind everyday.. Sometimes i wanted to forgive my boss, but then .. i just could not do it...

I'm not being petty or what so ever you call it... I'm just very very hurt by my boss remarks... after i contribute so much to this company.. I have never been calculative with my boss before..

Disappointed with my boss's remarks..

On saturday 30 May09.. My boss came to work at 11.45am.. (we start work at 12pm).. Then she saw one of my colleague in one of the branch, light still not on (she just came in, and yet to switch on the lights). Then my boss ask my other colleague, why 12pm already, the lights still not on? (it is still 11.45am) then my other colleague reply that she just arrive..

Later my boss call everyone for a meeting and scold all for not switching the lights on when we came into the office.. She expected us to switch on all the lights when we step into the office. I told her that we do switch on the lights even before 12pm.. Then she keep arguing with me that we only switch on the lights at 12pm sharp.... OOh damn it.. which eyes of her saw that we never switch on the lights.. Then she said why we all so calculative.. and she even says we manager instruct the counter staffs to only switch on the lights at 12pm.. she even tell the junior not to listen to the managers..

Damn it .. FUCK.. I really got really really angry with her.. HOW could she says that we are calculative...?? We come to work usually 15mins to 20 mins before 12pm.. and we will switch on the computers, scan for virus, clean the phone and switch on the lights.. Now who is calculative??? She should be glad that we come to work earily to get everything prepare before 12pm... so that when customers step in at 12pm we are all ready to serve....

I was so angry that i never speak to her for a few days (except for work matters)...

Ouch!... I knock my head....

OOOuchhh...!! This morning i knock my head against the Bench Press Machine at the gym.. It was painful.. i keep rubbing it hard so as not to get and blood clog.. (Some say blood clog might cause brain turmoil)...

This knock wakes up my idea.. Hahaha... After that i don't feel so sleepy le.. hahaha... What a way to begin my morning with....

Singapore 1st confirm Swine Flu case..

Well Singapore has got its first confirm swine flu case... For the pass few weeks there are many customers who wanted to cancel their trip or postpone their trip to countries which has swine flu.. now Singapore confirm its first case le.. Those customers who are scared to travel to those effected countries.. please pack your bag and leave Singapore.. Hahaha..

Life are as usually for everyone.. even at other countries who are affected...

Roh Moo-Hyum Ex-Korea President Suicide

Mr Roh jump off a high cliff early on Saturday while hiking, trailed by a security guard, near his home in Bongha. In his death note wrote 'too many people are suffering because of me."
'What's left for me for the rest of my life is just to be a burden to others,' his note said. 'Don't be too sad. Aren't life and death both part of nature? Don't feel sorry. Don't blame anybody. It's destiny.' He asked to be cremated, a small gravestone erected near his home.

Well on the Buddhist point of view i will says his suicide will bring more pain and suffering to his love ones.. If he were to stay alive and fight his way to allegations that he accepted US$6 million (S$8.65 million) in bribes from a businessman when he was the president of the South Korea... He could have clear himself.. and go back to his own life..

He should not just give on his life.... By him commit suicide he only loses his body but his guilt and sufferings will bring to his next life.. Birth is a gift from your previous Karma and we should treasure and make the best of it..

The Metta Sutta Chanting MP3

Yesterday i download the Metta Sutta MP3.. Metta Sutta is the Buddha's word of Loving-Kindness...

Here is the link..
http://www.buddhanet.net/filelib/mp3/6_chanting.mp3

Now i can listen to The Metta Sutta everyday from my Mobile Phone MP 3....

Company Cut Cost

Due to the financial downturn and Swine Flu.. Our company business also have been been hit.. To get 10 customers to enquire a day is consider lucky le... Everyone is bored and has been trying their best to do more bookings.. As usual, boss has been pressurising & nagging the counter because sales are bad.. But what to do? Every agency is affected by this financial downturn and Swine Flu... We only hope the world economy to recover and swine flu epidemic over...

The only solution is to cut cost.. by cutting Over Time (OT).. Now from Monday to Friday we are working from 12pm till 9pm.. Our meals allowance are being cut too.. :-(

Looking on the brighter side.. at least we still have not resolve into taking unpaid leave, pay cut or worst being retrench...

At the same time, me and my assist manager are trying to boost up the counter staffs product knowledge and to improve their English.. So that when the economy recovers, we will have a strong sales force to do battle with...

Lee Bee Wah , STTA & Lui Guodong SAGA...

I read about the saga of the STTA President and the former Singapore Table Tennis Head Coach..

This comes amid public debate over the association’s latest decision not to nominate former table tennis coach Liu Guodong for the Coach of the Year award.
Liu had led the Singapore women’s team to win a silver medal at last year’s Beijing Games, ending the republic’s 48-year Olympic medal drought.
Ms Lee said Liu’s integrity and professionalism was in question and this led to the decision not to nominate him for the award. The decision did not go down well with Liu, who is currently in China, and the public.

Following STTA’s refusal to nominate Liu for Coach of the Year honours and comments made by table tennis chief Lee Bee Wah (Also a MP) about Liu. Liu had returned to Singapore from China last Thursday to seek a meeting with his former employers. But unfortunately he only manage to meet the STTA’s honorary secretary Soon Min Sin and chief executive officer Chew Soo Sheng instead of Ms Lee Bee Wah..

If she is able to quote this comment on Liu.. she should stood out and face the public.. Come on Ms Lee Bee Wah.. You are a MP, a public figure.. Standout and face everyone.. How can you just make a comment and then keep quiet about it.. as if nothing happens.. Your comment does not means much to you but it does hurts someone.. As a MP you must always be mindful of your words and actions...

Here is the site for the petition to remove Ms Lee Bee Wah as STTA President..
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?lbh&1

Person with high IQ but no EQ is useless....

Fight at people's Park Centre Food Court...

Last Wednesday, there was a fight between the fruit stall owner and a customer.. This is what happen...

This old man went into the stall area (restricted to public) and wanted to order Ba Kut Teh... Then the drink stall owner told him that customers are prohibited inside this area.. and a heated argument starts between the fruit stall and this old man... and to my understanding... The fruit stall owner push this old man out of the restricted area and accuse this old man from trying to steal his money.. and i understand that the fruit stall owner had broke the old man "expensive" glasses.. And the old man call his grand teen children to help him. and one of his grand child slap the fruit stall owner.. they cause so much commotion till the security have to call in police.. 4 police came and took statement from both party.. This old man is a rich man and is going to sue this fruit stall owner..

From this incident.. the fruit stall owner can politely just tell the customer to move out of the restricted area, because it is not safe for him to be in the kitchen area.. He should have explain it to the old man.. instead of shoving him out of the area..

Budget Airline "do care"...

This passenger did not expect anything from the budget airline and were expecting a non-refund.. But was surprise that their appeal to fly on another date was approve.. and this passenger does really appreciate all the efforts put in by Jetstar Asia..

This shows that the more you demand and expect, the more disappointed you will be.. Sometime if you were lower down your expectation on others, you will get plenty of surprises.. :-)

Flying on budget airline can be a bliss too....

Budget Airline to provide water free, reasonable?

First they complaint about the service of the "no frill" budget airlines. Now they are asking for free drinking water from budget airline...

Singaporean... knock... knock... Wake up.. Do you really know what is Budget Airline?? For that
"$0.00" dollar fare, do you think the airline should give you drinking water? Don't tell me that foreign worker taking plane for the first time don't bring money? Who don't bring money when they travel? If you are thirsty on board the plane, you may buy a bottle of mineral water from the airline (S$3 for Tiger Airways & Jetstar Asia and RM4 (S$2) for Air Asia).. Jetstar Soft drink only cost S$2.. Let the airline earn your S$3 lah..

Usually the longest flight duration for budget airline are only 4hrs non stop (per sector).. I will usually buy something to eat onboard budget airline, just to keep myself busy..

Please.. please.. If budget airline provide every needs of the passengers, then they will be consider premium carrier...

Budget Airline = NO FRILL..

You only pay to get from point A to Point B.. You don't pay for service and comfort when you travel budget airline.. You should count yourself lucky if the air stewardess/steward smile at you... So please STOP all the demands, complaints and request..

Good Deal for Wine...

Saw this wine promo online.. Seems like a good deal... They even got a wine tasting session on 15 May09 & 16 may09...
Check it out their website: www.mywineshop.com.sg

Chicken Rice Shop...

Last night me, my wife and my daughter were hunting for dinner at Vivo City (basement).. The "Set B" $15.90 for 2 person Promotion by Chicken Rice Shop caught our attention.. It sounds good.. It includes: The Grilled Butter Chicken, Single Serves Chicken, 2 plate of Chicken Rice, 2 Pai Tee, Ipoh Bean Sprouts, Soup of the day and 2 cups of Ice Lemon Tea..

The Grilled Butter Chicken suppose to be the "star" of the menu... But it turn out to be the worst dish among all menu.. The chicken is season with herbs and grilled, then dress in spicy butter sauce with curry leaf.. The butter sauce with curry leaf is terrible, taste like fermented bean curd in chili sauce.. It does not even goes along with the grilled chicken.. Awful..

The rice and the bean sprouts are ok.. Chicken meat is a bit tough... Soup of the day, we got Sichuan Vegetable Soup... The only delicious item is Pai Tee...

My verdict: The traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice is still the best...

Budget Airline.. They are No Frill Airline

I read this article in Sunday Times on 10 May 09.. The Aviation Correspondent, Ms Karamjit Kuar wrote that Budget Airlines need to brush up in term of customer service, especially during a crisis. And they must show some flexibility when dealing ith complaints..

Once again.. Singaporean welcome budget airlines to give competition to those big brother so that fare have to come down.. And the whole travel market was stir up.. This is good.. But yet many Singaporean still does not know that Budget Airline is NO FRILLS.... You have to pay for your own meals, pay extra for check-in Luggage, pay for preferred seats and so on..

Many of the Singaporeans does not know that most budget airlines call centre are NOT located in Singapore.. they are being out source and station in a different country.. (So no point going all the way down to the airport to make a complaint, they are only the ground handling agent not the airline employees) and their main budget airline mode of booking is via Internet.. Budget Airlines does charge a very hefty service fee for amendments and of course a total no refund.. Please lah.. How much the budget airline make out of your 99ct air ticket? They too need to make a living also... They already charge a super "Lelong" fare.. and what refund you want?? Whatever happen in the world (natural disasters, political unrest, flu epidemics etc...) are NOT all airlines fault also.. and carrier gave refund only out of good will..

A $2 bowl of noodle at a hawker centre is different from a $5 bowl of noodle at the restaurant.. Try complaining to the hawker, you will get a stern stare and if worst, you will get a tongue lashing "@*!#%@*".. But if you make a complaint to the restaurant captain, they will replace u with another fresh bowl of noodle..

To ALL BUDGET TRAVELLER:
You get what you pay.. Your got cheap ticket but of course no frill.. So no point complaint about the lack of service... If you expect service, please book a premier carrier so that it gave you some reason to "Bang Table" if the service is not up to your satisfaction...

Vesak Day 2009..

I was at the Kumudra Mediation Center at Chinatown on 9 May09 to celebrate Vesak Day.. Both my bosses and Mr Park the Korean Chef were there too.. Venerable Sayadaw U Eikdibala from Myanmar led everyone on prayers.. followed by the bathing of the little baby Prince Siddhārtha Gautama.. A symbol of inner purification, the tradition is said to assist with the purgation of sins.

Venerable Sayadaw U Eikdibala told us that in Myanmar and some other countries.. Their practice was to watered the Bodhi Tree... Bodhi Tree is where Siddhartha meditate and finally attain enlightenment to be come Buddha.. He told us that he will give a Dharma talk in the evening on why the practice of watering the Bodhi Tree instead of the baby Prince Siddhartha..

Anyway i did not attend the evening Dharma talk but my boss did.. Venerable Sayadaw wanted us to understand the meaning of watering the Bodhi Tree.. If not it is of no use if we only just practice but without the knowledge why we do that..

Compassion without wisdom is pointless.

Wisdom without compassion is useless.

So today i was so eager to find out the answer and my boss explain me, since she attended the Dharma talk by Venerable Sayadaw last night..

She explain to me..
Because baby Siddhartha Guatama was born as a prince and had not attend enlightenment yet.. So there is no significant to bathing the little baby prince.. We should water the Bodhi tree instead..

A universal message that,
'it is simple to wash away physical dirt but it is much more difficult to cleanse one's inner dirt of greed, anger and ignorance.'

Happy Vesak Day...

Mas Selamat was caught..

Taken from Straits Time site...
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_374015.html

Mas Selamat was caught by the Malaysia Police in Johor... Singapore being ashamed for letting Mas Selamat escape from detention... has been saying that because of the intelligent leads given by Singapore that Malaysia could capture him.. i mean of course we need to give info to Malaysia so that they can assist in capturing Mas Selamat... Without the lead or information.. which is going to assist Singapore to capture Mas Selamat??

Anyway.. Kudos to Malaysia Polis... Cheers....