Hey.... it's now 4.49am in Singapore and here I am writing this blog. Why, you might asked? Well, because.... I just finished showering after I got home from clubbing. Actually, it's the 2nd night in a row that I got home around this time..... well this all happened because Lorraine is only here till Tuesday and she wanted to check out the clubbing scene in Singapore before she left, so......
Thursday - after work I went out for dinner with 2 friends at Din Tai Fung.... had the usual xiao long bao and beef brisket noodle combo. Then as planned before, I went to MoS (Ministry of Sound) at Clarke Quay later that night. There were 6 of us in total....... basically we just want to check the place out since we never been there. It was OK.... there were 4 rooms that we are aware of..... the RnB room which is very very packed, the main room where we hang out most of the time, and on the 2nd floor (they even got an escalator inside!) there were the disco/retro room and a lounge (i think the theme is house music, not really sure). So we spent most of the time in the main room, and that night the DJ was from Hed Kandi with a guest saxophonist named "The Lovely Laura". She was good.... I really enjoyed it. Then we went home at around 3 (although with someone complaining "what? it's only 3!!") --> I won't tell names haha
Today..... at first I realize that my curtain is not thick enough..... it was like "aaaaahhhh.... sunshine!!! nooooooo!!!". Then I finally managed to get out of bed at around 12, but that also only because I had to get ready to leave for church, which started at 3, but it's so freaking far, and I had to get there early because it's Good Friday. Don't have time to have lunch, so I only ate some biscuits. And the mass was sooooo long, and I got really really hungry during that. Afterwards we ate some roti prata, which is just right outside of the church. Then another friend asked me to go watch a movie, so I said OK..... we watched "Shooters", starring Mark Wahlberg. It was OK, much better than "The Number 23" which I watched a few days ago. Then after movies it's on to St. James Power Station. It's THE clubbing scene in Singapore now. It is HUGE. If you think MoS is big..... think again. This place have 9 rooms altogether (although they don't have an escalator haha). We ended up in the room called Movida... there were a band playing Latin music. They were pretty good :)
So yeah, here I am ready to go to bed now since my hair is already dry. Not sure what time I'll wake up later.......zzzzzzzzzz........
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
FLOOD!!!
So, funny story.... I never experienced flooding when I was in Indonesia, but it happened to me just now.... in Singapore, at a 7th floor apartment. Imagine that!
As I mention earlier, today I got home quite early because of my attachment. So when I reached home, I suddenly feel quite in the mood of cleaning the house. So I swept the floor, but (luckily) I didn't mop it.
Then at 7.50pm, just when I was about to dial in to my conference call, suddenly I felt some strange sensation on my feet.... it was wet. So when I look around, the floor was already flooded. The water came out from my flatmate's room, and the room was locked!!!
So I kinda panicked for a bit... tried to call my flatmate but she didn't answer the phone.... then I call the locksmith to come, then I have to join in the conference call.... so I joined in while trying to get as much water into the other bathroom (with no avail). After about 2 minutes, my flatmate came back, so I decided to skip the conference call tonight and deal with the crisis first.
As suspected, it was the evil bitch (literally) who did it. Leony the bitch, to be exact. The bitch that always scratch and pee on me everytime she sees me. Aaarrrrghhh!!!! I hate that bitch!!! She chew through the bathroom pipe so the water burst everywhere.
In the end, it's kinda funny coz now the apartment looked very clean.... after we mop and mop for about half an hour....
So now I'm exhausted, but American Idol is coming up.... luckily I don't have to come back to the warehouse tomorrow....
As I mention earlier, today I got home quite early because of my attachment. So when I reached home, I suddenly feel quite in the mood of cleaning the house. So I swept the floor, but (luckily) I didn't mop it.
Then at 7.50pm, just when I was about to dial in to my conference call, suddenly I felt some strange sensation on my feet.... it was wet. So when I look around, the floor was already flooded. The water came out from my flatmate's room, and the room was locked!!!
So I kinda panicked for a bit... tried to call my flatmate but she didn't answer the phone.... then I call the locksmith to come, then I have to join in the conference call.... so I joined in while trying to get as much water into the other bathroom (with no avail). After about 2 minutes, my flatmate came back, so I decided to skip the conference call tonight and deal with the crisis first.
As suspected, it was the evil bitch (literally) who did it. Leony the bitch, to be exact. The bitch that always scratch and pee on me everytime she sees me. Aaarrrrghhh!!!! I hate that bitch!!! She chew through the bathroom pipe so the water burst everywhere.
In the end, it's kinda funny coz now the apartment looked very clean.... after we mop and mop for about half an hour....
So now I'm exhausted, but American Idol is coming up.... luckily I don't have to come back to the warehouse tomorrow....
Random updates
Yes I have not been updating my blog for quite some time now….. primarily because of laziness haha. So now since I have absolutely nothing to do, here’s some updates…
Work-wise…. I have been bored to death these few days. Nothing much to do because it’s not the peak period of the system (submission deadline is every 15th of the month, so I’m only busy around 1 week after that). The only exciting thing happening was last week when I conducted a training for the Singapore users. There were around 40 people attending the session. Luckily everything went smoothly and there were nothing that I couldn’t handle. Then after that I asked my boss if I can travel around the region to conduct the training, but then she says “errm…. we don’t have any budget for that. Why don’t you just go around Singapore and familiarize yourself with the sites?”. Not really the ideal situation, but how can I say no? So here I am in one of the sites (warehouse). I’m supposed to stay here for 2 days, but I think I’ll skip tomorrow and go back to the office. It’s much much nearer and better than this site (it took me 1 hr 45 mins to go here this morning).
Oh, some exciting news related to work… the HR policies in the company has just been upgraded. Basically last year Exel was bought over by DHL, and now they become DHL Exel Supply Chain…. so they “harmonized” the HR policies. The most exciting point is that I get S$1,500 per year to be spent on dental, optical, specialist/outpatient treatment, insurance and…… gym membership! But the policy will only be effective 1st May, so I still got about 3 more weeks to get fat haha.
I also just got a new work laptop… a Dell Latitude D420…. it’s very small, compact and light, but the downside is that the screen is rather small (12” widescreen)….. maybe I just need some getting used to.
Social life-wise…. have been very active these past weeks. First of all my friend from Bandung (Christina/San2) came to Singapore to look for a job (she already find one now… prestigious company [Jones Lang La Salle], with office in the CBD, no less), and so we have been hanging out quite a lot. And then she introduced me to her friend, who brought along another friend, and the chain reaction goes on….
Also, Lorraine (my former classmate in Beijing) is here until next Tuesday, because her boyfriend is now working in Singapore for 3 months, and since she still haven’t found a job yet in HK, she decided to get the best out of the situation and come here for Easter holiday. We went out to Zouk last weekend, and planning to check out Ministry of Sound and St. James this coming long weekend. Yay! Haha..
Hmm…. what else to write? Oh yeah, accommodation-wise…. well, the last time I wrote an entry to this blog I haven’t even move in to the new place. But now I have lived there for more than a month. It’s a good place, just a tad expensive. Anyway, last time I mentioned that the other room is a Singaporean right? Well, not anymore… coz he “run away”. Long story, not really worth mentioning, so let’s just leave it at that. But the good thing is that his replacement now is a guy from the Philippines, and he is much friendlier and nicer, and around the same age with me and the china couple (the Singaporean was this 40+ weird guy who had problems with his wife, that’s why he moved here).
Anyway, this new guy’s name is Aldwin, and works in a software company. He also travels around the region quite often. And he is a self-proclaimed party boy haha. So I think we’ll become buddies in no time.
But another thing is that now San2 (not Beijing San2, but my friend that I just mentioned earlier) has found a job and she’s still staying with her friend. So she asked me if I want to find a place to share. I don’t mind as long as it’s cheaper than my current place. So we are in the process of apartment hunting now.
It’s now officially 1.25pm, which means I still have another 3 ½ hours to kill….. I think I’ll just go back around 3pm, pop into the office for a while to check email. Till next time then….
Work-wise…. I have been bored to death these few days. Nothing much to do because it’s not the peak period of the system (submission deadline is every 15th of the month, so I’m only busy around 1 week after that). The only exciting thing happening was last week when I conducted a training for the Singapore users. There were around 40 people attending the session. Luckily everything went smoothly and there were nothing that I couldn’t handle. Then after that I asked my boss if I can travel around the region to conduct the training, but then she says “errm…. we don’t have any budget for that. Why don’t you just go around Singapore and familiarize yourself with the sites?”. Not really the ideal situation, but how can I say no? So here I am in one of the sites (warehouse). I’m supposed to stay here for 2 days, but I think I’ll skip tomorrow and go back to the office. It’s much much nearer and better than this site (it took me 1 hr 45 mins to go here this morning).
Oh, some exciting news related to work… the HR policies in the company has just been upgraded. Basically last year Exel was bought over by DHL, and now they become DHL Exel Supply Chain…. so they “harmonized” the HR policies. The most exciting point is that I get S$1,500 per year to be spent on dental, optical, specialist/outpatient treatment, insurance and…… gym membership! But the policy will only be effective 1st May, so I still got about 3 more weeks to get fat haha.
I also just got a new work laptop… a Dell Latitude D420…. it’s very small, compact and light, but the downside is that the screen is rather small (12” widescreen)….. maybe I just need some getting used to.
Social life-wise…. have been very active these past weeks. First of all my friend from Bandung (Christina/San2) came to Singapore to look for a job (she already find one now… prestigious company [Jones Lang La Salle], with office in the CBD, no less), and so we have been hanging out quite a lot. And then she introduced me to her friend, who brought along another friend, and the chain reaction goes on….
Also, Lorraine (my former classmate in Beijing) is here until next Tuesday, because her boyfriend is now working in Singapore for 3 months, and since she still haven’t found a job yet in HK, she decided to get the best out of the situation and come here for Easter holiday. We went out to Zouk last weekend, and planning to check out Ministry of Sound and St. James this coming long weekend. Yay! Haha..
Hmm…. what else to write? Oh yeah, accommodation-wise…. well, the last time I wrote an entry to this blog I haven’t even move in to the new place. But now I have lived there for more than a month. It’s a good place, just a tad expensive. Anyway, last time I mentioned that the other room is a Singaporean right? Well, not anymore… coz he “run away”. Long story, not really worth mentioning, so let’s just leave it at that. But the good thing is that his replacement now is a guy from the Philippines, and he is much friendlier and nicer, and around the same age with me and the china couple (the Singaporean was this 40+ weird guy who had problems with his wife, that’s why he moved here).
Anyway, this new guy’s name is Aldwin, and works in a software company. He also travels around the region quite often. And he is a self-proclaimed party boy haha. So I think we’ll become buddies in no time.
But another thing is that now San2 (not Beijing San2, but my friend that I just mentioned earlier) has found a job and she’s still staying with her friend. So she asked me if I want to find a place to share. I don’t mind as long as it’s cheaper than my current place. So we are in the process of apartment hunting now.
It’s now officially 1.25pm, which means I still have another 3 ½ hours to kill….. I think I’ll just go back around 3pm, pop into the office for a while to check email. Till next time then….
Monday, March 12, 2007
A little something extra
As some of you may have known, my job comes with a little something 'extra' on the side : conference calls. Well basically since this 'new' (and by new i mean full of bugs and imperfections) system is used by all DHL sites worldwide, so we have to keep each other updated on the issues that we found on the system. So at least once a week (and by at least once a week i mean on average 3 times a week) we have a conference call. And what better time to have it first thing in the morning when you are still bright and full of energy.......... American time. Which means.... 9 pm Singapore time. =(
And even if I dial in at 9.00, nobody's there yet. They usually comes in at 9.03 to 9.05. But me being me, I always dial in 9.00 and listen to some waiting music until somebody else comes in. It reminded me of a TV ad in Indo.... it's A-Mild cigarette ad (they're famous for their creative ad). The ad shows one native American Indian riding a horse going to war. Then when he reached the front line, facing a whole lot of cowboys, he turns around and notice that his tribesmen are not there yet. Then the ad say "Why would you be on time if everybody else isn't?".... which is exactly how I feel about the conference calls.
Another bad thing about the calls.... since we come from 3 continents of the world, everyone has their own English accent. The Americans and the Brits are still ok, but no matter how hard I concentrate, I just don't understand a thing when the Indians start speaking. No offense, but it seems that it's not only me that doesn't understand. After the mumbling stops, what happens is that it will be quiet, and then the Americans will ask questions until we all understand what the hell is going on. And the worst thing is.... the IT guys are all Indians!
OK I think enough complaining for now. Going to bed now. Ciao.
And even if I dial in at 9.00, nobody's there yet. They usually comes in at 9.03 to 9.05. But me being me, I always dial in 9.00 and listen to some waiting music until somebody else comes in. It reminded me of a TV ad in Indo.... it's A-Mild cigarette ad (they're famous for their creative ad). The ad shows one native American Indian riding a horse going to war. Then when he reached the front line, facing a whole lot of cowboys, he turns around and notice that his tribesmen are not there yet. Then the ad say "Why would you be on time if everybody else isn't?".... which is exactly how I feel about the conference calls.
Another bad thing about the calls.... since we come from 3 continents of the world, everyone has their own English accent. The Americans and the Brits are still ok, but no matter how hard I concentrate, I just don't understand a thing when the Indians start speaking. No offense, but it seems that it's not only me that doesn't understand. After the mumbling stops, what happens is that it will be quiet, and then the Americans will ask questions until we all understand what the hell is going on. And the worst thing is.... the IT guys are all Indians!
OK I think enough complaining for now. Going to bed now. Ciao.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
A new chapter
Starting from next week, everything will be different. Yesterday I finally found a proper place to live for at least the next 3 months. I'll be moving in tonight after work. It's a single room in a condo near the MRT line (Aljunied, for those of you who are familiar with Singapore). It's not far from my workplace.... I can take the MRT (only 3 stops away) or the bus, which is more convenient because I can go down straight in front of the office building :)
There are 3 rooms there. The master bedroom is taken by a Shanghainese girl. She has a Taiwanese boyfriend who sometimes stay there, and a cute little white dog. The other room is taken by a Singaporean man, whom I haven't met because he also haven't move in.
And this weekend my parents are gonna be coming over and bring me some of my stuff that I left in Indo. So..... finally I'll be getting my bedsheet, phone, shirts etc etc.
Next Monday will be the orientation day here in DHL. So I'll be meeting lots of new people, and hopefully some lunch partner, cos lately it's been kinda lonely during lunch hour. Well, first of all, there's not a lot of people in my office. Then most of them are travelling most of the time. Plus my boss and immediate colleague RARELY eats lunch.
So, starting next week, I feel like I'm entering a new chapter.... new job, new place, new flatmates (come to think about it, I've never lived with non-indon in Singapore). Hope it's for the better :)
There are 3 rooms there. The master bedroom is taken by a Shanghainese girl. She has a Taiwanese boyfriend who sometimes stay there, and a cute little white dog. The other room is taken by a Singaporean man, whom I haven't met because he also haven't move in.
And this weekend my parents are gonna be coming over and bring me some of my stuff that I left in Indo. So..... finally I'll be getting my bedsheet, phone, shirts etc etc.
Next Monday will be the orientation day here in DHL. So I'll be meeting lots of new people, and hopefully some lunch partner, cos lately it's been kinda lonely during lunch hour. Well, first of all, there's not a lot of people in my office. Then most of them are travelling most of the time. Plus my boss and immediate colleague RARELY eats lunch.
So, starting next week, I feel like I'm entering a new chapter.... new job, new place, new flatmates (come to think about it, I've never lived with non-indon in Singapore). Hope it's for the better :)
Saturday, February 17, 2007
All soaked up....
In the spirit of Chinese New Year, I got myself something new and red...... an umbrella! Well I got it because on Friday, right when I stepped out of the office, it started raining a little. So i took out my trusty black umbrella and started walking towards the MRT station, which takes about 5 minutes walk. But then suddenly the rain just poured like there's no tomorrow.... plus strong winds. So my umbrella became parabolic, and I got all soaked up from top to toe. Plus.... that day I was wearing my moccasins (sole-less shoes), so bye2 to that too, cos it got drowned and now it's kinda wrinkled after i dried it.
Anyways..... I've officially been 'working' for 3 days now.... enjoying it so far..... nothing much to do in the first 3 days, because I only got my official email on the 3rd day. So for the past 3 days I've only read through A LOT of materials, try to understand it and try to familiarize myself with the system. I don't want to confuse you guys with work stuff here, so I'll just leave it at that.
Oh, and today is Chinese New Year's Eve. So..... 新年快乐！恭喜发财！年年有余，万事如意！For the benefit of you who don't read chinese, it means : Happy New Year, Congratulations and Prosperity, May You Have Surplus/Abundance every year, May Every Problem be Solved!
Anyways..... I've officially been 'working' for 3 days now.... enjoying it so far..... nothing much to do in the first 3 days, because I only got my official email on the 3rd day. So for the past 3 days I've only read through A LOT of materials, try to understand it and try to familiarize myself with the system. I don't want to confuse you guys with work stuff here, so I'll just leave it at that.
Oh, and today is Chinese New Year's Eve. So..... 新年快乐！恭喜发财！年年有余，万事如意！For the benefit of you who don't read chinese, it means : Happy New Year, Congratulations and Prosperity, May You Have Surplus/Abundance every year, May Every Problem be Solved!
Monday, February 12, 2007
DHL - All The Way
Yes, it's confirmed..... ladies and gentleman, say hello to the newest Operations Analyst in DHL Exel Supply Chain Asia Pacific..... ME!!!
Haha..... I have been in a very happy mood since I heard the news yesterday..... yes, yesterday was Sunday, but my boss (Lily) called me around 9.30pm and deliver the good news. She said that the 2nd interview is actually just a formality, because her superior wanted to have a chat with me. However, the big man is out of the country (again), and won't be back till after chinese new year. Since she wanted me to start ASAP, so there's no need for another interview.
I will be signing the contract tomorrow, and officially start work on Wednesday.
Oooo.... so excited... it will be a whole new experience for me.... I mean, when I was doing my Industrial Attachement, it was manufacturing environment. My last job was in a small office next to the warehouse. But now it's gonna be a corporate world, where I will be working in an actual office.... and the location could not be better.... not exactly in the CBD, but you can still consider it the business district :) The view is amazing.... you can see the City Hall area from there..... maybe the ocean too.
So now I have to rearrange my priorities.... no more looking at job advertisement, but now the no.1 prority is to find a proper place to stay. Hopefully I can get a place nearer to the office by the end of the month.
Okie then...... gonna take a shower now.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Quite an interesting 24 hours
It started yesterday.... my roommate Edward took a leave (just because he's sick of working..... imagine that!) and so we went swimming in the morning, then got back and laze around, watch DVD ("She's The Man", starring Amanda Bynes..... not too bad). Afterwards I accompany him to get some gym fashion, cos he doesn't really have any sports shorts. Then for dinner he had an idea to have dinner at Esplanade.... he said there's a decent japanese restaurant there. So I contacted some people I know that also have nothing to do (they are also looking for a job), and so in the end 4 of us went for dinner. The restaurant is called Ichiban Boshi.... not too bad, but not nearly as good as Sushi Tei. Anyway, after dinner we decided to walk from the Esplanade to the Fullerton Hotel cos the weather was good (not too hot), and the view is amazing.
--Nighttime view of Singapore CBD--
And then, when I got back, I got a call from one of my friends back in Beijing who is currently in Singapore... this time it's Joaquin Chou.... we almost became flatmates (with Laura Fernandez) last semester, but the plan was cancelled. Anyways, he's only here for a couple of days, and so we met up today. He came here with another guy named Norman (also from BLCU.... seen him before, didn't really know him), but Norman also met up with his Singaporean friend, so we split up, and it was just the 2 of us. And he wanted to see the Merlion, so I took him through the same path that I walked last night. Hahaha..... So here are some day-time shots :)
--Daytime view of Singapore CBD--
We continued to walk down the path and ended up getting some beer at Brewerkz in Clarke Quay..... it was so nice to catch up with him. Or maybe it's just me.... I don't know.... sometimes I'm amazed myself at how I can connect with different people with different background and personalities.
Another interesting story.... just now I decided to take the bus back from Orchard Rd cos I figured that the MRT would be crowded. So I was sitting in the bus, and somewhere along the road, there was a loud "BOOM".... kinda like the bus hit something. Then the bus stopped on the side of the road, the driver got out and checked out what was going on, but there was nothing and we continue the journey. But 2 stops down the road, it started to smell like burning rubber. So all the passengers got out, and left rear wheel was literally smoking.... so I decided to walk the remaining 2 stops back home.
OK then now my roommate's gonna use the internet connection, so till next time....
--Nighttime view of Singapore CBD--
And then, when I got back, I got a call from one of my friends back in Beijing who is currently in Singapore... this time it's Joaquin Chou.... we almost became flatmates (with Laura Fernandez) last semester, but the plan was cancelled. Anyways, he's only here for a couple of days, and so we met up today. He came here with another guy named Norman (also from BLCU.... seen him before, didn't really know him), but Norman also met up with his Singaporean friend, so we split up, and it was just the 2 of us. And he wanted to see the Merlion, so I took him through the same path that I walked last night. Hahaha..... So here are some day-time shots :)
--Daytime view of Singapore CBD--
We continued to walk down the path and ended up getting some beer at Brewerkz in Clarke Quay..... it was so nice to catch up with him. Or maybe it's just me.... I don't know.... sometimes I'm amazed myself at how I can connect with different people with different background and personalities.
Another interesting story.... just now I decided to take the bus back from Orchard Rd cos I figured that the MRT would be crowded. So I was sitting in the bus, and somewhere along the road, there was a loud "BOOM".... kinda like the bus hit something. Then the bus stopped on the side of the road, the driver got out and checked out what was going on, but there was nothing and we continue the journey. But 2 stops down the road, it started to smell like burning rubber. So all the passengers got out, and left rear wheel was literally smoking.... so I decided to walk the remaining 2 stops back home.
OK then now my roommate's gonna use the internet connection, so till next time....
Sunday, February 04, 2007
the countdown continues......
There's so many things that I want to write these days, but I was lazy, eventhough it's only a matter of writing down my thoughts..... this is bad..... must.... try.... harder..... resist.... the..... laziness.... haha
Anyway, first news : job-hunting. So after one week of torment and agony waiting for the result of the interview, and since I haven't heard any news by last Tuesday, I decided to write a follow up email, and it's a good thing I did. Well, when I first send the email, immediately there was a auto-reply saying that she (Lily) was on a business trip to South Africa until the 9th. So I was a bit bummed and thought that surely there had been someone who had taken the job. Then that day, my roommate Edward took a "medical leave" (notice the quote?) and so we went to Orchard Rd cos he wanted to buy a Valentine's Day present for someone he fancies (a 19 yrs old girl... can u believe him???). Anyway, since I was feeling a bit down, I bought S$11 worth of Famous Amos cookies and ice-blended coffee from Coffee Bean. But.... when I got home and check my email again, there was a reply from Lily, and she invite me for a 2nd interview with her supervisors, but I have to wait till they get back, so tentatively the interview will be on Feb 12. And so, the countdown continues..... 8 more days from now...... I am so excited about this and so I have been brushing up on my data analysis skills, just in case they ask me some technical questions.
Other than that, the guy from the recruitment agency called me again, offering me the Sales position again, and I totally bluffed him again (on the phone), saying that I would love to go to sales. But truthfully, I'm not really excited about that.... I mean, even if they offer me the job, I don't know if I will take it.
On other news..... I managed to catch up with 2 Beijing friends..... first was William.... he was here because his mom had an operation in Gleneagles Hospital. And the other one was Caroline..... we met up yesterday and hang out in a coffee shop. Gosh, I've kinda forgotten how bubbly she really is. She really made my day yesterday.
So, I'll write more later when I'm not lazy haha. Just be patient, people....
Anyway, first news : job-hunting. So after one week of torment and agony waiting for the result of the interview, and since I haven't heard any news by last Tuesday, I decided to write a follow up email, and it's a good thing I did. Well, when I first send the email, immediately there was a auto-reply saying that she (Lily) was on a business trip to South Africa until the 9th. So I was a bit bummed and thought that surely there had been someone who had taken the job. Then that day, my roommate Edward took a "medical leave" (notice the quote?) and so we went to Orchard Rd cos he wanted to buy a Valentine's Day present for someone he fancies (a 19 yrs old girl... can u believe him???). Anyway, since I was feeling a bit down, I bought S$11 worth of Famous Amos cookies and ice-blended coffee from Coffee Bean. But.... when I got home and check my email again, there was a reply from Lily, and she invite me for a 2nd interview with her supervisors, but I have to wait till they get back, so tentatively the interview will be on Feb 12. And so, the countdown continues..... 8 more days from now...... I am so excited about this and so I have been brushing up on my data analysis skills, just in case they ask me some technical questions.
Other than that, the guy from the recruitment agency called me again, offering me the Sales position again, and I totally bluffed him again (on the phone), saying that I would love to go to sales. But truthfully, I'm not really excited about that.... I mean, even if they offer me the job, I don't know if I will take it.
On other news..... I managed to catch up with 2 Beijing friends..... first was William.... he was here because his mom had an operation in Gleneagles Hospital. And the other one was Caroline..... we met up yesterday and hang out in a coffee shop. Gosh, I've kinda forgotten how bubbly she really is. She really made my day yesterday.
So, I'll write more later when I'm not lazy haha. Just be patient, people....
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Coincidence?
Hey, just want to give a quick update about my life right now....
I've just come back from an interview.... my first interview since I started looking for a job here. The company is DHL (for those of you who doesn't know what/who DHL is...... you've got to be kidding!! Hahaha). Actually, the way I got this interview is a little too much coincidence.
As you know, I've been joining a badminton group ever since I got back here. Now, the group has a mailing list, called SaBat (Saturday Badminton). Most of the content are junk, but then one day there is this one e-mail from a "Lily Suryana". It was a job ad, looking for Operation Analyst in DHL. She is the Global Metrics Manager in DHL. After I read the e-mail, well, it can be considered to be a perfect job for me! So I did some asking around, and turns out that she's the same age as me, and she was "the no.1" student when she graduated from high school. Moreover, she is one of my friend's ex. She did play badminton with the group before (when I was in Australia, I guess), but nowadays she doesn't go play that often anymore.
So I applied for the job, eventhough she was looking for someone with a Business/Logistics degree with at least 2 years experience. Yeah, whatever. Anyhow I send the application, and suddenly last Sunday I received an e-mail from her at 7.52am, calling me for interview. So I replied, and within the hour she replied back to me.
The interview itself went well according to my opinion. We conversed in English all the way.... it didn't feel awkward at all. Her English is good with just a slight Indo accent..... no singlish accent at all. I should be hearing from her by next week.
So I was thinking to myself.... IF I didn't go to China last year, and immediately applied for a job after my Master's degree, then I'd probably end up in a different company and not interested in this job. And I only started playing badminton while I was in China, so IF I didn't go.... I'd most probably wouldn't join the badminton group, and wouldn't know about this opportunity at all!! Isn't it strange? A little bit too much coincidence??
Well anyway, fingers crossed... I really hope I can get this job...... it can be my break into the logistics industry and the beginning of my career (my last job doesn't really count as a career). Till next week.....
I've just come back from an interview.... my first interview since I started looking for a job here. The company is DHL (for those of you who doesn't know what/who DHL is...... you've got to be kidding!! Hahaha). Actually, the way I got this interview is a little too much coincidence.
As you know, I've been joining a badminton group ever since I got back here. Now, the group has a mailing list, called SaBat (Saturday Badminton). Most of the content are junk, but then one day there is this one e-mail from a "Lily Suryana". It was a job ad, looking for Operation Analyst in DHL. She is the Global Metrics Manager in DHL. After I read the e-mail, well, it can be considered to be a perfect job for me! So I did some asking around, and turns out that she's the same age as me, and she was "the no.1" student when she graduated from high school. Moreover, she is one of my friend's ex. She did play badminton with the group before (when I was in Australia, I guess), but nowadays she doesn't go play that often anymore.
So I applied for the job, eventhough she was looking for someone with a Business/Logistics degree with at least 2 years experience. Yeah, whatever. Anyhow I send the application, and suddenly last Sunday I received an e-mail from her at 7.52am, calling me for interview. So I replied, and within the hour she replied back to me.
The interview itself went well according to my opinion. We conversed in English all the way.... it didn't feel awkward at all. Her English is good with just a slight Indo accent..... no singlish accent at all. I should be hearing from her by next week.
So I was thinking to myself.... IF I didn't go to China last year, and immediately applied for a job after my Master's degree, then I'd probably end up in a different company and not interested in this job. And I only started playing badminton while I was in China, so IF I didn't go.... I'd most probably wouldn't join the badminton group, and wouldn't know about this opportunity at all!! Isn't it strange? A little bit too much coincidence??
Well anyway, fingers crossed... I really hope I can get this job...... it can be my break into the logistics industry and the beginning of my career (my last job doesn't really count as a career). Till next week.....
Monday, January 15, 2007
Bo(RED)
So, I have been here for slightly more than a week now, and what have I been doing everyday? NOTHING!! I know... it's only been a week, but I'm starting to feel the nothingness on my days and nights. Plus the weather has not been supportive at all..... it ahs been raining everyday since I came. Sometimes BIG BIG thunderstorms, sometimes it's just a drizzle, but it's still rain.
I try to keep myself busy.... sometimes I go to the library just to read some random books about engineering or management.... other times it's a novel...I finished reading "South of the Border, West of the Sun" by Haruki Murakami in 2 days. Interesting, but not as good as "Norwegian Wood".
I also have been exercising regularly..... badminton on saturdays, go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week.
Oh, one more thing..... surprisingly I have given up on TV for 1 whole week.... and I don't even download anything (well, I try, but somehow the connection is very very slow, probably because of the Taiwan earthquake OR one of my housemates is downloading something BIG). Oh I forgot to mention that until now I'm still crashing at my friend's room, because the original plan to rent a flat with my other friend failed..... long story, but now it seems that I may have to share this room till end of Feb, and then there will be this one guy who will go to Wuxi, China for 1 year, so I'll be taking his room. I really don't mind just renting a room outside by myself, but the problem is I still don't know where I'll be working, so it's best to delay this for as long as possible.
Hmm.... everything's still kinda blurry right now..... I've been sending out applications like crazy, but so far nobody called me yet, except for 1 recruitment agency that recommended me to be a Sales Engineer in an industrial HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) company. I don't know.... I mean, it wouldn't be my first choice, but I'll come for the interview, which is supposed to be this week, but I'm still waiting for the call. "WAIT"..... that word seems to be central to my life right now. Aaaarrrgh.... can't wait to get everything settled.
One last thing..... everything is so damn expensive here compared to China!! I don't know why but money seems to just flow out really quickly, even if I'm not doing anything..... I need something flowing in.... fast!
I try to keep myself busy.... sometimes I go to the library just to read some random books about engineering or management.... other times it's a novel...I finished reading "South of the Border, West of the Sun" by Haruki Murakami in 2 days. Interesting, but not as good as "Norwegian Wood".
I also have been exercising regularly..... badminton on saturdays, go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week.
Oh, one more thing..... surprisingly I have given up on TV for 1 whole week.... and I don't even download anything (well, I try, but somehow the connection is very very slow, probably because of the Taiwan earthquake OR one of my housemates is downloading something BIG). Oh I forgot to mention that until now I'm still crashing at my friend's room, because the original plan to rent a flat with my other friend failed..... long story, but now it seems that I may have to share this room till end of Feb, and then there will be this one guy who will go to Wuxi, China for 1 year, so I'll be taking his room. I really don't mind just renting a room outside by myself, but the problem is I still don't know where I'll be working, so it's best to delay this for as long as possible.
Hmm.... everything's still kinda blurry right now..... I've been sending out applications like crazy, but so far nobody called me yet, except for 1 recruitment agency that recommended me to be a Sales Engineer in an industrial HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) company. I don't know.... I mean, it wouldn't be my first choice, but I'll come for the interview, which is supposed to be this week, but I'm still waiting for the call. "WAIT"..... that word seems to be central to my life right now. Aaaarrrgh.... can't wait to get everything settled.
One last thing..... everything is so damn expensive here compared to China!! I don't know why but money seems to just flow out really quickly, even if I'm not doing anything..... I need something flowing in.... fast!
Friday, January 05, 2007
Back in Business
Yep, finally I have arrived safely in Singapore about 3 hours ago hahaha. Business class was good..... I could get used to that hahahaha. First of all, the seat is spaciouos. How spacious? Well, let me put it this way... I have trouble reaching for the screen when I'm sitting upright wearing my seat belt. And the seat is fully adjustable to a full flat position.
At first I chose aisle seat (as always), but then when I sat down, turns out the passanger sitting beside me was carrying a 21 month child and was seated separated with her sister. So I offered the sister to swap seat with me. So in the end I got a window seat, but it was good because from NY-Frankfurt there was nobody sitting beside me. Afterwards, this 30 something business woman sat next to me and she didn't look friendly at all, so we didn't exchange a single word all journey long.
So, back to business class perks. The service was really different.... they always call everyone by their name. And the meals.... oh my God.... it was very different from economy class. Meals doesn't come in one tray, instead they use real china (ceramics), and every meal is like a 3/4 course meal, starting with salad and bread, main course, dessert (ice cream), fruit, drinks.....
Another difference is the headpohones.... way much better. This one are the huge ones, and with noise cancelling technology, so once you plug it in, it is very quiet. And they also provide better blankets and in-flight socks.
During the flight, I managed to watch quite a few things.... 2 episodes of Project Runway...... very good..... Heidi Klum really sets the bar for maternity clothing hahaha. I also watch a very funny episode of Will and Grace..... 2 episodes of Spongebob Squarepants, and a movie called "Step Up". It's basically a dance movie, kinda like Save The Last Dance and Center Stage. It was good.... nobody famous in it, but enjoyable, although some parts were completely irrelevant and can be cut. The music was good too..... very R&B.... maybe I'll download it later :)
Now I am quite sleepy but I hae to make it through today otherwise I'll never adjust to the time difference. Zzzzzz......
At first I chose aisle seat (as always), but then when I sat down, turns out the passanger sitting beside me was carrying a 21 month child and was seated separated with her sister. So I offered the sister to swap seat with me. So in the end I got a window seat, but it was good because from NY-Frankfurt there was nobody sitting beside me. Afterwards, this 30 something business woman sat next to me and she didn't look friendly at all, so we didn't exchange a single word all journey long.
So, back to business class perks. The service was really different.... they always call everyone by their name. And the meals.... oh my God.... it was very different from economy class. Meals doesn't come in one tray, instead they use real china (ceramics), and every meal is like a 3/4 course meal, starting with salad and bread, main course, dessert (ice cream), fruit, drinks.....
Another difference is the headpohones.... way much better. This one are the huge ones, and with noise cancelling technology, so once you plug it in, it is very quiet. And they also provide better blankets and in-flight socks.
During the flight, I managed to watch quite a few things.... 2 episodes of Project Runway...... very good..... Heidi Klum really sets the bar for maternity clothing hahaha. I also watch a very funny episode of Will and Grace..... 2 episodes of Spongebob Squarepants, and a movie called "Step Up". It's basically a dance movie, kinda like Save The Last Dance and Center Stage. It was good.... nobody famous in it, but enjoyable, although some parts were completely irrelevant and can be cut. The music was good too..... very R&B.... maybe I'll download it later :)
Now I am quite sleepy but I hae to make it through today otherwise I'll never adjust to the time difference. Zzzzzz......
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Oops... I did it again!
(this is the 2nd part of a 2 part blog. it would be more interesting if you read the 1st part first haha)
When I was checking in to my flight, the guy in the counter explained to me that the situation is that the flight is overbooked and they were looking for 12 people to volunteer to stay back for 1 more day. And I think to myself.... well, I'm not in a hurry to go back... 1 more day of NY? Why not?
And... the most exciting thing is the perks that I get.... firstly, of course, they arranged accomodation for me at the Marriott airport hotel, with allowances for 3 meals :) Then I had some decisions to make.
First, I can either get a US$400 in cash or US$600 in Singapore Airlines voucher, which can be used for my next SIA purchase, valid for 1 year. Since I consider myself to travel quite a lot, I decided to get the voucher.
Second, for today's flight, I can either be on the same flight from Newark-Singapore non stop on economy class, and they will give me a voucher to upgrade my next flight to Raffless (business) class. Or the other choice is to fly from JFK, transitting in Frankfurt, then to Singapore, and use that upgrade voucher. I choose the latter, so here I am.... about to fly business class from New York-Frankfurt-Singapore. Yay!!!
So this morning I wake up quite late, ordered a full breakfast (2 eggs, hashbrown, bacon, muffin, juice, and tea) on room service, and just laze around till about 9. Then I decided to go to Manhattan (again.... I mean, what else is there to do?). But just as I was about to leave, guess what's on TV? It's "The Producers", the movie, and it just started. What a coincidence. So I watched it for a bit. But I really think that the Broadway musical is much better than the movie. There were a lot of big name stars in the movie (Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick as the 2 main characters, Roger Bart as the Carmengia (the gay character), Uma Thurman as Ulla, and... Will Ferrel as the German guy. They are big movie stars, all right, but they don't sing and dance as well as the broadway stars. So I didn't watch until the very end.
Then.... back on the shuttle bus to Manhattan. Once I arrive there, I didn't really know what to do, so I decided to go to Macy's once again since I can get a 11% discount. Oh yeah, great tip : if you ever plan on buying anything on any Macy's in the US, go to the customer service counter and you can get a "international savings card", 11% discount on top of any discount for everything except cosmetics, perfume and jewellery.
But when I was there I guess I have reached my shopping limit. I didn't really have any desire to browse and try things on. So I just walked around aimlessly in Manhattan, enjoying the environment. Then I went back to the hotel, took a nap, and then jumped on the minivan that picked me up to go to JFK airport.
The journey to JFK was quite a long one.... 1 hour plus. On the way here I get to see a part of NY that I've never seen..... Brooklyn. It was very different from Manhattan.... Brooklyn is more.... dark.... and dirty. It was just like in the movies. No wonder they say that Sex and The City didn't portray New York very well... it's all in Manhattan!
Then now I am in the lounge.... very nice lounge indeed. They have everything here.... cookies, chips, fruits, real hot food (fish, meatball, potatoes), and drinks..... Evian, fruit juices, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and alcohol. Yes, alcohol... beer, wines, and spirits. Uncle would be very happy here hahaha.
OK then, I guess that is long enough. I'll tell you all about business class experience later. I'm gonna grab some bananas now haha.
When I was checking in to my flight, the guy in the counter explained to me that the situation is that the flight is overbooked and they were looking for 12 people to volunteer to stay back for 1 more day. And I think to myself.... well, I'm not in a hurry to go back... 1 more day of NY? Why not?
And... the most exciting thing is the perks that I get.... firstly, of course, they arranged accomodation for me at the Marriott airport hotel, with allowances for 3 meals :) Then I had some decisions to make.
First, I can either get a US$400 in cash or US$600 in Singapore Airlines voucher, which can be used for my next SIA purchase, valid for 1 year. Since I consider myself to travel quite a lot, I decided to get the voucher.
Second, for today's flight, I can either be on the same flight from Newark-Singapore non stop on economy class, and they will give me a voucher to upgrade my next flight to Raffless (business) class. Or the other choice is to fly from JFK, transitting in Frankfurt, then to Singapore, and use that upgrade voucher. I choose the latter, so here I am.... about to fly business class from New York-Frankfurt-Singapore. Yay!!!
So this morning I wake up quite late, ordered a full breakfast (2 eggs, hashbrown, bacon, muffin, juice, and tea) on room service, and just laze around till about 9. Then I decided to go to Manhattan (again.... I mean, what else is there to do?). But just as I was about to leave, guess what's on TV? It's "The Producers", the movie, and it just started. What a coincidence. So I watched it for a bit. But I really think that the Broadway musical is much better than the movie. There were a lot of big name stars in the movie (Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick as the 2 main characters, Roger Bart as the Carmengia (the gay character), Uma Thurman as Ulla, and... Will Ferrel as the German guy. They are big movie stars, all right, but they don't sing and dance as well as the broadway stars. So I didn't watch until the very end.
Then.... back on the shuttle bus to Manhattan. Once I arrive there, I didn't really know what to do, so I decided to go to Macy's once again since I can get a 11% discount. Oh yeah, great tip : if you ever plan on buying anything on any Macy's in the US, go to the customer service counter and you can get a "international savings card", 11% discount on top of any discount for everything except cosmetics, perfume and jewellery.
But when I was there I guess I have reached my shopping limit. I didn't really have any desire to browse and try things on. So I just walked around aimlessly in Manhattan, enjoying the environment. Then I went back to the hotel, took a nap, and then jumped on the minivan that picked me up to go to JFK airport.
The journey to JFK was quite a long one.... 1 hour plus. On the way here I get to see a part of NY that I've never seen..... Brooklyn. It was very different from Manhattan.... Brooklyn is more.... dark.... and dirty. It was just like in the movies. No wonder they say that Sex and The City didn't portray New York very well... it's all in Manhattan!
Then now I am in the lounge.... very nice lounge indeed. They have everything here.... cookies, chips, fruits, real hot food (fish, meatball, potatoes), and drinks..... Evian, fruit juices, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and alcohol. Yes, alcohol... beer, wines, and spirits. Uncle would be very happy here hahaha.
OK then, I guess that is long enough. I'll tell you all about business class experience later. I'm gonna grab some bananas now haha.
Can I get an encore?
Boys and girls, I am currently writing this blog from the Swiss Lounge (a Business Class Lounge) in JFK Airport, New York. How did all this happen? Well, let me take you back to the beginning of the journey, starting yesterday morning.
As I said before, my parents' flight is leaving 11.30am from Houston, but my flight doesn't leave until 4pm. But, knowing my father very well, we left for the airport at 7.30am and arrived there 8.15 in the morning, about 7 hours before my flight hahaha. And by 9+ they decided to just wait in the gate so that my brother can go home to his girl (she couldn't come because there was no space in the car). So after my brother left me, I decided to just check in my baggage (although it is stil very very early). When I did that, the airline offered me if I wanted to get in an earlier flight, but I have to pay US$25. So I think, why not? I would rather wait at Newark airport than Houston airport. And so by 10.50am I was already on the plane to New York. Then on the way suddenly I had an idea.... since I still have to wait till 11pm, then I would still have plenty of time to go to Manhattan once again!! And anyway my luggage was already checked in all the way through to Singapore so I don't have to pick it up again in New York. The only problem is that I left my winter jacket at my brother's place, because I didn't think that I would be needing it again. So I was only wearing a T-shirt and a light jacket. Nevertheless, I decided to brave the cold and after we landed at 3.30pm, I jumped on the shuttle bus and go to Manhattan.
Luckily, once I arrive there, turns out that New York is not really that cold. I was still fine wearing only that. Since I didn't realy have any objective, I just casually walked around from the Grand Central area to 5th Avenue, Rockafeller Center and Times Square, getting into shops just to feel the heater hahaha. Btw Times Square is not really as packed as before (Christmas time). Along the way, I encountered a street artist who uses spray paint to paint very good picture of NY skyline. It's a bit expensive, US$15, but I decided to buy one for memories sake. I'll post the picture later. Then I had dinner at..... yep, you guessed it right.... Pong Sri. Hahahaha.....
So at around 7.45pm I took the bus back to Newark airport, taking one last look (at least I think it was) at Manhattan skyline. Then, something else happened......
to be continued.....
As I said before, my parents' flight is leaving 11.30am from Houston, but my flight doesn't leave until 4pm. But, knowing my father very well, we left for the airport at 7.30am and arrived there 8.15 in the morning, about 7 hours before my flight hahaha. And by 9+ they decided to just wait in the gate so that my brother can go home to his girl (she couldn't come because there was no space in the car). So after my brother left me, I decided to just check in my baggage (although it is stil very very early). When I did that, the airline offered me if I wanted to get in an earlier flight, but I have to pay US$25. So I think, why not? I would rather wait at Newark airport than Houston airport. And so by 10.50am I was already on the plane to New York. Then on the way suddenly I had an idea.... since I still have to wait till 11pm, then I would still have plenty of time to go to Manhattan once again!! And anyway my luggage was already checked in all the way through to Singapore so I don't have to pick it up again in New York. The only problem is that I left my winter jacket at my brother's place, because I didn't think that I would be needing it again. So I was only wearing a T-shirt and a light jacket. Nevertheless, I decided to brave the cold and after we landed at 3.30pm, I jumped on the shuttle bus and go to Manhattan.
Luckily, once I arrive there, turns out that New York is not really that cold. I was still fine wearing only that. Since I didn't realy have any objective, I just casually walked around from the Grand Central area to 5th Avenue, Rockafeller Center and Times Square, getting into shops just to feel the heater hahaha. Btw Times Square is not really as packed as before (Christmas time). Along the way, I encountered a street artist who uses spray paint to paint very good picture of NY skyline. It's a bit expensive, US$15, but I decided to buy one for memories sake. I'll post the picture later. Then I had dinner at..... yep, you guessed it right.... Pong Sri. Hahahaha.....
So at around 7.45pm I took the bus back to Newark airport, taking one last look (at least I think it was) at Manhattan skyline. Then, something else happened......
to be continued.....
Monday, January 01, 2007
Style : Nature vs Nurture
So today is New Year's Eve 2006. My dad has been sick with flu since yesterday, so he's been resting all day. And in the afternoon, since we didn't really have anything to do, I asked my brother to drop me and my parents to a shopping area near his place. I was wearing my casual outfit.... a Ben Sherman polo shirt (which I have worn many times before) and cargo pants. Then when we were browsing in a shop, there was an American guy with his girlfriend that suddenly came up to me and said "Dude, that's a nice shirt you're wearing.... where did you get it?". I couldn't help but smile and giggle for bit, and then I said "umm.... Australia?". Hahahaha.
Then I was thinking : Does this normally happen? Or is it just me? I mean, not few people has complimented me before for my sense of style. I really appreciate them, but sometimes I wonder how did I get to be this way? When I was little, I didn't care at all. I guess I started buying my own things since I left home for Singapore. But when I look at pictures back then, I still think "What the hell was I thinking??". But now, it just seems so natural to me. I don't know why but I'm good at shopping. I'm always able to find the good ones among so many stuff out there, even when I'm not shopping for myself. So, is it a natural thing or something that I learned and cultivated?
Anyway, all is good, except for my wallet. Style doesn't come cheap, if you know what I mean.
It's now officially 9.25pm Houston time. For New Year's Eve we only went for dinner at a restaurant that my brother picks (quite pricey..... fancy food and all). Then we went straight back home cos my father is still very very sick, so he and my mom are already asleep now. I'm now at the living room with my brother and his girl.... they're watching Pinocchio (starring Roberto Benigni) on DVD, which I think sucks big time. I'm sure there's other more interesting things on TV, but hey, I'm not the one who lives here.
OK then.... Happy New Year 2007 for everyone out there!!! Hope the New Year brings lots of good things in every aspects of life :)
Then I was thinking : Does this normally happen? Or is it just me? I mean, not few people has complimented me before for my sense of style. I really appreciate them, but sometimes I wonder how did I get to be this way? When I was little, I didn't care at all. I guess I started buying my own things since I left home for Singapore. But when I look at pictures back then, I still think "What the hell was I thinking??". But now, it just seems so natural to me. I don't know why but I'm good at shopping. I'm always able to find the good ones among so many stuff out there, even when I'm not shopping for myself. So, is it a natural thing or something that I learned and cultivated?
Anyway, all is good, except for my wallet. Style doesn't come cheap, if you know what I mean.
It's now officially 9.25pm Houston time. For New Year's Eve we only went for dinner at a restaurant that my brother picks (quite pricey..... fancy food and all). Then we went straight back home cos my father is still very very sick, so he and my mom are already asleep now. I'm now at the living room with my brother and his girl.... they're watching Pinocchio (starring Roberto Benigni) on DVD, which I think sucks big time. I'm sure there's other more interesting things on TV, but hey, I'm not the one who lives here.
OK then.... Happy New Year 2007 for everyone out there!!! Hope the New Year brings lots of good things in every aspects of life :)
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Yeee haww!
Today we decided to do something most people would associate Texas with.... a visit to the good ol' fashioned cowboy ranch, y'all know what I'm sayin?
Sadly, the weather today is not really the perfect weather to there, cos it had been showering during the night, so it's still wet and muddy everywhere. And it's still pretty cloudy. Nevertheless, we decided to go rather than stay at home and watch the food channel (again). Oh I forgot to mention that my brother is obsessed with cooking since probably about 4 years ago, and nowadays all he watch on tv is the food channel. It's kinda funny cos when we were little, I was always the one who watches mom cooks in the kitchen, and he never had any interest in cooking at all. At some period of time, he even ordered me to make him instant noodle if he wanted it. I guess people change. Let's just hope it's for the better.
Anyways, the ranch is called George Ranch Historical Park, and located about 40 minutes drive from Houston. When we got there, the parking lot was empty, there were just 1 or 2 other cars there. So I got a pretty bad feeling about it. After we got in and took the tour, well, my intuition was right. To me, it's a pretty run down ranch.... nothing much to see. The highlight of the tour was probably the house that the famiy lived in in the 1800s. It's a beautiful house, very Victorian style. Other than that, there was a small hut with a fireplace, a blacksmith (which is naturally dirty.... not really my kind of place). I was expecting like a cowboy show or something, but nothing like that.
So after a little while my parents started to get bored and hungry, so we went for a Texas kind of lunch..... BBQ!!! The place is called Swinging Doors in Richmond, Texas. Apparently it's a pretty famous BBQ place. It's been there since 1973, and they even sell T-shirts and their own special BBQ sauce. The food was good, especially the potato salad and coleslaw. But.... the other day my brother took us to another BBQ place near his place, and I like the pork ribs there better.
As usual, now everybody's taking a nap, so I'm gonna listen to some chinese songs to brush up on my mandarin hahaha.
Sadly, the weather today is not really the perfect weather to there, cos it had been showering during the night, so it's still wet and muddy everywhere. And it's still pretty cloudy. Nevertheless, we decided to go rather than stay at home and watch the food channel (again). Oh I forgot to mention that my brother is obsessed with cooking since probably about 4 years ago, and nowadays all he watch on tv is the food channel. It's kinda funny cos when we were little, I was always the one who watches mom cooks in the kitchen, and he never had any interest in cooking at all. At some period of time, he even ordered me to make him instant noodle if he wanted it. I guess people change. Let's just hope it's for the better.
Anyways, the ranch is called George Ranch Historical Park, and located about 40 minutes drive from Houston. When we got there, the parking lot was empty, there were just 1 or 2 other cars there. So I got a pretty bad feeling about it. After we got in and took the tour, well, my intuition was right. To me, it's a pretty run down ranch.... nothing much to see. The highlight of the tour was probably the house that the famiy lived in in the 1800s. It's a beautiful house, very Victorian style. Other than that, there was a small hut with a fireplace, a blacksmith (which is naturally dirty.... not really my kind of place). I was expecting like a cowboy show or something, but nothing like that.
So after a little while my parents started to get bored and hungry, so we went for a Texas kind of lunch..... BBQ!!! The place is called Swinging Doors in Richmond, Texas. Apparently it's a pretty famous BBQ place. It's been there since 1973, and they even sell T-shirts and their own special BBQ sauce. The food was good, especially the potato salad and coleslaw. But.... the other day my brother took us to another BBQ place near his place, and I like the pork ribs there better.
As usual, now everybody's taking a nap, so I'm gonna listen to some chinese songs to brush up on my mandarin hahaha.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Houston Rockets, 加油！！！
So as mentioned before, I went to watch a basketball game.... it's Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks, to be exact. Houston Rockets is home to Yao Ming, the famous NBA player. But unfortunately he didn't play tonight.... maybe he went home to celebrate the holidays hahaha.
The game was held at the Toyota Center in Houston, so obviously the atmosphere was all about Houston Rockets. There's a lot of Rockets fans wearing red and white, but no Hawks fans in sight. Everybody was supporting for the Rockets, including the announcer guy..... it's kinda funny actually. When the Hawks score, he would just say "Jo..... Johnson....". But when the Rockets score, he goes "Trrraaaacccyyy McccGrrraaady!!!!". Hmm.... it would make better sense if I can add the sound effects haha.
The star of the show was obviously Tracy McGrady, better known as T-Mac. He is good!! But sadly he was injured (in the ****, if you know what i mean) during the 3rd period, so he was replaced. In the end, obviously the Rockets won by about 30 points (I didn't remember the exact score).
Before the game I was expecting to be quite bored, cos I don't really like basketball. But it turned out to be a fun and pleasant experience. Being there on the actual stadium really makes a difference. The atmosphere was just great. And there are lots of entertainment too, during timeouts and breaks.
So now I appreciate basketball more, but it's still won't be enough to make me buy a ticket to watch a game. But hey, if anyone wants company to watch a game, give me the ticket and I'll come with you! :)
The game was held at the Toyota Center in Houston, so obviously the atmosphere was all about Houston Rockets. There's a lot of Rockets fans wearing red and white, but no Hawks fans in sight. Everybody was supporting for the Rockets, including the announcer guy..... it's kinda funny actually. When the Hawks score, he would just say "Jo..... Johnson....". But when the Rockets score, he goes "Trrraaaacccyyy McccGrrraaady!!!!". Hmm.... it would make better sense if I can add the sound effects haha.
The star of the show was obviously Tracy McGrady, better known as T-Mac. He is good!! But sadly he was injured (in the ****, if you know what i mean) during the 3rd period, so he was replaced. In the end, obviously the Rockets won by about 30 points (I didn't remember the exact score).
Before the game I was expecting to be quite bored, cos I don't really like basketball. But it turned out to be a fun and pleasant experience. Being there on the actual stadium really makes a difference. The atmosphere was just great. And there are lots of entertainment too, during timeouts and breaks.
So now I appreciate basketball more, but it's still won't be enough to make me buy a ticket to watch a game. But hey, if anyone wants company to watch a game, give me the ticket and I'll come with you! :)
Houston chronicles
So now i have been in Houston for almost a week, i guess. Don't really keep track of time hahaha.... btw here's some pics of where I'm staying.
As I've said before, there's nothing much to do around here, so what have I been doing for the past few days? What else but.... go to the mall! Hahaha.... well, there's a really big mall in Houston called The Galleria, and we've been there 3 times, i think. Bought a lot of stuff... not just for me, but Mom and Dad got some good finds too. So, everyone's happy :)
And finally I've met Sarah Slavoff, my future sister-in-law. She's 23 years old, is a Bulgarian-Irish mix, but was born and grew up in USA (New Jersey, to be exact). She's doing her PhD in MIT (biochemistry, if I'm not mistaken), where she met my brother. She just started, so she have about 4 more years to go. She's a really nice person.... smart (obviously), and likes to smile and giggles a lot hahaha. Oh, and she is tall, even taller than my brother by about 1/2 inch, I think.
I also met her father and brother (they names are both Steve, so including me, we have 3 Steves). They came to Houston to watch a football game..... New Jersey vs. Kansas State (btw New Jersey won).
They are also very nice people. Big Steve (Mr. Slavoff) is a math teacher for 7th and 8th graders. Steve #2 is majoring in History (and a possible future in Political Science). He reminds me of Seth Cohen from The O.C. The short black curly hair, the long face, the way he talks and jokes...... the only difference is that Steve wears glasses.
This morning we had a little tour to where my brother is working now..... Schlumberger. They are in the oil mining industries. The place that I went to is a big complex called the Schlumberger Sugar Land Campus. They even have a pond with fountain inside the complex for people to relax.
This evening we're gonna do something quite different..... watch an NBA game! I don't follow basketball (at all), but I guess it won't hurt haha. And it's supposedly very good because it's the Houston Rockets (Yao Ming is in that team).
OK then, I'm gonna take a nap now.
As I've said before, there's nothing much to do around here, so what have I been doing for the past few days? What else but.... go to the mall! Hahaha.... well, there's a really big mall in Houston called The Galleria, and we've been there 3 times, i think. Bought a lot of stuff... not just for me, but Mom and Dad got some good finds too. So, everyone's happy :)
And finally I've met Sarah Slavoff, my future sister-in-law. She's 23 years old, is a Bulgarian-Irish mix, but was born and grew up in USA (New Jersey, to be exact). She's doing her PhD in MIT (biochemistry, if I'm not mistaken), where she met my brother. She just started, so she have about 4 more years to go. She's a really nice person.... smart (obviously), and likes to smile and giggles a lot hahaha. Oh, and she is tall, even taller than my brother by about 1/2 inch, I think.
I also met her father and brother (they names are both Steve, so including me, we have 3 Steves). They came to Houston to watch a football game..... New Jersey vs. Kansas State (btw New Jersey won).
They are also very nice people. Big Steve (Mr. Slavoff) is a math teacher for 7th and 8th graders. Steve #2 is majoring in History (and a possible future in Political Science). He reminds me of Seth Cohen from The O.C. The short black curly hair, the long face, the way he talks and jokes...... the only difference is that Steve wears glasses.
This morning we had a little tour to where my brother is working now..... Schlumberger. They are in the oil mining industries. The place that I went to is a big complex called the Schlumberger Sugar Land Campus. They even have a pond with fountain inside the complex for people to relax.
This evening we're gonna do something quite different..... watch an NBA game! I don't follow basketball (at all), but I guess it won't hurt haha. And it's supposedly very good because it's the Houston Rockets (Yao Ming is in that team).
OK then, I'm gonna take a nap now.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Additional notes on NYC (1)
Hey..... as of now I am already in Houston with my brother and parents. Before I tell you all about Houston, there are some things that I haven't written about NYC.
First.. the food. One of the memorable one is the Swedish meatballs at Smorgas. They are very very good..... I've had swedish meatballs before (at IKEA), and they were also good, but it's nothing compared to this one. These ones are... fantastic hahaha.
The other thing that I forgot to mention is we went to the Serendipity 3 Cafe, which was made famous by the movie of the same name (starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale).... anyone remember that movie? Well, at least we tried to go there, but it was a very small place and there were lots of people queueing up outside just to get a seat, so in the end we decided that it was not worth it. Instead we went to Bloomingdale's which is just right across the street. But I didn't get anything there.
So..... yesterday before I flew to Houston, I managed to visit the UN complex. But strangely the flags were not erected on the poles, which I don't really know why, except that maybe because it was a Saturday.
Then we went for lunch nearby at a random chinese place that we chose, but the food there was not very good.
Afterwards was the flight to Houston. Actually I was a bit late going to the airport... my flight was at 4.30, but I only managed to get to the airport by 3.20. There were lots of people in the airport, but everything went smoothly and I managed to get to the plane on time. One interesting thing is during check-in time, I was just presented with a touch-screen machine and then I have to find my reservation myself and complete the check-in process myself. Afterwards the boarding pass will automatically be printed out, and then I finally get to interact with a human being for the baggage. Well, that's America for you.... everything is changing so rapidly.... the technology is being applied everywhere.
Today my brother decided to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu, because my parents never had one. So we roasted a turkey, made some stuffings and roast potatoes. There's lots of things to be done, and it took quite some time, but it was good. It's actually quite fun to do it, but not everyday haha.
So I guess now that I'm Houston I don't really have much to do...... I mean Houston is not really a touristy place.... there's not really much attractions here. The city itself is big (the 4th biggest city in the US), everything is kinda mixed up together here, in the sense that you can have residential buildings right next to a factory. And the public transportation is not really good.. they don't even have a subway system. I don't know.... I haven't really see the downtown yet. Maybe I'll change my mind later. I mean, I'm a big city boy :)
Okie dokie, as of right now my parents AND my brother are all taking a nap, so I guess I'll just flick through some TV or read something.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
NYC Day 4 (Stefan and The Producers)
The day started with Marcos finally agreeing to go to the World Trade Centre site. Actually you can't really see anything there, just some memorial photos. They are doing construction on the site, but nothing visible yet :(
Afterwards we went for lunch at Little Italy.... yummy! Quite authentic.... I guess in NYC you can get any food you want....
What's the next must-do thing on the list? What else but watch a Broadway show!! So after lunch we queued up for the discounted tickets. At first we wanted to watch RENT, but Felix say he watched the movie and it's quite boring. The next option was Tarzan, but there wasn't any discounted tickets. So in the end we settled for "The Producers". I didn't really have any expectations, because I didn't really know anything about the storyline or anything. All I know that it has been made into a movie before, and I've heard about it before.
Turns out that it starred Tony Danza and Roger Bart (you might remember him from Desperate Housewives.... the crazy pharmacist George Williams). The performances were terrific, and the storyline was also very good.... I really enjoyed the show, but unfortunately I was feeling quite sick (signs of flu) yesterday, probably because it was raining yesterday afternoon. So I was very very sleepy during the show. I even doze off for a few times during the show haha.
Oh btw before the show we had dinner at...... where else but Pong Sri hahaha.
Anyways, I gotta pack for Houston now. Till next time!
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