Thursday, July 23, 2015

찾았다

I don't want to get into unnecessary troubles by ranting on too much. In short, I don't think that any company has any right to prohibit any people from performing at music programmes.

Here's one of my favourite songs: 찾았다 (Found you) by JYJ





솔직히 처음엔 몰랐어
Honestly I didn't know at first
우연한 만남 있었지만
Though there was a coincidental meeting
이제껏 난 기쁨보단
Until now more than happiness
아픔을 더 많이 배웠어
I learned a lot more about pain

눈물이 많았던 나지만 너에겐 웃음만 줄거야
I had a lot of tears but I'll only give you laughter
이제서야 내 반쪽을 찾았나 봐
I finally found my other half
이렇게 가슴이 뛰고 있잖아
My heart is racing like this

* 찾았다 내 사랑 내가 찾던 사람
I found you, my love, the person I've been looking for
뜨겁게 안아주고 싶어
I want to embrace you passionately
가만히 눈을 감아 줄래
Stay still and close your eyes
내가 입 맞춰줄 수 있게
So that I can kiss you
사랑해 널 사랑해
I love you, I love you
찾았다 내 곁에 둘 한 사람
I found you, the one person to stay beside me

마음을 닫았던 나지만 너에겐 내 마음 줄거야
I had closed my heart but to you I'll give my heart
이제서야 내 반쪽을 찾았나 봐
I finally found my other half
이렇게 가슴이 뛰고 있잖아
My heart is racing like this

다쳤던 내 마음 아픈 상처 다 안아준 사람
The person who embraced my wounded heart and painful scars
더 많이 사랑해 주고 싶어 언제까지나
I want to give you even more love always

고맙다 내 곁에 와 줘서
Thank you for coming to my side

Sunday, July 19, 2015

How nice if...

I've learnt basic Korean but I've not typed in Korean in my blog before. I shall confess in Korean now: 저는 수영을 못 해요 :( ㅠㅠ

How nice it would be if I know how to swim instinctively, like most dogs. Lol. I'd be satisfied if I could float comfortably in the water, and paddle across a distance if I want to. It is rather embarrassing to learn swimming with other people. The ideal scenario is that somebody is willing to give me a personal lesson at a reasonable fee (or free) at a swimming pool where there may only be a few people, if not nobody, watching. Hur hur~~ Missing out the fun participating in water activities is no fun. Snorkelling or just playing water in the middle of the pool - how I wish I could accomplish them soon. Why can't swimming be as easy to pick up as cycling? :/

How nice it would be if my fitness level could stay at the level as when I was still an active serviceman. Well, I definitely have no excuses about this since it is within my ability to go for training and build up or as least maintain my fitness level. Still, I reckon it is not so easy after all compared to being in an environment where training schedule has been planned for you. More than self-discipline, commitment is the key to achieving the desired fitness level. I'm still figuring out what my source of motivation is just so that this commitment to keep fit could be carried out. ^^"

Anyway, I've updated my cover picture which features all the crew members :D

I've also added a playlist featuring songs that I really like :)

Back to the focus of this post. Lastly, how nice it would be if there is a change of my employment status. Sigh. 쉽지 않아. I hope the employers could be more empathetic about people like me/us who are in this catch-22 situation. Most of us have been through this phase. So why not expedite the process and alleviate our anxiety sooner? *fingers crossed*

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Last day of 2014

It's the last day before 2015 arrives. Time flies huh~ In a blink of an eye (okay, an exaggeration), a quarter of a century flew past :O

December felt really short to me because time was not mine for 2 weeks. It seemed that I hadn't enjoyed myself to the fullest yet and we are now into the last few moments of December. 

Starting my internship soon until mid June. I really hope it would be an enjoyable and fulfilling one.

With the recent release of the results for the final exams, my final GPA has been determined. I am glad that I managed to pull it up for 2 consecutive semesters, after I came back from my overseas exchange. As always, the Unrestricted Electives are always more interesting to me than cores.

On the bigger picture in the near future, my priority would be to clear my debts incurred from the education asap. Interests would accumulate and be compounded - not something which I want to see.

By the way, I totally love salmon sashimi! :D Yummy! And I need to keep on running. It would make it easier for me to clear my fitness test.

Monday, June 30, 2014

Back after 11-month hiatus

First, let me start with how I feel about my overseas exchange in my Year 3 Sem 1.

Took my longest flight so far - about 19 hours including the 3-hour transit in Hong Kong, from Singapore to Toronto Airport. It's cool to see both sunset and sunrise on the plane. On the plane, for unknown reason, I couldn't sleep, no matter how hard I tried to. Maybe I was subconsciously starting to prepare my body clock for the imminent jet lag. Chit-chatted with a Vietnamese-born Canadian guy who was sitting beside me. He told me that life in Canada wasn't the kind he would like to have and still prefers life in Vietnam, where he could drink and have fun till late with his friends.

So 19 hours had passed and we finally reached Toronto. It was a tiring flight for me since I couldn't get myself to sleep. Still I was a little excited about landing on the other side of the globe. It was nearly 8pm and the sun was just setting. We then waited for the mini-bus which we booked earlier to send us to our house in London, Ontario - another 2-hour ride. It was so dark that we couldn't locate our house without using the headlight to check if a house was there, since we knew that there should be where our house is based on the address. A bat was waiting for us beside the garage which gave us a little scare. The humorous driver joked how he would never come to this place again after helping us to scare the bat away. He's really funny when he showed how envious he was when he told us we would be seeing girls walking past our house every day, which didn't happen since very few would choose to walk past our house which is situated half an hour walking distance away from the school.

In the first 2 nights, we suffered from jet lag. We did funny things like washing our clothes and eating grapes at 3 am when we couldn't sleep. And then we slept like a log the next morning. Things got better, of course. We settled our internet and admin stuff in school before we flew to West Coast, USA and doing what all exchange students do - travelling.

We took a taxi to London airport. By the way, the taxi meter increased by 20 cents every 10 seconds or so, and we were quite scared while on the taxi actually. A 15-minute journey cost around CAD30+.

We flew to Los Angeles, California - our first city destination. 5 days later, we took a bus and proceeded to San Francisco, where the weather was much chillier compared to LA. Around 4 days later, we took a bus again to our last city of the pre-semester trip - Las Vegas, Neveda. LV truly lives up to its reputation. Its night view along the Las Vegas Strip is dazzling and everything is just so glittering. Casinos & ... everywhere ;p We also visited the Grand Canyon by driving from LV. It's a 5-hour ride. When we reached, I was so amazed as we were already at the top and could see clouds in front of us, and the Grand Canyon was just below the clouds that we saw. A breathtaking view indeed. Too bad it was misty and rainy in the late afternoon and we couldn't see the much anticipated sunset. Instead, a rainbow greeted us. Actually, many things happened during the 2 weeks, such as the driver's side window of our rented car was smashed and one of my friends had his bag stolen, but it would take forever to pen it down. Sometimes, photos could help us do the job of sharing our experiences :)

After we got back from the US, it's time to study and pass the modules. In mid-semester, I am happy that I skipped school for 2 days and flew to Cuba to escape from the cold in Canada and enjoy life in the sunny resort. It cost around CAD300 all-in, including airfare, which is very well worth it. A trip on a boat out to the sea, kissed by a dolphin, played with sand and sea - perfect mid-semester getaway indeed! Yet another trip during the semester was to Montreal, Quebec. It's like travelling to France since most people speak French there. A totally different culture just around 8-hour bus ride from London, Ontario.

Soon, exams were over by mid-December. Went skiing and it was not easy to master in just 3 hours. Didn't dare to go up to steeper slopes as we couldn't brake very well. It's better not to cause any accidents. Tried on the gentler beginners slope and it is challenging enough for us. The ski boots are rather heavy. When I finally removed it, I felt that I could fly. Overall, it's a fun experience. Next time, I am gonna try snowboarding which I reckon would be more difficult than skiing.

Our post-semseter trip was to go to New York, New York. We took a bus there since it is the cheapest option. The journey was 15 hours but it's not too bad since the seat and the ride were rather comfortable. Bought the New York Pass and visited almost all the places one ought to visit. The Pass is totally worth it since it allows you for a priority queues for some attractions which helps save time. The only disappointment was that I didn't go and watch a musical. It's too late to book a ticket by then and I should have booked in advance. I should have just go for it even if I am going alone. :/ By the way, the subway operates 24 hours a day, so one need not worry about how late you could stay outside.

On a side note, opening or holding the door for others are simple gestures Canadians would do. Greeting the customers over the counter is another norm. Perhaps the pace of life in Singapore is faster and most people could not afford to slow down and pay attention to and care about the things happening around us.

I am glad that I've had an awesome overseas exchange!

P.S. I wanna go USJ to watch the One Piece show that is held every summer :)

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

Thoughts on working as a sales assistant

Having the experience of working as a sales assistant, I know that working in retail industry is not my cup of tea.
First complaint I have is the need to work shifts, i.e AM: 9am - 6pm PM: 1.30pm - 10.30pm, and FULL: 9am - 10.30pm. I dislike PM / FULL shifts because by the time I wake up, my family members have all left the house for work and by the time I reach home from work, my family members are all already in their dreamland. This would mean that there would be less time for my interaction with my family which I treasure a lot. AM shift is the best for me but, of course, nobody can do only AM shifts. We would have to rotate to be fair, duh.
The monotony of the nature of work is something I can’t stand too. Doing the same thing over and over again every time you report for work really suck the life out of me. Clean the shelves and fixtures, tag the products and display them, count the number of items left in the store at the end of each month for stock-ageing report… These are the repetitive jobs one has to do as a sales assistant.
The kind of customers you encounter is another issue. Polite and reasonable customers do make your day a little easier but idiotic customers just make you further dislike the job that you’re in right now.
The kind of boss also has a great impact on how much you would feel about the job. If he is arrogant and unfriendly, you are likely to hate the job as you would feel the he is treating you as if you owe him a huge favour such that you have to work very hard to hit the sales target so that his business could generate more profit. In essence, you would feel that you are being treated as a lowly person destined to be controlled by him to survive in this life.
On the flip side, I think this kind of job is ideal for students having their holiday and want to earn extra money, especially if the pay is higher than the market rate or other job types such as admin. It’s an experience too to know how a shop functions and a chance to realise the importance of customer service in retail industry and this is where good communication skills can be learned and practised.
Undeniably, sales assistants are always needed and those who perform well surely would make the customers satisfied with the service rendered. However, the repetition and monotony of the working life of sales assistants shun me away from ever thinking of joining the retail industry.
Furthermore, it does not give me a sense of satisfaction working as a sales assistant because at the end of the day, it is the company that has reaped the most benefit of me working in the shop. Customers do benefit from my product knowledge but I think that it is just minimal and they can always check out on the internet and that makes me very dispensable.
In conclusion, I want to do something that can make a difference in people’s life or have a great impact on the society and the world. This would make me feel useful as I can contribute on a larger scale, and that gives me a sense of importance and satisfaction, instead of isolating myself in a small shop for a lifetime doing something only the boss would benefit.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Prep to Canada! :D

My current mission: Earn as much money as possible in this 2 months+ so that the burden in the future is less when I am in Canada.

I will be dancing, attending IPT and working, which requires at least 8 hours of standing, during this 2 months+. It's rather physically demanding but I know I can and must endure through this period because I will enjoy from 9 Aug till 4 Jan 2014! So I must stay strong and look forward to the National Day! Nothing shall beat me down, be it criticisms from customers or any unhappy incidents that I may encounter during this period. In short, just do what I am supposed to do and forget about ego.

My working hours are such that I would have less time to spend with family. Felt sad especially when I am not going to see them for 4 months since I will be in Canada (enjoying life) but there is nothing that can be done about it. Well, at least I have created a Skype account for my mummy :)

Another complaint I have is the price of the food at sentosa. Cheapest is $6 after staff discount within 3 minutes of walking. There is a cheaper one, though, $4, but is situated 10 minutes of walking distance away. Hope the new McDonald open soon so that I can just buy the cheapest meal.

Actually, greeting customers and smiling to strangers are not my 'style'. Okay, forget about ego and just do it.

The return air tickets and accommodation have been settled. Hope I'll be staying at a house-style instead of the apartment (which is the normal hdb style). Definitely looking forward to lead a new Western lifestyle and, of course, the snow! I will build a snowman myself!

Getting prepared for the cold weather is crucial. This makes me think of Yongseo couple from We Got Married. When Yonghwa and SeoHyun personally knitted scarves for each other, it must be so heart-warming and sweet :)

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Going Canada next semester!

Yay! I managed to get myself to go Canada study next semester! So glad! Actually, getting a chance for an exchange is why I put in so much effort to study for the past 3 semesters! HAHA! Phew, my efforts didn't go to waste and I am happy not to leave regrets in my university life. I am so looking forward to the end of this semester so that I can earn extra cash during summer break and be more financially ready to embark on my exchange which I reckon gotta spend quite a lot during the time I am there.

So there's 9 more weeks before exams commence for this semester. I am taking 6 modules this semester, all graded. This would be my first time taking 6 graded modules. But 2 of them will be open-book, one of which is restricted though, a first time for me too.

The most difficult module would have to be Physical Chemistry with focus on Thermodynamics. But as the going gets tough, the tough gets going; I shall not fear the complexity and persevere and perform to the best of my ability.

After some rough calculation of the debt I will incur by the end of my undergraduate studies, it is estimated to be $47, 000?! Argh, gonna strive to be competent in whatever I may be doing and get decent enough pay to clear my debt.

Had a good time travelling Taipei last December with my colleague. Visited places which I hadn't been before 5 years ago, such as Wu Lai and Rao He Night Market. The cold weather really made me tremble while walking on streets. The rainy weather didn't help. My skin was so dry that it peeled! Nevertheless, it's always fun to go overseas! Taiwan ppl and their food is awesome!

A week later after I came back from Taipei, it's Bangkok time with secondary school clique! It's a shopping paradise! Everything is ridiculously cheap in our standard. A T-shirt for around $7, a pair of shorts for  around $9, Thai massage for $8. This kind of pricing is virtually impossible to find anywhere here in the country whose cost of living ranked 6 in the world. How can anyone not shop and then regret after that? Lol. In addition, the total cost of air ticket and 5D4N accommodation is only $276! Totally the best deal ever! Oh ya, the taxi fare is also really cheap. For a 15-min journey, the metered fare is around $3 only, with 6 passengers in one taxi! It's most likely I will be going back again for more awesome shopping experience! One thing to be cautious is to beware of pickpockets. Encountered one who nearly landed one of us as a victim. Since all of us were vigilant at all times, everything was fine which I was thankful for.

I need tuition assignments!