Hong Kong Cafe at AMK Hub

The last time we were there, the strong aroma from the yun yeung (Hong Kong - coffee and tea mix) on the neighbouring table had us hooked. While we were sipping our almond paste, we were busy commenting about the yun yeung whose aroma kept filling up our noses. Of course, when the opportunity for an after-meal beverage arose, we were immediately lured to the Hong Kong Cafe's yun yeung.

We had one coffee and one yun yeung. Frankly, I personally prefered the yun yeung. Can you tell which is which in the picture?

Other than the hot drinks, the wall-length 'night sceneries' of Hong Kong also brought back fond memories of the vibrant city. Looking at the wall paper, I could almost imagine myself sipping my beverage on the highest floor of one of the highest sky-scrapper and overlooking Hong Kong's Central. You could call this cheap thrill, but I would think it was closer to simple pleasure.

Cheers.

Life and Death

Life is often viewed as the anathema of death. As mortals, we are fully aware that death will be our eventual outcome. Regardless of how successful, wealthy, or famous we are, we will finally disintegrate into ashes. Despite knowing that we have finite time and energy, we often ignore the enormity of this until death is but a breath away. Many of us live our lives in limbo and while our time pursuing seemingly inconsequential things. When we realise our folly, many may no longer able to make up for lost time.

The Oprah Show invited 2 guests who are valiantly fighting cancer to share their experiences and their outlook of life. Contrary to our impression that it will be a tear-jerking anecdote after another, the sharing was full of positivism.

The first guest was a young lady in her twenties who suffered from stage 4 lung and liver cancer. She would not be able to get rid of her tumours completely but had to learn how to live with them. Her life changed after she was diagnosed, not for the worse but for the better. She went through self-denials, threw tantrums and plunged into despondency initially. She confessed that it was tough being confronted with death at such a young age when there was so much more to do. She too went through a 'why-me' phase. She was demoralised when therapy and treatment became her full-time job. It took her some time to change her perspective and embrace life. Her positivism buoyed her spirits.

On the other hand, a Carnegie Mellon University lecturer was informed that he had terminal pancreatic cancer and only had a few more months to live. He was saddened to leave his wife and his three young children. The video of his last lecture was downloaded thousands of times. He repeated his last lecture on the show. The topic of his last lecture was "To Chase After Your Childhood Dream". The lecture was injected with humour and personal experiences. I might not have done justice indescribing his speech here, but I wuld attempt to highlight some of his salient points.

He started by stressing that his lecture was not about death but about life. Then he shared a few approaches to live.

1) Don't worry about brick walls that you ramp into while chasing your dreams.
The walls are there to tell you how badly you are doing things. In fact, he had kept his rejection letters from his job applications to continously motivate him.

2) Show gratitude.
When he got his doctorate, he treated the students who had worked with him to a vacation. Many praised him for his generosity but he dismissed this and commentd that the students worked a few years so that he could work a life-time on his ideal job.

3) Be humble and keep things in perspective.
When he complained to his mum that PhD tests were difficult, his mum told him that when his dad was his age, his dad was fighting the Germans in World War II. When he finally got his PhD, his mum told friends that her son was a doctor but not one who could make you well.

4) Differentiate between things and people.
His parents allowed him to paint on his walls so as to give him a free rein to express his creativity rather than maintaining a pristine wall. When he got his convertible and was ferrying his nephews and nieces, his sister warned them not to dirty their uncle's new car. At the same time, he poured soda onto his leather seats himself. He was glad he had done it. One week later, his nephew threw up all over the back seat because of flu. Due to his soda pouring episode, his nephew did not feel guilty because of his flu.

When he was asked how cancer has changed his life, he replied nothing. He had already lived life to the fullest and was having fun. His shortened life accelerated everything and only affected the logistics issue. He concluded by saying that his lecture was not meant only for his students but also for his three young children when they grew older. His passion for life and to do more with his finite time shamed all of us. Many members of the audience's eyes were wet after his lecture, not from empathy but more from respect.

These two guests did not despair because of life's adversity but their personal experiences reminded them of what remained to be done. We should learn from them and accelerate our pursuits of our dreams. It was really a wake-up call, albeit an inspirational one, on a Sunday morning.

P.S. The lecturer was Randy Pausch. He passed away in July 2008. His last lecture was published into a book known as "The Last Lecture".

Mooncake Galore

It is time for mooncakes again. This is the time when each day holds a new treat as different hotels and bakeries will 'invade' our Rec Club to promote their mooncakes.

Fairmont Hotel was one of the few which offered mini-baked mooncakes. Most of the time, we could only find mini-snowskin mooncakes while the traditional baked mooncakes often only came in larger sizes.

I was asking my neighbour of whether Fairmont Hotel (previously known as Swissotel) was good. She had instead given me one mooncake for me to try despite my numerous decline. Finally, I decided not to reject her generosity further and took the mooncake.

Thanks, Chrys.

Ice-Cream Treat

With the release of the first quarter results, Management decided to reward us for our hard work with another ice-cream treat. This time round, it was still Haagen Daz. This time was a cup version rather than the stick version.

Haagen Daz is still the best. The creamy vanilla with the nutty Macademia. World best!

Demise of Proper English

Has Singlish's filtration into English finally resulted in Singlish becoming the mainstream? Is the triumph of Singlish signified that the demise of proper English?

It is no doubt that Singlish has become part of Singapore culture and a way of life. It is increasingly harder not to punctuate our sentences with 'lah', 'loh', 'meh'. Where such sound-words used to add more 'colour' and distinction to the Singaporean communication, these were one of the main stumbling blocks for Singaporeans to speak proper English - English that would be understood and respected by the rest of the world instead of only by Singapore.

However, the greater stumbling block of proper English seemed not to arise from such sound-words but more from our sentence structure and grammar. How often do we use "How come you are here?" rather than "Why are you here?"? How often do we add a question mark to a sentence and use this loosely as a question, "You do not know?" instead of "Don't you know?".

Speaking good English does not mean speaking with a different accent but more of using the correct words and adopting proper grammar in sentences. Proper vocabulary and grammar take long practices and are essential for non-Singaporeans to understand our English.

When Today featured a column commenting the death of the proper English, perhaps it was yet again to highlight the degenerating of Singaporeans' English standard and calling for more attention to be paid to rectify the way that Singaporeans are writing and speaking in Singlish even in formal occasions. Much as Singlish among locals can be affectionate and draws on camaraderie, there are more formal occasions which call for the use of proper English especially when Singapore would soon play host for the inaugural Youth Olympics.

Pink Sky

I stopped short in my track on my way home.

I have never seen a pink sky before.

I am a hopeless romantic sometimes and this is the time when I am simply imbibing the pink of a sunset sky.



(Think I am not doing enough justice to the mesmerising beauty with my rather inadequate photographic skills)

Generation Y Workers

How to motivate Generation Y workers have been plaguing the management consultants for a while, especially when Generation Y workers enter the workforce and having significantly different characteristics from the the Generation X workers. Generation Yers are defined as those who are between the age of 19 to 30 this year. Many of you who are reading the blog now could be falling under this category.

In the latest HR study conducted to determine what motivates the Generation Yers, the responses highlighted some of the key differences that corporate culture has to be shifted with the influx of these workers. Generation Yers are motivated more by intrinsic factors such as career development and job satisfaction. Most of them are more willing to job hop to find their ideal job. They also want more work-life balance.

How do you feel as a Generation Yer? Do you agree with them? What do you think as a Generation Xer? Do you agree with the findings?

By being more open about what they want and chasing after what they want, Generation Yer can change some of the corporate practices when they take up a greater and greater proportion of the current workforce. Yet, many companies are advised not to undertake drastic measures to accomodate the needs of the Generation Yers yet. This may be the advice given by the HR consultants. On second thoughts, is this plausible?

When the Generation Yers are not motivated, they can easily pack their bags and make a dash for the door at the sniff of a greener pasture. For those of us who have worked long enough, we can fully understand the cost to an organisation with every turnover. Cost comes not just in terms of the apparent recruitment cost (from hiring headhunters to setting time for recruitment) or increasing the compensation package to retain or attract new staff. Cost also comes in the form of disruption to existing work processes, demoralising of remaining workers (from increased workload to starting a turnover trend) and retraining of new staff. The situation is execerbated when the hired staff leaves only after a year as most workers can start contributing and adding value to their work only in the second year.

Am I criticising the Generation Yers then? The answer is no. In fact, Generation Yers can cause a shift in the corporate paradigm if their 'wishes' are fulfilled. To motivate and retain Generation Yers, some of the key factors are career advancement and work-life balance. This means that companies will need to take a more serious commitment to helping employees develop themselves and to communicate and fine-tune the employees' training and development plans constantly. Where this important aspect used to be side-stepped and kept hush-hush to among HR and the management, employees now can have a more direct influence over their progression. This means that career opportunities can be more customised to enable a better job fit.

Work-life balance is essential to inculcating a healthy culture and promotes a happier and efficient workforce. Work-life balance is greater emphasised with the increasing sophistication of the Singapore workforce as many are more aware of being more personally and professionally satisfied. How many used to forgo their personal time in pursuit of their career goals. This belief that work and life are mutually exclusive are being shattered. With advancement in technology, telecommuting and flexi-working hours can support a highly responsive workforce and yet allow them to enjoy time with family and friends.

I hope companies will move towards a more open and supportive culture as more and more Generation Yers join the workforce. In fact, these changes are essential in preparation of the Generation Zers for the Generation Zers are certainly more sophisticated and confident than the Yers, don't you think so?

Continue Missing Japan... ...

One month has passed since my return from Japan. Yet, I continue to suffer pangs of missing Japan. This is especially intensified with each episode of Japan Hour - from the kaiseki ryori (Japanese traditional meal) to the wafu heya (traditional tatami room) and to the scenic autumn coloured highlands. Ahh, I wonder what the other islands of Japan will unveil and how they transform through the various seasons.

Looking at the photos that Ah Peng has taken with her camera, I was grinning from ear to ear as each picture unfolded - our pretentiously coy poses in Yukata, my trepidation and Ah Peng's strong support on the chairlift journey up Daisetsuzan and our lamenting of not wearing nicer clothes when we were visiting the Furano Lavender Farm.

Each scenery and each incident continued to etch on my memory. The sense of longing for Japan continued to occupy my mind. Actually, the desire to go on another holiday remains strong. Ah-hem, of course, what's stopping me now is resources, ie dollars and cents. *Frown*

Long Awaited Gathering with Musketeers

We missed July's outing mainly because two of us were in Hokkaido.

We missed our original planned August gathering because Ms Chan was busy with her house renovation.

We were unsure about this gathering because Ms Chan needed to go to her house before joining us.

Fortunately, she finally made it. Despite all of us feeling lethargic (from work and from other personal commitments), I was touched that all of us still made time for one another. I was glad that we still had each other. Even if we were just sitting together without saying much to each other and silent in our own reverie, the companionship and the unspoken understanding and support outweighed all the chatter in the world.

Maybe because of our lethargy, we have for once forgot to take any photos of our food despite Ms Chan's newest camera. A pity, but I am sure we can catch up with this soon.

No Excuse, Just Pure Sloth

Both the musketeers have noticed my less frequent, albeit delayed, updates of my blog. I will not try to redeem myself. It is just pure laziness and coupled with a dry spell for inspiration.

This does not reflect only my writing, but also my life. I have bummed around so much that my life has sunk into a monotony that is too comfortable for me to 'disturb'. Since my life has become relatively uneventful, I do not want to inundate you with entries after entries which do not differ from one another. After some time, I may even sound like a broken record.

Rest assured, Blur Queen will not allow herself to continue with this lazy lifestyle. I will try to get a gripe with myself and prevent my body functions and brain from further degeneration. Cheer me on. *Grin*

Hui's Princess

Hui has delivered after a good 17 hours. Welcome, Princess!

(Hui and CY have not thought of a name for Princess yet, so we tentatively call her Princess)

New Gate at Office Lobby

To enhance our security system, new gates which look like MRT gantries are places at the lift lobby. We will need to tap our cards on the card reader to gain entry to take the lift. New measures draw more opinions.

My colleagues and I were full of speculation on what would happen during a fire drill. Would the gates be opened perpetually then? Would it be time consuming if each and everyone of us needed to tap on the gates to get out of the building?

Yup, we know. We must be abit bored to be speculating and imagining such issues. *Grin*

Singlehood = A National Concern

All of us are fully aware of the top concern of the Singapore Government - our declining birth rate. Despite dangling carrots in front of many young Singaporeans, the birth rates have not shown significant improvement. More drastic measures are required. This time round, not only are there more attractive baby bonuses being dished out, the Government decides to address the root of the problem, ie helping Singaporeans get married. For many who wish to get married but seemed not to be able to find the right one, the Government's intervention may be the long-awaited life-line.

Speaking from a perspective of a rather typical single Singaporean girl, being brought up with traditional Asian values, I totally agree that marriage and having children complete one's life. Yet, armed with the ability of being independent, I never see marriage as a 'ticket' to survival or a better life. Instead, marriage and having children becomes a choice rather than a necessity. I want to be sure that when I get married or when I have children, it is because I am ready to share my life with another person and to nurture the next generation. I certainly do not want to rush into marriage and parenthood to follow the Jones or succumbing to societal pressure.

The steps taken by the government are encouraging. Yet, as a single, I am not sure if my concerns are adequately addressed, especially with some of the pro-family measures, for eg, the 4 month's maternity leave.

I am certainly supportive of the 4 months' maternity leave as I understand from the experiences of many colleagues that infants in the first few months can be extremely demanding. These infants will wake up in the middle of the night for feeding and require more close attention. However, from the interests of singles, this policy hinders the ability to have a more active social life.

Why so?

With the competitive economy, many companies are lean and do not have 'buffers' manpower. With a full team, many of us still end up staying a good 10 to 12 hours or more in office each day. Inadvertently, when someone in team goes on maternity leave, the work is often spread and covered by the remaining team. Yes, the company can also hire a contract or temp to cover for the employee on maternity leave. However, it is not as easy to hire a contract in the current tight labour market. Moreover, it takes time to train up the contract for the contract staff to effectively take over the job. By the time training is completed and the contract staff can run on his own, the 4 months' time may be up. Hence, many companies often just make do with the remaining team to cover the work. With such long days, it leaves many singles no energy and time to 'meet new friends'.

Maybe, to have more personal and family time, the singles can choose a less demanding job. Well, in today's economy, knocking off on time is practically unheard of. Moreover, other than trying to resolve Singapore's social problem, we also have to safeguard Singapore's economic interest. Singapore already has a higher labour cost than our neighbouring economies. If we do not work harder and longer, more foreign investments may pull out of Singapore to the cheaper alternatives.

It was also pointed out that a lady whose main activity outside work is to bring her nephew out may unintentionally create a barrier and prevent other interested guys from chatting her up. From my rather superficial observation, most Singaporean guys are rather shy. Very few of them will take the initiative to 'chat someone up' on the streets. As Singaporean girls are generally not used to being chatted up, our first instinct when someone does make an attempt is to run for our lives, because that person may be a pervert or a crime-doer (burglar, cheater, murderer, all weird and unpalatable thoughts will run through our heads). This also stems from the constant inculcation (or nagging?) by our mothers not to talk to strangers.

So does this mean the Singaporean boys should then stop trying? No! All the more, they should take more initiatives to change this rather 'backward and protective' mindset of the girls. To share a secret with all Singaporean boys, although many Singaporean girls appear highly educated and confident, we are still pretty traditional in our thinking that proper girls should not take the initiative. Hence, if a girl reject your attempt once, do not despair. It can be an act of trying to be demure. Try again, for she is simply waiting for you to ask a second time.

This is not an easy problem because getting singles to marry require a softer approach rather than through implementation of hard policies. The Government can only facilitate a conducive environment while the rest of the responsibilities still lie with individuals and the community. Hey, for those of you who want to get hitched, get out of your office or your home. Join an activity or chat out that girl whom you find attractive for she may be waiting for you to make the first move. On the other hand, as a single, I too hope that while the Government takes care of the parents, the Government should also be mindful of some of the less-than-desirable spillover effects to singles.

Loss of Friendship... to Marriage?

I am going to write a sobbing sad story about some of my lost friendships. If you are sick of my self-pitying wallowing, I will strongly recommend that you skip this journal. Well, I may appear self-centred, non-understanding and juvenile in my later confessions, but I believe one cannot be as rational when it comes to the matters of the heart. *Frowning*

The whole story started when suddenly, a beep beep of an incoming SMS on my phone shattered the dead silence of a lazy Sunday afternoon. It was a piece of good news. One of my best friends - Hui, was going to deliver her Princess in the coming week. She was one of the most loyal friends who had stand by me all these years when I always ran to her for both family and work problems. I was jubilant for her.

This was when I suddenly recalled some of the other friends whom I had gathered over the years but gradually lost touch as they got attached or married. Actually, I should have expected this as my group of friends were very family-oriented. We shared the same values and priorities on family. Thus, inevitably, their definition of family soon extended to the boyfriends/husbands and the families of their boyfriends/husbands. Gradually, I heard less and less from them. Finally, it came to a point when I heard nothing from them at all, ie our friendship came to a screeching halt.

As I recalled, I am puzzled about the sudden loss of contact with a friend. Indeed, our gatherings reduced when she became attached. To be frank, I too felt awkward if I continued to stick around any friend when she clearly needed more time for her boyfriend. The attached friends would typically engaged in couplerly activities with other couple friends. Nevertheless, this friend continued to warmly include me in some of the larger gatherings. I joined them occasionally, more to see her.

Suddenly, I hear almost nothing from her after her marriage. It was also partly my fault. I had not really initiated any gathering or SMS since. I was partly too lazy to initiate any gathering. At the same time, I was worried that she was busy with juggling between work and family - as she would now need to do household chores and take care of her husband. From knowing what were the events that spiced up her days to now not even knowing if she was still in town, I was saddened with this development.

There was once when I wondered if I had done something wrong which unintentionally offended her. Knowing how blur I am as a person, needless to say I am as clueless as before. Being quite close friends, I was quite certain if she had been unhappy about something, she would have voiced it out by now. Could I have lost our friendship to her marriage. Perhaps marriage really required a lot more work and energy than I could imagine. Marriage might have left her so drained and prevented her from keeping in contact with friends.

She was an example but not the only example. There were other friends who I hardly saw after they became attached, married or have their children. There were no SMSes, no emails or phone calls.

Yes, you could argue that not hearing from them may not be tantamount to the loss of friendship. There are many cases when once friends, remain friends forever. Time and distance may not separate true friends. Long-lost friends who reunite can remain as comfortable and close, as if not a single day has separated them. Perhaps I should not give up yet. After all, what is a year or two on a life-time friendship?

Yet, for many cynics, we know full well how time can be an extremely cruel nemesis of many relationships. More often than not, friends who reunite after being out of touch, are welcomed by awkwardness rather than intimacy. To avoid this awkwardness, many friends remain out of touch despite knowing that the friendship can be picked up by just a call, a SMS or even an email away.

For those friends who are just shopping or tea buddies, I believe many of us will not miss them that much if they forsake you. I am more disturbed when the friends with whom I have lost touch are those who might have 'braved through thick and thin' with me. Moreover, with modern technology, keeping in touch does not require an arm or leg. There are so many conduits available which are almost cost-less and available 24 by 7, even while you are on a bus or waiting in a queue.

Enough of my whining. Should I or should I not give these lost friendships one more chance by sending out an SMS? *More frowning*

Way to Go, Singapore Paddlers!

If you think that Olympics is quite distant from the minds of Singaporeans, you will be proven wrong from the support that Singaporeans show towards our table tennis team in their semi-finals match. It is the pivotal match which will decide if Singapore will be guaranteed a medal or another enduring fight is necessary at the bronze medal match.

The match against South Korea was in the late afternoon on a weekday. Many of us were slogging in front of our PC. Yet, many were still lured away from their mountains of work towards the TV at our lobby which was broadcasting the match via MioTV live. The match started late afternoon and continued even past knocking off time. Yet, many still lingered in the lobby and stared intensively into the screen, completely oblivious to the knocking off time. Seldom did we witness such a crowd in front of the TV screens. Even for those of us who could not catch the match, we were hearing news here and there from other colleagues about the latest development of the match. We were all rooting morally for Singapore.

When the news finally broke that Singapore has won, the whole country was elated. Finally, a confirmed medal after 46 years! Congrats, Singapore's Table Tennis Team! You have done us proud!

Hitched

Hitched? Not me!

I am only referring to the movie starring Will Smith. I am not exactly a fan of Will Smith, but thought he is still pretty good looking hunk with a sense of humour (especially in Shrek). 'Hitched' has a pretty cliche plot, but who cares? We all love a little predictable, funny, romantic and a happily ever after love story?

Boy and Girl are both love cynics. Boy is a love expert whose profession is to help other men secure their love of their lives. Boy becomes an expert only after suffering a bad heartache in college. Yet, Boy will only help people who are really in love and not lust. Boy and Girl fall in love. However, Girl is a reported who wants to interview the love doctor - Boy. When Girl finds out that Boy is the love doctor, Girl becomes angry and exposes him. This causes him to lose business and credibility and affects his clients. Boy also becomes angry. In the end, Girl realises that she still loves Boy and the same applies for the Boy. Boy and Girl get together again.

Simple plot. So what's so interesting about the movie?

I was very impressed when Boy wanted to win the heart of the Girl. He went through a thorough research about the Girl, including her ancestors. He planned a breakfast date but he refused to call it a date knowing the girl was adamant of romance. He brought her water jetting and lured her to an island with a museum for the first immigrants of New York. Girl was surprised to find grandfather's name in the namelist of the immigrants.

Hmm, few guys will go the extent to plan for such memorable dates. No wonder, even the love-sceptic Girl was moved. It is difficult for any Girl not to be swooned by the Boy or to resist his charms. Of the entire movie, I liked this part best because of the efforts that the Boy has put in and the creativity of the date design. *Wink*

Happy 43rd Birthday, Singapore!

Happy birthday, my homeland!

Thank you for everything!

Opening Ceremony of 2008 Beijing Olympics

I am truly impressed.

The Beijing's 'Bird Nest' has drawn opposing opinions for its design and architecture. Its prowress is showcased to the entire world during the Opening Ceremony. China, which used to be perceived as backward and traditional, has wowed viewers worldwide for both ceremony and the venue for the ceremony. From the traditional dance and songs to introduce Chinese grand history to the Taiji performance which is the pride of Chinese martial arts, the performances were stunningly beautiful. The beauty was certainly enhanced by the lightings effect.

The fireworks were generous and resplendent - lighting up the Beijing night skies. Well, this is the first time, where audiences are treated to a generous eye-feast.

The rainbow walk by the representatives and athletes as they marched to the centre of the stadium was truly innovative. With 200 over countries participating in the Games, the marach was rather long. I hang on because I was eager to see Singapore's representatives. Unfortunately, they were one of the last few countries to march into the stadium.

Well-done, Beijing. I am sure all people world-wide are proud of your opening ceremony. I am sure we will be continously surprised by the Olympics.

Going Crazy Over G2000

For many office workers, I am sure G2000 is a familiar brand where we can stock up on our shirts, suits, skirts and pants. Every year, there are two main periods where I will go on a massive shopping sprees - once during the GSS and once during the post Christmas sales. Of course, G2000 is a brand that I will certainly patronise, especially when I can literally grab the size and go.

Just like some people who will go on "Mango-hopping" during Mango sales, I will often go on G2000-hopping. What this means is that we will visit the different outlets of the same boutique because certain sizes or colours missing in certain boutiques could be found in another. When I find the right size and the right colour and in perfect condition, the satisfaction surpasses any fatique to be endured for all the walking, waiting and searching.

If I open up my wardrobe, I guess a sizeable proportion of my working attires are from G2000. The collection is built up over many years because I do not change my size significantly - often just 1 size up or down. With more cautious washing, some of my shirts and pants have 'accompanied' me for close to 6 years!

For those who know me, I am not exactly very adventurous with style, sticking to evergreen (an euphemism for safe and bordering boring) clothes. Hence, clothes for G2000 are great 'investments' because they hardly go out of trend. Moreover, most of its materials are relatively comfortable which suit me perfectly in the hot and humid weather of Singapore.

Needless to say, the current end season sale of G2000 has again left a dent in my wallet. The best way to safeguard my wallet from further damage is to avoid going shopping at all. See no evil (cheap and good clothes); do no evil (buy and buy).