Where Have All Your Hours Gone?

A friend was sharing with me how the turn over has been record high in her company, not because of higher pay packages or greener pastures out there but rather a result of more and more people re-prioritizing their lives to attain work-life balance. And the demanding work load and schedule just doesn't allow that.

Is this whole thing about work-life balance overrated? And how do we know which end of the scale we are at in this balancing act? Sometimes the best way to derive answers for such unperceivable questions is to quantify them!

Isn't this what we learn from our work anyway? How are we doing this quarter? Oh.. let's look at some numbers. Do you think we should grow this part of the business? Oh... let's look at some numbers. Sounds familiar hoh ;-)

Anyway, coming back to this.

Do not get overly excited because this is no ingenious formula at all. Friends who know me for long enough would know that with my aptitude for anything mathemetical (which is almost non-existent), I would not possibly come up with anything more profound than the times-table.

Step 1:
Classify your daily activities into 3 to 4 key areas which you spend time on (e.g. Work, Family, Personal Time). Of course if you are someone who is very anal about the granularity of things... by all means break them up into sub-categories like exercise, TV, reading, shopping etc... but hey... this is supposed to be a 5 min exercise and who has so much time anyway :)

Step 2:
Estimate the number of hours you typically spend on each area in a week.

Step 3:
With 168 hours a week, you can then easily work out the percentage of time you spend in each area.

It is so simple that I feel almost idiotic to have a step-by-step instruction.

So what is the whole point of this? Well, for a start, it presents you a quick view of how "balanced" your life is. And if that is not your idea of a "balanced" life, just start moving the hours around! Of course that is easier said than done.

A little insight to my current results...
Work: 30%
Justin: 12.2%
Personal: 9.8%

But that makes up only 52%...then I realised with shameless guilt that I spend a good half of my time SLEEPING ?!?! I tried to rationalise it with all the other miscellaneous stuff like showering, eating, dressing up blah blah but still.... I have some serious reshuffling to do.

Go do it when you have that few moments while waiting for that FB page to load or that computer to restart. It may yield interesting results.

Happiness Is...

Happiness is...

Taking it all in during a beautiful sunset with your loved ones.

Some Things Never Change

It recently occurs to me that some things do not change much over the years from one generation to the next.

Maybe it is because my parents still stay in the same old place where I grew up in.

When I was still a tiny toddler, my dad used to bring me downstairs in the evening and sit by one of those old fashioned bench facing the road and watch vehicles go by. He would point out that the buses are approaching and what their service numbers are.
These days my dad still do the same thing... not for me of course :-) but for Justin baby as a grandpa. This soothes baby Justin the same way it did for me.

When I was two plus, I visited the doctor downstairs for fever and my mum always reminds me about how I was once scolded by the doctor for crying too much when given the jab. I think his exact words were "So big already still cry!" By the way, this doctor has a reputation of being stern with his young patients. Yesterday, I brought Justin baby to this same doctor. Yes, the very same one. Age has caught up with him (and me) but I am still a little intimidated by his firm disposition. He pressed down Justin baby's tongue hard to examine his mouth and ordered the nurse to sponge him from head to toe due to his high temperature. In a split second, baby Justin's screaming and wailing filled the entire clinic... and maybe even the shop next door. Mr no-nonsense-doctor showed no empathy except "Why so fierce?!?"

I am sure I will be able to pick up a lot more childhood memories of my own along the way as long as a large part of baby Justin's growing up journey is spent in this little old flat of my parents.

Time To Say Goodbye

We got acquainted just not too long ago

And I had never thought of having you sold

It was definitely not my intention

To make you feel so forsaken

Our affair may be brief

but I am already filled with grief

I am sad but it is not shown on my face

Afterall it was a decision I have made

I will always remember how we used to zip around

East to West and sometimes around town

And how I loved your big round speedometer & quirky buttons

And how I enjoyed flicking to change your night light colours

Oh how you suffered these past months

Soaking in rain and baking in sun

Car wash has been a very rare treat

and I did nothing much to keep you happy and clean

From now on you are no longer with me physically

But I promise you will always be part of my memories

So long, Farewell, my dear MINI

Hope you find someone who will take care of you better than me

Irresponsible Dreams

Initially, I did not think much of it but when it happened twice...

Oh... I can be such a horrible mummy.... at least in my dreams.

Months ago when I just started driving around with Baby Justin in the car, I must have felt a little stressed about the whole safety, comfort, logistics and no-available-parking-lots issues because I had this dream, or a nightmare rather. I was walking towards the lift in my block at the end of an exhausting day with my handbag in one hand and laptop in the other. Then suddenly it striked me that I have forgotten all about Baby Justin whom I have left behind in the car locked up in the dark and faraway carpark!!! I woke up while trying to drop everything and dash back for him.

Just last week, I dreamt again. This time, I was with a bunch of pals hanging around a hotel lobby planning what to do for the night. Then someone suggested we check out this new drinking hole down the street. Somehow Baby Justin was asleep in my arms at that moment and I started thinking how I could sneak away for a couple of hours. The next few scenes that followed were just illogical but in the dream itself, I thought it to be a great idea!

There I was, placing the soundly asleep Baby Justin in the middle of a gigantic bed of a hotel room secured by pillows and bolsters all around. I then left him all alone in there and went down to the hotel reception to pass a hand-written note to a group of hotel staff and instructing them how much milk to make for him should he wake up while I was gone! When I shared this with a friend that day, she questioned: "Shouldnt you tell them to call you instead when he wakes up rather than make milk for him?" That wasn't even the point!

But hey, isnt there a saying that dreams often present quite the opposite of reality?? Maybe I should just seek comfort in that in the absence of any better excuse :P

Junk That Comes In Envelopes

I don't know about you but I am more annoyed by junk mails in the physical rather than digital form.

Afterall, deleting emails require just one click. In fact you can just select all unwanted junk to trash them instantly and they are gone even before you can finish cursing in your head.

As for their counterparts that come in envelopes...

- they not only take up space in your house;

- come in all sizes;

- they somehow accumulate faster than you can clear them

- require repetitive and monotonous action of opening them up one by one;

- sorting them into "overdue bills requiring immediate action", "can wait", "will read when I have time", "total waste of time" and "can't decide what to do with them" can be as time consuming (usually 80% of them fall into the last two categories)

- and after what feels like forever, you still end up with a heap of trash that you then have to drag your feet to dump them in the bin.

- and have I mentioned the occassional papercuts? Ouch! *#@##

Now, here is actually why I wrote this entry...

There are some letters from certain financial institutions that you tend to open up first while sifting through the entire stack. Why? Because you would assume they are important notices or statements.

Or maybe not.

This particular one sent me one big A4 piece of paper with a few liners to inform me that I have sucessfully logged in to their website for the very first time with the OTP on a certain day & time ( for those not initiated, that means one-time password). Why do they bother to do that! The fact that I successfully logged in, of course I would have known that and therefore I see no value whatsoever to send me a confirmation that it has happened.

What is more infuriating is that the next letter I opened came from the same sender telling me that my application of the OTP feature has been approved !(please refer to above what OTP is...if you are suffering from very short term memory loss). Of course it has been approved! How then was I able to log in for the very first time with it and why then would you send me that previous letter!

Total waste of paper and total waste of my time.

I need to outsource mails clearing... any takers?

I Miss Having Clear Vision!

Just when I thought deciding or not to go for LASIK is a tough one, I realise deciding on whether enhancement is the right thing to do is even more torturing.

Statistics show that only 1% to 3% of LASIK patients need enhancements due to under or over correction and I am among these unlucky minority.

It has been 2.5 months and my vision is still far from perfect and anything more than an arm's length away is just blur. I even had a pair of specs made for driving at night. Without which, I would probably not be able to make my way home at night.

During the last post LASIK checkup, I had residual degree of 75 on one side and 50 on the other and was told that I am a potential candidate for enhancement since my cornea is thick enough for that. The doctor seemed to suggest that I should seek comfort in that (BUT that is not what I signed up for!!!).

Rightfully, many folks with 75 degree (or even up to 100 plus) just live with that and don't bother with specs. So I had a strong feeling that mine is definitely more than that and went for a second checkup elsewhere. Unexpectedly, the results turned out the same. However I am still not convinced and I am considering a third opinion.

Not that I regret going for LASIK in the first place... I miss having clear vision BUT I no doubt do not miss hard lens at all :)

Now I am just torn between leaving my poor eyes as they are and hope for a miracle versus going for an enhancement which probably means thinning my cornea further leaving no more room for future enhancement should my eyesight deteriorate years down the road. Not to mention that my confidence of the doctor or rather such LASIK procedures is now shaken...

Pontianak Is Coming To Town

Friends know that I refer to parking attendants as parking pontianaks (ever since I watched Dim Sum Dolly years ago). Tonight when I witnessed one diligently performing his "duty" in a public carpark, a little tune started to ring in my mind suddenly...

Pontianak Is Coming To Town (sang to the tune of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town)

You better watch out
You better not doubt
You better not try
I'm telling you why
Pontianak is coming to town!

He sees you when you're cheating
He knows when you're away
He knows that you've been bad or good
So be good for your own sake!

He's booking one car
He's booking two cars
He's booking more cars
And he's coming your way
Pontianak is coming to town!

Not All Help Is Welcomed

Just came across this piece of news about how a lady jumped to her death after attending a self-help course. Very unfortunate and ironic I must say. Aren't such courses supposed to help regain confidence, find yourself, be a better person blah blah blah? Who would have thought that such positive intentions can lead to death.

Is this just an isolated case where the course is too intense and uncertified? That plus the fact that people who choose to attend such courses generally are in a relatively more vulnerable or confused state of mind anyway? I definitely hope so, given the proliferation of such courses/talks.

I always wonder if such courses really can change a person's life or outlook. Perhaps without the intensity (which in this case resulted in a freak disaster which could have been avoided), they just cannot get to peoples' mind.

How about books or other literature of such kind then? Are they safer but maybe not as effective? While browsing in a book store the other day, I couldn't help but notice there was an entire shelf or maybe two dedicated to self help books.

If you ask me, there is always the kind of help that doesn't burn a hole in the pocket and is totally safe... family and friends.
(Disclaimer: Ok, it depends on the the kind you have!)

More of it at:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20091208/tap-as-australia-the-turning-point-79704af.html

Who should survive?

Yes, we are both suckers of "end-of-the world" sort of hollywood blockbusters. So, 2012 was a movie which we wouldn't miss.

Like the countless other doomsday epic movies, America once again saved the world from total destruction and devoted father (usually divorced) emerged as the hero who saved the day. The plot sounds all too familiar to us movie buffs right?

If you have not watched this movie and intend to, perhaps you should stop reading here in case the rest of this entry turn out to be a spoiler for you :P

This movie got me thinking if the real world does react and operate in the same manner if we are really faced with such threats of a total wipe out. What if in order to ensure continuity of the human species and civilization, we can only select and save 400,000 in this world due to limited resources and time? And not to forget our dear animal friends and important historical relics of mankind (in the movie, we did see giraffes and elepahants being hauled and The Mona Lisa being preserved).

If so, then how can you and I, who have close to zero chance of being saved, increase our odds of being selected to live?

Here is what I have learnt from the movie:

- Be a billionaire and pay 1 billion euro to buy yourself a seat
- If you see no hope of becoming a billionaire no matter how much Toto you have bought in your entire life, then you have better be some famous scientist or doctor. Not just a mediocre one but someone who makes alarming discoveries and contributes to mankind.
- If that is still too tough, then marry one. I mean the billionaire.
- Alternnatively, work for the white house.
- But not the US president. You might have to make a sacrificial decision of staying behind with your fellow citizens to proof that you are a good leader.
- Learn how to fly a plane and get a license. And just because you proof to be more useful in situations like that, you will live slightly longer than the rest of us. Afterall, both pilots in the movie did not survive eventually.
- Be a citizen of one of the G8 countries. I did not think any Singaporean was part of the 400,000. (though I believe one of the actor is a Singaporean)

Nonsense aside, which is a better way to select the survivors if you are the one to decide?
A) Select the elites from every field/arena who can best contribute to the continuity of human race
or
B) Draw lots so that every human being is given a fair chance of survival.

Well, maybe an ark is well on its way of being built as we sit pondering over this question :)

Moving Out... Soon

I have been largely distracted these past two weeks by the sale of my house and the relentless hunting for a new place and thus, the lack of blogging.  Now that the dust has settled with most of the documentation and planning taken care of, the rest is execution.

Concerned friends have questioned the timing of the move, given that I will be into the last trimester of my pregnancy.  I would be lying if I claimed it wasn't even the least of our concern but then after some deliberation with The Man, we thought why not... since I am on leave and that gives me much room for all the planning and coordination, which would otherwise be even more challenging with both of us slogging away at work.

Given that our new place will not be ready in at least another three years, we will be moving in with my in-laws for now.  We started off with properties that will T.O.P by this year but the asking prices for these sub-sales have been nothing but ridiculous.  We also contemplated the possibility of putting up in a rented apartment in the meantime but three years of rental will set us back by quite a bit.

So this week is when I start all the light packing since I am under strict instructions not to do any heavy lifting :) Not that I can manage anyway... given the clumsy and bulky state I am in.

With less than two months to go before I have to leave behind this lovely first home of mine, the emotions will no doubt start to sink in. It feels like just yesterday when we were still doing up this place with all the resort-themed ideas and furniture.  I will so dearly miss this place that was once filled with parties & booze, fun & laughter, ups & downs... 

It will be a pity that Junior wouldn't have a chance to stay in The Eden after he is born and so we have been snapping away in the house, hoping to show him each and every corner of our first home in the future.

Mothers' Day Redefined

I used to feel that Mothers' Day is yet another commercial exploit, with super long queues outside restaurants and OSIM roadshows sprouting everywhere.

However this Mothers' Day, I figured that it can be a significant and meaningful affair not just through elaborate dinners or showering them with expensive gifts.

Here is what I witnessed and learnt over the weekend:

Our own Mothers' Day celebration was actually a night out at KTV with everyone singing their hearts out. (Happening right? I think we might be going bowling on Fathers' Day! Haahaa)  They looked extremely excited and satisfied belting out their favourite tunes.  Spending happy moments together on activities our mothers enjoy is really a great way to bring a smile to their faces. 

During a wedding luncheon I attended on this same weekend, my friends took the opportunity to honour their respective mothers on stage with bouquets of flowers and I could see them gleaming with pride and joy.

Another friend of mine blogged about her baking a cheesecake for her mum on this special occasion and was totally rewarded by how much her mum appreciated and loved it.

And of course this year's Mothers' Day takes on a slightly different meaning for me... though my little one is still doing his mini somersaults inside me... I think that is his way of saying Happy Mothers' Day to moi!

Hawker Centre Paranoia

With all the hype about cleanliness of eating places following the appalling food poisoning event at Geylang Serai temporary hawker centre, I wonder if this will mark an unprecedented improvement of cleanliness standards of Singapore hawker centres.  Or will this just be another futile attempt that stops at raising awareness and fear but no meaningful actions taken.

A friend (who is preggy too) recently commented that she rather pays a bit more these days than to eat at hawker centres, subjecting herself to unnecessary risks of food poisoning.  Actually I believe many of us visit hawker centres not to save on that few pennies but more often than not, it is because of the wider variety of choices available and also for that occasional craving for our favourite fried kway teow or wanton mee.  Some even go to great lengths like queueing forever or crossing the country just to satisfy their desires.

Now I too enjoy hawker food but there are a few things that often bugged me, which always compromised the makan experience.  

Cleaners leaving dirty pails on seats while clearing the tables

One can only imagine where else the pails have gone to... and with whatever that is dripping around it, I feel sorry for the next person sitting on that seat.  And of course I may be one of them who have unknowingly taken one of those seats.  (That is why I never sit on my bed in my outside clothes... only home clothes).

That disgusting piece of cleaning cloth

I am sure everyone knows what I mean when you see that piece of greysish/yellowish fabric goes round the table, spreading the grease and whatever remains around the table rather than getting rid of them (sometimes even dropping a few bits onto your lap).  I often wonder if that makes the table cleaner or even dirtier. And let me take your disgust to the next level... don't you find that sometimes the moment you sit down, you already sense the foul smell that is coming not from the person beside you but from the table in front of you? I am pretty sure it is because of that CLOTH.

Most often than not, I blame it on the previous diners.  Why do people have to spit out all the bones and shells and any indigestable bits all around the table? Why do people have to drip their sauces all over?

It is important for you to understand what I am driving at with the table story. This will help you better appreciate the following two points I have below :-P

Diners leaning their arms on the tables

Friends who know me well will realise that I never do that (good training for biceps... haha... try doing that while eating crabs whole night long).  I often cringe in disgust when I see children laying their arms and whole head (and their once clean hair) down on the tables.  The cleaners should really thank them for helping with their job.   

It is not easy for most people to change their habits as I have observed on numerous occasions that 99% of Singaporeans placed their arms & elbows on the tables while eating.  But hey, after being nagged at for a long time, even my mum is a now convert!

Diners showcasing all their assets on the tables

By assets, I mean WALLETS, HANDPHONES, HANDBAGS etc.  Similarly, close friends find me paranoid every time I chide them off with my disgusted look.

Me: Aiyo, why you put them on the table! Do you know how dirty.....

Friends: Ok... Ok...

Actually the list goes on BUT if I continue rambling, Me being paranoid will be an understatement :)

10 things I miss much during pregnancy

In no order of preference:

1. Iced Teh Si (but i am on the verge of giving in to this very soon...I know)

2. Tennis 

3. High Heels

4. Sashimi

5. Cheesecakes

6. Red Wine

7. Riesling

8. Lychee Martini

9. Cocktails

10. Doing everything without feeling nausea and tired

Political Power Dressing

I was casually flipping one of the magazines lying around (uh... the one that is adored for throwing in free gifts that come in various colour choices and often leaving buyers wringing their hands in frustration when the desired colour runs out).

Anyway, back to the article that I came across which talks about First Ladies' and politicians' fashion sense and how they bring out the status and confidence that should come with being who they are.  Of course, this article was written in the context of Michelle Obama's recent outfits display during the inauguration.  Others, such as model-turned First Lady of France, were also featured in terms of their elegant style and updated images.

Contrastingly their counterparts in this part of the world do not seem to measure up in terms of fashion style.  

And I can't agree more whenever one of our very own, who is also one of the most successful and powerful business woman in the world, appears on TV.  I would squirm in my seat and go "aiyo, why she has to look like that on national TV huh?" I suppose a little makeup and hair styling doesn't hurt and definitely will not make her any less a powerful lady as she already is.  

Decisions

Important decisions are difficult decisions, usuually.With sufficient support and understanding, difficult decisions can then be made with more self-conviction.

Or maybe that's just me.

New Year Resolutions with Governance

There has been much new year resolution talks these past weeks.

So just how realistic and achievable are they?And how many of us actually act on or even remember them except until 12 months later when we go " oh here we go again..."

Are we making resolutions just to make ourselves feel like a better person while crossing into the new year OR are they really things that we hope to achieve but did not manage to do so due to reasons only we ourselves know?

This year, a couple of friends and I decided to take it to the next level ... with better governance. Our resolutions were documented clearly and quarterly reviews by the self appointed committee have been scheduled to track our progress! If you wonder why this sounds all so familiar... think "work", "boss","peformance-based bonous". Why take it so serious? Well, just adopting a model that has proved to work, hasn't it?

This is only 3rd week into 2009 and I am already seriously contemplating if the documented resolutions can be modified. Ok, maybe just slightly modified. Oh Come on! At uncertain times like these when banks and jobs disappear overnight , shouldn't we be more adaptive to changing times? (this shall be my appeal justification to the committee, not too weak I hope)

In the meantime, I better start working harder on achieving my new DAY resolutions ... which has been disappointing so far ... without any governance.

Making Lists

I love making Lists.

Shopping List
Packing List
To Cook List
Gift List
To Do List
...

(oops, here I go making a list again)

Guess part of the satisfaction comes from the anticipation of scribbling them down in big bold strokes on paper. The rest of the satisfaction is naturally derived from crossing out item by item in the list subsequently.

Ever since this week started, I am not too sure of my feelings towards making lists anymore, particularly the To Do List @ work.

For almost every item I crossed out, three new items have been added so I am really not looking forward to how this list will explode by Fri.

And that bothers me a great deal because ... it will not leave me enough time to start my Packing List for this Saturday's trip!

Obama Burger vs McCain Chicken

And so the burger prevails and triumphs...

First Words

Ok I was a late adopter of facebook and even a later adopter for this Note application... actually not really, if I think about this friend who has not even bothered to type in the facebook URL up till now to check it out...and you know who you are! Anyway I planned to write about this enjoyable half-day leave I took but I realised with 5% battery left, admit it... I am not going to achieve much tonight (the orange alert is glaring right in my face and prompting me to type faster and faster). Charge it first ? Oh yes like why didnt I think of it?? Not when I am facing the prospects of being late tomorrow morning for my 830am meeting. So... perfect excuse for cutting this short for now.