My New Neighbour & Adaptation

It's pure coincidence that June & I are neighbours now. I mean we work in the same building, of the many skyscrapers in Raffles Place. Have yet to lunch with her. Supposed to meet her last Fri but her meeting overran.

The office of my first job was just diagonally across from my present office. Surely there are lots of changes over the years & boy, the morning office crowd has also grown so much.

Last Fri, we took a break from driving (in fact it's more for hubby). We parked our car opposite Sun Plaza's Park&Ride & took the train to our offices. Wow, the throngs of people who got out of Raffles Place station were overwhelming!

And there's the lunch crowd. So far, other than lunching with a few of my new colleagues on some days, I'm just happy to take a stroll by myself (to get away from work) & get some bite size food at the stalls environ Arcade. I've always hated crowded eating places but guess I've no choice now. When I'm more settled in my new job, hope I can go lunch more often with my colleagues & learn the surviving skills amidst the aggressive, fast-moving lunch crowd. :P

Hubby said there's a can't-be-bothered attitude in those who work in Shenton Way/Raffles Place... especially when crossing the roads. It could be really frustrating for motorists. I guess it's the circumstances that make them this way?

Birthday celebration with the Family

Celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday last Sat. Had Chinese dinner buffet (all-you-can-eat) @ Parkroyal Hotel Kitchener. Most of them didn't like the food but I thought some dishes were alright.

After dinner, a few of us went on to have a second session - KTV. Vince & I found this place that offers cheap KTV at Toa Payoh. But the audio system was lousy. And the place was... hmm.. look at this & you'll know.

Constance said this place looks like the one she went to in Vietnam. Ha!

Wedding Dinner on a Monday night

Beauties in Black!

At hubby's cousin's wedding dinner. On a Monday night.

Thankful

I've such a wonderful hubby that I always feel I can't thank God enough for him. Especially during this transition, he has given me so much support & I know I'm so so blessed.

Without him, I'm sure the present wouldn't be the same. What happened was... just an hour before the 1st interview with my current employer, to my horror I discovered I didn't bring my original set of certificates for verification purpose which they had reminded me to during the telephone conversation & in the email. And hubby, instead of chiding me upon knowing (which's the reflex of most human including myself), immediately arranged to rush home to get them for me & asked me to wait for him at my interview venue. I wander why this husband of mine wasn't even in the least upset with me & still calmed me & reassured me that he'd be in time to deliver my certs. Thank God I managed to postpone the interview (of course not by telling them the real reason!) to half an hour later & I went back with him to get all that I needed. It's a big relief that by the time hubby dropped me at the doorstep, I still had about 5 mins to recompose myself. Phew!

3 days before I left my previous company, I thought of giving my colleagues a small treat. Hubby was so supportive that he volunteered to get me all I needed. He said whatever I wanted he would get them for me. To make things simpler for my honey, I "ordered" 2 dozens of donuts from Donut Factory and some pies & puffs from Polar (mainly for my Muslim colleagues) & he had them delivered right to my office while I was busy with my reports. Hubby's attentiveness has indeed gained praises from my ex-colleagues & 1 of them even asked whether Vince has a younger brother to introduce to another colleague.. hehe.

And about my last week's purchases, hubby aka my shopping buddy, didn't bat an eyelid & even went all out to search for some items with me. Instance(1)4 I also bought a grey jacket from Esprit besides those that I mentioned previously. We saw it in Marina Sq's but I initially wanted a black one. but we're told that only 1 black piece was left in Centrepoint after checking their record & as sale item couldn't be reserved, we quickly rushed there to get it. We've no idea whether their e-system or the Centrepoint outlet screwed up, there's no sight of such jacket.. not even the grey one. After combing their store (which's huge) for more than half an hour, we gave up but this time, I insisted they kept a grey one at MS. So hubby drove me back to MS to get it. (2) The Warehouse flap tote which I set my eyes on but I wanted to consider. The next day I decided to buy it but we couldn't find at Wisma's. We went to a few places in search of Warehouse but didn't know they have limited outlets. So eventually hubby had to bring me back to MS again. Hmm. Hubby has never complained about the back & forth trips as well as the expensive parking fees chalked up especially on Sat in town.

So at Aldo, where I got 2 handbags at 1 go, I bought a nice watch for hubby as reward. Hee.

My honey's Aldo Aurello watch

And yes, I also bought a pretty bracelet watch while hubby bought a birthday present for one of his colleagues that's shared with the others. Frankly, I haven't been shopping since our Korea trip but I just couldn't stop buying once started!!

About 2 weeks ago, I did some online purchases and was waiting for them anxiously as I wanted them for my 1st day of work. My dear hubby was well aware of that & I was very pleasantly surprised that he helped me to retrieve them fresh from customs clearance without having to go through sorting & job-queue which would take at least another day or 2. So it does pay to have a hubby to work there. :D

First day of work, we left home late partially because I'd tummy ache. I panicked as being late on first day was the last situation I would want to land myself in. Hubby again reassured me that he would make sure that I reach office in time. True enough, I arrived in 35mins & reported to my new office on the dot.

There are simply nothing my doting hubby wouldn't do for me! This old song below just perfectly describes how I feel as he's always been my hero.

It must have been cold there in my shadow,
to never have sunlight on your face.
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.
You always walked a step behind.

So I was the one with all the glory,
while you were the one with all the strength.
A beautiful face without a name for so long.
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.

Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
but I've got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.
I would be nothing without you.

from: Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler

The Jobless Days

Started my new job last Wed.

During the 4 days when I was unemployed, we went shopping. Nope, not GSS yet but I've very valid reason to shop (it's just self-justification, point-blank :P) 4 I gotta revamp my wardrobe. In my previous job, I could wear anything to work, as long as there's no meeting or event to attend. Now here, there's a pretty strict dresscode & I do look forward to that day when we're allowed to wear jeans on Fridays. As you can imagine I'm not used to it yet after sooo many years of lax dressing. I was always being asked "eh? you can wear like this to work?" & I was always happy to tell them "of course!". Now, my day has come. Frankly, I don't really mind the change... my only headache is my poor feet. I just wonder how all those ladies could walk so fast in their strappies or pumps with heels that reach the sky everyday & there's no sign of pain or discomfort at all.

So I got new clothes, shoes (if I'm not wrong, mules not allowed as well) & bags (I don't have enough nice bags to match my clothes, hee). Fierce shopping indeed & got my loots from every where (no high end ones, thankfully).

Stock take at the end of four days:

- 4 handbags (Aldo, Warehouse, URS)
- 3 pairs of shoes (Charles & Keith, URS, Heatwave)
- 7 tops (BYSI, some small shops in Marina Sq, FEP, AMK Hub)
- 2 pants & 1 skirt (FEP.. very nice cutting & cheap!)

Besides shopping, hubby took a day's leave on Mon & we went for our free buffet lunch @ Merchant Court :)

Hubby imitate my posture!

Wish I could have a longer break but I'm still thankful for how things are now. God is so good :)

Miss my Colleagues...

I had a surprise birthday celebration from my colleagues. It's my last in this office. I felt really loved there. But that's life.. when it's time to move on, we've to do so.

Ce n'est qu'un Au Revoir!

This was what my boss wrote in the farewell card.

Yes finally... I've closed this chapter of a decade yesterday. Was in a pretty emotional state the whole night.. I didn't cry during the farewell part though, which my colleague/good friend & hubby expected I would.

From being offered the job to leaving, I was given only 11 days to wrap things up & accept the fact that I'm really leaving this time round. My colleagues were surprised by the short notice as well.

Last Wed, some colleagues gave me a farewell dinner treat @ Plaza Market Café. It's a great one & they enjoyed it too.. especially the seafood. :)

An all-girls pic.

Last Fri ie. my last day at work, a close colleague & a few others wanted to have another lunch with me before my departure. Turned out that their manager, who's always treated me well, bought us lunch.

I received a few gifts too. A beautiful French crystal vase, a Chomel clutch bag & a nice cup with an extremely adorable cat (meant for my new workplace). Another colleague knows I like her delicious 糯米饭 & prepared that as my breakfast for 2 mornings (Thurs & Fri).. that's so sweet of her.
I was very touched by their nice gestures, to think that I've all along been in a stand-alone department & didn't really work with any of them.

And for 2 evenings, hubby came up to help me with my personal stuff that I supposed to bring home. I felt like I was moving house...

A farewell card for me..

The last day in my cozy lil office

About half an hour before I left, there's a bit of a commotion in the office...
My intention was to go around to take some pics with my dear colleagues before I ended my last day of work. My boss (who just turned 'ex') happened to walk into my room & a colleague mentioned that to him. So he asked me whether I wanted a group pic & I thought it's a good idea. Then there he went, gathering everyone at the reception area for a picture together. He even "conducted" the whole photography session!

Another one. You know why? Because our dear old lady (next to boss) MIAed during the 1st session & after waiting for a few minutes we went ahead without her. Then when she reappeared, my (ex) boss went around & summoned everyone again for another group pic. I was quite astounded as he, who usually expects everyone of us to be at our workstation all the time, disrupted his staff from their work twice! :P
I felt a lil bad for my colleagues too as everyone's rushing to end a day's/week's work on a Fri evening.

Well at least, it's a happy & heartwarming farewell for me.

Leaving the office with my dearest hubby did help a whole lot. :)

The past 1 week..

.. has been really busy.

Made a 2D1N trip to KL as well mid of last week. It's the shortest among all my trips and also my last.

And well... finally, I've the time to compile all our Korea pictures!