Tuesday, 10 November 2009

  • Oxymoron...

    ...Japan, the country of contradictions. Even the most polite people, can fail to show even the most common of courtesies.

    Subway train rides are the pulse of Tokyo, I think its one of their most efficient form of transportation...leagues and leagues better than what we have in Perth. However, I find that most people here, generally lack common courtesy on the trains. Seats aren't given to the elderly, pregnant women or women with young children. Even priority seats are used by people who don't need them. And the biggest offenders... men in business suits.

    While riding the crowded train to my interview yesterday, a seat freed up infront of me... so, naturally, because my stop was several minutes away... I sat down. At the next stop,  a young mum boarded the train with 2 young children in tow... so, I gave my seat up almost immediately. After much protesting, she sat down... but when she got to her stop... she got up, turned to me and said "Thank you" in the most polite and formal Japanese form...and gave me a waist-low bow. I was shocked... I only bowed a little back, taken by surprise and before I could even form anything comprehensible, she was out the door. I'm humbled... an honoured, no one has ever done that to me before.

    This incident justs goes to show how rare it was for someone to be shown common courtesy in a country full of polite people. I can only imagine what its like in other countries...hmmm...

Thursday, 05 November 2009

  • Sweaty palms...

    ...and sudden anxiety attacks... but I show none of these on the outside. This was me at the pre-interview session today.

    I don't like interviews... I haven't done a great many of them. I tell myself....

    Exude confidence. Stay calm. Answer the questions. Piece of cake. Easy. You can do this.

    I can understand why people never want to change their jobs even if they hate it... oh,  the dreaded interview stage.

    Formal interview will be on Monday.  I hope I get this job. The pay isn't great but there's lots of time flexibility...
    Halloween isn't an Australian tradition... but I always find great pleasure in dressing up... besides I'm in Japan... the country for cosplay. I've always thought Halloween was supposed to be people dressing up scarily... but somehow this is not the case anymore... alot of people are going as cute cartoon characters.

    Come here.....


    Me and my sis, vampire and witch


Friday, 30 October 2009

  • I can't walk away....

    ...from this... :) Reading my past entries really reminded me why I started this so long ago.

    I've been in Japan for 2 weeks now today... and after a few months of living out of my suitcase...I feel a little bit more settled now. :) I applied for some English teaching jobs last night... I'm hopeful and a little apprehensive... but overall, happy that I'm finally here. Its a journey which I've been blessed heaps by the people I meet along the way... new and renewed friendships.

    Somethings that happened in the last 3 months....

    ....Holiday in Thailand with the girls.. :)


    I think this picture summed up what we liked about Koh Samui...

    There was sunshine, great company, lots to see and do...and happy hours... :)

    The girls were great... you'd think that there might be many conflicts, you know people saying hormones flying and all...but I can safely say that there weren't any notable ones...

    First night out was the most memorable, involving an ice bar and half naked men running around... certainly more than what we wanted/planned to see...

     and o my... all the the FOOD were delicious!!! .
     
    Activities we enjoyed, were elephant riding,  tigerbub holding...scenic views... and hour-long MASSAGES!!!

    -----------------------
    Stayed in Malaysia for 2.5 months... and in the processed caught up with relatives...celebrating several birthdays in the process...

    Lester's...
     

    Yeng Ling's.... (Lester's gf)
     

    Buay Ee's (mum's youngest sister)...pictured here with my twin cousins...


    ....also visited my grandmother's childhood farm in Melaka...(L-R mum's cousin, youngest grandaunt, grandma and 4th grand uncle)
     

    ....and visited Kuching for the first time with my sister and her family...it was 2 full days of just eating...and more eating... :)



    ----------------------
    ....There were a few weddings that were only a week apart from each other.... :)

    ....Samantha and Ian in KL...


    ....Jacinta and Arthur in Perth...


    ....Lynn and Terry in Sydney....


Thursday, 16 July 2009

  • Hello heat...

    ...and humidity... :) Nothing quite like feeling sticky as soon as you leave the airplane... and I was still all wrapped up in my gear from the cold in Perth...

    There were no tears at my departure...I think mainly because I was leaving one home to go to another... I only felt sad when my waiter's friend got confiscated... :( It was given to me at my first waitering gig...and had been with me for throughout my career as a waitress while I was earning some extra money at uni... It never failed me once. So much sentimental value... I know I can go out and get another same one... but it just wouldn't be the same. The new one won't have the same dents and nicks that showed character and wear through the years... I guess 8 years is a long time to hold on to something... Goes to show that you should not pack in a hurry...

    waiter's friend 002  
    While on the plane, I wrote in my journal and drew a pic of it...

    Flight and landing was no drama, I couldn't have managed to lug all my bags by myself... what was I thinking!!!? I large handbag, 1 large laptop bag...1 small luggage for carry-on and one HUGE luggage with my clothes and knick knacks that I carried back for mum and dad. No surprise that I was overweight... Anyhoo, I landed at LCCT without much drama, trolley was great. Got to KL Sentral and that's when it got a little tricky...

    I really think that the hand of God was in this when the next woman behind me bought a ticket to the same station I was headed to... and she looked decent. So I approached her... Boy, was she nice! She even helped me with my lugging my bags... looked after it, helped me on the train and also into the taxi...and all I felt that I repaid her was her taxi ride home... She told me she was from Sarawak staying with her daughter who was  studying in KL...she also told me that her son was studying in Curtin... Alas, I never got her name... She reminded me so much of my aunty in Sarawak, just shorter.

    I really felt bless by her kindness... and it was only my first day back in KL.

    I wonder what's ahead... :) I look forward to it.

Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Friday, 26 June 2009

  • Customer Service...

    ... so I have a minor rant on the subject of customer service. I'm tired of well-established business and companies treating their customers like crap... like customers aren't the one funding their pay cheques.

    Now, Corica is a well-established pastry house... world-wide famous for their yummy Apple Struddle. Twice in the past week (and I don't usually go there) that I've been to the store and the customer service has been absolutely appalling!

    First occasion, there was no "hi, how can I help you?". Nope! The ladies were just busy chit-chatting amongst themselves...

    2nd occasion, I had to bag the struddles myself!... She just put the struddles on the counter which was placed next the bags, took my money and returned to whatever she was doing before... I'm sorry, I thought the normal procedure is to put the items in the bags and handing it to the customer... you know, make the customer feel all welcomed and wanted??

    I think its because they know that customers will go to them....ergh!

    And it isn't only Corica that I feel has been so arrogant... I find it in many places. What's happening to good customer service in places that are well-established?

    I think I'd rather go to smaller, not-so-popular, not-as-yummy businesses that gives better customer service. I hope that if I ever own a business one day I will never let customer service slip like that... 

    I feel so much better that that's out... :)

Wednesday, 10 June 2009

  • The Five Love Languages

    I feel loved when...

    My Primary Love Languages are probably Quality Time  and Physical Touch

    My Detailed Results:
    Quality Time: 10
    Physical Touch: 10
    Acts of Service: 5
    Words of Affirmation: 4
    Receiving Gifts: 1

    About this quiz

    Unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages.  It can be helpful to know what language you speak and what language those around you speak.

    Tag 3 people so they can find out what their love language is.

    - Rinnie Nelson

    - Jean Tan

    - Rebecca Chai

    Take the Quiz!
    Check out the Book

Monday, 08 June 2009

  • Home renovations....

    So, I've been spending most of my time trying to finish renovations to my apartment. Its been too long, with lots of tears shed, loss of money, lots of worry and mainly dealing with one crappy tradesman, but I'm really happy with the finished product.

    I've felt many, many times that I was way in over my head... but with the help of many wonderful family, friends and tradespeople, my apartment is finally done!

    Before & After pictures.

    The Kitchen
       

    The Main area:
     




    The Small Bedroom
     

    The Master Bedroom... (no before pic)


    DURING....

    1. Removing the old kitchen...


    2. Dodgy trademan, Aijun Bai's job... so much to fix...
    a. Didn't do proper underlay, started to put the floorboards straight on to the old dirty carpet.


    b. Messy and sloppy work....


    c. He managed to saw into my new kitchen benchtop...


    3. Fixing up the mess... had to take the new floorboards up and remove the old carpet and tiles underneath... (Sam and my dad pictured)





Wednesday, 20 May 2009

  • The aftermath...

    ...its been 3 whole days of not working... well, I've been working just not getting paid for it. It amazing how time flies when you're busy (with furnishing the apartment and supposedly cleaning of my rather messy room)

    My plans to sleep-in in the mornings are kaput, I'm still waking up at close to 7am every morning... Monday was semi-successful which saw me going back to sleep until 8.20am... whoppie!~

    So Friday was my last work day, and I was pretty sad to be leaving... they said that they want to keep me within the bank, and that the position I held previously was still on offer, but I can't go back to sales... I want to move sideways or forward... not backward, no matter how short period it may be... I'm moving on to better things... they said really nice things and I even got a couple of goodbye cards and goodbye presents, too... Made me tear up...

    So, on to better things....  Japan! :) Well, I still have to wait to hear back regarding my visa application and also having to find a tenant for my place. But the deal is, I help my sister out with her 6-month old son and in return, I get free accomodation and food.... it sounded pretty good to me... and almost too good to say no... but I had to weigh up the pros and cons... with the world economy the way it currently is...

    In the end, I decided that I don't think an opportunity like this would ever present itself again... so I'm making plans to go to JAPAN!!! ....woot!

Thursday, 14 May 2009

  • 20-something...


    I love reading Madison magazine... Love it!... I feel that they're leagues better than Cleo or Cosmo and far more entertaining than Vogue... bleh! >_<

    I was reading last year's March issue and this article stood out:

    "...For 20-somethings, the seemingly endless options on offer - career, boyfriends, family, or just simply extending your teens and partying for a decade - often leads to a kind of paralysis. "Its the idea that we're 'spoilt for choice'. That's when we can't make a decision because we're so worried about what we'll miss out on."

    A generation ago in Australia, life tasks were more defined and straightforward: most women and men could expect to be married by their mid-20s with a solid career and family life mapped out....

    ...believes the uncertainty that comes with a juggernaut of choices is one of the leading contributors to the current epidemics of anxiety and depression."

    Sometimes not being spoilt for choice may be a blessing in disguise.... I think so...

    It went on later to say.... that there have been significant career changes in their 30s and beyond.... And I'm thinking....heck, why not start now?

    Ok, its besides the point that tomorrow is my last day at work...I dunno how I feel really... I'm been feeling fine all along, and accepted things as they are... I'm not sad nor am I jumping for joy (I do have a mortgage after all... )... I feel... somewhat daunted... what if I'm making all the wrong choices... what if.... what if??

    So I'm gonna stick to what I know... I'm gonna stick to my plan and hope all works out well...

    I mean what's the worst that can happen, right?