Ringing in the New Year 2007 - Year of the Pig

Yes, in a couple of hours, it will be 2007. Gone is the 2006, filled with much disasters, misfortunes, and disappointments. But on the bright side, it has seen great achievements, success stories, miracles and memorable moments.

Italy owned the World Cup at Germany, Singapore sets new record with 8 gold in the Asian games. Floods, muds, blizzards, bombs, earthquakes. Those are the highlights of the year in the newspaper. Zidane headbutt became a legend for a man whose greatness will now be overshadowed with that incident. Now fashion and books take advantage of this to make great money or charity. Puskas, the great legend passed. James Brown, the soul king, who graced the movie the Tuxedo and countless great numbers which touched the hearts of many passed also last Christmas. Not forgetting, Saddam Hussein also got his deserved punishment, the hanging altar, right just this past weekend. Bush losing his stand in political arena in US, and Rumsfeld got the kick for his baby project - Invade Iraq and establish democracy. Thailand witnessed a coup de tat and Thaksin was ousted as Prime Minister, not once but twice!! Reinstated after he gave up the seat and later not welcomed back when he's out of the country. Pity our Indonesian President, Mr Bambang Yudhoyono. His term was marred with natural disasters and epidemic bird flu. He could have been a greater leader with better deliverables if only the troubles stop coming one after another. I believe the economy could really improve under his leadership. Japan....Koichiro Koizumi...also another great leader....Signed off his term with the visit to the King's museum. By King I was referring to the late King Elvis. Mr. Koizumi even donned some great shades and mimicking the late King's slick moves. Bush watched in awe as he saw a very liberal leader enjoying his last days as the PM of Japan. Enter into the picture Mr. Abe, Shinzo...a very young leader to command the third largest economy of the world. I hope he is able to stabilize Asia fending off and counter-balancing the surging Chinese domination of the world of late.

Wow....you really can't imagine just what a year can bring...So much happening around the world, and if you just focus on your city/state, the magnitude for comparison is just immeasurable. But hey, if you even focus it even more...take your life for the past year, reflect on things you have done, it's scary to think just what did revolve around your life in the past year. I would say 2006 has been quite a good year. I started with nothing but ended with something I would be satisfied with. A job, a circle of friends, bond with family, good health, a sustainable piggy bank, and heck to top it off, I even got my own insurance policy! Hahaha...of course it's not all smooth-sailing when you had your ups and downs, but the downs keep you getting up.

I hope for the closing of a great year, there's an even better year ahead. I am truly, sincerely, from deep within my heart, want to wish all my family members, relatives, friends, colleagues, acquiantances, suppliers I liaise with, and all the people around the world: "HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY THE NEW YEAR GRACE YOU WITH FORTUNES AND PLENTIFUL OF GOOD HEALTH AND LOVE"

So, wherever you are....be ready for the countdown!! 3.....2.....1......

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Now...give it up for the Polar Bear! Happy Birthday yo! I'd like to give you a Tiger to tame you down, but I'm afraid of the scuffle....Tigers don't really live well in cold weather but it does warm you up in cold times. I also know what a Tiger can do to a Polar Bear....it can make him red as tomato and go on a cleaning spree....sorry dude...spill some of that embarrassing moments.

Hahaha...alright...bad pun indeed. Hope your Birthday is as sweet as mine. Ooppss...I forgot to mention...it's my birthday too!! YAY!! DOUBLE HOORAY!! Who would've thought a pooch and a polar bear can share the same birthday? Now where did that come from?

My birthday...to sum it up....nice, quiet and peaceful. Just some warm wishes from parents in the wee hours of the morning all the way from Jakarta and some close friends in Singapore. Not to mention some in black and white from friends in distant places. Thank you all! It made my day knowing that some of you spend some of your time in the day to congratulate this ingrateful pooch!! ahaha...yes ingrateful for being so ignorant to my friends lately. Can't blame me...work is eating up most of my weekday. It feels nice to be able to pass the day quietly in the office....well no one knew that it's my birthday actually....so it's good....keep a low profile....so like Pooch.

Anyway, stop it with the third person thingy....I would like to give my heart-felt wishes and share this joyful day with the one who shares the same birthday as me. Well, I know another one, so Happy Birthday to you too Nicky! hahaha....well....let's do it threesome next time....ahhh....Pooch is getting naughtier by the minute....gotta stop! STOP IT!! ahahaha...okay okay.....I'd better stop now or you think I'd had a drop too many.....No la...no drinks today...gotta work tomorrow....Can't let them think this Poochy is da par-tay kid in town!

So then....ciao birthday friends....hope your day is extra special and much better than mine....WOOHOOOOO..........

UPDATES! UPDATES! HOT OFF THE PRESS!!

Sorry for the overdue posting. Overdue is now becoming a familiar word used in my work. Overdue means somebody has de-committed and that parts will not come as previously promised. So, an overdue PO can mean only 1 thing…either line down or parts went missing!!

Anyway, past month has been quite eventful for me. I had been to 2 weddings, 1 annual company Dinner and Dance and lots of savouring of fine dining! Yes…fine dining they are….1 wedding is hosted at a posh buffet restaurant in Marina Square. Normally, lunch rate is at $35++. The food ranges from eastern selection to western selection with variety of seafood to select from. I managed to try most of them and I had to say the Dory fish was the best one of all, aside from the mussels and oysters. Yummm….

Then the other wedding is for one of my college-mate back from little town of Waverly, Iowa. He was one cool Singaporean dude who had a diverse mix of friends of different culture and colors. You can safely assume that he knows everyone in the whole college. Maybe I am a little exaggerating, but it is believable. Anyway, his bride hails from Texas and it doesn’t strike any surprise since his adaptability with people make him unique. A cute couple to say the least, as what Daniel Ong repeatedly mentioned as the host of thewedding (with the pinching cues that he does to make the bridegroom blush so many times). It was beautiful and at the same time heart-warming as the atmosphere of the ballroom hall in the Four Season’s Hotel is set to an autumn arrangements. Most of the people present at the wedding are families and relatives with only about 3 tables out of 16 are reserved for some of his closest friends, hailing from Indonesia to the US. I told you, he’s special enough that people are willing to sacrifice the time and money to be there to gracehis wedding ceremony. And to top it all off…the little mini-wedding cake that is made by the same chef who prepared their wedding cake is just God damn amazing!! I should really get the cake from them for my parents’ upcoming 25 years silver anniversary.

Ah….let me tell you this…My weekend is filled with 3 sumptous meals. First comes the lunch buffet at Marina Square then followed by the company’s D&D, a full 10-course meal complemented with some in-house entertainment hosted by one of the more famous funny-man, Moe Alkaff. The next day, the wedding dinner for Uncle Koh (as he’s affectionately known, and no he’s not that old). At the end of his wedding dinner, I was stuffed…feel blessed…a little broke from the angpow that was given away….and extremely exhausted. Worse that Monday is just a few hours away.

Well well…I can’t describe much for the D&D except that it’s been quite a fun night. It doesn’t help that you sit with people that you don’t really like (can’t form a table otherwise). But it is exciting to see like….a scantily-clad female singer…(that in itself is rather peculiar for this sort of event) and even more weird that she actually approached the red-table (for those VIPs) and get them to the stage to dance with her. Amazingly, she got our Plant manager and Materials director to dance to the tune. A spectacle no less. I would upload the video on my blog, but I’m afraid doing so will jeopardize my stay with the company. ;p

Anyway, pictures should be just fine. A few more days and 2006 is going to close. I will turn 24 and the world will keep going as it has been for the past hundres/thousands of centuries. Can’t believe that at 24 I have yet to achieve anything much. Maybe I have set my standards a bit high or maybe I don’t have a target at all which makes my life seems like floating in the middle of nowhere. Nonetheless, it’s that time to make your New Year resolutions. I don’t think I fulfilled much of my current year’s resolution, but I will try my best to achieve my next year’s. It’s always better to look forward than to look at the past. And I quote from Gurmit Singh’s thank you speech, “There’s a Chinese saying: huo tau lau, xue tau lau.” Meaning live until you’re old, but also learn all the way until you are old. It is very meaningful and teaches us that there is nothing that we can’t learn and there will always be something new that we can learn.

Me and Cassandra (the most helpful and patient PA)

Christie, Zhigang and Daphne. Isn't Zhigang feeling lucky that night?

Me and Christie (best dressed lady of the night)

Yvonne and Yong Wah. They're in the spotlight. God knows what they're liable to...

Jerry, Zhigang and myself

The whole Overland team.

With the whole crew and the manager who hired all of us, Jennifer Peh


The peeps at my table with the VIPs of the day

Jessica in the wedding gown with Uncle Koh

Looked very lost. I don't know anyone other than the groom!