A Cool Office (ACN)

Iris, this is for you. *grin* ...ACN is the trading symbol on NYSE.

This is the view of the guest lounge, after passing the reception counter (left side of photo, not shown).


Draw closer into the lounge area


Signs of stressful life - Jukebox, mini pool and telescope





This was taken on a weekend, excuse the casual wear. As you can see, it's a family friendly office too


Sink and Drink counter / Concierge counter. Yes, service in uniforms are on hand to serve guests


The glass mural behind the sink and drink counter.


On the touchscreen, people book their seats for the day when they return to the office after an offsite posting



Another hangout corner equipped with Xbox (on rack, below the LCD)

Christmas Lights in Orchard

The lights are all up in Orchard Road. I snapped a few (click on pic for blown-up version):


Taken from the bus stop outside Lucky Plaza


Taken from the pedestrain way outside Mandarin Hotel


Outside Paragon


Walkway outside Ngee Ann city

Lego Church

Adi - this is especially for you!! (Not build by me!) Quick facts:

"How long to build it? It was about a year and a half of planning, building and photographing.

How many pieces of LEGO to build it? more than 75,000

How big is it? About 7 feet by 5 1/2 feet by 30 inches (2.2 m x 1.7 m x .76 m)

How many lego people does it seat? 1372

How many windows? 3976

It features a balcony, a Narthex, stairs to the balcony, restrooms, coat rooms, several mosaics a nave, a baptistry, an altar, a crucifix, a pulpit and an elaborate pipe organ.

Weather report

It has been drizzling or raining almost non-stop the past few days. Actually, it was cold in the evenings on those raining days. We had a day where the weather report for the highest temperature was 29 deg C. One of the girls at work exclaimed how cool that was. Back when I was in junior college, 28 deg C was a hot day. Now 33 deg C is a norm.

In the past month, we have had a couple of some ruthless tropical storms, its fury unleashed with blinding lightning and angry thunders. The downpour was so heavy that going outside with the biggest umbrella would not keep you dry.

[View from my apartment at the start of a downpour, before it all turned dark and gloomy]

Today we had a break and a day of sunshine. I like this time of the year. A bright day would be some sun hiding behind the clouds. There would be a breeze and I don't feel the humidity.

The man next door

My nightmare neighbour is home again, blasting his music past 11pm. It didn't used to be like this.

When I first moved in, he had a family; a chinese wife and a 8 year old boy. They were very quiet at home that half the time, you wouldn't know if anyone was home even if their door was open.

His wife worked but he just bummed around. They started to have quarrels over money and finally she got tired of supporting him, so took the son and left. He continued his ways.

I think he is too lazy to work and decided the easy way by collecting rent. The first time he got caught, he was put away for half a year. Still, he hasn't learnt his lesson..

I heard the rumours that his wife is divorcing him and should be able to sell off the apartment from this month. Only time will tell what happens.

It's the thought that counts

One of my favourite jokes, reproduced below:

"Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered.

Getting back together, they discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother.

The first said, "I built a big house for our mother."

The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver."

The third smiled and said,"I've got you both beaten. You remember how mom enjoyed reading the bible? And you know she can't see very well. So I send her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. He's one of a kind. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot recites it."

Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letter of thanks:

"Milton," she wrote one son, "The house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house."

"Gerald," she wrote to another, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!"

"Dearest Donald," she wrote to her third son, "You have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious."

Trouble in the neighbourhood

Two nights ago, the excited voices of my next door neighbours (right of my apartment) woke me up. I turned on the bedlight and looked at the clock - 3.04am!!
My windows were all closed up but I could hear them. It was in Tamil, I couldn't understand a word. They were talking at the top of their voices and the echo in their flat plus the still of the night served only to intensify the volume. After some time, I couldn't put up with it any more. It was a work day tomorrow and I was not ready to put up with sleep deprivation.

So I called the police.

I did so in the dark. I felt afraid. Unsafe. Guilty. I couldn't return to sleep any more. The noise dropped but occasionally returned with intermittent crashing, and shouting. At some point, my neighbour shouted at his tenants in English,"Get out of my house!!! You get out!!!" I wondered if he was drunk.

Finally I heard the sounds of the walkie talkie in the corridor. The police! They finally arrived. I stayed in bed and did not get out to have a look. The clock read 4.15am. They took an hour to turn up. By then, my neighbour had quieten down. Did the police make a futile trip? I didn't know...I felt a little sorry that they could think I had cried wolf. I was simply glad they at least turned up and I was able to fall asleep again.

The next morning, all was quiet and peaceful in the neighbourhood.

This morning. The neighbour on my other side (left) of my apartment, Mr.Sim, tried to catch me before I left my apartment.
"Did you know about the noise?"...
"My son saw the police take him away in the wee hours of the morning"..
"All his tenant ran off and escaped from the arrest of police"...
"My son walked past some evenings and saw over 10 people in his place..illegal workers.."..

My dad was troubled that I admitted to Mr.Sim about calling the police. What if this spreads in the neighbourhood and my Ke-Leng neighbour finds out and wants revenge? I am disturbed but too late now. I sweep the thought off my mind.

This evening. He was back home and blasting the sound system again. He must be out on bail or something.

Kit-napping

Mum props Kit up in his bathtub for his nap sometimes. He seems to take comfort in the sounds of the traffic and feels less lonely in his sleep if there are sounds of activity going on around him.


Almost three months old Kit laughed out loud for the first time yesterday.


****** A smile for our uncles and aunties *******

Baby power unleashed

Every Day

Came across this interesting poem in a book. It gives only an excerpt and says this is the last verse of the poem "Every Day". I searched for it on the internet but cannot find it. If you have/know the full poem, please point me to it, thank you...

Oh, one might reach heroic heights
By one strong burst of power
He might endure the whitest lights
Of Heaven for an hour.
But harder is the daily drag
To smile at trials that fret and fag,
And not to murmur nor to lag.
The test of greatness is the way
One meets the eternal every day.

Peter Drucker

“Management is the organ of institutions...the organ that converts a mob into an organisation, and human efforts into performance.” - Peter Drucker

Happened upon the news on the passing of Peter Drucker. I feel sorry although he has lived to a ripe age of 95, almost 96. I didn't know he was that old and was still actively contributing his thoughts into his 90s.

He is a really big name in the business world for his idea of "management by objectives" and bringing the world's attention to Japanese style of management which the America then started copying. He encouraged organisations to "enpower employees" and made famous the word "knowledge worker".

I first heard of him 10 years back and took particular notice when I was ordered to bring in a set of his video tapes for the library's collection. It was very expensive like five, six hundred dollars. His materials like books and articles were constantly in demand and the consultants would make an effort to read his stuff as soon as they were published.

With this sort of popularity, I expected the man to be somewhat charismatic or experienced with presentation. So it came as a great amusement to me and some amount of regret at the waste of money that none of my colleagues could sit pass 30 minutes of his first video tape. The entire presentation had the camera pointed squarely on him closeup. Without moving, he delivered his topics with a heavy accent, perhaps european, in flat monotony.

Usually after setting up the tape for viewing, I would later check at the video station to see if everything was all right and would inevitably find the poor viewer nodding off on the chair. Not even heavy coffee helped. Later, they would say they need to go for a break and planned to continue with the tapes later on but they never did. It was far easier to read his stuff than to listen it.

I respect the man for being so thought provoking and for being such an influence in this world...most of all, for making the work of librarians actually seem sexy.

What will the new world be without his brilliant insights? Before his news subside into a faint memory, do drop by at the link below to read more about Peter Drucker :

Economist on Peter Drucker

The end of Sgp doctor

My favourite blog by SGP DOC has ended. So sad. He just lost his interest or nerve after those couple of guys got sued for racist remarks. I enjoyed his humorous blogs from his perspective as a doctor, the unglamorous stuff, the human side and the weird patients. I never found any of his blogs offensive or in in danger of putting him behind bars, but he seemed pretty pissed off after that event. He stopped writing temporarily and tons of readers like me begged him to return. He did but the stuff became less gritty and content became shallow. And he decided that is it.
What a shame.

Lucky me!

My mum called me at work today to tell me good news. She actually found my envelop of money in our luggage. Seems like I had packed in hurry and grabbed my postcards and my envelop out of my handbag and put them into the luggage without realising! I have lost nothing at all. It was so painful and shocking to find it missing then but I am glad I didn't dwell on it too much, otherwise it would have added wrinkles for nothing! Sorry to all my friends who have worried and felt the pain for me. Paiseh paiseh!

The Weaver

During Sunday tea, Des and Chris were trying hard to recall this poem about God weaving a tapestry.

Guys, I think the poem you were talking about, is the one below:

 

 

My life is but a weaving

Between my Lord and me

I cannot choose the colours

He works so steadily

 

Oft' times He weaves in sorrow

And I, in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper

And I, the underside

 

The dark threads are as needed

In the weaver's skilful hand

As the thread of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned

 

Not till the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why

 

- kristone -

Back Home

Arrived home last night and when I finally settled down to bed it was 1.30 in the morning. Today first day back Home. Can't believe I did lots.

Got up at 8am to have breakfast with the family. It is so lively with Fyen and baby home too. I sent the photos for print, 3 rolls, save the one in the camera. Then at noon, went off for Josh's birthday lunch at Rice Table at Suntec which Lin and family arranged. They had just returned from vacation themselves, visited Sydney. Lin's hubby, Ivan had sunburn from the parking himself too long at the Bondi beach.

After lunch, I joined Josh and the others (Des, Aymes, Chris, Xiang) for the afternoon service at the Rock. They were very pleased that I finally joined them so I can know what they have been gushing about. The Rock or New Creation is a semi-charismatic church which is so popular, people queue over an hour to get in. As many as 10,000 people attend the services on Sunday.

The paster - Pastor Prince - is a half Chinese/Indian and has a very cool hairstyle. He looks good and is quite funny. He doesn't take himself too seriously so people can relate to him. I have to say I enjoyed the sermons and the time passed fairly quickly, even though it was a 2 hour service. He is pretty much along the same lines as how I interpret Christianity too. So will I convert? Hahahah. If 12 years of Methodist devotion has not made me step up to it, will a 2 hour service do. Hmm...

After the service, the gang went for tea at LeMuse in Milennia and talked for another 2 hours. I can still remember a number of the hymms from decades ago and bible verses much to some of their surprise and started to sing some lines... "How Great Thou Art"..."Onward Christian Soldiers".. They joined in. It brought back memories of for us where we have shared so much similar schooling.

After that, rushed home to collect my photos. Skipped dinner. Vacuum my apartment (my gawd, so much dust!!!) Then time to upload pictures on the Blog... this thing sure gets addictive!

Walk in park

Now that I am broke, I have to get creative and find activities which do not involve money; like more baby-sitting.

Well, God is kind or perhaps to reward me (as I like to comfort myself) for putting warm food on the table of some poor kids (Wah lau, if the bugger spent it on gambling or cigarettes, may his digits rot and drop off and as to which ones, I will leave to your imagination), HE gave me beautiful weather today. It was sunny for the whole day. The air was clear and crisp.

Fyen suggested taking Kit out for a walk in the park. We entered what looked more like woods to me. The paths were muddy and covered in a blanket of yellow, orange leaves. Did not look like a place to wander around alone. Nevertheless the scenery was charming in its naturalness. There was a brook running along with mandarin ducks paddling away happily. An old man leaned over the bridge, solitude in his fishing. Kit's mum

A mother and her daughtered stopped by our pram to enjoy Kit and to have a short chat. A couple of black guys with an alsatian stopped to chat with a mother taking her baby and her golden retriever for a walk. Hmmm..so here is a way to make new friends. *grin* Might be tricky if yours is a cat.


After some distance, we arrived at a proper park with mowed grass and swings. By then, Kit has been lulled into sleep by the uneven motion of the pram. We didn't stop to play but simply breathed in the colours and leisurely strolled on home.

Sheesh

Just got back from Prague, lost over 200 quid there from possible sheer oversight (according to mum, she thinks I left it behind in the room but on the other hand, she confuses about things happening this day or that) or from pickpockets. The envelop of money just disappeared today. Wah very 'sim tia'...I didn't realise till I was at Prague airport leaving back to UK and wanted to take my UK pounds out. Just as well, if I found out earlier, it would just ruin the day earlier.

Prague underground

I had only one encounter of the police checking for tickets and the ticket validity in the underground.

The first time I met one, I was going down the escalator. He was not in uniform and was attending to two young girls but turned to me immediately when I walked pass. He held out a badge in his palm, while babbling to me in some alien tongue. I thought he was a fat tout in the underground trying to sell me an ugly brooch.

So I hurried even more quickly away from him. He chased after me shouting something until I registered that he wanted my ticket. I felt rather sheepish. He scrutinised my ticket carefully, then snorted his acceptance and returned my ticket to me.

Pictures

The Tyn Church in the Old Town area

Old Town Square

There are just too many buildings with interesting facades that after a while I have to give up taking pictures. In the old days, buildings did not have house numbers so many houses would put up some figurine or picture or symbol to help people identify or name them. For example, there is house called 'House of two suns" from the symbols of two suns on its wall.






View from Charles Bridge



Sculptures on Petrin Hill

Prague: Do you knows

* Exchange rate is 10 czh: 70 cents sgp : 0.23 quid

* Fast food chain charges 6 czk for each packet of ketchup.

* Most shopkeepers know as much english as I know malay. Beyond the most basic words for ordering and bargaining, it is a struggle.

* Train/bus tickets are sold at the sundry shops. The basic ticket 14czk is valid for 20 minutes and up to 5 stations. Typically, this is enough to visit the major sites in the city centre.

* There are no barricades to enter the underground metro and the system is based on integrity. We are supposed to stamp our tickets at the entrance whence marks the start of the time validity of the ticket.

* The police tends to check on foreigners who blur blur walk in and think what a great country to provide free public transportation. I think the fine is 70 sgp or something.

* The chandeliers are gorgeous here, with a wide range of designs. Wish I could buy one but for too many buts.


* On a grey day, the statutes along Charles Bridge are just lumps of blackened figurines, hardly worth a glance. Come back on a sunny day, you will discover the sword or halo on the saints aglow with golden light, it is something altogether.



* Puppetry craft appears to be a signature artform here.
[Looking into a puppetry workshop]

Prague : brief impressions

Misty autumn backdrop. Rusted green domes. Spires. Baroque style architecture. Violins in the air. churches. synagogues. churches (oh, have I mentioned churches already). Concerts in churches. stain glass. cobble-stones driveways. small tiled footpaths. Horse-drawn carriages. Open-top antique cars. Pigeons. Mandarin ducks. dog shit on the side of pavement. Bridges. Electric trams.

Grey stone statutes holding up the frames of doorways. Maidens posing on walls or on edge of buildings. Brass statues. Humour.

[notes: Moving sculptures where the hips on the men move left and right, while their swords move up and down]


Blackened stone statues. Reflections of tree branches on glass windows. Houses painted in coordinated warm tones of mustard yellow, moss green, peach, beige, grey, brown (don't remember seeing any blue buildings); so soothing to the eye.



View of Cihelna side of the Vltava river


Massionettes (puppets) shops and workshops. Bohemien glass shops. Chandeliers dripping with crystals. Wooden toy shops. T-shirts. Russian nesting dolls. Oil paintings shops. Vodka. Souvenirs at ridiculous prices. Bored sales women outside the doors of their shops smoking. Al fresco cafes. KFC. MacDonalds. Chinese restaurants. Carrefour. Modern shopping mall.

"Metro" underground trains. Three lines. Simple. Clean. efficient. Grafitti. deep escalators. steep escalators. Police checks on tickets. Modern hotel at Andel. business guests. card insert elevators. Gleaming bathroom. floor heating.

Fireworks

It is Guy Fawkes day or Bonfire night. Throughout this evening, we hear fireworks going off constantly, even now (permitted till 11pm), that it sounded like a train chuckling away in a distance. I catch glimpses of the sparkles above the houses in the neighbourhood. Some give off wheezing sounds while spiralling off.

Apparently you can buy and set off your own fireworks in the backyard. They are sold as "garden fireworks". It is quite affordable like 6 quid for 10 mini rockets (1/2 foot). Fyen bought some. So Fyen, my BIL and I went to the garden and pushed hollow holders into the soil. Next, we inserted a rocket (attached to a long stick) into a holder and light the short string at the end of the rocket. Then jump back as each fires off with a whistle. I fell on my bum a couple of times in a rush to get out of the way. When the rocket reaches the top, it will pause momentarily in the sky before exploding into a kaleidoscope of colours.

The challenge is the wind which keeps blowing out the fire in our lighter and we have a poor lighter. Each time, it takes us a while to fire off each one. The night is really cold too. Despite that, our effort is always richly rewarded - the fireworks is spectacular and loads of fun.

Now you know why Sporeans say fireworks are powderful...

UK train drivers

My BIL used to work in the company that builds the Virgin trains. I didn't know why people get excited about trains until this time, the first time I stood in front of a fast train and it flew by on the tracks. It is indeed impressive. Wow.

I found the british train drivers to make highly entertaining announcements on the journey. I keep my ears open to what they have to say whenever when they go on the PA. They often make me and other passengers laugh out loud.

On my journey from Watford to Sheffield, the driver went on line to remind passengers about the buttons in the toilet; not to repeatedly press the emergency alarm button by accident and not to mistake it for the flush, as the train staff will rush for assistance. Nearing the next stop, he then apologised to the man for his unpleasant experience to have the alarm button lead to his mistaking it for the flush button. Everyone could not help smiling to know that the incident actually happened.

I did not try the toilet in the train and even less inclined to do so after Adi warned me about the different buttons for door open, door close and door lock. You not only have to close the door but also need to remember to press the lock button. Otherwise, it could get quite embarassing for either one or both parties. I wonder what other buttons in the toilets I have to worry about. Sounds like the train toilets have controls like those for space manoeuver.

If the train should be stopping for longer than usual, the train drivers actually kindly inform smokers that there would be enough time to take a quick smoke on the platform if passengers need one. On the way back from Sheffield, near Burmingham International, the driver on this train announced to passengers that "this stop is a non-smoking station, and a reminder not to smoke, should you proceed to do so, you will be arrested". At that point, we all looked at each other in alarm and could not help grinning with amusement at everyone's reaction.

Glimpses of Sheffield

Back of St.George's flats. The hospital opposite (right) is dark and dirty now. A building at the road junction looks new. I can't remember what that used to be. Can you, St.Georgians?

The cafeteria at the side of St.George's appears to now hold classes on the upper floor.

Student Union

The union was renovated and upgraded about 7 years back

Octogon

Even Leonardo has his bad days

An advertisement for the English writing class

St.Georges' Flats

St.Georges' Flats. A deconsecrated church converted to student accommodations. I believe I was in the first batch to move in after the renovations.

The chapel hall at the back became the lecture theatre. The living quarters were one side for the men while the other side of the church for the women.

I am glad I took lots of pictures during my stay here. Now looking at each part of the St.G brought vivid memories easily to my mind like they all just happened yesterday.

I recall with amusement the first day I moved in. The other asian girls unexpectedly gathered into my room to discuss and express their fears. They wanted to move out because of the cemetery grounds surrounding the flat. My room which looked like it was in the attic was considered bad fengshui for having beams above my bed. Anyway, life moved on. Christmas came and both flats got together to have a huge party during which I passed out temporarily from the potent fruit punch. I was discovered collapsed in the loo, and woke up to Mako-chan and WB shaking my shoulders. There was also a picnic in the gardens in celebration of the arrival of the still very cold spring, signalled by the sudden appearance of daffodils. It was very bizarre to place our food and cutlery on the tombstones.

[notes: Hanging out in the warm kitchen with WB, Karen, Mako-chan]

I promised Wingo, Karen, John and Enrique that I will take lots of pictures but much of the scenery here has not changed. Yet. The hospital facing the lecture hall is now empty and abandoned; maybe it will be pulled down and be replaced.

W.B came to my mind and I missed her most strongly here since she passed away 4 years ago. I stopped for a moment to pick up a leaf and plucked a flower from the garden. Something to send Mako-chan in my next snail mail to tell her I miss her too.

Cutlers

West Street - here is an old pub that has been upgraded, passersby can now look right into it after part of the wall was removed and full-length glass installed in its place.

I happened by the Morton Cutler which is the oldest cutler shop in Sheffield. (wished I took a pic). A bus-stop is right in front of it.

Going by the neighbouring shops upgrading, renovating, turning hip and even closed down, I wondered if this shop would be in the danger of packing up. Is Sheffield's famous cutlery still popular? Anyway, I decided to drop in and browse and pick something up as a souvenir. The designs were lovely but oh, still so expensive for me, even after discount.

I took my time and must have spent over half an hour poring over every item. I finally picked out 2 fruit knives (which looked like small nail filers), a cheese knife (because I don't have one yet and this one has a Morton logo!), 6 fish knives (at 50 pence! each), and a caddy spoon.

The fish knives and the caddy spoon are quite special in shape as I have not come across such before. Otherwise, they are plain in decoration.

The caddy spoon looks odd. The scoop part is big like it is for soup but the handle is short.

The shop keeper told me it's for removing tea leaves from the tea cup. I found some writeup that said a caddy spoon was for measuring tea and they came about in those days when tea was very expensive.

[ I discovered some interesting sites about spoons -
- Spoon Values

- Souvenir Caddy Spoons

- Souvenir Spoons Museum

- Caddy Spoon Collection

- Antique Caddy Spoons

Also - do you know - eggs tarnish silver]

Here is a picture of my purchase to share my excitement: