Exhausted

I was on a hiatus for the longest time & I truly felt bad for not writing often in this humble blog of mine. Work has pretty much taken a 80% of my time & energy each day. Whatever left is for the house chores & spending little time with my hubby.

I've been deprived of hobbies & includes blogging. I think I'm starting to forget how to bake as well, considering the seriously lacked of time I had for practice. What a pity when I actually spent a good sum of money to improve my baking skills.

So why 24 hours doesn't seem enough for me? I chose to climb the corporate ladder these past 2 years, sort of. As much as I hate to admit, I was hungry for a promotion & a pay raise. In my mind, the pay raise means more money/savings for my future business.

I got my promotion but the raise was average. It was probably fair because I was fairly junior as a senior managerial post. What's next? I'm not sure if I want to continue to be part of corporate anymore considering the long working hours & mismatched in business mindset between myself & the company at large.

Perhaps a new beginning is waiting for me next year.

TVC Shoot in Taipei

On Tuesday morning, I was called in to my boss' room as soon as I came in for work. The next thing he said took me aback. I was asked to fly to Taipei the next day for a TVC shoot, a trip that he was supposed to go for but has now become my responsibility. I was stunned for a moment & wasn't sure whether to feel ecstatic or angry about the news.

Not surprisingly, I flipped at the thought of the last minute trip & made a huge fuss to my boss. "Do I look like a backup who can stand in at any time just because you couldn't?" I thought to myself angrily. In the end, I made a sacrifice & took the earliest flight to Taipei.

The trip was made more interesting with the people that I was bound to work with. Plus, Taipei is a great city despite my limited proficiency in Mandarin. The city is clean & well-planned while I'm all praised for their people's politeness. Since I'm already there, I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to visit Taipei 101. Seeing the skyscraper looming in the background got me excited.

Work wasn't exactly smooth sailing but at least, it was completed. For the rest of the short trip, the experience was nothing short of great fun. We stopped by at Taipei 101 first before it closed for the night. The admission ticket cost NT$500, more costly than entering our Petronas Twin Towers. To be able to take the world's fastest elevator up to the top floors, why not?

The world's fastest elevator truly didn't disappoint, rising from 5th floor to 89th floor in 37 seconds! The ceiling of the elevator lit up with bright LED lights, reminiscing the starry night sky as the elevator rose to the upper floors. The sound effect & music made us felt like shooting up the stars. Awesome!

In order to reach the observatory deck, we had to climb 4 flight of stairs to arrive at 93rd floor. I'd have to admit the view was not the most stunning night view as one part of is pitch black (I believe that's the hill horizon). Nevertheless, it was still nice to witness Taipei's bustling night life at such high altitude.

Next, we descended back to the lower floors. The rest are mostly souvenir & snack shops; theatre rooms to view video recordings of the skyscraper's construction & its pyrotechnic fireworks on New Year's Eve. Here is the mass tuned damper that keeps the Taipei 101 at bay during typhoons & earthquakes.

Our tour did not end just yet. Not wanting to miss Taipei's famous pasar malam, we took the cabs to Shihlin Night Market. It's considered the cleanest night market I've ever seen in my life. Although I ended up with empty hands, I got to try out their pricey cut fruits. Their pineapples are the best - so juicy & sweet, not acidic at all. Taking a stroll at the night market felt quite safe because I didn't feel like I was being followed & pickpocketed. That's not to say there's no risk at all, but the people are generally nice people.

On our last day, we had lunch at this artistically designed restaurant right next to our hotel. You wouldn't believe that it's a restaurant because it resembled an art museum. The food was a little pricey but tasted pretty good.

When we packed our bags & headed to the airport, we left with heavy hearts. The city is so clean & the toilets are fantastic - squeaky clean & futuristic XD. Did I mention that almost any building you set foot on has free high-speed WiFi, with no password? I'm coming back for you, Taipei. That's for sure. I guess I should rest my case for being angered by the last minute trip. Anything to have great travel companions to fill in the bitterness.

Accidental adventure at Zhongshan

My first trip to Zhongshan, China was no less adventurous, at least better than what I envisioned earlier. Due to the long journey, my co-worker & I had to catch a flight a day before the workshop. Part of me dreaded the trip because the thought of seeing some of my less pleasant regional colleagues puts me off. The other half of me felt exhilarating about stepping foot on Hong Kong soil again after 18 years. How time flies...

Travelling to KLIA & boarding the plane was a breeze as there was no delay. I looked through the window & finally caught a glimpse of the A380 parked at a nearby skybridge. I just had to snap a photo of it to prove I was there saw it. Amazing, isn't it?

Our plane took off soon after, then arrived at the destination approximately 4 hours later.We were supposed to get on the ferry at the airport pier which will take us directly to Zhongshan. However, we weren't sure where to purchase the tickets & decided to ask for help from an airport staff. He directed us to pass through immigration & collect our luggage first then only proceed to the counter which sell the tickets. Boy, he was so wrong. The minute we left the terminal building, we were no longer allowed to re-enter the terminal building. To our dismay, the counters outside don't sell ferry tickets as it is only available within the terminal. Another way to get to the pier would be to take a bus downtown & walk approximately 15 mins in order to reach the pier.

We took a chance & opted to travel by road; bought coach tickets which will take us directly to our hotel, with our limited spoken Mandarin. The ticket lady rushed us over to an MPV & told us to get into the vehicle, together with other Chinese strangers. We were dumbfounded because we expected it to be a coach, or so we were told. Feeling desperate, we climbed into the MPV& the driver left the airport minutes later.

I couldn't stop myself from asking the driver where all of us are heading, just to be sure we weren't cheated & ended up getting lost. I panicked when the driver reluctantly replied that our journey stops at Shenzhen, not Zhongshan. So I gathered up courage to chat up with one of the Chinese lady sitting behind. Thankfully, she was kind enough to explain that the MPV will stop at Shenzhen bus terminal, whereby passengers will board different buses to go their separate ways. You wouldn't have imagine how relieved we were after hearing such comforting words with much assurance. God bless her!

The MPV journey took about 40 minutes to reach the Shenzhen border. Another 15-20 mins or so, we finally arrived at the bus terminal & we all parted ways from our fellow travellers. We made sure to board the right bus. This road trip took about 1 hour 30 mins & was no short of "interesting" views. While my colleague dozed off next to me, I stared out to the window & basked in horizon that whizzed by. Not that it was very scenic - the sky looked dreary with no sun & full of haze! At one point, I was freaking out silently when our bus was crossing a bridge built over a wide river at high altitude. If it wasn't the mist blurring the view, I could've peed in my pants. Imagine the bus crashing down the river from few hundred feet above...

The coach finally arrived at the 2nd last stop of another hotel before our destination. Other passengers alighted the coach & left the 2 of us. I mean, why would we leave when driver should be dropping us at the last stop. Again, we were cheated because the driver shooed us out, rudely telling Sheraton Zhongshan ain't the last stop. Flabbergasted, we wheeled our luggage to the hotel lobby & asked for help from the concierge. Sheraton is only a stone's throw & only takes less than 5 mins walk. What?! Walking in this chilly winter?! Okay, we still did since the hotel staff refused to call a taxi for us. At least she was right about the Sheraton being nearby because it is merely 2 blocks from where we came.

On a separate note, we were glad that we missed the ferry because taking the coach allowed us to arrive at Sheraton 3 hours earlier than expected. Why? We didn't have to wait for the ferry's scheduled timing which would require waiting time of 2 hours. Phew! The 2-day workshop was less eventful so I won't be elaborating on that.

On my last evening at Zhongshan, we went for some sight-seeing at downtown shopping malls. So far, the few shopping malls we went were not posh, more like neighbourhood mall equivalent in Malaysia. But oh boy, their stuff carries a hefty price tag. I don't mean luxury brands; they're brands like Levi's, Adidas & Nike. You get what I mean. Their food is not exactly cheap unless you know where to find them. Nevertheless, my first time strolling out in the street near end winter seems pretty fun. All wet & gloomy, but won't break a sweat.

Our China colleagues recommended a restaurant which serves popular seafood steamboat cum porridge. We found our way there & it was a less hygiene premise. But then again, why feel surprised when those good food haunts around Malaysia are not any better? Now here's the interesting bit, we need to pick our preferred raw seafood & veggies by weight, then the waiter will bring it to the table. Meanwhile, the waiter will pour uncooked rice with pork ribs into the wok to be steamed.

We put fish over the steamer & let it cooked based on pre-set timing by the restaurant. Once ready, we ate it & put the next seafood on the steamer without removing the still-cooking rice at the bottom. The steps are to be repeated until all the seafood or veggies you ordered are fully consumed. This cooking style is to allow the natural juices from sea produce & veggies to drip to the bottom & season the porridge well.

Trust me, we didn't need any sauce or salt to add on. As soon as the seafood & veggies were gone, we lifted the steamer & voila, the rice had became well-cooked porridge ready for a feast. One spoonful sent chills down the spine; just so exhilarating. It tasted so damn good. All the natural goodness in one big wok.

You have to go in a big group in order to enjoy this fantastic meal. Honestly, I'm not too fond of most Chinese food in this part of China but I'd have to admit this is by far the best Zhongshan dish I've ever tasted. If I'm ever returning, this restaurant is definitely the top of my must-visit places.

I thought the entire 4D3N trip will turn out to be exhausting & dull. No doubt there were less pleasant moments but I prefer to not mention here. At least, my colleague & I won a Xiaomi power bank from a group work. Not to forget the misadventures adding a slice of fun to the trip that I initially dreaded. Now let's see if the upcoming trip in June will be as exciting.

One year feels like eternity

Wow, I just realised that my 1 year work anniversary came about on Saturday. Working in my position felt like it's been forever. Monotonous, last minute, nonsensical, idiocy, restrained, lack of boldness, confusion...STUCK. These were the concoction of feelings that haunted me since last year until now.

It's no wonder that getting up from bed & dragging my feet to work is becoming more daunting lately. I felt demotivated as soon as I stepped into my cubicle. If only I could refused to dwell in this environment so full of stupidity that makes me dumber each day. I do not expect to downgrade myself again. Not now, not ever.

I wish I could just tender my resignation immediately. Right here, right now. And go on pursuing my dream. But the current wage pays the bills & I'm in need of a solid capital for startup. I'll be patient & start my preparation secretly. When the right time has come, I'll leave in style. Meanwhile, keep showering the good prayers for a decently smooth year ahead. Also, can someone enlighten me how to deal with the idiots plagued with an island syndrome?

A week at the new workplace

I have just spent a week at my new workplace. So how am I adapting to the new environment? I had mixed feelings. Aside from a decent office, I was a little overwhelmed with the work assigned under my care. The job responsibilities brought back unpleasant memories of my short stint at one of my previous employment. Let's just say that I'm having a phobia right now & feeling unsure if I'm able to cope with the expectation. People seemed genuinely nice at the moment but time will tell.

I'm starting to have 2nd thoughts about the job but I'm trying my best to hold back from behaving rashly. In fact, I have yet to start real work & I shouldn't be hating any of this. Do my best, I will, and hope to carry on in this positive spirit for the next 6 months. Nevertheless, the lingering thoughts behind my head made me realise one thing - my dwindling interest in working in the corporate world. Indeed my heart speaks truly of my intention to be a pastry chef. Oh well, I seriously need to do something about it. Wish me luck, peeps!

New job!

I'll keep this post really short since the blog title is self-explanatory. I hate to admit it but I felt a slight hint of relief that I finally found a job. Moreover, I was quite ecstatic that my new place is nearby home so I no longer need to drive far. How lucky is that? =D

Ironically, my feelings have been mixed about going back to work because I was more eager to sign up for the part-time patisserie course. It's definitely a risk to my bank balance, with no certainty of what lies ahead upon completion. I thought to myself, am I ready to make a career change? Not yet. Perhaps I should train up first before I make such a bold move.

The job offer came at the right time when I needed to break away from home. I feel bad saying this...but it has been quite stressful dealing with Grandma for the past 1 month. I'm trying my best to stay patient & please her in any way possible. Forgive me, Grandma. I hope we can do better together in due time. Wishing that you would feel proud of me in my own skin & not compare me to anybody.

Jobless (again) yet a new chapter awaits

I could barely believe that today was my last day of working at my current company. Serving two months was agonising, more so the workload that I intend to complete or pass on to someone else, just keeps flowing in like a burst water pipe. For the first time in my working life, no one bothers to have a proper handover session. Yes, you read it right. NO ONE. Not even my own boss.

So, how did I endure the last 2 months? I continued to work my ass off as if I didn't tender my resignation at all. Even to the extend of covering a portion of next year's project. And my boss didn't even bother to take over those tasks until my very last day. Can you imagine staying in the office until 8pm on your last working day? Unbelievable!

Now I'm sitting here happily blogging about this with a sense of relief that I'm finally off the hook. I look forward to my less stressful days ahead as I focus on developing skills in areas of interest that is close to my heart. No doubt the thought of being jobless again while worrying about necessary expenses still linger. But, this is part & parcel of sacrificing something in order to focus on building what I'm truly passionate about.

I've been told that I hop in between jobs too often, which I shamefully admit it. Although I enjoy being a marketer, the companies I worked for, sadly, does not believe in marketing initiatives. As an individual, why would I want to be involved with an organisation (being insulted, belittled, yet expected to work non-stop) when they do not value marketing itself? What more people like me in this area of expertise? After all, marketers are spenders & they're hired to spend efficiently & bring extra returns. Above all of that, the situation worsened when I had a cynical boss with an identity crisis, whom I couldn't trust. The next question remains, do you want to work for someone who asks you to jump into the cliff first when he/she smells trouble?

Many people told me countless times that I just have to accept & deal with the problems if I want to continue staying in a corporate environment. I guess I've lost the battle again in dealing with a bunch of pretentious people who lacks integrity & expertise, yet still able to leave a life outside work full of lies & deceit. God bless you! Karma will soon come.

I've finally realised that I'm not the type who works for people. I'm pretty sure of myself that I should be self employed. Hence, I've decided to pursue my passion seriously without turning back. Definitely not jumping into the business bandwagon as of yet but I'm making plans. I'll still search for a job & work until I'm ready. Wish me luck!

More than meets the eye

In case you didn't know, I tendered my resignation & is close to completing my 2 months notice at my current company. Just barely a week before my last day, my GM's secretary suddenly confided to me about her hidden feelings for the Key Account Manager (KAM). No, don't get me wrong. I didn't mean that she had a crush on the manager. She was expressing her dissatisfaction about the KAM because the latter seemed to be taking advantage of their office friendship to obtain corporate information.

Honestly, I was surprised by her willingness to share her inner thoughts about the KAM with me because she is the type who is extra cautious with her words. In the office, she is infamous for being nasty woman who doesn't hesitate speaking her mind off. We chatted for almost 2 hours today; the topic revolving around the same person & the secretary wasn't afraid to reveal her true colours. To put it nicely, she needed a friend to hear out her disappointment that she somehow felt betrayed for trusting & helping out the KAM. On a negative note, the secretary is no different from other staffs in the office merely looking for someone to bitch about another.

I was baffled that she decided to say many things to me now when I'm about to leave in a week's time. Many questions popped up in my head after today's incident. Was she genuinely upset that she needed a friend to lend an ear? Why am I only her friend now when we've known each other as co-workers for 1 year? Or was she taking advantage of me to backstab the KAM much to her desire, knowing that I won't be bothered to report it to the KAM, since I am leaving already?

I was skeptical about the secretary's behaviour & chose my words carefully too. Perhaps my hunch is right. Whichever the truth is, I didn't give a damn about how unethical the KAM is. I've already known that she was making use of my kindness all this while but I gave in mainly because we were colleagues with benefits. As for the secretary, she is probably truthful about her thoughts. Nevertheless, this is incident has taught me a great lesson. A lot of people you meet in the corporate world is certainly more than meets the eye. It is very important to choose your words wisely or risk getting yourself into serious trouble.

Self-interview: 1st Year Reflection

Interviewer: Today marks the 1st anniversary of your tenure in this company. How are you feeling?

Me: Relieved! It has been a long journey & it felt like forever. Never in my mind I would've thought of surviving here for 1 year. But I did!

Interviewer: Oh, my. Sounds bad. Any learnings that you would like to share?

Me: After switching jobs for the 3rd time, I'd realised that the working attitude of most people are pretty much the same. Selfish, ignorant, backstabber, shoe polisher...you name it. The only difference in this company is that most people are hired for all the wrong reasons because they were never competent enough for the job, to begin with. Most new hires were based on relationships with the GM & his own biased judgement. As a result, tasks & projects were never executed nor accomplished properly because these people live by the principle, NATO. No action, talk only.

Interviewer: I share your sentiments. Let's talk about something more positive. How about sharing some of your achievements?

Me: Well, I did felt proud that I have managed to launch a pretty successful integrated campaign (in my company's context) which resulted in good sales. I reckon my competitors started taking note of our efforts & couldn't bear sitting down, doing nothing. They have obviously amped up their activities & were more aggressive than ever. Sadly, there is no way I can ever match up to them in terms of sizeable activities due limited budget. At least, I'd dare say that I've tried my very best & the campaign did bear fruit; much thanks to some of my colleagues.

Interviewer: Congratulations! That's good for you. Tell me, what are your future plans?

Me: Honestly, I don't think I have a strong reason to stay anymore. I am pretty exhausted, having to work 12 hours a day. The usual working hours is not enough for me to accomplish my planned task for the day. Either I stay longer in the office or I bring the work & continue at home. A lot of people tells me that work can never be completed, otherwise the company will go out of business. In reality, it's never easy tuning out from work especially being in this company. The reason is simple: my department or should I say most departments are short of manpower, hence each staff is expected to take up extra roles without questions. Moreover, the system used within the company is rather manual which makes it completing each task more daunting & less efficient.

Interviewer: Every company has their fair share of problems when it comes to internal procedures. Is there any aspect that would motivate you to stay longer?

Me: Unfortunately, no. New hires like me do bring in experiences & knowledge from past jobs with good intention to improve the current workflow, not to mention building the fundamentals that should exist in each company. There are a handful of colleagues who are less responsive towards adhering to basic, proper workflow to ensure the least smooth operation of the company. The mindset seems to be lacking far behind in terms of staying competitive; still stuck in age-old mentality. How do you expect these group of people function properly when they are not even meeting the basic requirement? Don't even hope to increase their productivity with higher level skills training. It takes two to tango - even if I'm a willing party to guide them, the effort will be put to waste if the receiving party is reluctant. In conclusion, money is not always the motivational factor to retain people like me. At my level, I'm also seeking to fulfill my psychological needs.

Interviewer: Oh my, that sounds serious. How about staying put for the sake of your department? You mentioned that your department is lacking manpower too.

Me: There is an underlying problem within the department too & it is unhealthy. I'm not trying to backstab anyone but only speaking from the heart of the experiences I've went through for the past 1 year. When you have a superior who instructs either one of you to perform a task, which could potentially affect the job security of other colleagues (without consensus & prior investigation by HR), this shows that the superior does not think through the consequences of the act. A sign of abusing power to get what he/she wants to go his/her way. My superior also betrayed my trust for her because she did not or refused to live by her words. I knew that I could no longer stay because you'll never know what are her underlying motives. I'm not expecting her to be pure, but she's certainly not a person integrity.

Interviewer: This sounds disturbing. You might need to be extra careful. Meanwhile, you should start looking for a job. Have you found one yet so far?

Me: I'm still actively looking out until the right one comes along. But I definitely can't bear staying here so I have decided to leave real soon. On the other hand, I've been wanting to pursue my other interests & I'm seriously looking into the options.

Interviewer: And what would that be?

Me: It's a secret & I'm not gonna reveal anything until things are finalised. :D

Interviewer: Good luck & all the best to you in whatever plans you have there.

Me: Thanks! I do need that~ :)

Rubbish talk

It's been a long time since I last blogged about work. Not that I fancy reminding myself about incidences that happened in the office once I'm comfortably seated at home. But I just couldn't refrain myself from the desperate need to vent out my frustration.

I stayed up late on Sunday night to prepare the slide for our presentation to the GM as I was away for a vacation. We presented our deck after lunch & that's where the frustration began. Instead of allowing us to present & explain straight to the point, we stopped at slide 3 & got a free 30 minute counselling session from the GM on lessons in life. Gosh, I seriously didn't need this!

Of course, he never thinks twice about making sure everyone is aware of his seniority by trying show off how superior he is. He started lecturing us on sales numbers which were irrelevant to our presentation deck. When we couldn't answer some of the questions, he took the opportunity to mock us even though the questions were irrelevant. That is downright insulting...

We tried to be rationale by presenting facts & figures to prove the need for certain plans to be executed, he discarded it as poor representation of the target market. He had obviously displayed his distrust in research study. Wow, he can be so dumb~

I was literally fuming mad when the session ended because it shouldn't have lasted for 2 hours. I purposely skipped lunch to complete the deck & even prepared some P&L calculations. He didn't even lay eyes on it as I reckoned he has short attention span & he couldn't bear staring at numbers a little longer. He'd probably develop allergies from it. =P

Unexpectedly, he called me in for another round of lecturing when he was about to leave. He kept on emphasising the need to be more aggressive in my marketing executions & putting pressure to execute more, even if certain activities bring loss to the P&L. He even pledged to dismiss those sales personnel who impedes my marketing plans. His skin is so thick that he didn't realised the main obstacle was him from the beginning.

In the end, I came out of his room disbelieving almost 90% of his words. I just know him too well since the day he lectured & put the blame on me. He's well-fitted as an infamous NATO member when he arrogantly took up the responsibility of managing freezers, when finally he took ownership of his work. Just because the top management is pressuring him to not cut any marketing budgets & he conveniently puts the blame on our incompetency to plan more marketing activities.

Honestly, how can you entrust the company & expect growth when he lacks integrity & principles? What's more, he's a boastful man who certainly has a mismatch between his job title & his competency level. Who cares if he has lots of experience? All words that ever escape his mouth are utter rubbish. How long more can I serve the company with such leader who deserves no respect? =(

Dumb & dumber

Ever since I took up a new job at this company, I've realised that a lot of work processes are not in place. Not only getting a certain task done can be a rocket science, seems like I have to downgrade my English proficiency just so people would not misunderstand me another word.

Most of the time, the culture is like this - people do not "listen", they "hear". In other words, they do not take your words seriously. Most of them take things for granted too & assumed that they will not be held responsible if things go awry. That's just because nobody reprimands them anyway.

And then there's the GM whom behaves like your father who gets too worked up & personal over work matters. The non-stop nagging will follow suit which could last until an hour or so. The next thing you'll know is that you'll never get a piece of advice out of it. His words are a mumbo-jumbo of words from none other than a typical old man venting his frustration.

I supposed that I can tolerate as you can never choose your boss unless you work for yourself. But to actually downgrade my working style to get accustomed to most people here (who are barely qualified for their job role) is totally unacceptable. *sighs* I wonder how long I go on like this without getting a heart attack. =(

The Secretary

It's interesting & even more frustrating to know that the secretary cum personal assistant of the GM is bossier than you can ever imagine. And what's worse than being the receiving end of her confrontation over a small matter just because I mentioned that the attendance list for a press conference was approved by the GM. She conveniently marched over to my desk & gave a nasty lecture (equivalent to scolding) for lying about what I said earlier, then warned me against using the GM's name to show authority.

Which part of the story that proved my lies? All I genuinely did was sending out email invitations to the respective HODs,  hoping for their presence to support the event. The secretary doesn't seem to understand the basic idea of invitation - that it doesn't expect a compulsory attendance from the intended party being invited. It's certainly not wrong to send invitations to anyone without prior knowledge that each individual has other appointments.

I was fuming mad that this lady is here to stay; being a bitch & making a huge deal on almost anything under the sun. The ugly truth is the GM is siding & will always side her, unreasonably. The world is so unfair. *sighs*

Missing flight (almost)

I've been travelling frequently for the past 2 weeks for business purpose & for the first time in my travelling experience, I'd nearly missed 2 of my return flights home. The first time happened when I was in JB last Friday for a day trip. I didn't managed to check in my return flight so I thought I could go to the airport earlier to get it done. Little did I expect that I had to go for market visit, then having to rush to the airport during the evening rush hour. I arrived just in the nick of time for check-in & rushed off to the departure hall. 

About 10 mins before boarding time, I only realised that the boarding pass didn't belong to my name. Feeling panicked, I walked to the boarding gate counter & told them about my issue. Thankfully, they willingly re-printed my boarding pass. You must be thinking what a klutz I was for not verifying my boarding pass. Let me ask you - if you're already running late for check-in & almost had a heart attack due to risk of missing a flight, would you have realised that the boarding pass wasn't yours? Perhaps it was my mistake for not checking & it was a lesson well learnt.

On my 2nd trip to KT yesterday, I nearly missed the return flight again because the colleague who was supposed to drive us to the airport arrived late. So much for being more prepare this time by checking in online & ended up having someone else to almost spoil my travel plans. To sum it up, I've definitely learnt to arrange travel plans earlier & give myself extra time to travel to the airport just in case unforeseen circumstances arise. And most importantly, checking in online to save the trouble of not holding a boarding pass if I happened to miss the check-in time.

Up & about

It's my 2nd day of work at my new place. Although there are ongoing projects, I wasn't able to start working on the task assigned due to the absence of laptop. Nevertheless, my schedule has been pretty tight these 2 days as I was having back-to-back meetings for almost the whole day. I'll be attending two shoots tomorrow, thankfully at the same venue so there's no need to drive elsewhere.

No doubt exhausting but I'm not too stressed out yet. It's a huge change from the last company I joined whereby I was expected to handle several projects alone within the 1st week. My superiors are pretty friendly & seems to me are willing to guide me in every way possible. It's not like I have a choice who I wish to work with. At the moment I'm not complaining.  =) I'm not expecting it to be an easy journey taking a higher position but here's hoping for a smoother journey ahead.

Back into the employment game

As you read this, you could be very well informed that I was unemployed for almost 2 months. I left the last job without securing a new one; not that I take pride in that because seeing my hard earned savings depleting so quickly to pay up bills & other commitments is indeed one hell of an experience. Now I can truly relate to people I know who have took this path once. A lesson well learnt - to persevere & never quit before getting the next job. Umm...I could say that my scenario was an exceptional case.

The reason I'm dedicating a post about my career again because I'm so relieved that I finally found a job! After countless rounds of filling up application forms & interviews. Cumbersome it is, but the so-called never ending process makes one weary & panic if you're not called for the 2nd time. You start to question yourself: am I lacking something? Why are these people not hiring me? Did I say something wrong? These thoughts weigh you down miserably, making you feel useless inside out. There wasn't much self-esteem left in me back then.

Fortunately, my luck has taken a turn for the better. Tomorrow will be a new journey for me. I'll be working further from home & it'll be a totally new experience. Is it a good thing? I hope so. Since I'm in need of moolah, I'll just have to bear it for some time. Who knows if I'm gonna fit in better this time? By the way, WL is also starting at his new place too. Praying for a great start for the both of us. Do wish us all the best... =)

P.S. Just found out about my colleague who joined 2 weeks earlier than me in the previous company had also left. I dared not ask her reasons for leaving but I think kinda know why... *winks*

Freedom

Alas, I smelled freedom! Seriously, I couldn't comprehend a mere 2 months could make me feel like a caged animal finally breaking free. In case you have no idea, I left my job 3 days ago. A move I felt was much needed to break away from the agony I was experiencing.

No matter how I explained the reason why I left, there's always opposing opinions about my decision. It's a pity to quit too soon. But I supposed no one knows how I'm feeling unless they're in my shoes. I'm done with explaining because it's a tiring process. Enduring the work environment in my job was already exhausting.

One great lesson learned from the short stint at this company is the working relationship with any superior, in which all this while wasn't a major concern in my career. I never had any issues working with my previous bosses although we may have conflict of interest on an occasional basis. But it wasn't anything major like feeling fear for my superior & not wanting to go to work for fear of seeing her.

Unfortunately, I find my boss less approachable & the type of species who tells you something but says another thing the next day. And to find her in defensive mode when you kinda gently remind her about the previous discussion with her snapping loudly at you. Things go wrong & she indirectly puts the blame on you. Her working style or rather her attitude is definitely not helping me in the transition of familiarising with the company's complex operational process. Either I quit or not, I'm meeting my doom.

Hence, I quit to end all the suffering. Most people thought that I was being too rash or exaggerating my reaction (ie sleepless nights), but then again, as I've emphasised from the beginning; my reasons were never meant to gain any sympathy or criticism from people who never try to understand. Some people might be able to withstand my boss' style but sad to say, I lack such tolerance. Let's just say we didn't have chemistry working together & umm...I don't feel sorry about it.

Overwhelmed

Just barely 2 weeks in my new company & I'm already loaded with work. As in loaded to the brim~ =( I've never joined any company - this is probably my first - that I was expected to get settled down on the job fast. I broke down into tears as everything was becoming overwhelming. I hardly had time to breathe.

Everyone is given a laptop to work which can eventually cultivate a bad habit. Weekends are starting to become another work day & it's an unhealthy activity. What's more, I even stayed up late just to work on a weekend. I thought weekends was supposed to be lazy days or reserved for my own chores at home, as a way to unwind from all the work stress.

For the past 2 weeks, I started to doubt my choice to be so eager to join this company. No doubt getting an interview was tough to begin with. Surviving was another issue altogether. The only good thing I'm motivated is the income I get for slogging every day & the workload is more than enough to keep me occupied from unnecessary distractions ie office politics & gossips. Thank God for that! At least I have one less thing to worry.

Jobless no more

I've got great news to share. I was offered a job this morning & I couldn't express how thrilled I am! I thought I'll be jobless for a couple of months because not many people are leaving the workforce during this period as they might be staying on to enjoy their yearly bonus.

The position offered to me is quite a big leap from my previous job. In fact, I'm starting to doubt my capabilities to carry such huge responsibility. Anyhow, I took up the challenge & I'd have to deal with it no matter what. Crossing my fingers & praying hard that everything will turn out smoothly. Wish me luck, peeps~

Jobless soon

For the first time in my career, I actually tendered resignation before securing a new job. Why so sudden, you'd ask? If it wasn't due to desperation, I wouldn't have resort to such rash decision. Let's just say that politics killed us all.

It shouldn't be that bad, ain't it? Well, it is. Getting worse, in fact. Because I'm soon to be the one & only one left in the department. Being the last one standing, I was expected to handle upcoming big projects on my own. This is not the time to be heroic & noble because teamwork is of utmost importance.

Since the management refused to hear my pleas, I made a move to end the agony once & for all. The management "seemed" to be suffering from the consequences but I'm not feeling the least bit merciful. Serves them right for treating us poorly. Now I'm more concerned about getting a job. Hopefully I'll be hired soon, fingers crossed.

Conflict of interest

For the first time in 10 months working with my immediate superior, I had a pretty huge argument on a project we're working on. She yelled at me, seemingly thought that I didn't understand nor realised that our agency's account director was picking on us.

I got pissed but instead of arguing back, I remained silent & put on a sour face for 2 days. What even annoyed me more is that she's asking around for help if there's any job recommendation. And the job should meet her requirements - not too distant from her house, managerial position in Marcom department & no long working hours. Gosh, how picky she can be! Though I'd have to salute her for being so courageous to tender resignation without securing the next job. Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore. God bless her & good luck to her, man! *shrugs*