January round-up

alright, an update of my happenings around this jan. man, january has been a real fast paced month. good month. i like this pace.
i’ve been screwed by my director once. but it woke me up. and im glad it did.
i cant really say what projects ive been working on, but they’re pretty fun projects. its really when you get thrown into the deep and when the dateline is really tight (like, end of the day tight), you start to push yourself to the limit where you previously never knew existed. its tiring, but what you learnt will not be stored inside your “short term memory” folder.
i started giving guitar lessons and my students are awesome. i dont know if they will read this or not, but if they are, i am proud of them for learning well and having a positive attitude towards learning. dont despise what you know now. you will get there some day. just make sure your “there” is somewhere good.
also, i’ve been contacting Poh a lot, he really inspires me. what he says drives me not only to teach my class better, but also teaches me to edify people around me. seriously, this world needs that. there’s so much negativity in this world that people dont see the need to spread love around. what gives people. spread the love man! we can be fun and crazy and joke around, but there is a limit to it.
all in all, january rocks. 2010 is a fast paced year. i will get there. i will breakthrough in areas of my life i never thought will. looking forward to a febuary of awesomeness.
if i can leave you with something i learnt in january 2010, i’d say never think you’re too incompetent to do something. never think youre too lousy. never think youre too smart, because we learn something new everyday. i get afraid of the day when i wake up one day and dont have anything in mind of what to do. be it practicing on my guit or reading up on my books (people have been giving me books of late. starting to pick up the habit again) or getting in touch with design, i just dont want to be the same from where i was yesterday.

“Have A Loose and Colourful 2010!”

well, good bye 2009. hello 2010.
2009 has been a rather awesome year, yea, bumps here and there. but i’m glad its been a hell of a journey. Every year, i set myself three major goals to fulfill. i shall touch on these below.

i finished my service to the nation this year. i thank all who has served with me throughout my service in N.S. they have made it an experience. the one thing i really can never expect is that i’d be working alongside my APC when i was in OCS. i thank Verdy for giving me a chance to work with him. i must admit that it was quite terrifying to even imagine working under someone who made you leopard crawl to the low wall at 3am in the middle of the night with thunderflashes and smoke grenades being thrown around you. but things worked out fine. i must say i am having a lot of fun working with him and more importantly, i am learning a lot from the company and him. i can see his vision for the company, and i want to carry his vision. his vision is my vision. let’s bring this company to where we want it to be.

i spent a month in India. it was sort of a getaway trip for me after my national service. i was looking forward to it cause i could see my cousin whom i havent seen in a long while. try, 10 odd years. we had fun in india. i learnt a lot in india, and took back the good parts of the culture from india to singapore. i approach people who look lost now, and give them directions and help them. thats what they do in india. i chilled out with jamshed wadia in india. chilling with him in india is really different from chilling with him in singapore. its like, in singapore, its my home. in india, its his place, his turf. you could see a different kind of spark in his eyes. i view india as my 2nd home now. nevermind the jams, and the dirt, the rampant peeing. they’ve got good food. thy’ve got nice people. if ever i become uncontactable one day, try india.

i took up my guit teacher’s challenge to to something great. and i pieced up a gig together with a canadian friend of mine. we nailed, some, we missed some. but we tried. i thank all who came down to support me and see me achieve one of my big goals of the year. 2010 is going to be a another year to do something great. i know what i want to do already, but i won’t tell you yet. i love you guys.

2009 was the year i did my first marathon. i pushed myself to the limits, i wasnt proud of my time (thats why i dont wear the finisher tee. thats why i dont wear the singlet.) but i was happy i pushed myself to the limits. i thank Timothy, Jacky and Keith for being there with me. to the K.L chc girls who congratulated me after my run. you girls are sweet. and to kristy too!

those were some of the interesting things in my life of this year.
now, to make amendments to those i hurt.
im sorry for all the hurt i’ve caused. i never meant to do it although i had to. we need to do drastic things to make things right. you take the simple way out, things will be difficult. you take the difficult way out, things will eventually become simple. if i caused a you to tear, i probably would, in john mayer’s words, pour tears into your drying eyes. im sorry.

here’s a personal note to all who have in some way of another made an impact in my life this year.
Tim – dude, this year, will be our tenth year as buddies. i think the fried rice nonsense, the fire incident, it will all keep surfacing once in a while, and will definitely come up again at our weddings. the first ten years was crazy shit. we still get each other’s jokes and only laugh at our own stupid stuff.i’m glad i’ve got you as a buddy. although you like to talk a lot about your stuff. and you used to not give an opinion about my problems (but you’re changing! really. you start telling me your views on the opposite gender and i totally feel you on that!) you’ve got me as a friend.

Keith chan- dude, you’re one of the sweetest , most tolerant (haha!) boyfriend ever. just keep on keeping on in your studies and you will see where you’re headed. im sure your career will turn out awesome. thanks for being the gentleman. always.

Keith he – oh wait, you dont read blogs. haha. in any case, if you stumble upon this. STOP BEING HYPCRITICAL. whenever i ask for your opinion, its like, up to you, and when i do it, you scream at me. “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!” for real, bro?

Jamshed Wadia (im full naming you cause google will inform you. i remember!) – we seldom talk/hangout, but i still regard you as my friend, my close friend. i know that whenever i have got a problem, i can approach you. and i will approach you. i regard your opinion highly. everytime i see you, i smile, because i know you wont judge me because of what i have done. i’ve got a friend in you.

Verdy – thanks for giving me a chance to work with you. i really learnt a lot. i want to grow in design in the company, and carry the vision of the agency. and im glad i’ve got you to mentor me with my journey here. and yes! we got really screwed up thinking and funny nonsense ideas. we cannot run for presidency because the world will be more screwed up than what it already is. we must do what we must, to the ends of the earth, across the universe!

Matthew – how can i talk about one of my director and not talk about my other director. how can i not thank him who feeds me? thanks for giving me a chance to be part of the team. i really believe if we work our ass off, we can get to where we want to go. and i am happy to be working under you. just for you today, Liverpool rocks.

Ah Yong – ahyongyongyong. im glad we trashed things out yesterday. im beginning to see that you really have changed. i hope things between us are like that forever, got any problems, we trash out. we talk, like guys. Arsenal FOR THE WIN.

Jiayu – thanks for everything. you know me really well huh. people are surprised when they ask me about my schedule and i direct them to you instead. thanks for listening. i hope things will work out between joseph and you!

Kristy – my sweetest friend! you arent afraid to tell me i am wrong. and it pisses me that you dont get my point, but when you reiterate your point to me, my point doesnt really matters anymore. stay rock and cool. and hey, pow and you… it will work out. just chill and dont put pressure on yourself.

Jiaying – i know you will be reading this. and if you dont see your name, the princess will complain. so. hey princess. learn to make milo at least la. if not next time your child want to make milo. how?! get your doctor boyfriend to make huh?!

RYAN WRONG AND VALERIE RIIYON – BRO! SMLJ!! yes, you’re damn vulgar and always always always trying to make a fool out of me. but i know beneath that clown, is a boyfriend to his devoted to his girlfriend. beneath the “SIOLA, THAT GIRL HOT SIAL. CAN TOUCH NO NEED TO PAY MONEY ONE” is a guy who would protect the integrity of his friends. thats what a brother is. and HEY SISTER, you gonna do great things for design. just chill and do what you do now. you’re already good. dont pressure yourself ok. sisterhooooood yo! MAN UTD CITY POWER!

Luke – hey dude, im glad we gayed out last night. i am glad you and the Wrong are my friends i made in N.S. lets just keep on keeping on. if you need a helping hand. i’ll pull you up. i’ll be there. lets just walk.

to the rest of my friends out there: there are so many of you i want to thank.
to david, for teaching me all that i have to learn in logistics. i salute your dedication to Team D.
To adrian, thanks for the nonsense every week!

to adelinnnnnnnnnneeeeeee, $@#$$$^^Y^@@%%^&^&&##&$%$#&%$@@$^^@$$^@&@@&$$@%@%$@$%%&%&$%@$%$%&$$#@#$@#. decipher that! i think you’re a lovely girl.

to jacky, LSKLSKLSKLSK <-lau sai kia. :/

so before i i end this post, to all my friends and loved ones, this one IS for you.

i believe in a thing called love!

yup, apologies for the lack of updates.
i havent been up to much lately. i’ve been looking forward to certain things and my perspective on a lot of things has changed.
i begin to see that men are self centered. its always about their lives, and how they made a mark for themselves. how they impressed others. but wouldnt all these just fade away?
im beginning to see what i do, is not just for myself, everything i invest in, everything, must in some way or rather, bring to world to a better place.
but, its a long way to go.

Standard Chartered Marathon 2009

so every year, i set aside three goals for myself. i completed one during the middle of the year. and i just finished another one yesterday.
honestly, i thought it was impossible. throughout my run/walk/stretches, i felt like it was impossible. sure, i wanted to give up. sure, i thought i was too weak to go on. but faith kept me alive. i finally realized that when you hit long distances,its your own race that you’re running. just keep on keeping on.
my first marathon. definitely not my last. pushing myself to the next level again come 2010!

this one’s dedicated to all those who believed in me.

thank you very much!

tim told me this once, and i really believed him. john mayer now sings it, so i guess we all believe the same thing.
“anything other than yes is no, anything other than stay is go, anything less than i love you is.. lying.”

Now that we are over
As the loving kind
We’ll be dreaming ways
To keep the good alive

Only when we want is not
A compromise
Ill be pouring tears
Into your drying eyes

Friends, lovers, or nothing
There can only be one
Friends, lovers, or nothing
We’ll never be the inbetween
So give it up

You whisper “Come on over”
Cause your two drinks in
But in the morning I will say
Good-bye again

Think we’ll never fall into
The jealous game
The streets will flood
With blood of those who felt the same

Friends, lovers, or nothing
You see
There can only be one
Friends, lovers, or nothing
We’ll never an inbetween
So give it up

Friends, lovers, or nothing
We can really only ever be one
Friends, lovers, or nothing
Don’t you know
We’ll never be the inbetween
So give it up

No we’ll never the inbetween
So give it up

work.

i havent really touched this space after i started working. now i understand why my parents dont touch the computer once they come home. they’d just do the household chores (well, my mum.) or watch tv. you’re just so drained once you come home.

the workplace has really been great. my director is a great guy. he’s always pulling his hair out because of small little things but its funny. my two account executives are a couple so its really interesting to see how they work. although its a small workplace, funny gossips do happen. therefore, my colleague/shifu Verdy needs to hold a press conference soon to clear the gossips. but come on verdy, we more or less know what’s happening. we have eyes and we know who walks in and out of the office.
but thats just the outside of my work.

inside of me, i’m lost and a little frustrated. im frustrated because whenever someone asks me what i do, they dont seem to understand what i do. to people our problems can be solved by reading more marketing books and throwing marketing tactics at them. sometimes i feel that a mundane job would get me through life. sometimes i feel very alone when i talk about my work at home and people brush it off.

but im glad i’ve got real good leaders who really show concern for me even when im not part of their cell group. thanks, to you.

of course, here’s one for those who are feeling as crappy as me. where did your emotions go? well….

UH.OHH.

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syntax error? yea. i think so.

Jay chou

i reallly wasnt into him until only recently.
jams was driving me back and his stereo started playing this song. i guess he does have very good songs on falling in and out of love. hey! dont ask if i know what he’s singing about. i am chinese. i can make out at least 50% to 60% of it. tsk. besides, the music arrangement is really good. emo jay songs FTW. AND, his videos usually have got eye candy in them. ok, maybe just one video.

anyways, works cool. people are nice. clients, well, its areally an experience working with different clients. its funny how people work. i think im beginning to understand the meaning of what is it like to cannot wait to go to work. david ogilvy once said, “pay your workers well, you will reap your benefits” i totally agree.

on a more serious and spiritual note, poh told us something really cool during lessons. he mentioned about musicians being too familiar with songs that they take it for granted, which actually gives God to ground to work through them during P&W and if God doesnt flow through them during P&W, how then is the congregation going to experience the presence of God. there always will be something special happening even though we keep singing the same songs. its just whether you want to let go and let God or not.

Peace out. here’s a jaychou for everyone.

D-Day

well, tomorrow’s the day i start my career. lots of things i want to do. but there’s only one thing i need to do.

serving in security is becoming a thing i look forward to every end of the sunday. as soon as it ends, i want it to come back again.

for now, its party.

goodbye india.

i’m waiting for my parents to finish their yoga lesson before they bring me out for one last dinner around.
this trip has been an awesome one. i did a lot of firsts here in new delhi. it is the first time i met up with a friend overseas and he brought me around delhi. first time i met my cousin after a period of 8 years, she told me a lot about working abroad and life as an asian in canada. the grass always seems to be greener on the other side because you dont see the sad part of their story.
i think india is rising up and i hope they rise up. some singaporeans i met here told me something very negative about their opinion of india. they told me about the flaws of the way how indians work, and how they hope these people remain that way (indians take their time to do stuff), because if the indians rise up, they will overtake Singapore. its just typical singaporean mentality, the “dont steal my ricebowl mentality”. it disappoints me to see that even when one is given a chance to go abroad, he or she does not want to expand his horizons and break into the city’s social circle. i hope that sickening mentality ends at that generation. i hope my generation will want the world to develop into the next level.
i love india, the food. their curry is the best curry i have ever tried. i am not a curry person, or so i thought. in singapore, the curry is so spicy that it numbs your tongue. but the curry here, although its spicy, you can taste the flavour of the spices. the palek paneer is the sex, its a whole new way to make spinach. i love spinach now.
the people here are friendly, i see people driving beside me and they wave at me, smile at me. the people here should stop making eyes and winking at my cousin though. its rude and awkward. the waiters here provide such lovely service. they are proud of their service and i must say they put their heart and soul into everything they do. one such example is my driver. he’s patient when he drives around the busy streets and he is very polite. he still calls me “sir” even though i tell him to call me andy. i will miss him a lot.
well, now its back to singapore. there are several things waiting for me, but i am looking forward to two most important things. i look forward to seeing you!