Once and only big event

It's an once and only big event for my family. Because of this event, or I should say a ceremony, I withdrew from the Batam's trip... *argh*

It's a whole day ceremony from morning 10am to night 10pm. It's also a very costly one... chinese tradition and it lives in the belief of almost every of my family members. It all started with....

The event was held at our old family house in Kulai... where I moved out from there since 3 years old. However, it will still be the place where our family gathering is held although my grandparents were no longer around. It's also the first stop for every weddings cos all the ancestors are placed here.

How did this idea come about? I'm not really sure. What little I know is it's 3 years ceremony for my grandfather. In the meantime, my family also took this opportunity to pray (so-called 超渡)for other deceased family members. Hence, we're basically holding this ceremony for my great grandparents, grandparent, granduncle, eldest uncle and auntie, aunt and cousin Li Qiong (and for the aborted babies....).

For me, this is time when I'd choose to play with the kids (cos there's nothing better I can do), hehe... I find that nowadays kids are trained very well in posing. When you said "可爱，可爱" to the kids, they'll usually pose like this:

Placing their hand or fingers on one side of their face .. That's very cute.

However, they are still some kids don't buy it... like this little cute girl, who's difficult to catch and is said only like guys... I hardly carry her also....

Fu Mei Mei, we all used to call her this. She's really cute when she smiles.

Some more pictures of the kids....

Tun Yee, Natalie, Amelia and Mindy

Lai Pin Cheng, who can never sit still for 5 mins.

Haven't seen this girl for long time and finally caught her for picture. She's getting prettier day by day, with a pair of super big eyes.

When it's time to burn all the "properties" we bought for our ancestors... you must be wondering what we bought... hmm... very the exaggerating, except for the mansion, the maids, big car etc... we even got this:

Aeroplane?! Oh my god.... The first thought came into my mind when I saw this was: How much have we spent today? This ceremony must have cost us around 10K I guess. Nonetheless.... all these would become ashes in the end. We're like burning our own money!

I noted a ugly belief... many think that the more you burn the higher the chances you will strike the numbers. I don't quite like this. Hence, today is also a day where the stakes are high... *Can give me all the money instead of donating to Magnum or whatever pools??*

The whole event ended at around 10 plus... as long as 12 hours... that's really tiring....

P/S: You can also read report at other media....

Another coffee session....

"Queenie, when's your last day?"
"Tomorrow..... "
"Ohh... not next Monday meh? I thought of getting you to get the FS signed on Monday. I think it's something that can make you happy before you go. By the way, any chances that you'd take back?"
*smilling*
"hmm... what's holding you back now? Is there anything I can help?"
*wordless* *smilling*
"Come... let's go for coffee..."

I had another counselling on the second last day (Gosh... still not giving up). This is the second time this AM had ever talked me around regarding my resignation. First round in office and now at Coffee Bean. I appreciate the time he spent on me. I also appreciate he actually shared his experience (he tendered before), his frustration with certain ppl and his mindset. I'm moved.

The other AM also offered me an IPO engagement. I mentioned to her that I need a break to revitalise my energy but the break would clash with the IPO engagement. She's kind enough to let me go on leave (if I were to take back the letter) and she'll also find somebody else to supervise the team during my absence. I suddenly feel that I see some light in the tunnel.

After the Japan reporting deadline, I find myself can calm down a bit and get my mind clear. I could have tendered without proper consideration. I feel better also when the stress is over. In addition, having so many rounds of counselling I feel that it's a blessing when I have managers who really care about me and offer me opportunities. There are many other ppl in the office who also suffer alone without any blessing. Many ppl also told me that I'm fortunate enough to be in one of the best mentor group which is also bu xing zhong de da xing. Some mentor managers totally bo chup about their mentees one.

What am I trying to say here? I think I'll take back the letter...... since I know that I'll be working with somebody I feel comfortable with.. who will not really stress me unlike the other manager.. why not give it a try right?

Finger pointing session...

I was trying to clear all the files borrowed under my name with filling room. Shit! I had barely found out that there's a missing file when the previous AIC transferred the file under my name. I was being careless for not checking properly when I acknowledged the receipt with filling room. Why am I so unfortunate and have to bear the wrongdoings of others because of my carelessness? I mean I am not the person who lost the file but because the file is now under my name, I'll have to search the file out by hook or by crook. That sounds really ridiculous!

Trying to push the responsibilities back to the last year team (since they're the one who didn't take good care of the files they borrowed in the first place) but ... can't find a nice way to push. This troubled me and worried me. I even woke up at 4:30am cos I dreamt myself couldn't find this missing file. Then I prayed to god... Guan Yin la... Yuan Tian Shang Di (for WHOM I asked the 签 from) hope THEY bless me to find the file today. (kind of like seeking help from gods... haha.. )

In the morning, I sent an sms to this assistant who created me a lot troubles and gave me a bad time during audit. I also want to see what he would reply me.

"Can I transfer the DMA limited review files that you found last time back to you? There are some documents not filed for which I think they're not properly tidied up. Maybe when you come back from study leave you can have a look at it? Tomorrow is my last day already. I'm not able to look through everything in the box...."

I was guessing that maybe he would not reply me. But who knows, instead of replying me via sms, he emailed me, somemore copied the manager:

Hi,
With regards to your sms this morning, please return PY's files to the filing room first and sign out once filing room confirmed their completeness and existence. I'll draw them out myself should I require it after I come back from my exams. As for those chicken working papers etc pertaining to DMA, since you don't have time to arrange it, you can put it on your desk indicating the whole lot pertaining to DMA. I'll arrange it to the respective files if necessary after I come back, if is not urgent. Thanks.

PS: Hi Michael, FYI

It's very obvious to me that he knows himself didn't pass me the complete set of files and he didn't highlight to me and that's why he'd mention "completeness & existence" in the email. Somemore, no matter I have time to arrange them or not, it has nothing to do with me as well. Those mess were created by him last year. Why should I clear all the rubbish for him? I feel that he's trying to backstab me.

I felt hopeless as I totally had no clue where could the file have gone. Come on, it's also not me who lost the file. I went to 32nd floor and searched around, but couldn't find it. I told my "neighbour" about this. He then stood up and asked me to search again and said he'd help me. Returning back to 32nd floor we started the search.... was praying in my heart: please.... god... let me find it.... 15 mins later, OH MY GOD ! I FOUND IT! I FOUND IT! Sometimes I really find that luck is always with me....

Then I shoot back an email to this senseless guy and copied my manager also:

Hi TE,

With regards to DMA limited review workpaper file for YE 30/06/2005, I'd just noticed that there's a missing file (File 1/2). Fortunate enough, I found the other file in a dusty plastic bag, with one whole lot of unfiled documents pertaining to prior year audit/ limited review (I'm not sure) at one corner at 32nd floor (I believe it's where you used to sit last time).

For your information, I've returned the limited review workpaper file to filling room. I have also left those unfiled documents relating to prior year audit/ limited review in your pigeon hole. Kindly spare some time looking at those unfiled documents and fill accordingly to respectives prior years workpaper files (YE 2005 and 2006, limited review or audit) if necessary. Thanks.

Trying to set me up eh? He're not lucky enough. Lucks don't stay with devil. While he thought himself is smart to keep manager in a loop on this... in fact he's not. He's probably forgotten he was the one who lost the file....

P/S: Thanks Catherine for offering herself to look for the file. And a big thanks to Jin Hoa who helped me to search for the file and arrowed the guy in a "professional" way. :)

It's over....

The dreadful Japan reporting deadline was finally over today. I hope everything ended today. Working on the 2 engagements concurrently was really a nightmare to me. I hardly had good sleep since the commencement of engagements on 11/04/2007. I was given only 3 days for the field works to complete; the wrapping up, clearing points from partner and EQAR was expected not more than 3 days. Ridiculous - especially when I was working with some senseless assistants. I'd been receiving messages from manager, something like this:

"This guy is not focus!"
"Can you please note this down on his evaluation form?"
"Mark this weakness down on his evaluation form!"

While he's telling me this, I was thinking..... what would he mark on my evaluation then?

This assistant deserves it. If I were the manager, I'd also WRITE HIM OFF. I think I'll hardly forget him - who had given me a very difficult times in the past 2 weeks just to clean up the rubbish and mess he created. kns.

Seeking indication from god...

Do you still remember 卜学亮 <子曰>, there is one line saying "搞不懂就问人, 搞得懂就答人, 没有人懂还可以问神"? When you cannot really make up your mind, would you think of going temple and ask for an indication? I don't... but this round, I did.

I've never been to 柔佛古庙, in order to fulfill my little wish, I decided to pay this temple a visit. (If you want to get more information about this temple, please visit http://www.jb-tionghua.org.my/gumiao/gumiao.htm)

It was very crowded today. Look as though there's a event or something which I didn't ask more. There are altogether 5 gods. 3 joss sticks are required for each praying, except for one, no joss stick is required which is the one you seek for indication. Meaning to say, you'll be getting 12 joss sticks altogether. Joss sticks are not allowed to bring into the main hall, where you seek for indication from god (求签)

After all the praying, I went into the main hall and asked if I can 求签. The person-in-charge asked me if I know how to make it... haha... I believe the guy can tell from my face that I don't know how. In case you don't know how, let me tell you how:

1. Take the 2 "half-moon" so called 圣杯 (not sure if this is how it's named in chinese, but you know what i'm referring to right?), you must ask the god whether you're allowed to seek an indication from HIM.

2. Once you throw the 2 "half moon", if they present to you that one is up and one is down, the answer is "yes".

3. Taking the 签筒, you speak from your heart to the god your name, the place you stay, your age and what you're asking and you start the "shaking" until the 签 drop out. Well.. that doesn't end...

4. Now, you must throw the 2 "half moon" again to see whether the 签 is meant for you.

That basically explains the procedure of seeking indication from god. Here goes the indication I got today:

求财未遂如君意
欲望青云又路迷
且托守旧方为吉
等待时来百事宜

It's all about the work.. Because of another counsel from my AM, I'm thinking if I should stay as they said. It's very obvious from the the words that I should stay... My mum also said that this is accurate and tells exactly the situation I'm in. This makes me more undecisive.

I read this line from newspaper yesterday. It's words from a successful entrepreneur in Taiwan, 蔡万霖. He says:
"在尽力之后，要做的就是忍耐与等待，如果不能忍耐与等待，则前面的努力，会前功尽弃."

Does it enlighten me? I don't know. I only know that my mind is in a mess now. Counting down the days... 5 more days to go...

p/s: thanks Mr D for your time. Thanks for listening to my grumbles and accompanied me to the temple. I think you're merely accompanying without intention to visit in the first place. Hehe.

Unconditional help

It was raining cats and dogs this afternoon when I was having lunch at Amoy Street. None of us brought the umbrella. I felt eager to go back cos I had stupid things to rush today but due to the rain, there's just no way we could walk back to the office at that moment. Since nothing can be done, so I might as well buy myself a drink while waiting the rain to stop (which I think it's going to rain for some time).

Went down to the coffee stall and bought a cup of Teh-C. I don't quite often have lunch at Amoy Street due to the crowds. This coffee stall was also my first time visit.

Auntie said: 小妹 (hmm.... ya.... xiao mei again.... )。。。 你要什么？
I said: Auntie, 我要Teh-C。。。 带走。。。
Auntie said: 小妹。。 拿好好。。。哇，雨下很大。。
I said: 是咯。。。
Auntie said: 你没有带雨伞啊？？你要雨伞吗？ 我借你。

I was looking at her @_@ like this. Huh? Did I hear it wrongly? She's lending me, a nobody to her, umbrella in the believe that I'll return her. Then,

I said: 可是Auntie... 我们有3个人。。。

Auntie looked around and said: 不然我借你两把， 可以吗？

@_@ UNBELIEVABLE........... then I asked if I'd need to return her by today.

Auntie said: 不用紧啦，你下次来这里吃东西的时候再还我。。 不急的。。

Ohh... I can't believe it! Bringing a cup of Teh-C and 2 umbrella, my colleagues were very shocked to see me carry 2 umbrella also. They also got a shock of their life when I told them that it's from the coffee stall lady boss.

Auntie really made my day today.. Especially when the work life was grey, auntie gave me a rainbow to balance up. I really wonder why she'd lend me the umbrella. There were so many ppl standing around and waiting the rain to stop, but why me? It's like striking toto first prize. Hehe...

Seriously I can't recall the face of this Auntie now... but I'm really thankful...

*Opps... my colleagues asked me to buy toto today since they said it's a lucky day to me... I thought of buying today's date, which was 1804.... did this number come out?? I hope it didn't...

Some encouraging words..

This guy asked me to remember what he said.... so I decided to blog it....

"表逃避...表被生活的种种的不愉快给困扰着...
人活着就是为了寻找快乐...
因为快乐而活着...
当我们察觉到自己能在困境里找到快乐时,那就意味着我们已朝快乐的方向行走了...酱就能活的更开心哦..加油"

"一但做了决定就别后悔
后悔又后悔会很烦的
所以你就要保持立场...
这是解脱..."

I cannot imagine he'll say something like this to me.... (Yes, you don't look like one.. keke) Well.... Thanks anyway...

There's another guy who said this to me: If it's a wrong move... 那就将错就错吧。。。
Hmm... although this was followed by an email like this later on:
"UBI ...........!!!!! NEXT TIME...... DON'T WASTE TIME ON THIS KIND OF"BLOG"............ WHEN U COME BACK, I WILL PUNISH U LIKE A BEAST............ " -_-