Singapore Break and a Wedding

Friday the 18th of July, we packed our bags and flew to our neighbour down south. We got a little lost finding our way to the hotel but come on, who gets lost in Singapore? However, getting lost enabled us to discover that we were staying just a stone's throw away from the Singapore National Art Museum.

Reached Singapore!

Being Thankful: Days 146 - 150

It's so weird, I'm losing track of the days and every day I discover more and more outstanding (not mine) work that I need to settle for someone. It really gets tiring when the tasks date back to early 2013 and the business units are chasing me like it was my fault to begin with! So so difficult to walk the talk of being forgiving and professional.

But, I am still thankful for:

1. my other colleagues who despite their heavier workload (due to the disruption from portfolio change) still offered to help me out. Every day is an overwhelming experience of panic till past 8pm.
2. learning the little things that will make me self-reliant in future. The downside from my previous role was that I was too reliant on my assistant for certain matters.
3. the cheque coming right on time. No penalty for my 'almost slip up'.
4. the e-board training session done and over with. Constructive advise received. Next time (if there is one) I will need to steer the directors conversations back to our training objectives. 
5. being able to receive criticism and agreeing on it. Surprisingly. Maybe it's part of growing older?
6. letting go of things out of my control. Leaving work in the office to focus on my weekend!
7. meeting up with the girls for a healthy vegetarian meal... and then we adjourning for cake! Counter all the goodness in one night! 
8. getting a bottle of almond butter. Mmm...
9. our final weekend in Genovasi. Final presentation done. Buka puasa and farewell dinner. Laugh and laugh and laugh.
10. finally deciding not to go back to office on a public holiday. It was a productive day (in a stress relieving sense). Good early start and finally having the chance to exercise. Quality time with family and the dogs (Meowww! Poppyyyy!).
11. learning the difference between Registered Shares and Bearer Shares, thanks to filling up HSBC forms. Registered shares have share certificates with the shareholder's name on it whereas Bearer shares don't have the shareholder's name on the share certificate. So anyone who gets hold of a Bearer Share certificate may claim ownership over the shares of the Company. Therefore it is always good practice to execute a share sale agreement, even for transfer of Registered shares.

I think 150 is a good number to stop?

Being Thankful: Day 140

I'm thankful for:

1. the lunch treat at Zen. I guess it's a gesture of peace after the c*** I went through last week. Ah sm remember, remember... challenges = growth.
2. my colleague sending me her draft simulation board papers from the last round of training. At least I don't have to start from scratch for next Friday's training. Need to work out what to say, pronto!
3. getting the PAL and forms out. Hope this don't trigger a backlash.
4. meeting up with a potential partner. Seemed to have a lot of experience and gave us some constructive advice.
5. (can't think of any. brain shutting down)

Being Thankful: Day 139

I'm thankful for:

1. discovering that my phone only has one speaker. Didn't know this until yesterday. I actually texted the shop owner about claiming warranty! Thanks to Google, I now know that my mini heart attack was utterly unnecessary.

   

   See! A pair of grills - how would I know that the left was a speaker and the right one was for the mic?

2. someone saying that I 'sound' tall over the phone! This is the second time she has said it haha.
3. the DCFO mentioning something that jogged my memory - OMG, I haven't raised the company's authorised share capital! Yea... this is what I hate about changing portfolio (again) in the middle of a corporate exercise.
4. secretly being excited about having the chance to try leading our e-board training to some of the L1s. So glad I volunteered myself this round instead of having to draw lots to take charge of the VVIP training session! Foresight.
5. a productive discussion.

Being Thankful: Day 138

Ong ong numbers 1-3-8! Yea... anyway, I'm thankful for:

1. walking a lot today. Choosing to take the stairs and walking to the bank instead of driving there before or after work.
2. getting some filing work done. There's no better motivation for filing than a change in portfolio (again) and statutory audit (of course).
3. tackling the odious journey of filling up the HSBC account opening forms - wasn't too bad, just really tedious. Why must they have so many different sets of forms and T&Cs just to open one account and what's with the KYC forms when the Group has been a long time corporate customer!?! Foreign banks have too many red tapes.
4. not much jam going to PJ for our team meetup and having a few laughs about the sink hole and interesting pictures.
5. Texas Chicken - yums!

Being Thankful: Day 137

I'm thankful for:

1. The board meeting going smoothly although it was my first for this particular JV.
2. Having weird thoughts during the meeting like "why is that guy's skin so white & smooth? Hands also no hair! But over the phone sounded like old Uncle... summore the name so hebat! I think he's more feminine than I!" Mind conversations like this really helps in keeping me awake at long meetings.
3. Finally filing the agreements received from the lawyers a few weeks ago. To be honest, besides being crazy busy I didn't prioritize this task because I didn't know how to do it! (the SOP, I mean) But it's done now!
4. Jamming my finger at the agreements filing cabinet. The experience just heightens the senses. Never knew I could feel that much intensity in a fraction of a second. Receptors for pain, cold, hot, everything firing simultaneously. Neurotransmitters oversupply in my synapses. I start seeing that textbook image in my head. In short, makes me feel human.
5. Productive discussion. Finished mapping out the features. Timekeeping really works. Just a little more to iron out before we meet our potential partner.

Being Thankful: Day 136

I'm thankful for:

1. Feeling normal again. I like cheerful me better.
2. Visiting a colleague in hospital. Despite awkward questions by our boss, managed to ask her if she's doing better. Will pray for her & baby to be well & strong.
3. Last minute meetup with friends. Good laugh at glow in the dark braces, ditzy fengtou ladies sailing in the sea.
5. Body aches not too serious.  Feels like I went for a hike or something.

Being Thankful: Day 135

I'm thankful for:

1. waking up at 6.30am and snoozing till 7am! haha I actually heard my alarm this time!
2. not so intense of a day in Genovasi and lots of getting to know people.
3. commonalities.
4. feeling hungry at the same time and pigging out - so true... everything looks good when I'm hungry and I wanted to order it all. But I didn't! Thank goodness!
5. a little more headway in our discussions.
6. having some butt flesh!?! Can't remember when was the last time I fell on my derriere this hard. I think the initial shock of being overthrown by a small little puddle of water was worse than the pain felt on my lower pelvic bone and left palm. Thank God I don't feel a lingering pain. Should be alright inside I hope.
7. Michel Camilo - setting the mood for minutes writing.
8. my BSF leader for her support and prayers.

Being Thankful: Day 132, 133 & 134

Crazy past 3 days with lots of drama. Lesson learned, don't simply say things when you're upset. I'm thankful for:

1. saying the stupid thing to someone I trust (only). But it is my ultimate plan, I guess. God willing.
2. our PLC AGM & EGM going pretty well besides some unreasonable shouting shareholders. Always read the T&Cs! Funny how our scrutineers told us that these few serial shareholders visit AGMs and kick up a fuss everywhere. Interesting, why do these retirees have so much angst in them? 
3. my particular assignment, the board meeting, going well. All smiles. Ha-ha this and ha-ha that.
4. my bio apple USB drive - super panic, running frenzy, copying out a presentation for the AGM. Nobody told me I needed to load the MSWG Q&As for the AGM presentation. So yeah, a whole roomful of shareholders and our Board saw what was on my USB drive - my ex-company folders and Frozen!
5. the funny but costly incident of me thinking I loss my season parking card when it was actually under my laptop bag. Cost me RM7 but gave me and others a good laugh afterwards. The perils of growing old - misplacing things.
6. the dreaded other AGM & EGM going on without a fight. And seeing our senior management play-acting with the script we wrote. We were all prepped (statutorily) and ready for hostility. Not too sure if the no-show of the minority shareholders was a good thing or a bad thing. I foresee more fire after their letter of request to adjourn the shareholder meetings was denied. We'll wait and see.
7. having completed my really rushed board file compilation through my meltdown and being able to squeeze out some smiles out and act as normal as possible. Just.so.fed.up.
8. not really caring if everyone knows what happened. I'm human and I have my limits too. I think this way of releasing stress is much more peaceful than shouting profanities at random persons who come by. So be it.
9. the more I talk about it, the more I forget that feeling of anger. Disconnect. TQ friends.
10. family time and talking. Hard to get everyone on the same page.
11. the weekend. Genovasi time is always a time away from the stress. Time to do something totally unconnected and learn new things.

Being Thankful: Day 131

I'm thankful for:

1. being indoors in this kind of weather. Just a slab of glass separating me and the horrible haze.
2. Uncle chap fan - damn nice weh but super oily lah! And he remembers to speak English to me!
3. starting to get a hang of compiling board papers and quite fast too! I think.
4. leaving office a little earlier - 8.10pm!
5. the fur friends fighting for love.
6. stalking PLCs. Interesting - share price went from less than 50 sen to more than RM5 in a year due to a change in management. And the whole Board has migrated over too! Can't help the alarm bell in my head to file change of directorship for our trustee, but alas that entity is no longer under my care.

Visibility is bad - every time I look out my window I instinctively start coughing!