Full Detox in the New Year...

itunes: Master Mix Party, Koizumix Production (1993)

Finally the Chinese New Year holiday is over for me. Tomorrow I will have to go back to the shitty office, nothing to look forward except the next public holiday in April or the day when I can tender my resignation letter. Sounds depressing right? Well, we all work for our money and there are bills to pay, even if when we are extremely unhappy, we still have to hold on to our 'dear job' until the next best one comes along. Sometimes I really pity those who are slaved to their big car and house, most of the time, they lived with no integrity at all. This may be a sweeping statement but the fact that they cannot afford to lose their job and hence they would not do anything that will jeopardise their position. Blah blah blah, the list goes on....

In this modern living, beside detoxification for our personal well-being, we cannot forget getting rid the toxic people in our life as well. They are everywhere, particularly in every workplace and they spill poison as far and wide as their influence spread, underground or in the dark. Unlike toxins in our body, it's harder to excise them, so forget about what those human behavioural experts' advice on how to deal with such troublemakers gentlemenly. If they are toxins to our life, there is no point to deal with them in a fair and gentlemen manner cos they will not do the same likewise.


The best way is to adapt an unorthodox yet harmless way of getting rid of these people (小人, or small people/petty people in direct translation from Chinese). I saw this in the Chinese New Year night market outside Parkway Parade. The sign showed "Step on Small People" Socks. The trick is to write the name of deemed 'small people' on the bottom of the pair of socks and wear them everyday. This will keep them at bay. I saw the same report on cable from a Taiwanese daily news, the right way is to write the lunar birthday date of the your targetted 'small people' instead. The good thing is this will not harm that person but rather prevent them from dragging you down. Hmm not a bad idea, at least we do not have bad karma while 'stepping' these assholes haha.







Of cos, there is more evil way of dealing with these people. Just head down to the nearest taoist temple and ask for help. There will be some old ladies who can help you to 'beat these small people' (打小人) hard with a pair of slippers and they will curse and swear at them on your behalf. Hehe even though we did not do the job ourselves, but it's still bad karma on us right? I have found a full writeup on 'beating the small/petty people' from a website in HK: http://www.english.cciv.cityu.edu.hk/jiedan/jingzhe.php

May we have a toxic-less personal and working life.....

My Chinese New Year Eve

itunes: The Chinese Orchestra of Shanghai Music Conservatory, 乐声琤琮 (2004)

Today is the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. By now, the joy of celebrating the festival in me would have diminished by half. For the next 2 days, it would be just visting and catching up with relatives and friends. What I really enjoyed most is yesterday, the New Year Eve, which we were doing some last minute shopping, busy preparing for the reunion dinner, last minute cleaning and decorating the house. Ya, it's the anticipation and countdown to the final moment that is the happiest.


0600 hrs
I stepped out of the house at 6am and took the first bus of the day to Upper Paya Lebar to buy roast duck. It's a must-have dish for the reunion dinner every year. I have to go early cos the roast duck is popular and there are people who go there as early as 5am. They do not take reservations and I have to be early cos by 7am, most of the roast ducks are almost sold out.



0830 hrs
I reached home around 7am and started working on the 2 fire crackers deco. I have done the 'wicks' the day before and I have left them air-dry after applying tons of glue to stiffen the cotton string. Nice right? hehe



1400 hrs
In the afternoon, I headed down to Chinatown for last minute shopping. I have always wanted to try the tradition Chinese New Year sweet and savoury specialties which most people seldom eat anymore. I got an assortments which includes sweetened lotus roots (symbolising abundance), sweetened lotus seeds (suggesting fertility), dried melon seeds (symbolising profuse earnings),sweetened ginger (symolising longevity) and so on. I also bought a few dried pessimons to try.


The street decoration in Chinatown. Look at the tree, does not look auspicious to me, it resembles an evil millienium-old tree deity in chinese horror movies haha.


1730 hrs
The reunion steamboat dinner is ready!!


2000 hrs
After the dinner, I continued the 'spring cleaning' of my room. I have moved the hifi and tv and clean my table. Wow, spick and span right? I guess it should get messy in 2 weeks time. Haha


2359 hrs
This is the simple altar that my mum has setup for the New Year prayers and offerings to the Heaven (maybe it's taoist thingy). I have no idea why is she doing that but she has been doing that since I was very young. Hence i merely regard it as part of the New Year Eve's traditions.


0030 hrs
My mum always said the first meal of the New Year is best to be vegetarian cos it serves a cleansing of sins made in the old year. Therefore, she will cook a big pot of Buddha's Delight (罗汉斋) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha%27s_delight Year after year, I will stay up late and wait for her to give me a bowl after she completed her prayers. Yum yum....it's nice.

Chinese New Year is about traditions and respect for the elders. I'm glad that I can enjoy these the same way with my parents year after year since young. And I hope I can do this as long as they lived. I dun care if certain old things are observed during this festive period are considered as supersitition or old-fashioned, it's a celebration that our beloved parents and our respected elders are healthy enough to enjoy this happy occasion with us year after year. That's the spirit of Chinese New year to me.

Happy Lunar New Year!

No Music No Life 02/2007

itunes: Sting, Songs From Labyrinth (2006)

Though my monthly $100 budget for CD expenditure is a bit busted this month, I covered the discrepancies by drawing some from budget for food. Good move right? Less money on food, which implies less calories entering in my body, a healthier choice!! haha

The list of CDs that I have bought in February 2007:


伊能靜, Princess A 新歌+精選 (2006)
I would suppose many of you would think she does nothing but act cute. That's the old impression of her that stuck in everyone's mind. Come on, teen cutie idol grew up too. Just in case you are not aware, apart from being a songwriter (since her first album), she is also an actress, fashion programme host and bestseller writer. Whatever it is, I like her since my college days (sad to say, 20 years ago). Well, we all have our childhood idols right? Hehe


Original Soundtrack OST Babel (2006)
To me, this is the soundtrack of the year. It just compliments the movie so well. Getting this 2CDs soundtrack back, it's exactly like bringing the cinematic moods of Babel home as well. Got to say something about the man behind this piece of great work, he is Gustavo Santaolalla, the man behind Brokeback Mountain OST in 2005, which I regarded it as the soundtrack of 2005. As a Argentinaian, he is successful in capturing the Moroccan moods and themes and that's impressive! Along with his materials, there are materials from the ambient cuts by David Sylvain (check out his 2003 album, Blemish, it's just enchanting) and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The only minus point about this OST is that the tracks are not arranged in accordance to the flow of the move, strange.....


Sigur Rós, () (2002)
I have been looking for this CD for a while. I refused to get it from HMV cos it is selling over S$40. I managed to win the bid for it over ebay in Dec 06, but somehow the disc got lost in the mail, I was quite disappointed even though the seller refunded the money to me. Eventually I found it selling at $27.95 at Gramophone! Sigur Rós is the next biggest export from Iceland after Bjork. Even though I'm not a big fan of this rock band, of all of their releases, this one impressed me very much. The stratospheric elegant sound arrangement and the silence between the mimimalistic interplay that brings you through the emotional extreme ups and downs. With no lyrics, no titles to the 8 tracks, just babbling vocals, we are to illustrate own interpretations of the songs. A good experimental rock album to appreciate.


曹格, Superman (2007)
Second album from this R&B male vocalist. Nice! As a music-nazi, my basic rule is no China-pressed CDs at all in my music collection. Also, I have been very indecisive if I should get the local pressed since I'm quite skeptical about this album at first. My torment ended when 'my kind sponsor', Wee who got so impatient with this, decided to buy me one. Hehe I'm grateful since it's FREE, I dun mind China-pressed CD now :OP Anyway, this CD is enjoyable and it should be able to equip myself with some new songs should I head to the karaoke in the near future. Hmmm.....maybe I should get his debut album as well, since it was quite acclaimed.




The Chinese Orchestra of Shanghai Music Conservatory, 乐声琤琮 (2004)
Various Artists, 花好月圆 (2000)
One of my 2007 resolution, I want to go into Chinese classical music. This is what I have got: The first CD contains the traditional Chinese New Year hits and it contains more popular pieces than the one I bought last month. The second CD is an entry level for serious Chinese classical music newbie like me, recommended by the music store who specialised in this genre at Bras Basah Complex. My colleague who went to this shop with me, thinks I'm nuts. Haha that's what a music-nazi should be!!


矢井田瞳, Single Collection (2004)
A gift from YL, plus many other Japanese CDs that his brother-in-law has given up. I'm thrilled to see this CD cos I quite like a few singles from this alternative female rocker. Yeah!! Big thanks to YL.

马英久加油!! 加油!! 加油!!

itunes: 伊能静, Princesse A (2006)

马英久，我相信你是清白的! 我支持你竞选2008年总统！你要化悲愤为力量，勇敢挑战司法，还你清白！

腐败民进党，烂阿扁，下台!!
臭吴淑珍，不要脸，给我坐牢去！我呸!!

猪年新愿望

itunes: Brasil, João Gilberto (1981)

新的一年，
我不妄想步步高升、飞黄腾达。
我不期望财源广进、行什么大运的。

我愿我和周围所有的人，
身体健康、事事顺心，如意、安乐。

最重要，我希望工作能顺顺利利、安安稳稳。
百尺竿头，更进一步。

新年快乐，万事如意。

Furious Disappointment & Delight

itunes: Babel, Original Soundtrack (2006)

1 month variable bonus and no increment.
This is what I get for the effort made in 2006. Across the board, the rest received a 2 months variable bonus and a 6% increment. Reason? My boss reckoned that my stay with the company for merely 8 months, hence bonus will be partial. He did not comment anything on the increment part.

This is really infuriating.
I may accept of not having increment but I just dun understand why if I received a pro-rated (of 8 months) for the 13th month AWS bonus in Dec06, but not for the variable bonus? Based on my effort in clearing up the mess and tidying up the finance department, I should deserve the prorata instead of a mere 1 month.

How frustrating!
What is the point of putting extra effort when whether one work or not, in the end, it's the same reward for all???!!! I really pity the sales guys, they slog outside the office in order to meet the ever-increasing sales target and they even achieve exceeding it last year. You know what I mean? There isn't any motivation at all!!!

I also asked my boss about issues on the merging of office with our new parent company. He said he DOES NOT KNOW the structure of the Finance department yet. The instinctive logic I know is there cant be 2 Finance Manager after the merger. Who is going to survive in this ordeal? Tsk tsk.....it's a really big uncertainty.

Sigh, the Geylang Sifu Master (see my earlier blog) is right. My career at this moment is such that no matter how much hard work I put in, I will never get an equivalent reward in return, yeah perhaps some scoldings and criticisms that I will receive in return.

Ya, I've started looking out for new job actively now. The Sifu assured me that I will do better in the next job this year. Though skeptical, logically speaking, what lies ahead, despite unknown to me, still looks appealing and hopeful right? It's hope that keep one moving on. So, meanwhile, I shall minimise my effort in this damn job, just ride along the wave, be a leech but not yet a parasite, learn to camouflage more by pretending to be busy, just like some of my undesirable colleagues.

Ok ok enough enough of whining....Chinese New Year is just 1 week away...yeah....even though the feeling of celebration is mixed but still I must make myself happy so that I will be 'successful and prosperous' in the year of pig. Hehe

**********************************************************************************

Mr Siu, I know you had a promotion, a fat bonus and substantial increment and I'm really happy for you. I feel honoured that you want to share your happiness with me, but unfortunately on the same day, I received such a terrible bonus letter. It's indeed an ironical joke! One end, you are feeling so angry and fed up with what you got and yet at the other end, over MSN, your friend keep messaging you how happy he was.....it's really hard on me, seriously. Nevertheless, Mr Siu, congratulations to you....I'm really happy for you, well at least your effort is fully appreciated and rewarded. :O)

Hmmm, the soundtrack to Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu's film Babel that I'm listening now is damn good. Gustavo Santaolalla did a tremendous job, his haunting and deeply moving score really make this OST a delight....and so does the movie....highly recommended here....check em out.

It's springtime...

itunes: Brian Mcknight, Ten (2006)













Spring is here..... the joy of festive shopping, the joy of spring cleaning and decorating the house, the joy of counting down to the big day, the joy of squeezing through the packed night market in Chinatown. From now till New Year's eve, this is the period that I really enjoy....

Geylang Sifu Master

itunes: 小泉今日子, KYO→2～Anniversary Song～ (2001)



Guess where I went last night? Yup, I went to a sifu (master in tibetan robe, but he is no tibetan monk) 'spiritual' consultation at Geylang Lor 34. I dun believe it myself either cos I'm a scientific person and never believe in such thing. However, when you have talked to almost everyone you know and all resources have been exhausted and I still cant figure out a good solution, probably the last resort is to ask 'god' (in taoist's terms). Haha.

It's a long 2 hour wait with my colleague to see him. It's funny right? Going see sifu with my colleague. We went there with the same intention: to seek advice on how our careers are and to find answer to the burning question, should we quit and leave this fuckup company? Just $10 consultancy fee and $3 for the joss sticks offerings to all the god and goddess statues in the house. You will be amazed to see basically all the gods you know in town (even Indian and Tibetan ones as well), of cos with the exceptions of Jesus and Allah. Haha

It's nearly 11pm when it's our turn to come. The sifu looks like an ah beng (gangster) with buddhism scriptures tattoo on almost the whole body except his face and head. Like those roadside fortune teller, he uses poker cards as the tool of his destiny reading and a lighted cigarette at tip of his mouth, not forgetting a cup of unfinished coffee by his side. He speaks and chants exchangeably and intermittently. I really have a second thought of going ahead after seeing him.

Though skeptical, I'm amazed by what he said about my colleague. Imagine a stranger whom you just met for a few minutes, without asking you a single question about yourself, yet able to describe briefly the current situation you are in (in our case, it's about our job and the situation in our workplace). He admits he is unable to tell what lies ahead but he is able to share each individual's recent past and current events. Perhaps he is already to see what we cant see like a crystal ball. Sounds spooky right? I was thinking perhaps it's just a trick used by many roadside fortune tellers whom like to use generalisation kind of statements to convince their clients. However, in the end, both of us really convinced in the sense he is able to pinpoint the unique situation each of us faced even though we are in the same work environment and we did not even tell him what kind of relation we are.

This is what he said about me:
1) My career has been suffering a lot of blockages and 'small people' (backstabbing) since the year of Monkey (that's 3 years ago) which results in situation whereby I work hard to get the job done but the credit goes to someone else while I get all the scoldings. Quite true for my previous job and this current one (which falls within these 3 years). For the fact I'm hardworking and smart, my career should be good.

2) I asked if I should leave this current job. He said I should only do it in the year of pig (which means in 2007 when the new lunar year starts, haha which is only 2 weeks from now). I also asked him even if I change to a new job, does it really make a difference? Will I face the same blockage and 'small people'? He said this new job will be much better than this current one and I should be able to go further from here.

Well, what he said is what I already decided to do anyway. Perhaps, his words act as a more powerful psychological effect which convinced me that the decision that I make up in mind is right and I should leave this shitty place as soon as I can (haha of cos must wait after Chinese New Year, anyway I would not leave now cos we are eagerly waiting for our variable bonus and increment within these 2 weeks before the holidays). When we step out of the sifu's house, I felt a sense of relief as if one burden has been lifted off my shoulder. It's really feel good when one finally decides on something and moving ahead with that decision. :O)

Nevertheless, he asked both of us to go back tomorrow (15th of the lunar month) to let him do some prayers (to get rid of my blockages and 'small people'). Even now, I'm still quite skeptical about the whole incident but still I would choose to go back, who knows, he may actually able to improve my working life 'spiritually' in the coming year?

I really do hope 2007 is a better year for my working life.