some nonsense

i always make sure i arrive 15mins early for interview, and then put my fone on silent.

so this morning, as usual, i got there at 9.45am (after being squashed in bus and tube).

sat there and the clock ticked to 10.05am...

lucky i checked my fone n saw a missed call from Ajay (the HR)...

me: hello? did you ring me?

Ajay: yeah! where're u?

me: i've been at the reception for 20mins....

Ajay: ohhh! im so so sorry.. nobody buzzed me

and he came to collect me straight away...

Ajay: i'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting.. (turning to the receptionist) why didnt u call me?

receptionist: this's not my responsibility as my phone's taken away

and at this point, i heard the phone next to her ringing -_-

Ajay: today's scheduled u'll been interviewed by Luc, David, Rachael and Andrew separately, followed by another two tests.

and so... i repeated myself for the same question 4 times for each of them -

Can you talk me through your CV?

Why do you wanna work for us?

How do you see your contribution for the role?

and so on............. WHY DON'T THEY JUST COME IN TOGETHER?!

and like any other times, i was encouraged to ask some *sensible* questions.

me: how do you see yourself differentiate from your competitors?

Andrew (head of dept): honestly, nothing. if we disappear tomorrow, none of our customers would realise. and i never click on those paid search ads in case they're spams

me: oh.. ok.. thats very interesting. so how're you working on this to improve the situation?

Andrew: we're working on it. slowly. but there's not much we can do.

me: hm....... interesting.......

diu

You work but you don't work

i'm living an oriental working life.
monday to sunday, with occasional fri and sat evenings off.
although i don't officially start at 7, i do work through midnights.
i entertain every stakeholder, i blab and i bluff.
i feel like a prick but i can't play pranks.
i thank wiki and google, for feeding me digestible indigestible knowledge (without the time to process).
i sound enthused but i can barely hold my eye lids open.
i'm sick, a leave is outta my mind.
so i shall recompose and continue on my journey, until i hear the true calling...

Dream House?

Queens Park Residence in the inner city of Sydney
Designed by CplusC Design Construct Pty Ltd. (Australia):

''This project involved an uninhibited renovation of an existing traditional three bedroom house located on a corner site in the inner city Sydney suburb of Queens Park. The client brief called for a custom designed home that catered to their specific living and entertaining lifestyle. Generous kitchen, dining and living spaces connect through large operable doors to private outdoor spaces which integrate a swimming pool and outdoor living, dining and entertaining spaces.''

Looking at this picture reminds me of many honkers' life-long ambition, or more correctly, dream, to buy and build their own (dingy) home. even though the size is nothing more than a cramming shoebox, you can still decorate it as a cosy home. it's now a luxury to gather everyone for a night-in, to eat together at the table, to converse face-to-face, to have a few clinks of drinks, and to enjoy the nighty breeze with a home-baked cake.

of course, everyone has different taste. the islington old townhouse, featured in Jan's UK Vogue, now owned by the artistry couple , shall never be my 'dream home'. actually, it is my worst nightmare. i can't stand rough/ scruffy wood panels, shaved and peeled walls, freezing attic, and *art* scattered in and around the house. it's more like a bachelor pad.

on the other hand, neither are those *celeb cribs* displayed on hk interior mags well-executed, despite the owners having all the cash to spare. today's minimalism has become tooooo cliche that home lacks a sense of home. it's merely a purpose-built and integrated pod. i wonder how often the owners would actually cook in the kitchen and host a dinner party. how do they find time to detox and entertain family and friends?

when you get too worked up, all you need is a home, not a beautiful showroom.

Back to Basic

the temp is finally revving up a bit, after a long bitter sleety/slushy winter. thanks goodness.
but designers 've decided to keep the white going for '10 s/s lines, altho some of them (in particular the young brits) are trying a different path to maintain the playfulness.

whilst much praise goes to christopher kane (once again he's just not my thing), we see similar fabrics in peter jensen's collection - which's much more wearable.

Christopher Kane S/S 2010

Peter Jensen 2010 S/S

The rabbit neck tie dress's purely CUTE! and that quirky oversize pearl necklace's irresistible!
okay, i know it might not be a good idea to wear this strolling down oxford st as u'll receive all the odd attention from other weekend shoppers. hmmm

Proenza Schouler 2010 SS

I can't be happier to see proenza return to the glamorous stage! the pieces are simple yet chic, detailed but transforming. worth investing a bit to give your wardrobe an update =)

Anglomania Printed Leggings

Never am i a fans of anglomania, however, this pair of leggings are not bad, right? you can easily pair them up with a tennis polo, a white ruffled top, a black chiffon dress-shirt, almost anything!

Oh! Besides, i'd like to have that new decanter from Selfridges. It's a piece of ART!

all of a sudden i'm craving for sea urchin. very random.

hm, also, to conclude the noughties, monocle did a pretty nice jan issue. a good read. it, too, reminds me of the golden quote - if only i got the money to splash. sigh.

in the meantime, all my sympathy goes to people in haiti.

Randoms

just as we the baby-boom-generation has the tendency to pass the buck to the cold-blooded society... let me do an honest personal evaluation:

1. constant reflection - checked
2. desire to learn - checked
3. punctuality - checked
4. responsibility - checked
5. generosity - yet to be...
6. innovative thinking - yet to be...
7. analytical skills - half way through...
8. self discipline - most of the time...
9. general knowledge - hmmm...
10. interpersonal skills - need polishing

i guess i'm lucky being an optimist. despite months' frustration, i haven't been defeated (ok, despirited from time to time but it doesn't last longer than 5mins). it's not that i'm not hungry, it's more to do with 'have i got something outta it?' and 'what went wrong?'.

i believe nobody should ever be kind enough to grant you chances.
chances are for you to seize to prove yourself.

be stimulated and stimulating.

transition

why do people love counting down?
why do people need a reason/ excuse to justify a party?
why do people get so excited about a new year?

sorry i've never understood any of these since young.
it's anything but a transition, which can countdown every month, if not every day.
i feel only obliged to greet people a 'happy new year', which i'm treaded to say when not meaning whole-heartedly

perhaps we'll soon greet people 'happy feb' 'happy march' 'happy april' 'happy 2 o'clock'

anyways i thank you for all the blessings i had for the noughties, esp 2009.

Random

- Van der Sar's granted indefinite compassionate leave to stay with his wife who suffered from hemorrhage just before christmas. fergie's kind and reminds me of redknapp. thats the difference set between a true leader and a mere (machinery, low-class) manager.

- 've seen a new trend of bank's (Lloyds, RBS, etc) ads directing its audience to their specialist manager with a vibe of fun, understanding and professionalism.

- I'd mixed feelings towards Kate Silverton. intriguing enough i'm talking about a news anchor. hmm, she stands out more than just a presenter, right? ok i've never liked her superficial big smile. she defo polishes herself as someone who always gets what she wants. perhaps that's to do with her slender legs, too. i simply couldn't help feeling the rising tension in the room, should i ever have the chance to be in the same room with her. her aggressiveness could kill you in milisecond. YET neither could you stop admiring her wittiness, vivacious and intelligence. she's just toooooooooo attractive, in particular in the brutal, ruthless, male dominating journal industry / BBC.

- addicted to Modern Family and Better Off Ted. i love comediessss :) please, save your invite on Avatar.

- have always enjoyed Audi's tvc. the latest *efficient* ad is amazing!

- with noughties's curtains drawn to a close, what have I achieved in the past 10 years?

- i find the prolonged exposure to inhumane cold is the reason of my dampened mood/ being a hermit.

- really wanna showcase my cooking skills on f words.

wahaha. thats it for now.