A Mind of My Own

Trying to change jobs can be tough. It took a friend of mine a year to totally change hers. It’s going to take a whole lot tougher for my case as I’m seen as someone who is more of a technical person due to my IT background than a writer.

Perhaps I’m hoping for too much but rejection from the same company twice is too much for my ego. I believe I have the talent for writing, yeah, right. I believe I can do better than those news being put in print, like I can write more engaging stories.

I wonder if I have been in this line for too long, lost track of my favourite passion; reading or I haven’t been polishing my writing skills quite up to par. Blogging doesn’t really count as it’s just my thoughts flowing and I don’t re-read for this blog. I just hit ‘Submit’ and the post is there.

That’s why I have to edit my posts a few times these days. Have I lost my touch? Or I just need more polishing, writing and reading? Trips to the library have been rare these days. I used to have this way of engaging the readers to my words and let them feel the characters’ emotions.

These days, the words fail to flow and run like a river. I should focus more on niche sites than this site. It’s distracting. I really ought to focus.

Anyone needs a freelance writer? I write technical specifications, thesis, reports and proof-reading. My fiction can be found here.

Dear HSBC,

Thank you for your enthusiasm in getting your agency to contact me so that I can receive a credit card from you. The first time, I applied, I was rejected. No reason given. Fine. Thus, I decided that it wasn’t worth the effort of contacting your staff to verify why.

The second time, I was contacted about a few months later by one of your agency that I was to be given a HSBC Dual Card (Gold). Not. I was first rejected the Personal Line of Credit. Then, I was rejected the card saying that I didn’t provide complete credentials.

I believe it is time that HSBC can stop contacting me. I have given the SAME credentials for all my other credit cards and received NO rejections except from you. I am no longer interested in HSBC credit cards as I’m unable to take a third rejection should one of your agencies contact me again.

So, HSCBC, please STOP calling me to apply for your credit cards. I will HANG UP immediately without any reason whatsoever.

Regards

I’m seeing less clouds now. Although I am resisting the tendency to rub my eyes with each itchiness attack on the eye lids. Using the eye drops at regular intervals is a little difficult when I’m out. However, I have to be consistent for a month. This two weeks will be critical for my recovery from the operation.

The second review will be coming up next and I hope my vision is good for it. It’s no laughing matter when the operation concerns the eye. Either part of our organs being operated on is serious. I decided to take a rest for Monday as I think I still needed to let my eyes see more far away objects than staring at the computer screen for 8 hours.

Watching movies is ok as they are shown on the white cloth instead from the electronic screen. Watched The Hottie and the Nottie with DD. Not sure how to make of the movie but it’s like Shallow Hal. As for Paris Hilton, I can’t say for sure but I did notice something. Her breasts size changes with each set of clothes.

Image via Wikipedia

Overall, I’m looking at things far away clearer than yesterday. Just still a little sensitive to fine words online and the sunlight. Sunglasses is my best friend.

I woke up this morning unable to open my eyes due to the dried tears clustered on my eyelids. Terrible. I blinked a few times to get them to open a bit and finally managed to after a while. I needed to clean my eyelids with the eye swaps soon.

Image via Wikipedia

Took a while to get rid of the dried tears and my eyelids were swollen, ouch. At least I looked decent enough. The vision was still cloudy and I felt the contact lens (protection purpose) a little itchy. However, I couldn’t rub my eyes as the flap wasn’t fully healed. I’ll need about a week to let it heal.

The sand in the eye feeling wasn’t that great either. Thus, I used the eye drops hourly to lubricate my eyes. I felt better. The follow up reviews took some waiting as quite a number of people were there for theirs too. One aunty loudly proclaimed to the nurse at 1pm that her appointment was at 12.30pm. I was there at 12.30pm and this aunty wasn’t even there yet.

The nurse lined her up after the previous patient. Perhaps this aunty was sitting outside after her initial check on her eye power. I doubt she is a patient person. At 1.15pm, it was finally my turn to see Dr Goh to remove the contact lens. My eyes felt way much better but I still have that sand in eye feeling. Hope it’ll go away by Monday. The urge to rub the eyes is simply too tempting.

Overall, my vision is still adjusting to the glare of sun and lights. It’s tiring to look at something near for too long either. Thus, my practice with typing has improved without looking at the screen and I can still type coherently.
I just wonder if I could squeeze out from the crowded MRT when I get to work on Tuesday.

I arrived late at the MRT due to my animated talk with my youngest brother. Was supposed to meet HF at 9am at the platform. She arrived at 8.54am while I was just packing to get out of the house. Oh my. I half-ran to the station and managed to meet her at the escalator.

Image via Wikipedia

We proceeded towards our station for the eye evaluation for Lasik at Paragon Medical. When we arrived at the lifts, there was a long queue. It was 10am, we were wondering what was going on at 10am in Orchard. The kids were in the queue and we simply hadf no idea. The lifts came and went. We were still stuck on level 1. Our appointment was 10am.

In the end, we decided to take the fire lift, again. We had taken it for the Lasik forum the other time. Finally, we reached the clinic for our eye evaluation. It’s free for those who have attended the forum. The waiting time was average since there were a lot of people undergoing the test too.

We started the test at around 10.20am and ended at 12.30pm. The tests were routine, checking your eye power and the measurements of the cornea. The part for the eye pressure was a little scary. The puffs of air blown into each eye made me jump. I would have jumped higher had the nurse not informed me before it.

HF jumped as the nurse didn’t tell her. I took some repeats as I kept moving my eyes a little. Fortunately, I could focus at a fixed spot once the nurse told me not to move. Oops. Finally, the tests ended with a personal consultation with the doctor himself. I was assigned to Dr Jon Goh. A rather nice man although he appeared a little aloof during the forum.

Due to eye drops, my vision wasn’t that good after the tests. HF had trouble focusing. In the end, we gave up trying to focus and navigated our ways through the crowds when the space was big enough. The fine words were rather trying too.

After lunch, we went to Far East Plaza for some shopping. I bought some hair clips. I think I buy too many hair clips. I did my plaits for the operation with the new hair clips. I think they are supposed to glow in the dark once they have absorbed enough light.

HF decided not to carry on with the operation as she had driving lessons the next day. I choose to take the operation. We went back to the clinic at 5.15pm for some pre-operation preparations. The nurse explained the procedure for the operation and I was assigned to a comfortable sofa to await my turn.

I adjusted my position on the bed a few times for it was perfect for the start of the operation. I was to focus on the blinking light. I tried to focus and managed most of the time. The suction was slightly painful due to the pressure. However, it didn’t last long.

I blacked out during the cut as it was normal and started to focus on the blinking light again. The pulses began after the flap was opened and I did notice some burning smell. I didn’t know if I was still blinking my other eye each time after the cut. I do know that I noticed a hazy vision with some clear parts.

After the operation, Dr Goh verified that the flap was done smoothly before letting me out of the operation theatre. I had a cloudy vision and took my seat again. The tears were the side effects and I was tearing non-stop. I think I suffered the worst among the rest.

HF was outside and counting those who have completed theirs. They looked fine with one even using the handphone to SMS. When I finally came out, I was tearing and nearly blind, she was shocked. She led me to the seat at the reception while we wait for DD.

I was in no condition to take th MRT and wasn’t keen to get bumped into either. DD led me to the taxi stand and we waited for one to take me and HF home.

I’m a walking Milo advertisement for today. No, I am not wearing green. Neither am I wearing its T-shirt. I had simply spilled half a cup of good Milo over the desk, chair, top and pants. The trip didn’t start well either. The train I took was silent. It didn’t announce the stations, even if it did, it was too soft. Something told me that I would miss my stop. I did.

[via Flickr]

Overslept by a station. After that, I got to the office. The story of the spilled Milo began when I was checking the codes and had to answer a call. I always have a call from this user. Doing programming is no longer fun. And so, just as I had replaced the receiver, trouble began. I hit the spoon when my hand returned to the keyboard and the cup just fell over despite its fat bottom.

I had warm Milo, thankful that it was no longer boiling hot, all over the desk, chair, pants and top. Replacing the cup to a normal position stopped the spillage but the damage was done. I was reeking of Milo. Still having that faint smell on my clothes. The chair took the most damage.

The chair is now a Milo advertisement too. Lunch didn’t go that well either. Service at Cafe Cartel in Junction 8 is truly bad. Today is so not my day.

I shall have to think of why some one thought of the idea of meme. It’s freaking scary because of the huge numbers of ways they can come up with just to get to know the inner you. *shudders* Thanks to modobs, my love thinker, I have one strange meme to do. Not as if it’s the first time though.

My roommate and I once … what roommate?

Never in my life have I done a bungee jump.

High school was full of distractions like boys and competition of who got the highest marks.

When I am nervous I pee, a lot.

My hair is a mix of light and dark brown.

When I was 5 I was punched on the chest by this guy who dislike me, a lot.

By this time next year I will be doing something I really want to try.

I have a hard time understanding … maps.

You know I like you if I sit/stand close to you.

My ideal breakfast is waffles and scrambled eggs by DD.

If you visit my hometown you’ll be playing pool, watching movies and some shopping.

If you spend the night at my house, you have to be sleeping in the living room. There isn’t any more space.

My favourite blond is Cameron Diaz.

[via Flickr]

My favourite brunette is Donny Yen. That chiseled chest of his.

[via Flickr]

The animal I would like to see flying is a cat.

I shouldn’t potato chips.

Last night I was playing games.

I’ve been told I look like my mother. A photocopy of her when she was my age.

If I could have any car it would be a limousine. It feels spacious and I love spacious cars.

Tags are meant to be passed. So, Sentosa Girl, Xinyun, Miss Loi and DK, your turn.

I am seriously wondering if there is something wrong. Or perhaps, nothing is wrong. It’s just that when one has the power or authority for more than 40 years, one tend to be led into thinking that it can be used in any way and the powers that be should never, ever, be doubted.

Are we doubting it now? Perhaps. Since all these years, it has never, ever, said it was wrong in anyway. Wow. How infallible. With 40 years of management under its belt, it will not be wrong at any one time.

I have failed before. I have mistakes in my work. There were times when my mind was simply too tired or overworked to even think properly. We are only humans. Even animals make mistakes.

Ultimately, it’s always the ones who are at the bottom who are at fault. When employees quit, what is the reason? The one that is never spoken out loud but a survey proved it. There are also ways to get someone to quit too.

Anyway, I digress. It’s not about pushing the blame so that you get to keep your position. It’s about accepting that somewhere along the way, a decision wasn’t made that well and it led to this. It led to a Mas Selamat escaping from that window. A ledge was even built under it to facilitate his escape when others have failed to notice it. Neither the grilles were built nor the window’s size reduced.

Even shopping centres have smaller toilet windows or none. Men would say, “How come there is a door for the urinals? They have never, ever, encountered such a toilet that gives you the privacy, rather intimate since 2 men can enjoy their business by closing the door.

Let’s not even get to the discussion about CCTV in the area but not activitated.

I used to have this manager who treated us very well. He would also be environmental conscious, which is very rare for a company although it is ISO 9001 certified. There was once we had to keep some keys temporarily and he produced clear plastic bag from magazines. The ones that magazines are kept in for sending. Our jaws dropped.

He has a mean streak when playing badminton. I heard the other ex-colleagues often can’t beat him. Thankfully, I didn’t take part since I would have been humiliated with my pitiful skills. He was a national champion in his own country. That’s why no one in the department could win against him.

When we first heard of his name, the literal translation “Professor” came to mind. I think he did have a bachelor degree, can’t remember if he did a Ph.D though. He would speak professionally, if that didn’t sound like a professor, I don’t know what did.

He even accepted my request for being my referee. How sweet of him. Wonder why I’m thinking of him. Maybe I miss working with him as he would be sociable and offer his help.

It took me a few rounds of phone calls before finding a studio that had a free slot before 3pm. Of all days, it had to rain. Heavily. I settled on Gloria Photo Studio in the end as it was able to have a slot before 3pm. The photographer was very friendly and made us feel comfortable.

Even the brother who loved to give stern faces for each and every family photo smiled. I had specifically stated to the men in the family that they had to smile. If not, I will make them pay. Thankfully, they did smile for the camera.

The session took about 30 minutes. The style for convocation photos for this studio is traditional. The background has stayed the same. So, for those who prefer modernised versions, it would be best to select other studios. This studio doesn’t provide makeup for the ladies either. That’s why the package is cheaper than DeCharacter and The Makeup Inc (both that I initially wanted to choose).

A family portrait is important. If any of the family member feels that it isn’t, slap them upside down. If they dare to do that on your wedding day, give them two tight slaps.