Thanks, [2014] => Let's go, [2015]

Dear Pipsqueaks,

To be honest, I can't believe it's already time to write a reflection post for the year. 2014 felt like a very blur 365 days with no major happenings, but when I start to dive into the months, then flashbacks come to me...

Jan - Flew back to TPE to visit the family for CNY; always good to to see them during these holidays even though we don't do anything special. It's just good to hangout. Also gave my sister her ipad mini Christmas present. I'm not one for expensive presents, but I like giving something useful. See, normally I would be the one entertaining my sister either going out shopping together or trying a new restaurant together. We did everything together, and now that I'm not around, I can only provide her with some form of entertainment...except she uses that to play games and watch movie previews *faint* Oh wells, as long as she's happy with it.

This [Christmas]

Dear Pipsqueaks,

Has anyone seem 2014? It literally swept past me, and now it's the end of the year! Hard to believe that because I haven't even gotten used to writing "2014" in the YEAR box, and now we gotta change to "2015". Brain will have a great time adjusting again.

BUT, this isn't a year-end post, so I won't go there yet..so.

Christmas. "Where are you, Christmas? Why can't I find you? Where have you gone away?" is in fact spot on with how I felt about Christmas this year. Not that I was hoping for a pile of presents under a Christmas tree, or snow in the summer-all-year-round Kuala Lumpur, but somehow, Christmas felt rather empty this year.

Checking In From [Lima]

Dear Pipsqueaks,

After 2 transits - 26hrs of flying - a total of 35hrs of traveling, I've finally arrived in Lima. Definitely sucked the fun out of going some place new. Oh wells, 2 days of recovering before 1 week of meetings, then we're off to Machu Pichu! Not sure whether this is normal, but I rather look forward to going home...even though it's only Day 1.

Personally, I'm going to make the most out of this meeting for this may be my last - depending on whether I successfully transfer into another department or not. In any case, we all should try to make the most of our experiences because life will only move forward.

So, let's take a quick nap and get right into meeting mode.

Waving hello from Lima,
Jessy out!

Double Standards: Office No No

Dear Pipsqueaks,

It shouldn't come as a surprise that double standards confuse people. It normally doesn't have a good ending regardless of where it happens, and a good logic why it doesn't. Yet, somehow even the most experienced members of the workforce cannot comprehend the destructiveness of such behaviors. So, allow me to explain to you from beginning to end.

Firstly, just to clarify what 'double standard' mean - "a rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups." For example (and a very real one in fact), a senior director invites all his favourite staff - which coincidentally or uncoincidentally happen to be all the Caucasians in the office - to a company dinner and completely forgets about the rest. The irony in this is that this director always complained that "the rest" always speak Chinese in the office. Anyway, back to what I was saying, it just means to treat different people differently in an obviously unfair way.

My Blessing

Dear Pipsqueaks,

He had always been a serious one with relationships. Not unless the girl is of marriage potential, he wouldn't bother at all. So brings me to write this as I had once been that girl for him.

It had been years since we had gone our separate paths – seven years to be exact (wow, it had been that long!?) – and that was how long I had not seen or heard from him. He had insisted it was best that we remove ourselves from each other’s lives completely to make the process easier. Of course, I completely disagreed with him because, at least, we were best friends for six years. It would be difficult to lose a best friend, and true enough, those times were tough. I would stare at my finished texts only to delete them right after as I had also promised to try his ways. I guess after breaking up – possibly breaking his heart – the least I could do was allow him the distance he requested.

So years passed, and no news of him from any of my friends. Then again, he was always good at staying away from people and keeping to his own business. When we were still together, those times would have been the most that others had seen him. Otherwise, he was a typical introvert. It was only on my recent trip visiting home that someone finally had updates of the guy.

Summer Vacation Detour: [New York]ing

Dear Pipsqueaks,

So, we’re on our way to New York.

You ask - how in the world did we end up on a flight to New York when we’re supposed to be en route to Vancouver from Hong Kong? Well, things happen. In Chinese, there’s a saying, “計畫趕不上變化”, which essentially means, no matter how well one plans, it will never catch up to evolution of events. In complete understanding of that statement, we had decided to just go with the flow.

You see, initially, we were supposed to be on the 4.25pm flight from HKG to YVR. Except, as we were on standby, it really depended on the load of the flight in terms of booked seats and the priority list of the standby. Unfortunately, neither of us made the cut as the flight was overbooked to begin with. So, we tried our luck with no avail, then walked away from the counter rather disappointed that our Vancouver trip had begun this way. However, I’m not normally up for pouting and in strong belief of “if there is a will, there is a way.” 

As expected, the overflow of standbys from our flight would most likely wait for the next direct flight at 12:30am. So, we started to investigate alternatives. How else can we get to Vancouver? The considerations were as such that we could either keep waiting for the direct flight, which meant we would always be reshuffled into the newest priority list per flight. Ultimately, it will be a waiting game. Well, I’m not really a person to wait for something so uncertain.

Instead of wasting time, Apes had discovered another route: via New York (JFK). No seriously, I laughed quite hard when she put up the suggestion, because this was definitely not how I imagined my first visit to the Big Apple would be like. Then again, this is what it takes to be a traveler, I suppose. Things don’t always happen according to plan, so the best way is to stay adaptive of whatever the situation may become. Logically speaking, it makes better sense than to wait. How? By going to New York on the 6:45pm flight TODAY, we will arrive in the evening on the same day. After taking a good night’s rest, we have approximately 10 hours – if we wake up for early breakfast – to roam around New York before our 9ish pm flight to Vancouver! How cool is that?! I mean, yes we do have to consider the extra cost for that one night in New York, but that sure beats waiting around all day in HKG crossing fingers that we MAY luck out and board a flight within the next two days. Forget it – not for me. I’d rather be on the move than to stay stagnant. Even if it IS only one day in New York…I’ll take it!

Not to mention, the flight from JFK-YVR was 10x more promising than HKG-YVR. So, we’re going to be two days late, arriving 1am on the 14^th instead of 1pm on the 12^th. Meh. We’ll get there eventually, AND drop by New York for a day. Sounds perfectly dandy to me! Can’t wait for an adventure – taking my bite of the Big Apple along the way.

See y’all in New York in no time, and Vancouver in two winks!

Summer Vacation Part I - [London & Leeds]

Dear pipsqueaks,

It certainly didn't feel like it had been two years since the last time I was in the UK. Okay, Birmingham doesn't count because I was here for a meeting and when I was out of the hotel, I was mostly at the stadium watching All England matches. That trip brings back horrendous memories of a bloody photographer who “threatened” to throw me out of the venue not knowing who I was. Now come to think of it, I really should have just let him TRY to throw me out of one of our own tournaments. Of course, I’m not going to start stereotyping but UK peeps haven’t really impressed me of late. Therefore, another one shouldn't be a surprise.

Anyways, SUPER off-topic. This time around, you could say I had a very relaxing time just following a friend around. We landed in the bustling London Heathrow, which by the way I must mention - I’m not sure what the mentality of the immigration process is, but at least the officer I met seriously didn't make me feel welcomed.  Okay, I get that they have a very important job of manning the security of the country, but they are also the first faces upon arrival. Even the way the questions are asked can be tweaked in such a way that people don’t feel interrogated. I mean, what part of my passport and my person hint you that I could be a potential threat? No, really. Do tell me. Honestly, I don’t agree that anyone should be treated this way unless there are reasons to believe otherwise. Anyhow, it was definitely two worlds from my landing for the London Games as a member of the Games Family two years ago. Let’s just say, as much as I enjoy the look and feel of UK, I can get the same if not better in Canada without having to deal with some snobby locals.

In Office [Sauna-ing]

Dear Pipsqueaks,

I understand that summer is just around the corner if not already preparing to tackle us down to the ground, but this is just ridiculous. It's only June and I already can't stand wearing long shirts and pants in the office WITH the aircon on. Yes, normally the office aircon is strong enough to shield us through the non-summer-but-still-easily-thirties Kuala Lumpur weather. However, with the increase of human bodies in the office, I believe the central aircon can't handle it anymore.

Then, my colleague wondered over to my desk and asked whether there was something wrong with the aircon. I listened closely for that humming sound, and true enough, it wasn't there. I quickly called the building maintenance...

"Hi there, can I just check with you whether there was anything wrong with the aircon?"
"No, everything okay. What floor, ah miss?"
"17."
"Ohhhh, soli ah. We fixing now."

*FACEPALM*

After being in this country for three years, I can still be amused by the people here. Amused in the most unexpecting ways. Well, at least we all had a good laugh in the office.

So what the happening? Hm, of all 22 floors in this building, OUR FLOOR's aircon is the only one under maintenance. Tell me, why is it always us?! Last time was the toilet smelling like an airport Smoke Room, and now it's office-style sauna. That's it - I'm coming in my tanks and shorts tomorrow! My boss ain't coming in anyway, so bite me.

For now, all we can do is...WUSAAAAAAA.

Random Banking Question

Dear Pipsqueaks,

It randomly occurred to me this morning this very out-of-no-where question: why do we not receive credited amount notification text messages into our accounts?

You know how you receive a text message notification when an amount is deducted from your account, right? What's the purpose? So you know that your money hasn't run away on their own. That what you had just purchased on Groupon has already been paid for. That if anything looks funny, you can call your piggy bank.

Then, why is it that credits are not notified too? I mean, I would like to know whether my salary has been transferred in or if my check has been cleared to cash in.

Actually, the whole root of this thought was because last Friday, when I tried to deposit a check, it actually got stuck in the machine. Immediately, the electronic banker went temporary out of service. Surprisingly, I didn't panic, and like some trained personnel picked up the 24hr emergency phone mounted on the side wall for help. The lady said the check will only be collected then cashed in on Monday and suggested that I call back to make sure it has been cashed in. See, if there were a credit notification, I wouldn't have to check back. It would be super convenient!

Locate. Aim. Fire.

Dear Pipsqueaks,

It's been another lazy weekend. What did I do yesterday? See! I can't even remember what I did just 24hrs ago...seriously K.O.ed by lack of use. This is precisely what happens during weekends - I totally shut off. Brain boycotts any difficult thinking. Could be good or bad I suppose.

At least I remember what I did today! Yay :) A friend's sister had invited me to join her for a "tourist experience" to KLCC to pick up some concert tickets. Of course, public transit & hot weather aren't foreign to me, but I must admit, I've been rather spoiled with a ride for the last 2 years? So, having to park near the LRT station and train for about 30mins was absolutely...bearable. Ah ha, who says I'm a PRINCESS?! I can do public...without aircon...on foot. *catch me before I faint*

So someone said Philips is having a Warehouse sale also at KLCC. Not going to lie, but the word 'sale' is VERY deadly to me. Though, I'm sure it's not just me - all ladies would feel a slight tingle when they hear the word 'sale'. It's like totally natural! Okay, maybe I'm trying too hard to justify myself but meh. Bite me.

Personal vs. Work on Social Media

Dear pipsqueaks,

After enduring a very tiring day of meetings, I think I'm just about done with what everyone else thinks. Right now, it's what I'm thinking that is most important. It's ME time. Then again, some people don't think that is possible - to have a personal and work life, where a clear line can be drawn. Well, why not? It's not as if we're Hollywood superstars that are under the spotlight all the time. If that is the case, then yes, most likely you will not be able to have a personal life. However, this is obviously NOT the case with us. You really think people care so much as to taking us to court for the things we say? Of course not! As if we're that important! Please.

Mostly, the debate was regarding the use of Social Media.
Two things:

1. whether we should be able to speak our minds
2. whether multiple profiles can do the trick

2014 Thomas & Uber Cup Finals - New Delhi

Dear Pipsqueaks,

Now that I finally get a day off with nothing on the programme - no minutes or places I have to be - I can update! I was really hoping just to sit and enjoy the matches, but NOOOO, some people cannot let me at peace even though my boss had already requested for me to stay off Social Media for this event. Fine, it's not like I've never done it before - so, challenge accepted. Except, I didn't know it would be SUCH a challenge.

Apparently, the stadium is sitting in an ex-military base that limits network in general. Hence, inconsistency with wifi and even phone coverage. Otherwise, I would have just used data roaming, but it's literally like some crazy force field. Once you enter the Field of Play, even if the wifi network shows up, it'll spend seconds being connected, then off, then on, then off, then on. My phone, which was constantly plugged into my portable charger, stayed below 30% simply because it kept trying to get me on a network. Ridiculous I tell you. Though, we did kind of knew it would happen. We are in India after all.

In Hindsight

Dear Pipsqueaks,

Post no.200! Never thought I'd have so much to write. Although it's not always about something happy, this blog has become the sanctuary of my thoughts. Come to think of it, I really should change the look and feel up a bit...maybe after the May meetings in New Delhi!

Actually, I had wanted to share with y'all last week, but never really got around to simmering down into writing mode. But seeing that I'm just waiting to dive into the weekend, there's some time to update on the random life that is mine.

Remember when I had a French boyfriend? He's now referred to as the crazy ex. Why? You'll soon understand. See, before we broke up early last year, I had passed to him my Sony HX-20V camera for him to bring back to Europe for repair as the insurance was in Europe. Of course, I wouldn't have known we'd break up. Otherwise, I would have just paid the extra to get it fixed here in Malaysia.

[Bali], Nice To See You Again! - Day 3

Dear Pipsqueaks,

Day 3 in Bali started later around 10am, and we still managed to be in a rush to meet our driver. First stop of the day was to the Tanjung Benoa area for beach activity. It really wasn’t a good timing for me, so we avoided water sports altogether. Though, I do have to say, the prices for those activities were off the roof! Of all the places I’ve visited, they rank among the highest. Fly Fox twice in the air, parasailing for 5mins and jet ski for half an hour were all USD35…per person! That’s a total rip off. The last time I was in Bali 4 years ago, para-sailing on a private boat only cost us USD20 per person, and that was for a good 45 minutes too. Seriously, Bali has become tourisly expensive. But anyway, we rationalized having to at least do ONE thing while we’re here, so we visited Turtle Island for USD50/2pax.

Side note: The prices are relatively set – not much point in shopping around the beach as they obviously have agreed on a base price. But, you can always try your luck? Under that kind of sun, we just went for a reasonable bargain when offered.

[Bali], Nice To See You Again! - Day 2

Dear Pipsqueaks,

Armed with only 5 hours of sleep, this morning's wake was more than difficult. Especially having to pack up all our stuff to change rooms. Why? Because...

• damp smell since we checked in - helped a little with the dehumidifier on all afternoon
• food smell in the morning from breakfast - right next to the kitchen area
• noisy as we're the closest room to the lobby/swimming pool - could even HEAR the front desk phone ring when I called in to request for a hairdryer

So, first thing this morning, we requested to be switched as soon as a room opens up. Not wanting to leave our luggage in the lobby (they didn't have a locked storage room), we left hem locked in our room and asked them to transport it to our new room when it's ready. Fast forward until now - after having showered and sitting in bed while writing this - this room is slightly bigger, but has another smell that bothers the nose: piping. At this point, we really can't be too picky. After all, this isn't a 5-star hotel. It is a bit run-down, but what it lacked in maintenance, they made up in service. Staff were all super friendly and helpful with suggestions around the area. You know they enjoy working here and meeting travelers seeing their welcoming smiles.

[Bali], Nice To See You Again! - Day 1

Dear Pipsqueaks,

If you're confused why the previous post was dated Day 0.5 instead of -1, then you're wondering the same thing I am wondering now. Well, it does mention this morning a little, so I'll give it a 0.5 - sounds better than a negative. Anyway, back to what I wanted to write for Day 1 officially...

The morning was slightly rushed as we had to take shower, finish packing & prep the house for a few days of none-occupancy. Mostly, it's because we were just too tired to bother with packing the night before and honestly believed we would wake up early enough to. From my experience, that NEVER worked. See, I had already began to regret half way to the airport for not bringing a jacket, a scarf, my East Pack pouch, and an extra multi-plug. Lesson: No matter how hot the place you're visiting will be, you bring a jacket. You can always take it off if it's too hot, but if you don't even have one to put on when it's cold, you're just gonna freeze and sulk. Luckily, I had someone else's jacket to borrow for the ride.

[Bali], Nice To See You Again! - Day 0.5

Dear pipsqueaks,

It’s been another long while since I last wrote, and there really isn't much reason for that. Sometimes, I just think life is rolling along so fast that I don’t get a chance to think too much about anything. Having just come back from Birmingham for our Council Meeting, I’m currently now en route to Bali for a birthday celebration. Then, the following week, I’ll be off to New Delhi for site visit. Oh my – and it just occurred to me that I won’t be able to visit my friend in Johor Bahru during the Malaysia GPG because I’ll be in New Delhi! Great…there goes another disappointment.

April will be another challenging month with deadlines for multi-sport even accreditation processes and finalization of the Gala Night preparations. It’s never easy working with our Indian friends, but at the same time, I completely understand their frustrating system of “approvals”. Apparently, it’s not enough to just have one approval or signature – it needs to be a whole group of them, which is probably why it always takes forever to get anything confirmed. In any case, we just have to work with the time frame we have and cross our fingers that everything will unfold properly. The only challenge is to make sure everyone pulls their weight – or else, with one site visit, I can already foresee some “oh, was that discussed?” conversation. Anyway, I've already been “kindly reminded” that it is not expected to be the same level as last year’s Gala Night in terms of program and décor. So, it will be very much simpler with a lot less ‘glam’ factor. That’s just unfortunate because I honestly think everyone found the ‘All Stars’ theme last year to be quite enjoyable. Despite having to sit through all the formal speeches, the presenters, awardees and best-dressed all had a good time. We really should keep it up every year so everyone can look forward to it…but oh wells, out of my control for that kind of decision.

Goodbye [2013] & Hello [2014]

Dear Pipsqueaks,

Initially, I had wanted to comb through my resolutions for 2013 and see how I've done in completing them, except I couldn't find the list. Yuppie. So, to save myself from facing the same problem on the 1st of January in 2015, I'm going to write my resolution for 2014 down here. At least it's recorded somewhere. But before I brainstorm what I hope to achieve in the year 2014, I feel it'd be useful to see how I did in 2013. You know, just to make sure I'm moving in the right direction in the whole scheme of this adventure I call life.

Alright, so here are the top/staccato moments of 2013:

• The Break-Up - February - Officially ended with the then 'le bf' despite major signs of a crumbling relationship since late 2012. I guess, in a way, it was me coming to terms with what I truly felt and wanted. I thought I was ready for something more, but I wasn't. It was unfair for me to hold him back from what he wanted, and really, we didn't want the same things. So I had to let him go, and I still feel it was the best decision made for the both of us, even though I was alone in making it.

• All Stars Awards - May - Successfully delivering my biggest project of the year - All Stars awards night. From knowing absolutely nothing about the event, to joining the last finals meetings, to being designated as the coordinator (all in the span of less than a month), I must say I was lucky to have pulled it off at all. It was such an amazing experience to see it all come to life on the day from a bunch of papers and meetings. It meant a great deal more when my boss quietly spoke to me towards the end of the event, "Jess, great good. Lots of happy people here. Go enjoy yourself." I believed I smiled all the way into my dreams that night.