New Victim of the Economic Crisis
Recieved news of a pay cut today. (About 10%)
Reason: Company is not doing well.
Will be coerced into signing a contract next Monday.
Kinda looking forward to see if they can possibily pull any more crazy stunts on us.
Absolutely disgusted with this place.
Working as hard as or even harder than every other engineer with 1.5 yr experience
Earning absolutely peanuts even when compared to a fresh grad working in Singapore
Treated with almost absolutely no respect as an individual by the more "superior" race
Only saving grace: Very interesting job scope
Is it worth it anymore?
I don't know.
Moo.
Lost.
Exhausted. Both physically and mentally
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For You
I met someone recently.
He is as ordinary a guy as you can ever meet.
You will probably not even take notice if he passed by you on the street.
But today he showed me something really interesting.
Before I share what he showed me, I shall describe him to you.
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He loves music in general.
He enjoys being around music, all the time.
He owns many original cds.
Far more than he can afford or rather far more than what you THINK he SHOULD be spending on them.
He is willing to save on cab fare and basic necessities, but splurges on music, food, apparel and tech toys.
He enjoys singing, regardless of whether he sounds good or not.
He deeply wishes he had a musical talent.
He hates his current company and work.
He hates it for the politics, the concept of a superior race and the extremely ridiculous business decisions that the incompetent managers make everyday.
He has made up his mind on clocking the hours and leaving when something comes by.
He smiles and says some things that he knows he has to, to get certain things done
And sometimes he hates that he does that, because many times that is so not true.
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Well, that’s it.
He showed me, “me”.
He showed me who I have become and who I was.
He made me think very hard about my current life.
Does listening to advice = doing what is advised?
Does doing what is advised = learning = adapting = growing up?
Does growing up = losing yourself = losing what you are = losing what you really want?
How many times have you heard in your life
“Huh? You are still doing XXX? You should be doing YYY”
“So ridiculous / so expensive / so nonsensical, stop doing XXX!”
“You should XXX, YYY. Its good for you.”
How many times have you compromised to fit in?
How many times have you given in to demands that you really don’t wish to?
For me.
Too many.
I have drifted so far from what I planned, what I wished for, what I think I want and what I think I need that I don’t even realise it anymore.
I keep giving in to demands to change, to grow up, to keep up, to whatever that I don’t know who I am anymore.
One has to live up to his choices.
Wishing I can be me sometimes.
Where I can be truly selfish and think only about me.
Where I still actually know who I am and what I want.
It actually feels so laughable that I need someone to show me/ remind me who I used to be.
I start singing
Yeah I was singing
This song
For you
Music : Celine Dion – Song for you
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Big Business & Pantry Woes
Costs savings. The single most powerful and probably most important phrase in the corporate world. I guess, it is even more important these days with such “excellent” global economic outlook.
On businessdictionary.com, it is defined as Decision or action that will result in fulfillment of the objectives of a purchase, at a cost lower than the historical cost or the projected cost.
In practice, every company may have their own internal strategies, be it cutting raw material costs, saving electricity, reducing unnecessary headcount, minimizing asset depreciation effects etc etc.
For mine, the coolest to date has to do with toilet paper. Basically some asshole somewhere along the line came up with the brilliant suggestion of cutting expenditure by providing toilet paper on a quota basis. Basically, every employee has to approach the HR to collect their monthly allocation of ONE bloody roll of toilet paper. Even more shockingly, this allocation has been suspended recently, with the HR acting blur. Once again, failing to perform the already minimal activities they are tasked to do by the “boss”.
So, I guess, our strategy is as such. To make it big in this business, one needs to allocate the time and resources allowable for all employees’ “big businesses”.
Not too long ago, there was even a form where every local Chinese employee has to fill in, stating the number of effective hours they spend working a day and the amount of time they spend on private activities. In the private activities column, in brackets, this was stated (Estimate of private time, including time for filling up and drinking water at the pantry and going to the toilet etc.)
Pantry! According to my dearest friend in the accountancy business it is one of the criteria for picking any firm among the Top 5 in Singapore. If this is true, I guess, perhaps no one in the right mind would ever join my company.
Our pantry includes, pitifully, only 1 water cooler that services more than 200 employees, that provide hot water (that is seldom hot maybe around 50 degrees), lukewarm water (that is usually scalding) and cold water (that is seldom cold, usually around 30 degrees). Every morning when every one comes to work there is a long queue waiting to fill up their tiny bottles. Perhaps this is the latest company strategy in cutting costs and improving interaction between colleagues. OH! Did I forget to mention that there are NO seats or vending machines or sinks? Just a pail for every body to dispose of their tea leaves and a tiny waste paper basket for disposal of empty coffee sachets.
Yet another, humbling lesson on how to make it big in the business.
According to my pseudo superior, you are new in the company and should pick up any lessons available from the seniors and be grateful to the company that you have a job.
Perhaps I really need to learn. Yeah?
Moo.
Music – None (Blogging in the office before a meeting)
Mood - Shitty
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Flying Cow
Doing / will be doing a lot of flying around lately.
First, Shenzhen to Singapore for a short break of about 14 days for Chinese New Year.
Then, Singapore to Shenzhen for 2 days to check emails and pick up materials.
Then, Shenzhen to Beijing for 3 days at customer factory to perform builds for a new mobile phone.
Then, Beijing to Shenzhen till early March to resume normal daily work, where I get to stay flightless of about 20 days.
Lastly, Shenzhen to Singapore for a wedding and back to Shenzhen.
All these flights for January to March, 2009.
Trust me when I do say I am sick of flying.
Been leading a topsy turvy life for the past 1.5 years or so.
However, this makes you appreciate the simplest things in life a lot more.
1 example below. =)
During my Chinese New Year holidays in Singapore, I woke up at around 7 am everyday to have breakfast with my parents before they leave for work. Simple, dry, Fishball Mee Pok. Rushed home, packed my bag and went for a swim at a nearby swimming complex. Naturally, the pool was deserted as most other people are at work or at school. The peace and calm from swimming and lazing around the deserted pool was PURE JOY. I have never felt so relaxed in a ultra long time. After the leisurely swim I went home, made some tea and sat at my balcony and just stared blankly at the little kids moving around at Punggol Primary school just in front of my flat. The feeling was amazing lah. Zoning out with a cup of tea, enjoying the gentle sunshine and cooling breeze in the morning. Ooh lala! =)
To all my friends, do try that sometimes! Taking a short break and doing absolutely nothing, thinking about absolutely nothing at all! You will be amazed at how good it feels.
On a side note, I reallllly wanna try out going for a good spa trip. Perhaps that will be an even better feeling after all. =)
Music – None (Supposedly still working at customer’s factory)
Mood – Frozen balls in Beijing. =P (negative 2 to negative 6 degrees)
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11 minutes on Sunday
Was reading 11 minutes by Paulo Coelho and I quote.
A vicar in a protestant church said something like that in one of his sermons.
“In all the languages in the world, there is the same proverb: “What the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.” Well, I say there isn’t an ounce of truth in it.
The further off they are, the closer to the heart are all those feelings that we try to repress and forget. If we’re in exile, we want to store away every tiny memory of our roots. If we’re far away from the person we love, everyone we pass in the streets reminds us of them.
Maybe the only time when you are truly able to work overseas is when you have everyone who means anything to you here with you.
Then, why work overseas?
Is this a sign or have I not tried hard enough?
Wandering mind on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Music: Enya – My! My! Time Flies (All I listen to these days)
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Whatever
Today, I reached a new level of understanding of the company, which is ever so aptly associated with scheming, conniving, irritating foxes. Empty promises, false hopes, pseudo plans. Even only after spending such a short time in the company I can proudly say, “Been there done that. Seen this heard that” Nothing seems surprising anymore. I have even stopped reacting to all the ridiculous changes or so called “developments”, that micraculously pop up on a daily basis. Shall strive to smile in the face of adversity and bitch less about the less than desirable working condition in this less than desirable economic situation.
Boss 1, Day 1
“You will take over the project once XXX leaves, learn fast in 1 month”
Boss 1, Day 2
"I will give YYY the project. You can wait for the next.”
HR1, Day 1
“You get to go home every 90 days”
HR1, Boss 2, Day 100??
Too bad! You had a Hungary assignment. Company policy says you lose 1 home trip. ”
The examples can go on forever, so i shall spare whoever's reading the chore of running through the arduous list.
Define MNC?
Who knows anymore.
Motto for work: Whatever.
Music: 王若琳 – I Love You
Mood: Whatever.
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Talking To Myself
MIA again.
I apologise yet again.
Wonder how many times will this happen before I finally decide to stop blogging forever?
Enough crap, now on to more serious crap.
Here’s a list of top questions and sentences I get on my msn these days.
1) So. How are you?
I’m not too great. Barely surviving on most day, with sudden bursts of happiness whenever I go to Hong Kong for a crazy shopping spree, which is also otherwise known as “retail therapy”.
2) Why are you not happy?
Work sucks. I am constantly shelved because some other “more capable” person with a different nationality will almost always get everything. What I feed on are scraps left over at the dinner table. This happens very, very, very, very often, with a very rare exception of my impending Hungary assignment.
3) WOW! That is a good opportunity! Why aren’t you happy?
YES! Hungary will be a good experience for me. But, that is IF I get a decent work load there! Else I will be sitting around, growing fat again. What kind of good opportunity is that other than meeting people from different nationalities? I want to contribute to the company AND earn my bloody pay for once. So, “let the horses come!” Please!
4) If it sucks so bad why are you staying?
Hoping Hungary will be good and busy.
The above kinda makes up 4 out of 5 of my conversations I have with anybody these days. How pathetic have I become? Always whiny and complaining. Bah! BUT, don’t you guys and ladies worry. Am not suicidal or depressed or anything of that sort. Just grumbling. Think of it this way. How often do you get paid to sit around and grow fat? =)
I shall strive to work harder everyday. Even if it takes begging for work. Literally. Not at a stage of giving up yet. SO you won’t get to see me back in Singapore anytime soon.
Wahahahahahahahahaha!
Hysterical Moo.
Obsessed with Lang Lang and his crazily fast fingers on the piano.
Check out 郎郎 - 黄河之子 (Lang Lang – Dragon Songs). Its quite good. =)
Till next rant!
Cheers my friends!
Watermelon at my Hongkonger housemate's Hongkong house. =) Very Pretty Place!
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