goodbye 2007

Ahhhh...

Its that time again. When people began reminiscing about the year past and making resolution for the new year.

This has been a every eventful year for me. To start off my year started off with a whimper but it is ending quite well not with-a-bang but still it ends well. So here's what happen to me in 2007:

2 jobs

1 experience i rather not remember

meeting someone and hoping that something will happen (hopefully)

i am actually getting fit (gasp)

gaining back my confidence

finally purchased a brand new desktop (no more hand-me-downs thank you)

started saving for the future (S$700 to S$1000 a mth for 2 months now)

i started 2007 sad

i ended 2007 happy and looking forward to better things

***

Watched LOVE ACTUALLY on 5. There was a scene in which i can relate.

***

I think thats all from me. I will probably remember 2007, hopefully for the right reason, heck i might even missed 2007 but its been great a year so goodbye 2007 :)

a lost cause...

Don't really know what i was thinking.

I got my chance and i blew it big time.

***

I was shocked when i saw her. A million things cross my mind. What should i say? What facial expression should i display? So many permutations. And this is what i come up with:

"Uhm. Hi".

Great. Damn great.

After that embarrassing episode i walk in to 7-11 and she did a u-turn and headed back to her workplace! A normal person would probably go on and approach her but it so happen that i am not a normal person. Instead of making small talk with her i walked into a hypermart!!!

When i finally gathered enough balls i walk out and walk towards the fast food joint. Upon reaching the place i saw her leaving the place. This is the third time we bumped and i must make my move.

She crossed the road. I crossed the road. We passed each other without saying a word.

Felt really down. Bought my stuff and walked back home. Then i could not believe it we bumped for the fourth time.

She was at the EZLINK machine for quite some time. I thought maybe i could go over and asked if she needs any help. But sadly, i walked past her. Then i had a changed of mind and decided to help her and i walk back towards the MRT. Then i decided not to and i walk away. Then i decided to help. While i am dealing with this identity crisis she had already left the place.

Yea its official i am a loser :(

***

Since that day i have hardly seen her. I am hopeful that i get a chance to see her outside of work one more time. If i do i will make sure that history will not repeat itself.

for a good cause...

Not sure if it is going anywhere but she did asked me to buy this "helping hand" thingy. Wrote my name on it.

She smiled at me when i left.

***

Come to think of it this is the second time i bought something charitable from her. The first time i bought the shrek ears. She was wearing the shrek ears and i pointed at them. She give me the sweetest smile.

she said hello

i am gushing now.

saw her walking down the stairs and the moment she saw me she smiled and said hello.

***

Tomorrow, will be signing the contract. Today was a good day :)

confirmed

yea. got the letter in the mail.

i was actually thinking that i did not get it and the call was a prank.

thankfully i got it cos i don't want to go through the whole job looking process all over again.

this should be it.

Fresh start

Its been awhile since my previous post. Alot of events have occur this past two months. Too many to document.

Anyway, finally gotten another job. Training starting mid of next month. Although, not to sure if i really got the job cos i only received confirmation through my mobile and am still awaiting an official letter.

Currently, am going to the gym and living healthily.

Hopefully, can post more frequently.

That's it.

Over 1 year

Didn't really noticed it but its been a year since i started posting. Boy! how time has changed. Lets do a little 'then' & 'now' comparison.

Then
Worried about my final year research project

Now
Worried about getting a new job (yeah i left my first job)


Ha ha! As more things changed they kinda remained the same.

Chicken Prosperity Burger No Onion and Double Cheese Burger :)

Been wanting to do this article for awhile :-)

***

There was a point in time i felt very happy. Despite being jobless and not being called up for any interview i was always looking forward to something. Actually, i was looking forward to only one thing. Buying Lunch at Mcdonald.

After 12pm, i would head down to Mcdonald. Everytime hoping that a particular someone would be the cashier. A quick scan upon entering the establishment and i would find that someone manning one of the counter. I would without failed head for that particular counter and would not budge even when other counters are available. When the mobile crew asked to take down my order while i am in the queue i declined by saying "i have not decided". I lied :P.

When i reached the end of the queue a person with the sweetest smile would greet me. A slight paused and she would say "Chicken Prosperity Burger No Onion and Double Cheeseburger?". I nodded and she prepared my order. At times, when she saw me queue up she would straight away tell the backroom staff to prepare a "Chicken Prosperity Burger No Onion" and when i reached the front of the queue she would have my ordered prepared and ready to go without a single word being uttered from either of us. This continued for a good 3 months.

But with many other good things the Chicken Prosperity burger was taken off the shelf and with that the special relationship which existed between the two of us ended. Yes, she is still there with her radiant smile but.... I should have done more.

***

Presently, she is still there but circumstances had changed. Since i am working now i can only go to Mcdonald in the evening and most of the time she isn't there. I should have...

In perspective

Its been tough settling in the new job. I have to admit that the thought of giving up did cross my mind but when i saw my past entries on my job search i realised that i have to put things into perspective. I should be glad that i had a job and not be miserable that i got a job.

No one say its gonna be easy and it is probably the same everywhere else so i just had to stick through it and sooner or later i would probably get the hang of it.

But i would probably failed if i have a negative attitude towards my job. Need to be positive.

Things are gonna get better soon. I know it will.

the search has ended

It was a thursday.

Earlier, i had scanned through the various job portals for opportunities but there was none.

Job pickings has been slim this past 2 weeks and things would probably get worst.

Compound with the fact that a fresh batch of graduates will enter the job market next week competition will be fierce.

A sense of dread fill me. What are the odds of me getting a job then if i could not get a job when my odds were much better at the beginning of the year.

At that point, i had rejected an interview from lonza because i am just tired of all this job hunting process. I had 1 application pending for approval (MOE) while i had another one waiting for an interview meeting (SPS). By this time i had already rejected 2 job offers. Strangely enough, considering my situation, i do not regret my decision to reject those 2 offers.

I do not want to think about what would happen if both of my pending application were rejected.

I was at a point of giving up but i still had hope.

***

Later that afternoon.

I got a job :)

teach?

I had just applied for the MOE GEO position. GEO is a fancy term for teacher. I am not quite sure if i am going to get called up for an interview or if i did get an interview i am not sure if i will be accepted then. I am keeping my fingers cross that everything goes smoothly.

Ironically, i decided to apply when i had received one firm job offer and one tentative job offer. Thus, i am not driven to desperation to apply for the GEO position. In fact, i am taking a huge risk here. Considering how difficult it was for me to get a job in the first place my decision to decline either offers for something which i might not even be selected for might be seen as foolish for some. However, i believe that this is a risk worth making.

Hopefully, the next update i will have some good news regarding my application.

Brownie & Ice Cream

The other day i was watching The Colbert Report when they had Ben & Jerry as their guest. They were promoting a brand new ice cream flavour (the americone). Since then i have been craving for some up market ice cream. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with those neighbourhood ice cream brands. I for one had never tried any premium ice cream so i thought why not.

Today, i headed to Cold Storage and got myself a premium ice cream. I bought a Ben & Jerry "the bar" ice cream (S$4.20). Headed back home and i was pleasantly surprised. I was half expecting to be something like a magnum ice cream but i was dead wrong. Well, the first thing that caught my eyes were the thin layer of brownie resting on top of the vanilla ice cream. The bottom portion consist of hardened chocolate (similar to magnum). Generous serving of chocolate sauce was applied on top of the brownie. I was half expecting the brownie to be tough but it was moist and delicious. It is probably one of the best ice cream i ever tasted.

change

Was at KFC this morning, yea KFC opens at 10am, and was surprised that they had revamped their looks. The packaging of the chilli sachet and food packaging had changed. The uniform worn by the crew had also gone through a makeover. I think its got something to do with KFC celebrating its 30 years anniversary. Well considering that KFC had not update its image for quite sometime, i think the change is a welcome move.

Heroes

Inventory
Camouflage uniform: INT -99%

Yea its that time of the year again.

Breakthrough at last (1 month & 5 days)

The NTU job fair was a letdown. Did not get anything out of it. Hopefully the NUS job fair will proof to be more fruitful. Yea, the latest edition of recruit was a letdown as well.

***

On a much happier note. Things did turned out better, since the last post. Finally, i got called for an interview. Although i am not quite sure if i will be called for a second interview but this is a big step forward!

Thats all for now.

Job Hunt Record: 10 applied, 8 rejected, 2 pending, 2 call, 1 first interview, 0 second interview

29 days

Since my last post, there have been some progress in my on-going job hunt. I received a phonecall from one of the application which i had sent out. The caller asked for certain details and told me he will get back to me if his client approved of my application.

Considering that he get back to me less than 12 hours for the phonecall and that its been 5 full days since that phonecall it would probably be safe to say that i will not receive any call from him again.

Well, at least the situation has improve, albeit in baby steps.

***

Have revised my resume for the sixth time and it looks better now. Looking at my first resume and the current one i could not believe how much it has transformed. The latest resume was vetted by a friend and i did changes as advised by him.

***

Slim pickings from this week recruits section. There is still the coming NTU job career fair which i am attending. Hopefully there will be better news for me by next week.

That's all for today

Job Hunt Record: 9 applied, 9 rejected, 0 pending, 1 call, 0 interview

19 days

The days have been monotonous. Anticipation for the saturday classified during the weekday and then anticipation for the next saturday classified and it goes on.

The news kept on harping that the economy is great and jobs are abundant but to me it does not really seem that way.

For a fresh graduate without any work experience the first step, which i am currently taking right now, is a scary one. There are jobs but jobs which require people with experience. Well if nobody wants to take someone without experience then how does one gain any experience?

In the past 19 days i have sent out 7 resumes. It would probably safe to say that 6 out of the 7 of my application have been rejected because more than 1 week had elapsed without any call or email from them. The most recent application was made yesterday.

However, the good thing about this job hunting experience so far is that it has taught me not to pinned my hopes too much on a single job application because it would only make me more demoralised if that application did not go through.

Oh well! Life goes on and i am looking to spend my time volunteering...

That's all for today

Job Hunt Record: 7 Applied, 6 rejected, 1 pending, 0 interviews