My training session @ Furama City Centre..

Hey peepz! I'm back!

Well.. just attend today my Performance Management training session at Furama City Centre.. If you are wondering what Performance Management means, it practically means appraisal for my year-end bonus + variable bonus + annual increment + promotion (if any!)...

But thank God that this only takes place next financial year, so not so stress.. but all I can say is that by doing this, will certainly take more time than my current one..

Its a 1 day training course, and man.. it was enjoyable actually.. certain parts of the training was a bit boring, but generally, it was enjoyable becos there were interactions between participants and facilitators, and some ice-breaker games here and there to bring across their point..

The training manual is really a manual lah! I think easily it contains about 100-200 pcs of paper! *gulpz*.. so ya..

And man.. I eat a lot today.. I had altogether 4 meals during the training, and its all in the hotel.. complimentary of my company somemore.. I had a mini breakfast, 2 teabreaks and 1 buffet lunch..
The lunch at Tiffany's Cafe (which is in Furama City Centre itself) was good I tell you.. In fact, I find it better than the Grand Copthorne Hotel which I ate the other day! I'm serious..

The spread of food is not as much, but for me, its good enough!
I tell you.. the salmon sashimi and the octopus is to die for... I eat actually two times of the sashimi (aiming the salmon sashimi only!).. its so flavourful and fresh! Yummy!! Thinking of it now just makes my mouth water..
Oh oh.. did I tell you that there were the chocolate fountain too? Oh man.. Its so good lah! The desserts are also really nice.. so ya..
If I remember correctly, it costs $30.80++ per pax, and I must say its worth it.. If you ever go there, just whack the salmon sashimi only! You won't regret! =)

So ya.. and I was the only guy in the training today, so guess I'm the thorn among the roses or maybe it was the other way round? Hahaha..
And since I'm the only gentleman around, always kenna a bit "sabo" lah.. but oh well.. thank goodness the ladies were lenient.. haha.. =D..

Then came home and then slack for a while (its been a while since I have came home so early!).. eat dinner, watch TV and now blog this loh..

Haix.. tml is back to reality! Sianx.. working tomorrow.. no more play liaox.. but oh well.. tml is Thursday already..

Friday quick come!,
<<< abriel >>>

My Singapore Flyer Experience!

Today is my first time being on the Singapore Flyer, and it could well be my very last.. Yes.. though it offers a very magnificent sight of the surrounding islands and all, but its so so boring! There is NOT even a single sound of music in each capsule!! I find that to pay $30 just to go for this 30 minute experience ride is simply waste of money.. but since Company is paying for this ride, why don't I give it a go, and since its free, why not? I get to cam-whore with lotsa photos as well (see above).. so might as well.. haha..

Today at work quite okay, but a bit hectic and rush, becos its like I need to achieve so many things but all cramped into one timeslot. So becos I got some urgent things to settle, so I need to bring home some work to do, and it involves calculation.. oh man.. I hate calculating numbers at nite, but I have no choice.. so ya.. haix..

Just spend about half-an-hour on it, and now, its blogging this and then I shall turn in for the nite liaox.. I'm too tired.. tml is meeting at main office at 0900 hrs.. oh man.. just hope I don't fall asleep loh.. haha..

My Singapore Flyer Experience a boring one,
<<< abriel >>>

A great Saturday!! =)

I tell you.. This is one Saturday which I really enjoyed it thoroughly!!
And this is one Satureday which I have felt that time has passed so slowly and it looks more like a Sunday, rather than a Saturday! hahax..

Anyway, here is the lowdown on my Saturday!!

** Photo on right: The Generation Joshua group picture!!

First stop its my church's Anniversary Celebration @ Bukit Batok Service Club.. the food I say is not too bad..

Its a 8 course lunch.. And I must say this is the first time that with 10 people on the table, I actually felt full!! Ha.. it must be the heavy breakfast I had in the morning.. I had one big packet of bee hoon! Haha.. so tats why!!

Worship was fine, except that I was having a little stage-fright.. ha.. surprising huh! But it was not as bad as my Idol competition! So ya.. =)

Then after the event, as usual, we youths usually take a combine photo together.. its a yearly affair thing lah.. so there you go.. the photo you see on the above right is the result of our posing, with alvin's wife (aka his camera) working very hard on the day! Haha..

** Photo on left: The poster for the movie, Babylon A.D.

Then we LOBO-ed for a while, before a group of us (Hanloong, Ash, Nat, Andrew & myself) left the building and head town..

All of us were very sleepy on the 30-40 min Bus 174 ride, that we all slept briefly on the bus, and alighted at Dhoby Ghaut, and head off to PS GV Cinema to catch the movie, Babylon A.D., but then the time were like here nor there.. so we proceed over to The Cathay and see whether there are timeslots available.. so ya..

We managed to secure a 5.35pm show timeslot with an unbelievable price of $8 per ticket (instead of the normal $10/ticket, becos I have used my UOB Debit Card to pay!).. So we watched the show whilst having our popcorn..

Frankly speaking, the show has a weird ending, but to pay $8 to watch the action is worth it.. moreover, got my favourite actress, Michelle Yeoh.. hahax.. At least I'm glad I didn't pay $10 to watch it, becos the show is simply overated lah! so ya..

** Photo on right: The boys @ Timbre chilling out!!

Because Ash & I were filling full from the popcorns, so we didnt really eat dinner or something.. Hanloong had to go elsewhere to meet his friends, so its left with 4 of us, and we decided to go Timbre @ Substation just to chill out..

Frankly speaking again, I have been craving to go there.. so it somehow satisfied my craving.. haha..

Under my fantastic leadership, we managed to get in an hour before the "Happy Hour" ends (which is 9pm), and our drinks were all discounted.. our food was also discounted (10%) becos I paid first using my Citibank card.. and guess wat.. I'm now broke.. Pay cheque just came in and I'm broke liaox.. haix.. must control my spending liaox! So ya..

Anyway, I don't know why.. I suddenly felt very "high" even though I had not a sip of alcohol.. ha.. it must be the atmosphere.. and being a rare guest to the group (ie, Nat, Ash & Andrew), I was their "joke subject" for the nite!)..

Andrew & I played a game after the waitress took our orders (and the funny part was that as she is new, she didn't know that Timbre had the Hawaiian pizza.. and she was saying, "Oh! We had that?".. I'm not kidding! All 4 of us almost laugh our heads out! Haha..).. Our conversation was as follows:

Abriel: The waitress must be from China.
Andrew: No. I say from Indonesia.

Abriel: No! I still say China.
Andrew: Ok.. Let's make a bet. See who is right! Whoever loses treat the chicken wings. Come on lah.. I want to eat it.. ok? On?
I've got a lot of Indonesian friends, so I know it one.

** I have not said anything (ie. yes or no) but discussion between Ash, Nat & Andrew machiam already agreed that I'm taking on the bet, when in actual fact, I didn't go anything.. But since they are so enthusatic, I just agreed lah..

Abriel: *Starting to have second tots and whether should I go on with the bet!
Andrew: Ash & Nat, where do you think she is from?

* Ash then tells Nat that both of them dun stand to lose. Either way, they still eat the wings..

** Then the crunch came.. The waitress served our drinks and nobody dared to ask the waitress where she is from.. I pluck out my courage and asked..
(which is very rare, becos' I seldom do this one! I very shy one ok!)

Abriel: Hey.. just wanna ask.. where are you from?
Waitress: China!
Abriel: (*Gives a happy look! I won the bet!) You are from Beijing?
Waitress: Yes.

Abriel: See! I told you!
Andrew: Ya lah.. Ya lah..
Ash: Next time cannot play with Abriel already. He knows his stuff!
Andrew: Ya loh.. Ya loh.. (** then ask the waitress to have an additional order of chicken wings)

Then we chatted the whole nite long.. until its like 9.45pm, which we split the bill left the place for Starbucks @ Raffles City Shopping Centre, for which by then, I was quite stoned liaox (becos of the alcohol!)..

By the time, I reached home is about 11.15pm, and therefore I water-parade myself (to prevent a hangover), bathe, and then blog this post loh.. so ya..

Now I'm very tired liaox.. must be the alcohol.. so ya..

Great Saturday nite, but now I'm broke,
<<< abriel >>>

A.C.T.I.V.E. Day

Today is my company's A.C.T.I.V.E. Day.. Its a abbreviation for something, but I just don't know what..

Anyway, despite the hot weather, I still managed to run my 2.4km at my normal timing, but not good enough for bronze medal lah.. oh well.. I can run at my normal timing consider very good liaox.. haha.. I was expecting to be one of the last, but in fact, one of the top 10.. haha.. Oh well.. complete it can liaox.. All thanks to my regular Sunday training, or else, I would simply die lah! Haha..

Then my team won the teambuilding games, and our prize was "Precious Moments fortune cookies and a "forever friends" mousepad.. my goodness! It was so ku-niang lah! haha.. fortunately, I didnt unwrap it until I reached home.. haix..

But the part where I run and then ppl cheer me as I went to the finish line feels quite good leh.. haha.. machiam running marathon.. haha..

Then after which, got buffet dinner.. quite a good spread, and judging by all of us were actually hungry, so the food is good.. Mind you.. if you go there and eat, it costs $52++ per pax ok! Ha..
The highlight of the nite was I had this nice wine jelly dessert (it was so nice that I ate 3 of these!) and 7 raw oysters!! Haha.. the 7 raw oysters are this one time where I really ate so many at one go!

Then its going home for the nite and then bathe, and now blog this loh..

Ok lah.. feeling super tired.. so need to rest liaox.. tml is another long day and eat somemore.. haha..

Feeling fat and tired,
<<< abriel >>>

A breather...

Finally after so many days of hectic work in office, I can now take a slight breather, in a sense that at least I'm back to doing lesser paperwork and samples..

A miracle on Tuesday (16/8) that I have completed 2 samples in 7 hours! And it went on quite smoothly.. so tats why lah!

So now, I actually quite free in office.. but there is this fear.. I'm gaining weight.. oh my goodness...

Oh well.. Have done quite a lot these few nites.. I suddenly feel this sense of achievement! Haha..

Tml is company's Active Day @ Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel.. so guess its exercise and then free buffet dinner.. haha.. heard its quite good! Let me go test and see how good the food is!

And man.. I think I would wear formal for quite a no. of days next week..
The upcoming one would be this Sat during chuch anniversary - its formal for me (minus the tie).

Then from Mon - Wed (22/9 - 24/9), it would be formal all the way becos Mon & Tues I got meeting in office, and Wednesday is training in Furama City Centre, so these 3 days must wear formal.. haha..

Just hope those few days are not too hot and it doesn't rain, or else I would look like a drenched duck.. haha..

Got to go to dreamland soon liaox.. Dreaming about my food again! =)

Nitex and tatas,
<<< abriel >>>

Planning in progress..

These few nites are dedicated to planning my BKK trip itinerary.. Have been finding some information on the net and also typing it out.. so ya..

And I'm glad to say that after so many late nights, I finally finished it just minutes ago! Quite tiring, but fulfilling.. I've got 8 pages of the itinerary for my 5D4N trip.. haha.. so you see.. how fulfilling is our trip.. haha..

Today went on net to see a crocs slipper which I'm very interested in, but it cost me $49.95.. a bit the expensive.. I have been considering whether to buy or not, becos the slippers are really nice.. haix.. we will see lah.. =)

Okay.. its getting late.. I need to sleep liaox.. tml is mid-week, and the weekend is drawing near again.. haha.. can't wait for the weekend to come again.. haha..

Goodnight world,
<<< abriel >>>

I enjoyed my weekend!

Hey peepz!! My weekend this week was FABULOUS! There was the western food stall at the Tiong Bahru area.. went there yesterday after church for a second time.. had a pork rack dish.. Very nice and tender..

I've also collected my hotel voucher and my air tickets for my BKK trip liaox.. so ya.. so happy! =)

Then today, I went organic food shopping as well.. Ha.. so ya.. had a fulfilling weekend!!

I love it!!

Cherios,
<<< abriel >>>

Busy September..

Well peepz.. believe it or not.. I just came home only about an hour ago! I practically worked from 0830 hrs - 2110 hrs!

I have tons of things to settle.. In fact, I'm not even done yet.. I've just done the more urgent ones in office, and brought back the "not-so-urgent" ones back home to do, and in fact, after typing this blogpost, its back to work again.. haix.. I wonder what time will I sleep tonite.. 0100 hrs? I don't know.. I certainly don't hope so! I think I would need my uber powerful dose of coffee + EOC (Essence of Chicken) tml morning liaox.. So I do have some work woes..

My business team is chasing me on some project stuff, and I have to deliver by the deadlines.. have spend the last few days on sampling, so no time to do my paperwork.. now that the sampling has stopped for a while (becos pending decision), its back to paperwork, which is quite a lot actually..

Not mentioning that September is one month which I really feel is taking a toll on me.. Lotsa activities happening in the mth of September.. Here's the breakdown..

12/09/08 (1830 hrs - 2200 hrs) : Bangkok Trip Discussion @ Suntec City
14/09/08 (1300hrs - 1700 hrs): OCC Anniversary Celebration 2008 practice at SA Centre (aka Church)
15/09/08 (0900 hrs - 1100 hrs) : Project Meeting @ China Square Central Office
19/09/08 (1500 hrs - 1900 hrs) : Company's Active Day @ Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel
20/09/08 (1130 hrs - 1500 hrs) : OCC Anniversary Celebration 2008 @ Bukit Timah Civil Service Club
22/09/08 (1630 hrs - 1900 hrs) : The Singapore Flyer Adventure (Company's event!) @ The Singapore Flyer
24/09/08 (0830 hrs - 1730 hrs) : Performance Management Training Workshop @ Furama City Centre Hotel

So looking at the above list, now you tell me whether I'm busy or not loh!!

Ok.. can't chat for more.. need to start work liaox, or else, you wld see me tonite don't need to sleep liaox..

Busy and tired,
<<< abriel >>>

My legs are aching!

Well peepz.. when I have such a comment, it usually means that I have really overworked myself.. its not a bad thing after all, but its that I just don't like the feeling..

Fortunately, my boss was around to give me a hand in doing up the sample, but I had to spend the next 1.5 hrs after that to wash and clean up the whole place.. so by the time I'm done, its like already 1900 hrs..

Then came home and bought dinner from a nearby coffeeshop.. Bathe and eat, and now blogging this before I turn in for the night! I'm experiencing a real body fatigue! I've got paperwork piling up already, and I don't have the time to attend to it, though some of it has deadlines which are drawing nearer by the day!

Ok lah.. I need to rest liaox.. Nitex then..

Getting old,
<<< abriel >>>

The chat between old friends..

Hey peepz.. just finished a short MSN chat with Warren, and it has always been enjoyable! I'm starting to miss this brother of mine liaox.. All the talking rubbish sessions haix.. =(

Today's work is okay lah.. except that today, I have been constantly experiencing backaches.. I don't know why.. Could it because of the weather or I have been sitting too long today to do my paperwork? I don't know..

Haix.. ok lah.. I want to sleep liaox.. very tired.. had a late nite yesterday, so need to rest liaox, or else tml would be quite torturing at work... so ya..

Chatterbox,
<<< abriel >>>

Mooncake Shopping

Had quite a good time shopping for makan today @ Takashimaya.. My makan was none other than Mooncakes..

Man.. I was simply spoilt for the wide array of mooncakes! If I have the money, I would buy all.. Hahaha..

Anyway, the crowd was quite big, so walking was a little teeny difficult.. oh well.. but I still manage to buy the mooncakes, and they are shown in the picture above.. =)
Here is the breakdown:

- Li Bai (from Sheraton Towers Hotel) Mini Snowskin White Lotus Paste Champagne Truffle: $40 nett for 8 pcs
(My mum paid for this by her Takashimaya vouchers, which was a gift last year.. haha.. so I "tan tio" =P)

My verdict: Its not too sweet, and this champagne truffle is much better than the one at Fairmont/Swissotel, becos I have tried the Fairmont/Swissotel ones and they are quite sweet.. so ya..
If you cut open the mooncakes, you would see in the centre, there is a thin white chocolate shell and inside is the champagne stuff.. and when you eat it, you really can taste the champagne! Its real stuff man!! So ya.. its good! =)

- Crystal Jade Cakery Traditional Mixed Nuts & Ham Mooncake: $10.50 (after GST) per pc
(Only bought 1 pc, becos its like a bit too much mooncakes that were bought today.. so ya.. scared cldn't finish, so only buy 1 loh..)

My verdict: This purchase was quite random, in a sense that my mum was actually buying bread for breakfast yesterday at Crystal Jade Cakery, and at the counter was a sampling plate of their mooncakes.. so I just took a little bit and try.. I knew that what I took was the mixed nuts & ham.

When I ate it, it was really very good! Its not too sweet, but the best thing is that you can really taste the fragrance of the ham! For a moment, I thought I was eating taiwan sausage! So ya.. its really good! =)

- Home Favourite's Snowskin Mooncakes (100% Pure Durian & 100% Pure Black Durian): $45.90 (with GST and after a 10% discount) for 2 pcs of each flavour in a box.
(Not too sure whether when this 10% discount will last until, becos by right, it should end already on 6/9 (Sat) but today when I bought, there was still this 10% discount thing! hmm.. You can try lah!)

My verdict: The sampling of the mooncakes was really generous. Its not by pieces where you sampled, but by scoops, machiam scooping ice-cream! I'm not kidding!

The moment you eat it, you feel like you are eating real durian (becos it contains D24 durian flesh mah!)..
You must be wondering what is the black mooncake.. I first thought its black sesame, but then its not. Its actually they added cocoa powder to the mooncake snowskin, and when its mixed with the durian, it has a slight bitter taste (according to the salesperson, but I don't taste any! Ha.. maybe my tongue is not very sensitive!)..
Overall, judging from the tasting, I find it not too bad.. comparable to Goodwood Park's Hotel, but I would actually prefer the durian to be a little bit more bitter.. oh well..

The packaging was also good.. Its packaged in a syrofoam box, so it can preserve the freshness of the mooncake.. so ya..

Overall, I'm happy with my purchase.. On top of the mooncakes, I also spend on giving a Sushi Tei treat (but my favourite dessert, Green Tea Wafer, was OUT OF STOCK.. haix) to my family and also purchase my Uriage moisturiser from Watsons at 20% discount (which is quite rare.. only 3-4 times in a year, then got such discounts!).. So I have been spending a lot already.. and I've got to save up for my BKK shopping.. haha.. I am quite determined to bring the whole BKK shopping complex down.. haha.. ok.. I'm exaggerating..
I still have not got my Crocs slippers.. hmm.. let me see if I could see the price for it one of these days, and if its ex, then I can forgo the idea temporarily (or at least until after my BKK trip.. haha..)

Ok lah.. I'm extremely tired liaox.. need to go and sleep liaox! Tml is Monday, and confirm I will be experiencing some form of blues tomorrow.. haix.. =(

Mooncake round round (ha.. I'm random!),
<<< abriel >>>

Life @ Work

Well... Office work this week was a little bit tiring.. I believed I have been stretched once again, becos I have rested long enough and now, for me to start my engine all over again, is like totally difficult..

Sampling is not always a bed of roses for me, and not to mention failed trials.. As you know I'm a perfectionist, everything I do must be perfect, but when a trial fails, sometimes I would have already expected it to be like that (but either my boss "die-die" wanted me to do the trial, or just to "try my luck" to see whether it helps), but the feeling isn't good, becos I felt it was just a waste of my time.. I could have spend my time on something else, which is more important..

And not to mention failed trials, washing is also another chore.. there are a thousand and one things for me to wash and clean up.. and ya koe.. I cannot stand untidy work, so its like I make sure everything I wash is sparkling clean, which is probably why I felt the strain and tired after that, which was what I have felt both yesterday and today..

I wanted to like do some of my office paperwork today, but my boss actually first ask me to do part 1 of the trial, and if have time, do the full trial.. and as time goes by, she actually like hinting to me that I should not carry forward my trials and finished it today, though I have done one full trial yesterday.. so since my boss has already spoken, do you still think I have the choice?
Which is why, I couldn't complete most of my office paperwork today, and as a result, I have to bring it home to do it, and guess wat.. I just completed it.. so ya.. haix..

Office this week was also the week where I have experienced a bit of office politics.. A particular person in office was being ultra-sensitive to just my passing comments on 2 occasions, and in the end, talk quite sarcastically.. Fortunately, I was not say very angry at that time or should I say, I was able to maintain my cool and control my anger, or else, I would just flare up.. Sometimes, I don't know what's wrong with all these people.

This weekend would be one that I hope I will enjoy, becos weekends are always what I look for after a hectic 5-days working week.. This Sun (7/9) would be mooncake-buying day.. Its my yearly affair lah.. so ya.. Gonna blog about it (I hope!).. haha..

OK.. I'm going to do other stuff liaox.. Hoping for a fabulous weekend..

Cheers,
<<< abriel >>>

Lunch @ NUS Arts

Well.. today is Wednesday, so lunch is normally at NUS Arts Canteen for me.. so ya.. had Japanese food, which to be is not bad, but not enough..

And during the course of my lunch, I've met 2 persons... One is my good NS buddy, Sidney, whom is like so by chance, and its like we are just walking across each other.. haha..
And another, halfway eating, Alvin (my church mate) saw and said "Hi!" to me.. haha..

At both occasions, my colleagues were with me, and they just passed a remark that I met a lot of ppl today.. haha.. oh well.. I'm popular mah.. wat to do? =P..
** Okok.. I shall stop! I'm seeing you all almost puke your meals out already.. haha **

Then after work, went all the way from my workplace to Toa Payoh just to buy the rojak.. I have been craving for this rojak for months, and at last, I'm able to satisfy my cravings.. haha..

And it had to rain.. but oh well.. Guess raining is not a bad thing afterall, becos' I'm going to have a very goooooddd and sound sleep tonite.. haha.. =)

*Yawns*.. need to sleep liaox! I'm gonna cuddle up in my bed and hopefully I will have a sound sleep! Nice weather to just sleep in ya koe.. I have a craving for coffee/Milo now.. but if I drink it, I would not be able to sleep.. wahaha..

Ok then.. Tatas,
<<< abriel >>>