Girls' Night Out

After our not so pleasant meetup the last time when I was still living a nightmare, I'm glad this meetup marks the start of better days ahead. This is also the first time we visited WB's new place and we spent the first half of the time marvelling at her new furbished home and all the new gadgets equipped in the house. Just the price of the grandfather clock in the picture threw me off the chair. I could really do a lot with that 16k. And not forgetting the comfy chairs that we were sitting on which adds up to a five digit figure. But I must say the design fits the human body so well I almost fell asleep one too many times. It's really a nice place and it kind of make me wanna have my own place as well (fat hope!)

Just hanging out at her place over good food (she's a fantastic cook!), good dessert, booze, ice cream, and blu-ray on a 80' tv. 

Lovely people, cozy place. What a satisfying Saturday! 

sick cat

And so, after hearing so much of gastric flu for the past 23 years, I finally had a taste of it.

Started off with feeling queasy at 1+am and thought I was just terribly tired and decided to go to bed super early (compared to my usual 5am). Tossed and turned and felt uber discomfort and had this weird urge to throw up. Went to the toilet and I did. This happened all the way till 6ish am where I repeated the cycle of throwing up while drifting in and out of sleep. The contraction in my stomach was the worst feeling ever. I thought I wasn't going to survive daybreak until the clinic opens. 

Extremely grateful that my dad brought me to the clinic and even more grateful that my dad's friend work in the clinic (we only found out after that). She helped me to jump ahead of 6 people which could potentially amount to 60 minutes. I seriously could have fainted at the doorsteps of the clinic by then. 

There's a lot of tablets to take but at least they were life-saving pills that stopped my puking immediately. It actually made my gastric felt abit better as well. I guess the nausea and dizziness will take some time to go away. Btw gastric flu is highly contagious, please stay away from me. SHOO!

& we begin again

And so, after 5 weeks, I bade farewell to the girls that I have come to work so closely with for the past weeks. My coffee kaki(s) who are equally or even more of an addict than I am; my OT buddies who slogged hard and well into the nights together for most days; my go home buddy who stays one street away from me. I must say that working life in the new environment has been a lot more bearable because of them. If not for them, I might not survive more than a week. (haha).

Despite the short stint, I must say that the transition in emotions, rationale and attitude from day 1 to present, has been an incredulous one. There were many moments of adapting, of wanting to strive harder, but more moments of self-doubts, and even more moments of uncertainty. And eventually, deciding to give them all up to stay true to myself. More than just the nice office setting, friendly working buddies, I have come to realise that having the support and understanding of your superior is more important than anything else in the world. The workload in any position in any organisation is relentless and more often than not, overwhelming. To be criticised and corrected in the workplaces is also something that I can understand. However, to be working for someone who does not know how to feel grateful for her team members that put in their everything and give snide remarks, is something that I cannot come to terms with. Hence, the decision.

And in spite of all the dramas and sagas for the past 5 weeks, I am still grateful for the exponentially-steep learning curve and immense exposure to the workings of the industry. From having first-hand as a waitress in the restaurant, to really diving into the bookings and selections of ad spaces and working with external vendors and seeking sponsorships on my own. And most of all, planning of an event from scratch on my own. It's a pity I won't get to see my own baby after all. But still, the experience of having done all of these in the past 5 weeks will serve to be good foundation for future challenges in time to come.

Thank you for all the good times, bad times, memories shared and friendship forged.
And now, moving on to another new chapter in life.
:)

every man for themselves

Just a few weeks ago, I was was struggling with an internal turmoil- to sail the sea and be an explorer or to stay grounded but given the learning curve to progress from where I am. Today, I cannot be more certain and affirmed in the choice I've made. Surely, seeing the world would have been something I have very much wanted to do, but situations sometimes leave people steering their wheels in different directions.

I haven talked about work much even though I've been working for almost 2 years. If anyone was to ask me how do I find my job, before July begun, I would readily tell you that I have a nice boss who really didn't bother about punctuality, nice colleagues and the only part I dread about work is waking up. Indeed, my job entails so many varied aspects that no one day is ever the same. Being a marketing coordinator, I could be desk bound replying emails and managing marketing budget, or I could be attending a marketing brief or media session with my colleagues, or I could be at the frontline meeting customers and winners. It was so interesting each day. And I'm ever so thankful that my boss accommodates my timetable each semester. It really tide me through all the financial burden while in university.

But July brought about a new perspective to situations. Things have been pretty rocky at work since the restructuring. And I've been more than overworked, taking on the job scope of 2 others, namely two more portfolios and having to become an on-the-job training PA. Even a pay revision doesn't justify the workload that I'm getting. Still, I didn't mind because I know I will eventually be able to juggle them and there were too many nice people around for me to want to leave.

But I guess one needs to be realistic and grab the good things that come along in life. It's finally time to move on. Especially when people are starting to exploit you, even those you once believe were protecting you. The promise of getting a portfolio that involves more hands-on planning and execution were nothing but empty promises. And when they appear to be supportive of your decisions but got upset with you behind your back because they could never find someone to fill the void you've left. Every man for themselves. That's the last straw.

I'm still grateful for all that happened the past 2 years, but I'm glad I'm moving on to level up somewhere else. There were bad times but surely, there were many many good times. I will probably still well up in tears bidding goodbyes to all the kind angels I've come to know :'(

5 more days.

stay-home Thursday!

Waking up to a fresh new day without having to drag yourself out of bed to work is one of the best feelings in the worst. It doesn't have to be a day filled with plans, just staying at home the entire day feels like a luxury on its own. But instead of just sleeping the entire day away, I woke up earlier than lazy weekends but later than workdays. I felt completely charged and refreshed!

Started the day with folding up the basket of laundry at the corner of my room that my mum has been nagging about since forever, thereafter I decided to change my bed sheets and swept my floor (like finally). Ate mum's cooking for lunch alongside with the latest episode of running man that I could never find time to watch. And did more cleaning thereafter (the drawers this time round), I'm becoming domestic (admitting that I'm getting old).

In any case, it has been an amazing break from work, thanks doctor! 3-day work week is loved :)

sick cat.

So, I woke up much much much earlier than usual and got a lift to the clinic in the morning to see the doctor. The clinic opens at 8am and I happily strutted in at 7.50am, thinking that it would be a quick trip. Boy was I wrong when I saw the hoard of people, mainly old folks, already filling up the seats at the registration counter. At least it's the June holidays so there weren't much students or kids to add on to the crowd count.
Sitting them, it was quite heartening to hear the chirppy voices of the staff greeting and offering assistance to the people making their way in. Kudos to them because I don't think I was ever chirpy in the morning. It's a wonder how I was never a morning person even though I've been working for the longest time. 

The entire visit took me an hour and a half and I couldn't be more glad when I was finally home and lazing on my bed. Two days to nurse my inflamed throat! So glad to that I don't have to woken up by my alarms nor drag myself out of bed come tomorrow morning.

Day 1- Koh Phi Phi

On board a 2-hour ferry ride and finally reached our destination! Koh Phi Phi, Phi Phi Ko, Phi Phi Island, whatever you choose to call it. 

P.s. Island entrance fee of about a dollar SGD required to help in the preservation of the island.

At the ferry point, there were a lot of people alongside the bridge holding up the placards with the name of the hotel/resort that you're staying in. Go the right one and wait for the shuttle boat service.

Enjoy the real thing after looking at the numerous pictures we had seen online prior to the trip.

J & I

J, L & I

These boats are called longtail- for its features (look on the right), and they turn out to be one of our most common mode of transportation for the days to come.

Koh Phi Phi in sight!

The colours were so splendid and rich- no filters and photo editing required.

At the front of our resort.

Each resorts were quite vastly spaced out so choose your resort location wisely. Ours were quite far out giving us a lot of privacy and space but going out to the market and central buzz of the town was quite a pain. 

Our living space was really spacious, like a bungalow on its own, completed with a balcony. It's worth a recommendation if you're one that is not afraid of the hike up and down each time. And just a word of caution, one should not throw used toilet paper into the bowl to flush. Instead, throw it into the bin. It sounds quite absurd but you really should do as you're told. Some of them had their toilet bowl stuck or others overflowing with unsightly objects. 

And you know it's not the usual short 2 minutes walk when you get a van service to send you to your room the first time you check-in. Hi there, roomies! 

Undeterred by the distance and altitude, we went to explore the island a little but were too tired from all the travelling and eventually settled at a dinner place right outside our resort. Of course, it cost us a bomb and weren't exactly fantastic. To my absolute horror, they did not serve thai ice tea. But the tropical fruit shakes were pretty delicious and wholesome. Plus the views totally made up for all the bad.

Dinner with a view.

Sunset. 

Phi Phi Bayview Resort - Phi Phi Islands
69 Moo 7, Laem Hin Beach, Phi Phi Island, Tambol Ao-Nang, Muang, Krabi 81000, Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)75 601127 – 31 | Fax: +66 (0) 75 601126 
E-mail: bayview@ksc.th.com

Day 0.5- Phuket Town

I know this update took forever, but here goes:

Departed for Thailand on an early flight at 8am in the morning and reached before noon. Coming out of the gates of Phuket International Airport, we were greeted by the prepaid SIM booth. Really, it cannot be any more strategically located than it already is. You should have seen the crowd gathering around the booth. Thailand is really one of the countries with the most affordable telcom rates to ensure that you're connected even on the go. All of us eventually bought the TrueMove 7 days unlimited data plan- which costs only 300B (~12SGD). The service is quite impressive too where the staff will set up the phone for you, all ready for use!

Just like how you get swamped by drivers when you get out of the JB customs, it is the same when you step out of Phuket International Airport. But we managed to snag up quite a good deal at one of the booth. Getting a bus ride to Phuket Town for lunch and then a  return ferry ticket to Phi Phi Island for 1000B (~40SGD). Quite reasonable and save us the hassle of trying to figure out how to get around bit by bit.

Our bus to Phuket Town. Definitely thankful for the aircon and comfort in the hot sun.

A trip is not complete without a visit to its capital. So, here we are at Phuket Town for a short afternoon before embarking on our Phi Phi adventures. Phuket Town is a vastly modernised place with shopping malls stocked with numerous international brands. You probably will feel right at home except for the unrestricted shopping and the presences of overhead cables. If you ever see any store selling waffles, grab them! Too yummy. Cheap yet satisfying snack for a hot afternoon.

After spending much time walking around, camwhore-ing and absorbing the rustic vibes of Phuket town, we eventually settle down in a nice quaint cafe nearby. Unlike cafes in Singapore with ample staffs, this cafe only has 1 staff. I'm guessing they don't usually handle big groups like us. Our drinks took longer than usual but the taste made up for it. Thumbs up. Not the cheapest thing though, at about 4-5SGD each.

By late afternoon, we were finally making our way to the ferry point, via a PICKUP. Such a refreshing way to travel, it's quite unlikely to happen in Singapore. The 3 girls took the cabin seats while the rest of us bask under the glorious sun with the wind in our face (literally). 

And I unfortunately did not take any photos of the ferry because we were busy trying to keep our balance on it and then settling down into seats which were very much like cinema seats. About 10 seats on each side which makes getting out to take pictures quite a tedious process. Also by this time, the motion sickness is pretty much getting to me. *nauseous*  

 

Some googled images to make sense to what I'm saying. And it's true that the upper deck is filled with caucasians in their swimwear and some conveniently in their lingerie. 

Views from the ferry were so astonishing already. Seeing it for real for the next 5 days was even more amazing.

Koh Phi Phi, here we go. 

post vacation- Ko Phi Phi; Phuket

HELLO!

It's incredible how I've survived one working week after an entire week of vacation (thanks godness for having a public holiday in the middle of nowhere). It had been almost a week since the vacation. Emotionally, it felt so long ago but physically, it is clearly evident that vacation merely ended. I'm more sun-kissed than I originally wanted to! This was despite applying and re-applying sunblock numerous times throughout the day, we were just short of down-ing the entire bottle into the tummy. We even left our aloe vera gel in the fridge just so that we can cool our heated bodies at the end of each day. During one of the nights, our gel actually iced up in the fridge. (Opps!)

When asked by J if this was my first beach holiday, I readily agreed. But on second thought, this is actually my THIRD holiday. First at batam; second at kelantan- albeit no real water activities were done. So technically, this is my very first real beach holiday. I remembered how I was so hesitant about going on a beach holiday initially but I'm so glad I went ahead against all my rationality. I really deserve an applaud for doing all the water activities and extreme sports that I would never had imagined myself doing, especially when I am a true hydrophobic. But I guess your travelling companion brings out an inner side of your self that you've never known existed. So proud of my friends who conquered flying fox and ladders despite being afraid of heights.

Seriously, the glistening waters, warm sand and natural sights are too unforgettable. I could easily sit by the beach and spend an entire afternoon there. Despite the recurring fear of the unstable longtail capsizing, I very much enjoy the boat rides now. And for once, I truly understood why the boy loves his diving trips so much. Man, I wish I could swim like a fish.

Travelogue updates soon.

the grand budapest hotel

It'd been so long since we last met as I was caught up in a whirlpool of assignments and examinations, I had absolutely no social life for the longest time. I could finally catch my breather and hang out with my happy pill, even if it was a short date. I've been hearing about the movie title from the longest time from people around me who have caught the title. So, when the friend mentioned about catching the movie, I was all hands for it. We struggled a little with the movie title when we were buying tickets but finally figured that sounding confident was the way to go. (hahaha)

Watching a film set in the 1960s at GV Katong seems like the most apt place to be. The Grand Budapest is a British-German comedy set in the early days. And as its very title suggest, it tells the history and story of the hotel. A very refreshing take and unconventional filming techniques compared to mainstream movies. I really enjoyed the how indirect the film was and it kind of reminded me of the movie "a series of unfortunate events".

We decided to go for a quick munch after movies and so we strolled down the streets of Katong, looking for a nice place to have some snacks and drinks. Eventually, we ended up at Chin Mee Chin. The old retro coffeeshop that was so complimenting with the 18th century ambience we were so absorbed in the entire afternoon, we had to eat in there. I only had a teh and I thought it was quite adhering to my taste buds. I would love to go back for some pastries the next time.

Chin Mee Chin Conffectionary

Address: 204 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428903

jb trip

The usual manicure session (for the girls!) while the guys get their worth of massages and then rounding it all off with seafood zichar at Taman Sentosa.

Blissful day trip to our neighbour. 

:)