Category Archives for Uni

Happy 60th Dad!

It’s Dad’s 60th birthday today and we threw him a surprise party last Saturday. It didn’t occur to me that planning a surprise party would be this taxing. In addition to my daily work, I had to plan the guest list, consolidate rsvps (friends from Singapore and relatives from KL!), arrange table seatings etc. The worst definitely had to be deciding who sat where (I’ve decided that at my wedding, all my guests will sit on the floor), mum and I nearly fought cos of it! ;’( But of course, anything is worth it for family! ♥

We had three tables in a private room overlooking the golf course and the weather was perfect! Over 30 of us arrived earlier to surprise Dad and it was a huge success! Family ties and friendship’s an amazing thing. God’s amazing – how he puts certain people in and out of your life so that you learn to cherish the ones that truly matter.

Surprise!!

Jana’s in Sydney and we definitely wanted her to be part of this special day so we got her to video herself.. Clearly worked cos Dad got all teary which was really hard for me to watch so I just stood at a corner. The 3 Js also did a performance for Dad. A medley of some of his favourite songs – Hey Jude, I Started a Joke and Have you ever Seen the Rain.

“Aloha!”

Triple Js

Another teary moment was definitely during James’ speech. I still remember him as a baby, all botak and gangly, full of rash from his eczema. He has since grown into a fine young man – taller than me if I may add.

“I’ve definitely outgrown my dad in terms of strength and size but definitely nowhere to his wealth, wisdom, knowledge and experience in life… I aspire to be a man like him, willing to help people who are less fortunate. I aspire to be a hard-working and successful person like my dad who provides well for his family. Last but not least, I aspire to be a loving father like my dad.”

I wonder what goes through Dad’s mind as he turns 60. I’m sure there a lot of worries about the future but I hope he sits back and realises how blessed we’ve been. I for one have been blessed to have him in my life. Though we quarrel at times and may not always see eye to eye on certain things, there’s no doubt that he’s played a vital role in my growing up years.

I’ve never seen my Dad cry so the day he left me in the airport in Australia and seeing him in tears is something I will always remember. Perhaps fathers will always be fathers. You know, there are certain characteristics to dads. Being the man of the house, they have to be serious and sturdy and many times we forget that our old man has feelings too.

Dad supported me throughout my uni years. He understood me when I was at my lowest and missing home. He made my life so simple and yet made it a point to never lavish me with money and gifts.

Bachelors

Masters

It’s funny how you tend to be more expressive the further away you are from someone. Dad may not tell me how much he loves me, just like how I rarely say it to him, but I know that he only wants the best for me. Just like I would for him.

I am also grateful that he has taken care of mum because she’s very important to me!

Isn’t this photo so precious!

So on this day, I say a special prayer to the big man above, for taking care of the man I love the most. He has blessed my family abundantly and I cannot ask for more.

♥

My Bangs are Getting too Long

I love doing stuff to my hair. Haven’t had the guts for a pixie cut, but other than that, I’ve been pretty adventurous in terms of cut and colour. Well, still yet to try the perm haha!

In Australia, going to the hairdresser’s a really costly affair – especially for us students – so I used to help my friends colour (and even highlight!) their hair. All they had to do was to buy the dye. I really REALLY enjoyed it!

Ahh.. Managed to dig this out *giggle*

One of my many ‘clients’ – Andrew. He would cook dinner and I would jazz up his hair

I even gave him highlights!

When my colleague told me that her boyfriend was starting up Zupado (think hungrygowhere but for hair), I was pretty excited for her! Only their facebook page is up at the moment but their website should be ready real soon.

Zupado is a platform where people can take photos of their haircut, upload it and share with others where they had their hair cut, by which hair stylist, how much it cost etc. She kindly asked me to be part of the shoot so I’m gonna share some behind the scene peektures, ahead of the website!

With our talented makeup artist, Jieyi, and my colleague, Julia

Jon showing off his locks!

With two Jonathans – my hair stylist and my church friend (photog for the day!)

Thanks Jon for making my hair look so lucious ;) He’s from Artisan at Holland V

Can’t wait to see the final photos!

What I miss about Down Under

I’ve been back in Singapore for almost two and a half years. Time flies, I remember dreading my graduation because it meant that I would be back in this shit hole.. Away from the things I loved and enjoyed doing.

I graduated after spending four years in Australia, got back to Singapore and landed a job almost immediately. So it was wham wham wham – no time to process, no time to feel.

I used to cry a lot at night when I first got back.. I felt like I was gonna crumble and die in the crowd and heat. It was a snowball of factors that made me feel breathless.. The stress I experienced on a daily basis was a silent killer.

It’s quite amazing how I’ve managed to block out certain events and memories with time. It’s not easy but it’s a conscious effort. My memory used to be superb (to the point of being scary) but now, it doesn’t remember much beyond a year.

Today, I am going to reminisce (force myself to remember) about the times I had in Brisbane because you cannot avoid memories. They will only haunt you further.

I miss (you will realise it’s a lot on food):

  • Being lonely at times (how odd..)
  • Betty. My crap but reliable 1990 white Honda Civic hatchback which eventually got smashed by some drunk while parked
  • Bringing every damn tourist to Mt Coot-tha
  • Buying credit for my shit but stable phone
  • Checking the mail every couple of days, hoping to find something interesting – a letter from home, a good deal from Coles and dockets for Dominos at a cheaper price
  • Chopping up lots of stuff (onions, garlics, fishcakes, cabbage, carrots etc.) in very neat bits to fry up a mean fried beehoon
  • Coffee sessions at La Dolce Vita aka Little Italy at Milton, Three Monkeys at West End and Freestyle at Emporium
  • Crispy chicken from Toowong. I don’t even know what the shop was called.. We just called it “crispy chicken” and I would pay 50c-$1 more for extra chilli
  • Driving down an hour to the coast just to get to a beach
  • Going at 140km/hr in a rattling car on the motorway
  • Going for night classes and meeting friends from all over the world
  • Having indo mee when during exam periods
  • Having late night maccas at Milton. In my jammies
  • Hunting for breakfast joints
  • Korean food from Madtongsan
  • Late night Thursdays in the suburbs and Fridays in the city
  • Lena buzzing my bell LIKE HELL daily to wake me up in time for Oprah and Dr Phil at 12pm
  • Lying by the hill at Mt Tambourine, overlooking the vast valley of trees and shrubs
  • My 20th – 23rd birthday celebrations
  • My family. My cousins and aunts
  • My friends. A LOT.
  • Roadtrips!
  • Roast meat at Chinatown, together with the power-mama chilli and ginger
  • Shopping at Harbourtown
  • Stocking up on Red Bull and V during exams.. Huddling in my study chair with a blankie and a heater under the table
  • Studying. I was quite the mugger and note-churning machine
  • Super yummy authentic Taiwanese bubble tea (this was before we had Koi and Gong Cha in Singapore)
  • That huge slab of salmon sushi (I don’t even know how to explain this sushi to you.. Just know that it’s super yummy) and Hamachi head from Yamasakura at Surfers Paradise
  • The citycat along the beautiful Brisbane River
  • The Saturday markets at West End. Langos… OMGGG it’s fucking yum
  • The WEATHER. The cool crisp air!
  • Trying to wake up for church every Saturday
  • Waiting forever for the 412 to get to the city
  • Walking every aisle of the supermarket
  • Waxing for an exorbitant amount of money.. anything beauty-related in Australia’s super expensive

Ok I’m gonna stop because I’m getting too hungry and slightly emo.

Of Fluff and All Things Nice

source unknown

I’ve been asked many times before what I do for a living. Even when I say public relations, a lot of people go, ‘yeah but what do you do?’ Even my parents - coming from an entirely different industry – often ask the same question. So I’ll try to give my two cents worth on what exactly I do.

Well, a lot of people think that PR is all about fluff; that PR practitioners are just bitchy professional spin doctors who can blabber on non-stop, and that part of the job includes meeting (and sometimes being a nanny to) celebrities, famous people, opinion leaders and the likes over meals at fancy restaurants. People also put press releases, press cons, fam trips, events, strategic messaging, crazy hours, endless deadlines and crisis management under the PR umbrella. Well, while that is not entirely wrong and definitely true to a certain extent, PR is more than just all of the above.

Even though I majored in Marketing and PR in university (studying theory, doing mock interviews/crisis comms scenarios, planning and even executing real-life campaigns etc.), I’ve come to realise that actually doing the deed’s an entire different thing altogether. PR is almost like an art; at least for good practitioners that is. Like many other professions, it is someting that you tend to get better at the more you do it. To me, PR is about being honest. From an agency’s point of view, it is about genuinely understanding your various clients (most of the time from different industries) and the customers they serve. I believe that good PR practitioners really care about growing together with their client(s). An achievement on the part of the client should result in the PR person feeling utterly proud, satisfied and happy and vice versa.

Many people have tried to point out the differences between marketing and PR. They are different to a certain extent. However, I believe that both are fundamental to the growth and success of any company. To me, a main difference is that while the former is essentially focused on a tangible ROI, the latter is all about forging relationsips of mutual understanding and trust with all of the brand’s stakeholders. This ultimately leads to positive perceptions of the brand.

Moving forward, being only in the industry for a mere six months, I’m so blessed and glad to be surrounded and learning from experts in the industry every single day; even from peers who’ve been in the industry longer than I have. I’ve a new found respect for this industry, for the people who are able to remain ‘human’ despite the challenges that come with the job. There are days when my future seems bleak or when I’m afraid of what tomorrow will bring. But like Seth Godin once mentioned, safe IS risky.

Irony VS Stress

As much as I really dislike my final sem in uni (academics wise), and as much as I want to get rid of my very extremely horrid exams, a part of me is feeling a tad bit down knowing that after the exams, it’s pretty much ‘bye uni!’ for me :(

I’m excited about starting work, but worried at not being able to find a job that I’ll like. I want the exams to end, but I don’t want to ever finish uni. I want to enjoy the states and Sydney, but that would also mean having to sit for 2 more sucky papers. I want to earn my own money, but I’d also rather be studying etc etc etc.

I guess it’s just part and parcel of going through a transition. And honestly, it really doesn’t help that my exams are so frgggggin difficult :( I feel like quitting uni right now, but that would also mean wasting 1.5 years worth of fees and time and effort and etc. Ahh.. Sorry, I’m just in a bit of a crappy mood atm. Promise things will get better after the 18th. Promise.

Ohmahgolliwog

You know you’re in deep shit when you email your lecturer to clarify some doubts, and all her reply does is to further confuse you. Someone remind me again why I hate her so much. Ugh!

Very Blessed

Dear God,

Thank you for blessing me with family and friends who love me and care for me. No amount of money in the world can buy the heartwarming genuine love I’ve experienced throughout my 23 years on this earth. Thank you for their well wishes; it allows me to know that I’ve played a part in their lives and am worth remembering. Thank you for loving me and blessing me with good health and wisdom. I have made many mistakes in my life but You’ve always been there for me; for that I am ever grateful. My life hasn’t always been smooth sailing, it still isn’t. I still struggle from day to day but I know that there is nothing to fear because I know who holds the future.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 

P.S. And with this post, I shall be going on a mini hiatus. Just finished my thesis (hurrah) and now it’s time to study for the exams (there’s HEAPS and it’s awfully difficult!). Love you all!

Mundane

Mom called this morning, went to collect an early birthday parcel :) (thanks dale ♥), went to church, came back for lunch, slept, had funny dreams, slept, had even funnier dreams, slept till dinner time, had dinner, ate durians, did some work, called mom and now I’m feeling sleepy again.

I seriously have so much to do it’s not funny

19/10 – MKTG7503 Presentation
21/10 – MKTG 7503 Report Due
27/10 – MKTG7508 Report Due
7/11 – MKTG7503 Exam
9/11 – COMU7002 Thesis Due
16/11 – MKTG7504 Exam
18/11 – MKTG 7508 Exam

ROAR

Vit C Overload

Been down with some motherbitch of a virus that’s been made worse with the motherload of stress I’m currently under. Haven’t been able to get any work done because the mere sight of my notes give me a headache and every now and then, I suddenly experience waves of nauseous-ness. Eek! Thank God I’m feeling slightly better today (no more porridge for dinner) and have managed to write the intro part to my assignment due Monday (another eek!). I NEEDA PULL THROUGH!!! As much as I want to quit school right now, I’ve gotta fight it out ugh! *WAR CRY!!* Hahaha!!

P.S. My mom’s got facebook. Too cool for school momma!

Been really stressed about the thought of graduating and getting into the workforce. Have been having funny nightmares the past few weeks. The ones that stood out:

- How I forgot the details of the Ansoff model and it came out as an interview question. Nerd..
- Dreamt of a pygmy hippo that looked like a duck with fur and making funny noises. I was terrified of it

Mom sent me a really sweet text today. I love her to bits :) Melbourne tmr. I’M SO FRIGGIN EXCITED! Just a few photos from today’s rugby game :) The rest are on facebookIMG_0667The Boys IMG_0699Singaporean housemates haha!IMG_0730My boy looking like he needs to take a crap :)IMG_0689Ok it’s damn late and J and I are going to sieve the flour for tmr’s stickydatepudding. Good night world :)

Addiction VS Lifestyle

Never expected that doing an assignment on the G word would cause me to feel so much ache in my heart. It just serves to remind and reinforce that everything I’ve done so far has been towards the right move. The feeling of abandonment, failure and helplessness keep playing in my head. And I know that I’m never going to allow myself go through all that mindfuck ever.

Sometimes we try to change people. Because we love them and want the best for them. But change has to come from within. From within. It has to be a conscious effort on the part of the individual. A rude awakening or a simple realisation that we don’t live our lives soley for ourselves but for the ones we love and the ones who love us. What a fool I was.

It should never be this way

It should never be this way

Quit smoking or die trying