Another 2 graduation pictures

I purchased the photograph set that has the shots of me receiving my degree on stage together with a softcopy on CDROM so here are the pictures! My worst dreams came true as I had totally no idea when to turn around and such but I kinda like it 'cos it captures this youthful cheekiness of sorts! :D

Temporary Communications Executive

I haven't been blogging for quite some time 'cos things are just so busy over here! I've just returned from our family's annual pilgrimage to Genting Highlands and the trip has reaffirmed my belief that there's nothing worth a future visit! Not only did the arcade suck with spoilt machines with games from the yesteryears, the pool tables are horrid and so is karaoke! I'd rather spend that money in Singapore!

Anyway so what happens is from what's happening so far, I'm working on migrating this company's web site over. And it happens that I've got the job offer! They even pushed up the monthly salary by another 100 bucks, so I guess I really do not have any other reason to not sign on the dotted line. That I did, so I'm officially a Communications Executive (not 'Specialist' as I've previously mentioned - apparently my superior left it as that 'cos they were ideally looking for a person with experience) with effect from September 1. Meanwhile, I realised that I am after all going to pursue a communications career and I've been preparing it more or less over the past few years with my participation in Toastmasters and ECAs. I should give it a serious though about career progression in this field then, and how the IT component can give me an edge. That means I guess I'll be joining Toastmasters again, and making a concerted effort in the process!

Sidenote - this is an excellent resource on communications-related careers
http://www.psu.edu/dept/comm/handbook/guide.htm

So I've got myself a job, and on that front RP got back to me last week and got me for an interview last Tuesday. It was a little weird to have gone for the interview, 'cos although I've given my company a verbal acceptance and I knew that my contract's being cycled around the heads for their approval, I decided to go for it anyway and it was awkward to come into office wearing long sleeves (which only occurs when I've got interviews). A colleague spotted that and wished me luck, how embarrassing! Anyway the interview was scary and I had a panel of 7 - one from HR, one from dunnowhere, my future boss (the director of CED), the director of the communications department, deputy president (gosh!) and 2 other guys. It went pretty alright but I was unnerved, especially by the director of CED 'cos he came across as arrogant, giving me the nasty impression of 'beg-me-to-hire-you'. Well I prefer to believe in a situation where the interviewer and the interviewee are genuinely interested in finding out how they can mutually contribute to each other's goals rather than an unbalanced relationship. Oh well, 2 weeks to go but since I've already signed the dotted line elsewhere, I'd say 'thank you for your attention'.

ITE also called me on Friday too for an interview, and that's a record of 5 weeks for a response. Once again, I responded with 'thank you for your attention'. I'm not sure whether it's slow or something but I feel I should recognize my worth as a contributor and interviewers should really keep that in mind rather than take the stance of the master selecting slaves.

YT, BN and I went out last Saturday for dinner! It was real fun to meet up again and I think we should meet more often 'cos it's pretty fun. YT just got her first paycheck being a project officer in NTU and she was so sweet to proactively call us up to arrange for an outing! We first played pool and Selegie before heading to Bugis for my arcade drumming fix and then Fish&Co dinner. Yummylicious! Thanks YT! And now she's ferverently asking me about what I want for my birthday which is really sweet..

I'm still on off tomorrow, thank goodness. I've got lots of things to do though, including grabbing many long sleeve shirts from Domanchi (and get a VIP card woohoo!), signing up for JLPT3 and playing arcade. Maybe swim or something too. Yikes!

Thinking about web site design

Developing Effective Website Content
http://www.pixelbridge.com/articles/index.php?p=79

Survival Guide to Web Site Development
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/itsolutions/intranet/plan/chapt1.mspx?mfr=true

Design Consideratioins for Web-based Applications
http://www.lukew.com/resources/articles/web_applications.html

Website Design Considerations
http://www.thmg.com/webdesign/37661.php

New York New York's Humungous Beef Burger

Communications Specialist - D-2

Today I went for lunch with AGL at this Japanese/Thai eatery in Far East. I ordered curry pork cutlet and she ordered an udon. The session was enjoyable, with her doing most of the talking as she guided me through what the position entails. She treated me to it, which was nice. :) WT says I'm taking it for granted when I told her I expected that to happen, so oh well! It was quite alright, really... it's just...

I finally nailed on why I felt uneasy. Though the office is great, with really good working environment, but somehow I feel awkward there... like I'm pretty stifled. I think it is because although nobody breathes down your neck, there isn't much spontaneity and chatters in the office as everyone's engrossed in their own work during office hours. The usual spontaneous and cheerful me becomes timid and quiet in office and I'm so engrossed in my work. I guess it's the serious nature of the office environment. However am I too choosy for my own good!

Sigh.

2 more days.

Communications Specialist - A Continuum

Other than the break on National Day, it was work as usual on Thursday and Friday. I went late to work on Thursday though, making it just in time for a meeting with AGL (my superior) and TS from another department. That generated more work for me, not that I'm complaining but at least it allows me to stay in the office longer without guilt (I'm paid on an hourly basis). Towards the end of the day, AGL came up to me and threw me the bomb - I'll be meeting her, SF (her boss) and MDG, the PA to the CEO for a meeting on Friday.

Friday came. I arrived 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time of 10.30am, spending some time aimlessly surfing the internet and debating whether I should start work since I guess I won't ask to be paid for waiting for my interview(!). Finally at 10.30am I walked to the other end of the office (I'm sitting with the IT staff for now) and before I knew it I was whisked to an interview room with AGL, SF and PL (the head of HR). Nervous jitters.

The interview went pretty smoothly I think. SF started the ball rolling by talking about my academic and personal accomplishments, filling in a typical interview sheet. AGL remained totally quiet throughout the interview, something which I wondered why she did that as she interviewed me the first round and would probably be able to open me up better. Finally it was PL's turn and that's where the tricky part came. He's such an awfully experienced HR manager and he asked the right questions, probing into my innards and making me spill my guts out. I almost melted in there when he finally stopped. Great.

The whole process took an hour and I was slightly perspiring when I left. They stayed in the room to deliberate and I cast everything aside, becoming cheery and went with AT for lunch at Golden Mile. It was great! :) After that was back to office and it was work as usual when LL, a colleague from HR whom I spoke to on my first day came over and asked me to expect great news. With a quizzical shrug I gave a nervous laugh, and she spotted my awfully-folded sleeves and folded them for me! Gosh! That was so embarrassing haha. After that PL came over and asked me to another meeting room and guess what - salary negotiation!

I was frankly, dog-tired after being on high alert during the interview in the morning and then work and now another mind-intensive discussion. He taught me to look beyond the direct dollars and cents at what the company can offer in other areas, which of course struck me as logical but yet not totally wholesome 'cos I feel that the dollars and cents are the most important parts of the equation unless there is something very appealing elsewhere. My first salary negotiation! I tried not to give a figure but lost in the end, quoting a range. I sincerely hoped he won't pick the bottom and I really trusted that he would not... however...

I had to leave early though, running back to NUS to grab a cheque for the IT-laboratory teaching sessions I did last month and collect my transcript. Just as I'm done with the administrative matters and sitting down at Subway at YIH for dinner, PL called my phone and confirmed the offer. I was miffed though, 'cos they took literally the lowest of the salary range I mentioned. I tried to ask for a higher amount but it was met with resistance. That said, I was neither overjoyed nor depressed. It was like something expected came out, a reality that was totally unsurprising. With that, PL asked if he could proceed to process it with the CEO by Monday, to which I was caught even more off guard and asked for a few days to consider. Hello, I have other job offers awaiting ok! :D I tried to ask for Thursday (working on a week's time) and got a curt reply that he can only wait till Wednesday.

I don't know whether its me who doesn't know how to negotiate and use 'no', but I feel shortchanged, if you ask me. Or am I picky?

So I'm still considering as of now, debating what to do. Prospects are limited on one hand, as the company is small. However, I've got to start somewhere, so I guess a few years inside might be alright as a foundation for greater things. Pay is another delicate issue which I cannot discuss, but I feel shortchanged on that account too. Benefits are typical as that for a permanent staff. There's also a 6-months probation period as well, though I doubt I'll fare that badly to risk a boot.

Actually I think the job and I have a good fit, though I am worried about not being able to realise what I should be getting. I've worked so long and I know now how good a worker I am. No way should I shortchange myself now that I'm stepping into the working world.

Sigh. Kitto umakuyatte ikeru.

RP Interview, National Day

The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity, sigh! On Tuesday I went to RP for an interview to be an academic staff in the Centre for Educational Development. It was a great trip, immersing myself once again in a surrounding of youthful vibrancy. I spoke to KR, the head of the department and it was a great chat, though I felt we might have mistakened on a few fronts. There was this part where we talked about the use of contemporary modes of faceless communications such as online chats might impact on the standard of English as a medium of communication, and I hope she didn't get the mistakened impression that I am troubled about the possibly lower standards of English in RP students and how I might have a tough job communicating my ideas across. Isn't that a challenge that educators face as part and parcel of their job anyway? Then there was another moment when I asked on the career prospects of fellow staff members as a way of establishing prospective career paths within the organization. She ended up responding that they become corporate trainers in PBL which was something really outside the organization and I felt she might have misunderstood me that I do not consider staying after a few years... oh well...

Sigh! I guess employer/employee loyalty is really a thing of the past.

* * *

August 9 is Singapore's National Day! It's the last year they're having the parade in the historic National Stadium before it gets torn down to make way for a new sporting development, though I personally don't have much of an attachment to it other than doing the New Paper Big Walk many years back that brought me around the stadium. Anyway last Saturday HM brought me to watch the Singapore Fireworks Festival, so everyone in my family thought it'd occur again on National Day itself. Although there was the nagging suspicion that there wasn't one scheduled as informed on the internet, we went along to Benjamin Sheares bridge along with countless others. We were awfully early, and waited for 3 hours in vain! We could only see a small part of the awfully short fireworks as it peeked over the top of the National Stadium and it was over in 5 minutes. Everyone felt so cheated, especially those waiting eagerly at the Esplanade who were even further away from the stadium and can't see anything at all!


It was raining pretty heavily in the morning, so it was a blessing in disguise really 'cos it cleared up in the afternoon and it was thus glorious weather for the parade.


Mother & Daughter shots... awww...

The Central Business District, or the postcard skyline of Singapore.


More clouds!


Now for a hubby-n-wifey shot


That's a huge shot of the chinook dangling the national flag. That's what happens when we use digital zoom haha.


As the sun sets, a beautiful orange enveloped the sky.


Argh, the crowds are coming!


My mom was so clever to have spotted a section on the bridge where there's a little edge where we can all park our bums. Quite a lot of those around us had to stand there for a few hours or sit on the (dirtier) floor. Imagine so much dedication, and the disappointment when no fireworks were fired on our side!

Improved XXX Web site for Streamlined Interactions

Shit lah, how?! I want the position!

2 Paragraphs

Improved XXX Web site for Streamlined Interactions

Returning visitors to our web site www.XXX.com might notice the recent changes we have made to streamline their interactions with our portal. Amongst the changes, the most significant is a permanent horizontal menu bar at the top of every page that indicates the main areas of our web site. We have also simplified the structure such that a user can access information intuitively with fewer clicks.

Although much has changed, we have also maintained the familiar ways of interacting with our web site. With these improvements, both new and returning users can access information about XXX and XXXX easier and faster.

Quick thoughts

Tote bag (suitable for guys)
Drum sticks

Dancing lessons!
Drumming lessons!
Aerobics classes! (body sculpt.etc)

new pair of working shoes
new shirts
new pants

handphone pouch (i'm into leather!)
mu-ee handphone strap (leather too!)

The Rise of the Creative Class - Richard Florida
Freakonomics
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
The Rules of Work

www.leetgamers.com.sg