Facing the Brick Walls

Recently, I was recommended this book "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch by my sister Caroline. It is based on his talk which was modelled after an ongoing series of lectures to an consider their demise and to talk on what matters to most of them. However, the author didn't have to imagine as if his last, as it is truly his last, as he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He just died on 25 July 2008. The lecture he gave wasn't really about dying but about the importance of overcoming obstacles and of enabling of dreams.

His last lecture on "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" can be found on YouTube. Here, I have linked his short 10 minutes overview and his full 1 hour 20 mins long lecture.

I have watched the video clips and am almost finishing the last bit of the book. It has been inspirational and yet humourous. I was reading it on the bus journey and I couldn't help nodding my head to some of his sharings, which are very real and I can even identify with some of them. Occasionally, I was smiling like an idiot to myself that all these are so very true -- of what life has installed for us and what would be our response. Do we want to walk a life of victory or simply dwell in our own circumstances?

Below are just 2 very practical lessons that I've picked up from the book.

• When you are screwing up and nobody tells you anything to you anymore, that means they have given up on you. When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody is bothering to tell you anymore, that's a bad place to be. You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you that they still love you and care for you and want to make you better.

• The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.

There are plenty of other interesting life lessons, and I strongly recommend this book to you.

Red & White

Here are the lucky numbers for your National Day Draw.

6 Kiddos doing their after lunch "business". L-R: Clarissa, Joshua, Joel, Bryan, Caleb & Shayna Excluding: Aaron & Asher (twins) who are at their Ah Ma's house. So, all in all there are 8 kids, and soon they can form their own table.

The 5 Beautiful Cha Bors L-R: Val Hea, Gina, Angela, Val Yeo & Alvena

4 Jumping Jacks & Jane. Actually, couldn't get a shot of the 4 guys: Erik, Gavin, Jacob & Patrick.

The 2 August Birthday gals who just turned 35 Gina & Angela receiving their birthday angbaos.

And finally, 1 group shoot, which took us nearly 20 minutes to gather.

Hi, I'm Hitler.

I'm glad that the peak period, which I dreaded most is finally over. Besides the stress, it's having been released from brooding over what and how to say politically sweet nothings that are pleasing to people's ears! My colleagues advised me to simply nod my head in agreement, or choose to ignore their comments. However, some sarcastic remarks and actions were simply too annoying to be ignored.

The last 2 months was having like knots in my blood vessels. Many a time, I felt as if there was not enough oxygen going up my brain, and that I might get a stroke anytime if I continue to work on that project. I told myself, I'm not so noble to sacrifice myself yet.

First, I was being teased that my style to that of Hitler -- a dictator. But we are dealing with 80 over speakers who need to be constantly reminded and "threatened" occasionally to submit their papers on time for my onward forwarding to the chairpersons for their perusal and comments, and for the preparation of the conference materials.

Later, I was being thanked in an email note to all my dept staff that this feat would not have been impossible for us to pull if not for the hard work of our Events Team, and especially to me, who wielded the bell and the stick! Actually, I wanted to reply to her email that I also had carrots in my one-tonne handbag, just in case the stick doesn't work!

OH! SHUT UP, VAL!

But that's really tough for me. I tend to say what I'm thinking and what I believe and have come across to some people as troublemakers.

It sometimes makes me wonder what an ideal worker should be like? Should I nod my head with agreement with whatever and anything? Or should I have a golden mouth mentality that opens for 10 minutes a day (during lunch for food perhaps) or just sits at meeting to take down notes and not voice any opinions, concerns, ideas or suggestions?

Do you know why car with lesser mileage chalked up is being valued higher, cos it is hardly ever being used - as good as new. Maybe I should not overwork my brains so that if I ever were to change my job, I can tell my new employer that I have been preserving my brains for the new job!

Busy Feasting

It has been such a busy period for the month of July with big events being packed back-to-back. At one stage, I was in correspondence with about 140 speakers and chairpersons from the 3 events, in which I was anchoring. No matter how big or how small the event is, it's still the same amount of work. It makes no difference catering for 50 pax or 100 pax. However, organising bigger event is more gratifying -- for the same amount of work, it reaps more results such as more participants and more papers.

Thank goodness, there are 5 interns (Ada, Karita & Mike from Chinese University of Hong Kong; Jim & Peter from University of British Columbia, Canada) and a new colleague, Sharon with us. We had lots of fun and how can I forget the feasting trips to Sakae Sushi, Cafe Les Amis, MacDonalds, Coffee Beans and the numerous events dinner. No wonder I put on 4 kg during the recent events peak period!

McDonalds @ Serene Centre
L-R: Ada, Karita, Peter, Jim, Mike, Henry & Alyson

"Dodo Bird" Peter & "Mentos Monster" Jim

"Miss Non-spicy" Karita & "Miss Pure"Ada

Lunch at Cafe Le Amis @ the Singapore Botanical Gardens

Henry & Yati, who was trying to pry open the durian that they picked from the garden.

A very miserable durian!

Mike bought us a THANK YOU cake.

"Mikey" Mike, who really eats a lot, yet maintains his slimness.

Conference Dinner at Long Beach @ Dempsey

SuperDeeDuper Busy Lately

Out of Office Reply

I do not know if I should thank the whoever person who created emails/internet. Life has been more busy than before. Once enter into office, the routine is to check emails, phone mails, in-tray, faxes, not forgetting sometimes sms, personal emails and facebook later, if I can catch a breather.

Somehow, living in this modern world is stressful. The speed of communication is faster and faster. Sometimes, I would get an immediate reply, when I hit the SEND button. And I even knew of a few people whom I can expect an immediate reply in the next 10 minutes or so.

If a phone call has to be answered within 3 rings (that's what they taught), thus I wonder what would be the so called "Best Practice" criteria to replying emails? I once heard someone mentioned that it's 3 days at max for emails, which is by the way, that's that person's "standard" lor. I nearly fainted!!!! I might as well send by snail mail. By the way, snail mail in Singapore only takes a day hor!

Often we expect a swift response to our reply, but we don't even bother do it for others. Thus, I told myself, if I will have to try to clear and respond to most of the before-3-pm-cut-off emails within the day. Weekends are exempted of course!

Talking about responding to emails, sometimes, I really wonder if the "Out-Of-Office (OOO)" notification message is really necessary? Although, one day late in responding to email won't kill/die, but if it's a pre-plan or leave that are longer than 2 days, I think it's an e-etiquette to keep others inform. Simply, it just meant an excuse to cover up for the delay.

And often when I put it up, suay suay my sisters have to choose that day to email me only to find out that I'm on leave again. But there many types of leave annual leave, medical leave, child sick leave, training leave and time off. But seriously, I burn nights and weekends to accumulate time off leh!

Here are some funny 'OOO' automatic email replies (excerpted from one of those trashy emails):

• I am currently out of the office at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Please be prepared for my mood.
  
• You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't have received anything at all.
  
• Sorry to have missed you, but I'm at the doctor's having my brain and heart removed so I can be promoted to our management team.
  
• I will be unable to delete all the emails you send me until I return from vacation. Please be patient, and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.
  
• Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for the first 10 words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.
  
• The email server is unable to verify your server connection. Your message has not been delivered. Please restart your computer and try sending again. (The beauty of this is that when you return, you can see who did this over and over and over.)
  
• Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system. You are currently in 395th place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.
  
• Hi, I'm thinking about what you've just sent me. Please wait by your PC for my response.
  
• I've run away to join a different circus.
  
• I will be out of the office for the next two weeks for medical reasons. When I return, please refer to me as 'Vincent' instead of Valerie.

Here's the final one -- my ultimate and real life encounter, which left me dumbfounded for days!!!!

• I'm currently away. For urgent matters, please call me on my mobile XXXX XXXX.

First of all, one is not indispensable in any workplace. Secondly, PLEASE don't leave your personal mobile number and/or redirect it to your partner's personal mobile number in the "OOO" auto reply message, as there is such function called "CALL FORWARDING" in most, in fact all office phones. You never know who might be calling you in the middle of the night, you know? When I was young, my mum always tell me not to give especially our personal (house) telephone number away, unless we know the person well.

I WON !

Thank you miss ah for the meal. Cheap cheap only!
Perhaps, the next time the bet shall be a MACbook Air instead of MACDonalds.

Big Mac & Coke always cheer us up.