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.

It's a SONY!

Finally, I managed to lay my hands on my white SONY VAIO notebook after 45 minutes of queuing for payment. But, it's all worth it although my legs are almost giving way after a 2-day workshop event.

I eventually chose SONY VAIO, because of it's specifications and more importantly that it comes equipped with a number of great their original software programs to edit videos, photos and music. And the freebies are really very attractive, especially with the ladies -- it comes with a matching white carrying case and mouse :) hehe, a free upgrade to 3GB RAM and 4GB thumbdrive.

Come to think of it, I am not a recent SONY convert, but a great fan! Just that the pocket finds it hard to sustain the brand loyalty.

My SONY buys over the last few years:
SONY 29" Trinitron CRT TV (almost 10 years - still very reliable)
SONY CLIE SJ30 PDA (2003 - bought 2nd hand from Y-Kit and it was later stolen a year later)
SONY CLIE PEG-TH55 PDA (2004 - the last of SONY's PDA marketed outside Japan -- discontinued shortly after I purchased it)
SONY Mircro Hifi System (2007 - from dad - it's was a freebie that's comes with his new TV)
SONY T200 Camera (2008 - March)
SONY DPP-FP 60 Picture Station (2008 - a freebie from the camera purchase)
SONY VAIO CR 353 Notebook (2008 - June)

My pre-loved CANON camera and ACER laptop lasted me for 3 years and both chose to die almost the same time. Sometimes, I wonder why can't they spread it out by taking turns - one year each? Hopefully, these SONY ones will last me for a longer period.

With this recent purchase, I have to remind myself to be more frugal and eat bread for the next few months probably! OUCH! :P

Tough Choice - But Not Anymore

After 2 weeks of homework and revision, finally it’s the big day that I'm waiting for – The PC Show 2008, which is being held at Suntec – so exciting!

My Acer laptop of more than 3 years have been showing me its crankiness lately, and I have praying hard that it will at least last me for another 3 weeks, before I kick its butt.

So of I went happily, knowing what the specifications that I should be looking out for. It has to be at least a Intel Core 2 Duo processor (2.10 GHz), 250 HDD, 2 GB DDR2 RAM, 13.3” or 14.1” around 2 kg and with the price range of $1,500 - $1,800 and so forth. Not forgetting to check the freebies gifts and credit card promotion, as to which card got more free gifts or lucky draw chances. I have even streamlined to the final 3 brands. All I need is to just go to the booth and have a feel of the keypad and the total outlook of the laptop. You know us gals lah, we are very particular with colour, style and design… hehe

I thought I would be able to get something today, as I was pretty sure that I am capable of that. However, once I reached there, the kiasu Singaporean mentality began to swallowing me up. For 2 solid hours, I was busy collecting brochures and speaking with the representatives from Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, LG, NEC Sony and Toshiba. I didn’t even have the time to proceed to level 6.

I was totally swamped with information. The more I see, the more I’m confused. I began to which exhibiter is crowded, as crowdedness means it’s probably better. Then I did a quick swipe of the hall with my eyes of what are the popular purchases being made, judging from the brand of the paper bags that they were carrying. Guess what? I saw a lot of people carrying a black paper bag with a 4-letter word in white.

By 9:30 pm (half an hour past the closing time), my legs were almost giving way and my stomach was growling. So, I decided to walk to McDonalds to grab a burger and also one for Gavin to thank him for babysitting the kids. (Guys, are so easy to pleased!) The walk through Suntec shopping centre is another WOW WOW – WINDOW SHOPPING again! I only managed to reach McDonalds half an hour later.

Finally, I reached home at 10:45 pm and woke Gavin up for supper. Did more revisions of the brochures. And as I was explaining to Gavin, it had also helped me narrowed down my own choices. I swear the 4-letter word has been ringing in my ears and appearing before my eyes every now and then. It has made me wonder what’s so good about it and it made me scrutinized the specifications in the brochures again. I think I have made my choice liao!

Young Mozart Look-alike

Took the kids to ‘Mozart: A Child Prodigy’ - an interactive exhibition at the National Museum today as a holiday treat during the June vacation. There are 11 themed sections in the gallery for the children to explore and compare the differences and similarities of everyday living with young Mozart’s, back in the 18th Century.

That 2 zebras horsing around.

Bryan and Joel got to put on moles, wigs and costumes from the 18th century. The staff there was telling us that if a mole was drawn on the cheek, just right below the eyes, it signifies authority. In fact, I enjoyed this section the most - more than the kids. They insisted on removing their moles and mustache at the washroom, before heading back home, as we took the public transport.

Hehe .. I was slim enough to fit into a kid's dress! The gown is supposed to end at the ankle, but mine ends at the calf instead. Also, I didn't managed to zip the back of my dress :P

The boys had their hands on writing with quill and ink, playing the ancient game spinning tops, of mixing herbal remedies and making tooth powder for the brushing of teeth. They also got to make paper wigs.

same-same / sama-sama
T-shirts and even drawings

Left the car home for the day, as parking within CBD on a Saturday morning is expensive. However, we were caught in the rain.

After spending the money and 3 hours at the Museum, I asked the kids if they have enjoyed themselves. And ultimately what they enjoyed were the sumptuous breakfast at the Kopitiam at The Plaza by the Park, the double-decker bus rides and walking in the rain!

Feeling Constipated

Aly ah,

How about I give you a swift kick in your ass

and you can kick mine after that!

Americanized Goose

As usual, I got no idea what is the Chinese poem that Joel is reciting, except that it's something about "goose".

I swear, I did not feed him a sack of potatoes.
He hates potates, except for french fries.
Hmm... perhaps that's the reason why -- the American by-product of potatoes!!!

Aunty Nana, can you please provide me with the text and the translation. Kam siah!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Seriously, I still can't imagine that dad has been upgraded to "Senior Citizen" title. He turn 61 this year, but he sure doesn't look like one. It was overheard at my wedding that my father actually looks younger than my husband. And Dad's energy and stamina is alot better than mine anytime, especially on Wii Sports.

My mother-in-law was pretty excited when she hit her 60s, as she finally got her Senior Citizen bus card, which entitles her to the various benefits. But I think the joy is definitely more than that. Hitting 60s marks another chapter of their lives, where life's focus are no longer over bread and butter, but finding time for themselves -- to do the things that they wanted to do when they are young, but have sacrificed it for the sake of the family.

In relation to the sensitive topic on age. Recently, I got to know that the age range for youth is between 18-35 years. Yikes! I'm almost reaching the end of my youth... sob sob. So what do you call the next classification (36-59) huh?

We had a pre-celebration of 727 durian cake bought from Kovan (near Upper Serangoon Road). Experience has taught us to eat birthday cakes 2-3 hours before dinner, as most of us are probably very full after dinner. The cake is really good, I must say.

So paiseh (shy) to have Dad treat us to dinner at Ming Jiang at the Goodwood Park Hotel. We wanted to treat him but he is even more excited about his birthday bash that he pre-booked it himself more than 5 days ago, before we could make any plans. Luckily, there is still Father’s Day celebration just around the corner.

Geez, I think I must have eaten a lot to balloon to this size in this picture. I think we must stop ordering that “sharky” soup, as Jas and Cavin have successfully abstain from it for years and Carol is starting it too. Blame it on Joel, as Dad is always ordering that soup because of him. And Jas, will you please stand in front of me the next time!