November 2010
2 posts
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Eureka
On the way home from pp’s church (I go because of the cheap and delish food at the market opposite) bopping to nth repeat of Teenage Dream, I realised that Decisions in Life can be boiled down to two questions:
1. Are you enjoying the journey?
2. If no, do the ends justify the means?
If yes, do the ends also justify the means?
Group Interview
When I first heard it was going to be a group interview, I freaked out a bit and immediately googled the hell out of it.
I went through mine with no expectations, neutral motivation and a lot of passive observing, afterall, I wanted to use this opportunity as a learning ground.
What I learnt:
- Come prepared with a list of interesting questions. (Tip: Check BCG’s FAQs) If not, ask the...
September 2010
6 posts
hmm
take back control OR relinquish reporting responsibilities. sometimes the simplest solutions are right in our face. about 3 hours ago via web
how? frustration is not constructive. about 3 hours ago via web
realised tt i hand in rpts late bcos i dun like to give excuses for performances which i should but have no direct control over. about 3 hours ago via...
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I am a time waster
I often wondered why I study so slow. This morning, I woke up and decided to keep jot down what activity I do at what time.
Behold:
0800: Wake ups, check twitter, reply work emails
0845: SMS pp
0900: Think of getting up to study
1000: Feel sleepy after coffee
1030: Cannot sleep because feel very guilty and stressed about not studying
1031: Study
1115: Think what time I should pick up...
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Comparing Prices of Textbooks
Daddy Treitel 12th edition
- NUS $84.90
- SIM na
- Clementi na
- Pirated dunno
Baby Treitel
- didn’t see it anywhere except school library.
- Photocopy $17.15
Ansons
- NUS $54.90
Cases by BFF
- NUS $86
- Pirated $45.90
Management Accounting Colin Drury (stupid brit, dunno what is puncuation)
- SIM $66.30
- Clementi $67.20
- Bras Basah Popular $79.08!!!
- 2nd hand on HWZ...
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Tips on Photocopying
- When the auntie ask “same size”? Say YES.
because it means that they will shrink, expand the book to fit A4 and not that they will print it on paper the same size of the book.
I said no, and now my pirated books have weird edges and copies from the other page…. anal me don’t like. *very sad face* I have a bit of OCD to things like this.
- When parking car illegally...
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American Textbooks vs Australian Textbooks vs...
The way the textbooks are written are strangely similar to how we stereotype the Amellicans, the Ozzies and the Brits.
The American Textbook
- is very detailed, in that it describes everything in minute detail, the authors say everything that is in their head.
- the good thing is that it uses short, clear sentences; they are succinct.
- uses real world examples which really helps, but they...
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Getting the Best Deal for a Textbook
I’ve been doing quite a bit of legwork weighing the pros and cons of buying new editions textbooks versus photocopying versus buying 2nd hand texts.
This is what I have found:
New Edition Textbooks
- There are three places to get cheap books: Clementi bookshop, SIM bookshop and NUS Coop. I have not looked at NTU bookshop bcos its just too darn far.
- Clementi bookshop
This is the most...
August 2010
3 posts
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Please Sir, Spare Me Some Cash?
I asked for a $4000 sponsorship to pursue a one year course in an area of direct relevance to my work.
My employer proposed a bond of 2 years, from the date of completion.
I was aghast; but was also curious to know the other side of the story. Maybe there was something I did not consider.
My employer’s rationale for the 24month co-relation to the cash sponsorship? He licked his index...
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8 Months of General Management
So much has happened since June:
Survived two big huge bangwanger work related crisis. I learnt that:
1. An omission is not a lie; a truth may not be the whole truth. 2. I am not versed in the art of obfuscation. 3. Integrity or being true to thyself is the source of satisfaction.
Muddydonkey never changed/learned one bit.
I have. I have now learnt how to: 1. Slap him without rising to his...
June 2010
3 posts
The Funny Thing about Life...
… is that I always get what I wished for, though sometimes not in the manner I thought it would be.
It came to me yesterday, during a bath (I seem to eureka there and then more often than anywhere else) that the elusive E that I’ve been trying to find meaning to refers to EXCEPTIONAL.
This morning somebody posted a WTS on a trainer with good resale value. Been thinking about it for a...
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100 Miles of Nowhere
If the Fat Cyclist’s third most ridic thing he has done was to invent the 100 miles of nowhere, the third most ridiculous thing I have done is to “sign up” for the event this year.
The goal of this “race” is not to see how far or how fast you can finish something. The goal is to ride an infuriating short distance many many many times to cover 100 miles. That’s...
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180 Days of being a GM
I officially crossed the half year mark in my “glamorous” role of Assistant General Manager. on June 2.
What happened?
- I experienced my first board meeting as a GM. I was plucked, roasted and grilled like a thanksgiving turkey. It was a good roast and I certainly learned a lot.
- I am still unable to get Muddydonkey’s full cooperation. Things deteriorated after I stopped...
March 2010
10 posts
1 tag
F.A.C.E
My values used to be Double A.C.E. Lately I think it should be F.A.C.E instead.
F for fearless.
I find that if I leave my (and other peoples’) neurosis behind, I can do many things. This stupid fear has stopped me from doing many things - saying what I truly feel, running in the day, making cold calls and even talking to ignorant fools in the workplace. I know I am better than them, but I...
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What I Really Need to Improve On...
… is my ability to see the big picture.
I always prided myself on the ability to do that, until hey hey, there is an even bigger picture to see. And I need time to see the big picture. I need to stare into space. Get out of the office.
…. is my ability to prepare the big picture.
I usually go into meetings or start discussions off the cuff. But lately, I discovered that this is more...
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50 Days of being a GM
Although I have improved how I handle muddydonkey and other nefarious objects of derision, frankly, I am still struggling.
What is really tough for me, right now, is that I am constantly fighting fire. I then realise that I fight fire because I am often not prepared. I am not prepared because I don’t have time to think through things… because I am fighting fire. Round and round it...
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Tokyo Marathon
On my 30th birthday, I made a vow to clear all my baggage. I did, strangely enough because I had actually forgotten about it. A diary entry had to remind me hahahah!
On my 31st birthday, I decided to lose 20kg…. and run the Tokyo Marathon on the 28th of Feb 2011, just a few days after my birthday.
So I am going to start a weekly entry on the marathon training and post weekly ugly bodyshape...
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Muddydonkey Updates
The relationship between Muddydonkey and me has improved.
Although he has still has no initiative, he at least does not sabo me on purpose. Why? If you give muddydonkey 2 weeks to do something, he will take exactly 2 weeks and will submit the results exactly 2 weeks eventhough he has the results earlier.
The thing here is that I have seen the results much earlier than he cared to submit. And I...
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Violent Dreams
Yesterday night, I dreamt that I chastised Muddydonkey and sidekick in public. It started with the sidekick ordering me to “Go buy a battery”. I yelled about being courteous, respect and all. I felt great after. In fact, I woke up feeling like a million bucks.
The night before, I dreamt that I attacked the ignorant fool behaving like an inconsiderate fuckwit mentioned below. Her...
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Ignorant Fools or Inconsiderate Fuckwits
What do you say to someone that purposely threw away a $600 palm pilot which I loaned to three years ago? Considering that we just made up after a ridiculous quarrel and her hypersensitive nature, I swallowed my anger and refrained from lashing out. She apologized profusely claiming to do “anything I wanted” to make amends. In that, she seemed contrite enough.
After I calmed down, I...
February 2010
5 posts
1 tag
Falling Off the Wagon
It takes me a day or so to regain my mojo, which is why, Sundays and Mondays are hard for me. By the time Tuesday rolls in, I am in a state of panic because stuff cannot be done in time.
:(
One reason is because I lose all sense and sensibilities for A.C.E when the weekends arrive. And I forget A.C.E, A=100%C+B and all that. And I become old me. Lazy louty weed smoking me.
I realise that the...
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Cracking the Safe
Everybody is like a security safe, enveloped with thick walls of ego. You can spend a lot of time and energy hitting the ego, reasoning with the ego and eventually you are rewarded with a crack. By that time, I am so tired I need to heal. But the safe will also heal itself and layer on a thicker than before slab of ego.
Why not push the buttons of the safe? Try the various combinations. ...
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Mr Tan's Howling Dog
This is not a story about dogs. This is a story about pain and how pain is not necessary a bad thing. But more importantly, this is a story to people who try to help other people, but end up feeling more frustrated than they begin with.
Mr Tan has a neighbour called Mr Lim who is constantly irked by Mr Tan’s dog. Why the hell does it howl all the time? Why doesn’t Mr Tan do...
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To Have an A.C.E in a Hole
After living each day true to my values, I have again, reorganised it into something that is more powerful and more inspiring.
Finding out the values and core beliefs are not as simple as articulating them. You gotta take them out for a test drive, which I did, and found that what I initially thought were true to me, were not.
My New Values Are:
1. Authenticity (no change)
2. Clarity...
January 2010
9 posts
1 tag
A = 100%C + B
When coach said that my life purpose was a very powerful statement and moved her, I didn’t realise how powerful it was until today.
After talking to PP, I realized that A=100%C+B could also be used to describe the difficult situation with muddy donkey.
I have accepted and recognised that muddy donkey is fundamentally flawed as a person (100%C). So even if I do feed him the required info...
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My Values
This week’s coaching session was about Values. Values are indicators that help me live my life. Values are my core. When I am in doubt or when my gut feel is confusing, I only need to refer back to these values. If they don’t adhere to the values, out they go. Simple dimple.
I was asked to name five values which are important to me.
At first, I didn’t know what was important....
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How I Thought I Quit TV but Didn't
I did quit it, but not entirely. My TV watching drastically reduced and now, I don’t feel that it is a drug. But last week, out of interesting books to read, I took to downloading Private Practice, a TV drama that I didn’t even like.
One boring evening turned into two, and then three and then seven days of TV watching every evening had passed.
One stressful emotional day turned...
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The Root Cause of a Donkey's Ass
The muddy donkey is annoyed with me because I disrespect him. Well, what little respect I have of him now has vanished, for I now pity him.
How? Is the respect thing an effect of an effect, i.e. it is not the root cause.
Well, let’s put what I learnt in coaching:
Why is he annoyed with me?
Because he thinks I don’t respect him.
Why does he need my respect?
Because he feels...
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My Next 7 Days as a GM
The first 7 days was uneventful, considering what happened this week.
1. The muddy donkey didn’t inform me of an unscheduled breakdown - this will be sorted out in the weekly operations meeting and I intend to clobber him.
2. The accounty and financy stuff tried to come to me, but I was so busy planning A&P campaigns and doing my old job that I didn’t have time to learn the new...
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What I learnt from Outliers
This is not a typical story about success, being successful and successful people.
The reason why I am writing something about it is because this book caused me to eureka at every chapter, from the first chapter. There are probably more poignant points which the book makes, but these are the things which had the most meaning for me:
I knew in my gut that success is 50% talent and 50% wealth of...
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My Purpose in Life
This was probably the hardest of all to understand and took the longest to eureka. During the sessions, I was pretty much frustrated and distracted, which led the Life Coach to quip, last December, “you are the only coachee that believes its not ok to not know”
I am not sure if its coincidence or God’s plan but after going through two surgeries and one horrific accident two...
November 2009
26 posts
1 tag
I Can Be Bike Mechanic, Can't I?
I am going to overhaul this very sad bike thrown aside and left to die into… a bike Lance Armstrong can be proud of! AND, I am going to do it without spending a single cent.
This means, I can’t indulge in buying new gizmos, new tools and whatnots. The most I can buy are the essentials like tension wires or new chains etc.
But you guys scream “you donch have the bike...
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Ingenuity Saves $$
Sometimes, if you think a bit, you don’t need to get sucked into the buy-buy-buy world of triathlon.
I wanted to get a proper “cover” for my bike fork so it doesn’t scratch itself and the car. But the free ones I got didnt fit well, and the ones that did were…. $10 too expensive.
So, I went to a hardware store and got myself some table/chair leg ends. I spent a...
3 tags
Garmin Forerunner 310 XT →
I found the holy grail combining HRM with wrist GPS and great logbook interface. Can also be used on the swim and bike too!
Now, to wait for the price to drop… its $600 to $seven00 now. =s
Or sell more of the stuff I don’t use….
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How to Use CO2 →
1. Buy threaded canisters
2. Buy nozzle with flow control lever
3. Screw the nozzle onto the tire valve BEFORE screwing in the canister
4. Inflate the inner tube a bit by blowing air with mouth. Use tongue to depress presta valve. Then put the tube into the bead.
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The Best Fuel on the Run
Coca Cola. I am so trying that in my next race. Hmmmm… maybe I try that for Feb’s Aquathon. Swim/Run.
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Re-Focus
Focus
10 Aug 2009
There are many things I desire to be, have and own… but one needs to focus, if not, everything will be done half heartedly, incomplete.
To narrow things down, I have decided to focus on the following things for the next 6 mths:
0. -
1. I will complete a Sprint and OD Tri, and a half marathon.
- done the sprint, and come 6 Dec, will have done a half...
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iiiii… can gib u gatsbeee…...
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