Not Enough Time

Do you always have the feeling that you are always running out of time and there is just so much to do and you have no time?

That's how I feel at work these days. Things are just piling up and you get a boss who does not care what you do as long as he does not get a nasty or enquiry email from someone above or next door (next department). All he can think about is building his empire.. basically have a great post, hire heaps of people but not sure what these folks are going to do...

Anyway, I feel that I am constantly running out of time, before I knew it the day is over and I get bugged by my hubby to get off work earlier and stop making him wait. If only I have more time and if only I do not have to work.. and if only I have a change of boss.. if only I stay at home and be on etsy the whole day... if only if only....

Japan

I have been to Japan before.. but I guess the last trip was probably the most BORING trip ever..probably because it was a work trip and not a holiday one.. I was so bored that I began to find out that Japanese folks are really great in their customer service and every detailed and sensitive to people's needs.... through the little things in life... i mean at work / hotel.

1. Great idea to have a stirrer cum stopper for takeaway coffee at Starbucks.
   Back home, whenever, I take away coffee at Starbucks or other coffee place, they usually just put sticky tape over the "opening". That not only does not prevent the coffee from spilling, usually my napkins will be "soaked" in coffee after I travel back to the office. In Japan, they actually have a pretty green stirrer and stopper that they put at the opening to prevent the coffee from spilling. It has a bit of weight which sits very snugly.
   
   
2. Toilet Seat that washes your "A**"
   In Japan, all good toilet seats come in a personal A** washer that helps to wash your anus and vulva after a good poo or pee. After searching the wiki, these are called washlets. In Some toilets, they even have seat warmers to help to warm your bum especially during the cold winter. How thoughtful is that?! Let's just hope it does not malfunction during summer :)
   
   
   
   
3. Branded Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Soap
   Love the Shiseido brand of toiletries. With the dispensers, they help to save the planet too.
   
   
4. Lighted Mirrors
   In hotels, it is very common to have an additional small mirror to help you to come up close and personal when you examine your face (e.g. for pimples) :P In the hotel that I stayed in Japan, they even have a light together with that mirror.
   
   
5. Personal Reading Lamps
   In hotels, it is also very common to have bedside lamps but it is the first for me to have personal reading lamps that you can adjust next to your bed.
   
   
   

Overall, I had a good time in Japan, weather was cold but great.. nice change from the hot Singapore. Here's a cute Christmas tree that I saw outside of Banana Republic, the little shopping bags are actually Christmas lights for the tree.

Hong Kong

Here are some photos from my Hong Kong trip last. Sadly this is for work and as you can see I can only offer pictures from my hotel *what a loser*...

The view from my hotel room is FANTASTIC I must say.

Here are some photos during the day. I was staying at the Excelsior Hotel @ Hong Kong island and my room was facing the bay! Beautiful view with the boats..

Here are some photos taken at night, as you can see the Christmas lights have been setup. In HK, it is very common to have Christmas lights on buildings. We don't have that in Singapore. There seem to be more lights in the buildings in Kowloon as compared to HK island.

Crazy Week

This week has been crazy for me as I just came back from Hong Kong on a work trip and I will be off again on Sunday to Japan again for work... To some, it is always great to have the chance to travel.. I do agree.. but to travel for work is no fun.. even though the ticket and the accommodation is free, more often of not, you are traveling alone and you tend to have more work after the trip. This is because you will try to have tons of meetings and discussion to meet up with people during your stay there (given the short span of time).. thus all the paperwork will have to wait till after you are back or after office hours when you are slogging away at the hotel.. *sob sob*

How I wish I can just quit my job and start my own business.. that has always been my dream and something that I wanted to do.. but my hubby has been nagging me to just stay with my job given the economy downturn and people losing their jobs.. I should (and I AM) fortunate to still have mine.

Sigh.. maybe I will wait another year or so.. build up my shop and regular stream of customers..

Oh... even though I have been traveling.. I sneak some time to do up my latest necklace.. Ain't it cute?!

Taiwan - Part 1

Aww.. it's good to be back home.. The weekend has been so short.. After arriving back in Singapore on Friday.. I had a busy Saturday, going to the post office to post all my backdated items, dashing to the bridal fitting and driving to church for rehearsals (I serve as a backup singer once a month in church)... So by the time Sunday arrive, I just wanna stay home and laze....

Anyways, as promised, here are some pictures of my Taiwan trip.. This is only part 1 as my colleague took some and send them to my work email which I have yet downloaded..

1) Here are some pictures that I took on my way to work from the shuttle (limo/cab)...


2) Here are some pictures that I took at the supermarket.. The fruits are SO HUGE that I can't resist but to take some shots of them.



3) Here's a short clip of this rebranding celebration at the Taiwan office on Thursday. There were musicians playing, taking their walk on every floor..

Job Stability

Another week of market instability... I am beginning to find it hard to concentrate at work.. Everyday, my colleagues & I will be reading the news, monitoring the market and looking at the share prices..

Most of my projects are being canned, thus there is really less to do... I am happy that my mumbai trip was off.. and that I am not as overloaded as before... But it got me thinking about my job and whether it would be stable..

While I am worried about my job, I am finding hard to enjoy work with the new boss.. Something that I have been struggling for a while. At times like this, I feel that I just have to bite the bullet and hang in there. Even though, I find it hard to work with him.

Another day, another worry... I hope this crisis will come to an end soon...