Some of my favourite quotes

Those who stand for nothing fall for anything - Alexander Hamilton

To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail - Abraham Maslow
(the world we see is a reflection of who we are)

A man is what he thinks about all day long - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A person's life is dyed with the colour of his imagination - Marcus Aurelius

Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. Th more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one

True friends are like diamonds

If my school permits, I would be going to Japan for my 6 mths overseas internship. I can't believe it when my dad told me his jap friend called to say I could work in his company and he is willing to pay me the staff salary which my dad declined, saying that I only needed some allowance.

Earlier I told my dad that the school would most likely post me to OCBC bank in Shanghai, and I don like it, firstly, because since the start of my 7 wks internship at DBS, I hate working in banks. The working environment is too serious and boring, and secondly, because food in China is quite unhygenic. So my dad sent a card to his old jap fren asking him if i could work in his company.

My dad got to know him when he was posted to work in Japan 20 yrs ago before I was borned. He was a good host, bringing my mom & dad all ard Japan and because he likes mixing with foreigners, he learnt how to speak English so my parents could converse with him. Now 20 yrs later, they still send greeting cards to each other during Christmas.

I din expect his fren to really employ me, i tot he would just give an excuse or pretend my dad never asked. Its for 6 mths, and given the current economic condition, it would be a drain on his resources. Besides, I don know Japanese so I dunno how I can be of value to his company. Also, being my dad's fren, he would feel obliged to bring me ard Japan and keep me company in the weekends. It'll be a hassle for him and his family and I'm afriad I might be intruding their privacy.

I din expect their friendship to be so deep, after all, it was 20 yrs ago and although his jap friend speaks english, its only at elementary level, and they still have difficulty communicating with each other . My dad told me that alhough they live far apart and only send an occasional greeting card, they are true friends, and he noe his jap fren would defintitely agree to employ me.

This is the kind of friendship I see in HK dramas, and thats probably one reason why I like watching these dramas. The friends which go thru thick and thin tgt, with whom u dare to speak ur mind, and u know they would always support u no matter wat, even when it inconvenienced them. True frens are like diamonds, they r few but valuable.

Its beyond what we see or even what we feel. It’s an order of truth that separates the profound from the merely clever, and the reality from perception. We’re helpless in the face of it and the cost of knowing love is sometimes greater than any heart would willingly pay” from the book Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts


Isn't this scene beautiful?? ...love is bliss

Looks? Money? Status? & My thoughts about love

This blog is specially written for ppl who are disillusioned into thinking that gals are only going for guys with looks, money & status.

Is it true that gals want a guy who is rich, good looking and has high social status? Looks, maybe not as important, but money & social status, yes. It is an unconscious animal survival instinct in us since the cavemen era where men go out to hunt for food & women protect their offspring. A rich guy who has a high social status shows that he is popular among his pals, competent and able to provide for the family.

It’s hard for gals to discern the good guys from the bad ones, so money and status are easy measures of a guy’s competence. However, I feel that it’s better to look at a guy’s potential, which is seen in his attitude and character instead, for example, is he hardworking, motivated and determined? A rich guy can lose all his money if he doesn’t know how to manage his finances, and status, just like money, can be gone one day.

Then again, gals who only date competent guys who will rise to be CEOs in future must be careful, because these type of guys tend to be overachievers. They seek out the best in life, and are not easily satisfied. This means not being easily satisfied with their girlfriend too. I won’t want a guy like that. It’s a torture being with him. He’s so critical and I will never be good enough for him. I cannot please him, and he will most probably have an affair if he finds someone else whom he thinks is better than me.

I know looking for money, status or competence in a guy seems manipulative and calculating. Shouldn’t true love be unconditional? Like no matter how bad a person is, u still love him/her? I believe that there is unconditional love, but that’s after u have fallen in love with a person. After all the emotions and effort invested in a relationship, the time spent together & the memories shared, If my boyfriend suddenly become crippled or paralysed, I will stay by his side forever because my love for him is unconditional.

I told a friend that I can give unconditional love to my husband and he asked me: “Are you willing to sacrifice ur life for ur husband?” His question stumped me. I have never asked myself that question or thought of unconditional love in that way. I took time to reflect and really think about it, and my answer is yes..i will sacrifice my life for my beloved because he has become as important or even more important than me. His happiness is more impt than my happiness or rather I can never be happy if he is unhappy.

I watched TVB’s “Tang Xin Feng Bao – Moonlight resonance” drama..& cho bao said that he wished his wife will die earlier than him because he doesn’t want his wife to suffer the pain of losing a loved one. I want to die earlier than my husband too. The pain of losing a loved one is so unbearable..like u are losing part of urself. I’ll probably get depressed.

Whatever it is, Love is not easy. A couple needs to have the same values and beliefs. It is the most fundamental aspect in a relationship. Eg. A conflict will arise if the gal values her freedom and doesn’t like to be controlled by anyone but the guy prefers a more dependent relationship. Similarly with the gal who is a staunch Christian and goes to church every week but the guy doesn’t believe in god. A relationship is like 2 ppl coming together as a single entity. They must be going in the same direction in life or at least looking at life from the same point of view. That is why some couples break up. It’s because their priorities in life have changed, they do not have common interests, and they have nothing enjoyable to do together as a couple. They are not involved in each others’ lives hence they slowly drift apart wondering why the feeling is lost.

Oh, and another thing, after watching TVB’s “Gem of life” drama, I realise that a couple’s family and extended family plays an important role in a relationship. When you fall in love with someone, you are not only falling in love with that person, but also with that person’s family. Your beloved is not a lone wolf. Her family is part of the package and they are important to her. She has to consider their feelings and if you cannot get along with them, don’t expect to have a smooth relationship with her.

Many of my friends asked me why im still single, “You never like anyone before meh?” “Your expectation too high la, you so fussy, I think you can’t get married.” Ha ha..I don’t think I have high or unrealistic expectations. I don’t place much importance on looks, money or status. I just need a guy who genuinely loves me, understands me, and can connect with me on a deeper level. Of course we must have the same values in life, and his personality must also complement me. It’s hard to find someone like that, and I won’t compromise. It’s all or nothing. I rather not have a relationship if can’t find the “right one”. It’s hard for me to fall in love, but once I do, I do so deeply, and it would be a life transformation, for both me and my partner.

Socrates once said: “An unexamined life is not worth the living.”

Company: DBS Bank Ltd
Address: Consumer banking 6 Shenton Way, DBS Building Tower 1 S068809
Department: Security & Analytics
Period: 2/3/09 - 18/4/09

Phew! What an exhausting week at work! I had to create weekly and daily reports, update balances and edit pivot tables.. looking at numbers the whole day just bores me out. My supervisors are very busy people. They always work overtime, and have numerous deadlines to meet hence they often leave me to figure things out on my own.

After commencing on my internship, I often wonder how I am going to find work-life balance in future. Reaching home around 8 plus everyday, leaves me little time for anything else since I have to sleep early and wake up at 6am to travel to work the next day. I have less time for my family and friends not to mention time to pursue my personal interests or watch my HK dramas.

This internship made me realise the importance of setting clear priorities. There is limited time, and having clear priorities help me eliminate the unnecessary activities that keep me away from the things that matter to me. Since spending time with my family& friends is my one of my priorities in life, I realise that I may have to forgo my HK dramas for example, if I wish to spend more meaningful time with them. (Bye Ling fung..u r not tat impt to me)

I am reflecting on life and currently, my 3 most important priorities in life are:

1) family & friends
2) professional/ individual growth
3) health

I Know that achieving work-life balance is almost impossible in the beginning of my career at an entry-level position. I may have to work overtime most of the days to prove my value to the company. However, I believe over time, with proper time management and higher status, I would be able to have more flexibility in my work schedule , and hopefully achieve the work-life balance I am yearning for :)