Archive for May, 2007

31
May

It takes all kinds to make the world go round

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Food for Thought

"Hi, is this 016-xxxxxxx?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"Look. I was reloading my prepaid account earlier today and I accidentally reloaded the amount to YOUR number instead of mine."
"Oh?"
"Yea…so I need you to go to the nearest reload kiosk and reload the same amount back to MY number."

Huh???

Work came up. Call totally forgotten. Couple of hours later. Was in meeting when her mobile rang again. Can’t answer. Had to terminate the call. It went off again and again. Thank God the phone was on silent mode. Ignored it for the rest of the meeting. Total number of missed call - 11. Whatever. Back to work at her desk. Whoops…drank too much water today. Need to go visit the ladies’ room again. Back at desk. What?!? 8 missed calls. This is getting annoying.

Beep. ‘You have 1 unread message’.

"Woi! Why are you ignoring my calls?! Pick up! I am telling ya…I reloaded to your number and you better pay it back to me! Or I will make you pay! Don’t play-play with me!"

OK, this is getting creepy. So, she decided to reply.

"Ok. How much did you reload to my number that you need me to reload it back to yours?"
"RM 5"
"WHAT??! You gotta be kidding me, right?! Was there a typo? Did you mean RM 50?"
"Nope. RM 5. That’s the amount I reloaded wrongly to your number."

Ok. That’s it. Total psychopath! She decided not to bother replying.  Turned off her mobile for the day. Used the land line to call Digi to complain and lodge a report to bar the number.

Thought for today:
Without such NUTS walking the streets everyday, life would be so much more boring, no? ;)

31
May

Excuse me, are you Eleen?

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Health & Fitness

Hey, gorgeous….

Yeah…. you’re rite. Still can’t post comments on your blogs. Maybe they had to bar those blogs worth commenting on… coz otherwise, too many comments would have been posted, they won’t have enough GBs to support it.

hahahahahaha……

Sorry, D. I wish I knew what the problem is but I don’t. I also decided that wasting my brain cells about why Friendster screwed up on the comments function is totally unncessary.

Answers to your questions:

  • Yes, it would seem that we go to the same gym. Strange how we never bump into each other, huh? Either in the classes or in the locker room. I usually go in the evenings after work. Seldom go on weekends though. Too busy recovering from clubbing or too busy getting pampering sessions. Or just bumming at home.
  • Thx for the BW tip on male waxing. I will suggest it to Sonia and get her to consider adding that to FLUFF’s list of services. If waxing studios in Singapore can do it, why can’t FLUFF? At worst, I’ll take sweetheart to the place T goes to in Singapore the next time we find ourselves there.
  • FLUFF is on the 2nd floor at Island Plaza. Right next to the electrical goods store (I think it’s HSL).
  • LOL. Love the way you so frankly shared with me why you guys love BW.
  • Try peppermint essential oil to help ease his headache the next time you get busy. It really works! ;)
  • Kindred bond of friendship. Hear hear.

P/S - Were you at the gym on Beach Party night?

31
May

Yesterday

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Film

     Phew! What a looonnnnggggg Wednesday it was! By the time we were done with work for the day, we were SUPER tired.

    We were so exhausted that we even skipped gym for that evening. We decided to take a nap after work since we had a couple of hours before the movie (yup, we finally got some good tix for Pirates 3). It was such a good nap that we almost overslept! Had to rush all the way downtown and made it in the nick of time.

    Despite the earlier nap and despite the movie being really good…I still dozed off for a few seconds here and there. Guess sweetheart is just so snuggle-able that it was so easy to fall asleep with his arms around me, and my head on his chest…shoulders…lap…or wherever my head shifted to throughout the 3 hours. I love the way he occasionally steals kisses on my forehead (sometimes my cheek or my lips or even my neck)…makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside…

     Did I enjoy the movie? Yes, I did. In fact, I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed Spiderman 3. I was tired…but I really enjoyed the movie and of coz, the snuggling time.

     As a result of the late night, I had a REALLY hard time getting out of bed this morning. Poor sweetheart had to wait for me to get dressed and I ended up having to put on my make-up in the car on the way to work!

     Nonetheless, I had a great Thursday. Had a great meeting with my team and covered a lot of ground today…but that’s a different story. That’s today. This entry is about yesterday. :)

30
May

Career Passion

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Work Excitement

IDP - Individual Development Plan. That’s what it stands for.
That’s one of the many reasons why I am so damn proud to work for Dell!  :)

The one thing our new big boss told us when he visited us from Sweden a few weeks back that got stuck in my head.

"DO NOT underestimate and DO NOT under-utilise your IDP. I got to where I am today because I paid attention to my IDP and I took it seriously. If your managers are not working with you on your IDP’s, I wanna know abt it and I will make sure they start immediately!"

     With a guilty jolt, I thought abt my own IDP and the IDP’s of my team. Made a mental note to spend more time on them. At the IDP training today, I learnt something new again.

     IDP’s are not about taking us to the next job, the next level, the next promotion…so what IS it about?

  • identifying our towering strengths so that we can continue doing what we do best.
  • identifying our opportunity areas and acknowledging them.
  • identifying and developing competencies that will help turn our opportunity areas into towering strengths.
  • a shared ownership between an employee and the boss (we own the driving, boss owns the coaching, guiding and support).

If we don’t feel passionate about what we do, who does???

29
May

Feeling sexy…feeling lucky!

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Health & Fitness

Today’s theme at the gym : Beach Party.

"Remember to come dressed for the beach!"
"Bring your bikinis and trunks. We are gonna work out in them and be SEXY!"
"Go Hawaiian!"

     To show my support for the theme, I decided to replace my Nike top with my bikini top for the Body Pump class tonight. Sweetheart came prepared with his trunks underneath his beach shorts but ended up keeping his shorts on ‘cos no guy in the class pumped in their trunks! :( 

     The highlight of the night was when 1 of the 2 instructors took off his shirt and started pumping iron in just his super skimpy beach shorts. Fuuhhh!!! I had such a hard time concentrating on pumping those weights then! My eyes kept darting to his washboard tummy, his super sexy oh-I-wanna-die-in-his-arms body…and my imagination was running wild with the sight of sweat trickling down his arms and torso. QM’s fav word for men like this : KETAT!!! Oh yea….damn ketat!

     Ok, concentrate concentrate…!

Finally, the 1-hour class came to an end. "Don’t leave yet! Stay for the lucky draw" - our instructors were telling us. So, we stayed around instead of rushing off to the locker room as usual.

     "Aileen Khor!" Sweetheart shoved me forward "Baby, they are calling your name! GO!" I wasn’t sure cos I thought I heard "Aileen Khor" instead of "Eleen Por". A lady stepped forward and claimed the prize. Hhhmmm….oh well….

     The names were rolling out. Prizes were passed out. Vouchers for mani and pedi; set lunch for 2 at Audees, vouchers from Danai Spa, Body Shop products, MP3 players, etc…and the grand prize was a 2D/1N stay at Hydro Majestic Hotel.

     I was getting impatient. "Call my name! Call sweetheart’s name!" I was thinking and praying hard. Then, sweetheart suddenly jumped up and ran to the front of the room. Oh Oh Oh! They called his name!!! Yayyyy…I was jumping up and down in excitement at the back of the room. Getting stares from folks around the room. Damn if I care!

     "So what did you get, baby?" I asked excitedly. He peered into the envelope and said "The first prize from Danai Spa. A voucher for 2.5 hrs of massage, scrub and bath worth RM195!" and passed the voucher to me "You go lah". More squeals of excitement as I hugged and kissed him. Yippeeeee…more pampering sessions for me!

     Back at the locker room, one of the girls came up to me and handed me an envelope. "Are you a fan of mani & pedi?" I could only nod in excitement. "Here you go…3 vouchers for mani & pedi at this place called My Nail Spa. I don’t go for those".  Tonight is indeed my lucky night! Thanks Lady Luck!!! :D

     Of coz there were other bigger and better prizes given out tonight. Am I sore that we did not get them? Nope. I am happy with the Spa Package from sweetheart and the mani & pedi vouchers from the girl in the locker room.

     So what if they really called out "Eleen Por" instead of "Aileen Khor" earlier in the night? It was just not meant to be.

Love. Appreciate. Enjoy. Live. Pray. Dream.

28
May

Wet Tuesday

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized

Woke up to the sound of my mobile going off. Rolled over…peered accusingly with half an eye at the screen on my phone….ahhh…morning call from sweetheart. Checked the time….6.15am….and is that rain I hear on my window? Arrghhh…wanna sleep some more!!!

Ok, I’m dressed and ready. Just abt time for sweetheart to get to my place. Hmm…why is he still not here? Nvm…get to steal some time to continue with the book I left off last week.

Ahhh…..there he is. Gym bag in trunk, laptop bag in backseat, morning kiss from sweetheart. I was oh-so-ready for Tuesday : Wet or Dry!

“It’s such a cosy morning to go back to bed and cuddle, eh….shall we?” he teased with a twinkle in his eye.

“I wish!” I’ve a full day ahead today. Lots of meetings and action items due. Oh yeah, interviews too. Urghh….

Hope you have a GREAT Tuesday!

28
May

Patience…tested!

By Eleen Por 2 Comments
Categories: Weblogs

     It’s bloody frustrating that Friendster is not allowing me to comment on my friends’ blogs. I thought it was just my problem until I get msgs from folks complaining that they can’t post comments on my blogs and end up having to send me msgs.

     Weird thing is : It only gets screwed up on certain blogs. The ones I can’t post the comments are the ones I really wanted to comment on! Those I can post, just not worth my time.

Darn….

27
May

BW - Part IV

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Beauty

     D, thanks for your message earlier. I am happy to be able to share this new-found information with my friends and I am sure T will be *very* excited with your surprise for him! ;) Perhaps if you could find out from him if he is able to get any BW services for guys in Singapore? I will then suggest to Sonia, the co-owner of FLUFF. She is, after all, a Singaporean.

     I decided to cheer sweetheart up from his bad day by offering to give him a BW pampering session. That did the trick. He was like a little kid…excited for the attention and pampering. It was, after all, close to 2 months since I last gave him his BW fix. I remember it was just before our Phuket trip. As usual, he didn’t flinch an inch while I waxed him. I must say I did a pretty good job this time round. I think I was in a bad mood the last time I gave him his BW fix. Did a crappy job and he ended up having to clean up after me. Felt bad about that but I made sure I more than made up for it this time round.

   And so Sunday ended on a happy note : for sweetheart and for me. Must now prepare myself for yet another full week ahead.

Happy last week of May to all of you! June is just around the corner!

27
May

Yet another great weekend

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Life & Love

Can’t believe it’s almost over. :\
So, here’s a recap of my weekend.

Friday
As usual, gym after work. After that, sweetheart and I spent some time at home with his mom till it was time to go clubbing. Had fun with friends. Made some new friends. Oh, we saw the near-kangtao guy from last weekend. The owner of the mysterious Marlboro Lights pack (check out my earlier entry to understand the story behind this guy). We pretended we didn’t see him and I am sure he pretended he didn’t see us too. LOL. A guy I was dancing with earlier in the night came up to me to ask "Can I kiss you pls?". I looked over to sweetheart who was sitting next to me and I heard him say "Go ahead if you want to." So I turned around to give the guy his kiss. Did I enjoy it? It was OK. It did not turn my insides upside down though, the way my baby’s kisses do to me.

Saturday
As usual, we slept in till past noon. Was so tempted to cuddle some more but decided my BW appointment was crucial. Sweetheart agreed and chased me out of bed. Had a GREAT time at FLUFF! Then off to my monthly eyebrow-threading fix at Little India. T was excited to find out that she can get a good eyebrow-threading fix for a mere RM 5! The last time she had a decent fix was back in The Philippines. Wedding dinner at night. Boring. Had a ball of a time catching up and gossiping with galfriends though. Went over to pick up sweetheart for clubbing. He was still getting ready. So sat around and played with his nephew. His bro and sis-in-law were lazying around watching me and sweetheart’s mom play with the little boy. Then, it was off to clubbing. Packed like sardine-can as usual. We got tired of being pushed around. Decided to call it an early night. Left before the club lights came on.

Sunday
Slept till really late. Then went over to Sandy’s place for an aromatherapy massage. Love being pampered by Sandy. I always walk out of her shop feeling relaxed and happy. Decided to go over to Chris’ for a hairwash. The shampoo gal gives me great head massages. Felt I needed one as I was having a slight headache from the 2 nights of clubbing. J called to tell me about his yet another durian-craving. Persuaded me to take him to have durians again. Yum Yum… Sweetheart called to complain about his bad day. Awww, poor baby. Promised him some hugs and then some… He just came over. Will need to give him some attention and lurrveee.

Hope you folks had a GREAT weekend and an even more amazing week ahead! :))))

27
May

BW - Part III

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Beauty

The surest way for me to decide whether a waxing studio is worthy of earning my money would be for me to call them for a short interview.

Me : Hi! Is this XYZ waxing studio?
XYZ : Yes, you have called the right place. We specialise in catering to all your waxing needs.
Me : Really? Hmmm…ok then. Tell me, do you do Brazilian waxing?
XZY : Huh? Brazilian? What’s that? Which part of the body do you need to wax?
Me : OK, never mind. Thank you. <hangs up>

So, I thought my personal experiences with all the waxing studios in Penang (except for FLUFF) were bad…until R told me about hers.

R : Hi. Do you provide waxing services?
ABC : Yes, we do. We have a steady stream of foreign customers like yourself. Welcome welcome!
R : Ahhh…that is great to hear. So, I want to get a Brazilian wax. How much would that cost me?
ABC : Oh, I am sorry to inform you that our wax is fully imported from China, not Brazil.
R : Huh???? Never mind then. Thank you. <turns around to walk out of shop and never to return>

I swear the above scenarios are real-life experiences. Sad, but true.

Fortunately, we are no longer deprived. Thanks to FLUFF. 

27
May

Brazilian Waxing (BW) - Part II

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Beauty

There is hope for Penang after all!

     Discovered this place in Island Plaza that specializes in spray tanning and waxing. For those who know me, you will know that I have no need for any tanning services. It would be the waxing service that got me all excited.

     Took 2 galfriends with me, T & R. Both were very excited when I told them about my plan to check out this new BW place called FLUFF. Their boyfriends were even MORE excited. One even requested for some photos. Haha! Men will be men….

     I was in for a pleasant surprise though. All my previous BW experiences in KL and  Singapore had been with either hot or cold wax. Yesterday was my virgin experience with hard wax. Let me list down my experiences with these 3 different types of wax.

Hot Wax (sometimes referred to as Creamy Wax) : This used to be my favourite up till yesterday when I discovered Hard Wax. The wax is heated in a special machine (it reminded me of a mini slow cooker) and then applied with a flat stick. A long strip is then pressed on top of the waxed area. A swift pull of the strip takes out the hair on the waxed surface.

Pain level : Low to mid

Cold Wax : This is my least favourite type. It gave me the most painful waxing experience! The minute the wax is applied, it hardens up and pulls at the hair. Even before the strip is pressed over the waxed area, the discomfort is already making me wish I hadn’t bothered trying out this method!

Pain level : Mid to high

Hard Wax : This is similar to the hot wax except that it works differently. The hot wax is applied to a small area and it cools down very quickly. What fascinates me is when the wax cools down, it turns rubbery. The hair will then get embedded unto the rubbery wax. Removing the rubbery wax will remove the hair at the same time. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a totally painless process. It seems this is less painful than the strip method because the rubbery wax will only remove the hair while the strip will pull with it the top skin of the waxed surface.

Pain level : Low to none

     What I enjoyed most about this place is the 3 types of products used by the therapist.

  1. Pre Epilation Oil – this is applied prior to the application of the wax. It helps to keep the wax from sticking to the skin and it is the main reason the whole process is painless.
  2. Cooling Gel – this is applied after the entire waxing session. It helps to soothe the irate skin after the waxing.
  3. Slow Growth Lotion – this is applied at the very end. It helps to slow down the growth of hair and also, prevents in-grown hair.

Price tag :
Brazilian (xx) all off – RM 98

Brazilian (line or triangle) – RM 88

Me? I’m personally an all-off gal. Also, I love the way my sweetheart’s eyes light up in glee when I tell him I have scheduled my next BW all-off appointment. :)

24
May

Outsourcing

By Eleen Por 1 Comment
Categories: Life & Love

When one lives on her own, it is VERY easy to become lazy. Totally and completely lazy.

The only thing I do now is my laundry. That’s because I do not trust anyone else other than my mom to do my laundry without ruining my clothes. Sweet mom insisted that I can still bring my dirty laundry over to their place but I don’t have the heart to do that to her. Besides I take doing laundry as a mini workout session ‘cos I handwash every single item. So my washer is only used for bedsheets, towels, curtains and all the stuff that would kill me if I attempt to handwash them!

So how abt cleaning up the apartment, washing the bathrooms, vaccuming the carpets, cleaning the fans and lights, wiping the huge mirrors and glass windows, washing the balcony etc? No way am I gonna live in a pig-sty! Solution — Outsource the job! ;)

Discovered this great maid agency that charges their cleaning service by the hour. So, all I need to do is arrange for the maids to be delivered to my apartment at a fixed schedule. Their fee : RM 9 per hour per maid.

Also, when I throw parties, I don’t kill myself worrying abt how messy the apartment gets. The only worrying I need to do is whether my friends are having fun and if there is sufficient booze and food to keep everyone happy. One thing I have to take care of prior to the parties : Call the agency to book the maids for the very next day! :D

No medical insurance, government levy for working permit, immigration costs nor living expenses which one has to pay for a live-in maid. The best part is - I get to keep my own privacy! Happy happy me… :))))

23
May

‘Limking’ Session

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Friends

It gives us the warm-feeling-in-the-tummy when we hook up with friends we have not seen or heard from in a long time. I am sure you folks know what I mean and have at some point in time, experienced this feeling yourself.

Received an email from PS that she will be back in Penang for 2 weeks. Something she wrote in her email made me smile.

"I miss the clubbing nights and I miss the limking sessions!"

Took me all of 2 seconds to figure out what her limking session is. So, my reply to her was :

"Any reason is good enough reason for me to throw a party at my place! I have built a customised bar and it is always stocked up for any impromptu parties. Call me when you get back to Penang. We will have one helluva limking session!"

Besides, there is no need to worry about driving home if any of us gets too wasted. I have 2 extra bedrooms and 1 lounge room to spare. The extra bedrooms are not called "Activity Rooms" for nothing! :D Of coz anyone is welcome to share the master bedroom with sweetheart and I….as long as they are not light sleepers! ;)

23
May

Pirates Of The Caribbean : At World’s End

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Film

I swear…Malaysians (or maybe to be more precise, Penangites) are becoming more and more kiasu.

Today is only Wednesday and tickets for ‘POTC 3′ are sold out all the way till the end of the week. I mean good tickets, of course. Forget those front row seats where we come out of the movies with a horrible ache in our necks. Not worth it.

We decided not to cramp with the rest of the crowd by trying to get any decent tickets for this week. Might as well wait till the craze goes down a little and then pick one week night after our gym session to catch the movie.

Poor sweetheart has been stressed out with work these past few days. Had to skip gym to work late too. We are both stressed out. We both need hugs. We both need lots of you-know-what.

Thank God the weekend is coming up. 2 more working days to go! Woooooooo!!

22
May

Our Strengths

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Food for Thought

"Am I utilizing my strengths to achieve maximum results in what I do everyday?"

Doesn’t matter if one is a student or a working professional. Or even a bum. We all know that if we put our strengths in the right places, in the right measurement…amazing results will come pouring in!

Are you aware of where your strengths lie?
Good if you do. Think about it if you don’t.

Next tough one : Are you fully utilizing those strengths?

Most of us like to think that we are. I thought I am too. Until I sat down and had a 2-hour heart-to-heart talk with T today.

Am I happy with the results? Guess I am.
Can they be better results? Sure, they can.
Would I want to achieve better results? Coz, I do.
Could I have utilised my strengths to turn them into stellar results? HELL YEAH!!!!

People. That is my strength. I believe in that and I am constantly reminded of that all the time. What I need to learn to do next is to leverage on that strength.

How about you? :)

21
May

Marlboro Lights

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Friends

It’s amazing the amount of interest a pack of Marlboro Lights sitting on my desktop can generate.

Folks were coming up to me asking questions such as :

"Eleen, I didn’t know you are a Marlboro Lights supporter?"
"Ei, how come I never bump into you in the Smoking Room?"
"Eleeeennnnnnn!!!" followed by a dirty look.

My boss walked over to my cube to discuss some plans for the week.

"Eleen, D and some Austin folks are in town this week for the MDR Summit. I need you to join them in this meeting to understand how we can do some data-mining and also contribute some discussion points from Tech Support point of view. We need to make this discussion as robust as possible and ensure that the Tech Support voice is heard and what the hell is the pack of Marlboro Lights doing on your table? How many times have you refused my offer for a stick in the past? Why Marlboro Lights and not Salem??"

My answer to her was the same as the one I gave the rest - The Truth.

"It is not mine."

So I sent out an email to all the folks who got rides on Woody over the weekend. The replies I got back were :

"Nope, not mine. I am not a Marlboro Lights fan. Gimme a Dunhill anytime."
"Mine’s sitting here right next to me. Maybe it belongs to so-and-so."
"Not mine but if no one claims it by COB today, it’s mine!"

By the end of the day, I still couldn’t figure out who it belongs to. Final try. On the way to gym after work, I asked sweetheart.

His reply :
"Babyyyy..you forgot one more person who got a ride in your car last weekend. Remember that potential kang tao for xxxxxx? That idiot insisted she went back with him for the night and although she didn’t want to, she couldn’t seem to say No to him. So ended up we had to be the bad guys and drove him back to his place before snatching her back into your car to drive her away from the buaya. We practically kicked him out of your car, remember? Maybe the pack dropped out of his pocket when he got shoved out."

OH YEA HOR!!!!

Oh well, too bad. I am not gonna bother looking him up just to return him the pack of ciggies. Donated it to a guy who needed it badly today.

Girl, remember our chat on Sunday.

DO NOT be afraid to say NO when you don’t like the way things are going. Shout if you need backup. Kick his balls if he gets stupid. We DO NOT tolerate jerks!

21
May

Car Wash

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Food for Thought

I think everyone can relate to this : Need rain? Wash your car!

That was what happened to me last weekend. Decided Woody (don’t ask me how my car got that name. It just did.) badly needed a bath. Been putting it off for weeks due to super tight schedule.

On my way to the car wash, dark clouds were already looming above but I thought to myself "If I don’t get Woody washed this weekend, God knows when he will get a proper bath and vacuum and all…" So damn the dark clouds. I am taking Woody for his much needed bath.

As Woody rolled into the car wash (since we discovered this place in Air Itam, no place has come close since), I saw 3 other cars waiting for their turn. Immediate thought in my head "Guess I am not the only pyscho who brings his/her car to the car wash on a dark, cloudy day!"

One hour later, Woody came out squeeky clean. By then, it was pouring cats and dogs. Darn if I care. Woody looked and smelled damn good!

20
May

Scents of a Woman

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Beauty

        One thing I am thankful for : that I am blessed with low maintenance skin. Maybe God knows that someone as lazy as me need as many low maintenance stuff as possible in my life. Balancing work and having fun is already keeping me mighty busy!

So, here’s a list of my favourite essential oils when I go for my monthly aromatherapy pampering sessions.

Peppermint : To help rid of the headache from the weekend’s drinking and clubbing.
Rose : To help me relax and destress.
Chamomile : To help ease the tiredness around my eyes from staring at the laptop for hours.
Geranium : To help with the blood circulation on my face so as to keep the acnes away.
Lavender : To help ease the tension in my muscles from pushing myself too hard at the gym.
Eucalyptus : To clear my sinus.
Ylang Ylang : To help stimulate and enhance my sensuality. It’s also considered an aphrodisiac. Need I mention that this is my personal favourite? ;)

Hmmmmm….the scents…they always make me feel good. Really good.

P/S - Did every girl on this island go nuts during last weekend’s BODY SHOP crazy sale??? I know I did! And lotsa gal friends emailed me to share their stories of madness too. How they got this and that for 70% + 10% off. First time I saw tonnes of guys waiting outside BODY SHOP while their other halves fight through the madness. Gals will always be gals…can’t say NO to sales! :)

20
May

Heroes

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Film

I must say it’s getting very addictive…my baby and I found ourselves plunked in front of his laptop watching four episodes of HEROES over the weekend. We stopped a few months back due to work and gym and stuff… Just finished Episode 15 a couple of minutes ago. 8 more to go to complete Season 1…

With Sylar running loose now, the excitement heightens! Not only is he free to kill more of the "special folks", he got to meet Dr Suresh in person and is plotting to shadow the doctor in his quest to search for more of the "special folks". The thing is, while the good doctor’s intention is to meet up with them and learn more about their unique DNA, his is to kill them and eat their brains!! Poor Dr Suresh is unknowingly working with the man who killed his own father!

Then Niki got ‘locked’ in the mirror while her alternate personality, Jessica gets busy working for Linderman.  In one of her assignments, she almost killed Parkman. Of coz Parkman didn’t die. He belongs to the team of ’special folks’ and the only one who can hear other people’s thoughts. He walked out of episode 15 richer, though. With a bagful of diamonds. Wonder what he’s gonna do with his new-found wealth.

Oh, and Hiro got separated from Ando. All because of a woman. Men and their universal weakness towards crying women. Hehehe…

Ahh….must get all these exciting plots outta my mind and start thinking about work again. Few more hours before the combat for the new week begins. Woohoo!! 

Have a GREAT new week ahead!  :D

16
May

Baskin Robbins, anyone?

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Life & Love

He promised heaven and earth
…and got me all excited…
The day of anticipation arrived
…and the thrill was at an all-time high…

Hang on. Who’s that?

Just my baby, I said.
Oh no no no …. Don’t think I can handle that, he said.
Too bad, I said. I’m not having this much fun and not sharing with my baby.
Sorry, he said. I’m not in the mood to share today.
Oh well…

*6 months later*

Hey, remember that other time when I said I was not in the mood to share?
I am now, he said.
Hmmm……if you throw in some Mint Choc Chip ice cream from BR, AND I get to pick who I want to share it with first! (greedy devil, I am)
Deal. He said.

Oooh Oooh Oooh….I can’t wait! ;)

15
May

Back It Up…NOW!

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Web/Tech

When do I know it’s high time to back up my HDD?

  • when I had to settle for Chicken Rice instead of my favourite Wan Thun Mee just because the Chicken Rice stall was nearer to my parked car. The fear of some psycho running off with my laptop (despite it being fully concealed in my car trunk) was just too much for me.
  • when sweetheart HAD to make a stop at his place on our way to the gym just to drop our laptops in his house so that the 1 or 2 hours spent at the gym would be worry-free. Just in case a nutcase was lurking around the carpark with a laptop scanner.
  • when halfway through a hard working day, I turned around to my cubemate and went "I think I will DIE if I lose this file that I am working on! I haven’t backed it up yet!!!"
  • when I tell my friends "If some jerk has this bright idea to steal my laptop…and I have not backed up my files yet, I will have to negotiate with him to at least let me keep the HDD. Or if he really must have that too, at least let me back up my files first!"

Now, where is that little black thing I use to back up my Life???

15
May

Price of Vanity

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized

Many moons ago, when I was dating B and he insisted I meet his family for X’mas one year…he took me to his sister’s quaint little shop in San Jose. I was delighted to discover the joys of being pampered at a full mani & pedi session. I have been hooked ever since.

Unlike most girls I know, I wanna look pretty…but yet, am too bloody lazy to do all the work! (except for working out at the gym…those are my endorphine shots..hehehe)  So, I take the shortcuts. Pay someone else to do the hard work for me!

Over the years, I got bored of mani and lost interest. It is a different story for pedi, though. Love getting my feet pampered! After all, all that hard work of wearing heels to work everyday and then clubbing in sexier and higher heels over the weekend can really kill a gal.  ;)

Today, my safe ‘lil pedi world was shattered. Received an email this morning that folks are known to contract FUNGAL INFECTION in the toes from pedi boutiques! Eeewww….how can we trust which place is keeping their word on hygiene anymore??? This particular email wrote on 2 separate cases of fungal infection at this place called "Nail World". Immediately forwarded the email to a galfriend who is a customer there. Although I have never been to this "Nail World", it’s still a damn scary thought!

Nothing is safe in this world we live in anymore. Live life to the fullest and top up your insurance plans!! :D

Possible cause of death : Fungal infection in the toe that possibly spiralled out of control and spread to the heart.

Now, THAT would be an interesting way to make an exit. LOL.

14
May

Men & their egos

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Food for Thought

She was horny…and he was at the right place and right time. Sparks flew and magic was created that night.

Ok. So it was fun while it lasted but he was, after all, a ONS.

Unfortunately, he thought he was great and deserved more. "Come on, honey. You know you want some more." he said. "Dearie, let’s keep this a sweet memory and no, I am not keen for anymore." she politely declined.

At this point, he got all offended and went "FINE. You are not up to my standard anyways!" and went off in a huff.

Guess it’s true what folks say about men with big egos and small….(you finish the sentence..*wink*)

14
May

Stress & Passion

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Life & Love

When 2 big guns start shooting at each other and we get stuck in the middle, it can get really crappy. That was exactly what happened to me in the past 2 weeks. Tried damn hard to stay out of the shooting range but it gets impossible when one of the big gun is your boss and demands your FULL support!

Consequentially, the stress level of yours truly shot over the roof! Who pays the price? Those close and dear to me.

Mom & dad : Sorry for being so grumpy over dinner last night. Had to bury my nose in a book to avoid biting off heads for asking me questions I normally brush off good-naturedly but seemed to irritate me to death last Sunday.

Sweetheart aka baby : Sorry for being so difficult these past weeks. I know you try your damnest to not add to my stress level. Although I may seem preoccupied when you came over to see me, I do appreciate all the food you delivered to my cube (although my cubemates ended up stealing more than half of the food away!) to make sure I didn’t forget to eat while getting sucked into work. I may not show it but I did notice the times when you patiently waited for me to wrap up for the day so that we could go for our gym sessions in the evenings. Most of all, I am sorry if I made you feel abandoned and unloved. You know how much I love you and will go to the world’s end for ya. Muax.

My team members (across all sites in the region) : Thanks for staying tightly together and holding up the fort while I fight this battle out. It will end soon, I promise. I endeavor to come back to you folks soon, very soon. All I ask of you is a little bit more patience while I fight this final leg.  Thanks for all the care and notes/emails asking me how I am holding up and for all those offers to help. It’s too early into the project for you folks to get involved just yet. Let me sort out the initial battle with those big guns and will soon share the gameplan once it’s all bought off by the biz owners, k?

My friends all around : I know I can be a real biatch during stressful times. Thanks for putting up with me and for not asking me too many questions when I was in no condition to provide any answers. I love you all to bits and I hope you know that without a doubt in your hearts.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my work and have totally accepted the ups & downs of it all. Just need to keep in mind not to drive away those I love while I put all the passion I have into what I do at least 10 hours a day.

There is definitely more to Life than work. If you believe that you are indispensable to your company, think again. Your family and friends will never find another you but your company will have no problems replacing you.

10
May

Lucas Z. Lee

By Eleen Por 1 Comment
Categories: Friends

This entry is dedicated to the newest stud in town : Lucas Zachariah Lee.

He wasn’t ready. She had different ideas though. Decided enough was enough. Couldn’t take the anticipation anymore. After all, it was all of SIX HOURS! Forget God’s way…give her the drug and make it all go away!

With mixed emotions, he waited eagerly to see how she would  react to meeting him for the first time. After giving him a head-to-toe sweeping glance, her only words of him was - "Just like any other new dude in town."

Poor Z’s heart was broken. All his dreams…all his hopes…shattered…

Never mind. I think you’re hot and you’re DAMN cute! Can’t wait to meet you!

Will plan a trip to KL soon to check you out, k? ;)

Congrats, T & N!

Just went into N’s blog to extract my fav pic of Lucas. Just HAVE to add to this entry. Too damn good to resist.

Lucas_zachariah_lee_yong_xiang_2 So, here is how Lucas looked like when he saw daddy peering down at him.

The ‘OMG-that’s-my-dad!?!’ look.

Poor Lucas Z. It’ll be rather an adventure growing up with 2 of the craziest people I’ve ever known. *shudder*

09
May

Leadership & Self-Deception

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Books

Remember the ever-popular Who Moved My Cheese?

Everyone I knew was talking about it…reading it…or going on and on about it back then. I had a hard copy (which I lent to a friend who never returned it to me!) and also, a powerpoint copy. 

Just discovered another equally good book. It’s not written by any well-known authors like Stephen Covey or ZigZiglar. It’s actually a publication from this group called The Arbinger Institute.

It takes us on a really fascinating journey that will make us rethink the way we deal with everyday issues : both in our personal and professional lives. 

"Am I a good leader?"

"How do I get out of the box and be a GREAT leader!?"

It makes us think about ways and means of getting out of the box. Definitely worth your time to read it!

08
May

Game plan for the next 24 hrs

By Eleen Por 2 Comments
Categories: Work Excitement

Ok, best to list them down so that I don’t get so stressed up having them all jumbled in my head.

- Update Performance Plan in HR tool. *reminder to self* Check on the plans for team members as well. Need them uploaded no later than this week.
- OHRP session in the morning with boss and other direct team members.
- Check through process flow from K to ensure it is as detailed as possible. First draft from China guy not acceptable. Too simplistic. Need better VISIO enhancements too.
- Ensure NSAT data is ready for deep dive analysis with all sites. So far, 20 slides long already. May need to shorten the deck. Not good to be too lengthy.
- Skip lunch and chair 30-min call with all sites to ensure they buy-off on the proposal for segment based support matrix.
- brief boss on outcome of discussion with all sites.
- finalise on deck prior to presentation to SP.
- prep boss on presentation deck and then share with SP.
- Ensure there is APJ rep for the weekly GPC call with the global team. Must have sharing session the very next day with other virtual team members.
- Oh yea! That issue with the Aussie guy and his bloody burnt bench. Need to check with the US folks on the outcome of that investigation.
- Finalise on deck for presentation to big boys on Thursday. Same deck to be used for presentation to SUPER big boys in Singapore next week.
- hopefully, gym to destress.

….and somewhere, somehow….get some SLEEP! :\

08
May

Dreams & Moms

By Eleen Por 0 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized

Once in a long, long time…we find ourselves trapped in weird, depressing dreams. I woke up a few mornings ago with vivid thoughts in my head of dreams from the night before.

I dreamt that I lost my parents.

Every few years, I find myself having this dream and most, not all, but most of the times, I woke up with tears on my cheeks and pillow.

I asked my friends if they have weird dreams like this and they always, ALWAYS tell me the same thing.
"If you had a dream like that, it’s supposed to be good luck. Something good will happen to you and/or your family soon."

Bah…to me, those words were conjured by folks to make themselves feel better, less shitty abt dreaming of the demise of loved ones.

For me, as usual, I took all of a few minutes to get myself checked back into the real world and remind myself to appreciate all the things I have in my life : my family, my sweetheart, my friends, my highly-driven boss (gawd, she really parties as hard as she works in the office!), my super-challenging job, and lastly, my love for all things that make me happy.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Called mom last night and planned a family dinner with them this weekend. Just as well that dad’s sis is in town from UK. It will be fun to meet Uncle Micheal again this year. Wonder if he will be as burnt as the last time we saw him. Such a comical sight - both him and my aunt. A balding, lobster-red moustachy white guy with a very Asian-looking Chinese woman who looks hot for a woman in her 50’s!

Yes, I love my parents and I appreciate all the sacrifices they have made for me in my growing up years…and yes, I love that crazy bro of mine who is having a ball of a time zooming around the streets of Singapore in his beloved, sexy RX8…

…BUT most importantly, I love my own space…my own place..and my freedom. To do what I want, when I want, how I want and whom I want! :D

Here’s to all the great mothers in this challenging world we live in!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! *HUGZ*MUAX*

I for one, am not sure if I will ever have the balls to be one! Hehe…