Shortest Home Trip

Was back in my hometown for a short-48 hour stint, leaving barely enough time for me to spend with my family & loved one, usual catch up sessions with my buddies (gunpla kaki *valen to replenish my gunpla stock; siong who was a great help with my work-related excel macro & also one of my anime source *bleach*; brought back my faulty adjustable coilovers to my mechanic *hopefully he'll improvise ways to salvage it; last minute drop by to louis' place to copy P90x vids *to get my started on my gym routine again; patsda & hubby *thanks for the laksa & great VIP ride!*; not forgetting the usual familiar faces i've come to miss) over a couple of drinks & visiting my favourite food haunts (laksa breakfast!) & trying to get ample rest after our unique road trip marathon; which means, this time i'm back to miri on my own without the company of someone i'll sorely miss ~ at least for the next 6 months or so... =(

Making the Wall of Fame...

From Work

They were my fellow ex-comrades in a place that used to be my prayplayground... a place i used to toil tirelessly day & night to earn a humble living, making ends meet. There were tough times though, ironically those were the good times as well... despite all the rants & bitching about the sucky jobs we've had to put up with, & how we've wished for the day when we're finally able to get the hell outta here ~ to move on to greener pastures; those times will always be the defining moment in my career... all through the hardships & trying times we've come a long way and bonded well, almost family-like. I've made wonderful friends through work who've left profound imprints in my life; some have long left, some longing to go & some happily staying put. I will always reflect upon this little chapter in my life with fondness. =)
What does not kill you will make you stronger... it's an honour to be nominated on this Wall of Fame * thanks to loi for the picha, maybe you'll make the wall in due time too, hehe =p *
~ to my fellow colleagues back there, i miss y'all & all the best for the ones venturing into new pastures...

From Work

In response to my beloved ex-boss farewell, as updated by my avid shutterbug ex-colleague, CT ~ Master Yet, my ex-uber-cool boss *neh, the baldy fella with blue target mark on the forehead!*; he's one of a kind, kind of boss... just look at the farewell card intended for him ~ it speaks volume about the person he is.... wish you all the best! =D

Random Vids: UNIMAS Alumni Gathering '08

~ taken by my buddy Louis, on a trip back to my alma mater from sometime ago back when he just bought a brand new 350400D; thanks for the nice compilation! =)

~ this was the place where i received my tertiary education *literally, though we were still using the older & less grand facility during my uni years from '01 to '05*. An Electronics & Telecommunications engineer by training, i journeyed to the Pearl of Orient to join a multinational corporation as a R&D intern for a good 1/2 year, returned for my final year, got my degree & joined a wafer foundry as a Photolithography process engineer for another good 4 years. Today i've just begun to step into the role of a business planner in the O&G industry. It's interesting to see where the journey of life takes you. It's that unpredictable element that makes life exciting yet scary at the same time. You'll have to learn to count your blessings; i feel blessed to be where i am right now... Got to learn how to embrace changes; they make you move out of your comfort zone & make that extra push to establish yourself in a different way; having to adapt to new working & social environment, learn & pick-up new skills helps keep your mind sharp. That's the only way I feel, I can move forward from this point on...

long time no post...

It's been almost a month since i'm here. I'm still alive & kicking but my blogging juices have run dry since... This settling in process is taking a lot longer than i had expected & has been taxing as well. Adapting to a new environment, searching for my identity in this new place & seeking for acceptance in cliques i'm going to have to fit in hasn't been exactly easy, especially when it's those first few steps you take to step out of your old comfort zone. But it has to be done, for me to get to where i aspire to be.

From Miri

I'll be moving out of my temporary comfort dwelling in a week's time. I hope i'll get settled in my new place soon; though may not be as luxuriously comfortable...

From Miri

From Miri

What greets me on my way to & fro from work each day...

From Miri

The industry i'm currently affiliated with...

From Miri

From Miri

It's been a long while since my 450D has seen some action...

From Miri

It's always good when old buddies come for a visit... it gets a little too boring when you're living on your own, at times.
=)

short break...

~ oh how time flies... just been back in town for break through the weekend. It's feels funny vacationing in a place that used to be my dwelling place, or home. Well, my new career has put me on a path where i have to seek for a new home away from home; 2 weeks down that road i'm still in the process of settling in. It sure is a very different experience, each time i had to move away from home (the last time was during my internship, 6 years ago for a 6-month stint) ~ relocation & starting anew... A couple of lim teh sessions & meals with loved ones & friends, packing chores for the stuffs & my car that i'll be shipping over, my 2-day short break here is coming to an end. Til my next home break, take care & cya all! =)

1st Day in Miri

*intending to post this 2 nights ago when i just arrived but i hadn't brought along my LAN cable... it's good to be back online after a 48-hour hiatus... from the internet! gosh, i don't recall the last time i was disconnected for this long.... =p

Finally after almost 3 weeks of break, i’ll be reporting for duty at my new place of work tomorrow. The last 19 days since my last day of work at my previous company; my so-called career break was activitiy filled ~ farewell dinner sessions with colleagues, lim teh catch-up sessions with many friends, core-strength classes, rock climbing outings, Gunpla group build, dates & spending quality time with family & loved one. It has been an eventful break for me, hectic at times but always fun. I guess i wouldn’t be having a break like this anymore for a long, long time. Being occupied with dates & appointments, i barely had the fact that i’ll probably be leaving home for good really sink in... Only now that i’m here already, i’m beginning to think about the wonderful company of loved ones & friends, & kuching food that i’ll be missing. Ha, i can get quite sentimental at times =p

This shall be my place of dwelling for the next 30 days or so...

I shall be looking for more permanent place to stay/rent after that. Just had some wantan noodles at one for the surrounding hawker centres; it’s not too bad compared to that of kuching, but food prices here tend to be slightly pricier in comparison. It can get unbelievably hot here, even at night! So i’d prefer to stay in the comfort of my airconditioned hotel room, and workout at the nice fitness center below sometimes...

Will be knocking off soon... got to wake up early to report for duty tomorrow. Boy, i’m so excited to get back to work again! =)

*may not be updating as often as i may need to make some adjustments in this transition period, but i’ll try to not let my blog grow too much cobwebs =p I’ll probably be back in kuching again 2 weeks from now, so til then take care & cya guys! =)

Last day at work ~

*Warning ~ word-ful post ahead, maybe filled with jargons unknown to non-industry viewers

Dear Friends,
This day has come ~ my last working day with XXXXX. It has been a good 4-years since I first set foot into here, then known as XXXXX as a fresh graduate. Through the years, this journey has taken me through much ups & downs ~ i.e. from the good times of tasting immense satisfaction of succesfully finding closure to specific PSMs after much effort and time put into it; to the hard, frustrating times of having to deal with seemingly endless occurances of 'x-file' inhibitions and surviving Fab SPC (Cpk & OOC) reviews from month to month. Through it all, I have worked, argued, quarelled, laughed and learnt with the best of you. To everyone, THANK YOU for playing such a big part in this very important chapter of my life, especially in terms of my personal and professional growth.
It is time for me to move on and continue on my journey ~ to explore the new and more challenging horizons ahead. So before my outlook mail account gets terminated soon, thanks again for the support, guidance and encouragement, I really appreciate that! My sincere apologies for my mistakes and misbehaviours, if any =p
All the best to you guys, take care & keep in touch!

~ excerpts from my farewell mail which i took a great deal of time just to patch up together. Being in an industry where the staff turnover rate is relatively high, i've amassed a great collection of sometimes inspiring, sometimes funny aside from the usual solemn-formal-like farewell mails from many work comrades who have left before. I can't get any more original than this; i've longed for this day, when it finally came, i was just lost for words. That day was yesterday.

From Miscellaneous

When i returned my cleanroom gown & booties, and surrendered my badge ID after logging out for the one last time, i knew that i'll never set foot into another yellow room again...
It's not the place that i'll miss, but the great company of friends that i've met, which makes my memories here meaningful & worthwhile.

From Miscellaneous

One to be remembered for a long time ~ just one out of the many shots i'll remember my 1st job by... the rest may be too provocative or controversial to post here =p

~buat kerja sendiri.. ~

~ is what i loved to hear from my teacher during my days as a school kid; it means we’d get to do our own stuffs in class without having to put up with dreaded boring lessons ~ a call usually made when the teacher is a) absent, b) preoccupied with other matters, or c) just plain lazy to teach; which, we welcomed with hoorays without fail each time.

It’s what I’ve been doing for the past few workdays… after all today is the eve of my last day at work. Time at work feels so hard to kill, to the extent that surfing the net is beginning to bore me as well; can’t help it since almost all my task ownerships have been passed-down *to my poor soon-to-be-overloaded trusty workmates… =p *

No reminiscing of the fond times I’ve had at this workplace, I’ve been wanting to leave so much, for so long… the work, I wouldn’t miss one bit, but I’ll definitely be missing the wonderful company of the amazing bunch of people I call colleagues ~ bradas & sistas I’ve grown close to, over these few years I’m here. We’ve had fun & spent tons of great time bonding together, despite the stressful & volatile nature of the sucky work we’re in; that only an insider would fully understand… Thank you for the memories! =D

I kept myself occupied today by cleaning up my cubicle & clearing up the mess; the next tenant can move in with ease. Also spent a great deal of the afternoon penning up my farewell e-mail which, I will be sending out just before I log out for one final time tomorrow…

3 Things ~

2009 has been a good year for me, so far... i'm counting my blessings over these 3 life impacting events that had taken place throughout this short past half year... sometimes, i still wake up in the morning & wonder did it really happen? how did i get here? Just barely half year ago, i wouldn't in my wildest dream, imagine where i'd be today. I was struggling to make it through one of my low point cycles in life then... frustrated at getting nowhere in life & not knowing what to with it... Life is just full of suprises ~ pleasant at times & nasty at some... in a never ending cycle of ups & downs ~ just have to brace for the storm, persevere & weather through it when the low cycle comes; catch the wave & feed off the momentum when the next high cycle comes, & remember to cherish the good times... =)

met someone special...

From Miscellaneous

i finally moved on, from a stagnant plateau i've been dwelling in for most of the past 6 years...
*photos by our dear friend, Robin who's had to cope with a family loss recently ~ may he & his family find strength & comfort to weather through this storm...

From Miscellaneous

survived one that could have been a lot worse & walked away from it with barely a scratch...
* i would want to take up advance driving course someday

From Miscellaneous

earned an exciting opportunity to revive my already stagnant career...
i truly feel blessed =)

the closing of a chapter...

In a short couple of week’s time I shall be penning my farewell e-mail at work. After a long wait for the answer which, felt like forever to the meticulous hiring procedure proceedings which, took just as long ~ now that the lane is clear, things are finally progressing at warp speed, from the moment I tendered the letter just a few days ago. For most part recently, my job is beginning to feel like a drag, more than ever before; the enthusiasm I could muster to carry on had been mediocre at best, & that is not something I’m proud of. Something’s has got to change; something has got to be done, quick, before I slack & spiral down the career stairs to a stagnant job I have to work out for the next few decades. For god’s sake I’m only an infant 4 years old into my working life! It’s finally happening now. I’ll be leaving to seek for a greener pasture. I feel blessed & thankful to get another shot to breathe life into my career.

In a little over a month’s time, I’ll be venturing into the unknown ~ leaving behind the trade I have trained to master for the past 4 years altogether, wonderful colleagues & acquaintances I have made, familiarity of the city I grew up in & the comfort of my own family & home. These I will surely miss ~ all for the pursuit of a better tomorrow, how will I fare, I wonder? I hope I will be doing just fine. =)

The closing of a chapter leads to an opening of an exciting & promising new one…

Random Shots: spot the runner's pace

From Miscellaneous

Finally breached the 60-minutes mark! This staying on the treadmill at a constant pace of 8km/h for just an hour is already a grueling task requiring mammoth-like will power just to keep going with flailing legs & knees weakening by the minute. Having barely completed this, i still can't begin to imagine the intensity & focus required of a marathon runner, in preparing for a competition ~ 10km, 18km, 22km, 42km?? They must have had superhuman endurance & will power. Come to think of it, these superhuman attributes like these too, have to be built from scratch from the daily grind of rigorous endless trainings, gradually built over time by pushing the limits everyday... the big question is, do i have the discipline & passion to keep pushing the limits in the things i do everyday?

Happy People Vs UnHappy People

* this is a post by a friend of mine. I could not help but agree, for i share the same beliefs too; which, i live my life by, or at least aspire to live my life by... =)

I think that

1 . Happy people are characterized by the belief that they are able to control their situation;

whereas

Unhappy people tend to believe that they are a toy of fate.

I believe that I'm able to take hold of my own destiny if I am determined enough. This I have to thank my parent as they've instilled this in me since I was young. When there's a will, there's a way. I was brought up to think that anything was possible.

2 . Happy people are people that bother to count their blessings;

whereas

Unhappy people never seem to bother to make the best out of things.

I believe that everything happens for a reason and bad luck can always be good luck in disguise, just open your eyes & look for it. Another popular phase used at home : BLESSING in DISGUISE. No choice hahahha... I was brought up to be optimistic.

3 . Happy people are smart enough to realize that the past belongs to the past;

whereas

Unhappy people tend to mull over grudges or flaws that are no longer significant.

I believe that it's your choice to want that happiness. If your life is so miserable, blame yourself for moping and wallowing in self pity. I believe that your eyes are set in front because you are meant to look forward.

Our Valentine Shots

Pichas worth a thousand words...

Familiar? Yes, you've probably seen them before, from her to me. =)
*i have always been slow to update ;p all shots taken with point-n-shoot*
It's been a wonderful weekend full of simple, pleasant & exciting suprises... one to look back in fondness for years to come. As they say, all good things come to an end... as with the past Valentine's weekend ~ literally over in a blink of an eye; well, for now...
my freedom ~ is the comfort of being loved that makes me feel free

Counting my blessings...

I just wrapped my ride around a tree earlier today... was damned lucky to walk away with all my limbs still attached, except for a few minor scrapes & bruises on my elbow =)
How it happened? Was carrying some speed going into the roundabout when the rear end started breaking loose when i downshifted to power out of the corner; countersteered a tad too much & the car just snapped & spun around 180 degrees, sliding on all fours before hitting a tree in the process & i ended up facing the direction i came from...
What went through my mind when...? Fuck, this is going to be one expensive mess to fix, if i bang anything... then, BANG! WTF! i did not get lucky this time... i've spun around a couple of times before, once at this roundabout too...
Lesson learned? Never push a car on balding tires too hard... I've procrastinated on getting a new set of rubbers when i should, now i've learned my lesson. Never compromise on safety if you intend to drive your car hard, day in & day out.
Suprisingly i remained calm & composed throughout the ordeal; the 1st thing i did coming out of my car after the accident was to flip out my hp & start snapping photos! I must be crazy... xp Only after examining the crash scene only did i realize things could have been much worse... was a little shaken after that...
Now, i also know that i suck when it comes to drifting... maybe i should consider taking advance driving lessons so i could learn to bail myself out of such situation next time.
Well accidents happen, i'll just accept that & be thankful that i'm still alive & kicking =)
*thanks to brada louis for being there, my dad & my mechanic, ah chung who came over in a dime & helped sort things out, and also friends who dropped by with intention to help & who called & sms to ask if i was alright; i appreciate your concerns =) *

Jikan Yo Tomare (Stop the Time)

AZU feat Seamo Jikan Yo Tomare
by utadalove

Lyrics

...

I'm not about to pen out yet another customary entry on my new year resolution... but rather, letting the dust settle for a few months more before i start pondering on & reflecting upon the things that matters in my life; where do i go from here? Generally, the past year has not been a good one for me; everything has been pretty much stagnant, if not degrading career & relationship-wise & with looming economic crisis & all that... been riding shotgun in an emo roller coaster throughout the year until things got a little more hopeful toward the end of the year. It's coming off as a pleasant suprise how this year (2009) has kicked off on a high note =)
Though i may not seem to be articulating my feelings very well through words, but i haven't felt so genuinely upbeat & happier, in years. Life's just full of ups & downs. Storms come & go, in a vicious cycle & when they do, you just have to suck it up, weather through it & believe there will be sunny days ahead to come, if you persevere & keep your act together through & through. I guess that's the only way for me to learn about patience & appreciation. Despite all the uncertainties, this year looks to be a promising one ~ i may need to re-evaluate my priorities in life & gear up for some significant changes ~ for the better, i hope. Frankly, i do not know what is going to happen tomorrow, but i do know that i need to make the best of what i have & what i am today.
With the CNY just around the corner, i foresee a lot of housecleaning chores cut out for me... & not to mention sizeable amount of credit cards debt to clear, my cpu hardisk is on the brink of overflowing, my CS3 photo editing software that i can't live without has expired again & some other personal matters to attend to/sort out, i'll be taking a hiatus from blogging for a little while *poor soon-to-be-neglected-blog; i really appreciate all of you coming in to read & make some noise =p*
PS. this may sound like an EMO post, but i'm not, by all means.

小宇

the bubble has burst...

"You better watch out

You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Recession is coming to town"






~not exactly the kind of news one would want to usher the new year 2009 with; that's the cold hard truth of the current global economic climate

Outlook for the whole of next year is not looking too good either; meaning the worst is most probably yet to come. It's ironic how i'm actually looking forward potentially drastic changes that it'll bring about; be it good or bad. Perhaps i've gotten too jaded & fed up with all the shitloads of crap i have to put up with in my job. Is my job security at stake? i just couldn't care less. Period. An insensitive, spur of the moment remark? Maybe. Its easy coming from someone has very marginal financial commitment & who's got nobody else's mouth to feed except his own; i know nuts about the pinch of having your back against the wall & having to shoulder the burden of keeping food on the table for the whole family in harsh times like these... Perhaps, i needed to a real commitment to make me 'grow up' & hammer some rational sense into me. Perhaps i really need a push like this to get me on the go.
Now, enough with my mindless rantings... I wish all the best for all of us in weathering through the economic turmoil, hope we all surive it in one piece.

Gotta be somebody...

This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I´ll be waiting for the real thing.
I'll know it by the feeling.
The moment when we´re meeting
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I`ll be holdin’ my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one that I'll spend forever with

`Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There`s gotta be somebody for me like that.

`Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.

Tonight out on the street out in the moonlight
And damn it this feels too right
It´s just like Déjà Vu
Me standin’ here with you
So I´ll be holdin`my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I'll spend forever with?

‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There´s gotta be somebody for me like that.

`Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.

You can´t give up!
When you're Lookin´ for a diamond in the rough
Because you never know when it shows up
Make sure you´re holdin` on
‘Cause it could be the one, the one you´re waiting on

‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There's gotta be somebody for me
Ohhhhhh.

Nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There `s gotta be somebody for me out there.

Nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.

* Happy birthday to me.... ~ may i find purpose in life, passion in the things i do & meet the love of my life, soon* =)

Come to think of it ~ it has been 2 years, 6 months & 8 days since the inaugural post... over 2 years of blogging-ranting-crapping fun to remember by bits & pieces of the ups & downs of my sometimes colorful & sometimes not-so-colorful life, & also tributes to the dear peoples who have left profound positive indents in my life. =)
& I've yet to fill up my profile with a single word! photo header? theme? ~ BLANK! www.domain-13.blogspot.com? couldn't have sounded more uninspiring... i guess that's why it's appropriately called pieces of me.... too many scattered bits of pieces of me here & there... Okay... nevermind that.
A good buddy of mine is also in the midst of pondering over something along the same line for his blog... he's already got it on his workstation screensaver ~

cunn or not? =p
Just use it, brada! Yours will surely be a HIT!! haha! =D

*on fei-fei's "Your C@mera DO NOT M@tter" ~ very true indeed, i couldn't help but agree... though at this point, i'm already terminally affected with the SLR fever, to resist getting the toy for myself... thanks to persistently pesterings helpful inputs from your hubby, snoopy, louis, my nephiu, jen & loi-kiss.... =o