VANTAN.ORG: The Daily Weblog

Looking to the future

2009-07-09T09:09:58Z

I miss France already, but it is good to be back in Singapore. 10 intense months at a global business school have opened my eyes, and I dare say fewer things will faze me now.

For the next few weeks I will be busy with job search. It is premature for me to announce anything at the moment, though I hope things will move more quickly from now on.

The question is: Which company can I contribute the most to, that will also value what I have to give? I believe the solution is to find the right fit, in terms of company culture and job scope. It is very important to work with the right people in a system that rewards the right behaviour and output. It would also give me a sense of pride to work for a well-known corporation that has made a difference in people’s lives.

As such, I have been fairly particular about the kind of company I’d want to work for. I want to love working for them, because then I know I’ll be at my best. And I want them to love me too.

How to lose weight while living in France

2009-07-04T07:16:04Z

My family just did a weigh-in to see how many kilogrammes we gained from our stay in France. Everybody gained weight except me - I lost over 2 kg! I am ecstatic, and want to share with you how I did it.

Despite visiting some very good restaurants in my last week when family was around, for the previous 7 weeks I was conscious of what I ate, my jeans and slacks became loose and now I have to get a new wardrobe. I thought my clothes were getting loosened up in the wash, but now the weighing scale tells the true story! I attribute my weight loss to various factors, starting with diet.

While I was in France, lunch would usually be something light at home, or a main course in school. For 3 to 4 euros you could get a very decent meal at the INSEAD restaurant. As I’m working to reduce my cholesterol, I usually went for grilled salmon (or other fish) with mashed potatoes and vegetables. We can take as much as we want of these side dishes. Occasionally I would have some red meat or pasta, all cooked on the spot as well. If I was in a rush, I would grab a baguette sandwich which usually had tomatoes and salad along with meat.

Dinner would be at home. My housemate and I took this 2 month opportunity while living in France to experiment with our own recipes, since we usually didn’t do the cooking at home in Singapore. We would buy salad (my favourite being arugula/rocket) or large heads of lettuce, and lots of tomatoes (also my favourite). My housemate would buy lots of fruits and remind me to eat them. We had grapes, apples and bananas (my favourite because it’s easy to carry around in school), and sometimes, strawberries. We never bought red meat. The last dish I recall cooking was mustard chicken salad.

Still, the food in France was so good that it was difficult to resist eating too much. The breads, the cheeses, the wines and the champagne were all too tempting! So we had to exercise. I joined the INSEAD gym at 85 euros for two months. It entitled me to a few sessions with a personal trainer who came up with a regimen for me. That workout nearly killed my shoulder, so as I was recovering I stuck to leg exercises like cycling. Eventually I moved back to my favourite machine, the cross trainer. I went to the gym once a week. I wanted to go more often, except I didn’t have classes in school every day and there were other things to do. I lived two towns away from school so it wasn’t exactly round the corner for me. However, the classmates who saw me at the gym were very encouraging. One groupmate of mine ordered me to go faster!

Also, after a full meal, my housemate and I would sometimes go brisk walking around our neighbourhood. She would also jog regularly around the area. I would have joined her if my knee was better, but walking was good. Since French towns tend to be spread out, we covered a fairly large area each trip. I think we kept each other motivated. Also, in May and early June the weather was still cool so outdoor exercise was quite appealing.

Even when sightseeing, one can do brisk walking from one point of interest to another. Some towns have long, steep slopes and cobbled pavements to make it more challenging. I and R did lots of walking in Paris, skipping a few Metro stations and once, we climbed several flights of stairs to the exit because an elevator seemed to take forever to arrive. What disturbed me was seeing a number of young people panting up the stairs, along with some elderly folk. R was quite fit and we were one of the first to emerge from the subway station. I think hanging out with him inspires me to keep active as well!

So in short: When living in a country that has really good food, eat the healthy dishes more often, like grilled fish and vegetables. If you indulge in rich foods, do it in moderation. Join a gym, and/or find other opportunities to exercise. Partner up with someone who also wants to get more exercise, so that you motivate and challenge each other. Think of how fit you want to be and work towards it. And do it now!

Graduating

2009-07-01T15:40:19Z

I’m graduating tomorrow with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from INSEAD.

After that, I need to make a big decision on my future. The big question is whether to do something I’m comfortable with and well-known for, or whether I should use this opportunity to take on something new. But a career change is difficult in a tough job market. I know a senior of mine is still holding out for a specific position, braving unemployment for several months. I hope to start work sooner than that, but also want to make the decision that is best for me and for whichever organisation I work for.

A lot has changed in 10 months. Externally, the world economy took a massive hit, forcing us to relook the way business should be conducted. Even while learning the basics of Finance and Accounting, I felt that being good at numbers was just the beginning - interpretations can be subject to biases and loopholes can be exploited. We learned that no two evaluations are exactly the same. I also learned it’s not all about the numbers, but about the people. You can have the best brains in the world, but if people don’t want to work with you, you won’t be number 1. And at INSEAD particularly, I saw the world getting smaller as I worked with bright people from all over the world. My eyes were opened, even wider than they already were.

Internally, I’m emerging with different thoughts than what I had when I began my first term. I felt encouraged to start new things again. My skin has grown thicker. I have a few options, but I’d rather have just one very good, clear-cut choice for everything important in life. On one hand I want to make an big impact wherever I work; on the other hand, I also don’t want to be taken for granted, and the question is how to ask for what I feel is right without appearing arrogant, because that’s not what I want to be.

Time to sleep, though my head is filled with heavy thoughts.

Personality type = job type?

2009-06-27T23:52:58Z

It’s nearly 2am in Geneva and I spent my night searching and applying for jobs. Then I decided to revisit my Meyers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) to confirm I’m searching for the right line of work. Ever since INSEAD, where everyone had to take the test, I’ve been curious to use the MBTI to improve relationships and clarify our purpose in life.

According to this site, as an ENFJ I can be any of the following:

Fund-raiser (haven’t done that yet - unless I really run out of money or want to launch my long-awaited album. Does selling tickets for the ACJC Fun-o-rama count??)
Recruiter (yes, I’ve managed to convince people to join my team)
Marketing Director (that’s one of the roles I aspire towards)
Content Editor for Web Site (done that)
Special Event Planner (haven’t dared to try that)
Christian Ministry (done that - mainly through worship, website outreach, facilitating groups)

So it sounds fairly close.

Then I learn from some discussions that Jesus could’ve been an ENFJ too. Whoa! How would they know for sure? As a Christian, I believe Jesus is God, and as God is omnipotent and omniscient and created the people who thought of the MBTI, Jesus should be everything rolled into one. An extrovert as he preached to the masses and met many people; an Introvert at the Mount of Olives as he sought quiet time with God. Sensing and yet Intuitive of His surroundings. Feeling for people yet clear in His thoughts as He debated with unbelievers. Perceiving, yet ultimately… Judging!

But of course it is nice to know that God in human form is thought to have my personality type… I have, of course, far to go and will never be perfect, but God, help me get closer to it. Also help me find the right job where I can make a difference (with career progression)!

Maxwell's new album

2009-06-25T21:29:23Z

About 10 years ago, as a university student, I was influenced by the likes of nu soul artistes such as Maxwell and Erykah Badu. They have greatly influenced how I write and produce some of my own music. Now, Maxwell is about to launch his new album, BLACKsummer’snight on 7 July after an 8 year hiatus, and I’m looking forward to it.

You can listen to a new track each day and check out his official website. Of course, I’m already a Facebook fan and following him on Twitter, along with over 18,000 others.

What made Maxwell stand out, according to a review I read years ago, was that unlike many other black artistes of his time who sang about sleeping with many women, Maxwell’s songs were about faithfulness and monogamy. However, his sultry vocals and smooth vibes gave his albums a seductiveness good enough to make out with. He may not be as well-known as other artistes but he’s one of my favourites.

Looking out for a new Maxwell album feels like deja vu to me, especially since I’m a student once again. I just hope he doesn’t take as long to produce his next album.

Dijon

2009-06-24T15:24:35Z

Today I met my family at the Charles de Gaulle airport and drove them to Chablis. There was a big accident on the A6 highway because all cars stopped moving for 30 minutes, and people got out of the cars to see what was happening down the road. Soon, a few ambulances and rescue vehicles arrived and cleared the way.

Because of that, by the time we arrived in Chablis most restaurants were closed. We finally found a bistro. All they had left to offer us was a cheese platter with salad and bread, which we willingly agreed on, and some Chablis wine.

We drove on to Dijon, settled down quickly at the hotel and booked a table at a Michelin 1-star restaurant at the Hostellerie de Chapeau Rouge. I was surprised it was relatively easy to book a place on the day itself. We took a scenic walk through the historical part of town to get to the restaurant.

Overall, the food was good, but initially disappointing. As an Asian, I am not so easily impressed when presented with a row of maki (Japanese rice rolls) and what tasted like fried dough with Indian spices dipped in yoghurt sauce. My own starter was salmon in 3 ways. One tasted like a Vietnamese dumpling, with chopped salmon and mint leaves wrapped in a rice-based dumpling skin with a fish sauce dip. Another was like a wrap with guacamole. The final chunk of salmon was nicely done and I thought that was the most original. I thought it would’ve been fine to stick to French, or a less literal interpretation of ‘fusion’ food. The other starter was a simple rocket salad but nicely done, though I dare say it was nothing unusual.

The wine was excellent and together with the main courses, made up for the unimaginative Asian-style starters. My veal was tender and tasty even though the pieces were thick. The others had beef and swordfish, and the roast pigeon in could’ve been the best dish of all, because it was even more flavourful and succulent than my veal.

We ended the meal with two combinations of various desserts, either laid into one cup or plate. I tasted unsweetened ‘glace’ (ice cream) and it was actually refreshing. The sesame whipped cream was also unsweetened, and similarly easier on my conscience. So were the jelly cubes. Thus I thought the mains and desserts were worth it.

Tomorrow we head to Beaune, another town en route to Geneva.

In memory of Dr Kwang Yoke Pin

2009-06-17T20:41:17Z

I learnt today was that a well-respected colleague, Dr Kwang Yoke Pin, passed away recently. At first I thought there was a typo in the message sent to me. A quick bit of Googling, however, led me to find another blog post from a former colleague which mentioned her passing away. Her medical class also wrote numerous farewell notes for her, on their group blog. Even if you don’t know her, the number of posts and what’s written in them will easily attest to how well-loved she was.

Her passing has saddened me greatly. I interacted with Dr Kwang Yoke Pin a few times while we were on the same task force and it was a positive, enjoyable experience. I learnt more about her from what others said about her, which were all good things. She was very passionate about her work and was always cheerful.

I did not know her well enough to say much more, but I’m sure her department and her patients have many fond memories of her. I am sorry that she has gone. My deepest condolences to her husband, son and daughter.

How ironic it is to be reminded that even as we work in public health, we are not invincible ourselves. This post goes out to all the unsung heroes who have served the nation for many years.

Rest in peace, Dr Kwang Yoke Pin. You will be remembered.

Cyprus

2009-06-03T07:50:40Z

Day 1: Arrived around 9pm at Larnaca airport. We were greeted with lots of H1N1 warning posters. After collecting my check-in bag, I was welcomed at the exit by D, the bride-to-be, who was using a high-tech phone to video my entrance. Had supper at D’s home, chose some slideshow photos with her and learnt more about her lovely family. Then we went to bed.

Day 2: Woke up mid-morning. D made me a sandwich with Cypriot ham and cheese. Headed off at 11am for a manicure and pedicure with D, and ran errands together. Had lunch at Le Cafe where many people were posing with their beautifully done-up hair, tanned bodies and sunglasses. D headed to the florist’s and photographer’s while I stayed on to shop at Debenham’s. I was annoyed with myself for forgetting to bring my sunglasses to Cyprus, of all sunny, cloudless places in the world to visit. Turned out well in the end as I found 2 lovely pairs of sunglasses and 1 pair for my housemate. All UV400 and between 8.95-9.95 Euros in price - and then a discount was given on top of that! I was terribly pleased with my finds.

Day 3: The wedding!! D only had 2 hours of sleep and was feeling unwell. Fortunately, after a hot shower and fervent prayers to God, she was revived and returned to her usual feisty self! Hallelujah! D and I headed to the hairdresser’s. I got myself into a funky hairdo to go with my traditional Chinese cheong sam. I was a bit doubtful, but everyone seemed to love how I looked, so that’s that!

Had lots of photo-taking and traditional ceremonies performed by family members and friends, at D’s apartment. There was also a lot of food, although I was so occupied observing everything that was going on and taking photos, that I hardly ate!

In the midst of it all, cars were honking downstairs and we learnt the groom had driven in from Limassol! He and his men circled the apartment twice, waving at us all. The bride was excited to see him. We headed to the church. Greek weddings are different from Western weddings. The groom and everyone else waits outside the church for the bride. She walks to the groom and everyone enters the church together. There is also no kissing!! :(

The ceremony was all Greek to me, i.e. I didn’t understand a word. There was a lot of singing by the priest(s) and the choir at the back. Then we threw flower petals and rice at the newly-wedded couple! I finally met the groom S. I was so happy for both of them and wish them a blessed lifetime together.

I hitched a ride from a couple of Bristol law juniors from Nicosia to Limassol where the wedding reception and dinner took place. Then Bristol law classmate A fetched me from a hotel and took me to his place. I was so happy to see his wife, who was also my law classmate H, and their baby Z! Together we went to the reception, then A, H and Z went home. I met more Bristolians during dinner, and they are now my Facebook friends ;-)

Cypriot/Greek wedding dinners start very late and end even later, with lots of dancing! It was a buffet, but each table took turns to take food so it was not a mad rush with a super long queue but quite manageable. The only thing I wasn’t comfortable with was the smoking in the air-conditioned hall. Apparently there are smoking laws but they are not well enforced, and Cypriots will smoke even in front of babies. So I was glad that baby Z was not at the same table. A fetched me home and it took me a while to pry out all the pins stuck in my hair. Finally I showered and slept. It was a long day and I was glad to have survived it!

Day 4: I finally had a long sleep as I drew the curtains so the summer sun didn’t wake me up. Had lunch and tried some local Keo Beer.

Late afternoon, H took me to see the ruins at Kourion. This is us in the car!

This is me, feeling well. Actually, it’s an ancient well but I didn’t feel ancient, just well.

Kourion was great, but more could be done to develop its tourism potential. We had a pamphlet that had a bit of information, but frankly I got more out of the Wikipedia entry. At many points we had no idea what ruin we were looking at. Location maps didn’t have a ‘You are here’ sign, so we had no idea where we were, or where to start walking. Also, relics on the map were numbered randomly, not in concentric or any other pattern. H noted that fake pillars used for a play at the amphitheatre were left abandoned on the side, not too far from the real ruins.

Went to town with H to buy dinner at a famous kebab place which is also a Guinness World Record holder for the longest kebab.

Day 5: Left for Cyprus, but made sure I got to see baby Z one last time! I enjoyed my stay in Cyprus and having friends to take me around definitely helped a lot. Goodbye, until we meet again in Singapore!

A Parisian escapade

2009-05-27T12:30:53Z

Over the last weekend I made a trip to Paris to boost the economy. This mission was completed with Louis Vuitton (LV) being the main beneficiary. After a short train ride and an even shorter metro ride, we found ourselves in the heart of Paris, and beheld one of the bastions of French luxury goods:

I experienced rude service in a previous visit to LV, but this time nothing bad happened. We were in fact fortunate that the LV employee who came up to assist us was a fellow Singaporean, as he gave us extra tips on what to see in Paris. He was also very good at recommending which bag/accessory would suit us better.

He also made expressos so we had the pleasure of sipping them in the middle of the shop, which was a luxury I didn’t experience in an earlier visit years ago. The main store was bustling, yet not as crazy as the branch at Ngee Ann City in Singapore, where I’ve seen a queue snaking round the corner, but it was definitely good business. Which begs the question: What recession?? The rich remain rich and those with a lot of savings are in fact probably benefiting from overall lower prices and discounts. It is a known fact that buying LV in Paris and getting tax rebates is a better deal than buying the same item back in Singapore.

Not surprisingly there were many Asian tourists snapping up LV goods, and a good proportion of the LV staff were Asians themselves. I think it helps the sale when your salesperson can speak the same language as you, and may also have come from the same culture. I noticed some customers who were speaking in a distinctly mainland Chinese accent. I think there were quite a few other groups of customers from neighbouring regions as well.

I am glad I finally got myself a good passport holder. The last one I had was a free gift that crumbled after some years of use and dirtied my passport and the bag holding it! As with many other things in my life I would prefer to pay a greater price for something I know would be longer-lasting. Unlike many other females, I don’t like shopping very much. I find it stressful to have to keep replacing things and matching exact shades of colour. Sometimes, however, there are impulses… such as this:

I needed a nice reddish bag to go with a dress I’m planning to wear to my dear Cypriot friend Demetra’s wedding this weekend. Also, I used this bag at the INSEAD Summer Ball (to be covered in my INSEAD blog…) because the theme was ‘A Touch of Gold’. I hope up to this point my female readers appreciate my description and photos ;-)

There was a jazz festival going on in Paris but I decided to give it a miss. Instead I bought some jazz CDs. There were some good discounts from stores like Virgin and even FNAC. Despite the weather report saying it should be sunny in Paris, I never believed it totally and sure enough, it drizzled for a while.

Anyway we went back tired but happy, just in time to rest and prepare ourselves for the Ball…

Still in France

2009-05-22T13:16:45Z

It’s been 3 weeks in France already and the food is great. I don’t miss Singapore food at all (Let’s see if this can last for 2 months). The breads, the cheeses, the wine, the champagne are all good. And the weather is lovely today. Clear skies (UV rays!!!), cool winds, better road manners. What more can I ask for - apart from the company of my dear R and my family, who will be arriving in June.

I realise that while I’ve been writing about living abroad, I wasn’t specific as to when I’ll be back in Singapore. I am in France for my final term at INSEAD, and will be back in Singapore in early July.

Up to then, there’s no point inviting me to any events back in Singapore. Thank you for keeping me on your list.

In France

2009-05-07T10:51:41Z

I and my housemate have settled down nicely in our little cottage in Samoreau, between a lake and the river Seine. Naturally if I ever waded into the river, you could rightfully call me ‘insane’.*

So far we’ve attended one house party in Barbizon (classmate GE’s birthday). Still contemplating the Masquerade. Definitely going for the Summer Ball which is a couple days before my birthday. Plan to head out to Paris at some point in time, though this weekend will be spent doing housework (laundry) and homework.

More action over at my INSEAD blog.

*that’s “In Seine” to those of you who didn’t get the pun.

India day 2 and 3

2009-04-27T13:43:42Z

Sunday, Day 2 - went to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Wonderful sights! I am uploading some photos to Flickr, so check that out later. Internet connection is patchy, even in this expensive 5 star hotel.

Day 3 - Real class began. Met 2 Government officials and 4 young enterprising men. We gave some ideas and I hope that the ones I gave can be implemented. It would be interesting to see if they work.

Off to dinner soon…

India trip - preparations

2009-04-21T19:57:38Z

Legal, administrative stuff

Got my Indian visa and travel tickets. Mustafa’s services are amazing. Also changed my money there. I assume they should have the best rates for rupees, seeing how so many Indians use their services.

Trying to get my early hotel stay confirmed. Also had some issues with my Kingfisher internal flight - they said they had trouble processing my credit card.

Medical

Went for a Typhoid jab early last week. It takes about 2 weeks to be effective so it should be timed well for my India trip starting this weekend.

I will be bringing a small first aid kit and medication. This kit will also accompany me to Fonty. For India I may have to bring some pills for diarrhoea as well. At least some charcoal.

Bought my travel insurance for India.

Geeky and gadgety

Bought two 4GB SDHC cards from Mustafa at $16.50. It’s a long story. First I saw the cards going for S$14 at a counter in Mustafa. But I noticed that further up the same cards were going for S$16.50. I pointed out the discrepancy, at which point the salesmen said I had to pay the higher price. I said usually the price of memory goes down, not up! However they insisted on it. I was not happy with the principle of the matter and decided not to buy the cards from them that night. The next day I popped by Funan and learnt that the prices there were even higher and that I could not get normal-speed 4GB SD cards; they only had SDHC ones. So I went back to Mustafa, picked up the cards, changed my money and bought a few packets of spicy food (which will accompany me on my next trip to Fonty).

The high capacity cards will ensure that I will not run out of memory when I visit the Taj Mahal on Sunday. Also, as my dear iPhone 3G tends to die before the end of the day, I bought a $49 battery pack which seems to be working fine so far. At least if I’m stranded I can call for help.

Indian SIM card

My darling R has loaned me his Indian SIM card so I can use that to make local calls instead of paying international rates. Unfortunately my itchy fingers will not be able to access any 3G content on the fly, because India apparently doesn’t have that network yet. On the plus side this means I will have to totally concentrate on what my professor is saying.

OK time to sleep, even though I don’t feel like it.

Delhi weather - WTF?!

2009-04-21T19:49:10Z

In 2 days I’m going to Delhi, India for a study trip. CNN Weather says that that tonight is ‘dreary’ in Delhi. And it’s going to be hot. So hot that from Sunday, the ‘sunny’ icon makes way for a thermometer that’s gone off the charts.

This is so not comforting. Need to pack lots of cool clothes and bring sunblock. Maybe most of the time we’ll be indoors anyway, having classes, so it won’t hurt so much.

On the bright side, I probably won’t find Singapore weather that hot anymore…

Easter in a song

2009-04-12T16:22:14Z

I was just listening to a Brian McKnight album named after our common star sign, Gemini. Then I realised one track was about Jesus’ crucifixion. Wha - ? An R&B track entirely about Christ?

So I Googled it and found the lyrics which I shall reproduce here. Hope you had a happy and meaningful Easter.

“Me & You”

[Verse 1] In the garden spoke to His Father for the last time (Yeah) And Satan tried to trick Him Said He didnt have to die Jesus said Father not My will but Your will be done The Messiah Jehovah He knew he was the one

[Chorus] So it pleased them all to bruise Him They beat Him in ways you never heard And they kicked Him and they spit on Him And He never said a mumblin word But Lord forgive them, Lord forgive them For they know not what they do And they nailed Him to the cross And He died for me and you.

[Verse 2] To the disciples he said whom say ye that I am Elijah the prophet from on high or am I the Son of man Surely thou art The Christ The Son of God who reigns supreme he had to die thats why he came he came to set men free

[Chorus] So it pleased them all to bruise him They beat him in ways you never heard And they kicked Him and they spit on Him And He never said a mumblin word But Lord forgive them, Lord forgive them For they know not what they do And they nailed Him to the cross And He died for me and you.

[Bridge] My Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice It was the reason why He came The Lord said that He had to die But He would surely rise again