Cherry on top

An unpaid advertisement for Twelve Cupcakes - because their Chocolate Mint spoke louder than the supposedly good Red Velvet. Yummy visually and gastronomically, but punishing to the waistline.

As I end my third week at work in a new environment, it's only human that I start to evaluate my choice to transfer to the ground. Unlike "up there", as they all call unanimously, my new office is bustling with energetic young managers earnest to learn and perform together as a team, as well as well-weathered seniors to keep us from veering off-course. The support staff are a fun bunch to be around, especially when they call us their "xiao hai zi" (little kids). I'm still starry-eyed and getting used to the fact that there's staff reporting to me, and not me reporting to everyone else. A senior raised a challenge to me while chatting on the bus ride home today, by betting a meal on the duration I'll last in this race. "Let's wait and see," I retorted. And I'm bent on claiming that treat.

Heartstrings

Time flies when you're spending time with your loved ones.

I saw a lot of myself in Brave - the foolhardiness, the rebellious and headstrong daughter she believed her parents could never own, the older sibling who's always failing to keep the younger ones out of trouble, the one who's always running away. The movie itself had been a pleasant surprise, as with all Pixar films, with little twists and turns planted cleverly in the plot.

Long weekends never fail to feel shorter than normal Saturdays and Sundays put together, and this inverted difference seems even more evident when the weekend is all you'll ever have before the storm hits again. So we decided to make the best of it by going for a special fitting session. :)

Mr Jack le fiance had tried to get me into bowling on many occasions but to no avail, largely because I would keep gripping the house balls and scrapping my thumb badly. Bad pain was a huge deterrent, so I wasn't too keen when he wanted to get me my own bowling ball. The ball did all the persuasion, though. I didn't need to grip the ball with my thumb anymore, since it's tailored to my palm size. The weight was substantial and yet manageable. The cherry on top would be the pink and black swirls design which would turn any girl green with envy. Thank you, and I promise I'll put in my best to learn and improve. :)

Happier

One month ago, I took matters into my own hands when the Director asked to speak to me. It had been a casual chat, but my agenda was clear. I decided that I've had enough of trolling around a cold and segregated work environment where everyone's just minding their own business and watching their own backs. So I told her that I was ready for the massive shift whenever there's a vacancy ready for me.

One month on, I've settled into an all-new work environment, with new names and faces to commit to memory, countless new work processes to pick up and master, and a vibrant buzz around the office to get used to. After watching how policies are being worked out under the pedestal, it's high time I put this knowledge into good use to help those who really need it and penalize those who err despite being in the know. I'm happier now, I'm sure.