Stationary September

In 2 hours' time, September will come to an end.  Another month will pass.  This month I turned 39.  Yay... happy birthday, you're a year older, bla.. bla... bla...  I've gotten numb to it somehow.  

Courtesy of Osia - Galaxy Note 9

Reading is still essential to refresh the mind.... I'm still trying to squeeze in more reading time.  So my book shopping list this month is as follows: 

Searching For Inspiration - Galaxy Note 9

Actually I also got another 3 copies of Carl Barks' Donald Duck, but I forgot to take photos of those. I just realized that I have missed out Satya Nadella's "Hit Refresh".  I must get that next.  Anyway, out of the 5 books above, I've completed this one.  

The Illustration Is Really Spot On - Galaxy Note 9

No Hard Feelings is a very good book.  The scenarios outlined by the author match some of those I face at work.  Unfortunately, I just have no way of escaping them.  But it further reaffirmed my resolve to look for better opportunities.  One of the main reasons I titled this month's entry as "Stationary", is because there have been some changes in the workplace involving my department, but for me, I still remain at the bottom of the food chain.  That's why for me, it doesn't seem like anything has changed at all.  As one colleague puts it, "more mouths, still only 1 hand".  Well, I'm not sulking nor disappointed.  My heart has just not been there anymore since like the longest time. It's just that, waiting for a chance to breakaway is such a pain.

My Python course is taking a break this month, I turned my attention to a 4 week free Associate Google Cloud Engineer in Coursera.  I've completed all 4 online courses but I'm extremely hesitant to take the certification exam.  I don't have the practical experience, and so I doubt that I can pass the exam.  I really want to give it a shot, but it will require further thinking, tinkering and lots of practice.  I'm more interested in using Google Cloud for data analytics, rather than deployment, monitoring, etc.  Well..  I'll have to think carefully how to move forward.  

There were some happenings at home too.  First, the water supply to our house was disrupted just last week.  It took the management more than 10 hours to resolve the issue.  And just 2 days ago, the electricity was cut off for 8 hours as the management had to install some electrical sub-meters.  We spent the day in Vivocity to escape the electricity no show.  And today, my wife spent the whole day trying to fix her Mac that was abruptly shut down when the electricity was cut.  In the end she had to bring her Mac to the Apple store for repairs and we had to carry her office Mac home while waiting for repairs to be completed by Saturday.  Such dramatic events...  

I also finally visited Gram in Vivocity.  They serve very nice pancakes indeed, and French Toasts too. 

Queuing Outside - Galaxy Note 9

Love The Wall Deco - Galaxy Note 9

Cooling Down With Iced Latte - Galaxy Note 9

Matcha Pancake With Azuki - Galaxy Note 9

Yummy French Toast - Galaxy Note 9

It was a very nice visit and I would definitely love to drop by Gram again. 

There was one Saturday when the missus insisted that we should go cycling despite it being a bit late.  I was reluctant but I went with her in the end.  On the way back from Marina Bay Sands, the blue hour presented us with a beautiful skyline and many great photo opportunities which I certainly didn't miss.

Looking at Raffles Place - Galaxy Note 9

Fancy Fullerton Pavilion - Galaxy Note 9

Reaching For The Sky - Galaxy Note 9

A Final Look at The CBD - Galaxy Note 9

And finally, last week we dropped by Yardbird Southern Table and Bar in Marina Bay Sands.  It was a new experience, tasting a different kind of cuisine.  Very nice overall.  

A Biscuit Chicken Sandwich - Galaxy Note 9

Mini Beignets With Nutella - Galaxy Note 9

A Unique Interior - Galaxy Note 9

Well...  Here's a closing shot for this entry: 

I took a similiar shot in 2008 with my D90, 12 years later, my Note 9 did better - Galaxy Note 9

~ Photos Taken With Samsung Galaxy Note 9 ~