Mauled March

I really don't have anything nice to say for March, this month has been an absolute nightmare at work.  It is the appraisal month and things really came to a head with that asshole manager of mine.  Oh yeah....  Absolute asshole...  Her appraisal of me was extremely subjective, she completely ignored the factors that resulted in delays on one of my KPI.  And she decided I did not meet expectations because I couldn't give a presentation that summarizes the as-is and to-be plan for data and file archival.  I'm so incensed...  It's not the presentation that matters but what I do on the ground that matters, to ensure the system does not come to a stop, which I do constantly.  I was essentially trying to fix the mess caused by another witch in a different department.  Despite all my efforts to fight fire she decided to give me a "Partially Meets Expectation" which is extremely unfair.  However I decided not to challenge her judgement anymore and just take myself out of ONE for good.  I know that she doesn't like me and she has to probably promote another asshole to manager.  The amazing thing is, I've informed her boss of my issues with her but I don't see any improvements and instead see myself getting pushed further into a corner.  And as my friend said, the longer I stay in the team, the dumber I'll look, which I really agree, but I can't do anything about it....

So It's 2017 Now

New year was uneventful.  We just stayed home and slept.  Not that I'm complaining, I'm not into those countdown parties and such.

Usually this is a time to reflect on what had happened so far, be grateful for the blessings we received and the good things that happened while trying to learn from the bad experiences we had.  

Just a day before new year I also learnt of a sad news about a boy from Batam who had been fighting cancer and eventually lost the battle.  I first knew of his plight just slightly more than 3 years back when I was still in Batam; gave a small donation for his chemotherapy treatment in Singapore after reading his mother's heartfelt plea for help through Facebook.  After several sessions of chemotherapy in Singapore he seemed to have recovered and I thought things were going well.  So it was quite a shock when I learnt of his passing from a common friend in Batam.  Hopefully his family will find strength to overcome this difficult period.  

As for me, my company is expected to release further update of the merger after Chinese New Year.  While I look forward to it in order to get some understanding of my fate I also worry about the kind of card that will be dealt to me.  In a nutshell, shipping does not look good, especially with the TPP unraveling.  China on the other hand is making her presence felt in the region with some major projects that may impact Singapore's shipping industry as well.  Overall, 2017 does not look very promising for shipping although I strongly hope that I will be proven wrong.

It's at times like this when I really wish I had a Nanyang MBA...

And oh yeah... I have some things to fix too which will cost quite a bit.  That really turn me off....

With China Town New Year light up coming this Saturday, I might have something to distract me a bit.

On a brighter note...  today is the first day Lincoln started primary 1 while Lindsay also moved to a new child care.  Lincoln adapted very well to the new environment, he seemed to enjoy school; came back with all smiles today trying to describe what he did.  Lindsay was predictably difficult with eating.  The teachers advised that she ate very little for lunch, otherwise she was mingling very well with the other kids and had no problem adapting too.

When I watched Lincoln walk back to his class after recess, it suddenly dawned upon me that I need my children more than they need me.  Despite them giving me a hard time (yelling at them, going through lessons with them, getting frustrated at them, etc.), they also give me a lot of happy moments and a sense of achievement when I see them reach a certain stage in their life.  They really are a blessing in this otherwise bland and perhaps self-centred life.  

Here's a closing shot for this rambling entry - I have a lot to get off my chest!

The Dark Knight - Fairy Style

~ Photo taken with Nikon D750 + Sigma 24mm F/1.4 DG HSM (A) ~

Legoland Trip 2014

Back in November 2014, we decided to go on an impromptu trip to Legoland Malaysia.  Lindsay was still in Purwokerto and it was just the three of us (me, my wife & Lincoln) in Singapore.  Since we had some time together, we thought it would be good to give Legoland a try since Lincoln had never been to a theme park before.  We bought a tour package from a travel agent and took a bus ride from Singapore to Johor.

The bus ride lasted almost 3 hours including immigration waiting time per trip.  Before reaching Legoland we also had to wait for some people who wanted to go to Hello Kitty Land before we finally reached Legoland.  We started at about 8:15 a.m. and finally got to theme park 11:15 a.m.

Lincoln was very excited from the moment we stepped foot inside the theme park.  The park was very spacious and surprisingly not very crowded.  I can't imagine what it would be like to be in a crowded park under hot and humid conditions.  

Top: Legoland Hotel at the background; Bottom: Aerial view of Legoland