Believing in yourself

FIFA World Cup Visa Promotion

2010-01-06T20:26:00.004+08:00

Visa has just launched another promotion. Just spend $50 via VISA and you stand to win a pair of tickets to watch the FIFA World Cup in South Africa!! WOots.... I've submitted my entry for it. Have you done so?

Night Shoots

2009-12-24T00:07:00.004+08:00

Had some free time on some evenings after work, so i did some night photography around the office area.
Results were so-so but I think there's still more room for improvements. Agree?

Ho Ho Ho....

2009-12-12T01:10:00.007+08:00

Cant believe myself for being a Santa Claus for this year's CSR project. This is my very first CSR with the company.. and there's more to come!
Being Santa really ain't that easy after all - you have to tolerate those kids poking(*bashing actually) your belly, pulling your beard etc.

But never mind... being Santa is for good cause, to spread the spirit of sharing. Here's some photos of me... the not so "Fat Santa"
Ho ho ho... Merry X'mas!!

A brand new month!

2009-11-02T20:45:00.002+08:00

A new month is here!! This time round, I wont be staying at home... instead I'll be busy with my work. Just realised that I've lots of reading up to do just after the 1st day of work.

Topics covered in school was just only a tip of the iceberg... Now with the current job scope, I need to have a better grasp of the mechanisms on those financial derivatives. Very soon, I will have to work on some models and testing as well!

Wish me all the best during this probation period! I want to perform well!!

At Last!

2009-10-13T23:20:00.003+08:00

What can I say? They have called me up this afternoon and gave me a letter of offer! My prayers have been answered - Looks like I've got 2 more weeks of lazing in bed before the usual routine of waking up early and preparing for work.... for the next 30 years?

Oh man... Whatever, at least I will have some income and not mop around at home. Wish me all the best in my new job!

Test shoot

2009-10-12T00:15:00.006+08:00

Added this 28mm - 105mm USM to my current lens collection and tried some shootouts on my cousin's dog: Princess

Guess this will be my new walkabout lens for the moment. I was thinking of getting a 2nd hand 50mm f1.8 lens at $100. Shall I? Will see about it when I get a job. Here are some of the test shots I took. Please feel free to comment.

Experimenting in Progress

2009-10-06T17:46:00.003+08:00

I was kinda bored for the past few days, so I decided to take out my camera and go round snapping some pictures. The lift uprading works are completed, but it seems that the facade of my lift lobby is worse than before. They spray painted that HUGE 17 STOREY on the wall. ~UGLY~

I did a little PP on it to evoke that old and run-down feeling, just to emphasise my feel for this lift lobby. So what's your comment on this photo?

Had this pile of clothes lying in my room for 2 days, which i haven't put them into the wardrobe.
Am i getting lazy?

And finally, a night scene of a road junction from my house at 3am:

Can you see it?

2009-09-28T13:55:00.003+08:00

Try and see if u make out what is the wording. Yes, it's "Happy Birthday" - made with M&Ms mini.

This is my birthday cake - mini cupcake series. Ying has been making birthday cakes for me since we were together. As for this year, it' not the usual cheesecake - but it's cupcakes!

The cupcakes are soft and fluffy in the middle, with chocolate chips in the middle. Yummy!! Want to try some? Too bad... it's all kept in my stomach.

I really appreciated her effort in making birthday cakes for me year after year without fail. I would just like to say "Thank You!" to you.

What would u do with a faster connection speed?

2009-09-24T12:37:00.003+08:00

Time is running out

2009-09-24T12:11:00.002+08:00

4 months. Till now, I am still jobless. Been to countless interviews for the past 2 months, sent out CVs but nothing's happening. September is coming to a close and October is nearing, moving in to the 5th month soon.

The only glimmer of hope for a job lies with this bank. Did I mention to you that I've already waited 2 months for them after the 'final interview'?

There's no indication if they do not want me.

Should I still wait? Initially I thought that the programme will kick off immediately once MAS approves it. But now, HR department called me a few days ago saying that there may be another round of test/interview by the department before they can offer any positions.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?

I need the income.... Savings are depleting. Giving tuition is my only source of income, but it's not sufficient.

Please, let me find a job by the end of October. I need it... ANY JOB!!

Guide to Taking Better Photos

2009-09-24T11:42:00.014+08:00

A nice and simpe guide to better photographs, self potrait especially.
What do u think?

Back from Hokkaido

2009-07-23T15:42:00.016+08:00

Went to Hokkaido for my grad trip with Ying and her family. The summer scenery there is absolutely mesmerizing. Flowers are blooming everywhere and we visited some of the tourist attractions in Hokkaido. We visited places like Otaru Canal, Isakyu Chocolate factory, Sakae brewery, Ashahi brewery and many other more.

For more pictures, visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/ziqrob/SummerBreezeInHokkaido

Dinner in a Ramen shop

Oragami placed on the Yugata

Picture in the Japanese Shrine

It's sugar icing!

Water fountain in the chocolate factory

Snapshot of flowers

JP holding the 7-tier rainbow ice cream

Otaru Canal

Manhunt is over!!

2009-05-08T09:55:00.004+08:00

Mas Selamat Kastari, Singapore’s Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader who escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre last year, has reportedly been arrested in Malaysia. -Channel NewsAsia - Friday, May 8

Like so finally boy.... It has been so long ever since we have last heard from him. I really want to know how he managed to escape from everyone's "watchful eyes" to eleswhere. Maybe he can open a workshop session on "How to disguise" or "101 Ways to be undetected".

Well since he is caught, rumours about him being drowned in the canals during the heavy rain last year or whatsoever is BUSTED!! (watch too much Mythbusters.. haa..)

Who can you see?

2009-05-04T14:25:00.005+08:00

Was looking for picture illusion examples for my ESAP and happened to stumble upon this picture.

If you can see Albert Einstein, you have normal vision. If you are looking at Marilyn Monroe, better go visit the optician for an eye test.

Interesting ya?

Final Sprint

2009-04-14T14:44:00.003+08:00

In just 4 weeks, the final exams will be here. Preparation for it seems to fall short of acheiving my target for this year. Please let me see some light in understanding the topics, hopefully the questions set by Dr. Norvald wont be too demanding. Haa... and the questions in MSM will be of similar standard in the Mock (yeah right...)

There are so much things to do after the exams... Finding a job, tidying up my room and hee... pack my luggage for Japan. I'll definitely look forward to it! Right now, at the moment, will just have to focus and focus...

Come Fly With Us!

2008-10-27T03:04:00.009+08:00

The view from the world's tallest observation wheel, The Singapore Flyer, simply took my breath away. Yes, "INDEED"... Our city skyline is so filled with constructions at the moment lah, with the IR coming up, Marina Barrage coming along next month. (we're going there next weekend for the BIG WALK, WooHoo!!) I would say that the city skyline will not be finalised until maybe 2010? That's where I may revisit the Flyer once more, before I can really comment on the ride.

Anyway, we were there to celebrate our 7th anniversary. Ya.... I know 7 years is quite a long one. That's what everyone says about us. Oh well, enough of talking, picture time!

a helpful tourist offered to take a picture for us

u see what i mean?

picking up the Esplanade

look how big Swissotel is

We headed down to Prego, Raffles City, for dinner. Overall, this restaurant has a relatively nice ambience and food is not bad too.

Prego, a MUST try italian restaurant

Complimentary Bread – A nice round load of bread was served whilst you are waiting for your food. Served warm, the bread has a little crisp on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside. Not too bad to just eat it plain. You can mix around trying various ways to enjoy your bread: dipping into a tomato dip, olive oil with vinegar, or simply, the nice traditional way, butter. If you are that hungry, you may want to help yourself a 2nd round.

Maccheroncelli Ragu Di Maiale – What a long name for this dish. Basically = Pasta. The meat slices in the sauce is succulent and tender, melting in your mouth, literally. Sauce-wise, do add that little bit of crushed black pepper to bring out the full flavour of it. As for the pasta, every spoonful is a mouth-bursting experience, with sauce oozing out from it, trickling down your throat, tickling your taste buds.

Calzone Farcito – Pizza in name, ang mo curry puff in appearance. Honestly, this is my first time facing a non-traditional looking pizza. The crust, or rather the dough has a nice soft and chewy texture, wrapped inside are the “pizza toppings”. Prying open the pizza, a whole load full of stuffing was unveiled... Melted mozzarella cheese, pork sausages, artichokes, spinach and black olives. Yummy! It goes well with the tomato sauce served separately. 8.5/10 for uniqueness, 8/10 for the yummy index. Felt damn full after eating that pizza.

Zuccotto – What’s that? Well, I’ve no idea on what it’s supposed to be. According to Ying, it should have coffee liqueur, but my taste buds sensed nothing. Just treat it as a mud pie ya? I personally like the aroma of the coffee sprinkled on the top. The mild bitterness of the coffee was of the right amount to match with the sweetness of melted vanilla. For those choc lovers out there, there is an irresistible dark chewy chocolate, right at the bottom, forming the base of the dessert. A pretty nice combination for the coffee and chocolate addicts.

Putting the food aside, the service there exceeded my expectation. I was very impressed that they made an effort to look in to those minute details, for example, addressing you by your last name. When was the last time you actually heard a waitress addressing you by the last name? Initially I thought it was "Sir", but hearing it clearly the next round, it was actually "Mr Seow". Next, when it comes to clearing the table full of bread crumbs, a curved spatula looking tool was used. Impressive and professional looking. Too bad I did not manage to get a picture of it. Try littering your table with bread crumbs and wait for them to clear it... Haa.

Pricing is reasonable; what do you think it would be? We were expecting it to be like $80? But nah, it was less than that. With discount, it was even lesser than $70, working out to be around $35 per pax. Decent price, for the both of us carried a heavy belly out of the restaurant. Do try Prego, and tell me your experience there.

RARE Sighting

2008-10-02T23:49:00.006+08:00

Just got back from school and my sis came and showed me this video clip.

Check this out!!

Tell me what's your comment.

Apparently the distance from the cage to the glass partition is approx 7 cm away and 10 cm tall. So, hamsters do really JUMP, or shall I say LEAP?

Redang Retreat

2008-08-25T17:23:00.009+08:00

Headed down to Redang right after the Olympics trip. Really missed the big blue sea, fishes, breeze and the sand. I would consider this dive trip to be the most fruitful trip so far... Visibility here is good, many unique creatures and one of the most exciting and "memorable" trip. Fill you guys in a while.

First up, nudi branches... Beautiful creatures, with so many varieties and more yet to be discovered.

Next, some of the common sightings.

Last but no least, unique sea creatures camouflaging. Try spotting them!

Road to Beijing

2008-08-25T14:57:00.019+08:00

A wonderful experience in Beijing, China by VISA International was indeed an enjoyable and memorable one. The whole itinerary was well planned and I must say, they have left me with a good impression of China.

Flew on SQ to Beijing. Can't remember when was the last time I took SQ to travel overseas. LOL... We arrived at Beijing Terminal 3 - The Dragon.

This is one remarkable structure. It's aerial view is shaped like a dragon, which symbolised the Chinese. As mentioned by National Geographic, this terminal is HUGE and spacious. To prove it's point, it took us a whopping 15mins to walk from the plane to the customs!

Headed straight down to the hotel (Jiuhua Spa and Resort, Beijing) upon arrival and the hotel is simply magnificent! It is literally a VISA hotel, as VISA booked the entire 15th block for the Beijing Olympics. All VISA winners around the globe stayed in this unit. Lobby view was Olympics themed and we took some poster shots with the Chinese stars like Yao Ming and Liu Xiang.

Following which, with some free time on hand, we attempted to tour the whole hotel area. Alas, the area is too big as there are a total of 21 spa pools and 17 units of accomodation. Only managed to tour 3 blocks and we had to leave for lunch.

In the evening, we caught our 1st Olympics event - Women's soccer semi-finals. USA vs Japan. It was quite enjoyable as most of the spectators there were rooting for USA. They did not let the crowd down by thrashing the Japanese with a score 4 : 1.

Next day was the most fruitful trip of all. In the morning, we toured the Forbidden City. The "Forbidden City" formation and tune formed during the SYF suddenly came into my head. Haa...
After all the historical sites, the Olympics Green was next.

The Bird's Nest Stadium and Water Cube really captures everyone's heart. We stood there in awe of the 2 modern and very unique archeitecture.

Belgium showed China who's boss by giving us a spectacular display of skill, strength, determination and stamina. With a 2 point lead after the final whistle, it silence the whole chinese supporters, leaving them packing up quietly and going back home.

Finally, on the last day, we visited one of the Ancient 7 Wonders of the World - Great Wall of China. Pretty chilly up there and took a couple of shots. After that, we headed to the airport and returned back to Singapore.

Thank you VISA!

For more pictures, visit:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ziqrob/RoadToBeijing

Back from HK

2008-08-01T15:03:00.003+08:00

5 days in HK was just nice for us to shop and view the various tourism spots. Took many many photos.. At first, we could not even believe that we took nearly 800 worth of picts!! After a hard time filtering the photos, these are the selected ones for your view pleasure.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ziqrob/HongKong2008

~En route to Beijing Olympics 2008~

2008-07-19T01:56:00.008+08:00

Finally, I can start to countdown to Olympics. Had a pre-departure briefing conducted by Visa International, informing us on our flights schedules and accomodation. Each one of us received a departure kit, consisting of a identification tag, badge and a "All to know about Beijing Olympics 2008" booklet.

I must say that the 3D2N is really a FULL 3D2N.... Departures on the 18th at 0100hrs and returning back to Singapore on the 20th at 2300hrs. Itinerary is packed back to back, as we are going sight-seeing in the day and watching the Olympic Games at night. So by the time the event ends, we'll reach hotel around 0030hrs? Damn tiring lor...

Oh well, just enjoy the Games and get into the mood for Olympics. Beijing here I come!

Why so Serious?

2008-07-19T00:58:00.003+08:00

"Why so serious?"
"Want to know how I got my scar?"

Those are the lines you're gonna hear from THE JOKER.

This 153 mins action-packed movie is a MUST watch movie for all of you out there. It punches off with the classic Gotham bank robbery, with Batman trying ways to clean out the mobs plaguing Gotham City....Blah blah blah..

Enough of those story telling... One scene that really hurts me was the Lamborghini being rammed by a truck. OuCH!! Poor car, only had a few minutes of fame before it became disfigured.

Alright, shan't say too much for those who are catching this movie. But trust me, this movie rocks!

Doesn't Batman reminds you of Darkwing Duck?
"I'm the terror that flaps in the dark.... I am Darkwing Duck!" LOL

What a Day!!

2008-07-02T00:56:00.003+08:00

Month end closing, the most DREADED day of the accounts department. It's OT OT and more OT. Finished my work before 5 today, submitted the bank recon statements of 3 BUs, tallied my sales and purchases schedule, updated the debtors aging and all ready to leave at 6 to give tuition.

Alas, life's not that easy after all... too efficient la... My supervisor saw that I was free and I landed up in another huge pile of statements waiting to be consolidated. *It's not even the BUs that I am doing one lor*

Learnt a few lessons today:
Rule #1: Always act busy...No matter what.

Had to cancel my tuition class and work till 930pm. Only the thought of able to claim taxi fare back lightens up my heart a little.

Dragging myself down the Concourse building and attempted to flag for a cab home was no easy task. All the taxis are hired... or they just simply ignore me.

Tried walking further down to Golden Mile Tower, also no cabs available. Kaoz...
Waited for 30mins and there wasn't any sign of an available taxi. So I took out my phone and dialled for a cab. "Dun care already, claim my cab fare gao gao..."

Who can expect that the lines are all engaged!! Everyone at this time is calling for a cab. After 15mins of continuous dialling, it finally got through. The operator told me to wait for a moment and will return back shortly with the taxi number. 2 mins have past... 5 mins... 10 mins... and this was the response from the machine, before the call ended:

"Sorry, there are no cabs available in your area. Please try calling again..."

What the?!!

Rule #2: Call the cab way way in advance. Especially if you work in the city area.

I've only managed to get back home at 11pm.... That's 1.5hrs since i knocked off from work. And tmr's only a Wednesday...

2nd week of work

2008-06-21T17:33:00.002+08:00

Auditors are within 2m of my radar scope in office. They are litterally everywhere! Kept asking for this doc and that doc non stop, understanding how this figure is calculated. The noise level, I would say, is as though i'm in the fish market.

I'm beginning to get the hang of the job and the JDE system, although I'm still not really good at it. I still have to ask my supervisor on which accounts to enter for some entries and accruals. Month end is coming soon and I have to start preparing the bank reconcilition statement and debtor aging list from the excel spreadsheet. Gosh!! I've totally forgotten how to do. Why cant they just churn it out from their system instead?

Next tue, BIG boss gonna treat us to lunch in Raffles Hotel for Financial Year 07/08 closing celebration. Hope the food is gonna be good. Haa..

view from my pantry

view from one of the office window

Fastest Fingers First

2008-06-17T23:28:00.003+08:00

Although eCR1 only starts at 1000hrs... I'm sure that there were tons of people logged into the system "camping" and waiting for the registration to begin. Just like me.. Haha... With that kiasu mentality, in the 1st 10 mins, I could not even get in!!

Luckily after a while, things started to go on smoothly. Managed to get the classes and modules I want to do for next sem. Hope my results this year would be good, so that I will not need to work so hard for the final sem haha!! (Lazy Pig!!)

Typical Singaporeans

2008-06-04T23:12:00.005+08:00

Was roaming aimlessly in Raffles Place today, waiting for my interview, suddenly spotted this HUGE queue when I got out of the station. Tsk tsk... Singaporeans can never resist the temptations of queueing behind long queues, even without knowing what's going on, until they reached the beginning of the line.

Their mentality is:
Queues = FREEBIES

Check out the length of the queue @ Raffles Place MRT Station at 12noon.

from this

to this

and this... all in a matter of 15mins!!

And their prized trophy:

a packet of milk... really keeps them "going" (1packet where got enuff?)

Narnian Night

2008-06-01T23:09:00.007+08:00

The Narnian night begins with a dinner for the "Narnian" at Swensens... Following which, a Narnian movie to go along with it.

Prince Caspian - I would say that the story line is pretty much like any other fantasy books or movies. However, I must agree that the scenery is ReALLY Beautiful!! Pristine clear waters and rich green pastures. OMG... how I wish I am one of the characters acting in this movie to enjoy such a grand sight. From the "Oooohhs and Waaahs" of the audience, I'm sure it amazes all of us.

Battle scenes have improved as compared to the previous movie, but some parts feels like watching LOTR. Haha!! Overall, quite an enjoyable show. Give it a 3.5 stars out of 5.

Long Awaited Break - 3 months hols

2008-05-29T15:04:00.003+08:00

No more exams for this year... Yes! The very last paper for this academic year is over. As for those friends who are still fighting on to clear their last paper, here's for you: "Believe in yourself! You can do it!"

Now, with some time on hand, I'll be planning the itinerary for my long awaited trip to Hong Kong.
With so many places I want to visit there, I wonder if a 5D4N is sufficient... In the meanwhile, I shall go finish up my "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" before watching it this Friday, which is tmr.. Wait for my reviews!

Concentration NEEDED!!!

2008-05-25T22:13:00.005+08:00

Gosh! Time really flies and it's my last paper soon... Could not really even concentrate much and revise my Macro. My sis has already finished her exams and starting to party around, I was too, affected by that. I simply can't CONCENTRATE!!! ArrgggHHHH!!! Someone pls help me.

Why does this situation always happen when it comes to the last paper?

"Just 2 more days and it's your last paper. Can you pls concentrate and stay focused??"

Lift Upgrading Works

2008-05-11T12:43:00.004+08:00

At last, the works of creating lifts on every level has began. It may be good for the residents here, but not for me at the moment. I'm now in the midst of my exam period and I seriously need some peace and quiet for revision. The daily hacking and drilling of the road works downstairs have been creating quite a din, now with the lift works adding on to it... Soon it's gonna be a Dolby Surround Sound System.. Haha..

Lift upgrading is only to be completed in 1st Quarter of 2009.. Boy, it's gonna be long before it's soon over...

Mother's Day

2008-05-10T19:11:00.005+08:00

Mother's Day is just round the corner. Did not really have any celebration as my exams round the corner... Nevertheless, Yingying made a simple bouquet of flowers for my mom. Happy Mother's Day!!

Kids nowadays...

2008-04-27T14:10:00.002+08:00

Was waiting for bus no.16 at the Bedok Interchange yesterday. Boy, who would have expected 2 teenagers roughly in their 15s smoking their lungs away. Right in the queue!!! Really pissed me off.

Isn't the island-wide smoking ban been implemented? Especially so for public areas like the BUS INTERCHANGE and bus stops... To make matters worse, I could not find the "NO SMOKING" sign anywhere in the vicinity.

What's the bus captains doing? Those "Transit Security" personnel too? Shouldn't they stop them from smoking in the interchange?

Then, something puzzling came into my mind. Who am I supposed to report to? Who's gonna fine them? SBS Transit? NEA? Haiz...

The smoking ban, I would say is a good move. But the magnitude of enforcement by the agents, it's up to you to comment.

Memories...

2008-04-21T19:22:00.006+08:00

It has been for quite some time ever since I've kept a pet. Remembered the last time was during the "Lohan" craze.. Bought it when it was a small fry, like 3 for $10.. The first one died when it was still teeny weeny, so had not much memories about it. The other died after a year later due to some gill infection. My sis wept over her fish as she was pretty attached to it.

Mine, on the other hand, escaped from the clutches of "Lord Yen" many times, kena gill infection, white spots on its fins and body and lastly eye infection too. I would say that it had put up a tough fight and survived!!

Keeping the Lohan fish wasn't really about bringing luck or whatsoever, I was just fascinated on how such a tiny fish of a 50 cents coin size could grow up to such length! Simply Amazing!

But alas, guess it was due to old age, where it lost to the overpowering infections and passed on. It was sad moment. He was my good companion since I was Sec 4 till I passed out from BMTC.

Nevertheless, I'll still remember my good old Lohan.

New family members

2008-04-21T19:20:00.010+08:00

Added 3 incredibly cute hammies into my family today. Not too sure on what specific breed were they as they were given to me, but nevertheless, hamsters. Haha...

I've got 2 whites and 1 brown, but have yet to determined what gender are they, cos their soooo tiny. Currently all of them are running about in their cages happily, with no quarrels and fightings. Phew!

Check out some of their picts:

Feeling the Heat!!

2008-04-21T01:49:00.002+08:00

Just 3 more weeks and it'll be the showdown battle for the year once more... Local revision and foreign workshops have come to an end, it's time for myself to continue on with self-revision.

This year's exam timetable, I would say is quite well spreaded out, except for my IBM and CF. 2 papers in a day, with both qualitative and quantitative. I really wonder how can my brain remember so much stuff for 2 contrasting subjects?!

Well, what to do... just have to mug hard for this year and hope the results can secure at least a 2nd Upper or 1st (keeping my fingers crossed), then I can relax for the final year.. Haha!! Work hard and all the best for those having their exams too!! (which includes myself, boy, I do need lotsa luck this year)

Back from Dayang = SUNBURNT!!

2008-03-25T14:03:00.001+08:00

Arggghhh!!!! For the whole week, it was raining and raining and raining... It doesn't seem to stop at all. Surprisingly, on the Saturday morning, 15th March, it was bright and sunny. Dive trips were good to go.

It was a small group from the SIM Dive Club this time round, but nevertheless, pretty enjoyable and visibility was very good! Many underwater creatures were spotted. Check out the pictures!

Nice bright view of the jetty

3 kinds of puffer fish

Other sea creatures

Isn't "nemo" cute?

She's a beauty eh?

Try spotting the stone fish!

Will this taste good with sambal?? Haha..