Mid Autumn Festival
"Traditionally, the Mid Autumn festival is the ideal time, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, to celebrate the abundance of the summer's harvest. The traditional food of this festival is the mooncake, of which there are many different varieties." Wikipedia
Yeah, Wiki's got it right. But there's just so many varieties of mooncake available now that its simply 'moon'-boggling. There's the traditional lotus seed paste ones, Green tea flavoured, the modern chocolate truffles with champagne, updated traditional snow skin with wolfberry and the very Singaporean durian mooncake..... and more types which I don't even know what flavor it is called. Heck, if you got money to burn, you can even get mooncakes that are topped off with a thin foil of pure 99.99karat gold. How's that for extravagance eh?
Anyway, what better way to check out the vast varities of mooncake available than to check out the Takashimaya Mid-Autumn Festival? Where you can sample mooncakes from almost every reputable mooncake maker in town.
So for what has become an almost annual trip, I braved the weekend crowds and jostled with all the people for some free samples. Buy mooncakes? No need one. heehee... (yes yes.. I know. I'm very cheapo.)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Demons of Stupidity
Warning: Potent, nonsensical, adult language ahead. The following post may only be a figment of the author's fantasy. Not suitable for senior management types. Continue reading at your own risk. Stupidity may be contagious... yes... even over the Internet.
~ Rant mode on ~
Recently, I've been pretty stressed out at work.
I'm not really stressed out because there's so much work to do (it's more fatigue than anything).
Neither am I bothered very much by a new boss coming into the office.
However, what really irks me is the fact that management sometimes does not see (or perhaps more likely they chose not to see) the problems on the ground.
And because they do not understand what is happening on the ground, they often make decisions that impact negatively on the staff morale and hence productivity.
They believe that by using the "I believe you can do it" motivational approach is enough to resolve whatever resistance/problem there may be. Worst yet is the "I don't want to hear No or cannot be done" approach.
For example, since eons ago, we've had known that we would need to work on a big event in Nov. However, it’s only recently that we were told what the big bosses wanted to do. So how many weeks do we have until that event date? A measly 2 months, in which we are expected to conceptualise and produce a whizz-bang exhibit booth. Why did it take them so long so decide on such a supposedly large and important event?
How dumbass / stupid / retarded / moronic / all-of-the-above can you get?!?
Important projects get launched late. Timelines of complicated projects get trimmed to the verge of insanity.
Can management actually become so detached from the realities of work? Do they seriously think that by applying a few inappropriate and clumsy management techniques, they can compensate for their dumbass decisions?
The plain truth is that our office is stretched – no, correction, it is those of us who can do work that are bleeding from all the arrows in our backs while the incompetent / lazy ones escape relatively unscathed, and can even get promoted! What the bleedy f*@^$#2?
And then when reviewing why projects get delayed, they try to lay the blame on us. What the bleedy f*46*&&k!?! In the first place, who the hell decided to change the policy? Who was the f&#^#$k$r that decided to keep going with the development despite the fact that we were still changing our policies, and in the end, we had to keep amending the work done. Better yet, who was it that decided that all a massively-complicated-never-been-done-before project needed was someone to work on part-time - despite feedback that we need to work on it full-time?
And when we try to claim OT for all the damn hours we put in after work, they have the blardy f&@k76 cheek to tell us to moderate our claims!? And where the hell did they find the blardy balls to tell us that we can't take long leave at the end of the year because there's so much work that needs to be done. Harlo! Who's f*@*&^ fault is that? Is that how you reward / motivate your overworked staff? I don't see the other departments in the division working so hard. Our department regularly stays behind after hours to work while the rest can cheerfully leave on the dot.
Do they seriously think that staff will just sit back and take that sort of nonsense? F*^$& you! People will (have have) started to leave. Heck, it is an employees market out there now. Why should we put up with so much stupidity for such a measly paycheck?
In the final analysis, the simple truth is that there are simply too many demons of stupidity in my office. And there's no way in hell you can exorcise them all to hell.
So to preserve my sanity and soul, I think it is time that I consider getting out of there. Not now but after the bonus payout of course.
~ Rant mode off ~
Pardon the language. But sometimes, stupidity & frustration can drive you to do ...er... write stupid things.
Warning: Potent, nonsensical, adult language ahead. The following post may only be a figment of the author's fantasy. Not suitable for senior management types. Continue reading at your own risk. Stupidity may be contagious... yes... even over the Internet.~ Rant mode on ~
Recently, I've been pretty stressed out at work.
I'm not really stressed out because there's so much work to do (it's more fatigue than anything).
Neither am I bothered very much by a new boss coming into the office.
However, what really irks me is the fact that management sometimes does not see (or perhaps more likely they chose not to see) the problems on the ground.
And because they do not understand what is happening on the ground, they often make decisions that impact negatively on the staff morale and hence productivity.
They believe that by using the "I believe you can do it" motivational approach is enough to resolve whatever resistance/problem there may be. Worst yet is the "I don't want to hear No or cannot be done" approach.
For example, since eons ago, we've had known that we would need to work on a big event in Nov. However, it’s only recently that we were told what the big bosses wanted to do. So how many weeks do we have until that event date? A measly 2 months, in which we are expected to conceptualise and produce a whizz-bang exhibit booth. Why did it take them so long so decide on such a supposedly large and important event?
How dumbass / stupid / retarded / moronic / all-of-the-above can you get?!?
Important projects get launched late. Timelines of complicated projects get trimmed to the verge of insanity.
Can management actually become so detached from the realities of work? Do they seriously think that by applying a few inappropriate and clumsy management techniques, they can compensate for their dumbass decisions?
The plain truth is that our office is stretched – no, correction, it is those of us who can do work that are bleeding from all the arrows in our backs while the incompetent / lazy ones escape relatively unscathed, and can even get promoted! What the bleedy f*@^$#2?
And then when reviewing why projects get delayed, they try to lay the blame on us. What the bleedy f*46*&&k!?! In the first place, who the hell decided to change the policy? Who was the f&#^#$k$r that decided to keep going with the development despite the fact that we were still changing our policies, and in the end, we had to keep amending the work done. Better yet, who was it that decided that all a massively-complicated-never-been-done-before project needed was someone to work on part-time - despite feedback that we need to work on it full-time?
And when we try to claim OT for all the damn hours we put in after work, they have the blardy f&@k76 cheek to tell us to moderate our claims!? And where the hell did they find the blardy balls to tell us that we can't take long leave at the end of the year because there's so much work that needs to be done. Harlo! Who's f*@*&^ fault is that? Is that how you reward / motivate your overworked staff? I don't see the other departments in the division working so hard. Our department regularly stays behind after hours to work while the rest can cheerfully leave on the dot.
Do they seriously think that staff will just sit back and take that sort of nonsense? F*^$& you! People will (have have) started to leave. Heck, it is an employees market out there now. Why should we put up with so much stupidity for such a measly paycheck?
In the final analysis, the simple truth is that there are simply too many demons of stupidity in my office. And there's no way in hell you can exorcise them all to hell.
So to preserve my sanity and soul, I think it is time that I consider getting out of there. Not now but after the bonus payout of course.
~ Rant mode off ~
Pardon the language. But sometimes, stupidity & frustration can drive you to do ...er... write stupid things.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Ramen Ramen
What better way to de-stress from work than to go have some great food with excellent company?
Presenting the "Char Siew" Ramen with hardboiled egg from Ramen Marutama at Central.
Doesn't it just look heavenly deliciously yummy?
Too bad I was too hungry to take more pictures of the ramen but trust me, it IS good stuff.
The char siew is just perfect - the succulent meat simply melts away in your mouth. The broth is delicate balance of flavours without any hint of the corner cutting MSG. The hardboiled egg is done such that the egg yoke is still a little soft and almost a little runny. The chopped chives and spring onions provided just the right amount of fresh "crunch" to the broth.
This one gets 4.5 / 5 chomps from me.
What better way to de-stress from work than to go have some great food with excellent company?
Presenting the "Char Siew" Ramen with hardboiled egg from Ramen Marutama at Central.Doesn't it just look heavenly deliciously yummy?
Too bad I was too hungry to take more pictures of the ramen but trust me, it IS good stuff.The char siew is just perfect - the succulent meat simply melts away in your mouth. The broth is delicate balance of flavours without any hint of the corner cutting MSG. The hardboiled egg is done such that the egg yoke is still a little soft and almost a little runny. The chopped chives and spring onions provided just the right amount of fresh "crunch" to the broth.
This one gets 4.5 / 5 chomps from me.
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