I made it, I made it!!!!!

22nd June 2009

The day of my last semester exam results. Extremely worried about my ‘Everyday Creativity’ subject. Did not attend lectures or tutorials. Lectures, coz they were all taped and uploaded online. Tutorials because I got nothing out of it. The tutor made us give all the answers so what was the point of going. Anyway, I had no interest in this subject and as it is I was finding it difficult concentrating on studying while working full time this was essay writing of which I could not find the brain cells to come up with the substance. As for the other subject, which me and my friends label as the ‘Alien Language’ aka Phonetics and Phonology, though it seems difficult I knew I would pass, coz I was doing quite ok for the assignments. I was doing pretty badly for the assignments for the Everyday Creativity and if I flunked the exam that would be it. Gotta repeat another semester. Results would be out by 12 noon. Went to check after lunch. Thank God I passed!!!! YAYYY I’m a GRADUATE… I will be a DEGREE holder!!! And most importantly… NO MORE SCHOOL!!! As most of you know I hate part time studies, especially my time at SIM. I missed my real school days, the foundation years – pri & sec, and my poly time… but the adult learning at SIM was really sucky. Don’t get me wrong, SIM itself and the curriculum was fine, it was the process… going to school after a long day at the office, making a friend in class only to be going to different classes the following semester, as we could choose what subjects we want to study and we all entered the uni at a different time. The atmosphere was really cold and individualistic. Individualistic coz assignments were all individually done and people are usually not open to discussing assignments coz of the competitiveness. Anyway, I’m done with this all!!! Yayyyyy!!!!

23rd June 2009

I suddenly turn to my email while at the office and this email popped up:

From: Angela Soo Sai Geok
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:22 PM
To: Marie Therese
Cc: Hua Meng Lee; Jelene Sim Sujun
Subject: Congratulations on your promotion!

Dear Marie
Congratulations on your promotion to Executive E1!
HR will be sending you an official letter on this.
Meng Lee and I will discuss your new job scope and let you know.
Thank you for the good effort and do continue with the good performance.

Cheers,
Angela SooDeputy Director, Corporate Communications

Thank you Jesus!!!! I made it, I made it!!! Before this, 35% of me did not want it. I’m a carefree, simple person. I do not need all the extra worries, responsibilities, all for what? For status and more money?? This is not me. But the remaining 65%, felt that I needed it. I’ve been working in the same company for 5 years. I’ve spent 2 additional years of my youth studying for my degree, something which there was no need for but I felt compelled to, so as to upgrade myself. Incurred huge debts because of this. Discovered my first (and only so far!!!) white hair about a month ago because of this!!!! Took on additional work in the office for one whole year with the hope (but no guarantee) that this promise will be kept!!!

I also need the additional respect from this!!! Getting promoted, especially since this time, its in designation and not only in grade at the junior level of rank and file staff, it certainly gets respect from peeps in the office. It shows that you are working hard. It shows that you are recognised by your boss for it. It shows that you can be counted on. And I really need this, to make my parents proud. My mom definitely is. To show that I’m on par with my brother. Ok, not really on par coz he is way up the ladder as he is way older than me, but its like almost every other time I keep hearing from my parents that he got a promotion. Its cliché, it’s not that I have to live up to my brother, but I have to show that I too, can do it. And they are happy for me as well. My mom just told me a few days ago. When I was speculating whether I would pass the promotion. She said that I could be doing just as what my brother is doing. Not comparable as we’re from different age groups, but going as far as him. And I reminded her that it was not my goal to go up and up and up the ladder as him, it’s just not me, and not for this job as well. And she explained that I could just go very far in whatever I want to do. Just overcome my complacency. And I was very happy. Because in the future I am gonna do something different and I need just this kind of encouragement. I know she is proud of me. And number 3. I have to keep up with my peers. And by getting promoted, to executive level (from Team Leader, supervisory level, which is considered junior staff), I have so called achieved that. Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Okay, my goal is, learn as much as I can, save as much money as I can, and then instead of going up and up and up the ladder, I am preparing myself to take the winding cloudy road…I dunno what will happen once I choose that path, and I am very much afraid, because I dunno if I can make it, and because I will defy all conventions by choosing this route, but this is the road for me in the very near future.

And so, I made it through this chapter of my life for now. YEAHHH!!!:D
The next chapter starts… more work… arrrggghhh!!! LOL…


Spritually Wise...
I have been attending RCIA regularly every Friday.. haven’t learnt anything new yet except that its nurses and air stewardess who get married early (did you know that???) and I have decided to journey with the Alpha Course as well. The topics seem real interesting. Okay, so Thurs and Fris are dedicated to church stuff.

And my spiritual goal right now is to learn how to play mass hymms and parts of the mass on the guitar, on time for my Italy and France pilgrimage this coming August 26th. This is my dream, to play for mass. Not a big one of playing for Sunday mass in church but a teensy weensy one of playing for the masses that will be held during my pilgrimage. I will be starting lessons this coming Sunday. I am so nervous. So far, all the guitar playing I’ve done is Praise & Worship songs. And the strumming is all done though hearing and interpreting how the song sounds like.. I don’t follow the set patterns of strumming.. and as I said, I’m a simple person, I play the guitar simply.. I do not know any cheem cheem chords, or any complicated way of playing the songs.. I just do it.. it seemed to work fine the last time I played P&W for the youth which was like 2 years ago sobsobs but I don’t know how this so called skills of mine will work for playing mass songs or how my teacher will take it.. I’m so nervous and worried but no matter what I have to be able to do it and I will be able to do it because so far, it’s not a coincidence but its God that gave me the opportunity to arrange to learn for this, and He knows my desire, so I’m crossing my fingers and strumming my guitar and praying for the best :D

Catching Up!!!

Sequence of Events

14 June 2009
Red Cross Standard First Aid Exam Day

Yayyyyy!!! After 2 ½ days of which I would call a crash course in learning First AiD (6 & 7 of June and the 1st half of 14th), it was exam time. Theory Test: 30 MCQ questions, 18 to pass. Busily studying during lunch time. Passed! Scored an 18. Then immediately after was the practical test. I was tested on an elbow bandage!!! Yayyy!!! So simple!!! Debra got palm bandage!!! What she wanted!!! (These 2 were much easier than the one arm sling or the collarbone bandage hehehe)

Then came CPR. Was nervous before.. coz didn’t know if I could find the notch, if I could remember the sequence.. uh oh.. was more worried in getting in right as don’t wanna screw things up in times of emergencies. What if I break the ribs? Luckily our examiner was so nice. Even though he seemed fierce at the first instance. He cracked jokes and all. Made the nervousness disappear. It helped that I was paired up with an Indian guy sent by a construction company. No, I’m not stereotyping, but it just so happened he kept his hands pressed down on the dummy’s chest, when he should lift his fingers up. Phew. The examiner focussed on him. But then when we started the compression, he said that both of us were pumping away and not relaxing. Ok, got it right the 2nd time. Then he told me to stop, and started asking the other guy questions, asking him when does he stop pumping. Easy, I thought. The guy struggled to answer and needed prompting. Then he turned to me! Uh oh. Thought he wasn’t gonna ask me anything. He asked what would I do once I find out the casualty starts to breathe. Ahh, I remembered, put him into the recovery position I said. The examiner pressed on, and then what do you do? Do you leave him like that? I said, check for any possible injuries before placing him in the recovery position. Was that all? Uh oh…I was humming and hawing.. He then prompted me and asked how long before I next checked on the casualty. Hmm.. my mind was racing.. errr 10 minutes I said? No.. it was supposed to be 5.. woops… misunderstood… by checking he meant to check if the casualty stopped breathing again.. and it takes 4 minutes of non breathing before the brain cells start to die…Phew.. I still passed anyway!! 1 more month to collecting my card sized cert, to prove that I’m a certified First Aider. Yayyy… a chance to help others in need. Mummy was happy too. She said I was sure to pass because I liked what I was doing. Yeah!!! Just hope that I remember what I learnt throughout these 3 years that the cert lasts. I’m sure I will!!!

15 June onwards

This week was a good week, God was helping me throughout. I had so much backlogged cases you wouldn’t believe. Nasty customers would probably have me by my throat for getting back to them so late if not for God protecting me. Yippeee…. Praise and thank God for helping me with those tough cases. Was it because I visited the Blessed Sacrament once this week? Anyway, all I know is that it helped that I prayed and asked and devoted time to Him.

The 15th was also the day of the Higher Responsibilities Assessment Test. At 9.30am. Oops. Did not really study the day before coz was sooo tired. Was busy cramming up the details into my head just before going for the test. Luckily the meeting room was occupied and our test was postponed to 10am. Was a bit worried as was to be tested on Excel and did not know what was ‘VlookUp’. Luckily my manager knows I don’t have to use it and did not even learn it. Still it would be awkward if I was tested on it and left it blank. Thank God it was just a simple addition and calculation of profit and percentage and placing the details on a chart!!! Thank you Jesus!!! I think I will pass this test. Does passing this test means I automatically get promoted? Gotta wait and see!! Hehe!!!

Called my brother’s place today as did not get to go over on Saturday, 13th June as my nieces were sick. Had not seen them for almost ½ a year. Why? Me lah. So busy. Found out that they were doing much better but did not get to speak to them. After hanging up the phone I could not stop crying. Missed them SO badly. And it was all my fault for not making time to see them. It’s funny how you can really miss someone even though they are right in front of you. And it’s also funny how you realise how much you miss someone when you have a chance to see them and don’t and don’t have a chance to see them when you can. If you know what I mean/.

Anyway, I got to see them on Wednesday 17 June where we had an early Father’s Day dinner. Though the girls, 6 and 5 years, were so shy and took a while to get used to me again. Oh wells. This Tita will win them over once again!!! Soon they loosened up and were playing with me again. And they loved the surprised eggs I gave to them. Haha.. I’ll be in their good books once again, yeah!!!

19 June

Instead of RCIA today, the movie FireProof was shown. Too bad I missed about an hour of the show. In the afternoon I consumed the Waist tonic that my manager bought for us and threw up my lunch immediately after. I had to eat dinner before coming and when I reached church I had a bad tummy ache that hit me just as I settled down comfortably in the auditorium. The movie was good!!! It just shows that marriage is a commitment to love and c’mon, whats with all these divorces, people are taking marriage as a joke, being blinded by their romantic notions of love. You choose to love your partner and you choose to make that work, not choose the easy way out when the going gets tough. And Kirk Cameron stars!!! He was my very first childhood celebrity crush, right Growing Pains. Though he looked verry different in the show but he sorta grew on me again.

20 June

Friends Therapy Day. I’ve been so busy with school and work and all that I had not met some of my bestest friends in such a long time. Today was really good coz I finally met Mai (primary school) and Seb (poly) after sooooooooo long. Swensens breakfast was good too. I need more friends therapy. It works wonders.