Trying to get a glimpse of me in 1st year's time, I can vaguely imagine myself graduating from NTU Mechanical Engineering with a (hopefully) 2nd upper honours degree. I'm trying to visualise what kind of career I'll be heading to. Teacher? Engineer? Or something else? Property agent? I dunno. DUH.

Originally, I wanted to become a piano teacher, but I buang-ed my piano practical grade 7 twice bcos I had sweaty palms whenever I played my pieces and scales in front of the examiner and I slipped too many countless times. Being quite disappointed at my failures and not having enough time to concentrate on both my studies and piano, I decided to focus on my studies instead. I still play the piano everynow and then, however, only whimsically. I'll not be able to achieve the level of standard that Nodame and Chiaki have achieved in Nodame Cantabile. Playing classical music was a torture for me back then, not getting the beats right and not being able to feel the music from my own heart was downright upsetting. Nodame Cantabile (anime) gave me so much interesting insight as to how people can have some much passion about classical music and I realised I'm the one to be blamed for not putting much effort on my own foundation and technique.

I'm slightly petrified by my own FYP, Electrostatic Powder Spray Coating on Curved Surfaces. Heck, I haven't got the slightest idea what it is all about. Hmm, I hope I do well and put in lotsa effort to figure out the solution to the challenge of my own FYP.

I just finished watching "My boss, my hero" drama series and it is quite a hilarious drama. I'm quite surprised that Japanese students only require a minimum score of 30 points for each subject to graduate from high school. Damn slack lah. I think it's nothing compared to Singapore's O Levels and the sebei scary L1R4 & L1R5. A levels was worse, much much worse.

Anyway, the subtle theme of the entire drama was to bring the message "School is fun, school is the place where you experience and learn many different things." The protagonist in question, is a yakuza-heir-to-be (黑帮少爷）who was forced to go to high school by his own father and head of the yakuza gang, as part of the requirement to become the next yakuza boss in line, because the protagonist only has the brawns but not the brains. He had to hide his real identity and behave like a normal student in school, initially it was torture for him, but as time goes by, he realised that he actually enjoyed going to school.

He always questioned about the need to go to school as 1. he was a yakuza, 2. he didn't understand wut the heck the teachers were teaching, 3. he didn't enjoy going to sch. Later He began to realise that it is school where he is able to experience friendship with his classmates, experience his first love, experience the discovery of being able to understand academic stuff, experience his first victory in obtaining the ever-lusterous Saint Agnes' pudding, etc. Of cos, he also experiened a lot of heartaches and headaches bcos of the above mentioned issues. Very cliched right, but I think it is really true. In 1 year's time, I'll be part of the working society and no longer able to retain my rights as student. Means I can't buy student concession for travelling purposes or buy student meal or enjoy student privileges in 1 year's time!!!!!

I seriously feel very uncertain about my own future and I wished that the holidays didn't disappear so quickly. I wished that I was more daring in the past to try out part-time jobs. I wished I was more street-wise so I wouldn't be so "gong gong" today. I wished God made me more fluent in my expression of speech and that I wasn't so naive. I wished for so many things that couldn't possibly happen to me. I wished that I could turn back time and rewrite my past and erase all the unfortunate and unhappy events that occurred in these recent 2-3 years.

Regrets and unfulfilled desires floods my head, emptiness echos through my soul, adding to my heart's resounding blues. But, I'm thankful for everything that happened, bcos thru them, I learnt to be strong, emotionally and mentally. I think I had the most enjoyable holiday ever as an undergraduate. Fulfilling my new year's resolution to do my part for the Intelletucally Disabled from RSPID and taking up new part time jobs which I previously hated (tuition & banquet), was indeed a challenge to my old-self and a splendid and wonderful experience which I will cherish and relish, everytime I look back.

Hmm, I caught the flu bug just last saturday. Got the nua nua feeling now whereby the entire body feels weak and you wanna slp the whole time due to the side effects of the medication. My ears are blocked..probably by pressure or bacteria or wadever, and every morning, there's the irritable running nose. Fever and sore throat are gone, thank God.

Hmm, i think i haven't been getting enough slp lately (yes, msn-ing until the wee hours in the morning) and as a result I kenna the sore throat on saturday morning. I tot I will be alright, so I went to work. Anyway I really felt alright until the time when I had to stand under the cold air con in the hotel's ballroom. Felt really cold. Then the next thing I knew, I was shivering and feeling feverish. That's it.

Made super many mistakes during the satuday night's function. Toppled 2 glasses of pepsi from my tray while I was trying to put a glass onto the table for the guest. Luckily, there wasn't anybody sitting at the seat then. Had to clear up the mess and I was like a kan cheong spider! Worst thing to ever happen, I didn't have time to pour chinese tea for one entire table and had to go inside the kitchen to peng3 the 1st dish out. Shitty loh. The whole night, I just can't remember many of the guests' requests for various drinks. CAN'T remember at all. Den kenna the black faces by some of the guests again. At one time, I forgot to lay the plates for the desert for one of the tables. Urgh. Totally not in my best form, dunno if i shld blame it on my illness or bcos i'm just incompetent.

There was one guest who got on my nerve. He requested for top up of beer when his glass of beer is only half-filled. Not once, not twice, but throughout the function. Irritating bastard. Arrogant + Kiasu fellow, no beer to drink, will die ah? Then he asked for toothpicks, it seems like he was the only one who wanted the toothpick from his table. So when my partner brought a few toothpicks out, he said "Why so little toothpicks? You all so stingy ah." Why does he behave like he is the only guest that needs toothpicks and topping up of drinks in the ballroom, he really need 10 toothpicks to pick his out the food stuck in his teeth meh? I can't stand entertaining, much less, speaking to him so I always do the "OK" sign and walk off each time he ask for "beer pls" while pointing to his half-filled glass of beer. The last time I topped up his beer, he insisted on me pouring all the way to the brim, machum like he scared no more beer to drink. KAOZ. Beer no TMR.

The demanding and irritating guests are always the CHINESE (Maybe it's bcos the Chinese make up the biggest population in Singapore, so we meet more KL people from the Chinese). The malays and indians guests are still alright, in fact, they are super friendly and nice. Something is wrong with the singaporean chinese crowd, there is this stuck up attitude towards the people working in the service sector and it is super demeaning and it is not doing enuff justice to the amount of work and effort put in by these service people (provided they are doing their job properly).

Heck lah, sch is starting soon, wldn't have the time to do banquet that often anymore. Super shagged after that function. Tired until I dun have the energy to talk somemore. Self-medicated myself and I slpt like a pig for two days. I hope I get well soon. I guess i'm the type who can't survive without enough sleep. Today is pay day and I'm looking forward to that. Yippy!

不是我的错
我们都听过
完美的时候 要更多
找这时候说的太多
有时候的我

只想和你一样沉默
不想单单罗罗嗦嗦

谁也灭不掉的火

也许大男人真的很男人

(也许大男人没那么男人)

少了点风度 还是不承认
有时候错的并不知道错的不想借口只是直接一点说
有时候女孩没那么小孩
心里的无奈也需要点关怀
遗憾的遗留变成勉强了
怎么能重新再来

Initially banqueting wasn't my cup of tea, cos it made my shoulders, back and biceps ache like mad. I guess carrying all the heavy stuff caused my sleeping and weak muscles to wake up and rack up a fuss. I seem to be fearful of carrying huge trays and I have nv carried huge trays to carry out huge or heavy servings of food. I was very afraid bcos I dun have the strength to carry them and was afraid that the food will topple over halfway before I even reach my side station.

My first encounter with the banquet stuff happened to coincide with a western corporate function. Behind the scenes, in the kitchen, I was greeted by the rude and selfish attitude of banquet waitresses and waiters. We had to prepare butter packets and keep them cold and frozen in small metal containers. Being a newbie, I often learn by route, wut other people do, i oso follow, so I tend to be on the slow side. The guys grabbed the butter like there was no tmr and I was seriously shocked, cos they were shouting at each other and saying "不要抢我的 butter!" Super scary lah. One aunty was actually quarrelling with a 18-20 years old boy over packets of butter. I tried to grab as many butter as I could, but aiyah, the butter ran out. So I tried to kope the boy's butter, and he scolded me like mad. I tried to kope the aunty's butter, she oso scolded me like mad! I was really furious and didn't know wut to do, then the boy said "我教你， 没有butter该做么， 站在这里哭啦！" I immediately retorted "SHUDDUP LAH!"

That was real maddness and perphaps one of the reasons why I wanted to quit banquet asap. The boy was really rude and made unnecessary comments that gave him a sense of superiority.

Corporate functions are generally more relaxing and not as fast paced as wedding functions. Just that sometimes you will encounter some rude and demanding guests who request for hard liquor or wine and talk down to you even though you're towering over them.

I once served an Indian wedding function and I bet the bridegroom and bride are REALLY rich, cos they booked the entire ballroom which usually seats 50 over tables (a normal number for corporate functions). What was interesting was that Indian weddings are so much more happening than Chinese weddings. The newlywed hired bands and singers to perform for their wedding and the songs were damn catchy. I like catchy songs, and there were a lot of drums and i tot i was tuned into bollywood radio for a while.

You could tell that the majority of the guests were really in a good mood, bcos there was good music, good food and wine to enjoy. The attitudes of the guests from this particular indian wedding was perphaps the best I've ever encountered. Majority of the indian and some chinese guests were really kind and polite and thanked me kindly each time I topped up their drinks or changed their plates. The guests joked with me and I was touched that these people actually appreciated wut I'm doing for them. Some of them helped me collect the utensils when they see that I'm coming over to clear the utensils. One of them even wanted to give me chocolates as a reward for serving them, but i politely declined bcos i was afraid i would get into trouble with the management if they found out abt it.

I remember this particular couple very fondly. The minute they sat down at the table, I asked them wut drinks they wanted, and the husband jokingly said "I want diet coke, now." "I'm sorry sir, we only have pepsi and 7up, wine, beer and liquor will be served ltr during dinner." I said. "No, I must have a glass of red wine now." He smiled again. Then his wife gently hit him on the shoulder and I realised he was just playing with me. They were so polite and chatted with me whenever I went over to their table. Finally, when the banquet was over, he and his wife walked over to my side station and gave me a handshake.

I actually wanted to quit banqueting after that indian wedding function, but the kind gestures and friendliness of the guests made me realised that actually banqueting can be quite fun, if you treat the guests nicely and smile more at them.

Majority of the chinese guests whom I've encountered in various banquet functions aren't as friendly as that particular group of indian and chinese guest. Most of them actually behave as if topping up their drinks and changing their plates is 理所当然 and they actually frown at you when you are changing their plates. Some would show displeasure immediately (think black faces from male guests), if you fail to notice their empty wine glasses. On my part, I should make sure that my guests always have water to drink, but sometimes I'm so caught up with other stuff that I actually forget guests' request. My mistake.

I actually saw some familiar faces when I was serving banquet, quite pai sei cos i didn't want them to know how lousy i was as an banquet waitress.

Other than the different type of guests, the people working as banquet waiters/waitresses or managers differ greatly in many ways. Some managers are really strict, some very naggy, some very smiley. Waitress/waiters...majority are either aunty/uncle or ITE/POLY/private sch students (both china and singapore students).

Majority of the people there think I'm from china and I'm 18 years old. One smiley manager never fails to ask me whether I'm china, while the dish cleaning gang in the kitchen from china also asked if i'm from china. The way I look, talk and walk, is super un-china loh. Dunno why lah, maybe bcos I have an oriental look pasted on my small face. When some of the staff finds out that I'm older than them and that I'm a undergraduate, the inescapable "woah" and look of disbelief never fails to come out from their mouths. Later on, they will bully me and joke abt how I 丢大学生的脸, cos I'm not as zai as them. But they are nice and funny people to hang out with lah.

Majority of the staff there are nice and friendly after seeing my face more frequently. Some of them actually bother to talk to you and correct you when you do sth wrongly. That is good, cos i'm still learning many things from them every time i work. They are so lao jiao in this line of service, cos majority of them have at least 1 year of experience in banqueting. I'm only a green horn who will stop banquet as soon as sch reopens. One thing that I realised is that it is easier to speak to staff of the opposite gender. They are more friendly and more helpful, compared to the aunties. But when Eugene went to do banquet, the aunties treated him more warmly than I've expected. Heh, opposite attracts. NOT FAIR.

Random Pics

So cute right?

Kian's Design of the Project ID leaf-cum-bookmark



Uh HUH- You get to see the tree in full view!
Project ID 07 Com resting their feets.

Project IDentity 07 was held on 15th July 2007 at Toa Payoh Hub.
We had a string of performances from 11am to 630pm. And it was a success!