IT Fair Mar'15 (Trade-In)

I took half day leave for the IT fair because I was sure that I need to queue to trade in my laptop. But when I got there, I realised that there's like 200+ people in front of me. My queue number was 1526, and they are serving 1300++ when I got there. T.T So I went for dinner first! Bf wanted to eat pizzaaaaaaaa, so here's our piz-meal for the day. :)  

  Trade-In Laptop/Tablets/Phones   Its the first time IT fair offers trade-in services! You can trade in your old electronic devices in exchange for IT fair cash vouchers. But its not worth queuing or trading in if you're not going to buy anything from the fair.   Trade-In Website: http://www.itshow.com.sg/tradein/   You'll have to take a queue number from an automated machine (outside Hall 402), wait for your number to be called for your device evaluation. The person there will look through your device and tell you how much its worth. My old laptop is worth S$350, I agreed and they gave me a receipt. I'll then have to bring the receipt to queue at another counter, the "Redemption Counter" to get my vouchers.   There're some vendors at the fair which doesn't accept these vouchers, so be sure to check if you can use it before you trade in your devices. :)   Brochures: http://itfairsg.com/itshow2015/exhibitors-booths/   And so... I got my new lappy! MacBook makes me look stupid cos I don't know how to shut down after I turned it on... (I actually googled "how to shut down MacBook.) I mean, windows is so much easier and straightforward, just start and shut down. I guess I'll need some time to get use to it..  

 

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters

It was no-government day at work. Well, not really no government cos COO was around. But he wouldn't care much about what we do in office as long as we finish all our work on time.   We went for on a 1-hour plus lunch at a nearby café at Upper Thomson Road. There are straight buses there from our workplace. :)   Its the Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters at 185 Upper Thomson Road. It's not very crowded even though we went during lunch hours, probably because its a weekday.  

We ordered:   1) Truffle Fries - S$8 I loveeeeeee truffle fries! But that "truffle" taste is not very strong.   2) Salted Caramel Banana French Toast - S$16 This is apparently their bestseller on their menu, most of the diners had this on their table. I'll like it better without the nutty condiments on top. My colleague had it as her brunch, but people do eat it as dessert after their meals too!   3) Truffle Benedict - S$18 It's my first time trying this, its too eggy for my liking. :/ My colleague really like it though!   4) Beef Bolognaise - S$16 Its just a typical bolognaise spaghetti, they're generous with their minced beef though!  

  Their food is reallyyyyy good. If you're not someone who will spend on drinks, don't worry! They do provide complimentary water. This place is worth a try!  

Working in the Facilities Management Industry

Working in the Facilities Industry

Ladies out there, take note!!! Working in the facilities management is not easy, there’re a few things that you really can’t do, or things that you wish you could do without any help from others, but you can’t. So ladies, you still can change your mind before you’re stuck with the industry. Here are some of my thoughts about working in this industry:

1)      You are not strong enough

Being in the facilities department requires you to do lots of manual labour. Oh this person here needs a chair, or a table, and you have to carry it over. Sure, you have people helping you, you have guys helping you, but I know you wouldn't want to call them every few seconds asking for their help just to carry 1 table or push a chair over. Because you will feel useless when you can’t even handle such simple stuffs?

2)      You can’t work alone

You will always need a team to help you, because you have to do lots of stuffs that you can’t handle alone as a girl. Except for attending meetings, that’s when you’ll feel most powerful. Lol! Other than that, you need people to help you set up things almost every day… You can’t repair doors, you can’t change light bulbs, you can’t set up tables and chairs, you can't carry ladders. That is when you need guys.

3)      You become boyish

When you work with guys, like foreigners, you will become more like “ah bangs” to them? They don’t treat you like a lady, they’ll ask for your help to carry things and stuffs. You’ll wear polo tees and jeans to work, EVERYDAY. Besides, you can't really wear dresses or skirts to work in a all-guys department right? Especially when 24/7 of your working hours are with them.

4)      You forgot how to dress up

You can’t dress up when you’re in tees and jeans. Unless you want to look like a clown with huge pearl necklaces and Chanel earrings while in jeans. Make up will be gone by mid-day because of the sunlight you are exposed to, that comes along with the massive perspiration almost every day. You'll also be too lazy to make up during weekends. And you will start to feel uncomfortable wearing dresses.

5)      You have no time

If you’re working in big organizations that have events almost every day and every other weekend, good luck to you. The only life you have is a working life. Facilities team have to be here to set up before the event starts, have to be around to standby just in case anything happens, and have to be here to tear down the venue after it ends. Basically the facilities team work the longest hours among all the other teams.

6)      You will be smelly

Because of the perspiration every day, you can’t possibly smell good. Not to mention the sudden kitchen or drain pipe burst that you have to deal with.

Of course, there are benefits of working in the industry too. Here are some of the benefits I managed to squeeze out think of:

1)      You’re really comfortable with people from everywhere

You meet people from different nationalities and you work mostly with Malaysians, China men and Bangladeshis. You get really comfortable working with them because they are always helping you and you trust them to get the work done because they are so-knowledgeable and can handle everything. Even electricians can fix door handles and they can mostly do everything.

2)      You become cleverer

You learn all the life hacks. You gain lots of knowledge from working with the men. You know how to change bulbs and reset the DBs if any trips (even though you don’t actually do it, but you've seen the guys do it). You know how to clear a choked sink, you know how to repair torn carpets (with the right tools of course).

3)      You become more independent

You start to become more vocal after meeting all sorts of people, you start to learn to do some easy labour work (bringing tables / chairs around, hanging up posters) alone just so you wouldn't become too “useless” and to minimize the phone calls to the guys for every tiny little thing. Chairs are not too heavy after all.

So.. These are my takes for ladies planning to work in the facilities management industry. But it's really not for most of the girls out there. To me, I think it's not advisable for ladies in the long term. You can't be holding screwdrivers and hand drills around, carrying chairs and pushing trolleys when you are having your period pain or planning for pregnancy after marriage right? 

拜太岁

我今年犯太岁。 I'm turning 24! Time flies. I thought I just celebrated my 21st birthday not long ago. Hah! It's my first year doing the 太岁 rituals alone. My parents went to the temple with me though but I'm the only one who 犯太岁 in my family. :(  

  Paid S$12 for the "goodie bag" and wrote down my name, date of birth and time of birth for the priest to do the rituals. I had to pray for @jayzeegoh also, just because he had no time to do it. That explains the 2 goodie bags I had. He have no idea when his time of birth is, but the priest said that its okay. So I'm guessing it doesn't really matter if some details are missing.   I was told to kneel in front of God while the priest did his rituals, chanting with our names, and date of birth, announcing that we're from Singapore. Or, at least that's what I understood. Chanting was done in dialect.   The priest told me to stand up after all the chants and he sprayed some "holy water" on me, using a special leaf? When the ritual ended, I had to 拜三拜。And to crack the red eggs that came with the "goodie bag", wrap the red egg shells in the incense paper, and burn it in the furnace.

I was told that I had to eat the noodles and egg that came in the goodie bag but I didn't. :/ There were ants in the bag after I left it on my dining table for a night.

  And, that's the end of my first 拜太岁 experience. :) Oh btw, there's a reallyyyyy huge snake in the temple.  

Paypal Credit Card Fraud

MY CREDIT CARD ALMOST GOT COMPROMISED!

I received an email from "Paypal" requesting me to verify my card details online due to inactivity in my account. I thought it was quite legit cos I haven't been buying things online. So I clicked onto the link given in the email, which led me to "Paypal"'s website, the website looked exactly the same as the original Paypal's website please. Nice job there hacker.
I was asked to key in my cc's cvv number (the security number at the back of the card) for verification of my account. I stupidly keyed it in and pressed the "verify account" button. And then, it brought me back to the official Paypal website for me to login again (which I thought that there was an auto-logout after the verification).
All is well until about... 30 mins later? I started receiving OTPs from my phone, giving me the pin for my online purchases. I WAS NOT SHOPPING ONLINE! I received 3 of these texts in total. Which means someone is trying to do online purchases using my card details!

I called Citibank and told them that I received 3 OTPs on my phone but I was not doing any purchases. After some verifications over the phone, the Citibank officer told me that no transactions went through cos the "person who was doing the purchase" couldn't follow through the transactions without my phone's pincode. Thankfully. So he went ahead to cancel my card and will re-issue me a new card.
So guys, here's my story of how ingenious I am to give out my credit card's cvv online. Please, don't be like me. Lol!

Chinese New Year 2015

The yearly CNY visiting affair is here again! Thankfully it falls on Thurs & Fri this year, the long weekend is much appreciated. But the longer the break, the more visiting and celebrations we have. That's always the case.
CNY Day 1 (19 Feb 2015)

Wefie in the car!

The mandatory family shot every year.

 With the cousins (dad's side).

And a full family shot with my dad's side!
I kind of look plump in the photos don't you think? No judging, its cny. I'm allowed to gain weight. LOL! I look better in the photos on other days (I believe so).
Every year there will be some relatives whom we are not familiar with. At that moment, I'll be asking my brothers, "eh, who are they ar? what do we call them?". It's the same every year. I just can't remember how to greet them when we only see them probably once a year, or once every two years or so. Awkward moments.
CNY Day 2 (20 Feb 2015)
It was a hectic day, visiting my relatives first, before leaving to pick Jz's mum & grandparents up from Tiong Bahru. This year, his CNY gathering is held near Lakeside, hence we had to pick his grandparents up. Lots of photos were taken, took quite a while because Jz's mum have 9 other siblings! Its kind of incredible for someone to give birth to 10 kids imo. 

A shot with the grandparents. :)
CNY Day 3 (21 Feb 2015)
Its my family's open house today! Didn't take any photos except for the feast that I helped (a little) to cook. At first I thought all these food were sufficient to feed 20+ people. Sadly no. I was only left with 2 lil prawns, veg and rice. Hahaha! Its okay though, I'd rather the guests have more food.

CNY Day 4 (22 Feb 2015)
It's the most relaxed day today, because work is starting the next day (no more good food, no more enjoying). :(

I caught a movie with my love after CNY visitings! Kingsmen is really an awesome movie! Great plot, good looking casts, and the fireworks are really cute. Haha! It's worth watching!

Ended the day by sending my brother back to camp, and bf back home. <3

IELTS Singapore

I decided to put together this informative post about IELTS test in Singapore because while I was googling for information, there was literally so few websites or blogs that can advise me on the steps I should take or any preparations I need for the test.

You'll need to take the IELTS test if you're going overseas to study (Australia, UK, America, Canada schools require a certain level of English proficiency before you are allowed to enroll in their schools), or if you are migrating to the English countries.

There are 2 places for you to take the test. You can take it from IDP Singapore (S$310) or British Council (S$330). Both places are doing the test sittings almost weekly. You can check the test schedules online when you are registering for your slot.

1) IDP Singapore
http://www.idp.com/singapore/ielts
2) British Council:
http://www.britishcouncil.sg/exam/ielts

I registered for my test with IDP Singapore, just because its cheaper. You will need to scan your IC or Passport copy (in colour) when registering. Here're some of the sites I practice on before my tests.

Practice Sites:
1) http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/test_sample.aspx
2) http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/free-practice-tests
3) http://www.ielts-exam.net/
4) http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-writing-samples-essays-letters-reports/

Test Format:
http://www.ieltsessentials.com/know_the_test/test_format.aspx

My registration with IDP Singapore is fairly simple. I registered and paid online for the test slot that I want. About a week before the test date, the test administrators will email me my test details (speaking test slot is allocated by them, but you can email them to request for a certain timing, subject to availability).

I did my Listening, Reading and Writing tests on 7 Feb 2015 (Saturday), Speaking test the day before.

Before every test, you will need to "sign in" to the venue by scanning your thumbprint. My speaking test slot was at 11:45am, but I reached there around 11:15am and I was the next candidate to take the test. I believe it doesn't really matter for your timeslot as long as you are there, you can take the test earlier.

Speaking Test

- A Caucasian lady was my tester, she started by introducing herself and announcing my name to the recorder (whole speaking test is recorded).
- Personal questions (about 10 questions?) regarding you work, hobbies or family
- A question with a few parts to it (you will be given 1 minute to think of your speech), you will need to speak for 1 - 2 minutes
- Open ended discussions (can be related to the previous question)

My advice is.... be calm, speak slowly and read up on recent news. The question I got was "Are there any good news that you have read on the internet or watched on the news recently?" I couldn't think of any good news even after my 1 minute is up and I just had to bomb some news that I read decades ago, and pray that she's not aware of the news.

The next day, I arrived about an hour earlier to do my registration / tagging of bag / and thumbprint scanning to enter the test venue. You can only bring in your identification document and a clear see-through water bottle. The 3 tests are manageable, you just have to take note of your time limit while doing the writing test because there are 2 essays to write.

The 3 tests will take about 3 hours (1 hour each) and tadaaaa. You're done with the tests! And then.... the 13 calendar days wait for the results to be released. You can opt for sms notification of the results. And the official results transcript will be mailed to you. :)

Good luck to those taking the tests!

XOXO,
Stacey <3

V'Day 2015

Its da V'Day once again! Its my turn whipping up dishes for this year's vday. Cos the boy cooked for me last year. I ended work around 4.45pm, and headed to his place to get the ingredients needed for the dinner (and next day's breakfast).

We finished grocery shopping around 6.30pm and we can finally eat after a 2 whole hours battle in his kitchen. :( The kangkong is abit overcooked though, don't mind the unappetizing photo. It's been a longggggg day at work.

As usual though, I don't like to eat the things I made. I don't eat the cakes I baked, I don't really eat the food I cooked. Maybe its because I'm too tired after making all these stuff. I usually just want to crash on the bed. 

Breakfast is so much nicer than dinner the day before. I still took a long time to make it, I took around an hour or so. I think I really need to improve on my skills before heading to UK for a year. If not I'll probably slim down alot over there. :D

So ya, this concludes this year's Vday celebration. No fanciful dinner or date because the boy has got exams the next Monday. :( At least we managed to have dinner together and he got me cupcakes! <3 #simplepleasures

i heart you baby! <3