13 more weeks to go!

6 month's of pupillage down, 3 more to go!

I've been swarmed with work for the past 2 months so to speak, time flies by so quickly that I've not realised half of December is gone! Oh boy!

Picked up some lessons along the way, and realised that I still need to work on calming my nerves when the situation warrants it. The stress of unmet datelines, looming datelines, fixing appointments, research, work and more work so to speak... is just too much for a pupil's tiny mind :P It's a whole new ball game altogether. Thank God I've got my gang of chambee mates to keep me sane, or else I'd have just lost it, some time ago... :) And the ever trustworthy P, my agony aunt who's been there, seen it, done it...

At times, I'd realise that it takes much more trying to keep the discipline of not doing any work at all, of trying to take some time off work, to create personal days-off during the weekends. It takes tremendous effort of avoiding oneself from slipping off the "Oh my God, but I've got work 'pending' " mode. I'm trying hard to do this, to not think of work during my personal time off work. Of course, it's hard, but I've got to try to keep my sanity intact.

Work aside, I've rediscovered my passion for running. I've been indulging in quite a few marathons or runs over the past 6 months; 4 races so to speak. It's strange that I'm doing long distance races nowadays, as I used to be a sprinter back in school. Back then, I chose the 100m, cos it was the shortest, and requires less stamina. I've even refused to do the 200m, though I recall that I won my first athletics gold medal during a 200m race. :P I'm aiming to get my 10km (on the road) timing down to 1 hour, 30 minutes next year. Fingers crossed. But I guess, my biggest hindrance would be the time and effort needed for training. Will I have the time?!?!??!

Booked 2 holidays for March 2010, one to HK-Macau (I just love the 2 places) and another to Singapore. Looking forward to the both of them :) Mel was in Singapore during the week, felt bad that I didn't have the time to visit.

Ok, enough personal 'diary' updates for tonight. Ciao.

"A Whole New World"

A special dedication to myself and dear PT whom I truly believe appreciates the underlying meaning of this song...

We chart our destiny...



-LV-

June 09

It's been a lapse of 1 month since I last blogged, and I hardly realised it. Things have been moving at an insanely fast pace for me! So fast that I hardly have time to sit back and reflect.

June 09, has been a very eventful month. I quit a job, to seek further and better challenges ahead. The supremos tried hard to convince me that I'm doomed to a life of suffering out there, but I have yet to feel it. (As of today...) Yup, work load is heavier, work during weekdays and ocassionally during weekends. But, so far so good. Learnt a whole lot in the span of 3 weeks. It's been great experience so far. And close friends and family did notice the significant change in me. :) Guess it's good to opt out of an 'unhealthy relationship' I guess!!!! But yes, I'm glad I took the leap of faith! :) Hard work, but contented.

One thing I realise from this episode is that, I've realised who I am deep within. I hate being confined and restricted. I love to roam free, to be given the opportunity to grow, and reach for greater heights. Yes, I thrive in environments where I dictate my pace, where I dictate how far I would go, where I dictate how high up the ladder I can climb! Freedom, here I come!!!!

That aside, June has been a month filled with sporting activities as well.

First, I survived an 8 hour hike/trek during the Raleigh IW. Started shortly after lunch, and got back in time for supper. One lesson I learnt from being a co-ordinator during the IW is how to sit back and relax and let the kids run the show. It sounds easier than it actually it! And yes, I survived the entire weekend with only 5 hours of sleep!! :)

And next, I completed the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, yup the whole 42.195km of it. That's like the distance from PJ - Putrajaya or Temoh - Ipoh. Took a total of 8 hours and 15 minutes, and got a horrible sunburn after that. But, it's still worth the experience. At least, I've earned my bragging rights. As JS rightfully put it. :P

And July/August's gonna be an interesting few months for me as well. WS texted me the other day, with an invitation to take up scuba diving licence. Guess what yours truly's gonna be up to next?

-LV-

Life & Its Interesting Turns

Tonight's one of those sleepless nights. And when I fail to fall asleep, my mind wanders. I'm in the midst of switching jobs, hence I've much free time in my hands.

I'm wide awake and was prompted to blog. Hence, the decision to install this blogging software on my phone to allow my creative juices to flow.

As usual, on my other sleepless nights, I ponder, not on any serious world peace issues; but rather on myself. It's those rare moments of solitude and self-reflection that I do at times.

Tonight, I just thought of how life had turned out for me, career wise. Never on Earth had I imagined being in the current situation I'm in right now. Had I gone in accordance to my earlier pre-graduation plans, I'd be officially donning my robes in a month or two. I.e. getting my call to the Malaysian Bar.

And had I gone along with my pre-graduation plans, I'd probably be contemplating a career move to the Asian cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong. Work there for a couple of years, then see how and where life takes me.

HOWEVER
As mentioned earlier, life has it's own was of springing it's fair share of surprises.

I landed a job I'd wanted to try and experience all along. I hopped on the ship, and set sail. It's sad that the mast didn't function too well, hence my holidays right now before jumping ship. I guess my 'black robe day' will come 7 months later than expected.

As for the Hong Kong aspirations, I'VE CANNED THEM for I've discovered a far greater joy, hope and dream. Life is about trade-offs and I gladly do that whole-heartedly; without regrets. :)

Life has definitely taken an unexpectedly interesting turn. And I gladly and gratefully embrace it...

-LV-

Today's Breakfast

My daily routine for the past 7 months:

5.45am: Phone rings and I go "ggrrrrrrrrr........ hhhhhhhhhhmmmmm.......... ok........ ahhhhhhh..........huh?????" on the phone with my semi-shut eyes.

5.50am: Alarm goes off. *snooze no. 1*

5.59am: Alarm goes off. *snooze no. 2*

6.08am: Alarm goes off. *snooze no. 3*

6.17am: Alarm goes off. *snooze no. 4*

6.20am: "Okie, time to get outta bed!" *Rolls outta bed, whilst trying to avoid tripping over my pillows and blankets*

6.21am & beyond: Do the whole, bangun pagi, gosok gigi, cuci muka, la la la..... deed, whilst taking of what to have for breakfast.

6.40am: Take a look at the clock. "Oh shit, I'm running late!" Slaps on some compact powder, blusher and prolly some eye shadow if I have the time to.

6.45am: Decide to screw breakfast. Grab a can of Nescafe regular + some biscuits/bread. Dashes out the door.

The above is an illustration of why I enjoyed today's breakfast. Am currently on leave, hence, I have the luxury of time. The perfect opportunity to (as ironic as it sounds) cook instant noodles for breakfast. It was Maggi curry btw.

A temporary life of sheer indolence!

-LV-

Damai Beach; 10th May 2009

Some pictures to share from my recent rendezvous across the South China Sea... :)







Credits to KH, the photographer :P


-LV-

CSR So They Say

Corporate Social Responsibility, a big term corporations use to play Robin Hood once a year. Possibly as an act of penance.

I, for one, am not very keen on embarking on CSRs. I have no objections on companies coming up with long-term CSR plans and CSR projects as evident from the couple of Raleigh CSR partners. No, I'm not saying this because I've built my little yellow Kindergarten as part of my Raleigh expedition under sponsorship from Nestle. But, I'm of the opinion that long term structures such as this would play a role in improving lives of those who need them the most. The kindergarten that I built would now be able to accommodate all 20 pre-schoolers in the Kampung. Laying pipes for a new gravity water feed system, building a micro-electric generator (or something along those lines) serve to improve the lives of the villagers.

In contrast, short-term CSR projects are the ones of which I'm dead set against. They for certain would not bring about the 'noble goals and visions' of a CSR programme.

Organising parties in orphanages, old folks homes and probably in homes for the disabled serves nothing more than to show the philantrophic nature of a certain organisation. The organisers would definitely feel 'overwhelmed' by the sudden gush of attention and adulation 'showered' onto them during the few hours of kindness. It feels good ain't it?

In short, the above CSR contribution can be summed up with the following formula: Lucky pick (i.e. choose the home) --> Buy presents --> Go to location --> Play and Party --> Take a few pictures --> Leave --> Write annual report. What's the point? It's just another thing to tick off the corporate annual check list!

The 'best' CSR suggestion I've come across so far is a proposal which is akin to 'a message in a bottle'. No long term goals, superficial aims/targets, disinterested participants. Need I say more? I shall leave it as such.

To conclude, I'm dead against CSR, especially where they involve other people/community as I hate the Robin Hood (rich man save poor man) scheme of things. Worse still, the unsuspecting ones would be used as commodities(?) or tools in furtherance of the 'philantrophic' goals of an organisation. Notwithstanding the fact that there may be some employees who would genuinely and sincerely participate in the project, more often than not, it's involuntary.

Why make others do something they do not have the heart for?

-LV-

Pimp My Ride Malaysian Version

Hitching a ride in my uncle's funky car... Orange and proud of it!

Ah... the fun things I do around and about PJ during the weekends...

-LV-

My Mind Wandered Again

Dreams and ambitions; two elements that keep us going...


-LV-

The Sleep Refusal Syndrome

Disclaimer: The following post lacks fluidity and is mainly full of crap.

____

The clock at the bottom right-hand corner of my laptop reads 12.22am on a Monday morning and I'm refusing to go to bed simply because of the fact that it will be back to work in 7 hours time. *Shudders at the thought*

I've been working for close to 7 months now, and am still a baby when it comes to navigating workplace politics. I must admit that I put my tongue before my brains 70% of the time, and thankfully it has yet to get me into some serious sh*t. I'm making a mental note to keep my tongue in cheek nowadays, and it's hard. But, learn to withhold some thoughts, and opinion; I must!

Conversation with close friends are always enriching and thought provoking, in that I'm always prompted to reflect again on certain issues and aspects of my life. It helps that I have truly close friends with whom I have 'no-holds barred' type of conversations.

Through these, I always come to realise that there's always a silver lining beneath every storm that has to be weathered. Truth to be told, it has always made me more grateful for what I am and for what I have.

I'm seriously tempted to blog about work, but common sense tells me that I should, and refrain I will. I've been widening my social circle and meeting more people nowadays. It has certainly made me realise that THE WORLD IS INDEED VERY SMALL! Especially in the field that I'm in.

There are only a handful of 'my kind of people' around (especially those around my age group) and word spreads really quickly. Which makes me wonder if it is really a bad choice to date someone from the same profession? You're doomed if your partner is a kiss-and-tell person. A nude photo saga or mud-slinging war in event of breakup. This won't do much to help in terms of your professional career. *lols* But then again, love happens in the most unexpected ways. So I guess it is unwise or rather impossible to put a proviso on your list of requirements that says, "provided he/she is of a different profession".

I guess if one really places such a proviso unto oneself, there would be many more spinsters and bachelors around judging from the number of lawyer-lawyer, doctor-doctor, engineer-engineer, IT-IT, banker-banker, accountant-accountant couples around.

Okay, this post is lacking in terms of fluidity and the flow of thought. I'm just rambling for the sake of it.

Good night and good luck for the week ahead!

PS:
Looking forward to Saturday!!!! :)

-LV-

My Wandering Mind

True friends keep you grounded; always and forever...


Thanks peeps!

-LV-

Leehom: Music Man 2009

The crowd was estatic...

The atmosphere was great...

The labour of love put into this concert is obviously commendable...

The talent is remarkable...

The concert was memorable... And I was left wanting for more...

Bro and I made a last minute decision to attend Leehom's concert yesterday. Having said this, I must concede that the power of advertisement is great as far as Leehom's concert is concerned. To those who know me back from those days, you'd surely know how BIG a fan I was of him. However, time and tide has caught up with me (tweaked from a well-known phrase).... I've since lost touch with his news apart from ocassional news of releases of his new albums.

Hence, it came as no surprise that I decided not to attend this 2009 concert of his. But, sad to say, the power of advertisement during those long drives to and from work 'took its toll' on me, and it succeded in sucking some dosh outta these poor pockets of mine. In short, I relented...

Despite having had to watch him in 'pin-hole' mode as we were seated quite far behind, the music was good, and Leehom's showmanship was superb as usual. And yes, he did not fail to 'show-off' his multitude of talents on various musical instruments (as always). Of which, I'm also reminded that it's been A.G.E.S. since I last laid hands on my electric organ. Wonder it it's still in working condition.... I aim to find the time to play music once again..... :)

The concert was enjoyable.

Some pictures to illustrate my 'pin-hole' point...

Concert and showmanship aside, one interesting observation I made about his concert this time around is the (put in dear Bro's words), "the screwed up demographics". One would expect hordes of pre-pubescent girls with their Ah-Beng looking boyfriends attending the concert. However, I was rather surprised to see families and old middle aged couples attending his concert. And perhaps, most strikingly, a mother and son pair. The mum was probably in her late 60s and the son, late 30s. KID ME NOT! I took a picture of both mother and son, however I don't think it's appropriate to post it on my blog.

The sight of the mother and son was heart-warming, nonetheless. My guess was that the mother must have been a great fan of Leehom's and it was evident from her expression that she had a great time during the concert; though she did not join in the Mexican waves and ear-shrieking screams. *lols* Somehow, I thought it was very sweet and thoughtful of the son to have brought her for that concert.

I hope to do that too for Mum and Dad someday... Which reminds me, it's Mother's Day this weekend.

PS:

Oh yes, I met CC there as well!

-LV-

Conversions, Conversions and Conversions

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/23/nation/20090423135442&sec=nation

But, to what extent will this set a legal precedent? Or is this a mere guideline or directive without any force of law???

-LV-

Advocacy Skills

Just completed a 4 day course in Advocacy Skills today. The course was conducted by Peter Ridgeway and Hugh Selby; a prosecutor and a defence counsel specially flown in from Australia. I found it very interesting, informative and beneficial. It did, without a doubt provide me with some information on what to expect and what to do in the courtroom when preparing and conducting cases; given the 'zero' exposure I've got so far. So yes, I had a swell time there! It sad that some did not grasp fully the opportunities presented during the 4 days.

And yes, another plus point is the fact that the whole course was conducted in English. Thumbs up for enjoyment! The manner in which the course was conducted, reminded me of those Manchester lectures and lecturers which I miss so much. I enjoyed the lack of fuss in having to address people by their 'titles', the relaxed atmosphere in which I could do my presentation whilst seated on the table during Neil's Mental Health Law lectures and more importantly, the intellectually stimulating debates I had with Kirsty, Margo, John and oh yes Matti! It's interesting and engaging, getting to talk and exchange views with people with such great depth of knowledge, experience and passion in their field, but yet at the same time unafraid (or rather welcome) being questioned and 'cross-examined' on their area of expertise! *Respect, respect, respect*

Alas, those Neil, Kirsty, Margo, John, Suzzane and Matti days are long behind me. Same with the 4 days of Hugh and Peter.

Back to reality, back to being a 'library keeper' tomorrow!

-LV-

MM2H

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/23/nation/3754519&sec=nation

Malaysia's next ambassador?

*Ho hum* *Twiddles thumbs*

-LV-

The Communicator

I stumbled upon this link on PT's blog this afternoon.
http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourlifesmissionquiz/

And it prompted me to discover what my life mission is.

The result: You Are A Communicator

You are a collector and facilitator of knowledge. You love storytelling and teaching.You light up when you're around other people, and you especially light up in front of a crowd.You are a charismatic person who's genuinely a joy to be with. You remind others to have fun.You love life, and you're wake up grateful for every new day. This attitude makes the people around you love life as well.

-LV

I Survived An Accident!

I was in a 'daze' this morning and time seemed to have stood still. Words could not describe how 'smart' I was to have gotten myself into this shit.

Result: Bob's got an 'overbite' now, and is in ICU.

-LV-

There Again!

Qualifying yesterday, race day today... I am one roasted but happy girl!

Conversations with Mel

"No I'm not crazy, I'm just delightfully eccentric."

- Lejia Melanie Gideon
01 April 2009

Sucks!

The past 3 weeks at work have been stressful for me, for various reasons. Too many things going through my mind to think of, to weigh, and to consider; apart from work proper.

In my eagerness to cut the rot, I've committed a couple of guffaws; stumbled and fumbled. But yeah, I hope it's not something which is too damaging in the long run. But yes, its a price I have to pay for my mistakes if that damage materialises.

As Dad puts it, "It will all pass."

Anyway, I'll weather the storm. It's gonna be serious shit if I don't!

-LV-