Trip to Singapore 2009

Haven't been to Singapore for two years but I still remember how Fandy, a good friend from University, took me and Molly around Singapore in 2007. I went through the old pictures and found that I was in the same flight heading towards Singapore two years ago. Sad thing this time is a lonely flight but lucky thing is I get to meet Singapore expatriates from Europe [well, mostly Spanish and French], whom I get to meet and talk with them.

From Singapore 2009

From Singapore 2009

Visited a few good places - Sentosa, Merlion, City Center, Orchid Garden and most of all took a good rest. I was thinking a bit too much during this trip but I guess it's all eagerness and my dreams and thoughts just kept flushing out of my storage (brain) and things got a bit tangled up. No matter how, I am who I am so nothing much I can really change here. However, my friend was right - I don't admit it at all. I recall another American friend of mine saying the same to me. Gosh, that really suck- it seems that I haven't grown! Or maybe I have grown but the same mentality remains...

From Singapore 2009

Night view of Singapore

From Singapore 2009

From Singapore 2009

Rehearsal of National Day with fireworks afterward

My spirituality was somehow maintained through going to a Sunday mass and linking "Busy" to "Leave everything to God". These two may seem contrasting points for one to balance and truly to strive an equilibrium is definitely hard. Anyhow, to love life and enjoy it is to be in the first and make sure the latter has been applied. Funny isn't it but a simple Bible reading derives this complexed thought.

From Singapore 2009

From Singapore 2009

Very beautiful Orchids!

Flight back was ok but as anyone will always want - more holidays. I am looking forward to more holidays and hopefully a good one will come soon!

From Singapore 2009

From Singapore 2009

Conrad's Blog Update

(1) Background changed making it a bit more fancy - but nothing too fancy though!

(2) A new blog separating my thoughts from normal life and working life. This new blog includes laughters and grieves and above all... pictures from work. Happy reading

http://conradatwork.blogspot.com/

Sleep, work and eat - that's life?

This week I came across the need to accept the fact that "normal life" is just working around the perspective of "sleep", "work", and "eat". However, this truth is undeniable - any sort of parties, gatherings, reunions or extra activities are all add-on. The core cycle of Homo-sapiens to live surrounds around these three aspects. But the thing is how you improvise from each and every one of it. Take "work" as an example. Of course, work is not just working in an office - it can be working on things that you are interested in and thing that interest you. Note that, the three core values are inter-linked. Never can one be independent of each other. This is a cycle where even the strongest link have to abide to.

Miserable as this may seem, the basis of life is formed and therefore kicking off to a life in which one will enjoy is also based on this mechanism. You can gather with friends after "work" and "eat" (or drink which is correlated to eating) and enjoy the time with them. However, the preparation and post-activity work always fall into "sleep", no matter how little you stick with your bed.

Therefore, to all those who are in seek of a job - your "work" now is to "work hard" and find a job and carry on "working" and to prepare for it, you need the two important modules - "sleep" and "eat" to stay alive. To those who are working (including myself) - you have to "work" and carry on enjoying and keep on the interest with the "work". It's hard in this economy but it will come - no matter how much the boss is getting fussy about things; afterall, it is a learning experience (at least, in the cases of people in my age range). Perceptions developped all belongs to use but never forget the graces you are given... so, enjoy life and praise the almighty!

Current enthusiasm to track my log in aviation drives me to dig in every single possibility of tracking my flight experiences. The more you search, the more you find how much have you forgotten. Man brain performs well in short-term but when it comes to back-tracing memory, even a 23-year old like me will say "I am getting old!"

This is my incentive for my next trip to Singapore to jot down as most as I can all that I will see and feel. I will, at the same time, start the reading procedure that I have long wanted. Work simply doesn't make you read!

I found that I have 70+ flights flew in my life... let's try hunting for more!

Life @ Work 1: Changing version and changing thoughts

A bunch of passages lying in front of you but little differences can you see in them - the only desire you have is to stop seeing them and get them sent out asap. The ability of one to review similar wordings again and again will drive you no where but fatigue and the desire to get the file(s) close. Proceeding is the ability to define versions. The fatigue in which one have come up will drive even the most delicate person to confusion and hence the upcoming of wrong versions to be sent out. Result could be misleading and devastating!

The good news is that human brain will mostly recognize their wrong-doings in time. However, what shall be done then? Apologize is definitely a must but more importantly is to minimize the amount of complaints that come unto you from the highest reign of the institution (or whomever is controlling the situation). Over here, I found the importance to admit your wrong-doings and drive a step further to make sure that you have rectified the situation. Little do I consider the above thought in University and how much I boast I can handle it with flying colours due to my capacity in handling stress in previous projects. I was wrong. This will be the experiences that I should learn and the attitude I should hold in my career.

However, dreams are not to be lost for the absence of a dream or an objective will begin another grieve – dryness of life…

Standard formulae to tough work days

A challenging work can make you depressed, angry and above all, emotional. However, the ability to control this emotion is a way to increase your capacity to treatment of your life as a whole. The ability to stop, think then react spontaneously and immediately is controversial yet applicable in our world. Current experiences that I have seen has always been spontaneous, challenging yet emotional. But the essence to drive it through immediately has always been tough. However, always 24 years of life and my solution is below:

(1) Put down your personal thoughts when that issue come but maintain your objective mind - in other words, put down your subjective thoughts

(2) Stop gossiping and start working. Get the team work (if you are in a team) going and maintain the relationship for madness and yelling is not the solution.

(3) Cruise it along effectively and efficiently (but this is very hard when you have no clue what you are doing... so, learn quickly and pick it up!)and look forward to the point of completion but admiration is not enough. The ability to think logically at that point comes back

(4) Subjective thoughts and emotions should arise when delicacy is needed, but also when there is a demand for it - never go into the details. Frame is the key- perhaps, this is subject to verification

(5) Adopt the good old religious thought - Try your best and God will do the rest but most of all, praise Him when it is done and don't forget your minimum daily prayers, whether it is a Rosary that you are saying or a simple prayer...

These are the five rules that I have learnt in the past two weeks. More is yet to come and I suppose this list will expand. Thought are welcome!

Best practices

Currently, my work has driven me to learn more about best practices in the computer industry, focusing on the coding perspective. Long have I forgotten the languages in the programming world due to my grieves to the languages but little have I found the importance of developing my career based on the programming languages that we are so accustomed to in life.

Systems continue to become a critical tool in our society, with the focus on having user-friendly interfaces and bug-free environment. But little do we find that all these ease-of-use systems are equipped with man who puts in so much time into development of systems and are screamed at by the boss saying how bad the system was. The critical point to success in a system is no different than the success factor of human kind – time, people and place. The place changed from a physical point to the Internet but seemingly the fact that a physical point has never changed.

The dependence on systems leads to the question of human laziness and human lack of attention to innovation. True, it may be so but it is also down to the inventors who will change the world. But will human being be willing to forfeit the usage of computers and return to the age of using pen and paper for all the things? Will we forfeit sending emails to people across the ocean, who we cannot see for sure but at least it works like a written letter? Is the flaws of the computer world outweighed by our utility gained from using the computer? Still, no matter how, human differs from computer. Our mind works with an intellectual brain while computer works with a mathematical brain. Therefore, it is still men who determine the best practice of a program.

So, next time you see a best practice document popping up, perhaps try and think how I can make the system better. This not only opens your views to more challenges, but also a continuation to human prosperity…