my sunshine

When you get caught in the rain with no where to run
When you're distraught and in pain without anyone
When you keep cryin out to be saved but nobody comes
And you feel so far away that you just can't find your way home
You can get there alone
It's ok, won't you say

I can make it through the rain
I can stand up once again on my own and
I know that I'm strong enough to mend
And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith and
I live one more day and I make it through the rain

And if you keep falling down, don't you dare give in
You will arise safe and sound, so keep pressing on steadfastly and
You'll find what you need to prevail

What you say I can make it through the rain
I can stand up once again on my own and
I know that I'm strong enough to mend
And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith and
I live one more day and I make it through the rain

And when the wind blows
And shadows grow close
Don't be afraid
There's nothing you can't face
And should they tell you, you'll never pull through
Don't hesitate, stand tall and say I can make it through the rain

I can stand up once again on my own and
I know that I'm strong enough to mend
And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith
And I live one more day and I make it through the rain

And I can make it through the rain and stand up once again
And I live one more day and I, I can make it through the rain
Oh yes you can, You're gonna make it through the rain

-Mariah Carey: Through The Rain-

Praise to the Lord, Bless You God, my cup is overflow with God’s generous blessings and goodness :)
Life and all the good stuff in it :)

nobody & friends

I am back from Yiwu, China.

And now, I am sick :(

forever & always

Watched the movie Black Swan…oh my gosh…this movie is bloody slow…very very slow…I was already yawning…and the movie is not even quarter-way through yet. I find it to be a low budget movie too…the cast don’t have to film the movie in a foreign exotic location…because it only requires the dance studio, the apartment, in the train, at a night club and on the stage. The costumes are simply down to earth where it does not require epic-like designs. I guess the only huge budget portion is to pay for Natalie Portman’s wages and every dollar is worth it because I understand why she deserve the Oscar award for the Best Actress category but I have no clue as to why this movie was Oscar nominated as well.

Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan is a full-bore melodrama, told with passionate intensity, gloriously and darkly absurd. It centers on a performance by Natalie Portman’s character (Nina Sayers) that is nothing short of heroic, and mirrors the conflict of good and evil in Tchaikovsky's ballet ‘Swan Lake’. It is one thing to lose yourself in your art. Portman's ballerina loses her mind. It’s easy to play bad guy roles, but the real challenge is playing a tortured, miserable & confused soul. Nina was perfect for the role of the delicate & innocent White Swan - Princess Odette because her character is also like that but it was challenging to bring out her evil character to play Odile; the Black Swan. She dances with technique, not feeling. The Black Swan’s character is bold, loose, confident and clearly a sexual being; everything that Nina is not. It was a professional challenge & a personal rebuke. This creates a crisis in her mind: how can she free herself from the technical perfection and sexual repression enforced by her mother, while remaining loyal to their incestuous psychological relationship? It requires a balancing & delicate act to play two very contrast characters.

The main story supports of Black Swan are traditional: backstage rivalry, artistic jealousy, a great work of art mirrored in the lives of those performing it. Aronofsky drifts eerily from those reliable guidelines into the mind of Nina. She begins to confuse boundaries. The film opens with a dream, and it becomes clear that her dream life is contiguous with her waking one.

The tragedy of Nina, and of many young performers and athletes in today’s society, is that perfection in one area of life that has led to sacrifices in many of the others. At a young age, everything becomes focused on pleasing someone (a parent, a coach, a partner), and somehow it gets wired in that the person can never be pleased. One becomes perfect in every area except for life itself.

Anyway. I really liked it! It has cool story, a strong cast and the characters were all great.
You know, we should live our life like the Irish Spirit - happy, carefree and never take oneself too seriously :)

red power

A pair of red shoe.
Brightened me up as I chanced upon it :)
It was too tempting, a must have.
I have been looking for it for ages. I finally found one in my size :)
Yes, it was a spur of the moment buy.
But sometimes spontaneity is good.
We just need to buy that pair of shoes. Eat that muffin. Have that chocolate.
And hey, I am a woman, what are you talking about?
Shoes are a NEED.
But, red shoes, especially makes me very happy! :)
Brighten up the most trying day.
Now looking happily on my feet.
Almost dancing in my steps.
Somehow the spring in my steps is back.
How about you? What makes you happy today?
Full of life and character.

joy is futureproof

I hate Sunday afternoons…because I know that tomorrow will be Monday…and I have to go back to work :( Mondays I arrive at work wishing that the work day would quickly finish so that I can get home in time. Fridays I end work wishing that the weekend would slowly trickle by, that time would still a little so that I can have more time. Wishing for both is just impossible isn’t it? My Mondays always come very very quickly. The fortunate thing for me is: because the nature of my job and the conditions where I work is extremely fast-paced, the work-week is over in a blink of an eye. I have got to stop fighting this losing battle against time.

seven hues of spring

Attended the above event at PWTC with Juan Carlos & Celtic. It was a huge event…it really takes days to cover the hundreds of booths from the local & international suppliers that are on exhibit. We only went to 4 booths; our four top suppliers. The first and second supplier’s booth was fantastic & impressive. New items was launched, in a mix & match mode, they are basic & functional and trendy. It was encouraging. The third and fourth supplier's booth were only so-so. But the most important thing is letting Juan Carlos & Celtic to meet up with my suppliers and their respective Managing Directors & CEOs to build back the business relationship that have come to a standstill for the past 2 years. It is also about letting them to see for themselves the furniture industry in Malaysia, how the suppliers actually operate, the strength of our competitors & how fast ahead they are compare to us and the current market trends. I already have in mind on who is going to be my category captains based on their current financial & operation capacity, their knowledge & expertise, their future direction and their services. Now it’s all about consolidation, planning, development and execution.

I know that time is not on my side; I need to deliver the turnover results fast. As I climb up higher on this corporate ladder, every single movement of mine will be scrutinize, there will be people within my own division who will find fault on what I am trying to do, they will try to expose every single mistakes that I have made, they will try to turn my weaknesses into their advantage. There are just people out there who are envy of me and would love to bring me down. I don’t ask for all of this. I work my way up through rank & file; with my own effort, with GOD’s blessings and a bit of luck; therefore, I landed where I am today. Seriously, I will not be able to get hold of this portfolio, if Patrick had not resign. There must be a reason why Snow Petrol chose me to take on this. I would love to tell them, please deliver the results of your own department first before interfering in mine. If you think you can do a better job than me, please show it to me with your own action plans & figures, don’t just tease, gossip and back-stab from behind. Great people talk about ideas. Only small people talk about other people. And it got me thinking back of all the people in my previous work life that had made my life hell, and in return made me a stronger, tougher and more knowledgeable person. And that then gave me the confidence I had in what I did for many years to come and today, I can still not to take things too seriously, continue to do my work with passion & sincerity, ready to serve at all times and remain radiant, collected & fine.

But I really thank GOD that my figures are still healthy for now, as in positive every week that they can’t touch me yet. I know that Felix & Rufus are drooling for this portfolio and in particular Felix is not shy in telling everyone about it. I know of Felix's evil plan to combine furniture & bedding together. I know that it’s only a matter of time where everything changes. I thank GOD for all of my supplier’s strong support. They listen to me, they obey me, they protect me, they defend me, they praise me, they sayang me, they are willing to teach me, guide me, advice me and help me to bring back my business back on track.

I thank GOD for my store team as well. I couldn’t have done all of this on my own. My team was as determined as me to succeed. We had put in all of our effort week in & week out, and our category’s standing and the D31’s reputation is at stake. The team were motivated and prepared to sacrifice the comforts of their home to blaze a trail at the store level. It was a pure team work and dedication that made it through. Without a good team, no way would D31 be where it is today. I am very proud of them.

And of course, I thank GOD for Celtic. We are used to competing with each other and we still are but we have learned to put D31 above everything else. And I have to admit that Celtic is a good teacher. Celtic has kept me going…Celtic have continue to pushed me forward to this inevitable need for me to move on. Celtic has been cheering me forth and caught me when I fell...and for that I am so grateful.

Thank you GOD for your continuous blessings and giving me this opportunity to make a significant progress in my career. Being the opportunist that I am, knowing that I only live once, I decided to take on the challenge and ever since, it has been a manic, frantic chase down life's journey. And regardless of the direction that I will take in the future, the road is rough and bumpy. But it’s always beautiful and sunny at the end of the road. And knowing that YOU will continue to look after me :)

get schooled

Liverpool beat Manchester United 3 - 1 :)

Ice & Diamonds

I have the chance…and yet I turn it down :)
Juan Carlos (my new French Baz Director from Thailand) is going off to Paris next week to view the new GSA collections and he was very nice because he wanted to bring one of the Division Managers along for the experience, networking and also for the global exposure…and also as a form of staff reward...but unfortunately Rufus & Celtic decided not to go…and the both of them suggested to Juan Carlos to bring me there instead. He invited…and I said NO…I was flattered of course…that he gave me this huge opportunity…such an important business trip…but I said NO because…I feel that by right such a trip should be attended by the Division Managers…I am not that qualified yet...I am only 5 months old in this new portfolio & position and I not ready for it, I am not the decision maker…and besides I don’t even know the costing of some of the Baz items, commercial margin etc…and I didn’t want to buy the wrong stocks either…there is always the pressure to commit…and also I didn’t have that much cash with me. I have to pay for everything and can only make the claims when I come back. It’s not cheap staying and eating in France. And it’s a working trip and I know Juan Carlos will be breathing down my neck. So in the end, Rufus reluctantly agrees to follow him.

I know…stepping onto the French soil, being in Europe, winter; feeling the snow…the slim chance of seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Palace of Versailles etc. Traveling to foreign lands always inspire me. It isn't exactly just about the work or the holiday; for me it is about the discoveries…it is about new adventures!

Regret is one of my biggest fears.
At the end of my road, I wouldn’t want to look back at my life and regret I did or didn’t do something. I don’t want to look back later on and feel that I could have lived my life in a different way and not celebrate the journey that I have taken. I hope that I will be more ready the next time.