With long holiday ahead of me, my corporate life seemed to spin ten times faster. So many job need to be planned and done. I spent every minute of my time trying to tied up some loose ends but when I tied this end, that end got unraveled again. More people resigned from this company including another dear friend of mine. More settlement need to be calculated and more good bye need to be said. *sniff*

On a lighter note, I am readying my self to bid farewell to Ramadhan. I hope I can see it again next year. This particular Ramadhan have been really good to me. I have managed to keep on fasting until now. I spent many buka bersama which many people who are nothing but good. I have become to enjoy the business aspect of my job as I met many interesting people including government officer. Imagine! Few years back I would have to drag my feet to spend my free time with them. I was quite surprise that I found my self quite in tune with the athmosphere. The group of officers are getting merrier and smarter. Or is it me becoming older?

Things are better domestically. The sitter will be away for a week. The nanny and the maid will be away for 2 weeks. I had reserved a temp to help me during this period. I had a travel plan that I tried to delay just in case they have not return. I hope it’s ok.

Hubby bought me this. I love it! Now I could hear my strange CD in the office without disturbing my colleagues. They sometimes complained about my music taste. On the other hand, I never like their mellow songs as well. I found it very depressing and demotivating. Oh well, beauty is in the ears of the beholder. This is the song I kept on hearing in silence for days:

“Somewhere Only We Know”

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me?
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I’ve been dreaming of?Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to beginAnd if you have a minute why don’t we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don’t we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
So why don’t we go

This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?

Happy holiday, everybody. Minal aidin wal faidzin. Mohon Maaf lahir dan bathin.

Last night, we threw farewell party for my boss here. You can find the story of the woman named after the restaurant here.

The place was unique and the athmosphere was good. I felt like being transported to years where Java was governed by Kings of Queens and I was one of the princess. The place it self was like a maze. There were private rooms in every corner. Separated by thin vitrage. Candles were everywhere and so did statues. The food it self was standard and a bit over priced, I must say. Maybe it is to funded the antiques scattered around the restaurant so I don’t mind. Beside, it’s on the company’s account.

Anyway, the mood was festive and we laughed so much. I nearly dislocated my jaw. At the end of the dinner, we asked our boss to give us each of us feedback. He was our boss for 5 years, the longest boss I ever had and I can honestly say that I learned a lot from him. He said that when he first joined this company, we all seemed very junior to him. He actually used the word culun to describe us. In english culun can be translated as geeky. Well, when he arrived it was only less than a year since we merged into Human Resources. The concept of what Human Resources was really an alien concept to me. However, he said that now each of us seemed to be capable to handle them selves. Therefore, whenever he needs to go on business trips, he left without doubt that we will be able to stand on his behalf. Thanks, boss.

He also asked us to improve our self as all of the candidates are seemed to be very senior thus will have high expectation towards the team. It will be challenging yet it will be intriguing when the new guard is arrived.

Farewell, boss, you will be missed.

After spending 2 days in another salary survey QA/QC meeting my head hurts like hell. They were the 3rd and 4th meeting I had with the committee. However, they were my first Total Remuneration Meeting. The first two meetings was Total Cash, so it was straight forward. All numbers and with little tweak in excel spreadhseet I grasped the idea easily. But Total Remuneration is about how you quantify a benefit. I got the assumption, but still seeing it in number need further analys on how the consultant came up with that. And being the most junior member in the team did not help at all. The rest seemed to forget so the conversation flew around in lightning speed and I felt like walking with a stone in my shoes trying to keep up with it. Fortunately by Saturday afternoon I begun to grasp the idea as well. It made me look at the result in completely different perspective and I am going to have one hell of a time trying to explain it to my line manager (whoever s/he is).

On another aspect, I came to another mind blowing experience. As you may already know, I have been trying to tapering down my addiction to this tool of evil (as some might say. I’d prefer to call it tool of heaven ) and I think I was doing fine until a colleague of mine sending me an invitation to join him in this. AAARRRGHHHHHH!!! The temptation was too much and I was completely shattered like crackers under violent chewing! I found my self getting so excited and now I spent most of time looking at it. Well, I blog walked through it and now I am chatting through it either. Temptation - temptation - temptation, to you I embarrasingly give in.

In a more proud subject, I took Mika and Pascal to buy some books in Periplus yesterday. Mika had been spoilt rottenly with toys so I guess it’s time to emphasize on books. I told him that I am going to buy him some Cars books but not toys, which he reluctantly agreed. Pascal, being an innocent baby boy, picked Barney. I did not manage to pick my own books, I planned to do it sometimes later when I did not have 2 active boys who tried to tear down the place with me.

We managed to do some Idul Fitri advance shopping as well. The mall was so packed I kept on reminding Mika not to run away otherwise he will be lost. Pascal was busy trying to push down the manequin and keep on clinging on any merchandise he could grasp. That, and the fact we were only one among so many active children and anxious parents who fought over clothes and changing room, made it really a miracle that we could come out breathing in one group. I guess the shopping situation will be worse when it come closer to Idul Fitri and I thought Ramadhan is a month where you should be able to control your self and emphatize with the less fortunate. It feels like shopping month to me.