1.) Which fictional book do you think can best serve as a biography to your life? Explain.
Hmmm, the story of my life has yet to be written. Closest approximation would have to be Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Sometimes I feel like as disoriented as Alice when she fell through the rabbit hole into a bizarre world. How did Alice get into this situation? This girl was chilling out by the river, bored out of her mind, when she saw a talking rabbit. Of course she followed the rabbit and that is when her adventures started. Same, same. I’ve been working in Manila for the past few years and needed a shot in the arm to spice up my life. Singapore has been my rabbit hole and it truly has been an adventure! I have had my share of strange characters like Alice’s Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts and Tweedledum and Tweedledee! And like me, Alice is a bit of a loony. You should take a peek into this character’s mind. For example, after she had taken a drink from a bottle and started shrinking, her self-introspective pep talk is damn quirky!
`Come, there's no use in crying like that!' said Alice to herself, rather sharply; `I advise you to leave off this minute!' She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. `But it's no use now,' thought poor Alice, `to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!'
2.) If you could only listen to one musical artist for the rest of your life, which one would it be? Why?
There can only be one: U2. I think U2's music has enough variety to mirror my ever-changing mood. In full party mood? I can count on Elevation or Mysterious Ways to get me groovin'. Reflective? Walk On and Stuck in a Moment have never failed me.
3.) Have you ever watched a film that 'changed your life'? Which film was that and how did it 'change you'?
Before Sunrise starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. For those who have not seen it:
Before Sunrise is a passionate and intelligent romance between a young American (Jesse) and a French student (Celine). A chance encounter on the train incites intrigue, and Jesse provocatively suggests that Celine postpone her return to France and embark instead on a spontaneous expedition to Vienna. In the course of their 14-hour relationship, the two share in their love for the unrehearsed and their appreciation for the unexpected as they explore in a powerful meeting of hearts and minds. Dawn breaks. Sad in silence, they make their way to the station. As they bid each other farewell, Jesse is seized by another impulse - another encounter?
This movie is all about chance encounters, going with the flow and seeing where life takes you. It did not exactly trigger a major change but it confirmed the change in direction that I decided to take in my life. Having been a control freak in all aspects of my life, I decided to shake it up and make major changes. I essentially threw away all my to-do lists, learned to live in the moment, and have been richly rewarded with very interesting experiences.
4.) Before you ended up in your chosen profession, what did you want to be? Why the change?
I thought I was going to be a doctor. I loved my science courses back in high school. But, reality check – had no aptitude for the higher math and advanced chemistry courses in college which I needed for med school. So, in a massive downgrade, I went from medicine to law! Ha ha ha! I can't save your life but I can fight for your freedom.
5.) Which historical figure would you have wanted to be?
Gabriela Silang? Eleanor of Aquitaine? Hmmm, I would have wanted to be Audrey Hepburn – an icon of film history. She had a wonderful film career, fabulous fashion plate, and did fantastic humanitarian work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Her life was not a bed of roses – her father walked out on them when she was 6 years old, she lived through Nazi-occupied Holland, had several relatives executed for retribution for a Dutch underground movement, she acted as a courier for the underground resistance, had 5 miscarriages, and 2 divorces. A life fully lived.
Now, for the Official Interview Game Rules:
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person’s will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
This Blog has Not Become Moot and Academic!
I am stupendously happy and very grateful that my life continues to unfold in such an amazing way!
I've always thought that a life lived without passion is not a life worth living. Passion can be directed in so many ways - passion for your God, family, and work. My prayer has always been simple: let my passion be aligned with God's purpose. My deal with God has been, whatever materializes is His will for me. So armed with a wing and a prayer, I set off to hunt for a job.
I've gone through numerous blind dates...er, job interviews here, and have never quite found "the one." I was getting very antsy. I thought I wanted an in-house job with a company. But, when the offer came, I felt so "blah" about it. Just when I thought I'd have to pack up, my phone started to buzz. Last Tuesday I had 4 interviews in one day. Trotted to my first one at 10, second one at 11:30, third one 3, and the last at 4:15. That was a crazy day. But I've gotten used to job interviews having already done 6 of them since May so I was primed to sizzle, dazzle, and hopefully find the "one."
So, how'd Tuesday go? Despite Nisha's stern warning to enter each office with my right foot first (some Hindu thing for good luck), I'd be so in the zone that tripping over my own feet was the last thing on my mind. My first interview was okay. But it felt like a date where you know you'll probably end up as friends but nothing more. They told me to give them a call if I was really interested as they would only make an offer if they were pretty sure it would be accepted. Duhr, sigurista! My second interview was nothing new. I was meeting up with the IP lawyer and HR director of a company that had already made an offer. This would be my 3rd meeting with them and we were already discussing terms and conditions of employment. I said I was still interested but needed some time to make an informed choice and would like to finish my interviews first. But even as I rushed over to Suntec for interviews 3 and 4, I knew that I would not accept that job. IP simply is not my area of expertise no matter how attractive the compensation. I've been working long enough to know that passion and interest for work is very important. Otherwise, everyday is sheer drudgery.
So, there I was, off to Suntec. Quickie lunch at the food court. I remember the first time I ate here I was appalled to see that the tables were being cleaned by ladies old enough to be my grandmother. I've gotten used to the sight but it still makes me uncomfy. This is why I make an effort not to be a messy eater and I eat straight off my tray to make life easier for the cleaning aunties. Then off I went to interview no. 3. It was love at first sight. Passion was absolutely sizzling! First off, I loved their office: discreetly classy, modern, upscale and very bright. The receptionist ushered me to a lovely conference room which had a killer view of the bay. It just knocked my socks off! I've been to a lot of law firms here, and you can tell a lot by the atmosphere. This one had a cool and efficient buzz. Then two partners came in and the interview started in earnest. We really hit it off. We totally connected and they were thrilled to hear that I was passionate about Corporate Governance. Suffice it to say that it was mutual. The next day they set-up a second interview. This time I met the partner heading the department and another partner. It was also a great interview. 5 minutes after the interview I had an offer.
At this point, let me digress and say that a great interview does not clinch a job. I have had previous interviews which went very well but did not end up in an offer. Lots of factors. The interviewers may like you but feel that you aren't exactly what they need. A challenge I faced was that I am not a Singapore-qualified lawyer. Given a limited budget, most firms would rather have a fully-qualified lawyer who can sign off on documents without any constraints.The only way I can qualify to practice here is as a Foreign Legal Adviser. The logical route: the international law firms. However, as a Malaysian friend advised me, most international law firms would rather hire lawyers from countries which are investment hubs. This is why most firms have India and China desks. Given the political turmoil back home, the Philippines isn't exactly shaking as an investment haven. Another possibility is the in-house route. Again another challenge I faced - most companies were looking for Mandarin-language proficiency as some contracts were in Mandarin.
Okay, back to the topic at hand. I am just so thrilled to be working in Suntec City! Lovely, self-contained, lots of lovely places to eat and great shops. I just remembered that the first time I visited Suntec, I did the traditional walk around the Fountain of Wealth for luck. I remember wishing for the NUS scholarship because I wanted to live one year abroad. The fountain has more than lived up to its promise. God is good!
I've always thought that a life lived without passion is not a life worth living. Passion can be directed in so many ways - passion for your God, family, and work. My prayer has always been simple: let my passion be aligned with God's purpose. My deal with God has been, whatever materializes is His will for me. So armed with a wing and a prayer, I set off to hunt for a job.
I've gone through numerous blind dates...er, job interviews here, and have never quite found "the one." I was getting very antsy. I thought I wanted an in-house job with a company. But, when the offer came, I felt so "blah" about it. Just when I thought I'd have to pack up, my phone started to buzz. Last Tuesday I had 4 interviews in one day. Trotted to my first one at 10, second one at 11:30, third one 3, and the last at 4:15. That was a crazy day. But I've gotten used to job interviews having already done 6 of them since May so I was primed to sizzle, dazzle, and hopefully find the "one."
So, how'd Tuesday go? Despite Nisha's stern warning to enter each office with my right foot first (some Hindu thing for good luck), I'd be so in the zone that tripping over my own feet was the last thing on my mind. My first interview was okay. But it felt like a date where you know you'll probably end up as friends but nothing more. They told me to give them a call if I was really interested as they would only make an offer if they were pretty sure it would be accepted. Duhr, sigurista! My second interview was nothing new. I was meeting up with the IP lawyer and HR director of a company that had already made an offer. This would be my 3rd meeting with them and we were already discussing terms and conditions of employment. I said I was still interested but needed some time to make an informed choice and would like to finish my interviews first. But even as I rushed over to Suntec for interviews 3 and 4, I knew that I would not accept that job. IP simply is not my area of expertise no matter how attractive the compensation. I've been working long enough to know that passion and interest for work is very important. Otherwise, everyday is sheer drudgery.
So, there I was, off to Suntec. Quickie lunch at the food court. I remember the first time I ate here I was appalled to see that the tables were being cleaned by ladies old enough to be my grandmother. I've gotten used to the sight but it still makes me uncomfy. This is why I make an effort not to be a messy eater and I eat straight off my tray to make life easier for the cleaning aunties. Then off I went to interview no. 3. It was love at first sight. Passion was absolutely sizzling! First off, I loved their office: discreetly classy, modern, upscale and very bright. The receptionist ushered me to a lovely conference room which had a killer view of the bay. It just knocked my socks off! I've been to a lot of law firms here, and you can tell a lot by the atmosphere. This one had a cool and efficient buzz. Then two partners came in and the interview started in earnest. We really hit it off. We totally connected and they were thrilled to hear that I was passionate about Corporate Governance. Suffice it to say that it was mutual. The next day they set-up a second interview. This time I met the partner heading the department and another partner. It was also a great interview. 5 minutes after the interview I had an offer.
At this point, let me digress and say that a great interview does not clinch a job. I have had previous interviews which went very well but did not end up in an offer. Lots of factors. The interviewers may like you but feel that you aren't exactly what they need. A challenge I faced was that I am not a Singapore-qualified lawyer. Given a limited budget, most firms would rather have a fully-qualified lawyer who can sign off on documents without any constraints.The only way I can qualify to practice here is as a Foreign Legal Adviser. The logical route: the international law firms. However, as a Malaysian friend advised me, most international law firms would rather hire lawyers from countries which are investment hubs. This is why most firms have India and China desks. Given the political turmoil back home, the Philippines isn't exactly shaking as an investment haven. Another possibility is the in-house route. Again another challenge I faced - most companies were looking for Mandarin-language proficiency as some contracts were in Mandarin.
Okay, back to the topic at hand. I am just so thrilled to be working in Suntec City! Lovely, self-contained, lots of lovely places to eat and great shops. I just remembered that the first time I visited Suntec, I did the traditional walk around the Fountain of Wealth for luck. I remember wishing for the NUS scholarship because I wanted to live one year abroad. The fountain has more than lived up to its promise. God is good!
Monday, June 06, 2005
Almost Committed Infanticide
Last year I gave up my baby Ian for adoption. A very dear friend kindly came to the rescue and adopted him. It was a difficult decision but, under the circumstances, I knew it was for the best. I was not ready to be a mother. Not a maternal bone in my body. I was carefree and happy-go-lucky. I had no idea that saying "yes" to some strange guy one evening was going to result in Ian.
Before I start getting hate-mail, let me clarify that Ian is my baby goldfish. I received him from some random guy at a Japanese summer fest last year and had no idea what I was getting into. After a few days of Ian living in a take-away container and feeding on crumbs (literally), I knew I had to find a better home for him. Thank God Nisha agreed to be stepmom. 10 months later he is still alive. I obviously made the right decision. But last Saturday, Nisha and I discovered that poor Ian had been abandoned. He was supposed to have been dropped off at someone else's house while Nisha was living at her aunt's but poor baby got left behind. So there he was, dismally swimming in his slimy bowl, starved for almost a week. It was a miracle he was still alive! So decided to resume my maternal duties and took him home. I have always been O.C. so the first thing I did was clean his bowl until it was sparkling! Hmmm, lovely! Put in the a drop of anti-chlorine water conditioner to make his water habitable and plopped him back in. He seemed okay. Placed him on a controlled diet to wean him back to a normal-sized diet and tried to make sure he did not overeat. Tried not to be a hypochondriac mummy, but it bugged me that he was constantly staying close to the surface to breathe. Did not seem normal so I checked the internet and found out that my O.C.-ness almost killed him. What rule did I violate? Chemicals and fishies do not mix. I should not have washed his bowl in detergent! Apparently, a healthy dose of slime is good for fishes. While you are supposed to change the water weekly to maintain the water's pH level, the slippery slime in the bowl provides a protective layer for the fish! You're just supposed to rinse the bowl. Also, detergent must have seeped into the water, essentially poisoning poor Ian. Duh, and I thought I was doing him a favor by giving him a sparklingly clean bowl! What to do? I was afraid to change the water because transferring fishes are traumatic (for both the fish and the human). But a website dedicated to goldfish care emphasized the need to rinse out any residual chemicals from the water. So, with plastic soup spoon in hand, I gingerly fished Ian out and temporarily placed him in (what else) a take-away bowl. Carefully rinsed the bowl 5 times, replaced the water and anti-chlorine, and dumped Ian back in. Oh, he was so-oooo happy! He swam around, surfaced, went down, wiggled between the rocks, and (I swear) turned and looked at me (I had my nose right up one side of the bowl) as if saying, "Finally, you got my water right!"
Okay, now I know there is such a thing as being too clean. Semi-slimey bowl is now okay by me, as long as Ian's happy. He's happily swimming in his bowl and being frisky. I swear, this one's smart. Every time I go near the bowl, he goes to the surface thinking its feeding time. Awwww. Let's hope I don't inadvertently kill him. Maternal prata princess on goldfish duty. Signing out until the next (mis)adventure!
Before I start getting hate-mail, let me clarify that Ian is my baby goldfish. I received him from some random guy at a Japanese summer fest last year and had no idea what I was getting into. After a few days of Ian living in a take-away container and feeding on crumbs (literally), I knew I had to find a better home for him. Thank God Nisha agreed to be stepmom. 10 months later he is still alive. I obviously made the right decision. But last Saturday, Nisha and I discovered that poor Ian had been abandoned. He was supposed to have been dropped off at someone else's house while Nisha was living at her aunt's but poor baby got left behind. So there he was, dismally swimming in his slimy bowl, starved for almost a week. It was a miracle he was still alive! So decided to resume my maternal duties and took him home. I have always been O.C. so the first thing I did was clean his bowl until it was sparkling! Hmmm, lovely! Put in the a drop of anti-chlorine water conditioner to make his water habitable and plopped him back in. He seemed okay. Placed him on a controlled diet to wean him back to a normal-sized diet and tried to make sure he did not overeat. Tried not to be a hypochondriac mummy, but it bugged me that he was constantly staying close to the surface to breathe. Did not seem normal so I checked the internet and found out that my O.C.-ness almost killed him. What rule did I violate? Chemicals and fishies do not mix. I should not have washed his bowl in detergent! Apparently, a healthy dose of slime is good for fishes. While you are supposed to change the water weekly to maintain the water's pH level, the slippery slime in the bowl provides a protective layer for the fish! You're just supposed to rinse the bowl. Also, detergent must have seeped into the water, essentially poisoning poor Ian. Duh, and I thought I was doing him a favor by giving him a sparklingly clean bowl! What to do? I was afraid to change the water because transferring fishes are traumatic (for both the fish and the human). But a website dedicated to goldfish care emphasized the need to rinse out any residual chemicals from the water. So, with plastic soup spoon in hand, I gingerly fished Ian out and temporarily placed him in (what else) a take-away bowl. Carefully rinsed the bowl 5 times, replaced the water and anti-chlorine, and dumped Ian back in. Oh, he was so-oooo happy! He swam around, surfaced, went down, wiggled between the rocks, and (I swear) turned and looked at me (I had my nose right up one side of the bowl) as if saying, "Finally, you got my water right!"
Okay, now I know there is such a thing as being too clean. Semi-slimey bowl is now okay by me, as long as Ian's happy. He's happily swimming in his bowl and being frisky. I swear, this one's smart. Every time I go near the bowl, he goes to the surface thinking its feeding time. Awwww. Let's hope I don't inadvertently kill him. Maternal prata princess on goldfish duty. Signing out until the next (mis)adventure!
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