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Today Nelson has come to work again. He has also infected his son, but his wife does not catch the disease. Some colleagues said that he should quarantine himself in the reception area, and not go into the office. (They are just kidding) Anyway, everything seems fine and we work as usual.
- Music: Thompson Twins - Don't Mess With Dr. Dream
「オレンジデイズ」というテレビドラマのかげで、最近時々手話で話してみる。聞き手は
昨夜、もう第八話の「オレンジデイズ」を見た。そういうわけで、簡単な言葉は手話で伝
よく主人に手話で話しているのは何でしょうか当ててみろ！
答案：あなたはバカだ！
主人は手話ができなくて異議を唱えなかった。 ♪♪♪
夫に悪戯する以外に、手話は会話より相応しい場合もある。ある日曜、教会を出て行った
だけど、インタネットで調べたら、日本の手話とアメリカの手話と全然違ってることを気
- Mood:
mischievous - Music: Mr. Children - Sign (ED of Orange Days)
It seems that everytime there is a worldwide pandemic, I will have to go to hospital.
When SARS broke out in 2003, I was in a hospital for nose/sinus operation.
When swine flu broke out lately, I went to hospital last Sunday and Monday for undertaking endoscopy, ultrasound, X-ray, etc. and is diagnosed gastroenteritis.
What's more, the Metro Park Hotel, where guests and hotel staff are all quarantined ever since a Mexican visitor is confirmed of being A/H1N1 flu carrier, is just a 2 minutes walk from my company.
Yet, I don't have chance to witness the hotel guests and staff to be released tonight because I am very ill and have taken sick leave today. The renovation work in our office has produced so many pollutants in the air that has triggered off the allergies of my nose and windpipes. I cough so much that I could hardly sleep for 2 nights already. While I was on my way to the clinic today, I coughed to such an extent that nobody dare to sit next to me. A lady approached me when she was getting off the MTR and wanted to lend me a mask. Unfortunately I have very serious allergy that I can't wear a mask or I can't breathe. It is very dangerous for me to travel without wearing a mask during this epidemic threat. On the other hand, people may think that I am a great threat to them because they see me cough all the way. I am still coughing after taking medicine. ;_;
- Mood:painful
Last night my family and I have celebrated Wai Wai, my nephew's 5 years old birthday. Wai Wai likes vehicle toys, and is a fan of Thomas. So I have bought Thomas toys as his birthday gift, while Elsa has bought tram and mini-bus toys as gifts. I asked Wai Wai which one he loves most, and he said "all three". It seems that he knows how to please everybody even though he is so young. That said, he unwrapped the tram toy given by Elsa first, and played along with the tram toy during the whole dinner. このままじゃ、「電車男」になってしまうかな。^^;;
- Mood:
curious - Music: 月面兎兵器ミーナ(OP of 電車男)
As requested by a relative, I have translated the lyrics of the Japanese song 初恋 into Chinese:
歌曲：初戀
歌手：村下孝蔵
作曲：村下孝蔵
作词：村下孝蔵
中文翻譯：Amy Lam
羅馬字拼音：Amy Lam
( Translation & transliteration of 初恋. )
- Mood:
content - Music: 村下孝蔵 - 初恋 <333
In fact, I was/am so ill (influenza + gastroenteritis + rhinitis) that I thought that I wouldn't be able to go to distribute leaflets. It is purely God's grace that I could join this event. It's not an easy task because we have faced people with different religions as well. I just hope that they will understand that there is only one true God in this world.
Also, I have decided to be baptized this year. If you are a Christian, please pray for me that there will be nothing (illness, emotional fluctuations, etc.) preventing me from getting baptized. I am touched when Theresa said that she feels happy for me upon knowing my decision. ^_^
- Mood: grateful
- Music: 普通的人(Hymns)
「のだめカンタービレ」の最終回はもうアニマックスで放送終わった。いよいよのだめち
- Mood:
sad - Music: Suemitsu & the Nodame Orchestra - Sagittarius (2nd ED of Nodame Cantabile)
Here are the photos of the gathering. ^_^
- Mood: good
- Music: Birthday song
Today is the day the Administrative Department officially inspects the cleanliness and tidiness of each staff's working area. 所謂「上有政策，下有對策」, here are some of the countermeasures adopted by us: :P
- I have put all my photos, decorations, food, moisture lotion, etc into the drawers and inside the bookshelves. (i.e. places not visible by the authority.
- Jade closed and locked her bookshelves, just in case the Head of Admin is so "crazy" as to comment on the tidiness of her bookselve.
- Just before Jade said that, I have also locked the bookshelves behind me, as well as the shelves in our storeroom.
- Vicky said that she has hidden her tissue box to places they cannot find.
- We have already torn off the telephone lists from our partitions, because last week the Admin Manager have told many staff (not directly to me, though) to do so.
- Comment to Alice: Too many books behind the seat.
- Comment to Olivia: The documents looks too old.
- Comment to Myra: Too many colors of file folders used by her. The colors should be consistent.
- Comment to Adam: Too many stuffs.
- Comment to me: Very tidy.
According to the notice issued by the Admin Dept., there will be an election for the tidiest as well as the untidiest staff. Now I begin to afraid that I will be elected as the tidiest staff. I don't want my place to become a 観光地. :P Hope that they will nominate someone else or just give up the idea.
Another related story:
Last friday when Lena cleaned her seat and threw away the old newspapers at the staircase, the fire alarm rang. In fact, there was a notice posted on the handle of the fire exit, warning people not to open the fire exit after 6:00pm. I did see that notice until a week ago. Somehow the notice has "disappeared". Alice guessed that it is the Head of Admin, who emphasizes "tidiness" more than anything else, that have taken away the notice. :P
Edit:
The result of today's inspection has been announced already. There are altogether 18 staff being elected as "tidy". I am one of them. "Untidy" staff is not publicly announced but they will receive individual notice from the Admin Dept.
- Mood: crazy
- Music: Gazebo - Lunatic
- Mood:
scared
Last Tuesday I was ill. (In fact, I have been ill for a long time.) Since I don't want to take too many sick leaves, I went to work as usual even though my brain was not quite functioning after a sleepless night. I made an appointment to the doctor at 4:30pm, because I think that most important business will have been finished in the morning or at early afternoon.
Just before I went out at around 4:00pm, my senior (at Shanghai) called me and told me that we are going to hold a departmental telephone conference 5 minutes later. OMG why didn't he inform me about the meeting, when he gave me a call earlier in the morning, so that I can arrange to see the doctor at another time?! Since my health condition was quite unsatisfactory, I told him that I am going to see a doctor and I couldn't attend the meeting. I thought the "story" ended there, but...
Last Friday I sent a certain kind of application form to my departmental boss. Usually he will grant my application without any delay. This time, however, he didn't reply me, even though I checked from our internal email system that he had read my application already. I am afraid that he is upset about my absence in departmental meeting. After all, I am not yet familiar with my new departmental boss. I have never seen him because he is stationed in Shanghai.
My sisters in church suggested me to write a message to my departmental boss to explain the matter. We also prayed together for the issue. I didn't receive any feedback from my boss yesterday. This morning, however, I received a reply from my boss. He apologized for the late reply because he had just came back from a business trip from Sichuan. He told me to take care of my body and there is no need to submit a sick leave application if I just go out to see the doctor for a short time. I also received from him a small gift - a funny name chop with my Chinese name and the mascot of the 2010 Shanghai expo on it. It seems that he is a nice and kind boss. I have been worrying too much. Thanks God for the "happy ending". ^_^
実はさ、問いかけるたびに返事が来なかったら、 いろいろなことを考えて大変困っちゃう。この事件から見ると、わたしはハチ子（NAN
This is the chop given by my boss: XD
- Mood: relieved
- Music: 救主能解決一切問題/The Savior Can Solve Every Problem (Hymn)
I remember clearly that I have taken my certificate to home and put it on my dining table. I thought that it must be Lam who has put it to somewhere else when he cleaned our home at Saturday night.
Me: Where has you put my JLPT certificate?
Lam: Let me see... (He has not gotten up from bed yet and was rather slow in thinking)
Me: You got to find it out for me. The certificate is very important to me. Get up! Find it out! I have put it on the dining table last night, but now it is not on the table. Where have you put it?
Lam: But I have never seen your certificate yesterday. Have you filed it to somewhere?
Me: I haven't filed it. It was on the table...
I sat down and tried to recollect at which point the certificate might have lost. After I picked up my certificate at Sai Wan Ho, I have went to a restaurant, the Aldrich Bay Promenade, and then traveled via MTR and went to a supermarket. I remembered that I have taken the certificate all the way with me. What's more, I remembered that I have put it on the top left hand corner of my dining table. Then I was busy packing wedding gift for Angel. I have also replaced the moisture absorbent with the refill I newly bought at supermarket. Then I left home in a hurry since I was already late for dinner. I remembered clearly that I have not brought the certificate with me when I went out to have dinner with Lam. Before I went out, the table was in a mess, with the gift wrapping paper, empty paper box of the moisture absorbent, etc. I have taken out the wastepaper from a drawer and put them altogether with the wrapping paper, empty paper boxes on the table and dumped them into the paper recycling bin at the ground floor of our building. It is highly likely that I have also put the envelope which carries my certificate together with the wastepaper and they are in the recycling bin! LOL
The management office of our estate was on holiday on Sunday and so I couldn't call them for help. Since I had to hurry to church, I asked Lam to go to the security guard who sits at the ground floor of our building for help. I was very worried and I prayed and prayed. Lam returned soon but the certificate was not on his hand.
"The security guard said that the keys to the recycling bins are kept by the cleaning workers only. They are now collecting the rubbish at each floor of the building. They will soon arrive the ground floor and collect the rubbish in the recycling bin. The security guard will phone me once they arrive," replied Lam. Just for the sake of prudence, I also went out to check the waste container of our floor to see if I have "dropped" my certificate with the non-recycling rubbish which Lam dumped last night. However, by the time I went there, the waste container was already empty. The non-recycling rubbish had been collected by the cleaning workers already. I could do nothing but prayed. 15 minutes later, the security guard still didn't call Lam. I was worried if the security guard might have forgotten to give us a call. So Lam went downstairs again. Just a minute later, he returned with my certificate on his hand. "The cleaning workers have just arrived when I went downstairs. They open the recycling bin for me and I saw your certificate right there, inside the recycling bin," Lam told me.
I could say nothing but thanks to God and thanks to Lam. If and only if I woke up half an hour later, my certificate will be, alongside with other rubbish, collected by the cleaning workers and transported to some unknown rubbish collection/recycling stations or land refill, and there is no way to trace it!
Here is my certificate: :D
- Mood: grateful
- Music: 祢的信實廣大/Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Hymn)
- Mood: surprised
- Music: Wedding March
Mr. Wen will arrive the age of 65 in two month's time. According to past history, not many of us can work in our company for such a long time. Mr. Wen will enjoy his retirement life, and travel around the world since then. 羨ましい！ In fact, he will also travel to Taipei this week.
It is still unclear who will take up the task of Mr. Wen after he leaves our company. It is said that perhaps no new staff will be recruited and his task will be taken up by existing staff. I miss Mr. Wen. He is so nice and reliable. ;_;
After the lunch, some colleagues suggested to collect funds to buy Mark Six (Hong Kong lottery) together. Each colleague had to give his/her favorite number, whether it being his/her age, date of birth, waist size or whatever. It was funny when Angel said 38 and they asked if that was her waist (in inches). XD A stranger who sat next to our table even "taught" them how to buy lottery with so many numbers. Since I am a Christian, I don't buy any kind of lottery. On the other hand, I don't want to put a wet blanket on them, and so I prayed to God silently. Luckily, they all know that I am Christian and so they understand why I don't join them to buy lottery without the need for further explanation. Among 18 of us, only Miran and I didn't give any number for buying lottery. When we got back to the office, I asked Miran why she didn't give any number. Miran didn't give a clear answer. Miriam explained for her that she (Miran) "goes to church". Even though I am not sure whether she is a Christian or Catholic, I am glad that someone I know is a believer in God. ^_^
- Mood: happy
- Music: 主必快來/He's Coming Soon (Hymn)
Some colleagues said that those "policies" are not initiated by the new head of the Administrative Department, but rather, by the manager of the Admin Dept because she has to demonstrate her "ability" to her new boss. At any rate, I would still classify this incident as "office politics".
- Mood:
irritated - Music: Depeche Mode - People Are People
It is obvious that the Administrative Department do not have much work to do lately. It is also likely that this is part of the "office politics". The new head of Administrative Department wants to "prove" his existence. なんかひれつな手段じゃない？
- Mood:
blah - Music: Bananarama - Manic Monday
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2 result has been announced via the web in Hong Kong today.
I passed Level 2 (^_^)V
Here is the breakdown of my results:
Writing/Vocabulary: 93/100
Listening: 41/100
Reading/Grammar: 139/200
Total: 273/400
For those who don't know, the passing grade for Level 2 is 240/400.
I'm relatively weak in listening, but overall I passed. It is good to be Chinese, because my knowledge of kanji/hanzi helps me obtain very high score in the "vocabulary" section.
The certificate will be issued in March 2009.
- Mood: cheerful
- Music: 中原めいこ - Dance in the Memories (3rd ED of きまぐれオレンジ・ロード)
- I have made some stupid mistakes in the information I provided to my subsidiary colleague. She didn't thank me for the prompt reply, but pointed out my mistakes bluntly and forwarded her message to my senior and her senior as well. <.<
- Apart from other job duties, so far I have been working as the company secretary of our company as well. Due to some staff changes, my senior instructed me to write a report to suggest to put my name as "company secretary" of our company in the reports filing to the local regulatory bodies. The Head of HR already said okay for that. But two directors of our company reject the idea and suggest to put the name of the executive secretary (a PHD) of the Chairman, who knows nothing about the duties of company secretary, nor does he do the job. I do all the hard work but I can only act as a "shadow".
- The people in charge of the HR Department do not know the normal procedures to appoint or remove a director. They said that there is no need to summon a director's meeting, nor do they tell me the exact date of removal. I have to spend lots of time to communicate with other departments so as to rectify the mistakes made by HR.
- I have several projects on hand at the same time, which keeps me busy. There is a whole box (about 1 x 2 feet in volume) of documents that I haven't yet had time to deal with.
- I waste at least half an hour to wait to see a doctor, and another half an hour to wait for the pharmacy.
As for handling job pressure, I should take a more macro view, and not to consider things just from my own point of view. Under the global financial crisis, our company/group is also under pressure to cut cost, to raise more fund (i.e. cash), and to lower our liability level. It is natural consequences that everyone will have more work on hand. So I should take it easy, do my best and leave the results to God. There is no need to assert too much pressure on oneself.
After all, when I leave this world, there is only one true Boss - God - that I have to be accountable to.
I feel better this way. When I am willing to be (or trying to be) humble, miraculous things happen:
- My colleague Lena "accidentally" called to Pan, my new department boss, whom is stationed in Shanghai and I haven't yet got a chance to see him. Lena is an acquaintance of Pan. She told Pan, my new boss, that I am a person of "high capability".
- Today my senior told me that the Shanghai Municipal Government has a "quota" of award for our company for the statistical work we performed for them last year. Both my senior and my department boss agree to nominate me for the award, because I am the one who actually did and in charge of that job.
- Mood: calm
I have not yet received the result of JLPT. No matter I pass or not, I have decided to give a (long) break to Japanese studies. After all, Japanese is just a pastime for me. It also helps to kill my lonely time over the past year. At this point of age, I should do something much more meaningful. (Though I'm still not sure what it exactly is. >.<) I have also been advised by someone not to "spend time in helping other people to make a profit in their website". I was quite shocked the first time I heard this. Now it doesn't matter anymore. There is no need to figure out whether someone was approaching me with the sole aim of making use of my talents in helping their website. It is just a supply and demand issue. As long as the website is interesting to me, I will take part. As long as it loses its appeal, I will quit.
Recently, the Hong Kong economy is hardly hit by the financial tsunami. I am one of the very few lucky people who have not lost anything in this unprecedented financial tsunami, because I am always extremely prudent in financial investment (Read my journal entry on 13.3.2008 to see how prudent I am.) I also have a very stable job and steady income because: 1. I don't work in the financial sector nor the logistic industry. 2. I work in a company with Chinese government background, while the governing authorities from the Mainland China has already requested the Chinese enterprises in HK not to layoff their staff during this financial hardship. I have also fully repaid my home mortgage and therefore do not have much financial burdens. However, not many people are as "lucky" as I am. Two of my secondary school classmates, and a sister in church, have already lost their jobs. I have also heard that many people lose a lot of money because the price of the securities (Lehman Brothers bonds in particular), investment fund, etc., plummeted. Some people, including professionals like doctors, even lose their entire savings or retirement funds because they thought that the Lehman Brothers bonds they bought are just like "fixed deposits" and never realize the risks involved in those investments. Of course, the lack of government regulations on the financial sector in selling these products are to be blamed for. However, individual investors should also make sure that they understand what they are buying/investing. Nobody, not even the government can help you, if you make the "wrong" decision. We are living in a fast-changing world that you have to realize what you are doing, where you are going, and how the world is functioning, if you are to survive. It is unimaginable that one of my colleagues, who spent most of her time studying the stock market and property market, has the gut to purchase the stock of HSBC, a large bank in HK last week just because the price is 50% off its top level. Does she know that the banks all over the world has suffered from great loss and the extent of that loss will not be revealed until they announce their results in 2009? The global environment has changed drastically after the financial tsunami that I suggest no one should apply the "traditional" theories in predicting stock prices anymore. The old theories do not work anymore. As a matter of fact, my colleague finds that the stock she purchased last week has further dropped by more than 10% in price this week. I wonder how long will it take for people to learn from past mistakes. I will perhaps spend some time to study this unprecedented financial tsunami because it affects every country and every person, no matter you realize it or not. I already have some ideas in my mind, but I need further study/investigation so as to put the "pieces" together. It's no good to be naive and unaware of the changes. I sincerely hope that the people I know will not be the next victims.
- Music: Olivia - Wish (2nd OP of NANA)
Something awful happened yesterday that made me feel very bad for the whole day. I couldn't fall asleep without taking extra pills. Even though I fell asleep at the end, I dreamed of something bad. In my dream, the bird I raised when I was small is dying. I cried and cried and I woke up in the middle of the night, with tears in my eyes.
- Mood: sad
- Music: Olivia - Starless Night (2nd ED of Nana)
