Fireworks

For the past few years I’ve had this love-hate relationship with fireworks…

What’s to love about fireworks?

Everything! The lights and sounds just appeals to your whole senses! It just captivates you & time just seems to stand still. All your problems are forgotten, albeit for a brief moment, when you stare into the brightly lit night sky…

What’s to hate about fireworks?

When they’re exploding all around you to the proximity you feel your eardrums are gonna burst and in the ungodly hours of the wee morning when you’re sleeping, or trying to and again when you’re woken up from barely a few hours of sleep early the following morning and you wake up with your heartbeat racing!

Well, it’s a little past 1am on Chinese New Year in Brunei – and it’s quiet outside. Something I have not experienced for the past 2 years as I’ve been celebrating it in Sibu. This year was a welcome change and it brought about an interesting whatsapp-versation between me and a friend:

Me: Oh hey..there goes the fireworks

Friend: Darn..here I can hear em but cannot see em

Me: Here I can see a few hehe.. I think I can appreciate fireworks better when I am not smack in the middle of it.

Friend: Or you are the one lighting it. Hehe..it has been a while since I played fireworks.

Me: Yeah, I think I would appreciate it if I were the one lighting it hehehe..maybe I wanna do fireworks on the 4th of July in the States? Hehe

Friend: Ooo now that is exciting! =) Or CNY in Beijing? Hehe

Me: CNY in Beijing?! *lightbulb* Cannot imagine how that would be like! Imagine watching fireworks from the Great Wall =) I have always wanted to go China too

Friend: One of the places I wanna visit too. Lots of food & breathtaking countryside! =) and fireworks is cheap and legal. Hehe. Ding! ‘lightbulb’ moment too! =)

…and soon after another friend whatsapp me that she was in China…and she verified that China is indeed awesome during CNY, especially the atmosphere.

But yeah, regardless where you are in the world right now, HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR (CNY)!!! I hope you have a great start to the Year of the Water Dragon! =D

Lunar Eclipse 10/12/2011

So yeah…last night 10/12/2011, there was a lunar eclipse right?

Well, guess who I saw that night?

Storm Troopers!

I saw them at Airport Mall on 10/12/2011. The lunar eclipse must have been caused by the Death Star passing between the Moon and the Earth..

C’mon. You know I’m right. =p

Tik Tok

Everyone is paid for the work they do…the difference is HOW?

Some are paid day wages – you come to work today, you get paid. If tomorrow you don’t then no pay.

Some are paid a fixed amount every month – irregardless if all you do that month is just sitting at your desk looking pretty.

Some are paid a percentage of their sales, aka commissions.

For people in my line of work, we get paid monthly yes, but not just to look pretty…we actually have to work ‘cos we have to document what we actually do in that month. How? By filling in Time Sheets…

Every single second of every minute of every hour has to be recorded which is logically impossible…how do you record toilet time for example? Using a stopwatch? -.-” Which is why in some organizations (like in my previous firm) they have “Miscellaneous Unproductive Time” recorded in their Time Sheets every day.

That said, imagine receiving this MEMO from your Accounting Department :-

It has come to our attention recently that many of you have been turning in timesheets that specify large amounts of “Miscellaneous Unproductive Time” (Code 5309). However, we need to know exactly what you are doing during your unproductive time.

Attached below is a sheet specifying a tentative extended job code list based on our observations of employee activities.

The list will allow you to specify with a fair amount of precision what you are doing during your unproductive time. Please begin using this job-code list immediately and let us know about any difficulties you encounter.

Attached: Extended Job-Code List

Code Description
5316 Useless Meeting
5317 Obstructing Communications at Meeting
5318 Trying to Sound Knowledgeable While in Meeting
5319 Waiting for Break
5320 Waiting for Lunch
5321 Waiting for End of Day
5322 Vicious Verbal Attacks Directed at Coworker
5323 Vicious Verbal Attacks Directed at Coworker While Coworker is Not Present
5393 Covering for Incompetence of Coworker Friend
5400 Trying to Explain Concept to Coworker Who is Not Interested in Learning
5401 Trying to Explain Concept to Coworker Who is Stupid
5402 Trying to Explain Concept to Coworker Who Hates You
5481 Buying Snack
5482 Eating Snack
5500 Filling Out Timesheet
5501 Inventing Timesheet Entries
5502 Waiting for Something to Happen
5503 Scratching Yourself
5504 Sleeping
5510 Feeling Bored
5511 Feeling Horny
5600 Complaining About Lousy Job
5601 Complaining About Low Pay
5602 Complaining About Long Hours
5603 Complaining About Coworker (See Codes #5322 & #5323)
5604 Complaining About Boss
5605 Complaining About Personal Problems
5640 Miscellaneous Unproductive Complaining
5701 Not Actually Present At Job
5702 Suffering from Eight-Hour Flu
6102 Ordering Out
6103 Waiting for Food Delivery to Arrive
6104 Taking It Easy While Digesting Food
6200 Using Company Resources for Personal Profit
6201 Stealing Company Goods
6202 Making Excuses After Accidentally Destroying Company Goods
6203 Using Company Phone to Make Long-Distance Personal Calls
6204 Using Company Phone to Make Long-Distance Personal Calls to Sell Stolen Company Goods
6205 Hiding from Boss
6206 Gossip
6207 Planning a Social Event (e.g. vacation, wedding, etc.)
6210 Feeling Sorry For Yourself
6211 Updating Resume
6212 Faxing Resume to Another Employer/Headhunter
6213 Out of Office on Interview
6221 Pretending to Work While Boss Is Watching
6222 Pretending to Enjoy Your Job
6223 Pretending You Like Coworker
6224 Pretending You Like Important People When in Reality They are Jerks
6238 Miscellaneous Unproductive Fantasizing
6350 Playing Pranks on the New Guy/Girl
6601 Running your own Business on Company Time (See Code #6603)
6602 Complaining
6603 Writing a Book on Company Time
6611 Staring Into Space
6612 Staring At Computer Screen
6615 Transcendental Meditation
6969 Beating off in Broom Closet
7281 Extended Visit to the Bathroom (at least 10 minutes)
7400 Talking With Divorce Lawyer on Phone
7401 Talking With Plumber on Phone
7402 Talking With Dentist on Phone
7403 Talking With Doctor on Phone
7404 Talking With Masseuse on Phone
7405 Talking With House Painter on Phone
7406 Talking With Personal Therapist on Phone
7419 Talking With Miscellaneous Paid Professional on Phone
7425 Talking With Mistress/Boy-Toy on Phone
7931 Asking Coworker to Aid You in an Illicit Activity
8000 Recreational Drug Use
8001 Non-recreational Drug Use
8002 Liquid Lunch
8100 Reading e-mail
8102 Laughing while reading e-mail

Make sure you put the correct code when filling your timesheets from now on yea?

Note: I got the above from a friend’s notes and is not an actual Memo. I think.