Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Week 3 in Shanghai
This marks an official 2 weeks of survival in Shanghai.
Well, I finally found an apartment which stands out much better than the rest but still there is room for improvement (no pun intended).
I just hope that the toilet is bigger because toilet is the only place I can think and relax, but at least it is much better than the guesthouse in Korea. The kitchen is still oily at some places, I have no idea how to get rid of the oil stain from the last tenant but I have already cleaned out most of the area. The water in the bathroom has too low pressure and the heater takes too slow to work. Thats the only thing I'm unpleased because I forgot to check when I visited the apartment. The bed is also too hard but I'm gonna buy a mattress protector for cushion.
Other than those,I'm just glad that I'm just 2 mintues away from the MRT, 2 stops away from my office and the hypermarket is just above the MRT. There's a gym and park nearby, there are too many things to eat and the buildings are relatively new.
I'd never have guessed that my working life would start this way.
For the past few years before University I used to admire those Americans who move out of their hometown to stay in the city to work, and they have to take a few part time jobs to pay for their rent or meals in order to survive. Thats hard work and independence. I just found out that it's the same in China, graduate leave their hometown to come to Shanghai to work too. In Singapore, we just take the train to work. The end. For the rest of our lives.
I have no idea why all the interviews that I have gone for wanted me to go overseas.
I've thought Mitsubishi Chemicals was a position in Singapore until they told me it was 5 years in Japan.
The position that I applied for in my current company was for Singapore. The Singapore HR told me I wasn't selected, but the Asia Pacific HR wanted me to work in Shanghai. A complete turn of events. I had prepared myself mentally for the Tokyo one because I told myself to go out of Singapore for a while, but I just didn't expect China.
Prepared mentally doesn't mean its easy. I mean there's nothing to prepare you for this. You just gotta survive and adapt. For the first few days I've been telling myself, if I can't do this I can just quit and go back. Once I applied for my phone, bank, apartment, broadband etc, there's no turning back, at least for a whole good year. The first few days are torturous. Every second passes by slowly. Maybe its the unbearable hotter-then-Singapore weather, Maybe because I'm alone, maybe because I'm in an unfamiliar environment, maybe because I'm away from home for too long. The main reason is I am not ready. One week's notice after coming back from my 3 week K-J grad trip is barely enough to get myself ready for another round of adapting.
It is very good training. Discipline, independence, Survival.
Working environment is the same as Singapore. Everything is in English except spoken. Welfare maybe not as good as Exxon but still its an Amercian company. My case is really one of a kind. Its the first time they hired a fresh grad from overseas to work here and they are having some difficulty applying my work permit because you gotta have 2 years working experience.
I'm not considered an expat but I am considered a Shanghai employee paid in Singapore market. Everyone thinks that I'm like posted here for overseas assignment, with all those overseas allowance and the likes but no, I'm just a plain employee. Its more like me applying for a job in Shanghai, except I have better benefits because of my manager. Heh. I'm really a valuable employee.
Everything's routine now. Let's see how I survive in a years' time.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Workings
It felt so good to be connected to the world again.
I thought I would never say this but I cannot live without a mobile line!! I have been line-less for more than a week, besides my Singapore number all of my friends and colleagues have no way of contacting me. If I were abducted or lost or anything here, then......
Mobile, checked.
Bank account, checked
Apartment, checked.
Friends, checked.
Just settled my studio apartment today. Still needs a lot of cleaning up and decorating, I guess. Will move in on Saturday. I hope everything is good. Made a lot of Singaporean friends over mutual friends in Shanghai haha. lucks and connections. I'm so glad for them, for they made me less lonely in this strange land.
Everything just came too fast for me. Stupid orientation week which took up a lot of my time and learnt nothing, and those orientation games that I had been doing since secondary school just made me roll my eyes even more. Hello, I'm a working professional, not a student anymore. I understand that China students don't have this privilege of having leadership training camps or team building camps in school but I just don't wanna come here and think I'm still a student.
My manager has been very nice to me, letting me stay in the hotel for long and having the company chauffeur to drive me around to look for apartments. Well I think if it wasn't for her support I would have just flew back. That would freak everyone out. Heh.
Officially first day of work today and I would say my previous working experience has trained me very well in my current position. I could feel a lot of ideas coming out of me and benefit of being a foreigner in the office: everyone listens to you. Attentively. Even when you are joking. Haha. They have this impression that Singaporean are higher class students, just like our impression of most ang moh students from UC Berkeley.
We'll see how it goes in a months time.
I thought I would never say this but I cannot live without a mobile line!! I have been line-less for more than a week, besides my Singapore number all of my friends and colleagues have no way of contacting me. If I were abducted or lost or anything here, then......
Mobile, checked.
Bank account, checked
Apartment, checked.
Friends, checked.
Just settled my studio apartment today. Still needs a lot of cleaning up and decorating, I guess. Will move in on Saturday. I hope everything is good. Made a lot of Singaporean friends over mutual friends in Shanghai haha. lucks and connections. I'm so glad for them, for they made me less lonely in this strange land.
Everything just came too fast for me. Stupid orientation week which took up a lot of my time and learnt nothing, and those orientation games that I had been doing since secondary school just made me roll my eyes even more. Hello, I'm a working professional, not a student anymore. I understand that China students don't have this privilege of having leadership training camps or team building camps in school but I just don't wanna come here and think I'm still a student.
My manager has been very nice to me, letting me stay in the hotel for long and having the company chauffeur to drive me around to look for apartments. Well I think if it wasn't for her support I would have just flew back. That would freak everyone out. Heh.
Officially first day of work today and I would say my previous working experience has trained me very well in my current position. I could feel a lot of ideas coming out of me and benefit of being a foreigner in the office: everyone listens to you. Attentively. Even when you are joking. Haha. They have this impression that Singaporean are higher class students, just like our impression of most ang moh students from UC Berkeley.
We'll see how it goes in a months time.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
i think there are a few reasons i'm feeling this way
1. unfamiliarity of the place
I have never been here before and I really appreciate the convenience of Singapore now.
Supermarkets, transport, everything so conveniently near. Its really a large city, although taxi is quite cheap, but everything is too spread out.
2. Loneliness
After staying together with my friends for almost a month, suddenly thrown into a strange land with nobody familiar. Sighs.
3. Sense of security
No apartment yet, no routines yet, no bank account, no phone. Nothing is settled!
Although I quite enjoy staying in the hotel, it can't last forever....
4. china people
The language, the dangerous roads, some selfish uncivilised people.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Shanghai week 1
Day 1 Sunday
Checked into the budget hotel with no safe deposit box and fridge. No carpet floor, no tub but it was clean and basic, like a chalet. Nothing to complain about since it costs around $50 a night. I felt like going back immediately. The humid weather didn't help anything. Set down my stuff, I walked to the office building from the hotel, about 15 minutes. The macdonald's is really really cheap, like $4 for a big mac meal. Coke is 60c a bottle, 40c a can, noodles costs $1.50.
Walked to the nearest mall, which is supposedly one of the bigger ones in Shanghai and it wasn't too shabby. Although it was nothing like ion, it was more like the malls in M'sia.. dirty floors, so crowded and the Carrefour looks like our wet market. I hope this is not one of the best shopping malls in Shanghai.
After eating KFC (which costs the same as SG), I strolled back to the hotel and set up my VPN for facebook and twitter and starting missing everyone in Sg. The other Singaporean came over to find me and we chatted a little while before heading back and prepare for the orientation tomorrow morning.
I'm stuck here for 2 years. Dang.
Day 2 Monday
The sun rose about 5.30am, which is kinda good coz I hate waking up earlier than the sun. I locked my laptop in my luggage because there were no safe box. There was buffet breakfast, not bad a spread and saw the other china students going for the orientation. They were wearing home clothes while me and the other guy wore office wear. Later I found out from 2 of the program coordinators that we were more professional because the china students just graduated and didn't know what to wear.
The first hour was torturous. Me and the other guy was the only foreigner in the group of 38. Of course, most of the attention was on both of us. All the lectures about the company was held in chinese and I was relieved that one lesson conducted by an American in English. I finally saw my manager and my HR who were also very happy to see me. (i think).
One of the lectures actually showed that the average salary was 4332 RMB. Hm... I started to feel quite bad for them. Most of them are very smart as I talked to them, but circumstances are different. Different people in different situations. I was starting to feel very rich in Shanghai. hahah..
Towards the end of the day we were signing contracts and settling most of the admin stuff. I really felt there was no turning back. Dinner at the hotel and I went back to the room to rest and searching for my apartment with the help of Cathy. We will be hunting tmr.
Day 3 Tuesday
Morning was too boring to remember anything. Oh except one of our colleagues come to give a lecture, and she introduced herself "My name is Lulu. Hua yu ming shi Lulu". I got breast cancer immediately. Too much internal injuries. I was pinching myself to stop myself from laughing, and whenever they mentioned her name my mouth twitched.
Coincidentally, lunch was Szechuan cusine. really spicy and I didn't eat much. The rest of the day was also boring, except towards the end, all the management trainees were gathered and the alumni did a small presentation, which added stress to most of us with so many activities we have to plan and our job rotation within the company. sighs. so much thinking of wanting to quit the job now.
Apartment hunting wasn't successful as the agents shifted to tomorrow. Mac for dinner.
Day 4 Wednesday
Boring lessons again, hunted for a few lousy apartments with our company chauffeur with the big company car. Cathy brought me to Xujiahui, one of the shopping districts in Shanghai and treated me to dinner which made me feel quite bad because she had to bring me around for apartment hunting and still treated me.
Day 5 and 6 Thursday Friday
I really hate orientation/team building/leadership training camps. I am thoroughly sick of them because I have been to so many during my days in school. Plus the instructor was very very naggy. When asked a question, the china students will reply with a solid "HAO" I really wanted to slap myself because it was too cheena. Very 'song' if you know what I mean. Anyway it was pretty fun towards the end at night. Oh it was held at Shanghai National Accounting Institute and they have a few blocks of hotels inside for guests with courses with the school to stay.
Friday evening was apartment hunting day. It was rather fruitful because the apartments are rather nice but a bit expensive. not near the office too. More apartment hunting next week and until then, I will be staying in the hotel for another week. Sighs. Why do I always feel depressed on the first week of a long stay at another country.
Checked into the budget hotel with no safe deposit box and fridge. No carpet floor, no tub but it was clean and basic, like a chalet. Nothing to complain about since it costs around $50 a night. I felt like going back immediately. The humid weather didn't help anything. Set down my stuff, I walked to the office building from the hotel, about 15 minutes. The macdonald's is really really cheap, like $4 for a big mac meal. Coke is 60c a bottle, 40c a can, noodles costs $1.50.
Walked to the nearest mall, which is supposedly one of the bigger ones in Shanghai and it wasn't too shabby. Although it was nothing like ion, it was more like the malls in M'sia.. dirty floors, so crowded and the Carrefour looks like our wet market. I hope this is not one of the best shopping malls in Shanghai.
After eating KFC (which costs the same as SG), I strolled back to the hotel and set up my VPN for facebook and twitter and starting missing everyone in Sg. The other Singaporean came over to find me and we chatted a little while before heading back and prepare for the orientation tomorrow morning.
I'm stuck here for 2 years. Dang.
Day 2 Monday
The sun rose about 5.30am, which is kinda good coz I hate waking up earlier than the sun. I locked my laptop in my luggage because there were no safe box. There was buffet breakfast, not bad a spread and saw the other china students going for the orientation. They were wearing home clothes while me and the other guy wore office wear. Later I found out from 2 of the program coordinators that we were more professional because the china students just graduated and didn't know what to wear.
The first hour was torturous. Me and the other guy was the only foreigner in the group of 38. Of course, most of the attention was on both of us. All the lectures about the company was held in chinese and I was relieved that one lesson conducted by an American in English. I finally saw my manager and my HR who were also very happy to see me. (i think).
One of the lectures actually showed that the average salary was 4332 RMB. Hm... I started to feel quite bad for them. Most of them are very smart as I talked to them, but circumstances are different. Different people in different situations. I was starting to feel very rich in Shanghai. hahah..
Towards the end of the day we were signing contracts and settling most of the admin stuff. I really felt there was no turning back. Dinner at the hotel and I went back to the room to rest and searching for my apartment with the help of Cathy. We will be hunting tmr.
Day 3 Tuesday
Morning was too boring to remember anything. Oh except one of our colleagues come to give a lecture, and she introduced herself "My name is Lulu. Hua yu ming shi Lulu". I got breast cancer immediately. Too much internal injuries. I was pinching myself to stop myself from laughing, and whenever they mentioned her name my mouth twitched.
Coincidentally, lunch was Szechuan cusine. really spicy and I didn't eat much. The rest of the day was also boring, except towards the end, all the management trainees were gathered and the alumni did a small presentation, which added stress to most of us with so many activities we have to plan and our job rotation within the company. sighs. so much thinking of wanting to quit the job now.
Apartment hunting wasn't successful as the agents shifted to tomorrow. Mac for dinner.
Day 4 Wednesday
Boring lessons again, hunted for a few lousy apartments with our company chauffeur with the big company car. Cathy brought me to Xujiahui, one of the shopping districts in Shanghai and treated me to dinner which made me feel quite bad because she had to bring me around for apartment hunting and still treated me.
Day 5 and 6 Thursday Friday
I really hate orientation/team building/leadership training camps. I am thoroughly sick of them because I have been to so many during my days in school. Plus the instructor was very very naggy. When asked a question, the china students will reply with a solid "HAO" I really wanted to slap myself because it was too cheena. Very 'song' if you know what I mean. Anyway it was pretty fun towards the end at night. Oh it was held at Shanghai National Accounting Institute and they have a few blocks of hotels inside for guests with courses with the school to stay.
Friday evening was apartment hunting day. It was rather fruitful because the apartments are rather nice but a bit expensive. not near the office too. More apartment hunting next week and until then, I will be staying in the hotel for another week. Sighs. Why do I always feel depressed on the first week of a long stay at another country.
Saturday, July 07, 2012
tomorrow
I'll take it as I'm going to Shanghai for a 3 week grad trip, Part 3.
Almost finished packing, I think my luggage's gonna burst anytime.
The first few days of the week was filled with anticipation and excitement but nearing the end dates I actually felt a bit reluctant to leave. Perhaps meeting too many friends made my heart stick around. My cousins especially.
I thought I could just let go of everything and start another life in a different place. Well I could, if I haven't gotten so many well wishes.
So, its really a brand new day and chapter of my book.
Its still blank, I'm not sure how many pages it will fill but hopefully with many beautiful words.
Almost finished packing, I think my luggage's gonna burst anytime.
The first few days of the week was filled with anticipation and excitement but nearing the end dates I actually felt a bit reluctant to leave. Perhaps meeting too many friends made my heart stick around. My cousins especially.
I thought I could just let go of everything and start another life in a different place. Well I could, if I haven't gotten so many well wishes.
So, its really a brand new day and chapter of my book.
Its still blank, I'm not sure how many pages it will fill but hopefully with many beautiful words.
The mad week
Monday
Touched down at 5.15am without any sleep on the plane. Reached home and slept till 12pm, unpack a little, went to grandma's house to announce my arrival and work. Emailed Angel to confirm my contract when I came back at 4pm. Bathed and watched The Amazing Spiderman at JP, which was really quite amazing. Library, then went back home to unpack again.
Tuesday
Had a call from Shanghai with a lot of flight, visa and accommodation details at 9.30am, researched on the net after that. Rolled in the bed for a while and lunched at 1.30am. Went down to Raffles place to enquire about the visa application, walked to Bernice's place to visit her and Ian and got some info for Shanghai. Met the choir peeps at City Hall ( a really random meetup) and dinner at Skinny Pizza. Went to sing karaoke after that till 11.30.
Wednesday
Raffles Place to do my visa which only took 5 minutes, then went to HSBC to visit Betty and had lunch with her, changed RMB money at the arcade and then went home to rest a little. Took 190 down to Orchard to have tea at TWG with Theng as well as shop a little bit for clothes and she drove me down to Clarke Quay where I walked to Outram. 2D1N meat buffet with cousins! But i was so full and sick of Korean food that I ate too little. Train back to Cindy's house to chill out and Steve insists on baking souffle until 12 midnight and Cindy drove us home! Love them.
Thursday
Wednesday
Raffles Place to do my visa which only took 5 minutes, then went to HSBC to visit Betty and had lunch with her, changed RMB money at the arcade and then went home to rest a little. Took 190 down to Orchard to have tea at TWG with Theng as well as shop a little bit for clothes and she drove me down to Clarke Quay where I walked to Outram. 2D1N meat buffet with cousins! But i was so full and sick of Korean food that I ate too little. Train back to Cindy's house to chill out and Steve insists on baking souffle until 12 midnight and Cindy drove us home! Love them.
Thursday
Is at home day and a rather rough day. I just found out a really really bad piece of news. Oh wells. and tortured myself even more with threading of my face at Clementi. Totally spoilt my week. went to sleep it off and woke up for dinner while searching for my apartment. Beancurd with kkw.
Friday
Collected my passport in the morning at raffles place and changed my currencies. met with px to pass her stuff and she bought something for me too! Lunched at Hong Lim food center bah chor mee then off to indoor to collect my $45 Capitaland Mall vouchers hee hee. Slacked around at Ion Coffee Bean since 2pm with YC and LS. It was good catching up though. Waited till 6.30 for HT to arrive and went to Taka Pique Nique coz I crave for burgers. haha. HY arrived and had mmmmmph awfully chocolate ice cream for desserts till 10.30.
Saturday
Lazed around the bed for a while before going to ah ma house to pass Jasmine by baking stuff. They'r gonna expire soon so might as well give to someone else who will finish them. Kinda lazed the afternoon away in bed and packing stuff, made tea, then Holland V for EWF. Craves for burgers. A light dinner at home then its packing all the way for the flight tomorrow morning.
Friday
Collected my passport in the morning at raffles place and changed my currencies. met with px to pass her stuff and she bought something for me too! Lunched at Hong Lim food center bah chor mee then off to indoor to collect my $45 Capitaland Mall vouchers hee hee. Slacked around at Ion Coffee Bean since 2pm with YC and LS. It was good catching up though. Waited till 6.30 for HT to arrive and went to Taka Pique Nique coz I crave for burgers. haha. HY arrived and had mmmmmph awfully chocolate ice cream for desserts till 10.30.
Saturday
Lazed around the bed for a while before going to ah ma house to pass Jasmine by baking stuff. They'r gonna expire soon so might as well give to someone else who will finish them. Kinda lazed the afternoon away in bed and packing stuff, made tea, then Holland V for EWF. Craves for burgers. A light dinner at home then its packing all the way for the flight tomorrow morning.
Thursday, July 05, 2012
on board
It really sucks to receive bad new when you are so filled with excitement and anticipation for the event to come.
Its like finding out somebody died when your birthday is tomorrow. Damn gross feeling.
I feel shortchanged. Maybe its the miscommunication and whatsoever. I wouldn't have take it up when I knew it was that way.
Whatever it is, I am already on board the pirate ship and just started to sail.
Its like finding out somebody died when your birthday is tomorrow. Damn gross feeling.
I feel shortchanged. Maybe its the miscommunication and whatsoever. I wouldn't have take it up when I knew it was that way.
Whatever it is, I am already on board the pirate ship and just started to sail.
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
The Amazing Spiderman
Who doesn't love Spiderman?
This time round, the movie sticks more to the story in the comics, like how Peter Parker is a science geek, spider-humour, web shooters, shy towards girls, and all the spidey action poses that really appeared in the comics.
What i love is the really amazing action sequences that showed how agile spidey is in a fight.
oh one thing is that they missed out the spider-sense. How can they miss that one out?! Its so important to Peter Parker!
Uncle Ben's death is always tear jerking. Why do I have to witness his death again and again!?
Shanghai
This is grad trip part 3
After the 3 week Korea Japan grad trip which I enjoyed very much, I'm leaving Singapore again in a weeks time. Oh well, I would have thought I had more time and start in August.
Everyone says I'm really fat now. The blotted cheeks and the air pocket at the tummy area. Not good. Plus I can't exercise this week because of last minute meeting up with friends and all the packing.
I've pretty much gotten used to the fact that I'm leaving in a week and gonna stay there for 2 years. The grad trip is just a warm-up. I wonder if I can still blog there.
Photo galore soon.
After the 3 week Korea Japan grad trip which I enjoyed very much, I'm leaving Singapore again in a weeks time. Oh well, I would have thought I had more time and start in August.
Everyone says I'm really fat now. The blotted cheeks and the air pocket at the tummy area. Not good. Plus I can't exercise this week because of last minute meeting up with friends and all the packing.
I've pretty much gotten used to the fact that I'm leaving in a week and gonna stay there for 2 years. The grad trip is just a warm-up. I wonder if I can still blog there.
Photo galore soon.
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