Beautifully Imperfect.

Graduation pictures at campus :)

3 years and done. Bittersweet.

I remember rushing into my first real job, post-graduation. I'd done the whole part-time shebang during school and uni days but this was different. Real responsibilities, real impact, real office politics. I admit taking that very first job was out of desperation because the job market was horrendous back in early '09. But with that being said, I think it would be unfair to take anything away from my four-months with Cerebos. I had many a laugh with colleagues, a great all-round manager, learnt many a Microsoft Excel function and a ton about FMCGs (and had many a bottle of bird's nest with rock sugar hehe). Overall, I had a pretty good working experience which helped me ascertain what I really wanted out of a job.

When I started, I was rather optimistic. I told Adam I'd try to stay there for at least a year. Sure, the job didn't give me a lot of late hours, it was so near my house, free parking, and all these other frills, but it wasn't what I wanted. And it certainly wasn't what I needed as a first job.

God works in his own little funky mysterious ways. I'd like to think he's grinning as he reads this. Sometime in April or May (it really does all seem like a blur to me now) I went with Adam to a career fair, only bringing along a few resumes because I was already employed. I dropped my resume at two positions that had interested me since I first started looking for a job. The Sunway Managerial Advancement for Recruited Talents (SMART) Programme, and CIMB's The Complete Banker's Programme (TCB). Both were highly reputable and promised wonderful development and I won't lie, I was excited about the prospects that could be as opposed to where I was then. I made the final cut for both, five and four stages respectively.

The interview stages were insane. Those times made me realize just how far I could push myself and just how I could perform under pressure. Sometime in early June, I got the answers. I had both jobs waiting. I was surprised, honestly shocked, and obviously ecstatic. (I must've done a victory jig or two and sung a victory song) So, I had to make my mind up. Did I want to go into banking or did I want to go into a conglomerate? Sunway won, to many an arched eyebrow. To each his own, I say. I've not once regretted my choice, nor lamented what could have been had I chosen the other travelled road.

De-stressing after stressful times.

The program has given me ups and downs, stressful times and times of glee. I've made wonderful friends. For the past six months, however, I'm pretty proud to say that I've not once regretted my choice, nor lamented what could have been had I chosen the other travelled road.

I do wonder sometimes if age is a disadvantage for me. Out of the six in my batch in my management trainee program, I am the youngest. At times I wonder if I would be more savvy, or more street smart with a few more feathers in my cap if I had a year or two more to me. Who knows.

Also in 2009, our family lost a little one. Little Melanie, which was to be my sister's youngest daughter died in my sister's womb a few days before she was to be due. My sister gave birth to her, stillborn, a little while before Chinese New Year. We were floored individually, and as a family. It's been nearly a year, but it still kinda hurts, and I can't even imagine what it must feel like for my sister. I thank God she's better today.

2009 witnessed the first time xoxo.chic was ever at a bazaar! It was hectic, carrying so much stock back from our suppliers gave us sore fingers. Tiring as hell. Doing the pricing, and the preparations the night before. But it was so much fun. Even more so because I was doing it with Siokkwan & Mary. 2009 also unfortunately witnessed xoxo.chic in a...nap? Haha. What with all of us joining the workforce one by one, xoxo.chic has unfortunately taken a backseat. It's sleeping comfortably right now. I'm not sure when we'll wake her up, if we will, but it's been many a good day with xoxo.chic. The pleasure and content we feel when customers express how much they like something, the funny photo sessions, the pretty clothes we see, the times three of us go through together, the hard-earned money.

xoxo.chic's first offline presence.


No yearly post is complete without shoutouts to my crazy girlfriends. Especially Mary & Siokkwan since we've been the ones in Malaysia more often throughout the last year. Thanks for the many a crazy time, stress-release layaning, bitching and giggling and gossiping, and giving me that sister understanding. They call us the mean sisters (yes, I'm looking at you all, boyband) but we know otherwise. I love you girls like silly.

Drinking up.

I wore red, he wore yellow -_-

The team. Some of us have been playing together for 11 years?

<3>

Oh hullo, Gary.

Genius.