The Original Juice

Last week, one of the weekday nights one of my ex lady bosses smsed me asking if seh can call to ask some questions about work. She said she didnt dare bother meduring the day. I called her and afterwards, she invited me to go for sec lunch the next week on Wed. I said i'd love to but i'd hafta check with my boss first as it will most likely run more than an hour. My ex bosses also went to all the trouble to change their venue to accomodate my diet. How sweet...

So tunggu apa lagi? the next day i asked my boss right away if i could go for lunch at 12nn n tt its for sec lunch so it might run more than an hr. he said "yeah sure go ahead as long as you're back by 2 cos lunch hour is anytime between 12-2pm and I'm not in Singapore anyways." When i informed my asst mgr that i'd be away longer for lunch that wed, she was very nice about it also. She said in an email "I think you have a great ex-boss who still shows his appreciation even after you have left the company. Enjoy!"

Im very excited for this lunch. Firstly cos it's been quiet some time since i went out w Lynn the secretary (we had always lunched together... that's where the missing feeling comes about) and secondly, i wanted to introduce myself to the replacement so that she won't feel awkward calling me. like Salmah would put it "put a face to a name".

And Wah they even picked me up from my office! We went to Swensen's at Funan. The first thing the male boss said when i got into the car was "wah so bright today" cos i was wearing a white shirt. Strange having a guy comment on your outfit huh? Then one of the lady bosses asked straight away "How's your new job? how's the boss?" I said oh yeah he's very nice!! and she replied jokingly, "yeah which we're not" hehe

Then when we reached our table, while waiting for our food to come the other lady boss asked me to give an advice to the replacement. i said, "Check your work". and they all laughed remembering the good old days. such great sense of humour they all! heheh and then they started asking me about other work stuffs how to do this and that which they're not sure of.

I thought i would be all stressed up meeting them all... But i suppose it wasnt that bad lah... =)

Anyways, yesterday i felt a bit useful after all... My boss who is overseas forwarded me an email to register for him something within 2 days. so i set about doing it for him. I felt reassured that at least i have done something for him which he would've difficulty doing if he had not hired me. =)

And did i mention to you that i love my office desk? those who saw me in MSN would already know. well... for the past 5 years of my career my table has always been a long one set against the wall ie facing the wall and shared with other people like this one at MKA:


Now I have my own cubicle! This is how it looks like from the main door. I'm also like a receptionist for this small office lah open the door for visitors and stuffs.


I also just got a new pc! During the first few days i was using this huge monstrous pc from the 90s surely slow like dinosaur while waiting for this sexy mamma! sleek isnt she? the rest of my colleagues dont get LCD screen cause their tables are bigger L or U-shaped as compared to my I-shaped one heheh.


And the proudest feeling of all is i got my own name label behind my desk~~~ Alhamdulillahhhhh

So anybody's got any ideas how to decorate my desk some more? im already scouting for a cute seat cushion..

Ok People.. Just an update about me...

I've changed job!!!!!!!!! Alhamdulillahhhhhhhhhhh

I've been contemplating to tender from my previous job for so long... (since late last year) but was too scared to make a move cause of lack of jobs out there.

One day i decided to approach my "supplier" AXA Insurance HQ to ask if they have any openings. Miraculously, the next day their HR posted an internal email to their employees of job vacancies available. There were several admin posts, and i applied for all of them despite not knowing the criterias whatsoever. Yes i was that desperate. Apa kan tidak for the past few months i've been submitting online applications on average of 10/weekday but not even a hint of an interview at all! (I had a feeling it was because i attached a photo of mine in my resume)

In the mean time, at Mohd Kamal & Assc (MKA) my bosses were still negotiating with me. They wanted me to stay. so they asked me what would make me stay. i told them (in a nice way) i want higher pay ie $100 more. haha. they got back to me saying that they were not able to offer that because they have just reviewed my salary earlier in the year. Instead, they offer to do a biannual review of which IF my performance was good they'd give a bonus of $600.

I Shan't bore you with the exact dates... but there were a few weeks of sheer uncertainty, where i dont know when was my last day, if i've got another job, if i wanted to stay after all... then, after that i know my last day = 7th April 2006 but the result of second interview at AXA still not out yet...

In the end, during my last week of work, my new employer called me to confirm they'd like to take me on board. Just in the nick of time. Masya'Allah..

i told them during the second interview that i can start on 17th April giving me a week's rest after my last day from MKA. i was already thinking of a trip or at least a Sims-playing fiesta at home. But AXA HR called me on the very last day of work to say im starting work the next monday, 10th April! Er...... is it?! hahah Well... i suppose it won't really do me harm lah...

Then they called me back again to say they want to send me to this annual basic course on Marine Insurance so i can get a feel of what the company is doing. wow! Even better! Alhamdulillah sgt...

So my Official post is called Admin Asst for AXA Corporate Solutions Marine Division Non Executive Grade 5. with a starting pay of $1,750 w Hospital and accident insurance, 14 months salary, medical reimbursement benefits and the list goes on.. Alhamdulillah... truly i can't thank Allah enough for this vast improvement.

Basically i am at my boss' disposal. heheh mainly arranging his travels (air tickets and hotel) and doing up presentation for his meetings, apparently he & IT dont click too well now. My boss is a regional manager / Underwriter who reports directly to Paris. After browsing the office telephone listing i discovered he is in the CEO level and i'm his asst. like wahhhhhhhhhhhhh kehrkehrkehr

The funny thing about my boss is he kept worrying i do not like this job. can you imagine?! after all those worrying of not getting a job, its tremendous relief when i land with this! Even during the interview he kept saying he was afraid the job is too junior for me. i reassured him that i dont mind starting with a junior position as long as i know there's room to go up. and in return he assured me that yes there is. in fact, his personal asst who joined him 5 yrs ago now becomes the regional manager in Hong Kong! wow... im so inspired sey...

heheh after one week at work, there are still very little tasks for me to do... ada pon macam sikit2 where it can finish in less than an hour kinda thing. there was a day when all i did was surfing the internet, check emails, bank accounts, write testimonials and greet visitors. So last mon before he flies to Jakarta for a week, he called me into his office he said, "how's your week been so far? i hope you dont regret coming to work for us here. I know its been a bit quiet round here... but i hope after the asst mgr has detailed down your job scope you'll be more at ease" ok it has been quite uncomfortable doing nothign in the office like wanna MSN tapi macam tak sedap things like tt... and yeah quite the contrary, actually im a bit scared if they now think that this position is redundant and they would dispose of me! But i certainly dont REGRET coming here insya'Allah (regret is part of Shaitan)... Im THANKFUL... i dont know how to convince him that i am indeed grateful.

PLUS!!! we had our annual D&D party last fri!! just after one week of working! at first i was a bit reluctant to go but this would be a good chance for me to get to know the other Muslims having to sit at the one halal table cause my dept is the only dept located at the 9th floor... the rest are all lumped together in one big office at covering several floors.

The theme was retro held at Mariott Hotel. My first formal D&D back in MKA was retro too... i bought a special blouse just for that event but i couldn't find it after the first time i wore it! Argh...

At first it was very awkward during the cocktail. cause from my dept only 2 others going one of them malay. so i just hang around w this malay guy colleague ah. dont really know what to talk about and besides it was very loud cant hear myself thinking. then after awhile, i spotted a lady in tudung. so i approached her since we're gonna sit together anyways and introduced myself. then we came in the hall and found our table. the rest like terpinga2 when they see me cause they've never seen me before. After awhile, i observed that mostly people stay in AXA for very long... there's a handful of people receiving 7years service awards some 15 and 2 20years! That's where i also noticed that most of them are married and at least 30 but average 40s. But it also gave me a sense of security like i hope i will stay here very long.

Having been to 2 D&Ds in a year... i think all events companies brain storm and share their games and jokes for the year! Cause there's one game exactly the same as the one we played during MKA, Strategic Partner D&D!! Guess what?! I had to embarass myself by going up on stage! actually we had to play scissors paper stones amongst our table partner. the champion of a table play against anothe rtable then the last 4 comes up on stage. my table everybody sat down after one shot even the winners except for me. so i was forced to be the rep for our table and i played with one table rep then we were called on stage already.



On stage the game is Ci Ko Pak. the bird, stone and water. but we had to make bodily movements instead of just hand signs. Bird drinks water, stone sinks in water, stone hurts bird. After the MC showed the movements all the girls eyewwwwed at the sign for water cause we hafta wobble the whole body. the MC ask the one guy to pick who he wants to challenge. He picked the lady on my right. i think he sensed that the girls wont do water so only left with bird and stone right so he chose stone, the lady also stone. round 2 the lady changed to bird, he still did stone. so when he next picked me i thought he'd gonna do stone also esp looking at me. But i surprised him by doing WATER! hahaha Then i challenged the only other opponent. we opened with both stones. then i just got a hunch that she would dare herself to do water so i acted out the bird sign and that's it i WON! hahaha. got two pieces of candle. my first week and was up on stage for everyone to scrutinize... luckily dont see them too often.

All in all it was the best D&D i've ever been to. Over 200 came. there was a guy manager who came dressed up as a Retro Girl! Wah piang eh! What's more everybody comes away with something. At least a $50 voucher! I got $50 Taka voucher... so generous... back at MKA there's no lucky draw at all! in Zac Meat though no hotel dinners at least i've won a microwave which was just the thing i needed back then!

Anyways... now... im looking forward to be expert in my job!