Transition.

Post #251.

Goodbye, 2011.

The last day of 2011. 2011 has been a year of ups and downs for me. Many events happened in this year. Some good, some bad. Mostly bad, I feel. But nonetheless, 2011 is over. I should really stop living in the past and move my ass and work for my future.

January 2011 - March 2011

Worked in HSBC as a bank clerk. Mostly receiving returned mails from all over the country (and world). Called these people up and asked for their current addresses. Got scolded quite a bit (yes, even vulgarities). Howdy dudes, it's not my fault that your new addresses were not updated into the system. Scolding me won't solve the problem. I can't do much. I'm merely a small temp bank clerk. So take a chill pill and relax. I also got into my first ever office politics. You can say I started it, indirectly. Or I'm merely being used as a pawn just to start the office politics. Horrible, these things. I've seen my officers shooting emails at the other party and them shooting back emails. Technology has granted us the ability to start an office war using emails, and not directly face-to-face. And it's kind of horrifying to know that they are still able to smile at each other (or rather to me) after the event. But still, I learnt things. Calling hotlines and service centres are no longer a problem to me. I can just call in and (complain). It's a skill that I've acquired. And to my dear officers, I really have to thank them a lot. They taught me about the life in the office, as well as the advices on results and university choice. I can say I've learnt a lot there. And my colleagues! My dear colleagues there are so sweet. They gave me a dog plushie and a well made farewell card on my last day (I left my job earlier because I wanted to plan what I wanted to do instead of being stuck in work after the results are out). Thanks, I really appreciate it.

March 2011

Results! I did VERY badly. VERY VERY badly. It's as screwed up as can be. Choices are limited. My major down period. While I was clearing my school stuff a couple of days earlier, I've realised that I've not been studying enough for the exams. Some of my school exam papers are not done, and my assessment books. I barely touched them. Shame on me for this. I can say that I wholly deserved the results I guess. Looking back, I realised I have been spending too much time on the computer. And even for school I have been studying on and off, not much effort put in I guess. If I were given a chance to do it again, I will do it well. It's sucks to see your fellow classmates and friends all entering the universities with ease and you are there, hanging in the mid-air, clueless of what to do. And for another thing is that I do not wish to repeat my A-levels, so there's only one choice I can make. SIM, it is. And up till now, I am still not working hard. Just because the course I'm doing is 100% exam based (like the national exams), I haven't been working hard. Ought to kick myself. I hate it like this, yknow. Being a mindless/goal-less creature wandering around on earth, 得过且过. I have to change my lifestyle.

April 2011 - May 2011

Decided to learn driving before starting my new job. I'm proud to say I've finished the entire course within a month. I took 22 lessons (including an auto-transmission lesson) in total, and an additional 2 revision lessons right before my TP date. To be honest, I was a bit surprised that I actually could finish the entire course within these 22 lessons in a month (the instructors said I was considered fast in learning). I expected more lessons. There were tons of stupid things I've done while learning driving. Giving way to birds and cats, jam brake and jerk the instructors out of their seats or having a container truck nearly hitting my ass, screaming when I see birds and people on the road etc. I'm thankful for the nice instructors I got throughout my course (except for a very "delightful" instructor). And I got my license in just one try! With only 8 demerit points! I am proud of myself (for saving money because a single TP costs $160). Driving is fun overall (while I was still learning), but not really to me now. I'm quite tired of being a chauffeur actually. And I tend to curse A LOT MORE while driving because of the other drivers on the road. They don't let you cut in their lanes, honk at you for no reasons and all etc. Hello sirs, I have a triangle plate hanging on the car, you see. You were once a triangle plate-r too. Be nice! Pumping up the petrol still scares the hell out of me. This I have no idea why. Lack of experience I guess. Sigh, still lots to learn.

May 2011 - June 2011

Worked at RBS. I liked the job a lot. Probably because of the excellent welfare the bank gave to it's employees. And my fellow awesome colleagues! Free food every other day. Unlimited flow of drinks. Light workload. I spent most of my I really gained weight while working there. I'm glad that I've been a help to them while they were experiencing a shortage of manpower. Learnt a lot while I was there. It has been my best job thus far. I need to return to the office to visit them some time soon. However, I left them at the end of June. Due to my upcoming piano exam in August and I haven't mastered all the pieces even in May. I had no choice but to tender my resignation and leave. Felt extremely guilty about it but there was little I can do because of the depleted energy I had left after work. Now I understand why my parents fall asleep so easily, and anywhere. Working takes a huge turmoil on your body, especially when age is catching up with you. Why, I used to be able to withstand only 3h of sleep per day for an entire week! Now? I'm lucky if I don't feel drained with just a 5-6h of sleep. Even 8h of sleep doesn't really satisfy me now. Sigh, age is really catching up with me.

July 2011 - August 2011

Birthday month in July. Wasn't looking forward to it. Because it meant to be my last teenage year before I step into my 20s. Didn't celebrate much, just staying at home at ordering fast food back to enjoy with my family. Actually, I prefer cakes. But since my entire family dislike cakes, what to do? Bobian right. Eat fast food lor. And I nearly got a summons ticket on my birthday. Due to me forgetting about the speed camera and went speeding (almost). Luckily I slowed down in time if not there will sure be a huge hole in my pocket, as well as demerit points! I only have 12points to deduct until May so I'd better be careful about it. Anyway, I spent my entire month camping in front of the piano practicing practicing practicing. Needed to polish up my exam pieces and scales. 3 pieces, 17 pages. Scarlatti, Mozart and Mompou. An entire book on scales - Similar motions an octave apart in major, minor and melodic, third-apart and six-apart, in thirds, chromatic motion in thirds and in third-apart, appegios, dominant seventh and finally diminished seventh. And sight reading skills needed to be improved. Aural tests are critical too. For the exam, I got a lady examiner. My first reaction was "DIE. FAIL LIAO." Lady examiners tend to be much more stricter than male examiners. Screwed my Mozart badly, faulted for all my appegios and part of my other scales, did okay-ly for my sight reading I guess and anyhow whacked through my Aural. I'm tone-deaf, mind-ya. The day before the exam I was mass practicing the entire day. Until around 9-10pm that night. Because my mum wasn't in the country, I still had to do the dishes, wash the clothes, study for aural tests and go to the airport to pick up my mum in the middle of the night. And my stupid brother didn't even bothered to help me. And ended up I pressured myself so much that I began crying while practicing. Thinking of it now it's kind of stupid. I have no idea why but it's stupid. Sidetracked. Anyway, I managed to pass the exam. Phew. 117, a high pass. Not yet a merit but it's good enough, considering I only started working on all my pieces at the beginning of the year. Might take up diploma some time later, if I wanted to start teaching piano. It won't happen in anytime soon, but who knows?

August 2011 - December 2011

Started school. 3h lectures every other day. NOT FUN. 3h lectures are especially draining and torturous. I admit that I have an extremely short attention span. It's hard to stay focused for the entire 3h, and some even 6h or 9h, depending on the amount of lectures/makeup lectures I have for the day. Things are difficult to understand, plus there are no tutorials. Independent studying the entire time. As for now, all my lectures are ending soon (or soon enough), when I haven't even started revising, and oh god, it's already 2012, where the exams are coming in May and I have A LOT of things to study and revise and to clarify. Sigh. Studying is a bitch, really. Another thing to rant about, the school system sucks. Registering for the school is one thing, paying the enrollment fees is another. It's highly complicated and annoying. And I expect the upcoming examination fees to be paid is another matter of high annoyance (I do get annoyed very easily, when things are complicated and messy). The amount of attachment I feel for the school currently (in a scale of 1-10): 2? Might be lower. Can't explain. Nonetheless, I still hope to do well for my degree. Who doesn't?

December 2011

SNSD CONCERT! On the 9th December 2011. I swear I will remember this day for my life. The concert was totally AMAZING. The 9 girls were A LOT A LOT prettier in real life than on tv/videos. And my favourite SNSD member, KIM HYOYEON, absolutely gorgeous. It's sad people tend to neglect her a lot. She's really full of charms and really really gorgeous (there, I have to repeat myself - loss of words). Her dance, her smile is all full of power! Not saying the others are not, but she's my favourite. I'm biased towards her. But all in all the concert was a blast. I'm not going through the details of the concert because I'm lazy to do so. And I can say my life is complete. For their next concert, I'M SO GOING.

With 2011 already over, it's time to step on my new journey into 2012. It's time for new year resolutions!

1. No more vulgarities for me. It's time.

2. Drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday and less on unhealthy food.

3. Keep my study table and room neat and in order ALWAYS.

4. STUDY HARD.

5. Self-discipline.

6. Read more books and less on the games.

7. Stop being quick tempered and have more patience.

8. Exercise regularly.

9. Be a better daughter to my parents and a better person in general.

10. Manage my time wisely and adjust my body clock.

2011. I've had met people who changed me, and I've had lost people which hurt me deeply. People come into your life, make an impact and then they stopped contacting with no reasons at all, or things ending not as smoothly for people. On another note, I don't like things ending badly when it comes to relationships with people. For instance, the incident at the supermarket a couple of weeks ago is plain awkwardness. I'm a socially awkward person already, and this even makes me feel more awkward, even though I wasn't the one involved in the fighting. But being caught in between is not such a good thing either. I'm a peace-lover, really.

2012, may it be a great year for me, and for years ahead.

Adios.