CNY surprise

We went to NTUC to buy some groceries and I was surprised by ACCICB's act. He gave an ang bao to the Chinese cashier who was serving us after he made payment for the groceries.

In the lift, I asked him why and he told me it was because its a tough job and he appreciates them for serving us despite it still being the CNY period. I praised him saying that his act makes me very happy! 

Previously, many years ago I had told him off before as there were times where I felt that his tone of voice towards service staff can be improved. Yesterday, his act went beyond what I expected despite us starting on this new journey which has been a bumpy ride.

He told me that he aspired to be able to give ang baos to all the cashiers at NTUC once he has made it big. I hope to see that day soon. Gong Xi Fa Cai to all readers and hope the Year of the Goat will be a much better one!

How to succeed in the workplace - A Dog's Perspective

In my lifetime, ACCICB and I have two dogs together. Both of them are different and yet the same and have taught us invaluable lessons in life.

Our current dog is what I term a social butterfly and can successfully convert any dog to become his friend given 3 to 5 meetings. I think if we can follow the 5 steps below, maybe we can win friends and allies and are a step closer to finding success in the workplace.

1. Be ultra confident of yourself which will this lead you to become super sociable

2. Greet everybody with much genuine enthusiasm and happiness with a wide smile on your face

3. Even when people ignore you or give you snide remarks when you start talking to them, just retreat and give them space. Try again with Step 2 the next time you meet the same people who couldn't care less about you. 

4. Make sure you give loads of personal attention to everybody you see regardless of whether they dislike you or not. 

5. With sufficient meetings, you will have successfully converted everybody, even those in Step 3 to your friend at work.

Try out these 5 steps at work and let me know whether it works or not! 

Artist in the making

I started taking drawing lessons last year in October I think and I've been terribly slow at it but here are two of my early works that I am most pleased with so far which really encourages me to push on.  Shading is way more difficult than drawing for me and I really need to set aside a lot of time to practice!

I love my new fan!

Today, we went to Best Denki to purchase a new KDK fan for Koki since he's pretty much outgrown his old and small Mistral fan, which is probably the same size as his face! We have been using a KDK stand fan for more than five years and except for a small repair last year due to an unexpected short circuit in our place, it has been working beautifully! Here's wishing for more good years to come!

Old Mistral fan that is light and portable

Once switched on, he doesn't want to move!

Bangkok!

1. Consider staying at Novotel Siam Square rather at Novotel Ploenchit to save on travelling expenses on the BTS. Plus Novotel Ploenchit's bed is hard and it's light switches glow in the dark!

Source: Novotel website

2. Consider taking Thai Airways or Silkair to Bangkok rather than Tiger as the return flight was delayed more than an hour :(

3. Go for Thai massage at Chang Foot Massage near Siam Square BTS. It costs 300 THB for a 1 hour body massage but costs 800 THB at the airport!

4. Get a single trip BTS card which starts from 15 THB for a stop or two. Just simply head to the station control to exchange your notes for coins! Remember to take out the card so that the gate will open and the entire BTS station map is on the overleaf of the card!

5. Shop at Chatuchak market just by taking the BTS to Mo Chit. Look for clothes, home furnishings, dog treats and pretty much everything under the sky. Such lovely furniture which makes me want to own a house but then the amount of cleaning to be done just scares the hell out of me! Just around the corner from the home furnishing stores are export agents who ship worldwide! Stop for some local Thai cuisine, sip some coconut juice and rest your legs.

Chicken satay, Crabmeat spring rolls and Phad Thai

6. Dine at Zen Cucina at Centralworld (L3) for its delicious Japanese cuisine. Go for the weekday lunch sets! I recommend the sashimi, sushi and Kobe beef! This is better and cheaper than any Japanese restaurant I've been to in Singapore

Source: Wongnai.com

7. Shop at Platinum mall but remember there ain't any fitting rooms but they will help to measure you before you commit to a purchase! I particularly like one local Thai designer and bought 3 pieces from her! Apparently the more pieces you buy from the same shop, they may charge you based on wholesale prices.

8. Shop at Siam Paragon's supermarket called the Gourmet Market for pet treats and toys, some of which can be cheaper than Singapore! They have got lovely cold pressed juices which you can sample as well! Try out the Scones by Anothai and the korean pork miso udon from Miyatake Sanuki Udon!

9. Shop at Asiatique by taking the free boat shuttle from the pier which is conveniently located at Saphan Taksin BTS.  It beats taking the taxi and being caught in the jam. Lots of good food at Rocking Doll, more shopping and we picked this up as a souvenir for 25 THB!

Reminds me of Koki 

Now, I shall plan for my next holiday... but there are just too many places I want to go!