F1 fatigue and some pictures!

I've been hanging out at F1 on Fri and Sat qualifying rounds. An exciting experience yes, but completely tiring. How much can one smile and chatter with so many strangers/clients? It is tiring work but its part of the job - PR. Besides, we are the host. Here are some pictures for those who haven't seen the inside of such events.

"Village" area where spectators and guests mingle when the tracks are quiet.

See the tall structures? That's where the corporate Sky Suites are.

To get up, we can either climb the stairs or take the makeshift lift. Not too bad, the lifts are quite fun to ride on, and are half manual. Lift doors are opened manually by people. I feel like i'm in a crate when I am inside.

A quick picture before going up! All pictures taken on 26 Sept-Qualifying rounds.

I have videos of the inside of the suite and all, and here are some screengrabs.

What we see from our balcony

One of the races..

Cars lining up

And..GO!Dusty, aren't they?

The sky/roof garden with fake tufts of grass.
A lovely breezy area to chill above the suites with free flow of drinks

And music. And drum beats, as well as jazz

Sunset from the sky area

And lastly, a picture with a client

xoxo, principessa

PS: I love my job, most of the time. But when work gets tough and tiring (like smiling and entertaining people/strangers for 2 days), i complain. Yet at the end, i feel really blessed to be with such a good company with lovely colleagues and a nice boss. It's when you remember these things that you think..it is all worth it :)

:(

Today's a bad day when i have the feeling that i really hate my job because it is all overwhelming me, causing me to doubt myself, causing me to stress myself and unable to be happy or take my mind off it.

I admit that I can be quite blur and I can be forgetful, and slower to comprehend when some things are so new, or people don't make themselves clear.

When people ask, I'll say that all is good. Which is true sometimes, sometimes i feel accomplished, i feel like I did things correctly that day. But some days I don't. Like today. Boss called me early in the morning to ask me about some things (he is often overseas on work trips) and at first i couldn't remember what he was talking about... I just couldn't with so many things going on with different clients until after an extremely long pause... at last, i took out my stack of X client notes and remembered.

"I really need you to comprehend, it is your accounts. You have to handle it." X many times.

ANYWAY, there is no use complaining. Sometimes people are just on different wavelengths. And some people, like me, cannot think properly when I am really stressed.

Have to stop thinking like that, it's just a job not my life. I shouldn't let it affect my self-esteem and personal life. There ARE more things to life than this. But I have to pray for wisdom and a earnest heart to work for God.

PS: There are so many bdays going on I'm growing weary of it. 6 friends + 1 grandma birthday. I am afraid of September now..

PPS: I am clueless about what it is now.

xoxo, principessa

birthdays

September babies are numerous but most importantly, many of my good friends are among those! so it's going to be a busy birthday celebrating month for me, racking up ideas and presents for my treasured friends, hoping they will be happy and feel special! :)

Anyway, i write so little now it scares me sometimes. It's not that there is nothing to write, there are loads but i always seem too busy to write them! Urks. And maybe i'm afraid it will reach the wrong people.

But in summary, all is good.

cheers,
principessa

Pay day

Today being the last proper week of the month, it's pay day! :) Yayness. Although i didn't get my full pay because i only worked 70% of the month, it's good to be financially independent again. And stop depending on my meagre savings but contribute to it.

I had thought about never wanting to be on credit. Owing bank's money, owing people something, it doesn't feel so good but the worst thing is to be on debt. Credit cards offer instant cash a few times your monthly salary, and that can be quite tempting when people think they can pay off in future. But it is a bad concept really - spending future money.

So i hope even as i get a credit card (UOB Lady's Card most probably), i will only use it for the offers and discounts and not literally be on credit!

As for other parts of life, i hate waking up early when i sleep late and feeling sleepy at work. I really need to be in bed by 11.30pm next time, feeling sleepy makes me grumpier and less alert. And with office jobs, i need to get a fitness thing going on real soon. Signed up for tango classes. But i need more than just that! I really pray that nothing happens to my knee. :I

And you know what? I feel... confused. Maybe we should never rush our own rhythm. But I don't even know how it goes.

xoxo, principessa

A day in the life of me.

Work work work. Yea, it has started and it is my third week! I am still optimistic and I am very happy with my work environment. Lovely colleagues, fun people, nice boss. :)

Clients are the ones that gives me stressful work. But stress is important too. I just wish i can learn faster, remember things better and be more alert, do things more efficiently.

Worked till 9.15pm today and I will continue doing this document up for a client tonight.

This week will be busy. Meetings with clients, a short course and all that.

I took a taxi back today. The good thing about my company? We can claim cab fare (and dinner) if we work after 8pm. :) AND, i got my namecard today!

Love, principessa

"Wear Sunscreen"

This is a note i found on my friend's facebook. And I really like the words and meaning behind it. :)

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. <- I don't agree entirely, i love mags!

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

~Mary Schmich

Turning 23 :)

I feel really blessed this year!

It seems that everything turns more wonderful once you see the world as a glass half full. And my birthday this year passed delightfully, the combination of good friends, love, food, wishes and conversations is a splendid formula to pass a personally important day. :) Within which, there are 3 dinners!

Thursday night was spent with my geography girlfriends, a french dessert cake and good ole catching up at Thai Express. The Phad Thai Talay and Thai Mango salad always goes well with me (let's just ignore the oil and calories). Many thanks to Sophie, Celest and Joce for such a lovely dinner, pretty cake and evening bag.


Friday night was spent with the most important friends in my life - Jolly and Anna (with Debbie's 'presence'), and we had these fabulous chesse pizza and the house speciality beef sausage baguette in this cozy eatery at Arab Street. I must say that this Haji Lane/ Arab Street place is my new favourite chill out and whimsical shopping spot!! I have always preferred quaint little shops with great personalities - as with food and clothing. And these totally cut it. And, it is a stone throw away from my office. Million thanks to JADE for their precious company, support and most thoughtful and special presents!

I also feel really honored somewhat to have a birthday lunch treat by the company at the end of my first week of work at this lovely thai restaurant. My boss chose it i think, and after which he cut the cake and distributed it to each of us at the office. :) I feel blessed to have a nice boss and to have such wonderful and fun-loving colleagues. Near the end of the day, there was even a mini party with us blasting Youtube with Lady Gaga in the house. We toasted to some white wine too! And everyone wished me a happy birthday :D

Saturday, which is my actual birthday is really really special too. :)

Thank you for making it so, and putting so much effort in making me happy.

Everything was perfect - the movie, the dinner, the gift and card and flowers, and even the taxi was special. I know he's probably tired out by a busy week's work and the lack of sleep. :D

I have never received white roses before. They are really elegant and classic :)

I didn't take the pictures of the mains and starters. The dessert is the best part of the meal for me, as always! But everything is excellent, especially the dessert and starters :) And the service and the view?

It is just amazing. Thank you.

PS: Thanks Jasper too, for delivering a card and gift to my house when i was sleeping. And to everyone for their well wishes!

xoxo, principessa