After so many months, I'm finally flying again. My passport has been out of service since June & I have just renewed it 2 weeks ago. After such a long rest, it is indeed time to travel again. The only fucking problem is a new passport number to remember!
My upcoming trip will be an easy one. I will be accompanying an engineer from South Africa to Indonesia to solve a long standing problem. A local agent there will be our translator as the customers there do not speak english. I, for the first time, will only be a tag-along.
Anyway, the problem there surfaced in February when I first installed it. It was lying in some remote warehouse in Indonesia for more than a year prior to the installation. I noticed there were plenty of tarnish & some rust when I first laid hands on it. I have since made 2 trips there to try & solve the problem but in vain. A more experienced fellow colleague tried so after me but the end result was still the same. Now finally a caucasian engineer is sent down. As much as I hope for the problem to be solved, a part of me wish this engineer can't do it. It reflects badly on us Singaporean engineers & that is not good. But it will certainly crush whatever reputation my organization has if it is not solved!
Now, I can only follow through & see how things work out.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
我的心乱了
多想把你忘掉
多少深夜不再要
说多了也觉得无聊
听说誓言不好
听说相思也烦恼
爱恨就是要这样才感觉到
情难舍我知道
义难了我也知道
我的心就如此乱了
什么是天涯海角
何为天荒地老
誓言有时候还是不说的好
有些事情不是那么容易忘掉
想你的人你要我哪里去找
有些话听一次就真颗心乱了
谁管他到底真多少假多少
有些问题并非真的那么重要
但我的自尊可能就此丢了
有些答案我们永远都不想知道
何不就索性干脆爱一次就算了
情难舍我知道
义难了我也知道
我的心就如此乱了
什么是天涯海角
何为天荒地老
誓言有时候还是不说的好
有些事情不是那么容易忘掉
想你的人你要我哪里去找
有些话听一次就真颗心乱了
谁管他到底真多少假多少
有些问题并非真的那么重要
但我的自尊可能就此丢了
有些答案我们永远都不想知道
何不就索性干脆爱一次就算了
有些事情不是那么容易忘掉
想你的人你要我哪里去找
有些话听一次就真颗心乱了
谁管他到底真多少假多少
有些问题并非真的那么重要
但我的自尊可能就此丢了
有些答案我们永远都不想知道
何不就索性干脆爱一次就算了
This is a rather old song. No prizes if you are able to guess who's the singer. It only proves how old you are.
多少深夜不再要
说多了也觉得无聊
听说誓言不好
听说相思也烦恼
爱恨就是要这样才感觉到
情难舍我知道
义难了我也知道
我的心就如此乱了
什么是天涯海角
何为天荒地老
誓言有时候还是不说的好
有些事情不是那么容易忘掉
想你的人你要我哪里去找
有些话听一次就真颗心乱了
谁管他到底真多少假多少
有些问题并非真的那么重要
但我的自尊可能就此丢了
有些答案我们永远都不想知道
何不就索性干脆爱一次就算了
情难舍我知道
义难了我也知道
我的心就如此乱了
什么是天涯海角
何为天荒地老
誓言有时候还是不说的好
有些事情不是那么容易忘掉
想你的人你要我哪里去找
有些话听一次就真颗心乱了
谁管他到底真多少假多少
有些问题并非真的那么重要
但我的自尊可能就此丢了
有些答案我们永远都不想知道
何不就索性干脆爱一次就算了
有些事情不是那么容易忘掉
想你的人你要我哪里去找
有些话听一次就真颗心乱了
谁管他到底真多少假多少
有些问题并非真的那么重要
但我的自尊可能就此丢了
有些答案我们永远都不想知道
何不就索性干脆爱一次就算了
This is a rather old song. No prizes if you are able to guess who's the singer. It only proves how old you are.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Korea here we go!
I had initially applied for 10 days leave just so I could avoid the Philippines trip after Good Friday. I am pretty sick of travelling for work & I personally feel that other fellow colleagues who have yet to travel before should be given a chance to do so. Otherwise how will the management know their competency? In my opinion, being able to stand alone overseas to troubleshoot & solve problems certainly does prove something.
Anyway, armed with 10 days leave + a public holiday, We decided to go on a tour to pamper ourselves. Despite the current economy downturn, that is. Hahaha! We had wanted to visit Taiwan but decided a change of destination to some place cooler or perhaps even snowing. Japan came to our mind but we decided to leave it till next January when it is snowing. We settled for a Korea trip as the temperature there is much cooler compared to Taiwan.
We are both pretty excited about this coming trip as we've been trying to find a chance to use our new luggages & digital camera. It can't get any better than this. 8 days Korea tour + another 7 days Hong Kong free & easy. This is the first time we had ever planned such a holiday before & up till now we have yet to calculate the costs involved!
My better half's sister in Hong Kong seems very excited about our visit. She is trying so hard to squeeze our schedule with places to visit & various food to eat. For me, I just want to get away from work & out of Singapore. Don't give them a chance to cancel my leave.
Anyway, the tour guide just called me & briefly informed me what necessities are required. The one thing he mentioned was swimming cap! Some hot spring there requires patrons to be in swimwear with swimming cap! Damn it! I guess we need to go shopping tomorrow afternoon to get 2. He also mentioned that some hotels do not provide toiletries too. Oh this is just great!
Nonetheless, I still hope we enjoy this trip! Korea here we go!
Anyway, armed with 10 days leave + a public holiday, We decided to go on a tour to pamper ourselves. Despite the current economy downturn, that is. Hahaha! We had wanted to visit Taiwan but decided a change of destination to some place cooler or perhaps even snowing. Japan came to our mind but we decided to leave it till next January when it is snowing. We settled for a Korea trip as the temperature there is much cooler compared to Taiwan.
We are both pretty excited about this coming trip as we've been trying to find a chance to use our new luggages & digital camera. It can't get any better than this. 8 days Korea tour + another 7 days Hong Kong free & easy. This is the first time we had ever planned such a holiday before & up till now we have yet to calculate the costs involved!
My better half's sister in Hong Kong seems very excited about our visit. She is trying so hard to squeeze our schedule with places to visit & various food to eat. For me, I just want to get away from work & out of Singapore. Don't give them a chance to cancel my leave.
Anyway, the tour guide just called me & briefly informed me what necessities are required. The one thing he mentioned was swimming cap! Some hot spring there requires patrons to be in swimwear with swimming cap! Damn it! I guess we need to go shopping tomorrow afternoon to get 2. He also mentioned that some hotels do not provide toiletries too. Oh this is just great!
Nonetheless, I still hope we enjoy this trip! Korea here we go!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Good riddance
I guess I never mentioned that this current job was introduced by a friend (Let's call him N) whom I've known since I was 16 years old. We knew each other then when we were working as banquet waiters.
Throughout the beginning 5 years or so, I believe & could see for myself that N was a really nice guy whom will always be taken advantage of. Even during my NS, I got into an argument with another campmate who bad mouthed him in front of me. It was only then did I found out that they were actually tertiary mates. The campmate was an egotistic guy who believed that N did not deserve the girlfriend he had during poly education. I think is purely because he thought he was better looking, he thought N was ugly & she was the school belle. To summarise it all up, he was plain jealous.
Anyway moving onwards, after NS we still kept in contact but no longer are colleagues. During those days we would meet up for mahjong sessions on a rather regular basis. It was during those sessions that I found out another surprise. He was a bookie too! By the way, he has a day job as a service engineer. His reason for being a bookie was simply to facilitate his gambling addiction. It was a much easier way for him to bet on 4D & soccer. After all those mahjong sessions, I had already discovered that he has a lack of luck. I don't remember him winning any of the mahjong games before.
It wasn't until about 3 years ago that he contacted me again & asked what I was working as. I was running my own business then but was already preparing to shut it down as I was making a loss & the situation did not look like it was going to pick up. Anyway, he told me his company was intending to hire another service engineer & he was wondering if I was interested in the position. I was more than happy to be given a chance to enter a new industry but was worried I could not make the mark due to a lack of experience & qualification. After that I realise there wasn't going to be any interview. I was hired straight away!
I know I should be thankful to N for getting me this job as the basic requirement is actually to possess an engineering degree. I do not even have a recognised diploma under my name! According to him, I was his first choice due to my work attitude. Do I even have one in the first place? No matter what, I have proven to the company that I was the right choice & saved him from any embarassment.
Anyway just to back track a little, I received an SMS on the day I collected my first pay cheque with this new company. I had thought another friend (Let's call this bugger S) wanted to borrow $300 from me. S was doing pretty well running his own business & I was wondering why would he want to borrow a paltry $300 but I thought nothing of it. I just replied the sms saying no problem. It wasn't until then did I realise the sms was not sent by S. It was N who wanted to borrow from me.
This was not the last time that I lend him any money. Not long after, he wanted to borrow a few thousand dollars. I could not cough out that much cash so I actually pawned my gold & even introduced a loan shark to him. I told N not to default on the instalments as the loan shark was a rather good friend of mine. I was told off by him too for being a guarantor for N. He told me the last person I should help in this world is a gambler, but I couldn't leave a friend of 16 years in the lurch & not help when I can. The only thing I did right was to make him promise NOT to gamble again after I help him out. That was my only condition. Oh & before I forget, N's credibility shrinked to nothing. He failed to repay back $300 in 1 month's time. It took him 1 year & it wasn't until after I sent him an ultimatum to do so.
Now am I gullible or what? The only 2 types of people that cannot be trusted are gamblers & drug addicts. Why am I so stupid to believe him that he will pay me back in time & that he will NOT gamble again?
I am no longer on talking terms with him not solely because of this only. But because he got to know this woman since June 2007, he has been nothing but a pain in the ass. He has totally abandoned all responsibilities towards work & us fellow colleagues. The best part is that woman already has a boyfriend & I heard that he was driving a Lexus & earning $8K per month. So why the hell was she doing with N? Rumours has it that the boyfriend was a male chauvinist & always out of town. So she has to find a substitute who was willing to be at her beck & call, so here comes N. N is such a sucker when it comes to women. 1 day he will eventually die under a woman's hand.
Anyway, we were left on our own for the following 1 year. Bearing most of the work as our manager was a softie who wouldn't question N on his whereabouts. We the mere mortals suffer only. It was actually good without him for that year as in the past we did not think that we could stand alone by ourselves. But we were forced by circumstances to do so & we did good. Now we no longer need him around. No thanks to him.
Fast foward to 2009, he is currently in deeper shit than before. He already has mounting debts of a 6 figure sum, both from legal & illegal creditors. Now he needs to cough out another $50,000 by June for another stake gone wrong. I shall not elaborate on that.
For a man of his age, qualification & occupation, he should have a substantial amount of savings in terms of cash & investments, a car & perhaps even a house. He is nowhere near any of the mentioned except that he is driving now. But who would buy a Toyota Wish that cost more than $100,000 plus interest? With a monthly instalment of $900+, he had better pray nothing happens to that car within a 8 year time span. Otherwise he'd be better off dead.
I have since refused to be associated with him anymore under all circumstances. The mere sight of him irks me to the limits. I am only thankful that he is going back to China tomorrow! Yeah! The only thing worth being happy over is that he is stationed in China for 6 months! Good riddance!
Throughout the beginning 5 years or so, I believe & could see for myself that N was a really nice guy whom will always be taken advantage of. Even during my NS, I got into an argument with another campmate who bad mouthed him in front of me. It was only then did I found out that they were actually tertiary mates. The campmate was an egotistic guy who believed that N did not deserve the girlfriend he had during poly education. I think is purely because he thought he was better looking, he thought N was ugly & she was the school belle. To summarise it all up, he was plain jealous.
Anyway moving onwards, after NS we still kept in contact but no longer are colleagues. During those days we would meet up for mahjong sessions on a rather regular basis. It was during those sessions that I found out another surprise. He was a bookie too! By the way, he has a day job as a service engineer. His reason for being a bookie was simply to facilitate his gambling addiction. It was a much easier way for him to bet on 4D & soccer. After all those mahjong sessions, I had already discovered that he has a lack of luck. I don't remember him winning any of the mahjong games before.
It wasn't until about 3 years ago that he contacted me again & asked what I was working as. I was running my own business then but was already preparing to shut it down as I was making a loss & the situation did not look like it was going to pick up. Anyway, he told me his company was intending to hire another service engineer & he was wondering if I was interested in the position. I was more than happy to be given a chance to enter a new industry but was worried I could not make the mark due to a lack of experience & qualification. After that I realise there wasn't going to be any interview. I was hired straight away!
I know I should be thankful to N for getting me this job as the basic requirement is actually to possess an engineering degree. I do not even have a recognised diploma under my name! According to him, I was his first choice due to my work attitude. Do I even have one in the first place? No matter what, I have proven to the company that I was the right choice & saved him from any embarassment.
Anyway just to back track a little, I received an SMS on the day I collected my first pay cheque with this new company. I had thought another friend (Let's call this bugger S) wanted to borrow $300 from me. S was doing pretty well running his own business & I was wondering why would he want to borrow a paltry $300 but I thought nothing of it. I just replied the sms saying no problem. It wasn't until then did I realise the sms was not sent by S. It was N who wanted to borrow from me.
This was not the last time that I lend him any money. Not long after, he wanted to borrow a few thousand dollars. I could not cough out that much cash so I actually pawned my gold & even introduced a loan shark to him. I told N not to default on the instalments as the loan shark was a rather good friend of mine. I was told off by him too for being a guarantor for N. He told me the last person I should help in this world is a gambler, but I couldn't leave a friend of 16 years in the lurch & not help when I can. The only thing I did right was to make him promise NOT to gamble again after I help him out. That was my only condition. Oh & before I forget, N's credibility shrinked to nothing. He failed to repay back $300 in 1 month's time. It took him 1 year & it wasn't until after I sent him an ultimatum to do so.
Now am I gullible or what? The only 2 types of people that cannot be trusted are gamblers & drug addicts. Why am I so stupid to believe him that he will pay me back in time & that he will NOT gamble again?
I am no longer on talking terms with him not solely because of this only. But because he got to know this woman since June 2007, he has been nothing but a pain in the ass. He has totally abandoned all responsibilities towards work & us fellow colleagues. The best part is that woman already has a boyfriend & I heard that he was driving a Lexus & earning $8K per month. So why the hell was she doing with N? Rumours has it that the boyfriend was a male chauvinist & always out of town. So she has to find a substitute who was willing to be at her beck & call, so here comes N. N is such a sucker when it comes to women. 1 day he will eventually die under a woman's hand.
Anyway, we were left on our own for the following 1 year. Bearing most of the work as our manager was a softie who wouldn't question N on his whereabouts. We the mere mortals suffer only. It was actually good without him for that year as in the past we did not think that we could stand alone by ourselves. But we were forced by circumstances to do so & we did good. Now we no longer need him around. No thanks to him.
Fast foward to 2009, he is currently in deeper shit than before. He already has mounting debts of a 6 figure sum, both from legal & illegal creditors. Now he needs to cough out another $50,000 by June for another stake gone wrong. I shall not elaborate on that.
For a man of his age, qualification & occupation, he should have a substantial amount of savings in terms of cash & investments, a car & perhaps even a house. He is nowhere near any of the mentioned except that he is driving now. But who would buy a Toyota Wish that cost more than $100,000 plus interest? With a monthly instalment of $900+, he had better pray nothing happens to that car within a 8 year time span. Otherwise he'd be better off dead.
I have since refused to be associated with him anymore under all circumstances. The mere sight of him irks me to the limits. I am only thankful that he is going back to China tomorrow! Yeah! The only thing worth being happy over is that he is stationed in China for 6 months! Good riddance!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Escape from this damn society
It is nearing the end of the month. There are reimbursements to claim, out-station allowance to claim, income tax to file, overseas trips to prepare & holidays to go. Life is so hectic that I have failed to stop & think about just what is all the mad rush about?
I had intended to go on a holiday somewhere in mid April with my better half. All along I had assumed that I will be the one having difficulty in applying leave. But this time round, my better half is the one having issues. Everything's on hold now. I am only thankful that I have not paid a downpayment for any tour package. But perhaps by the time she can confirm her leave, there might not be a package available too.
Can we have our getaway all depends on this coming week. I sure hope we get to go somewhere before my Germany trip in May. We must fulfill our resolution of touring twice per year
I had intended to go on a holiday somewhere in mid April with my better half. All along I had assumed that I will be the one having difficulty in applying leave. But this time round, my better half is the one having issues. Everything's on hold now. I am only thankful that I have not paid a downpayment for any tour package. But perhaps by the time she can confirm her leave, there might not be a package available too.
Can we have our getaway all depends on this coming week. I sure hope we get to go somewhere before my Germany trip in May. We must fulfill our resolution of touring twice per year
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
01 x MC
I finally dragged myself to the doctor's & got a day of MC. It feels weird to be at home at this time of the day but what the heck? Why should I still slog so hard for the company when there is no appreciation at all? Furthermore, I am really sick!
There should be a line drawn as to how far responsibility towards work should go. Because in times of hardships like now, MNCs will let go of anyone in order to save the organization. They do not measure in terms of commitments & hardwork.
There should be a line drawn as to how far responsibility towards work should go. Because in times of hardships like now, MNCs will let go of anyone in order to save the organization. They do not measure in terms of commitments & hardwork.
Monday, March 02, 2009
A valid curse
I have just cut short my hair over the weekend. Yes, no more long hair & yes, I have fallen ill. Everytime when I cut my hair above the collar & ears, I will catch a fever & cold.
Perhaps that explains why I was always sick during schooling days. I think in future I should just keep my hair below the collar & covering my ears too. I hate to feel sick.
I just hope I did not catch Malaria from the mosquito bite when I was in Jakarta....
Perhaps that explains why I was always sick during schooling days. I think in future I should just keep my hair below the collar & covering my ears too. I hate to feel sick.
I just hope I did not catch Malaria from the mosquito bite when I was in Jakarta....
Monday, February 16, 2009
25 things
Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)
**Jessie aka Julia Milok tagged me, so what the heck, here we go.**
1. I am the only boy in my small, happy family.
2. My parents dote on me when I was young. Now I am trying hard to spoil them.
3. My work initially did not require any travelling, other than within this tiny red dot.
4. Now I am flying very frequently, against my wishes.
5. I am a born biker. Being on 2 wheels defines the meaning of freedom for me. Provided it doesn't rain, that is.
6. I got good grades for PSLE but I cannot say the same for my 'O' levels.
7. I love computers & the internet. I get all cranky if I don't have access to either 1.
8. I got to know my better half through mIRC.
9. She is the best thing that has happened to me.
10. I love you. I really do.
11. I will provide a better life for you.
12. This 25 things thingie is harder than I thought.
13. I love to smoke. Cigarettes are my best friend because they have never failed me when I needed someone.
14. I am currently riding the only bike that I had ever wanted since the day it was produced.
15. I suspect I am suffering from bipolar disorder.
16. I hate crowded places.
17. This is something I have long wished to clarify. I do not keep my hair long because I think I look good with it. I do not cut my hair that often because I dislike sitting in a chair for 20 mins & letting some stranger touch my head.
18. I had the honour of letting my better half snip off my pony tail. It is in her possession now.
19. I like to play Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars.
20. My guitar is sitting in a corner of my room, quietly collecting dust.
21. I have discarded my bowling ball. Not because I do not play anymore. My thumb can no longer fit in the hole.
22. I hate EVO SEMs. They are a mistake.
23. I am sick of flying to Philippines. In fact, I am sick of flying to where ever my work requires me to.
24. I do not have 25 friends in facebook.
25. I was given away 3 days after I was born. I have never seen my biological parents. I do not wish to as well.
(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)
**Jessie aka Julia Milok tagged me, so what the heck, here we go.**
1. I am the only boy in my small, happy family.
2. My parents dote on me when I was young. Now I am trying hard to spoil them.
3. My work initially did not require any travelling, other than within this tiny red dot.
4. Now I am flying very frequently, against my wishes.
5. I am a born biker. Being on 2 wheels defines the meaning of freedom for me. Provided it doesn't rain, that is.
6. I got good grades for PSLE but I cannot say the same for my 'O' levels.
7. I love computers & the internet. I get all cranky if I don't have access to either 1.
8. I got to know my better half through mIRC.
9. She is the best thing that has happened to me.
10. I love you. I really do.
11. I will provide a better life for you.
12. This 25 things thingie is harder than I thought.
13. I love to smoke. Cigarettes are my best friend because they have never failed me when I needed someone.
14. I am currently riding the only bike that I had ever wanted since the day it was produced.
15. I suspect I am suffering from bipolar disorder.
16. I hate crowded places.
17. This is something I have long wished to clarify. I do not keep my hair long because I think I look good with it. I do not cut my hair that often because I dislike sitting in a chair for 20 mins & letting some stranger touch my head.
18. I had the honour of letting my better half snip off my pony tail. It is in her possession now.
19. I like to play Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars.
20. My guitar is sitting in a corner of my room, quietly collecting dust.
21. I have discarded my bowling ball. Not because I do not play anymore. My thumb can no longer fit in the hole.
22. I hate EVO SEMs. They are a mistake.
23. I am sick of flying to Philippines. In fact, I am sick of flying to where ever my work requires me to.
24. I do not have 25 friends in facebook.
25. I was given away 3 days after I was born. I have never seen my biological parents. I do not wish to as well.
牛年
2009 is the year of the Ox. Should I abstain from beef or should I indulge in it? Will abstaining from beef ensure a smooth year ahead? Or that binging on it will subdue the ox from screwing up my life? Damn it! Why am I behaving in such a superstitious manner? I guess age is really catching up on me. I dread to see those white hair sticking out like sore thumbs on my head. They remind me of what I will become in future. A burden to this country. A being that the gahmen wishes will quietly die off ASAP before squandering more of his own CPF.
As of today, there is still no official announcement from the management. Great pretenders. This is beginning to look more like George Orwell's Animal Farm & nope, I am not the pig.
I have a pretty tight schedule in the next 4 months. I'm going JB this coming weekend with the rest of my company. We are spending the weekend in some resort near Senai Airport for teambuilding rubbish. The following Monday I will be flying off to Jakarta to install a new EVO system that has been sitting in the warehouse for about a year. I dare not imagine what state it is in...
After Good Friday in April I will be flying off to Philippines again to start up the systems as the customer there will be shutting down for 1 week. The wonders of our system is that a good bake-out is required whenever the system is shut down for more than 1 day. But of course this is not stated in the brochure before you purchase it. Anyway, right after Philippines I will be heading off to Oberkochen, Germany for a 2 week stint. For starters, I dread spending 10 to 15 hours on a plane. That is like 1 day gone for no reason. Second, I am only comfortable when I am surrounded by asians.
Today I misplaced my cigarette box. My heart is aching still...
As of today, there is still no official announcement from the management. Great pretenders. This is beginning to look more like George Orwell's Animal Farm & nope, I am not the pig.
I have a pretty tight schedule in the next 4 months. I'm going JB this coming weekend with the rest of my company. We are spending the weekend in some resort near Senai Airport for teambuilding rubbish. The following Monday I will be flying off to Jakarta to install a new EVO system that has been sitting in the warehouse for about a year. I dare not imagine what state it is in...
After Good Friday in April I will be flying off to Philippines again to start up the systems as the customer there will be shutting down for 1 week. The wonders of our system is that a good bake-out is required whenever the system is shut down for more than 1 day. But of course this is not stated in the brochure before you purchase it. Anyway, right after Philippines I will be heading off to Oberkochen, Germany for a 2 week stint. For starters, I dread spending 10 to 15 hours on a plane. That is like 1 day gone for no reason. Second, I am only comfortable when I am surrounded by asians.
Today I misplaced my cigarette box. My heart is aching still...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Announcements are as good as gold? Or is it not?
From day one, we were told to work hard & strive hard for results will tell & reciprocations will come. We did that & it has been 1 year 3 months since.
October was the closing of our fiscal year & everyone was looking forward to the increment & bonus. Our MD announced that we did hit the targetted quota but the increment will have to wait till January. We were given our AWS before Christmas & even then, nothing was mentioned about bonus.
Just before Christmas, our MD once again announced that we will be getting EURO$1.3K in bonus. Everyone was disappointed with this figure as the expected amount was 2 mths salary. Nonetheless, it still beats having nothing at all.
Now it is barely 1 week away from Chinese New Year & still no confirmation about anything at all. Our necks are long from the waiting, our morals running below sea level. There are rumours spreading that there will be no bonus & no increment. Rumours from reliable sources but yet they still refuse to announce. I guess they fear this will bring down the entire service team for each of us had fought hard the whole year.
I was told long ago that people with thin lips are liars. It is on the verge of being proven right. I guess we are only worth that much to them...
October was the closing of our fiscal year & everyone was looking forward to the increment & bonus. Our MD announced that we did hit the targetted quota but the increment will have to wait till January. We were given our AWS before Christmas & even then, nothing was mentioned about bonus.
Just before Christmas, our MD once again announced that we will be getting EURO$1.3K in bonus. Everyone was disappointed with this figure as the expected amount was 2 mths salary. Nonetheless, it still beats having nothing at all.
Now it is barely 1 week away from Chinese New Year & still no confirmation about anything at all. Our necks are long from the waiting, our morals running below sea level. There are rumours spreading that there will be no bonus & no increment. Rumours from reliable sources but yet they still refuse to announce. I guess they fear this will bring down the entire service team for each of us had fought hard the whole year.
I was told long ago that people with thin lips are liars. It is on the verge of being proven right. I guess we are only worth that much to them...
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Philippines for the... I've lost count...
I am back in Philippines again since 5th & will only return to Singapore on the 14th. Yesterday was the 1st day that I visited my customer's site & everything seemed to be going pretty smooth although there were a few blooper moments. Yeah, that is what I am. A blooper engineer. Sigh...
Anyway, upon arrival at Hitachi, I started work immediately on the older LEO system by replacing the turbomolecular pump & controller. As it is an upgrade to a new pump & controller, a few minor changes have to be made in order for it to work. On the old configuration, there are only 2 wires on the D-sub connector. These 2 wires are the communication lines between the controller & the vacuum board. Upon starting of the turbomolecular pump, the controller reads the speed of the pump & informs the vacuum board through those 2 wires. When the pump reaches 50% of its full speed, the controller will send the signal to the vacuum board to proceed to 'Waiting Penning' status where the penning gauge will start running & provide vacuum readings in the chamber.
This procedure is the same for both the old & new configuration except that 4 other points on the new configuration needs to be shorted together. I paid special attention to those points when I migrated the wires over from the old D-sub to the new 1, taking extra effort to make sure I do not short the wrong pins. After making the necessary changes & starting up the system, I found the system is not receiving any signal from the controller. I double & triple checked the 4 shorted pins again & again. I even checked the continuity of the cable from the controller to the vacuum board. All was well but the signal just didn't went through to the vacuum board. Lastly, I tried using back the old controller again but it didn't work too. Why must this always happen to me?
I checked all connections again & only then did I realise the dumbest mistake I made! The 2 existing wires were supposed to be connected on pins 4 & 11 on the D-sub while pins 1 & 9, 2 & 15 should be shorted together. The 4 points were shorted correctly. The problem was with the wire on pin 11. I connected it to pin 12 instead! What a dumb fuck I am! After correcting my mistake, the system pump down accordingly & I am able to move on to the other system, finally!
For the Ultra system, I installed a new filament & changed both the anode & multi-hole apertures. I have also replaced the anode & liner tube with the old configuration. Everything was over in about 30 to 40 mins. After pumping down the system I performed a bake-out & hopefully I am able to get a good vacuum this morning. I wish myself good luck!
Anyway, upon arrival at Hitachi, I started work immediately on the older LEO system by replacing the turbomolecular pump & controller. As it is an upgrade to a new pump & controller, a few minor changes have to be made in order for it to work. On the old configuration, there are only 2 wires on the D-sub connector. These 2 wires are the communication lines between the controller & the vacuum board. Upon starting of the turbomolecular pump, the controller reads the speed of the pump & informs the vacuum board through those 2 wires. When the pump reaches 50% of its full speed, the controller will send the signal to the vacuum board to proceed to 'Waiting Penning' status where the penning gauge will start running & provide vacuum readings in the chamber.
This procedure is the same for both the old & new configuration except that 4 other points on the new configuration needs to be shorted together. I paid special attention to those points when I migrated the wires over from the old D-sub to the new 1, taking extra effort to make sure I do not short the wrong pins. After making the necessary changes & starting up the system, I found the system is not receiving any signal from the controller. I double & triple checked the 4 shorted pins again & again. I even checked the continuity of the cable from the controller to the vacuum board. All was well but the signal just didn't went through to the vacuum board. Lastly, I tried using back the old controller again but it didn't work too. Why must this always happen to me?
I checked all connections again & only then did I realise the dumbest mistake I made! The 2 existing wires were supposed to be connected on pins 4 & 11 on the D-sub while pins 1 & 9, 2 & 15 should be shorted together. The 4 points were shorted correctly. The problem was with the wire on pin 11. I connected it to pin 12 instead! What a dumb fuck I am! After correcting my mistake, the system pump down accordingly & I am able to move on to the other system, finally!
For the Ultra system, I installed a new filament & changed both the anode & multi-hole apertures. I have also replaced the anode & liner tube with the old configuration. Everything was over in about 30 to 40 mins. After pumping down the system I performed a bake-out & hopefully I am able to get a good vacuum this morning. I wish myself good luck!
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