Merry Christmas!!!!

It's that time of the year again... when we remember and celebrate the birth of Christ... a gift that God gave to Man. And in a similar spirit of giving and showing of our love and concern for our families, friends and loved ones... it's the mad season of shopping for the right present to give!!!

Hahaha... pardon me for starting off in such a serious tone. But really, the malls are packed, the roads leading to Orchard are jammed... for one reason only. Everyone's shopping for last minute presents to give to friends, colleagues and family members.

Over the years, I've noticed that there are some presents that I'd rather not receive:

• Decorative items - I appreciate the thought of giving... thank you very much. But I would much rather have something practical that I can use. I simply don't know what am I supposed to do with them! My cubicle at work is already cramped with ornaments that colleagues have given to me in the past and sad to say, all they do is sit there and collect dust.
  
  
• Soft toys - thank you once again for the thought... but I've gone beyond the age of being thrilled at receiving a soft toy. Until one fine day when I have my own children, perhaps.
  
  
• Diaries - at the moment, I already have two superior quality leather organisers / diaries on my table and they're going to sit there unused for the whole year unless I pass it on to someone else. Blank notebooks (like the A-Zone type) would be preferred as I like to scribble notes... but my Outlook Express' calendar and mobile phone is more than enough to help me keep track of appointments and dates.
  
  
• Body Shop products / other moisturisers & bath products - well... they can come in useful... only sometimes and rarely. Mainly because I already have certain brands in mind for the products that I would use. As for aroma products... sorry my sinus has been getting from bad to worse with age, so I would rather not try something that may trigger an allergic reaction.

Look, I'm not complaining. Just that I believe in thinking for the person when shopping for a gift. As a receipient, I would rather have something that I can put to use and I would WANT to put into use. Likewise, when I shop for gifts meant for others, I would rather choose something that he/she can use and preferably something that he/she would like. I admit that sometimes the choice is tough... especially when you've known the person for years and you've simply run out of ideas. So I hereby solemnly and sincerely apologise if I've given you something from the list of stuff above... or even for gifts that you have not found a use for... kekekeke

A Hard-Earned Praise Lifts the Day!

Everyone likes to hear praises about how good they look, how well they've done etc. And a good word here and there sure helps to erase any bad vibes that you may be feeling for that day. That being said, sometimes we do wonder about the truth behind those praises - is he saying this because he is just being diplomatic / a friend? Or does she have a catch up her sleeve?

But when a good word or compliments come from the most unlikely source... then maybe there's some truth in that. And it would mean one really looks good or have done a really good job. That's something to be accepted graciously and appreciated.

Reason for this rambling on praising people? Well, I received one such compliment from a most unusual source... someone that I know that has a habit of making snide, sarcastic remarks and finding faults. But at the moment when he said it, one could feel that he truly meant it this time, for whatever it was I did, it helped him gain favor in the right places. And it was no small task that I accomplished too, for there were lots of follow-ups and complications. Knowing what went behind the scenes to make that happen, and hearing this compliment from this unlikely source, definitely gave me an uplifting feeling that I have done something right and well. :)

It takes two hands to clap...

Often, when situations arise at work, it is the result of the interaction between 2 people. Like that cliched old saying, it takes two hands to clap. Person A may feel that the boss is being unreasonable but all that the boss ever wanted was the fulfillment of his higher expectations. And sometimes, such expectations are justified for in the current world of modern technology, Person A cannot function effectively to assist the boss if he/she does not even have the basic skills required.

Failure to meet his expectations will naturally result in the boss' disappointment in Person A and hopes that he/she will improve. But if Person A carries a negative attitude towards the boss and takes such feedback negatively, rather than as constructive criticism, it makes for an awkward working relationship. And when he/she starts spreading negative feelings around, it just generates lots of bad air in the working environment.

It is human nature to desire to hear good things about our performance... but if we are prepared to hear the good, we should be prepared to hear the bad and improve on it. Nobody's perfect... but it becomes an attitude problem when one defies for the sake of defying simply because he / she has heard some negative feedback about his / her performance...

sigh....

Please (take) leave...

There seems to be an over abundance of leave on my account.... I've checked up my records recently and realised that I've been taking leave so rarely that I have not touched my entire year's allotment of leave for this year. Total number of left over leave I'm entitled to shows 26 days... amazing. heh....

Trying to clear all before end Dec is out of the question, but I've been asked to take leave and clear as much as I can... sounds like a blessing to some out there I know. Heh....so been looking into the calendar and trying to find dates when I can take leave and do my own thing... heh...

Suddenly, having too much leave entitlement is not that great a thing... heh *siam... before some people decide to hammer me on the head for that*