Singapore Part 2

This is the Voice!  Messing around at the office.

Early morning swim before the sun even rose

Chicken rice is popular here, so I met up with an old colleague to try it out and was not disappointed.  We went to Boon Tong Kee on Balestier Road, one of the oldest streets in Singapore.

Singapore Part 1

Hello!  I am in Singapore for a week for work.  First day consisted of delayed flights resulting in an unplanned 6 hour layover in Hong Kong, checking in to my hotel room at the butt crack of dawn, and heading straight into the office for meetings.  

Delicious snacks courtesy of Cathay Pacific's business lounge.  I think I ate nonstop thanks to the benefits of sitting in business class.  Did you know they serve juicy wonton noodle soup as a snack?!  

 

My room at the Mandarin Oriental - beautiful view!

Day and night time view from my room

I went for a run before the sun even rose intending to run 2 miles, but ended up running for over an hour because I got SO lost.  Every person I asked about getting back to my hotel responded with "you are really far away!".  Nevertheless, glad I got in those extra miles and burned those extra calories since I am eating like a little pig over here!

We Are Wedding Coordinators!

This past weekend, J and I coordinated our first wedding together at the Westin LAX!  This opportunity came from a good friend of mine who believed in my project management skills coupled with my Type A personality.  Because we were thoroughly prepared, there was not a hint of nerves, but confidence that we would be able to successfully deliver.  It also helped that the bride had the kindest, most easy going spirit ever and amazing organizational skills to boot.  Here are the top 3 things that I believe contributed to our success:

•  A Who's Who chart to facilitate the bridal party and family line-up. It also helped with locating and directing those who played an integral role in the wedding
• Detailed labeling and packing of agreed upon props and decorations by the bride made life so much easier during the set-up process because we knew exactly where everything needed to go, so that we wouldn't need to bug the bride on her big day
• Extraordinary vendors!  I was so impressed by how on time and on the ball all vendors were which helped us stick to schedule.  Everyone worked so collaboratively together that there were zero delays during the reception because everything ran so smoothly.  In fact, we were ahead of schedule the entire night!

Some takeaways for our next wedding would be:

• Provide a clear designation of meals by table to the servers aka who's having what
• Agree in advance the timing around corralling everyone to take their seats and when to start packing up

Oh, I hope we land another gig soon because we had such a great time!  If you're reading this, and you know anyone who is looking for a month of/day of coordinator, do think of us!  

All of our hard work paid off at the end of the night when the bride hugged me and said "Everything that I envisioned for my wedding, you made come true.".  Happy sigh. =)

TwelveTwo Solutions, Inc

This has been long overdue, but I finally decided to incorporate myself.  After much contemplation, I have come to realize that operating as my own company comes with financial and tax benefits that I need to take advantage of. How did I come up with the name?  I thought about a few others...Titanium Consulting, Echo Consulting (named after my little pooch of course), etc... but they were all taken!  One day a few months later, 12:2 popped into my mind.  Romans 12:2 is my favorite verse of all time:

Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then, you will learn to know God's will for you which is good, pleasing and perfect.

I quickly Googled this name, and lo and behold, it had not been taken yet!  I just knew this name was "the one" because TwelveTwo serves a dual purpose.  Not only does it represent my company, but it also creates an opportunity to share my faith if asked about the origin of the name.  Perfect.

Bitter Sweet Endings

Today marks the last day with a firm I have known my entire career.  A firm that I have dedicated myself to for over a decade.  I am sitting here staring at my good-bye email I crafted a week ago, yet am unable to put the final nail in the coffin and hit send.  I find myself reminiscing over the last ten years...

• I have met amazing people who have become my closest friends
• I have traveled to countless countries and cities that have opened my eyes to a world much greater than mine
• I have been challenged in every way possible, pushing me to build patience, tolerance and see people through less judgmental, but more loving eyes
• I have felt the adrenaline rush of nailing a presentation, the pride from doing a job well done, cried tears of frustration when all seemed dark, and laughed uncontrollably with colleagues who have journeyed with me along the way
• I have eaten at the fanciest restaurants, stayed at the most luxurious hotels, sat in First class for business trips, and gotten the royal treatment wherever I've traveled
• I have been yelled at, talked down to, judged, misunderstood, and stereotyped, but I have also been uplifted, loved, praised, recognized, and encouraged.  All of which have made me a stronger individual, both professionally and personally.

Ten and a half years ago, I started out as a naive Analyst, bright-eyed, a sponge ready to learn and conquer whatever came my way.  Now reflecting back as a Manager, I'd say I did just that...and more.  

At package training in Waltham, MA in 2001

I am ready as I'll ever be to begin a new path in my career.  It is now or never, so here goes nothing...

Sent.

Sometimes, Sh*t Just Happens

It may be because of a poor choice you make, or because luck just isn't on your side at that particular moment in time.  On days like these, I am not a big fan of my job.  Take exhibit A:

Monday
5:15AM - Groggily wake up and make my way to the airport
7:00AM - Ready for departure
8:15AM - Still on the plane at the gate and am informed that there is a mechanical issue that will take at least an hour to fix - everyone must get off the plane
9:30AM - Flight has been cancelled, but the airline is flying in a plane from Phoenix scheduled to depart from LA at 2PM

(Grr, I am frustrated that I even have to fly this week when my client is working remotely from home.  I decide to leave the airport and come back for the 2PM.)

1:00PM - Arrive at the airport and go through security (again)
1:15PM - Flight is delayed until 3:18PM

Seriously?

(I decide that I have had enough of flight delays for the day and decided to just fly out tomorrow morning.)

Tuesday
5:45AM - Wake up and decide that I'm not going to rush for the 7AM flight, so I reschedule for the 11AM
10:00AM Get out of bed and head to the airport
10:30AM - Rejected by check-in because I have missed the cut-off time for the 11AM and because of all the running around yesterday, I left my driver's license at home

So, the next available flight is in the evening thus I am now working from home until it's time to head to the airport...yet again.

Bah humbug!

Sleeping On the Job

I have too much going on lately and am exhausted.  Here's a real life scenario that happened at work yesterday between my client counterpart and I:

Me: Do you know whether we've covered the drop-ship process in our deliverables?
Client: Um, let me check our flows...
(A minute passes and I am getting really sleepy.)
Client: Good night Sherly
(Grogg-ily awaking)
Me: Oh!  I heard you...you said...

Client: Riiiight

Apparently, I literally fell asleep while I was waiting for him to answer me in the span of two short minutes!

Happy Anniversary D Dot!

Each year, February 14th is more than just Valentine's Day.  And this year, it was more than Chinese New Year too!  This day marked my ninth year with Deloitte.  Yes, ninth year.  Who said I was commitment phobic?  =)  Looking back, I never thought I would last this long, but the lifestyle and experiences that comes with consulting, however painful it may seem at times, has kept my interest for longer than expected. 

One question that I like to ask when interviewing potential hires is "What is it about Deloitte that interests you?"  Without fail, the candidates will answer "The people" and I couldn't agree more.  Every project I've joined, I have met amazing people from all over the world who make being away from home or not having a life outside of work that much more bearable.  So without further ado, here are the folks (of whom I have pictures with) who have brought so much happiness into my life, who have been there for me through thick and thin, and though some are no longer with the firm, have become my life long friends.  It's been a great 9 years!

 

And last but not least...You are missed.

My First Snow Storm: I'm In Denver, Colorado!

My client office closed early yesterday at 3PM and we had a hotline to call this morning to find out whether the office would be open today due to a snow storm.  We've gotten about 10" of snow so far and it's supposed to continue the rest of the day.  Luckily, it hasn't been too cold!  The talk of the office today amongst the consultants is whether our flight has been cancelled and if so, whether we are "stuck" here or can catch another flight out.  So far, I think I am okay because my flight is originating from Denver, so the aircraft should already be here.  I can just count on waiting forever for my plane to get de-iced.  Cross your fingers and toes for me that I will be able to go home tonight!  Yesterday, we had to scrape the snow off my car so that I could get back to my hotel!

I've been sitting in the cubicle of a lady who is currently on medical leave.  Her cubicle is decorated with a lot of inspirational and religious quotes.  Maybe this is a sign, that I need to be more optimistic and faithful, but then another coworker gave me a :-( Despair, Inc. catalog and heck, I found myself laughing my arse off.  Call me pessimistic, bitter, jaded, or whatever, but I did have my favorites!

It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.

 Less is more.  Unless you're standing next to the one with more.  Then you just look pathetic.

Time heals all wounds.  But it usually leaves a pretty big scar.

Just because you think you're a star doesn't mean you're going anywhere.

Always remember that you are unique.  Just like everybody else.

FRIENDS

One of the perks of consulting at Warner Bros. is that sometimes, you have celebrity sightings and others times, you get to be a part of the action. Remember that scene in The Last Samurai where Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe ride their horses into the city for the first time? Yup, I was there when that was being filmed on the Warner Bros. lot. Lucky me. Since I've been back, I've also seen Ashton Kutcher and Ashlee Simpson in the elevators. Other star sightings include Matt Damon, Alexis Biedel, some guy from ER (the one with an accent), and Mimi from the Drew Carey show. I've even touched all 6 cars the Friends cast drove when they were still in production. I know, you're so jealous. Well today(!), my coworker took me to where they kept the set of Central Perk. Since she knew the person who held the key to the room, we waited until the tour group left (people were snapping pictures left and right), then shut the door and the place was all ours. It is a lot smaller than I imagined and the furniture is quite old. Here are some pictures taken from my (cheap) mobile phone!

Central Perk

This is where Phoebe would play "Smelly Cat", right by the front entrance.

Ross, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, Chandler, and Monica have ALL sat on this couch, and now, so have I. Woohoo!