Work hard, work smart

Oops, sorry for the lack of blog posts but I've been ridiculously busy.

Being an adult grown up is difficult. Especially if you've been promoted, that's right babyyyyy! Pogi got promoted again....well it was officially set in April but I have work travel this week and next. I is now a Technical Analyst. In the I.T. system cycle I'm one of those people who has to communicate with a client, understand what they require and turn it into business processes. Bored yet?

And with that comes meeting the department heads and training, so I am here in Colorado Springs, CO, the United States of America.

This is not my first time in the U.S. but it is my first time in Colorado Springs.

You see the buildings there in the middle of the picture, that's the office. Just kidding! We're actually situated on the front range, of the Rockies. Very nice location but as per usual, like LA, the city is stretched out, so everything is everywhere, and rarely in one easy place. The funny thing though, is that everyone, and I mean everyone drives everywhere. There is no walking whatsoever. Besides walking to your car...hehehe

An odd thing about this city is that the elevation is at about 6,000 ft above sea level. Meaning the air is thinner here, which leads you to being more dehydrated and you've got less endurance for any exercise.

I speak the truth. On my first night here I woke up in the middle of the night and was dying for a drink. Luckily I had Pibb in the hotel fridge.

---

I hate flying.

Why? Because my 1.25pm flight last Friday was delayed 3 times and finally took off at about 6pm. We did receive compensation, however, I already ate lunch when Qantas (hate) awarded us with a lunch voucher. I wasn't hungry or thirsty at all so I spent the money on 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. ^_^

If only I flew Singapore Airlines. :/

Pogi being the definition of silly, did not have the stomach to eat any of them, and carried them on the plane from Sydney (SYD) to Los Angeles (LAX). [-_-]

Stupid aren't I?

Wearing a leg brace, carrying a laptop bag and a luggage bag, plus 2 boxes of Krispy Kremes. Stupid indeed.

Flight on Qantas wasn't too bad, but a class of highschool of American students were also on my flight. Now after watching Final Destination many times, I'm a bit freaked out and couldn't stop thinking about that movie. For the people who have seen the movie, I even checked if my tray table knob broke off. :/ Scaredy cat.

Thanks to my sister, she booked me a seat where my right (injured) leg is next to the aisle. It made my flight experience more comfortable, but not too get too comfortable incase a flight attendant with a trolley knocks my knee....which almost happened! Irresponsible old lady. hmmmmf!!

16 hrs later, I arrived at LAX in the afternoon, and since I originally missed my connection flight around midday that day, I had to wait an extra 5 hrs for the evening flight to COS.

I flew United Airlines from LAX to COS. Funny thing is, I beeped like crazy when I walked through the metal detector on my way to my domestic flight. Could it be the bolts in my knee, my belt, my shoes or my jeans (has metal studs on them)?

I was pulled into a special search section of the security group, forced to take off my belt and my shoes, luckily, not my pants. :) Then the searcher guy used a sweeper across my body several times, front and back, ,and get this, he took a swab of my hands and of my leg brace, then ran them on his illegal substance finding machine. He questioned all my gear, and was kinda scary cos he spoke softly and calmly, just like on the TV show Airline USA. At this moment, I was wondering if I was being filmed, and will appear on that show:

"In LAX, this young, Australian of Asian descent is acting suspiciously and is causing alarm on our metal detectors...."

After a 1.5 hr flight, I finally made it to COS on (their) Tuesday morning at 12.15am. *yawn* I feel so sorry for my driver, Dan, who had to wait there at the atrocious early hours of the day. But the cool thing though, is that he was holding up a sign with my name on it!

Albert Igonia

I was like, this is sooooo cool! It's just like in the movies, and it's happening to me! hehehe. So I casually walked up to him, like this situation was normal and said, "Hi, I'm Albert, how you goin'?". I wonder if I fooled him? hmmmmmz

Only sucky thing was he folded the sign and threw it away in the trash can. *cries* Missed out on snapping a picture.

And now life in a hotel begins, yay for staying at the Hilton in downtown COS. This means Pogi won't make his bed, clean up after himself and does not do laundry at all! Woohoo!!

Airplanes waiting for me to take off

LA looks so tiny

What is my plan here in COS?

To work? Maybe.
To kiss all the boss' ass? Of course.
To eat? Hells yeah!!
To shop? Definitely!

---

Oww.

Here is a snap of my knee, post surgery. It has been about a month since that painful day in the hospital.

Will I get scars? EEWWWW

You see? I stayed at a hospital in Chinatown. har har har

---

Food porn

Details: Maple flavoured waffles, with banana and maple syrup
Notes: Delectable! Because it was made by me!! Hei hei hei ^_*

---

Annoying Office moments #32

Conversations in the restrooms - Ok, here I am, need to go to the restrooms to pee. A work colleague catches up with me and starts speaking to me as I approach the restroom, then continues to chat to me whilst I walk in, then continues to blab away whilst I'm relieving myself and finally, and even when I'm washing my hands!

The heck?!?!

Where's the privacy?

How awkward. I was silent the whole time.

---

Fanx to my boo, Helena, for featuring me as her favourite on her blog.

More details of my experience here in COS, the food I ate and the clothes I bought in my next post. ^_^

---

Meanwhile, I'm watching A Model Life with Petra Nemcova, which is a copy of America's Next Top Model, but instead is hosted by beauty Petra Nemcova, only difference is, Australia's Next Top Model is more entertaining. Why? Because of the bitchiness. So hilarious when they fight. hehehe

A model on the show was told to lose weight.....OUCH!! Poor girl!

Petra = Gorgeous

---

Fashion

Top: Zara suit, G2000 shirt, Tag Heuer timepiece
Bottom: Dickies belt, leg brace, crutches

\

Welcome home....

Pogi is back in Sydney!

(*^.^*)

I arrived Monday morning at 6am. *yawn* Luckily I skipped work that day, I barely had any sleep.

But wow, great to be back in Sydney, I missed the cooler weather here, plus my family and friends. I will definitely miss Singapore though. *cries* Don't worry, I'll be back there soon.

Due to impulse shopping, I errrr exceeded the weight and space limit of my luggage. Luckily Li Wee arranged for a DHL courier to send half my clothes back to Sydney. And it arrived yesterday!

Yehey!!

What surprises lie inside?

Surprise #1

Aren't those Vans so pretty? Got em from Check at The Heeren, awesome shopping place as it also have Queens Couture which stocks raw denim in the form of cheap monday, sugarcane, samurai, tsubi, etc.

---

I'm so glad to be back though. It's good to be back to reality here in Sydney but I'm sure gonna miss my hotel.

I loved the laundry service (which I abused), room service, and the birds that chirp every morning to wake me up.

*sigh*



---

Will post more pix once I sort through my shopping haul. :)

Singapore! + Scary + Shopping + Part hardy

Apologies for no updates but during the week I was busy with work and ever since I touched down in Singapore, I've been busy non stop.

OK as I was checking in for my 8.30am flight at Sydney airport, there was a hurdle. The lady behind the desk requires the last 4 digits of my mother's Amex card or else I won't be able to get my boarding pass. No problem. I give my mom a call. Her phone is off. [-_-] After looking at the time, it's about 2am in HK. I try my sister (they're both in HK on a holiday), her phone is off.

Sydney Airport

OK honestly, why is there a need to keep your phone off? Unless you have enemies, what if you need to be contacted in an emergency?

People please keep your phone(s) on at all times!

Luckily, the guy at the service desk recognised my last name and asked if I was Myrla's (my mom's name) son. Of course I said yes and he quickly apologised and gave me my boarding pass. Not only that, he said I should've mentioned I was her son, and he also gave me access to the Singapore airlines First class/Silver Kris lounge! Awesome!! If I knew it would be like this, I would've mentioned my mom's name everywhere. XD

First class/Silver Kris lounge

What can you do at this lounge? Watch TV on flatscreens, free food, free drinks (including alcohol), free magazines/newspapers, access to the Internet, bedrooms for short naps, etc. Very luxurious, but it doesn't compare to the size and facilities as the lounge in Singapore (Changi airport).

---

On the flight SQ220, I was seated next to a cute Aussie/Singapore girl. She was rather tired though, I noticed her sleeping for most of the flight.

To kill the boredom, I watched Babel which was OK, don't think it really deserved all the hype but Rinko Kikuki's performance was outstanding, she should've received an award.

8 hrs later, I arrived to this:

Marina Mandarin hotel

Compared to other hotels, Marina Mandarin totally lives up to its 5 star rating. I only have a premier room (stingy work) but it's still very nice.

My room

I ate with Li Wee at Ichiban Boshi, a Japanese restaurant where I had a beef steak thing that was cooking on a BBQ. A real yakiniku experience will be reserved for later. :)

Being typical Pogi, I left my sunglasses at the restaurant. :/ Luckily for me, Li Wee called them later that night and arranged for me to pick them up tomorrow.

---

Scary

Work lady, Li Wee met up with me at the hotel and showed me to our office (since I arrived their on Friday around 1.30pm, which is still a work day for SG). With the lights off, our SG office looks scary and kinda reminds me of scenes from the English version of The Grudge (Japanese version is called Ju-on).

*shudders*

*cries*

---

Shopping

Now after settling in, knowing how to get to work from the hotel. I have to do some shopping.

A couple of hours later................

Shopping haul #1

I know, I know. It's not much but I didn't want to splurge straight away. Pogi has to be a smart shopper. So far, 2 Zara suits (black and dk brown - which are fitted, slimming and cropped. Hmmmz I'll compare it to that Dior Homme suit I posted a short while ago. Also two jackets, one funkii dk camel blazer, and a contemporary very Eurody look black jacket.

Oh and a FHM magazine. ^_^

---

Party Hardy

I met up with Li Wee again, two former FRS workers; Wendy and Elbert (who is Filo too!), as well as Wendy's friend Jenny.

We ate out at a restaurant next to Singapore river. I think the area we were at was called Bicao?

Li Wee and I were the last to arrive, because I errrmm take a while to get ready. Little did I know that the others already pre-ordered food. One in particular was stingray. And they did NOT warn me it had chili. As soon as it put it in my mouth and started chewing. I felt the effects.

My lips felt swollen. :( And my tongue was on fire. I ordered duck, and that kept me happy for the rest of the meal.

Now off to do some fun stuff. They took me to Insomnia, which was in one of the best locations and reminded me of Greenwood. It was conveniently located in a section of an old converted convent. Very classic.

A couple of hours and many tequila shots (peer pressure - har har har) later, I retired back in my room. This was around midnight. Now, normally I'm all up for an all nighter but I was awake for over 17 hrs, plus I was jet lagged.

Jenny, Elbert, Wendy and Li Wee

Wendy, me (swollen lips) and Li Wee