On The Move…

Random thoughts:

– The Valentino ads for AW13/14 are simply stunning. Poses inspired by classical paintings, maybe Vermeer and earlier? Wonderful.
– Cara Delevigne is the face of both DKNY and Fendi this A/W season
– Mariacarla Boscano is the face of both Dior and Giorgio Armani this A/W season
– Totally in love with the limited edition, metallicised python & suede clutches at Smythson. I wonder if they’ll go on sale later this year…?
– Fur is back, as always. Definitely want more fur.
– Asian models in the A/W campaigns for Prada, Etro, Chanel, Stella McCartney,
– not sure about the new Bulgari ads. Somehow seems like a big break in photography style from previous campaigns, and not sure I love the new look.
– Looks like a pretty obvious type-setting error in the SK-II ad I’m seeing in “W” magazine starring Kate Bosworth. Embarassing.

—

PS: I’ve taken a new job in the luxury sector, and relocated to Paris, France to do it.

It’s a bit late, being the 15th of Jan and all, but still a good time to take stock, reflect and dream about the future.

Dubai has been pretty good to me thus far. And with the weather turning more fall/winter-like every day, I grow increasingly fond of the city. I will miss the life I had here, when I leave.
—

2012 in a nutshell:

Jan: Still staffed on dairy project, had a pretty cushy time. Worked with new hire X – it was fun to have help and to pass on knowledge
Feb: Staffed on retail FS case with some old friends and new faces; an intense 6-8 week project, but a good learning experience
Mar: Went to HK and Macau (first time!) for G’s birthday
Apr: Wrapped up FS case; Went on vacation with S, starting in Singapore
May:  Staffed on F&B case; Went to 5th year reunion in Cambridge, MA – what a blast! Stayed with Ryan in NYC, caught up with old friends, roommates, teachers – LOVELY
June: Started properly on F&B project, a generally messy experience; Got a good review for the first half of the year, which was nice
July: NS in-camp with extended out-field stays; Cousins M and F come to visit, we go to HK, Bangkok, KL, Redang and Singapore
August: All F&B project; Experienced one of the most memorable client interactions (which will come back to me unexpectedly, 6 months later)
Sept: Wrap up F&B project; TBN Israel tour (with Petra thrown in) – what a blessing to get to go on this trip! I start work in Dubai, UAE; Staffed on local Dubai project; I return to Singapore to attend the office retreat in Bali, which was a treat. Table won best dressed for “The Fifth Element”
Oct:  Busy with work; an unexpected trip to Paris, and London, which was lovely – got to see Matilda, the new Bain London office, and also London Bainies F, S, A, Singapore friends G and P, plus good friends M in London, G in Paris
Nov: Somehow I took a long weekend back in Sg
Dec: Dubai offsite trip to Muscat, Oman (cool!), some not so great news from SEA office, a nice long end-of-year holiday to Singapore (cousin L’s wedding), Bangkok (with extended family) and NYE in Beirut (with Dubai Bainies C, F and M). Got to visit Byblos, Arjan and Baalbek in Lebanon. Caught up in Singapore with old friends like S (new bar!), G, T (surprising new relationship!) etc. etc. And got to attend Christmas service at The Star, which was a great blessing.
Jan: Looking forward to the rest of the year, which will certainly bring lots of new challenges, and hopefully a continuous slew of successes!

Am currently in Dubai, UAE. Posted here on an inter-office transfer for six months, sort of like an exchange program.

I’ve been here just a few weeks, and the city if growing on me. Today I had lunch with an ex-colleague who grew up here, and we went to the Ibn Battuta Mall, which is a surprisingly cultural experience. Lots of historical displays about the travels of Ibn Battuta, a 12th Century Berber Muslim Moroccan explorer, as well as the technology, culture and politics of the era throughout the region. Like being in a Civilizations Museum, but with Forever 21, Woolworths and Borders. I could have (and did) wander around by myself for hours after our delicious lunch.

I need to take more photos. The architecture and food are both often totally snapshot worthy, but I feel a little self-conscious whipping out my point-and-shoot.

Was praying was wisdom and peace, when I had the brainwave. It’s not a new idea, but nonetheless one that I’m super excited about.

And shortly it will be a reality. Thank God for the Internet.

I’ll launch on my birthday, that seems fitting enough 🙂

//

Am trying my best to look forwards, onwards and upwards,  but it hasn’t been quite as easy as it has been before.

2011 was rather a mixed bag. with more than a few disappointments and apparent mistakes, both small and quite large.

—

I just looked over the blog posts I wrote in 2010, to give a sense of comparison with 2011.  It helped me remember that it’s worth listing out the highlights of 2011:

January: Submitted R2 applications for b-sch; Still staffed on project “N”
March: Barcelona with Sam, which was overall a fantastic trip (also made a side trip to Bilbao); Bali trip for DT’s birthday
April: Staffed on project “H” in Jakarta, my first proper travel case; results from R2 apps come back (1-for-3)
May: Provence for the F+J wedding; side visits to London (Ming!) and Paris (Tzelin!)
June: Started on independent luxury fashion consulting project
July: Promoted; 2 weeks of National Service; and then NCT in Montreal; with side trips to NYC (stayed with Ryan!), SF and Hong Kong
August: Staffed on payments case for ~3 weeks; incorporated own company; Puff Puff passes away 🙁
September: Office retreat in Phuket; staffed on PE diligence for ~5 weeks, of which I spent 3 weeks in Sydney
October: Staffed on dairy case; submitted 1R application
November: 1 week in Shanghai/Hong Kong
December: Results (1-for-4); 4 days in Tokyo

—

I have faith that 2012 will be the best year yet.

Four months since my last post, although it truly feels like years.

Last weekend was my fourth company retreat. We went back to the same tropical resort island as my first offsite in 2007. I even had the same roommate. We were strangers back then, and now have become pretty good friends. We’ve shared many a project experience and merry evening together with family and colleagues. Back in 2007 I spent hours on my costume and left an indelible first impression on the firm.  This year I picked something fun, and pretty easy to pull off – but managed to get the party started, anyway.  Happy clappy memories, as EP might say.

This month is pretty packed. I have to push ahead on four different work and personal projects, with one more already pretty much defunct from neglect. That last part makes me sad. But I understand it’s because I prioritised all my other commitments and interest, and so be it.

—

Puff Puff passed away last month, and is still dearly missed.

—

September is a month for nostalgia, chapters concluding and new beginnings.

In just over a month I will have been a management consultant for four years.  It’s kind of a shock, and yet anticlimatic.  I will have spent as many years out of college as I spent in college.  I will have made it through four years in an industry I never expected to be in.  Time will tell how I will look back upon these years, I hope I remember a period of growth and happiness.

Unlike last year, I am no longer embarressed to say I’m a management consultant – it’s taken me quite a while to get used to the idea, and be ok with the opportunity cost.

—

A few weeks ago, for the first time, I packed a week’s worth of clothes in a wheeled cabin bag.  It was kind of hilarious.  Unlike George Clooney’s smooth-wheeling consultant  in “Up In The Air”, I was a bundle of left feet and uncoordinated wheels.  I tripped over the bag a couple of times, I bumped into other people, I managed to have it fall off a handcart.  Best of all, I managed to forget my bag at the security checkpoint and only remembered just before I boarded the plane.  When I hurried back to get it, the guards were looking suspiciously at the unlabelled bag sitting abandoned on the X-ray machine.

Four years on the job, guess I’m a late-bloomer in this respect.

It’s a week into January 2011.  And I’m shocked to realise I haven’t posted anything in over two months.

It’s been a busy time, these past two months.  Six weeks of November and December were dedicated to UNIFEM and the office Christmas party, that was exhausting.   And also totally worth it.  I wish I had taken photos at both those events, but somehow I didn’t.

The Christmas/New Year’s season was spent focused on applying to business school.  If you’re surprised, I understand completely, given that a year ago I was fairly certain I wouldn’t be applying.  Partly as a result, fashion has been on my mind even more so than usual.

I wish I could have  seen the New Year’s fireworks over the bay.

I really want to go on vacation.  A visit to Bangkok, a trip to Milan/Barcelona, and then also to Mt Kinabalu.  And today I claim full funding for everything, I can’t wait to see it.

—

Happy 2011, may it be the best year yet!

Can’t believe it’s been two months since my last post. A lot has happened since then.

There have been good times, but now I’m waiting on the world to change.

Maybe tomorrow?

It’s been a while since I last posted in June, but I felt compelled to record the last two weeks, which have been the BEST TWO WEEKS EVER.  On multiple fronts, too.

– The Dins wrapped up on their highly successful, super fun and wonderfully lucrative tour stop in Singapore

– I got a wonderful room at MBS on National Day despite the hotel having been booked out for months in advance; view of the fireworks was spectacular

– Wrapped on my project and went on two weeks NS reservist training, which is like a long (although tiring) vacation, kind of like going trekking on vacation

– Achieved a good IPPT result despite spraining my ankle just 4 days before and not having a pacer to run the 2.4km run with; had the batallion’s fastest run timing (mainly a negative reflection on the batallion’s fitness, but I’ll happily take the award)

– Helped out with a 5-hour board of directors’ retreat for one of Singapore’s premier performing arts organisations, very cool, and super interesting people/discussions/issues

– Had four consecutive rock star fantasy nights of fabulous parties, great meals, incredible views, fireworks and loads of fun

– Got the best suite yet at MBS, highest floor of rooms (54), views in both directions, obscene oodles of space

– Attended a great PP sermon at NCC

– Had a long, super lucrative streak at MBS

– Survived almost a month of sleeping just 3-4 hours each night, successfully staved off several near-flu episodes

Did I mention?  BEST TWO WEEKS EVER!!!

—–

And next month I go on vacation to London/Munich/Milan.

Life = more abundantly
Me = thankful and rested