I've been meaning to write up a blogspot about my new job, but I have been so busy lately, and blogging is last on my mind.
Seriously, this new job has taken a toll on my schedule, and my body. I am almost always asleep by 9pm, 10pm being the latest. And I get up at 6am every weekday. I reach home about 7pm daily, so that left me with 2 hours before sleep, and that at least an hour gets killed with washing up and dinner, so that'll leave me with an hour of freetime, which will be taken up by an hour of catching up with a TV series.
So yes, my schedule is madly packed.
And I refuse to head out for dinner after work because I am dead tired. I will only agree to heading out after work on Fridays. And even on Sundays, I will want to be home early (preferably 8pm).
I'm turning into a lifeless freak.
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Anyhow, how has work been?
I was at Commonwealth for the first 2 weeks, since HQ is located there (at GMTI building). Now in my third week, I'm at CCK polyclinic daily.
So what do I do at HQ? Mostly, I will do the administrative work, like photocopying/printing out stuffs, preparing slides for my boss for her presentation, data entry, designing posters for health week, etc. Yes, boring, I know. There are days where I wish I was back in nursing, like seriously.
I'm glad, however, that I have both my weekends off.
Anyhow, back to HQ story. I have to attend meetings (you wouldn't believe the number of meetings there are), and I have to tend to follow-up requests during the meeting (like say, getting new props for a certain polyclinic). And half the time, I have no idea what the meeting is about, mainly because they'll discuss about things even before I was in the team.
So, now that I'm in CCK polyclinic currently, you might ask: "What do you do there?"
I have my own consultation room, and my main ordeal is to actually recruit 32 patients for a weight management programme. I know it sounds easy, I thought so too in the beginning. Now that I'm actually here, getting 32 is really hard. In fact, I haven't even recruited ONE single participant. There are so many requirements to meet, so meeting the target is a lot harder than it seems.
It's my third working day here, and I've only had ONE patient by far, and she failed the PAR-Q test, so I had to refer her back to a doctor for a referral for hospital programmes instead. I am disappointed. I promised boss that I will work hard and will try to recruit at least 15. I am trying.
So, with no patients referred to me, I just sit in my consult room, and do nothing. My 2 bosses didn't send me any work from HQ, so I'll just sit here and rot everyday. I am hoping the numbers will pick up soon, 'cause if not, I'll have to randomly approach strangers and give out flyers.
And YES, I have not been socializing much for the past 3 weeks. My social status went down to ZERO.
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I'm being sent down to Toa Payoh Polyclinic on the 9th of November to do a public survey. And public surveys are difficult to do, mainly because people don't like to be disturbed. I got rejected countless times when I was doing the survey at CCK Polyclinic, but I learn not to give up hope.
Then from the 16th Nov onwards, I'll be at TPY polyclinic weekly for a guided tour of the geriatric studio.
I have never travelled so much for work before.
I have never attended so many meetings before.
I have never attended conferences before.
I have never had to call up strangers, or meet up with dieticians, physiotherapists, head of dept before.
I have never had my own work email address before. Now I don't have to sign circulars and all that shit. I just read it at my own time via my email (which I honestly don't read, and just delete).
I have never not have to attend roll call. I don't have to sign-in attendance (with the exception of being in CCK polyclinic because boss don't trust me to stay put till 5pm). I can use my handphone anytime I want. I can do personal stuffs on the computer without getting scolded. I can eat at my work desk.
The culture shock is still slowly getting absorbed by me.
Yes, I have a lot of freedom here, but I have no sense of belonging.
So, think about that if you ever think of quitting nursing and branch into an office job.
And I hate having to sit in the same cubicle as my 2 bosses. It's scary.
Till next time!
the beauty exposed ; 12:15 PM
Monday, October 10, 2011
First day at the job...
Today was my first day at the new job as a Health Promoter/Executive's Assistant.
It was boring.
I came at 8.30am, and my 2 seniors weren't even there yet. They only came at 9am.. I was hungry, and cold (raining AND air-con)... And Eileen (my senior) showed me my desk, gave me my landline, and got me my laptop... And best part, she told me that I can surf wherever I want and no one will stop me. While I was tryna get accustomed to my area, Nav came (my other senior)... And both had their breakfast at their desk while surfing the net. Me? I was a total blurhead. I had nothing to do for the first half of the day..
Nav orientated me to the dept within a span of 15mins, introduced me to the other colleagues (which I don't remember their names or faces now), and resumes her work. I resumed my doing nothing at my desk.
Lunchtime. The 2 ladies were nice enough to take me along for lunch, and showed me the different places to eat. But it wayyyy awkward. We had nothing to talk about except work. Boring.
Back to office after lunch. I resumed my doing nothing... I was actually pretending to be busy reading up on Lotus Notes and how to use it, but really, I was daydreaming. I almost dozed off with my eyes open.
2.30pm - Nav went for a meeting, so Eileen took that opportunity to introduce me to the new health programme which is starting its pilot test soon. My homework for the weekend is to familiarize myself with the workflow process as I'll be the only one mending the clinic and recruiting patients. Next week will be my "exam" with the doctor-in-charge.
After the introduction (which took about 30mins inclusive of me asking ridiculous questions), I resumed my nothingness.
Seriously, the entire time, I was hoping it was already 6pm. I was sleepy, cold, tired of sitting, tired of not talking to anyone. I have never stayed sooooo quiet for such a long period of time before (and I compensated by flooding Twitter and FB with random posts).
So finally it was 6pm, and yay! Home I go!
That was the most unproductive day of my life, ever.
It feels weird not having any "sister" (nurse clinician) tailing me, or watching what I'm doing behind my back. This new found freedom at work feels really strange. I have my own landline, own email account, own laptop, own desk. I don't have much to do for now (aside from finding brochures for my seniors).
And finally, I have found a use for my planner and colorful pens. I have appointments to attend to (for instance, I have to be at Wdl Polyclinic in the morning to meet the physiotherapist, then back to office, then evening to TPY polyclinic to meet a doctor, then home). I have bi-weekly departmental meetings to attend (if I'm at the HQ).
I'm not entirely sure how I'm liking this, but I think I'll get back to it by end week or end month.
I'm gonna try being a little bit more productive at work tomorrow... I still have loads to learn (admin stuffs), and I can't wait to venture into the new health programme (because I'll get to meet people/patients and talk). I'll write stuffs in my notepad with my colorful pens tomorrow at work.
Oh, JCI for my department is due August 2012. Just my luck, right? Ended JCI at SGH, now have to face it all over at NHGP. And worst, I have to help catalogue all the policies.
Anyhow, on a better note, I have my weekends off! So it's a 5-day work week for me!!! I'll only work on Saturdays if my seniors need me (and it'll be considered overtime wage).
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In lieu of the upcoming health programme:
Please check your BMI (Body Mass Index).
Formula: Weight (in Kg), divide it with HeightxHeight (in Metres).
If your BMI is more or equivalent to 23, please contact me, or proceed to CCK Polyclinic for a weight management programme.
It'll cost SGD$50 for a 12-weeks programme (introductory price). Usual price of the programme is SGD$338.
You'll get a review and follow-up by my Health Promotion Consultant, Dietician, Physiotherapist, and Fitness Trainer over the span of 12-weeks.
Please do spread the word around. I need 32 candidates for the introductory phase. First come, first served.
Do take note that appointments are usually placed on a weekday afternoon (between 2-4.30pm), and Saturday mornings (9-12pm). Please ensure you are available during appointment times as all appointment dates are fixed.
Thank you!!
the beauty exposed ; 9:56 PM
Right about now....
I should already be at work! It's my first day on the new job!!!
I will update more about the job by the end of the week, hopefully.
I wish it was my first day at a fashion internship.
(This is a pre-planned blogpost)
the beauty exposed ; 12:00 PM
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Jason Walker - You're Missing It
Artist: Jason Walker Title: You're Missing It
Dedicated to J: You're missing a lot of it. Wish you were a part of my life.
the beauty exposed ; 2:27 AM
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Kikki.K
There are only 3 Kikki.K outlets located in Singapore: Tampines Mall, Orchard Ion, Changi Airport Terminal 2 (at their departure hall).
Obviously, Singapore needs more Kikki.K outlets.
I wanted a planner for 2012, and I wanted something that looks pleasing to my eyes, and allows me to doodle if I want to. I was initially planning on shipping in a planner from GlitzyGlam, along with some other random stuffs, but I'm worried the shipping fee alone will cost a bomb... and on top of that, I'm dead worried if the items get lost during shipping process. That's always a risk.
So I was shopping around, and stumbled upon this bright, quaint store filled with stationery... And the ad "Planner for 2012 Out Now!" caught my eyes instantly. Went in, and I'm glad to know that the sales assistant doesn't bother you while you're browsing through the store... So I practically rounded the store thrice before deciding on what to bring back home with me.
I was eye-ing a large planner, but I thought it'd be ridiculous for me to be lugging it around... And I initially wanted a ring-binder planner, so that it'll be easier to flip the pages over and scribble when I'm on the go. I was already holding onto this grey-textured planner (which was a ring-binder planner), until I saw this....
Yes! A pink planner! I know I said I wanted a cute-looking planner (and complaining that my 2011 planner was a plain basic red)... but I just couldn't stop touching it... I showed it to a couple of my friends, and they named it "The Pink Bible". So yes, that's my pink bible for 2012. It's A5 sized, and could be easily placed in any of my bags!
I love the fact that each date takes up one page each... I dislike those planners that has like 3 days crammed into one page, and the writing space is so damn small. So with a space like that, I am sure to be able to scribble whatever I want.
Cute right? At the end of each day, you could just choose the mood you're in (or draw your own), and pick the weather for the day! And I'm also glad that with each page, there's a tiny calender for easy reference. I'm gonna have a love affair with this planner, I can tell.
Bought this cute post-it notes simply because I couldn't resist it... After I confirmed my purchase for the planner, the sales assistant approached me and prompt me to be a member (for free and get a 25% off my total purchase)... So I agreed to the membership, and she helped me to get a new planner and place it aside... And I told her I would like to continue browsing around... I guess she must have seen me hovering around the post-it notes section, and was holding a smaller version (and really plain, I might add), so she came to me with this post-it notes pack... And duh.. I immediately confirmed that purchase as well. I mean, hey, isn't it cute? Those are flowers and comes in various colors and sizes! There are 2 big square notes, and 5 smaller strips notes.
7 unique design - a design for each post-it note stack.
And of course... to go along with the post-it notes, a pack of pens in the same design! I haven't yet tried out the pens, so I'm unable to tell you if they're blue inked or black inked. Cute, isn't it? And if you run out of ink, you just need to buy the refill! No need to repurchase the entire pen. The pens are also sold individually.
And lastly, I bought a pack of 10 colorful felt-tip pens. COLORFUL. Seriously. My main reason on purchasing it was to decorate my planner, and write stuffs down in color codes (yes, I am gonna come up with the color codes soon.... and I have to admit that 10 colors is a little bit too much since I'm no longer in school with various modules). Anyhow, I have not yet try out the pens, so I'm unable to share how good it is or whatever. They do sell another pack of colorful pens in a pack of 6 (maybe I should've gotten that one instead).
So... price?
I know the prices are a little steep, but I really think it's worth it. SGD$54.90 for a planner is insane, but I think it's of a much better quality than those you get from Popular Bookstore. My 2011 planner was from Popular Bookstore, and it costs me SGD$18... but all I get is crap - a small writing space, and plain white paper. It's a yearly investment, so I'm sure it's ok... I mean, divide that amount by 12, you're only paying SGD$4.60 per month (and you get a free half-a-month! The planner starts from mid-December 2011 till end-December 2012).
And yes, I know SGD$24.90 is very expensive for post-it notes... but think about it.... the basic 3M post-it notes (those neon-colored ones) aren't exactly cheap either. I recently bought a 3 strips set of 3M post-it notes, and that alone cost me SGD$8. And they're plain. And I don't use post-it notes like a crazy person, so I'm sure it'll last me for a really long time... Right now, I only am gonna peel off like 2 pieces of post-it notes and use it... And that's it until I find the need to use more of it.
For the ballpoint pens... yes, it is expensive... Mainly paying it for the design... If I had to repurchase the entire pen, I doubt I'll do so.... I could get much better pens at a cheaper price at a regular bookstore. And as for the colorful felt-tip pens, now that is freaking worth the price. It's like only paying SGD$1.70 for each colorful pen!
I am definitely gonna return to Kikki.K for more stationery items in the near future, so I'm hoping they'll open up more outlets, preferably closer to the north. Having to travel to Orchard for some stationery can be a drag sometimes... I really do hope I get my own desk at my new job, so then, it'll give me loads of reason to make more purchases from Kikki.K. They have dividers, storage boxes, cute paperclips, a lot of different post-it notes for various usages, files, file holders.... Jut name the stationery, they'll have it in cute forms.
Trust me, once you step in the store, you'll be blown over.
Till next time!
the beauty exposed ; 9:25 PM
I finally bought a new planner for 2012! It's sooooo fast that the year is already nearing its end! I have no idea what happened with 2011, and it seemed like the weeks and months just flew by without a trace.
Sadly, I don't have much good memories to keep for 2011.
And I know every year, I keep saying the same old thing: That I hope the following year will be a much better year.
But I suppose it's in vain.... since every year things just seem to get a little bit more crappier than the last. Let me break it down for you: 2008 - graduated and got the worst job ever 2009 - lost the one place I call 'home' (I honestly miss my room and my bed so much.... and just having my own space... I really really miss it) 2010 - lived in a crappy rented apartment (which seems to be co-inhabited by cockroaches) 2011 - lost the rented apartment, had to resort to rented rooms 2012 - I don't know how bad things can possibly get from here on... Possibly doomsday, like what everyone is talking about.
Anyhow, the point of this entry wasn't about to rant, but rather to talk about the new planner I bought.
I don't even know why I bought a new planner..... I have one for 2011, which I NEVER use at all. OK, that was an exaggeration... I did use it to scribble rubbish... And as of now, I'm trying to get myself more organized and use more of the planner till end of year...
I will elaborate more on organizing, and my new planner and new knick-knacks in the next entry. I need to start snapping pictures because words alone will not do justice.
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I'm debating if I should bring my compact camera to work everyday in my bag. And omg! I found a new work bag already (even though I haven't even started work yet). Will also blog about that bag in a later entry.
As for now, it's 0230hrs, and I've been awake since 0900hrs. Yup, almost 18hours awake.... I should sleep soon since I need to get up early again later... So 6 hours of sleep has got to do it for me.
Goodnight.
the beauty exposed ; 2:23 AM
Sunday, October 2, 2011
An Evening Out...
Met up with PX, Candice, and Winston last night....
Been sooooo long since I've last seen Candice!!! In fact, I think it's been forever since we hung out as a group of 4 (i.e: Corrine, Candine, PX, and me).. It's always been a group of 3 lately..
Anyhow, watched the following:
It's just like Freaky Friday (remember that movie?)... except that instead of mother-daughter, it's best friends... It's hilarious, and good for a one time watch only. I have a weakness to Ryan Reynolds and his antics.
My verdict for the movie?
(Do you like those stars? It took me almost an hour to perfect it! Ughhh!)
The humor was rather dry, and the storyline was kinda predictable. It's corny, stupid, and rather brainless.
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So after the movie was dinner at Swensens (a break from Ichiban Sushi, mostly because the queue was freaking long)
Followed by slacking around, and headed to the ever-expensive Barossa.
Great minds think alike. I'm sure this wasn't planned.
Left for home quite early at 2230hrs... but yeah... We need to meet up more!!!!
Loveeee the bag, soooo spacious, but it has only one massive compartment... No back or side compartments. And the blazer is super loveee. The material is awesome, and it reminds me that I need to lose weight since I can't button it up at the waist.
My makeup was pretty shitty that day.... turned oilslicked by the end of the night. I really need to find something for my oily skin (and the humid weather isn't helping one bit).
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Till next time! I promise to be a little bit more proactive in blogging....
