on being full of myself ;)

from my almost-a-decade-long exposure to copy writing, proof-reading & editing other people's work, i think i should be able to give trainings on effective business communications ;p

1) ever heard of the term K-I-S-S? Keep It Simple Stupid. yes, do just that. dont be flowery. there's no glory in adding flowers to business letters/proposals/reports/presentations. go be a gardener. or a florist.

2) dont be long winded. theres no law against having a few separate sentences to make a point. too many people think cramming everything into a single sentence that spans 4-5 lines is impressive. it's not.

3) dont assume that your audience is stupid. stop making the same point again & again. over-kill tau. you already kill me, you kill me again. hohumm... boringggg...

4) enough with the quotable quotes already. i can buy my own self-development books or reader's digest or sun tzu's art of war or whatever. quoting famous people too often will make the audience feel like you're a wannabe self-help guru.

5) dont perasan yourself to be great at creating brand-y terms. get feedback. if the feedback is negative, for goodness sake, listen. dont be bullheaded and syok sendiri. note: you'll be surprised just how syok sendiri some people can be.

lots more lessons learnt to impart here but it's time for this wannabe trainer to go to sleep. good night world!!

giving thanks

in the last couple of weeks/months, there were a few occasions on which i have felt extremely grateful & lest i forget (which i have, hence why this is actually a belated entry) & take things for granted yet again, i would like to register my thanks where i can re-visit it & remind myself to be thankful for the blessings that surround my every day existence.

aiyo, sounds so hallmark channel hor...

so here goes:

- for having the talent to write very professional sounding corporate stuff or (when i let myself get away with it,) the soppy-flowery-oozing-with-sugar kind of stuff.

- for being pregnant again after having had 2 miscarriages last year.

- for a little boy who is super adorable & who is now at a most amusing & entertaining age

- for a husband who's a great guy, a great dad to our son and who has re-discovered the joys of being fit and healthy ;p.

- for a helper who is great with my son & who is there to help me with all manner of house work while i'm pregnant with my second child.

- for contributions from friends & family in the form of birth/baptism/birthday/festive etc angpows for my son which has resulted in a healthy savings account for him.

- for the opportunity to venture into newer pastures later on this year :)

- for the good relationship that i have with my in-laws.

- for parents who are retired, able and willing to help with whatever i need especially when i'm on maternity leave.

- for a sister who lives nearby. at least i dont feel so alone.

- for the ability to contribute to charitable causes. even if it’s only in small measures.

- for facebook cos as cliché as it sounds, it has certainly made the world a smaller place.

- for blogs so i get to improve my typing speed & skills ;p

- for having a small frame so it's easier to lose weight post-pregnancy. (let’s hope this is true this time around)

- for having received a nice bonus. it certainly is a welcome windfall especially this year.

- for friends who are available for online chats especially on oh-so-boring days.


There’s definitely more to be grateful for but let’s just call this entry a work-in-progress.

(i'm actually trying to blog surreptitiously cos there's this pain of a colleague who's constantly coming after me to do HIS work. ok, i should be thankful also for someone who thinks highly of my talents *right* that he keeps bugging me hor?)

men should learn to shut it

i'm pregnant & hormonal. dont expect me to be super-chill at this point.

YOU try carrying the extra kilos. & dealing with the hormones. & backaches. & boob aches.

oh wait, you can't cos you're a guy. & so not in a position to comment on this, cos you'll never ever go through it. & the only extra kilos you'd every have to carry has nothing to do with bringing a another life into the world.

men are so blur.

please humor me & just let me be. can or not? yes, even if i feel like going shopping. so what? hows that gonna kill you? also, lets apply some logic to the whole picture ya: i'm pregnant & in my 3rd trimester. just how long do you think i will last walking about in a mall? and do you seriously think i'll want to do it more than once a week, if at all? in any case, so what if i like shopping? i shop for necessities anyways. to feed YOUR child (& you). apa lah...

&, it isn't like you've offered to get the baby's things ready (not that you would know what to get, right??). yet when i want to do it, you want to give me a hard time. please lah, give me a break. it's enough that i have to deal with all the physical discomforts. you want to be a big hero & add on to that summore kah?

so, hello, lets do try to be a bit more patient & understanding & supportive. it really won't kill you. i promise.