Day Zero Project – Devilishly Red

Back in business (I hope)

I haven’t been here so long that WordPress decided to teach me a lesson by locking me out. Had to spend a couple of hours troubleshooting my themes and PHP files before I could manage to get my site functioning properly again. Ugh. All these coding stuff are just not my thing.

Remember I mentioned in my last post six months ago that I had found a job but didn’t like the job scope? Unfortunately, the job didn’t grow on me so I decided not to accept the conversion. I left the company a week ago and I’m currently back in the job market again. I’ve been trying to find the elusive “nice job” in the past five years and I’ve come to realise that it doesn’t exist at all. Right now I just want to get a generalist role and hopefully be able to settle down in my next job.

I’d also like to highlight that I’ve completely failed my Day Zero Project. I said I’m a procrastinator, didn’t I? I thought by having a list drawn up I’d be able to achieve at least 50% of my goals within the specific timeline. Sadly, lists and deadlines do absolutely nothing for me. Never had and never will.

Anyway, I’m so glad to be back.

My new toys

If you ask me, the one and only perk of being employed is having an income. Obviously I’m not crazy about my job but it’s nothing new, is it? I was offered a permanent role after my temporary contract ended in February and I’ve been working at the company for nine months now. Believe me, I had wanted to make this job one that I could stay on for a few years but I’ve come to realise that I’m not into the company’s culture. Having said this, I’ll definitely hang on to it for another year at least and start looking out next year.

Anyway, back to the benefit of having a job – the money! I finally replaced my old HTC Tattoo for a new HTC One X three months ago. It was really great not having to deal with lags and factory resets anymore. Not to mention I can finally download all kinds of apps to my heart’s content and take decent pictures with my phone when the need arises.

Speaking of pictures, I also bought a new camera two days ago after weeks of research and deliberation. I’ve always wanted to get a Sony interchangeable lens camera when I first saw the advertisements for the NEX series at a MRT station when Sony first launched them a couple of years ago. At that point, I didn’t think I could afford one seeing how expensive they cost but I had wished I could get it one day to take nicer photos. When I decided it was time to get a new camera, I wasn’t sure whether it would be worth spending so much on a Sony NEX. Afterall I’ve always been a point-and-shoot camera user and I have zero knowledge in photography.

In the end, I decided to go for it since I figured the camera can last me a long time. The only issue was, I had planned to get the NEX-F3 but was “convinced” by the salesperson to get a NEX-5N instead. I’m glad I did though! I’ve been experimenting with it and the quality of the photos is fantastic. DSLR quality photos in a compact body. What’s not to like? I just need more time to familiarise myself with its myriad of features and capabilities.

Pretty in white (purely a coincidence)

I’m especially excited and pleased with the purchase of the camera because I never thought I could own one so soon. I know it sounds silly but being unemployed and broke before can make you feel this way. If not for this job, I definitely wouldn’t be able to get my hands on these new gadgets now. I guess I should learn to be more appreciative of my job.

Back to reality

I’ve been back from Taiwan for exactly a week but it feels much longer than that. Seriously, has it been only one week?! As always, I’m having serious withdrawal symptoms of the trip and I wish I didn’t have to come back so soon. Especially when I’m in my current predicament. I guess there’s really nothing much for me to look forward to in Singapore. In life, in fact.

Isn’t it nice to live a few days without having to face reality? Just like what I did in Taiwan. No need to think about my pathetic life in Singapore. Just enjoy and have fun. Quite obviously I had a great time in Taiwan. Thanks to the girls for making the trip so memorable and enjoyable. I can’t wait to go on another trip with you girls even though I know it’s difficult to plan another one in the near future. I also can’t wait to return to Taiwan. I have this belief that it’s a waste of time and money to visit a country more than once since there are so many other countries waiting for me to explore. However, I realised this doesn’t apply to Taiwan. The country’s amazing. So many things to see and do and no matter how long you stay, it doesn’t feel long enough. I wish I can visit Taiwan again. Cheap shopping, nice food and great people. What’s not to like?

Just for the record, I took more than 1,000 pictures in Taiwan. I know, I’m crazy like that. I shoot anything and everything. I promise I’ll do a trip report as soon as I can, once I sort out the pictures.

Before my trip, I also managed to complete a task for my Day Zero Project. After procrastinating for almost one year, I finally had my pair of jeans and two pairs of office pants altered to the desired length.

Back from the seamstress…

I don’t know about you but don’t you find it difficult to shop for a pair of jeans/pants that actually fit nicely? Ever since I began shopping for my own clothes fifteen (or so) years ago, I hardly ever come across a pair of pants that fit me perfectly, length-wise. They’re mostly too long for me. Now that I’ve discovered the existence of a seamstress who operates a stall in my neighbourhood, ugly fold-in leg cuffs will be a thing of the past. Hooray.