Information Update

I have been superbusy when back in Sunway after exams. Also lonely, the fact that Monash students left for their long break and most ACCA were on theirs as well. For me, I was mainly back to settle a couple of things. I attended interviews and relied on Eu Jhin's place to avoid traffic in the morning. The interview process was gruesome. After all it is my first time attending job interviews and obviously I had to take it seriously. They went well and I was offered a position by both firms but had to say no to KPMG as it was logistically impossible.

To my delight, I got an offer from PricewaterhouseCoopers too and I accepted it as this firm is one of my choices. But I believe you can learn abundant from any Big 4 firms. Most of my friends were already recruited by Ernst & Young before the exams so there were not many left to go for PwC. Work starts in mid-March so I have quite a long break. Most friends start in February which is just nice. But I was encouraged by friends and family, mostly the working class, to take a long break before embarking on my career, a long road ahead. I know where this is coming from. Sides, I finished my course early, an extra month break is justifiable.

But I am already starting to get bored having nothing to do. I would like to try do a part-time stint. It would be an experience since you’ll never get a chance to do it when you start your full time job. It’s also nice to know whether you are capable to do jobs like this. Anyone has any interesting positions to offer me? Or any freelance jobs or events? You’re probably looking for the right person here. *wink*

Speaking of which, the financial crisis is such an untimely situation. Initially, my friends and I eyed Singapore as our employer but the economic situation there is currently bleak. Retrenchment, headcount freeze and paycuts are happening from what I heard. In fact, the whole world is going through a hard time. 2009 is going to be worse. The figures and forecasts don’t lie. 2009 is a trying time for world politicians and economist and hopefully they can get us out of this mess. The sad part is retrenchment. Families are going to suffer with no regular income. Eventually, most of us postponed the idea of working there and settled for employment here. We’ll wait till times get better. Now is actually not a very good time to graduate. But we are thankful we still get a job at times like this.

I have finally packed and moved out of my condo. I didn’t realise I have so many things in my room till I unpacked everything. Thank god my roomie left and no replacement yet. My things were all over. This is only a fraction of my wardrobe. I did my shifting out by phases so it won’t be like a disaster when trying to move everything in one day, which is not possible. With some nagging and shouting here and there, let’s just say the move out process turned out quite well.

I’m no more bound to rules, curfew time, restrictive behaviour, poolside café food (which I have been taking 2 years but realised it wasn’t so bad after all) and sharing a room. I actually miss the condo mostly for its convenience and location near my favourite mall, Sunway Pyramid. I never got tired of it since its renovation. I think it has a good mix of tenants for the right demographic. Its unique architecture makes it an attraction for foreign tourists especially from the middle-east and TVB Hong Kong’s favourite location for their Super Trio Show.

During the December holidays, I hung out with friends mostly in malls watching movies and having meals. Here we were having a tough time deciding where to eat lol.The outings were mostly after interviews which means I have been to Mid Valley Megamall for a couple of days consecutively. Personally I don’t really like it there, I don’t know why. I think it is because the ceilings are low. Call me weird but space is crucial in the retail business. Sides, the layout is bad with a centre court and four wings spanning from it, means shoppers have to come all the way back to centre to venture into another wing, which to a not regular visitor like me, is confusing. The Gardens Mall just opposite however is better, but because it is mainly high fashion, not everyone can afford to shop there. But with these two malls combined, the Mid Valley City has virtually every fashion outlet you are looking for. They have a strong combination of departmental stores i.e. Metrojaya, Jusco, Robinson’s, Isetan. The only one missing was Parkson.

So I have watched more movies than usual during December to kill time. Twilight, Bolt, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Wild Child, Ip Man, Transporter 3, Yes Man, Bedtime Stories. They all made good entertainment. Bolt is interesting and the character is painfully adorable. Animations now are no more cartoons of yesteryears. The people behind Disney and PIXAR (now under Disney) are very talented and it's good they are not only targeting the younger audience but adults alike with their intelligent script. Ip Man (as in Yip Mun and not I. P. Man like I thought initially) is also an entertaining martial arts film. Though set in the 40s during the Japanese occupation, it does not revolve solely on martial arts like Wong Fei Hong or something. It has an interesting screenplay.

House hunting was very stressful at first. Trying to find a suitable place to accommodate everyone at a reasonable price is not a walk in the park. Thank you Joshua and Tiger for doing most of the work at first. In the end they found a house in SS2 and decided that it is the way to go as condos are expensive. We saw this house we thought was the right one but there were a couple of things that was an eye sore, like the ancient and dirty toilets. My parents disapprove of it.

But thank god they found another one nearby so we don’t have to start from scratch. This looks much better and with more rooms it can accommodate all of us. It’s got a new coat of paint. The only shortcoming is it is not furnished at all, so we’ll have to buy quite a number of things when we move in. SS2 is a strategic location but very densely populated. There will be jams. So, we will have to learn to get used to the life in the Klang Valley.

So that’s what I’ve been up to during December. Having so many to do, I barely have time to blog. I will have now as I am back in Ipoh and have nothing much to do. But the internet got cut so I am now waiting for it to come back. I realised that the internet has become an indispensable part of my life. Well not yet as basic need of my life, but without it things get extremely difficult. It’s like I loose touch with the rest of the world. I am sure you all can relate to that.

I will be at the Star Education Fair at the ACCA Pavilion in one of the Exhibition Halls in KL Convention Centre this Saturday and Sunday 10th and 11th January 2009. Look for me if you guys are there aite!

Happy New Year! Have a good one ahead! Cheers!