Leaving Metso......

A bad day, 25 June 2010

My last day of work in Metso Paper, a big happy family I have grown attached to. The guys, the ladies, and Lay Peng, someone whom I have grown so so sttached to that we are so sisters now. Three years, I was with Metso Paper for the shortest period as compared to all the seniors there. But it was a fulfilling 3 years where good memories are born. All the "good mornings", the lunches, the "I need your listening" ears moments, the nicknames we had for funny characters around us. My sis and I have grown so attached, this kind of one in a lifetime friend, how many people have had the luck to own one? My ever so accommodating, understanding, patient, generous, kind, and everything perfect sis, it was a relationship which I hope would last forever. Leaving Metso has been a tough tough decision.

Then there are the guys, let's start with Bjorn Olausson, the tall handsome boss of Metso Paper. He was a kind, soft spoken gentleman to everyone. Totally no "air" about him and ever so welcoming you into his room guy.

My other boss, Mr. Nelson Koh, the one who actually conducted my interview session with Vivien the HR Manager. I still can remember the interview session with the two of them in the little meeting room over in our old Science Park office. Coincidentally, I went for 3 seperated interviews all in Science Park within a week, Metso was one of them. I still remember Vivien the really pleasant HR Manager when I first met her. She is so pleasant, professional and makes oneself feels so at ease. I even noted she felt so motherly. Nelson, he is Mr. Perfect, a guy for details, filing with his own taste and standard, stern, a real gentleman and funny at times. Oh ya, he can be vain too, I still remember him telling us about his colour matching ties at home all properly matched with his row of shirts. Then there's also Nicole, Nelson's wife, a pleasant sweet lady whom's so matching with Mr. Koh. This guy has given me so much as he gave me the opportunity to start with Metso, joining into a nice family, a real good job, and even sending me for studies to further upgrade myself. Though I hardly ever made the effort of talking to him frequently, but still there is a bond between us and this is part of why it took me a long hard time to talk to him about my leaving Metso.

Mr. Murugan Batumalai, a very high "EQ" guy! He is ever so cheerful, funny, friendly and sweet. He carries with him an air of sophistication, his shiny head is also an attraction. Somestime he makes me feels like he's attained enlightenment and oh yes, he is really good with his yoga moves, I am deeply impressed as he showed me once how he can bend over forward to touch his forehead effortlessly against his knees while standing.

Mr. Ang Hock Seng, an uncle who I have grown to understand and love over the years. He has years of experiences in the work field, so too has his rich experiences in life. A very very lucky man with 3 lovely capable smart children with attainment of Honors in education. Mr. Ang would have been so much more happier if he try to relax more with his children. An uncle whom is so fatherly, taking care of me and as we shared little talks frequently.

Mr. Pow Wan Fei, a very very cheerful and simple uncle. He is a compliment with Mr. Ang as they are often the "Ang Pow (Red Packet)" in my dictionary. Mr. Pow, a fatherly figure who frequently makes extra effort to get breakfast for Lay Peng and me on those special mornings. And oh, he's the handyman in our office too, we can always find him coming up with ideas to fix some things that are not working or needs improvements.

My dear sister, I did a good job of keeping myself occupied and going as per normal around the office right till the last day. But I noticed her puffy eyes as the days go by, it was a tough one for me as I had sleepless nights. And today, right till the last moment when Lay Peng gave me a hug, I couldn't control my tears as they came flowing down hard. I could not bear to leave my dear buddy and sister, I had to hug her hard. And Patrick (just like most men), had to tease me about us women being too sentimental.

There's Chitra our IT helpdesk who has been wonderfully patient and helpful. She is frequently called to Metso Paper for help and we really love her. I had to often irresistably tease her whenever she is in our area to help with IT problems.

Mr. Janetud Chawengsrethakul, my Thailand friend, he is quiet, very man and funny too! We like to call him Mr. Thaksin, and he has a weakness for greeneries (plants) as he places pots of them around his room in the office. It was good therapy watering them whenever he is out of town on business trips. A short break away from the computer screen to water the plants really helps soothe the eyes. And he is so into sports especially badmintons, a big fan and a player every Saturday.

Ms. Yip Hwee Lee, one good friend I have had the honour to make, she is working in Metso Automation. A very very lovely friend and my favourite is to often make her laugh till she goes red in the face. It is really funny. She is a sincere and true friend, a rare find. We can share little jokes, complaints and gossips. I will miss all these too.

Ms. Stella Tay and Ms. Teoh Ningen, two friends whom have been parts of my 3 years in Metso. They can sure brighten up your days, Ningen is straight forward and funny, she has been loaning me books on pregnancy to me, giving me cute little baby stuff as I was expecting Alex. Someone sweet, voal and with big growing tummy as she is currently expecting her baby no. 2 (a prince). Stella the soft talking demure lady, she is well maintain with frequent facials and hair treatments which I often tease her about. Funny little talks we have come to share, jokes, and little stories...

Sweet little gifts of love from my dearest sis Lay Peng... She and the Metso Paper guys dig into their secret personal savings to buy me Coach Bag and Sis has been going on mad shopping spree to buy gifts for me from her own pocket!!! Perhaps it is lucky I am going soon or she will be broke before long.

Our finance team as we dine at Triple 3 for my farewell lunch. It is those rare moments when we actually have the chance to snap a photo together. There are Angela and Jane in the front row, with Seetoh Kwee Li and Julie at the back with me. A fun dining experience, and not forgeting Mr. Cheng Ter Chiang too whom adores the Tepanyaki dish of prawns as he went around for repeated servings.

Caught Jane by surprise as she attempts to devour the yummy food!

Company Event - METSO NIGHT 13 Nov 2009

The Committee behind the scene...

The lovely grand Balmoral Ballroom of Royal Plaza on Scotts

Our lovely table setting complete with Metso's Event Card



Irressitable lovely sweet treats

Lay Peng and Stella, ladies in black

Finally, our company dinner affair ended wonderfully on 13 November 2009 night, the rain did not dampen the mood at all. Hwee Lee, Lay Peng, Stella and myself reached Royal Plaza on Scotts early to start decorating the place. Our reception area was wonderfully decorated with ribbons, our Metso signboard, lucky draw box, company color theme green / orange balloons, etc. The 3 ladies had "fun" blowing up the balloons while I was excused due to my pregnancy.

Next, we went to Balmoral Room, our very night's ballroom. The hotel staff were hard at work getting the turnover of the room done as there was an event earlier before our night's event. The earlier event's attendees were really kind of a mess, considering the litters on the floor...

The work starts as we busied ourselves around the room trying to ensure everything was in place, the setting up of the stage, the music CDs for the night, the tables for the games, etc. By 6:45pm, the guests were starting to turn up for the pre-cocktail affair by the poolside (*pity it's still raining). Luckily there's a lovely sheltered bar side by the pool for all to linger around on the chairs and tables.

All the staff started filling in for the night, atmosphere was great as everyone started mingling around. By 7:15pm, we proceeded to the ballroom, everyone in anticipation of the night's event to start. I was famished by then, guess baby must be feeling really hungry too...

Everyone started going round the buffet spreads with the accompanying music in the background. A lovely prelude to the games ahead as everyone started building up their energy. the night was successful, people was taking part in the games, mingling around with a glass of wine in one hand. Guys were getting rowdy, but overall everyone was enjoying themselves.

Finally, time for me to catch some breathe, seems like being heavily pregnant does hinder my actions in some way...

Time sure flies, it's been like one departure after another of our really homely group in the office. There's the relunctance, the heartache, the painful countdown as someone dear in our office have to leave for greener pasture. Have you ever noticed why the "baddies" seem to linger around so much more longer, while the goody ones seem to leave so soon?

The guy from the corner room whom everyone has grown to love, had to leave our office this month, with greener pasture awaiting him. What a pity, just when we have someone just so sweet, forever treating us to candies that comes in the version of "saltiness" and "sweetness". Someone who would always be telling us happily about his golfing trips over the weekends, to the various golf clubs in town and nearby Indonesia islands. His warm enquiries about how my stomach's doing as he remarked frequently how big it's growing.

There would be some getting use to, as the corner room remains empty for the moment. He's just flown back to Sweden home, I'm looking forward to his return in December for his planned holiday in asia. Hopefully I will be seeing him them...

A little about my Company's 2008 Dinner

My colleagues, my joy, this is one family I have been with for one year three months. Alrite, there's Bjorn, Lay Peng, Pow, Benny, Ang, Nelson, Murugan and Janetud. Year 2008 year end dinner was a joy and lovely evening at Orchard Hotel's Lavender 2 ballroom on 24th November 2008. What makes a good dinner would comprise of whom you are dining with, and in this case, I have the joy of sharing a table with people I love.

Lay Peng was my best buddy in the office, this is a rare find. Especially considering she's my senior whom's been with the company for ten over years.

She's always guiding me along, patient, kind, wise, lovely, pretty and everything. How often is it that you could actually find a buddy whom treats you like a sister in the work place? I am appreciating her alot and one of the factor that makes me looking forward to each day at work, would be her and the other great guys in our business group. Haha, I am getting all sentimental on a Monday afternoon. This is so strange, perhaps it's the powerful lunch I had just a short while ago and the chicken rice is doing something funny to me??! Nelson, whom you won't see in the photos here, is my boss in charge initially...

But well, things kind of change and following, there's some reporting changes in our work. Oh well, anyway, he's still my boss. A kind bespectacle teochew man who is always busy, with piles of paper on his work desk... Something funny too, he's got about 4 - 5 suitcases in his room, each is designated for which countries and length of stay he would be on a business trip. I remember one of my 3 sons asking him why his room is so messy when they were visiting me in the office one day. Haha, kids would be kids, so frank and innocent.


Then, there's Mr. Bjorn and Mr. Benny, two swedish men. Mr. Bjorn is our business unit's vice president and Mr. Benny's our senior inspector. Both are rare men whom doesn't womanize, rare because to me, all Ang-Mos are flirts and womanizers. Haha, sorry!!! Opppppps.... Benny's very cute, he's sometimes shy when I tease him about his Singaporean chinese gf, he's sweet becos he's always offering us lovely sweets from Sweden when he's back from his home trips. There's the unique black swedish sweets which taste salty!

There's Janetud, a Thai nationality whom is firm and sometimes joke with us alot, a good homely guy. Pow and Ang is really good uncles, they took good care of me and Lay Peng, always stuffing us with food such as you-tias, han ji beng and cakes... I'm seriously getting so fat. Murugan's an Indian and he's seriously funny too, he can do serious stuff of yoga, bending over into half, touching his forehead against his knee caps. Perfect and wow!

A very tiring Tuesday *Yawn Yawn*

I am super tired today, my eyelips could not bring themselves to be lifted up today, and I see eyebags! A late Sunday night from attending the Channel 8's 45th anniversary event, following by a company annual dinner last night which ended at about 2200 hours, it proved to be a stress. My face features are showing the after effects symptoms already.

Dinner of 5 tables was held at Orchard Hotel's Lavendar 2 ballroom, with a Chinese wedding going on just at the opposite Orchard Grand Ballroom. Kind of a bad arrangement as the reception is just facing our ballroom and guests are a bit confused as to whether the settings of standing tall tables with peanuts and drinks are for which side of the guests.

The dinner was good, with courses of dishes such as cold dish comprising of tempura prawns / fish cake scallops / baby squids / jelly fish strips / thin slices of tender roasted duck, thick sharks fin soup with big chuncks of crab meat, big fresh scallops on simmered veggies, big dry scallop too on another dish, steamed fish, E-fu noodles and so on. Services were good, our plates were changed after each dish, serving staff were pleasantly polite. One bad point would be the E-fu noodles, it was badly done and soggy with gravy, look really unpleasant.

Another highlight of the night, the lucky draw prizes which were a disappointment. With 18 prizes going from a pair of movie tickets, 4 tickets to the Singapore Flyer, $30 voucher to Ben and Jerry Ice-cream, F&B vouchers to Taiwan Porridge and $250 Starhub vouchers, etc. I am totally thankful that I have won much better prizes elsewhere.

The washroom for the ladies, it was lovely done up and well maintained. We brought along 2 cartons of red wine and they were finished up by our guys, quite a few were tipsy so we guessed most of them would be late in reaching the office the next day. Atmosphere were great, everyone were joyful and enjoying themselves.

Today, I ended up really tiring and hope I don't doze off... must go for more tea and coffee to brace myself up eventhough they don't seem to have any effect in keeping me awake even when I took them before sleep...