Men’s Wear Trend: Water Colors
LEFT: Nautica’s poly swim trunks. RIGHT: Orlebar Brown’s poly swim trunks.
Photo by Kristiina Wilson
The look of love =)
NYC Ballet Salutes France at Spring Gala
Benjamin Millepied and Natalie Portman in Dior
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Hike
My Saturday nights usually spill over to Sunday mornings, thanks to good food, good drinks and good company. However, because the drinks and the company will soon be gone, I have slowly started to look at other ways to fill in my soon-to-be-quiet week-ends. So this morning, I decided to join a group of like-minded folks and go on a hike at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
The Pinoy in me who has trekked Mt. Pinatubo, Batad, Sagada and even Batanes underestimated the hiking that Singapore has to offer. I thought like a lot of wonderful things here, the trail will be fixed, artificial, man-made. I also thought there would be steps and concrete railings, and that there would be rest rooms on the way to the summit. I was wrong and happy about it! This hike had a lot of surprises =)
Yes, there were concrete steps but they were killer. It was easier to take the side path. I think we went up about 250 steps. At some point, I could hear my heart beat, really, in my right ear. I had to stop and catch my breath while the rest of the group carried on. I found myself doing the ujayi breathing I learned from yoga.
The nature reserve was really lush with greens. At some point, for us to reach another point, we had to walk over a giant fallen tree trunk. We almost did a rappel of sorts but sideways to get to the other side, it was that huge.
The best surprise was the group I hiked with. Majority of them were locals, thus being the “foreigner”, they were curious about me in a way that didn’t scare the anti-social person that I am. Two of them offered me a ride home and I must admit I really had a nice chat with the one I eventually left the place with.
I must admit also that I miss those conversations you have with people who you just met, but seem to be interesting and interested. I miss getting to know people, not those in the office, but those you want to talk to about nothing and anything. I miss the excitement that comes with being with someone for the first time and finding out you have a lot of things to talk about.
Here’s to more pleasant surprises!
I just opened this week’s @EW gatefold cover of the Magic Mike cast. I died. :-P (Taken with instagram)
Photo by Mario Sorrenti
How YOU doin’ Tom Cruise?
Be sure to come back here Monday at 8pm EST for the full story and photos.
Tinman in progress
Today was a manic Monday in the office. Promotions were announced. Those planning to resign/have resigned went through THAT talk with the boss and HR asking if you are really sure about your decision, blah, blah, blah.
I’ve been working for more than a decade but some things pass the test of time:
1) If you don’t voice out your concerns, fears, worries, doubts, unfulfilled dreams, the company will always think you are okay, you are happy, you are content with your salary, your increase, your bonus and even your title. I never was the one who let emotions get the better of my decisions but I realize now more than ever that if you feel the company is complacent and has taken you for granted, you are right (!) and unfortunately you allowed this to happen.
2) Though your boss/manager/director/etc will always say they do not have favorites, they do. And though you say you don’t care, in your heart of hearts you really do. Thus when you hear them sing praises about someone else as if they are God’s gift to the company, you get affected, surprisingly in a negative way that you didn’t see coming (because you thought you didn’t care, despite the hours and week-ends you spend in the office). This brings me to my third point.
3) It is hard not to care, especially when you know some people are really factually and objectively not solid performers.
4) Politics / power play / game of thrones (LOL) exists even in the smallest and seemingly harmless offices. And there are people who know how to play this game. And this people are not necessarily superior, skills-wise. Thus those who are in the upper ranks are not all really what you would call role models who have solid fundamentals. As my officemate said, they know what they want and they know how to get it
5) I want to make a point about the good winning over evil. This seems exaggerated but really not all who are genuinely good are rewarded and triumph over the meanies. However in the real world, in the corporate world, some of the most mean and vicious people get the accolade.
6) One must not get attached to the boss, or to someone superior. I always had a tendency to become enamored with my boss, almost place him/her on a pedestal. However, I Learned the hard way that when it’s their time to leave, they will without consulting you. And when push comes to shove, they can even drop you (like it’s hot LOL), even if you think you are good, and even when they tell you that you are. Why? Because they also have their own personal interests in mind and in the end that has more weight.
7) In the corporate world, you must always think about your self, your own plans, your own career goals. Because no one else does (or at least the level you wish them to). You must always put your self first. And you must always ask “Is this really worth my time?”. If not, then it is time to move on.
