I just get back from business trip from Singapore last Sunday. The business trip was from Tuesday to Thursday. I’m not very eager to go on business trip, especially Singapore, which I regarded as boring country. But I would like to catch up with old friends, and since Friday was a holiday, I decided to stay at a friend’s apartment in Singapore until Sunday. It was a worthy experience, though.

Joining me in the trip was my colleague, an Australian Permanent Resident. He was never in Singapore before, except in Changi Airport and Orchard Road. I decided to show him around Suntec City, Esplanade, Merlion Park, Raffles Place, and Boat Quay. He enjoyed the tour so much, that, upon returning to our Hotel, he said that he would consider working 1 or 2 year in Singapore.

Then, during my extended stay, I got a chance to meet a group of young Indonesian people, who are working or studying in Singapore. They are all between 25-35 years old. Some of them do Scuba Diving, so we were changing stories. One of them is also a sport freak, doing sport almost everyday. It was really a fun evening, chatting with an old friend, met and hangs around with new Indonesian friends, and walking around the Beach of Sentosa Island.

So, what’s so special about those things above? It has made me rethinking my plan to work in Singapore. If Singapore is all the fun, walking around the old colonial city of Raffles Place, or hang around with fellow Indonesian, I would really like to stay there, for 1 or 2 years. For 2 days I was tempted to apply for Permanent Resident.

So whether I move or not, let the time tell you. But for now, I’m rethinking Singapore, from a boring country to a nice place to hang around with fellow Indonesian people.

January 2005 has been only 13 days, and I feel that a lot has been going on. I still can remember of how much I enjoy my holiday between Christmas 2004 and New Year 2005. I’ve been living my dream life, reading books, feeding fish, 24-hour internet connection, lunch with my girl, went to downtown to finish some tasks, and most important, didn’t need to spend 2 hours on the street everyday.

Yet, the first 13 days of 2005 has brought lots of difference. All started from last Monday, when I had a 1-to-1 session with my boss, to discuss about my last year’s performance, and the furutre plan for me. Turns out that he promoted me as team leader. Well… it is not an official position, but it gives me chances to improve my skill, leadership, communication, negotiation, and many more.

Then the next day, the boss called me again, for something important. He had another surprise, he want to convert me as permanent employee, and requesting my personal commitment to stay with my company for at least 3 years. Hmmm…. I was a contract before, and I know, being a permanent employee opens up lots of posibility for growth, in career, in rewards, and in many things.

As much as it is, this morning I got my last reward for this 13 days: someone offered me a PDA. Well… I might not get it soon, but I sure to get some, might be a PDA, something that I want to buy, but couldn’t justify the needs.

Hmmmm…. life is indeed good for the last 13 days….

Mastering emotion control meaning that you are able to thinking without emotion. It means that you are able do do a decision making process without involving your emotion. I think this is an important skill if you ever want to be a leader. Thats why I put it as my personal goal for this year: to master the emotion control.

I blew it up!

Few days ago, one of my colleague touched my soft spot: he being negative thinking. I try to avoid the situation by giving ambiguous answers, but he kept pushing, until I lost a little bit of my emotion control. He finally shut up.

I regret it somehow, especially since I know that what he was thinking was going to be happened. Luckily, I wasn’t in the middle of deccision making process.

Well…. the year has just started…. still a lot of time to keep trying, make mistake, learning from it, and move on

Time flies, year 2004 has past. We grow older and (hopefully) wiser .

Last year was a very wonderful year for me. I went to 3 new places, Bali, Bangkok, and of course, the lovely Bangka and Bunaken at Manado. I managed to fulfill my financial goal, learning and invest in mutual fund. I made a lot of new friends, friends that cheered up the passing year, and I hope will also make this year another wonderful year.

Nevertheless, I do miss some of my personal goals, which I gonna try to make it up this year. I would like to improve my emotion control, communication, and leadership skill. Also, I would like to improve my financial and business skills… maybe if I can turn back time, I would consider economics . And also, I would like to start my own business…. got lots of things running into my head, just need to pull up the guts. I also have some financial goals, which I’ll keep as my secret .

So…. lets open the first post in the year with a prayer:
“Thanks God for a wonderfull year that have passed, a year full of challenge, pain, yet, they made us stronger. A year full of joy, chance to praise Your creation of the land sky and sea, A year full of happiness and wonderful friends. May You guide us in the coming year, and make us stronger, to fulfill our purpose as Your servant, and as human being… Amen”

Happy New Year 2005.