Yeah, it was pretty damn fancy. And huge.
But that's not the best thing...


THE FOOD WASSSSS.
Oh my lord.
For appetiser, we had jellyfish salad with ngoh hiang. And then main courses were omg, are you ready?
1) Laksa
2) Chicken Rice
3) Char Kway Teow
4) Satay
5) Roti Prata with Curry
6) Brocoli Vegetables
7) Chinese fungus vegetable

THERE WAS SOOOO MUCH FOOD. Nobody could finish everything. I tried, I really did. Everything was so good, but there was too much and if I had a microwave, I'd dabao everything back home. I would, I really would. Unfortunately, I don't, so I dabaoed... the fruits hahaha.

And the dessert was:
1) Bobo cha cha
2) Goreng Pisang
3) Moon cake

I swear the Singapore embassy has loadsa moolah to splurge yo, in a fancy hotel, and I didn't even have to fork out a dime. Everything was FOC as all kiasu Singaporeans would love. It was overindulgence... I think this was more food than any wedding I've ever attended.

Plus we all had SG50 goodie bags to take home.

And we were entertained by none other than...



Ms Irene Ang.
I pitied how at the end of the day, she had to keep smiling for all of us and just be totally PC to everyone haha. Celeb life.

The dress code was red and white. I have a red skirt and tried to find a nice white shirt but I couldn't. So I got out my Peranakan top to go with my black jeans. Didn't care if it was appropriate. Didn't wanna wear the full set, coz I'd be mistaken for a Burmese. Just by wearing this top, I was mistaken already.

And just before I took this picture with Irene Ang, I offered to help two dudes take a picture for them. And they were wearing longyis so I struck a conversation with them. They turned out to be such nice people and hilarious as well. All of the Singaporeans who were there were business people but these two.... were TOURISTS HAHAHA wearing the traditional longyis at a posh event. And I felt the most at ease when I spoke to them. Coz everyone else was on their guard and selling themselves coz it's sorta a networking event.

I was then introduced to their friends and they asked me to join them at a bar. Initially I was a bit intimidated lah coz all older than me and seemed to have made it in life. While I, just a lowly intern hahaha inferiority complex.

But guess what? Throughout the session, they were giving me tips on my career life and I felt happy that they'd bother to. At sessions like these, I'd usually be the one who'd facilitate discussions and listen to other people's ramblings but this time, it was constantly directed at me and they kept giving me advice on how I should chart my career pathway.

Here were some of the pointers (I took them down when I reached home bahahahaha coz, hey, some things happen for a reason)
1) Find a mentor
2) Know your pathway - coz every portfolio counts. Don't randomly do random jobs after graduation.
3) Stay out of your comfort zone
4) Make yourself stand out
5) Be an opportunist
6) Tell people what you want to do when they ask what your plans are
7) Challenges of being a girl
8) Always try to see the good in people
9) Create LinkedIn (major lol)

I know they seem very all over the place and it's the sorta stuff that commercial books on "101 ways to be Successful" would say. But these people were telling them right to my face and telling me about their own experiences and how they had wished there were people like them to tell them these things when they were at my age. (they never revealed their ages but I reckon they're in their late 20s, early 30s. also, when I revealed my birth year:1992, they went bollocks) It was a moment to remember.

Before we left, they went around the table and each of them gave me one piece of advice to take away last night. I figured then, that I may never see them again.

Even one of them said, that he believed in fate and the reason why they met me and were here in the first place meant something. I would like to think that too haha.

I eventually found out that two of them were lawyers, one of them a banker, and the other from IE Singapore who works closely with the embassy over here. And I... just.... can't believe how they were really down-to-earth people. I mean, I only met them for a few hours at an SG50 event but I felt comfortable enough with them... When (not if) I become successful, I want to still be relatable and approachable like them.

But there was a catch.

Before we were about to lift our butts off our chairs, one of them asked me what I had to offer to say to all of them. So yes, I was put in a spot. And I didn't have time to really think. They told me, "Don't say 'thank you for tonight', don't say 'it was great meeting you all'". For some reason, I already had my answer and I straight out told the lawyer, "No, I won't say that."

I looked at the ceiling, took a breath, felt my skin crawl and spoke: "I read this article recently and it talked about how work should be meaningful. I know before you went into your careers, you all had aspirations to fulfil. But in the midst of work, there were rules, regulations and the bottom line. Money became that bottom line. But I hope that you would remember why you came into this job in the first place - what you were made for."

I felt like that was a pretty good answer HAHAHA. Pretty idealistic but I think at my age, I still have that idealism and I hope to not be overwhelmed and ruined by the mundanity and motions of work by the end of my career. And I hope they got something out of that as much as it was for me, when they showered me with their useful advices.

And yes, they paid for everything. My drinks, my cab.................... I couldn't take it, I even expressed how I felt whenever these things happen but they're like "aiya, when I was at your age I was like that too, it's fine."

Sometimes being an intern is good coz they know what kinda income I'm earning. But still, I cannot get over being only on the receiving end. It's terribly awkward for me.

Though I thought I wouldn't be seeing them again, they told me to join them again for dinner. And yes, I awkwardly agreed to. I feel like a burden. What do I have to give man???

So tonight, I will be meeting them for dinner and I told them I'd go only if I get to contribute and if the conversations don't solely revolve around me hahahaha.

This was one of the first of many SG dinners over here in Yangon that I've been to that I actually enjoyed....


2) Colleague's birthday







Here are my colleagues hahaha.
And the Kiwi intern isn't here coz he went off to Phuket. It's mandatory for us to renew our visas every 70 days so we have to get out of the country and come back to Myanmar to renew it. I already did the first one when I went back to Singapore for my graduation and I'll be doing another one, this time to KL for... something special ; )

Our boss heard us singing and joined in lol. Then offered to have a birthday company lunch at KFC the next day. I know, KFC is like the biggest thing here for them alright. First major fast food chain to enter the market... But I'm not complaining. Crispy fried chicken is always goody for my tummy.


3) Brother's convocation



----

So yes, I am sincerely happy right now, where I am.
I'm 80% close to completing my internship documentary video, quite satisfied with it. I just don't know how uploading the video on YouTube would happen coz the internet crawls here.


Also, have you caught....


It's currently on my list of ALL-TIME FAVOURITE MOVIES, I swear.
It's such a freaking awesome movie. An animation but so deep. Cuts so deep... I cried buckets watching it and I watched it with my Burmese friends so I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from sobbing out loud. But they found out eventually after the movie lol.

I could relate to the movie so well and I want to list down all the things I thought meaningful but I've already aggressively done so with Sianpei over whatsapp. The movie came out in Myanmar earlier than Singapore so I urged her to watch it. All the concepts in the movie were so intelligently crafted. I thought I was the only loser who enjoyed the movie but everyone else who watched it, enjoyed it as well. I don't usually like cartoons and animation unless they're UP (which also is a Pixar movie) and Shrek (another all-time favourite)

I love how I didn't even find out what the movie was about and just went straight into watching it without expectations.

I think I'm gonna watch it again here. Besides it only costs $2-3 to do so, PLUS IN 3-D. Suck on that suckers!!!!!

Alrightey see ya soon.