*Blubb* - Another neverending week

Oh ... As you might have recognized, I was pretty boring and lazy the last couple of weeks. Haven't published an entry for almost a month now.

This week is obviously a week dominated by RedBull / Coffee & late hours. We had a release drop to UAT yesterday night, so I was quite busy for the last couple of days.
We had 2 public holidays last week - but I was working on both of them. :-( But i will get some other days off instead, so will be alright!

What happened the last weeks: Hmm I think I've mentioned the trip to Malaysia in my last blog - and yes ... it was quite nice. Spent time at the pool - eating so many yummy things.
The first night (we arrived quite late) we just wanted to get some food, before we went out but it turned out, that the food we ordered in the hotel was soooo delicious, that we totally forgot to leave afterwards.

No joke - I mean normally the food in the hotel is like 'Good - but sterilely like McDonald's food'... Everything tastes the same - not here: It was worth trying it! Yummy

We also had our own butler - he was obviously pretty amazed / happy to have a bit a younger crowd in the hotel, compared to the other 2000 '>50 year-old' guests.

So all in all I enjoyed the weekend.

Oh yeah ... I flew back to Sydney about 2 weeks ago, to see if the company I am working for is still existing. Since I am here in Singapore, I rarely get any emails (they don't love me anymore?!). Everytime I enter the office, I see new people and the ones I know already left ... High fluctuation - in & out. The core people are still there and of course in a small company, it is way more obvious than in a large enterprise.

We went to get proper german food for lunch - This indeed is pretty funny, as everybody at the table tries to speak some words in german and keep asking me what good german beer & food is. Maybe now I know, how they feel with me the whole time ;) ...

On the weekend then, I've spent a really nice time with Vinnie & Irene at their place (Thanks again for letting me stay with you!!) and we discovered the Sydney fish market. You can sit outside in the sun and we ate this huge plate of mixed seafood and enjoyed cold drinks, before we went home to prepare for the party in the evening.

As it was Meredith's / Aya's and my birthday in Oct, Irene threw a huge party for us at their place and we partied as usual until late in the morning. Can't remember having such a bad hangover before.
After lunch, I stepped on the plane and was sleeping about 7 hrs of the total 8 ;) ... It was propably the fastest flight I've ever had ;)

The whole trip was just for 4 days, but I enjoyed it to be back. Will be coming back to Sydney on the 2nd of Dec for the x-mas party ;)
I can't believe we are heading towards x-mas already!!! It was not long time ago, when I wrote about coming home last year for new year from Manila at that time. And now?! Again!!
My plans have slightly changed in the last weeks. It seems like I will be here in Singapore for a bit longer, so I won't be back in Sydney for the big party @ NY. I really want to go home to see my family for Xmas - I just can't see myself running around the christmas tree on the beach!! - I will instead spend some more time in Germany and go skiing with my friends back home.
Not sure if I've mentioned it before in another blog, but I saw this movie about NewYork the other night - and everything was covered with snow ~~~~ Ahhh ~~~~ I miss the snow. The cold! The winter! The time while you sit in your car, waiting for the windscreen to de-frost until you can see at least up to the front corners of your car. The feeling how you can enjoy the warm air covering the whole freezing body after coming back into the house.
I've spoken to a friend about that before (he is obviously from Singapore, but you should have seen his face - I think he was close to call the 'doctors with the white jackets' for me)

I am in the right mood now, to talk about everything that comes up in my mind:
Another thing I've mentioned - which is basically close to my previous 'I am a Nightowl' entry. I honestly think, that the night is the best part of the day. Against the odd, that the night is scary & dangerous - I see it as so calm & quiet.
The dark is everywhere around you and if you are not scared, you just feel like you are discovering new things with every move you make.
Did you ever realize, that everything looks so much different at night compared to the day? You see things out of a completely different perspective.
For example there is this huge building here close to where I live. It looks really nice during the day and is well known as 'Gotham tower' from the BatMan movies. (Even the cab drivers would know where it is!!)
To cut it short this building is just amazing - an optical highlight. Statues carrying huge plates - old legionnaires - portraits of famous scientist & musicians ...
I passed by this building during the day and I thought that it was a very nice building - but I did not realize the full beauty. I then came back at night and realized how amazing and beautiful this whole building is ... I will have to post some pictures soon.
Most of the people I know, would consider the night as something to reduce their sleep deficiency. (Not that I am different - everybody needs the sleep) but I just feel so much more 'awake' during the night. I find myself up & running around in my apartment at 4 am in the morning and then - just to cover my bad conscience not to be too tired the next day - i would go to bed.

The temptation - not only to get stuck in front of the computer - but also while reading a book or watching an exciting movie yields me to forget the time. Of course I dread the next morning and the sound of my alarm clock, but to inadvertently oversleep should be permitted (especially after working long over time ;)) - don't tell my boss and believe it or not, it just happened once this year!!

*cut* - let's get back to reality ;)

Did I tell you, that I got a really bad cough?! Not that this is something very interesting to most of you, but I already have it now since more than 6 weeks!! *Argh*
Flying with all the dry air and sitting in the 'Fridge' (work) doesn't make much fun, when you always have to concentrate not to let your lungs leaving the whole body while coughing!!

So I went to the hospital this morning to do an X-Ray ... The doctor recommended me to do so, as every cough/cold longer than 4 weeks could be something severe within the lungs.
Scared as I was - I arrived there and found a pretty well working organization in this hospital. Of course I still had to wait (for the x-ray etc), but the overall process was much better compared to the one I know from back home (Especially, if you are NOT a member of a private health insurance).
The doc told me, that I have nothing in my head - it was obviously not new to me; and also my lungs seem to be alright. I have to take some more medicine and it should be gone within the next couple of days.

I've read an interesting article about the phenomenon of 'Pygmalion (in Management)' today and beside of the homage to George Bernard Shaw - the fact that the way of how you treat other people (& in a company hierarchy: your subordinates), can transform these people into a mirrored image of what you want them to be, was - scientifically nothing new - but still very interesting to read.

Or to use Eliza Doolittle's explanation: "The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she's treated"

Several projects were mentioned, where school classes were separated into one high performance & one less performing section. All this was only triggered from the way the management (in that case the teachers!) has treated them . Of course I personally would love to blame my teachers for my failed school career, but imho there are certain aspects, that make much sense. The teacher as a leading figure in the children's narrowly framed perspective - can modify their future, e.g. by promoting their ability to be 'bright & smart' - as the children would believe in that and will rise to fulfill that and of course on the other hand telling them that they are slow learning children and they will indeed learn slowly.

Of course I am aware, that there are more criterias in that whole scenario, but I like the fundamental thought.

Hmm ... that's it for today! Will head home now.

See y a soon!
Stephan