Lite Coleslaw

My city life officially starts today. After all the excitment of starting an independent city life, there are worries about rent, bond, expenses etc. How do you know your landlord/landlady will return your bond in the end? Does contract really take effect in the end? I mean, if she doesn't want to return the bond, what could you do?

U wont believe this -- I'm flying down to Wellington for the final interview with MED SOON!

U wont believe this -- I got an email from L'Oreal, confirming the time of the first interview! And my interviewer will be the classy HR manager Jeff. Hope Jeff doesn't like googling people's name, otherwise... hey Jeff, "classy" is definitely a word with positive meaning!!That means you have some good quality in you... though I know you might have already known this... hehe.

U wont believe this -- I am hired by a tv program production company. Work includes the business plan for its international expansion and long-term/short-term plan. It just sounds so fimilar when its managing director told me "We are experts in XXX, but would like you to look at our business from a strategic viewpoint...". Anybody did case competition with me here? It's usually the last sentence of a case. (OH Brendon ~~~ I love U!!! Yeah, without my business case competition coach I wont know that much about consulting/business plans, though university does teach a bit of that.) Ok, no more info about this company as it will be my responsibility to keep them confidential. (Guess Paul R will totally agree with this! It's Paul's working style. See~~ I think about you Paul when I am writing this! :P) U also won't believe this that they give me fulll trust and also complete answers to whatever I was asking this morning. Ha, I see the responsibility!

U wont believe this -- More news on job hunting. An OZ company doing economics consutling wrote to me ask for my transcript and said my CV looks impressive. Catherine, my marketing research lecturer, she wrote to me as well, explaining the job opportunities in her hand. hah!

U wont believe this -- Now I started to worry about who I wanna be/which career path I should take? A few choices here if you would like to give me a bit advice: 1) MED's graduate analyst. 2) Marketing assistant in L'Oreal.Might have the opportunity to go to NYC or Paris after a few years' working. 3) An economist somewhere in this world. It could be the most or the least promising job, depending on who's hiring me. 4) Market researcher in ACNielsen. How far could this go? Anywhere where ACN has a branch/office!

Oh, I'm a bit confused AGAIN! But I'll find a way out, no worries AT ALL!!!  It's Jiani's working style -- brainstorming goes first and I'll see a big pic (it's also what i told to the director of the company I'm working for. Oh should I use "consulting" rather than "working". Ha, title is not important).

What you hear right now is called "Le Jazz et la Java". Just found it last night. Share it with all of you

Ha, another 'end of daze' story, following the one I wrote at the end of last year. Yeah, again, yesterday was the last day of the first semester 2006. Half of my Honours year has gone, but I'd reather think it this way -- I still have the other half left, during which I will move into the town, having a city center apartment (well, just a room!);I will start learning French (again, this time should be the third time I START learning French, sigh!); I will find myself a job (oh, Ministry of Economic Development gave me a call yesterday morning -- they are going to fly me to Wellington for the final interview. And that will be early July!); I will also plan my big holidays once I decide where I'm going to work and when I have to start;... ;... ;... Oh, most importantly, a first class Honours!

The "to-do" list is going on and on and on...   Well, I'm someone who always carries a diary around!

So what I did yesterday?

1) Finished my essay of Development Economics and handed it in right behind my lecturer went to collect them ;)

2) PPP, which is the "Perfect Postgrd Party" in Econ dept. If you ask me what's so special about Econ dept, well, we have more parties/BBQ's/drinks than assignments! Simple calculation here -- drinks/parties after each assignment's due + beginning and end of the semester drinks/BBQ + parties every time we have our classmates' birthday! That's how economists are produced!

3) Bought the latest issue of "Cuisine" through Trademe. The magazine itself is only $1 but the postage costs me $1.50! There is a list of "Cuisine 100" -- 100  food, drinks, people, places, tools, and things we all love. If you love gourmet food and good wine, definitly check the link out!

4) Phone call from MED as I mentioned above -- a trip to Wellington early July! Oh gona try the sourddough bread in Le Moulin and the Bordeaux Bakery there!

Ha, sounds like this is all I'm into -- study, work, party, good food and wine(wine? still need to drink more! haha).

Stay at home for my BIG 'Development Economics' essay the whole weekend plus a Friday. Well, not really the 'whole' weekend - did went out yesterday and shopped around downtown - well, not only downtown, midtown, Queen St etc etc all the way to downtown :) Seems it's the day for confession today ;)

Spent way tooooo many yesterday on clothes and shoes. I didn't even have $$ in my pocket for the rent for the next two weeks(i mean, cash!). I was attracted by a black wool trench coat from a Japanese shop. The friendly shop assistant reminded me of Ian, the guy left for Japan. No wonder he's now with a Japanese girl -- you never see a shop assistant so nice and caring and say exactly what you want to say! Yeah, nice and caring Japanese girl (oh, a bit off topic now hehe...). The trench coat is of classical style, delicate, 100% wool, and most importantly, it fits me so well!  Oh and of course, costs me a fortune! However, I still think it's worth having it -- I've been looking for so long for a trench coat like this -- great quality, a bit pricey but I could probably wear the rest of my life (haha, hopefully!) Cheap stuff just doesn't fit me. I look terribly bad in those green, yellow, or purple cheap jackets :( Things come too easy are usually cheap and not that good. Hmmm, that applies to guys as well.

Anyway, the fashion tour -- the fancy name for my shopping experience -- was so good! I'm getting used to shopping by myself so I could decide where I want go, what I want to look at and  in the end buy something. Shopping with my girl friends is usually more likely a fashion show -- dress nicely and always starts with coffee or cheese cake and ends with a dinner somewhere. But those kind of shopping never end up with any positive result. What I mean by positive here is the volume in my wallrobe not the number on my bank account ;) That number is going to drop anyway, sometimes even as bad as the drop of telecom share price :) Haha~~

I really got inspired, I think, by the fashion tour. SO the next day morning of the tour(ie, today), I started my essay! FINALLY! Next week gonna be terribly busy -- Beer'n'Pizza night on Monday with the Alumni of business competition; job interview with Ministry of Economic Development on Tuesday afternoon + drinks at night with L'Oreal HR manager (a really classy old gentleman always wearing cologne), and maybe other top management people.  Oh, that means different outfits on Tuesday -- haha I should really build a big wallrobe in the uni instead of just hiring a tiny small locker ;)

Ok, enough for the break. Go back to my essay now!

How many of you have watched 'Notting Hill'?

Still remember the last part? -- Anna comes back to find the man she loves. She said -- "I'm just a little girl, standing in from of a boy and asking him to love her...."   This could only be done once in a life time... How sweet!

Winter is coming -- yeah, we are at the south hemisphere(hehe, that's what makes NZ special :) !

Ehmmm, winter... the fireplace in the George(the cuddle from the guy you adore), the hearty soup from Mum's kitchen, and the warm and soft duvet in which I bury myself. Day-dreaming in my room with a pot of flower tea, writing letters, literally, letters to friends miles miles away, or  just reading a travel book from which I imagine where my future could go ... and on and on and on...  these are what I could think about of winter.   

The George is a restaurant and bar in Parnell, Auckland. It was bought by a couple I know and it's going to be renovated into a modern Japanese restaurant (no, not even the traditional type). People love changes, as always. And changes are everywhere in a fast-paced metropolis like Auckland. But winter might be a good time to recall all the memories from past and be thankful to those who had given us a lot - love, support, and of course cuddles ...

Just got an email from 'Trip adviser'. My email is on its mailing list. A trip? yeah, not a bad idea!!

I was having dinner with some of my friends last night. It seems everybody has some special travel experience here, well, except me! I had had any great international travelling except to NZ. I don't speak any Spanish, German, or Japanese. I don't even speak English or French very well. Sounds pretty crap, isn't it?

SO I think it's time to just pick a place to go at the end of this year! Here is my plan -- either to France, studying French there, or to South America, studying Salsa down there.

Another plan here -- find a job first, then Dad's going to buy me a car. Later I'll move out from my current house and rent an apartment somewhere in the city. My dissertation is due at mid December, which means I got about 1-2 months before I starting the first full time job in my life.

Oh, speaking about "something... " in my life... I recently found out I could really get over some real tragdy in a couple of days. The only thing I know is -- I couldn't change anything once it becomes FACT. Also I couldn't change someone else's mind (yes, maybe I can, but when talking about a relationship, I'd better not.) So, just let it be...  Life is moving on!

Yeah, in that case, definitely need a trip, at least a plan! Maybe start some language courses now :)

Haha~~~ there were so many thing happened these days! Firstly, one of my best friend got a boyfriend just in those days!!! It's sooo fantastic! They know each other through MCC(Management Consulting Club in the university), they went out for food till the cafe closed, and they got sooo much in common... How sweet it is!!! Oh, it has only been one week since she met him!! So happy for her! A lesson from that -- if you like someone, just show it, just tell him/her. Don't hide anything.There is no time to wait and see (come on, I'm half way to 50!)

I got some great stories too -- the only assignment this week had been handed in on time; had my 721 test on Wednesday; found myself a private tutoring job; and the most exciting thing... hehe, something really sweet happened on Tuesday which I think will make me more devoted to my work in the rest of the week! You might ask why more work? There is nothing wrong with 'workaholic', hehe. I like it anyway! Also I don't mind being surrounded by heaps of 'workaholic'. It's fun.

Ok, time to sleep! I got a plan to carry out.  SO, I need energy, power and conficence. :)

Oh well, l'm back from the uni now... tired after the whole day's work and study...and what was waiting for me -- BCG's rejection! Yeah, I applied for it last Friday and within one week, I got its rejection!

This is the second letter within two weeks. The first one was from ABN AMRO. I wasn't to sorry for it since I'm not doing Finance and I don't really see how well I could fit into investment bank. Investment banking? It's still a fairly new word to me. But I still prepared a box for those rejections. I know I'm a little rebellious, but I just want to know how many companies rejected me before I find my very first job! And one day I will prove them that they are soooo wrong!! Don't know why, I just feel my confidence level and the number of rejections, they have a POSITIVE relationship! Yeah, haha, always positive!!

Anyway, there is still hope! There are still some interesting industries and companies waiting for me ahead.

Well, have to admit it has been almost two months that I didn't post anything here... oh, sorry....

Life is good! Finished my intern ACNielsen, went tramping in Whananaki north of Whangarei, started my postgraduate courses, and submitted the dissertation topic after the first week! I had a business idea the week before university started during Global Business Forum, where I saw Bill Clinton. (Bill Clinton, for whom I went to Guangzhou in 2000 for two months and got as high as 600 in TOEFL out of 677!!). Yeah, so here he was -- but this time he inspired me in another way!

The business plan went very well! I had a talk with my old boss and friend Jamie. He seems quieted interested in it and would like to pass the information on to his business partner(s).

I spend the rest of the time running an engineering student club -- Nexus.

Plan(s) for the near future:

* Set up the business in NZ, either as the NZ division of the Chinese company, or register under my own name -- be the boss of myself! I do need you guys help!!! If you have some idea, plzzzzz contact me! I'm back in June/July, investigating the Chinese market!

* For business purposes, I need a car. Although I guess Dad will finance it, I wanna use the money in my account!

* Job offer -- finding a right employer is like finding Mr. right. They have choices and I have choices too. And to tell the truth, I'm quite fuzzy!

Everything is on the right track so far!  Have a great weekend! Oh BTW, I did have a great day today! Had coffee/coke with a friend who is still a mystery to me! Haha, like a big puzzle. I don't see a big picture, but I see some small pieces from which I hope I could figure out what the whole picture is/who he is. 

Well, I might be too busy to do all those 'analysis'. Better just leave it there. One day I will have the whole picture, for sure! BTW, I've finished the jigsaw puzzle I bought for my 24th birthday! Super!!

Poor and stupid Chinese Communist Party!!! I got my second article pubilshed!! haha, seems your technology is still last century's!!!

Anyway, I'm gona laugh at you the rest of my life!!!

I just wrote something regarding my personal life, well, when I tried to post it, I was told -- 'sorry your article will be in investigation ... please understand ... '

I DONT UNDERSTAND!!!!!  Just because you call yourself Communism, we lost our freedom of speech??? I was having a NZ blog earlier, just because your firewall in China, my Chinese friends can't visit my blog from mainland. As a result, I have to go through all those troubles to register another Chinese blog!!

Good on ya! How you spend your taxpayer's $$$ ? Invest in technology -- YES! YES! more secured firewalls -- so that people can't spread any anti-government articles. However, does my life in the recent days bother you?? If SO, sorry, very sorry, we have more than 1.3 billion people in China  -- you got a HUGE project to do. You have to invest all the taxpayers' money into the so-called 'technology development'. And for those who control the Central Government, sorry, no more international travelling!!!

I feel sorry for you guys. Possibly you can't have a sound sleep at all. You can control what they say, but you can't control how they think about you!

Again, another crappy day!! I was assigning the district number to our panel. Each got a unique number according to where he/she lives. I made it completely wrong!!! Well, the only excuse is I don't know a lot about NZ geography :( I've been to South Island, so I know where Timaru is, where Greymouth is and where Bluff is... but don't have much knowledge about North Island : ( SO I have to assign number to those 100 farmers again, from the VERY beginning!!!

This is the only 'task' I did today. ANC paid me another 7.5 hrs just for re-doing what I did on the first week... : (

Oh but in order to encourage myself, I had a big lunch with Matt (another intern there), and his friend. It was Japanese. A Sashimi lunch box costs me $13.50... 

That's all for today! Happy Chinese New Year!!!