I was thinking to write this blog entry in Chinese. However I just couldn’t be bothered to change the language setting and pick up my tablet pen. I guess I will let myself be a slacker this time.

After the second week I must say I am geared back up to the level when I joined the management consulting firm. The work that I involved is starting to let me see the impact on the company performance, and confirming that it is the type of role that I wish to have for a long time. It definitely raise my self esteem when you are making business decision that you know that is going cause movement of millions of dollars. At the same time you know you are being trusted because you are managing a portfolio that is worth billions. Also tight deadlines are starting to test my resources and management skill. The stress and the utilisation of my mind is at extremely high level. It is a good sign though, at least proving myself useful afterall.

No matter where you work you always see the imperfectness of the corporate. My recent placement is no exception. However it is good that the management do have the mindset to think about improving the defficiency. It is scary though that my colleague reminded me that our team is already the most organised and forward thinking group of the whole section. I guess there is a rough path in front of me.

I haven’t had the urge to go to bed so early for a while…

It’s a new place near Chinatown. It had been packed for some time since its opening. I was trying to remind myself to go and try it but the right opportunity hadn’t come up, until now.

Located at such convenient location and a good range of choices that is being offered it is not hard to understand why it is pack. The place is a bit small but it is still manageable. I think it is a place perfect for couples.

Basically it is a Japanese style restaurant that adapted to the public and not sticks to traditional Japanese food. If you have been to Asia then you will know what I mean. The menu can be divded into sections for entrée & salads, Japanese noodles, Spaghetti & pizza, Japanese meals, Japanese style Dorie or Don, Set menu and dessert.

We definitely order some normal entrée and salad to start with. Then we all choose our favourites. The Seafood Dorie definitely caught my eye. It is similar to Seafood risotto but added some Japanese style to it. First the rice is pan fried with tomato juice. Second the cream sauce with cheese is similar to the Hong Kong style Seafood Panella. A very nice dish presented but the size is a bit small.

Another dish that is worth recommending is the Katsu Dorie. A new version of the classic Katsu Don but now added cream sauce and cheese. The rice is also pan fried with tomato sauce.

Other classic dishes like Chirashi look absolutely gorgeous.

The noodle soup is a also a value dish, especially in a cold winter night.

This is the first time I try the Ribs specialist in the city. The style is too American to me when I first enter the premises but I only judge the worthliness of the place by the food they serve, not the décor.

It would be a crime not to have fatty oversize meal when it comes down to American meaty cuisine so the dinner includes an apepitiser sampler and 2 of the classic style ribs.

The apepitiser includes Mozzerrelor cheese stick, Fire Wings and Potato Skins with cheese and bacon. Cheese sticks and Buffalo wings are classic US ranch style finger food and definitely no need to introduce here. One point with the Buffalo wings is definitely hotter than the ones I had when I was in Chicago. The potato skins are a nice twist. Thin cuts of the skin with a bit of potato meat on, baked with cheese and bacon. It is the healthier version of having creamy potato mash or chips. Also it is light enough not to ruin your apepitite.

The classic baby ribs of course is the must try. This is the tenderest ribs I ever had. You really don’t need the knife and can just use the folk to put the soft meat from the bones. The sauce is just right, not too much BBQ and ranch sauce to make it sour and not to sweet.

The blue bridge smoky flavour is similar to the classic but with the additional smoky flavour. The meat is also a bit firmer than the classic baby ribs. However the only difference is you need the knife to get the meat off the bone that’s all. The ribs are still tender and satuated with the nice sauce as the classic ribs with the additional smoky aroma.

If you have the entertainment book, you will also enjoy the discount too.

Impression of the first job is more like opportunist or business “hawker”. All of the success stories are of these genres:

·         You need to exploit an opportunity or timing of riding a wave, like the IT & internet wave around 2000.

·         You have a “Eureka!” one day and the client is brave enough to let you play with their money and resources and the results from it are absolutely stunning.

Impression of the second job is more like retirement village. The style of thinking is of the classic engineer ‘If it ain’t broke, why fix it?’. The financial drive is cost and if it is not absolutely have to do it is probably won’t have any initiative to get done. If any inspiration or improvement is not going to solve a problem that is visible to regulatory, stakeholders or external parties then it is absolutely hard to get the full endorsement from management.

Impression of the recent appointment is a structure corporation. Everything has evolved to a standard that everyone within the corporation is so used to it. The business itself is so well established that the business is actually welcome new thinking in order to bring new lights into it. The environment the business operates is also well developed and even the competition between competitors is so mature. You can say it is boring, but as soon as some genius ways of revolutionising the business there would be a lot of life coming out of it.

很享受這一個星期, 不再是懶懶散散, 混混沌沌, 但也同時有了要 meet target 的心理負擔。 但無論如何自己是比較想要這些負擔, 多過想繼續有moveable deadline 。 人就如炭, 在普通的情況下是不大有用處和價值。 加一些熱和壓力, 就是 graphite , 就可以有相當的硬度來做物料, 在 extreme 的熱力和壓力下, 就成了鑽石, 身價萬倍。

這星期不算太難過, 而且又有很多 lunch 和 drinks , 但很多工作已經排了給我, 想偷懶也不可能。 Drinks 是其他 agencies 搞的, 而現在立場企在第一份工的另一邊, 可說是有點不慣, 但交際上卻輕鬆不少。 感覺真的很不同, 和第一份工的感覺很相近。 很難用筆墨形容, 但當你身處在裏面的時候人本身的直覺就自動把以前的切身經歷作比較。 直覺上環境是接近第一份工, 但就多了第二份工的一些單純, 希望真的是這樣吧。

本來一直想試試到UK工作的體驗, 但就一直沒實行。 想不到現在 team 裏的同事就很UK, 足球, 品味, 口音, 一眼就看出是在歐洲住過很久的人。Irish, English & Australian 背景的同事, 是很有在歐洲工作的感覺, 但大家都不難相處, 算是幸運。

已決定了二年後搬 office , 還是躲不過命運…

PS: 給第一份工的 Start Group 朋友們, marketing agencies 的女孩子們果然吸引!

這本書「天規」買了一年了, 最近才拿出來看, 只是數晚就看完了, 簡單易明, 但能夠忠實地做到每一條天規而達至成功的人, 我敢肯定不多。 作者孫正治把二十八條實用的金科玉律用之於待人, 修己, 謀略, 事業, 雖然做足了不代表你一定成功, 但比一般人一定有多一些優勢。

真的不太覺得有一個星期, 但真的已到尾聲, 又再重新開始一個不太願意開始的 routine , 幸好自己不是留戀這種懶散的生活, 否則前功盡廢。 很少自己會這麼想有挑戰, 至少到現在那熱情還未減卻, 或者自己醒覺了吧, 要在生命留下一些值得回憶的事情…

再看一些書的時候才想起大學 Master 時的一些課也有提到這些東西, 感覺上就像在溫習一樣。 不同的是讀書時這些真的只是過眼雲煙, 入腦的最多八九成, 真正明白的只有六七成。 比起現在再重溫一次, 所能明白掌握的比當時實在多很多, 不過那時是半工讀, 做工的事也不是和讀的太有關, 可能這就是關鍵吧。 專心做一件事永遠能把那件事做到最後, 但有時天不從人願…

心血來潮再來一次房間大掃除, 把一些認為不再用的東西搬走的同時, 也把一些舊書舊CD找了出來, 想不到會重溫了一下這些, 也想不到樂趣就這樣給找了出來。 在結束和開始之間竟是一連串的重溫, 這星期雖不算是自己想要的假期, 沒有旅行也沒有大癲大肺, 但平平靜靜渡過也是不錯。

最近實在太多引誘: 

1. 車子的2006 model 竟然有 front skirt , 激氣! 現在實在想加回一些 accessories, 但改車子實在太貴…
2. 最近到處都是大減價, 幸好很多東西都看不上眼, 但還是破費了一些來替換一些要替換的衣服, 例如褲子, 但難保不會遇到令我心動的事物…
3. 看著LCD電視開始跌價, 心有一些動, 但想來想去現在屋子太小, 要換電視的話可能連屋子也要換…
4. 交 internet fee 的時候看到 Samsung 的抄襲之作Z510, 不是太肯定是不是3G, 但若果真的有3G的話, 那Z510只是沒有PDA function 和 external memory , 本來想要 Sony 的P990i, 但看過Z510(V3i的抄襲版)後我又覺得我不太須要2.0 megapixel和那一條 Memory , 這麼 slim 實在太吸引…

 太難作出決定了…

Spanish Tapas was always on my list to try, as I remember I saw the traditional Spanish dance once when I walk past the area. However somehow I wasn’t able to organise anything around Boardway and from there onwards this idea was out of my radar. This time since we are around the area, I wouldn’t dare to miss this opportunity again.

The menu was really simple, either you try the tapas (snack little dish) or the paella (Spanish pan fry rice). Since it is a small group doing Paella is really not the best choice. Therefore it is the tapas time.

We ordered 3 tapas – eggplant, pippies and garlic prawns. The one I like was the eggplant. Thin slices of eggplant were coated with flour and probably pan fried or deep fried. It is the perfect healthy alternatives for chips. The garlic prawns were a classic and absolutely must have for every time you visit a Spanish place. The pippies in white wine source were also a nice dish.

The main course is just a Spanish meat platter with chips. Compare to the tapas, this is too ordinary. However we do have the chance to have a range of selection, from lamb skewer to beef, chicken and pork. I must say the tapas are much better than any main course. However I didn’t have the chance to try the Paella so I won’t draw any hasty conclusion here yet.

每年七月都是 salary review , 今年本來不指望會加人工, 畢竟只是一個星期, 但公司還是加了那丁點兒的4%給我, 若我選擇還留在這兒我肯定心有不甘。 最悲哀的是 Head 把消息給我的時候還很興奮的樣子, 說比CPI高, 真的服了他們, 究竟他們是不是生存於現世代? 單就是前年澳洲的股票市場就有雙個位的增長, 人工只加個位增長, 還只是比通脹高些少?

至少RG比較現實, 看完申請我和DJ的位置的申請人的資歷和理想薪酬後, 一點也不說什麼, 但對我兩卻越來越和顏悅色了。 只不過夕陽無限好, 只是近黃昏。

Hellenic Club is the combine farewell lunch and company’s monthly lunch. This time it is truly the farewell lunch for me from the team.

This time the team farewell lunch is at Bar Luca, one of the hide away places in CBD for the high power people for lunch and drinks. A very nice small bar and restaurant for lunch located in the fast pace CBD.

The menu was simple but already caters for most of the gourmet that any business person thinks of. From pizza to pasta, T-bone to lamb shank, salad to sandwiches, everything you can think of for lunches are here.

I ordered a Pasta de Palermo. It is a pasta dish with penne, chicken, bacon and a cream sauce with pine nuts. A very simple dish but nicely presented. I guess for the fast pace CBD this is the best enjoyment.

The best part is the atmosphere of the place. Most of the diners I saw today are dressed up CBD executives. Therefore you gauranteed to feel like you are a succuessful business person having a power lunch with someone special.

這一次走沒有什麼依依不捨, 回看自己這決定, 大多數朋友都是支持, 認為我的選擇算是對, 而機會也是不錯。 回看自己走的這條路, 有點繞遠了一點, 但最終也沒有落後於人, 算是不錯。 現在就是人生真正戰鬥的開始。 大學畢業後到三十歲可算是見識期, 增廣見聞找人生方向。 三十至四十大約是找方向和機會, 加累積經驗和人脈關係網。 四十至五十就是財富累積期, 好可以來得及退休安享晚年。 怪不得朋友也同意, 三十歲不進管理層, 終身無望進入真正權力核心。

想來自己算是幸運, 畢業後就有機會進世界性大公司, 那種經驗真的把人的見識經驗提升至另一層次, 可不是一般公司由低做起所能訓練出來。 辛苦和福利少是不在話下, 不過之後所表現出來的見識氣度胸襟, 就不可同日而喻。 單就CV上的戰績就令人括目相看。 若給我從頭再來一次, 我也不後悔選擇第一份工作作為第一塊跳板(朋友和 agent 談時才知, 第一份工的平均年資是兩到三年, 即是大家都知普通人在那裏兩到三年後就跳槽)。

最後一次和RG performance review , 想不到RG也是想升想走, 只是苦無機會, 沒辦法, 他太專業於電力了。 也在此看到自己的幸運, 和興幸自己相信自己, 沒有繼續浪費時間, 否則十年後我可能後悔。 整個 office 就像空了出來一樣, 只不過少了兩個人, 那空虛的感覺就這麼強烈。 不過也不用擔心我的位置, 最後還是有人有興趣, 現在是價錢問題, 不過看過 market 的asking price , 越發覺自己是廉價勞工最少兩年, 自己的工作經驗比其他人強但其他人卻要這麼高價, 怪不得連BC都走。 不知是不是彌補, 今年 Christmas party 竟然是去 Hunter Valley , 不過我可不覺得有什麼特別, 或者有什麼要期待。

相信很快又年尾了, 時間越來越快, 自己根本不覺得有真正享受過每一分一秒。

最近在身邊所發生的事全都是太注重事業這方面, 趁週末把心重新定一定。 週五晚和大學同學說起公事, 分享了他們的經歷, 也對金融投資的打工 mind set 有更深的了解。 興幸自己雖然有想過進這行, 但最後都放棄, 因為覺得那不太適合自己, 而看來自己沒有決定錯誤。

週六週日只是簡簡單單的渡過, 看看書, 打掃吸塵, 舒舒服服, 休休閒閒, 2006年的下半年一開始, 就放鬆心情來應付即張開始的新挑戰。 想來今年比前年更充實, 至少這半年來不只是玩樂。

I remember that one of the company lunches that we went to was a Greek restaurant on Pitt Street. This time the farewell dinner for BC and me also happens to be Greek @ Hellenic Club

It is a set menu and the items are all traditional signature dish of Greek. It is exactly the same dish I had last time at the other Greek restaurant and therefore I think this would be my last Greek meal for a long time.

I found the pink dip (Taramosalata) is always the better one out of the two dips being offered. The pink one is grounded with caviar and it is very nice to with crusty bread. The white one (Tzatziki) is the blend of yogut and garlic.

The traditional Greek salad is a must on the table. Just remember to leave some later with the mains.

The Tiropites (filo pastry with cheese) and fried calamari were served together. The pastry is fine, but I always like the calamari more.

The Mousaka is always my favourite. This is the Greek version of Lasagna by replacing the pasta with eggplant. I tound this version is healthier compare to my original favourite.

The mains are Veal and Lamb. The Greek style roasted lamb is always a bit charcoaled. However it is still tender.