I've finally done it!

Yes, I've finally tendered my resignation giving them a month's notice! Honestly, it's a relief!

I sent an email to the HR Director in HK and copied Greg, the Associate Director here in Macau. Sent it out 17:52 and gave Greg about 5 minutes to talk to me about it. Haha!

He asked, "Why? Is it personal or something else?" Gosh... since when resignation is not personal? Whatever reason it is, it is personal or I won't quit la! Ai...

I told Greg that although my last day is the 18th, I can stay until end of July if he feels that it's necessary. Sort of promised him I would give him longer notice if I ever quit. I sent the letter at 8 minutes to 6. Greg almost ran to me and insisted that we talk. I was heading to a Karaoke session and was really not in the mood and hadn't the time to do that, I gave him 5 minutes.

I've been thinking about when to do it for quite some time. They made us redundant twice -- April and May. And we were verbally... actually casually... informed that our redundancy will be withdrawn (last working day was 31st May 2009) and that we would be given the written notice on the 1st of June. I thought to myself, wait a minute, they should pay me my redundancy package because on the 1st of June, I'm officially unemployed. And if they wanted me to continue working for them, they should give me a new contract. Correct me if I'm wrong...

That's why I planned a holiday in Malaysia and then meet Adrian in UK -- I replied and said that I won't be available on the 1st of June and that I'll be abroad and that they can call me when I'm back 2 weeks later when Donna, the Sr. Administrator (what's that word Sr. for? I have no idea!) sent me a meeting invite... ha! And she even came around and asked if I've submitted my leave application... "What leave application?? today, since Saturday (30/05) and Sunday (31/05) are not working days, is officially my last day at work!" That was so easy.

I told Greg, "You know I could just walk out and you have to give me my package, it's not that difficult." He then told me he has all the soft copies of the letters for each and everyone of us but he was told that Sam, another Associate Director (??? don't ask me, I have no clue why we needed 2 of these in one team) who was relocated back to HK from Macau when they downsized the team by approx. 80%, originally played a leading role in our team, wanted to come and do it on Monday (01/06). Oh, so now someone wants to play boss... I said, "Greg, you could be screwed for this... what if none of us turns up? You are letting this happen because someone wants to play boss??" He could not argue -- at that point, everything was verbal, nothing in writing whatsoever. Then he called HK to get permission to give me the letter, changed the date and all... I signed it.

He even asked, "If you have planned to quit, why did you sign the letter?"

Daft.

"Ermm... it all happened over the holiday..."

believe it or not?

I thought it was...

I somehow thought it was our last day -- 30th April 2009. But no, they've asked us to go back to work on the 4th of May -- the next Monday, and that iPL will give us a letter for the extension of through the month of May...

I went back because it's a team thing --- all of us have got to be there somehow or there won't be a team... I don't know what it meant but for the sake of some of the teammates who have families to support, I went back.

What pissed me off big time was that iPL couldn't give us any form of confirmation on that day, nothing in writing. and still, Greg, our SPM, expected us to come back the nex day... without anything in writing. What do they think we are? NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION? I don't know who is to blame but definitely not us!

We received the letter on the 5th of May and our pay on the 6th of May, without the compensation & the annual leave pay. Ha! Great. One more month.

It was last Thursday, 21st August. Venetian's representative told us that there'll be an extension but there's no detail yet. Great.

Whatever it is, we're gonna farewell ourselves next Wednesday: Mortons for Power Hours and then Newway Karaoke!! F**k it. I have a life --- I'm not here to lick their toes! I don't give a damn -- dismiss me if they want. I thought they were professionals but no, just a bunch of professional w**kers!

Last Day!

Yes, it was our last day today and bloody hell, I had 2 meetings to attend before the end of this... Don't ask me why. I haven't a darn clue!

At 4pm, Greg gathered all of us and asked us to return for work on Monday and that Venetian and inProjects have mutually agreed to a one-month extension of the Retail Coordination Team (this name will become history pretty soon, must mention a few more times la! hahaha!) Services. Ha! I asked Greg about a formal confirmation of this instruction, nope, inProjects is working on it but we won't get it today. I was pissed off really. Greg promised a letter from inProjects HK latest by Monday and that our last payment (with the compensation & calculation of holidays taken out) will be issued the same day... Great.

We sodded off right after that (I packed half of my stuff already actually) and headed straight to Rascals. Yes, to drink and play some pool and then dinner...

Counting Down... 2 days to go!

Yes, tomorrow is my last day with inProjects.


The team was informed that we're going to be taken on board the Venetian but nothing is happening so far, well, we've been hearing things but it's just hear say you see. As long as there's nothing on the table, no deal, that's the reality of it.


I'm just gonna pack tomorrow and then get home and the next day, get to HK and do some banking and shopping on Saturday and maybe even Sunday.

Let's just see how it goes - I'm not saying that they don't need us but at this point of time, people (Venetian) who know what we do and what we can deliver are worried... at least that's the feed back from the people who are really working, on the field. But do their concerns matter? Not really. The guy on the top can simply ask the man-in-charge here in Macau, "Can you deliver without this team?" and I'm 120% certain that he would say yes...

STRESSED OUT!!

This is about work.

We (as in the whole RCT - the ones that are kept) were made redundant end March, that makes my last working day 30th of April 2009, which is just about 6 days from now. We were told that a package is being negotiated with Venetian -- they will take us onboard and that we should get the offer (an offer with at least a 25% cut) just about mid April, which is now way overdue. And we were asked to keep it to ourselves only.

I must admit it was a big relief the minute they gave us the notice. However, when I was told about the possibility of an opportunity with Venetian, I didn't really know what to think -- Yes, I get to keep my job at least for the next few months and No, not the painful job...

I have been working my arse off (mind the language but I just can't take this any longer!!!) last couple of weeks. Providing one forecast after another, dealing with people I have never had to deal with before, contractors & consultants all over me chasing for money that Venetian owes them, countless other tasks on the line, the uncertainty that lies ahead and Adrian being so far away... I couldn't even crochet properly, no mood for House, couldn't sleep well at night, the idea of going to work haunts me every single morning, my scull feels numb and it itches big big time and dandruff starts to fall like snow and it only happens at work -- nothing at home...

And S is given his notice as well, his will come to an end this year...

Oh gosh!! I know how people are driven mad now... I'm just about losing it, sadly... I'll get a couple of drinks tonight and get a little bit of a shopping therapy tomorrow...

Farewell...

Yesterday was one of the busiest days in the year because the only one left in the Commercial Team is me. Back to square one... I started in the team as the First and only member, for 8 months, I had neither a manager nor an administrator.

Then Brian came and join us.

3 months later, Jane joined.

The team grew from slightly less than 15 to 75 at peak... so big that we have never had the chance to take a group picture together with everybody... This is just about 2/3...

Now, most of those in the picture have left.

We have delivered 2 wonderful projects (both first of its kind - so we are told) - The Grand Canal Shoppes and The Shoppes at Four Seasons. Impressive results. All of us have gained new experience and friendships working this project.

It's been a roller coater ride for some. For me, it's a part of some of the most interesting experience in my life and I will always treasure the good times and bad that we've been through together.

Hang tough, guys!

iPML Xmas "Party"

Tonight, we have our first and possibly last iPML Xmas Party at RASCALS tonight!

Paul and I have been making posters for tonight... just for the fun of it... O btw, it's a private function, hopefully no outsiders are joining us!

Chinese version

The Venetian Job

My Goodness, my job!

The Nightmare Before Christmas...

Personally, I like this one most... and I want to dedicate this to all the guys in Podium Fitout Team who's been laid off -- most of them will wake up on Christmas day and find themselves jobless... WHAT AN ARRANGEMENT!

B O R E D O M

As everybody here in Macau/Hong Kong knows, this project has been suspended until Sands actually finds his funding... While just about 90% of the whole team (all of the teams) have been laid off, and some are still sitting around serving their notices... Adrian has created this brilliant piece! It's been circulated, posted on walls and partitions in some the offices hahaha!

A job well done!

The disaster

It has been a sad sad month and it's only half way through.

First the Fitout team at 5&6 started letting ppl go when it was decided that L2&3 are suspended. Adrian was lucky to be kept and transferred down to the Casino, and that means he gets to stay -- a relief! Then it's our team, the RCT, we had to let 5 teammates go. Honestly, it did not impact us that much -- big relief. But Eric had already been laid off and Mendy was requested to resign a month ago and served her notice and left the first week of the month. She was glad to have to leave -- she was going back to Australia to get married!

This week, worse news struck early Monday - 5&6 will be suspended indefinitely, i.e. until Sands finds a financier/sufficient funding. This means that Adrian job is on the line now. He is gonna be laid off if he is not one of the skeleton team member that's been selected to babysit the project that is now at "vegetable" state (it was said that only 4 will form the team). Adrian is not confident that he's gonna make the team -- well at least that is not the impression he got from the chats that he had with Paul James. However, up to today, they haven't announced anything to the team yet.

The full suspension of 5&6 also means that the RCT will have no shops to open in the project and that will lead to a major downsize of the team. The bad news struck early morning of Thursday (13/11/08) -- I was called in to Ken Holman's room. There, he told me that they've decided that they will keep 12 team members and I was one of the 12. It's gonna be tough moving ahead but that's the reality. He wanted my commitment and with Adrian's future unknown, I will have to commit. And I did.

It wasn't my decision but I got what I hoped for. Of course I want to keep my job considering going back to Malaysia seems to be a bad idea now -- it's not doing any better compared to here anyway.

I should be happy to have kept my job. However, that wasn't the case. You can't imagine how bad it feels to see your mates being let go like that when at the same time, you get to stay. Not unless you've been there -- Adrian's been there and I'm so glad that he understood me. I cried that day before I had lunch with some teammates. I thought it was the worst that it could get. I was wrong.

Then came Friday. The day that they have to break the news to the teammates individually. The management met with them individually and gave them the letters and... that's it. I was busy putting cost analysis together for Mall Management but I couldn't help hearing ppl saying goodbyes and taking pictures... and the fact that Jane and Brian will be parting soon hurt so bad! These two wonderful mates have been my best friends in the team. I don't want them to leave! But I can't do anything about it. I hate the feeling of being helpless. Everything has a solution but not this one. When Eddie came around to my cubicle (he normally doesn't do that, btw, he's one of the selected 12) I turned to him and then broke down and cried. I am not good at things like this. It's harder than I thought. Knowing that some guys have got a family to feed, toddlers and mortgages...

I just hope that all my mates pull this through and I wish them all the best in their future undertakings.

Now I have to worry about Adrian being laid off and sent to another country for another job or finds another job in another country after being laid off. They are going to break the news to the Fitout team next week.

So stressed that my period came 1 week earlier. Shit.

Top 3 spots for photos in the Grand Canal Shoppes, Venetian, Macau

I have been thinking about blogging this since not long after the Venetian’s Grand Opening…

When we walk around the mall, the gals and I found some really strange things… the things that we normally wouldn’t do…

And so we have concluded that the following spots in the Grand Canal Shoppes are the 3 most popular spots for camera shots!

3rd Place (outside Edo Japanese Restaurant, well comprehensive coz it has a very stunning backdrop)



2nd Place (the posters they put up on hoardings as displays so that they won’t look so plain... but to pose in front of the thing and take a picture??? come on, the real canal is just right in front of you!!)


1st Place (there’s a stage in St. Mark’s Square for Streetmosphere performances, when the stage is not in use, a black fabric panel will be placed right in front the stage, to prevent tourists/shoppers from staging themselves… erm... what's so special about a black fabric panel??? Ahhhhhh~~ Venetian's Logo!!!!)



Look!! I actually caught somebody in action!!!

Hahahaha!!