3rd and 4th week of 2018

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. Writing 2 weeks once is pretty challenging in its own way.

So here's a little entry for 15th January through 28th January 2018.

Monday came to soon, and she was beginning to get clingy when I told her I am not fetching her today. She reminded me to pack extra uniform and extra clean set for her. Hugged me twice and kissed me goodbye many times at school when I dropped her off. 

I got the job!

15th January 2018, 1241hrs.

I received a miss call. I called back at 1307hrs, as I knew that number is the lady from SEEDS. So she gave me the good news. I got the job!

I send like 10 messages to announce the good news. Alhamdulillah! I finally can restart my career in a happy place, insyaAllah.

10 minutes walk from home, guys! She said I should get a call from the centre to sign an appointment letter which will state my start date, and all the fine details. She told me tentatively I should start end Feb or early March! Woohoo! Perfect timing, guys! Indeed, God knows best!

Just that... With this job, I will have lesser days with Baby M. I will have to keep myself strong and let her go slowly.. May Allah ease all our affairs. He knows what is best, and I believe him, I shall leave it to Him, with faith.

Why? 

Yes, many couldn't understand why I am dishing my current job which pays more for lesser hours (4 days week) for a job that pays 50% lesser and has a split shift, and even one saturday duty a month.

Why? Well.. Other than it being a dream of mine, I think it is just that this job I do.. I don't know if it is because it has been over a decade doing the same thing, or if it is just not giving me the challenge anymore. My brain seemed dead, I don't seem to learn anything new. Everything seemed to be the same old things. I feel stupid feeling like I know everything, and everyone assume I know everything about the job and that i can do it fairly quickly etc. I feel like a robot. And I don't like that feeling. I feel so demotivated and find myself dragging my feet to work, finding myself hard to get up and out to work. I keep finding myself getting excuses to just not go to work. Money is not an issue for me, as much as I do need money, I find that it is secondary. I need to feed my hunger to gain new knowledge, and to feed the hunger inside me for new challenges, I need routine, but not monotonous routine, I need some surprises once in awhile. I need to constantly be on the move, I need to hustle, and yet still have time and energy after work.

Since we were ready to have me not work for 12 months, I figured I can take up a job with a 50% cut and stay there for 12 months and beyond and still be very safe with my finances. Yes, surely, I have to cut down a few leisure expenses, but if that is the price to always be happy to go work, be at work, then I guess why not?

And hey! 10 minutes walk to work guys!! Lunch provided too!! I really don't see why I shouldn't grab this opportunity to fulfill my dream. Please just pray for my happiness.

I have really tried sending resumes to get this job previously but no returned calls, and when I tried again this time, I get it always instantaneously, I really think it is a positive sign for me to plunge into it. It is almost like now or never. I don't want to ever regret it later on, so yes. This is it.

Resigning

It is hard really. This company had always been a darling and great with me. I mean it is really rare to get a very understanding boss, and I got one. So naturally, it is hard to hand the letter and tell it to him personally. Breaks my heart, but I guess it is really time for me to leave. I joined this company in August 2012. It had been an awesome 5 years with this company. I won't be enjoying a 4 day work week, but I guess it is really for the betterment.

Challenge now is that my other colleague also tendered. I was so stressed at how intense this week became, I still haven't hand over the letter to my boss and already freaking out with what we would exchange when I do hand him the letter.

Stress reliever

As always, whenever I get overwhelmed with work, I turn to my business to churn out something, or work on piling orders. I created this few that helped me keep sane and a little more calm:

 

 

 

I think the embroidery machine is really my best worthy investment for the business.

The day I officially resign

22nd January, Monday

1245hrs. Everyone had left for lunch except the bosses, so I knocked of his door and asked if we could talk. He must have 6th sense and asked "Why, resigning?"

That gush of guilt. We exchanged words of gratitude and emotions were everywhere. His included. He kept saying "I am emotional. I cannot stop you, but for any reason if you wish to come back, please just call us"

I really don't know if there is any kinder boss than him. He has been the most understanding, most kind, and pleasant boss to work with. I hope my next boss is as kind, and his next staff be better than me.

More than 5years in this company had been a great journey of experiences, but when it is time to go for a better place, it is time. 

The call...

24th January, 1747hrs.

SEEDs called me to say that the Principal and Director had confidence in me so wish to skip the probation and in-centre training, so would like to have me on board only in May. This leaves me unemployed for March & April. Thankfully, since I have figured some finances out, I could actually afford to tide over 2 months without working. And if it gets bad, I guess I can always find a temporary or part time job somehow, or I can always try work the business out to help me tide over the 2 months well....

First Birthdays of the year

27th January 2018.

My niece turns 23. We visited my dad and uncle, had breakfast, pick my 2nd sister up, had lunch, had some play, and then I needed to be home.

I cant wait for next week's plan, really! 

We spend Sunday at home finishing my order and some laundry. 

And that ends our January...

Till the next entry!

Jun

Wassalam

1st & 2nd week of 2018

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. So.. It is 2018 already! I decided to do 2 posts a month to summarize my month. So here's a little entry for 1st January through 14th January 2018.

We welcomed 2018 a little quiet this year. Baby M wasn't with us, so we just simply spend quiet time together, just the two of us that New Year's Eve. We (my sisters and I) decided to gather at mom's place later in the day. That we did, watching Netflix, then youtube a lot of P. Ramlee's movies.

Start of work in 2018 wasn't really fantastic. I was late.. oh wells. I fetched my Baby M on Thursday (she hasn't attended school since the closure, btw). So Friday is her 1st day of school, and start of her N2 life, with homework and all the adventure of sleeping early and waking up early. That weekend we spend another day at both our parents.

Monday came, it rained way too heavily so we cab to her school, but i was drenched on the way to work and quickly got unwell, so I detoured back home to get a rest. First MC of the year. Already. Oh wells. Tuesday and the days that follows are easier. I came early for work, except Thursday, I am just on time.

I got an interview on Friday. Very unexpected, as it will be a career change, and I really send it in for fun. I guess in that way, God knows what we need at any given time. Maybe it is time for me to give my dream a go. The dream I had wanted when I was retrenched in 2009, but a career switch at that time meant pay cut, and I couldn't afford to do that as I had debts and banks chasing me. So now that I am better with my finances, I guess it is perfect.

I am also meeting my BFF this Friday for lunch. I don't want to join the bachelorette party as I will have to bring my Baby M with me, and I won't have much attention on my BFF and my BFF will also have too many people to attend to, so I self initiate a one on one session with her during lunch hour on a work day. I hope to have another lunch date with her.

I guess 2018 isn't a bad year afterall. May many good things come by!

The Interview

12th January 2018, 1100hrs.

I am nervous, I had it all checked and rechecked this morning. It has been almost 6 years since the last interview. What made it more nerve wrecking is, this is new. Different industry.

I was greeting by a teacher, then the Principal, Ms Zar who informed me that Mrs Gwee is not in the office to interview me yet. So I waited out. I was 15 minutes early. I was nervous, so I gave myself half an hour to walk myself to the centre. Well, I only took 10 minutes to reach once I am out the door. I began to love how near the centre is, and how convenient it is if I am accepted and start working here. Another girl came, asking me to open the door. I obviously didn't have a good impression on her. Oh wells. Turns out, she is the other girl that was scheduled to be interviewed after me.

Mrs Gwee came, greeted me and was all smiles and invited me to her office. She was speaking to the principal and everything. I was rather unsure where I should go. As soon as I caught myself scanning the room, Mrs Gwee told me to take a sit. That I did, quickly placed my bag on the ground and have my file with me on my lap.

She handed over a formality form to fill up, which I did promptly, and i hand her my resume along with the filled form. And we started the interview. It was rather a casual set up. She quickly asked me why I picked this line, knowingly that it is new, and will obviously mean a lot lot of pay cut. Like we are talking abt 50% (or more) paycut from what I usually draw.

It went incredibly well, as we exchanged questions and clarifications about me and the centre. I dont feel like leaving the room, really. She asked me to wait out while she interview the other girl.

It didn't felt long at all waiting out. They then gestured me to visit the infant area. I asked a couple more questions there. I get more interested in the job with all the questions I ask and the answers I get. I truly truly enjoy and gained a lot of knowledge and am really hungry for more!

Weekend!

We watched Jumanji on Saturday and we bought Baby M her own seat! She was so excited to sit on her own and didn't sleep through the whole movie, but was getting impatient for the movie to end toward the last half hour. So she got up, dance and goof around us. We got ourselves dinner then got home and slept. 

Sunday came and we were hustling, my husband need to get meds for his mom, then send over the meds, so we decided to visit my mom, since Baby M has been asking for my mom since Friday. And as we were reaching my mom's. My sis, Ummi Yam called and asked us all to get ready at 3pm, she wants to just bring us all out. And out we went. We went to Marina Barrage, then to East Coast, then to Geylang for some Durian Feast, then to Tekka, and finally to CCK Park for dinner. Baby M had a blast with overload of love and attention.

I just cant see how life will be without her in our lives. I pray everyday that she will be protected and always surrounded by positivity, love and care.

With our tummies filled, we got home and quickly settled for sleep. And just like that, 2 weeks of 2018 is gone....

Family is where the heart belongs, no matter how we may hate, we still love. No matter how mad, we still worry. Family is the people who wants us to stand tall, strong and proud. Not the ones who wish to tear us down. May our family always be blessed with greatness, happiness and one that builds each other for betterment. 

Until the next 2 weeks! :)

Jun

Wassalam

My Sewing Machines!

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog.

I have been taking pictures of my sewing machines a little too much that someone start to dm and pm me to recommend a machine.

First of, I have 4 machines at home, with 4 different purposes. I guess with sewing you need to know what you want to do, and what you may have in your hands that need sewing before you can even ask "so what sewing machine would you recommend?" to anyone.

If you are a beginner just getting to know about sewing, I'd probably suggest a mid range machine. Why not just a basic one? To me, if you are a beginner, you will tend to abuse the machine. A basic one may die on you, or make your sewing journey a nightmare. Then again, there are also many advanced sewist who started with nothing more than a basic brother machine which cost S$99. I cannot handle that machine, it is noisy and unstable in my opinion. I have nothing against a Brother, I own one of their machine.

I grew up watching my mom on the vintage sewing machine, you know the one that uses leg power and some power hand leg coordination thingy. yep. When that kindda broke down, my mom decide to get it repaired and upgraded, she added a motor to the machine, and run it on electricity. She sews so fast back then, and when she is not looking and make me play on my own, i pretend that machine is many things, sometimes a cashier (because of the many drawers), sometimes a race car, sometimes a mini swing. Heh.

When we had to shift to a HDB flat, she brought that huge machine along with us. That huge monster was almost silent. I never get my sleep disturbed by that machine. We brought it along to the flat my dad bought as well. I think it was in 2001 maybe 2004 that my sister bought her a domestic sewing machine - the Janome 348. Then she bought herself the Sakura Serger.

The Janome 348 is still working even till today! She still brings it out to do simple sewing when required. I abused it in 2011/2, I didn't thread it properly, get fabric stuck at the dogfeed, broke a needle maybe two. And of course mom wasn't home when I did that. And she still works, to date. Not noisy, and sews beautifully.

I used that machine again 2015 when I reignite my desire to sew, right until I got my own machine in 2016. I bought the Janome Heavy Duty HD1000.

It being heavy duty means it would be able to take in my abuse. And I abuse it well. I sewn many things with it. Multiple layers, many different fabrics, from upholstery fabric to denim to slippery stuff, and many more. Then I trade in my mom's Sakura Serger for a Janome 4 thread serger, the 990D. Again, I abused it well, I probably worked on these two for hours in any one time non-stop. It didn't give any issues at all.

I bought the HD3000 for my new house, brought my HD1000 over. Left the serger so my mom can use when needed. I bought the Babylock Enlighten. That change my whole serging game. I had no worries abt tensions. I just serge, anything and everything, and I dont need to worry abt tension - at all!

With me sewing a lot of knits, I began to find some need for a coverstitch, and bought the Janome Coverpro 1000cpx. This one took me a month, maybe more, to tame.

I sold my HD1000, as I find myself using it lesser with the HD3000. I grew interest in embroidery and bought a 2nd hand Brother Innov-is 955. And feel in love hard, so hard, I got myself an upgrade in less than 6months. I bought the Brother Innov-is 800e.

And like that, I own 4 machines, 4 different functions, from 4 different store/vendor/individual.

The Janome HD1000,HD3000 & Serger 990D was from Uncle Freddy.
The Babylock Enlighten was from 2Quilters.
The Janome Coverpro 1000 cpx was from Mr Tan from GLL.
The Brother Innov-is 955 was from TSN member
The Brother Innov-is 800e was from SMH

Front most: Janome HD3000 (heavy duty domestic sewing machine), behind covered, Janome Coverpro 1000cpx (Coverstitch) and the Babylock Enlighten (Serger/Overlocker)

Brother Innov-is 800e (Embroidery only, goes up to 6x10 hoop)

I am currently eyeing a computerised quilting machine (not to quilt, just to sew). The Janome 3160qdc, it is light and computerised, I can just press start and stop, and do light sewing when I am scheduled for the procedure. No leg work, I think that might work as my spare machine just in case, as well. And this time I can probably get it from Ghim Soon. Maybe participate in a draw or something, and hope I get lucky to own it. Heh.

I think I will do a personal review of all 4 of my machines in separate entry. This shall be an introduction of what machines I have.

Until the next entry,
Jun

Wassalam