Sushi and Chopsticks

Sushi and Chopsticks

Yesterday I went out for lunch with three of my colleagues. Two ladies and a gentleman. Even though I only know them for a month, it already felt like I have known them for years. That is how comfortable I am with my new job and my colleagues.

My office is located opposite of Pavillion, a high-end shopping center.

We originally planned to eat at the Pavillion's food court but my gentleman colleague decided to treat us all at a sushi restaurant in Pavillion. I do not have problem eating sushi as I used to eat them religiously few years ago.

Now the thing is I usually eat sushi with hands. True satisfaction. Or maybe that is just an excuse as I do not know how to use chopsticks.

In my family, I am the only one who doesn't know how to eat food with chopsticks. Shouldn't be a surprise really as I am also the only one in my family who doesn't know how to ride a bicycle and also drive a car.

So anyway there we were in the sushi restaurant. I had no idea what to order as the price of each meal is astoundingly high. But I eventually settled down for a grilled chicken salad, another meal that I don't remember and a plate of Tofus.

And the nightmare began. There's no fork on the table but chopsticks.

The rest of my colleagues started to eat with their chopsticks. I was still examining my chopsticks trying to figure out on how to use it properly.

One of my female colleagues pointed out, "JJ, you have to separate your chopsticks into two." She grabbed mine and broke it into two sticks. The other two laughed.

My gentleman colleague tried his best to teach me how to use chopsticks. It lasted for more than 10 minutes, to no avail.

"Okay bend your fingers a bit like this." He corrected the way I held my chopsticks few times. 'No, no... this way."

The other two couldn't help to laugh whilst eating. I almost turned red.

One of them said, "We're almost finished eating our sushi and you guys still haven't started." I couldn't help to laugh this time.

Then she joked, "Just poke the salmon with your chopsticks."

Oh what the hell. I poked it and one slice of Salmon managed to stick itself at the tip of my chopsticks. I swallowed. The rest laughed.

I noticed our waiter was laughing too. Sue him!!! Fire him!!! I kid. I kid.

My gentleman colleague finally asked the waiter to bring a fork. The waiter smiled and obliged.

I finally managed to eat properly after that.

We shared our plates of sushi together. I ate an eel for the first time yesterday. It tasted like a fish. Well, fish tasted better actually.

We had a nice conversation during our lunch. One of my female colleagues asked for my age and I told her that I am 26.

"So young ..." she said.

Then she praised me for being a handsome boy.

I blinked.

She is not the first colleague in my new office who has ever said that. Few of colleagues, male and female once in a while would just call me Handsome instead of my name, JJ. One actually called me Sweetheart. Ho, ho.

But anyway the reason I blinked was because I felt awkward.

"I've never seen myself as a handsome boy" I confessed to my colleagues.

She then explained to me. "There's something about you. The more I see your face, the more adorable and sweet it looks."

Ha, wait until I shave my head tomorrow. I would look impressively like a bowling ball.

Then she started her match-maker engine. "Are you single? Hmm, let me think. Do I have friends that need a boyfriend? I don't have 20s female friends. Are you into mid 30s to 40s women?"

I almost chocked my drink. The other colleagues laughed. I explained to her that I am not interested in looking for a lover at this moment.

My gentleman friend kept asking me to eat and order more. I joked, "Don't persuade me ..."

I was scared to order because I didn't want him to pay a huge bill later on. One tiny plate of sushi is around 8 to 10 bucks. The highest price in the menu is around 200+ bucks something, I believe.

The total bill for our lunch was 145 bucks. I was flabbergasted.

The last time I spent that much in a restaurant was few years ago at Kenny Rogers restaurant. I treated two friends as one of them was moving to Atlanta and another one was about to resign from her job.

But my 100+ bucks bill at Kenny Rogers made sense as we were served with really huge plates with huge meals. But at the sushi restaurant, each plate was pretty much the diameter size of a CD. Or less. You only have few slices (3 to 4) of sushi in every plate.

But my gentleman friend wasn't bothered. One my female colleagues teased, "He's rich. He should be fine."

We talked about credit card usage whilst heading back to the office. I don't have a credit card as my parents do not encourage my siblings to use credit card. We were taught to pay cash in anything and everything. My father doesn't like to owe people's money. But indeed my father does (or did?) own few credit credits but he rarely use them himself. I'm considering to apply one in another few months. Not sure yet though.

I've been booked by another colleague to go out for lunch on next Monday. "Don't bring your own lunch next Monday" he warned.

Yesterday's outing was my first in what, 2 years? I haven't ate in a restaurant for years.

My colleagues are well aware of my weight history and I made sure they know that I don't eat certain stuff particularly fried food. But I accidentally ate a slice of fried sushi yesterday. I didn't realize it was fried. What was I supposed to do? Throw out in front of my colleagues? I guiltily swallowed it and muttered to myself, "I am doom ..."

And the drama begins.

Well I hope not.

But for the fun of it, cue Twillight Zone theme song.

Dun, dun, dun ... (Hee hee ...)

Truthfully,

JJ

Random: I accidentally spent few hundred of dollars in my favorite clothing shop few days ago. I originally meant to buy one pant only. One! But nooo, my knees turned weak when I saw, SALE 50%. I ended up buying 4 shirts, one pant, two ties and one beautiful but expensive jacket (but it was on sale!). Damn you sale!
Listening to: The Jacksons feat Mick Jagger - State of Shock
Current Weight: 74 kg (162.8 lbs)

Weight Status - June 2009

Fitting My Lifestyle Into New Work Environment

So far I do not have any problem to accommodate my lifestyle into my new work environment. Not even the slightest problem.

I bring my own lunch and dinner to work.

Today I brought two tupperwares containing veggies, extra virgin olive oil, roasted potatoes, roasted wheat bread, chicken meatballs and slices of roasted chicken. Absolutely delicious. Oh yeah, red apples as snacks in between.

I still do my weightlifting workout as scheduled. But I have modified my brisk walk routine.

I only do my one hour + brisk walk on Saturday and Sunday. I still do brisk walk on working days but not in the park. I do it in the concrete city of Kuala Lumpur.

To go home, I regularly take a monorail follows by LRT (Light Rail Transit) and then a bus. I have to walk in between.

But now I have scrapped monorail from my list and replace it with a brisk walk. It's a 1 km walk to the LRT station from my office. I enjoy brisk walking in the city after working hours. But admittedly my leather shoes were and still are killing my feet on the last few minutes.

On the other note, I steadily continue to lose weight.

I have lost 2 kg (4.4 lbs) within last month. My clothes continue to become loose. My slim fit shirts (Size L) are becoming loose. So with my 36 inches pants.

By the time I'm typing this blog, my weight has already gone down to 74 kg (162.8 lbs).

Right, I am too sleepy right now and I can barely open my eyes. So my apology if this post is slightly off and not so friendly with grammar whatsoever.

I'll probably add few new things and thoughts inside this post tomorrow or day later.

Okay, time to go to sleep. Good night folks.

Truthfully,

JJ

Random: So far what I can tell you is I love my new job. It has ups and down but overall, I love it. Great colleagues by the way.
Listening to: Michael Jackson - Someone Put Your Hand Out
Current Weight: 74 kg (162.8 lbs)

New Career

New Career

I'm still mourning. But not as bad as the first and the second day of Michael's death.

Anyways my absence from blogging was due to my new career. I have returned to a full time job. By accident.

Early this month I received an unexpected call from a professional recruiter. I didn't apply for a job so it was a really big surprise. She found out my resume and portfolio through a job recruitment website, which I have signed up with long time ago.

Apparently she was looking for a designer to be positioned in an international property company. According to her, I have a very impressive portfolio and online website hence why she contacted me (I know it sounds like I'm gloating but I worked my butt and brain out to produce a good portfolio).

The headquarter of this property company is in Hong Kong with offices in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. The salary is huge and that is just the starting salary.

So she asked if I am interested with the job.

Considering that this is an international company and they are willing to pay the right candidate with a huge salary, it's hard to say no.

So I said yes.

It wasn't easy to get the job actually.

I had to go through three different interviews and I was also been given several tests by that company to ensure that I am qualify for the position. Honestly, I almost gave up after the second interview.

But to make it short, I got the job.

Second Wave of Opportunity

Last Thursday, I received an email and a text message from the same recruitment website. It happens that an international media company has discovered my resume and portfolio. That company invited me to attend a job interview as they are looking for a Design Executive.

I was again, shocked and confused. I really thought that I have withdrew my resume from that recruitment website years ago. But apparently not.

So anyway, I checked that media company's website and almost fell off my chair when I saw their portfolios and clients.

Their clients include Discovery Channel, Washington Post, Vogue, CNBC, The Economist, Conde Nast Traveller and more. Basically they have big clients.

It's a dream job for any designer. I mean c'mon, imagine your portfolio in the future if you actually worked in that company. You will have a very impressive portfolio and resume in the future.

I received a personal email from their Director on the next day. He praised my portfolio and also my online website (My portfolio website. Not this blog). He then personally invited me to attend the job interview. What an honor.

I almost wept. Two huge opportunities come rolling toward me at the very same time.

I wrote a decline letter to him as I already accepted the job from the property company. I confessed to him that it was really difficult to decline the opportunity. So hard that I almost wept whilst writing the decline letter. I wrote a quite lengthy email to him. Knowing me, my decline letter was kind of a soap opera. But it was completely honest.

I didn't expect him to reply my email but he did. He welcomed me to attend for a job interview anytime in the future. He asked me to keep in touch with him.

I went, yay!

Truthfully,

JJ

Random: Michael Jackson did a full costume rehearsal for his O2 concert one or two days before his death. It was recorded professionally. I wonder if they will release it to the public. I hope they will. Update: Apparently they will!
Listening to: Michael Jackson - Stranger in Moscow
Current Weight: 75 kg (165 lbs)