busy

I like it when my Outlook calendar looks busy.
It makes me feel important.

locked out!

Last night, one of my fears with my wonderful flat materialised.

I have two fears of my flat.

One, the fear of slipping when coming out of the bathtub/shower. Someone commented that maybe the bathtub is a novelty for me. Since we don't have a bathtub back in KL and the last flat only had a shower tray. Not that I haven't used a shower or bathtub before...

The other fear was the fear of being locked out.

Reason being that the main door has a Yale lock, the kind that you close the door and it locks itself.

Compared to any other places I have lived in, you will need a key to lock the doors. But not this one. So what I did was that I put the keys on my beautiful M&S side table and supposed to pick up the keys on my way out.

Somehow that didn't happened yesterday.

And I didn't know until I reached home in the evening.

I reached into my bag and I was like 'oh no, don't tell me it really happened'.

Unfortunately, 'oh yes, it is happening'.

I forgotten to bring my flat keys and I wasn't even rushing yesterday morning! Arrgghhh...

I tried my very best with whatever lock picking skills I had to open the door. Whatever they show you on tv or in the movies is just rubbish.

Honestly, if I can picked my own lock I would be worried too. How safe is the flat then??!

I didn't really know what to do, since it was my first time being locked out. Called almost every single person I know in Glasgow. I was insanely prepared to even fork out money to get a locksmith.

However, getting a locksmith is the most unfeasible thing to do because it was going to cost a bomb. And I found out later that the locksmith will most likely break the lock/door and then we have to replace it. Somehow I had the notion that they will have some master key to open the door. But I may be wrong and may be they have their ways of opening the lock? I can only but wonder.

Anyhows, while waiting for my friends to get back to me, I rang my neighbours door.

Jamal greeted me at the door. And I had to explain the whole situation to him. He was really nice to invite me in. Both Jamal and his wife Nazneen was really kind to make sure I was at home, being fed and comfortable.

After many calls to and from friends and even my boss, in the end the best option was to stay at someone's and call the letting agent in the morning.

The most sensible option was to stay at Jamal and Nazneen's since they just live opposite me.

I'm not very close to the family (they have two very young children) and this time would be the second time I ever visited them.

I was very touched that Jamal said to me that 'they are lucky that I locked out so that I can be visit them/be their guest'. And Nazneen said to me that 'I'm her sister' and that 'their home was my home as well'.

Compared to the amount of things (or what TOH and I call, shite) that I have, this family does not have a lot but they gave whatever they have to me. They gave their time, showed me their hostpitality, generosity and kindness, making sure I was well taken care of.

In this time and age, you really wonder how many nice people are out there. How many of us, actually know our neighbours?

I am so very grateful to them.

The next day, I called the letting agents and went down to collect the spare keys and unlocked my flat, before returning the keys and head off to work.

Looking back at the incident, I can't help but think that there are so many blessings in disguise.

#1: I got to know my neighbours better.
I've been told not to see them only when I have troubles but drop by as often.

#2: There are many people who will help you, where possible.
I don't know many people in Glasgow, besides Jamal and Nazneen, I had three offers of friend and colleagues to come and pick me up, to crash at theirs and sort it out the next day.

#3: I managed to renew my library book.

#4: Go to the bank and bank in my cheques and more importantly get my address changed.

#5: Had a good long hours sleep.
Since the family doesn't really do much at night because they have two very young kids, the best thing to do it go to bed once the children are asleep because as you know with babies, they wake up very early.

As much as everyone know that each person should get at least eight hours of sleep, I haven't been having the luxury of doing so. But not last night.

#6: Found out that there is a SPAR (convenience store) just round the corner from where I live. And found out where bus route 44A goes.

Since I had to go back to the letting agents to return the keys, I found out that there's this bus that goes pass this particular bus stop not far from where I live. On the bus, I found out that there are quite a fair number of shops. So now I know where to go if I need anything, in an emergency.

I'm sure there are a few more things that I can think of but in some ways, I'm glad that it happened. One thing for sure, I know now to be much much more careful and make sure I bring my keys with me.

Speaking to TOH after finding out that I was locked out, he can't believed that I locked myself out since I'm very careful all the time, guess not this time.

Anyways, to those who offered your place for me to stay overnight, I'm very grateful for your offer. Thanks and I know I you will be there to help me whenever I need help. Thanks.

diary

Dear Diary...

No, it is not that kind of diary.

I've finally took the plunge and start my RICS APC journey.

Meaning I have started my Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor's Assessment of Professional Competence training. *Beams proudly!*

Enrolment

The enrolment itself is a journey I would say.

During my recent appraisal, my boss and I had the convesation of me doing my APC.

I'm required by contract to do my APC and with that there are certain conditions attached. I signed my life away with regards to completing the APC when I first started the job. So there I was waiting for my boss to feed me more information or waiting from head office to send me more information (or package).

But I didn't get any. So I just sat and waited.

Of course being in a new job, you spend your initial time getting to grips with your work expectations and for me, looking for a flat and settling down as well.

At the appraisal, my boss indicated that I have to get this RICS APC thing sorted out. So within days after the appraisal, I got all the necessary paper work done.

As much as I wanted to go down the Project Management route (where my greatest interest is), I had to be more sensible and think about the support that I can get from the company as well as my day to day tasks.

In the end, I have to go down the Quantity Surveying - Civil Engineering route, which makes much Much MUCH more sense.

Then there is the membership subscriptions. My boss asked me if I could pay it first and then claim it back under expenses.

I replied 'I don't think I have £600 sitting in my account' (being at that time, I was just moving and had been very skint for the past few months). By the way, the subscription fee was £625 a year.

However, due to some glitches, AD (who is also enroling at the same time) and I had to wait for two weeks before we received the cheques to send off to RICS. The cheques finally arrived two days before the dateline!

The implication of missing the 31st October dateline was that the final assessment will be deferred by another six months.

Apparently, the cheques were sent from the parent office in London to the main subsidary office in Surrey, and then from Surrey to Glasgow office, when it was supposed to be sent from the parent office to the Glasgow office.

My boss wasn't too happy when I called and told him the news.

Anyways, RICS received our application in time and now we are on our way!

1st Training

We just had our first training this morning.

It was more like a discussion on what we are going to do. Nonetheless it was informative.

The good thing is that the parent company has a very structured training plan. They even have remote access, which means you can access files or the intranet from home. However, I still have to get that sorted. Am receiving two different stories about this.

I also found out from the RICS website a lot of useful information that I have missed out during my earlier visits there.

Anyways, I am expected to write an APC diary for at least 24 months. In the process, there will be meetings with my Supervisor every three months, and meetings with my Councellor every six months. When I am ready (in 24 months) there will be the final assessment - an interview.

I will have to balance studying on my own, meeting the various competencies set out and my day to day job. I'm excited and looking forward to this new journey and I hope it will be a very interesting one.

visual overload

Last Sunday's weekend shopping was exactly that.

It was our first shopping trip to Sauchiehall Street and Buchanan Street, two of the main and pedestrianised shopping streets in Glasgow. The other one would be Argyll Street (well, as far as my Glasgow shopping knowledge serves me right).

Anyways, there was just so much to absorb. So many shops to go. So many people shopping and it wasn't even December! Just shows you a rough idea of what the population in Glasgow is like.

Two trips to Borders in two days is quite extreme. Bearing in mind that both trips we bought books.

Borders is probably the next most impressive book shop I've ever been. The first is Kinokuniya in KLCC. I haven't been to Borders in Berjaya Time Square, and I'm sure it is possible that it is as impressive as the Glasgow store. I have a feeling that Mid-Valley Megamall's MPH is (or at least once) the biggest bookstore in KL. Possible? Hmm...

Anyways, apparently Glasgow's Borders Store is the biggest and best bookstore in Scotland (so proud!).

Although having making two trips to Borders myself, I have only been to the Ground floor, where the magazines and papers, promotional books and cashiers are; and Lower Ground floor - non-fiction, where really good selection of art, history, architecture, self help, etc. are available; and the First/Mezzanine floor, travel books, stationeries, local books, autobiographies and games section.

Had a quick glance into the Basement floor, where the media section is. There is a Starbucks in store, and I think another two or three more floors of books!

The magazine and travel section was very impressive.

In fact everything there was so impressive!!

TOH bought two books and I bought a magazine on our first trip on Saturday. And on Sunday, I bought two books.


#1: Postsecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives


And #2: Just Can't Get Enough: Toys, Games, and Other Stuff from The '80s that Rocked

The He-Man figurine was the reason I bought the book. Just because I once had that figurine!

I can't wait to visit Borders again. And I can foresee that TOH will always hold my hand very tightly whenever we pass by there!

Another shop in our favourite shops in Glasgow list!

shattered

It is rather interesting after travelling for the past two and a half hour on the train and head straight to a pub all dressed up for a night out.

Seems as though Glasgow has no pubs?

No. In fact there were two drinky poos that I was invited for. But since it was my weekend up so I had to turn down the guys at work for a team drinky poo. Sorry guys.

Instead, I travelled north 150 miles for TOH's colleague's farewell do.

Again, it is very interesting, a sad interesting note that people always get together for drinks and fellowship when someone is leaving.

But hey, again these nights can be one of the few really cool and fantastic nights.

Being one who like to meet people (can be after some persuasion at times) I had a wonderful time meeting TOH's colleagues. They are a really nice bunch of people. And I'm happy that TOH is working (or had worked, those who had left the company but was there for the night out) with really nice people.

All the best to NG. It was a great night out!

Drinks log: A number of pints of Guiness Extra Cold, a handful glasses of G&T (didn't keep count)

I am so tired having not sleep properly this whole week. Of course I only have myself to blame. Late to bed, around 1am every night and waking up at 6am. But because I've been sleeping late and my workplace is not very strict about times, I have been waking up anytime between 7:30am to 8:20am. Very bad considering I start work at 8:30am and then trains are every half hour plus travelling and walking time is about 20 minutes to half an hour!

I'm just so shattered. I should really just head to bed early.

junkie

You know you are a M&S junkie when...

Everything you have on at any one time except for your eyeliner, mascara, earrings, necklace, watch and bag (including contents all or part) are from Marks and Spencer.

Sad? I wonder...

the night before

Nothing super exciting happened for Halloween.

I went home after getting my Tommy Emmanuel’s tickets. Didn’t stop at the shop as I thought I wanted to. Walking home I saw this group of trickortreating kids walking about and I was like ‘great! I didn’t buy anything’.

Went home and flaffed about the cupboards and came up with this.


Not too bad considering it is just whatever from the cupboard. You can see how much junk food I have at home. Yes, I know having Ferraro Rochers on your trickortreat tray is really a bit OTT. Considering somebody was complaining that he had to give away Mars Bars.

It was rather interesting to notice that there is less lighted window compared to usual too!

There are scrooges amongst us.

But I found out that there are good reasons to be one too!

Kids up to a certain age dressed up coming treatortreating are cute, interesting and possible conversation topics.

When you get a group of say ten or so teenagers, it is scary. But then again, would teenagers still go for treatortreating?

Why is it scary some may say?

Well, if you see the teenagers here, you would know what I mean. Heck, some who are not even of teenage age yet are already acting like one.

Then you also get kids (for whatever age I guess) asking for money instead of the usual trickortreat!!!!

I was surprised to hear that. The cheek honestly!

But honestly I was a bit afraid that night.

It is a good opportunity for people to come robbing you actually.

It was a rather quiet night. I only had two young and polite witches (unaccompanied) came trickortreating. In a way it was a relief that I didn’t go and buy more sweeties. I have enough to feed me already!