Ted Turns One!

Hello, earthlings!

It's good to be BACK in this space once again. Been quite occupied with final year hence the disappearance and if you were wondering if I have been taking any photos or doing any shoots, the answer unfortunately would be no as the past three months of juggling between studies and uni curriculum involvements did take up quite a lot of my time (thank the good Lord for coffee) BUT, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to take some photos for the precious nephew who just turned one!

It was a simple yet lovely gathering of close loved ones to celebrate this little boy's life :) Without further ado, here are some of the photos taken from Ted's 1st Birthday High-Tea Party!

In case you're wondering what was happening, the birthday boy was taking a short nap before his party and that's his big brother cousins, Evan and Nate who came over to pat him while he was sleeping :)

Happy Birthday again, Tedrick Chin! You are so very loved :) 

No Coincidence

While some of you asked where I was throughout the past 3 months in 2017. Yes, I am alive and if you were wondering where I was exactly... Here's the story :)

As one of the requirements before graduating in Taylor's University, students are required to complete a 2.5 to 3 months internship. Knowing that my internship period is from Jan to March 2017, I decided to start looking out for places to intern at in July 2016.

While I was searching and looking through, I listed 3 criteria which I hope to find in this company which I will be interning at. First, that this company would be a multinational company as I have never worked in a multinational company setting and would like to learn on how MNCs run their businesses with their policies and procedures. The second criteria would be that this company is related to my course of study, human resource management. I found this second criteria to be very important personally as I wanted my internship experience to sharpen my knowledge and understanding in my field of study. Last but not least, a company that will provide a substantial internship experience for me. I heard so many stories of mundane internship experiences like photocopying documents and buying coffee and I thought to myself "That's not what I want".

Low and behold, I found this company online.....

A leading British (Multinational, checked) recruitment and HR services company (Human Resource related, checked). I browsed through the company website and found a page showing the past intern's stories and testimonies in the company.

"Wow" I thought to myself, "All three criteria checked". I'm not gonna lie that as excited I was, I was also scared as I asked myself if I would be even qualified to intern in this company. Before submitting my CV, I said a prayer "God, if this is from You, it will come through".

2 days later, I received a phone call and was called for an interview. After 2 rounds of interview, I received the news that I would be interning in this company! The best news was knowing that my best friend also got an internship in this same company!!!

At the start of my internship, I was assigned to some administrative work such as reporting and yes, I did have to photocopy documents as well. It's funny how sometimes we think that when God gives us something we asked and prayed for, that it would be a nice and smooth sailing ride. A little discouraged at first but I was reminded the importance of "Doing small things with excellence in preparation for the bigger things in life". I prayed and said "God, thank You for placing me in this company. If I am meant for more meaningful and substantial things in this company, You will prepare me for it and make it happen".

On the second week of internship, my reporting manager called me into the room and shared with me on her satisfaction with my work performance. I felt a huge relief as those words meant a lot to me. She then continued on and asked if I could assist one of the managers in this company and her team of 8 consultants under her. Hearing many stories on how capable this manager is, her level of expectation on those under her AND the size of her team, I felt so very nervous - no kidding!

But I heard His gentle whisper "Didn't you ask for a more meaningful and substantial work in this company?" to which I said yes to my reporting manager in taking this new role up.

I will not lie that taking up the new role indeed had its own set of challenges for me as there were just so many things to complete within such a  short time frame most of the time BUT I have no regrets taking it up... Here's why.

Towards my last week in Hays, I was asked to decide on a place to eat for lunch with Clarise and her team as she wanted to have farewell lunch for me. I was so surprised because for the whole team of consultants to have a farewell lunch for an intern? Not to forget, I also received farewell gifts from my colleagues in the team. Wow, I really did not think I deserved it at all.

"Thank you so much again Eulene for your contribution to the team. You have really helped us significantly on our job and even though you are not a revenue generator yet but the amount of reference checks you have done, I am pretty sure you will be a 100k biller in no time! Will see you in Jan 2018! Level 20 in Sunway Pinnacle. Thank you so much Eulene!"

When Clarise, the top biller in Hays Malaysia who is also the manager of the Human Resource Business Unit in Hays said those words - I knew that taking up the opportunity to intern in this company - particularly in this team was no coincidence at all.

Did I also mention that I got to intern in the same company with this gorgeous best friend of mine? 

Always giving her 110% in all that she does and I'm so proud of her!

Me with half of the team and our manager, Clarise- Yes, she was on the phone when this photo was taken cause you know, top billers just gotta do what they do ;)

All credits go to the big Man up there who never fails to surpass beyond my expectations.

So many times, I hear people saying "But it's just an internship - it's no big deal. Don't dream or hope too much. It's not like you're looking for a full time job yet". Well, I'm glad that I serve a God who believes and knows just how much this internship experience meant to me and that He took into account of every criteria which I looked for in a company before I found Hays. Sometimes we may think that God probably doesn't really care or even bother about our tiny little needs/wants because He probably is very busy with the bigger and more important things in life right? Well, I'm here to tell you that He cares about every.little.single.detail in your life :) Hence, give your best in all that you do and trust that He wants to be apart of the things which matters the most to you despite how small or big they may be in the eyes of men. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" 

Romans 8: 28.

Hello

While I decided to drop by to say hello, I must admit that I do miss writing here :) 

Moving on, talk about moving into the third month of 2017?! My oh my, January and February sure did MARCH off in a blink of an eye (hehehe). 2016 was such an eventful year. While I was reflecting back on all the events which happened in 2016, I was reminded that lessons aren't meant to be reflected only on the last day of the year - there is just so many things around us that should cause us to pause, breathe and reflect - be it small or big things in life.

While there are some of you who have mentioned that my Facebook/blog postings have been rather inactive lately, here are some photos which I taken via my phone from the end of 2016 to the beginning of this year. 

I hope to share with you on what I have been up to for the past three months in 2017 on the next post (fingers crossed!). Till next time, people :)

Friday Night Rants

I'm lying down on my bed, typing this at 9:55pm.

Aiming to fall asleep by 10pm.

So early, you say. Who sleeps at 10pm on a Friday night, you say.

Me.

I do.

Because I went to the gym, showered, washed and dried my clothes, cleaned my room and did 3 hours of revision.

I cannot wait for Christmas. 

And yes, I miss taking photos.

I was going through Tealily Photography's website a while ago and then I realised just how much I miss being behind the camera, capturing a couple's smile as they look into each other's eyes, a mother tenderly holding her child and a girl freely expressing herself through art.

I do ask myself sometimes, I often wonder if I will ever become a photographer one day.

Or will my future profession be of what I am majoring now, Human Resource Management.

Or will I be a bus driver.

Okay maybe not, my passengers may not make it to the destination.

Okay, it's 9:59. I'm going to try to sleep now.

Goodnight.

The Sweetest Thing.

     While having lunch with a dear friend of mine, she asked "What's the sweetest thing Leroy has done for you?". I thought about it and while thinking through, I found myself recollecting some of the sweetest memories with this guy. Now, I don't usually posts things about us on this space but I think this guy deserves a special shoutout :)

While we were both having lunch on my birthday, he casually mentioned "Hey, check your email and see". With question marks all over my face, I took out my phone to check my mail to which I saw....

     So, it turns out that this guy sent a "newsletter" birthday card. Oh, and if you're wondering why there is "what the heck" on the photo in the email. That's because that was my exact response when he once  surprised me with a box of cereal a few months back. It was an unfiltered & immediate response because I definitely did not expect anyone to buy me a box of cereal despite the fact that I am an avid lover of cereal. But don't worry, the response was a happy and surprised one  even though it may not sound like it.  I also told him that the box of cereal made me much happier than a bouquet of flowers :P

        And yes, we also got to watch Daniela Andrade live a few weeks ago. It was almost impossible for my heart to not get melted when I heard her sing live. *swoons

 Check out his crazy good design!

        This week was slightly tougher than the usual. Apart from the back to back classes and the usual assignments, there were also difficult people to handle. Lol. And so while I was doing my work on Tuesday morning, I received an email.....

A quiet guy but oh boy, this guy really knows how to surprise me at times :) 

Coffee?

5 subjects enrolled for the semester

10 assignments

Bloomberg Offsite Internship Program 

English Coaching Program

Student Council

No. Joke.

Foundations

As I think back of the many people whom I know was once "on-fire" for Christ, they are now no longer to be found in church. Different people with different stories and different reasons as to why "God" is something which no longer exists in their dictionary.

My thoughts racing through my mind, I heard a still clear voice saying "You know Lene, at the end of the day, it all goes back to the foundation. The foundation of things is so vital in the growth. Whether the plant falls or stands firm, it all depends on the condition of the foundation"

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear - Matthew 13: 1-9.

"Okay..", I said. "So I guess it's really important to have a good foundation right? To make sure that it is properly rooted etc."

"That's not the only thing, Lene".

"It's not? What do you mean?"

"Another thing about foundations is that no one else can really see the condition of the foundation. It's really between them and God. Only God knows if you are properly rooted in depth or not, not those around you. What others can and will see is the outcome of it, whether or not the fruits grow bountifully, they will see the product of it"

He never promised a life with no troubles and sorrows, but His promise for us all is that we will never have to fight it alone. Despite the different seasons you encounter in your life, your foundation will keep you grounded. It will not wither away, it will not be chocked by the "thorns" in your life, and it will grow a hundredfold.


Question of the day: What is keeping you rooted?

Zoe and Kevin - Pre-Wedding Photoshoot.

Here's a new post on the blog, one that is close to my heart :) For some of you who may not know, Zoe is my high school buddy. Together with another partner-in-crime, Daniel Boey, the three of us have spent quite some time together back in our schooling and college days. Our usual catch up sessions over Blackball desserts, it is without a doubt there were so many wonderful memories with these guys. What I loved most was that the three of us were always there for each other - to lend a listening ear, to give a tight hug, to pray, to laugh at each other and of course, to cheer each other on.

Zoe was a bright student in school (she still is!). Juggling between the different roles and duties she had in school, Zoe has always been a role model of which many looked up to. This dear friend of mine will soon enter into a beautiful new chapter in life with her man, Kevin. Someone pop the champagne! Zoe, I'm so happy for you. Not only am I happy that you have found the love of your life, but my heart also rejoices because I know that you have found someone that has brought you closer to the love of Christ in this relationship :) 

This photoshoot comprises of 3 different locations in Kuala Lumpur. All photos were taken on the same day. Despite the time constraint and the hot Malaysian weather for the Sydney lovebirds, these guys were still so natural in their own loving way, which you will see in the photos to come. Thank you for allowing me to capture these special moments for you both, Zoe and Kevin. 

Here's to an exciting journey ahead for team KoZe!