vtf – WilfridWong.com

Let There Be … War?

Spent the whole day composing my status report. This time I am sure I will start a war between the Technical and Functional Team. Knowing that there will be a big meeting between the bosses of the two teams, I don’t want to know the result.

Just too much tension between the team. And Michel is a truly racist. Look at Claude, I feel heartbroken. That guy was suffering with the report. What have I done? I never mean to cause anyone unhappiness. And just today, everybody wanted to work with me for a few hours. But I just didn’t have the time. Shame.

I dined with Claude tonight. He took me for a very long walk and I thoroughly enjoyed it. He has shared a lot of his thinking with me and has truly enlightened my life. The French restaurant was a very family type and the food was okay (although Claude really enjoyed it). I will miss him for I will only be able to see him one day when I will be back in May and he will be heading to Cairo.

We smiled, shook hands, I stepped out of the Metro at Concord. I looked back, smiled at him and gave him a final wave. Friends …

The Movie Romeo and Juliet Moves Me

Spent half a day doing an evaluation on the Technical Team. Another half a day having MUE meeting with Sophie and discussing the matter with Michel. That guy has a temper problem. Personally I don’t think he can handle the design at all. Mohamed was very curious on what I wrote on the evaluation but of course, that is confidential. For the eye of Aurore only.

Romeo and Juliet was on today, therefore I called up the BNP team. In the end, Karin, Puyee (?) and Munchie came along. All the literature was there. At first it was kind of strange to mix the modern setting with the old literature but as the story went along, you kind of get use to it.

Romeo was very cute (and handsome) and Juliet was very sweet. A very sad ending. Indeed, just too sad. It has such an impact on me!

What Have I Gained in Paris?

Monday. First day in the “new” office with two FX guys as Eric (the third one) is having a one week holiday. Pretty quiet and made a few phone calls. First one to UOB and finally found out that one of my card’s mailing address has not been changed. That is why. Second phone call to IRA and extended my deadline til June 27.

Francis called me up and I am sill very undecided about my future. As he said that I will “shine” if I stay with VTF. Oh god, really don’t know.

Nope, Mylene Farmer’s new concert album has not been out yet. Felt really lonely today. First, spent one hour at FNAC and went to a Tunisian Restaurant. What have I gained in Paris?

Love is Strong?

Today I was totally immersed in boredom. Think of what to do was really a pain. Therefore I decided to write the weekly status report instead. Really couldn’t spend the whole day doing it and hence, spent the rest of the day reading the VTF menu volume one. Kind of a daft thing to do but hey, what the hack!

First thing in the morning, I called up Ginger. Thought I have given her enough nightmare. Just an apology. This whole thing is a total bad experience. Guess one has to go through some tough time (and decision) from time to time.

Received an email from my sister this morning. A bit worry about whether George and her will work out. I mean, I don’t really know that guy that well. And he doesn’t like taking photo with my sister. As said by her, probably only less than 10 photos. Kind of sad. I think I should write her a nice email explaining some sense into her mind.

From next week onwards, I will be working like a refugee (hey, today was spring cleaning). As there will be a new guy coming in especially for the MUE project, I will lose my crappy working place. And I have to work in another office. Pretty sad again.

I knocked off at 5:45 and Claude took me for a nice walk showing me all the nice places. Somehow I started off the topic about girlfriend and he told me that he has lost his girlfriend after his Sydney trip. Pretty sad (again), isn’t it? I understand that he has been with this girl for 1 year and she told him that she is not good enough for him and so on. And she has been avoiding him lately. Very similar story. How come when it comes to the breakup, the girl is always the gentle one?

As for Laurent, few days ago, he told me that he was married. He looked kind of young and I was in shock. He then told me that his marriage has only lasted for a few months and he wife has left France. What is love? Kind of fragile, isn’t it? (As quoted from my sister) But now, Laurent is with another girl.

These strike me really hard. Is it really so hard to maintain a relationship, I am asking myself. Does it mean that love never conquer distance? I always think that love should be strong enough to withstand just anything.

As for Aurore, she once had a boyfriend but he lived very far away from her. In the end, after influenced by the people in the office, she has broken off from her lover.

Distance.

Back to what I have done tonight. I went out with some of the BNP team and had dinner near the Sacred Heart Church. Very impressed by the way I talk. I mean I could never make any decent long conversation before. Munchie (nake name) told me that I am very different from HK guy and Singapore guy. In the end, he told me it is the value that is different.

Went to Champs-Elysees, Virgin Mega Store and bought the new Depeche Mode CD.

Friends to Confide In

This morning was such a good start. Francis called me up at 8 and I had a nice good chat with him. Basically, his advise was to remain in VTF until promotion. He is currently into J P Morgan project doing some Year 2000 enhancements. He would love to bring me in but he is thinking about my future as well. Nice guy.

Had enough sleep, that’s the key to start a good day. This morning, I had nothing to do so I went up to see Lionel and discussed with the Functional Team about MUE. I think “New Sophie” is quite charming.

Had lunch with Mohamed and we ate pizza. Had dinner with him again and ate Tunisian food. That guy is seriously thinking of quitting the firm and I do not object his doing so. I mean he has not been treated correctly. Screwed up management, that is.

25 More Man-days in Paris

Monday, status report again. This time, I think I am quite nasty towards the Function Team as I am really not happy about the reliability SIR. Guess they got the message. Damn me. I should have some self-control but I think there has been too much stress, especially between the Technical and Function Team. And I am somehow swallowed into this whirlpool.

Had a heart to heart chat with Mohamed after work and found that he has found 2 contracts. Good for him. One is to develop compiler and linker for object orientated programming for AS4000. Bizarre! Another is project management for Electronic Documentation.

Had a nice Japanese food again. This time, the staffs know me and gave me quite a huge portion. The beauty of this is to be able to converse in Cantonese.

Somehow tonight, I kind of dreaming that JP will write me an email as ask if she can come back to my arm again. I still cannot forget, can I?

25 more man days in Paris and I am gone. Time passes, isn’t it?

Mail Server Crashed, Not That I Quit

Aurore stopped me from swearing in French. Most shocking. Anyway, I shouldn’t do it to start with. Got an image to maintain, you know.

Received an email from Doug praising me that my status report was very good. Well, he didn’t exactly say that. What he said was my most recent status report is a lot better than my previous ones. But at least I know he reads. Kind of happy over this.

Noubi issued another nonsense SIR. I rejected it and he rejected my rejection. Me and him, always at war. But I just love to have war with him. Kind of keep my heart pumping. As for work, my non-customer report seems to work out fine. Just that now I have to put all the 10 reports into one. One good challenge.

Tomorrow, I am going to give my very first training session. And the first in my life. I think I’ve come well prepared and I hope it should work out okay.

Called up Sam and in fact, he was worried that I have quited the firm (without notifying him). I told him not to worry, just the mail server crashed last week. He suggested that I should talk with my ex face to face. What is there to talk about? Don’t think we’ll ever come back together anyway. Right?

Walking down the Champs-Elysees, looking for a restaurant have my dinner. It is really a headache nowadays to hunt for a restaurant. I ended up in St. Clement, the one I used to go very often (for my oysters). And finally, got to try my white Martini. I love Martini, red or white.

Tomorrow I Will Try to Wake up with a Smile

April’s Fool. Really wanted to call up Lionel first thing in the morning telling him that I have quited the firm and returning back to Singapore next morning. But I didn’t do it. Thought it would been too much. Nice thought though.

Yes, my dream has come true. I sat in the office the whole day wondering what to do. Try to disturb people here and there but they were too busy. Went upstairs twice to have a nice chat with the Functional Team. Sophie was not in and the whole atmosphere was a lot more relax.

The “New Sophie” seems quite nice and I don’t mind to be friend with her. She seems quite pleasant to be with. I don’t know. Just impression, I think.

And I asked Aurore about the ending of “Donnie Brasco”. She was quite surprised that the text at the end was all in French for she hasn’t been noticing it. She told me that this was a true story and the Mafia rewarded a great sum to get Donnie kill. But Donnie still lives (in real life).

This morning I received an Octel reply from Jennifer. She told me that the server was crashed over the weekend. No wonder. Nice to hear her voice.

Sam left a message in my hotel’s voice mailbox. He wanted to talk to me. I wonder what is it all about. I can’t help but thinking that it relates to my ex. Please stop it! Or else you will destroy yourself. Okay?

During the trip, I learnt three things.

The presence of obstacles
Be patience
I shall leave my memories back in Deauville

Having nothing better to do, I have decided to re-write all the customer engagement and monthly summary reports and reduce them into 2 reports respectively. It will be one big query with a lot of outer join. Why not? Just for a challenge.

Be positive. Be positive. Be positive.

Tomorrow morning I will try to wake up with a smile.

Sophie, What Have I Won Again?

Today Sophie said to me that I have won. Win what, I asked. Lionel has finally agreed with my Spot Advice. The stressful thing is I am not 100% full confident about this. But it is indeed a challenge.

I knew the BNP team was trying to get me but I was just not interested in picking up the phone. But why? I don’t know.

And I still haven’t got JP’s letter yet. And why?

Shame on Me

Shame on me! Shame on me!

I have completely lost my self-control today. Apparently, today we were supposed to kick off the Spot Advice SIR but both Mohamed and Claude were busy doing something I don’t know. But I was very angry. So I taught Willie everything in one day. Report Writer, Stored Procedures and so on. And I return to my evil self towards the end of the day and made Mohamed very very angry. For that I deeply regret.

Why do I always mess up every relationship? Why can’t I have a long term friendship. I thought I start afresh every time I change environment. But that is not happening. Am I born to be a loner? But why? Why?

Watched a show called ‘Crucible’. Very dark movie.