February Blues

Chinese New Year is in full swing. Though Ang Pow level had suffered somewhat (recession?) everyone still showed up for family affairs, full of health and wealth that can’t be affected by recently retrenched investment bankers.

Soon it will be Feb, bringing 2009 into full swing. So many changes has been slated for these coming few months I’m getting a bit dizzy planning them even as I slack at home for a week. When I get back on Sunday there’s the move from Ang Mo Kio to Hougang, which hopefully after jumping through the hoops set forth by JTC’s SHiFT administrators and negotiations with moving companies would make it happen smoothly. And that would be followed by another $20 to ACRA to change address among the other tens of entities to get the mailing address changed. All this “shifting to a shift flat” would be in the midst of a trip to US for work, which encompass a bit more than I can chew but I’ll try.

But that’s just the beginning. CFA studies is behind time – still looking for someone to force me to study (i.e. study with me every night). Work on Philwinds and TPO’s website is not moving as fast as I try to focus. Some potential work with SMU in March and possible gig in Taipei in April makes it even more mind boggling to finish studying and revising for the June exam, as May would be half gone as Philwinds goes for Japan Band Clinic in Hamamatsu. But all this is supposed to happen “on the side”, as work in IDA will also pick up in the coming months (yes we’re hiring – say so many times) and I wonder if I can keep a clean border between the salary and the passion at 6pm everyday.

That said, I can use some help, and this I’ve probably said to different people on different occasions so I thought why not collate them together:

• Like I said: My team (Next Gen Services Development) is hiring. Even temps (not listed) help. You know, recession etc.
• Time and again I’ll be looking out for someone who share some form of passion in music arrangement to come together to do something interesting online, and time and again I have to wait as people who would write music know nuts about running an online business, while people who’s interested in a web phenomena isn’t interested in a niche that they have no passion. Do you? Any Sibelius hacker out there?
• That said, there’s a simpler (but entirely voluntary) work of maintaining some websites which involve knowledge in PHP and generally working in a web environment. Does “wordpress” or “drupal” sound like something you want to volunteer your time on? It doesn’t matter how young you are as long as you’re willing to be mentored.
• Need a maid. of sorts. personal secretary perhaps.
• If you’re willing to put up with a slow jogger, I can use some peer pressure.
• If you’re also studying CFA level II, I can use some peer pressure.
• Last but hardly the least, I need some help to move on 15 Feb (tentative) – brain or brawn are both welcomed. Shifting out involves two flights of stairs down, then into lift, onto truck; move in involves out of truck, into lift, and one flight of stairs up.

For those who expect the best from me, it’s unfortunate but I have to prioritize this way, as there are things I have to attend to myself (e.g. you can’t help me take my CFA exam no matter the price hehe), some of which are fairly emotional as well. At the same time, there are a number of threads that I doubt I’ll ever be able to contribute much except participate (specifically there’s BarCamSingapore3 for the unconference minded, and then there’re others related to startups which if you’re already talking to me you would know)

So at least for the rest of the week, let me take off as much of my 2008 burden as possible first, shine my shoes and wax my car, after which (in July) I should be able to rebound.