Monday 30 December 2013

Why?!

Yesterday I started my travelling adventure. 

4 countries, 4 flights to catch and all in one week! Excited :)

But for a start, I went through immigration at Heathrow and I thought the question asked was the most adorable ever: "Sweetie, why do you have 3 calculators and 2 laptops and an iPad all at one time?! Isn't one of each enough?"

"In case someone asks me a plane trivia? Like, how many people do you think could fit into an airplane?"...I did not even realize I put in all my scientific calculators into my handbag!! Oh well, here's to a great end to 2013 and an amazing beginning to 2014! Preparing myself for jetlags alright!

Friday 27 December 2013

Habits

Had this random chat with my colleagues about spending most parts of my everyday with them that has made me pick up habits I never used to have (excessively or any at all). It was a lot of little little habits that aren't really revenue-generating in case you're wondering, but has shaped me in some ways.

Reading excessively. Reading the worldwide news to sleep and switching on BBC headlines first thing when I wake up. Sometimes, I don't think I'm even listening to it completely, but snippets do get documented in my head, enough to make small discussions about it at work.

Saying out (not super) loud the Bloomberg notification that pops up on the iPhone. They do it a lot in the office.

Chewing gum. May not do it very often since gum makes me hungry, but because my colleagues have a habit of popping them into their mouths and offering me some, it has become a routine.

Skillfully tossing something across the trading floor. Sharpened my skills they have! From phones to stress balls to reports. It's like a flying zone on some days. Cause you know, every minute counts, and standing up and walking to the other side of the floor would have wasted you some very precious seconds!

Punching stock picks on Bloomberg at any time of the day. Reasons behind a price move makes me curious. I'm still learning to spot on reasons immediately.

Making a comment without having the fear of not making sense. Making a buy or sell call within the office. This, they've taught me so very well, especially when asking for my opinion and have never told me I don't make sense but instead try to guide my thought process towards our intended conclusion. 

Writing and scribbling every information I hear on the trading floor, even when it is not my client nor my call to attend to. I just get curious. Sometimes at the end of the day, I look down at my book and the numbers I've written down don't make sense. However, magically, when someone asks for the numbers, I could clarify it (without being able to justify it maybe).

Eating vegetables. I'm not a big fan of vegetables, but when sat down in front of my boss and colleagues, I have this pressure to eat my greens. I even get whatsapp reminders from my colleagues to eat more vegetables when I'm not around them. 

Have a calculator in my bag. I don't always have to use it, but I feel the need to be able to calculate on the go. My superstar colleagues have this crazy ability to just do everything in their heads, I feel pressured sometimes. 

Memorizing stock tickers and commission rates. I believe this was because I used to panic at the thought that I don't know it when my Boss asks for it.

They've definitely changed me to be a better worker and a better person as a whole. Went through this and I cannot stop falling in love with my colleagues again and again. Everyday :) 

Wednesday 25 December 2013

Merry Christmas

Although it did not snow on Christmas day today, it did pour for a bit earlier in the morning. It was all in all a very happy and a merry christmas for me, my housemates and our London friends as we stayed in to host Christmas roast at our house. We made roast beef and chicken since we couldn't get a halal turkey. 
Thanks to all the recipes from Jamie Oliver and Nigella, a Disney movie and Pitch Perfect to end the night. It's Bank holiday for us tomorrow, so no, we're not planning to fight the crowd on boxing day but we do have plans to go check out the malls before heading to Disney on Ice :)

Christmas this year somehow felt, magical :) 

Monday 23 December 2013

MAGICAL Christmas!!

Warning: Excuse the happy child in me. This post is a long and very crazy happy one.

There's always a first for everything. But today was a few very very very happy firsts.

I woke up late for work! Ok maybe except this one, this wasn't happy, it made me panic. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my phone and whatsapped my boss first thing. She was more calm than I was! Gosh I've never done that since I started work again this year, and when I told the rest on our family whatsapp... I got scolded by mama for not being discipline. Asian tiger mum she is, hehe. She calmed down after I told her my Boss was cool about it and was more calm than her :D When it comes to punctuality, I believe I have the best parents who has taught me well!

And then weather was just horrible in London today! But you know what? The best thing to be doing during bad weather is to shut the umbrella and just enjoy it! So, my colleague and I walked in the rain, splashed a little in the puddle and avoided the splashes from the buses on the road. I love the rain in my face!! It's sort of refreshing in a cool way. And having a company that doesn't mind playing in the rain with you, bliss! :))

On the way back to the office, guess where we made our pit stop? DISNEY at Harrods!!
Ahhh, I've never ever ever ever imagined that one day, at this age, I would be able to make my colleagues understand my love for Disney. And no, they don't think I'm a child for being so, it's just something I love. Colleagues on a trading floor and Disney? They're made tough (if you get what I mean), but they found it in them to make me feel comfortable for loving Disney like crazy. I cannot ask for a better group of colleagues. I was moving from one shelf to another, picking up Disney plush toys and hugging those Disney characters. For a moment I forgot I was out with my colleagues! We even managed to get some Disney mugs for those covering on the trading floor for lunch. They even play 'A Whole New World' on speakers in the office sometimes :))

And when I got back to the office, guess who followed me back?! MINNIE came to surprise me on the trading floor! Oh god, first, you never thought in a million years that a group of colleagues on the trading floor would understand Disney...and then getting me a Minnie dressed in the softest Christmas wear?! Oh I love :')))
You'd think that's enough of Disney in a day, but hey. I came home to another early Christmas surprise!! DISNEY ON ICE TICKETS from my awesome housemates!!! We've got a show to catch on boxing day!! Disney on ice beats shopping in the crowd anytime, plus it's Tangled this year, my favourite!!!!!! and Dare to Dream? I'm sold! :))
Oh so much love today! I'm feeling the Christmas magic already :)))) You have no idea how happy and magical it feels like when you can just be yourself amongst the most serious traders and housemates who don't quite fancy Disney. Bless them!

I'm a happpppppppppppppyyyy girlllllll, thanks Santa for all the early christmas magic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok calm down, or I might just be late for work again tomorrow.

:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Friday 20 December 2013

Frozen

I so want to watch one of Disney's latest movies, Frozen

I haven't, but I surely have memorized the songs! Don't judge. My head trader boss rolled his eyes and went..."you need to watch the real stuff like Gravity and all, no offence". Haha!

We didn't watch it but we did try to freeze ourselves at Hyde Park though. After we got changed in the office, our colleague managed to catch us just before we started running. Conveniently she said "This is picture worthy. I'm sending this to the Boss to let him know the situation on the trading floor is under control!".... Lol! Can't find your sales guys salestraders, look for them at Winter Wonderland why dontcha? We're cool like that y'know, risk takers!
Off we ran and....I am so not fit. Poor boys, they were such a gentleman, they ran slower and kept on looking if I was ok. On intervals they would race me just so that I would do at least some running! Weather was so beautiful and sunny, lucky us! Halfway through, it was not cold anymore.
Clearly I was walking and taking pictures more like it. The boys were racing! -____-
I did run a little, jog a little. Walked a lot :P

Freezing ourselves jogging during lunch time at Hyde Park. Checked.
We survived in case you were wondering. 

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Sky Rocketed

It's amazing how you can find it in you to respect someone so much more than you already have.

Today, as I was walking back from lunch with him, I felt exactly that with my Boss, our MD. My level of respect for him just sky rocketed. His words are always so powerful and his actions are forever impactful. I find myself always listening to him so very intensely whilst observing him in action at work/during meetings and it's as if my brain works so hard to document every single word that he utters. Bless him for sharing his knowledge and experiences with someone so junior like me. I could do with a lot of great advice from one who has gone through more than anyone thought he has. One who could look at you and say thank you for the work you've delivered.

A very successful man, a great boss who at the same time is the most humble leader I've met.

More importantly, he's always reminding me to be that person who, if you get fired (or 'leave') tomorrow, you do not have any regrets from the days before because you have done your very best for every passing day (at work and everything you need or want to do). Be this kind of Boss to your team. One who is a friend to you yet you're scared to screw up your work when reporting to him.

Thanks for making my working experience in London one of the greatest Patrick! :)

Saturday 14 December 2013

Another new journey

Not funny. I nearly fell off the stairs at the biggest surprise today! You would not think you'd see your Boss and colleagues right before your eyes, on a weekend, along with all your friends at your favourite scones place in London!

All my favourites in one place in bright colours with this floating in the air!!!!!
 It's December and I think just maybe, it's time for this

It was kept low only because it was not easy for me and some others, in a lot of ways. I'm only partially ready right now, and so are they. I was afraid this time would come sooner than I thought and I wasn't prepared to face this kind of feeling within.

I've only had the best of everything whilst I'm here in London, and I believe it's only going to be even better after this. Leaving something good for another great (if not better) offer makes me feel grateful although I never thought it would be this difficult. My Boss sat me down and said "Malaysia needs you".

You will be a decision that is forever and always bittersweet. It's not easy to pack up and leave the amazing things I have - amazing housemates, amazing colleagues, amazing friends.

Malaysia has called me back; I'm going home for good soon InsyaAllah.

Here's to another big adventure ahead. May He continue to ease and protect me along the way, Amin. I'm filled with mixed feelings at the moment, but the good memories will keep me strong :)
Thank you for the surprise farewell do everyone!!!
A special thanks to Aisyah, Iman, Stella and my Boss who happens to also be our firm's Managing Director, Patrick. You guys are the best and I love you guys to the moon and back you have no idea!!!

14 December '13

Friday 13 December 2013

Pearl Liang

You want Dim Sum, go to Pearl Liang. Just a 7 minutes walk from Paddington station.
You know what else they used to have? Those chinese pancakes you find easily back in Malaysia! They served it during Chinese New Year!

Oh so deli-yummy-licious!!

Stress ball in an organized chaos

Trading as they say, is an aggressive world

Everyone has a minimum of 2 screens (and a maximum of 5) in the office. So you can imagine in our little trading 'room', the first things you'll see when you walk in would be Bloomberg screens filled with numbers if not graphs and charts. I could hardly see the person who sits opposite me without standing up and tip toe-ing.

But we have this thing in the office that when one is stress, a stress ball could come flying across the trading floor (with a one second heads up). Believe me, we're very skillful at not hitting those screens. Sometimes, some of us can be in our own world whilst the ball travels across in the air. Mind you, the ceiling's not that high either.

Yesterday, as I was replying an email a stress ball was flying across! At that very same time, M was standing up reading a research report, S was reading the Financial Times, Z and G were booking out trades, A was writing up a research piece, L was in a call and P was doing up his tie for a meeting.

I just stopped for a while to watch the chaos right before my eyes. It's a very organized chaos. It's a chaos made up of individuals in their own world. I can't help but find myself smiling finishing up my email. 

I'm in a very very beautiful mess.

On that note, I hit no screens with the ball today but I did hit R in the head when I threw it to him without giving a heads up. It must not have hurt since he didn't even look up and continued to read his email on the phone before picking it up later to throw it back at me!

Bless you guys for making me so happy everyday :'))

Wednesday 11 December 2013

FTSE

As I was typing out FTSE 100 equities today, I can't help but find myself giggling at my silliness from before. Those younger days when even the Asian financial crisis took us (back home) by storm, I never understood anything out of it.

Many years ago, a senior guy from a firm mentioned for me to do a research about FTSE 100. Whilst he stood there next to me, I punched into google.... "F...O...O...T...S.....I....E....."

*facepalm moment* -______________-

Thank God he did not judge, but laughed instead. But to be fair, we were never expected to know this right smack out of college. Or were we? I mean, I haven't even made up my mind back then whether to be a Doctor or a Lawyer or a Dancer or a Dentist. So why would the want-to-be-a-Doctor Alia back then bother. Not knowing I was going to be in Banking a few years after.

Monday 9 December 2013

Next Station, Kuala Lumpur. Mind the gap between the train and the platform

His birthday is not until the next weekend, but I thought I'd have to compete with the rest of the world to wish him on the real day itself so I decided to surprise him a weekend early. Plus, if I do it now, people will start wishing him and he could technically have a week of celebration. Aiman and a surprise in a box, that can never go wrong.

So a month earlier, I was trying to figure out how to do the design on his cake. I thought since we're in a LDR, why not just get him excited about the idea of the day we don't have to go through LDR anymore....and since I'm working at the moment and won't be able to celebrate it with him this year. Last year was easier as I was schooling and mama and daddy secretly wanted me home, so I could fly home to surprise him (surprise failed). Also, I was planning to escape the cold in London too. Bahaha!

I've always had my cake orders done by Asma' (www.gateauxlicious.com) so she's used to me coming up with funny designs for Aiman's birthday cakes. She's simply an amazing baker, it's out of this world!! I tell you, you should order a cake with her and you will never turn back! Previously she has baked for me a Polo Shirt and a Captain America. So I found myself doodling in my little book an airport runaway with a Malaysia Airlines airplane before I thought to myself that it looked more like a cake for me rather than him. Cancel. A finishing line and a track. Nah. Cancel.

Wait. I'm here in London, he's there in KL. I travel on the underground everyday, everywhere. KL Underground and a Malaysia Airline boarding pass. Yes. Maybe.

And then came the flavour. Aiman is such a coffee lover, but I thought a coffee cake is pushing it a little too much, sounds like such an adult cake. So I decided on a mocha cake. Moist chocolate cake layered with a light coffee butter cream. Yes, sorted.

On delivery day, epic success. Aiman's mum waited for the cake on my behalf and messaged me right away when the cake arrived - I have asked for it to be placed in his room before he gets home. When Aiman got home and opened it, he was left confused. He called me early in the morning (London time), and his first question was

"Wait, why are you awake so early?!" ...so now I cannot wake up early on a weekend?
"Are you secretly downstairs? Are you back in KL? Are you hiding outside?"...he's impatient like that

..."yeah, I wished, but I'm working on Monday".

The cake turned out superb in the end! It was both pretty AND deli-yummy-licious! Thank you team gateauxlicious, you've made a girl in London happy and a boy in KL even happier! :)





Photos by: Asma' Nasaruddin

Sunday 8 December 2013

Putting others first

Last week was a week when I felt different parts of the world were tested. Office came out with alert on Bangkok's situation and our non-Thai colleagues were flown back to respective countries. Then we had similar situations, part of England was hit by one of the worst flash flood, and so was my fellow Malaysians back at home. Lives turned upside down for some people and they were left with nothing in a blink of an eye.

It breaks my heart reading about it.

I cannot even begin to imagine how I'd feel if I were in those situations, let alone what they are feeling and battling for right now. Amazingly, there is always the kindness in everyone that automatically comes out when our fellow people need help. I watched from afar the effort put in to transport food and clothes to those affected back at home, the initiative from friends and family members to initiate donation drives and the security that tightens over here and in Bangkok. Bless these people who put others first.

Over the weekend, it made me smile as I witnessed my cousin go around collecting donations from family members and friends, to personally deliver it to people back in Kuantan, Pahang. She was packing and boxing up pampers, water, clothes, rice and even booked a carrier to transport the goods and travel with her. At the same time, she updates us about her journey on the way there and sounded genuinely happy going into the danger zone to help those in need. MasyaAllah, bless her, may Allah continue to protect her and her team.

I cried watching every step of it. It's overwhelming to watch such efforts put in. We may seem like a little too-multiracial a country, but to watch everyone put aside all differences to just go back to basics and help each other reminds me that at the end of the day we don't quite need superpower policies to get everyone together as one, it's the bigger things that matter :)

Stay safe everyone!

Thursday 5 December 2013

Finish up my sentence why don't you

On the trading floor, the nature of conversation is always loud and for the consumption of everyone on the trading floor. So you'd find someone saying something just out of the blue, and anyone could answer it.

R: G, you don't happen to have the US oil prices do you?
G: *Looked up* what do you need to know?
S: *Looks at G* Did you have a haircut?
A: So how much was your haircut in dollars??

-________-

R: *Picks up the phone* RISE AND SHINE!!!
G:...bright like a diamond. It's Rihanna
R: Do you like Rihanna Alia?
Me: Hum it? Then I can tell

Never short of laughs in the office alright.

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Puzzling the pieces

...but there aren't enough pieces to complete the picture! So what would you do?

  1. buy a new set or
  2. search high and low for the missing pieces?

Sunday 1 December 2013

Aloha!

During our North Asia Conference, we had a lot of  participation from big corporates from Korea and I thought it was only appropriate for me to be able to greet them in their language. After all, my Managing Director is a Korean himself, it's not an excuse for me not to know. He taught me how to say it properly and wrote down the Korean characters for me to pick up. 

After observing my Boss, I found myself automatically saying "Annyong Has-seyo" with a smile and lowering down my head and body a little as a sign of respect. I'm very sure my accent was wrong somewhere at times, because some of them replied back with a hello. Hooo wellll, I tried!!! It's always nice to learn a new culture :) I've come to love the sound of the Korean language now after hearing my Boss speaks it everyday.

Although...I don't know about the "lah" that my colleagues use in their sentences these days. Haha!! I'm such a good influence I know 
*flips hair*