Friday, May 20, 2011

OHMAYYYYGODDDDD!

A month since my last post. A lot has happened, I got a job offer, I lost a job offer (well, not lost, but the role substantially changed to something entirely different and I wasn't sure I wanted to 'downgrade' myself). When you have been in investment banking, commercial (or horror upon horrors, SME) banking ain't really your cuppa tea.

I got notified of my bonus, or whatever there is of it, and went on a mental MIA for days as I took out my bonus frustration on quest upon quest of Sims Medieval - at least in the Sims I get Sims coins and wealth when I complete a quest well, I thought sadly, but I killed myself for a year for THIS SORT OF PAYOUT?!

I wasn't the only one, believe me. A certain sector head completely disappeared for days. You see, you have sacrificed, allowed your personal life to deteriorate, friends to dwindle, tempers to shorten, all in the name of chasing the payout, so you tend to take it very badly when the bonus comes out short of expectations. I wasn't the worst hit, I got promoted at least. And given regional coverage. (which means more trips to Europe and USA)

Management is in damage control mode, but although I have the best A class bosses (and I really mean A star, not @$$ class), I can't help but feel they were powerless to do anything in this case. Some idiot traders lost an unfathomable amount of money; the only small hint that anything was wrong was a tiny news paragraph on our bank closing down a certain prop desk in March.

I can technically still buy my sports car, but the tinge of excitement isn't there anymore. Because he bought a house over the weekend, and I'm wetting my pants thinking about the housing payments, although he has told me not to worry about a thing.

But a RM1.8mn house before renovation? OHHHMAYYYYGODDDDD.

Yes, exactly the same reaction when I checked into my bank account from Marina Bay Sands Singapore tonight to see my post-tax bonus amount. Can't wait to move to Ritz Carlton tomorrow. Marina Bay seems really ... pedestrian. We had to queue to check-in, and S has been threatening to tell me what the mainland Chinese that practically haunt that place do in the nice infinity pool at the Skypark. That on its own put me off going to the pool, so we just stuck to Ku De Ta.