seamonkee

Here's another pix...

Yup... My baby boy arrived on 19th Oct 2006... Hehe...

Actually hor, that thought of using ich pepper cure came to my mind much earlier during my ich battling days... I did something doofus really... I was pouring the cure into my tank and forgot that I had some spilled on my hand... then I rub my forehead loh coz sweat mah... guess what happens next... my eyes was a bit irritated... hhmmpphh... then it crossed my mind if that same solution can be improvised into a pepper spray... hehe... Didn't dare try though...

Can use the pepper cure for ich.... pour inside a spray bottle... viola... Your DIY pepper Spray! Hehe.. Try on your eyes first... I dunno if it works...

This is what I've done so far... to reduce flowrate and splashing so as to conserve CO2... now my tank runs without any "sound"... Chan of Nature Aquarium says it is still possible to have a low tech planted tank using a sump.. just need to reduce splashing... hehe.. Do give ur comments...

Tough questions to test how well you fair when handling customers.. this i agree is necessary to see how the interviewee cope... esp in the service industry. Its those interviewers who ask questions without a purpose for the sake of "sounding" impressive but not knowing what they are talking about or listen to what the interviewee is saying and then pass a quick judgement that irritates the hell out of me. Its a total waste of the interviewee's time... What irks me about the N F**ks interview is that I happened to catch a glance of the interview coordinator's list of interviewees... They got one whole list of at least 30 candidates or so to interview.... Out of 30 candidates, I'm surprised none of them fit their bill?!? Because in two weeks' time after that interview, the post was out on Recruitment page again and again... repetitively for another 2 months or so... for a good one year! And to imagine I thought the person who was interviewed before me carries himself well because we met on his way out of the office. Blah to that company....

No wonder tineng stands on the interviewer's side... You ingrateful bro... BTW, I do conduct interviews myself in the past.. so can differentiate when interviewer is being pure moronic or just wanting to test you...

U sounded like a psychologist, bro...

It's those interviewers that shoot themselves in the foot and don't really listen to what they actually says that irritate me... Like my N F**ks experience... I agree with AT... that's the same consolation that my wife gave me... I'm applying for a HRD job... so technically it means I will be in the same department as the HR Department and those who interview me... If they can be so moronic in their interview process, I am less impressed to work with them in the same department. Trouble in our country is that we want to adopt Western methodology in our way of hiring and rewarding people... e.g. Contract jobs, Pay=competency level, Downsizing... Yet on the other hand, we want to hold on to our Asian culture of valuing someone in loyalty, pay=rank, etc... Honestly, we are in the juncture of neither here nor there.. trouble is, most HR practitioners blindly adopt these western methodologies and yet not aware of its implications to other values and making the necessary adjustments... mish mash... Haha... But hey, thanks to those who have encouraged...

Bro muar_chee... That's the thing I want to highlight.... There is a trend of people changing companies frequently these days and mostly not because they are not performing well or for any negative reasons... For example: 1) Contractual jobs are on the rise but interviewers still fault interviewees for "loyalty" issues simply because their last contract is not renewed. I have one friend who is a landscape architect but couldn't get a job because the interviewer says if his portfolio and designs are so good, the previous company would have extended his contract... but it just don't DIG into interviewer's brain that the project is over and there's nothing standing for this interviewee to do at the previous company. 2) Earlier scenario I have described concerning the high management changes and takeover these days... People DO lost their job not because they shake leg but because they are not in the new GM's league.... This is very real and happening rampantly these days... scary... 3) Personal issues like mine.... I'm still stunned by the last interviewer who proudly hangs a Family Friendly Firm Award at the reception but shoots his own mouth concerning work over family priorities... Tsk tsk...

I can't agree more... usually the 10-15 years one, if you turn them over, there's lots of "termites" running underneath... Honestly, I think a lot of people got "stuck" and are unable to get a job if there's a period when they are not working... There's a certain negative stigma towards "blanks" in your resume... even if you have a valid reason like medical emergency and proof to show it... too bad... To the employers, you are simply out of the rat race... damn... How many times I heard in interviews that MY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE is EXACTLY what they need but sorry I'm skeptical about your six months of absence from your workplace... even though you are constantly coming up with new courses, revamping your programmes, involve in community work or do some project works here and there over this period (by the way, i'm a trainer)... To the interviewer, it simply means there's a PROBLEM with you if you do not have a proper full-time job in the last six months... d@mn! And there are more and more such jobless people now in the market... all trapped in a vicious cycle... Besides those with valid personal reasons, there are also those who are made to leave companies even though they are performing very very well... This is something I heard constantly with most of my jobless friends these days... VERY COMMON given the onslaught of retrenchments and management change taking place... For example... 1) After a retrenchment and change of GM, newly appointed GMs are pressured to perform and reap in profits in tight deadlines of one year or so... given such a short frame of time, they do not have enough time to team build and gel with the existing team... So technically, even how good you are in the existing team, the new GM rather have his own team on board... In this way, he's cutting the wild goose chase of having to team work and know the existing team... of course, given the pressure, GMs are skeptical of the existing old guards as well.. NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE OLD GUARD IS! So technically, there are such skilled people in the jobless market.... when they go for interviews, they aint even allow to badmouth their previous company... And bear in mind that it used to be retrenchment happens when a company is NOT making profit... now retrenchments can take place for the simple sake of not making ENOUGH profit! I heard of shit interviews when the interviewer said "If your skills are so good as it is listed in your resume. Why ain't you offered to stay in your old company during retrenchment?" Did you lie in your resume?" *expletive*.... Since interviewers cannot find their "ideal" candidate.... It appears our country has a lack of "talents"... so must get foreigners... making the market even tighter... damn Talent = Young, Cheap, Good, Flawless, Top Grade, Scholar, No Health Problem... Must have All these attributes but cannot surpass the manager who interview you... haha...

taxidermy was never my job.. haha... Enoff about me lah... I'm keeping this thread open for others to share their ***@#&*@ interview experiences....

Haha... The GM who has hired me has left... Now its a new GM who got his own team in... Business environment so volatile these days... sianz... Thinking of striking out on my own...

In Mar 2006 coz my mum has a major leg ops (gangrene growth) which we weren't aware of... Superficially it looks like a small cut... but we were wrong... Thank God we discovered it early duirng her half-yearly health check up coz if the pus reaches the bone... it would have been an amputation... The thing happens too sudden for us to get a maid and train her to take care of mum... so bo bian... left my job...

Another experience to share... As some of you guys are aware, I left my last job in Mar 2006 becoz my mum had a major ops and was bed ridden for a good six months. After much discussion with my wifey, we decided it was better that I quit to take care of my mum since my wife's job prospects are much much better than mine. My mum has since recovered and I went on for my job interview... Having discussed with my wife that a long term solution is to get a maid once I get another job to take care of her... So I went for interviews loh.... Went to one "######" company for an interview and the interviewer a.k.a director said this loudly over this issue... "We want people whose heart lies with the company and who is able to prioritise his job over his family... Are you saying that if any of your family member falls ill or get into an accident, you won't be here for the company?!" I won't be surprised this company get past off for the National Family Friendly Firm Award... but hey hey hey, I'm WRONG.... They got the award hanging proudly at the reception...

Recently went for an interview at N..... It was a panel interview. The chief interviewer a.k.a director "scrutinised" my resume and proclaim loudly that I have a "loyalty" issue since I'm with my past companies for only a duration of 3 years or so. Then he boasted loudly that most of the staff there (including himself) have been around for an average of 5 to 15 years... Then went on to show his scepticism of me for the post by constantly harping on this issue and that it will be an area of major concern. THIS IS THE BEST PART! At the end of the interview, he said: "By the way, our company is moving ahead with the times and going into contract-based jobs. We are no longer offering long-term jobs like the past... This position is on a 3 year contract basis... Will it be an issue to you?" ?!?!?! Oh yeah, have been monitoring the papers on this position... it's been popping up almost every Sat Recruitment Page for a good one whole year... WHAT GIVES? And they say Singapore have a lack of talents?!?... Sometimes its just that employers doesn't know what they are talking about or that they are overly picky.... tsk tsk...

Issit? Anyway, I have my roots here so a bit hard to "leave" this club... hehe.... I do drop by into aquascaping sites but dunno much people there as compared to here.... bro. cjh, I just lay the fertiliser at the bottom first in case I want to venture into substrate based plants.... Thanks for the advice all... Will keep all updated again once the tank is up and running... bye for now...

Not every one have the same taste...

Just bought this fertiliser... hehe... that means I gotta drain my tank and re-lay the substrate... hehe... Decided to go for nanas and java ferns... low tech stuff... Is this brand good? Cost me $100 bo bian... five foot tank... so its a big tub I bought... Bodengrund_DEPONIT_20u._20Kies_STUG_Eimer_DeponitMix120

I'm not for "kim leng" aka arowana, red parrot fish or luohan of any kind...

I doubt I can add plants without changing my light set... My light set is not even HO.... total add up only 160watts... not even pass the 2watts/gallon recommendation for low tech plants... sianz... my tank total gallon is 150.... So if I change to the right kevin (now its 12000k spectrum) to those for planted tanks, the wattage also not enough... that means I gotta change the whole light set... = $$$$$$ Wat's the recommendation? I was thinking throw in some nanas try try first.. hehe...

The bigger rocks makes lots of difference to the scaping...

Without the bigger rocks, it was like this... hehe...

Got some bigger rocks to accentuate and add gradient... Hmmpphh... the actual thing looks nicer than the pix... my wife says actually without plants look quite good liao... I'm thinking to leave it like this too... and add some altum angels... cool... I'm still contemplating whether to throw in some nanas and java ferns... oh well, might as well... hehe...

My tank is 2.25ft high.... Specifically, the light tubes are 22w x2 and 18w x2 in one light hood... All 12k white... How do I tell if it is HO or normal? I'm totally nuts when it comes to lighting...