Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Köszönöm 2018

Thank you 2018! Indeed 2018 is one of the most eventful and fruitful year of my life.

Filomena have graduated from Raffles Girl Secondary (RGS) and will be promoted to year 5 in Raffles Junior College (RJC), starting a new chapter of her life. I believe RGS had prepared her well for the new challenges to come, both academically and socially. For the next 2 years, I hope that she can crystallise and develop the passion for what she wants to embark on for her future career. Quoting from Apple's founder, Steve Jobs: "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it, keep looking". I am glad that Filomena took initiative to work part time as a waitress at pscafe. This is a good exposure and training to develop her interpersonal and social skill which is very critical in current society. Enjoy the journey!

Cordelia has outgrown her sister, physically in height. She is a big girl now. She would be promoted to secondary three in 2019 at RGS. I hope she can take up the management role in the handbell CCA, to sharpen her leadership under the guidance of Mr Damien Lim (MOB). Don't hesitate! Opportunity would not come twice once you believe in it. Put in 100% of your energy and focus on achieving your goal/target. Life is too short to have any regret. Do it now! Seek the moment and chase after your dream. It's OK to try but fail. This is part of growing up as failure make us stronger. We would learn from our mistake, reflect upon it and become more resilient. The more we try, the luckier we would be in achieving what we want. Go Cordelia! A new world is awaiting you. Be happy. Be hungry. 

Thankful for the abundant of loving care and tenderness that Sarah has given to the family. She is the pillars and key enablers behind our achievement and success. Can't imagine life without this wonderful lady. With the kids growing up and being more independent now, it's probably the right time for Sarah to ponder on doing something for herself. It can be picking up a new hobby or attending some course/training to enrich your life. Do whatever you like and love. We would always support you.

I am equally thankful that Papa and mama are healthy. I always look forward to the weekend gathering with both of them, though I wish to spend more time with them. I am thankful to Vanguard healthcare for taking good care of papa and keeping him engaged and involved in numerous indoor and outdoor activities/program to enrich his life, as well as to Sg Enable for the initiative to actively engage the seniors with meaningful program and activities. Salute to the volunteers and heroes for the unwavering support to the seniors' well being. Good job! Hoping mama could continue to be mobile and active.

I joined TECH in Oct 1999 as a fresh graduate from NTU (Singapore). In 2011, TECH Semiconductor Singapore Pte. Ltd was acquired by Micron Semiconductor Asia Pte. Ltd. This year in 2018 marks my 19th with Micron. Last 2 decades had been a wonderful journey with great memories. I started out as Failure Analysis Engineer under Yield Enhancement from 1999 to 2005. When an opportunity arrived, with the 200mm to 300mm conversion on-the-fly, I decided to join the 300mm manufacturing FAB environment under CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) for another 6 years. Between 2012 and 2015, I was transferred to Dry Etch module. The first part of this module was on Process Engineering and the second part was on MFG (Operation and Equipment group). With the formation of Mega FAB (F10W and F10N combined) in 2015, I was tasked to lead the RDA team for the first year and then move on to lead both the new Region_E (Wafer's edge) and Technology Transfer. In Sept 2018, I was given an opportunity to promote from Snr Manager to Director to lead the ADTS PEE team. 20 years in Memories industry didn't make my life easier. Instead, it made me stronger with multiple opportunities to learn and grow. All these cannot be done without resilience, tenacity, hard work and patience. I am thankful of the mentorship and coaching from the executive team. I am thankful of the many opportunities given to me to discover and maximise my potential. I am also thankful of the trust and support from the management team and my peers. I believe that I have a great team, and together we would create a better future for Micron.  Go Micron!

For our annual 2 weeks family vocation, my family and I decided to explore Eastern Europe. Our adventures started from Prague to Český Krumlov in Czech Republic. We also travelled to Salzburg, Hallstat and Vienna in Austria as well as Budapest in Hungary. It had been a great experience and a good time for the family to spend 2 weeks of quality time together. We hope to carry on with this annual tradition for many years to come. Three cheers to 2018!

Financially, beside the maximising the SRS and CPF Special, Sarah and myself have started purchasing monthly STI ETF (thru DBS Niko) and Temasek Bond. I believe this is a small and right step to build up our retirement fund in our golden years. Signing off 2018, we look forward to 2019 for another great adventure. May all be well. May all be happy.

Viszlát és sok szerencsét (Goodbye and Good luck)

Prague:
Charles Bridge is a historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century
Charles Bridge, Prague
Prague Castle is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic, dating from the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia

Prague castle

The Prague Astronomical Clock, or Prague Orloj, is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating.

Astronomical Clock
Old Town Square is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is located between Wenceslas Square and Charles Bridge.
Old Town Square
Lennon Wall

Český Krumlov:
Český Krumlov Castle is a castle located in the city of Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic. It dates back to 1240 when the first castle was built by the Witigonen family, the main branch of the powerful Rosenberg family.

Cesky Krumlov castle


Budapest:
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest, the capital of Hungary
Chain Bridge, Budapest Hungary
Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. It was first completed in 1265, but the massive Baroque palace today occupying most of the site was built between 1749 and 1769. The complex in the past was referred to as either the Royal Palace or the Royal Castle.

Buda Castle, Budapest Hungary
The Hungarian Parliament Building, also known as the Parliament of Budapest after its location, is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination in Budapest. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube
Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest Hungary
The Liberty Statue or Freedom Statue (Hungarian: Szabadság-szobor [ˈsɒbɒtt͡ʃaːɡ ˈsobor]) is a monument on the Gellért Hill in Budapest, Hungary. It commemorates those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary.
Liberty Status
 The Halászbástya or Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church. It was designed and built between 1895 and 1902 on the plans of Frigyes Schulek

Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest Hungary
The Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial in Budapest, Hungary. Conceived by film director Can Togay, he created it on the east bank of the Danube River with sculptor Gyula Pauer to honour the Jews who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II.
Shoes on the Danube Bank, Budapest Hungary
The Great Market Hall or Central Market Hall (Hungarian "Nagyvásárcsarnok") is the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest, Hungary. The idea of building such large market hall arose from the first mayor of Budapest, Károly Kamermayer, and it was his largest investment. He retired in 1896 so when the building was completed, he participated in the opening ceremony as a citizen.
Great market hall, Budapest Hungary

Vienna:
The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district of the city, on the south-eastern edge of its centre. It houses the Belvedere museum.
Belvedere Palace, Vienna Austria 
The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty rulers and today serves as the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria. It is located in the center of Vienna and was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards

Hofburg 

St. Stephen's Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, OP.
Stephansplatz, Vienna Austria

Salzburg:
Hohensalzburg Fortress sits atop the Festungsberg, a small hill in the Austrian city of Salzburg. Erected at the behest of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg with a length of 250 m and a width of 150 m, it is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. Hohensalzburg Fortress is situated at an altitude of 506 m.

Hohensalzburg Fortress

Salzburg Zoo, also referred to as Tiergarten Hellbrunn, is a zoo in Salzburg, Salzburgerland, Austria




Mozart's birthplace was the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at No. 9 Getreidegasse in Salzburg, Austria. The Mozart family resided on the third floor from 1747 to 1773. Mozart himself was born here on 27 January 1756. He was the seventh child of Leopold Mozart, who was a musician of the Salzburg Royal Chamber.

Mozart's birthplace

Hallstatt:
Hallstatt is a village on Lake Hallstatt's western shore in Austria's mountainous Salzkammergut region. Its 16th-century Alpine houses and alleyways are home to cafes and shops. A funicular railway connects to Salzwelten, an ancient salt mine with a subterranean salt lake, and to Skywalk Hallstatt viewing platform.
Hallstatt's lake

Ah Kong 75th Birthday Celebration (1/1/2018)
ADTS PEE Team building (12/21/2018)
Go Micron!