Kang Ji Hwan

We are suffering from two consecutive disappointing jdrama seasons, and what else could I do but  avert my attention back to kdramas.  I have been doing some Han Ji Min marathon and just finished Capital Scandal a few minutes ago.   Who would have thought Kang Ji Hwan to be such an actor…Oh my, what a character!

No wonder they won the best couple award for Capital Scandal.  No wonder people were able to endure the first few episodes of Hong Gil Dong…no wonder I will be switching from Han Ji Min to a Kang Ji Hwan marathon now.

No wonder I have something to procrastinate on while trying to study for my Mod 2 exam.

Blame it all to the junior

Mr. WhySoFrackinSerious strikes again and today, it was not even my damn fault.

My senior and I just returned to the office after a long day in the client’s site.  After plugging everything back in my cubicle, I opened my outlook and started to go through my emails.  I saw his name among the senders and was surprised because I don’t usually receive any emails from him.

I read (behind the lines):

To: Junior
From: Mr. WhySoFrackinSerious
CC: The Partner of the File; Head Admin

Why the hell did you make changes to the file without letting me know?   Now, I have to clean up after your crap because of all your mistakes!

Please, don’t ever f*cking do that again.

Thank you.

Mr. WhySoFrackinSerious, CA

I was just about to cry…

It was not my fault.  The Partner gave back the file to make some changes on the capital gains.  I asked him if he wants me to give it back to the reviewer (MWSFS), but he said no and that I could directly give it back to him.  After giving it to him, the Partner made some additional entries that I have no knowledge of.

When the file was in the editing stage, the admin person stumbled upon numerous errors.  Of course, she blames the reviewer.  The reviewer knows nothing of this and he blames the stupid junior.

I was just about to cry when I heard the Partner of the File standing behind me.  He said, “Ignore that email.   He should have spoken to me before sending that email.  I already talked to him and explained everything.”

But that was not enough.  The damage has already been done.  What makes me angrier is the fact that I think the reviewer knows that it’s not my doing and uses me to protect himself.  He attacks the partner by targeting the blame on me.  That’s why he CC-ed everyone in the email.

I left the office and cried behind my sunglasses while driving home.

It doesn’t feel good being blamed for something you didn’t do.

Don’t they know that???

So you “think” you want to be a CA?

I discovered another great blogger from our friendly neighborhood coordinator-of-all-things-CA and he/she reminded of something I wanted to rant about since three weeks ago while I was having dinner with my seniors during an audit in the Middle of Nowhere, BC.  Oh, right…I’ve had my first audit and my first review engagement on the same week.  But that will be for another post.

So, anyway, here is the background story.  On May 4th of 2009, I have officially moved out from the bottom of the bottom pit.  I was in my little cubicle when I was visited by the new two CA student hires being given an office tour by one of our partners.   On that week, they will be starting module 1 of CASB.  One the same week, they will also be having their Face to Face Session.   If you don’t know what’s worse than CASB + busy season, it is CASB + the first week of acute chronic I-am-an-airhead syndrome.  On May 11th, one of them submitted their resignation letter.  It took this guy 5 days.  Gawd, 5 days.  Wow, I am a fan, yo.  What can you do?  This guy would rather go home after work.  Open a can of beer, and ogle his football game in his brand-new 50-inch plasma TV (I hope he didn’t get that in credit).  Yes, I really heard him say that.  Who wants to be cooped up in the basement writing a gazillion memos to imaginary clients? Labouring through the FITA or the CICA Handbook?

The accounting class has always been the largest group in the BBA program and probably 80% of them think that they want to be CAs.   I don’t blame them for being suckered into it.  None many of my profs gave me a clear understanding of what it meant to be in the CA program.  What I remember them telling me is the life after UFE.  They quoted annual salaries.  That’s what they did.

So if you think you want to be a CA, think again.  Ask around.  Don’t go to your profs especially a CASB facilitator who never went through the CASB program herself.  Go to a newly CASB graduate, or better yet, talk to the lowly juniors during the tax/audit season.  They will tell you the truth.  No, they won’t even need to tell you.  You will see it in their sunken eyes, their rumpled shirts and quality of their packed lunches.

Here are the few truths I have learned along the way. I know you’d rather see my packed lunch…but I will spare your appetite.

1) First of all, I cannot emphasize this enough, but you will be sitting in front of the computer 95% of the day, unless you’re a partner.

2)  You will discover that you have a hidden brainless version of yourself.  It will keep you company everyday during your first few months and will re-appear during your first audit season.  Mine never goes away.  I guess we’re pretty compatible.

3) Life of a CASB sudent is totally different from Life of a University student.

4) Based on my research, the bitter memories will remain even after passing the UFE.

5) “Workaholicness” is something required not acquired.

6) You will be criticized for your work, but don’t get offended.  It’s part of the job and is a good way of learning.

7) Learning is a continuous process.  Sometimes, clients will phone you about stuff you don’t have a clue on.  In that moment, keep your calm and say, “I will get back to you on that.”

8. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  Don’t be afraid to admit you have made them.

Next time, I have to write my one year anniversary post.  It’s funny to read back and re-live those moments again especially my job hunting/interview experience.  Oh my.  I wish I didn’t cry so much when I got a rejection letter from KPMG.  Not that I really wanted to work for them.  It’s more about the pain of rejection.  But, boy, am I glad they didn’t accept me.   My firm right has probably the best working atmosphere among all the CA firms in my city.  And, no I am not being biased.

Hello world

 I finally had the courage to log in to my WordPress and actually hit “New Post”.  Big step,  whew. I felt scared to face  it and admit neglection.  Why do I feel like I have been starving a tamagochi pet, and yes I am guilty to death.  It’s not even about being current to all asian dramas, or trying to bump my view count.  It’s more about abandoning a long-time friend.  And the longer you put off the reunion, the bigger of a glaring monster it becomes, hovering behind you.

Eight months and counting

Eight months ago, I felt like the most stupid person in the whole universe.  I still do, but hey,  I think I’m a bit better off now.  Two days ago, I received the review queries from Mr.  why-so-serious, and  I was amazed to find I only have 4 (but actually 2 real errors) notes on the file.  I was doing a mental high-five to myself.  It felt really good.  Nah…I mean, IT FELT HELLA GOOD.  At that time, of course.  Today, I am drained.  Busy season is not only about December 31st year-ends piling up in the file cupboards, it’s also about deadlines.  And yesterday was our deadline for T4s and T5s.  As I was leaving the office last night, some partners were still busily cooking up the numbers in their calculators pondering how much is enough dividends to get the shareholder loan balance safely into a credit position.

Next stop are the T3s.  Lucky me is also thrown into the Family trust team.    I have been getting a splitting headache whenever I do trust.  It’s like a baby file but what irks me is that it’s not as clear-cut as the corps I am used to doing.  One, there’s that timing difference issue and two, you have to move around the numbers in a certain way or else you’re gonna trigger some section 572573289787 in the income tax act.  Oh, did I forget to mention that whenever I do a family trust, I am reminded how poor my family is?  I mean, to write your kid a cheque for $46,000?  Can you adopt me, please?  Seriously.  Of course, that money may not actually land into the kid’s hands but used for some other transaction by the parent.  Whatever.

After the T3s, there’s the T1 deadline in April, the season of which accountants are really famous for.  I am also in the T1 team but my quota is only 150, I think.  My grandparents just sent me their stuff three weeks ago and they want me to file their returns ASAP.  I went through their receipts and I saw the Vet bills  included…again. Oh man.

My sister is harrassing me to file her return by tomorrow.  My mom is threathening me on how she won’t let me do her taxes this year because I’m not claiming everything she wants me to.  Like the money she sends to her dad in the Philippines.  Or her personal vehicle expenses.  Or her 1998 medical expenses.  Arghh.  My mom and I have always fought during this time of the year.  This year is not going to be different, I’m sure.

Two years before, I would have never imagine doing this kind of work, but look, I can prepare a T1 to a T5! ! ( Okay, I failed, that’s the best I could do to make my job sound exciting.  In reality, I’m still sitting 98% of the day in front of a computer).  Eight months and I still can’t get over the fact that I have a sitting job.

So is eight months enough to lose that invisible “Stupid” sign on your forehead?  The sign appears every now and then but at least I can carry a conversation with a partner or a manager without feeling totally clueless.  I can also look back to that Mr. Why-So-Serious fiasco and laugh about it.  Geezzz…was I really that annoying?

It’s not because it’s the busy season…

It’s getting busy here in the office. One of the partners this morning gave us a pep talk about the incoming season on how we should work efficiently and spread out our overtimes so we don’t have to bring a cot in the office and do a 20-hour day workshift.  Sure, it’s busy but that’s not the reason I’m MIA for a week or so now.

I have no internet.  I finally moved out from my mom’s place last week, and frackn’ Telus said they wouldn’t be able to install our phone line till the end of March. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  That also means, I have no internet at my place for two months.  Oh my gosh, how will a drama otaku survive with no internet?  This is like having no life times two.

So, here I am, driving 30 minutes everyday just to go to my mom’s place and load my downloads before going to work.  Another 30 minutes on the way home to transfer the completed downloads into my flash drive so I can watch them back at our new place.  I am even contemplating of re-evacuating to my mom’s until I get internet.  I am over reacting, I know.  8 years ago, I don’t even have a computer and life was dandy.

Today, I can’t imagine my life without it.

Yup, I am over reacting.  Shut up, you.

Boys Over Flowers Best Episode Yet…

Have you ever been in a noisy pig pen before? I have and the sound of whining pigs had almost damaged my eardrums.  If you were in my room 15 minutes ago, your eardrums are probably broken right now. It’s amazing my neighbors didn’t call 911. Our euphoria sounded like pigs getting butchered one after another. That’s why my brother seldom watched comedy with us. The volume of our laughs is abnormally high. It’s been such a long time since I have showed this much reaction while watching anything on screen.

That is how exciting Episode 8 was. It was full of good ol’ Korean humorous antiques of which they are best at.

First Impression: Triangle

Ah, this drama is a BREATH of FRESH AIR.  I can just inhale….exhale…. and not see a single male born later than 1980 parading on my screen.  I’ll say “johnny boy” but Inagaki Goro of SMAP is a Johnny, after all.  And this is excluding the children in the flashbacks.

There are moments when I reach my boiling point of all the kiddie dramas, albeit packed with eyecandies.  Okay, who am I kidding with?  We all like our eyecandies.  If they have Ito Atsushi here instead of Eguchi Yosuke, I won’t be gushing as much.   On the contrary, Mizushima Hiro might not be enough to sit through the entire episode of Mei-chan no Shitsuji. I might come back and finish the 1st episode to see if  I can squeeze something intelligible out of it, but that is wishful thinking.

Now, Triangle, on a first episode-basis is awesome beyond words.  Episode 2 may not have brought the same impact as the debut episode, but let’s pretend I haven’t seen episode 2 yet.  The soundtrack and direction style of this drama made me realize how most kdramas pale in comparison with jdramas (based on such criteria).  I mean, no matter how enjoyable and grand (props-wise) BOF is, you just have to admit, Hana Yori Dango is superior in terms of camera work and music direction.  Oopps, I’m getting sidetracked again.

Boys Over Flowers is now on addiction stage

Tell me, when was the last time that you watched a Korean drama which has reached your can’t-wait-for-the-next-episode stage?  I’m not talking about high-caliber dramas, but rather the chick flick kinds.  The kinds which really flesh out the (fan) girl in you.  For me, it was so long ago that I can’t name one from the top of my head.  But I have one right now. At episode six, or even earlier than that, Boys over Flowers has finally reached the stage of what I call “fan girl high.”  I don’t even think guys watch this the same way we do, you know.  All the squealing, giggling, smacking…or is it just me, myself, and I who do that?

Today is a happy day

At 2 PM (Pacific) today, our results for Module 1 was finally posted after almost 4 weeks of waiting.  I was holding my breath during the entire time so I wasn’t in the mood to blog about CASB for a while.  I have never worried about exams before.  If you must know, I *love*the feeling of writing exams.  The best part for me was putting that pen down and handing the paper to the prof.  DONE. FINISH. Now I can get out of here.