2005
"Sir, next week will be my last week of work, coz I'll be starting school soon."
"Oh, it's such a shame!" Grasped the Swedish Manager of Raffles Hotel at Bar and Billiard Room, Ulf.

2007
"It would be a shame if your results don’t reflect your actual abilities and understanding." Typed Professor Seow Jean Lin of Nanyang Business School.

While in 2005, I thought that shame refers to disgrace, I soon came to my realization in 2007 that shame refers to a sense of disappointment from the subject's point of view, as though it would be a loss or regret without my contribution.

In 2005, Ulf sent me for the prestigious annual Wine Food and Art attended by invited guests only. This is probably the premier wine event in Asia today, and I was glad to be part of the crew, all thanks to favor from Ulf. After all, I was one of the very few part-timers to be selected! In the very same year, Prof Seow was the one who taught me the accounting foundational module, Accounting I. I grew and performed under her, and in fact, was awarded the Best Presenter Award of the class, when my peers were more outstanding than me!

Now I know, let it not be a shame...