Who's Aunty Jo-Jo?

Aunty Jo-Jo is the nickname given to me by a little boy named Justin. Since that pronouncement, that's what all my leetle godkids call me. Will share more about them in subsequent blogs (if their mums allow me to post their photos online that is!)

On my non-clucky days, I'm an independent Leadership & Organizational Development consultant based in Singapore. I've been actively involved in the development of human capital AMD, Shell, Genting & PricewaterhouseCoopers for over 15 years.

My love for travelling was sparked at the impressionable age of 12 when my family spent 6 months living in Scandinavia when my father worked for Ericsson. That love slowly became a passion when I went to study in the UK, and then took on jobs that required extensive travel.

This blog is intended to record the humble observations of an intentional nomad, and to answer the question most often asked by family and friends - "Where in the world are you"???

Season's Greetings from Joanna (2005)

Dear Friends

Has 2005 been good to you? I bet it has. It’s just whizzed by for me - filled with work, work and more work. Very challenging year on the career front, as I consolidated by skills and knowledge as a HR & Change professional.

Still, I’ve found time to make some changes and collect new experiences. First change on the vanity front is my hair - it’s now long, straight and flecked with chestnut streaks..super cool!

Other highlights include:-

• Taking ownership of my property in January. First came the keys; then came the light fixtures, wardrobes, cabinets, air-conditioners, bathroom fittings as my poor wallet groaned in agony. Still, I’m happy to report that it’s now gainfully collecting rental so eat your hear out, Donald Trump!
• Visiting Hong Kong for the first time in July. The food is amazing -roast goose, dim sum, shatin pigeon, XO sauce chicken, “char chanteng” goodies – I ate myself silly. Hong Kong is also the most brand-conscious city I’ve ever seen. Everyone was Gucci-ed, Prada-ed and Burberry-ed from tip to toe. Not wanting to be left out, I quickly bought myself a gorgeous Louis Vuitton handbag (that almost required me to take out a second mortgage J)
• Learning a lot about occupational psychology – trained as a psychometric test user and Responsible Gaming counsellor. BTW, that was the real reason for my trip to Hong Kong
• Playing golf for the first time…err.. actually, my game looked much more like hockey. Complete with bald patches spread liberally throughout the course
• Appearing in the local newspaper as a poster girl for British Postgraduate Education – what a laugh that was!
• Preparing for my sister, Julie, to spread her wings and leave for USA. She’ll be pursuing her nursing career and earning US$ for the Yeoh family. HURRAY for JULIE!

Introducing Kiersten & Katelynn...

Julie & I also became godparents to twin girls, born September 18. These little angels are such a delight to be with!

I love spending weekends with them – cooing, bouncing, feeding, cuddling, singing and talking gibberish. I bet they often wonder if Aunty Jo-Jo is actually a blithering idiot disguised as a career woman :-)

Season's Greetings from Joanna (2004)

Even the fear of death is nothing compared to the fear of not having lived authentically and fully” ~ Frances Moore Lappe

Dear Friends,

I really enjoy sharing my year with you through this annual Christmas newsletter. The process of writing it usually begins in November, with a frantic search through my diary for exciting events that have happened throughout the year.

This year has been a little different – my story wrote itself on Friday, 16th January. At 6:30 pm, while lifting weights at the gym, I had a Transient Ischaemic Attack (otherwise known as a mild stroke). For 30 minutes, I had no control over the left side of my body and experienced a slurring of speech. Thanks to my alert sister, a 3-day hospital stay, a brilliant neurologist, a cocktail of medication and a thousand prayers - I have achieved full recovery. Thank you so much for your prayers and well wishes.

As is the case for anyone confronted with their own mortality, many questions flooded my mind.
What caused it? Work stress? Hypertension? Obesity? My Type-A personality? Perhaps, a combination of all these things. I’ll probably never find out the real cause but one thing I know for sure - being trapped in your own body is one of the most frightening things ever. So from now on, I will make every effort to take better care of my physical health.

Why did it happen? I believe it was God’s way of reminding me that He’s still in charge. In the last 10 years, I’ve rampaged through life on my terms: obtaining an MBA, building a career, travelling round the world, seeking excitement at every turn. It’s been very good fun, but I also have a responsibility to do God’s will.

What next? While it has crossed my mind to give up everything and spend the rest of my fragile days wrapped up in cotton wool, it’s just not me. I will continue to live life to the fullest but will be careful not to break any more speed limits.

So here are some of the “speed-adjusted” highlights of my year:

• Regained perfect eyesight through Lasik eye surgery. From the moment I open my eyes in the morning, I can see my toes and the alarm clock….it’s wonderful!
• Tripled my reading speed through an Advanced Reading Skills course. Now, I can get through all my reading material so much faster.
• Led my team to take part in the national Career Fair and collected over 5000 CVs in 3 days!
• Bought a second property in KL for investment purposes
• Enjoyed live concerts featuring Mariah Carey, Ten Tenors, Kitaro, Richard Clayderman, Annie the Musical and Peter Pan

I would love to hear about your year soon. But until then, here’s wishing you and your family a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2005!

Season's Greetings from Joanna (2003)

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."
George Moore

Dear Family & Friends,

I’ve been back in Malaysia for a whole year and have thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I am so thankful for all the people who have welcomed me back with open arms, despite my seven year sojourn abroad.
Family, friends, faith, fitness, finances, fun, food – I’ve had it all in 2003!

Allow me to share some highlights with you:-

• Celebrated Daddy’s 60th birthday with a 10 course dinner, 200 guests and a raucous karaoke ‘n dance party! The entertainers gave us a 30% discount because they only managed to sing four songs before the Yeoh family took over!
• Joined a gym to keep fit and started an addiction to “Body Pump” classes. Lifting weights for a solid hour, three times a week is good fun. Of course, the “eye candy” helps ;-)
• Established my friendship network quickly by contacting 1 old friend & making 2 new friends daily.
• Dyed my hair chestnut brown, interspersed with bleached blonde streaks…super cool!
• Risked life & limb attempting to climb Mt Kinabalu, the tallest peak in Southeast Asia. The scenery as well as flora & fauna were breathtaking; especially the bonsai forest growing at 2800 metres.
• Stayed one night in a rustic Sabahan longhouse fighting off mosquitos, mad cocks crowing at 3am, kerosene lamps swinging from the rafters whilst the village headman settled into air-conditioned comfort in his modern longhouse next door!
• Climbed aboard a yacht to sail round Langkawi Island…in high heels!
• Tried archery for the first time. Fired 6 arrows: 3 hit bullseye, 2 bounced off the ceiling and 1went missing.
• Visited Bangkok for 3 days and managed to tear a ligament in my foot. Treated with painkillers injected directly into my heel…ouch!
• Spent a wonderful week in Singapore where I caught up with old friends, shopped, watched Tosca & shopped some more.
• Sang “Sweet Child o Mine” by Guns & Roses dressed in a red wig, neon green dress, black feather boa & platform shoes during annual PwC dinner. Won a prize.
• Work has been fantastic! I was offered 4 jobs in the first 6 months of my return, despite being attached to PwC. Finally accepted a position as Vice President of Human Resources with Genting, one of the largest public listed companies in Malaysia. It’s a great opportunity to put into practice all the change and people management skills acquired in the last few years.

It’s been an amazing year, and I’m grateful for finally being able to see and appreciate the things that make Malaysia so special. Glorious food available round the clock, shops open till 10pm, lower income tax rates, family & friends a phone call away – these are things I must remember not to take for granted. And that’s not all. Sparkling new developments such as KL Twin Towers, the city rail network, urban highways & yuppie hangouts are definitely improvements in my book. I look forward to welcoming you to Malaysia soon.

Have a wonderful 2004 and may God bless you richly!

Season's Greetings from Joanna (2002)

Hello everyone–your favourite nomad has finally returned home to Malaysia! After 7 years of roaming the earth, I’ve finally left antipodean shores and moved back to KL in November.

Before I begin my 2002 chronicles, let me say a big “Thank You” to everyone who responded to last year’s newsletter. The deluge of emails, letters and phone calls was extremely heartwarming and I’m grateful for your friendship.

It’s been a very eventful year. It began with an intense workload and monthly trips to South Korea, went slightly awry in September with a retrenchment from PwC Consulting but finished in a blaze of glory when I decided to return home to take up a managerial position with PwC Malaysia. Here’s to new beginnings.

Highlights of the year included:-

• Losing 10 kgs…hip hip hooray!
• Spending a dinky di Christmas and New Year with the Mawbey family in Dubbo, New South Wales. Their hospitality was outstanding – one of the clan threw a goat on the barbie and put on a special “bull riding” rodeo show just for me!
• Driving through the Blue Mountains at the height of the Sydney Christmas bushfires accompanied by fire trucks and heli-tankers
• Completing the “City to Surf” which is a 14km race from Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach and yes…I have a medal and certificate to prove it
• Winning 50,000 won in a karaoke competition in South Korea, with an earth-shattering rendition of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”
• Enjoying Korean cuisine to the fullest – kimchi, bulgogi, bibimbap and boiled silkworms!
• Stumbling into Tamworth to enjoy a good dose of country music in the form of John Williamson (the guy who sings Waltzing Matilda during Wallaby Games) and Troy Cassar-Daly
• Watching the rugby union test match between France and Australia. Wallaby no.16 is a real cutie!
• Buying my first apartment in KL which will be ready for visitors in 2005. Bookings are now open to all overseas visitors - who are invited to bring in their full quota of duty-free alcohol
• Being invited to give the “best man’s speech” at a mate’s wedding in Malaysia.
• Combining weekend drives with some glorious walks in Bundanoon (Morton National Park), Mudgee (wine), Jervis Bay(dolphin & whale watching), Berry (shopping), Canberra (Floriade & Italian masters exhibition) and Hunter Valley (more wine!)
• Hauling mum & dad on a farewell tour of Oz. We drove from Sydney to Brisbane and back. Stopped by Coffs Harbour to see the “Big Banana” and fell in love with a beautiful little town called Armidale on the way back.
• Saying goodbye to my old love Russell (the Nissan Pulsar) and falling in love with Boomps Elvis (the farting gnome)
• Realising that I want to be in the People Investment Business. I have found my passion in Change Management and cross-cultural communication and these will form the basis of my career aspirations. This focus makes it so much easier to get out of bed in the mornings!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this year as much as I have. In many ways, the world has become a scarier place, but there are still so many beautiful people to love and wonderful places to see. I have missed my family and friends during my years abroad but I intend to fully savour this homecoming.

Peter Drucker, an eminent management guru, once said: “The only way to predict the future is to create it yourself”

So be brave, live your dreams and have a wonderful 2003!