...

After while, one has to decide for one's self.. just how far, one can and should go for another.

Apparently, the end wasn't that far away.

Or maybe it's just been a long day and I'm tired.

I don't know.

But it just doesn't seem worthwhile anymore.. these mis-adventures.

Life after ...

It's 7.20 p.m. and I am just about done in the office. Not done with work though, so a clear folder is going into the bag with the laptop.

I've been here since 7.30 a.m.

So this is life - after Fairview.

It's funny cos most other people I know who had left that place, went from working 10 hours a day to the normal 8.

I, on the other hand, seems to be increasing from 10 hours to more.

This must be what they call professional growth.

I'm heading home.

Setting Precedents

I'm staring at a cost estimation received and it ends with a whopping total of RM 38,650.00

This is the projected cost of how much we would need to spend if we engage a creative house to do our menus for us at work.

I'm in particular looking at a column, saying Menu Design & Visual which comes to RM 12,000.00 cos right now, my boss is asking me for a template of it.

I'm not sure in the event that my work for the next hour is good enough, if he's gonna send it in for approval and we roll with it. But when it comes to that... would he allow me to invoice for at least 10% of what it would have cost us?

I'm really apprehensive cos the last time I got myself into such a situation, I saved the school a lot of money, but it also took up a lot of my time.

It's called setting precedents.

Do I really wanna be sucked into this, here.. again?

Let's be ponderous for a mo'...

You're very welcomed here

I took a chance today to socialise with my 2 kids. And it was a big chance cos it was with my new GM and his wife. AND it was to a road-side stall selling wanton noodles.

I was very apprehensive and right up to this morning, I was thinking of pulling out. But hey - you do not pull an aeroplane with your new boss *grin*

Seeing how the boss-man is new in town, from Switzerland (the Italian side) and nothing has been said about his wife, I wasn't too sure what to expect. Add to it is the fact that they do not have kids, hence I painted this picture of a pair of expatriates who might be a bit on the hoity-toity side.

But they surprised me! Totally and thoroughly as they played with the kids as if Lydia and Luke were their very own. My boss had no qualms of finishing Lydia's leftover. And they called her Princess and Luke - Champion. Needless to say, the kids opened up to them in a way seldom seen.

As we drove thru the city and I pointed out the sights, they looked around them taking in everything. It made me realise that cos we live here, we never take the time in the traffic jams to observe the intricate architecture of years past.

But my highlight of the night was when we drove past our workplace and I pointed it out to them. His wife let out a gasp and my boss had this excitement in his voice. Then he turned to me and said - Thank you. They do not have a car and I guess she has been trying to imagine what the place her husband works in looks like. So if not for tonight, she might have had to spend a few more weeks wondering.

My boss's wife speaks very little English and he had to stop mid-conversation ever so often to translate for her. But in whatever halting English skills she had, I knew for certain, tonight was the best night they both had since arriving here 2 weeks ago.

And I'm glad to have gone the mile to do this, to take them out, to get to know them.

As they say in Ireland as a standard greeting to any foreigner, "You're very welcomed here."

You bet ya Swiss-Italian butts you are *grin*

A Ponderous Fruit

It's been a rough and long-ride professionally, and to some extent personally.

No one believes that their life will turn out just kinda okay.

We all think we are going to be great.

Like a fish out of water, the last 5 months have been nothing but a roller-coaster ride with feelings of inadequacies, awkwardness and thorough ineptness.

And we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren't met.

But life doesn't always turn out the way we believe it to be. And when that happens, only "I" can turn the tides and move smoothly thru the shifting sands.

I know it's probably pained those closest to me as they tried to reach thru my cloud of doom and gloom. Many a times the past few months, I guess there have been occasions when they had probably wanted to slap me across the face and say - This is life! Get real!

Maybe it's cos I've had a time-out on Friday. Or maybe all the chantings surrounding me have finally sunk in.

ob·jec·tiv·i·ty ~ Noun

1. The state or quality of being objective.
2. External or material reality.
3. Judgment based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices.

In light of all the chaos that has been happening, I got caught up in the churn.

But you know what... many durians later.. I think I've gained objectivity.

I cannot carry the weight of the world on my shoulder. I'm not big enough for it.

I am but one. And I can only do so much.

I cannot try to save the world. But what little I try to save, I have made a difference in my space.

For like the fruit, get past the thorns... and a world full of rich flavours awaits!

It ain't called the King of Fruits for nothing!

Off

I'm on leave today.

I.Cannot.Bloody.Believe.It!

It's been so long that I've actually taken a day off... it's almost surreal! I'm almost afraid that my mobile would ring anytime now, with the office, asking - where the hell are you?!

Fingers, ears and toes crossed that it won't happen. That it's actually real. And I can go mall-ratting with my kids with peace of mind!

*Dance of Joy*

I'm on leave TODAY *Big S.E.G.*

Quiet Chuckle

It's a rare quiet day. Well, not quite, but heck - I'm deciding it's gonna be quiet. And I'm here putting a quick entry into my blog.

I'm having a quiet chuckle to myself after checking my blog statistics.

I cannot help but feel this ~ how quickly one learns!

Here's the funny - what one seeks, might not necessarily be here. That's why flashlight and roadmaps are equally important too!

Yes - Al, this posting is intentionally being "fuzzy".