Monday, June 12, 2006

Time...

Time used to be so strict, so tight, back in KL, when life was such a hasty rush everyday.

Time was almost a luxury, hardly having the privileged to be enjoyed slowly.

Time didnt permit me to lie back and read a book every night, as I would be "oh-so-tired and exhausted" at the end of each day.

Time was spent mostly on the road, travelling between the home and the work place, often caught in the snail-paced traffic jams. If it rained that evening, that's the end of your evening!

Time was also used mainly to work in the office till the sun has set far below the horizon before finally starting the long journey home.

Time always ran short on weekends...Saturdays whizzed by as the sun would be blazing through the late afternoon sky by time I got off work.

Time seemed even shorter on the weekends which I have to spend two hours driving on the North-South highway to get back to my hometown. By the time I got home, the sun was ready to set in a few hours time.

Time is almost unfair to me on Sundays, when I have to make my way back to KL in the evenings.

But now...

Time seems to treat me more gently and generously in this little town of Miri.

Time seems to stretch longer here, as the sun rises up earlier and sets earlier each day, so we all start the day earlier too.

Time is not wasted on the road for travelling, as most destinations are reachable within 15 minutes.

Time permits me to have extra hours each night, so I can read myself to wonderful dreams with my fiction books.

Time lets me go for evening jogs in parks, and serene walks in lush greenery or by the tanned sandy beaches.

Time gives me the opportunity to have meals, or go watch movies, or explore the colourful "pasar malam" with new friends found. (Of course, it would be just divine if I could have all these AND have my family and old friends around here with me too but then...). As the saying goes, "you'll need to let go of some things to make room for new, better things to come along".

Time lets me savour life here better, promising a better quality of life.

Time...however, only makes up 24-hours of each day wherever you may be...and each day passes by quickly all the same.

(I turned a year older recently, and realise that I've been here for 1 full month...already!)

Time...can you slow down? Let your grains of time slide down the hour glass just a little more leisurely?

*Here's a lovely piece I'd like to share*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author - Dr. David L. Weatherford
Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
'Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Seashells

It's been almost a month since I started work here at my new place, and so far, I find it to be a wonderful place to live a quality lifestyle...but I do miss a little bit of the huge choices of shopping in a hypermarket. Apart from that, it's great!

Saving 2 hours in a day of travelling to and from work is terrific! I get to go and do my shopping after work and get dinner, then get back home for a hot shower, and still have time for tv and a few chapters of my fairytale book before bedtime. The night seems longer here, perhaps because we start off the day earlier as the sun rises and sets earlier too.

Today, the seashells got turned over by the tide.

Our Finance director, Mike, announced that my immediate boss will be leaving end of this year for a cross-posting at a yet-to-be-determined place. His replacement, will be my ex-boss, Andy, whom I had worked for approximately 5 years ago. Back then, I was reporting to my manager who reported to him.

Several years have gone past, so I hope Andy hasn't changed his management style, as much as he had changed his viewpoint about family, spirituality and people.

Only recently did I realise how complicated his personal life was a few years ago. Instinctively, I did feel he was calling out for "help" back then, but I could not be sure and did not pursue it as I didn't want to seem "nosy". However, I am glad that somehow, he has managed to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel, and is now pretty much back on his feet.

Hence, I look forward to an exciting 2-year stint with Andy again come this September. This time, I am sure things will be much more exciting than it was back then, as we are both now part of the oil drilling operations, not just an accounting servicing center for processing transactions (yuck!).

My current boss is a tough man, so he deals with our Partners fabulously well, as he bull-dozes his convincing recommendations. Andy has a completely different style, more soft-spoken and less "rough". Perhaps that is where I can render my services? ...to help him bull-doze our way through consistently(*haha*). We'll see...

Anyhow, I welcome a familiar face in my new career challenge in an otherwise foreign land. Besides, he has grown to be more than just an ex-boss these last few months. He has become a friend to me, someone I can confide in and trust; and also a mentor, someone who is armed with advice and a helping hand.

Here's to another enjoyable and succesful journey!

Oh, gotta go be on my move now. I tumpang someone, so no choice. My kereta only coming end of this month!

%^$#&* takes a freakin' 1 month to ship my things coz they "missed the last vessel"...what the...

oh well...