A rainbow is a rare sight to behold in Singapore. So when one (actually, two, if you look closely) appeared in the sky last evening, it got the attention of many of us poor, deprived folks. I saw different pictures of the same rainbow on many Singapore blogs and forums; some good ones were also circulated via email. So, just to join in the fun, here's my humble take, post-processed to look like an old postcard. (No reason why I did it this way, it was just a random whim.)
We are back! Both of us enjoyed Hokkaido tremendously despite the inconvenience of snow - snow storms, more time spent on the road due to poor visibility and blocked highways, delayed flights, and doing a balancing act on slippery pavements in our bulky winter wear. Snowfall was about 70cm, and the temperature fluctuated between -24 degrees celsius to -3 degrees celsius, depending on the time of the day and where we were. But our thick layers of clothing served us well, thankfully, so we could enjoy the snow for all it was worth.
Thomas did an admirable job of whipping out our old D70 whenever he could - not an easy feat coz' he had to take off his gloves in order to feel the buttons - at minus 24 degrees celsius, that's really quite painful. Scaredy cat me decided that I would enjoy the sights first, and that photos can come later. Nevertheless, collectively we took a couple hundred of photos, which I will process at a much later time, coz' I'm really bushed right now and I know my work schedule in the two months ahead is going to be insane.
Update: Photos are up...the link's on my Facebook profile. For pals who aren't on Facebook, drop me a pm, I'll send you the link. :)
这天气, 是错乱的. 明明下着大雨, 太阳却倔强得很, 好似不甘示弱, 依然刚烈. 小雨滴被夹在乌云与太阳之间, 最茫然了. 刚刚才落下, 就要匆匆地从炽热的水泥路上蒸发. 是和大地有缘无份吗? 还是无可奈何, 纠缠于与天空的一场藕断丝连?
In a couple of months, I will close this door and move on. By then, I'd have been on the job for about half a year.
I have a "jobhopping" history. "Jobhopping" in inverted commas because I disgree that one must stay at a place for X number of years before one can be considered a responsible/reliable worker. Personally, I have always done my best on every job I have taken up, long or short - and I believe moving on is certainly better than allowing myself to become disillusioned, demoralised and fall into the trap of holding on to a job for the sake of stability. Zero motivation=lacklustre performance=bad worker=not what I want to be. Simple enough equation? Yep. But it's an equation that I'll have the luxury to work with for only a few more years. Age doesn't just catch up with you figuratively - it makes a difference in real life, in the working world.
The fact is, I fear change too, and crave cosy familarity. But I would hate to let fear hold me back from seeking what could be better. That's my rationale - or excuse, if you like. Advice often dished out to me - every job is the same, give up, there's no point in looking elsewhere. To which I often silently think, "No, it's not the same. Is every marriage the same? Would you trap yourself in an unhappy marriage and give up on your happiness without even trying?" Yes, there are traits that most jobs share - office politics, deadlines, for example. But some things are different - job scope, company culture, for instance. And these are the things I evaluate when I suss out a job. Yes, I am fussy. Won't you be fussy about your potential spouse? Some say "It's just a job." Maybe I'm taking my job too seriously then - hey but wait, isn't taking my job seriously a good thing?
Anyway, due to this "jobhopping" history, some of my friends think that it's nothing new that my current job is not working out. I've closed many doors before, what's the big deal? Well, just so I record this lesson in life - it is a big deal. Some closer pals would know, I've wanted this job for a long time. I pursued it, and finally got it. Making the decision to close this door was very difficult for me. This time, I am moving on again, but not without leaving part of myself behind. Like a failed relationship with your first love, there's an element of tragic heartache, that is NOT the same with other jobs. But just as no relationship is worth killing yourself over, I am closing the door on the object of desire that I pursued, romanced, and eventually discovered was not my destiny. It bears more weight on my life experience than the rest of my career "one-night-stands". (Well, they were not really "one-night", but you get what I mean.)
和家人谈到最近日圆的走势，笑说还好前几天已经换好了到北海道所需要的 “盘缠”，否则损失 “惨重”。其实，Thomas 的大嫂替我们算过了，短期内汇率的高低，对我们的旅游花费影响不大，相差不过数十新元。话虽如此，省了几十块，仍是件快乐的事。"贪小便宜"，也是小市民的一种生活的乐趣嘛。:) 只要不要因小失大，还算是无伤大雅的。
嘿嘿，阿嫂精神 - 万岁！
What job would you never want to have to do?
Hmm...I would never want to be a politician. Other more serious reasons aside - ever noticed how fast they age? *shudders and switches bimbo mode ON*
We are flying to Hokkaido for a vacation in a week's time. Yes, in this economic gloom, amidst the difficulties/uncertainties that I'm facing at work, and in spite of the incredibly expensive Yen, we are still going ahead with the splurge. Why? Because we decided that:
- we only live once
- our bag(s) of bones come with a limited rheumatism-free period,
- and our extended 5-year honeymoon can only last so long.
So we made up our minds and said, heck, let's just plonk in our money (and trust me, our money doesn't come as easily as it does to other couples) and do it!
So, Hokkaido, here we come! Thomas is especially excited about the vacation because Japan has always been on his "must-visit" list. As for me, ANY vacation makes me go gaga - I've packed our luggage already, in eager anticipation. Just looking at our suitcases makes me beam. :)
我的第一架数码单眼相机（DSLR）开始出现衰老的迹象。就象人类一样，它的记忆衰退了- 拍好的照片，有时无法存档。动作明显地缓慢了，象贪睡的小孩，常赖床，叫不醒。当然，外表也不如少年时代光鲜亮丽，身上尽是岁月的痕迹。
老朋友，你时日无多了吗？用有限的生命，用你那明亮的单眼，尽量看看世界吧。来，我带你去。
最近日子变得比较风平浪静。心情轻松了，整个人开朗了些许，所以话也比前多了些许。然而，却发觉这未必是好事。所谓说者无心，听者有意， 不经意的话语，惹来了不必要的苦恼。朋友之间，还有商有量，没有不能解决的问题，但同事之间，却不是那么简单了。今日的闲话家常，是否会成了未来的祸端？或许吧，但不说，也都说了，又能如何？
“祸从口出”，这句话我得切记。。。不过，说话得时刻小心翼翼，是件很累人的事。我想我还是以“沉默寡言”行走江湖吧，这会轻松许多。
