Wuhan-Bound in D-1

Dear pipsqueaks,

Last day in KL before the flight to Wuhan for the week-long meeting. Can’t say I’m looking forward to getting out of the office this time just because I know it won’t be any better over there. Yup, I’m prepared. Upon landing, I’ll be in battle-mode.

Actually, this would be the second time I’ll be at an event as a representative, so it’ll be quite interesting to see what kinda crap I get into this time. Lol, this reminds me of the last time I was at the Malaysia Open. I left the FOP to grab a bottle of water, and when I tried to re-enter the area, the security guard actually flagged me down and denied me because the “black” access on my accreditation didn’t match the “black” all-access on the accreditation index. Honestly, I didn’t know there was more than one black, ever. Black is a shadow, so if it isn’t black, it isn’t black. And if it is, it is. So, I just gave up on him and entered through another entrance, of which I was warming welcomed with a smile from the security guard. See, some people just don’t like me, even when they don’t know me. But meh, accepted fact.

Own Track of Time

Dear pipsqueaks,

You wouldn't believe the news: another proposal among my friends! How excited I was when I saw the pics *so sweet*. To think about it, at my age (just a little shy of a quarter of a century), I never thought about the next chapter. Okay, maybe that's not completely true. Of course, I thought about it, but I knew that it isn't time to turn the page just yet either.

Even so, I can't help wondering if I should really be worried about being "behind" on this path. Maybe it IS the age to start considering or planning? I don't know. It doesn't help at to all to know that my closest cousin- also my age- is due at the end of August. No doubt, I'm over the moon about this bundle of joy to come, but not going to lie, it does give a slight invisible pressure for not even having tied the knot yet *Sigh*.

But then again, what's the rush? In so many ways, the elements of our lives are totally different. Our goals and expectations that we use to evaluate ourselves at the end of life are unique to our "life-scope". What may be at the top of my priority may not be hers, and vice versa. So why would the milestones in our lives occur at the same point in time? It won't, and it shouldn't.

The Right Balance

Dear pipsqueak,

In life, having less is not always a bad thing. Likewise, having more is not always a good thing either. So how do we define that fine line between the two? The trick here, it seems, is completely dependent on the individuals ability to manage either situations. To accept what it is the way it is and go from there.

These few mornings have been crazy busy at work, and that feeling of being piled under is exactly what drives me to work more efficiently to cut down my stash. Those moments that I'm sitting there feeling just slightly overwhelmed, I actually start to lose focus and shut down. As always, I know by then that it's time for me to leave my seat, look away from the computer screen, and my never-ending To-Do List. Thought of the moment: too much work.

Right after lunch break, I'd find myself running out of work to do. Mind you, communications require a two-way commitment, so half the time is spent waiting for the other side of the world to wake up. Thought of the moment: not enough work. Yes, I know it's insane for anyone to even THINK those words, but honestly, I'd rather be busy than bored. For one, I'd like to feel more productive in life, even if it's work.

.[Happy Mother's Day].

Dear pipsqueaks,

Today marks a very special day. A day to celebrate the existence of the most awesome people in the world: Moms. Unfortunately for me, I don't get to share my appreciation for her as I'm working abroad. But, of course, I gave her a rang to remind her that I miss her dearly everyday, even though I don't call every day. It's an unspoken understanding that I do.

Odd enough, I don't regret not being able to do all that now (as I'm in Malaysia and she's in Taiwan) probably because I've always managed to squeeze in a little something in our daily lives when we were still under the same roof...

["She must be thirsty"]
I remember when she used to spend hours in the kitchen like a traditional Taiwanese wife preparing the perfect meals: congee with veggies and meat for breakfast; rice with mixed veggies/meat for lunch; and a full set menu of a  dish of veggies, fish, meat and a cauldron of soup for dinner. She'd always try to change the ingredients and methods of cooking so we don't eat the same dish in the same week. Now that's what I call professional chef. I can't fathom what it's like doing groceries having to map out a whole week's worth of dishes without overlapping. *I'm having a headache just thinking about it!* But yes, we had been spoiled by home-cooked food- so you can imagine, after being "drugged" for more than 22 years of my life with her secret recipes, it's painful not being able to get my dose now.

We Don't Know

Dear pipsqueaks,

Long time no blab, so glad to be back! Been busy trying to recover from my trip, balancing work and proper rest (for some reason, I feel that I've developed the fear of hearing the alarm ring or something like that, because I'd automatically wake up about 15~20mins before the alarm just to watch it tick away until the moment I have to get up. What an odd fear to have...) and preparing for another week-long meeting in Wuhan in about 10 days on top of the usual London 2012 Games communications. It's funny that when I look at it all in a chunk, it looks scary. But when I think about it separately, it's really not so bad. And of course, I'd prefer to be busy than bored (which by the way, I've somehow managed to let a message on a stranger's shirt change my ways. It read, "Only boring people are bored." So, not wanting to be a boring person, I can't admit boredom. Lol, which means my schedule must be packed to the max!) Except, as humans, we have limitations to our daily functional abilities, caving in to periods of necessary recharge in order to continue properly. In a way, 24 hours isn't enough but that's the way the cookie crumbles!

His [Paris] 4.2012

Dear pipsqueaks,

It's just been a little over two weeks since I came back from my "around-the-world" trip, but haven't had the chance to do the recap of my last stop: Paris- the city of Romance. Well, in my case, it wasn't the city that made it romantic, but rather a very special individual who also happens to be French- the BF (yes, the friendboy had officially been promoted as of February during our trip in Myanmar). Anyway, aside from all the lovey-dovey moments, he made sure I had another view of Paris this time around. In 2008, on a Contiki tour, we visited the city of Paris and many other must-see cities in that European area. It was amazing not only because it was Paris, but because it was winter and just full of holiday spirits. Unfortunately, the tour ended with a disappointing memory, so Paris never came back during my reminiscing moments.

Regardless of what happened before, this time couldn't have been more enjoyable. I really looked forward to reacquaint myself with this historical place filled with traditions and habits of a whole different world- at least that's what it felt like for me anyway. Even though I grew up in the western environment, there's still that feeling of authenticity being there. The narrow stoned streets, the unfamiliar language, and intermittent looks- it really had the "Midnight in Paris" scene. So what did we do to make the most out of these 5 days? I'll let the pictures do the talking...