Upkeeping your image

I was thinking how important an image can be. Afterall, an image can be defined as a virtual (and temporary) reflection of oneself when perceived by others. Who bothers to maintain their image at all times? How many people bend and sway with the opinions of people?

Harrods is undergoing a renovation. Renovations can be pretty messy and sometimes, unsightly. It's just a phase whereby one undergoes some re-shuffling to portray a NICER image as the result. But Harrods bother to ensure that it looks as gorgeous as it can even as it undergoes renovation.

How many of us goes out on the street - unshaven, uncombed and sloppily dressed?

Old within the new

I visited London. It's one of the busiest and most developed city in the world. NEW - I should call it. Within this NEW city are at least 8 different museums. Probable many more hidden to a visitor who was there for only several days.

So many museums, each containing different sets of history. I was thinking - the old within the NEW? Was it because of their history that made London what it is today? Or has London got so caught up with their history that they are not willing to embrace their future?

(On the right is a statue of a warrior on a horseback taken at the British Museum)

Appreciate or complain

We always hear complaints in the city we live in. I could remember grumblings on how irregular the bus trips would be, how crowded the MRT are and how often the trains have broken down in recent months.

It was until I travel overseas that I realise that we are in a fortunate world. That when we compare ourselves to the developed countries and cosmopolitan cities, we are miles ahead in terms of infrastructure and efficiency.

Buses - I traveled to Australia before. More recently, my visit to Nottingham allowed me the opportunity to use the buses on a frequent basis. I made trips down to the city after my classes and hang out till the night falls. But catching a bus goes by a 30 mins interval. And here we are, complaining when the buses take more than 10 mins to arrive.

Crowdedness - Singapore MRTs can be pretty crowded. But Paris re-defined my meaning of 'crowdedness'. I was heading for the airport at about 4.30 pm that afternoon. The mass of people astonished me. Such that when the train arrived, I was pushed up the train. Accidentally collided into people around me and nearly tripped over my luggage in the process. The train had problems closing their door, as it was so packed to the brim.

MRT Service - SMRT was recently slapped a hefty fine for their incompetence in the trains service. I thought about how justified it was. London was a developed cosmopolitain city. However, their "tubes", which are the trains, have halted involunatrily for 5 times for no apparent reason in my short 5 days stay there. I wowed in amusement when Londoners watch just how sparks fly at the 'TUBE' rails when trains decelerate to stop at the station.

Do Singaporeans have valid reasons to complain or are we just a bunch of picky people? For me, it was a valuable lesson in life to appreciate whatever we have.

Joys of a holiday

A holiday can do wonders. It isn't just the mere process of visiting a foreign land. It's so much more - it has liven my mood, allowed for self-reflection, given me new hopes and made me see the whole big world.

I have just came back from a 21-day Europe holiday cum study trip. On paper, the lovely places I have been to are London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield and Paris.

My Mood - An expensive Europe trip, one must have thought. But it's worth every cent. My mood was up since the day I planned for it. The after-effects of an energetised "me" will last another 3 more months. How much more value can I ask for?

Self-reflection - There were many times I were alone, especially the duration of the train rides. How can I ever get that in Singapore? That gave me precious insight - to treasure my family and friends. I never gotten that much time alone to ask who I really am.

New Hopes - I couldn't remember when I last hoped for something. People tell me not to daydream. But hopes give me goals. And goals give me a direction. I now have new hopes. Hopes that I will make it big out there, because it's the spirit and attitude that makes me who I am. The next hope is to see more of the world out there in a fun growing manner.

The Big World - The world is so big out there. It isn't just me and my surroundings. I've been to 3 countries and spoke to a dozen nationalities. There's so much out there that I want to see more!

Starting onto a new road

Today, my friend called me. We had a chat. He heard about the news - I have tendered my resignation. He was surprised - any one would be. He was one I can confide in; he was one who is a step ahead of me. He tendered his last year.

Leaving a job is never easy, especially the first one. I had been in it for 5 years. This job is comfortable, yet challenging; regulated yet enriching. I have learnt lots thus far. But I have to move on. I ain't getting any younger.

But the qn is what do I want to do in life. I have yet to figure that out. All I know is that I've decided to leave my current road and embark onto a new road - one that isn't even paved. I guess this is the start. In me lies my courage. Hopefully, this will give me insight into what I will expect in time to come.

Believe in the stars

I used to be sceptical about horoscope signs. But I still read them to keep myself in the fantasy realm. Today, I reflected on the truth in my the zodiac signs.

My star, the Libra, read like this 2 weeks ago:
Your mood is lower than you like,thanks to some wierd emotional energy that feels like a weight on your shoulders. There's good news though - when it lifts, you will feel totally renewed.

The prediction has much truth in it. I was gloomy and down. Things weren't quite right. There were a number of factors that led to this and other mood depressions that I can't account for. But today, I feel much better. The storm has passed. I took that in my stride. In addition to motivating my team this morning, I'm feeling the enthusiam that will last me the weeks ahead.

Reflection

Today, I met up with my mentor, Dr Y. It wasn't a planned meet-up. He called me 10 mins prior to meeting, saying that he like to collect some things from me. We ended up talking for a good 40 mins.

Today, I learnt 2 points:
(i) I must clearly define what I do not like in my current job so that I can narrow down on my job search. I should never waste time repeating old mistakes in a new job. (Of course, I must also know what I want in my next job)

(ii) Don't leave my job because I hate the current job. While to some extent, that might be true. However, in reality, I should condition my mind that career transition is about finding dreams/challenges that the new job can fulfil, not getting disappointed & frustrated over the current job.

There is no bottom to the pit

It's a bottomless pit.

I feel myself falling again. Just when I thought that the I had reached my lowest point, I was wrong. There can never be such a point. Maybe it's a spiral downwards. Good news might come in pairs, but bad news come by the herd.

I haven't had good days at work. I talked to my bosses about leaving my job. I have been pressured at work. I've been working 12 hours these few days. I recieved rejection for my job interview. I haven't had a good sleep for the past week. And today, I broke up with my girlfriend.

I don't know what's next. How much more optimistic can I be in life, when things are turning bleak? Will the storm be over? Or is this the start of more torrendous rain I have to weather?