Monday, January 16, 2006
Operation Cleanup (2)
I took a look at what used to be my desk by the window and groaned. It was currently an open storage space; things were piled so high up, they were almost touching the ceiling.
This morning, armed with nothing but a resolution to clean up the desk to a reasonably good state, I set out to convert it from an open storage back to well, ... a desk.
It proved to be such a tough nut to crack. I couldn't bear to throw away so many things that I ended up with approximately the same amount of things I started with. I am currently sitting amidst all the rubbish, with a plate of noodles (lunch) on my lap and typing this in my notebook. I am beginning to wish I have Mei's everything-goes cleanup ability.
Meanwhile, at home, they were trying to get me to clean up my spaces in the girls' rooms. It was in preparation for the Sister's summer wedding, where one of the customs required the the entire extended family and relatives, to come to our place for some tea drinking ceremony.
I took a look at what used to be my desk by the window and groaned. It was currently an open storage space; things were piled so high up, they were almost touching the ceiling.
This morning, armed with nothing but a resolution to clean up the desk to a reasonably good state, I set out to convert it from an open storage back to well, ... a desk.
It proved to be such a tough nut to crack. I couldn't bear to throw away so many things that I ended up with approximately the same amount of things I started with. I am currently sitting amidst all the rubbish, with a plate of noodles (lunch) on my lap and typing this in my notebook. I am beginning to wish I have Mei's everything-goes cleanup ability.
Operation Cleanup (1)
Last week we had to clear Mei's room at the Office for a mini renovation. On top of the obvious junk, we were throwing away perfectly good things, amongst them, new folders, clean legal papers and 4 polo tees still in their plastic covers. I thought it was a waste to dump 'em like that, so I secretly put some aside to give to the cleaning auntie.
In just an hour or two we managed to make bare Mei's room and half a dozen more cupboards. I was pretty amazed by the efficiency. Mei was right; she was a dang good housekeeper.
If I'd a vote, I would throw it in for the housekeeper being one of the toughest jobs around. It had got almost everything to do with the fact that I made such a bad one myself, and very little to do with anything else.
Last week we had to clear Mei's room at the Office for a mini renovation. On top of the obvious junk, we were throwing away perfectly good things, amongst them, new folders, clean legal papers and 4 polo tees still in their plastic covers. I thought it was a waste to dump 'em like that, so I secretly put some aside to give to the cleaning auntie.
In just an hour or two we managed to make bare Mei's room and half a dozen more cupboards. I was pretty amazed by the efficiency. Mei was right; she was a dang good housekeeper.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
First b'day of the year
We celebrated with delectable slices of b'day cake topped with rich creamy chocolate, with the crispest biscuit base that I'd had. Perfectly sinful.
It made the fish burger that I had after it, taste like plain bread.
That was what happened when you had dessert before the main course.
Ed turned 28 today. So it was true. The numbers jumped so much faster after you passed 21st.
We celebrated with delectable slices of b'day cake topped with rich creamy chocolate, with the crispest biscuit base that I'd had. Perfectly sinful.
It made the fish burger that I had after it, taste like plain bread.
That was what happened when you had dessert before the main course.
Being frank
Most times, I would hold my tongue. It was not my place to comment much, and I would rather not start it over such trivial matters. She was making mountains out of molehills, and it was such tiring, demoralising office behavior.
But on that day, when she turned to complain to me (again) about the things that the rest of us had no control over, I looked at her and replied the very obvious in a flat nonchalant tone.
D was probably a little shocked that I did so (she probably wasn't expecting responses/answers to her complains/bitching), coz the replies she gave after that seemed pretty flustered. I was a little amused. I didn't stay around to see her complete her bossy routine; I would rather be attending to other quieter activities, like my lunch for e.g.
I wasn't around on Monday. When I came into the office today, Sy told me that D had complained to the Boss that I was rude to her. I didn't know the full story but I heard that Boss hadn't been too bothered about it (everyone in office knew how D was like), and even suggested that perhaps she was rude to me first. Or that I was simply being direct.
I didn’t usually get impatient at work. But it was the day after my cell phone was stolen/lost, and D was in the room going on about the same things that she had been complaining about for the past few months. She threw her hands in the air, turned to the external personnel and said, I've already told them many times, ending with big shakes of her head, like what a teacher would do when talking about a kid that she'd given up on.
Most times, I would hold my tongue. It was not my place to comment much, and I would rather not start it over such trivial matters. She was making mountains out of molehills, and it was such tiring, demoralising office behavior.
But on that day, when she turned to complain to me (again) about the things that the rest of us had no control over, I looked at her and replied the very obvious in a flat nonchalant tone.
D was probably a little shocked that I did so (she probably wasn't expecting responses/answers to her complains/bitching), coz the replies she gave after that seemed pretty flustered. I was a little amused. I didn't stay around to see her complete her bossy routine; I would rather be attending to other quieter activities, like my lunch for e.g.
I wasn't around on Monday. When I came into the office today, Sy told me that D had complained to the Boss that I was rude to her. I didn't know the full story but I heard that Boss hadn't been too bothered about it (everyone in office knew how D was like), and even suggested that perhaps she was rude to me first. Or that I was simply being direct.
Monday, January 09, 2006
I don’t know which is sadder
Both of which are, actually, very much preventable, aren’t they ?
.. humans dying from violence in wars for power, or millions dying from “preventable and easily treatable diseases” coz’ of poor access to any decent health care.
Both of which are, actually, very much preventable, aren’t they ?
Friday, January 06, 2006
Not the most beautiful start
Monet’s eyes swelled up terribly and he could barely see anything properly. It looked painful. I wished he had stayed at home today. It was such a rare compliment, but when he said that I was pretty today, I seriously believed that swelled-up eyes did make everything seem so much lovelier.
On my way to Raffles today, just before I reached the Other Office, I discovered, to my dismay, that my mobile phone was nowhere to be found. I searched my bag over and again. I must have dropped it on the bus/train. I wasn’t panicky but I was awfully upset. It was only a little more than eight months ago that I queued up for hours to purchase the phone. Yea, I was such a dork. I loved it loads, even though it was such a problem giver compared to my previous phones.
I called my no., hoping to get the other party to answer the phone and hopefully return it to me. The person pressed away my calls several times. I sent a message to my phone. There was no reply. Finally a couple of hours later, he/she switched off my phone.
It was just depressing. For a moment I was tempted to unleash some wild made-up curses on the person, but really, had it not been my carelessness, he/she would not have much chances to be a finder keeper. Sigh.
Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day. Meanwhile I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the person who’s found my phone, would find his conscience as well to contact the rightful owner soon.
Today was a bad day. Fan texted me early in the morning, visibly distressed. Apparently the one thing that he’d been dreading all this while was starting to happen ... again. It was sad, and I genuinely felt sorry for my mate. It’s not going to be easy, but I’m certain he’ll learn to cope with it again. Meanwhile I would be keeping him in the prayers.
Monet’s eyes swelled up terribly and he could barely see anything properly. It looked painful. I wished he had stayed at home today. It was such a rare compliment, but when he said that I was pretty today, I seriously believed that swelled-up eyes did make everything seem so much lovelier.
On my way to Raffles today, just before I reached the Other Office, I discovered, to my dismay, that my mobile phone was nowhere to be found. I searched my bag over and again. I must have dropped it on the bus/train. I wasn’t panicky but I was awfully upset. It was only a little more than eight months ago that I queued up for hours to purchase the phone. Yea, I was such a dork. I loved it loads, even though it was such a problem giver compared to my previous phones.
I called my no., hoping to get the other party to answer the phone and hopefully return it to me. The person pressed away my calls several times. I sent a message to my phone. There was no reply. Finally a couple of hours later, he/she switched off my phone.
It was just depressing. For a moment I was tempted to unleash some wild made-up curses on the person, but really, had it not been my carelessness, he/she would not have much chances to be a finder keeper. Sigh.
Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day. Meanwhile I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the person who’s found my phone, would find his conscience as well to contact the rightful owner soon.
