Everything's Greener on the other side

Stick Boy's Festive Season

Stick Boy noticed that his Christmas tree looked healthier than he did.

~ Tim Burton, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy

:::

One is never contended or more to the point, the grass always looks greener from the other side. Simple unchangeable fact in life. What is changeable are (a) whether you give in to the temptation to go to the other side, (b) stay put but continue to look longingly at the other side, (c) convinue thyself that your side is better and (d) is really on the greener side already. In other words frens, every now and then temptation comes along, but it doesn't necessarily follow that the other side is really greener...even though from one's perception, it just seems so.

With that opening, let's announce a few facts:

1. *Doormat has RESIGNED! (pause for gasp of breath). After working merely 1 month plus, she is going to jump ship. In other news, she has accepted the position of assistant curator for the Singapore Zoo (which btw, is unionised, in case you are interested, which yours truly doubts but hey, it is always good to gain knowledge. *deadpan*). Yours truly feels that it is certainly a more appropriate jobcareer for *doormat. No wishy-washy. She was so resolute, she accepted the job offer on the spot! Way to go!

2. *Eccentric seems to be bitten by the resignation bug too and has been thinking and waiting desperately anxiously for the call of a production company that specializes in documentary for Discovery Channel *gasp*. Dare yours truly suggest that someone should take the initative and if offered, to seriously decide to job hop again? As of now, yours truly offers no advice. Ask me again if and when the offer really comes. But then again, if the offer really comes, yours truly would hazard that *eccentric would decide without any inputs necessary from moi, after all, if she is excited enough to CALL me immediately after the interview....that says so much already, doesn't it? *laconic*

To *Doormat & *Eccentric, please don't attempt to pretend to be rational, after all, yours truly is sure that when the opportunity or more to the point, when the offer comes, all the previous tedious rationisation was completely useless.

3. Apparently, most people (all readers of this blog who calls themselves my friends are exempted from this) feels more than they do & have more complex feelings but because they lack a vocabulary, they are left with mere polar descriptions such as "cute" or "hot" - the gospel according to *eccentric. *roll eyes* Such tragedy.

4. *Starry is "eye-ing" yours truly's job enviously merely because she works really late really frequently. Ah. Another case of grass being greener syndrome, but really, yours truly has just completed my workplans for 2007 and trust me, the number of major projects that yours truly is put in charge of, including putting together the Corporate Governance for the whole group and the group branding, etc, yours truly doubts that envy caused merely by my normal working hours is sustainable in the long run. *wryly*

In other un-related news, apparently yours truly inherited intutition from mom. Yours truly was certain the moment I saw my *future sister-in-law that she was my bro's gf, and guess what, yours truly wasn't the only one. Momsy speculated to Dad too. *grin* Someone should teach yours truly's bro the art of discretion. *shake head* tsk tsk.

Oh yah, have mentioned the possible backpacking trip to Europe to mom and surprisingly, she is quite supportive. Or perhaps, not so surprising, since as yours truly has always known, I am one spoilt brat with very supportive parents. In fact, my colleague speculated that I must be an ONLY child or the youngest because I seem very carefree. Right. That means, translated aka spoilt brat.

Roger. I know. I am. Indeed.

And proud of it.

Won't you want to be too?

I dare you to say no.

Bratty Sheer

Eye Candy or lack thereof

"Life isn't weird: it's just the people in it."

This is not a work related post.

This is a frivolous post in response to yours truly's friends who have been asking about eye candy(ies) or lack thereof.

Yours truly is sad to report that as of now, there has been no eye candy to ogle at work.

And for those of yours truly's friends who are overly nosey about yours truly's social life or more specifically, about potential possibilities at work. Unfortunately, the answer is still negative.

Yours truly have met several nice earnest chaps but that's about it. Quite mild and bland guys. And knowing yours truly, can you imagine moi with mild and bland guy? *cringe* But yours truly have also met several interesting attractive girls. Alas, yours truly's orientation is unfortunately within social convention.

But if you are interested, yours truly can relate an amusing anecdote from a seminar yours truly attended yesterday.

Skip this entirely if you don't happen to be one of yours truly's nosey friends.

:::

Yours truly met someone from a particular ministry. As we were exchanging name cards, he informed yours truly that he is expecting major changes in a few months and will keep yours truly informed.

??!! (yours truly's immediate train of thought)

Er…why keep me informed? Yours truly's colleague threw me an equally bewildered look.

And so yours truly asked why keep us informed unless….*pause* unless logically, you are going to be seconded to my organization?

Said guy nods and gives more details.

(pause for your reaction)

Disappointed, aren't you? *roll eyes*

Yes, nothing more interesting or scandalous to relate. *grin*

He was probably just trying to get to know a few people from yours truly's organization before he gets seconded over.

But in any case, yours truly and colleague had a moment of mental connection in bewilderment. *grin*

:::

Another irrelevant fact from yesterday:

Two acquaintances separately complimented yours truly on looking "hot". Both were of the female gender in case you are wondering, as I am sure you were. Yours truly is flattered by the compliment, but puzzled too.

Hot does not connotes official work attire to moi. Yours truly certainly won't classify myself as being remotely on the "sexy" index. Stylish, maybe. Groomed, hopefully. But hot? *pause in puzzlement*

And before you ask, yours truly was dressed in a black wool long sleeved turtleneck with a knee-length black pencil skirt and white belt with strappy stilettos. (Oh yah, I was wearing a nice striking necklace that *eccentric gave me). What's hot about that? Or have I lost touch with the current conception of hot? *arched my brows*

In any case, it is always nice to receive compliments. *shrug*

Europe

"Travel feeds the soul, or probably we just need an excuse to go"
~ Me

Evil. Yours truly's brother has returned from his EUROPE backpacking trip and caused yours truly to turn green with envy (note to self: green is not a flattering color for skin) after seeing his photos. All 2,100 of them, excluding 1,800 from his fellow travellers....*whistles*

The 2 or possibly 3 positive things from his trip are:

1. my new smart double breast buttons coat with shoulder buckles (and a perfect fit! yours truly is impressed);

2. my new earth tone shades of color cashmew shawl; and

3. my new sister-in-law (no, yours truly's brother didn't get married on a whim in Europe, but he did get attached and came back as part of a couple with his travel mate.)

While yours truly have quite a nice positive vibe about said sister-in-law but really, its 1 & 2 that has me glad that he's back. *deadpan*

As a result of evil brother's backpacking trip, yours truly is now dying to go to Europe. Sigh. Think of the money. Sigh.

In other news, *Starry is planning an Europe backpacking trip with her *gallant and has invited yours truly along. Yours truly has initally turned them down, since yours truly is not inclinded to be a third wheel, but now that (a) yours truly's evil brother just came back, causing yours truly to really want to go Europe and (b) *starry already has a 3rd person going, so if yours truly go, she won't be going with a couple and so (c) Europe trip is now in the works.

Yours truly will leave the majority of the trip planning to *Starry & her knight and if the ititernary fits yours truly, given that money and timing is not a problem, then yours truly will probably go along.

Hopefully.

Afterall, it is tough to find companions for an Europe backpacking trip.

But on the other hand, yours truly is hestiant about whether *Starry & her knight & friend constitutes frugal backpackers since knowing them, hmm....should I say they are used to certain *luxuries in life? Or at least, *Gallant seems to be and from what I understand....the friend as well. *whistles*

Ah well. We shall see. Let's leave the budget control to *Starry. Presumably she would be able to keep the 2 of them in check. *grin*

Europe aspirant Sheer

New Blog

"I don't want to work for a living. I want to live" ~ Oscar Wilde

Yours truly has an alterego. Or more specifically, yours truly has a blog that serves as working life ranting.

You are spared the agony of reading about working life quirks @ this space. Be grateful.

Sheer

Revisiting Emails

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. "
~ Oscar Wilde

Yours truly was re-reading her emails from the past few years, specifically those of thesis agony days and came to the following conclusions:

1. that we have all (yes, yours truly included!) left incriminating evidence in writing. *grimace*

2. *Snappish writes her best emails when she is (a) overworked & on adrenaline rush, (b) stressed and in denial, needing an excuse not to work resulting in (c) an outburst (more like verbal vomit) of words.

3. *Witchy writes very kinetic & animated emails that is really awashed with mushiness

4. *Private actually wrote some somewhat *mushy & *emotional emails. shame on you! *giggle*

5. *Eccentric is a *terrible email corresponder & she rarely writes long emails. To quote *Witchy: "where is my mi mi? (looks ard forlornly)".

6. *Ms Evil writes *amusing emails that are pure exaggerations with superlatives & hyperbole like her *giggle*

and

7. Sadly, we seem to be writing less and less entertainingly long emails *hang head ala *witchy's style*

which leads yours truly to wonder whether we are all - horrors of horrors! - becoming (a) less interesting (b) more busy (c) too grown up or (d) drifting apart?

This could get depressing.

It is already tragic.

Don't you think?

Or maybe

it is just yours truly thinking too much.

Shrug.

Maybe the lesser number of emails are the result of being less in need to whine because we no longer have to suffer agony like thesis writing and are able to meet up with friends whenever we want instead of being *chained to desk and computer typing frantically ala *snappish as deadline looms?

Maybe.

Let's hope so.

Shrug.

Or maybe, just maybe, we just have more entertaining illicit msn conversations during office hours...like today, yours truly had a really *amusing 3 way conversation with *Ms Evil & *Wallflower. They are really quite *weird but at least our sense of humor aligns quite well....at least it did today...no guarantees on other days....*grin* and even though *Ms Evil insists she is *normal, (if she is *normal, wat shld the poor conventional souls call themselves? extreme super normal?) but yours truly insists that she can't be. Really. *solemn look*

Besides, all my friends are weird.

You didn't think you were even remotely normal, did you? *archly* Oh dear. Didn't realise you were delusional. *shake head in sympathy*

But if it makes you feel better, *Wallflower says "normal is the average of deviance" but really, yours truly thinks that normalcy is more the lack of deviation from the average than the average of deviance.

But heck, what do I care?

It is my prerogative to call you weird.

Normalcy is really, in the eyes of the beholder. *deadpan*

Gotcha there, haven't I? *arched my brows*

Sheer

Nobody's Perfect

It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.
~ Henri Matisse


People need trouble -- a little frustration to sharpen the spirit on, toughen it. Artists do; I don't mean you need to live in a rat hole or gutter, but you have to learn fortitude, endurance. Only vegetables are happy.
~ William Faulkner


no matter who we are, where we're going, or where we've been, we all struggle. everyone has battles. everyone, at one time or another, faces the every moment, to day, to year, trials of existence. such is life. sometimes simple. sometimes complicated. when we wake up with challenges, we wake up with choices. to either overcome all that holds us down by going against what opposes us - or to continue sitting quietly in the foul stench of our own shit, while at the same time surendering ourselves to fear and failure. life shifts, spins, and relocates. as we do. we all have the ability to switch our fear of failure into an energy to overcome any trial. just as sure as we all have a spine.
~ Hot Water Music

:::

To a *good friend

Yours truly would like to believe that she is (a) not a vegetable and (b) has a spine and (c) that you are subjected to (a) and (b) above as well. In other words, no one's perfect. Hey, everyone's born deficient in some areas (although arguably some more than others) but let's not argue about anomalies here. What's a small setback or even a few tiny setbacks along the way? We all live and learn. Besides, it is self-defeating and delusional to imagine that your friends would necessary do better in the same situation. Of course, being friends, they shld thank you for your confidence in them, assuming and provided that the confidence is not an excuse to wallow in self pity.

So get a grip on yourself. Move. You either swim or you drown. And as yours truly's self-proclaimed *good friend or more so, because you have self-proclaimed yourself as so, you are only allowed to SWIM. *deadpan*

No other way.

Enough said. *dryly*

Sheer