We're slightly under a week into April and something strange has happened at work. My workload has mysteriously reduced significantly, just as we are nearing the peak of the peak season. All you income tax form holders out there have till April 15 to file your taxes (unless if you're brilliant enough to file for extensions, or if you're rich enough to afford a tax accountant).
So yes, there's an additional 10 more days to April 15 and I find myself enjoying work more, mainly because I don't mind it so hectic anymore. I step into the office, chat a little, turn on the lap top, finalise some letters, do some more administrative tasks as well as other more specific tasks such as computations and then I find myself with a 10min-1hour wait till my next job falls from the sky. I've been so free I even had time to admire the buildings, the clouds and even the rain. Of course, being so free also means that time moves a lot slower than it used to. Not to mention I haven't exactly done any of my crazy 2-3 hour OTs.
What I don't like about this, other than the whole time-moving-slower thing is that the main reason why I'm not swamped is because the accountants are too preoccupied doing tasks deemed too complicated for the temps to try, and by the time they get to the easy part, the tasks require the temps to put in extra hours of work. This results in extremely bored and free temps during office hours, but stressed out, frustrated and rushed temps close to the end of office hours, after office hours and on weekends. The good thing is that the despatch comes twice a day; once in the late morning, once in the afternoon. This gives us some time to finalise letters just in time for the 2 despatches. However, just today, we were told to be prepared to work overtime as well as over the weekends (I hope it doesn't mean coming back on Sundays, I don't mind Saturdays if they don't eat into my Sundays) for the next 2 weeks (till next Friday).
I find it amusing that the standard of English in my workplace, referring to the way they write letters and correspond with the clients and Comptroller, to be appallingly horrible. I'm not saying that I'm seeing grammatical errors everywhere, but I do see glaring mistakes here and there. Some people who know me know that I have a habit of trying to correct other people's English, not because I think my standard of English is exceedingly wonderful but because I tend to hold more pride in the language, it being the lingua franca of the word, the language I was raised in, the language I persistently raised myself in, and it being my most proficient language. Here, I try my best to be polite and put up with all the mistakes and strange phrasing I see in e-mails and letters (trust me, you don't even want to go into their pronunciation). My only hope is that when I come out of this, I still have my language skills intact. That is all I ask for. I know better than to correct the bad English when I see it because I know too well that the 'bad English' came from the templates and the big bosses will just amend my amended English (made to sound better) and revert back to the old template. So why bother? I couldn't possibly take on the big bosses just because my gut feeling tells me that the English I see in the letters could be potentially just plain wrong (although the gut feeling actually works). I couldn't possible wave my GCE 'Ordinary' and 'Advanced' Level results, brandishing my A1s in English and General Paper as proof that I'm just way too good to be true when it comes to the English language because I know too well that it isn't true. Hence, my best option would be to simply shut up and let them continue making the mistakes. Radical changes aren't meant for temporary admin assistants like me to make, at least not in a MNC.
Another thing about me after I entered the workforce. I've become BOTH a spendthrift and a miser. Just because I'm earning cash, I'm thinking of a thousand and one ways to spend it; bags, shoes, clothes, gadgets (yes, I actually STILL want to buy a digital camera). The temptation is there, especially with the ATM card, and with it means that cash is really just an ATM machine away, or worse, I can simply NETS it. I've become a miser in terms of the food I eat. I consciously count how much I spend on lunch each day. Spending above $3 is considered bad, anything about $5 is really too much. On days when I work OT, my parents don't provide me with dinner, so I settle dinner on my own (with my own cash, since the cash cows don't really work) and then I start calculating how much I earn from the OT and decide how much I can spend on dinner. Most of the time it's under $2 (just a curry puff and maybe calamari or cuttlefish balls), other times, I don't eat and end up snacking the night away (not good for the waist). This paragraph is starting to sound like Economics 101. Lol. People have unlimited wants, but limited resources. This results in scarcity and forces people to choose. The basic principle behind economics. Hence, I devise a mental way to calculate my utility (be it in utils or otherwise) and buy the good that I believe will give me the most utils and suffer the opportunity cost of it (measured as the value of the next best alternative I could have used the same amount of money for).
Just the other day I wanted a pretzel and decided against it. But I do indulge, once in a while, like that peanut pancake on Monday. And I won't ever mind having something pricier (and paying for it) in the presence of good company.
Some pretty interesting news recently: our local government has banned podcasting when it comes to explicitly political issues. I have no idea what they're trying to do, other than appearing to stifle the online community. They couldn't be that afraid of bloggers, yes, blogs are influential, but if used the right way, they can end up as tools of great use. Moreover, given the rise of technology, banning the use of modern technology isn't exactly going to go down well with the IT-savvy youths of today. And don't forget, these people are going to be the future voters of the country. It's kind of like invisible OB markers, except I think the authorities really ought to come out and make those OB markers visible. Let bloggers know their boundaries.
In other news, the PM of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra has stepped down. He has yielded to weeks of street protests held by the opposition. I don't think I'll see it happen in this country that I'm residing in, but it makes you wonder. Why now? Why not sooner? Why not persist and hold on to that appointment? Will he be planning a comeback? And from my perspective at least, during his reign, he's actually managed to make Thailand more attractive to foreigners. I remember my first trip to Bangkok in 1996, a family in the tour group got robbed on their first night. Now, Thailand is relatively safe (although I am still paranoid over going out at night), the transport system is well-developed and the infrastructure has improved. What he's accomplished is rather spectacular, bearing in mind that it is a fact that no other PM of Thailand has managed to finish a term in office in a long time, with Thaksin being the exception. That alone, counts are something pretty remarkable and surprising. Of course, me not being a Thai citizen nor an expat in THailand means I don't really know what's going on in there. I just don't think Singaporeans will be returning to Thailand in the short run, things are a little too volatile there. Not to mention, our dear Temasek Holdings tried to buy something the Thais are fiercely protective of. Just the word 'Temasek' or 'Singapore' might get someone hammered to death. You never know. Can you imagine my shock when they held a protest right as the doorstep of the Singapore embassy, a place I happy stayed near during my trip there last year, happily thinking that the embassy would be the safest place for any Singaporean?
It's almost 10.30pm and I need to cut this short. Lol. An hour of blogging, something I haven't done in quite long. Not to mention my eyelids are feeling heavy. Cable's still not here yet, apparently Starhub screwed up, so I don't have cable. Darn. I need to get my passport photo replaced, but that can only happen after April 15. Work, work, work. 12 more weeks of work. When will my break come?
I'm a 3rd year student in what is probably the largest autonomous university in Singapore majoring in a Science-related subject (well it sorta IS SCIENCE). I'm known to be introverted, sarcastic (at times), funny when I rant (which isn't a good thing lol) and somewhat of a loner. I miss LA and would move there in a heartbeat :(
