Saturday, January 25, 2014

good end to the year of the snake

i thought that january was really a mundane month and that i wouldn't have anything interesting to update that i would have to be forced to update on some chinese new year cookies mom baked,
a dvd of sammi's movie 'romancing in thin air' which a colleague had so kindly bought for me when he went to get his own dvds,

or talking about the new scent in my rented room now- rose. my room does smell like a rose garden now.
i won't mind talking a bit more about this haha......just couldn't get my mind off this scented oil from france when i first smelt it few weeks ago and ever since then, had made up my mind to get it. so when isetan had promotion, buy 2 and free one, i got 2 and gave one to my sister. she din get the rose one though, she got herself another flower scent. this is one of my favourite purchases to start the year.

and now to 2 interesting things which sort of popped out of nowhere and which will mark a great end to the year of the snake, my own horoscope. i totally feel wonderful because of them and i still feel in a daze and like floating on a puffy cloud.

the first one was meeting my favourite malaysian author, mr tan twan eng when i went for my knee treatment yesterday. well, i don't read that many malaysian writers to be frank, so i guess his place is easily sealed. haha. his book- the garden of the evening mist meant so much to me and i remember writing about it and how it made me remind me of beloved grandma. and i guess now when i think of my knee, i will think of my meeting with him? lol. he is such a humble man and i am glad that i braved myself to go say hi. i really pushed away all my fear and made a go for it. phew! it was the best 15 minutes of my friday morning. i wonder if i gibbered like a fool because we did have so many things to talk about.....anyway, he din make me feel like one. i even got an autograph. yeah!

the second good thing came today. see....wonderful 2 days in a row! i was preparing myself to face the boss and tell him that i had forgotten to get an MC due to my excitement of meeting the author, but before i could say a word, he congratulated me. i was like 'huh'? then he asked me whether i had got my letter. and of course my reaction was 'what letter'? well, i have got what i applied for! another post in the ministry but i will still be with the same district. it would be a change from my current job now and instead of dealing with teenagers, i will be dealing with adults soon. i am looking at this change in a positive light. frankly, i had kept the hope of me getting the position after not being called for the first round of training in december. i did not give up inside me and i knew that one day, i would get the offer letter. i am glad that i did that and the letter finally came on my lucky friday, 24th january.

i have not told the kids about this yet because i really do not know when my new job will start and when i will leave the current job now. these are all unanswered questions which hopefully will be answered when i go to ipoh this coming wednesday for my briefing. will i miss the kids? of course i will miss those smiling faces but in life, there are many junctions that we  will have to branch into in order to find greater heights. dad is quite apprehensive about this new job, but i won't be deterred by that. i need to have faith in myself and believe that it is for the better to make the path easier. my fingers will be crossed all the time so that i will have a good year of the horse and will be 'galloping' my way to greener pasture.....but not with my weakening knees of course. sob. sad story about the knee......not to be shared in this happy post.


Sunday, January 05, 2014

so far, not good

it hasn't been a really uplifting new year so far career wise.

it started on quite a bad note and it still hasn't improved. the new system that i have to deal with is driving me mad and bonkers. i am so frustrated with the way the education system has turned out and how it is robbing the kids of their future.

the new system being implemented is not helping them at all. they are only drilled to pass the bands they are supposed to get and there is no learning imparted. they are turning like robots who open their mouths as the spoon is being brought to them. there is no thinking on their parts at all and it has made their brains just an inactive organ in their bodies.  it really saddens me and my heart bleeds for their future and how things are turning out. there is nothing much i can do because i also have to complete what i am supposed to do, following the orders set. i am directionless still and don't know how i am going to start. i really do want to teach and make them learn, but my hands are sort of tied. sad sad.

i did not expect myself to be so affected....but i guess SULK will still be quite a common facial expression one will see me with.  i better get my things organised fast so the wheel can really start turning. gosh....there are so many things in my bowl too. those duties they have given me are drowning me. i have complained and voiced my disappointment and unhappiness, but will i be heard? let me wait some more and see.

on a brighter note....my cute little nephew is back and he has been keeping everyone busy with his active antics. he is sooo adorable and warms up quite quickly to people.
we went to kl twice in the weekends and boy, it was hard trying to keep him still. he would throw a tantrum when we forced him to sit in his stroller.  but lettting him run loose is also a nightmare despite it being the only thing that would keep him happy.

chinese new year decorations are up in all malls already too. yup, less than a month and the year of the horse will be galloping in. but of course, there is still no celebration in the house for the 3rd year. hehe...nothing to do. can just relax.

had the chance to eat at ippudo hakata in pavilion, a ramen shop. heard how long queues formed when it was first opened and how good things were. well, we went there for dinner and there was no queue at all. the ramen was ok not like making you go ga-ga. the broth for the ramen was rich enough but the price one had to pay....gosh......one bowl of special ramen is between rm30-36. so it is quite an expensive affair for a bowl of ramen. special means the addition of seaweed, and egg. how expensive can these things be?? don't think i will be making a second visit there.

after all, 2014 will be a year to tighten the belt with the rising cost in almost everything affecting the lifestyle. can't say i won't be affected. it is time to make more money in order to have more saving.