Thursday, March 31, 2005
Before I go into this whole tirade about my life at the moment, I'd like to mention the recent earthquake disaster, and give a shout-out to the efforts being made. Kudos to our guys being the first few being air-lifted out there to help the victims of the tragedy. Being half-Indonesian, and having relatives in Medan, Jakarta and Surabaya, I have to breathe out a selfish sigh of relief when I find out that none of them were hurt. I can't help but feel with the recent string of calamities, that Mother Nature's building up to a divorce with the human race, and guess who gets to keep everything from the pre-nuptial :) Let's try not to have many more regrets within ourselves eh? There's definitely more to this. It's all about how badly you want it to mean something (Futile or not). You decide. I've made up my mind...
And onto my own issues at the moment. I'm undergoing a minor dilemma. Nothing comparable to all that's going on of course. It would be disrespectful of me to think my own problems bigger than anyone else's. But still, my problems are problems, and need to be spoken of. Let's see if I can work them out, or perhaps, some of you out there might have a suggestion (Prizes a-plenty! Goodwill for ALL!)
It's sad. Tragic even. So I'm 2 weeks from collecting my pink IC and being an official Singapore citizen. I'll have served my time in National Service. I've applied for school, paid the fees, and starting come June 20th. It's a fantastic sensation. There's a big world out there, and the first step's practically already been taken. "So what's left to do Gene?", you ask with feverish anticipation, trembling lips and hungry eyes yearning for more. I know how badly you lot want to know. You've read the post up to this point already haven't you? :)
To answer the afore-mentioned question, what's left to do is to get a job. Earn a little cash on the side to use till my course begins. I've a job possibility on hand, thanks to a great friend. No problems there. All I have to do is write up a resume and send it to the guy in charge. Easy right? That's what I thought too. Till I sat down and tried to write one...
Now, it's not writing the resume that's a problem. I have a template to follow and all. Just fill in the blanks. Simple as that. Unfortunately, I've come to realise that at 26 freakin' years old this year, I have practically ZERO job experience to write about. Okay, let me fill you in on the (Albeit colourful) lackluster work I've done in my lifetime:
- (Late '90s) Did manual labour for a Caucasian friend of my dad's, moving around 2-ton heavy antiques for a shop that barely lasted a year at the Orchard Parade Hotel. It lasted 3 days, and I earned close to $200 cash, and the realisation that I should start exercising more.
- (Nov '99 to Dec '99) A job attachment. Part of the school curriculum. I was dumped at an insurance company, whose name I can't remember, but ironically, the address I still recall. It was the closest thing I had to a real job, and it sucked like a whore on crack (Don't ask, it sounded good at the time). Because of the whole Y2K-compliance fear, no one there dared to give me any real work to do. I was practically begging them for something more to do. Trust me, it's insane to go to the workplace from 9 - 6, and not have a thing to do, and STILL be expected to look as if I'm busy (keep in mind that working on Saturdays was still in effect. The HORROR). I fell asleep in my chair once, and this guy woke me up, telling me it's not "very nice." I looked at him and replied (as politely as possible) that, "If you guys gave me something to do, I wouldn't have this problem." After 2 of the slowest months of my life, I came out with a little over $500, and an impeccable knowledge on how to take naps discreetly in the toilet cubicles.
- (Somewhere in 2000 I think?) I worked at Focal Security part-time. A few jobs my martial arts teacher helped me get at the time. I did stuff like chasing down workers without work permits at construction sites in the Sembawang area at 3 in the AM. $50 per night. I stopped after the 2nd time 'cause it was heart-breaking to see the tears and the look in their eyes when you finally caught them, and they're begging you in whatever English they know of to not let them be deported. I also did some perimeter security at the ZoukOut that year. Sadly, I can't remember how much I was payed for that one. It took me weeks to get my body clock back on track.
- (1999? 2000? 2001? Time becomes painfully relative when you've done 5 years in Poly) Another martial arts teacher of mine got me a part-time job working at this great pub near Parkway Parade called Also Bernie's. Great atmosphere. Fantastic burgers. Friendly staff. I worked for 3 days there, before management changed, and they decided that they didn't want part-timers. I may have earned around $200 - $300 in the 3 days. I'll have to look for the photocopy of my cheque to be sure. The customers were great tippers (Especially when I did my happy dance. Don't ask.).
And that's it. After that, I focused more on my school work. My parents were coming back to Singapore for good, and I was about to be conscripted. Lord knows I've contributed more than my fair share during my time at Pulau Tekong as a medic, but honestly, who here takes any work done during National Service seriously, or with any relevancy? Heh. Like I said: Tragic. I mean, jeez, I can't even give dates, or even the names of the workplaces I've been. Still, I really don't think I've wasted my time. No regrets, remember? :) During my school holidays, I'd always be doing something, whether it was spending a month up in Jakarta with my folks, or learning how to play the drums, or organising activities for my French class, or training for a martial arts tournament, or just spending the time getting to know more people. And lately, I know I've worked my ass off in the medical centre. Hell, I had re-adjustment problems within the first week I was clearing leave. Almost like withdrawal symptoms. I needed a document to create, or a record to file. *sigh* It's almost heart-breaking to suddenly realise that all this won't mean shit to the general public. And then, you have to ask yourself: Is it about them, or is it about you? Heh, it's always about choices isn't it? Well, I'll leave that up to you. I've my own to worry about :)
And onto my own issues at the moment. I'm undergoing a minor dilemma. Nothing comparable to all that's going on of course. It would be disrespectful of me to think my own problems bigger than anyone else's. But still, my problems are problems, and need to be spoken of. Let's see if I can work them out, or perhaps, some of you out there might have a suggestion (Prizes a-plenty! Goodwill for ALL!)
It's sad. Tragic even. So I'm 2 weeks from collecting my pink IC and being an official Singapore citizen. I'll have served my time in National Service. I've applied for school, paid the fees, and starting come June 20th. It's a fantastic sensation. There's a big world out there, and the first step's practically already been taken. "So what's left to do Gene?", you ask with feverish anticipation, trembling lips and hungry eyes yearning for more. I know how badly you lot want to know. You've read the post up to this point already haven't you? :)
To answer the afore-mentioned question, what's left to do is to get a job. Earn a little cash on the side to use till my course begins. I've a job possibility on hand, thanks to a great friend. No problems there. All I have to do is write up a resume and send it to the guy in charge. Easy right? That's what I thought too. Till I sat down and tried to write one...
Now, it's not writing the resume that's a problem. I have a template to follow and all. Just fill in the blanks. Simple as that. Unfortunately, I've come to realise that at 26 freakin' years old this year, I have practically ZERO job experience to write about. Okay, let me fill you in on the (Albeit colourful) lackluster work I've done in my lifetime:
- (Late '90s) Did manual labour for a Caucasian friend of my dad's, moving around 2-ton heavy antiques for a shop that barely lasted a year at the Orchard Parade Hotel. It lasted 3 days, and I earned close to $200 cash, and the realisation that I should start exercising more.
- (Nov '99 to Dec '99) A job attachment. Part of the school curriculum. I was dumped at an insurance company, whose name I can't remember, but ironically, the address I still recall. It was the closest thing I had to a real job, and it sucked like a whore on crack (Don't ask, it sounded good at the time). Because of the whole Y2K-compliance fear, no one there dared to give me any real work to do. I was practically begging them for something more to do. Trust me, it's insane to go to the workplace from 9 - 6, and not have a thing to do, and STILL be expected to look as if I'm busy (keep in mind that working on Saturdays was still in effect. The HORROR). I fell asleep in my chair once, and this guy woke me up, telling me it's not "very nice." I looked at him and replied (as politely as possible) that, "If you guys gave me something to do, I wouldn't have this problem." After 2 of the slowest months of my life, I came out with a little over $500, and an impeccable knowledge on how to take naps discreetly in the toilet cubicles.
- (Somewhere in 2000 I think?) I worked at Focal Security part-time. A few jobs my martial arts teacher helped me get at the time. I did stuff like chasing down workers without work permits at construction sites in the Sembawang area at 3 in the AM. $50 per night. I stopped after the 2nd time 'cause it was heart-breaking to see the tears and the look in their eyes when you finally caught them, and they're begging you in whatever English they know of to not let them be deported. I also did some perimeter security at the ZoukOut that year. Sadly, I can't remember how much I was payed for that one. It took me weeks to get my body clock back on track.
- (1999? 2000? 2001? Time becomes painfully relative when you've done 5 years in Poly) Another martial arts teacher of mine got me a part-time job working at this great pub near Parkway Parade called Also Bernie's. Great atmosphere. Fantastic burgers. Friendly staff. I worked for 3 days there, before management changed, and they decided that they didn't want part-timers. I may have earned around $200 - $300 in the 3 days. I'll have to look for the photocopy of my cheque to be sure. The customers were great tippers (Especially when I did my happy dance. Don't ask.).
And that's it. After that, I focused more on my school work. My parents were coming back to Singapore for good, and I was about to be conscripted. Lord knows I've contributed more than my fair share during my time at Pulau Tekong as a medic, but honestly, who here takes any work done during National Service seriously, or with any relevancy? Heh. Like I said: Tragic. I mean, jeez, I can't even give dates, or even the names of the workplaces I've been. Still, I really don't think I've wasted my time. No regrets, remember? :) During my school holidays, I'd always be doing something, whether it was spending a month up in Jakarta with my folks, or learning how to play the drums, or organising activities for my French class, or training for a martial arts tournament, or just spending the time getting to know more people. And lately, I know I've worked my ass off in the medical centre. Hell, I had re-adjustment problems within the first week I was clearing leave. Almost like withdrawal symptoms. I needed a document to create, or a record to file. *sigh* It's almost heart-breaking to suddenly realise that all this won't mean shit to the general public. And then, you have to ask yourself: Is it about them, or is it about you? Heh, it's always about choices isn't it? Well, I'll leave that up to you. I've my own to worry about :)
