Friday, July 18, 2008
Off to Hanoi
In case I don't get to blog anymore, I am leaving for Hanoi with Lorraine, her Mister and mine next Wednesday. Will explore Halong Bay and Hanoi city while staying at the famous Old Quarter. I still cannot think of what I want to tailor. Hopefully it will be fun and get my mind off some concerns.
Labels: Travel Diary
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Musings on Career and Life
I am very frustrated recently. After working for some time, you think that it is time to move on and other places should be eager to employ someone with some working experience. But it is not to be. My dream job just told me, in effect, that I am not as good as other candidates they have selected to be interviewed. Yeah right. More like, they do not wish to go through the hassle of arranging for a foreigner to settle on their soil, I am sure. Or else, please make sure that you craft your criteria for a candidate more appropriately.
Anyhow, it looks like I may have to end up where I used to be, just in another dept. Which totally sucks. I hate the travelling time to there. And I am sick of the environment. But other places did not reply. Bah!
I don't see what is the issue with this world. I studied hard, got a reasonably good grade, but those who did not work hard or work equally hard get a more coveted position or better pay. Is money everything? Why do youngsters these days aim to earn as much as they can then think of not working ever again? Why are there people who think of making their first million by the time they are 30, but neglect other aspects of developments in their lives? Is this the right attitude towards life?
Okay, here is my two-cents worth. As a Christian, I used to think that work is a form of drudgery that Adam and Eve got upon themselves after being chased out of the Garden of Eden. But it is not so, really. God intends working for good, as He intends for all of His creation. Man is meant to take pleasure in the results of his work, using it for the lives of himself and his loved ones and building the society.
In this context, using the fruits of one's labour for the purpose of entertainment and pleasure, as long as they fall within God's will, is certainly right. But what happens when one continually earn only to satisfy the lusts of one's eyes such as buying branded goods and going for pleasurable experiences, with the cycle continuing again and again? I feel a certain sense of revolt at seeing people who work for this end and do not think of contributing back to the society or enriching oneself in the mental and spiritual sense. It is decadence! Does life consist only of pleasure? Certainly not! There are many other needs in this world other than the material and this includes your own. Man do not live only for the satisfaction of his material wants, but other aspects of his soul needs nourishment as well.
I sincerely think that obsession with certain pursuits in life reflect a certain sense of insecurity. For instance, those who appear to be obsessed with educational pursuit is possibly insecure about their lack of performance in, say, appearence. And those who crazily pursue financial gain is probably unhappy with their possession in education. And those who appear the most boastful are probably the most insecure of them all. I think most people can spot true confidence when they see one. But this is not a treatise on what constitutes true confidence; only some rantings of a frustrated girl over some of the things she observes. I don't believe in the relativeness of right and wrong, but neither do I want to dictate what constitutes right and wrong. I think what I do is only to let people know how I stand on some issues.
And what do I really want out of my own career? Right now, I want to be rid of a certain obligation to take over the family business that continually casts its dark shadows over me. Is that an unfilial action of mine? I cannot tell; my academic's training tell me that the easiest answer to that is that, it is a relative statement. But yet again, probably it is not.
Financial security is indeed important, but I think it is more important to find a career that develops you as an individual, not that it is easy or even possible to find at times. Especially in times of impressionable youth. The pursuit of financial wealth is too blinding and may leave one dissatisfied when he has finished climbing all the mountains by the time of old age.
I also do not believe that ladies, especially, should pursue career progression at the expense of marriage or family. Many of my friends tell me that they do not feel comfortable getting hitched before they earn enough to provide a comfortable life for the family that they are planning to start. But the counter-argument is: just how much is enough? And, when is enough? Often, those who reached the time of "enough" find that it is too late.
The quarter-life is frustrating indeed. More so if you are forced to deal with an issue that demands more attention as time goes by, when you are still struggling to find out what you want in life.
Anyhow, it looks like I may have to end up where I used to be, just in another dept. Which totally sucks. I hate the travelling time to there. And I am sick of the environment. But other places did not reply. Bah!
I don't see what is the issue with this world. I studied hard, got a reasonably good grade, but those who did not work hard or work equally hard get a more coveted position or better pay. Is money everything? Why do youngsters these days aim to earn as much as they can then think of not working ever again? Why are there people who think of making their first million by the time they are 30, but neglect other aspects of developments in their lives? Is this the right attitude towards life?
Okay, here is my two-cents worth. As a Christian, I used to think that work is a form of drudgery that Adam and Eve got upon themselves after being chased out of the Garden of Eden. But it is not so, really. God intends working for good, as He intends for all of His creation. Man is meant to take pleasure in the results of his work, using it for the lives of himself and his loved ones and building the society.
In this context, using the fruits of one's labour for the purpose of entertainment and pleasure, as long as they fall within God's will, is certainly right. But what happens when one continually earn only to satisfy the lusts of one's eyes such as buying branded goods and going for pleasurable experiences, with the cycle continuing again and again? I feel a certain sense of revolt at seeing people who work for this end and do not think of contributing back to the society or enriching oneself in the mental and spiritual sense. It is decadence! Does life consist only of pleasure? Certainly not! There are many other needs in this world other than the material and this includes your own. Man do not live only for the satisfaction of his material wants, but other aspects of his soul needs nourishment as well.
I sincerely think that obsession with certain pursuits in life reflect a certain sense of insecurity. For instance, those who appear to be obsessed with educational pursuit is possibly insecure about their lack of performance in, say, appearence. And those who crazily pursue financial gain is probably unhappy with their possession in education. And those who appear the most boastful are probably the most insecure of them all. I think most people can spot true confidence when they see one. But this is not a treatise on what constitutes true confidence; only some rantings of a frustrated girl over some of the things she observes. I don't believe in the relativeness of right and wrong, but neither do I want to dictate what constitutes right and wrong. I think what I do is only to let people know how I stand on some issues.
And what do I really want out of my own career? Right now, I want to be rid of a certain obligation to take over the family business that continually casts its dark shadows over me. Is that an unfilial action of mine? I cannot tell; my academic's training tell me that the easiest answer to that is that, it is a relative statement. But yet again, probably it is not.
Financial security is indeed important, but I think it is more important to find a career that develops you as an individual, not that it is easy or even possible to find at times. Especially in times of impressionable youth. The pursuit of financial wealth is too blinding and may leave one dissatisfied when he has finished climbing all the mountains by the time of old age.
I also do not believe that ladies, especially, should pursue career progression at the expense of marriage or family. Many of my friends tell me that they do not feel comfortable getting hitched before they earn enough to provide a comfortable life for the family that they are planning to start. But the counter-argument is: just how much is enough? And, when is enough? Often, those who reached the time of "enough" find that it is too late.
The quarter-life is frustrating indeed. More so if you are forced to deal with an issue that demands more attention as time goes by, when you are still struggling to find out what you want in life.
Labels: Saya Affairs
Friday, July 04, 2008
Bumming Days
Hello peeps...
Yesh...as the title suggests, I am in the midst of bumming. It seems that I have come full circle into this state once again...sigh. Certainly, things are different (things do not happen the same way twice, said that Lion in Prince Caspian) this time round. I am actually feeling edgy about not doing anything "constructive" with my time. Actually I have sent out all the resumes I could before coming back to Jakarta (with the exception of one place....which I am avoiding sending for the purpose of sanity as well as safeguarding goodwill, which will certainly diminish once they found out what I have done).
What happened was that, I had planned everything in order to culminate in pursuing a masters degree by end of July. But, once my ravaging desire to leave has sobered, I discovered that the masters degree was not what I wanted after all. Inter-state relations and security, while certainly more tolerable than Maths or even Science, are not truly my passion. And the school is another matter which I shall prefer to discuss off the cyberspace. So, the bottomline is, I have decided to find other places for pursuing higher degree while looking for work opportunities. To date, I have sent out some applications rather vigorously before coming back, but have yet to receive a positive reply (or any reply for that matter, in some cases). There is one which I will give my left arm for...if that comes to be, I will be flying far, far away. But meanwhile, back to the reality of bumming.
As I have said earlier, I do not like bumming. No longer like to feel useless. But how typical of our country I have become, to be so involved in the rat race that I forget to smell the roses. I am trying very hard to just be still and know that He is God. That He has plans to prosper me and not to harm me. That He has a future for me and is in control. I was succeeding well, for one day. Yup, until I checked my emails. The prospect of unemployment and the darker than dark side looms. Yaaaargh!
Anyhow, I'll be in Bogor, the town near Jakarta formerly called Buitenzorg, this weekend for a colleague's wedding. It will be great fun I suppose. It will be the first Muslim, Javanese wedding I attend. More soon.
Yesh...as the title suggests, I am in the midst of bumming. It seems that I have come full circle into this state once again...sigh. Certainly, things are different (things do not happen the same way twice, said that Lion in Prince Caspian) this time round. I am actually feeling edgy about not doing anything "constructive" with my time. Actually I have sent out all the resumes I could before coming back to Jakarta (with the exception of one place....which I am avoiding sending for the purpose of sanity as well as safeguarding goodwill, which will certainly diminish once they found out what I have done).
What happened was that, I had planned everything in order to culminate in pursuing a masters degree by end of July. But, once my ravaging desire to leave has sobered, I discovered that the masters degree was not what I wanted after all. Inter-state relations and security, while certainly more tolerable than Maths or even Science, are not truly my passion. And the school is another matter which I shall prefer to discuss off the cyberspace. So, the bottomline is, I have decided to find other places for pursuing higher degree while looking for work opportunities. To date, I have sent out some applications rather vigorously before coming back, but have yet to receive a positive reply (or any reply for that matter, in some cases). There is one which I will give my left arm for...if that comes to be, I will be flying far, far away. But meanwhile, back to the reality of bumming.
As I have said earlier, I do not like bumming. No longer like to feel useless. But how typical of our country I have become, to be so involved in the rat race that I forget to smell the roses. I am trying very hard to just be still and know that He is God. That He has plans to prosper me and not to harm me. That He has a future for me and is in control. I was succeeding well, for one day. Yup, until I checked my emails. The prospect of unemployment and the darker than dark side looms. Yaaaargh!
Anyhow, I'll be in Bogor, the town near Jakarta formerly called Buitenzorg, this weekend for a colleague's wedding. It will be great fun I suppose. It will be the first Muslim, Javanese wedding I attend. More soon.
Labels: Saya Affairs
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