At least this update comes (way) before the first anniversary of my last post. I can live with that. This blog receives a timely jump-start every time I think it's not going to make it. But looking back, I've posted annually since 2010. That isn't too bad considering how I had created it out of complete boredom. So that can only mean one thing; I've been busy.
Freelance work was fun for as long as I wanted it but it also made me feel like a hippie. I had too much time on my hands, a wandering mind and a bad neck. That wasn't good to say the least but I did enjoy the evenings outdoor discovering new paths in the quiet forest area not far from where we live, and the freedom I had with time and travel. I spent time like it was some loose change I always had at hand. Then sometime in mid September, there was a call for work. I felt the conflict in my heart and head. To take the job, or not, because apart from my jungle-time sacrifice, there were other things about this particular job that I had to rethink.
A few months into the job, I've become the evening traffic statistic, the homemaker who buys the almond milk instead of painstakingly blending and squeezing the mylk out of em nuts. I'm constantly high, and that too, without a trace of caffeine in my system, I've no jungle time, and on some days I'll be lucky just to catch the evening sun as I leave this cold publisher's building. But it has also been a whole lot of learning and discovering another facet of media and publishing - including the shock of working with the millennials. No one had warned me of this breed of humans so to face them after a 4-year sabbatical was a shock to my Gen X ways!
As of now, all hopes of resuming life as a 'tai tai' (a Chinese colloquial term for a wealthy woman who does not work, except that I'm not wealthy) has been put on hold. It's been a year since we had returned from the Mid East, the husband loves his current job in homeland and I'm sucked into the system again where in a couple of months, I'll be declaring my taxes to the government who refuses to validate my profound unilateral deafness (yes, so I can access that fuss-free parking closest to the mall entrance).
Freelance work was fun for as long as I wanted it but it also made me feel like a hippie. I had too much time on my hands, a wandering mind and a bad neck. That wasn't good to say the least but I did enjoy the evenings outdoor discovering new paths in the quiet forest area not far from where we live, and the freedom I had with time and travel. I spent time like it was some loose change I always had at hand. Then sometime in mid September, there was a call for work. I felt the conflict in my heart and head. To take the job, or not, because apart from my jungle-time sacrifice, there were other things about this particular job that I had to rethink.
A few months into the job, I've become the evening traffic statistic, the homemaker who buys the almond milk instead of painstakingly blending and squeezing the mylk out of em nuts. I'm constantly high, and that too, without a trace of caffeine in my system, I've no jungle time, and on some days I'll be lucky just to catch the evening sun as I leave this cold publisher's building. But it has also been a whole lot of learning and discovering another facet of media and publishing - including the shock of working with the millennials. No one had warned me of this breed of humans so to face them after a 4-year sabbatical was a shock to my Gen X ways!
As of now, all hopes of resuming life as a 'tai tai' (a Chinese colloquial term for a wealthy woman who does not work, except that I'm not wealthy) has been put on hold. It's been a year since we had returned from the Mid East, the husband loves his current job in homeland and I'm sucked into the system again where in a couple of months, I'll be declaring my taxes to the government who refuses to validate my profound unilateral deafness (yes, so I can access that fuss-free parking closest to the mall entrance).
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| As seen from my balcony....I still return home to gorgeous sunsets. |
The government refuses to validate your unilateral deafness... No surprise there. Sigh. Hey, it's good to hear from you again. What... you're still no tai tai?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteNot a Tai Tai anymore. Used to be one! Well yes. Apparently I have to be deaf on both ears to qualify for those benefits. But I'm completely deaf on one side and that comes with other complications. The doctors know that it's harder for people like me as compared to those who have varied degree of deafness in both ears.
DeleteThat sucks a ton. People often think I'm deaf, too, but there's nothing wrong with my ears - it's my brain. Neurosarcoidosis causes this horrible hissing sound that I hear 24/7. It's like someone decided to have poor moi listen to 10 empty cassettes from the 80s. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I so hate that sound.
DeleteWe may need a drink. Yes?
Yes, please!
DeleteI have that sound and several other sounds in my ear 24/7 from the moment I lost hearing on that side. It gets louder as the sounds outside are loud. I hate it too, and in the first year of having it, I didn't feel like living 😞
Sometimes I just want to knock myself out so I won't hear that annoying sound that just never ever ends. JJ, we need a magic pill. Where is it?
Deletedon't they work like magic too ? - the blue pills ? lol
DeleteGood one!
DeleteI'll let you know ten years from now :D
DeleteHello Jaya J.
Knock knock..
DeleteYes, but you're not supposed to know this. :D
DeleteAsk me in a year or 2 lol . Did I mention I miss your stories? Hope you're doing fine.
DeleteStill have quite the view. Yep, we can't seem to win. Either work and have no time or work a little and have too much time. Not much chance of a work life balance these days.
ReplyDeleteOh this is from another side of my place. That view from my work room still sucks. If we had work/life balance, work is always not done :(
DeleteDid I mention you are sorely missed?
ReplyDelete