After a day of MC, I am back in the dusty office.Makes me wonder why it's always dusty also.It just tickles me since the first day I am in this place. Another day to go, and I'm outta here. Not sure if I want to be outta here in the first place. I mean, the room has just gotten rather comfortable...the job, Nope!
Another student came in today. In reference to his email on the cleanliness of the toilet next to his room. Apparently, he had complained about the toilet, the clerical officer, supervisor and him had a "meeting" just outside the toilet, and in the presence of the cleaner. How wonderful that'd be. This morning, he awoke, prepared to go for lessons, only to be scared off my the piercing, chill-raising stare of the cleaner when he went in the toilet to brush his teeth. Indeed, how true the saying, NEVER ever incur the wrath of a WOMAN! She slammed the door thrice on him, and on top of that, her incessant stares just keep looking straight into his room. Scary!!!
Lunch was...well....discouraging...the Big R word was on the lips on anyone I spoke with...sigh...a rumour of restructuring/retrenching...Hmm....."Retrenched at 23!" Actually, I haven't reached 23! :P Ok, whatever it is. It didn't feel good. For me, it's a question to God. So what does it mean? Time for me to look for greener pasture? What exactly do I want to do for you? All over again, I am thinking through this...surprisingly, my main concern wasn't on providence. He has been providing all these while...including how He led me here. My ex-boss called this morning, asking, so how long will you be staying here? Guess, might it be a sign I should get myself moving? What's the next step? This job has been interesting (where else I get such weird experiences), but what else could I do further from this? Thinking....thinking....thinking....
The shrill of the office phone broke my train of thoughts...."Hi, Good afternoon...yes, oh, Finance office? Oh, the student marched into your office and demanded why you didn't deduct his hostel fees properly, now he has spent all his money, and can't pay the upcoming fees....oh...icic....so if he comes, ask him if he'd like to pay in installments? (well, does he have a choice?)"...Ok, no problem...another typical day at work....probably should buy some liang teh tomorrow, for the student, before he comes, I sure don't hope to look for a "heated" argument! And, Oh, he is studying accountancy...how nice....
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Everthing's gonna Be Alright!
It's been sometime since I have been here to put down these thoughts of mine into this lil' electronic thingy. Countless things have zoomed past me over the past few months. My life has been changed....but what exactly has been changed?
Little by little I have been scanning through the jig-saw pieces that fall into my lap every once in a while.."God, why's this puzzle so complicating? When is my puzzle going to be finished?" "Patience my child, patience. All you need is some time...to take a seat back, look at Me, and together, we shall look at this puzzle..." " I stared straight into the eyes of my dear Heavenly Father, and said...well, okay, you always have the final say!" How many times have I came to this point?
The moment I stepped into my office, there I took my deep breath, and told God. Now what's going to happen today, I must remember, you are with me. Walking down the pathway to the noisy, grease-filled canteen, with the continual droning of the electrical fans and the ever-blasting Channelnewsasia telecast, I stood in front of the drink stall. The voice of Suzanne Jung clearly reaching my ears as I proclaimed to the auntie, "Kopi ji buay!" Yes, the typical morning at the workplace, except this time, I was not in my cosy haven of Hall 14, but that of utter coldness and dustiness of Hall 15!
"God, indeed how nice you are, and how true to your word. When I said okay, you may bring me to a faith testing place, I didn't mean so fast! Nor I meant more responsibilities?!" Alright, my little battle of words with God, yet in my heart, I was in anxiety and anticipation of what God would have in store for me today.
True to His word. There would be challenges. Last week was a chicken pox case who stepped into my office to proclaim that, "I have chicken pox, how?" Wonderful, we can have a chicken pox party, and hopefully we all get two weeks of MC! Okay, dream on...Well, I have to send you for quarantine in Hall 7, that's how....a whimper came along...'Really? Can I not go? I shall hide in my room in Hall 15...really, I will get people to....."" Sorry, but you have to go to Hall 7, Don't worry, we will make the necessary arrangements..." Okay, eventually after spending 1 hour in my office, I manage to gently explain to the student that it's not that I don't want her here, but I don't believe that many people are welcomed to the idea that someone having chicken pox is living next door to them!Though in my heart, 2 weeks of MC really sounded good!
Anyway, today isn't about any illness nor any one who forgotten to bring out their room keys and got locked out. Today, the ceiling literally came crashing down! Indeed, let's bring down the house! The storm that had started not long ago caused the false ceiling to give way. The water came down, as my boss said, "waterfall!" Well, that's Hall 14. I thought Hall 15 would be safe. Guess things just don't work that way. I opened the dance room, and there my parquet floor stared back at me, no longer a dance floor, but a wadding pool! "Oh my goodness! Get the cleaners up here!!" What a life as an acting Hostel Officer. I can imagine the look on the face of my colleague when he returns from reservist when he looks at his dance room floor. Oh well, but I'd be on leave that day....In came the engineers, senior technical officer, technical officer and the entire platoon came I guess. "Don't worry, don't worry, we will handle it." How nice, how reassuring. How much is it going to cost? That's my primary concern. Time and again, we have informed you that there is constant leaking in this area. "No problem, no problem" is the line we have heard time and again, I could reply on their behalf with my eyes closed. Okay, no point making a fuss out of it. Now, inform all who have booked the room that they can't use it for at least a month, inform the various people that, well, we have a wadding pool now instead of a dance room, inform my senior liaison officer that, we are going to have to pay more money again....oh well....what's new....if it ain't broken, don't fix it....yeah....what a philosophy...now it's broken, and fixing it costs a bomb! Goodness me....well, bureaucracy says we can't spend too much on repairs and maintenance. Always use the cheapest quote. Well, worth every cent of your money...
Oh, and I need to stop here! My office attendant just annouced, "there's a lot of water on the Function Hall Stage!!" Leaking from the roof....well, God, here we go again.....how interesting...indeed, I need a lot of joy in this job....and God...well....I think you're trying to give me some humour as I tackle these....oh well...another day at work....
Little by little I have been scanning through the jig-saw pieces that fall into my lap every once in a while.."God, why's this puzzle so complicating? When is my puzzle going to be finished?" "Patience my child, patience. All you need is some time...to take a seat back, look at Me, and together, we shall look at this puzzle..." " I stared straight into the eyes of my dear Heavenly Father, and said...well, okay, you always have the final say!" How many times have I came to this point?
The moment I stepped into my office, there I took my deep breath, and told God. Now what's going to happen today, I must remember, you are with me. Walking down the pathway to the noisy, grease-filled canteen, with the continual droning of the electrical fans and the ever-blasting Channelnewsasia telecast, I stood in front of the drink stall. The voice of Suzanne Jung clearly reaching my ears as I proclaimed to the auntie, "Kopi ji buay!" Yes, the typical morning at the workplace, except this time, I was not in my cosy haven of Hall 14, but that of utter coldness and dustiness of Hall 15!
"God, indeed how nice you are, and how true to your word. When I said okay, you may bring me to a faith testing place, I didn't mean so fast! Nor I meant more responsibilities?!" Alright, my little battle of words with God, yet in my heart, I was in anxiety and anticipation of what God would have in store for me today.
True to His word. There would be challenges. Last week was a chicken pox case who stepped into my office to proclaim that, "I have chicken pox, how?" Wonderful, we can have a chicken pox party, and hopefully we all get two weeks of MC! Okay, dream on...Well, I have to send you for quarantine in Hall 7, that's how....a whimper came along...'Really? Can I not go? I shall hide in my room in Hall 15...really, I will get people to....."" Sorry, but you have to go to Hall 7, Don't worry, we will make the necessary arrangements..." Okay, eventually after spending 1 hour in my office, I manage to gently explain to the student that it's not that I don't want her here, but I don't believe that many people are welcomed to the idea that someone having chicken pox is living next door to them!Though in my heart, 2 weeks of MC really sounded good!
Anyway, today isn't about any illness nor any one who forgotten to bring out their room keys and got locked out. Today, the ceiling literally came crashing down! Indeed, let's bring down the house! The storm that had started not long ago caused the false ceiling to give way. The water came down, as my boss said, "waterfall!" Well, that's Hall 14. I thought Hall 15 would be safe. Guess things just don't work that way. I opened the dance room, and there my parquet floor stared back at me, no longer a dance floor, but a wadding pool! "Oh my goodness! Get the cleaners up here!!" What a life as an acting Hostel Officer. I can imagine the look on the face of my colleague when he returns from reservist when he looks at his dance room floor. Oh well, but I'd be on leave that day....In came the engineers, senior technical officer, technical officer and the entire platoon came I guess. "Don't worry, don't worry, we will handle it." How nice, how reassuring. How much is it going to cost? That's my primary concern. Time and again, we have informed you that there is constant leaking in this area. "No problem, no problem" is the line we have heard time and again, I could reply on their behalf with my eyes closed. Okay, no point making a fuss out of it. Now, inform all who have booked the room that they can't use it for at least a month, inform the various people that, well, we have a wadding pool now instead of a dance room, inform my senior liaison officer that, we are going to have to pay more money again....oh well....what's new....if it ain't broken, don't fix it....yeah....what a philosophy...now it's broken, and fixing it costs a bomb! Goodness me....well, bureaucracy says we can't spend too much on repairs and maintenance. Always use the cheapest quote. Well, worth every cent of your money...
Oh, and I need to stop here! My office attendant just annouced, "there's a lot of water on the Function Hall Stage!!" Leaking from the roof....well, God, here we go again.....how interesting...indeed, I need a lot of joy in this job....and God...well....I think you're trying to give me some humour as I tackle these....oh well...another day at work....
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