Catching up on life

My first real job (Starbucks barista doesn't count), I basically did nothing for 2 whole years. They hired me, gave me a laptop, a cubicle and a fancy title. I was the Business Development Executive. I had nothing to do. No sales target, no portfolios, no performance report. Nada. But they paid my salary, gave me a brand new laptop when the old one went bust, gave me the usual bonuses, the works. Except they didn't. They forgot to give me something to do. And I was happy, as you can rightly imagine. I did some typing and research work for my boss, threw in some opinions and lame ideas for the business expansion plan, that was about it. Sometime I helped some other colleagues with their work. Mostly my time there was filled with downloading numerous movies and t.v shows, net browsing, reading thousands upon thousands eBooks (downloaded illegally) and quietly not being too obvious that I'm doing nothing.
But even from the start I know I had to get out of that place. As ideal as the situation seemed, I realized I was wasting the peak years of my work career doing nothing. I realized I wasn't growing, in fact I was veloping myself (the opposite of developing). I whined about it all the time. Really, I did. Go ahead. Ask anyone. And I also knew that the sweet deal (get paid doing nothing) can't possibly last. One day the management might wise up and I prefer to be long gone before that. It might not be anytime soon, but you never know.
So I left that job for this one. And oh boy, when it rains, it pours. Work. Is. Crazy. To top it all off, the heavens was kind enough to bestow upon me the gift of a hobbit Nazi boss with a Napoleon complex. Oh joy. And so the whining continues. Go ahead. Ask anyone. Hoho.
But as one friend candidly (with zero trace of sarcasm) stated when I was in the midst of my work lament, "So, you're having fun la eh? I can tell you're having fun,"; and I guess I am having a tiny, weeny, itsy, bitty, puny, tad, wee, bit of fun juggling the work load meant for 4 pack mules. No, seriously. Because, and I mean this, it's good to feel needed, to be necessary. And because it's nice to know you're earning your pay. It's fun to feel the rush chasing that impossible deadline. It's great to make calls for other reason than to tell mom I'm having dinner out. It's awesome to sign on that dotted line in some important letter my staff made (which I had them redo 3 times, I was being nice, ok?). It's wonderful to speak up in a meeting about something. It's down right near orgasmic running the last spell check on that report I laboriously been working since 9am and submitting it to the boss. It's fucking fantabulous knowing the decisions I make would mean something to the ministry. Power rocks. So hell yeah, I'm having fun. Surprised? As was I.

Just don't tell anyone.
And they need to pay my salary already. Seriously. I'm fudging broke and I don't do poverty very well. What the hell is taking them so long? Retards running the ministry, I tell you.
(There, I ended this post with a whine, balance is restored)

Work

My boss is the devil's incarnate. Working with her is ongoing the tortures through all the 7 levels of hell, on loop. Shall tell all about it but for now I have to fend off the hell hounds.

Dear Mak

It's mother's day and unlike every other year you might think this year's celebration sucks because instead of our customary ice-cream cake from BR, I only bought you a tub of Wall's Vanilla ice-cream. Instead of me making breakfast for you, I woke up late and you had to make them for me. Instead of a special, well thought of, nicely wrapped present presented with my usual gravitas and aplomb, I told you the 3kg of mangos I bought at the pasar malam yesterday and dumped on your lap in their shiny plastic bag is my mother's gift to you this year.

And yet, you're okay with it.

And yet, you laughed through the day and reminded me to wish my aunties happy mother's day too.

And yet, you were the one who said it's alright for me to give you this crappy mother's day celebration and you understand the situation (that being me deprived of 3 months salary)

So Happy Mother's Day, Mak. I love you more than you know and I wish you know that I think you're cooler than any other moms I know. I'm sorry I'm such a deplorable daughter but I hope you know that I'm trying to be better for you. And I hope you enjoy the surprise bouquets of 1 dozen roses, 1 dozen lilies and 1 dozen carnations I arranged to have sent to your school tomorrow.

Have a good one and may Allah bless you.

Kissis and Hugsus,

Ila
-yor adorable dotter-

TIME's 100 Most Influential

Have you heard?

Our very own Anwar Ibrahim made the Time's 100 World's Most Influential People list. And he's ranked ninth! How about that. Not too shabby, eh? While being Malaysian and the first to admit his sheer influence over our country's recent political structure renovation *cough*PAS*cough*PKR*cough*; it's strangely more exhilarating to know that the rest of the world thinks the same. Deservedly so. He was the Leonidas, showing the ever haughty `B&N (Xerxes) that they're not invisible, they are not infallible, they are accountable, they too can bleed. The Immortals, we put their name to the test.. (300 binge last night, sorry). Finding out he made the list (have I said he's ranked number 9?!), I felt the real pride of national achievement. Which I didn't feel even when we sent our first space tourist* for a vacation to space. Or any of the numerous previous, highly celebrated, so-called pencapaian negara (read: useless expeditions to the North/South Pole, swimming the Eng-fricking-lish Channel, Everest, etc etc). Yet, finding out Anwar Ibrahim made number 9 on this list, I felt real national pride. Last I felt this way was when the Malaysia team won Amazing Race Asia I. Heh.
And he ranked 9th, you know. Way ahead Oprah (22). After Barrack, Hilary and The Dalai Lama(okay, I'll give). After George Dubya too (well, idiots needs influential leaders too, I guess). Ninth! Even omnipotent Brad and Angelina is way back on number 21 (it is the Time's List).

For the rest of your ignoramus, here's some links on the Number 9 on Time's List the World Most Influential People. Anwar Ibrahim on Wiki and the Time's Article.

* for the last 2 days the news have been showing places in Malaysia namely Pahang and Sepang that are without the basic amenities of electricity and running water. They don't have electricity and clean tap water (yeah, sounds ridiculous the second time around too). Let's send some other useless schmuck to space, why don't we. Spend another million or so on that.