Back to work

The vicious cycle starts again. After a short Christmas break (I don’t have many paid leave days to clear as I just got back to working after quitting a Big 4), it’s back to work again. The reality of going back to work starts to sink in on a Sunday morning. As the day progresses from morning to noon, the dark feeling of doom grows like a storm cell and lingers throughout the rest of the day. As night falls, the bottomless feeling of dread grows and I get all sorts of anxious thoughts as I lie in bed trying to sleep. "What will tomorrow be like? How will the day go by? Will I be busy? Will I be stressed? How will I kill boredom?" The thoughts keep playing in my head until I finally doze off from nonsensical mental overwork at 12.00am.

ZZZzzz.......

Then, after going through an epic battle to get out of bed in the morning (it really is a clash of the titans with Poseidon dragging me back down beneath the sheets and the mighty Zeus pulling me up from beneath the darkness of my bed covers!), I go to work. Here’s a timetable of what typically goes on each day in the office:

9.00am: Wishes “Good morning” to co-workers and boss.

10.00am: It’s only 10am? Gosh! It certainly felt like more than just an hour!

11.00am: Time for brekkie!

12.00am: Hooray! 1 more hour to lunch!

1.00pm: Lunch break

2.00pm: Lunch is over. Belly is filled. Glad that half the day is gone.

3.00pm: Argghhh! 3 more hours to go!

3.30pm: *Yawn! 2.5 hours to go. Hang on!

4.00pm: 2 more hours! What can I do to make time pass even quicker?

5.00pm: 1 more hour to go (keeps on checking the watch)

6.00pm: Sayonara! Balik rumah! Says “See you tomorrow” to co-workers and boss.

Christmas: sacred or secular?

I was in the midst of writing about how ridiculous I feel about there being 12 days of Christmas (in reference to the famous Christmas carol) but I decided to digress for fear of blasphemy. So, instead, I will write about the irrelevance of Santa Claus, reindeer, snow, and Christmas trees to the sacred view of Christmas. Many a time, we hear non-believers preaching about the true spirit of Christmas but what do they know about Christmas? We hear them saying that the true spirit of Christmas is giving, sharing and doing good. And then, with Christmas, comes gifts and presents. It's true. Retailers revel at the thought of Christmas as it brings in an abundance of revenue. Spirits are high. Consumer spending is high. It's good for the economy!

Putting the economics of Christmas aside for now, what has the idealised perception of a white Christmas with snow falling outside, the family huddled around the fireplace and children waiting for presents from Santa got to do with Christmas anyway? On prima facie, this is relevant to the folks living up in the northern hemisphere where Christmas coincides with winter. After all, pine trees are abundant, snow is plentiful in December and there are even reindeer that pull sleighs! But what about those living in the tropics and down south where Christmas comes at a time when the sun shines bright and hot? I watched Carols in the Domain in Australia about a week ago and found it hilarious to see Santa in his full red and white costume on stage. I bet he must have been sweating it out as if in a sauna under all those heavy clothing, beard and boots! And what about the spray-on snow? The only snow you'll find in summer is at the Snowy Mountains! So, you see? We have been sold the commercialised secular view of a Christmas which needs Santa Claus, reindeer and snow to be a complete Christmas. But what about the sacred view of Christmas?

Christmas as celebrated by Christians all over the world is to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ which happened many centuries ago in the town of Bethlehem in Jerusalem. He was born to the virgin Mary in a lowly manger, and His birth was witnessed by several shepherds who were watching their flocks at night. You don't hear of Christmas trees, Santa Claus, reindeer or even snow in the Bible, do you?

Fallen off the face of the earth

I'm back. Well, I didn't go anywhere to be honest. I just stopped blogging because of work commitments. Here's a brief of what has happened since the last blog post:

1. I quit my current job and joined a Big 4 (yeah I know... I gave in to temptation)
2. I quit my job at a Big 4 after working for 3 months (Hooray! Freedom!)
3. I found a job near home that pays well and allows me to leave on time

Yet, I'm still unhappy :(