Dare to dream

For so long, I have debated over whether living elsewhere was better for me. I had my sights on Koala land because I see myself totally completing my graduate programme there. Although I've almost given up on the idea of moving base, I have not written off my academic dreams. I also know that as long as I stay in fast-paced Singapore, my dreams are becoming an illusion.
Last week, we had a training session and reminded of the importance of dreaming - yet whilst growing up, teachers used to yell "ARE YOU DREAMING?", making that a bad thing to do. So how are we, after years of negativity on dreaming, dare to dream?
I stopped dreaming because dealing with reality is far less disappointing and being a pragmatist, what else could I settle for? BUT, has that, in any way, short-changed me in my goals? I hope to think not, because my graduate studies are not just a vision for me, it has escalated to be my birth right!
The coined terms may have changed but if we look closer, it's still my dream - and like all well-adjusted adults, I have merely changed the naming label. So, for every dream that gets squashed in class, let's just say, "no worries" - it's really temporary.... until our vocabulary expands.

XXY?

I have been working with a group of people who are open about their different sexual orientation. Gone are the days when these are closet topics. Honestly, we should not be prejudiced against an individuals' preference, however, from my experience so far, they are still very egoistic and emotional. They are just emotionally high on the ego trip and they are not embarassed to outbursts.
Some of my friends find their best social companions to be such people - but I am not sure if they would make the best management staff in a dynamic industry. I have found them to act on their whims, rather than take issue with a grave matter. And when they do, it's always to quickly move along, without really facing reality.
Sometimes I wonder if it's because society customised us to only make such exceptions for the XX gender - exceptions where emotional outbursts are accepted because of the 'weaker sex' syndrome. But how does one apply that to an XY?
And so, another pair of rose-tinted glasses just went into the trash bin - we are in an imperfect world, so I should just live with it.

JH is back

To my surprise, JH was returned to me Saturday afternoon with a brand new bumper. IDAC approved the repair. Now let's just hope the taxi driver doesn't start his nonsense, which is what that got me all riled up. I'm always for fair play and I believe that we should admit mistakes, because it is the right thing to do. I do not always do what's right, but when that happens, I make sure someone else doesn't pay for my mistake, in dollars.
I'm happy that I got my car back, because it's my car and I never ever left him in a workshop overnight. People say that cars are like wives, if the person in question is a guy. For me, that obviously won't apply since i'm female therefore, this relationship I have with JH is purely sentimental, considering, it's the first car I have ever owned.
So, I'm happy again, at least until some dam decides to burst unexpectedly.

Kopi Licence

My car was parked along a side road already full of parked cars. It's dinner time and naturally we all eat. All of a sudden, there was this loud crunching of metal - as with all busybodies, heads turned - then there was another crunching sound, and I ran towards my car. Inching away, was this yellow-top taxi. Too late, I saw him and I was there asking for his licence. First thing he said was "I was going to park the taxi first" - WHAT CRAP!
Then came the taxi-driver bully tactic - they insist that I use his mechanic, because coincidentally, his brother has a workshop at Sin Ming, which is just around the bend. Then he went on to say that my car is not brand new so why be so fussy about using my own mechanic. THAT did it. He slammed into a parked vehicle, then tries to bully me into using his mechanic because my car is not brand new. Then, out of nowhere 3 mechanics showed up, all guys - telling me, it's a small thing, they can fix it. Well, I asked them ONE simple question i.e. how much would an original bumper cost, considering my old car has only original parts. Know what? He couldn't tell me. So I told him that if he didn't even have a CLUE, then why the hell should I entrust that he knows even where to get the bumper from, because replacing it with one from the scrap yard is not acceptable.
And so, my mechanic sent a tow truck for me, and if not for the fact that it was at a busy kopitiam, I am sure, he and his friends would give me a harder time.
Now, I am told, that some have a habit of twisting the facts, when we don't use their mechanic. This is really a pack of nonsense.
Let's see how this works out. I have made a report at IDAC, and lets see how things go. It's no point having to make reports, have the surveyor study the damage and the end result is far from the truth. It's just the front bumper, license plate, cracked lights and patches of scratches on the body above the front wheel. I hope he's honest enough to admit - after all, he's a taxi driver, shuttling people in public - question - why is it always the taxi driver? What have they missed out in their education that makes them so prone to such behaviour. I have met very good ones, but I guess, those ones never slam into a parked vehicle.

A matter of Principle

It's been a week since I came back from a work trip to KL. Something happened there. When sharing hotel rooms, it's almost understood that we do not invite guests to the room especially when it's 5.15am in the morning and your room-mate is dead asleep. It's a matter of common decency that a basic rule of thumb applies. However, I had no such luck that last trip.
After partying all night, a drunk 28-year old, invited her pick-up to MY ROOM, without waking me up. In the worst case scenario, we could have been killed - as the person was local. What amazes me is that the head of the department didn't try to understand why I was raving mad. He was apparently very high as well. It didn't help that he wasn't the kind that had straight relationships. We resolved this after I blew up, gave her a shelling of her life till she cried.
It didn't help that she expected me to trust her judgement, because for starters, she was the wannabe-type, going around hoping for people to notice that she is from the upper-ten - which she clearly was not. I have no qualms if people needed an ego boost now and then, but every day is way over my limit.
And so, for what was my final night in KL, became the night to remember, because someone wasn't reminded that IT WAS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE - and you don't even need to be in the upper-ten to know that.