Open Spaces

Recently, I have an urge to go outdoors (anywhere) and stare open spaces. I just sit and stare for hours. I don't even think of anything. I just stare.

Is this a symptom of a cramped lifestyle? Is my occupation suffocating me to the extent that my subconscious yearns for a semblance of freedom? Is my brain desperately seeking periods of decreased activity? Does this mean I need to change certain things in my life? Do I have the courage to make those changes? Most of the the time, instead of answering questions that bring more questions, I'd rather stare at an open space and appreciate the illusion of freedom...


Sunset at Mall of Asia Bayside, Pasay City, Philippines. December, 2009.

Nocturnal Jesse

It's Friday and next week I'll be going back to the night shift at work. At last, after four weeks of being in the day shift, I can go back to the peace and quiet of working nights.

Some people frown at me when they hear me say the above out loud. I guess it's because working nights is not... normal. You're awake when the rest of the world is in slumber and you're sleeping when everyone's enjoying the sunshine. Well, I guess I'm not normal.

Perhaps it's because deep inside, I'm really an introvert. Working at night means less people to see on the streets, no heat of the sun, and no traffic! Plus I get paid more because of the night differential. Who can say no to that! :-)

Night shift, here I come...

Freaky Horoscope

My friends laugh at me when I tell them I believe in Horoscopes. You read that right - I believe in Horoscopes. Why?

A few years back, I did an experiment. I bought a year-long horoscope booklet but only read the entries after each day is over. I then rated each horoscope for its accuracy using a scale of 1 to 3:

1 - Irrelevant
2 - Somewhat relevant (in a general sense)
3 - Relevant to the day's events

I don't remember what the exact score was after a month, but it was over 2.0.

I know I should have a larger sample size, perhaps a year of observations, but one month was enough to convince me that I should read my horoscopes on a daily basis.

Life is complicated as it is. It doesn't hurt to have a hint on what the day might bring.

And my Horoscope today?

Taurus
You have no shortage of ideas; now it's time to put those theories into practice.

Rating: 3!

First time nostalgia...

It just hit me. I'm getting old. Passed through the mall earlier today and heard a musical trio play at the lobby area. They played all the songs I loved when I was still playing the piano, including "Somewhere in Time" - the extended version (where the Rhapsody is sandwiched between the main melodies).

I found myself being transported to the time when my mom was 'aggressively persuading' me to master the song. It was effective. It's been over a decade when I last played the piano, but everytime I touch a keyboard, I know that my fingers still know how to play the song. I still know the lyrics as my mom always wanted me to sing it.

The song opened a floodgate of almost forgotten memories. This is the first time I felt an extremely strong feeling of nostalgia...

I want to go back... somewhere in time. :-(

You should be happy you have a job!

That's what I keep telling myself. The unemployment statistics are alarming. Even first world countries have issues when it comes to employment. A large number of people want to work, or keep their work but are unable to.

Find a job in a good company, keep it, and grow with the company. This is what my parents used to say, and it's very good advice. If your job or company doesn't suit you, then find another one but make sure that you don't damage your reputation and credentials by slacking off. The company is paying you, after all, and it deserves quality work coming from you.

If you do like your job and your company, then good for you. Everyone will reach a plateau in their job, but we must try our best to get out of this rut as soon as possible - or suffer the consequences. Destroying a reputation takes a lot less time than building it and it's even faster if you do it on your own.

Given the above, it's been a challenge to understand why a lot of people seem not to care about their jobs. Is this the trend now? Is this rise in job dissatisfaction due to bad companies or the need for instant gratification thriving in the newer workforce? Are we looking at a trend of immature and bratty employees with a bad case of attention deficiency syndrome? I hope not.