All in a Nights work

Its 2 am in the morning and I am sitting in office, waiting for another colleague to show up to start work.Working in the IT department of a Bank means every now and then I need to go back to work during weekends and at odd hours of the day. Every once in a while, there will be some application or platform upgrade or data migration requiring me to work during the night.Although a lot of my colleagues hate this, I personally enjoy them.Why?

The very first time I was working in the night, (although I wasnt involved in the project, I had volunteered to come and observe what was happening out of pure enthusiasm) it was real fun. There were only a handful of us in the entire office. We had ordered pizzas and of course work was not through out the night, it was in burts so we would end up chit-chatting and laughing. We have a television in one of the meeting rooms.During that time, the Olympics was going on.Of course the project manager would still be running around trying to make sure everything was going smoothly.

Overall, the whole atmosphere was different from the way we worked during the day, where most of us are running around trying to keep up with workload and rush from one project meeting to the next.Of course occasionally a few of us would end up chattin when we bump into each other in the pantry but that wouldnt last very long.On the other hand, during the night, there was hardly any hurry and no place to go, you definitely get to see a different side of them.

I got to know a lot of my colleagues better thanks to these occasional 'night shifts', and over the last year I have actually started looking forward to them more.

Backpacking

I like reading stories and chronicles of people who travel and write about their experiences, about various cities and different things they did.

Last year when I was in Australia, I met many backpackers.I was so fascinated with some of the things I was told. People who one fine morning just quit their jobs, got an open ticket and took a year out of their lives to simply go globe trotting.They had no idea where they would be the next day or what their plans were. Sometimes they would make plans with people they meet along the way and sometimes go separate ways.Of course there were also times when they would have no money and they would take up a part time job to make quick cash.In the hostel that I stayed in Sydney,some of my dorm-mates would get up at 4 am to go mango/mushroom picking for $5 per hour.There is no rush to go anywhere, no worries about anything and to me, the best way to actually see any city!

Off late my desire to go backpacking around south east asia has just been increasing.I want to take 6 months off and just simply go.Only problem is that there is always so many things happening in my life that its difficult to simply leave.More than that, my parents who are not familiar with the concept of backpacking, find it very difficult to let me go on my own or with any guy friend.Which usually leaves me with very little options.

*sigh* If only..

Family Gatherings

Having lived in this country for so many years, my parents have a good number of friends and family (many distant distant relatives) living in Singapore.Y'day we had function in the temple and my parents had invited a lot of them.

I am not one to enjoy these gatherings, because I dont like answering the many many questions that I am sometimes asked by the adults, which range from "What are you doing now?" to "When are you planning to get married?" to "Why arent you wearing a sari today?" Of course there will be the comparison of what I am wearing to what my counsins are and how I am doing in my life versus how someone else is.Of course being a girl, I am expected to also help out with the whole running around and formalities, etc. Normally I would just not want to go.

The only thing I look forward to at such gatherings is meeting all my cousins and family friends. Its usually at these gatherings that we huddle up in a corner and discuss the 'whats happening' in each of our lives.Having been the only girl in the group when we were growing up, I was very much (still am to a large extent) a tom-boy.I am also the oldest in the group and take the liberty to boss all of them around.

After the function, we made plans to go play pool and bowling. I am horrible at playing anything, be it bowling or cricket or even card games.Of course they know that and pretty much the moment we landed there, everyone started giving me instructions on how to hold the pool stick and aim, etc. It was very noisy but very endearing.I played horribly and we all had a good laugh.We had so much fun together, laughin and cracking stupid jokes at one another.

When I sat back thinking about the day I realised that each of us had our own group of friends and we lead very different lives. We dont turn to each other for help nor do we spend hours chit chattin.These are the people I grew up playing cricket with and people who went thru the same things as me,all of our lives changed overnite when our parents suddenly decided to move here.Even thought we meet only once in a while, we always knew what was happening in our lives and made it a point to help whenever we could, even when not asked.We are so comfortable with each other and so fiercely over protective.Everytime we have gotten together, its been a blast and so much of laughs, happy memories and fun, I never want the day to end. Every once in a while, it feels good to be able to let your down and not worry about being yourself.

Break Ke Baad (After a break...)

So after a week of battling with the books,notes and exams, its been back to work time since tuesday.All of a sudden my life seems to have slowed down.Last month this time I thought getting 4-5 hours of sleep was more than I needed, now I feel 8 hours isnt enough.I was running around between work and masters classes, dance rehearsals and performances, exams and studies.Since exams are over, masters classes dont start till Jan next yr.Now I feel like something is missing in my life.I have my evenings free and to myself (of course I have a project to work on..which for the time being I shall ignore)

Wednesday was bowling nite at office and althought I had only been bowling once before,some 2 years ago, I took part in the competition along with a few colleagues. We lost horribly but it was good fun. For me the noise and lights were such a chage completely different from how I had spent my past week couped up in a room trying to study.Well I also managed to strain my muscles somehow and had to call in sick y'day.I spent the whole of y'day watching 'Friends', 28 episodes!Dont ask why..

I cant believe that its already friday, I guess maybe working only 3 days a week works for me :)