Spending five years in my previous company, I learnt something that changes me big deal. Already a skeptical person, I went down to the point where I could never be comfortable to feel attached to something (lucky I married before that ;p).
So my first few months in my current job, onto a year, I couldn’t really express how I feel with my current job. I got too cautious; I got too ready to move on and hanging on my saddle in case I need to topple my horse away. I’ve become super critical, a very different person I was, I give great effort but I detach my personal emotions, I wasn’t sure.
Well. I must say, two things have restored me since then. However, being 30+ is not the same with being 20+, look at how a fresh grad face the working world with all the ambition and dream, look at how a 30+ learn about realities. I never change, but I would never be the same. Hmmmm….cheeeeeem….
There is nothing in my dream that I would find unlikely friends I found with my current colleagues. I was always lucky to meet good colleagues, but the ones I got here are fascinating.
Me and my two immediate colleagues, we have quite an age gaps, early thirties (wave!), late twenties and early forties, with status of married, single and married with children. At a glance, we have almost nothing in common. However, come to know them well, which take a very short time, we have a loooot in common, we have good chemistry and click very well.
Who can imagine us squatting in between cubicle and cheering up the mechanical toys (for racing purpose), or we climbing up and down the cupboard to put up decorations for events? When we won the decoration competition, and had cash for afternoon ice cream break, we tried to find another way to win cash, as the ice creams are sweet. So we arrange for running competitions with some fun task (short of amazing race concept) and we drag our boss along. He is a good sport and we actually the fastest, although we were not in first place because we lost in some tasks. It is also the coincidence that we speak the same dialect, the one that I only use at home with my family. Lately we found the new love of drawing some rubbish comics, that we passed one another to make a complete, well, messy story line.
They are people that I’m comfortable to be around with, who motivate me to come to work, and we are planning a trip together, four of us, in coming month. This is kind of unusual for me, but I’m looking forward to it. The amazing thing is, we were very spontaneous that it’s probably the quickest decision I made for planning a trip beside with hubby.
I also found that there are a lot of people sharing the same passion with me here. In the past, I was probably a weirdo in other people’s eyes. There is no one that I can talk about my passion of diving or other extreme sports. People would ask me to stay away from them, far far away if I ask them whether they are interested in doing some whatever..underwater hockey, skydive? Or go-kart, or sailing or rock climbing? Hell no. Leave me alone…But here, it’s just like common activities to many , divers, sportman, and so and so. I’m not saying that I dislike mingle with people who don’t share the same passion, but there are reason why people join organizations like sport and hobby, because it’s nice to be around those who share the same interest too. Even though no one else is active divers in my department, I can talk about fishes, names everything because animals are our interests. We also share running as past or present interest, hence the fun competition.
I was doubtful that I could run as fast as I did, but I think I did very well even though I had back and butt pain for the next three days, but it was nice to break the wind again, to run and remember when I was young (insert melancholic music here).
We also have pet fish together, we used to have tadpole tank, and it actually turned into froglet, although too bad, they mysteriously disappeared, I can’t explain that. But I’ll always remember that three of us scanning ponds to get the water plant, or searching quest to find volcanic rock for the aquarium.
Other reason I like it here are the smiles of the strangers. I probably came from alien world before, the last batch of people that I knew from my previous office, who were just merged with us, they hardly smile, they don’t even meet your eyes when you try to smile. Humph..only when they need help, they put in super sweet saccharine toxic smile,. I thought I was in crazy world, it doesn’t make sense to me. It’s either you are friendly, full stop. Or you don’t like to smile, full stop. I’m fine with both. Really. But if you only smile and suddenly so happy to see me because you need my help, it’s disgusting. Utterly disgusting.
So here, everyone smiles to everyone. Regardless you know them or not. Since we have very big number of colleagues and staffs all around, I probably haven’t even known 10% from all, yet, we always exchange smiles on greeting on the road etc etc,. I found it really nice. It doesn’t kill to say good morning, It makes the sun shine brighter , in metaphore of course, because this month is soooo hot that I wish the sun comes out less..
I also like the environment, every time I got bored; I just walk to natural setting or do a little photographic hunt in the weekends, take a walk with my colleagues, go to work or just to loosen the feet. I got to experience amazing thing that I’ve never imagine before. A bit spoiler here, but I was that surprise when I need to with elephant related work, the keeper actually brought the elephant for me, all I need to know is the height of them. Huhahahha, I can ‘t forget the look at the elephant face.
The environment, ah yes, definitely, even though is not jungleish, it’s natural setting. There is also one of the parks I can roam during midday with no one else to disturb me.
I know I’m still skeptical, but I’ve passed my first year anniversary here and I think I’ll write this to remember that I love being here now. I hope it stays that way, I really do.
Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.
-Anonymous
