Sunday, March 06, 2011
A working man's thoughts
Suddenly feel like typing something on my blog, but I'm not sure what content to put here. Deep down, I am quite scared this place becomes an irrelevant spot on the web, because I treasure this place as a way for me to keep my memories and air my thoughts in a long manner.
It's definitely sucky when work has drained whatever energy I have, and after work I'm usually stuck in routine.
Right now, my after-work routine is as such:
Monday: Go for 推拿
Tuesday: Go out with Kaiwei IF we are not tired (hard)
Wednesday: Go for 推拿
Thursday: Go running
Friday: Go out (with Kaiwei or friends) IF I'm not tired.
Since 7th January I have been going for 推拿 for my backache. As friends would know, I have suffered rather serious backache during NS, more specifically after coming back from Taiwan for ATEC. I've seen the doctor post-ATEC, going for X-ray. However, the doctor said that my spine was perfectly fine, the only possibility due to a denegeration of cartilage between the joints. He (or she I don't remember) arranged for me to go for physio-therapy but I didn't go, because somehow I didn't think he understood or believed in my condition.
For these 5 years since ORD the backache has plagued me, I remember even during the last few months in NS when I was in HQ company, doing a slow jog gives me backaches as well, and I can't even run fast. Doing no strenous exercise during the first 2 years of uni, my backache improved as I didn't really use that muscle group often. However, people will know that that is merely 'hiding' the problem.
When we reached year 3, even uni students had to go through RT if they fail their IPPTs, so I embarked on training again. For someone with backache, running was a chore but still okay, but the sit-up test was the ultimate killer. Also, in the yearly ICTs, in my vocation I was required (like many other men) to carry heavy loads on our backs, so the problem compounded year by year.
After the latest ICT (dec 2010), after the sit-up station (which I did a pathetic 31 sit-ups) my back muscle really stiffened and I can't take it anymore.
Luckily for me, my brother had a worse problem and he was treated by this 医师. Upon his recommendation I decided to visit him, and here I am currently undergoing treatment. My back feels a lot better now, and I hope to really cure the whole problem before ending the treatment. It doesn't come cheap though, with each session $35, meaning I have to fork out $280 per month as I go twice weekly.
Well, luckily for me I do earn quite a bit, but with my last part of tuition money I still owe my relative and buying staff for dad during CNY do mean that finances are rather tight for these few months. And that doesn't help my morale, especially when after working hard and seeing the account not really jumping much.
As always, my mind is in a whirlpool thinking of a lot of things concurrently.
Personal stuff
1. Work-life balance
I think for me I'm considered fortunate in my job. My job does not require me to work much OT, most of the colleagues are nice, bosses are friendly and understanding (despite some flaws), and I'm learning new things everyday. However, after all that mind-power used during the long working hours, plus all that post-work activities almost everyday, it has taken a toll on my enthusiasm for life, and I'm just tired in general. Together with the above-mentioned financial situation, I don't have much money and time to 'do the things I want to do' - and this results in a restricted mind and an empty soul. I hope to take a break via an overseas trip, learn my driving, read some books, read about news on the elections etc.
As everyone knows, I have been very tight/worrying about money since young, and this continued state of affairs financially makes me a very unhappy man. Yes, the financial situation will clear up real soon, but I have been stuffed for far too long, and I'm impatient.
2. Thinking about work
I think my working friends will experience this - thinking about work (or the things you are supposed to do but haven't do) during nights and weekends!! That totally sucks right! Sometimes I will wake up thinking about work.. and that's really a sign of stress.
I mean, actually I pride myself being able to take a high level of stress and be relaxed about stuff. All these years in army and uni pushing myself mentally have trained me adequately on that. However, when I start waking up thinking about work, that is really very sian and I can't seem to control it. Also with my mentioned 'irritation points' talking about the people around me and people on public transport, that doesn't help.
3. General Elections
It's elections season again and here we are in the heat and smoke of the battle. I remembered the last time elections came, I just ORDed and felt really carefree and excited about the political drama that was going to unfold. That's when also I started reading political blogs, stimulating my thoughts on governance in Singapore, from both sides of the political divide (mainly for and against the PAP).
I'm happy that more people care about the elections now, but sadly the quality of thought on policies and the political process in Singapore are still very lacking. Quality of debate on the merits and demerits of policies (such as Workfare v.s. Minimum Wage; Housing, Foreign Talent etc) are still very lacking and not very insightful, and it's full of blind criticism without acknowledging the merits v.s. blind support without drilling holes into the demerits. Apart from political blogs, it's very sad that even the so-called educated group of Singaporeans are still not very politically-educated, I doubt they are even aware on the new political changes (like the boundary changes, 9 NCMPs etc) or even, what are the party platforms.
And for me personally, gradually the elections has evolved from pure drama to something that really impacts me.
Take from the very selfish issue on the pay of civil servants. Despite it being a very insignificant part of our national budget, the opposition has taken it as an easy way out to increase spending for other welfare items, which is like lame, and of course as a way to complain about our highly-paid political leaders. Selfishly, I, for one, do not hope that after spending many years in service and hence depriving me of private sector experience I get my pay cut just to help some political party score points without really benefitting the national budget. Of course, the matter of talent retention in the civil service is an important one, as personally from work I see how screwed up some low-paying companies are, and how lousy their employees are too. I always believe that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys - no matter how one argues about public spiritness, the reality is the brightest talents will join the service only if it is well-paying.
Other than the 'fun' political rallies (you have to be there to understand! you wouldn't believe Singaporeans will be so passionate about things, seriously!), I look forward to national issues being debated robustly in this elections, and hope we can move away from petty issues. I hope everyone in the country will listen and have a good, hard thought about the issues our country faces at this juncture in time, namely the rising income gap, inflation, social mobility, housing prices, public transport, low fertility rate and of course our highly stressful way of life.
Politics is about serious issues affecting the lives of you and me, and I really hope everyone can care about them even if they are too lazy to think about them.
Ok that's it from me for now, not sure when I'll be back here again. Most probably elections time I'll post many of my thoughts here. Bye!
lowtide blogged @
8:47 pm
