And the countdown begins!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Metaphor

I am one of them.

When I first started, this place offers so many endless opportunities. It paints a wonderful great picture that I couldn’t possibly turn back. It seems so surreal and I could hardly believe my luck to be able to be here in the first place.

Little do I know the dark secret that this place holds.

Behind their smiling faces, lurks a creature man fears. A creature so terrifying, we only expect to see in movies. Newbies like me then, heard about their existence, but we thought its only myths and we never came to believe it. Of course, we have our chances. Thinking back, there were a few encounters, but we just brush them off as a mere coincidence so their similarities.

These creatures are highly intelligent. They are smart, and though they may seem to work individually, all their action contributes to a mission and vision of a common goal. To turn ALL of us into them. They do not easily show their true face to us. Rather, they enticed us and will do anything to gain our trust.

And trust we did. Years down the line, we begin to acknowledge their existence. Their presence is not to be discussed, but is certainly felt. No direct acknowledge is done, but we all know with the familiar frown and nods exchanged. We all knew the dangers lurking, but we are stuck with no where else to go. To buy time, we tried to maintain a civil relationship with them, thinking “I don’t kacau u, you don’t kacau me”. How naïve of us to think like that.

We knew that we were outnumbered, and we watched helplessly as we begin to lose our friends to them. Few of us took the risk to leave, but many of us were still afraid. Afraid of the outside world. Afraid of being an outcast because of our constant contact with them. Afraid we’ll have difficulties adjusting to life because we’re so used to them by now.

So used to them.

We’re becoming one of them. It happens so quickly yet slow enough for one not to realize the change. But others certainly did. The newbies who came in now know that we’re becoming one of them. Our family realized the change but we brush them off rudely, saying, “Perhaps,”pretending to be part of them is the only way to save ourselves”. We fear to become ourselves again because we don’t want to lose out. We begin developing extraordinary strengths and abilities that could take us years to get. We became cocky with our powers. We became comfortable with our powers. We became one with our powers.

I became one of them.

How do you warn the newbies about you? I certainly did, but they refused to believe, just like the way I laughed at these “myths” when I first came. The new ones became cocky, saying that they are well equipped with the knowledge of our existence. Sadly, they know nothing. Knowing about their existence is not anything like being one of them. They wont stand a chance.

Even till now, I struggle with my desire to warn others but is held back with what I’ve become. Certainly, I am ashamed to admit that I crave for my own needs and not to care about my victims. There is no cure. Even those who left, longs to come back. But deep down, I am still human, rather, I was human. Perhaps, with my last ounce of humanity, I will be able to gather enough strength to leave behind this shelter and to warn other humans about us. About me.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Phone Call

On 25th January 2008 at 5:52pm, I received a long awaited phone call…

Me: Hello:
Him: Hi, can I speak to Agnes please?
Me: Yep. Who is this?
Him: Hi Agnes. I’m XXX calling from XXX Insurance Company.
Me (rolling eyes thinking its yet another sales call): Yes.
Him: You attended an interview with me some time back.
Me (heart skipped a beat): Ah yes. How are you?
Him: Good. Are you still with XXX?
Me: Yes. I am still with XXX. (paused). Until February.
Him: What happens after that?
Me: (breathed in) My partner and I has just gotten a working holiday visa in UK and we’ll be flying over in March.
Him: I see. I’m actually calling to offer you employment. You see, the position is still vacant and has never been filled in.
Me: I’m sorry. I wont be able to take up the offer then.
Him: I see.
Me: I was looking forward to your call actually back then . And since its been some time back, I thought you have found the appropriate person.
Him: Alright then. All the best to you.
Me: Thank you. Hope you will find someone suitable as well.
Him: Thank you. Goodbye!

Me: Goodbye!

Friday, January 25, 2008

Risky Move

While chatting with a friend of mine via MSN few days ago, the topic of my London trip came up.

“I envy you. You’re like living my dream…”

While most people responded positively whenever I told them about our plan to leave, little do they know the risk and the reason behind the trip.

“The grass is always greener on the other side.”

How true. Though the prospect of going London itself is very exciting and it certainly inject a fresh feeling into our daily working mundane life, it is nothing like your usual 10-days trip to London where you get to travel to different cities, stay in different hotels, sight see and enjoy your trip.

No. In fact, its far from it.

Two things for sure. We’re going to London WITHOUT a place to stay and WITHOUT a job. Funny how I find myself saying that sentence out loud. Cause I’d swear that I’ve always go around telling people that its STUPID to resign from a job without first securing another. And I always say that I could never afford to STOP working because I have bills accumulating every month.

RELOCATE.

We literally drop everything that we have been building towards (both career and family) and just move to a totally unfamiliar place to start all over again. Not only are we starting all over again, we have a very high risk of RETURNING to Malaysia WITHOUT anything, again, to build everything up again from scratch. Not only do we face the risk of being rejected at the custom (because of various reasons), we may not even find a job to support ourselves and will have to return back with even LESS money that we started of. Yes, the only support we have is the fact that Des’ sister in law is there. But that won’t do much because she is a single working lady herself who have her own life.

How much does it cost us to relocate? Easily 40k. O_o

Now, I’m not going to continue to talk about the money issue, lest someone from the embassy decides to chance upon this blog and decides to reject our entry. But you do your own calculation as to how much it will come to make the trip worth while.

I guess, to a certain extend, I will admit that indeed the trip gave me an outlet to escape from many aspect of my life right now. Below are just a few items that I could easily pluck from my head:

- to quit my job and stop doing something that I don’t believe in.
- to stop working for a person who called me a “prostitute” and to gain my dignity back.
- to avoid moving back to KL on a permanent basis.

And of course, I admit that without the trip, the plans would never get a kickstart and will never be escalated to where it is right now and I’ll never be scheduled to be married in Feb. I did ask him before, if without the trip, the possibility of us getting married this year. He did give me a positive answer, but yet I find it hard to believe.

Now why am I writing a post down as if I’m trying to reassure myself when I’ve done it before already?

I don’t know.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Open Letter

To you,

Now OF COURSE I know you read my blog. In fact, that was the reason why I was posting up all these encrypted messages hoping that you’ll get it and leave me alone!

But, sigh, looks like you didn’t.

Seriously, if you have taken a moment to reflect on the whole story, you would have realized what when wrong. Worst, you not only do not get it, you’re doing the EXACT same thing that you did to me to OTHER PEOPLE! Walau, talk about history repeating itself.

What has happened, has happened. Get over it and move on. It has left a scar on all of us (not to mentioned I didn’t even do ANYTHING to deserve it). Now, when I say move on, I don’t mean forgetting about the scar and lets all live happily ever after as it it never happened.

No.

Happily ever after don’t exist.

So please, its bad enough already that we’re not in talking terms, don’t kacau the rest as well! Please, I beg you, leave the rest alone. Don’t turn them into innocent victims that I once fell for. I know they mean well and only want to help, but what they didn’t know is the extend of what you’re capable of doing. The exact thing that you did to me.

There is a fine line between talking to friends to empathize and cheer you up, and talking to friends to drag them along into the depths of your problems.

P/S: Don’t you dare launch into another one of those “I-don’t-mean-it-that-way-and-I-just-wants-things-to-be-better” cries cause both of us know that we’ve heard enough of it. It happened more than 2 years ago (not 6 months ago) remember?

P/S/S: And you (the other person who is involved in this), how I wish you were reading this also. You have taken the easy way out by choosing to eliminate contact with both of us. I’m, on the other hand, STILL being bothered by this issue months later until now. Sigh. Yes, I know, I am serving my sentence of my wrong doings *roll eyes*. Wanted to share a good news with you, but has no means to find you. But then again, it’s not like either one of us cared anyway. Not after what happened. Oh well, I’m sure you’re having a happy life and I know I will too.

Have a great life everyone!

P/S/S/S: Oh yea, and don’t be so perasan. Though most of the hidden messages are about you, not ALL of it is about you!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

19/01/2008

I think we should meet up before you fly to London.

I don’t think so.

Friday, January 11, 2008

11/01/2008

Eleven days into 2008, I admit that I still cannot be 100% sure that we've made the right decision.

Past four days in KL has been probably the most "productive" offdays ever.

We've submitted the application and has fixed a date to ROM on the 26th Feb.
We've managed to pull and survive the first official dinner with both our family.
I've started to announce the news of the ROM and the trip to friends.
Went to the British High Comm and but only made it to the compound, not the building.
Changed the phone batteries.

I still have to buy my camera batteries, settled my insurance bills, suspend phoneline, stock up on toiletries, and of course, how can I forget, move back down kl.

I'm still struggling back and forth on our decision, one minute feeling all good that we've made the right choice, the other minute fearing we've gone out of our mind.

Oh well, the decision has been made, and it is just typical me to entertain doubts.

I just have to keep reminding myself of these key words - "BSC", "Prostitute", "26th Feb", "London".

Yup, I feel a lot better now...

P/S: Selamat Hari Jadi, 25 sen!

Monday, January 07, 2008

Dell vs Asus

We are arguing.


Big vs Super Small
Normal vs Portable
Heavy vs Very Light
High end vs Super Cheap
Black vs Wonderful White
Boring vs Damn Canggih!

Yet, I'm fighting a losing battle here... ;-(

Please contribute to the Feed-the-poor-couple-Fund.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

5th January 2008

Today is Saturday, 5th January.

Six years ago, it was Saturday, 5th January.

For the first time in six years, I feel that I am ready to let go.

I had wanted ink myself in memory of that date last year, but I’ve never gotten around doing it.

But for the past month, I’m even more determined.

Perhaps its because when I feel that I am ready to put it behind me, I am even more determine to put a mark on myself.

Why?

Is it because I fear that I will forget?

Friday, January 04, 2008

04/01/2008

“Its just bad timing that you’re leaving. We wanted to transfer you up here…”

On the contrary, the timing couldn’t have been better! Phew!

Thursday, January 03, 2008

02/01/2008

Yep,

1) We have handed in our resignation
2) We are leaving the hill right before CNY
3) We have to prepare to move back down KL
4) We are spending CNY in KL (and the whole month of Feb)
5) We are flying off on the 2nd March
6) I’m now engaged :-)
7) We are planning to register in Feb
8) We are only going to do the whole ceremony thing after the trip
9) We have a long list of things to prepare
10) 2008 is here!