8/3/06

Spent about 7 hrs doing FYP today. Editing can be quite hateful. Read up and down, then down to up, then up to down again, and the cycle goes on and on and on and on. Everytime, there will be something that needs to be changed. And Footnotes are hateful! Just because I don't use endnote doesn't mean that I don't know how to make things consistent throughout. Somehow I got a feeling its not going to give me fantastic result. Anyway, doesn't matter.... I'm employed. Who cares... I do my best and thats more important. 头没有这样大就不要戴这样大的帽子 (referring to me)。 But I know someone head very big, sure can fit big hat!! ops

Maple at level 28. Yeah. But very slow at levelling now. Haa I think I'm the only one who can stand the slowness in the levelling speed of a warrior.

Thanks to my fyp mate from chatting with me haaa. I'm lacking interpersonal interaction during holidays haaa. Have fun people!!

Slide of life

Midlife Career Change

When it comes to employment, the reality these days is that there is no iron rice bowl. Very rarely will a person stay in one company for the rest of his career. The trend is for companies to stay lean and competitive by continually trimming fat and choosing cheaper labour sources like foreign talent or outsourcing to other countries.

All this means that having to look for another job is a distinct possibility. And it can become harder as you grow older. Maybe the last time you job-hunted, you were in your twenties, right out of school, bright-eyed and eager. You had fewer responsibilities. Most certainly your identity wasn't tied to a profession.

But now you're over thirty-five. You've gained some stature. You've become used to your job. You probably have no other commercially-valuable skills other than the ones you now possess. You've got children, aging parents, housing and car loans. Then, unexpectedly, you find yourself being retrenched.

The midlife career change journey can be hard to venture. But it doesn't have to be miserable.

Career change takes time, energy and financial resources. So get a temporary job. You may be lowly-ranked and suffer a pay cut, but remember, it's only transitory. Think of birds perching on a wire when they migrate south for the winter: a place to rest till you can start moving to your real destination.

Once you've covered your basic needs, take time to explore each career option in greater depth. Even within each field you'll find major differences. A social worker for instance, can have a private practice, work in a hospital, or work for agency, public and private.

Talk to at least six people who are employed (happily or otherwise) in each field. Ask how they started. Don't ask for advice: ask for experience.

Finally, if finances are tight, investigate low-cost career change resources in your area. Some nonprofit agencies offer counseling. And if you find yourself getting seriously depressed, your first priority should be a visit to a qualified, licensed mental health provider.

Yes, you can find a new, satisfying career - not overnight, but sooner than you think. Start the journey in an optimistic and informed way.

Slice of life

STORIES - THE 99 CLUB

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.

One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy in his heart?

The King asked the servant, "Why are you so happy?"

The man replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."

Later in the day, the King sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."

"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.

The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep."

When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... so many gold coins!

He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, "What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!" He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.

From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club."

He continued, "The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 to round it out to 100!

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about."