A worthy occasion

There are times when I wonder why we celebrate certain occasions but Mother's Day is truly an exception in my book. However, I shall save my thoughts, rants and blahdiblahs for another blog as I've just realised that I'm approaching the wee hours of the morning (if not already there).

So, for all mothers out there, I wish you a very happy Mother's Day. And before retiring for the night, I'll leave you with a little quote,

"A mother is what makes a house a home."

How true.

Rome wasn't built in a day

Another Monday at hand. But oh, it's been a good week. 

There was a huge event that was held from May 6-8. More than 50+ companies, businesses, establishments and organizations took part and thankfully, it turned out to be better than we expected. 

My company was blessed with the great privilege of hosting, organizing and managing a few establishments. However, in the beginning, we were faced with a very unfortunate situation; people just had no sense of punctuality and organization. This led us to working over time to get not only our stuff done, but theirs as well... and honestly, we were dreading the event and our hearts raced faster and faster as the seconds ticked away.

The dawning hours of Day 1 reminded me of my first day of university. The excitement, the nerve-wrecking anticipation, the constant wonder as to what would happen next, the seemingly endless rush, and the noticeable formation of cliques and social circles. And knowing that the Prime Minister was well on his way (an hour before the aforementioned opening time) increased all those emotions tenfold. However at times, I must admit that I found myself in a daydreaming stance reminiscing about my schooldays.

Day 2 was even more exciting. While I had organized and hosted a bunch of shows in the past, it was my first ever event of such a serious magnitude. The guestlist included people of only the upper management and some members of the Royal Family. In all honestly, while we tried to be as optimistic as possible, we also anticipated problems to occur and planned different scenarios and strategies as to how to overcome them. But thankfully, everything went well. Ok, it did start half an hour after the scheduled time but then again, in this part of the world, it's not surprising.

The genuine thank you's and congratulatory remarks were truly the icing on the cake, the cherry on top of a fantastic sundae which was the night. Regardless of the sleepless days and nights and all the effort and hard work you've put into... it's all worth it when you've seen the fruits of your labour bloom into rich goodness. 

And day 3? Well, it was an extension of Day 2. So all in all, it turned out to be a huge success. Such a relief! It's things like these that just erase all the "is it worth it?" related thoughts; and a continuous string of such occurrences might just banish those thoughts altogether.

So, my current motto is "Hang in there; you'll definitely make it happen!"

Never again

Being in your 20s is truly a fantastic age. It’s one of those in-between phases where you’re not considered young but you’re not deemed as old either. It is the age of more responsible experimentation where you still have the luxury of indulging in worldly pleasures without being accused of having a mid-life crisis.

I’m in my early twenties and well, let’s face it, a person my age still plans drunken nights with the hope of having a quick rendezvous with that certain little someone to fill his or her insatiable need for temporary satisfaction. Ok, that sure is not the only reason but anyway!

It’s been a while since I had an alcoholic drink. Sure, I tend to have a sip every now and then, and when I feel like it, I indulge in a harmless cocktail. Ok, let me rephrase that sentence: It’s been a while since I went overboard. Some of my friends are big drinkers and well, for the last two meetings, I decided to just order a diet coke or water. I looked around and watched in dismay, the attitudes and consequential actions and reactions of those willingly drowning themselves in alcohol. And I must say, I’m glad I’ve moved on.

Sure, I’ll get people mocking me and telling me that I’m not ‘living’ but hey if living life is waking up the following morning (or afternoon) lying down near some stranger (who probably has some form of STD) or waking up to nurse the worst possible headache ever, then no thanks!

Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against people who drink. It’s a social lubricant that some people need to get them to loosen up and I understand that. And heck, hanging out with buzzed people is fun but I guess I’d like to be the sober one, the designated driver, the overseer.

And honestly, people who know me will tell you I don’t need alcohol, drugs or sugar to get a kick; I’m naturally high!

So, now I officially bid adieu to drunken nights and agonizing hangovers. It’s been one heck of a ride but hey, it all had to end sometime.

And it feels good!

Is it worth it?

It's a Sunday afternoon and I can't help but envy those snuggling in their beds. Here I am at work waiting ever-so-impatiently for the seconds to pass by at a quicker pace. 

Life has been hectic lately barely giving me time to breathe, let alone spare me some much-needed me-time. I think to myself, "Is it worth it?" and I tell you, that very thought goes through my mind at least once a day. Ok, I have been blessed with a job not many people my age could have and I know that... and trust me, I'm thankful. Mind you though, a lot had to be endured before I got to this point. It's not that I'd give everything away... I just wish the world could stand still even for a day. 

Bizarre deadlines, impossible clients, and the constant need to prove your worth in a very male-dominant corporate world tends to get to you at times. Sometimes I wish I could just scream as loud as I possibly can or that I could slap some sense into people... but then I wonder, would that really help? If any of you have tried such techniques, do fill me in on your stories :)

*sigh* the truth of the matter is (and now, I shall quote from Spiderman) with great power comes great responsibility and (now from Transformers) no sacrifice, no victory. The funny thing is I am well aware of these 'truths' but I know that all of us dream of an ideal world... a utopia of our own. I know I'm guilty of such a charge! 

Instead of conducting international conference meetings with clients in Japan or Germany, I wish I could just call my friends and chat the day away. Instead of producing quotations for the latest projects, I wish I was working on my next shopping list. Instead of prancing about from meeting to meeting with clients who have no sense of punctuality, I wish I was on the beach enjoying the soothing sounds of the waves as they come crashing on the shore. Instead of working on endless proposals, I wish I was lying down on a hammock on my balcony reading a book. And the list goes on...

But alas, such fantasies have their own time and place. However, when I really think about it, all the energy I've exerted, time I've used and effort I've put in to get to where I am now, won't be wasted (or at least that's the hope). And I guess, those of us trying to better our situations have to cross the valley of hardships to bring our awaited utopia into existence... and when that happens, bliss will have a new meaning.

And in the end, it'll all be worth it.