I’ve always preferred to be unconventional. From the more normal things, like being a little outrageous here and there to more trend-setting or baffling behavior, I’m far happier doing that than what is average and common. Just looking at me though, you may not expect me to do such things and in observing me, you may not think I really break out of the mold that much. Well, much of that is just due to circumstance – these little unusual things I do happened to me, so it doesn’t look like I’m actively seeking them out. This goes for the way I’ve gotten jobs to the unexpected behavior that I may exhibit randomly.
For starters, I’m hugely independent, so I don’t like being like others. However, this sometimes battles with the part of me that is very complacent and a “good girl.” So you’ll find that my rebellions and the way that I stand out is still somehow buried in the acceptable context and framework of societal expectations. Still, I like to feel like I have the space to spread my wings and fly around as I need to. Part of my fear of settling down somewhere is how stifled I will feel not getting the constant exposure to new neighborhoods, subcultures, and experiences that I got as a child moving around so much. I’ve gotten used to that pattern of life: show up somewhere as the “new kid,” make some friends and try to fit in somewhere, then move on to the next place and start over again.
What other job lets you have tea with such guests?
As for jobs, the great majority of them involved moving around or doing things on my own time and that’s exactly what I want to do now. After all, it’s been my dream to be an entrepreneur for many years now! Unfortunately, my parents are having trouble accepting this and just want to see me get a steady job with insurance and benefits. Yup, as long as I can get health insurance and some other more standard benefits that come from working a typical job, they’re happy. Sad to say that’s exactly what I don’t want. I don’t want a desk job and I certainly don’t like working a 9-5 shift. So what can I do that offers me full benefits and allows me to move around all the time, setting my own work hours? I can’t think of much, or really anything at all.
I’ve been dreaming of doing some freelance work here and there to bring in some money as I find the resources to start my own business. But alas, I’ve got parental pressures to consider, though I know how dreadful a “normal” job would be for me. Even now I find I easily lose focus when I’m not particularly interested in a task or not in the right state of mind or mood. At least here there is flexibility to move around if need be, working from the couch, the high desk, the big table, or my own desk. Plus, I get enough new tasks that I can spread out my work and do a little bit of this, a little bit of that, with some personal readings and whatnot in between. I’m scared of what I’d find in a standard (stifled) corporate environment.
So, what am I to do? I defiantly told my dad how I don’t want to sit at a desk all day and I’d rather not earn money or have insurance than suffer through that. My stubbornness and strong will is not allowing me to back down or compromise, though it’s not like I’m eliminating a job just because it involves sitting at a desk. Maybe I can start with a franchise and go from there, but really, what entrepreneur doesn’t take risks and often not earn much for years? I just don’t see how health insurance factors in before my personal mental and emotional well-being, even if I do understand why it’s so important to my parents.
I didn’t really rebel as a teenager, so I feel like I’m at that stage now. Suddenly I have all these ideas and things I want to try, but I’m just so misunderstood by my parents. 😛 Do I sound like an angsty teen yet? But seriously, now is the time to take risks, before I have so much to lose, no? What’s the worst that can happen? I fall flat on my face and have to resort to a boring, normal life for awhile. It’s not like I’m incapable of earning income; it’s just that pretty much every way I can get a reliable one is completely undesirable to me.
I wish I had more freedom to fly.
In reading it, I’m still not sure I’ve gotten much out of it and I’ve only got another 50 pages to go. There’s been a lot of random background stories and detailing of this and that technology that they or their acquaintances pioneered, but hardly much mention of the HP way other than some quick references to their rewarding pay scheme, dedication to quality and innovation, and decentralized structure. Perhaps it’s because what they were doing at the time was completely revolutionary, but now I find that these strategies are more commonplace and certainly nothing too exciting. I was hoping for a better collection of sage advice that I could soak up, but instead I find certain ideas reinforced, but not much else.
Well, it’s that time again and everyone at UCLA is done with finals and have been spending the past few days graduating. Today marks the final day of all the ceremonies, from commencements to departmental graduations to the ethnic-based ones. I’ve been getting e-mails on the AKPsi listserv of people talking about taking pictures together, attending their respective ceremonies, and otherwise celebrating the Class of 2009’s achievement. It’s really a festive time of year, as everyone has summer on their sights and just this one last hurdle before induction into the world of alumnihood. For just a moment, any worries about the future can be set aside as we focus on the here and now and rejoice in the completion of a degree.
It was a nice overcast day for the most part, which kept things cool. Thankfully, the rain stayed away though and allowed us to enjoy a very nice time at the park. Apparently a lot of people are blood donors because the place was packed! From the bus that took us from Boon Lay to the park to the line to get in, we could tell it was going to be a crowded place. It was still great fun though, as we made our way from penguins to flamingos to macaws to hawks to ostriches, and so much more! There was even this beastly creature that was huge and rather ugly, with remnants of a dino-like crown protruding from his head. Along the way, we came across a pelican feeding, where we were told about the seven types of pelicans in existence, and then got to see an entertaining bird show with all kinds of fun tricks.
At the end of our trip, we took the tram for one more spin around the park and headed out to meet up with some of Mizu’s friends. We stopped by the gift shop hoping to find a cute penguin pen to bring back to Starfish, but they didn’t have any. 🙁 We also came across this free pearl offer (where they would extract it in front of you), but it was only for real ticketholders. 🙁 I was so sad because I really wanted one so I could bring something back to Chatty to thank her. Oh well. We then squeezed back onto the bus to take us to the MRT and took a nice long ride to Ang Mo Kio to wait for Mizu’s buddies. Typea’s been using my iPod touch to play Tap Tap Revenge (it’s like DDR but with your fingers on the touchscreen), which Mizu also enjoys, so we played a few rounds challenging each other as we sipped on some drinks.
