One thing I am really enjoying about living and working with Marylin is all the great conversations we've been having. From work related musings to discussions about life's various issues, there's an endless array of topics for us to cover. We have similar enough interests to have a lot to talk about, but we're not clones, so we do have differing opinions to share. Sometimes I am still amazed at how similar we are (yet how slightly different we can be too). I honestly feel like she and I were twins separated at birth, naturally inclined to the same things, but taught and raised differently and thus diverging in certain opinions. It makes me wonder if having a sibling near your age who you are close to feels like this, but somewhat opposite, with natural inclinations differing, but the common upbringing bridging the gap. Whatever it is like, I appreciate the time we've had together and the discourse we've shared.
It's refreshing to be around someone so much and really get to know about them. We've both joked about how we are going to get sick of each other, which has yet to come, but I'm glad we acknowledge that we may drive each other crazy sometimes. I'm getting a great feel for how she prefers to do things and how I prefer to do things and how we can compliment each other as a team. This will be important for our future plans as partners! That way we can play off our strengths and weaknesses to our maximum benefit. We have agreed it's important to keep the lines of communication open and really learn to work with each other, providing feedback as needed. I definitely believe that honesty (tactfully expressed) will prevent a lot of conflict and keep things going smoothly.
Even though we may physically be around each other all the time, I still get a lot of time to interact with the others in the office and be in my own little world when I'm on the computer. It's nice to have this time to grow on my own, separate from her, but also have her right there in case I need to discuss something or bring something up. It will definitely get more challenging as I get more work to do and we're both working hard to get things done. I'd like to branch off a little and work on projects that she is not on so we can expand our knowledge base. The more areas we can gain experience in the better it will prepare us for striking out on our own in LA someday. Plus, that way I get a sense of individuality beyond that of just being the American version of her. :-P
For now though, I will be her shadow professionally and socially, since I don't know my way around the country, don't really know any people, don't fully understand the culture, and don't even have a phone to use so I can't wander off on my own! It's a running joke between us that I can't hurt or offend her or else I won't have a place to stay, haha. But hey, I could just take her place... ;) At the moment it's taking so much energy to absorb everything that I haven't exhibited much of my wacky self. I wonder if I'm even still that crazy anymore, after Panda's calming influence on me. Well, at the least I'm still really quirky and odd, which can be entertaining in its own right, whether or not I'm as verbose and expressive as I used to be.
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Part of the acclimation here is getting used to the language patterns. The good thing is that people in Singapore primarily speak English and some Chinese, both of which I am fluent in. However, as it is with any country, it takes time to get used to the accent, language patterns, and slang. This takes me back to my first night in my flat in England, gathered around the kitchen table with my neighbors, freaking out to myself because I could not understand a word of what they were saying. It seems that a conscious effort has to be made to find non-spicy foods around here. I suppose the Singaporeans tolerate pain better than I do. And yes, extreme spices can qualify as forms of pain - after all, capsaicin creates that burning sensation and activates nerves much like painful sensations do. It's no wonder my insides still hurt from ingesting those spices. The weeks leading up to my departure I had been returning home rather late at night on a daily basis and I was always paranoid about an accident. I am always amazed at how many accidents there are on the roads. One drive down from Valencia to Westwood saw three crashes! Thankfully, they were all small fender benders, though one did leave a bumper in the middle of the road and another somehow threw a mattress into a lane. I just arrived in Singapore a few hours ago and I'm having trouble sleeping, so I found myself mentally going through the contents of my suitcases, trying to remember if I brought that darned toothbrush or not. I swear there are items that I specifically packed, but I was unable to find them last night as I was getting ready for bed. I'm willing to bet that it's not my memory playing tricks on me, but my luggage. Smart buggers. So, I will try again in a bit as Marylin and I get ready to start our first day at work together! Until everything is unpacked and stowed away, I am not giving up on finding my favorite facewash and that silly toothbrush. Thank goodness they give you a temp one to use on the plane, or else I'd be using my finger and gargling a lot. I have a habit of collecting things and never throwing them out. I just can't bear to. This has been a problem since my youth, when I couldn't even throw away homework that I wrote. I blame it on my intense sentimentality. Everything is a memory to me, good, bad, or otherwise. Well how do you throw that away? However, though I do love to keep things around, I would like to cut back on the superfluous things I have lying around the house. After all, who needs clutter? So whenever I move or pack, I try to clear out some of my stuff in an effort to stop the growing piles of boxes. I decided to take advantage of President's Day sales today by going to Kohl's to buy myself a young working woman's wardrobe. I have only ever held two jobs that required professional attire - one was an internship that I went to twice a week and one was a summer job that had business casual days two or three times a week. This job in Singapore will be the first time that I need enough fancy clothes to wear five or six days a week for many long hours!
I have feared this shopping trip for far too long and it's nice to finally get it out of the way. I always knew it was coming, but I never really needed to stock up, so I never had the patience to spend so much time sorting through what I wanted and what I didn't. Why did I fear it? Because "business casual" is a very hard term to define nowadays. Traditionally it was business formal attire minus the outer jacket, but with trends influencing what we wear, there are my nice button-up shirts that are also inappropriate for the office. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between what adds a nice stylish flair to your outfit and what gives off the entirely wrong impression. It's a fine line to walk. I mentioned before that I was going to take the opportunity to go work in Singapore. Well, I am on my final two weeks here and we just booked the ticket! I'll be flying out March 1st on Singapore Air, which I'm excited for - I hear it's a posh airline. It's not really sinking in that I'm leaving yet, but by the time I get back in six months, things will be drastically different. [originally posted February 2, 2009] |
laelene My philosophy is simple: things change. Therefore, we are all on a lifelong journey of discovery. We should be flexible, questioning, learning, adapting, and growing. Always. Archives
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