Start of yet another new chapter

I’m back again after yet another long hiatus. It’s scary how time flies and I can’t quite believe that we’re already into the first week of October.

In my last post, I mentioned that things were going downhill fast for me on the job front. Quite unfortunately, things didn’t get better since my last update back in December. I continued to struggle with my work and working till late into the night on my working days became a norm. I hated my job and everyday was a dread. I lost all motivation at work and I felt so miserable and unhappy all the time. To make matters worse, my boss decided to throw in the towel too and tendered her resignation. When she told me about her resignation, I was sad but at the same time happy for her. I know she was burnt out as well and could totally understand why she made that decision. This is why I made the same decision too. I didn’t want to be around after she has left and most importantly, the misery was taking a toll on me and I really needed to get out of that toxic situation.

And so I did. I’m happy to share that I’ve since found a new job and will be starting next week. I’m extremely thankful that things fell into place for me at the right time and I hope things will continue to work out smoothly for me for the rest of 2021.

I’m also grateful to the folks who have encouraged me and kept me sane over the past few months. I’d like to thank them for putting up with my constant rants and offering their invaluable advice and moral support. I wouldn’t have survived the miserable days without these awesome people! ๐Ÿ˜€

A year to remember

Today is the last day of 2020 and this year has been challenging and dreadful for many of us due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When I last blogged in April, I didn’t expect the pandemic to last this long. It’s been a year since the virus made its appearance and it’s still not going anywhere.

I’m sitting here with mixed feelings about 2020. There are definitely more lows than highs for me but I’m grateful that I’m still doing pretty good so far. The pandemic has changed the way we work and I’m currently still working in a split team arrangement. It’s quite incredible that I’ve not seen some of my colleagues in person since March. Working from home is definitely more convenient for me but it has its cons as well. The line between work and leisure has blurred and work hours have become so much longer. It’s not uncommon for me to be working till 11pm or later on some days. The workload has increased as well as two of my teammates left the team within months of each other. I’ve never felt so overwhelmed before in my 2.5 years here.

It’s actually quite amazing how things would change and go downhill fast. Before August, I was still motivated in my job despite the extra workload brought upon by COVID-19 and the thought of looking out for a new job has never occurred to me. With my best teammate gone, things started to fall apart. I’ve struggled since then and I’m hoping the situation would improve soon. After several rather lengthy jobless stints, I really don’t want to look for a new job if I can help it but I’m worried the situation may evolve into a state that would leave me with no choice.

On a more positive note, 2020 is also the year that I made a huge (and somewhat hasty) decision to apply for a BTO flat. To be honest, I didn’t expect to get a decent ballot number in the two BTO exercises that I applied for. I was just trying my luck and it was totally okay with me if I hadn’t been successful in my applications. I guess I was fortunate that I managed to get a good number in my second attempt and I’ve made my flat selection recently. It’s both an exciting and surreal experience. I’m not even sure if I’ve made the right decision to go for it but I guess there’s no turning back now. So yeah, 2020 is also the year that I officially became a homeowner. ๐Ÿ˜€

Despite the frustrations and difficulties faced at work, I’m very thankful and grateful for what I have. I hope 2021 will be a much better year for my family and friends, particularly those who also face tough situations at work. Hang in there and hope we’ll all see the light at the end of the tunnel very soon. May 2021 bring us more positivity, good health and happiness.

Happy New Year everyone!

Hello to a strange new world

I’m starting to question why I continue to pay the domain and web hosting fees every year when I barely write nowadays. I guess I just can’t bear to give up my little space on the internet where I can pop by on random days like this to pen down my thoughts.

We’re now all living in unprecedented times no thanks to COVID-19. Lockdowns. Social distancing. Hoarding of toilet paper. Closure of schools and workplaces. I never thought I’d live to experience these. To put this into perspective, I’ve been working for about 19 years now and this is the first time ever in my work life that I’m allowed to work from home. Yes, all because of the dreadful COVID-19. And we all thought SARS was bad.

Now that the government has imposed a one-month “Circuit Breaker” period to pre-empt escalating COVID-19 infections, we’re all required to stay at home and refrain from going out unnecessarily. We’re not even allowed to visit family members who are staying in different households. I understand this directive is required to stem the spread of the virus but it has also caused a bunch of problems and stress for many. I still can’t fathom the seemingly simple act of visiting a friend or a sibling at their home is now prohibited. What is the world coming to? We’ve all taken our freedom for granted.

I really hope the Circuit Breaker will be effective in controlling the infection rates in Singapore. Even though I like the idea of working from home, I wish life can return to some semblance of normalcy soon.

In the meantime, let’s all be socially responsible and look out for one another during this period. Hang in there and stay healthy (and sane) everyone.