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!

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