!surf's up!

Thursday, April 06, 2006

I finally get to make the journey home... with heavy heart... I am leaving on a jet plane... eh, seem to be a good lyric for a hit song! Anyway, after about 20,000km and 111days... I am packed and ready to go...
These 111days have reminded me things that I had forgotten and most of us had taken for granted... humility. Being in this environment really make me wonder on how simple life can be. Though we all worked hard, almost from 7am to 9pm, but we were all happy and the only worries we have was the amount of money to be sent home.
I practically lived in my "mobile home", my trusted car (in the pix with Arun, my sidekick, btw... I am the handsome guy in the middle). Though we ate when and what we can, we were focus in our duty and trying to keep ourselves from missing our family... yeah, we go to great length to divert our attention away from lonliness in missing loved ones. I seen grown men actually cried when they get to talk to their wife and kids...
Strangely, I felt at ease with this environment. People from different countries came to Dubai to work... they seemed to see that I am the odd one... someone from Singapore come to work in Dubai???? I kept telling them that I made the wrong turn...
I made sure that I took different person every trip so that they will not drive me crazy with their same stories and problems... and yeah, hopefully they can learn something from me, along the way... believe it or not...
We faced all kinds of challenges from sand storms, droplets of water from the sky they called rain (it never rains, it seemed in Dubai), to scorching sun.. and yeah, angry clients... but we faced them with a smile in our faces because we knew why we are here and doing the EXTRA MILES... for the sake of our families and loved ones... now, how can anything beat that!
I am happy that I am back with my loved ones but.... somehow, I still think alot about Dubai and how it has changed my life and influenced my character. I am easily contented now with simple things and appreciate the people around me more...
Isn't it great, that I can travel "back" in time to a place where everything you do is because of the family... and I hope that I can go back there again to continue my journey of self discovery... IF only I can really turn back the clock.... now that would be something...

aloha | 1:10 AM

Monday, February 20, 2006

Receiving one bad news after another in the last 5 days has taken a toll on me. I had never shrugged away from any responsibilities nor problems... but last Feb 13th 2006, I felt that my world came crushing down in an instant. I had never felt so alone since my grandma passed away...
What is it about people that makes us fickle minded? I understand if it's about worldly posession... but when it comes to the most unexplained but supposed to be the most essential ingredient in every living organism, we just can't make up our mind!
This is the longest time that I have been away from my family... 3 months! Seems 4ever. Just felt like taking d nex flite home...
Anyway, life should go on... just like thousands of foriegn workers here, they cursed, swore and the only hand signals they know when driving, is the "universal" sign... the famous middle finger!
Accidents are like one in every half hour... I had to travel to the "nearby" town and Emirates which is an average of 140km away... not too far for someone that comes from a tiny island of about 45km at its longest tip to tip! we had a couple days of sand storm. The car can hardly stay clean for more than two days at a time....
Most of the time its been very therapeutic, driving long distance, with the company of nice music and the scenery of open desert on each side of the road with occassional Camels... yes, camels! in the yonder. The scene of the golden desert sand due to the reflection of the setting sun can only be expressed with a "hmmm". Reminds me of the old movies when the cowboys riding into the sunset... well, in this case in my car... so quiet, just the humming of the engine and the sound of music... with the occasional "beeping" of the speed warning signal!... for driving too fast!

aloha | 1:06 PM

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

guess i m finally getting in2 dis geek ting... n i got dis fever from my kids, qarissa n qaiser! i m currently away on a project in dubai and my family r in singapore. its bin cold nites n hot days in dubai wid lots of traffic.

noting much 2 do except dat we start work at 7.45am (so ungodly hrs..) and hopefully fin by 9 or 10pm!!!!! bin very testing to my nerves s working wid bunch of numbskulls n morons just turned my black hair 2 silver, in jus 5 weeks..eeks. by d time got home, well, apartment... jus nice 2 plonk into bed... no nid 2 bathe... dry clean enough!

2day has bin d same crazy day...plus wid d planning of d "open day" for d staff 2moro. should b fun... d boss ask us to plan but s long s we follo HIS PLAN! watever! we jus wanna hav fun....2moro, drink plenty s we r gettin plenty nothing pay!!!!! most of d pple wonder y a singaporean got lost, make d wrong n end up in this part of d world... will share d story s we go along....

past 7 weeks..eeks, has bin very trying. its feels like i m in india s most of d pple here are either from india, pakistan or sri lanka....never had sooo much briyani, perata n cepati in my whole life.... some times i 4got dat i m in dubai n thought dat i m in mumbai, well.... dubai.. mumbai...bye!

aloha | 8:33 PM