visibly anonymous

at my workplace, i have a lady sitting next to me (as in the next cubicle) for the past 3 or 4 days – and i have no idea of who she is. i have heard her talk on the phone, have heard her name when someone else called her, i even unsuccessfully tried peeping to see what information was contained in the numerous piles of paper on her desk – but given that our 'cubicles' are bare open, there is little i could do.

i could of course turn around and ask her what her name is, whether she has just joined us, etc – but i feel funny doing that. so i walked over to our office admin person and whispered, "who is the person sitting at the desk next to me? new staff ah?" She whispered back, "I don't know, you know!"

phew! i wasn't the only one lacking information. but the fact that i had to ask the question in the first place made me wonder about my level of social skills. i don't consider myself an unsociable cave-woman. for the records, i have crossed the 100 mark in my list of friends on Facebook (an extremely modest figure, considering that the average friend-list on FB seems to border on 500; but hey, it shows i know some people). i am aware of their daily routines, their travel plans, their crises and their triumphs through their status updates. (and i must say its amazing as to how many people are willing to list their most personal of issues in that little space.)

funnily enough, i often feel that i 'know' a great deal about some people whom i have met only once in my entire life – and barely spoken to them.

come to think about it...*gasp* have i become so isolated by FB's illusory sense of 'keeping in touch' that i have become devoid of social interaction with strangers? its a wee bit scary, but it reminds me of some crazy net-addicts who cannot look or talk to people in front of them – they can only interact with people online.

in case you're waiting for an answer – no, i haven't reached such levels of isolation. but i should prep up my social skills a wee bit. and maybe leave a post-it for the lady-next-table listing my FB details and ask her to add me.

a farewell

it is always hard to come to terms with the fact that our association has come to an end. that we have parted ways, and will never come back together. when i seek you, i have to remind myself that you are no longer there.

i remember the times together. they say true beauty lies within, but you had a way of making me look good on the outside. you were on hand when time seemed to close in like a tide. you were there, all through those days, through rain and shine.

and i still remember that evening when something seemed wrong – a sense of foreboding that things were about to change. and that night, they did. we had to part.

my wonderful pair of 'the station' label black pants that i bought at tangs. i bid you farewell. there will never be one quite like you.

the timeless monday blues

a lot has changed in my life. but one thing has remained a constant – monday blues haunt me, like it does to many of us. as working life gets busier and busier, i find myself pushed to make the best of the weekend – run errands, clean the house, do the laundry, meet with friends...you get the drift. which makes it seem like the weekend no longer 'comes' – it whizzes by in a blur, and before i know it, the TGIF spirit is replaced by bleary eyes and an alarm announcing its time to wake up to yet another monday.

so, i lie in bed for a precious few more minutes, pondering just how many people might miss me if i don't go in to work – how about taking a day off? or getting an MC? it can't all that bad – can it? but then, the thought of looming deadlines makes me groan. hey, how about a few more winks, and then i can catch a cab to work? possible, but the thought of horrendous cab fares ripping out all the cash in my wallet makes me scream and run to the bathroom.

so it goes. like the little kid who hated school on mondays, i head to my office. but i give myself little treats to make up for it. i sleep a little bit longer on the bus. i make myself a cup of coffee before i start the work-day. as i raise the cup to my lips, i toast to yet another week – and remind myself that its just five more days to friday!

PS: if none of this makes any sense to you, and you are even wondering why i bothered writing a blog on this, you may need to head down to the nearest WA – workaholics anonymous.