6th entry - Friends at Work (part 2)

I'm terribly sorry to my poor guests for having to read such lengthy entries for the past couple of Blog entries that I wrote. From time to time I will put in some of these pictures, risking copyright infringement penalties, which I think will make reading my lengthy prose easier on the eye for many of us.

The first of the series is a favorite comic character of mine, Sakura, borne of a Japanese anime called Sakura Cardcaptor. I wished I could be someone like her best friend, Tomoyo, the pretty girl with the long black hair and sweet voice, who adores Sakura, follows her everywhere and filming her every move. One of my friends from secondary school is like my "Sakura", but I only wished we had enjoyed the same kind of closeness that Sakura and Tomoyo enjoyed.

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Continuing from my last entry on Friends at Work, this entry will focus on my colleagues at my second posting. I was indeed very blessed again to have found some good friends there.

In my immediate section, I worked with 3 very wonderful people. My first supervisor, SP, is an understanding, kind, humorous and sensible lady who considers the welfare of her subordinates before her own. She is like a big sister to me and is someone I could trust completely. We got along much better than any of my previous bosses, and even now after I left the section we still keep in touch. One of the qualities I admire her for is her moral courage - if she feels strongly that something is not right, she will not compromise on her principles to do it even if her career was at stake. Another valuable quality I admire her for is that she doesnt judge people. Christians like me often fall into the trap of being judgmental of others who are different from us, which is sinful even though we might not even be aware of our sin. Yet, for a free-thinker she behaves in some ways more Christian-like than some Christians by listening without judging, and thinking positively about people, giving them the benefit of the doubt. If I can be a boss I want to be like her.

My second supervisor, ES, is also an understanding, kind, generous and sensible man. He is also like an elder brother to me, someone I look up to. For him I have great reverence and deep respect, because he is everything I am not - very intelligent (his memory, knowledge and analytical skills are superb), very humorous (until sometimes you dont know whether he is serious or kidding or both unless you know him well) and very good-looking (not only does he have good stature and build but also perfect skin so smooth and fair you'd think he was a model for SK-II facial products). We got along really well personally as well as at work, and if I can be his subordinate forever I really dont mind at all.

My co-worker, CS, is a lovable and friendly guy. He is warm inside but a shy person externally. Not surprisingly, he has friends as many as the sand on the beach - everywhere we went, he seems to bump into someone he knows well enough to talk for a long time while the rest of us with him will simply gape in disbelief. The only thing he lacks now is more luck with women. He seems to have lots of female friends though. I think he still hasnt found someone who can start some sparks with him ... I hope he will soon ;-)

During my stint, I also got to know some wonderful colleagues who work in other sections. One of them is NJ, who was like a godma to me. She is somewhat of a mentor to me, as she is someone I can relate to regarding problems at the office. Her analytical ability is also very sharp, but I really admire her for her moral courage and fighting spirit. She is the kind of person who will never give up trying even when the management try all means and ways to break her or stifle her. She is as kind as she is frank - if she thinks you are wrong, she will tell you to your face even at the risk of offending you, but she does so to help you and not to put you down. Sometimes I wished I had the courage to do this instead of fearing how people will think of me.

One of my colleagues whom I am truly grateful to is CY, because she reminded me of my first love - Jesus Christ. We were acquainted even before I started working at the same office, but at that time we didnt know each other well. She is to me what a true Christian should be. She gave herself wholeheartedly to discipleship (following after Jesus) and lived a life that was holy and pleasing to the Lord. Through her many people came to know the Lord, and she continues to actively serve in missionary and other ministries. When I left the office she gave me a book, Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, that transformed the way I thought about my faith and my relationship with God. I went back to church after 4 years of absence, and began my walk again with the Lord and Shepherd. For this I will always be grateful and appreciative. She was also a source of encouragement during my last breakup (something I will write about in time to come...) and her words of comfort gave me strength and encouragement to stand up and walk again.

Last but not least, one of my closest friends from this second posting is FK. She is perceptive, witty and kind. We had no problems communicating - its like we understood each other quite well. Although she is a very private person, she is slowly warming up to me as she begins to trust me more. On my part, I feel that I can trust her enough to share with her my fears and joys, but sometimes I worry that she might read too much into what I say or do. I guess this is a feminine thing (hahaha). Currently we regularly meet up, and I really hope that with time our friendship can grow deeper and closer.

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oops - there I go again - sigh! I guess I will have to stop a while now ... Next, I will be writing about my (ahem!) romance. Oh boy ... just thinking about it brings to mind all the emotional "flavors" - sweet, bitter, sour and salty. Sweetness comes from the joy of falling in love and from the happiness of romance. Bitterness comes from the anger and frustration when sparks fly and from the feeling of being rejected. Sourness comes from the agony of missing the special person and the pain of separation. Saltiness comes from the bodily fluids that I sometimes get to taste in the process, including my own tears, of happily sharing laughter and pleasurable moments with our loved ones. ;-)