Lunch pack

Lunch pack (Pic source: Google.com)

When I went to Australia, I always saw people bringing lunch pack to school and/ or to work as it was not only healthier, but also most importantly, more affordable. The price of buying lunch outside was pretty expensive, especially in city area. It was wiser to save the money by bringing the leftover food from the day before and reheated it at the office pantry upon consumption. 

In Bhutan, it was a normal thing for people to bring lunch pack from home. They even exchanged their food so that they could taste different dishes every day. These days, the cost of living in city area had increased tremendously too, and it was only wiser to bring the homecooked food from home. They had the taste of love of their spouse, siblings, and parents too.

I really loved the idea of bringing lunch pack to work and/ or to school.

So this time, as I went back to workforce, I decided to prepare my lunch pack too! I was quite exciting with the idea actually! 

There was a fridge, kettle, and a toaster in my office. However, there was no microwave. So, if I brought food to work, I would have to eat it in cold condition (heated food was better for the stomach and the taste).

At my first week to work, I made a-week portion of potato salad (so I could keep it inside the fridge before consumption). I had it for four days in a row, but later on, I realised that it was not a good choice to bring salad to work because the air-coonditioner in my office was super cold!!! I even had to wear a thick sweater every day hahaha...

Pumpkin soup :)

My brain thought hard and later on, I got a better idea. The next weeks onwards, I made soup to bring to work :) because I had the thermal pot that could keep my soup hot upon consumption time. I could eat it with bread too in case it was a thin soup. 

I loved soup, especially when eaten in cold environment. And I loved making and eating the Western soup, not the Chinese style. 

So I made different soup each week and got the recipes from Google. So far, I have made and brought the potato soup, tomato soup, pumpkin soup, mushroom soup, white bean plus vegetable and tomato soup. It really suited my taste bud hahahaha.... Sometimes I even wondered how good I was in making soup, although there was no experience in making one before :P

Only buy fresh ingredients :)

Every Saturday after finishing my walk, I would stop by at the supermarkets in the area and bought the ingredients. Either at the same day or the day before, I would prepare a week portion soup, divided it into 5 containers, and freezed it so that it could last longer. 

I moved the container out from freezer to normal fridge the day before and reheated it the next morning and kept it inside the thermal pot. I had it during lunch time at my desk, sometimes with bread, sometimes with fried rice, then had walk afterwards.

Tomato soup with bread or fried rice :)

Once a week I would buy the food from outside, so I would not get bored from eating the same food every day. So far, I chose vegetable soup over meat. But next time I might try making soup with seafood or chicken :)

It kept my body warm, full, and happy :) I felt grateful and happy with the arrangement. I was not sure about the health impact from it, but I always used natural ingredients and never used any MSG into it. So I would not feel thirsty after having it. 

I did not know how this habit would last but I hoped this could continue for a long long time :)

Gratitude beyond measure

Gratitude Quote (Pic source: Google.com)

Good morning!!! It is Friday!!! Yayyy!!! 

First week of August is here and four more to go! August is such a very long month (with 31 days in it), just like July! But if I can survive this, I am sure I can survive the rest of the year! :)

Many people asked me, "How is your work so far?" 

I said, "It is so far so good. I feel comfortable."

I mean, I feel like I am building my nest here, feeling secure and comfortable. This feeling is just like when I met my hubby for the first time. Like I knew that he was going to be the anchor of my life - someone who was able to provide me with emotional support, guidance, stability, and hope of my life; someone who was going to be a good father for my child.

This job, my Boss, and the office environment, are exactly the same thing. I feel that this is going to be something for the rest of my life.

So I am going to learn slowly, read more, know more about how it works, what the company dealing with, and slowly master it.

To be frank, I have never been so passionate about a job like this before. This is my first time when I could hug and embrace my job as if it is my lover. I could say that I love what I am doing here. 

I used to wonder a lot of how my other friends loved their job so much, by dedicating their time (many even sacrificing their family time), to embrace themselves with their jobs. Some, even after taking a break from it, were missing to go back and be part of it again. 

I kind of understand their feelings now. 

I even can put all the travel desires on hold, until I know what I am supposed to be doing with my role here, know well when is the best time to be away or when is the busiest time of the months or year, before I start planning on the next vacation.

I do not mind missing many aspects or things or even moments, temporarily in life (of traveling) - and as long as I still put a priority to spend time with my family at home and life here in Singapore - because I always believe that everything happens only for good reasons. That some day, when the time comes (for me to travel), if I have to be there, I would be there. And if the time would not come (for me to travel), it is ok, and I will be fine because I know what I am doing, enjoying it, and would never regret it.

It is mostly happy feeling and mood. As promised, no work during weekends; not much phone calls to receive and to make; not much stress at work; and not much emails - compared to other companies I had worked before; and those things means a lot for me.

Inside the lift at our office building, I often hear people gossiping around their bosses and colleagues. I felt truly grateful that I did not have to experience it since it is only two of us in the office. Instead, my jolly boss often talk about her Zumba, Pilate, and her passion in catching Pokemon with her fellow friends, also about how she spent her time with her children and grandchildren back home.

And yes, I am grateful, and will forever grateful for everything that happened to me in my life.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you SB!!! May all beings be happy and health, free from suffering and the cause of suffering, life full of peace and joy! Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu

Pluviophile

Pluviophile

I reached the station ten minutes before 9am. As I ascended the escalator from the underground MRT station, I could see the sky had turned dark and the wind blew chillingly touching my skin. 

"Wow!!! Looks like rain is coming!!!" I talked to myself. "Lucky both ways to the office building had the underpass so that I would not get wet in the event of rain," my mind was speaking again. 

Upon reaching the office door, I could see the office had turned dark, unlike many other mornings when the sun rays pierced through the both side windows, illuminating my working table and chair. 

"Wow!!! I like this!!!" exclaimed my own self. It was dark but feeling cozy instead of depressing.

I turned on the office light and walked towards my seat. I put down my bags, turned on the PC and office mobile, and set myself down into the chair. 

The morning would not be complete without coffee. I was supposed to cut the caffeine down, but the office would not be complete without coffee smell, especially in a weather like this!!! Hahaha... *my usual excuse :P

I opened the fridge and took the bottle of water out. I filled the kettle half and turned it on. As I looked up, rain had started heavily. 

"Wah, lucky I have reached here without getting wet!!!"

The sound of water boiling soothed me. I turned the Youtube on from the computer. I loved quietness when working, but sometimes, I would love to listen to some music too, especially on raining day like this. 

I typed 'raining day song' and many choices appeared. I clicked on a playlist and let it run themselves.

I cut the top part of the coffee sachet, filled it inside my rooster cup and poured the hot boiling water inside. I stirred it and brought it to my desk. Hmmmmm..... just loved the smell :) The taste was good too. I sipped it slowly and checked out my office email.

I opened the yesterday 'to do list' note and completed it one by one.

Raining day... 

Loved it because of the mood it brought, the ambience, the cozy dark feelings, the chill, the coffee smell, the me-alone time, but mostly because my Boss would usually come late, sometimes did not even come to office.

So, that was why.... I am pluviophile, one who loves rain; one who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days and everything else I mentioned above :D

Fleeting moment

"Your life is fleeting" by Justin Young

Life is but a fleeting moment.

For every step we take,

every choice we make,

every place we go, 

everyone we meet. 

For accepting changes,

all circumstances we face.

Be it for better or worse,

it is all fleeting all away.

Why we take it too hard???

Take it easy, take it easy...

With this realisation, 

that nothing stays put, 

that things change all the time,

things going up and down,

just take it easy, 

and let your heart be at ease.

Soon or later,

everything vanishes,

be forgotten,

and will not matter anymore. 

Just treasure what you have,

love everyone closest to you,

and be happy in simple way,

for whatever things that make you feel grateful, 

for being able to be alive,

now, 

at present moment.

"Life is but a fleeting moment.

Take it easy and enjoy the ride."

- Rimareyka.writes 

We are on our own time

Que sera sera...

"Someone graduated at the age of 22, but waited five years before securing a good job.

Someone became a CEO at 25, and died at 50, while another became a CEO at 50, and lived to 90 years.

Someone is still single while someone from his school group has become grandfather.

Obama retired at 55, and Trump started at 70.

Everyone in this world works based on their time zone.

People around you might seem ahead of you and some might seem to be behind you. But everyone is running their own race in their own time. 

Do not envy them. 

They are in their time zone, and you are in yours. 

So relax. 

You are not late. 

You are not early.

You are very much on time."

You might have seen or heard the above before. And this is what exactly I feel too! As age increases, I have seen more of what is going on at people surrounded me - some whom I know, and some whom I do not know in person. 

Be it about school, work, career, marriage, having a child, and even when it relates to travel, retire, and so on. 

I thought myself that I retired early in my late 30s, spent years of travelling and spending more time meeting my family members and friends every where around the world, while I still could, had the energy and blessed with good health.

I thought I had given up all my accounting knowledge and administrative skills that I acquired from my working experience and study before. I had even thrown most of the study material related to it because I had no intention of going back, and thought that who would even interested to hire me, who had so called 'retire' for many years. 

I did work during Covid time, that was because travel was impossible at that point of time and the job that I did was related to kitchen and F&B service operation, which both were not related to admin and account at all, and just to pass time. 

So, who ever thought, that one day, someone I knew from two decades ago, contacted me and asked me to work with her again, just because she found me reliable and could be trusted?

I trusted my gut feeling inside me that this was what I had been looking for since long time ago. My hubby said to his friend that I was kinda find my dream job. And he was right!

In the sense that I could work in a small office with one Boss to work with (and few others that were at the other part of the world); the location of the place was superb - in the shopping's belt of Singapore, nearby library, etc.; work in a peaceful environment (most days my Boss came at later hours); and many more, but most importantly, I was lucky to find a nice and understanding Boss. 

Oh, I could wear casual attires to work too!!! Jeans and sport shoes, hoodie for cold AC room, no problem!!! That was important for me! :)

What about travelling? Well, it can wait. As the above saying, "We are on our own time." And I always believed in "What is yours is yours. What is not yours, forget it." 

And I believed in fate very much when it comes to traveling - such as the destinations, people whom I travel with, seasons, weather, and so on. I know we all get older each day, but many things will come naturally when it is time. Just believe that everything will come at the right time :) 

Que sera sera....

Whatever will be, will be....