Time management

This is a skill which I know I am not brilliant at. However, I still want to vent some of my frustration about what comes with my job.

You see, technically, if I only work during my "normal" working hours, I have only an average of 2.75 hours desk time per day. Those 2.75 hours are not consecutive. It's usually a half hour, then an hour, then another hour separately.

I have all sorts of errants and ad-hoc duties to do. Not to mention the ongoing projects. I was told the even the most experience workers need the same amount of desk time as their "presentations" time. Those "presentations" take up about 3 to 3.5 hours a day. So where on earth do I get that extra hour or so? I am certainly not those more experienced workers, so I need even more time than that.

Some may say that I must have wasted that extra hour during my 7.5 hours (lunch not included) of work. The answer is, not really, I have a mandatory waiting time of 30 mins and about 30 mins for all the walking around and answering endless questions.

How do you think I can manage all that work that I am supposed to do? Well, like most others, I take work home. In fact, I do all my projects at home. It takes an average of 3 hours per day to do it. I also extend my working hours for about 1.5 hours per day voluntarily. My 5-day work week is really a 6-day one. I put in about 66-70 hours per week.

Some say that's not unusual, but many actually still think that I get off work early, and that's clearly not the case. For those who knew me from another country, guys, I get a salary here, just like most people. I get no overtime pay.

The next time you think that I am better off for having more holidays, please think again, I don't get to choose when I like my holidays. They are always during the peak seasons. I also work during a significant portion of my "holidays". My "sick-days" actually requires a doctor's note. I can't be late, at all.

Many of you get to office at 9 am, but you may only start working efficiently after your first coffee at 9:30. By then I already did 3 of my "presentations". I start at 8:15, sharp, everyday.

Some say I got a slightly better pay than others with career progression. I won't argue you on that, but please look at what kind of work I have to deal with.

As for my time management, I don't seem to have too much time for my "life". It used to be that I didn't have a "life". I just survived. Now, I am not doing too much better. I still routinely sleep 6-7 hours a day, pull a late-nighter (sleep at 04:30 and wake up at 07:30) about twice a month. Obviously, my health suffers, but with the challenge that I am dealing with, I doubt if I can do better soon enough.

Snail Mail

WARSAW (Reuters) - It's official. Postal delivery is as slow as snails, at least in Poland.

An IT worker, after receiving a letter on January 3 that was sent on December 20 as priority mail, calculated that a snail would have made it even faster to his home than the letter.

Daily Gazeta Wyborcza said Michal Szybalski calculated that it took 294 hours for the letter to arrive at his home. He also said the distance between his home and the sender was 11.1 kilometers.

Given the distance and the time, the speed of the letter was 0.03775 kilometers per hour. Szybalski calculated that a garden snail travels at around 0.048 kilometers per hour.

(Writing by Karolina Slowikowska; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)

Retrieved from Reuters Website on January 29, 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2423750920080124

old song

It has been a while since I heard the song "Never had a dream come true" by the British group "S Club 7".

What a nice song. I remembered I used to have this song in my hard drive. How come I no longer have it? That's because I deleted it when I couldn't stand the heartache it brought to me a few years ago.

By coincidence I got this song again. This time around, since I had recovered quite a while ago, the song just reminds me how special "LOVE" is.

Naturally, I filed the MP3 after another S Club 7 song on my playlist -"Bring it all back"

Both songs mean quite a lot to me. Perhaps it may mean something to you too.

The following links post the lyrics of the songs, if you are interested.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sclub7/neverhadadreamcometrue.html
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sclub7/bringitallback.html

i'm

Rainy Days

It has been rainy for the last couple of days. The sky has been dark, and the air has been humid.
This muggy weather is one of the reasons why I have such a low energy level.
Of course, the fact that I only slept for 2 hours on Friday didn't help.

My career path is once again at crossroads, and I feel like I should be more proactive.
Yet exploring all options is quite a daunting task. Something that needs a lot of my energy. Something that is in short supply for me lately.

Dealing with the multiple deadlines at work and a slight political disorder, while trying to live a balanced lifestyle have been difficult for me.

Judging by the fact that I slept only for 2 hours, but not because I have been partying, one can probably guess that I am not doing well enough.

I can see some light at the distant sea, and the wind is blowing my way. Hopefully, these dark clouds will dissipate soon, and give me some energy to deal with my life.

The Nomad in Me

While commenting on a fellow blogger, I realized that I have made no less than 20 moves since I entered university. Am I really such a Nomad?

Home
-> Hamilton, Mac Hedden Hall Sept 99-Apr 00
-> Hamilton, Mac McKay Hall May 00 - Jun 00
-> Toronto, Home Jul 00 - Aug 00
-> Hamilton, Mac Bates Rez Sept 00 - Apr 01
-> Hamilton, Bowman St House May 01 - Jun 01
-> Toronto, Home Jul 01 - Aug 01
-> Hamilton, Mac Bates Rez Sept 01 - Apr 02
-> Toronto, Home May 02 - Aug 02
-> Hamilton, Main St Apt Sept 02 - Apr 03
-> Toronto, Home May 03 - Aug 03
-> Hamilton, Mac Whidden Hall Sept 03 - Apr 04
-> Toronto, Home May 04 - Aug 04
-> Hamilton, Mac Bates Rez Sept 04 - Dec 04
-> Toronto, Home Jan 05 - Aug 05
-> Hong Kong, Cousin's Apt Aug 05 - Sept 05
-> Hong Kong, Baptist U Rez Sept 05 - Jun 06
-> Hong Kong, Cousin's Apt Jun 06 - Jul 06
-> Toronto, Home Jul 06 - Aug 06
-> Hong Kong, Cousin's Apt Sept 06
-> Hong Kong, Home Sept 06 - Now
projected
-> Unknown! Hong Kong? Toronto?

serial life

That thing that we ended was restarted after about a week.

Then something else ended yesterday. Something else will start on Sunday though.

Serial life indeed.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end."
--Semisonic

For the past 8 months, I have been working on something with someone. Today, this all comes to an end.

What have I gained? A lot actually.
Just like most thing that I deal with in live, I managed to examine myself by discussing and convincing someone what I believe in.

My values and priorities have been closely reviewed.
My expression and time management skills have been challenged.
I has been a tough balancing act that I needed to pull, and I failed.

This is not the ending that I wished, but I can honestly say that I tried my best.
Perhaps I chose a goal that is not attainable.
Perhaps I chose tried too many challenges at the same time.
There are somethings that can't be given up once we started them, even when we want to.

No, what I did was not meant to be a challenge, but it can be viewed as such.
I did not look for any "gains". I just wanted to give, and that's what I did.
I also needed some help, and I got it. Thanks to that someone that I care dearly for.

I am thankful to that someone for trying it out with me.
It would have been nice to keep trying, but I am satisfied with what's we've done.
Perhaps, it's all for the better.
Perhaps, some other time then. I am always up for it, if I can.