Feeling Out of Place...
22nd August 2007. Wednesday
I must admit that I had a ball of a time in my 3 varsity years..
I had reaped rewards far better than my degree which warrants me my good life now, such as some interpersonal skills, friendship made and ultimately a life-long companion...
However overtime I also realized the acquaintances I befriended over the cause of time there aren't your one-dimensional nakamatachi (仲間たち) kind who simply just wanna be a good friend and purely enjoyed one's company... there has always been an invisible motive behind it all, be it for competitive (academic sense) reason or something else...
My wife and myself were part of the management committee back in 2000 for our faculty club and it was a pretty tight unit than our predecessors but still internal squabbling and politics persist espeically there were so many other members been added into the pictures...
The difference in personality also created some friction over time and I don't see eyes to eyes with a couple of personnel who have no hope of receiving X'mas cards from me any festive season...
Last evening we were beckoned by Bernard, always the businessman in our unit back then but a great man with great aspirations for a dinner...
His gracious appearance in my wedding banquet and giving the cheer on the stage will not be forgotten by yours truly...
Due to his reputation fo being cordial and well-receptive by all, the turn-out by the committee was pretty good for a simple dinner on a weekday...although the few usual suspects failed to make the appearance while those I had differences with also didn't show up...Then again time has alleviated much of those animosity...
We had dinner at Crystal Jade at Bishan Junction 8 and it took us quite a while to make the order as it would be for a Chinese cuisine restaurant...
Then the usual characteristic of the girls to shy off making decisions while some of the lads shy off from seafood which would give them allergic reactions...
Ed and Jing are perhaps the closest aides among the group and like Bernard, they played crucial role in my matrimonial ceremony, so we would find measures to repay that kindness when it's their turn to tie the knot come March 2008...
However last evening we had pretty restricted conversation but didn't deter Lao Chek (which we affectionately known Ed for) oulled his usual antics with the suggestive jokes in his typical cycnical manner...
Leonard, the junior which formed such a bond with us was a great lad but his tendency to bemoan can be quite suffocating, as seen through out the night...
After dinner, we went for coffee at Olio Dome... Took a hiatus from them with the missus, we unanimously agreed that being with them seems pretty queasy; we couldn't relax and chat heartily like real friends, or just fool around like with the La Tendo clique...we surely have drifted away from this group of people over the past 3-4 years or so...
Majority of them had muddled themselves in the educational scene and kept sharing some of their "interesting" encounters at work amidst the usual ranting...
Bernard and Andy are still in the force, and much of the conversation was on that topic...
So very civil servant crap was dished out and we tried our best not to look bored though it's blatant we were out of place...
We did touched on the recent Rag Day which was held at Padang after years of plotting and scheming to hold it there...and some reminiscencing of the good old days though we stop short of covering some grey areas of the past which involves seedy characters in even seedier situations...
Some were asking me if I am happy to stay as I am or doing further studies for progress...the usual topic from them, but I always leave an open-end answer, even though I am very much contended to remain status quo, as long as I am leading a healthy and happy life with my missus without facing any major financial predicament...
I doubt we might show face to another of this gathering though Ed & Jing s' wedding banquet would be the next probable meet-up between us... Let's hope we don't feel out of place by then...
I must admit that I had a ball of a time in my 3 varsity years..
I had reaped rewards far better than my degree which warrants me my good life now, such as some interpersonal skills, friendship made and ultimately a life-long companion...
However overtime I also realized the acquaintances I befriended over the cause of time there aren't your one-dimensional nakamatachi (仲間たち) kind who simply just wanna be a good friend and purely enjoyed one's company... there has always been an invisible motive behind it all, be it for competitive (academic sense) reason or something else...
My wife and myself were part of the management committee back in 2000 for our faculty club and it was a pretty tight unit than our predecessors but still internal squabbling and politics persist espeically there were so many other members been added into the pictures...
The difference in personality also created some friction over time and I don't see eyes to eyes with a couple of personnel who have no hope of receiving X'mas cards from me any festive season...
Last evening we were beckoned by Bernard, always the businessman in our unit back then but a great man with great aspirations for a dinner...
His gracious appearance in my wedding banquet and giving the cheer on the stage will not be forgotten by yours truly...
Due to his reputation fo being cordial and well-receptive by all, the turn-out by the committee was pretty good for a simple dinner on a weekday...although the few usual suspects failed to make the appearance while those I had differences with also didn't show up...Then again time has alleviated much of those animosity...
We had dinner at Crystal Jade at Bishan Junction 8 and it took us quite a while to make the order as it would be for a Chinese cuisine restaurant...
Then the usual characteristic of the girls to shy off making decisions while some of the lads shy off from seafood which would give them allergic reactions...
Ed and Jing are perhaps the closest aides among the group and like Bernard, they played crucial role in my matrimonial ceremony, so we would find measures to repay that kindness when it's their turn to tie the knot come March 2008...
However last evening we had pretty restricted conversation but didn't deter Lao Chek (which we affectionately known Ed for) oulled his usual antics with the suggestive jokes in his typical cycnical manner...
Leonard, the junior which formed such a bond with us was a great lad but his tendency to bemoan can be quite suffocating, as seen through out the night...
After dinner, we went for coffee at Olio Dome... Took a hiatus from them with the missus, we unanimously agreed that being with them seems pretty queasy; we couldn't relax and chat heartily like real friends, or just fool around like with the La Tendo clique...we surely have drifted away from this group of people over the past 3-4 years or so...
Majority of them had muddled themselves in the educational scene and kept sharing some of their "interesting" encounters at work amidst the usual ranting...
Bernard and Andy are still in the force, and much of the conversation was on that topic...
So very civil servant crap was dished out and we tried our best not to look bored though it's blatant we were out of place...
We did touched on the recent Rag Day which was held at Padang after years of plotting and scheming to hold it there...and some reminiscencing of the good old days though we stop short of covering some grey areas of the past which involves seedy characters in even seedier situations...
Some were asking me if I am happy to stay as I am or doing further studies for progress...the usual topic from them, but I always leave an open-end answer, even though I am very much contended to remain status quo, as long as I am leading a healthy and happy life with my missus without facing any major financial predicament...
I doubt we might show face to another of this gathering though Ed & Jing s' wedding banquet would be the next probable meet-up between us... Let's hope we don't feel out of place by then...
Japanese word of the day: 場違い (Out of Place) I think I would mingle more comfortably with a bunch of Kazakhstanis....
posted by Kei at
2:17 PM
2 Comments:
Hey, stumbled across your blog in a 'goo' search. I have to say, I'm a little confused. Your info puts you in Singapore, but you keep throwing in Japanese bits. Last I checked, Chinese and English were far more common there: what gives?
By
Anonymous, at 4:43 PM
Haha Bikkuri-san, I am a psuedo-Jap in Singaporean skin...I have been in love with the Japanese language and culture for like years now...
We do speak a mix of Chinese, English, Malay and Chinese dialects, forming our own Singlish here but you won't be surprised to spot some common Japanese phases here too
By
Kei, at 7:55 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home