Sunday, August 03, 2008

Relaxing Sunday.....

Aaaaah.....what a relaxing Sunday this is. The theme for today is:"Own Time, Own Target".

Today's blog is a little bit of those nostalgic moments I find myself getting into every once in a while. In other words, moments like these would mean quite a big deal to me and would probably mean absolutely nothing to you so read on if you will.

Just the other day, I was getting my usual cup of coffee in the mid afternoon. As I was waiting for the "chink-ing and chank-ing" of the coffee machine arduously preparing my cup of coffee, I decided to keep myself busy by amusing myself with a little mental calculation on some expenses that I was so engrossed in a couple of moments earlier.

Out of the blue, my multi-tasking and rather distracted mind popped a bubble in my head which had that sort of Window's yellow exclamation mark "warning" sign reminding myself that too much coffee is bad for the health and I had better drink at least 3 cups of water later to cleanse my system. I had not had a single glass of water for the whole day. *gulp*

In that unprepared moment, a flashback........I was back in the days when I had my first office intership. Back in those days, getting a desk job was clearly the fastest way to earn cash and my friend and I agreed to sign our vacation away.

On my first day in the office, I still remember my schoolmate's excited reaction when she first discovered the office pantry. She was posted to another department and due to her close proximity to everything else, always found the coolest stuff first. I admit I totally relied on her to squeeze out any fun there was in that rather *erhem* professional, serious and dead-boring environment or I would have perished.

She introduced me to the staff vending machine which provided an assortment of hot and cold drinks at absolutely no charge to the staff. Kewllll man!!! (Little things that made us so happy!!!) Giggling like two ali-baba's drunk on rum, we proceeded to get ourselves large glasses of coke and this fizzy happiness lasted throughout our internship. It also became our daily routine every morning and afternoon for the rest of the days that we were there.

Towards the end of my internship, as I was marching back to my desk from the office pantry, I remember my colleague (the very motherly sort but in a man's body) looking up from his desk and reminding me once again that I should drink more water and that too much soft drinks was not good for the body. He went on to say that only interns would frequent those drink selections at the vending machine while the older and wiser would drink.....he held up his big water tumbler of H2O. "Humbug.." I remember thinking to myself and paid no attention to his words of advice.

Amazingly, with what little attention I heeded back then, this became the "picture perfect" moment stuck to my head almost 15 years later as I was getting my cup of coffee. Its funny how memories like these just get retrieved at such unexpected moments.

In that moment, I found myself silently thanking all the people and experiences that I've had along the way and I found myself walking back to my office smiling with a cup of coffee in one hand and a large glass of H20 in the other.