On Money

Just shy of 1 week back, the post-holiday magical bubble of bliss is starting to wear thin-the cynicism and degradation of city life and city people is starting to infiltrate...

One thing particularly getting on my nerves...the money obsessed ie: the people who are anal, paranoid about it- the people who allow money to govern and direct their lives-the people who are so consumed that they have no life perspective...totally disgusting, not to mention, SO UNHEALTHY!

For sure, I understand if you are a single mother struggling to feed 3 children kinda thing- in that case, you are being completely reasonable- every cent definitely counts!!!

However I'm not talking about these people- I'm talking about the irrationally wealthy. The people who can more than easily afford to be a little generous to those less fortunate, who don't need to be so one-eyed, calculating or downright...selfish.

EXACTLY why every time people suggest "go marry some rich guy", my reaction is a cross between an indignant scoff/roll of the eyes cos these are the types that spring to mind instantaneously.

What I have noticed through the years is that it seems the more wealthy people get, typically the finance types, the accountants, the doctors, the lawyers, the more small minded and closed-minded they become:so unattractive.

I guess that's exactly why I didn't last at The Millionaires' Factory. I just did not want to be surrounded by that mentality day in and day out where the little guys inevitably get screwed so the large corporates can make a killing - I remember the final straw for me was seeing them chain themselves to our five star lobby in protest to their loss of an honest living- it was at this point I decided I needed to find myself a new path. I didn't want to be part of THAT anymore.

I'm not prepared to compromise values/morals/ethics just to turn a quick buck. How rare is it to find people left with any INTEGRITY these days? As the rat race gets faster and faster, it seems that the majority are turning into a wealth obsessed, money directed, small-minded green eyed monster.

It's called PASSION.

Honey, can you leave your work AT HOME?!

LOL, I can already envisage this scenario 10 years from now...family vacation and me having to secretly smuggle the latest TCM offerings into my baggage...

I'm such a TCM nerd - it is always, always on my brain and seems to all pervade my life. Today I went for a job interview at an acupuncturist, and there are two other jobs in the pipeline...also TCM related...and then it occurred to me...hmmm maybe it's not healthy to be so one-eyed- perhaps I should do something OUT OF THE FIELD just for more...balance?

Even in my bag I had a copy of the journal of complementary medicine. I bumped into my friend at the gym while we're both on the bikes

her: "whatcha reading?" "are you doing uni work?"
me: oh no, I'm just reading the latest herbal research on cancer. it's my leisure time I don't have time to read it otherwise.
her: (points out) That's still work!!

Oh really?
LOL

even on my latest holiday...okay so I took some needles, a small selection of raw herbs and patent pills and a tiny TCM reference book up for personal use. Just in case I needed to self medicate...whaddya know- within 1 hour of the plane landing I'm sitting in a hare krishna cafe in a strange town having an in-depth 1 hour conversation over dinner with a total random stranger local about alternative therapies and TCM researching the local scene and making contacts. Sheesh I even impressed myself!

A couple of days later, there turns out to be a documentary on the history of TCM which intrigues my fellow travellers- I get into an animated discussion about my trade. Then I find myself taking pulses, inspecting tongues, palpating acupoints, asking some rather personal but standard questions, giving lifestyle and dietary advice, prescribing liniments and advocating to needlephobes that there's nothing to be scared of complete with passing around samples to prove my point! *LOL

G points out that it's kinda weird...but I'm fully in my element. Somehow all sense of shy reservation or that I'm supposed to be on holiday is gone. I'm in another world...my professional world...MY PASSION :-)

But Leprachauns don't exist!

I have to disagree...cos I met a real live one!

And I'm still going on about it! Haha G used to my "enthusiastic phases" just replied with a knowing:

Haha I see, and and I guess I understand your interest with leprachauns:

"In most tales and stories leprechauns are depicted as generally harmless creatures who enjoy solitude and live in remote locations, although opinion is divided as to if they ever enjoy the company of other spirits. Although rarely seen in social situations, leprechauns are supposedly very well spoken and, if ever spoken to, could make good conversation." (Source: Wikipedia)

Lol when you put it like that I can see why I think leprachauns are the coolest things ever! ;)

I've stopped surprising myself...I've just learnt to not try and pre-empt how I'll be when I wake up tomorrow. I don't understand people who say their lives are boring...I can honestly say for me every day turns up some new and surprising leaf...Life is a never-ending adventure!

I can't decide whether I'm a grandma or a 40 year old man...

Okay, so I copped out. Right now I should be schmoozing amongst fresh faces and getting more practice interacting with people my own age. But honestly by 8pm already having attended a function prior, I was pooped and given the option of a quick fuss free 10minute ride home or having a real arse of a time trying to commute home late at night with the inevitable beer goggled drongos that harangue you and security issues with not being able to get a cab and not being able to get a lift cos everybody's too pissed to give you a lift, well I thought it was a justified cop out.

Next time, I promise. I just don't think I can do more than one event per night- I'm just not cut out for it!

A shame, cos I'm sure it would have been...interesting.

This reminder of what a GRANDMA I am is just an echo of what I felt on my trip. I honestly felt like I was about 40 relative to the twenty somethings. And the people I got talking to or rather, bothered to talk to me...as always...40 year old men! I swear, for some strange reason, since about the age of 18, men 10-20 years older are the easiest subsector of society to talk to! With younger people, well they're just so young! With women, well I'm just not that girly: most of the time I really don't get them! It is the late thirties-forty year old men who are the easiest to talk to and the most interesting by far as well as the most stress free- I don't have to make a concerted or contrived effort - somehow conversation just comes very naturally, topics and all- I guess somewhere within me must lie a 4o year old man LOL!

The only problem is that...it looks kinda bad. I remember the first time my sister noticed this strange trend of mine- she was quick to accuse "which 36 year old man hangs out with an 18 year old - he must be a paedophile!" And what's worse is that when you're asian you look 10 years younger than your true age and all non-asians look about 10 years older than their true age- hence, I am intensely aware of the fact that this kind of association can very easily be misconstrued as something really quite unsavoury....

I guess some people were just never meant to fit into societal norms...*sigh*

*Magic*

This colourful picture encompasses the magical nature of where I was, and where I wish I still were...

(photo courtesy of G)

p.s M....yes you...you said you would bring me back a lantern from Phils...reminder: I'm holding you to it - still!!! :P