So so many things...

Sometimes, a flurry of things happen and you can't help but feel overwhelmed...

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Rehearsals have started for the filming of Spellbound early next month. The item that we're involved in is not a new item i.e. most of them in the group have performed it before. But a few of us were called in to replace a few others who were not able to make it. It's a high learning curve coz most of the others already know the dance so those of us who don't, have to work really hard to catch up and not hold back the others. It's quite stressful, especially when I get called on for my mistakes and the whole group has to repeat the particular sequence a few times just coz of me.

It doesn't help when we're expected to know the steps perfectly immediately after we're taught them. It also doesn't help when a few of the seniors don't give clear instructions and then reprimand us when we don't do as they expected.

Sometimes, I feel that I'm putting myself thru more stress than I can handle. After a long day's work, I head to rehearsals and get so worried about getting my steps right so that I don't get yelled at. Sometimes I feel like I should just quit so that I dun need to take all this unnecessary stress and scoldings like I'm a two-year-old.

BUT I enjoy dancing too much. Next time, I should just stick to classes and not do any performances except for Navarathri.

We have three more official rehearsals before the filming, with however much else practice we can fit in within the week. So, by hook or by crook, we need to be ready by then.

Gawd, I'll be so glad when this whole thing is OVER.

o_O

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The HoD approached me and asked if I were interested if they were to convert me to a permanent staff. I said I would consider it, depending on a few factors. One of which is that my salary would remain the same coz she had initially told me my salary would be adjusted to be lower if I were to be converted to a permanent employee. But as I had not asked for an exceptionally high salary at the start of my contract (they are paying for my EPF and I have basic benefits), I'd definitely not take a lower salary just to be a permanent employee.

My one other concern would be that I would be reporting directly to the HoD. I'm not fond of her coz I feel that she doesn't really respect her staff. She would reprimand her staff during a meeting with other depts and I've observed that she doesn't really stand up for her staff. So, I'm not sure how comfortable I would be reporting to her. Having a good boss is crucial, coz s/he could make my working hours a great experience or a working hell. PLUS there's too much politics at this place. Even in a discussion on the project organization structure, the word "politics" came up more than a few times. This makes getting things done much harder than it already is.

But anyway, I'm not required to give any answer yet. So we'll see...

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My parents were there when THIS happened. Thank God they're ok.

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Saturday nite, on the way home for LH, we got stuck in a traffic jam along Jln Pudu (I think it's Jln Pudu, the road that leads from Lake Gardens, pass the DBKL building, Lebuh Ampang to the Pudu bus station). We'd initially thought that it was a roadblock due to the cops conduting sobriety tests but it turned out to be a major operation to nab those Mat Rempits. Man, it was like a scene out of a local movie! While we were waiting for the traffic to move, this Rempit decided that he didn't want to stop for the check. So he just ignored the cops and rode his bike past. Out comes this cop, he ran after the guy, shouting at him to stop and when the fella finally stopped, the cop was so mad he aimed a karate kick at the guy! Then, as we finally got to move, another Rempit on our side of the road decided to ignore the cops and just drove his bike thru and another cop, brandishing a wooden stick, whacked the bugger's bike and even that didn't stop him. He just shot off!!!.

I'm glad to see that FINALLY something is being done to crackdown on those stupid Mat Rempits coz they're not only a menace but a danger to other motorists. But it's sad to see that cops have to resort to such harsh tactics. But I don't see any other way for them to control this bunch of misfits coz they're so brash and brazen that they even attack the cops!! The powers-that-be should send in more law enforcement to carry out this operation coz they need strength in numbers. The number of cops we saw on Saturday nite vs the numbers of Rempits is just not sufficient coz these Rempits just come out in swarms. Hopefully, this operation will not be just a one-off thing coz it'll take more than one night's raid to keep them in check.

Sometimes, I don't blame the cops for not having the urgency to enforce the law coz it's common knowledge that they're lowly paid and for them to risk their lives is just not worth it. That's why you see them having a lackadaisical attitude at times. While the ministers are enjoying themselves in their air-conditioned rooms and chauffeur-driven cars with leather seats and getting paid huge amounts of salary, these cops are having to chase armed criminals for pittance of a pay. Millions are spent the biggest this, the longest that, the highest this, etc. etc. but they can't afford to raise our cops' pay??? How do they justify that??? See, you pay peanuts and you get monkeys. It's like the project that I'm currently working on at work. To cut a long story short, they've finally decided that the current vendor and system is THAT bad that they might need to re-do the entire project.

I understand that in a certain country down south, civil servants are among the highest paid. Is it any wonder that they are able to enforce their laws so efficiently and effectively? You certainly don't hear of snatch thefts there as often as you see/read/hear of them here in KL.

But really, this Mat Rempit menace is getting out of hand. On late nights when I'm driving home, I'd come across a whole swarm of them at certain parts of the highway and I always try to stay far away from them coz I've heard stories that if you accidently hit one of them, the entire swarm will attack you. But it's so infuriating to see them perform their stupid and dangerous stunts on public roads with blatant disregard for other motorists. If they want to kill themselves, fine, go ahead. But when it may potentially endanger other motorists, then it's intolerable. Whenever I see them doing their stupid and dangerous stunts and racing around the roads, I would hope that they would just crash and run over themselves. Too bad if that sounds really cruel but they are just too much!

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JN has decided to move down south coz he cannot see his future in this country. And frankly, I don't blame him. I normally don't like to diss the country but we seem to be going from bad to worse. The people seem to be going backwards rather than forwards, mentality-wise. I think people during my parents' time were even more open-minded than people in my generation. Just watch those old P. Ramlee films.

And then we have things like THIS. Hallo, what's is so secret about water and toll concession agreements?? We, the citizens, are paying tolls day in and day out, just getting to and from work every single day and still GETTING STUCK IN MASSIVE TRAFFIC JAMS and we DON'T have the RIGHT to know the content of those agreements?? What do water and toll concession agreements have to do with national security??!!

And don't get me started on that stupid Eye on Malaysia ferris wheel at Titiwangsa!! It's a waste of taxpayers' money, the fireworks and music are disruptive, and it causes a bloody traffic jam around the area! What's worse is that it's right in my face everytime I go to Sutra!

Bleh...

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Good luck, JN!! Hope life's better for you down under. Dun forget to call before you leave k?