Good Day Fine Fellows! Well after getting to work Friday morning, and being duty, then sailing from Tuas to Sembawang Saturday and this morning (being towed by tug boats), it was definitely time to get off the ship when we got leave at about 2pm this afternoon. And perfectly timed for me to walk back to where we're staying, pack another couple of bags, and walk them back to the ship. (I was going to ride my bike, but the love handles that are clearly visible through my T-shirt at the moment tell me that a 1km walk with a couple of bags on my back was definitely the more appropriate option.
Hmmm well I'm sitting at the Terror Club and watching a couple of friends drink beer (and take the mickey out of me for not drinking bless them), and having had a nice refreshing swim a few minutes ago, I'm thinking that the world is as it should be. Having said that, I'm not entirely looking forward to my 4th duty in 8 days tomorrow, but I guess that's what I get paid for.
Tangent.......for a rare change there's a fair bit of blue in the sky, rather than the normal Singapore hazy grey sky. Makes me feel a little bit like I'm home, though I don't imagine there'll be a whole lot of blue in the sky when we get home in June, with winter in full swing! I imagine that while I'm finally adjusting to (but still whinging about) the heat and humidity up here, I'll be in tears about the cold weather and rain that we're going to have to deal with in Sydney (in the corner rocking back and forth-style!)
On the sadder side of the world, a work-mate of mine got some bad news about their mother who is ill, which made me think how lucky we are to have our families, and for them to be in good health (even though they tend to drive us insane most of the time!). It's so easy to take family for granted and see only the annoying traits that they have, ignoring the great qualities that they have also. My Mum is forever seeing things that she thinks we need and buying them for us. Last year, I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a small wooden dining table for my (extremely) little apartment and a few weeks later (after I'd forgotten that we'd had the conversation), she mentioned that she'd seen one on sail up in Townsville and bought it for me. Absurdly, rather than being grateful at the gesture, I found my first response being one of annoyance that she'd bought me something without consulting me and which I wasn't sure would match my apartment to my taste, and the inconvenience of having to get it from Qld to Sydney.
What an arrogant and selfish attitude to have, but it highlighted to me exactly how much (to roll out an age old platitude) we hurt the ones we love the most. It's so easy to get annoyed with the people that we know will forgive us, but (unless you were raised with very few manners), you'd never consider being as ungrateful as I was to a friend or acquaintance who had done something so generous for you.....even if they'd bought you the ugliest item on the face of god's green earth!
Thankfully it made me take stock and actively look for all the great little things that my Mum and my family in general do for me, and to try to be appreciative of them, because no matter how small they are, or whether I like them or not, they have gone out of their way to do or buy that thing for me, and it proves that I am in their thoughts, so they deserve to be in mine.
ooooohhhhhhh! got a bit deep there didn't I......in short and in conclusion, I'm thankful that I have all of my family, and hope that they're aware of it.
Moving along, I'm noticing that by not drinking, I'm noticeably losing my links to a lot of social things that I would have done this time last year. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as this time last year, I would probably ended up having a few beers in the afternoon that turned into a few too many, and then had to deal with work the next morning, but it does bring to mind the obvious observation that I used alcohol as a social bridge to associating with a lot of people, and I (obviously) feel a little out of place in this newer environment. This is something that I think I'll need to deal with.
I've also noticed (or think I have) that I've been in less positive moods. I wouldn't say that I've been more negative (though in general over the past few years, I've wondered if I'm starting to get old and cantankerous!), but I am finding it a little more difficult to ignore discourtesy and poor manners that once I would have brushed off. Perhaps it's time I took my own advice that it's not so hard to see the positives in life and people.
I think it is true that all people, no matter how painful they might seem, have good qualities, and generally it isn't that hard to find them.....I guess these days, it's just about finding the time to look for them :)
Well, I think I've stunned you all with my wit and repartee long enough for one evening! I hope everyone out there has had an awesome weekend, and has a great week to come.
Bye Friends.
Hmmm well I'm sitting at the Terror Club and watching a couple of friends drink beer (and take the mickey out of me for not drinking bless them), and having had a nice refreshing swim a few minutes ago, I'm thinking that the world is as it should be. Having said that, I'm not entirely looking forward to my 4th duty in 8 days tomorrow, but I guess that's what I get paid for.
Tangent.......for a rare change there's a fair bit of blue in the sky, rather than the normal Singapore hazy grey sky. Makes me feel a little bit like I'm home, though I don't imagine there'll be a whole lot of blue in the sky when we get home in June, with winter in full swing! I imagine that while I'm finally adjusting to (but still whinging about) the heat and humidity up here, I'll be in tears about the cold weather and rain that we're going to have to deal with in Sydney (in the corner rocking back and forth-style!)
On the sadder side of the world, a work-mate of mine got some bad news about their mother who is ill, which made me think how lucky we are to have our families, and for them to be in good health (even though they tend to drive us insane most of the time!). It's so easy to take family for granted and see only the annoying traits that they have, ignoring the great qualities that they have also. My Mum is forever seeing things that she thinks we need and buying them for us. Last year, I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a small wooden dining table for my (extremely) little apartment and a few weeks later (after I'd forgotten that we'd had the conversation), she mentioned that she'd seen one on sail up in Townsville and bought it for me. Absurdly, rather than being grateful at the gesture, I found my first response being one of annoyance that she'd bought me something without consulting me and which I wasn't sure would match my apartment to my taste, and the inconvenience of having to get it from Qld to Sydney.
What an arrogant and selfish attitude to have, but it highlighted to me exactly how much (to roll out an age old platitude) we hurt the ones we love the most. It's so easy to get annoyed with the people that we know will forgive us, but (unless you were raised with very few manners), you'd never consider being as ungrateful as I was to a friend or acquaintance who had done something so generous for you.....even if they'd bought you the ugliest item on the face of god's green earth!
Thankfully it made me take stock and actively look for all the great little things that my Mum and my family in general do for me, and to try to be appreciative of them, because no matter how small they are, or whether I like them or not, they have gone out of their way to do or buy that thing for me, and it proves that I am in their thoughts, so they deserve to be in mine.
ooooohhhhhhh! got a bit deep there didn't I......in short and in conclusion, I'm thankful that I have all of my family, and hope that they're aware of it.
Moving along, I'm noticing that by not drinking, I'm noticeably losing my links to a lot of social things that I would have done this time last year. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as this time last year, I would probably ended up having a few beers in the afternoon that turned into a few too many, and then had to deal with work the next morning, but it does bring to mind the obvious observation that I used alcohol as a social bridge to associating with a lot of people, and I (obviously) feel a little out of place in this newer environment. This is something that I think I'll need to deal with.
I've also noticed (or think I have) that I've been in less positive moods. I wouldn't say that I've been more negative (though in general over the past few years, I've wondered if I'm starting to get old and cantankerous!), but I am finding it a little more difficult to ignore discourtesy and poor manners that once I would have brushed off. Perhaps it's time I took my own advice that it's not so hard to see the positives in life and people.
I think it is true that all people, no matter how painful they might seem, have good qualities, and generally it isn't that hard to find them.....I guess these days, it's just about finding the time to look for them :)
Well, I think I've stunned you all with my wit and repartee long enough for one evening! I hope everyone out there has had an awesome weekend, and has a great week to come.
Bye Friends.
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