Working Girl

I couldn't resist writing this post.

Me, the quintessential bummer, is now part of our workforce, working towards productivity and progress of our ever-growing economy. It's so weird, waking up at ungodly hours – I wake up at 6.45am these days, hell it's not even seven!; taking the MRT, jostling for space with salarymen and working girls. What's even more interesting was this conversation I had with a friend recently. She was lamenting about her work, or rather, the lack of. What was even more bewildering was that somehow everyone around were all really busy, only because everyone made it known. Fact is, everyone was just busy acting busy. In Singapore, it is almost a crime when you tell people that 'Oh, work's fine!', 'Yeah, everything is going really well!' and when you knock off on time, simply because yes, you are efficient. Why? Why do people (esp Singaporeans) always want to portray negativities when it comes to work? Is it true when people say 'I am very busy leh!' and stay in the office till wee hours even? (I remember one boss of mine who camped in the office with a toothbrush), when sometimes really things can wait. Or time is just simply wasted in long, meaningless meetings that drag for eons? Maybe that's the reason why people all look miserable in trains. They look like they would rather jump off cliffs in fact.

I am glad I am in a place that places a lot of emphasis on work-life quality. The corporation encourages everyone to engage in sporting activity from 4.30pm onwards. Of course, whether or not people actually participate is beside the point, but it's important when it starts from the top. Negative qi simply does not encourage productivity, Singapore.