Doha's Family Day

我还在想我要如何写呢。忽然发现其实可以把我周遭的事情一一笔录。

在多哈的星期五是假期，也是Family Day。许多广场都有设定时间，通常是早上八点到晚上八点。这个时候只有携带女眷才能入内，所以好几次我与男同事去广场时，在入口都紧紧跟着我，好像一家人那样，不然警卫是不允许进入呢。其实经我观察，警卫也是看人肤色的，如果是阿拉伯人，即使单身也能入内。如果是印度人，印尼人，菲律宾人，就是样貌和穿着比较像外劳的，他们一律不能进去，这好像是光明正大的歧视吧！

我想，阿拉伯人的独占欲都很强，所以不愿意让外人来打扰自己的家庭日，尤其不能让自已亲亲老婆的美貌让外人窥见，所以不但要老婆遮住美貌，还要来个Family Day。虽然说看了赏心悦目的美人儿的确让人心情愉悦，但真的会挖掉你的眼珠子，不是开玩笑的哦。

不过呢，我的一个阿拉伯同事就说，他们爱美色，这头巾面纱有效防止自己看到别的阿拉伯女子面容，杜绝在婚后爱上其他女子，所以更能维系婚姻。这是不是歪论呢？其实阿拉伯人的离婚率不低呢。

写到这里，下次再写阿拉伯人提亲和结婚的方式，我有好多在多哈的照片要上载呢。

无聊的日子

在这里的日子真的是一日复一日啊，有时真的分不清是何年何日，好像一直就这样下去，分不清昨日和今日有何分别？放眼望去，天海一线，有点不知身在何处的感觉。

我不知道一个人的人生是可以这样无聊的，每天的例行公事就是起床，工作，吃饭和睡觉。如果我的未来三年是这样度过，我可以保证我很快会对这个世界失去热情。

今天又有一个人说我天真，还是个孩子 “you’re still a child”. 那是个持有化学博士文凭的mud engineer，说即使他有那博士文凭在国内也找不到化学有关的工作，所以只好到oil rig工作咯。

我想，在这oil rig工作的人，大部分都是因为那优厚的薪资才愿意呆在这里。

在此奉劝大家，要三思而后行啊，可千万别入错行。

我的天啊，让我睡觉吧！

如果人好像机器那样，有switch on/off button 就好了。累了可以按下off button, 然后倒头呼呼大睡。需要清醒时on 就能即刻投入工作。

在大学最后一年，不知为了什么因素，竟然长达三个月不得好眠。每晚躺在床上翻来覆去，一直到接近天亮才能入眠，接着闹钟一响，就去上课，频频打呵欠，脾气极差。

在沙巴工作的那阵子，曾经试过几个星期连续无法入眠，那次是有原因的。在闲谈时，有个在offshore platform工作的同事说了好多鬼故事，尤其是在offshore platform 的灵异事件，令人听了毛骨悚然。还问我，是否曾经试过鬼压床，说如果俯睡，就很大机会被鬼压床，在之前还会听到嗡嗡声。我的妈呀，我是在小学四年级时有这经历，全身无法动弹，拼命喊也不能发出声音，就一直听到“笃笃，笃笃”的声音。即使后来我知道鬼压床其实是神经系统突然不能控制身体部分神经，现在想起来还觉得可怖。所以，那同事聊起鬼压床的当晚，我就开始连续睡不着了。

12am-12pm, 6pm-6am, 或是6am-6pm。等会儿我要10pm 醒来，所以应该在之前休息才有充足精神应付接着的工作，无奈的是，我根本睡不着！我一直催眠自己，要睡觉…….要睡觉……..都不能。我的天啊，让我睡觉吧！


p/s: I have to go back to work with panda eyes :(

Which road shall I take?

This is my favorite poem:

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I always think that life is made up from a series of small choices. When we were young, choices were made for us. As we grew and matured we learned to make our own choices. Many times I wandered at my life junction and had to make a difficult choice to move on. Sometimes I wonder if the choice I made is the right one, would I be regret at a point of my life? Is there really no turning back? Today I was particularly confused. I don't know what I like, and what I want ultimately in my life.

Also, I'm impressed that the choice one make could affect the others. Imagine if the interview panel didn't choose me, I would not enter UTP. If that time I were to study courses other than Civil Engineering, how my life would be? Imagine if my ex-manager didn't choose me, I won't be employed as PETRONAS employee. And today, I won't be at my current position. See, many choices that others made actually have shaped my life. So I always remind myself, the decision and choice I make might affect others as well, either in a small or large scale, I shall ponder thoroughly.

Bridges and infrastructure were once my favorites and choices.

I like to imagine the sense of satisfaction if I were able to design a skyscraper.

And today I end up in oil and gas industry.

Where will I be a few years from now? Which road will I take......hopefully it's a road with joy, happiness, and significance.

Almost the Same

Now only i realize that actually every big company is almost the same. They have values, ethics, policies, standards, manuals, guidelines for the employees to follow. Don't ever misunderstood that I'm using synonyms. Those are different things to be remembered by heart (if I have the mood). And also, there are HR, HSE, IT, Supply Chain Management, Finance department in the company as well. Their functions are basically the same. And I think the people are similar also. I don't know how to put it in words, but suddenly this morning I felt like I'm just in another big deep hole.

well, today i started to set up my laptop at the IT department, and then went to see my segment Field Training Champion. After the orientation (i.e. base tour, colleagues introduction, HSE review) then I just went to the dedicated room for engineers, booted my laptop and did some reading.

I reckon nowadays employers want the employees to do self-learning. Everywhere is the same. You are on your own (=ALONE). Your progress of learning and absorption of knowledge are in your hands. Everywhere is the same.

Anyway, I just found out that I could only be home by end June. What a heavy price to pay!

My collection #2

The key chains I have collected --- they are either gifts from my friends and family members, souvenirs of the events and from clubs and societies.

Erm...the 6th "key chain" is actually a pen drive hehe

Mostly are souvenirs from my friends when they traveled to other countries e.g. Germany, Sudan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Mostly I got during my university life.

There are two with my name carved on them.

不孝有三，无后为大？？！！

我时常在电视节目听到“不孝有三，无后为大”时，就纳闷到底其他的两个不孝是什么呢？今天搜网才大约了解，好像有两个版本，不知哪个是真正的注解。

第一版本

不孝有三为:

阿意曲从，陷亲不义，一不孝也；
家贫亲老，不为禄仕，二不孝也；
不娶无子，绝先祖祀，三不孝也。
三者之中无后为大。"


解释：

一味顺从，见父母有过错而不劝说，使他们陷入不义之中，这是
第一种不孝。

家境贫穷，父母年老，自己却不去当官吃俸禄来供养父母，使其
三餐无法温饱、生病无钱看医，或者无功名，不能考秀才进士求
得一官半职，为家扬名吐气，是为二不孝。
为人子，若不娶媳妇，传宗接代，沿袭家火，过年过节，无后代为
祖先扫墓、祭拜，是为三不孝。

第二版本
在原始宗法制时代孝有三个层面:
一，生,事之以礼;
二，死,葬之以礼;
三，在死后的漫长岁月,子子孙孙祭之以礼。

所以得出结论,
“不孝有三"应该是:
生不敬顺,一不孝也;
死不礼葬,二不孝也;
无后绝祀,三不孝也! 

其实两个版本的意思相去无几，主要是奉劝世人要感恩与孝顺父母，并在父母年老时让父母安享晚年。而这“无后为大”或许是上一世纪的思想了，今时今日传宗接代已不是婚姻的首要任务，已有许多夫妻比较喜欢两人世界，或都以饲养宠物来增加生活情趣，是否能取代孩子我不清楚，但至少比较没有负担吧？！不过，孩子们天真烂漫的模样真的是太可爱了！这是宠物无法取代的吧。

我的表弟，可爱又活泼吧，哈哈

A stay in the Everland Hotel?

A postcard from the official website of Everland Hotel.

Everland Hotel is a hotel with only one room including a bathroom, a king-size bed and a lounge. It has been transported to Yverdon, Burgdorf, Paris etc.

The hotel could be book for one night only. It was also possible to visit it during the day. Visitors could take a peek at the Hotel during the opening hours of the "museum", after closing hours at 18.00 it was reserved for the guests. That means if you book the hotel, you would be one of the exhibits for the public if you stay in the hotel! So I guessed normally the guests would only be back/ check in after 18.00 hours??

Anyway, after Paris tour, Hotel Everland travelled back to Switzerland and is not run as Hotel since. Now we could only appreciate this modern and innovative art on photographs.

My collection #1

Behold ... my collection of sea shells from the sea shore ... ;P

Farewell

My farewell note....

I’ll be leaving SBO this week. The journey of six months, though a short period, has been a very inspiriting and fruitful one.

SBO has been a fertile ground which taught me a lot of things and sharpened me intellectually. I’m indebted to this company and each of you with whom I interacted at various times. Special thanks to SD, SME, SME-1 and the SME-1 team.

A heartfelt gratitude for your guidance, kindness, support, and friendship. Working with all of you will remain one of the memorable phases of my life.

I will be going back to KL by this week. I do hope we could keep in touch in the future. My email address is natasya.jiaweyn@gmail.com. My personal contact no. is 012-xxxxxxx

I wish you and the company all the best in future ~