What is an effective lawyer?

What is an effective lawyer?

this question was one i found myself asking myself at the end of a simulated negotiation exercise, after we had discussed our various approaches in conducting negotiations. notably, one group was described as' incongruent bastards' who couldn't make up their minds as to whether to be nice or to kill the other side. :P

nevertheless, it was really the lecturer's last throw away remark which struck me - that the lawyer who was naive to believe the wily opposing party was really an ineffective lawyer.

then, the question presented itself : - What, then, is an effective lawyer?

the first thing that comes to mind is "one who gets the job done". this avoids the labels of 'naive', 'aggressive', 'cunning' and so many other adjectives that are thrown about - but it is not entirely helpful.
reflecting on my past legal positions and the advisory capacity of both, i found myself being hemmed in by these labels and the lack of clarity about what i needed to achieve. it seemed a very intangible mess.

therefore, it follows that in order to be effective, you must know your objectives. what you need to achieve. this is so obvious it's something easy to miss (!) esp in the face of impending deadlines and pressures from clients and bosses. and/or incompetent support staff.

the second is the throwing off of unhelpful labels. it is good to retain a sense of equilibrium and self knowledge, in order to escape being trapped by a certain image or portrayal. i wanted to be 'nice' so badly i ended up forgetting that there was a bigger objective requiring my attention. naivete cannot last forever, but it is a burden i'd like to let go of, thank you.

i can't say i will become an effective lawyer immediately, but if i do choose to reenter the arena, you can be sure i would take this into consideration and focus on these - apart from polishing up my legal skills.

It is Jesus

"It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your heart your most genuine choices, the choices that other try to stifle.

It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and fraternal."

Pope John Paul II

updates / the truth / gym or bust?

i suddenly realised i haven't actually been updating any readers here of what's been going on in my life so far.
dear readers, i am still alive. naturally. it's just the difference between existing and living ... :P
April sets to be an exciting month as i :

1. attend 2 courses in Bangi. you won't believe it. one is on MS Word, and the other on blog site investigations. well, all knowledge, no matter how obscure, is welcomed.

2. attend 2 weddings, one in Christian Life Centre (Tina and Joshua) and the other in St Ignatius Church (Vikram and Marietta)
- alamak, still haven't got sandals for my dress. shawl clutch etc all more or less settled! >.< -

3. write a special blogpost to commemorate the petrina7 MicroUniverse turning 7 :D
(can't believe it's been that long since i started out, back in April 03. this site has seen me through so much)

4. celebrate Easter Sunday -this Lent has really been Lent. too many temptations and faults and sins. come Good Friday to Easter Vigil to the glory of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday :)

5. graduate from Quick Journey Through the Bible. hehe.

6. celebrate my grandma's 88th birthday in Ipoh. 19th April here i come!

7. pay my taxes. bummer. i just remembered. but maybe the govt will pay me my tax rebates? [twinkly eyed and hopeful]

chock full of things to do. i m tingly with excitement (except item no.7) ... and i need to go shopping! yippykayyay.

***

be unafraid of the truth. it will set you free.
and if the truth tells you that you're carrying a lot of emotional baggage, and being hard and unforgiving and bitter, what do you do?
you turn to the Merciful and Compassionate one, and draw on His grace and strength.
and in recognising just how poor you are, you begin to see the wealth in His blessings and His gifts to see you through the days.

***

gym or bust?
true fitness ... hmmm...
without saying too much, i m not about to enter into a contract that is incomplete.
and fitness first? i have my doubts. and memories of poor service and snobby/rude personal trainers stalking around.
where does that leave me?
i remember Fr Simon's advice about channeling my energies ... i'm still finding that suitable channel. it would be a pity to let this go to waste, and end up eating me up from the inside.
will keep you all posted.

the BMW i m better off without

yeah. you read that right.

BMW = Bitching Moaning Whining (person/s)

that's the BMW i'm better off without.

you can't call people like that friends. no, with friends like those, who needs enemies?

they keep on complaining about their lot in life, how much work they have to do, how little the firm/company/organisation pays them, how many files are stacked up on their desks, how little life they have compared to the rest of the happening world.
you wouldn't hear them talk about what they're learning or how much they're growing. or even the fact they have a job in these troubled times. and a decent pay cheque. could be better, but so many things too could be better.
don't think you can catch them actually voicing out problems and thinking of solutions. or discussing it with you. no way, it's too wholesome, too productive, too bloody darn healthy.

better to indulge in non luxury BMW. and at the same time, spread their negativity round the office.

trust me, if i had my way, i'd line these people up against a wall and shoot all of them ala firing squad - guilty of spreading their mental poison and killing spirits.

how to be happier? simple. spend less time with such people. in fact, better, don't.

one of those days again

one of those days again, when i fell asleep on my bed from dinnertime til about 12 plus, minus showering, minus taking off my contacts. woke up feeling grouchy, joints all coming loose and tired but not tired either i.e. cannot sleep.

so i m still up now.

maybe because i came across something which disturbed me a fair bit yday morning? i think so too. i mean, it's not like i don't respect your choices or the fact you're an adult now, but to think, you were so near and now you've gone so far. i've moved beyond viewing the fundamentals in life in relative terms ... if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.
reflecting on things, i didn't think i actually knew who you were...
nevertheless, it doesn't negate the hopes i placed in you, misplaced as they were. hohoho. i put so much hope on an almost complete stranger.

or the feeling, once again, of standing out like a sore thumb. until i learn to let go, gracelessly at first, then gracefully. i mean, these are people, for better or in this case, for worse - whether narrow minded or hypocritical, prone to gossip, there's still something good to be found in them.
and instead of curling up in a corner, fit to die, i m thinking about people who suffer the same way: 'hey you know. i understand what you are going through, all you who get put down like that. i know the texture and taste of this pain and rejection - and you know what, you'll make it through'.
just don't give up. easier said than done, though. i m still hanging on by sheer grace!

the stress of unmet deadlines, looming ominously on the horizon. a million and one uncompleted tasks - some which involve so many others! and writers' block is not helping any.

sometimes i doubt my own judgment, but then again, if i don't start learning to trust myself, when will i do so? now is a good time. :D besides, i m the only one who actually knows me, body, soul, mind.

broiled cocktail sausages + a cup of cold soyabean for dinner.
i m sure i'll look like crap come time for work. but hey, i've been through worse. and trust me on this, there's nothing that my God cannot handle. or in other cases, give me His grace to see me through.

if you're reading this, pls pray for me. all petitions greatly appreciated. Amen.

What would you do if you weren't ...

What would i do if i weren't a lawyer?

i was asked that question the other day over dinner. i looked askance at the person who asked me that, and he looked back at me enquiringly.
i smiled a little and said 'a travelling poet. i'd travel from place to place and write poems'.
the response i got was 'not a job'. :P

on hindsight, that wasn't such a surprising response. my mother told me the same thing when i told her i wanted to be a writer at the age of 11. you need a day job to pay the bills, and to put food on the table, so i was told i needed a more stable job, which by all accounts i have right now.

i suppose growing up does put things in a different light. while i haven't quite closed the door on that dream yet, i am focused on the present realities and enjoying them to the fullest.

but well, if you are willing to sponsor my travels, i'll write you a poem ;)

the teaching/facilitating experience

the teaching/facilitating experience - one i went through on a minor scale just yesterday when i was at Lifeline CG in SFX.

to prepare for your lessons by reading the materials, understanding it fully or as best as possible, thinking about the many methods by which to impart the knowledge to your students - in lecture fashion? by using slides? real life examples or case studies? by analogies? to take them above and beyond lectures alone?
and to listen to your students discuss the lesson - to see where they are coming from, and if their original premise is flawed, to correct them and show the path again. you not only teach but in so many instances are also being taught.

and this process repeats itself without monotony as each student and each batch taken as a whole differs in their needs and levels of understanding and maturity. it's something organic and living, and in so many ways, something beautiful and yet frustrating because there are times when they 'just don't get it' and yet, you want to keep on because you know the light in their eyes when they do makes it worth the trouble and effort.

it seems so insignificant, but i'd like to think it makes a difference. i don't have a giant spotlight, but i like my candle very much, thank you and i'll keep on burning for Him.

how are you feeling / updates on work / of fashion sense

to the simple question - how i am feeling now : not that great.

i have a headache, my muscles are aching all over and it's not as if i entered a marathon (cue LV's recent shot at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon) and i have a lot more chores etc to do. i couldn't even make it for the talk at St Thomas More or Family Day at SFX.

oh, and i have a cavity beneath an old filling which was just discovered after a week or so of extra sensitivity from that tooth - so it's 50-50 whether the tooth can be merely filled up again (the less painful and cheaper option) or it's a ROOT CANAL for me (much much more pain and much much more expensive option). :(

:(

***

moving on to work - starting to get used to the place.
i have a new room now which is conveniently located near the exit and the toilet. it's also rather secluded as it's next to the File Room so most of the time people seldom come there except to take files from the File Room.
or in Ash, Ariff and Gurdial's case, take IKO biscuits from me. :P kidding guys, i know you also want to say Hi to me kan?
(reminds me soooo much of NRS and the IKO biscuits back in SLB - Rummel, i will intro my new colleagues to the joy and wonder of IKO Calcium Plus biscuits, the type with special packaging and which you loved so much)

we have a Division conference coming up end July and it's in Belum, a place i am revisiting after what, 8 years...i went there with the BRATs team in end 2001 and it was a real eye-opener for me. the scars are still there, hahaha. hopefully this time the sandflies, mosquitoes and leeches will be kinder to me.
we'll see what the Division conference will be like. ;)

***

i bought a pair of skinny jeans the other day. AND a pair of boot cut jeans, a top, 2 blouses and 2 dresses.

yes. i went on a shopping spree then, and for what it's worth, i remember what the salesgirl said:-
"why do you always stick with the tried and tested?"
(i was asking after a pair of boot cut jeans)
i tried on the skinny jeans, and surprised myself by realising that in spite of non-modelesque proportions re my thighs i.e. i have thunder thighs :P, i looked good in the skinny jeans.

so yeah, well, it's time to throw out the old limitations and try something new. ever since i started work, i've found my fashion sense evolving.
while i used to content myself with just jeans and super baggy tees - i've learned the joys of skirts and fitted tops, and bright colourful dresses. i'm still trying things out and the happiness is really in the trying! :)

(i m feeling a bit better now. need to attend to laundry now, ta and have a good week ahead, folks!)

donating blood/ tax season/ Holy Week

i donated blood for the first time last Monday and ... i think i may have overcome that awful needle phobia i had that stopped me from giving blood all this while. like the blood donation poster says, it really shouldn't be an excuse!

it wasn't that scary, and you'll feel a small prick as the needle goes in and your blood starts going out. and i did it by simply not looking when they put in the needle because i couldn't bring myself to see.
the end result was a bag full of my dark-red O+ blood (universal donor, haha) and it gave me a odd but good feeling. remembering that when my grandmother was admitted in the CCU and that someone was kind enough to come forward to give blood which she badly needed, i m hoping that my small contribution would be able to do the same. :)

***

it's tax season. ungggggggggghh. having to locate old receipts and fill up forms and then pay the LHDN money. me no likey, but hey, like Ben Franklin said, it's the only thing certain in life besides death. and so the hunt begins ...

***

Holy Week is next week. wow, it's been so fast, and i feel that this Lent has not been particularly good for me- just how often have i forsaken my fasts and abstinences and fallen prey to temptations. ...
falling is part of being human, but there's an invitation inherent in His extended hand to cooperate with Him to get through this life the right way, come what may. and to believe that my efforts, pitiful and half-hearted, are valued and count for something.
and because i m oh-so-fallible, i remember the same of my fellow humans and try to be a little less judgmental and a little more compassionate.

and on a less serious note, Hot Cross Buns are on sale in SFX ... scrummy! :)

new job/ cooking / memories

hello all - been a bit since i last did a blog post update style. yes, i am in a new job and have been there since feb 09.

it's really very different from my previous position, and suffice to say, so many of the things i thought i'd never touch again since leaving law school ... i'm really getting into the heart and soul of them now. :) needing to relearn and unlearn useless and outmoded methods and concepts. it's what i do everyday.

sometimes i find myself missing my old files, my work in the firm before, my friends but i remember that life's about moving forward and that's the reason why we have eyes in front to look ahead, and not backward.

***

cooking! my new hobby. well, sort of. if cooking pasta and preparing salads and tuna sandwiches count, then i guess i've started already.

i remember a disastrous foray in which the first slice of french toast was burnt, and the second one undercooked. i ate both manfully but swore to be more careful next time. there hasn't been a next time re french toast yet. hmmm...

still, i m hoping to progress to better and more delicious dishes in the future. although it's a bit of a pain to cook for only one person i.e. myself, i will continue. to that end, i've got 2 recipe books with me to start off.

***

memories are only as painful as you let them eat into your very being. feeling the keen edge of sorrow, i learn to let go.

coming across an old journal and seeing a name in print that made me weep so often in the past, it surprises me that i m not in such pain anymore. although it seems that things may never come to pass, i've learned that the way of God is to delight each of us in small gestures unexpectedly. and that life is the constant expression of this hope.

and instead of mourning, i come to celebrate the fact that i was able to know such a person and to be glad that we had good moments together.

christmas update/ the mind and heart / dreams

i am going back home for christmas! yes... :)
and in the meantime, have to clear up work and brief my relief(s) on what they need to do etc. argh! but i'll get there somehow.

christmas isn't about gifts and good food - even if this year-end promises plenty of delicious lunches/dinners to attend :P- it's about preparing a way for Jesus to enter our hearts, souls and minds. no matter what state we are in, he wants to come in.

spring cleaning of the soul having begun, i feel rested and refreshed. (so ironic when you consider what i went through physically)
the journey is far from over, though, i have to take some new paths and move in a different direction.

***

when the heart is not there, the mind cannot work.

unite the heart to the purposes of the mind and watch as barriers crumble and the spirits are raised again. nothing is impossible with God, as i've been constantly reminded this 4th week of Advent in the Annunciation story.

it's funny, i've never considered salvation to lie there. i've always considered it some sort of a hell. always under such close scrutiny, and always having to bend and twist my brain (which preferred wandering down the corridors of philosophy and socio-legal theories in a dreamy and happy fashion - who knows what would turn up?!) to a more prosaic and pragmatic turn.

but well, i'm coming to learn just how further i need to go, and how i have learned to serve those who despise me, think poorly of me and wish me ill. in so doing, i come to understand Jesus' mission a whole lot better.
to do your best for those who love you not (cannot use the word 'hate' - i reserve that for mortal enemies) is a humbling and heartening experience.

to lose heart is to lose the most important part of a person. so keep them coming, i'll be ready!

***

i still dream, and i still want to make a difference.
some day i will.
surely.

dreams are not meant to be sold. mine have coloured my existence and given me hope.
so there.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt.

you Christian right? then you must forgive me

I was about to leave when he looked at me and said-
You Christian right? Then you must forgive me.

I didn’t say anything then, but I was thinking – Yeah right. As if I can forget all the things you’ve said and done to me and the amount of stress and heartache you’ve caused me. You’ve got to be kidding me. No way. I’ve got to be crazy to even think of letting it go, not when I might open myself up to more pain later on.

But here’s the deal.

I am a Christian. A Catholic Christian. A person who professes the name of Christ, who tries to make it a point to pray, read the Bible and go to church for Mass. A person who seeks to live the light of Christ in the world.

So he is right, I must forgive him. Not on account of what he did, but on account of who I am. Otherwise I would be a hypocrite and I can only have contempt for myself.

Not that it’s easy – just as I remember kindness gratefully, each detail staying with me and I am thankful for small blessings, I remember wounds and slights with a now aching clarity. And I end up despising those who have done me wrong. And yet this is an opportunity to learn the real meaning of saying along with Jesus, as he died on the cross:-
“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”.
I won’t make excuses for him, for them.
I won’t.
And yet, I will learn compassion and an even fuller knowledge of the fact we’ve all fallen short of God’s glory.
Who am I to judge? Someday somehow someway – I will be glad for all this.

As I regain a sense of perspective and realise I’m a child of God at first instance (before I am a daughter, friend, legal assistant etc), I start to see that I owe a duty to God to lift His name on high. I’m not sure I’ll start liking all those problematic people in my life – probably not. At the very least, love isn’t about liking. It’s about wanting the best for the other person – even when they would prefer you 6 feet under.

So I’ll start praying for all of them.

And at the same time, call on St Jude’s intercession – for all those hopeless cases in my office. by this i mean actual cases, not hopeless people...!
And St Anthony, my beloved patron saint – for assistance in locating lost documents and files. :)

updates and more ...

Hello all!

it's been roughly one week since i turned 25.

updates -

i am officially a lawyer now. yes, and i have had ... 6 days of experience as a legal practitioner i.e. 6 days since my Practising Cert was issued. ups, downs and in betweens - i've come to understand more fully the difficulties faced and satisfaction derived from solving all manner of problems (including, and especially my own).

i've got a long way more to go and so much more to learn.

***

cheers and i'm happy to know i m going back to Ipoh again for Merdeka weekend. and looking forward to attending a Sikh wedding for the first time in my life.
congratulations to you, Jasmeet! :)


***

putting my net out in the deep. what will happen next? let's wait and see.

long Call - part 2 / quo vadis

Thank you so much to all of you who came and attended my long call on July 10.

...

As with many major occasions in my life, it's been bittersweet.
i learn that happiness is never unadulterated. the human being was not designed for too much joy or too much sadness.
nothing's perfect. it's not right to expect perfection, and it's even more wrong to demand it.

what happens next?

it's time for more work. after being in limbo for so long, i find i m still there until things get moving again.
what does it feel like to know you have so much to do and settle and be almost powerless to start?
you want to drown and yet you keep hanging on, nobody except possibly you yourself know why. frustration? anger? you must keep moving, nothing and nobody will stand still for you.
where does emotion fit into the puzzle you're trying to assemble? does it provide clues to where you are now? does it help you find that in spite of everything, this all makes some sort of sense?

some sort of deja vu, struck by the similar circumstances, i will be glad when this is over. all of it, every single bit.

tempted to over-react again, i put this aside calmly, knowing that what i have now in my hands is meaningless, or rather that its meaning is as much as i ascribe to it, and i have decided that it means nothing at all to me. yet, in spite of a desire to throw this away, tearing it into a million tiny pieces - every sound and act so satisfying to me, i would like to believe i have passed that stage from some time ago. expectations tempered, clear eyed vision comes with a price.

in a couple of weeks more, i m 25. yet another milestone, a quarter of a century old ... quo vadis yet again.

a follow up to 'of stress and suicide'

How do I know someone is harbouring suicidal thoughts?

There are some warning signs you can look out for in your friends or loved ones:

* If they talk or write about hurting or wanting to kill themselves, and this is out of the ordinary for their character

* If they start looking for ways to kill themselves, like seeking access to pills and weapons

* If they feel hopeless or trapped

* If they start acting reckless and engage in risky activities

* If they start increasing their alcohol or drug intake

* If they start withdrawing themselves from family, friends and society

* If they feel anxious, agitated, and have difficulty sleeping all the time

* If they have dramatic mood changes

taken from an article in the Star Health segment today.
i really encourage all of you to read it in full.

it's still one of my wishes to volunteer at the Befrienders ... i remember how my mother stopped me from joining them when i was younger. she told me that i needed much inner strength to actually be able to help.

looking back, i think she was right. when one of us in the throes of emotion, caught up and unable to see reason, then the other must stay sane, calm and rational. it doesn't matter who the person on the other side is, it could be your family, your friends, your colleagues, maybe even your clients or your boss.
this does not apply only to depression or sadness, it also applies to anger and frustration.

i realise that in more ways than one, i have grown since those days when i longed to reach out to the exclusion of everything else. now i see that the process of maturity is something we must go through to truly make a difference. i may not be full grown yet, but i will get there someday as i m slowly being equipped to fulfill my vision.

work and waiting for my call / govt people who annoy me / on turning 25

Hi y'all!

you are cordially invited to my long call to the Bar at Jalan Duta Court - Mahkamah Rayuan dan Perkara-Perkara Pelbagai 1 on July 10th, Thursday at 9 am. please come and give me and Yin Harn your support. :)

if you do come, i heard the nasi lemak at the tea reception is really good, and we can take lots of pictures together. which is one of the fun things to do. finally i will be a LOYAR, not a LOYAR BURUK.

***

govt people who ask me cock things like 'Kau ni lelaki ke perempuan?' and insist on calling me 'Encik' even after i have introduced myself as 'Cik' annoy the living daylights out of me.

i know i have a low voice on the phone. do they want me to sound like Alvin the Chipmunk on helium the next time i call up???

the rudest was the PTPTN lady who asked me what my gender was (see above). i really wanted to retort 'Kau ni betul-betul kurang ajar la.' not to mention the time the IC people asked me if i had considered surgery to make my 'mata sepet' (slit eyes) look bigger. i just told them that i had no money to do so, and even if i had, it was better spent elsewhere. in any event, i told them i m grateful to God for even being able to see in the first place.

***

i'm turning 25 next month! wow. a quarter of a century old. i certainly feel old, given how forgetful i've become and how grumpy i can sometimes get but i still enjoy a good laugh now and then and i like my food and drink. :)
what's more important is figuring out my direction in life and moving towards realising the dreams within me. praying hard that i can make it happen.
'I can do all things through him who strengthens me' -Phil 4:18.

Remember, remember July the 24th,
of birthday, presents and cards,
i see no reason why birthday, presents and cards
should ever be forgot...:)

inspired by V for Vendetta. hehehe. it's P for Petrina!!! again, you've known me for so long, don't tell me you wouldn't know my pre-birthday song by now. and if you've just come on board,
i think my birthday will be extra-meaningful this year because .......
(i will tell you when the time is right. in the meantime, i m happy because ........ ah, i'll also tell you why when the time is right!)

snapshots from chambering - part 1

[random cursing. the email computer's down again. so cannot send out emails...and there are deadlines due! argggh!!!]

"Hello, boleh saya bercakap dengan [insert name of govt department]" - in a sweet voice.
On hold music... cue to hum along [grumble about inefficiency of govt, sounding ornery and a bit mean.]
"Oh ...Selamat pagi encik/cik....etc etc" - in a sweet voice again.

WHAT? All the computers with pendrive are in use? Library computers full ah?

sit down and ponder. or move around very fast. lots and lots of paper, and things go missing so easily. btw, has anyone seen my silver pen??? i've found my companies act back, but now...???

food in the corner, biscuits and the occasional chocolate. we all need a little bit more chocs to brighten up our dreary days. dreary but not boring ya.

***

to be continued

of fulfilling the human potential

i recall a conversation over lunch the other day, when we were discussing plans for the future. my lunch-mate commented that our current generation is spoilt since we can afford to think of what we would like to do, and decide to move into other fields. this, of course, is in contrast with the older generation who took something up e.g law, stuck with it come what may, and made a success out of it. they did not go job-hopping. or more importantly, spend time pondering about what they really wanted to do or soul-searching.

that got me thinking. it's true that we have so many more job options compared to previous years.and with that comes choice. i am mindful of the adage that 'a rolling stone gathers no moss' but equally i believe that the job options available make it possible to live a life that is true and authentic to your beliefs, and fitting with your strengths and skills.
economic necessity is always a reality, but in between making sure the bills get paid and providing, i think it's important to also embark on the journey of discovery and search out what truly moves you beyond a mere job into a vocation.

just as the passing of the ages allowed for social mobility i.e. a break away from when an artisan's son would grow up to be an artisan and nobility remained entrenched, this age allows for us to expand the boundaries of the human potential.

recall Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. the needs of human beings are in the shape of a pyramid where the physiological needs are at the base, followed by safety, love/belonging/social , esteem and finally self-actualization. the fact that the times allow for self-actualization is to me a sign of progress - that in this day and age, we can reach our fullest human potential - to be aware, free, honest and trusting. and the fact of occupational options allowing us to fulfil this need.

and ultimately, as Maslow later discovered, these needs culminate in the need for spiritual transcendence. which is able, among others, to be realised through finding something meaningful to do and learn from day to day.

the unexamined life is not worth living, so said Socrates. and a few thousand years later, i still hold to that. i respect and understand that some think it's over-thinking.
but since i was given this heart and mind, let me make full use of it. and in so doing, live fully for 'God is glorified when man is fully alive' - St. Iranaeus.
amen.

updates from 3rd month of chambering

Hello all!

i had dinner tonight at jalan alor (where um admin law lecturer, assoc prof dr gan, was almost robbed but foiled the would-be robbers with a mix of indon silat and wing chun martial arts) with wan san, sarah, yee keat and yin harn ...it was good, fatty and greasy hawker food just cooked right eaten by the roadside. among other things, chicken wings and sotong and hokkien mee and 2 bottles of beer which i watched wan san and yee keat drink. i don't think anyone has forgotten what happened the last time at the slb lawyers' get-together. :P

well - so far life has been ok. it might surprise many of you that i am not doing any litigation work now. yep, i do corporate conveyancing which actually makes reading the business times and property times more interesting and gives walking in a shopping mall a whole new light 'i wonder what are the terms of their TAs? or how often do the tenants need to renovate the shop?'

i've learned a lot all this while- being mistaken as 'professional minutes-writer' is something i live with. but having said that, at least it's a lot better than nodding off during a meeting. and i got a cup of 'milo' for my efforts - usually it's only coffee or tea. :P

i have discovered that:-
1. i need my coffee/tea to stay awake/alert. nothing like a good rousing cup of weak tea to get you going in the mornings. hee...!
2. i get forgetful when i have a lot of things on my mind. oh, and i misplace stuff too.
3. relating to note 1, if i am really sleep deprived - even caffeine can't work. my body protests too much!
3. st ives eye stress gel is good for eye rings and dark circles. and it's reasonably priced too! i8 really recommend it if you, like me, have this problem.
4. drafting is hard work. who said something about cutting and pasting precedents?
5. court clerks are mostly unhelpful. but once in a blue moon, who knows? you might actually get what you want.
6. good food and great company are excellent de-stressers.
7. i will keep learning - there's no end to it, and besides, it's part of the reason why i m here.

so at night i huggle my oversized croc (named Croaky - it looks like it should have a husky voice) and on days when things have gotten too much, i just do as the Croaky's giver suggested - i punch it. or strangle it.

like a mechanical doll...

for the first time in a long, long while, i had the day to myself. almost devoid of any stimulation, i spent a quiet day at home, doing my ironing and cleaning up my room. and later, going for mass.

and i felt like a mechanical doll begining to unwind.

there's a pleasure in stepping back and letting things settle down, the slowness of the day a stark yet lovely contrast to the insanely fast pace of work and the daily bustle. i could feel myself actually breathe.

remembering a coursemate's words, when we met during the recent UM Alumni Dinner, there is a certain need for rest. not just sleep...but allowing the self to kick back and reflect and feel. hardly any space for that, in between all the moving around. there's so much to do, and yet i know it will never end.

so i content myself with trying my best, learning as much as i can and moving on.