Shake It Off

It’s the passing of a season, technically it is, but it is still chilly as. It hasn’t been too bad a winter though, better than the last, in all ways. The downside is that I didn’t get to play with the layers and scarves much this time, but that’s fine I reckon, who wants crazily cold days? Time to spring clean and to drive out all negative people, things and vibes, or at least make an effort to. Hate to say this, but first up will be one of my friends, a pretty close one too, actually. It’s not so much of his doing I guess, it must be his evil (not to mention clean freak with OCB) wife. Too much shit and too long a tirade to deliver here. All I can say is that it’s time to give them the boot. No more playing Mr. Nice Guy on my part and no more of her childish behaviour to tolerate.

In addition, no more obligatory parties and gatherings and dinners. It’s not as though I have been putting myself through a lot of those, but I do give in sometimes. I will really try to reduce them to an absolute zero.

And to all those who think they know everything and can't wait to play up their seniority, all I can say is that this young punk here is not gonna let you get away with it either. When it comes to technical bits and protocols, there’s either an absolute right or wrong, and no two way about it. It’s not that hard to differentiate either. So yes, don’t give me shit just because I am fairly young and relatively new to the field. I do know my stuff to a certain degree and I have my own way of getting things done. I am given this post and these responsibilities and be rest assured I will try my best. I don’t need no one to come and interfere with me or try to get in my way 'cos of their over-blown ego or silly jealousy. Obnoxious as I may sound or seem, I will show them in due time that I am not as bimbotic as I seem to be. You can say it’s a silly alter ego that I like to assume just for a bit of undercover fun. Don’t get fooled by it, you old fools.

No more giving chances to people who piss me off time and again.

No more Coke in the arvo ‘cos it makes me sluggish and sick as.

No more doing poster presentation at Research Week.

No more dodgy Chinese restaurants with too much MSG in their food.

And yes, no more St. Kilda.

Stumbled upon an old lecturer’s name by chance on the Uni of Sydney website yesterday. He used to teach me Clinical Biochemistry back in those days when I was doing my Diploma in Biotechnology. He’s a swell guy, not very much older than I am. I am never the kind who keep in touch with lecturers and all, but I s’pose I am old enough now or crazy enough to do so, whatever that means. I dropped him a mail and he replied within the next 10 minutes or something. Of course, I have to introduce myself as Alan (the boy) rather than Julian (the man). His response was great, heaps of funny stuff and took the piss outta my name change and all. Getting in touch with him allows me to jolt my memory on those days back in Temasek. I was one of the more prominent guys in class, not necessarily in a good way. I remember I was such a menace, always late, always lazy, always anti-social and always with a coy attitude. It’s really funny to think about it now. Why was I such an angry little man back then? In comparison, I have been let down so many more times now and am so much more stressed out and jaded. Shouldn’t I be feeling the angst? Amazingly, I don’t, at all. Is this a good sign? Or am I just getting de-sensitised?

Anyway, it’s good to let some things go; close some chapters, kick some cans out and shake the dust off. And yes, get a new hairstyle, throw some new clothes on, plug in some new songs, go to new places and do the whole regrouping thing too. For sure, I have to admit I can’t forget or let go entirely of what happened this winter. And so it is that I have lost a coupla friends this season, but there's only one that matters. And on that note, I wish he has a great spring too. There are still moments of remembering and sadness. But that’s alright I s’pose, we can never rid ourselves of such emotions anyway. That’s one of the things that comes along with growing up, growing old.