woke up at 6.15am, brought the dog to pee/ shit 6.20am, changed up 6.30am, leave house 6.35am... routine enough. in the lift, met one of my neighbours who lived upstairs. he was a stout fellow. he was wearing his swimming shorts. topless. towel draped over his shoulder. obviously heading to the condo pool for a swim. had never spoke w him. at most, nodded my head once or twice in the 11 years i lived here. and out of no where he ask: "how come you are going to work now? aren't u too early?" "you guys start work at 8 right?" and he gave me an inquisitive look (not much different from how sapphie would tilt her head when i talk to her and/ or when she is curious)...
i gave him a smile and answered: "well, i think i am a little late. but, well, i usually start work at 7.30am..." my reply made him a little more curious. but that was all the conversation we had. just enough to last the 15-over seconds of time for the lift to reach ground floor. we bade each other farewell and went our separate ways...
well, reflecting, his questions took me aback for that split second. and i guessed my unexpected reply gave him a little something to think about too... perhaps it's cos we have never spoken. perhaps it's our difference in mental models. going to work early? or was it just routine? should i have just smiled? or should i just tell him, "ya, i am early"... it got me thinking. people see me/ us (civil servants) when i/ we return early sometimes. but people don't see me/ us when i/ we go to work early all the time. could this perhaps shape how some people see us sometimes? could this have contributed to some peoples' negative perception of us? or how some people has the perception that civil servants are always very free?... perhaps, perhaps, perhaps... then again, i am not here to convince him of anything. it's just one of the meeting by chance thingee... heh heh...
well... one of my non-stop useless reflections on a monday morning while sitting in the audit and listening to a lecture going on and on and on about politics, social, economic dimensions of inter-state relations... zzzzzzz...
:-)
i gave him a smile and answered: "well, i think i am a little late. but, well, i usually start work at 7.30am..." my reply made him a little more curious. but that was all the conversation we had. just enough to last the 15-over seconds of time for the lift to reach ground floor. we bade each other farewell and went our separate ways...
well, reflecting, his questions took me aback for that split second. and i guessed my unexpected reply gave him a little something to think about too... perhaps it's cos we have never spoken. perhaps it's our difference in mental models. going to work early? or was it just routine? should i have just smiled? or should i just tell him, "ya, i am early"... it got me thinking. people see me/ us (civil servants) when i/ we return early sometimes. but people don't see me/ us when i/ we go to work early all the time. could this perhaps shape how some people see us sometimes? could this have contributed to some peoples' negative perception of us? or how some people has the perception that civil servants are always very free?... perhaps, perhaps, perhaps... then again, i am not here to convince him of anything. it's just one of the meeting by chance thingee... heh heh...
well... one of my non-stop useless reflections on a monday morning while sitting in the audit and listening to a lecture going on and on and on about politics, social, economic dimensions of inter-state relations... zzzzzzz...
:-)
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