I’m feeling a tad bit annoyed.

I always make a point not to call colleagues who are on leave but somehow, there are always reasons to call me when I’m on medical leave, let alone on normal leave.

Told the boss that I would be able to come in to work today but they insisted I should take the whole week off. Also told her that I could prepare few work things from home but they insisted that I should not even think about work.

But yet, I’ve been receiving calls everyday since Monday. I was thinking earlier, ‘wow, they didn’t call me today’ but I spoke/ thought too soon. I received a call just minutes ago followed by a ‘don’t switch off your phone, we will call you back’.

Mun cematu baiktah ku kraja. Sama jua ceritanya. I swear this weekend, I am not going to pick up any calls from work. I don’t care. They were the ones who said to take the week off, rest and not to think about work.

My initial plan to go out has been scrapped off. I’ve been told to rest some more.

I am now sitting in the garden, armed with my laptop, breathing in fresh air. 2 days inside were enough to drive me up the wall. I guess the husband is right, I need to learne how to relax. Told him that I’ve ran out of books to read (my new books are at the in-laws) and dvds to watch (he said ‘astro atu kan di-apa?). Heh. Any reasons to go out yeah? But I thought, baiktah didengar. If anything, I’ll be the only one to blame. Psft. So yes, I opted to justget out of the house….. to the garden.

Although for a moment, I forgot that I’m on wi-fi. Luckily, there are signals from the garden. Hmm. I’ve never been out to enjoy mornings like this for awhile. Sundays are usually spent sleeping in- the only time I’m able to do so. Of course, weekdays I would be rushing to go to work.

There’s Nana’s berbedak to go to tomorrow night. Hopefully, I can make it. Otherwise, I will see her and the others on Sunday for Bersanding. It is officially the wedding season!

Nothing substantial to write. Am just passing time. Hmmm….

• i’ve been given a week off work-
• i got lost around Perumahan Lambak this morning- TWICE. Yes, I followed the arrows on the map. Turned out they gave us a map for a random wedding around the area and just wrote ‘our school’.  

It is going to be a very exciting week. No work and a LOT of much needed rest

I’ve been reading a lot lately, especially at bedtime that my bedside table is now overflowing with books. I remember when I was young-ER, I opted for a book shelf as my bedside table and I would really look forward to bedtime so that I could choose a book and read in bed.

At one point, I had two tall book shelves places adjacent to each other and I would have cushions in the middle of it. It was like my little hideaway, my coccoon. No one could ever disturb me and I could finish a few books a day.

Now, it takes me a day to finish a book, that’s if it is on a Sunday and there are no weddings to go. Otherwise, 3 to 4 days. I still have at least 4 books from my last trip to Singapore, which I have not read yet. Nevertheless, it never stopped me from buying more books and dreaming of buying more books, which involves browsing through Amazon (‘evil’ i tell you! inda payah ambil credit card lagi ni. they’ve stored the data already.

I can’t wait till the long weekend, where I can sleep more, read more and do some serious scrapping. Oh, I need to go to the dentist too :S

On a chocolate-y note, Jazz has passed me 2 bags of Reese’s mini peanut butter cups (Thanks girl!) from Bangkok, James has bought me 2 more bags from Vietnam (Thanks for that and the ipa-Nima bag too! Har har!) and a colleague has also bought me another bag from Singapore.

Yes, I now have 5 bags!! If I’m feeling generous, of course, I’ll share. Definitely a stash that will last me till December, insya Allah

Can’t have too many at one go. Habis kena marah doctor. Hehe.

Have a good week y’all!

Drama queen much, aye? Hehe.

Many thanks to all of your for all the info! Hehe. Some texted, some emailed, some called, some even bought 2 bags for me from Bangkok (You’re too kind, Jazz!).

Whilst waiting to get my stash from Jazz, the husband & I went to Hua Ho after work to get few stuff and yes, I found my Reese’s! Although I prefer the mini peanut butter cups (the guilt from eating a large one is just too much!) but 6 packs should be enough to satisfy my cravings for the time being, right?

Yayasan ran out but Asneh told me that there were some at Hua Ho Delima. It occured to me that Soon Lee might have them but as I was always leaving late from work and too knackered to make a pitstop, I thought I could last for a few more days without it. Although, the temptation to deviate from my usual route is ALWAYS there. Har har.

So yes, work has been driving crazy. Like literally. I am so stressed that I almost cried in the office today. I have never managed to finish my daily work on the same day and had to pend it till next day. I used to be able to despatch my work within 24 hours and now, it’s 72 hours! Deadlines upon deadlines (I almost missed one today!), projects upon projects (‘voluntereed’ for a new one yesterday!), complaints upon complaints (may have received at least 4 today!) and customers upon customers (had one without any appointment today!). The list is just endless.

I have stopped writing out a to-do list this week because it would take more than 2 pages of A5 size. Plus, I would not have finished writing out the list yet and I would already be given 2 new tasks! I keep on telling my colleagues and staff not to give me a hard time at this trying time (har har!) because I might just bite!

I am seriously contemplating taking a 2-days MC next week followed by public holiday and the long weekend so I can just rest and not dream of deadlines. Maybe I should yeah?

Does anyone know where to get Reese’s Pieces in Brunei?

I asked James to get me a bag from Changi Airport but they ran out. Sobs.

Ellez, if you’re reading this, might need you to get me a bag when you go back to Singapore, next week is it?

So, where can I get ‘em in Brunei?

I’m here. I’m here

Work and many other things have been keeping me busy all week but it was well worth it. Attended a birthday party last night and didn’t leave till past 1am. Only the second one to leave! Well, husband’s waiting so this wife had to go. Hehe. Plus I was falling asleep on the couch. I know, I know. Party pooper bah. Hehe.

The food was super-delicious but the company was better. I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. At one point, I was laughing so hard that I did not realise I was stomping my feet. I don’t think I’ll ever grow up when I’m around my friends and I don’t think they will ever grow up too. Har har. So yes, I’m definitely fine. Pictures are up on multiply but I have yet to add from my camera.

More on the party here.

Oh, woke up feeling very woozy and only felt better after I stuffed myself with a bag of cheezels and a bag of maltesers at the cinema. Don’t ask how, I’m trying to figure out too.

Managed to finish one LO after so long. Bought Ruey’s kit and started doing it during last Friday’s crop night.

There were instructions and the top right hand corner was blank but now I don’t really like it. Maybe I can see if I can add anything there.

In the meantime, I hope you had a good weekend

It has been a crazy weekend. Wait, it has been a crazy week.

It’s 10.30pm. I just came back from meeting up with my friends, a quick grocery shopping, a quick window shopping for my new wardrobe and a last minute mother’s day dinner, which included our extended family on my mum’s side. I have yet to shower, pray and take my meds. MIL just walked in and said she cooked us some Asam Pedas Fish, which I have to eat some tonight.

I have also yet to put together kits for my colleagues, type up some work and complete 2 cards.

Don’t ask why I didn’t do it earlier today. I spent the afternoon making a mother’s day card for MIL (husband’s last minute instruction) and finished a book (I desperately needed to wind down and read a non-intelligent book but ended up crying all through out. i’ve never read about a girl who has gone through SO MUCH!). I didn’t even get to nap!! Nor did I have my mani/ pedi.

Oh, I had to justify to my dad and uncles earlier why I blew my top yesterday at the seminar. Har har har.

Will reply comments the soonest. I am going to do work until I fall asleep on my desk. Seriously.

Earlier today, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a seminar entitled, ‘Empowering Young Women through ASEAN Vision 2020′.

One of the speakers gave a presentation on ASEAN Vision 2020, which included statistics on the percentage of wormen in each country’s workforce. Brunei’s women workforce is approximately 35%-45% of the total workforce, which is more or less similar to Sweden and just a little less than USA. In ASEAN, our ratio is less than Singapore but much less than countries like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam but more because many of their women work in the agricultural industry.

However, one (or two?) or the speaker’s comment bothered me.

1. He mentioned that ‘we’re surprised that we are not like Saudi Arabia, whose percentage of women in the workforce is approximately 15% – 20%, considering we’re a Muslim country’.

2. He also mentioned, and i quote, ‘yes, there is quantity in our women workforce but quality, we don’t know about that’.

The second comment bothered me more. In the Q& A session, I asked him if he could elaborate on it. Did he mean based on qualifications (are Bruneian women less qualified than Bruneian men?), job positions (are Bruneian women incapable of holding higher positions?) or business judgements (are Bruneain women incapable of making sound business judgements?).

His response was more on job positions mentioning that there are very few women perm secs, let alone Ministers. (actually is was a bit longer but when I heard he mentioned this, I completely forgot about the rest).

You know, I know, everyone knows why there are no women Ministers in Brunei, very few permanent secretaries and relatively fewer directors. It has to do with our constitution (or so as my friend said), it has to do with religion.

I answered him by saying that we do not really have a choice (not exactly in those words but you get my drift). There is even a certain scheme in place where they are supposedly grooming future leaders of Brunei, where there is an unwritten rule that only male will be recruited. I actually said something more. I think my hormones got the better of me and I went on for a bit. There were appluases at the end but I don’t know whether it was because of what I said or because I finally shut up. Haha.

I am not questioning the way we are governed and neither am I being a feminist, thinking I can do a Minister job (at this time anyway. huhu. kidding!). What I was trying to say was that, ‘yes, we know that in our religion, it is preferred for male to be our leaders’ and perhaps, that is one of the reasons for the lack of women (relatively not completely) in higher positions but no one should say that is why the quality of the women workforce is to be questioned despite the increasing percentage.

Luckily, the Honourable Judge DP H saved the day. She was very diplomatic in answering it, neither siding the women nor the men.

To be honest, I was hoping the speaker had statistics to justify his remarks. Perhaps, despite the increasing women workforce, less than 50% are non-graduates. Or despite the increasing trend of women graduates, less than 50% were able to enter at officer level. I suppose, he didn’t have access to those statistics but I wished he could justify himself more on why he said those remarks than just merely comparing the lack of females in the higher positions- everyone knows that and everyone knows why that is.

Suffice to say, during the tea break, I heard whispers and even some said it straight to my face that I brought up a sensitive issue, I was emotional, I was banyak cakap, etc. Some of them from women lagitu! How are we going to empower women if we are not even given the opportunity to say what is on our mind?

I say, if one cannot take the heat, do not bring the issue up and if one cannot justify themselves, do not say anything from the beginning.

Yes, serious post to end the week. Haha.

On a lighter note, I had chocolate fudge cake from Saffron again today! Yummy! So was the aromatic duck!