Sunday, May 22, 2011

We all have our stories

From the time that I was laid off from AMD back in 2008 up until as recently as today, I've been repeating some of my life stories over and over. I don't mind discussing my life and what's brought me up to this point, but just looking back at the last two years, I've lost track of how many times I've talked about it. Most all my closest friends in the states know my history, and I usually kept the same circles of friends and only met new people on occasion. Being in Taiwan, that's a bit different as I knew virtually no one when I got here, so I've had to make a whole new set of friends. It's a easy thing to do, because the expat circles here run so small, that you're likely to have a mutual friend or two with someone you just met, and then from there it becomes a snowball effect for the amount of people you meet. I'm quick to make friends with most people, but don't have too many close friends here, as I believe that's something that takes time.

Over the last few months, I've gotten to the point where I've developed a few close friendships, and we've started sharing more than just the superficial "where are you from, what brought you here, what do you do?" type questions. And that's when you start to delve deeper into the memory banks and recall the good times, and the bad of what's happened in your life. I had an hour long conversation on the phone (of which I rarely make phone calls) discussing some very personal/intense moments that happened in the past, and it just made me sick to my stomach some of the things I heard. If there was a way you could hug someone through the phone, that would have been an appropriate time to do it.

I believe that talking about something is a way to heal and move forward, as it helped me when my mom passed away. I was in 5th grade when she passed, and another classmate's father had passed away only one day before my mother. We were in separate classes, but our respective teachers told both of us that if we ever wanted/needed to talk to the other about anything to the other, all we had to do was ask, and they would allow us to interrupt class to pull the other one out so we could talk outside. Reflecting back, this helped me immensely with moving forward and healing. We ended up going to the same church, junior high, high school and even to UT, but as the years went by, we developed our own circles of friends and drifted in friendship. But her and I will always have a bond, and every year around the time that our parents passed away, my thoughts drift to not just of my mother and my family, but to her and her family. I reached out to her on facebook marking the 20th anniversary this past December, and she replied back saying that I had too had crossed her mind, and noting the bond that we shared. It's a bond that no child should have to share, yet I am happy that there was someone that was able to sympathize and relate with me.

We all have our stories. They're a glimpse into our past that helps paint a picture of what made us who we are today. It's part of the reason I'm here in Taiwan, to learn more about my past, my family and what they endured to get here. From that, we learn and use those stories to help shape our future and know what to do or avoid in the future.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

I've been a bad blogger.

For my friends who actually read this from time to time, my apologies for not keeping it updated more frequently. Since how I make a living is now by writing, typing out my thoughts has gotten easier and faster, but it's really the last thing I want to do when I get home from work. I just feel like vegging and just watching some TV or chatting with friends.

Speaking of work, it's been a quick 7 months, and my resume is already padded with accomplishments that most jobs would require 2 years to accumulate. It's definitely good that I'm getting so much experience, but man does it wear down on me. I now know why my company is profitable. It's because the wages here are so cheap, and they get so much value out of their employees. Most employees show up around 9am, and leave around 9pm. That's a solid 11hr work day, with an hour for lunch, which a lot of people eat from their desk and continue to work. Our lunch and dinner costs are subsidized, but it's a small price for them to pay for all the extra work they get out of their employees. Even though I'm only 31, I'm one of the oldest people in the group not counting the director and my manager. Most people in my group are in their mid to late 20's and have not been there for very long. It seems to be a burn and churn type work environment, with most people staying on for two years to pad the resume, then bounce when they get too burned out. It's a shame they don't offer better benefits to employees to retain them, because training new people up to speed every two years is not very productive or cost efficient. 0 days of vacation the first year, and only 7 days in years 1-3? count me unimpressed. I'd be interested to see the attrition rate data for a company this size.

Enough bitching about work. Since my last post, I've been to Hong Kong, which was fantastic, though I think I gained a few pounds. I also went to Singapore last weekend for my birthday, where I spent time with my brother, sister-in-law. My dad and his g/f tagged along as well, so it was a bit of a family trip. It was good to spend time together as a family, but I don't think I'll be doing any more traveling with my dad. I can handle him in small doses, but not extended sessions longer than 2 days.

I hope to be doing some traveling for work soon, maybe even a trip or two to the states! I'm really hoping to stop by and visit, I miss you all!