In any working environment, there are two types of people you always find. People who whinge constantly about their work and people who don’t. Not surprisingly, the lesser you talk about work, the more work actually get done.

I have long learnt that we are what we think we are. Whinging, spreads negativity into this world and only reflects the weakness of one’s character. I actually pity a person who talks about how she had to wake up early because she has to send the kids to school… then she had to fight the traffic to rush to work. In the office, she still has so many work to do with presentations to give and datelines to catch. After work, she still had to rush back to pick up the kids from day care before hurriedly has to cook for dinner, fold the laundry and iron the clothes for tomorrow…

In my head, my typical response to these people will be, “Oh my God, stop it already. You are not even the Prime minister… yet you whinge like the country’s burdens are on your back!  Face it, every other person in your office is probably doing the same thing every single day, but you never hear them say anything about it!”

Not only that whinging about work is annoying, but in Islam, whinging is actually not good. Muslims are fostered to do everything that they do sincerely. Which means we need to do what we do, Lillahi Ta’ala (for the sake of Allah). Your life, your kids, your job and your position in the society are not only your personal responsibilities that is up for you to do as you please. Allah obligated us to do our responsibilities to perfection. I am not doing my research for my boss nor for me, I am doing it for the sake Allah. When I whinge about the workload, when I whinge about the hours spent on sitting in PCF and lifting heavy burdens, when I whinge about anything, I am actually complaining and being ungrateful to Allah. Nauzubillah.

So I don’t see the point of telling other people about my work. Suffice to say that I have a lot in my plate right now and therefore, please have some respect and don’t add to my problems. I understand that some of the concerned people out there would say that sometimes “ventilating” helps to ease the burden a little bit. But more often than not, when we attempt to ventilate, we will succeed at whinging too. Again, nauzubillah. I always say that if I feel overwhelmed by work, I will ask for help. Which literally means that I will pray to Allah to send me someone to help me and Alhamdulillah Allah never fails me.

So seriously, whinging… not good. no matter from which angle you are looking at.

the truth is, all working females at some points of their lives have problem managing work & family life. But

you don’t hear all of them complaining do you?

Da,

Ana 

 

My sister, My friend

Today I miss my sister. Separated by the great Indian ocean, living in different continents, connected only by sms messages, and extremely slow broadband connection, our relationship maintains strong as ever. I call her my soul sister, but we are only sisters by marriage.

We have different parents and different upbringing. When I was small, I live in a big family where parents chase their small children up and down the stairs simply to put diapers on them. Mom used to cook and do the laundry while feeding my little brother all at the same time, and I customarily found myself doing my homework using the washing machine as my table while waiting for the laundry to finish. My sister on the other hand lived as an only child, independent and self sufficient.

Come weekend, Dad will pick me & my two brothers up to his house. The whole journey to his house always feel extremely long because I just could not contain the excitement to see & play with my sister. Younger than me yet we are as good as twins. Her immediate addition to my family was a God sent. I have always wanted a sister. And through her I found my prayers answered. She is a friend, a sister, and all in all, my other half.

I love her creativity on deciding what princess are we going to pretend play today? which butterflies to catch and then let go? What colour of my step mom’s lipstick are we going to put on today? She thought me childhood fashion, what was the ‘it’ songs that I should know, how to make a fashionable bun out of my long hair? how to use microsoft word? excel etc etc etc…

Because I was the quite outsider who would sit in one corner and not play with all the other children, she thought me to be friendly, to learn to make friends. I borrowed her outgoing personality, her confidence, her charm and her independence and make them mine. I could never be the person that I am today if I hadn’t met her.

I used to think that not seeing her during the weekdays was unbearable, now, I only get to see her once a year, if I was lucky… and only get to hear her voice probably few times a year. Well, all the more reason to finish my study as soon as possible...

Now that we both have grown to be women, she never forget to tell me how I have always been her steel, her source of strength. She always thank me for the encouragement and support that she needs to survive the world. I want to cry hearing these.. Darling, it is you who are my steel, my strength, my source of encouragement and my strong supporter… I would never have been here without you beside me. Sister, I miss you now more than ever.

Remember this song? you dedicated it to me 10 years ago. It’s my turn to dedicate it back to you. Love ya, Ana.