Mulling

First week back at work and it seems like I had not been away although momentum has not quite picked up with some people still on vacation. This month is usually just people stuff - getting appraisals done and with the largest team I ever had to manage, it is a fair bit of work. But it is interesting to note the change of behavior in some folks for obvious reasons. Goodwill and letting you know what they are doing that are interesting/important/...

I am a cynic. Sorry.

Life is pretty quiet at the moment. Just like the staff appraisal, maybe it is a good time to take stock of what was accomplished in the last year and look forward to see what we can do this year to make the world, or maybe just our acre of the world, a little better. Certainly, I have slacked a tremendous amount in just the year away from Singapore on exercise. I miss the long walks around Serangoon Garden, MP3 player in the ears, gazing and admiring the houses and the changing facade of the estate mostly because I was a busybody who liked to see how others had done up their houses. I also miss running which I had to give up because of the damage it was doing to the knees. The feeling after you have run 4 or 5 km is addictive. The cold of winter just does not make going outdoor on foot all that appealing. But today, I forced myself to down the pair of Asics and went for an hour long walk up and down Westside Drive. And it was wonderful. The weather was not so bad and after 10 minutes of trudging up the sloping road, you don't feel the cold anymore. Listening to Mr Brown's satirical podcasts on the little red dot just made the walk all that much more enjoyable. I gotta do this more often. Should try and walk instead of working through lunch hour at the office but the flesh is weak. There are just too many excuses...

Well, there's tennis tomorrow. Hopefully. It has been three weeks.

We have become too addicted to the television since we came here. Without the usual circle of families and friends, there is little to compete for your attention. And there are so many channels here. Lots of reruns of course. I have never watched as much television as I have in the past year. Pretty much caught up on all past episodes of CSI (all 3 versions), House, Two and a Half Men, the list goes on. Recently favorites - Cold Case, NCIS, Women Murder Club and very lately, Cashmere Mafia which just ran its second episode. New ABC offering and quite entertaining. If it comes to Singapore, do watch it. Especially for those who have been to business school.

Watching the tube has its advantages. It keeps us from trying getting in each other's way so tempers don't flare more than they already do. Pathetic.