Burbur

There's an interesting blog (found by link-hopping) that I keep gravitating to. It belongs to a Singaporean chick (nicknamed burbur) with an attitude. For the past 4 days or so, I've been slowly built an image of her through the bits of her life she chose to share from 2001 till now. This particular entry struck a chord within me. I hope she really doesn't mind me reproducing it here... errr.... i guess i really should ask...

Title: the mindset of the new generation


i've only just realised how important money is to some people. don't mistake me, i know it's vital to surviving in this century, but the sheer mention of money, cash, is enough to make them want, crave. or it's the only thing they see when they look straight ahead, into their future. like while talking to a friend the other day, he was boasting about how his new job gave him all kinds of expenses, like it paid for his phone bill, his entertainment costs, the petrol that moved his car. my response was almost nonchalant, disinterested. i pictured a young man in a skewed shirt and tie ensemble, rushing from place to place, meeting people, shaking hands, exchanging smiles. making talk, nodding pleasantly, a fixed grin on his face. i mentioned offhand that it doesn't sound like what i'd do, and what else could he be doing but that, being nice to people, why else would the company invest money in that.

and he went into this tirade about how one had to work for the future, how his parents are old but they are still working, paying off mortgages. did i want to be like that when i grew older? don't i want to retire early and spend all the money i've hidden in my tin can under the bed? didn't i want $15,000 a month? what about climbing the ladder? don't i wanna achieve something like that? meeting people and extending the circle of business contacts is vital.

then i nicely explained to him, of course, which idiot didn't want that much money every 30 days, but only on my own terms. and that meant doing what i wanted. and that didn't include shaking people's hands, or getting to know them better. coz i frankly do not like people enough to display such extreme social skills that i sorely lack. you do not give time to those you cannot be concerned with.

he got defensive. he said he shook those hands, smiled that smile coz he was really sincere about knowing people. the talk wasn't just small, he really meant it whenever he nodded in response. i shrugged again. i said that could be because you enjoy doing it, and you like it. but not everyone does, and that includes me.

but don't you want to expand your business circle? to go up the ladder?

at whose expense? why would i want to do all these things for such selfish reasons i.e. myself.

he tsked at me and said i had so much potential yet i'm wasting my time on a lowly paid job, like those who did administration. i accused him of being a "-cist" coz that was what he was. he was biased against those who did not achieve the way he did. and my job is not lowly paid. some people have really skewed notions about what my job really is. and it enrages me, not coz they think lowly of me, but because they refuse to change their mindsets. people are stupid like that. now you see why i refuse to shake the hand of a person when i don't have to?

he went on and on about how important money was. all i could say was: my friend, i would rather enjoy my life now, doing what i want, than wait till i get too old with arthritis to spend money on anything. he rebutted with a: we only have 20 years more before we're too old to work. why are you wasting your youth?

i wondered why was he wasting his present on his future?

do you know what was the next thing he asked?

"are you having PMS or what?"

i give up. how can anyone fight with that.