It Has Been A Long Week

Indeed it has.

So many times I have been wanting to update my blog, but the moment I get home, I just crash onto the bed and that’s the end of the day. Despite all the supplements I take to give me the stamina to go through a work day, I still feel like dropping dead by 3pm. I am still swamped with work – lots of negotiations to be done with brokers, vessel owners/sellers; on top of that I have to handle operations, monitor the progress of our oil rigs (although my colleague has now been given this specific task to handle, I still have to monitor the progress). Today, I had to conduct a job interview for an admin manager for one of the JV-companies, meet up with a Dato’ and his entourage who came to do a courtesy call on me. I also have to handle Iranians keen on doing JV with the company I work for in the field of O&G, call Singapore to liaise with the broker there, meet other brokers outside – and I left office for home with two Letters of Intent still in draft stage.

In short, I feel like going back underwater where I can relax and be one with nature.

The company I work for is a great company, my boss is a simple man. Just before the new year, a month and a half of working there, he called me into his office to discuss my future – giving me the options of either heading one of the subsidiaries that handles marine services, to moving up to the holding company to do Strategic Business Planning and Development (whatever that means) for the whole group. Even the Group CEO has plans to double task me – and that is to handle an aviation-related operations.

Having saved the company from a bad decision when I first joined (saving them more than USD 50 million), I got my bonus a month and a half working there. They called it a token rather than a bonus, and it was delivered to me by the management personal to holder. I remember as I was leaving, a guy who had joined two weeks before I did, mentioned to me that the rest had gotten a bonus that he and I, as staff under probation, are still not entitled to. I did not dare say anything to him because I’m pretty sure he still doesn’t know that he’s the only employee that did not get a bonus for 2008.

I am thankful that I have Wifey by my side. Up ’til 2 years ago, I had to juggle with life’s little unpleasant surprises – both at work and at home. And we would either go to a mall to shop for groceries and have dinner together straight after work, or she would just lie next to me and we’d cuddle up in bed for about half an hour before we let the kids disturb us. It is so good to have someone to hold after a tiresome day. During the day, I’d try to have lunch with her whenever I can.

This year, my eldest, Farhanah, is in Form 5, her most critical year. Fazira is in Form Two; my son Farhan has just started schooling, while Nisaa will turn 4 on January 22nd. I will have to be at the oil rig with the Angsi team then.

I don’t know what 2009 has in store for us all. Wifey and I are hoping for a better year this year, as do you. I just hope to make some of Wifey’s dreams come true. I no longer care much for politics and anything else that does not concern me: my task is to make sure that my family, my children, my wife as well as her kids are well taken care of when I am no longer around. That is all that matters to me. And as life is short, I want to enjoy my life with Wifey, doing things together.

And for this first quarter, apart from Lumut or offshore, I will be going back to Tioman, Perhentian, and Sipadan. I really hope to be able to do more recreational dives this year.