Mary and Peter start running  in the same direction at the same time.

Mary runs at a constant speed of 8km/h and Peter runs at a constant speed of 11km/h. If they run along a 1.5km circular track, what is the distance Peter must run to overtake Mary?

I was concocting a maths sum in my head while I ran just now, with me playing Mary and the stranger who started at the same time my fictional Peter. Of course I’m still lousy at maths and have no interest in problem sums, and my sum is probably even not solve-able. But I’m beginning to see that the maths sums I disliked so much when I was 13 can be fun to think about and can have boliao real life application.

And Peter stopped running after one lap, so Mary didn’t have protagonists for her sums.

(Actually there’s one about another stranger John who runs in opposite direction and runs past Mary twice every lap but this is too complicated for me.)

• I bookmark a very good read today – the exchange in the comments section.
• Finished 龍應臺’s 《大江大海一九四九》two nights ago, as I was insomniac. It’s one of those books that’ll have lasting impact on me.
• After two nights of working past midnight I finally got to come home at 8.30 this evening. Am utterly sleep deprived, I can’t manage simple analysis now, brain’s stalled. Off to bed!

 

 

11.34pm. Still in office. My 16th hour here today.

Soon it’ll be tomorrow.

We attended a long employee forum in a movie theatre this afternoon and I had to hold my bladder for a good 3.5 hours. That’s the price I paid for being late (I wasn’t even late late, just relatively so) hence having to sit in the first row. My manager’s manager (multiplied many levels up) from the US spoke about the organization’s near term plans, and the lead country manager here shared on the local business environment and prospects.

Inevitably the question of outsourcing came up, as it always does, forum after forum. (Does this happen in every IT organization or just the one I work for?) I sometimes wonder, if there are outsourcing plans in a year or two, would anyone reasonably believe we’d hear forthright admission from managers? If we’re going to lose our jobs to Bangkok or KL I certainly expect to be worked to my last breath before the world comes crashing.

I’ll just have to keep learning so that I can apply myself anywhere.

Auntie Annie’s Ah Mei, who is 7 this year, is the third Ah Mei in our extended family. The first is Cousin Xiuwei, Da Yi’s youngest daughter, and the second is me.

Young Ah Mei has a love-hate relationship with me. She hates me, and I especially love to disturb her. Every time she sees me, she’ll make displeasure of my presence known – she’ll refuse to acknowledge me despite her parents’ coaxes, walk away when I talk to her and give me looks of askance when I offer her sweets.

But I know she is just shy, and being rude is her way of dealing with strange adults who try too hard. Just like how I grin like an idiot and keep very quiet when I’m shy. In my heart Ah Mei is a good kid, and I’m keen to see how she grows up and turns out.

Auntie Annie’s family came over today because Mum asked Uncle Loo to help with changing our lights. He has been a great handyman to our family and has helped us with our electrical, plumbing and painting works all these years. We’re very grateful.

So while her Daddy worked (Auntie Annie helped out, and I don’t know what Auntie Annie and elder brother Ah Heng did), Ah Mei busied herself with games on my computer. I was out for harmonica class in the afternoon and when I came back, they were about to leave. Auntie Annie told me Ah Mei left me a note at my computer.

Thank you for letting me to play your computer. First, I would bring back the piano to my home. If you miss your piano, you may come to my house to play with it.

From Rachael

I know Auntie Annie must have coaxed her to write the note. But isn’t that sweet?

(The “piano” in her note is actually a keyboard I bought, out of boredom, when I was living in Shanghai a few years ago. I’ve been wanting to learn, but I’m not musically inclined and am always too busy. So Mum and I decided we’d give it to Ah Mei who likes music.)

It’s my favourite blogging month so I’m quietly popping back. Just me and my good self.

Life is as usual, with the happy bits, the snaggy stuff and everything else I don’t know what to feel for, yet.

Work’s taking up 12 to 14 hours every weekday. You know I swore I’d never let work get in the way of life, but I just learned I can get sucked in the system if I don’t watch my ego and fear, even for a moment.

My days are passing so fast I crave a space to remember my thoughts and moments. Typing short blog posts might just help me feel less suffocated.

One day — maybe tomorrow — I’ll live the way I want:

- Focus on chewing and enjoying every bite of food, with no white noise from the TV or radio

- Read the books I’m currently on (《大江大海一九四九》, The Economist Style Guide 9th Ed) in complete silence

- Close my eyes and listen to Tizzy Bac’s 《我想你會變成這樣是我害得》, without feeling anxious to do something at the same time

- Listen to mum tell me how she has been doing. We live in the same flat but I haven’t spoken to her for a long time.

I must learn how to focus and do things one at a time.

One at a time.