Pomodoro Timer

Today, I did 4 Pomodoros.

In fact, I am typing at the moment within the Pomodoro perimeter. Twenty-five minutes of doing whatever task you need to do without any single distraction. In 2016, that means, no Twitter, no Path, no Facebook, no Netflix, and definitely no Top Chef rerun.

Once the 25 minutes is up, you are entitled, no, obliged to have a 5-minute-break. Within this short period of time, you should stretch out, nourish yourself, or pet your imaginary cat (Why haven't you adopt one? huh?).  Do this for another 3 cycles ( 1 cycle = 25 minutes work and 5 minutes break), and then you're entitled obliged to have longer break, ranging from 15 to 30. Go get lunch or bathe your imaginary dragon (I really want to have dragons).

Pomodoro technique originated in 80s when a university student named Francesco Cirillo realized that he was able to retain more information, focus on his tasks and saved from being burnt out by working on 1 objective in 25 minutes followed by a 5 mins break. It was named Pomodoro technique because Cirillo used his kitchen timer, which looked like a pomodoro, tomato in Italian.

Cirillo's method gained popularity throughout the globe, thanks to Internet. It seems like, in digital world, where everyone has shorter attention span due to massive technological breakthrough which resulted in increased procrastination level, Pomodoro technique might be our savior.


  

How Not to Make Friends in Singapore

For the past few weeks I have been back in the job market. Failed business was the mark of my 2015, which frankly, had upset me.

Boyfriend has been repeating this mantra: Go out, talk to people, network.

That mantra has successfully landed him a job at Facebook.

The same mantra, unfortunately, landed me in a series of unfortunate events: Sweaty palms, incoherent ramblings on how I was only a flight attendant, and never had a job offer due to my brain. Possibly have no idea what KPI is. Things went worse when they realized I have no business cards, apparently a useful thing if you want to network. That and great LinkedIn presence.

After networking, I usually went home. Battered with sadness.

I was sad, because I had nothing to offer, not even a business card. I would eventually go to bed, defeated.

When you are an adult living in Singapore, making friends and building networks are often intertwined. I don't find myself network-worthy, because when I go to networking events, I feel more comfortable talking about how Britta I turned out to be (I am no Abed, sadly), why people should join a spicy food eating competition and where do you meet people who play loups garous. Things that I could only imagined doing with friends. Unfortunately, in Singapore, when you are not network-worthy, you probably attract less friends. And those topics are not network-worthy.

And now, I know that feeling, when nobody wants to be your friend.

Not until last week, someone I knew from university days contacted me. She wanted to drop a  wedding invitation. No, not hers. It's another person, someone we both know.

Our conversation turned out to be more than just about that wedding. We talked about fear and career and people and planes. In retrospect, I can't tell you what she has shared with me. But I can tell on what I have shared with her.

I told her that I feel embarrassed talking to people, that I was judged because I am without job.

I told her that I have difficulties making friends and networking.

I told her that sometimes I felt sick putting myself out there, that everyone needs to be a superior version of themselves.

I told her, all of my life events she has not heard of, in a natural way. Not in a way where I had to make sure that I did not sound doubtful or too confident at the same time, all while hiding my weaknesses and showing the milestone I have done. Just like I usually did at networking events.

Plus, I did not pay attention on my grammar or syntaxes when I spoke to her. Usually, these two have been pointed out very clearly by my boyfriend 1). Which resulted in me sounding like a stuttering 3 year old, and still making the bloody mistakes.

Coming to the end of our meeting, I have never felt this refreshed for months, or even years.

I am not friendless in Singapore.

1) To be fair, I did ask my boyfriend to correct me, early in our relationship.

So, I've decided to be happy

I'm tired, I wish everything ends quickly.

I'm tired, I just wanted give an F to every face I met on board.

I used to think I was smart, now I think I was never smart.

I'm tired. I'm tired, God.

I'm tired of asking, begging, blaming, accusing You at things happened.

While, You might be just a non-existent mere being.

I'm tired.

I'm fuckin tired.

I'm seriously fuckin tired.

  

Dear Geeky, you're such a bastard

I had a dream.

You were there.

We're in your city, your place, in a continent far, far away from our homecountry.

Yet, somehow we took a cab from your place to my place.

No, the cab driver didn't mind.

No, he didn't even look at us with demeaning look.

In fact, he never popped his head out of the window.

So much for a dream logic.

We had a talk. You and I. Which started way before we took a cab.

About your job, about my job, about your plan, about my plan, about your stuffs, about my stuffs, about your music, about my dance.

About your brother, about my father, about you, about me.

About us.

By then, we were already in the cab. Talking about us. US. You and I.

You finished talking, and started kissing my thumb.

"You have a girlfriend", I thought you were about to stop
"Yeah, she's pretty, but I'm just a normal guy", then you continued, kissing, sucking, playing with my hand.

Even in my dream you're such a bastard.

So, I slapped you, pushed you to the corner of the seat, and left the cab.

I cried afterwards, in dream and after I woke up,

for having my dignity, my faith towards myself , and my consciousness, restored.

I hope this is the end.

You do stuffs because you have to and not because you love to. Then people told you off. Even the minor, smallest thing could lead into a major depression. 'It's you against the world', but actually it is you against yourself. The biggest war in the world. Good luck, farewell, and Gosdspeed.

Moustache Rules