Friday was a good day. Big Boss brought me out to Bishan Park and this "new" restaurant Acacia. It was another long 3 lunch but since he is the boss, ha ha, i didnt have to worry for him to rush back:) And he even gave me an angpao for CNY which i felt abit bad since i didnt prepare any oranges for him. Luckily i brought back some taiwan goodies from my last trip for him and the team.
We chatted abit and he asked about work. I openly discussed the difference between him and my current big french boss. I was totally in agreement with him when he said that given the same situation in singapore, the opportunity that i had been bestowed would not have happened in Singapore. The recruiters in sg are just too fixated about domain knowledge and "relevant" experience that they will never consider anyone from a different vertical. He asked me if I felt it was wasted giving up all the experience and my auditor certification since that would have been really good career for me too. I shared with him that this current job gave me unimaginable exposure that in sg, i would never have had. I am happy with what i have and i dun think looking back, wistfully thinking about "what if" serves any purpose. Life is a journey, you just move on. I dun worry about what i am giving up, i just look forward to the new challenges and deal with it as it comes.
What i didnt tell him was that all my close frens whom i caught up with told me they have never seen me happier. The change in landscape has instilled this difference. The passion i live with in my life is rubbing off them and i suppose that is how it is in life. Ups and Downs but you canx stay down forever. At some point in time, you have to get up like a Ferris Wheel and feel like you are at the top of the pedestal.
But i told my boss he is the greatest mentor i ever had and i am truly blessed. Chris told me once: "Being a coach and mentor is different. Being a coach is easy, being a mentor is hard." I agreed. Mentor has really life changing effect in moulding you. The questions my big boss used to challenge my thinking alot and the fact he never put on airs allowed my "debates". He never spoon fed us, it is always a thought provoking session. Not many people has the ability to do that. I rem when i use to write corporate newsletter and how i flooded his inbox for his opinions and inputs. He would come walking with a cup of coffee, and dangling the article and tapped my head and joked about him being my "slave". It had been fun years.
My current success is much attributed to his lessons and advices in work and personal level . We still joke about the curt and clinical emails i use to blast really "stupid" users. He always agreed with my points but sometimes, phone is a better medium to be used he used to tell me. I think it was easier to keep my sacarsm from my voice than from my writing. Which is why my current HK phone is perpetually warm to touch. When you leave a job, you should take away good experiences, lessons and leaving behind a good legacy.
Before i left, my ex-teammate was asking some questions about some report from my old portfolio in which he wasnt sure about the process. It felt good to know that somethings that you learn, no one can take it away from you and its valuable enough to still be able to share.
In life, unless u put your heart and soul into every you do, you will walk away in life like an empty corpse. Rather than mocking people about being stupid not to delegate, just do whatever that is assign to you as it is a sign of faith in your capability. No one is indispensible but different people have different forte. I use to advice my staff, if you have so much time to complain about problems or push it away to others, save the energy instead and spend it trying to work on the issue at hand. It will be a better time well spent and you will learn from something from the experience. And once u start working on it, answers will come to you before u realise it.
After he dropped me off to the MRT, i message him abig thank you and it came to and fro abit. The last bit, he joked "Be good". I told him "I always am:)" He laughed.
It was a memorable and nostalgic afternoon in the cool rainy afternoon amid the theraputic greens...
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