New Chapter

Location : Reading, England.

I have completed moving my life to Reading. It is quite a relief being here since I am in a stage where I am undergoing a transition to the next phase of my life. London was stifling and since I've lived there for a total of 1 year 9 months altogether, I am nonetheless excited to be given this opportunity to live in yet another English town besides Preston(1 year), Croyde(3 months), London(1 year 9 months). It feels like I am leaving everything else behind and moving forward. And it feels really great!

The room I've decided to rent in Reading is excellent! Or actually, it can be excellent. It's a room in the attic(or loft as they call it here), a little shabby at the moment but when I was lying down on my bed for the first time last night, I was once again, envisioning or picturing how it can be a great room. I'm making big plans for the room - repainting the walls & ceiling, a new layer of lacquer to make the furniture look like Balinese teak wood, soft lightings, etc. BIG plans. On the other hand, I might just feel like I couldn't be arsed to do anything. It depends heavily on tonight - I'm going to meet the landlord and get him to agree paying for the refurbishment materials in return for my labour. From my front door to the park is only a 5 seconds walk away! To get to work, I take a walk through the park every morning then it's a short bus ride or a 25 minute Malaysian-walk. On my way to work, I pass a little canal that leads into Thames river whereby activities like canoeing and fishing can be done. Maybe someday I'll take Kelly(my surfboard) and go paddling in the canal, drift into the Thames river, go with the flow all the way to the coast. Free ride to the surf! =)

To someone like me, my first few days of working within the Microsoft UK environment already feels rewarding :-

• nice landscaped courtyards and gardens where you can sit in the sun and have your lunch
• cafés that serve Starbucks coffee, cakes, croissants, sandwiches, etc.
• wellbeing centre which is like a mini-clinic complete with a massage chair!
• excellent restaurant that serves a wide array of hot food
• free drinks all day - Coca-cola, F&N, Sprite, fruit juice, etc. There is a fruit basket prepared every morning and a machine that automatically makes hot drinks like Colombian coffe, Italian coffee, decaffeinated coffee, English breakfast tea, Earl grey tea, etc.
• next to the Microsoft campus is a David Lloyd health facility with a swimming pool, 3 gyms, sauna room, steam bath, etc. Corporate membership is £45 a month.
• access to online learning and training for self advancement.
• no formal dressing necessary unless meeting clients so I'm normally topless in my boardshorts and flip-flops at my table. Just kidding - jeans and t-shirt more likely. =)

For a long time, I've heard of people who have experienced working in a "Microsoft environment" and I can't believe I'm experiencing it myself now. Maybe I'm just blindingly happy but everyone seems to be good-looking, cultured and happy all the time....? Sometimes it feels like I'm witnessing a scene plucked from the movie The Stepford Wives. Although I'm just in my first week, I kinda feel pampered. I hope I won't get too comfortable and start feeling like all these extras are a right, not a privelege. Gotta start with a state of mind where I know someday I might have to return to the usual unforgiving work environment where most employers grind you to the bone and often take you for granted.

Some time ago a mate told me that when his friend started working for Microsoft, on his first day he was asked what were his favourite colours, personal preferences, etc. Then his office or workstation was customised according to those preferences. Imagine how you'd feel if you started working for a company like that? =) I don't know how true that story is but it never happened to me. Not for a toilet cleaner, I guess. =) My work computer hasn't arrived yet although it's been ordered. I've even been allocated a table of my own! Woohoo....

I guess you could say LittleNomad.com is slowly coming back online but I'll be taking my time to post entries instead of scheduled updates.

Edited : I've just been given a whole load of MSN(MicroSoft Network) merchandise! I think sooner or later, I'm going to be decked out with the brand MSN all over myself - MSN boxers, MSN socks, MSN teeth(?), MSN toe nails, etc. If you look up my ass, you might even find MSN imprinted inside my butt cheeks. Now, that's what I call living the brand!