We’re almost at the end of May, and it has been quite a hectic month for me. May has always been an important month. Some of my favourite people in the whole wide world have their birthdays in May. You know who you are. I tip my hat and my glass to you. Thank you for being there, always. And then last year, it marked my debut into the world of funemployment – though not really. This May which has just passed added a few more milestones and landmarks to enhance the crown of the May queen.
You would know by now about the small victory I scored by having my first ever published piece of writing in Galaxy 2: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Sci-Fi and Fantasy Flash Fiction Anthology 2021. If you haven’t gotten a copy for yourself, either as a paperback or a Kindle e-book, you can still find out how to do so here.
Stereotypes is a piece of flash fiction about, well, stereotypes. I had a lot of fun writing it and I am certain you will enjoy as much as, if not more than all the other pieces in the anthology.
Getting a story published has ignited a different engine in my write-mobile. The novel is still in a good place but I am currently thinking it may not be a bad thing to get a few other shorter pieces published elsewhere before that. I am currently working on a horror story which combines an traditional Malay horror with a Western festival. It is a wild idea but why else would I write if not to pursue those wild ideas. I would like to think that’s how Stairway to Heaven and other wonderful songs found their way into creation, too.
I had other developments in my life in May. My other job was freelance Interpreter, Translator, and Language Trainer for the English-Malay language pair. I also run a Facebook page for that role, which can be found here. Considering where I started out at the beginning of May 2020, I cannot help but be pleased at the progress I’ve made. I’ve taught for hundreds of hours and I’ve also gained experience as an on-site interpreter and document translator.
The thing is, these are all things that I had never dreamed of doing before. It is hard to say if it was due to a lack of imagination or courage, or perhaps something else. You could say that it was due to an abundance of material comfort, which I had a fair bit of back when I was still a full time employee.
I mentioned in a previous post how I did miss the salary but I would not trade it for the vigour and excitement that infuses me when I explore all these new possibilities. I also feel liberated to create an environment that works for me rather than have to be subject to one that was incompatible.
Speaking of things that I would not trade for anything else, May also marked another important anniversary. The most important anniversary of the month. One of the last things I did in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building before my last day was to take photos at the foyer of the Old Tanglin Officers’ Mess. The spot carries its own ancient history inasmuch as it is a vital part of my own personal history. It has been thirteen years since my wife and I exchanged our vows and rings in the presence of our loved ones among friends and family. Thirteen years has truly passed in a flash.
It has not always been smooth sailing. The separations due to work were never pleasant, even before the kids came into the picture. If there is a lesson to learn from our thirteenth year together, it would be that relationships are work. A relationship of marriage even more so.
The current circumstances in Singapore mean that it will be a while before we can engage in any celebration. In a way, that typifies marriage and relationships – learning how to live when not everything goes your way. Scratch that, it’s a life lesson.
One of the wonders I have rediscovered in the year past is the freedom to learn and enjoy more freely. It is my hope that I will find ways to perpetuate this condition for as long as I can.
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