It’s been a few months since my last post, and I’ll be honest: I’m so sick and tired of writing at work everyday that I don’t even wanna consider sitting in front of the computer in my free time to update my own blog.

Sometimes life gives you a little nudge. It can be a simple phone call. An email from a friend. Or something that you read.

All three happened today, and all during lunch. 

“You’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

- Steve Jobs

Well Steve, I don’t love computers. Work fills a large part of my life, 9am – 6:30pm at least. And I sure as hell don’t do great work.

But you know what? I love writing and I love cars. And I sure as hell am going to find a way to make those two work.

For the last few months, I found myself content with life.

But that’s when problems start. Being content means you’re happy where you are, and that’s when you take your foot off the gas, happy to simply maintain the status quo.

I’m not like that.

I don’t like being this way.

Push me. Challenge me. Give me something to fight for.

The words of the late Randy Pausch, the author of the book The Last Lecture, really spoke to me. And incidentally, it was one of the quotes on the wall when I visited HQ last week.

The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!

I also take inspiration from Juggernaut from X-Men. See the connection? That’s how I approach life.

If you gather up enough momentum, nothing can stop you. And if you do stumble and fall, you still have enough momentum to carry you through the bad times.

Unfortunately, I learnt today that it’s not how the world works. I thought I had it in me to get through the next few months to April. I was wrong.

Having a one-track mind towards your goal is never a good thing. Even the prospect of one sweet ride waiting for you at the end of the rainbow just isn’t enough.

After last week’s trip to Taipei, I’m mentally spent. The thrill of beating deadlines, the joy of spicing up a boring story, it can only give you so much.

I’ve come to a decision that I really do need a break. And I’ve just booked my tickets.

To quote a friend:

There’ll never be a gd time to go, but you just have to. Or you will sigh wistfully looking at others’ holiday pics.

Editors know this, so they’ll only advise on editorial direction, perhaps a correction here and there. But they never tell a writer a flat out “No”. It is just so unprofessional.

My previous editors didn’t do it; even my current copywriting manager doesn’t do it. But today someone did.

When that happens, I usually brush it off; and if it escalates I’ll probably swear under my breath and I’ll end up like an Italian caricature, with gestures and arms flailing. Usually it stops there.

But for the first time ever, in all my four years of work, the red mist descended on me. I was in college that last time that happened, and I’m ashamed to admit that it resulted in a chair being kicked across the room.

Thank God for maturity. I stepped back, took some deep breaths and counted to 10. It wasn’t enough. I got up, went to the men’s room, and washed my face. That did the trick.

I returned to my workstation, and an online argument of sorts ensued.

“No” was her buzzword. So “No“ became my stance – “If you don’t like what I write, then tell me what you want me to write.”

Someone had to give in, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be me. Caving in, she decided to let the powers that be make the call.

I’m here to work; I’m not here for political games and power plays.
I am not a “Yes” man.
I don’t take “No” for an answer either.
You push. I push back.
Simple as that.
You do your job, I’ll do mine.
I’ll be responsible for what I produce.

It was a Han Solo bobble head figure which will end up in my workstation.

Friend A: Oh I saw this downstairs. Han Solo is so not you. Why not Darth Vader or Darth Maul or Anakin for that matter?

(She has no idea about Star Wars and hence has no idea what she is talking about.)

Me: You know that scene from The Empire Strikes Back? The one where Han Solo was gonna be entombed in carbonite. So they kiss, then Leia says “I love you.”, what does Han say back? Dude can you please tell her what he said to Leia.

Friend B: He said “I know.”

Friend A: In that case, good choice. He is an arrogant prick, and so are you.

Me (Grabbing Han Solo and moving him around): I know.

I know.

At the very same moment, I was outside the arena, flexing a knee that locked up after an epic two-and-a-half hour concert. It was a small price to pay for something that had been on the cards for over a decade.

Sixteen years after Dookie shot them to the mainstream, the boys from Green Day finally made it Singapore.

It was a fact not lost to Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool. The former was one of the first to point out that in their 21 years as a band, it was the first time they set foot on Singapore.

Was the wait worth it? I think I speak for the thousands who were there when I say, “Hell yeah it was!”

Back in the mid 90s, we watched videos of their live performances and thought it be awesome to see them perform in the flesh. We didn’t even think of it back then, but which 14 or 15-year-old would’ve known that they’d still be rocking to Green Day as they pushed 30? We didn’t think that far ahead.

But on Thursday night, amid the pyrotechnics, the on-stage antics, and crush of bodies—We would-be 30s (as well as some others as young as 15 or 14) screamed to welcome every song they belted out. We rocked out and sang along to hits like Longview and Jesus of Suburbia. We watched in envy as Billie Joe handed the mic to the lucky few who joined the band onstage, but in reality it could’ve been anyone of us.

It wasn’t Grammy Award-winning Green Day that took to the stage on Thursday night. It was Green Day, the band that we grew up with, playing music with us, instead of for us.

As Billie Joe strummed the final chords and sang the last lines of Time of Your Life, one couldn’t help but feel that it was the perfect song to end the evening with.

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right. I hope you had the time of your life.

Yes Billie Joe. We did. Thank you.

With Hannover just a stone’s throw, well actually maybe around 90km away from Wolfsburg, I might actually get to visit the Autostadt.

If it does happen, I’ll get to witness the Car Tower delivery system in action.

Sadly though, my Scirocco is being built in Portugal. And even then, by the time I’m in Germany, my car might be on its way to Singapore, or even reach port.

But still, it’s gonna be one helluva treat.

For years I’ve had my eye on the Mazda MX-5. But given the tax structure and the fact that insurers have the drivers by the balls, I had to pass on it because the initial insurance rate would have me paying 5% of the car’s total value in auto insurance alone.

I went for the only car that could usurp the place of my beloved MX-5. The Volkswagen Scirocco.

Given the huge demand for this car, there’s obviously a waiting list. Mine arrives in April. In rising blue.