I learned...

I picked up this article while I was browsing over the AXN website. I am posting it here so you can also read it in your free time!

"There's a theory that says that the only way we make sense of the world, is by paying attention to the difference between things.

You start your life, and the only person you know besides yourself is your mother – so you recognise her, because she's different from you. And then later on, you realise that there's a male version of her hanging about, so you recognise your father because he's different from your mother.

And so on and so forth, until eventually, it becomes a catalogue of things that are so deeply ingrained in your mind that you don't think about it.

It's a process, you see, that you don't pay attention to any more. Everytime you come across something you've never experienced before, you decide what category it belongs to, you compare it to the other things in that category, and then you decide how it's different to the other things in that category before you stick a label on it.

"Mmm, noodles, this is food, yum, not like rice, not like bread, not like cheese, not like meat, not like spaghetti ... oh, wait, only slightly different from spaghetti ..." and so on"

The article says everything about how I survived the first year of my current job. Here are some things I learned:

1. I learned that when you are in a job like mine, you are supposed to know everything that you have not previously known of. And not knowing is inexcusable.
2. I learned that when your boss asks you to make arrangements for an activity, you can never say it's final until the papers are signed.
3. I learned that memos are written in a certain way that complies with your boss' writing style. Any other form is not acceptable.
4. I learned that Plan A and Plan B should be backed up with a Plan C. Unless Plan A and Plan B were your boss' ideas.
5. I learned that planning sessions can still be conducted while you are already three months into the implementation stage.
   
6. I learned that benefits after being approved and funded are still subject to audit and are still in grave threat of being refunded. And you cannot do anything but subject yourself to the pity of the auditor.
7. I learned that not everything you hear should be construed as truths unless it is in writing.
8. I learned that savings is not a good thing as far as budgetting is concerned.
9. I learned that accounts payable, when incurred at the end of a year are yet to be paid by April the following year.
10. I learned to make "love your job" as a mantra.

But I've managed so far, and I might stay far longer than I did in my past jobs (I was able to hold a teaching job for three years!). It's not really a dream job, but there is not much structure so I get to do things my way. Free-spirits! should they be thankful or what?