When I was only 19..as I started work (ummi forced me to work..whereas I wanted to study more) as a production operator..when I was working at Seagate in Senoko, Singapore..One fine night, an Indian operator approached me..We had a chat..Until she came to a question,"What will you do once you got your result?"..
I replied,"Continue working here forever..Where can I go??"..
She laughed & said,"Do you know that all of us if given a chance, we all would love to work elsewhere..But you are contented working here??? What's your dream actually???"...
I shyly replied,"I wish to be a lawyer but I don't like talking so much..My mom said better not be a lawyer bcoz I will lose all cases & clients will blame me..no one will hire me as their lawyer..My daddy just wants me to get married as soon as possible bcoz my lil sister got married first before me..So, I don't know where to go if I leave this factory.."..
All of them laugh..This Indian operator looked at me & said,"Let me say this..Even the trainer commented that she never ever got a new operator who scored full marks in all those entry assessments..but she found you..Right, Rina??"..
My trainer who sat at the end of the bench replied,"Yes..Shocking..You shouldn't be working here..Temporary, it's ok..Permanent? Better not..Wasted.."..
That Indian operator added,"There are 5 of us in my family..All my siblings are either engineer or lawyer..Im the youngest but I was lazy..I stopped schooling at Secondary 2..My parents were disappointed with me who few years after leaving school, I got married..
But you..you went all the way thru'out secondary school..Don't quit now..Not that all of us dislike your presence..Not at all..You are quiet..always listen to instructions we gave you..Yes, very shy but that does not mean you can't go after your dream..Try do the impossible..Try overcome your shyness & too quietness..You will make it.."..
After that night, I typed (using my daddy's typewriter) my very first RESIGNATION letter..
That Indian operator said to me on my last day,"You will make it out there..Don't worry.."..
My trainer commented,"Yeah..You have intelligent brain so, use it fully..Don't hide it behind your shyness, ok??"..
From there, I started my journey..Shyness & quietness I have thrown away slowly..Nowadays when I turned my back to look at my career path - WOW! Ive never thought Ive made it so far..
Like my former colleagues said at lunchtime,"Kak Sha is versatile..She can do accounts..she can do debt recovery..she can do counter duties..she can cooks..she can even teach in kindergarten..Seriously this woman has many trades.."..
Whoahahaha..She forgot to add - I can do QC..QA..replace bulb..whoahahahaha..
To me personally, Im greedy when comes to skills..I want to learn every skills on earth if it is possible..But when my mom asked me,"What you intend to do in life actually..what your dreams before you die???"..
My reply,"Right now Im crazy over Law..but once I retired from it, I just wanna cook for all my closed buddies..open a mini restaurant where people pays how much they wish to pay..my cookings have no price-tag..
At the same time, Im going to write a cooking book with all yours & granny's recipies..maybe a book on how to lead a single & unmarried life as a Muslimah..Not going against fate but just some tips to survive the great pressures as someone whom no man wishes to be married with..It is not a sad story but an inspirational story about how I have survived all humans' sarcasms, discriminations & judgments just bcoz Im born to be different!"..
My mom sighed & replied,"The cooking part - I love that..But that inspirational book - that one, you keep to yourself bcoz in Islam, all humans are recommended to be married..eventhough some died before doing so..Your liberal thinking will costs you in the Muslim community..I still hope to see you get married someday..even if it means that I will see it from my dying bed..That's a mother's hope.."..
Haiiiiizzzz..*Nie yang lemau nie*
