Some time last week, a friend accused me of having way too much free time, when he heard I not only blog, but keep a personal journal as well. I will not consider that as having too much time since these are things I really like doing. In fact, I view those who have nothing else to do but to scrutinise people's blogs and posting all kinds of nasty and insulting remarks are the ones who really have way too much free time.
Who is he to comment anyway? He does nothing except watching discs, movies, playing computer games and the occasional dining out and badminton games. I am not saying these are a waste of time because everyone is entitled to their own ways of living, but I do not think it is justified to say I am too free when my time is tied up with all kinds of other activities. In fact, too much free time is just what I do not have!
Contrary to those who think I really am too free, my time is pretty tied up, especially for this half of the year. Besides work which takes up a huge portion of my waking moments, I have school, which I have to attend three hours per week. I revise my lessons at least one to two hours per day. I have to do research, self-study and my own reading up, and that takes up at least another two hours per day.
I go for movies every weekend. Most of the time, I will watch two movies. If time allows, three, if not one. I do my own fair share of dating, dining out, entertaining and socialising. I chat with people online or through messages. I listen to music on my ZEN, or my Phillips three-in-one clock-radio-cd player, read whatever books I can get my hands on, surf the net, check mails, write / blog and spend time with my loved ones.
I sing three hours a week due to the church choir (used to be more when I was still under the Lyric Opera), go for mass an hour a week, and come March, will dance ballet and pilates three hours a week. Lately, I have been told I need to play for mass as well, so I need to take an hour a day practising the pieces.
Plus, I am involved in ad-hoc activities like more masses during the week during the Lenten season, meetings and activities for the church choir, and daily routines like sleeping (which I average about six to seven hours per night), eating, cleaning, shopping and travelling. So how can anyone ever say I have too much free time?
Why am I doing so many things? Because I enjoy everything I am doing. Some people asked why am I studying again, especially since I am no longer a teacher, since the course I am doing is one of the few part-time courses recognised by the Ministry? Can I not study just because I am no longer a teacher? Why can I not study just simply because I like it? Besides, this course is not exclusvely a course for teachers, unlike the one I took in NIE! So the next question will then be why I must do this course, why not more "practical" ones like Business? Because I do not have a business mind, and I love English Literature! Is there even a reason why I need to further my studies?
What about reading? I live to devour books and words. I cannot imagine my life without books. And even when I go out with my friends, or watch a book-to-screen movie, I would inadvertently compare the stories, and people around would always wonder what on earth I was talking about. Sad to say, I hardly meet people who really read. I do not mean just academic reading or comics, but real books like classics, like inspirational stories, even innocent children's books.
I cannot imagine my life without writing too. It is an outpouring of all my thoughts and feelings, especially for someone who lives more on her heart than her head. Which triggered off dislike by a lot of people, because, well, do I really have to say so much? Why not? Why can I not say so much just because some people do not like it, as long as I like it? Why must I conform to writing or blogging about mundane things just because people like it, just because then I would then put on a more positive facade instead of the uncontrollable weirdo, die-hard romantic and failure in life?
With all these, came music and movies, the former the food for the soul, and the latter, an observation of human nature and life's lessons in moving pictures. One simply cannot express the feelings after listening to a touching piece of music, or watching a great movie. I have people telling me, if I like listening to music, why not heavy metal pieces? If I like watching movies, why not slapstick comedies?
Why not? Simply because I find heavy metal music too loud and gives me a throbbing headache. Slapsticks are funny but meaningless. They do not tug at my heartstrings, unlike love songs, ballads, slow rocks, even classical and new age, or romantic comedies, historical epics, or intense dramas.
And is it absolutely necessary for me to attend church? If you have no religion, do not speak to me about not attending church. Who is to say your ways are right and my ways are wrong? I went through so much to get baptised, so never again will I take my religion for granted, which I had for a big part of my church-going life.
Then what about dance? Is it really necessary? What use would that be in my life? Must I do something just because it would be useful in my life? Can I not do something simply because I love it? Dancing is fun, it helps me keep fit and slim. I do it for the sheer purpose of enriching my life. To be really mean, I would say I prefer my life to be enriched by activities, rather than do nothing but stay home and watch television and movies, and let my brain rot and disintegrate, causing premature senility.
Yes, I have time to do all these things, because once the enjoyment is there, one will not think it a waste of time or chore to do whatever that is needed to be done. And to get as many things done as possible within the day, I normally multi-task, ie read, listen to music and exchange messages while travelling to and from work, chat, blog, net / blog surfing and checking emails simultaneously, study and write. Not the best way, but at least a good enough way to get many things done.
Now, if only there can be forty-eight hours in a day, that will be perfect indeed!
Who is he to comment anyway? He does nothing except watching discs, movies, playing computer games and the occasional dining out and badminton games. I am not saying these are a waste of time because everyone is entitled to their own ways of living, but I do not think it is justified to say I am too free when my time is tied up with all kinds of other activities. In fact, too much free time is just what I do not have!
Contrary to those who think I really am too free, my time is pretty tied up, especially for this half of the year. Besides work which takes up a huge portion of my waking moments, I have school, which I have to attend three hours per week. I revise my lessons at least one to two hours per day. I have to do research, self-study and my own reading up, and that takes up at least another two hours per day.
I go for movies every weekend. Most of the time, I will watch two movies. If time allows, three, if not one. I do my own fair share of dating, dining out, entertaining and socialising. I chat with people online or through messages. I listen to music on my ZEN, or my Phillips three-in-one clock-radio-cd player, read whatever books I can get my hands on, surf the net, check mails, write / blog and spend time with my loved ones.
I sing three hours a week due to the church choir (used to be more when I was still under the Lyric Opera), go for mass an hour a week, and come March, will dance ballet and pilates three hours a week. Lately, I have been told I need to play for mass as well, so I need to take an hour a day practising the pieces.
Plus, I am involved in ad-hoc activities like more masses during the week during the Lenten season, meetings and activities for the church choir, and daily routines like sleeping (which I average about six to seven hours per night), eating, cleaning, shopping and travelling. So how can anyone ever say I have too much free time?
Why am I doing so many things? Because I enjoy everything I am doing. Some people asked why am I studying again, especially since I am no longer a teacher, since the course I am doing is one of the few part-time courses recognised by the Ministry? Can I not study just because I am no longer a teacher? Why can I not study just simply because I like it? Besides, this course is not exclusvely a course for teachers, unlike the one I took in NIE! So the next question will then be why I must do this course, why not more "practical" ones like Business? Because I do not have a business mind, and I love English Literature! Is there even a reason why I need to further my studies?
What about reading? I live to devour books and words. I cannot imagine my life without books. And even when I go out with my friends, or watch a book-to-screen movie, I would inadvertently compare the stories, and people around would always wonder what on earth I was talking about. Sad to say, I hardly meet people who really read. I do not mean just academic reading or comics, but real books like classics, like inspirational stories, even innocent children's books.
I cannot imagine my life without writing too. It is an outpouring of all my thoughts and feelings, especially for someone who lives more on her heart than her head. Which triggered off dislike by a lot of people, because, well, do I really have to say so much? Why not? Why can I not say so much just because some people do not like it, as long as I like it? Why must I conform to writing or blogging about mundane things just because people like it, just because then I would then put on a more positive facade instead of the uncontrollable weirdo, die-hard romantic and failure in life?
With all these, came music and movies, the former the food for the soul, and the latter, an observation of human nature and life's lessons in moving pictures. One simply cannot express the feelings after listening to a touching piece of music, or watching a great movie. I have people telling me, if I like listening to music, why not heavy metal pieces? If I like watching movies, why not slapstick comedies?
Why not? Simply because I find heavy metal music too loud and gives me a throbbing headache. Slapsticks are funny but meaningless. They do not tug at my heartstrings, unlike love songs, ballads, slow rocks, even classical and new age, or romantic comedies, historical epics, or intense dramas.
And is it absolutely necessary for me to attend church? If you have no religion, do not speak to me about not attending church. Who is to say your ways are right and my ways are wrong? I went through so much to get baptised, so never again will I take my religion for granted, which I had for a big part of my church-going life.
Then what about dance? Is it really necessary? What use would that be in my life? Must I do something just because it would be useful in my life? Can I not do something simply because I love it? Dancing is fun, it helps me keep fit and slim. I do it for the sheer purpose of enriching my life. To be really mean, I would say I prefer my life to be enriched by activities, rather than do nothing but stay home and watch television and movies, and let my brain rot and disintegrate, causing premature senility.
Yes, I have time to do all these things, because once the enjoyment is there, one will not think it a waste of time or chore to do whatever that is needed to be done. And to get as many things done as possible within the day, I normally multi-task, ie read, listen to music and exchange messages while travelling to and from work, chat, blog, net / blog surfing and checking emails simultaneously, study and write. Not the best way, but at least a good enough way to get many things done.
Now, if only there can be forty-eight hours in a day, that will be perfect indeed!
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