(London + Metallica) < a second with you

"We need you to go to London and also go watch Metallica"

(Pause and stare for approximately 0.15 seconds)

"No. I can't make it. I've got something up this weekend"



And just like that London free trip and free tix for Metallica went up in smoke. Pure smoke and vanished right into the air. I'm not a big fan of Metallica but the tix are expensive and a London trip to boot. But deep inside, I knew that it was nothing. Absolutely nothing compared to even just one second with you know who.

Been thinking about the entire episode and yes, after calming down and a shower, the answer has never been more clear. I was right. Somethings have no value and some things money can't buy.

When I left Sime Darby, I left to look for an answer that would satify myself that there are more important things in life. Nothing has changed since then. Life is too short, some stuff I've figured is valuable than all the fancy props and fireworks. Some things are so real that you feel like you can't stop a moving train :P

I feel so happy at the moment. Finding the calm inside knowing that the decision I made was simply so right and no value could ever exchange for it. Been thinking about the final candidates for the pilot competition. Sure the moneys good and you get to travel to places, but have the candidates thought about after ten years, would they still want to see the open skies, do the mundane reports, not have a regular life and even face dangers to their lives. What is it that they are seeking when they choose to be pilots? What will continue to motivate them when everything else around them will be so wrong?

Four days to go to announcing the first few candidates. Will also be leaving to Perth soon after. I wish I was in Tianjin though earlier. You can't have everything in life but you really have to appreciate the moment. My moment is now. Life is perfect.

"Would you wait for me?"

"Yeah baby, no matter what and no matter for what, everyday as long as your safe"

Hangzhou

"Be born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, die in Liuzhou." (生在苏州, 活在杭州, 吃在广州, 死在柳州)



My ears still stinging. I got an ear bashing from a certain evil Janet on Hangzhou. For which West Lake I mistook for being in Guilin. You see, when I submitted my entry for corporate blogger I wrote about Guilin and accidently said this was the site of the legendary story of Legend of the White Snake. To Chinese, its a great legacy love story that has been passed down for generations and the lake was a symbol of that love. Leifeng pagoda is simply testament to that love story that was even mentioned in the legend. I wrote passionately about the legend by the way which got me my job :)

Hangzhou today is an excellent mix of the modern and the traditional which is simply an eclectic mix of awesomeness like Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan. Theres Starbucks by the other famous Hangzhou pagoda bridge which I think is the one called the 'Broken Bridge'. Famed also for their Longjing tea, evil Janet assures me that its full of great staple food that is simply unrivalled (she could be bluffing me just to get me there). Theres a lot of other legacies there too and evil Janet has assured me that I would simply die for being a banana (cant speak mandarin chinese) there.



Just kinda funny to think that I got my job from this place and the only thing I previously knew was the story my grandmother told me and the story we watched in countless dramas of the legend of the white snake. The only other figure I could remember was Yue Fei. Think its time I pay more attention to more stuff about this place and it seems a good location to go. Since I'm with AirAsia, whats the harm. Guess now only need to convince evil Janet to make sure I am alive when I make the trip.