notes for may

gili1
Gili Air, Indonesia
  • Gili Air was a much-needed break - the diving was average but I love how quiet the place is, and the night dive ranks among the best I've done (fell in love with an orang utan crab).
  • I came back to a few pointless dramas at work, which need only a two-word response: Grow up. 
  • Took part in a survey of Singapore's marine life, which was an educational experience. I still think the muck we call the sea around Singapore is pretty gross and nothing I want to swim in, but I admire the diversity of marine life that manages to thrive in there. 
  • Read "World War Z" on the flight back from Lombok (which has a shockingly comprehensive and well-priced airport bookstore) and felt paranoid the whole time, as though any minute someone was going to stand up and start chewing on passengers.
  • My phone crashed while trying to update its software and in fit of disgust I left it at home and spent my holiday unconnected. It was quite effortless. 

Comments

Maja H said…
I've had one of those "grow up" dramas this month as well - I actually think a year-long friendship might be quite permanently dead because of it. But hey ho, that's life, right? On the bright side it is a bit easier to cut friends out of your life than it is to avoid a colleague.. :)
Kali said…
So how was World War Z? It's been on my Goodreads "to read" list for ages, and now the film is going out and I haven't read the book yet (I'm a book first kind of person haha)

Also, I'm going to Singapore for work at the enf od June, if you have any recommendation places to show to journalists please let me know!
lin said…
maja huse: i never thought about it that way actually, but yes, it does seem like it will be harder to "cut" a colleague out of my life.

i look at them and wonder if i was ever that young.

kali: i love the book! very well-written, and reminded me of my favourite michael chrichton novels. i got chills reading it. i was eager to read it before the film came out as well, and now that i have, it doesn't seem to bear any resemblance to the film.

and will be glad to send you some recommendations on what to do here, and look me up if you have the time! just drop me an email. what will you be here for?
Jocy said…
I'm currently missing times when I felt so disconnected!
I wished I had the courage to say the words "grow up" to a former colleague. She'd back stabbed so many people that I was surprised not to see blood pooling around our tables.
hannah-rose said…
That looks... beautiful. I have been tentatively trying to plan my end of uni holiday, as in, I will hand in my 20 000 word thesis and then go somewhere with a beach and drink cocktails for every meal and not think about anything. I will definitely take your device and log off the chatroom/disconnect myself from technology and just detox. Sometimes your life batteries need a little bit of recharging.

x
Joy said…
that is one gorgeous photo. so nice to see some place other than bali for once!

would you watch world war z (movie edition) when it comes out?
Sue said…
It's actually very easy to leave technology behind and forget about it. It's just having the will to do it in the first place. I went without the internet for a week or so last year and even though I knew I could go online (if I payed), I just found it more liberating to just relax and focus on my family rather than a screen infront of me.

And "grow up" scenarios. I'm so glad to be shot of them - especially the work related instances. I had to manage a small team for a while and every time someone came near me, I just knew it was something small and petty and quite often jealousy came in to it. I don't miss those days.
lin said…
Jocy: I wish it lasted longer!

Marlene: I have no patience for this sort of thing, and deal quite poorly with it...I haven't quite figured out the best way to act.

hannah-rose: you get to travel so much, how wonderful. i can't actually do the beach holiday thing for too long if i'm not getting any scuba diving done...it's too much lying around.

Joy: Haha, this place is actually quite touristy already, although not as developed as Bali of course (most resorts only have salt water showers).

I wasn't really keen when I saw the trailer (before I read the book) but I may watch out of curiosity now that I've read the book, just for comparison purposes. Sidetrack: As a Cumberbatch fan, you should watch Star Trek: Into Darkness!

Sue: I'm quite used to being able to chat with friends on the go over apps like Whatsapp on my phone, so I think that was the hardest thing, not being able to share a little things with three of my best friends whenever I saw something I knew they would appreciate. But yeah, things like Facebook or the Internet, I can happily live without.
Kali said…
I'll be visiting a game studio with journalists for them to create a video piece about our game - by the end of June. We'll be around for less than 48 hours though, heading to Montreal straight after, but we'll have a few free hours in case they want to visit the city and capture some video footage for their documentary. If you have some recommentation of nice iconic places to visit and film in Singapore that would be great. And if it looks like the day's schedule allows me to have a bit of spare time I'll definitely drop you an e-mail!
Lindsay K said…
I'm glad you had a relaxing time. Indonesia is incredible! I want to go back soon. Good for you being unconnected. I think that's the biggest luxuries of all.

Regarding co-workers creating drama-I've found that ignoring it is the best way to deal. People really desperately want a response and when you're unflappable it ends there. It always amuses me that those types are always the ones who wonder why they aren't being fast tracked...
Fauxionista said…
I went to Lombok 2 years ago with my sister and it's just so beautiful! Needless to say, I look forward to returning since my sister is actually there right now for a quick vacation. Definitely much better than Bali - not as crowded. :)

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