3 years ago, if anyone had asked
me to give up 3 months’ of my salary, I would tell that person to have his/her
head examined. It was, therefore, very surprising for me to voluntarily request
for 3 months’ unpaid leave from January to March early this year.
I have never had more than a
month gap between jobs. Whenever there was any long break back in my schooling
and undergraduate days, I would recklessly grab almost any temporary job that
was available, ranging from being a salesgirl in a gift shop to being a
telemarketer in a hotel suite. I had always thought that I would eventually
become bonkers if I were to stay at home for too long a time. Now, a decade
later, I beg to differ.
Some time last year, my work life
got way out of hand that I felt compelled to tender my resignation letter. My
mind had become too muddled and I desperately needed a rest. A few friends and
colleagues concluded that I was suffering from a severe burnout. In retrospect, it must
have been the works of divine intervention that the Senior Management and I
settled for a break instead. I wasn’t totally averse to the idea since it
guaranteed me with a job to return to.
If I had given more thought to
the idea of forfeiting 3 months’ salary though, I probably would not have had
enough guts to do it. Nonetheless, I would definitely say that decision was
worthwhile, for not only was I able to maintain my sanity, but I was also able
to do these 6 things:
#6 Initiating this blog
As a kid, I had secretly dreamed of being a writer or a columnist. Somewhere along the way, I was told that
writers will always be poor and ill-fed. Well, no one told me that being a
lecturer would be even more pathetic! Anyhow, it was during the break that I
had the opportunity to explore the world of blogging. I was even able to learn
how to stitch photos together in a collage. Not bad for a non-tech savvy
individual.
If not for the break, I wouldn’t
have had time to write. A case in point, there hasn’t been any posts here ever
since I returned to work, this being the first after an absence of 1.5 months.
#5 Learning how to cook
One of the things on my bucket
list is to learn how to cook like my mom. While my skills are still miles away
from my mom’s, I managed to put a few dishes together during the 3 months.
Again, not too bad for someone whom my mom would normally kick out of her
kitchen.
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| CNY snacks |
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| A few dishes which were edible and caught on camera |
#4 Driving for a long distance
Yet another skill that I managed
to pick up during the break was long-distance driving. Before this, the furthest
I have ever driven to was Port Dickson. I am neither the most skillful nor the most
careful driver and driving with a stick is not the easiest thing on earth, too.
Yet, within three months, I had driven to Malacca and Penang on two separate
trips.
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| Malacca Trip |
 |
| Penang Trip |
One small step for mankind, one
giant leap for Lilian Leong, indeed. One thing’s for sure, Penang is really
really really far away if you have to drive all the way there…
#3 Travelling, experiencing a new
culture, and learning a new language
At the end of January, my family
and I took an eye-opening trip to Japan. It was a whole new culture there altogether.
Prior to our trip, I picked up a few Japanese words so as to communicate with
the locals when we were there.
I now know how to ask for
directions to the toilet and elevators. I also know whether the meat that is
served in front of me is chicken, beef, pork, or prawn. Just by listening
intently to the announcement on the train, I will know whether the train door
will open on the left or the right. And if I were attracted to a guy, I know
how to ask if he was gay just to be sure we are on
the same page.
#2 Learning to budget and allowing others to
extend their kindness
One very humbling experience was learning
to only purchase things within my own means and giving in to other
people’s kindness. Even though I may usually draw a rather dismal income, I
always had enough to pay for my own expenses (with a lil extra to splurge once
in a blue moon). In fact, because I used to work while studying, I was
privileged to play the more generous part and to treat my friends whenever we go
out. This habit stayed even after my friends started earning way more than I
did. Needless to say, it felt odd to eventually let someone else pick up my
bill instead.
While I still managed to pay for my installments
and insurance policies as well as the usual allowance for the house, I no
longer fought for the bill if someone else offered to pay. During the three
months’ break, I had also downgraded some of my usual purchases. I am proud to
say that I did not need to touch my fixed deposit or to borrow money from
anyone else.
#1 Spending time with family and loved ones
Of all the blessings I had
received during these months, I guess this would be the most meaningful and
precious. When I was working, I hardly had any time for myself, let alone to spend
time with my family members and loved ones. With nowhere particular to head to,
I could finally make myself available whenever a family member or a friend
needed me.
Yes, I truly enjoyed the time I
was able to catch up with friends and relatives but I guess it was even more
crucial that I was there in times of need. I was able to accompany a cousin who
had to undergo a surgery, to be there for my aunt and her family when my uncle
passed away suddenly, to visit a church-mate who became paralyzed after a stroke, to hang out with my cousin who came back from UK, and
just to laugh and create more wonderful memories with my family members and
friends.
Would I do the same again? Hmm … forfeiting
3 months’ salary is no joke on the pocket but if it means I get to keep my
sanity and repeat the things mentioned above, I might just do it again, though not so soon.
