A very late first post of the year

A (very belated) happy new year to all! it has to be so belated cause there was no chance before that to do it on this blog. yes i admit it is due to laziness, cant be botheredness, forgetfulness and tiredness in combination to not having the time.

Above is the video of the 2010 New Year countdown event at the Magic Kingdom, featuring a totally awesome fireworks spectacular "fantasy in the sky". Yes, thats where i spent the first hour of the year. Of course, i was working the whole day on the last day of 2009, but i purposely arranged that i would be able to see and video tape the fireworks. Noodle station changed my schedule to work till 12.30 without my permission, but i cleared it up with the manager who then let me off at 11.30, just having enough time to get to Main Street with camera ready, and so happens also bumping into a group of colleagues. it was a real worthwhile choice to cross the new year that way ~ the only bad part is that it was so overcrowded along the whole main street, and i could hardly get a good view with my camera without being blocked by tall people in front wearing those stupid party hats. oh i was so pissed when they started blowing the horns and waving those hats in front of my camera while taping the fireworks!

It was a mad 2 weeks of work, totalling 69 hours on christmas week, followed by 80 hours on new years week. but right after that, it took a steep dive down to 32 in the next week. that went further lower to 25 when i called-in one day to go to play. I totally lost my mood to work right after new year's week. a 180 degrees turn - from maximising my hours, taking every chance of extension and searching the hub every now and then for extra shifts to fill up every hour available; to not even thinking about extending, and even calling in for one day.

Everyone else had the same absence of mood for work, i could see. and it was totally understandable - a batch of cast members ended their program on jan 2; immediately after new year week, followed by a larger batch on jan 8. quite a number of good friends left on that day, including my housemate cum colleague, Yasuhito. Who would want to work at this kind of time, when things are so soon coming to an end? Those who were leaving spent the last week (and perhaps some time during New year week too) playing and hanging out all they could, while they still could. And those who arent leaving yet, like me, spent the time accompanying them, while we still could. might as well treat it as our final chances to play too ~ for my turn to leave aint far away at all either.

It was quite an emotional time spending those last moments with the departing folk. we said we would visit each other in each other's countries, but i challenge that to come to pass. even maintaining regular contact is doubtful, from prior experience. Really, it seemed like their departure was separation for good.

Now, i am faced with a terrifying fact - i have only 9 days remaining here, and my very last off day is over. from now till the end, i am working every day. that leaves me with not much remaining opportunity at all to play and hang out, considering that the massive task of PACKING UP still remains undone, to be juggled within these work days. oh my, what a doomed state im in... it all seems too late now. Lord help me...