report

When the Lunar New Year arrives some days soon, I will be wholly employed and partly volunteering my life in a particular VWO, one whose focus is largely local at this moment, with some overseas focus. Although a part of me wants to soak myself knee-deep in an Asian country affecting relief for flood victims or infrastructural change for slum-dwellers, this current target group will have to suffice for the moment. I am nowhere near 'experienced working in a Third World environment' nor a 'specialist in health-care / security issues'.


Part of what I will be doing in this organisation involves developing a curriculum (sounds familiar, aye) for formal academic courses specific to volunteerism and community service. Nice trophy in my portfolio. When this is done, the grand picture of my job scope really is about, to quote somewhat, recruiting, enabling, developing and recognising volunteers, through infrastructure support, and long-term named projects (think CIP or YEP, something like that, for those in the know). I am glad for it. I want to be a missions mobiliser after all.


Anyway, I never felt so qualified for a job, in a long while. At the risk of sounding arrogant: there probably was no one who was as available, motivated, or capable of filling this position. It seemed right. Plus the idea of getting paid for work on a regular monthly basis seems cool too. I feel like I have been acquired at a price. For this and many things, I thank God: I awoke on the day of the first interview, suddenly knowing I will definitely get the job, and days before their offer, for having the faith to believe they would pay me the minimum of what I asked for. Everything came out right.


I had some reservations, which are not nagging enough for me to worry over, but present enough to keep me wary, as if I were trying to chart my way to uncover a new map. I heard about a history of politicking in this place, which, by very present verification, has been eradicated through an exodus or two, and a change of leadership. I am oblivious to politics usually. But I would hardly want to work in an unhappy place. My boss is a nice gal I can get along with (one of the changes in leadership). So that should be okay. But she does warn: social service organisations can be painfully slow in getting things approved - welcome to the realm of vigilant corporate governance aka arduous decision making processes. I will try to learn, scoff if you must.


I am also wondering, how this step leads me along further in my journey towards achieving my goal. Like I said, I wanted to be sunk in relief work in impoverished countries. But I am not ready for all that immediately, obviously. Is this really the right step? I quit my job for this? And will I only have this amount of money to take home every month? I shudder to think of former corporate slave days where my money comes in and goes out and that's all folks every month. If I try very very hard, I might end the year in the same amount that I did in the last two years, through saving, not working harder. For the salesperson in me (one of my multiple personalities that sometimes surfaces very strongly), that is a downside to the job matter.


Regardless, for the workaholic in me, this is inviting in more ways than one.