A difficult Start

"Ataraxy" - a state of serene calmness.
(Each day I'll be presenting a word or two here, and attempting to use them in the post)

For my first post of the A-Z April blogging challenge, I didn't want to entitle it "A-Z blogging challenge" or anything else obvious. Too easy. I thought about 'April' and talking about springtime, but there are no distinct seasons in Kuantan apart from 'hot' and 'wet'.

I considered 'Autumn' since that is the season in Australia now, where my sister-in-law and former English student currently reside and study. But it still doesn't have much to do with me.

And so as I wondered how much more difficult it could get, it struck me - "A difficult start."

My wife and I endured a rather difficult start to our married life in Kuantan. We moved here in late May, 2006. My wife was mid-way through her studies and I was facing the bleak prospect of moving to a place I never knew existed, with no job, no channel of earning money. That was really scary.

I worried about a dwindling supply of money which we were living on as a wedding gift from my parents. (I'm beyond grateful for a magnificent set of parents whose monetary offering proved absolutely vital in the early months of our married life. Simply, we wouldn't have been able to survive without it.)

I also worried that I'd never find a job, or a working visa from a stubborn Malaysian immigration. I agonised over paying bills, rent, buying food, (later) a car, paying a taxi to send my wife 32km to university and back every day. I had no friends and no knowledge of the area. At times it felt daunting. Long-term survival did seem an impossibility.

Then our house got robbed. We lost a laptop, camera and cd player. They even took our pot of coins. My ataraxic hopes vanished. Now I trusted no-one. Every single person I saw was viewed as a suspect. It was a horrible state to be in.

A difficult start indeed. . . . .

. . . . . to be continued

What difficulties have you been faced with in life? How did you overcome them?

WHEN CHOOSING A CAREER PATH, WOULD ONE CONSIDER SALARY OR PASSION AS THE DECIDING FACTOR? (AN ESSAY)

Last week I presented my students with this question to answer in essay format. I always love to join in with my students in writing the monthly essay, not only as I love writing, but to show them that I, as the teacher, also care about the work I'm giving them, and to give them some support in what many students of English find very challenging.

After a considerable time discussing the question and formulating an essay plan, we got down to the writing. Here is my essay on this particular subject:

When choosing a career path, would one consider salary or passion as the deciding factor?

"I believe it is difficult to conclude that either salary or passion is more important in defining a career. I feel that both factors contribute to a happy life. I will attempt to discuss some of my feelings about each one.

Money is a basic need of human existence in the civilised world. With money, we obtain food and shelter, necessary for survival. Finding a job with a good salary is a vital task in supporting a family. I have a wife and a 3-year-old daughter to provide for, with another child on its way. It can be somewhat daunting to think of ones family responsibilities. Earning a good salary can go some way to alleviating that burden and bringing security to the family unit.

With numerous bills to pay, it becomes imperative to earn more money than you spend. Being the recipient of many household bills is not something I enjoy, but with my decent salary, I'm able to take care of this requirement and feel a sense of relief each month.

Indeed, the ability of earning a substantial income and providing for all the needs of my family brings a great sense of satisfaction as I feel I have fulfilled my duty. Bringing home money gives me a sense of empowerment, makes me feel useful, and increases my self-esteem - all contributing to my overall level of happiness.

Finally, it is possible, and necessary, to save a portion of money each month, for the future. I have my children's education uppermost in my mind, which doesn't come for free. I would also like to have our own home and a better car in the future, which requires careful planning in saving money. Being able to earn enough money to save each month is a major milestone in living a contented life - the blessings which earning a high salary brings.

The next point of discussion is in doing something you are passionate about, instead of focusing solely on salary, as a career. There are many jobs with high salaries, but ones ability to earn is obviously affected by ones qualifications. I'm fortunate enough to be doing a job I love - teaching English. I love the English language and teaching others how to use it correctly. English was always my strongest subject because I simply enjoyed it and had a passion for it. Enjoyment and happiness are the rewards of doing something you love, which may flourish to a greater degree than simply working for money.

Money doesn't necessarily guarantee happiness in life. Achieving satisfaction involves many more factors outside this topic of discussion which could include religion, spirituality, social and emotional relationships. For the sake of this question, I will give my opinion based on the comparison of only salary and passion. It is my conviction that if you can't put your whole heart into your career, you can't be truly happy with your life, regardless of the sum of ones salary.

After much thought concerning this area of discussion whilst working through this essay, I would sway contrary to my previous thinking in my introduction, and thus conclude that the deciding factor in choosing a career path would be salary. I believe doing what you love could be a limiting influence on ones earning power, but on the other hand, one is always capable of learning to love a high-salary career. When it comes to providing the bare essentials of life, earning a good salary would be the most important point in choosing a career path."

What do you think? Do you have your ideal job? Are you working out of love for your career? Or are you labouring to earn a decent income? Are you fortunate enough to be doing something you love which happens to also pay you well?

Malaysia's new RM50 note

To all my friends who stayed in Malaysia during the early 2000's who may or may not have seen the country's new RM50 note (or 'bill' I should say for the Americans!), here it is in all its glory. The patterns and decorations are detailed and beautiful, combining Islamic art with a flashy hologram. It was released in conjunction with Merdeka Day (Independence Day) on 31st August, 2009.