In a few days time, CH's niece will be flying out of Singapore to the glitzy city of Las Vegas to begin working in a resort. A graduate of Michigan State University, she has been offered a job in the finance department of a large resort. If I were young and single, I would jump on the bandwagon in a heartbeat.
When I left school, I was offered an opportunity to work as an au pair in Club Med Maldives. I was so excited at the prospect of working overseas, I didn't even know what an au pair was. People started telling me I would be tucked away in little remote island with no access to newspaper, TV or telephone. I would lose touch with civilisation. Well, that sounded like my dream job!
Then mom started getting all worried. What if she loses all communication with me? What if her only daughter turns bad and will never come home again? What if the rumours she had heard about the free spirited Club Med party animals were true? Her morale became more sombre as my mood soared. There were face-offs and cold wars. Finally, to preserve everyone's sanity, I didn't accept the job.
Then there was the other time when I wanted so badly to study journalism overseas. The courses in our local university were so limited, I implored my parents to send me to America. I went for my TOEFL exams at the American School without their knowledge and emerged with good scores. But alas, my dad just started his business at that time and wasn't confident that he could see me through an expensive oversea education. Another disappoint for a young lady.
In many ways, CH's niece is a lucky young lady. She's living my dreams. I'm sure she'll enjoy Las Vegas. I remember when I was there several years ago, I was more than a little bit overwhelmed.
The magnificent Las Vegas that I had seen on TV is larger than life. The infamous Strip is where people in the thousands walk up and down, where hotels glow and neon pulsates all around. Electric lights flash. Music plays. Volcanoes erupt. Fountains soar. It's a city that never sleeps, from classic showgirls and magicians, up-and-coming punk bands or legendary crooners, to cirque-style acrobats and trapeze artists; traditional casino lounges and cocktail bars to dance-till-dawn nightclubs; blackjack table, roulette wheel and slot machines, from aquariums and art galleries to roller-coasters and scream rides, all-you-can-eat buffets to fine dining... they're all there at the Strip but not exactly what I want.
As I grow older, I'm no longer attracted to glitz. I prefer somewhere more subdued. I had always set my sights further ashore, even contemplating moving overseas after my divorce. But these days my feet are firmly planted on my homeland. I'm content to be here with my family and travel whenever my feet get restless.
When I left school, I was offered an opportunity to work as an au pair in Club Med Maldives. I was so excited at the prospect of working overseas, I didn't even know what an au pair was. People started telling me I would be tucked away in little remote island with no access to newspaper, TV or telephone. I would lose touch with civilisation. Well, that sounded like my dream job!
Then mom started getting all worried. What if she loses all communication with me? What if her only daughter turns bad and will never come home again? What if the rumours she had heard about the free spirited Club Med party animals were true? Her morale became more sombre as my mood soared. There were face-offs and cold wars. Finally, to preserve everyone's sanity, I didn't accept the job.
Then there was the other time when I wanted so badly to study journalism overseas. The courses in our local university were so limited, I implored my parents to send me to America. I went for my TOEFL exams at the American School without their knowledge and emerged with good scores. But alas, my dad just started his business at that time and wasn't confident that he could see me through an expensive oversea education. Another disappoint for a young lady.
In many ways, CH's niece is a lucky young lady. She's living my dreams. I'm sure she'll enjoy Las Vegas. I remember when I was there several years ago, I was more than a little bit overwhelmed.
The magnificent Las Vegas that I had seen on TV is larger than life. The infamous Strip is where people in the thousands walk up and down, where hotels glow and neon pulsates all around. Electric lights flash. Music plays. Volcanoes erupt. Fountains soar. It's a city that never sleeps, from classic showgirls and magicians, up-and-coming punk bands or legendary crooners, to cirque-style acrobats and trapeze artists; traditional casino lounges and cocktail bars to dance-till-dawn nightclubs; blackjack table, roulette wheel and slot machines, from aquariums and art galleries to roller-coasters and scream rides, all-you-can-eat buffets to fine dining... they're all there at the Strip but not exactly what I want.
As I grow older, I'm no longer attracted to glitz. I prefer somewhere more subdued. I had always set my sights further ashore, even contemplating moving overseas after my divorce. But these days my feet are firmly planted on my homeland. I'm content to be here with my family and travel whenever my feet get restless.
8 comments:
If she ever wants some chicken rice, ask her to come over. There is a budget airline that flies between LV and Bend :)
Wow, directly to Bend? Then she must become friends with you :-)
When we are still single, we tend to be more adventurous taking up oversea tasks. Once settled down with a family, nothing beats better than homeland :)
How's ur son now? :)
Yah Janice. Quite right. Many things to consider when we get older.
YK's on the road to recovery. His throat is still very sore. So last night, we decided to go see the doc. Sekali, the clinic was so full that people were spilling out of the clinic onto the pavement and outside...everywhere. We figured we would have to wait for hours, so we didn't register in the end.
So many of his friends are also sick.
oh yes....LV....the city that NEVER sleeps! It has become so much more than a small gambling town in the middle of the desert...when I went more than 20 years ago!
I was the same way and look at me now - I am in the U.S. and yet all I want is to be back home.
JY -It's amazing they can cram so much into a small boulevard. I used to think it was a long long strip... We can't always believe what we see on TV.
Oh Seagrape, that's how much our priorities change as we grow older!
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