Culture Club

I went out to lunch with a fomer work colleague of mine at Sunnybank today. I was standing outside the Little Taipei fruit shop and watching various people wandering in and out of the shop and the Food Court upstairs. Young couples (not sure if they were DINKS), young families, senior citizens with their little trolleys, some starving high school/uni students and the occasional mixed couple. (Caucasian and an Asian counterpart). Although I don't eat out that often, I do realise that many Caucasian people go to Sunnybank for food. I even saw an entire family (mum, dad and teenage kids) wander into the Food Court upstairs. I know it's not that uncommon but it is living proof that a cross-cultural environment exists quite well. That is, an acceptance of people who come from different backgrounds, upbringing and food groups. Obviously a line can be drawn at eating snakes and water beetles (which I don't think we sell here anyway), but in saying "Hey, your culture is different, and I accept and can live with that" is an encouraging prospect.

Psychological beings

I have been thinking lately how a person can have mood swings in an instance. You can be bright and cheery one moment, and then self-destructing a few moments later.

Is this stress or a crazy mental state that needs medication?

Issues such as mental health, personal counselling sessions and psychiatric treatments are now included as benefits provided by private health insurance. There are Men's Health and Good Medicine magazines in the lunchroom at work. The topics that come up in almost every issue are stress relief, how to live a stress-free life, taking control of your life and free yourself from life's problems. Not to mention the craze of the year are low GI diets.

Is our society becoming a more stressful one? With work/family/life balance, demanding jobs, lack of sleep and not eating healthily, it's not surprising.
For example, I came home recently from being quite depressed for most of the day. Reasoning-feeling unwanted, unhelpful and doubting about what the future holds. I thought that blaming oneself for problems that may not be caused by you in the first place, and putting the weight of your burdens on yourself, rather than on someone else is better. I realised that in doing so, not only causes yourself to hurt, but also to those around you.

Inaugurality?

My very first post on an attempt to keep a blog.

I have only witnessed two other friends with blogs so I'll see how far this goes before I lose interest.

In my new job of almost three months I've been able to see the variety, humurous and sometimes "shaking my head" scenes that comes with working in a firm with more than 2 accountants.

Firstly, I quite liking working with people closer to my age, sharing similar childhood memories, love of accounting (NOT!) and down-to-earth attitudes of most.

I shake my head every time I hear at work, gossip or a whinge from someone who is looking for love and their despair of ever finding the perfect man. I personally do remember being in that stage of my life a couple of years ago, before unbe-known to me a certain male counterpart entered my life. I can see how negative a topic such as singleness has become, especially for those in their late 20s. But for those who pine after people for the sake of being in a relationship seems very shallow. Outbursts such as "It's not fair!! Why do they (insert person's name) always get the good-looking guys!!" or "I'm so much better than she is" come to mind.

I'm not being smug about not being in that position anymore, but it leads me to really think how life's views can change, once you know the everlasting love of Christ.