Long entry after trying weekend and 1st day at work...
Feeling really tired right now, even though I didn't do much at work today except for shadowing my boss. But the information I had to absorb was overwhelming - information overload... But it sure was enriching and gave me a good picture on what the advertising industry was all about.Now, I understand why some advertising companies or media companies in general are so reluctant to open their doors to students from CNM. A degree in CNM gives us good depth and breadth in media studies, critical thinking skills and research methods, but what's essentially lacking is training students on the technicalities and know-hows of the industry. I now begin to understand why an internship programme with media companies is so crucial for any student intending to venture into the industry. Only into my first hour at work, I was lost in all the acronyms and industry jargons... catch no ball at all loh. Even though I essentially didn't do any tangible work today, I knocked off at 7.20pm... It all felt like The Devil Meets Prada... Except my boss is so much more an angel... Don't know about the clients though. haahaa!
Today's experience has left me both excited and hesitant about taking this up as a permanent job.
Excited because it's such a vibrant and fluid job where anything can happen. You have to be alert and on-the-ball 24/7 because mistakes are costly. You are constantly being challenged. I do want to challenge myself while I'm still young.
Hesitant because I have self-doubt. Am I really cut out for it? It is worth it? Should I just get a comfortable desk job with more stable working and lunch hours?? In the media industry, my honours degree essentially means nothing. Will discuss something with my boss tomorrow that might essentially jeapordise the situation but I think I have to speak my mind... Wish me luck!!!
Now to Famine Camp... I am so glad that I participated in the 30-hr Famine. I had initially regretted my decision to sign up as I begin to feel lazy as the week progressed and had wanted to enjoy my last weekend slacking before starting work today. But I am so glad I made the decision to go through with it, in accordance to what I had promised myself. Also made some friends and had fun feeling young among the teenagers. As I took attendance for the campers, it hit me that I am really "old" now. Some of their IC numbers began with 90 or 91. Mine begins with 82 :(. I might not feel it, but to them, I am "OLD". But I like that feeling of never feeling old.. Get what I mean? Hope the campers was OK with the way I led them and hopefully I managed to affect them in a positive way...
Amidst all the positive energy, there were some aspects of the camp that left me disappointed.
I have to admit that kids today are really clever. They pick up information and skills really fast. They are also very witty (sometimes too witty for their own good). But they can also be too individualistic and give up too easily. A little "hardship" and they are quick to give up... Am I like them?? Maybe I am. I don't know. It's hard to "see" yourself sometimes. It became clear during the newspaper collection that some weren't ready to put in that little bit more effort for charity. All that discussion about poverty and helping the poor quickly dissolved. They succumbed to hunger and fatique. But there were some who set out to do what they promised. At such a young age, I respect these youths.
I was also disappointed in some of the camp facilitators. These were all adults are at least 20 years old. You signed up voluntarily - so quit complaining. There were so many complains -- I don't want to sleep with the campers, I don't want to sleep in the hall, I don't want to sleep on the floor, I can't wait till everything is over and my burger arrives ... Why did you sign up in the first place? I don't get it. There was this other guy who, in my opinion, was a bad example to the youths. While a guest-speaker was addressing the campers, he was chatting with one camper -- not sure if he was trying to flirt-- and talking about his scholarship , studying in the UK and his escapades in Europe... Kaoz. So much for an SAF scholar... Reinforced my bad impression of SAF scholars. We're depending on them to defend our country???
But I have to say that these black sheeps are a very small minority. The majority of facilitators were people with really big hearts who cared about real problems happening around us... I am glad to have met some of them. As someone who is slow to warm up to people, I only wish I had been more gregarious and conversed more with some of them. 30-hour Famine Rocks!!!
