Why I'm Grateful for the $$$

Views from my hotel room, where I spent the last ten nights....

In the day..


And the night.....

XMas is in the air in KL. Everywhere is beautiful and there are carolling choirs, a harp player and jazz band belting out XMas tunes of yonder year.

It's beautiful.

I've been shopping like crazy, justified, as mum put it, by not going on holiday this year and receiving some nice increments/allowances at work. Just thinking of another walk to KLCC now makes me wanna gag. I refuse to think too much about the total sum, after all, it's all for work (haha)- next year I'll be in the office, and my old tomboy style (as put by my department secretary) has to go out the window. So no more DIY haircuts (hey I was going offshore!), ten dollar tops, drawstring pants, etc. Yeesh.

My life has seen some financially drastic changes since I first started working fresh out of uni. Back then I did work in KL, in an un-nameable company that thrived on deceit and pushing its customers to the brink. I earned RM500 plus comission, if it came in on time. I rented a tiny back room (read: maid's room) in a house in SS11 and took the LRT to work in the Golden Triangle, walking 20 minutes (1 way) to work every day. I remember praying that it wouldn't rain in PJ and KL from 7.15 am to 8 am, and 6 pm to 7 pm cos those were the times I walked to/from the LRT stations from home/my office in the Bukit Bintang area. Every penny counted. I bought my clothes from Carrefour, and my food supplies from the Pasar Malam (20 apples for 7 bucks!). And since I took the LRT at KLCC, this meant that every day I passed by some of the poshest shops in the country - Gucci, Tiffany's, Chopard, Hermes.....I remember staring at the window displays and asking myself the question - should I splurge and tapao nasi lemak for dinner today or open my can of baked beans (lowest price from Giant!) with an egg for dinner? No kidding.

I remember working my ass off at my first real job at a semiconductor factory in Penang. That was when I put down my downpayment (savings from my study loan) for my car.

Last month I finished paying the installments for my car, and put down a downpayment for a condo.

I guess I have a lot to be thankful for. I've been dining and travelling (by cab) on the company for the past 1 week. I ate at the restaurants on the top floor of KLCC, at the new super-posh Pavillion and at Bangsar Village.

I don't blink an eye at the RM10 cab fare from the KL office to KLCC (it takes all of 3 minutes to drive - damn cutthroat) whereas 5 years ago I was walking. No wonder I put on 5 kgs and have to fork out half a thousand for my own elliptical trainer at home in Miri.

There is much to be grateful for. I ain't shopping at Hermes or Gucci yet, but I did buy a new Samsonite cabin luggage and a gorgeous MNG trenchcoat - for my future travels to Europe.

Yes, I foresee travel in my near future. That is one thing to be grateful for.

They say money is not important. Hell yeah.

But I'm grateful for this job anyway. Because I know what it's like earning pittance in a the Capital of Malaysia, smack in the middle of the Golden Triangle, me with my Carrefour knit top in the sea of MNG and Zara, with sprinklings of Gucci and LV thrown in.

Because I know what it's like cringing at the thought of spending Rm50 for my monthly LRT Touch n' Go card, when I know people spend the same amount on a day's worth of parking.

So yeah, I'm grateful for my money, and in turn, grateful for my job.

BTW, I'm banking on my promotion next year to cover my spending....heheh.