my working environment!!!!!!!!!

I was talking to a friend of mine over some hot drinks and a toast... It started innocently... but eventually we both talked about our work experiences.... I mean.. I don't have MUCH other than my student experiences in the UK and my now working experiences in Brunei (before as a student waiting for my results and NOW as a therapist!)

My friend had different working experiences... She worked both in Singapore and in Brunei in very different fields... when we talked and talked... we found out that its not much different!!!

GENERALLY, Big bosses are PAIN in the ARSE in Brunei or SINGAPORE!!! and work collegues can make your working life either HELL or tolarable!!!! WORK LOADS are always aplenty in our field of work!!! and WORK satisfaction is easily attainable with good collegues/environment.

I have told many people that i love the job i do... I used to dislike working with kids... but i LOVE most of them now... and even if i LIKE working with adults, i don't quite have the chance because of the increasing paediatric caseload... BUT generally, i love working and doing what i do... I'm self motivated!!! I'm passionate... and I LOVE my PATIENTS!!! I love that i am making a difference in people's lives... give them new found self-respect... increase their self esteem... and make them a confident contributor socially or in conversations without people making ROTTEN remarks or people noticing remarkable improvements!!! My patient's growth are my self-reward!!! Their success stories are MY success stories :)

AFTER working HARD... LONG... and continuously with different patients... always encouraging them to work more... always expecting THE BEST from them... always GIVING them something to work on to improve their skills.... the best REWARD of the day is when they say the magic work THANK YOU... or even a sincere smile... occasionally i am rewarded with HUGS and KISSES (EVEN if they are wet and sloppy!!) THAT just brightens my day :) The greatest feeling is of being appreciated AND THAT is the best motivator for me to work even more harder to work with them!!!

What BRINGS me down... that depresses me are the continouos working politics... (of which i am learning to turn a deaf ear and ignoring them now) I sincerely believe, with only 4 incredible ladies working the whole COUNTRY/STATE... the government/MINISTRY/DEPARTMENT should try to make us happy and KEEP us happy so they won't lose us!!! But instead... what do they do??? They turn a blind eye towards us, BOTH shut tightly... and they suddenly turn permamently DEAF on both ears!!!! Ignore our plea for better clinics/working conditions... as well as our plea of budget and many other stuff...

If THEY can't look after us (EVEN IF i love my job) you can't blame me to look elsewhere for something that offers me something better... better working condititions, better working environment, better management and DEFINATELY better pay.... BUT they do hold on to you, STRONGLY... refusing to let you go even if you have finish your BOND!!!!

I don't quite understand it.... They think they need us, but they won't help us make our lives better... but yet when we found something better that comes along... they refuse to let us go!!!??? Where is the fairness in all of these???

They demand that you give 150% in your work.. YET they FAIL to give you the budget to even get enough BOOKS to continue your professional education... and WE usually have to resort into our own pockets to get the necessary books to help ourselves and our patients!!!! I even DIG deeper to get "rewards" for my kids... as our "used-to rewards" had been stopped!!!!

They advocate continuous professional learning... and 'encourage' you to learn.. but THEY WILL not FUND you to join necessary seminars/lectures abroad!!!!! Even if they do give you the permission... its always LAST MINUTE... and that disrupts CLINICS.... can you imagine us calling our patients the day before their appointments appologising for cancelling because we have to due to unforseen circumstance... ITS EMBARASSING!!!!! and its UNEFFICIENT!!! its HORENDOUS!!!!

And when you are sent abroad... you usually have to fend for yourself as always... travelling allowance (for food and travel) are usually not given... its ALWAYS given after the trip. You are lucky if you get it after a few months... I ONLY got my travelling allowance a year plus after i RETURNED!!!! ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! and that was a sponsored trip... a company paid for the accomodation... and i WALKED MILES to the institute!!!

Its such things that gets to me that really WORK me up... not so much as the patients giving me a hard time... (i can deal with patients and reason with them...) but its the administration that was supposedly to help make your life easier and work alongside you that makes my blood boil and will the the death of me!!!!

Why do i stay you may wonder... I ask myself the same question... If it were not for my family and the commitments i have at home... i would GO AWAY as soon as my bond ended... But one have to be rational... i have my BANK LOAN... I have my HUGE family... my aging grandparents and parents... I would love to leave them and get on with my life... but turning a blind eye on them as my ADMINISTRATORS have on me... that is just like the pot calling the kettle black!!!!!

What is there for me in the future??? I dont dare think what is in store for me... what ever it may be, i PRAY, that i am STRONG enough to get through it without much cuts and bumps... and that i stay the lovely person i am... and not grow bitter by the moment....