Fili’s world

(This is the second part to a post started here)

My current line of work is a bit, how should I describe it, strange. I "work" for about 1-2 days a week as something vaguely titled "an IT security consultant". As an out-of-the-box job where I do consulting, it's not very challenging to me - as I consider it to be so easy that it's a bit like a game. It doesn't come close to taking an advantage of what I believe my potential is, but while a year ago that would bother me to a point of going crazy, nowadays I'm more relaxed about it and have managed to put it into perspective - it is, after all, 1-2 days a week, and I get to do some really interesting organizational "people watching" and spend some time with some friends I have in the field. I enjoy the fact that I can decide when, how and sometimes where to work, with very high flexibility. So, although I'm not changing the world or making millions, it has its small advantages. I just wish I had this kind of a job in a place like Taiwan or China - that would be just perfect.

Having this kind of a job, I have a lot more time to do other things I enjoy. I've mentioned the Asian-studies/culture interest that I can go into, reading lots of papers and discussing the subject with anybody willing to listen to an over-enthusiastic Asiaphile. I try and keep up with studying Chinese, although that's getting a lot harder to maintain - as my lack of practice in everyday life and not having any language-exchange shows on my vocabulary. I do watch the occasional Chinese Mandarin movie and then - after the first run - try to re-run slowly and follow the conversation. Same with my Taiwanese/Chinese music collection and the internet Chinese-language radio stations, but it's not enough. Last week, I even made small posters in Chinese (T & S versions) that I was planning of hanging around town offering language-exchange to my Asian very-hard working brothers I sometimes see around the streets. Like most of my ideas and projects, it takes me a long time to actually do it, but you just wait and see - I'll get there eventually.

More free time also allows me more time to spend with friends and people I've wanted to get to know better. It's nice that I got the chance to meet a few people I was curious about before but never had the time or energy to try and get closer before. I don't say "no" to strange offers as much as I did before and that has brought me to some special places. To give a few recent examples - I've found myself in a "belly dancing" show - where, amazingly, I got to watch my professor's wife "shaking that ass", I visited the magical "Tower of David" at night listening to some unique vocal music, and have done some touring around Jerusalem on foot. I've also had the pleasure of going to numerous new "eating places" with my friends, most of which - I'm sure this wouldn't surprise you - were Asian style oriented (2 Indian/2 Chinese/1 Korean). I like the fact that my friends, after first being a bit surprised and maybe annoyed about my current passion, have changed into joining in and wanting to do things Asian related with me. Something like "if you can't beat them, or understand them, join them".