Sunday, December 16, 2007

the things i will miss


Our lovely house that holds so many special memories
The park of the chateau with its different characters every season
The marche where we buy our fruits and vegetables every Sunday
The fromagerie where we buy the best French cheeses
The boulangerie and its smell of fresh baguette and pastries
French cafes, french food, french wines
The INSEAD campus where we meet people from all over the world
Friends and the wonderful times we spend together
Friends' children whom I have seen grow and grown attached to!
Dinner parties, tea parties and some other more crazy INSEAD parties
Being in this part of the world where there are just so many places around to explore

Less than 3 weeks before we leave. Now that Dino's family are here for the graduation, the end of this chapter seems to be more real than ever before. And it's kind of sad. Needless to say, it has been a phenomenal experience and we can only thank our lucky stars for it!

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

dillema


Now that we have to return to the 'real world' after this extra-ordinary year, I am faced with a dillema that I knew I would sooner or later - shall I go back to work?

I have been so spoilt to have been able to be with Imran in his first year and now it will be difficult for me to commit myself to working and let others have the joy of taking care of him. The thought of not being able to have lunch with him, taking him for activities in the afternoons and seeing that smile on his face when I pick him up from his naps seem almost impossible at times.

On the other hand, it would be nice for me to have something to work on and I do love what I do in terms of work. The problem is the commitment to the long hours and also the stress makes me question if it is worth the sacrifice. I guess it would be good if I can work part-time, but it's difficult to imagine anyone in Malaysia wanting to hire a part-time architect! I could also do something at a smaller scale on my own so that I have more flexibility, but I know that having your own business is even more stressful.

I know this dillema is all very familiar to most mothers. But at the end of the day, a decision has to be made and it is a decision that really affects your life.