To dream jobs and no babies
26 Oct
Today I signed my offer with The Consulting Firm and mailed it. I received the offer package a couple days ago but I waited until my parents had a chance to review it before accepting it. Obviously, they were thrilled. I will be making more money than they had ever hoped for, certainly enough to be fully financially independent. In spite of the excessively expensive housing prices in Singapore, I can afford my own place in a condo in the city and still have disposable income to spare. It is a dream come true in every way.
I have only ten months standing between me and the next phase of my life, six of which is to be spent in school. I hope to travel for the other four months – perhaps to Europe with some friends, definitely to China to see my ailing grandmother.
Yesterday, I met WAF in The City for some shopping and dining. Although she was happy to hear my news, she was preoccupied with her own.
“I might be pregnant!” She hissed at me through the racks of a particularly tacky store.
“What?”
“I don’t know, my body has been acting weird lately.” She proceeded to describe to me just exactly how her body was acting “weird.”
“Have you missed your period?” I asked.
“No, I have it in a week.”
“So, it’s not for certain. It could just be your paranoia. Why don’t you take a test?”
“I don’t think I want to know.”
We dropped the subject as we continued shopping. Over dinner, I approached the matter again.
“I don’t know how you could not know. I mean, if you’re not, then you don’t have to worry.”
“But what if I am?”
“Even if you are, it’s not like you don’t have options. It’s not like it would be outside of your control.”
“If I am, should I tell him? But which one should I tell?” She had had unprotected sex with two different men on two consecutive nights a few weeks ago. Believe me, I work very hard at not judging.
“If it doesn’t make a difference to your decision, then I’m not sure you need to. But you may not even have to worry about that if you just take the test.”
She finally agreed that she wanted to know, and she wanted to know while I was there. So near the end of dinner, I slipped out and bought her a pregnancy test and she took it in the bathroom. She was testing a few days earlier than the test recommends, so the results are not necessarily conclusive, but either way, it came out negative.
“Phew,” she said, when she finally came out of the bathroom. She’d have to take the test again closer to her period, but at least for now, she was comforted. We decided we needed to celebrate – my job offer and her non-pregnancy – so we went to a swanky bar on the 51st floor of a building that overlooked the entire city.
“Cheers,” I said, raising my glass.
“What are we toasting to?” she asked.
“To dream jobs.”
“And no babies,” she added.
“Cheers,” and we clinked glasses.
As we sat outside on the wrap-around balcony, sipping champagne, and admiring the city lights, I silently took a snapshot of the view and vowed to remember it. For all my yearnings to get away, I still loved this city. It was beautiful and familiar and welcoming. It was the city I grew up in, the city that taught me about love and heartache and friendship. It was home.
“I’m going to miss this place,” I said, to no one in particular, and raised my glass as a toast to The City before I finished the champagne. Goodbye, Toronto.
OMG CONGRATULATIONS! That’s great news :)
Wow, you’re leaving for Singapore. Next year, I presume. It’s exciting, but it must be a bit scary as well; it’s like starting your life anew but in a different place. I’d be terrified but rearing to go.
Ohhh, I had a scare like that once. Not that I had unprotected sex with a random guy, but I was freaking out for a month while my boyfriend remained calm. Haha.
I hope you’ll keep blogging when you leave :)
Hurrah! I’m so ecstatic for you.
I would love to go to Singapore & live there. But I think I’ll have to settle for Sweden for the time being (8 months to go).
You’re going to Sweden?? That’s awesome! Is it to work? Study?
More like Masters Program. Hopefully I’ll get it.
Good luck! I hope you get it!
Are you graduating this year?
Congratulations! This is such an amazing opportunity!
Also happy for your friend. Pregnancy scares are, well, scary.
You have such a wonderful way of preserving tiny, happy moments. Again, so thrilled for you!!<3
Ugghhh I hate such scares. They can be so draining.
Oh whooooo a condo! You must be making big bucks then! Good for you, coz shopping in Singapore can get crazy at times. ahahhahaha.
Really? Well I am holding off on shopping too much here so that I can shop over there. Plus I don’t want to have to bring over a lot of stuff. Hehe.
It’s all becoming real!!!!
:) I am so excited. I cannot wait for pictures of Singapore
I want to visit the country next year
Sometimes, it still feels a little surreal but at the same time, I can’t wait! I wish I could go right now!
Will definitely take lots of pictures, don’t you worry :)
Wow, you are an incredible writer, first and foremost. You have a nice way of painting a picture with words and keep a nice flow of reading. :)
That’s good news for your friend and great news on your dream job, too! Sounds like life is being great to you right now! :)
-M.
Thank you, I’m so flattered!
Right now, it all feels very surreal. A few weeks ago, my life was in the gutters. A few months from now, I will be living the dream. I guess it won’t really hit me until the dream starts to become reality. I can’t wait.