I’ve been into my new job for 4 weeks now. I tell you … the KL traffic is crazy!

For my first few days of work, I spent almost 3 hours on the road each day. I felt tired and it affected my mood too. How can I spent 3 hours on the road and wasted all the valuable time?

I started to record each and every journey to and from work … the time I left home, the time I reached office, the time I left office, the time I reached home, the route that I took each day and their distance and duration. I used different route to work too. By now, I’ve figured out the fastest and nearest route from home to office and back home.

For the last 4 weeks, I’ve spent a total of 42 hours 58 minutes on the road for the journey to and from work. That gives an average of 2 hours 16 minutes per day, for the last 19 working days. When I was working in PJ, it took me only half the time.

I’ve also out from home for work, on average, 13 hours 19 minutes each day over the last 19 working days.

On last Tues, 6 Nov 12, I had a BAD day. On the way to work, through the massive traffic, a car hit me while trying to squeeze into my lane. Initially, he pretended ignorance. I wound down my window and told him that he hit my car. We pulled our cars to a nearby petrol station. He and his wife got down from their Honda car and walked to the front to check out their car. Then, they walked towards my car. He blamed it on the heavy traffic. He asked me to go to Campbell where his business was as he had to rush to the market. I told him that’s not convenient for me. Then, he suggested for me to go in the afternoon. I told him “Uncle, I work in an office. It’s not convenient for me to go to Campbell in the afternoon”. Then, he suggested for me to go to Cheras. Hello … it’s enough inconvenience for me as it is, don’t ask me to go here and there. As though I have not spent enough time on the road!

There were several car workshops at the vicinity of the accident place, I suggested to get the car fix there but he told me he just moved into the area and do not know any of the workshop. But, neither do I! The best thing was he suggested that we should share the repair cost equally. This uncle was really testing my patient. I told him “Uncle, you hit my car and why should I share the repair cost?”.

After the whole debate of going here and there, this and that, I was really late for work. Then, I realised my car petrol was running low. I drove to petrol station and stop at one of the kiosk. I got down from the car and walked towards the credit card terminal. Then, I realised that particular kiosk was down. Ok … I got into my car and drove to the kiosk in front. I put in my Amex card and the card was rejected. The station does not accept Amex card!

By the time I reached the open space car park of my office, the car park was full. I told the car park attendant, my car is very tiny, I’m sure you can squeeze me in. He didn’t buy in to my suggestion. He asked me “You want your car to get scratch?”. No, No …  I drove down the road and found another open space car park. The car park was full too. I had no choice but to drive in to shopping complex. I parked and as I got down from my car, all the coins from my wallet came rolling out. Tell me, how worse can a morning be? For that day, I paid the most expensive car park … RM30!

Now, I really cherish the reserved car park provided by my previous employer. Not that I did not cherish it previously but I appreciated the facility and convenient it provided to enable me to concentrate on my work.

My new employer encourages us to have a work life balance. It also allows flexible working hours, inclusive of working from home. As I am still new to the company, there are lots of things for me to learn from my colleagues. I’m hoping to work from home once a week after I’ve settled in.

So, I’m still figuring how to work this out. My aim is to spend lesser time on the road and to be out from home for work for 12 hours maximum. Guess, I have to leave for work earlier, start the work earlier and finish the work earlier too … except for those days that I have work to rush and dateline to meet. 

Today, my sister in-law from US dropped me an email. She asked me how my new job coming along. I haven’t told her the story above. Guess by the time this post is up, she’ll know. 

She told me that she browsed through my blog and see that I am an aspiring writer. She also mentioned that she always admire how I carve out time for everything I want to do in my life despite my busy life.

Actually, what she said is so true. I always carve out time for everything that I wanted to do in my life despite my busy life … I sacrifice on my sleep! Just like what I’m doing know … typing this post rather than going to sleep.  I know sleep is very important to us but it is really challenging for me to find time to sit in front of my computer and type this post.

But, why didn’t she leaves comment on my blog instead? And she’s not the only one. Most of my friends who read my blog prefer to drop me emails than leaving comments on my blog.

I was at my company’s New Employee Orientation the last 2 days and I received this book as welcome gift from the company. 

Yes … I really hope to have the power to change anything. The first thing that I’ll change is to divert all the traffic from KL to PJ! hahaha.

On a more serious note, I hope to go through this new employee probation and journey smoothly. I know this new employer of mine is a good company to work with and I really hope it will work out well … I want it to work out well!

Try if you Fail, but never Fail to Try!