Make Me Believe

When I was in Form 1, I was given by someone an empty pocket size phone list issued by Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. I used to keep a list of my friends phone numbers, my father's office number, my relatives numbers and many known people numbers. I always keep it in my wallet. I still remember how it looks like, a folded type. Small and easy to carry around. The phone list stays with me until my university years and few years later. I can't remember when I lost it. Little that I knew at that time, my fate ia going to be with the same organisation until today. 29 years ago, I received a phone call from the bank, calling for an interview. The interview consist of a aptitude exam and face to face interview. I don't even have any clue how's the interview will be. I've been attending a few interviews before. The first one was for the university admission. The second was for my scholarship. Both I managed to nail it. The third one was with an oil and gas company, also I nailed it. The forth was with the air force, got the enrollment but I rejected it. So this ia my fifth. I wasn't expected any surprises in this interview as I feel very normal and being myself and honest with my answer. Even when the interviewer ask of my expected salary, I gave them a very low figure making them asking why I put down that figure in my answer but I also nailed it. I landed into the job.

I remember the day I was asked to go for medical check up before reporting for duty. I rode my father's motorbike to a clinic in Padungan. After completing the check up, on the way home, I got a flat tyre just in front of MBKS swimming pool. I have to push my bike to the nearest workshop but without money in my pocket, I have to walk all the way to Satok to withdraw from Bank Bumiputra. During that time, there's no such thing as MEPS system. No handphone. No where to get help. Then I have to walk back to Padungan to fix my tyre. Such a tragedy.

1st day at work, I always thought banking is all about counting money. It is not. There's many more things that banking line will provide. There's administration job, lending job, cheque processing job, import export, customer services, even office assistant job. Not all about physical cash note. The job assigned to me was correspondence job. Which means, I am handling letters in and out and also telephone operator. To say it is not important is very understatement. Mails are very essential to banking during that time. Most of the communication in the 90's is via mail and telephone. If it involve international communication, telex was used.

I worked in the correspondence section, part of administration department, for almost 2 years. Then I moved to operations department, various sections from cheques, cash to telegraphic transfer, time deposits, controls, account opening and many more. Then I venture upward into sales, backrooms and until now, customer service.

29 years is not a short period of time. The confident level must be very high as everyday is a new day. I have went through so many ups and downs in the journey and it is sad if I have to leave it now. So, I stay. At my age, what more do I want in life and what more can I do? I have everything. House, vehicles, family, children. There no more desire to climb the ladder. Just let it be. I am happy with my life now. No stress. No pressure. No burden.

Just live life free. Adios