Long time no see everyone
Had been really really busy with work. Was even down with flu and had to miss some watch events and put aeroplane to some of the bros here. really very pai sey...... In the past week something happened which I thought I'd share. Really exhausted from work here so pardon me for the lousy story telling.
In my work I have interns. This particular young man was assigned to me (he was awaiting enlistment) and I have been most impressed with him. Extremely high IQ and EQ, and most of all he was very very humble. One thing bugged me though - he would leave the office right on the dot (never go out with us) and would spend his lunch sleeping in the office most of the time.
You probably guessed it; he was born into poverty. He would leave the office right on time to go for his next job which would only end close to midnight (better not reveal too much here). Both parents are sick and unemployed; and he has a number of siblings. The consolation is that all siblings are doing very well in top JCs (all on financial aid), and he and an older brother are working to support the family. When I brought the interns out with me to do charity work on weekends he would always be the one putting in the most effort and enthusiasm.
I was chatting with my wife about this fine young man when I felt like buying him a G-shock for his NS. My G-shock served me very well during my NS and I felt he should have one too. When I was trying to find out more about his family I realized he was surfing the net looking at Seiko divers. So I showed him my photobucket album and he was mesmerized by my Seiko white mini monster (yes the one I bought from Gaoxing for my cousin but ended up as mine). He asked if he could buy it because he cannot afford a brand new one, so I told him just pay what he was comfortable with, and he said $90 without the bracelet.
I brought them out for supper. He told me he had never eaten kway chup before so I ordered the biggest share of kway chup for him until his eyes popped out hahahaha......Then I gave him the watch, and I told him the bracelet was free-of-charge. His eyes were gleaming like a little boy receiving his dream toy and then he dug out from his wallet the $90 to pay me.
I think at this point everyone here would have done what I did - I refused his payment.
I told him he deserves it and I'm very happy the watch has found an owner who loves it much more than I do. I also told him his family needs the $90 for his parents' medical bill so the watch is a gift from me to him because I saw my younger self in him, and how I worked hard to pull myself out of poverty.
His eyes were wet, and he kept thanking me profusely. He promised to pay me once he gets his next pay check but I told him to only pay me the money when he earns his first million dollars. He's got tremendous potential; I am very certain he will make it.
I think it's amazing how much joy (and probably inspiration) we can bring into a person's life if we just be a little more observant and caring. I think tonight we will both sleep with smiles on our faces, but my smile will definitely be bigger than his.
Goodbye, white mini monster. Glad that you have found a new and more loving owner
