"no use crying over spilled milk"

most of the time, it's not about the milk.

it's about the fact that someone else spilled their milk all over your floor and won't clean it up.

when...

...your office boy doesn't file an important document although you told him to

and doesn't tell you until 4.45pm when you text him

the commissioner for oaths refuses to attest to your client's signature 

because the court registrar has been harassing him

no commissioner for oaths is willing to stay past 5.00pm for your client

you have to go to court at 8.00am tomorrow because of someone else's mistake

you only have a small window of 15 minutes because your client has to be off to Sepang

you walk in the rain to get mixed rice for your grandma because she won't eat anything else

you get back home to find she's moved several items in the home

and you have to move them back

you take in the clothes and fold them

you have a nice dinner and conversation with her thinking she's finally normal

you talk on the phone with your mum for 2 minutes

she's away in KL with Dad 

you've got to do some chores

then you think you might want to get some work done

you even brought some files home

and then your grandma's washing her polystyrene packet in the sink

you take it away from her to throw it away

open the thrash can

to find she's peed into it

and the other one too

you ask her why she did that

she answers, "Do means do already lor"

.

.

.

i think i discovered the true essence of the saying, 

"this is the last straw"

we have an important meeting today

and of course my clerk didn't do the work I told her to do for this meeting.

i'm sick, 

i'm tired, 

i'm sick and tired of straws.

thank God for family, 

the fiance who helped me clean the thrash cans, 

and tonight's birthday cake.

I have GOT to...

I have got to learn to deal with phone calls.

For that matter, I have got to come up with a skema jawapan for the question "Hi, how are you?"

Maybe tell my life story in 100 words or less. Hm.

Why do people ask questions they don't really care to know the answer to anyway?

hairdresser lawyer.

just because lawyers are in the service industry doesn't mean you can treat us like your hairdresser ok.

-_-

Longest sentence in the world

"The respondent did not allege in his statement of claim that there was another breach of duty on the part of Mr. Hilborne or his firm in failing to exercise the care and skill that any reasonably careful competent solicitor would have exercised by advising him that he should be ready able and willing to complete on the terms of the alleged contract of 9th April 1963 whether or not he had signed the alleged contract because it was a reasonable interpretation of the contents of the letter of 20th May 1963 that the vendor would either give vacant possession on completion or was bound to give vacant possession if there was no term in the alleged contract of 9th April 1963 expressly stipulating that the sale was without vacant possession or subject to tenancy."

-- Per Wee Chong Jin CJ in Ke Hilborne v. Tan Tiang Quee; KS Chung v. Tan Tiang Quee


(wonder what it would sound like if he spoke it)

Rule #2 of Legal Practice.

(not that I'm actually already practising, but you get what I mean)

Everyone lies. 

Ok.

Maybe that was a bit cynical.

How 'bout...

Don't believe everything you hear.

Let the documents speak for themselves.

But don't believe everything you read either.

Be prepared for surprises.

Everyone has those clients.

They either tell outright lies, 

hide things because they think they know what they're doing,

think they're telling the truth but aren't, or

think they know but don't.

You can be so convinced of your case one day, and totally undone the next. 

"Surprise!"

Not fun.

Some have met *'bad learned friends', as Chelsea put it.

They either tell outright lies, 

hide things because they know that will win their case, 

teach their clients to lie, 

butter up the judge when everyone's looking, or

stab you in the back when no one is, 

or maybe all of the above.

I used to think - if everyone just played by the rules and seek the truth, the way we're supposed to, then we can be proud of our legal system. And maybe people will stop telling lawyer jokes. (ok, this one is a bit far-fetched)

But now I think - Ok, people are not going to play by the rules. So what do I do?

I do occasionally come across lawyers who wear integrity underneath their robes. It's refreshing, really, to be able to look at a lawyer in court and not have to worry that he's lying through his teeth.

It's also refreshing to meet clients who prove that they are honest people making a genuine claim in court.

It's refreshing to not have to stop myself from saying, 

"Yeah, right," 

"Yeah, whatever you say," 

"Yeah. Idiot."

It can be quite confusing sometimes, to be skeptical at work, five days a week, then go to church and trust. Trust that I can trust my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Trust that I can trust.

I think that's why it's important to trust Him day after day. 

Not just after TGIF Day and before Blue Monday, 

but every day of the week, 

from Blue Monday to Blue Monday.

It's easier to trust that way.

Because in the midst of all the untrustworthy people I meet everyday, there is one who remains steadfast, come what may.

*Lawyers refer to opponents as 'learned friends' in court.

strength for today, bright hope for tomorrow.

Great is Your faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with You
You change not, Your compassions, they fail not
As You have been, You forever will be.

Great is Your faithfulness!
Great is Your faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, Your hand has provided
Great is Your faithfulness, Lord, to me

Pardon for sin and a peace that endures
Your own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine
With ten thousand beside!

sharp.

Some people are very sharp with their words.

*dramatic ouch gesture*

Good time to practise humility and grace.

Practice makes perfect.

some clients.

A: "What's the status of Agreement X? I asked you a month ago."

B: "Sorry, my boss hasn't gotten back to me. I'll get back to you later. By the way, what's the status of Agreement Y? I sent it to you 2 months ago."

A: "Oh, that one is still pending. My boss hasn't gotten back to me."

*after 30 minutes*

A: "What's the status of Agreement X?"

B: "Hey Mr A. My boss still hasn't gotten back to me."

A: "You didn't call your clients to ask ah???? I've waited for months!!!"


Pot calling kettle black in loud whiny voice.

So annoying.

out of context.

One gets so tired trying to correct people who keep taking things out of context.

May be a futile exercise, since one's correction may also be taken out of context.

Why does one do this to oneself?

(public: "Who on earth is this 'one'????")

Nursery rhyme.

If the Hole-Puncher just did things right the first time, 

the Paper-Arranger wouldn't have to exist.

*to a tune yet to be concocted*

If you've worked in an office with shelves and shelves of files,
you know what I mean.

Unless, of course, you've been a Hole-Puncher your whole life.

Just yesterday, I was playing the nursery-rhymey Paper-Arranger. Today, I punched two slightly misaligned holes as a Hole-Puncher. 

And I thought, "Ah. It happens."

And I didn't proceed to punch better holes.

You know,

Everybody gets to be a Hole-Puncher at some point of their lives. And everyone has been a bad Hole-Puncher at some point. But not everyone gets to be a Paper-Arranger. 

Because to be a Paper-Arranger, you need to care enough to brave the bad holes that will make the simple act of putting every document back in place very difficult.

I'm glad that Someone cared enough to be the Good Paper-Arranger in the life of this Hole-Puncher.

On days when I think extraordinarily high of myself, I will remember this nursery rhyme:

If the Hole-Puncher just did things right the first time, 

the Paper-Arranger wouldn't have to exist.

And on days when someone makes me think extraordinarily low thoughts about myself, I will remember this nursery rhyme:

If the Hole-Puncher just did things right the first time, 

the Paper-Arranger wouldn't have to exist.

why the same nursery rhyme rebukes and comforts at the same time is another discussion for another day.

Rule #1 of Legal Practice

DO NOT tell your client he has a good case.

If you accidentally make that statement, QUALIFY it.

He may have a good case, but bad opponents. 

Makes all the difference.