I was…. “24”

NOPE. i wont rant about my supposed marrying age. But YEAH. This has something to do with that highly-acclaimed TV series 24 penned by the great Joel Surnow & Robert Cochran, acted by the caliber Kiefer Sutherland & Co. Oh, thanks guys for the sleepless nites. My eyeball’s been wanting to jerk out of its socket because of you. Zombie me. :(

Anyways, after spending unhealthy wee hours watching the dynamic pilot season last week, I've finally found a new program to addict my couch-potato self again, and a new one to potentially dethrone my all-time fave’ “sharpen the toothbrush” PrisonBreak (of Wentworth Miller) and the rich-in-Kryptonite SmallVille (of Tom Welling). 24’s dramatic use of split screen with running clock has turned the plot more gripping and connecting. No doubt for it scoring an early Emmy & Golden Globe.

But this item is not about reviewing/praising the mind-blowing series. This is more about my one suspenseful day at work [happened between 9 am to 4 pm yesterday], kinda’ reminding me of the action-filled tension this 24 injected each time I played my dvd copy of the same ("Capt Jack Sparrow" version, to confess). :)

In a nutshell, our business lines (telephone, mobile & internet) was out-of-the-blue, disconnected by the "ever-reliable" Etisalat – the country’s first & major telecommunication provider who I thought, was done with the Public Holiday. Badly enough, the DC verdict by the telecom-chief was too prompt – as fast as the speeding bullet, I should say.

So the bean counter in-charge with monthly invoicing, I WAS, THEREFORE, the very one to be HELD LIABLE – and to be BOMBARDED by my "accepting" superiors and co-subordinates if something went wrong w/ the lines. Hence, I saw myself a hapless double of CTU Agent Jack Bauer (Kieffer S). – dodging nasty gun shots and making life or death decision in between scenes of terrorism. Not literally though.

Along dodging came countering. For a legit customer like our Company who normally pay a hefty amount of Dhs 50 thou (or a staggering half-a-million Pesos); and for an Accountant like yours truly who pushes the cheque-payment on-time (even ahead) to avoid this cutting-incident to happen, - I guess I dont deserved untoward screwing by excellent-at-mayhem people in the Office - whose heartbeat too would stop once this freaking computer & phones ceases due to Office'-in-power's machine error, nay, incompetence.? Oh pls don't mistaken me for being defensive, i'm just explaining my side by stating the facts. Beside, its my salary appraisal in-stake.
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After my shameless follow-up and heavy bargaining with the concerned customer service and their not-in-the-seat Managers, came relief. And nothing gladdens my sanity than saving my job and seeing my Bosses and jolly-not-so good fellows enjoying their "toys and gadgets" [aka as computers and phones] again. Moral Lesson?: Sure there will always road humps to cross, hills of trials to scale - all big and small. There are times we dont know what to do or where to go. My naughty, but fatherly-professor in college once says, "don't jump-off the bridge, there are number of ways to oppose life's mounting pressures and challenges, he added". These three, he shared :

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1. Stay safe and alive as possible. HANG-ON!

2. Remember that loss too will come to pass. BREATH!

3. One way to reach a Goal is to move.... FORWARD!

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"Yesterday was the longest day of my foreign work-life". How about you, how was your 24?