Free

I was packing up some boxes when I found my Visual Basic CD stacked underneath a pile of novellas and magazines. I had been freelancing on and off as a programmer since my Poly days though there hadn't been any decent clients in the last few years. I did get a couple of contracts from SME's and what they mainly wanted was small applications that serves to help generate reports and basically help with data management. The money wasn't good. I did program in C++ and Java to a certain extent but given the pro-Windows environment in Singapore, anything that runs is good enough so I stuck with VB for most of my tasks.

I had also freelanced as a web designer but this was even worse. The measly few "clients" I attracted were friends that needed a sprucing of their blogs or game sites where I got a simple dinner in return (a couple were at Mac's). I had one real client though. My final year lecturer back in Temasek Polytechnic was asking around for help on setting up a web site for an adminstrative project that he is undertaking and I got the deal simply because I was beside him when he mentioned it. He liked what I did and one thing led to another and I began designing my department's website which then started to spill over. In the end I had to help with the Business faculty's entire site and with so much on my hands I had to outsource (its a rising buzzword then) a site (or was it 2?) to him. Lucky he wasn't in my department, else I might lose my deal to him. His stuff simply kicks ass.

A friend had commented that its so characteristic of me, to dabble in freelancing not because I don't have the time, but because I don't want to be encumbered.

She's right.

I want to be free.