Thursday, September 24, 2015

4 Conditions

This is a story about a friend of mine, as requested by him, let say his name is Denny :-P

Denny was in the middle of pursuing this girl. Everything was good and he liked her. So, one day he told her he loved her, and would like her to be his girlfriend. To his surprise, the girl told him, "Are you sure you want to be my boyfriend? You better think again carefully". Denny's face was like 0__0

The girl then told him, I have 4 conditions if you want me to be your girlfriend:

1. We won't date for too long. I'm not young anymore. We'll see how we go, and if it works, then we'll get married within a year.

Denny was surprised, but he thought, a year... It's ok, a year it's ok, if it works we'll get married. I'm at marriageable age anyway.

2. My boyfriend needs to have a house.

Denny said ok to this one too. He doesn't have a house yet, but he could get mortgage. This condition was accepted too.

3. My mum would have to live with us forever after we got married.

Hmmm.. Denny thought about this. This one was a bit tough. But Denny is a good guy and as long as it's reasonable enough, he wouldn't mind things. The girl's dad had passed away, and she's the only child, so it was reasonable enough to ask for this. So, Denny said yes to this too.

4. Your parents cannot live with us.

*thunder strikes* Denny was stunned 0_0 what? My parents cannot live with us but yours has to? This was a very tough one.

Denny said, "Hmm... That's pretty hard, I will need to think about it first".

The girl said to him, yeah, I've stated my conditions. You better think about it carefully and then let me know if you still want to go ahead.

When Denny told me this story, he said, "This is the only time I asked a girl out, and I'm the one who has to take time to think about it!!"

Denny then thought for a few days. The only think that was the issue is point 4. His parents wouldn't be able to stay permanently with him. But her mum had to. After much thought, he decided not to go ahead with this girl. He felt that it's really selfish of her to ask for her mum to stay forever with them, but his parents could not. If there is no condition number 4, he would have gone ahead.

So he told the girl that he's not after her anymore.



Monday, September 21, 2015

The Goodness in Our Company - Importance of Responding to Customers

I might have not mentioned the good things that our company does very often, but as annoying and special Superexcited is, he does have the customers' best interests in his mind and we do deliver very good customer service.

I noticed this many times before. Not just when I'm in Australia, but also in Indonesia. The first thing is the importance of keeping the customer informed of the progress. He always stresses to get back to the customer and tell them that we're onto it, or we still don't know what happens but our IT is looking at it, or it's fixed and they can use it again. He makes a point that it's ok we still don't know or still working on it, but make sure the customer knows we are looking after them.

Few weeks ago I received a letter from my lending bank, telling me the loan interest has increased. I remembered my broker mentioned about it weeks before I received the letter, and she said it shouldn't affect me, but she would check again. She never got back to me, so I thought all was good. So, on Monday I sent her a message asking if the interests really have increased. No response. On Thursday I gave her a call, once she picked up, she straight away said, "Oh, did your interest rate increase? Can you please send me this and that documents to me? I will renegotiate with them". Notice how she knew what I was looking for but didn't bother to respond? I sent her the documents via email on Friday.

I haven't heard anything from her since then. Today is Monday, I sent her those 2 Fridays ago. She didn't acknowledge the receipt of those docs too (she only acknowledged it once throughout our business together).

I remember long time ago Superexcited scolded Miss Nice to the verge of crying because she didn't email the customer that we would look at the issue he/she found within 6 hours of receipt. Honestly, that time I thought it was too much. I thought it was not even a day, and it's not that the issue has been fixed. But now I know, it's more than just being told it's fixed, it's to know that it would be fixed and that our wait doesn't go in vain. Afterall once time flies, it's gone and won't come back. So we know we're not wasting our time waiting.

So for that, I give Superexcited a credit :))

There are other good thing he forces, but I will talk about it later :)

Have a great week ahead guys!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

When Someone Quits and Superexcited Doesn't Like It

This story actually happened long time ago when Superexcited lagi kumat a.k.a needed his dose of medicine. Have put off writing it all these time coz everytime I think about it, I feel bad to this ex-colleague.

Once upon a time, there was an employee named Schwarzenegger. He was a great employee, but he wasn't happy in the office for a number of reasons. Please keep in mind that this happen when Superexcited was playing up, so a lot of things were just what the.... So Schwarzenegger didn't like it.

Micromanaging is one of the things he didn't like. At that time, every single day we had morning meeting within IT department and we had to say every single thing we did the previous day and what we needed to do on the day. Plus, have we used up the budgeted hour for that task? If yes, why? Why did you spend that much time for it? Explain.

That time was also the start of our keeping time every day. As it was very new, creamer was very... Annoying. Checking if everyone's done it yesterday, has everyone entered 7.5? If not, why did you only enter 6 hours? Because that day I had diarrhea and been running to the toilet every 5 minutes. All those kinds of things. Basically you were questioned about every minutes you were in the office. Thinking back, I wonder why didn't I escape back then.

Also, trainings. Have I told you about out company 'training'? I don't like putting things in quotes unless it really deserves to be quoted. Our training is not like other companies training where the company hires external company to give training to their employees, and also not sending the employees to some places out there to attend seminars or courses. Nope. Our training is 99% internal training, meaning Superexcited prepares a presentation with some 'lucky' employees about business related topics.

Yes. Business topics. But your department is IT?? Yep. My point exactly. Superexcited always argues that anybody in the company needs to attend because it's 'related' to the work we do. Okay... But what about FBT? What about how to write good electronic direct marketing? Well he wants everyone there, so he gets everyone there. Including the accountants and designers. Do we ever get IT training? Yes, probably 2 out of 100 trainings. And do the non-IT department staff attend it? They only attended 1 and they all put the same look IT people look when we have to attend those 'trainings'. Now you know how it feels. But only once and that's it. Superexcited only attended once too. How unfair.

Those 2 were the main things that made Schwarzenegger left. He couldn't stand to keep track of how many minutes he spent going to the toilet, how long did he go to kitchen to get water and why did he spend 2 hours looking at bugs. He felt trapped and he felt that he was at school. I did too. Everyone in the company would agree too (Again how did I manage to keep on going that time?? I really am tough!). Plus Superexcited talked a LOT that time. Monologues. Did we enjoy it? Nope. Could we not agree with bkn? Do you want to die? I think you get the idea. Everybody really just sat there listening (into one ear, out of the other) and nodded (i didn't if I didn't agree).
Schwarzenegger too wasn't happy had to listen to all that.

But what really pushed him over the edge was the lunch time trainings. We started having trainings during lunch. We could bring our food in, but only sandwiches. No hot food. Come on, most of our lunches are hot food. And, lunchtime trainings mean we don't have lunch break really. They said the trainings are half hours. The one I attended took 45 minutes. Did we get extra break? Nope.

We had a big argument during our morning meeting. Schwarzenegger argued that working 8 hours a day with practically no break is not healthy. We think all day. We need to have an hour break to clear our mind and to be productive. Creamer responded, how many lunchtime trainings did we have? 1. And how many did you attend? 0. And he had a go at him for not attending instead of addressing the real issue.

True it was only the first one, but one would lead to another and by the time there have been a LOT, they will say well nobody complained? Why complain now? Plus, that time we had morning training every 2 weeks!! When I joined, they said it's once every 6 weeks. Not during this bloody period.

Nobody else supported Schwarzenegger's argument except me and Marico. Later on, he thanked me for backing him up in that argument. He was disappointed by the guys in their lunch group, during lunches they all complained about the same thing. But during the argument they didn't say anything. That time I was so fed up that I didn't care even if I was fired. Creamer was also a new manager, so he was really not a good manager. He agreed to anything Superexcited said. Enough said.

So the after that meeting, he resigned. I was very surprised. He was looking for houses and he didn't have a new job yet. But he couldn't stand it anymore and resigned. He gave 1 month notice. He didn't do anything wrong. 1 month is the agreed notice required per the contract. However, well... You know how Superexcited is, don't you? He was so angry about him leaving, about how much we have trained him and he just leaves, about the 1 month notice itself, that he was supposed to tell them first that he was THINKING to leave, that he believed Schwarzenegger's got a new job already, blah blah blah... and he told Creamer to make sure to give A LOT of work this 1 month! IMHO, that's stupid man, what if you give him a LOT of work, and he did it all terribly or made it so complicated? Who's going to cop it? US! It's not against the law to make your code unreadable or unmanageable, you can't sue him for it!

During that 1 month, Superexcited NEVER EVER talked to Schwarzenegger. He told Creamer, to tell Schwarzenegger not to attend the Friday morning meeting again and instead work in the other area. He wasn't allowed to attend the training session too. But tell you what? Pretty much everybody kinda envied him for not needing to attend those anymore XP

Oh, and when we had drinks next door, he wasn't invited. This was how it went:
Slitherin, Schwarzenegger, and Creamer were talking about work in the hallway when Superexcited came to them. Superexcited then came in between Schwarzenegger and the 2 guys, then asked,
Superexcited: "Slitherin, are you coming for a drink?"
Slitherin: "Yeah"
Superexcited: "Creamer, are you coming for the drinks?"
Creamer: "yes"
Superexcited: "Ok! See you soon!"
And he left. He behaved like Schwarzenegger did not exist. Funny eh?

However the worst came on Schwarzenegger's last day. He went to the bosses to say goodbye. Lao San was sad to see him go, but wished him well. Poker Face wished him well and told him to return the book Schwarzenegger's borrowed whenever he's done with it. Schwarzenegger knew Superexcited hated him, but he was being polite, he couldn't just say goodbye to the 2 but not him, so off he went. In Schwarzenegger's words, "It was the worst 30 minutes conversation in my life."

Superexcited said he couldn't wish him well. He was disappointed that he left. He's given him everything and he just left (that's his trademark line. Though usually we don't know exactly what he has given :l) and blah blah blah... Long story short it was AWFUL. Our receptionist was passing by when they had the conversation and she was like, "It's awful. You don't want to hear what he's saying to him. I feel sorry for him".

So that's my friends, what happens when you leave and he doesn't like it.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Big News!!

Or, Big Newsoooo!!! XD that's how Soo In Woo said it in Prosecutor Princess :p

I almost missed my massage appointment because of this news! Guess what?? Few days ago, Little Miss Nice just told me, Creamer a.k.a my manager, ASKED HER OUT!!!! 0___0 my jaw literally dropped when I heard that! I could only say what? How? When??? And, did you say....? She was like say what? I said, did you say yes?? To which she replied, "Of course NOT!!". And I took a breathe of relief lol.

Apparently about 2 weeks ago, Creamer took her to one of the meeting rooms in the office and asked if she wanted to go out for drinks some time? She played dumb and said, "Oh, I'm going out with the guys tonight after work!". He then said, "No, I mean next week or the week after maybe?" Little Miss Nice kept playing dumb until Creamer explained that he was actually asking her out.

Little Miss Nice said no, saying she was kinda seeing someone. Creamer then gave her this look that say really? Are you serious? You don't have a boyfriend! She then said, "Really, I don't tell people at work, but that doesn't mean I am not seeing anyone!".

Oh man... That was a big news. Creamer actually asked Miss Blondie out a while back, which I don't know true or not, but some people heard that too. And I just knew that another guy from work asked Miss Blondie out too before 0_0 that's news...

Actually, within our VIP group (I named the group lol), some time last year we were gossiping about Little Miss Nice and Creamer. Me as dense and insensitive as I usually am on this kind of thing, didn't notice much apart from the fact that their work related talks at Creamer's desk is getting more and more often and longer and longer. Plus the whisperings. However, Water Tap and Slitherin noticed how Creamer stepped back and gave way so Little Miss Nice could come into kitchen when he was leaving the kitchen. Mind you, that kind of chivalry wasn't shown to me! Oh gosh, wished I kept those whatsapp messages during that period! Damn! -_-

I did notice though, just before I went on my holiday, they became really close. And I thought damn, they are becoming a couple, I can't complain about him to her anymore now! But Water Tap didn't agree though, saying last year was obvious he was flirting, but this year is more like close friends rather than flirting. Also, Water Tap recalled, on our catch up drink with former colleagues, Creamer said he was kinda seeing someone from Tinder. Hmm...

Little Miss Nice agreed, saying yeah last year she noticed it, especially during Christmas party where he kept playing with her hat. Yeah that was a bit Errr... And she said, he didn't use to come to Friday drinks with the guys, but then he started going (I've never been to those drinks unless company pays for it XD). She said, at the beginning she thought he's trying to fit in as he doesn't have a group he belongs to. Everyone in the company sort of has their own little groups, I.e. the Indian goes to lunch together, the other department has lunch groups etc, while he doesn't, really. A bit of commercial break, I do get along well with the Asians, but I don't think I belong to any groups too. I have closer friends in different parts of the company, which is good I think.

Anyway, about the drinks. She said Creamer kept joining the conversation where she was in. AND, regardless of who was talking, he kept staring at... HER! XD she felt so awkward, it's not her who was talking! Look at the person talking!!

Oh, another thing, in the middle of that conversation where Creamer asked her out, they were interrupted. Little Miss Nice changed the subject straight away. She said, "It was SOOOOO AWKWARD when he walked in!! Because he ASKED ME OUT too earlier!!!". Wow.... 0___0 that's really my face when I heard it 0_0 I could only say "Oh..My..God". Previously, I asked her if the girls knew about this, and what did they say? She said, "They said they are glad it's not them". That's exactly what I thought when I heard about the other guy .____.

I haven't named the other guy, but Little Missy calls him Da Sha Bi.

So? What do you think? Big news eh? I know this post will entertain at least one of you XD it did entertain my bestie and family lol