When Worlds Collide

Client meeting again last night which ended at 3am for me. As usual, the room was dominated by Americans and there were only 3 locals around. It's a strange sight. The expats keep on blabbing incessantly while the locals are quiet. Of course, we talk when it's time for us to talk - no sense in just speaking for the sake of speaking - which the expats think is an indicia of our intelligence or ability to comprehend complex issues. Fallacious if you ask me.

I've heard that they've referred to us as "monkeys" behind our back while we've referred to them as "stupid". However, when we face each other, we are the most decent and civil bunch of folks you might ever encounter. There you have it. Bigotry at its most deceptive, carefully hidden by our more lofty business objectives.

I've been thinking about our expat VP. Last night, while he was giving the presentation, he was at half-mast, hahaha. I thought it was kinda weird but I couldn't very well much ignore it since I could see his profile most of the time. I don't remember him being like that before. Did he find giving client preps erotic? haha. Or maybe it was because of residual viagra? He married a local, you know. I've seen their pics and she doesn't look like she comes from the best of families (as far the social strata in my country is concerned). She looks pretty with make-up and is reed thin but that's about it. Nothing great but probably an expat's dream. I just wondered how it was that he was able to fall in love with someone else when he seems so cold, unfeeling and professional. Then again, with the way I have to be to survive in the office jungle, he must probably think the same thing of me.

My relatives from the US arrived already. They're here because they're attending my sister's wedding which is in the next couple of weeks. Dad and I took them out to lunch. My dad and I aren't on the best of terms. Suffice it to say that we aren't speaking on the issues that we disagree on and that's practically everything. Ever since he lost the election, he's been spiralling down this path of self-destruction that seems mostly passive-aggressive. In other words, he's refusing to pick himself up even if the world of those he loves around him comes tumbling down.

So while our visitors our here, my dad is bent on making things look like they're in tip-top shape. The charade begins. Lah dee dah.

Vegging Out on a Weekend

Work during the week is so frazzled that it makes me exhausted. Although I usually plan to get backlog done during the weekend, I rarely get to do it. Take this Saturday for instance. Even if I had a long list of errands to run, writing to do, emails to reply to and what not, I couldn't bring myself to do any of those. For one thing, I'm just plain exhausted.

Case in point. I took a nap this afternoon that lasted for 5 freaking hours. hahaha. So there. My body clock is warped again and here I am awake at 3am, blogging while watching a late night/early morning movie on cable.

My regular masseuse couldn't be contacted since Friday and that sucks. So I had someone else come in because I was literally catatonic from exhaustion. It was good too although it costs a bit more.

I really wish that I didn't have to work anymore and still live a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle. Well, I guess that's probably on everyone's wish list. This whole retirement and rest thing is all lopsided in my view. The way things are now is that you work your butt off when you're young and when you get to 60 or 65, you get to retire and travel around the world. How do you get to enjoy that when you're already frail and don't have the energy to hop, skip, jump or ride the rapids?

If I were given the power to change things, I would reverse the whole thing. Give the young ones enough money for an excellent education and the money to travel and have great adventures as well. Then, when that runs out, that's when they have to work because old people often have to figure out what to do with their time anyway. They can also play a big hand in raising kids because they would have the wisdom and experience to impart.

It's a pretty loose construction of my version of yuppie utopia. But then again, we can all dream, can't we?

I Think I'm Paranoid

Okay, maybe I've got a persecution complex of sorts. But really, you kinda get that way when you're not sure whether or not anyone's watching your back.

My conspiracy theory sort of broke down. Today N approached me and told me that she had no choice but to stay in the meeting because she was asked to give her perspective on Operations. She told me everything that went on in the meeting and didn't seem to be hiding anything from me. Well, that's good. One notch up the ladder of trust.

Then I got to talk to E whom I also thought was conspiring to leap up the corporate ladder behind my back. Turns out that his suggestions of alternative suppliers were made in good faith. He also said that I really got a good deal on my notebook. Actually, I was so afraid that he would prick my bubble because if there's anyone who knows anything at all about techie stuff, it would be him. He said that he would trade his laptop with mine any day. Of course, we both know that that's not happening, haha.

Weird thing happening in the office. There's a reorganization of sorts and I honestly feel that it's to his disadvantage that L will be gone for a month. Not a good time to be gone, really. But it seems that although M, the big boss, has been disappointed with him time and again, M is really a patient person and wants to give the guy a chance. Truthfully, M is the reason why I haven't jumped ship. Not everyone has the privilege of working with an understanding boss. Although his standards for service levels don't take a dip, he's pretty cool.

On the mundane side, the batteries in my car died. Had to buy a new one all because I didn't know that these things had a lifespan. Really, they should have crash courses on car maintenance for females. It's a good thing that I live in a country where there's a mechanic (or someone purporting to be one) in every corner. In this side of the world, damsels in distress still exist and knights in shining armors are a dime a dozen. Thank God for that.