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.