Day 1: Stranger, Day 120: A Friend

My Tao-K got a gal from head office to singapore office to work in my dept on 8 aug 2004. In my mind, I was thinking "oh yet another one from head office...she will be here for 3-4mth and she will be gone..." 4 months down the road, she has indeed gone back. However, never in my mind, did I ever thought that I have made a good friend.

As I say my good-bye to her yest at the airport, where she heads back to a place she calls home, I see a colleague whom have somehow become a good friend to me. Even as connected this world is now, I can't help but feel a sense of sadness as I wave her good-bye.....

Tight-ass,if you ever get to read this, I thank you for being my friend!

How an Big-Ass drove me up to the Wall - Part 1

This is a long overdue blog which i wrote a few weeks ago letting my frustration out which I nv got down to posting it till today.. even while read it again.. I can see see how pissed off I was....this how the story went....
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The past 5 days has probably prove to be my melting point.. considering that I have officially worked where I am for 6 mths, you would have thought you got things sorted out, know how things are run and know what "buttons" to press to get things and ignore things which you just been bugging you.

Unforunately for me, I was absolutely wrong. My Tao-K aka boss decided to hire a Load of Bullshit (aka consultants) to come lighten workload on the pretext that my colleague Patient J (PJ) was bottleneck of the workflow process (actually also to give my boss abit more breathing space).

On that fateful mon morning, I had 2 new arrivers. A colleague transfer from another office(MC) and Load of Bullshit (aka Big-Ass as I affectionally call now).

Upon her arrival, Big-Ass had the privilege of having a private conversation with Tao-K, since Tao-K does wanna offload right.So, I have to sort out MC's stuff. This guys kinda put me on the bad track for the week when he keep asking me about his laptop setup which I had repeating told MC that I have reported his case to the ever friendly Helpdesk.. even when I go to pantry to get my usual dose of drink for the day. MC just don't give me some breathing space.

Now, we have Big-Ass coming to me.As number of PCs/laptop are limited, Big-Ass didn't have luxury of hving one but one was ordered and was in process. There Big-Ass suggested that she could dial out to her company and retrieve mails if people send it there. Unforunately as we just move up to new office, there were many tables without telephone line nor telephone.So we had Big-Ass asking me about dialling out. This is how the conversation went (note it is the exact words but it goes something like this)

Irritating Point 1:
Big-Ass: I told Tao-K that I can dial out to retrieve my mail, how to do this?
Me: I think you are not able to do this as phone system is on PABX/digital line, to dial out, u need analog line
Big-Ass: Is this what you think or did you verify this?
Me (by then was very irritated): If you don't believe me, pls go ahead and call helpdesk (my eyes were rolling)
Crouching Tiger (trying to help I think): This phone sys is on switchboard so it is not allow
Big-Ass: Ohh I see.. (anyway I think she didn't believe her either as PJ told me Big-Ass did call up helpdesk)

Irritated Factor - don't ask me things if you are not going to believe what the other is going to say

Irritating Point 2:
This conversation follows on from the conversation above
Big-Ass: If I can't dial out, how can I access the local network.
Me: You can't, as your laptop is not configures to access the network.An order of PC has been placed, when it arrives, it will be setup for you to use
Big-Ass: When does it arrive?
Me: As the official PO has not been generated thus I am unable to advise you when.
Big-Ass: But when does it arrive?
Me: I don't know
Big-Ass: without it, I can't do work
Me: I really dunno... ( I just walk off)

Irritated Factor - Why do I have to repeat myself so many times saying the same thing. Big-Ass is really VERY PUSHY!!!

Irritating Point 3:
This happened after my hour long mgmt meeting which usually just drain me of any energy left becoz of minutes taking.Which I was looking forward to get back to my desk as the whoel day I had yet to have a chance to sit down and do my other work and I wanted to finish the minutes for the meeting for Tao-K to review in hope of leaving on time. There I was, at my table, with my earphones on, listening to track 1 of Sun Yan Zi's latest album - Stefanie. Barely 1 minute into the song, I see a face appear infront of me, without saying excuse me, she just rattled off

Big-Ass: Where is the stationery?
Me: *I point to the cupboard*
Big-Ass: Do you have files?
Me: What kind of files? Hard or soft?
Big-Ass: Hard
Me: *growl* wait...
....I walk to this called compactus (cupboards where it can be compress) and started to dig out files
out of nowhere, Big-Ass appeared infront of me ...
Me: na..... the file..
Big-Ass: Do you have a thinner one?
Me: *wau lau eh, give you file, still want to ask for thick and thin*
Me: na...

Irritated Factor - Big-Ass only hired for only a few months, who do you think you are to want to ask for everything like a perm staff. Even perm staff don't do this!

Irritating Point 4:
Again, as I head back to my table, I try once again to put on my earphones, this time to listen to minutes which I record. Barely into the minute again, Big-Ass face appeared infront of me!!! By then, my patience was about to run out already. I just keep telling myself, Big-Ass is new, so got alot of question, just try to answer her questions and she will be out of your way.

Big-Ass: There is this set of issues which are on the system, can you retrieve the list for me
Me: Yes there is but I don't think I can help you retrieve it as I don't know the search criteria for the entire list
Big-Ass: No, I want the entire list pertaining to this area
Me: Yes, I know but I can't help you as I don't know the filter conditions to restrict the search to the area you want
Big-Ass: Yes, I want those issues in this area
Me: Ya I know, it is not I don't want to help you but I DONT KNOW THE SEARCH CRITERIA!
Big-Ass: Your Tao-K say you can help me retrieve it
(The instruction my Tao-K gave me was to get her access to the Error Logging System then she can do it herself without me having to do it for her)
Me: Yes, I can retrieve but I DON"T KNOW WHAT ARE THE RESTRICTING CRITERIA.If you want, you can approach PJ or whoever who logged the error case, they will be able to tell you what they have done so far.
Big-Ass: I want the list.
by this time I was quite ready to lose my temper, just happen PJ was at her table, which I tok PJ in chinese, can you pls help her, it is not that I don't want to help but I really don't know the search criteria.

Irritated Factor - Can't Big-Ass leave me alone for 5 minutes to do my work instead of just hogging me with her work.Why is it answering her 1 times is not enough, she just keep pushing and pushing.. until you have to make people close to losing their temper!

By now, As I am sooo afraid Big-Ass wouldn't leave me alone and I was ready to just shout at her, I just took my laptop and went to another level to do my work.I needed the space to breathe. When I left office, I just tell myself " Tomorrow will be a better day"... boy was I sooo wrong!

How Big-Ass drove me up the Wall Part 2

this is yet another long continuation of that fateful day...from the previous blog.
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After a nightmarish start to Mon, you can only hope the week will just getting.. but if you have read my last blog, I said:" boy was I wrong!"

On a bright early tues morning, as I enter my office and sit down on my table, Big-Ass gave me a BRIGHT LOUD GOOD MORNING greeting to me.. in my growl i just say good morning. As I out my bag down and was just about to enter my password to logon to my laptop, I had her stupid face infront of me again. WHAT THE F***, don't anyone give time to login and let you settle down!?!??

Irritating Point 1
Big-Ass: I got this image (she was referring to a slide on powerpoint) which these issues, can you give me spreadsheet?
Me: This is the spreadsheet.
Big-Ass: No no, this is just an image, I want the spreadsheet so that I can maintain the list
Me: This is the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is in the powerpoint
Big-Ass: Yap I want the spreadsheet to consolidate
Me: *eye roll and really pissed* You don't know Microsoft Office do you? I just walk off
Big-Ass: huh?
Me: I do not maintain a separate spreadsheet, I maintain it within powerpoint itself.If you want the list, you get this list. Look, I just sat down, can you just let me settle down 1st and I will tok to you 15mins later or something
Big-Ass: Ok ok.

Irritated Factor - Isn't there an unwritten rule that you should always let someone settle down.. Big-Ass didn't even give me a chance to login and expect me to tell her everything!?!!? Yes you are paid to do a job and this area only but harrow I have soo many other stuff to do, this is only like 10% of what I have to do.

Irritating Point 2
Big-Ass: Do you know where I can get stapler? I looked in stationery cupboard, I can't seem to find any.
Me (in the most possible rudest voice without shouting): If it is not in there, means there isn't anymore
Big-Ass: YOu know where I can find
Me: I dunno, if you see any stapler lying around, you can use it.

by now, my neighbour which is crouching tiger can see very obviously I am very pissed off, she kindly tell Big-Ass she got stapler and she can use hers.

Obviously from this point on, anythign that comes out of Bigg-Ass' mouth, was not going to get an pleasant response from me since I already have a bad start.The ultimate one was when I had to get updates from Big-Ass to yet another meeting pack. This is the one where she will be running the meeting call. By then I was thinking of ways to see how I can just give it all to her to do it so that I can hv NO interaction with her at all! There I was, asking my Tao-K about the process going forward. When my Tao-K said I had to continue doing it my face kinda changed and my Tao-K ask me what's the problem. I could only response that I am very scare of her so much so I don't dare to sit at my table as she will hog me non-stop that I can't do anything else.I added that Big-Ass very pushy even when I tell her I am not free. YOu know how it is, once flood gates open, everything just flows.. The consolidation I get out of it is, if anyone tries to give me some crap I can always direct to my Tao-K to let her decide if that is a huge priority!

The final straw for me when I really show my displeasure was when I had to wait from 2pm till 6+ for Big-Ass' update for the meeting pack. Big-Ass say I need to speak to PJ to get the updates etc etc.When I thought I cld go home early that day but end up NO.....Big-Ass only gave me the updates at 6+ close to 7pm. Then I ask Tao-K, does this meeting pack have to send out by today? Which Tao-K look at the time and gave some thought and said yap it has but if I have to leave, I could teach Big-Ass how to update it. I said, never mind I would just wait. I figured by the time I teach Big-Ass how to do it, me doing it is probably faster. But what tick me off was when after Big-Ass gave me her updates in her shit handwriting, she quickly pack up and left without even checking the final pack. I was really pissed, why is it that I have to be the one working late becoz you idiot didn't do it early? This is 1st time that I really showed my displeasure very openly. I have been tolerating this for too and even my own Tao-K don't do this to me!