on a first trip with someone i didn't know at all
i went to the province on official business and was assigned a partner for the trip. i had my worries about going on an 8 day trip out of town with someone i didn't know. my instincts told me that it wouldn't be smooth sailing. i was right. right up, i tried to be as engaging as possible. if i was going to be stuck with someone i didn't know at all for 8 days, then i had to try to get to know her before we arrived at our destination. well, her first real comment to me was "your boyfriend really spoils you, doesn't he?" D-U-H? oookkkkaaaaayyyyyyyy......... i smile. what else what i supposed to do, really?
before i go on, my partner is a she, mid-forties, works in a department from where i know no one except the department boss, mom of 4 kids. she is incredibly tight fisted when it comes to money, quite insensitive, utterly uncommunicative and anal. on the personality scale, that would make us complete opposites.
because we were both given the same budget (to be liquidated separately when we return to manila), i seriously thought that common expenses would not be a problem. at the airport, when i she didn't offer to pay half of OUR TEAM's excess baggage cost, that should've sent the warning bells off, but noooo, i shrugged it off.
the woman practically didn't dish out her share of the cash until the fourth day. during our first two days, we were given a driver and an escort by our regional office because we had to go to different provinces in the region and the language barrier would be difficult. naturally, we had to pay for the meals, gas, boat fare, etc. of the other two people. the woman didn't lift a single bill from her wallet! oh wait, she bought goodies for kids. when she saw i bought two bags worth of goodies, she suddenly bought more. when it's just the two of us eating, she would immediately tell the server to issue two receipts, one for each of us. by the fourth day, i had just about had it! i told her that the Conference cost had to be charged to her. i also told her to buy the materials we would need. i guess that got her thinking.
during meals and i couldn't finish my food, she would always make a comment about how it's such a shame that so many children had nothing to eat and remind me that it's bad manners to leave food. I KNOW! but i have a stomach condition, Woman, and besides, i don't tell you that it's bad manners to just suddenly shut up and ignore the fact that you are in the middle of a business conversation OR to to stop walking without notice just because you want to text someone. oyoyoyoyoyoyoyoy, i could go on and on about how this woman ruined this supposedly wonderful, first field experience of mine. but just to quickly enumerate - she hogs the entire bathroom shelf space; she walks off without saying where she's going; she likes to rush into queus; she was envious because our escort was opening the car door for me and no one was opening any door for her; she insists on calling the regional office to provide a driver and a vehicle for us; she doesn't give tips to people; she computes our daily expenses everynight, insisting that we discuss who gets to pay for and liquidate what; she didn't bother to ask if it was ok to turn the airconditioner to the lowest setting possible before going to bed, i felt like a roasted pig the entire 6 nights (all she said was it's tooooo cold for her).
lesson learned, as much as possible, go on business trips with someone you at least know from before. that person doesn't have to be your best office bud, just someone whom you know already so that it's never awkward.
a second trip with her? NOT EVEN FOR A MILLION DOLLARS.
before i go on, my partner is a she, mid-forties, works in a department from where i know no one except the department boss, mom of 4 kids. she is incredibly tight fisted when it comes to money, quite insensitive, utterly uncommunicative and anal. on the personality scale, that would make us complete opposites.
because we were both given the same budget (to be liquidated separately when we return to manila), i seriously thought that common expenses would not be a problem. at the airport, when i she didn't offer to pay half of OUR TEAM's excess baggage cost, that should've sent the warning bells off, but noooo, i shrugged it off.
the woman practically didn't dish out her share of the cash until the fourth day. during our first two days, we were given a driver and an escort by our regional office because we had to go to different provinces in the region and the language barrier would be difficult. naturally, we had to pay for the meals, gas, boat fare, etc. of the other two people. the woman didn't lift a single bill from her wallet! oh wait, she bought goodies for kids. when she saw i bought two bags worth of goodies, she suddenly bought more. when it's just the two of us eating, she would immediately tell the server to issue two receipts, one for each of us. by the fourth day, i had just about had it! i told her that the Conference cost had to be charged to her. i also told her to buy the materials we would need. i guess that got her thinking.
during meals and i couldn't finish my food, she would always make a comment about how it's such a shame that so many children had nothing to eat and remind me that it's bad manners to leave food. I KNOW! but i have a stomach condition, Woman, and besides, i don't tell you that it's bad manners to just suddenly shut up and ignore the fact that you are in the middle of a business conversation OR to to stop walking without notice just because you want to text someone. oyoyoyoyoyoyoyoy, i could go on and on about how this woman ruined this supposedly wonderful, first field experience of mine. but just to quickly enumerate - she hogs the entire bathroom shelf space; she walks off without saying where she's going; she likes to rush into queus; she was envious because our escort was opening the car door for me and no one was opening any door for her; she insists on calling the regional office to provide a driver and a vehicle for us; she doesn't give tips to people; she computes our daily expenses everynight, insisting that we discuss who gets to pay for and liquidate what; she didn't bother to ask if it was ok to turn the airconditioner to the lowest setting possible before going to bed, i felt like a roasted pig the entire 6 nights (all she said was it's tooooo cold for her).
lesson learned, as much as possible, go on business trips with someone you at least know from before. that person doesn't have to be your best office bud, just someone whom you know already so that it's never awkward.
a second trip with her? NOT EVEN FOR A MILLION DOLLARS.
quacked by The Sipping Duck at
7:27 PM
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