Time can have many meanings.
Time is money. Losing time is equivalent to loss of money. But gaining more time really can make more money?
Time can wash unpleasant memory gradually. There are always some unpleasant things or experiences one wish to get rid of ASAP. But there are also always some other things or people constantly or regularly reminding you over time.
Time can refresh memory. Having an afternoon talk or a night chat with friends can find your long-forgotten childhood and study life again after cheerful laughs and amusing gossips. But is it only refreshing instead of preserving?
Time can be easily wasted if you do nothing. Some people must be fully occupied and must do this and do that, go here and there, or they will feel bored and dull. But is resting a waste of time?
Time is limited and one may want to have 48 hours a day or even more. Having doubled time for an enjoyable overseas trip is really an excellent idea. But if time becomes not scarce, will one treasure it? Will there be the word “efficient”? Will there be any technology to improve and maintain efficiency?
Always contradicts.
The clock will not stop. Even if your clock stops, you or your mother changes another piece of battery immediately. Even if you do nothing to the stopped clock, many other clocks still run. Even if you don’t use a clock and get rid of every time device, the TV and the radio remind you what the time is. Even if you throw away the TV, the nature tells you the time and the season. Even if you can wear more or less the same throughout the four seasons, your outside face and inside body keep reminding you the time. One cannot escape from “time” unless he … …
11/24/2006
11/19/2006
39: Mindset and tactics
This week should be a happy and enjoyable week since I am on staff training for 4 days in Central. But this time cannot leave at 530 sharp because I have to go back to office to clear up my work afterwards.
Time is made even more tough because the manager-in-charge (manager A) of the job is on vacation. He asked another manager (manager B) to help him handle and I assist her. Besides, the job is not done by me before and I am only responsible for following up the works of my colleagues, so I am supposed not to know much about the details. Worst of all, after reviewed the file, lo ban asked manager B and me to sit down in front of her in her room to discuss the file and her queries face-to-face with the door shut. It was very quiet in her room and it is my first time in this firm to sit down in lo ban’s room, so it makes me very uncomfortable. And I could not give her satisfactory answers of her questions since the job is not done by me. She also said I am very innocent, but from her words, eyes and gestures, she seems putting the blame on me and manager B. We are innocent!!
The most embarrassing moment is that she said she called client today for explanation and clarification of some aspects of the job. She said client has already told me before and asked me why I have not told her. I really have no idea that client has told me the thing before. I cannot even say a concrete word at that moment and just say no. She somehow challenged me from another angle and finally she said to me, ‘I am not blaming you two now, but you have thought so long but still cannot say whether client has told you the thing. It’s ok.’ Oh my god, is it my fault?
Afterwards, I asked myself why I cannot sit up straight, look at her and say out client has not told me the matter without any hesitation. I was not that in my former firm as I can look at Tony’s eyes directly and say things without any hesitation. (Tony is the principal of my former firm and he is a tough and unreasonable man, but sometimes I managed to protect myself from being scolded by him by showing confidence.) In this year in the new firm, although there are plentiful new things learnt, I have not deal with this kind of person. Managers A and B are also kind persons. In my former firm, I had to deal with and argue with Tony almost every day and I was trained up at that time. But as time goes by in the new firm and there is no big challenge in this aspect, I gradually lost the mindset and tactics of dealing with Tony.
Although have hard-feeling, this experience somehow told me that change is now occurring. I hope I can avoid this kind of embarrassment and can recover those which I had lost or put elsewhere.
Time is made even more tough because the manager-in-charge (manager A) of the job is on vacation. He asked another manager (manager B) to help him handle and I assist her. Besides, the job is not done by me before and I am only responsible for following up the works of my colleagues, so I am supposed not to know much about the details. Worst of all, after reviewed the file, lo ban asked manager B and me to sit down in front of her in her room to discuss the file and her queries face-to-face with the door shut. It was very quiet in her room and it is my first time in this firm to sit down in lo ban’s room, so it makes me very uncomfortable. And I could not give her satisfactory answers of her questions since the job is not done by me. She also said I am very innocent, but from her words, eyes and gestures, she seems putting the blame on me and manager B. We are innocent!!
The most embarrassing moment is that she said she called client today for explanation and clarification of some aspects of the job. She said client has already told me before and asked me why I have not told her. I really have no idea that client has told me the thing before. I cannot even say a concrete word at that moment and just say no. She somehow challenged me from another angle and finally she said to me, ‘I am not blaming you two now, but you have thought so long but still cannot say whether client has told you the thing. It’s ok.’ Oh my god, is it my fault?
Afterwards, I asked myself why I cannot sit up straight, look at her and say out client has not told me the matter without any hesitation. I was not that in my former firm as I can look at Tony’s eyes directly and say things without any hesitation. (Tony is the principal of my former firm and he is a tough and unreasonable man, but sometimes I managed to protect myself from being scolded by him by showing confidence.) In this year in the new firm, although there are plentiful new things learnt, I have not deal with this kind of person. Managers A and B are also kind persons. In my former firm, I had to deal with and argue with Tony almost every day and I was trained up at that time. But as time goes by in the new firm and there is no big challenge in this aspect, I gradually lost the mindset and tactics of dealing with Tony.
Although have hard-feeling, this experience somehow told me that change is now occurring. I hope I can avoid this kind of embarrassment and can recover those which I had lost or put elsewhere.
11/18/2006
40: Red bombs
November is full of red bombs and I have already got 3. Originally I would get one more, but it will crash with another one on the same day. ^^, haha……
Out of these 3, I am the wedding brother of 2, and my role in these 2 banquets is the same – PR. It is because I know more of the relatives, friends and colleagues of the bridegrooms so that I can recognize them quickly and give them a warm welcome (or kiss, haha). And then we will quickly tell the guests the table number of the table they are going to sit in, but many people will come to ask again because 9 out of 10 will forget the number after taking numerous photos, playing mahjong and cards, socializing with other guests, or coming out from a wonderful cig. If I were the guest, I would also forget the number easily since it is a very trivial thing, but in fact it is very important to the whole thing in order not to make embarrassments happen.
Another interesting experience is about names. PR will not know all guests and they have to ask the guests of their names in order to give them specific arrangements. “Hello sir, are you the friends of bridegroom or bride?” “Bridegroom.” “O ic.. how could I call you, sir? (after a few seconds) “Mr. Chan.” (how come? Many Mr. Chan in HK!!) “Let me see, Mr. Chan … … you are welcomed to sign here (the red cloth) first, please feel free.” (the signature is totally illegible) “Would you mind telling me your full name?” (after another few seconds) It is up to this time that the guest is willing to tell his name to you. But some guests are not as protective as this kind. “Hello sir, I am the classmate of bridegroom, and I am Miss ABC.” “Oh, hi Miss ABC, you could sign here first, and I see … … yes, you are in table 6. It’s right over there, you see the number card?” “Oh yes, thanks a lot!” These are 2 opposite kinds of guests.
Signature is also very funny. Guests are welcomed to sign on the red cloth, but the red cloth is often so large that one can hardly decide where to put their signatures. Guests tend to sign in the place where many signatures have been made. They seem feeling uncomfortable to sign on the emptier side and put a tiny signature on the bottom or between some bigger signatures. So the red cloth will end up in most signatures are blown to one side and the other side is obviously less crowded. In order to prevent this, things such as wedding photos, flowers and dolls will be used to cover the already-crowded part and somehow force the guests to sign on the more spacious side. It is understandable as Chinese people are more humble and not willing to be the outstanding one, yet still want to be visible in other aspects.
Even water can raise a topic. Being PR or in the reception, we always talk and speak up and it is very easy to be thirsty. When look up for waiters, all of them seem disappeared and of course they are busy in serving the guests. Always we have to walk and tell the waiter our needs, and he will give a sure OK to us. They responded very fast and fill our cups with steamy tea. We can just use up our limited air to blow and blow and then drink softly.
These are only a few of the many things happened in my experience. This is not purposed to complain anyone or any party for something. It is just an experience sharing and jokes entertainment for the wedding bros and sis who have worked very hard for the couple, and description and observation of different kinds of people in our society. Of course wedding is full of love, joy and wishes.
Best wishes for you
Out of these 3, I am the wedding brother of 2, and my role in these 2 banquets is the same – PR. It is because I know more of the relatives, friends and colleagues of the bridegrooms so that I can recognize them quickly and give them a warm welcome (or kiss, haha). And then we will quickly tell the guests the table number of the table they are going to sit in, but many people will come to ask again because 9 out of 10 will forget the number after taking numerous photos, playing mahjong and cards, socializing with other guests, or coming out from a wonderful cig. If I were the guest, I would also forget the number easily since it is a very trivial thing, but in fact it is very important to the whole thing in order not to make embarrassments happen.
Another interesting experience is about names. PR will not know all guests and they have to ask the guests of their names in order to give them specific arrangements. “Hello sir, are you the friends of bridegroom or bride?” “Bridegroom.” “O ic.. how could I call you, sir? (after a few seconds) “Mr. Chan.” (how come? Many Mr. Chan in HK!!) “Let me see, Mr. Chan … … you are welcomed to sign here (the red cloth) first, please feel free.” (the signature is totally illegible) “Would you mind telling me your full name?” (after another few seconds) It is up to this time that the guest is willing to tell his name to you. But some guests are not as protective as this kind. “Hello sir, I am the classmate of bridegroom, and I am Miss ABC.” “Oh, hi Miss ABC, you could sign here first, and I see … … yes, you are in table 6. It’s right over there, you see the number card?” “Oh yes, thanks a lot!” These are 2 opposite kinds of guests.
Signature is also very funny. Guests are welcomed to sign on the red cloth, but the red cloth is often so large that one can hardly decide where to put their signatures. Guests tend to sign in the place where many signatures have been made. They seem feeling uncomfortable to sign on the emptier side and put a tiny signature on the bottom or between some bigger signatures. So the red cloth will end up in most signatures are blown to one side and the other side is obviously less crowded. In order to prevent this, things such as wedding photos, flowers and dolls will be used to cover the already-crowded part and somehow force the guests to sign on the more spacious side. It is understandable as Chinese people are more humble and not willing to be the outstanding one, yet still want to be visible in other aspects.
Even water can raise a topic. Being PR or in the reception, we always talk and speak up and it is very easy to be thirsty. When look up for waiters, all of them seem disappeared and of course they are busy in serving the guests. Always we have to walk and tell the waiter our needs, and he will give a sure OK to us. They responded very fast and fill our cups with steamy tea. We can just use up our limited air to blow and blow and then drink softly.
These are only a few of the many things happened in my experience. This is not purposed to complain anyone or any party for something. It is just an experience sharing and jokes entertainment for the wedding bros and sis who have worked very hard for the couple, and description and observation of different kinds of people in our society. Of course wedding is full of love, joy and wishes.
Best wishes for you
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