You won’t believe what happened to me at work earlier today.
So get this – I got the shits from a Beijing-based partner who gave me a tongue lashing for changing the double space after a full stop to a single space, and also for putting the word ‘the’ in front of ‘Target management’ throughout his powerpoint report. Called me up and started scolding straight away. APPARENTLY the style is to use double spacing and not to put ‘the’.
Well, I’m sorry, I’m unaware of this and the company’s style guide for international publications doesn’t stipulate anything like that – I’ve checked. This style seems to pertain only to that department in Beijing. So far I haven’t had a problem with anything I’ve worked on in the three months since I started this job. I offered to redo it and he went “I don’t want you to touch my work anymore!” and continues to say that I “destroyed” his many hours of work. Exaggeration? You bet. I mean, seriously, what I did hasn’t made the report technically wrong. And I’m thinking, just go back to your original file then!
To put it in a very Singlish expression: WAH LAU eh, 拿这种东西来讲. CHEE SIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Translation: WTF – picking on such things?!?!? Insane!!!!!!]
BUT you see, it isn’t that I don’t know how to do my job. The fact is that I don’t even belong to that department. And the irony is that I was doing them a favour. Their department’s editor was too busy and had asked for help. Technically I didn’t have to help cos 1. I don’t belong to that department 2. That department never helps us in return. Oh well, I’ve decided I won’t volunteer my help anymore. Why bother? 好心没好报! As to why this department has a different style from the rest of the company, I have no damn idea.
He’s going to complain to my performance manager, but I’ve already told my performance manager about it. Anyway, I can’t believe a ‘the’ and a spacing have landed me in this shit. Like seriously, such people should go get a life.
Thankfully my manager was really nice about it. I mean, the guy is probably going to go to my partner-in-charge (i.e. my manager’s boss) as well. But you know what? I don’t care. I’m not in the wrong and even if he makes me lose my job, I’m not even worried. So what? It’s just a job. 东家不打打西家. At the most return to Singapore. No big deal. Life goes on.
What really pisses me off is how people think they can treat others this way by being an obnoxious prick.
OK, rant over. Tomorrow will be a new and better day. Thank you for reading. 🙂