Blow, blow, blow the clothes

Our company’s offsite is an absolute boot camp! We were starved in the first day, testing our physical endurance on the second and running around the Johor island like in an army training on the last day. We were given the “opportunity” to feed ostriches by dipping our bare hands in mixing forge, running around the ostrich farm to count the 222 ostriches in order to move onto the next check point, hand making coconut milk, cutting rubber from trees, picking coconuts from tree tops and eating with our hands in a seldom seen traditional Malay “Compomt” house. The aftermath of three days physical activities is half of the staffs are sick and piles of work on the desk.

Work is piling up on my desk as well as in my outlook inbox day after day. On average, I receive about 60 emails a day and one third of them are RSVP. I come in at about 7.30am and can not leave the office till 9pm for most days. Firstly because there are a long list of things to do and it keeps adding on more and more and more till I have to start another new paper. Secondly, my language skill still needs to be polished, that slows me down significantly. Singapore is a very tough place to live. In a big and premium firm like us, clients demands for the best outcomes and our boss expects a lot from us on the other end. Some seniors are very supportive and willing to give advice to help me improve and step up, while others are showing cold face and would scold you whenever you make mistakes. You just have to face it, swallow the bitterness and continue to smile and work.

Yesterday was the worst day in my life. I made a huge mistake in compiling a media list that I have left out the whole TV section. Bear depressive stress and bursting tears I was scolded by all of my seniors as I caused them to work on a public holiday. “Sorry” is not enough in the Asian work culture. They trust you only if you can prove that you can bring money in. That is the reality, that is the real true face of a competitive world.

To put salt on my wounds, I languidly did my laundry last night after the offsite. As Singapore rains in most afternoons, so I thought I could put it out at night so I can take it back in the next morning. I put two sticks out and fell down to sleep soon after. At around 4am, I was awoke by water splashed on my face, a blustering thunderstorm was sweeping across Singapore. Winds was blowing from all corners. By the time I rushed to take my clothes back in, they were GONE. After an extensive search of the surrounding area, I could only found one stick with three clothes lying next to a rubbish bin! The rest of my clothes, including my under wears are missing and have no hope to be retrieved.

My total lost are: two Esprit tops, one skirt, one short pans, one Alter pans (my 18th birthday present and one of my favorite), one cotton on gym top, one company offsite t-shirt, three bras and four panties!