Efficiency

Our firm just recently moved to a new building.
New furniture, new offices, new work areas...
It was cool, really.
We can even electronically adjust the height of our desk.

So one time, the office manager gave the landlords a tour of the office.

She goes, "These desks are really nice. You can adjust it really high that you can work while standing up."

Now who would want to do that?

Death and Movies

While watching TV...

Joel: Hey look! Steve Irwin has a movie!

Siela: Aww... That's so nice! Was that before or after he died?

Interesting question. Let me guess...

Timezones

At 7pm, a lawyer, also in our Calgary office, sent me an email for something he needs to be done for his 8am closing the next day.

Since I work from 8:30 am to 4:30pm, I didn't get that email till the next morning, 30 minutes past the deadline.
I assumed that he already had someone else to do it. I mean if you need it by 8 and you can't get a hold of me, the smart thing is to get a hold of someone else right?

Anyway, at 8:45am he calls me up, all upset, asking me for the documents.
He tells me the closing was 8am, Vancouver time (9am in Calgary)
And that I should start hurrying because I only have 15 minutes.

How the hell would I know that?
He is in Calgary.
I am in Calgary.
The document did not mention Vancouver.
And I'm not a psychic.

All I could tell him was...
WHAT???

Well, since we're picking timezone,
I pick Nome, Alaska.
I still have an hour left to do it.
So relax!

Early Education

I heard a woman tell her friend about a conversation she had with her two boys earlier that morning. The boys were six and eight.

It went a little something like this:

Boys giggling at the backseat
Mom: "What's so funny boys?"
Boys: "Mom, what's a blow job?"
Mom: "It's when a girl puts a guy's penis in her mouth."
Boys: "Eewww..."

I predict that in ten years,
the boys will have a different opinion on the topic.

Scared

So this female lawyer really scares the hell out of me.
She is 'fierce' personified. Horns would look good on her.

Don't get me wrong, she's not a horrible person.
I don't know her very well, but from our encounters, she is actually kind, sweet and is very funny.
Contrary to what I thought, she won't bite.

She just looks really...
Intimidating.
The complete opposite of 'approachable.'

She exudes strength and power.
I find her really pretty.
Although I would suggest less eye makeup to soften her look.
But then again, as a female lawyer, do really want to look SOFTER?

Anyway, one time, she approached me and said,
"Why do you look so scared all the time?"

To which I replied almost automatically,
"Because you scare me."

She laughed.
I guess I wasn't THAT scared of her after all.

Alms

I hate street children.

That sounded horrible, I know. But it's true.
But before you make you judgments, I'd like to clarify a couple of points:
I don't hate the individual child.
I feel sorry for the fact that for some twist of fate they ended as such and truly believe that they don't deserve or should be where they are now.
I am aware and I do strongly agree that they should be afforded help or even salvation.
I know poverty is a serious problem which should be dealt with A.S.A.P.

I guess what I really hate is concept of children begging in the streets.
Now if they were PLAYING on the streets instead, I'd love them dearly.

It's all because of this question:
TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE ALMS?

If you give alms, you've given them their next meal thus saving them from starvation.
But then you encourage the begging.
They will never leave the streets.

However, If you don't, they will never leave you alone.
(They are more stubborn than the most persevering marketing person ever.)

I'm still on the fence on how I should deal with street children.
But mostly, I give them change just so they will go and leave me alone.
(Now you can judge me.)

Here in Calgary, it's such a relief that I don't see any street children at all.
But I'm not saying this city is completely free of people begging for money.
Everyday I see this man asking if people can spare him change for COFFEE.
Some ask change to buy CIGARETTES.
Oh. Yesterday, someone asked me for change to buy BEER.

WTF?
In the Philippines, if you don't have money for coffee, cigarettes or beer,
then don't have it!

(I did give him a bunch of pennies and a couple of dimes only because he was already drunk and he was bigger than me. I could have just ran away but prior experiences taught me that drunk people at train/bus stations are like bears - you shouldn't run when you see them.)

Now I miss the street children in Manila. I don't hate them anymore.