Almost Broken
This morning, I got my first taste of what it is to be in my position as part of the Visual Merchandising Team serving one of the two most demanding divisions in the company.
Flashback
Saturday. 8am. Finished set-up for an event that was just about to start to please the clients. Got out of there around 11am.
Went to another location, the client’s office, to start setting up the set-up for Monday’s week-long event. Got there ahead of my team, so I fixed the work permit (which was supposedly done by the client), skipped lunch, and waited for the team. They arrived around 1pm.
I asked them to just put down the stuff first and have lunch before they start the set-up. But with their own accord, they chose to finish the set-up first. I thanked them, and discussed with them how the layout should go. I excused myself since I had to go home, my cough and cold was causing me more pain than I expected.
(And the hunger pains too… I wasn’t able to eat breakfast…And my dad, who was my ride for the day is prolly hungry too, just wasn’t saying anything)
But I trust the will do well. After all, they’e been doing these things longer than I have.
I went home, trusting everything’s okay.
End Flashback, Fast Forward to Today
I woke up early. Finished a Powerpoint presentation for my boss (who has also been busy taking care of her sick son) and got out of the house early. But the Traffic was not as considerate. I arrived in the client’s office just in time before it could start.
Lo and behold…
It wasn’t the latency of the flowers that surprised me– but the fact that the client/s changed the whole layout altogether!
It wasn’t the set-up that was supposed to be spa-like. that harmonious relaxing ambiance the client wanted. It wasn’t the set-up the client approved in the first place…
It became an ordinary (clinical, mechanical a.k.a. boring) set-up.
But that wasn’t all, what about the job my team did just to get the whole place fixed?!
I was angry. But I have a weird way of showing my anger… I wanted to break into tears.
But I held my ground. I kept convincing them to use the dividers we transported, or use the flowers that were gonna arrive any minute. When two guys from my team arrived, and finished doing the 5 flower arrangements in just 10 minutes and placing the extra stalks of leafies by the tables (damn they’re good), they couldn’t just say no to those beautiful flowers now can they?
Well… if they did just took the flowers and threw them out the window, the set-up will stay as boring as they made it.
But really… I was completely shaken. I had to walk to the restroom just to hide my tears. (and when my IS called to ceck if I was okay… I completely lost it)
My tears have dried. I didn’t go back to the room to see what happened. It has been too much.. I just might cry again.
I don’t know how people do it, thinking too highly of themselves, thinking that the rest of the people in this world are dumb creatures who has the power to do all their bidding. And just with he snap of their fingers. If they’re so high above us, more pwerful than us, why don’t they do everything themselves…
We are here to support them. But we can only do so much. And if it weren’t for us…
…
*sigh*
the real world… it’s cruel.
i just thank my IS and team are very understanding nd very supportive… especially for me who is a first-timer. they started making me laugh on the way back to the office.
and they’ve taught me many lessons in one day…
lessons I won’t soon forget.
- don’t be a doormat or they’ll just step on you…
- if you really need to cry, move away as far as possible from the beasts first (and even from your team) before doing so
and something else I’ll keep to myself for the meantime 
*whew*
there. I feel much better now.
SMILE!
Coz life sucks half the time 
Oh… and if you’ve read up to this point… Thank you for taking the time.
.. . … . ..
Additional:
This turns out to be one of the most eventful days I’ve ever had.
My dad picked me up from Shangri-la, and were on our way to my mom’s office for her turn. We were almost near, when we heard gunshots. My mom couldn’t get out of the building yet since the guards closed the gates to protect the people still in the building. 30 minutes delay wasn’t so bad, but it got us worried!
God is good. No harm done.
If we were 5 minutes earlier (which we weren’t since we thought of stopping for gas) we might have been in the middle of everything.
God is good.
