Hoyi_wu's Xanga

Finally... lights of the tunnel

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:41:38 GMT

Today, I see the lights of the tunnel! WOO HOO!

So... i have been complainting a lot about work recently. While I thought perhaps it's time to move on, I saw some lights here in the office.

There was a recent press release announing our management team addition. With this new person coming on board, we have gone and are going through huge changes. I personally like all these changes so far, and below are the two GREATEST ONES:

(1) Flexible working hours - ok, some people think i might already work flexible hours for I can come and leave office as long as I work 8 hours a day. However, by flexible working hours, we are really gonna do it REAL FLEXIBLE. No more coming to the office, no more 9 to 6 or 10 to 7, but ANYTIME and ANYWHERE!!!! YES, that is too attractive. I might be working midnight when I can't fall asleep, or sleep in till 4pm when I like. That is too great of a change! I just can't wait for it.

(2) Support for continuing education - I know a lot of big corporation has this as a benefit to the employee. However, this is really a big change to a small company like us, especially we have not been profitable since we established in 2002. There are a lot of courses that I wanna take, and with that, I don't really have to worry about tuition.

Thanks God! Finally there are some lights and hopes. With these, who want to quit?

A Living Hell

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:28:23 GMT

"I'm working in a living hell...to escape is to kill myself." - by Monica Wu <The Worst Job in the Whole World.>

How is that? Cool, huh?

Free Dinner. No More... please!

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:59:46 GMT

I know it's a bad sign everytime my boss treats us dinner, coz free dinner = another long working night.

Below are what I was treated since last Monday:

Sushi from Kabuki http://www.japaneserestaurantinfo.com/kabuki/

Chinese Chicken Salad (w/o Chicken) from Star Chicken http://www.originalstarchicken.com/STARCHICKENMENU.htm

Tuna Melt + Strawberry Shakes from Johnny Rockets http://www.johnnyrockets.com/index2.php

Angel Hair Pomodoro & Goat Cheese with Shrimp from Marie Callender's Grill http://www.mariecallendersgrill.com/

Filet O'Fish Combo from McDonald's http://www.mcdonalds.com/

Red Curry Rice with Shrimp from Wild Thai http://www.wildthairestaurant.com/

No more... please!

God is good!

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:10:45 GMT

God is good.... and he is so good to me.

I was tricked by a sneaky sales agent last week. He was good at talking (well, i guess all sales ppl are) and intentionally mis-led me to disclosing some "known-to-be" confidential info. I fall into his trap and didn't even realize until a day later.

But God is good to me. He called again today when i was in a conference call. I was so hesitate to call him back, but I made a prayer before dialing the number. He did not pick up the phone and I left him a message telling him to email me with what he needs.

Haha... I escape from talking to (or being trapped by) him

What would you do?

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:28:21 GMT

Case 1

Your supervisor received an email from a vendor looking for payment status. You were forwarded the email and asked to follow up with the vendor. You found that your co-worker had not submitted a payment request, thus causing the delay in payment. You would:

a) Pay no attention to the email.

b) Tell your supervisor that you did not see a payment request and have your supervisor tell you what to do next.

c) Contact your co-worker for the payment request.

d) Contact your co-worker for the payment request, and reply to the vendor to let him know that you will keep him posted on the payments.

Case 2

Your supervisor has asked you to make an accounting adjustment which will take you 3 mins (max). This is supposed to be done by your staff, who is working like a dog. Your workload is just about right. You would:

a) Pay no attention to your supervisor.

b) Ask your staff, who is super busy, to work on it.

c) Tell your supervisor to have the staff do it, as it is his/her responsibility.

d) Make the adjustment as per your supervisor.

Case 3

Your supervisor has asked you to follow up on an un-clear payment request. She has specifically asked you to get the contact info from your staff and make the phone call. You found out that your staff has contacted the person 11 days ago, but has not received a reply. Your staff is working like a dog, while your workload is just about right. You would:

a) Pay no attention to your supervisor.

b) Tell your supervisor that the staff has followed up 11 days ago, but has not received a reply.

c) Ask your staff, who is working super busy, to follow up with the guy again.

d) Get the contact info and follow up with the guy directly.

Case 4

Your VP is out of the office for 2 weeks, but will be in the following day. Your supervisor has asked you to issue a check but wait until the VP's approval before submitting the check for signature. Your supervisor has also told you that from previous experience, the vendor would call the CEO if he did not receive his check in 1.5 weeks. Your company is already 2 weeks late in payment to this vendor.

The proper procedure for payment : all payments need to be approved by department head before issuing checks. Expection can be made when the approver is consistently out of the office.

a) Pay no attention to your supervisor.

b) Ask the controller, who is the head of your supervisor, about the proper way of issuing checks.

c) Follow the proper way of issuing checks, which is to wait until the VP's approval but take the risk of the vendor calling up your CEO.

d) Do as what your are told by your supervisor.

********************************************************

My roomate answered "d" in all scenario. Guess what my staff did?

I'm so bummed.

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 06:04:09 GMT

It's 7/11/2007 11:55p. I am still not close to finish my work.

Bring it on! Just keep bombarding me until I go crazy!!!!

@*#&$^%

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 04:44:45 GMT

When: 7/11/2007 10:36p

Where: 6100 Center Drive, Ste 900, Los Angeles, CA 90045

What: STILL at work

Status: NOT EVEN CLOSE TO FINISH

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:20:44 GMT

It's Saturday 6/30/07, 10:12p. I'm leaving the office, but will continue at home.

What am I doing?

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:12:39 GMT

It's Saturday 6/30, 5:53p. I cannot remember how many times I am stuck in the office to work on Saturday. When I came back to work this morning, i was thinking "oh good, it's quite and hopefully i can get things done"....so four hours past, I was still working... then another hour pass, I was still at the same place. Then another hour pass again, and i'm STILL sitting on the same chair with the same work....and when i look at my to-do-list, i have only crossed out one out of the XX things that have to be done before Tuesday.

All at a sudden, I felt so bummed. What am I doing here? I don't know why I am in the office while ppl are enjoying their summer. I don't know why I am working all these things, which I am totally sick of. I don't know why I am stuck in LA, when I so much wanna go back HOME!!!

I'm done!!!! I'm done with this job and this f***ing place.

Recent Updates

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:51:48 GMT

It's been a long month(s) since I wrote my last entry, and I have A LOT to update:

Work (May & June): The craziness has not yet come to an end. Indeed, it is getting worst. I am used to the "9a - 8p or beyond, plus weekend" working hours. As I do not get pay for OT, i did the math on my hourly rate and figured that I was paid very low. It wasn't surprising though.

Early May: I worked at the info booth at the AVP Huntington Beach Open (http://www.avp.com/events/index.jsp?eventId=1004) at the first week of May. No doubt it was a great experience. By great, I mean it was nice to try something new, but I will not wanna do a 2nd one if i don't have to. People, if you think that working at a beach is cool and fun, I have to say that your totally WRONG. It was cold to work in a tent, but was too hot to stand under the sun. It was even worst when you have sunblock all over your body, but keep sweating and running back and forth at the site and still have to deal with some "not-so -easy" people with a smily face. If it's not for 08 olympics, i would totally have stayed home enjoying my days off with a cold drink and my favourite tvb episode

Late May: My parents and grandma came to visit for 2 weeks. It was super nice to see my grandma after 10 years since my last visit her. Because of work and grandma's health, we did not get to do too much sighseeing. I thought being able to just stay with her was actually good enough, for I knew that it was probably my last time seeing her .

Early June: I was sick from working at the Huntington Beach Open and wasn't able to go to swim for a month. I resumed my work out in June but almost got myself drowned for I haven't recovered 100%. It was scary. But at least I learned something: never push the body limit.

Mid June: I went clubbing with my highschool friends. It was nice to see some old friends and to catch up. It seemed to me that they have grown to become some "mature" guys. That made me wonder if that happened to me as well? My roomate has always teased on me for I look and act like teens. My grandma, during her recent visit, mentioned that I looked much younger than my cousin, who was born in 1985. hmm...

Late June:

My co-worker talked me into joining a dance class which taught Afro Brazilian dance (whatever it meant). It said on the catalog that "all levels" were welcomed. So I went for the first class and turned out I did NOT get a clue AT ALL. Basically, I did not understand why people could move several body parts at various directions at the same time while still had to follow the beat (like the lady in front of me had her upper body move clockwise while her butt move the opposite directions, and her hands were pointing and moving upward while her legs were slowly but surely stepping forward and backward.)

I was totally lost and stopped for several times. The coach spoted me and she kept yelling "keep moving!!!" And i swear, her yelling was the only thing I remembered after the class.

To be continued...