TBFoSAO, UHAW, BAUC, MHG and Big Sister.

At last! It's been such a long time since I invented any new acronyms!

TBFoSAO = Totchi's Best Friend of South Asian Origins (is actually a race with 10% minority in M'sia, not really Totchi's best friend)

UHAW = Ugly Hairband Attention Whore

Put them together and you get a TBFoSAO UHAW! (try saying it)

You can't miss her because she's a senior of the unit responsible at the information counter near the business section. The ugly hairband will pop out and scream offensive things at you the moment you caught sight of it! Incredulous but true!

So of course, I'm sure you guys are dying to hear what this poor, poor creature had done to me. Well let me tell you! Be ready. It's going to be fun!

I've always hated her ugly hairbands the moment I first laid eyes on it the first day I worked there. I'm like OHMYGOD! Does she really think she looks pretty?!?

But although everyone noticed it, she was too oblivious to the ridiculousness of her hairbands that even five year olds are too ashamed to wear. But anyway, this isn't about her ugly hairbands. I just thought it's about time I say it: UHAW, your hairbands are fucking ugly.

Needless to say, she isn't very well-liked on a personal level. On a professional level, people have no choice but to work with her. I've heard of this before, and I had noticed that she went all out trying to 'be friends' with me. But at that time she was busy pursuing someone else. And whenever she greeted me, it was always a condesncending joke, as if reminding me that she was a senior (meaning OLD) and that I am a junior. I took them in stride, reminded each time how much I don't want to be associated with her. In addition to her lame jokes, she also has an annoying way of greeting me. As in, a slap in the back, the butt, a pinch on the side and pulling the ribbon of my apron!

NOBODY messes with my apron. NOBODY. Especially not UHAW who is a TSBFoSAO.

So because of these things, I tried to ignore her, but she kept getting in my face, and I was still quite new, so I tried to be civil. Until last Thursday when she finally went all out to show her stupidity.

I was wrapping when she came into the logistics "I'm looking for a stupid book" she claimed, nudging me against the machine as a way of showing "friendly attention". So since she wanted a response, I said "Maybe it's not the book, but the person looking for it". What I meant was the customer who told her to look for it, but she misunderstood, and if she had taken offense, she didn't look like she was. And of course I meant it as a joke! GOSH! I feel so stupid just having to explain it!

So after break, just as the morning shift were leaving, my Benevolent Assistant Unit Chief (BAUC) took me around his Travel section to show me a few things our Unit Chief (from now on Big Sister) pointed out to him. While he was piling my arms with books, UHAW suddenly appeared! She told BAUC that I called her stupid! I was like a deer in headlights, but when someone accused you of something so preposterous in front of your superior, it's your God-given right to defend yourself, so I did. (It was easy to do since I was taller than both of them hehehe)

She called me a rude junior several times and emphasized that BAUC 'teach me a lesson' and was basically standing around to watch BAUC scolds me, which he didn't, because she was so stupid, she explained the whole story and revealed that her argument didn't hold water. So although BAUC and I just stood there, appearing to be listening to her, we were actually just waiting for her to move out of the way :P. When she realized she was not getting the attention she wanted, she went away. BAUC shook his head at her and immediately went back to work without a second thought.

But the event shocked me. Like, seriously, what is this? KINDERGARTEN!??!

I decided right then and there that I hated her.

I was off on Friday and when I came back today she was suddenly all bitchy and trying to act cool. Lame jokes and all. About 45 minutes to closing time, I cleared the basket under our counter where we kept books of other units or other departments. I went over to their counter to deliver them. I piled them on the counter as I was taking them out of the basket (there were a lot of books). UHAW was there and suddenly told me to put the books on the trolleys behind me. I flatly said "Don't want", which, if I had to explain, was of course, a fucking joke.

UHAW took offense.

She indicated to the pile of books and basically blamed me for messing up their counter (which was already messy to begin with, which is normal). She told me again to put the books on the trolley, again I refused. This time for real because I didn't like her commanding tone. Then, she, out of the blue, said, "You're so rude, you know." She kept on saying that I was a rude junior, and I should respect her as a senior, and she was going to report me to my unit chief for being rude to her. I shot back saying I am unrepentant, she is not my senior (since she is not in my unit, I have no obligation to listen to her) and I told her she's a whiner and she said "Yes, I am a whiner." and admitted to complaining a lot. She said so. Not me.

All this happened while I was unloading the books from the basket (I did say there were a lot of books). When I was done, Mushroom Hair Guy (MHG) who is nice and friendly whom I liked, and among the few people who I get along in Kino, appeared, said thank you, and gave me our stray books in return. I thanked him back and went away.

Angry and still fuming, I went back to pack shelf at our huge unit. Suddenly UHAW walked past behind me and pulled my apron's ribbon. Pissed, I turned around, hissing "SHIT! Who do you think you are!?" mostly without thinking. When I saw her giving me a smug smile as she scooted away.

WHAT

THE

FUCK!

SERIOUSLY, HOW OLD IS SHE!? FIVE?!

I had to defend myself. She reported me once. She'll likely do it again. So I approached BAUF first, explaining to him that if UHAW ever complained to him anything about me, DON'T BELIEVE HER. I told him the situation and he nodded. BAUC listens, that's why I like him. After a while he told me to just ignore her, but I told him, it's because I ignored her. Ignored her non-existent authority more like. He didn't comment, but he sympathized and just understood me. I was so glad he was on duty tonight.

RAWR! I hate TBFoSAO!

Now, let me tell you why we, of a different unit, don't normally put books back on other units' trolleys, even though the books are theirs;
1) The trolleys may have already been sorted into categories. Putting random books will mess up their sorting.
2) Unit 2 has a thing for neatly arranging their books according to height. Unit 3 only recently.
3) It's not protocol. Other unit members are not even obliged to deliver books to their respective counters. If our managers could have their way, they would call a reprensetative from each unit to collect their own books. Which means, delivery is actually doing them a favor.
and 4) your counter's cleanliness is the unit members' responsibility. Other staff and customers may have their way with your counter but ultimately its your responsibility to tidy it up.

There. Such a long post already. And thank you for reading this far.

Ta'ra!

P/S Rei : (from Suddenly A Friend?) It's not workplace politics. I'm just putting a reminder out that I'm making a guestlist for my birthday lunch hehehehe.

Watashiwa-san: Can't help it if you're popular xD.