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We are what we think & my blog entries reflect how I think. Have a sip of the poison of my mind.. It's not always lethal.

Monday, March 11, 2013

My Farewell Lunch

I've tendered my resignation on the 18th of last month and it's customary for the Sales & Marketing division to have farewell lunches for their troops that are leaving, though not necessarily on their final official working day (as in my case here). Well, it's my turn now and admittedly, it's making me feel.. how shall I put this.. drifting away? Getting detached? I'm still part of the Sales division but now that the day for my farewell lunch has come, I'm beginning to feel like I was an umbilical cord slowly being cut away from the body it's attached to.

It's not a very pleasant feeling - it feels liberating but alienating at the same time. l think that's the closest l could describe it accurately in regards to how I'm truly feeling towards the whole matter.


So lunch happens to be at the Yum Cha Garden restaurant in Serangoon Garden Country Club. "Hey guys, thanks for coming to my party" is how I'm greeting my colleagues already seated at the table before me as l walk towards an unoccupied chair. For some reason, they all started looking kinda surprised and dumbfounded at me and nobody is responding to my greeting. Everyone just seem to freeze for a second there. l think l can also spot some rather confused gazes here and there.

I guess my twisted joke of a greeting a second ago was either in bad taste or they don't realize that l was actually poking fun at my own situation. It just so happens that if you have to be politically correct every single time, straitjacket boredom will inevitably set in and I never liked boredom. I figured that since I'll be leaving, I might as well tickle some funny bones in the process. It's just too bad that funny just became bewilderment instead. I guess I would suck at being a comedian. Anyway, after that split second of time-freeze, everybody snapped out of it and the table chatter continues.

It's just too bad that Jess is on medical leave today and can't attend my 'party' (though she WhatsApped me later halfway through the lunch to apologize and chat with me a bit, how sweet of her). And it's too bad that Jace can't attend my 'party' too since she has already gone through this phase for herself on her last day with the company before I'm going through mine now. We take turns feeling like umbilical cords.


When I was told that we would be having lunch here at Yum Cha, l couldn't bring myself to tell my colleagues that actually, just two days ago, one of my customers already brought me to another Yum Cha branch and treated me to a farewell lunch. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm still grateful for this farewell lunch courtesy of my company. Even though I'm eating the same dishes again, it's the gesture of goodwill that counts. Yours truly doesn't happen to be an ungrateful spoilt brat, so pass me the Har Gow.

Yum Cha is a chain of restaurant outlets that serve Dim Sum (点心) dishes that look like these:




My farewell gift
It's also customary for our Sales & Marketing division to give their departing troopers a farewell gift and I got a Fossil watch that I think looks nice. Now I know how the troopers who have left the company felt during their farewell lunches. Despite the lunch, the well-wishes and the farewell gift you receive, there is a palpable sense of loss in the mix.

Queenie
My bubbly colleague Queenie will be the person I'm handing my torch over to. She has been sticking with me after my farewell lunch and is taking the train with me now. Giving her all the tips and advice I can think of, as well as encouraging her to hold the fort for our department, the train finally reaches the stop where l have to alight.

I'm walking towards the escalator but l suddenly stop in my tracks, whip out my Note 2, make a quick about-face and run back towards the cabin where Queenie is in and takes a photo of her. The sporting girl makes a peace sign and poses for me. As the train doors start to close, l give her the thumbs up and watch as the train speeds away. We both smile and wave at each other until we disappear from each other's field of vision.

l just did what I did because I've always been telling myself all these years that should l leave the company one day, whoever takes over my post is a lucky person and I've always wondered who that person would turn out to be and what his or her story in life is like. So take good care of yourself and God bless, Queenie. It makes me really glad that you told me just now that I've been a good guide and source of encouragement to you. I'm really grateful for that and it encourages me in kind too :)

Well, I still have 2 official working days left before l start clearing what's left of my annual leaves. I actually thought this morning that today would be the very last time I report in at the office, so l went around the office compound snapping lots of photos for the memories since I know I'll miss the place after I'm gone. Turns out, my manager Jason would like me to report in again this wednesday, which will be my very last official working day. I'm actually grateful for that.

So see you again this wednesday. You'll get to see how my last working day will be like then.

Burp.


-De Lion Speaks

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