RUDE - I HATE THEM

1. I was feeling thirsty on a summer day with temperatures over 100F. I ran out of water and go to the break room and find that the water bottle/can (that’s 5gallons huge) is empty. I know it’s not easy to lift a bottle that volume and decide to request for help from 2 of the passers who apparently are guys from my team. I ask the first guy, can you help me out with the water. May be I can give you a hand. The guy says "sorry, I can’t help you". Shocked, I asked the second guy, Will you help me and he goes "Why should I". Shocked and mentally not prepared for such an incident to happen, I do not know how to react. I leave the break room, not just with thirst, but with anger. I am so fumed out that I couldn’t control my tears. Why are men rude to women at work? Why are they feminist? What is so special about them that they think women can’t compete with them? Think about it, God gifted the same brain to apply at work as with men.

I narrated this incident to another ex-colleague of mine. And she goes "Well this did happen to me too". But you know how I dealt with the guy. I told him, well Sorry, I forgot you are not a strong man. And immediately yelled out "Is there a strong man around who can help me with the bottle". I laughed at what she told, but thought to myself that I need to grow up to face people so different to how we want them to be.

2. I had a pregnant lady around me whose figure was definitely changing day by day or in pregnancy terms week by week. But of course she looked more beautiful than before. In India, they say that when a girl carries a girl, she is more beautiful than with a boy. However, American tale says the opposite. But this co-worker of mine carried a boy. And she looked dashingly beautiful, not to forget she was cute even before the pregnancy. I vaguely remember, she was close to her half term, when someone came to her (and this is a lady) and told her "she does look fat". How rude? I thought to myself. I knew I had no babies so far, and had no idea on how pregnancy weight gain is. But I have seen pregnant bellies and know they have to eat to support for two and that the process will definitely will make them look huge. Nevertheless, the girl looked gorgeous and she delivered a handsome baby.

3. I once went to a meeting and took a seat right close to the door, so I can escape quickly after the meeting is over. I had this guy who came to me and said I have to leave the chair as it belonged to him and that, that’s his favorite spot. I thought to myself, I don’t see a name tag with his name written there. And also this is not your home buddy, its office. But again, not knowing how to snob, I quickly leave the chair and occupy the one next to his but definitely giving a frown face to all the others to express myself out. I don’t sit in his chair till date, even though I know the guy should be taken to the HR for his rudeness.

4. Working in US is definitely different to working in your hometown. Especially when it comes to dealing Americans.
I had this American coworker who told me about how he hates companies off-shoring their project to India. He mentioned to me, that why America helps improve India's economy. I wanted to cut him out by saying "Dear! You know you are talking to another Indian”. But then I thought to myself, we have always complained British for looting our possessions which if we had held would have made us even more supreme than US. And thought, even though the guy was rude, he did have a point. He was once taken out of a project for his team was off-shored to India. But I immediately asked him, well! There are not many Americans who got to engineering schools. So that leaves this country to seek talent elsewhere. I asked him, how do you think, things made easy for me to get a job here? It’s because the company is unable to find a talent within its own country. How that is there are lots of internationals who get green card every single day? I told him that one of the steps in the process is to prove that there is no American talent to match this guy. The guy looked at me and realized he was talking to a wrong person. Of course, I am going to support my country for that’s where I am from. But I know he wasn’t convinced for sure.

5. Again working in a place where your accent is so different to the localities. I had this co-worker from one of my previous jobs. He was at least 15-20yrs older to me. Perfect Texan from his accent, he once made me repeat a line few times just to make me feel irritated. The first time he made me repeat, I felt, Damn me! I should learn to speak slowly especially when I have an accent. The second time when i spoke really slow, all the others Americans but him understood. The third time, I smelt his intent and the fourth time; I told him I can write and show what I came to say. He laughed out and said I understood the first time you spoke, but wanted to see how many times you can go over. I am thinking here to myself, I am not in any interview for you to run a patience test on me or to find the team work capability in me. Although he played a prank, I know I won’t forget this guy for his silliness.