Please Send me Back on Same

Every morning, when I walk into our mini-pantry at our current client's site to make my coffee, I see the neat, smiling and courteous office boy making the staff their tea and coffee. When I take out the spoon from the coffee jar, I almost always forget to put it back. Every single morning, I remind myself not to stir my coffee with that spoon but I still forget - for the past two and a half months now! I always told myself I had good intentions. At least I'm making my own coffee! I am very new to this concept of office boys making coffee for employees. I actually find it particularly demeaning.

Today morning, I made a point to remember. I found a neatly printed label exactly trimmed to fit the spoon handle and laminated to be waterproof saying in all the English he could gather: "Please send me back on same." Just, how polite and cute is that? In a more "professional" environment, I think he would have been slighlty unforgiving. As the rapid commercial and professional development takes its toll on this city and people's egos, many forget simplicity in reacting when they don't get red carpet treatment - let alone when intentional damage is done unto them.

A lady at my last job not only openly trashed a team mate because he used her mug (not that he knew it was hers and stil wanted to use it) but also demanded he wash it and then she sanitized it. When somebody repeatedly used my mug, I put a little label with my name on it. The whole company then started to use it.

A courteous "No" wouldn't work too well in many places....anywayz...