Unforgettable Moments

At the end of the career awareness session, we played the Hangman Quiz Game. In this game, first, each group of students are given a couple of balloons to blow up, and build the tallest and most stable tower out of them. Then, the MC will flash the a quiz question on the screen.

Students are given about 30 seconds to answer. Once the time is up, the leader of the group will

jump up and flash their answers. If their answer is wrong, we, the facilitators will wear a devillish grin on our faces, cheerfuly wave our pointed, magic lidi sticks in our hands, and poke the balloon on the highest part of the tower. "Pop" goes the balloon in a second, and the deflated, broken rubber pieces fall onto the floor, crashing the hearts of 40 students.

Just between you and me, I love this part. I almost always laugh gleefully when I burst their balloons. I suppose it has something to do with the yin and yang in life. As the English proverb goes, 'you win some, you lose some'. Or maybe it has something to do with my natural personality to burst one's bubble during any conversation too. My brother has a name for it. "Kill Joy", he would say in his throaty, sing-song voice.

Oh ya. So back to my story. As we were playing this Hangman Quiz, suddenly, a guy dressed in orange pants and blue-white striped shirt walked into the hall. His head was wrapped in masking tape (or maybe stapled tissue paper) from the chin to the top of the forehead. He definitely looked like a Hangman mascot to me.

When he walked in, he approached the group of students nearest to the stage. At first, he merely observed them. Soon, he participated in their activities, standing outside the circle, shadowing their actions. "Wow! This maskot is really into his role!" I thought as I noticed this odd behaviour.

Throughout this 'phenomenal' event, I kept wondering who the maskot might be. I thought, "Hmm.. the student must be really into this game!"

Under normal circumstances, which of us would go through such great lengths as to change into a pair of new shirt and pants, willing to mummify his own head, willing to stand out and be different, and yet, maintain his energy in group encouragement? Maybe he suddenly gained a deep revelation on the meaning of playing the Hangman game and changed just to emphasize it. I bowed my head in deep thought. Few minutes later, I look up and the 'maskot' is gone!

I wonder where he went. It was only much later, that I found out that this 'maskot' was apparently a drunk student who stumbled upon this venue and decided to join in for some fun. He had probably sniffed glue or drank a bottle of local tonic brew, that blew him out of his mind. 2 of the toughest and fiercest guy in our team cautiously approached him. After all, you never know what kind of people you might encounter these days. Whatwith students shooting teachers and terrorist bombing up themselves, we live in one of the most testy times of uncertainty and doubt. Once they found out that he harboured no knife and bombs, and wasn't one of those people who ran 'amok', they literally dragged him out of the hall and made him walk home under the hot sun, if he knew where his home was.

It was then revealed that in this part of the town, many students drink, gamble and belong to one or two black triads. Bullying, extortion, getting drunk and dropping out of school is a common scene, day in, day out. Nothing new. That is why, this year, the career session was held here. To motivate the students that they can do better. They can get out of this cycle, if only they want to. To remind them that they are the ones who can bring development to their town,, see new sights and taste new sounds. "We are the ones who improve our lives and make it a life worth living." That, is part of the reason that we are here.

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After the event, I was exhilarated. In that one, single day, I had laughed a gazillion times more than I had while being cooped up in the office for 8 whole months. I was happy and feeling on top of the world. The same holds true while attending meeting with the PETROSAINS staff. Each time we meet them, laughter floats across the room like pink, fluffy cotton candy.

As you can see, this event brought smiles on many faces on that special day of 6th of August, 2009.

When I noted this fact to Farid, one of the coordinators for the event, he stated it so simply that I was startled for a moment, "Jean! It's because you are highly paid, and we're not."

Later on, I pondered upon this stark fact. Indeed, it is true. The more highly paid you are, the more stress you have. Why is this so? Well, it's because people in high positions are the ones who are called to make the toughest decisions. They are the ones who are supposed to take risks and expected to produced results with flying colours. They are the ones who can presumably assume more responsibilities and lead a battalion of rebels under them. They are the ones who are made to take up the role of negotiation, persuasion and management. In short, the more well-rounded you are, the more responsibilities you get, and the bigger, fatter pay cheque will be yours in no time.

Perhaps, that is why we see children smile more than adults. Children can smile the whole day and not know why. Adults frown from morning 'til night. When they smile, we wonder why.

My colleagues often berate me for laughing too loud, or smiling too brightly in the office. Frankly, I don't think it's a sin. But to them, it is. When I ask why, they answer, "Jean! It's just ill fitting in a professional environment such as this."

Once, I was even chided and sent a nasty sms by a senior for smiling during a presentation requesting for endorsement. I was shocked out of my wits.

Needless to say, since then, I have sobred up. Nowadays, I don't go round smiling as if it's a brand new day, and there's every reason to be happy. In fact, I just put on a poker face, lips straight, eyes staring ahead into the empty air, looking as if the rain is going to pour like crazy from the thick, grey accumulating clouds above our heads.

It is not the best solution, I see now. Yet, I guess this is one of the trademarks required from a professional. Reading the book 'How to Talk to Anyone' by Leil Lowndes, I realize the importance of the timing of a smile. If it comes too quick, it comes across as insincere. If it comes too late, it reduces your chances of being labelled as trustworthy. It has to come at the right time, just a few minutes after being into conversation, after getting to know someone. A smile then achieves its objective. It lets the receiver know that he/she has been acknowledge as a friend.

This works best when we're all working in an environment where professional ethics are required of us. Definitely, I believe, if we practise it with our coursemates, schoolmates or old friends, they will probably beat the hell out of us for feigning to be ourselves.