On Day 2 and then some

I had to hitchhike during the lunch break today. There was no way... NO WAY I was going to join Senior for lunch but the people at my table were from the school and they ventured off in their pack, leaving me behind. I walked out, saw a friendly bunch and asked if I could join them for lunch. I'm such a loser. I can watch a movie by myself, I can shop on my own (I prefer to anyway) but I just can't, absolutely CANNOT eat outside alone. I need company when I'm eating outside. It could be psychological; the food tastes better when I'm dining with others. Eating is not a solitary activity. You can quote me on that.

Day Two was not any better. As compared to last year, this time it's really a drag. I mean, CL Paper? Seriously? I believe it's a conspiracy. Considering I enjoyed myself tremendously during the marking last year, this could be my retribution. I am dreading every single moment I am in that room.

I try not to partake in the conversations. Why? What do teachers talk about when they get together? School. Their pupils. Work. They start comparing notes and seem genuinely captivated by what you have to say. They lie. It's all just small talk. A means to an end. Those mind-numbing conversations are purely silence-fillers. I'd much rather the silence than sit through a forced conversation. I need to find a synonym for conversation.

Why are you so petrified of silence... Here can you handle this?.....

I conducted a little experiment of my own. Yes, I was that bored. Whilst waiting for break to be announced, I made a mental list of posible conversations that I will eventually have with these people (teachers). It had to generic and light-hearted yet intimate enough to be a convincing story. It went something along the lines of...

I'm teaching P1 in all-boys school. It's my first posting and the first time I'm teaching that level. My practicum was at IJTP and when I got my posting to my current school, I thought MOE was playing a practical joke on me! *cue laughter* Then someone will ask how it is like to teach boys and I would provide a simple We have our really good ones and we also have those that can't seem to get out of trouble. *cue laughter*

Armed with my story, I tried it out on 3 different groups / packs. The results did not surprise me. In each group that I went to, their reactions were the same and they asked the same series of questions. It was as if I was in a play and had to perform my piece multiple times. It was intriguing, to say the least.

This is the very reason why I despise social gatherings. You have to repeat your bloody story all the bloody time. It gets on my nerves. It's not as if they care about what you have just shared. Having that piece of information is not going to get us any closer. Nor are they going to know me any better. I respect an individual who does not ask me about my bio-data but would rather join me in a discussion or a tete-a-tete.

Opinions matter more to me than personal information. I dare you to disagree with me on this. You remember a person better if they provided an intimate detail about themselves rather than some random piece of biodata. If you are at a social gathering and you want to leave an impression... well, IMPRESS! Don't spill out your resume and rave about your profession. Give a generic story then move away from the topic. Your life does not revolve around your work.