Organiser Porganiser

I think I’ve got a few things stamped invisibly on my forehead. Counselor is one. Birthdays and farewell organiser is another.

The former cannot be helped. I’d blame it on Elijah House, only I had virtual strangers pouring out their deepest and darkest secrets to me even before I was barely out of my diapers. Kidding about the diapers, but the latter is a newly developed phenomena.

One of the challenges of organising such events is that you get ‘helpful’ comments like this:

“Eh, is Ms. X going to be there? If so, I don’t want to go.”

“Oh, it’s a big event ar? With plenty of tables? Then make sure you don’t place Ms. X and I at the same table. While you are at it, make sure we are not in the line of sight of each other.”

“Aiyo, RM30 per pax?? Too expensive lar. Find a cheaper place can?”

“Why you choose that restaurant? I can’t eat anything fried and spicy wor. How???”

Gah. Case in point:

A few days ago, I organised a small farewell lunch for a dear colleague. A couldn’t stand B. So we decided to have TWO farewell lunches to cater for both A and B. The thing was, B was not aware of the first farewell lunch. And just so happens that the place we decided to have that farewell lunch was the exact place where our bosses brought B and a few other colleagues for lunch on that very same day!

B got a start when she saw us and we all waved awkwardly back at her. The next day, my boss asked one of colleagues and I on why B was not included in that small farewell lunch since he thought she belonged to our particular batch/clique. How does one explain about the on-going tension between A and B? One can’t, especially not to the boss.

And when I think about it, I’ve also been guilty of hyperventilating at the thought of going to a function where someone who gives me the hives would be in attendance as well. That’s just human nature, I guess – to avoid uncomfortable encounters of the second kind. As long as there are humans and with it the complexities of relationships and skewed communication, this shall be the lot of an organiser – to bring everyone relevant together for the event and to do so in the best possible manner so that potentially embarrassing/hurtful/awkward moments will be minimised while maximising the FUN factor.

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