I returned to work on Monday and I was welcomed by these following surprises, which I am deeply grateful for – in one way or another:

• GOOD: I got a raise! I received a letter with the usual “…thank you for all your efforts…blah…blah… Your salary has been increased by *toot* …” And this doesn’t still include my bonus. That information will come later.
• GOOD: I was one of the finalists for Employee of the Year. Although I didn’t win, it felt good being recognised by my colleagues on the work I’ve contributed during my first year in the company.
• BAD for me, GOOD for the company: Our proposal got shortlisted in Atlanta! It was definitely good news for us having been shortlisted for our proposal of an implementation of our system for the water company in Atlanta. Remember I had to work the weekend to rush the proposal together? Anyway, our proposal was selected best along with 2 others (I think) and this gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our product and give them more information on how do we plan to go on about the project, if we win it. This is the bad thing because I was not asked to go to Atlanta. Someone else had to take over the work I started and laboured. I felt like the rug was pulled from under my feet. I did most of the hard work in getting that proposal document together and it has brought us to this fortunate position and now someone else will defend, justify and fortify that? I was p****d off big time and I did not think twice in telling my boss that and our Chief Operating Officer about it. I cancelled my sight-seeing and shopping tour of Shanghai because someone had to start building those demo scenarios and data provided by Atlanta on our database. Time was of the essence, we got the scenarios and data Thursday night, Boston time (GMT-5) scheduled for a Wednesday presentation, so I managed to pick it up quickly from Shanghai (GMT+8). By the time I finished my contribution on the data building, our UK office (GMT) could pick up from what I’ve finished. I was then flying back to HK that Friday to go back to the UK on Saturday. By the time UK was done, I could pick up from where they left off. When I got to my hotel in Hong Kong, I was told not to put another finger on the matter since I am not going anyway. If I had gone, I would have to fly back to the UK, unload my suitcase and re-pack and fly out again for Atlanta. I was told that they will not do that to any employee as it just seems ridiculous. I know that it would be too much but I told them that we don’t do that everyday…for me, if it has to be done, I didn’t mind doing it. In fact, I was the one who suggested that I fly out Monday evening, the latest. But little did I know that I was not being seriously considered to go out there and do the demo.

I know there will be more surprises, after all it is only the beginning…

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