h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

our CEO came to visit. The preparations and the way all our Korean staff are messed around, jump around and generally give themselves heart attacks is something to see (I don't enjoy watching that, not even with a sense of schadenfreude)

and then several of the local staff were selected to have dinner with him - there were about 20 altogether (including the local Korean managers and a couple of VPs from Korea)

It's all about drinking... and karaoke. I spent the night on someone's sofa rather than have to get home with a taxi (not sure if the company would pay for that)

but as a result of Wednesday night's excesses I was less than useless and, if I'm honest, am still feeling the effects now.

But there are 2 rules.

1) the invitations to dinner with the CEO are secret "in case anyone gets jealous" (). That means: the first rule of CEO dinner is, we don't talk about CEO dinner

2) nobody cares if you spend the day slumped over your desk, asleep under your desk or running to the loo (or just spend the day in the loo). The rule is: you have to be at your desk by 8:30. I made it (and spent only about 30% of the day in the loo ) but some of the guys just didn't turn up at all.

so now... I'm off the sauce until next time...

SO Sho what was your Karaoke track of choice?

FB

I haven't heard Sho singing, but I'd say she'd be good at draping herself across lampposts, so it should be something by Marlene Dietrich.

*passes Sho a glass of Alka-Selzer*

How are you feeling today?

So, how often does your company have one of these outings? In other words, how long is "never again"?

Awww off you go. Back to the loo.

I've been trying to get them to put a bookcase and weight machine in ours but strangely they seem reluctant.

I get this kind of "big visit" about once every two years...

Hmm, my Karaoke song. Actually, i wouldn't mind doing Lili Marlene but it's mostly stuff like ABBA and power ballads. And loads and loads of Korean songs that I've never heard of.

If I sing alone it's usually Top of the World by the Carpenters but I couldn't find it, and I was so wrecked I couldn't have filled out one of the little slips that you give to the waitress anyway.

I'm pretty sure that I started off with Dancing Queen (with a friend, I never go alone), and at some point we jumped in on the first western song that came up, even though we hadn't asked for it, because we were getting a bit sick of the Korean songs by then. The two Swedish guys in the small group in the corner who had requested it bounced over and insisted that we all sang it together. Sweet Caroline I think.

They also work for a Korean company but haven't been at it long, and were asking us for tips

I was well enough for my Traditional Friday Lunch today with 2 friends, we usually eat in a local pub and have a beer... I was a bit worried about more beer but it was fine.

There's a coincidence - I was quietly singing Top of the World to myself, then I opened this conversation and saw your post.

At least you weren't playing (the video game) Sleeping Dogs and had to sing A Flock of Seagulls (something or other*)

I only remember his hairdo, not the songs (thankfully)

This doesn't happen when my top brass comes round. He has a quiet and polite look around and then pushes off for sushi with the senior engineers.

I'm quite jealous.

B

I was going to suggest Sho get her slapping hand out to Smack My Beach Up, or else The Black Eyed Peas My Humps. Or Sgt Rock is going to help me....

My CEO was in my class in college, so we're on speaking terms.

A constant reminder of your days as class clown, then?

B

unfortunately the musical selections aren't that good.

The CEO visits always remind me of my military days when the Queen would pop in for tea or something. 4 weeks of frantic activity (and unlike the Queen the schedule changes every 5 minutes)

For us, he is so far removed from us, and we're not Korean and can't really benefit from him being nice, or whatever, they're usually a lot more relaxed around us, as we are around him.

But the Korean guys, they bow when they meet people as a matter of course, when they bow to him their foreheads nearly touch the floor. And as soon as he's safely gone they all shove off and get wasted. Only one showed up at work today.

Knew it was you before I opened. Your relationship with your company continues to amaze. Glad you had a "good" time.
Reminds me of when the Spearcarrier was working for a commpany that had Ross Perot as its CEO. One of RP's aides told the bearded Duncan that 'Mr Perot doesn't like beards'. As a contractor, he was able to say something like 'And I don't like little bigots' and go back to getting a coffee.

to the spear carrier.

But you have reminded me, I should update my never ending tale of work woe...

I have been elected member of the board by my colleagues for many years now so my job is safer than those of my bosses'