The thing about working in an environment where most of your colleagues are more than a decade older than you is the risk of realizing your auntie potential.
I postponed my prior appointment with the HR officer who hired me simply because I wanted to join the Auntie gang. I spotted a value-for-money promotion in today’s Today, whereby one could buy a can of New Moon Abalone for an offer price of $36.80, and even receive a free 1kg pack of New Moon rice at Carrefour.
The Aunties in my department most naturally spotted the advertisement before me, and were excited about going there during lunch. Somehow I didn’t feel bad about cancelling my appointment with the HR officer, even after confirming it with her just this morning (it was first discussed on Wednesday morning), because I fancied shopping at Carrefour more.
So we hurriedly left the office at 12pm (the usual lunch hour is around 12.30pm), and took the shuttle bus to Suntec City and started queuing up for the cans of abalone. Knowing that we didn’t have enough time to sit down somewhere to have lunch, a colleague and I went to buy lunch for the rest of us whilst the Aunties were queuing. When I rejoined them in the queue, somehow the aunties behind us and I started discussing about the offer. The thing is, I didn’t exactly want the abalone, I was just enjoying myself helping my colleague with my presence since each person could only buy a maximum of 2 cans.
If you saw me in the queue for the shuttle bus back to City Hall MRT, you would have identified me as a bona fide Auntie, carrying a bag with cans of abalone and a pack of rice on one arm, a takeaway container of laksa on the other, and eating ice-cream (my colleague’s treat for helping her being able to get more abalone) at the same time whilst waiting for the bus. You would also have been able to confirm your classification of me as an auntie if only you saw how I was as kiasu as to stand at the front of the bus to alight before the bus halted.
Have I found my niche?
