In San Francisco, CA

“This facility may contain chemicals known to the Californian State government that might cause cancer, birth defects or other forms of reproductive harm. A brochure about specific chemical exposures can be found at the front desk.”

I found this sign outside Chevron. Fine. Perfectly normal for a chemical plant. Then later in the afternoon I got to walk along the lake in front of the regional office. The little iron back gate of Hotel Sofitel, where the boss always stays when he comes visiting, is right by the lake. Behind the gate there is a standard pool and lawn chairs overlooking the beautiful expanse of clear water creased by the wind, with diving ducks and geese that glide inches above the surface of the water.

The hilarious thing is the little notice I saw in front of the gate.

“This facility may contain chemicals known to the Californian State government that might cause cancer, birth defects or other forms of reproductive harm. A brochure about specific chemical exposures can be found at the front desk.”

Ok…

Can anyone tell me what’s up with the Californian State government?

I seriously wonder about what the boss might think when he finds out that he could have been exposed all along to reproductive harm-causing chemicals in a hotel. Oh well I guess he must know that already. We all are responsible for our own health. Just like accompanying officers who fall sick during overseas trips should be labeled as a drag (as in 拖累, not a “drag queen” drag) and bundled off on the first flight home. “You can’t take MC. The trip must go on wat. So what for drag everybody down and be miserable yourself?” Sure. Never better stated. So why am I still here then?

One of the officers quoted the boss, that there are three types of people:
1.Those who are focused and do the right thing.
2.Those who get the ball and look at it.
3. Those who catch no ball.

Note (for people like me before I heard TK use that expression): ball = message/hint of something that the boss’d like to get done.

Tendency of being comfortably out of touch with the external world has been entrenched by Cornell education following a TV-less upbringing. Defiance and passivity for non-self-initiated activities makes me take tremendous amount of efforts to read up even when materials have been provided. So not likely to be resourceful. In short I’m laidback, so I can’t be the 1^st kind unless I spend a couple of more years conditioning my stress tolerance level first.

I have a natural respect for authority, so I can’t conceive pure acts of indolence.

Trained by mum I’m good at figuring out underlying meanings. Though I panic at the lack of resources, I don’t think that’s equivalent to not catching the ball.

But unneeded sensitivity and alertness do hinder understanding. So I asked, “what about people who catch the wrong kind of ball not out of stupidity?” Apparently the question was not very well understood and set up some pondering within the officer’s mind.

So that concludes that I’m not of the business world. Meeting new people and charming them is all very well for a while. But I’d prefer taking walks anytime. I mean there are all sorts of people out there who don’t catch the ball for a variety of reasons. If they don’t appreciate those people more than customer satisfaction then they are different from me. I guess the real challenge comes when career path has been set and I have to figure out whether I can hold onto a belief in the purpose in life with the pressure of competition. No, erase that. The real challenge is figuring out what the hell is the real purpose in life. Maybe the purpose in life is to find that purpose.

Shoot I really don't know what time it is anymore. It's been 12 hrs behind Singapore. Then 13 hrs behind because of daylight saving. And when we flew to Minneapolis it was 14 hrs behind. Then we get back to Chicago it's 12. No 13. Ok. And now we get to San Francisco... shit.