It seems like it has been a culture in our office that head quarters will print
large amount of Christmas card and delivered them to us. Each manager and executive would obtain a portion of cards for sending to clients and etc.
A colleague approached me today in the evening at the end of our working hours asking me if i have any idea what's one of our colleague base in X coutry's address. After cross checking with the company network and have no luck in obtaining
the address, i went without a second thought and said "let's ask him, no big deal about it, after all."
Colleague seem hesitated. i said, well, i'm alrite with asking. i'm a very frank
person after all, so, what's the hesitation?
As a result of that, i sent this colleague of ours an email, as below-
Dear M,
Can you please advise us our company's branch office address?
thank you in advance.
Warmest Regards & Many Thanks,
CTPHone, ExtFaxEmail Address
(That's my standard signature at the end of an fresh start email).
I do not have my phone calls on normal days. However, it grew slightly more lately due to all the year end closing issues.
Minutes later, my phone rang, and from the caller ID, i could tell that it is an
external call. Hence, i lifted the handset and wish the caller good evening. The other party paused for a minute, and explain who he is. It's the colleague i emailed minutes ago that called.
He asked me, "What is the address for? Is it for documentations or for products
purposes?
I was caught rather off guarded. And i said, "Well, it is...not so much of any of the two above mentioned.YOu know, mailing address will do." (i was very hesitated to tell him that we wanted his address to send him a christmas card, it was
suppose to be a surprise thingy).
and he asked again " What sort of documents? is it for registry purposes?"
my face started grewing red...i couldnt reveal the secret, and yet i said it is
not a legal document thingy. "well, it is documents, and it is not for registration".(I was so afraid he is gonna give me an address which the card will ended up got sent to a government department!)
he is curious. but seeing how hesitated i am, he softened and wanted to let me off. he told me,"well, if that is the case, i'm gonna send you this address.."
i can hear him typing on his keyboard on the other side. i was half relieved as,
at least i dont have to reveal our little secrets and dont spoil the surprise.
out of no where, he asked again, with a very suspicious tone,"can i know what is
it for after all?"
i realised that i can no longer hide but to tell the truth, other wise that would be really really suspicious of me asking for the address.What's worse is, he is not one of those country representative whom i am familiar with that i can get
away with by pulling their legs saying something like " well, u know since u have always been late on submitting report, we're gonna send u some punishment say
like a stink bomb? "
i went like a child who got caught on the spot while stealing candies from the
kitchen tupperware,"how about christmas card ? "
M went : "Ohhh,....that... thanks ".
what else could i say but "you're welcome" and from there we terminated the phone conversation.
i cant regret more for revealing the small secret as now it become somewhat a promise that we gonna delivered and we have to finish sending all the cards to the
coutry including to this colleague of us, before they all leave for home country.
when i receive this colleague's revert, it wrote as follow:-
"Dear CT,
I am surprise that you are not aware that our company does not have a representative office in this country.
Nonetheless, the following address is where I STAY:
Address Line 1Address Line 2Address Line 3.
Best Regards,
M "
my whole face was so red that i wish i can dig a hole on the ground and hide my
head in the hole. now i understand the hesitation of him giving out his address
.
for whom will reveal a personal, private home address to a colleague thousand kilometres away? as for me, none of the colleagues in the office has my house address, i was even hesitated to give out my mobile phone number, not to mention my
house number nor my home address.
i get a feeling that i have casted a shadow on myself ober this incident. it sounded so much as if i have a crush on him, desperately wanting to go after him and hence ask him for his private home address.
gosh..what have i done?