Emo!

There used to be 3 ladies in the office. Che. Me. And then May Ann. (The order is also arranged according to hiring dates).

We all worked in the Switch (a telecom jargon which could sometimes be called central office or CO to some). When the switch group disintegrated a couple of years or so ago, May Ann was transferred into another group (but still held office here). When that department fell apart, she was relocated to Butuan. Later on, she resigned and took her leave from this company. She is happily working for a telco in Sydney , Australia now.

Che. When our original group disintegrated, she and I were moved to join another group. When we were regrouped, she and I got in the same group again. A month ago, she was given (not offered, but this is a company-initiated move to relocate her) a post in Ozamis. She really had no choice but to go ( This is because from the very start of our employment in this company, we all signed an agreement, a waiver, on possible relocation –anytime and anywhere-- should the company sees the need. Otherwise, we resign.). And effective today, Che (who btw will soon immigrate to Canada with her family) reports to a base in Ozamis City.

So that leaves me with this fact: I am the only “she” in the office now. No big deal. Really. To be honest, I really have no problem being in an all-male environment. Back in college, there were only 2 of us girls in our class. Choosing a used-to-be-male-dominated career, I kinda developed a mindset that should have prepared me for something inevitable such as this. But why am I getting emotional and anxious? Yup, I have no problem with walking around the corridors of this building. And definitely, no prob working with these men. I have been working with these people for almost 6 years, and I am as comfortable working with them as walking in Havaianas slippers. But man oh man, there will be times when we would long for a woman’s company to hear us out with our woes in life. And sometimes we need a little dose of that girly-ish chitchats just to keep our sanity. And then there will be times when we need to ask the point of view of another woman, be it personal or not.

As for the moment, I cannot imagine who to ask whether this email I am composing sounded too emotional and lady-like.

Do you have an extra liner? Or tissue? Or napkin? Questions that I will no longer utter tomorrow and in the future.