Feeling lousy
I feel really really lousy today because I've inconvenienced my parents. The couple whose wedding I attended in Beijing asked me for a favour: they asked me to ask my parents to pick up some of their belongings in Vancouver, including a bicycle and a few boxes, and to store it for a couple of months. My parents obliged, but were shocked to find that there was not one bicycle, but two, and there weren't just a few boxes, but 14 boxes! My dad wasn't pleased. My mom isn't amused either. I feel like shit because space is already at a premium in my house. I also feel terrible because my parents, who are almost 60, had to load and unload these boxes.
Why do I feel like people are taking advantage of me and my family at every turn? Oh yeah, I've been clearing out my inbox, and found a week-old email from the married guy in which he asks me to proofread his CV and cover letter. I can't believe this guy. He earns 18,000 yuan a month PROOFREADING financial statements and reports for a Big Four accounting firm and he asks ME to proofread something for him? Oh yes, he's asked me to proofread things for him before, and I must say that his English SUCKS! Yes, I'm jealous. Very very jealous. The People's Daily offered me 4,600 yuan a month for the same kind of work. At Ruder Finn, I started out proofreading, and I was paid far far less than 18,000 yuan.
Don't get me wrong - I'm more than happy to help people in need. However, I don't like it when people expect me to help them out. I just don't like the feeling. Lately, I've been asking myself, "why should I help them?" Sometimes, I just can't convince myself. I ask myself, "are they being reasonable?" "Do they really need my help?" "why don't they ask someone else?" "What have they done for me?" "What can they do for me?" Hey, don't give me any crap for feeling this way. I've gone out of my way to help a lot of people, and most of the time, no questions asked, nothing expected in return.
This couple HAS been quite nice to me. They've been keeping a box of my books and DVDs and my guitar, but come on, 14 boxes? Geez..
posted by krazykrankyken @ 3:59 p.m.
8 comments
8 Comments:
MY GOD! YET ANOTHER person, the fourth in one week, has asked me to proofread her work! A law student I knew in Beijing wants me to go over her CV! FORGET IT!
I've been really strugging to get my own work done. I wonder if I'll ever manage to finish this degree.
I guess you're going to have to draw the line. I know it's not nice, but it's like working as a waiter and giving one of your customers a free meal - everyone else is going to ask for a free meal too!
If you don't make it loud and clear, ppl will keep taking advantage of you. Tell them up front: I don't have time to proofread your shit!
18,000 yuan a month proofreading!!!!? In Beijing!!!!!? And his English sucks?
Dear God, why don't you just an end to my misery right now? Like NOW!
*goes off to weep*
P.S. Sometimes, I wish I were a man, so that I don't have to listen to all that BS from my parents about the dangers for an unmarried young girl to live alone in a city like Beijing. Hell, my dad even *forbids* me to ride the elevator if there were only another man waiting for the same elevator. He even *forbids* me to tutor someone of the opposite sex!
*goes off again to weep*
I've never had a middle name, but this week, I've considered giving myself a middle name: Ken "I'm no pushover and I'm too busy to proofread your shit" Ho.
Hen, I've wanted to cry too. I earned a fraction of what that guy was earning doing exactly the same job, but at least I knew I was going to be trained in other cool things eventually. Well, the guy had a Beijing native fiancee to help him out. That and he has the right skin tone. But dammit, his English SUCKS!
Oops.. I meant "native Beijing fiancee". Sigh..
Okay, I may make some honest mistakes sometimes, but that guy's English really really really genuinely SUCKS!
You don't mean he is actually Canadian? -___-
Actually, I wouldn't be surprised. -___- I remember how, in my AP Lit 12 class, the teacher handed out copies of my essays to everybody in class for them to see how English is written, and what the ideas are *worth* being written. And they were all native speakers of English. -___-
And I hope those people are not actually reading your blog. -____-
Don't you hate it when the teacher makes you an example for the whole class to follow? You might be proud of yourself in your achievement had it not been the fact that you were just alienated from all your friends, and the people who hate you now hate you even more.
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