In my workplace, we have two major parties each year. One is the Christmas party held by our foreign colleagues and the other is held around Chinese New Year by locally hired employees (largely Taiwanese). Sometimes the latter is held around Lantern Festival, but this year it was more like a spring party. In both parties, we never have any game like prize draw in most companies’ year-end party. What we have are only food and some performances.
What scare me the most about those parties is always the way they are arranged. I always have a phobia about parties with stand-up buffet. The participants have to keep standing, take food, walk around and socialize with people we may not be familiar with. Somehow I am intimidated by it so much. Simply dealing with businesses is always easier than with people. In the workplace, to socialize with people is a skill. Nosy parkers abound and careless words could turn into rumors. Compliments to some people for their success or looks are necessary even if you are not interested at all. These parties are never comfortable like our HEA Saturday dinners. If there is any textbook teaching us how to socialize with people from workplace without being self-conscious, I’d like to have a copy.
