Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Is This Thing On?

Last Friday was my company's Xmas Party. Don't even try and call it an 'End of Year Function' to try and be PC. Call it what it is.. or in this case what it should have been.

Things had changed this year in comparison to the previous functions:

1. Stand up party with buffet and finger food vs sit down meal;
2. A venue that seperated people rather than a large room combining them; and
3. bad accoustics

I can understand the first 2 points are due to a combination of financials and room availability. The last one is beyond me.

Every year during the xmas party the state manager or one of the senior managers gets up and does a brief presentation on how the year has gone, thanks a few people, draws the winning tickets for the fundraising raffle and wishes everyone a merry xmas. That's it. 5 minutes. Then back to it.


At a more formal sit down dinner this is achieved easily as everyone is about to sit down to the main meal. It is also quite obvious if there are groups of people not sitting and they tend to shut up as well. In comparison at a Cocktail style party where everyone is standing and:

a) 80% of the people are drunker than the state manager;
b) 60% of the people are taller than the state manager; and
c) 92% of the people don't give a shit;

then it becomes a little bit more problematic. Imagine 300 odd people who had been ushered from another area, all standing around talking amongst themselves while a short man with a microphone tries to talk over them. Not much respect commanded or given.

It was very strange seeing a man laughing at his own jokes when he was the only one who could hear them. A man who had prepared notes on a few things that no one heard.

It truely a level of management.

That aside it was a reasonable night. Food was ok, beer was ok, room was ok. None of which were outstanding but serviceable. After the drinks finished at midnight a large number ventured to a nearby club where the latest I heard anyone got home was 5:30am. My time was 2:30am.

19 comments:

Lola Lopez said...

2.30am? You bloody light weight!

dam buster said...

Late enough for this black duck Mags. I could have gone on but had Saturday appointments.

Lola Lopez said...

Better to use your energy on people you'd rather be with anyway Deebs...
I'm sure I'll be home around the same time after 2 Christmas parties on the same night!

Jayne said...

Gawd, 2.30am is more than I can cope with these days lol.

dam buster said...

Mags - That is right. There were a few at that time worth staying with but there was also a lot of dead wood!

Jayne - Don't worry I was hurting.

Lola Lopez said...

A week on.. will you be going out to do some more damage tonight DB?

dam buster said...

No going out tonight Mags. I have a few get togethers tomorrow at various locations so need to be on the toes for that.

I will probably relax at home with a few ales.

Lola Lopez said...

Nice one. I have $100 voucher won by using my brain at trivia at the Town Hall Hotel in Richmond. It's valid till the end of the month and they've been burning a hole in my purse for most of this year.
Tonight,Stacey,Caroline and moi and going to use it on booze and food.
Then we're off to Swizzle...

dam buster said...

Nice work. Nothing like a cheap / free night out.

Lola Lopez said...

Hmm interesting last post Deebs.. is someone sending kisses and an encrypted phone number?

Please send me a message. My brain is about to snap from stress.. long story...

12.51 and I need a drink!

dam buster said...

Gday Mags,

Apology for late response. Yes some of my best friends are random spammers.

Lola Lopez said...

No worries.. I am placating myself the Nigella Lawson way- pasta and chocolate.
Hope you had a splendiferous weekend.. mine was okay...

dam buster said...

Ahh Nigella.. Food Porn

Weekend was ok thanks. Pretty cruisy.

Lola Lopez said...

I want to live in a cave alone with a telly,dvd,a few boxed sets of my fave tv shows,a fully stocked bar,fridge and pantry replendant with stocked kitchen and a comfy bed.
I'll hibernate like a bear...

I'm not sure if I'm gonna survive being a housemate for much longer... starting to suffocate.

dam buster said...

Oh? So the current housemate is being a little over the top at the moment?

Lola Lopez said...

She's been over assessing the reason why she's being dumped. I can't see why she can't just simplify things and accept it didn't work out,he's over and you have to move on. Stop with the 'but when we first met, he rang me every day, sent me a text to say good morning etc.' If it's not doing her head in, it's certainly done mine in and i'm ready to scream. My sympathy only reaches so far...

dam buster said...

Hmm Mags. Do not envy your position there. On one hand you want to keep her on an even keel so that you can move on with things and on the other you want to say "Build a bridge and get over it"....

how long were they going out?

Lola Lopez said...

The grand total of seven weeks...
In all fairness, he did give her something to hope for. However, when the parties over and your the only guest standing, time to grab a taxi and hoick it out of there. Buenos noches,sayonara, auf wiedersen, see ya...

dam buster said...

spot on. Go home, get drunk and move on. Certainly not something worth hassling a housemate about.