As others see us

It's nice when someone says I have "interesting eyes ... lively and luminous". Clearly, the lighting at Wine Bar was kind to me that night because I'm pretty sure they were, in fact, drunk and bloodshot eyes.

On the other hand, I'm not sure it's a compliment when Corporate Overlord is on sick leave, feeling better by 3 pm and looking for lunch company, and he calls me because I don't have a "real job" and would likely be able to nip out for a snack. (I suppose it doesn't help that I somewhat prove him right by taking an extended coffee break with him.)

And I'm really not sure it's a compliment when another friend declares that I look like a Brenda. Unlike most Singaporeans who appear to be Chinese, I don't have an English name (not one that I respond to, anyway), so the friends I was with last night tried to think up one for me. Other suggestions included Louise and Jenny. I suddenly feel like a post-war baby boom British girl.

Finally, over after-work drinks yesterday evening, I order a pint of Hoegaarden, prompting the boss to wonder out loud if I like to drink beer. Before my brain can stop my tongue (or is the other way around), I say, "No, I pretty much drink anything." Fortunately, he's British and doesn't bat an eyelid.

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