Office Brat

I’m so thankful that God has given me a job where the people I work with are all nice. I have survived my first year of work and as expected I’m more presumptuous (but always respectful) with my thoughts. Because in the beginning I was really quiet; I keep my opinions to myself and generally let my boss walk all over me. Of course I’m not also used to the culture here where people are really straightforward, opinionated and frank with their thoughts.

So it was a surprise when one day my boss called me a “brat”. I was stunned! I’ve never been called a brat before and I don’t think I’m one…I’m far from one. “Brat” as I knew meant someone who’s rude and impolite and disregards the feelings of other people. I’m so not like that!

Here’s the history when my boss first called me a “brat”. My boss loves to play soccer which a lot of people said that old men shouldn’t play soccer. He’s 46 and he still thinks he’s kinda immortal. But anyway one weekend he hurt himself playing soccer. He came to work painfully hobbling (seriously I think he needs crutches) and here’s some snippets of our conversation:

Boss: “So how’s your weekend Katrina?”

Me: It was really nice, thank you very much….it was….accident-free (snickering)

Boss: You brat (giving me a dirty look)

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When his niece asked him to check out something, she was taunting him with “do you need help? a walking stick? a wheelchair?”

Boss to his niece: You know someday you’ll get old too….

Me: But you’ll be older than her

Boss: Tsk tsk tsk…there’s no more respect here anymore…….(in the background his niece is laughing)

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Me: Oh hello sir. Are you feeling much better now?

Boss: Yes, Katrina. Thank you very much for asking. I’ll be over in the office in a few minutes.

Me: Okay that’s good to hear. Can you walk to the office?

Boss: Brat (shaking his head)

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When I realize that my boss is calling me a brat often, I told myself that I’ll be nicer to him since he’s injured and really I don’t want to be a brat. So one time when we were working on a patient with the TV on, there’s this commercial about a  weight-loss food product. He jokingly told his patient, “Now that’s what I need”

Boss: Right Katrina?

Me: You know sir, I just promised myself that I’ll be nicer to you since you’re injured, so I’m not going to comment on that.

Boss: Is that so? You brat. (laughing and shaking his head)

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When I’ve brought to his attention that I resented being called a brat since I’m not one, he was surprised because he had a different definition for a brat. To him a brat (without any adjective/adverb attached to it) was something positive, an endearment. He defined it as “someone who charms her way out of doing something”. I still didn’t get it. I still thought it’s negative. But it’s good that we cleared out the misunderstanding.