"Oh I know" - As fake as it is

The last few days have been a busy one for me at my customer site but I'm glad the people that I worked with are quite nice and are patient enough, despite the many teething problems that are still unresolved.

Don't worry, I'm not going to bore you by blogging about my work stuff but thought I share with you some of my observation at my customer site.

The customer office has an open concept, you don't see manager's room at all, only meeting rooms and the managers sit together with the other employees. The temporary place that I am seated is quite open, so there are alot of people walking pass me every now and then.

During the hours of analysing log files, troubleshooting issues, I will be staring at the computer screen, clicking with the mouse and typing away on my keyboard. Perhaps I am very used to this kind of quiet working environment like in my office, so when there are some noise or people talking loudly, I get abit distracted.

There is this group of ladies who sits very near my cubicle and they like to make small talk and it seems so fake if you listen to their conversation. Lady A complains that her eyes hurts and Lady B sympthaise with a "Oh, I know" and go on to share her story how her eyes hurt also the last time. Later on, someone talks about the weather getting warmer or something and then you hear the "Oh, I know" reply again. I dunno if it comes from the same lady or not, but I keep hearing "Oh, I know", "Oh, I know" that it really sounds so fake to me!

Maybe its just this group of ladies or its some Australian or angmoh way of what we Singaporeans saying "Ya lor" to acknowledge what the other person is saying.


Have you watched the BBC Productions "The Fawlty Towers" ? I highly recommend it, its good old British comedy at its best! This "Oh I know" encounter reminds me of this scene where John Cleese was getting ready to bed and her wife is still on the phone. The husband keep looking at the wife cos the wife isnt talking much but keep saying "Oh I know", "Oh I know" while doing her nails :) The way she did her "Oh I know" is so classic and pretenious that I think those ladies in the office must have try to learn it from her but falls flat in their delivery! Haha.

I am a person with a few words, friends who know me will be able to testify that and if I don't have much to comment, I will not say much. I'm also quite bad in making small talk, and rather than cracking my head on what to say to the person, I prefer to stay quiet. Of cos, I'm not imposing people to stay quiet and not to make small talk, just want to share this incident.

I rather be quiet and be real then try to say something out of nothing, making it look so fake :)