A Family Day Without A Family

We had a Family Day yesterday. It was business as usual for most of the associates. After 2PM, our gate was open to let in family members to visit us at work. There was an organising committee to welcome the visitors, prepare the snacks, organise fun activities and take them to visit the offices as well as to the operational floor where chocolate is made, molded and wrapped. For those with visiting family members, they stopped their work to greet them, had refreshments with them and took them to their workplace. So the kids get to see their daddies or mommies at work and spouses of the associates get to meet other spouses, etc.



It was a unique sight to see children running around in the office. A little boy holding a string of a party balloon, comfortably sitting on his father's lap, while the father was on the phone talking to a supplier. It was also unusual when we had groups of family members led into the factory sites. Children were excited to see tonnes of chocolate flowing from the huge 25 tonne tanks in series of consistent streams into the moulds in this so called 'wonderland' to them.


Detached from all the excitement, myself, my buddy Ash and our Operations Manager, Ms If were all confined in a room for a marathon meeting from 10:30AM until 6PM. Ash and Ms If are workaholic expatriate singles in their early 30s. They have very little sense to embrace this kind of family thing. Since I'm a 'bachelor' in Dubai, I was expected the same.


I accompanied Ash in his cigarette break in the factory garden. From there we could see the visitors gathered in a shaded compound. I snapped a photo and had a small talk with Ash. I told him that I felt like I was in a prison on a visiting day. I felt like a pathetic prisoner without anyone paying a visit. Ash replied that he has a bigger issue. His girlfriend had been out of contact for 4 days. This guy had never been serious in relationship. To my surprise, I sense that he misses her. I asked him to confirm it. He replied that he was just worried. I told him he is actually falling in love and missing that girl. He denied it. But both of us agreed that this Family Day was not meant for us and we headed back into our meeting room.

There was a song called A Long December by Counting Crows. It is not the case for me here, this year. December is the month with deadlines. There are so much to do with so little time to work on. The working days are less with many holidays, the UAE National day, Eid Adha, Christmas and the year end. People are rushing through things to gear themselves appropriately for long vacations. As for me, I am trying to clear much of my work now, to give me more time later for my family when they come for a 2-week visit starting from 20th December.