I was to be the Personal Secretary of the President of Conoco Taiwan, being the most qualified of all the non-executive staff: best of the lot in English, knew shorthand, etc. He was the President of Conoco Singapore (Conoco Western Pacific) playing a double role. I knew him already, but only remotely, from my short stint as the telex operator there.
Received a call one day from Dr. Page, who was to be the Chief Geologist at Conoco Taiwan, asking to meet up for a coffee. Most odd, as I didn’t really know him.
Over the coffee, it became clear that he was there as my guardian angel.
His first question was, “Do you have to be Mr. Ward’s secretary?” No, I was just happy to have a job out there.
Next question: “Would you like to be my secretary instead?”
It turned out that his originally intended secretary had been the target of snide remarks, he said, with people saying things like, “Don’t sit in that chair. She’s just sat on it,” reducing the poor woman to tears. (She left because of this. No, the culture of the complaints procedure was not strong at all then, plus this was the East, where people are less assertive of one’s rights when it comes to such things.)
Dr. Page said that with the President straddling the Singapore and Taipei offices (therefore not full time presence), I wouldn’t have him around to protect me from the bullying (since I’m an outsider, being from Singapore), so he’d like me to “demote” myself and be HIS secretary instead, so that he could keep an eye on me.
Thank you, Dr. Page. I’m eternally grateful to you for thinking ahead, being concerned about my welfare as a foreigner in Taiwan with no family or friends there.
(Taiwan, 1974)
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