[Brodiaga]

Here is a question to guys with corporate jobs: what do you guys tell your colleagues and especially bosses if your're going on vacation to places like Thailand and the Philippines?

I haven't been to South East Asia in recent years, but at my previous job, before going to SEA on vacation, I would tell my boss I was going to Egypt or Turkey or to visit my parents in my home country for a couple of weeks. I also had to make stuff up after returning to work. The key was to tell that you're going somewhere you had been before in case people start asking you for advice or even to show pictures (happened to me more than once).

Like most of us here, I don't travel to 3rd world countries for P4P, but if I tell my colleagues that I'm going to spend a week or two in Bangkok or Manila, that's what people are going to assume (or even worse), and I definitely don't want that to happen.

[Evolute]

Why does it matter? Let them assume(or not assume) whatever they want. Just do your thing the way you want to do it.

[Hencredible Casanova]

Yeah. Don't tell your co-workers shit. I did a ton of traveling the first few months of the year and didn't tell anyone about it.

[OSL]

(06-23-2013 01:25 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  

Here is a question to guys with corporate jobs: what do you guys tell your colleagues and especially bosses if your're going on vacation to places like Thailand and the Philippines?

I haven't been to South East Asia in recent years, but at my previous job, before going to SEA on vacation, I would tell my boss I was going to Egypt or Turkey or to visit my parents in my home country for a couple of weeks. I also had to make stuff up after returning to work. The key was to tell that you're going somewhere you had been before in case people start asking you for advice or even to show pictures (happened to me more than once).

Like most of us here, I don't travel to 3rd world countries for P4P, but if I tell my colleagues that I'm going to spend a week or two in Bangkok or Manila, that's what people are going to assume (or even worse), and I definitely don't want that to happen.

Is it necessary for you to specify that you went to Bangkok or Manila?

Can you just say that you were in Singapore the entire time?

-

[Brodiaga]

(06-23-2013 01:58 PM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  

Is it necessary for you to specify that you went to Bangkok or Manila?

Can you just say that you were in Singapore the entire time?

-

Many of my colleagues know people who live and work in SG or even have been there themselves. They know that it's too expensive and boring to spend 2 weeks there and not venture out to other countries. But l can tell them that I spent a few days in SG and then spent the rest of the time in Bali or Malaysia or whatever.

[Brodiaga]

(06-23-2013 01:57 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  

Yeah. Don't tell your co-workers shit. I did a ton of traveling the first few months of the year and didn't tell anyone about it.

I agree with you, but it depends on the company. At my workplace, vacations are probably the most popular small talk subject. Some people even share their vacation photos and stuff. It's ok to not tell all the details about your vacations, but it's not OK to not tell where you're going, especially if you leave for a couple of weeks.

[WesternCancer]

If I were you and were going go Thailand and people started asking questions I'd just pull out the most generic shit possible straight from a travel guide. "I wanted to go ride elephants, experience local cuisine and find myself" or some bullshit.

[Wayout]

Funny...I was thinking exactly the same! I never tell anyone that I am going to SEA. I might say I go to Florida for vacation because I will have tan. Florida is boring so no one will ask anything.

[booshala]

There are very few pros and tons of cons in telling people about your vacation plans. At the best, people will be annoyed because they think you're bragging and at worst they'll spread rumors that you're a sex tourist.

[Greek kamaki]

I tell them all the time I go to fuck in Poland and CR but even the foreigners in Germany are pussies noone wants to participate they are so conservative it is almost unbelievable.If you tell Germans things like that you risk a lot they take everything seriously.

[Parlay44]

(06-23-2013 01:50 PM)Evolute Wrote:  

Why does it matter? Let them assume(or not assume) whatever they want. Just do your thing the way you want to do it.

It holds you back career-wise. Like it or not what people think matters. They don't want to put a alleged sex tourist in a position of power.

When you work corporate you need to project the strong conservative Christian image in order to advance.

[Vicious]

Just say you went to some touristy bull shit place to cover for yourself.

People will hate your guts for the notion alone that you are living the life.

[anamericaninbangkok]

Here's what you say:

"I'm just going to piddle around and relax."

That's a very generic response that doesn't tell them a thing other than you're going to relax on your vacation. You don't owe them shit. You work, they pay you. Where you go in your personal life (unless perhaps if you get in serious trouble) is your business, no one else's.

If they ask you if you're going anywhere,

"I might take off somewhere for a few days but I'm going to play it by ear."

The less you say, the better. But no one, not even your friends at work, need to know a fucking thing. Do not post photos online with your photo in them, do not tell anyone anything at work, and do not show anyone anything either. You do not owe anyone an explanation. The sooner you realize this, the better.

No one back home will understand if you tell them you had a threesome with two hotties in Thailand, in fact, it will alienate you. If it doesn't, it might get around at work and then you're fucked. No one is going to buy the "I wanted to experience the culture bullshit." The fact is that even if you do only go to temples, most people still won't believe you. If you go to Poland or Romania, chances are people are going to ask a lot of questions.

Believe me, it's best to say as little as possible.

[kinjutsu]

There was a guy at my last job who regularly traveled to Thailand and Cambodia. Some of the HR ladies gossiped about how he was going to fuck little kids.
Funny thing is he actually was.

I tell people I'm doing a "staycation" where i stay at home and do some catch up on things i've been meaning to do.

[MrXY]

The less your co-workers know about your personal life the better

Create a false image that is boring and clean and let them think that's your life

[gandt]

good advice has been given here already.

At my office I started off being open and honest about my activities on the weekend. I am the youngest by far in the office so I go out and party a lot.

At first people laugh about it. Then every now and then they use it against you in underhanded ways.

FOR EXAMPLE: you come in looking tired one morning and the new dad with 2 kids cooly says "late night at club xyz?"

The first time this happened I changed my responses to the question "How was your weeekend" to include things like:

-Met some friends
-Went for a run
-Had some coffee
and my favorite
-just relaxed and took it easy

[Aliblahba]

(06-23-2013 04:47 PM)MrXY Wrote:  

The less your co-workers know about your personal life the better

Create a false image that is boring and clean and let them think that's your life

Agreed. In an office environment anyways.

[anamericaninbangkok]

(06-23-2013 05:08 PM)gandt Wrote:  

good advice has been given here already.

At my office I started off being open and honest about my activities on the weekend. I am the youngest by far in the office so I go out and party a lot.

At first people laugh about it. Then every now and then they use it against you in underhanded ways.

FOR EXAMPLE: you come in looking tired one morning and the new dad with 2 kids cooly says "late night at club xyz?"

The first time this happened I changed my responses to the question "How was your weeekend" to include things like:

-Met some friends
-Went for a run
-Had some coffee
and my favorite
-just relaxed and took it easy

Boss: "How was your weekend?"
You: "Great. How was yours?"
Boss: "Pretty good. The wife and I went to the movies with the kids. What about you, what did you do?"
You: "Not much, same ole, same ole."

If they ask, "what's the same ole, same ole" you can say, "A lot of nothing."

If they really push you, you can say, "Jeez...I cleaned my bathroom, washed the dog, and channel surfed. Like I said, a lot of nothing."

Sometimes it's idle conversation but unless I'm the one telling someone what I did, when people ask, I'll flat out lie or give a vague answer. Nowadays I could give a shit what people think since I don't have a boss but if I did, I'd keep it all to myself. In a work environment you never know who you can trust.

Remember this cunt Adria Richards? Made a stink over what two guys said at a conference? Had she just bitched about what they said (which was fucked) she would still have her job. She blabbed all over Twitter how her company was behind her and hours later, she got shit canned.

In the long run, the less people know, the better.

[Brosemite]

I imagine people in the workplace would get jealous about everything. As for some old friends I no longer affiliate with anymore, they get jealous if I even mention studying on weekends with a condescending "when are you going to be done with school?" Sad how others can even be envious of those trying to better themselves in their spare time, but I imagine it's hard for them to do so with a mortgage, kids, and a stubbornness to think outside of the box for happiness. Misery sure does love company.

[PoosyWrecker]

In that kind of environment I'd just say I went surfing in Indo. Even if you don't surf just rent a board buy some shorts take pics on the beach in costume, some pics with backpackers, take a picture of someone else that looks like you on a wave or grab one off of a blog, use photoshop as needed and also on your own pictures for example if you want a tan or to drop some pounds. Show pics to coworker drones on a smartphone not a laptop and no one will notice the difference. You could use the same gallery for each vacation if you take pics in different shorts, different boards etc. Don't forget to tan your neck and face before you return. Best thing to do would be to actually do it.

[anamericaninbangkok]

(06-23-2013 07:02 PM)PoosyWrecker Wrote:  

In that kind of environment I'd just say I went surfing in Indo. Even if you don't surf just rent a board buy some shorts take pics on the beach in costume, some pics with backpackers, take a picture of someone else that looks like you on a wave or grab one off of a blog, use photoshop as needed and also on your own pictures for example if you want a tan or to drop some pounds. Show pics to coworker drones on a smartphone not a laptop and no one will notice the difference. You could use the same gallery for each vacation if you take pics in different shorts, different boards etc. Don't forget to tan your neck and face before you return. Best thing to do would be to actually do it.

Fuck that. You're going to go through all that trouble just to appease people at work who need to know nothing? What about those who say, "He's making enough to go to Indonesia for his vacation, he must be making a lot because I can't afford to do this."

Going low-profile is the way to go. Co-workers don't need to know shit.

[Kabal]

When my co-workers start prodding, I just smirk and say something sarcastically like "You know, I saw some cultural sites and visited some museums."

Even the most blue pill of them catch on and stop prying.

[Brodiaga]

A lot of great advice here. I agree about the weekends, too. The less co-workers know the better, even if there is nothing to hide.

[WestIndianArchie]

(06-23-2013 07:17 PM)anamericaninbangkok Wrote:  

(06-23-2013 07:02 PM)PoosyWrecker Wrote:  

In that kind of environment I'd just say I went surfing in Indo. Even if you don't surf just rent a board buy some shorts take pics on the beach in costume, some pics with backpackers, take a picture of someone else that looks like you on a wave or grab one off of a blog, use photoshop as needed and also on your own pictures for example if you want a tan or to drop some pounds. Show pics to coworker drones on a smartphone not a laptop and no one will notice the difference. You could use the same gallery for each vacation if you take pics in different shorts, different boards etc. Don't forget to tan your neck and face before you return. Best thing to do would be to actually do it.

Fuck that. You're going to go through all that trouble just to appease people at work who need to know nothing? What about those who say, "He's making enough to go to Indonesia for his vacation, he must be making a lot because I can't afford to do this."

Going low-profile is the way to go. Co-workers don't need to know shit.

Naw, you add the picture to your Seeking Arrangement, Ashley Madison, Plenty of Fish, OkCupid, E-Harmony, and Match.com profiles.

Maximize bitches!

WIA

[WestCoast]

I never understood this issue. Don't tell people about your personal life unless they are already in your close knit circle of friends.

For example never tell a married man (that you work with) that you plan on never getting married or having a kid like him. Likewise don't tell the nerdy guy who runs numbers all day about your weekend doing blow at strip clubs.

Basically, your go to excuse is always the same "Family wedding" or "Friend's wedding" or "XYZ family event". Boring stuff that no one really cares about.

To really kill their interest, tell them you read all weekend.