Let me butter you up

You guys know the meaning of these Malay terms 'bodek' and 'ampu'? In Mandarin, the closest meaning would be “擦鞋”, of which, if translated literally, it means 'shine shoes'.

Today, I learn a new phrase along this line of thought. It's called, "Let me butter you up."

Here's the story.....

1. A and B are not at very good terms.

2. A thinks that B is the 'senyap-senyap, garang-garang' (ferocity hidden behind the calm look) type.

3. I don't know what B thinks about A though. But personally, I think B is the smart and diligent type. And B can be very supportive once you 'ngam' (clique and compatible) with B because I'm at good terms with B. ^^

4. So, in order to smooth the crease between A and B, I told A the good things about B.

5. Finally, A agreed and said, "Let me butter B up."

Haha... I continued, "Bring honey. And kaya. Once you 'ngam', you'll get great support from B."

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Now, I'm pondering.

When did I learn all these sweet-talking, 'bodek'-ing, side-ing, 'atas pagar'-ing things? To readers who can't understand what on earth am I writing, this is called Bahasa Rojak, my favorite casual language. :)

I think these people skills are inborn, part of my nature. Given the chance, they'll blossom. Suppress them, they'll stay hidden. But one thing for sure, I love great companionship.

Teammates, clients, colleagues, buddies, hi-bye friends, mentors, bosses, etc... I love to be among human beings. I may not be the center of attraction, but I'd love to be part of the community. I may not lead, but I'll follow. If I need to lead, I will. Most importantly, when there's unspoken consensus (默契) and you can understand each others' thoughts rather well (心靈相通), it's so rewarding.

And now, I think people management ain't that hard actually. ^^ Just need to learn and learn.