Happy Holidays!
Short post today.
After sending holiday greetings to a former colleague – and ensuing back and forth – had a hilarious memory come up.
Funny now though not then.
Context
This is my tech cubicle days in Silicon Valley.
I got along famously with a woman from the Philippines who had the cube next to me.
A fly in the ointment.
The guy in the cube to her right was an interesting cat.
He was a jerk.
To put it bluntly he was condescending to us both.
The irony? I dealt with much worse while with the same company in Detroit.
It was easy to face off with him after which he’d go slinking back to his cube. I was always puzzled but honestly too busy to deal with it whereas my friend was upset by it.
Until…
The Postman Rings
One day my colleague grabbed my wrist – pretty much forced me into a little side room. I couldn’t recall ever seeing her so excited.
“He ordered a bride!”
????
“He ordered a bride – from a catalogue!”
“A catalogue?”
There was such a thing?!
Like hogs at a market?
“They print them – pictures and little write-ups.”
I didn’t bother to ask how she knew this.
After the dust of her enthusiasm – another piece I never asked about – WHY was she so happy about this? I approached him.
“I heard you got married. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“How’d you guys meet?”
A romance writer I’m constantly asking people how they met their other halfs.
“A mail order catalogue.”
He made a point to tell me it was specific to Asian brides.
“Why?”
I was truly baffled – about all of it but especially about a region specific approach.
“So she’ll be obedient.”
Before Me Too
I don’t think I need to elaborate but I do remember my conversation.
My walk through corporate was certainly an adventure.
Elizabeth Maxim 
Published by