Transcript
Sarah: Hi, everyone. Thanks for tuning in today. I’m here with a very special guest. This is Wani, one of our enterprise account managers.
Wani: Hello, everyone.
Sarah: So for those of you who don’t know, Wani and I actually have a lot in common. If you’ve been keeping up to date with our latest videos, you will actually know that Wani and I are really huge fans of Korean dramas, but we are actually also animal lovers. So, Wani, I understand you actually own pets. So could you tell me a bit about them?
Wani: Yeah, so I have two very spoilt cats. They are Bengal cats, and I’ve had them since two years ago. And yeah, they’ve been good companions to me. What about you, Sarah?
Sarah: I actually have three very spoilt dogs at home also. So, well, I mean, I’ve actually grown up with dogs. I’ve had dogs all my life and I’m not sure about you, but it’s really great to be around them while I’ve been working from home, because when I’m in the office, sometimes I do miss them. But it’s been a bit difficult for me to care for them while working at home because they are pretty attention-seeking, that’s one. And they’ve actually barked halfway actually during a training that we had with Eugen earlier this month. And I’ve never actually owned a cat before in my life. So how have you been juggling work commitments and “paw-renthood”, if you will, especially when we had to work from home, you know, for the past few weeks or so?
Wani: Well, at first it can be quite distracting because my cats are actually very active. They are Bengal cats, so they run around the house and they make loud noises. When I have calls, they choose to meow so loudly during that time, then I have to always hide in a room and hoping that the other party won’t get distracted by the meowing or the noises they make. So, yeah, it can be quite difficult to manage at first, but I think now I know when they are sleeping, so I try to have calls during that time, but especially now. So, on the other hand, you can actually get lonely after a while because, you know, I can’t socialise outside. But having my cats actually helps me to keep myself sane.
Sarah: Okay, I understand. So I think we’re pretty similar in that aspect because I’ve always had to barricade myself in a room for important meetings so that there will be no distractions whatsoever. Especially after the time where they barked during Eugen’s training I was like, okay, I have to hide in a room otherwise it’s going to be too distracting. But, given a choice, Would you prefer like working from home or the office? Because I generally prefer the vibe of the office. And even though I’ll be away from my pets, I think I can focus a lot more in the office. And anyway, at the end of the day, I can still go back home and play with them. So how about you Wani?
Wani: I would love to be in the office as well, because I prefer face-to-face interaction with people and colleagues like yourself. And it’s also nice to be outside sometimes I’m also feeling that I’m getting more efficient working from home right now, because I’ve been at home for the past three months. So being at home also helps me to do my part, to practise effective social distancing.
Sarah: Okay, well, I feel you girl. Don’t get me wrong. I love my fur babies, but I think working from home has its disadvantages, because not only can you be distracted by your pets, but, you know, I think some of our colleagues also have young children and elderly parents at home as well. But I think with this situation we have to learn to manage those disadvantages, to be more pro-active and to also show empathy and care to those around us who need our attention or anything. And I guess to summarise, there are both good and bad to the, you know, both work from home and office arrangements. But it’s important for us I think to empathise with one another because we’re in a team. So Wani thanks for sharing those struggles as a paw-rent, because I think quite a lot of pet owners, like the two of us, might be encountering similar issues. So it’s great, I think, you know, that we talk about this openly. So, you know, whoever you are, if you feel like you’re not being productive at home, because there are distractions and the responsibilities, at home that you are having trouble juggling, just know that you’re not alone. And well, I guess if you, our viewers, own pets as well, do let us know how you have been caring from them as you work from home, Do feel free to attach a picture of two of your pets because we’re actually all animal lovers here. So, yeah.
Wani: Yeah.
Sarah: So thanks again Wani for joining me today and thanks for tuning in. Till next time!
Wani: Welcome, Sarah. Bye.
