First impressions [I was wrong]

When I got here, I drew conclusions about people. Father has always insisted that I should not assume things about people and situations, unless these assumptions are based on reliable information. He says that it is not fair to judge someone before they have a chance to present their case. I am very suspicious of technical people who insist on dressing up every day. Heels and shiny shoes do not belong on a processing plant. It's a matter of practicality and safety. Your pretty pointy shoes and floral dress will not protect you from spills and dropping objects. So, I judged them too harshly and thought that there were snobs. Yesterday, I found out that the entire office had actually been forced to take lessons on how to dress for work. Their main aim in dressing up, like most technical people, was comfort. However, the first impressions they were giving to the clients were not positive. They came off as sloppy, careless, offhanded and irresponsible. The boss was not happy and made them learn how to dress. 

Apparently, my love for tea and biscuits at 10 am and 4 pm make me snobbish. I do not like coffee, well not as much as they do here. I bought 2 packs of tea for the office. There is no kettle or cooking plate, so I make do with the microwave. This amuses them. Because I complete my words and say "water" instead of "worra" or "going to" instead of "gonna", I am thought to be pretentious and petty. Only petty people would stress their diction. I chose to cut my hair because I am too lazy to bother with twisting and locking it every week. It was becoming all too cumbersome for me. They think I chose this look because I was trying to be fearless and abrasive. They thought it was a strategy I was using to intimidate people. It does not help that I have a piercing on my face. That usually throws people off too, until I speak and realise that though I look as bold  as a lion, I can be as timid as a mouse. 

We cannot show signs of weakness. I can never say I do not know anything. I must always just say that I do not remember. I must say that I was aware but have temporarily misplaced this information in the archives of my mind. I must look like I know what I am doing, even when I have no idea. What's that thing Tyra Banks said? "Dress for what you want to be not what you are." [paraphrased]

This living thing is intense.