Being unpopular

Popular..

Popular...even before stripping for charity cause

Popular...albeit in a slightly kinky way..

Plain unpopular, unlikable..

It is always amusing to have lunch with a bunch of lady colleagues, especially when you are the only male around. Amusing.. because you just cannot fantom how on earth do they have so much topics to uncover every day, every meal. Their gossips can range from the latest fashions to office politics to cosmetics to guy friends/boyfriends to rival girls to travel to food to .... well, just about anything under the sun.

Their topic drifted to an ex-lady colleague who was working in another institution one day. "Siew Keong" was the nickname they have given her. (Siew Keong literally refers to cockroach in Cantonese, as in these pest are so difficult to extinguish). 

"She....I just abhor her. She made me cried last time when we were working together. She...."

"Yeah, u know...she really knows how to protect herself all the time. Defense power grade A++. Pentagon should have hired her. Whenever there is these tedious work coming in, she will just have a way of making herself invisible to the naked eye."

"Not to mention she knows how to please the boss. Jilat the shoes until can use as mirror already..."

"Eh you know...her elder sister is also same type of people. She is called "Gat Zat" (another term for cockroach in Cantonese). I tell you, their evading techniques are to be reckoned with. You can't avoid them, you can't kill them. Indestructible species."

Well, coincidentally, this lady happens to be my ex-classmate too. She was one of the top students/top scorers in the school. Midget size. Coming from highly educated family. Both parents in education business. I always have this inferiority complex whenever I see her. Maybe because she is too smart. Maybe because she always mingle with the high achievers only. Maybe because im just not close to her. Its not pleasant to hear about these things about your ex classmates, eventhough we were not close. 

I knew of one or two people who fulfill such criteria. Highly competitive. Smart. High achievers. Untainted school/work records. But somehow just not likable. No one wants to be in the room with them. No one wants to share a plate of Char Kuey Tiaw with them. Mere mention of their actual name spells taboo.

This got me thinking. Is it worth it? A case of high IQ, low EQ? If there is only one person saying so, then its probably a case of envious and jealousy. But when most people agree with it, doesn't it mean something? Sadly, most of the time they don't have the slightest idea what is going on. Or maybe that they just pretend it doesn't exist.

Have you come across such cases? Or do you have such people at your work? 

I just hope I don't become the topic of discussion at another table elsewhere! At least not for the all the wrong reasons!