#wanchai

It’s 5:50 PM. I’ve already packed my bamboo backpack, dreaming of heading back to the valley for a steaming cup of lavender tea and crashing into a lazy nap to recover from the last two days of OT.

Then—ding!—Teams message from Boss A pops up in the corner: “Ah Yuen, come to my office for a sec. Let’s discuss the proposal.”

Me: … (staring at the clock: 5:52) Inside, a tiny panda voice screams: Here it comes again! This “summon right before knock-off” is classic invisible bomb version 2.0!

The closer it gets to 6 PM, the more “urgent” Boss gets. They always remember to ask you at the very last second, like: “I just feel like talking now, so you have to match my energy immediately!”

📌 Why is it always right before end of day?

Planned 6 PM sharp exit → turns into 7 PM, 8 PM

Street-side fish ball noodles for dinner → becomes microwaved office rice

Falling asleep to lavender scent → replaced by coffee breath and OT till dawn

I drag myself into the office. Boss is sitting there, Excel open, casually going: “I’m not too sure about this number here. What do you think—how should we adjust it?”

Clock: 5:58. Me internally: …Can’t this wait till tomorrow’s 9 AM meeting? Why now?!

The “discussion” quickly becomes: Boss talks halfway → phone rings (client) → topic switch I add two sentences → Boss talks over everything anyway Final conclusion: Actually, nothing needs changing. Just “making sure you understand.”

Me (inner OS): I understand perfectly… that this could’ve been an email or tomorrow morning, hello?!

💭 Ah Yuen’s Workplace Mini-Rant**

These “pre-knock-off meetings” aren’t about work efficiency at all.

It’s the boss wanting to prove: “I’m still here, so you stay too.”

Or maybe their procrastination just kicked in and they remembered you exist.

Either way, the victims are always the ones below—our after-work time becomes the boss’s “on-call anytime” buff.

Finally 6:30 PM. I shuffle to the pantry with tired bear paws, brew an extra-strong lavender tea.

Steam rises, I close my eyes and breathe deep:

Purple flower fields in the valley, gentle breeze, rustling bamboo… slowly washing away the fluorescent lights and Teams ding-ding noises.

Turns out, even though the pre-knock-off traps are annoying, as long as I bring the healing scent of the valley back with me, this little bear can still protect my boundaries.

Next time another “5-minute emergency meeting” hits, I’ll smile and reply (in my head, at least): “Boss, can we discuss this tomorrow at 9 AM? I have an important date tonight—with lavender.”

(Of course, in reality I only dare say it in my heart… but fantasizing is a survival skill too 🐾)

**💜 Ah Yuen’s Healing Note:**

- Not everything that feels “urgent now” actually is.

- Protecting your knock-off time = protecting your own lavender valley.

- Did you bravely tell a “pre-knock-off bomb” today: “Tomorrow lah”?

Does your office have these “on-time exit killers”? Drop a comment and rant with me~ Let’s heal our workplace wounds with lavender together 💫 👉 More of Ah Yuen’s meltdown daily life + healing doodles, waiting for you in the valley~

中午12點鐘，鐘聲一響，我拖住疲累熊爪，終於等到放飯時間！心心掛住街邊魚蛋粉配熱薰衣草茶～

點知同事B（一隻猶豫不決的小兔仔）坐喺度，menu 睇咗10分鐘還未落單。

B：「阿圓，你覺得呢個牛腩飯好唔好？定係意粉？魚蛋粉又有好多選擇…萬一選錯咗點算？」

我：（內心OS）職場已經夠煩，午飯都要選擇困難症？！我只想快啲食飽返公司瞓覺補OT債啊喂～😩

呢個時候，公司pantry 空氣都充滿咗飢餓的熒光燈味，大家都等唔切想逃出文件山。

我提議：「不如玩剪刀石頭布決勝負！牛腩飯出剪刀，意粉出石頭，魚蛋粉出布～」

B：「好啊！一局定勝負！」

結果第一局：我出布（魚蛋粉），B 出石頭（意粉）。B 贏咗，但佢又猶豫：「但牛腩飯都好吸引…」

第二局：我出剪刀（牛腩飯），B 出布（魚蛋粉）。我贏咗！但B 笑住說：「再嚟一局啦～」

第三局：我出石頭（意粉），B 出剪刀（牛腩飯）。B 輸咗，但大家笑到爆，結果決定一人一份，share 食！

原來，職場小遊戲不只解選擇困難，還療癒咗半天OT的崩潰～

終於食飽，我閉眼想像：山谷紫花海、微風吹過竹林…公司熒光燈瞬間變成薰衣草香味！💜

💭 阿圓職場小吐槽 選擇困難症係社畜標配，尤其午飯時間！但加點遊戲樂趣，就變成團隊療癒時刻～

下次你有選擇恐懼時，試吓剪刀石頭布，保證笑住解決！🐾

💜 阿圓の治癒筆記：

- 不是每件事都要完美選，遊戲決勝也係一種智慧

- 午飯時間，就係保護自己薰衣草山谷的時刻

- 你今日，有冇勇敢對「選擇困難」講：剪刀石頭布先啦？

你公司午飯有冇類似「menu 恐懼」？留言同阿圓一齊吐槽～一起用薰衣草療癒職場小煩惱 💫

👉 更多阿圓崩潰日常 + 療癒小插圖，等緊你嚟山谷玩～

今日下午5點50分，我已經收拾好竹子背包，心心掛住返山谷沖杯薰衣草茶，瞓個懶覺補返前兩日OT嘅債。

點知電腦右下角突然彈出Teams訊息，老細A： 「阿圓，嚟我房一陣，討論吓個proposal。」

我：……（盯住鐘，5:52） 心入面即刻有把小熊聲尖叫：又嚟！ 呢啲「放工前幾分鐘召喚」係職場經典隱形炸彈2.0版啦！

越接近6點鐘，老細就越「urgent」，明明成日拖到最後一刻先諗起要問你，感覺就係：「我而家先有心情，你都要即刻配合！」

📌 為什麼永遠係放工前？ 因為老細覺得「順便傾吓」最方便， 但對我哋小薯仔嚟講，等於：

原本計劃6點準時走 → 變7點、8點

原本想食街邊魚蛋粉 → 變公司微波飯

原本可以聞薰衣草入眠 → 變聞咖啡味OT到天光

我行入房，老細坐喺度，開住個Excel，慢條斯理咁講：「呢度個數字我唔太肯定，你覺得點樣改好啲？」 我望住錶：5:58。 心諗：呢啲嘢……明天朝早9點鐘開會講唔得咩？點解要而家？

結果「討論」變成： 老細講一半，電話響（客戶）→ 轉話題 我補充兩句 → 老細又自己講晒 最後得出結論：其實冇乜要改，淨係「確認吓你明白」。 我：（內心OS）明白晒，明明可以email或者明天先講啊喂～

💭 阿圓職場小吐槽 呢啲「放工前會議」根本唔係為咗工作效率， 係老細想證明：「我仲喺度，你都要陪我留低。」 又或者純粹係佢自己拖延症發作，先諗起要問你。 但受害者永遠係下面嗰班人——我哋嘅下班時間，變咗老細嘅「隨時可用」buff。

終於6點半，我拖住疲累嘅熊爪返到pantry，沖咗杯超濃薰衣草茶。 熱氣裊裊上升，我閉眼深呼吸： 山谷嘅紫花海、微風、竹林沙沙聲……慢慢將公司嘅熒光燈同Teams叮叮聲沖淡。

原來，放工前嘅陷阱雖然煩，但只要記住帶返山谷嘅療癒香味， 小熊一樣可以守住自己嘅界限。 下次再有「5分鐘緊急會議」，我會微笑回覆： 「老細，呢啲可以明天朝早9點先討論嗎？今日我有個重要約會——同薰衣草。」

（當然，現實我只敢喺心入面講……但幻想都係一種生存術啦🐾）

💜 阿圓の治癒筆記： - 不是每件事都「而家」就係緊急 - 保護下班時間，就係保護自己嘅薰衣草山谷 - 你今日，有冇勇敢對「放工前炸彈」講：明天先啦？

你公司有冇呢類「準時下班殺手」？留言同阿圓一齊吐槽～一起用薰衣草療癒職場傷口 💫 👉 更多阿圓崩潰日常 + 療癒小插圖，等緊你嚟山谷玩～

I grabbed my empty water cup and headed to the pantry, thinking of getting some hot water to calm my nerves — this morning in the meeting, the boss said “we need to optimize resource allocation this quarter,” and my tail immediately stiffened. I could only rely on hot water and a lavender tea bag to settle my heart. After all, I'm a bear, and a bear's survival wisdom is: when scared, drink some hot water first.

Pushing open the pantry door, I saw Ah May and Ah Ben standing by the fridge chatting, their voices hushed low. But my sensitivity to the four words “workplace gossip” is comparable to smelling fresh bamboo shoots — my round ears perked up instantly.

“It's really outrageous,” Ah May said, shaking her head while holding her instant coffee. “F's position was basically custom-made for him! Word leaked from HR that the higher-ups directly handed F's old company's job ad to them and said, ‘Recruit exactly according to this.’”

Ah Ben jumped in right away: “The craziest part is the salary! HR calculated YY dollars, but the higher-ups said ‘too low, to attract F we need at least 30% more.’ HR went back scratching their heads: why give 30% more salary to hire someone who's currently unemployed?”

I quietly filled my mug — the one printed with “© 2026 lavenderpandatales” — with water, while inside my mind a bamboo shoot salad gently tossed itself: humans are truly strange creatures. In our bear world, if you want tender bamboo from high up? Just climb up yourself. No one will specially chop down a stalk for you just because you know the bear king's son. But in the human workplace… it turns out “knowing people” can indirectly mean “knowing the way” — know which path leads to the higher-ups' hearts, and you'll get a private chauffeur.

But then I sipped my lavender tea, and the warmth traveled from my throat down to my chest. I'm still a bear after all, and the bear world is much simpler: you treat me well, I remember you; you leave bamboo for me, I wag my tail as thanks. Last month I helped the intern little sister move some files, and this morning she specially left a pack of my favorite honey-flavored cookies on my desk. When I saw the cleaning auntie twist her waist, I quietly swapped her heavy trash bag for a lighter one — now every time she sees me she says, “Ah Yuen, your eyes look so bright today!”

These are the real “knowing people” — knowing who will hand you a warm cup when you're exhausted, knowing who deserves you saving half a cookie for. The higher-ups can create a position for F, but they can't open hearts. HR can add 30% to the salary, but they can't buy someone to cover your calls to the boss when you're on sick leave.

Back at my desk, I opened my computer and saw a message from my colleague at the conservation center: “Ah Yuen, the new batch of Ili lavender dried flowers arrived today. Knowing you like them, I saved a small bundle for you.” I looked out the window and remembered what Mama (my bear mama) taught me: “Ah Yuen, in the forest, knowing which tree bears fruit is better than knowing which book writes ‘Fruit Tree Taxonomy.’” Back then I thought: duh, I'm a bear, I'm not getting a PhD. Now I understand — what Mama meant by “knowing trees” is actually “knowing kindness.” Knowing who will leave a bundle of lavender for you heals your life far more than knowing which restaurant a certain higher-up always eats lunch at.

I picked up my cup; the lavender petals at the bottom gently swirled. Turns out the most reliable survival wisdom is to keep being a warm lamp yourself — knowing people starts with knowing yourself. And knowing words/characters? It's just what helps you write the sentence “Thank you for leaving lavender for me today.”

💜Ah Yuen's Healing Notes: The workplace can be complicated, but kindness is always simple. Today, have you left half a cookie for someone?

我拎住個空水杯行去pantry，諗住加杯暖水定定驚——朝早開會聽到老細話「本季度要優化資源配置」，我條尾巴即刻硬晒。唯有靠暖水同薰衣草茶包鎮住個心口，畢竟我係熊，熊嘅生存智慧係：驚嘅時候，先飲啖暖水。

推開pantry門，見到阿May同阿Ben企喺雪櫃前傾偈，聲浪壓得好低，但係我對「職場八卦」呢四個字嘅敏感度，堪比聞到新鮮竹筍——即刻豎起對圓耳。

「真係離晒大譜，」阿May攞住杯即溶咖啡搖頭，「F個位根本係度身訂做㗎！HR流料出嚟，話高層直接拎住F舊公司招聘廣告俾佢地，話『跟呢個請』。」

阿Ben即刻接：「最勁係人工！HR計好YY蚊，高層話『太低啦，要吸引F嚟，起碼多三成』。HR返去諗到頭燶：點解要多三成人工去請個失業友？」

我默默拎住個印住「© 2026 lavenderpandatales」嘅馬克杯入水，心入面個竹筍沙律輕輕翻滾：人類真係好奇妙。喺我哋熊界，想食高處嘅嫩竹？自己爬上去就得，無人會因為你識得熊王個仔就特登為你砍低棵竹。但係人類職場……原來「識人」可以變相等於「識路」——識得邊條路通往高層個心，就有專車接送。

不過呀，我啜咗啖薰衣草茶，暖意由喉嚨落去心口。我始終係隻熊，熊嘅世界簡單得多：你對我好，我記住你；你留竹子俾我，我搖搖尾巴當多謝。上個月我幫intern小妹妹搬文件，佢今朝特登留咗包我最鍾意嘅蜂蜜味餅乾喺我枱面；我見清潔阿姐扭親腰，默默幫佢換咗個輕啲嘅垃圾袋，佢而家每次見到我都會話「阿圓，今日對眼好有神呀」。

呢啲先係真正嘅「識人」——識得邊個人會喺你疲累時遞杯暖水，識得邊個人值得你留半塊餅乾。高層可以為F開個位，但開唔到人心；HR可以加三成人工，但買唔到你病假時有人幫你覆老細電話。

返到工位，我打開電腦，見到保育中心同事傳來訊息：「阿圓，今日新到嘅伊犁薰衣草乾花到貨喇，知你鍾意，留咗一小束俾你。」我望住窗外，想起阿媽（即係我熊媽媽）教我嘅：「阿圓，喺森林入面，識得邊棵樹會結果，好過識得邊本書寫『果樹分類學』。」當時我諗：廢話，我係熊又唔考博士。而家我明白，阿媽話嘅「識樹」，其實係「識善意」——識得邊個人會為你留一束薰衣草，遠比識得邊個高層成日去邊間餐廳食午飯，更加治癒生命。

我拎起杯，杯底薰衣草花瓣輕輕打轉。原來最穩陣嘅生存智慧，係保持自己成為一盞暖燈——識人，先從識得自己開始。而識字？不過係幫你寫得出「多謝你今日留咗薰衣草俾我」呢句話啫。

💜 阿圓の治癒筆記： 職場可以複雜，但善意永遠簡單。 你今日，有冇為邊個人留咗半塊餅乾？

——

A charming and location-specific domain perfect for a florist, gift shop, or local business in Wan Chai. Memorable and marketable.

The lucrative business of buying a blessing or pronouncing a curse on someone who offended you at USD5 a pop seems to remain hugely popular with the dwellers of Hong Kong.