Work! Work!

Finally, I have time to finish relaxing and type this.

This probably happens to most people in my line once every few weeks, whereas I took 2yrs to kena... :D May get boo-ed by others, but still, I must complain!

After the extra long CNY weekend, as if it's payback time for all the slacking, for the first time in my worklife, I had to work over BOTH Saturday and Sunday, till 2am and 11pm respectively!

24 and 25 Feb. Sotong, remember this.

On the Friday preceding that weekend, I was asked to join a meeting, where I was informed that I was needed on Saturday to stand-by for the testers by creating data for them when requested. No problem with that, since everybody has been doing weekends and it will be the first time for me.

Don't know who negotiated the project delivery dates, making the team rush like this. Must be some cost cutting measure.

I reached office on Saturday at 2pm. I have a program to complete, albeit with insufficient information on the requirements. It's funny that the whole project is going to UAT the following week, yet my program was still left hanging and nobody set a deadline for it. So I worked on it at a relaxing pace, peppered with internet-surfing. Actually I do this all the time lah.

At 7pm, the testers were not going to be done soon yet. No idea when I could go home. Shit. I think my outing tomorrow 泡汤 lor. Sianz.

At 9pm, the testers began testing a module that I have a share in, partnered with another guy, A. A's part had some bugs which he had to fix before I could test my portion o_O. Which meant I wouldn't be going home soon. Dinner was Mc, prosperity burger. If only it really brings prosperity :|

At midnight, the module was ready for testing again. It worked, and revealed problems on my part. Well I have never had the time to test with A, you see. But still it's my bad, because it's due to sotongness and I should have discovered it myself. Easily fixed, no problem.

At 2am, a tester's pc blacked out in protest. So most people went home in frustration, resigned to the fact that we all have to return the next day. I still wasn't feeling sleepy despite having only a dose of coke. Sotong in overdrive. Took a depressant to help me sleep.

It's only irish cream lah.

On Sunday, I reached office at noon. Things were pretty much the same, ad hoc data creation, programming slowly and surfing net a lot. Nothing much to do.

I don't know why all shit must happen after evening.

I had a task to write a batch job to insert data into the database (which I completed a few weeks ago). Another person, B coded the screen to display the data. Throughout the whole development process, whenever B needed data for debugging, I would create for him. And so on Sunday, B went home after finishing his work. And of course I did not have this luxury because I must wait for the testers to test it.

I pumped in the data, and they did not show up on the screen.

I was the only person around who is related to that screen. The leader (L) asked me why. I checked the database. The data was there. But I did not know how the underlying code in the screen works. So I said I didn't know because I did not do the screen.

L: Didn't you test the module with B?
Me: Yes, I created data for B. He will then verify himself.
L: I mean, you did not verify the screen with him?
Me: No.
L: Why didn't you do so?
Me: My work is to create the data. I don't know how he coded the screen.
L: Why didn't you ask him? How do you know your part is correct if it doesn't show on the screen?
Me: If it's in the database, it is correct.
L: But now it is not on the screen. How can it be correct?
Me: .....

**
L: You should have tested with him. Why didn't you do so?
Me: (felt no point replying) .....
L: Why?
Me: ..... (boiling)

Repeat ** a few times.

But when I announced that my batch job was done, I mean the batch job ONLY! Not the batch job + screen! I admit, I should have made sure everything was working myself because to people like L, they look from a modular point of view, and not component-wise like programmers. But seriously, I feel verifying the screen is NOT my job. And worse, getting the arrows because B was not around.

L called B to bug him about the issue. L didn't bug me anymore that night. I hope it's because she realised it's not my fault, not because she didn't want to talk to me. L is quite scary when she's stressed sia.

Still not sleepy when I got home at 11+pm despite having 0 caffeine that day. Depressant needed again.

Then still have to go to work earlier on Monday because they wanted to deploy my stuff before 9am. *grumbles*

The suayness did not just stop on Monday morning. I got a call asking why the program I was taking my own sweet time at, wasn't completed. Huh! Nobody said anything what! Sigh ok lor, my fault also, never ask. Faster do! Went home around 8pm.

On Tuesday, I realised the program was far more complicated that I had expected. It's really unfair when the users just throw a sample file at me and say I had to "just insert it into the database", when they really expected updates to database as well. Fuck. And I know if I protest, they will say I should have asked.

OT everyday from Tuesday to Thursday till at least 9pm everyday lor. Go home only because I couldn't think anymore and unconstructive to stay on. Dinner, bathe, continue programming without a compiler at home. I thought it was inevitable to come back again on the weekend...

On Friday evening, the development database was synced with the SIT database. To my horror/pleasure, there was a change in the database that will DEEPLY impact my work. It will uncomplicate my task if the change were to stay. My previous efforts would be unnecessary, but at the same time, I would not need to continue testing the parts I have not finished testing because they wouldn't be needed anymore.

Since it's evening, those users sure go home liao, cannot confirm with them. I was done at 8pm, the earliest for the week. I scrapped my weekend plan.

Wonder how this new week would be like...