I’ve been organizing a workshop that is taking place this week. Every morning I wake up and truly can’t believe that I have this job. It’s so much fun.

Apparently people get upset if they don’t get certificates of participation following workshops. (And I guess this is common in the US too? I had never heard of it.) So I have been putting together certificates of participation that will be distributed to participants. I am signing the certificates with all of the authority of a 22 year old. It seems a little silly.

I am having a well-known Liberian restaurant cater the workshop. The restaurant is owned by a Liberian woman, which makes me happy. But the woman keeps trying to rip me off. Every time I meet with her I try to explain that I am going to be organizing two more workshops, so it’s in her own interest to give me a good deal and be honest with me, otherwise I will go somewhere else for the next two, which I will. Each time I meet with her I go with a Liberian so that they can intercede on my behalf. Today the conversation went as followed:

Restaurant owner: Will you be transporting the food from the restaurant to the workshop venue yourself?
Me: Um, no? I thought I was paying you guys to cater the workshop?
R.O.: [Smiles slightly, looks down at the receipt, takes out calculator]
Me: I am paying you 10% service charge, in addition to food costs. Doesn’t the 10% go partly toward transport costs?
R.O.: Well, for you honey, ok.
Me: [Wanting to scream, wanting to maintain good relationship] Thank you sooo much! That’s so kind of you.

Yesterday I went to a Lebanese-0wned stationary store to buy name badges. The owner pulled out a box of really nice name tags–like the ones that pin to your shirt. I said I didn’t want to pay so much money for name tags. I asked if he sold name tags that were stickers. He said they didn’t. I started to walk out of the store. I wasn’t going to have my organization pay $25 for name tags. Then the owner stopped me, walked over to another drawer, and pulled out the stickers. Argghhh…sometimes people suck.

I have no idea how this workshop will go. The two speakers I recruited are awesome. They are just the type of people I would want to hear speak. But I have this feeling something will go wrong. I’ll post pictures at the end of the week.