TGIF – When We’re Not So Nice Edition!

Good afternoon, and a fine Friday to you, gentle readers.

Last week, we were off so that Danny could instead take that time to introduce you to our new pricing and chat to Seesmic users… but we’re back. They could never keep us away from you.

So this week is a little of last week, and a little of this week – a hodgepodge, if you will, of one Friday rolling into the next.

I have to start off this week’s instalment of TGIF with a confession – we haven’t been too nice these past two weeks. This has been a period of rivalries and pranks gone awry, all sprinkled with a heady dose of (mostly) good natured ribbing and smack talk.

When the Going Gets Tough, Josh Gets Dressed

So, with that being said, let’s get our sassy pants on.

Last week, when we were preparing to welcome a new crop of co-op students into our offices, someone with ill intentions (read: it was yours truly) had the nefarious idea to play a little prank on them. An initiation of sorts, if you will.

You see, here at Jugnoo, we’re a fairly casual group. We don’t have a dress code, and we generally arrive at the office ready for big ideas and hard work – which doesn’t always translate into traditional office garb.

Knowing that our new student employees had been told that business casual was more than appropriate, I thought it would be fun if we all arrived on Tuesday dressed to the nines, or, as I like to refer to it, ‘wearing our grown-up costumes’.

The success of this plan largely hinged on my getting Danny Brown – he of the permanent shorts and sandals – to participate… but I forgot to ask. Which meant I didn’t send out the email to the office letting them know that ‘Operation Harry Rosen‘ was a go. Which meant that it didn’t happen.

Except that Senior Web Developer Josh didn’t realize that our plans had been kiboshed. So Josh wore a suit. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present to you the once-in-a-lifetime glory of Josh in a suit.

Don’t let the smile fool you: Josh wasn’t particularly pleased about  being dapper-fied while the rest of us sauntered around the office dressed in our usual uniforms of khakis, denim and short sleeves… but didn’t he look awesome?

Josh, on behalf of the office, I would like to say that we’re sorry that you were unintentionally punked. However, we all agree that not only are you a great sport, but you wear that prank really, really well.

Matt and Alan Eat All the Things

Finally, we end this week on a combative note as we watch two friends go head to head over the ultimate challenge – a competition so fierce that lesser men have slinked away in shame at the mere suggestion of participating.

Yes, they went to the Mandarin buffet and tried to out-eat each other.

It was a clash of the titans, as these two human gods are both exceptionally well-equipped to grapple with the challenge.

In one corner, we have Alan D’Cunha; a former wrestler, current gym lover, and epic consumer of lean protein.

In the other, we have Matt Andaloro; lanky at 6’4″, and a known practitioner of ‘second/third lunch’.

They both began strong, with the first three plates consisting primarily of sauce-drenched meats and wok-fried starches. Andaloro finished every plate with his signature maki roll lovingly perched uptop, as if  to taunt his opponent with the idea that he could always go one bite further.

Alan began to show weakness when, by plate two, a third of the food appeared to be… green? Cucumbers and broccoli began to rear their vitamin-packed heads.

There was some concern by plate three that Alan had lost his fight, and had become confused about the real reason behind an evening at the Mandarin: glossy, sticky meat surrounded by noodles with little-to-no redeeming nutritional value.

Plate four was an agreed-upon truce, with a visit to the fresh fruit bar, but the competition was immediately reheated by the dessert round.

Matt presented a bowl of ice cream consisting of six scoops – a fierce challenge. Alan, however, returned to his original form with a mere four scoops… topped with a slice of Black Forest cake.

 

Despite a strong final round, Alan conceded that Matt did, in fact, eat a higher volume of food than anyone at the Jugnoo table – and yet, we can’t say that anyone lost. Not really.

As our gladiators waddled to the subway, flanked by their adoring fans (us), we could all agree that we had won, and the ensuing food comas would be our shared prize.

An honourable mention goes out to Mirna for eating 5 crême brulées. No one was really expecting this dark horse to present such an impressive showing during the dessert round*.

 

And with that, that’s the end of the past two weeks at Jugnoo! Pranking and a vicious eating contest? TGIF!

*Mirna is exceptionally petite. It was very surprising!