The following is a letter I wrote to the owner of the school I used to work for. This board loves a good story, so I thought I
Reading your letter I came away with the impression that you are a decent (but I hope still very young) fellow. Your letter is neither hororable nor stupid but immature,sorry to say.
There was no need to go into details about your friend’ life with the Anti-Buddha. Taiwanese women are often hysterical after a breakup and threaten to commit suicide. Even my wife used to say this when we were first married. That is, if we ever broke up she would just drift away and die. Very melodramtic. It’s meant to show how much they care about you. Fortunately, she’s learned just how nutty such behavior is and doesn’t say it or probably even think it anymore.
Anyway, you didn’t need to paint the AB as a coward. That was petty. What does personal bravery have to do with one’s ability to work? There are plenty of talented cowards out there.
The mature thing would to have simply said that you find working with him an impossibility. If you want to bring in things outside work say that in recents months you lives have become entangled outside work and you find this is influencing your ability to work together. Enough said. Your boss is a grownup and can surely understand your point.
You have said nothing in your letter to suggest that AB does not deserve his position at the company.
Sorry, but this highly suggests that a lot of the problem is with you. It may not be. God knows there are a few companies I have worked for in Taiwan where the fault of my leaving is entirely there’s.
[quote]The end result I came up with on my own was to remove myself from The Anti-Buddha presence as quietly as possible.
It has since come to my attention that my method of announcing my desire to transfer left a lot to be desired. [/quote]
Does this mean you left without giving adequate notice? Again, you are not presenting yourself as a very mature person. You obviously want to do the right thing, and care about being honorable, but you’ve got a ways to go before you learn how to do it properly.
If he is bringing up religion in normal company meetings you have every right to complain. But again, try to keep it professional. Avoid namecalling or charges of hypocracy. They always make the accuser sound immature. Just ask is it company policy to waste meeting time bringing up religious matters? A simple note like this or question to your boss would alert him to the problem.
Last question: did you ever discuss matters such as the AB’s insistence that everyone follow his way of thinking before quitting? It’s always best to nip problems like this in the bud.
Yeah, I’m with Mucha Man on this one. Everything concerning the girl is nobody’s biz but his and the girl’s. Possibly his supervisor’s, if the “thing” is affecting work, but certainly not his subordinate’s business. The woman in question is a grown-up and has to take responsibility for her own actions and decisions. It was a mistake to mention any of that to the boss. If I were the boss, I would be immediately disinclined to the writer of that letter.
Regarding the professional element of the complaint, it’s a thorny situation. AB sounds like a bit of a nut. Everyone’s entitles to a bit of zaniness, but if hsi preaching the Dharma was putting you off, you have every right to complain. You should do it right from the start, though, and not mix it up with other grievances, or it will look like you have a vendetta. I’m sorry that things aren’t working out for you. I also feel that your plea (for understanding, for your job back) will fall on deaf ears. I would cut my losses and never, never get involved in a co-worker’s personal affairs again unless I was asked, and even then only if the nature of our relationship compelled me to get involved.
Good luck in the future! And don’t worry too much - there are lots of other good opportunities out there for passionate, concerned people like you. 
I guess the point should be made that I only sent this letter after I realized that my service was no longer required. I had tried to handle it professionally by requesting a transfer. When I was asked why, I simply said personal reasons in my life make it neccessary to work the softer “teacher” schedule.
As for getting involved in personal affairs of others, I had no idea that this “friend” was talking about my immediate boss. The minute I realized the truth, I extricated myself from it as company policy dictated. Prior to even drafting this letter, I maintaned the highest of professional standards. But you are both right. Never again will I allow a student into the inner sanctum of my life.
My “method” of requesting a transfer was not the best because of its “timing”. I told them while on a lunch break of a day they considered very important,“presentation-wise”. I saw a window to talk to her in front of him and siezed it. I offered as much notice as they wanted.
I do not expect nor do I want my job back, but this guy has used me and ridden the back of my ideas for a year now. I had accepted it as “team-work”. So, if wanting his bosses to know the real reasons why I had to come to such a drastic conclusion is immature, then yes, I am.
Given the scale of the project and how much it was “my” vision, I was not prepared to give this clown any more face from my ideas. Forget it. Like I said, I wish I had never had the information in the first place, but now that I do, I cannot simply forget it. I knew it would probably come to this and accepted it as the most logical outcome.
I was kinda hoping that the Anti-Buddha might find an ounce of morality within himself and resign. But he’ll never see himself as being at fault for any of this.
Would you even believe me if I told you my motivation was to see the success of the project even tho I am out? It is my vision. I would like to see if it works.
I think that the main point is that the LaoBan asked me to work with this guy. He made a special deal of inviting me to his office. In so doing, he obviosly realized that there was a problem between us. He knew it and risked his multi-million NT project on it.
Just get out and find a new job. Why waste time?
All ready on it. Thanks.
[quote]Would you even believe me if I told you my motivation was to see the success of the project even tho I am out? It is my vision. I would like to see if it works.
[/quote]
I believe you. If you want to work passionately on a project you had better do it somewhere else or for someone else. No one will appreciate it here and most likely you will be out as soon as they find someone who can do the same as you for less, or, if you have real talent, someone who can take over once you have developed a project far enough that it can run itself. I speak from experience here.
Taiwanese have cheated me too many times on too many projects I cared dearly about. Thank god I don’t have to work for any of the bastards here anymore.
Ahhh, but this isn’t a Taiwanese guy. He’s a weigoren.
Your letter is way too long and complicated. If the person it was sent to is not a native speaker of English, I doubt he or she could understand it.
Dude, I wrote it to the level they could understand. Length I’ll give you…way too long…but…wtf…it was the last gasp.
On to bigger and better things now. WO SHI WAN TAIWAN!