I was with one of my regular drinking buddies, counting down the days to my Christmas skiing holiday in Japan — on which I plan to do more Scotch drinking by the fire than actual skiing — when he let out a groan. Apparently his wife is not as relaxed as Tai Tai when it comes to planning a holiday.
The unfortunate chap told me about the last holiday he took with his wife and teenage boys. Both he and his wife are investment bankers with busy schedules but, because of her need for organisation, he let her take charge of planning the trip.
The second my friend got comfortable in his seat on the airplane, he began to pay for his willingness to hand over all the planning responsibilities. Rather than being able to watch a movie and take a nap, he was handed a book, written by his wife, outlining every detail of the trip.
We're not talking about the basics of hotel reservations and tourist highlights. The rundown included a schedule of wake-up calls, pre-booked dinner reservations and a road trip planned to the last petrol station toilet break. Reading the book cover to cover was compulsory before the poor man could even take a sip of his in-flight cocktail.
Apparently, his wife’s obsession with scheduling carries over into their daily lives too. While my friend cringed at his children's robot-like obedience in following a schedule, I couldn't help but think about what excellent, organised bankers they will make one day.