Remember in one episode of Friends, when Ross just moved into ugly naked guy's apartment, some guy asked him for a hundred buck for a treat to Howard, the cleaning man of the building, who is going to retire? Well, Ross, being a man with principle didn't give the money since he thought he just moved in and even didn't know who this Howard guy is. And finally he had to face the awkward consequences.

Today, some one of the group that I am working in told me that they plan to buy our 'boss' ( supervisor or mentor, whatever you want to call) a new year present and asked me whether I want to be one of them. It is not the first time for me to encounter this kind of situation - the May holidays, the National Holidays, the Teacher's Day, and now the New Year - but this is the first time that they ask me to join them. Well, I guess it is because I am just working here temporarily and not one of the officially registered students as they are. Although I felt a little bit weird, I accepted their kindness to include me. Well, anyway, my boss treats me nicely, and I appreciate that.

However, I just wonder since when this sucking up trend became a tradition? I am not saying that I don't want to join them. To avoid the same awkward situation that Ross faces, I cannot say NO. But I just don't think this is necessary to keep a relationship, or is it?