First Day Shakin' the Money Tree

TODAY WAS MY FIRST DAY AT WORK AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT WENT EXTREMELY WELL. WE ALL KNOW THAT FIRST DAYS CAN REALLY SUCK – YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING OR ANYONE, AND YOU ARE BASICALLY IN EVERYONE’S WAY, AS YOU ARE AS USELESS AS A NEW BORN BABE, AND HAVE VERY LITTLE OF THAT NEWBORN CUTENESS TO PAIR WITH YOUR INABILITIES. AFTER GETTING SET UP ON THE OFFICE NETWORK AND BEING INTRODUCED TO EVERYONE (ABOUT 12 PEOPLE), I WAS ASSIGNED 1/3 OF A MULTI-PART DEAL TO INCORPORATE SEVERAL NEW INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONS. UMM…DO THEY KNOW I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING? (SEE THE PREVIOUS STATEMENTS ABOUT FIRST DAY WORKERS!) I GUESS I WILL DO MY (AND HOPE FOR THE) BEST!

HERE ARE A COUPLE PICTURES OF MY HUGE OFFICE .





OK, SO IT’S HUGE BECAUSE IT ISN’T “TECHNICALLY” AN OFFICE – IT’S THE CONFERENCE ROOM. (MY BOSS INFORMED ME THAT THE ONE THING THEY DON’T HAVE IN INDIA IS SPACE.) BUT I AM NOT COMPLAINING! I LOVE THE OPEN SPACE – I HAVE AN 8 PERSON TABLE WITH CUSHY CHAIRS, WOODEN BOOKCASES FULL OF BOOKS, AND FRENCH DOORS THAT OPEN TO A SMALL TERRACE (AND LET IN THE BREEZE). EVERYONE ELSE IS 3 OR 4 TO AN OFFICE, AND SINCE THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN DESKS – THE OFFICES ARE REALLY CROWDED.

LUNCH WAS THE ONLY “WEIRD” THING ABOUT MY FIRST DAY. (AND OF COURSE I MEAN WEIRD FROM A WESTERNER’S PERSPECTIVE.) FIRST OF ALL, WE ALL EAT AT THE SAME TIME (NOT WHENEVER YOU GET A BREAK IN YOUR WORK.) I WENT TO THE KITCHEN TO GET MY LUNCH AND HEAT IT UP AND THE GUY THAT “TAKES CARE OF EVERYTHING” – MUCH LIKE THOSE AT MY APARTMENT, SAID “YOU WANT THAT HOT?” I SAID YES AND SAW THAT HE WAS HEATING UP EVERYONE’S LUNCH, ONE-BY-ONE IN A FRY-PAN. (ESSENTIALLY “COOKING” EVERYONE’S LUNCH FOR THEM.) MINE WAS HEATED ALONG WITH THE REST, AND I WAS TOLD THAT EVERYONE EATS TOGETHER IN THE LOUNGE AREA (WHICH IS A SMALL WAITING AREA TYPE THING WITH A COUPLE COUCHES). SO I SAT DOWN WITH THE OTHERS TO HAVE LUNCH, THINKING “THIS IS REALLY ODD” THE WHOLE TIME. A COUPLE OF THE GIRLS WERE TALKING ABOUT ME, BUT I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE SAYING – FINALLY ONE SAID, “IS YOUR FOOD TOO HOT FOR YOU?” I ASKED “WHY? AM I SWEATING?” SHE SAID “YOU KEEP DRINKING.” THAT’S WHEN I NOTICED THAT NO ONE ELSE HAD A BEVERAGE OF ANY KIND. NOW THAT IS REALLY ODD TO ME, BECAUSE I CANNOT CHOKE DOWN ANYTHING WITHOUT A DRINK! I ASKED “OH, YOU GUYS DON’T DRINK WITH YOUR FOOD?” SHE SAID “YES, WE DO. BUT AFTER WE EAT” I WAS TOLD DRINKING WITH MY FOOD WAS NOT A PROBLEM, BUT THAT THEY JUST DON’T DO IT UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE EATEN. AGAIN I THOUGH - "ODD". I AM GOING TO KEEP DRINKING AND THEY CAN KEEP TALKING ABOUT ME IF THEY WANT. I DON’T MIND - AND FOR GOODNESS SAKE, IT'S LIKE WALKING ON THE SUN OVER HERE IN INDIA! (I NEED THE HYDRATION!)