The Beginning

I just finished my first week on the job.  Damn! Who would've thought doing nothing could be so tiring!

I arrived to the airport, and no one was there to pick me up.  But surely they knew I was coming after months of back and forth email exchange.  I caught a taxi and went straight to the office only to hear, "Who are you?" "Where are you from?" 

I wasn't fazed.  I was determined to prove myself through my work. 

First task for the week: send an email. 

Yep.  Send an email.  I thought surely my quickness in completing the task would be rewarded.  20 minutes into my first full day I drafted out an email and sent it to my superior.  He sent it back to me corrected. 

Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, only he is correcting my email in English when he is not a native speaker.  Of course, I am not perfect.  I was curious as to what my mistakes were. 

He made it worse.  He ruined the grammar, but at least it officially got his stamp, though I was embarassed it had my name on it.

And that was that.  9:30am and I finished all my work for the day and was then free to sit at my desk and look busy. 

As work protocol has it, we are to show up at 8am and go home at 6pm, with a 2 hour lunch break in between.  Everyday I have been here this week I have arrived at 8:30, only to be one of the first ones here.  People start trickling in around 9.  By noon everyone leaves for their lunch break and do not return until after 2, absolutely getting every last bit of break.  And sure enough, its 5:30 and the office is empty, and been empty for a while. Presto! Just like that, an 8 hour work day becomes a 6 hour work day. 

Thank God for the weekend.