once again, its been a while since i wrote, because all the days are blurring into one and im getting used to work life here. Ive become an expert nothing do-er. Yesterday, i opened Autocad and might have zoomed in and out once but no line was drawn, moved and not text was written. Don't ask me what i did for 8 hours, cos i cannot recall.
This morning ma'am came back from whereever she was and me and another guy was making coffee, she waltzed in and said "what is my tray doing there" (questioning look on our faces...how are we supposed to know?) "pack it away" - no hi, howzit, would you mind...
last week i wanted to find out about this mysterious provident fund i've been contributing to, aparently 6% is insurance and 7% pension/provident. So our payroll person wasn't able to tell me how much I should get if I die, or disabled or are sick. She wasn't able to give me a policy number saying that they are waiting for the fund (for 4 MONTHS?) After calling the fund, i found out that they have got our company registered, but not me. Therefore "someone" has simply been pocketing my insurance/pension - joy.
then there are the notes on my desk. "do not ever TOUCH the blinds or the window ever again" or "your in and out tray is NOT for filing" (with all my papers dumped on my chair)
numb...
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
bored room
Its been over a month since i last wrote. Thats probably due to the fact that im slowly getting used to ma'am and her antics. Nothing seems too wierd anymore.
For about a month now, for some reason, ma'ams respect for me dropped from 50% to zero... and i'm really not sure why. It could be the outside shower that she wanted to brick up, or the swimming pool and braai area that looked like a 'bus station'. Although, ive learnt by this time that whenever she goes into "mean-mode", its usually to compensate for something: i suspect that this time she really doesn't have any money at the moment for both of my projects, so she kindof lets me think she is angry with me (whatever the reason) so that i can be the guilty one, and not her. She probably actually believes herself too.
I haven't had a meeting with her in 5 weeks. I request a meeting every week (once an appointment was actually set up, but she remained in her office and told the PA to tell me she is busy). So i have stretched my work out to the last detail and all i simply need is approval or some direction from her (contractors on standby), but all I get is no response. Deathening silence.
Luckily most people in the office are playing card games, so it's not only my position that is quiet.
Any ideas on how to make work stimulating? i've started learning some xhosa words, cos im the only white person between 9 'xhosa speaking' people, maybe i should do some revit training... and by the way...I am available for private jobs ;-)
For about a month now, for some reason, ma'ams respect for me dropped from 50% to zero... and i'm really not sure why. It could be the outside shower that she wanted to brick up, or the swimming pool and braai area that looked like a 'bus station'. Although, ive learnt by this time that whenever she goes into "mean-mode", its usually to compensate for something: i suspect that this time she really doesn't have any money at the moment for both of my projects, so she kindof lets me think she is angry with me (whatever the reason) so that i can be the guilty one, and not her. She probably actually believes herself too.
I haven't had a meeting with her in 5 weeks. I request a meeting every week (once an appointment was actually set up, but she remained in her office and told the PA to tell me she is busy). So i have stretched my work out to the last detail and all i simply need is approval or some direction from her (contractors on standby), but all I get is no response. Deathening silence.
Luckily most people in the office are playing card games, so it's not only my position that is quiet.
Any ideas on how to make work stimulating? i've started learning some xhosa words, cos im the only white person between 9 'xhosa speaking' people, maybe i should do some revit training... and by the way...I am available for private jobs ;-)
Friday, May 7, 2010
finally friday
so this week we had PA no 2 arrive. and she was given the whole office drill...if you serve ma'am some water, make sure it is from this bottle in the fridge and served on a saucer in one of ma'ams glasses. Rinse the glass out before but don't dry it (not sure why myself) bla bla bla.
and as usual we ran out of 'staff' milk this week - tuesday - still no milk.
the other day the receptionist was preparing ma'ams lunch. it was hilarious to watch. the precious bowl of soup was popped in and out of the micorwave with everyone commenting on whether this liquid was warm enough, but not too hot. no-one had the guts to dip a spoon in there and actually taste it.
i actually havn't seen ms dracula all week, so its been kinda chilled. there is supposed to be a meeting today so im sure things will be sent in completely the opposite direction from which i'm going. not cos im wrong - just cos it has to be her idea. like my colleagues motto: "hurry up and wait".
one of my colleagues is busy with one of my projects. basically, ive specified all the products that must be sent to the salt river depot for renovation of the factory, and things like plain white pva paint needed to get 3 quotes before it gets delivered. the list has been completed. Tiles of R39 psqm wasn't approved because they needed 3 quotes. Im glad she doesnt mind my colleague spending 3 days just getting quotes for 10 items. Tuesday - still not approved. "hurry up and wait"
and as usual we ran out of 'staff' milk this week - tuesday - still no milk.
the other day the receptionist was preparing ma'ams lunch. it was hilarious to watch. the precious bowl of soup was popped in and out of the micorwave with everyone commenting on whether this liquid was warm enough, but not too hot. no-one had the guts to dip a spoon in there and actually taste it.
i actually havn't seen ms dracula all week, so its been kinda chilled. there is supposed to be a meeting today so im sure things will be sent in completely the opposite direction from which i'm going. not cos im wrong - just cos it has to be her idea. like my colleagues motto: "hurry up and wait".
one of my colleagues is busy with one of my projects. basically, ive specified all the products that must be sent to the salt river depot for renovation of the factory, and things like plain white pva paint needed to get 3 quotes before it gets delivered. the list has been completed. Tiles of R39 psqm wasn't approved because they needed 3 quotes. Im glad she doesnt mind my colleague spending 3 days just getting quotes for 10 items. Tuesday - still not approved. "hurry up and wait"
Friday, April 23, 2010
one friday
well, this week has been surprisingly busy with me applying for new jobs, designing some new joinery at home and, oh ja, i specified some products for the one work related job.
so thankfully its friday - and on fridays its plainly obvious that everyone here hates their jobs, cos the minute (and by minute i actually mean second) 16:30:00 ticks over the whole office is outta here and squeezed into the same lift again. Only difference is everyone is super chirpy with jokes and giggles, everyone is SO happy to leave.
so the question is how long will i last - either i will find something else - or I will be fairly dismissed. I am trying my best to avoid the latter, but the interweb is so tempting and having all this spare time makes it so easy to arrange private things. One day i might even be tempted to walk in here WITH MY EARPHONES ON!!!! That would probably seal the deal. Or maybe ill drink out of one of ma'ams cups - or take a sip of her milk (actually i already did this. We ran out of milk on the 19th of the month and apparently petty cash too, so no more milk for the staff - only for ma'am).
so thankfully its friday - and on fridays its plainly obvious that everyone here hates their jobs, cos the minute (and by minute i actually mean second) 16:30:00 ticks over the whole office is outta here and squeezed into the same lift again. Only difference is everyone is super chirpy with jokes and giggles, everyone is SO happy to leave.
so the question is how long will i last - either i will find something else - or I will be fairly dismissed. I am trying my best to avoid the latter, but the interweb is so tempting and having all this spare time makes it so easy to arrange private things. One day i might even be tempted to walk in here WITH MY EARPHONES ON!!!! That would probably seal the deal. Or maybe ill drink out of one of ma'ams cups - or take a sip of her milk (actually i already did this. We ran out of milk on the 19th of the month and apparently petty cash too, so no more milk for the staff - only for ma'am).
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
tuesday
ja, so, whats new from today than any other day. i got in 5mins after 8am so im sure my name is in the red book or black book, whatever.
ma'am had arranged a meeting for 11:30 so i had (as usual) more than enough time to complete my work. obviously at 10am i realized the printer didn't work, and after the IT guy fixed (the minute i mentioned meeting with ma'am, he was here in 5minutes)it it was 11:25 - which proved to be enough time to print my 2000sqm building on A4's.
time now 14:05 and the meeting has not happened yet. ma'am just didn't arrive. not surprised.
would love to make a ricoffee, but we ran out of milk this morning (haha, i even stole the remainder of ma'am's milk) and ma'am thinks we drank the milk up too soon, so there is no money for more milk. doesn't really bother me cos i will just pop down to the coffee shop downstairs and grab one. its not like i don't have time...i only have time, time is being wasted on zooming in, zooming out, changing views, chewing pulses.
next time.
ma'am had arranged a meeting for 11:30 so i had (as usual) more than enough time to complete my work. obviously at 10am i realized the printer didn't work, and after the IT guy fixed (the minute i mentioned meeting with ma'am, he was here in 5minutes)it it was 11:25 - which proved to be enough time to print my 2000sqm building on A4's.
time now 14:05 and the meeting has not happened yet. ma'am just didn't arrive. not surprised.
would love to make a ricoffee, but we ran out of milk this morning (haha, i even stole the remainder of ma'am's milk) and ma'am thinks we drank the milk up too soon, so there is no money for more milk. doesn't really bother me cos i will just pop down to the coffee shop downstairs and grab one. its not like i don't have time...i only have time, time is being wasted on zooming in, zooming out, changing views, chewing pulses.
next time.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
thursday
the reason i had nothing to say until now is i managed to complete an entire tender document during work hours and the courier has just come to pick it up. now thats efficiency.
since all of my private work is finished for the day - i officially am bored. no work. none. instead of my bum getting numb on this chair i think i will climb down and then up the 8 flights of stairs to get a head start on my gym program for the day.
one of the many wierd things of this office is the 'memo' system. we have a template on which you write whatever you need to ask ma'am, print this, stick it into the memo file and hand it to the receptionist - you then wait for about an hour or 2 until the response gets delivered to your desk. have you ever heard about email?
time for some stair climbing.
since all of my private work is finished for the day - i officially am bored. no work. none. instead of my bum getting numb on this chair i think i will climb down and then up the 8 flights of stairs to get a head start on my gym program for the day.
one of the many wierd things of this office is the 'memo' system. we have a template on which you write whatever you need to ask ma'am, print this, stick it into the memo file and hand it to the receptionist - you then wait for about an hour or 2 until the response gets delivered to your desk. have you ever heard about email?
time for some stair climbing.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
monday
so i waltz in here on monday, just in time for the receptionist to mark me off for an 8am sharp arrival, i put my stuff down at my desk and make coffee. when i go back to my desk i find all my books/diaries missing. Lo behold, my desk has been moved again. so i walked around the half empty open plan office until i located my stuff. so this is where i sit for the moment. this is the 5th time in 4 weeks my desk has been relocated without my knowledge by the secret night leprechaun(spelling)the reason baffles me.
since i dont' have much to do i get up 10 minutes early to have lunch. on my return i find ive been emailed that there will be no eating lunch before or after you actually take lunch. sigh.
the day passes with me doing sortof something, kindof nothing and at 5pm sharp, the whole office gets up and marches out. all of us in the same lift. not a minute later. yes, its that bad.
since i dont' have much to do i get up 10 minutes early to have lunch. on my return i find ive been emailed that there will be no eating lunch before or after you actually take lunch. sigh.
the day passes with me doing sortof something, kindof nothing and at 5pm sharp, the whole office gets up and marches out. all of us in the same lift. not a minute later. yes, its that bad.
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