Getting into rhythm...
Hello! Helllloo! Hellloooooooooo!
Hello from this tiny little Berkshire village! So tiny, you almost know everyone...or you shut yourself out so that no one knows you...that is, except for the postman and the local corner shopkeeper, who, by the way, also runs the post office! And, if you miss the 'regular' bus service, you are in for a long walk home or work. Or, for some reason, the bus does not come. Like on Monday two weeks ago, my first day at work, when the bus showed up an hour late because the bus driver didn't know the route. The only consolation came in the form of two elderly ladies giving instructions to the driver. I bet that was his first and last day at work. I thought nothing else could beat that until two days ago - yes I know, another Monday - the bus driver didn't see me waving at him in the dark and sped off. The next bus being 90min later, I tried hitching a ride with no success until someone from work recognised me. Now, I wave my flourescent yellow jacket. No missing that one, eh? :-)
Despite all these small hiccups, I have had a fantastic start. Being prepared means I hit the ground running and, by the third day, having sorted out the admin issues, I was talking to various individuals across business units collecting information and data. Yes, I am being a bit like a consultant, who's come in with a fresh pair of eyes, plus two add-on lenses, to scrutinise current business practices and identify opportunities for synergy. Ah, there I said it, the 'prohibited' word! A word often used by management, or so they are accused of using, as a sophisticated lingua franca to describe things when they are not sure what they are describing. At least, in my case, it has a genuine meaning. You can trust me on that otherwise I won't be spending my days gathering materials and sinking in an ocean of numbers and notes. All this work has also made the days since I left Paris, armed with eight packs of noodles for dinner, go so fast that I need to slow down and absorb things in. BTW, lunch at work is sumptuous and people are friendly and helpful.
And, I am travelling to Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Chicago, not to mention frequent trips to Paris, pretty soon so no need to worry too much about missing the bus and wishing the car was here and not parked in the garage back home. So, even in this remote village, I am still holding on to my optimism...and, if need be, London is less than 30min by train. But, only if the connecting bus service has a driver who knows the route!
Au revoir mes amis...et a bientot!
Hello from this tiny little Berkshire village! So tiny, you almost know everyone...or you shut yourself out so that no one knows you...that is, except for the postman and the local corner shopkeeper, who, by the way, also runs the post office! And, if you miss the 'regular' bus service, you are in for a long walk home or work. Or, for some reason, the bus does not come. Like on Monday two weeks ago, my first day at work, when the bus showed up an hour late because the bus driver didn't know the route. The only consolation came in the form of two elderly ladies giving instructions to the driver. I bet that was his first and last day at work. I thought nothing else could beat that until two days ago - yes I know, another Monday - the bus driver didn't see me waving at him in the dark and sped off. The next bus being 90min later, I tried hitching a ride with no success until someone from work recognised me. Now, I wave my flourescent yellow jacket. No missing that one, eh? :-)
Despite all these small hiccups, I have had a fantastic start. Being prepared means I hit the ground running and, by the third day, having sorted out the admin issues, I was talking to various individuals across business units collecting information and data. Yes, I am being a bit like a consultant, who's come in with a fresh pair of eyes, plus two add-on lenses, to scrutinise current business practices and identify opportunities for synergy. Ah, there I said it, the 'prohibited' word! A word often used by management, or so they are accused of using, as a sophisticated lingua franca to describe things when they are not sure what they are describing. At least, in my case, it has a genuine meaning. You can trust me on that otherwise I won't be spending my days gathering materials and sinking in an ocean of numbers and notes. All this work has also made the days since I left Paris, armed with eight packs of noodles for dinner, go so fast that I need to slow down and absorb things in. BTW, lunch at work is sumptuous and people are friendly and helpful.
And, I am travelling to Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Chicago, not to mention frequent trips to Paris, pretty soon so no need to worry too much about missing the bus and wishing the car was here and not parked in the garage back home. So, even in this remote village, I am still holding on to my optimism...and, if need be, London is less than 30min by train. But, only if the connecting bus service has a driver who knows the route!
Au revoir mes amis...et a bientot!
Labels: IPP
1 Comments:
this is interesting. i thought this used to happen only in indian villages ;) have a great time with work and do let me know whenever you are coming to HEC
By
Rahul, at 11:29 am
Post a Comment
<< Home