Everyday Thoughts

First Week 2006

Dearest Journal,

Eversince I came back from work,I have been staringblankly,watchingtvblankly,eating or just doing absolutely nothing but mind is pretty disturbed.Unsettled,I shld say.Bad day?Not really,in fact,it has been a GREAT day.So great,I don't know how to describe.

Then,think I should sleep,or settle myself with some puja,but...realize,if I blog,it will be one thing I want to do.There's just so many things going through my mind,observations and growing up.And,I know if I pour it in blog,I'll feel better,but,the fact that it's gonna get dissected to the general public-my friends.

So,hell,good or bad,if u're reading,read with no judgement. :) It's my personal experience and important day for me.And I want to remember this day,reflect as I type,and record my observation.

My supplychain manager is excellent.She is Scottish by birth,but migrated 20yrs back.My manager's manager is ..erm..Aus?After a week of work,today-Friday,they organized a lunch gettogether at a pub at the end of the street.All good.Partly,I know it's for me,and the 2 uni engineers recruit for this period.And,I know,my position as an analyst has raised a couple of eyebrows.Kick ass!

How do I want to express myself?
Uppermanagement
Manager and I get along v.v.well this week.I cannot describe.I can tell her if I understood or not,and she will tell me her great plans(of WORK) and all of her past experiences with no restriction.She is so very experienced and I love the way she handles things.Her understanding/sensitivity towards handling me,I'm esp.grateful.And,I think I delivered what she wanted to see this week and I'm trying my best to understand as quickly as possible,without her having to waste her time.Today,she paid special attention to me,and explained full length,and I could ask any questions.

Manager's manager(SeniorMnger) tries to talk to me as well.Lunch at pub today?He bought the 3 of us lunch!yippEE!And,after these few days of observation(I think),he came to me and says that he might pull me out to help him in some KPI(Key Perf.Indicators..sounds...so..wow..)analysis and,of course, with the approval of my direct manager.WWAAOOAOAOAOOA!!(sCreamInG intErNalLY)

Lunch
Drinks-hahah!I was dumbfounded when SeniorMnger asks me what I wld like to order.I don't know ANY alcoholic drinks(nor bothered to know!)...and I remember Mlene,talking bout Bacardi..so,I ordered Bacardi(he added 'bacardiCOKE??OOooO..OKAY..'everyone mostly had beer..did'nt know it's lower alcoholic content!!now i know.)After 2-3sips,that's it,I wasn't taking anymore..coz my legs were feeling funny.As we walked back to Co,senior managr tells manager to watch over my numbers after bacardicoke...my manager jokingly says,'I hope I don't have to end up analyzing my analyst!'..lol!

Why am I staring blankly then?
I think coz I'm overwhelmed with the effort of acceptance and myself trying my best to blend in,at the same time,retain some of my main culture/character.There are just some things I want to keep right now,and,I have come to a point that,I will not negotiate my values at the expense of acceptance and,so far,balancing it-actually is working out fine and the whole team is trying to compromise.

Second thing,perhaps,the idea of having valuable,even laughable,down-to-earth conversation with uppermgmt confidently and comfortably bizarres me where,in my past exp,uppermgmt seems like the 'untouchable' or the 'annoying'/'intimidating'.The suppressive and the I-know-more-than-u-BOO situations!lol!

Third thing,the pleasantly surprising confidence change in me...because of the right,encouraging environment that I am working in.That I know exactly what I'm talking about,articulating it,and if I dont' know,try to figure it out loud.Mnger says 'look,there are NO wrong questions,just wrong answers.'And,encourages questions.Cool,from an audit point of view!!lol!! hahaha!!Sometimes,the things she tells me just blew my head off-only for now,I hope. And,I must say,sometimes, my questions to her just blew HER head off..HAHAH!!

IT Consultant
I am seated in the IT Mger's room(he is on hol till mid jan).Yesterday,in came an IT consultant seated in front of me in the officeroom that we share.He is pleasant after we've exchanged a bit of 'background overview' of one another.Then,zoom off to conversation of his time in AndersonConsulting,into,comp systems,his fiancee,his Thailand trip...latest news on IT and $$,his software company,even his MORTGAGE...lol!He just goes on and on and on.....but I learn a lot from him too and the fact that he is there as a consultant on client's place,I could relate to him with auditing.

All these in a week is just too big of a pie to swallow.And I've got a hectic week next week as well...(and anticipated little rest during the weekend....)
But certainly a week to remember.Draining,but I needed it-to grow&learn.

May my rest of the weeks be fruitful and that by the end of the period,regardless of whether I secure a fulltime job or not,may this journey be a smooth one,a memorable one.Gnite Songie-and dream about logistics and inventory, production line,capacity..and all those terminology.....WWAAAOO... ^-^ KAMBATEEH!

(Mettasong-ImeeOoi sounds so soothing at such a time...)

posted by Songie @ 1:00 AM