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Monday, October 25, 2010

Deservedly so

What a lovely morning. The first email and the first call that I received this morning ( a day which i dreaded coming to work because of the amount of other work which i had left behind at home, the loads of studying and assignments on top of that which was being deferred so that i could prioritise office work) was great news.

Two of my closest friends just received promotions. Yip, and to think that both of them have been worried about this for ages and may have even been getting a bit despondent.

like he aptly said " When one door closes another one opens"

Congratultions guys

May you prosper in your new positions and may you continue to grow in knowledge and stature.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

My nerdy comments

My dear friend Prixie posted her valid reasons for needing a 3 day weekend and i couldnt help but share the conversation I had overheard in the common room at the University the previous week. I personally could do with much, much more weekend but academics tend to see this in a different light:-)

dear Prixie,







i recently overheard some nerdy ppl talking about measurement units. The discussion started off with comments about the horror of imperial units and the ease of use of SI units.






It moved swiftly, to an a discussion about the day when imperial will be defeated to the awesome SI.






Until an Imperial supporter, a type from the old school- quite literally, put a spanner in the works by suggesting that the calendar would have to be rearranged. "This of coarse is because the number of hours in a day is based on the imperial system. So while SI uses simple tens and multiples thereof, imperial uses inches , feet , and yards etc where there are 3 feet in a yard and 12 inches in a foot etc. There are also 12 months in a year so 12 is the relating factor."






So 12 hours to reach midday wouldnt be internationally recognised under the SI time frame and we'd probably have 10 hours to midday with 100 minutes in each and then 100 seconds. I dont know if this works out but ...perhaps being all uniform we will have 10 months in a year and things will become verry bizzarre.






this leaves room for wonder. Perhaps there will be 10 day weeks...and hopefully , just hopefully






MORE WEEKEND:-)






Naeema

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Worklife

My first office was what I had expected of an engineering office environment. Designers with large screens, plotters spewing chunks of 2-D metal designs in the A0 format, complicated fabrication techniques scrutinized on these A0's by teams grouped in the open plan space, all sorts of intricate software 2 suit d need of the design. Specialists at work in a specialisd environment.

My next 'studio' was adjacent tn the offices of the first but a differemt vibe prevailed. I had missed the rays of natural light freely prancing on my sun-depravd skin, the wavelength of a beam dat made my eyes beam in dilation. This office offerd that feature of a warm greeting through an unbarred window. The people here were still not gelled as a team and work was different,more generalised,more individualised. Id often look out d window @ d trains being shuntd by and marvel at d conversion of models and paper designs 2 magnificent machines. It was not perfect here but a psuedo harmony prevaild among my colleagues. I had my window of wonder.
Fast forward to the next department dat my training program lands me in...its dar from ideal. Id compare it to a burrow ,the almost underground effect ,single passage workspace dat dat double as a meeting area -walls lind with supplies, claustraphobically closin in on my inner being- left no room 4 creativity. Everyone workd in mindblowing silence.for 8 hours.day in,day out! I had 2 escape but d window servd no comfort. Situatd insid a workshop, d window only reflectd a close up view of those long ago drawings being panelbeaten into place. Grit,noise,cold,cold,selective silence. I escapd this torture into the virtual window of my computer. I removd myself 2 friends in other countries, cities ,@ home. My escape turnd 2 an addiction. The virtual escape my saviour...fast forward 2 three months later. No office,a piece of furniture discarded by another marks my temporary space in the open plan office. I am grateful 2 hav my own, despite its inadequacies. Escapism has become a signature & through the lonlines of this frantic fish market I plot my way out. This team needs me 2 prove myself. But its nt mine. I cant be part of them. I am there on a difernt mandate. I get to
Work...headphones-check,internet-check,window- it looks out onto a barren mine dump of dust that was once deprivd of its preciousnes - the remains discarded with residue of a hope that it gave,useles- I felt useless just looking at it.
Im
In a catch 22, virtual reality has been denied 2 me- I turn away from the dump 2 face the people.the hum of oblivious chatter churns my empty belly,it must be lunch time,i notice wafts of different flavours for the first time. Noone notices me as my face turns 2 disapproval. I needed a break...i turned away and escapd!