Monday, July 30, 2007
A new dawn...
So, day one. I arrived at the specified hour to be met, toured and shown my new office. Temporary dig likely, but good enough and the local IT team has everything in bang up order (a very good sign, next stop the computer rooms (another tell tale sign I always check out).
I've got a long list of meet and great appointments, but none start for a couple days. Everyone and their dog is on holiday! Rather nice to have a slow gentle start, though I have no doubt it will turn manic shortly.
Friday was an odd old day. I always hate the good bye stage, its inevitably awkward. This one wasn't too bad all told. I had lunch with a good friend there that was suitably boozy. The rest of the day was spent walking about saying good bye and reminiscing. In the last part of the day I was ushered into the requisite "surprise" good bye drinks. A couple of people had even baked cakes, which was lovely.
The usual mushy speeches and I was handed over a large card full of piss take comments and touching thank yous. Then the real surprise, a very large gift certificate for a wine merchant. They knew me well, though not well enough to know I would have loved a surprise box of wine even better than a gift certificate. I was told afterwards everyone was terrified of "getting it wrong", which of course you can't do with wine, that’s half the fun.
Then, I had to break away for a final meeting with one of my bosses. He'd seemingly deliberately set it for my last hour of my last day. I didn't really know what to expect, and he ended up being borderline rude and insulting. It wasn't pleasant, and was completely unnecessary. Left me angry, especially as the drinks party had wilted away when I left, which it would do.
Ah well, I'm gone now, and now for a fresh start!
I've got a long list of meet and great appointments, but none start for a couple days. Everyone and their dog is on holiday! Rather nice to have a slow gentle start, though I have no doubt it will turn manic shortly.
Friday was an odd old day. I always hate the good bye stage, its inevitably awkward. This one wasn't too bad all told. I had lunch with a good friend there that was suitably boozy. The rest of the day was spent walking about saying good bye and reminiscing. In the last part of the day I was ushered into the requisite "surprise" good bye drinks. A couple of people had even baked cakes, which was lovely.
The usual mushy speeches and I was handed over a large card full of piss take comments and touching thank yous. Then the real surprise, a very large gift certificate for a wine merchant. They knew me well, though not well enough to know I would have loved a surprise box of wine even better than a gift certificate. I was told afterwards everyone was terrified of "getting it wrong", which of course you can't do with wine, that’s half the fun.
Then, I had to break away for a final meeting with one of my bosses. He'd seemingly deliberately set it for my last hour of my last day. I didn't really know what to expect, and he ended up being borderline rude and insulting. It wasn't pleasant, and was completely unnecessary. Left me angry, especially as the drinks party had wilted away when I left, which it would do.
Ah well, I'm gone now, and now for a fresh start!
