You alright? Jolly good, jolly good

Week 3 started off on a positive note, induction (what they call orientation here) is over finally and now it is time to work.

Continuing on my theme of observations, I’d like to share other tid bits I’ve taken down over the last few weeks. Let me start by saying the job is great, I continue to learn a lot every day and I really like the team.

Many of the English on my team answer the phone like normal- eg. Hi, this is _____. You can hear the way the conversation goes- the person on the other line identifies themselves, asks the question “You all right?” and the answer inevitably is “Jolly good, jolly good.” I seriously stifle a giggle every time my very kind desk partner answers her phone. I love the way they say it and that it is part of their vernacular. It is not, hi, how are you. The appropriate greeting here is “You all right?”

However, some part of the social etiquette that is taking some getting used to- first, it is not appropriate to smile at others in the hall while walking by. Even if you know the person, then it may be ok to nod or turn your lips up into a very slight smile, but under no circumstances am I my normal “Hi! How are you?” co-worker I used to be. People walk the halls like they walk to the tube- fast, head down, and will walk around/overtake you if you are moving slow. It is so funny, people are painfully pleasant when you come in the morning- lots of sing songy good mornings, you all right’s, how was your night, did you hear about such and such, did you watch this show last night… but in the halls, look down and keep walking.

This firm is incredibly meeting happy. You have never seen anything like it. People live and die by their lotus notes diary (or calendar) and everyone has access to everyone else’s diary- including Directors and Partners. You are forever hearing- “put 20 minutes in my diary so we can discuss.” On any given day, I will sit in half a dozen meetings. I’m serious- most meetings are to prepare for another meeting or recap from a meeting I just came from.

It gets better… so, in an open plan office, nobody has an office. Not even Partners. What this means is that you are forever booking rooms for such meetings. The office is over capacity, people who “hot desk” (which means they book a place to sit when they come to the office rather than have a permanent place to sit) often don’t have anywhere to sit if they come in after a certain time in the day. Equally hard is finding a meeting room. When you do succeed and find a meeting room to book, you’ll find other people in there, going over their scheduled meeting time, with no regard for your scheduled meeting that is about to begin. It doesn’t matter anyway though, because no meeting starts on time. Typical protocol is that if you have a 3pm meeting, when your computer reads 2:59pm, you go to fill up your water bottle while the printer is printing your meeting materials. Then, at 3:04, you grab the materials and ask the person next to you if they are going to said meeting. Then, at 3:06 the two of you start walking towards the meeting and decide to take the stairs because it is hard to get a lift (elevator). You arrive at coveted meeting spot at 3:10 to find others milling outside the meeting room because the meeting before yours has gone over, and nobody is budging because you see a Partner in there. So, you joke until about 3:15 until finally the brave one in your meeting group sticks their head in the room and gently encourages the other meeting to end (remember, non confrontational culture here). Finally, you assemble to start your 3pm meeting at around 3:17, and someone comes in with a caddy full of tea and coffee they picked up downstairs and everyone takes their drink and sits down looking expectantly at the meeting organizer to begin. All meetings here, even if they should only be 20 minutes, end up being almost an hour because of such things. As a perennially “late” person, I’m ok with this timing, although some days it is a wonder how people get actual work done.

Another lovely habit that I’ve taken to has to do with heels in the office… and I am happy to discover that it is totally appropriate to roll all the way up to your desk with your trainers (athletic shoes) on, ipod still in ears from your train ride, etc. Most women here keep their shoes in the office in drawers or beneath their desk and commute back and forth in trainers. If you ever went to my old office in OC, you’d remember my collection. It is nice to have that piece of familiarity. It is also nice to not feel the pressure to walk everywhere in 2’-3’ heels.

I’ve determined that I like the Scottish people I meet. They generally are so much nicer and receiving than the Brits. Half my team is Scottish or Irish, the others are British. I’m the only American. It is nice in that with all the differences there are between cultures, I still have a lot in common with most of them.

As for weather, it is settling into what I understand is to be two to three full months of clouds and rain. It hasn’t rained too much, but there hasn’t been sun in over a week. I am seriously counting the days until Easter when JP and I head to Portugal for the sun.

In a final conclusion note to my rambling- I’d just like to just say that more of our friends are booking trips! I’m so excited when I get messages about dates and upcoming trips. We still have a ways to wait for Stacy and Frank in March but a little piece of home is something to look forward to.

Enjoy the rest of your week everybody! Until next time… be jolly, be good.