segunda-feira, 17 de setembro de 2007

My First Day Semi-Fiasco

Ahh my first day of work at the Embassy. It started off with a classic Alana story.
In my instruction packet, they told me that for my first day (and first day only unfortunately), the embassy was providing me a driver to pick me up at my apartment at 7:30AM, take me to the embassy, and take me home in the evening.
Sweet deal right?
So I was excited/nervous for my first day. I also have been staying up late and sleeping in late this passed week, thus getting up late and thus again causing me to hate my life having to get up at 6:30 to get ready. I tossed and turned last night, trying to sleep, but not being able to do so til it was probably 3:00AM and then only sleeping lightly, probably due to the nerves. I had set my alarm for 6:18, thinking I would snooze for a bit and then get up, shower off from my day walking around and going to the beach! (which I will talk about later/next time) and get all my stuff and be ready for my first big day.Yeah, except when I awoke in a fright and peered at my alarm: 7:26AM.
SHIT SHIT SHIT was my first reaction. I seriously threw myself out of bed and ran to the window to make sure the driver wasn't there yet; I thn ran to the shower, and semi rinsed my body off in freeeeeezing cold water (here at least I was thankful that I hadn't actually gone swimming at the beach so my hair wasn't THAT gross), threw on some clothes, ran to the window again, ran back to the bathroom to put on some concealer, ran to get my shit and then ran downstairs.
It was 7:33AM. And no driver in sight.
So I was worrying some trying to catch my breath... 7:40 passes and nothing. I call my boss and of course no answer. I keep waiting in agony... and still no driver in sight. At 7:50, after calling my boss another 36 times to no avail, I decided to get a cab and hopefully get there at (or at least close to) my strict starting time of 8:00AM.
In the cab I was fuming, about how seems to run right with these embassy people!, rararar!!, when I get a call from my boss.
"Oh I am so sorry I forgot to tell you I couldn't get you a driver!!!!" [This point was written explicitly in my instructions from there, which I had received a week prior.] "I can get you one at 10, is that okay!!!
SIGH. I seriously nearly died... but instead I maintained enough composure to explain that I was already on my way. She then met me at the gate and everything was super. But SHIT. What a hectic morning!!! I especially found it funny that throughout the day I kept finding sand in my hair.. hahahaha. Yes, I really know how to make a great first impression don't I?

Well from there on the rest of my day was great. The people at the embassy are all super nice and incredibly intelligent. I am going to be splitting my time in the Political/Economic section and the Management section. I started out today in the Pol/Econ, under this woman Dana, who I had gone to dinner with this weekend and who is super amazing. She helped me feel right at home and has some neat projects for me to work on
I started out with a tour of the property and had a great day getting acquainted with the embassy property: There is a gym, a tennis court, a cafeteria with relatively cheap and delicious meals prepared by the cooks Fernando and Fernanda (cute!), the NEX grocery store where I bought American groceries at American prices!, and even an old Chapel. The site is impressive, very pretty, and pretty much has everything you could ever need. I was introduced to a gazillion people today and I couldn't tell you more than one or two of their names.. I took a computer course to make sure that I wouldn't leak any secret information!!! and I got my own little office for the time being on the Pol/Econ floor.

I am super tired but resisting napping so I don't repeat the fiasco tomorrow. Tomorrow I also need to leave by 7:15 in order to take the Metro no fancy driver for me, but at least I KNOW this information this time. ;0)

2 comentários:

Anônimo disse...

OMG!!!! What a nerve wracking experience ..... first day yet. But what a great complex. You are so in your element.

xoxo

Unknown disse...

holy cow... ,leave it to you to have such an experience haha at least you were responsible enough to catch a cab