Blog Week 23: Easy come, easy go.
Monday 1 May 23.47
Great holiday weekend - most of it spent in Antwerpen.
Was at a House warming party last night and who did I bump into (again)? Mal (from the other office).
We talked a little about the hearing. Seems her lot were happy with how it went too. Everyone happy seems a bit strange as someone has to lose. Right? Or can everyone be a winner ...
With a bit of drink in her, she was a bit more open about the problems in the other office. I promised not to tell anyone, so I won't say anything (yet!).
Cherie and Rodney left on Friday. With the holiday, it was all low-key. Although there is a whisper around the office that others may be following ...
Tuesday 2 May 22.08
The office was quiet today; another week containing a public holiday and not many people around.
Mid-morning I had a surprise visit from Weirdo. She walked in, announced:
"Whenever anyone enters the building they come through the revolving door. That revolving door is a metaphor for the office. You enter, go round in circles and then leave."
and then she left.
Maybe she was announcing her own departure? Or perhaps she is missing Cherie and Rodney already?
Wednesday 3 May 21.53
My office boredom continued today, in part because Mockney is not around this week. When you share an office, it is surprising how much the other person evolves into something like a piece of office furniture. When not around, it feels like something is missing, out of place.
I helped sort through some CVs for most of the day. I was amazed by a couple of things.
First, the sheer number of people applying to join the firm. If they knew the chaos of this place would they still want to come? I suspect, sadly, the answer is yes. However chaotic this place is, I am sure it is not as bad as other offices.
Second, the variety of the applicants' backgrounds: so many people looking to enter the legal world in some way. Do they know what they are letting themselves in for? Probably not. But then again, they probably do not care.
Thursday 4 May 20.27
I won't bore you with how dull the office was today; sifting through more applications (clearly another task that has been unattended for quite some time).
As my eyes were glazing over from staring at the screen for too long, I got thinking about the weather and Brussels. (I know at the start of my blog I said I would not talk about this subject, but given yesterday and today's warmer weather I just cannot help it).
Some friends once said, when the sun finally arrives, they like the new look of the city. Much of the year Brussels' appearance is dull and (mainly) ordered; and then those very same streets are transformed into somewhere pretty (if not beautiful) and more vibrant.
Other (southern) friends have spoken about the slightly Mediterranean feel of the rejuvenated, warmer air taking them briefly back home.
For me, the arrival of warmer, sunnier weather is all about another sensation: the sound of the city. Suddenly the city noise seems more relaxed, slower, less rushed. The speed of sound - the tempo of city life - is calmer and less aggressive. (Perhaps Monday's public holiday and the consequent lack of traffic this week has exaggerated this change.)
It was so pleasant to drift away from the petty frustrations of office life ...even for a few moments.
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