not a love song

Oh, I do like my job. :)

It's hard and confusing and tiring and sometimes means I have to put off or cancel non-work-related-happy-events, but once in a while I wake up and realize that most people would pay to get this sort of exposure.

I've actually reached that stage in my professional life when I can't really stop talking about work once I get properly started. It's exciting, you see. It's been nearly four months, and I've already worked on close to ten separate projects, each of them almost completely different from the other.
But first! Perhaps a little background.

The T^[1] works for a firm that specializes in Landscape, Conservation and Research. (In fact, the boss has a Bachelors degree in Physical Planning, a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture and an M.A in Conservation Studies.) We are thus qualified to undertake a very wide range of projects,which we do.
At present, for example, we are

• the landscape architects for one nos. apartment building, one nos. residential layout, one nos. commercial warehouse and one nos. school campus in the city
  
• the landscape designers for the restoration project at the Mughal gardens at Pinjore
  
• the empaneled landscape consultants for the State Bank of India
  
• the Indian landscape consultants for the Delhi Airport project
• responsible for the publication of the World Heritage Site Management Manual for UNESCO
• responsible for the publication of Bangalore Lalbagh heritage maps
  

I have had varied level of involvement with all these, and the foreseen involvement is of a rather high order, and I'm rather excited. I might even be in Delhi for a few months to make the most of the opportunity to work on a project of a scale as large as an International Airport. Whee! :)
Besides this, the other partner at the firm specializes in interior design, and I've been working on her projects, too. The only thing getting to me was the fact that this was an office consisting of two bosses and a single worker bee, but I think the T needs some laziness kicked out of her before it's too late.

Our office is on the ground floor, and adjoining it is a little garden where I have my lunch. We have various visitors, including but not limited to the following:

A bird that you can see if you squint really hard and tilt your head a little and stare just exactly at the centre of the photograph.

A year-and-a-half-old visitor who wanders in and out at will and says "mamma" and "hi" a lot. A dedicated post on this visitor is in the pipeline. Perhaps with photos, if permission is so obtained.

Life is kind. :) Kind of.
One must add the disclaimer on account of things that are (still! still!) making the T mope around for all of her free time, but SHE CAN'T COMPLAIN.
Well, she had better not, at any rate.

1. Apparently I can't begin to recite facts except in third person. Whatever.

first week

It's been four days. Is that too soon?
Perhaps.
But then when have I ever waited the proper time to do anything?

I'm afraid the next few posts might turn out to be too work-centric. I am spending nine of my day's hours there, though, so that makes sense. It's just doubtful whether any of it will be interesting.
Quick recap, T style.

Day Zero. (which reminds me. i will complete the IIT diaries on request. i promise.)
Monday.
I was supposed to begin work on the Monday of this week. My mother had looked at the calendar the week before and told me it was a terrible day to start anything. Fortunately, my wonderful state decided to declare a bandh, and hence spent the day at home, in front of the television, on the internet and so on.
Later, as the evening came by, we attended the wedding reception of someone I knew. The son of a teacher, man! Was rather memorable. Made some ill-advised remarks in front of practically the entire faculty body of my old school. Had teachers promise to find me a nice boy.
"Begin in June", said the mother.
"Make sure he's tall and can speak English," I said, as I left them to eat paan in the car. Added many more points mentally on my way up the stairs.
Went to bed at midnight. That's how I prepare for long days the previous night, don't you know.

Day One.
Tuesday.
Left home with exactly half an hour to get to office. Had a nice ride. Had a man drive his car into the scooter while looking out his window at an auto behind him. Yelled and screamed and cursed, but to no avail. Had to finally resort to thumping the hood of his car to get his attention, the creep. Wrote a vitriolic mental post on anger and my strange addictions and felt much better.
Got to the office at exactly ten in the morning. No one was there. Waited around for a while, and then called Boss One. His phone was turned off. Waited a while longer, and then called the colleague. "Get the keys from the house", says she.
So! The first day on the job and I got to open up the office. What a brilliance!!
I didn't get any work to do until one, and so I spent the time till then messaging people. Got some plans to edit and a section to do, and did all those things till seven. The electricity kept switching between on and off, so I catalogued all the books at the office when my computer died.
At seven, I left the office to attend another wedding reception, this time of unmet people. Strangers, even. One of those 'venturous days.
Got home at eleven. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I told myself. Sigh, I said.
Then went to bed.

Day Two.
Wednesday.
Valentine's Day. Drew two sections.
Went to see the old Drama class. Breathing exercises. I've come a long way, I thought. Self-confidence isn't something to be scoffed at.

Day Three.
Thursday.
Missed R at work. She was at a friend's wedding, and I was left with all the serious people at work. Well, the ones who seem to think I'm nuts, anyway.
Spent the day doing two more sections. Was hungry and bored and hence ate my lunch at eleven. Went out to have "lunch" at three to a charming little Shree Krishna Sagar. Forgot to pay for my juice etc. The usual, in fact.
I suspect Boss A thinks I'm rather useless. Boss B seems to think me a highly amusing silly creature that comes with extra perks, viz. nice music.

Day Four.
Friday.

Today.
But now I has to go to Chennai, so this will be completed later.
:)
Installments!