Office Office - Part 1

Well you have guessed it right that at this moment I am sitting in my office and not doing any work. But before you make an opinion let me tell you folks that it is my lunch time and outside temperature in Melbourne is 39 C (American friends please calculate in whatever complicated measuring system you use :-O). I haven’t gone outside since morning 8:15 so I really don’t know how hot it is but I am sure it must be pretty hot.

I work in an IT office; all around there are cubicles which are by the way mostly empty. Why is that? First as I already said this is IT department and secondly it is a govt IT department. All said with these 2 details isn’t it?

All my colleagues, friends who have come from Indian working culture know the difference working here and back home. Our day used to start at 10 then long coffee break with team (and sometimes with manager as well) then back to difficult job. We used to work1 hr straight without any real break .Oh yes full 1 hr and then used to start important prep work for lunch e.g. writing emails to all the people in the group – Friend 1 :Lunch what time?
Friend 2: 12:30?
Friend 3: Oh no I am very hungry, how about 12:15?
Friend 4: No, no we just had tea and breakfast at 10, 12:30 is good.
Friend 3: Hmm :(
Friend 1: Alright guys see you at 12:30 sharp downstairs.
By the time we finished these emails it was 12:25. Now 5 mins loo break and stuff.

On the contrary I reach here at 8:15 and then get a cup of tea to my desk. Somehow manage to pass 5-10mins with tea and online timesofindia. Then back to work, then some emails on official id from some friends and then back to work. Get up at 12 and heat your lunch, get it back on desk and another 10 mins break for you. It is 12:10 and you are getting crazy what else to do sometime pass.

Whereas no matter in whichever company you were in India at this time, you must be sitting with at least 6 friends, discussing food, office politics, cribbing about manager and hating at least one of the person who is sitting among you and eating :) . Then it is time for a walk (yeah suddenly we are all very health conscious if we are in office)
And then for coffee before going to desk?? Sounds pretty cool!!

After 2 hours there will be another round of chain emails telling each other how bored they are, how sleepy they are after that biryani, chole and dosa. Some will be frustrated because of work, client emails, and onsite coordinators phone calls. You again guessed it right; it is time for a tea break (no concept of coffee break there).

But here it is just time after my lunch break and I am making a to-do list of what all needs to be finished before 4:30, yes that’s when I leave for home. So people you also get back to work and I will continue tomorrow during my lunch break :)