Back to Work

Well, it finally happened. I started work last Monday and had my first full week in my new UK office. What a wake up call : )

It's going really well. I like the job, work, company and people - the location is a bit far from our flat and although I dislike the commute time, it is fun to now say I ride the tube in everyday! Plus Aaron and I sometimes commute part of it together which always makes it better.

It's only been a week but I've already had a few funny encounters in the office and have noticed many differences since starting:

• I learned that Ashley is more commonly a male's name in Europe. Of course, this was after a phone mix up and a few e-mails to me titled "Sir".
• Some of the keyboard symbols are in different spots. For example, the " and the @ symbols are switched so whenever I go to write an e-mail I always accidentally put name"company.com
• I used to never drink tea and now I drink more tea than coffee!
• A coworker asked if I could bring him back a white coffee as I was going to the kitchen... I thought, white coffee? They have that here? (click on the hyperlink if you don't know what it is). I stood in the kitchen extremely puzzled looking for a type of coffee when my other coworker came in and sorted out the situation. Turns out white coffee just means with cream or milk here : ) thank goodness they came in or I could've been standing there all day.
• I've never had so many vacation days at a job in my life!!
• I thought I was bad at remembering names in the US... it is even harder when you are trying to remember names from France, Poland, Russia, Germany, Japan, etc.
• Many words are called different things here: lectern = podium, cabaret = rounds, streams = breakouts, programme = agenda, delegate = attendee... the list goes on! I have a page on my desk dedicated to these differences. Usually if I hear something I don't immediately know, I can figure it out, but I also want to fit in!
• I will not be winning the UK spelling bee anytime soon. I have to get used to writing program as programme and color as colour, not to mention putting the date before the month and using military time (goodbye January 13 at 3:00pm... hello 13 January at 15:00!)

I'm just taking it one day and hurdle at a time. I also just received staffing for my contract and there are many things to look forward to: an event in London, Singapore and Lisbon!