The Day Technology Bit

I don’t remember my first day of school. I do remember that I looked forward to it, because I thought I would get to go the place where my big sister went every day, and as a result spend more time playing with her.

However, if I had been an only child, I assume the pre-anxiety leading up to the first day of school would’ve resembled how I feel about joining my first technology/software/IT company. Let me explain why there are slashes…

I graduated from my Masters in Communication in 2000 to a life of writing, conceptualization and creativity ahead of me. Having worked in advertising agencies as a copywriter, event companies as a conceptualizer and an interactive agency as a content strategist, I worked for six years in the laidback creative atmosphere of late mornings, sloppy clothes, last minute deadlines and loud music.

Technology was relegated to trying to solve why my comp went on the blink, before I “had” to call the systems admin. It was also relegated to difficult tech clients who just didn’t “get” creativity. All in all I thought technology was something that could be handled as long as it was consumed in small portions and washed down with a lot of vodka.

So what was I doing working in a technology company? That was the first thing that struck me on my second day here. I was suddenly immersed in a world where people spoke to each other in abbreviations. Did SK approve the BMC case study for the PLS? Blink. I was in a world where you were given three passwords to access two applications. Blink. I was in a world where…

Ohmigod, I’m Dilbert! Which was when my better creative half (also known as my husband) gave me a nudge and told me to write it down. This is the result of that one “Ah-ha” moment.

When you join a large company one unusual problem may arise which you may never have encountered before. Which building is mine? Having landed at the wrong building in the wrong place on my first day, didn’t portend too well of things to come.

Having then reached the correct building, I was sent to a meeting room, where a friendly HR person dumped 50 pages of forms, contracts and other documentation for me to fill. “Joining Formalities” is what it is called. Six hours later, still signing away in that over air-conditioned room, I had a headache and a finger cramp. I had inscribed my signatures more times than a two-time Wimbledon champion, and since no one was cheering me on, I was naturally both cold and irritable. Having learned that I get an extensive spread of lunch everyday at the amazingly subsidized price of Rs. 72 per month, (though welcome news) did not help alleviate my mood.

I had time to kill before I had to fill the next form, so off I went in search of medication. The first problem I encountered was that I couldn’t get in or out of office unless I had a swipe card. Having knocked my knuckles sore through every door, (there were three between me and the reception), I arrived at the reception and asked for a Saridon. Heaving a small sigh of relief I was about to turn back when a voice at the reception said, “Madam?” The security man pulled out a register. In it were columns that needed to be filled.

Date, name of medication, time, serial number and... signature.

Nope, Toto… Kansas this is not.