Diary of the First Few Days at the New Office

My first few days at the new office have been mixed, but I am glad to find that my experience there is improving alhamdulillah. The prayer room we were promised is still under construction, but the facilities people have been kind enough to point out various storage and utility rooms we can use in the meantime, which is fine by me I suppose.

Start of the week - A Window of Peace

After days of feeling very much under the weather, which was making me feel very sad and also feeling very neglectful of the important things in my life – my faith, my children, home, family, myself, blogging, crafting and work, I suddenly felt very different today. After weeks of feeling bleurgh, it was so strange to feel well and completely at peace. I just sat and stared at my computer screen wondering what I should do to take advantage of this feeling while it lasts. I said a quiet prayer to Allah (SWT) for not burdening me with more than I can bear and for blessing me with more than I deserve. I wasn’t near my children to play with them, I wasn’t at home to start manically cleaning and cooking, or near my craft materials to start playing with beads which is what my mood is starting to turn towards. So I did what I used to as a child with my mum – went for a walk in the rain past a nearby field with horses. That sounds very romantic, but in hindsight isn’t very sensible because now I am sitting at my desk feeling very damp, and the air-con that hasn’t worked all week has suddenly switched on. I suppose it will keep me awake for the rest of the afternoon.

Midweek - Hot-desking Fun

My move to a new office has been accompanied by instructions for a new way of working. We no longer have our own desks, but sit anywhere and just drag along the little pedestal that holds our belongings (this is called a pod) and “park” it where we choose to sit. So far I have just been sitting at the same place and no-one else has chosen to sit there, but the window seat next to me seems to be the subject of hot dispute with each successive person to sit at it re-adjusting all the fixtures and fittings (chair, monitor, phone etc) only for the next person to come along to huff and puff and change it all back. Yesterday a gentleman left all of his specialist equipment on his desk (he has arthritis) only for another lady to come along the next morning and unplug it all and dump it elsewhere. The gentleman in question turned up a little later and had a mini melt-down, which was continued in the team meeting for everyone’s benefit.

End of the Week - Google Magic

I was finally given some work to do!! The team had to create some graphs for a report and no-one could work how to do it. Somehow, they have got the impression that because I am the youngest I must know computers. I decided not to disabuse them of this idea, so Googled "microsoft create charts" and found this worksheet which basically told me I had to cut and paste the graph into Excel and press one little button. Everyone was suitably impressed and I didn't let on - I think this is called bluffing and this is how most people in most jobs in our city get by. Best of all I felt well all day and really enjoyed the work (a study into deprivation in one particular ward and what is being done to alleviate it - one of the biggest development projects in Europe)

Some Pictures of the New Place



The view from my window, every time a plane takes off or lands, I sit and stare.


Just a note - apologies for not blogging much or responding to comments, I have not been feeling great and also the increase in the number of people in my home means that I don't often get to get near the computer (I am trying to refrain from getting annoyed and reminding everyone that it is MY computer). I hope to post some more this weekend and to reply to comments insh'Allah (especially as your comments are my little treat each morning).

I hope Allah's blessings rain down on you all this blessed day. Jummah Mubarak