My first month at PC (for the monthly newsletter of my new office)

Sep 16: Supposedly my first day at work and I couldn’t make it on time. Bad first impression I thought. But thankfully, the Director Admin seemed just too nice to mention it. I signed the contract as a newbie in the field of health communications; oblivious of the great opportunity & the privilege of working at PC.
Sep 17: My first intro with the office. The Staff Officer took the responsibility of showing me around. About an hour & 50-something names & designations later, I was drained, starved and crammed with faces & names. I found myself on the FALAH floor in a brightly lit, overly stuffed room right across the COP’s office.
Sep 18-25: It took me about a week to get acquainted with the kind of work they do here. My colleagues were willing to lend everything from advice to pointers & staplers. But I had to figure out a few things myself. IP was not Internet Protocol but the Implementing Partners, LP no more referred to linear programming but the Lead Partner and CAM no more meant web cam to me.
Sep 26: Before I knew it, my first paycheck was ready. Time surely flies by when you are enjoying your work.
Oct 6: Usually, Mondayfication is the virus I suffer with on jobs. But this was no ordinary Monday. Unlike the typical Monday blues, I was excited to go back to the office after a week of Eid vacations. I couldn’t wait to breathe in the air that smelled of printing paper, chip board & Blue berries air freshener, to see the people brimming with energy, engrossed in research and preparing strategies to make a difference to the world.
Oct 7-15: My first major assignment was the BCC committee meeting. The working hours stretched as I got into the first-to-arrive-last-to-leave routine.
Oct 16 & 17: 16th was an exquisite buffet lunch at the PC lawn and 17th was the big day; the all important BCC committee meeting.
Oct 20-23: I finally settled in my job. Got to know the work, made friends, realized the potential and started to enjoy being a part of the massive, impressive effort called FALAH.
It’s been over a month now. And now when people ask me how is my new office I beam with delight and say, FANTASTIC.