First Day At Work

Bright and early the next morning, I'm out waiting for my ride to work at 6:40 as the work day starts at 7 AM. There is a very mixed group of nationalities at work, South Africans, Indians, Pakastanis, Lebanese, Australians, Saudis to name a few.

The work environment is quite different that I am used to. Everything is very relaxed; people come around several times a day to take orders for food or drink which is delivered to your desk. Almost all here is dependent upon face to face meetings and finding the right person to do what needs to be done. That can be interesting as people split time between here and the campus (50 miles away) and some live in the east so they leave to travel home at the half day.

I must wear local dress when out of the office but inside I wear what I am used to as long as it is mid-calf or pants and my arms are covered beyond the elbow. We have a driver who takes you out to lunch every day if you want to leave, so you travel to wherever the driver is going that day (you have a schedule) and they simply drop you off and you shop, eat , get your nails done, whatever you need to do and then return for the afternoon.

I am usually home by 4:15 in the afternoon. Since you shop and go out in the evenings it gives you time to come home and relax. You have to carefully time your evening excursions between prayer time as all shops close for prayer so you need to make sure you are before or after those times. Prayer time changes so you do need to pay close attention.