Three Big Tests And A Shopping Spree (Part 2)

Left On Our Own

The morning started with just me and Thalia being in the office as we had a little chat with no bars hold. I am at the stage now where I have grown in my confidence at work to a capable ability at everything I do. Therefore, my confidence in liaising at work has boomed and my natural endowment of helping people out in need has also shun through. Not only that but I am now capable of having those conversations that I wished I could have as me and Najla had a one on one conversation today finding out some interesting facts about our lives.

Thalia and I were also buddy-buddy as best we could but I won my way more with Fitzroy’s friendship. Irony, nevertheless, would seem to have won the day over this event as the boy wonder has influenced me but is leaving on Friday, as he is only a temp. He’ll be working in a city-based law firm for at least a month so he’s probably better off with that.

When Najla made her way into work Thalia basically told us that she would be starting to work on her new desk just over the barrier of where we were both working. So, in reality, she has only moved a desk over from us and if that moveable barrier weren’t in our way we would still be right with her.

Surviving The Morning

Anyway, this was our first big test, surviving our throw into the gorges with no real help. Najla and I were left to our own devices with a basic structured plan but for our grace we were able to speak to Thalia whenever we wanted if problems arose. Najla started with the morning mail as a beginner as I finished a brief update and then started on some other ones that were listed to be done.

Najla and I shared the same desk and a few months back I would have looked on such a feat of seating as intimidating but now I’m loving the companionship. Najla will eventually get her own desk but I can see us working as a compact team rather than two individuals doing the same job but halving everything down the middle.

I’ve taken the opportunity of getting to know Najla better than everyone else at work and have opened up to her because we will be working together and it has paid off. It’s a great thing that I didn’t see her as intimidating when first she walked in that door because then I probably would have been halving things down the middle from fear of intimidation.

When Najla was finished with the incoming mail and all was sent out I took the job of sending an urgent brief to get photocopied and pausing for a minute or two before calling to gather my esteem, I done the job and done it beautifully. I needed to learn now to mingle with the photocopier guy picking up the briefs because Thalia was doing a good job and I didn’t want to seem like the uptight guy.

Therefore, I try and talk to everyone at work whenever the chance arrives but I don’t really go out of my way and look weird for it. People also talk to me at work which is a great feeling, such a casual feel in a tight knit family of employees.

Getting To Know Najla

Najla and I sat together to do a couple of brief updates together and in this time was where conversation started to bloom. Because we were put together and could finally start doing things our own way, we were finding our grooves and tongue for idle chit chat. Najla seemed to be as undistinguishable in her bid to know more about me than I was casual and discreet about asking.

I felt that Najla wanted to know more about me as me about her, which is why we feel comfortable around each other, and I feel that we both want to head to Fitzroy’s farewell party on Friday because we both want to get to know each other on a better level. This, my feeling is, should be a good move to becoming better friends at work. With this common association between us as more genuine, we will be better able to function in unison and in the end, get promotions galore for being enthusiastic team workers.

Najla and I talked freely open to each other about our lives today. Just to touch on a few bases, we talked about my broken finger, how it came to be, my reading poetry, her reading novels, her being Filipino, my being Macedonian and how she plays basketball. We talked of how her parents came to this country as mine did, for free about twenty years ago because they wanted to populate Australia.

Najla wasn’t born in Australia but she was raised here since she was two, and for that, has as perfect an Australian Accent. I spoke of how I came from Tempe before arriving in Campbelltown and we touched upon many subjects through our time together updating the briefs.

Three Big Tests

The time reached midday when Fitzroy asked which of us would be heading to lunch first. After some deliberation and clued out faces, Najla finally commented that she would leave me on first post, opting however to stay inside for lunch, despite our saying it was a nice day outside. Her argument was that there was no real place to go eat. Najla probably doesn’t hang around with anyone in the City which is my problem but I have a great place to hang out and not feel alone or bored, and it’s called the evergreen tree in Hyde Park.

For the time that Najla was having her lunch at work, Jana came up to me and also gave me a test of doing a brief for her that she had given me the day before. My test was to put it all together without stuffing it up and making her satisfied with my performance and know-how after two and a half weeks of work. I was content when I handed the brief all finished and shining, and showing her what I was throwing out she added “Don’t worry, I trust your judgment.”

So there you have it. I had three big tests for the day. The first was to dip my feet in the big ocean of responsibility, the second to stick by Najla and be her teacher as well as friend and third I was to impress Jana with my ability to create a brief on short notice. All of these I fared well in with deserved marks but let me just note that Najla is also a quick learner and the two of us are going to rock as Administrators.

A Lunchtime Mission

When my lunch time finally arrived at 1:00 p.m. I placed my wallet in my pocket, my new ID Card for the doors in my other pocket and headed out for some immense shopping. Before leaving I good-humoredly noted to Najla and Thalia that I was on a mission and that I would come back with a horde of shopping bags. Well, I didn’t lie, making them gasp at my shopping prowess when back. Najla even noted that I was a man’s man who knew how to shop.

She was surprised how I shopped in one hour, found exactly what I wanted, got discounts and came up with fashionable goods. Heading to the bank first in my short one hour, it was tempting to pull out the whole amount of $870 which was the amount after placing $106 in my Credit Card, but something happened whilst trying to take it out and fear of someone watching me had me withdraw $600 instead. Still a big amount, the money bulging from my pocket was a great feeling and what’s more, liberating when shopping, buying bag after bag, item after item.

By the end of the night I was walking around with three separate bags so heavy and large that I had to change hands every hundred meters. I felt so proud that I bought $400 worth of clothing and accessories in the space of one hour and what’s more, got back to work on time. I finally knew what it felt like to be well off, more on the likes of living the upper-class life.

Haggling At Politix

From obtaining my money I picked up the pace and headed straight to Pitt Street’s famous shopping complex. Bowling over anyone that was slow enough to get in my way, I headed straight to ‘Politix’ as there were three items waiting for me there. Counting in my head exactly the expenses to buy a tie, rubber belt and expensive shoes, I knew that if I could get a $50 discount out of $300, then I could buy a much needed tie for my new shirt not yet bought.

Therefore, my plan was to get a discount and I knew that if I noted I wouldn’t be able to buy the most expensive item without one I would surely stand a chance. Heading into the shop I chatted to the higher mighty guy always there who remembered my face. I took out my little list of what I wanted to buy and as he started getting out the items, remarked that a discount would come in handy if I was to buy the shoes.

As I tried out the shoes and he hit the buttons patiently on his little calculator, I could hear him chatting to his work friend about what to do. Coming back out of the booth to show him the shoes on, he noted that he could give me the belt for free which was worth the saving, which seemed exactly the same to me. Therefore, I snapped at the opportunity of saving money, found a replacement tie for my preferred one that wasn’t there, paid for my clothes and headed out to the next shop, saying my farewells, even taking some time out to chat before leaving. Now how’s that for cool, calm and collected.

Bumping Into Aleka

The next pit stop was to Hound Dog eager for a choker chain for nightclub wear, and when walking past the front of HMV, I noticed the chick from the mail room standing by herself and staring blankly in front of her. Walking past Aleka I looked straight into her blank stare but she didn’t flinch. Therefore, I walked straight in front of her to grasp her attention and when she finally noticed me and clicked we said hello to each other.

This was the first time she wasn’t her timid self and I wasn’t mine either. All those times we just said hello and that was it was all behind us as a proper conversation took place. My confidence was on a high as I started to like chatting with her and again. Her accent was a bit noticed to me so I asked where she came from. When she told me Greece, I commented I was from Macedonia. “Really,” she shouted, “Are you from Macedonia”.

Her voice exclaimed such a portion of interest and excitement that I knew her next sentence would be what it was. Aleka’s best friend was a Macedonian and as we chatted away we talked about nightclubs and she checked out all the new gear I had bought. Hinting that I was heading to Hound Dog, I wanted her to build a mental image of what I possibly wore to clubs. As we were chatting away about her friends and about work, her friend walked up and just stood beside her as I said hello.

Ending our conversation and letting her go, I said goodbye to her and her friend before getting back on my way. It turns out that she works in the mail room only part time and she finished at 1:00 p.m. so go figure. I was going to ask more tethering questions, like if she wanted to have lunch one day or help me shopping but I called it off, save it for later use.

Hound Dog And Chrome

With bags of well known shops and clothing in my hand I walked around like a liberated man. Each person that looked my way and then at my bags made me feel worthwhile and so, so, well I don’t know the words. In Hound Dog I looked around at the different necklaces and then chatting to the always stunning lady staff behind the counter, bought a silver choker necklace for a fair amount.

The last place for me to visit was Grace Bros. on the way home, my objective, to buy ‘Chrome’ perfume. Heading straight into the store with only ten minutes to spare, I made my way straight to the perfume section and asked the man for his knowledge, twice pestering him for his advice as he added how they were giving away a free gift pack with every ‘Chrome’ perfume.

As he sprayed it on my wrist, I was surprised that it came in such a great package and would probably have been sold for the same amount when not on special. Saving some money on the ‘Chrome’ perfume as well, I headed straight back to work, didn’t miss a beat or a set of lights and made my way back up the stairs back into my part of the office, as mentioned, feeling finally part of the team when beeping my way through.