My first round of orientation is officially over. We will be having another round in 60 days and another one in 90 days, which would mark the end of my probation period.

I must say it was a very enjoyable 3 days of getting to know my workplace, my company history and of cos meeting fellow colleagues who are also recent hirees. Although it took us some time to get used to each other and feel comfortable around one another, we really got into the training after we passed that barrier.

2 very memorable characters are the 2 ladies who sat next to me. To my left was this very loud, talkative and friendly girl who is not afraid to speak her mind and even though she does not speak as fluently as some people, I must say that I find her to be a girl with a lot of experience who has a very sharp mind.

To my right is someone who is almost the exact opposite. Just by looking at her and listening to the way she speaks, one can tell that this is a sophisticated, mature and smart lady. She speaks English fluently and even though she holds a very high position (ranks above us!) she is very down to earth and does not hold any airs at all. I couldn't tell that she had such a high position until I caught sight of her nametag. And after spending time with her, one tends to forget that she is so high ranking. That is how likable, nice and friendly this lady is.

Not to say that the others are not great. But it's just that these 2 ladies had such an impact on me. And I certainly hope that even though this orientation is over, we won't lose touch. It is difficult to maintain that level of relationship when one works in different depts and may have opposing shifts.

I was not really looking forward to what awaited me after the training. I had to dress in my uniform and report to my manager, someone that I feel quite intimidated with. It wasn't that I was intimidated by his appearance and neither was it that he was unfriendly in any way. As a matter of fact, he is a nice man who always looks interested and is undeniably intelligent.

It's just the way he looks at me that unnerves me. Everytime he speaks to me and makes eye contact, he always seems to me to be trying to read my mind. And he does ask questions that tell me that he is wondering what I am thinking. And I do find that a little unsettling. It makes me more nervous that I should be, makes me say things that I normally don't say and makes me stiffer than I usually am.

Hmm...my shifts change weekly which is good and bad. At least in that way, I am never stuck in a shift for too long but it also makes my schedule quite erratic which may make it difficult for me to meet up with friends. Especially my busy busy gang.

But I keep hearing that work will be tough so I hope I can handle it all. After all, this is Singapore environment....light years away from what I went through in Phuket.

Good luck to me!!