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21:43 - 20.05.05
Lost in Translation
This is a long weekend in Canada. I spent most of the day just giving thanks for that fact. That, with no election called, means I will be able to relax and enjoy some recouping time.

I missed my alarm this morning. I woke when my neighbour called to say she was on her way. That's my cue to walk the block to the corner, where she turns on to a major street. I hop on board as she passes. Asked if she would mind waiting five minutes while I threw on some clothes. She was fine with that. That was good, because I was panicking - calmed me right down. Years of having to be dressed and get six sons dressed and out the door every morning has made me very disciplined under pressure. I was ready in under 10 minutes, that including a shower, teeth and hair care, as well as finding and pulling on acceptable clothing in the right order. I must be feeling better if I can do that - right?

Made it in to work on time only to find that the coffee machine had been totally disconnected. Oh no. Stone cold water and no caffeine fix. Speculation around the kitchette was that it was Fred, the ghost's, fault. Nope, but it did generate some conversation about the odd happenings around the floor the past few days. One of the other things that happened to me yesterday was that I realized that my phone had rung twice, but I hadn't heard it. When it was quiet at lunch I pulled out my Elections Canada cell phone and dialled that phone's number. Turned out the ringer had been turned off. Normally I don't receive calls on that phone, so it really doesn't matter much. The two phone calls yesterday though were from one of the company lawyers and my neighbour letting me know about a change in plans. Both were rather important. The perfumed co-worker kept trying to rationalize the incidents, but the rest of the staff were concerned about a prowler having access to our working area. None of us really want to meet them.

Anyway, no coffee meant I had no excuse but to start working. Opened up my email to find that the supervisor who had sat nearest to me before I was moved had sent a request to meet at 10 am to go over the project, it's progress and to determine what tasks that created for her. Fine. Next up was one from my supervisor asking if I could have the preliminary analysis of the boxes - her estimate of their number was now up to over 30,000 - completed by the end of June. The short answer is probably as long as there are no interruptions either through work requirements, an election or personal illness. I didn't respond right away, because I also wanted to wait and see how much work would be required to make any changes in the process requested of me in the meeting at 10. I spent the next hour pulling together a mini presentation to summarize the key issues that concerned me, also illustrating the legal and regulatory framework that generates and underpins those concerns.

That done I printed off the different elements of the presentation and the weekly reports I had submitted to date, then went back to keying. Routine is calming, right? The meeting lasted 2 hours and it seems everything that I have done to date is fine. Most of the time was spent with me clarifying comments and concerns raised in each of the weekly reports, weaving the mini presentation I'd cobbled together in and through the responses as the pieces applied to different queries. Two of the greatest issues from their point of view was how they were to convey the issues I have discovered and raised to the staff in head office in another country. The corporate cultures are very different, as are the laws and regulatory requirements. To obtain a business licence in Canada, all businesses have to affirm that they understand they will be held accountable under our legislation and that regulatory approvals/contracts that allow the company to carry out their businesses are binding.

The one recognized authority on records retention had written a precis of some of the key elements of Canadian regulations with respect to that. I had brought it with me, already highlighted, to respond to our parent company's concerns. I had printed off one very recent amendment to the Canada Business Corporations Act that illustrated that very issue succinctly. That particular material also allowed me to show how citation would be applied and implied through the legislation. The other issue that was becoming a thorn was one of the new legal secretaries who demanded that some of the work I had done be rescinded. She apparently threw a bit of a fit when she was told that she didn't have any authority to change my instructions and that all direction with respect to legal records would have to come from corporate officers or the lawyers - in writing. The supervisor asked for a couple of working documents I have been using to streamline the work I do and also requested a cumulative spreadsheet of one of the other sections of the weekly report. Not a problem.

Went back to my desk and did the first two tasks, as I gobbled down the sandwich my youngest had packed for me this morning. There is a site that the company asks we use to provide personal data for them - mostly about in house training and career development. I've been putting in bits of what is on my resume each time a break opens up, so that was my next activity. I looked up at about 12:45 to find my supervisor standing by my desk. Did I want to go sit outside and take a break with her for lunch. Sure thing. She had promised me early on that she would tell me a little bit about her childhood and travels over lunch one day. She has had some really unique experiences overseas and I am always fascinated by that. We grabbed a bit of something from the food court, then went out onto one of the outdoor parks off the Plus 15. It was a bit windy and chilly, but we had a very good conversation with the topic of work never arising. Very pleasant.

Found it hard to settle back to work in the afternoon. I had heard the one coworker sharing my workspace tell my supervisor that she would need time off next week to attend a funeral. There was a car accident last night with a fatality. It seemed to be someone whose family she knew very well. Some other family issues already had her on edge, so she was really restless and her phone was ringing a lot. Understandable, but in tight quarters even with my headphones on, it was a bit distracting. She seemed to be coping as well as could be expected though, so I just minded my own business so she could concentrate on what she needed to do. The perfumed woman started in again on the phone as well and that was worse. Her phone is about two feet away from me, so I am subjected to her conversations even with my music turned up full blast. All personal calls again. It appeared that something she wanted was not happening and she was very angry about it. She kept trying to catch my eye to blow off steam, but I just kept focussed on the screen, even though all the activity was making that difficult. The one supervisor told me the perfumed coworker had complained last week, because she didn't want to sit beside someone with a yellowy-grey pallor. One of the first things I had explained when I was in to work that one half day a week ago was that I had been on antibiotics for 10 days and wasn't infectious. I guess I just didn't look good enough for her esthetic senses. Wonder how she would treat a co-worker going through chemotherapy.

Interesting stories in my e-zines today. The vote yesterday was 153 to 152 for passing first reading of the amended budget. The tie breaker vote came from the speaker of the House. Monday is a holiday celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday. On Tuesday there is a by-election in Labrador to fill the one empty Federal seat in Parliament. That will tip the balance one way or another - more nail-biters. Whatever happened to our nice mundane form of democracy. All this fire and brimstone is very odd for Canadians. I'd rather go to the Calgary folk festival than sit in parliament these days, I think. Maybe I can play with these translation sites this weekend. Never know when one might need to know the ablative case. Any way that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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