Almost. Spring. Blooming blossoms - even if indoors - are promising. Sunlight, reborn, slowly diffuses through the windows, forewarning the celebration yet to come.
We'll be there soon, and hybernation of our souls shall cease.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
are we there yet?
Almost. Spring. Blooming blossoms - even if indoors - are promising. Sunlight, reborn, slowly diffuses through the windows, forewarning the celebration yet to come.
We'll be there soon, and hybernation of our souls shall cease.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
work here and work there
One of the greatest things I love about my job is that I get to work from home from time to time. It's the best way to recuperate from the everyday hassle of commuting to Midtown Manhattan, taking the elevator up to my floor, and just feeling totally exhausted even before my phone starts ringing.
The whole notion of "getting to work" here is very different than it is in Istanbul. Firstly, people get up EARLY, take public transportion to work, and there is significant walking in between each stop. It's like working out even before you open your mouth to say "good morning". [And most people actually do work out before the whole 'commuting' starts -- I just can't bring myself upto the thought]
In Istanbul, everyone has a car, the fancier the better, and we drive to work no matter how much traffic there is, or how far of a ride it may be. It just isn't in the culture to try and do any walking, so parking in the nearest vicinity becomes crucial. We will circle around many times to find a parking spot in this most crowded city, since we dread so much the act of walking (and in heels, mind you)
Plus, we never get the option to work from home, since the cultural web around work is simply more important than the actual work you do. The morning coffee session, the smoking breaks, the 2+ hour lunch meetings and simply being around people's faces is an aura that surrounds most Eastern European and/or Middle Eastern workplaces, I presume.
Life in the new world is different. People have satellite offices, they "channel" in, location is not crucial, and you're evaluated on the output you produce: you can stay home, hop on conference calls, work on your own time and in your own little place and still be the golden employee of the year. This freedom and flexibility is frowned upon in my native world, but such I've come to love and enjoy since I've been here.
Today is a day I choose to work from home, and get to enjoy my self-made lunch - something obviously other than sushi or tossed salad on the go.
The whole notion of "getting to work" here is very different than it is in Istanbul. Firstly, people get up EARLY, take public transportion to work, and there is significant walking in between each stop. It's like working out even before you open your mouth to say "good morning". [And most people actually do work out before the whole 'commuting' starts -- I just can't bring myself upto the thought]
In Istanbul, everyone has a car, the fancier the better, and we drive to work no matter how much traffic there is, or how far of a ride it may be. It just isn't in the culture to try and do any walking, so parking in the nearest vicinity becomes crucial. We will circle around many times to find a parking spot in this most crowded city, since we dread so much the act of walking (and in heels, mind you)
Plus, we never get the option to work from home, since the cultural web around work is simply more important than the actual work you do. The morning coffee session, the smoking breaks, the 2+ hour lunch meetings and simply being around people's faces is an aura that surrounds most Eastern European and/or Middle Eastern workplaces, I presume.
Life in the new world is different. People have satellite offices, they "channel" in, location is not crucial, and you're evaluated on the output you produce: you can stay home, hop on conference calls, work on your own time and in your own little place and still be the golden employee of the year. This freedom and flexibility is frowned upon in my native world, but such I've come to love and enjoy since I've been here.
Today is a day I choose to work from home, and get to enjoy my self-made lunch - something obviously other than sushi or tossed salad on the go.
Friday, March 10, 2006
best part of going on vacation is coming home
Eventhough the weekend was amazing - with lots of sunshine and abundant stone crabs - nothing beats reading a good book on my comfy couch on a chilly day, sipping some local wine. Cheers to the vast technologies that ship us from one place to another so quickly, leaving us just enough time to enjoy both.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
east meets west
I try to remember the first day I set foot in New York 3+ years ago, and to my own surprise, that particular image of myself, is quickly fading away... It feels like a wound that has finally healed, and you can't really see the scar anymore. You know, like your skin has lost the unsightly "bump".
I've always been an exploratory person - in my head - but I've simply been too lazy and unwilling to act on any adventurous thought. Well... I received my calling one day - in the form of then boyfriend, now husband - and my life quickly changed in a way I hadn't imagined, or better put: imagined many times, but never aspired to realize.
The time in between has simply been an adventure; many painful moments, fights, struggles, and - quite often - tears evolving into sobs, but one I feel has helped open up my spirit to so many new things. I have learned to enjoy my past, my traditions, embrace them in a new way while adapting to the city I live in, and learn to be boundariless - by all possible means.
This is my first attempt to snapshot my life as it evolves, or simply, catch it while I can. I hope to share it with anyone out there who's interested to read, or share a common path in life.
Let's start talking. I have much to tell. Welcome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
