The Office - Expat Style

What is the office like, you ask? Well, it is very different from the CT office.

There is an open floor plan for starters. Translation: no offices, no privacy, desks crammed in bedside each other, everyone can see exactly what you are doing at all times. You'd think this would make us more interactive, but it is quite the opposite somehow. My desk neighbor sends me emails. If I had bad breath she could probably smell it, that's how close she is and yet she actually will write and send emails. But she is not alone, EVERYONE does this.

Is this a Thai thing? No, it is not. Because there are very few Thais in the office. The make up of the office is quite international and includes people from Spain, UK, Mexico, Netherlands, India, Singapore, Philippines, China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, France, Indonesia and USA.

Another oddity. No one uses the land lines, they use their cell phones for all calls. In fact, when I got my land line I asked how to activate voicemail. No one in my team knew because none of them have operational voice mails! Now, my cell phone.....is amazing. I got a super fancy phone that does everything - in fact it is so capable that I suspect if my work permit does not come through, my cell phone could be programmed to do my job.

The office building itself is in an office park about 30 minutes from the residential area where I live. Despite the fact that we have thousands of employees here, there is no cafeteria. Instead we eat downstairs in one of the many American chains including Starbucks, McDonalds, Au Bon Pain, Western Sizzler -or- alternatively at sit down restaurants which can be best described as international cafes.

But the thing I love the most? They turn off the air con at 6pm every night. So this means there is no one upmanship culture of how late one stayed at the office - this I love. Doesn't mean that I don't do work from home in the evenings. But it is so nice to leave at the same time everyday. I could get used to that.

Until later,
Joanna