Minority

‘look at the stars, look how they shine for you’ Coldplay – Yellow

Work nights out are, I have discovered, essentially the same no matter where in the country you are, or the company you work for. On Wednesday I had the opportunity to meet a guy I speak to on a daily, sometimes almost hourly basis. He manages half of the area I do allocation for and I was actually quite looking forward to putting a face to the voice. However because it was one of my managers I was forced to attend the drinking session on Wednesday night. First of all, why are team nights out always midweek? I mean, surely a Friday would make more sense, not having to go into work all hungover and all? But anyway. So I dragged Duncan along to the evening, not really knowing the few people that were going well enough to brave being there on my own. We went to Revolution, a vodka bar near the station. I remembered exactly why I stick to our local/favourite – because it is infinitely cheaper and quieter and generally nicer. God I sound so old.

Managers from all over the country were there and all were drinking weird cocktails involving vodka, some sort of juice and more alcohol. We flicked through the menu and decided that out of all of them vodka, sparkling wine and red bull sounded the most hideous. It looked hideous when I saw four team managers drinking it and they certainly didn’t look great the next morning. I stuck to the beer, trying sips of other cocktails, mainly cos vodka is guaranteed to make me sick in so many colourful ways.

The whole night just felt awkward. I, really, barely knew these people and the conversation seemed to some how, every time, end up turning back to work, which I’m sure made Duncan feel slightly left out (although at least he understood how I feel when we go out with BT people). But it also made me feel left out, as I really don’t care enough about the place to want to discuss it in a bar, above loud, thumping dance music.

I did get a letter from one of the companies I applied to this week. I thought that maybe it would be an interview but on closer inspection it proved only to be a letter saying they’d had loads of applicants and they were deciding on the interview shortlist now. If I haven’t heard by April 5th then it’s ‘thanks for applying, and good luck in your search’. If that happens then I will more than likely tell work I want a permanent contract and see how quickly one comes up. Whilst I am just about earning enough to stay afloat and not dip too heavily into my savings, a permanent contract would probably provide that little extra I need each month.

We booked our tickets to London today. Only six weeks until we head off out to South Africa. I am getting more excited by the day, slightly pathetic, but this has got to be one of those trips of a lifetime thing. Sometimes I even forget that I have to impress a whole bunch of people and make them at least like me enough for me to be, at some point in the future, part of the family.

Until there is a next time…

xx