The Intern - Day 3/50

If the ignominy of the first two days is any measure, then day 3 of the enforced slavery must look like a great success.

In the lift on the way home, a man in strange running attire said bye to me. I must have managed a smile at the lift landing before that. But a very weak one it was, such that I wasn't sure if the smile came out at all.

Not that I was suddenly the happiest employee of the day, just a reprieve to the strangeness of it all; to be an intern in a company, yet not really in the company, nor doing any of what they call work.

The second significant event occured earlier in the day when I went to the desk of a particular Jenny to return the Confidentiality Form. It was left on my table over lunch, quietly, like how the life of The Intern in The Company goes.

I was then told to photocopy my IC at the photocopier just beside. I fumbled at it for minutes, but it kept telling me "..size not detected".. Is the status of The Intern so lowly that he is not even recognized by a photocopier, the slave of all slaves? Defeated at my first real task in The Company, I had to approach Jenny for help. Which meant that she got to see the stupidest looking IC photo ever taken, circa 1993. Jenny remained professional and stone-faced. She did not LOL.

Now for some pride.

The greatest achievement of the day, the week, or even the entire lifespan of The Intern, was when I discovered where the pantry is located. The one which they have been despicably hiding from me. Morning after mornings, tea-break after tea-breaks, caffeine laden scents had been missile-guided towards my defenseless corner cubicle, yet no one had offered me as much as a clue to where a single drop of water could be found.

So I spotted it after the misadventure with the photocopier. The pantry, the essence of office life anywhere, sits on the opposite side of the entrance, shrouded by high cubicle walls and guarded by the zealous HR people. Maybe as a form of company benefits, HR determines the number of cups of coffee an employee gets a day, and interns get nothing. I casually took a quick reconnaissance glance then turned and left.

Wait till next week.. I'll bring in my own mug, sneak pass HR and come strolling out with my own coffee, just to let them know they have been defeated.