another day, just breathe

And so begins my new life in the new year in the new branch.

Just got through my first three days, and how has it been?

Quiet. At least on the staff side -- in terms of the customers' side it was quite busy.

The branch people seem nice. My boss, of course, is a friend and my old boss from a couple of years back. I met my teammates during the Christmas party and they're ok. The tellers are completely new to me, smiling a bit then going back to their bill-counting; the back office staff are...well, polite. The wealth management officers are, surprisingly, the most talkative of the lot. It all was going well until I had this small chat:

WMO: So, they told me back at the old branch that you'll be transferring here, uh, what's your name again?
Me: (I point to my nickname in BOLD red on my ID.) Yes, in fact, I have transferred
already.(diba?)
WMO: Yes, of course! You're a singer, too, right?
Me: Uh, yeah, sort of. (I hope she remembers I'm a bank employee too.)
WMO: So, I guess you're still experiencing some kind of culture shock, no? I mean, coming from that area...nagpractice ka ba ng pagka-sosyal?
Me: Uh, no. I don't feel much of a difference in this area. In fact, I used to be in the
main office even before you were hired. (Practice?!? ano daw?!?)
WMO: Sure, you don't...hey, don't worry. You can be yourself naman here, ako na bahala
sa iba so they know you, ok? You don't have to be sooo quiet! We understand.
Come on, I'll introduce you to the others..

Nakakatawa diba?!? She barely talked to me when she was visiting in the old branch, I'm beginning to believe myself when I joked to the others back then that she thought I was probably an OJT trainee. I've heard stories about her notorious jolog-bashing, and I thought it was ridiculous at the time until now! But she's sweet. I think. Buti hindi ko sya boss :P

I was chatting via instant messenger with my old branchmates and they were missing me, hehe. They even sent a hilarious pic of me during the last summer outing. One of them wrote, "Wala ka na pala talaga dito. Iniisip ko na lang naka-leave ka." WAAAH! I went back to Commonwealth after office hours on my first day to buy them sundaes and fries and to ask how they were.

Kaya ko 'to. Kaya ko 'to!