Back in the fray... again

I just lived through my first day at work. It was the weirdest experience for me.

The company's an advertising agency cum production house with 25 full-time staff (including myself) consisting of both Chinese and Japanese. Of the 25, seven or eight are sales personnel. Some of our clients include NEC, Daikin, Kikoman, Meidiya supermarket and Sisley cosmetics. They also publish the Central CDC newsletter, Voices.

I'm mainly in charge of the latter, with a little copywriting thrown in but mainly proof-reading of final colour proofs. Today, I did a little bit of copywriting for Meidiya supermarket, Motul and Daikin advertisments.

Quite a long start to the week because the company works on a nine-hour five-day week timetable. I guess I'm not used to it after an extended period of waking as and when I please and sleeping when I fancy. Now, it's back to the same old grind. What's scary is that sometimes, meetings happen only at 7.30pm and end only at 9.30pm. I know, as I've one such meeting scheduled for this Wednesday. A good thing that I can walk into the office anytime between 8.30am to 10am. Of course, the nine-hour rule still stands.

The Studio Manager, who hires the local staff, is a soft-spoken guy who reminds me of my former Managing Editor at GetAsia Inc. a couple of years ago. He speaks little but is quite open to reasoning. The only other copywriter is just a year younger than I am, so we get along fine for the first day. She's quite helpful and friendly but not to the point where you suspect her motives.

I've not told many people about my new appointment, mainly because I'm still on probation. Who knows, I may get a better offer for another job.

But if I do stay on, it just means that I've finally resigned myself to concentrating on my career and bidding goodbye to my social life.