I do work

Hello, hello blog readers!

It's been sometime since I've contributed to the blog. This could be a myriad of reasons: Bill is doing such a good job, I'm having too much fun with all the adventures, or I'm working. Honestly, it's probably a combination of all three. Many of you have been asking - what is work like, what is the office like, do you like it? Let me entertain you....

What is the office like?

The main Shanghai office is in the ZhangJiang Tech Zone. There's an additional four locations in Shanghai as well. ZhangJiang is in Pudong and an approximate 35 minute cab ride from the apt. This is mainly due to traffic. The office is housed on the 8th and 9th floor. Other floors house ebay, freescale, and a few companies that are not in English on the directory.

What is work like?

Ahh - this question could probably take up multiple blogs, but a high-level summary is: there's more similarities than differences. I like coming to work b/c it's my connection to home - a lot of practices here are adopted from Corporate so it gives me a sense of familiarity. Also, people are a lot more similar than different. Typical HR challenges experienced in the US are also experienced here as well. Differences? There's not a baby-boomer affect here. General differences? People all go to lunch together, usually a hot meal. There are three shuttles that take our employees home (or close to home). Even with the shuttle, the commute is often 1.5+ hours, each way.

Do I like it?

Yes! There are a few things that drive me nuts (loud cell phone ring tones and the lack of "inside voices" in the workplace) but I think it's a fun, growing and dynamic environment. I think in every situation, there are always things that are "great" and things that are "not so fun". Overall, with my project here, I think the great, exciting and challenging aspects outweigh the "not so fun" aspects. :)