• The overall team is very friendly and welcoming. It’s not what I’m used to, so this is blowing my mind.
• I like the commute. After 5+ years of driving in stop and go traffic, I enjoy sitting and relaxing on the train for 45 mins on the train. I know NJ Transit often has issues, but so, no issues this week.
• The city of Newark is okay.
• I’m not a morning person by any means, but I haven’t had any issues catching a train and getting to the office before 9am.
• I have access to mostly everything I need right now.
• I haven’t had a lot of free time in the evenings. I have the free time, but between bathing the kisses, laundry, etc, I’m still in bed by 11pm or so. I need my sleep, since I need to be up by 6am.

That’s it. It’s been a good week.

The ride up to Newark was comfortable and uneventful, and I asked a Newark police officer how to find Broad St. I did the walk in about 10 mins, checked in with Security, and waited for my manager to arrive.

So, funny story — because of a miscommunication between myself, HR, and my new group, they thought I was starting next week. I did want another week of downtime, but I was also pretty excited to start with Pru. I told them I was okay with starting right away, if it was okay with them. To their credit, even though they weren’t expecting me, they had most items or processes in progress at this point. My laptop was ready, my cube (with nameplate) was assigned (but just needed cleaning), my access form had been submitted. Even my ID card was ready by 4pm. My first few days at Citi, they didn’t have anything for me. I remember just eating Cheetos and reading hardcopies of process documentation.

I went to lunch with some of the Domestic Life team, and everyone was very friendly and welcoming. In contrast to my old department, there is a healthy mix of men and women, of all age groups, and did I mention they were very friendly?

I caught a 5:16pm train, and I was eventually home by 6:35pm. It was fantastic. I was home and I had my entire evening to myself.

Great first day. I like my new manager, and I like the new team. I’m looking forward to doing great things here.

Gonna miss the old Warren campus

After 6+ years, we come to the end at last. This was my last week at Citi. It is done. I am free.

The past 10 days have been quiet. It is the end of the year, so many people like myself are wrapping up work. I have spent my time tying up loose ends, cleaning out my cubicle and my laptop, and letting my peers in the business units that I have met over the years that I was moving on. I had some nice conversations with them, and their sentiments were very thoughtful.

I was in NYC on Monday for a last lap around to say goodbye to colleagues, and a few close ones took me to lunch. During lunch, I thought to myself about the business trips and late nights in the office, and how much I would miss them. On Tues, my manager took me out to lunch, and organized a last group lunch on Wed before I left. I tell you, he’s a standup guy. He only started earlier this Spring, so I didn’t get much time to work for him. This is one of my few regrets.

Beginning last week, I cleaned out my desk, and packed up my things. After Wed’s lunch, I looked around one last time after handing over my laptop and other items. I said my goodbyes, and I walked out of the floor. It felt very odd to think I wouldn’t be in this familiar place anymore. I’m so used to being in this space, but that time was now over.

6+ years of ups and downs, and it’s now only a memory. I’m looking forward to the next big chapter of my life

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Nice box containing my plaque

In March, I celebrated five years of working at Citi. Hard to believe that it’s been that long. For one, it’s the longest duration of employment I’ve had with any organization, but bear in mind that it’s only my third employer since graduating.

I still remember my first day joining in late March, as it was terrible weather. We experienced heavy rain, wind, and major flooding in the NY-NJ -CT tri-state area, and the trains were delayed. I didn’t know anybody. I didn’t even have my contact info on who to call when I got to the lobby security desk. It was the first time working for a famous financial institution with a storied past.

My plaque marking 5 years of employment

The past five years have certainly been huge years for me. First off, in 2005, we had just welcomed Joshua into our lives about two weeks earlier. I started a new job here where I am now. We later bought and moved into our first home in October 2005. I got promoted in 2007. I led 5 audits (two in 2008.) Plenty of travel. Met and worked with many very interesting and experienced colleagues. Most of all, I’ve learned a lot. Overall, it’s been a great and challenging experience, and I have no plans on letting up.

To commemorate my 5-year anniversary, I received a very nice plaque (and lapel pin), and a nice intro at a recent team meeting. One of my old coworkers and friends Jenny Cu just celebrated her 5-year anniversary at Yahoo!, and they give you a gumball machine. I’m happy for her too, but I’d rather have the plaque. I’m not into gumballs.

Here’s to at least another five years. Cheers!

It’s been an interesting change of pace:

1. I’m parking in New Brunswick, and riding the NJ Transit train to Newark Penn Station, and switching a few PATH trains to get to the office in Newport, a swanky area of Jersey City. I haven’t done the regular commute-to-work-a-la-train gig in many years, but it’s both tiresome and interesting. I do love the train, but I sometimes forget how spoiled I am that I get to drive to my regular office by car. I do like reading on the train, but rushing to catch it can be stressful at times. It does often result in good anecdotes!
2. Also, people are animals! I don’t remember people being so rude and pushy back in the day…… in 2005. Was it always like this? Maybe the Midtown Direct lines weren’t so crowded, but at least people were courteous. The folks riding the PATH and the Northeast Corridor will elbow and shove past you to make the train. Be nice, people. You don’t have to be jerks.
3. I like working in a new city. New faces, new places to eat, and Hoboken is close by for meeting with friends, and drinks. For example, last night, I went out for drinks with friends in Hoboken after work. It was swell.
4. Lovely views of the lower Manhattan skyline.
5. I’m learning a lot about the business side of the bank, and it’s phenomenal. Such complexity, and so many darn right smart people that I’ve never met before running the place.

I do miss being in my regular office, but this is a nice change.

I was heading out the door this morning, and my wife was trying to get the kids in the car so that she could drop them off.  Joshua needed help to stop wasting time, get in the car, and get buckled in.  Instead of stowing my laptop bag in the car like I normally do, in my rush, I just placed it next to the back wheel of my car.  After I got Joshua buckled in and I closed his door, I forgot about my bag, and got into my car. 

As soon as I began to reverse, I felt the car hit something and the rear of the car raised upwards.  Realizing instantly what I had forgotten, I quickly went forward, and jumped out of the car. The screen and laptop initially appeared okay, but I didn’t boot it up until I reached the office.  That’s when I saw how bad the damage was to the laptop.  The laptop shell and the hard drive were fine, as I seem to have just rolled on a corner of the bag, but that was enough for me to fracture the screen in a hundred places.  See my handiwork below.

My poor laptop

Since the rest of the laptop is okay, I’ve been working with it hooked up to the LCD monitor on my desk. Desktop support says they’ll be taking the laptop from me for repair, and it will take three days (minimum.)

In the ten years that I have travelled the world with a work laptop, I have never done this. Never damaged one, never lost one, never even spilled a drink on one. I have now officially driven over one. I suppose there is a first for everything.

Sigh.

I slept from 12:30am to 2am, and then organizing, dressing up, and packing my bag for a 6:55am flight out of Newark this morning.  I drove to a coworker’s house @ 4:30am, and we shared car service to the airport (saving money.)  I prefer the Sunday evening flights, but the Ipes had prior committments this time around, so that wouldn’t work this week.  Big surprise, I personally am not an early morning person, but you do what you need to do.   

I’ll tell you a big plus of early morning flights — no delays.  Seriously, no problems with the flight this morning, and we arrived on time.  That never happens, so lesson learned.  You know what annoyed me?  Canadian Immigration.  They have been asking the nuttiest questions to people  (I know this personally and anecdotally) every time I come into the country.  You never know where they’re going with it.  This morning, I had this big, bald, burly guy.  As I was walking up to him to hand over my passport and immigration form, a small part of my mind wondered, “Hey, isn’t this kind of guy the type to give me trouble?” 

Yeah, he did.  He asked the usual questions about what I was doing here, name of the subsidiary, etc. Usually, you just say you are here on business, attending meetings, etc, and they leave you alone. This asks me in a very hostile tone, “What kind of business takes 5 days?” I told him an audit, but he didn’t reply, marked up my form, and didn’t say a word.  I then had to talk to the 2nd-level Immigration folks to explain the situation.  What a jerk. I tell you, wherever you travel, and it doesn’t matter personal or business, the bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe.

Other than that, smooth sailing, great weather, yada yada.

Delaware looks the same as the rest of America, though I still don’t understand why their automotive license plates are so weird.  You know what I’m talking about — the dark blue plates with a with just a “4″ on it.  What’s up with that? It must be a popular place — the hotel is booked solid, and I’m stuck in a smoking room. Listen, I don’t care how much the staff says they cleaned the room.  They put an air ionizer in here as well, and I’ve got it running nonstop.  The room still stinks.  Strangely enough, I’m in the mood for a cigar.

After work, we did have a very nice team lunch, which is always a plus when travelling on company business with your colleagues.  If it’s a good group like this one, then it’s a good experience. I can’t remember the last time, if ever, that I had a bad trip because of the group dynamic.  Basically everyone is fine to travel and work with.  I guess I’ve been lucky, or people in general are not that bad, you know?

The trip itself was pretty uneventful.  No problems getting to Newark airport, flight was on time, no problems with bags, and the hotel is pretty nice.  Even better, they upgraded my car rental (at no cost) and I’m driving a Chevy Trailblazer.  What can I say?  So far, so good. 

This is also a good week, as it’s my birthday on Wednesday, which marks it the 2nd year in a row that I’ve spent my birthday in Canada.  Coincidence? I think not.  I think it’s a conspiracy involving the Canadian Prime Minister, and possibly the Queen of England?  Why the British Queen?  The question is why not?

I think I’m rambling.  Long story short: I’m north of the US border, everything is peachy. Don’t text or email me, because I’m roaming, and will cost me each and every time you write. Wait until I get back, but if you need to reach me, the cell phone works fine.  I love having a phone that works internationally.

UPDATED: Man, I have such a bad memory.  My wife was kind enough to remind me that I was home last year during my birthday, and not up north.  I was actually working in NYC that day.  I wonder why I thought I was in Canada during my birthday last year?  Blame the encroaching senility!