The Aunties (part I)

18 June 2012

This week I'd like to devote to my co-workers, both as an indication of my admiration for them, and the acknowledgment that thus far, the turnover seems quite high. Last week my project coordinator started Monday (like me) and departed Wednesday, replaced by a new woman Thursday. This week another co-worker will be leaving, after having been there a while. Catch them while you can.

I think it is appropriate to begin with a discussion of my first surrogate auntie, or Guardian Angel #1. (Names have been omitted to protect the innocent). This is appropriate because I don't really know GA1's position or what she does exactly, an indication of how I am still trying to better orient myself in this office. GA1 has certainly borne the brunt of all the personnel changes, bouncing from one spare chair to another around the office working on her mini laptop.

Of course, when GA1 is working by me, other priorities often take over. Seeing me, she'll ask how my journey to work was. It won't take much to remind her of a prior discussion about distant plans of mine to travel to the northern desert, and before long all the women in my area have gathered around to offer their (well-headed) advice. GA1 is the first to propose an empanada snack break, or to start coordinating a ride for me to the Metro as 6:00pm approaches. I don't know how this compares with other Chilean offices just yet, but I like it.

GA1 is also my daytime guide through my actual tasks. Apart from the boss, she knows the most about the actual projects going on, so I turn to her with my practical questions (Does organic wine in Chile allow sulfates? Why has the phyloxera virus spared Chile's grape plants? Where can I find a draft of this document in English?) I've determined that she is an uber-powerful assistant, sort of like Karl Rove (but less scheming).

GA1 also happens to be my font of information for all non-office topics, like the weather, the transit network, or the Chilean school system. The one problem is that she, for whatever reason, is the hardest for me to understand. She certainly doesn't adjust her Spanish for me or tip-toe around in broken English for my sake, which I appreciate, and will certainly help my Spanish improve. However, even the native speakers note that her voice can be out of control, both the fastest and the loudest in the office. When trying to explain things to me, several times she has been "shsh"-ed, and once had the door shut on her.

Something which sets GA1 apart is that she is a mother, of two boys. This I understood almost subconsciously when I first met her, as she is extremely warm and caring. If I am to complete her triple crown as a taller, awkward, older son she doesn't have, I imagine I can accommodate for the time being. As long as the empanada runs don't stop.