First days at work

03/02 - Unsurprisingly, I overslept today (I blame the entirely opaque shutters on the windows), but found that James was still at home too, so we went in together in time for early lunch. I think the lunch at 12, coffee at 4 and beers at 6 routine may be a bit much unless one gets in before 9, which I can't see myself doing that very often (by which I mean ever), but I'm willing to adhere to it until I actually know what I'm meant to be doing - on Monday I learnt a little about what is expected of us in order to gain authorship, i.e. be classed as having been a useful member of the collaboration during our time here. Apparently we have to do 'service work' for 50% of our one year attachment - as I am only out for 6 months it means all of my time here. This has to be split between doing shifts (sitting in the control room of the experiment watching screens and telling someone if something goes wrong) and other stuff which is basically all the annoying tasks noone more senior fancies doing. However, all this seems quite flexible, and some people have done all of it already while others have done none, so I'm not going to worry too much.

I made the wise decision to skip 4 o'clock coffee so I could actually get something useful done, but I fled at half five to get the bus back to town in order to get to Love Me Dos in time for the happy hour - this is 15 CHF for 'pizza-go-go', a beer and an ice cream, which is probably the best value meal one can have in Geneva. This was followed by Back To The Future III at the Haydenplex, (i.e. in Dan's flat). I have not watched any of the trilogy as a Physicist, or indeed in the company of Physicists, and I think I got a lot more out of it this time around - most of the science in the film is a little dodgy, but this time round I understood why this was the case and enjoyed the film all the more. I think. I was confused by the dynamics between the other people there (Amy, Jody and Gemma), all of whom seem to have been here for ages. It feels strange being here as an interloper, situating myself in the middle of their established lives, drinking their beer, assuming nobody minds and hoping that I'll just fit in somehow.

04/02 - This feeling of not quite fitting in was made all the stronger today at lunch. I arrived a few minutes before the allotted time of noon, grabbed a massive plate of 'haunch of veal' and sat down at an empty table. Before too long a few people I sort of knew started filing in, and all of them joined a man I didn't recognise sitting directly behind me. I was left in the position of being at the next table to the UK people, having nearly finished my lunch and not quite knowing anyone well enough to turn around and get them all to move so I could join them. Never mind, I only had to endure this for a few short minutes before heading back to work. I think tonight might be the first day with no plan for going out, which I shall take as a welcome opportunity to explore the Old Town, and see if I can find anything worth doing (if anything is still open by the time I get back, that is). Another quandary I must face is whether to go Skiiing, Snowboarding or indeed go to the mountains at all this weekend. Simon (the chap who moved teams for me at the quiz) is going up with his brother and a few others in a car this weekend, but neither Dan nor James are going so I must, alas, start the process of making new friends who can tell me where to go, what I'll need and where to get it all. I am going to start this process at beers at 6 this evening.

Incidentally, I realise that the lunch table incident is not indicative of any particular loathing or contempt for me by anyone, and I didn't have a burning desire to join in with the conversation in progress, it is just nice to eat with other people. Most of the time.

Also just before lunch I thought I recognised someone (an American girl named Vicki who I have met a few times at conferences etc.) but got no recognition in return. Realising I was wearing a hat and that my hair is rather a distinguishing feature, I took it off and greeted her cheerily - the reply had an unexpected strong German accent, and she adopted that vacant, confused and searching look that I know I must do when approached by a stranger who seems to know me. Oops.