The Unit & Reality of Work

There is a girl at work we call "the Unit" -- in fact I have been goofing making names for everyone at work, from the Milkman, the Unit, 3g, SS, etc, so almost everyone has a nickname if it makes sense. Pretty funny but that's what you do when you are with a post-bankrupt entity. Anyways back to "the unit" -- I think she is everything I'd like to find in a girl, cute, smart, speaks english, fun, active, bright and happy... but I'm a bit of a wimp so I can't seem to really ask her out, although I've been able to get close as friends with her now, so we hang out regularly.

Since I am now dating Miss Korea... (codename), it makes it harder still I must say... since (a) I don't wanna play games, (b) I'm actually happy w/ MK, but deep down I wonder if I can really be serious w/ a girl who doesn't speak english, and has many of the problems that kept me away from japanese girls to start with....

The Unit is a project I guess. I could rename her "the project" -- but alas, I'll just wait and see. Maybe having a gf now will put the jealousy plot into effect.

At work we had some layoffs recently, a trading desk went away (upper management decided not to fund this particular prop desk.. guess times are tough, they dont wanna put 100mm at risk or dont have capital..?), and other groups got haircuts. I think this makes sense, I figured it'd be now or Jan/Feb timeframe. Now makes sense because xmas is coming up, and you gotta do it before well before holidays so you don't feel so heartless. Late Jan/Feb is probably the next wave since its before bonus period and by then they have a real plan in place.

Its a matter of time. Investment Banks are built on a pyramid. Top of the chain, 5% of the population generate the revenues. The other 95% are really just there to support the money generators. So in our case we've lost due to firing or quitting, 50% of those guys. Whats out of whack is that the remaining 95% of the company has had almost no turnover.. thus a mass layoff is inevitable. For me in particular there is more risk since (1) another offshore org is at our disposal raising our IT headcount by 110% (so we are mass overstaffed now), and (2) credit markets are shot, there is even less business in this domain.

Thus I think come Feb I will have my papers. Hopefully by 2Q the market will stabilize and I can be on my way to a new job elsewhere with some new motivation in life.

For now, I just do my thing.