the beginning of the end.....

So, when I signed up for the CA thing, I thought it will be fun. Fun mind you, not cool.....I was never dumb enough to think that Accountants are cool......but I did think that they must have some fun.....you know, in their own kind of nerdy-geeky sort of way......hey! I'll have you know nerds and geeks can also have fun!

So yeah, anyway, I was all excited to be a nerd (after having partied my UG and PG degree away......my entire University education is a blackhole in the memory part of my brain) and was happy that I was going to actually LEARN some skills (For those who have no idea, I studied Economics and that basically teaches you nothing. See the investment bankers today? You would think that they know what they are doing but as it is obvious, they don't and you know why? They studied Economics, that's why!). So I promptly signed up for the whole CA deal that was offerred to me by my employer. Basically a 35 hour week at the office with classes interspersed in between and exams every 3-4 months.....stay alive through this for 3 years and lo and behold! you become a CA! so I enlisted......but with the naivety of an American soldier who enlists thinking "the war in Iraq is right and proper". That is a whole new issue on which I hope to publish my extreme comments at some later point so wait for it- my anti America rant!

I'll tell you what is not right and proper.......I WAS ROBBED! The minute I fell for this offer, I signed my life away.....Now, I spend 9 hours working, 2 hours commuting, 4 hours studying everyday.....and rest of the time I'm like "WO! Where did the day go??"...This schedule has helped me earn some fabulous nicknames though....spaced out, zoned out, dopey (a favourite of a favourite friend) etc etc.....

and that's that.......now I sit at a cubicle of a big 4 accounting firm with 999 other trainees in this firm doing same/similar qualification as mine and leading same/similarly miserable lives as me.....I do exciting work like casting and cross referencing and.......the eternal love of all Accountants: filing! Yes, its very important that everything be filed properly....yes, yes we are aiming to go paperless but only by 2010.....yes, those 15 boxes there, file all of them.......

Still, on the other side of these cubicles is another section, where all the qualified people sit. Those who led these miserable lives up until sometime ago and now that they have qualified as Chartered Accountants lead..........wait for it..............even more miserable lives! The boxes of files next to their tables tell it all and sometimes when I fret over passing my exams, I take strength from the fact that if those people can qualify, so can I and other times I think......wow! life is good....I am only a trainee!

Its a weird life......doing crappy work and working hard to get more crappy work.......actually scratch that.....doing crappy work and working hard to get more crappy work which results in BIG BIG bucks.....Hey! Have you seen the economy? I can't afford to have principles....its all about the money.......actually, I'll be honest.......it was all about the money with me even before the economy went bust......but still......

so here I am, a 24 year old female trainee CA, living alone in London, with the work boring the pants off me.........but then there is always the 29th of the month......the one day where I change from "a bored trainee CA" to "a elated trainee CA who loves her job!"..........what's the date today???