I was so fed up with work today that I didn't want to reply anyone who spoke to me. But of course I didn't do that, the seniors in office would think I have a severe attitude problem.

Reasons why I can get so fed up but cannot flare up:

1) Seniors are perpetually busy, I have to wait ages to check a simple thing with them which could have been settled there and then in 3 minutes. But because of the "talk to me later" or "i get back to you later" thing, I lose touch of what I was doing or thinking at that moment and end up spending 5 minutes to recollect my thoughts while trying to get my senior's attention. Talking about efficiency at work?

2) People expecting me to know more than I actually can absorb. Seniors would ask if I recall calculating a certain figure for them 2 weeks ago E.g. 141,667.43 . Those just look like a string of numbers I've punched out from the calculator, as much as I try to I don't have a fantastic memory for numbers. But because I'm an intern I have to help-as-much-as-I-can, I end up searching the spreadsheets for past works done where one Excel workbook can have up to 20 worksheets, and the results are almost always predictable: "I'm so sorry but I really can't recall what that number stands for".

That figure can stand for anything. Can be revenue, cost of sales, manpower costs, insurance expense, share issue, employer gross salary, accumulated amortisation, deposits, trade payables, exchange gain, director fee, accruals and the list GOES ON FOREVER and you can even create a new account called "dental reimbursement for children". Recently I've been doing up the balance sheet and profit & loss statement comparisons for the two financial years. My god, I really can't recall something off hand when I've come across at least 2000 numbers in 2 days.

3) Straining my eyes for 8 hrs straight makes me nauseous. Unlike other interns who can have self-declared breaks, I'm troubled enough doing the analytical review all by myself and I've been at it for close to a week already??! Till now I've only completed the Company level, I still have the Group level :(

4) What more can I say, the feeling of seeing other interns leave at 6 and me leaving at 7.30 sucks?

Today, I stayed back later than usual today to finish up the balance sheet. I wish the company I'm auditing isn't so complicated. They really have many many many accounts like I wasn't even kidding about the the dental reimbursement for children. So my seniors all went out for dinner and obviously I didn't join them because I wasn't even intending to stay to the extent that my stomach growls for food. It was kind of a melancholic feeling knowing you're all left alone, no fellow interns, no seniors, no food and no entertainment. But at least I realised I worked better in the quiet environment, so much faster!

So I sent her many excel files with precious data, the balance sheet was tied (like THANK GOD) but the P&L has some problems but I sent it anyway. Just now when I checked my email she replied: "Jessie, Thanks. Please do help me run through and check with the consol and ensure all the figure ties".

So tomorrow, another round of numbers matching exercise. After that round I still have the Group exercise. And oh my they have like TEN SUBSIDIARIES. Just kill me.

Enough of ranting. Soon I will forget my misery.

P.S Paiseh to those who don't do accountancy, you may have only understood half of my musings!

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Oh anyway, I've mentioned in the previous post that we pulled out from the client's office last friday. It has been about 2 weeks since the Company announcement on SGX so they were expecting us to pull out since half a month ago but we kept pushing it back. It was sort of a last minute packing up and returning of files on a friday evening and no one really bothered about us and there was no farewell fanfare. Today one of the employees sent an email to my seniors and said he noticed the meeting room which we've occupied for months was vacant and he felt so weird about it! And yada-yada, all the "will miss all of you" stuff I shall cut it away. But frankly, he's the nicest gentleman I've met in the company. Other employees see us like a deadly contagious disease because whenever you meet the auditor, she either needs some documents or information from you, take some things away from you, or irritate the hell out of you. But the nice gentleman is always so patient and goes the extra mile to explain matters that we don't understand! That really helped alot especially when we're not their staff hence we were not familiar with their company operations.

My story with him (out of work) goes all the way back to the time when my senior went back to raffles place to settle stuff while I stayed at the client's place all by myself :) The room has a transparent glass wall and it's nearest to the office entrance. So people, strangers, deliverymen, whatever men who walk in and out of the office LOVE to turn their kpo heads and stare at us the poor auditors as if we're animals in the zoo. I hate switching on the room lights cos the bright reflection on the glass walls make it even more obvious that there are people in the room, so on the day when I was there alone I switched off the lights during office hours and only switched it on after office hours when the sun rays aren't adequate. The nice gentleman popped over to visit lonely me at 6pm when no other person gave a heck about my existence and joked: hey you're the funniest auditor I've ever seen around, switch off lights during office hours and on after when everybody goes home. Previously when I had this very bad flu that I resorted to poking tissue into my nostrils, he also quipped: hey you're the first auditor I've known who stuffs tissue up her nose like that.

Just now when I checked fb inbox I received an email from another employee in the client's company, the one and only guy in the company who treated me (to a can of green tea). I think people there only realised this week that the auditors are gone for good, that explains for the sudden surge of thank you messages and we-will-miss-you messages. But the funny thing is, I wonder how resourceful your resources have to be in order to locate me on fb? I don't remember leaving my full name at the client's eh?

I guess such minor, occasional appreciatory efforts make my days seem less difficult to pass :)

Friday, please come quickly. I can't do without you.