Move In Day

We have been fortunate for the past coupe of years of being the only office in this entire building—oh, there was a time when we shared ghe building with the Mexican Consulate and I like that—I think I was about the only one at my office who did. We had hordes of Mexicans coming into our office thinking our office was the Consulate, infact this building became too small for the Consulate's needs and moved out about 18 months ago—we have been the lone folks here ever sense. The building owner has been telling us of and on for about a year that he had once again rented the property to another minority group, this time the Asians. I really thought the guy was just blowing smoke and the eternal renovation was just a process for his ego. However, in the last week the renovation has become intense with jack hammer pounding—they even built us a code firewall of the front of our office which has been driving me crazy. The disconnected the power doors into our offices and actually rehung one door backwards—the doors all have hydraulic pumps making them so heaving I can barely access the office by myself. Hopefully before they finish the renovation they will reconnect the door. The building itself has been refitted with a new security system—the system now has a feature where a timer is actuated when the building exterior doors are opened (with key) and someone has to input a code to disconnect the system or ear piercing alarms go off and a rent-a-cop company is called and the whole system has to be rest. Yesterday, the first day back to work and I had to open the building andd of course I set off the alarm. The alarm sounded for twenty minutes, shut off and then started again—the cops never showed up as they had done a couple of months ago.

Yesterday the big tucks started pulling up, parking directly in front of my “window on the West” and a gang of five or seven dressed in hoodies, black watch caps and gloves jumped out open the back and started carrying desks, chairs, tables and lots of file cabinets out of the truck and across the hall to the Asian agency. Earlier in the month Frank at my office indicated he had been to the secrete Information Technology room where they had an impressive server arrady hordes. And voices, all morning in the hall people coming and going, laughing shouting and calling out—and this is just their staff claiming individual office space. Windows and familiarity with the premises. There is supposed to be chaos next Tuesday when the Asians first real day of services begins.

Already the Asians have taken over the building like they own it—they have been exhibiting a certain swagger only large populations can render.. The Asians have already settled into the building like they have always been here. Helping our office cope with THEM being here. It feels weird. Our sleepy building is being slapped awake. We are going to have to assimilate to these new folk and quick or we will be just one more species kicked to the side of the road.