Life Highlights: A Quick Temp Gig

New York at Night - What a Sight!

Life is pretty strange.  Today was a lovely day - after running some errands downtown this morning, I came back home to pack for my trip and relax.  All in all, everything was set to be quiet day (I had already changed back into my pjs around 1pm and turned on Star Trek on cable).

However, around 14:30 I received a call from the temp agency.  Hoping to hear more about a temp position at HBO they had emailed me about earlier this morning, I was surprised to hear that they were in need of a last-minute temp at a place called Blackstone.  Aside from thinking about the unfortunately named dorm at Biola, I wasn't really sure what else the company was (other than probably something legal and boring).  However, I had no reason not to go - it would be more experience on my resume, I had nothing else to do for the rest of the day, and I could make a few extra dollars - so I said yes.

Even better, I learned I would be paid as if I had worked for four hours of work, rather than the mere two and a half that I would actually be there for.  After running around to put on respectable "business, corporate" clothes, I made it to the office at 15:30, only to find I was filling in as a receptionist on the top floor of the building! Yes, once again I, Jade Herbert, was picked to be the receptionist on the CEO-level, and I must admit that I could get used to the luxury the topmost fancy people live in.

Although nothing like Sony (I'm wearing a full business suit and there's no David Bowie playing in the lobby), the building still offers a stunning wall of windows with a spectacular view (CEOs and Presidents get some great scenery, I reckon).  It's also beautifully decorated - exactly like what I imagine a fancy law firm or a Wall Street tycoon would have - lots of dark wood paneling, leather couches, tasteful vases, a beautiful staircase, and discrete offices which line the hallways.  It almost looks like something out of a movie (or rather, I suppose I'm seeing the inspiration for most movies about New York corporate spaces).  In a lot of ways, temping feels like playing dress-up and walking onto a new film set.  I don't think I would like to work in the corporate world (non-entertainment, that is) every day, but it's fun to pretend for a few hours, learn a few skills, have an inside look at a new company, and get paid for it.

It's a long way down onto E 52nd St

The funniest thing to me is that after arriving here the name seemed familiar to me for some reason.  After meditating on it, I realised why - one of the very first people I met before going to Biola was a guy named Taylor.  He was also a part of the Honour programme, studying poly sci, before he transferred to Penn.  We are still Facebook friends, etc. (all the social media connections), but I haven't been in contact with him since moving out to New York.

I heard that he was out here, working at some firm or another, before I realised that the reason I knew the name was because he posted a while back about being hired at a company called Blackstone! After a quick cross-reference, I confirmed that the addresses of his Facebook company and the building were the same.  More than that, I found out that the original floor I had checked in at was the one he worked on! Although I didn't see Taylor, it did remind me of what a small world it really is, and how God works in mysterious ways, bringing back connections (however vaguely) you never thought you would see again.