In my office, Upstairs and Downstairs function as two independent kingdoms. Or rather queendoms, since it is two women who rule the office furniture with an iron hand (velvet glove optional).
Downstairs, you have to laugh uproariously at the Queen’s jokes, or you’re in danger of being told that you’re getting too stressed and will be burned out soon.
Upstairs, you have to read the books the Queen recommends, or….there is no choice here; the Queen likes the book, therefore you have to like it too.
Downstairs, here be males!! Ye Gods, seven of them, when everyone is present and functioning.
Upstairs, here be the gents loo and an almost complete lack of testosterone.
Downstairs, every afternoon, all the ladies have to spring up and do exercise, in the manner of the drill we used to do on Sports Day at school (alas, dumbbells and hoops aren’t included; maybe the Queen doesn’t know about them?).
Upstairs, we walk. To the loo. Since we are constantly encouraged by the Queen to drink more water.
In the ladies loo Downstairs, cute notices with smiley faces ask you to turn off the lights and replace the mug on the tap, etc.
In the ladies loo Upstairs, you may find a stray pair of panties (I kid you not) and random invitations to readings of obscure books from the Madras Book Club.
Downstairs makes the big money and so they get invited to all the office parties and launches.
Upstairs doesn’t make that much dough, so we only get invited to about 1 in 10 of the parties; with the invitation being extended a couple of hours before the party.
Downstairs is a world rife with politics, back-biting, snide remarks and rank bitchiness.
Upstairs is… oh! Some things are the same!
1 comment:
Nice....very nice :)
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