Today was not in fact a day of filing more invoices, physically. I managed to do that all relatively quickly, at the end of the day.
No, today was receiving parcel after parcel, and no letters! I had the most anticlimactic delivery this morning from the regular postman (the man with the absolute audacity to ask me out). So, at work, we have a letter bag. We, in fact, have several. Yesterday, for the first time in a million years, I had a letter to give to the outgoing postman, in the afternoon, which I handed to him in the bag. Well, this morning, I am handed the bag, expecting to find something within. Oh what deception and disappointment! ‘Twas empty. My morning routine of sorting and scanning the mail was scuppered once more. What on earth could I do?
One of the parcels to arrive today was our snow salt. I knew because the courier arrived with it falling in cascades from the box, which has more than one hole in it. We left it in the reception. I called my boss, and one of the matters I addressed with her was the matter of this bottomless hourglass, which could easily render us the Dead Sea of a Sahara Desert if we weren’t careful. And sure enough – we weren’t.
My boss had told me to leave the salt where it was. Guess what? A few minutes before I’m to head out to lunch with the accountant and the auditor (I was instrumental for language barrier reasons), the Country Manager has to move the box.
Oh what a nightmare.
Well, it was up to me to find keys so we could get out a brush and pan, and try and source a bin bag. The brush and pan was obtained, but I have no idea where the bin bags are. The cover of salt was tidied away, and a shopping bag was fished out of the CM’s cupboard, upon which we placed the miscreant box. All the while we were being watched at the Reception door by colleagues about to go to lunch. I was free some 5 minutes after schedule, fortunately.
We had a nice lunch. I always feel sorry for foreigners at the table because the air is saturated with conversation in a language they do not understand. We have to remind ourselves to speak English. A Research Associate, the Accountant, and I spoke to the auditor, who is American. I asked him where was the most interesting place he’s been auditing so far. He said he’s been to Georgia, and he’s been to South Africa, where he actually got to get close to a lion cub, which is really cool. The perks of such a job is definitely the travel. Apparently his journey home to Zurich is only 4 hours by train. Trains in this country are something else.
Before I went home the HR Manager reminded me to get my visa sorted. I said it looks like I may need to go home and do it from there, because applying for a visa via the official website seems to give no options for me in my position. She walked me through what needs to be done – I need to apply via the Prefecture, and I need to get on it fast, because these things normally take two months, and time is ticking.
Well, the good news is that I am spurred into action – I know what I need, and I know how quickly I can fill the form and scan the necessary documents. Now, the issue is that I need proof of the fact that my landlady is hosting me.
I braced myself for the fact that I would have to come home and have a long conversation with my landlady. I did not look forward to it. I almost procrastinated it. What spurred me to do it was the fact that I have now booked tickets to visit Belgium in March, and I depart from the Gare du Nord. If I have no right to enter France then, I cannot make the trip.
I love that it’s not “Bella, you will have no job, and therefore no year abroad, and therefore no degree” that immediately gets me going to do something about my visa, but, “Bella, you won’t be able to spend a weekend in Wallonia”. (Trust me, I did think about the former.) This kid, honestly.
I rushed downstairs and cut to the chase with my landlady. It was as simple as that. Raclette was on the table, and I was invited to join them. The smell is still wafting up to my attic. Unfortunately I had to decline – I ate very quickly getting home, anticipating an ordeal of an evening. It has not been. My landlady says she will help me 🙂
Just do it, as Nike says.
On the subject of dinner, here’s a quick and simple recipe for you: Chopped green pepper, a handful of green olives, two tablespoons of sauerkraut, a bowl of couscous (ideally buckwheat), a splash of vinegar, a splash of oil (ideally hempseed), cumin seeds and parsley. Mix and eat. Quick, simple, healthy, and tasty.
And yes, we had a nutrition course this morning at work. I suddenly missed A Level Biology horribly, and it wasn’t even my favourite subject! And then, here’s another odd thing: I missed second year today. How? I wanted to be back in uni, with more time on my hands, the ability to wake at 8 or 9 and eat porridge before heading to campus for a 10am lecture. Go to concerts and plays when I wanted to. Stay up playing boardgames and other shenanigans, glass of dubious homemade cocktail in hand, with friends. Enjoy Friday evenings at French Theatre Soc. It wasn’t even that I had no responsibilities. I just had more time. And I wasn’t completely alone. Not that I am here.
Which is odd, because my complaint at uni was almost the same as here: I had almost no one. Well, I did have people. I didn’t see them as often and as constantly as I did my schoolmates, and that I miss terribly, but I saw them regularly enough. And we were just an imperfect band of young people trying to figure things out. Here, yes, I am the intern, which means you can send me downstairs just to switch off a light you forgot to, but I must do it professionally. Which is not to say school didn’t threaten punishment for forgetting your blazer, but they knew, ultimately, we were kids. I make faces at myself when I’m alone in the lift at work. Fortunately, I think my boss gets my sense of humour, too. However, I look forward to 4th year.
And talking of 4th year, I think I’ve figured out where I go wrong getting to bed anights. Yes, this morning was not much better than yesterday in terms of getting up with 8 hours sleep, but Life is a continuous process of figuring out how to improve, if one applies oneself. We are all scientists, trying to refine our methods. Even if you are a staunch humanities student determined that is not you, I am here to say you were as good a Physicist as Jenkins, and I don’t know what that teacher was thinking when he gave you a C. I am an all-rounder, so I know. There is not one without the other.
Anyway, time to put my theory into practice. I love you all. Wish me luck, and sealbh math dhuibh cuideachd.
At Least Afloat 