well, a lot is happening actually-- therefore i'm too busy to update lately! i started a new job 2 weeks ago, and learning new things is exhausting. i want to try hard and make this work, and i don't want it to end up like the previous job. the first week was hard, to learn a new procedure of doing things, but also learning new names/faces, a new work environment, and a new routine. my new job is a fulfillment administrator in the logistic department of a international corporation that sells computer related things. so far, things are going well. in the last few days i felt more at ease at what i was doing. now i'm actually completing something and accomplishing stuff by the end of the day, unlike before. the end of the day is the most stressful for me, as i try hard to get it all completed and deliveries created before i have to leave. the job itself is not that interesting or special, and is not the 'meaningful' or international type job i was hoping to find...but the people there are really nice and the work environment is professional and positive, so therefore it is a much better situation than before. in the first 3 days alone, i felt more respected as a human being and as a worker than i ever did in the last job. it makes a huge difference in my work ethic and confidence. i feel included in the company already. that is the way it should be. why did i stay for 1 whole year at the previous place? how did i make it?
evenings are busy once again, and i'm hardly home before 1030 (or later) every night. dutch classes keep me busy and tired...now i have no time between work and the class to go home for dinner, so for now until december, i will have to bring microwave dinners to work with me and eat on the go. tuesday is basketball, also starting at 7pm, so it will be hard to make it there on time. thursday is a possible free evening, but probably doesn't happen that way! gotta have social friend time too! on fridays i get to have a relaxed dinner with M for the first time all week. that's the way it will go until december.
lately i've noticed that dutch words are slipping into my english thoughts and conversation. this is not nice and doesn't help me at all! i'm losing more and more english vocabulary (some words this week i had problems with: ballerina, cafeteria, confirmation...and many others!)...and sometimes dutch words slip in on the conversation. just small words like "of" (or/if), "als" (if/when), and numbers....but its happening....too bad the normal regular fluency doesn't happen. i am low on dutch vocab as well, and am still unable to make sentences with complicated verb tenses, etc.
the sun has been shining almost every day for the past 2 weeks, which is amazing. i dont think that happened at all during the whole summer! but it has really helped my mood and get through these tough first two weeks of a new job and new routine. its supposed to switch back to 'normal' (rain and cold) tomorrow....the sunshine really makes such a difference, and you only notice that after you live in a place where it doesnt shine on a regular basis. that is one important reason why the US is a better living situation than the Netherlands! so i will go and enjoy the rest of the day while i can!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Lily
Our newest family member as of last night! She will be Brammie's girlfriend...once we bond them! Its an arranged bunny marriage. She's still pretty tiny, and is a show rabbit...but I think we'll just show her off through pictures! She was born in May so only a few months old. Brammie is lonely, and has so much bunny love to give, he definitely would love a friend.
Monday, September 8, 2008
moving on...
A lot has happened in the last week. My last day was quite interesting, and all the oddities of the year resurfaced, kind of like a "best of" album, or a montage of the "highlights" of the last year. All I could do was laugh, and laugh I did. Out of happiness of getting out and knowing the rediculousness that will continue there without me. I went out on the Friday night to celebrate my freedom.
My first day off, I thought would be relaxing and boring. But instead I got a job offer from one place I interviewed at the week before. I also had another job interview on the phone with another company, and it was all in Dutch, for half an hour. That one didn't work out in the end, but that is ok with me. I decided later in the week to accept the job I was offered. It is an entry level job in the fulfillment area of the supply-chain department, so, logistics. It wasn't anything I was looking for for the past 8 months. But seeing as it was my first offer in 8 months, and it is a stable, mature international company (not Dutch!), and I could hopefully grow in this position, I decided to take it. I will have some income, some stability, and some new things to learn. This job came about through networking, so I guess that really does work. Otherwise, I'd still be unemployed, still searching, and starting to get desparate. I start on the 15th. I have one more week of 'free time', to recuperate and relax after that previous job. I wasn't as excited last week about the job, since it all happened so fast (within a week!), and after such a bad work experience, I am a bit scared and hesitant about how the next one will go. But now I am looking forward next week to starting something new, to being a part of something else. And even if it isn't in my field of study or what I was looking for, hopefully something positive will come out of it and I will learn something new.
In the mean time, I have enjoyed a trip to IKEA, a trip to the dentist (where I found I have 2 cavities), reading time, and some quality time with the buns.
This week I will for sure spend lots of quality time with them, as we are getting another bun. A girlfriend for Bram. He isn't bonded with the other two and is quite lonely. He is more bonded to me now, and while I enjoy that, I think he would appreciate a lady friend to snuggle with at night and hop around with during the day. This will not create more work for us, as we already change two cages, and I vaccuum up a bunch of "dust bunnies" already as it is. But I can definitely understand if people view me as "that crazy bunny lady". I think 4 will have to be our limit for sure. Anything more than that is probably getting out of control, unless we have a bigger house and become foster parents for a local shelter, which won't be happening. We would get one from a shelter, if they were a bit more lenient on their adoption policies. I would love to adopt so many that need a house, but the shelter here makes it so difficult to do so. they even come by for house checks. They can't measure that we will love them and take care of them. All they care about is how big the cage is per rabbit (and they require huge cages!). When the size of apartments here are small to begin with, how can I possibly have a 2 sq meter cage which will take up like 20% of our living room. Anyways, if I were in the US, it would be much easier to adopt a rescued bun. When we move to the US (whenever that may be!), I will do that for sure. But for now, we have "rescued" a girl from a breeder...rescued away from otherwise sketchy people using it for snake-snacks.
My first day off, I thought would be relaxing and boring. But instead I got a job offer from one place I interviewed at the week before. I also had another job interview on the phone with another company, and it was all in Dutch, for half an hour. That one didn't work out in the end, but that is ok with me. I decided later in the week to accept the job I was offered. It is an entry level job in the fulfillment area of the supply-chain department, so, logistics. It wasn't anything I was looking for for the past 8 months. But seeing as it was my first offer in 8 months, and it is a stable, mature international company (not Dutch!), and I could hopefully grow in this position, I decided to take it. I will have some income, some stability, and some new things to learn. This job came about through networking, so I guess that really does work. Otherwise, I'd still be unemployed, still searching, and starting to get desparate. I start on the 15th. I have one more week of 'free time', to recuperate and relax after that previous job. I wasn't as excited last week about the job, since it all happened so fast (within a week!), and after such a bad work experience, I am a bit scared and hesitant about how the next one will go. But now I am looking forward next week to starting something new, to being a part of something else. And even if it isn't in my field of study or what I was looking for, hopefully something positive will come out of it and I will learn something new.
In the mean time, I have enjoyed a trip to IKEA, a trip to the dentist (where I found I have 2 cavities), reading time, and some quality time with the buns.
This week I will for sure spend lots of quality time with them, as we are getting another bun. A girlfriend for Bram. He isn't bonded with the other two and is quite lonely. He is more bonded to me now, and while I enjoy that, I think he would appreciate a lady friend to snuggle with at night and hop around with during the day. This will not create more work for us, as we already change two cages, and I vaccuum up a bunch of "dust bunnies" already as it is. But I can definitely understand if people view me as "that crazy bunny lady". I think 4 will have to be our limit for sure. Anything more than that is probably getting out of control, unless we have a bigger house and become foster parents for a local shelter, which won't be happening. We would get one from a shelter, if they were a bit more lenient on their adoption policies. I would love to adopt so many that need a house, but the shelter here makes it so difficult to do so. they even come by for house checks. They can't measure that we will love them and take care of them. All they care about is how big the cage is per rabbit (and they require huge cages!). When the size of apartments here are small to begin with, how can I possibly have a 2 sq meter cage which will take up like 20% of our living room. Anyways, if I were in the US, it would be much easier to adopt a rescued bun. When we move to the US (whenever that may be!), I will do that for sure. But for now, we have "rescued" a girl from a breeder...rescued away from otherwise sketchy people using it for snake-snacks.
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