On trial

I had an interview yesterday. With 2 scary men in suits. Black suits. On a day where the temperature was above 30°C. I would have actually died! Thankfully I was not wearing a suit – just black trousers and a blouse. I still ended up all hot and sticky though – mainly because I got lost trying to find the place and ended up walking around in circles for 45 minutes. In the end I took a taxi, only to find out that the place was litterally round the corner… about 10 minutes walk from the train station. I had been going in the completely wrong direction! This was after travelling for an hour and a half on two trains. Then after the interview I had to do it all again in reverse. The train part anyway. Not the taxi, or the getting lost.

Then today I had my trial day. I had 3 more practice translations to do and also a proofread. Then I went around and met everyone else at the company. I had a good day, but whether anything will come of it is still up in the air… my practice translations need to be read first. Hopefully I will be able to tell you more by the beginning of next week. In the meantime my fingers shall remain firmly crossed… metaphorically at least. It may be a little hard to use a knife and fork if they were actually physically crossed….

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The interview

Yes, I realise I have actually neglected my poor blog for an entire weekend… something which almost never happens. I couldn’t help it though… this pesky little thing called real life went and got in the way. This is good though, for it means I have much to tell you. Unfortunately I also have a flat that desperately needs tidying, and for once I can’t just ignore it because this week eyes other than my own and the boyfriend’s will get to see it. So I shall have to keep this one short.

And so, on to the interview. You did remember it was today, right? And you all had your fingers firmly crossed for me, didn’t you? If not I may have to blame you if I don’t get the job 😉
Anyway… I think it went ok. Maybe. I didn’t get lost trying to find the place, which is a definite plus seeing as I had never been to that town before. And the people seemed nice. First I had an interview with the founder/director of the company, then with someone else and finally I had a practice translation to do. Now they are going to check my translation and get back to me, so don’t go uncrossing those fingers yet will you…

The hunt for a place to live continues

I didn’t get the flat I went to see yesterday. At least I assume I didn’t. The girl never called, and if I had got it she wanted me to go and pick up the key today, so I’m thinking that’s a no. Actually I was pretty sure I wouldn’t get it anyway. Another girl was going to look at it yesterday who is the daughter of a friend of a friend of the landlady, or something. Fairly obvious who the landlady would choose then.
But, but, but… this evening I spontaneously went to look at another flat. I happened to look at the quoka website 45 minutes after the advert was placed online, answered it and received an email almost straight away inviting me to come on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday at any time. I then wrote back explaining that afternoon is no good as I work and asking if I could come on Wednesday evening at 6pm, or would that be too late. The girl replied that time was really no problem and in fact I could come this very evening before 9pm if I had time. So I called the boyfriend, got him to come and meet me, and went to view the flat. I like it a lot. It’s full of little nooks and crannies. There are two fairly big rooms, one for living, one for sleeping. The shower is hidden away in a little corner in the bedroom. The kitchen is in between the bedroom and the living room. It’s quirky, more spacious than most of the other ones I looked at and (very important this) within spitting distance of a tram stop that I would be able to use for getting to work. It’s run by a so-called Hausverwaltung, a property management scheme, who I have to call tomorrow morning. Then it will once again be a matter of waiting to see who they choose. So don’t’t go uncrossing those fingers just yet guys…

Halfway

Today is the last day of June. In two hours (three if you’re on the UK) the year will be half over. It’s crazy! I can’t believe a whole six months have passed. Surely someone most have stolen a few weeks from me while I wasn’t paying attention!!

In my shock at realising the year is half over already I started thinking about what I’ve actually done this year.  What I came up with was not a lot. I did start the new year in Paris, which was cool and meant I fulfilled one of my ambitions (the ambition being to go to Paris, not necessarily for New Year although that was a nice tough). I also got my highest mark ever for an assignment (yay me!) and some other pretty good marks, meaning I’ve passed the first year of my Master’s. And that’s about it really. Obviously I have done other things in the last half year, but nothing really worth mentioning. It’s all so difficult when you haven’t got any money! So I’ve decided once I have a job I’ll start making plans again. I want to move out of this student residence and into my own flat. I want to learn Spanish. I want to travel more (I have been to Worms and Gernsbach this year, but I want to go to somewhere a little further afield). I also want to do plenty of less exciting stuff… I need new clothes, I very desperately need new shoes and I’d like to buy some of the books on my ever expanding list.  But before I do any of that I need to find a job. Tomorrow is the first day of the last month of my internship and I still have nothing lined up to do afterwards. It’s all getting scarily close now. Job interview on Thursday though. Please keep your fingers crossed for me, even if you are one of the random people that found my blog by asking Google for a “ginger haired toddler cartoon”.

Germany – Turkey

I’ve just been watching the Germany/Turkey game downstairs in the bar. Germany won 3-2, but if you ask me the game wasn’t that exciting. Germany weren’t that impressive and Turkey seemed not to be trying that hard (and didn’t really seem to need to be honest). Joachim Loew seemed to spend a lot of time looking like a savage bear. Probably wanted a cigarette. (I can’t believe people are still searching Google for evidence that Loew smokes. Yes, we all saw him with a cigarette. Now get over it! – and whoever found me by typing in “Joachim Loew fashionable”, all I can say is what?!?! Are you by any chance blind, or delusional, or both perhaps?) The Turkish trainer was apparantly asked to get back into his seat at one point. All he was doing was cheering, and he hadn’t left his little box. What’s the world coming to when a trainer isn’t allowed to cheer his own team??
The funniest part of the game was when they showed some fan trying to run onto the field. About 6 security people promptly proceeded to pounce on him. And I also found it hilarious when the picture suddenly disappeared. Apparantly there was a power cut in Vienna… which somehow affects a game in Basel?! I didn’t catch the details, but somehow the television signal is routed via some TV station in Vienna. Hmm.

Jan is still in the bar. He said he’ll come up to bed after he’s had a beer. I decided not to stay for a beer – I had a headache before the game (thank you thunder storm and heat) and after having an entire bar full of people cheering and clapping around me I think I may now be slightly deaf! Under these circumstances the bar is not a good place to be. Anyway, I have to get up early tomorrow. I’m starting work at 8am, so that I can work for 4 hours then take the afternoon off to do the practice translations for that company (everyone needs to cross their fingers from 12pm til about 6pm please). Jan also has to get up early tomorrow (because otherwise I won’t be able to lock my door when he leaves), but that doesn’t bother him yet. I’m sure it will tomorrow morning when he’s moaning about being tired…

Now there are people outside shouting “so sehen Sieger aus” (that’s what winner’s look like). I hope they go away soon. I need sleep!