Job Trouble
Here's a short update. My colleague text-messaged me this afternoon that he is accepted to his job and so he'll be leaving soon. I'm really sad that he's leaving. This means I need to find another job real soon, because I don't want to work there without him. I don't want to work with the owners or with my other colleague. This also means I'll have to hurry with my job applications and hope that I'll be hired somewhere else soon. No, I'm not glad with this situation, although I knew it was coming.
First Aid Weekend
I was indeed home yesterday, but I was too tired to update my blog. This weekend was a really heavy weekend. It was a sort of ‘refreshment’-weekend in which my bf and I were retrained in First Aid to keep our diplomas valid. We have had our First Aid diplomas since November 2004. Since then we have never refreshed our knowledge, because there were 2 weekends last year and we couldn’t make it to either of them. So this was our first weekend.
I was really not looking forward to it from the beginning. I don’t like camping, I don’t like spending time with a lot of people and I’m very unsure about my own First-Aid capabilities.
The first day, Saturday, wasn’t too bad. In the train we met two other people who were going to this weekend and so my bf talked a little with them. When we arrived, after almost 3 hours of travelling, we first did some stupid introduction game to get to know each other. After that we had to form groups and we had to question and talk to about 10 victims in total. We didn’t have to treat them, just talk to them to find out what they have and make them feel at ease. This assignment was meant to practise how to handle a victim, what do you say to them, how you say it, what can you say and what can’t you say, stuff like that. It was a useful exercise. We also did some other exercises that afternoon, also with the new resuscitation-protocol. They have made it a lot easier and we can now skip some steps which we did learn for our exams. That evening we had a very heavy exercise. Oh, I forgot to tell you that there were 36 participants in the weekend, so we split in several smaller groups all the time. This time we were with about 5/6 people. We had to enter this room which was completely dark. Two people were yelling and screaming inside. “My leg hurts, my leg hurts, come help me, my leg, my leg, etc” “Where my boyfriend, what has happened, where is everyone, help, help!” Imagine how I felt when I entered the room. When I first entered I almost stumbled over someone lying on the floor, so I helped him. He was lying on the floor and had a wound on his head. I just kept touching him (on his arm) to let him know I was still there, I found some gauze to put on his head and I removed the crate that was under his leg to make it more comfortable for him. I think I did a pretty good job there. The only big mistake that I made was that I didn’t remove him so that I pretty much blocked the way for everyone else.
Later that night I played some game with dices with some other people, and I did have some fun, although I hadn’t expected to. That was nice.
The night there was awful. We slept in one big room with about 30 people. Everyone was walking in and out, the door squeaked, and I just couldn’t sleep. I was way too uneasy and tired and ‘busy in my head’ to lie down and sleep. I have lain awoke for all the night. I have only slept for about 2 hours or something. I was totally spent the next day.
We just fooled around with some bandages and general exercises the night day. We also practised doing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with a Kiss-of-Life and with a special mask, both meant to protect the First Aid person. And then, after lunch, it was my turn to do the next big exercise. My bf wouldn’t tell me what it was about, and I had seen others come back from it, looking a bit depressed, so I was kind of dreading this exercise. And it turned out to be my worst nightmare come true.
We were with 4 people there to help the victims. They had made it look like a car-accident. I tried to reach the person on the back seat of the van, but I couldn’t reach him. I tried to assess him from where I was, but I was unable to. I got to the other side of the van, I helped to take the passenger from the front seat, but I still couldn’t get the chair to move, so I couldn’t get to my victim. The instructor told me to get back to the initial side of the car, where I could get to my victim somewhat, and while walking there, I just broke down. I started to cry. The instructor asked me if I was all right, and I just kept on crying. I hated it, but I couldn’t help myself. I felt so tired and useless, and I felt bad that we were just like clueless what to do. The instructor stopped the training because I broke down, and he comforted me and others comforted me, which I hated even more. I hated it that I was the one who broke down and who caused the training to stop, and then everyone is looking at me and trying to comfort me and touch me. I thought: Just don’t, just leave me. But of course they couldn’t. So the instructor told us what we did right in the training. He told us that it wasn’t weird that someone broke down and he said that that’s what the training is for. I walked back to the house, some girl went in to get my boyfriend, and when he was there I just cried even more and harder. My bf was really great to me and comforted me really well, and eventually he got me so that I was calm again. The instructor came to talk with us for a moment and he invited me to the refreshing-weekend of coming November. Now that they know I have this problem, they will try to help me with it (Just great, I thought). The same staff as last weekend will be there, so at least I know them and they know me. And I will go there. I have to, because if I don’t, I’ll never do any First Aid in my life ever again. I’m even seriously considering going to help as a First-Aid assistant on a camp-like-thing in May. I already mailed the girl who asked me to come for some more information. So that was my weekend.
I must say that I did learn a lot this weekend. I know that I do some things intuitively right. I did refresh my memory of some of the necessary parts of the First Aid program, but I also learned that I can’t handle that much pressure when I am already stressed and tired, and I think I should have switched patients or asked some assistance when I felt that I couldn’t handle it.
First-Aid Weekend, Easter Decorations
This is the last entry before the weekend, because I’m going to be away from home this weekend, and I’m not looking forward to it. In November 2004 Martijn and I got our First-Aid diplomas. And now, to keep them valid, we need to go a refreshing-weekend once every year. We didn’t go last year, because the first weekend was very close to our initial training, and the second weekend was in some place very hard to reach for us without a car, and by the time we wanted to go, there were no more free spaces. So this is our first weekend and I am very nervous about it. I don’t like it that we have to spend the night there. I have to sleep at an inflatable mattress on the floor in my (sister-in-law’s) sleeping-bag. I don’t want to refresh my First-Aid knowledge, because it’s pretty non-existing at the moment, and I don’t want to make many stupid remarks. It’s just very bad all and I don’t want to go.
Today I slept in till 11 o’clock. I was very happy about it, because I won’t sleep much this weekend. I took care of some things; I bought some groceries and some Easter-decorations. I’m really happy with those; it reminds me that spring is finally coming. Now I need to go finish packing my bag and including towels, which I forgot, and preparing bread and stuff. I will be so happy when the weekend is over and I’ll be safe and sound back home again on Sunday. Talk to you then!
Greek food, Colleague leaving, Church book, Tom Jones
After a long break here’s finally an update from me. Last Monday I went out to have dinner with my father in law together with my boyfriend and some other relatives. We went to a Greek restaurant. The food was nice, nothing too special, just nice.
The problem was that I have eaten way too much over the weekend and then this Greek food on top of it was just too much. Yesterday I felt bad all day long; I was tired and had stomach-ache. Today I was feeling better in that way, but I was still feeling tired and I just had a bad day. My colleague told me he has found another job and so I’m afraid he’s going to leave us soon. I’m really very worried about that, because I don’t want to work with one of the owners and that’s what’s going to happen. I have been through this last year, in January, when my previous colleague left. But then I wasn’t so eager to leave the shop, as I am now. I just don’t know where to apply and what kind of job I want.
Today, the man of the church has come by my house and has given the book he promised me to my boyfriend. I think it’s very special he came by to do that and I thanked him for it by mail. It’s a book he has lent me and he wants it back before the end of the year. That will be no problem for me.
And I should have read ‘Tom Jones’ this week, and I haven’t. I have only read the first two books of the nine I was supposed to read. And at the moment, I couldn’t care less. I know I’m going to regret it tomorrow night, when I’m in class, but I just don’t feel like doing any schoolwork at the moment. I’ll just take this week off, and I’ll get back to it next week.
The Sims 2 and my Catholic Faith
I wanted to update my blog yesterday, but I hadn’t got round to it. This is the picture I wanted to show you yesterday, after I played the Sims. This picture is kind of outdated, since the babies are kids now and the husband is dead (by flies) and has been replaced by another husband, by which she has had another twin. Yes, these are the adventures my Sims have to live through. I felt the first husband didn’t click well with his wife, so I basically killed him and manufactured another one. And yes, I didn’t have to do that much homework this week, so I actually had some time off this weekend. I could have done some extra homework for next week, but that would have been too active.
Tonight I received the e-mail I had been waiting for from the priest here in The Hague, so not my podcasting priest. I wanted to do an ‘Alpha-cursus’, a sort of RCIA course. I mailed a couple of churches here in the neighbourhood, but the next course doesn’t start until September and the time isn’t too convenient for me. This priest had mailed me with his information and said that I could always contact him if I wanted to. And so I did. I mailed him with my background and my religious background, for as much as I have it. I find it very difficult to talk with anyone about my religious thoughts, but I really am interested in religion, in the Catholic faith. Last week the priest had tried to mail me, but the mail didn’t arrive. Today I finally received it correctly. It was a really great mail. The priest basically said that I need to ask God what to do and that he will send me a book if I want to which explains the Catholic faith. So I mailed him back that I would really love to receive this book and I thanked him for the mail. And now I need to consider what to do. But first, off to work tomorrow.
Homework, Clarissa, Classes
Today I didn’t have to work, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t do anything. I wish it could… I finished my essay and prepared tonight’s class on Clarissa by Samuel Richardson. I even prepared some of the Vocab and grammar homework for next week, so that saves me some time this weekend. And I prepared a nice ‘muesli-bread’ for myself this morning. Well, I prepared it in the morning and it was ready in the afternoon, because it takes a couple of hours. I had been thinking about making one for a couple of days/weeks now but I just hadn’t come round to it. So, today I had some time, and I saw it as a treat for myself because I have to work tomorrow. Then at least I’ll have a good lunch.
Tonight I had my classes about Clarissa and the second class about writing essays and doing presentations in general. The lesson about Clarissa went well. I was able to make one smart remark, and when the teacher asked us who had liked the book, I was one of them, together with 2 others or so in a class of 13/15 people. I really could follow the lesson, because my American friend had helped me prepare this class really well. I quite enjoyed it and I might even write my essay and do my presentation on this topic. But now, as always, I’ll have to get to bed and work tomorrow. Yuck…
Study Day Yesterday, Work Today, Another Study Day Tomorrow
Yesterday I had a ‘study-day’. First I went to Pilates, which went pretty well. I can still see myself improving, and the teacher keeps on pointing at things which I couldn’t do at first. That’s really encouraging. After Pilates I spent the afternoon doing my homework. I finished most of my essay and did all the other homework which I had to prepare for last night’s classes. I also studied for the vocab-quiz I had last night. So, at night I had classes. It wasn’t too bad. The quiz went okay. I forgot who had invented the ballpoint (of what use is this to my English vocabulary anyway) and I forgot the term ‘brickbats’, but overall I did well, and I think I will have passed it.
Today I had to work. It wasn’t as bad as Monday, all though it started out pretty badly. I came in and had to finish the work they had left for us from yesterday. The main problem was that I didn’t know at what time these people would come to pick up their pictures. I just started and I finished everything in time. In the afternoon we didn’t have much work left, so then it got better. I just sat and surfed the Internet and worked a little as well.
Tonight I didn’t do anything. Well actually, I prepared dinner for myself, just some pasta, and after that I watched TV and played at my computer, still with my fishes. I also chatted with my friend from the States, which was fun. Tomorrow I don’t have to work, I’ll have to finish my essay and go to class in the evening. The bad thing is that I’ll have to work on Friday. But it’s just a swap, so it’s not too bad.
Really Bad Day at Work, Tomorrow Homework
I had a horrible day at work today. It started really great. I slept until late, as late as possible, I checked my fish (Fish Tycoon), I checked the trains and I left. I saw that there was some delay on my track, but I couldn’t travel otherwise, so I only thought I’d have some delay. Well, I got about half way and then the train wouldn’t go any further. I could go by bus or travel a different route by train. I chose the last option, but I was late for work. I had already called my colleague that he could make sure he got hold of a key. I am usually the one who opens the store, so he doesn’t have a key. Luckily he was able to and the shop opened at time.
So I arrived about 15 minutes late at work today and it was such a mess when I came in. The owner was there already, together with my colleague. There was a lot of work still left from last Saturday. Some jobs were saved for me, which I think my colleagues could have done just as easily. One job was to tell the customer the price of the product, I don’t see why my colleague couldn’t have told him just as easily. Then in the afternoon we had some troubles with the printing machine, with the paper. All photos had a black border at both sides. So we had to change paper again and throw away the rest of the paper, which is worth about 3000 prints. I felt really bad afterwards, although there was nothing I could have done differently.
And now there’s still lots of work left, but I don’t have to work tomorrow, so that’s not all for me.
I was really happy to be at home tonight. I tried to work on my essay, but that didn’t go too well, so I’ll have to finish it tomorrow or the day after. So, no work for me tomorrow, but lots of homework and a Vocab-quiz. And the fruit on the picture is the fruit I told you about yesterday.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Here’s a short weekend-update. Wow, it’s very hard to think of what I did this weekend. Last Friday I cooked, and we went to the market to buy some fruit. One of these days I’ll post the picture I took of it. It’s nothing special; it only looked nice because of all the different colours. Yesterday I didn’t leave the house. I did my grammar homework and I started on my essay. It went pretty well, better than I had expected. It’s a comparative essay, which I have never written before, but I already have an outline how I will write it. Now I only need to write it down. Ow, and I have a new addiction since yesterday. I found the game ‘Fish Tycoon’. It’s a simulation game in which you need to breed your own fish by making them pregnant. The only problem is that it’s in real-time, so I need to wait for hours before my babies are born and matured so that I can sell them or breed further. I even got my bf addicted, so that means something. And yesterday was the grand finale of ‘Idols’ and Raffaëlla, the one on the picture and my favourite, won!!! I didn’t expect her to win, especially because everyone else thought the runner-up, Floortje, would win. But I preferred Raffaëlla, even though she's pregnant, and now she won! I’m so happy for her.
Today I didn’t do too much. I finished my grammar homework and prepared my vocab-quiz of next Tuesday. I bred a lot of fish though :-) That was fun. Tonight was the last episode of Rome of this season. That’s too bad. Now my favourite characters have either died or done something terrible (I don’t want to spoil the clue).
And tomorrow, there’s work again. How I wish life could just consist of weekends and doing homework. Yes, I’m even willing to do homework in my spare time, but if I could just skip the working.
No Electricity at Work, Gulliver
Today was a bit weird day at work. I couldn’t get out of bed this morning and I really wanted to stay in bed and read books and stuff.
I did get to work in time and there was already some work waiting for me. Then this afternoon the electricity just stopped at work. That was a new experience to me. Luckily we weren’t doing anything which caused great problems. There were no films in the developer and no posters being printed, so no disasters happened. We just kept our shop open and we sold some greeting cards and stuff. After half an hour the electricity was back and everything was all right again. I also reinstalled the cash register at our neighbours’. He has the same cash register as us and his settings had been deleted somehow, probably because last night also the electricity had fallen out, that’s my guess at least.
And tonight I watched the last episodes of Rome and America’s Next Top Model. I saw that the first season of Rome will be released on DVD. That’s not really special, but the price is. The price I saw was € 89,99! This is in pre-order, so it might change somewhat, but that’s a whole lot of money.
Tonight I read a summary of Gulliver’s Travels. I’m kind of upset that I didn’t read the whole book. I should have read it completely tomorrow, but I have only read half. But well, we’ll just have to deal with it.
Trade Fair, Classes, Nice Presentation
Here’s a really quick update from me, since I really should be going to bed.
Yesterday I worked and after work we went to a trade fair about digital photography. I always like walking around at these fairs and seeing what the companies have to offer. I don’t have any authority to buy anything, but I like looking around.
This morning I had my usual Pilates class again. I was a bit stiff after not training last week, but it was nice to be there again. This afternoon I stayed at home and I did all my homework for tonight. Well, not all of it, but I was sufficiently prepared for tonight. I also did a lot of the laundry since we were not at home last weekend.
Tonight I had my classes. They were not as bad as last week. My classmate had to do her presentation, actually two of my classmates, but one of them is already a teacher, although not of English, but of another subject. She really did a great job, which is to be expected of a teacher of course, but it was really nice to listen to. Now I’m off to jump in my bed…
Saturday, Sunday, Sims
Well, I am back from the weekend over at my friends’. We had a really nice weekend together. My bf also was with me. We went there yesterday afternoon. It’s a two-hour travel by train, but luckily there weren’t any delays because of the snow or something. Because yes, it has been snowing this week over here. It’s not that bad, but our national Railway-company is kind of sensitive to ‘different weathers’. And different weather can mean snow, rain, wind, almost everything.
But OK, I was at my friends’. We arrived there yesterday, like I said, we watched TV together. We also had a meal together. I don’t even know the English word for it; in Dutch it’s called ‘fondue’. It’s like on the picture, when you stick some piece of meat on a stick and fry it in the pan filled with oil. If anyone knows if this is known outside the Netherlands, please let me know :-)
Then, while eating dinner, we watched ‘Idols’, the Dutch equivalent of ‘American Idol’. And we were all very happy because the worse one was removed and the two best are still in the running. Next week is the big finale and I am pretty curious who’s going to win.
Today, Sunday, we did even less than Saturday. We had breakfast together, really nice with home-made bread, we watched some more TV. In the afternoon a lot of other visitors arrived, varying from friends to family to classmates. And after dinner we left and went back home. And here I played some ‘Sims’ (I got my cheats back after installing the new expansion pack :-))) And now I have to go to bed, cause tomorrow there’s work again…
Class, Sims Open for Business, Tomorrow
Wow, I’m really tired and it’s very late, but I just had to do a quick update. The last couple of days I have worked and I’ve been to my classes. Nothing too special really happened. At work it was a pretty quiet day. The turnover was all right, but not really high either.
My classes tonight about Literature were really boring. I hadn’t prepared too well, so I couldn’t really follow what it was all about. I was really glad when I could go home.
And when I got home I had my new computer game waiting there for me: The Sims Open for Business! That was really cool. Now I have a computer game with which I can simulate my real life work. Am I a workaholic or is it just a lack of social life perhaps? And the worse thing is that it didn’t go that well either. I hired some personnel, but she just wouldn’t work, and the woman was really slow at the cash register. Even I can do it faster than that! But I’m glad with my new game and I hope I’ll be able to find some time to play it this week.
Tomorrow they’re going to air ‘Lost’ again and I hope these are new episodes. Tomorrow morning I have to finish and hand in my essay on ‘Bilingualism’. I asked my teacher in class about it, but she said that my thesis statement wasn’t that bad, as long as my essay referred to it and answered it. And Kathy also helped me a little, so it’s gonna work out all right I think. And after that I have to do my Vocab homework. I didn’t do any last week, and this weekend I’m away, so I need to do it tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to it…
