I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Working while on Dialysis => Topic started by: Bajanne on November 23, 2007, 07:53:32 PM
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As some of you know, my daughter is away at the university in my home country, Barbados. I had expected that I would have been her main source of support while she was there, but my appointment was not renewed after Sept 1. Well, she is staying at a cousin, who lives fairly near the university. Also, my sister gives her pocket money every two weeks. Now, she has decided to come back to the British Virgin Islands, get a job and look after her son and myself. I know she can get a job here. She has an Associate Degree with Honors, but I wanted her to complete her Bachelors and her Masters at least! But she says that she is stressed out, thinking of me and of Chris, and she can always continue her education later.
I am getting something arranged myself. I went to the Minister of Labour, and he was outraged at how I was treated. I told him I didn't want to get back my job, but I wanted him to get me a work permit exemption and to help me get a trade licence where I can do my own thing - tutoring kids, teaching French and arranging tours (french speaking students and adults)
What do you guys think of my daughter's decision?
I forgot to mention that the university at home is practically free (410 per semester), but they don't accept Associate Degrees for credit, just for entry, so she would have to do a full 3 years to complete her degree. If she goes to an American university/college, her grades would be transferable for the most part and she would only do about 2 years.
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I hate to see your daughter do this but I think she is an awesome lady just like her Mom. She is willing to put her life on hold to take the responsibility for her son and to help you out. Things work the way they do for a reason. True family is what it's about. Hugs to both of you. :grouphug;
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I think your daughter is awesome. I also think she can do whatever she feels she needs to do. Right now she thinks you are the most important thing in her life. Enjoy it!
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it's called love and is the reason we're here in the first place. to take care of others and put their needs before our own. be proud that you raised such a wonderful and caring daughter. you are a very lucky woman.
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How proud you are of your daughter! She learned her caring ways from her Mother. Sounds like she needs to be home with you and her son. She loves you and wants to help. It may be too stressful to not be with you while you are dealing with so much. She has to make her own decisions and you have raised her well. Maybe it is time to lean on her a little. You are very blessed.
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I agree, she sounds like a wonderfully responsible and loving person. She can resume school when she feels like she can focus on it and not worry about her family. I know you have dreams for her, but she needs to do what's right for her. I hope everything works out for all of you!
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I have to let you guys know how touched I was reading your responses. thanks for being such a caring family. I have started to come to terms with what she has decided. I have to, anyway.
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One of the hardest things to learn (especially by strong, independent and determined women) is to accept help and gifts from other people. Your wonderful daughter is like her amazing mother, and her spectacular aunt, and is giving you the gift of her time and her love. Accept graciously and tell her you love her too!
I hope the Minister of Labour is able to help you. Sounds like a good plan for you.
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Good for Sam, i am glad she has made that decision, i think with the degree and the knowledge she has, she will find a great job AND be there for her son and for the #1 Woman in her life, YOU, :waving; The Lord works in mysterious ways my friend, you will see, with this decision, things will start falling into place for you all. Thank you for sharing what is going on in your life, you mean the world to us Aurora, we love you :grouphug;
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Yes, she needs to see her son grow up. People put too much emphasis on a piece of paper. You can always learn on your own and if you later take a class you are just that much ahead of the class. She made the right choice. You are one luck Mom.
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Well, both Sam and I got good news this week. My work permit came through and I got it this week. then my work permit exemption has come through as well! If I had waited I would not have had to pay for my work permit. So i will soon start work (for peanuts). Sam was offered the job in a law firm. However, the people dealing with her work permit exemption did something very silly. They wanted her to bring in her former work permit card. Did they call and ask her to bring it? No they mailed all the documents she has already completed with all the things she had to give in. Her new employer wants her to start right away,but she would not be legal, and the Immigration Officer said he could not give her the authorization to work without the exemption.
Now, I need to explain that this is not just snail mail over here. To quote Anne Robinson (Weakest link), it is slower than a snail with a limp!
So she has to be running up and down trying to get that, then to take it back to the Ministry, then to take it to Immigration to get permission to work. We have to be grateful that our country is not on the list of countries that need a visa for this territory, or it would be more time wasted.
I also have heard about a job with the Police Headquarters. They need a Training Coordinator. I would love to get that since I would be back in the Gov. service, with medical insurance, etc. i also just send an email with a cv to a company which needs a parttime office assistant who speaks and writes French. Just my kind of thing.
those of you who pray, please remember Sam and me and all these things to be accomplished in the next few days. also we will need to find an apartment (not easy in this place)
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It sounds like things are headed in the right direction for you all Bajanne :2thumbsup; Start off with peanuts and end up with Cashews or Macadamia Nuts even (we all know how expensive those are) ;) Give it time my friend and it will pay off in the long run, you just keep that beautiful smile of yours and Keep on Keepin' On my friend :cuddle;
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I will be praying for you and the family as you make all these changes, etc.
Glad you got your work permit. I think it is a wonderful thing your daughter is
doing and you are a lfortunate mother. A break from school may be a good thing
and later when things have settled she may decide to go back.
God has a plan and it will all work out.
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Bajanne, I am crossing my fingers and toes that all goes well and Sam's job is secure!
Hopefully you get the job of your dreams! You are very fortunate to have such a daughter
as Sam. I'm not surprised, knowing how you are that she has turned out so well.
I'm glad she's back. You need someone to lean on, she needs to know that you AND
Christopher are safe and happy. And Christopher needs his mom. A winner all around!
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:yahoo; We got an apartment and moved out this weekend. It is a bit small (but the truth is that is looks a bit larger every day), but the price is absolutely right and it is fully furnished!!! Sam says that we are going to stay here until we build our own home here!! What I love is that it is in a country area with a fabulous view and it is very windy. Sam says she has to buy some sweaters, but it is my kind of temperature. Imagine I am sleeping without a fan! We have decided to let Chris stay by his other family a little longer until we are absolutely settled in. He spent the day with us yesterday and really loves the place. He wanted to stay with us. [a bonus - we are now in walking distance of Chris's other home so going and coming is no problem at all!]
I am hoping to hear something from various places this week concerning a full time job. Right now I am making some money tutoring, thank goodness.
But Sam is now the real breadwinner and feeling very proud. We were both pleasantly surprised when the firm paid her at the end of the month when she had only been there a week and it was enough to pay our first month's rent and to buy bed linen and curtains and those kinds of things which make the place your own!
The friend I was staying at gave us (gave, not lent) the money for the deposit! (Maybe she was so glad to get her apartment completely back!)
So many things have just worked out for us in the last few weeks! It is amazing! We give thanks to the Lord! The apartment belongs to the mother of one of Sam's girlfriends. She was going to raise the rent when the last tenant left, but because it is Sam she kept it at the same price.
Another friend has an unfinished apartment and she said that she will not be finishing it for a while and we are free to store our stuff which can't fit into the new apartment. Praise the Lord!
It would take me too long to tell you guys the number of things that just fell into place and worked out for us recently. Even my tyre - a real problem these days. we went to a garage to have them change the tyre because we were seeing the steel threads and we were just going to have them put on the spare. While there, the guy said they had a used tyre in excellent condition which we could get (free!) We usually pay $40 for used tyres.
Thanks to all you who have remembered my situation in your caring thoughts and prayers. Things are certainly looking up.
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YAY!!!!!! Bajanne, this is wonderful news!! God has blessed you abundantly!!! :yahoo; :yahoo;
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I love hearing this news Aurora - you deserve to have a break with all you're been through. And isn't Sam incredible? Just like her mom! Best of luck in your new home!
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very happy for you...Boxman
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You certainly deserve all the blessings that have come your way, finally! I can hear (read) the joy in your post. Sam is a great daughter and loves you very much. May your new home be filled with love and joy everyday. :grouphug;
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So glad to hear things are working out for all three of you! :yahoo;
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Very Good News Bajanne ! :grouphug;
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Glad things are working out for you & Sam :thumbup;
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Good for you two! Things have there way of working out, don't they? Hopefully it won't take long to get back to where you were before all this started.
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I'm so glad things are working out well now, after all you've been through. You daughter is amazing -- someone must have raised her right ;) Hope you get the job you want very soon.
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Glad you are getting settled in and things are falling into place for you.
Praying that the perfect job comes through for you.
It is amazing how the Lord works things out and supplies our needs.
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I am so glad to hear this- you deserve some good luck! :clap;
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so happy things are working out for you all :yahoo;
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On Monday I had an interview at the Tourist Board - they need people to man their information desk at the cruise ship dock (the same gazebo where I was to meet Livecam!). It went very well, and since it is a part-time job, it can fit in very well with my dialysis and the other things i am doing. They said that they pay $7.50 but for multilingual staff (that's me!) they pay $12.50. Sounds good to me!
I am now doing so many different things. Tuesdays and Thursdays I spend 2 hours at the Montessori school teaching kids Spanish. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, I tutor high school kids. Saturdays, I have a French class with three 5 year olds! During his lunchtime, I am doing English with an accountant from Argentina who is living here. Now his wife wants me to teach her French!
Little bits, but they all add up.
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Sounds like you are keeping busy, and I am glad you are able to make some income. God Bless you and all those you meet :thumbup;
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I had no idea that Sam was there to help you Aurora. She is a wonderful young woman as I can attest from the day we all met. It is good that things are falling into place for the whole family. Congratulations on your new place, Sam's job, your job(s), and for the good friends you have on Tortola.
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Good to hear things are turning around for you. :2thumbsup; Thanks for sharing with us. :cuddle;
Edited: Corrected Icon error - Bajanne, Moderator
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And thanks to you all too, for your encouragement and caring words. I love my IHD family!
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You are loved by all of us :grouphug;
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Bajanne, I so hope you get the job at the tourist board!! It sounds as if the assortment of jobs is
better for your health, than one full time job would be!!
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Fingers and toes crossed for you Bajanne!
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Psim, you can uncross the fingers and toes! :yahoo; I GOT THE JOB!!!! The only thing is that such good news has come at a time when I am feeling the way I am. But I am grateful. And my daughter also got the news that her work permit exemption is renewed, so she is working legally. All this happened today. But today is also the day my mother would have been 100 if she was alive. She died 8 years ago at 92.
So I have all kinds of mixed feelings today.
thanks, IHD family for all your caring thoughts and prayers and your wonderful encouragement. I love my IHD family :grouphug;
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:bandance; :2thumbsup; :waving; :yahoo;
Great! So happy to hear good news bajanne - I am so pleased!
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You deserve all the good things that are coming your way. So glad everything is working out :thumbup;
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Glad you had some good news on this special anniversary - I'm sure your mother is looking down on you and saying "good on you girl" and you know Susie would be happy for you :cuddle;
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SO glad you got the job - congratulations!!! :thumbup;
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Bajanne - big time congratulations!! 'bout time you had some good news.
Hugs
Sandyb
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It sounds like things are finally picking up for you! :grouphug;
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Yay Bajanne!!!!!! <uncrossing fingers and toes so I can do the banana victory dance> :bandance; :bandance; :bandance; :bandance;
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Well, I must update you guys. I don't only work at the cruise ship dock, I also work at the airport. I am really enjoying the job. I have been getting very appreciative comments about the work I am doing. The season is slowing down now, so I will be mainly at the airport, so the income will be a bit reduced, but it is all good to me. What a difference from my September to January income!
BTW, my daughter's first day at her job (which is going very well) was my birthday Jan 23, and my first day at my job was my daughter's birthday Feb 18. How's that for coincidences!
Sam is deciding to do her law degree online with the University of London. She will get a Diploma in Law after one year and then she will be second year for the Bachelor of Laws degree. We are aware that doing it like that is going to take much organization and motivation. But it can be done. And this is not a bogus diploma mill. This university has been doing overseas degrees from the days when all was by mail and with gestetner copied scripts! that was how people in the Ehglish-speaking Caribbean got degrees when there was no university and it was difficult to go overseas. University of London has been doing this for 150 years!
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What good news; it sounds like the road has smoothed out for all of you. I am so glad you like your job and I am sure everyone LOVES you. Sam seems to have a good plan. You two are a great team :thumbup;
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Glad you are both happy with the way things are going, sounds good to me. Just have to say that Feb 18th is my son's birthday too, he has at last found the uni course he loves - after 3 false starts and dropouts! He graduates this June - just needs to find a job now!!
:bunny:
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Things are looking up for you Aurora - you deserve it! :clap;
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You sure do deserve to have some breaks, I'm glad you're getting them, too!!! And congrats on Sam going to college (via online, but still!!!).
She's your daughter, she'll do well, we know that!!!
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I think with your positive attitude and your faith you could make just about anything work out. And congratulations on your wonderful daughter.
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Well, I applied since September for a Trade Licence. I asked for a licence for tutoring and language services. Two weeks ago, I phoned them to find out about it. I was told that i need approval from the Ministry of Education (understandably), but they could have told me that months ago. I sent a letter to the Dep. of Education. I started calling them on Friday and will continue. I was told that from the time they get the approval from Education, it will take me 4 to 6 weeks to get the licence. When I get it, I will then be able to advertise my services.
I plan to tutor for our High School Diploma, and then hold French classes, and English classes for non-english speakers.
I will also be coordinating language tours for students from the French-speaking islands (I already have one lined up for July/August).
Along with my part-time Information Officer job, I will be able finally to get my financial situation under some kind of control!
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Bon courage et bonne chance. Je suis sure que votre fille vous ressemble beaucoup par sa personalite et par le fait qu'elle s'occupe du bien-etre de sa famille et de ses proches peut-etre plus que le sien. Sans doute son contentement vient de faire ce qu'elle peut pour rendre la vie un tout petit peu plus facile pour vous. Vous devriez etre tres tres fiere d'elle. (Veuillez excusez le fait que je n'ai pas mis d'accents dans ce petit mot mais je ne sais pas comment le faire avec cet ordinateur. Etant donne que je suis au Canada et que le pays est cense etre bilingue et que j'ai achete cette machine ici ....on aurait pense que la chose irait de soi....
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:bandance; hehe bajanne je viens de découvrir comment faire marcher les accents . Quelle bonne surprise et grâce à vous. Merci mon amie.
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is this a PM or can we all read it
translation?
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Sorry about that (no translation) . Bajanne had welcomed me on this site in french so when I was reading this thread about her situation I replied in french.
Translation
Good luck and hang in. Sounds like your daughter is like you and that she worries about her family as much, maybe more than herself. It must make her feel good to be able to do whatever she can to make your life a little easier. You must be proud of her.
Then I apologize that there weren't any accents in my post because I didn't know how to access them on my computer.
Next post tells her that I figured out how to do the accents because writing to her in french made me have to figure it out. :oops;
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I'm just jealous, the only other language I know is redneck. :keefer: :mysty:
and three years of Spanish, most Texas schools do everything in Spanish and English
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:bandance; hehe bajanne je viens de découvrir comment faire marcher les accents . Quelle bonne surprise et grâce à vous. Merci mon amie.
There is a very easy way to do accents. It works on most computers, but there are some laptops which don't seem to be able to do it. It is all with holding the ALT key, inputting a number and releasing. Here are some of the most used foreign accents. (After a time, you get to know them by heart)
I will place them here and in the Off-Topic Section as well.
The following accents and symbols are accessed by holding down [ALT], typing in the number, and releasing.
À……….0192 Â………..0194 È……….0200 É……….0201
Ê……….0203 Ù………..0217 Û……….0219 Ç..........128
ü..........129 é..........130 â..........131 ä..........132
à..........133 ç..........135 ê...........136 ë..........137
è..........138 ï..........139 î............140 ì..........141
æ..........145 Æ.........146 œ……..0156 ô..........147
ö..........147 ò..........149 û..........150 ù..........151
ÿ..........152 Ö..........153 Ü..........154 ¢..........155
£..........156 €..........0128 á..........160 í..........16
ó..........162 ú..........163 ñ..........164 Ñ..........165
ª..........166 º..........167 ¿..........168 ½..........171
¼..........172 ¾………0190 ¡..........173 «..........174
»..........175 |............179 ………0127 … ………..0133
† ………0134 ‡…………0135 ‰……0137 Œ…………0140
•…………0149 ™…………0153 ¥…………0165 §…………0167
©…………0169 ®………0174 ±…………0177 ²…………0178
³…………0179 ¶…………0182 ¹…………0185 Ó…………0211
Ô…………0212 Õ…………0213 Ö…………0214 Ø…………0216
NOTE WELL: Do not press all the numbers at one time. Hold down the ALT, press the numbers one after the other and then release ALT.
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Thanks. Actually I have a Mac and it's easier than that even. Just alt and one other key, no numbers. I wish I spoke spanish. Understand a fair bit but not nearly enough to really count.
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Well, folks, I hesitated to give you an update because it is as if I am taking you for my roller-coaster ride where employment is concerned. The Tourist Board in this country has been going through major problems. At the end of June, all of us who are part-time information officers (that is, all except two who are full-time) were laid off, given two weeks salary and let go. Then the director of the Tourist Board was put on 6 months suspension. The person who is acting in her place happens to be the daughter of a dear friend.
And at the same time, that was the beginning of summer so all the tutoring came to an end. So I had no personal income for the summer months, except for a tour of Guadeloupan students that I coordinated. [Thank God for my daughter!]
Now I have got back my job teaching French part time at our Community College. I will also be starting back the tutoring. Then my friend's daughter saw my daughter and told her I would soon be getting some good news. she also told me that when she saw me last week. It probably means that they will rehire me for the tourist season which starts Oct-Nov.
My daughter signed up with University of Phoenix to finish her bachelor's degree online, and for her first course got a B+ (that is not a pass in her books, but in mine :yahoo;)
All I can say is that I thank God that i have a roof over my head, and have never gone hungry a day!
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:yahoo; bajanne, that is such wonderful news. Now you will be super busy. :cuddle; Give your daughter a big :grouphug; from us.
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Great news and thanks for sharing it with us. Life really is a roller coaster, with lots of ups if we can only hang on through the downs.
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Bajanne, you always look at every situation with a positive light. It sounds like the fall will be much better for you. :grouphug;
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:waving; Great Aurora! You deserve the some good news!
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Well, the cruise ship season has started and they gave me back my job as a multi-lingual Information Officer. There is now the possibility that I might have a full-time job. I am also teaching French 100 at our community college, and next semester I will be teaching French 100 and French 101. This will allow Samano to really plow ahead with her online bachelor's degree, since I will be able to help with the rent. She has finished two course and got B+ and A so far. We have also heard of a three-bedroom house available to rent very near to where we are living and the rent should not be much more than we are paying now. Just waiting and hoping........
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:clap; bajanne. That is wonderful news. Keep us updated. :cuddle;
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Waiting, hoping and praying--it is time for good things to happen. Congratualtions to Sam on her wonderful grades! :grouphug;
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What good news indeed. Wishing Sam continued success with her courses and you with work. :cuddle;
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This is great news, so pleased for you.
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sounds good :thumbup;
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Some good news!
I had a work permit which allowed me to stay until Dec 14. As the time approached, I was a bit nervous since i don't have a full-time job and immigration here is VERY strict! Also I never worked one day with the lady who got me my work permit last year, in the first place!
I was hoping for a fulltime job with the Tourist Board before my time expired. I spoke to my supervisor. She said they can't do any fulltime hiring as yet and she would get the director to write a letter asking for time for me. I told her it would not work since they don't grant time for part-time jobs. She still insisted and brought me the letter.
I made an appointment to see the Chief Immigration Officer on Monday. I went there in fear and trembling. He scolded me a bit for not letting them know that I wasn't working with the lady. But he took the letter from the Tourist Board, and on the basis of that, i was granted a year's stay, which is renewable every year! And on top of that, because it is a government job, I didn't even have to pay the usual $25 fee to renew your status!!
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That is good news, lovely to hear it. :yahoo;
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You totally deserve this Bajanne and what a nice pre-Christmas gift. :cuddle;
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great news! :cuddle;
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That must be such a relief! Congrats! :clap;
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Alright Bajanne! Work, work, work now!
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:yahoo; happy dance, happy dance :yahoo;
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Well, the house deal fell through. it seems there was a lot of work to be done to fix it up and a friend of the lady's said he would work on it and live there. So that killed it for us. I worked a great deal during the holidays and so my pay check was quite nice at the end of the year.
Because of how many days i worked, my supervisor decided she would give me a week off. I looked at the ship schedule and saw that the Wed and Fri there would be ships in with many francophone tourists. She said the other girls could do it (they both did 2 semesters at community college - beginners and intermediate French). I know they can tell tourists how much a tour costs and how long it lasts and how much for the bus to the beach etc. But I know they can't answer deeper questions.
Well, when I came back to work, the guys from the Port Authority were complaining and threatening to go to the top to complain. The girls tried but got into real problems dealing with the tourists. I knew it would happen. (and French people are not very tolerant of people not handling their language properly, right, Monrein?)
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Right Bajanne. I'd say that the French have elevated crabby rudeness to the nth degree but at least they practice it indiscriminately with everyone, including their fellow citizens. I find it somewhat amusing.
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Right Bajanne. I'd say that the French have elevated crabby rudeness to the nth degree but at least they practice it indiscriminately with everyone, including their fellow citizens. I find it somewhat amusing.
I am going to France next week and will surely test them out. :)
Here's my intro script:
Bonjour madame. Je ne parle pas Francais. Parlez vous Anglaise? (any suggestions for improvement, with translations, will be appreciated!)
Then I know how to ask for a hotel room with a bathroom and such, the check at dinner and some of the most basic of information.
Once, by mistake, I asked the police officer outside Le Louvre if he spoke French. :rofl; My son will still not let me forget that.
I also learned not to say that I speak a little French, because then everyone launches into a conversation that is way past me.
Most of the French folks I have met in shops and such will barely admit to knowing English, but often speak and understand quite well.
I don't think of the French as being rude, just French!
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Bonjour Madame (ou (or) Monsieur), je ne parle pas le français. Parlez-vous l'anglais. (if you add an e to anglais, then it means an Englishwoman).
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AlohaBeth is brushing up on some French phrases. One of the phrases on the CD is "the drugs aren't mine"! Hope she doesn't need that one! Pelagia, how long will you be there? Beth leaves the 29th and will be in Paris a month.
Bajanne, Beth needs you to teach her French!
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Bonjour Madame (ou (or) Monsieur), je ne parle pas le français. Parlez-vous l'anglais. (if you add an e to anglais, then it means an Englishwoman).
thanks! you can see how rusty my French is. I also managed one time to tell a French bass player something that made him turn red. I was trying to tell him that I really enjoyed his playing. God only knows what I said. Luckily Stephen was standing not too far away, so the guy didn't think I was trying to pick him up or anything like that. :rofl;
I leave next Thursday for a long weekend in Paris with three friends (can you imagine that?! :yahoo;) and then on Monday we all go to Nice by train. We are all marine ecologists and we are all presenting papers at a scientific conference. I come home from Nice on Friday Jan 31st. Nice will be fun to, but not as much fun as Paris. This will be my third trip to Paris, but first time I get to go shopping :yahoo;.
And as of tonight, I still do not have a talk to present, so it's going to be a long weekend. I have been plugging away at the computer for days crunching numbers and analyzing data. I am looking at how climate variables like El Nino and the North Atlantic Oscillation affect a part of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and what it might mean for restoration efforts. It's a lot of numbers! Have to take a break every once in awhile to visit IHD :)
Bajanne - sorry for hijacking your thread!
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No problem at all - my pleasure.
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BTW there is a cute site online where you can print out a little travel guide in French. You can also listen pronunciation online.
It is www.single-serving.com. when you get there, choose French. it is very helpful
Bon courage!
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that's a great site Bajanne! thanks for the pointer. :cuddle;