Working stiff

So I'm a pessimist. Well, I finally have good news to share! Got a phone call today, and I've been offered the job! Woohoo! Not a bad salary for here in Holland, I should be quite comfortable, and the company will also pay for my travel expenses. Yes! They just have to ask for approval from the US office to hire me. And okay, pessimist that I am, some small part of my mind is telling me not to get excited because the US office may not approve my getting hired, but the recruiter called me today and told me the company was offering me a job, so that's official ... isn't it??

So I hopped on the back of Marnix's bike and he pedaled me out to the tax office so I could get my so-fi number. It seems to be the same as a social security number, though I must say, it was quite simple to get since I have my verblijfsvergunning already. Just had to show proof that I was legally staying here, the guy punched all kinds of numbers into a computer, went into a back room and came out a few minutes later, my new so-fi number in hand. Wow.

Oh and by the way, riding on the back of someone's bike is admittedly faster than walking, but boy oh boy, those iron bars I was sitting on were biting into my thighs! Ouch! I just know I'm gonna have bruises later...

Then off to the post office to open up my very own bank account. Scary! I finally feel like I'm living here in Holland! Just wait until I find an apartment I can afford and move in. Heh. I'll finally feel like I'm not on vacation anymore.

Then to the grocery store, where I found a really nice little candle holder of a distinctly oriental design. On top of the box was written the kanji "fuku", which means happiness. It seemed fated that I should find it today in order to buy it - well, if I believed in that sort of thing... so 3,5 guilders later I had my very own happiness candle holder. Yippee!

And then? Well, home again, home again, jiggity jig. And let's all raise our glasses to toast my new job in localization/QA testing/web maintenance. At least, I think that's what I'll be doing. *chortle*

But wait. What have I done!? Now I'm going to have to wake up early in the morning. No more sleeping in until early afternoon...
Noooooooooo!
*grin*