Two Months and Nothing to Report

It has really been a while since my last Blog post, nearly two months. What have I been doing all this time, you might ask if your gave a da...For those interested in my epic job centre series. I finally had my appointment on the 26 of September, where the lady was not that convinced by what I presented. She decided to sent me for coaching for three months. This has literally included being told that I needed to get a better photo. No black suits please (anthracite or dark blue) and only white and dark blue shirts. No funny pastel colours, mind you!. And please try and smile on the photograph. Well I now have a nice new photo. But my CV, although in its second version still needs to be fined toned. I can now look forward to a workshop on how to present myself at interviews, and a “mock” interview. I imagine it would be too sarcastic to say, that I had been to interviews in Germany before. When I explained my vision to the chap he thought very little of it and decided we should pursue the least creative of the solutions. So an exciting time has been had by all. The excitement will carry on until the end of December. And then no doubt I will have to go back to the job center and again register as unemployed. One is not considered unemployed if one has been sent for some sort of (useful) training….

 I have been having fun with technology this morning. The one laptop is not working probably and the other one is old and slow. Combined with the anti-virus software and its desire to update all the software all the time, it is nothing but a joy to work on, as it has no processing power left.

I am reading the second book in the Hunger Games Series. Although, it is a bit late. The movie is out soon, but this is not really my motivation. The only thing that irritates me about the book is the endless mentioning of food. As a militant vegetarian, I get very irrigated reading about all the murdered animals they are eating. That said it is fairly good and I have about 50 pages to go to finish book no. 2 then there is still book no. 3.

Most of the leaves have fallen of the trees. It is unseasonably warm at the moment, although Sunday should be a bit cooler. When you have nothing to say, talk about the weather. We had the general election here at the end of September. As well as, the provincial elections in Hessen, yawn.  But although Mother Merkel did win the most seats, she needs a coalition partner. That is quite normal in Germany. One party seldom has enough seats to rule alone. I do not imagine we will have a new govt until the end of the year. But they do so little here anyway, that nobody notices anyway.

I the last movie that I saw here was the Great Gatsby. I meant to go and see Superman, but somehow did not. I think it is on DVD already, so I can watch it that way. I should (yes, I live in the land of Should, although I should not) get my butt off to see Thor 2, for no other reason than the Great, Tom Hiddleston playing  Loki. 

I think I like you.

I thought it best to post something here, even if it is not that riveting.

The Next Chapter: Job Center Epic

I have not posted for a while because I have been busying collecting information for a further meeting at the Job Centre, Wiesbaden. It turns out that I was not actually registered as unemployed because I had asked for consultation about what training options were available to me. At my two meetings in June and July the possibility of training was not addressed. So about three weeks ago, I contacted them again and requested a training voucher. I was referred to a different person this time – I assume a person who deals with people who have business degrees rather than those with degrees in the Humanities. I, of course, have both kinds. I spoke to the person responsible for the business studies and was told that I need to come in and register as unemployed. And once I had done that, I would then be able to see this person, but only at the end of September. I mean time I was to collect information about training courses, their duration and cost for my meeting on the 26 of September.

The first education supplier was not convinced that any of their courses would actually improve my chances of finding employment. The lady in question has now sent me a selection of options; some are clearly less useful than others. The second place I approached, only provides telephonic consultation. But I now have a training proposal from them as well.

In order to cover all the options, last week I visited a training school that provides re-training, with an average duration of at least two years. They offer a number of courses, again some being less suitable than others. However, given the costs involved it seems unlikely that this will be the selected solution. There was however, at least one useful suggestion made: that I should get my South African university degrees recognised in Germany.

In order to do this you have to send in certified copies of your certificates. I spend most of yesterday morning sorting this out. When I finally found the right person, I was of course confronted with peoples’ refusal to queue. A woman, certainly no lady, decided that she was far more important than I was. She did not feel the need to wait her turn. And although, I thought of all sorts of interesting [and impolite] things to say to her; I decided that anyone who had no manners, was simply beneath my dignity. She left there, no doubt, feeling very clever about how she had gotten away with pushing in. I left there with my certified documents and my dignity in tact.

Tomorrow the information gathering continues, as I am going to the local university to discuss the suitability of two of their business programmes. In the meantime I have also researched part-time distance learning courses. So by the time the 26 of September finally arrives I will be well prepared for my meeting at the Job Centre, Wiesbaden.

And because this has been such an interesting (sic) post, I am posting a picture to liven it up a bit.

My favourite "Bad Guy", Tom Hiddleston as Loki from Thor and the Avengers.