"Highly Skilled Migrant"

This epitet, far-flung friends, is my latest title! I had a brief meeting with the HR young man of my law firm this afternoon, and the good news is that the firm will apply for a work permit for me (I may make history, as the first non-attorney to get a work permit). Apparently, this is the title that designates uniquely qualified people of a certain income. The 'certain income' has yet to happen, but I'm assured that it will. I told him that I felt like a very talented fruit picker!

Timing is all, as always. And supply and demand. My speaking Dutch and having a lot of legal experience provides the fit, in this situation. The practice of Dutch law is *very* different than British or American. I'm working in a British firm, in the banking group, but working with generic corporate legal documents, in Holland. Dutch law has a category of legal professional called "notaris", which bears no relation to the American concept of notary public. There are separate businesses here that employ the "notaris". I don't know enough yet to explain the difference, but will report in, when I do.

It's interesting (and often amusing) to see again the types that always seem to be present in a big law firm. There's the diva young associate, who thinks that her calls (from the Paris office) are vital to one of our attorneys. She throws fits if she can't get through instantly. There's the staffer who palms off work that would take her about a minute, but instead spends 15 explaining the task being handed off. There usually is a diva partner, but so far, so good.

And tax here is wild! In the U.S., one never sees on legal bills any tax amounts. In Holland, tax is billed on legal services, and it's stiff! Amazing.

Sorry: anyone still breathing? Tax is not my thing, but it was shocking not to see it on a legal bill.

I had lunch today with my delightful Russian co-worker, Tatiana, who explained where her two young children had been spending the last couple of weeks, in Russia. It's a sort of combination resort/camp, for children. It's not a resort and not a camp, but has all sorts of recreation for children, supervised by adults. It's not fancy, but not rustic, either. It sounded wonderful, and I wanted to go! Tatiana is about 5'10" and quite stunning: honey-blond layered hair, big brown eyes, lovely skin and very bright. Her English is enchanting. We all speak Dutch in the office, but at lunch we speak English, to help her maintain her English. She was a simultaneous translater before she started in law.

From Thursday, I will have a UK vacation until the 14th. It's been years, I think, since my last real vacation (I don't count three-day weekends). I'll be based at my generous London cousin's, who conveniently lives quite near Heathrow, in Chiswick. I'll fly up to Durham (near the Scottish border) to see the remarkable cathedral and sites there. I found a nice B&B on the cathedral grounds, for only 27 pounds.

Also on the list is a visit to a friend on the south coast, near Hastings. I loved visiting Rye a few years ago and hope to discover more of the same. Then, there are London's galleries (more Rembrandt!), including the Tate Modern. And theatre, I hope. And more of the endless list of wonders that London offers.

Then, my first "civil partnership" ceremony, at a London registry office, with a bubbly reception after, which should be real fun. The friends being joined are very dear friends, and it will be as emotional as any wedding. I look forward to meeting other of the couple's friends and family.

And lovely, open weekends with my young male cousins (10 and 12, I think), who are very active (sports fanatics). I hope to introduce them to a new hobby, "geo-cacheing", which is basically a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt, but done with a hand-held GPS unit and some clues. The caches (treasures) are all over the world. There are thousands of them. When one finds a cache, one signs the tiny log book, leaves a new cache, and takes one that's in the box. I was introduced to all this on my trip to Scotland earlier this month, and it was really fun. It's also a great way to get outside, walk around, see nature, learn to follow a sort of compass, and have a clever adventure. There are, of course, web sites on this, and a site on which to post one's comment on the caches.

So, life here keeps changing, dramatically. It's all good, but I'm moving through milestones fairly quickly! Of the many pleasures of living here, I've learned that 25 vacation days are guaranteed to all employees in Holland! That's five WEEKS of vacation. People here take either long summer holidays, or a nice one four times a year. In the States, vacation allotments have been shaved, from fairly normal of three weeks in the '80s, to now combining "annual"/vacation leave with medical leave, and THEN paring down that paltry amount. Here, employees also pay into the vacation money, but a small amount. Then, come vacation time, guess what? One is given holiday money!!!! Who could ask for anything more?

'bye for now, Pamela





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