Settling in (reluctantly)

It makes no sense at all. Here, in Washington, D.C., the same resume/CV is getting interviews and calls for appointments. I'm the same person that I was in Holland. The economy is drastically worse here than there. I'm not complaining, certainly. I'm thrilled to think that I'll likely soon have a job, after three months of fruitless applications in Holland. I have a small network within law, and that is helping. The only difference I can think of is that here it's illegal to ask one's age, and as a citizen, I'm legal to work here. There, they can and do ask age. One's age is linked to salary levels. Being a non-EU citizen, from the start, any employer would have to pay me more than a younger employee and also pay for a work permit (a few hundred Euros). So, that's employment. I have one telephone interview this week and another 'get-acquainted' chat and an invitation to audition for a singing job, so this is great progress and some testament to both the legal staffers' network and also to the singer's network.

I know that I sound ungrateful, and that's not it. It's just culture shock. One can't have it all, and I've had a choice made for me, and just have to deal with it. I do miss speaking Dutch, though! And having fresh, CHEAP flowers each week. And paying almost nothing for a beer. And riding my bike everywhere.

Right: this is boring and not productive. I'll stop.