I have been here a month and the time has gone by rather quickly. I finally have my banking sorted out and am still trying to get all the utilities in my name. The person who lived here before me had his utilities paid by the landlord. However I was able to get a break on the rent if I took care of the utilities, which means I have to take everything out of the landlords name and put it in mine (my landlord now lives in New York). This however is not as easy to accomplish here as it is in the states. Then again I know how the system work there, not here. To switch the electricity and gas, ENECO the company that is responsible for providing these services, sent me a contract to fill out. This also requires me to read the meters and send the meter readings back to them. Mind you all the paper work is in Dutch. Thank goodness for apples dashboard translator application, I have used it more then I thought possible. I found the electric meter, but I have no clue where the gas meter is. My co-workers said it should be right by the other meters though I can’t seem to find it. I will have to email my landlord for this one.

Next the water company; now they required me to fill out an application on line, again in Dutch, though most of it was fairly easy to figure out what they were asking. I did need one of my Dutch co-workers to get me to the right page on the water company’s web site though. Other wise I never would have found it. The meter I found out is under the carpet in the entryway. After getting the carpet up I had to pry open the wooden covering and was just hoping I would only find the water meter and nothing else. After taking the reading I sent off the application and will see if I filled it out right. The cable is the last thing I need to put in my name and this is proving to be a bit more challenging. I called the cable company up and was told that I need to write a letter indicating the change and both my landlord and I have to sign it. Well with him in New York, this is another challenge.

Other then all of this admin stuff, life has been pretty good. Work is going really well. One of my Dutch co-workers calls me “the American dream” because I have caught on quickly and everyone is happy with my work. I get to go solo next Thursday. I have to tell everyone how nice it is to be working for a non-profit organization. The UN is just as corporate as any other large company; the difference is they really do care about the work force. I sat in on an ITSS unit meeting the second week I was here. I’m in the AV department and we are part of a bigger unit called ITSS. The unit boss laid out what was ahead for the departments over the next few months (like any other department meeting). The big difference is he wanted to make sure that no one was feeling over worked because he wanted to make sure that all of us felt like we were able to give the best costumer service with out feeling stressed about it. And he really meant it. I’m not use to this.

This past Friday I had a rather interesting day at work. I watched how serious everyone took their job. During the breaks in between the court sessions I was watching the security guards looking after the courtroom. Whenever anyone walked in the guards were watching them to make sure everything was OK and no one was looking at papers they should not be looking at. Then before the accused was brought back into the courtroom, one of the guards would check around where the accused sets to make sure everything was safe and in order. I know this is serious business; it was in lighting to really observe the process.

This past week I also got to see the defense witnesses being torn to shreds by the prosecution. And then watch the judge’s pond on them when they try to dance around questions. I also saw some really disturbing photos that were admitted into evidence, basically bodies of people who had been drug out of houses and shot. And if that was not enough, also run over by a tank.

OK enough of that and on to some fun stuff. Now like any other place, when the cat is away the mice will play. Of course this involves drinking. On Thursday there was a birthday celebration for Richard, one of the techs. Now this included cake and beer, at noon. I had court, so I had cake and passed on the beer. On Friday our supervisor was gone. This meant that after morning court was done, everyone available between the tech core and the directors started a LAN game (one of their favorite fighting games). After each round everyone went into the tech core for a shot of whisky. Again I passed because Richard was having a birthday Halloween/disco party at his house that night, and there would be opportunity for more drinking and I did not want to start at 4 in the afternoon. I don’t want to make this sound like all these people do is drink and party. Everyone is very dedicated and hard working, this is the way everyone releases the stress of the job. After having a rough day in court, this is a good way to put it all behind. And because it is done after the work is done, the bosses don’t care.

Later that night Frank, Kristina and I prepared ourselves for Richard’s party. I brought three pairs of devil horns that I collected from the country fair, so each of us had a set to wear. Frank and I each carved a pumpkin to bring because no one out side of the USA has a clue how to carve a pumpkin. After donning our horns, we lit our pumpkins, strapped them onto the back of our bikes and took off for Richard’s. It was fun riding through the streets of The Hague wearing horns with Jack-o-lanterns flying behind us. We looked a little like “the headless bike men”. And yes it was a late night.

On a personal note, Kristina and I have started doing Bikram yoga, the type of yoga that is done in a 105-degree room. We call it torture, though have decided it is worth going. Our goal is to make three times a week. Wish us luck!

Cheers and wishing everyone well

Kim