Tears of frustration

Okay, perhaps not quite the tears, but I can tell you, I am not far off! And this time it doesn't even have to do with my hands, which is even more frustrating. It has to do with a simple pink card.

As you know I lived in Norway for a few years. And while in Norway, I had to have my driver's license renewed. I got all the necessary paperwork in order, went to the department that issued the licenses and then waited until the Dutch authorities gave a positive answer and got my Norwegian license. Then I moved to the UK.

In the UK I had to exchange my license within a year and I was on my way of getting the paperwork done when I moved back to the Netherlands. Where it wasn't necessary to exchange until the license was out of date. Which is December of this year. However...

When in Norway, it took some time to validate my license and to beat that, I made sure I had plenty of time before I had to renew in order to avoid problems. Two weeks ago I got my final course work done, three days ago I had my physical. Everything was in order, everything was fine. Yesterday I went to my local council to renew my Norwegian license to a Dutch one. 

As in Norway, I had to leave my license behind. They have to physically check whether it's valid or not with the Norwegian authorities. In Norway I was issued a piece of paper saying that I was allowed to drive the vehicle categories stated on the paper during the duration. Only in Norway (and Sweden and Denmark), but as that was where I was living anyway, that wasn't a problem. I could still drive and since I do that for a living...

Not so in the Netherlands. No document is issued saying I can drive for the duration of the checks right up to the point of my new Dutch license. If I were to drive, I were to do so uninsured. Which is one thing when you only drive to and from work (and I wouldn't do it then), it's another completely when it is your actual job. Anything goes wrong and both me and the company would be in big doodah!

Which means: I cannot drive. I cannot do my job. So, I checked. Was it correct? Was there a way around this? Short answer: NO. Long answer: DEFINITELY NO. The department won't even tell me how far they are in processing my stuff and there is no way of chasing anybody up, as they won't tell where and how.

Instead of going back to normalcy next week, of getting back into the flow of things, I am grounded yet again. Not sick, but on holiday this time.

PS: Just so you know: I waited 9 months for a Norwegian license. 

The state of affairs part 1

With new buses comes a new uniform, even though the dark blue is a remnant of the old one as the new one has still not arrived.

There are a few things I have neglected to tell you about for the past month and I felt it was time to remedy that. Starting with electricity.

I can see you thinking now: electricity? What? Have I touched a live wire and gone doolally? No, but I have gone electric. Well, not me personally of course, but the company I work for. Starting on December 13th, I now drive for the company with the largest electric bus fleet of the world. It will be overtaken I am sure, but for now, we're it!

New routes as well. In the top left you can see an arrow, click on that square and the whole screen is taken over by navigation. Especially handy on new routes.

Going electric has actually been quite nice as far as I am concerned. I have managed to get back to base every time (although once it was touch and go), I have not been freezing my feet off and in general I quite like the new buses, especially the navigational tool for the new routes we have. 

Of course there are always things that don't quite work from the word go. As I said, I have managed to return to base, but some of my colleagues have not been so lucky. Tow truck and service cars followed. 

I had 7,5% left in the 'tank'. Below 5 it would have been dire.

The one thing missing is a radio, which will be installed at a later date. During the Christmas holidays I used my phone to listen to the radio and it ate all my money. It was an expensive outing. The next day I had learned: use the bus' wifi and it worked a treat. The day after not so much and I lost even more money (I am on prepaid). I now use my iPod where I can listen to numbers by David Bowie to Glenn Miller, Sesame Street to Led Zeppelin, Dutch, Portuguese, African, Eurovision and a whole lot more.

As I said I have been okay, others perhaps less so and I think it is only due to the fact that we are now on Corona limiting services that allow the company to iron out the problems easier than it would have been had a full service been running. We will get there though!

On the plus side

Yes, this work thing is quite tiring. Last week I was in bed by a ridiculous early time to recover from my first week. That is not going to happen this week: I am on lates, so not normally home until well after midnight. Mind you, that also means I can have a lie-in in the morning. Provided a certain Miss O isn't hungry (which she always is).

I am slowly getting used to the daily routine of going to work again. I am still in the learning stages though. Some of the routes are easier to learn than others. Some routes are already in my head but then I get distracted and nearly go wrong anyway. Only thanks to my mentor saying: 'we should turn right here', did I avoid going wrong last night. 

But I am getting there. Apart from one route in town that I have only done once so far, I know all the main routes now. There are still some out of town routes that need some attention, one I haven't done at all and another which is just plain difficult in my opinion. It is getting better though. 

Today however, there was another reason to be joyful: wages time! And when I checked my bank account earlier today, I was happily surprised. Very happily surprised indeed. I am not yet back to full wages obviously as I only worked two weeks, but from next month I should be earning regular and I will be back to how I was before the bankruptcy trouble and Corona trouble. Finally...

Shattering

 

Goodness me. This work malarkey is definitely tough. Especially after 4,5 months of nothing. 

As you know I started on Monday and it was a fairly easy day. Then on Tuesday I was coupled with a temporary mentor who would teach me the ropes and the routes. Some routes were fairly easy, others were really difficult. Besides that I really felt my back at the end of the day, exclaiming to my parents that if that kept up, my career would be fairly short-lived.

On Wednesday though, it was much better. I did some other routes, totally flunked that one really difficult bit, but in general was okay. Thursday was another early start and yet more new routes. Not sure whether I have retained them all, but for a first time it was fine. 

Friday was the same routes as Tuesday. It went fine. Until I got to the difficult bit. I had checked online. I had read my notes. I wanted to turn left where I had to turn right and turn right where I had to turn left. Some more training needed there! 

By the time I had had my dinner on Friday however, I was feeling it. My head was starting to hurt from tiredness, my eyes started drooping and in the end I was in bed just after 7 pm. I felt like a little kid, but I really needed it. Fortunately I am off until Tuesday afternoon now (start sometime after 4 pm) and can recover from this first week. 

I will get used to it all, I know that. The early morning starts will become quite normal. Even with the extra time I need to cycle to work. Because yes, I cycled to and from work each day, which I felt really happy about. Next week I will drive though, as I finish after midnight and just want to go to bed then, not cycle for half an hour in the dark. Not even for exercise or fresh air.

On to week 2!

Hi ho, hi ho...

...it's off to work I go!

After four and a half months at home I have started work again. Finally. Immediately in at the deep end too, with early starts. Yesterday was okay, I was due to meet up at eight in the morning. I met the other three starting as well. One of them I knew already from the previous job, so that was great. 

This morning it was an early start however: start at 5.44 am. Which meant that I had to get out of bed at 4 and be on my bike at 5. Because guess what: I am cycling to work. Not sure how long I will keep it up, but I am doing it right now. 

Some of the routes are fairly long and will take some time to learn, others are fairly easy to do, also because I am fairly familiar with the lay-out of my home town. Of course there will always be surprises and new routes, but I will get there at some point. The main thing is the routes out of town. 

This morning it was partly 'oh, I am here' and partly 'where on earth are they sending me now?'. But, I will get familiarised with them all pretty soon I guess and then I will be out on my own. I would say about two weeks. At least I speak the language and know some of the area, which wasn't the case back in Norway and I managed it there as well!

Back to work. It's a change!

Teenager

The teenage me

I feel like a teenager today. As in: I am home alone for the next few days. No parents around, just me and Miss O! It's bliss. And it was very necessary as well. For me as well as them I think. 

They were due to travel last Monday, but unfortunately that was cancelled. But they are not caught for one hole and found a hotel for a short stay. They left this morning and now the music is on and the cookie recipes are out!

Today I also got some really good news, which to be honest is the birthday present I really really wanted. No, it isn't my birthday yet (end of the month), but there is no law saying presents can't be early. 

Public transport in Florence, Italy

The good news relates to the job and today I found out when I start. July 12th. Which is still over three weeks away, but it finally is a set date. The only thing now is the contract which I should receive in a week or two.

But now: lunch!

Progress

After several days of migraines and headaches (they are different, but both terrible), I finally am able to say that I am feeling lots better today. The last pill I took really did the trick. Although yesterday it wasn't completely gone yet, it didn't come back again which is good.

Something else good is that today is Haircut Day! The last time I went was sometime in February I think, so a long time ago. Right now my hair is long and unruly and not how I like it and my mum's is the same. Long, unruly and not how she likes it. But this afternoon it will get the chop! Whahey!

Plus I was able to write something in my diary for this week. I get to collect some new clothes for the new job. Still not sure when that is going to start though, I hope the end of this month. I really hope the end of this month, because no other company is going to hire me for only a few weeks. Very annoying, but that's how it is.

Other than that, the garden is good for some photos. There are bugs and beetles, moths and ladybirds. Oh, and a cat pretending she is a goose!

Step 5 and 6 are done

The last bit of carpet to go

Oh yes. The room is now more or less empty: two beds and two chairs reside there at the moment. Albeit one unusable bed, as the mattress has been removed to make it a bit lighter to move about as it will stay in the room even during the carpet laying. 

All the carpet has been removed in a joint effort of me and my dad. It killed my dad's back even more and did my knees no good at all either. But removed it is and today I painted the skirting boards. And I painted a pipe. Not sure what it's for, but it didn't look nice and I had poured out too much paint anyway, so gave it a couple of brushes.

The skirting boards are done as is the pipe in the corner
It was supposed to be white, but I had poured out too much blue!

All this hard work has definitely been good for the mind. As for the body? Not too sure. No, the headaches are few and easily solved with a paracetamol now, but the knees! Oh my, the knees. For my father it's his back that is hurting now. But, we are both pleased with the result so far. Only their room left to de-carpet and we will do that next week.

My dad and I added a blind as well

Which means I have some time on my hands right now. Especially as I realised today that I have a holiday coming up: May 1st until May 17th was to be my holiday and I haven't cancelled it. No need really. By the time I do start work I feel that asking for two or three weeks off is a bit ridiculous after not having worked since early March.

Half of all the stuff out of my room.
Miss Oswin felt it was necessary to climb onto the mattress,
hence the wonkiness

Talking about not working and the follow-up on that: unemployment pay (UP). My UP was only going to be three months. Which seemed to be fine as I was planning on starting a new job in May anyway. But what with this Corona thing, the job is still mine, the question is just when. But, for some reason I had been clever (happens occasionally) and had told them that I had worked abroad as well. Some countries are on a cooperation list (so to speak) and if work is proved there, it may help with UP here.

The rest of my stuff with still room the stuff currently on my bed
(like mattresses and such)

They wanted contracts (in storage, no idea what box exactly), pay-slips (on my computer, so easy) and several other things. I sent what I could and then the waiting game commenced. Yesterday I checked the site. Before 2013-2018 were not counted towards UP. Yesterday it was 2013-2017! Which meant that the time I worked in Northern Ireland was counted.

I sent a message to my contact asking for a bit more information and on his advice I called the department that knew about my case. Good news: all the information is in from both the UK and Norway. Now it's just a case of making sure it adds up and then I should be allowed to have UP for longer, at least until I have the job.

Going back to the holiday though. I was going to stay in a cottage on a holiday park with my sister, while doing some sightseeing in and around Rotterdam, as Eurovision was going to take place there in two weeks' time. That was postponed to next year and the holiday park is closed. So, the money paid will not be returned (unless I really want it), but I will get vouchers for the amount spent to use on a later date. 

The haggler

Meet Bruno, with his own real lace collar!

Remember when I told you about my haggling? That I was going to try to get paid according to my skills? Well, the results are back and they are...

Not good!

That is to say, I didn't get out of it what I wanted or even expected. But, they did offer more than I originally was offered. One step up that is. And instead of a year's contract, I now have an indefinite contract, which is also good. Other than that: nothing.

I had to accept. They will not offer more and according to the branch's general contract, they don't have to. And I am not the only one dealing with this. A colleague who wants to work for a different company and has 30 years of experience is also offered step 2. 

Neither of us was really able to put it into words, but the main feeling we have is one of insult. People who have never held the steering wheel of a bus in their hands get the same pay as someone who has over 20 years of experience. Anyway...

My start date will be May 31st, because I can't make May 1st. My parents are having a 50 year anniversary party that weekend, my sister is coming, we are going to stay in a holiday park somewhere and we are going to Eurovision. 

It's going to be 2021, but our tickets will remain valid!

Ah. Wait. There is this tiny thing going in the world right now. Corona or something. Which is already disrupting life tremendously. The chances at this moment of the party getting the go-ahead, are getting slimmer every day. The chances of my sister flying in? Not a clue. The holiday park at this moment is closed and we don't know if they open on time. And Eurovision? Not this year!

Which means I could start on May 1st perhaps. But you know, this Corona thing. Which means that at this time half of the regular drivers are home already, all temps are sent home and whether or not the first new drivers can start in May is at this moment questionable.

On the plus side: my car is good to go for another year (after paying nearly half my savings, which are depleting rapidly), next week I should get my first unemployment money and, if things go well, I should also get paid for February. Filling the coffers somewhat.

My mum has gone mad: page markers by the dozen and she is not finished making them yet
My favourite is the red, white and blue one on the right.

But, we are all good. Nobody is ill here at number 49 and I have just finished a new addition to my hug of bears: Bruno.

Stay healthy everybody!!

Haggling

I am not a haggler. I will either think the price is okay and pay or not okay and walk away. Yay. The one time I did try to haggle, I came away with nothing. It was a little porcelain figurine, which was visibly damaged and I felt the price was too high, even after haggling. 

I have never had to haggle about my pay either. When I started driving a bus, I started at the lowest pay scale. Every year or two years that went up, until I was at the top. I moved to Norway, drove a bus there and told them I was at the top and they said: okay and paid me accordingly.

I am not even going to talk about the Northern Irish pay because that was laughable at every turn, but once I got back to the Netherlands, I just slotted right in again at the top. Which is a decent enough pay if I were to work full-time. 

Now I am hoping to start work for the public transport sector. During a recent general meeting with potential drivers, they had said that 'experience would be taken into consideration'. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I got their proposal and they put me in the lowest possible scale! 

Where was my 21 years driving experience? In which I did plenty of public transport? There was only one way forward: I needed to haggle. But haggling on my own, without back-up? Oh no, I wasn't going to do that, because as luck would have it, I have been a member of the union ever since returning to the Netherlands! 

After contacting the union and getting their: 'you should be in a higher scale', I put forward my case to my new employer. I want to be about half-way up, which would mean still growth for the future and a similar wage to what I am earning now. 

Let the haggling begin!

Standing by!

Through all this work, I missed Doctor Who on Sunday!

Just in case there were more people than seats! Famous last words. In the end I hadn't even started my shift yet and I was already on the move. Not to one of the stations we would normally travel to, but a completely different one. I didn't even know they had a station, I had never been there before and the help I got was of the 'haven't you got a satnav?' variety. Well, they do have a station, I have now been there twice and it was easy enough to find. 

Getting back after my second trip, I parked up and settled in. Half an hour later there was a knock on the door: could I do a trip. The regular route please. Off I went. After a couple of hours I got back (I had to have a break as well) and settled in again. Took out the knitting and got stuck into it. And I was able to go for quite a while before again: could I do...

Off I went again. When I got back again, I was about to settle for the last hour and a bit, but this time, there was to be no rest: could I do... Of course, but I wasn't coming back this time! After dropping everybody off, it was straight home for me. I got a yes for that and off I went. 

In the end I was home half an hour earlier than planned, which was fine by me, because even though I had done less driving than during the weekend, I still did some and again in some terrible weather. Today I have a day off and tomorrow's shift has been changed. Originally it started at some dogforsaken hour in the middle of the night. Now it starts an hour and a half later (still yawningly early) and it finishes earlier. Less hours perhaps, but better for me. 

Yawn

Trainstation on the right, coaches waiting on the left

Well, after more than a week without doing much apart from knitting, I got back to work. And talk about being thrown into the deep end. Two full days and a third one coming up today. And when I say full days: I mean full days, as both of them were up to 13 hours! Most of it consisting of driving as well. 

Which might explain the title of this post, because it was tiring. The first day not so much, but yesterday was awful. The weather certainly didn't help either, as it was absolutely bucketing it down when I started my day. That got a bit better over the course of the day, but the wind wasn't as quick to follow. 

Not a pond, just a track that was completely flooded next to where we parked

We had storm Ciara two weekends ago. Then last weekend was storm Dennis. This weekend it was a nameless storm, but it was very clear it should have had a name. It was awful. Very strong winds, but also massive gusts of wind that would shake the bus. I really had to keep both hands on the wheel and hold on tight to adjust for every gust that buffeted us. 

Later on in the afternoon it died down a bit, but for this afternoon they are expecting more rain and more wind. Great! Fortunately I have a stand-by shift, which means I am only called upon to do something if the passenger number exceeds the amount of room on the coaches, which leave every five minutes or so. Yesterday I had several empty runs and I would think today they would have more coaches booked, it being a week day. 

Anyway. I was glad to get home last night and was even happier to see my bed. This afternoon I will get going again for another day 'on the buses trains'. Don't worry: the knitting is coming as well...

Getting on

Well, is there a lot to tell? Not really, although some things did happen. First me and my parents went to the cinema. My parents had won tickets (4 in total) to a film of choice and in the first instance it would just be my mum and me. But when we started talking about the film we wanted to see, my dad wanted to come too.

The film we went to see was 'De beentjes van Sint Hildegard' (The Bones of St Hildegard). A Dutch film with a famous (in the Netherlands) comedian in it. A film about promises and life and death. Very recognisable to most people in that room (all about my parents' age I would say). And even though it was a Dutch film, it was subtitled in Dutch as well, as the main characters all spoke in dialect! A brilliant film and if you are Dutch and ever get the chance to see this: DO!

A whole afternoon was spent gathering together paperwork. Not just any paperwork: Norwegian and UK paperwork. Great! Fortunately most of it was on my computer and only needed printing, but some of it is in storage and there is no way I can get to it without getting everything out, which I am not going to do. So, I sent it off with some bits missing, but with an explanation as to why. Hopefully that is enough to convince them that I am truthful.

If they don't believe me on all the official evidence so far, I won't get more than three months' unemployment, ie until early May. If they do believe me, I might get more. Until the new job starts of course. When that is I still don't know yet, but most likely I will get an offer (pay, hours, start date) by early March. At least that's what they told a friend who was also accepted. 

Other than that I have been knitting a lot. The baby's dress is nearly finished and only requires buttons and a label. The accompanying 'knickers' only need one more leg to finish and then the set will be ready. It has nearly cost me my finger though: those needles are thin and sharp!

And while I sat at home knitting, somebody realised I was sitting at home not working and called me: did I want to work? This weekend? Next week? Which in the end meant that this weekend I will be working both days to the extent of some 26 hours in total. Next week I will be working four days to the extent of 40+ hours! Goodness me. 

Amsterdam

Yes, this too is Amsterdam! Overlooking the Minerva Harbour.

Even though I do love driving a coach, there are certain places where I don't like to go. Big cities mainly. So, when the planner called on Tuesday asking whether I wanted to do a shuttle service in Amsterdam I was less than enthusiastic. But he said it would be fine.

Which meant that on Wednesday I made my way to Amsterdam with a nice bus. I got to the train station where I had to be: nobody there. I then made my way to the place I had to shuttle all those nobodies to. Where they told me where to be at the train station. I drove back and lo and behold: somebodies!

It was easy after that. The distance was about 2 miles one way, the passengers (students) were nice and polite and after only two runs I was done. For the time being anyway. I would have to shuttle them back again later in the day and pick up another load of students again.

In the end I shuttled several loads of students back and forth and on my last trip even got to see the center of Amsterdam. It was dark so I didn't see much, but I did see it had changed a tremendous amount since I had last been there. And then I drove the bus home, before driving the van home before driving my own car home and collapsing into bed.

I still don't like driving a coach in Amsterdam though!

And another stomach twister...

As I have said before, the last week and a half or so have been an absolute roller coaster for me. But not just for me, for all my colleagues working directly or indirectly (like me) for the same company. Let me pick up where I left off...

Last Monday I worked for my normal agency, but at the end of the day, the agency said: no more. They didn't get any guarantees that they would be paid for me. So I was basically unemployed. My choices at that point were several and in the end I did pursue two of the avenues open to me. 

First I contacted another agency and they were willing to have a chat. So on Wednesday morning I made my way to their office for a chat. After having left my details (all the official paperwork and such as well), I drove home again. I had barely pulled up at home when the planner called: I was back in and could I go...

So, barely a day after losing my job in one place, I had a new one elsewhere. Albeit working for the same company. That Wednesday evening I left the garage with a coach to go and pick up some people who were in Germany. Deep in Germany. Like, close to the Polish border Germany! The closest at one point was 700 meters! Anyhoo.

My massive room in Germany

I arrived in the middle of the night and as I didn't have to pick up the group until 8 pm, I stayed in a hotel for the remainder of the night/rest of the day. Later that day I picked up the group, drove back (around 700 km) and finally arrived home again around 8 in the morning. Tired!

The weekend was spent recuperating from those three days and then today (ie Tuesday) the news arrived. Bankrupt. The company I have spent most of bus driving life with (nearly 14 years before Emigration and 10 months since coming back) has gone bust. 

For the next six weeks solutions will be sought for complete or partial take-overs. Until then no new work can be accepted and the old work has to be done by the employees of the company before hiring me and other agency workers. It will mean less and less work over the coming weeks.

Giving the passengers a break on a dark service station in the middle of the night

The second avenue I pursued was the unemployment office. I already knew I would be entitled to pay-out, but I wanted to wait until the agency came back to me. However, even after they did, I decided to apply for unemployment, as I don't know how many hours I will make. 

If they do grant me unemployment, they will pay the difference from the average before (around 30 hours a week) to the worked hours in the 'newer' job. So, if I only make 20 hours this week, it will be rounded up to 30, albeit at 75%. 

There are a few strings attached to getting unemployment though: I have to actively search for work. The fact that I already have a job offer is neither here nor there, as it was made before I lost the job and it's not set in stone just yet. 

I might just come and get you...

So, the world is stormy and not just thanks to Ciara (the storm that just passed my part of the world). My head is still okay though...

Options on an anniversary

 I am not moving again!!

Yesterday it was exactly one calendar year ago that I arrived back in the Netherlands. Last year it was on a Sunday, this year obviously a Monday. When I arrived back, I had no place to live other than with my parents, no job and little prospects. My head was in turmoil and I was still wondering whether I had made the right decision moving back.

One year on and one thing is for certain: I did make the right decision. Very much so. My recent visit to my sister proved it: lovely to visit, don't want to live there again! One year on and I was doing fine job wise as well: a steady job lined up for this spring/summer and I would be working until then. 

Well, that was last week anyway. Yes, the steady job lined up is still there, but the one until then has had a bit of a change. Before the weekend: not working this week. On Saturday: working this week. On Monday (while working): not working anymore. The news on Saturday had been that the temping agencies had made an agreement with the company. Turns out: only the one who has the most drivers working for them. The agency I work for only has one driver (ie me) and that's it. 

Which in turn meant that I am now unemployed. To a degree anyway as there are options open of course. Continue to work with absolutely no guarantee of getting paid. Change agencies. Go on the dole. Work elsewhere. 

The first option is a no-go. I would be losing money, which is counter-productive. Option 2 is something I am now looking into with everything crossed. The third option is not something I would want to do, but is a viable option. And the last option is a possibility. Albeit with some major strings attached. 

At the moment my commute to work is about 25 km or 45 km depending on where the bus is parked. This is one way. Takes about half an hour. If I were to work elsewhere (temporary), the most local one is not an option as they, quite rightly, don't think it's in their best interest to train me up, only to loose me in a couple of months' time. So, less local. Like Amsterdam or Purmerend. Between 100 and 125 km one way. No chance you do that daily up and down, so it would have to have a stay-over of one or two nights. So, options a-plenty, not sure which one it will turn out to be. 

One thing that has changed since last year is that my mood hasn't been affected as much by all this hullabaloo. It is what it is, I can't do much about it and I just need to go with the flow. If anything, that's a result!