I Gotta Get a Job!!
Feb. 24-25, 2006
I GOTTA GET A JOB !!
Well, I’m looking for a job. OK – I HAVE to make money, and getting a job seems to be the only way to get. But I HATE WORKING! (This statement does not surprise everyone that knows me) So I have to start looking and I have help too- her name is Marie and she is one of my cousins. She combs the weekly Mayo News and calls me up to tell me what’s available. But she also calls me on what I have done towards getting a job – everyday! I think that my sister Traci has cloned herself and moved over here without me knowing! And since I know that Marie will call me the following day and will ask what I have done on the current job lead, I have to do SOMETHING in order to give her my report. But I HHHHaaaaaTTTTEeeee working! Because they expect me to be there at a certain time and leave at a certain time. That’s what I really have against working! It’s not the work it’s self – it’s the time requirement! I like to do things on MY time frame. My attitude is: Tell me what to do then get out of my way and I’ll do it. I’m certainly not lazy, but I like to do it in my own time. When I first got my job as a bookkeeper at the florist/landscaping job- they were “you be here at this time and leave at this time” kind of place. But I didn’t like that, so the last few years I got them to accept me on my terms “I’m on time, the moment that I walk in the door” that might be 10:00 or 10:30 or even 12:00…and I MIGHT not show up at all today, but don’t worry, I’ll have my job done…I like it that way and always have. I got spoiled in my very first job and I find that I work much better and happier that way. I get away with it- BECAUSE I’M GOOD at what I do!
But alas, I have to start over again! I am a trained bookkeeper and manager, but I don’t want to do that job in Ireland. Because it will be a noose around -my neck. They expect you to be in a 9AM and have a ½ to hour lunch and click out at 5PM. YUCK! And because of my “work visa” situation- I can only work for THEM and I will be nothing but an indentured servant for my one-year term with them! DOUBLE YUCK! PLUS- if I work 9-5 when will I have time to go out and get AMAZING photo’s for my card company in America? I have worked in the traditional work field for the last 30 years – and I’m not even close to being rich – so I want to try a less “traditional” field. So a 9-5 job is not it! But I need money, so how can I make this “work” thing work? (I know my sister Traci is rolling her eyes at this point!)
Marie found an ad in the local paper for: The Newport House Hotel, a beautiful old house that is a hotel for 6 months out of the year. They were looking for a Receptionist. (Now, I have NEVER been a receptionist- I can answer the phone, but I’m not good with the whole multiple phone line thing. I’m just too nervous for that). I figured that they wouldn’t give me the time of day, but it was a move up from the work in hotels that Marie had been telling me about. (Changing beds, cleaning toilets kind of thing) so I figured I’d call and get some info. Plus by this time, Noeline had jumped on the “getting a job” bandwagon and I had TWO TRACI’S to deal with (plus the original one was e-mailing me with her promptings). So I had to do SOMETHING to keep them at bay till I found something that suited me.
So I called up and talked to a very nice guy who happened to be the son of the owners. He told me I had to talk to Catherine, who did the hiring, but he could take down my details and Catherine would get back to me. I was in a very confident mood at that moment (it changes moment by moment!) and I think I sold myself better then I had ever in my life! But the first question out of his mouth was “From you accent, I can tell you are from America? Do you have a work visa?” Shit! I didn’t have time to dazzle him with my brilliance before the big “visa” question! I told him I did not, but I wanted to live in Ireland and if I could get a work visa with a business, I would be in it for the long term. (Entice him with the DURATION that I intended in staying on and then they would not have to re-hire each season. I told him that I was a photographer and was interested in the 6 months off and 6 months on – so I had time to do my photography for the States. He “acted” very interested and he said that he was impressed with my experience and he would send it on to Catherine and she would get back to me on Monday. Good! I followed through and it would keep the lions at bay for the weekend! (Maria, Noeline and Traci)
The Work Visa problem:
I am not allowed to work in Ireland without a “work visa”. It entails a lot of jumping through hoops to get one here. I have to get the job – then the job has to apply of the work visa (I am not allowed). They have to convince the government that I am the only candidate for the job. In Ireland they have to hire an Irish person first, then a EU person (from Poland, Spain etc) before they can hire a NON- EU person– then they have to pay 500-600 euro just to apply for the work visa and after all that, they might not even approve me for the job! And it is only for one year, they would have to go through it all again the next year (fee and all). The kicker is I can’t work for anyone BUT that business that got the work visa for me. So if I hate it- I have to stick it out, because I can’t work for anyone else! (It is just like being an indentured servant to the business!) So who would want to go through all that work for little o’l me? And why would I want to go through it? Is it this hard in America for foreign people?
I didn’t have a lot of hope that a receptionist job would want to go through all that bother with a work visa for 6 months of work. But I would try what I could and see what happens.
The thing is that I want to stay here, and that means money. I would really like it if I could find a little old lady that needs live-in help and hires me to do it. It would give me a bed, food and that’s the biggest part of the cost here. I also need a little spending money in my pocket and enough to save for the trips out of the country every 3 months (to get my visa renewed) plus money for my photography. I’m not asking too much am I? (I know it’s the dreamer in me!)
There was a PERFECT job for me that Noeline told me about. It was for a very posh South African lady that lives out in the boonies from us. She is from money and her daughter is a higher up in South Africa to this day. She is blind and lives alone. She lives on beautiful grounds and has a cottage in the back for live-in help. She is very independent but needs someone to watch over her somewhat. I was EXCITED about this. I was told that the woman was very picky about her help and she didn’t want a Ruddy face Farm wife to be her companion. I JUMPED at the job, but Noeline said that I had to have a car. It was so out in the boonies that I would go mad being stuck out there. I said, I would get over it- it would give me a roof over my head and a place of my OWN and if it was as beautiful as she said- I would get great photos! I figured that being a college student and being from America, I wouldn’t be seen as a Ruddy faced farmwoman. (Not that I know what a Ruddy Face woman is…) Well, Noeline called up the head of the Blind organization that was assisting the woman at present (dropping in to check on her and doing her errands) and the MEAN woman wouldn’t even consider it – because I didn’t have a car! Noeline said that she was quite adamant about it! Boohoo. I could taste the job!
Did I tell you about cars here? The roadblocks that are put in people’s way here flabbergast me. (No pun intended).
-To get a car you have to buy it (quite expensive-as anywhere)
– and to get insurance it is very high (example: Anthony pays 1,100 euros a year.) AS
in America they take into account the gender (girls cheaper), age and where you live (crime rate). –
-Also, as in Anthony’s case, he left Ireland and lived in Spain for 2 ½ years, when he returned his insurance jumped up to because after 2 years of not being insured in Ireland (regardless if you are insured in England or US) you lose your no-claims bonus (which reduces your insureance payment)
-And each year you are evaluated as to the tickets, and your driving record and then it is reduced (or increased- depending on your record) at years end.
-Then you have to pay a “road tax” with is yearly- for example, Anthony pays almost 297 euro for 6 month! (594 euros a year extra!) This tax is based NOT on how much you drive (mileage) but on the size of your engine. Anthony has a Ford Focus 1.6 CC’s (which is something like horsepower in our terms) and smaller engine cars of 1.0 CC’s are less to pay. So if you just have a car that you drive once a week to mass, you pay the same or more (depending on your engine size) as a person that is driving on the road every day for work.
-Then you have to get a mandatory maintenance on your car every 2 years for 50 euros – they check it for roadworthiness.
-Then the gas, which is 1.29 LITTER, and there is 4 litters in a Gal. So they are paying 5.16 euro GAL. For gas!!?!?!?!??! (with the American conversion it would be about $6.41 a gallon)
These are the very things the Vacation books NEVER tell you!)
But they have you between a rock and a hard spot- YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CAR TO GET AROUND HERE! The bus system is almost non-existent and you can’t walk the roads because they are so narrow and they have so many blind spots that you will be killed (plus they drive like crazy people). I hear constantly on the radio about complaints of the deaths on the roads of people walking or biking. There is NO sidewalks here- so you have to walk in the road. I don’t know if I will ever be able to get a car…. but I know for certain that I won’t IF I DON’T GET A JOB! …. YUCK! reality sucks
So by Monday afternoon, I didn’t get a call from Catherine from Newport House Hotel (not to get confused with Newport Hotel) so I figured that she would think that I was a “pushy” American anyway, so I called, what did I have to lose. She wasn’t in. The son of the owners (I wish I could remember his name) said that she was just out doing a few errands and would be back in ½ hour. I must have called 5 times over the next few hours. I had been at Noeline’s work and she said that I should just go over. I didn’t feel right about that, but by the late afternoon I did just that. I figured that at least I could give her my lovely CV (resume) that I worked so hard on, so that she could see that I did have all that experience. So I went on down.
I was thrilled to see this lovely old hotel! It was on the main Newport Road- just past the stone bridge that is over the river that breaks the town in two (last blog) It has a large lovely stone wall and gate at the entrance with a SWEET stone house at the opening (I would love to live in this! And it was empty!) It has a sweeping long drive that comes up on a very old two story square stone home. The home faces the river and has lovely gardens. The drive goes behind the home and stonewalls are all around. It has a large stone porch to leads up to huge double wood doors. The windows are the really long and wide. It is like walking back in time. It is very quite and beautiful to look out on the river. I rang and the son came out. He invited me in and it had the same feeling as the Children’s home that I worked for 16 years in Cleveland Ohio. I think it was from the early 1900’s. White painted woodwork, the huge open vestibule with 12 ft ceilings. It had period furnishings and it WAS COLD! They were not yet open and still doing some renovations. They open on March 19th. He was very nice and we seemed to be very comfortable with each other- I called him enough! Catherine was still not back and he took my CV and didn’t act like I was a pushy American! I figured I did what I could do and left it at that.
Now a day or two passed and I was once again with Noeline at her work. I was asked to sort out a room that had a bunch of donations in it for Ghana. I don’t care really what I do, I just want to be a help to whom ever I can. So I started to sort. My cell phone rang and it said that I had a message. I had it with me the entire time and didn’t understand why it hadn’t rung through. I check the messages and here there was a message from Catherine from the Newport House Hotel!! I was so excited! She said that she was impressed with my experience and she would like to set up an interview with me! YEA! I told Noeline and she was ecstatic too!
I rang Catherine right back and again the son told me that she was out! He said to try back again later. I continued on with the sorting. Some of the things I was sorting were decorative ware (vases, tea pots, plates, etc,), dishes, books, toys, cassette tapes, costumes and things like that. I was just breaking them down into categories and Noeline would make decisions as to what was “sellable” or not. If they are considered sellable it means that they will be taken to the Town Hall the weekend before Easter and will be offered for sale to the general public. The money raised will go towards a container that will be purchased to send all the other things that have been collected for Ghana. The cost of the container is 5,000 euros, so the sale is very important. What doesn’t sell to the public will be boxed up and sent to Ghana too.
I was working away and my phone rang. Marie was calling to get an update as to what was happening with the hotel job. I told her of the appointment and she was over joyed! She then asked me how I was getting on in my new home at Noeline’s. I told her of the coldness in the house and stone house due to no heating. And that to wash yourself or dish’s a kettle of water was boiled for use. I said that I was at Noeline’s work and it was hard being pretzeled into the van to go anywhere and I was going to clean it out hopefully this afternoon. I also said that I really needed a shower and I was going to take one at Noeline’s work after everyone had left. I couldn’t wait for hot water! I also updated her that because of the issue with Noeline’s dogs barking that I would not be able to stay at the animal farm for the next three days – Noeline had to go to Castlebar for 3 days of meetings and I had to find somewhere else to go during the day. I could come back at night, but late since she would be getting back late at night. I told Marie that I would ask my cousin Teresa if I could come to her house during the day and hang out or go on her errands with her. I also updated her on Noeline’s intent on finding me an Irish husband!
A few days prior I had told Noeline that my sister Debby had done some research for me to see my options to get citizenship in Ireland. I was disappointed to find that I had just missed by a generation to be able to just apply for citizenship and get it (my mom’s generation was the last for that) and I had no other options- except to find me a husband that was Irish and apply for citizenship in our 5th year of marriage! She said if that was the way to stay, she could find me a husband that could use a big strong wife! She wasn’t kidding and she started to tell me of the men in the surrounding area that were available. One man that was never married lives in a home down the road from her friend Pip. He was the child that chose not to move away and get married (like his other siblings). He stayed and took care of the family farm and his elderly mother. His mother has since passed away and a few years back when Noeline had 2 Hungarian girls staying with her for the summer, he saw Noeline somewhere and said that he would take the big blond girl. Noeline said that she was not for the giving; he would have to talk to the girl directly-, which he never did. I don’t know if this poor man knew that it was the 20th century or not…but needless to say, he’s still not married. Noeline thinks that this would be a perfect matching, seeing that the man would keep me on my back more then make me work the farm…at least for the first few years!
As much as this offer sounded sooooo tempting…she said, I’ll get Pip on the introductions! That’s Noeline, she sees a problem and she goes about solving it! The next day she came up with another gentleman that I might find a fancy for. He was the uncle of a girl that worked for her. He also was never married (what’s with these Irishmen?) Her main selling point aside from he is a really nice guy was “he can shovel gravel!” I said “Really? Gravel?” thinking she was joking- but she wasn’t! He was easily in his 40-50’s and he also had a farm (I must really look like a bowzer woman that needs land!) But at the time his mother was still strolling on this side of the pond. But Noeline assured me- that it would just be a matter of time till she was on the other side. She again assured me that sex would not be a problem, being that he had a lot of time to make up for…(Noeline must really think I’m some sort of a horny girl!)
Now up to this point I had been laughing about all this “match making” going on. But one day we were on our way home and she wanted to pick up something for dinner. She pulled up to one store, ran in and came back to go to another. This time she just pulled up and left the door wide open- she said she would just be a minute! I was sitting in my pretzel position in the front seat daydreaming and all of a sudden I heard a booming voice and I turned around to find a man leaning in the door. He was a big guy; with a very close-cropped haircut (like a guy who shaves it down to hide the fact that he is balding somewhat) He was dressed like a farmer with jeans and a blue sweatshirt jacket. And he had an odd thing going on with his teeth, like one longer then the rest- He said, “What are you doing in Ireland?” I must of looked like a dear in the headlights and stammered “To find family?”(Like it was a game show) He started to laugh, he said that Noeline walked into the coffee shop and told him to come and say that to me. Noeline returned and said, “this woman is from America, why don’t you stop up in a little while for a cup of tea and get to know her” – which I think is code for “I got a hot one here man, and you better jump on it before someone else does!” Now it was his turn to stammer as he ran his hand down the front of himself (no not there!) on his stomach and looked down at what he was wearing and said, “I can’t rightly do it today, but how about tomorrow?” She said, “Fine!” and closed the door. Which is code for “Your loss, I’ll have her married off by then!” And we were off.
To tell you the truth- at first I took it as a little joke, but after this little exchange, I wasn’t so sure! So later that evening I started to have a bit of an emotional breakdown. It wasn’t about this exactly, but it was because of EVERYTHING and nothing in particular. I was so emotionally charged that I would cry at a drop of a hat, or a pin or what ever they say at these times. I was just FREAKING out about everything. I was in OVERLOAD about all the changes that I had been experiencing. It had only been one month and it was all hitting me at once! Every day I had to deal with something new. New people, new ways of living, looking for work, new family, learning a new culture, learning a new land, and now MEN…it was just too much for me to process and I started to break down. And Noeline was the person to witness it.
What I didn’t know was that Noeline was raised in a household that emotions were not accepted. She was never allowed to cry most of all. And when I started the tearing up, then crying, it was very unnerving for her-and me! I didn’t want to expose myself to a woman that I didn’t even know, and certainly not in such a vulnerable way. In hindsight, I think that Noeline was really rocked by this and didn’t know how to deal with me. I think that she was lived alone for so long that she forgets that people are not like her and that puts her in an awkward position. She had to step back and look at me with different eyes. (But again, that’s my impression)
She backed off on the whole “man” thing and tired to understand as best she could with what I was dealing with but she is such a strong, self-assured, independent woman, she was having trouble “figure out” this strange little American.
Back to the job………Back on Wednesday I got off the phone with Marie and saw that it was getting late- we would be leaving to go home within the hour and I had to find out about the interview with Catherine. So I decided that I WOULD be a pushy American and go over to the hotel and see if she was back yet. When I arrived, she answered the door and said that she had just returned and was on her way to make a cup of tea- or else she wouldn’t have heard the bell. She invited me in for an interview since I was already here. She sent me into the drawing room (how posh!). It was a very large room that was painted powdered blue with white painted trim. It was very period to the house and had lots of seating areas around. It was VERY cold and I noticed that this room didn’t even have the electric radiators on the walls like all the other homes in Ireland. And there was no ductwork – so this house didn’t have heat either! (I am amazed that the Irish aren’t frozen to death!) It did have a large fireplace but the fire was out. On the two matching tables on both sides of the fireplace were huge ornate vases with porcelain leaves and birds in 3-D off of them. It had a powdered blue carpet throughout and books and lamps. The furnishings were very much in standing to the time of the home, but on closer review I could see that everything was getting very thread barren. But I’m sure in the low light it wouldn’t be noticed.
Catherine had gone to get my CV and was gone for a bit of time. I figured that in my surprise visit, she had to review my CV and refresh her memory. I kept my coat on because I was not dressed for a job interview, but I had on my good wool coat, which is so long, so I kept it on (you couldn’t of gotten it off of me in this cold house!) When Catherine came in I could see that she had notes all over my CV (good sign) and she remarked again on my vast list of experience. She then went about telling me what the job entailed.
It was a receptionist job, but it was really an assistant to her. She told me an example of the job requirements. I would answer the door, and find the clients reservation, if for some reason the room was not ready for them (rare) I would invite them into the drawing room. I would take their coats and stoke the fire and ask them if they would like a cup of tea and a biscuit (cookie). I would go to the kitchen and get it and serve them. If it was mealtime, I would direct them to the dining room, give them drinks, take their orders and take it to the cook. The hours of work were one of two shifts: 8AM-4PM and 4PM to 12PM. The later shift, I would be working with her. She said that it is a very low-key type of hotel, not a lot of comings and goings. She said that there might be one or two checkouts in the AM, but she would usually do all the details the evening before and I would just have to get the bill paid and help them out. Most check-ins came in on her shift in the evenings. She said that many clients are return clients for years. The hotel treats them with lots of service, such as remembering their favorite drink, table, and personal likes and dislikes. People seem to like the same thing they had the year before. Many fishermen come to stay at the hotel and are out early in the morning fishing. They offer a picnic basket with special meals prepared in them with drinks (mineral spirits, beer, and such) everything is handled in a manual way, the reservations, the charges to their bills, and all bookkeeping. Computers are used for on-line reservations. Once in a while a typewriter is used for correspondence. She said that everyone that works here is treated like family and they all help each other out.
I didn’t ask many questions, but told her that I loved the grounds and building and since I was also a photographer I could use that skill to help them. She said that she already had thought of that too. (Good girl!). I also told her that I was a very helpful person and it was not beneath me to help out in all departments to get the job done. That if someone didn’t show up in the cleaning department, that I would make up a room and do other things. (I know that is one thing that I always liked in my interviews when I was doing the hiring, a hundred years ago in one of my past jobs!) She said that is exactly what she was asking me when she told me that I would have to take orders for food and get people tea and biscuits…(I’m a mind reader!)
Catherine was a very nice woman and very proper but with warmth. We talked about the CV and I told her that I could pay for the CV myself. She said that she noted that on the CV (which was odd, I never told the son or her that before) but that it was against the law for me to pay, she said that the business must pay for it, but it will look very good on my CV to have said that. (I have NO money to pay for a 500-600 euro fee, but my cousin Marie had offered me a loan if I needed for this fee- so I didn’t need it (yet) but it helped get me brownie points! Well done!)
She ended that interview and said that by Friday of this week she would make the “short” list and notify everyone of her decision. Then on the Monday, she would bring the short list to the owners and they will make the final decision. I had a very good feeling after this interview, but was quite aware that the work visa would be a big hurdle for them. I must admit that I was thrilled just to get some interest in me at all- I haven’t gone out for a job in almost 20 years- and interviews were never my strong point. But it gave me hope that maybe someone would give me a job in Ireland.
I returned back to Noeline’s job and everyone was gone so I ran up to jump into a hot shower. But as hot anything (except tea) has eluded me since the day I arrived in Westport, there was not one drop of hot water here either! I really felt that I was cursed! I ended up just putting my head under the freezing cold tap and washing my hair and giving myself a very cold whore bath! (A wash clothe with soap to wash pits and private areas- like what a whore does between clients- ). (When I said this to Noeline she looked at me like I had 3 heads!)
Before I left I called my cousin Teresa and asked if I could come and hang around her for the day? She said, no problem we are just going to church and visit the old people’s home – her usual Wednesday events. She was sure that I could use a day of praying for my soul – always taking the mick that woman! But she wasn’t sure if Mary could pick me up in the AM or not. She didn’t know if she was going to be available, she might be going to see her father in the AM. She would call me back later.
When I got back downstairs Noeline was acting very uptight with me. I figured that she had a call that upset her. Her mood was abrupt and she wouldn’t look directly at me. I didn’t know what was up, but I soon would…
Cheers-
Kym
Tags: Ireland, Travel
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I wish that I had a talent that could be considered as incredible as yours. Anyway, I am thrilled just being able to understand and enjoy from your work like all others. Until your next collection.