Still No Internet

I am utterly bored out of my mind. My Internet, as expected, didn’t appear on the national holiday, which was Friday and I honestly don’t have high expectations for Saturday and Sunday, either. Especially since Sunday is a holiday, too.

So I’m having to go into the office and check email and that sort of thing, which at least gives me something to do. I’m going stir crazy here.Here's my building from the street. I am in the tower on the left, 8th floor.

It’s another difference between PC and expat-ness. In the former, you’re expected to integrate and given the tools to get you started: you have a local counterpart, a host family and study the language.

Here, you’re on your own completely and you have to fumble through things on your own with only the slightest degree of help.

Everything’s trial and error, and that will eventually settle down. But man, in the meantime, it’s a bitch.

This is my pool, complete with a reminder of where I am.

What is nice, though, is my pool. The water’s a tad cool, but I took a dip this morning. Although there had been some curtain climbers there earlier, when I went I had it all to myself.

It’s situated between the two apartment buildings and is pretty nice. Well, what do I know about pools but I liked it.

It was a great cool-down after spending time in the little gym this morning. I feel kind of stupid getting on the joggy elliptical thingie because I pretty much walk all the time, but it went all right. One of the arm things wasn’t working but I did the rest of the stuff, including the bicycle.

Apparently the Incredible Hulk came in before me because all the machines were set to the highest levels. I was on level three, and they were all set to 12 or so.

And again, I had it all to myself, which was nice. I had my MP3 and was listening to Amy Grant

I’m still unclear as to what comes with this building. Most of the middle-class and up apartments are serviced, which means someone comes through and cleans, emptying the trash and doing the floors and all that. But I’ve now been here for something like four nights and I’ve yet to have someone come through. Plus, when they were installing the water dispenser, I had to leave my key for them, so I don’t know how they’d get in if I wasn’t here.

I’m still trying to furnish the house. Today’s errand (today being Saturday; I’m not so sure when I will be able to post this) is to get food. So far, I’ve bought minimal food and have been stocking up on the permanent stuff, like the frying pan I got yesterday.

Now it’s time to put that stuff in action, however modestly that action is. The initial grocery costs are steep, because you have to do those one-in-awhile expensive things like oil, but I’m definitely ready to cook something that’s not rice or macaroniPool rules. I especially like No. 4: Children Must be in control of adults

Next week is a pay week, which is cool because I should get some idea of how this works. It’s my understanding that they can deposit my check into my Florida credit union or just give me cash. Eventually I will get a bank account here, I guess, but in the meantime I have to do something. My ATM card works fine so I’d almost like to just skip the local bank (especially if I am only here six months, which is the length of my initial contract) but as I understand it the fees are exorbitant.

In order to get a bank account here, I have to have my work visa processed. That entails a one-day trip to Singapore, but before I get that done I have to have my passport renewed. I’d asked about this before coming over but didn’t get an answer, but apparently my passport, which expires in December, needs to be renewed because I have to have six months on it past the work visa expiration.

So that’s a fun obstacle. I have yet to determine if I need my birth certificate to get my passport renewed overseas (I’ve had people tell me yes) or if I can just go to the embassy and do it. I’ve tried to call the embassy a number of times but haven’t gotten an answer yet. (Literally – the phone keeps giving me a busy signal.) And I can’t just swing by because I’m supposed to have an appointment.

My next day off is Friday, so I hope that I can get it done then.

Again, I’d just love to find the fast-forward button and put me at about May 11.