Still No Internet

I was so excited to finally be able to get some more pictures up on this blog, and then of course our internet had to stop working. And it still hasn't been fixed! What's more is that tomorrow I'm riding along with J to Skövde for the day and to stay overnight into Thursday. His job has him going to different Volvo plants, so we'll be visiting our "hometown"! It will be so strange to have to stay in a hotel there.

The bad thing about going to Skövde for two days is that most likely that promised technician to come out to our apartment to fix the internet will most likely show up during that period of time. I really hope that doesn't make it to where we have to wait another "3 to 5 days" until another technician can come out to fix our internet that "shows it should be working." Sigh. It's amazing to realize just how much something that is untouchable can make one feel so much more connected to the world. I think now living in another country, the internet is even more important to me than ever in order to stay in touch with those nearest and dearest to me. And also to know what is going on in the rest of the world.

I am, however, excited to be back in Skövde for two days, believe it or not. "What, I thought you were excited to move to Gothenburg because there was so much more there for you to do?" Yes, you have part of it right. But I've also got a couple of fika and lunch dates with some friends that I already miss! So that will be great to be able to catch up. When you live in the same neighborhood as someone you get used to being able to pop over and say hi or decide on a lunch date just about whenever. A couple of weeks away from that makes it feel like a lifetime since you've seen that friend!

As for the job update: This week I've officially started working 50% time with J at his new office here in Gothenburg. I've already started helping him shop for some necessary items around the office and start some translation work, as well as begin learning the (complicated) program he, well, programs. I've been hired for 50% for a month's time, and then we'll evaluate and go from there about any further employment. My job description would be something known as a "spindel i nätet," a "spider in the web." What Swedes mean by that expression is that I do several things here and there. My primary tasks are to create a testing protocol for the program and to translate from Swedish into English the ground course material and user manual for the program. If we end up getting to it after that, J also wants be to handle the user ticketing system. That put into English: users complain about bugs in the program, I would then investigate and report back either to the user or to J to fix the problem. That part would only come, though, after I completely familiarized myself with the program and after I've created the testing protocol (which, of course, would greatly help with the bug-investigation bits). Completely different from the administration role in Vara, yes. So far it's been enjoyable getting to get a peek into a completely different work field. It's also been nice to work again, even if it's just part time.

It's also nice not to spend nearly as much of the day at home in the apartment. I like it here (in this new apartment), but I've discovered this past year and a half that I easily get cabin fever. Maybe discover isn't the right word, as I remember having experienced that living in my own apartment alone before I moved to Sweden. I think when I don't have school or a job or something full time to do to feel productive and out in the world, simply put, I just don't like it. Even just having been here a couple of weeks I quickly felt the onset of cabin fever. It would seem this week that I, happily, get to evade that plague. Let's hope for a full time job sometime in the near future!