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Oooof would be the right word
Sep. 20th, 2008 05:01 pm... to describe my relief that this week is over.
We had a team from Vienna at the Embassy for he whole of last week, who gave us shiny new IT equipment (not really because the equipment had come before by courier, bu they installed it) This resulted in not being able to work for a whole day, which was nice. I'd had the foresight to close down the visa section from Tuesday till Friday, which proved to be an excellent idea, because the necessary databases were functional only from Thursday afternoon onwards, and people are a lot angrier if they're actually able to submit applications but then don't get a visa, than if they can't submit applications in the first place.
We now have fast computers, super-fast internet (thanks to new router, among other things), Windows Vista (nice) and the new paperless filing system, which I completely adore. We already had one in Vienna, and this one's different, but it's extremely practical and enables me to work twice as fast. Good thing the internet connection is faster too, so I won't succumb to boredom.
Gabriele had to go to hospital while still on holiday in Austria, and have something doubtful-looking removed from her breast. Fortunately it wasn't cancer, but she's still very downcast, also because Mal'cik, her cat (she's taken both cats to Austria on account of staying a month) managed to hurt himself badly - probably in some kind of panic reaction,when his left hind paw got stuck/caught, and he struggled free - and tear every single tendon in his left hind leg. Gabriele's sister is a vet, and she operated him once already, but he has to be operated asecond time. Very, very bad luck. Her return was scheduled for the 17th, and now it's probably going to be the 25th, but she'll be on sick leave for quite some time. Work-wise that's not a problem, but I'm rather worried about her, because she sounds seriously depressed, and not in the casual way we normally use the word. I hope she overcomes it.
The heat finally broke last week! There was an apocalyptic thunderstorm at 2.45 a.m. on Thursday, and since then it's been nice and cool, and today started with another thunderstorm at 8.15 a.m. There's another one right now, with heavy rain, which we certainly need. It's lovely to have an overcast sky and rain for the first time in three months.
Next week will be rather busy on account of the closing days last week and Bayram occupying the whole week after next (the Turkish government has this strange habit of declaring the whole week a holiday, even though Bayram is only from 30.9. to 2.10.) My own holiday starts on 3 October, Janine is coming on the 2nd, and on the 5th we're leaving for Bodrum and one week of sea and sun. Yay!!
We had a team from Vienna at the Embassy for he whole of last week, who gave us shiny new IT equipment (not really because the equipment had come before by courier, bu they installed it) This resulted in not being able to work for a whole day, which was nice. I'd had the foresight to close down the visa section from Tuesday till Friday, which proved to be an excellent idea, because the necessary databases were functional only from Thursday afternoon onwards, and people are a lot angrier if they're actually able to submit applications but then don't get a visa, than if they can't submit applications in the first place.
We now have fast computers, super-fast internet (thanks to new router, among other things), Windows Vista (nice) and the new paperless filing system, which I completely adore. We already had one in Vienna, and this one's different, but it's extremely practical and enables me to work twice as fast. Good thing the internet connection is faster too, so I won't succumb to boredom.
Gabriele had to go to hospital while still on holiday in Austria, and have something doubtful-looking removed from her breast. Fortunately it wasn't cancer, but she's still very downcast, also because Mal'cik, her cat (she's taken both cats to Austria on account of staying a month) managed to hurt himself badly - probably in some kind of panic reaction,when his left hind paw got stuck/caught, and he struggled free - and tear every single tendon in his left hind leg. Gabriele's sister is a vet, and she operated him once already, but he has to be operated asecond time. Very, very bad luck. Her return was scheduled for the 17th, and now it's probably going to be the 25th, but she'll be on sick leave for quite some time. Work-wise that's not a problem, but I'm rather worried about her, because she sounds seriously depressed, and not in the casual way we normally use the word. I hope she overcomes it.
The heat finally broke last week! There was an apocalyptic thunderstorm at 2.45 a.m. on Thursday, and since then it's been nice and cool, and today started with another thunderstorm at 8.15 a.m. There's another one right now, with heavy rain, which we certainly need. It's lovely to have an overcast sky and rain for the first time in three months.
Next week will be rather busy on account of the closing days last week and Bayram occupying the whole week after next (the Turkish government has this strange habit of declaring the whole week a holiday, even though Bayram is only from 30.9. to 2.10.) My own holiday starts on 3 October, Janine is coming on the 2nd, and on the 5th we're leaving for Bodrum and one week of sea and sun. Yay!!
