My Interview, etc
My Interview, etc
This is the second formal interview I have been through in my life. The interview itself was not so grilling as the time I had to wait for it. Because export and import has been something really interesting me, I was really excited about the prospect of working in this shipping agency. For that I had been reading the background information all the past week.
It was last Tuesday that I got the phone call from the human resource department
of the company, while I was working as a translator in Plymouth for Devon Court
. My friend’s mother advised me to call them right away to confirm my availability that very afternoon. But I was knackered after the intensive two hour interpreting the meeting between a solicitor and her client.
That evening I printed all the shipping terms and arranged all the key aspects about UK custom clearance that I learnt during the past few months. Because I couldn’t drive yet, I printed the bus timetable and route to the nearest stop to the company. It turned out that I had to get to the stop two hours before the interview, since the bus only departed every two hours and this was the frustrating
bit.
It was frustrating because in England the bus rate was quite dear, and secondly
it didn’t get you anywhere even if you had chosen to take it. I had to walk fifty minutes from the bus stop to the company on a busy road. Often I had to squeeze myself at the very edge of the road in order to let those heavy-duty lorries
pass by. It was a nightmare.
But anyway I got the offer after all this trouble. Today was actually the first
day that I went to work for the company. I should say the job was quite cool. Besides, the company is situated among the quiet farmlands. If you stand at the windows you can enjoy the view of groups of cows enjoying their grass chewing on the farms. It was ideal for me really. If one who enjoys the countryside view of
England and in the meantime has to work for a company, this situation couldn’t
be any better.
I didn’t get to know lots of people today, as the IT training was quite time-consuming and the information given quite overwhelming. I said to my friend last night that I was not very certain about how to get on with people in my workplace
yet. All these years working alone, I have to admit that I don’t really know how to socialize. But I am quite willing to learn, especially after seeing that
here people in the company actually don’t gossip at all in the office. I think
that’s quite nice. Gossiping always makes me nervous.
Anyway after accepting the offer I have been thinking if I have made the right decision and what prospect I expect from this job. I didn’t go to work in the companies in China because being a freelance was just so much better in terms of experience gaining and income. But here in England it is just not feasible. I had
been on and off doing translation and tutoring assignments from a local translating company, but I simply didn’t get paid on time. I couldn’t complain because there were simply too many alternatives for the company but too few for me.
At the moment I really want to settle down a bit, so that if I want to do something dramatic in the future I can have my financial back up. Last night my friend
’s father had been talking to my friend and me,and he kept asking what we wanted to do in our life time. I don’t know the exact answer to be honest. But that
also makes the life interesting and something to look forward to. But I think he
asked us mainly because he didn’t know what he wanted to do after his retirement. He said that those dreams that he had when he was young were still simmering
back in his mind. But now he only found that finally when he has the time, he simply hasn’t got the energy. He also said how inseparable he and my friend’s mother were when they were young, and it was strange to see how people, who shared similar thoughts when they were young, could easily drift apart by time.
I was silent when my friend’s father said all this. I actually had sympathy for
him and the sympathy was not cheesy but actually out of my true consideration.
It must be awful if one had lived though his life, worked so hard and only ended
up with the wishful feeling. I said to my friend’s father it was still not too
late. That’s also what I mentioned to my friend’s mother when she picked me up from the work today. After their having striving together these many years, I
don’t think there isn’t anything really unsolvable, as long as they communicate. Also, I think that communicating, sharing dreams with each other, and realizing them together all this actually is what makes the relationship and marriage essentially worthwhile.
Anyway I need to learn to drive soon. I find the more I become independent the more I want to be. At the moment I have to take taxi to the company in the morning (because if I took the bus and walked there from the bus stop to the company,
I would be late every day for the work) and get picked up by my friend’s mother
in the evening. I feel bad because my friend’s mother has been quite tied up with her work lately. Having to pick me up every day must have made her feel even
more tired. That’s why I want to get my drive license as soon as possible. My
friend has agreed to teach me to drive once I get my provisional license, I really can’t wait. I have been longing to be independent from all aspect ages, and
now finally I can afford to do it. Also tomorrow is my friend and my anniversary. The first time ever since I came to England I feel that I am actually settling in. It is a great feeling.
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