SARRAZ'S QB INC

Job search

Many of you will know that I am currently looking for employment.  A  big thanks to all my referees should be added at this point!

So it should be fairly easy, right?

Well in France I have a snowflakes chance in hell; the obvious giveaway being my terrible French and foreign accent.   Anyway, I'm not sure, after everything the Frenchies have put me through, whether I can stand to have to go through the whole job fiasco with them - and then the akwardness around the water cooler.  Bugger that!  They have had enough chances (que the boulangerie, gym, post office, learn to drive...).  I am tired and in need of a rest of sorts.

So my first break came from the neighbour teling me about the Swiss Factories and how they recruit in neighbouring departments of France and even put on buses (if you live closely enough). Then I had a look on line and my eyes nearly popped out at the sums they offered for even simple office work.  Cool.  Then the fact that English is a main business language (unlike France where, if your English is not spoken with a French accent, the French will simply say they don't understand).

All bright and perhaps things are looking up. I went on a jaunt or two to Switzerland to meet the agencies that were going to help me into my new life...

Um, first you need to find someone sympatheic enough to put you on the agency books, then kind enough to offer you feedback when you call to ask where the job offers are. It's a really tight market in Switzerland but they don't tell you until they have added you to their books and nabbed your referees for future contact.  After that, if you have the indecency to call they are most put out by your over-eagerness to work.  I've finally figured out the equation!  Work + Switzerland = an absolute privilege.

Of course there are some great job boards out there and as with anywhere in the world you need to suss out the genuine jobs from those designed to suck you into an agency (see above).

Last but not least, the perfect job when it finally comes along has the following 'necessary skill' at the bottom of the job description:

Trilingual, French, English and German a must

Arrrggggh

Celebrations

Well, everybody, after countless months of cramming with my poor French I have managed to pass the code de la route (que celebrations on an epic scale).

Of course Ange had to go and pass as well, on the same day, with little to no study!  

However I can tell you many peope did not pass so I feel lucky and blessed.

This has been a huge achievement for me - it was one of the first challenges I set myself here - that and getting Amby up to speed at school.

Two days later I got the call I had been holding my breath for and went on an all day jaunt to Geneva, Switzerland for a job interview.  No news yet. Still.

Two days after that we signed the mortgage for the house.  We see the Notaire this Friday and then on y va for the renovations.

In the course of clearing out the attic we came across a (thankfully) dead guepe.  Apparently a sting can send you to hospital.  I just hope we dont unearth a nest when we remove the old insulation.  Seriously big beast - much bigger than it looks in the photo.

No old house is perfect and we have discovered active woodworm in the main beams supporting the roof structure.
There is also evidence downstairs in the basement of the common furniture beetle ...upstairs the holes are large though with fresh sawdust and may be the deathwatch beetle.

 

this is a photo I found on the net of the little luvlies

and this is the poisonous gel we need to paint on the beams to eradicate em. 

The French are actually pretty laid back about these infestations, I on the otherhand will be covered top to toe, with breathing mask and whatever other precautions I can think of. 

This is our electrical board.  The house used to be split into 2 residences which is why we have the 2 counters.

This will need to be moved and updated and oh, I think we may need a bit of earthing here or there!

I have 2 very restless kids on school holidays for the fortnight so that's all for now.  Thinking of you all. x

Mid winter blues

We have the mid winter blues.  By this I mean we are blue with the cold. 

Our central heating has packed up during a period of freezing temperatures and lost us about 400€ worth of fioul in the bargain (heating oil).  We'd normally be ok for about 3 months but I guess merde happens.

It would be ok if we weren't in the middle of buying half a bloody house.

Luckily Ange managed to procure some space heaters from work.

So far we have only managed to blow our paltry french circuits 4 times -  3 times via the fuse that controls the power plugs upstairs and once via all the fuses - i.e. the entire house.  The kids think it's really exciting, especially as mum and dad get to cuddle them all night. 

We have also been running our oven at 220 deg C which normally works a treat (when supplemented by central heating I normally have to open the kitchen window while running the oven) but of course the gain is now almost worthless for the cost of electricity when the house is as stone cold as this.

Could it get any worse?

Well, seeing as the oven was already on, and seeing as we had too much food in the fridge, I decided to cook a chook.  

Unfortunately I think my sunflower oil had been in the sun's rays a few too many days.  The smell of rancid, burning oil and chook was almost too much to bear, stinging my eyes and poor suffering sinuses. 

In the end I was forced to open all the windows.  Arrrgh.

<no chook picture - I am too peeved with the chook>