Posted 2024-May-29, 23:05
The job in Manchester (the one with the bus ticket issue) turned out to be a disappointment. It's a very ethical company (dog friendly, LGBT etc) but there was just nothing to do. A "bullshit job" as it's called in modern English.
So I quit early January and was unemployed for three months (well, I write self-employed on my CV as I did a few projects for various ex employees).
Since April 15 I have been working for Danone Nutricia Research in Utrecht, Netherlands. It's quite exciting, full of young people from all over the World, with a very fast pace and good team spirit.
I haven't found a place to live yet, this is a bit of a problem. Free-market rent is about three times as expensive here compared to the UK, and splitting up with my ex last year cost a lot of money so I won't be able to buy a house anytime soon. With some luck I will get an apartment in one of those semi-communes (cohousing) where you share some facilities with the neighbours. For now I am staying with a friend in Rotterdam.
I get to play a lot of bridge, that is one of the good things about Netherlands. You can easily get to play some 10 sessions a week without traveling too much, if you want. DavidKok and I play Cottontail Club at a students' club in Leiden. With Shogi I play Boring Club in BC Oog in Al in Utrecht, that is one of the stronger Dutch clubs. And then I play various ad hoc events at the Rotterdam Mindsport Center, that is where the Lombard (the club of the Swiss National Team) plays, but I probably won't run into them, I mostly play at the more mediocre clubs of the centre.
The world would be such a happy place, if only everyone played Acol :) --- TramTicket