I think I might have messed up counting the days a bit. All I know is that I have been here for two weeks now. The weather is now a little bit better. It makes such a difference. Yesterday I was still thinking about buying a coat but it might not be necessary after all. When the sun is shining, everything looks and feels better.
As many of you already know, seems are progressing well about the job. I still do not have an exact date of arrival but I do have an official hire letter and the company has a law firm taking care of my case. It was such a relief when I learned about it. I was not necessarily worried, but as I mentioned before it is nice to have some sort of a certainty and of course communication is always good. It is also easier to plan, although everything is still very tentative. I do know that I have to go the American Embassy at some point. The attorney told me that I would need original copies of my transcripts and degrees, which my own attorney forgot to mention when I was packing. So of course, all of them are somewhere in a box in the front of the trailer in Reno. I think Shawna almost got a heart attack when I mentioned the possibility of having to retrieve them, although the actual task probably would have been left to Kyle, the master packer. It would have been a fantastic birthday gift, wouldn't it, Kyle? :) I decided to call the Embassy and see what exactly they need before jumping the gun. Well, I actually already jumped the gun just by mentioning the possibility, but luckily it turned out to be unnecessary. While technically they could be requested, it is not mandatory and highly unlikely that they will be. Sigh of relief. Never a dull moment in this process, as Patty mentioned before.
So in the last few days I was busy filling out papers and answering emails - they always come after 6pm, and most often during the time when I should be sleeping. If you noticed, I go silent some time between 2pm and 9pm PST but I tend to send my SOS messages especially to Shawna and Pattimom way after 3pm. The good thing is that I get the chance to take a nap in the morning. I still have to wake up early every day to take Dad - even earlier if I use Skype to chat with someone in the U.S. - so I need to add a couple hours of sleep here and there. It has been a leisurely but not boring time.
My Dad's sister arrived the other day to spend a few days with us. I am glad she is here because it means one more person forcing Dad to talk and pay attention. I noticed for the first time since I am here that he was in a really good mood joking and chatting. Nothing else really interesting is happening. I had a facial the other day, and it felt so good. I only do that (too) when I am at home. One of my former elementary school classmates is I think the only professional who has ever touched my face. Now you probably understand why I am sometimes called the Hungarian Princess. I get pampered each time I am here. :)
I went shopping a bit with Mom the other day and it was a saddening experience. Many shops in downtown are closing or have already closed. The economy has hit this area even harder than the rest of the country. The other sad thing to see was the increased number of liquor stores. While people do not have money for the basics, they always seem to have enough money for alcohol. It is true that Hungarians, and Europeans in general, tend to drink more hard alcohol as it is part of the culture, but this is still unusual even here. So very sad.
I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday and are looking forward to the weekend!
Love,
Edina
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