I got a letter today from Monique de Haan. She will be my inburgering "coach." She'll be the woman with whom I will have regular contact regarding how much I have to do and what I will do. When I called her today to confirm our appointment on the 21st, she asked if we could change it. I kept saying, "No. I have volunteer work that day." She said, "Oh. A busy man." I'm not sure if that was good or bad. You'd think it would be good. I'm involved. I'm integrating.
Tonight, during the break at choir rehearsal, a woman said to me, "Are you going to look for a job or continue with your volunteer work?"
I said, "Well, I'll continue with my volunteer work until I find a job."
She said, "You should really try to find a regular job. It would be good for you to have your own money. You should learn Dutch because any job you get, you will need to speak Dutch." She went on.
A few months ago, I would have really carried a resentment for a while. It's so obvious that I should get a job. I am 39. How long could I hold out without a job? And learning Dutch? What have I been doing for the past year? But I let it roll off my back and I just smiled and nodded. It's ridiculous how some people really NEED to give advice even if that advice is merely stating the obvious just in case I had not seen it. I'm optimistic about my job prospects. I'm optimistic in general.
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