I'm so not in the mood for packing. I'd much rather curl up somewhere and disappear for an indefinite period of time. But pack I must, as rich-NTU girl is coming to take over my room on Monday. Since the Beitou place didn't work out I might have a chance at other places, but for now I have the Chungking Mansions. It should do for now. I'll just have to disappear later. I just don't feel like packing everything I own into a bunch of boxes.

Dean, Gavin, et al are planning meet at (surprise!) Q-bar yet again tonight. I will go deliver the scripts I printed out, but I don't suppose I'll feel much like hanging around. Sometimes I feel a bit amphibious, going back and forth between the expat ocean and Taiwanese terra firma. I don't know how long I can last in either before wanting to go find a cave somewhere and become a hermit, one of those old guys who resolutely alienates everyone around him, and yet gets extremely lonely and bitter when said people spurn his company in return. The only thing I lack is the 'old' bit, but that's coming along nicely, thank you very much.

Today is my last day at my old job. They haven't come to me with any people to evaluate for my position, or anything at all. To tell the truth, I'm past caring about it. I gave notice, provided a replacement, and worked an extra week when they couldn't find a replacement. It's up to them at this point. I've got other things to do. All that's left for me here is to erase all of the favorites, Internet history, etc. from the computer, turn in my badge and gun, pack up Office Turtle and a few other things in my backpack, and walk out the door.

With regards to TM, I know what you're thinking, and you're right. I should be happy with my present situation. I am just in a funk these days, and this one seems to be one of the more durable ones, probably aided by external factors. I should be coming out of it sooner or later, probably after I settle in and realize that there's some sort of semi-soft landing area below the cliff I'm jumping off. Or perhaps a helicopter full of bad guys with shiny black weapons. Maybe I'll just keep the gun.

Update:
At the last moment, my boss called and told me that they still hadn't had time to find me a replacement, so could I possibly work another week?

I'm definitely keeping the gun.
etched by at 3:03 PM

I just haven't been feeling like myself lately. That's probably a good thing. Another good thing is that I don't feel quite as bad as I have for the past few days. Working two jobs isn't much fun, but tomorrow is supposedly my last day at Ogilvy. I don't know whether they've found someone to replace me. I doubt they will have an easy time trying to pursuade someone else to do the job for such a low salary. I will miss a lot of people there, as well as the familiarity of the place.

The new job is a bit nerve-racking because it's such a different environment. It's almost like the first day at a new school, where everyone is a potentially threatening Senior and the lockers need a coat of paint. I've been doing nothing but translation so far, and although I've never done professional translation before, I'm told that I'm better and faster than my predecessor. Perhaps they're being polite, because the person whose place I took, who had a PhD, made more money. In any case, it hasn't been a complete disaster and might just turn out ok once I get used to it.

The Move is looming, but it might be followed by another not long after. Stephen the Mover is coming to Move me on Sunday, presumably to the Chungking Mansions Taipei, unless I get a lead on someplace better before then. I thought I had found a good deal in Beitou, but then I discovered that when the wind came from a certain direction, the place was flooded with the smell from the Macdonald's downstairs. Damn. I suppose there's not much I can do at this point, however. The rich NTU girl who is moving into my present abode called me the other day. She wanted to move in early, and she used her whiny girly voice to try to persuade me. Needless to say, it didn't gain her any points with me.

So, the new job, the new place, etc., have gotten me into a strange mood. Maybe it's the heat exhaustion talking, but I just don't seem to care much about anything these days. A "general Malaise" as the doctor at Taiwan Adventist Hospital typed into his file on me. He gave me some generic medicine and sent me on my morose, shuffling way. Perhaps this is just my mental state shifting gears.
etched by at 11:23 PM

Everything's up in the air these days. I don't feel like going into too much detail as I'm not feeling too well. Think I might have overdone a little hike I did on Sunday after brunch. I must have walked ten miles or more, and I probably didn't drink enough liquids. Hopefully a little rest will get me back on track. I'll write more later when I know more what's going on. It's rather complicated.

I've been working at the new place and the old place for two days so far this week. It's not too difficult, but the contrast is striking. I'll be glad to just have one place to go to. The new job involves a lot of translation, and so far everyone's been really nice to me. The computer there is rather old and can't handle any chat programs or the like, so I will probably be online a bit less in the future.

I think I'm just going to go home and sleep now. Maybe some light soup and a couple of Simpsons episodes later.
etched by at 5:43 PM

Life is strange beyond words

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