Adendum: Kitten Update
The new kitten, Sisu, is now seven weeks old. She attacks everything that moves (including me, while I sleep) and some things that don't. Her favorite activity is chasing my older cat, Alishia, who has discovered new hiding places in my apartment. If Alishia would turn and retaliate, Sisu would surely be out-fought due to her dimunitive size.
When I feed them, Sisu will eat from Alishia's bowl only, and Alishia prefers Sisu's kitten-food.
Hopefully, Sisu will calm down-- as it is, I have to close her out of my room while I sleep, because she attacks my face to wake me up in hopes I will play with her. This would be adorable, if she did not have claws.
I am learning lots of Finnish. I hope to be functional by the end of August, specifically for the ferry ride between Sweden and Helsinki. They say the overnight ferry is a twelve-hour party; even though I'm not much for parties... it does sound like a lot of fun!
I have been asked to return next season at the Alley. I was told that I have 'developped a raport' with my coworkers, but that I should be more even in my friendliness. (I don't see the point in being as friendly to people I don't like as I am to people I do. I will be professional to people I don't like, but that doesn't mean I'm going to treat them like friends. That is a very personal decision to attempt to force on an employee, and I'm not willing to submit to such audacity.) I was told that, while I am very efficient, ask good questions, and work very hard, I do not communicate well. This is the response I get for being quiet? I can always be quietter. If they don't like when I tell them they are wrong, they'll like it even less when I laugh at their mistakes.
In essence I was told this: "We'd like to not ask you back, but unfortunately if you didn't come back, we'd lose a lot of our technicians, who would refuse to work for us if you left." My superior officers have a talent for layering smiles over their bullshit. More proof of this: they are removing our Belo contracts, which will rob us of a lot of money, though they cover it with the story of a raise. I intend to negotiate to maintain my Belo contract. We shall see how that goes.
Peace!