Sunset Days of the Summer Semester

It's the first day after the university summer semester, and it's been quite busy.

Last night, my mother went off for the next leg of her walking pilgrimage, which is still leading her through eastern France. It sounds like it was literally rocky today, but at least she has eaten a square meal for dinner.

One of my brothers had contracted what seems to be food poisoning, and was sleeping like a log in his room.

I was a bit unsettled on the whole and woke up before 6 a.m., before going back to bed and waking up before 10 a.m. It was far earlier than I usually wake up unless prompted by educational or vocational obligation. But it was worth it to see my once-ill brother happily zipping about his morning routine, well rested and ready to face the world again.

Since then I went on an errand, played one or two pieces from Bach's Well Tempered Clavier as well as an arrangement of an Edith Piaf song on the piano, and read the news (in my neighbourhood, there were a few very happy Spain soccer fans who let off firecrackers, honked their horns, and shouted in a primeval manner after midnight at the end of the World Cup final).

For university I did half an hour each of Greek grammar exercises and reading the Kapodistrias biography. Besides I emailed the Greek-Russian literature professor for help approving the topic for my end-of-term paper.

But aside from that I am quite focused on finding work, as I might otherwise have trouble paying my way in eight months' time.

***

In September, fortunately, I will be working as an exit poll helper for Germany's public media, just as hoped. The contract is signed, sealed and delivered. It will earn me €170 plus reimbursement for expenses incurred e.g. travel.

Fortuitously, a fellow student elections helper also told me in May about an app for student jobs.

I've signed up for the app now, although divulging a plethora of personal information over the internet went against the grain. Since then a cornucopia of possibilities has spread before me, with jobs that are a lot more realistic for me as a student than the 20-hour-per week jobs that are usually presented as 'flexible' but seem to me to leave ludicrously little time for homework, transit, etc. Warehouse sorting, bartending help, dishwashing, promoting high fashion brands, restocking medicines and accessories, cashier gigs, waitressing, etc. ... at any hour of the night or day.

The app offers online training for food service work and for grocery store cashier work, which combine written text with instructional videos. I was skeptical as to their value, but realized while watching them that they really might save a manager/onboarding employee from having to explain too many details at once to a student jobber. Having breezed through the food service work (a few tips, like that it's easier to polish silverware when it's somewhat wet from the dishwasher, were already familiar) I am finding the cash register introduction more daunting. It's nothing like the cashier work that I once did at the family bookshop. But I've been working on the tutorial in installments today.

All qualms aside, I can't deny that I find this job-search exciting. It's thrilling to think of catching up on experiences that I never had as a teenager, or even as a twenty-something student.