Wednesday, June 10, 2009
mani-pedi
Just back from having all nails done with Val and Ellen in advance of Val's wedding reception on Friday evening. I will miss the party but at least they didn't evict me from the prep evening. It was lovely -although the pedicures here are never the fantastic experience they are in Russia where they literally reduce your feet to babylike softness - a process which takes an hour of serious filing and abrasion punctuated by lovely cups of tea and big chocolates. My feet aren't for the faint of heart, and it is always reassuring to have them gone after with the fortitude unique to Russians in the beauty trade. Two summers ago I got a pedicure there and, no joke, the polish lasted for weeks without a single nick or chip. Last time it was November and I did briefly wonder what you do when it really isn't flip flop weather and you have to leave the salon and keep your lovely new toes safe while they harden. Who knew, you put them in plastic bags and then into your winter boots. Genius.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
poetic justice
person who quit in fit of pique last week and has threatened to sue us turns out to be dependent on the job she quit for her visa status. if we had fired her, we would have been liable for funding her trip to the homeland. she quits and she is on her own. Of course all of this quitting on her part will now entail lots of document gathering and meetings with university lawyers which is a pain.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Work updates
Must blog about work since there have been some choice events:
1) Instructor for one of the intensive summer language classes we are offering quit last week mid morning. Why? Because she learned she hadn't gotten the full time job for next year. Why did we select someone else? Because we had found her to be "not a team player" and somewhat "unstable". Hmmmmm. guess we called it.
2) Sent 4 ROTC students off to Russia last week on the grant we have. Got long worried email from Washington host organization because one of them spent the whole orientation trying to find out how he could buy a gun in Russia and carry it as a concealed weapon. Yes, we grow 'em smart in the great state of Utah. Had long chat with his commanding officer who promises to call the student and talk some sense into him.
3) Spoke to VP for faculty about senior colleague who refuses to teach a required course for the department next year. Problem faculty member in the discussions noted that among other things, s/he hasn't taught one of those "baby courses" for years. Well alright then.
4) Have added to my email folders one titled "problem faculty" to file correspondence from 3 and other issues like it.
5) And my absolute favorite -- the joy of securing visas to travel to Russia.
As some of you know, we are launching a study abroad program (for my sins) and so I have been embroiled in the minutiae of getting this up and running. We have a study abroad office with terrific staff but Russia is just 'special'... First had to have the host university secure the invitation letters from migration services. Have had lots of correspondence with 'Valery' who seems delightful and has very good English. My favorite communique from him was the one triumphantly announcing that the invitations had been picked up and sent to us via DHL, that is, all but one. His comment on this was, and I quote: "To you this must seem unacceptable; for us it is normal." He assured me that we would have the straggler a couple of days after the others. Which we did. Which seemed promising. However, it did mean that the packets to the Russian consulate in San Francisco for the visas themselves went out in two batches. The big batch arrived on a Friday; the stray on the Monday. Tuesday I get a call from "Inna" at the consulate telling me that the payment for the Monday visa was not acceptable. "We take money order" were her words. allow me to reconstruct the conversation:
"We take money order."
"I sent a cashiers check; that is just like a money order."
'Not acceptable. We take money order."
"Well, on your web site, which I am looking at right now, it says 'cashiers check or money order'"
"I don't know about that. This check that you send is no good."
"Um, well, what about the applications you received on Friday? They had the same kind of check. Is there a problem with them too?"
"You would have heard from us if there is problem."
"But it was exactly the same kind of cashiers check."
"If we didn't call you, there is no problem."
"Can you check on those applications to be sure?"
"Give me date of birth or passport number."
"Well, I have their names."
"We can't look it up by name."
"OK, so why is there a problem with the same kind of check today?"
"I don't know. Financial department say it is no good."
"Can I talk to someone in the financial department?"
"They don't speak English."
"That's OK, I speak Russian."
Sounds of Inna walking across the room and then switching from English to Russian....
Apparently the people who work in financial department on Friday can recognize a cashiers check, but on Tuesday, all bets are off. I know this little interlude was just to warm me up for the upcoming trip though so I embraced it with my inner Slav:)
The really good news is the student who as he was filling out the visa application form turned to me and said: "Do you think it will be a problem that I was deported from Russia in 2004?" got his visa. So I guess that was my karmic piece.
1) Instructor for one of the intensive summer language classes we are offering quit last week mid morning. Why? Because she learned she hadn't gotten the full time job for next year. Why did we select someone else? Because we had found her to be "not a team player" and somewhat "unstable". Hmmmmm. guess we called it.
2) Sent 4 ROTC students off to Russia last week on the grant we have. Got long worried email from Washington host organization because one of them spent the whole orientation trying to find out how he could buy a gun in Russia and carry it as a concealed weapon. Yes, we grow 'em smart in the great state of Utah. Had long chat with his commanding officer who promises to call the student and talk some sense into him.
3) Spoke to VP for faculty about senior colleague who refuses to teach a required course for the department next year. Problem faculty member in the discussions noted that among other things, s/he hasn't taught one of those "baby courses" for years. Well alright then.
4) Have added to my email folders one titled "problem faculty" to file correspondence from 3 and other issues like it.
5) And my absolute favorite -- the joy of securing visas to travel to Russia.
As some of you know, we are launching a study abroad program (for my sins) and so I have been embroiled in the minutiae of getting this up and running. We have a study abroad office with terrific staff but Russia is just 'special'... First had to have the host university secure the invitation letters from migration services. Have had lots of correspondence with 'Valery' who seems delightful and has very good English. My favorite communique from him was the one triumphantly announcing that the invitations had been picked up and sent to us via DHL, that is, all but one. His comment on this was, and I quote: "To you this must seem unacceptable; for us it is normal." He assured me that we would have the straggler a couple of days after the others. Which we did. Which seemed promising. However, it did mean that the packets to the Russian consulate in San Francisco for the visas themselves went out in two batches. The big batch arrived on a Friday; the stray on the Monday. Tuesday I get a call from "Inna" at the consulate telling me that the payment for the Monday visa was not acceptable. "We take money order" were her words. allow me to reconstruct the conversation:
"We take money order."
"I sent a cashiers check; that is just like a money order."
'Not acceptable. We take money order."
"Well, on your web site, which I am looking at right now, it says 'cashiers check or money order'"
"I don't know about that. This check that you send is no good."
"Um, well, what about the applications you received on Friday? They had the same kind of check. Is there a problem with them too?"
"You would have heard from us if there is problem."
"But it was exactly the same kind of cashiers check."
"If we didn't call you, there is no problem."
"Can you check on those applications to be sure?"
"Give me date of birth or passport number."
"Well, I have their names."
"We can't look it up by name."
"OK, so why is there a problem with the same kind of check today?"
"I don't know. Financial department say it is no good."
"Can I talk to someone in the financial department?"
"They don't speak English."
"That's OK, I speak Russian."
Sounds of Inna walking across the room and then switching from English to Russian....
Apparently the people who work in financial department on Friday can recognize a cashiers check, but on Tuesday, all bets are off. I know this little interlude was just to warm me up for the upcoming trip though so I embraced it with my inner Slav:)
The really good news is the student who as he was filling out the visa application form turned to me and said: "Do you think it will be a problem that I was deported from Russia in 2004?" got his visa. So I guess that was my karmic piece.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Weekend
Cool paper mache figure and Craig and his band rocking out at the Riverton Arts Festival on Saturday.
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