No Longer Unemployed, Still Living at Home

This is the first time I've written a blog entry and been able to read all of the buttons on the screen.

After some debate as to whether the new Thai government would allow me to go back and work in Thailand, all the paperwork and visa issues have been sorted out (fingers crossed) and I will be headed to Chiang Mai in mid-to-late September.

Seeing as how I've now gained 2 more months than I expected in America and how my Thai savings cannot compete with the rising gas prices, I weighed my options and realized that as alluring as watching reruns of TV shows from the '90s is, it would probably serve me better to get a job. But who would hire me this late in the summer and for such a short amount of time?

Temp agency to the rescue! That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Just like Ryan on The Office, I'm now a temp. My current assignment is as a customer service rep at a proxy solicitation firm. That means I call shareholders and try to get them to cast their vote for the upcoming meeting over the phone. The job has all the glory one could ask from a call center - my very own headset, a variety of scripts I'm required to read, cheat sheets that tell me what I'm supposed to say if someone says "I don't own any shares." or "I don't want to vote.", an automatic dialer, the promise that all of my call will be recorded, the works. People have generally been nice, especially once they realize I'm not technically a telemarketer, though I've calculated that people drop the f-bomb at me about once a night on average. It's not my worst job - that would be the time I worked as a switchboard operator - and the best part is that they're so busy right now that I can work unlimited overtime. Anything over 40 hours a week = time and a half. Last week, I made just about what I'll be paid for an entire month of work in Thailand. God bless America.