Prague Diaries - Week 2

Wednesday August 11th
Woke up to thunder and lightning storms and flashes of hail hammering the window. What? This is August in Prague. Where did this come from? With the weather as it was indoor pursuits would be the order of the day. I had yet to finalise my travel arrangements for Switzerland the following day. An exhaustive search of the options took up most of the afternoon. I had tagged the train as being the most suitable option but further investigation turned up the fact that it would have taken 16 hours and cost as much as a flight. Mad when you consider you can drive Prague to Lausanne in 8 hours. The train route however went through Germany and was anything but direct. The least favourable option was an overnight bus trip. It would take 14 hours in total and was the cheapest option. I decided however that getting off a 14 hour bus trip and sitting an interview wasn't the ideal preparation. Flights it was then, expensive as they were. I booked a 4 leg return flight, departing Prague Thursday afternoon and flying to Paris where I would get a connecting flight to Geneva. From there I would catch a 40 minute train trip to Lausanne. Booked a hotel near the station for convenience purposes and that was that, itinerary confirmed.
I spent the evening researching the company and then tried to get a good nights sleep.
Thursday August 12th
I wake with a spring in my step, consume a light breakfast and pack my suitcase. I walk the 20 minutes to the central station to catch the airport express bus. The heat is stifling and I'm beginning to smell my own sweat, not a good sign so early in the day. The bus to the airport is jammed which doesn't help the cause. Stifling heat, too many bodies and a bus trip, all the components of a hellish trip. Thankfully it's only a 35 minute trip. I get to the airport a good hour and a half before departure. Straight to the Air France desk which is surprisingly quiet, ask a few questions that have been occupying my mind. Chief among them was how long it wouls take me to go from Gate 2D to 2F in Charles De Gaul to catch my connecting flight. I am informed it can be walked in 15 minutes. Good says I, I only have an hour. No delays essential, mind. I board my Air France flight to Prague and am immediately encouraged by the warmth and hospitality of the airline staff. As with Aer Lingus it makes a refreshing change. The flight is half empty, which is nice. I take up my seat, 29D, right in the last row and the three rows ahead of me are all empty. I haven't seen that before but it gives a nice sense of space in an all too often claustrophobic environment. The flight is 1hr 15 mins and is thankfully bang on time. Complimentary snacks are a nice extra.
I land in Paris and set speedily on my way to Gate 2F.It's well signposted and I get their with the minimum hassle. I get to the gate and have a quick scan of the crowd bound for Geneva. Suits and expense accounts seem the order of the crowd and for once the stereotype fits succinctly. This flight is full but it is but a short jaunt, 45 mins in total. I avail of the snacks for a second time, this time it's an assortment of pretzel type chews. I was determined not to pull a George Bush and managed it gracefully.
I land in Geneva around 7.30. There was a nagging thought that I had forgotten something since I landed at Prague Airport earlier in the day and then it hit me. Not only had I forgotten a tie for my interview but also my cufflinks in to the bargain. Fucking hell, typical. Shops at Geneva Airport circa 7.30 were closing for the day and I needed a tie at the least. I found one a mens fashion store that was open. Picked out a simple red tie and asked the assistant for a price. €125 he says, my jaw dropped and I thought fuck this, it ain't worth that and it's been an expensive enough trip as it is. It was an Ermenegildo Zegna tie for anyone interested. Sorry Ermenegildo but you are taking the absolute piss. I could have got the same effect for 30 quid in Debenhams.
I buy a return train ticket to Lausanne. €35 quid for a 40 minute trip, yep I'm in Switzerland now alright. The train trip is pleasant, some nice scenery to take my mind off the tie and cufflinks quandary.I arrive in Lausanne around half eight and think I only have to step off the train and I'll be at the fron door of the hotel. Oh no, I should know better then to take hotel directions literally by now. I walk the main street with my suitcase and suit in tow. No sign of the hotel so I eventually have to ask for directions in another hotel. It's at the back of the station I'm informed. Off I traipse again, very hungry and thirsty now, to find Hotel A La Gare. Roughly ten mins later and I've found it. A pleasant girl with pidgin English gives me my key and off I go. I drop the bags and return downstairs to get some grub. The Hotel doesn't do dinners so I pop next door to a matter of fact Italian restaurant. I see they serve pizza so that'll do fine. The waiter is the closest thing to Manuel from Fawlty Towers I've ever seen, the waddle and broken English and all. The only difference is he is sporting a tasty mullet. I laughed but not out loud and not in his face. I was starving after all. A glass of beer too please monsieur. Down it lands and I nearly swamped it in one. A Margarita followed in about 15 mins and I neck it in record time. €20 lids for the privilege. Yep, I'm in Switzerland alright.
I return to my room and do a last hour of research before tomorrow. I mentioned that I'm behind the train station. Well ya, that wasn't the brightest booking. The constant drone of trains landing meant my sleep for the night was going to be minimal and so it transpired...
Friday August 13th
Sleep was about a 2 hour affair at best. The mixture of anxiety and screeching trains had seen to that. I go downstairs for breakfast at 7.30. The stomach was in that horrible nervy state where you literally have no appetite. I manage a croissant, a glass of orange juice and a glass of water. Anything else and I probably would have thrown up. I return upstairs and stick my suit on, crisp white shirt underneath, cufflink-less mind you. I thought if even I had some dental floss I could pull the sleeves together somehow. I don't so I just have to grin and bear it. The interview was scheduled for 9am. I decided to leave a bit early in the vain hope that some shop would be open and I could pick up a tie last minute. Of course there wasn't and so I had to venture on. I found the offices relatively easy. I'm met by Bernard, who I had previously held a telephone interview with. He is decked out in shorts and a t-shirt. Hang on, amn't I supposed to be in a leading Swiss finance house? I was informed it was casual Friday and all of a sudden I don't feel too bad about missing a tie. I'll still keep the jacket on all the same. A bit of casual chat and I'm soon at ease and ready for the interview. We are joined by a fellow Financial Controller and the interview begins. It's a pretty standard fare interview and lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes. I am pleased with how it went apart from one small mistake on a journal entry test. I'm told to start looking around at accommodation options before I leave so I naturally assume that I have this wrapped up. Up yours Friday the 13th!
I leave delighted with myself and give a quick call to Zuz and Mom to update them. I grab a cup of coffee and wind down for an hour. Next up is catch a return train to Geneva Airport. I land at Geneva with two hours to kill. I grab a water and a bar of chocolate. €9 quid please, I feel weak. I now know why the wages are so grandiose here. I grab the flight to Paris, another half empty one. I then kill an hour in Charles De Gaul before grabbing the final flight back to Prague. This one was again quiet which I was a little surprised by. Where are all the weekenders? I get back in to Prague and run to catch a bus to town. I grab the one that only goes to Prague 6 so have to catch the metro the rest of the way. I get in home about 10 o clock and just collapse in to bed. I need a good nights sleep.
Saturday August 14th
A good 12 hours sleep i reckon, absolute bliss. The best sleep I've had since arriving in Prague and long overdue. Zuz has been at home for 2 days and arrives back this evening. I spend the day watching some streams of the first day of the premiership. Good to have you back. The Spurs v City game is an exciting one but alas no goals. Spurs should have had about 5 but Hart is inspired. Hard to watch a keeper of Given's quality on the bench. I hope he gets a good move to Arsenal.
Zuz gets back around 9 with dinner in tow as well as a bottle of slivovic. Yikes!
Dinner is consumed and washed down with a shot of the warm stuff.
Sunday August 15th
Not a whole lot happens today. Liverpool against Arsenal is watched on a decent stream. The pool unlucky to get pulled back in the end. Facepalms for Joe Cole & Pepe Reina. They won't be as bad as last season I reckon.
Monday August 16th
The day starts off with good news. Zuzana has been offered a full time position with GE after successfully completing an interview the week previous. The pressure is on me now to find gainful employment. I was sure that the call confirming the job in Switzerland can't be too far away. How wrong I was.
I wasn't even afforded the decency of a call to inform me. Instead I receive a 3 line email starting with that line all job hopefuls dread 'we regret to inform you that your application was unsuccessful'. I am beyond devastated. I had assumed that it was but a formality after both interviews had gone so well. I'm told the mistake on the journal was the reason and that just pisses me right off. They choose to overlook a 6 year unblemished record in favour of a small mistake on a journal entry.
I spend the rest of the day saying nothing and generally feeling like shit. This was a position I really wanted and one which I would have made a success of. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
I immediately set about applying for jobs in Prague once again..
I round off the night by watching Utd's fist game of the season against Newcastle on a stream accompanied by a few bottles of Urquell. A handy 3 nil victory, some good news to finish an otherwise black day with.
Tuesday August 17th
I need to get health insurance sorted whilst I still don't have a job. I head to the closest health insurer, a 15 minute walk away, with my interpreter Zuz for company. I get cover for a month for roughly €40. The process is relatively straight forward which is a relief. The only other task completed that day is a weekly shop. I'm getting used to the food by now. A lot of meat which isn't a bad thing.. I've also developed a fondness for their white rolls which kick cuisine de france out the door. Never thought I'd say that.