A month and a half into my stay in the USA, I still haven't found a job. Last week, though, I finally started getting a few responses to my applications; one company wanted me to send some of my writing samples (the job is described as "copywriting and marketing", which I fear means "spammer", but we shall see). The next day, a temping agency invited me to come in and sign up with them, and another company called me in for a "pre-interview" series of tests. None of these have so far produced any results, but it is heartening to realise that at least some of my applications are getting read. I also learned, from tests I did at the temp agency, that I type 80 wpm instead of the 75 I had on my resume, which was useful to know.

I apply for about ten jobs a day, and have lowered my sights considerably. I didn't even get an interview for any of the jobs I am qualified for, so I have started applying for some pretty appalling clerical or data entry jobs. The company where I had the "pre-interview" was one of those -- it is basically entry-level or partly experienced receptionist work with a bit of typing. I spent about an hour answering essay questions on what I thought were the ideal attributes of a good receptionist and filling in multi-choice quizzes to prove I knew the meaning of complicated words like "skeptical" and "aqueous", and could complete the numerical sequence "2, 4, 6, 8, __". I totally aced that quiz, and no doubt I further impressed them by spelling my own name right at the top of it, and not walking face-first into the door on the way out. If I still haven't had any real interviews for these type of jobs by the end of March, I will start applying to fast-food joints and supermarkets as well. Even though I know it's due to the much harder job market in this country, not my own deficiency, it's still a huge blow to my pride to think that I would ever have to consider this. But then, I had never seriously believed it would take me as long as a month to find a job, either. It still stuns me to think that it's coming up on two months, and will probably be longer.

Apart from that, living here continues to be utterly great. Dave and I get along like a house on fire (what a strange expression that is) and I have infiltrated the community to the extent of joining a tae kwon do class and going to it four to five times per week. The other week I was very proud of myself for going to get a haircut and figuring out in advance whether/how much I would have to tip. The concept of tipping still boggles my mind but I am getting better at it. In the case of the haircut, I spent longer looking up websites on tipping practices, and calculating how much 15% of various possible costs would come to, than I did getting the actual haircut. BUT I GOT IT RIGHT, so hey, whatever.

We go out for dinner about once a week and I still haven't got used to the fact that the standard portion size in an American restaurant is what every other country in the world would consider three days' worth of food. The constantly appearing soda refills give me problems, too. Despite all this, I have lost weight since being here, due to all the exercise I get in walking an hour or more every day, plus doing an hour of tae kwon do most evenings. Keeping regular hours and having proper meals with Dave, instead of the ridiculously unhealthy lifestyle I tend to fall into when living alone, has definitely also been good for me.

I really felt like I'd moved in properly when I started getting junk mail at Dave's address. I have a US bank account and chequebook now, and all the usual paperwork, so it's only a matter of time before even the telemarketers ask for me by name. Now if only I can get a job, life will be totally settled down to normal.