Day 2 in Book Four: Ichi-no-Tani 2017

Some things change… and some things don’t.

As I did not have my Work Laptop from Best Buy… I had to think quickly. I needed a computer for the day as I had assignment and translation work to do… but… what to do.
Against my preference and better judgment; I brought my busted ass personal laptop with me in to work. This could be a whole mess of trouble due to the programs that are and that are NOT on that laptop. Con Present: Games and Porn. Con Lacking: Legal Documents and Security. Plus… with it being my busted ass personal laptop… yeah. I compartmentalize. I got an incredibly inexpensive work laptop that is designed to be as cold, calculating, and efficient as a Chinese Stereotype. The large screen, slow moving, shitty touchpad laptop I was using today… just… all wrong headed.

After solving that… I took a half second to actually address how I was feeling. Better? Worse? Cured? Still sick? Well… the creaking, intensely lower decibel of my voice answers that question. VERY still sick. Damn.

Went in to work and missed the turn. If this were a new area… that would be acceptable. But… seriously… my hometown should be far better known to me. I got in to work and… the office was empty. There are four firms that work out of this office… and nobody was there. Huh. Deja Tiny Town Vu. I got back to work on the assignment.

The assignment is multi-part.
(1) Computer translate statements of witnesses.
Computer translate takes Cantonese Letters and makes them into English words; but the document now looks to say, “The road, seen through window, the running was happened.” So…. Yeah.
(2) Take the computer translated statements and repair them so that they read as legitimate English sentences. So for example: “Through the window, I saw someone running on the road.”

That is the first part. Then I have to read those statements and draft a letter to Immigration Services arguing for why our client needs asylum. And yes, that is much trickier in the Age of Trump. Hey… friends. You know how people say “Trump protects Christians!” Well, again, that is a nationalistic bullshit thought. Because lots and lots of Christians in China are under direct threat… and try to get asylum here. And that is what I’m working on. Except… I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing. So hopefully, the work I’ve done is acceptable… I imagine Chinese Boss will let me know at some point?

After that, White Boss took me to meet a client at the Jail and do a Jail Court experience. When we arrived, it dawned on me in a big way… for the last 5 years; I have never needed a pass into a jail. When I was working in Omaha… I had my own pass and everyone knew me. When I was working in Tiny Town… everyone knew me. But this jail? I know nobody. I don’t have a pass. I don’t even know how the jail is laid out. It was… an interesting and unique realization. That since the end of my first year in Law School… I have been intimately involved in Jails.
The visit was very quick. Very quick.

Then back to the office. They’ve discussed a solution to my parking issue… did I mention my parking issue? In downtown, you pay to park. Right now, I’m paying to park. Luckily, the Bosses think that is unfair. They’ve offered to pick up the tab, I just need to get them the receipts. So that is awesome. From Government Work of “Yay Unfair Things!” to Private Work of “Lets Fix Unfair Things!” As I sat back down though… ufda. I am feeling… ill. I texted my Wife to get her opinion on if I should go to a doctor. Because I mean… I don’t have insurance right now. No response. So… I’ll skip it. Hopefully, I’ll feel better on my own.

However… not long after I sat down… Internet went out. Not for the office… for me. Because I’m the only one that needs to use WiFi. So… another Deja Tiny Town Vu.

Now my assignment is to write my Bio Page for the Company Website. That… feels pretty damned official.

Call it my lack of confidence… call it my lack of experience… call it my presently not feeling well… but… I just… I’m still in that place where I just hope I can do this job.