It must be funny in a rich man’s world…
In the real world, however, I feel money has played a considerable part lately (before you start asking if I just had a blonde moment, let me clarify. I know money always have played a considerable part in the real world, at least ever since we stopped trading food for …other types of food. But I needed an intro, so bear with me, okay?).
We have had a week of low cash flow in Norway. The security guards’ union has been on strike. “Why?” you say? Because they want more money, of course. Ironically, while the strike is ongoing, the result is less money in circulation for us all, because the striking security guards (yes, the pun was intended. I have a thing for uniforms…) provide the money transports.
We’ve basically been a cash-free society for a few days, at least that was what people feared. The news reported that people should use debit (and/or credit) cards if possible, and that the shops were short on cash. Unfortunately someone forgot to check whether this was actually the case… We did fine on the cash front in my shop, but nevertheless a lot of people kept dumping coins on us. Because of the striking security guards on strike we had nowhere to deposit the cash, so we were stuck keeping uncomfortably large amounts of cash in the shop (I can say this now, because the strike is over, otherwise I might accidentally become an accomplice to robbery). I counted 354687534658768 krone-coins (well, no, I didn’t, but there were a lot of them!) when closing up the shop this Saturday.
Speaking of coins and Saturday, I also found a Swedish coin on the floor of my shop on Saturday, which is funny because it was all about Sweden in our news that day. Saturday was the wedding day of the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and her (now Prince) Daniel (no longer) Westling. I’ve been on a “gorgeous dress” high all weekend. Of course, I could never afford any of the dresses worn to that wedding –I bet several of them cost more than what I earn in a year.
Even if I wasn’t invited to this wedding I am going to one next weekend. One of my close friends is getting married, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Fortunately I don’t have to spend a yearly wage on a dress, since I am wearing one I already have. I know, I know, the fashion police will be at my throat for wearing the same dress twice (or they would have been had they not been too busy catching bigger fish), but I can’t really afford buying something new every time I have to dress up. With the semesterly “candidate parties” where semi-gala is expected, I have been stretching my dress budget these last two years. Going to the US helped, though, because the selection was wider and the prices lower. Still, the relatively low prices probably contributed to my over-shopping when I was there, and this in turn contributed to my over-spending of money I now wish were still in my savings account.
I’m not going to starve, but it would have been reassuring to know that I had some money in the bank for the last semester of university; and even more so for the time after that when I face no “real” job (at least I haven’t gotten any yet) and no student loans. Fortunately my job in the bookshop – even if it means counting an endless number of coins and accepting that the world is full of ignorant people – is going to keep me afloat until I find something more permanent.
If only I could strike to get more money!
8 comments:
I think I would be right there with you on strike for more money.
I think it's the same the world over, My son who lives in Spain only last week was asking his boss for more money, have yet to find out how he got on.....cost to much to phone to often from UK to Spain.
Have a nice day,
Yvonne.
Oh, the panic about what MIGHT happen... Economics is such a stupid field... nobody really knows anything. They're just a bunch of posers.
*wishes I had and excuse to buy a fancy dress*
Wow, I had no idea things were so difficult there. I'm glad your doing all right. And wouldn't it be great to be able to strike to get more money! I would love it.
CD
Yvonne - actually I am fortunate to live in Norway since we got off the crisis relatively easy. But I'm still a student, and thus constantly on a budget. I shouldn't complain, though.
Tami - you don't have excuses for buying fancy dresses? I thought soon-to-be published authors lived such glamorous lives!
Clarissa - it's not exactly "difficult" - the strike was a result of the annual (biannual? Not sure how often they take place) wage negotiations all sectors of our employed society have. This particular union was not satisfied with the suggestion initially made my the employers, so they said no and went on strike. It happens in one profession or other almost every spring. But some of them are more noticeable than others.
It doesn't take too much to send the general public into a panic these days - whether it's warranted or not!
Glad to hear you're back to normal - good luck with the money :)
Ah yes, I remember my student days...painful finacially, but so much fun
Funny...my student days are long behind me, and I still manage to never have enough money!
Jemi - I know, right? Actually, I am thinking of using this as a marketing strategy. Whenever I (write and) publish a book I will have the news report that the stores are all out of it and people will have to hoard it to make sure they get a copy! (Alright, the effect might not be entirely as good as when it's about money or food, but a girl can hope!)
Lynda - it is a lot of fun, and I am aware that I should cherish my freedom while I still have it. Then again, freedom with money is so much more fun than freedom without it...
Disc - that is another problem, of course. I shouldn't expect to suddenly become a millionaire when I graduate. It's not like there is an abundance of jobs at all for historians, and well-paid ones - Good luck!
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