CLOCKING BELLS OR WEDDING BELLS

When I was coming to the end of my second year in China I had to decide what to do next, I realized I had two real alternatives, first to go back to Mexico and continue my work as freelance interpreter and translator forever or move to Europe, preferably to Geneva, Switzerland and try to land a job at the UN, possibly as interpreter.  I had a third option, which was to move to Taiwan and study Chinese and eventually add it to my working languages.  I consulted my mother and she suggested that the Taiwan option was not very realistic, as it would be really hard to add Chinese to my working languages.

So as to the other two, going back to Mexico was out of the question and coming to Geneva and find a job at the UN looked fine but  … even then to get a job, first a post had to be advertised, you had to apply for it and if the offer was not rigged in advance, competition, exams, tests and the like lay ahead before anything could be considered.  But also there was the option of being already in Geneva and ready to do any job available, of any kind.

The problem was to be in Switzerland as even then the Swiss had very strict rules about granting residence permits to foreigners, especially non-European.  A sure alternative was to become a University student as that automatically made it easy to obtain the resident permit as university student.  So in time I applied and was accepted at the Cours de Langue et Civilisation Francaise, at the University of Geneva. I also knew that, as a student I could probably find accommodation at the student’s residence in Geneva and all would be fine.

For the form I decided to invite my mother to join me in Geneva, although I knew she would refuse giving me all kinds of reasons or excuses. So I send her an “invitation letter” and in due time received the answer, brief as they come and totally unexpected where she said “yes, with pleasure I will come with you to Geneva”.  I almost fell in shock as all my plans for a new life in Switzerland were smashed in a line.  Now I had to consider how I was going to go and pick her up in Mexico, close my flat there where my mom was living and if possible find a tenant, pack my house and come here with her.  I only had money for a one-way ticket for both of us, so the challenge was considerable.

After a few weeks we finally arrived in Geneva, to a sub-let flat and we started our life Swiss-style. My mother died soon after and I was left alone to fend for myself, start my classes at the University and find a part-time job to support myself, as money was going faster than desired. I found three part-time jobs, I was allowed one, the rest of the time I was supposed to be studying French.

At the time my friend Urs was busy working and his support to my difficult situation was rather marginal, but he was there when needed.  During the first few months after University started I tried to find a job in many international organisations, discovered that at least in two instances of a post advertised for interpreter, it as rigged and the “winner” had been chosen in advance. Later I discovered that was rather common occurrence, and of course was despairing as then my chances were considerably reduced.

I was getting a bit desperate and the only way to extend my stay in Switzerland was to continue studying at the university, hard and boring as that was or find a job in the UN system, which was the only place where a working permit was not required prior to getting a job.

I have never been the marrying type, but in this difficult situation I had to recognize that marriage would be a way to solve my problems.  At the time you got your Swiss passport immediately upon marriage – as today you have to wait few years before being able to acquire the Swiss nationality. Now the problem was to find a marriageable Swiss guy that could be lured into marriage.  I did not now many that were single and could be convinced but…

During one of the holidays, when I went to Urs’s place to celebrate with the family, it dawn on me that he was Swiss, single and not committed to anyone in particular, to my knowledge, and that made him the ideal candidate for marriage in order to sort all my papers and my situation here. It was not easy but finally one day I decided to broach the subject and after telling him about the difficulties of not finding the right job and so on, I said something like: “If I cannot find a job soon, it might become necessary that you marry me” and after a few seconds of shock, surprise and whichever other feelings he had, his unequivocal answer was “Do not worry, I am sure and certain you will find a job soon”.

Speak of a cold shower!!!!  This one was not cold, but freezing.  I do not remember exactly in which order but I know I felt angry, sad, disappointed, enraged and at the same time decided then and there that I would indeed find a job, even if it killed me, as I was not going to beg again for help, not of that kind at least.  Once the shock was over and I returned to Geneva, finding a job was number one priority, I was ready to clean houses – that would not have been the first time I worked as a maid, wash dishes or get job at the UN. After a few weeks I got a job as a temporary translator at one of the UN agencies, it was the best possible job available.  Then by word of mouth I was called to another organization for a trial as translator, as there was a post advertised.  I did a test, worked with them two weeks as a trial period and with a lot of luck and help from the Mexican Ambassador in Geneva got the job as a translator.

When all became official I told Urs and besides his congratulations he said:  “You see, I told you, you would get a job”.  Luckily for him we were talking on the phone, otherwise he might not have survived unscathed.  We both laugh a little and that was it, my job as a translator later became one of interpreter and then chief interpreter of my organization, I worked there over 20 years and when I retired I continued working quite a lot as freelance for another five years and now I am enjoying my free time and no more clocking bells nor wedding bells!!