disregard, hoo haa!

So, seems like I've broken a self-imposed rule on post titles.

Anyhow.
Next term, the industrial placement will entail a full-time work experience at a label aptly titled "the little slut", doing who knows what... technical work and sampling. The label is not going to show on runway at the coming A/W'09 showing in February, but it will travel to Milan and Paris for buyers' appointments. Naturally, I will be nosing my way in for these appointments, so we'll see how things turn out.

The pay for above-mentioned placement is predictably nihilistic (travel expenses covered), so packed lunch and possibly biking to work options will be scrutinised. It was quite interesting, though, to discuss with the studio manager person that "I know my legal rights of being paid £5.73 per hour for full-time internships longer than four weeks in duration", "yet I know many students will be flocking to London to do an internship in order to pass their units", and "more desperate skilled people means less pay ceteris paribus". I wonder if what I said in regard to payments made them break into sweats. With what they said, and given that last time I was given £10 travel money a day, I'm looking at £50-60 per week. Not much, but better than something.

Despite FBRS and Careers Office crowing about minimum pay, many choose to flout the rules: some out of desperation, and some riding flush on others' meagre situation. I, for one, must do a ten-week placement supplemented with paperwork and a 4000-word student report by mid-March, or risk failing the module and be forced to repeat one whole year (paying extortionate fees). Don't get me wrong, it isn't personal: all others in my course must do so when their placement term comes. One place pays £140 a week - sadly I didn't get the job despite coming in earlier than everyone else. Although I do wonder, how many other students get so anal/blunt about getting remunerated on their interviews... and how talking about money rates with employers.

As for the more mundane side of things:

Visa for the Antwerp trip got approved on Wednesday, and it was for... one entrance, five days only? Good customer service at VFS Belgium though; I got my passport back within less than two weeks, with mild e-mail pestering. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing with the Italian VFS.
(Note: VFS is an intermediary company that supposedly 'helps' embassies deal with high-volume visa application paperworks.)

I'm flying out to Melbourne tomorrow, and will get there in... a few days? :))
I'm not going back to Jakarta. Despite being relatively close to Melbourne (it takes me at least 24 hours to take to that side of the world anyway), the stopover option is significantly more expensive. Moreover, I don't think I can physically tackle a side trip to Jakarta, remembering that many would demand me to "do the rounds". So, for my health, sanity and financial well-being, Jakarta this Christmas is out of question. Thank you.

So, now it's time to pack... have a good day, everyone! ^__^