Diary

Monday it was time to go to Amsterdam again. After I had worked for some hours (my new employer rents me to the customer 'by the yard'', so every hour counts), we headed for the VU. Today I had to see the speech therapist for the first time. First we just talked about my voice. In the past I thought I had a very timid, childish voice, but over time I learned I also have lower ''registers' available. And I have learned to use those, although I found that quite scary. I didn't feel comfortable with such a base-like sound, but I was trying to be(come) a 'Real Man'' in those days :-( Now I will have to un-learn that again. The speech therapist called this the 'breast resonance' and he showed me how his voice sounded with and without that. I'm afraid it will be quite difficult (and scary again) to get rid of that. The fact that this is a ''resonance' makes it even more difficult. It is similar to a 'sympathy string' on a hurdy-gurdy: You don't touch it, but it does sound along with your voice...

Then the real examination started. He made a video recording of my vocal cords. Those look fine: Very healthy. But of course they have to stay that way. That is why they make such a recording before you start working on your voice and then again six months later to see whether they have remained as healthy as they were (there is a risk I may over-stress them by trying to change my voice in the wrong way).

Then I had to real a little story. Actually it was quite a thrilling story, but unfortunately he had gathered enough information after the first paragraph, so Julia and I are very curious to the rest of the story now.
The measurement results were quite good. It turns out the frequency I use most is 112 Hz. To be recognized as a female, this number will have to be increased to 150 Hz, but that is a frequency I already use too! So it should be possible...

Then there was another voice recording. We went into a 'sound dead' room and there I had to speak a prolonged 'Aaaaah' and an 'Eeeeee'' into the computer. He also demonstrated the difference between 112 Hz and 150 Hz to me. It means I will have to move form a (musical note) A to an E. It sounds easy enough...

And then we had to run to make it to the radiology department in time. They have made a scan of my bones there. They do that with a strong magnetic field, so I could not have any metal on body. I was prepared very well, so I wasn't wearing any jewelry, nor a bra, nor any clothing with a zipper in it. I even didn't eat spinach the day before!
I was expecting an MRI-scan and I think that was what they did, but it was a very mild one. When you think of an MRI-scan you see one of those large machines with a 'tunnel', where your body is shifted through. They also say those machines make a terrible noise. Well it didn't turn out to be that bad. I had to lie down on a normal patient table. Below the table was a large circular drum that probably contained a very strong, superconductive electromagnet. And above the table was a slim, oblong object that must have contained the sensor. Those were couples together and could move along my body. No problem at all. And it didn't make too much noise either, it sounded more or less the same as my own scanner at home...

On the way back we could of course enjoy the rush hour on the A2 again. And of course I wanted to try something different. So this time we took the off-ramp towards Breukelen and used a smaller road for several miles. I was curious whether my former employer, Expograph, would still be situated there, be that was not the case. The whole building was gone! Yes the product we made back then is really outdated by now. If they haven't thought of something new in time, the whole company must have gone bankrupt...

But you don't avoid the traffic jam for long. We now ended up in the centre of Utrecht, which is of course one large traffic jam in the rush hour. And after that, back on the A2 there were several more miles of traffic jam to enjoy...

These are very heavy days! If you go to work first and then on to of that you get all the examinations and the traffic problems, it isn't healthy. My employer thinks he can reduce the time spent on medical leave by stealing away your holidays if it amounts to more than 13.5 hours in a year. Very tough! And when I complain about this, the reply I get is: "Yes, Evelien, we are a commercial company!" Very tough indeed! Let your employees work their butts off! If they end up 'unfit for work', you easily ditch them through a social security law! And by the way, since when does being commercial preclude being businesslike? I would say those words are almost synonyms!




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