English
Nederlands
2008-06-23
National administration updated
Last week I got a letter from UWV (the national institution co-ordinating benefits for sick and unemployed workers), addressed to Mr Snel. It was about my illness last year, when I had my operation. Apparently my employer never told them I was cured again and already full-time at work for several months (100% since March 10th.). So the letter had all kind of threatening language about the end of the benefit. No reason for that letter at all...
Anyway, I called them just for sure to explain the situation. But that turned out to be not so easy at all. All special-rate telephone numbers start with 0900 in the Netherlands and the morons who built our PBAX have made those numbers illegal to call from work. Apparently the management thinks this is needed to prevent us from calling sex-lines all day.
The same thing happens to our Internet-connection: We cannot open any URL that happens to have the letters "sex" in them. Like transSEXual... And other words are blocked too, I cannot even open mijn own page http://www.eveliensnel.com/blogger/2005/05/fourTEENth-column.html!
Fortunately the receptionist's telephone is not crippled in this way, so I managed to make the call downstairs at the reception desk.
Before I got to speak to any human being I first had to type in my 9-digit social security number and the system only allows a few seconds to accomplish that. Rediculous! But after a few attemps I succeeded in that. So finally I got through to a friendly lady and I explained the situation. She updated my status in their computer and said that probably my company or the UWV themselves had made a mistake. So after this call everything was clear and honky dory again, she said.
I am glad she had clearly spoken her name and I made a note of that, that does not always happen when you call institutions like this one.
At the end of the call I thanked her for helping me and she said: "At your service, madam." Apparently the national administration had done some quick work and my sex change had already made it to the UWV database and to her screen. Very good!
Anyway, I called them just for sure to explain the situation. But that turned out to be not so easy at all. All special-rate telephone numbers start with 0900 in the Netherlands and the morons who built our PBAX have made those numbers illegal to call from work. Apparently the management thinks this is needed to prevent us from calling sex-lines all day.
The same thing happens to our Internet-connection: We cannot open any URL that happens to have the letters "sex" in them. Like transSEXual... And other words are blocked too, I cannot even open mijn own page http://www.eveliensnel.com/blogger/2005/05/fourTEENth-column.html!
Fortunately the receptionist's telephone is not crippled in this way, so I managed to make the call downstairs at the reception desk.
Before I got to speak to any human being I first had to type in my 9-digit social security number and the system only allows a few seconds to accomplish that. Rediculous! But after a few attemps I succeeded in that. So finally I got through to a friendly lady and I explained the situation. She updated my status in their computer and said that probably my company or the UWV themselves had made a mistake. So after this call everything was clear and honky dory again, she said.
I am glad she had clearly spoken her name and I made a note of that, that does not always happen when you call institutions like this one.
At the end of the call I thanked her for helping me and she said: "At your service, madam." Apparently the national administration had done some quick work and my sex change had already made it to the UWV database and to her screen. Very good!
Labels: transition
2008-06-22
Dancing
Today was an important day for Julia: Exams for her dance class! During the past six months she has been practicing with her dance partner P. every week and now it was time to show they had learned something. So at six PM we headed for dance school Van der Putten in Geldrop.
The exams started at seven and there were many candidates at many different experience levels. The whole event was therefore a complex matter to organise, but it all worked like a clockwork! It was a nice event to watch too. There were some demonstrations by very experienced dancers, but the devotion of the candidates at every level was great to see as well.
I was really impressed by a couple that did some stunting during the quickstep. They used all the length of the hall to build up speed and then ended with a nice sliding to finish exactly in the right position for turning to the short side of the dance floor. But there were also very remarkable demonstrations in Rock & Roll and Boogie Woogie.
For me there was nothing else to do but sit at the sideline and watch. I did have some dance lessons long ago, but I have lost all I learned there. Besides that, I learned the steps for a man of course, so it would not be very useful now. If I want to dance, I will have to learn the step for the woman now. Well... Maybe I'll take some lessons next year. It does look kind of fun...
Of course Julia passed her exam, I think nobody failed. But there was a difference in the points people scored, ranging from "adequate" to "excellent"...
The exams started at seven and there were many candidates at many different experience levels. The whole event was therefore a complex matter to organise, but it all worked like a clockwork! It was a nice event to watch too. There were some demonstrations by very experienced dancers, but the devotion of the candidates at every level was great to see as well.
I was really impressed by a couple that did some stunting during the quickstep. They used all the length of the hall to build up speed and then ended with a nice sliding to finish exactly in the right position for turning to the short side of the dance floor. But there were also very remarkable demonstrations in Rock & Roll and Boogie Woogie.
For me there was nothing else to do but sit at the sideline and watch. I did have some dance lessons long ago, but I have lost all I learned there. Besides that, I learned the steps for a man of course, so it would not be very useful now. If I want to dance, I will have to learn the step for the woman now. Well... Maybe I'll take some lessons next year. It does look kind of fun...
Of course Julia passed her exam, I think nobody failed. But there was a difference in the points people scored, ranging from "adequate" to "excellent"...
2008-06-21
Birth Certificate
Today I received a letter from the city administration in Rotterdam, stating that my gender has now officially been changed in my birth certificate.
Finally the moment has come! Official recognition.
Now I can go for a new passport and drivers licence.
Finally the moment has come! Official recognition.
Now I can go for a new passport and drivers licence.
Labels: transition
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