轉工、申請冰島的身份號碼，這是我來冰島後過得最簡單和無憂的三個星期。｜Changed job, applied for Icelandic ID number, it’s the most stress free time since I’m in Iceland.

Click here for English

轉工

原以為轉工很簡單，但由於所問非人，我根本不知道跟旅館簽約後，需要給予12天的離職通知期，所以便答應酒店那邊七月上班。當我要辭職時，旅館老闆非常不高興，語帶威脅的說我一定要按既定的更表來上班直至12天後，否則後果自負。

自知理虧的我，當然只能另想辦法，不然一個搞不好，兩邊都沒工做。

幸好 Jan 的休息日竟然剛好可以填補我旅館那邊的工作日，而我們更嘗試在網上找替工。由於旅館正值多事之秋（據說由於老闆跟俄羅斯前夫的錢銀糾葛，導致旅館最近不斷遭人刑事毀壞，包括縱火、爆玻璃窗、帳篷遭割破、塗鴉、車軚被戳等等等等），為此煩惱不已的老闆，怒氣過後也無暇執著誰來上班這小事，所以最終也答應讓 Jan 來替更，和考慮接受我們找的人。

還好最後老闆自己找到新員工取代我，雖然名義上我還未離職，但我已不用在旅館上班，可以順利保住酒店的新工作。

冰島的身份號碼

現在問題在於要申請冰島的身份號碼（Kennitala），沒有這個號碼，你在這裡什麼都不是。既不能開銀行戶口，也不能出糧，連買部電視機都不能。但關於這方面的資料卻很混亂，各有各說的。像旅館老闆，她連要去那個部門申請也搞錯，幸好那裡的職員給了我們正確地址。不過原來申請這個號碼是要提供僱傭合約的，剛開始在旅館工作時只是兼職員工，所以沒有合同，到後來簽了全職，才能拿著合約前往申請。

不過申請需時，一般要四至六星期，所以交好了所有文件後就只有等。

小陽春

新工作雖然較辛苦，清晨五點起床上班時氣溫也只有 7、8 度，但可以和其他人有講有笑，時間過的飛快，再加上廚房內的東西可以任吃，所以我也一直很喜歡在那裡上班。

至於營地方面，由當初孤獨一人洗廁所，到和來做 housekeeping 的法國妹成了朋友，工作已不再像初時的刻板沉悶。

基本上這是我來冰島後過得最無憂、最愜意的三個星期。在七月的最後一個星期，一切又開始推倒重來。

－ 待續…

前文：#4 風雨過後

下集：#6 鑊鑊新鮮

Changing job

I thought it’d be simple to change my job, but I didn’t know I needed to give a 12-day notice period for resignation. My boss was very upset when I resigned and said I must come to work according to schedule or she’ll take further action. I knew it’s my fault that I couldn’t say no. But I already promised the Hotel manager that I would start to wok from July. I needed to find a solution, or I might loss all my jobs.

Luckily, Jan’s off was exactly on my work days of the hostel, so he can cover my shift for the first week. I also tried to look for someone on the internet who could replace my work. Although my boss was upset, she’s a sensible person and agreed with this arrangement.

Even better, she found a new staff herself to cover all my shifts and replace me at the end. Officially I was still a staff member of the hostel but I no longer needed to work there. I could take the new job as planned.

Kennitala

All I needed to do now was to apply Kennitala, the Icelandic personal number. You need it to open your bank account and to get paid. Technically, you can’t do anything here if you don’t have one, not even buying a TV set. However, there wasn’t a lot of updated information on the internet, and even the locals were not sure where to apply it. Like my boss from the hostel told us to go to the wrong office, only the staff there knew it and gave us the right address. Yet, you can’t apply it without an employment contract and I didn’t have one when I was a part time staff. Only after I got my full-time employment contract, I could finally apply it.

It took 4-6 weeks to process. Nothing I could do but just wait now.

Indian Summer

The new job was harder and I needed to get up at 5am to work, but time passed quicker and easier when I could chat with others. Also, it’s free to eat anything in the kitchen. I simply enjoyed my work there more.

About working in the campsite, it’s not that dull and boring anymore since I made friend with the new French housekeeper.

When looking back now, these three weeks were the happiest and stress free time since I’ve been in Iceland. At the end of July, everything started to be screwed up again.

— To be continued…

Previous: #4 After storms

Next: #6 You must be kidding me