elanya

I hate how international students are treated at this university. I hate how *I*'m treated as an international student, and I am at least familiar enough with the American bureaucratic system to recognize that the way we are treated represents the worst of the dehumanizing aspects of the systems in play.

Example one:
When you need to have something done at ISS, you have to take a number. Literally, a little number off a reel. And you're called up and dealt with by number whether you have an appointment or are just dropping off a letter. The only other places I've ever had to deal with this was at the Social Security Office and the DMV, whose jobs it is to literally condense your identity to a number. Yeah. ISS says that this is so they can keep track of how many people they help. I know your desk monkey undergraduates are a bit dim, but they're incapable of counting? Really?

Example two:
So, because they're dicks, they automatically signed everyone up for their health insurance plan, and put the onus on the students to provide proof they have other coverage. Of course, I *do* have other coverage - I have had coverage since 2007! But for some reason their system does not see this., However, that is them being dicks, not necessarily dehumanizing.

Eventually, and with great annoyance and pointless running around and so forth, I was told what I needed to do - send an e-mail saying 'I have an assistantship" to X address. Which I did. And got a response back today! Saying that the system does believe me. Well, screw them, first of all. And screw them harder for replying to my e-mail, which has my name in it twice, as well as my UIN, with "Dear International Student." Assholes. You know, if you are going to copy and paste a response that frankly doesn't make sense in light of the information *I* have about my status, and my status as an employee over the summer, etc., you could be at least bothered to take the two seconds to copy and paste *my name* as well. I know it would *almost* be like effort though, and apparently it is easier not to deal with us like people.

So I replied to "Dear Health Insurance Employee", and signed it ""International Student" # (my UIN)"

Dicks >:|

For all the times I've dealt with them, I can count maybe once it has gone smoothly.

For some reason, if didn't enter into my head properly that "envigillating exam" equalled "marking shittons of exams this weekend". Ahh well. It isn't like I have any plans :p There are a couple of Superbowl thingies going on this weekend, but I am really not interested, go figure.

I am going to go see if Dr. E is in, and talk to him, if so. If he is, I'm going to go home and nap, then mark exams. Otherwise.... I may go home and nap and mark papers anyway, I'm not sure.

I got to bed at 2 last night, but I couldn't sleep for ages and ages ;p All this makes for a very tired Heather.

And yes I do nap a lot, what's it to ya!?

ETA: Idiocy or incompetence?

Someone sent me a package on the 23rd of January. Aparently it's been sitting at the Post Office since the 26th. See, this is especially funny because I've been to the post office since then, to pick up another package! Oh, the hilarity! I've also had several other packages delivered. What makes it *especially *especially* great is that when I called to ask the post office here about it (and please not, that in order to actually get the number for the post office here, which is apparently unlisted, I had to call another post office in town and then try about five times to get though :p) they told me that if it were a tracked package, then suley they would have recorded it when the package came to them! Christ on a craker :p

I'm going to have a nap now. Dr. Ewen wasn't in, and probably isn't going to be today, as far as I can tell. Then marking, then post office, and then MSA meeting. Oh, and then more marking :p