Lights!
After further discussion with my program, and a good thorough go through on my contracts, I realize that I have no other choice than to convince the Institute to allow me to work from a distance. I cannot drop them all together, or I will not be allowed to finish my program. Contracts are contracts, and sometimes you are not aware of how ridged they are until you cut yourself on them.
Camera [zoom]!
So it is up to me. I have to convince them that I can move to Buenos Aires and continue working for them from a distance. Please don’t misinterpret me. I would honestly absolutely love to continue working with them from a distance, and being a part of their enormous array of educational opportunities. I am enthusiastic about the possibility. If it can be called a possibility. To be honest, I know that working for them from a distance is very do-able, and in all reality would benefit both sides incredibly. I would be able to move, see new things, expand my horizons, get more work done and MORE importantly, not have to sit in an office giving face time. All of the work that I have been given up to this point could easily be done from a distance, over the phone, through email or stopping by everyone once in a blue mood. On there end, it would be AMAZING to them to learn to delegate and plan ahead more. As I have mentioned in previous entries, some of the great plagues (well actually it is only a plague if you want to function internationally has the institute does) of the Argentine work environment are as follows:
1) Everything is personnel based, not position based. The people work really hard, but each individual person is the only one who knows what they do or what they need. They don’t have positions in jobs, they have individuals who carry all the weight
2) Probably due to factor one, they are extremely unorganized, and no one really ever seems to know what is going on
3) Getting anything done takes forever, because they are late or they just keep pushing it off
I know that I am not alone in my criticisms and issues, because the other interns feel it too. I am the only one here long enough however, to really be having a heart attack over it.
So how would me working from long distance benefit them? Because if I only came once every two weeks for a few hours, they couldn’t just let me sit around until they think of something to do, they would have to plan for that meeting, organize their thoughts and ideas, and get it over with swiftly. Though I am sure that while I would love to come to La Plata for just a meeting, the meeting would be delayed at least 2 hours…if it ever happened at all!
Action!
These are all great and wonderful observations, criticisms, solutions to problems, and suggestions…but how do you say this to someone? To your boss? Subtly? In another language?
“Look, I know that I am just an intern, but I think that the institute has this, this and this problem and I have this, this and this solution to your problems, all of which include me moving to Buenos Aires and working from a distance for you? What do you think?” And then I slap them both across the face to make sure that it hurts physically as well as mentally. And that is how I get my self fired, and get out of my contract.
So i go into the weekend thinking hard, and formulating my attack strategy. The meeting will be sometime next week. And the meeting will determine my future here. So I had better be prepared!
