My first sponsored Dutch class. Class? Hmm.

I just got back from my first gemeente (district?) sponsored and compulsory Dutch class.

I was told to be at that class today from 6pm till 10pm, so I was all geared up to spend 4 friggin hours in the tiny classroom. Then many students came late, including the teacher, which made me a tad annoyed because I hate waiting for people, especially when it's a scheduled class/meeting/show etc. But whatever, I took it in my stride cuz I really wanted to see what everyone is like.

We started off with filling up one form. Which took 1.5 hours. And 2 girls.

Seriously, man, this is not the first time I've had to go through some Dutch process in order to get something and you can bet your bottom dollar that none of them were efficient and organised.

On the invitation card for the class, you're asked to bring your ID card and a form stating that you have a job at your particular company. And when you bring it, they're supposed to make a copy of it and put it in your file.

There were around 10 of us new people today, and it took one tiny brown girl the whole 1.5 hours to copy our IDs and job letters.

You know what's the problem? She didn't announce what she was doing. The guy sitting next to me (nice Polish guy named Jack... or Jac. or Jak. Or maybe even Chzak, for all I know) had his ID card on the table because he had to check his ID number. The tiny girl swished past and picked it up, saying, "Oh, I need to copy this" and went away. So I was thinking, "Do you not need mine?" and I just waited and listened to the teacher who was helping us fill in the forms because the tiny brown girl was flitting around.

Ten or fifteen minutes later, she comes back with some copies and then I ask her if she needs my card too. And she says Yes and flits away again.

An HOUR later, she reappears with some work letters and then I ask, do you need mine? And she goes yes, so I give it to her.

O.M.G.

The teacher couldn't assist her own existing students on the other side of the class because Tinkerbell kept disappearing making copies of 10 ID cards and 10 work letters!

Is that organised? Is that ORGANISED? Grr.

And that one form which had to be filled out also took an hour. I can understand, since it was in Dutch and she had to help the people who didn't speak Dutch at all, with her basic English. But honestly, is it so hard to just announce in the beginning that they need to collect our cards and letters? And then make the stupid 1-page form in 2 languages? She said that it was alright to answer in English anyway, so what's the problem there?

Friggin waste of time, I tell ya!